Chapter Text
Nancy cocked her rifle and lined it up with the pulsating sphere of energy, a small thrill flitting through her chest at the clear shot. Unaware of Dustin’s newest discovery, Nancy did what she does best: she took the shot.
Dustin was too late, Nancy and Jonathan went flying, and miles away, a new portal opens up in Hawkins. It didn't stay open too long, just enough for the walls to melt and for Nancy and Jonathan to truly contemplate the looming risk of death… and for someone to crawl through the gate.
The gate shut, and the figure collapsed to the ground, now stuck in Hawkins.
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Will has faced possession, an intergalactic monster of a man who is obsessed with him, and creatures scarier than anything he could’ve dreamt up. Yet, as Mike stood in front of him, stumbling over an invitation to take a walk in the woods around the WSQK, Will was sure that he would rather fight Vecna himself than take this walk.
Despite the part of Will that was jumping with joy at the thought of Mike deliberately seeking him out to spend time with him, he wasn’t sure how long he could maintain a sense of normalcy around Mike. Ever since the stunt he pulled at the MacZ, Will has been so sure that his feelings for Mike have been too obvious to be ignored. But to be fair, how do you push down the very feelings that allowed you to develop powers?
But Will couldn’t turn Mike down, so he found himself kicking leaves in the woods as they slowly left the WSQK behind. It was clear that something was on Mike’s mind with the way he kept fumbling with his hands, shoving them in his pockets before pulling them back out to twist at his fingers. Will wanted to reach out and-
“You know I was thinking about this summer,” Mike began, having finally decided on putting his hands back in his pockets. “Even though we were searching for Vecna and we’re stuck in this stupid quarantine, things felt kind of normal? It almost felt like- before?”
Will hummed in agreement, “You mean we went back to being losers who hang out in basements all day?”
Will didn’t mention that it was probably also the distinct lack of Max and Eleven during the party’s hangouts after school. Eleven was far too busy training and staying out of sight to see them every day, and ever since she and Mike broke up, she only really sought out Will during their patchwork family dinners with Joyce and Hopper. And Max… Will knows that Mike was never that fond of her, but he couldn’t help but miss her every time the group hung out. She was only just back, and though she was quieter than she used to be, she had breathed life back into their group.
“Yeah, but also, it was nice just hanging out without school or girl problems or even Vecna. I mean, for a while, I almost hoped that he had just given up and crawled back into the hole he came from.” Mike continued with his wayward walking, shoulders bumping into Will’s every couple of steps. “But, I guess you went from playing as a sorcerer to actually being one. That must be much more exciting than our games, yeah?”
Will wasn’t quite sure where Mike was going with this, instead, he had realized that Mike would jostle him every three steps. One, two, three, and then Mike was leaning into Will’s space again, their arms brushing against each other’s, and maybe their hands would too if Mike hadn’t shoved them into his pockets.
Mike bumped him again, and Will realized he hadn’t responded. “Mike, you know I always love your campaigns. I would take that over fighting Vecna, powers or not.”
“Really? Maybe it’s because you weren’t able to see what you looked like. It was incredible, Will. Truly.” Mike’s voice had taken that tone of awe again, and Will couldn’t stop himself from turning to drink in the pure wonder on his face. Mike paused for a second, swallowing heavily, before meeting Will’s eyes. “You looked so bea-”
There was a snap of a branch behind them, and both boys whirled around to follow the noise. For a moment, there was nothing in sight, and just as Will was about to ask Mike to continue, a man stepped out from behind a tree.
No, it wasn’t just any man… it was Mike?
“William! Oh heavens, I can’t believe I found you!” The man (Mike?) shouted out, and both boys watched in shock as he stumbled towards them. “I haven’t a clue where we’ve ended up. When did you get here? I’ve been searching for you for days.”
He seemed close enough to their age, maybe a year or so older, his voice a bit deeper than Mike’s, but otherwise, he looked the same. Even with the heavy armour that clinked with each step he took, and the torn red cape fluttering behind him, the resemblance was striking.
And then he was right in front of them, and Will dizzily catalogued that this Mike had all the same moles as his Mike, before he was being swept up in a tight hug. The armour wasn’t quite as pointy as he expected it to be (though he had never really given armour much thought), and before he could even react to this bizarre embrace, this other Mike was pulling back to cup Will’s face, a thumb brushing his cheek as his other hand slid down his neck to press a finger against his rapid pulse. Will swallowed heavily, frozen in pure shock, as Mike’s twin catalogued each of his features, his eyebrows furrowing at whatever he was seeing.
