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Mike idled for as long as he could prolong on the chilly doorstep outside of Lucas and Max’s house, reluctant to bite the bullet and knock. He had exhausted the other options available to him and his first choice was a large component in what led to his current predicament, seeing as he moved abroad.
He wished Dustin wasn’t across the country on a research trip, or that El lived anywhere other than with the Byers, hell he would even stay with Nancy, if only she wasn’t married to Jonathan. There was no way in hell he was going to crash with his parents which led him to the present moment.
Don’t get him wrong he loved Lucas and Max. Lucas was his best friend and if anything would be his first choice to crash with except… he had been shacked up with Max for years and whilst she’s great, she’s also nosey.
And relentless.
Mike wasn’t ready to spill on the events that led him to this moment. He was still a little bit confused himself if he was being honest. All he knew was earlier today he had a girlfriend and a place to live and now he didn’t because of a…
Tattoo?
It felt like a major overreaction, of almost biblical proportions. Sure, Mike had never mentioned getting one before, never been interested in getting one, and perhaps he should have given her a heads up first but ultimately wasn’t it his decision?
Maybe she thought he never would because of his low pain threshold. Mike would admit he was surprised he managed to get through it himself, the liquid courage helped in that regard, but he was pleased at the result.
He never expected his spontaneity would make him homeless.
He eventually summoned his resolve to knock on the door, after debating the cost of a hotel room, he reluctantly accepted would be devastating to his finances. It was as he was waiting for someone to answer he belatedly realised he could have slept in his car, despite the potential danger it possessed it was probably safer than-
“Max,” Mike greeted as nonchalantly as possible, like it wasn’t unusual to be knocking on their door at past eleven at night, “Hey.”
“Mike?” Max was dressed in a comfortable pair of pyjamas, obviously not expecting a guest at this hour, “What-“ a line formed between her eyebrows as she regarded him, taking in his dishevelled appearance “Are you okay?”
Well shit, he must really look like crap if Max is asking after him instead of berating him.
“Yeah-“ He aimed for joviality, failing immediately when his voice cracked. He cringed, curling his shoulders forward and averting his eyes, “Uh no, not really- could I-“ he cleared his throat, “Could I crash here tonight?”
And maybe a couple more nights Mike thought helplessly.
Max brushed the long strand of red hair that fell in her face behind her ear, “Yeah, of course. Come in.” She moved aside to let him scurry past her, curiously peeking down the empty street when she went to close the door.
“Lucas is in the living room.” She motioned down the hallway with her head, “You want a drink?”
Mike nodded half-heartedly, following behind her as she went to the kitchen splitting off through the door to the living room. The benefit of having spent many days in each other’s pockets.
Lucas was relaxed on the couch when he went in, spread out with the throw blanket over him pulled back where Max had obviously slipped out from being snuggled up beside him. Mike felt guilty about interrupting, their likely incredibly pleasant evening, with his drama.
“Hey, man.” Mike said in greeting, Lucas sat up straight when Mike walked in, a deep frown forming on his face.
He collapsed onto the armchair acting as natural as possible in this situation with Lucas’s stare burning into the side of his head.
“Hey,” Lucas eventually responded, “What’s up?”
Why are you here? He meant.
“Nothing,” Mike shrugged, his attention focused on the muted television screen across the room, “I’m gonna stay tonight, if that’s cool.”
“Yeah, that’s cool.” Lucas replied, neither of them saying anything further, waiting in torturous silence for Max to reappear.
Which she did shortly after, holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand and three glasses clutched in the fingers of her other, a sheepish grin on her face as she said she thought this situation called for something stronger.
Which, yes. Mike could do with a stiff drink right now but that also meant Max wanted to talk about it. He would prefer the Lucas route of saying nothing and sleeping on the couch like everything was normal.
That didn’t stop him from accepting the generously poured tumbler Max shoved at him, taking several large gulps, only the taste preventing him from downing the entire thing.
“So…” Max started after Mike swallowed, “What happened?”
Mike peeked up at the couple on the sofa, Max staring intently at him whilst Lucas poorly pretended he wasn’t also just as curious, his eyes darting from his fiancée to Mike.
