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byler-luvr · 2 years

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THE SACRED EIGHT ~ A BYLER FANFICTION

(yet again, i hope to post this on ao3 once my account gets approved!)

(beware of long post, around 8k words)

after the world is saved, 1987

Mike Wheeler was currently laying in Will's bed, his arm slung around Will's waist as he nervously eyed the door every few seconds.

Mike Wheeler was laying in Will's bed.

He didn't think that would ever happen - At least not in this context. The two were cuddled extremely close together, The Breakfast Club on in the background, though Will obviously wasn't paying attention, seeing as his back was faced towards the TV so he could lay his head on Mike's chest.

Mike didn't even like The Breakfast Club, but it was one of Will's favorites. Mike thought it was very boring, but he'd watch it 100 times if it meant he got to lay with Will and escape reality for a moment.

Despite the fact that Mike had been assured several times that Will's family was already asleep, and they were in the clear, he was still nervous that someone could burst in at any moment - Will's door didn't have a lock.

Will and Mike had started dating about a week ago, after a horrifying confession in the rain. And although Mike loved him more than anything in the world, he was also scared. He felt weird kissing him, or even just hugging him. It was all so new. But at the same time he loved it - He loved Will.

He was in love with Will. And he didn't know how to feel about it.

His whole life he'd known it was wrong, that boys don't date other boys. But he'd also been in love with Will his whole life, so that had to mean something, right?

Mike shook away all of his thoughts with a small sigh and tried his best to focus on what was happening in the moment.

"You okay?" Will asked softly, turning his head upwards to look at Mike's eyes, which were already directed towards Will.

Mike smiled at the sound of his boyfriends voice, before nodding. "I'm fine. Just a little...On edge," Mike admitted, making Will frown.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're fine?" He asked with a small laugh. "Mom won't come in, shes been asleep for hours."

Mike rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "I know, but - but what if she did? And Jonathon? Or El?" He pushed. El would be the worst case scenario. He couldnt imagine breaking the news to her that he'd found someone else just weeks after they'd broken up.

"Don't worry about them either," Will assured, placing a small kiss on the corner of Mike's mouth as he lifted himself up to be eye-level with the boy before him. Mike's heart skipped a beat at the action.

"If Jonathon came in...He wouldn't care, Mike. I promise," Will soothed, but Mike's brow furrowed. That wasn't what Will had said before. Will had told him Jonathon wouldn't come in, not that he'd just 'be okay' with it.

"Will, I don't want Jonathon to know, I - I don't care if he'd be okay with it," Mike specified, causing Will's face to fall as he broke eye contact.

Will understood, of course he understood. But he knew that Jonathon would be happy for the two of them - in fact he was positive.

"Mike. You have to understand that Jonathon's different. He knows I'm gay, he knows that..." Will trailed with a sigh, causing Mike to back away slightly as he sat up, Will quickly mimicking.

"He knows what?" Mike asked cautiously, unable to make eye contact with the other boy. Jonathon didn't know know, did he? He couldn't...

"I was just...Look, Mike, I was really happy! I couldn't keep it in, we tell each other everything," Will tried to explain, as Mike tuned him out and repeated the words 'Oh My God' to himself. He felt like he was going to throw up. Jonathon KNEW.

"He's - Mike, look at me," Will said, firmly but kind, as he grabbed Mike's chin. Mike obliged as Will gently turned his boyfriend's head to face him, sighing nonetheless. Mike was mad, but he wasn't going to let it out. At least not yet - Not unless he really needed to.

"Jonathon loves me, and he loves you. He loves us, Mike. And I promise he doesn't care about whether or not you're a boy, and I promise that he's the only person I've told," Will explained, yet Mike could still feel himself get teary-eyed.

"What if he tells Nancy?" He asked after a moment, his voice weak and quiet.

Will shook his head, his eyes darting back and forth between Mike's. "He won't. It's not his secret to tell," Will reassured, but Mike wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, but...But what if he did?" Mike asked, his voice raised slightly so that it would hit its usual register. He hated feeling small. He always felt small when he cried.

"Then...So what?" Will responded, much to Mike's surprise. He continued before Mike had to opportunity to interject. "Mike, do you seriously think that my brother would date someone like that? Someone who actually cared about who other people love? Because you're a dumb idiot if you do," Will laughed lightly at the end, causing Mike's lips to twitch upwards ever so slightly. Will's laugh could always cheer him up, it was like hearing an angel sing, or something.