“Are you hurt? Where are your robes? Have they been holding you hostage-” and then he finally turned to look at the real Mike, and his jaw dropped. “What- Who is-”
This seemed to finally kickstart Mike, who started towards his twin, a hand reaching out to yank him away from Will, nudging Will behind him. “Who the fuck are you?”
The words had barely left Mike’s mouth before his twin had regained his footing to pull out a sword (!) and whirled them around so now it was he who stood in front of Will, while Mike was walked back four steps and up against a tree. The blade was pressed flat against Mike’s throat, and his twin’s voice was like steel: “I do not know what spell you’ve cast for such a convincing illusion, but you will stay away from him. Stealing my face to trick the prince is an act worthy of treason, and our court will judge you harshly for your attempts on his life and the crown.”
Mike went pale, eyes crossing as he stared down at the blade that was seconds from slashing his neck. “What are you talking about? I didn’t steal anyone’s face! Who are you?”
This only served to further anger Mike’s twin, and Will rushed to put himself between the two of them, the sword immediately shifting to accommodate him. “Excuse me? I think you’ve got this all messed up. I am no prince, and this is Mike, he hasn’t cast a spell or anything like that. We don’t even- I think you are really confused.”
Mike’s twin’s face softened, and when he spoke, his voice was like honey. “No, my Prince. I’m your Michael, not this imposter. They must have disillusioned you as well, convincing you of their foulplay. You don’t- you don’t remember me?”
His face was still Mike’s, and so was his voice, so Will was torn between the warmth that ignited inside of him at the thought of being Mike’s and the way his heart sank at the pure sadness reflected in the twin’s face. His eyes were soft with worry as he continued to hold Will’s gaze, not backing down from the eye contact like his own Mike usually would.
“I think it would be best if we all talked about this, calmly. Without weapons.” Will’s voice was firm, and he reached out a hand to push the sword away from Mike, meeting no resistance from the knight.
“If that’s what you want, then so be it. But if he tries to hurt you again, I will not hesitate to cut off his hands.” The second half of his sentence was directed at Mike, and Will could hear the nervous puff of breath Mike released at the words. But, as Will requested, he stepped back, sheathing his sword, and cocked his head just slightly as he waited for the next instruction.
Somewhat sure that this twin will not begin swinging again, Will turned to look at his own Mike, realising just how close they had gotten in the past few minutes. Mike was looking between his twin and Will, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he opened his mouth before shutting it again. Even when he was terrified, he was still so beautiful.
“Are you okay?” Will asked quietly, scanning him for any signs of the sword actually nicking him. He stepped closer, dropping his voice even lower, “I don’t know what’s happening, but I think we need to humour him until we can figure it out.”
“He’s crazy!” Mike responded, his whisper a touch too loud, and Will could hear the shifting of armour behind him. Despite that, Mike remained focused on Will, “He must have escaped from Penhurst or something!”
“You think there’s someone in the psych ward who looks exactly like you? Mike, this is weird! He has your face!” Will responded, and the armour shifted again, so Will turned to shoot Mike’s twin a look. He hadn’t moved towards them, but the displeasure was clear on his face.
“I would like to remind you that I am the one with the original face. He’s the one who took mine!” The knight input, rather unhelpfully, before fixing Will with an innocent smile. Even his smile was painfully similar to Mike’s.
“What? No-”
“Shut up!” Will cut off Mike, glaring at him until Mike shuts his mouth. “If you really do think he’s... mentally unwell, then stop arguing with him! We can figure this out.”
“I know how I can prove it.” The knight offered up, his tone almost teasing.
Will shared an exasperated look with Mike before turning to face the knight. “Yes?”
“A kiss,” was his smug reply.
“What?” Both Will and Mike shouted, and Will didn’t dare glance at Mike. He did not have the bandwidth to actually see the repulsion he could picture so clearly.
“No one can kiss you as I can. And true love’s kiss will break whatever spell he’s put you under.” The knight stepped forward, his intentions clear, and Will was not sure how motivated he was to put this train of thought to a stop.
“Absolutely not!” Mike interjected, and Will tried not to deflate. Of course, Mike wouldn’t want to kiss him when it would be his turn to prove that he’s the real Mike.
