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El had broken up with Mike.
After everything was done, once they'd killed Vecna, she'd told him they had to talk. And then she'd broken up with him.
They were still on good terms—probably on better terms than when they'd been dating, honestly—and El had said she wanted to be friends, despite everything, but Mike was scared. Not of El, of himself.
His feelings for Will were getting harder and harder to ignore and it was painful to be 'just friends'. Mike wanted more, he needed more. He always seemed to want what he could never have.
He didn't want Will to find out, he didn't want Will to hate him. He couldn't live without Will.
Mike cried quietly into his pillow, it was moments like these he wished the Byers weren't staying at his house while they found somewhere else, he wished Will wasn't staying in his room. Moments like these he regretted telling Will that they could just share the bed.
He had taught himself to cry quietly a long time ago—when it was too loud at school and he had to hide in a bathroom stall or when he could hear Nancy fooling around with Steve in her room like she didn't even care that Will was missing and Mike would wake up shaking and quietening his own sobs—shallow breaths, keeping his mouth clamped shut, though he couldn't stop the occasional sob or whimper that passed his lips. He tried to muffle them in his pillow but Will had always been a light sleeper.
"Mike?" He asked groggily and Mike could feel Will shift a little closer. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and held his breath, hoping Will would think he was sleeping. "Are you okay?"
"Mike." He repeated, sitting up to try and get a peek at Mike's face, but Mike just turned it further into his pillow, making breathing a little harder.
"I know you're awake." Will whispered softly. "...Are you crying?"
Mike groaned, accepting that Will wasn't going to leave him alone.
"I'm fine, Will. Go back to sleep." He sniffled, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You don't look fine." Will said gently. "...Is it because you and El broke up? Because I- I'm sure you guys Will get through, I mean you always do-"
"It's not because of El!" Mike sat up abruptly, whipping around to face Will. Will's eyes widened slightly and Mike knew he probably looked like a mess, he certainly felt like one.
"It's not because of El." He said again. "It should be, right?"
Will looked like he didn't know what to say, his mouth opening and closing aimlessly so Mike continued. "I mean, my girlfriend of like... several years broke up with me a-and I should be sad but I'm not. I don't want to get back together with her."
Mike's voice wavered and he wiped harshly at his eyes, letting out another self-depriciating scoff. "I swear there's something wrong with me." He muttered.
"What? No, no, Mike there's nothing wrong with you. Sometimes people just fall out of love and it's okay."
"No, that's not it. Can't fall out of love with someone you never loved in the first place."
"You don't- you didn't love El?"
Mike cracked at the shock in Will's tone. They'd all expected him to love her, he was supposed to. His face crumpled. "I'm- I tried, I tried to, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- to be like this, I'm sorry-"
"Oh, Mike." Will wrapped him in a tight hug. "It's okay, don't apologise."
Mike shook his head, sobbing into Will's shoulder, his hands snaking up his back to grip Will's t-shirt.
"It's not okay." He cried. "You don't- you d-don't understand."
"Understand what?"
"I don't think I'll e-ever love a girl."
Mike heard Will gasp softly in realization and tensed, waiting for the disgust he felt towards himself every day.
"I- you mean you're... gay?"
Mike went to pull away, ready to leave or, like, sleep on the floor, but Will didn't let him go far.
"I don't either." Will said quickly.
"What?"
"I don't think I'll ever love a girl."
Mike tilted his head up to look at him, teary eyes wide and Will looked at him right back, the unwavering eye contact making Mike shiver a little.
"It's okay, you know?" Will whispered. "If you don't like girls. If you like boys instead."
"How- how can you say that?" Mike asked, his eyes welling up again.
Will ever-so-gently wiped away a tear that fell down Mike's hollow cheeks. "Because it's true."
Mike looked deep into Will's eyes, searching for something. When he found it his gaze softened. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Will replied, just as gentle.
Mike's heart was beating so hard in his chest he wondered if he was going to have a heart attack, for all the times that he'd wished he could die, he really didn't want it to be right now. Not when Will was so close that Mike could smell the shampoo Will had been using since fourth grade, so comforting and familiar.
Mike remembered his first kiss, impulsive, rushed, excitingly new. Nothing like the patience Will always had with him, even when Mike was being a complete idiot, nothing like the slow, heavy breathing of both boys in nervous anticipation. Nothing like the comforting familiarity of Will, the boy he'd loved since before he knew what love was.
This was what Mike wanted, this was what he'd spent so long trying to find with someone else, someone who wasn't Will. But he didn't want anyone else, in the dark of his room, wrapped in Will's strong but gentle arms, he could finally admit it.
"I really like you, Will." He breathed, it felt like anything louder than a whisper would shatter the moment. "Is... Is that okay?"
"Yes. Of course it's okay." Will whispered. "Is it okay if I really like you too?"
A small smile grew on Will's lips and Mike couldn't help but mirror it.
"Yeah. It's okay." He smiled.
"Cool."
"Cool."
Mike reached up to cup Will's cheek gently and Will placed his own hand over Mike's, looking at him like he was something to be cherished, like he was Will's favourite work of art.
"Can I kiss you?" Mike asked and Will's response was instant.
"Yes."
Mike leaned in the rest of the way and softly pressed his lips to Will's. It felt like warmth seeped through him from where their lips touched and when Will cautiously kissed him back, Mike felt electricity rush through him.
He kissed Will like he would die without it, like he was a man lost at sea and Will was his guiding light, finally peeking through the fog that had been Mike's life recently. He clutched the front of Will's shirt for dear life and kissed him like his life depended on it, kissed him like he'd never kissed El and Will kissed him back with just as much sentiment.
After what felt like an eternity, but simultaneously not nearly long enough, they pulled apart, lips puffy and eyes wet and Mike couldn't help the grin that stretched his flushed cheeks, Will's expression matched Mike's, his beautiful green eyes shining as he smiled lovingly at him and Mike never wanted to leave this moment.
Maybe kissing was nice when it was with the right person.
Maybe kissing was nice when it was with Will.