Chapter Text
Mike ran out the front door, almost slipping as he grabbed his bag for spring break lying beside the shoes.
He was late.
Which was entirely in character for him but he was mad nonetheless. Mad at himself. Mad at everyone. Mad at the world.
He was sick of being so messy. Sick of being sloppy and never put together. He didn’t know how to change. He couldn’t.
So he tried to push the cluttered thoughts into the back of his brain as he got in the car, his mom agreeing to drive him.
There was no way he wasn’t going to miss his flight.
He was lucky sometimes.
Lucky to have a girlfriend, lucky to have Will, lucky to have his friends-–well most of them.
But he wasn’t that lucky.
He was going to miss his flight.
Mike threw himself against the passenger seat of the car and sighed, tossing his bag onto his shoes.
He was wearing his hellfire shirt, hair unruly and black jeans wrinkled.
He looked a mess.
Oh well.
Then the thought popped into his head.
Will was probably going to laugh at him.
The thought made him sick.
Maybe he should change? Or…at least iron it?
On the plane?
Shit.
“Do you have everything with you?” His mom spoke up, starting to pull out of their driveway.
“God–yes, mom, I have everything with me.” Mike banged his head against his headrest repeatedly, hoping to knock some sense into himself.
“There is no need to be so disrespectful, Micheal.” Karen tsked and shook her head, letting out a big sigh before turning her head away from the passenger seat.
“Whatever.” Mike muttered, only audible to himself.
He looked out the car window, watching the spring leaves grow back on the dead trees, symbolizing the return of warm weather and heavy rain.
Mike thought of Will’s letter he’d sent when he first arrived in Lenora.
“I miss clouds.” and the barely visible words that followed, resembling something similar to “I miss you.”
But Mike wasn’t so sure.
It could’ve been anything.
And it was crossed out for a reason.
So it didn’t really count–no matter the words. Even if Will had said he missed Mike, he didn’t mean it in a weird way.
Not the way Mike’s brain kept supplying him every time he thought about it.
Which was at least every week.
Maybe a few times a week.
Like each…monday and thursday?
Who was he kidding? It was everyday.
He was pretty sure he had a nightmare about it. But that was a topic for another time. Or another day. Or maybe never.
The drive wasn’t too long, the time passing quickly as Mike’s brain ate itself alive.
He should get to the airport, use a phone and call the Byers to tell them that he'd be late or something.
If they actually even picked up.
Joyce had that stupid fucking telemarketing job and it drove Mike up the wall.
He was never able to talk to Will.
That was him and Mike's form of communication.
Sure, they'd send a few letters here and there but that was more of Mike and Eleven's thing.
So him and Will needed their own thing too.
But it was hard, juggling his relationship with El in one hand and his relationship with Will in the other.
They felt like two sides of the same coin.
Mike registered in some logical part of his brain that it was weird to feel that way about his girlfriend and best friend but he didn't care.
So what if he didn't feel like that with Dustin or Lucas? That's because they weren't him.
They weren't Will.
So it was okay for him to feel like that.
Or at least that's what he told his brain to keep himself semi sane.
Once his mom's car stopped in front of the airport, he flung his door open, barely saying his goodbyes to his mother.
His mom forced him to let her kiss his head before he left. So he had to allow it before running into the building.
He probably looked insane.
No one else was running through an airport to get to their flight because they had no sense of time.
Just Mike.
He somehow made it through security and all that airport bullshit before his plane took off.
He hadn't stopped running once.
He also somehow, by the grace of God, made it onto his flight in time.
He slumped down against the window seat and sighed, tension leaking from his shoulders.
Time to relax or whatever.
------------------
Mike had fallen into a deep sleep a few minutes after the plane took off into the air. He had slept for almost the entire flight and woke up to a flight attendant's loud, pitchy voice coming through the speaker:
"Only ten more minutes until you arrive to your destination, folks! Sunny, Lenora, California."
Mike froze.
