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Will Byers had had a lot of moments in his life where he wondered what he possibly could have done to end up in whatever current situation he was in, but this night had to be in the top 3.
The night had started fine enough. It was summer, and everyone was visiting home from their first year of college before heading back, and they’d decided to have a game night like old times, they’d ordered pizza, and drank too much soda as they laughed. They caught up on how everyone was doing, with Lucas and Max away at school in California, and the rest of them in New York. It was hard to plan anything during the school year for the party to get together, hell, Will hardly ever had the chance to see El, or Dustin and they lived about 3 blocks from his and Mike’s shoe-box of an apartment. He was happy to sit back and reminisce.
At least until Max stood up and told them she had something to tell them in a serious sounding tone, shifting the energy of the room completely.
“Oh my god! Are you pregnant?” Dustin asked excitedly, only to fix his face when Max sent him a glare that could turn a man to stone before continuing.
“If you’d let me talk, I was saying me and Lucas are getting married, asshole! I am not pregnant!” Max said as she pulled out a necklace Will hadn’t even realized she was wearing, with a decent sized diamond ring on the chain.
“Congratulations Max and Lucas, I hope you guys have a wonderful marriage,” El said as she pulled Max into a big hug.
“Thanks El, that means a lot,” Max said into her hair as she hugged the girl tightly.
“Congats man,” Dustin said as he got up and clapped Lucas on the shoulder.
Will and Mike both got up and went over to Max and Lucas.
“I’m happy for you guys, you’ve been through too much to not deserve this,” Will said as he pulled them both into a hug, before going over to the couch with Max.
“Seriously, you guys are going to be great at being married, Max already carries your balls in her purse, now it’ll just be really official,” Mike joked as he gave Lucas a hug.
“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones’, Mike?” Lucas replied with a chuckle as he stared at his friend with a knowing look.
“I don’t know what you're talking about, Mr.Mayfield,” Mike grinned, ignoring him as he walked over to where Will and Max had migrated to the couch where she was showing him, El, and Dustin her ring.
“It’s gorgeous Max, how the hell did Lucas afford it? Last time we talked, you said he was getting creative with different ways to cook ramen,” Will said as he pulled Max’s left hand to him.
“It was my grandma’s ring, it’s a family heirloom. My dad said it’s from the civil war when I asked for it,” Lucas said as he sat down on the couch next to his fiance.
“Wait, when did you propose, if you had to ask your dad for the ring?” Dustin asked curiously.
“Last night, we were at the arcade, it was really cute, he cleared out the whole place,” Max explained.
“Aww” escaped out of both El and Will’s mouth at the information, and even Dustin got a little teary eyed at the thought of it, while Mike looked at Lucas with admiration.
“We should play a game!” El suggested excitedly as she jumped up from the couch, “I saw this game on a TV show! When someone gets married you play this game where you see how well couples know each other, it’s supposed to strengthen your bond as a couple. It'll be so fun, please?” she begged with her big doe eyes.
“The Newlywed Game, El? Like the game show?” Dustin asked as he looked at his girlfriend for confirmation.
“Yes! That one, we can make our own questions and pull them out of your hat,” she said, already putting her plan in motion as she grabbed a notebook and pen from the coffee table, and Dustin’s hat off his head.
“Wait, we can’t play that! Then me and Will can’t play. How are we supposed to play a game made for couples, El?” Mike said once he realized everyone was going along with El’s idea.
“Oh c’mon, you and Will are already practically married, you live together, you eat together, I bet he even washes your socks, Mike. The game will be fine,” Max said with a smirk that said ‘I dare you to challenge me’.
“Actually Mike does our laundry, I do dishes, and it does sound like fun,” Will said with a laugh as he looked at Max.
“See, Will wants to play, it’ll be fun, Mike, and you don’t want to be a party pooper,” Lucas said with his own smirk on his face.
“Fine whatever, if we lose this game horrendously, it’s your fault Will,” Mike said as he sat down next to Will.
“I think we’ll handle it if we lose a game you don’t even want to play,” Will said as he poked his finger at Mike, just to get the frown on his face to turn.
“Ok let’s get this party started then, you all go wait over there while me and El think of some questions,” Max said as she pointed over to the book case by Mike’s dad’s work bench.
“Why do we have to leave, there's more of us than you?” Mike said, ready to start an argument with the small red headed woman, before he felt Will’s hand on his shoulder.
“It’s fine, we can wait over here for a minute, Mike, it won’t kill you,” Will said as he walked them over to where Max had pointed, Lucas and Dustin already standing there.
“So who do you think is going to win?” Dustin asked as he looked at the other three men.
“Me, I’m the one getting married,” Lucas said as he looked over to see Max and El in deep conversation.
“Me and El have been together for 2 years, and I’m very detail oriented, I have this in the bag,” Dustin said smugly.
“WILL, DO YOU WANT TO BE THE BRIDE OR GROOM?” Max called loudly from across the room, startling all of them.
“Uh… I don’t know. Why?” Will called back unsure of how to answer the question.
“Actually just come over here, you're ours now, help with questions,” Max ordered as El nodded and waved him over to them.
“I guess I’m a bride now. I expect a ring in the next 2 to 3 business days, Michael,” Will chuckled as he made his way over to the girls, leaving Mike there with his mouth open in preparation to reply but nothing came out as he watched Will walk away.
“As I said, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” Lucas grinned as he clapped Mike’s shoulder.
“Whatever man,” Mike said gruffly before turning his attention to Dustin.
Once the three “brides” had finished the questions, they called the “grooms” over. Max placed Dustin's hat in the center of the coffee table with pieces of folded up paper filling it, as she explained how they would do this.
“Ok, so we have three teams, and 20 questions. The objective of the game is to answer the questions with the same answer and whatever team has the most correct answers wins,” Max explained as she sat down in the arm chair Lucas had already sat in, while Dustin and El sat on one end of the couch, leaving the other side open for Will and Mike.
