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stompandhollar · 2 years

Text

Who am I supposed to be?

pairing: will byers x mike wheeler

WC: 1.8k

warnings: vecna, mike being a little shit, gay panic

summary: Season 5. Will gets Vecna’ed in the final fight, but their walkman is busted. Mike has one final cry of hope to save him.

art credit: @daniartonline on instagram

“It’s not playing!” Mike yells, voice shrill and forceful. “Something isn’t working!”

“We’re running out of time here, guys-“ Lucas clings to the sword he’s wielding like it’s a lifeline. He cuts down another demedog, but not after Dustin hits it clean in the head with a bat. “They keep coming!”

“Where’s El? Where’s Eleven!” Mike’s face is red hot, emotion bubbling inside his cheeks. In front of him- eyes glassed over- is Will Byers, floating an inch off the ground. Mike bangs on the walkman, coughing as the debris from the upside down floats into his mouth and swirls around his throat.

“Come on you son of a bitch, play!”

A scream- purely guttural- echoes over the hills in the Upside Down. The gate crackles and shrills in response. Eleven hovers with her arms extended, blood gushing from her nose, in the distance. She’s holding it off- holding it off until they can wake Will up- and then they’ll be able to escape, and she can seal the gate for good. Except… Will won’t wake up. One of his blue vans lifts higher, but Mike drags the other back down by stepping on his foot hard, driving him back down to earth.

“Will- Stay with me!” Mike chokes on some fluid in his mouth- blood or spit, he isn’t sure. His black fluffy hair has been matted to his skull from the drying gash in his temple. The pain of it barely even registering. “Somebody help me! Somebody do something, Jesus Fuck!”

In the blue glow of the parallel world, Mike clings to Will’s forearms in desperation. Will, however, with red light beating down on him, is in a different place completely.

Vecna’s voice echoes in his mind. “They’ve left you,” He coos. Will’s tears have long since solidified in the congealed dirt that’s built up on his face, having been knocked on his hands and knees in some abandoned baseball arena. The warped stands shroud around him, empty of patrons but still deeply foreboding nonetheless. Will struggles to his feet, only to lose his footing and smack his chin on second base. He feels the hot sensation of blood escaping his body, and doesn’t dare to touch his chin to feel how deep it is.

“They’ve all left you, Will.”

“No, they’re looking for me.”

“You’re lost, Will. No one can find you- and no one is looking.” A form comes into view from the dugout. A cloudy, slimey, growing form that resembles a creature from a scary movie, but is too unfocused to make out the shape of. Will’s head spins as he pulls his hands across the field, trying to drag his body away from the creature. But he only gets closer. Will lets out a deep yell- mustering as much strength as he can and drags his body forward. All he has to do is survive. He managed to make it a week in the Upside Down at ten years old- He can survive a few moments in this place.

“Did you think if you stalled long enough, your mother would come and find you? Rescue you?” Vecna lulls, his voice sounding as if it must be directly behind Will’s head. “Or was it Mike- was it your paladin? The holy night. He’s moved on- He doesn’t care about you anymore, Will. You already know it’s true.”

It isn’t.

“Worthless- A wizard with no party.”

“Get out of my head!” Will yells, his voice breaking at the sheer force of his scream.

Mike jams the rewind button one last time on the Walkman and furiously presses play.

“It’s not gonna work, man!” Lucas shouts, the demedog on him and Dustin getting close. They’re fending it off, but only barely.

“I wish we had Eddie right about now-“ Dustin wacks the demedog in the leg, causing it to limp backwards. “Mike, come on, snap him out of it so we can get out of here!”

“I’m trying, I’m-“ His voice snags. “Will! Will, can you hear me?”

“Mike!” Will screams, wiping the spit and blood from his mouth. “MOM- Eleven, MIKE-!”

“They can’t hear you. No one is listening. It’s only you,” Vecna appears in his grotesque form in front of Will, his long Freddy Krueger hand lifting Will's face up by the chin. The sharp talon-like-nail pressing against the newly made gash and causing Will to yell out in pain. “…And me. At long last.”

“You were the first soul I claimed.” The monster waxed, lifting Will’s body into the air as he squirms and fights against it. “You were my first victim, my first connection from this world I was sent to into the one I used to call my home. You are the bridge between worlds. Eleven opened the gate, but you are the first traveler.” Will finds himself parallel to the dead, black, soulless eyes of his captor. With every ounce of strength in his body, he fights against the urge in his bones to go stiff. Every fiber inside his frame seems to will itself against him- his own body rejecting his control. He feels his fingers begin to crack- not yet break- but pull backwards against their natural track.

Mike watches as Will’s pinkie finger snaps backwards, and he yells. Lucas gets in the last blow, his leg bleeding after snagging a nasty bite from a demobat. “Mike,” He pleads. “Please, man, we can’t lose you too.”

“We haven’t lost him,” Mike breathes. “We, we….”

A scream of courage echoes over the cliffs. Eleven’s eyes streak red down her cheeks, and her hands tremble with force. A low growl that sounds like a wounded animal- but that Mike quickly realizes is the world itself- emanates around her.

The boys all halt in their tracks. Dustin drops his bat in disbelief. She isn't just closing the gate- she’s destroying the entire Upside Down.

The chaos of the battlefield all at once starts dissipating. The bats, gently, begin falling from the sky. Eleven screeches once again, and the very fabric of the universe feels as though it has begun to crumble. Chunks of rock and earth fall from the sky- the world she created, being destroyed by the hands that made it. And yet, while rage had birthed and begotten it, it was love and belonging that ripped it from the seams.

The remaining demogorgons collapse into the dirt and the mire. The Upside Down is silent.

As if on cue, the older kids come jogging into view from their positions in the fight. Steve runs to Dustin immediately, Eddie right behind him, and scoops the kid up in pure excitement.

“Henderson!”

“Steve-“ Eddie grabs Steve by the arm. His eyes are fixed on the two boys standing in the middle of the battlefield, dead demobats surrounding them in hideous piles. Steve’s face pales in realization. Nancy, who’s just come around the corner with Jonathan and Joyce, grabs their wrists in shock. Everyone is frozen. Except for Mike.

“Will, Will come on-“ He sobs, completely oblivious to the dead silence surrounding him. He paws at Will’s face, trying to wipe away the dirt, as if somehow it might help. “Will, come on you can hear me I know you can.”

Small. His voice is small. The onlookers, were they not adults who knew better, may have sworn left and right that in front of them was suddenly no longer a tall, lanky, grown-up Mike Wheeler that stood pleading with Will’s lifeless body- but instead was a tiny little ten year old, fresh out of his moms basement from a ten hour campaign. He sniffs, wiping the tears from his eyes with a snotty sleeve, his hands around Will’s shoulders. The walkman headphones sit uselessly against Will’s ears, and Mike pulls them off, flinging them down. He yells, anger bubbling out of him, and stomps on the walkman.

“Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, Fucking—!” His voice cracks again, and he holds Will tight, sobbing into his chest. Everyone else watches, their hearts breaking in front of them.

“Darling you’ve got to let me know,” Mike whispers, singing only ever so slightly. Off key. Pitchy. Quiet. Broken up by gentle sobs he can’t swallow. “Should I stay or should I go,”

Jonathan squeezes Nancy tighter.

“If I say that you are mine,” Mike cups Will’s face in his hands, his nose pressed against Will’s cheek. “I’ll be here…” -A hiccup- “…till the end of time.”

Mike’s eyes are swollen. Will’s are dead white.

“If you don’t want me set me free,” He squeezes Will’s hand tight. “Exactly who am I supposed to- supp- suh- exactly who am I supposed to be without you man? Come on please wake up wake up please I need you, I need you. don’t go, don’t—-“ he squeaks, swallowing hard and catching his breath. “If… if you go, there will be trouble. But if you stay it will be double.”

“So come on and let me know. Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

Joyce clasps a hand over her mouth.

Hopper pulls her into his chest.

Dustin shuts his eyes tight, and Steve holds his shoulders steady.

Lucas looks away. He knows this feeling.

Jonathan buries his face in Nancy’s hair.

Eleven watches in disbelief.

And then Will heaves a breath, and opens his big brown eyes.

