Chapter Text
“But it isn’t long until he finds his place there.” Mike smiled at Will, “and with that,”
He paused, breaking eye contact for a moment. “Deep happiness…”
he paused again before Will felt Mike’s foot nudge his own under the table.
Though a bit startled by the sudden contact, he returned the touch.
“and acceptance.” Mike finished, meeting his eyes again as he smiled. Will smiled back with tears in his eyes. He couldn’t help but notice the way Mike looked at him. something about it mixed with the way he was now rubbing circles on Will’s ankle with his own foot felt… more than friendly.
It had to be nothing though.
Mike was just his Tammy after all. But, was that even a fair comparison? From the way Robin had explained it, Tammy was just a hallway crush who she barely knew, that after she realized it wouldn’t work out, she learned to focus on her self worth.
Mike was… different. They’d known each other since they were five and Will had been in love with him since he could remember. Focusing on that literally awakened his powers. Focusing on Mike. He was the one who showed him he had worth.
But those feelings could never be returned. Mike basically confirmed it after he came out and Mike basically friend-zoned him on the radio tower. Obviously Mike knew he was talking about him when he said he had a crush, right?
Yet, even when he said “best friends.” those stupid words, he looked… guilty. Like there was something he wanted to say, something heavy.
Will knew he was reading too much into it but he asked, “And the storyteller,” secretly hoping he might get a hint or something to how Mike really felt to stop these mixed signals — even if that was just confirming that it was all in Will’s head. “What about him?”
Mike’s foot paused on Will’s lower calf and his eyes moved to the table in thought.
“The storyteller,” he looked at his friends, “keeps telling stories.” Will starts tracing circles on Mike’s foot like he had before.
“Stories inspired by his friends.” he finished.
“One day, he hopes their tales of big adventures will spread far and wide across the land.” He returns Will’s touch and traces his foot along his lower calf as he did before and gives him a knowing look. “So all can know of their great bravery.”
Will noticed the rest of the party had started to cry too.
“But,” Mike paused, “There is a story that he can never tell.”
Mike’s eyes met Will’s, “The story of The Mage.”
Will’s breath caught and he noticed Mike’s tone turn more serious.
“Or, at least not the real story.” His voice softened.
“The real story?” Max asked.
“When she cast sunbeam.” everyone looked confused, “She expended the last of her energy and she vanished.” Will’s eyes started to get hot again.
“But has anyone asked themselves, how she cast that spell?” Mike looked at the others.
Dustin’s gaze fell in thought, “The suppression stone…”
“She couldn’t have used her magic.” Will said.
“In the excitement no one even noticed.” Mike continued, “But you see, the mage is very clever. A cleverness only matched by her sister, who upon hearing the pleads of the paladin, had a change of heart.”
“Together, the sisters devised a plan. A plan to protect the mage from the order of the black hand, who remained hellbent on stealing her powers.”
“So, in order to trick them, she had to make everyone, including her friends, believe that she was dead.” He said. “And so the sister cast a spell from far away, safe from the power of the suppression stone.”
“The spell of invisibility.”
“Once the mage escaped, the sister cast one final spell.” he paused, “The mage you saw die was not real, she was an illusion.”
Will let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
“Where did she go?” Max asked.
“No one knows. No one will ever know.” he stopped, “But I-… I’d like to imagine that she’s… in a beautiful land, somewhere far away.”
“She finds a small land to call home. Safe, from the danger of the black hand.” he speaks like he’s convinced, “And it is here, at last, that she finds peace. That she finally finds happiness.”
“And,” Max starts, “This is just a theory, right?”
“How do we know it’s true?” Will asks.
“We don’t.” Mike answers. “Not for sure.” he looks to the group almost determined, “But I chose to believe that it is.”
“I believe.” Mike said again.
Dustin tilts his head forward, “I believe.” He almost whispers.
“I believe.” Lucas says through tears.
“I believe.” Max does the same.
“I believe.” Will breathes out and sniffles.
——
Karen calls them up for dinner and they have to put their D&D binders away… one last time.
Dustin, Lucas, and Max put their away and then it’s Will’s turn.
He hesitantly slides it next to his friends’ and slowly starts his way up the basement stairs.
Will stops to check if Mike is coming and sees him staring at the shelf and slowly sliding his binder next to his and starting to cry. His thumb resting on Will’s name.
Will stepped back down the stairs.
“Mike?”
Mike turned to Will. moving his hand off of the binders.
“Oh, sorry, I didn't see you.” he paused, looking almost guilty, “What’s up?”
“I just-…” Will knew he should talk to him. He had to. This might be his last chance.
“Are you okay, Mike?”
“What?”
“It just… it feels like you’re keeping something.”
The color drained from his face.
“I- what? No I'm not.”
Will felt like he was completely misreading the situation at this point, but he persisted.
“Yes you are, Mike.” he paused, “And I think you have been for a while.”
“Will, I’m fine. Can you just drop it?”
“You’re just-“
“I’m just what, Will?”
“You’re just giving me so many mixed signals!”
Mike froze.
“You have been for a while, Mike.”
“I-I’m not-“
“On the radio tower… when you said best friends… you hesitated. Like-… like you wanted to say something else.”
Will’s gaze drifted to the floor.
“And I-… I don’t know, Mike. I thought it was all in my head and- and it might be but… your foot under the table and the way you were looking at me, it just-…”
“Will-“
“It just felt like maybe it wasn’t in my head. Like you really did want to say something else back on the radio tower, and maybe…” he held his breath.
“Maybe you wanted to say something more than just best friends…” He said barely audibly.
Hesitantly, like he just said something that could literally destroy 10 years of friendship, he met his gaze.
Or at least he tried to before he was met with Mike’s lips on his.