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It’s weird to think that your best friend looks beautiful while crying.
To think he resembles a beautiful doe.
To notice the subtle details on his face. Long eyelashes that tickle the wet pinkish cheeks. The tear stains that highlight his face. Hazel eyes that almost look green in the light.
That’s strange.
Very strange especially after an emotional coming out.
Will had come out. Rambling on about some ‘Tammy’ that he needed to get over. Which Mike thought was strange, what type of mother names her son Tammy? And for Will to fall for someone like that? When there’s so many boys at Hawkins that are better.
Well it was hard to really think of any guy without Mike feeling a weird piercing ache in his heart. But it hurt less if he thought about Will possibly getting with Lucas and Dustin.
He knew them. They’re great guys.
No matter the fact he knew they couldn’t be Will’s boyfriend.
Just…. Tammy?
Sounded awful.
Mike wondered if this Tammy knew that he made Will cry. He wanted to punch the guy but then also quickly thank him for letting him see Will in this state. Which was crazy. Why was he so interested in Will crying?
He wanted to comfort him. Tell him that he would always be his Will. But then he also wanted to brush the tears away. Kiss his skin. Make him cry for a whole other reason.
Yeah, the stress of the world ending was getting to him.
“Mike?”
A soft voice shook him out of his thoughts. Mike coughed and sat up straight, suddenly realizing everyone had left the room but Will. Will nervously pulled at his jacket sleeve. His eyes were wide and watery—a couple tears still managing to slide down his cheek.
“Is… did I…” Will whispered. He was still standing as he stared at his sneakers. As if he was scared of looking at Mike.
“What—? Oh, uh, I’m good.” Mike quickly spoke as he smiled. “Just spaced out there for a second.”
“Oh was it because of—?”
“No, no!” Mike held up his hands as he stared at Will with wide shocked eyes. “Of course not. Will, I would never hate you for who you are. I just, uhm, started thinking about what you said.”
Will sniffled. He rubbed at his nose with his sleeve and Mike had to fight the involuntary urge to coo at the action. Will hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside Mike. His eyes flickered between his hands and then to Mike’s face.
The sunlight shining through the mirror was beginning to disappear. Moonlight taking over. It shined across Will’s eyes, highlighting his wet big beautiful eyes. Eyes that held a look of uncertainty—nervousness.
Mike didn’t want Will to be nervous with him. He wanted to maybe change the subject. Conversations were so hard for him… that he just said the first thing that came to mind.
“You’re a pretty crier.”
Crickets.
“No, wait! I mean, yea, you look good even while crying. Cause y’know, you should see Holly when she cries, she gets these snot bubbles and it’s really nasty. But you,” Mike continued rambling, eyes wide as he flailed his arms around. “You’re still pretty. Or like beautiful. Like those actresses in those old Hollywood movies—NOT that I’m comparing you to women because you’re gay I just mean you’re pretty like a girl but I mean you’re also handsome like a guy and…”
Mike clamped his lips shut. He blinked. “Uh, Tammy… that’s such a shit name for a dude. He’s from Lenora?” He quickly tried changing the subject.
Will stared at him. At least he didn’t look nervous anymore. Mostly confused. His eyes blinked, his lashes tickling his skin again. Mike watched the action as if he was watching the creation of electricity. A sense of awe at being alive to witness the beauty that is William Byers.
“Ah, Tammy wasn’t his name. It’s… it’s not my story to tell.” Will finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse. He looked away—allowing Mike to notice the red veins in his neck. It looked like popped blood vessels. Mike’s throat bobbed.
The thought that Will was so scared, so stressed about telling him about his truth angered him. He felt as if he hadn’t been there for Will like he used to.
“Well he didn’t deserve you.” Mike confidently said. “I mean, what guy would refuse you?”
Will let out a laugh, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes pulled on his lips. “I-I never confessed. Couldn’t bring myself to. It would… ruin everything and I just can’t… I can’t live with myself if I ruin everything.”
“Ruin? What would he be homophobic or something?”
“He could’ve been uncomfortable about it.”
“Oh.”
Mike hadn’t thought about that. But he didn’t understand it. If Will told him that he had a crush on him, he would’ve been over the moon. He wished Will didn’t like ‘Tammy’ and liked him.
Oh.
Holy shit.
“What?”
Mike flinched once he realized he spoke outloud. “Nothing. I just, had a little strange feeling. Or thought really.”
“What is it?” Will’s eyebrows furrowed. A frown pulling on his lips as he inched closer to Mike. Even after suffering from a stressful situation, popping a few blood vessels and crying himself dry, Will still found it in himself to care so much about Mike.
“I… Why him?”
“Why…?”
Mike nodded his head. He watched Will’s expression, keeping his hands at his sides before he reached over and wiped Will’s face clean of his tears. “Yeah. There’s so many cool guys here in Hawkins… why him?”
