Chapter Text
Mike knows that he's the one who has put himself in this situation but he's still annoyed by it. For the last 2 months he has been Carlton's "Will Expert". Whenever he needs an idea for a date or just general knowledge of Will he texts Mike. Mike continues to answer for Will and Will only. He doesn't care if this is making Carlton look like a good guy because at the end of the day, Will is benefiting. So he continues to answer even if it pisses him off.
Today is really testing his patience. He is currently on the phone with Max discussing how bad today has been with the countless assignments they have and their respective jobs when he gets a text that annoys him even more.
"Are you actually kidding me." Mike exclaims in to the phone without realizing as he reads the text he just got.
"What, what's going on?" Max is asking.
"I just got another text from Carlton about Will and you are never going to guess what he's asking about." Mike says with a sarcastic tone.
"Hmmm he now wants to know which movie Will would like to see more?"
"No! He's asking for the THIRD time what his favorite color is."
"AGAIN?!?"
"Yeah again. Like how many times do I have to tell him. It's not that hard to remember."
"Hell it's not even that. He won't even take the time to scroll up and double check in the messages."
"Exactly. He cares so little about him that it baffles me how they are still together."
"I don't know Wheeler, maybe because you continue to teach him Will 101 so he looks like a good boyfriend to Will and others."
"And how many times do I have to tell you Mayfield, that if Will is happy then so am I."
"No matter how many times you say it, it doesn't make it any more true. You're still overly depressed that you aren't dating Will."
"Okay, and I will continue to be until I can move on. Now moving on, continue about the customer."
They talk for a bit longer then Mike is hanging up before Max can bring up his issue again. He might be making Carlton look good in other people's eyes but that doesn't mean that he's not trying either. His friend Aaron from his writing seminar had starting inviting him to join a cooking class with him each week and it's been very beneficial. Mike is now able to make better meals for him and Will and he can tell how much Will is loving it. He can show Will he cares in more ways than one.
The first time that Mike decides to not fully answer Carlton is a few months after Mike had starting helping him. Will had starting spending some nights over at Carlton's apartment. It's not often but when they both leave the studio late, Mike will get a text that Will is going to stay at his place since it's closer. Mike tries not to think about what they could be doing over at his apartment but ultimately always fails. He's in this spiral of trying not to think about Will and if Carlton is truly giving him everything he needs when his phone buzzes. Of course it's a text from Carlton.
Khakis: Man, please tell me you're awake right now.
Mike: Yeah everything ok
Khakis: No. Will had some crazy dream and now he's freaking the fuck out and I don't know what to do.
Mike: Wait whats going on
Mike is concerned now. Have Will's nightmares kicked back up, if so why hadn't he talked to Mike about it?
Khakis: Can you not read? I literally don't know
Khakis: We were just sleeping and then he's kicking all around and panting. He woke me up, when he knows I need the sleep, and isn't talking. He's just staring while crying.
Will definitely had a nightmare and this guy is complaining about him not going enough sleep. Also why is he texting Mike while Will is crying right next to him.
Mike: He had a nightmare
Khaki: Okay and what am I supposed to do?
Mike actually doesn't know how to respond. He thought most people had some idea on how to comfort someone in a time of need, like after a nightmare. Especially when those people are dating and have slept over with each other multiple times. Has Will had a nightmare before and he just hasn't helped him through it. It doesn't make sense. He is still figuring out what to say when he feels his phone vibrate again.
Khaki: Well he just left so guess it's all good.
Mike: You let him leave?!?!
Carlton let Will leave. After he had a nightmare and didn't comfort him. Mike wants to punch this guy right now.
Khakis: I mean yeah, what else was I to do.
Khakis: Anyway thanks for being no help. I'm going back to bed.
Mike closes his phone, he can't handle him right now. Knowing that Will is walking somewhere in New York City, alone after a nightmare has him up and out of bed looking around his room trying to find some semblance of normal clothes quickly. He's got on sweatpants and a normal t shirt when he hears the door open. He goes out into the living room and Will is there.
