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This happens every damn time.
Every time the gang decides to have a little get together during their once in a blue moon free time, someone decides to try and hit on Will as if he doesn’t have a ginormous guard dog breathing down his ear in a too expensive button up. People just never seem to get the hint, or maybe they thought they could have their way, clearly they never met Mike Wheeler.
Mike Wheeler aka certified guard dog boyfriend who can sense you staring at his boyfriend no matter how far you are. It's an uncanny ability that Lucas seemed both amazed by and justifiably terrified of. But Mike couldn’t just see, he could fight. People like to underestimate his best friend due to the fact that he was a little lanky but behind those out of season clothes, Mike is probably the only person who could punch Lucas to tomorrow.
Lucas had one too many encounters of Mike shoving a kid into a locker, or having their faces planted to the ground for just commenting anything about Will. Mike is just terrifying, especially when it comes to Will. It’s like his primal instinct took over, he’s just bat shit insane.
So when Lucas sees a guy attempting to flirt with a clearly disinterested Will in the bar with a very aggravated Mike who had his hands wrapped around him like it was a belt, he knew something was about to go down.
“Shit, look at Mike. He looks like he’s two seconds away from knocking that guys teeth out” Dustin comments from behind him, he lets out a little laugh, obviously waiting for this scene to play out.
Lucas gives him a tired sigh, “I’m here to let loose, not to break up fights. If that idiot pounces, I am not cleaning up” he expressed exasperated, shaking his head.
Max laughs at this clearly amused. “Will’s got it handled, don’t worry Lucas” she says, gesturing to the scene.
Lucas’s eyes trained back to them, the guy (who was flirting with Will) looked stunned, frozen in place and a little scared. Will (the little menace) carried an easy smile, head a little tilted to the side to give access to Mike, who was greedily and visibly staking his claim over Will. Lips all over Will’s neck, as Will looked buzzed, hands rubbing circles over Mike’s that was wrapped protectively in his waist.
Lucas can clearly see the guy was mortified, probably finally getting the message, before he left with his mouth still agape. Will giggles and turns his head towards Mike, separating him from his neck and whispering something Lucas couldn’t hear. He assumed it was something about them, as the couple turned to them and walked towards them slowly.
“Trouble in paradise, Wheeler?” Max teases, smirking lazily at Mike who rolled his eyes, hands still not leaving Will’s
“Shut it, Maxine”
“I’m really sorry, Mike and I have to get home early today. Someone’s a little grumpy, I hope that’s okay” Will spoke softly, Mike hanging off him pouting, like even a second of Will’s attention away from him had him twitching.
Lucas and Dustin give them an affirmative nod, not wanting to deal with a mopping Mike. Jane saying her soft goodbye’s and Max waving them dismissively after flipping Mike off. The rest of the Party watch as they disappear from their view, Mike still holding Will’s waist like the possessive ass he was.
“Poor Will” Dustin comments, clearly amused but at the same time tired of his best friend’s possessive streak over Will that never seemed to diminish.
“I always thought Mike was a little too intense with Will, honestly,” Lucas shares, fingers tapping the table absentmindedly.
He hears Max scoff, and Jane’s little giggle from the side that he turns to them and raises his brow to question their reaction.
“You clearly weren’t looking enough Lucas” Max says, Jane nods in agreement and Lucas looks at both of them in disbelief before giving Dustin a look of ‘Are they serious?’ And only gives him a shrug back, also not clearly understanding what the two girls were saying, because he was also pretty sure that Mike was a little (read: massive) obsessive/possessive/protective over Will.
“What I’m trying to say is, Mike might be intense with Will, but Will was the one who conditioned that, like a little puppeteer running a puppet show” Oh. Oh. Sweet? Innocent? Kind Will? Grooming Mike to be this Mike?
“Like a puppy” Jane adds.
Dustin and Lucas share a look before looking back at the girls, “What are guys even talking about?” It was Lucas who asked, clearly lost in the loop.
