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Chapter Text

Mike Wheeler, at thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, or, hell, even sixteen years old - only last year - would never have imagined he'd tell a single soul that he was gay. He hadn't even told himself until a few months ago. In fact, he had stood in front of the bathroom mirror and mouthed the words: "I'm gay" to his reflection, choking down tears. Not that he hadn't known before then; no, he'd always known. At least he had known deep down. But knowing is one thing. Admitting is another.

And now, even with self-hatred pressing into him and shame burning in the back of his eyes, he couldn't keep it to himself any longer - he just couldn't. So, here he was, in his basement, as usual, with Dustin and Lucas. The two of them were sat next to each other on the worn and lumpy couch, bickering about something. Also not out of the ordinary. But Mike, who was sitting on the chair beside them, wasn't paying attention, not at all. Their voices were like static to him, and all he could focus on were his own racing thoughts.

He was broken out of his silence by Dustin asking him, "Isn't that right, Mike?"

Mike snapped out of it, looking dazed. "Huh?"

Lucas scoffed. "Not even paying attention," he said with a roll of his eyes.

"Typical," Dustin added.

Mike put his hands up defensively. "Didn't seem like you guys needed my input!"

Dustin feigned offense. "Do you not care about us, Mike?" he asked somberly.

Mike turned up his nose. "You're annoying, you know that?"

Dustin grinned, looking pleased with himself. "Yup."

"What do you even think about, man?" Lucas asked. "When you zone out like that?"

Mike shrugged, feeling his face go a bit pale at being caught. "Nothing."

"I can actually believe that," Dustin said, and Lucas hit him on the arm.

"No, seriously," Lucas pestered. "You've been quiet lately."

Now, all three of them were quiet: Lucas and Dustin waiting for Mike to respond, and Mike waiting for the two of them to give up on asking him these stupid questions.

"I..." Mike trailed off. "I didn't know I was being quiet." That statement, weirdly enough, reminded him of something Will would say.

Dustin and Lucas exchanged a look that Mike couldn't decipher.

"Listen, I don't want to press," Lucas said, "but does this have something to do with Will?"

Mike felt his blood run cold. "What?" he stammered, feeling like he was sitting beside two mind-readers.

Dustin spoke before Mike could finish his thought. "Yeah, you've been less... Mike since he joined Art Club or whatever."

It was true: he had been "less Mike" - whatever that meant - since Will had ditched their Friday boys' nights for Art Club. Now, it was just the three of them: Mike, Lucas, and Dustin hanging out in Mike's basement. And Lucas and Dustin seemed to converse just fine without Mike butting in. He missed having Will there. Having someone to talk to. Having Will to talk to.

"'Less Mike'?" Mike echoed, that being all he could come up with as a response.

Dustin shrugged. "You know what I mean."

"Do I?" Mike sassed.

Lucas cut them both off. "What we're saying," he started, shooting Dustin an annoyed look, "is that whenever Will's not around, you don't really seem that interested anymore."

Mike felt cornered. "I am interested," was all he could manage in response.

Again, Dustin and Lucas looked at each other meaningfully, and, again, Mike couldn't decipher what their expressions implied.

"C'mon, man," Lucas said. "Talk to us."

Mike swallowed hard, looking down at his hands. For weeks now, he'd been swallowing the desire to tell somebody - anybody - close to him that he was gay. That he was in love with his best friend. Will. The secret had been growing harder and harder to keep to himself. And even though he was beyond terrified, he knew, deep down, that keeping this to himself forever would kill him. It would. And now, at this point in his life, he really, badly wanted to live.

He swallowed again, trying to get the taste of shame out of his mouth. "What are you guys getting at?" he asked, internally kicking himself for avoiding their questions.

"Nothing!" Lucas said defensively.

"We just wanna make sure you know we care about you," said Dustin.

Mike shifted in his seat. "This sounds like an intervention."

Dustin shrugged. "Maybe it is. Against your addiction to secret-keeping."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Yeah, no pressure," he said sarcastically.

Mike felt his palms go clammy at the mention of "secrets". "I just..." he started. "I mean, I trust you guys, of course I do, but there are some things bigger than, I don't know... bigger than what we usually talk about. I guess."

Real eloquent.

"Bigger than fighting literal monsters?" Dustin asked.

Mike shrugged in response. "Yeah," he said softly. He knew he was being dramatic - or, at least, to his friends, he was - but he couldn't help himself. This moment felt just as scary as fighting monsters to him.

"Damn," said Lucas.

"You can tell us," Dustin insisted. "Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure we can take it."

It was silent for a moment before Lucas added, "You know we love you, man."

Dustin nodded seriously.

This was the push Mike needed: an affirmation of the seriousness of their friendship.

"I do have something I haven't really been telling you guys about," Mike said finally, feeling his throat tighten.

Dustin and Lucas looked at each other anxiously. "Go on," they said in unison.

Mike took a deep breath, steadying himself. He breathed out. He wasn't ready yet. He needed more momentum before getting to the big thing. "It's serious," he continued. "And it stays between us. Alright?" He couldn't help his voice from wavering.

Mike expected Dustin and Lucas to act annoyed with his dramatics but, to his surprise, they were equally as stoic, sitting on the edge of their seats anxiously. They only nodded in response.

"Swear it," said Mike.

Dustin put his right hand up. "I swear."

Lucas followed. "I swear."

Mike took a moment before speaking again. "I'm-" he began. The words wouldn't come out. "I'm..." he continued. "I'm not like you," was all he could say.

Dustin seemed amused, raising an eyebrow and leaning back a bit. "In what way?"

Lucas hit Dustin's shoulder absentmindedly. "Give him a minute," he whispered.

Mike swallowed the sob rising in his throat. Tears pricked his eyes and he blinked rapidly, willing them away. He steadied himself before continuing. "Do you guys remember when El and I broke up?"

"Uh, no duh," said Dustin. Lucas hit his shoulder again.

"And how I didn't get upset or talk to anyone about it?" Mike asked.

The two other boys nodded.

"I wasn't really... sad," Mike said. "I mean, I told you it was mutual, and it was, but... we didn't... 'fall out of love', or whatever bullshit I said." He paused here. "I only really saw her as a friend, I think. A good one."

There was no shock or surprise in Lucas and Dustin's expressions. Only anticipation.

"I don't love El like that. In a... romantic way. Never did, I don't think. I couldn't if I wanted to. And I wanted to," Mike said, staring down at his socks. "I couldn't love any girl like that..." A longer pause here. "I'm gay," he finally choked out.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Every passing second felt like a torturous eternity, Mike's mind racing with the possibilities of how his friends could react. He knew they weren't homophobic - at least not outwardly. They never partook in the homophobic bullying their classmates did. They would even defend Will when he was the target. And both of them - especially Dustin - were close with Robin, who was out as a lesbian and dating a girl. But, in that moment of overwhelming silence, none of that made any difference in Mike's mind. He was nearly paralyzed with fear. When he finally willed himself to look up from his feet, he saw that Lucas and Dustin had pleased expressions on their faces - not at all the disgust and hatred he was fearing and half-anticipating.

"Thanks for telling us, dude," said Dustin in a gentle voice.

"Yeah," Lucas added, matching Dustin's tone. "Proud of you, man."

Mike's relief was only just barely outweighed by his bewilderment at their immediate acceptance and lack of questions. "What?" he sputtered.

"We support you," Dustin said simply.

Lucas nodded in agreement.

Mike looked between Dustin and Lucas in utter confusion. "That's all?"

"Um..." Dustin said. "To be honest, we kind of already guessed it. Or- hypothesized it, really."

Mike paused, suddenly feeling like the air had been knocked out of him. "What? How...?"

Lucas put a hand up, cutting Dustin off from answering. "Because you're our friend," he said. "We know you, man. That's how."

"Okay..." Mike said quietly, his head reeling.

"And," Lucas continued, "you being gay doesn't change that. We love you."

"Yeah," Dustin echoed.

Mike tried not to flinch at the word "gay". All he could do was nod solemnly, the lump in his throat growing. Silence fell among the three of them again. Mike hung his head down in between his knees, feeling lightheaded.

"Hey, it's okay," Lucas said.

"Yeah, c'mon, dude."

Mike couldn't bring himself to respond. His head was spinning and he was nauseous. "I-" he started, but he choked before he could finish his sentence. Tears began pouring from his eyes with him only hardly noticing.

Dustin and Lucas looked at each other in mild horror, shocked to see Mike crying. The last time they'd seen him cry was the night they witnessed Will's "body" being discovered all those years ago. And, even then, he'd biked off into the night before they could get a word out to comfort him. After a brief moment of utter bewilderment, they sprung forward towards Mike, hesitantly putting a reassuring hand each on his shoulders. He shrugged them off.

"I'm fine," he muttered, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow.

Dustin and Lucas backed away into their seats wordlessly.

After a minute of awkward silence, Mike finally regained his composure - although his eyes were glossy, his face was covered in splotches of pink, and his cheeks were tear-stained. "You guys really don't... care?" he finally brought himself to ask.

"That you're gay?" Dustin said.

After a second of consideration, Mike nodded.

"It doesn't change anything," said Lucas.

"Agreed." Dustin paused, clearing his throat. lReally, you finally confessing only confirms a few suspicions I've already had."

For the millionth time that evening, Lucas shot him a look that screamed: "shut the hell up!"

"What do you mean?" Mike stuttered.

"I mean," Dustin said emphatically, "your whole thing with Will."

Mike froze. "...Will?"

"Yup."

Lucas sighed, dragging a hand over his face. "One thing at a time," he said to Dustin. "Let's talk about the whole Will thing later. Okay?"

"I think we should talk about the whole Will thing now," Dustin retorted snarkily.

"'Will thing'?" Mike repeated.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Dustin continued bickering. "He's had enough confessing for one day, Dustin, I think he's done," Lucas said.

"Guys," Mike said quietly. Then, when their arguing continued, a little louder: "Guys!"

The two other boys stopped and looked at him.

"What the hell's the 'whole Will thing'?"

There was a long pause.

"Um... just your whole, like... thing with Will, I don't know," Lucas said awkwardly.

"The 'whole Will thing' is your obvious crush on Will," Dustin cut in.

Mike felt his cheeks burning. "Crush?"

"Oh God," Lucas groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"Crush..." Mike repeated. Then, a little panicked: "Obvious?"

