Archive of Our Own

the day before

The heat of Indiana was unbearable in the poorly air-conditioned car, smelling of burnt leather and cheap coffee.

Will pulled in front of the Byers house, glad to finally be home after hours on the road.

"Mike? Mike, we're here!" he said, softly shaking his friend's shoulder.

"Mmph.." Mike muffled, snuggling further down into the seat, still fast asleep.

Will rolled his eyes sincerely, already done with Mike. It had been a month since their fight, but they still hadn't talked about it and the tension was permanently there. He really didn't wanna deal with Mike's ability to sleep literally everywhere right now.

"Oh come on, wake up! Mike!" he said again, shaking him more violently.

"What the fuck? What do you want?" Mike replied, rubbing at his eyes, his voice hoarse and still thick with sleep.

"We're here, asshole. Get out of my car." Will said, already opening his door.

"It's not even yours, it's Johnathan's." Mike mumbled before getting out himself.

They got all their luggage out and paddled towards the house. They weren't even there for visiting their parents. They were gonna meet the whole party and spend a week at Lucas's uncle's summer cabin. They hadn't hung out together in months and summer break starting was the perfect time. It's just that things were a little tense because of Mike and Will. Okay, maybe really tense.

For some reason, Mike had begged Will to let him stay at his house for the one night they had to spend there. It was weird because they had already fought by the point Mike had asked him that. But, of course, he agreed, because he was a great friend. 

Will opened the front door, thrashing in with Mike following on his footsteps.

"Mom? Hop? Jane?" he asked, the house seeming quiet.

"Will!" he suddenly heard, El coming from the living room to hug him tightly. They had stopped calling her that after defeating Vecna. It was only normal for her to have a normal name, now that she had a normal life.

"Jane! I've missed you soo much!" he said, hugging her back.

"Hey, Mike." she said after pulling away, narrowing her eyes at him. She had heard bits and pieces about their 'big fight' as she called it, but didn't really know all the details.

"Uhm, hi..." Mike replied, clearly not getting why he wasn't receiving a hug.

He didn't have any time to ask before Joyce and Hopper emerged from the kitchen.

"Oh, my baby! Come here!" she said, wrapping Will into a hug and peppering him with kisses.

"Mom, stop! Oh my God." he said, flushing deep, trying to get her off him.

"Mike, sweetie, how are you? Oh, you're so skinny! We've gotta feed you!" she said, turning towards Mike.

"I'm alright, Mrs. Byers, thank you." he replied. Normally, he would've exchanged a knowing look with Will about the way Joyce always talked about 'feeding him up', even though her cooking skills were basically nonexistent. But now he didn't even dare look at him, afraid to be met with rejection.

"Hey, kid." Hopper said, clasping a firm, but soft hand on Will's shoulder.

"Oh look. And Wheeler's here, too. You just can't leave my kids alone, can't you?" he continued, looking at Mike with a murderous look.

Mike and Jane had broken up a long time ago, even though no one really knew why. Still, Hop liked to keep the act going, even if everyone knew he actually didn't have a problem with Mike all that much anymore. They were twenty and he wasn't dating any of his kids anymore, he wasn't a thirteen year old that couldn't keep the door open three inches anymore.

"Hi, Hop." Mike said, his eyes downcast and his face clearly flushed.

"I bet you guys are hungry. Come on, I've made chicken casserole for you." Joyce intervened cheerfully, darting towards the kitchen.

"Don't worry, it's the frozen kind. She just put it in the oven." Jane whispered into Will's ear, dragging him by the arm.

They all sat down at the table, eating and talking about college and Jane's job at the library. Everything seemed peaceful, all laughing and acting as if everything was still the same as when they left.

"So, Will. How are things with that guy? Carlton, was it?" Hop asked.

There it was. Will felt Mike tense in the seat next to him. The main subject of their fight, yet again making his appearance. They hadn't spoken of him again in the last month. Will had been careful to avoid mentioning him and Mike hadn't said anything either. But to be honest, it's not like they talked all that much in the past month at all. 

"Uhm, he's well." Will said, clearing his throat. He hesitated, looking towards Mike, that was having a staring contest with his plate. Oh, fuck off, Mike. "We're dating." he said, finally.

"Sweetie, that's great! How come you've never told us?" Joyce said, squeezing his hand.

"It's not all that serious yet, really. It's just been like a month." he responded.

Mike suddenly threw his fork onto the plate, making it rattle. He pushed his chair back and got up from the table in one violent motion. 

"Where are you going, sweetie?" Joyce asked, worry clearly plastered on her face.

"Bathroom." he responded, anger laced into his voice and already out of the kitchen.

They were silent for a moment, everyone registering what had just happened. The sound of the bathroom door slamming shut made everyone jump.

"What's up with him?" Jane asked, even though she kind of already knew.

"He's been like that for the last month. We had a big fight and he just... I don't know, he won't even tell me when he's going out anymore. He'll get over it, I guess." Will said, sighting.

"I suppose you won't want to share the bed this time?" Hop asked.

Will grimaced, remembering the way they had shared it the last time they were at his house, when visiting for Christmas. The Wheelers were visiting Nana and Mike didn't wanna be alone in the house, so he stayed with them for a couple days until his family returned. They had shared a bed then, nothing unusual. They shared a bed back in their dorm room all the time when they were drunk. Or when one of them had a nightmare. Will would wake Mike up because of some dream he had where he was back in the Upside Down and Mike would wipe away whatever tears had fallen over his cheeks and would pull him next to him on the bed, wrapping his arms around him. Mike would wait until the sound of his own heartbeat against Will's spine and the feeling of his warm breath against his neck would lull him to sleep, before falling asleep himself. Or when Mike just climbed into Will's bed in the middle of the night after dreaming that Will had disappeared once again, holding him closer than ever as if to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. They did that all the time. Or at least used to. The past month hadn't been without nightmares, but it had been without any cuddles and soft comforting words whispered afterwards. 

"Mike said he wanted the couch." he replied briskly, remembering what his friend had told him when they were in the car. One of the only things he had said.

"Not even in the same room? What the hell happened? Not that I'm bothered by the fact Wheeler's not all over you anymore, but you two are usually inseparable." Hopper said, eyebrows raised.

Will just shrugged.

"We'll get over it."

He sure hoped so.

—-

the first day

"GOOD MORNING, SUNSHINE!" Dustin screamed at the top of his lungs, pulling open Will's blinds.

"Dustin, what the fuck? What time is it?" Will grumbled, trying to shield his eyes from the sun with his pillow. He usually woke up early, so being woken up by someone else was truly unusual.

"Only 5 a.m., dumbass. Come on, everyone's in the living room." Dustin said before getting out of the room.

Will groaned loudly, rolling out of bed. This trip already seemed like it was gonna be hell.

He paddled towards the living room, eyes still half-closed. Mike and Jane were on the couch, all of them seeming just as tired as him.

He silently sat down next to Jane, who handed him a cup of coffee. She looked absolutely horrible, eyes rimmed red and seeming to barely stay awake.

Dustin was standing in front of them, eager to start explaining his plan. Will blinked, adjusting his eyes to the sunlight and already feeling a bit better.

"Okay guys. So we're gonna meet Lucas and Max there. That guy, Tyler, is also gonna come with them." he began.

"Who?" Mike asked, seeming suddenly awake even though his voice was still thick with sleep.

"Do you guys seriously never listen to anything I say? He's Lucas's friend. From the college basketball team. I told you he'll come with us weeks ago." Dustin said, rolling his eyes. 

Will actually remembered something about an 'awesome friend they totally had to meet' that would stay with them for a couple of days, before leaving to go visit his own family and friends in Indianapolis.

"Yeah, right. Tyler." Mike responded, even though he clearly didn't seem to remember.

"Anyways, we're four people so we could totally take Will's car. But we all know his air conditioner is broken." Dustin continued.

