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Will breaks down the last cardboard box. Everything is finally put away; every poster is on the wall in its right place, all of his clothes are folded neatly in his drawers. He sets the broken down box into the pile of other boxes. He looks around the room, scanning to make sure everything is where he wants it, just in case he misplaced something. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sits down for the first time in a few hours, as he was preoccupied with unpacking.
He loved Lenora, but he missed Hawkins deeply. In Lenora, he often found his mind wandering off in class, wondering what the party was up to. He had wished that he was there with them. Dustin had told him that they had joined a club; Hellfire. It seemed so cool, and Dustin really liked one of the members. Eddie, if he remembered correctly. It was a bit upsetting to hear this, as Will had told Mike when he was packing up to move to Lenora that he wouldn't dream of joining a new party, and yet Mike turned around and joined a new one. Regardless, he was happy, truly, that his friends were enjoying their time and still playing DnD.
Will stands up and makes his way to his window. He had moved into a new house, as his old house was sold already. He looks out the window, taking in his surroundings and trying to figure out where everything is in relation to his new house. He spots a tree, the tree. The tree that he and Mike would always go to when they were little. It was huge, and they loved climbing it, even though Will was always too afraid to go all the way to the top. But this tree is about a street away from Mike's house. He had been so tired from the drive that Will had failed to notice where exactly they were going, only opening his eyes once he felt the car come to a complete stop in the driveway.
Will's memory, while looking at this tree, jogs back up to him. Realizing that he's only a street away from Mike, his breathing picks up. It had been months since they last spoke, and with their close proximity now, he figures his luck of not seeing him can only be so high.
Will turns away from the window, hoping his heart rate will slow down. He goes back to sit on his bed, closing his eyes and pressing his palms to his eyelids. He misses Mike, of course. I mean, why wouldn't he? The boy he'd grown up with. The boy who'd been there for Will since they were both five years old.
"Come on, it's right outside," Mike says, leading Will to his backyard. Mike had texted Will earlier that day if he wanted to come over, which was not out of the norm. In fact, even if Mike hadn't texted him, Will still would've come over anyway. He just enjoyed his presence, is all, and he preferred it much more than being home.
They make it to the back door, and Mike tells him to cover his eyes. "I've been working on this all day, you'll love it, trust me," Mike insists, noticing Will's hesitance to cover his eyes. He had been told he had a surprise waiting for him, which always makes him a little nervous when that comes from Mike's mouth. The door opens, and he feels Mike take his wrist to lead him to the destination. The air outside feels nice, it's not windy, it's not cold, it's perfect. "Okay, you can open your eyes in 3… 2… 1."
Will opens his eyes, and he's greeted by a blanket laid out in the grass. There's a tupperware container filled with sandwiches, with some sodas right next to it. Unsolved Case Files, Will's favorite game, is laid out in the center of the blanket. Without Will noticing, Mike turns on the speaker in his hand and begins playing a playlist that Will loves. He made that playlist for Mike when he asked to give him song recommendations. This gesture, a picnic, was so thoughtful, Will thinks.
"This is so cute, Mike, oh my gosh," Will gushes, rushing to sit down and look at the sandwiches Mike spent an unnecessary amount of time making. "I didn't even know you were planning this."
"I thought it'd be nice, I know you like picnics." Mike smiles proudly. Will had been sending him so many picnic videos, and Mike finally got the hint that Will wanted to have one. "I even found an Unsolved Case Files game we haven't done yet!"
Will's smile widens hearing this. "Thank you, Mike, seriously," he says softly, directing his gaze to Mike, who's already looking at him. "I didn't think you'd get the hint, no offense." Will laughs at his own joke, while Mike squeaks out a "Hey!"
Mike gestures to the sandwiches, encouraging Will to take one. "They're actually good, I swear. I made Nancy taste test and she liked them!" Will laughs at this, grabbing a sandwich from the tupperware container. It's his favorite, a turkey and bacon sandwich. He figures it'd be hard for Mike to fuck up a sandwich, so he takes a bite. He's pleasantly surprised at the fact that it isn't bad at all, so he takes another bite. "I also have some sodas, I just grabbed a whole bunch of different ones. Take whatever you want."