"Super," Dustin confirmed.

"To us!" Lucas added before Mike could panic any further. "To us."

"Because you know me," Mike finished for him.

"You got it."

"So we're right then?" Dustin asked. "You have a massive, huge, **scarily intense** crush on Will?"

Well, if Mike had revealed one secret today, he might as well reveal them all. He breathed out a quick burst of air, feeling his chest collapse in. "I wouldn't say scarily intense," he muttered.

Dustin and Lucas looked at each other with eyes wide with shock.

"Shut up!" Lucas said in disbelief.

Dustin looked very pleased with himself. "My 20 dollars, please," he said to Lucas, who went on to fish out the cash from his jeans pocket, handing it to Dustin with a defeated expression on his face.

"Um, what?" Mike questioned, the bizarreness of the situation relieving him of a bit of the anxiety he'd been overcome by for the past twenty minutes.

"I bet Lucas that you would admit to your massive, huge, and, - yes -, **scarily intense** crush on Will," Dustin said.

Lucas looked miffed. "And I bet you wouldn't."

"You guys bet on that?" Mike asked incredulously, feeling quite irritated.

The boys shrugged.

"Screw you!" he said, but he wasn't really too angry. "How the hell did you even guess in the first place? And don't say because you know me."

"For starters, we're not stupid, Mike," Lucas said bluntly.

"Or blind," Dustin added, and Lucas nodded in agreement.

"That's not an answer," Mike huffed.

"Alright, alright," said Dustin. He contemplated for a moment before continuing. "Do you remember when we were kids, and you and Will were always holding hands?"

Mike felt his ears begin to burn. He didn't answer.

Lucas grinned. "Oh, and remember when Miss Harrison made you guys switch seats for talking too much during class, and then you **cried**?" he added.

Dustin's own smile grew. "Oh my God, and remember when you insisted that you were gonna marry him someday? Even though everyone told you you couldn't?"

"I wanted to be your best man," Lucas laughed.

"Yup," said Dustin, "and I was gonna be Will's."

"Oh, and when you used to kiss each other on the cheek like it was normal friend stuff-"

"Ughhh, just shut up!" MIke said, putting his hands over his face like an embarrassed middle school girl being teased about her school crush.

Dustin and Lucas immediately quieted down before snickering at his uncharacteristic bashfulness.

"Jeez, Mike," Dustin said, amused, "I've never seen you be so... shy."

"Be quiet," said Mike.

Dustin mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. Mike chose to ignore his childish antics.

"I didn't even know I liked him like... that until we were fourteen," he frowned. "You're telling me you guys knew since you first met us?"

"I wouldn't say that," Lucas replied. "More like, we noticed all that weird stuff and it just sort of clicked after a while."

"Yeah. I think I really figured it out a few years ago," Dustin said, and Lucas nodded in agreement.

"Jesus," Mike said, leaning back in his seat and staring up at the basement ceiling.

It was quiet for a few minutes, all of them digesting their conversation.

Of course, Dustin was the one to break the silence. "And, you know, back to our main point... you have been all mopey since Will joined Art Club," he said.

Mike sat up straight, offended. "'Mopey'? I'm not mopey."

"Are too," Dustin said.

"Am not!"

"Come on, Dustin, quit it," Lucas said.

Dustin threw his hands up defensively.

"Hangouts are just boring without him," Mike said honestly.

Dustin clutched his heart. "Ouch."

"You're bored?" Lucas deadpanned.

"Not right now," Mike admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah, 'cause we're talking about your boyfriend," Dustin said, rolling his eyes.

Mike's eyes widened, his cheeks burning. "He's not my boyfriend," he said emphatically.

"And why not?" Dustin retorted. "You both clearly like each other."

Mike's brain short circuited as he processed the meaning of what Dustin just said. "Both...?" he trailed off. Then: "Will likes me?"

Dustin and Lucas both looked at him like he'd lost his goddamn mind. "Uh, duh!" they exclaimed in unison.

Mike was starting to get annoyed at how close these two had become.

"How... how do you know?" he asked suspiciously, trying to slow the beating of his heart.

"We're not stupid," said Lucas.

"Or blind," Dustin added.

"Yeah, I got that," Mike said absentmindedly. "But did Will... tell you, or anything?"

"No," Lucas scoffed. "Will doesn't tell anyone anything."

Dustin nodded in agreement.

"That's not true," Mike said softly, crossing his arms in defiance. "And if he didn't tell you himself, then I'm not taking your word for it."

Dustin and Lucas both groaned loudly, startling Mike.

"You're hopeless, man, you know that?" Lucas said.

"And a fucking idiot," Dustin added.

"Fuck you!" said Mike.

"Hey," Lucas said, "we're trying to help you out here."

"Yeah right-"

"Wait, guys, shut up. I just had a brilliant idea," Dustin cut in. Mike groaned while Dustin paused for dramatic effect. "Let us be your wingmen," he finished.

"What?" Mike exclaimed. "Hell no!"

"Hell yes!" Lucas corrected. "Come on, we're both in successful relationships."

"One far more superior than the other," Dustin cut in, and Lucas shot him an irritated look. "But, yeah, both of us do happen to be happily taken."

Mike shook his head. "No. No fucking way."

"Your loss," Lucas said. "Guess you're gonna be single forever."

"Yup."

"Okay, okay," said Mike. "No wingman-ing. Just..." He trailed off, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "You really think Will likes me?" He was so embarrassed by his own vulnerability that he felt almost queasy.

"Yes!" Dustin and Lucas basically shouted in response.

"Jesus, okay," Mike said, barely containing the smile growing on his lips.

"Dude, for the sake of my sanity, please just confess to him already," Dustin said.

"For the sake of my sanity, too," Lucas added. "And probably your own."

"Probably," Dustin agreed.

Mike could only shake his head, dazed, in response.

"You're breaking his heart, Mike," Lucas said, a sudden tone of seriousness in his voice that none of them were quite used to.

Mike went still. "No," he said quietly.

"For sure," said Dustin.

"What do you guys know?" Mike said, but he could feel the pit in his stomach growing.

"If you could see the way he looks at you, you'd know too," Lucas said.

Mike bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at the floor again. "Yeah?"

Lucas's tone softened. "Yeah, dude."

Mike suddenly shook his head, coming back to his senses. He sniffed. "You guys just don't get it. If you're wrong and I confess, it could ruin everything. I mean, what if he doesn't even like guys? What if he likes someone else? A girl?" He paused briefly, his mind racing with the possibilities. "What if-?"

Lucas cut him off. "No fucking way."

"A girl? Really?" Dustin questioned. "Are we still talking about Will here?"

"That's fucked up," Lucas said, "that's a fucked up way to put it, Dustin."

Dustin put his hands up. "You know what I meant!"

And there they went again with their bickering. Again, Mike tuned them out, lost in his own thoughts.

Was Will really gay? Well, truthfully, ever since Mike had known what the word "gay" meant, he had suspected Will was gay. Not that Will had ever expressed any romantic interest in other guys that Mike was aware of. Will was just... sensitive. He was sensitive, artsy, empathetic. Which was a stereotype - Mike knew that. He knew that because he wasn't any of those things, and he turned out to be gay, so the stereotype couldn't be a reality. But here his friends were, two of the smartest people he knew, and they were convinced Will was gay. So maybe he was. But, even then, that didn't mean he liked Mike - not like that. It would be pretty narcissistic and presumptuous of Mike to assume Will would have a crush on him just because he happens to be gay. What other signs were there that Will might like him? Were there any signs?

Suddenly, Lucas's voice cut through Mike's thoughts. "Earth to Mike!"

Mike blinked out of his stupor. "Y-yeah?"

"Here you go again," Dustin said.

"I wasn't exactly enticed to join in on your conversation!" Mike responded.

"Alright, alright," said Dustin. "Fair enough."

Mike sat back in his seat.

"So what do you think, man?" asked Lucas. "Gonna confess anytime soon?"

Mike sat straight up. "Hell no!"

Dustin and Lucas groaned.

"You're gonna be single forever, man," Lucas said, Dustin nodding in agreement beside him.

Mike rolled his eyes, a smirk on his lips. he was overwhelmed with relief at his friends' immediate acceptance of his sexuality. He was also just overwhelmed in general. Today did not go how he expected. He anticipated just another Friday boys' night without Will - boring and long, where he spent most of the time in his own head, wishing Will was there with him. Instead, he'd come out to two of his best friends. And revealed his massive, huge, scarily intense crush on Will, which, apparently, wasn't news to them at all. What a night.

Despite himself, he wished Will could have been there. He wished he could talk to Will about these things. He wanted to tell his best friend about his crush. But he couldn't. Because his best friend and his crush just so happened to be the same person.

After Dustin and Lucas had gone home, the house was eerily quiet. It was around 10 P.M., and Mike was home alone. Which was a bit unusual. His parents and Holly went out to dinner then to the movies- he knew that. But he had no clue where Nancy could be. He assumed at Robin's house or out with Jonathan. Strangely, he found himself wishing she was home with him. He wanted to tell her he was gay. He wanted so badly to tell her. He couldn't help but think about that time years and years ago when they promised each other no more secrets. A promise that they broke too many times to count since they made it.

The moon hung high in the night sky and Mike stared up at his bedroom ceiling, filled with a strangely intense motivation new to him. He decided then that, if Nancy came home before their parents, he'd come out to her. He wished two things simultaneously: that she would come home first, and that she wouldn't. The former turned out to be the one that came true.

From his bedroom, Mike could hear the front door open and shut as someone walked in. Just one someone, not three. Nancy. He felt his heart begin to race. After a moment of gathering his courage, he pushed himself out of bed and out of his room.

He greeted Nancy from the stairs as he descended. "Hey," he said.

She stood in the foyer, taking off her coat and scarf. "Hi," she said suspiciously, a single eyebrow raised.

Mike swallowed. "Where were you?"

"Is this an interrogation?" Nancy asked snarkily as she made her way to the kitchen.

Mike trailed behind her. "No."

Nancy didn't respond, she only grabbed a cup from the cabinet before filling it up with water from the tap. She took a slow sip from it, leaning up against the counter.

Mike knew she was waiting for him to say something first. But he couldn't think of a good segue into telling her he was a full-on homosexual in love with his best friend of twelve years, so instead he just said, "So where were you?"

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Why do you care?"

