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It had been a nice day for Mike. The party went to the Arcade like old times and then he and Will went to the park. His heart was silently racing as he held Wills hand, the blush on his face easily brushed off as the winter temperatures have been pretty harsh. Once the sun had begun to set they headed back to the Wheeler house, unfortunately there was some complications...
"Mike." Ted had begun. Mike had froze from his spot in the kitchen, Will had just went home for the night, Nancy had moved into an apartment with Jonathan, Mikes mom and Holly were spending time with his grandparents.
So that left Ted and Mike in the house all alone.. Mike had slowly turned around at the voice of his father, starting to talk, "h-hm?" Mike hated how he stuttered. He couldn't deny the fact that his father intimidated him. His father had shown him multiple times that he was the power of the house, a force to not be reckoned with.
Unfortunately this pissed Ted off a little more and he walked closer. "Stop stuttering boy, it makes you sound like a queer, or maybe you are one huh? I saw you and that Byers boy holding hands, I don't want to see that shit again, you hear me?" Ted ranted angrily. Mikes eyes widened as he listened. He saw him and Will. This isn't the end of the punishment and Mike knows it. Mike knows from the last one.
Ted gets angrier at Mikes silence. "Give me an answer boy. I don't want to see you holding hands with that boy again. I ought to beat the shit out of you." Ted storms closer to mike and raises his hand.
Mike flinches. This sets Ted further off and Ted slaps him. "No son of mine will be a f..." but Mike had stopped listening. His eyes tearing up from the force of being hit. He couldn't hear much of what his father was saying but he didn't particularly care. All he knew was that he was in trouble.
Ted was angry, he hadn't got a reaction out of Mike. His son was a freak and he couldn't even speak up. Ted angrily continously shoved Mike until he was cornered. He raised another hand at him and hit Mike again. He continued this until his anger was no longer burning like a blazing building, he hit Mike until his anger was a simple candle flickering. He pushed Mike again before grumbling and grabbing a beer. "I'm going to my room boy, I don't want to see your face again today."
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.. It hurt. It hurt so much. The ache was all over as he could feel his cheeks starting to bruise and his eye swell shut. Mike was in pain, but he brushed it off. He had one thing in mind. He needed to get away. He needed to leave. So he did. He ran. He took his bike and started biking. He didnt know where he was going, as his brain was cloudy. He couldn't think, his tears mixing with the rain. Suddenly he was being blinded by lights. A car.
Hopper had just finished his patrol as he was driving home when he saw someone in the distance, which was weird as it was 11 at night. Everyone should be at home. Hopper had slowed his car and neared the figure as he started to have a horrible realization of who it was.
It was Mike. His daughters ex, his sons bestfriend, the snarky teen who he had grown attached to, so what in the hell was this kid doing in the freezing december rain at 11 fucking pm. He slowly unrolled his window and started to speak. "Hey kiddo. Need a ride?" ... no response.
Hopper was now worried, he slowly got out of his car and approached Mike. The first thing Hopper noticed was bruises. Did this kid get into a fight? No, no. Mike wasn't like that. Sure, he was sassy, but he wasn't the type to fight. So what the hell happened?
As Hopper completely approached Mike he could see that the kid was completely catatonic, he appeared to be away, here but mentally somewhere else. Hopper slowly touched the kid. Wrong move.
Mike was snapped out of whatever state he was in as he felt someone touch him. Suddenly he was back with his father, and he was screaming. Mike was screaming. "D-Dont fucking touch me!, Don't touch me! Don't touch me!" Mike was freaking out.
Hopper was worried before, but now its a whole new level of worry. He was quick to speak. "Kid! Kid, I'm not going to touch you." He held his hands up in a surrendering position.
Mike seemed to calm down at this as he was brought back to his senses... the first thing he noticed was Hopper. "What are you doing here." Mike was able to get out after a while. "I should be asking you that kid, its 11pm at night and why are you so banged up?" ...
mike looked at the ground staying silent for a moment. "Its-its none of your business." Hopper was irritated now. Couldn't this kid see he was trying to help him? "Well I'm sure its your parents business. I'm sure they'd like to know why their kid is all bruised up on a tuesday night.".
