Chapter Text
The word "Normal" has never been a word used to describe Will Byers.
Ever since Will was little, he has known he's always been a little more different from the other kids. I mean, not that everyone was normal anyhow. Some kids liked sports, other kids liked video games. Some kids liked band and orchestra, and others liked art and drawing. Now, the thing that made Will know he was different from everyone else was when he was the only kid that couldn't talk to the rest of his classmates. He was a shy kid, and everyone already had a "group" to hang out with, a group of friends, and Will kind of just hung around on the sides, watching. He didn't really have any friends. He liked art, but that was about the only thing he had in common with a few of his classmates. Will didn't care much though, he usually liked being on his own. The peace and quiet he had to himself, but sometimes it was lonely. So, when Will was sitting on the swings alone at recess (per usual) and another little boy sat on the swing next to him, he never would have expected it to turn into something much bigger than the two of them.
"Hi"
"Hi"
"Do you wanna be friends?"
"Yeah!"
Little did Will know at the time how much saying yes to that little boy would change his life from that day on. That boy became the most important person in Will's life to this day, all those years later.
That boy is Mike Wheeler.
Will and Mike have been best friends since that day in kindergarten. Maybe it was just fate, or maybe it was just destiny, but it was pretty ironic that Will happened to have met his lifelong best friend, and the love of his life on the same exact day. Yes, Will has been in love with his best friend, Mike Wheeler, ever since he can remember. He doesn't know exactly when it clicked, but he knows he has for many, many years. Mike and Will have always been closer than the rest of the party. The rest of the party at the time being Lucas Sinclair, who they befriended only a few months later, and Dustin Henderson who they met in the 3rd grade. Will and Mike have always just had a bond connecting them closer than everyone else, like a magnetic pull. They became even closer after the day Will went missing, November 6th, 1983. That was the single day where the universe proved that Will had to be different from everyone else. Sometimes he thinks the universe is just out to get him. Why me? What did I do to deserve this?
The day that Will went missing changed everything. And this wasn't just a child kidnapping, it was pure hell. Will had gotten taken to this different dimension that later him and the party had called The Upside Down. They called it that because as if being kidnapped to an alternate dimension to help an evil demon guy take over the world isn't weird enough, this alternate dimension was an exact replica of their town Hawkins, Indiana. But this version was different, twisted even. When Will had finally returned after a very long week of pure torture and near death experience, Mike had completely latched onto him and wouldn't let him go.
I mean, almost everyone had done that. But when they did it, they treated Will like he was fragile, like if they made one wrong move he was going to break. Mike didn't do that. He never did. Of course, he has always checked up on Will, but he still treated him the same, like there wasn't something wrong with him. He treated him like he was a person, his best friend. Not always making sure to lower his voice an octave around Will after he was taken, or not letting him do something because it's not "safe enough" when he was just fine doing it before he was taken. Of course, Will was very grateful for everyone caring about him. But nobody understood, not like how Mike did. Mike always did. Mike had almost always been the first one there to find him after one of his "now memories", and he was the only one Will could talk to about it without him thinking he was crazy. When they were younger Mike had made the two of them promise that no matter what, they would go crazy together, ensuring Will wouldn't have to go through any of this alone. He guesses that around that time is exactly when he was starting to fall in love with Mike Wheeler.
Will meeting Mike was most definitely the best thing that has ever happened to him. They liked the same movies, the same snacks, the same drinks, they both loved playing D&D, and they were alike in almost every single way, except for one. That Will liked boys, not girls.
Will used to always hope Mike was like him. I mean it was possible, right? They were alike in every single way but this. Plus, Will had figured it out pretty early in his life. Maybe Mike was just going to take a little longer to see it. However, one thing Will had missed in that week that he was missing is that a new member had joined their party. But she wasn't just some ordinary member, she was a bald girl that had escaped from The Hawkins Lab who has telekinesis powers, and her name was Eleven. Another thing is that Mike and El had become something more than friends during that week. At first, Will wasn't too upset about it. Mike had never had a girlfriend (or boyfriend), so Will figured it probably wouldn't last anyways. He had just met her, there is no way you can fall in love with someone that fast. Right?