“Seriously, Lucas? You’ve been friends with those two since first grade, right? Don’t tell me you’ve never seen Will manipulate a situation to get a reaction from Mike.” Max stared back them blankly and rather impatiently as Lucas and Dustin continue to stare at her like she grew another head.
Max let out an exasperated groan, leaning back fully as Jane let out a giggle beside her.
“Boys”
—
Lucas Sinclair was about eight years old when he met Will Byers and Mike Wheeler, even at that age Will and Mike have always been a pair. During play dates, recess breaks, nap times and even during school bus rides. Lucas remembers having a hard time making friends, he was the odd one out, and not to mention he was new to the neighborhood.
That was until during one of Ms. Samari’s class she picked Will and Lucas to be partners. Mike was absolutely disliked this, glaring at Lucas like it was his fault and not Ms. Samari’s, he even had a full blown tantrum, clearly Mike never learned not every time he can get what he want.
For the rest of the day Lucas could feel Mike’s blaring glare burning his neck. Even a single eye contact with the boy had murderous intent behind it. Will was pleasant to be around though, despite the fact that he didn’t like talking, Will had very expressive eyes that Lucas couldn’t help but feel his guard slowly collapse.
Lucas views those memories as Mike being on his territorial bullshit, like a dog pissing on its territory. He likes to think it was because Mike wasn’t use to sharing Will, they were kids, it was just kids being kids. But with Max’s words echoing in his mind, he starts to replay a specific scenario that he labeled as “One of Mike’s tantrums” that first became evident during first grade.
He remembered it like this:
Will and him getting paired, them talking and getting closer, trying to get to know each other, all sunshine’s and rainbows. Lucas had especially been happy to finally befriend someone, even if it came with quirks (read: Mike). Then suddenly without warnings the snotty, snarking, glaring Mike Wheeler comes blaring in and soon Lucas finds himself acquainted with the ground. Mike Wheeler, in all his scrawny glory at age eight had pushed Lucas to the ground. He remembers wincing in pain, he could recall the teacher rushing in and helping him, all while reprimanding Mike, who didn’t even look the slightest bit sorry at what he caused. Attacking his classmate unprovoked… unprovoked?
Was it really?
Before all that mess happened Lucas recalls Will innocently walking towards him after him during pick up time. Hands clutching a piece of paper as he neared Lucas, smile in his face and big eyes directed at him.
“Hi! Lucas” Will has greeted innocently, with his signature sunshine smile.
Lucas found himself reciprocating the contagious smile. “Hey, Will” he greeted back, raising his hand to give him a little wave.
Will hadn’t said anything in response but shoved the piece of paper he held towards Lucas chests softly. Lucas stared back at him confused. “What’s this?” He asked.
Will only smiled wider. “It’s a drawing” he says softly.
“A drawing?”
“For you!” He said casually.
And he remembers… remembers that before he can even lift his finger to see the drawing, or even thank Will. Hands had slammed right at his shoulder causing him to go off balance at the sudden force. He cried in pain, clutching his shoulder, and soon heard hurried footsteps. He dared look up to see who the heck would even do that.
His eyes met a glare, so intense it sent shivers down his spine. That much hatred in a body of an eight year old shouldn’t be normal and yet here was Mike Wheeler carrying it and pressing it to his face.
“Micheal!” He heard a shrill from their teacher who had come into view, visibly worried.
“Lucas, hey buddy, let’s get you up” She had said gently, guiding Lucas up and brushing off the dirt in his clothes.
Lucas watched her fuss, her attention turned to Mike, scolding him, and asking why he would do that. Lucas focused on Mike who only glared harder, fist tight and ready to attack again. Then his eyes found little Will, preached beside Mike looking clueless…
Clueless.. when something such as that happened in front of his eyes. He didn’t even blink, didn’t even seem sorry that Mike had pushed Lucas — who was suppose to be his new friend. It’s like he was use to it or it was like it was what he wanted…
Oh.