Mike sniffled, staying silent for a moment before speaking up. "Well…Wouldn't want to be a 'dumb idiot', now would I?" He asked with a small downturned smile, making Will's cheeks turn rosy.

"Shut up, you know what I meant," He teased, playfully hitting Mike's chest, causing Mike to let out a small giggle as the two leaned in closer.

Mike hesitated as Will closed the distance, his first instinct being to jump back, and yell at Will for even trying such a thing on another boy. But those feelings went away as soon as their lips locked, and Mike quickly felt that warm and fuzzy feeling come over him again. He'd gotten that feeling a lot lately.

The first kiss was fireworks - Pure fireworks, lighting up and going off over his whole body. But after that it was just...Familiarity. A comforting reality, one that Mike could stay in forever.

Their lips moved in perfect sync, before Will smiled into the kiss and began to pull away. "Feeling better?" He asked, his voice hushed as their noses touched.

Mike nodded, his mind still fuzzy as he stayed in a trance-like state. "Yeah," He whispered, before pulling Will back to meet his lips yet again.

That was the first time that Mike had been the one to initiate a kiss. A week and a half of romance and non-stop lip-locking, and this was the very first one Mike could bring himself to start. Pathetic.

But, hey - At least he was doing it! Progress, right?

Wills hands quickly fell from Mike's face, the left one going to his neck, and the right one falling onto his chest, giving Mike the perfect opportunity to cup Will's cheeks with his own two hands.

He could feel himself push into the kiss more, trying to close to little distance the two had between each other completely. He wanted every centimeter of his skin to be touching Will's - It just felt so comforting. Will was always warm, and Mike was always cold. They were perfect.

Will's hand gripped more onto Mike's neck, making him gasp through the kiss - Which Will took as an opportunity to use tongue.

Mike and Will had never actually 'made out' before - And Mike liked it a lot more than he thought he would.

Making out with El always felt weird, as much as he hated to admit it. It wasn't like she was bad at it, or anything, but the thought of her tongue in his mouth had always been so gross. He thought he'd be like that with everyone, that french kissing just wasn't for him - but Will was his exception.

It wasn't that hard to tell that Will didn't know what he was doing, but that only made it feel more special. Mike was able to silently guide him, and Will caught on pretty quickly.

The twos' legs started to scramble, heads more or less on top of each other as Will moved so that he was on Mike's lap.

Mike couldn't help but flinch at the action, something that he immediately regretted doing. He loved Will, but deep down in his mind, there was a part of him that didn't - Or a part of him that was still scared. That knew how weird and wrong they were for doing stuff like this. They were supposed to be best friends - Boys weren't supposed to date!

Mike hated himself for still having those feelings.

Will pulled back from the kiss, his legs lifting up off of Mike's lap slightly. "Is that okay?" He asked through a pant, Mike nodding immediately. Of course it was okay. So why did part of him still feel like it wasn't?

Well, he knew why. Will had explained to him that no matter what, he'd probably always feel weird about it, because he thought he was supposed to. He just hated that society had made him feel like he was supposed to. Being with Will felt so natural, so why the hell did people act like it wasn't?

"Yeah," He breathed through swollen lips, before Will closed the distance between them again.

The sudden pressure Mike could feel against his lap sort of hurt, but like...In a good way? Was that crazy? It wasn't sexual, or anything, Mike wasn't like that. It just felt comforting. Like he was smushed. In a good way.

His arms wrapped around Will's waist, his mind repeating the same word over and over.

Will.

Will?

The words echoed as they kissed, and then...Footsteps?

Shit. That wasn't his mind. But it was too late now, because the door was opening and the light was flickering on.

"Wi - Oh, Jesus!" A familiar voice exclaimed as Will scrambled off of Mike's lap. That little liar.

Mikes eyes were open - Wide open - But he couldn't see. His mind was racing too much.

There was...Silence. Nobody said a word, for what felt like an eternity.

Mike's eyesight slowly came back, revealing a wide-eyed Jonathon. He reeked of weed, but he didn't look high. The scent must've been old.

At least it was just Jonathon. Mike didn't know what he would do if it was anybody else.

