Archive of Our Own

New York City

June 30, 1991

Mike Wheeler never expected his mornings to consist of dodging pedestrians on a busy sidewalk and bumping shoulders with strangers every other step. Growing up in Hawkins, a small town where everyone knew each other, he was unprepared for what to expect in New York City.

Despite the heavy foot traffic no matter what time of day it was, which drove him absolutely insane at first, living in a shared apartment with his best friend is the absolute best thing he could have hoped for, making the busy city life worth it.

He got lucky, too. Most of the party agreed that going to the same school would make the most sense for them. Max and Lucas are here too, enrolled at NYU and living in the same apartment complex as Mike and Will. They spend most of their free nights hanging out together, although Sundays are the days that Mike and Will consistently have work off, so they spend every Sunday together. They’ve declared them Mike and Will days. They never have to ask to make plans, the two share a silent agreement that whatever one decides to do that day, the other will tag along. Sunday’s are for them. Just how Mike likes it. 

And on this fine Sunday, Mike and Will walk side by side, or at least attempt to without getting separated, back to their building after spending yet another morning at their favorite cafe. The lack of breeze within the crowd makes the warm summer air feel even more intense. 

Mike falls a bit behind Will, who looks back every so often with a wide smile on his face, making sure he didn’t stray too far back. Mike has always been a bit anxious when it comes to large crowds. As excited as Will was for them to move to the city together, he had asked Mike are you sure at least a thousand times, describing the way the city swarmed with people. Mike insisted that he would be fine. He’d always be fine with Will around. 

They’d go to college together, sign their first lease, and familiarize themselves with local places they would grow to love. There is nothing that could ever stop him from wanting to share a space with Will. 

They’d spent enough time as kids worrying about being separated, constantly looking over their shoulders wondering if today would be their last. It’s nice to have his biggest worry now simply being overcrowding in a populated city.

Well, maybe not his biggest worry. 

Living with Will does unfortunately have a downside: Mike is deeply, embarrassingly in love with him. Like, a ridiculous amount. To the point where Will passing him the orange juice in the morning has him flustered. 

Will had said when he came out that he only had a crush, and that said crush wasn’t like him while looking in Mike’s direction. Mike took the hint, he was talking about him, even though Will had never directly admitted it. But Will has since said that he moved on. Which is fine, it’s fine. As long as he and Mike stay friends, all would be okay. 

Mike doesn’t think he’ll ever be strong like Will. Will came out to a whole room of people, it felt like the entirety of Hawkins was there, and Mike couldn’t even tell his best friend about himself. He grew up hearing what the people in his small town would say, the names they’d refer to people like him. He knows The Party accepted Will with open arms, and that nothing changed between their friendship dynamic, but he isn’t sure he’ll ever be ready to put himself out there like that. 

He shakes the thoughts from his head as they approach their apartment building. Quickening his pace, Mike rushes ahead of Will to hold the door for him, causing Will to laugh as he ducks past. 

“So,”  Mike says, unlocking the door and entering their shared space, throwing his keys on to the side table. “What time did Max and Lucas say they’d be getting here?”

“Soon,” Will replies, making a beeline for the couch, flopping onto it, and sighing dramatically. “They went to breakfast around the same time we did.” He glances down at his watch, “They should be here any minute, actually.”

Mike nods and moves to sit down on the couch beside Will. Their knees fall together, barely brushing until Mike pushes into the touch — and to his delight, Will pushes back. 

“Do we have a game plan, or are we just winging it?” Mike asks.

“I dunno,” Will shrugs. “There’s not many places around here we haven’t been to already. We can just see what they’re up for.”

Mike hums in response, not really minding either way. He loves that Max and Lucas decided to move with him and Will, but he does miss having the entire Party around. Dustin and Jane are taking the summer to study abroad, which Mike thinks is amazing, but it would’ve been nice to have them here, too. 

To kill the time before Max and Lucas arrive, the two sit in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Mike opens up a book he hasn’t touched in a month as Will mindlessly doodles the events of their last DnD campaign in his sketchbook. A half hour passes when they finally hear their unit buzzer go off.

“Wheeler, let us in,” Max’s voice breaks through the speaker box. “It’s hot as hell out here.”

Will gets up and presses the button to buzz them in. “Come on up.”

A few moments later, there’s a loud knock at the door. As soon as Will opens it, Max is dropping her bag and launching herself into Will’s arms.

“Byers!” She says, burying her face into his neck. 

“Hi Max,” Will laughs, hugging her back.

They break apart and Max turns to look at Mike on the couch. “Wheeler,” she says, voice low. “Looking chipper as always.”

“Don’t expect me to get up and hug you,” he says. “I literally saw you last week.”

Max shrugs and smirks in response, before Mike rolls his eyes and stands to pull her into a hug. “Yeah yeah,” he says sarcastically, “I missed you, too.”

