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Mike feels heavy, mostly from the lack of sleep. But also from his thoughts. Everything that happened today was just too much. And now, since he has seen the weird ash cloud that has risen above Hawkins from the gate (which has been hours ago), he has this throbbing headache to deal with, fantastic. The day went by in a blur; El broke up with him, angry that he still called her a superhero even though she has stated she hates it, but it was mutual, then they had a meeting in Hopper's cabin with the entire party although Mike wasn't fully paying attention, he was sitting next to Will, well, more squished next to Will, their thighs and shoulders were touching and their sides and Will was pleasantly warm and Mike was oh so tired, his head slowly slouched down and landed on Will's shoulder, he remembers feeling Will tense up at the touch but he was too tired to react to it, he almost fell asleep and he could feel Will move his head on top of his, then the question: "Where are Joyce, Jonathan and Will going to stay?" That was Nancy, Mikes eyes shot open and said: "They could stay at ours. Ms. Byers can stay in the guest bedroom, Jonathan with you and Will with me." Everyone agreed to that.
So now he and Will are in Mike's room, Will sitting on the edge of Mike's bed and Mike searching through a drawer, grabbing clothes for him and Will. "I'm not sure if they'll fit, but it's better than nothing." Mike turns towards Will and hands him pyjama pants, a T-Shirt and underpants. "Thanks." Mike turns back and grabs the same clothes for himself. "I'm going to shower. I'll be right back." Mike walks towards the door. "Um, can I also shower after you?" Mike turns. "Of course." And then he's out the door, walking into the bathroom and locking it behind him. His headache is so bad. He opens the mirror cabinet, grabs ibuprofen and takes two. Then he finally can take off his dirty and sweat-soaked clothes, and he steps into the shower, having put the water hotter than he normally does, trying to distract himself.
The one thing that keeps playing in his head is Will's speech in the van, about El. Something doesn't add up. If El commissioned it, told Will what to paint, why isn't El on it? The painting portrays the Party, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. El isn't on it. If it were supposedly from El to Mike, wouldn't she be on it? And wouldn't it be more personal? Just the two of them. It makes more sense if it were from Will himself, since it was also based on their DnD personas, and El knows nothing about DnD. Mike rubs his eyes, so tired of thinking. So incredibly confused. He grabs the shampoo and rubs it into his hair. He waits for a beat before washing it out. He wants to scream. Mike has never been good at feelings or thinking deeply. His brain hurts, but that's probably the headache that has subsided a little. If the painting actually is from Will and if the things he said about El were about himself, then that would mean that Will needs Mike. He needs him. And he needs him too. He has always had this sort of rush in his chest whenever he thinks of Will, probably because of their incredibly close friendship, although Mike hasn't ever felt that with El, even though girlfriends are supposed to mean more than best friends. So, what does that say about him and Will? Is there something more going on here? Mike grabs the conditioner and threads it through the length of his hair. What is he feeling for Will? He feels his mouth form a sly smile at the thought of Will. And he realises. He likes Will. Scratch that; he loves Will. He loves him. He loves him. He takes a shaky breath. Well, this made everything more complicated, but it explains so much to Mike. His weird behaviour at the airport, the fight with Will at Rink'O'Mania, 'We're friends, we're friends.', he cringes at the memory, and why he kept glancing at Will's lips. God, he is in deep. It's like his body already knew before Mike knew it. And now he has to share his bed with his best friend, whom he is head over heels for. Mike washes the conditioner out. And then moves on to the body wash. If he's right about Will's speech being about Will himself, then Will called him 'the heart', so Mike must mean something important to him. And usually a heart means love, romantic love. So maybe Will loves him back. But that could just be wishful thinking.
