Chapter Text
Friday Jan 4 1994 - 6:18am
23 years old
The sound of rain hits their window gently. The house is cold and dull with the beginning of winter. Will wakes up first as normal stretching slightly before goosebumps quickly prickle his arms—he hates being cold. Seeking familiar warmth, his arm reaches out across his bed in hopes to find the only thing to warm him up. When Will's arm wraps around his boyfriend's waist, his body instinctively nuzzles into his bare chest, placing a gentle and chaste kiss as to not wake Mike just yet. For a moment he stares, without guilt, because he finally gets to. 4 years ago he could never imagine this life, waking up beside Mike — both their chests bare. In the quiet hours of the morning where Will always wakes up first, he spends his first moments awake admiring the only person he’s ever loved.
The hand on Mike's waist moves to his cheek, he’s grown into his looks beautifully Will thinks. When they were younger, Mike was always bullied for his looks — but now he looks like he was carved from stone by the hands of Michelangelo. Although Mike shies away from any compliment ever, Will has long decided he’ll never stop telling his boyfriend how beautiful he is. The blush on Mike’s face every time makes Will’s heart skip a beat. He lifts his hand a little higher and cards his fingers through Mike's hair, thank God he began to grow it out a few months ago. Will loves Mike, he does he always has, but the months following their graduation when Mike didn't care about anything was terrible. His hair was always slicked in gel and his style was non-existent. Over the last 3 years, both boys have begun to find themselves. Moving away from Hawkins to New York City allowed them to be who they wanted to be, and money was never a problem — the government's hush money was enough to keep them comfortable for a good while longer.
Will got accepted to one of the best art schools globally and has had his work recognised by countless people, commissioning for schools, museums, studios, and everything else. Mike went where Will went, he didn't know what New York held for him — but they both knew they’d always need each other so there was no question. Mike finally landed an entry level position at a publishing house but quickly dropped it, he was a writer not whatever this job was. A few months into their life in New York Mike got accepted by a publisher for his first novel, a YA fantasy book focusing on the queer love story of a wizard and his protector. Without any intention, Mike had mirrored the story of him and Will. It took him the final sentence of the book before he realised. Holy shit I’m in love with Will
Mike always knew his friendship with Will was different but he never thought anything more of it, Joyce always joked with the two of them — telling stories from when they were both younger, always holding hands, giggling in secret, gravitating towards each other. It only took Mike 15 years of friendship to uncover what was always there, he loved Will. It was the only time he had ever truly felt love was. When he was dating Jane he loved her, he did, just not in the way he was supposed to. He knew what he was expected to do so it just felt right, but after a year of dating they both knew this wasn’t what it was supposed to be so they stayed close friends. Mike dabbled in the dating world but he never went past a first date. Instead he’d spend his Friday nights at his shared apartment with Will, watching the same movies they had on a cycle. It was his favourite part of the week. Friday nights soon became a sacred part of their week. Staring at Mike sleeping peacefully while his fingers ghost over each sun kissed freckle on Mike’s face, Will can’t help but think about one Friday years ago which was particularly special.
Friday Feb. 1 1991 - 7:53pm
20 years old
On a Friday night, Will sat on their couch filtering through the same movies as if something new would appear when Mike opened their front door the most nervous he had ever been. He’d asked Will to be the first person to read his book, the same one he spent close to 3 years on. Mike cared about Will’s opinion the most, if Will hated it he would have rewritten the whole thing right there with the first pen he finds. With gentle hands Will took the manuscript from him and assured him, “Mike, I'm sure this is going to be one of the best things I read”.
They didn’t have a movie night that Friday. Instead, Mike sat anxiously on the couch picking at his skin while Will read the book in his room as per Mike’s request. A few hours had passed and Mike wasn’t sure if he should jump out their fire escape which was 9 stories up. His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of Will’s door, he didn't know what he would see on his best friend of two decades’ face. When he mustered the courage to look up, for the first time ever he could not read Will’s face.
Will’s eyes were red and slightly puffy as if he had been crying, “Mike,” His voice breathy and uncertain, “This is so beautiful”. The relief that gushed over Mike’s body was visible in the way he let the air he was holding in his lungs out.
It was now or never. Mike stood and crossed the room until his feet were right at Will’s. He took the manuscript from his hands and placed it on a coffee table nearby before taking Will's hands in his own.
“Will,” his voice was already thick with the knot in his throat, “I can’t keep doing this, if I don’t tell you now I’ll never get it out and I can’t keep lying it’s so ha-”
“Mike. Breathe, you're rambling” Will squeezed his hand just a bit tighter and Mike matched his breathing
“Will, I love you. I think I always have,” His eyes fell to the floor, tears burning his eyes as he fights himself to continue, “I-I don't want this to change anything but I just- it’s always been so different with me and you and I think it’s always been you? I jus-”
“Mike, Mike look at me.” Mike kept his head down.
“Michael.” At the sound of his full name, Mike looked up — only to see Will with the softest look of adoration on his face. He felt slightly cold hands cup both cheeks. Teary eyed, Will chuckled before clearing his throat to speak, leaning in closer, “Can I kiss you?”
It took Mike a total of half a second before placing one hand on the small of Will’s back, the other resting at the back of his neck before pulling his best friend in and connecting both their lips. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and so perfect. It wasn’t hungry, but it was meaningful and spoke the words that they should have said a decade ago. Mike tilted his head slightly before feeling bold enough to run his tongue over Will’s closed lips, without question Will grabbed Mike’s shoulder a little rougher and let him in. They were sighing into each others mouths, their hands finding purchase on each other's waist, shoulders, chest, hair, anywhere begging to be closer. Will felt the air being taken from his lungs but could not care enough to stop — if he died kissing Michael Wheeler, the boy he’s loved for 13 years, so be it. Will grabbed a fist full of Mike’s dress shirt, pulling him impossibly closer before they were both forced to pull away. For a moment they were silent, lips barely touching as they breathed in the air from the other's mouth. Mike’s eyes were blown out as he took in the sight of Will, his lips swollen, face flushed, hair tussled. Will did the same, taking in the sight of Mike, he doesn't think he has ever looked more beautiful — one day he would paint him like this and hang it in all the museums for everyone to see what the definition of beautiful is.
Mike’s breaths were still uneven when he leaned down and pressed his lips to Will’s forehead before resting his face in the crook of Will’s neck. Will let out a mix of a chuckle and a huff before wrapping an arm around Mike and letting his other hand play with his soft curls.
“I love you too, Mike. I always have”
Without breaking apart, they moved 5 steps to their couch. Mike splayed himself out on top of Will, his longer legs barely staying on the couch. They didn’t speak, they didn’t have to — after two decades of friendship, it doesn't take a lot to read each other's mind. Time passed without them knowing, they both laid there, Mike rubbing circles with his index on Will’s back and Will coiling Mike's hair with his fingers almost lulling him to sleep. Occasionally, Mike would lift his head from Will’s chest to place a gentle kiss on Will’s lips, cheeks, eyes, nose, anywhere really before Will burst into a fit of giggles pulling away. What Mike wouldn’t do to hear the sound of Will’s laugh. When he lifted his head the next time, Will held his face and kept him there. Mike propped himself up on his shoulders before tilting his head and moving down to Will’s jaw, his neck, the sliver of skin exposing his collarbones before speaking. “Stay with me tonight?” Will just smiled as if that was the silliest question Mike could ask. From that night on, one of the two bedrooms in their apartment always stayed empty at night.