“Ok this shouldn’t be too hard, I mean, technically me and Will have known each other the longest out of all of the teams,” Mike said as he relaxed against the sofa, sitting close enough to Will that he could feel the warmth of his body heat against him.
“You think you and Will are going to win?” Lucas asked with that smirk on his face again.
“I’m saying that we have an advantage, is all,” Mike said, aware that he probably should have kept his mouth shut.
“Ok, I don’t care about this enough for it to derail the game, El, you and Dustin go first, I’ll read the question, if you get it right I’ll give you the paper,” Max said as she grabbed the first piece of paper and began to read, “Dustin, what physical feature of yours do they like best?”
“Oh this is easy, it’s my eyes,” Dustin said proudly as he batted his eyes at El, who smiled back sweetly.
“Is he right, El?” Max asked, ready to hand the couple the piece of paper.
“Yeah, it’s his eyes, they're so blue,” El said as she accepted the paper.
“Ok now it’s my turn, Mike read me a question,” Max ordered the taller man.
Mike reached over to the table and pulled a paper, reading out, “What will the bride be most likely to sneak out of the fridge when she thinks no one sees?”
“I think this question is for me, not you,” Lucas said as he looked at Max perched on his lap.
“You better get this right.”
“It’s rocky road ice cream, you always crave it in the middle of the night,” Lucas said with a smug look on his face as he answered.
“It’s true, marshmallows should always be in ice cream, give me the paper, Wheeler,” Max said as she made grab hands at him.
“Ok now it’s time to see if you really have that advantage or not, Mike,” Dustin said as he pulled out a piece of paper after digging around for a few seconds. “The Bride knows all the lyrics to which song?”
“Like, name any song Will knows all the words too? We’ll be here for hours,” Mike laughed, “uh, Should I Stay or Should I Go, Just Like Heaven, Boys Don’t Cry, or Copacabana for some reason, take your pick.”
“Will, do you know all the lyrics to any, and, or all of those songs?” Dustin asked as he looked at the brunette.
“I do know the lyrics to all of those songs,” Will said, shocked as he smiled at Mike, not even looking at Dustin.
“Why Copacabana, the other ones I get, those are Will songs but, Barry Manilow?” Max asked with her head cocked to the side like she was trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
“He sings it when he cleans, it’s really distracting,” Mike said with a huff as he took the paper from Dustin.
“It is a great song that tells a cohesive story, while also being incredibly catchy,” Will said as he defended his music snob title that he worked very hard to protect. It was the only thing he let himself be pretentious about.
“Sure Will, mom loves that song,” El offered with a smile, trying to cheer up her brother.
“Ok next question is for El and Dustin, we all have one point,” Max said as Will grabbed a piece of paper to read them the question.
“What's the first trip you took together?” Will read aloud as he looked at his sister.
“Our first trip together was to Ohio, for the engineering convention thing, we stayed at a hotel that smelled strange,” El answered as she recounted the trip.
“Oh crap, I was going to say it was when we came home for thanksgiving, those were only like two months apart, son of a bitch,” Dustin whined at the realization.
“Ok that’s our first loss of the game, what do we do with the question now?” Will said unsure of where to put the paper.
“I don’t know, double it and pass it to the next person? You answer it, if you get it right you get the point, like Jeopardy," Max said as she took the paper from Will, “What's the first trip you took together. And so we know Mike won’t cheat and just agree you both have to answer at the same time.”
“That’s bullshit, why do we have special rules?” Mike yelled .
“Becuase you’ll totally cheat so you get an extra point, just answer the question,” Max shot back.
“Fine. Will, do you have an answer yet? Because I do?” Mike asked, turning his attention back to Will.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Ok on 3. 1…2…3 go,” Max instructed.
“Wisconsin to visit my grandma when we were 7.”
“Wisconsin, when we were in 2nd grade to visit Will’s grandma,” they answered at the same time.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Dustin groaned as he looked between Mike and Will, who just gave him a confused look.
“Ok, so we have Mike and Will in the lead with 2 points, but not for long,” Lucas said as he pushed the hat towards El, who took her time finding a piece of paper while Max handed Will the winning paper.
“What is your first memory of your spouse?” El asked as she read from the paper.
“My first day of school after Mr.Clark's class, you guys were dressed as ghostbusters and I called him and Dustin presumptuous. They did not know what that word meant,” Max said after a moment, while Lucas looked deep in his own mind.
“I was going to say when we offered to let you go trick or treating with us, and that’s the same interaction, so we get our paper and point,” Lucas said happily as he took the paper from Will.
“Alright it’s your turn again, boys. Oh my god this is the best question in here! You're shipwrecked on a deserted island. Who eats who to survive?” Dustin said as he read the strip of paper excitedly.
“Will, I believe this is your question,” El reminded as she looked like she was taking the question very seriously.
“I think Mike would insist I eat him to survive,” Will said after thinking for a few moments.
“That checks out,” Dustin said, nodding his head in agreement.
“Mike, is that true?” El asked, looking at the curly haired man.
“I don’t know if I would, like insist, but I probably would be willing to let him eat me if it was needed… but like a leg, or something, I wouldn’t just be like “Eat me!” you know,” Mike tried to explain, but everyone just blinked back at him.
“Ok, so Mike would let Will eat him, which is sweet in a weird Mike way, so they get another point,” El said with a smile, not really caring that she was technically losing.
“If your spouse could domesticate any animal and keep it as a pet, what would they choose?” Mike read once he grabbed a paper from the hat looking at El and Dustin, so he could focus on something besides the feeling of Will sitting so close that he could smell the chai from the mints he likes to eat, wondering if he was eating one right now, or if he just smelled like that now.
“It’s a Demodog, one of his biggest regrets in life is letting Dart go,” El said with no hesitation as she put her hand on Dustin's shoulder in comfort.
