Work Text:
If Mike Wheeler had to find a word for his relationship with Will Byers, he'd choose the word love.
And he means it absolutely platonic. He has known Will since the first day of kindergarten and he was his best friend, of course he loved him. But he always wondered why he loved Dustin and Lucas differently. They were his best friends as well, so why was the love for Will so much different? Maybe it was because they have known each other longer. Maybe it was because Will was missing and presumed dead three years ago. The moment he saw the fake body being dragged out of the water, he was sure his life ended. He lost him. Mike became even more protective over Will, fearing to lose him again. His best friend, his savior in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. His Will.
No hold up, wait a minute. Will wasn't his and Mike was well aware of that, thank you very much. And he would never be... which was totally fine with Mike. Because why would he want for Will to be his? Why would he want to be Will's? He wasn't like that. Mike Wheeler is not gay.
He couldn't be. It would be wrong. That's what his dad always said. "Those damn fairies, corrupting our kids with their queerness." He always said when a song from Bowie came on the radio. But Mike didn't know what the fuss was about. You could enjoy a song by Bowie without being queer, right? And how can a song be gay? It's not like Bowie is singing about guys-
"Mike? You good?" Lucas was whispering, shoving his arm a bit which brought Mike out of his train of thought and back into the reality of his classroom.
"What? Yeah, yeah just got bored." Mike whispered back and turned his attention back to the front, where one of his classmates just finished his presentation about the colonization of America. But just like five minutes ago, his gaze went back to Will sitting in front of him. No matter how much Mike tried to focus on the next student, talking about god knows what, his attention always went back to Will who took notes about each presentation and bounced his leg like he always does when he is nervous. The only thing bringing him back to reality once again was Will himself. Well, his name anyway.
"Thank you, Rachel." the history teacher, Mrs. Carpenter said. "Alright, next up is Will with his presentation about the founding fathers." As Will stood up from his seat, Mike shifted in his, sitting straight to pretend he was paying attention all along. Will went to the front, obviously nervous. Mike could tell easily. He was always the one who calmed him before he had to present something in school. When the whole thing with the mindflayer happened two years ago. One touch, one nod was enough to ground Will and assure him it would be okay. So Will looked to Mike, panic written in his eyes. But Mike nodded, smiling his "Will smile'' as Lucas and Dustin would call it. But truly, it was just his most sincere smile. It was easy to have when you looked at Will. Will smiled back and started his presentation. Now, Mike had to be honest, he really didn't listen to Will either. But mostly because he was distracted by Will's lips moving, his thighs in those pants that were just a bit too tight for Mike's liking (but who are we kidding, he secretly loves them) and his shirt being way too tight around his biceps. Really, when did he get so muscular?
Mike raised his eyes back up to Will's when he started stuttering. That's when he realized Will was also looking at him. Mike gave him a reassuring nod and his "Will smile" and Will continued, still a bit dazed.
After Will and two more students were done with their presentations the class started to pack their things as quickly as they could, wanting to get out of this hell hole of a school and into the weekend.
"Hey by the way," Lucas started as they walked down the hall. "Jason is throwing a house party tonight and before you are saying anything, he says it's cool when you come."
Mike, Will and Dustin groaned at the mere mention of Jason. It was great that Lucas was getting more popular, it meant the bullying for all of them stopped, but Jason Carver was a right up asshole.
"He hates us." Will countered, earning an agreeing nod from Dustin.
"Okay, he doesn’t hate you, he just doesn’t know you. And what better way to change that than tonight. Max also agreed."
"Max agreed to go to a party?" Dustin asked, not believing that their red-haired friend would ever agree to go to a house party with Lucas' basketball friends.
"I may have bribed her a bit, but she is coming. Mike, maybe El will come as well if you ask her?"
"They broke up." Will nearly shouted before Mike could even open his mouth. A strange tension settled over them for a moment before Mike broke the awkward silence. "Besides, El at a house party? That's like-"
"Us at a house party." Dustin finished his sentence, opening the door with a swing. Mike nodded, descending the few steps to their bikes. "Plus," Dustin went on, "Steve and Eddie promised to take me to the new Aliens movie. Sorry, Lucas."
"No. You're not." Lucas sighed, unlocking his bike.
"Nope." Dustin plopped the p and grinned devilishly.
