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Steve pulls his 1983 BMW into Mike's driveway, which had bikes laying across it. Robin was in the front seat, singing along to a song on the radio. Mike asked Steve if he could pick him up. They both had surprises for each other. Will just didn’t know it yet. When the car came to a halt Will jumped out with a smile on his face and a small blue and white box in his hand. Mike left out the front door and started walking out towards him.
"Hey guys!” Mike yelled from the porch. He began walking but pace kept picking up quicker and quicker.
"Hey, Mike!" Will exclaimed, "I missed you." He hugged Mike tightly, never wanting to let go.
Steve interrupted in a low tone, "it's literally been two weeks guys." He was aware of the fact that they both liked each other, but it just grew to be annoying to him for reasons he didn't quite understand. He wanted what they had but it was out of his grasp.
Robin whispered quietly enough for only him to hear, “Stop being jealous.”
"Shut up Steve," Will whined in a high and sardonic tone. Will still had not left Mike's hug, it was a gentle yet tight one. Mike just enjoyed the embrace. It was comforting. Mike hadn't received a hug from anyone in a long time so he breathed in the warmth. They stayed like that for too long; well at least most would think that, but not them. Will let go of Mike and shared a sweet smile; one as sweet as cotton candy. The kind of sweet that hurts your stomach, he gives Will a happy little stomach ache, but that’s okay because he has a sweet tooth. Their eyes still haven't left each other's gaze.
"Oh," Will grinned so hard it hurt, "here..." He handed Mike the box, resting his hand on top of the other boys.
"Oh should I open it?”
“Yeah.” He responded at the speed of light.
Mike opened the box which contained a beaded bracelet that Will made for Mike in elementary school, it was once lost but now found. Mike couldn't find it for the longest time but he left it at Will's house all these years ago. “Thank you Will.” The brown haired boy's eyes kept dodging around like a kid during a game of dodging ball in Pe class; between Mike and the ground.
Steve cleared his throat, "Hey guys lets go? Robin and I have to get our asses to work."
"Alright!" Mike exclaimed as they began walking to the car. Every time his hand would brush up to Mike’s he’d feel a little ounce of happiness. The two both offered warm smiles. Will opened the car doors for Mike. Steve started his car, it rumbled as he pulled out of the driveway. Will laid his head on Mike's shoulder, and the black haired boy felt his stomach spinning, like a carousel.
**********
When they arrived at Will’s house they got out of the car. While Steve and Robin made their way inside to talk with Joyce, Mike convinced Will to go on a walk. Mike grabbed Will’s hand, and they started to make their way to the small forest. Mike decided to take the longest way.
“Okay… So I have a surprise for you!” Mike started, “You can’t know until we’re there!!”
“Oh?” the other boy responded with a smile.
The company was nice, and it was so calming. Will smiled whilst they walked through the trails behind the petite road. The trails had pebbles of different colors. The leaves are changing colors like a fresh bruise from a big fall. They stayed silent as Mike pulled Will alongside him.
"Where are you taking me Mike?" Will questioned.
"Just wait." He responded in a sassy tone with a blushing face.
Will rolled his eyes in response and gave a smile that was returned.
"Don't look at me like that." He giggled.
"Like what?"
"Shut up you idiot." Mike covered Will’s mouth. He tried to speak but it was muffled.
"Mike!" He laughed and licked his hand to get him to stop.
"Ah!" Mike jumped. He burst out into laughter despite all the effort to hold it in.
"Shut up!"
"No, I shall not my kind Sir." Mike managed to pushed out, in the midst of their laughter. They grew quiet with ease.
Mike Mumbled as he grabbed Will’s hand again, "Come on."
"Okay." Will said in almost a whisper. The two made their way deeper into the forest, and Mike led them to Will’s old childhood hideout. Rocks laid around to outline a path to the trees; it was touched since last time Will was last there. Will left the fort broken and destroyed, but there was Castle Byers standing strong. It was in the back hidden from most, he smiled to himself.
"Whoa, I… you did this?” Mike nodded softly, “Thank you." His eyes began to well, and he hugged him very tightly.
"Want to go in?"
"Hell yeah!" The boys slowly walked up the fortress. The tree was growing around the twine that once held the fort together. He popped his head into the petite fort. Mike had bought new things for Castle Byers. The battery powered christmas lights were still hanging up (not on of course), a bunch of blankets and pillows from their summer sleepovers. They were washed and looked brand new. Mike cleaned up and did his best to restore everything held in the fort. There was a box full of things Will collected over their years of friendship, and Will's first sketch book. Will went over to the quilts/blankets and collapsed on top of the pile, Mike sat next to him setting his head on his shoulder just like they did as kids.
"Hey Will?"
"Yeah Mike?"
"What's in the box over there? You left it here before we stopped coming back here." He pointed to the corner or the Castle Byers.
"Hm I don't know. Let's see!" They got off the blankets and walked over to the box. Will knelt and sat in front of it. There were all types of things in there, mostly sketchbooks. Shit what's in that? Will asked himself. He grabbed it from the box and read through a few pages.