The rest of the afternoon is spent trying to solve a rather easy case file. It only takes them about an hour and a half to solve the mystery, with Will's problem solving and Mike's random thoughts that actually help Will head in the right direction. All of the sandwiches are gone in no time, Mike having two sandwiches, and Will having three. Mike let him have the last one, which was unusual for him.
Will appreciates it, though, the whole gesture. Mike seems to understand him in a way that nobody else does, he always knows what Will needs.
Will smiles to himself as the memory slowly ends. At times, these memories can be too hard to bear. He tries pushing them away to the best of his abilities. However, now that he's back in Hawkins, he chooses to savor the memory, granting him a sense of stability, of love. He realizes, for the nth time, that he misses Mike.
Before he moved, only a couple people knew how he felt about Mike. Those people, of course, being Max and Jane. He had told them about it one day during one of their weekly hangouts. They had been sitting at the park with a blanket under them. Jane was teaching him how to make a dandelion crown, and Max was simply watching with her chin resting on her hand. When he said it, Max didn't look surprised, and Jane simply took his hand and squeezed it. At that moment, the weight on his chest felt a little lighter.
His thoughts are cut short. "Will, can you come here real quick?" His mother yells. He sits up from his bed, not bothering to give a verbal response. He quickly exits the room, and enters the living room where he sees his mom slipping her shoes on. "I'm going to go to the store, do you want to come with me, hun?" He assumes she's going to the corner shop down the street, one that he and Joyce frequented quite often before moving to Lenora.
He nods, and goes back to his room, grabbing a flannel to put over his short-sleeved shirt. It isn't too cold out yet, but he feels a bit overwhelmed whenever he goes outside without covering his arms nowadays.
As Will steps into the corner store with his mom, the bell rings above the door. He follows his mom without thought, leading to the snacks aisle. Turning his head to the right, he sees the shelf of chips.
"Can you hurry up, please?" Mike says impatiently, checking his watch with his other arm wrapped around himself. They had gotten to the corner store about 15 minutes ago, preparing for a movie night with the party. It had been quiet between the two of them. Will had said a few things, mainly just saying random things that he had thought of. Mike, however, barely responded, choosing to hum in response to everything Will had said.
"Can you start being patient? I'm just trying to choose a snack," Will says. He has honestly had enough of Mike's behavior recently. Mike's been short with him, for reasons unbeknownst to Will. He had noticed it a while ago, but it's increasingly becoming a problem, and Will doesn't know how to help. He figures something had been going on at home, but, at this point, Will has had enough.
He chooses his snack, grabbing a bag of chips. It wasn't his first choice, but he figures it's good enough. Anything to avoid another argument. "You know, if something's going on, you can just talk to me. You don't need to be rude to me," Will mutters the last part under his breath.
Mike scoffs at this, "I don't know, can I talk to you about it? We barely even talk anymore." Will flinches, feeling as though Mike had just slapped him. How can he not see that Will's right here, trying to talk to him? Mike crosses his arms, and begins toward the store's exit. Before he can start moving, though, Will grabs his arm.
"What does that mean? I'm the one who's trying here. I mean, everything I've said today, you just ignore it." Will's heart rate picks up. He knows he's pushing for an argument, but he can tell Mike is slipping away from him, and if an argument is what keeps him here, then he'll suck it up and argue.
"Whatever, Will," He gives Will a couple dollar bills from his pocket, "Go pay and meet me out front. I can't be here anymore." He leaves the store, leaving Will to stand there dumbfounded. Will shakes his head and heads to the register. At least he paid for him, that means he still cares, right? Placing the bag of chips and the dollar bills on the counter, he avoids the cashier's eyes, hoping he doesn't see the few tears that have welled up in his eyes.
He finds Mike leaning against the wall outside of the store, looking as if he's lost in thought. His lip is caught between his teeth, and his eyebrows are furrowed. Without saying anything, Will walks past him, knowing Mike will follow him out.
"Okay, you know what, Will?" Mike says, picking up his pace so he can walk next to Will. "I'm just saying, it's hard to talk to you now." He lets out a sharp, jagged exhale, his hands shoved in his jean pockets. Will turns to look at him, and he sees that Mike isn't even facing him, instead his eyes are locked on the ground beneath him.
Will scoffs and looks up at the sky. He can feel the tears beginning to well in his eyes. He truly wishes Mike would just stop bringing this up. I mean, seriously, how can he not see that this is his fault? "And I've told you that you are ignoring me," he replies stubbornly, lowering his gaze to the ground, refusing to look at Mike. His voice cracks a bit, but he doesn't care right now.