Will opened his mouth to object, though he knew it was definitely true, but his friend stopped him with a gesture of his hand.

"We all know it, Will. And that's why I convinced Steve to take us. He won't stay, don't worry. It'll be better this way. It's just that you guys will be kind of cramped up into the backseat.

"Why us?" Mike asked, his tone cold.

"Because I did all the planning and I get privileges." Dustin snarled in response.

"We'll have to squeeze in there, Dustin. Steve's car is like so small." Mike argued.

"Well, you can always just have Will sit in your lap then. I'm sure you would love that, right Wheeler?" Dustin said, a mocking grin on his face.

"Yeah, well I'm not Carlton." Mike responded before getting up from the couch and darting towards the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

"What the hell is this guy's problem? Like, we all know he wants it." Dustin said to no one in particular, shaking his head.

Oh, this was gonna be a long ass trip.

—-

The ride to the cabin was absolutely horrendous, Will sandwitched between a still-asleep Jane and a still-mad-at-him Mike that couldn't sit without spreading his knees as much as he could. Steve finally dropped them off, heading back towards home before coming back to get them in a week.

The second he saw them, Lucas lunged towards them and wrapped them all in a hug. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, as him and Max were always busy in California -just like Mike and Will were in New York.

Max was standing on the cabin's porch next to a man Will supposed was Tyler. He was as tall as Mike, but muscular and broad. He had blonde hair and a kind of charming grin spread on his face.

"Oh my god, I've missed you all so much." Max said, hugging him tightly.

"Well, except for Wheeler." she continued, glancing coldly towards Mike.

"Oh fuck you." he replied, showing her a middle finger and sticking out his tongue.

"Wow, real mature, Mike." Dustin said, shaking his head.

Max just stuck out her tongue too, while Jane giggled softly.

"Guys, come on. Stop before you'll scare Tyler off." Lucas interrupted their bickering.

Everyone seemed to stop at this, turning towards the man they didn't know. That didn't seem to bother him, as he kept his composure and talked in a swift, relaxed way.

"Hey, I'm Tyler, Lucas' basketball teammate. Nice to meet you all." he says with a nonchalant, almost flirtatious smile that seems to be directed right towards... Mike?

Will already doesnt really like the guy, even though he doesn't really know why. He gives off weird vibes.

"Come on, Byers. We have a lot to talk about." Max said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him inside.

Will knew exactly what she wanted to know: about his fight with Mike. Everyone wanted to know about it, really. What could possibly come between them?

Max pulled him into a room that he supposed was hers, as her clothes were already sprawled onto one of the beds, closing the door. She sat down on it, gently patting the place next to her. Will sat down, letting out a long exhale, bracing himself for what was about to come. 

"So... you and Wheeler, huh?" she started.

"What about us?" Will said, trying to play dumb for as long as he could.

"Oh, come on. What happened between you two? Why did you fight?"

"Mike's an idiot." was all he said, trying to not let his anger and confusion show in  his voice. Because honestly, he was truly confused on why Mike had reacted the way he had and why the thing had spiralated into that big of a fight.

"No shit. That's like, the understatement of the year. What actually happened, Will?" Max pressed on.

"It's about Carlton. You know, my boyfriend? I didn't tell him at first, because you know... he's Mike. But one of my friends let something slip while we were hanging out with Mike at our dorm. We had just been dating for like a week at that time." he started, pausing a bit.

"And? What happened when he found out? Is he not okay with you being gay anymore or?..." Max started, trailing off in confusion.

"No! No, that's- not it. He just went... fucking feral. He got so mad that I had a boyfriend. And I literally don't get why. I mean, it's not like he thought I was gonna stay single my whole life, right? And he kept saying all this stuff about Lenora back when we were kids. But I told him it didn't matter anymore, because it- it doesn't. And he was telling me that Carlton wasn't the one, that I had to find a better guy... I don't know, Max. It's confusing, really."

"Well, that really sounds to me like Wheeler's just jealous. He doesn't like the fact that his man got another man." she responded, shrugging, her tone matter-of-factly as if she was simply stating a truth.

"No, Max, come on. Don't let me think of that. I told you I'm over him. I don't wanna go down that path again. He- he's not even gay." Will said.

But was he, really? The answer was simple: definitely not. Even Will knew it. He was with Carlton as a distraction from Mike, and even his now-boyfriend was so similar to Mike it was almost eerie. Ever since they moved together in New York, Mike had been touchy and clingy and almost needy. And Will couldn't bear it. He couldn't let himself spiral because of the thibgs Mike did. Because he knew that they didn't mean anything to Mike. So he got a boyfriend, in hopes of putting a stop to cuddling while drunk or to unexpected hugs from behind as he painted at his desk. It's just that he got way more space than he actually wanted.

"Byers, be serious. We've always known Mike is different with you. Why deny it?"

"Nope, I'm not having this conversation." Will deadpanned and even Max realized she shouldn't keep going. "Anyways, the thing is that he just stormed off that night and didn't come back till morning. I don't know where he went or where he slept. And we've barely talked for the past month. Either he's out somewhere, without even telling me he's leaving, or I'm with Carlton. It's been... weird, not having him with me all the time. "

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure you two will figure it out. You always do. You just gotta talk." Max said, her tone soft and unusual for her.

"Thanks, Max." Will said with a smile.

"Well, we should probably head back to the others. I think Dustin's gonna make the room arrangements and I’m not gonna give up this room."

Will laughed softly, before getting up from the bed and handing her a hand out as well.

—-

The rest of the day went by quickly. They all spend time together in the kitchen, talking about how their lives had been ever since they saw each other the last time. Tyler was actually kind of a nice guy. He was Lucas' friend from basketball and also liked DnD. He seemed pretty chill overall. Maybe Will ha misjudged him at first.

The dark came around them faster than they realized. They were all tired from the long trip to the cabin and they all agreed to go to sleep a bit early. They had all the time to talk more the next day.

Will and Mike had to share a room and apparently no one even wanted to hear them out on the matter. Max and Jane wanted to stay in the same room -which was understandable, and no one wanted to put up with Mike. So, it was only down to Will and Mike after Lucas and Dustin had picked each other. Tyler had offered to let Will have the single room downstairs and let him stay with Mike, after seeing the way both boys rolled their eyes and muttered swears. But for some unknown reason, Will had refused. 'No, thanks. We've been best friends for more than a decade, we're not gonna kill each other.' he had said with a glare.

The room they were given was upstairs, just like all their other friends'. Tyler was the only one staying downstairs. The only problem was that there was only one bed. Mike offered to sleep on the floor, and even though Will would never admit it, he was grateful for that. He couldn't deal with sleeping in the same bed as Mike, with the amount of feelings that was gushing him down at the moment. Instead, Will gave him both pillows to sleep onto, despite Mike's protests. 'Will, no, come on. Your neck will hurt.' Will managed to make him shut up by telling him that he once read in a magazine it was actually better for you posture to sleep without a pillow.

Sitting in the dark, listening to Mike's soft snoring that had lulled him to sleep for the past year in  their shared dorm room, Will's mind began to drift. Everything about Mike was confusing. The way he got 'jealous' or something and then just avoid Will for a month. The way he rolled his eyes at the prospect of sharing a room with him, but then being concerned about his fucking neck muscles. Everything about Mike just screamed confusion. Hell, if it hadn't been for Mike's absolutely confusing behavior, Will wouldn't even have a boyfriend. A boyfriend that he didn't even like that much, by the way, let alone love. One second he seemed to hate Will, and one that he might even like him. Like him like that. But Mike wasn't even gay, or at least that was what Will knew. He never asked, but Mike would've definitely told him, right?...

the second day

When Will woke up, Mike was already gone. That was really unusual, as Will was usually the one to wake up first.

When he got down for breakfast, Mike was giggling in the living room with Tyler, both sprawled on the couch.

When he went to go find the others after changing from his pajamas, Mike was on the porch, talking to Tyler.

