Popcorn: a Byler first date ficlet for @duskandwandlight 🥰
At the exact moment that fire blazes across the swimming pool on the big screen before them, an audience member’s popcorn bag explodes. The girl who was holding it shrieks. Popcorn goes flying in every direction. Chaos ensues.
Mike looks over at El across the theater. She’s sitting to Max’s right. Lucas sits to Max’s left. It’s dark in the theater, but even so, and even across the room, Mike can just barely see that Max is holding both Lucas’s hand and El’s. Mike can guess that Lucas and El were both whispering fervently into Max’s ears, explaining what was happening on screen. Under her sunglasses Max would have been rolling her unseeing eyes, but affectionately, as Max does. Audience members would have been muttering complaints about El and Lucas’s whispering. El would have gotten annoyed.
Cue the popcorn chaos.
But Mike knows that’s not the only reason for the explosion.
He didn’t have to say anything to El. She figured out on her own that this was Mike and Will’s first “official” date. (Either that, or Will told her. Which… upon reflection Mike suspects it’s that one. The two are inseparable, and have an uncanny - and annoying - ability to practically read one another’s minds. Especially after shutting down the upside down together. Real twin stuff, those two.)
Popcorn is still flying into the air and beginning to fall - Mike is still mid-glance over at El. She catches his eye. Smirks. Raises her eyebrows with intention and rolls her eyes dramatically toward the person sitting next to him.
Mike takes the hint. He turns to look at Will, who has also turned to look at El, no doubt also knowing that she was the cause of the commotion. (And probably finding that fact very funny, Mr. Let’s All Get Rich in Vegas.) Will’s face is, therefore, very close to Mike’s when Mike turns his face back the other direction. They practically smack noses in the split second during which Mike turns back around.
Time feels like it’s moving in slow motion. El did say, once, that feelings can change how it seems to be moving.
Will is now staring into his eyes. He glances down then back up. Mike doesn’t hesitate. They won’t get another chance.
He swoops in. Plants a hard and fast smooch on Will’s mouth. Swears to himself “more later” as he immediately pulls back away, already craning his head around to make sure no one saw.
They didn’t. Time seems to snap back. All the popcorn falls to the floor. The exploding-popcorn-bag-girl’s scream ends. Everyone who wasn’t already half-turned in their chairs swings around to face the source of the noise.
Mike and Will’s faces are an inch apart. They’re both grinning. No one is paying them any attention.
No one except El. She smiles, holds Max’s hand tighter. Leans over to whisper something excitedly in her ear, even as choruses of “what happened?” “is she okay?” “what’s going on?” rain down all around them.
Mike and Will see none of El’s whispering. They’re in a tiny bubble, a soft world of their own for one warm moment. Mike reaches out to hold Will’s hand under the arm rest. He leans in to whisper in Will’s ear.
“Happy first official date.” Will smiles, squeezes his boyfriend’s hand, and whispers back the same. Mike’s ear tickles.
He never knew he could be this happy.
Soon the credits roll on “The Kiss” and the five of them head home, throwing popcorn at each other all the way.
🍿✨✨✨
(Commissioned fanart here! 😍💕💕)