Well, apparently he was wrong. After many long years of watching El and Mike be "in love" (although Will noticed how Mike rarely ever said it), Will started to lose hope, and he knew that Mike would never like him like that. Why would he anyways? What was there to like about Will? El and Mike had broken up a few times, but it never lasted. And after El had broken up with Mike in summer of 85, Will and Mike had gotten into an argument over her. Mike had said "It's not my fault you don't like girls!" and Will still remembers the feeling when those few words had left Mike's lips, it felt like there was something wrong with him again, and this time Mike was the one to make him feel like that. Ever since El and Mike had gotten back together that summer, was when Will and Mike's friendship turned into a train wreck. El was changing everything Will had with Mike, even just friendship. And Will hated to admit it, but he resented El a little bit for that. But, its not like it's her fault. She was a cool, sweet and pretty girl. And Will, well, he was just a freak. A boring, queer, childish freak.
Will had completely lost hope when he and El had moved to Lenora to get away from Hawkins, and for almost an entire year he and Mike hadn't talked at all. Meanwhile, El was receiving a new letter from Mike every week. So much for "Best friends" anymore. And when spring break of 86 rolled around, Mike came to Lenora to visit El and Will. Although, there was some sort of awkward phase between them, and another fight enraged about El at a roller rink between the two. Mike had distanced himself from Will almost the whole time. At this point it didn't matter to Will if Mike liked him, he just wanted their friendship back. Why was Mike avoiding him so much in the first place? Did he finally start to realize all of the things wrong with Will?
Suddenly, El got taken back to a "new lab", and Mike and Will were stuck on a 2 day long road trip to try to get her back. One of those times in the back of that Surfer Boy Pizza van, Will had given Mike a painting he spent a whole month making for him, and it was about how Mike was the heart of the party. Will remembers his exact words in that conversation, he had basically confessed his love for Mike in the back of that van. The thing is, Mike wouldn't have known, because Will told him El had commissioned it. Will knew after finally fixing their friendship, he couldn't ruin it. The thing is, his exact speech helped Mike tell El how much he loved her. Will always wonders, would he have been able to tell her if Will told him the painting was his idea, and El had nothing to do with it?
—————
Mike Wheeler has never felt, well, "Normal."
I mean, can you really blame him though? Ever since the 7th grade he's had to keep the fact that he knows of a complete alternate universe that kidnapped the most important person in the world to him, his best friend, Will Byers, on November 6th, 1983.
His entire family is mostly normal people. Well, his dads a complete asshole that just lays around. His mother just tries to paint the perfect family image to everyone else, while she and Ted would get into an argument almost every other hour. His older sister, Nancy, is brave. Always taking on whatever challenge comes at her. His younger sister Holly used to be just this adorable little girl that everyone loves. But, after finally the end of Vecna's whole plan to take over Hawkins and the world, she really proved how strong and brave, and a leader that she can be. Mike wishes he was like them, strong and brave. Will had told him in the back of that Surfer Boy Pizza van that he was a leader, strong, brave, even saying he was the "heart" of the whole party. A leader. Mike couldn't believe that Will really thought about him like that. Making an absolutely amazing painting to showcase it, Mike could not have felt more confident and loved in that moment. Well, until Will said that El commissioned it. Don't get him wrong, it was nice to hear El thought about him like that. But El was his girlfriend, he always just assumed she always saw him like that. If Will would have been speaking from his thoughts, saying those words and meaning them for himself, not El, well Mike would not have been happier. Will seeing him like that? He might have just kissed him right there-
Jesus Mike! Focus! I mean, it’s not like he wanted to or anything-
Anyways, Will saying those words (although they were just El's words) gave Mike the confidence to tell El he loved her. He couldn't get himself to say it before that, mostly because he never saw himself in any of those ways Will described. And, well, other reasons too. What if Will never told him El commissioned it? He doubts he would have told her he loved her. Because by then he had figured out that he couldn't bring himself to say it, because he loved her as a person, as his superhero. But well, he didn’t necessarily love her. He loved Will's painting because Will painted it, not because El commissioned it. If he's being honest, he couldn't have cared less in that moment that El commissioned it. He just cared that Will painted it. It was from Will. Sometimes Mike likes to replay that conversation in the van, but leaves out the part when Will says it was El's idea, El's words. Oh how Mike wishes it was all from Will, and that those words that he told Mike were from him, not El.
