Chapter Text
MODERN DAY BUT SAME AGE AS AFTER S5
After graduation, Will decided to ask Mike to apply for the same college out of hope. He hated himself for making Mike go to college with him. But he craved his presence. He knew they would both get in, Mike was an amazing writer.
But now it was the morning of Will and Mike moving in together at the dorms. Will didn’t even need to ask Mike to room together, as they were proclaimed “bestfriends” When they both got their results back, they had both gotten into NYU. Nancy and Jonathan throw a small party for the two of them.
Will woke up to the blaring alarm clock that showed a dim 8:30. As he shifted to get up, he remembered he had a week before classes, and a day before orientation, and a whole four years of college. He took a deep breath and looked over to Mike, who was reading a comic waiting for him to get up.
“Mike, we should get up, our flight is in 2 hours.”
“Good morning Will, I’ve been waiting for you to get up.” He then impatiently sprung up from his bed, forgetting he’s in nothing but his blue plaid boxers.
“Shit- Sorry, I’ll change.”
Will blushed and left the room. Then, Mike threw on his usual blue jeans and a random sweater he got from Jonathan. Mike stretched and went to the bathroom to meet Will. He and Will brushed their teeth and Will fixed Mike’s unkempt black curls.
“BREAKFAST!” Holly yelled, Mike replying with a muttered “Coming.”
Will glanced at him after he said this. Even though he had come out hoping to get over him, it only seems to make Will like him more. He tore his eyes off Mike’s freckles, wishing to count them and draw all of them in the right spots.
They scampered down the stairs to see pancakes and his smiling mother plating some up for Holly.
Mike sat down next to Will, in which he’d been trying to get over since he came out. Will blushed at the sight of Mike, Mike disingenuously pretended to not notice him staring until he had gotten his pancakes.
“Good morning Will.” Mike giggled.
“Good morning to you, Michael.”
They both chuckled.
Will was so very confused, did Mike know he was flirting? Did Mike feel that way too?
Mike was also confused, was he flirting with Will? Did Will feel the same way?
“Are you guys ready for college?” Holly asked excitedly.
“Yeah, me and Michael are rooming together so it should be pretty fun.” Will says, shoving a piece of pancake into his mouth.
“Will, where’s Joyce?” Karen asked.
“She said she’s going to meet us at the airport, she spent the night with Hopper.” Will replied.
Karen nods and breakfast goes by quickly after that, Will and Mike grabbing their already packed bags and shoving them into the trunk of Karen’s car.
The drive is leisure, Holly crying about how much she’s going to miss them. Only Joyce, Hopper, Karen, Holly, and Ted are there for Mike and Will leaving, due to the fact that the rest of the party is already in college.
“Mike, try and bring a girl home for Christmas for me.” Karen says with no real expectation.
“Uh-huh, I will try.” Mike’s grin turning sheepish.
“And for you Will, try and bring a nice boy home.”
Will reddened at the thought, the pure irony of him bringing Mike home.”
They arrive at the perfect time for them to go through the airport, and then the hardest part, saying goodbye to their families.
Hugs full of tears, Christmas promises, and lots more tears later, Mike and Will were set to board in about 30 minutes.
—
Will and Mike had now boarded the plane and took off, Will holding Mike’s hand due to his slight fear of planes. They held hands until someone gave them a weird look.
The flight was only about 2 and a half hours, Will spent most of this daydreaming about him and a potential lover. A lover that looked suspiciously like Mike, that dark hair splayed across his pale, freckled shoulders. Mike had chosen a writing major, and Will had chosen an art major.
Will fantasized the “lover”, drunken, saying how much he loves Will. Before he knew it, the flight was over. They both departed and got their cars, deciding to meet at the dorm.
Will picked up some Chinese food for dinner, and met Mike at their dorm. Dorm 119. They decided to walk in together, the place was pretty small but they managed to fit 2 desks, and decided to share a bed.
They sat on the ground to eat, and opted to go to bed early.
They hopped up and brushed their teeth, cramped in the new bathroom. Then they decided to just change in front of each other, Will admittedly snuck a few glances at Mike’s lanky body in just basketball shorts. Mike did the same, getting embarrassed when Will noticed.
“Can I have the side next to the wall?” Will said, already climbing in.
“Fine, don’t take up all the room though.” Mike chuckled.