As of late, Max and Lucas’ schedules seem to dance around Mike and Will’s, so they’re happy to share their day off with their friends. 

“I know it’s usually busy here, but damn. Even the road is flooded with people today.” Lucas says.

“Really?” Mike asks, looking at Will, who stares back with wide eyes. 

“Oh my God,” Will says, turning to Lucas, “I totally forgot to warn you guys they’d be setting up for the parade today. Hopefully the walk here wasn’t too crowded.”

Max waves him off, “It’s fine. It did look kind of cool, though. Maybe we could check it out.”

“Maybe,” Will laughs, reaching to grab Max’s bag and setting it on the coffee table. 

They all fall into casual conversation, catching up on their hopes for classes next year, their summer plans, maintenance issues that Lucas and Max’s landlord refuses to acknowledge. Mike falls quiet midway into the conversation and, of course, Will notices. He turns to Mike with an arched brow, staring at him as if to ask You good? 

Mike nods his head and turns to Will. “There’s a parade?” He asks. 

“Um, yeah,” Will hesitates. “The Pride parade. They do one every June, it’s pretty cool.”

“They did it last year, too?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t we go?”

“I-” Will pauses, bringing his hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “I didn’t think you’d want to.”

“What? Why wouldn’t I? If it’s something you want to do, of course I want to.”

“Oh, um. Well, maybe we can check it out then, if you’re sure.”

“Do you want to?”

“I think it could be fun. It would be pretty cool to, y’know, be around other people who are… Like me.” He’s avoiding Mike’s eyes as he finishes his sentence.

Mike nods. If only he knew he’s around people like him a lot more often than he realizes. “We can definitely do that.”

“Really?” Will says, looking up at Mike, eyes wide and hopeful.

“Course,” Mike smiles. 

“Okay, cool.”

“Cool.” 

They stare at each other for a moment before Will playfully nudges Mike’s shoulder with his fist. Mike finds himself subconsciously leaning into the touch. 

And yeah, Mike does think a Pride parade might be fun. He only knows one other gay person besides, well, himself, so this might actually be a cool opportunity to surround himself with more people from the community, maybe even feel accepted, a part of something bigger. Something he’s never been able to experience in Hawkins.

“What are we doing?” Max leans over Lucas’ shoulder, awaiting a response. 

“Uh, we were thinking about maybe going to the Pride parade? Is that something you guys would be okay with doing?” 

Max and Lucas share a glance, both raising their eyebrows in amusement. 

“Hell yes,” Max cheers. 

“We’re down,” Lucas says. 

“Will!” Max stands up off of the couch, “Do you have any paint?”

“Stupid question,” Mike says. “Of course he has paint.”

“Fuck off, Wheeler.”

Will laughs and looks up at Max. “What do you need it for?” 

“I want a pride flag on my cheek.”

“World’s most enthusiastic ally,” Will laughs. 

Max furrows her brows and phrases her response like a question, “I’m not an ally?” 

Now this captures Mike’s attention. Is he hearing her right? Did Max really just say she’s not an ally? To Will of all people? Absolutely not. That can’t be right. 

“What?” Mike says, his head shooting in Max’s direction as he quickly stands. 

He sees Lucas cover his mouth with his hand in what appears to be an attempt to hide his laugh. Why the fuck is he laughing?

“Are you serious right now—“

“Wait, no!” Max interrupts, looking quite frantic. “I just mean…” She huffs, “I’m bi, Mike. I’m not an ally because I’m part of the community.”

Mike feels the weight on his shoulders ease, the anger and shock draining from his chest. It’s silly, now that he thinks about it for more than a second. He should’ve known Max wouldn’t say anything to hurt Will. She never has. Max is one of the best people he knows, though he’d never admit that to her face. 

“You are?” Mike asks. 

Max nods, smiling at Mike. 

“Max!” Will shouts, voice high-pitched, his expression growing brighter each second. “You never told me!”

“You never asked!” She laughs. Will throws his arms around her, rocking them both back and forth while grinning wide. 

A few seconds pass before Lucas speaks up. “Is now a safe time to say that I am too?”

“What?!” Mike and Will shout at the same time, eyebrows shooting up toward their hairlines. Lucas simply shrugs at their outburst. 

“I thought I was the only one this whole time,” Will laughs. “Why did I not know this?”

Except Will’s not the only one, he never has been. Is Mike ever going to tell him that? Who knows. He hasn’t told anyone else. Mike The Brave, more like Mike The Repressed Coward who has been secretly pining over his best friend for the last three years and probably even longer than that. But who’s keeping track?

“I don’t know,” Lucas starts. “Max and I told each other for the first time a few months ago. It wasn’t even intentional, really. It just casually came up and we high-fived over it.” 