"California is okay, I guess. It's way hotter than Hawkins and it's always so sunny. There has not been one rainy day since we arrived! I miss clouds. I miss you."
Yeah, hell no.
Mike was not surviving this trip.
A few minutes later, the plane roughly landed and Mike's head hit the window, causing him to wince.
"No wonder Will hates it here." Mike mumbled to himself, putting words into Will's mouth to make himself feel better.
Did Will really hate it in Lenora? He never specified.
He seemed to be indifferent about it.
Mike understood. If it were him that had to leave all his friends--to leave Will--he would've been livid.
But Will was a much calmer person than Mike, always forgiving and kind.
He was truly perfect.
But not like that.
He didn't think about Will like that.
All people felt like that about their best friends.
Mike was sure of it.
Kind of.
Mike stepped off the plane with his duffle bag in hand, taking a deep breath before going through the tunnel leading to Will.
And Eleven too. And Jonathan probably. Maybe even Joyce?
He round the corner, anticipating seeing them after almost a year.
Well, not quite. It had only been five or six months since they had moved. But it always felt so much longer.
Mike looked around the room full of people for a moment before his eyes landed on Will's face.
They made eye contact and Mike felt his heart jump into his throat.
His pulse quickened slightly and he let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding.
He couldn't help the stupid smile that appeared on his face.
Will matched the expression, his eyes crinkling at the corners and his natural blush complimenting his slightly tan face.
He was a little tan.
Because it was sunny.
It was sunny in California and it always was.
There hadn't been a day with rain and Will missed clouds and he missed Mike and-
NO.
No, no, no, no, no.
Not now.
To collect himself, he brought his eyes over to the left and saw the rest of the group.
Eleven was smiling wide and her eyes were bright, looking at Mike with pure unadulterated joy.
It made Mike's chest feel warm.
In a good way.
But it didn't make his stomach flip or anything like he thought it should.
He'd figure that out later.
Then, there was Jonathan and this random guy.
Said, random guy, looked high as fuck, his eyes red and half shut.
Mike stifled a giggle as he made his way over to the bunch.
Eleven ran up to him and pulled him into a hug, squeezing him slightly.
The fact that she hadn't gone to kiss him hadn't gone unnoticed by Mike but he shrugged it off, putting it in the pile of stuff For Later.
She pulled away from him and he felt lost.
Should he say something?
Well, obviously.
But like..what?
"Err- Hi!"
Holy shit, he was stupid.
"Hi!" Eleven smiled at him, taking a step backwards.
"Sorry I couldn't bring you flowers or something, I was running late." Mike rubbed the back of his neck and winced at his words.
"It's okay. I'm just happy you're here." El expression softened and she moved back besides Will, presumably for him to say hi to his best friend.
Mike took a deep breath before facing Will because-
Holy shit.
He was wearing light blue jeans and a striped shirt, his belt matching the colors perfectly.
He had the sweetest expression on his face and it made Mike feel so incredibly guilty for thinking it but...Will's thighs looked really good in those pants.
Mike wondered what his butt looked lik-
What the fuck was going on with him!?
Mike could feel his face burning as he stood idly a few feet in front of Will, looking like an idiot.
"Are you...okay?" Will spoke up and Mike coughed, choking on his own spit.
"Yeah! Yeah-no, totally, fine!" Mike's voice was three octaves higher than normal as he responded and the sketchy dude with long hair gave him a weird look before whispering into Jonathan's ear, giggling.
Whatever he said earned him an elbow in his rib from Jonathan.
Weirdo.
Mike shook his head and faked a smile, awkwardly moving towards Will to embrace him in a weird half hug/pat.
It was terrible.
He should've been able to hug Will.
There was nothing weird about it.
But his brain told him otherwise.
Told him that his intentions were...different.
But they weren't.
Right?
Both of them pulled away awkwardly and Will looked off put, his smile fading slightly.
Mike's chest hurt.
He tried coping by turning to Jonathan and his... friend.