Anyways, Mike has always been different from the other kids. A little taller than most, a little too pale, very scrawny and bony legs and arms. A little too many freckles scattered across his face. Barely visible any other time than summer, but still there. He used to have more of a round face, with a little bit of baby fat in his cheeks. As he's gotten older, his firm cheekbones have become very visible, and he hates it. He doesn't ever look put together, always awkward. His mop of arguably black hair, not necessarily curly but not wavy. He has boring dark brown eyes that look a little like dark hazel if they hit the light just right, but besides that just brown. Everything about him is awkward and boring or weird. That's exactly why he doesn't understand how he dated El, who's a superhero, for not just 1, but 3 years on and off! How? How could she have liked him? When he looks like... Well- Mike.
He wishes he could be like the other guys in Hawkins, like his friends even. Like Lucas, or Dustin, or Will. They are all so cool and amazing in their own ways, especially Will. He's not like that. Will is so kind-hearted and sweet, but also knows when he's being treated how he shouldn't. Although he never says anything about it, and Mike hates it. He doesn’t deserve to get hurt. Mike wishes he could be like that, he swears his mouth just blurts out whatever his mind is thinking. All he ever does is hurt people. Will is so incredibly brave, he survived in The Upside Down first of all, which nobody knew about by the way, for a goddamn week! And, he had to deal with years of it just never fully leaving him alone. The nightmares, the now-memories, the goosebumps down his spine, the shadow monster, the mind flayer, and more recently Vecna, and the feeling of it all never leaving him. And then he saves Mike's life by stealing the Vecna's powers and saving Robin and Lucas’s life as well! Like how are you just so brave? Mike wishes he was like that. When he opened his eyes after shockingly not being mauled alive by a Demogorgon to see his perfect best friend with his hands up in the air, eyes pearly white, a hint of velvet red blood dripping from his nose, it was the most beautiful and coolest thing he's ever seen. How can someone be so insanely brave, and perfect, and amazing and just-
Damn it, get it together Mike!
Anyways, besides Will, Mike looks up to his other friends as well. Like Dustin, he's like, super smart and stuff, a goddamn genius. Max is one of the toughest people he knows, she can skateboard, and I mean she literally died and came back to life, eventually waking up from her coma (I mean Will died and came back to life too though, so she's not too special for that.) El is super cool too, she can flip cars and like go into people's minds, snap their necks, and more (Will can do that now too though, and he can save multiple people at once and go through people's minds without a salt bath too, and-) Oh, and also Lucas. He's super strong and brave, and he plays basketball which is pretty cool. Oh, and one more thing about Lucas. He really loves Max. I mean Max is his girlfriend and all, but Lucas loves Max in a way Mike never loved El. It took him way too long to realize just exactly why that is. He didn't really love El like he thought he did. Well I mean he loved her and all, but not like in the way Max and Lucas love each other, or in the way Nancy and Jonathan love each other. He loves El just like how he loves his other friends. Well, most of his other friends he loves like that anyways.
He had broken up with El at the beginning of, as people were calling it,"the end of the world." It was a very mutual break-up, and it was for good this time. Mike had realized he didn't love El as he thought he did, and El had agreed. She had said she had just gotten into the real world, and she didn't understand what love really was. She also said she loved Mike a lot, but not as more than a friend either. She said she needed to focus on training, and defeating Vecna. Mike could not have been more thankful that she felt the same. They decided to stay friends and honestly it's been so much better. Neither of them have had any issues with the other now, and they've been closer than ever. Plus, now Mike doesn't have to feel even more guilty for being with her while realizing he's been in love with someone else, her brother, the entire time.