Mike’s eyes widen with shocking hope. He holds his breath, then lets out a horribly ugly laugh. “Y- You-!”

“Hi,” Will coughs, his eyes dazed and confused but locked on Mike’s. They mimic his and well with big crocodile tears. “You have a really bad voice.”

Mike barks a laugh, grabbing Will by the face. “You little- You- You—“

“Yeah?” Will smiles, weak but gentle.

Oh, he’s not wasting another second.

Mike pulls their faces together, colliding in the silliest, most important kiss of either of their lives. Will laughs into it, shocked so much that the wind is knocked out of him. He inhales high into his chest, breathing in Mike’s kiss like it’s an anchor to life. And in more ways than one, it is. Will quickly takes charge, holding Mike's face in his hands, kissing him again, deep and full of emotion. The electricity in his fingertips is intoxicating. Pulling away too soon, Will pushes their foreheads together.

“I’ve waited my whole life to do that.” He whispers, breathing hard. His pupils are huge, dizzy with wonder.

“I can't believe I almost lost you before you did.” Mike laughs, tears still spilling over. He looks over to their audience, but specifically to El, who just smiles. Without missing a beat, she runs at them both, and throws her arms around them. Dustin and Lucas don’t waste another second- rushing at the three friends and almost tackling them to the floor in a mess of laughter and tears and chattering voices.

“Alright alright, let mom through.” Joyce smiles, her eyes puffy red and her face bright and smiling- if exhausted. Will’s eyes melt as she hugs him.

“Mom, I—“

“Oh hush. I already knew.” Giving him a gentle wink, and kissing the top of his head. “My boy. Please don’t ever go away like that again.”

Will’s eyes drift over to Mike as Joyce wraps him in a hug. “Don’t worry.” He smiles. “I think I’m planning on staying.”

#stranger things #byler #mike wheeler #byler better be canon #will byers #angst #byler angst #stranger things 4 #byler fic #byler angst fic #byler kiss #byler one shot

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crappymixtape · 1 year

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save me from this darkness

header art by: @cherbearsz ♥️ • https://cherbearsz.tumblr.com/

S A V E M E F R O M T H I S D A R K N E S S 🎶 hard times, ethel cain

will's not even sure why he went to his room in the first place, but it's dark. impossibly dark despite the lamp at his bedside. despite the moon trying to shine through the window and he just feels so alone. stuck between this vivid technicolor version of hawkins and the other twisted lifeless suffocating upside down version of hawkins. he can feel the panic attack taking root in his chest, his pulse fluttering against his neck. feels his arms start to tingle. feels the numbness in his hands. throat squeezing tight. he tries to take in a breath, but it's shallow and he needs more air and he's drowning in it and tears prick at the corners of his eyes, but then there's a knock at his door.

"will?" he looks up. it's mike. mike and his deep brown eyes. mike and the long, soft sweep of dark lashes. mike and that smile. but it falters when he sees the tears in will's eyes and he's at his side in a few long strides. "what's wrong? is it him? are you okay?" will feels his tears finally well up and spill down his cheeks. he tries to smile, but it crumbles and falls and he takes in a trembling breath.

"i'm just so alone, mike. i'm so alone." and then mike's hand is gently cupping the curve of his jaw and he's looking at will, really looking, and it makes him feel like it always does. like he's seen. like he's real. like the pain is real. and more tears fall, but the rough pad of mike's thumb is brushing them away softly.

"you're not alone. ever. okay? i'm here. i'll always be here. i promise."

and mike's just holding will and will is trying so hard to let go of the fear inside. trying so hard to trust mike. trying to believe him and he can see the younger versions of themselves. tucked together just like this on that halloween night when everything felt so hopeless and he can hear their voices:

'if we're both going, then we'll go crazy together, right?' 'yeah. crazy together.'

and then mike leans in. pulls will close. brushes their noses together. catches will's lip between his and it's soft and bright and will can feel hope blooming in chest like wildflowers in the field and the dark is losing it's grip on him, slipping and fading and crying out as this bright shining light washes over him.

his light. his hope. his heart.

mike.

crappymixtape™ • stranger things masterlist // steve harrington masterlist

#will byers #mike wheeler #byler #byler one shot #byler is canon #byler endgame #byler tumblr #byler fanfic #will x mike #will byers x mike wheeler #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fic #byler is endgame #mike wheeler i know what you are #byler canon #byler is real #mike x will #byler is requited

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cosmicbrowniefan · 2 years

Text

mocha with extra you

fandom/ship: stranger things, byler

summary: mike is the barista at a local coffee shop and he’s always had a thing for one of the regulars who comes in and gets his drink and stays at a table doodling. of course, being mike, he only admires from a distance and doesn’t make a move. what happens, however, when this cute regular shows up on mike’s tinder profile?

genre: one-shot, fluff, coffee shop au

warnings: swearing, mentions of tinder/sexual references, aged-up party (18), intentional lowercase

word count: 2,556

“don’t look now, but here comes your favorite customer.”

mike’s head shot up from the coffee grinder he was cleaning to look at the door.

“dipshit!” dustin hissed. “could you possibly make it any more obvious?”

mike blushed, but ignored him. he couldn’t help it.

mike, and one of his best friends, dustin, worked as baristas at a small, independent coffee shop in hawkins, indiana. they had a pretty solid reputation, and, although the drinks were a little pricey, it was generally worth it. mike never felt entirely like he fit in or got the hang of it, and the pressures of morning rushes had gotten to him really badly in his first month there. he had honestly been considering putting his two weeks in- that was, until this adorable stranger turned up one day. the stranger- will was the name he had them put on the cup- was absolutely perfect, in mike’s eyes. he was just about the cutest person mike had ever seen, and was super polite and kind. whenever he came into the shop, he always ordered the same thing- a small, white chocolate mocha with extra whipped cream. will always tended to tip generously, but that wasn’t the only thing that made mike like him so much. every time he came into the shop, will took a seat at a table and drew in a sketchbook for a while. it was clear that he was working on something pretty significant, and mike loved watching will’s adorable face scrunch up with concentration. mike had never seen this specific drawing, but he had seen others. will always did a quick doodle on another piece of paper or a napkin or something and left it at his table before leaving the shop. it was usually an animal with a speech bubble that had some variation of “thank you” on it. no one knew, but mike had a small collection of these drawings at his house. will never gave them to him directly, but mike had taken his order every single time he’d come into the shop, and couldn’t help but feel like the drawings might be for him. all in all, mike was basically a whipped, pining bisexual, lusting after a guy that he had never even held much of a conversation with. not that that ever stopped mike from daydreaming.

“can you finish cleaning this?” mike muttered to dustin, shoving the coffee grinder at him and quickly going to the register before dustin even had a chance to respond. dustin rolled his eyes but took the coffee grinder and continued cleaning it as he watched mike out of the corner of his eye.

mike smiled nervously and waved as will approached the counter. he immediately regretted waving. ugh, that looked so stupid. everything about him looked stupid right now! why didn’t he spend more time on his hair this morning? why did his cheeks have to heat up RIGHT this second? and why did he do that stupid little wave?

will smiled back his cute little smile, the one that always made mike’s heart flutter a little bit and waved back. he had a sketchbook tucked under his arm and looked rather cozy in a blue hoodie and black skinny jeans.

absolutely fucking adorable.

“h-hi!” mike said, a little too eagerly when will came up to the counter. he immediately kicked himself for his excitedness and his stutter, but tried not to let it show on his face. he cleared his throat before continuing on with a question he already knew the answer to. “what can i get you?”

“one small white chocolate mocha with extra whip, please,” will said politely.

“sure thing,” mike said, punching it into the computer. “name?”

will giggled a little.

“i feel like you should know that by now,” he said, smirking and leaning on the counter a bit. mike immediately felt a blush creep onto his cheeks, from the comment, the smirk, the lean, and most of all, the confidence. will seemed so sweet and innocent when you first met him, but he had seen will’s confidence creep out sometimes. and mike wasn’t gonna lie, it was really attractive. “am i just not memorable?”