"They're really getting along, huh?" Will said, gesturing towards them, having an edge to his voice that he didn't wanna think about.

Lucas turned to look at Mike and Tyler, who were sitting on a blanket a little further away from them. They were all relaxing on a little hill by the cabin, surrounded by sweet-scented flowers. The whole party was bathing in the sun on a huge blanket. Well, except for Mike, that apparently had other things to do. From where he was, Will couldn't hear what they were saying. But he heard Mike let out a laugh, his real laugh. What could that guy possibly tell him to make him laugh like that?

"Yeah, I told you guys Tyler's a great guy." Lucas responded, peeling his eyes away from them and concentrating again on gathering Max's hair into a crazy complicated braid.

"Well, I'm a nice guy too and Mike doesn't act like that around me." Dustin said, a mischievous grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" Will asked, brows furrowed in  confusion.

"I don't know, man, but to me it seems that Wheeler is flirting." he said, shrugging.

"What? No, he's not. What- where-?" Will replied, already fixating his gaze onto them, trying to see what Dustin was talking about. Mike wasn't even gay, right?

"Come on, look. He's touching his arm and messing up his own hair all the time. And he's laughing and he's got that dreamy smile on his face." Dustin explained, also looking in their direction now.

Well, yeah, that was true. But also...

"But Mike always does that with Will. Me and Max call that his 'Will smile'. He always does it when speaking to him." Jane said, genuine confusion on her face.

"Jane! I told you to shut up about that!" Max interrupted, lightly smacking her arm.

"Exactly." Lucas said, but tried to mask it with a cough, acting as if it had never been said.

"Excuse me?" Will replied, looking at him in bewilderment as Dustin was laughing his ass off next to them.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Lucas defended himself, shooting his arms up.

"Yeah, Will. Did anybody here hear anything?" Dustin asked between laughs.

Everyone started looking around in feign confusion, slowly shaking their heads.

"Exactly. You might wanna go check your hearing, Byers. I knew you were getting old, but damn." Dustin continued, a new fit of laughter escaping him, followed by Lucas and Max and Jane's soft giggles.

"You're all assholes." Will muttered, averting his eyes.

—-

"Did you and Tyler have a good time?" Will asked when they were in their room, getting ready for bed.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool." Mike replied.

Will wanted to say something else, even if he didn't really know exactly what. But he didn't get the chance, as Mike turned off the lamp light and turned around in his sheets on the floor, his back to the bed Will was sleeping in.

the third day

Mike and Tyler had spent the whole day away, going on a walk through the forest. It was currently midnight and Mike still hadn't returned. 

Will couldn't keep denying that he was jealous. He was fucking jealous. In some little corner of his heart, he had hoped that this trip would bring them closer together. That they would talk things out and Mike would tell him he was being a dick and that he actually liked Carlton and wanted to get to know him and that they would be super extra mega best friends again. Or maybe that Mike would tell him that he was jealous because he actually... No. Will wasn't gonna go down that path.

But now it seemed like Mike had really let go of their friendship for good. And that was a thought that made Will's heart ache too much. Because all his life, he had told himself that if he couldn't be with Mike, he could at least be his friend.

He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't keep laying wide awake in that bed, waiting for Mike to finally come into the room.

He got out of bed and quietly slipped out of the room, not wanting to disturb his other friends that were blissfully sleeping, unaware of Will's internal turmoil. He paddled downstairs, towards the kitchen, wanting to get a glass of water.

However, as he was trying to get across the living room, his steps muffled by the thick rug, something stopped him in his tracks.

A moan. Coming from Tyler's room.

Will froze on the spot, his eyes widening. Slowly, he let his eyes trail towards the door, that swung half-open. And that's when he saw.

Mike and Tyler in Tyler's room, fucking making out against a wall. Mike's arms were loosely draped around his shoulders, Tyler's hands were firmly gripping his waist as he pressed him into the wall. They were grinding down against each other, little, muffled moans escaping both of them. 

What the actual fuck?

Will was frozen. He knew he should probably run back towards him room, but he couldn't. He couldn't avert his eyes from the sight of Mike, his straight best friend making out aggressively with another guy. A guy that wasn't Will.

Just when he was actually thinking about running back, Tyler grabbed Mike's hips and pushed him away from the wall and onto the bed. He started unbuttoning Mike's jeans before he seemed to remember he hadn't fully closed the door. He quickly scrambled up, closing and locking the door. Luckily, he didn't see Will, as he was standing in the dark, away from the eyesight he could've had from the doorway.

Will stood there for a second, until he heard another zipper being pulled down in the quiet of the night and decided he had definitely had enough. Shocked, he scrambled back upstairs, feeling a little dizzy.

He barely got into bed before he started crying. He was being a hypocrite, he knew it. He literally had a boyfriend back at home that was waiting for a call from him. He didn't even know why he was with Carlton anymore. To get his mind off Mike? To make Mike jealous? To make Mike make a move on him? What was he trying to do when he got with him? He was gonna break up with him. First thing in the morning.

And now he just saw Mike with another guy. All this time he thought that Mike didn't like him because he didn't like boys at all. But that's not true. He likes boys, he just doesn't like Will. He's just not good enough. Not good enough for Mike.

the fourth day

Will woke up feeling like his head was on fire. It hurt like absolute shit.

He was alone in the room. Again.

He vaguely remembered Mike coming into the bedroom, late at night. He had quietly gotten into his makeshift bed on the floor and Will quickly heard his soft snores. He probably didn't even notice Will was awake. By that time, he had ran out of tears, the ones already shed drying onto his cheeks. He fell asleep not long after that, wrung out with exhaustion.

He got out of the bed, groaning. He silently hoped that he had dreamed the whole thing, but the pain in his head and his red eyes told him otherwise. 

He had to break up with Carlton. Even if he knew he had not a single chance with Mike now. He couldn't keep lying to himself that he loved him and that he was happy. He had to stay away from dating, at least for a while. Otherwise, all his relationships would start to just be some desperate trying of remaking what he could've had with Mike. It's funny, really, how now, even if he knew Mike apparently liked boys, he felt more like he didn't have a chance than before.

He slipped out of the room, heading downstairs towards the kitchen. The house was quiet, as it was already kind of late. The others were probably outside. 

Right when he almost reached the kitchen door, he heard voices coming from inside. He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop again, not after what he'd heard the night before. But he just couldn't help himself when he heard Mike's voice.

"I know, I know. I fucked up, okay?"

"What the hell, Mike? What were you thinking?" the other person said, in  the same whisper-shout tone Mike had used.

Dustin. What were they talking about?

"Mike, do you realize what you did last night?" Dustin hissed.

Oh. Well, at least now Will knew what they were talking about. But why did Mike tell Dustin about that?

"Just shut up, I know! I just- I don't know. I don't know why I did it. I've just felt so- so alone." Mike responded, seeming irritated.

Alone? Why was Mike feeling alone? Will was there. Will was always there for him. But again, Mike didn't want Will.

"Mike, you were just supposed to flirt and talk to Tyler to make him jealous. Not let the guy fuck you! How are you gonna explain that now?"

Jealous? The fuck? Who was Mike trying to make jealous? Is that why he was spending time with Tyler?

In that moment, something in Will shifted. He couldn't just stand there anymore. He opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. Dustin and Mike pointed their gazes towards him, looking like deers caught in the headlights. Dustin quickly mumbled a 'Good morning' before slipping past him and out of the kitchen. 

"Hi, Will." Mike said, busying himself with the coffee machine. It was a surprise he hadn't fled yet. Not that Will wanted that, because he really did have some questions and he was going to get some answers.

"Morning." he responded, leaning against the counter.

A beat passed before Mike met his eyes. His cheeks were slightly pink and his eyes were glassy. Will wanted to try and decipher the strange expression on his face, but he was way too tired for that. And he was also kind of mad now, the sadness of the previous night fading a bit, but not fully going away.

