Archive of Our Own ^beta

✧˖°── .✦────☼༺☆༻☾────✦.── °˖✧

Will always hated being cold; the feeling always brought back memories from Fall of 1984. He didn’t remember a lot from that point in his life, he tried to block most of that shit out once he moved to California and went to high school, attempting to start over. But now he’s back in Hawkins, back with the party, back with Mike. The two of them sat together with their feet dangling over the dock at Lover’s Lake; just him and Mike. He hated being here because just the breeze sent familiar shivers down his spine that made him want to jump out of his skin. But, Mike liked it here, it’s quiet and he likes to stare at the stars and pretend he’s floating.

Normally Will would just stand as far from the lake as he could and just admire Mike from afar, but with Mike’s dad’s deaths, his injured mom in the hospital, and Holly tucked away somewhere in the Upside Down scared for her life, Will would feel like a douche leaving Mike here to wallow in his feelings alone. Granted, Mike’s been a douche since the Byers moved to California and he called him a total of three times in six months, and an even bigger douche when he basically made Will a third-wheel on his own birthday. But Will’s not petty; he loves Mike too much to let him go through this on his own.

“I’m sorry, Will.”

The silence is broken by a low voice, which sounds hoarse like he’s been crying and is now trying to force down another wave of tears. Will doesn’t like that, the sound of Mike’s bottled up suffering. He turns his head toward Mike slowly. He can’t make out anything important in the dark, like the light that normally shines in Mike’s eyes—or at least used to. Now the only thing that really shines in his eyes are his hidden tears and an overwhelming sense of anger that has lingered since he was thirteen. “What are you sorry for?” Will’s voice is softer than he thought it’d be once he started speaking. Mike noticed the overly gentle tone too, if the sharp inhale he audibly took was anything to go off of. “For bringing you here. It's cold as shit and I know you hate that,” Will did; he really fucking did. But, God was it worth it to just sit inches from Mike and soak in his presence, letting his worries float away, something he missed dearly. “..but I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.” Mike speaks so…tenderly that it makes Will’s heart flutter; he shifts closer to the other and inches their fingers closer together—close enough to signal that he’s there but far enough that he’s not practically grasping at Mike. “Mike.” he starts, “I don’t give a shit how cold it is, I will always be here for you. Like you were there for me.” He’s lying, of course he is, Mike’s been distant for the past two and a half years, and Will knows that Mike knows that he’s lying, but even with all of that hurt he put him through, Mike somehow found a way to redeem himself everytime; to keep Will wrapped around his pinky finger. “I missed you too.” That part was true, he missed Mike more than he’d ever tell him.

Will unconsciously leans in a little, and he can see Mike’s face just slightly clearer now; his heart skips a beat at the genuine smile that spreads across Mike’s face. God he’s gorgeous. Then he giggles. Micheal James Wheeler fucking giggles. It was quick and quiet but Will will forever remember it and replay it in his head like his favorite song. “I just wanted to apologize for treating you like shit, you know. I’ve been going through…things, and I took it out on you. I need you to know that I’m here for you and that I’d cut my own leg off before I let anything else happen to you.” Mike always had a thing for dramatics. It’s quiet for a while as they stare at each other. The silence is loud, but not awkward. That’s how it always is with the two of them; loud but comfortable silence. “I know, Mike. And it’s okay. I promise.” Will retracts his hand, forgetting it was even still there in the first place. He regrets pulling back immediately, wishing he could’ve taken Mike’s hand in his own and kissed it till he let out another one of those soft giggles.

The silence from earlier continues on, and Mike is the first to break eye contact. “We should head back.” Mike says, head hung low, staring down at his swinging legs, with an unreadable expression plastered on his face. Will nods to him, even though Mike’s gaze isn’t focused on him anymore. “Yeah, if I’m out any longer my mom will probably run into the Upside Down looking for me no hesitation.” That gets a small chuckle out of Mike as he pulls his legs up from where they hung above the water and pushes himself to his feet. “Wouldn’t put it past Ms. Byers.” Mike reaches his hand out to Will, offering to help him up. Will could easily get up on his own but he’d never give up the chance to even touch Mike’s warm and welcoming skin, so he grabs his hand and pulls himself up.

