Major Malfunction (Sequel to American Heroes)

by catchip2

After moving away with his family and El, Will struggles to maintain his friendships with Mike and the rest of the Party while trying to navigate his new life and growing powers.

4. Thanksgiving

When Thanksgiving of nineteen eighty-five came about, not much had changed between the Party yet. It had been around a month since the Byers and El left, and everyone was adjusting to the change. The minute Will and El got settled in their new room, they set up their ham radio in order to reach Dustin's Cerebro and talk to everyone without holding up the phone line. Since Mike still hadn't broken things off with El, she was under the impression that they were still going steady and used every free moment she had to call Mike. Will did his best to give them the time they needed to sort things out, but after several weeks of the obsessive calling, he was getting impatient.

"I'm serious, Mike," Will told him one day when he was able to sneak into their room while El was watching a show on the TV. He kept his voice as quiet as possible, for fear El might come in at any moment. "You can't keep leading her on like this. It's mean."

"I'm not trying to," Mike said, "but I don't want to just break up with her over the radio!"

"Then you have to at least tell her to calm down with the calls. It's driving me insane. And you barely even talk to her; it's like she's just talking the whole time."

"What am I supposed to do? Tell her she's not allowed to call me anymore?"

"Of course not, but I'm just saying you should try to communicate with her at least. It's like the less you talk, the more she wants to call you."

"So you want me to talk to her more?"

"I want you to figure something out. And don't ask me for any more help because you started this in the first place."

By the time November rolled around, El was calling Mike less and less and talking to Will more. A welcome change. Things were starting to look up, Will and El growing closer, and a few days before Thanksgiving, he told her he was gay. She didn't seem too phased by it which relieved him, but what surprised him was that she already knew what being gay meant because Max told her when they were reading Wonder Woman comics.

Soon after this, the day before Mike and Nancy were to arrive, she asked him, "How do you know when you like someone?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do you know if you want someone to be your boyfriend or girlfriend and not your friend? How can you tell?"

Will furrowed his eyebrows at this. "I think you just... know. I mean, think about you and Mike and you and me. You don't like us in the same way."

This seemed to confuse her even more.

"Honestly, El, I think you just know after a while. You can't really force yourself to like someone if you just don't. It's not something you have to think too hard about."

Thanksgiving break brought a flurry of calls from the Party – mostly from Mike, Lucas, and Dustin – everyone sharing stories of how high school was going so far. According to Lucas, Max was acting distant, barely speaking to the rest of the Party at all, but given the circumstances, they weren't surprised. After what happened at the mall, she and El were impacted by the deaths the most, but El had the Byers to lean on at home while Max's home situation was surely worse off than before.

Although Mike spoke with Will over Cerebro, El and Mike hadn't spoken in more than a week when Thanksgiving arrived. Will was pretty sure El was avoiding him because whenever Will offered her the radio to speak with him, she went off to do something else.

On Thanksgiving, Mike and Nancy arrived in the evening, bags in hand and offering up a casserole for the dinner. They were staying for three days, leaving on Sunday morning, which meant Will had to get Mike and El to talk.

"You two look great!" Joyce greeted Mike and Nancy as they walked into the Byers' apartment. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Thank you for having us," Nancy said, carrying the casserole in her arms. Jonathan helped her with it, heading to the kitchen to set it on the table.

The moment Mike laid his eyes on Will, he surged forward and wrapped him in a hug. "I missed you," he murmured in his ear before pulling away. They exchanged smiles. Mike's hair was longer, curlier, and he was even taller than the last time they'd seen each other, but Will was catching up. At this point, Will was already taller than Jonathan, although Jonathan liked to deny it.

Mike turned to El and gave her a hug. "How's everything going here?"

"Not bad. Still adjusting," Will said and nudged El on the elbow, "but at least we have each other."

She gave him a smile, clutching onto his arm.

"Everyone says happy Thanksgiving, by the way," Mike said. "I'm sure they called you over Cerebro."

El nodded. "Dustin told us you were going to join clubs."

"Maybe." Mike shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. Other than AV, there's not much else I want to stay after school for. What about you guys? Thinking of joining anything?"

"Not at the moment," Will said.

"I have to focus on schoolwork," El explained.

"Oh, yeah. How is school going for you?" Mike asked.

"Okay. I like my teacher."

"That's good."

"Want to see our room?"

Mike straightened up. "Sure." He slid his bag onto his shoulder and followed them down the hall and into the last room on the right. It was a good-sized room, around the same size as Will's old room, with a window above their desk overlooking an alleyway. A stack of unopened boxes sat in the corner beside their dresser.

