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“you’re staring again.”
mike wheeler huffed and ripped his eyes away from the sickening sight in front of him- his best friend will byers sitting at a table in the library with some hot guy from the baseball team who couldn’t. stop. making. will. laugh.
lucas sinclair raised an eyebrow at mike.
“ever stop to think about why you care so much about who will hangs out with?” he asked flatly. lucas was tired. tired of mike’s bullshit. this pining had gone on for YEARS, yet the guy still remained as oblivious as he was on day one.
“i don’t need to stop and think about anything. i know that guy is an asshole. he’s just gonna end up hurting will or being a jerk or something,” mike insisted, trying to focus on the math problems on the homework in front of him, but stopping to sneak another glance. he glared as the guy scooted closer to will, making will blush.
“and what exactly tells you that?” lucas said, trying his best to pry it out of mike. “they’re literally just studying. just like you and me.”
“it’s not the same!” mike said, exasperated, putting his head down on the desk with a thud!
“really? it’s not?” lucas said, smirking slightly. “and why not?”
“neither of us are jerks!” mike exploded. lucas was being so frustrating. how couldn’t he see that this guy was bad news?
“neither is he!” lucas said. “name one thing he’s done to make you think that.”
“he- he just-” mike struggled for something to say to validate his claim, but he was drawing a blank.
“exactly,” lucas said, shaking his head. he leaned in closer. “mike, it’s what i’ve been telling you all along. you like w-”
“i do not!” mike exclaimed quickly. “we’re friends, lucas. best friends.”
“yeah, well, if dustin looked at me the way you look at will, i’d have to have a serious talk with him,” lucas said, making mike groan in annoyance.
“i don’t need this right now,” mike muttered, gathering his books into his bag and standing, leaving the library before lucas had a chance to say anything else.
he didn’t like will. he certainly wasn’t jealous. what was there to possibly be jealous of? the guy’s looks? muscles? the way he made will laugh? the fact that will had been spending so much time with him lately?
jealous. please.
mike stormed down the hallway, images of the guy leaning towards will replaying in his head. he couldn’t really explain why it upset him so badly. probably just because the guy was bad news. he didn’t want will getting caught up with someone like that. everyone knows jocks are bad news. besides, that guy is probably playing some kind of practical joke. will had been facing a lot of shit since he came out. mike wouldn’t put it past the guy to come up with some elaborate prank just to hurt him. all mike wanted to do was protect him. that’s a totally natural thing to feel as a friend.
he didn’t need lucas or anyone else telling him that his feelings were anything other than what he knew they were.
***
will watched out of the corner of his eye as mike banged his head down on the library table. he looked upset.
mike had been acting off a lot lately, now that will thought about it. he just seemed so closed off and annoyed at all times. it made will sad. mike was not the best at communicating his feelings, so it was a bit of a waiting game until mike decided to say what was on his mind.
“what did you get for number 6?”
will turned his attention back to tyler, who was looking at his trig homework with confusion. tyler was a kid in will’s class that had been having some trouble with his work lately. due to will’s outstanding grades, will had been assigned the task of tutoring him. normally, a person like tyler wasn’t someone will would seek out as a friend, but he actually wasn’t that bad once you got to know him. he was a bit loud and annoying, like most jocks, but overall, he was pretty nice, especially one on one.
not to mention, he had been asking will advice on how to come out.
tyler was bi, and closeted. but he was kind of in love with his best friend of nine years, and wanted more than anything to ask him out. will, TOTALLY understanding the situation tyler was in, agreed to tutor him in all things lgbt as well as trigonometry.
“um, sin of 60,” will said, peeling his eyes away mike and looking back at his paper. “is that what you got?”
tyler laughed.
“no where close,” he said. “jesus, it’s been the same way the last five problems, hasn’t it? people must think we’re fucking comedians just because of how funny my far-off answers are.”
will laughed and nodded, pulling tyler’s paper towards him. he gave it a once-over and immediately saw tyler’s mistake.
