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Will raised the baseball bat from the ground, slamming it repeatedly against the walls and roof of Castle Byers, the home he made himself, the home of love he created. He kept every precious memory of his friends, his family, Mike... all in this small, wooden structure. Smashing every single log into splinters, crying with each swing, feeling himself burning up inside with hatred, pain, longing. All he wanted was to spend time with his friends, with Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. He wanted them to have fun for a summer, so they could be "kids" again. But all it took for their whole friendship to dissolve, and melt into nothing was a girl, a singular girl named Eleven.
"GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!" Will shouted in the rain, thunder roaring through the trees as he continued to shatter the castle until it completely collapsed in on itself, destroying whatever laid within the castle. He loved this with every inch of his being, but with Mike having yelled at him, saying something to him that made his entire body freeze up in the cold. "Its not my fault you don't like girls!" Resonated in wills brain, every muscle, as he eventually swung the bat too hard one time as it slammed into the ground, causing his arms to catch a majority of the momentum from the swing, making him drop the bat in retaliation. Crying, all he could do was cry, in pain, in anguish.
"Fuck you Mike..." Will sobbed out as he fell backwards onto the muddied ground with a splat underneath him, the rain continuing to pelt him like bullets, the sky spinning above him. All he could feel was that he was the problem. Somehow, he did something wrong, to make Mike feel like he's not important enough for him anymore. He didn't blame El, he knew she couldn't be to blame, but somehow Will felt like he was, even with Mike's lies, and Mike's half-truths, Will still felt like despite everything, he was the gross, awful one. He never liked girls, he knew he couldn't despite how hard he tried. Dancing with a girl at the Snow-Ball, hearing about a girl crying at his funeral, seeing Max and Lucas kiss, hearing about Dustin and Suzie, and... seeing Mike and El infatuated with each other. It caused him nothing but grief. Why couldn't he have been normal? Eventually after cooling down from the anger inside him, and the adrenaline wearing off, Will finally realized how cold he was, shivering with every second that passed, he decided to make his way back home slowly, he didn't want to go back in fear that his mom or Jonathan would catch him like this, and helicopter over him for the rest of the night, or week. He appreciated their care, but their overwhelming control over him made him feel so alone. Mike made that feeling go away, but now? How could he?
Will finally walked up to his back porch, about to walk up the stairs, until in the driveway in his peripheral vision, he sees a bike dropped on the driveway, not his bike. His bike was back at Castle Byers... the destroyed, Castle Byers. Will decided to take the steps forward he was saying he shouldn't. What if its another Demogorgon? What if he's taken again? But right now... that sounds preferable compared to how he feels. As he turned the corner to see what or who could be at the front porch he saw it, he saw him. Mike Wheeler, sitting in front of the front door, wearing a rain poncho, looking at the yellow porch lamp hanging in the cold wind. Why would he be here?
Mike heard the sounds of wet crunching and branches breaking from his right side, slowly turning his head to see maybe Joyce, or Jonathan getting home from work, or somewhere else, instead what he saw was Will. His best friend covered in mud, soaking wet, looking like he almost drowned, and shivering like he was left in the cold. Almost instantaneously Mike leapt up from his sitting position, running to Will almost instinctively, reaching out to him putting a hand on Wills shoulder.
"Will! Are you okay?! What happened? Is there someone-" A loud smack rang through the howling wind, almost deafening. Will smacked Mike's arm off of him, causing him to wince and flinch back in pain. Wills eyes, drooped and lingering with sadness, still were filled with anger. Mike had never seen Will like this before.
"W-Will, what's wrong? What'd you do that for?" Mike asked in a raised tone, concern leaking, but mainly confusion. Will had never struck Mike before, even playing Will always tried his hardest to never hurt Mike, or anyone for that matter. So seeing Will, his Will, smacking his arm made Mike's entire world shatter in front of him.
"Are you hurt-"
"Why're you here?" Will asked accusingly, he was still very upset, seeing Mike of all people is not what he expected, especially with what just happened today. All Will wanted to do was play D&D with his best friends, but they shunned him, pushed him away, and all they could talk about was their girlfriends, laugh in his face, at his campaign, and not take him seriously. So why should he show them any care or compassion right now? Will took a step up onto the porch walking closer towards Mike, making Mike take a step back with each step Will took forward, almost in a fearful pace. "Because I'm not in the mood." Will said before stopping in front of his front door, balling up his fists angrily.