"What about you two?" Lucas raised an eyebrow at Mike and Will but, no matter how much Mike did not want to go, he actually had a good excuse.
"Can't. Nancy is here over the weekend so we're having mandatory family dinner." Inwardly he thanked God, probably for the first time, that his sister decided to come into town.
"Will, my last hope? I heard Rachel got a little crush on you." Lucas winked at him.
Mike's stomach flipped. Rachel Miller, one of the most popular girls of their year, had a crush on Will? Didn't she call him Zombie Boy when he came back from the Upside Down?
Dustin purred like he did when his teeth came out and Lucas chuckled. But Mike knew Will better. He knew he didn't want to have a girlfriend right now. Besides, he doesn't even like Rachel, Mike could tell. Rachel was too much like his sister sometimes and that wouldn't work would it? Jonathan and Nancy broke up as well, that dynamic just doesn't work.
Will blushed, his cheeks dark pink, and smiled shyly. It was no secret that even though Will wasn't insanely popular, he was one of the most handsome boys of their year. So really, it was not a miracle that rich and pretty Rachel Miller would hopelessly fall in love with him. With his brown, puppy dog eyes and kind smile, even kinder heart and hands that were just a little bit smaller than Mike's gripping around his handlebar. Pull yourself together, Michael!
"Alright, fine. I'll go."
While Lucas cheered and went to hug Will, Mike and Dustin just stood there with their mouths agape.
"You're going?" Dustin asked, swinging himself onto his seat.
"Seriously?" Mike raised an eyebrow at his best friend but Will just shrugged his shoulders. "Could be fun. Plus, we're in sophomore year now. Might as well have the full high school experience."
"That’s what I'm talking about! You won't regret it, I promise."
In the evening, it was nearing 11 p.m., Mike was sitting at the dining table with his parents and sisters and honestly, like earlier, he wasn't paying much attention to what they talked about. Nancy was probably talking about college and her new friend, Rory. When the phone rang he wanted to jump out of his seat but his mom was quicker.
"Wheeler residence"
Mike slumped down taking a giant sip of his coke.
"Michael, it's Lucas." Lucas? Wasn't he at that stupid party with Will? Why the heck was he calling? Well, only one way to find out.
"Lucas?"
"Mike? He won't tell us what's wrong." Lucas sounded panicked. Like something bad happened.
"Who? Lucas what happened?"
"Will. He- I didn't know he was gonna drink so much and I said hi to the team for just a few minutes with Max and when we found Will again he was completely drunk and crying. I don’t know what happened and he won't tell us."
Mike felt himself panicking as well. Will never drank before so it probably didn't take him long to be wasted. But why was he crying?
"And I would've called Joyce but if Hopper finds out about this than Jason is fucked and I don’t wanna snitch. Please, Mike, just help us, he is full on sobbing."
And now as Mike listened closely, he could hear his best friend sobbing, even though Will had to be sitting a few feet away from the phone.
"Where are you? Are you alone?" Mike was scared everyone would laugh at Will in school on Monday, for having a breakdown the first time he drank.
"We're in Jason's room and we locked the door. Mike, he says your name over and over again."
Something happened to Mike. As if something was flying around inside him. But he knew it was just his worries about his best friend. Nothing else.
"Hand him the phone." Some rattling on the other end before Will answered in a slurring voice. "Hello?"
"Will? It's Mike."
"Michael!" Mike cringed at the use of his full name but Will cheered, the only hint he's been crying was his shaky voice and usual sobs.
"Will, what's wrong?" Mike lowered his voice to not be overheard by his family.
"I don't like her, Mike, you need to know that. But I kissed her. I felt nothing and I think there is something wrong with me."
Why the heck didn't Mike go to that party? He could have prevented it. Or he could have been the one-
"Do you mean Rachel? Will, there is nothing wrong with you for not liking one girl." Mike out of all people should know that.
"Not just Rachel. There is no one, no girl that I like that way." Will started sobbing again and Mike cursed himself for not being there to hold him.
"Will, why don't you drink some water and breathe. Everything will be alright."
And if Mike didn't pay attention to every sound, however quiet it was, he might have missed the mumbled "I need you."
"I'm right here, Will. I'm not going anywhere." Mike closed his eyes and gripped the receiver tighter. He needed to hold on to something to pretend it was Will's hand.