“what? n-no!” mike said quickly, widening his eyes and shaking his head quickly. “no, not- not at all! i just get a lot of customers, you know? you really are memorable. not in a weird way! you just- i don’t know, you have a really specific face? and your personality is really memorable and cute. wait, n-not cute. not in- not in a weird way!”

mike beat himself up with every word he spoke. what the fuck was he saying? shut the fuck up, mike.

will, however, was watching mike with amusement. he smirked and raised an eyebrow with each comment. how cute was this guy?

“i’m messing with you,” will finally said after a second. mike stopped mid-word and cocked an eyebrow, then let it fall, hid face somehow turning even more scarlet. “it’s will.”

“oh. y- yeah, i know,” mike said quickly, waving it off. “that you were messing with me, that is! not your name! i- i was just- i don’t know. ignore me.”

will smiled.

“anything for you,” he said, taking out his wallet as mike’s heart skipped a beat. stupid, stupid, stupid. it’s just a random comment, people say things like that all the time. “i’m sorry, what’s my total?”

mike smiled nervously and decided to be a bit bolder this time.

“i feel like you should know that by now,” he said. will laughed.

“fair enough,” he admitted. “here, keep the change.”

mike smiled and nodded as will stepped over to the side and got on his phone, waiting for his drink. mike put the money in the cash register and grabbed a cup, scribbling “will” onto it, then began making the drink. as he began, dustin came over to him and set a coffee cup in front of him. it was empty, but had dustin’s handwriting on the outside.

“smooth,” it read. mike sighed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he continued to make the drink. after another minute, he was done. he leaned over the counter.

“here you go.” will put his phone in his pocket and took the drink. he smiled and flicked his eyes from mike’s eyes to his lips and back again, a small smirk growing on his face. for some reason, it seemed like something had changed. like he knew something or was thinking something. hm. whatever.

“thanks, mike.”

mike blushed as will went over to a table in the corner and sat down, opening up his sketchbook. he had never said mike’s name before.

“dude, stop staring.”

mike peeled his eyes away from will and looked at dustin, who was watching him with a cocked eyebrow. “at least TRY to be subtle.”

“i’m being perfectly subtlel!” mike hissed defensively. dustin rolled his eyes and turned back to his work. mike did the same, turning back to HIS work- staring at a cute boy while pretending to wipe the counter.

will drew in his sketchbook for about 45 minutes, sipping his drink and making that cute concentrated look that mike had come to adore. finally, after almost an hour, will closed his sketchbook and sighed. he picked up a napkin and made a quick doodle on it, then headed for the door, throwing a small smile and wave back at mike and dustin.

the second he was out of the shop, mike bolted to the table will was sitting at. dustin raised an eyebrow.

“you’re whipped, mike.”

“shut up!”

mike quickly unfolded the napkin and stared at the drawing. it wasn’t the usual animal with a speech bubble that said, “thank you!” nope. that wasn’t it at all.

it was a drawing of a phone with the tinder logo on it. the phone had a little text bubble coming from it, and it read “mike_w- you’ve got some real nice pics, there. maybe we’re a match. -willbyerss”.

mike blinked and read the drawing again. and again. and again. he felt like he was going to faint. trying his best to hide his grin, he took out his phone and quickly opened his tinder app. after two quick swipes left, he saw it: will’s profile. there were a couple cute pictures of him with friends and at the beach, and there was one picture at the end that made mike blush. he scrolled down will’s profile and read through all of his information. if mike thought that picture was a little risqué, it was nothing compared to will’s BIO, which made mike feel faint.

“i don’t go to church, but you can find me on my knees any day of the week ;)” it read. who taught him to be so confident and flirty?

not that mike was complaining. honestly, he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of it.

“mike!”

mike jumped and turned back. dustin looked annoyed.

“let’s go, i need help with these drive-through orders!” he said. “you can obsessively clean your boyfriend’s table later.”

mike blushed and stuffed the napkin in his pocket. he put his phone back into his pocket as he headed over to the counter.

but not before swiping right on will.

***

mike was in his room. he had been staring at will’s profile for a solid hour and a half. he was just SO cute. and his profile was perfect. it wasn’t so basic and incomplete that he didn’t learn anything, but it wasn’t so full that it was annoying to read. mike couldn’t stop swiping through the photos and feeling his face get hot.

he wanted more than anything for will to message him. but knew that that was probably out of the question. will had put the ball in mike’s court, and he was very respectful, so if mike didn’t reach out, will would take that as a “no, thank you”, and move on.

sighing, mike opened his messages and stared at the blank page. he typed out several messages, but all of them sounded wrong. finally, he settled on one.

mike_w: how about that, looks like we matched after all

after typing it out, mike clicked his phone off and slammed it down. he vowed to himself that he would get to bed early and not look at any more notifications tonight.

a moment later, mike’s phone buzzed. he immediately picked it up and his heart leapt when he saw that the notification was from tinder.

yeah, okay. he’s breaking that vow. not even going to try and kid himself into thinking that he can wait.

willbyerss: well, well, well, look who it is

willbyerss: glad to see you got my doodle, was hoping your coworker didn’t pick it up

mike_w: i typically clean the tables and i especially do when you’re there

mike_w: i love your doodles

mike_w: although i would REALLY love to see what you’re working on in the big sketchbook every time you come in

willbyerss: well to tell you the truth i’ve been working on something for a while now

mike_w: which is?

willbyerss: i take a lot of inspiration from everything around me

willbyerss: so it’s a portrait of a really cute barista who works at my favorite coffee shop that i’ve had a little crush on for a while

mike_w: is that so?

willbyerss: mhmm

mike_w: well i bet this barista would probably want to see that drawing

mike_w: probably thinks your art is really great

willbyerss: that’s very sweet of him

willbyerss: although honestly i’d rather know how he feels about me instead of my art

mike_w: i’m willing to bet that he probably has felt the same way about you for a while

mike_w: probably noticed you the first time you came in and thought you were adorable and has convinced his coworkers to let him take your order every time you’re there

mike_w: hypothetically, of course

willbyerss: ah yes, all hypothetical

willbyerss: you know i’m actually messaging with this guy right now

mike_w: yeah?

willbyerss: oh yeah

mike_w: how’s that going

willbyerss: great, although he’s kinda surprising me a bit

mike_w: how so?

willbyerss: well he’s acting super confident and flirty but in person he’s a nervous wreck and the cutest dork i’ve ever seen

mike_w: there’s probably a good chance that he’s still acting like that right now and is smiling like a middle schooler who just had their first kiss

mike_w: just one of those situations where he can make himself look put together over text, you know?

willbyerss: makes sense. and warms my heart tbh, i always thought those mannerisms were super endearing

mike_w: well that’s good, i bet that those mannerisms have no chance at leaving any time soon

willbyerss: glad to hear it

willbyerss: so you say he’s probably smiling like a middle schooler who just had their first kiss?

mike_w: i’m willing to bet that, yes

willbyerss: damn, wish i was there, that sounds like the cutest thing i could possibly witness

willbyerss: wish i was there for a couple of reasons tbh

mike_w: he probably wishes you were there too, and he’s probably freaking out about your confident and shameless flirting right now

willbyerss: maybe i’ll just have to act this way in person so i can see it happen in real time

willbyerss: i mean i want to make him blush like a middle schooler who just got their first kiss

willbyerss: wonder if he’d react like that if i kissed him

mike_w: hmmm yes probably i could see that happening

willbyerss: perfect

willbyerss: maybe the next time i see him and we get a moment alone i’ll push him up against a wall and give him the best kiss of his life just so he knows how perfect he is

mike_w: will i can’t do this oh my god i’m fucking combusting

mike_w: fuck i’m so red right now

willbyerss: cutie pie

willbyerss: i’m gonna take that as a good thing and say that i’m probably allowed to do that the next chance i get

mike_w: hope you’re taking that as i’m BEGGING you to do that the next chance you get

willbyerss: anything for you lovely

willbyerss: when are you in next

mike_w: tomorrow morning

willbyerss: see you then handsome

mike_w: afsdhjk <3

willbyerss: so fucking adorable

mike clicked his phone off and let it drop on his chest. he closed his eyes, a huge grin spreading across his face, then squealed and kicked his feet in the air.

for once, he couldn’t be more excited for an 8am shift.