“okay, i see what you did,” he said. “here, scoot closer.”
tyler moved his chair and fixed his attention entirely on the paper as will began to explain how to go step-by-step through the problem. oh. that made more sense than what he had been doing.
“that. that makes a lot of sense,” tyler said, shaking his head as he realized how simple the concept really was. “thanks, will. i really wouldn’t pass anything in this damn class without you, you know.”
will smiled and nodded.
“of course,” he said. “and you’re getting it. your answers now are a lot closer than they were at the start of the semester, at least.”
tyler laughed. “that’s for sure.”
at that moment, there was a bang and a loud huff. tyler and will looked up to see mike slamming his book shut and standing up, gathering his things as he hurried out of the library. will furrowed his eyebrows as mike shut the door behind him.
“don’t you know him?” tyler asked. “is he okay?”
will sighed.
“yeah, i know him,” he replied. “and i don’t know, honestly. he’s been acting really off lately.”
“maybe he’s jealous of me,” tyler muttered so only will could hear. “you know, i’ve been spending a lot of time with you with all the tutoring stuff. he probably wishes he had more of your time himself.”
will snorted at the thought but couldn’t help going a little red.
“mike? jealous? yeah, right,” he said, shaking his head and turning back to the math problems. “there’s no way.”
tyler shrugged.
“i know i’m not as much of an expert on the gay world as you are, but i know the line between platonic and romantic relationships. and mike is the line.”
“he’s right, you know.”
will and tyler looked up to see lucas standing there. will blushed and rolled his eyes.
“he doesn’t like me, guys,” he insisted, looking between the two of them. “really. i’m sure something else is bothering him.”
“yeah, something called his crush spending time with another guy,” tyler said pointedly as lucas hummed and nodded in agreement.
will sighed and shut his book.
“that’s enough studying for today, i think,” he said, packing his things and standing up.
“you gonna go after him?” lucas asked. “listen, i’ve done everything i can to lead him to the conclusion that he’s SO close to realizing himself. you gotta take it home here, will.”
“okay, i AM going to talk to him, but not in the way you think,” will said, making tyler and lucas roll their eyes and exchange judgmental glances.
“can’t say we didn’t try,” tyler said, raising his eyebrows and packing his own things up.
will smirked and shook his head.
“sure,” he said. “thanks for everything, you two.”
will walked out of the library and down the hallway, pondering what he would say when he saw mike. just ask him what was wrong, he supposed. what else was there to say? hey mike, my friends are convinced you like me. what do you have to say to that? that didn’t seem like the best approach.
will hesitated when he reached the door of the av room. it was the only place mike would be, he was sure of it. after a moment, will reached up and knocked lightly on the door.
there was no response.
after a second, will knocked again, louder this time. there was a frustrated sigh from inside the room, then the door was yanked open. mike looked annoyed, but his expression softened slightly when he saw will. not by much, however.
“oh. hi,” he said.
“hi,” will said. “can i- can i come in?”
mike moved aside, letting will in and shutting the door behind him. will went over and leaned against the table, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at mike, who was standing awkwardly in the corner.
“what are you doing in here?” will asked, after a minute of silence. mike rolled his eyes.
“do i have to have a reason?” he said. when will gave him a pointed look, he continued. “i just wanted somewhere quiet to study.”
“really?” will said skeptically. “because your books are still in your bag. and the library was practically silent.”
mike deflated.
“well-” he said, “maybe i wanted somewhere quiet to study where i didn’t have to watch you and your new arm candy flirt with each other constantly.”
will laughed, surprised. mike raised an eyebrow.
“i’m sorry, what?” will said, smiling. it was ridiculous. “are you talking about tyler?”
“if that’s the name of the asshole who’s been clinging to your side for two weeks, then yes,” said mike, crossing his arms.
“and what makes him an asshole?”
