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Being in love is an incredible thing, Will thinks.
In the now eighteen years that he’s been alive, Will has done a lot of different things. Some of them have been good—like learning how to paint, or becoming friends with the Party, or dressing up with his friends and participating in silly DnD campaigns like they’re a bunch of kids again. And of course, some of them have been… not so good—like forcing himself to try and like baseball for his dad, or running for his life in an entirely different dimension, or fighting alongside his friends and family to save the world.
For only being eighteen years old, Will has done a lot of different things.
But loving Mike Wheeler?
Yeah. That’s Will’s most favorite thing.
Loving Mike just comes so easily to him. After all, Will thinks he’s loved Mike since the day they met—maybe not in the same way that he loves Mike now, but even back when they were kids, he loved Mike as his very first friend… then his best friend… and now, he gets to love Mike as his boyfriend.
And it’s the best thing that Will has ever done.
Because loving Mike just feels simple and oh so natural. Loving Mike as his friend, his best friend, and his boyfriend comes as easily to Will now as breathing does. It’s hard not to fall a little bit more and more in love with Mike Wheeler—especially when Mike makes some silly joke at the dinner table, or when he stops in the middle of kissing Will to sing his favorite lyrics of whatever song is playing on the radio, or when he does something as simple as smile at Will.
Will loves Mike. He loves every single part of Mike—all the good, the bad, the infuriating, the goofy, the petulant, the remarkable, and everything in between. The two of them have known each other for years now, so at this point, he thinks he’s just about seen it all. That’s one of the perks of dating your childhood best friend, after all. They’ve been through everything—including the literal end of the world—together.
And Will loves Mike. More than anyone else in the world, Will loves Mike.
He just… wishes that Mike would love himself as much as Will does.
It’s something that Will has noticed over the years. The two of them have known each other for years now, after all, and there’s nobody else in the world who Will knows better than Mike Wheeler.
He knows that Mike hates being talked down to—especially by authority figures who haven’t earned his respect yet. It’s part of the reason why he’s just so damn stubborn and snarky around anyone who tries to tell him what to do.
He knows that Mike prides himself in being the Party’s leader and being someone that the rest of their friends look up to. But Will also knows that Mike is terrified of screwing up—of making the wrong decision and failing everyone else in the Party.
He knows that Mike likes to hide parts of himself. It’s something that he and Nancy seem to have in common—at least from what Will has gathered in the few times Jonathan has ranted about his own significant other. And Will knows that there are parts of Mike that he just doesn’t want to show other people and that he’s still trying to accept about himself.
Will knows these things—and a lot more too. Even if Mike doesn’t explicitly talk about his fears or his insecurities, Will knows Mike.
Will knows Mike, and he loves Mike.
(And it’s just that simple.)
Outside, thunder rumbles, and Will glances up from his book. Little droplets of water slide down Mike’s window, colliding with one another and merging together, before continuing all the way down the window and past his sight.
Will likes the rain. He’s always loved a good springtime storm, and after living for so long in the Hawkins/Upside Down apocalyptic wasteland, it’s nice getting to see the world come to life. The sunny days, of course, are everyone’s favorites after barely seeing the sun for two years. But the rainy days are among Will’s favorites too. There’s something just as equally beautiful and calming about the rain, and the new beginnings that it so often represents.
Without thinking about it, Will gets up, walking over to the window of Mike’s bedroom. There’s a little overhang just outside his room, where the two of them have spent the last couple nights outside just enjoying the fresh air and looking up at the stars.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Will can definitely hear his mom’s voice warning him not to go outside in the rain, lest he come home next week with an awful cold, but Will very pointedly chooses to ignore that voice. He’s an adult now, right? And he’s been through a lot worse than just a silly cold.
Will just wants to sit outside in the rain right now.
So, Will opens Mike’s bedroom window, and he carefully crawls outside. Immediately, the rain begins to seep through his clothes, sending a shiver down his spine. In hindsight, he probably should have grabbed a jacket before coming outside… oh well. Hopefully, Mike will be back soon, and Will can just ask him to grab a jacket or something for him.
Mike’s… been gone for a while, which is (unfortunately) not surprising at all. As weird as it is for Will to exist in this in-between stage of life between the end of the Upside Down war and starting college this fall, it’s even weirder for Mike. He hasn’t lived with his parents for over two years now, and even before that, his relationship with them had already begun to become more and more strained.
The Wheelers have always been kind to Will… or, Karen has, at least. Will’s not quite sure Ted even knows his name, but he seems to tolerate Will (or maybe he just doesn’t care). But regardless of the kindness Mike’s parents have shown him over the years, Will can’t help but just feel frustrated every time he hears about their interactions with Mike.