Mike leads the way across the doc, his short hair blowing crazily in the breeze, despite how soft the wind really blew. Will liked it long, but Mike’s short hair framed his sharp cheekbones and perfect eyes so well that he honestly might say he prefers it this way, prefers the way it curls at the ends Betty Boop, the way his bangs go in every direction you could imagine, the way it’s just so…Mike. His thoughts are interrupted by a quick and sudden pressure around his ankle, something wrapping itself around him tightly and refusing to let go. Then he feels a tug at his leg; it was soft, like it was preparing him for something bigger. But nothing could’ve prepared Will for the way he was yanked down what felt like hundreds of feet, hitting his head against the side of the dock that knocked a shriek out of him. His ear rang as he frantically flailed his limbs and around in an attempt to free himself from whatever wrapped around his leg and swim back up to the surface.

Water started filling Will’s lungs quickly. He snapped his head back to look at his leg, trying to see if maybe getting this…thing off of him would give him a better shot at not fucking drowning. Then he saw it; the gate that he was practically hurling towards. It was a glowing red—the only source of light this far down in the lake—and Will could see it repeatedly pulse like it was pumping blood. Gross. Will was ripped out of his thoughts by an arm roughly pulling him up, although his body wouldn’t budge and instead dragged this knight in shining armor further along. The ringing in his ears got louder and his vision began to blur, but even with his patchy vision, he could see the lean body swim further to latch onto his leg. Will could feel the tendril strain, failing to pull him at the speed it once was; then the pressure around his ankle was…gone. Will’s eyelids got heavier—getting harder to keep open—and he could practically see the light from the gate getting closer from behind his eyelids.

Will could feel his body being hauled up to the surface as it gradually lost control of itself. The dizziness and ringing in his ears was growing stronger and knew he would pass out in a matter of seconds. Will’s body went limp as it turned off. He wasn’t dead, just asleep. But with the way that arm wrapped around his chest—despite the fact that carrying him up would restrict their movements—he felt safe; and he knew it was Mike carrying him up, even with his minimal strength, because Mike would never let Will die, he said it himself.

“Will! Wake up! Please, Please!”

Mike called out to him, although his voice was soft and muffled. “Will!! Will!!” He could feel Mike slam his head against his chest, and break down into straight tears. Will's breath hitched in his throat—he had never seen Mike cry like this, ever. Lifting his arm up weakly and sinking his hand into Mike’s hair, Will strokes Mike’s head in an attempt to comfort him. Mike’s head immediately shot up, his puffy puppy dog eyes widening as he looked at Will—even in sadness Mike was the prettiest thing Will had ever seen. He began to push himself to sit up. By the time Will was fully sat, Mike was immediately wrapping his arms around Will’s shoulders, crying into the crook of his neck. And he full on sobbed. “You scared the shit out of me.” Mike whispered to him with a hiccup.

Their clothes and hair were soaked from the lake’s water, sticking to their bodies tighter than they clung to each other. The breeze really only worsened the discomfort and the chills that ran down Will’s back; But with Mike here, vulnerable, in his arms, all of that was at the back of his mind. He hugged his arms even tighter around Mike’s waist, like if he let go for even a second he’d lose him. And Will couldn’t lose him, not again, not after he’d just gotten him back. Will cried into Mike’s shoulder and they both just sat there…holding onto each other’s wet bodies for dear life and crying, letting themselves be vulnerable for just a second.