“I really don’t think that’s necessary.” Will glanced at Mike’s twin, and his stomach flipped at the knowing look in his eyes. Surely he must have realized that this Mike and this Will were not whatever he assumed them to be.
“It would solve everything so much quicker,” the knight mused, still making his way towards Will.
He finally stopped a few inches from Will, and his height had Will tilting his head up to meet his gaze. A smile tugged at the twin’s lips, and Will had to suppress a lovesick sigh at how good this confident, bold Mike looked. He seemed to realize the effect he had on Will because he had no reservations about reaching out to push a lock of hair behind Will’s ear, his fingers brushing against Will’s skin so gently that Will could barely feel the touch. But he did.
“Okay, quit it!” Mike stepped between them, and the moment fizzled out. “I don’t know what this is, but it needs to stop. C’mon, let’s go tell the others. We need to find a way to send him home.”
The walk back to the WSQK was tense, for a number of reasons. Mike had made his distrust clear as he stomped back, glancing back every now and then to make sure the other two were still following him. On the other hand, the knight had made it clear that he intended to stick by Will’s side, even for something as trivial as a walk back out of the woods. He didn’t wait every third step to brush against Will, no, he stuck by Will like a stubborn shadow, pressed together shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm.
When Will’s foot caught in a loose root, he didn’t even have a chance to stumble because the knight had grabbed him by the waist to steady him on his feet. He had leaned in close, like it was their secret, to murmur, “Be careful, my prince. I intend on bringing you home in one piece.”
“Oh,” is all that Will managed in response, his cheeks flushing at how breathy his voice sounded, but this was Mike! Well, it wasn’t Mike, but it was basically Mike who was all over him, calling him his, and finding any excuse to touch him. Will could only be so strong.
His Mike, on the other hand, bit out a Jesus Christ, and continued his march back to the building.
Thankfully, the WSQK was relatively empty once they made it back, with most of the crew out collecting supplies or carrying out their own missions like tracking Dustin down. Only Lucas and Max were lucky enough to witness the mess that was the two Mikes and a blushing Will.
“Holy fucking shit,” were Max’s first words when they walked through the door, followed by: “Who the hell is this?”
“Maxine?” The knight cried out before he was barreling forward and dropping to his knees next to Max’s wheelchair. “Oh- you’re alive?”
Not for the first time this evening, Mike and Will exchanged matching perplexed looks. Even with the circumstances, there was something so odd about seeing a Mike Wheeler variant choosing to talk to Max, especially with such affection.
Even Max looked confused as she glanced backwards at Lucas, who looked positively disturbed. “Um, yes? Well, I guess it wasn’t a guarantee, with Vecna and the mindscape-”
But then the knight rose to his feet once more, stepping away from her, distress clear on his face. “No, no. This must be another illusion. I saw you die. I buried your body, it can’t be you.”
Now the whole room had gone silent, and Will felt as though it might be time for him to say something. He didn’t really have a clue as to what was going on, but the knight was beginning to freak him out, and he really needed this to be a problem for the whole group.
“So… we found him in the woods. He claims to be Mike and thinks that our Mike is a stand-in. A faker who er- stole his face?” Will filled Lucas and Max in, though they still look rather confused. “Mike thinks he’s from Penhurst, but I mean, look at him!”
“He really does look like Mike,” Lucas breathed, as he gave Mike’s twin a scan, head to toe.
“Yeah, if Mike were way hotter and a knight?” Max chipped in, and Will can vaguely hear Mike muttering again. “He looks so medieval, like he’s from Camelot or some shit.”
“I am Mike,” the knight began to plead again. He turned his doe eyes back to Will, returning to his side like a diligent guard, even going as far as to reach out and take his hands. “Please, you have to believe me. I would never lie to you. Have I ever broken our oath? Let me prove it.”
Will was too preoccupied with gazing into the knight’s eyes, his cheeks flushing under the intense stare and the way his hands were held so gently, that he couldn’t even manage a response. Mike had no issues ruining their moment.
“And he’s weirdly obsessed with Will.” Mike sounded even angrier than he did in the woods, and his sharp tone was enough for Will to snap out of his hand-holding and to step a respectable distance away from the knight. “We need to send him back from wherever he came from.”
“Where are you from?” Max asked, as if it’s a normal thing to ask a rogue knight, and honestly, maybe Will should’ve led with that. “Who are you?”