It’s even worse now, seeing it firsthand, and truthfully, Will has half a mind to tell his boyfriend’s parents that they can shove their opinions up their—
Mike’s bedroom door creaks up, and Will looks up, leaning over to look back into the room. Sure enough, Mike seems confused, and he looks around, trying to find Will.
“I’m out here,” Will says with a soft laugh, waving slightly.
Surprise forms on Mike’s face, though it’s quickly replaced by a small smile. “Hey,” Mike says softly, and Will holds out his hand, carefully helping him climb out onto the roof. “You’re going to get sick, you know. Your immune system is shit.”
Will swats his arm lightly. “Don’t be a jerk,” he scolds, and Mike just laughs quietly, leaning his head on Will’s shoulder. Immediately, Will wraps his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders and pulls him close.
It’s quiet out here—save for the gentle pitter patter of the rain hitting the roof. Already, the two of them are soaked to the bone, but Will doesn’t care. If he could, he’d freeze this moment and stay here with Mike forever.
After a while, Mike takes a slow, shuddered breath, and he scoots closer to Will. “Sorry I was gone so long,” he mumbles.
It’s an invitation, and Will knows it. It’s Mike hesitantly putting out the feelers—checking if it’s okay for him to open up about whatever’s bothering him and still trying to decide if he actually wants to talk about this.
“It’s cool,” Will reassures, gently combing a hand through his boyfriend’s hair. “Are… you okay?”
That, of course, is a loaded but still careful question, and Will… well, Will knows Mike. The two of them know each other better than anyone else in the world does, and Will knows that if Mike doesn’t want to talk yet, he won’t. And that’s alright. After over ten years of friendship and now around four months of dating, Will has learned that the best thing he can do for Mike in these moments is just simply be there. More times than not, just simply being with Mike and providing the reassurance of presence is enough to coax Mike into an actual conversation.
Mike takes a shuddered breath, nestling closer to Will’s embrace, and he’s quiet for several moments. “Not really,” he mutters eventually. “I’m just… tired of dealing with them.”
Will can’t help but frown, and he hugs his boyfriend closer, gently kissing the top of Mike’s head. “What did they say this time?” he asks quietly.
A little scoff escapes Mike’s lips, and he scoots even closer to Will, hunching over as if he’s trying to make himself smaller. It’s not something Mike does often, but he does it often enough for Will to have picked up on it over the years. Will hates thinking about the implications of those actions—of Mike feeling so small because of the things people have said to him or simply because of the way he seems himself. Will hates it.
“What didn’t they say?” Mike mumbles, his voice a bit muffled as he leans his head on Will’s shoulder. “It was just… all the same bullshit that we argue about every time. It’s fine.”
“It’s not though,” Will argues gently. He pulls Mike even closer and kisses his forehead again. “Nothing they say is true, Mike. It isn’t.”
This time, Mike just takes a shuddered breath, and he goes quiet once more. Rain continues to fall down on them in a torrential downpour, breaking up the painful silence that rests between the two of them.
“What if it is though?” Mike asks, suddenly and quietly, and he looks up, looking Will directly in the eye.
Mike’s dark hair is completely stuck to his forehead. His cheeks are a bit flushed and blotchy, and there are… there are tears in his eyes.
Mike doesn’t cry—not very often, at least. In all the years the two of them have known each other, Will has only seen him cry a handful of times, and each time, Mike had been quick to hide his tears and pretend like he was fine. Mike isn’t someone who likes to open up much, and he’s certainly not someone who likes it when people see him cry.
“I just… I never feel like anything I do is good enough for them,” Mike admits, his voice barely above a whisper. He bites down on his lip and looks down for a brief moment, before quietly continuing, “Or… for anyone, I guess. And… I-I don’t know. I don’t know, Will. I just… It’s like no matter what I do, I don’t feel like it’s enough. I… I don’t feel like I’m enough for… for them, or… or for our friends, or for you, and I-I get so scared sometimes… that… that one of these days… everybody’s going to realize that. And then they’re just… going to leave. And it’ll… it’ll be my fault.”
Mike’s voice breaks on those last few words, and Will feels like his heart breaks along with it.
Because the thing is… Will adores Mike. God, Will loves Mike more than he can even begin to describe, and he’s always known that Mike struggles with his perception of self, but it still hurts to hear about it. It hurts to know that Mike just doesn’t see all the good that Will sees. He doesn’t see everything that Will loves about him.
Will swallows the lump in his throat, and he scoots closer to Mike, reaching over and cupping his face. “Mike,” Will says, as softly and as gently as he can, “can you look at me?”
A beat passes, and Mike takes a shuddered breath, before hesitantly looking back up at Will. His eyes are red-rimmed and still full of tears, and there’s a wary and nervous sort of look on his face.
