Chapter Text
Following that conversation with Mike, things had been a bit…awkward. Neither boy brought it up, but it was clear as day it had been on their minds.
Soon afterwards, Joyce was bounding down the steps to see her son, hysterically checking if he was okay.
Then it was almost everybody else, bombarding him with questions, to which Will answered most with “I’m not sure.”
Throughout the rest of the day it was a constant barrage of people coming down one-by-one to ask him if he was feeling alright, to check on him. His Mom, Jonathan, Hopper and El, Dustin and Lucas, even Steve offered a silent questioning thumbs-up to which Will nodded and he promptly went back upstairs. While he appreciated everyone’s concern, it had always annoyed him being treated like he was made of glass. The only ones who hadn’t done that recently (or ever for that matter) were Mike and Robin.
Robin was in the studio all day. Mike stayed downstairs with Will and was currently sorting through boxes of tapes in the corner of the room. Most likely to just be doing something, not out of a sudden obsession for neatness. One look at his bedroom would immediately contradict that.
Will sat at the table with a pen and paper, absentmindedly doodling. No one had thought of a plan yet. They were working on it yes, but their priority for the moment was simply “lay low”, just as it had been for the last year and a half.
Robin made her final call for the day and dismissed the show for the night. She steps down into the basement and sits next to Will, sighing in relief. Mike glances at them for a moment before decidedly resuming sorting through the tapes.
“Whatcha drawing, Byers?” Robin questions.
Will shrugs as he mindlessly scribbles on the page, “Nothing really. Just…passing the time.”
Robin hums. She looks up for a moment before leaning in to whisper, “I think you need some fresh air, Mr Sorcerer guy.”
Sorcerer? So that means Robin…”What?”
Robin nods with a somewhat giddy smile, “Yeah! I mean what you’ve been locked in this basement all day right?” She looks at Mike, who was evidently already looking over, looks away, “Maybe you and my fellow demodog-chow—“ Mike less than subtly scoffs, “—Should…go for a walk?”
Will laughs softly, “But-“
“I’ll cover for you guys!” Robin interjects, “Look, I need more backup lightbulbs, y’know just to have in storage just incase they blow out again or something,” Will smiles to himself guiltily, “You and Mike can go get them. She’ll have to let you go if you’re with Mike right?”
“Probably,” Mike says quietly. Robin and Will turn to him, “What? You’re a loud whisperer?”
Robin just laughs, clearly not taking offence to the remark.
Soon, Robin is ushering them out of the building towards their bikes, making sure to stay as covert as possible. She sent them with a walkie, the radio/cassette player and a bag with a few mystery tapes.
“A little music for the road,” She says with a wink, “Try not to be gone too long. I value our lives, and your Mom would without a doubt end mine atleast.”
For once, Mike laughs at Robin’s comment. Will says goodbye before the boys both hop on their bikes and ride off.
It’s surprisingly not that cold for a November night. The wind has yet to pick up too. They ride down the gravel roads past the woods and further into town. It’s quiet.
“She seemed pretty hellbent on getting us out huh?” Mike remarked turning to Will with a lopsided grin.
Will took a moment to think. Why had she been so eager to sneak them out? I think you need some fresh air, Mr Sorcerer guy. Those words play on repeat. Robin had obviously heard their conversation the day before.
“I think she’s the type of person who kinda knows things without saying anything, you know?”
Mike nods at Will, even if he is visibly confused.
They’re quiet for a moment before Mike speaks, “I have an idea. Follow me.”
And with that he pedals faster and turns. Will follows closely behind.
After a few more turns, they find themselves passing the trailer park and stopping at the bank of Lover’s Lake. A strip of the “big metal bandaid” as Robin puts it pokes out from the opposite side of the water. Will turns to Mike, who steps off his bike and wheels it to lean on a nearby tree. Will does the same.
“Lover’s Lake?” Will questions. If he was being honest with himself, the thought of Mike bringing him to Lover’s Lake had his own heart beating in all different directions, whatever his reasoning was.
Mike laughs sheepishly and looks at the ground, “That does sound…kinda corny,” He picks up a pebble and skips it across the water, “Hey so…I’m sorry I acted weird earlier…about you and Robin.”
Will picks up a pebble and skips it, “It’s fine, Mike.”
“No it’s…” Mike sighs, skipping another pebble, “I was an ass. Robin’s awesome, and not stupid. Kinda smart actually,” Will let’s out a watery laugh, “I guess I just got…”
Mike stops talking, almost as if he was trying to find the right words.
“Are you…are you guys..?” He trails off, staring at Will.
“What? Together?”
Mike nods tentatively, signature puppy-eyes boring into Will.
Will laughs softly, “God no! I mean she’s awesome but I…she’s already dating someone, Mike! Didn’t you hear her broadcast the other morning?”
“You mean that wasn’t you?”
Will frowns in confusion , “What?”
Mike clears his throat, “Well…she said she…had a date,” he looks at Will for a second, “Then runs off with you the same evening.”
Will grins, almost sympathetically, “That was to test my hive mind theory, Mike.”