"I-I'm here to say sorry! I'm sorry, w-with everything. What Lucas did, what I did, what we did. We wanted to say sorry." Mike said as he felt himself shrink. Will was shorter than him, but right now Will looked like he was ready to make himself seem like the biggest.
"Then where's Lucas? Couldn't even bother to come say it to my face?" Will asked accusingly.
"He was here! He was! He just left. He needed to get home before his parents killed him." Mike whimpered out. He felt his knees getting weaker by the second, almost falling over in front of Will. He was scared, but he knew he deserved it deep down. Hearing a scoff from Will made his face scrunch up and fill with fear and sadness. Deserved, Mike thought about himself.
"Three days... three days, I tried to do something fun, something I thought we all enjoyed. Something I wanted to do so badly... with everyone. You, Lucas, Dustin, hell even Max and El, but you all abandoned me, ditched me. I thought I was your friend Mike?" Will said angrily, as it slowly dissolved into something sadder, something Mike noticed and hitched a breath with when he heard the word "friend."
"I-I said I was sorry, and that I didn't mean to be such an asshole that I-"
"And you think that makes it alright?! What you did?!" Will cut Mike off as he shouted, louder than he thought because it made Mike flinch so hard he fell back onto the ground, his eyes growing wide with fear. Will didn't completely notice how he was appearing until just then. It made him flinch and whimper in his own self-realization. He thought he sounded just like his father. Making him shiver with fright in remembering the awful memories. Making him feel more feint than he already was. Crashing against the front door on accident, catching and holding himself up in pain. How did he get this cold? Mike noticed, and immediately scattered to stand up, the sound of sneakers squeaking against the wooden porch before he walked up to Will, catching him and holding him up.
"Holy shit, you're freezing!" Mike shouted, making Will wince momentarily before groaning. "Let's get you inside."
"I'm fine." Will tried to protest.
"You're not. Please, lets go inside, and you can yell at me all you want when you're changed, and not freezing to death." Mike pleaded, his voice softer and weaker than before, but loud enough to make Wills heart and soul pang in guilt. How could he turn that away? Will nodded as he slowly opened the front door, walking inside with squelching coming from his shoes underneath him as they were coated in mud and leaves before taking them off at the doorway, stumbling slightly with each step as Mike held him up. Mike slowly led Will to the bathroom of the Byers home before opening the door for him.
"Take a bath, okay? Shower, or something. Warm up, I'll... bring something." Mike said softly, Will wasn't looking at him, he just grunted before walking into the bathroom closing the door in front of Mike's face, making him flinch at the soft clicking sound of the door. This hurt him so much.
After a prompt 20 minute shower, Mike was sitting on Wills bed, having left his poncho on the coat hanger near the front door all he could do was stare at Wills walls. Seeing drawings through the years of their friendship littered across it, the posters of horror movies, music bands that Jonathan had got him into, and a desk covered with art supplies. Mike slowly stood up as he approached the desk, looking down at the papers that littered the desk to see a multitude of drawings on it. Some ranging from sketches, some to full blown illustrations with colors. Mike was always amazed by Will and his ability to create. Ever since they were kids all Mike could ask for was for Will.
"Can he come over?" "Will can you draw this!" "It looks so cool!" All of those phrases ringing through his head as he slowly studied the art before remembering the words he said today.
"It's not my fault you don't like girls!" Those words rang louder in his head than any thought could push out. All those years, he heard how all of his classmates treated Will, what they said about him, about what the bullies said to his face. Remembering back in 1983 when Will vanished and at his memorial assembly, when Troy Walsh called Will a "Fairy! Off in Fairyland!" Which promptly caused Mike to push and embarrass Troy in front of the whole school with the help of El... Why would he say such a hurtful thing to Will? It's not his fault he's different, and its not like it was a bad different either. Mike never understood why people were so hateful to the idea of a boy liking another boy. He never would. Suddenly he heard a click come from the door behind him, to see a half-naked Will covered in a towel, almost instinctively both boys flinched at seeing each other. Mike looked down and away from Will as Will slowly walked into his room, approaching his closet and opening it.
