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Mike could hear the pelting rain drops as he darted up the stairs after Will. Thunder rumbled lowly as he opened the door to find his childhood best friend standing outside in the pouring rain, already soaked to the bone dripping wet with water from head to toe. Mike didn’t care about getting wet, he cared about fixing whatever just happened with Will. He carefully advanced toward the boy, feeling his shirt begin to stick to himself from the rain cascading down from the sky.
It was a late night, the sky was restless, alive with jagged flashes of lightning that split the darkness, the clouds swirling like waves in a furious sea.
Moments earlier, the two boys had been standing outside, while inside, the party was deep into Mike’s new campaign. Mike, as always, was the dungeon master, but this time there was a twist—he was on a mission of his own. Ever since they’d started playing D&D, Will had been the cleric and Mike the paladin. Now, Mike had hatched a clever plan: at some point in the campaign, the cleric would hand the paladin a painting, a small token meant to inspire him during a moment of weakness. Mike hoped that this would jog Will’s memory of the time he had given him that very same painting in the back of the Surfer Boy Pizza van, on their way to find Eleven when she went to train with the government.
Will had told Mike that El had commissioned this painting for him. However, Mike always had a gut feeling that it wasn’t true. El had never known anything about D&D and didn’t know him in the way that Will did. This fact that she hadn’t commissioned the painting was only confirmed when Mike and El had broken up about five months ago.
It had been nine months since Will had given Mike the painting, and Mike couldn’t shake the question of why he had done it. True to form, Mike couldn’t just ask directly—simple words or a straightforward conversation would never do. He had to handle it in a way only Mike Wheeler could. The result? Will went completely silent and stormed up the stairs. As everything erupted, Lucas and Dustin exchanged confused glances, completely clueless about what had just happened. Mike, however, knew immediately that he had messed up. And that’s how they ended up here: two best friends of twelve years, standing in the pouring rain. It wasn’t even the first time a fight had played out like this under the relentless drizzle.
Anger was not an emotion that Will Byers often felt, but right now his blood was boiling. He knew exactly what Mike had pulled and what he was referencing. He had known that Mike had been suspicious about the painting for a few months now, he wasn’t oblivious. What Will was mad about was the way Mike had gone about confronting him about it. Were his feelings a joke to Mike? Or more importantly, had Mike caught on to the way Will felt about him? Will turned his head to see his best friend standing in front of him. He was in the middle of grabbing his bike to pedal home. This all felt too familiar.
“Will, wait, I’m sorry.” Mike borderline pleaded.
“Sorry isn’t good enough Mike, what the fuck?” Will answered, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. He felt so exposed.
Mike was irritated. He was sick of all the silence between Will and him. He wanted to get things out into the open, but most importantly he didn’t want to lose his truest, most valuable friend.
“Hey now, I’m not the only one who should be apologizing.” Mike prodded.
Will’s face twisted into a contortion of confusion.
“What do you mean?” Will asked, genuinely confused.
“Why did you lie, Will?” Mike’s demeanor softened, he just wanted an answer.
“What?” Will knew exactly what Mike was asking him, but there was no way he would give him the truth.
“Why did you lie?”
“I didn’t.”
“Bullshit.”
Mike’s walls were starting to go back up, he took a deep breath and reminded himself to stay calm.
“The painting, the one you said El commissioned for me. You lied about it.”
“I didn’t mean to.” Will replied, his heart dropping. God, why was he being such an idiot?
“Friends don’t lie, Will.” Mike repeated the familiar line that their mind controlling friend had came up with years ago.
Will felt so stupid, he felt like he always gave in when it came to Mike, always gave him what he wanted. But he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help that he was in love. And with that, he caved.
“Fine, I lied . What about it?” Will threw his hands in the air, his bike clanging to the floor with an ear ringing crash.
Mike fixed Will with a blank, unflinching stare.
“Why?” he said, simply. That was all he wanted to know, was why would Will, his best friend, his closest companion do such a thing?
“I can’t tell you why.”
Mike was starting to get frustrated again, he sighed and clenched his fists.
“Will there has got to be a reason for why you meddled between me and El. For why you told me she needed me and it turned out she didn’t.”
Mike felt the sting of hot tears, swallowing them quickly, yet Will caught the glimmer anyway.
“You told me that I gave her the courage to fight on, but it wasn’t me who did that, you told me that I make her feel like she’s not a mistake, but I don’t.”
Mike was talking at a mile per minute now, his heart racing just as fast. He was vulnerable, out in the open. The cold rain was suddenly like hot coals hitting his skin and there was nothing he could do about it. He had kept this all bottled up for nine months and now it was all gushing out. His cheeks were wet with tears.
“You lied to me Will, in a time I needed the truth the most.” Mike took a step forward toward the shorter boy and jabbed a finger firm against his chest. He let his arm fall, in defeat as he waited for an answer.
Will just stood there in deafening silence. He stared back at Mike, this scene feeling all too familiar, the only difference is that they were older now. But just as he had about two years ago, MIke stood there in the rain. Lips parted, eyes wide, and he was even wearing a yellow shirt too.