“The kingdom of Hardwend,” the knight responded immediately, straightening as if he were assuming a marked position. “I’m Sir Michael, and I serve my prince and our kingdom as a loyal Paladin. I was assigned to William when I was still in training, to keep him safe while he honed his skills, and soon, I plan to make him my husband.”
The room was dead silent, and Will was sure he had never been redder. It has all been so bizarre and outlandish from the start, and even now, Will knows that marrying Mike is something he could never achieve even in his wildest dreams. But to hear him say it, to allow himself to imagine it just for a moment… a life where Mike was in love with him, where he fought for him and put his life on the line to keep Will safe, where he would come home to Will after long journeys, and they would spend every waking hour together because they were in love.
It was Lucas who finally broke the silence. “A paladin… Like Mike the Brave? I can’t be the only one who’s seeing this.”
“But that’s just a game! It’s just D&D,” Mike argued, sounding exhausted at this point. He seems like a pale reflection of the lively boy in the field barely a few days ago.
“No, Lucas is right.” Will turned to Mike the Brave- ’Sir’ Michael, “Who are your friends? In your world, the one that looks like home.”
“You,” was Michael’s first response, and Will internally preened at the way he’s so clearly favoured by this Mike. “Maxine, rest her soul, when she was still with us. Sir Lucas, Dustin, Lady Jane, er- shall I keep going?”
“Shit, Wheeler, he really is you!” Max looked between the two of them, and she truly seemed to be the most excited one about this whole situation. “It’s like he’s from another dimension…”
“Would that really be the weirdest thing to happen to us?” Will glanced at the others, pointedly ignoring Michael, who had once again shifted closer to him through the course of the conversation.
“Well, how do we send him back?” Mike huffed.
“I don’t quite know what you all speak of, truth be told, I’ve never seen an illusion so advanced,” Michael interjected, and Will could see the way Mike’s face dropped at his voice. “I already told William, I know how to prove that I am myself, and how to break this spell. Would it really do that much harm?”
“We already moved on from that!” Mike threw his hands in the air, and if he weren’t so upset, Will might have found it amusing. “We can both be Mike, there is no need for this.”
“What’s he talking about, Will?” Lucas ignored Mike’s interruption.
Will couldn’t make himself say the words, so he just nudged Michael, who was much too happy to propose his genius idea once again. “True love’s kiss! It can break any spell, no matter how strong. As I told William, once he kisses me, the spell will be broken, and he will remember who he truly is. All these illusions will disappear, and we can finally go home.”
“Oh, Will. Maybe this Mike is onto something?” Max was smiling as she spoke, that cunning smile of hers whenever she is up to no good. “One kiss can’t hurt. Especially if you are this Mike’s true love.”
“It really wouldn’t. Believe me, you are my true love, and I yours,” Michael assured, his hand curling around Will’s arm to turn him so they face one another. Once again, Will was trapped under his intense gaze, the surroundings slowly falling away-
And then Mike materialized behind him, his voice panicked as he exclaimed, “But Will hasn’t kissed anyone before! You can’t let him do this!”
“I assure you, William and I have kissed on many occasions. Far more than I can count,” Michael seemed to be taking great pleasure in antagonizing Mike, and he succeeded as Mike groaned.
At this point, Will had decided that this might be his only chance to kiss Mike (kind of), so who is he to hold himself back? What’s the harm in one kiss? So he pulled away from Michael to turn to Mike, who looked to be in a frenzy at this point. “Mike, it’s just a kiss. I don’t care. When nothing happens, you’ll be proved right.”
Will dared a glance towards Max and Lucas, but neither of them looked disgusted or vaguely upset by the way the situation had turned out. Max looked gleeful, no doubt due to the way Mike hates Michael, and Lucas just looked… thoughtful.
It was much too easy to fall back into Michael’s embrace, and this time, when an arm wraps around Will’s waist, Will allowed himself to reach out as well. He gripped the jut of the chest plate with one hand and followed Michael’s lead of holding his face with the other. Once again, he felt so safe, cradled by the gentle hands of this strange Mike, who was so similar to the one he loved.
He smelled faintly of the woods, and also something else that Will can’t quite place, but it’s warm and spicy and wrapped around Will as they grew closer. Michael’s gaze left Will’s eyes, dark with an emotion that Will couldn’t name, to somewhere lower, and Will knew he must be pink by now. He allowed himself a look as well, entranced by the way Michael’s tongue darts out before the distance is finally closed and his lips are on Will’s.