“Yup,” Max says, looking back at him fondly. 

“Anyway,” Lucas claps his hands together, “We’re still down to check out the parade if you guys are.”

Mike nods his head a bunch of times, still a bit shocked and slightly overwhelmed knowing that basically his entire friend group is… Not straight. Does that mean it’s okay that he’s not, either? He didn’t think it was that common, he’s always felt wrong, like he wouldn’t be accepted. He doesn’t think his parents would accept him if they knew, certainly not his Dad, anyway. But he’s seen the way his friends have been supportive of Will, of each other. Maybe coming out wouldn’t be so bad.

“Definitely,” Will says. He turns down the hallway to go find the paint for Max. 

Mike stands awkwardly beside Max and Lucas, rocking back and forth on his heels and looking down at his feet. He can sense their eyes on him, but doesn’t want to be the first to break the quiet. 

“You good, Mike?” Lucas breaks the silence. 

“What? Yeah. Yeah, totally. I’m good. So good.” Mike rambles. 

He catches Max rolling her eyes before turning to see Will walking back down the hallway, a set of paints and some brushes in his hands. 

Max squeals with excitement as she runs up to Will, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him to the bathroom to paint her face. 

“You gonna let him paint on you, too?” Lucas asks, turning to Mike, a look of amusement present on his face.  

“I mean,” Mike starts. “He can if he wants to.”

“Nice,” Lucas says. “I’m gonna ask for one, too.”

Mike’s hums in response as his eyes travel down the hall toward the bathroom. He can hear the muffled sounds of Max and Will’s laughter from behind the cracked door. He’s always loved Will’s laugh, the sound of it is like an immediate serotonin boost. If that was the only thing he could hear for the rest of his life, he’d die happy. He finds himself grinning without realizing it, then clears his throat and neutralizes his expression after noticing Lucas is watching him. 

Lucas smirks and shakes his head in return, looking up as he hears Max and Will stumbling back toward the livingroom. 

“Well?” Max asks, doing a twirl and throwing her hair dramatically over her shoulder to expose her cheek. “How’s it look?”

“It looks good,” Lucas says, pulling her in by the waist and planting a kiss on her temple. “Not as good as you, though.”

“Stop,” she laughs in response. “Do you want one, too?” 

“Yeah,” he says, turning to Will who’s still holding the art supplies. “Will?” 

“Sure,” Will smiles. He walks toward Lucas and holds out his paint tray, brush in the opposing hand before he gently starts to streak the colorful stripes onto Lucas’ cheek. 

“There,” he says. “Go look in the mirror and make sure it’s okay.”

“I’m sure it’s good, man.” Lucas smiles, patting Will on the shoulder. “Mike wants one, too.”

Will turns to Mike, eyes wide and mouth parted. “You do?”

“Sure,” Mike gulps. “Why not?” 

“Okay, come on.” 

Mike follows Will to their bathroom, walking in behind him and propping himself up on the counter. He leans his back against the cabinets, parting his legs for Will to step between. 

Will sets his paint palette on the counter beside Mike, first dipping the brush into the red before gently guiding Mike’s face to the side, his forefinger and thumb resting on Mike’s chin. 

The silence between them is comfortable, familiar. It’s the shared quiet of two people who just enjoy being around each other. Mike twitches at the sensation of the brush making a soft connection with his skin, and blushes when Will’s breath puffs against his mouth. 

“Stop moving,” Will laughs. 

“It feels weird,” Mike replies. 

“It’ll be worth it.”

Will continues to paint the rest of the colors on to Mike’s face, his tongue barely peaking out between his teeth in concentration. Mike thinks it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen in his life. When Will’s hand stills, he sets the brush back down onto the palette. 

“Done,” Will says. Mike turns over his shoulder to glance at himself in the mirror, a subtle smile forming on his face. 

“Okay, your turn.” Mike hops off of the counter and nudges Will by the hips to guide him toward where Mike had previously been. 

Shaking his head, Will boosts himself up onto the ledge, sitting back to allow Mike to fumble with the paints and get to work. 

Mike brings the brush to Will’s skin, not being nearly as coordinated or precise as Will had been, but hey, he’s not the artist of the group. 

With one hand resting on Will’s chin, Mike is focused, concentrating on the way his best friend’s face feels beneath his finger tips while mindlessly spreading the paint. 

After a few minutes, Mike finishes the flag with a shaky hand, stepping back to take in the masterpiece in front of him. 

“Look okay?” Will smiles, locking eyes with Mike. 

Mike stares back in adoration. “Yeah,” he says, a breathiness to his voice. “Looks perfect.” 

“Great!” Will hops off of the counter, leading them both back to their friends. 

“Do we need to bring anything?” Lucas asks. 