***

mike grinned as the bell on the door rang and his favorite face came in. he felt some nervous energy, but not in a bad way like he usually did. now, it was more excited tension. will grinned back and came right up to the counter.

“don’t tell me,” said mike. “a small white chocolate mocha with extra whip, for will, and you’re gonna give me a $3 tip on an already too expensive drink?”

will smiled, gazing into mike’s eyes with a flirty expression. he hummed happily.

“look who’s learning,” he said. “guess i just had to make myself more memorable, huh?”

mike blushed and smiled.

“guess so.”

#stranger things #stranger things au #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fic #coffee shop au #stranger things coffee shop au #byler #byler au #byler coffee shop au #byler fanfic #byler one shot #byler fic #mike wheeler #will byers #mike wheeler i know what you are #soft mike wheeler #pining mike wheeler

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ghosttotheparty · 11 months

Note

Dialogue prompts: 08. “I look at you and I think, ‘sunshine. Literal sunshine.’ It’s annoying.”

hi sorry this took so long!!! i decided to do byler for this one bc i don't write them enough and i had another byler idea so i just thought id combine them <3 also on ao3

The air feels tense.

Everyone is downstairs, but it's like Mike can feel the way they're all holding their breaths too as they prepare.

Prepare feels like such a silly word. But he can't think of a better one. They're all packing their bags with first aid supplies. Nancy is making sure she has enough ammunition. Steve is putting more nails in his bat. (Some of them have bent over the years.)

Mike looks across the room at where Will is changing his shirt. His back is to Mike, and Mike watches his muscles shift under his skin as he pulls the fabric down over his head and shakes his hair out. It's gotten longer.

Will exhales shakily, pausing after fixing the shirt around his waist, and then he leans down to grab his shoes, looking back at Mike, whose cheeks flush with heat when their eyes meet.

"'S gonna be alright," Will says gently, and of course he wouldn't understand why Mike is looking at him.

"Yeah," Mike says, taking a deep breath, nodding, watching Will cross the room to sit on the bed next to him, bending over to put his shoes on. "I know."

It's quiet as Will ties his shoelaces and then reties them, tighter. He's always liked having his laces done up tightly, but Mike supposes it makes sense in this context, needing his laces in a knot that won't come undone. Will holds his feet out in front of himself when he's done, knocking his shoes together. Mike copies him.

They both look down, sitting side by side, listening to Dustin say something in the hallway. His voice is muffled and they can't understand him, but he doesn't seem to be talking to them, so it doesn't really matter. Their hands are almost touching where they're both holding the edge of the bed, their pinkies brushing as Will bumps his foot into Mike's, and Mike smiles.

It feels so stupid, getting butterflies at a time like this, but he can't help it. Will does it again, and Mike retaliates, knocking their shoes together harder, kicking him away. He suppresses a smile when Will snorts.

"You're so dramatic," Will says, but Mike can hear his smile.

"I've never been dramatic a day in my life."

"Oh my god, you liar--"

Mike elbows Will, and Will lets out a giggle (a giggle), trying to dodge it, but he's unsuccessful, and he just turns his body, laughing as he tries to catch Mike's arm as he tries to elbow him again.

"You're so annoying," Will laughs, trying to get him back, and Mike grins, knocking his arm away and reaching to jab him in the ribs. Will yelps, hunching over to block his midsection, but he just falls forward, into Mike, who catches him in his arms.

"You're annoying," Mike refutes, feeling the way Will shakes when he giggles again.

"How the fuck am I annoying?" he asks, and he's just leaning against Mike now, not even trying to pull away.

"You're so optimistic," Mike complains, but it just makes Will laugh again, and they shift, staying close, leaning against each other, Mike's arm around Will's shoulder. Will's hands are in his lap, his fingers tangled.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Will asks lightly, and it sounds like such a genuine question that Mike doesn't even know what to say. He guesses he's kind of right. They've all gotten through everything in the past few years with bumps and bruises and scars and nightmares, but they've still managed. Why won't they this time?

"So annoying," Mike says, and Will snorts. "I mean, seriously, I've never met anyone as annoying as you."

"Wow," Will says slowly, elbowing Mike's side, but neither of them pulls away. "You ever run into a mirror?" Mike's jaw drops, but he's grinning, and he drops his arm when Will reaches an arm up and tugs at his hair. "I guessed you haven't 'cause of this mess, but..."

"Wow," Mike says loudly, ignoring the way Will's fingers in his hair make his brain short-circuit a little. "Now you're just being mean, I was gonna say you're annoying 'cause you're so sweet."

"Sweet?" Will exclaims, his arm dropping, but it's resting on Mike's shoulder, his hand still touching the ends of his hair. "Since when am I sweet?"

"Since always, are you kidding me?"

"No?" They're both laughing. This is ridiculous. "I've never been sweet, oh my god--"

"What about when you gave that girl your toy because she was sad?" Mike says, running his hand over Will's back absentmindedly, over his spine and the folds in the fabric of his t-shirt. (That's actually Mike's t-shirt, but Mike is trying not to think about that.) "Or when I was sick that year and you brought me, like, a stack of drawings you did for me?"

Will rolls his eyes, playing with the ends of Mike's hair, his cheeks flushing pink.

"That was when we were little kids," he says dismissively. "That doesn't count."

"You're still sweet," Mike argues. "And it's annoying."

"My sweetness is annoying," Will repeats, suppressing a smile as he looks at Mike, and they're so close, sitting like this. Mike could count his eyelashes.

"Yeah, it's like you fucking glow with it." Will interrupts with a laugh. “I mean, I look at you and I think, ‘sunshine. Literal sunshine.’ It’s annoying.”

Will's eyes squeeze shut when he giggles again, turning his face away, His arm falls heavily on Mike's shoulder, and his fingers are still tangled in the ends of Mike's hair, and Mike thinks maybe Will doesn't actually hate his hair as much as he says he does. Mike runs his hands over his back again. He's warm through the fabric of the shirt, and Mike settles on what he said. Will is sunshine.

"You're so annoying," Will says after a moment, still smiling.

"You're annoying."

Will glares at him half-heartedly, but he's smiling a little, and Mike grins. And then Will's eyes flicker down to his mouth, and Mike is awfully aware of how quiet it is. He can almost hear their heartbeats. They're fast.

Will's fingers push into Mike's hair, and his hand is holding the back of his head gently like it's fragile, and Mike slides his hand up Will's back, skimming his face. (And it's a really nice fucking face. God.)

They're getting closer. Mike exhales when their noses brush together, and Will's eyes flutter shut, his fingers tangling with Mike's curls and tightening a little bit.

Mike tilts his head, nudging his chin up, and this is fucking happening, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god--

Will moves closer, his other hand finding Mike's leg and holding on loosely, like he's scared of breaking him, of breaking the moment, and their lips brush, and Mike's eyes sting.

But neither of them has to worry about breaking the moment, because Mike's door bursts open, and Dustin sticks his head in as they jump apart.

"Hey, we're ready to go," Dustin says breathlessly, apparently not noticing anything out of the ordinary. He's wearing a black bandana on his head. "You guys ready?"

"Uh, yeah," Will says weakly, pulling his hand away from Mike's lap as his arm falls from his shoulder hesitantly, and Mike realizes how close they are, but he doesn't pull his arm away from where it's resting around Will's lower back. "We'll be right there."

Dustin nods. He leaves the door open when he goes back downstairs.

Will sighs, and he falls forward so his forehead is on Mike's shoulder. He puts his hands back in his lap, pausing there for a moment. Mike runs his hand up his back again, holding him close for a moment.

And then Will lifts his head, taking another breath.

"We'll be fine," he says lightly. Too lightly.

"Optimism," Mike says dryly, raising an eyebrow. Will cracks a smile, softening.

They sit together in Argyle's van, side by side across from Lucas, who's facing the ceiling, his eyes closed, and El. Mike glances at Will. He's got his head down, his eyes closed, and he's taking deep, measured breaths. Mike's chest aches as he listens to them, and he looks ahead again, meeting El's eye. She gestures toward Will with an unreadable expression, but Mike gets it.

