"Micheal! Your friends are here!" Mike's mom called from the basement door.
"Alright, mom. I'll be there!" Mike got up and walked out the basement.
The tension in Will's shoulders had relaxed. He felt a little stupid that he doubted Mike. A pleasant warmth spread in his chest, Mike had cared for him even before he even knew him. He smiled and placed a hand on his thumping chest. He snapped his head up to the basement stairs at the familiar voices of his friends chattering.
Mike had a smile when he came back down the basement stairs. Jane followed close behind him with her loose curly hair bouncing in a pony tail. Max played with the end of Jane's pony tail like a cat with a ball of yarn. When Max caught his gaze, her freckled face turned red to match her hair and she pretended that she wasn't just messing with Jane's hair. Dustin wore his usual hat and goofy grin as he made animated gestures about something. Lucas seemed dejected with both hands in his jeans and tried to sneak glances at Max and Jane.
Mike closed the basement door after everyone spread out in the basement. Jane and Max took the loveseat in the corner. Dustin plopped on the beanbag by the couch. Lucas took the old wooden chair with the worm out pillow. He felt kinda guilty he was siting in the least comfortable seat. He glanced over to Max and was confused why they weren't sitting together.
Will scooted over on the couch and patted for Mike to sit by him. Mike lifted up the old blankets that covered the worn in couch and slid under them. Will got up to do the same. They sat side by side shoulders pressed together. He could feel his body heat seep into his skin. He resisted the urge to lean his head on Mike's shoulder and snuggle in. Will slowing inched his hand to meet Mike, their joined hands hidden from their friends.
"So…? What are we watching?" Lucas spoke up.
He had been so caught up with Mike that he completely forgot to look for a movie for them to watch.
Mike leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I think we should tell them."
Will turned to look at him. Mike was still holding his hand, even though it was probably sweaty. "Right now?" he whispered back and tried to keep from panicking.
"I was sorta hoping to cuddle you during the movie," Mike sounded like a pouty kid, it was endearing. Why did his boyfriend have to be so cute? He wanted to run his hands through that shaggy hair and kiss him.
Will took a deep breath and exhaled, "Okay."
Mike gave him a little nod and squeezed his now clearly sweaty hand. He cleared his throat loudly, "I have something-we have something to say."
All of the their friends' eyes were on them. Dustin gave them a toothy smile and a thumbs up and Jane gave a small smile of encouragement.
Mike began, "There once was a little prince whose life turned upside down because he was taken by a nasty monster. The monster's lair was strange and dark. A brave and noble knight went in search of the beautiful prince despite everyone had told him it was too dangerous. With the help of his fellow companions and a powerful mage, they thought they destroyed the creature. But the creature had infected the prince's mind and body. But with the power of love and friendship they had finally vanquished the monster once and for all."
Will squeezed his hand underneath the shared blanket they were under. He really would rather hug and kiss him, but settles for this for now. Jane sniffed and quietly wiped a few tears that fell. Dustin clapped like it was the end of A New Hope. Max and Lucas just looked at Mike like he grew another head.
"What the hell are you on Mike?" Lucas made a motion like he was smoking a joint.
"It's a love story."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Max asked.
Mike's face was red, "Well...I'm the brave knight in the story."
"More like the court jester," Dustin said.
Will grabbed a pillow and chucked it at Dustin's head, knocking his hat off. "Ow!"
"Wait a sec...If it's a love story and you're the knight then who's the princess in the story?" Lucas asked.
"The knight fell in love with the little prince," Mike said softy and he held his hand tight between their sweaty palms. His heart felt like it was trying to burst out his chest like an alien.
Will bit his lip and spoke up, "I'm the little prince."
Lucas pointed a finger at Will, "You're the little prince?"
"Yeah…."
"But I thought you were a cleric not a prince?" Figures that changing class would be top priority with Lucas. He was more concerned with sticking with the game rules than him being gay. He definitely would take that over the alternative.
"It's not as romantic to say I fell in love with a cleric," Mike muttered quietly in Will's ear. Mike was like a sad little scruffy puppy. The shaggy black hair framed his face and fell over his eyes in loose curls. He wanted to kiss his cheek.
He pulled his gaze away from him to Lucas, "It doesn't bother you, Mike and I are together?"
"You guys are closer then I've seen any two friends, I guess now it includes kissing." Lucas made big kissing lips and wet kissing sound effects.
Will picked up the pillow off the floor that he used on Dustin and threw it at Lucas's face. They all laughed as he jerked his body to dodge it, only to end up tilting his chair to far. The chair was on two of it's side legs before abruptly stopping in mid fall. It gently went back down on four legs so Lucas didn't fall out.
"Thanks for preventing my head from becoming Humpty Dumpty, Jane," Lucas released the death grip he had on the armrest and wiped the sweat off his brow.
"You're welcome," Jane said as a small trickle of blood came out her nose like usual whenever she used her powers.
Max pulled out a white handkerchief with red blotches from her overalls and carefully cleans Jane's nose with it.
"It looks like you're not the only ones in the party to pair up," Max said after stuffing the bloody handkerchief in her overall pocket again.
"We all know you and Lucas are dating," Mike said chuckling.
Lucas shot up from his chair so fast that he knocked it down and left the basement without a word.
"Guess he had to shit really bad, huh?" Mike said.
They laughed except for Max and Jane.
She rubbed her arm and looked towards the basement door. "We actually broke up."
"Huh? Why?" Will asked.
"I'll go check on him," Dustin said got up from the beanbag and left the basement.
"He's great, but I felt something was off about our relationship. Then I found out what it was. I've always noticed girls a lot, at first I just assumed I was admiring their looks. It dawned on me I didn't want to be them, but I wanted to be with them. So, I tried to deny the feelings and assumed it was some weird teenage hormonal phase I would grow out of."
"I know what you mean," Mike said.
She continued, "I couldn't keep lying to myself and I felt guilty I couldn't be the girlfriend Lucas deserved. I broke up with him, but I was too scared to explain why."
Will spoke up, "You need to tell him. I know it's scary, but it's the right thing to do."
The basement door opened to Lucas sniffling and Dustin patting his shoulder behind him as they made their way down. Dustin sat down on the beanbag and Lucas walked over to his knocked down chair.
Max got up and placed a hand on Lucas's shoulder, "I'm sorry. I-I don't find you attractive."
"Oh thanks," Lucas shook off her hand from his shoulder.
"Shit. I didn't mean for it to sound like that."
"Well, it did."
"I meant to say," Max inhaled deeply. "I don't like guys."
Lucas turned around to face her, "What?"
"I'm sorry I didn't explain why at the movie theater. The reason I broke up with you was because I'm not into guys, like at all."
Lucas sighed, "You don't have to make stuff up to make me feel better, Max."
"I'm not."
"Yeah, right."
"Fine! I'll prove it," Max walked over Jane, grabbed her face in her hands and smashed their lips together.
Small things around the basement started to levitate. Jane and Max's hair started to float along with the stuff. They all stood their in shock as Jane and Max kissed. Lucas's mouth hung open as he watched his ex make out with another girl, Jane no less.
Max pulled out the kiss and everything that was floating, fell back down around them. She turned her head towards Lucas, "Now do you believe me?"
"I don't," Dustin said from the beanbag with a shit eating grin.
A pillow hovered for a few seconds off the ground and shot straight at Dustin's head, smacking his face hard.
Dustin yelled out,"Why does everyone keep hitting me with a pillow?!"