“That’s true, he was a good boy,” Dustin said with a bittersweet smile and a nod.
“Damn, I really wish I picked a different paper now, fuck,” Mike muttered more to himself than anyone else as he handed the paper to Dustin.
“It’s ok man, don’t worry about it,” Dustin said as he looked up at Mike with a small smile.
“Alright lets bring the vibes back, we went from sleepover to wake really quick there for a second,” Max said pushing the hat toward El again.
“Who snores louder?”
“Max!” “Lucas!”
“So, you two lose this round,” Will snorted, trying to hold back a laugh at the couple.
“You two stealing again?” Lucas asked as he went to grab the paper from El.
“I don’t think you’re cheating, so only one of you needs to answer first, and I think it’s Mike’s turn,” Lucas said before reading out, “Who snores louder?”
“It’s Will, it’s medical like his cough, so I don’t blame him, but it’s Will,” Mike answered instantly, sending Will a sorry look.
“Yeah, sorry, I try not to fall asleep on the couch anymore though, at least not while you study,” Will said with his own apologetic gaze.
“Oh my god, Mike and Will are the perfect couple, that’s deeply concerning on so many levels,” Dustin said with a look of horror written across his face.
“We are not, Dustin. Answer this question, who is the pickier eater?” Will said as he grabbed a paper, trying to ignore the blush he knew was flushing across his cheeks.
“El, she says certain food feels bad so we make sure to only get stuff that doesn't have bad textures, it makes eating new stuff hard, but she doesn’t mind if I want to try something, we just both get take out those nights,” Dustin said proudly as he held her hand up to his mouth and pressed a small kiss on top.
“I don’t like crunchy food, it hurts your mouth, food should be soft and safe,” El said, shaking her head at the idea of it.
“Alright, who is more likely to get into a street brawl, and win? Lucas this is yours,” Mike said happy he hadn’t picked something that made everyone sad again.
“Max, hands down.”
“Fuck yeah it is,” Max cheered, giving Lucas a hi-five before grabbing her paper from Mike and grabbing one for Will and Mike on the way back.
“What is that physical feature about your spouse that makes you drool? Yes Will, what feature do you and Mike think it is?” Max read, clearly trying to hold back giggles.
“Can I pass?”
“No you can not, William, passing is for bitches,” Max declared from her spot on top of Lucas.
“Mike, do you have your answer ready,” Max asked, startling the boy back on to this plane of reality it seemed with the sound of his name.
“Oh uh, yeah,” Mike nodded, like he was trying to shake something off.
“Will, just answer the question so we can move on,” Mike whispered to Will from next to him.
“Hands, it’s his hands.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“No thank you.”
“Mike, was your answer hands?” Max asked, turning her attention to the other half of the pair.
“Yeah, it was.”
“IT WAS?” Will asked, turning his body to face Mike.
“You draw my hands a lot, it makes sense,” Mike said with a shrug, even though he was clearly blushing.
“Ok it’s El’s turn. Who is handier in the home?” Will asked, grabbing the first piece he touched.
“Me, I have powers,”
“She’s right, she did the sorcerers apprentice thing with the mop and bucket, it was fucking awesome guys,” Dustin said with a loud laugh taking the paper from Will.
“How old were you when you met?” Dustin asked in a lawyery voice as he pointed at Lucas.
“13,” Lucas said, looking bored with the question.
“Yeah, we were definitely 13, we were in 8th grade,” Max said, taking the paper from Dustin, putting it into the little pile she had on the arm of the chair.
“Mike it’s your turn,” El said excitedly as she pulled a piece from the hat. “Who’s a better cook?”
“That would be me, Will starts fires when he’s in a kitchen for too long, I’m not even exaggerating, you’ve lived with him,” Mike said as Will just shook his head in silent agreement.
“Yeah, I saw him start a fire with a toaster in California, he should stay out of kitchens,” El said, nodding solemnly as she looked at her brother.
“Will and Mike are still in the lead somehow, let's go El and Dustin, you got this. Who hogs the covers?” Lucas said with more enthusiasm then he’d had in a while as he read from the strip of paper he’d just grabbed.
“El, she gets cold really easily!” Dustin shared, happy to give the answer without hesitation.
“Blankets are amazing, I won’t deny that,” El said as she accepted the paper and reached in for one for Max.
“What is the one bad habit you hate about your spouse?”
“Give me a minute to think of my answer,” Max said with a thoughtful look on her face, causing Lucas to make an offended, choked off noise.
“I think I know what it is,” Lucas said as he looked at the woman in his lap.
“Oh yeah, because I don’t think you do,” Max said with a challenging look in her eyes. “It’s the gum, you are constantly chewing gum and I hate the noise, and then when you start popping it, I feel like I’m seconds away from going full Cell Block Tango on you.”
“Ok, yeah, I was going to say I don’t load the dishwasher when you tell me too, but noted about the gum thing,” Lucas said as he pressed his lips to her cheek in slight fear.
“El, are you going to steal?” Will asked, leaning over to his sister to take the paper from her.
“It’s a mean question, but sure, we need the points to catch up,” El said with a slight head nod.
“What is the one bad habit you hate about your spouse?” Will read to her and Dustin
“I have my answer ready, hopefully we guess the same thing,” Dustin said.
“I hate when you wear hats, I can’t see your hair,” El answered as she ran her hand through Dustin’s curls.
“I figured, you keep hiding my hats around the apartment,” Dustin laughed out, taking the paper from Will.
“Which of your spouse’s family members do you find most annoying?” Max called out looking at Will.
“Mr.Wheeler, I’ve known the man since I was 5 and he still calls me William every time he has to talk to me,” Will said with a sigh as he relaxed into his seat on the sofa.
“Yeah that was my answer, but I’m happy to tell you he did write for Mike and Will on the care package my parents sent during Christmas," Mike said as he reached forward for the paper.