A fair question. Mike pressed his lips together. "I don't," he said.

Nancy made a satisfied "hm" noise, taking another sip from her cup.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Mike said semi-sheepishly.

This got Nancy's attention. Mike was acting super out-of-character, and it startled the both of them.

"Um," she said, "okay. About what?"

Mike avoided eye contact. "It's kind of... hard to say."

Nancy's tone became serious. "Mike. Are you in trouble?"

"No! No, everything's fine," Mike said. Nancy didn't look convinced. "Really, Nancy."

She let up, leaning back a bit. "What's going on?"

"I just..." Mike trailed off. "I don't know how to tell you."

Mike felt queasy, his palms clammy and his hands shaking just slightly. He could feel Nancy's eyes studying him, looking for any indication as to what was going on.

Her gaze softened and she walked over to him. "Mike," she said, "whatever it is, I can handle it." She paused, looking him in the eye intensely. "Okay?"

He nodded seriously, swallowing hard. Nancy backed away a bit, giving him space to breathe.

"Nancy, I'm..." The words were stuck in his throat.

She shook her head slightly, deep in thought, a perplexed expression on her face.

Mike looked away, rubbing his palms on his pajama bottoms. "I'm..." he began, but, again, the words wouldn't come out. He groaned quietly in frustration before trying another angle. "You know how Robin's dating Vicky?"

Nancy blinked. "Um," she said, "yeah. Yes. What does...-" She trailed off, and Mike could practically see the wheels in her head turning. After a moment of pondering, a look of realization came over her face. But, to Mike's dismay, she still didn't say she understood.

God, she was really going to make him spell it out for her.

"I'm- like that," Mike stuttered. "Like Robin. And Vicky. I'm..."

"You're gay," Nancy finished for him.

Mike cringed and looked away. "Yeah," he said in a voice so soft it almost didn't sound like his own. His hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Of course, Nancy noticed. "Mike," she said, grabbing his hands in her own, "it's okay. I love you, no matter what." She paused. "You know that, right?" she asked seriously.

Mike couldn't meet her gaze. "I know," he said.

Nancy thought for a moment before pulling her brother in for a hug. She couldn't even remember the last time they hugged. Mike didn't like physical affection from anyone, really, but especially not from anyone in the Wheeler family. It made him squeamish, almost. But this time, he couldn't help but lean into the hug, relieved at his sister's acceptance and support.

Nancy pulled apart from him, her hands planted firmly on his shoulders. "Are you okay?"

Mike finally looked her in the eyes. "I'm okay."

She gave a tight-lipped smile before returning back to her spot on the counter. They were comfortably silent for a moment before Nancy asked, "Does anyone else know?"

"I actually told Dustin and Lucas tonight," Mike said.

"Oh, wow," said Nancy. "That's... a lot."

"Yeah."

"And, um... Will? He doesn't know?"

Mike froze. "No," he said in a voice that totally didn't sound suspicious at all.

"Oh."

"Why?"

"No reason."

"Nance."

"No reason!"

"Nancy."

"Okay, okay!" Nancy relented. "I just thought Will was your... closest friend, is all."

"What are you implying?" Mike asked in a low voice.

"Nothing," Nancy replied non-convincingly.

"You're implying something."

"I just think Will would take the news well," Nancy said. "I think he'd be very happy to hear it."

"Why's that?"

"Come on, Mike. You're not stupid."

Mike didn't say anything.

"Or maybe you really are that dense-"

"Alright, I get it," Mike said. "You think Will... likes me?"

"I don't think it," Nancy said. "I know it."

"Ugh, you sound like Dustin," Mike groaned.

"He always was my favorite."

"How do you know? That Will... likes me."

"God, he just does, Mike," said Nancy. "You'd have to be a complete idiot not to know."

"You know what," said Mike, "it really seems like you're assuming that I like Will."

"Mike, I've always known you like Will."

"W-what?" Mike sputtered. "How-?"

"You're so overprotective of him, have you noticed that? And really quite jealous too. Very jealous."

Mike blinked. "I am not jealous!" he said, offended.

Nancy scoffed, crossing her arms. "Right."

"I'm not!"

"Mike, who are you trying to fool here?"

He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it.

"Maybe you don't like Will," said Nancy. "Really, I think you love him."

Mike nearly flinched at the word. He couldn't speak.

Nancy's voice softened. "Do you love him?"

Again, Mike's voice failed him. He looked away.

Nancy smiled warmly, a soft look in her eyes. "He loves you too, Mike," she said in a voice so genuine Mike almost believed her.

"Whatever, Nance."

At that moment, the front door opened, the sounds of their mom, dad, and little sister echoing through the hall. Suddenly, Mike was gripped with panic, realizing the seriousness of their conversation.

"Don't tell them," he said to Nancy in a hushed but intense voice. "Please."

She looked almost offended. "I would never."

Again, Mike found himself alone in his bed, darkness enveloping his room. Now, more than ever, he wanted to tell someone that he was gay. Someone other than Dustin and Lucas and Nancy, of course. But, this time, he wanted to go into it ready. Prepared. Not teary-eyed and out of breath, but steady and confident. So, in his mind, he made a plan. His next closest friend was Max, so, tomorrow, he would come out to her. He didn't know where they'd be or what he'd say- he just knew he would do it. He had to. More than that, he wanted to. He fell asleep at nearly 1 in the morning with only a half-baked plan in mind. Tomorrow was the day.

Chapter Text

Mike woke up late in the morning that Saturday, the sunlight peeking through his blinds and painting his room in a soft yellow hue. The house was quiet when he finally left his bedroom. Nancy was hanging out somewhere with Robin, his dad was at work, and his mom and Holly were out running errands, he guessed.

He quickly got himself ready before making his way downstairs and eating a breakfast of dry cereal, washing it down with a glass of apple juice. Today was the day.

He used the kitchen phone to call up Max, knowing her number by heart since they were fourteen. She picked up on the fifth ring.

"What," she deadpanned into the phone.

Mike rolled his eyes affectionately. "Good morning to you too."

"Mike?" Max questioned after a brief pause. "You never call me."

Mike cleared his throat. "Yes I do. I'm calling you now."

"Okay, are you gonna be a douche? Because I'll hang up on you."

"No, no, I'll stop," Mike said urgently. "I just wanted to see if you had time to... talk."

"To talk..." Max repeated suspiciously.

"Uh huh. If you're not busy, I mean."

"I'm supposed to go to the mall with El at 1," Max replied, suspicion still in her voice, "so I guess I have time."

"Okay, cool," Mike said. "Wanna meet up behind Hawkins High in twenty?"

They'd never hung out there before, but Mike knew Hawkins High was the halfway point between their houses. Actually, they'd never hung out just the two of them, period. They were close friends, sure, and they talked to each other about a lot, but that was usually in school, or while the rest of the Party was there. This was out of the ordinary for sure. Mike knew he was being suspicious. Being weird. And apparently, so did Max.

She was briefly silent on the other end. "You're being fucking weird," she finally said, as if reading his mind.

"Am I?" Mike asked, his voice cracking.

"You are," Max said carefully. She was silent again, and Mike worried she had hung up on him. "See you in twenty."

With that, Mike heard a click and knew Max had gone. He swallowed hard, rubbing his clammy palms on his jeans.

"That wasn't awkward at all," he muttered to himself under his breath.

Twenty minutes later, Mike was outside of Hawkins High school, sitting on the curb in the back parking lot - which was mostly empty, save for the cars of the few kids in saturday detention and the poor teachers there to supervise them. Mike's blue bike was left haphazardly on the grass behind him. After a few minutes of anxiously waiting, he heard the sound of wheels against the sidewalk coming from his left. He looked up to see Max skating toward him, her headphones on as always. He wondered what she was listening to. Probably Kate Bush's newest album on cassette, The Sensual World. Not exactly Mike's taste, not that Max cared. Max didn't care what anyone thought, which, to Mike, made her one of the coolest people he knew. Which he would never tell her.

Max slowed before stepping off her board, setting it on the concrete beside her as she sat next to Mike wordlessly. She slid her headphones to her shoulders - something she didn't do often -, signaling that she understood the two of them were about to have a serious conversation.

"Hey," said Mike, leaning forward on his knees.

Max didn't return the greeting. Instead, she turned to look him dead in the eyes. "What's going on?" she asked.

It sounded like more of an accusation than a question, and Mike felt her gaze burning a hole into his head.

He put his hands up defensively. "Why are you so suspicious?" he said.

"You're just being weird," Max said with a small shake of her head.

Mike couldn't argue with that.

"Do you want something? D'you need help burying a body?"

Mike couldn't tell if she was entirely joking. He smiled a bit, looking down. "No."

"You just wanted to sit in the school parking lot silently?" Max questioned.

He let out a breath, a hint of a grin still lingering on his lips. "No," he said again.

Silence fell over the two of them once more, and Mike quickly sobered up, remembering the gravity of the confession he was about to make.

"I just-" Mike started. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Yeah, I gathered that," Max said, rolling her eyes.

"Can you be serious?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm being serious."

Mike's expression became somber. "Max, I need you to be serious."

For a moment, she looked slightly taken aback before resuming her cool demeanor. "Okay," she said seriously.

"Okay," said Mike, clearing his throat. "Only three other people in this world know what I'm about to tell you."

Max nodded.

"And you can't tell anyone. Got it?"

"Got it."

Mike paused. "I trust you," he said.

"I know," said Max. Mike couldn't read the expression on her face, but he could feel her eyes scanning his own, searching for an answer as to what he was getting at.

"I'm..." Mike started. "I don't like girls," he said. He took a deep breath before finishing. "I'm gay."

His voice still shook a bit at those words, but his confidence had certainly grown since last night. He didn't even feel like crying this time. Well, not really.

A smile grew on Max's face as she registered what Mike had said. "No shit, Wheeler," she responded.

He felt his face go red. "What?"

"Hey, I'm glad you finally admitted it," Max continued. "But I can't say I'm shocked or anything."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Mike wondered aloud, putting his head in his hands.

"Who's 'everyone'?"

"You, Lucas, Dustin, Nancy," Mike listed off. "Everyone."

"Probably because we have eyes, Mike," Max smirked.

"Oh, fuck off."

"Okay, to be fair," said Max, "I wasn't sure if you were gay, but I'm suuuper sure that you like Will." Max nudged him playfully at Will's name.