After that day Lucas’s and Mike’s parents had been called to the principal office. He sat awkwardly beside Mike, who didn’t even bother to look like he regretted what he had done. Seemingly an entitled brat. The silence was thick, they were just waiting for their parents to come out, it was the most painful moment Lucas experienced, especially when you were in the company of a brooding toddler.
Then Will came into view, sweet innocent, he jogged to Mike as the said boy’s eyes lit up at the sight of him. Lucas watched as they hugged, Mike’s hands automatically intertwining itself with Will’s. Will giggled, their joined hands swinging as the once permanent scowl in Mike’s face lighten to a smile.
“Oh hi, Lucas!” Will greeted, tilting his head away from Mike’s shoulder as he gave him a grin.
He smiled grimly back at him, even with Mike at arms length, Mike still watched him like he was gonna sweep Will away. Before he could say his greeting back, Mrs.Wheeler appeared, surprised to see Will but greeted the little boy nonetheless before ushering Mike inside the office to talk to the principal. Mike had stomped at this, refusing to let go of Will, until Will himself de-tangled himself from Mike, promising to come play after.
Lucas watched as Mike reluctantly entered the room, Will shuffling closer to him before sitting right beside him.
“Sorry about Mike, he can be intense” Will had said, sounding sincere, at that moment Lucas had implanted Will as too nice to be friends with someone as bratty as Mike.
Lucas had shook his head, giving Will as smile. “It wasn’t your fault” he said, looking back at Will.
He remembers the smile Will gave him… it was soft yet it held some sort of secrecy that an eight years old Lucas couldn’t pin point. But now that he thinks back, it was the smile of knowing, whatever that meant.
“But it is” Will had said.
Lucas continued to stare perplexed at the statement.
“Mike doesn’t like it when I give other people my drawings..” Will said, voice almost like a whisper that Lucas had to lean in and hear. “You know why?” The question wasn’t meant to be answered.
“Why?”
“It’s because I told him only special people gets to have my drawing” his smile was haunting, Lucas remembered feeling a bit unsettled, like that declaration wasn’t meant to be spoken.
“Now he thinks, I think you’re special” Will continued, giggling.
Lucas stared back at him at a prolonged minute. Unable to comprehend the confession. He didn’t understand the implication, didn’t get the smile that seemed both innocent and equally unfriendly. Like a sharp knife, if graced by even the slightest touch could make you bleed.
“Mike thinks if he doesn’t step in, someone will take his place” he shares rather merrily.
Lucas now knows that was the first sign of conditioning. Will’s first tug of a string that for the longest time Lucas had witnessed but never addressed.
—
Lucas’s memory warps on a new scene. It was a memory he was rather fond of, since Dustin had appeared in it. Years after that initial rocky first greetings. Lucas integrated himself in Mike and Will’s friendship but never really getting in the way of WillandMike, because it was always gonna be WillandMike. You can say he was a third wheel in what he assumed was friendship. Despite being their friend, Mike and Will were on their own world most of the time, Dustin had thankfully came along and finally he had someone to talk to without Mike breathing down his neck if he even dared to talk to Will alone without him.
There was one particular event that not only added to his long list of “Mikes Do Not Touch” but also an enlightenment to the new blood in the Party, Dustin Henderson. He remembers it as a silly gag, one of his fond memories with Dustin in particular, because he spent most of his time watching Dustin getting whiplashed by Mike’s over aggressive guard.
Will had often been nonverbal, only ever talking when necessary, he often let Mike talk for him. Dustin had found this weird, seeing it as a challenge to get Will to talk to him, not just in sentences but a full blown conversation. It led Dustin to cornering Will, yapping to Will, disturbing Will and even just following Will around. And you guessed it, Mike Wheeler #certifiedguarddog, didn’t like it one bit.
His eyes screamed murder again.
Stabbing his lunch food rather menacingly whenever Dustin tried to lean in towards Will during lunch or slamming his locker door loudly if Dustin cornered Will by the locker. Mike was pretty close to growling at Dustin if he even dared to move any closer than he already was.
He was certainly testing limits, in the name of science.
“You seriously should stop provoking, Mike” Lucas had advised him once during a gym break, eyes staring at the two figures of Mike and Will.