“Our apartments are close by, I can throw a couple of snacks in my bag and call it good,” Will says. “I’m pretty sure they will have food and drink vendors and stuff, too. So we shouldn’t need to come back for anything right away.” 

“We can order pizza after,” Mike says, everyone else speaking up to agree. 

“I’m gonna bring my polaroid camera,” Max adds. 

“Perfect.”

Will moves to grab his bag and heads to the kitchen, filling it with a few different snacks. Before he can even zip up the backpack, Mike is snatching it from his hands and throwing it over his own shoulder. 

“I got it,” Mike smiles. 

“Thanks.” He swears he can see Will’s cheeks go pink, but he’s probably just imagining things. 

“Alright,” Max cheers. “Are we good?”

“Yup,” Mike says, gesturing for Will to lead the way. 

The group makes their way down the complex stairs, slowly squeezing their way through the crowd toward the street. 

Immediately, Mike’s view is overtaken by a swarm of rainbows; flags being waved throughout the crowd, banners swung over balconies. Things that weren’t there this morning when they made their way home. Looking around, everyone seems proud to be a part of something greater than he could have ever imagined. 

His favorite sight though, is the beaming look on Will’s face as he takes it all in. He loves seeing Will happy, and this is clearly bringing him the joy he’s always deserved. 

“Hey,” Lucas shouts. “We’re gonna head this way, Max wants to get a good spot. You guys coming with?” 

Mike and Will share a glance before Will says, “There’s supposed to be art vendors.”

Mike smiles and looks back to Lucas, “I think we’re gonna check out some of the vendors first. But we’ll meet back up with you guys soon.”

“Sounds good,” Max says. She moves to lean toward Mike and brings her mouth to his ear. “It’s okay, you know.”

When she pulls back, Mike just stares at her, brows furrowed trying to piece together the meaning behind her words. She smirks at Mike before turning to pull Lucas by the wrist down the street, disappearing into the blur of flags. What the hell was that about? 

When Mike turns back to ask Will if he had heard, he sees him  staring at the events on the street. Following his gaze, he quickly becomes distracted by a massively long rainbow flag taking up the entirety of the street, carried by multiple different people who are all smiling and waving to everyone on the edge of the road as they walk. 

“Whoa,” Will gasps. Mike stares at him, wishing so badly he could just pull him into his arms. Will looks so mesmerized, so free. Mike wants to feel free, too. 

As they squeeze their way into the crowd, stopping when they finally find a decently open space, Mike notices a mother and daughter standing next to him. The little girl has two pig tails, both tied with rainbow scrunchies, bouncing with every excited movement she makes as the parade progresses. Mike can’t help the fondness he feels while watching them, knowing that the little girl is going to grow up never having to doubt her place in the world. 

Mike turns to the mom and says “Excuse me? Do you know where we can find the art vendors?” 

The woman looks up at Mike with warmth in her eyes. “Usually when the parade reaches the end, you can follow it and there’s a big open area with all of the booths. Art, food, music, you name it.” 

“Perfect, thanks.” 

Mike can’t help but wonder if she sees right through him. Does she think he’s here as the “supportive ally” or does she know he’s partially here for himself, too? Is he even okay with people assuming the latter? As he looks around, taking in the people around him, all of them sharing smiles, cheering, celebrating each other. He thinks maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if people knew the truth. 

“Is this your first pride?” She asks, nodding around his shoulder toward Will.

“Uh,” Mike holds a hand up to the back of his neck. “Yeah, never been before. Didn’t even really know this existed until today.”

“Well,” she cheers. “I’m happy you’re here.”

Such simple words, yet they hit Mike like an emotional freight train. I’m happy you’re here. He’s happy to be here, too. The first person he spoke to was already so kind, so caring, so welcoming. Perhaps him and Will should’ve been attending these events all along.   

“Me too,” Mike nods, quickly turning his focus back to the parade, blinking away the tears on his waterline that he refuses to let fall. 

He leans down to Will’s ear, relaying the info he just found out about the vendors, then stands up straight again.  

The parade continues on, large groups of people holding up various signs of support, whistles blowing from every direction, different organizations marching together and holding up banners. There are even people from a church walking together, waving flags and holding up signs to show their allyship. 

Behind them, there’s a herd of adults strolling together, making their way to various parts of the edge of the street to hug people. As a couple approaches Mike and Will, Mike notices they’re both wearing matching shirts that say “Free Dad Hugs” and “Free Mom Hugs.” The woman approaches Will, who already has his arms open, grinning expectantly. The man stands beside her, looking over at Mike with an arched brow and a smile, Mike gives in and embraces the man. He imagines it’s his own father, wrapping his arms around him in a show of solidarity and love. 

Mike tears threaten to breach again as he pulls back, watching the couple walk away. He notices Will looking up at him curiously, but waves him off. 