"How...?"

"God, you're so obvious!" Max continued. "I always wondered who the hell you were fooling dating El. I mean- the way you look at Will? Jesus."

"The way I look at him?" Mike repeated emphatically.

"Yes!" Max said. "It's worse than how Dusty-buns looks at Suzie-poo."

Mike felt aghast. Worse than those two? He thought back to that past summer when Suzie had come to visit. It was torture. Suzie was awesome on her own, but, together with Dustin, the two of them were unbearable. Dustin doted on her 24/7. He never took his eyes off of her.

Mike shook the picture out of his head. "That's not how I look at Will," he said with conviction.

"Sure," Max said sarcastically.

"Anyway, I didn't even say that I liked him like that," Mike said. "You're assuming."

"You don't have to say it," Max shrugged.

Mike's ears burned. "Does everyone know?" he asked quietly.

Max's face softened, sensing his worry. "No," she assured him. "I don't think anyone outside of the Party pays enough attention to know."

Mike didn't feel very reassured by that. "Okay," he muttered.

"Alright, in all seriousness, Mike," said Max, "I'm glad you told me. I know that it's hard."

Mike nodded solemnly. It was.

"I'm glad you called," she said.

Mike smiled. "Me too."

It was silent again, but this time, it was a comfortable silence, the two of them just sitting in solidarity, processing.

"Have you told Will yet?" Max asked suddenly.

Mike shook his head wordlessly.

"So then you haven't confessed."

"Hell no," Mike scoffed.

"Sad."

"Dustin and Lucas said basically the same thing."

"Right on," said Max. She paused briefly. "You should talk to Will."

"I'm not-"

"I'm not saying to confess," Max cut in. "Just tell him you're gay."

"'Just'," Mike scoffed.

Max ignored his comment. "He's your best friend, isn't he?"

Mike couldn't argue with that.

"Talk to him."

"It's not that simple," he said, a tone of annoyance in his voice. "You don't get it."

Max shrugged. "I guess not."

"And even if I did want to tell him eventually that, you know, I'm gay..." Mike trailed off. "I just can't, okay? Not yet. I'm not... ready."

Max smiled softly. "You really like him."

Mike blushed. "Of course I do. He's my best friend." He looked down at his hands.

Max nudged her shoulder with his. "You know what I mean," she said.

He knew. He looked away, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Are you in love with him?"

The question took him by such surprise he felt tears prick his eyes, a lump forming in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to respond, but Max knew the answer. Of course Mike was in love with Will. Of course he was. How couldn't he be? In his eyes, Will Byers was the kindest, most talented, strongest person in existence, someone who deserved the world and more. Mike couldn't express in words how much Will meant to him. Not to himself, not to his friends, and certainly not to Will. At least, not yet.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Mike thought to check his watch.

"Shit, its 12:45," he said. "Don't you have to go?"

"Shit," Max agreed, rising quickly to her feet. Then she paused, thinking. "You know... I'm stopping at El's place before the mall. Did you wanna come with maybe?"

Mike knew what she was getting at. "I said I'm not ready to tell Will."

She sighed. "What about telling El?"

Mike took a moment, considering it. He and El broke up nearly two years ago. It was mutual, and it had been coming for a while. In fact, they'd separately been thinking about breaking up with one another for years prior. And it was pretty amicable. Sure, Mike and El were awkward around each other for a couple of weeks afterward, but they loved each other. Not romantically, as it turned out, but platonically. Soon enough, they were back to communicating like close friends again, and, this time, things were ten times better. There was no confusing tension or hurt feelings, just friendship. Mike still cared about El so much. And he knew she cared about him.

But what would she think? He knew she'd be accepting of him being gay, but what about him being in love with Will? Her brother. The person she told everything to, and vice versa. Would it be weird? Would she be angry? Disgusted? Offended, even?

"Mike." Max's voice cut through his racing thoughts. "Don't overthink it," she said.

"I'm not," he lied.

Max gave him a look, obviously not convinced. "Come with," she said.

Mike paused briefly before standing and mounting his bike.

Max smiled slightly, pleased at Mike's decision, before her expression fell, remembering something. She furrowed her brows. "Not to the mall though," she said. "Girls only."

Mike scoffed. "Real mature," he said. "But, yeah. Don't have to tell me twice."

Max paged El before they took off, apologizing for how late she was about to be, and, with that, she and Mike took off.

The ride over to the Byers house took about twenty minutes. When Mike and Max finally arrived, their cheeks and ears were chapped red from the wind.

El opened the front door before Max could even knock. "Hi, Max," she said. She turned to Mike with a puzzled expression. "And Mike...?" she added.

"Hey," Mike replied as Max explained, "He just wanted to stop by."

"Oh..."

"Is that okay?" Mike asked.

"Yes..." El replied. "You're not here to see Will?"

"Um, not really," Mike said, although he wasn't opposed to it, of course.

El only rose an eyebrow in response, stepping aside wordlessly to let the two of them in. Mike shut the door behind them before following El and Max to El's room.

"What's going on?" she asked in a hushed voice, looking between Max and Mike as they all sat on the floor next to her bed. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no," Mike and Max assured her quickly.

"We're okay," Max insisted. "Sorry for making you worry, El."

"Okay..."

"I..." Mike trailed off. "I just had to talk to you about something."

The look in El's eyes told Mike that she had absolutely no idea where this was going. She glanced over at Max for any indication as to what the hell was going on, but Max just shrugged.

"What is it?" asked El.

Mike looked down at his clasped hands, taking a deep breath. "I'm gay," he said. He paused, considering, before adding, "Like Robin."

El look confused. "Like Robin..." she repeated. "You like girls?"

Max snickered into her hand.

"Uh, no," Mike said. "Like, the other way around."

"Boys," El finished.

"Bingo," Mike said nervously.

El nodded slowly, her mouth making a small "o" shape. It was silent, and Mike could practically see the wheels in El's head turning.

Max was the first to speak. "So..." she started. "What do you think?"

"I think..." said El, "I think it's good you finally told me."

"Finally? What do you mean, 'finally'?" Mike echoed. "You- you knew?"

El had a thoughtful expression on her face. "I think, inside," she said. "Deep down, I already knew. But I needed you to tell me to be sure."

Mike nodded, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Wait," said Max. "There's more."

Mike shot her a death glare.

"More?" El repeated.

"No," Mike said quickly. "No, I think that's all."

"Come on, Michael, the other thing. Remember?"

"I actually have no idea what you're talking about, Maxine."

She scoffed. "You're being stupid."

"I'm being stupid? You're-"

"Stop." El's voice cut through their bickering.

They stopped.

"What are you not telling me?" she asked.

"El, it's nothing," Mike said softly, looking down.

El didn't break eye contact. "Friends don't lie."

Mike looked up to meet her gaze, feeling his facade crumble. He took a deep breath. "Alright," he said, "alright. It's about Will."

El paused only momentarily before a knowing look came over her face. "Will..."

"Yeah...?" said Mike.

"You love Will," El said before he could.

Now it was Mike's turn to assume the shocked expression El had had only a minute prior. "You- you know?" he exclaimed.

"I am not stupid, Mike," she said.

Max smirked.

"I- I never said you were," said Mike. "Just... how does everyone know?"

"Everyone...?"

"Me, Dustin, Lucas, and Nancy," Max explained.

"I'm the last to know?" El asked.

Mike looked away sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Did I do something for you to not trust me?" she frowned.

"No! No way," Mike said quickly. "I thought it would be weird for you- Or just... weird."

El shook her head. "Love is not weird."

In that moment, those four simple words were the best Mike had ever heard. He smiled warmly. "Thanks, El," he said with a voice so gentle it startled all three of them just a bit.

"You're welcome."

Suddenly, there were two soft knocks on the door. Mike knew who it was instantly: Will.

"Come in," El called.

The door opened to Will standing there, wearing his yellow gingham button-down tucked loosely into light-wash jeans. His eyes found Mike immediately. When their gaze met, they both looked away simultaneously, their cheeks burning.

"Hey, Max," he said. "Mike."

"Hello, William," said Max as Mike said, "Hi, Will." in a voice so soft it was barely audible.

Will looked to El, seeming to suddenly recall what he came in there for. "Um, Jonathan wants to know if you still need a ride."

"Yes please," El replied. "Are you coming as well?"

"You couldn't pay me too," Will said good-naturedly.

Mike smirked at that, knowing how badly Will disliked shopping. They had that in common; they'd rather be playing games at the arcade or watching movies in the theatre.

"Your loss," Max chimed in, standing and grabbing El's hand. "Let's go."

They passed Will, exiting hand-in-hand, and leaving he and Mike alone in El's bedroom.

"So," said Will, "are you going to say hi to me?"

Mike clamored to his feet, now at eye-level with Will. "Sorry," he said. He cleared his throat. "Hi."

The corners of Will's lips turned up slightly in a shy smile. "Hi."

They stared at each other awkwardly.

"Um, did you wanna hang out?" Will asked. "Or did you just come to see El?"

"I wanna hang out," Mike answered quickly, barely letting Will finish his sentence.

"Cool," said Will.

"Cool."

"Uh, I rented The Twilight Zone," Will said, "if you wanna watch it." He paused. "Again, I mean."

"Will, you know I'm gonna say yes."

"Don't you have it memorized by now?"

Mike grinned slyly. "You'll see."

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Mike did, in fact, have all of The Twilight Zone movie memorized. Or very nearly.

The two boys sat on the couch in Will's living room, each a respectable distance from the other. For the entirety of the film, Mike couldn't help but sneak glances at Will, who seemed entirely engrossed in the plot despite having it close-to-memorized himself. Mike felt like an idiot every time he looked over at Will, a gnawing hope growing in him that he would find Will to already be looking. He never was.

Mike found himself paying most attention during Segment 3, "It's a Good Life", knowing this one was directed by one of Will's favorite directors.

"Yess, Joe Dante!" Will said under his breath as the title card appeared.

A smile of endearment appeared on Mike's lips. He could barely focus on the movie.

After nearly two hours of what felt like torture - (trying to keep his eyes off of Will) - the film had ended, and Mike, to his own dismay, couldn't find an excuse to stay longer. Well, at least, he could try to talk his way into it. He always was good at that.

"Hey," Mike said as Will ejected the tape from the VHS player, "we missed you last night. Dustin, and Lucas, and me."

