Chapter Text
"It's not my fault that you don't like girls!" Mike yelled out. He regretted it the second he saw Will's face. "D-" He tried backtracking.
"As if you like girls any more than me!"
"What?" Mike's anger returned immediately. "I have a girlfriend."
"Had a girlfriend."
"Woooww. Low blow, Will, low blow." Mike turned. "I... had a girlfriend. Obviously I liked her and she's a girl."
"Did you like her or were you just really good friends?" Will didn't get an answer. Maybe it was time to dig deeper. "Don't lie to yourself. I see it in you." He tapped Mike on the chest. "You- you like guys."
"What's your proof? Who do I like?" Mike stepped further back.
"M-me." Tears started forming in Will's eyes.
"Y-you?" Mike mocked him. "Wow. You are so selfish, so... stupid! You really think I like you? T-that's disgusting!"
Will's face dropped immediately. "Mike... you know I'm gay. Do you really think that's disgusting? I'm disgusting?" He started crying.
"Will, that's not what I meant."
"But it's what you said. God, we can't keep doing this." Will walked to his bike, stepping into the pouring rain.
"Doing what? And where are you going? It's like a hurricane!" Mike followed him.
"You like me! I swear you do. And everytime I mention it, I get close, you run! You disappear and now you think I'm disgusting?" Will got on his bike, testing how slippery the floor was. Everything in his body told him this wasn't safe but he couldn't stay.
"Will!" Mike yelled after him.
Mike's perspective:
"Shit! Lucas! Lucas!" He race downstairs. "We have to go! Now! Get up!"
"What? Mike?" Lucas had fallen asleep while waiting for them.
"We have to go after Will!" Mike shook him awake.
"What? Why'd he leave?? Hello? Mike!" Lucas drousily got up, already forced to run along with whatever Mike was doing.
"We had a fight! He's out there in the rain!"
"So we're going into the rain? He's not a baby, he'll be fine." Lucas complained.
"Well I won't be fine!" Mike turned. Only then did Lucas see the tears in his eyes. Lucas finally picked up his bike as well.
"W-what? Woah, dude. Are you okay? What happened??" He was forced to bike after him if he ever wanted to get an answer.
"I told you, we fought!" Mike peddeled as fast as he could, his wheels slipping under him with every turn.
"Okay, so what? Friends fight."
"We're more than friends!" Mike turned red. He had just admitted to liking Will for the first time. He hadn't even admitted it to himself.
"What does that mean?"
"Uh- We're best friends! C'mon you know this!" Mike panicked.
"Right..." Lucas muttered to himself but at this point he was too drenched to worry about that.
They finally arrived at Will's house. Mike pushed his bike away, immediately throwing himself against the door. "Will! Will!!! WILL!!!" He banged his hands against the door 'til they started bruising.
"Mike, he's not here. Let's go home." Lucas turned away.
Mike dropped against the door. Lucas tried dragging him away.
"No! No! I'm going to Castle Byers! You go home, but I'm not giving up!" Mike pushed Lucas and ran to his bike.
"Dude, there's no way he's there! The trail is insanely slippery!" Lucas tried arguing some reason into him, but Mike was already too far to hear.
Will's perspective:
Before Mike could say another word, he pressed his weight into the peddels and biked away as quickly as he could. Tears mixed with rain and Will lost track of what was what. He didn't even think of going home. No, he went straight for Castle Byers.
His bike slipped on the wet leaves but he managed to get to Castle Byers. He dove through the curtain and onto the mattress.
Like always, it stayed at least a bit dry. He grabbed a picture he had hung up next to a rainbow flag. It was his favourite picture. The one of their whole group on Halloween. Ghostbusters. Mike was happy. It was before he knew about The Mind Flayer. God, why couldn't Mike just accept who he was? Will ripped the picture. He grabbed his bat. The bat Lenny had given him when he wanted him to like more boy-ish stuff.
He ripped down all the decor, throwing it into the mud. The sticks were nailed together, but Will was despaired enough to try to destroy it. And destroy he did.
It didn't help. Not at all. He broke down on the floor, bat in hand and sobbed til his lungs started hurting.
"Will!! Oh my god, Will!" Mike broke down next to him.
"You followed me." Will croaked out.
"Of course I did. What happened to Castle Byers?" He looked at the broken remains. Mike placed a tentative hand on Will's shoulder. Will flinched away.
"Why are you touching me? Aren't I disgusting?" Will copied Mike's past tone perfectly. That word had been ringing in his head ever since it came out of Mike's mouth.
"Will, I'm sorry." He moved in front of Will. "You called me out and I got scared. Really scared. You're... right. I like you. I'm g-... I like you more than as a friend."
"Really?" Will smiled, pulling Mike closer to him.
"Really." Mike tilted Will's chin up hesitantely. Will realized Mike wouldn't do it, so he closed the distance and kissed him. Mike didn't pull away. No, quite the opposite. He pushed into Will.
"Woaahh, calm down." Will chuckled.
"I didn't realize kissing could be this good." Mike backed up a little, only enough to let Will breathe.
"Didn't you and El always make out?" He laughed, brushing a hand through Mike's hair.
"Yeah, but she's a girl and you're a boy." Mike said in a sing-songy voice.
"I guess it actually is your fault I don't like girls."
"Maybe. But it's definetely your fault I like boys."