Mike glanced around. "Nice place you got here."

Will gestured to the floor between his and El's beds. "You can sleep here if that's okay. We've got extra blankets and pillows you can use. Oh, yeah." Going over to the nightstand, he picked up a plush frog from beside the lamp and waved it in the air. "And the frog."

Smiling, Mike set his bag on the floor, walked over to Will, and took the frog from him. He flipped it around in his hands before meeting Will's eyes. "Thanks."

As Will gazed back at Mike, all he could think of was kissing him. He hated how he kept thinking about it, but the thoughts wouldn't go away, especially after moving. And now with Mike right here in front of him, the thoughts were amplified ten-fold.

They turned their heads when El turned on the boombox, blasting "Into The Groove" by Madonna. Will rolled his eyes. Of all their differences, their opposing tastes in music annoyed Will the most. Sure, El liked some of the songs he had her listen to, but the majority of the time, she played whatever Top 40 crap was on the radio.

After setting the frog down by his bag, Mike wandered over to the dresser and glanced at the knick-knacks covering it. "Anywhere interesting nearby? Places to go to?"

El frowned when Will turned off the boombox. "The Rollerlux."

"Roller what?"

"It's a roller rink and arcade a few minutes away," Will explained. "They have food, too, and it's nice 'cause it's all pretty cheap."

Mike gestured to El. "You know how to roller skate?"

"Will's been teaching me."

Taking a seat on the edge of El's bed, Will let out a laugh. "I can barely do it myself."

While Mike went over to the other side of the room, Will shot El a look when she turned the boombox back on. "Can't you listen to that later?"

"No."

Will huffed but turned his attention to Mike who was staring at the Jaws poster above his bed. "Do you want to check it out sometime? The Rollerlux, I mean."

"Sure," Mike said. "It sounds neat. Hey, where's your mom work anyways?"

"Just some store on the other side of the city. But Jonathan just got a job at a pizza place by our school."

"Nice. Do you get free pizza?"

"Discounted."

"Dinner's ready!" Joyce called from the kitchen. Jumping to his feet, Will shut off the boombox – earning himself a glare from El – and the three of them left the room and took their seats at the kitchen table. Will sat in between El and Mike, with Nancy next to her brother, Jonathan beside her, and Joyce in between Jonathan and El.

After everyone filled their plates with food, Joyce glanced around the table. "Why don't we all go around and say what we're thankful for? Anyone want to start?"

Nancy waved her hand. "I can start."

With a smile, Joyce gestured for her to go ahead.

"I'm thankful for this wonderful food, being able to come here for the break, and this guy right here." She rubber Jonathan's shoulder. "I'm thankful you invited us over. This is really great." Nudging Jonathan, she tilted her head to him. "What are you thankful for?"

"Um, I'm thankful for you, of course." They shared a smile. "And I'm thankful for you, Mom, and you, Will. And you too, El. Without all of you, things would be a lot harder."

Reaching across the table, Joyce squeezed his hand. "And I'm thankful for you. I don't know how I would survive without you." She looked to the rest of the table. "I'm also thankful that this move is going well. I was afraid it wouldn't, but I really think things are looking up for all of us." She turned to El. "What about you, El? Are you thankful for anything?"

Leaning her elbows on the table, she nodded. "My friends. Family."

Everyone's gaze fell on Will. He clasped his hands together, staring at his plate. "I'm thankful for... everyone. Everyone who's there for me. All of you, and the Party, and anyone else who's helped me through the past few years. And I'm thankful for being alive." He mumbled the last sentence quickly so as not to dwell on it.

Teary-eyed, Joyce put her hand over her heart. "Oh, sweetie, we are too. So, so thankful." She looked like she was about to cry – if Mike and Nancy hadn't been there, Will is sure she would have – before she shook her head and focused her attention onto Mike. "How about you, Mike?"

Straightening up, Mike glanced around the table. "I'm thankful for... for..." Hesitating, he caught Will's eye. "...for being here."

They shared a smile, a blush creeping up Will's neck. Sitting back in his chair, Will hoped no one else noticed. Beside him, El tapped her fork on her plate. "Can we eat?"

Joyce laughed. "Yes, yes. Go ahead."

Everyone picked up their forks and knives and dug into their food.

"Thank you for bringing the casserole," Joyce said to Mike and Nancy.

Nancy took a bite of turkey. "No problem, Mrs. Byers. It was so nice of you for inviting us, and this meal's amazing."

With a grin, Joyce motioned to Jonathan. "You can thank our master chef for most of it."

