Chapter Text
The air of the upside-down was thicker than Will had remembered. Although his stomach was twisting like the same slick vines that once captured him, he knew it wasn't just from the PTSD. No, it was also from being alone with Mike. At some point, the group decided to split up--- divide and conquer, like they used to do when they had group projects in middle school. And of course, after his indirect confession, Will was stuck alone with Mike.
"So... Who's Tammy?" Mike asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I don't think I've ever met this mystery guy of yours."
Will wasn't expecting Mike to bring it up so soon, much less at all. And although the anxiety was bubbling through him like a pit of lava, a part of him was relieved to have the opportunity to talk about it, even with Mike.
Will shook his head. "Tammy isn’t someone we know. A friend of mine, she... she likes girls. And the first girl she liked, well--- her name was Tammy. Tammy Thompson, actually."
"Oh," Mike scrunched up his nose. "The shitty singer?"
"Exactly," Will laughed, lighting up as he kept walking through the upside-down. "And, um... Tammy doesn’t like girls. So this friend of mine, she got over Tammy. Now she's got a girlfriend."
Mike nodded, listening intently. "And this guy you liked, do I know him?"
Fuck.
"Um..." Will took in a deep, shaky breath, trying to figure out how to proceed. "Mmmyeah, no? M-Maybe. I guess."
It was Mike's turn to laugh. He shook his head and stopped dead in his tracks. "C'mon, Will. You can tell me. I promise I won't judge you. Him, maybe. But not you."
"Thanks," Will stopped, digging the tip of his shoe into the dirt. "I... I want to tell you, but--- you need to promise not to laugh."
"If it's Steve, I cannot promise that," Mike replied quickly.
Will clutched his heart dramatically, gasping. "Oh my God, yep. Totally in love with Steve the hair Harrington. You caught me."
"Ew," Mike scoffed, bringing a hand up to his mouth to stifle a laugh. "Seriously?"
"No!" Will playfully pushed Mike's chest, laughing like a child. "You're an idiot."
A pink tint scattered across Mike's face. He smiled and looked away for a second. "Okay, okay. So... Who is it, then?"
"I'll tell you what," Will started, regretting the words as they slipped past his lips. "I'll tell you about him, but I'm not telling you his name."
Mike nodded. "Okay. Yeah--- Alright. Tell me about him. I'm listening."
"Okay," Will kept walking, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "For starters, he's... really nice. Most of the time. He's an ass sometimes, actually, but I love him anyway."
"Oh?" Mike nudged Will's side with his elbow. "Love? That's a big word."
"Yeah, for you, maybe," Will teased, rolling his eyes.
Mike gasped theatrically. "Ouch. That was a low blow." But Mike definitely wasn't hurt, considering the sweet smile on his face. A smile that Will so desperately wanted to kiss.
"Sorry," Will looked up at the sky for a second to sigh before returning his gaze to Mike. Something in Mike's eyes was playful. Soft. Inviting.
It was only then that Will realized why Mike was so persistent.
"Mike..." Will's breath became shaky, the familiar fear of the unknown crackling in his voice. "You already know, don’t you?"
"I'm pretty sure, yeah," Mike replied softly, leaning back against the brick wall of a nearby building. Even within the darkness of the upside-down, Mike could see a red tint spreading up Will's neck and across his cheeks. It was cute, really, and Mike scolded himself for not being able to notice it sooner.
Although hesitant, Will followed and leaned against the wall next to Mike, leaving a reasonable amount of distance. His worst fear was making Mike uncomfortable, so he had to be cautious. Now more than ever. This was a decade of friendship on the line, teetering on the center of a seesaw sinking in quicksand. But he couldn't lie to Mike, at least not anymore.
"I'm sorry," Will whispered, holding his voice steady to keep himself from crying. Because then Mike would have to comfort him, and Will would’ve felt manipulative.
Mike rolled his head against the brick, allowing himself to lock eyes with Will. Every word he wanted to say was stuck in the back of his throat, heavy and thick like smoke. Because the hazel eyes before him were so mesmerizing that Mike's tongue felt numb, deprived of the ability to form words.
Will so desperately wanted to hear Mike's honey-like voice. Just a drip of a word, something to reassure him that they were still friends. But as the silence grew heavier, Will became impatient.