Mike sighed, seeing no way out of this conversation if he didn’t want to sleep in his freezing car with the possibility of getting murdered or a ticket. Both of which could ruin his life right now.
“We broke up.”
Lucas and Max gave one another a significant look, then simultaneously turned back to him. Mike shuddered at how freaky it could be when they were so in synch like that.
Max bit the bullet for them both, asking “Why?”
“I got a tattoo.” Mike admitted, taking another swig of the whiskey, wincing at the burn as it travelled down his throat.
Max scoffed, crossing her arms “You got a tattoo?”
Whilst Lucas’s mouth gaped and his eyes bulged, “You got a tattoo?”
They were definitely both shocked by different elements of that sentence.
“Yeah.” Mike kept his tone even, as if this was entirely in character for him, “I got a tattoo.”
They sat silent for a moment letting it hang in the air, when Max got a wicked expression on her face “Where?” she asked cheekily, eyes pointedly trailing down his body.
Mike blanched, “Don’t be gross, it’s on my arm.” He placed his hand protectively over his covered forearm. The bandages still wrapped tightly to prevent infection, Mike was taking no chances.
“Can we see it?” Max leaned forward like an eager puppy.
“It’s healing.” He muttered. He didn’t particularly want anyone else to see it after his girlfriends response to it now anyway.
“What is it?” Lucas said, matching Maxs posture also intrigued.
“It doesn’t matter-“ Mike attempted to wave them off, “I mean it’s hard to explain so…” he trailed off pathetically.
They gave each other another significant look, and this is why Mike didn’t like hanging out with couples alone.
“Okay,” Lucas eventually said, willing to move past Mike refusal, “So how did that-“ he pursed his lips and crinkled his nose, “Lead to… breaking up?” he asked, in that gentle way Lucas did best.
Mike averted his gaze, focusing on the tumbler in his hand as a distraction, “I don’t know.”
He was being honest; he didn’t get it. He especially didn’t get it when she started bringing up other things that had no bearing on the situation at all.
“Is she really anti-tattoo?”
“No,” Mike shook his head. That’s part of why he didn’t think it would be a big deal. “She has one on her ankle, got it before we met.”
She never seemed to regret it.
Max frowned, “Maybe because you didn’t tell her before you got it?” she attempted to rationalise.
“Yeah, maybe” Mike shrugged, knowing that wasn’t the whole story with some of accusations that got brought up in their argument.
“Worth breaking up over though?” Lucas questioned her, “I mean it’s Mike’s body so ultimately he can do what he wants-“
“Obviously,” Max agreed, “But maybe it’s just a communication thing and she wanted to be told first.”
“Are you saying you’d leave me if I came home with a tattoo?” Lucas teased her, cheeky smile as he leaned toward her.
Max smirked, “Depends what it was.” She joked, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.
Mike groaned, “Can you not when I just got my heart ripped out.”
Max scoffed, turning back to him “Heart ripped out, seriously? How long have you been dating again?”
“Hey,” Mike rebutted, eyes narrowing “We were serious, we were living together-“
Max interrupted, “And yet you still hadn’t told her you love her.”
Mike looked accusingly at Lucas, “What the hell man? I told you that in confidence.”
Lucas shrugged, not appearing nearly guilty enough in Mikes opinion, “We got no secrets-“ he motioned between him and Max.
“Oh, really? What about the time you and Dustin decided it would be an awesome idea to use a watermelon and shoot it-“
“Dude” Lucas cut him off, panicked eyes bulging as he desperately shook his head.
“Shoot it where?” Max asked, before narrowing her eyes at Lucas, “Or at who?” she corrected herself.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lucas squeaked, “It didn’t work anyway, so lets get back to Mike.”
Mike’s hand tightened around his glass, “There’s not much to say. I got a tattoo, she didn’t like it, dumped me and now I’m homeless.” He muttered bitterly.
“This can’t just be about the tattoo?” Max said, “Unless it’s truly awful, if you tell us-“
“No.” Mike said curtly.
He was instantly struck with guilt at his tone. They were doing him a favor and he was lashing out like a child.