Nancy lifted her glass. "To Jonathan."

The rest of them lifted theirs. "To Jonathan!"

Laughing, they clanged their glasses together and sipped their drinks. They began discussing what they'd been up to for the past month. Nancy and Jonathan, being seniors, had been working on college applications and already sent theirs in for early application. While they were discussing this, Will felt someone's foot knock against his own. Glancing to the side, he noticed Mike watching him. Eyebrows drawing together, Will looked back at his food. Ever since their conversation in the summer about staying only friends, Mike would make little gestures and sneaking remarks aimed solely at Will in an attempt, Will assumed, at flirting. At least, he hoped. But the fact that he hoped that made it ten times worse. It was his choice to figure out things separately. To rely on themselves for once rather than each other. Plus, Mike still hadn't broken things off with El or came out to anyone other than Will. And yet... he still wanted Mike to want him.

He flinched when Mike pressed his knee against Will's. Breath shallow, he snuck a look at Mike to figure out what he was doing. All Mike did, above the table that is, was eat his mashed potatoes. Underneath the table, Mike knocked his foot against Will's. Will wanted to scream. His muscles ached with the desire to jump up and get out of there. Escape. Was Mike doing this on purpose?

"So, Will," Nancy's voice cut through his thoughts. Will leaned forward until his chest pressed against the edge of the table, focusing on Nancy rather than the hand sliding up his leg. "I hear you've been practicing your powers."

Swallowing, Will nodded. "El's been helping me with it while she tries to regain hers."

"I'm just curious," Nancy said, "because Jonathan here doesn't seem to know... where did they come from? Your powers, I mean."

He looked at his mom and brother before shrugging. "I don't know. They just came to me."

"Do you think it had something to do with your possession last year?"

Jonathan set his fork down. "Why don't we not talk about that right now?"

"No, it's fine," Will assured him and looked back at Nancy. "I don't really know where it came from. I think it might have been there for a while."

"For a while?"

"Yeah, I don't know." If he was being honest, his powers were never a surprise when he actually thought about it. Denial was the main roadblock from admitting they were there in the first place.

Jonathan kept shooting glares at Nancy, but all she did was shoot a glare back at him before leaning forward to Will. "And they're... electricity powers? Fire powers? Both?"

"I don't know. I think the electricity starts the fires. I'm not entirely sure." His body grew tense as Mike's hand slid further up his leg.

"Do you need electricity in order for you to use them? Can you do it without-"

"Nancy, would you leave him alone?" Jonathan hissed.

Everyone's gaze fell on him, including Mike who paused his hand from moving further up Will's leg. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Nancy made a face and poked the casserole on her plate.

Jonathan frowned, but before he could say anything, El said, "He's getting a lot better when we practice."

No one spoke until Nancy let out a short sigh and looked up from her plate to El and Will. "What is it you're practicing?"

"Turning things off and on basically," Will said whilst grasping Mike's hand underneath the table to keep him from moving it again. "Nothing too complicated."

"And you're practicing to regain your powers?" she asked El.

"Yes." El shrugged. "There hasn't been any change though."

"Oh, don't worry," Nancy said. "I'm sure they'll come back in no time."

As she continued to talk, Will froze when Mike slid his hand up Will's forearm, trailing over his wrist, pulling the sleeve of his shirt up, and making every inch of skin he touched burn. Heart jolting into his throat, Will lurched to his feet, his chair screeching against the floor. Everyone stared at him, except for Mike whose eyes were wide and gaping at the space in front of him. "I have to use the bathroom." Tossing his napkin on his chair, he rushed out of the kitchen and flung himself into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. A ghost of himself stared back. Jesus, his skin was as pale as a sheet. What was wrong with him?

Turning on the faucet, he sucked in a breath, splashed some water on his face, and willed away the tight knot in his stomach. As much as he was scared to go back to the table, he also wondered what exactly Mike was doing. They'd agreed not to be more than friends for now. Mike knew that. But every time Mike seemed to hint that he wanted to change that, Will was both reluctant and hopeful. He sure didn't mind the attention Mike paid him.

He dried off his face and headed back to the kitchen. "Mike," Joyce was saying while Will returned to his seat. "I never asked, how are you liking high school?"

Shooting a glance at Will, Mike lifted a shoulder. "It's fine. Not much different from middle school."

"How are your classes?"

"They're mostly good. We're dissecting frogs in biology which is pretty neat. I'm not a huge fan of gym class though, but I never was in the first place."

Nancy took a bite of her casserole. "Is that what you keep ditching?"