Honestly, Mike doesn't know how he didn't realize sooner that he was incredibly in love with Will Byers. I mean, he knew that he always felt closer to Will than he did with the rest of the party. They both knew that, but it took Mike an embarrassing amount of years to realize that the reason why was definitely not just because they were best friends. He has always favored Will over his other friends, it’s no secret to anyone. Will has always favored Mike too, but Mike knows it's only as a best friend. Honestly, Mike is shocked that Will is still his best friend. He's put up with everything Mike has done. Every stupid thing he's said when he's mad, every time he chose El over Will because he just wanted to bury the obvious feelings he had for Will deep down into his mind, and he hoped if he were to not talk to the boy that he shouldn't love but he loves with his whole heart less and the girl he should love but doesn’t see as any more than a friend more it would hopefully make those feelings go away. But, Mike never thought about how much that could have affected Will.
That's part of what Mike is so grateful for but doesn't understand about Will. Why does he put up with the people he loves hurting him time after time after time? Mike knows that he deserves a big slap across the face from Will for all of the hurt he's caused him, and he hates that about himself the most. Will has constantly been hurt by people his entire life, that’s all he knows. Out of anyone, his best friend shouldn’t be the one causing so much of that hurt. He most definitely does not deserve Will. Matter of fact, nobody does. To Mike, Will is too perfect for anyone in this world to deserve. Yet everyone and everything in this world and apparently others is out to get him. Well, not anymore after they defeated Vecna once in for all about a month earlier. Well, Will defeated Vecna with his powers while he ended up saving El's life. Man, this boy is just so incredible. Everything about him Is just so perfect and amazing and just-
Mike! Focus!
Either way, Mike knows him and Will are never going to happen. Why would such an amazing, brave, handsome, and just the most amazing person to exist ever like Mike who most certainly is, none of those things? Also, Will is a boy. Mike is a boy. Hawkins, Indiana is definitely not the place to be if your queer. Before you know it you'll be living on the streets. Even if it would have been possible in the past for Will to like him, Will saw Mike date El for years. He had to watch and listen to it for hours and hours. There's no way Will would know that Mike isn't... well, "straight." Will was never the one to talk about having a crush at a sleepover. Mike had always figured he just didn't want to tell them about it. But what If maybe...
No, no. Will isn't queer. He's not like Mike. Will isn't exactly "normal" either, but Mike is sure if Will was queer he would have told him. He told Mike everything. And even if he was, why would he like Mike anyhow? There are so many better people Will could date, Mike's sure of it. Girls have liked Will before, and he wouldn't be shocked if any guys secretly have as well. Will is a very good looking guy, with his brown chestnut hair that shines a golden hue across it when the sun hits it. Not quite a bowl cut anymore, but more of a shaggy, slightly wavy do. His pretty big hazel eyes, that at some angels look green if you look close enough, with little gold speckles sprinkled near his iris. His muscular build that he's gained as he's matured. His 2 little brown freckles that are a little off-center on his neck, one slightly bigger than the other. His pretty smile that could light up a whole room if he smiled hard enough, a smile that is just contagious. And his slightly thin but not small lips, ones that are a light shade of pink, but not light enough that they bled in with his slightly tanned skin tone. The lips Mike has caught himself staring at countless amount of times, the lips he can't stop looking at, the lips he wants so badly to just-
Yeah, he's most definitely not normal.
—————
Right now, Will's spending about an extra 15 more minutes than he needs to be picking out his outfit, as well as an extra 10 more minutes styling his hair. In about 5 minutes, he's leaving to go to the Palace Arcade with the rest of the party. He doesn't exactly know why he feels like he needs to look super nice. It's just the party, the party that has seen him go through his worst, and his best. They haven't had a proper hang out since they defeated Vecna around a month ago. They've all been busy getting their lives back together, visiting family that has moved back into Hawkins after the military finally left, and just enjoying not having to worry about randomly getting attacked by a demo, or having a military car pull to their houses. The feeling of finally winning, finally defeating Vecna, and that all of them made it out alive. It has been a long journey that Will is more than grateful is finally over. He still sometimes feels the brush of cold air on his neck, and gets worried thinking "He's back. He's still alive. We didn't kill him, and now he's here to kill me." It always takes multiple deep breaths and a few seconds of standing as still as a statue, as if he’s frozen in time, to feel safe again.