“Sorry, it’s just- she mentioned other-“ Mike sighed deeply, draining the rest of the liquid in his glass in one swallow before busying himself pouring another generous serving from the abandoned bottle on the table.
“You know how I’ve been pretty miserable the last few months.” Mike said, not shocked that they didn’t immediately jump in to deny that. Mikes sour mood had been evident to everyone recently.
“Yeah.” Lucas eventually agreed, “We’ve noticed you’ve been a bit down.”
“Right,” Mike nervously fiddled with his glass, “and I’m sure you know why, and I know that you all miss him too but…“
“We get it,” Lucas softly assured him, “He’s your best friend.”
Mike frowned, “You’re all my best friends.” He corrected, as indignant about it as when Dustin first tried to accuse him of favoritism, “But-“
There was a big old but to that sentence.
“We’ve never been this far apart for so long, you know,” he searched pleadingly up at his friends, “I mean we even went to college together, and until I moved in with Eve, we lived together and then he up and left me-“
“He didn’t leave you.” Max interrupted, indignant on Wills behalf, “He got an amazing job offer in France and you were one of the people who encouraged him to go.” She had a deep fire behind her eyes that Mike couldn’t place the cause of, “He deserved to go. A fresh start.” Her mouth twisted unpleasantly.
“I know.” Mike said, not exactly backtracking his words because it did feel like Will abandoned him even though, like Max said, he told him to accept the offer. He looked at Max trying to convey his honesty, “I know, I do, and it was the right thing. I just… I’ve been struggling.”
“And that’s okay.” Lucas said, reassuringly. His calm energy juxtaposing Max’s. “Like you said, we miss him too but your lives were so intwined… it’s understandable.”
“Exactly.” Mike breathed out in relief, “Thank you. I can’t believe she was trying to make me think-“ Mike abruptly cut himself off.
“Make you think what?”
“Nothing,” Mike attempted to shrug it off, “Just- that it was weird or something.”
“Weird?” Lucas encouraged, gently.
“Like… intense,” Mike pressed his lips together, tightly “As if we were too close or whatever, which is ridiculous. Of course we’re close, we’ve known each other since we were five and yeah, maybe, I’ve been in bad mood but that doesn’t give her the right to accuse Will of-“ he stumbled “Accuse me of- whatever.”
“Accuse you of what?”
“Nothing.” Mike said. It was nothing because it was blatantly untrue. She was taking unconnected puzzle pieces and smashing them together into a picture that made no sense. At least not to a reasonable person.
Max took in Mikes obstinate posturing, “We can’t help if you’re not honest.”
“I’m being honest!” Mike spat back, petulantly, “She was bringing up things that had no bearing on the situation.”
“Like what?”
“Like…” Mike took a quick sip of his whiskey, dropping his voice “Like you know Wills gay?”
“Obviously,” Max rolled her eyes at him condescendingly.
Which fair, seeing as Mike was there when Will had tearfully and fearfully told them all in senior year.
“Right-“ he swallowed heavily around his tongue, “She was saying- you know- stuff…” Lucas and Max continued to stare at him, forcing him to elaborate “That he liked me or whatever” he shrugged awkwardly.
They did that unsettling eye-contact thing again that Mike hated.
“Okay,” Lucas broke the tense silence, “Okay, that aside- why would that lead to you breaking up?”
“Precisely,” Mike was lost on that himself, “Beside it being blatantly untrue, and frankly homophobic of her to assume-“ he ignored the incredulous look that flashed across their faces, “Even if it was true, I’m not gay.” His voice cracked despite his best effort.
Because he wasn’t gay. His dating history attested to the fact.
Lucas appeared like he was formulating the best way to approach this delicately, “She accused you of being gay?”
Mike frowned, “Well no but she- she said that I was acting like- like I loved him or something.” He nervously fidgeted, crossing his ankles together, “Which is ridiculous, I love him of course, but like a friend. We’re best friends.”
“Mike,” Even Max looked like she was using some restraint, “Did you get a tattoo of Will?” she said, seriously.
“What, no!” Mike denied, jerking back. How weird would it be to get a tattoo of your friend? “Not of him!”
“But about him?”