Mike narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Mom said the school called because you keep missing some class."

Baffled, Mike put his fork down. "Mom didn't tell me that."

"So you are skipping gym?"

Jonathan met Will's eyes before he looked to Nancy and Mike. "Don't hassle him too much, Nance. I skipped my fair share of gym classes."

Nancy glanced over at Joyce.

"First time I'm hearing of this," Joyce said, her tone light.

The way Nancy looked back at Jonathan, her forehead creased and mouth set in a frown, made Will want to run away from the table again. "I'm not hassling him. I was just curious."

Before Nancy and Jonathan could say anything else, Will set his fork and knife down and looked to his mom. "What's for dessert?"

Joyce's face lit up. "Ah, yes!" She stood from her chair and went to the fridge, opening it and taking out a pumpkin pie. "I bought this from the supermarket." Setting it down on the table, everyone leaned over to look at it.

"It looks delicious," El said as Joyce put whipped cream on it.

"It does, doesn't it?" She sliced into the pie, placing a piece on everyone's plates, and once everyone was served, they dug in. As they ate, Jonathan talked about his new job and co-workers while the only thing on Will's mind was Mike.

Once dessert was finished, Will and El went to their room with Mike and gathered on Will's bed. "What's with your sister?" Will mumbled to Mike, taking out his sketchbook from the nightstand drawer. "Why's she asking all those questions about my powers?"

Mike shifted beside him. "Beats me. She's always asking too many questions."

"Well, it's not that she's asking too many questions exactly. I'm just wondering why she's asking so many."

"Maybe she's curious," El said. "Everyone used to ask me about my powers."

"That's true." Will sunk back against the headboard and opened his sketchbook while Mike and El talked about school. He was sketching out Will the Wise when El left for the bathroom.

Mike leaned over his shoulder. "What's Will the Wise up to?"

"Trying to figure that out," Will murmured. He continued to draw as Mike watched.

He put down his pencil when he heard the toilet flush and faucet turn on. Tossing his sketchbook onto the bed, he got to his feet, turned to Mike, and grabbed him by the shirt collar. Mike's eyebrows furrowed. Pulling him closer, Will hissed in Mike's ear, "Talk to her already. Now's your chance." Letting go of Mike, Will patted him on the shoulder and left the room.

"Bathroom," he mumbled to El as he passed her in the hallway. She gave him a smile, continuing to the bedroom. Instead of going to the bathroom, he continued down the hall and peered into the kitchen. Nancy and his mom were talking by the sink, washing dishes, while Jonathan put the leftovers in the fridge.

Grabbing the casserole from the table, Jonathan glanced up at Will. "Hey, bud. What's up?"

"Not much."

He watched Jonathan stick the casserole in the fridge before looking back at him. "What are you up to? Where are Mike and El?"

"Talking."

Jonathan focused on him. Closing the fridge, he gestured for Will to follow him and lead him to his room. He shut the door then faced him. "What's going on?"

Will plopped down on Jonathan's bed. "Mike is breaking up with El."

"Right now?"

He nodded.

Sitting beside his brother, Jonathan drew his eyebrows together. "You mean... they aren't already broken up?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Huh. I figured since El hasn't talked about him for weeks..."

"Yeah, I don't know."

"Why's Mike breaking up with her?"

"He's... not interested in her like that." He paused then lowered his voice. "Are you and Nancy doing okay?"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You guys just seemed to be arguing a lot at dinner."

"We weren't really arguing."

"Okay, yeah, but you know what I mean."

Clasping his hands together, Jonathan turned around on his bed and faced his brother. "It's nice that you're thinking of us, but you really don't have to worry. I'm sure you have other things to think about."

"I know." He lifted a shoulder. "But you're always there for me when I need you. I just want to be there for you if you ever need someone to talk to."

Jonathan's face softened. "That's really nice of you, Will. I appreciate it a lot. I do." He gave Will a reassuring smile. "Really, Will. You don't have to worry about it; we're fine."

"Okay. That's good."

Sighing, Jonathan lowered his voice. "And you and Mike? How are you guys doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you two together? I mean, he seems pretty interested."

This turn of conversation threw him off. Seems pretty interested? Who? Mike? What did that even mean? And why would he ask if they're together? He literally just told Jonathan that Mike is breaking up with El. Why would he think...

Before he could overthink it, Will shook his head. "We're not together, no."

"Does he know that?"

"What are you talking about?"