"Yeah?" Will said, glancing over his shoulder at Mike just slightly.

"Yeah," Mike replied, swallowing hard. "Is Art Club worth missing out on quality time with the Party?"

Will smirked, rolling his eyes. "So worth it," he said, sliding the tape back into its box.

"No, really," Mike continued. It seemed that he was feeling brave. "It's boring without you there. Dustin and Lucas don't shut the hell up."

Will sat back down next to Mike on the couch, this time just a little bit closer. The distance between them had shrunk so insignificantly that Mike was convinced Will had done it by accident, but maybe.... Maybe...

"What are they not shutting up about now?" Will asked. "I mean, I believe you, but fill me in."

Shit, Mike thought. He hadn't listened to a word the two of them said the past few weeks since Will joined Art Club. All the time Dustin and Lucas spent bickering, Mike spent thinking of Will. Which was a much better use of his time, in his opinion.

"Um," Mike said. "Nothing really."

"Fascinating," Will deadpanned.

"Okay, honestly, I just kind of tune them out."

"It's really that boring without me?"

"Yeah. But I'm glad you have Art Club. Even if you're making way cooler friends than me now." Mike nudged his shoulder with Will's playfully.

"It's pretty easy to make friends cooler than you, Mike. Most people are."

Mike grinned. "You don't mean that."

"No, I don't," Will agreed.

Were they flirting? They were totally flirting. Right? Mike's mind was racing, along with his heartbeat.

Before either of them could say another word, they heard tires on gravel from outside.

"Oh," Will said. "I think Mom's back." He rose to his feet. "I gotta help her and Hop bring in the groceries."

Mike followed suit. "I can help," he offered.

The front door swung open, Hop holding it for Joyce as she entered, carrying a bag of groceries in her arm.

"Hey, Mike," she said, setting the bags down on the kitchen table.

"Hi, Mrs. Byers," he said. "Do you guys need help?"

"I think we're okay, kid," Hopper said gruffly.

Mike pressed his lips together firmly. "Hi, Hopper."

He raised a hand in a silent greeting, using the other to set down a bag of groceries.

"Mm, you know what would be great though?" Joyce said. "Could you return these tapes to Family Video?" She picked up three VHS tapes, one of them being The Twilight Zone, and handed them to Mike. "If you're on your way out."

"Yeah, sure."

Will looked irritated.

"Or you could stay! You know you're always welcome, Mike," Joyce said warmly.

"No, I think Mike was just about to leave," Hopper cut in.

Mike blinked. "Uh, yeah, I was about to leave anyway, so..." He turned to Will. "See you later?"

Will nodded. "See you."

Mike said goodbye to Joyce and Hopper before exiting the Byers house and mounting his bike, which he'd left strewn haphazardly in their front lawn just hours earlier. It was now late in the afternoon, the sun beginning to droop lower in the sky. Mike balanced the tapes under his arm as he began his ride over to Family Video.

He hoped Robin was working that day after hanging out with Nancy early that morning. He had some things he wanted to talk to her about. Some things to ask her. She was gay. She found Vicky, somehow. To Mike, it seemed like Robin was the expert on all gay matters.

It took him twenty-five minutes to bike to Family Video, and, by the time he made it, his legs felt like jelly, his ears and cheeks burning from the cold. He left his bike propped up against the brick wall before making his way inside, the bell above the door jingling as he did.

He was disappointed to see Steve, alone, behind the front desk. "Hey, Wheeler!" he said when his eyes found Mike.

Mike rolled his eyes. "Yeah, hi, Steve."

"Woah, what's with the attitude?"

Mike slid the tapes on the counter, ignoring Steve's comment. "I'm returning these for the Byers."

"Did they rewind?" Steve asked.

Mike shrugged. "They're kind."

Steve looked down at his "Be kind, rewind" pin that he was forced to wear on his staff vest. "Ha-ha," he deadpanned.

"Hey, is Robin here?" Mike asked.

Steve put a hand on his hip. "What, I'm not good enough?"

Mike only gave him a cold glare in response.

"Alright, alright," Steve said defensively, putting his hands up. "She's on break."

"Where?"

Steve clicked his tongue. "Come on, let her take her break."

"Where?" Mike repeated.

"Damn, you're persistent," Steve said with a sigh. "She's in the break room." He gestured behind him.

Mike didn't wait for an "okay", he just let himself right through. Mike could hear Steve calling out demands behind him, but he opted to ignore him, as he tended to do.

"Brat!" was the last thing Mike heard Steve yell as he entered through the Staff Only door.

The break room was much less luxurious than childhood Mike had pictured a break room to be. It was basically a windowless box- with jarring lighting, a single white foldable table in the center, and a mini-fridge in the corner. Robin sat at the table by herself with her legs kicked up and headphones on. She was eating a sandwich and mumbling along to whatever song she was listening to.

"Robin," Mike said breathlessly. "Hey."

She nearly jumped at the sight of him. "Jeez, you scared the shit out of me," she said, sliding her headphones off and setting them on the table. "What're you doing here?"

"I was dropping off some videos for the Byers," Mike replied, taking a seat across from Robin at the table.

"No, I meant, like, here. Like, back here in the Family Video break room."

"Oh." Mike blinked. "I was looking for you."

"You were?" Robin asked suspiciously.

Mike swallowed. "Yeah. I have some, uh." He cleared his throat. "Questions."

Robin leaned forward on her elbows. "Go on," she said, tapping her fingers together thoughtfully.

"You know how you're... How you like girls?" Mike began. He cringed, wanting to slap himself for how stupid of a question that was.

"I do know," Robin confirmed, nodding seriously.

Mike wished he could read her expression.

"Are you gonna ask how I knew?" she said.

Mike shook his head. "I wasn't, but... how did you?"

Robin cleared her throat. "I guess I always knew I was different," she began. "Whatever that means, right? But I always felt kind of separate from the other girls, I just didn't know why that was until I saw Stockard Channing in Grease in the fifth grade, and I was like... woah. Like... woah. I thought, you know, at first, I just wanted to be her, but then I couldn't stop thinking about her, and I realized I'd much rather be with her than be her. It all sort of clicked after that. But it took me a really long time to get used to. To accept that, okay, this is really me. You know?"

Mike nodded, though could hardly keep up with how fast Robin was talking.

She took a moment to catch her breath. "So," she said, "does that answer your question?"

"Um," said Mike, "not really."

"Oh."

"Um, I wanted to ask about your girlfriend."

Robin's lips turned up slightly at the word "girlfriend". "Yeah?"

"How did you guys... get together?" Mike asked awkwardly. He was so uncomfortable saying that sentence that it almost physically pained him.

Robin's eyes gleamed, and she leaned forward on her elbows attentively. "Is there any particular reason you're asking, Wheeler?"

Mike felt like a deer caught in headlights. His cheeks burned. "Can you just answer?"

Robin shrugged. "Okay," she said. "Well, we were talking about Joan Jett."

Mike furrowed his brows. "Like, the punk singer?"

"Yes, Joan Jett the punk singer," Robin confirmed. "We were listening to her cover of Crimson and Clover, you know that one?"

Mike shook his head "no".

Robin looked slightly disappointed by his answer, but continued. "Anyway, it's a kind of love song about a girl. And we were talking about Joan Jett and how she's got to be a lesbian."

"Okay..."

"And I said, 'You're cool with that?'" Robin paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. "And she went, 'I am that.' Well, kind of. She's bi-sexual."

"Bisexual? Bi-... So, like, two?"

"Bingo," said Robin, snapping. "Boys and girls. Very modern, right?"

Mike nodded half-heartedly. "Totally."

"I told her I'm a lesbian, and, after that, we just flirted, like, a lot," Robin went on. "And one day, at her place, I couldn't take it anymore and I went for it. I kissed her."

"And she... kissed you back?"

Robin gave him a look. "What do you think? She's my girlfriend now, dumb ass."

"Right, right," Mike said, a faraway look in his eye.

It was silent, Robin studying Mike's expression as he stared off into space, deep in thought. After a moment, Robin waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked, taken out of his trance.

"Hey. Wheeler," Robin said. "There a reason you're interrogating me right now? Or are you just suddenly interested in my love life?"

Mike didn't even think. "I'm gay," he said before he had the chance to hesitate.

Robin's brows shot up. "O-oh," she sputtered. "Oh! Wow, congrats, Mike. Um, thanks for telling me."

"You're the sixth person I've told in the past, like, two days, actually."

"Holy shit," said Robin. "That's, um. A lot of people."

"You're telling me."

"And you came to me because I'm the gay expert, right?" Robin said, a smug look on her face.

Mike rolled his eyes. She was right - sort of - but he didn't want to give her that satisfaction. "No," he said, "because you're the only other gay person I know."

Robin squinted her eyes suspiciously. "That is definitely a false statement."

"Who else then? You, me, and your girlfriend are the only gay people in all of Hawkins. Or, like, Indiana, probably."

Robin barked out a laugh. "We're everywhere, Mike," she said. "Most of us are just... closeted, you should understand that. I know I do."

"I do," Mike said quietly.

"Anyway, isn't Will gay?" Robin went on nonchalantly.

Her comment took Mike completely by surprise. "Will?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, Will Byers, you know him? Like, about your height, bowl-cut at seventeen years old for some reason, just a super artsy-fartsy gay guy?"

Mike waved his hand to cut her off. "What are you talking about?"

Robin put her shoulders up defensively. "Hey, I thought everyone knew."

"Well, obviously I didn't!" Mike said. He paused, then spoke again, his voice softer. "Did he... tell you?"

Robin cringed slightly. "Not... verbally."

"'Not verbally'?" Mike repeated.

"I can just... tell," Robin said, "as a fellow gay person."

Mike crossed his arms, looking down. "Well, as a 'fellow gay person', or whatever, I can't tell."

"You're biased!"

"Biased how, exactly?"

"Because, you know, you like him," Robin said bluntly.

Mike paused before groaning and putting his head in his hands. "Why does everybody say that??" he moaned.

"Um, you're not exactly subtle, dude."

Mike groaned again, louder this time.

"But neither is he!"

"Everybody says that, too!"

"Because it's the truth!"

Mike couldn't say another word. He banged his head on the table gently, sighing.

Robin reached out and patted his shoulder awkwardly. "There, there," she said.

With yet another sigh, Mike sat back up, looking worn out.