He reaches over hesitantly before he sets his hand on Will's leg, touching him lightly just above his knee. Will doesn't react, and Mike runs his thumb back and forth gently, watching Will carefully in case he hates it.

Will's eyes flutter open, landing on Mike's hand on his leg, and he exhales shakily before he reaches for it. His hand is shaking a little as he slides his palm over the top of Mike's hand before he entwines their fingers, and his hand is so warm it's ridiculous. Will takes another breath, letting his head fall back against the wall of the van. They hit a bump, and it jostles them, and Will's hand tightens on Mike's.

Mike sighs, running his thumb over Will's skin gently, relaxing against the wall, and El catches his eye again. She nods, smiling softly.

Everyone is quiet as they exit the van, as they all line up to go through the gate. Steve helps them all through, holding their hands and arms tightly to support them.

They all seem hesitant to separate into their groups. Mike feels sick, watching Will turn to join Steve and Robin, almost panicked as his stomach twists and turns, as the thunder rumbling turns to white noise, and as he watches them all step away, he can't stop himself before

"Will."

They all turn back, which wasn't Mike's intention, but he doesn't really care when their eyes meet, because Will looks fucking desperate, like he's about to burst into tears, and Mike's whole body hurts. It's quiet as they look at each other, as Will's eyes glisten, and then Mike is moving forward, going down the steps two at a time, and he's kissing him.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

But his hand is holding Will's cheek, and Will's arms wrap around his waist tightly, and their lips press so hard it kind of hurts, but Mike doesn't fucking care. He also doesn't fucking care that literally everyone is seeing this, and El is the only one who even knows he likes Will, and Jesus fuck, what the hell is he doing--

But Will's hands grasp at his jacket, holding him close, and after a moment Will tilts his head, and the kiss softens, and maybe everything has actually been worth it.

They both gasp when they part, and Mike holds Will's head in his hands, his fingers pressing into his hair gently as their foreheads press. A tear slips down Will's cheek as his eyes close, and Mike wipes it away.

"Optimism," he whispers. "Right?"

Will's hands tighten on Mike's jacket, and he takes a shaky breath, nodding, and then he lifts his chin, pressing a soft kiss to Mike's lips.

And Mike has never wanted to survive anything more as they separate and part ways.

#so anyway #i love them #i wanted to make this longer but i have zero energy and its already three am so ig this is the ending were getting #take from it what you will #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #byler fanfic #byler one shot #will byers fanfic #mike wheeler fanfic

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thesapphicsoldier · 1 year

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I’m always getting ideas for oneshots but never actually write them, so I thought I’d share my ideas with you guys and you can let me know which one you want me to write first.

(It’s not 100% guaranteed that I’ll write whatever wins since I lose interest in ideas easily, but it’s pretty likely I’ll do it)

A byler fic from Will’s perspective about his sort of “superpower” over Mike. It’s about how Mike is much softer and sweeter around him than he his with everyone else, and if Will requests something, he listens. The party uses Will to convince Mike to go to this event, which leads to some revelations. (Mid-long in length)

Will coming out to El. Pretty self explanatory. El gets scared of a thunderstorm and goes to Will for comfort. They hangout and play board games and eventually start having some deep conversations. (Short in length)

The bathroom scene from Robin’s perspective and her (platonic, obviously) feelings toward Steve. It talks about her struggle to maintain friendships and how she’s extremely grateful to have met someone who will stay by her side. (Short-mid in length)

Byler-centric fic about Robin clocking Mike as gay and trying to connect with him. The two grow closer over time as Mike eventually starts to confide in her, ending with a confession of his feelings. (Mid-long in length)

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byler-luvr · 2 years

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MISTAKE ~ A BYLER FANFICTION

(i’m going to post this on ao3 as soon as my account gets approved, but for now, enjoy this!)

summary : mike battles through his internalized homophobia as he makes a shocking realization about his best friend, will.

Mike sat next to his best friend of ten years in complete and utter silence, neither knowing what to say. It had been like that a lot lately.

Mike wasn't sure why.

The two were currently sat in the Wheeler's living room, a more-than-safe distance between them, with Will sitting on the far right, and Mike on the far left. He truly didn't know why.

They had barely spoken in days. He'd assumed it was just because they were all tired from being crammed in a pizza van for the past week, but now he wasn't so sure. They'd gotten back hours ago, and Mike still hadn't heard a word from the boy that sat next to him.

They'd gone to Hopper's cabin - who was apparently alive now, much to Mike's confusion - the hospital, where Max was sat in a coma, for God knows how long; The school, to volunteer for those that were injured, or had destroyed property; The field, where vividly gorgeous grass and flowers turned melancholy. And still, nothing.

And it wasn't one of Will's depressive silences, either - it wasn't like before, when he simply couldn't bring himself to talk, and all Mike could do was hug him, tell him everything would be alright. No, this was different. There had been a confusing tension between the pair since they'd left Surfer Boy Pizza, where El had seemingly saved the word.

Oh, Mike thought. That was another thing. The breakup.

Much to his surprise, however, Mike didn't care much about it - Like, at all. He seriously didn't give a shit, which was concerning, to say the least. He should care that his girlfriend of several years had broken up with him, right? Last time he'd cared. Last time he was furious.

He supposed this time was different though, civil. It happened that very night, right outside of Surfer Boy Pizza - Right after he'd given his speech to El. Yeah, he knew those really weren't the right words to say.

El had come to him, crying. Not necessarily sad, more so just...Mourning. That's it. El was mourning the loss of their relationship.

Mike remembered it so clearly. The bittersweet look on El's tear-stained face as she walked up to him, just moments after she'd somehow managed to get Mike to try pineapple on pizza. He remembered his heart falling at the sight of her, immediately knowing what was about to happen. A breakup.

He cried lightly in the moment, but not because he didn't want to break up. He knew it was the right thing to do, and he knew they should've done it ages ago. Hell, they both knew.

He cried because everybody was leaving him. Everybody was always leaving him. First it was Will. He called every single day while Will was in Lenora, for months. And not once did he get an answer, or a call back. Will had forgotten about him, which was a pain that Mike had yet to analyze. He simply buried it deep, pretending not to care.

And then it was El. Of course, now he knows that El definitely wasn't leaving him. In a weird way, the two had been a hell of a lot closer since the breakup. It finally felt like they could talk to each other - Like they were destined to be friends, nothing more. It was relieving. But for a split second, as El broke the news to him that she in fact did not need him anymore, he felt her leaving. Drifting away. Maybe he was projecting, channeling, even - But it was scary. He didn't like it one bit.

"Mike?" The boy heard Will murmur, nearly making him jump as he remembered his current reality, snapping out of his thoughts as he turned to look at his friend, who has a soft yet stern expression on his face.

"What's up?" Mike asked with a small, contained smile. He was far too happy at such a simple interaction - It was the first time Will had talked to him in what felt like an eternity.

"I'm going to bed. Today has been...Tiring," Will murmured as he hoisted himself up from the couch, not an ounce of feeling or emotion behind his words. He seemed drained.

Mike nodded, jumping up a tad too eagerly after Will, a smile on his face.

He quickly realized how much of an idiot he probably looked like, his face dropping as he cleared his throat and smoothed out his shirt. What was up with him lately?

"Cool," He squeaked, his voice cracking slightly from nerves. Nerves about what, he didn't know. "I'll come with."

The Byers would be staying with the Wheelers until Hopper's cabin was nice and fixed up - Could be days, could be weeks. Karen Wheeler had more than enough hospitality to let them stay for however long they wanted.

The sleeping arrangements had all been decided between the adults. Joyce and Jonathon in the guest room, which was only big enough for two; El sharing a room with Nancy, seeing as she had a trundle bed; and Will in Mikes room. Probably on the floor, or something. They hadn't had a sleepover in a long time.

Will shrugged, not a care in the world as the two walked up the stairs, Mike still keeping a safe-distance between the two, for reasons beyond him.

Will quickly went to go take a shower, leaving Mike all alone in his room. Not like it made a difference, either way. He would feel alone regardless of Will being there or not.

After changing in to a white tank-top and some plaid-blue pajama pants, Mike didn't know what to do. Should he just go to sleep, not caring about where Will was? Should he find something to occupy his time?