"You want some coffee?" Mike asked, seeming a bit hesitant.

"Yeah, thanks." he responded.

Mike slowly nodded, starting to make the coffee. He was purposely avoiding Will's eyes, Will could tell.

"So... I didn't wanna eavesdrop or anything, but the walls are kinda thin, you know." he started, noticing the was Mike tensed. They were close, Mike still fumbling with the coffee machine, Will leaning against the counter it was on. They were barely five inches apart.

"So... you and Tyler?" he finally asked, after a second passed without Mike saying anything.

"What about us?" he responded briskly, not lifting his gaze.

"Last night, uhm... I mean- Did you... uhm-?" he started, not quite knowing how to put it without sounding like he was prying.

"Yeah, Will, we fucked if that's what you're asking." Mike said, finally meeting his eyes. He was mad too, even though Will didn't know why. It's not like he was the one that just found out his best friend that he was in love with was with another guy.

"I- I wasn't trying to..." Will trailed off, suddenly feeling a bit guilty about making Mike talk about that. But he was still mad and incredibly sad and it's not like he and Mike were on better terms even before this. So, fuck it.

"I just- I didn't even knew you were gay." he said, his voice a little lower. He was hurt by this. By the fact that Mike hadn't even told him. He had to find out by seeing him make out with a guy.

"I'm bi, Will. And that’s why I wanted to stay at your house before coming here. My dad found out and he’s going crazy right now. But he’ll get over it eventually, he’ll just forget." he responded, pulling his gaze away from Will and back to the coffee.

"I’ve always said your dad’s an asshole." he said, truly feeling bad for Mike. "When did you- When did you figure it out?"

"Like last month, I think. I had a lot of time to think."

Will didn't like thinking about the implications of that. About the fact that Mike found out that about himself, right when he wouldn't even speak to Will.

"Did you, like- Get a boyfriend, or?..." Will said, knowing he sounded dumb.

Surprisingly, Mike let out a short huff of laugh as he pulled the sugar out of a cabinet.

"No, Will, I didn't get a boyfriend. I just spent a lot of time in clubs. And I realized a lot of things about myself in those nights." he responded, shrugging.

Oh. So while Will was turning over in bed, asking himself if Mike was okay at night, he was just out fucking clubbing. 

"That's where you were all those nights? When you wouldn't even tell me you were going out you were just... going into clubs and making out with guys?" Will asked, feeling anger boil up inside him.

"You were with Carlton." Mike said and didn't even try to hide the way he said his name, full of venom. "If I saw him at our place, I had to go out. Or if I saw you wearing his clothes. Or if I saw literally any trace of him on you. I just- I couldn't stand it. And I knew you would just go hang out with him while I'm gone, so." 

"Why didn't you tell me, Mike? When you figured that out?" Will said, trying to avoid the thoughts that were eating him alive. It sounded like Mike was jealous. But that didn't make sense, right? Because Mike had never given him any signs that he would want them to be more than super extra mega best friends.

"Would you have cared?" Mike responded coldly, looking up at him and stopping the way he was stirring the cup of coffee. "Be honest, Will. You wouldn't have cared. You didn't even notice, because you're always with him."

"Well, he's my boyfriend, Mike. Obviously I'm gonna spend time with him." Will said, anger laced into his voice. Okay, it's not like Carlton was gonna be his boyfriend for much longer, but Mike didn't know that. And also, he couldn't keep doing that with all of Will's boyfriends, for the rest of his life.

"And what about us?" Mike answered, desperation seeming to overtake his features as he looked Will straight in the eye.

"What? We- we're friends, Mike. Best friends. And I care about you, of course I would've cared. I could've helped you." he responded, a strange sense of déja-vu overtaking him, as he was taken back to a colorful skating rink, one dreadful afternoon in Lenora.

"Oh, come on. You basically closed down after that fight. After I told you how I feel about him and after I basically tried to show you how I feel about- about the whole... situation and- and about us." Mike said, slurring his words a bit and gesturing with his hands like he always did when he was nervous.

"What the hell are you trying to say, Mike?" Will asked, feeling anger mingle with confusion inside his chest. 

"I'm trying to tell you that I-" he started, before he was abruptly interrupted by the kitchen door swinging open.

Tyler was standing in the doorway, shirt rumpled and hair disheveled. He had a sly smirk plastered on his face that Will just wanted to fucking wipe off.

Mike fell quiet, tensing and returning his gaze to the coffee he was making.

"Morning." Tyler said, paddling towards the fridge. 

He lay a hand on Mike's hip, to guide him a little further away, so he could open the fridge door. Will didn't miss the way Mike recoiled at the touch, pulling away with a grimace Tyler couldn't possibly see from where he stood.

Mike handed the mug to Will, careful for their fingers not to brush.

"I'm gonna go to our room. I don't feel so good." he said, before disappearing out the door and up the stairs.

There was silence for a bit in the kitchen, Tyler looking genuinely confused. Will felt a little bad for him. He couldn't imagine how it was for him, the guy you've fucked the previous night just running away from you.

"Is he okay?" he asked Will, his brows furrowed.

"He will be." Will responded with a slight nod, trying to sound sure even if he wasn't all that confident anymore.

He slowly took a sip of his coffee. It was undeniably just the way he liked it: short, with two sugars.

—-

Will paddled firmly towards the cabin's phone. He was going to break up with Carlton. Maybe it could wait until he got home, but he really didn't wanna see him and have to tell him in person. He was afraid everything would just come out. Everything about Mike and him being kind of a replacement and the fact that Will felt like he was quite frankly emotionally cheating and... whatever. It just had to be done.

He quickly dialed the phone number and waited. If he didn't pick up, Will decided he was just gonna ghost him and pretend they hadn't even been together in the first place. Shitty, right, but he never claimed not to be a shitty person. He had done plenty of shitty things in his life. What's one more?

"Hello?" he heard Carlton's voice on the other end.

"Hey, Carlton. It's me." he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Will! How are you? How are things out there with your friends?"

"We're fine, but uhm- Listen, we gotta talk." he started, not wanting to keep the conversation going longer than it had to.

"Oh? Did something happen or?" his boyfriend asked, seeming to pick up on his uneasy tone.

"I don't know how to explain this to you, really. But we've got to break up." Will quickly blurted out, before he got the chance to change his mind.

"Wait, what? Why? What happened?" Carlton answered in a panicked voice.

"No, wait, calm down. It's- It's not your fault, okay? You're a great guy, really. But some... stuff happened and I don't think we can be together anymore. I mean, it's been like a month since we started dating anyways, but yeah. I just think I have to get my shit figured out before I get into a new relationship." Will tried to explain.

"New relationship? I thought you said you were single before. That I was your first boyfriend." Carlton replied.

Will suddenly realized that he had been thinking about Mike. As in 'oh, you know, I gotta get over my ex first, but maybe we can try again once I've fully healed and shit?'. Which was nonsense, because Mike and him hadn't even ever been together. It didn't make sense that he was acting like he had just seen his ex-boyfriend that he still wasn't over from get hot with another guy. But still, there he was.

"No, wait, I didn't mean it like that. But just- I have a lot of shit going on right now, okay? And I think I would only hurt you more. I hope you understand that." he quickly rushed out.

Carlton seemed to cool down after that and he understood what Will was implying better than he had expected. He said he wasn't mad and that he would still like to continue being friends, like they used to, which was fine by Will.

Overall, it ended well. Now it was just down to Will and his very complicated feelings for a very complicated person that just loved to make their own friendship very complicated.

—-

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Mike didn't wanna come out of the room. At some point, Lucas went to check on him and came back saying that he wasn't gonna come down. Will didn't know if he should feel disappointed or relieved by this.

When it was time to go to bed, Will came into the room to find Mike just laying on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He quickly apologized for staying on the bed, even though Will tried to assure him it was okay. He looked absolutely wrecked. Even worse than Will. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed red and he hadn't changed out of his pajamas. He got out of the room before Will could ask if he was feeling alright.

