Work Text:
Adrenaline. There was so much adrenaline running through his veins, and everything around him was too much. Fire, the noise, the flashing lights. Bodies laid everywhere, blood streaking from those alive and dead.
And, of course, it was hard to miss the dead demogorgon sprawled at his feet.
But Mike wasn’t looking at the broken monster, or the fires, or the soldiers littered across the base. No, Mike was looking at him.
Will kneeled on the asphalt, hands still turned outward and panting, head slowly moving to stare forward. He had just stopped the monster midair - in the midst of a jump with an arm poised to strike - and killed it. No bullet nor weapon could stop this thing, but Will could.
As Mike watched Will wipe away the trickle of blood running from his nose, he put together yet another theory, the umpteenth one of the week, and awe blossomed from his chest as he realized the probability of this one.
Will had somehow tuned into Vecna’s powers through the hive mind.
With his mind - and pulse - going a mile a minute, Mike had too many thoughts going through his head. He was proud, and scared, and relieved, but one thing remained a constant: his realization that Will did it to save him. A niggling feeling in the back of his mind strove to break free, and once he recognized that feeling he nearly stumbled from the sheer overwhelm of it.
Oh.
Oh.
Mike Wheeler loves Will Byers, and has now for a very long time.
It was different with El. Sure, he loved her, but he couldn’t imagine a future with her. Will’s been by his side his whole life, and he’s realized that’s how he wants to spend the rest of it, too. It’s impossible to tell when the feelings of friendship blossomed into something more, but it was here now and it was loud.
Lanky legs moved before he could register it and Mike felt his shoes pound into the ground. His knees fell as he held his best friend by the shoulders. Having beared witness to many of Will’s episodes, Mike hoped he could be easily grounded this time around. Or… would this be more like El after exerting her powers?
“Will? Will!”
The younger’s eyes slowly darted around before landing on Mike’s face; his gaze softened and he visibly relaxed.
“Mike.”
With only a moment’s hesitation, Mike surged forward and connected their lips. It was barely a kiss, just their mouths touching, really, but he held his ground, pushing all of his emotion into it as he squeezed his eyes shut.
And then Will kissed him back.
It was the best moment of their young lives.
The outside world bled away as he sighed. One of Will’s hands came up to cup his neck and the embrace deepened. It was very obviously his first time kissing anyone - they both knew this for a fact - so Mike led. It made his heart glow knowing he was Will’s first kiss.
Their heads tilted as they chased more of each other, Mike tenderly cupping his best friend’s face as endorphins flooded his body. Will pulled away only to leave about half a dozen small kisses to his pouted lips and then locked them together again, just because he could.
Everything finally felt right.
Someone cleared their throat right next to the pair and they jumped apart, eyes wide and faces flushed. Joyce stood above them, and for a split second Mike was fearful, remembering the days when Hopper hated his guts for dating El, before she broke out into a smile and fluffed both boys’ hair. The two looked at each other and broke out laughing. There was no more tension between them like there was back in California. They hadn’t spoken about it yet but the air was clearer than ever.
Joyce pulled both of them into a hug. “I’m so proud of both of you,” she said before looking at Will. “Especially you, baby. How-how did you…?”
“I…” He looked at Mike, those puppy-dog eyes shining brighter than ever, then to his mom, the two that stuck with him after all this time. Every hospital visit, every episode, every time he felt the Upside Down. It was always the ones he loved the most that got him through life, and now, he felt that he could do anything with them by his side. “I just remembered you. Mom, and Mike, and Jonathan, all of you being there for me. Like the first day we met, do you remember that? Or the spaceship I drew when i was little? Or when Jonathan and I made Castle Byers?”
Memories flashed before him again and he gave a small smile, nostalgia building.
”My happiest memories gave me the strength I needed to use those powers.”
Joyce rubbed his back. “Oh, sweetie.”
“Robin, she helped too. A little pep-talk from her is a lot more helpful than you’d think.”
The three chuckled.
“I guess I tapped into the hive mind to use Vecna’s powers… it feels weird but right, y’know? And I didn’t just save you guys. I saw Lucas and Robin, too, and killed the demogorgons going after them.”
“Three demos at once?” Mike said, breathless. “Wow, that’s so cool.” He bumped elbows with Will, teasingly, who playfully jabbed him back.
Joyce smiled, seeing her boy so radiant. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he seemed so much more confident even in the small amount of time she’s seen him after the newfound… information she’d witnessed from him.
“So… are we not gonna talk about the kiss?”
“Mom!” he said exasperatedly, although his tone was light. Mike reached to hold his hand and their fingers linked together.
Surrendering her hands into the air, she said, “I just want my boy to be happy!”
Looking once more to Mike, he said, “I am, mom. I am.”
Will was still the same person, and yet, he was completely different.
He was free.