Work Text:
January 8th, 2025 2:40 pm
Mike looks down at his barren notebook, he's supposed to be writing down notes for his algebra two quiz this Thursday, but recently he can't seem to focus. No matter how hard he tries it always ends up with him in his bed, doom scrolling on his phone, but even with something as basic as scrolling on his phone, his newly shortened attention span can't even handle that. It's so bad even his grades are getting affected by this troubling madness cast upon him by,, --who knows what! And it doesn't make it any better that it's the last period of the day, so it feels ten times longer than usual.
Maybe he should've shared those old cringy post that went something along the lines of “share this with three friends to avoid bad luck!!” after all, mike thinks.
With his attention span not complying with him, mikes gives up on taking the notes. Instead, he opts out to doodling in his notebook, with his head resting on his hand feeling bored as ever...
At first, he tries to draw but quickly abandons that after drawing a really wonky cat with five legs. He alternates to writing snippets of song lyrics in fancy writing instead. Soon, the lyrics turn into writing his thoughts, which then turn into writing his friends names for the hell of it.
His hand moves in twisty motions; pen pressed rather firmly on to the page. The pen glides softly though, despite his firm grip and moves swiftly with every stroke leaving behind satisfying scratches that trail along the paper. After a few moments he finishes and takes a look at his work.
Mike is horrified.
He looks at the page, dumbfounded. In fancy cursive writing the name “will byers” is plastered into the page, and that wouldn't be so strange if not for the damn heart circling the god damn name. Why did he completely zone out during the entirety of this? And why the hell did he write that so instinctively? And more importantly, about his best friend!?
Mikes face is almost completely flushed red. He stares at the notebook for a couple of seconds before realizing he's still in class, and his friend, Dustan is sitting right next him, with mikes notebook in eye view. More importantly, wills name in a lovely cursive font with a heart, in eye view.
He quickly shuts his notebook and doesn't dare look anywhere but the front board of the classroom. His posture is stiff, like a statue and mike could feel the confused stare that Dustan is most definitely giving to mike right now.
When the bell rings to leave the classroom, mike quickly packs up his stuff and tells Dustan a lame hasty excuse and practically sprint's out of the classroom. When he gets to the bike rack in front of the school, he stumbles upon seeing will. Waiting for him.
Okay maybe not just him but something about it leaves a funny feeling in his chest. Has that always happened? No, it probably just from running... Right? Whatever it doesn't matter, nothing's going on.
Will looks at mike with a confused smile. And mike realizes he's been standing there looking like a complete fool in front of will. Just staring at him like a deer in headlights. Then he notices will’s smile, a smile all too familiar to mike; one he's seen so much he could picture it perfectly in his mind and has been ingrained into his head. It leaves a funny feeling in his chest that comes back like a wave current that washes over mike; completely drenching him and Mike wants to soak in will's warm smile; bask in it. And mikes realizes that he'd still not said anything and still staring stupidly at will and at wills stupidly cute smile and--
Fuck.
—Mike is completely fucked.
Mike is fucked and he STILL hasn't said anything!!!
Say something God damn it!!
“heywillsorrywillbyewill!” mike says quickly in a small high pitch voice; cracking slightly. mike mentally screams, cringing at himself as he fumbles the lock on his bike, hops on and rapidly peddles away.
Will observes mikes whole circus act in a dazed look, and watches as mikes figure disappears into the distance turning into a small spec as he disappears.
“what's wrong with him today?” Dustan half whispers to will; hand on wills left shoulder.
“Uhh...Dunno...?” will replies, eyebrows furrowed, and head tilted as he turns to meet Dustan.
Mikes has never peddled as hard as he did on his way home. Out of breath and sweaty he runs straight into his house leaving his bike abandoned in the grassy front lawn, practically bulldozing through the front door. His mother, Karen, was about to greet him home before he pushed past her hurriedly and rapidly clambered up the stairs, nearly tripping over himself. He gets to his room and almost slams the door and throws his backpack to the floor
“Shit shit shit” he repeats with his hands in his hair huffing out short breathes he's unable to catch. His chest raises and falls upon every breath in hailed and exhaled. His heart beats into his ears like a speaker, he's unable to tell if it's from all the running and peddling he's done or from...
From... “Shit. I like will.” he says exasperated and panicked. Once he's realized he's said those words out loud it feels as if the floor beneath him collapsed, like the world around him was torn apart into little pieces and put back together and reshaped. He didn't know how to react to this newfound knowledge. His words Echoed into his brain repeatedly nonstop like a broken record. How should he feel? He didn't understand. He couldn't.
How could he!? Since forty minutes ago he's always forever been Stright. For God's sake he's literally dated a girl! And that girl is literally Wills SISTER for heaven's sake! A part of him feels grossed out by himself, like if he’d been unconsciously invading will with his gay thoughts he didn't even know were their until now. Then he feels a title wave of guilt that washes over him, drowning him.
How many times has he been unconsciously thinking about will? About his smile? and then a dawning thought flooded through his mind: how obvious has he been without even knowing? Did will know?
Mike starts rethinking every conversation, thought, movement, anything he's said or done about will. It was apparent their friendship was a bit... Different than others but that's what best friends are right? Your friendship is deeper or more intimate than your other friends... Right!?
It's supposed to be that way, mike thinks trying so hardly to make sense of himself.
Okay, whatever everything's fine.
Mike just needs to calm down... Yeah okay. Everything is okay. He’s okay. Mike thinks as he plops himself on to his bed and lays down. His eyes are closed, he runs his hands over his face, stopping when they get to his eyes, and his heart had stopped beating loudly in his ears. He promises himself to stop thinking about his ... “crush” on will if he can even call it that.
Mike opens his eyes, removing his hands from his face and exhales a deep sigh. He tilts his head up, burying the back of his head deeper into his comforter. Immediately he's met with another reminder of his devastatingly embarrassing crush when drawings of wills he's pinned to his bulletin board encounter his eyes.
Mike lets out a loud groan.
And it is very apparent that he's defiantly not goanna stop thinking of his... “Crush".