Chapter Text
Will and Mike. It has always been them, even if it did take Mike a while to realize it. He needs Will just as much– if not more– as he needs air. Without Will, Mike wouldn't be, well Mike. Anyone who knows him, will always know Will.
Mike will spend the rest of his life apologizing to El. No matter how many times she reassures him, he will forever feel guilty. El and Mike had dated for nearly 2 years, he loved her so much, just not the way he loved Will, and she later figured that out. What had happened was, on a random night during the summer, El and Mike were together (as always) and they got onto the topic of the future, what they will do, where they will go. Mike told her he was afraid of the future and scared certain people won't need him anymore. He tried to make it seem like he meant El when he said that, but they both knew he meant Will. After a while of talking, El found the perfect time to tell him she knew. She held his face in her hands, tears forming, as she shook her head. Mike knew her enough to know she knew.
He took a breath, tears falling before he could catch them.
“How long have you known?” He had asked her that with so much guilt and hurt in his voice, it sounded like it physically pained him to say it. He didn't romantically love her, but he cared for her so, so much. She then smiled and hugged him, and they had a very long talk about everything. He told her when he figured it out and why he didn't end their relationship sooner. He, of course, still loves her, it's just different. They’re still as close as ever, just minus the kissing.
Mike had figured out he loved Will more than the typical kid should at a young age, but he never knew what it meant until he was 14, watching Will drive away to Lenora, away from him. He realized he was feeling 30% pain from El leaving, and 70% from Will leaving. He went home and cried in his moms arms because he had then realized he was in love with Will Byers.
Now, he didn't exactly take it well at first. That's why he had been a d@ck to Will in Lenora, and had almost completely stopped talking to him beforehand. He was scared, but it wasn’t the thought of being in love with Will that scared him, it’s Will. It was the thought of loving another boy that scared him. It was his dad that scared him. It was Hawkins that scared him. It was like that up until he finally told Nancy. He knew she was friends with Robin who was lesbian, so she would be the last person to be mean about it. She told him that he needs to accept himself because “people don't matter, you do” Is what she had told him. It was the first heart to heart they ever had, and from then on he accepted it, accepted himself.
Mike cursed himself over how long it took him to end El and his relationship. To hurt her like that. It wasn’t right, but he only stayed for so long because at first it was the fear of his homosexuality and himself, but after acceptance, it then it turned into his fear of losing El, because besides Will, she made up a huge part of Mike and who he was, and he couldn’t lose that. He had explained all of that to her and it's El, she's great and amazing and she told him she wasn’t mad and that she just wants him to be happy, and she knows Will makes Mike very happy.
After El and Will and the Byers had moved back to Hawkins permanently, El began her training because no one truly believed he was dead and that he wouldn't come back. They fixed up Hoppers cabin and that became Joyce, El and Hoppers home. And well, the Wheeler house became Jonathan and Wills home. So over the course of 18 months, Mike was slowly but surely rebuilding the friendship he had f@cked up with Will. If that is what he could call it anymore. It felt much bigger than a friendship. Mike swears Will would flirt with him, but he figured it had been so long when they weren't friends that how Will was acting was normal. One thing that did make Mike think just a little too much and make his brain all fuzzy was really late at night, he would wake up to Will in his bed, but they never said anything about it, and it eventually became a routine.
But happiness and comfort never lasted long with any of them because after all of that good, everyone's fears came true when Holly was taken, and Vecna was back. It became almost a week of pure terror and torture. Knowing Vecna wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted scared everyone so, so badly.
With Holly gone and Mike’s parents almost killed, he had been sent into full on panic and hurt. He immediately went to Nancy when it got too overwhelming. She would hug him until he stopped crying and tell him it would all be okay. He truly loved her so much. The days all blurred together and Mike was a wreck, so bad he had forgotten Will had existed, which he cursed himself for later, because how could he forget about Will?
What reminded him that Will existed is when he thought he was going to die. A demogorgon charging at him, he had no defenses. And in that moment, he didn't think of Holly, not of his parents, of Nancy, of Dustin or Max or Lucas or even El, he thought of Will. Just Will. Tears formed in his eyes as he put up his arms in an attempt for defense, as if it would do anything. He closed his eyes and took what he thought was his last breath. Then, nothing happened. He slowly opened his eyes to find the demo in mid air, his mouth wide. He looked around for El, only to find Will. His Will. Saving him, protecting him. And he made a silent promise to love him forever– though he had already planned on it.
And after that, Mike felt a little more at ease, not as worried because he knew now, anything is possible. Will always helped him feel better even if he didn’t even know it. Mike soon realized he didn't have time to dwell on himself and his feelings because they truly were running out of time. Everyone came up with their plans to end Vecna once and for all, and after what happened with Will, he had brand new hope and he just knew everything would be okay.
As everyone was preparing for the final battle, Mike went to go find Will and tell him they were almost ready to go, but he stopped as he heard Will talking to Joyce. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but the second he heard Will's scared voice, he couldn't help it. Mike’s heart genuinely stopped as he heard the words “I don't like girls” leave Will’s mouth. His Will. Will Mike loved from a distance because he knew Will liked girls. Everything he’s ever been used to just crumbled in the best way. He soon realized he was listening to a private conversation so he acted like he didn't hear a thing and like he was just walking in. Will looked stressed as Mike entered and it made his heart slam against his ribs.
Mike had wished he had more time to think about that conversation, but in that moment –unfortunately– Vecna was more important. They did defeat Vecna, finally. Even though it was hard they did it and they could finally rest after years of suffering. They could live. And slowly but surely they started to.
18 months after their battle their lives were as normal as their normal could get. During those 18 months, Jonathan and Nancy broke up but remained good friends and close, the Byers bought a house and Hopper and El lived with them, Steve became a teacher, Jonathan went to college and Nancy too, Robin came out to everyone, and so did Will. Mike had never stopped thinking about when he eavesdropped. He selfishly was a bit happy he knew before everyone else even if Will didn't know Mike knew. Mike was still closeted because he still had fear even after seeing everyone be so supportive about Robin and Will. Nancy was still the only one who knew. Mike and Will were back to absolute best friends, but Mike still felt like it was just a bit more than that, especially after Will came out. They both got into the same college and they both insisted on getting an apartment together on campus.
On the night of their graduation they got invited to a party, and Mike really didn’t want to go but they all persuaded him. The party had some drinks but not enough to not know where they were, except for Will. Will got so drunk he couldn't walk. Mike got sober enough to drive home and decided he would bring Will because he didn't trust Will alone, and he didn't want Joyce to find out. Will and him were in the basement, Will laying on Mike's lap, falling asleep but still a little awake, he pulled Mike down and kissed him, then fell asleep. Mike was so shocked he didn't know what to do. And the next day Will didn’t remember, which led Mike to the realization that Will didn't know what the f@ck he was doing.