"It should have been you, Mike. You should have been my first-"
"Hey, Mike it's Max." Damn you, Max, what the hell? "Can you maybe ask Nancy to pick us up? We all drank and Steve's out with Eddie and Dustin."
Mike looked over into the dining room. His parents were talking but Nancy's eyes were on him, full of sorrow. When they locked eyes she didn't look away but stood up and walked over to him. He asked Max's plea and she nodded, already going for her purse to grab her keys.
"We'll be right there. And, Max?"
"I know. I'll keep him out of trouble. We'll wait outside." And then she hung up. But Mike swore he heard Will sob again.
Nancy, without knowing the full story, made up a lie for their parents that they're just going for a little walk to catch up. They got into her car and drove towards Jason's house, the music audible at the beginning of the street. Just as Max said, they were sitting outside by the sidewalk, Will resting his head on Max's shoulder with a bottle of water in hand. Nancy hadn't even fully stopped the car when Mike opened his door and jumped out. Lucas and Max steadied Will as he sat up, swaying from side to side. He almost tumbled forward but Mike was there to hold him, wrapping his arms around Will's waist.
"You scared me, Will." Mike whispered into Will's shoulder, holding him as tight as he could. Will swung his arms around Mike's shoulders and Mike felt whole again. "Sorry." Will mumbled into his neck and Mike started to shiver over his entire body.
Mike sat with Will and Lucas in the back while Max drove the passenger seat, explaining everything to Nancy. Mike and Nancy never got along as well as Will and Jonathan but Mike knew that he could always count on her. Now, after everything that happened with the Upside Down and the mindflayer, Billy also, they were closer than before but still, no siblings were as close as Jonathan and Will.
"I'll drive to Max first, alright?" Nancy asked no one in particular. "Actually," Max started. "I'll stay with Lucas." Nancy nodded, switching the turn signal and heading towards Lucas' house. Not long after they got into the car, Will rested his head on Mike's shoulder, too exhausted to hold it up himself. But Mike didn't mind. Quite the contrary actually. He rested his head lightly on Will's. They weren't alone and yet this moment felt so private, so intimate. Mike never wanted to leave this car.
They pulled up into Sinclair's driveway. Lucas nearly jumped out of the car once Nancy stopped to open the door for Max. Max would never admit it but considering the small smile that placed itself on Max's face, she loved when Lucas was a gentleman, cherishing his girlfriend as much as he could.
That's what he wanted. An honest, sweet, romantic and yet funny relationship. Your partner should be your best friend as well, right? You should be friends first and all the kissing, and making out and, whatever couple stuff is, comes afterwards, right? Maybe that's why he and El didn't work out. They weren't friends. Now they are better than ever. Mike would even say they're platonic soulmates. Platonic being the key word here.
"Mike?" Nancy asked after Max and Lucas thanked her, said their goodbyes and promised to drink some water before they disappeared inside. Mike looked at Nancy through the rearview mirror. "Should I drive Will home? You know he won't get in trouble with Joyce and Hopper."
Mike looked down to Will, who was slowly dozing off on Mike's shoulder. "I know. But-"
"I know. You don't wanna leave him alone. I'll call Joyce at home."
"I told my mom I'd stay with you." Will mumbled into Mike's shoulder. Mike and Nancy gave each other a look through the mirror and with that Nancy drove out of the Sinclair's driveway the few streets to their home. Mike didn't say anything till they arrived, just enjoying the quiet with Will's head on his shoulder. He could get used to this, he thought to himself, having Will so close to himself and shielding him from anything bad that might come his way.
Nancy turned off the car and Mike gently shook Will awake. "Let's get you to bed, yeah?" Will nodded. They went around the house to the basement door, opening it as quietly as possible.
"Okay, I'll be right back. I'm just telling my mom I'll sleep here tonight alright?" Mike helped Will sit down on the couch and handed him a blanket. It wasn't long till Will's eyes fell shut again and he dozed off into a well deserved sleep. Mike looked at him. More watched him, really. How could a person look so cute even while sleeping? It was simply too much for Mike to handle. He didn't know why he was thinking that about Will. Would he have the same thoughts if Will called him tonight to let him know Lucas was wasted? Would he have picked him up and thought he was cute once he was asleep on his shoulder. Man, Mike really had to analyze these... feelings for Will.