Mike winced, “You know just something to sort of commemorate our friendship-“ he felt weird at the expression his friends were giving him, “It’s not weird.” He defended himself.
Lucas hesitated, “It’s not weird,” he agreed, chewing on his lower lip, “If that’s the only thing.” He finally added on.
“What?”
Max sneered at him, “He’s saying you’ve been acting like a grieving widow since Will left, that plus a tattoo dedicated to him, well-“ she leant back appraising him critically, “No wonder she started thinking-“
“You’re as ridiculous as her, just because you’re not close enough to someone to understand what that would be like-“
“I am close enough to someone like that-“ she raised her eyebrows, motioning to her right with her head “To Lucas, but we are engaged.”
“It’s different-“ Mike clenched his free hand into a fist, “Will and I have a special relationship.”
“Key word being relationship.” Max said back powerfully.
“Max-“ Lucas started, cautiously.
“You’re speaking out your ass Mayfield.” Mike spat, ignoring Lucas, “It’s not like that between me and Will.”
Max smirked cruelly, her gaze traveling over him judgementally “If it’s not like that, why have you chased off every single guy Will has dated?”
Mike cringed, spluttering “That’s not fair, none of them were good enough for Will. I was just looking out for him.”
Max snorted, “Maybe I could of believed that, if it wasn’t for Roger” She narrowed her forehead accusingly at him, “What was wrong with him again?”
Fucking Roger!
“He was too perfect, something wasn’t right. I’m telling you, he was fishy.”
“He was dishy, that’s for sure.” Lucas mumbled, a light pink blush dusting his cheeks when he realised what he said.
“He was not!” Mike said, aghast.
“Oh he was,” Max agreed with Lucas, “And Will really liked him and he was good to him but you convinced him to break it off.”
“Will deserves someone perfect.” Mike said, uselessly waving his hand in the air.
“You just said he was perfect-“
“But not for Will. He wasn’t perfect for Will!”
“And you would be?”
“What!” Mike jerked back violently, whiskey sloshing in the glass “No, of course not.”
Even if he was gay, he wasn’t good enough for someone as amazing as Will. As kind and sweet, as talented, as beautifu-
“We’re just saying” Max gestured between her and Lucas, “You’ve always been a bit possessive over Will, even… jealous at times-“ she held up a hand to silence his objection, “Deny it all you want Mike but I know for a fact this isn’t the first time a girl has broken up with you over this.”
Okay, so maybe she had a point there.
Maybe he used his college girlfriends accusation at the nature of their relationship as a reason to break up when he had been too cowardly to do it himself. And maybe once or twice when they were out he wouldn’t correct girls when they assumed they were together, to avoid potentially being hit on.
“I’m not gay.” Mike eventually repeated after it felt like all the air had been sucked from the room, unable to look either of them in the face, focused instead on some spot on the table.
“We’re not saying you are,” Lucas said, making Mike focus on his friend, “We’re just saying maybe you should think about why this keeps happening and why you’ve been struggling so much since he’s been gone, because he’s been gone.”
“I don’t-“
“Lucas this is ridiculous,” Max cut of the sentence Mike had no idea where he was going with, “He got a tattoo and he still hasn’t figured it out. I think we have to tell him.”
“Max no it shou-“
“Tell me what?”
“That you’re in love with Will!” she pointed at him.
It should not be the second time someone said that to him today.
“No, I’m not.” Mike denied, still unable to formulate a better response. The exact same words he said earlier.
“Yes,” Max moved her eyebrows emphatically, “You really are.”
Mike pleaded to Lucas to correct her obviously incorrect accusation but he sheepishly shrugged, nodding his head at Mike in agreement, apology in his eyes.
“Look Mike,” Max shuffled forward on the sofa, “Do you want to know why I told Will to go for it, the job?”
“Because it was a great opportunity?” That was why Mike said it. Even though he personally wanted to chain Will to his bathroom sink so that he could never leave. And he was right to think that because every moment had been torturous since he was gone. Like a piece of Mike was missing.