"I can leave. To let you change, if you'd want." Mike said weakly, afraid to look at Will. Feeling flushed in the face at seeing Wills exposed body like that made him feel weird. He's never felt that way before, so why now? Is it because of how he made Will feel today? Is it because of what he said? He didn't know.
"It's... fine. Just dont turn around for a minute. I'll be done soon." Will said hoarsely. His voice more affected by his screaming and yelling from earlier than he thought. He didn't think it'd hurt that much to scream for almost an hour on end, but now he's feeling the after-effects of it. Normally Will would be freaking out at the idea of Mike seeing him change naked right in front of him. But right now all he could care about was getting warm. Even if it meant this. After a few more moments Will put a pair of shorts and a shirt on, holding his wet towel, turning around to see Mike awkwardly staring at an empty spot on the wall, fidgeting in place and fiddling with his shorts, Will slowly walked up behind Mike before speaking in a low, soft tone.
"You can turn around now."
Mike slowly turned his body as he noticed Will being clothed, making his body feel less tense by the moment, he sighed with a slight sense of relief, staring at Will, making eye-contact before losing it immediately, flinching at the memory of what happened 20 minutes ago. Will noticed this and sighed before sitting down on the end of his bed with its springs squeaking, before Will patted the side next to him, making Mike look up for a moment, walking over slowly to sit down next to Will awkwardly. Having his legs closed and his body practically frozen in fear. Not like the usual Mike Wheeler. For some reason, when he gets yelled at he can ignore it for the most part, find it a slight annoyance and mind his business.
When Lucas yelled at him about El at the junkyard
When Dustin yelled at him about being an asshole to everyone around that time too
When he was getting yelled at by doctors in the lab when Will was under the control of the mind-flayer
When his mom scolded him, and even when El yelled at him and... dumped him. He never took any of it seriously. But for some reason, Will yelling at Mike, made his entire world shift, everything in his body was crying in sadness, and he wasn't able to understand why he felt this way. Why Will, made him feel this way.
"I'm sorry. Again. I know you don't really want to hear it right now, but I am, I'm sorry." Mike mustered out, quickly speaking almost as if he was running out of time, before he looked over and noticed Will's expression didn't change an inch. It made his heart feel weak. He really hurt him.
"I don't... know. I don't know if I forgive you right now. And I'm sorry." Will said, he had no real reasons for Mike, he knew he couldn't forgive him right away, but he also knew that he didn't want to be angry at Mike forever. And he felt bad about it. He never liked being upset at Mike, Mike was always there for him whenever no one else was. His first friend, his best friend, his... everything. His world. And Mike felt his heart shatter into a million pieces hearing that answer from Will, he expected it, but hearing it said out loud made his entire bubble burst in ways he couldn't imagine. And thus, it caused him to start leaking tears, unsure of why, or how. But he was crying. And Will immediately noticed it.
"Mike? Are you... okay?" Will turned his body to face Mike's as he slowly reached a hand out before hesitating for a moment, holding it in front of Mike's face. He didn't know if he should reach out to wipe the tears away, or to hug mike, or what. All he could do was sit there. And before he knew it Mike clasped Wills hand with both of his and began crying more.
"I'm sorry! I'm, so, so, so sorry! I didn't mean to say what I said! I don't know why I said it, I was just so mad, at Max, at El, and everything, but I don't know what else to do, I came to you to say sorry, and I tried to make it about me again and I'm so, so sorry! Please Will, don't hate me. Please don't hate me." Mike spilled, he felt like he was shattering underneath the pressure of being hated by Will. He could be hated by everyone in Hawkins, everyone in the United States, even the entire world, and it wouldn't matter to him. But Will? Being hated by Will made his entire self-become mush.
"I know you said you cant forgive me right now, a-and I understand. But please, do you think one day you could?" Mike said with a whimper in his voice that made Wills entire world focus around the sight in front of him. Mike was a sobbing mess in front of him, pathetically asking for forgiveness from him as if his life depended on it. And Will had no idea how to respond. He never could hate Mike, he never thought he could even be upset at Mike before today. But seeing this... this Mike? It reminded him of the kid he became friends with on the playground, the same boy he grew up with before the Upside Down, before El, before everything, and before he realized it... the boy he fell in love with.