"Fuck. Whatever, Will. You don't get it. I'm done. Are you happy?" Mike spews out. Under his breath, he keeps repeating, "You don't get it.. You don't get it," but Will refuses to even try to 'get it.' He's over this conversation.
Instead of a response, Will quickens his pace. The tears in his eyes sting, but he fights the urge to let Mike see him cry. He focuses on his breath, trying not to notice Mike's footsteps right behind him. And if Mike does notice he is upset, he doesn't say anything. Rather, he whispers to himself. Will can't catch exactly what he says, but without a doubt, Mike whispers something about 'messing up.'
"Baby, are you okay?" Joyce's voice pulls him out of his head. Her hand rests on his shoulder, as she looks him in the eyes. He feels the lights on him, all of a sudden. "Did something happen? You seemed off for a second."
Will looks up at his mom and pulls a smile together, hoping to get the attention off of him. "Yeah, I'm sorry, was just in my head for a second. I just missed it here is all," he says softly. To his relief, Joyce nods slowly. She takes her hand off his shoulder and resumes looking for whatever it is she dragged them both here for. Will silently sighs a breath of relief at this. He knows how his mom gets if he's upset.
This is why he stopped trying to reach out to Mike once he got to Lenora, he realizes. He knows that these petty arguments hurt him. He was only trying to protect himself, knowing that distance would only increase the amount of these arguments. Him and Mike aren't speaking for a reason, he assures himself. But as his gaze fixes on the bag of chips, his reasoning feels inaccurate. It feels wrong.
The next morning smells like coffee and the lemon-scented cleaner his mom sprayed the counters with. He didn't sleep much that night. His eyes kept drifting to the window, to that damn tree, all night. That tree taunted him, placing a feeling of unrest within him, knowing he was so close to Mike. No matter close in distance he was, though, he had never been more far apart from him.
While sitting at the kitchen table, pushing around his cereal and trying not to fall asleep, a loud, frantic knock comes from his front door. "Will! C'mon, open up!" He knows that voice from anywhere. "Will!" Dustin shouts, once again. More knocks come, and Will sighs tiredly as he stands up and makes his way to the door.
He turns the handle on the door, and he gets knocked back by a hug by two familiar boys. "Byers!" He hears Lucas say. "We missed you so much, man." The two boys break from the hug, and Will takes in the sight in front of him. He had called Lucas and Dustin plenty of times in Lenora, but he missed being in the same room. Being able to see their faces, hear their voices without the crackle of the phone.
"How'd you guys know I'm back? I haven't called you guys yet," he says, voice cracking a bit. Seeing their excitement to see him made him tear up some. It felt refreshing, almost, to feel their love for him.
"Joyce called our moms this morning. Apparently you need to get out of the house, my man," Lucas says, patting Will's back with a chuckle. Of course she said that, Will thinks. She probably saw him this morning sulking. It was true, though. Getting out of the house seems nice. It'd be cool to see how much Hawkins changed in the months he was gone. Likely not much has changed, but still.
The two boys almost immediately jump into planning where to go. Will listens to their eager suggestions; Melvald's, the comic store, the arcade. The list goes on. Will passively nods his head at their ideas. He loves those places, don't get him wrong, but he has a better idea. He remembers when the party had all gone to Lover's Lake. Dustin had brought it up as a joke at the time, knowing the reputation Lover's Lake had, but the party actually really enjoyed going. Will wants to relive that feeling again.
"Will? Any ideas?" Lucas questions, noticing how Will seems a bit disinterested in the other options.
Will looks up and smiles. "You guys up for the lake?"
Kicking his kickstand up, Will sets his bike down and looks around. Lucas had invited Max, who then invited Jane, of course. Dustin and Jane were a bit ahead of everyone else, with Lucas and Max trailing behind them, and Will was in the back. He was so happy to be here, surrounded by the people who knew him the best. Sure, a certain someone was missing, but, in all honesty, he was glad. He's not ready to see him, not yet.