As the parade starts to slow down, they begin to walk together toward the area with the vendors. When they go to use the crosswalk, Will stops, gripping Mike’s arm with both hands. 

“Mike! Look!” 

In front of them is the same crosswalk they’ve been using for the past year, only today, the sides are lined with the rainbow stripes to represent the Pride flag. 

“I wish I had Max’s camera, this is so cool.”

“Yeah, really cool!” Mike agrees. 

Before crossing, Mike looks down at Will’s hands on his arm, wishing for him to never let go, when suddenly Will drops his hands as quickly as he had placed them. He takes an awkward step to the right of Mike, putting unnecessary space between them. 

“Sorry,” Will mumbles. “It’s just really fun, I’ve never seen that before.” 

“What are you sorry for?” Mike questions. 

“I just…” Will hesitates. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about us.”

“Oh,” Mike says, voice sounding small. “Do you not want to be seen with me or something?” 

“What?” Will shouts. “No, of course not.” He smacks Mike on the shoulder, looking absolutely shocked and also amused that Mike would ask such a stupid question. 

“Then what do you mean?”

“I just-“ he sighs, scratching the bridge of his nose before continuing. “We’re at a Pride event, Mike. I know you’re not… Like me. Even though you’re super supportive, I understand if you don’t want people thinking we’re, y’know. Together.” 

“Um, that’s fine if they do.” 

“What? Are you serious?”

“Yeah? What do I care?”

Will stares at him momentarily, mouth agape and failing to find the right words. 

“Okay,” he finally breathes. 

“Okay,” Mike confirms. “Let’s go.”

They cross the crosswalk, arms brushing with each step due to their once again close proximity. Every so often they stop to admire the flags on the businesses they pass, or the window paint full of rainbows and hearts on the front of a few cafes. Mike doesn’t think he’s ever seen so much support for this community in his entire life. Something about it just feels… Right. If so many people here are like him, how could it possibly be wrong? 

When they reach their destination, Mike is surprised by how many vendors there are. He was expecting a handful at most, but the whole area is surrounded by them. The inviting scent of barbecue and cotton candy floods Mike’s senses, causing him to pause and just take note of the options around him. 

On the main stage, a drag queen is enrapturing the large audience with her performance, the music blasting through the speakers scattered around the premises. Mike sees several couples dancing, laughing and kissing out in the open. Looking around, no one is sparing anyone else a second glance. It all seems natural, like this is just part of existing. He looks at Will, a tenderness simmering inside of him as he sees his best friend looking absolutely ecstatic. That’s when he decides, I think it’s okay. I think I’m okay. 

The switch is immediate, and the bit of tension he’d been carrying slides from his shoulders and his jaw, relaxing the muscle and allowing the stress to dissipate. 

He doesn’t want to live as a shell anymore, a version of himself that hasn’t felt authentic in quite some time. 

Finally letting the courage he buried deep within him rise to the surface, he turns to Will, who is already looking back at him. Just as he is about to spill everything about himself, his sexuality, his feelings for Will, his almost-confession is interrupted. 

“There’s an art vendor that way,” Will points to a tent a few tables away. “Wanna browse?”

Mike shakes away his thoughts and says “Yeah, lead the way.” 

He follows closely behind Will, being careful not to lose him in the sea of people. They make their way to the art booth. Behind the table stands a young man who appears to be in his late teens or early twenties, surrounded by a plethora of different pieces ranging from abstract to landscape, all themed for the occasion. 

“Hi,” Will says, looking from painting to painting in awe. “Did you paint all of these?” 

“Sure did,” the man says, reaching out a hand. “I’m Wallace, and I have way too much free time, if you couldn’t tell.”

Will reaches out to shake his hand, “Will. Nice to meet you.” He points his thumb toward Mike who is standing quietly beside him, “This is my friend, Mike.” Wallace greets him, and Mike gives him an awkward wave. 

“These pieces are incredible.” Will breathes. 

“Thanks. I’ve pretty much been painting since I learned how to properly hold a brush.” 

“You and me both.”

“You’re an artist, too?”

“Yeah,” Will confirms. “I’m actually an art major at NYU. Mike’s in the creative writing program.”

“No way,” Wallace beams. “That’s pretty cool. My boyfriend is enrolled there, too. Environmental Studies. I’m hoping to get in someday as well, but for now I’m just-“ He stops, gesturing toward all of his work. 

Will slowly paces around the booth, taking his time to absorb the detail of each painting displayed in front of him. 

“I love this one,” Will leans into Mike and points to a decent sized portrait of New York City, the entire canvas painted in black and white besides a small pop of color toward the bottom, the rainbow crosswalk. “I just saw this crosswalk when we were heading down here, I didn’t know they painted the streets for Pride.”

“Oh yeah, they go all out every year.” Wallace says. 