“I’m sorry,” Mike says quietly. “This is… it’s so stupid, Will, and I know… I know what you’re going to say. I know… I’m just being ridiculous, but I… I don’t know… I can’t stop thinking about it, and then… then, my parents go and say stupid shit like they did tonight… And I don’t know. It makes me feel like… like I’m right. Like… I’m never gonna be enough.”
Once he’s certain that Mike has said what he needs to say, Will leans forward, resting his forehead against Mike’s and gently running thumb across Mike’s cheek. The two of them sit there in silence, content to just be in one another’s presence, for several moments, before Will takes a deep breath.
“I love you,” Will says simply, and he leans forward, kissing his boyfriend gently. “I love you, and I… I think you’re the most incredible and kind and loving person in the entire world.”
Will pauses again, and he offers Mike another smile, gently pressing a kiss to his nose now. “I love how much you care about people,” Will adds softly. Another kiss—this time on Mike’s cheek. “I love how well you lead people and how well you’ve always led all of us, ever since we were little kids, Mike.”
Mike’s cheeks are bright red now and there’s a smile tugging at his lips, so that’s a good sign. Will just smiles back at him, leaning forward and pressing another soft kiss against his jaw. “I love that you’re not afraid to stand up for what’s right,” he murmurs, peppering little kisses all across Mike’s face and neck. “I love how protective you are of people you care about, even if it means you might be in danger too and even if it is a little reckless.”
That gets a little laugh out of Mike. His eyes crinkle when he smiles at Will, and Will presses their foreheads together again, gently nuzzling Mike’s nose.
“But most of all, I just love your heart, Mike,” Will whispers, and he reaches forward, carefully placing the palm of his hand against Mike’s chest. “I love how deeply you love people and how that shows in everything that you do. You… you’re full of so much love and so much goodness, Mike, and… and I know you don’t see yourself like that… but I do. And… and I’ve known you for years. You’re my best friend in the entire world. I could tell you about a hundred different incredible things about you, and I could tell about a hundred different things about you that drive me crazy, just like you could do the same for me.”
Again, Mike laughs, before meeting Will’s eyes again. “Isn’t this supposed to be a Will Byers pep talk?” he teases softly.
“Shut up,” Will huffs, and as Mike laughs, Will can’t help but join him.
“My point is… I know you, Mike,” Will says softly, kissing Mike again—slower and more deliberate this time. “I know you, and… I know about all the worst parts of you that are all you can see sometimes… But I also know about all the best parts of you that you can’t even see. Because I see them, and I love them. I love you. I love every part of you, and you may not think you’re good enough… but I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
A slow, more genuine smile forms on Mike’s face, and he leans close to Will, resting his forehead against Will’s own. “You… you really think all that?” he asks, breathless and full of awe.
“I do,” Will says with a small smile. “Every single word.”
The look on Mike’s face softens, and he takes a shuddered breath, before pulling Will into a hug and holding onto him tightly. “I love you so much,” he whispers. “Thank you… Thank you, Will.”
Will just hugs his boyfriend closer, relishing the warmth and familiarity of their embrace. “You don’t have to thank me,” Will reassures softly, pulling away just enough so that he and Mike can look at each other once more. “Seriously, Mike… That’s what I’m here for. I mean… I’m your boyfriend, but… I’m also your best friend. So, if you ever… if you ever feel like this again… please know that you can talk to me.”
Mike nods slightly; then, he leans forward and steals a kiss from Will. “You’re the best, you know,” he says, his voice soft. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one here,” Will laughs, gently pushing on Mike’s chest. “And don’t even try to argue that. This is a ‘Will Byers pep talk’, remember?”
Mike rolls his eyes, but there’s a fond smile on his face. “Fine,” he concedes. “A compromise then: we’re both lucky.”
Will hums, pretending to consider this for a moment. “I’ll allow it,” he decides, and he leans forward, kissing Mike’s nose again. “But only because I love you.”
A soft laugh escapes Mike’s lips, and he pulls Will closer, cupping his cheek. “I love you too,” Mike whispers back.
(Being in love is an incredible thing, Will thinks.
It’s been over ten years now that Will has known Mike Wheeler, and over those ten years, the two of them have done a lot of different things. Some of them have been good—like learning what friendship is together, or staying up late to write silly little comics together, or building different worlds through DnD campaigns together. And of course, some of them have been… not so good—like having to hide from grade school bullies together, or being separated time and time again thanks to the monsters of the Upside Down, or fighting for their lives against evils beyond their understanding.
For the past ten years, Will and Mike… they’ve done a lot of different things together.
But falling in love with each other? Getting to be loved by Mike Wheeler and getting to love Mike Wheeler in return?
Yeah. That’s Will’s most favorite thing.)