As the party settles at the lake, sitting on the ground, and talking easily with one another, Dustin taps Will on the shoulder. "Hey, man. You good?" Will looks up to see the rest of the party still deep in conversation. He peers over his shoulder to see Dustin squatting down next to him, waiting for an answer.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I was just wondering where… he is," he says quietly. He knew Dustin would understand who he was talking about. He had talked with him over the phone, many times, about how Mike wouldn't respond to his letters or answer his calls while he was in Lenora. While he was relieved he didn't have to see him, he was still bummed that he didn't show up. It only confirmed his fear that Mike was done trying to be his friend.
"Oh, he said he had to pick Holly up or something. I think he said she has a playdate," Dustin explains. Oh, Will thinks. The feeling of dread in his chest was alleviated a bit, At least he's not avoiding me.
Will nods, his mood increasing. A weight was taken off his shoulders, now that he knows Mike isn't actively dodging him. As time passes, Will joins the party's conversation. He shares stories with them about Lenora. They all ask him questions, and Will is really enjoying himself. He feels so much better with the party. He'd been alone for most of his time in Lenora, so he welcomes this change with open arms. He can't help but instinctively turn to look to his right, though, to share or joke or laugh with someone who isn't there.
In the back of his head, though, Mike remains. Even after all this time apart, he knew Mike would be having the time of his life. Him and Max would be bickering, while Lucas and Jane egg him on further. Dustin would be trying to diffuse the situation, but failing miserably, and Will would be hiding his laughter behind his hand. He misses it dearly. A small smile creeps onto his face while thinking of this. Lucas notices and bumps his elbow into Will with a wide grin on his face. He raises his eyebrow, his way of asking "What are you smiling about?" Will simply shakes his head, still smiling, and rejoins the conversation.
"I'm gonna actually lose my mind, Mike," Will groans into his phone. He lays on his bed with his hand on his forehead. "I need a break."
It'd been a rough day at school. He's used to bullies, of course, but the stress had really been getting to him. With the pile of homework he had sitting on his desk, not to mention the two midterms he had next week. He had so much going on, and yet, the bullying persists.
"Hey, it'll be okay," Mike whispers. Will sighs when he hears the voice crackle on the phone. Talking to him always helped him, but his stress was too much for it to help now. "I mean it, Will." There's a brief pause where both say nothing. Then, Mike says, "How about we get you out of the house, yeah? Get ready, I'll be there in a few." Will goes to respond, but his phone beeps, signalling that the call ended. Will groans, once again, and rubs his face.
After quickly getting ready, Will gets a text from Mike telling him he's outside. Will takes a deep breath, grounding himself before heading outside. He sees Mike with his bike on the ground, and his bag hung over his shoulder.
Mike gives a soft smile to him as Will walks towards him. Without a word, Will wraps his arms around Mike's shoulders, and immediately sinks into his touch. This isn't new to Mike, though. They never really shied away from physical touch, especially when the other was hurt. He returns the hug, and they stand there for a moment, silent. Will eventually lets go and looks up to Mike, "So," he starts, "where are you taking me?"
Both boys sit on a bench, overlooking a lake. Lover's Lake, Will makes sure to note. It's silent, both of them simply looking at the water. His arm gets nudged by Mike, who's holding a soda. Will smiles and gladly takes it. It's nice. It's peaceful. And once again, Mike knew exactly how to help.
"Better?" Mike asks softly. Will sneaks a glance at Mike, who's already looking at him with a fond smile plastered across his face.
Will looks back out at the water, taking in the setting sun. Looking back at Mike, whose eyes are still glued onto him, Will seems to forget what he was even stressed about. "Yeah," Will whispers, leaning his head against Mike's shoulder. "Much better."
The party returns to the Byer's house. They didn't want to leave just yet, and Will wasn't ready to be alone either, so they camped out in Will's bedroom. Will and Lucas were sitting on his bed, and Dustin, Jane, and Max were sitting on the floor. "Shit, Will, this painting is so good," he hears Max shout. He glances up and sees the painting he made in Lenora. The painting depicted the party, all dressed for battle against a three-headed dragon. Leading the battle was the heart of the party. He made it with Mike in mind, but seeing as they weren't speaking, he doesn't see the need in giving it to him.
Will blushes and whispers a quiet "thank you," while Dustin and Jane look at other paintings of his that he had hung up. Lucas gives him a pat on the back, "Seriously, Will. These are so good. I can't believe we've never seen that one before," referencing the dragon painting.