Still staring at the painting, Will pats his side pockets before a small frown forms on to his face. “I didn’t bring my wallet,” he says. “Are you going to be set up here all day?” 

“Yup, here til six.” 

“Perfect,” Will chimes. “I’ll be back.” 

“I’ll be here.” 

Will turns to walk toward the next booth, Mike hangs back for a moment, looking over the paintings once more. With a quick glance to make sure Will isn’t watching, he leans in to whisper something to Wallace, pulling out his wallet and handing over some cash. They both nod, and Mike turns away to catch up with Will. 

They make their way into the middle of the event, most people either shopping or focusing on the performance, so the space isn’t too crammed where they walk. The urge to be open with Will tightens around Mike’s heart, so he gives in.  

“Will,” Mike says as he places his hands on Will’s shoulders to stop him from going any further.

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember when you came out to us?”

“Uh, yeah Mike,” Will laughs. “That was kind of hard to forget.”

Mike swallows, trying to think of the right way to go about this before asking, “Do you remember what you said? About… Tammy?” 

Will’s face pales, a petrified look on his face while his mouth opens and closes multiple times, as if his words were being stolen every time he tries to speak. 

Mike takes this as an opportunity to continue. “Was it really just a crush?” 

“What-“ 

“Your… Tammy,” Mike interrupts. “Was it just a crush?”

“I—“ Will’s breath hitches. He starts to nervously fidget with his hands, pulling at a string on the hem of his t-shirt and avoiding eye contact with Mike. “No. It was never just a crush.”

Mike’s heart is beating out of his chest, his palms begin to sweat as the anticipation creeps in. A spark of hope and eagerness radiates throughout himself. 

Silence fills the space between them. 

“It was me, right?” Mike pleads. 

“Mike-“

“Will, please,” he closes his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to brace himself for whatever answer Will gives him before opening them again. “Were you talking about me?”

Will nods his head once before looking down, “I’m sorry.”

“What? No, hey-“ Mike quickly moves to tilt Will’s chin upward, gently stroking his jawline with his thumb and bringing Will’s face to meet his gaze. His eyes are glossy now, causing the browns and greens of his irises to shine more vibrant than ever. Absolutely beautiful. “Will, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I—“ his voice cracks. “I don’t want to make things weird between us. I never expected anything from you, Mike. I knew nothing would ever happen. I think I accepted that a long time ago, I just…”

He turns his head away from Mike, staring out at all of the other couples, friends, everyone enjoying the event and appearing so care-free. Everyone seems to have someone. 

“Will,” Mike speaks softly, a voice just for him. “Can I tell you something?” 

Will looks back at him, staring at the taller boy with a hint of anxiety in his expression. 

“Nothing you do could ever make things weird between us,” Mike assures. “Not ever.”

Mike studies Will’s face, he doesn’t seem to fully believe what Mike says, so he continues.

“Will, I don’t like girls, either.”

He said it. He fucking said it. Out loud. And the world didn’t end. 

Will stares at Mike with shock.

“You-“ he tries. “You don’t? What- what about El? You loved her, Mike. You-”

“I did love her, I do. But… I don’t think it was ever in the way I thought I was supposed to. Not in the way that I-”

Mike sits with his confession for a moment, waiting to see if Will has anything to say. When he doesn’t appear to be disgusted or horrified, Mike presses on. 

“I think deep down, I always knew there was something different about us, Will.” 

Will continues to stare at Mike, looking almost disbelieving at the words spilling from his mouth. 

“I think I finally realized it our junior year. I just buried the feelings down out of fear. I was afraid if I said it out loud, if I told you how I felt about you, it would become too real and you’d hate me and never want to talk to me again and-“

Now it’s Will’s turn to interrupt. “What are you saying?” 

With a deep breath, Mike calms himself, choosing his words carefully before speaking them. “I love you, Will. I think-“ he pauses, “I think I always have. And it’s okay if you don’t have a crush on me anymore, I- I can live with that. I can. I just really needed you to know because keeping this to myself has genuinely been driving me crazy and every time you look at me I can feel my heart beating out of my chest and…”

“Mike,” Will looks at him with shiny eyes. 

“You make me feel brave, Will.” Mike glances up at the sky and laughs. “And being here with you, and so many other people like us, makes me wonder why I was ever so afraid to say anything in the first place.” 

A wet laugh slips from Will’s mouth, tears fully streaming down his cheeks at this point. His smile nearly reaches his eyes when he says “We’re so stupid.”

“What?” Mike furrows his brows. 

“Mike,” Will wipes his face with the palm of his hand, reaching for Mike’s with his free one. “I’ve been in love with you since we were thirteen.”

Mike freezes, taking a moment to process what he just heard. Will… loves him? Has loved him this entire time? What the hell did Mike ever do to deserve the love of the most selfless person in the world? 

“You love me?” Mike whispers. 