Robin furrowed her brows. "In all seriousness, Wheeler, I'm really proud of you," she said. "Coming out is hard. It takes a lot of courage."

"Thanks."

"I think you should also come out to Will."

For the first time, Mike didn't immediately shut down the idea. "I just... I don't want to ruin things. I was such an asshole to him for so long because I hated myself, and I just got him back. We're best friends again and... I don't want to lose that."

"I don't think you will."

"I couldn't handle it if we stopped being friends. If Will hated me." Mike shook his head at the thought, looking down at his hands.

"Michael," Robin said seriously. "He could never hate you."

Mike looked up to meet her gaze.

"Could you ever hate him?"

Mike shook his head intensely. "Never."

"He feels the same way. You won't ruin things. I don't think there's a reality where you two aren't in each other's lives forever."

Mike smiled gently at the thought, that there wasn't a single universe where Will wasn't there. That the two of them were destined to be together in every reality.

"I mean, it's up to you of course," said Robin, leaning back in her chair, "but I think you'll regret not taking a chance." She paused. "You wanna know some stupid bullshit Steve told me?"

"Um," said Mike. "Not really."

"'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take'," said Robin.

Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I know, I know," Robin said, "it's dumb. But it's what played in my head before I kissed Vicky. And, you know what, Mike? Slam-fucking-dunk."

"That really is some stupid bullshit," Mike said, shaking his head, but he had a small smile on his lips.

Robin shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm glad I took Steve's advice. You should take mine."

At that moment, Steve pushed open the break room door, looking exhausted - from doing absolutely nothing, Mike assumed.

"Rob," he said, "break time's over. My turn."

"Hey, speak of the devil," she said, shooting Mike a humorous look.

"What?" Steve asked. Neither of them responded. "What??"

As he biked home, Mike couldn't help but think about Robin's stolen quote from Steve. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." It was corny and stupid and if it had been Steve that said it to Mike, he would've laughed at it, not thinking twice. But Robin, on the other hand, Mike genuinely respected. She was brave enough to be mostly-out, and she was brave enough to make the first move. To actually get a girlfriend. And the phrase was technically accurate, to be fair. If you never ask, the answer will always be "no". If he never told Will how he felt, Will would never know. And if he never knew, there was zero possibility of them ever being together like Robin and Vicky.

Mike just didn't feel ready. How could he? The chance of Will being disgusted at his confession was small, but it was present. Was he willing to take that chance? But what if he just told Will that he was gay - not that he had a "scarily intense" crush on him, (in Dustin's words)? He knew Will would be supportive of him being gay. It certainly wouldn't completely and irreparably ruin their friendship. And, that way, Mike could test the waters.

But not today. Today, he just wanted to go home and do absolutely nothing. The past two days had been long. Coming out to six people in the span of 48 hours is not easy work. And anyway, he had the whole week off from school for Thanksgiving break. A whole week's worth of time to come out to his best friend. Yep. No pressure.

Chapter Text

Thanksgiving day came five days after Mike came out to Max, El, and Robin- this year, falling on a Thursday. Thursday being the January of the week, in Mike's opinion. The Wheelers had family dinner, and the Byers came over for dessert - Hopper included in "the Byers" now.

Family dinner wasn't great. Mike's dad only spoke to criticize Mike's attitude or Karen's cooking, and Holly excused herself from the table within fifteen minutes to go watch TV. But Mike knew dessert would be fun. Of course it would be: Will was going to be there.

Mike, Holly, and Ted all lounged in the living room while Karen and Nancy cleaned up the kitchen, the two of them chatting about one thing or another, when the doorbell rang. Nobody moved.

"Don't everybody all get up at once," Ted deadpanned from his La-Z Boy, not even bothering to look up from his newspaper.

"Mike, can you get that?" Karen called from the kitchen, to which, he groaned. "It's the Byers," she added.

That got Mike's attention. He sprung up from the couch to the foyer, opening the front door to Joyce, Hopper, Jonathan, El, and Will.

"Happy Thanksgiving!" Joyce said, holding a platter of brownies in the crook of her arm.

The other four of the group greeted Mike simultaneously as he let them in, holding the door open for Joyce and Hopper whose hands were full with desserts.

Mike and Will lingered at the closed front door as the rest of the group scattered. El headed to the living room to join Holly, and Jonathan and Joyce greeted Nancy and Karen in from the kitchen, with Hopper trailing behind them.

"Hey," Mike said now that they were alone.

"Hi."

"You wanna take off your coat?" Mike asked.

Will looked as if he'd totally forgotten he was wearing one. "Oh. Yeah. Right, thanks," he said, handing his coat to Mike, who hung it on the coat rack.

"Um, how was your dinner?" Mike asked.

"Not bad, actually," Will said. "Hopper's gotten pretty good at cooking."

Mike's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's been making us dinner since Mom gets home from work so late."

"Wow," Mike said. "That's really nice of him."

Will shrugged. "Yeah, but I feel like that's kind of the bare minimum."

"Better than what my dad does," Mike muttered resentfully.

"Speaking of that guy," Will said, "how was your dinner?"

Mike groaned. "Long."

"That bad?"

"No, it was fine, I guess. My dad is just... my dad. You know how he is."

Will nodded. "Did he say anything... your-dad-like?"

"I wasn't paying attention, to be honest," Mike smirked.

"I don't blame you," said Will.

Mike decided it was time to change the subject. "Do you wanna go downstairs? The ambience up here is kind of, like. Bad."

"Ambience?" Will repeated teasingly.

"What word do you suggest I use, William?"

Will shrugged slyly. "Okay, let's go," he said, making his way to the basement door with Mike trailing closely behind him, feeling slightly dazed.

They trudged downstairs, Mike shutting the door quietly behind them. Will plopped down on the couch first, Mike following suit.

"Anything change since I saw you last?" Will asked.

Mike rolled his eyes endearingly. "No. You?"

"Actually..." Will started. "You know Adrienne?"

"Like, Adrienne from school?"

Will nodded. "She called me yesterday."

Mike couldn't keep his mouth from falling open in surprise. "Uh, what? Why?"

"To wish me a happy Thanksgiving," Will said. "And she asked if I was doing anything Friday."

Mike was stunned to silence for a moment. "What... what did you say?"

"I said I'm really busy this week. And most weeks. And that I probably won't have time to do anything with her."

Mike blinked. "And then what did she say??"

"Um," said Will, "I don't really remember. Something like, 'Okay, see you in class'?"

"How- how did she even get your number?"

Will shrugged. "Someone must've given it to her, I don't know. I think I've talked to her, like, twice before. So weird."

Mike looked down at his hands. "I've heard bad things about her," he said suddenly, feeling the pit in his stomach growing.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I heard that she smokes pot in the school bathrooms and that's why the fire alarm went off last week."

Will smirked just slightly. "Uh huh."

"And someone told me that she's cheated on every guy she's dated with her cousin."

"Her cousin?"

"Yeah."

"Who told you that?"

Mike swallowed. "Uh, someone. I don't remember."

"Right," Will said, his smirk only growing. "Mike, I'm not going on a date with Adrienne."

"Oh," said Mike, his cheeks burning. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"I think I made it pretty clear to her that I'm not interested," Will continued. "But I'm glad to know you're looking out for me."

Mike wiped his clammy palms on his pants. "Yup. That's what best friends are for, right?"

He wished he could kick himself. Why the hell would he say that?

Will looked wounded at the comment. "Right," he said. He blinked away the sad look in his eyes. "Um. Any girls call you up lately?"

Mike scoffed. "No. I'm not Mr. Popularity like you are, apparently."

"I'm not... Mr. Popularity."

"Sure seems like it."

"Guys still pick on me, you know that," Will said softly.

Mike cringed slightly. He knew. "Girls like you," he corrected.

Will looked pained for a second before collecting himself. "I don't like them," he said plainly.

There was a pause. Mike felt like the air had been knocked out of him.

"No?" he said quietly, his voice cracking.

"No," Will said, matching his soft tone. He cleared his throat before speaking again, a little more confident this time. "I'm gay."

Mike's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he couldn't form the words to respond. Instead, the room was filled with a suffocating silence that both of them were terrified to break. Will ended up being the braver of the two.

"I-is that cool?" he asked. "I mean, is that... okay?"

"Okay?" Mike repeated. "Of course it's okay, Will."

Will breathed out a sigh of relief. "You were so quiet, I..." he trailed off.

"Will, you're the most important person in my life," Mike said suddenly.

Will looked up to meet his intense gaze, their eye contact electrifying. His breath hitched in his throat. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Mike said in a voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Nothing you can say or do or be would ever change how I feel about you."

Will's eyes flitted between Mike's own, studying them. "Okay."

Mike took a deep breath, being the first to look away, as usual. "I, uh... I actually had something I wanted to tell you," he said.

Will nodded encouragingly.

"I also happen to be, um. Gay," Mike said awkwardly.

The look on Will's face was impossible to read. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no noise came out. He could only shake his head slightly, looking dazed.

"Will?"

"You..."

"Yeah?"

"You're gay?"

Mike had learned not to flinch at that word. "Yeah," he confirmed.

"No..."

Mike blinked. "Um, what?"

Will's bewilderment was almost comical. Almost. "But... El," he said.

A look of pure confusion came over Mike's face. "What? What about her?"

"You and El were together for, like, years, and... you loved her, you said."

"And I do love her, just... not like that. Not in a relationship way. Um. In a friend way," Mike said.

Will narrowed his eyes. "Does... does she know that?"

"She knows everything," Mike said.

Will looked at him questioningly.

"I told her," Mike clarified. "How I felt, and that I'm gay, and-" He cut himself off before he could accidentally confess his feelings for Will to Will himself.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

It was silent again.

"You're the most important person to me too," Will said suddenly.

Mike first jolted at the breaking of the silence, then relaxed into a warm smile. "I am?"

"You knew that," Will said.

Mike furrowed his brows. "I didn't. I think you overestimate my intelligence, Will."

Will laughed, rolling his eyes affectionately. "I don't overestimate your intelligence, Mike. Maybe I just underestimate your obliviousness."

Mike smirked. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad you told me." Will paused. "And I'm glad I told you."

"Me too," Mike said before leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head. "What are the chances, right? That we're both gay?"

Will assumed the same sitting position. "Our friendship is an anomaly."