It was again, midnight, and Mike still wasn't back. Will was confused. So fucking confused. Was he with Tyler? Why did he flinch when he tried to touch him in the morning and avoid him all day if he was just planning on going into his room to fuck again at night? Were they, like, dating and he was doing all that just so Will wouldn't find out?

He got up from the bed, out of the room and headed towards the kitchen. He knew how that had ended up for him last night, but he had to escape that room where he just kept spiraling. Maybe he could go make himself some tea, to help him sleep better.

Right before getting to the kitchen, he heard a sound. Coming from Tyler's room. Again. But this time, it wasn't a moan or anything like that. They were voices. He was really about to turn over on his heels and go up to his own room, having been done with eavesdropping for his whole life after what he'd heard the past day. But then he heard Mike's voice. He stilled, straining to hear better despite himself. The door was fully closed this time, so he could only hear them.

"I'm sorry, Tyler, alright? I fucked up, I know. Everyone keeps reminding me of that. What do you want me to say?"

"What, so it was just like, a one night stand or something?" Tyler whispered-shouted, seeming angry.

"Come on, don't put it like that. You're really nice, but I can't... date you." Mike responded, and Will could tell just from his voice that he seemed guilty about something. Maybe about the fact that he apparently didn't even like Tyler?

"Because you wanna date him, right? Because I was just a distraction for you while you keep self-pitying over the fact the he doesn't want you."

Who the fuck was he talking about? Mike wanted to date someone and Will didn't even know?

"Don't say that. Please, don't-" Mike seemed to be crying now. 

Will could hear the straining in his voice that he knew all too well. Mike never really cried, he usually just bottled up and put everything in a 'later' pile. He never cried unless it was something truly serious. Something that truly bothered him. That hurt him.

"But it's true, right? He doesn't want you. You told me so yourself. You told me about you two." he continued, his voice twisted into some cruel thing.

"Tyler, shut up. I'm being serious, shut the fuck up." Mike said, sounding mad, but also clearly crying now.

"He just ignored all your signals. You were there for him all the time and he couldn't have not noticed. He just didn't wanna reject you like that. You spent fifteen years being in love with that boy, Mike. And you did everything you could to make him feel loved. He just doesn't want you." Tyler said, accentuating each word.

The sound of a broken sob filled the silence of the room and Will couldn't take it anymore. He doubted back towards his room as fast as he could, getting into the sheets and burying his head into the coolness of the pillow.

'You spent fifteen years being in love with that boy.'/What was that supposed to mean? Who was Mike in love with? Mike was in love with him? What in the holy spirit was going on? Mike couldn't possibly love him like that. There was no way. Every time he held him after a nightmare or made sure Will didn't forget to eat while he was painting or silently gave him his sweater when he saw Will shivering, it was just... Mike being Mike. Mike was just thoughtful. That's just how he is. 

But still, Mike hadn't protested. He was crying, yeah, but he never said he hadn't been in love with a boy for fifteen years. Still, there was no way. No fucking way. Some small, pushed down part of Will hoped that it was true, that Mike would come and tell him he loved him and they would get together and live happily ever after. But he had learned a long time ago that hope was a dangerous thing and that he should never give in to what that little part of him kept saying. He had hoped, once, when he first noticed the way Mike looked at him and look where it got him.

By the time Mike came back into the room, Will was already asleep. He didn't hear Mike's muffled sobs, not the way he had whispered his name in the dead of the night, wanting to see if he was awake, because he wanted to talk to him. Of course, he didn't get a response. Will was already gone, exhausted by all the thoughts and feelings that were flooding his mind.

the fifth day

The next morning, Will wakes up first. Mike's still sleeping on the floor, the sheets tangled around his limbs. 

Will quietly changes out of his pajamas and slips out of the room, careful not to wake him up. He probably needs the sleep by how wrecked he had sounded last night.

Last night. Who was he talking about, really? Who else had he known to fifteen years besides Will? He wanted to ask so bad, to know if it was him and finally do something about it or to know if it was someone else and finally get rejected and get it over with. He had had to deal with all of Mike's mixed signals his whole life. And he really, really wanted to stop doing that. But he couldn't ask without admitting that he had been spying on him and Tyler. So he wasn't gonna say anything. Maybe he could get Mike to tell him another way, though.

He opened the kitchen door to find Max and Jane huddled next to each other at the table, studying a magazine. He flopped down onto the seat across from them, mumbling a 'good morning' and stealing Jane's coffee.

"Hey, I was drinking that!" she protested when she saw Will drinking from her mug.

"Not anymore." he responded.

"Where's Mike?" Max asked, seeming to forget about the fact that him and Will hadn't exactly been the bestest of friends in a while.

"Still sleeping." Will responded drily.

"How is he? He said he wasn't feeling well, right?" Jane continued.

"I think he's okay. Well, he will be. I hope."

"You guys managed to talk? Or are you still mad at each other?" Max inquired.

"Not yet. But we will. We have to. We'll be okay, Max." he said, really wanting to believe that.

"I'm sure you will. You guys always manage to make up in the end." Jane said, softly patting his hand in reassurance

"I honestly didn't think you guys were capable of staying mad at each other for so long. It's impressive, really, considering you've literally been like conjoined twins most of your lives." Max interrupted, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I'm done with this conversation, that's it." Will said, getting up from the table, even if he wasn't actually mad.

"Wait, no, come back." Jane said through a soft giggle.

Will stuck his tongue out to Max and slipped out of the kitchen, going to join Dustin and Lucas on the front porch.

—-

Tyler left a few hours later, going to visit his family. He hugged all of them goodbye and Will felt kind of bad for hating him like that. He knew it was just because him and Mike... yeah, whatever. But also the way he had talked to Mike the previous night was still looping through his head. He got that he was mad, he had every right to be, but really?

"Call me anytime, okay?" he whispered into Mike's ear when he hugged him and Mike just gave a small nod, followed by a sad, lopsided smile.

Will shouldn't have heard that, but he did. He did because he was studying their hug with so much scrutiny that he could've as well burned a hole into their frames. And because he was straining to hear every single thing Mike and Tyler could've said to each other.

After they watched the red, shiny car drive into the distance, they all settled on the back porch. Mike took the seat next to Will, but he kept quiet most of the time. While the others bickered and shouted, he just stood looking into nothingness, occasionally laughing or smiling a bit.

At some point, everyone began to drift inside, towards their rooms, for the night. When it was just down to Lucas, Mike and Will, Lucas seemed to sense something the others hadn't. He got up and said he was really tired, even though it was obvious he wasn't.

Then it was just Mike and Will. Will and Mike. A heavy silence settled around them. Will could see Mike's knee jerking up and down while he fumbled with a crumbled pack of cigarettes. He tried to light one, but his hands were shaking. Bad. 

"Here, let me help you." Will said before he could register, softly taking the lighter out of Mike's hand, their fingers brushing.

He lit it and put his own hand around the tip of Mike's cigarette, so he could light it. They were inches apart and he could feel Mike's eyes on him, studying his face, even though he refused to meet them. It would be too awkward, making eye contact while he was lightning him a cigarette. The cigarette sparked to life, the tip blooming in fiery oranges.

"Thanks." Mike said after blowing out a cloud of smoke, leaning back in his chair.

There was a beat of silence before Will spoke again, the only sound being the distant hooting of an owl.

"Me and Carlton broke up." he said, wanting to let Mike know.

Mike looked at him, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. He was surprised, definitely, but there was also something else on his face. Something that looked too close to hope.

"What? Why?" he asked, aiming for nonchalant and failing, as Will could hear the subtle crack of his voice.

"I realized it wasn't what I needed. I have to get some other shit figured out first." he responded, trying to be as honest as possible in this situation.

Mike looked like he wanted to ask more, but decided not to pry. They had just started talking again and it wasn't the time for asking for more information. Instead, he slowly nodded and blew out another cloud of smoke.

