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Mike prepared the church together with the party for their last mission. Hopefully, everything was going to end after this. They set up Cerebro 2.0 so that Lucas and Max could communicate with the rest of the group from the real world to the Upside Down. Vickie and Robin would stay at the church on the other side to catch the signal.
While Dustin and Lucas started to connect the radio with the antennas, and El and Max were talking about Vecna’s mind and how to trick it, Mike and Will were on the other side of the room, hammering wood and metal blades on the windows and doors for protection, in case the military came and wanted to stop them.
Mike and Will did their chores without talking. The young Wheeler was still a bit stunned by the confession Will had made before they headed here. It’s not like he never suspected that Will might not be into girls, but hearing him actually say it out loud and turning his assumptions to facts shifted something in him.
The choice of Will's words reminded him of last year. What he said about being different sounded like the speech Will gave Mike in the Pizza truck on their way to Nevada. Back then, Mike thought that this was only about his relationship with El, but after today, he suspected that he may have missed something. In fact, he was wondering if Will actually just said what he was feeling, not what El felt. And the more he thinks about this, the more it makes sense. The more it becomes the reality. The unrequited crush Will mentioned could be himself. And that made Mike kind of scared. Afraid that their friendship might change.
The way Will had looked at him while talking about it was also undeniably meant for Mike. So it must be him. It’s just that Mike now didn't know what to do. Yes, Will said that he is over that crush and that he is fine with that, but the problem is that for Mike, it’s not over. He wonders how long this had been. How long was Will actually craving for him, while Mike didn’t notice and only had eyes for El? Mike needed to know if his assumption was right.
It made him mad that Will didn’t tell him while it was happening, and he didn’t know why. He knew that Will was afraid to show this side of him. That he didn’t want to tell him because he knew that Mike would not return the feeling. So, why did it bother him so much?
He also couldn’t forget the funny feeling he got in his stomach and the skip his heart made when he realized Will was talking about him. It caught him off guard. So much, he almost forgot to hug Will and reassure him that everything was alright, that this would not change anything between them. Even though he had the feeling that it would.
“What are you thinking about over there?” Mike heard Will's voice calling beside him.
Put out of his trance, Mike looked at Will with a guilty look, feeling caught. “Oh, no. Nothing."
“You sure?” Will asked, amused. “I can see the gears moving in your head.”
Mike gives him a weak smile. “It’s just–” he cuts himself off. “Forget it.”
“No, no!” Will says. “You can talk to me. Come on. We’re best friends, remember? And friends don’t lie.”
Mike’s smile widens when he hears their usual slogan. "Before, when– you know, you were telling us your secret. You mentioned a crush.” He tried to dive into this conversation as cautiously as possible.
But Will's expression changed anyway. He started stiffening up again, after he was just starting to look comfortable and brave, now that he showed his whole truth. “Yes, what about it?”
Mike swallowed and looked at his hands before he asked what he was thinking. “Was it me?” He looked up again.
He found his best friend’s face drawn with shock. Mike could see how tears were forming in his eyes and his breathing started to speed up. He looked afraid. Mike felt bad for awakening this in Will, but he knew it was necessary to have this conversation and get this thing out of the way. The final battle was about to go down, and the last thing they could need were worries and secrets that Vecna could use against them in the end.
Will wiped his tears from his eyes before answering, “Yes, it was you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen. But like I said, I’m over it now.”
“No, no. Don’t be sorry. It’s alright. It happens.” Mike wanted to reassure him, trying to keep it cool. Not wanting to let Will see that he actually freaked out, now that he was sure that his assumption was actually right.
“You sure?” Will smiles weakly. “I just don’t want this to affect our friendship, you know.”
“Yeah, no. It won't, I promise,” Mike said, feeling his hands getting sweaty.
“How did you figure it out?”
“The way you were telling us about you. About you being different and afraid of us leaving you. It reminded me of the conversation we had about El last summer. Which I’m guessing was not really about El, was it?”
“No,” Will laughs. “It wasn’t.”
Mike smiles at him. “Thought so.” He bumps Will in his shoulder, wanting to get the tension out of the air.
“El wrote to me in one of her letters that you were painting something for a crush of yours. A girl, she thought, but now…” he paused for a moment. “Was that the painting you gave me?”
Will nods, looking caught.
“Hey, it’s alright. This changes nothing between us, okay?” He now has one hand laying on Will’s shoulder, getting him to look directly at him.
And oh.
Mike felt like he was struck by lightning when Will’s hazel eyes met his. It was the first time that he noticed how many colours Will’s eyes were actually made out of. All the shades that formed this beautiful hazelnut shade, sparkling in front of him.