"Mike," Will pleaded. His eyes were entirely locked with Mike's, but Mike's eyes were... distant. Like he was stuck inside his mind, but to no fault of Vecna.
"I don't---" Mike began, immediately shut down by Will.
"Like boys," Will assumed, regretfully breaking their eye contact. "Yes, I know. I already know you're not like me, Mike."
"Dude. Can you, like, maybe let me finish my sentence?" Mike huffed, although there was no real heat behind it.
Will stared down at the ground, the threat of tears still stinging his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to laugh, not this time. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Go ahead."
"Thanks," Mike fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket, needing something to ground himself in the moment. Something to focus on. "What I was trying to say is... I don’t want you to be sorry. At least, not for liking me."
Will furrowed his brows, the tears pausing. He had to look at Mike, hoping the expression on Mike's face would give him a better understanding--- because what the fuck was that?
"Then--- Is there something I should be sorry for?" Will asked, although he didn't really want to know the answer. What if he wanted Will to apologize for the flirting? God, Mike had to have been uncomfortable with that. Will felt stupid, cringing internally at his prior sad attempts at flirting. Mike had to have clocked it, at least by now.
Will, although not religious in the slightest, prayed to the very God who supposedly disliked his existence. He prayed that Mike would say something easily repairable. Something they could move on from, return to the bond they've built together.
"You said you... HAD... a crush," Mike began, grateful to have Will's full attention. The eye contact kept him afloat in the midst of his sea of doubts. The words formed in his throat, slipping off his tongue and past his lips, barrelling out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I guess... I just want to believe you still do."
...What?
The air between them was now charged, so electric it could bring another demo back to life. Testing the currents, Will reached out to place an unsure hand on Mike's shoulder. Such a simple touch should not have resulted in a physical shock, but it did, and Will jolted. His heart pounded against his ribs, a drumbeat so violent Will worried his chest would crack.
The burn for air caused Will to take in a sharp breath, feeling a familiar ache in his lungs from the neglect. "What are you saying, Mike?"
"You know exactly what I'm saying," Mike replied quickly, too quickly.
Will's pupils flickered back and forth between Mike's eyes, searching for anything other than his first assumption. Because that couldn't be possible, right?
"Will," Mike slid one of his hands on top of Will's, which still rested on his shoulder. He dragged Will's hand to his chest, letting him feel his mildly concerning heartbeat. "You know exactly what I mean."
Will's breath audibly hitched. He could feel the heat of Mike's skin, even through the fabric of Mike's exposed shirt under his half-zipped jacket. It was only then that he realized why Mike had done that--- to remind him that this was real. This wasn't a hallucination, this wasn't a sick joke from Vecna. It was real. Mike was real.
The sting of tears returned, only this time the dam in his eyes burst and the tears poured. Will sobbed against Mike's chest, drenching the exposed shirt with his warm tears. Mike slid his hand into Will's hair, gently caressing Will's head.
"It's okay, Will," Mike's voice softened into a familiar tone, one Will adored because it was special just for him. His sobbing slowed, and he took in uneven breaths against Mike's chest.
The feeling of Mike's fingers in his hair made his heart flip, and suddenly, everything felt a little too real. He pushed himself away from Mike, his hands still on Mike's shoulders holding him at an arm's length.
"What?" Mike chuckled, eyeing Will's bright-red face. The grin Mike possessed had a new form, something Will struggled to call anything other than flirtatious.
Will's lips parted, and the words almost came out. But because he was so intensely flustered, Will's vocal cords decided not to cooperate, and only a strangled squawk escaped Will's throat.
Mike snorted. He loved seeing Will in such a state, especially knowing he was the one causing all of it. It made him dizzy with power and admiration. "You could try to form words, you know."
"Shut up," Will managed to stammer out, sounding like a severely damaged record. He lowered his head, staring down at the ground. Yep. I'm gonna die here. If not from Vecna, from Mike fucking Wheeler.
Feeling bold, Mike cupped Will's face with one hand and tilted his head up, forcing Will to return his gaze. This made Will's eyes widen impossibly past their limits, ready to pop out of his skull. Mike had never seen so many shades of red, not until they all scattered across Will's face, ears, and neck.
