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Mike had to snap out of it. He was staring, he knows that he's staring, but he can't help it. His best friend of like ten years, Will Byers, just announced that he doesn't like girls, and he can't stop staring. He had his suspicions before, but it's one thing to speculate and another to actually hear it said out loud.
Everything Will said in California, in that van, it all makes sense now. 'When you're different, you feel like a mistake... she needs you Mike. And she always will.' Except Mike knows El doesn't need him. She hasn't for a long time. No, it wasn't El that needed him, it was Will. That whole time he was talking about himself, about how he feels like a mistake because he's different - because he's gay - how he always needs Mike, how he was scared of losing him, and how he makes Will feel like he isn't a mistake. He was trying to tell him this, last year, and it went right over his head because he was too wrapped up in his own self pity he couldn't notice his best friend hurting.
'I had this crush on someone, even though I know they're not like me'. Will had looked straight at him, and something just clicked, like he was looking at everything with a new light flicked on. His breath had practically left his body at that point. He was talking about him.
But Will was wrong.
"We need to be ready to fight him there too. We have bullets and fire, but none of that helped those soldiers. I need to be there," Will continued talking but Mike couldn't hear much of it, still stuck in his thoughts.
"And I'm ready," Mike looked up again, paying attention once more, "I'm ready to show him I'm not afraid anymore." And that struck Mike like a hammer. He didn't want to be afraid of himself anymore, Will had helped him realise that. If Will was strong enough to come out to this many people all at once, then he could tell him that he's wrong - that he is like him. His Father isn't here to tell him it's disgusting and wrong, his old bullies aren't here to taunt him. No one else but Will needs to know. And he wants Will to know. Badly.
The room slowly cleared out, everyone leaving to start preparations for their plan, but Mike couldn't leave, not when Will was still recovering from that. He made himself look busy until the room was completely clear, Joyce having just left her son after one last hug.
"Hey."
Will looked up, tear stained cheeks and eyes still tinted pink. "Hey," hesitation oozed from his voice.
Mike was not afraid. He could do it. He could be brave for once. "I could use your help down in the basement, I need to move a few things up." A complete lie, but the last thing he wants is for someone else to overhear him. Just because he's ready to tell Will, doesn't mean he's ready to tell half of Hawkins.
"Yeah. Yeah, of course" Will wiped the remaining tears away and stepped towards him. "Lead the way," he said with a faint smile.
They didn't say a word until they reached the basement, where Mike closed the door. Silence echoed out for seconds, before Mike spoke up, "can we talk?"
Probably not the best start, Mike cringed. Will literally just came out and Mike says can we talk? The one line that makes everyone nervous? Of course Will's going to get the wrong idea. Judging by his narrowed eyes, stiff shoulders, and the heartbreak that's quickly filling his eyes, he definitely started wrong. Shit. Smooth going, Mike.
"If you think differently of me now, or if you- if you don't acce-"
"No! No, no, sorry. That came out totally wrong! Sorry. I wanted to say that I'm really proud of you Will." He placed his hand on Will's shoulder, ignoring the spark that flared at the touch. "Sorry, I shouldn't have started like that."
"Shit, Mike," he let out a nervous laugh, "I though you were going to say that, like, you didn't want to be friends anymore."
"No, never," he said, taking Will's shoulders and looking him in the eyes. "Never. You hear me? I'll always be here, by your side."
"I hear you." Mike's heart is beating way too fast to be healthy, and he can't tell if it's because Will is looking at him like that or he's just nervous, because he's actually going to do this.
Mike has just had an idea. He's facing the wall of music, and if he can just find that song, it'll be easier for Mike to tell him. "Just wait here for a moment. I need to find something first." And before Will could reply, he's off, scanning the shelves, looking for...
"Got it!" After a minute of looking, he pulls it off the shelf and practically runs to the cassette player. He hits play and immediately, the room is filled with the soft beats of the song. He turns it down a bit as Will comes up to him.
"That's-" Will starts, but Mike cuts in.
"You know this song?" It wasn't really a question. He knew the answer.
Will stares at him for a few minutes before he smiles, "Of course I know this song, Mike. I- I'm gay, how could I not know Smalltown Boy?"
