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The heat of Mike’s car heater felt like it was going to suffocate him as he drove to the nearest blockbuster, but it was either that or freezing, and he didn’t want to be cold. The chill of early November always brought up bad memories, and Mike really wasn’t in the mood to feel the cold or the feelings that came with it.
He pulls into the parking lot of Blockbuster and gets out. He started this tradition after the party left, of renting and watching a movie every Monday night to fill the space left by dnd sessions. Mike walks into Blockbuster and straight to the “New Releases” section. On the shelf are films like The Little Mermaid, Pet Semetary, and Friday the 13th VIII (‘why are there eight of those’ Mike idly thinks to himself). His eye finally lands on Dead Poets Society. He’d wanted to see it when it came out in theaters but never got around to it, so Mike is excited to see it out on video. He grabs it, checks out, and returns home before going to the basement.
The movie starts up with loud bagpipe music. Mike always hated bagpipes. But he powers on. When Keating starts talking about how the boys in the displays are the same as the boys in the class, Mike’s mind begins to drift to him and his friends in their high school days.
As he watches on, he begins to draw similarities between Neil and Todd and Him and Will. Neil, like him, outgoing, passionate, and always trying to include Todd; and Todd, like Will, a shy and talented boy. Their way Neil looks at Todd, the way he tries to break Todd out of his shell, the soft voice that Neil reserves only for Todd makes him miss the days of him and Will’s youth more and more. Charlie reminds him of Dustin, comedic and not afraid to stick it to the man, and Knox is like Lucas in the way of being an unrelenting lover to a fault.
And then, Mike watches in shock as Neil’s father walks into the theater and as his father pulls him away, deciding to send him to military school. Mike’s own father had suggested that for him a handful of times, when Mike was partaking in things or acting in ways that were too “queer.” Then the gunshot goes off, and Mike is horrified. This young boy never got to do what he wanted with his life, and it killed him. And then his closest friend throws up and goes numb with grief. He thinks how close he got to losing Will so many times, and how even now they barely speak. He thinks about Neil not being able to go for what he wants killed him.
And suddenly Mike realizes that what he wants is Will, and if he doesn’t do something about it right now, it might just kill him. Mike packs a bag and grabs the money he’d saved from the waiter job he took while trying to get his writing published. He writes a note to his family explaining where he went, and he is off.
On the plane, Mike reflects on all of the missed signs throughout the years that should’ve clued him in to being in love with Will. Mike finally lands in New York and gets the first shuttle to an LIRR station that takes him into Queens, where he knows Will’s apartment is. By the time he finally reaches the apartment, it must be at least 3 am, but Mike can’t find it in himself to care. He knocks on the door, then stands awkwardly waiting. Will always had a weird sleep schedule, so Mike knows there’s a non-zero chance Will is awake right now. Within 30 seconds, this is proved correct as Will opens the door.
“Mike, I- it’s 3:07. What the hell are you doing here.”
“I think I’m in love with you, and I think I always have been, and it would’ve killed me if I waited any longer to tell you that.”
The words tumble out of Mike’s mouth. Will just stares.
“I’m sorry. That’s a lot to drop on you and I get it if you don’t feel the same and if you never want to hear from me again but I realized that you are what I need in life and I’m nothing without you. I’m stuck in Hawkins turning into my father. This is no way to live. Sorry. This is a lot. I- Sorry.”
Will continues to stare at him.
“Will. Say something. Please.”
“Mike. All I’ve done for 2 years now is try and get over you. I told a room full of people you were just my crush, I watched and supported as you grieved your girlfriend, I ran away to New York, I dated random guys. I wish you’d said something sooner.”
Tears are welling up in both of their eyes.
“I wish I’d realized sooner. I wish I hadn’t caused all that harm to you.”
The tears fall down Mike’s cheeks now. Will swipes one away.
“Hey, hey. That’s all in the past. You were a dumb teenager. I get that. It’s okay, Mike.”
Mike smiles a bit.
“So we can still be friends?”
Will laughs.
“Mike, you flew halfway across the country to confess your love, and you’re still just asking to be my friend?”
“Well, you said you were over me.”
“That’s not what I said. I said I tried to get over you.”
Mike looks confused before he realizes what Will means.
“Oh.”
Will puts his hands in his pockets and bounces on his heels awkwardly, looking at Mike expectantly.
“Mike Wheeler, can you please kiss me now or are you just gonna stand there and stare at me forever?”
And so Mike does. He pours every regret and every ounce of remorse into kissing Will, who kisses just as sweet as he does anything else. Mike realizes in that moment that romance and love are in fact worth staying alive for.