"Mike..." Will said shakily, feeling himself get emotional at the sight before him before he felt a singular tear fall from his own eyes, dried out from earlier, he still managed to cry his own tears. Will slowly took Mikes hands off his own before he moved in closer to hug Mike tightly, feeling a wave of heat radiating off Mike made Wills entire body melt into him, slowly feeling his own body mesh with Mikes as Mike hugged back, shaking, and whimpering with tears from him. Each of them both taking deep shaky breaths as they hugged each other tightly.
After a few minutes that felt like hours, they pulled apart from the hug, staring at each other with red puffy and swollen eyes, they took a moment to breath before laughing, laughing at each other, laughing with what just happened, what they just did... laughing with him.
"I'm going to say it again. I'm sorry." Mike said softly before he laid down on his side on Wills bed with a loud sigh as Will laid down next to Mike, face to face with him. Making both of them smile at each other softly.
"You don't have to keep saying it. I know you are." Will said as he moved his hand to adjust his bangs in his hair, trying to fix the stray strands that were getting in his eyes, before Mike reached forward and adjusted them himself. Making Will flinch slightly, feeling himself get warmer at the affection.
"Do you forgive me then...?" Mike asked in a semi-serious tone, trying to avoid eye contact with Will, because right now all he could think about was how Wills green eyes shone like emeralds whenever he looked at them for too long, and that's not a thought he should be thinking... right?
"No... not yet." Will answered. It was truthful, he still hadn't completely forgiven Mike just through a few minutes of laughing and crying, but he was feeling his heart begin to patch itself up. Noticing Mikes expression change from something soft to something crestfallen, Will slowly moved his own hand forward to wipe away some raindrops in Mike's hair, making both of them smile at the exchange for one another. "Doesn't mean I won't though... I promise." Will said softly, earning a hum of acknowledgement from Mike. Not the answer he was expecting, but it was something about Mike that made him still accept it anyways.
"About..." Mike started speaking before he took his hand off of Wills hair before setting it in front of his face. "What I said. I don't even know why I said it... I know that you probably do like girls, but I just... said it because I was confused why you were so against wanting to help me with El, but then when I realized what I said I knew I was in the wrong." Mike admitted, he tried to make a story in his head to make it make the most sense for him, but all he saw on Wills face in front of him was guilt, why guilt?
"I don't... even know, if I like girls, honestly. And I can't really say yes, or no." Will admitted. For the first time in his life, he admitted one of his deepest, darkest secrets no one else knows about in his life. And he said to Mike, the boy he just can't stop staring at, because he's afraid he'll blush too hard.
"Have you ever... kissed a girl? To know if you did like it?" Mike asked softly, avoiding eye contact once again, nervously fidgeting with Wills blanket with his other hand.
"No... the closest I got was dancing with a girl at the Snow-Ball last year, and I just... couldn't. I don't know if it was nervousness, or if it was because I didn't know if I would embarrass myself because I don't know how to kiss, but I'm just... not sure." Will admitted, staring at Mikes hand in front of their faces, seeing the thin lanky fingers twitching in front of him was making a very welcome distraction, but all Will wanted to do was hold it.
"Then... have you ever kissed a boy to know if you like that, instead?" Mike said softly, and after he did he noticed Wills expression change immediately, from one of comfort to fear, and regaining the look of guilt. He looked like he would want to be anywhere else at that moment, and it made Mike freeze. "N-Nothing wrong with it, I just... wanted to know." Mike said, trying to make Will feel less fearful, but it came out as a weird feeling of complacency.
"...No. I haven't." Will said as he turned his head, slowly turning his body away from Mike, unaware of how to face him after that question. He cant let him know what he thought right now... could he? He was his best friend, but they just got done fighting about something exactly like this. So how could he face him? And Mike noticed this, as he slowly sat up and reached his hand out to put it on Wills exposed shoulder, earning a flinch and feeling Will tremble slightly from the contact beneath him.
"I-It's okay. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Mike said weakly. Unsure of how to proceed.