“That was so clearly your mom’s hand writing, Mike,” Will said before reaching for one of the papers still in the hat. “Who apologizes first, Dustin?”
“Me, usually,” Dustin said as he looked at El for reassurance, who nodded her head, her long hair falling into her eyes. “I can be a lot and it overwhelms her sometimes, but we're working on it.”
“That’s so sweet, Dustin,” Will said as he handed over the paper, as Mike reached to pull one of the two pieces left.
“Who is the most competitive?” Mike read out looking at Lucas.
“It’s Max, you know that, she’s kicked all of our asses at things enough over the years for you to know that,” Lucas replied as he wrapped his arm around the redhead.
“Yeah it’s me, but you are competitive too, stalker.”
Alright, last question of the night for Will and Mike,” Max said dramatically as she pulled the last strip of paper out of the hat, her face lighting up as she read the question in her head before sharing, “Does the bride expect “action” on the wedding night?”
“I’m not answering that. Nope,” Mike said instantly, shaking his head and making sure not to look at the flushed face of the man sitting next to him.
“You have to answer it, it’s just a yes or no question, man,” Lucas said with that stupid look on his face returning.
“Fine, yes, it’s a wedding night, that’s what happens, so yes the bride expects “action” on the wedding night,” Mike grumbled as he slumped back into his seat, still not looking at Will.
“Will, is this true, do you expect “action” on your wedding night?” Max asked with a shit eating grin as she looked at the blushing brunette.
“Yeah-yes, he’s right, it’s a wedding night so…,” Will trailed off as he looked up at Mike for a second before he could stop himself.
“Ok, the game is over now,” Mike said as he took the strip from Max, half expecting it to say a completely different question.
“Who won?” El asked as she started to count her and Dustin's papers. “We have 7.”
“We have 5,” Max said as she counted her and Lucas’s papers.
“We have 8, we won,” Mike said as he looked down at the stack of paper like it had personally offended him.
“I can’t believe the actual couple getting married lost, and the roommates won,” Dustin said as he shook his head and grabbed his hat back from the table.
“That advantage apparently was real, congrats on winning," El said from her spot next to her brother.
“It’s bullshit, I bet Mike just agreed with whatever Will said so they’d win,” Max grumbled as she grabbed a piece of pizza from the table.
“Are you implying that I cheated, Mayfield?”
“I’m just saying it’s a little odd that you guys beat two couples, it’s a little suspicious,” Max said through bites of her pizza.
“You only think it's suspicious because you lost the game, I just pay more attention in my relationships than you do,” Mike accused, pointing a long finger at Max.
“Ok you two need to chill the fuck out, it was a game, it doesn’t matter, Mike and Will know everything about each other, we already knew that, it’s not news,” Dustin said as he hopped in between the two with his arms out as to separate then like children.
“We do not know everything about each other, Dustin, it was probably just luck, or something,” Will said, standing up from his spot on the couch and coming over to Max and Mike.
“Why don’t we have a new round, Max vs Mike, whoever wins, wins and settles this,” El suggested, trying to keep the peace.
“I’m down for that, or are you too much of a chicken, Wheeler?” Max said as she stuck out her hand.
“I am not a chicken, I already won the game, but I’ll do it, just to beat you again,” Mike said with a smirk on his face, his previous embarrassment the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.
“Bring it on Wheeler, you're going down,” Max said as she held out her hand for him to shake.
“There’s probably a universe where they’re in love and evil, and I’m so glad it’s not this one,” Lucas said quietly to Will, who had to hide a laugh as a coughing fit because of it.
“Ok so to make sure neither of you have seen the questions, get out. Mike and Will go upstairs, and Max and Lucas go outside, me and Dustin will come up with some extra hard questions and then call you guys back,” El explained calmly as she grabbed the notebook and pen they’d made the other questions with.
“Don’t question her, either of you,” Dustin said as he pointed at both Mike and Max, who both looked like they wanted to still argue just for the sake of it.
“Fine, Will, Holly said she wanted to show you something anyways,” Mike said before he and Will started walking up the stairs.
“I want to smoke anyways, those questions better be fair, Henderson. No, what’s their birthday bullshit, hard questions,” Max said as she made her way up the stairs that led outside with Lucas following behind.
Once the room had cleared Dustin sat down next to El as she scribbled down something on the paper.
“I still can’t believe Will and Mike won the game. They didn’t miss a single question,” El said as she tried to think of the questions they usually asked towards the end of the episodes.
“That's because whether they know it or not, Mike and Will have been married since they were 5. Remember when Will was missing, Mike knew it was him on the walkies just from the sound of his breathing. Max is going to be pissed when he beats her again,” Dustin said as he shook his still hat-less head before looking down to see what El had written.
“This is ridiculous, we won that game fair and fucking square, they didn’t even come in second. Some of those questions were so weird too, like the last one, what the hell even was that?” Mike ranted as he paced the length of the kitchen, while Will watched in slight amusement from the counter.
“Hey, I wrote some of those questions, not that one, I think that was a Max one, but still. You’re blowing this out of proportion, it’s just a game, a game we should be happy to play as a way to celebrate two of our friends getting married, in case you forgot,” Will said as he got up and fixed the collar of the shirt Mike was wearing, more so just trying to get him to stop pacing.
“You’re right, this is supposed to be fun. Lucas and Max are getting married.”
“And we did great earlier, we didn’t miss any questions, I’m sure El and Dustin won’t ask any of the weird sexy questions, I’m still a little embarrassed over the hand thing,” Will admitted once he’d stepped back so he wasn’t so close.
“I can’t believe I was right, I thought for sure you were going to say like my hair, or some random thing, I only said hands because I noticed you draw them a lot,” Mike confessed sheepishly as he looked down at his hands.
“You noticed that? Like, really noticed it?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s not like you're staring at my hands all the time, we both stare at each other, we always have. Though I didn’t know you, what was it? Drool over them?” Mike teased as he stepped towards Will with an outstretched hand that the other boy slapped away.