Mike washes off the soap and then turns off the shower. He dries himself and quickly slips into his clothing. Then exits the bathroom and goes into his bedroom. Will has moved from his spot on the edge of Mike's bed and is standing in the corner at his desk. At the sound of the door creaking open, Will's head shoots back, looking a bit startled. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Mike speaks softly. Will smiles shyly. "It's fine." He waves his hand. "Took you long enough, by the way." Mike frowns. "Hm?" "You were showering for like thirty minutes." Will snorts. Mike's eyes widen. "Oh, I was a bit lost in thought." Will nods. "A lot has happened... this day?" Mike smiles. "I have no idea; we've been awake for so long." He yawns. Will nods and then turns around, grabs something from Mike's desk and turns back toward Mike. He shows Mike what he grabbed. "First Aid certificate?" He asks curiously. Mike steps forward till he's a mere inch away from Will and grabs the certificate from him. He looks at it fondly. "Yeah, well, after everything that has happened, I thought it would come in handy." Will makes an agreeing sound. "So, whenever you stop breathing, just give me a call." His voice takes on a bit of a flirty tone. So what? Sue him if he wants to flirt with his loved one. Will breathes in shakily, looking a bit offguard, but then he grins. "If I stop breathing, I'm gonna call 911." Will pokes him, and they both burst out laughing. Mike puts the certificate back on the table, and Will grabs the clothes from the bed. "I'm going to shower now before it gets even later. I am drained." Then Will is out of the room, and Mike is alone again, with his thoughts. Mike sits down on his bed on the left side. Did Will notice him flirting? Dismissed it or misinterpreted it? Was he disgusted? No, Will wouldn't be. Mike is certain Will is gay; that's not the question. The question is whether Will is interested in Mike. He's like 70% sure. Because of the painting. The painting. Mike's eyes dart around the walls of his room, thinking about where he'd hang it, and then he sees it lying on the desk. The box. Oh, no. Did Will see them? Oh God. That's embarrassing. He wraps his arms around his legs and lays his head down on them.
A couple of minutes later, Will walks in. Mike looks up and has the wind knocked out of him at the sight in front of him. Will's hair is wet, clinging to his forehead and the sides of his face, and the clothes Mike gave him indeed didn't fit. The T-Shirt was tight around his arms, highlighting his muscles. Will has gotten buff; that is what startled him at the airport. And his pants are too long but tight around his waist. And Mike just wants to grab him and hug him tight and kiss him- Mike puts his head back on his legs.
He feels the bed shift. Will is sitting next to him. "Mike?" Mike doesn't look up. He can't; he'll get lost in those gorgeous hazel eyes or stare at his lips. Probably both. "Hm?" He feels the bed shift again. "Is everything okay?" Mike breathes slowly and steadily, so he doesn't immediately blurt everything out. "Just everything from today..." The bed shift once more, and he feels Will's shoulder against him. Will doesn't pull away, and neither does he. Mike dares to look up and- oh my God, they're so close, their noses almost touching. Before Mike can think about what he's doing, he pulls Will into an embrace. Will immediately hugs him back. Mike's arms tighten around him, and Will does the same. They sit like that for a moment. "Is there anything... specific bothering you?" Will asks, his tone filled with empathy. Mike thinks for a moment. Will is hinting at something with that pause, but at what? "Are you hinting at something?" He asks. Will backs out from the embrace, but leaves his hands on his shoulders; Mike's remain on Will's shoulder blades. "Your breakup with El?" That was the last thing on Mike's mind. He has already moved on, indicating that he wasn't as in love with El as he wanted to be. Mike frowns and shakes his head. "No, why would I?" Now Will frowns, confused and taken aback. "Uh, b-because you love her? Apparently, your life started the moment you met her." There's something bitter in Will's tone in the last sentence. And he realises what he really said. He said his life started when Will was missing. How could he say something like that?! "Oh my God, Will, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize what I said exactly, I was just rambling and didn't think clearly, I was so tired, and I know that isn't a good excuse or reason, and I'm so sorry for ever insinuating that my life started when you were missing. It's the contrary, in fact, my life stopped when you were missing. You're my best friend, Will. I'm so sorry." While Mike was speaking, Will started to tear up, and when Mike finished, the tears started to flow. Mike immediately pulled Will back into a hug and started soothingly stroking his back. "I'm so sorry." Mike repeatedly whispers into Will's ear. Will pulls back. "Thank you, but I'm confused. You didn't mean what you said to El?" Mike shakes his head. He looks down. "I only said what I thought she wanted to hear, needed to hear, but even that I did wrong. She hates it when I call her a superhero. It was a good decision to break up; we weren't good for each other in a relationship; we're better as friends." Mike smiles weakly up at Will. And Will has an indecipherable look on his face. There's a beat of silence, and then Will speaks. "If that isn't what has been bothering you, then what has?" Mike clears his throat. "Nothing specific, I'm alright, Will, can we just sleep?" Mike isn't clear-headed and awake enough to ask about the painting; he'll ask tomorrow. Will let go of his shoulders. "Of course. I'm exhausted, too." Mike lets go of Will, much to his dismay. And they lay down, just a couple of inches of space between them. Will turns off the lights. And Mike is so tired, he quickly falls into a deep sleep.
