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After the Vecna events, Will and the entirety of the Byers-Hopper family moved back to Hawkins. Nancy and Jonathan went to college, Steve and Robin were still working at Family Video, Eddie graduated (finally) and was working at a small music shop. Will joined the Hellfire Club at Hawkins High and school started again.
Before Jonathan left for college, Will had 'The Talk' with him. He told him about his attraction for boys. Jonathan knew already as he made clear during the whole "El visits Max's mind in a dough freezer" thing but he made sure to show nothing but support for his little brother. After a lot of tears and a long hug, Will felt liberated. It felt good to acknowledge this and even better to have someone support you through it, tell you you're not a mistake, that you're not broken. It felt amazing.
The second person to know about it was his mom, she also was nothing but supportive. He was relieved.
After that, it was little by little, Eddie and Steve learned about it next. Will himself was surprised that they got to know about it before his own friends but after catching them making out in the back room at Family Video, Will deemed them safe enough to know. After that, was Robin, on Steve's advice. She was ecstatic and told him about her girlfriend. That also felt good, in a different way than telling his mom and his brother. It felt good to know that he wasn't alone, that there were other people like him.
Telling his friends was more tricky. He didn't know how they would react. He didn't know if they'd still want to be friends with him after that revelation. He was scared.
The party got back together, stronger than ever and with two more members, Max and El. Will loved them, especially El. He saw her as his sister, so she was the first with whom he had the talk. She struggled to understand why he was so stressed out at first, she didn't see anything wrong with it. "Well that's… fine? Right? Should I be pissed? Why do you look like you're about to cry? Is that something bad?"
Will just laughed wetly and hugged her. "No its- it's a good thing I think. For me at least."
Next was Dustin. Will figured he knew about Steve and Eddie, seeing as the two were practically his dads. He took it very well, Will was pretty sure he talked about it with Steve after.
Lucas and Max went good as well. The last one left was… Mike.
Michael Wheeler, his supposed best friend and lifetime crush. The boy who left him on the side as soon as he got a girlfriend. The boy he loved more than he ever loved anyone. The boy who was incredibly clueless and self centered but whom Will would never trade for anyone else. The first friend Will ever had. It came up during one of their regular hang outs in Mike's basement. Mike was gushing about El. As usual. And Will was listening, pretending that it didn't hurt him. As usual.
"Y'know, Will, we'll have to find you a girlfriend too! I mean, Lucas has Max, Dustin has Suzie, I have El… There's only you left!"
Will sat up straight. It was now or never.
"Well, actually–
-No way you already have one ?! And you didn't tell anyone?!
-No! Mike, just listen to me!
-Okay…?
-I- I'm gay!"
Mike just stared at him for a second.
"You're… What?
-Gay…? I like boys… The same way you like girls. I don't want a girlfriend, I want a boyfriend."
Mike stayed silent. Will could feel the tears prickling behind his eyes. Was it the end of their friendship?
"If that's a problem I can leave- Actually, I'm gonna leave-
-No, Will wait! It's fine, I just wasn't expecting this! I mean, it's not like you have a crush on me or something?"
Will gulped and forced a smile.
"No what the fuck?! You're like… Not my type at all dude!"
Mike burst out laughing and Will relaxed, pushing down the hurt he was feeling. He knew it wasn't going to be possible with him and Mike, but it still hurt like a bitch to hear it.
But life goes on. And school does too. A new boy came into school. He introduced himself in front of the class, Matthew but he prefers to be called 'Matt'. He ended up sitting next to Will. He had a short curly brown mullet, a leather jacket and distressed jeans. Will didn't start a conversation, despite thinking he looked cool. He just kept on doodling in his notebook as the teacher was going on about some math formula. He could feel the other boy's eyes on him. He rained his head and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Matt ripped a piece of paper out of his notebook and scribbled something on it before passing it to Will. It read 'What's your name?'. Will smiled and scribbled 'Will Byers' before passing the note back. He saw the other boy read the note and not faintly before putting the note in his pocket.
After class, Will packed his stuff and started to leave when he heard a voice call him. Matthew.
"Byers wait !"
And so, he waited.
"Hi.
-Hi?
-Where's that shirt coming from? It's pretty cool!"
Will was wearing his Hellfire club t-shirt. He looked down at it then back at Matt, smiling.
"Oh, it's my DnD club shirt !
-What's…. Dee and Dee?" He looked genuinely confused.
"Dnd! Dungeons and Dragons! Its a roleplay fantasy game, everyone has their own characters in a race, like elves or wizards or something and they all have abilities and they're in a different realm, and there's a Dungeon Master that creates a campaign, it's like a story for our characters to evolve in and– and I'm rambling sorry"
He looked at the ground when Matt took his hand.
"No no, it's very interesting !! I'm not really into these kinds of things, I'm more of a movie and music nerd, not a game nerd but this sounds so cool!
-You think so?
-Yeah!"
Will grinned.
"You should come to mine someday! I could teach you how to play DnD and we could watch a movie!
-Sounds like a plan!
-When do you-
-Will!"
Mike's voice interrupted him. He turned around to see his friend, holding hands with El.
"What are you doing, it's Hellfire night!
-Righ, right I'm coming!" He turned back to Matt. "See you tomorrow?"
-See you tomorrow Byers!" Matt winked at him and left. Will joined his friends.
"Who the hell was that?
-Matt. He's new!
-Oh, okay. Anyways El and I—"
Will sighed and listened to his best friend talking about his latest adventure with his girlfriend. Again.