Mike froze at this comment. Hopper took note of this.. why would the kid freeze at mentions of his...oh. Just then it clicked. This kid... what did they do to him? Hopper sighed. "Come on kid. Lets go." Mike started to slightly panic "No, You won't take me back there you can't." Mike was starting to shut down again but Hopper quicky spoke up again "How about we go take a visit to your buddy Will then."
Mike visibly eased when he said Wills name, God Will was so good at shutting situations down even when he wasn't there, what a miracle child.. "okay.." Mike agreed. Hopper helped mike put his bike in the back of the truck and then helped Mike into the car.
They drove most of the way in silence. All Hopper could think about is how he would deal with this. First he should tell Joyce, Joyce always knows about situations like these. Hopper wasn't the best when it came to cases with kids. Just because he had a daughter didnt make him all knowledgable. ....
They pulled into the Byers driveway around midnight, Hopper used his spare key that he had gotten from Joyce and walked in with Mike, instantly they could see Joyce in the living room, she had noticed them and immediately went to go ask what they were both doing but stopped when she saw the damage on Mikes face.. She could recognize domestic abuse anywhere. She saw the bruises on his cheek and the slight red on his neck. She saw the swelling of his eye and the slightly dried blood near his nose. Just how fucked do you have to be to do this to a child? She sighed. "Mike sweetie how about you stay in the living room and I'll make some hot chocolate." Mike nodded slowly and went and gently sat down, making himself as small as possible, as if he'd be a burden if he sat up properly. ..
"Jim what the fuck happened to him?" Joyce had known mike since he was a child and had grown to love him like a second son, seeing him like that today really messed with her. "I.. I think his parents beat him, I think his father, I believe I saw his mothers car on the highway today so I think it was his father."
Joyce was ill hearing this, she remembered Lonnie. "..fuck." Hopper really agreed at this.
"Let me go check on the kid. We need to check his injuries." .. "Hey sweetie, can I check your injuries?" Joyce whispered sweetly, Mike nodded shyly, he felt uncomfortable around adults, but he knows he shouldn't feel uncomfortable around Joyce, she's safe. Nonetheless, Joyce grabbed a wipe and wiped the blood off his face. "I dont think anythings bleeding, would you like ice dear? Your eye seems rough.." Mike paused for a second, he didn't want to be a bother but his eye did hurt. He nodded slowly and watched as Joyce got up and went to get him an icepack.
.. then Wills door opened. Will walked out sleepily, he must have woke up due to the noise. "Mom.. whats going on.." he grumbled sleepily, he wiped the sleepiness in his eyes and almost wished this was a nightmare. He saw Mike on his couch, but he looked fucked up. "Oh god.. Mike." Will ran to Mikes side quickly and gently held his face. Mike cursed internally as Will was so close.
He could feel his face heat up but luckily Joyce came back. "Here you go sweetie heres some ice for that... oh! Hey Will Sweetheart, I'm sorry if we woke up up." "No, its okay.. what happened? Why is Mike here.. not like I mind or anything but he looks so hurt.." Will said worriedly.
Joyce looked at him with a face full of sadness and a hint of anger. "I. I can't tell you sweetheart, thats up to Mike. Also Mike sweetheart, you can stay the night, you can sleep in Wills room with him. Mike blushed at the thought of sleeping with Will, it was an innocent thought, the idea of being so close to Will had his heart racing, when had this feeling appeared?...
He needs to pull himself together. His dad was right. He was acting like a queer, he can't be feeling like this for Will. He composed himself and nodded "thank you, Mrs. Byers."
Joyce smiled at him "its not a problem Michael dear, you are always welcome here.. now about you kids go get some rest? Me and Hopper have some phone calls to make." Mike and Will nodded as they went and headed off to Wills room.
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"We should call Nancy, she's over legal age and is considered one of Mikes guardians." Joyce brought up the suggestion, Hopper had no reason to object so here they were calling Nancy....
Ring ring! Ring ring! "Hello? This is Nancy?" Joyce breathed before speaking.
"Hi, Nancy. Its Joyce." Ruffling was heard in the background but not much attention was paid to that.