It’s simultaneously more than Will could have ever imagined and so familiar that it felt like coming home. It started off softly, just a gentle press of lips against his, before Will gasped at the way he could feel the touch all the way down to his toes. There was a split second where Michael pulled away, and Will was already mourning the loss, before he tightened his arm around Will’s waist, hauling him closer to his chest as he kissed him hard. This time, Michael wasted no time in deepening the kiss, his fingers pushing past his face to sink into Will’s hair, and Will sighed into the kiss.
Will had just gathered the courage to allow his hands to travel when an abrupt bang yanked him out of the kiss-induced haze as he pulled back sharply, just in time to see that it was the door to the WSQK slamming shut, presumably behind Mike.
Michael’s hands on his waist and murmurs of questions asking if he was okay weren’t enough to chase away the aching memories that resurfaced,
A frustrated Mike shouting, “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” as Will recoiled at the underlying hatred in his words.
Even as Mike muttered apologies, it was enough for Will to realize that even Mike had grown up to be like all those kids at school who whispered about him and laughed behind his back. Even though Mike was also a misfit who didn’t belong, Will was still too different to be accepted.
“William?”
Will jolted back to himself, blinking as he retrained his gaze on Michael, who looked concerned as he continued cradling Will’s face. When he spoke, his voice was a croak, “What?”
“Are you back, my love? Do you remember yet?”
Oh, right. He had forgotten about Michael’s hypothesis that the kiss would fix everything.
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t think this is a spell, I think this is- I’m not sure what’s going on, but I think it’s a very real possibility that you aren’t from this world.”
With every word spoken, Michael’s face fell further. He finally stepped back, hands dangling by his side, flexing and unflexing as he let out a breath. “So you really aren’t my Will?”
“I don’t think so. We’ll try our best to send you home, back to your Will and your life. I promise.” Will tried to sound positive because Michael looked like a kicked puppy with the way he had curled in on himself. It was as though he had lost all hope, and even if it wasn’t his Mike, Will’s heart still ached.
“Sorry, not to interrupt your moment-”
Will realized with a start that Max was still there, though it seemed like Lucas must have followed Mike out the door. He tried to push away any thoughts he had about following them out. He’s probably the last person Mike wants to see right now, aside from Michael.
“No, no, I got, um, carried away.” Will shakes his head, willing away the flourish of thoughts and feelings that kiss had unleashed. “Is Mike-”
“Mike’s a big baby who can get over himself,” Max scoffed. “I need a moment to rest, so I’ll wait for them to come back. Why don’t you get him some normal clothes and some food?”
Will nodded, happy to be given a task he could focus on to keep his mind off Mike and the way he was so disgusted by who Will was that he had to leave the room. No, leave the building!
“C’mon. Let’s get you something to eat. How long were you even in the woods?” Will fits his hand into the crook of Michael’s elbow and directs him towards the couch, smiling softly at the way the other boy complies without any complaints.
“At least one nightfall, though I admit I was unconscious for a while. I think I may have gotten hit before I ended up here, if you wouldn’t mind?” Michael motioned towards his torso, and Will wasn’t sure what exactly that meant, but he nodded anyway.
Watching the knight take off his armor was mesmerizing, there were so many pieces that were interlinked and connected so delicately, and Michael was so efficient in his ways. It took just a few minutes for the pile of armor to grow taller, and for the looming boy to shrink down to his normal height. Under his armor was a simple tunic and pants, a plain brown that somehow made him look even softer and sweeter, especially when he turned to Will with his large, sad eyes.
“Okay, let’s see the damage.” Will nudged Michael to take a seat, following suit, though he left a couple of inches between them.
Though he should’ve known what was coming, Will’s ears burned bright as Michael lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal slightly tanned skin, an odd sight given how pale Mike usually is, and a toned torso that indeed had a large scrape down the side. It didn’t seem very deep, but the blood had seeped through the tunic and could do with a good cleaning.
Swallowing heavily, Will stood and muttered something about a first aid kit before fleeing from the room. He knew it was stupid to get so worked up over someone who wasn’t even from this world, but it felt like a cruel combination of all of Will’s deepest desires morphed together to create a Mike who loved him. First aid kit in hand, and a few deep breaths later, Will returned to the room.
Thankfully, the cut really was just wide and shallow, so Will was able to apply his basic first aid knowledge to patch it up. Michael was a good patient, not moving a muscle or even flinching as Will cleaned the wound.
“So, in this world, you and me- you and ‘Mike’ aren't…?” Michael begins, seemingly finally coming to terms with the prospect of being an alien to this world.