Will flinches at this exchange, the feeling of his back being patted. It didn't hurt, no. Instead, a memory flashed in his mind. He shot up from the bed, startling Lucas and the rest of the group. He shoots a sorry smile to them, muttering a quick, "Bathroom, sorry," and bolts to the bathroom. He locks the door, and his back slides down the door. He brings his hand to his face, the heels of his hand buried into his eyes.
It was stupid, really. It just reminds him of a petty argument he had with Mike. It wasn't even an argument, honestly. He could just sense that Mike was annoyed, and he hadn't known what he did. Regardless, that memory didn't leave his mind.
"She's so cool, Mike. Seriously, you have to meet her," Will gushes. He's laying down on his stomach on his bed, legs kicking as he talks. He invited Mike over to work on a new campaign, but this was too exciting to ignore.
He recently made a new friend, Maggie. He never had an easy time making friends, so this was extremely exciting to him. They shared so many interests, for example, loving the same comics and movies. Even similar music tastes, which was rare.
"Where did you guys meet, anyway?" Mike questions. His tone almost seems like he's interrogating, Will notices. He chooses to ignore the tone, though. He's simply too happy.
"We met at the comic store! She saw me looking at X-Men and started talking to me." He giggles while saying this. "I mean, how cool is that!" He picks up his phone, scrolling through his pictures to show Mike a selfie he had taken of him and his new friend.
"Really cool, Will," he mutters. This stops Will in his tracks, his thumb hovering over the selfie in question. He glances over at Mike. Mike isn't looking at Will, instead he picks up his phone and starts scrolling, almost aggressively.
"You know," Will starts, choosing to ignore Mike once again. "She recommended this series to me. It seemed pretty cool. Maybe you and I could watch it?" He pauses, waiting for a response. When he doesn't get one, he continues, "Or if you don't want to watch it, maybe we could all go to the movies this weekend. You'd really like her, Mike. I think everyone would, really-"
"I'm busy this weekend," Mike interrupts. He finally looks up and meets Will's eyes. His gaze felt cold. "In fact, I'm pretty busy most of this week. Since you have Maggie now, you wouldn't mind."
"What?" Will's face falls. "Mike, it's not like that. Trust me, it's not. I just wanted us all to hang out," he insists.
""Yeah, well, I'm not exactly looking for new friends right now, Will." Mike says, his voice shaking with bitterness. He stands up and grabs his bag, pulling it over his shoulder. "I didn't know you were looking for replacements."
"Replacements, Mike? Nobody's replacing you, believe me."
"Whatever, I have to go," he snaps. He doesn't look back as he makes his way to the bedroom door. "Have fun watching that show with your cool new best friend."
Will lays there, the excitement quickly fading. Instead, his chest felt heavy.
'What the fuck just happened?' He thinks.
When he returns to his room, the party's eyes are immediately on him. He knows exactly how he looks; eyes red and teary, his energy gone. He mumbles an excuse, "I just sneezed, don't worry." Lucas and Dustin exchange a glance, but they don't say anything. The party gradually picks up in conversation.
Will stays quiet, though, simply listening to the others. The memories of him and Mike just won't go away. He isn't too bothered by it. At least, if Mike isn't here physically, he'll always be in Will's head. He can bring himself to feel grateful for that.
Will lets his mind wander. The picnic, the lake. Lover's Lake. It all plays out in his head, how soft and gentle Mike was to him. How understanding he was. He's happy, obviously, that everyone's here and excited to see him. But still, there's someone missing.
"Dustin, you said Mike only had to pick Holly up, right?" He asks, trying to keep his tone leveled.
"Yeah, I'll text him and see where he's at. Maybe he'd wanna come over," he replies, moving to pick up his phone.
Will stops him though, "No, no, it's okay. I'm getting pretty tired, honestly." He wishes to see him, of course, but it was getting late and the energy in the room was fizzling out. He doesn't want this to be where he sees Mike, where the night's coming to an end.
Eventually, the group says their goodbyes and makes their way to the front door. Max stays behind for a second, though. "You think you'll talk to him?" Max knows everything. Will hadn't stopped bringing up and asking about Mike during their phone calls, to Max's despair.
"I think so. I've been thinking about him so much since I got back. It's awful," he admits with a sigh. He looks up at Max, only to find a knowing smile on her face.
"Don't tell him I told you this, but I'm pretty sure he's thinking about you too." With that, Max gives a dumbfounded Will a hug and makes her exit.