Jonathan shrugged. "Listen. I have a pretty good sense of when someone's hiding something, and he's barely hiding it at all." When Will gaped at him – honestly, what else was Will supposed to do – Jonathan put his hand on his shoulder. "I know the last time we talked about it, I wasn't too happy with him. Especially after what he said to you. But if it makes you happy, I'll support whatever you decide."

"I really don't know what you're talking about. We're not together."

"I know, I know. All I mean is that if you decide to start something, I'll support you."

This whole conversation confused him. Why was Jonathan talking about his relationship with Mike all of a sudden? Did he know something? All he'd told Jonathan in relation to him and Mike was that he had a conversation with Mike in the summer and had forgiven him. He hadn't even told Jonathan that Mike and him had ever kissed. As far as he knew, Jonathan only thought Will was the one who liked Mike. Not the other way around.

"Does El know?"

Will's eyebrows drew together. "Know what exactly?"

"About you and Mike?"

"She knows I'm gay. Other than that, I have no idea what she knows." He examined his brother's expression. "How much do you know?"

He lifted a shoulder. "Just what you told me, and just what I've seen."

Before Will could ask what he meant by how much he's seen, there was a knock on the door. Nancy opened it and smiled at them. "I discussed Christmas break with your mom," she said. "Looks like we've got the go ahead."

"Sounds good." Jonathan got to his feet and motioned for Will to leave, jerking his thumb towards the door.

Will hopped up and started out the door, Nancy moving past him. As she went inside, Will grabbed his brother by the arm and pulled him to the doorway. His voice lowered even more to barely a whisper. "You won't tell anyone, right? I don't know if Nancy knows anything, and most people only know about me, not Mike."

Jonathan frowned. "Of course not. I would never tell anyone."

"Thank you."

"It's okay." He squeezed Will's shoulder before turning around into his room and closing the door. Taking a breath, Will headed down the hall to his room, stopping in front of the slightly-open door and listening to what Mike and El were saying. Nothing. They weren't saying anything at all. Will lifted his hand to the door, paused, then knocked on it.

"Yes?" El called.

Will stepped inside the room. El sat by the foot of Will's bed, flipping through a magazine; Mike sat by the headboard, wringing his hands together. Both of them seemed unphased, their expressions blank. Taking a seat on the side of his bed, Will glanced between them. He couldn't tell what either of them were feeling, whether or not the break-up affected them. Judging by their expressions, it seemed like they hadn't even broken up at all.

Tossing the magazine onto the nightstand, El hopped off the bed. "I'm going to sleep." She grabbed a pair of pajamas from the dresser and left the room.

Will looked over at Mike. Mike kept his eyes down, examining his fingernails. "How'd it go?" Will asked him.

Barely glancing up, Mike hummed. "Pretty well, actually."

"Really?"

He shrugged. "Yep."

"How did El take it?"

Another shrug. "Not bad, actually. I think she wanted to break up with me anyways."

"Oh."

"I think she's bored with me."

Will held in a laugh. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, she just said she thinks of me as a brother or friend or something like that." He leaned his back against the headboard. "You know, it's sort of relieving."

"That it was mutual?"

"Well, that, and the fact that I don't have to pretend with her anymore. We can just be friends now." He looked over at Will with a smile. "I should thank you for that."

Will furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"If it wasn't for you, I'm not sure I would have realized what I was doing until it was too late. I would probably still be pretending."

"I'm glad it's going well for you."

"Yeah." He tilted his head to the side. "Are things going well with you? I know El mentioned some kids picking on her."

Will groaned. "Yeah, those jerks. They're just a bunch of popular rich kids. I told her to just ignore them."

"What about you? They're not messing with you, are they?"

He shook his head. "I don't think they even know I exist."

"So things are alright for you?"

"So far." Mike's eyes stayed on him, so he stared down at the bedsheets. "You never mentioned you were skipping class before."

A groan escaped Mike's lips. "Because it's stupid."

"What is?"

"Everything. Gym class sucks, high school sucks, and everyone sucks. I hate it."

"Oh." Will wasn't sure what to say. Mike never used to hate school this much. Yes, the bullies he hated, and yes, he always hated gym class, same with the rest of the party. But he still liked school in general. At least, he used to. "Well... why?"

"Why does everything suck? Because I'm alone. I literally know no one in my gym class. The only class I have with Dustin and Lucas is biology and lunch."

"What about Max?"

"She's in my math class, but she barely talks. All she does is sit in the back listening to music the whole time."

"I mean, you can't really blame her."

Mike rolled his eyes. "It's still annoying."

"Why didn't you say anything about this before? Whenever we talked, you said everything was fine."

"I didn't want to worry you."