It seemed like the world was moving slower. It was like the moment when Mike realized that Will had just killed the Demogorgon by himself and became a real-life sorcerer. The funny feeling in his stomach formed again, and he felt how his heart began to race again.
Standing in front of him, Mike realized how pretty Will was. How his new haircut was complementing his face and how beautifully he smiled.
“Okay,” he heard Will say with relief, which put him out of his thoughts.
“Okay,” Mike was smiling like crazy. “We should… So maybe we… you know. We p-probably should get going. We have to be ready soon.”
God, why was he stuttering all of a sudden? What was happening to him?
“Yeah, can you hand me another nail, please?” Will reached out a hand.
“Sure, here.” Mike nervously gave the whole package of nails to him, causing their fingers to brush slightly.
Before he continued himself, he stared at Will for a moment longer. Watching how he moved and how his hair was dancing in the breeze that was coming through the hole in the window. Mike suddenly realized how grown up Will was by now. He had gotten more muscular since he left Hawkins two years ago. Mike couldn’t help but think that the feeling Will had would probably be mutual if he liked boys too.
–
“What were you and Will talking about earlier?” El suddenly asked as she was walking beside Mike, while they were on their way to the meeting point. Murray was already waiting for them, ready to start their last crawl.
Mike looked at her, surprised. It felt like El had discovered a secret, and he suddenly felt caught.
“Nothing,” he answered way too fast.
Her eyebrows pulled together in disbelief. “It didn’t look like nothing. You looked concerned.”
“Everything is fine, really,” Mike reassured her. “We are going to do this last mission, and then we can finally have our happy-ever-after. Who knows, maybe we will also find the impossible and actually discover a place with three waterfalls.”
Mike laughed, expecting El to join him, but to his surprise, her face stayed serious. Sad, even.
“What?” He now fully turned to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Mike,” she started with a pitying look. “I think we should talk.”
Oh no.
This didn’t sound good. A bad feeling grew in Mike as he watched his girlfriend take his hand slowly, holding it with both of hers.
Would this be the end?
“Okay,” was the only thing Mike found himself capable of saying.
“I thought about the things you said. The world you imagined the two of us in, when this was finally over. Us living a normal life. Together,” she pauses, waiting for a reaction from Mike, who, on the other hand, was just standing there, incapable of moving. They're breaking up, aren't they?
“I was thinking about it, and I’m not sure this is what I want,” she continues. “That this is what we need. Both of us. We are young, Mike. How realistic is it that we’re going to spend our whole lives together?”
“Who cares about realistic? Nothing about our lives is realistic. I believe we can have that life. I’m sure we can make it. Build it together,” Mike answers desperately. He didn’t want his relationship to end.
“Mike,” her voice is soft. “Let me put it in another way, then. I don’t think that I can have that life. After the lab, and after Hopper finally allowed me to go out of the cabin, I was together with you. And that was fun, don't get me wrong, but…” she stopped. “But I can’t help but have the feeling that I missed something. That I missed out on finding myself. Becoming independent.”
Mike felt tears form in his eyes. This couldn’t be happening right now.
“Do you remember when we broke up the first time? I was doing so many normal things with Max, and the fun that I had with her in the mall… Gosh, it was the best. I remember feeling so free while doing that, having sleepovers without boyfriends. I often find myself thinking back to this day recently. I think I need to be on my own for a bit, after this." She ends her speech.
Mike feels a single tear run down his cheek as he nods.
“Okay,” he sniffed, seeing it would be unnecessary if he’d argued with her. El seemed sure with her decision. “I really hope you get what you want after this. But promise we will still be friends, okay? I need you.”
El looked at him with loving eyes. “Of course, Mike. I need you too, just not like that anymore.”
Mike nods again, still sniffing.
“Besides,” she looked at him with a questioning look. “Am I even the person you actually want?”
What did she mean by that now? He never had eyes for anyone else but her.
“Of course,” Mike defended himself. “Who else would I want?”
“I don't know. It just seemed…” El looked away, and Mike noticed how she glanced at Will.
“Wait, Will?” Mike looked at her in shock. “I’m not– We’re not– I’m not gay.”
“Gay?” she asked, confused.
“Ah, right, sorry. Gay means that a man is attracted to other men. You know… sexually.” God, this was awkward.
“Oh, sorry,” she was blushing. “I just thought that you were maybe like Will. I watched you two talk back in the church, and I just thought…” she stopped to think. “Well, the way you looked at him. I couldn’t help but notice that you never looked at me like that. It seemed like you had a deeper connection to him. Almost… like you were in love?”
