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Out of the corner of his eye, Mike can see Will fussing over their D&D table, setting something up. He feels a twinge of guilt just as he thinks to himself how adorable Will looks today. Granted, he thinks Will looks adorable every day, but today especially. His cheeks are particularly flushed today, and while it might just be a result of the heat, Mike wonders if it’s because of how many times they’ve made eye contact today.
Will’s eyes have been on him all day, and Mike has to admit that he’s loved it. It’s just about the only thing that hasn’t sucked so far. Mike’s day basically started with El getting all weird on the phone because he was maybe thirty minutes late to the cabin, and he couldn’t tell her that Hopper scared the shit out of him, so he made up some dumbass lie about his Nana being sick. Then he made a mad dash to the mall, desperate to get out of the basement because it smelled so much like Will all of a sudden, and it was making Mike slightly dizzy.
And then, for the first time in his life, Mike got dumped by El outside of the mall in front of his friends. Fast forward to now, he’s lying on his couch eating Doritos, and he knows he’s supposed to care more. Being with El is safe. Being with El is normal because she’s a girl, and that is who Mike is supposed to like.
Gazing over at Will, allowing his eyes to linger on his best friend, he feels a strange feeling wash over him. The day’s excitement seems to be catching up with him, because he starts to doze off, and the last thing he sees before falling asleep is Will settling down in the corner of the basement with his sketchbook, no doubt giving Mike and Lucas some time to cool down after they’ve been broken up with.
Mike is sitting at the dinner table, surrounded by his family. For some reason, El is there, seated right next to him. Looking all around, he notices that everyone is dressed up, including El.
“I love you, Mike,” she says, smiling sweetly. “Don’t you love me?”
Mike’s dad grunts at the end of the table. “Thank goodness you have a girlfriend, son. I was starting to think that the Byers boy had turned you a little funny.”
“Dad, don’t say that,” Mike retorts, feeling angry on Will’s behalf.
Mike’s mom interrupts. “Michael, we love him like he’s one of our own. But it’s high time that you have a girlfriend and stop spending so much time with that boy. He’s an Omega, and you don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”
“Yeah, Mike,” El says. “You’re my boyfriend, not Will’s.”
“But you dumped me!” Mike exclaims, incredibly confused about what is happening right now.
Suddenly, loud music starts blaring from the kitchen. Mike gets up from the table to go see what is happening and-
Mike wakes up in a cold sweat. It takes him a moment to process that everything that just happened was a weird dream, but the music remains. The music is coming from the stereo over by the D&D table, and there is Will in his purple wizard costume. Will is being incredibly over the top about all of this, and Mike would be way more annoyed if he didn’t think that Will looked adorable.
No!
Mike chastises himself, remembering his dream. He’s not allowed to think that Will is adorable. But he hates upsetting his best friend, so he agrees to play the campaign. As the afternoon drags on, however, the room starts to become stifling again. He can smell Will’s pheromones, stronger than ever, and there’s something about it that is setting him on edge. All he wants to do is hug Will, to cuddle up to him, and rub his own scent all over Will.
But Mike has to remind himself that’s not normal behavior for two boys.
His inner turmoil is his only explanation for what happens next. He welcomes the distraction of a phone call, hoping it's El calling to fix everything. Being with El is normal, and if he’s with El, then he won’t care so much about Will. Sadly, it’s just a telemarketer, but that doesn’t change the fact that Mike needs to get out of the basement.
Lucas is also clearly over the game, so Mike jokes around with him to win in the quickest, lamest way possible. Unfortunately, all that does is piss Will off, and the next thing they know, Will is storming up the stairs. Mike and Lucas share a horrified look, because Will hardly ever gets mad at them. Mike can’t even remember the last time Will was mad at him.
Yet Mike makes everything so much worse. He doubles down on being an asshole, and as his words cut like a knife, he watches as Will flinches, his face going pale. The next thing he knows, he’s trying to save face, but it’s too little, too late, and none of it is even what Mike wants to say to Will. And it’s not enough, because Will rides off in the pouring rain, all too eager to get away from Mike.
“Fuck!” Mike shouts.
Lucas comes running into the garage. Looking all around, he sees that Will has actually left. “Dude, what happened?”
Mike feels emotion clawing up into his throat. “I said something horrible, and now Will rode off into that.” He gestures at the storm, which is only getting worse.
“Damn, dude. We really messed up, didn’t we?” Lucas mutters.