Mike looks at the ground, “Ah…I…you’re right.”
Will nods and laughs softly, “Besides…even if she was single,” He inhales and faces Mike, “I guarantee we wouldn’t be together.”
Mike stares, then he smiles. No, he beams, “Cool.”
Will smiles back, “Cool?”
Will watches as Mike grabs the radio and places it on the ground. He turns to Will, “Pick a tape?”
Mike is looking up at him from the ground, knelt down in front of the radio, holding up the small bag of tapes.
“O-kay?” Will says with a short laugh as he pulls out one of the tapes. There was no case, no sticker. It might even be mistaken for a blank tape. He hands it to Mike.
Mike puts the tape in to the cassette drawer and closes it, “Do you wanna play it?”
“Sure,” Will kneels down to Mike’s level. He presses the play button and the player reads the tape, “Let’s see what Robin gave us.”
Then comes fast paced, bubbly synths. Mike bops his head for a few beats before snapping his fingers, “Oh, I know this! Holly’s been listening to it nonstop!”
“Oh I-“ Will stutters, wondering if listening to his missing sisters favourite song might upset him, “We can change it if you’d like?”
Mike shakes his head and smiles, “I kinda like it. Maybe it’ll help her out, y’know? Like Max?” He taps Will’s shoulder, “Come.”
Mike stands up and walks to the edge of the lake. Will watches him remove his Jacket.
“Children, behave”
“Mike…what are you doing?” Will asks slowly with an air of playfulness.
Mike turns his head to face Will and raises his brows, “What does it look like I’m doing?” He says as he pulls his shirt over his head and throws it on top of his jacket.
That's what they say when we're together
“…Stripping?”
Mike huffs a curt laugh, his face going slightly pink, “Care to join me, Byers?” He says as he kicks off his shoes, socks and jeans, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.
"And watch how you play"
Will laughs bashfully and looks down at the ground to hide his own blush, “I-sorry?”
They don't understand, and so we're
Mike turns around to face him with a grin before letting himself fall backwards into the lake. Will finally stands and runs to the edge, “Mike?!”
Runnin' just as fast as we can
Mike surfaces with a gasp, hair sticking to his face, just as it had done in the washroom the day prior. He looks up at Will and giggles boyishly.
Holdin' on to one another's hand
“I said — care to join me, Byers?”
Tryin' to get away into the night
“Isn’t it cold?”
And then you put your arms around me
“Nah,” Mike floats backwards leisurely, his eyes not leaving Will’s, “It’s like a jacuzzi.”
Will doesn’t want to laugh at that, but he does anyway. He slowly removes his jacket, watching as Mike watches him.
And we tumble to the ground
“You’re staring.”
And then you say
“So are you.”
Will rolls his eyes and tosses his clothes upon the pile of their clothes on the bank. He then eases himself into the water before fully submerging himself to his shoulders.
I think we're alone now
Mike swims to him, that same lopsided grin donning his face, “Hey.”
There doesn't seem to be anyone around
“Hi,” Will breathes, adjusting to the temperature of the water. It wasn’t freezing, but it definitely wasn’t a jacuzzi either.
I think we’re alone now
Mike reaches a hand out and runs it through his own wet hair, attempting to regain its shape. In Will’s eyes, he seemed to move in slow motion, droplets of water rolling down his skin. It seemed like a scene from some cheesy teen romance movie. He cringes at himself for finding that even slightly attractive.
The beating of our hearts is the only sound
Will averts his eyes. Mike speaks, nostalgia creeping into his voice, “Remember when we used to do this when we were kids?”
Will did remember. Their Moms would take them to the pool when they were little, clad in plastic blow-up floaties and colourful swim trunks. When they were a bit older, they started coming to the lake. Karen and Joyce would sit by the bank, talking about whatever Moms talk about. Sometimes Jonathan would join the boys in the water while Nancy sat at the bank, reading some trashy teen magazine under the guise of a history textbook.
Look at the way
But they weren’t kids anymore. They didn’t get in the car, dressed in their colourful swim trunks and floaties and drive to the lake with their Moms. They snuck out, biked to the lake in the middle of the night, stripped to their boxers and existed beside eachother in the water.
We gotta hide what we're doin'
“Yeah,” Will whispers, “Yeah, I do.”
Mike goes quiet for a moment, clearly contemplating his words very carefully.
'Cause what would they say
“I’ve known you since forever.” He says simply.
Will shoots a glance at Mike, “Well — since we were five.”
If they ever knew?
“I think of it more as forever,” Mike repeats, staring at the moons reflection in the water, “Because, well, my life wasn’t really anything until I met you.”
Will turns to Mike, confusion plastered on his face.
Mike takes a breath, “I mean that…,” He pauses, cautiously glancing at Will, “If I’m me forever, it’s not forever without you?”
And so we're, Runnin' just as fast as we can
Will tilts his head, “Is…that supposed to make sense?” He says with a small smile.
Mike sighs in defeat, “I don’t think so…”
“It’s almost like…going to the movies,” He continues, “You go, get your popcorn, sit down and watch a bunch of trailers before the movie starts. Anything from before I was about five is kinda just trailers.”