Feelings for Will.
What kind of fee-
Oh.
Oh.
Was Mike... perhaps in love with... no that wasn't it. Will was his best friend of course he loved him. He always has. He loved how kind he was, how, no matter what happened to him, he was still able to smile as bright as the sun. He loved how strong he was, how he always puts others before himself. He loved the way his eyes light up when he talks about something that is important. He loved how his lips always looked so soft. He loved that his hands were just a little bit smaller than Mike's and still, they seem to fit together perfectly. Mike loved Will. And right now he was not sure how platonic those feelings were.
In a panic, Mike stumbled up the stairs. Before he opened the door, he took three deep breaths but it wasn't enough to prevent the panic attack that was building up inside him. Before it got worse he opened the door, quickly found his mother and explained that he was gonna sleep in the basement.
"The summer heat, you know?"
"Michael, dear, it's late september." But Mike didn't answer, instead ran for the door again. He slammed it shut behind him, before realizing he probably woke Will with it. He creeped down the stairs but saw Will still sound asleep on the couch. That's when his panic attack seemed to slow down and stop eventually. One look at his best friend and reportedly the boy (boy!!!) he was in love with was enough to ground him. But he couldn't ignore the unwell feeling that started to swell inside him. The feeling that made him feel like a mistake. Why? Why did it have to be Will? Why couldn't it have been El, or literally any other girl in this dead town. Why did it have to be Will, a boy, his best friend and a boy.
Why can't you be a girl?
Mike went over to the couch to take off Will's shows so he is more comfortable. But then Will turned around and looked right into Mike's eyes. Mike couldn't tell how long they looked at each other. It could have been minutes or hours. It was probably not even one minute before Will smiled at him and mouthed a "thank you". Mike smiled his "Will smile'' back and gave him a reassuring nod.
"You always care so much. 's why I love you." Will mumbled while turning around again and closing his eyes. Mike sighed, because, why did he have to say something like that now? What was Mike supposed to answer? "I love you too. Actually I'm in love with you but I hate myself for it." Yeah, no that's not gonna work. So Mike settled for a squeeze to his leg and let Will drift off to dreamland again. He continued to watch Will a little in his sleep, fully aware that that was totally creepy. But he couldn't help himself. Mike sighed again, defeated by his own feelings.
"Fuck."
The next morning Mike made sure that the first thing he did was to get a glass of water and an aspirin for Will to take once he woke up. He placed it on the coffee table in front of the couch and he couldn't help himself but to watch Will again. He looked even more adorable with his hair all over the place and mouth slightly agape to breathe properly. His dark brown eyes staring right at him- oh shit.
"Hey." Will whispered with his raspy morning voice that made Mike even more nervous than he was already.
"Mor- Morning." Mike stuttered, shifting from one leg to the other. "You feel okay?" Mike asked in his "Will voice", because yes a "Will smile" wasn't enough.
Will nodded and slowly sat up. Mike immediately launched forward and helped him. He handed Will the water and aspirin and Will silently thanked him, taking a big gulp. For a while they sat in silence. Neither really knows what to say. Mike didn't even know if Will remembered anything or why he was here. So, he decided to just ask.
"Do you-"
"I'm sorry."
Mike looked at Will but he kept his eyes on the floor. "Lucas shouldn’t have called you. I was overreacting. Kissing Rachel just felt..." Mike looked away as Will tried to figure out what to say next. Stupid Rachel. Mike thought. Making him feel miserable.
"I don't know, it felt wrong, you know."
A beat. Of course Mike knew. How often did he kiss El and it just felt wrong? Every time they kissed actually. And he wanted to tell Will but the latter already continued.
"And it's not like I kissed her. Lucas and Max went off and Rachel launched herself at me. She was already so drunk. And before I knew it she kissed me. It was... awful actually." Will chuckled and Mike couldn't help but laugh along. Even though he wanted to scream into his pillow for not being there.
"I thought kissing was supposed to be nice but that just felt, well not nice. After that I just wanted to forget it so I played beer pong with some people from my art class and George was really good so I had to drink a lot. And then I guess I just got... I don't know, depressed or something. To be honest I don't remember much after the beer pong." Will chuckled but it wasn't honest. It felt forced.