"Yeah, silly question, I guess." Mike takes a deep breath. No running away. "I've always loved this song, since I first heard it, like two years ago. I... relate to it."
"You relate to it? You know what it's about, right? It's about-"
"I know," he says quickly. "I know what it's about. Doesn't change that I relate to this song."
"I- but. But, Mike, you're not like that, like me," he whispered, each word falling off his tongue slower than the last, and eyes downcast but wide. Deep in thought. 'Even though I know they're not like me.'
"You don't know everything about me then," he whispers back. "I'm just not as brave as you are. I mean, you just came out to everyone! I couldn't believe it."
Will laughed, soft and vulnerable. "Yeah, I guess I did. But I knew that if I didn't..." He trailed off.
"Then Vecna would be able to use it against you," Mike finished.
"And that terrified me. I wanted to just tell Mum and Jonathon...," he looked back up to Mike, before flickering his eyes back down. His face was still flushed. "And you. But I figured that I may as well tell everyone."
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away...
Mike bumped his shoulder and leant down. "Will, you're fucking amazing, seriously! To come out in front of everyone, and I can barely say it to one person," he said, his voice getting smaller and smaller. He glanced away.
"Say it? Like... come out?" Mike nodded. "Mike, you're really..."
Mike hummed. His face was definitely bright red. "Yeah. I'm..." He looked back up to Will, and his face was full of wonder - eyes wide and bright, mouth agape but smiling. He couldn't look away. This was it, no running away. "I'm gay, Will." He waited for Will's reaction, but he seemed frozen, unblinking and just staring at him. His heart pounded in his chest, a staccato rhythm contrasting the music currently filling the air. Why isn't he saying anything?
He nudged the other boy slightly from where they sat in front of the cassette player. That seemed to snap him out of it. "Holy shit, Mike," he exclaimed with a wide smile. "But El? I- I thought you loved her? I thought you were straight this whole time."
"I loved El. I still love El... just not how I'm supposed to love a girlfriend. I'll always love her, but just as a friend would. She actually figured it out like, nearly a year ago," he laughed softly.
"Then that's why you two broke up? She knows everything?"
"Yep. Pretty much. It's funny how it took breaking up to finally stop fighting and get along. We're much better off as friends. And she's better off on her own. She needs it, you know? She needs to actually be herself, and learn who she is without me holding her back. And I needed to stop using her to hide who I am." He fully turned to face Will and grabbed his hands, startling Will. "I've been hiding my whole goddamn life because I was scared of myself. I pushed my true feelings down and tried to be someone I'm not, and I am so sorry, Will. I hurt you by doing that. Especially in California. I missed you so much, and seeing you again, it brought everything back to the surface and I got scared, so I kept my distance, and I'm sorry." Tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes and he tried to blink them away. They fell down his cheeks anyway.
Will looked down to their joined hands, and Mike followed his gaze. Will brushed his thumb over Mike's hand. His breath caught in his throat. "It's okay, Mike. I understand, really."
He shook his head. "No! No, it's not okay, Will. I was an absolute jerk to both you and El. And that whole time you were in California, I couldn't even send any of the letters I wrote to you. I mean, I still have them, in the drawer in my desk, and I was too scared that you would, like, take it the wrong way, or they were too much, so I didn't send them, even though I should have sent something since I couldn't call you." And he was definitely rambling now. He never wanted to mention those letters, where he practically confessed his love to his friend. They were way too embarrassing to think about.
Will sat up straight, looked into his eyes, and whispered, "Couldn't call me? Of course you could have called me."
Tears were still streaming down his face, and Will was looking straight at him. He turned away, staring at the cassette player, as it played the outro. "Your line was busy every time I tried to call. And then it would have been too late to call and I didn't want to wake you or your family just because I missed you. But I tried. Every day, Will. I called every day."
"Mike..."
"Earlier, you said you had a crush on a boy? Had," he whispered. He might be digging too deep, but he just had to know.
Will looked away, embarrassed. "Uh, yeah. I did say that."
"That boy... it's me, isn't it?" Will's eyes darted back to his own, frantic and wide, like he'd just caught the boy doing something illegal. "Sorry, I don't want to be presumptuous, but it's the only thing that makes sense. And you were looking straight at me when you said it. It was kind of hard to miss."