Mike pulls away first, wiping his tears with his wet sleeve—which does nothing but wet his face even more. He grips Will’s shoulders tightly. “Please, please, don’t leave me. I can’t- I can’t lose you again. I can’t lose you too.” Will could tell from just the look in his eyes that Mike was ready to go right back to crying, but he stayed strong for Will, like he always did—even when he didn’t need to. “I won’t,” Will sniffles in between his sentences “I promise you. And we’re gonna find Holly alright. I’m safe. She’s safe. You’re safe, Micheal.” Mike hugged him again, this time no tears, and Will cherished it. When they pulled apart again after what felt like an eternity and still—somehow—not long enough, Mike spoke again. “Now let’s go. For real this time.” It was Will’s turn to chuckle with a grin on his face this time.

“Ok.”

The two of them got up and began walking through the forest, back in the direction of the radio station, Mike leading the way. He stopped in his tracks and turned, walking back to Will and closing the foot of space between them before turning back around. “Why’d you walk ba-“ Will was interrupted by Mike grabbing his hand. Tightly. Like he never wanted to let go. “I’m not losing you. You’re staying close to me.” Will was so fucking glad that there was no lights in the forest, because from the way his face flushed warmly he already knew he was blushing. He tried to keep it together as the two of them walked together hand in hand. Will slightly rubbed his thumb back and forth against the back of Mike’s soaked hand, tracing up and down his knuckle. It felt so…intimate. It wasn’t—obviously—because Mike didn’t like him that way, didn’t love him the way Will did. He was dating El for Christ’s sake, and he wasn’t a queer, not like Will. But he would imagine; Imagine that Mike loved him the way he loved El. Imagine that the way Mike’s thumb faintly rubbed against his knuckle meant something more.

Mike must’ve noticed Will being lost in thought because he squeezed his hand hard enough to get his attention back. “Will? Hey, you okay?” He was back to that soft, loving, comforting voice that always left butterflies in Will’s stomach. “Ye-yeah!” He eagerly nodded, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself if anything. He knew Mike could tell he was lying, but he dropped it, most likely because he didn’t want to push and make Will uncomfortable. “Do you not like this? Me holding your hand?” Mike immediately pulled his hand away, without even giving Will a chance to respond. “Sorry.” Mike wasn’t evenlooking at him anymore, and he walked faster now. It was weird the way that Mike could switch his personality like that; whenever he does anything that may be seen as ‘strange’ or ‘discomforting’ it’s like he locks himself back in his box. Will doesn’t like that box, the one that Mike stuffs himself in to be seen as normal. God he hates it.

The party never really cared about being normal when they were in middle school, especially Mike. But all of a sudden, summer of 1985, it felt like a switch flicked and Mike craved that sense of normality, trying to grow up faster than he needed to. Will didn’t know what happened; all of a sudden Mike didn’t wanna play DND anymore, he got less touchy, he strayed further from Will, he preferred to spend all of his time locking lips with El practically eating her face. It was terrible, watching Mike basically lose himself trying to fit into this bubble of what “being a man” was.

“Mike, you didn’t do anything. You don’t have to separate yourself from me.” He speedwalks a little to catch up with Mike. “C’mon look at me.” Wills reaches out and grabs his hand. But Mike quickly snatches it away. “Don’t do that. I’m fine.” His tone was sharp and serious, a complete switch from earlier. Will just stood there, so very confused. Because what happened to the Mike from literally thirty seconds ago, the Mike that dragged his limp body from the lake, or the Mike that cried into his neck, or the Mike that just held his hand with more unspoken comfort than Will could dream of. “Why do you always do that?” Will spoke. It came out so much harsher than he intended and from the way Mike stopped walking and just stood there, he heard it too.