Dustin rolled his eyes beside him. “Ugh.. It’s just weird ya know. I mean how does Mike just telepathically know what Will’s thinking without even saying anything” he complained, eyes now settled at Mike and Will as well.
“Dude, you’re gonna pop a braincell trying to figure out Mike and Will. It’s Will and Mike. Let it go”
“No way.I’m gonna find out! In the name of science!” Dustin exclaimed loudly.
“Yeah right, just don’t get your ass beat. Mike might look like he’s all bark but he’s gonna stab you if he’s near a pen”
“You’re insane”
“Nah, you just haven’t seen it yet”
It took two weeks before Dustin finally learned what it meant to “don’t keep poking the bear” when Mike had almost stabbed his hands with a pen during Mrs. Davies class.
You see it went like this.
Dustin had been bothering Will’s peaceful drawing time because of Ms. Davies unprecedented absence and Will had explicitly told him to stop bother him, but Dustin just had to be dumb and kept on poking Will. Asking overly complicated questioned that had Will sighing and Lucas watching readily for any chances of Mike standing up on his seat beside Will and just pouncing on Dustin.
“Come on, Will! Give me something to work with here! I’m trying okayyyy!” Dustin whined, edging closer to Will’s seat. “I just wanna get to know you better! I wanna understand you”
Understand…
Understand..
you…
’Welp was nice knowing you’ Lucas thought, watching the scene unfold in slow motion as Mike’s quick retrieval of his pen and strides reach Dustin who was caught off guard as Mike didn’t even hesitate to try and lunge the pen at Dustin’s hand.
“WHAT THE FUCK!”
Safe to say Dustin had screamed, his hands almost got a permanent hole, and Lucas had done nothing but laugh at his predicament.
“He just freaken almost stabbed my hand! That could have been life and death situation, Will! Don’t smile like it wasn’t almost attempted murder!” Dustin talked rather loudly, waving his almost injured hands at Will, who didn’t even bother looking at it.
Lucas stepped in and rolled his eyes. “I told you to stop egging Mike on”
“I didn’t even do anything remotely provoking!!” He gasped at Lucas’s betrayal and defended himself.
“You did, dude. You were bothering, Will” Lucas pointed out, flicking Dustin’s forehead.
“What the fuck is the correlation with Mike going crazy?!”
Lucas sighed, tired of explaining it over and over again. “Dude, i told you this before! Mike doesn’t like it when you step in Will’s boundaries” he says exasperated.
“I didn’t even know there were boundaries!”
“Now you do!”
“Yeah, and it almost cost me my hand!”
“For the name of science, right?” Lucas teased, giving Dustin a menacing smirk.
“Oh fuck you, Sinclair” Dustin grumbled. “I mean seriously what the fuck is up with Mike. It’s like he was triggered or some shit” he continued on.
The three had now been walking to their next class of the day. Mike nowhere to be seen as he was held back by Mr. Clark. Lucas gave Will a cautious glance before looking back at Dustin with a shrug. He doesn’t really get it too.
Will seemed to tune back in to the conversation and glanced at them, hands tightly wrapped around his book.
“Maybe it’s because you said that you wanted to understand me..” He says quietly.
Dustin looked back at him confused. “The fuck does that mean?”
“It’s just that Mike doesn’t like it when people try to get to know me in levels only he gets to know” Will explained and it left Dustin and Lucas even more confused, giving a quick glance at each other before looking back at Will.
“Why is that?” Lucas asked quietly.
“It’s cause I told him that he’s the only one who truly understands me” he said so hauntingly that Lucas felt familiar waves of nostalgia in his body. Just like how it was in first grade.
Will paused.
“He’s my only safe place and i guess you could say, he’s committed to the bit” He giggled, that same goddamn knowing giggled he used years ago.
Lucas didn’t get it then, but often times when Erica had been studying for psychology quiz, she often shared that the repetition or reinforced loop of telling someone certain things sticks to them and sometimes becomes a trigger.