"So... you broke up with him?" Mike asked, not looking at Will.

"Yeah. This morning." 

Mike nodded again, studying his cigarette and looking like he was trying to suppress a grin.

"Oh, come on. Stop pretending, I know you hated him." Will said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"I didn't hate him!" Mike defended, now letting the grin show after seeing Will's own smile.

"Yeah, sure. That's why you threw a tantrum when you found out we were dating, right?" Will asked.

At this, Mike's smile faltered. Too much. But he couldn't take it back anymore. Mike looked away, blowing out smoke into the dark.

"It's... it's not that. I didn't hate him. I just- I guess I would've been like that no matter who you started dating." Mike said, his voice a whisper, like it was physically painful for him to say the words. 

"What do you mean?" Will asked, genuinely confused.

"I guess I- I just don't understand why you would want to date someone that doesn't know you like that." he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Like that? What's that supposed to mean? Of course he knew me."

"No, he did, but not everything about you. He didn't know about your nightmares or the Upside Down shit or why you hate the cold and I bet he didn't know you sprained your ankle when you were running down my basement's stairs when you were seven." Mike rambled.

"What's that got with anything?" Will asked, even if he knew well enough what Mike was talking about.

It had happened once. In that past month, when Will slept over at Carlton's place. He woke up in the middle of the night after dreaming that he was back in the Upside Down. Carlton freaked out. And apparently Will just kept crying and asking for Mike, from what his boyfriend told him later. He didn't quite remember.

"It's just- I don't know. He doesn't know you, Will. And no one else ever will. Not like- Not like I do." Mike whispered.

"Mike, what-" Will started, confused. But Mike had already gotten up, stubbed his cigarette with the heel of his foot and went into the house.

Not like I do. The words kept replaying in Will's mind over and over again. That could mean a thousand things and nothing at once. He had to talk to Mike. He had to make him clarify what he meant. But not tonight. Not when Mike looked absolutely wrecked and exhausted. Tomorrow, maybe.

He stayed a bit more on the porch, listening to the sound of the woods around them. It was comforting, in some twisted way.

He fumbled in the dark, trying not to fall down the stairs. Finally, he managed to get into his room, change and slip into bed. Mike was already asleep on the floor. But Will couldn't sleep. He had made himself not think about any of the stuff that happened over the fast few days, but he still couldn't sleep. He was laying on his back, wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, he saw Mike bolt upright out of the corner of his eye. He was panting heavily, trying to get in ragged breaths, clutching at his chest.

"Will? Will, you awake?" he said weakly, his voice barely a whisper. If Will hadn't been awake, he wouldn't have heard it.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here. Are you okay?" Will said softly, sitting up in bed.

"Just- uhm, nightmare." Mike explained, still breathing with obvious struggle.

"Bad one?" Will asked.

"Really bad one." Mike replied, his voice so quiet Will didn't even know if he had imagined it.

He quietly slipped out of bed and sat on the floor, next to Mike. Close, but not close enough to touch him or make him feel worse.  He reached out his hand, wanting to put it on his shoulder, but Mike caught it faster. He squeezed in tightly, shutting his eyes closed.

"I just- I need to know you're here. I'm sorry." he said through labored breaths.

"Hey, don't apologize. You've got nothing to apologize for, okay? I'm here." Will said, squeezing Mike's hand in an attempt to reassure him. He knew how hard it could be to get through the night after a nightmare. Especially after a bad one. "Tell me about it. Maybe it will help."

Mike nodded slowly, still struggling to breathe normally, though he looked a bit better.

"You were gone. I was back at the quarry, all those years ago, but this time you were actually gone. I couldn't save you. I tried to, but I couldn't." he sounded genuinely hurt. He looked at Will and there was actual fear in his eyes. "I thought I lost you, Will."

Will felt his heart hammer in his chest, weighted down by Mike's words. Mike never really told him what his nightmares were about, even though Will always tried to get him to talk. But he would sometimes say his name and his sleep, until Will went and woke him up, terrified. 

"I'm right here, Mike. You didn't lose me. I'm here, okay?" he hesitated a bit before adding in a more hushed voice "You'll never lose me."

He reached out his other hand, smothering Mike's hair. He instantly leaned into the touch, squeezing his eyes shut. He still looked hurt and shaken, but he was a little calmer, not as frantic as before. They stayed like that for a while, their hands intertwined and Will's hand gently rubbing the curls at the back of Mike's head.

"Come on, you should get some sleep." Will said, pulling his hand away from Mike's head, his fingertips lingering a bit on his neck.

"Okay." Mike said, turning around to rearrange his pillows and reluctantly starting to let go of Will's hand. Will only gripped it tighter, making Mike turn his attention back on him. 

"What are you doing? You're sleeping in the bed. Next to me." Will said firmly.

"But-"

"No buts. Come on." Will replied, dragging him up by the hand.

Mike slowly got up from the floor and climbed onto the bed. Will let go of his hand, going to gather the pile of pillows and sheets from the floor and arranging him onto the bed.

"Thanks you. For everything." Mike said softly, watching him with bloodshot, teary eyes.

"Always." Will replied, giving him a soft smile before settling onto the pillow beside him.

They say like that for a while, Will on his back, staring at the ceiling and Mike on his side, watching him. Just when he thought Mike had fallen asleep, he spoke again.

"Will?" he whispered softly.

"Yeah?"

"Can I hold your hand? I need to know you're still here." he asked shyly.

"Of course." Will replied, his voice sweet and velvety.

His warm hand silently found Mike's cold one beneath the sheets, squeezing a bit. Mike squeezed back in response.

"Will?" he asked again.

"Yeah?"

"I've missed you." Mike said, his voice so small Will almost didn't hear it.

"I've missed you too." he responded, turning his face towards Mike, that was watching him with searching eyes.

"Don't leave me again. Please." he pleaded, his voice wavering a bit.

"Okay." Will said, giving him a soft, tired smile. "Now try to sleep. You need it. And wake me up if something happens, okay?"

"I'll wait for you to fall asleep. I want to make sure you won't go away." 

Will nodded, closing his eyes. It was warm under the sheets, even if Mike's body besides him was cold. He briefly thought of trying to warm him up, to get closer. But the thought got lost in the hazy cloud of dreams that engulfed him, lulling him to sleep.

the sixth day

Will woke up drenched in sweat. His mind was a blur and he was too fucking hot to think clearly. The first thing he registered was Mike's body pressed firmly onto his side.

Will was still on his back, just like he had fallen asleep. And Mike was on his side, hugging Will's arm, his face pressed into the crook of Will's neck. He was practically half on top of Will. His hand was resting on the small of Mike's back. He felt heat coming up his face. They hadn't fallen asleep like this. He had to get out of that bed as soon as possible.

He slowly started to move, but was stopped by a small whine coming from Mike. A whine. He snuggled closer to Will, letting out yet another whine. God, Will was definitely in hell.

He swiftly moved Mike's hands away from him, watching the way the other grabbed a pillow instead. Then, with the precision of a surgeon, he urged away from him, careful not to let his head fall without the support of Will. After successfully wiggling from beneath Mike, he watched him sleeping for a while, looking content and peaceful in his sleep.

Will glanced towards the clock on the bedside table. It was late, later than twelve. The others were probably wondering where they were. He couldn't care less, though. 

He got up from the bed and paddled towards the bathroom to take a shower. The heat of the summer day, combined with the fact that he had been sleeping pressed to Mike just moments ago had made him sweaty and sticky. The cold water made him feel better, but he was still tired and confused as fuck.

He slipped back into the room to find Mike standing at the foot of the bed, already dressed for the day.

"Hey. You okay?" Will said softly, remembering the reason why they had fallen asleep so late in the first place.

"Yeah. Thanks, Will. Really." Mike responded, meeting his eyes.