“I didn’t say that, it was the way the question was worded, asshole,” Will groaned as he pushed at Mike’s chest.
“It’s fine, I’m flattered, honestly, I’ve always thought they were too big for my body, it’s good to know someone likes these things,” Mike said with a shrug as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“So, do you have something about me that you like, Mike?” Will asked, unsure of where this sudden confidence had come from, before he could stop himself from asking.
“I don’t know if I should answer that… you know, in case that’s a question they ask. Don’t want to actually cheat by accident,” Mike said as he tried not to notice the way the energy had changed in the room, or the fact that there was only about maybe a half a foot of distance between them suddenly.
“I doubt they’ll ask a question I already answered,” Will said, his tone breathier than he’d meant it to come out.
“It’s the little birthmark right above your lip,” Mike breathed as he brought his finger up to trace it.
As Will felt himself start to lean into the touch, he jolted backwards into the kitchen counter at the sound of the basement door slamming open, El coming out of the doorway with a 'BANG'.
“I finished the questions, there's 10, 5 for Max and 5 for you, I need Will and Lucas to come down to the basement so they can give their answers since only you and max are competing, you can come down in like 5 minutes, Mike,” she explained excitedly, not sparing them both red faced and standing, unusually far apart a second glance before grabbing Will’s hand and taking him down to the basement, slamming the door with her mind.
“What the fuck is wrong with me?” Mike muttered as he grabbed a soda from the fridge and pressed it to his face. He was an idiot, why would he agree to play this stupid game, twice, and what the hell had just almost happened in his mothers kitchen just now if El hadn’t come up those stairs.
He opened the soda just to have something to do with his hands, and brought it up to his mouth, as he tried really hard not to imagine what the inside of Will’s mouth would taste like, because that wasn’t something you thought about your best friend when your supposed to be into girls, but it was no use, because all he could think of were those damn chai mints in the yellow container, and how he could smell them on Will’s breath from how close he’d been mere minutes ago.
I need to get my shit together, Will was probably just being flirty, he’d been much more confident during this past year, free from Hawkins and Zombie Boy. He made friends with kids in his arts classes and they went out a lot, Will usually drags Mike out with him, while Mike slinks into a booth with a clear view of Will for the night, ready to stop anything bad from happening.
Will flirts when he’s nervous, that's a thing he does now, Mike had learned that about 2 months into living together. That's all that was, he’d gone and made it weird by touching Will’s face, and now Will probably thinks he’s into him, because he was, but he really didn’t want to unpack that in his parents kitchen while all of his friends are downstairs right now.
“Mike, you ok, man?” Lucas asked as he came up the stairs to the kitchen, spotting his friend staring angrily at a can of soda, like it had just killed his entire family.
“Mike!”
“Fuck! Sorry yeah, fuck, I’m good, I just got lost in my head for a bit,” Mike sputtered as put the soda on the counter so he could wring his hands, causing Lucas to worry more.
“It’s just a game, it’s not that serious, honestly this is something you’re like, guaranteed to win, it’s a do I know Will test,” Lucas said with a smile as he walked up to his friend.
“What does that mean?” Mike said defensively before he could stop himself.
“Chill Mike, you're on edge or something tonight, it’s time to go play this game, so we can finally stop playing this game, you’ve got this or Max has this, I really don’t care, we’ve been doing this for like an hour,” Lucas said as he directed Mike downstairs.
“Yeah, I got this, it’s five questions, about Will, who I’ve known since kindergarten, this will be easy,” Mike mumbled to himself as he reached the basement where everyone else had already gathered.
Max was sitting on one end of the sofa, and Lucas went to sit on the arm of the sofa, while Dustin and El were sitting in the chair the couple had originally sat in with Will sitting on the other side of the couch.
“Are you ready to lose, Michael?" Max asked with a grin that would usually scare him but he still couldn’t stop focusing on Will.
“I’m ready to win this thing, Maxine,” Mike said, hoping he sounded confident as he sat down the same way Lucas had.
“Ok we have 10 questions, 5 for each of you, there will be no stealing in this round as well, if you miss a question you don’t get a point and we move on, Will and Lucas have provided answers for your questions so there's no chance of cheating, because despite the claims, Mike and Will do not have a telepathic link. Dustin will read the questions, let's play,” El explained professionally, sounding almost like a lawyer as she stood between the couples.
“Maxine, what's something that always makes your spouse laugh?” Dustin asked, in his most professional voice as he stood between the two pairs.
“Something that always makes Lucas laugh? Probably the fact that I can’t shut up during a movie and make comments the whole time. And do not call me Maxine,” Max said after giving the question some consideration.
“It’s not an exact match to Lucas’s answer but he did say, the little comments you make during a movie, so I’ll allow it, you guys will both get a little wiggle room on the answers,” Dustin said as he marked a tally under Max’s name on the notebook he was reading from before turning his attention to Mike.
“Michael, what was the first meal that your spouse ever cooked for you? Was it good?”
Mike looked down at Will like he would give him a clue to the answer, as he tried to think of if Will had ever cooked for him before they moved out, before quickly remembering a disastrous attempt at eggs the morning after a sleepover when they were in 4th or 5th grade.
“Mike, you have to answer,” Will muttered quietly from his seat on the sofa.
“Eggs, and no, but we were like 10 so it was the thought that counts,” Mike said as he shot a thankful smile to Will.
“Alright we have a point for each pair, let’s continue,” Dustin said, marking a tally under Mike’s name.
“What do you think is the one thing that your spouse likes best about you?” Dustin read, pointing at Max.
Max thought for a few seconds glancing at Lucas, still sitting on the arm of the couch, and noticed the soft look in his eyes and knew the answer, because he’d been letting her know it since she woke up from that coma.
“It’s my determination,” Max said confidently as she smiled at her fiance.