Tryin' to get away into the night
“But when I met you, when we became friends,” Mike takes a second to think, “It was like the movie was finally starting. Or more like, the TV was completely off before you came into my life.”
Will locks eyes with Mike for a moment before focusing his gaze on his hands moving nomadically through the water, “I…I think I understand what you’re saying.”
Holdin' on to one another's hand
Mike’s eyes flicker upwards, “Yeah?” He tenses, “I guess what I’m getting at is you’re…important to me.”
Will looks at Mike properly. In the faint moonlight reflecting off the water, he see’s Mike’s tentative smile and rosy cheeks staring straight down at the surface.
“So I just…” He faces Will, staring straight through his eyes, “I want you to feel like you can…tell me anything.”
Will tenses. There’s things I don’t tell you, Mike. There’s a reason I don’t tell you things, Mike…
And then you put your arms around me
“I…I can’t-“
“You can.” Mike pleads, his face soft in the way he reserves for Will, and only Will. It makes Will feel as if he’s melting each time, even as they float in cold water.
Will wants to say it. I love you. But all he can do is open his mouth wordlessly as tears form in his eyes.
And we tumble to the ground
Mike places a hand on Will’s shoulder. It sends warmth through him, giving him the courage to speak.
“Do you remember the painting I gave you?” Will waits for Mike to reply. Something in his face changes, as if he knows but won’t confirm, “…The one from California? With the dragon?” He clarifies.
Mike nods slowly, the corners of his mouth quirking up briefly, “I love that painting.”
And then you say
Will mentally braces himself, staring down at the ripples in the water, “El…she never commissioned it. I never even showed her what I was working on.”
Will waits for Mike to say something, expecting him to perhaps be shocked, but all he does is hum and nod, “…Mike?”
Mike frowns, “I…sorta figured that part out already,” He continues before Will gets a chance to interject, “It was maybe a few months after everything went down. I ended up asking her about it, wondering if everything you told me was real you know? If she really did still need me I guess. Needless to say she was very confused and told me that must’ve been the painting she referred to in her letter.”
“Letter?” Will mutters.
“Yeah the one she wrote me before I came to Lenora. She um-“ Mike looks directly at Will, who was starting to feel almost trapped under his gaze, “She said you were painting it for a girl?”
Will jolts and gasps under his breath. Mike hadn’t said anything particularly incriminating, but it was enough to let guilt and shame begin to burrow in his gut.
After Will doesn’t respond, Mike breaks the silence, “It was that painting?” Will nods slowly, “You painted that for me, because you feel all those things about me?”
Will loves Mike. Mike at the very least cares deeply for Will. But in this moment he was fearful — for one wrong word and it could all crumble before his eyes. Years of friendship, years of quiet yearning. None of it would’ve been worth it.
There were signals. Robin’s words play in Will’s mind. A brush of the knee, bump of the elbow. Will looks up to meet Mikes eyes. A shared look. Will nods.
Mike grins before looking down at the water, but even Will could tell that…he was blushing. Mike suddenly wraps his arms around him, holding him in a tight hug. Will feels unsure what to do with his hands, so he stays still.
“Will,” Mike says, still holding Will, “I wanna ask you something, but you absolutely need to promise me nothing will change between us if you say no.”
“I promise.” He whispers hoarsely, deciding to hug Mike back.
Will can feel Mike clench his jaw on his shoulder, “If I was a girl…or-or if you were a girl…a-and if you…loved me — would you ever consider being with me?”
Will never thought he would hear those words fall from Mike’s lips. For all he knew, he’d imagined all of it, seeing as he couldn’t even see Mike’s face. He squeezed Mike tighter and decided he was willing to the risk.
“I wouldn’t need to consider, Mike.”
There’s a deafening silence between them. Slowly, Mike pulls his head back from the hug to face Will, still holding him so close their chests touched. His eyes were glassy. He chews his lips.
“If I was a girl would you…kiss me?”
Will nodded, glancing down at Mike’s lips instinctively.
Mike nodded in response, “And…one more question,” his breath is shaky. Will can feel it against his own lips from how close they were. He grasps Mike’s bicep, encouraging him to continue, “What if…nothing was different? What if it was just us, as we are right now? As we always have been?”
Will smiles and brings his other hand up to rest on Mike’s jaw. He can feel tears falling from his face as he replies, barely a whisper, “I still wouldn’t need to consider.”
I think we’re alone now.
Mikes face lights up, and immediately closes the gap, lips slotting against Will’s as if they’d been made especially for him. Will kisses back with the same enthusiasm.
Their kiss is long, almost as long as they’d been waiting to be pressed together. Years of friendship, years of yearning. It all pays off in one passionate kiss between two teens who snuck out in the middle of the night, existing together half-naked in the November water of Lover’s Lake.
The sounds of Tiffany are drowned out by two boys kissing. Two boys who are kissing at Lover’s Lake. To other’s it may be wrong, but for Mike Wheeler and Will Byers, nothing had ever felt more right.
Neither of them said it, but then again, neither of them had to.