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“So we finally meet…”
The room was dark, the only lights being a few candles and bad light bulbs.
The voice that spoke was just as gloomy and a smirk could be felt in it.
“...Will the Wise.”
Will stood there, a little amazed, but not sure in what way : was he impressed at how serious the person was with their speech, or at how everything was exaggerated ? Either way, he loved it.
A few stage lights lit up and the brunet was finally able to see the entirety of the room. All of a sudden, a hand whose fingers were covered in rings appeared right in front of him.
“Eddie Munson, head of the Hellfire Club. It’s nice to see you here !”
A big smile took place on Will’s face as he shook the leader’s hand.
“Will Byers, it’s nice to meet you too.”
Mike and Dustin were happily grinning next to them, because seeing both of their friends finally meet almost felt magical.
“So,” Eddie started, sitting down on a chair in front of the game table, “I heard you’re quite good at playing Dungeons & Dragons.”
The way he was speaking made it feel like it was a job interview, but it wasn’t, because Will was already automatically accepted into the club. But there was a reason behind it.
“Mmhh, I suppose I’m not half-bad.” he answered, remaining humble.
The older man eyed him, then quickly glanced at Mike, who didn’t even notice because all of his attention was on the brunet.
“I heard you’re a cleric.”
“Oh ?” Will asked, confused. “I’m a wizard, though.”
“Ohohoh, I see.” Eddie loudly chuckled, “It looks like our Paladin got a little confused, hm ?”
“U-uh, yeah, sorry.” Mike quickly blurted out, his gaze finally focusing back on the Hellfire Club’s leader.
“Wizards are cool too, of course.” Eddie then quickly said with a beaming smile. “I’m just surprised because Mike would always refer to you as the cleric with so much certainty and even…” he trailed off, pretending to think. He swiftly got up from his hair and put a foot against the table, staring right at Will. “...With pride.”
He looked at the raven-haired one again and saw the way he was staring back at him, almost with a pleading look.
The stare between the two men was long and Eddie ended up giving a soft smile to Mike, who immediately felt relief blossom inside of his chest for unknown reasons.
But all of a sudden, the sweet smile became a smirk. A smirk that screamed “sike”.
“He also often complains about the way the party plays…” he kept going, looking back at Will. “Always talking about how Will the Wiiiise would have done things and how better the outcome would have been with him…” he explained, putting an emphasis on the brunet’s player name.
“Eddie—”
“And !” the said Eddie dramatically shouted, now walking around the table. The energy made Will chuckle. “He keeps calling for the wizard’s name, even though he’s not here !” he continued and put one of his arms around Mike’s shoulders. “Right, Dustin ?”
“Oh, yeah ! Absolutely !” he giggled, absolutely not helping the raven-haired one, completely oblivious to what the leader was trying to do. “It happened to me too a few times, but it happens to Mike all the time !”
This time, Will raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mike with curiosity. The black-haired teenager was now nervously playing with one of his feet, scrubbing it against the floor, looking down. Will didn’t know if his eyes were deceiving him, but his friend’s face was so red that his freckles weren’t even visible anymore.
“I-I guess I…” he started, then cleared his throat and tried again. “I guess some of my habits didn’t go away…” he slowly trailed off, his voice slightly getting quieter.
Eddie’s smug smile didn’t go unnoticed, either. Meanwhile Dustin was just being his happy self, without noticing how embarrassed Mike suddenly seemed to be.
“That’s okay ! We all missed Will ! And you happened to miss him a little more than us !” He said, making Mike's face heat up even more, which was surprising.
“I missed you all too,” Will said with a kind smile on his face, and then he decided to test the waters, “you included, Mike.”
The teenager quickly looked at the brunet, who was beaming. Mike’s lips curved into a smile as well. Embarrassed, but relieved at the same time.
“Thank you.” he blurted out.
“For what ? Missing you ?”
“Y-yeah ?”
Eddie suddenly bursted into a fit of loud giggles. Never had he thought that Mike Wheeler, the little shit who was unfazed by most things, would be so destabilised by his own best friend. It earned him a murderous look from Mike, but it was worth it.
“Well, we've always needed a wizard anyway, so welcome to the club, Byers !” the leader exclaimed, slapping Will's shoulder. “I will trust Wheeler about your skills and knowledge.”