Mike was silent. Did it really seem like he was in love when he was around Will? Did anyone else besides El suspect something?
“Well, I’m not,” He ended the topic before he could think about it even more. He couldn’t be distracted right now. They had to fight Vecna soon.
El just nodded, and they continued their walk behind the group.
But Mike couldn’t help but find his gaze wandering to Will again. Watching him from behind. Could it be possible that he really was like Will? That he returned the feelings?
–
It’s been three weeks. Three weeks since they finally defeated Vecna. Three weeks since El and Mike broke up.
Their lives were slowly coming back to normal. The military left Hawkins, the metal plates could be removed, and the town was becoming one again. The Byers continued to live at the Wheelers until Joyce and Hopper found a new home to build a life in. But that also meant that Will was living in Mike's basement again.
It was weird, living with him after what Will had told him in the church. Mike found himself laying awake at night for hours, thinking about what this was between them. It seemed like Will really moved on from what had happened. He was acting normal around Mike, doing everything the same way they used to before. But for some reason, Mike didn’t see it the same way anymore. It seems like every time they interact, he discovers new things about Will: the little birthmark on his neck, that one specific curl that always stood up after Will got out of bed, and the way the right corner of his mouth always moved higher than the other while he laughed.
All those little things suddenly consumed his thoughts all day. Not even sleeping could prevent him from thinking about them. His dreams were haunted by his best friend. At first, it was just casual scenarios: them playing DnD or going to the arcade together. But after a while, the dreams started to shift. Mike began dreaming of them laying close to each other on his bed, just talking, while Mike looked at Will closely. Those dreams caused Mike to question everything he knew about himself till now. He tried to remember everything he went through with Will till then, every encounter they had, wondering if the feelings that suddenly awakened in him had always been there and he just missed them.
He had tried to convince himself over the past weeks that he was just imagining things, that he was normal. But those thoughts became irrelevant after the dream Mike had last night.
Will had been a sorcerer, while he himself was a paladin. At the beginning of his dream, they were fighting the three-headed dragon that Mike recognized from the painting Will made him. It was a long fight, but in the end, Mike and Will combined their powers and defeated him by redirecting a fireball so that it hit the monster in the heart. To celebrate their victory, they wanted to go to a tavern in the nearest village. On their way there, they came across a sunflower field, where they started to talk about something that Mike could not quite remember. But what he remembered was that, at some point, Will reached out to take Mike’s head and kissed him on the mouth. Mike found himself kissing him back with such strong intensity that he accidentally brought them to the ground, making them both laugh.
He didn’t know what happened after that because he got woken up by his mom, who was calling them for breakfast. Her wounds were mostly healed, but she still had to be careful while talking. This is why she came directly to their rooms instead of screaming through the house.
After Mike had realized what he had just been dreaming, he couldn’t deny it anymore. He was attracted to men. And more importantly, he was attracted to Will. His hands were sweaty and his heart was pounding while he thought about how passionately they had kissed in the field. He couldn’t stop himself from craving more. From wanting to experience that feeling in real life. He wanted to feel how Will’s lips felt on his and what his hair felt like when he ran his fingers through them, pulling his best friend closer to him.
He avoided looking at Will during breakfast and continued to lock himself in his bedroom afterwards until the others would arrive. Nancy was about to move out. After the final battle, she decided she could no longer live in Hawkins and wanted to go out into the world, getting the normal ’20s experience. She found a place to live in Boston, where she planned on getting a job at the local newspaper there. Later, she wanted to apply for college again, so she can fulfill her dreams of becoming a journalist.
After they packed away most of the stuff, Mike found himself looking through a box that contained a few things Nancy thought her little brother maybe wanted to have. He was in his room, listening to the radio as he looked through the books and toys. After a while, he heard a knock on the door, followed by Will opening it.
“Your mom says lunch is ready. Are you coming?” Will asked.
Mike immediately started blushing, looking at Will. This was embarrassing. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out of it.
“Yeah, o-of course. Just give me a sec,” He rapidly stood up, basically running to the door, wanting to shut it.
But he was stopped by Will’s foot. He pushed the door back open and stood now right in front of Mike, looking him directly in the eyes, causing Mike to turn even more red than he already was.
“Okay, what is going on, Mike?” Will demanded. “All day you have been avoiding me.”
“Nothing,” Mike tried but only caught an annoyed look from Will, who took a step into his room and closed the door behind him.
“It’s not nothing, Mike. I’m not stupid,” He sounded angry. “What is going on? Tell me.”
Mike sighed and took a step backwards, sitting down on his bed. “It’s just all so confusing.”