"You understand now, don't you?" Mike asked, rubbing his thumb along the burning skin of Will's cheek.
Will nodded, focusing on his breathing as he held eye contact. "You want me to like you."
"And those first three words are just as true," Mike brought his other hand to Will's waist, pulling him closer. His eyes flicked down to Will's lips, his gaze locked a second too long before he returned to their charged eye contact.
"I-" Will nearly choked. "You're saying you want me?"
This couldn't be real. Will was going to wake up, open his eyes to find himself paralyzed under Vecna's grasp. This absolutely could not be real.
"Hey, come back to me," Mike said softly, tracing his thumb agonizingly slow along Will's bottom lip. "I need you to focus when I ask you this."
Will knew where this was going, even if the everlasting doubts in his mind were so loud and sure. "O-Okay. Yeah, um. I'm here."
"Good," Mike leaned in just a little closer, just close enough for their breaths to mingle. "Can I kiss you, Will?"
"Yes," Will replied immediately, embarrassed by how eager he sounded. But he didn’t have time to cringe at himself--- not when Mike had his lips pressed against his.
Mike Wheeler was kissing Will.
Will wasn't sure what to expect from a first kiss. Hell, he never really expected to HAVE his first kiss, much less with Mike. But out of all the things he could've dreamed of, he never would have expected it to feel quite like this.
It wasn't an explosion of fireworks like the movies. It was a soft tingle, the gentle buzz of every nerve in Will's body humming to the harmony of their childhood laughs. It was the swingset, their tiny hands indented from the old chains. It was years of unspoken emotions, all once held back by the very lips that were now united. It wasn't everything Will had dreamed. It was more.
At the unfortunate realization that they needed air to breathe and survive, Will pulled away first, nearly wheezing as he struggled to take in a breath.
A shared look, once hiding an overflow of love behind tear-glazed eyes, now held something new and broken open. For once, Will allowed himself to love Mike Wheeler without caution. He balled up the fabric of Mike's shirt in his hand, pulling him in for another kiss.
This time, the swingset was far out of view. It wasn't a soft brush of lips anymore; it was rougher. Desperate. Like neither of them could hide behind the fear anymore, because it simply didn’t exist. Every trace of doubt and fear had dissipated, fading into the abyss of the upside-down.
The abrasive crackle of a walkie-talkie stabbed through the mood like a sword. Will pulled away, hands shaking as he reached for his walkie. Mike pouted, his lips swollen and red and spit-slick.
"Will, Mike, are you there?"
Over the static, Dustin's voice poked through. "I repeat, Will, Mike--- are you there?"
"Yes," Will fumbled with the device in his hands, trying not to focus on Mike's whiny expression. "Yes, we're here. Over."
"I think we found a way to end this thing," Dustin cut in. "Meet us at the church. Over."
"Copy that. Over and out," Will responded, fumbling to return the walkie to his bag.
Mike's eyes were glued to Will's every action. He reached out to slide his hand up the back of Will's neck, pulling him in to capture his lips yet again. Will kept his hands on Mike's shoulders, too scared to move and ruin it somehow.
"Mike," Will whispered against his lips, fighting the urge to smile. "Mike, c'mon. We gotta go."
Mike kissed the tip of Will's nose, then his cheek, then the corner of his mouth. "Mmmm... no."
Will stood, his hands still locked in place on Mike's shoulders, as Mike continued his exploration with kisses along Will's jaw.
"Mike," Will breathed, tightening his grip on Mike's shoulders. "I-I'm serious, we have to head to the church."
Mike sighed and pulled away, giving Will the softest of glares. "Yeah, yeah. Okay. You're right."
"I know," Will tentatively grabbed Mike's hand, holding it tightly. He lifted it up to his lips, pressing an innocent kiss to his knuckles. "Is my paladin ready for the journey ahead?"
Mike's face flushed, a mix of pinks and reds that the upside-down couldn't hide if it tried. "I--- You’re such a nerd."
"You love it though," Will grinned, his body practically vibrating with contained joy. Any more and he was bound to explode like a shaken can of cola.
"I love you," Mike said quickly, not a hint of hesitation in sight. He tugged Will by the hand, pulling him along with him as he walked.