"You said my name." Mike whispered more to himself but with Will sitting literally right next to him it was inevitable to not hear. Will remained quiet, looking to the floor. And if Mike would've looked at Will and not the wall opposite him, he would have noticed the blush creeping onto Will's cheeks. But he didn't. Instead Mike changed the topic and said that Will needs to eat something. Without giving Will time to say something, Mike stormed up the stairs into the kitchen. He grabbed one plate and stuck as many pancakes and scrambled eggs with syrup on it as he could. He heard his dad already watching TV in the living room. A look outside told him his mom probably went shopping, her car was missing. Nancy must still a sleep so Will could come upstairs to eat, instead of hiding in his basement like El three years ago. Gosh, has it already been three years since Will disappeared? It feels like yesterday and at the same time like a million years ago that he saw Will's fake body getting dragged out of the water. In that moment he was sure his life ended.
"Mike?"
Mike winced at the sound of his sister's voice, being too deep in his own thoughts.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Nancy smiled and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Is Will okay?" Mike just nodded and added more syrup to the eggs.
"Thanks by the way." Mike said quietly. "For helping me, lying to mom and dad. I owe you."
"You don't." They smiled at each other. Over the years there weren't many sweet and non-fighting encounters between the two siblings but now that Nancy moved out, Mike realized he does miss her sometimes. Especially when his parents are fighting again he misses how Nancy would listen to his new campaign idea in the basement, making sure they hear as little as possible. It's not that their parents fought loudly but the passive aggressive comments were sometimes a bit too much for Mike to pretend they weren't there. Maybe they could bring back that bond. Mike ranting about something he loves and Nancy listening. She once even had the idea to give a guard a secret weapon. Maybe she had some different... advice.
"Nance, can I ask you something?" He said before Nancy could leave the kitchen with her cup of coffee. Nancy turned back around. "Sure."
"Do you- uhm... okay do you ever..." Mike shook his head and cursed himself inwardly. Just get it out.
"Mike, it's okay. Just ask." Nancy set her coffee on the kitchen island and smiled at Mike again, as if what he is about to say is not gonna ruin how he sees him.
"Do you ever wanna kiss a girl?"
Nancy's eyes widened and if she hadn't put down her coffee Mike's pretty sure she would have dropped it. She seemed to think about it for a moment before she answered. Carefully choosing the right words. "Mike, there is nothing wrong with wanting to kiss boys. Don't listen to what dad and the other homophobic assholes are saying." Nancy whispered to make sure their dad didn't hear them. But Ted was probably already sleeping in his chair anyway.
"It's just- I feel wrong because of it. I should want to kiss only girls, right? But I also... you know."
"Oh, I know." Nancy laughed and gave Mike a smile that held a secret. Mike needed a second to realize what she was saying. "Wait, are you-"
"Don't tell mom and dad, but yeah. It's called bisexual. You know what it is?" Mike shook his head so Nancy explained further. "It's when you are attracted to boys and girls. Or anything in between. I have known since spring break when I got closer to Robin. In fact, we're dating." Mike's mouth fell open. How did he not see? Well, it wasn't like him and Nancy talked all that much about those sorts of things.
"So, I'm not the only one who wants to kiss... like... every gender?" Mike asked. His voice on the verge of breaking, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.
"Hell no." Nancy said and gave him a big smile. "And it's not just us, you know. There are more people like us in Hawkins and the world. Trust me." Nancy took her brother's hand and gave it an assuring squeeze.
"Are you sure? I mean it's not really-"
"Accepted? Yeah, it isn't. Maybe it will be one day. Maybe one day we can get married to our 'best friends.'" Nancy air-quoted the last bit. Mike scrunched his face. How did she-?
"I never said anything about marrying Will." He defended. Nancy just smiled victoriously. "Neither did I. But glad to know which boy got you thinking like this." She winked and took a sip of her coffee. Now way colder than five minutes ago. She turned around to leave, leaving a dumbfounded Mike behind. He started at the counter.
"Oh, and, Mike?" Nancy turned back around and smiled still. Mike looked up into her eyes. "Don't waste any more time and go get him." She winked at him and moved upstairs.
Don't waste time. Go get him.
Oh, he will.