“will, he’s a jock,” mike said, exasperated. why did he have to explain this to will, of all people? he should understand that those people weren’t worth talking to. “all jocks suck ass, you know that.”
“well, he’s never been anything but nice to me.”
“that’s how they all start out!” mike exclaimed, unfolding his arms and moving closer to will. “you know that, come on.”
“why do you think i’ve been spending with him, mike?” will asked. he really wanted to hear this one.
“i don’t know,” mike huffed. “i’m sure you have your reasons. reasons that start with a “c” and end with a “rush”.”
“you think i have a crush on him?”
“i KNOW you have a crush on him.”
“mike, i’m tutoring him.”
mike’s face fell immediately. he turned red and started stuttering. will smirked.
“yeah, that’s right,” will said, “i’m tutoring him. and for your information, he doesn’t like me. like, at all. he’s been also asking advice about how to ask his crush out, so i know that for a fact.”
mike opened his mouth, then shut it again, burying his face in his hands and going to sit in the swivel chair that was sitting behind the table.
will dropped his crossed arms and headed over to mike, bending down and putting a hand on his knee.
“hey,” he said, “it’s okay. what was bothering you about him so much REALLY? i think you knew he wasn’t a jerk.”
mike didn’t look up.
“i think i was jealous,” he muttered.
will’s heart skipped a beat and his chest fluttered. he tried not to show the hopefulness on his face.
“oh,” he said. “um, any reason why? just worried that i’m gonna, like, start playing dnd and mario kart with him? or what?”
mike opened his eyes and looked at will between the gaps in his fingers.
“worried that you’d start dating him.”
will couldn’t hide anything on his face this time. he turned red and his eyes went wide.
“um, wh- what?”
mike put his hands down and shook his head.
“i don’t know,” he sighed. “i- i was just jealous. and i thought i was just worried about him being an idiot to you, but that wasn’t it at all. i was jealous. jealous of the way you looked at him. and the way he made you laugh. and about how HE looks. because, let’s be honest, baseball guys are mad hot. i don’t care how much i hate them, i can’t deny that. i was just jealous because- well, because i- kinda- like you?”
will audibly gasped, then covered his mouth with his hand. THAT was embarrassing to let slip out. mike looked down at his hands and sighed, shaking his head.
“i know, it’s stupid,” he said. “listen, just ignore me, okay? i’m really sorry if i made anything awkward, i just-”
“mike.”
“i just felt like i couldn’t NOT say something, you know? after so long of having it bottled up-”
“mike.”
“and after finally figuring it all out, thanks to LUCAS of all people, who definitely knew it all along, by the way-”
“mike!”
mike stopped rambling and looked up, a blush creeping across his face when he saw how close will was to him. he cleared his throat nervously.
“y- yeah?”
“i like you too,” will whispered, smiling.
mike’s eyes widened and he sat up quickly.
“wait, you do?” he asked. will laughed.
“yeah, wasn’t it obvious?” he asked. mike shook his head.
“not obvious enough for me, at least.”
“you are pretty oblivious when it comes to this stuff,” will teased as mike smiled and looked at his lap. “but yeah. i like you.”
mike looked back up.
“please tell me that jealousy isn’t a relationship turn-off for you,” he said quietly, making will laugh.
“absolutely not,” he whispered. “you’re too adorable to ever let that be a turn-off.”
“good,” mike murmured. taking a breath, he reached out and grabbed will’s shirt by the collar, flicking his eyes to meet will’s for permission, then pulled the boy towards him, their lips clashing together.
will’s heart leapt into his throat. after a second of feeling mike’s perfect lips on his, they separated. will’s eyes stayed closed for a second, but then he opened them and smiled.
“maybe i should tutor more guys if that’s all it takes to get you to kiss me,” he whispered, making mike smile and roll his eyes.
“i could use some tutoring,” mike said. will grinned.
“sure,” he said. “lesson one: let’s talk about chemistry.”
and with that, their lips smashed together again.