"Oh Mike sorry did I wake you?" Will asks in a voice laced with obvious fear and sadness.
"No you didn't. I wasn't expecting you back, is everything okay?"
"No I had a nightmare and I woke up and Carlton didn't do anything." Will is full on sobbing now so Mike walks up to him and wraps him into his chest. Will is soaking his shirt with tears but he couldn't care less when he feels Will's trembling arms wrap around him. "He just sat there looking so confused and mad that I had woken him up. I was trying to talk but nothing was coming out and he was just getting so annoyed. Then he was on his phone and I just felt so-so- I don't know."
"Will hey it's okay. It's okay" Mike is rubbing his hand up and down Will's back to try and soothe him. "You did nothing wrong and he's a terrible person for not trying to comfort you. And don't try to argue cause I don't wanna hear it okay."
"I was just so scared and he did nothing. Mike he did nothing to help me." Will is still crying hard no matter what Mike does.
"I'm sorry but you're home now and I'm here okay. It's all gonna be okay." He feels Will shake his head and somehow curl into Mike even more. After a bit, Mike starts to direct them into Will's room. He gets Will on his bed and begins to leave when he feels a hand on his wrist.
"Please don't leave. I don't want to have another one and wake up alone." Will is looking at him with big, watery eyes and Mike can't say no. So he climbs into Will's bed and wraps him up in his arms again and waits for Will's breathing to even out. He knows this isn't the smartest move but it's the one thing he can do better than Carlton can so he will take what he can get.
For the next few weeks Mike has slowly stopped answering all of Carlton's questions. If it's something he has already answered, he doesn't respond. Will hasn't seemed too different from how he has been acting so he is assuming that Carlton is either looking back in their messages for answers or figuring it out himself. When he told Max about it she was ecstatic. About time you stop helping that loser and instead show Will you can be so much better, she had said. To Mike though it wasn't about who was better, it was all about what Will wanted.
It all comes to an end when Mike is hanging out with Max after work and his phone buzzes on the table. "I swear if that's you-know-who I'm blocking his number." Max says as he is grabbing his phone.
"Well then I guess I won't let you have my phone." Mike responds while looking at the text. "or actually I will because what."
"Wait what did he ask?" Mike turns the phone to her so she can also read the message.
Khakis: Hey, Will and mine's 1 year is coming up, what do you think I should do for it. I was trying to get him to plan it but he keeps asking what we are going to do so apparently I have to.
"He did not just ask you what they should do for their anniversary are you fucking kidding me."
"Max what do I do? I absolutely do not want to help him with this but I also can't let him give Will the worst anniversary."
"Yeah but maybe if he does then Will can see how bad of a guy he is for him."
Mike groans and put his head on the table. "Look" Max starts again "This isn't your relationship to make work Mike. This is between Will and Carlton. I know that whatever you respond with will be fine, even if it pisses me off."
Mike just nods and they move the conversation on to something else and Mike ignores the message. He gets home later than normal knowing that Will said he was going to be out late tonight and decides the finally respond.
Mike: Look man I can't help you with that. its your anniversary, if you don't know what to do for him I feel like thats on you. Ive helped you enough.
Mike considers his message for a few minutes before he decides to send it. He's tired of helping Carlton look like this perfect boyfriend when the whole time, it's been Mike. He sets his phone down and heads into the living room to work on some homework before bed.
It's been about 45 minutes when the door slams open. Mike jumps and turns to see Will standing by the front door. "Hey, I didn't think you would-" Mike starts before he's interrupted.
"Do you want to explain what the hell has been going on?" Will sounds angry and hurt.
Mike stands up as Will begins to make his way into the living room. "Will I don't know what you are talking about."
"The texts Mike"
He can't be talking about…there's no way that Carlton would've ever told him. "Will seriously, what texts are you talking about?"