“That is one hundred percent correct, that is another point for team Max,” Dustin said, adding another tally under her name. “Mike, who of you is more likely to talk their way out of a speeding ticket?”
“Will, I’ve watched him do it, it’s pretty impressive,” Mike answered without any hesitation, causing Will to let out a laugh that sounded like bells, making Mike let out his own laugh.
“All right we are still tied, let's get to our next question,” El said once Will and Mike had stopped laughing.
“Max, what items would your spouse save from your house if there was a fire?”
“The safe where we keep all of our important stuff, I hope,” Max answered after a minute.
“Is that all, because Lucas said two things, the question said items with an 'S',” Dustin said, taking entirely too much joy from his job as a makeshift game show host right now.
“Ok, uh… the cast iron skillet his mom gave us when we moved.
Dustin made a noise that might have been an imitation of a buzzer once Max had given her answer scribbling something down on the notebook.
“That was not correct, Lucas’s answer was and I quote, “our cat, Greg, and our birth certificates,” Dustin said with a grin, that slipped as soon as Max shot him a glare.
“Greg is not an item Lucas, he’s a cat, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Max fumed as she looked up at the man.
“Sorry, I only had like 5 minutes to answer all these questions, right, Will, back me up here,” Lucas said panicked as he looked at the hazel eyed boy sitting next to Max.
“Hey don’t blame me, I answered my questions just fine,” Will said as he held up his hands defensively, his right hand brushing against Mike’s knee in the process.
“Ok no, blaming each other, Mike it’s your turn,” El reprimanded from her spot in the arm chair, pointing at Mike.
“What is your spouse’s middle name?”
“Bullshit question! That's too easy, these are supposed to be hard questions,” Max argued, red in the face from her anger of missing her previous question, still.
“It is not a bullshit question, I don’t know Dustin or anyone else in this room’s middle name, besides Will’s, Max,” El replied calmly before pointing at Mike again. “Answer the question please.”
“It’s Jacob, His full name is William Jacob Byers, though I’ll admit I only learned that this past year because we’re each other’s emergency contacts at work,” Mike answered sheepishly, a faint blush on his face at the small confession.
“We have Mike with 3 points and Max with 2,” El commented, sending her brother a small smile.
“Max, what is your spouse’s hidden talent?”
“He can sing, like way better than you’d ever expect,” Max said, confident that she’d gotten this question correctly.
“And just like that we’re tied again, and this also marks our half way point. You both have three questions left, if this goes into a tie at the end we have a tie breaker question that Lucas and Will have already answered. Are we ready to proceed?” Dustin explained, his game show host voice getting even more prevalent.
“I’m ready,” Mike said with a nod, crossing his legs, mirroring Will’s posture without even meaning to.
“Alright then, Michael, who does the most work around the house between the two of you?” Dustin asked, looking between the two men as he patiently waited for Mike’s answer.
“Will does, I forget to do stuff sometimes.” Mike said, a little ashamed of himself at least until he felt Will’s hand come to rest on his knee, giving it a small squeeze, a sign to say don’t worry about it they’d come up with as kids.
Dustin once again made the buzzer noise before he started to talk, “that is incorrect, according to your spouse, you split everything evenly, bringing us to a stand still tie of 3-3. Next question is for Max, and just remember these are your final questions unless we need the tie breaker,” Dustin said looking at Max, then Mike, who both shook their heads in agreement.
“Who is the more dominant one in the relationship?”
“Me,” Max said instantly, not giving the question a second thought, just like she knew Lucas probably did as well.
“Yeah, that’s right, there was your own bullshit question,” Dustin said with an eye-roll as he marked another tally under her name, before turning his attention back to Mike.
“Alright this is possibly our last question of the night. Michael-
“Stop calling me Michael, Dustin, you're not my mom,” Mike cut in before letting Dustin continue.
“I was being professional, but fuck me I guess! Mike, if you and your spouse had one hour to spend together doing anything you wanted, how would you spend it?” Dustin asked with a smile as he read Will’s answer that he’d written down on the note pad.
Mike thought for a second that it seemed a bit unfair that he had such a hard question, before remembering that this was just a game, a game he wanted to really win so he could shove it in Max’s face, but a game nonetheless. What would he and Will do with an hour of free time? Probably something they already do when they have free time, and the answer hit him like a ton of bricks suddenly.
“We’d be in our living room, with him working on a sketch, or painting, and me writing, maybe with a good album playing in the background,” Mike said as he thought of how they spend every Sunday back home in the city.
“Holy crap, that was almost word for word Will’s answer, he said, “In our living room while I paint, or sketch, and he writes, just enjoying each other's company, with a record on in the background,” we need to go into the tie breaker.” Dustin said excitedly.
“You got the question right,” Will mumbled as he looked up at Mike with wide eyes.
“Of course I did, it was my answer too,” Mike replied, shifting so he was facing Will now, “I love spending the weekend like that.”
“I was worried you’d say something else,” Will said softly, as he realized he’d never taken his hand off of Mike’s knee, but didn’t feel the need to remove it just yet.
“Alright, lovebirds, we have a tie 4-4, so I’m going to ask you a question, and whoever answers it first correctly wins, I already explained that I have Lucas and Will’s answers written down. Will, if you could trade spots with Mike, I would appreciate it.” Dustin said as he walked up to the pairs, holding a stapler he’d just grabbed from Ted’s work bench, placing it in the middle of the coffee table where his hat had been earlier.
Once Will was perched on the arm of the sofa and Mike was sitting on the cushion, Dustin continued. “I have a stapler here you see, I will ask the question, and I want whoever has the answer to grab it, then you may say your answer. If you grab the stapler, but don’t have an answer it will be an immediate loss, if you say the incorrect answer, the other person may answer. Do you two understand?”
“I understand, can we just finish this game,” Mike said, clearly annoyed they were still playing.