Anyways, there's no reason to think about that right now. He's about to leave to hangout with the party for the first time in what feels like ages. Of course, they've met up many times throughout the past year, but only ever to talk about the crawls, or plans on defeating Vecna, anything like that. And now Will gets to go hangout with his favorite people at his favorite childhood place, and then go to Mike's house with his favorite people and watch nerdy sci-fi movies that most other Juniors in high school would not be watching, but they don't care. And, best of all, they don't have to worry about Vecna. It gets to be just like how it was right before the day he got taken, they day everything changed.
"Will!?' Jonathan shouts from the bottom of the stairs. "About ready to go?"
Shit. It's already time to leave? Will glances down at his watch, the one Mike gave him years ago. He still wears it to this day, although its a little tight. It's 4:50pm.
"Yeah, I’m coming! One sec!" Will shouted back, a hint of stress straining in his voice.
Will slides his shoes on, the laces already tied together in a snug knot. He launches his black and dark yellow duffel bag over his shoulder, snatches his wallet off his dresser, and takes one more look in the mirror before bolting out of his room and down the stairs to be met with Jonathan standing waiting at the door for him.
"Ready to go?"
"Yep"
"You got everything you need? Money, clothes-"
Will lets a small snort before cutting him off "Yes, Jonathan I have everything I could possibly need."
Jonathan's cheeks perk up into a small smile "Good, because I'm not driving anything to Mike's that you forget"
"Alright, deal" Will says as they head out the door to Jonathan's car, and he sends a small smile back.
After they finally defeated Vecna, Hopper had finally decided to propose to Will's mom, Joyce, and the two of them (including a little bit from Jonathan) scraped up enough money for a 4 bedroom house for Will, Jonathan, Joyce, Hop, and El to all live in together. It was a little deeper into downtown Hawkins, not as close to all the rest of the party's homes, barely walking distance, but it was good enough. So, Jonathan and Hop were stuck driving El and Will places all over Hawkins. Will knew Jonathan didn't really mind though, he never did. Mike had said something about how grateful Karen was about the Byers finally moving out of their house, and how it felt like “a soup kitchen” cooking a meal every day feeding for everyone else, and 4 teenagers. Will and Mike had talked and laughed over the phone countless number of times about how dramatic she could be.
Honestly, Will thinks part of why he's so nervous to hang out with the party again is being around Mike again, and even more spending the night at his house again. No, he knows that’s part of it. At almost all of their sleepovers, Mike and Will have always been the ones sleeping right next to each other, sometimes even in the same sleeping bag. He wonders if it will still be like that, back to being how they used to be. It’s easier to just be best friends with Mike after Will has finally accepted that Mike doesn't feel that way about him. He let himself hope a little bit after Mike and El broke up for good this time, thinking somehow Mike would just drop everything and run to Will, saying he had by some miracle broken up with El because of Will. But no, Mike's not like him. Mike's not queer, or shy, or painfully insecure, or always scared like Will is. He's so brave, and funny, and confident and so sweet and caring, and so handsome, and just perfect. Will wishes he was like Mike.
But that doesn't matter. He knows Mike isn't like him, and he has completely accepted it. He's just so grateful to still have Mike as his best friend along his side, after countless arguments, apologies, and near death situations. As long as he's still best friends with Mike, he doesn't need to be anything more, not anymore. (Although if that’s still a possibility, he would be up to reconsidering-)
After a long time staring out of the window thinking, Will snaps back into reality as he sees the bright, neon, now only half lit up lights of the "Arcade" sign in his peculiar vision.
As Will goes to open the car door, Jonathan gives him a small pat on the back, and offers him a smile.
"Have fun tonight, okay?"
"I think I will." Will claims, returning the smile, a genuine, happy one as he approaches the arcade.
