Chapter Text
Mike and Will have been best friends since kindergarten. That’s 9 years.
If it really has been 9 years, why does Mike feel like he doesn’t know Will at all?
They’ve been through literal hell together, and now Mike can’t keep a conversation with him.
The two are sitting together in the back of some dude’s van— Mike thinks his name’s Auggie.
Or maybe Arthur. No, too fancy.
Argyle? No, that’s a sweater pattern. His name’s Auggie.
Anyway, Auggie and Jonathan were taking their shifts driving, depending on who was the least high.
Mike and Will were sitting awkwardly in the back of the van. Will gave him his painting, saying it was from El, but Mike doesn’t think so. El barely knows anything about Dnd, and Mike’s pretty sure she doesn’t love him anymore, after her letter. Mike doesn’t love her like that either.
So he knows Will lied about El’s commission, what he can’t grasp is why .
Does Will just not actually care about Mike?
Could it be that he cares about him too much?
Could Will like him?
No, Will isn’t queer.
Right?
Will hasn’t spoken to Mike since he finished his declamation. Mike— in a selfish, despicable way— misses Will, even though he’s a foot away.
Even after he was a jerk to Will last summer, ignoring him, dismissing him, uttering those words. All because of his own internalized homophobia.
Will hates him.
It had been hours since their encounter with the painting, and Jonathan started to turn into an exit.
“Guys, we’re gonna call it for tonight.” Jonathan spoke up from the driver’s seat. “There’s a motel and a convenience store. We can grab food in the morning from the store and head out then.”
The four of them pulled into the parking lot, and headed inside. A woman in her 30s gave them keys to two rooms, and Jonathan handed Will one of the keys. Will took a couple steps toward their room door, before turning around, looking at Mike and asking, “Are you coming?” Will looked into Mike’s eyes expectantly.
Mike swallowed and muttered, “In a minute.” That answer seemed to be sufficient for Will, and he turned back toward their room.
Mike looked out to the entrance of the Motel, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sign saying “Pool Entrance” and for some reason, Mike immediately was drawn to the door with the sign.
He opened the door and was greeted by the intense odor of chlorine. He always associated the smell with Steve, ever since he’d been to his pool for the first time.
Mike sat down by the empty pool, dangling his legs over the edge.
Mike thought about why Will would lie about his painting.
Did he think Mike would like it more if it came from El?
Did Will mean everything he said about himself?
Does Will feel like a mistake without Mike?
Does Will need Mike?
Does Will love him?
As if on cue, Will appears from the door, and exclaims “There you are!”
Will jogs over to him and sits criss-cross next to Mike.
Will’s hair is wet, he probably showered. Will also had a small bag of chips in his hand. Has Mike been out here that long?
“I thought you were in the store, but I still got you some chips.” Will passed the packet to Mike. “Kettle chips are still your favorite, right?”
Mike grinned at the thought that Will remembered his favorite chips, he nodded and opened the bag. Will turned his head over to the pool in front of the pair. They both stared off into the distance, in their own thoughts.
After a minute or two, Mike turned to Will, and tipped the bag in his direction. “Chip for your thoughts?”
Will looked at Mike and smiled, taking a chip, and opening his mouth to speak. “I don’t know, I guess I just miss our old lives, you know, before the upside down.” He paused to nibble on his chip. “Everything was so simple back then, and then it's like my childhood was ripped away from me.”
Mike nodded in agreement, “It’s not fair for you. For all of us, but especially you.” Will scooted a little closer. “You went through so much shit, and every year it was just one thing after another, and you were always the victim. In 83’ you were trapped, in 84’ you were possessed, in 85’ I was an idiot and ignored you for a stupid girl.”
Will face fell, he looked down. “No, you were right, El’s not stupid, I was being clingy.”
“What? No! No you were— are— totally valid with your feelings. I was being a jerk to you, you have every right to be mad!” Mike reassured Will.
Mike put a hand on Will’s shoulder to turn him to look at him. When Will looked back at Mike, his eyes were misty and he looked at Mike like he just asked him to marry him.
“Well, I could never be mad at you, Mike.” Will pulled Mike into a hug, wrapping his arms around Mike’s waist.
Mike immediately melted into his friend’s touch. Mike enveloped Will with his long, lanky arms. Mike rested his head on Will’s shoulder, and Will turned his face into his neck.
God, how Mike missed this. He missed feeling so close with Will.
Mike relished the feeling of the moment, and Will pulled away, feeling too sweaty.
Will looked at Mike with his beautiful eyes. His pupils had blown oh so wide.
Mike is almost 100% sure he’s looking at Will like he hung all the stars in the sky, or like he designed each and every cathedral in Spain.
“I missed you.” Will mumbled, only audible for Mike.
“I missed you too, Will.” Mike smiled wider. “I didn’t realize I was this lonely without you until now.”
Will’s eyes softened. “If we’re both lonely, we could be lonely together?”
Mike doesn’t even know if he could smile wider, but if he can, he is right now. Mike drops his head on Will’s shoulder to muffle his lovesick giggles. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Cool.”
Mike raised his head again, and he found Will smiling just as much as he was.
Mike was about to say something, but his grip on the forgotten chip bag betrayed him and the bag fell on the concrete with a light “thunk.”
Despite the noise only being so loud, the two seemed to snap out of their moment.
They pulled apart and stood up, “Let’s head back to our room.” Will suggested, shaking his still damp hair.
The two silently walked back to the room. Will was ahead of Mike, holding doors for him as they trekked along.
When they got to their room door, Will fished in his pocket for the key, and pulled it out to unlock the door.
There was a click in the door knob, and Will turned it to open the door. He— like the gentleman he was— let Mike go first.
Mike peered into the room, and set his backpack down, soon was flooded with anxiety when he realized
“Is there only one bed?”
“Oh yeah, I assumed I’d be taking the floor…” Will stated, as if it was an obvious solution, but Mike flipped his head around, giving Will a look as if saying “ are you crazy?!”
“Uh, no you’re not, we’ll figure out how to both fit in the bed.” Mike snapped back.
“Oh, okay.”
They both settled down and got into the bed. Their shoulders were touching. They both were laying on their backs, staring at the ceiling.
Mike turned to Will, laying on his side. Will mirrored him.
They gazed at each other in the dark room.
Mike looked down to find Will’s hand palm-up, and he instinctively fit his hand to lace his fingers with Will’s.
Unbeknownst to Mike, the action made Will blush furiously in the dark.
Neither of them are sure when, but they both fall asleep, hand in hand.
In their unconscious states, they shuffle closer, until their noses are brushing.
They both sleep like that for hours, before waking up.