“Perfect,” Will said and the both of them shook hands again, “I can’t wait to see what you have in stock.”
“I already love your enthusiasm.” Eddie said with a big smile. “I gotta go now ! You can stay here to chill. Dustin, come with me !”
“But I wanna stay with—”
“Henderson let’s go go go !” he kept insisting and waving his arm, already opening the door to leave. “And you can’t say no ! Steve is waiting !”
“Oh come on man ! Eddiiiiiiie ! ” Dustin complained but followed the man anyway.
Silence.
The room fell quiet, with only Will and Mike left inside. The raven-haired one was still as red as a clown’s nose meanwhile the brunet was too stunned to speak after hearing all of this.
He definitely wasn’t expecting to hear about how Mike missed him from Eddie.
Did it feel bad ? Absolutely not. Quite the opposite, actually. He felt like he was floating in heaven, which he thought he deserved after drowning in hell.
He looked at his friend again and finally approached him.
“You okay, Mike ?” he softly asked, biting back a smile. “Feeling too hot ?”
“No— I mean, oh, yes, absolutely.”
“Huh, right. December is a very hot season. I can see the sun shine and the birds chirping...” Will teased and got elbowed by his best friend.
“Greenhouse effect !” he defensively answered with a grin.
“Right.” the brunet playfully rolled his eyes and elbowed him back.
Mike chuckled and sat on the table, feeling the heat finally leave his cheeks, which almost made Will sad because it was an adorable sight. The brunet sat next to him without even thinking twice : it was an automatism.
“Was it all true ?” he suddenly asked.
“Hm ?”
“What Eddie said about you,” Will specified, “was it true ?”
Ah, there it was. The blush came back and Mike looked away. Even his ears were red.
“I mean…I obviously missed my best friend…You missed me too, I suppose.”
“Of course I did. As soon as I had left Hawkins.” the brunet quickly agreed. “I just wasn’t expecting you to…You know.”
“Miss you that much ?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess I didn’t notice it,” he admitted. “But Eddie did.”
“He’s very cool, by the way.” Will smiled and Mike could hear it in his voice. “I’m sure we'll get along perfectly.”
“Oh, definitely, yes. I had no doubts about it.”
Will chuckled : of course his friend knew who he’d possibly get along with. He then gently poked Mike's cheek.
“Why are you turned away ? Is the wall more interesting than me ?”
Mike wanted to say that no, it wasn’t. That he was much more interested in what Will had to say than in the wall’s flaws. Actually, nothing else mattered at the moment. He had always loved talking one on one to the brunet, when there were just the two of them in their own little bubble.
Don’t get him wrong : he absolutely loved being together with Will, Dustin, Lucas and El. It reminded him of the few good memories he had as a child. But he would be lying if he were to say that his favourite moments weren't the ones he shared with Will and Will only. His best friend, best decision and best memories.
“I sprained my neck.” he lied.
“It seemed pretty fine to me a few minutes ago.”
“Well, uh…”
Nothing else came out : he had no excuses. He didn’t want Will to see how flustered he was at the moment. He knew Eddie did that on purpose, and he wasn’t sure if he was angry at that or grateful.
Angry because what the fuck, he exposed him without mercy.
Grateful because Eddie managed to make Will understand how much Mike missed him when he couldn’t properly express it despite trying with a dozen of unsent letters.
Suddenly, he felt a soft, gentle hand grab his chin. He didn’t fight it and let the hand guide him.
“Doesn’t seem injured to me.” Will calmly said, finally facing Mike. “You’re just fine.” he then said, his fingers still holding his chin.
“Oh, woah…Crazy how it heals fast, haha…” the dark-haired one awkwardly chuckled. He dared to look Will in the eyes, and all he could see was fondness.
His chest immediately started tingling and his feet were slightly swinging back and forth.
Saying that he was realising the way he felt wasn’t just friendship only now would be misleading : he was more than aware that what he was feeling was something stronger, much stronger. Just like in one of those cheesy books that Nancy enjoyed reading (and that he enjoyed, too, but only secretly).
As he was drifting away in his thoughts, his cheeks got playfully squeezed.
“Cuuuute.” Will smirked.
“What ? Not true !”
“Yup yup, it’s very true,” his smile got wider, “I know you hate it but you’re adorable !”