The rest of Thanksgiving dessert passed by uneventfully. After a while, Will and Mike reemerged from the basement to eat dessert with the rest of the Wheeler-Byers group. Joyce's brownies, as it turned out, were a massive hit.

"These are so freaking good," Holly said through a mouthful, chocolate staining her teeth.

"Language," Ted warned, his mouth also stuffed with brownies.

Karen ignored him, instead shooting Holly an irritated look. "We don't speak with our mouths full, Holly," she said before turning to Joyce. "But, yes, Joyce, these brownies are just delicious."

Will leaned to Mike. "It's just brownie mix," he whispered, "we got it from the convenience store last night." Mike snickered in response.

From across the table, Ted finally looked up from his newspaper, swallowing a bite of brownie. "What're you two giggling about?"

Mike and Will froze, their eyes wide. Mike had a deeply unsettling feeling, like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

"Nothing!" he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Nothing."

Karen pursed her lips, glaring at Ted. As always, she decided to be the bigger person in their marriage and, instead of addressing his comment, she continued her conversation with Joyce.

Mike couldn't follow a word anybody at the table was saying, their voices like static playing in the background. All he could think about was that feeling after his father had called him out. In that moment, he felt something akin to fear. It rattled him.

Nancy, who sat beside him, noticed his discomfort. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

Mike tried not to flinch too hard at her sudden interruption of his thoughts. He blinked hard, nodding. "I'm fine."

She gave him a concerned look before tuning back in to the table conversation.

It was nearly 11 P.M when the Byers excused themselves for the night. Holly and Ted had already gone to bed, leaving Karen, Nancy, and Mike to wish them farewell.

On the front stoop, Joyce thanked Karen for the invite as Hopper and El loaded the leftovers into Joyce's car. Jonathan and Nancy hugged goodbye on the front stoop, leaving Will and Mike alone in the foyer, again.

"Hey, are you busy tomorrow night?" Mike asked as Will put on his coat.

"Uh, no," said Will, fixing his collar. "Art Club doesn't meet on break."

"Yeah, well, Lucas and Dustin are coming over tomorrow, and... I dunno, did you wanna come too?"

"Of course," Will said. "I didn't join Art Club because I didn't want to hang out with the Party."

Mike looked down at his feet awkwardly. "I know."

"I've actually really missed you guys," Will said.

"We miss you too," Mike said, fighting the urge to emphasize that he missed Will the most.

Will turned on his heel. "I'll be there," he said with a smile before heading out into the cold. "See you tomorrow," he called over his shoulder.

Mike put his hand up to wave even though Will couldn't see him with his back turned. "See you, Will!" For some reason, he couldn't contain his grin.

He stood there stupidly, watching Will get in the car as Joyce exited the Wheeler residence last. Karen closed the front door behind her, waving goodbye with a polite smile.

After everyone had left, she stepped back to face Mike, giving him a curious look. "What are you smiling for?" she asked playfully.

Mike's face dropped, embarrassed. "I wasn't smiling."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "If you say so..." She paused. "Mike, would you mind helping me clean up? I told Nancy she should go up to bed early, so it's just us left down here."

Usually, Mike would groan at that proposal, but, tonight, he was in a rarely-present good mood. "Okay," he said, and Karen could hardly disguise her surprise at his willingness.

A few minutes later, and Karen was washing and drying the dishes, Mike putting them away in the cabinet. It was quiet, but comfortably so, only the sound of running water and the heater whirring filling the room.

Karen cleared her throat. "Is Will coming to boys' night this week?"

"Yeah, there's no Art Club tomorrow."

"Well, that'll be good. I've missed having him over."

Mike paused, looking over his shoulder at Karen, who just continued scrubbing at a plate nonchalantly. "You have?" he asked.

"Mhm," she replied. "I think he's a great influence on you."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Okay," he scoffed.

"He's really such a nice kid. And I know you like him a lot. I do too."

Mike couldn't speak. Was she saying what he thought she was?

Karen turned off the sink, handing Mike the last plate to put in the cabinet. "Mike, you know you can tell me anything, right?" Her voice had suddenly become serious.

Mike swallowed hard.

"There is nothing in this world that could ever make me stop loving you. I want to make sure you know that."

Mike felt his eyes begin to sting, a lump forming in his throat. He could barely breathe, let alone form a response. Of course, Karen noticed the tears welling in his eyes, and she pulled him into a comforting hug.

"Oh, Mike," she said, her voice muffled by his hair.

"I-"

"You don't have to say anything." She pulled apart from him, gripping his shoulders lightly.

"I... I want to," he choked out.

She nodded gently, giving him time to speak.

"Mom, I'm gay."

He just barely managed to get the words out before bursting into tears. He collapsed into his mom's arms again, trying to quiet his sobs in the fabric of her sweater as she stroked his hair.

"I know, honey," she said in a quiet and soothing tone. "I know."

Mike lifted his head slightly to look at her. "Do you still love me?"

"Of course, Mike," Karen said, looking pained. "I will always love you. No matter what. Okay?"

Mike nodded, stepping back and wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"I want you to be happy," Karen said. "I will support you in whatever makes you happy."

"But... Dad-"

"Your father's an idiot," Karen said bluntly.

Mike's eyes widened in shock before he broke out into a giggle.

Karen couldn't help but smile too. "He is!" she said. "You don't need to worry about him. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Mike grinned, looking down. Karen reached out and fixed his hair.

"Is that why you're growing this... mop?" she asked, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Does Will like... punk guys?"

Mike's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Will?!"

Karen looked almost equally as confused. "I thought he was..." she quieted down, "your... boyfriend."

Mike shook his head quickly, his cheeks burning red. "No! No. No, he's- he's not."

"Oh," said Karen, blinking in bewilderment. She took a moment to collect herself before continuing. "Well, why not?"

"What- what kind of a question-?" Mike stuttered.

Karen clicked her tongue. "I suppose you have always been shy with romance."

Mike could only stare, his mouth agape.

"You shouldn't force Will to make the first move," Karen went on. "Not when he's put up with your attitude for so long."

Mike gawked, taking offense. "My attitude?"

Karen said nothing, only shrugging in response.

"My attitude??" Mike repeated.

Karen made her way to the kitchen doorway. "You know, Mike, it's getting late. You need to get some sleep."

Mike furrowed his brows. He felt like this conversation had given him whiplash. "Okay," was all he could manage to say.

"Well, whatever you decide to do," Karen said, "I'll support your decision." She flipped the kitchen light off. "I love you." With that, she made her exit, heading up to her and Ted's bedroom.

Mike was left standing in the dark kitchen, the wheels in his head spinning at such a fast speed that he felt like he was at risk of passing out.

"What the fuck," he mouthed to himself.

Chapter Text

The morning after Thanksgiving, Mike woke to the sun already high in the sky and Karen knocking on his bedroom door.

"It's already 3 in the afternoon, Michael," she called from outside.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, sitting up groggily. "I'm up."

He was. Well, barely.

Something had shifted last night. In his relationship with his mother, in his relationship with Will, and, most importantly, something had shifted within himself. This was it. Today, he was going to do it. He was going to confess to Will. His best friend. The only person he had ever truly loved. And, if it went wrong, he'd just run away and join the circus or something, and most definitely never open his heart to anyone ever again. If it went wrong, he'd make a vow to die alone, never dating anybody else. Why would he ever want to be with anybody but Will anyway? There was no point in that.

That was part of the reason why he knew he needed to confess. Because there was no one else for him. Only Will.

But how would Will feel? How did Will feel about him, like, right now? He shook his head violently, trying to will away the doubts clouding his mind. He thought about what Robin said. That he and Will would be friends no matter what, even if he only saw Mike as a totally-platonic-boy-best-friend. All he could do was hope and pray that she was right.

As soon as he finished getting ready, Mike used the basement phone to call the Byers house. Of course, it had to be Jonathan who picked up. Just his luck.

"Hello?" came Jonathan's voice from the other end.

Mike rolled his eyes instinctually, stifling a groan. "Hey, is Will there?"

"This Mike?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause. "Let me get him."

Mike waited anxiously, his stomach in knots, for Will's voice to appear. When it did, Mike could finally relax a bit, the only discomfort being the heat he felt growing in his face.

"Mike?" Will said.

"Will! Hey!"

"Hi."

"Um, I know everyone usually comes at 8 on Fridays, but, I was just, uh, wondering... if you wanted to come early. Like, at 7?" The amount of times Mike stuttered in that single statement made him want to bash his head against the wall.

"Oh," Will said thoughtfully. "Sure."

"Okay. Cool. Cool, I'll see you then," Mike replied, barely able to contain his excitement.

"See you."

Mike didn't even have time to process their conversation when his mom called him upstairs.

"What," he said, irritated.

"Attitude," Karen warned. "I just wanted to tell you that Holly, your father, and I are going to dinner and a movie tonight. At, well... We'll leave at around 6:30."

"Um, okay...?"

"And Nancy is going out with Jonathan tonight, likely at about that same time."

Mike narrowed his eyes. "So?"

Karen shrugged one shoulder, smirking slyly. "I thought you'd want to know."

The realization dawned on Mike then. "You were listening!"

Karen turned away, still a playful smile still on her face.

"Ugh, Mom!"

"Oh, hush," she said. "You're welcome."

"For what?" Mike exclaimed.

"For giving you time alone with Will to tell him how you feel," Karen said.

Mike scoffed, spinning around and stomping upstairs.

"Good luck!" Karen called up to him.

He slammed his bedroom door shut.

6:30 P.M came before Mike was ready. His mom, dad, and little sister all left, Karen winking at him knowingly as she did. That left just he and Nancy home, waiting for the Byers boys to arrive. They lounged in the living room, the TV on but neither of them watching.

"So," Nancy said, "Will's coming early."

"Uh huh," Mike said, not meeting her gaze.

"And why might that be?" Nancy questioned suggestively.

"Could you just shut up?" said Mike.

She scoffed. "You're such a brat."

It was quiet again.

"Um, I told Mom last night," Mike said suddenly. "That I'm gay."

Nancy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I mean, she said she already knew, so."

"W-wow. Mike, I'm so proud of you. How'd she take it?"

"Good, good. Um, she said she still loves me, and that Dad doesn't have to know, and that I need to stop being such a baby and confess to Will already."

Nancy looked as though, if it were possible, her eyebrows would shoot farther up on her forehead. She burst into shocked laughter. "Oh my God."