—————
Mike glances down at his watch. 4:45pm. Shit. It’s already almost time to go? Mike has been spending around the past 25 minutes staring brutally at his reflection in the mirror, inspecting every inch of himself, trying to fix anything he disliked. This sweater makes me look huge! How does that work? These pants are too tight on my legs, I look stupid. Why the hell does my hair look like that? Whatever, he doesn't have time for this anyways. Why am I so anxious? This is just the party hanging out, like any other normal hangout. Well, you know, besides the obvious fact that they have finally defeated Vecna, and everything will really be normal for once. But he still can't understand why he feels like he needs to look so good. This isn't like a fancy dinner, they’re just going to the arcade. Deep down, Mike is pretty sure it’s because of Will.
Actually, Mike knows it’s because of Will. It’s not like Will hasn't seen him in his most interesting hair days, his days where he's his happiest and the days where he's the most upset. Will had been through everything with Mike, and Mike knows Will would never judge him. But, Mike realizes this is going to be the first real hangout with Will since he broke up with El because of Will, although Will doesn't know that. He can’t know that. This is the first time Mike can actually try to talk to Will, maybe flirt a little, maybe eventually he could even ki-
No, no. Will doesn't feel the same, remember? You and Will are friends, best friends. He sees you as that and nothing more. As much as Mike knows that Will doesn't feel that way about him, he can't help but hope. All the shared looks, all the promises, the little bumps of the elbows, brush of the knees, All of it. Mike knows Will isn't like him, a queer. But Will never necessarily proved that he's straight either. What's the pain in a little hope, right? I mean, of course, as long as he doesn't let Will notice, or take it too far. Mike knows he can't, it could ruin everything. Everything that he's worked so hard to fix after ruining it a countless number of times. It's just so incredibly hard to look at Will laugh, or smile, or even cry and not just blurt out "I love you, Will. I always have. It has always been you. Nothing in any world or universe could ever change that." but Mike knows he can't do that. He can't risk it. He loves Will way too much to risk losing him, even if it means only ever being friends with Will, and nothing more. No matter how much it hurts.
"Mike! I swear to God if you don't come downstairs right this second I'm going to leave without you!" Nancy yelled from the bottom of the stairs, clearly sounding annoyed.
Nancy always has a tone with Mike, even if they haven't even spoken all day. She always has, but Mike doesn't let her get away with it. He does it right back at her. Most of the time they act like they hate each other, but they really do have a soft spot for one another. Nancy knows exactly when something's wrong, and doesn't let him just hide his feelings, and she gives him the best advice. They do love each other on a good day, they just can't promise they do every single day.
Mike shouts back, a painfully obvious and intentional hint of attitude straining in his voice. "Coming! I'm coming right now!" Yeah, that could not be farther from the truth, and Mike knows it.
Mike is still standing in the same exact spot as he was 3 minutes earlier. It’s now 4:48pm, and he knows Nancy is going to literally kill him if he does not get down there soon. But, the second he goes to reach for a new shirt because yes, this sweater looks weird on him as well, he sees the painting again, hanging up in his closet. It’s a little hidden away, but clearly visible enough for Mike to see the perfectly planned brush strokes, the amount of time and talent and thought and love that had gone into it. God, Mike loves that painting so much. He wanted to plaster it on his ceiling, so every night before he went to bed he could look at it and think about Will. Well, more than he already does anyway. He could look up and think about everything with Will, how Will had painted it for Mike. Out of anyone in the world, Will had painted it for Mike. All of the time and thought and love that went into that painting, again, for Mike. The Mike that has hurt Will more than he can count on 2 hands, the Mike that barley talked to his best friend for over a year because he was too fucking scared to admit his own feelings to himself, and just pushed his best friend away. His best friend, the boy he loved away and hurting him just because he couldn't accept his feelings, except himself, and except that something was wrong with him. No, not just something, everything was wrong with him. He isn't normal. Absolutely nothing about Mike Wheeler is normal.
"Mike! You have sixty seconds and I'm leaving!" He hears Nancy shout down the stairs, and he can sense the dramatic eye roll from up here.
Shit, shit, shit. "Coming!" He more gasps out than actually speaking as he jerks forward, reaching for a nice blue plain t-shirt, taking one last glance at Will's painting before slamming his closet door shut. Of course, if there was anything in the world that could endlessly distract Mike, it was Will Byers.