Will repeatedly frames Mike as the only safe person in his world and in turn Mike internalized, I’m responsible for being his safe place. If I fail, he has nowhere else.
”No one understands me like you do…”
and Mike believes that.
—
Lucas minds rewinds to another memory. The scene shifts, and he’s reminded of how normal it felt back then to see Will and Mike’s dynamic, not even batting an eye at Will and only ever reacting to Mike’s loud unadulterated reactions. Lucas remembers being thirteen and clueless, he remembers Dustin and him being overly eager to impress girls whilst Mike and Will were still well.. Mike and Will. He also remembers a particular argument (a very one sided one) that almost cost the collapse of their party. He recalls Mike talking rapidly about something, eyes in tears, hands clasped together, and knees threatening to kneel and he most definitely remembers Will— standing in front of Mike unblinking, like he was about to give Mike the final word that determined his life or death.
Reprimanding… Punishing.
He recalls it happening like this,
A girl had been interested in Mike Wheeler, in his stick like, tallish, unrestrained hair, sharp cheek bone and unfiltered mouth. Lucas and Dustin had been the once to immediately be elated at this revelation, celebrating for Mike who seemed rather oblivious to this whole ordeal, all the while Will had been silently observing.
A day passed and Mike found a letter in his locker, not just any letter but a love letter, smeared in pink and covered in glitter, with little hearts of doodle and his name poorly written in the front. Lucas had shook him excitedly, and Dustin had been chanting “Woooo Wheeler got a chick alert!!” Over and over again. The two boys had laughed at this and Mike however only found his eyes darting towards Will, who stood idle by the side, unwilling to meet his eyes and for the first time Mike Wheeler couldn’t read him.
It happened so silently. Lucas remembers Will’s silence, he didn’t think much of it, because at that time he didn’t really peg Will as someone interested in relationships as they were and Will had always been quiet. But Mike knew the difference between the quiet ‘i dont have the energy to talk’ Will and the quiet ‘i hate u’ Will. Mike’s eyes were completely glued to Will’s every move and Will in turn didn’t even bat a glance, preferring to sit and eat in silence, sitting beside Dustin instead of Mike, and walking faster than any of them next to class.
He didn’t get it then. Didn’t understand why Will suddenly distanced himself and refused to even step foot in the Wheeler house. He remembers the awkward dinner at Mike’s place when Mrs. Wheeler had asked where Will was (her favorite out of the bunch) and Mike’s knuckle tightening and almost turning white as he said strained “He didn’t wanna come” and the cricket silence that followed.
It went from days to weeks of silent torture and unresolved tension. Mike continued his quiet stare at Will, love note completely forgotten and the Party tense. Mike had always been a sort of action guy, with no hesitance in his blood, one of the quirks Lucas looked up to, and the reasons why he was their leader. But this Mike was hesitating, anxious and restless, with Will’s cold unnerving stance, Mike felt cold sweat and he looked like he was on the verge of passing out.
“Just talk to him” Dustin had advised, watching Mike pace back and forth. They settled in Mike’s basement again, the heavy rain pouring, as the boys try to brainstorm what had went wrong.
Mike grumbled, hands messing his already messed up hair. “I can’t just ‘talk to him’ Dustin!” He quotes the air, looking back at Dustin like he just said the stupidest thing in existence.
“You’re over exaggerating this”
“Right, cause you don’t get it! If i talk to Will and he just stands there and says nothing. I’m as good as dead!” He remarks, stomping his feet reminiscent to the old days.
“This fight is seriously ruining our party.” Dustin murmured and Lucas nodded at this, staring at the distressed Mike one more time before glancing back at Dustin.
Mike groaned, slumping on the couch dramatically as his body sagged depressingly. Lucas has seen one too many emotions that Mike conveyed but never this, never this sad because Mike didn’t do sad, he did unrestrained anger, like the brat he was.
“I mean what the hell did you even do?” Dustin asked, brow frowned trying to remember when this all started.