"Hey, man. How's it going?" Mike directed the conversation towards his sister's boyfriend, hoping the situation would become less uncomfortable.
"It's good. You?" His tone was neutral but he kept his expression a polite smile, definitely not as high as his friend, if high at all.
"Good." Mike nodded then brought his eyes to the boy with long black hair and a white long sleeved shirt paired with another shirt, that one open, with intricate black and white designs.
"Oh, this is Argyle, my friend." Jonathan smiled in a childlike way and giggled, Argyle nodding nonchalantly.
Nope, definitely high.
Will spoke up from beside him, startling Mike momentarily.
"I also work with him. He got me a job at a pizza place he works at when Jonathan and him first became friends." Will explained, gesturing next to him.
El nodded along, her eyes flickering between the boys.
"Oh...nice. Hey, Argyle." Mike cleared his throat, glancing over to the long haired boy.
And Mike thought he needed a haircut.
"Hey dude, you're Mike, right?" He spoke a little slow, reminding Mike a little bit of a sloth.
Mike nodded.
"Wait which one of them is dating him? I forget.." Argyle whispered to Jonathan but forgot the most vital part of the art of whispering--being quiet.
Mike's face burned a bright shade of red.
He didn't need a mirror to know that because he could feel it.
All blood rushing to his head and face.
Did he really think that Will and him were dating? After that interaction?
Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath.
"Dude, my sister, Jane?" Jonathan hissed, a little quieter than his friend.
"Ohhhhh, right...right." He nodded slowly, squinting his eyes at Mike.
Mike then made the mistake of looking over at Will, who looked petrified.
They met gazes for a second and Will's eyes widened, immediately darting elsewhere.
Mike felt like he stopped breathing.
He felt like his heart stopped beating.
He looked over at El, terrified to what her expression would be.
But it was just...indifferent.
Weird.
She wasn't even looking at Mike.
She was whispering to Will, voice low before she giggled, causing Will to smile slightly.
Mike felt stupid.
He really didn't like this Argyle guy.
They all sat in silence for a few moments before Jonathan was brave enough to be the first one to speak.
"Ready to go?"
The entire group made a chorus of agreements, everyone instantly walking towards the airport exit.
They got into a van with the words pizza and surfer boy printed in red on the yellow painted side of the vehicle.
On the top of the car, there was a red surfboard with the same words from before, "Surfer Boy Pizza".
Huh.
So that was where Will worked.
It never occurred to him that Will could have a job. I mean, they were 14, Will turning 15 within a week or two, and in highschool.
Mike had a job.
It wasn't rare.
Max had a job too, where they both worked at Scoops Ahoy, switching shifts with Steve and this girl named Robin.
But Lucas and Dustin didn't have one.
Bums. Mike shook his head, laughing in his brain.
They got into the car and Mike sat in the middle of Will and El in the back.
The ride was oddly silent and Mike was too scared to interrupt the silence for once in his life.
El had been acting...off.
She was abnormally quiet and seemed to be interacting with everyone but Mike.
Sure, she'd hugged him and greeted him but that was it.
Maybe it was the weird comment that Argyle made about Will and him.
The memory made his face heat up again so he decided to look out the windshield, avoiding looking out either window to his side.
Being in a romantic relationship with Will.
That was...an option?
Mike had never thought of it.
Did that mean two girls could also be together?
He knew that it was a thing but he never really put it into context.
What he meant was that he never really thought that that could be him.
But...it could make sense?
Right?
I mean, why not??
Not that he liked Will like that!
Or that he was... gay!
He was just pondering.
Pondering his newly discovered options!
The van rolled into the Byers' driveway and Mike took in his surroundings.
Their house was pretty nice and a lot bigger than their last one.
Mike smiled to himself.
Joyce was so strong and independent and it made his heart warm.
He'd always loved her like a second mother.
So seeing that she was able to do well enough for herself and her kids so that they'd have this house--made his heart warm.