“What is confusing exactly?” Will approached him calmer, sitting down beside him.
“Just… everything,” Mike said. “Everything. Trying to live a normal life again, after what we have been through, having to start living here without my sister. You.” Mike abruptly stopped when he realized what he just said.
“Me?” Will asked, offended. “What is confusing about me?”
Mike buried his face in his hands. This couldn’t be happening right now. How could he be so stupid? He felt like he could cry.
“I’m sorry,” Mike said, exhausted. “It’s not you in particular, it’s more… us. Our friendship.”
Will backed up a little, with a concerned look on his face. “Our friendship? Why is our friendship confusing?” Mike could see how Will started panicking. His best friend was sensing in what direction this conversation would go.
“Ever since you opened up to us – to me – about you… I have the feeling something has shifted,” he tried carefully. “Like something has changed.”
And oh no.
Mike had said the wrong thing. Will was now fully panicking, jumping up from the bed and nervously running through the room, muttering something like: ‘I knew it’ or ‘I should’ve seen this coming’.
After a short moment, he came to a halt and looked at Mike. The taller boy could see tears in his best friend’s eyes as he said, “You said this would not change anything between us, Mike. You promised!”
“I know,” Mike replied, stressed.
“But I said that I was over it. Please, believe me, Mike. I can’t lose you. You’re my best friend!” Will begged.
“No, Will. Stop!” Mike jumped up too, walking to Will and grabbing him by his shoulders, keeping him steady. “I won’t leave you, okay? I’ll never leave you.”
Mike felt how Will slowly calmed down. They were staring intensely at each other, like Mike wanted to tell him telepathically that everything was going to be alright. It took everything in him to not just grab the boy in front of him and kiss him.
“Okay,” Will said weakly. “What else is it, then?”
Mike took a deep breath. This was it. He had to tell him now, or else he never will.
“You said that you had a crush on me, even though you knew that I was not like you,” Will nodded in confusion. “Well, what if you were wrong?” Mike said, the fear clearly audible in his voice.
“I don’t understand?” Will looked at him with lost eyes.
Mike nervously ran a hand through his hair. “What if I was like you?”
There. He said it.
Silence grew in the room. Will stood frozen in front of him. It was impossible for Mike to read what he was thinking at this moment, so he continued.
“I told you that after we talked in the church, El broke up with me. But what I haven’t told you is that she said that she watched us when we talked. She told me that I had looked at you like I was in love with you,” He paused, wanting to give Will a chance to let it sink in, what he was saying. “And at that moment, I thought she was crazy. But the more I think about it, the more I believe that she could’ve been right.”
“What… What do you mean?” Will asked, still confused and overwhelmed by the situation.
“I mean,” Mike gathered his courage and put one hand to Will’s cheek, “that I have a huge crush on you, Will Byers. And even though you said that you are over me now, I’m hoping that it was not true and you still have feelings left for me, because…” He stopped, afraid of what he was about to say. “Because I would really like to kiss you right now.”
The world stopped. Mike felt his blood running to his head. His heart seemed like it would explode. The butterflies in his stomach seemed like they were doing a race. Basically, everything in him freaked out right now, while waiting for Will to say something.
After what seemed like an eternity, Will finally found his voice again.
“Then do it.”
That’s everything Mike needed to hear. He grabbed Will by the neck and pulled him closer, gently laying his lips on his. At first, it was simple, but after a moment they both became more confident and deepened the kiss. Mike was burying his hand in Will’s hair as the other one grabbed Mike by the hips, drawing him closer. It was electrifying.
At that moment, Mike let go of his worries. He let go of his shame. He felt free, and what he was doing with Will felt so right. Like everything finally slipped into place. That this is how it’s supposed to be.
They slowly separated after a moment to catch their breath. They looked at each other for a few seconds before the biggest smile Mike has ever seen formed on Will’s face. He looked so happy, like all the tears from before never happened. Seeing him like that caused a warm wave coming from Mike’s chest to go through his whole body. He burst out laughing before he wrapped his arms around Will, dragging him into a tight hug.
“I like you so, so much!” He said while burying his face in Will’s neck.
Will hugged him back tightly. “I like you too.”
They stayed like this for a while until they heard a knock on the door and heard Jonathan say from outside, “Hey guys, are you coming, or what? The food is getting cold.”
“We’re coming!” Will calls out, before putting his attention back on Mike, kissing him once more. “We should probably go,” he says with a loving voice.
“Yes, we should,” Mike put their foreheads together, closing his eyes.
He could stay like this forever.
“Come on,” Will said while taking Mike’s hand. “Let’s go downstairs. We can continue this later.”