Time goes by and Will and Matt grow closer and closer. They hang out at each others house more and more, they talk about movies and DnD and their adventures with their respective friends and its so good. Will feels so good whenever he's with Matt. He feels seen and he feels listened to. It feels right. Joyce noticed the change in her son's mood and was very happy about it. She sneaked some jokes about Will having a potential crush on his new friend and Will would always strongly disagree. It's always been Mike and it will always be Mike. No matter how bad it hurts. And its not like Matt would want him. Right?
Wrong. All of the above was wrong. Will realized it after one of his hangouts with Mike. He realized how the feelings he used to feel with his friend disappeared. It didn't hurt as bad when he heard Mike talk about El. Well, not in the same way it used to. Now it hurts to see how little his friend actually cares for him. The rose-tinted glasses slowly came off and he came to a lot of conclusions. One of them being, Mike Wheeler doesn't truly care about him. The other being, he has a raging crush on his new friend. But it probably wasn't reciprocated.
Wrong. Again. Matt kissed him. A boy. Kissed. Him. A boy that Will likes, likes him back.
Matt panicked right after when he realized what he had done, but Will reassured him. By kissing him again.
Will Byers had a boyfriend.
He wrote about it to Jonathan, who called him right after reading the letter with Argyle in the background going "Lets go lil' dude, happy for you!" And Jonathan being absolutely ecstatic. Next was his mom, and Hopper by extension. His mom was about as ecstatic as Jonathan and hugged him tight. Hopper just smiled and patted his back before saying "Same rule as El then! Door open three inches when he's here."
Steve, Eddie and Robin all understood when Matt and Will entered hand in hand in Family Video. Eddie and Matt knew each other from Eddie's job at the music store and had the same kind of relationship as Dustin and Steve have so he was very happy, especially since he knew that Will was the new Dungeon Master in the Hellfire Club. Steve fistbumped him and Robin ruffled his hair.
The announcement to Will's friends went fairly well. He had invited Matt to their weekly hangout at Mike's and they made the announcement together. Everyone congratulated him, Max even hugged him! The only one who didn't seem as happy as the others was Mike, but Will just shrugged it off as him just being contained.
The next few weeks were hell. Everytime Will would mention Matt's name Mike would close off and become cold. He would ignore Will whenever he saw him with Matt. That hurt. His best friend not supporting his relationship hurt. Especially when he supported said best friend through everything that went wrong with his own relationship despite having a lifelong crush on him. The second Will's whole life doesn't revolve around Mike he gives him the cold shoulder. But two can play this game.
Will decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Refusing to go to groups hangouts to be with Matt. Ignoring Mike whenever he tried talking about El. Reversing the roles. The situation was tense.
One day, it all came crashing down. He had successfully turned around when he saw Mike at the other end of a corridor and was about to leave when he felt a hand grab him on the shoulder. Mike. He was panting, he had probably run all the way there. Will slowly turned around and said
"What?
-Do you want to come to mine tonight?
-No, I have something with Matt tonight."
He removed Mike's hand from his shoulder and exited the school. Mike caught up to him.
"What is wrong with you?!
-What do you mean 'What is wrong with me"?
-Why are you avoiding me and acting as if i don't exist!"
Will scoffed "Oh look at who finally acknowledges me!
-What?!
-You started it! You were giving me the cold shoulder so I gave you a taste of your own medicine!
-But I had a reason!
-Which was…?
-You kept on talking about your stupid boyfriend!
-Matt is not stupid!
-Oh look at how the tables have turned
-What?!
-You had no problems calling El stupid when we first started dating! Actually, I'm the one giving you a taste of your own medicine! You always hated the fact that I'm dating El, so I hate the fact that you're dating What's-His-Name!
-Huh?!
-Yeah, you hate the fact that I'm dating El! You showed no support whatsoever!"
And that was it for Will. His breaking point. He went into a hysterical laughing fit at the sheer audacity of the boy in front of him.
"What now?!"
Will collected himself and looked at Mike dead in the eyes. He wanted to make that hurt and he would be sure of it. He's going to be selfish for once.
"You're saying that I, Will Byers, have shown no support whatsoever to yours and El's relationship? NO support AT ALL? Because of something I said LAST YEAR?! When you spent the whole time we hung out together ignoring me and talking about your sinking relationship and the way El dumped your ass, while paying no attention to what I was saying?! Me who comforted you on my birthday, that you forgot by the way thank you for that, because your girlfriend assaulted someone that bullied her and you couldn't believe it?! Me who listens to you talk about El at any fucking moment?! I gave you so much Mike. SO MUCH! I've supported you through everything you've gone through with El. I listened to you say that your life started when you met her, which meant your life started while i was kidnapped, in another dimension, suffering, in a speech you paraphrased from what -I- said to you! Your life started when I wasn't in it! Home is not the same when I'm not here but at the same time you don't care about me Mike, you never have, and you never will! All you care about is your fucking relationship and you only care about me when I'm here for you! The second i'm.not useful or some sob story to tell everyone, you do not care. No one cares actually! The reason I spend so much time with Matt is because when I'm with him I feel good ! And listened to! Because he actually listens to what I have to say! He learned all the rules of DnD just for me to understand what the hell I'm talking about when we're together for fuck's sake! You refused to play DnD with me for a whole summer even though you love the game apparently since you joined the Hellfire club ! Also, he never interrupts me! And he actually cares about me! And he loves me! I met him five months ago, Mike and he made me more happy than you did over the last three years! So, sorry for putting me first for once. Sorry for acting selfish for the first time in my whole fucking life. And also, fuck you Mike."
He started leaving without looking back while Mike was shouting his name. He held back tears. He couldn't let him see them. He only flipped him off without turning back, hopped on his bike and left. Starting from now, Will Byers is going to put himself first, no matter what Mike has to say about it.