When he wakes up, he feels warm and fuzzy. It takes a moment for his body to register it, but then he feels something pressed against him. And his hand is lying on something warm. He opens his eyes, and his heart skips a beat. Will is lying against him. Mike is lying against Will. Their shoulders, sides and thighs are pressed together, and Mike's hand is on Will's stomach. Mike has his head tucked into Will's neck, and Will's head is leaning against Mike's. His heart starts racing. He tries to calm down by breathing in and out slowly, but by doing that, he breathes in Will's scent. He smells like their body wash, but Will's own scent protrudes through. Mike recognises it, Will has always smelt sort of sweet; it fits him. Mike closes his eyes; he decides to stay like this, savouring the moment. Will is still asleep, breathing softly under Mike's hand. Mike wishes they could stay like this forever; he wants to pull him even closer, even though it isn't possible. Will's breath stutters; he's awake. Mike opens his eyes and looks up at Will. They lock eyes, and time feels frozen. They stare at each other for a moment. Then Will scrapes his throat. "Good morning." His voice is raspy, making Mike's heart skip a beat. Mike smiles shyly. "Morning." His voice is hoarse, and Will takes a shaky breath. Will's eyes look down where Mike's hand is lying. Mike quickly pulls it back to his side. "Sorry." Will looks back up into his eyes. "No, it's fine. I was just... never mind." Will smiles at him. Mike smiles back. "How late is it?" Mike turns around to his right. The digital numbers read 10:34. Mike turns back around. "Just past half past eleven." "We should get up soon." "Yeah." Mike rubs his eyes. "I'm glad you're here. I've missed you." Will smiles fondly. "Me too." Mike smiles widely. There's a fluttery feeling inside his chest.
There's a knock on the door, and Will shoots up. Mike feels the cold air replacing Will's spot. "Will, Mike?" It's Ms. Byers. "Yeah?" They say in unison. And the door flies open. "Karen and I made breakfast. Down in five?" She smiles sweetly. Will and Mike nod simultaneously. Then she turns and leaves, letting the door stay open. Mike stands up, stretches, and walks to his closet. "What do you want to wear?" Will shifts on the bed, sitting on the edge facing the closet. "Uh, just a pair of jeans and a shirt is fine." Mike pulls out dark blue jeans and a yellow shirt. "Here you go." "Thank you." He can hear Will stand up, presumably walking to the bathroom. Mike grabs a light blue pair of jeans and a green shirt, turns around and- Will is standing next to Mike's bed at the end, body facing toward Mike. He has already put on the jeans Mike gave him, but not the shirt yet. Will's chest is bare. Mike knew he had muscles; he couldn't stop staring at his arms after all. His chest has a little definition, and his waist is small. Mike gasps loudly, and Will freezes, head shooting toward Mike, and they lock eyes. Mike can see Will blush profusely, and he can feel his face heat up. Mike can't take his eyes away from his chest. He stares for a couple of seconds, lips parted, then looks back up to Will's eyes. He clears his throat; he knows he's being weird. "Sorry, it's just, you're suddenly really muscular, I-I didn't... expect it." Will laughs nervously. "You look good." Mike slips out. Will's cheeks, which were already pink, turn red. "Uh, thank you." His voice is high-pitched and obviously extremely nervous. Mike wants to jump out of the window. He wishes a Demogorgon opened a portal under him and swallowed him whole. Why does he never think before he speaks? Will pulls on his shirt and quickly walks out. "See you downstairs." He mumbles. Mike stands up, drops himself on his bed on the right side, and screams into the pillow. The pillow smells like Will. Mike just lies there for a moment, then puts on his clothes and walks downstairs.