“Max, are you ready?” Dustin asked, turning his attention to the redheaded woman.
“Yeah, just get on with it dude,” Max said as she relaxed on the couch.
“Who would your spouse say is the “better catch”?”
Mike shot his hand out as soon as he registered the question, his arm shooting out just a second before Max’s, as his hand wrapped around the cool metal so hard a staple fell out at the same time he’d grabbed it. “Will!”
“Son of a bitch, I can’t believe I’m saying this but, Mike and Will are the official winners of the party’s very first Newlyweds Game tournament,” Dustin said, his tone a mixture of confusion and awe as he looked at the two men.
“Congratulations, you are the perfect couple,” El said without a trace of sarcasm as she clapped her hands together in excitement, making Will let out a small laugh as he thanked his sister, trying to ignore the blush on his face at her comment.
“I can admit when I’m beat, Wheeler, congrats on the win, I will never call your knowledge of Will trivia into question ever again,” Max said as she stuck out her hand for him to shake.
“Thanks, you did pretty good yourself, and I only beat you because my arms are longer. Congratulations on the proposal, Lucas is lucky to have you,” Mike said as he shook her hand, before surprising both of them and pulling her into a hug.
“You should tell him how you feel, I watched him answer and help come up with those first ones,” Max whispered into the hug as she squeezed him a bit harder than was necessary.
“Oh my god, are they hugging?” Dustin asked loudly as he turned around to see Mike and Max.
“They secretly love each other, I’ve just never seen this happen when they’re both sober,” Will replied, grinning as he watched them.
“We can hear you, assholes,” Max said as she and Mike separated.
“We should probably head out soon, my parents said they wanted us to be home by 10:00 and it’s already 9:30, Max,” Lucas said with that smile again as he came over to where Max and Mike were standing, as Will slipped away to the basement restroom.
“Your mom gave you a curfew at 19?” Mike asked with a raised eyebrow, looking between the couple.
“Yeah, man, her roof, her rules, you get it,” Lucas said with a shrug as he grabbed his and Max's jackets from the old DnD table they were resting on.
“Me and El should head out to actually, my mom wanted to see her before I drop her off,” Dustin said after Lucas not so subtly whispered something in his ear. “Mike, you can take Will home, right? I’m sure he doesn’t want to listen to my mom gush over El.”
“Sure, as long as that's ok with Will,” Mike said, giving their friends a suspicious look.
“As long as what’s ok with Will?” Will questioned, curiously as he came over to the group.
“Mike’s going to take you home, because my mom wants to see El before I drop her off at your parents,” Dustin said as he looked to his girlfriend to back him up.
“Yeah, Mike said he was fine with it, if you were,” El said as she gave her brother a smile that he instantly returned.
“Yeah that’s fine, have fun. Tell Mrs.Henderson I said hi,” Will said as he gave his sister a hug before she disappeared upstairs and into the night with the rest of the party.
“That was weird, right? It’s literally 9:35,” Will said as he looked down at his watch before looking up at Mike.
“I’m not going to lie, this whole night has been fucking weird,” Mike said as he slumped against the sofa.
“Yeah, that’s true, but they all just ran out of here like we have cooties, Mike,” Will said, sitting down next to him.
“Yeah, I don’t know, Lucas kept giving me this weird smile the whole night.”
“I can’t believe him and Max are getting married, I’m so excited for them,” Will said as he looked down at his own left hand.
“I guess till death do us part is pretty easy for them after the whole coma thing,” Mike said as he glanced at Will still looking at his hand. “Do you want to get married?”
“To you?” Will asked, as he looked at the curly haired man in disbelief at what he’d just heard.
“NO! I mean not, no, but- I meant like ever. Do you ever want to get married to someone, not necessarily me, but someone you're in love with,” Mike panicked at Will’s question, hoping the last part came out eloquently.
“I can’t get married, Mike, it’s still illegal, but I'd like to think one day I could. Do you want to get married one day?”
“I’ve never really thought about it, honestly. I know I don’t want to have a marriage like my parents, I think that’s why Nancy and Jonathan haven’t got married yet, it’s hard to picture a lifetime of petty arguments and passive aggressive comments, and go I want that one, please, I guess.” Mike said with a slight tremble in his voice as he played with a loose thread on his jeans.
“You know, you’re nothing like him, right? As someone whose known you your whole life. I mean you did win The Newlyweds Game by knowing all the right answers, there no way your dad could answer any of those questions about your mom, but you could, because you pay attention,” Will said as he turned his body to face Mike.
“That’s because they were questions about you,” Mike said softly as he looked at Will, at his hair that fell just right above his eyes, his big eyes that looked green when he wore the color yellow, that stupid birthmark he still wanted to kiss, and before he could stop himself he leaned in and pressed his lips to Will’s.
He pulled back after a second, his lips gone just as quickly as they’d come. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I’ll just go and ask if Nancy can give you a ri-” Mike started to say only for Will to pull him back and kiss him again.
This kiss was a much better kiss, as Will slid his hands into Mike’s hair, his lips working eagerly in tandem with Mike’s, once he’d got over the initial shock of the fact that Will was kissing him. Mike let his hands come to rest on Will’s waist as he continued kissing Will like he was a starved man and he was the only water within a hundred miles of him, as he ran his tongue across the seam of Will’s lips, causing him to let out a small gasp, opening it just enough for Mike to slide his tongue into his mouth, tasting those chai mints just like he thought he would.
“Mike- fuck, I need to breathe,” Will mumbled as he pulled back, resting his forehead against Mikes.
“Sorry, I got excited,” Mike breathed out, with a small laugh, pulling him closer so Will was practically sitting on him.
“You kissed me,” Will said as he brought his hands down from Mike’s hair to cup his cheeks.
“You kissed me back,” Mike replied in shock as he felt Will trace his finger over his cheek bone.