He snaps his head around to look at Will, “Do what?” He’s upset, he doesn’t say it but Will can tell. Before he can even re-think, he’s moving closer to Mike, trying to close the distance between them. “You always shut me out!!” He yells to Mike, “You’ve been like this on and off for like two years, Mike! I didn’t do a thing to you and you’re acting like I attacked you in some kind of way.” Will can’t see Mike’s face, but he knows he’s staring make-believe daggers into Will. Mike walks closer to him, stopping about a foot in front of him which makes his facial features more visible to Will, he looked like he was trying not to be hurt. It didn’t work, those teary eyes never escaped Will’s gaze. Will had to speak to him, but if he had to look at Mike’s broken puppy dog eyes again he was going to fold. “I don’t do that.” “Yes! You do Mike! You were the one who held my hand so if you’re so scared of being close to me why’d you do it??” Mike flinches and his eyebrows furrow. “I’m not scared of being close to you! I’m scared that you’re scared of being close to me!!” Mike gets even closer, so close that Will knows he’s being genuine. “God the way your hands were shaking, and the way you-you looked at me. It’s like you’re disgusted by me.” Disgusted? Disgusted? What the hell would Will even be disgusted by? Will looks at him, he wants to stop this now, just walk away and pretend he and Mike never fought, go back to that soft look in Mike’s eyes that he had just got back earlier in the night. He missed him, and he just got him back, he couldn’t let him hide away again. But his mouth moves before his brain tells it to stop. “What are you talking about, Mike? I would never be disgusted by you!! What could I even be disgusted about??” Mike’s eyes lose their malice—full of sadness—and his lips form into a pout. He looks like a beat up puppy and Will can’t take it anymore. Mike parts his lips like he wants to say something, instead he grabs the sides of Will’s face and pulls him close, smashing their lips together in a rough, fast kiss. Mike Wheeler kissed him.

Mike Wheeler kissed him.

Mike Wheeler kissed him.

Mike Wheeler kissed him.

Mike pulls away before Will could kiss back, before his body could even truly react. He looks shocked and hurt. “I-I’m so sorry, Will. Oh my god.” Mike turns his back to him and bolts, just runs. And Will was so shell-shocked that he didn’t move a muscle; he was frozen in place staring as Mike’s uncoordinated, gangly limbs ran like they were trying to convince themselves they had a clue where they were going. Hearing the boy sobbing his heart out as his voice fades makes Will’s heart clench, ready to burst. Before he knows it, Will can’t even see Mike anymore. He’s run that far. “What just happened?” Will whispers to himself. The guy he’s been pining over for years just fucking kissed him that’s what happened. Will had loved Mike for as long as he could remember, and it hurt.

It hurt that Mike thought Will would be disgusted by him. Though, Will couldn’t tell what scared Mike more; was it the fact that he liked a boy or the fact that the boy in question was Will. It didn’t matter, because that kiss that lasted just a second and tasted like every good dream Will’s ever had was still on the forefront of his mind. He imagined Mike’s stupid little pout and his little puppy dog eyes that glistened with tears that threatened to spill. He would give anything to have kissed the tears off his face, tell Mike he loves him and that he was okay. But no, Will just stood there and stared at him wide-eyed like a jackass.

Will’s feet moved without another thought, running in the same direction that Mike sprinted through, hoping to cross paths with him, apologize, and tell him the feelings are reciprocated. Will always thought he’d have to keep those feelings to himself for fear of rejection and becoming the town pariah. “Mike!” He yells out as he walks through the forest. “Mike!” Will was stupidly hoping for a response, any type of sign of where Mike was. The kiss replays in his head non-stop, the feeling of Mike’s smooth, soft, and warm lips against his own like they were seeking his comfort. He wished the kiss lasted longer, wished that Mike didn’t run so quickly, so that he could have told him how much he loved him.

There are so many places Mike could be headed, The Wheeler house, The Radio Station, The Library, the list goes on. Mike found comfort in many places around Hawkins, or at least places that he told Will about. Mike didn’t tell him a lot—or anyone for that matter. Not since Will was recovered from the Upside Down. The town was a long way from Lovers Lake, and the two had left their bikes a couple of feet away from the very prominent Reefer Rick’s boat shack—so that they’d remember where they left them—which Will had completely fucking forgot about and walked right past. Mike must’ve had to get his bike too in order to actually get anywhere, so maybe going to the shack would give him some kind of clue as to where the hell Mike was planning on running off to. Making his way over to Reefer Rick’s place didn’t take long since Mike didn’t run towards the town and rather went deeper into the forest, probably to actually get the bike.

