Chapter Text
Mike hears it. He hears it every goddamn time Will brings another stupid guy home. They always look the same, too, like clones or something. It's trippy. He always hears them, the next room over. He doesn't pay any mind to the guys and whatever annoying noises they're making, his brain will only focus on Will.
Will, who is probably get taken advantage of or something. Will, who's so beautiful it makes his head hurt. And Will, who definitely doesn't deserve to have some nobody in his bed, a different one every time.
Mike makes the decision.
This time he's gonna say something.
It's not quite night yet, only around 7pm. Max and Lucas are at their classes and El— He corrects himself in his brain —Jane and Dustin are on a date. He doesn't know where Will thinks Mike is, but he definitely doesn't know he's home.
He heard Will tell the guy that they were the only ones in the house.
He hears when the guy leaves, the door doesn't slam but he doesn't exactly close it softly. Not like Mike would've. Mike considers Will's feelings, in a way that these stupid guys could never.
It's not like that, he repeats in his head.
Will is in the kitchen now, Mike can tell by his ever-soft footsteps. Mike decides that the time is now.
He stands up from his desk chair and makes his way over to the door, opening it too quickly. Will's head shoots around to look at him, eyes wide.
His face is red. His shirt— or, lack there of —is not present, and he's in loose sweatpants. His hair is a total mess. Mike can smell the sex on him.
"Mike!" Will exclaims in surprise, "Shit! I- uh, didn't know you were home-" He turns impossibly more red, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Will snatches a jacket off of the back of the front door and pulls it on his arms, he doesn’t zip it up but he wraps it around himself, hiding his skin from Mike. Obviously not really, but that’s what it feels like.
“It’s fine.” Mike shrugs. He’s forcing himself not to throw up in his mouth at the idea that someone else had touched Will. He gets more irate when he notices the array of bright purple hickies covering Will’s neck, probably extending down his torso too. He wishes he’d looked before Will covered up.
Gross, he tells himself, stop being a pervert.
Will swallows hard. He’s nervous, Mike can tell. Mike can always tell. “It’s- it’s not, I shouldn’t have brought someone home like that-“ Mike cuts him off.
”Why do you do it?”
”What?”
Will’s confused voice rings in his ears. Every word he says lingers to Mike, ever since they were kids. It wasn’t a good thing this time.
”Bring them home. I mean, they clearly don’t want to date you, so- so why would you want to have sex with them?” Mike’s words sound more vile than he means them to, and he watches Will’s face twist from hurt, to irritation.
“Mike, are you-“ He scoffs, genuinely baffled, “ Are you actually lecturing me on my sex life?”
Mike purses his lips. Will’s right, really, Mike should back down now. He has no right to speak to Will about this, not after the way he’s acted during their adolescence.
He has no right to be jealous.
He doesn’t back down.
”I’m not-“ Mike crosses his arms, “I’m not lecturing you. But it- it can’t be good for you, right? Like, they don’t stay for more than a few hours, and you’re clearly exhausted!” He throws his arm out for emphasis, gesturing towards the door.
Will furries his eyebrows, “What the fuck? What’s that supposed to mean?” He yells back, clearly getting more irate by the second.
Just as Mike is about to sputter back another response, the front door opens. Lucas comes inside. He looks tired, but Mike doesn’t look at him for too long before he’s back to Will.
”I’m just-“ He starts, Will cuts him off.
“I’m allowed to have sex with whoever I want, Michael. You’re acting jealous, you’ve got no right to lecture me-“ He begins, but Lucas steps in front of him.
“Guys, what the hell is going on here?” He whisper yells, trying not to escalate further.
”Will is just sleeping with men like he has no care for his wellbeing!” Mike yells, no longer looking at Will, but making eye contact with Lucas.
If he were to have looked at Will, he would’ve come into contact with his astonished face, anger boiling up inside him.
Lucas raises his eyebrows, clearly taken aback by the statement. “Mike, you need to chill out, okay? Yelling is helping nobody-“
”If you were here even 2 minutes before now, you would’ve heard that Will was yelling just as much as me-“
”Well, you started it! You yelled first! What, you- you think I’m just gonna take it like I’m some- some weakling?” Will shouts, and he sounds like he’s actually mad now. Will never sounds this mad, especially not at Mike.
”You’re putting words in my mouth! I didn’t say you were weak!” Mike tries to step closer, but Lucas holds a hand in front of him. Effectively stopping him in his tracks.
”Lucas, you can’t be serious.” Mike mutters, more pissed off at Lucas now than he ever was as Will. Why was he guarding Will from him?