“Why’d you do that? What is this?” Will asked as he looked into Mike’s dark eyes with hope.
“I don’t know, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, back in the kitchen, all I could think of was, what would it be like to kiss him, and then we were sitting down and you were being nice, and I fucked this all up because I couldn’t not kiss you, and you probably hate me,” Mike rambled as he tried not to look at Will, terrified of the sight of rejection he assumed would be written clear as day.
“Mike, I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me like that since I was 14 years old. Why the hell would I be mad at you?” Will confessed as he moved his hands back to himself.
“You what? What about Tony, or Tammy, or whoever? Your crush?”
“Oh my god, you’re an idiot!” Will said incredulously as he looked at Mike, never more sure that he loved him as he watched the wheels of his brain start to turn in slow realization.
“I’m Tammy, aren’t I?” Mike asked as he looked at the boy in front of him.
“Yeah, you are, I thought I made that pretty clear by staring at you while I said it almost 3 years ago, Mike,” Will said with a chuckle.
“I thought it was Steve, or Lucas, fuck, I really am an idiot,” Mike said as he realized his hands were still resting on Will’s waist, quickly pulling them back to himself.
“Steve Harrington? Lucas? What?” Will looked at him like he was crazy before realizing what was happening, “You wanted to kiss me for half the night,” Will said softly, like he maybe didn’t mean to say it out loud as he looked down at his own hands.
“You’ve been waiting for that kiss for 5 years. I’m sorry I was too late,” Mike said as he scooted over a bit to give Will some space.
“Too late?” Will panicked as he looked at Mike with fear in his eyes, “you aren’t late for anything, I promise?” he assured him, even more confused now.
“You don’t have feelings for me anymore, Will, it’s ok, you don’t have to pretend you do, you’re over me.”
“I was lying, when I said I was over you Mike, I wanted you to not feel bad about not liking me. You were still with El, and I never would have thought you could feel the same way I feel about you, I’m not over you, and after two years of trying, I don’t think it’s genuinely possible.”
“I love you,” Mike said before crashing his mouth into Will’s once again, one of his hands coming back to Will’s waist while the other held his jaw.
“I love you too,” Will said as he pulled away and circled his arms around Mike’s head, before diving back into the kiss.
They continued on like that, making out on the old sofa until they finally needed to come up for oxygen again.
“Do you think they set us up? The weird looks from Lucas, the game, the way they all left so early, it adds up,” Mike said as he laid back on the couch, Will coming with him, laying his head on Mike’s chest.
“It makes sense, Max and El were being weird about the questions when I was helping. How obvious were we being that our friends staged an intervention?” Will asked as he shook his head at the idea of all their friends getting together to try and help them.
“A lot apparently. I have a question,” Mike said as he rested his hand on Will’s stomach.
“Ask away,” Will said as he covered Mike’s hand with his own.
He felt Mike swallow before asking, “Can I keep you? Can I keep this?”
“You already had me, Mike, you always have. I want this too,” Will said, turning so he was now laying on his stomach, looking down at Mike through long lashes.
“Even if I mess up? I’ll probably do that a lot, even if I don’t mean to,” Mike said nervously as he looked up at Will, seeing every freckle and mole up close.
“Even then, because I know you’ll make it right, you always do,” Will said as he rested his head against Mike’s.
“Does this mean we can share the bed in the room instead of me sleeping on the pull out?”
“Maybe, I don’t want to seem like I'm easy, we did just start dating after all,” Will smiled teasingly as he leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Mike’s mouth.
“So that’s what this is? We’re dating now?” Mike said as Will pulled back an inch.
“If that’s what you want,” Will said, starting to backpedal when he realized what he’d just said.
“If I get to keep kissing you, I want that for the rest of my life, Will. I think we proved earlier we’re already pretty much married,” Mike assured him as he rubbed his back up and down in a gentle rhythm.
“I was pretty impressed you only missed what? One out of like, 13 questions, and the one you missed was because you were being a self pitying idiot, because you think you don’t do as many chores as me,” Will said once he was sure Mike wasn’t going to run for the hills.
“I can’t wait to go back to our apartment,” Mike sighed, blushing a bit at the thought of what they could do in the privacy of their own space.
“Why’s that?” Will asked with a mischievous glint in his eye as he looked at Mike’s flushing face.
“Because I’m going to be the best boyfriend in the world, and kiss you until you can’t think of anything else, then I’m going to take you to the room and lay you down where we have privacy and show you how much I love you,” Mike said as he leaned down and captured Will in another kiss.
“I think I could tell my mom our landlord called and there's a leek or something, we could be home by tomorrow if we start driving right now,” Will said without hesitation, causing Mike to let out a laugh.
“How about we get the call when it’s not 10:00 pm, say tomorrow morning around 7:00, then we’re home by 6:00,” Mike said as he kissed the top of Will’s head.
“I think that sounds great, and you should drive me back to my mom’s house, because we have to get up early,” Will said as he got up off the couch despite Mike’s protests.
“You could just stay here,” Mike said as he reached out for Will’s hands so he could pull him back.
“I already lived in this basement,Mike, I’m not sleeping down here when I have a perfectly good bed back at my mom’s, and your dad would have a heart attack if he saw us come out of your room in the morning,” Will said as he let Mike take his hands as he stepped closer to the couch.
“I could always stay at your place, you said Hopper has a night shift tonight, and your mom won’t care,” Mike said as he looked at Will with the puppy dog eyes he’d been using to get his way since he was a child.
“Do you want to go pack your bag or are we coming back in the morning?” Will asked as he looked at Mike, giving in just like he always had.
“We’ll come back, my mom would kill me if I left without saying goodbye,” Mike said as he stood up letting go of Will’s hands to go grab their jackets from the table, along with the rest of the pizza, as an offering to Joyce if she had a problem with Mike staying the night.
“You’re not wrong, let's go,” Will said from the top of the stairs holding the keys to their car.