"How are Dustin and Lucas doing then? Are they skipping class, too?"

"They're both fine."

Taking a breath, Will moved from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed to sit beside Mike. "What about joining a club? Weren't you guys planning on finding something to join?"

Mike sighed. "That doesn't help gym class."

"You might make new friends."

"Doubtful."

"I'm sure it'll get better."

"I wish you were there with me."

Will met his gaze. "I know. It's not easy for me either."

"I know it sounds dumb, but it's a lot harder than I was expecting. Nothing's the same anymore."

The edge in his voice made Will's stomach churn. He couldn't help the guilt boiling up inside. If he hadn't agreed to move, Mike wouldn't be in this position. This was his fault.

"Will?"

He looked up at Mike. At the sadness in his eyes.

"I..." Mike's voice wavered. "I really missed you."

Will's heart sank. "I missed you, too."

Once El returned to the room, they all got ready for bed, showering and changing into their pajamas. The night went smoothly, neither Will nor El awakening in fright from a nightmare. The next day, while El and Mike were watching a movie on the TV and Joyce was at work, Will talked with Jonathan and Nancy in the kitchen about their plans for Christmas break. According to Nancy, El would sleep in her room, Jonathan taking the basement, and Will would sleep in Mike's room. The plan was to arrive on the twenty-third and leave the morning of the twenty-sixth. Which meant three nights sleeping in Mike's room. Just the two of them. The thought of it made him both nervous and excited.

After discussing Christmas break, Will went to the living room and plopped himself down on the couch beside Mike.

Mike looked over at him. "What were you talking about?"

"Hm?"

"With Nancy and Jonathan."

"Oh." He shrugged. "Nothing, really. Just figuring out our plans for Christmas."

Mike's face lit up. "You're coming over, right?"

"Far as I know. My mom's cool with it."

"Awesome! I've been working on a campaign we can play then. And also, I think I mentioned this to El, but we were thinking of all going ice skating when you guys come over since she's never done it before."

"Sounds fun."

"Do you all know how to ice skate?" El asked them, her eyes still on the TV.

"I'm okay," Mike said then nudged Will's shoulder. "You're not bad either once you adjust to it."

"Mhm." Will couldn't help but wonder if anyone else noticed his and Mike's relationship other than Jonathan. His brother was pretty observant, that's for sure, but now that Will thought about it, there were various moments in which his friends uttered phrases with no other meaning than them thinking there was more than just platonic feelings on Mike's side. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered, had his friends known all along?

Mike knocked his knee against Will's. Shaking away his thoughts, Will looked at him. "What's with you?" Mike asked.

"What?"

"You're acting weird."

Will forced a laugh. "No, I'm not." God, that sounded stupid.

Eyeing him, Mike adjusted himself on the couch so he was facing Will. "Yes, you're acting funny." He leaned forward and before Will could move away, his mouth was pressed to Will's ear. His voice hummed, "Is it because of what I did during dinner yesterday?"

A chill went down Will's spine. Mike leaned back against the couch cushion, the side of his mouth pulling up in a smirk. They held eye contact until Mike hopped to his feet. "I'm going to the bathroom." He kicked the edge of Will's foot lightly before striding over to the bathroom.

Will turned to El. "How are things going with you and Mike?"

Her eyes stayed glued to the TV. "We broke up."

He paused, thinking about how to word this in order for it not to sound like he already knew. "Are... are you okay about it?"

"Yes. I don't like him like a boyfriend anymore, and I want to do other things."

"Oh... um, what exactly... how did you... break up?" When the words left his mouth, all he wanted to do was punch himself in the face for sounding like such an idiot.

El's forehead creased. "How?"

"I mean, what exactly did he say?"

"He said it's not working, and I agreed with him."

From that, it seemed like Mike hadn't told her too much. If he'd told her the whole story, Will was sure El would mention it.

After a minute, Will got up from the couch and went to the bathroom door. He pressed his ear to it, hearing the faucet going. Sucking in a breath, he shook his hands out, lifted one to the door, and tapped his knuckles against it. "Mike," he whispered, "can we-"

The door swung open. Before he could do anything, Mike grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them. His breath hitched. They stared at each other for a moment, neither one of them daring to speak. The space between them burned like a sweltering fire. It took everything in Will to keep his eyes locked with Mike's and not look down at Mike's lips.

Voice soft, Mike stepped forward, pressing their chests against each other. "Fancy seeing you here."

He can barely breathe. "Yeah, uh... thanks."