They went inside and before he could even take a breath, El pulled him down a hallway.
She didn't stop when Mike kept asking questions and pulling away, only stilling once they were in what appeared to be her bedroom.
"El, what's wrong?" Mike stood in front of her, looking around her decorated room.
It was cute.
Very El.
"Sit down, Mike." Her voice was bored as she pointed towards her bed, Mike obeying and sitting down, pulse racing.
"I'm a little- I'm a little nervous now. What's going on?" Mike felt a lump form in his throat at the very formal way they were speaking.
"We need to talk. Please don't interrupt me, I need to tell you this."
Mike only nodded, looking up at El who was standing a few feet from her bed where Mike was sat.
"What Argyle said earlier-"
Mike felt like he was going to vomit.
"-I, I don't think he's entirely wrong. He could not even tell who you were dating, Mike! You don't treat me like your girlfriend!" El took a pause and Mike opened his mouth to speak.
"I- What!? I-I do! I don't know what Argyle, or whoever he is, was talking about. I-" Mike took a long moment before continuing, "I care about you! So much!"
"Care." El responded, voice feeble and broken.
Mike didn't understand.
"But you don't…you don't love me anymore?" El looked up from her hands and into Mike's eyes, his body freezing.
"What!? Who- Who said that I didn't?" Mike sputtered, at a loss for words.
"You never say it." Eleven retorted, voice breaking.
Mike's chest constricted in on itself.
"I say it." Mike lied through his teeth, feeling the way the lie dripped down his throat like acid.
The words physically burned him.
"Not to me."
Mike stopped breathing.
"W-What's that supposed to mean?!" His voice went up a pitch, an indicator that he knew he was guilty but was trying to pretend he wasn't.
The ends of his letters. The words he said every time before he hung up the phone. The words he only said to one person often enough that it felt normal.
To Will.
"It doesn't matter! You can't even write it, Mike." El shook her head, taking a shuttering breath.
She pulled out a stack of letters from her drawer, beginning to throw them to the floor as she shuffled through each one, reading them.
"From Mike. From Mike. From Mike. From Mike. From."
Mike couldn't take this right now.
He felt like dying.
She knew. She knew before he even knew himself. She knew something he still couldn't admit out loud, let alone to himself.
How did she know?
"Okay, okay. Eleven, you're being ridiculous. What, like...What is this? You can't let these mouth breathers ruin this. Ruin us!" Mike started to defend himself against the unfortunately very true accusations before El cut him off.
"They aren't ruining us! You are!" El raised her voice and plopped down onto her chair beside her desk, her face falling into her hands.
Mike was at a terrible loss for words.
She was right. He was ruining them. Ruining what they had.
You're ruining our party!
Will's words ran through his head--like always.
Mike shook his head, his limbs trembling embarrassingly.
"Look, Mike. It's okay. It's okay that you can't love me. I think- I just think maybe it'd be best if we stopped being boyfriend and girlfriend."
Mike's head shot up to look at El, whose voice was gentle and face was kind.
She had a small, genuine smile on her face and it made Mike's heart audibly crack.
He could feel the tears running down his face before he had the chance to register that they'd fallen at all.
"I'm so sorry, El. I just- I don't know why. I don't know what's wrong with me." Mike's body shook as a sob racked through his body, El getting up from her chair to sit beside him.
She pulled him into her arms and hugged him, his head on her shoulder.
"Nothing is wrong with you, Mike. Really, it's okay. I think we're better off as friends anyway. And I should try figuring out who I am outside of being your girlfriend, you know? I think you'd benefit from doing the same." El rubbed her hand comfortingly on his back, hand trailing up and down in smooth motions.
Mike nodded against her shoulder, hugging her tightly.
"I- I really do...love you though. Just-" Mike hiccupped, voice wavering.
"Just not like that. Not like with- nevermind. I get it, Mike. It's really okay."
With who? Mike wanted to ask.
But he was afraid he already knew the answer.