Mike stood back up, an imaginary light bulb switching on. “You’re right! What the hell happened for him to be reacting this way!” He said brightly, as if the doctors had just found a way to cure the most incurable diseases.
Even then he was overly whipped.
“Give me a timeline, Dustin!”
”Dude, I am not a memory card! I can’t just recall shit!” Dustin exclaimed, hands waving in the air.
“It was probably like two weeks ago.. right?” Lucas added to the banter. Mike looks at him and nods, closing his eyes and tries to remember what had happen
“Two weeks? The only major thing that happened was Mike getting a love letter, but how does tha—“ before Dustin had even finished talking, Mike had already ran up the stairs and left Lucas and Dustin in the dust confused.
“What the fuck… where is he going?!”
The two boys exchanged confused glanced before running up to catch up to Mike. Reaching the said boy who clutched his bike in hand and ready to bike out the heavy rain.
“Dude! You can’t seriously be thinking about biking to Will’s house! It’s on the other side of town, Mike!” Dustin exclaimed. He rushed to Mike’s side, holding his wrist to stop him as Lucas jogged beside them.
“I need to get to, Will” he expressed determined. His eyes already showed no argument.
Lucas shook his head disapprovingly. “Did you figure out what went wrong? Tell us, we should plan at least in the meantime, the rain is really pouring, Mike” he suggests, although in his gut he already knew that the only person who can get to Mike’s stubborn head is Will.
Mike shook Dustin’s hands off his wrist and disagreed. “No way! No more waiting. It’s been two weeks Lucas! two weeks!I am not just gonna sit here and think another second if I already know what went wrong. I need to get to Will” he declared. Eyes unwavering as he glancing at Dustin and Lucas.
Lucas sighed in defeat, before walking to the bike rack and getting his bike as well. Dustin had looked at him insane. “What the hell are you doing, Lucas?! Are you gonna risk it as well? Are you crazy?” Dustin questioned, standing in front of Lucas’s bike in protest.
“If you can’t beat them, join them” he simply said, hopping on his bike. “Now move, Dusty before I actually run you over”
“Oh screw this friend group! You guys are all insane” he muttered frustrated. As he himself went to get his bike and rode it.
The rain was heavy, Dustin, Lucas and Mike had all been soaked. Dustin had been threatening them of his death or their stupid impulses that they didn’t even bother getting a damn raincoat. Soon the blurry house of the Byers finally came to view and Lucas could finally breathe again, he felt like he was gonna freeze to death.
As soon as they arrived, Mike had discarded his bike without a thought and ran up to the door and knocked on the wooden doors repeatedly like a maniac.
“Will! Will are you there? Hey I just wanna talk! I know what I did wrong. Can you please just come outside and we’ll talk! Will! Hey!” Mike had said loudly, knuckles banging at the door that if Joyce heard it, she would be freaking out.
Lucas had checked the windows, Dustin mumbling complains of hypothermia beside him as he shivered and scanned the windows as well and Mike continued shouting Will’s name.
“Dude I don’t think anyone’s home..” Lucas said quietly.
“Are you seriously saying we just biked all the way here in the pouring rain and almost skinned my knee for nothing?!” Dustin exclaimed enraged . “We should’ve fucking walkie’d Will”
“Shut up, Dustin”
“You shut up Lucas—“
The door opened, Mike’s knuckled hovered on air as the familiar figure came to view. Lucas could see Mike’s shoulder loosening and a relieve flooding his face. Will stood by the now opened door with crossed hands and stared at them like they were either clown or trash. His eyes glancing over at the trembling Dustin, the panting Lucas and finally the desperate Mike, who was already looking back at him.
“Mike…” his voice devoid of emotion, Lucas almost didn’t registered it came out of Will’s mouth.
Mike’s knees buckled, he barely held himself up. “Will” he whispered in desperation, like a prayer, a level of devotion Lucas didn’t even question back then.
Will only tilted his head. Staring at Mike.
“Will… I”
Mike looked spooked. Lucas couldn’t help but feel bad. Pressing his lips together he settled by just watching by with Dustin, he didn’t wanna get involved with whatever this was.
