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Basketball season is starting soon, right after winter break, which means Lucas has to attend as many parties as he can before he's back to focusing on maintaining his grades and his status as MVP. It's been about four months since he and Max broke up, this time for good, and he's been coping by hanging out more with his basketball bros getting drunk rather than with the Party playing D&D or video games. Sometimes, it sucks when you and your ex share the same friend group.
His behavior is worrisome to his friends, especially Will, who knows exactly how difficult it is to deal with a broken heart.
“Lucas, I'm missing out on precious sleep here.” Will groans, patting Lucas on the back as he pukes his guts into the toilet. This wasn't how he expected his freshman year of college to go down when he accepted rooming with Lucas in the dorms along with Dustin and Mike.
Will's the only one up to take care of Lucas since Dustin sleeps like the dead and Mike is camped out at the library with his intensive tutoring group. When Lucas stumbled in through the door completely plastered, interrupting Will's daily battle of insomnia, it took less than five minutes for the pair to be down the hall in the communal bathrooms the moment Will recognized Lucas might ruin their room's sole carpet with an upset stomach.
“M'sorry.” Lucas slurs an apology, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Will sympathetically smiles. “Don't worry about it. It's just, don't turn into an alcoholic on me. Okay? This isn't a good look for you.”
“I know. It's just… It's hard getting over her.” Lucas mopes.
“C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up and to bed big guy.”
Will leads them both back to the quiet dorm room, helping Lucas into his pajamas and bed, and then falling asleep on his own side of the room. The next morning, Will gets ready for class. He's about to head off for breakfast when a hungover Lucas blocks him at the door.
“Yo, Will, wait up!”
Will pauses his movements, a curious expression etched on his face. Dustin is still knocked out and Mike has returned from study hell to do revenge sleep by listening to his Walkman on blast before starting his morning.
“Yeah?”
Lucas looks bad. Eyes baggy. Voice raspy.
“There's a winter formal for all the athletic scholarship students. It's kind of implied that we need to have a date. Or at least a plus one. Just somebody that supports you during the games. I was kinda wondering if you'd fill in. Do you want to be my date? Sorry it's, uh, last minute.”
Will is speechless. He's never been propositioned before. Well, he doesn't count any of the girls that asked him to dance back in middle and high school. But officially, Will Byers hasn't been on a date in his life. Let alone with a boy. Let alone that boy being one of his closest best friends ever. He glances over to where Mike is lying on his bed, eyes shut as he drowns out the world with his music. For as long as Will knew what crushing and like-liking and loving someone is, he's been smitten with Mike. But Mike is taken. Mike's with El, Will's sister, and they've been together for ages at this point.
Will looks back at Lucas. He has a pleading gaze latched onto Will's pensive eyes. It makes Will wonder why Lucas never asked Dustin or Mike first. Why didn't he get one of the basketball groupies or try to win Max back? Why did Lucas choose Will? Then again, Will has been the most consistent when it comes to hanging out with Lucas these days. He's made sure to attend every single game since he moved back to Hawkins, something that Dustin and Mike failed to do because of poor time management and a lack of interest in sports. Will understands how important basketball has become in Lucas’s life unlike the rest of their friends and knows what it's like to be dissed by loved ones.
Sure, Lucas asked him out of the blue, right after Will took care of his annoying drunken state, but it's not like this would be a real date. Lucas said so himself, that the plus one can be someone who supports the player so it's not to be treated seriously. No one would suspect Lucas is actually gay. If anything, they'd just think Lucas is such a great ally letting his gay friend Will tag along. That and they know Lucas has a torch burning for Max and isn't the type to bring another lady to the event.
“Hmm.” Will hesitates on purpose just to see Lucas sweat a tad. Then he smirks and nods. “Not the most romantic way to ask, but always yes if it's you. What are friends for?”
“Oh! Thank you! You're a lifesaver dude!” Lucas goes to give Will a tight hug and it feels nice, being wrapped up in muscular arms.
He's not going to lie, Will has had a tiny crush on Lucas ever since he met him. He and Mike were next door neighbors after all, and Will was just starting to figure out that he didn't like girls when visiting them for playtime. Lucas, along with Mike, sort of solidified the steps in Will's journey of self-discovery. It's just that Will's crush on Mike bloomed into something much deeper than what he had for Lucas.
“Lemme go. Gotta get to class.” Will separates himself from Lucas's hold.
“See ya!” Lucas waves goodbye and Will hurries out the door to hide his blush.
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
Mike and Will are in a heated staring contest. Mike's the last one to find out that Will is going to winter formal with Lucas, a very exclusive on-campus event. Will doesn't get why Mike's so opposed. The moment he heard and saw Will getting dolled up in the mirror, he began to complain.
“You're too late. I already said I'd go.” Will struggles to put on his tie correctly.
Dustin is tuned out of the conversation, busy on the phone with his long distance girlfriend Suzie.
“But if you go, people might get the wrong idea.” Mike gestures wildly with his hands. “They might think you're dating!”
“Is that so bad?” Will huffs, glaring at Mike. “Besides, everyone would know we're going as friends since Lucas and are I just friends.”
