Chapter Text
After the town split into four the military took over, every one in Hawkins Indiana is under surveillance now and they covered the giant X that opened up to the upside down. Robbin and Steve got a job at the WSQK radio shack, robin is the radio show host and steve is the sound guy, for “Rockin’ Robin” They are still new to the whole thing but with every broadcast they are getting better. The Byers were unable to leave Hawkins to get their stuff from California and they now live with the Wheeler family, Hopper and Jane moved back into the cabin about three weeks ago, and summer was just around the corner.
It was a hot day in Hawkins Indiana, The sun was shining down bright in the early morning and the streets were hazy with heat. Inside the wheeler house on this hot morning was the byers family still sleeping
“WAKE UP BREAKFEST IS READY!” scream Holly into the basement in which Johnathan and Will were sleeping before slamming the door and running upstairs to awake Mike “MIKE BREAKFEST! GET UP!!!” she was bouncing in the doorway of his room “OKAY! I GOT IT” he grabbed a pillow off of his bed and chucked it at her, she ducked out of the room and ran back down the stairs, her pigtails bobbing up and down as she went. They were all at the table in minutes Joyce talking about the job interview she was going to today, and Nancy was saying something about going into town with Johnathan for lunch. It was like that last few days, nothing to do, school got out last week and everyone was just up and talking around wondering what to do in the heat. “Hey Will, should we go to the comic store with Lucas and Dustin today?” Will had just taken a big bite of food and swallowed hard and coughed before responding “yeah that sounds fun.” Mike smiled at will and went back to eating.
They hadn’t talked a lot in the last few days due to all the work with helping hop and Jane move in, and the new arrangements with where everyone is staying. Will went back down to the basement to get his shoes and then out the door to the bikes, Mike and Jane were not as close after California Will was still under the impression that they were still in love and fine, but it was a known knowledge that they were friends now, Ted had been in a funk because Mike wasn’t dating Jane Will thought he just really hated Mike for everything.
He got on his bike and sat there waiting for Mike to join him, He was still very much in love with his best friend, there was no doubt about that but he found it a lot harder to have a crush on Mike with everything that happened and the painting…he hated that Mike still didn’t know, didn’t care, it really hurt he still went to bed crying silently, he has known how to do that from a very young age, crying silently without anyone knowing it, and the nightmares, it was a problem really it was but he wasn’t just going to tell everyone that he is still messed up. His eyes were now stinging just slightly “hey you ready to go?” Will turned around so abruptly that he stumbled off his bike “oh yeah just waiting for you” Mike nodded and got on his own bike. They rode in silence for a bit of time with the occasional sound of someone’s wheel hitting a few loose bits of gravel. “ We need a plan for this summer, like we should go out sometime, you know?” Will looked at Mike “yeah that would be great.”
They did still talk, but this was the longest conversation that they have had in a good amount of time. It made Will get all hopeful, although a part of him knew there is nothing to be hopeful for. In no way was Mike like him or cared about him, like that at least “What’s been on your mind, Will?” the hazel haired boy turned his head to the darker haired boy who was already looking at him “Just stuff, you know like with everything that’s happened” it was true but he wasn’t exactly talking about ‘everything’ as in the upside down “ yeah, it’s been crazy ever sense that day in 83’.” Will shuddered at the memories, “hmm yeah it’s been a really crazy few years” Mike was looking away “Will, i’m sorry” Will was confused what was he sorry for? “For what?” his voice was unintentionally soft “for everything, i haven’t been the best friend to you, and the painting i-” Will heart dropped, the painting DOES HE KNOW? “Mike, you don’t have to apologize, it's okay, really. And the painting doesn't matter" it hurt to say that, it really did, but in the long run it didn’t matter, not to mike not to him “no Will you don’t get it, Jane and I broke up because of the painting!” his words hit Will so hard that he stopped biking and just stared at Mike, who had stopped biking too“what do you mean, Mike?”
Mike looked away, he was doing that a lot today, and breathed in deeply “I Thanked her for it, the painting i mean, she had no idea about the painting, No idea who our d&d characters are, she didn’t mean any of the things you said she meant, she told me that we tried to hard to be in a relationship and that this wasn’t going to work out, she said that you lied.”
Will eyes were tearing up and he was blinking to stop from crying, he felt horrible so horrible “Mike i'm sorry, i never meant to lie i never wanted to, and i meant the things i said, but not from her to you” the last few words he said with a crack in his voice “ then from who did you mean those things?”
Will was crying now, he thinks Mike was too, but his vision was blurry so he didn’t really know, he swallowed hard
“from–from me i meant all of it, you help me feel like it’s okay to be different, you make me feel like i'm not wrong for being different, i need you Mike I all ways have and all ways will.” he was nearly sobbing now, talking deep inhales and shaky breaths. Mike was still silent “i-i-i’m sorry okay, but can you just say something, please Mike?” Mike was looking at Will with an unreadable expression “Will, I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. I'm so sorry I hurt you and that I said such horrible things to you” he walked over to Will, who was still balling his eyes out, and hugged him “I need you too, and you make me feel like I'm not wrong either."
They stayed like that in a hug, Will crying and gripping on to his shirt tightly, Mike sniffling every now and then.
Mike’s shirt was soaked in tears and Will was still shaking, but as he calmed down he thought, about what Mike had said and about what it meant, Mike did care and he did know about the painting and he felt the same. Will lifted his head from the crook of Mike’s neck and rested his chin on his shoulder and sighed. Mike’s head was still down. Will retested his grip on Mikes shirt and raped his arms around Mike Mike sniffed “ Will, I love you.” the word could mean nothing to someone else but to Will, those words meant the world to him and they just came from Mike. His heart skipped “I love you too Mike.” Mike held Will tighter, then sighed and they both pulled away. “We should get going” “yeah”
They mounted their bikes and rode off to the comic book store.