Mike cracked a smile. Heart pounding, Will's gaze followed Mike as he lifted his hand. Mike's hand trailed down his cheek, sending tingles down Will's spine. Trailing over his jaw. Down his neck. Their faces drew closer, and just as Mike was about to close the gap, Will shot his hand up between them, pushing it against Mike's face. "Ow!"

"Oh." Will froze. "Um... sorry." Hand still pressed over Mike's face, he could feel Mike let out a breath against his palm. He dropped his hand. "I actually... I wanted to ask what you told Eleven. Just so I know."

With a frown, Mike furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? We broke up."

"Yeah, just... what exactly did you say to her was the reason?"

"For breaking up?"

Will nodded.

Shrugging, Mike took a step back and looked away. "Just that we aren't working out being more than friends. Then she started saying she completely agreed and blah, blah, blah. Why's it matter?"

His face grew red. "Sorry, I was only asking 'cause I wanted to know if there's anything I shouldn't mention to El. Like, I don't know, everything that happened between us."

Mike's face softened. "Of course. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude about it... I – I guess the break-up's still a bit fresh, even though it was mutual or whatever... it's still sort of hard for me." He shook his head. "But anyways, no, I didn't tell her about us. I wasn't sure if I should... should I have? I can if you want me to."

Will stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Um... I'm not sure."

"Do you think it will hurt her more if we told her than if we don't?" Mike asked, rubbing his arms. "I mean, is there really a reason we have to? You know, since we're not even, like, together or anything." He met Will's eyes. "...right?"

An uncomfortable amount of butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Mike wasn't wrong; he knew that. It was Will who decided to stay only friends, even though he regretted that decision every time his mind wandered to Mike. The way his lips had felt against his when they'd kissed. The thought made his cheeks burn. Clearing his throat, he gave Mike a curt nod. "Yes. Right."

No response from Mike. Will examined his expression but couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was. Letting out an unsteady breath, he straightened up. "Do you – do you want to go check out the Rollerlux around the corner? It's really cool; you'll love it."

Mike met his eyes. "Yeah. Awesome." He slung an arm around Will's shoulders, and they left the bathroom.

When they went into the living room, Will gestured to El. "We're going to the Rollerlux for a bit. Want to come with?"

El glanced up but shook her head. "No. Have fun." She looked back at the TV.

While Mike put on his jacket, Will walked over to El. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm fine here."

"Okay. We'll be back in a couple hours." He walked back over to Mike who handed him his jacket. Stuffing some cash into his pockets, he turned towards the kitchen. "Hey, Jonathan," he called, "Mike and I are going to the arcade, so just tell Mom if we're not back when she gets home."

"Okay," Jonathan called back. "Be careful."

"Yep." After putting on their shoes, Will and Mike headed out the door. As they walked down the street, Mike surveyed the buildings they passed, pointing out the shops he thought looked cool and wanted to check out later. Will couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

They stepped into the Rollerlux Arcade and were met by the flashing lights and dinging machines of the arcade games, music booming over the speakers. "Woah..." Mike murmured.

Letting out a laugh, Will grabbed his arm. "Come on." He lead him through the rows of games, dodging people dashing past. "What do you want to play first?"

Mike's gaze fell over all the games. "This place is wicked."

Will couldn't keep the smile off his face. "It is, isn't it?"

The two of them went from game to game, ones they've played previously and ones they never even knew existed. They played for about an hour, rushing around the aisles and laughing, until all Will had in his pockets was a couple of pennies and a stick of gum.

"Do you want to roller skate for a bit?" Mike suggested.

"I'm all out of money, and it's a couple bucks to rent skates."

"No worries." Mike pulled two twenty dollar bills out of his pocket. "I've got us covered."

Will smiled. "Where'd you get all that money?"

"My mom. She's been acting extra nice to me for some reason." Mike wrapped his arm around Will's shoulders, and they went over to the counter to rent skates. Will rang the service bell while Mike gestured towards the food menu on the counter. "Want something to eat, too?"

"Oh, you don't-"

"It's my treat. Come on." He flashed Will a grin, knocking their elbows together.

From the back room, a boy with a black mohawk came out and up to the counter. Daniel. "Hey, Byers," he said, giving Will a smile. He nodded to Mike. "Who's your friend?"

Will smiled back. "Hey. Um... This is Mike. He's a friend from my old school."

Daniel reached a hand over the counter, extending it to Mike. Glancing at Will, Mike frowned. Will raised an eyebrow at him. Letting out a whistle, Daniel pulled his hand back. "Alrighty. So..." He avoided Mike's eye and looked to Will instead. "What can I do for you today? Skates? Food?"