"Huh that's something." He mumbled as he realized what's in that book; it’s self deprecation and him being the biggest sexuality crisis in existence. There are sketches of Mike and drawings to vent his troubles.
"What is it?"
"An old sketchbook."
"Oh okay." He didn't question it and Will felt a sigh come out.
They looked at the rest of the things in the big box. There were old polaroid's, Mike and Will would always take photos together. The black haired boy picked up a stack of photos which were ones that Mike’s mother took.
Mike grabbed a photo and showed Will, "Aw, that is so cute! You were so little."
"You were so much cuter. See?" He pointed at a polaroid of Mike who was in his Ghostbusters costume.
Looking over more photos Mike noticed how sparse the photos were from recent times. It made him realize how much he has been focusing on El. Now that they’ve been broken up he found that he spent so much time ignoring his friends for her.
**********
“Will?”
“Yeah?”
“Why did you destroy Castle Byers?”
Will sat up straight and his eyes grew wide. He was surprised by the question but he can’t just avoid it now that Mike had brought it up.
“I- I was upset and hurt…”
“Hey, it’s okay you can tell me”
“You know when we had that argument over you guys all wanting to hangout with your girlfriends?” Mike nodded, “I felt left out. Everyone is growing older and I just want to play dnd with my friends. I didn’t want to grow up, I had every ounce of innocences stripped from me when I went missing. I didn’t want to grow and date. Then everyone made me feel like I was wrong for not wanting to date girls. That there was something wrong with me-“
“Will, there is nothing wrong with you.”
“But it felt like it Mike. No one sees me as me. I don’t want to be with a girl. I don’t like them.”
“That’s okay! You don’t have to date.”
“I just feel like I was created wrong. No one understands what it’s like to still want to hold on to childhood because you’re scared. I didn’t want to come to terms with this but I have to. I am supposed to want to date but I don’t. I don’t feel that way about girls. I wish I could but I don’t.”
“Oh, you like boys?” The silence was loud and it felt like it was piercing Will in the heart.
“I- yeah.”
“Hey that’s okay! You’re still my best friend. It doesn’t change how I see you.”
“It does. Everyone treats me differently.” Mike grabbed Will’s shaky hands. He stared into the boys eyes, searching for a little bit of reassurance but all he found was fear in Will’s eyes.
“I don’t, I promise.” Mike squeezed the other boys hands.
“Thank you.” His breathing hitched and Mike engulfed him in a tight hug. It was a hug tight enough to take your breath away.
“It’s okay Will, it’s okay.” They stayed in the hug for what felt like forever, “I’m always here okay.” Their breathing slowed and they felt calm and safe.
Mike pulled away, “thank you for telling me.”
“Thank you for being here.” Will grinned like a child who just got ice-cream.
“How did you know?”
“Hm?”
“That you liked boys.”
Will had to think before saying anything in fear of pushing Mike away, “I was never interested in relationships. I thought I just didn’t want to date, but it was actually that I wasn’t interested in girls. I felt so different when I would talk to a boy, it felt more comforting.”
“Oh…”
“Sorry if that was weird.”
“No no no, it’s not. I am just thinking… I just- I don’t understand. I’ve always felt a similar way. I don’t know, I loved El. I just felt the same way for a boy.”
“Do you think you can be bi?”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s when someone likes both girls and boys.”
“Oh, yeah. That makes sense. I think that is who I am, I just couldn’t find the word for how I felt.”
Mike and Will held each other in an embrace. It felt comfortable and safe.
“Why didn’t you tell me when you destroyed Castle Byers?”
“I was scared. I felt like I had to grow up and force myself to. I thought that maybe if I destroyed it I would fix myself, and somehow be normal. You, Dustin and Lukas all had girlfriends and stopped being interested in stuff like dnd. I thought I could grow out of it.”
“Will it’s okay to be you. You could’ve told me how you felt.”
“Mike… I had a crush and I couldn’t just tell anyone. You know how everyone treated me at school and I didn’t even tell them, they were just rumors.”
“Who did you like?”
It was silent. Will wasn’t expecting to tell him this time or ever really.
“Sorry I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No it’s okay Mike,” Will stopped and took a deep breath, “I… I liked you.”
“Oh!” His face lit up.
“I’m sorry I know it’s weird, you didn’t have to say anything.“
“Hey hey no it’s not weird, it just makes sense.” They both had a blush covering their faces. Will was tensed up and moved to hide behind his arms. He looked away toward his shoes.
“I understand if you feel uncomfortable.”
Mike interlocked their fingers with a reassuring expression. “It makes sense, I felt that way too. When I saw you dancing with that girl at the SnowBall. I thought I was just jealous that you got to dance with a girl, but it was more about you.”
Will moved his gaze back to Mike, “You did?”
“Yeah I just didn’t realize what it was until now. Do you still feel that way?”
“Yeah, I do. Do you?”
Mike smiled wide, “Yeah yeah, I do.”
“Cool.”
“Cool” They both smile to themselves. Mike tried to keep eye contact but got so flustered that he looked away.
“I’m glad you’re back in Hawkins.”
“Me too. I missed you. California wasn’t that great.”
“Just so you know, I did call. The line was always busy though.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Just everything. I’m glad to be home.”