“He… he’s been my rock.” Will let out an amused laugh. “We’ve been together for years. I can tell him everything. He doesn’t make me feel crazy.”
“But you couldn’t tell him that you loved him?” Mike quickly clamped his lips shut. Gosh he was really kicking himself in the mouth. “I mean not that you had to. Just an observation.”
“Mhm. Yeah, I guess not everything. I wish I could. I wish I could’ve been selfish enough to maybe put myself first. But I couldn’t. Because I want him to be happy. And I can handle these… emotions if he’s happy.” Will wiped at his face again, a few stray tears trailing down his cheeks. “Sorry. I didn’t know I could still cry. My face is a mess.”
“Don’t apologize. You still look… beautiful.”
Will let out an almost pained whimper. “What’s with the whole ‘beautiful’ thing? You wouldn’t call Lucas or Dustin beautiful.”
“What? Of course I would!”
The air was silent.
Mike and Will stared at each other for a moment.
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t.”
“Mike, am I reading into this? Am I being too hopeful?” Will whispered. His voice was quiet, a pained twinge in it. As if saying this caused a strange tremble in his heart. He glanced over at Mike.
Those round wet eyes staring at him. Long lashes fluttering. Moonlight shining down on him.
“Being too hopeful? Did that guy give you signals that he might like you?” Mike felt sick at the thought.
“That guy—? Mike, I’m talking about you.”
“What?”
“….Did you not know…?”
“No…”
Will blinked.
And then he laughed.
A quiet, little laugh as a wide grin pulled on his lips. “El was right. You’re so oblivious.” Will shook his head. He scooted closer to Mike on the couch, his eyes briefly flickering to Mike’s lips before looking him in the eye. “You are my Tammy… but that’s not even right. You’re my Mike. I’ve liked you for awhile now. You… you don’t need to return my feelings but I think maybe it’ll feel better to just tell you so—”
Mike kissed him.
His hand grasped the back of Will’s neck, the other holding his shoulder. A tight grip that attempted to keep Will close. To not let him pull away. To possibly reject him.
Will wasn’t a great kisser.
It must’ve been his first kiss.
The thought made Mike smirk against Will’s lips. He led the kiss with ease, pulling Will even closer. Will moaned slightly. His hands gripping at Mike’s shirt as he tried to follow Mike’s lead. He tilted his head, parted his lips.
Another tear slid down his cheek.
Mike pulled away from the kiss. He stared at Will in a new light. Will’s eyelashes dripped a few water droplets. His face was flushed pink as he took a few breaths.
What he had just done terrified Mike. Liking boys? He never entertained the thought. He wondered how his parents would handle it. But he pushed the thoughts away for now. All he wanted to focus on was making sure Will understood that he didn’t have to be selfless anymore.
“Was I your first kiss?” Mike whispered.
Will rolled his eyes. “Are you saying I was bad?”
“A little.”
Mike pretended to wince as Will weakly punched at his chest. The two giggled slightly.
“I… I don’t know what I really am right now, Will. I’m kinda scared.” Mike admitted. “But I know that it felt good. It felt really good to kiss you, to have you in my arms. I don’t want to imagine you with anyone else.”
Will smirked. “Was Mike Wheeler jealous at the thought of me liking someone else?”
“I wasn’t jealous… I wouldn’t have minded if it was Lucas or Dustin.”
“Lucas has Max. And Dustin is obviously into girls.”
Mike shrugged, as if he didn’t choose them both because he knew they wouldn’t like Will romantically. He reached up and gently wiped away a stray tear from Will’s cheek. “I was obviously into girls.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” Will whispered. He nuzzled into Mike’s hand, a small smile on his lips. “I can wait. Wait until this is all over before we can… properly define what we are.”
“Okay. Once Vecna’s dead.”
“Once Vecna’s dead.”
Will moved to wrap his arms around Mike’s neck. He hesitated for a second, to see if Mike would reject him. When he didn’t, Will eagerly cuddled into Mike’s arms. Mike tugged him close.
The two basked in the uncovered love they felt for each other. While the certainty of their fight with Vecna was unknown, Will felt lighter. He felt as if Vecna could no longer hold this over him as a fear.
It was a strength for him now.
For him and Mike.
Though he did have a question…
“Hey… why were you so interested in me crying?”
Mike went rigid.
“Uh……….”
“Is it a kink thing?”
“Would you look at that, I think Nancy is calling for me!”
“Huh, Mike no one said your name.”
“I’ll be back, Will. Get some rest.” Mike pulled away, not without giving Will a quick peck on the cheek. “Love you, bye!” He quickly left before Will could stop him.
Will sighed. He wanted to know what his future boyfriend’s kinks were, sue him.
But he was mostly happy that he wasn’t alone anymore.
“Love you too, Mike.”