Softest Leaves.
Hawkins, fall 1987.
It was virtually impossible not to look around as his friends played around with the fallen leaves. Running around, throwing leaves up in the air and to each other. And Mike had decided too early on the evening that the activity was too childish. Something in his brain told him that he needed to say it, but later on, as he heard the laughter sitting on a bench next to everyone's backpacks he regretted his choice of words. He knew that his friends would say something to him like: "Isn't this too childish for you?" or "Aren't you too much of a grown up?" but then again they would let it go.
That's why he decided to take a handful of dried leaves in his hands, throwing them over Lucas' head, all of his friends looking at him with surprised smiles on, Dustin being the first one to crack and laugh at the situation, at Mike's waiting face and Lucas' faux-offended expression. Lucas throwing himself over Mike, both of them falling to the ground in between laughs and being welcomed by the soft cushion of warm oranges and browns. They let go off each other quickly, Max threatening them with another round of leaves to be thrown at them as they were helpless in the ground. Mike's lanky limbs quickly getting him up and hiding behind Will, holding his shoulders.
"Am I that great of a human shield?" said the hazelnut haired boy letting out a laugh as he looked back at Mike. Mike could only shrug his shoulders a smile on his face as he looked everywhere for possible "attacks". That's when he heard it: "I got you" a whisper followed by leaves and dirt falling on both of their heads, looking back at the culprit as they tried to shake off what had been thrown down at them, encountering El's smiling face behind them, some giggles sprouting out of her mouth as she ran out of their reach.
Mike turned around as he noticed Will's fingers picking things from his hair, the other boy putting a hand to his shoulder.
"Don't move" and he didn't, lowering himself a bit so that Will could reach better and get most of the dirt out of his hair, making a mental note to do the same to the other boy whenever he finished.
"Okay, turn around" Mike followed, his friends coming back into view. Will, coming back into view. With delicate fingers he shook what was left on Mike's bangs as Mike smiled softly at him, all of his features softening for Will. As soft as the leaves which he had fallen on previously, and he wouldn't recognize it, not yet at least. His feelings had become clearer with time, a year had passed and he realized that maybe that sinking feeling in his stomach he got with Will wasn't a "best bud" thing, because it wasn't. And maybe it helped that Will had opened up to them that same spring about the fact that he did not like girls at all.
Feelings were still confusing to Mike, as confusing as a fall cloudy sky, but they brought a fresh feeling to his heart, even if he and El had a great friendship "no hard feelings", as she also wanted to discover who she was out of the whole mess. It turned out for the better on a lot of aspects.
He looked into Will's eyes, they could be easily compared to the moss that lays on top of the tree trunks, focused now on his own eyes, as the corners wrinkled with a smile.
Gazes were soon split apart thanks to Dustin throwing them both to the ground, as they fell on each other they laughed. Sharing thoughts that went along the same lines: "I could get used to this closeness."