“No, I mean it was but-“ Max chewed on her lip as she regarded him, “I didn’t think it was fair that you kept him hanging on the hook treating him like your boyfriend in everything but name-“
“I didn’t treat-“
“Yes, you did!” Max barely restrained herself from shouting, “For years Mike, you would act like you were a couple before something would trigger a flight response with you and you’d start dating some girl-“ she took a deep breathe,
“Then Will would tentatively start dating himself and as soon as it got serious, as soon as it looked like he was finally getting over you-“ she was practically seething at this point, “You would convince him to break it off, just as you conveniently ended yours as well. And then the cycle would repeat.”
Mike had leaned back in his seat at the fury coursing of off Max in waves, “It wasn’t fair and I told him to cut the cord-“ she took a deep inhale, controlling herself “Considering your attitude right now maybe I was wrong about you realising what you were doing. I underestimated your obliviousness.”
“I’m not oblivious!”
“So you know Wills been in love with since you were thirteen?”
“He’s not-“ Mike corrected himself at the incredulous look on Max’s face, “Okay maybe he might’ve had a crush on me when we were teenagers-“ he agreed.
A fact Mike hadn’t realised until a few years after Will told them he was gay. When Will had nervously introduced his first ever boyfriend to the group and Mike noticed, before he chased him off, that Will had a certain glint on his face when he looked at the guy that he used to give Mike.
It was a bit weird at first. He acted a bit odd around Will when he first realised but it didn’t take him too long to get over it. If anything it was flattering and it made Mike stomach flutter, he just didn’t like the knowledge that Will obviously got over it because he realised Mike was mostly an asshole.
He never mentioned it to Will. That he figured it out. Didn’t want to embarrass him or make things awkward like Mike had. It’s not like it was a big deal. Mike liked El back then and they even dated for a couple of years and yet things were cool with them.
“But he’s not in love with me.” Mike took a long drain of his glass, not surprised that he was starting to get dizzy with the alcohol hitting his bloodstream.
Max scoffed examining her fingernails critically, “Against his better judgment I’m sure, but he is. Madly and irrevocably and whatever other words cliché romance novels would use.”
She sounded so… certain.
But it didn’t make sense. Will could have anyone. Was loved by everyone. And deserved the best someone.
That was not Mike.
“He’s not in love with me.”
“I can’t believe you once tried to convince me Mike was smart.” Max muttered to Lucas out of the corner of her mouth, “Fine don’t believe me-“ she redirected to Mike, “You still need to think carefully about if you love him.”
Mike found himself rolling his eyes, “I’ve said multiple times, I’m not gay.”
“You can like both-“ Lucas whispered, strengthening his voice when Mike peered inquisitively at him, “Bisexual, when you like both. I mean I’ve sometimes considered-“ Lucas swallowed, glancing at Max “Maybe both.”
She reached over gently clasping his hand in hers, snuggling closer to his side “Me to, both” they smiled at each other in their own world. Stronger than ever before.
Mike wasn’t an idiot. He knew what bisexual was, he just wasn’t. He hadn’t though his friends were either, especially not both of them. Will had always been the queer one, even before he told them, everyone either assumed or straight out called him gay.
Mike cleared his throat loudly to break the lovefest, “Well I don’t. I’ve never liked a guy-“
Lucas snorted involuntarily, “Well that’s not true.” He elaborated when they peered curiously at him.
Mike squinted at him, “What are you even talking about?”
Lucas gave him a deadpan stare, “Eddie Munson?”
Mike spluttered indignantly, “That wasn’t a crush” he squeaked, waving his hand around in the air, “It was hero worship.”
And a few hard to explain dreams.
“And a crush” Lucas muttered, leaning forward to the table to pick up his previously untouched glass and taking a sip, “I’m not trying to tell you what you are or who you like-“
Mike scoffed, as he just did.
“We’re just saying it how we see it and seriously urging you, as your friends, to think about it okay,” Lucas was looking at him softly, “We’re here for you, whatever you decide, whatever you realise.”
This whole was ridiculous. He knew he shouldn’t have come here, he should have braved the night in his car or bankrupted himself with a hotel. He expected the interrogation but was not prepared for the same accusation his now ex-girlfriend threw at him.