So, he went with the in-between...Sitting at the foot of his bed, legs crossed and hands together, desperately staring at the door as he waited for Will to come back. Amazing.

Mikes foot shook and tapped eagerly under his leg, chewing on his lip and he waited and waited for Will to come back. He didn't know exactly why he was waiting, but he thought it would be rude to go to bed without figuring out what Will's sleeping arrangements would be.

Finally, after what felt like years, there was a small twist of the doorknob, causing Mike's head to shoot up intently.

The door cracked ever-so-slightly, as a bashful, familiar face peered through the door, not daring to make eye contact with the boy that sat before him. His hair looked different. It was damp and messy, not like his usual clean bowl-cut. It looked nice.

"Um - So, I kind of didn't bring any clothes...They’re all in California," He murmured, awkwardness filling up the room as he said so.

Mike's cheeks turned pink, as he quickly broke eye-contact and ran over to his closet to find some clothes for Will. He tried his best not to think about the fact that Will was either naked, or wrapped up in a towel - Because why the hell would he want to think about that, anyway.

"Here, y-you can wear these," Mike offered as he handed Will a plain blue t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

Will creaked the door open a little bit more, revealing his full body, a rather small, white towel wrapped around his lower half.

Mike could feel his eyes instinctively fall, so he brought them back up...and then they fell again, so he brought them back up. And again. And again.

He couldn't help it! It wasn't in a weird way, or anything, he was just surprised. Will's body looked a lot...Different, than it had before. He looked more like a man now, more grown. Mike had noticed before that his shoulders had gotten more broad, and he'd definitely started working out, but it still surprised him. Sweet, little pre-teen Will had changed, grown.

Mike had gotten a lot taller, but also somehow...Skinnier? His bones were so prominent, you could touch his skin and they'd probably break. He hated it. He hated the fact that Will's muscle mass had changed with his height. He hated that fact that he looked so good...It was just jealousy. Completely normal.

"Thanks," Will nearly whispered, clearly embarrassed and he grabbed the clothes and quickly ran back to the bathroom to change, before walking back to Mike's room for bed.

Mike could feel his cheeks heat up yet again as Will walked into the room, for reasons unknown. He'd been getting heat flashes all day - Maybe it had to do with the upside down. It probably had to do with the upside down.

Mikes clothes were far too long on Will's body, but also a little too tight. They outlined his figure perfectly, the shirt clinging to his abdomen, the sweatpants doing what we all know grey sweatpants do when they're worn by men. Mike just tried his best not to look.

"Okay, so-" Mike started to say, thinking they could start brainstorming a proper sleeping arrangement, before someone burst through the door without knocking. Mike didn't even have to look to know it was his mom. She did that a lot.

"Oh, perfect! I was hoping you two hadn't gone to sleep yet," She said with a warm smile, as she set a laundry basket filled with Mikes clothes down on the floor, next to his closet.

"Mike, honey, I want Will to sleep in bed with you tonight. Figured he hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in quite a while," She said calmly, immediately making Mike's eyes widen.

Sure, the two had slept in the same bed before, but that was when they were kids! It was weird now...Right?

"Mom! We're - We're both boys," He exclaimed, his tone hushing towards the end. Will stayed silent.

Karen Wheeler raised an eyebrow. "Exactly," she said slowly. "Which is why it's okay for you two to sleep in the same bed - Mike, sweetie, can you just not be difficult for once?" She groaned.

Mike rolled his eyes, completely shocked at his mothers preposition, before landing on a decision.

"Whatever. Will, you take the bed, I'll just sleep on the floor," He murmured with a huff, before his moms arms started to cross and her eyebrow raised even more. Well, shit.

"With your back problems? No way José, you two are both sleeping in that bed, end of discussion," She said firmly, making Will let out a small snicker from across the room. Mike sent him a glare, which didn't seem to do much.

Mike sighed in response, before slowly starting to lean back on his bed, making Karen smile before she left the room and close the door.

"So..." Mike trailed, his heart racing. Probably just because of the upside down.

"Calm down, you big baby, us sharing a bed isn't the end of the world," Will teased as he hopped under the covers next to Mike, turning the light off as he did so. Mike smiled at the banter, hoping it meant things could go back to normal now. Like an icebreaker.

"Whatever," Mike murmured as he got comfortable, nuzzling his head further into the pillow as he turned around to face his wall. The bed was small, too small for the both of them. Mike could feel Will's knee brush against his own, before quickly retreating.

"'Night, Will," He murmured, his eyelids heavy before he finally closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Mike," Will said back, his voice barely above a whisper, sending chills down Mike's spine as his warm breath made contact with Mike's neck.

And with that, the two drifted off to sleep.

When Mike awoke the next morning, he was greeted with a warm, fuzzy feeling. The same feeling he always woke up with when he was a little kid, arms wrapped around his teddy bear as if it would float away if he let go.

Wait, when did Mike start sleeping with Teddy again? He thought he got rid of it years ago...

The boys brow furrowed in confusion, his grip tightening nonetheless as he looked down to see what - Or who - on earth he was holding.

He looked down to see a peaceful Will smooshed against his chest, a small smile on his sleepy face as his eyes laid gently shut. His hand was lightly pressed against Mike's chest, the other one on his shoulder. That observation quickly made it hard for Mike to breathe. Had the toxic air from outside leaked into his house? He threw a glance towards the window, which was tightly shut. No. That was just Will.

Mike panicked. It was wrong. Whether it felt like it or not, it made him feel...Dirty. Like there was something extremely problematic going on.

Without thinking, he quickly sat up and jerked back, using his hands to forcefully push Will off of him, nearly making the poor boy tumble off of the bed as he gasped, his eyes flinging open.

"What the hell, Mike?" Will exclaimed worriedly as he jumped off of the bed, backing up so that he was far away from Mike, who's back was pressed against the wall, a mix between nervousness and anger on his face.

"What were - What were you doing?" He asked through a pant, scared and confused out of his mind and he cautiously stared at Will. His hair was all messy, his face bright red, and his eyes dark. Will still looked nice, even when he had just woken up. How strange.

"I wasn't doing anything, you pulled me in like that the second you fell asleep!" He exclaimed, immediately making Mike's face fall expressionless.

Oh.

"N-No, I didn't," Mike pressed, his eyes quickly breaking contact from Will's as he stared down at his lap. Did he? Why wouldn't Will have pulled away? Was he too scared? Did he...Like the comfort?

"Jesus, whatever, I'm going downstairs," Will huffed as he roughly smoothed out his clothes, before quickly stomping away and out the door.

Will looked mad - Furious. Well, the most of him did. But his eyes...His eyes looked hurt. Sad, even. Like he was on the verge of tears, and would pop at any given moment.

Mike instantly felt a wave of guilt. Why would he react like that, anyway? What on earth would possess him to lay hands on Will like that, to be so rude? It's not like it was a bad thing to cuddle with your friends, right? So why did it make Mike feel like such a terrible person, like there was something wrong with him? What the hell was going on?

Mike sighed quickly - Honestly, it was more of a huff - Before he toppled over and out of bed, running down after Will to make sure he was okay.

God, why did he do stuff like this? Why couldn't he just be normal for once?

"Will, wait!" Mike called after him, absolutely exasperated as he ran down the stairs to find Will. God, he must've gotten really fast, because that damn boy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"I didn't—" Mike starts to apologize once he sees Will in the living room, but he quickly catches himself as he noticed Nancy and El standing there.

"Everything okay?" Nancy asks as she grabs her keys. Mike nods - A rather unconvincing nod - Because he doesn't want them to get involved. He knows they'd both take Will's side, which he just couldn't handle right now.

Sometimes he just needed to be needed.

"Nancy is taking me to the beauty parlor, to be pretty," El said with an oblivious, cheerful smile.

Nancy shrugged, a small smile on her face as Mike turned to face her. "She just needs a break, before she, y'know...Saves the world," She explained with a wink, making Mike laugh. It was a little forced out, but a laugh either way.