Mike climbed in next to Will. Mike puts his new glasses on the newly installed nightstand and drifted off to sleep.
—-
Will awoke first, their bodies an entanglement of limbs and warmth. Will, reluctant to leave their bed, somehow snaked his arm around to grab his phone. The time was 9:00 AM. They had thirty minutes to get ready and then find where the “welcome session” was.
“Mike, get up, we’re gonna be late.” He shook Mike’s whole body to wake him up.
“Im up, I’m up.” Mike says impatiently.
Mike sat up slowly, pushing himself to be against the backboard. Will then got up and strided to the closet to put clothes on.
He stripped his shorts off into just his boxers, Mike couldn’t help but stare. The curve that defined his hips, the pure meat of his ass, his biceps in general just made Mike feel enlightened. Mike was admittedly staring at Will Byers. Will put his jeans on tormentingly slow, then slipped on Mike’s Hellfire shirt.
Will can’t help but to think of Mike unrelentingly, he thinks that Mike isn’t like him though.
“Come on Mike, we can’t be late.” Will snapped Mike out of his thoughts.
Mike followed Will like a puppy to the bathroom and they brushed their teeth and Mike got dressed in his blue coat he wore when Will gave him his painting, and whatever pants were first in his suitcase.
“Mike, come eat breakfast.” Will says encouragingly, knowing Mike forgets breakfast a lot.
“Okay.” Mike’s voice cracked as he spoke, walking ditzily to the small table.
He stumbled into his chair, heavily inspecting the toast in his hand.
“Will, when does it start?” Mike said, shoveling toast into his mouth.
“10, we have thirty minutes to go find the orientation.” Said Will, standing up abruptly.
Mike seems to get lost in his thoughts. Zoned out staring at the wall. Zoned out staring at Will(i)
“Mike, let’s go, we are gonna be late.”
—-
At the orientation, the campus was bustling with new faces. New faces he doesn’t know. Will started to hyperventilate.
“Hey, Will, focus on me.” Mike reassured him.
Mike’s voice could always help him when he had nightmares or got sent to the Upside Down as a child. Lucas and Dustin always called it his “Will voice”
Will looked into his eyes. He has brown eyes, black hair, freckles, pale skin. Will thought. Will had subconsciously gripped onto Mike’s shoulders, matching his breathing.
“S-Sorry, all the new faces kind of stress me out.” Will ran a hand through his hair.
Mike agreed. In Hawkins, everyone kind of knew everyone. They continued to walk through the tour, stopping at the dining hall for some lunch.
“Woah, who is that?”
“Who?”
“That guy over there with the black curls, he’s cute.”
“Ew, him ? I didn’t know you were looking for a boyfriend anyway.”
Will gets up to go greet him, Mike stopping him with a gentle hand on his wrist.
“Will, how do you even know he’s gay?”
“He’s holding hands with that guy, so he is gay, but he’s taken.”
Mike sighed, relieved that Will was going to stay his for now. Will has always been his, even when Will went to California, he wrote to him everyday. Mike could never muster up the courage to send back.
They walked back to their dorm, knowing the school just barely enough to get to some classes. Mike couldn’t wait to get Will alone.
Will sighed and plopped onto their bed, letting out a gasp as Mike turned his face so Will would look straight at him.
“Will?” Mike said, panicky.
Will looked in his eyes, nodding as a reply.
“You know you’re mine right?”
Mike’s eyes darkened into pure possession.
“What,” Will’s eyes widened, trying to convince himself it’s a dream.
“Mike, you- you’re gay?”
“Bi actually.” Mike corrected.(that is a heartstopper ref)
Will stands.
Mike stands.
“Mike,” He’s at a loss for words.
To complete his sentence for him, Mike grabbed his waist and kissed him. Years upon years of tension and pressure being released in a single act. All the times there was doubt that Mike would ever even think about liking Will, came to an end.
After coming to clarity, Mike pulls away frantically.
“Will, I’m sorry- I should’ve asked and I just did that without asking you, I’m sorry.” Mike trails off into ‘sorry’ and ‘Will’
“Mike. Mike it’s okay, I liked it.”
Will chuckles and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, Mike puts his hand into Will’s hair.
“So… What are we?” Will said awkwardly.
“Boyfriends.”