"It's okay, really. You know you can always wake me up if you have a nightmare or anything." he added, giving him a soft, sweet smile.

"I know, I know. It's just... I know I can be a lot, Will. But you're still always here for me. Thank you." he said, his voice trembling a bit.

It was true, kind of. Mike could be... intense sometimes. But that was one of the things Will loved most about him. The way he was just so passionate about everything he did. He never left something half-done. The only thing was that it also applied to bad thibgs. Like when he was hurt, he was really hurt.

"And I'm sorry I distanced myself so much from you. I just- I couldn't bear seeing you with him, you know. It was too much. And I'm also sorry for not telling you I like guys." he continued, looking worried at Will. 

Something in Will melted at that. Mike thought that he was mad, that he didn't wanna be friends anymore because of that.

"Oh, Mike." Will said in a reassuring tone. "I'm not mad, okay? I mean, I was, but I'm not anymore. It's okay, really."

"Promise?" Mike said, his eyes full of hope and something else that Will couldn't quite place.

"I promise." Will said firmly.

"Thank you again. So much." he said and he sounded genuine.

"That's what friends are for, right?" Will said with a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"Right. Friends." Mike replied, smiling a bit himself, although it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Speaking of which, we should go find the others. Come on." he said, gesturing for Mike to follow.

They both got out of the room and closed the door, going to join their friends on the porch. There were still things unsaid between them, but they would have time. Mike didn't seem content to talking about it yet, and Will was okay with waiting for him.

—-

Everyone had left the livingroom where they had been watching a movie to go to their respective rooms. It was late and their last night at the cabin. Although the trip had been a turmoil of emotions and he had learned a lot of things about both himself and Mike, Will was kind of sad it was over. It had been nice to spend time with his friends -his best friends, actually. 

He was going to go to his own room, when he saw that the porch light was on. Maybe someone had left it on?

He stepped onto the back porch, wanting to close the lights. Mike was there, sitting on the wood steps, smoking a cigarette. At the sound of the door closing behind Will, he looked behind him, startled.

"Sorry." Will said, sitting down next to him.

Mike just shook his head a bit, signaling it was okay. He still looked bothered by something, even though Will didn't know what it was. He had told him they were okay, that he wasn't mad at him or anything. Mike silently offered him his cigarette, without even looking at him. Will hesitated, before taking it from Mike, their fingers brushing. They hadn't shared a cigarette in a while. He knew Mike was a smoker, he had started as soon as they got to New York. Not that Will didn't smoke, he just didn't do it as frequently.

He took a long drag, blowing the smoke as he watched Mike stare into the distance.

"You okay?" Will asked, giving the cigarette back to him. He really hoped he could get Mike to talk to him this time.

Mike was quiet for a beat, before softly shaking his head.

"We need to talk, Will." Mike said, finally looking at him while taking another drag of his cigarette, the tip blooming in orange flickers.

"Sure. What happened?" Will replied, now both curious and confused.

"There- there are some things I haven't been honest to you about. And I don't think I can keep doing this." Mike said, sighting while looking away, blowing a cloud of smoke.

"What do you mean by that?" Will asked cautious, horrible ideas starting to form into his mind. Mike couldn't be talking about that, right?

"No, I- I didn't want it to sound like that. Sorry." he responded, stuttering.

"Oh, okay. Well, tell me what happened, then. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?" Will said, encouraging him.

"You happened, Will." Mike whispered, looking at him.

There was a long silence, the air between them dense and tensioned as they stared at each other, arms brushing, knees softly touching and Mike's cigarette burning to ash in his hand.

"I- What does that mean, Mike?" Will inquired, his voice sounding tougher than he intended it to be.

"Will, just listen to me, okay? Don't get mad. Please." Mike said, sounding worried and nervous. He stubbed his cigarette on the sole of his beat-up shoes, before returning his gaze to Will again. He looked scared. Like, really scared. "I know this is probably not the right time to bring this up, but that painting, back in Lenora. It wasn't from Jane, wasn't it?"

Will felt his stomach drop. So that's what this was about. Mike had figured his crush out and was disgusted with Will and wanted to tell him he didn't ever wanna see him anymore. He had feared this would happen for years, and now it was really happening.

"Mike, come on, it was a long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore." he tried, his voice wavering a bit.

"It matters to me. It was from you, right? Everything you said?" he almost sounded fucking hopeful. What was he hoping for? That Will would say 'yes' so he could finally get this friendship over with? If that's what he wanted, Will was gonna give that to him. Because he was done being vulnerable and scared and all that shit.

"Yes, Mike. It was. Anything else?" he responded, trying not the let the nervousness show. No matter what he said or what he tried to convince himself of, he didn't wanna lose Mike.

"That Tammy guy. The guy that you said you liked, back at the Squawk. Who was he?" Mike started again. Well, now this was truly too much.

"Mike, come on. What the fuck is up with you?" Will responded, now truly panicking.

"I need to know, Will." Mike said, desperation laced into his voice as his eyes searched Will's face. "Was it me?" he continued, voice softer and almost whispered.

"Mike, don't do this. It's not-" Will started, trying to salvage their friendship, before Mike cut him off.

"Will. Was it me?"

"Yes." Will breathed out because he physically wasn't able to lie to Mike anymore. If he was gonna decide to hate him after this, fine. Was Will gonna be absolutely destroyed? Yeah. But whatever. "But it was a long time ago, Mike. You have to understand, please."

"Will, I can't keep doing this. I know I'm too late, but..." Mike said, his voice a little hoarse and his eyes filling with tears.

Will kept quiet, waiting for Mike to continue.

"Will, you're everything I ever think about. And I feel so fucking guilty about it. Because I know I'm too late and you've clearly moved on, you have a boyfriend, for Christ's sake. Or had, whatever. And I know that it's my fault for being an asshole and being too scared to admit everything to myself before. Because I couldn't accept the things I was feeling. And I managed to keep all of my feelings under control all these years, not let anything show. But when I heard about you and Carlton? When I saw you kissing him and wearing his clothes instead of mine, like how you used to, I just- Fuck, I lost it. I- I just realized how much time I've wasted for nothing and everything that I'll never have." Mike explained, talking fast and gesturing, so clearly nervous.

Will's brain was still trying to process everything when Mike spoke again.

"So I had to tell you this. I just want you to reject me so that I can finally get it over with because I can't keep living like this." Mike said finally, locking gaze with Will.

"Mike... Are you saying that?..." Will whispered, not quite knowing how to say what he wanted.

"I'm trying to say that I love you, Will. Like, love love you." he breathed out, the words seeming painful for him.

Before he knew it, Will's hands entangled in Mike's hair, pulling him in. Their lips collided easily, slotting together like they were made exactly for that, exactly for each other. Mike gasped a little in surprise, but it lasted only a second, immediately throwing his hands around Will's neck. One of Will's hands rested on the back of his neck, while one travelled down to his waist, pulling him closer. Their tongues were sliding together, exploring each other's mouths. The kiss was hungry, frantic, barely containing all the yearning of the past fifteen years that they've been in love. It tasted of cigarette smoke, Will's peach chapstick that Mike had randomly gotten for him once because it 'looked cute and reminded him of Will' and all their suppressed desire and love for each other. They finally pulled apart, gasping for air, resting their foreheads together.

"Will, what-" Mike started, breathing heavily.

"I love you too, Mike." Will said, smiling.

That really seemed to drive Mike over the edge, diving right in for another hungry, absolutely ferocious kiss. Their hands were roaming over the other's body, entangling in their hair, cupping jaws and searching chests and waists. Will grabbed Mike by the back of his tights and pulled him into his lap, leaning against a wooden pillar for support. Mike let a short gasp of surprise into Will's mouth, but immediately settled, wrapping his arms around Will's neck.

"Fuck, when did you get so strong?" he said between kisses.

Will laughed a bit, a short, sweet sound, muffled by the kisses. His hands were firmly gripping Mike's waist, rubbing soft little circles into his skin. They pulled away again, resting their foreheads together. Suddenly, something else occurred to Will, even if it probably wasn't the best time.