"You always look pretty, El," Mike reassured the girl. It was true. She was a very pretty girl, and Mike definitely loved her...Just not like that. He didn't know why he wasn't in love with her, because obviously any guy would be lucky to have her, but...He just wasn't.

El smiled, her cheeks rosy. "Thank you, Mike," She said calmly, before opening the front door and walking outside.

"Okay, everyone else is out, so it's just you two," Nancy explained, making Mike's heart skip a beat. Alone time with Will is what he needed right now - He just needed to be with his best friend. And apologize.

"No funny business - I mean it!" Nancy said sternly, giving the boys a 'look' before walking out the door.

The two stood in silence for a moment, before Mike decided to try and crack a joke. That never went over well, but he always tried.

"You hear that, Will? No funny business," He said in an old lady voice, forcing out a pathetic laugh. Will did not reciprocate.

"What was that in there?" He asked, his tone and expression emotionless. He seemed so completely over it. Over everything. Over all of Mike's bullshit.

"I...I don't know. Look, Will, I'm sor—" Mike began, planning out a sincere apology in his head until Will cut him off.

"Oh, are you sorry? Is that all?" He asked snarkily, making Mike's face scrunch up in confusion. What was up with him?

"Do you not want me to be sorry?" Mike asked, his tone slightly raised. Mike got angry way too easily, that he knew. He also knew he deserved whatever he had coming - not that he could've predicted what was going to happen that day.

"What I want is my best friend back! It's like - It's like you forgot about me, the second I moved away. No, before that! The second El came back into your life last year, suddenly I'm non-existent!" He shouted, and Mike could tell he'd had this bottled up for a long time.

Mike's face fell into a tight look - Eyes scrunched, brow furrowed, lips pursed.

"El and I broke up," He murmured, figuring Will would hear the news at some point. Will's face fell for a split second, before scrunching back up into anger. There was no coming back from this one - Will was pissed.

"Yeah? Well, good for her. You were a shitty boyfriend, anyway," He spat. Ouch. Mike knew it was true - Hell, everybody that had ever seen Mike and El together knew it was true. He was an asshole, a dirtbag. He never knew how to treat El properly, and it only ever made her hurt. But that doesn't mean that the truth didn't hurt him just as bad.

"Oh, like you know anything about relationships! Is that why you were trying to cuddle up with me, hm? So you could just take a break from reality, a-and act like some fuckin' queer!" Mike shouted.

Instant regret.

He didn't even know where that came from, or why he brought it up. He didn't know why he was still hung up on the fact that he'd woken up in Will's arms, or the fact that he didn't fully hate it. He didn't know why he was such an asshole. He didn't know why he was a shitty boyfriend, and he didn't know why he was an even shittier friend. He just didn't know.

All he knew is that that was the wrong thing to say. He'd promised himself a long time ago that he would never treat Will the way that everybody else did. He promised himself that he would never use that word, or call him a fairy, or tease him for the way he dressed. But he'd just broken that promise, and now there was most definitely no coming back from them. Ten years of friendship, down the drain.

Will's eyes were filled with tears at that point, but he wouldn't let them fall. He wouldn't let Mike have that victory. He looked hurt, more hurt than he had ever been. And he was.

He was panting heavily, his breath catching as he just...Stared. Stared at Mike, directly in the eyes. Mike didn't have the self-control to look away. Mike felt like he couldn't do anything. No matter how hard he wanted to apologize and hug Will, he just couldn't make himself move. He was frozen.

"I..." Will started to say, his voice breaking as he let out a small hiccup, holding his head high nonetheless.

"I cant fucking believe you," He mustered, before his sobs broke through and he turned around to run out the door.

Mike stood in shock for a moment, having never heard Will swear. He'd promised he wouldn't use any word stronger than 'hell', or the occasional 'ass', because he knew that his mom hated it. It reminded her of Lonnie. And Will wanted to be anything but Lonnie.

Without another word, Mike quickly snapped out of it and ran full pace after Will, who was currently in the garage trying to get his bikes kickstand up, so he could wheel away and leave forever.

"Will!" Mike exclaimed, reaching a hand out to grab Will's shoulder and turn him around. "Will," Mike murmured, his eyes glossy as he stared down at Will's broken face, tears streaming down his cheeks as he sobbed furiously. Mike did that.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted, his voice more high-pitched and squeaky, the way it was last year.

Mike jumped back at the loud sound, his first instinct to cover his ears, but he refrained.

"I wanna go - home," Will said through a pant, continuing to sob as he kicked the kickstand up, getting ready to mount Mike's bike.

Mike panicked, doing the first thing he could think of...Throwing his bike out of the way. It crashed onto the floor, causing Will to yelp as he jumped back.

"Home? Home? You don't have a home, Will!" Mike yelled, the anger rising back up to his throat, despite the obvious guilt and sadness he felt as a single tear dripped down his cheek.

"I want to go back...To Lenora," Will huffed, his sobs steadying out as he took a small deep breath.

Mike's brow furrowed. Lenora? He was choosing California over his home?!

"People were - People were different there! The only reason I even wanted to come back is because...Because..." Will panted with a sniffled, trailing off towards the end.

Mike's brow furrowed. "Because?" He pressed, his tone aggressive and snarky, despite the fact that he had meant it to be nice.

"Because of you, Mike. Because I thought you were the one -" He points his finger, aggressively pushing it onto Mike's chest, causing him to stumble back slightly. "Person that wouldn't judge me, that wouldn't call me that. But I guess I was wrong," Will spat, before turning around and running out into the driveway, where it was now starting to rain.

And suddenly, flashbacks fill Mike's mind.

All so you could swap spit with some stupid girl?

Will had asked.

It's not my fault you don't like girls!

Mike had spat.

Yeah, I guess I did.

That fight, the things he'd said...It kept Mike awake for weeks. He didn't know what would possess him to say something like that. Especially when he knew it wasn't true - Obviously it wasn't true. Of course Will likes girls. Just like Mike. Just like how Mike liked girls - Mike liked girls.

"Will - Shit," Mike muttered to himself, sucking in his lips before he followed after Will, who was now stopped in his tracks, soaking wet from the rainwater as he stood heaving, staring up at the trees in front of The Wheeler's house.

"I didn't...I know you're not...Like that," Mike stammered, before finally landing on his words.

Will let out a short, bitter laugh, not even bothering to turn around and face the best friend that stood behind him.

"Like that," He repeated, shaking his head as he repeated it once more. "Like that," He said, this time slower.

"I just mean that I-I shouldn't have used that word, okay?" Mike said through a sigh, not knowing the proper things to say.

"The one person in this town that didn't make me feel like a mistake for being...Different," Will mutters - Nearly whispers - To himself, a sense of familiarity in his words.

Wait, no. A lot of familiarity in his words. He'd said that exact sentence before, hadn't he? Was Mike going crazy?

Sometimes when you're different, you feel like a mistake.

But it was El who said that, wasn't it? Will was just...Repeating. Wasn't he?

"What...What did you say?" Mike asked, his tone hushed as he stared intensely at the back of Will's neck.

Mike didn't have to see Will's face to know that it had fallen - He'd realized his mistake. Whatever it was.

"Shit," Will whispered to himself, so quiet that Mike could just barely hear it.

And then, rage. Again. Every time Mike thought he was finally okay, that he had calmed down, it just had to come back. All because of stupid fucking Will.

"Will." Mike said sternly, finally getting Will to turn around, a look of pure terror on his face, his wet hair sprawled out all over his forehead, drooping over his eyes.

"Mike-" Will started to say, his voice calm and quiet, until Mike cut him off.

"Did El commission that painting?" Mike asked through gritted teeth. Why would Will lie about something like that? What was the point?

Will's brow furrowed, his breath picking up the pace again, clearly on the verge of hyperventilating.

"What? Y-Yes! Of course she did, I don—" Will stammered, causing Mike's blood to boil.

"What. The. Fuck," Mike spat, his tone legitimately scary. Even Mike didn't know what was happening, or what he was capable of, as he slowly inched closer to Will, who was practically pushed up against the fence at this point as Mike pressed two pointed fingers against Will's shoulder.

"So what, 'Friend’s Don't Lie' was just bullshit? Y-You just made me feel like she actually cared about me, even though you knew - you knew she didn't!" Mike snarled, pushing Will back lightly so that he was fully against the fence at this point, pure terror on his face.