Will let the tears fall, he had never lied to Mike before. And he knew he had messed up. Nine months ago, back in the pizza van, Will knew he should have given Mike the truth, Tonight, he would. Just thinking about it made him want to throw up his breakfast and his lunch combined. But, he had to stop being selfish. The fact that he was in love with Mike was now coming between them and the last thing he wanted was to lose Mike to this whole mess. Besides, maybe…no. Forget it, Mike would never.
It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.
The words echoed in Will’s head. He was done being a coward.
Will took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders. He wiped the tears from his eyes and let a calm and gentle disposition come over his body and mind. The energy in the air shifted as he took the most delicate step toward Mike.
Will looked up and gazed into Mike's eyes. He would get nothing but the truth. Will lifted a delicate hand to Mike's cheek. He felt the baby smooth, damp skin under his thumb as he ever so gently caressed Mike’s face.
Mike didn’t retaliate or pull away like Will thought he would. Instead, his breath hitched, caught in his throat. It felt like the world had gone completely still despite the rain storm that was happening all around them. Rain drops battered the landscape in their midst but this moment, this beat, this breath, it was theirs. They were both here, Will and Mike, the paladin and the cleric and everything was being pieced together. Bit by bit, drop by drop, and Mike was starting to realize things about not just Will, but also himself.
Will leaned in extremely close to Mike’s face. His eyes flickered from his eyes down to his lips.
“It’s still your fault I don’t like girls.” Will whispered.
With that, Will leaned in, slowly. Giving Mike every chance to pull away. But he didn’t. He met Will’s lips with the same eagerness and affection in his heart. When their lips finally met, it was soft, tentative. Like a secret being spoken for the very first time.
Will let his hands explore Mike’s hair. Mike let Will pull himl in closer by his waist. Something shifted, hesitation gave way to need. The kiss deepened as Will pulled Mike closer by his collar, Mike’s hands traveling to the small of Will’s back, feeling every curve, every line, etching them into his memory.
Passion sparked as urgency, and insistence connected their lips, their souls, as if they were trying to communicate everything they've kept hidden. Breath mingled with breath, and what started as a whisper of a kiss developed into something more fierce, desperate, and entirely theirs.
They broke apart.
“That’s why I lied to you, Mike.”
Will’s words hung in the air, sharp and soft all at once. The rain roared around them, but somehow, everything felt painfully still.
Mike just stood there, drenched, breath unsteady, every thought in his head blurring into one. He replayed every glance, every silence, every half-smile Will had given him over the past year. It was like the world had been trying to tell him something, and he was finally listening.
Will looked terrified. His shoulders were tense, his eyes shining with tears and rain. Mike could see it, the truth, the fear, the hope, all tangled together in front of him.
And for the first time in his life, Mike stopped overthinking. He stepped forward, closing the space between them until there was barely an inch left. His hand trembled as he reached up, brushing a strand of soaked hair from Will’s forehead.
Then, without another word, Mike leaned in and kissed him.
It wasn’t careful or hesitant this time, it was real. It was messy, rain-slick, and trembling, but it was his choice. The thunder rumbled low in the distance as Mike pulled him closer, their hearts pounding in sync.
When they finally pulled apart, Mike’s voice was quiet, almost lost in the storm.
“I think I get it now,” he whispered. “Why you lied.”
Will blinked up at him, stunned, the corners of his lips lifting in the faintest, disbelieving smile.
For the first time in months, Mike didn’t feel confused or torn. He just felt sure.
“Well it’s about time.” Will teased.
This made Mike chuckle, but he cleared his throat on a more serious note.
“I didn’t wanna mess up again, Will. You’re so important to me and our friendship, uh relation-” Mike stopped mid sentence, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Whatever we are has already been through so much, I can’t lose you again, I just can’t.”
Will couldn’t believe this moment was real.
“You won't, I promise. But please, promise me one thing?” Will reached up to caress Mike’s cheek.
“Anything.”
“Commincate with me directly. We don’t need these big schemes and declarations, simple communication is effective and can go a long way.”
“I promise. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, friends don’t lie.”
“I’m sorry I put you in the position in which you felt the need to lie.”
“I’m sorry for being selfish.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to terms with my feelings sooner.”
Will took a step closer to Mike, he placed both hands on either sides of his face.
“I’m sorry I didn’t kiss you sooner.” Will whispered and he pressed their lips together.
Whew. Mike was gonna have to get used to this.
“God you’re so cheesy, Byers.”
“Only for you, Wheeler.”
Mike loved the way his last name rolled off of Will’s tongue. He loved the way Will was holding him. He loved the way Will's eyes were locked with his. He loved Will and he always had.
Here they were, two best friends of twelve years, standing in the rain for the second time in their lives. The first time, they’d fought, shouting over thunder, afraid of what they couldn’t admit. But now, the rain felt softer, almost forgiving. This time, they weren’t running from the truth, they were standing in it, together. The moment was familiar, yet everything had changed and that was the most beautiful thing of all.