It only took Will about three minutes to get to the shack. Shuffling quietly around to the other side just in case Rick’s home; he really wasn’t planning on getting his ass kicked by a rumored drug dealer tonight. Grabbing his bike he notices that Mike’s is still there, sitting right where they left it. Mike never came to get his bike, which means he could not have gotten far. The sound of leaves crunching behind him sends a quick shiver down his spine. Will snaps his head back to look behind him, afraid that he may have yet another encounter with a demogorgon or some other disgusting creature from the Upside Down that plans to take him back. Instead he’s met with a lanky silhouette that could only belong to one Mike Wheeler. “Mike!” Will shouted out to him before Mike took off running once again. Will ran before he could even open his mouth and explain himself. Mike may be taller, but Will was faster—after all he had a lot of experience running. Wills is catching up to him in seconds, reaching out to his wrist in an attempt to slow him down. It doesn’t work, Mike snatches his arm away without even looking back. “Mike! Listen to me! I just wanna talk!” Mike doesn’t give up. Shooing Will away “Please, Mike! I’m not mad!” He shouts and reaches out once again, successfully getting ahold of Mike’s wrist this time. He turns his head back over his shoulder to look at Will, Mike’s eyes widen and he tumbles down backwards onto the floor, causing a domino effect and bringing Will down with him.

Will’s front hits the dirt floor with a pained grunt. Soil and short blades of grass stuck to his still soaked clothes, some even smeared along his left cheek and nose. Which was so dirty, but for some reason he didn’t even care—his focus was on Mike and Mike alone. Lifting his upper body, Will looks over at an out-of-breath Mike and immediately grabs his hand—which startles Mike. “Mike, please listen to me.” Mike blinks hesitantly, but he doesn’t let go of Will. Their eyes don’t meet despite the fact that Will is practically boring a hole through Mike’s skull with his eyes. “Look at me,” Will’s voice is rough and grainy and his words sound mean even though that’s not what he intended. Almost every conversation the two of them have had tonight has just been destroyed through their tones, and it’s irking him. “Please.” Will adds in an attempt to sound nicer. It must’ve worked because he can see the way Mike’s shoulder visibly relax as he lifts his head up to look at Will with his beautiful brown eyes. “I..I..Shit..I..” Just looking at Mike had him stumbling over his words, he couldn’t even talk. “I..Mike. I..really don’t know what to say.”

Watching the way Mike’s soul shatters through his eyes, Will realizes he probably should’ve come up with something to say before he basically hunted Mike down. He decides to just wing it, because honestly that’s what always works with Mike. “I’m not mad at you, Mike. In fact I’m so happy, like happier than you could imagine. I..I’ve always wanted to sit with you and hold your hand and kiss you sweetly.” The only way you could possibly describe Mike’s expression is just positive shock and confusion. He looks ecstatic but wary, like he doesn’t want to get his hopes up that Will was telling the truth. “I love you. I always have. I wasn’t uncomfortable, just…shocked.” With their noses practically touching, the two boys are now painfully aware that they’d been unconsciously leaning closer to each other. “You don’t have to say it back. But I love you so much.” He whispers to Mike serenely as if they couldn’t feel each other's breathing. Mike pulls him into another kiss, however this one lasted longer—Will could really feel the softness of his lips and taste just how sweet he was. It was fucking amazing.

When they pull away after the best 6 seconds of Will’s life, a string of saliva connects them by the lips and if it isn’t the hottest thing Will had ever seen, well he couldn’t tell you what was. “Will.” Mike whines and Will can’t stop himself from going in for more, which Mike has no problem with—if the way he crawls onto Will’s lap was anything to go by. They kiss deepens, getting rougher, Will clutches Mike’s waist and Mike reciprocates with one hand holding Will's cheek and the other gripping his shoulder tightly. The two of them fit together like two adjacent puzzle pieces. Will feels like he could die here, and if he did he would have no problem with it, because the feeling of Mike's heavenly lips pressing against his own like they were begging for Will was all he really needed in life. Was this how El felt? Shit. El.