Mike forgot about the breakfast he promised Will. He sprinted towards the staircase to the basement and skipped every second step, nearly landing on his nose in the process.
He expected Will to still sit on the couch. Or maybe lying down on it. But when Mike returned to the basement after nearly ten minutes he found Will standing by the desk, a binder in hand. His binder. That's what Mike called it. The "Will binder". Because it was full with drawings by Will, some Will never intended to finish and he had crumpled up already were neatly ordered in a thick black binder. By the sound of Mike practically jumping down the stairs, he looked up from it with a look that could have only been described as total admiration.
"You kept them. All of them." Will said and Mike could hear in his voice that he was on the verge of breaking into tears. Happy tears, this time. "Even the ones I thought were gone forever." Will turned his attention back to the binder and continued to skip through it. Mike slowly walked towards him. Nancy's voice still in his head "Go get him."
"They're from you. I could never throw them away." As Will looked back up, Mike smiled. His "Will smile" and at the sight of that Will smiled as well. Mike went to stand next to him, looking through the binder. It was open on the page with his favorite painting. "That's my favorite." He pointed to it, a rather scrappy drawn picture of the party sitting at the table and playing DnD in their costumes. While Lucas and Dustin cheered and Mike smiled at them, Will looked at Mike with a smile.
Mike looked back up to Will. He was so close Mike just had to lean down a little bit to capture his lips. But now that the possibility was there, it was fucking terrifying. Besides, he can't just kiss him, can he? What if Will doesn't want him like that. Then again, he did say it should have been Mike. But what if he meant something else?
"It's awful. That can't be your favorite." Will laughed and looked at Mike through his lashes and everything in Mike just yelled screw it. He tilted Will's head to him softly and captured his lips. Mike knew Will could never think of him as disgusting. Not like Mike thought about himself.
Out of shock Will dropped the binder and it landed on the floor with a loud and dull thud. But he didn't pull back.
He isn't pulling back.
So Mike dared to deepen the kiss. He cupped Will's face in his hands and pressed a little harder. And this time Will pressed back. He held Mike by the waist, pulling him closer. And Mike happily obliged. He pushed Will back so Will's hips met the table. Without really thinking, (because how the hell was he supposed to do that at this moment?) Mike grabbed Will's legs and sat him on the desk. In surprise Will gasped giving Mike the perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss further and slowly, as if testing the water, let his tongue slide into Will's mouth. You see, when testing water you dip your toes in first to feel the temperature. You don't just ass-bomb in. But that's what Will did. Unlike Mike he pushed his full tongue into Mike's mouth and, Jesus Christ, did it feel good. But what felt even better were Will's hands all over Mike. As if he couldn't decide where to put them and at the same time wanting to explore every inch of him. Mike couldn't blame him, he did the same. His hands wandered from Will's face to his neck, sliding over his chest to rest on his hip and fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
Mike knew it should feel wrong to kiss your best friend like that. But it was Will. With Will, everything seemed right. Expect maybe the lack of oxygen that Mike came to experience. He broke the kiss slowly, truly not wanting to let go. He didn't pull back though, instead resting his forehead on Will's. Their eyes stayed close as they breathed the same air, panting heavily. And as if on cue they started laughing at the same time. Over the years of their friendship they seemed to become synchronized. Mike pulled back just slightly to be able to look into those deer brown eyes. He opened his eyes and swore he could have fainted at the sight of his best friend, William Byers, sitting on a desk in his basement with his legs either side of Mike's body and his lips slightly swollen from the kissing, vermillion red and his eyes slowly opening to look at him. Mike never wanted to leave this moment and he never wanted to let Will go.
Lucky for him, Will didn't want to let go either.
"Hi." Mike whispered in his "Will voice" because how couldn't he. Will laughed sinking his head for a moment but looking up again with a smile plastered on his lips.
"Hi. That was-"
"Overdue?" Mike finished for him because, shit, it was.
"Fucking perfect." Will said with a sheepish smile.
"So, kissing is not awful?"
Will laughed and shook his head and Mike wanted to take a mental picture to never forget this moment. "Kissing you is fucking perfect." Will whispered before he pulled Mike in for another kiss.
They both know they should probably talk about all this. What it meant for them and how they would continue. But right then and there they had better things to do with their time.