Little League (Byler)

Xlll

(AKA "Love's strange, so real in the dark
Think of the tender things that we were working on
Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby," Don't you, Simple Minds.)

"Hey, Mike?"
"Yeah?"
"I need to tell you something." Will said so quietly, barely above a whisper. His head was tilted down and this self-ashamed look glowed on his face.
"Oh, okay! What's up Byers?"
"I- umm. I like you. Like, like you. And I know you're dating El and stuff. So you don't have to say yes or be worried about disappointing me, I get it. I just really needed to say something because I've been keeping this inside since we were like- seven." The teen said sadly, but confident in getting it out. Like he could immediately feel the relief hit his structure.
His posture let loose and he collapsed against the sofa where he sat so intently. Mikes eyes were bulging, face red and hot. But that stupid smile flickered across his lips and he quickly felt his heart dance and him in his chest like some type of musical.
"You like me?"
"I-yes. I like you, Mike. I like you so much."
And then without a thought in his head except for mush and spring flowers and warm hot cocoa and tulips and honey and blankets and fire and.. everything good, he could rant about this feeling for ages, the boy pressed both of his hands on the sides of Wills face. Eyes flickering between lips and swamp eyes that fluttered around ever so daintily.

Not being able to contain himself any longer, his own lips sealed to Wills. The gap had disappeared into nothingness. They danced rhythmically, a steady pulse. Wills eyes finally shut after frantically widening  for a while. Years of longing in one kiss. One single kiss.
And it was so perfect, unlike any kiss Mike had ever shared with Eleven. Like clouds parting and the sun warming up air after a storm, and yet it felt like one of those romantic rain-kisses. It felt like a bead of hope stringing itself to an empty necklace that had wrapped around the two.
It felt like nothing either had ever felt before.
A quick breath.
Another breath and they pulled apart fully.
"I like you too, Byers. You're my everything."
.
..
...
Mike jolted awake, palms sweaty and eyes wide. He jolted to take a look at the squirming Will Byers who was laying down on his bed. Clearly he was struggling, breaths falling in heavy attempts to calm down. The older boys eyes were clenched shut, his voice muttering words. They seeming to egg Will on.
Mike really just had a dream about kissing Will.
But when they made eye contact from his position on the floor, he noticed some tears swelled into place. All Byers could possibly do was shake his head 'no' slowly.
"Will?"
"Hey.. Will you okay?"  Mike tried despite his own problems, his hair feathered out into those sweaty ebony strands on his face.
"I'm fine. Let's just go back to sleep, okay?" Will squeaked in response, his boy flipped over to face the wall. A tactic against continuing to look at his concerned best friend.
"You don't seem okay."
"Just some stupid nightmares." The bull cut wearing boy panted out. Trying desperately to gain control of that breath he wanted to gasp for.
"Do you wanna talk about them? I'm here to listen." Mike said quietly, also clinging onto any sort of distraction from his dream which would later cause a few more issues for him. Just a few.
"Uh, not really. Thanks though."
"Alright." He paused, waiting for some type of sentence from Byers, who was still shriveled up, all shaky.
"Hey um, Mike?"
Another small break in words.
"..yeah?"
"Can you, uhm, maybe come up here?"
Mikes heart almost shattered from the pure surprise of the question.. and red consumed his face.
Sharing a bed.. with Will?
Oh shit
Oh shit indeed.

"Um.. sure! I'll come up. If you'd like." So the teen shuffled around, hesitantly stalling the last stretch up into the bed. Only three feet from the ground. The covers sunk Mike in, consuming him like a pool of water, and yet this was his own bed. He'd slept in it every night since he was five. This was different though, because Will was just three inches away, arm pressed against arm on the  cramped twin sized mattress. Wheeler stared at the ceiling, desperately attempting not to sneak glances to see what Byers was doing besides him. He had failed multiple times. And rather often he found his eyes meeting the forehead of his oh-so-close best friend. They were immediately yanked back to the popcorn ceiling.
"Goodnight Will." He tried out. A subtle attempt to settle into the knee deep awkwardness of the whole situation.
"'Night Mike." Will finished off before flipping onto his side and pressing his flattened bull-cut against the pillows permanently. Mike decided against moving. He tried to stay back-down, but it was so uncomfortable and the tiny hum of Will's quiet breaths reminded him of the scenario that was sure to play out when the two were fully conscious again.
Eventually he gave up.
It didn't take much encouragement to do so. Byers looked so incredibly beautiful, sleeping like that. Peaceful and absolutely precious. Mike could try to pull that off too, by simply facing Will's back. He noticed the shoulder-blades and the tiny specks of soft hair on the back of the boys neck. Little details he'd never seen so defined before. And the back of Will's head, covered in almond hair, looked so perfect to run fingers through at night which the two cuddled together.

And he felt the desperation to snake his arms around Byers and spoon him. To cuddle up like a couple with Will, and stay like that until they woke up. To have his face pressed into Will's pretty neck and nuzzle into comfort.
He couldn't.
He shouldn't.
And yet he couldn't help himself.
Because as soon and a quiet little voice came from his companion, all hope was lost. A small simple sleepy mutter, something entirely untranslatable. Yet so incredibly Will Byers.
"(Something) Spengler, (something) mmmmm but that's the song i like."
So without any pause, Mike's thin arms circled around  his best friend's torso, his face now snug against Will's back.
And he spelt so much like fabric softener and blades of fresh cut grass dripping in morning dew.
Mike got even closer to his friend.
He smelt like home.

***
Authors Note: Here we have another filler chapter. I think this one actually went decently compared to the other haha, but I FINALLY HAVE SOME QUALITY BYLER FLUFF. YAY!
Speaking of Byler..
I physically cannot contain myself from mentioning the Stranger Things season covers that were released today. LIKE BRO- FIRST OFF I WAS IN SCHOOL SO I GOT A DELAYED SATISFACTION FROM THAT.  And second JFJEISJFAKLE WILL AND MIKE ARE LITERALLY LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. LIKE THEY FREAKING DID FOR COUPLES IN THE LAST SEASON COVER. LIKE HELLO?!
EL IS ALONE (which is sad.. but not the point) THAT MEANS WILL HAS MIKE TO HIMSELF THIS SEASON. YES. YES YES YES YES YES.

Words- 1219