“Pipe down, guys. I can't hear Suzie or my own thoughts.” Dustin fusses, covering the other end of the phone.
“Sorry.” Will apologizes.
“Dustin! Help me out here.” Mike insists.
Dustin quirks a brow and shakes his head. “Help what, exactly, Mike? You just sound jealous that Lucas and Will are gonna paint the town red while you have to see that chick flick with El tonight.”
“Wha…!” Mike's mouth drops and Will glares harder at him.
“You mean to tell me you already have plans and have the nerve to butt into my business? Worry about your own date while I worry about mine.”
“Will!” Mike takes a step forward, but Will speeds out the room to where Lucas is waiting in the dorm's lobby.
“Hey, Will! You look handsome man.” Lucas compliments. His face changes upon seeing Will's angry unshed tears. “What's wrong?”
“Just get me outta here.” Will begs, his heart aching.
Sometimes, Mike acts aloof and other times, he acts so concerned. Too many times he's given Will false hope, but Will won't give in anymore. He won't stand for Mike, a taken man, to be jealous whenever Will can prove how much fun he can have without Mike being his center of attention. Lucas walks with Will across campus to where the formal is being held.
It is cold tonight. Christmas is almost approaching and final exams are just around the corner. There's some snow covering the grass and ground that crunch under their shoes. Will's always been weak to the cold and he shivers despite his large coat. He is pleasantly surprised when Lucas drapes an arm around his shoulders and pulls him close.
“Here, let's share my scarf.” Lucas gives one end to Will and Will wraps his neck with it.
To keep the warmth, their sides are pressed together. Will can't tell if his cheeks are red from the stinging wind or because he's this close to Lucas.
“You gonna tell me what's eating you?” Lucas asks and Will shrugs.
“It's nothing. Mike just pissed me off.”
“Yeah. He's a pro at that.” Lucas chuckles and Will giggles too.
“Thanks again for coming with me.”
“Don't thank me just yet. We haven't even got there.”
They keep up conversation the entirety of the walk until they meet their destination.
Will must say that college basketball players are much cooler than the ones in Hawkins. They don't bat an eye about Will's sexuality. If Lucas is fine with him, then so are they. Everyone's dressed to the nines and it does make Will feel insecure that his suit isn't nearly as new or tailored, but Lucas helps him forget about that with endless jokes and his constant bragging of Will's artistic skills.
“Maybe you can design our posters! We need some fresh blood.” One of Lucas's teammates suggests and Will is flattered.
The food is delicious and the music is catchy. While everyone either slow dances with their dates, or schmooze coaches, Lucas and Will slip away to get air on the entrance steps. Really, Will just needs a quick smoke and Lucas, gentleman that he is, doesn't want to leave his date alone.
“You're killing it in there. I think the guys want you to come to the next party.”
“I'm not much of a party person. Don't drink, remember.” Will finishes the last bit of his cigarette.
Lucas softly elbows Will's arm and points upward. “Look at that. A mistletoe.”
“And we're right under it. What luck?” Will is about to open the entrance doors to go back inside, but Lucas grabs his shoulder to pull him into a hug.
“Hey. Isn't it bad news if we don't kiss?” Lucas grins devilishly and Will gulps, his mouth suddenly dry.
“Y-You believe in superstitions like that?”
“Nah. But I do believe in the Christmas spirit.” Lucas slides an arm around Will's waist.
“Lucas. Stop.” Will puts his hands onto Lucas's chest. “You're not gay. We're not drunk. Why would you want to kiss me when this isn't a real date?”
There's a pause. Lucas has an unreadable expression on his face and Will studies it.
“Do I have to be all those things to kiss my best friend?”
“What?”
Lucas repeats. “Do I have to be gay or drunk to kiss my best friend? It's a mistletoe. It's just for fun. What, you don't wanna kiss me?”
“No, I mean, what about Max?” Will throws out there. His mind silently supplies “what about Mike?”
Lucas frowns. “What about Max? We're over. We're not getting back together. And Max has nothing to do with this. She's not even here. I'm here with you right now.”
Will's heart flutters. He feels a tingle in his stomach.
“You sure you wanna kiss me? What if someone walks in on us?”
“Then we better hurry it up.”
“Well, we don't have to kiss on the lips if you're not comfortable with it?”
“Don't tell me what to do, Byers.”
Before Will knows it, Lucas plants a kiss right on the lips. It sends a spark of electricity through Will's veins. He notices how soft Lucas's lips are. He notices that Lucas isn't making this a quick peck either. He lingers and Will finds his eyes shutting to savor the moment. He once kissed Mike during a time when he and El broke up, and Mike freaked out. The rejection Mike served him hurt viciously and Will never thought about kissing a boy again. Then here comes Lucas, who Will considered straight, simply turning this kiss into a full-on makeout session just because.
“How was that?” Lucas asks after letting Will gasp for air.
“It was perfect.” Will pants.
“Awesome. Let's go inside before we freeze to death. Get you warmed up.”
“I'm already warm.” Will teases, feeling loopy and Lucas chuckles, grabbing his hand, the two continuing the night stitched at the hips.