"I saw the message come through on Carlton's phone that you apparently can't help him anymore and something about an anniversary." Oh shit. "So I decided to look through to see what the hell you two would be talking about, when you can barely stand him, and I see that for months MONTHS Mike you have been telling him all of this information about me. Information that I thought he knew, but was apparently getting it from YOU this whole time."
Will is angry right now and Mike understands why but also it's not just on him, he's not the boyfriend who went to the best friend for answers. "Look I understand you're mad right now but I think you need to talk to Carlton about this." He can see Will roll his eyes at this.
"I already talked to Carlton. The second I saw all of the messages I asked him what was going on, why he was asking you all of this. He wouldn't give me an answer just kept asking how else I would want him to know. But right now Mike I'm not worried about why he was asking, I'm wondering why you would answer him."
"You seriously don't know why I would give him all these answers, sometimes multiple times?"
"No I don't. You don't like him, why would you help him look like such a good guy?"
"I didn't do it for him, Will. I did it for you." Mike exclaims. "It's only ever been for you. Seeing you come back so happy after he would do something nice for you made me happy. I knew you were happy and that's what mattered to me. I didn't care at all whether he looked good or not."
"So you for months Michael, continue to feed Carlton information about me just to make me happy? How does that make sense, why didn't you just do things to make me happy if you wanted that?"
"Because I knew in the end I couldn't be the one to make you that happy, no matter how much I wanted to. Will come on, I saw the smile that's been on your face for almost a year. How long as it been since I made you smile that way. I've hurt you so many times in the past and I knew you were happy, I couldn't ruin that for you again. I wanted to so many times stop responding or give him wrong information because seriously who doesn't take the time to learn the basic questions he had been asking me about their boyfriend. But then you'd come back and just gush about a date or something nice he did and I knew I couldn't stop."
"So what you continued to give him information knowing if it ever got back to me I would be mad. Why I don't get it?" Will is still mad but slightly less before.
"Because I'm in love with you and I want you to be happy no matter what."
It's so quiet that Mike could hear a pin drop. He doesn't know why he just blurted it out, he just wanted to say anything to make Will understand that his intensions have only ever had Will in mind.
"You're in love with me?" The anger is completely gone from Will's voice and now there's another tone that Mike can't place.
"Yes and so I couldn't just stop answering as much as I wanted to because of how happy he made you. Then he asked for ideas for your anniversary and I knew I couldn't do that. He needed to make his own decisions and even if it hurt you, I had hoped it wouldn't be too bad."
"This whole time you've been in loved with me and helping him know me more to keep our relationship going strong?"
"Yeah, look I'm sorry Will." He looks up to meet Will's eyes and are surprised to see him standing so close. Before he has a second to think or even question what Will is doing, Will's hand grabs his face and pulls him forward until their lips meet. Mike is stunned and doesn't move for a second before finally his brain catches up just as Will is starting to pull away. He grabs the back our Will's neck and pulls him in for a proper kiss. It's heated but sweet at the same time and now that Mike has experienced it, he never wants to go without.
They pull back and Will says "You're an idiot you know that. I love you too and would've rather you told me you felt the same and try to make me happy than helping him make me 'happy'. I thought he was this great guy but instead everything he did was all you."
"Wait you really love me too?"
"Of course I do, I have for years Mike."
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Mike goes to pull him back in before he stops. "Wait what about him?"
"When he couldn't give me a straight answer for why he had been asking you everything and not actually getting to learn me at all, I broke up with him. He couldn't plan our anniversary date without consulting you for ideas. That's not someone I want to be with. Especially now, knowing that I can have you."
Mike is smirking and the finally closing the distance. He knows there is more to discuss but for right now Mike is happy just where he is. He is now going to be the one who gets to make Will smile like he's won the lottery, get to buy him flowers just because, get to take him out of dates, get to kiss him, and get to wake up next to him in the mornings. It's Mike and Will from here on out, no khaki loving art student who couldn't take the time to learn the basics that Mike has known since he was young.