"I love you too," Will replied, a weight dropping off his shoulders so fast it almost made him dizzy.
Mike bit his lip to conceal a big smile, but ultimately failed in hiding it. "We need to get this over with so I can spend some quality time with my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend? But--- I never even asked yet---"
"You didn't have to," Mike cut in, the phrase etching itself into Will's brain. It felt strangely like deja vu.
Hand in hand, they shuffled toward the church, finally free. Whatever was going to happen didn't matter, as long as they had each other.
* * *
"What the hell took you guys so goddamn long?" Dustin asked, his face morphed into a scowl as he stood outside the church. "Literally everyone else got here before you two."
Will expected Mike to let go of his hand--- to return it to his pocket, to hide the evidence of their touch. But much to Will's surprise, Mike squeezed Will's hand, smiling at Dustin.
"You probably shouldn't say hell outside of a church, Dustin," Mike slipped his fingers between Will's, palms pressed together as close as they possibly could get.
"Sorry, we got lost," Will lied, and it was so obvious because Will sucked at lying.
Dustin raised an eyebrow. Then, when his eyes landed on Mike and Will's fused hands, he audibly gasped. "Oh! Oh, holy shit! I fucking called it!"
"You---" Will paused, his face twitching in confusion. "You what?"
"I called it," Dustin repeated, darting back inside the church, nearly slipping on the mud just outside the door in the process.
Mike pursed his lips, staring at the open door blankly. "Do you think he's---"
"Telling everyone?" Will squeezed Mike's hand, turning his head to look up into Mike's eyes. He searched for worry, regret, even doubt--- but he didn't find any of it. "He might be. I'm not entirely sure."
Mike chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment. The silence scared Will, and he had to remind himself to breathe as he waited for Mike to speak. Lips parted, Mike took in a slow breath. "I'm--- I'm not scared, I just... It's one thing for you to come out. But I've been locked behind a lie for my entire life. I've held up a facade that never once dared to crack, and now it's completely gone. I'm exposed, Will. Out in the open. I feel like the entire top layer of my skin has been removed, and I'm burning, Will. Burning."
"I know," Will fully turned his body toward Mike, bringing his other hand up to Mike's cheek. "But you're not burning alone."
Mike managed a smile, and it was his turn to sob into Will's chest, although it was rather awkward considering their height difference. Will placed a gentle kiss into Mike's hair, subtly inhaling his scent. If he closed his eyes, he'd be back at the swingset. The nod of his head and the kick of his legs as he nonverbally agreed to be Mike's friend, the first roll of dice during their first campaign, their first sleepover--- everything played in his head like a movie yet again. Only this time, it wasn't to siphon powers; but he was still saving Mike.
"When we get a chance," Mike lifted his head, his face tear-stained and pink. "I want to talk about this properly. I've spent enough time keeping it all in. It's time you know how long I've wanted you."
Will smiled, the crinkle in the corner of his eyes causing Mike to finally understand why Will loved artwork so much. Because even the smallest of details were beautiful, each one etched into Will's canvas, colorful and textured and real. Suddenly, Mike loved artwork just as much. He studied Will's features intently, silently noting to draw them from memory the second he'd have a chance to. He wasn't an artist, but he had a work of art to call his own, and it was his best yet.
"You're staring at me like you wanna kiss me," Will teased, leaning in a little closer.
Mike's tongue darted out to wet his lips, and he watched as Will's eyes followed every move. "Wow, nothing gets past you."
"Shut the hell up." Will's grin was wide as he pressed forward, giggling into the kiss. It was goofy, light, and loving. Mike didn't want it to ever end, and he hated himself for waiting so damn long for it.
"Guys, seriously," Dustin cut in, standing in the doorway of the church. "Get in here. Everyone's waiting."
"Buzzkill," Mike muttered, eliciting another soft giggle from Will.
They headed inside, painfully aware of the eyes on them around the room. Not a single glance was judgmental, though. Just kind and accepting. Maybe a little annoyed from waiting, but not disgusted in the slightest.
Mike finally felt free.
Will's lungs finally felt full.
And in that moment, they both quietly realized that it was all worth the wait.