Chapter Text
“It's not my fault you don't like girls!”
Mike’s eyes snapped open, he sat up looking around, frantically, he couldn't see anything besides the faint glow of his alarm clock, “1:16” it read, he and El had gone to bed a few hours before, exhausted from the chaos caused by the state of…everything
There's a rustle of sheets on the ground next to him.
“Mike?” Mike heard El whisper next to him,she was looking up at him from the ground, placing a hand on his shoulder, rubbing circles into it. It helped a bit.
“I'm fine.” He responded a few seconds later, not daring to continue to look at her, he tried to sound reassuring, he really did! But he just..couldn't.
She swallows. “Okay,” She whispered in response as she rubbed one last circle and removed the hand that she had on his shoulder.
“Goodnight.”
He had the dream again, the day after El broke up with him,the day he said that to Will. He shouldn't be thinking about it, it had been years but he just couldn't stop, the things he said, the splatters of the rain landing on the roof and concrete, becoming more intense as the fight progressed, then Will walked away, tears and rain mixing, tears Mike had caused.
That thought stinged, he hurt Will, and for what? So he could go and be a douchebag boyfriend to a girl he doesn't deserve?
‘Stop.’ He thought to himself, shutting his eyes. He knew he didn't have the mental capacity at the moment for that.
He laid back down, the sound of the rain filling his ears, doing nothing but reminding him of what a shitty person he was.
Then he heard a clock chime. Which was strange because they didn't have a clock- shit.
His eyes shot open, seeing a grandfather clock out of the corner of his eye.
The tightening in his chest and throat hurting, ‘this can't be happening..’ ‘no no no no no, this cannot be happening.’
“fuck.” He muttered voice shaking, he turned over to eleven, she was asleep, 'i could go to Will..?’ He considered internally, He knew Will wouldn’t mind, neither did eleven but, he wanted Will, it's where he knew he'd be safe.
So with that he gently took the blanket off his legs and got up from the bed, careful to not be too fast or loud so he would wake up El.
He walked towards where Will slept, he felt like a little kid again, walking to his parents bedroom after having a nightmare.
The hall was quiet, small paintings hung on the walls, the occasional doorway or bookcase appearing. He continued to walk, feet hitting the floor with a slight “thump” noise. He began to see Will's door in front of him.
Once he reached Will’s room he stood there for a second, ‘what if he doesn't want me to come to him?’ Mike knows he's being stupid, but in his defense they had just made up not too long ago. But he needed to talk to Will.
So, he took a deep breath and walked into the room.
“Mike?” Will whispered, squinting at him.
Mike swallows. “Hey.” Mike whispered awkwardly, he did not expect for Will to be awake, and for him to look so handsome-
‘Wait…what?’ Why the hell did he think that? ‘Whats wrong with you? What if Will heard you? Get it together.’ He told himself
Before he could continue to scold himself he realized Will was talking.
“Is there something you needed or…?’” Will had said, as he closed the comic book that he was reading.
“It's Vecna.” Mike said he was scared, terrified even. He didn't want to die but..what if He didn't have a choice? Vecna wouldn't care. He knew that, but he just..couldn't die, he cannot leave Will- well he couldn’t leave anyone, that's what he meant or at least that's what he told himself.
“..what do you mean, Mike?” Will said, voice beginning to shake slightly, he didn't want to worry Will. But Will was the only person he felt safe enough to tell. It had always been like that.
“I..” he swallowed. “I saw his clock.” Mike muttered, he wanted to cry, he wanted a hug from Will but he was just thinking that he was ‘handsome’, like, sure he is handsome, but that wasn't the point, friends don't just think that out of the blue, he didn't deserve to even be close to Will, not if he was gonna think those types of things.
After a few seconds of whatever that was he looked back up from the skin he was picking off his thumb, and he met Will's eyes. He looked terrified.
“Please say you’re joking’ Will pleaded, his eyes blown wide, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.
“”you know I wouldn't joke about that, not now.’ Mike whispered looking back down to the skin he was previously picking at
“Mike..” Will said, he was getting up, kicking his blanket off of him.
He walked up to Mike and hugged him, “please don’t die Mike,” he whispered. “I just got you back.” He finished. Mike hugged back, resting his forehead on Will’s shoulder. Holding him close, Will’s arms around his chest and his around Will’s head.
“Mike,” Will said into Mike's neck, making him very aware of where Will was and wasn't touching.
“..Yeah?’ Mike responded, him saying it into Will’s shoulder.
“promise me you won’t leave me..?’ He said as a tear rolled down his cheek, the warmth and wetness of it touching Mike's neck.
“Promise.” Mike assured Will, he held him tighter, they just sat there for a minute, holding each other.
‘He's so close..’ Mike thought to himself. ‘I want to be closer.’
‘Mike, stop. That's gross.’
Then Will pulled away, for a second he thought he had caught on but then he said, “It’s late. You should go to sleep.” He told Mike softly, hands still wrapped around Mike.
“I don’t want to go back to my room.” He said, deciding to go against every rule he had set for himself.
“Then where are you gonna sleep?” Will said, a laugh coming out mid sentence, ‘God, I love his laugh.’ Mike didn't exactly think that willingly, but it wasn’t a lie. He loves Will’s laugh.
“I don’t know.” he said laughing along with Will, his cheeks felt warm, a soft, but intense feeling that he hoped wasn't visible.
“Are you gonna sleep in here or something?” Will added onto the joke, He knew Will was joking, but the thought of sleeping next to Will, holding him as they sleep? His stomach was filled with butterflies.
He decided against every single piece of common sense he had and replied, “..could I..?”
Will's eyes widened, he was…blushing? No, he wasn't, it's not like Will could ever find anything about Mike attractive enough for him to be flustered.
“Uh- yeah- Yeah! Of course let me just-" Will said rather quickly, ‘wonder what's going on with him…is he okay? Did I say something? Is he mad?’
Will turned around and rearranged his blankets and pillows, attempting to make the space bigger, the sound of it filling the room.
Once he had finished the space was about twice the size, two pillows with little space in between them about 3 inches, a blanket as a bedsheet on top of the mattress, and slightly bigger blanket on top of it.
“So, can I?” Mike said, gesturing to the mattress.
“Yeah-! Of course! Just-” Will was tripping over his words, which wasn't exactly abnormal but was still a little odd.
He laid down onto the left side as Will laid down on the right, ‘he's so close again.’ He thought to himself, he felt wrong, gross even, for worrying about how close or far his best friend was.
“Goodnight, Will.” Mike finally said after sometime, turning over onto his side to smile at the other boy.
“Goodnight, Mike” Will responded as he tilted his head to meet Mike's smile, matching it.
Mike fell asleep faster than he had in a long time, not without any struggle though, his mind spiraled, about Vecna, the upside down, and Will, Will’s eyes, his nose and the way it curved, the light blush that crept on his cheeks, his lips, and just Will. Mike knew he was fucked, it wasn’t hard to tell, but if it was because of Vecna or the thoughts he was having of Will? He had no idea.
That was the last thought Mike had before sleep took him, finally being given a break.