For the hundredth time this day, Will blushed at his words. “No. We aren’t like your world.”
“But you’re William, and he’s basically me.”
“I guess, but it must be different in your world. Mike’s not gay in this world.” Even just saying the word had Will’s stomach in knots, and he risked a glance behind him to ensure Mike hadn’t wandered back in.
“Gay?” Michael questioned, the word sounding foreign on his tongue.
“He doesn’t like boys. Me. He doesn’t like me like that.” Every word felt like another knife in the heart, and Will took another deep breath, grabbing some bandages to mess with as he spoke. “I think the Mike in this world is very different from you.”
Michael was silent for a moment as he processed this new information. Finally, he responded with, “Have you asked him? If he’s gay?”
Will sputtered at that, “No! You can’t just ask someone that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not normal in this world. People can get killed for being like this. I’ve seen on the news, back when we still heard from the outside world, that there’s a sickness going around. It targets people like… us. They say it’s because of who we choose to be.”
Michael looks enraged at this point, and he batted Will’s hands away to sit up properly. “What? Your world kills people for loving each other?”
Will’s heart sank at how simply Michael put it. “It’s just not the same here. I wish things were different, and maybe, one day, it will be. But not right now. And not with Mike.”
“But you are? You love him?” Michael asks, as if it’s the simplest thing in the world.
“Like I said, things aren’t the same in this world. We can’t all get what we want,” is what Will decided on as he finally cut a satisfactory length of bandaid to be used.
“I find it hard to believe that your Mike doesn’t love you. I believe that you and I, we would love each other in any world.” Michael sounded so sure of himself that Will almost wanted to believe him. “Maybe he just doesn’t know it yet.”
Michael sounded a lot like Will did this summer, a few months prior, when he still had some semblance of hope. He had questioned this exact thing, what Mike’s true feelings may be, after a summer filled with movie nights and whispering in shared air, long bike rides and staring at the stars, warm afternoons where they lay in the grass and swapped comics.
He thinks of the numerous nights the previous spring, back when it was too cold for him to sleep in the basement. When he would wake up from night terrors, and Mike would pull him up into his bed, holding him close, his embrace a shield against the nightmares that had haunted most of his youth. He thinks of soft mornings when he would wake up in Mike’s arms and have a few moments to admire the ruffled mess that was Mike’s hair and the way they fit together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
But as the weeks passed, and nothing ever came of it, Will knew he was just being wishful. He and Mike’s friendship had always been different from others, and this was just how they were. There was no use in Will giving in to his inner greed and demanding more than he deserved from Mike, who was just doing his best to be a good friend.
“Mike and I are friends, and that’s all we ever will be. Which is fine. It’s good,” Will finally responded, pressing the final bandaid against Michael’s stomach.
A throat cleared behind him, and Will turned to see Mike and Lucas, but he was more focused on Mike, who seemed worse for wear. He looked pale, whether that was due to his conversation with Lucas or whatever he just overheard, which only served to highlight the redness of his eyes. What happened out there?
Before Will could say anything or defend himself, he was pulled back in by Michael’s grip on his arm. He went willingly, allowing Michael to bring him close enough that his mouth brushed Will’s right ear.
“You should go talk to him. I’ll be fine here, I promise,” Michael whispered, low enough that only Will can hear. “Also, if you ask me, he’s seemed rather jealous this whole time, hasn’t he?”
Will pulled back sharply, raising an eyebrow at what Michael said. He wanted to protest, but then Michael was nudging him to stand, and so he did, looking back at Mike, who seemed to have given up on his anger towards Michael. “Mike, I think we should talk, yeah?”
Mike didn’t look very excited, but he nodded his agreement, nevertheless. Will brushed past him and back out the door, shooting Lucas a look of fear as he passed him. Lucas returned it with a wide smile that only serves to confuse Will further.
Thankfully, there was a bench not far from the back of the WSQK, so Will and Mike ended up staring out at the sunset, but Will was more focused on the lack of space Mike left when he sat down. Once again, they’re pressed against each other, despite the clear availability of space on this bench.
“So-”
“I was-”
They both stop short, and Will reveled in the laugh they shared, the way Mike had a real smile on his face, if only for a moment.
“You can go first,” Will acceded, because he truly wants nothing more than to know what’s been going on in Mike’s head all day.