"Will," Mike whines, "Don't make me get up."
They'd both fallen asleep rewatching Star Wars. Mike had been begging him all week to watch it with him, and so obviously Will had no choice but to indulge him. When Will woke up, he found Mike's legs entangled with his and his face resting on Will's shoulder. He got up quickly after seeing that, and realized it was getting late.
"It's getting late," he giggles, standing above Mike, ready to shake him awake again. "You can come over tomorrow, silly. We only got, like, halfway through."
Mike groans and slowly opens one of his eyes, peeking over at Will. "You promise?"
"I promise."
Will opens his eyes, the weight of Mike's head on his shoulder still lingering from his dream. It doesn't last long though, as he peers around his room. With a sigh, he stares at the ceiling, reliving his dream for a moment. He thinks back to that night fondly. He really cherished the moments he got to see of Mike when he was at his most peaceful.
He moves through his morning lazily. After brushing his teeth, he hears his mom call him over for breakfast.
Joyce stands by the kitchen counter, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Mike wasn't there yesterday," she says softly as Will sits down at the table. He stays silent, instead poking at the eggs Joyce set out for him. He feels her move to sit beside him, her hand coming up to rest on his shoulder. "You can't keep quiet forever, you know. If you want to be heard, you have to be the one to speak."
He looks up at her, and he knows that she can see the exhaustion in his eyes. She knows. She had been there, more times than Will would like to admit, to listen to him. She knows how they stopped talking. She had noticed the way he would check his notifications, only to sigh and shut off his phone when he saw that Mike hadn't texted him.
"I don't even know what to say to him, Mom."
"Then don't say anything," she says, a knowing smile creeping onto her face. "Show him." She kisses him on the forehead, and heads out for work.
Will returns to his room, his eyes locking onto the dragon painting. His mom's words ring in his ears. "Show him."
He had made that painting for Mike. He always saw Mike as his protector, as the heart. Regardless of the arguments, of the time they hadn't spoken to one another, he always would see him that way, as his protector.
Before his confidence runs out, he grabs the painting. He rolls it up with trembling hands and slides it into his bag. He looks at the clock, showing that it's 10am. Perfect, he thinks, Mike would probably be awake by now.
He grabs his flannel and rushes out of the house. He can feel the adrenaline coursing through him as he kicks his kickstand up and begins pedaling towards Mike's house. He keeps his head down as he tries to keep his breathing steady, his legs burning as he pedals. As he gets closer, he finds himself repeating, 'Don't turn back, don't turn back.'
Will stops his bike in front of the Wheeler's house. He takes a deep breath as he scans the house in front of him. Mike's dad is gone, he notices, which relieves a bit of his stress. He closes his eyes, giving himself a pep talk. He remembers Max's words: "I'm pretty sure he's thinking about you too." His breathing slows, and he opens his eyes. He reaches into his bag to grab the painting. Now or never.
He reaches the front door, his heart racing more and more as he gets closer. He stands there for a second, his fist trembling, hovering inches from the door. Before he can back out, he goes to knock on the door. His fist doesn't make contact though, as the door had already swung open.
Mike.
He looks exactly the same, he thinks. Maybe a little taller, his hair longer than before. Mike freezes, his eyes widening in shock. Mike's mouth parts, moving to say something, but Will stops him before he gets the chance to speak.
"Mike," he blurts out, his voice urgent. "Can we talk?"
Mike doesn't move for what feels like an eternity, his eyes scanning Will's face warily. Finally, he swallows hard and nods, his voice low. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let's go to the car, more privacy."
They sit there in silence for a few minutes, Will in the passenger seat and Mike in the driver's seat. His hands are placed by his sides, and the painting is laid in his lap. His hands tremble as he tries to come up with words. It smells like Mike. The laundry detergent that he had grown to love, the cologne that Will had mentioned that he liked before. Mike's hands grip the steering wheel, his knuckles white.
"You're back," Mike says finally, his voice trembling as he tries to whisper. "Dustin told me."
Will shifts in the seat, the rolled up painting crinkling in his lap. Keeping his eyes locked on the painting, he blurts out, "Why did you stop, Mike?" His voice trembles as he continues, "Why did you stop calling? I was waiting for you. I waited that entire time." Will takes note of how embarrassing that sounds to say aloud.