Mike wasn’t gay or bisexual or whatever. He was pretty sure anyway. Surely that’s something you figure out as a teenager. That’s’ when Will figured it out, or even earlier actually. The few times they’ve talked about it Will implied he knew from a really young age.
Mike wasn’t so stupid that he missed it for all these years. He couldn’t be that dumb.
He knew he like women, he’s dated plenty of them, he enjoyed having sex with them. Okay so maybe he hadn’t loved any of them but that was because Mike was messed up due to his parents’ loveless marriage.
He didn’t like men. Never wanted to date one. He’s never had sex with a man. Never wanted too before, those dreams don’t count as they were anomalies. Okay so sometimes his eyes slipped to the toned chests in the gyms locker room but that was just to compare his progress.
And the weird jittering in his stomach and the twinge below the belt was from envy and lus-
No.
Mike was just able to appreciate a good physique, like any secure straight man would. It was because he was so secure he was comfortable being affectionate with Will like they used to be.
Cuddling up on the sofa in the evening watching movies, seeking out his comfort when he got off the phone with his distant parents, sliding into each other’s beds when they woke from yet another nightmare.
Mike felt the loss of Will echo through him, ripping apart his insides as it searched for him.
Even when Mike had moved out of their place, he only went down the street and would go over to Wills everyday anyway. Then Will left and Mike would find himself sitting in his car outside their old apartment until the late hours, desperately wishing Will would just appear home where he belonged-
And Mike had a sudden startling and frankly quite obvious realisation.
That was, in fact, a weird thing to do.
A lot of things Mike had been doing were weird. The things he and Will were doing together were weird. If not weird, then at least… romantic?
He wasn’t trying to make sure Will knew he didn’t have a problem with the gay thing like he sometimes assured himself. If anything Mike liked and sought out the physical affection more. Why he felt the loss like a severed limb.
Mike said he never wanted to date a man, but Max had been right, hadn’t she? He had basically been dating Will for years, he just never called it that and then the moment it got to real Mike would-
He would go to a bar and find the prettiest girl that would have him to quickly forget the moment he would slip beside Will in bed and look at his sleeping face slack in relaxation and be filled with so much love that it scared him.
It scared him that the answer to his happiness was right there and he knew he would ruin it. So, he would run but never far enough to be free.
Not until Will did the running instead.
His friends must have realised he was having some kind of break down or break-through as they were silent while he went insane reconsidering his entire life and choices. He’s aware enough that he knew they were probably still communicating with one another but he was grateful it was quiet.
“I love Will.” Tumbled out of his mouth, it only took ten seconds from realising it to needing to tell someone. He drained the second glass of whiskey, slamming it on the table “I love Will.” He repeated staring right at his friends.
“Yeah, you do,” Lucas grinned softly at him, eyes crinkled with happiness.
Max rolled her eyes, again, but she was smiling at him “Obviously.”
“Huh,” Mike leaned back, “Well shit.” He sighed. He knew he was going to have to do something about this. He wasn’t one to keep stuff like this to himself.
“Should I- tell him?” He asked.
“That depends,” Max started making Mike sit up to pay attention, “Are you actually prepared to do anything about it. Like really date him, none of this half-measure shit you’ve been pulling.”
Mike tried to imagine going on real dates with Will. Swapping Will into memories he’s done with previous girlfriends. It wasn’t hard, likely because when Mike thought about it, a lot of things he did with girlfriends he had at some point done with Will as well.
Usually more often.
He even got Will flowers more frequently than all his exs combined because of the one time Will shyly admitted it made him sad than no one had ever got him flowers before, so Mike turned up the next morning with a bouquet of his favorites as well as breakfast to mop up the hangover.
Will had been so excited and appreciative, his face lightning up in absolute delight. Mike never wanted that expression to leave his face so it kind of became their thing. Mike would get him flowers, not often enough that it wouldn’t be special, but sometimes Mike couldn’t help himself.
So yeah, dating check.
Mike flushed as he considered a major component of the dating thing he had overlooked.
Sex.