“I do.” Will lifts his hand up, caressing his cheek as Mike sighs and leans into the touch. “I always have.”

Now Mike is crying, too. He feels the hot tears uncontrollably spill from his eyes, but he doesn’t care. He’s only got one thing on his mind. 

“Can I kiss you?” He breathes, resting his forehead against Will’s. 

“A-Are you sure?” Will asks. “There’s a lot of people here, I understand if you’d rather-“

“Will,” Mike says. “If I don’t get to kiss you in the next five seconds I think I’ll die.”

“Well, we can’t let that happen can we?”

Mike pulls back, and the moment Will nods his head, Mike wastes no time leaning in. 

When the distance closes between them, Mike’s world stops. Everything around him dissipates when he feels Will’s touch, only able to focus on the warmth and softness of Will’s lips pressed against his own. It brings him a sense of comfort he hadn’t realized he’d been missing. 

The kiss deepens, and the salt from both their tears collides together. Will’s thumbs carefully wipe away the streaks on Mike’s cheeks, and he giggles into Will’s mouth without breaking apart. He doesn’t care who sees, he’s finally kissing his best friend in the whole world, and nothing can ever take that away from him. 

They part for only a few seconds before Mike chases Will’s lips with a quick peck. Then another, and another, and another. Will giggles when they pull away, pressing their foreheads together again, sharing the same compacted air as they take a moment to process. 

“Whoa,” Mike gasps. 

“Whoa,” Will says, his eyes widening. 

“We could’ve been doing that this whole time?”

“We’re so stupid.”

“Yes,” Mike says, leaning forward for one more lingering kiss. “We are.”

“I love you,” Will whispers. 

“I love you, Will. So much.” 

Mike wraps his arms around Will’s torso, pulling him close, despite the heat. Without hesitation, Will lifts his arms to swing around Mike’s neck, melting into the hug like it’s natural for him. For them. 

They stand like that for a bit, years worth of love and unspoken confessions pouring out through the entanglement. This is the happiest and most relieved Mike has ever felt, here in the middle of a Pride event, embracing his best friend. 

Burying his face into his neck, hiding the inevitable redness he knows is spreading over his cheeks, Mike asks “Does this make us boyfriends?” 

Will brings his head back, nudging the top Mike’s hair with his nose and kissing the top of his head. “Do you want to be?”

“Yes,” Mike’s head shoots up, nodding with an eagerness that’s almost comical. “Yes, I want that very much.” 

“Okay,” Will grins. 

“Okay,” Mike says, holding his hand up in the air, looking at Will expectantly. 

Will rolls his eyes before bringing up his hand to high-five Mike’s. When Will moves to pull back, Mike grips his fingers around Will’s and locks them together, letting their hands drop down between them.  

The noise around them starts to flood back in. Mike is brought back to the reality of it not just being the two of them alone in the middle of NYC, and turns as he hears his friends approaching. 

“How long were we gone?” Lucas asks, nodding his head toward Mike and Will’s interlocked hands. “We split up for, what? An hour?” 

Will opens his mouth to speak, but Mike intervenes. Now is as good a time as ever. 

“I’m gay and in love with Will.” 

Lucas blinks, looking over to Max who just looks… Proud. Mike almost swears he sees her eyes start to glisten.  

“I love him too, by the way.” Will adds. 

Max turns to Will, a bright smile forming on her face as her lower lip slightly quivers. She squeals with excitement before running and yanking them both into a hug, which Lucas joins as well. 

They break away, and Max turns her attention to Will, placing her arms around his shoulders and whispering something in his ear. A flicker of emotion passes over Will’s face as he closes his eyes, nuzzling into Max’s neck. Mike is curious about what was said to him, but he won’t ask, knowing it’s a special moment just for them. 

When they part, she turns to Mike. Expecting her to say something sarcastic, he is taken aback when she slowly walks up, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him into a bone-crushing embrace, which he returns. 

“I’m so proud of you, Mike,” she whispers. He squeezes her shoulders in response, knowing that if he tries to speak, he wouldn’t be able to do so without crying. 

For years, he’s felt like he wouldn’t be accepted. His friends are the absolute best people he knows, but the problem was never with them. He’s seen the way they supported Will with care and understanding, he just, for some reason, never thought he’d experience the same outcome. 

But standing here intertwined with one of his favorite people, he’s overwhelmed with love and gratitude. He came out to his friends, confessed his love to his best friend, his boyfriend. All the years of secrecy and yearning seem miles away now. 

When he slides out of Max’s hold, she wordlessly slips him a polaroid photo. The image shows him and Will, hands against each other's cheeks and both smiling into their first kiss. Behind them is a sea of rainbow flags of all sizes held in the air. He can’t help but smile fondly at the picture, looking up at Max and quietly mouthing a thank you. She nods her head before stepping back to stand next to Lucas. 