Mike rips off the ugly green grandma sweater he had been wearing, and threw on the t-shirt, tugging at the sides until it looked just right. Not perfect, but good enough. He snatches his baggie of about $20 worth of quarters from his mother and some from his piggy bank, full of the change he had been collecting since he was 6. He took one more good look in the mirror, pats his hair once more, and bolts out the door.
"Nancy? Nancy?" He shouts as he's running down the stairs, nearly tripping over his own feet. He's always been well, very uncoordinated. He's always had long bony legs, and he can never run right. He just looks awkward.
"Honey!" He hears from a voice to his left in a sweet, high pitch tone like he's five years old. Even though he’s over triple that age, he doesn't mind. He quickly jerks his head to his left, and there stands Karen Wheeler, his mother. "Hi mom! Sorry mom, gotta go mom, love you bye!" he gasps out all in one breath as he launches the front door open in a hurry. Phew. Nancy's car is still there. But, she doesn't look very happy, a very noticeable grimace plastered on her face. Her eyebrows burrowed down, the edges pointing up and out, with her arms crossed.
"Okay sweetie! Have fun! Be safe please!" Karen yells out the door in a soft, genuine tone.
"I know mom!" Mike shouts back before leaping himself into the passenger seat of Nancy's dark teal car, and slamming the door shut.
Nancy makes an exaggerated open mouth expression, making her face look even more upset (if that's even possible) "Hey! Careful! Break my car and you're gonna be giving me many more bags of wherever those quarters came from."
"Hey, well you told me you were gonna leave without me, so-"
"So? So what? Does any of that have to do with slamming my car door?"
"Well you know what, I'm here now aren't I? So can't we go?"
"For someone who needs a ride, you're talking with a lot of tone aren't you?" She teases, with a little bite to it.
"Well for someone who's only 4 years older than me, you're talking a lot like my mother aren't you?" He shoots back with a smirk inching up his face.
"Whatever" She mutters out, although Mike sees a small smile form in the corner of her cheeks. "Next time though, can you please hurry up? You take like a million years to change and grab a bag of quarters."
"Well, why are you in a rush anyways? You're just going to see Jonathan, who's also dropping Will off. It's going to take him a few minutes to get home anyways."
"No, no reason! Can I not just want to see my boyfriend Mike?"
“You saw him yesterday Nance, I haven’t seen my friends in weeks.” Mike says, giving her an exaggerated glare.
”Well, yeah, Mike, because he’s my boyfriend. They are just your friends.” Nancy reminds him, sending him an over dramatic eye roll.
Just your friend. Right, yeah. Will is just his friend, nothing more. Although Nancy had meant no more harm than just lightly teasing him, that had hit him deep in the chest. Your friend. Yeah, Will is a friend. A friend that he’s deeply in love with, a friend that he can’t go 10 minutes without flooding every thought in his mind. A friend that he can’t go more than 3 seconds of staring into his eyes without giving a slight, attempted subtle glance down at his lips. A friend he has always acted differently towards, has a softer tone of voice towards, a friend he would kill for. Actually, do anything he asked Mike to do. The friend who he can’t love, the friend who only sees him as a friend.
Honestly, Mike is shocked he was first to realize (that he knows of) that he was in love with Will. As he lays in bed late at night, staring at the ceiling, and of course, thinking of Will, he realizes just how obvious he was. And how absolutely oblivious he was to his own feelings for years. As far as he knows and very much hopes, nobody knows about him. Knows about any of it. It’s not like he’s told anyone, he knows he can’t. He knows that they will find him a weird, disgusting queer and never talk to him again. He can’t ruin everything by admitting the truth, especially ruining his friendship with Will.
The closest he thinks someone has come to noticing is Max. The party had been at lunch a few months back, and Will had dropped his sketchbook as they were walking out of the lunchroom to head back to class. So, being the absolute gentleman that he is, Mike, not missing a beat, leaned down and picked it up for him. He rose back up to be met with Will’s flushed gaze, a little bit of rosy blush filling his cheeks. Mike had felt like it was one of those moments in some sort of romance movie Nancy would watch.