Something inside Mike is screaming at him that he needs to fix this. “Lucas, we need to go after him. You go to his house, and I’ll go to Castle Byers.”
Lucas studies him for a moment. “Dude, shouldn’t we go try and get our girlfriends back instead? Like, if we’re going to be groveling…”
“No!” Mike shouts. “This is Will. He matters way more, and besides, Max will take you back; you don’t need to worry about groveling.”
It’s only when he’s already halfway down the street on his bike that Mike realizes that he failed to mention trying to get El back. After he upset Will, none of that mattered anymore. All that matters now is finding Will, and making sure he’s okay. Because he has a horrible feeling in his stomach. Maybe it’s because of what happened the last time Will rode off by himself in the dark. Or, maybe, it’s because Mike can’t live with himself after what he’s just said to Will.
Mike and Lucas split up eventually, with Lucas veering towards Will’s house while Mike heads towards Castle Byers. If Will is as upset as he fears he is, then Mike has a feeling that Will’s gone to the one place that remains a sanctuary to him above all else. Biking along the trail, he lets out a sigh of relief as he notices the lamp on inside the small fort in the middle of the woods between the road and the Byers’ house.
Mike dumps his bike on the ground and runs towards Castle Byers. He falters for a moment, wanting to announce himself, but when he hears a sob, he pushes his way through the fabric doorway.
Entering the cramped space, he sees Will lying on the ground, swaddled up in the blankets that have made their way there over the years. And, sure enough, he’s sobbing into the pillow that’s shoved underneath his head.
“Will!” Mike exclaims, rushing over to lean beside him.
Will sits up in shock, his eyes bright red and wet. “Mike? What-” His face hardens. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m so sorry,” Mike says. “I was such an asshole, and I didn’t mean any of the things that I said.”
Will’s lower lip trembles. “Then why did you say them?”
Mike’s pulse quickens, and he knows that he has two choices to make here. He can either lie and keep up his facade of normal. Or he can tell the truth and risk losing Will forever. He hates both options, but the first choice also carries the risk of losing Will, whereas the second one…
“Because I was scared,” Mike admits.
“Of what? Of me?!”
“No,” Mike insists, shaking his head. “Of, I don’t know, life? People? My dad?”
“Mike, I don’t understand.”
Mike sucks in a breath. “I think that I was just saying what I thought I was supposed to say because… Because how I feel for you isn’t normal.”
Will’s eyes go wide, but he doesn’t say anything. He just sits there, looking so adorable with his big doe eyes, and Mike feels himself wanting to throw his arms around him. To cuddle up with him in that pile of blankets, to let Will’s scent envelop him and mix in with Mike’s scent.
“I like you, Will. I like you the way that I’m supposed to like El.” Will gasps, but before he can say anything, Mike rushes to add, “And I don’t want to make things weird between us. You’re my best friend, and I care about you so much. But I also keep wanting to hug you, or cuddle you, and I was kind of going insane earlier because you smell so good today, Will. Like, I don’t know what is happening, but-”
“I’m presenting,” Will blurts out. “I tried to ignore it, with everything else going on.”
“Oh.” Mike feels like an idiot now, because all of the signs were there.
Will starts blushing. A soft smile creeping onto his face, he says, “I like you too, Mike. I think I always have, I just didn’t figure out what it meant until seeing you with El.”
“I’m so sorry, Will,” Mike says, his voice shaky. “I was so worried about what everyone would think, including you, if people found out.”
“I get it,” Will whispers.
They stare at each other for a few moments, but then Will’s entire body shivers. “Are you cold?” Mike asks, suddenly concerned for his friend.
God, Will is presenting. He’s a young boy presenting as an Omega, and he’s been out in the rain because of Mike. He swears he’s never going to make Will cry ever again.
“Yeah, a little,” Will admits.
Mike goes to climb onto the mattress with Will, but then considers the severity of the situation. “Do you mind if I-”
Will lifts the blankets, his cheeks turning pink again. “Please.”
Mike grins, feeling flustered, as he gets underneath the covers with Will. He pulls Will up against him, letting the Omega use him as a pillow. Instantly, Will’s pheromones start swirling throughout Castle Byers, and as Mike starts to run his fingers through Will’s hair, he hears Will’s breath even out almost immediately.
It’s not long after that Mike drifts off to sleep, cuddled up with his best friend. Neither of them has any idea of the battle that is coming, but one thing is clear: they’ll get through it together.