“Well,” she says. “It’s hot, and we’ve pretty much seen everything there is to see, so I think we’re gonna head back. You guys coming with?” 

“Yeah, should we order a pizza or something?” Will offers. 

“Yes please,” Lucas responds. 

“You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Mike says, looking at Will and seeing a confused expression on his face. He leans in, bringing his mouth to his ear and whispers, “Trust me.”

Max and Lucas walk back toward the sidewalk. Max looks over her shoulder and shouts, “You coming, Will?”

“Yeah,” he says, still focused on Mike. He hesitates for a moment to see if Mike changes his mind, then jogs to catch up with his friends. 

Waiting until they’re far enough away, Mike heads back over to Wallace’s art booth. When he first approaches, Wallace is sitting down and focusing on a sketchbook he holds in his lap. Mike clears his throat and Wallace looks up. 

“Oh hey,” he chimes. “I got it bagged up for you.” He ducks below the table, sliding out a large plastic container. When he lifts the lid, he pulls out a paper bag and hands it to Mike. Mike peaks inside to confirm it’s the right painting, and smiles when he sees the black and white art piece with the rainbow crosswalk held carefully in the bag. 

“Thank you,” Mike smiles, reaching into his wallet to pull out a few more dollars and leaving them in the tip jar. 

“Not a problem, thanks for your business. I hope he loves it,” Wallace winks. 

Mike waves and turns to head back toward their apartment. 

By the time he arrives, the pizza boxes are already open on the table with Max, Lucas and Will sitting in the kitchen eating. 

With the bag still in his hand, Mike walks over to Will and pokes his shoulder. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Will looks up at him and arches his brow. 

“Come here for a second,” Mike says. 

Will stands up hesitantly and follows Mike to the living room. 

“Close your eyes,” Mike says. 

Looking a bit skeptical, Will does as he’s told and waits expectantly for Mike to explain what he’s doing. Mike takes the painting out of the bag, says “hold out your hands,” and places the canvas into Will’s grasp. “Open.”

Looking down at the artwork, Will lifts a hand and touches the crosswalk, tracing the bright colors with his finger.

“Mike,” he breathes. “I forgot I was going to go back for this. You- you didn’t have to-“

“I wanted to.”

Will looks up at him, nothing but pure love and thankfulness behind his eyes. He sets the painting aside on the coffee table and leans up on his tip-toes, greeting Mike with another kiss. 

“I love it,” he says. “Thank you.”

“I thought it would look good above our couch,” Mike points to the bare wall space. “You’ve been saying we needed more pops of color. This seemed perfect.”

“It is perfect. Let me go grab something to hang it up.”

Will disappears down their hallway and is only gone for a moment before returning holding a hammer and two nails. 

“Hold it up to the wall,” Will instructs. “I’ll stand back here and make sure it looks straight.” 

When Mike reaches for the painting, turning to hold it up to the wall above the couch, Will cackles. 

“What?” Mike asks

“Mike,” Will says, “You have it at a total angle.”

“I’m not the artist here,” Mike says sarcastically.

“Bring the right side up a little- yeah, perfect. Okay, hold it there. I’ll add the nails.”

Will walks over, standing on the couch and pulling the painting slightly back, hammering the nails to the wall for the painting to hang from. After his work is complete, they both stand back and stare at the new focus of the room with approval. 

“This is exactly what it was missing,” Will adds.

“Agreed.”

“What are you guys doing?” Lucas walks into the room, speaking through a mouth full of pizza. Max follows behind him, her eyes darting to the painting right away. 

“Look what Mike got me,” Will smiles at the painting. 

“We saw that when we were at the art booth, too.” Max speaks. “Looks good.”

Remembering the polaroid he has in his pocket, Mike pulls it out, tucking it up behind the top right corner of the painting. 

“Now it’s perfect,” Mike says. 

Will squints at the photo, admiring it as he leans into Mike, letting his head fall back on his chest. Wrapping his arms around Will’s waist, hands meeting above his navel, Mike can’t help but think about how they fit together perfectly. Like they were made for each other. 

When Mike first decided to move to New York and share an apartment with his best friend, he had no idea that one day, not even two years later, he’d be sharing the space with his boyfriend, the love of his life.

He had no idea that one day he’d be brave enough to come out - something he always deemed impossible - to confess his love to his best friend and kiss him in front of everyone. 

When Will brings his hands up to rest over Mike’s, it hits Mike that their quiet mornings spent together, passing each other the orange juice, walking side by side to their favorite cafe, having every Sunday dedicated to each other, will have an entirely new meaning now.  

Mike moves his nose back and forth once through Will’s hair before grazing the top of his head with a kiss. 

He knows on this random Sunday that he now gets to spend the rest of his life loving Will Byers unapologetically.

Out loud.