“I- I think you both need to cool off. You’re both pissed off and this isn’t going anywhere.” He sighs, “Mike, why don’t you like, take a walk or something, okay? Just-“ Lucas is trying so hard to help, Mike can see it, but he rolls his eyes anyways and stomps to his room, slamming the door behind him.
—
Will is mad. He’s pissed off at Mike. Who is he to yell at Will about his love life? He’s got no grounds to stand on, he stayed in a loveless relationship for 3 years!
Besides, it’s his fault Will even brings these guys home in the first place! They all look the same, pale skin, freckles, dark curly hair, taller than him, but it never works. So he keeps trying.
He knows that’s the definition of insanity.
“Will, what the hell was that about?” Lucas asks him, voice laced with concern. He places a hand on his shoulder, Will yanks it away on instinct.
Will frowns, he’s not trying to be mean about it, but he doesn’t want to stay on this topic. He’s embarrassed enough as it is.
”It’s fine, Lucas, Mike was just being pissy.” He mutters, crossing his arms over his still-bare chest. Lucas’s face only grows more concerned, “Will, c’mon. You’re one of my best friends, I don’t want you to be miserable.” Lucas says, a little to try and comfort himself, but also trying to make Will feel better.
”I’m just-“ Will sighs. He doesn’t know how to say it in a PG way, he knows his straight friends don’t want to hear about his queer escapades. “I’m just trying to feel better, okay? Mike being nosy and acting like a dick isn’t helping.”
”This actually makes you feel better? I’m- I’m not one to judge, you know that-“
Will chuckles a bit, as if to say ‘Really?’ and Lucas cracks a smile, “Okay, maybe I judge a little bit, but not you, you’re my best friend.”
“One of” Will corrects, and Lucas smiles harder, “Yeah, well, you’re nicer to me than Dustin and Mike are” he rolls his eyes.
”Quit trying to change the subject” Lucas gives him a playful shove, “I want you to be happy. And listen, if this is actually making you happy, continue on, it’s none of my business but-“
”If it isn’t, just talk to me. Or- or stop whatever’s upsetting you. Okay?” Lucas gives Will a soft smile, Will smiles back. His eyes have glazed over, he looks like he’s about to cry.
”Oh c'mere” Lucas mutters before pulling Will into a hug, Will wraps his arms around him tightly and buries his face in his chest. Lucas really is the best, he’s always so gentle and kind. If only Will had fallen for him, but no.
It had to be stupid Michael Wheeler. He cries a little harder at the thought.
”I love you, man, just wish you thought about yourself more.” Lucas speaks into his messy hair, Lucas has gotten too tall for his own good over the last few years. “Yeah uh… I love you too.” Will responds, sniffling.
He's glad he’s gotten to this point. At 14, when he realized he was actually queer, that he was actually the thing he’d been bullied for his entire childhood, he hated it. He hated being around his male friends because he was afraid he would become freakishly attracted to them, and creep them out somehow.
He was afraid that if they knew he was gay, they’d think less of him. They’d think he was just a perverse sissy-boy.
That didn’t happen. Lucas and Dustin were… confused, sure, but Lucas already knew, he said. He had noticed how Will looked at Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid, or Luke Skywalker, even though they weren’t really Will’s type.
Lucas even admitted he thought he might be a little queer when they were 18, said he’d watched a porno that he really liked. Max was the first person he told, obviously, she didn’t care, and then he told Will.
Lucas showed him something called the “Bisexual Manifesto,” it spoke about multiple sex attraction. Will thought it was pretty cool, and Lucas had determined that that’s what he was. Will was infinitely proud of him. It’s 1991, who cares if his best friend likes guys and girls?
He was just glad Lucas was never disgusted by him, that’s the only thing he was scared of.
Of course, he was terrified for Dustin as-well, especially since Dustin didn’t come out reading a queer manifesto. But he was good too, never made Will feel too weird. He had some questions, obviously, but he never pried too hard after Will got uncomfortable.
The point is, Will never thought he’d be able to have a valuable friendship with his guy friends after coming out, especially not one where they can drop “I love you”s like that, but he does. He does have those friendships, and he thanks the universe a thousand times over for finally giving him something.
Lucas pulls away from the hug and ruffles Will’s already messy hair, “You should shower though, before Max gets home, you still smell like sex and you know she’ll tease you to death.” He laughs as he walks away, Will breathes a small laugh in return.
He walks off to go change, probably, he’s just gotten out of class. Will runs a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. Shit, he thinks, I’m still in love with Mike Wheeler.
And Mike Wheeler is mad at him. For sleeping around, of all things.
I’m totally fucked.