"Friends? Can you even call us friends anymore?" Will asked, a hint of sass in his scared tone.

"Don't change the fucking subject! You lied to me, Will. Why would you lie to me?!" He shouted, a small sob coming up his throat as he stared down at the terrified, crying boy.

Maybe they were both crying at this point. It was hard to tell through the rain; Everywhere was soaked. Mike couldn't differentiate between his own teardrops and raindrops anymore.

"I didn't lie, okay, I didn't," Will pressed, but Mike didn't believe him. Mike was spiraling - Hell, he was always spiraling. But they never fought like this...He'd never fought with anyone like this.

"You didn't lie?" Mike repeated, his face twitching upwards slightly, as Will shook his head. "You didn't lie, but what, you just happen to feel the exact same way that El supposedly did in your little speech? Yeah?" He asked with a bitter laugh. At this point Will was biting his lip to hold back tears, his face turned to the side as Mike got closer and closer.

"No - I...It's complicated Mike, okay, I don't expect you to understand," He croaked, his voice sore as he turned to face Mike yet again, who had backed up ever so slightly.

"Yeah? Try me," Mike spat back, his face still twisted up in anger as he pinned Will's wrists back against the fence. It took all of his willpower to not hit him - Not that he even knew why he was so angry.

So what, Will told a lie? Why did that hurt Mike so much? Why was he acting so crazy?

"I meant what I said, Mike, I meant...I meant every Goddamn word," He said through his broken sobs, his breath catching every few seconds.

"It just...Um," He continued, on the verge of a panic attack at this point. Mike was more than confused - About a lot of things.

Confused about Will, confused about El, confused about himself. Confused about why he felt so warm and fuzzy while he was next to Will, despite the fact that he wanted to hit him so hard it would break something. He was just very, very confused.

"They weren't El's feelings, okay?" And suddenly everything was so very, very clear. And Mike was more mad than ever.

Mad at Will for being like that, sure, but more mad at himself for...Not fully hating it. A small fraction of his heart felt like melting, and behind his grimace was a small smile, somewhere deep inside. The portion of his brain that he kept buried deep was pounding, and he didn't know what was happening.

His breath was heavy and fast as he stared at Will's sad eyes, feeling more and more tears stream down his face, and Will's as well.

He didn't know what was happening.

"So what you just...Jesus, you just think that's okay?" Mike asked, his eyes wide as his grip moved from Will's wrists to the collar of his shirt - Well, it was technically Mike's shirt, but still.

"You just think that's fucking okay?!" He screamed, pulling Will by the shirt and lightly slamming him back again, making Will whimper as his eyes shut close, and his face turned away.

But the worst part? The worst part is that Will let him. He let Mike treat him like that, like he was worthless. Like he was a mistake. All for what? Because he liked Mike? Because...Because maybe Mike couldn't bear to think about the fact that he liked Will back?

Will just sat there, defenseless, as he let Mike throw him around like a piece of shit. Of course he didn't think it was okay, but there was no point in arguing. Not when Mike was acting like this.

"Look at me," Mike commanded as his grip tightened and he pushed Will further, but Will didn't listen. He stayed afraid.

"I said look at me!" Mike barked, his hands not moving until Will finally turned to face him, slowly opening his eyes.

And suddenly, Mike realized that what he was doing was very, very wrong. The look of pure terror on Will's face proved that. The look of pure terror that appeared onto Mike's face proved that.

Will looked up at him, eyes wide, red and puffy as tears streamed down faster than Mike thought humanly possible. His lip was quivering, visibly quivering, as his nose sniffled repeatedly, his breath shaky and fast.

Mike's grip immediately loosened, until he eventually dropped his hands, taking a few steps back in horror. He didn't know what the hell had come over him, what had possessed him to act like that, but it was very, very scary. He didn't know what was wrong with him.

Mike's sobs built up slowly, until they were fully audible wails, whimpers, and blubbers; his shoulders shuddering as he stared down at his hands, then back up at Will. Then down at his hands, and back up at Will. Down at his hands, back up at Will. Down, up, down, up, down, up.

"M-Mike?" Will asked quietly, sobbing nonetheless as he stared up at the confused boy. Mike didn't respond. Instead his eyes looked back up at Will, locked on his big, glossy green eyes.

"Mi—" Will started again after a minute, but Mike cut him off. What could possibly possess Mike to do such a thing was well beyond him, but he couldn't help it. He just needed to know what it would feel like - And then promptly beat himself up about it for the rest of his life.

Will flinched as Mike lunged towards him, but it wasn't what he thought it would be.

Mike Wheeler was kissing Will Byers.

It lasted for a mere two seconds, before Mike quickly pulled himself away, fully hyperventilating at this point.

What the hell.

He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what was wrong with him. He didn't know why he did what he did, but all he knew is that he wanted it to happen again. He wanted time to actually think about what it felt like.

The two stayed pulled away for only a few seconds, brows furrowed and mouths gaping, until Will slung a hand on the back of Mike's head and pulled him back in.

It was aggressive. It was forceful. Mike kissed Will with pure hatred.

Not hatred for Will - Never hatred for Will. Hatred for himself. Because why the hell would he do that, how could he feel like this?! Why was this happening?

The boy sobbed into the kiss, but he didn't pull back. He couldn't. He was addicted to it, addicted to Will.

As the two moved in sync, lips parting for milliseconds every once and a while to change positions, Mike could taste the salt of Will's tears - Or maybe it was from his own tears. Maybe a mixture of both? He didn't know. All he knew was that he liked it.

Mike's hand hesitantly lifted up to Will's face, before slowly cupping his cheeks, his other hand pinching Will's waist.

He could feel Will's soft, warm hands against his neck, and it was a feeling he wanted to cling on to for a long time. He never wanted Will to let go.

Their kisses slowly got more gentle, until Will finally pulled away to look up at Mike's sad eyes. He was now crying for than ever, despite the fact that Will's tears had calmed down.

The two were barely pulled apart, noses and foreheads still touching as Mike sobbed, and Will soothed.

"I'm so fucking sorry Will," Mike hiccuped, as he ran his fingers through Will's wet, brown hair. It still felt soft, even in the rain.

"It's okay," Will reassured with a small pant, even though Mike knew it wasn't. None of this was okay.

"Mike?" Will asked, turning his head slightly to catch a glimpse of Mike's golden-brown tear stained eyes.

Mike nodded - Or at least tried to. He was a mess. His heart was racing, his head was foggy, and he didn't know what was happening. He felt so...Dirty. Like he was doing a terrible, terrible thing. Like he was just a terrible mistake, a glitch in the matrix.

"I love you," Will admitted through his final sob, his breath finally slowing down.

Mikes heart stopped. That wasn't okay...Was it? He knew it wasn't. He knew it was wrong. But it felt so right. Everything about this felt so right. He hated to admit that he felt like he was on Cloud 9, like he was finally home. Maybe Will was his home. Was that insane? Did Mike have a serious problem?

"I love you too," The words slipped out before Mike could stop him, causing him to gasp at the sound of them. He didn't mean to say that.

"Oh my God," Mike blubbered, his sobs coming back as he realized the severity of what was happening.

He was so utterly confused.

"It's okay," Will cooed again, pulling Mike in for a hug, which Mike gladly accepted. He clung on to Will like he was the last person in the world, like he would die if he let go.

Despite the obvious height difference, Mike bent down to lay his head in the crook of Wills neck. He just wanted to feel protected. It hurt his neck, but he didn't care. He loved every second of it.

Their arms tightened around each other, Mike scared that he might suffocate Will if he wrapped them any tighter.

The two sat there for a long time - Too long. People had probably walked by, people could probably see them.

Just standing there, in the pouring rain, holding each other like their lives depended on it, as Mike sobbed into Will's shoulder, and Will whispered sweet nothings to make Mike feel better.

And at some point, between the hugging, the reassurance, and the small kisses that Will would place on Mike's head every once and a while, it actually started to work.

Mikes sobs slowed down, his breathing evened out, and his eyes stopped feeling as sore.

Mike was okay.

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