"We'll take both," Mike said.

"Shoe sizes?"

"Eleven."

"Nine."

"Alright." Daniel went to the roller skate slots and pulled out two pairs, handing them to Mike and Will. "Here you go. What food did you want?"

"Can I get nachos and a water?" Will said and glanced over at Mike. "And..."

Rubbing his neck, Mike leaned against the counter. "And I'll have nachos, too. And a coke."

Daniel rung up the order. "Alright. That'll be seven seventy-five." Mike handed the money to Daniel. "I can bring your food out to you if you want to grab a table."

While Daniel got their food and drinks, Mike and Will went over to a table by the rink to put on their skates. Mike took a glance around the place. "How often do you come here?" he asks Will.

"Um, every once in a while I guess. El doesn't really care much for it, but she likes the roller skating. Even though we both suck."

They shared a laugh. Once their skates were on, they got out onto the rink, both fairly unsteady. They took a lap around, in which Mike fell three times, Will laughing each time.

"Hey, the last time I skated was when I was nine," Mike said when he got back to his feet after the third fall, rolling his eyes but smiling when Will snickered.

"No wonder you skip gym class."

"Hey!" Mike nudged him playfully, but threw himself off balance and ended up falling to the ground again. Will cackled, skating around to watch Mike struggle to get up, and reached a hand out to help him. Smirking, Mike grabbed his arm and pulled him down, the skates flinging out from under Will and sending him sprawling on top of Mike. He sat up, hovering over Mike, his knees digging into Mike's thighs. They both exchanged looks and burst into laughter.

"Guess we both suck at this," Will said.

"Yep. Looks like it."

"Oy, Byers!" At the sound of Daniel's voice, Will pushed himself off of Mike and looked to where Daniel peered at them over the edge of the rink, balancing a platter of food in his hand. "You two have a table?"

"Oh, yeah." Will got to his feet, brushing himself off and helping Mike up. They skated out of the rink and over to the table.

As they took off their skates, Daniel set the food down. "Have a good break, Byers. See you at school." He flashed Will a smile and winked at him.

"You, too." Heat rose up his neck, and he looked away. "See you."

Daniel chuckled and left for the counter, Mike watching as he walked away. Keeping his eyes down, Will grabbed his nachos and water, popping a nacho in his mouth. He could feel Mike's eyes shift from Daniel to him. "So," Mike said, taking a sip of his coke, "who was that guy?"

"Hm?"

"That guy who gave us our food. He seems... friendly."

Will glanced up at him. "Oh, him. Yeah... he's just some guy from school."

"One of your friends?"

Chuckling, Will wiped his hands on a napkin and shook his head. "Friends? I don't have friends."

Mike narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"No, I just mean, I don't really have any friends at school. El and I usually stick together when we can." He took a sip of water. "But there are some people in my art class who are nice."

"Is that guy one of them?" There was an edge in his voice that unnerved Will.

Looking at Mike, Will noticed his jaw tensed. Will sighed. "His name's Daniel... and yes, he's in my art class." He watched Mike closely. "He's a nice guy; you'd like him."

"So are you friends or not?"

"We don't hang out or anything. He's just a decent guy. That's all." Will gave him a hard look.

Mike's face softened, and he shrugged. "Okay, that's cool. I'm glad people here are nice to you." He tapped his knuckle on the table. "How's El doing? I mean, she said she's been doing well and everything other than those bullies, but I just want to make sure. I mean, you guys have gotten pretty close, right? So... is she holding up alright?"

Will gave him a smile. "Yeah, she's doing well. She's still coping with losing Hopper and her powers and all that, but I'd say she's hanging in there. School can be a bit rough, but Jonathan and I have been trying to help her as much as we can. But she's tough, of course. She's pretty good at handling things on her own."

"That's good." Looking down, he shook his head. "I do love her, you know. Maybe not in a romantic way or whatever, but I really, really care about her."

Will reached out his hand and set it on Mike's. "I know."

"And I know lying to her for so long wasn't right... but for the longest time, I didn't think I was lying at all. I really thought that that's what being in love was supposed to feel like."

Squeezing his hand, he met Mike's eyes. "I understand. And I don't want you guys to stop being friends or anything like that, just so you know."

A smile formed on Mike's lips. "Yeah, of course."

They finished their food, played a couple more games before they returned home. The rest of the break was chill, Will, Mike, and El going to the arcade and watching movies for the next two days that Mike and Nancy were there. Once the break ended, and they got back to the groove of things, that's when everything started to go downhill.