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As the group slowly dispersed out of the room, Mike waited hesitantly, still standing awkwardly after the group hug with Will. Will wasn’t standing far from him, still talking to his mum near the window as a few stray tears escaped his watery eyes.
The setting sun leaked into the room through the half-closed blinds, coating the room in its copper warmth in shards. The light bathed Will in a way that made him angelic, too good for Mike and his devilish feelings, Mike and his aching, festering love for his best friend. Oh how he hoped he was who Will was talking about in his confession, his crush.
Mike’s stomach contracted and face grimaced at the word crush, because for Mike, Will was his sun, his gravity, his reason, his life and his love. Crush just wouldn’t cut it; it’s the wrong word to describe the unethical love he painfully holds for Will. And if that’s all that Will felt for Mike, then Mike was in for a broken heart.
But then again, that’s just how life is for people like him, people with fear nipping away at their heels until it finally takes full control, people who fear and resent the love that aches in their heart, people who hide their feelings until it’s too late.
But Michael was done succumbing to this fear, because out of all the things he could fear, why fear love?
“Come on Will, we better get going to help the others.” Joyce was hovering close to Will, bearing a motherly smile (that only she seamed to have) as the two of them walked towards the right hallway. Will nodded, bringing his hands to his face and wiping the unwanted tears soaking his cheek.
“Wait-“ Mike blurted out before he could stop himself. Will, who had just passed him, looked back with confused furrowed eyebrows. ‘Cute,’ Mike thought. He thought things like this often when it came to Will, noticing the tiniest of habits that added to the love which swelled in his thumping heart.
Mike stood there with a hand outstretched towards Will, looking desperate and vulnerable. He quickly retreated his hand and shoved it into one of his pockets, cheeks stained a soft pink.
“Sorry, uhm Will, could we talk? I’ll try and make it quick Mrs. Byers I promise.” He finally said with an apologetic smile, fumbling over his words like they were the uneven cracks you find in tired concrete.
Will looked away from Mike to his mother who quickly returned an approving nod. “Of course, but you two please try and make it quick, the others must be waiting. We do have to save the world incase you forgot.” She replied with a soft smile, continuing her walk towards the hallway.
Mike sighed when Mrs. Byers finally exited the room, body relaxing along with it. As much as he loved Mrs. Byers, it felt so nice to finally have Will to himself after all the chaos and emotion. He had been trying so hard to contain himself, to contain his own emotions. But after Will’s heartfelt and honest confession, all the walls he had built came tumbling down.
A few awkward moments passed before Mike finally gained the courage to ask the question that made his heart ache.
“Will…the person you were talking about, your crush. Is that me?” Mike blurted out, hands fidgeting at his sleeves. His puppy dog eyes locked dangerously with Will’s own starstruck eyes.
Despite them being a fair distance apart, Mike could swear he could feel Will’s warmth, slowly luring him forward like a sailor to a siren.
After there was no reaction from Will (only pure shock of Mike’s boldness), Mike’s face flushed a deep pink, finally realises what he just said.
“I mean- it’s just that you looked at me like a bunch during your speech and so I just thought that maybe you were talking about me…” His voice lowered as he talked, a sense of shyness overwhelming him, hands fidgeting wildly with any loose seam he could find. What if he read this wrong? Oh god how embarrassing that would be.
“It’s okay Mike.” Will replied with a soft chuckle. However, Mike could sense that he didn’t mean it, that he wasn’t actually okay with this. Mike knew Will too well. “Of course you were my crush.” Were. Mike’s stomach twisted in a sickening knot while his lungs felt as if someone had squeezed all the air out of them. He was sure Will could see the moment all the colour drained from his already ghostly pale face.
“Honestly, you still are.” Will confessed as if reading Mike’s mind. Mike was sure that by now he was an open book when it came to Will. After all they have been through and the years they had known each other, Mike felt the same. Sometimes he swears he knows Will better than he knows himself.
“I’m sorry if that’s weird, I just can’t help it.” Will choked, letting out a strangled, dry sob. “This doesn’t have to change anything between us though, I’m good at keeping my feeling bottled up.” He continued with a sad-laced smile as he stared up at Mike in front of him, snapping Mike out of his spiralling thoughts.
Mike stared back, heart squeezing painfully at the sight of his Will looking so tired and sorrowful. That’s when Mike knew it was his turn to start being honest. He opened his mouth, ready to confess all his suppressed emotions, all the love and affection he bears for Will, but his mouth closed seconds after it had opened. If he was going to be brave and tell Will everything, then he was going to tell him everything.