His grip on the steering wheel tightens, his hands shaking. "Don't make me the bad guy, Will. You stopped reaching out too."
"Because it was always me!" His voice is raised, the frustration seeping through his words. "I was always the one texting first, calling first. I stopped because I thought you finally got tired of me."
Mike goes silent. Will can see the fight drain out of him, which shocked him. He looked smaller, his chest heaving as he stared down at his knees. "Do you wanna know why?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Know what, Mike? Why you couldn't talk to me?"
"Yeah, Will," Mike cuts him off, finally meeting Will's eyes. His eyes are full of vulnerability that Will has seen only a couple of times. "I was distancing myself. I didn't want to ruin our friendship because of my stupid feelings, okay? I guess it backfired," he huffs, "since you probably hate me now."
Will softens at this, his heart skipping a beat. The air in the car feels thinner now. "Ruin our friendship? What are you talking about?"
Mike takes a deep, shuddering breath, nodding to himself as if encouraging himself. He turns fully in the seat, locking his eyes onto Will's. "Do you remember that picnic we had?" Will nods at this, smiling as the memory plays once again in his head. "I tried really hard to make that a good day for you, you know?" He pauses for a moment, and Will can see himself searching for the correct words to say. "I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I wanted you to know I care for you." He hesitates again. This time, though, Will takes this as an opportunity.
"I have something to show you," he whispers, handing over the painting to him. Mike takes the painting, his hands still shaking and brows furrowed in confusion. He unrolls it slowly, and his breath hitches at the sight of the painting. His thumb traces the outline of it, his eyes wide.
"Will…" he whispers, his voice cracking. "This is amazing." A smile, a genuine smile, makes his way onto his face. Will can't help but smile too. "When did you make this?"
"I made it in Lenora. I made it for you," Will admits, his face heating up. He doesn't look away this time, though. "I wanted to give it to you once I got back, but…" he hesitates for a second before continuing. "I couldn't throw it away. I didn't know if I'd ever actually give it to you," he says with a soft laugh.
Mike's eyes search his, and he can see his smile growing larger. "Is that me? In the center?" He points to the character with a heart.
"Yeah, yeah it is. You've always been the heart."
Mike sets the painting down in his lap before turning his full attention to Will. "I like you, Will," he says, the words coming out in a rush, desperate and certain. "That's why I was such a jerk. That's why I couldn't call. I was so scared that if I heard your voice, I'd just say it, and then I'd lose you forever."
Will sits there for a moment stunned, before a giggle escapes his mouth. "You're an idiot," Will breathes, a tear escaping and rolling down his cheek.
"I know," he says with a watery laugh. "I am, aren't I-"
He cuts Mike off, leaning over the center console, his lips crashing against Mike's. Mike freezes for a moment, dumbfounded, before he relaxes and closes his eyes. His hands settle on Will's face, while Will finds his hands entangled in Mike's hair. His body starts to ache due to having to lean over the center console, but he can't seem to care at that moment. The kiss is everything that the last few months weren't; warm and certain.
The console starts to dig further into Will's side, and with much dread, he pulls apart from the kiss, both breathing heavily, his forehead resting against Mike's. The air feels lighter, Will thinks, a dumb smile painted on his face.
"So," Mike spoke first, his voice shaky but hopeful. "I'm guessing the feeling's mutual?"
Will feels a smile spread across his face, one that reaches all the way to his eyes. "Why else do you think I biked over here before noon?"
They shared a laugh. A warm, bright sound that shattered the months of silence.
Mike exits the car, the door clicking shut. He walks around to the passenger side and pulls the door open, offering his hand. 'How knightly', Will giggles. Will takes his hand, his fingers tangling with Mike's, and steps out of the car. The heat of the sun beams down at him, and he feels even warmer as Mike's arm finds its way around Will's waist as they walk. He pulls Will in closer, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.
"Let's talk more in my room, okay?" Mike says, his voice low and steady.
Will lets out another giggle, and he tries not to think about how much he's giggled in the past few minutes. "Talk, huh?" He smiles and looks over at Mike, whose smile is the brightest Will has seen.
He has the real thing now, Will realizes. The memories holding him together these past few months had been his only lifeline, but he doesn't need to reach for them anymore. Not when Mike is right here, with his head resting on top of Will's and arm wrapped around his waist.