"I was staring straight at you?" He hid his bright red face in his hands but nodded. "Yeah. It's always been you Mike. It still is you."
Mike reached across that gap between them and took a hold of his hands, pulling them away from his face. His eyes were aimed at his lap. "Still is? What, you're not over me?" he said with a teasing smile.
Instantly, Will's eye shot up, catching Mike's with their intensity. "Are you kidding me? Over you? How could I ever be over you, Mike?" Now it was Mike's turn to be embarrassed. "I- You're amazing, everything about you! You're insanely loyal, and brave, and you've always been there for me, when I needed you most. You inspire me to be myself, Mike. And hell, I probably wouldn't even be here if not for you. So, no, I'm not over you, and I don't just have a crush on you. I'm in- I love you, Mike. I've always loved you, and I don't think I could stop loving you even if I tried." And now Will was crying - tears of joy, not distress like he was earlier. Mike gave into the urge to wipe them away, and as he did, Will leaned into the touch with a soft breathy laugh.
"Well, shit Will. I don't think I can top that." And Will laughed again, and Mike joined him. Their eyes met and Mike took a deep breath. "I love you too. I think I always have but I didn't realise it until you weren't here with me in Hawkins. I couldn't stand it, not seeing your smile, not hearing your laugh, not being with you for those months."
Will took Mike's face in his hands, softly running his thumb over his cheek, wiping his tears away. "You don't know how badly I've wanted to hear those words," Will whispered, his breath fluttering against his face.
And he didn't realise just how close they'd gotten. Will had risen to his knees and was leaning slightly over him, so Mike had to look up to see his face. His gaze fell on Will's lips for a second, before catching his eyes. "And you don't know how badly I want to kiss you right now," he breathed out, barely a whisper.
And Will was definitely staring at his lips now. "Then do it." It was so quiet, he could barely tell if he actually heard him correctly.
"Maybe I will," he whispered back, and his hands were on Will's neck and bringing him down.
Will paused for a second, just long enough whisper, "I love you." Their lips met, and the spark inside that had been burning slowly roared to life, enveloping him.
He leant into the kiss, pressing his lips softly against Will's. He could feel Will's smile against his own, and that alone was enough to knock him down. He fell back, catching himself with one hand before his back could hit the floor, the other still holding Will's neck and dragging him down with him, forcing him to brace himself.
They broke apart, face full of smiles and joy, and Mike couldn't hold it in any longer. He laughed. He'd nearly died like a day ago, only to be saved by the boy he was secretly in love with. And now, here he was, confessing his love to said boy and kissing him, all while the world might end tomorrow. He laughs, because he's never been happier than right now, with Will Byers having just kissed him. "I love you, too," he whispered.
Will laughs alongside him and collapsed to the ground beside Mike. "Is this real? This isn't a dream right? Vecna doesn't still have me under his spell?"
Mike fell back fully, and turned towards Will. "It's real, I promise," he whispered. He reached out to place a hand on Will's cheek. "This is the most real my life has ever felt. I just wish I had done this before. We could have had so much extra time together if I wasn't such a coward."
"We'll still get that time. And Mike? You're not a coward. You being here with me proves that. If you were a coward, you'd still be denying your sexuality and dating El, or some other girl."
Mike let out a small laugh. "No thanks, I'd rather be dating you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he replied. He'd never been so sure of something in his life.
"Hmmm... that could be arranged," he hummed out, glancing back to Mike's lips with a smirk. "But, only if you kiss me again."
"That can definitely be arranged." And he leant in to kiss Will again, soft and feather-light. His lips slightly chapped from the cold, but he couldn't think of anything better. He wouldn't care if his lips were battered and bloodied, he'd still want to kiss them just the same as if they were soft and smooth.
"You can do better than that," Will said as he pulled back with a lovesick grin.
"What, you didn't like it?"
Will pulled him in close again, his breath against his own lips. "I didn't say that. Just that you could do better."
"Yeah, you're right, I can," he whispered as he closed the gap between them. He deepened the kiss, turning his head slightly for a better angle, and Will in turn opened his mouth slightly. They moved in sync, as one, and Mike melted into the kiss. He shifted his weight so he half hovered over Will, and Will's hands found their way into Mike's hair, tugging and twirling strands around his fingers.