Mike decided to get his revenge by squishing his friend’s face back. Both were stupidly giggling, trying to win the silly fight. Was Mike still a mess ? Yes. But was he having fun ? Also yes.
“Woaahh, very mature of you, Michael.” Will said in between giggles, finally letting go of his friend’s face. Mike felt cold because of the sudden lack of touch, but he didn't comment on it.
“I win !”
“Sure, whatever makes you sleep at night.” the brunet snorted, still looking at his friend with affection. “Anyway, my point still stands, you’re cute when you blush.”
Will didn’t know where this boldness came from because, normally, he’d be embarrassed by his own words. But he was in a very good mood, so it probably explained the way his confidence rocketed up.
And honestly, he was on a mission : letting Mike know how pretty he was. Dark eyes he loved getting lost in, freckles to fall for, hair that always looked shiny and soft (probably thanks to Karen’s shampoos he was stealing from time to time because they smelled good), and a smile that could light up an entire room whenever it was genuine.
He couldn’t get over Mike no matter how hard he tried : how could he ? How could he get over the one who always stayed by his side, the one who would hold his hand whenever he was scared, the one who kept all of his drawings as if they were precious treasures ? If someone knows how, then he’d love to know.
Yes, he had some issues with Mike’s behaviour. Issues that angered and disappointed him. Issues that made him believe that even their friendship was lost.
But moments like these, right now, made him feel fulfilled again. Will wanted to thank Eddie, and so did Mike after a bit of thinking.
“Well, if you think I’m cute, then…Whatever. I don’t really mind it.” the raven-haired one admitted.
“That’s…”
“What ?”
“That’s even cuter, Mike.” Will laughed.
“Aaaahhh ! I give up !” Mike pouted and let his back hit the table.
Will laid down on his elbow, in a way to still be able to see his best friend’s rosy face. He could feel his own cheeks slightly tingle at the view.
“Are you sulking ?” he asked.
“I would never.”
“Oh, of course, my bad.” Will sarcastically answered.
One of Mike’s hands was laying on his own chest and the brunet heard a voice screaming at him, telling him to hold it.
He really wanted to. And he knew for a fact that his friend wouldn't reject the act. So he slowly reached out to it and placed his hand on top of Mike’s, who decided to hold it. He did it out of nostalgia, but he was surprised at the feeling of his friend's rapid heartbeat.
Will's gaze went from their hands to Mike’s eyes, which were already looking at him. He was aware that the raven-haired man would often stare at him, but he never thought much of it.
But, this time, he paid attention to the way his friend was staring at him.
He couldn’t guess what was going on inside of Mike’s head : the teenager was so easy, but also so difficult to read. He was like an old literature book : sometimes, it’s hard to understand what the authors are talking about. But in the end, there’s something that makes you realize what’s the meaning of the story.
That was how Mike was in Will’s eyes. It was beautiful, frustrating, sometimes maddening, to the point where he wanted to rip his hair out and crumble the overwritten paper that his friend was, throw it away and forget about it. But it was always worth it in the end and led to a better understanding.
“Mike ?” Will asked, almost regretting it right away. He felt confident, but maybe not enough to dive further into the busy pages.
“Yeah ?” Mike answered very quickly, maybe a little too quickly. It looked like he was expecting something.
Will just kept staring at him, and the way Mike was staring back was just as intense. The brunet wondered how he was able to hide the way he felt towards him for so long.
“I think there’s something we should talk about.”
Mike nodded, showing that he was paying close attention.
To Mike, Will was like music. Music that would start slowly and quietly, and it was already enjoyable to listen to. But it would then get more intense, maybe with an orchestra, with heartfelt strings and an intense, powerful piano. The type of music that gave sudden goosebumps whenever it became stronger. Whenever Will was soft and calm, it made Mike’s heart happy. But whenever he became more confident, louder and fiercer, he was utterly captivating. He was beautiful. It made Mike lightheaded, it made him want even more. He wanted to put the music on repeat.
Will breathed in : he knew that his friend would be understanding and loving no matter what, and that their friendship would remain intact, as always. Yes, some pages were torn apart. And yes, some instruments weren’t always playing the right notes.
But chaos was something they had lived in for a few years : they had grown used to it and they knew how to work around it.
“I just want you to know that you’re very important to me,” Will started and felt a light squeeze on his hand right away, along with more heartbeats against it.