The day went by quickly. Apparently, Steve and Robin were offered a job at a radio station named 'WSQK The Squawk'. The guy who previously worked there wanted to leave Hawkins as soon as possible, so it wasn't hard for them to win him over. There's a basement they can use as their base of operations. Instead of Mike's basement, it's a much safer alternative. All they did today was set it up, and Robin introduced herself to Hawkins as 'Rocking Robin'. Mike has grown fond of her, the fact that she's really nice to Will definitely helped. She is quite a talker, perfectly suited for the job. By the time they were finished setting everything up and assigning everyone jobs to do, it was already dark out and everyone was tired, so they decided to just head to bed.
So now Mike was sitting on his bed waiting for Will to finish in the bathroom. He's trying to gather the courage to talk to Will about the painting, but he has little luck. Today they were by each other's side the entire time, Mike wanted to show Will he was serious about them being a team again. And he also just wanted to stay close to Will. Will walks in and Mike looks up at him. Will smiles and sits next to Mike. Mike smiles back. He clears his throat. "Uh, Will, there was something I wanted to ask you." Mike looks straight ahead, not being able to look at him. His hands start to fidget with the end of his pants. "Is everything okay?" Will asks carefully. "Yeah, no, everything is fine. I-I'm just... confused about something." Mike takes a shaky breath.
"You remember the painting you gave me? The one you said was from El? I have been thinking that something doesn't add up. When you said it was from El, I got confused. Cause the painting itself doesn't seem like it was El's idea. I mean, it's based off DnD, which El knows nothing about, a-and maybe she could've asked you, but if it was from her then, wouldn't she be on it? Because she isn't. And, if she meant it to be for me, wouldn't it be more personal? Just us two? Not the party. And the things you said about El aren't true. She doesn't need me and I made her feel like a monster. The opposite of what you said. And she also mentioned in one of her letters a painting you were making, and she didn't know what it was. Um, so, my question for you is whether my suspicions are correct. Did you lie about El commissioning the painting?" There's a moment of silence. Mike still can't look at him. "Yeah, I did." Will's voice is low, practically a whisper. And he sounds distressed. "Wow, okay... um, so, it- is it from you? Did you make it for me?" Another moment of silence. "I did." He sounds more distressed. Mike doesn't understand why. Or maybe...
"So, the things you said about El, were they actually about yourself?" Will breathes heavily. "Yes." Mike finally looks at Will and Will is crying. He quickly wipes his tears away. "Sorry, I'm-" Will starts but Mike interrupts. "You need me?" Will looks at him. "Y-yes." He whispers. Mike smiles widely at that. "I need you too." He puts a hand on Will's shoulder. Will shakes his head. "I don't think you understand. I'm sorry, I- God... I don't want to lose you-" Mike puts his other hand on Will's shoulder, stroking them reassuringly. "You will never lose me, Will. And I think I do understand, when El talked about the painting in one of her letters, she said that she thought it was for a- a girl you liked, cause of the way you were acting. You-" Mike breathes shakily. "You like me, right?" Will nods gently. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." "No, Will, I could never. In fact, I- I like you, too." Will looks up at him, and he's met with the same look that Mike had in the van. "You do?" Mike smiles even wider. "Yes. Will, God, I love you so much-" "Love me?" Mike freeze, mouth agape, realizing what he just admitted. Will smiles. "I love you too." Mike's eyes wander to Will's lips, and this once he succumbs to his desires. He leans closer and tilts his head. Will does the same. His lips feel so soft, and Mike wants to drown in the feeling of it against his lips. Mike presses closer and Will moans in response. Will pulls out of the kiss and Mike makes a sound of protest. He laughs. Will's hands cup Mike's face and he looks at him with love in his eyes. He's beautiful. "I'm tired, can we sleep?" Mike nods vigorously. "Yes, yes, of course." They get under the covers and cuddle with each other. Mike's left arm is under Will's head, his right arm around Will's waist. Will's left arm is around Mike's waist. With them being next to each other, they fall asleep rather quickly.