Pulling away quickly, Will places a hand on Mike’s chest as if to signal he needed a break. Mike tilts his head to the side, looking at Will with nothing but confusion and want plastered in his face. “What happened Will?” “El.” “What about El?” Mike lets out another little giggle, which would’ve been cute if they were in a different situation. “‘What about El!?’ What do you mean ‘What about El’ she’s your girlfriend, Mike!! And she’s my sister! I’m not gonna make out with you while the two of you are dating and break her heart! What kind of a guy would that make me!?? What kind of brother would that make me!?” Will shouts with a voice laced in pure panic. Sweat drips down his forehead—or maybe that’s water from the lake, he forgot he was still wet—at the idea of El finding out that Will had made out with her boyfriend. “We broke up. Yesterday.” He snaps out of his soon-to-be spiral by Mike’s voice. “I didn’t love her. Not like I was supposed to.” Will listens intently—he could tell Mike had a lot to say from the quick breath he took in between. “I don’t think I ever really did honestly; just felt like I had to or something. She could tell that I was….pulling away, focused on something else.” A quick glance down to his lips from Mike doesn't go unnoticed. “Sometimes I look back and I realize how much my confusion about my feelings hurt her…hurt you.”

Somehow, the breeze picks up; the wind reminding Mike and Will of how close their bodies are pressed together. Two pairs of wet jeans clinging together and rubbing at their raw skin. Will was painfully aware of the way Mike subconsciously grinded against him when his body shifted closer. Cold, wet hands lingered over Will’s clothed biceps as if they were asking for permission to rest there. Will nodded up at Mike, and he wasted no time grabbing Will’s arms and pulling him back into their kiss. This time it was sensual and soft, more like a love vow. Mike pulled away, resting his forehead against Will’s. He opened his mouth to speak, but opted to breathe in and out against Will’s face first.

“I love you too, Will. I always have.” The two boys sat there with their foreheads pressed together, eyes closed and soaking in the other's presence. Tears ran down Will’s cheeks before he knew it, he was so sensitive. Hearing the boy he’s loved for heats validate him like this, proving to him that he really was loved, it felt unreal. Mike kissed his cheek softly and it was so intimate that Will just burst out into tears, cupping his face with his own hands out of embarrassment and leaning against Mike’s chest. Mike wrapped his arms around Will and let out another one of his beautiful giggles. Will hiccups out his next sentence, “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed of you saying that to me.”

After a little while Mike rises off of Will’s lap and stands up—shivering from the contact with the breeze—and reaches his hand out to Will once again. “You wanna get out here? Hopefully we’ll actually make it somewhere this time.” He snickers and looks over at the dimly lit house of Reefer Rick and looks back at Will. “And maybe let’s not forget our bikes this time.” Will takes Mike's hand in his and lifts himself up from the ground. Brown doe eyes stare fondly into Will's own hazel ones and he can’t help but admire Mike. “Do I have something on my face?” Mike says, in a sarcastic tone and a chuckle. “Yeah actually, got a little dirt there.” The dirt from Will’s cheek must’ve rubbed off on Mike, but Will moves closer and rubs it off with his thumb. Rubbing his finger softly against Mike’s smooth skin in attempt to get off the dirt didn’t really do anything but further his need to connect their lips again.

And that he did. The two leaned into one last quick kiss and all of his worries about Vecna, The Mind Flayer, and The Upside Down washed away. The only thing that mattered to him at this moment was the sweet sensation of Mike Wheeler and his perfect, plump, pink lips.

✧˖°── .✦────☼༺☆༻☾────✦.── °˖✧