Mike hung his head, hiding a grin of his own. "I know."

"So are you going to finally do it?" Nancy asked. "Confess?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah. Finally." He looked up to see Nancy's expression. She was beaming ear-to-ear.

"Thank God!" she said. "Now you two can finally stop pining pathetically for each other."

"Pathetic? I'm not pathetic."

"When it comes to Will? Oh, you so are."

They both jumped at the sudden ringing of the doorbell. Mike's blood ran cold at the sound.

"It'll be okay," Nancy reassured him, noticing how pale his face had gone. "I promise."

He nodded silently, and they made their way to the front door, opening it to Jonathan and Will.

"Hey, Nance," Jonathan said as she stepped outside to greet him. He looked to Mike. "Mike."

Mike nodded respectfully in response.

"Bye, Mike," Nancy said, giving him an encouraging look before turning and making her way to Jonathan's car. He opened the passenger door for her before making his way to the driver's side.

From the doorway, Will and Mike watched them drive away, neither of them saying a word.

"Am I allowed to come in?" Will finally said.

Mike smiled bashfully, grateful that Will had broken the silence. "Yeah, sorry," he said, stepping aside to let him pass.

Mike swallowed hard. Did Will always look this good? He was wearing Jonathan's old oversized bomber jacket and a flannel tucked into light-wash jeans. And did he always smell this good too? Was Mike imagining things? Or had Will dressed up for this hang out with just the two of them?

He wiped his clammy palms on his pants, leading Will to the basement and shutting the door behind them. They sat down on the couch wordlessly. It was quiet for a moment, save for the sound of the heater whirring.

"I feel like I was just down here," Will said.

"Probably because you were. Literally 19 hours ago."

"You were keeping track?"

"No!" Mike said quickly. "Just a... rough estimate."

Will snorted. "Okay," he said. "When are Lucas and Dustin getting here?"

"Normal time. 8," Mike replied.

"I'm the only one who came early?"

Mike swallowed, nodding. "Yeah. I only invited you."

"Oh."

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay..."

"Uh, don't worry, I'm not coming out to you twice. I'm not, like, double-gay or anything," Mike joked.

Will looked unimpressed.

"I don't know why I just said that, sorry."

To Mike's relief, Will broke into a smile. "It's okay," he said. "I wasn't expecting you to come out as double-gay, if that helps."

"Alright. That's good," Mike said shakily. He was getting more and more anxious by the second.

Will, of course, noticed. He always did. "Hey," he said. "It's okay. Whatever it is you need to tell me, I'm listening."

Mike nodded. He couldn't force himself to look up from his trembling hands. He breathed out with a halfhearted laugh. "I... I don't know how to start."

"Just take your time."

Mike loved that about Will. He was so genuinely understanding and empathetic. And not just with Mike, but with everybody. He cared about every single person. He wanted to make everybody feel heard and safe.

These thoughts of admiration swirled through Mike's head as he spoke. "You know how yesterday I said you're the most important person to me?" he began.

Will nodded only slightly, the look in his eyes impossible to read.

"I meant it," Mike said seriously.

"I... I did too."

"But also I think you're the best person I've ever known. And ever will."

Will's eyes darted between Mike's, his expression seeming almost afraid. Afraid to be hopeful, maybe. "No..." he said softly.

"Yes, Will. I really mean it. And you're the bravest person I know, too. And... and you're strong, but without being mean or angry, and caring and understanding without ever being weak," Mike rambled. "And you're so talented and good... at everything, and I think one day I'm gonna see your art in museums and in history books, and I'll get to say I knew you before you were famous."

Will breathed out, smiling a bit at that comment, but Mike could still sense the nervous energy emanating from him. He swallowed hard, mustering up the courage to keep speaking.

"I just... I want to be there," Mike continued. "When you're a famous artist, or wherever you are. I want to be there with you."

"Mike, where are you going with this?" Will asked carefully, his voice so quiet it was nearly inaudible.

Mike shook his head softly, looking down at his slightly trembling hands. "I don't want to ruin things."

"What does that mean?" Will asked slowly.

Mike breathed in sharply before responding. "I don't think I could live without you in my life," he said intensely, looking Will in the eyes.

Will paused, but he didn't break eye contact. "Me neither," he said, his voice matching the intensity of Mike's.

"And I don't want to lose you."

Will furrowed his brows. "You won't lose me."

Mike didn't look convinced.

"You won't," Will repeated seriously.

Mike, as usual, was the first to look away. He hated himself for always being such a coward. Well, here was his chance to be brave. "Will, I'm in love with you," he said before he could lose his courage.

Mike shut his eyes, breathing in deeply, his heart racing. He could hear Will choke on air then clear his throat awkwardly. It was silent - frighteningly so.

"What do you mean?" Will finally asked.

Mike could've yelled out in his frustration. Instead, he opened his eyes again and gazed at Will. "You know what I mean," he said in a low voice.

Will's eyes were glassy, his bottom lip quivering. "Are you messing with me, Mike?"

Mike furrowed his brows. "Of course not," he said with such sincerity that it frightened the both of them.

Will shook his head in disbelief, looking off into space. "There's no way," he muttered.

Mike felt a dull ache in the pit of his stomach. He reached out and took Will's shaking hand in his own, interlocking their fingers gently. "Will, look at me."

Will wouldn't meet his gaze.

Mike swallowed hard. "Please."

Hesitantly, Will locked eyes with him. Both of them were close to tears now.

"I love you," Mike said in his gentle voice that was reserved only for Will.

Will let out a heavy, shaky breath, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks. "I love you too," he said quietly.

Mike took a moment to process before reaching a hand out to Will, resting it on his cheek, which was wet with tears. He leaned forward slowly and carefully, his face now mere inches from Will's. He could feel Will's breath, warm and minty on his skin. His eyes darted from Will's eyes, still glassy, to his slightly parted lips.

Mike paused briefly, his breath catching in his throat. He licked his lips nervously, before whispering, "Can I...?" He couldn't bear to finish the sentence. He thought if he actually said the word "kiss" aloud to Will he would collapse.

Will, wide-eyes and unable to speak, only nodded.

With an enormous amount of bravery, Mike finally leaned in, bridging the gap between them, and pressing his lips against Will's. The kiss was gentle and soft, and when they parted, they did so slowly, Will's hands lingering on the waist fabric of Mike's T-shirt.

Still only inches apart, they locked eyes again, leaning their foreheads against each other. Finally, the spell of awkwardness and anxiety had been broken. After a moment of intense eye contact, the two broke out into giggles, childishly giddy.

"Holy shit," Mike said breathlessly, collapsing back in his seat.

"Holy shit," Will agreed, assuming Mike's same position and touching his lips with his fingers as if to make sure they were still there.

"Holy shit!" Mike repeated incredulously, a big, stupid smile on his face. He just couldn't contain himself. He leaned forward and planted another kiss right on Will's mouth, feeling Will's smile against his lips.

Will giggled again after they broke apart. "Mike!" he exclaimed, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

"Sorry," Mike said, "sorry. I just... Wow, I love you."

Will looked away bashfully. "I love you too."

Mike sighed out in relief again. "Thank God!"

"Did you really think I wasn't going to feel the same?" Will asked as if Mike would be insane to think so.

"I just... I didn't know."

"Mike, I have been in love you for twelve years."

Mike paused. "Really?" he asked softly.

Will's voice became quiet too. "Really."

Mike reached a hand out to cup Will's face again, gently rubbing circles with his thumb against his cheek. Will relaxed into his touch, allowing his cheek to rest gently in the palm of Mike's hand.

"I can't believe it took me this long," Mike said. "I wish I told you sooner."

Will placed a hand over Mike's on his cheek. "Hey," he said gently. "You told me now." He paused thoughtfully. "And honestly, I would've waited forever."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I would end up being a famous painter that suspiciously never married. And snobby art students would speculate who my muse was."

"And who might it be, pray tell?"

Will rolled his eyes affectionately. "Come on."

"Would it be a super handsome young man by the name of Michael Wheeler, perhaps?"

Will smirked slyly. "Perhaps."

"I'm glad we don't live in that universe," Mike said, "but what about in this one? When you're a famous painter one day, do I still get to be your muse?"

"We'll see. I mean, you really plan on sticking around that long?"

"That was always the plan," Mike said. "Don't you remember when we were kids?"

"You're gonna have to be a little more specific."

"When I used to..." he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed, "...tell everyone I was gonna marry you one day?"

Now, Will seemed embarrassed too. "I remember." He was silent momentarily before clearing his throat. "Well, you're gonna have to ask me out on a date first, Michael."

Mike's eyes widened, his ears burning. "O-oh! Yeah! Totally," he said. "Do you wanna go on a date with me?"

Will's cheeks reddened. "Yeah."

"And, um, adding onto that..." Mike said. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

The red painting Will's cheeks somehow deepened now. He was quiet for a moment, and Mike worried he was moving too fast, when Will leaned in and kissed him again. Mike flinched at first, surprised by Will taking initiative, before reciprocating. This time, the kiss was faster, more intense, less delicate. Again, Will's hands found Mike's waist, but now, he pulled him closer to him just slightly. Mike ran his fingers through Will's hair, matching his pace.

This was so different from anything else Mike had ever experienced. Never before had he been so completely outside of his body like this, in such a state of contentedness and feeling such adoration for another person that it felt like he was floating. His head was spinning, heart racing, the warmth emanating from Will's body heating him up until he had begun to sweat.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang from upstairs, and the boys jolted apart, jumpscared by the sound. Their breathing was heavy, cheeks flushed, and hands shaking as they made intense eye contact once again.

"So... will you be my boyfriend?" Mike asked quickly, gulping.

Will rolled his eyes affectionately. "Yes! Stupid," he said with a gentle smile.

Mike contemplated leaning in for another kiss when the doorbell rang a second time.

"Uh... Is that Dustin and Lucas?" Will asked after a moment.

Mike swallowed again, still slightly out of breath. "Think so."

Neither moved. The doorbell rang again. And again. And again.

"That's definitely Dustin," Will said.

Mike rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Yup."

At the sixth ring of the doorbell, they finally got up to let the other boys in - barely paying mind to the fact that they very much so looked like they had just made out.

"Oh, well," Mike thought, combing through his messed-up hair with his hand, "one thing at a time."