oh baby, it’s cold outside
hi, i’m andi, i live in the midwest, and i am freezing.
so, instead of getting up and leaving my comfy comfy bed, i wrote this fluffy, little byler ficlet for all of you. set during the 1994 north american cold wave so will and mike are almost 23! enjoy your domestic, established relationship byler. <3
—
It’s freezing in the apartment.
Okay, so maybe Will isn’t the best person to gauge just how cold it is in the crummy little apartment he and Mike have lived in for almost a year now. Will feels like he’s always cold, which really isn’t great for a person who lives in Chicago and also who lives in an apartment where the heat only works half the time.
But today, Will knows it’s not just him. No, it’s literally freezing cold today.
Basically all of the Midwest has turned into the equivalent of a freezer. It’s about -20 degrees today, but the last Will saw on the news before he and Mike went to bed last night, the weatherman was predicting wind chills of close to -70 degrees.
(You know it’s going to be a miserable day when somehow, even the Upside Down and the weird blend of Hawkins and the Upside Down had higher temperatures than Chicago, Illinois currently does.)
With a soft sigh, Will burrows closer to his boyfriend, pulling the comforter as close to them as he possibly can. Mike is still asleep—with a thin little line of drool trickling out of his mouth—but when Will moves close to him and makes himself comfortable in Mike’s arms, a sleepy little smile forms on Mike’s face.
He pulls Will even closer, and with his eyes still closed, he presses a soft kiss to Will’s cheek. “Please tell me it’s not time to get up,” Mike mumbles, his voice groggy.
Will laughs quietly. “Nope,” he answers, shifting to wrap his arms around Mike too. “They canceled school today, remember? So kids don’t have to stand outside and wait for the bus.”
Mike merely hums in response. He still hasn’t opened his eyes yet, and he looks rather adorable like this—with his hair all ruffled and with a sleepy smile on his face and yes, even with the drool in the corner of his mouth. Will just smiles, and as Mike shifts towards him, Will holds him closer, resting his hands gently on Mike’s back.
A beat passes.
Then:
“Shit!” Mike gasps, suddenly recoiling and giving Will an offended look. “Will!”
“What?” Will demands—partially confused but also partially annoyed at the sudden loss of his personal space warmer. “What’s wrong?”
“Your hands,” Mike whines. “Your hands are freezing, Will.”
There’s a very adorable and also very sleepy pout on Mike’s face, and honestly, Will can’t help it. He bursts into laughter—like full on, belly laughter that lasts probably longer than it should for barely 8 in the morning.
Luckily though, Mike doesn’t think he’s crazy—or maybe he does, and he’s just making good on his promise that they’d go crazy together. He joins Will’s laughter with silly, quiet laughs of his own, and he scoots back closer to Will, reaching for Will’s hands.
“How are you always so cold?” Mike asks with an incredulous laugh, holding Will’s hands between this in an obvious attempt to warm them up.
“It’s not my fault today,” Will reminds. “Subzero temperatures outside, remember? -70 degree with the wind chill?”
Mike groans, and he closes his eyes, pressing both their hands against his forehead. “Let’s move to California,” he suggests. “Lucas, Max, and El are out there. I’m sure we could find jobs.”
“Mike, you hate it when the temperature gets above 80 degrees.”
“Well, I also hate it when it gets below -70 degrees,” Mike says stubbornly, opening his eyes and looking at Will. “And you’re always freezing, so…”
Will just smiles, and he shakes his head, leaning forward and kissing his boyfriend gently. “I’m pretty sure the deal we made when we moved to Chicago for school is that if I got cold, you would just keep me warm,” he reminds teasingly. “So, I’m doing just fine here.”
Mike narrows his eyes, a bit playfully, and he lowers their hands, still holding Will’s hands between his. “You’re not allowed to touch me until your hands are warmed up,” he decides. “And don’t even think about taking off your socks, because God knows your feet are probably freezing.”
Will rolls his eyes. “You’re crazy, you know?”
Mike merely hums in response, then he lifts their hands, placing a soft kiss against the back of Will’s hand. “Maybe a little,” he agrees, and he kisses Will’s hand again, scooting close. “Or maybe just crazy for you?”
“Now that was a bad joke,” Will teases softly, and he leans forward, kissing Mike—slow and sweet. “Could’ve at least said something about going crazy together.”
“My brain isn’t fully awake yet,” Mike huffs, but he’s smiling too. “And all my brainpower is just focused on warming you up.”
“My hero,” Will deadpans, and Mike just rolls his eyes, before placing another soft kiss against Will’s hand. Then, he lets go of both of Will’s hands and pulls Will back into his arms, hugging him close.
It’s warm in Mike’s arms—warm and safe and familiar and comforting. And though the two of them have been together for over five years now, that doesn’t stop the fluttery feeling that forms inside Will’s stomach when he’s close to Mike. It’s like the two of them are still finding new ways to fall in love with each other—more and more every single day.
“We’re staying in bed all day today, right?” Mike mumbles pressing his forehead against Will’s and smiling sleepily.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Will whispers back, and he leans forward, kissing his boyfriend softly. Mike just smiles, leaning in closer and kissing Will back, and Will can’t help but smile.
Little moments like this… they’re what he’s always dreamed and never imagined he would get to have. But now, Will is here—safe and warm and wrapped up in the arms of the person who loves more than anything else in the world.
And he’s happy. God, Will is just so, so happy.
“I love you,” Mike murmurs, and he offers Will another sleepy smile.
Will just smiles back, hugging Mike closer, and he closes his eyes. “I love you too.”
(It’s freezing in the apartment—and in the world outside their doors.
But that’s okay. Will doesn’t have anywhere to be right now.
Everything he needs is right next to him.)
198 notes
·
View notes