"Wait, what about Tyler?" he asked

"I only talked to him because I thought it would make you jealous and that you’d realize you actually like me. And I kind of wanted you to feel like how I felt when I saw you with Carlton, even though that’s kinda mean, sorry. About the fact that we’ve fucked… I’ve just felt really lonely lately, without you. And I know that was fucked up of me and I truly am sorry. And if you’ve heard him tell me to call him, just know it was because of you. I actually really expected to get rejected and he told me to call him after I tell you and tell him how it went."

Will seemed content with this answer, diving right back in for another kiss. But then his brain conjured yet another problem. Gosh, couldn’t he just shut up and enjoy? He pulled back a bit, Mike resting his head in the crook of his neck, sighting.

"Wait, what about Jane?" he asked.

"What?" Mike echoed, his breath hot against Will's skin.

"Aren't you literally her ex? What about her?"

"Can we please not talk about my ex-girlfriend and your fucking sister while I'm currently sitting in your lap?" Mike said, pulling away a bit to look Will in the eyes. He had a dazed expression on his face, cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling, that Will recognized as his own: in love.

"Mike."

"Okay, well I don’t think I’ve ever liked her that way. I obviously love her, she’s one of my best friends, but we were never meant to be together. I’ve always wanted you and me and her are better off as friends. That’s why we broke up in the first place.” Mike explained, seeming not to understand what Will was referring to.

"No, I meant- She's gonna kill me. I'm pretty sure this is against sibling code." Will responded, suddenly worried. He didn't know how he was gonna explain this to Jane, because he wasn't gonna stop doing this. She would just have to understand.

"Oh. She knows, Will." Mike said with a sigh.

"What? What does she know?"

"She knew I liked you. Everyone knows." Mike explained, looking a bit embarrassed.

"And they never said anything?" he replied, shocked. "Assholes. That explains all the weird shit they said all the time about us."

Mike laughed softly and Will relished in the fact that he didn't have to pretend that his laugh wasn't music to his ears anymore.

"So, now that you're sure your sister isn't gonna murder you, can we please continue?" Mike asked, his voice hopeful, giving Will his best puppy eyes.

Before he could even finish his sentence, Will leaned in again, his mouth easily finding Mike's. The kiss started off as slow and sweet, but it quickly turned into something else, something even more frantic than before, filled with desire and desperation that had been building up for years. They slowly began to rock their hips against each other, soft little moans escaping both of their throats. When Mike left out a small whine into his mouth as Will tugged at his hair, Will had started to think about the fastest way they could get to the room. And he was also wondering how thick were actually the house's walls. 

Mike started trailing kisses across his jaw, ultimately finding his neck. He started sucking there, biting into the soft skin, bruising it with purple and reds. Will's head fell back against the pillar, his eyes fluttering shut. Mike continued to suck, sinking his teeth only deeper with each soft moan he earned from Will. At some point, he pulled back, admiring his work. Satisfied, he came back to Will's mouth, pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Will." Mike softly breathed into his mouth, without pulling away.

"Yeah?" Will responded, biting Mike's bottom lip as he let out another whine, a little louder.

"We gotta go. I mean- bedroom, Will." Mike said, pulling away, but still continuing to move his hips against Will's.

"Really? You're already sleepy?" Will responded while letting out a giggle, deciding that Mike could take a bit more teasing. After all, he's waited all this time for this, right?

"Come on, Will. You- you know what I mean." he said thrusting harder into Will's hips, a high-pitched moan escaping his lips.

"What do you mean, Mike?" Will replied, a sly grin tugging at his lips while he grabbed Mike's waist to stop his movements, making him groan in frustration at the gesture.

"I need- I wanna fuck, Will. I need you to fuck me. Come on." Mike said, whining again. Oh God, he was such a whiny crybaby.

"Get up." Will said firmly as Mike frantically got off his lap and pulled him up.

They stumbled the way to their room, still kissing and giggling and shushing themselves. It would be absolutely amazing if one of their friends was to come out of their room and see them like that. Luckily, they managed to get into their room without seeing anyone, closing the door behind them as the sound of the lock clicking in place echoed through the empty halls.

They pushed each other onto the bed, frantically taking off their clothes between kisses. Will was on top of Mike, his hands roaming on his body while kissing, when Mike pulled away a bit, their noses bumping.

"Hey, Will?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Never leave me again." he breathed out.

"You're never getting rid of me now." Will responded, smiling sweetly, before leaning back in, continuing what he had been doing as he felt Mike smile into the kiss himself.

the last day

Will woke up feeling the golden light of the sun fall into his eyes. He blinked slowly, looking up. He was laying on Mike's bare chest, one of Mike's arms wrapped around his shoulders. Mike was already awake, hair disheveled and cheeks rosy, watching him with a content expression.

"Good morning. Slept well?" he asked, caressing Will's cheek with his thumb.

"Obviously." Will responded, rolling his eyes playfully. "What time is it?"

"Still early. But we have to leave soon, though. The others are waiting for us downstairs, I heard them complaining earlier."

Will groaned as he got up, not wanting to leave the warmth and safety of the bed just yet. He quickly got changed, making sure to cover the angry, purple mark on his neck and  throwing a clean shirt and some sweatpants into Mike's direction, too. They both paddled down the stairs, going into the kitchen just to find all the others already there. They say at the table next to each other, Mike taking a plate of scrambled eggs and Will some coffee.

They were all bickering about something, but Mike and Will weren't listening. They were too busy looking at each other, both still covered in that after-glow, thinking about the fact that they were actually, finally boyfriends. 

"Oh my god, Mike's such a whiner." they suddenly heard Max say.

Mike chocked on his eggs, starting to have a coughing fit. Will quickly have him some water, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks. Safe to say, everyone was staring now.

"What?" Mike croaked out after he managed to calm down.

"I was just saying that you're always complaining about something and that we have to listen to all your whines." Max explained, raising a suspicious brow at them.

Oh. So they weren't talking about that. Although, now Will knew that Mike was a whiner in  more ways than one.

"But seriously, Wheeler. You really gotta talk to your mom when you get home." Lucas said, a mischievous grin plastered on his face, earning an elbow in the rib by an already giggling Dustin.

"What? Why?" Mike asked in confusion.

"Cause with the way you were screaming Will's name last night, I'm sure she heard you all the way back in Hawkins. She might think you're in danger or something." he said, bursting into laughter, followed by Dustin.

"Happy screams though, right Max?" Jane said through fits of laughter, looking at her friend that was wiping away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Mike and Will just stood there, mortified. Had they really been that loud? Sure, they hadn't even tried to keep quiet but... Oh. Yeah, shit, they had been loud as fuck. But Will wasn't gonna admit that in front of them, ever.

"I- I wasn't-" Mike started, stuttering, his face flushed a shade of scarlet that looked genuinely painful.

"Gosh, Mike. You are loud." Dustin said, his laughter dying out a bit.

"Don't worry, baby, you weren't that loud." Will said reassuringly, gently patting his hand, even though he knew damn well it was a lie.

"Get yourself a man that lies to you like Will Byers lies to Mike Wheeler." Max said, giving an appreciative nod that earned her an eye roll from both Mike and Will.

After that, everyone stopped laughing and properly congratulated them. It was actually real. Will and Mike were together, their friends knew -obviously- and they were truly happy for them.

"Well, you've been acting like a couple your whole lives, so." Dustin had told them, which was actually true.

They left the cabin not long after that. Mike and Will were squeezed again into the back of Steve's car, but it didn't feel tensioned or weird anymore. They were holding hands and they couldn't wait to get home and everything just felt right.

Maybe everything was actually going to be okay.

And as they looked at each other, a sweet, familiar feeling that they now recognized as love flooded them. Everything was going to be okay. They had each other and they were never going to leave ever again.