”Uh- Thanks, Mike.” Will had said softly yet a little shaky, like he was worried.
“Yeah, of course. You okay? You seem a little worried?” Mike had, of course, worried the worst. That something happened with Vecna. There was no other explanation to why Will had been shaking, with his face flushed red. Right?
“Uh- Yeah, yeah I'm fine Mike.”
”You sure?”
“Yes” Will says as he huffs out a laugh. “I promise”
Just as Mike was about to respond, he felt a hand touch his shoulder, maneuvering him to face her, being met with a smug look on her face.
”Hey, I hate to burst your little love bubble Prince Charming, but there are around 30 other students, like me, trying to get past you. I would like to get to class on time, and I'm sure everyone else would too. Maybe the next time you decide to make a move, because trust me, there will be a next time, don’t do it in the middle of the hallway, Wheeler.” Max had looked at him with a big smirk on her face, eyes wide in anticipation. And then, she just brushed past them both, clearly satisfied.
Mike could feel his face burning up as he quickly turned and started walking towards class, Will quickly joining beside him.
”Uh, by the way, I wasn’t-“
”Mike, I know. It’s okay.”
”Okay, uh- you sure though? it’s just, you seemed shaky and shocked, and I just wanted to help and che-“
”Mike” Will had interrupted, now facing Mike. He had a little smile on his face that seemed genuine, but with a little bit of sadness hidden behind it. “Like I said, I know, It’s okay. I'm okay.”
Mike wasn’t sure if it really did seem like he was flirting with Will, or if Max was just picking on him to get on his nerves. Either way, if Max had truly realized, she hadn’t said anything since. Only giving him occasional odd glances, with no seemingly particular reason behind them.
”Mike? Hellooo?” he hears a female voice say to his left. It had taken Mike a second to realize that the voice belonged to Nancy, and that he was still in the car.
”What?” Mike asked, soundly slightly more harsh than he had meant it.
”We’re here.” Nancy pointed out waving her hands toward the arcade outside the windows.
”Oh. Okay” Mike says as he unbuckles his seatbelt.
Nancy's eyebrows burrow as she stares as Mike opens the door and gets out of the car. "Hey, you okay?"
Mike turns to face her, a little shocked, before shutting the car door. "Huh? Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for the ride Nance."
"Okay. Yeah no problem, have fun tonight." She said, sending him a small smile.
"Thanks, I will. Have even more fun with Jonathannn!" Mike teases as he slams the car door shut, a little smile growing on his face as well.
As Mike walks towards the two doors, he instantly feels taken aback to the past. All of the hours they've spent at this place, the time Will was gone and he had freaked out, luckily to just find him standing outside of the arcade. He still thinks that Will had a “now memory” at the time, but he didn't want to bug him about it. A big chunk of his childhood was spent at this very place, even before all of their lives changed forever.
As Mike approaches the 2 doors, he instantly sees Will standing near the door, fiddling around with his hands, waiting for the rest of the party to get there. He's always done that since they were little, he does it when he's nervous or anxious. He looks up as the door swings open, his face instantly lighting up the second his eyes lay on Mike.
"Hi!" Will says as he approaches Mike in a light jog, a smile growing on his face.
He doesn't look much different since the last time Mike saw him. Granted, it was only a few weeks ago. But, he looks a lot more happy, stress free even, and that could not make Mike more happy. He's dressed in shoes that Mike assumes are new, and his hair looks styled a little different. Mike can't put his finger on what is different, but it looks good. Really good. Will looks really good. I mean, he always does, but the neon bright lights lighting up areas of his face, showing off his features, he looks absolutely breathtaking.
“Hey Will!” Mike says, sending back the same amount of energy that Will had used, although it was not fake one bit.
Will's face broke into a big smile, his eyes full of something, but Mike can't tell what. But man, he looks perfect. And Mike can feel his face start too rapidly get covered in blush. Phew. Good thing its dark enough in here Will shouldn't notice.
Mike doesn’t know many things for sure. But, he does know one thing for certain, that this day is going to be a roller-coaster.