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Mike doesn’t end up getting an opportunity to talk to Will before the plan is kicked into gear. At least, thanks to Vickie and Nancy, his mind and heart hurt a little less. He can figure this out, and he knows he needs to start by talking to El.
For once, he thanks the party for their perception of his and El’s relationship. When Mike sat in the back of the truck, near El, nobody questioned it. Mike tried to catch Will’s eyes, but felt guilty for it, and when Will began to look at him, Mike was quick to turn away.
The low, nervous chatter and running engine helped give them privacy in their conversation.
“El, we need to talk…”
El turned to look at him and he instantly felt a bit guilty. She was clearly tense, and he was suddenly reminded of how trivial his issues seemed compared to hers. He almost considered lying to her, trying to tell her he loved her, if only to provide her comfort. Her soft and knowing look stopped that idea dead in its tracks.
Mike cleared his throat and placed a hand on her knee. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. Well- I guess I haven’t lied to you directly, but it was sort of a lie by omission-”
“Mike,” She said with fond exasperation, and Mike laughed nervously.
“Sorry- Sorry. I just want you to go into this fight knowing that I do- I do love you. But that I can only say because I know now that the love I have for you is the same love I have for all my friends.”
“But not Will?”
Mike half choked, he glanced around, but thankfully everyone was still lost in conversation or thought. He looked back at El and her expression was grounding. She was sad, but understanding.
“I think that I also only love you as a friend. I liked the attention you gave me, but I didn’t have the chance to know the difference between friend love and romantic love. I’m sorry too, Mike. I pulled away without telling you why. I just wanted you to be honest with yourself and me.” She told him through small sniffles. Mike smiled gently at her, and hugged her.
“Don’t be sorry. I’ve been a complete idiot. I’m glad you did it, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been honest with myself.” He pulled back, and tilted his head nervously.
“So… best friends?”
El giggled softly, then responded with a teasing tone.
“Lets start with just friends. Only a couple people qualify for the best friends spot.”
The party split after that, and for the first time in a long while, Mike felt hope. It had never been Eleven’s fault, but his turmoil over their relationship had ruled his thoughts for the past few years. He was certain that she shared the sentiment.
When El had left the truck, she had squeezed his arm and thanked him, a new look of focus and determination on her face. This time, when Mike turned to watch her leave, he locked eyes with Will. He was instantly lost in the swirl of emotions that lay there, before Will turned his face away quickly.
Mike’s only issue with his now-clear head was that he had nothing else to worry about besides getting the opportunity to spill his guts to Will. That and the world-ending threat literally looming over their heads.
He had practically given up on getting Will alone until he stopped for a break on the radio tower and a head of fluffy brunette hair popped up after him. He waited for Will to step onto the same platform, making sure no one else was stopping.
“Water?” He offered, and Will accepted with a breathless ‘thanks.’ Mike shivered as their hands brushed, and focused on schooling his breath.
“Hey, Will, I wanted to talk to you, about- well about everything, I guess.”
Will stiffened a little, looking like he wanted to run, but he nodded and waited for Mike to continue.
“I need to say sorry. I’m not just sorry because you told us and I should’ve said sorry a long time ago. I’ve been a horrible friend, and I’ve said things I completely regret, especially now.” Mike explained earnestly, breathlessly. He watched him from the side, while Will stubbornly kept his face forward, looking out at the upside down, still beautiful even in the grim lighting. Mike noticed him open his mouth, ready to brush off the apology. He grabbed Will’s hand, cutting him off.
“Please don’t brush it off and say it's okay, and definitely don’t apologize to me for not telling me. The truth is, all of those things I said, I realize now that I was probably just projecting my own insecurities onto you. I hurt both you and El because of that.”
Will slumped a little, and turned to look up at Mike. His expression was a little bitter, but curious. “Insecurities?”
Mike could hear his heartbeat in his ears, his stomach hurting from how anxious he was. He collected his thoughts, certainly looking a little stupid.
“Yea- yeah. Insecurities. See, I couldn’t tell El I loved her because if I did… I’d have realized how wrong it felt. I can say it now because I do love her, just platonically.”
Mike was silent for a moment, curls blowing in the poisonous wind. He made sure he caught Will’s eyes as he spoke again.
“My DnD character, Mike the Brave, the Heart. I’m not like him, you are. You’re so goddamn brave Will, and I’m sorry that you had to be brave because of circumstances you couldn’t control. I think it's finally my turn to be brave.”
“I love you, Will. Maybe I realized it too late, but I just have to hope to god that you aren’t as over me as you say you are. I don’t know what it means to be your ‘Tammy,’ but if being Tammy means that you’ve given up on loving me? I don’t want to be anything like her.”
Will looked shocked to the core, watching Mike with wide eyes. The shock seemed to wear off and his eyes grew glassy, causing Mike to panic. “Shit, I’m sorry. This is stupid, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No-! No, Mike. I just… never expected this. I feel a little bad now, I should’ve given you a proper confession.” He laughed wetly, wiping at his eyes with his sleeves.
Mike turned to face him, and guided Will to do the same, hands on Will’s arms. “The painting was all I needed, it's not your fault I’m dense.” Will laughed again in surprise, looking at Mike with a red flush on his face. “You know about the painting? Did El-”
Mike shook his head. “No, I just put the pieces together today. I mean- El knows nothing about DnD or our party. I think the speech meant so much to me because deep down I knew that it was your words and your feelings.” Mike gently lowered Will’s hands from his face, and their hands intertwined, arms swinging down. They had shifted closer than before, and their faces were tilted to look each other in the eyes. Mike was ready to ask permission and close the distance, but he caught a hint of hesitation in Will’s eyes. “Hey… What’s wrong?”
“What about Eleven? I don’t want to hurt her.” Mike’s face grew fond with appreciation for Will’s empathy. “Me and her haven’t really been dating for a while, but I broke up with her officially today, in the truck. She understood, and I think she’s glad for it.”
Will nodded in understanding, and silence fell over the two. The air between them was tense, the sounds of thunder faded into the background. They were aware that they didn’t have all the time in the world, but Mike was still slow and gentle as he cupped Will’s face in one of his hands and leaned closer, looking into his eyes for permission. He was given a nod in return, and the gap was closed.
The kiss was soft and inexperienced. Mike was acutely aware that this was likely Will’s first kiss, and the satisfaction fell firmly on his shoulders. It ended as soon as it began, but they stood close for a good while, before pulling apart. Will held on to Mike’s hand for a second before they continued their ascent.
“I love you too. Promise we’ll talk about this when it's all over?”
Mike’s expression was bright and out of place in the Upside Down. He squeezed Will’s hand firmly.
“I promise.”