“Alright. I just- I wanted to start by saying I’m sorry,” Mike spoke softly as he stared out at the sunset, but Will remained studying his face as his eyebrows knit together. “I’m sorry for being such a dick all day. I guess I was just frustrated?”
“Why? Is it because of Michael?”
“Yes and no. I mean, Michael is the single most annoying person I’ve ever met, even though I know that he’s basically me. You don’t get it, you two have been all cozy all day, but he’s so irritating!” Mike truly sounded so exasperated, and Will couldn’t quite contain his laugh. “Seeing you two together just- it made me so mad. And it felt like no one was seeing what I was seeing, no matter what I said.”
“And what’s that?”
“The way he looks at you. It’s- it’s so sickening! It made me so sick seeing you two together, and I just didn’t know what to do. I treated you horribly, and I’m so sorry, Will, because you’re my best friend. But I just couldn’t stand to see the two of you together.”
Will felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under his feet, and for a moment, all he could do was stare at Mike in shock. Sickening. It made me sick seeing you two together. The reasoning was left unsaid, but Will knew what he meant. It made Mike sick to see Will with another boy, to see him actually being himself.
“Mike,” Will tried to be brave even with the way his voice cracked. “Michael and I… that’s who I really am. I’m exactly who you accused me of, all those years ago. I’ve tried so hard to keep it in, because I know how much you hate this part of me, I mean, everyone does. But I thought that maybe, as the years passed, you might have warmed up to the idea of it.”
Now it was Mike who looked confused, his head snapping over to look at Will at the tone of his voice. “What?”
“I’m gay, Mike.” Will shut his eyes the second the words leave his lips. There. He said it. He said it out loud, and Mike might hate him for that, but he finally did it. Oh, how we wished this could have been done under different circumstances, but Will just couldn’t sit and let Mike tear him apart for who he was. He was done being walked on.
“Will-”
“No, I need to talk. You were right when you said I don’t like girls, and sometimes it’s so hard for me to accept who I am, but I’m trying so hard. And I was hoping you would too,” Will sniffled, and he’s horrified to find that his eyes have begun to fill with tears. He had rehearsed this in his head so many times, yet it wasn’t any easier in real life. “It really hurts to know that you find it sickening, and I understand if you don’t want to be around me anymore. I can find another place to live-”
“Will!” Mike exclaimed, reaching out to grab Will’s shaking hands, tugging him to turn fully and face Mike. The tears had finally spilled out of his eyes, and Mike’s face softened at the sight of them. “I didn’t mean it like that, oh my god, no! I meant that- I don’t like Michael, I find him sickening.”
“Because he’s gay?”
“No, Will! Because he’s a dick who thinks he’s so cool. Because he’s a knight and has a scary sword! I would never think you’re sick. I’m so sorry if I ever made you feel that way.” Mike let go of one of his hands to wipe at the tears on Will’s cheeks. “I want to apologize for what I said all those years ago-”
“No, Mike, it’s fine-”
“Will, it really isn’t. Just because I was frustrated doesn’t give me the pass to treat you like shit. Because that’s what I did that whole summer!” Mike frowned as he spoke, looking as though he were disappointed in himself. “This past year with you back in Hawkins has been awesome. That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier, before Michael showed up. It has been so fun with you, and I missed having that. I missed our times together.”
“I missed it too,” Will admitted, smiling through his tears, and Mike returned it.
“Anyway. I had come out here to tell you something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I promise I don’t find you sick. In all honesty, I think I hated Michael so much because-”
“Will? Mike?” A voice called out, and Will flinched away in Mike’s grasp. From an outsider’s perspective, they look so blatantly suspicious with their hands interlinked and Mike’s palm still warm against Will’s cheek. But then the voice grew closer, and it’s just Eleven. “There you two are!”
Will rushed to wipe the tears off his face, though not fast enough, given the face Eleven makes at him. He cleared his throat, “Sorry, I didn’t hear you calling earlier. Did you just get back? Any word on Dustin?”
Eleven eyed both of them for a moment before turning to Will. “Yes! Dustin and some of the others just got back. We came back and saw your…problem. Lucas and Max filled us in, and Dustin has some ideas on how to fix this.”
Though Will wanted nothing more than to hear what Mike was going to tell him, Eleven didn’t make any moves to leave without them, and he knew they should probably go inside to fix this. So Will stood up, offered Mike a hand, and followed El inside.
Will knew he had good reason to fear for his walk with Mike, because what had he gotten himself into?