it’s summer and in a moment of suspicious kindness (according to mike, anyway) steve harrington invites the party to his house to have a pool day. not that steve joins them, he just happens to hover on the side drinking a bear and trying to do small talk with jonathan for whatever reason mike can’t really comprehend.
anyhow, it’s summer, the air is dry and hot, and a pool day is an offer that no one is about to turn down. so, they all show up, shed off their clothes down to their swimsuits, and get ready to enjoy the day. nancy nags them about putting sunscreen on like they are a bunch of ten years old, and of course dustin is the first one to canon ball inside the pool, splashing el and max in the process. (el does take a bit of retaliation by flicking her wrist and making a spur of water shoot to dustin’s face).
mike is smiling at his friends, taking a little enjoyment when lucas picks up max in a clean scoop and jumps into the pool while his girlfriend screams into his ear, but all traces of giddiness at the scene are wiped out the moment his eyes land on will.
will, who looks great in his tanned skin and red shorts, who’s built a bit of muscle in the past couple of months, who catches mike’s eyes and shoots him a grin. will, who is dipping his feet on the water to test the temperature before jumping in. will, who a couple of years back was pulled from the quarry, body limp and pale and soaked to the bone, so small, with one of his arms hanging lifeless to the side. of course, that wasn’t will. that was a fake body. but still, mike saw it, mike mourned him, and now mike can’t help the painful tug in his stomach when he sees will so close to the water. which is so incredibly stupid. mike knows will knows how to swim, and this is a pool, not the quarry, and jonathan is there and steve and everyone else. it’s not the same. this is a summer day, and there’s no danger lurking around.
but still, mike panics. he grabs his swimsuit in two fists and tries to blink away the images of that night, but the bleed into his vision until they overlap with the steve’s stupid pool.
and then, mike is pulled away from the memories. a hand grabs his, and it’s warm. mike looks to the side and finds will giving him a knowing look. his grin has shifted to a soft smile.
“wanna jump in together?”
mike’s frantic heartbeat settles to a comfortable badump badump badump. he lets go of his swimsuit and and laces his fingers through will’s, ignoring the way his face heats up or how will’s cheeks become alive in a pretty red. they both can blame it on the sun for now, even if both of them know better.
mike lets out a breath and smiles back at will. “sure. together.”
the water swallows them whole and sends a spike of cold and goosebumps up mike’s spine. his brain still battles the images of that night away. it’s easier with will’s hand on his, because this time mike is here and will is next to him, they are together. will’s hand pulls him up and the break to the surface, both gasping and with their hair over their eyes. mike pushes it away and in a weave of courage reaches with his free hand to do the same for will. will blinks the water off his eyes and stares at mike. mike doesn’t move his hand for another second, fingers trailing down will’s jaw before pulling back.
it’s hard to stay afloat with one of their hands busy, but they manage because none of them seem willing to let go just yet.
will looks at mike, droplets of water sliding down his cheeks and to the corners of his lips, and mike feels like doing something stupid right about now.
will looks at him for another second before parting his mouth to say something else. just then they both hear dustin screaming to the top of his lungs “CANNONBALL!”
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