“Will, I’m–I’m so sorry… I-I promise I wasn’t even interested, not one bit. You know I would have said anything… something. I would never do something like that to you, not after everything. Please Will, I’m sorry for not realizing it sooner. I know I messed—“
Lucas couldn’t remember what words came out of Mike’s mouth, as he rapidly spoke with his hands gestured frantically in the air and the sides. His eyes increasingly filled with water and lips quivering. Lucas could see Will standing there unblinking, as if taking it all in, his eyes showed a glint of something.
Lucas couldn’t pin point it there at that very moment, Dustin might have if he wasn’t busy warming himself up. But now as Lucas vaguely remembers. He labels it as satisfaction.
“When Will and I fight, he doesn’t really argue back or get mad. He just gets silent and distant, unwavering and his eyes don’t speak anymore. It’s hell, I don’t even know how I would survive if Will ever ignored me for a day or worse… a week. He never says when something goes wrong or why it happens. He just automatically does it, and most of the time i don't even know what to do” Mike had confessed, leaning back at the tree and absentmindedly picking on the grass.
“So is that why you always try to keep Will happy? Because he just suddenly pulls away?” Lucas had asked, watching as Mike nodded.
That’s rough buddy.
—
Lucas doesn’t have words for it back then. He just thinks:Wow. Mike really cares about him. Which is true. But it’s not the whole truth. Because these pattern repeats. Over.
And over.
And over.
The memory clicks into place like a lock turning. Lucas doesn’t remember how long he’s been staring out of space when Max flicked his forehead and gave him a smug look.
“You see it now, stalker?” She teased.
“Oh my God,” he whispers, staring at his drink like they might explain everything. “There were so many… signs and everything. I don’t know, it just felt normal.”
Max giggled at him, Jane smiling knowingly as well. “It’s cause he’s got you conditioned too. The fact that for the longest time you guys have been thinking Mike was the only intense one, is a testament to the fact that Will is just the mastermind. He got you thinking all the stuff he had Mike do was just a normal Mike and Will thing” she smugly proclaims, clicking her beer with Jane in triumph.
“No way, we’ve been played for fools” Dustin finally said beside him, voice purely laced in disbelief.
“Yeah, genius you did! I mean why do you think I asked you guys what was up with those lunatics when we first met. I could already tell something was off with them. I mean have you never really noticed how Mike acts whenever he does something Will likes and gets a smile out of him? He acts like he won the damn lottery! I mean if that doesn’t scream like an owner training his dog with a reward, I don’t know what does” she cackled, leaning back amused as Jane nodded knowingly beside her.
“I mean even when I was dating Mike, he was so compliant when it came to Will. He hardly apologized to me, or even help me, I had to ask the bare minimum. I also thought that it was just because their friendship was special because that was what you guys kept telling me.” Jane shared and looked back at them pointedly and they gave her a sheepish smile, making her laugh.
“But then I saw Will hiding an oven knit and purposely getting burned and Mike running to him frantically. I saw the satisfied glint in Will’s eyes, it was intense. It was something deeper than I could ever understand and with Max’s help I could see why Will and Mike had always been different, that no matter how hard I try, Mike’s actions couldn’t come naturally because his feelings wasn’t the same as it was with Will.” she confessed quietly, smiling softly as she met Lucas’s sympathetic gaze.
Max snorts.
“Told you,” she says. “Mike isn’t the only intense one.”
You’re my person.
And Mike, without even realizing it, learned to chase that feeling.
Lucas exhales slowly. “…Damn,” he mutters.
”I think I might get a migraine from all these realization” Dustin groaned beside him, the pain seeping through his head, he clutched it and leaned his head back.
”I can’t ever look at Will the same again”
Somewhere in the back of Lucas’s mind, a quiet realization settles in, heavy and unshakable. Mike had always held such strong feelings for Will and Will in turn didn’t stop it and instead enabled it, because Will knew exactly what he wanted and how he was going to achieve it. Lucas couldn’t help but applaud, god his friend was just a mastermind.