The world could end tomorrow, and Mike wouldn't care. No, all he cared about right now was the feeling of Will's lips against his, Will's hands in his hair, and the faint gasps coming out of his mouth. Yeah, the world could burn and he'd be content with this. He never wants this to stop. He was drowning in Will and he didn't want to come up for air.
Almost as if his thoughts triggered something in Will, he gently pushed Mike away. And Mike whined at the loss of contact, actually whined. God, kill him now. His face heated as Will chuckled at the noise. "Sorry, Mike. Not that I wasn't enjoying that, but we should probably head back up soon or someone will walk in looking for us," he said, glancing at the door as if saying that would summon someone in the doorway.
He hated how logical Will could be sometimes. "I hate how logical you are sometimes," he muttered as he sat up, freeing Will from under him. Will lifted himself up and suddenly they were face to face again, and Mike was glancing at Will's lips again.
"No, Mike, we really need to go. We're supposed to be helping prepare," he said with a smile.
Mike huffed and stood up, dusting off his clothes and flattening his hair before reaching down to pull Will up as well. Mike helps to straighten up Will's clothes, before he takes his hand and leads them to the basement door. He pauses just before he opens it. "One last thing," he starts. "When this is all over and we've finished school, do you want to run away together? To a big city where no one will find us and we'll be safe from all this shit?"
Will looked up at him with a grin, and pecked him on the lips. "I'd run away with you to the other side of the planet if you asked."
"Really?" Mike couldn't help but ask.
"Really." Will nodded and opened the door. "Now, come one, before people get suspicious."
They make their way up the stairs, hand in hand, grinning like maniacs, but just as they are about to make the landing, Mike pulls Will to a stop. He looks back, and with great reluctance, Mike pulls his hand out of Will's grip. The lingering warmth quickly fades and Will's smile drops. "I'm not ready for the others to know. I'm sorry," he whispers out, feeling guilty.
"No, don't be sorry. We'll go at whatever pace you're comfortable with," Will says with a touch against his wrist.
What did he do to deserve this boy? "Thank you. After everything is over, I promise."
With that, he lead the way up the stairs, Will following a few steps behind, and into the main room which was practically empty aside from Lucas. Who looked up and smirked when he saw the two of them. "I was wondering when you'd come out," he said with a glint in his eyes, not even looking at Will.
Mike froze, like a deer in headlights. "I- what? Wait, what? What do you mean?" He stammered out. Had Lucas overheard them in the basement? Or on the stairs?
Lucas quirked an eyebrow, smirk growing wider as he watched Mike flounder. "Come out... the basement. Where you just were? What did you think I meant?"
"Nothing! Nothing. The basement, yep. Just came out of the basement. Mhm"
Lucas leaned forward on the sofa, hand under his chin. "So... you two had fun then? Good... chat?"
Mike's face was unbearably warm and he knew that Lucas knew something. Desperate, he turned to Will for help, but found him barely containing a laugh. He's no help then. He turned back quickly. "Yep. Good chat. I don't know what you're trying to imply so you can stop whatever this is." He gestured towards Lucas's smug face.
Lucas just laughed. "You two couldn't be more obvious you know."
And that confirms what he'd feared. "Right. Thank you, Lucas," he choked out, his face burning. He forced himself to walk past the sofa that Lucas sat on, his stomach feeling like lead.
"You're welcome. But for real, I'm happy for you two," he said, with a genuine smile this time. "And," he continued, "I'll keep your secret until you're ready to tell the others. But you might want to make yourselves look more, well, presentable before going outside to the others. I wasn't kidding when I said it was obvious what you two were up to down there. You're lucky it was just me up here."
"We weren't up to anything," he mumbled.
From behind him, Will countered, "I mean, we kind of were, Mike."
He spun around. "He doesn't need to know that."
Will just shrugged. "He already knows."
Lucas stood up from where he sat, stretching his arms out. "Right, well, I've got actual work to do for our plan, so I'll see you out there." He walked to the door but just as he got there he stopped and leaned against the door frame. "Oh, and it's about damn time. I was getting sick of all the pining." And with that he left, leaving Mike in stunned, embarrassed silence, and Will giggling like schoolgirl.
"You can stop laughing now," he said as he grabbed Will's hand to lead them to the bathroom to fix themselves up.
"But your face!"