Could Mike have sex with Will? He didn’t know a lot of details about gay sex. Will never offered information on his sexual exploits, though Mike knew he had them, even heard it on one brain-bleaching occasion. Resulting in him fleeing their flat and drinking enough alcohol until his brain was thoughtless and he no longer felt the burn of fury in him.
Mike had been very concerned he was homophobic after that. Promising to himself to never mention it to Will.
Did he want to have sex with Will was probably the more important question. Mike had always studiously ignored the random dreams he would occasionally have about Will, assuming it was a result of spending so much time together.
Perhaps it was more because that was something he actually wanted to do. Kissing Will would probably be nice, he had plump lips that Mike would stare at sometimes, the thought first occurred to him when he was thirteen.
Mike had thought of kissing Will a few times over the years, usually when he had a few to many drinks and forgot how badly that could mess up their friendship, but sex?
Will was handsome, very handsome. He had nice wide shoulders, strong arms, and his chest was-
Yeah, Mike would have sex with Will.
Mike wanted to have sex with Will, and he had for a long time.
“You’re pretty sure he’s in love with me?” Mike asked uncertainly. Needing the confirmation if he was going to potentially blow up the peace they had.
“Unfortunately.” Max said, sourly, pursing her lips.
“Okay,” Mike nodded more to himself than anything, “Okay-“ he looked up at his friends with his best rendition of Wills doe-eyes that get him anything he wants, “Can I borrow enough money for a plane ticket?”
“What?” Lucas did a double-take.
“I’m broke as shit but I think this is a better conversation to have in person,”
“Huh?”
“I can’t exactly call Will up and be like ‘Hey how’s France, by the way I love you.” He said sarcastically as if it was obvious, “It’s not very romantic.”
Max pinned him with a stern glare, “Are you serious? You’re all in? Yes?” she asked him.
“I’m all in-“ Mike breathed out, “I want to go out on dates, and fall asleep every night beside him and tell him I love him and bring him flowers-“
“All right, all right loverboy-“ She cut him off, but her face softened into a pure smile, “I’m sure we could scrape together enough-“
Mike flung himself at the pair of them, wrapping his arms around them tightly, the alcohol flush making him more affectionate that usual, “Thank you- thank you” he repeatedly told them.
Eventually pulling back when Max shoved weakly at them.
“I’ll call you a cab to the airport-“ Lucas said, getting up “Drank to much to be driving” He muttered on his way past.
“You’ve got a passport?” Max asked him.
“Yeah,” Thankfully Mike went on that ill-advised boys trip a few years ago, and the benefit of having all of his stuff in his car was that his passport was there too. Hell he could even pack a quick bag of clothes before the taxi got here.
Lucas was back momentarily moaning about surcharges because of the time but saying it would be here in thirty minutes, as he produced his wallet and Max purse which he tossed to her, collapsing back on the sofa.
Mike got to his own feet preparing to rush out to his car to dig for the passport and shove a few shirts and pants in his busted-up duffle bag.
“Before you go,” Max stopped him, fingers pulling out a wad of bills from her purse “Will you tell us what the tattoo is?” She asked innocently, as she held the money tantalisingly in her grip.
Bribery, of course.
Mike blushed from his collarbone to the top of his ears, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly, “Uh it’s a swing set and underneath it says-“ he swallowed, averting his gaze “The best thing I ever did.”
Max and Lucas didn’t say anything, gaping at Mike, before they looked at one another in synch and burst out into laughter.
“And you seriously didn’t know you were in love with him.” Max hiccupped, struggled to speak clearly around her hysterical giggles, Lucas holding his side breathless with laughter, nodding in agreement beside her.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Mike waved them off, maybe he was a bit unaware. That moment still would have meant a lot to him even if he wasn’t in love with him. Perhaps not enough to get it tattooed but whatever.
He had a long-ass flight to get through and didn’t need to wallow on how stupid his friends thought he was.
He was grateful enough to forgive them for their teasing, taking the offered money with his deep thanks, and leaving them still giggling together to prepare for the most important moment of his life.
The moment that might make his new tattoo obsolete.
Because if asking Will to be friends was currently the best thing he had ever done.
Surely asking Will to be his boyfriend would be even better.
He’d have to get a second tattoo if Will says yes again.
It would be worth it.