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“Hey. Are you busy?” Mike asks, standing in the doorway to Will’s room. She is fidgeting with her hands and looking everywhere but at Will. She’s nervous, and it shows in her words. “I wanted to talk to you.”
They see Will turn towards them out of the corner of their eye. “Yeah? What’s up?”
Mike swallows and walks further into the room, to where Will is sitting at his desk. Mike wants to chicken out; maybe this isn’t as important as he thought it was, but something is keeping him rooted to the spot he’s standing. Something is telling him to do it. “Um-”
Besides, why not now?
Will sets down the pencil in his hand and turns his body towards her, probably to pay more attention. The thought makes her blush. Will Byers is paying attention to her! Only her! She knows he won't like her that way because he’s gay, but she can’t help but wonder differently, daydream differently.
“I- I know you’re trans, and I- I think I am, too? Not all the time, but some?” They stare at the wall behind Will, trying to keep themself composed. Now is not the time to be crying.
Will tilts his head, eyes shining. “Okay. Do you have a new name? What pronouns are you using?” he asks gently, and the urge to cry gets stronger from how nice he’s being, which Mike knows is normal. Him being nice, not crying.
“Mike is still good. I don’t want to change my name right now,” he replies, eyes finally moving to meet Will’s as the corners of his lips quirk up into a suppressed smile. He knows there’s no way this could have gone bad, knowing Will’s nature and background, but there were still some doubts.
She knows it would be worse if she came out to her family. Holly probably, maybe, isn’t old enough to understand. Her mom, she doesn’t know what her reaction would be. Nancy would be the best about it since last Mike heard, Robin isn’t cis either.
Then there’s their father. Ted Wheeler. The pinnacle of straight, white, and cis in their family. They’d rather die than have their father know about their changes in identity. At least he wouldn’t be misgendering them if they still go by he and him pronouns.
“And I want to try she, they, and he. If you wouldn’t mind? Any of them are fine right now.” He rocks back on his feet before rocking forward and back again a few times. Will gives him a smile.
“Sorry if I’m asking too many questions, but does anyone else know? Do you want anyone else to know?”
Mike bites her lip, looking away from him. Does she want the party to know? Will Lucas, Dustin, and Max be okay with it? What about Steve, Eddie, Hopper, and Joyce? What about Jane ? Jane is one of her closest friends, and she can't help but be nervous at the idea of telling her, too. "I don't know."
Will holds out a hand. "You don't have to decide right now. You can come out whenever you want to, if you want to."
They take his hand, not suppressing their grin anymore. They pull Will up and wrap their arms around him. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Just… everything," Mike breathes, still hugging Will to his chest as tight as Will will let him.
She really doesn't want to let go, but then he's pulling back, so she does too. “Thank you,” she says again.
Will just smiles.