"It's... fine, I just." Will let out a shaky breath before taking a sharp inhale. "I don't know. I feel like... I would want to know, one day, I just... cant fathom kissing a random boy though. I don't know..." Will said, trying to keep his composure, he never wanted to kiss anyone before, but seeing Mike kiss El, all he could ever think about was kissing sometimes... not El. But kissing Mike, and it made his heart sink, and his body freeze each time. And now he has Mike right next to him, in his bed, touching him, and asking him that very question that made his heart always sink 1,000 feet below the earth.
Mike was unsure of how to proceed any further. He took a deep breath. He knew kissing was nice, it was fun even. Having kissed El at least a dozen times, it made him happy. But since they broke up, he was unsure of how to feel further. Was he really in a relationship with El for such a superficial reason? Was he really nothing more than just a boy wanting to fulfill urges, and El was the girl for it? Mike never even thought of kissing a boy of all things until he just asked Will, and after today, and this conversation tonight, he feels like that's all he'd be able to think about for the rest of the week, month, or even year.
"...Wanna kiss me?" Mike said without completely thinking, he felt the words leave his mouth, but not with thinking. And the sudden realization made his entire world slow in front of him, Will slowly turned his head towards Mike, wide-eyed, and completely in awe. Mike was embarrassed, face flushed red instantly before he looked down in a panic, a stutter beginning to form, but no words coming out. Will slowly sat himself up turning to Mike, looking him deep in the eyes, softly inhaling.
"Are you... serious?" Will asked. He never thought he'd hear anything like this from Mike, and he knew that it was something that might've only ever been heard in a dream of his, but now, in his room, in real life, Mike asked. And it made his world stop moving in front of him.
"I-I don't know, yes? No? Maybe? I-I'm sorry, I just... I said it without thinking, and I don't want to make you more uncomfortable, and I definitely don't want you to hate me more than you do now already and-" Before Mike could finish his incoherent sentence, Will put his hand over Mike's shaking hand. Holding it tightly.
"It's okay. I wouldn't hate you for saying... any of that. And if I'm being honest... I think, I, m-might?" Will said, a courage he never thought he'd have in himself forming, if you asked Will Byers yesterday if he'd be offered to get a kiss from Michael Wheeler in his home, in his bedroom, on his bed, he'd shake his head no, call you a big fat liar, and tell you to stop dreaming. But now, it's no longer a dream. And its right in front of him. "I don't think you'd make me... uncomfortable, more than now..." Will said softly.
Mike looked up slowly, meeting Wills gaze before he stared into his eyes again. They do look like emeralds, he thought again. Before he let out another shaky breath.
"This would be... practice kissing, right?" Mike asked Will unsure.
"Y-Yeah, I think? A test... to see if we- I mean... I, like it? Right?" Will responded shakily, adjusting himself on his bed.
"Totally... and besides, El uh... 'dumped my ass.' Right?" Mike tried letting out a dry chuckle but all he could offer was a crooked smile. Will nodded slightly before he inched closer towards Mike, and Mike leaned in closer before stopping.
"W-We're still friends after this, right?" Will asked. Mike nodded with a hum of approval. And before they knew it, they both leaned in, kissing each other softly on the lips, nothing more than a graze, but it was still enough. They both pulled back for a moment before staring each other in the eyes.
"D-Does that count as practice?" Will asked shakingly. Mike let out a soft sigh before using his free hand to cup Wills cheek, moving in forward again, kissing Will deeper, with Will matching his enthusiasm a moment later, before Will leaned against Mike enough for him to lay on his back on Wills bed before they kept kissing, soft noises coming from each of the boy's mouths before they both pulled away. Will straddling Mike underneath him, eyes locked in on one another, breathing heavily. "W-What about that?"
"Y-Yeah... but... can we k-keep practicing?" Mike asked again softly, almost a plead. Will without thinking leaned in again kissing Mike with a whimper coming from both boys as they began to hold each other's faces, pulling one another closer, as if they never wanted to let go, groans and sighs leaving each boy respectively in-between kisses and breaths before eventually Mike slipped his tongue into Wills mouth on accident, but without any repulsion, Will let it happen. They were closer than ever before, and they didn't want to let go. This is still practice... right?