“My whole life for as long as i can remember i’ve just been obsessed with being normal, whatever that means.” Mike sighed, voice low and raw. Will watched him closely, confused where all this came from but nevertheless his gaze felt comforting, like a warm blanket Mike never wanted to leave. “I think that…I think the reason why I was with El was to be normal, or-well- I guess atleast for other people to view me as normal. And by people I don’t mean you or the party, I mean like society, you know? And I know it sounds so stupid and that I shouldn’t care why other people think but I do, and I hate that I do. I just can’t…control it.” His tone shook dangerously, puppy eyes staying locked on Will’s own doe-like eyes. It was too much. He took a deep breath before continuing, looking down to pick at his nails.
“And then I realised, I hated trying to be normal. I couldn’t stand to stay with El any longer because as much as I care for her, It was fake and I- I felt like I couldn’t breath. I only ever told you about our breakup because I knew you would understand since you always understand me.” He paused for a second, hands shaking until Will’s own wrapped around them. He looked up at Will, eyes shining with raw emotion and threatening tears. He shook his head slightly, trying to get the right words out.
“And it’s not that I don’t love El or anything because of course I do, just not in the way society wants me to. I love her like I love Dustin and Lucas and Max. But…I don’t…I don’t love her like I love you and that scares me so much-“
“Mike. What are you trying to say…?” Will cuts in, voice coated in uncertainty and laced with caution. His hands fell from where it wrapped Mike’s, and Mike yearned to chase after that warmth.
“Will.” Mike said in a singular breath as if saying that name was as easy as breathing.
“I don’t want to be your ‘Tammy.’” Mike sighed, heavy and honest while his hands fidgeted at his sides, parallel to Will who stood frozen. He took the no response as a sign for him to continue.
“Hell, I don’t even know who Tammy is! All I know is that I like you Will. No, I love you, and I have for a long time.” Mike confessed in one big breath as his heart ached in suspense and yearn. “I’m sorry it took me so long to finally understand that I didn’t have to be normal. I’m sorry that I made you think I didn’t love you back because the truth is that I’ve loved you all along, I just stopped trying to ignore it a few months ago which is so unfair to you and-“
Mike was cut off by Will’s lips crashing into his. His whole body froze in shock as two warm hands cupped his face in a softness that contrasted the desperate kiss. An electric surge sparked from where their lips met and spiraled down Mike’s whole body, making him shiver despite how warm Will’s lips were against his own. However, after a few seconds of Mike being unresponsive to the kiss (too starstruck to comprehend), Will jumped back, hands trembling as they met his own lips while his eyes shone with regret.
Mike instinctively reached out for him, suddenly aware of what was happening and how stupid he had just acted. He wanted to feel Will again, his hands, his lips, his warmth. But his train of thought was cut off by a frantic, apologetic Will.
“Oh god Mike I am so so sorry I thought I was reading this right, I thought you wouldn’t mind if I kis-“
This time Will was the one interrupted by Mike practically pouncing onto him, hands snaking Will’s waist while their lips once again met. Will let out a shocked squeal, fluttering his eyes closed as Mike kissed him yearningly, full of deep rooted desperation. His arms which were snared around Will tightened, pushing both of them as close as possibly, bodies flushing together. Will melted into Mike’s touch, hands moving to his back and up into his hair, tugging at the thick dark curls he had always longed to touch but never allowed himself the pleasure. Every different tug of Mike’s hair would deepen the kiss, causing Will to melt even further into him, almost putting all his body weight onto Mike to stop him from fainting. After a while they separated but only slightly. Will hands rested on Mike’s shoulders while Mike kept his arms loosely around Will’s waist, both of their foreheads pressed together.
“Wouldn’t mind?” He chuckled at the stupidity of their miscommunication, lips forming into a wonky grin. However that playful grin silently disappeared as Mike was filled with a sense of dread, remembering Will’s earlier statement during his confession. A thick wave of emotion suddenly drowned him, sinking his heart.
“Just please Will, don’t make me your Tammy. Please…” Mike confessed pleadingly. His shining, puppy eyes met Will’s and it melted Will’s heart when a singular tear rolled down Mike’s cheek.
“Mike…” Will whispered faintly, hands untangling from Mike’s curls so his thumb could gently wipe away Mike’s tear as he smiled softly, full of love and honesty.
“You aren’t my Tammy” He brought his other hand up to Mike’s face, cupping his cheeks with a delicacy only Will Byers possessed. He pulled him in for a soft kiss, tender and pure and full of honesty.
“You are my Mike. You are my everything.”
And suddenly, the knot Mike didn’t know was still tightly tied in his stomach unwinded like silk; because Will did love Mike like Mike loved Will. Everything was going to be okay. A dumbfounded grin grew on Mike’s face as he pulled Will in closer by his waist, leaning back in for another kiss.