"Oh Mrs Byers! Hello, Whats up? Its so late.." Joyce frowned internally.
"It's Mike, He came to my house all banged up. Its bad, Nancy."
A sharp intake was heard before Nancy worriedly spoke "What? Where is Mike now? Is he okay? What happened? I'm coming right now."
Joyce spoke up again "Mike is uh, I don't know if he's okay, but physically he's uh its bad he has bruising around his neck Nancy, he's currently sleeping, I wouldn't recommend coming here tonight but if you insist I can set up Jonathans old room."
"Yeah that would be great. I'm coming now."
___________________________________________________"You can borrow one of my pair of pajamas if you'd like. I know you don't like lying in denim." Mike quickly agreed, he didn't like wearing jeans but it was all his mother would buy for him, telling him his sensory issues were bullshit.
Mike quickly slipped on some pajamas which was easy as he had grown slim. Will looked away until Mike had started to lay on the floor.. Will flushed at the thought of Mike wearing his clothes.
God, Mike would kill him without even knowing... A silence grew over them until a sniffle was heard.. was.. Mike crying? Wills heart ached. He couldn't bear to see Mike so broken. "Hey, uh Mike.. would you like to come up here..?"
It grew silent again until he heard shuffling and felt a weight pressed aside him. Will rolled over to face Mike and quietly sighed, Mike was so beautiful, Will wanted to sit and admire him.
Will gently placed a hand on Mikes face and smiled.. They sat like that for a while. Peacefully squished together.. until Mike broke the silence...
"it was my dad." and boy did that comment throw Will off. "What do you mean?" Will had a small understanding of what he meant but he didn't want it to be true. "My face, he uhm.. he uh! He caught us holding hands." Mike was trying his hardest not to cry.
Will was angry and guilty. "Oh Mike... I'm so sorry." Mike started to cry as he then held Will "He called me a fag. He called me so many awful things Will." Mike sniffled into Wills shoulder, Will would have freaked out internally if Mike wasn't so hurt right now.
Will was brushing his fingers through Mikes hair "you aren't any of that Mike.. you are an amazing person Mike, he was wrong." Will reassured Mike. Mike whispered something inaudible. "What was that Mike?"
"What if he was right... what if I am a queer.. would you hate me.?" Will froze.
He was shocked, his crush just came out to him, Will looked at Mike who now looked terrified. Mike was horrified. He just came out. To his bestfriend. He didn't mean to, it was the pressure of the situation but what if Will didn't support him, what if he found him disgusting what if he hated h-
"its okay Mike... and uhm, I'm gay too."
Mike slightly gasped. Will was gay. Will was gay too. Mikes brain was running wild and he tried so desperately to catch his thoughts but he let his impulsive thoughts win.
He leaned in slowly as his eyes flickered between wills beautiful eyes and his perfect lips. He leaned in until finally he felt that sugary warmth. He was kissing Will. Will was kissing him back. They were kissing. It felt more perfect than anything, it felt like this was what he was meant to do, where he was meant to be. It felt right. They slowly seperated and grew quiet until...
"wow." Will muttered, amazed and starstrucked. He just kissed Mike, and it felt even better than his wildest dreams. "I. You don't know how long I've wanted that Mike." Will admits. He watches as Mike flushes and adverts his eyes. Mike quietly speaks up "so.. what does this make us..?" Will smiles as he looks at Mike with a lovestruck look. "I hope this makes us boyfriends."... Mike slightly smiles "Yeah, Yeah. I'd like that... boyfriends."
Mike says the word, the word feels strange but so lovely on his tongue. They slowly quiet back down, Mike rolls over and will holds him.
They stay cuddling until Mike falls asleep and soon Will does too..
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Nancy opens the Byers door, Jonathan following suit as she sits in the kitchen with Hopper and Joyce.
"Im taking Mike home with me and Jonathan tomorrow, I would fight god for custody of Mike." Joyce nods approving of this plan. "I will go to the Wheeler residence tomorrow, I have an arrest to make." Hopper says.
For now they are going to take everything slowly. One step at a time. For Mike.