“You’re important to me too !”
“I know,” the brunet chuckled, squeezing his friend’s hand back, “I have no doubts about that.”
Mike went on his elbow too, mirroring Will’s position while keeping their hands against his chest.
“What do you need to talk about, then ?”
“This whole thing with Eddie made me realize that I have nothing to be afraid of, and that I should just go for it. I know that things won’t change for us if I tell you.”
“Go for what ?” Mike asked, not sure if he was worried or intrigued. Probably a mix of both.
Will slowly dragged their hands under his chin and Mike didn’t stop him.
“I guess I just really like you.” he said, more calmly than expected. “A lot, and maybe a little too much, if you get what I mean.”
He was expecting his own voice to be shaky, filled with uncertainty and fear. But he felt oddly relaxed. It just felt like it was finally the right time to confess, to say what he had been hiding for years.
Because he knew that whatever was Mike’s answer, it would never change their friendship and their experiences. And that, in itself, was a victory.
Will finally felt at peace, with himself and with his feelings.
The other teenager’s mouth was slightly agape, a deep blush creeping back up on his face. His hands accidentally pressed Will’s even harder, without him even realising it. He wasn’t even sure if he correctly understood what the brunet meant. Maybe he was talking about their strong friendship.
“I don’t expect you to reciprocate,” Will spoke up after a few seconds. “But I think it’s safe to talk to you about it.”
Oh, definitely not about friendship, then.
Here it was : the strong orchestra ringing inside of Mike’s ears, making his eardrums and whole body vibrate.
“Mike ?” his friend got a little worried at the lack of response, but also at the way he froze.
“Y-yeah, wait a second…”
“Mmhh, take your time.” Will softly said, letting go of Mike’s hand who quickly grabbed it back. The brunet blinked but intertwined their fingers.
And that was when it hit him : Mike just needed some time to process the information. A smile came back on his face and he patiently waited.
“Wait, so, you like me ?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“You like like me ?”
“Miiiike…”
“Sorry, I’m just…” he trailed off, but his lips started curving up without him realising it. “Damn…”
Will started chuckling, accidentally pressing his lips against their hands, which sent sparkles through Mike’s body. At this point, he was afraid that his heart would jump out of his chest. Legitimately.
“Don’t die.” Will teased.
“I’m trying…” Mike laughed a little.
And there was the end of one of the books : where the frustration and anger dissipated, because Will finally understood the meaning behind Mike’s strange actions from a while ago.
The brunet went closer to his best friend, their faces practically touching.
“Came back to your senses ?” he mumbled, only for Mike to hear.
“Yeah…I’m here.” he replied, just as quietly.
Will approached Mike's face a little more, to see what would happen. As a result, the other one did the same, with half-lidded eyes staring right at his lips.
They ended up getting closer to each other at the same time, finally connecting in a short, but sweet, kiss that felt more like a peck than anything, just to test the water.
They smiled and kissed one more time, for a little longer, but still as gently as possible. Will’s hand that was previously holding Mike’s landed on the latter’s cheek, his thumb softly tracing it. Mike's went into the other teenager’s smooth hair as a response. They felt all fuzzy inside. Mike was convinced that if he were standing, he would have fallen down from the dizziness that the kiss gave him.
They stopped the kiss after a while, sheepish grins plastered on their faces.
When did you know ? Why didn’t you tell me sooner ? Why did you decide to talk about it now ? What does that make us ? Those were burning questions that were a problem for tomorrow.
“We got Murray’d by Eddie…” Mike mumbled and Will giggled.
“I guess it just had to happen at some point.”
“I don’t mind.”
They both laid back on the table and stayed there for what seemed to be hours, just staring at each other and exchanging a few pecks every now and then.
***
“And so…Your plan was to embarrass Mike to the point where Will, the most oblivious man I’ve ever met, notices that there may be something ?”
“Exactly, Harrington.” Eddie proudly smiled, one arm around Steve’s shoulders, pretty much clinging onto him.
“You’re unbelievable…Good job, Munson.”
“I knew there was something between these two…” Dustin said, snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, Eddie received a soft fist bump against his head. He turned around, only to see Mike and Will standing behind them, smiling.
The leader of the Hellfire Club happily grinned.
“There we go.”