Clearly something pretty fucking bad would happen, because even though it was just Jonathon, even though it was somebody that already knew, he could feel his eyes turn glossy. Not enough to let tears fall, but definitely not dry.

Back when Mike was just fourteen, and Hopper would walk in on him and El and start yelling at them, Mike always found it so funny. He supposed it was always a little embarrassing, because someone else seeing you kiss another person felt personal - But he'd never felt like this.

He felt embarrassed, and ashamed, and guilty. He felt like he hated himself. He kept having to remind himself that it was just Jonathon, but nothing seemed to work.

In a way it'd always felt surreal whenever he was with Will, or kissing him. But this just made him remember that it's not. He's not in his own little gay world where everything was sunshine and rainbows all of the time - This was real. Mike was gay, and people were going to know that. It was scary.

Jonathon stayed with his lips pursed and his eyes wide for a few more seconds, until his expression morphed in the blink of an eye. His mouth fell open and twisted into a laugh, his eyes scrunching up from his smile.

"I guess we need to start keeping this door open, yeah?" He asked through his laughs, not a care in the world.

Mike looked over at Will, who had bright red cheeks, and a small smile as he nodded sheepishly.

Jonathon's laugh came to a halt, but his face stayed smiling. "You guys get to sleep - It's late!" He exclaimed, before turning around and walking out the door without another word, leaving it open just about three inches.

And suddenly, that wave of familiarity came back. The door open three inches, the laughing, the overall disinterest. Everything felt just like when he was with El - Only he was with Will, which was like...10x better.

Mike took a shaky breath, his eyes drying back up as his face twisted into a small smile and he turned to face Will.

"What'd I tell you?" Will said with a small giggle. "He doesn't care."

And with one last kiss, the two laid back down into each other's arms, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

"Oh my God, this is so boring!" Will groaned. "Put it in, take it out, who cares?" He exclaimed, much to Dustin's dismay.

The party was hanging out in Mike's basement playing dnd, when Dustin had suddenly received a call from Suzie, asking if she should wear her hair up or down for homecoming - Which Dustin was visiting for, behind her parents' back.

What seems like a short, two-sentence conversation, quickly morphed into a 'wait, no put it up like this and tell me how it looks - no take it out!'

The rest of the party couldn't handle it anymore.

Mike couldn't help but snort at Will's phrasing, a joke slipping out of his mouth before he could even realize that it was happening.

"That's not what you said last night!" He exclaimed with a childish giggle, Lucas joining in and laughing at the joke as well.

Will's face turned a beet red as he turned to look at Mike with wide eyes. "Michael! Stop," He said with a nervous laugh.

Mike had always made jokes like this before, it was sort of his thing - He hadn't really thought about the fact that things would be different after the two had started dating. The way Will would react could very obviously give away their relationship, but Mike hadn't been smart enough to think about it.

"You know you love me," Mike egged on with an exaggerated eye roll, leaning in closer to Will's face for dramatic effect. Before, that would've been a totally normal thing to say, because that was Mike's humor. But now? The way he'd said it? He was basically just outing himself.

Will didn't say anything, nor did he move. He simply smiled and stared into Mike's eyes, unable to move.

And although Mike loved it, he knew now wasn't the time. Jonathon being cool about everything was amazing and eye-opening, but he still wasn't quite there. He didn't know if he'd ever be able to tell his friends.

So, instead he just moved his head back and cleared his throat, his face falling into a blank look.

Will frowned to himself, wondering what he did wrong. He wasn't as keen on the idea of keeping things private as Mike was, but he respected his decision.

Obviously he didn't want to walk around holding hands or anything, but he wanted his friends and family to know. It was important to him. But Mike just couldn't. And he felt terrible about it, but it didn't matter, because he simply could not tell people about him and Will.

"God, what's up with you guys lately," Lucas scoffed with a confused laugh. "You guys flirting?" He teased in a high-pitched voice, making Mike's eyes widen as Lucas reached up to pinch his cheek - His hand was profoundly slapped away. Maybe a little too hard.

"Lucas, stop," Mike said through gritted teeth, turning to face him with a glare.

Lucas's brow furrowed, as he raised his hands up in mock-surrender. "Calm down, dude, it was just a joke," He defended, causing Mike to huff.

Will shook his head, a small smile on his face. "Just drop it," He said gently to Lucas.

Lucas's face seemed to go through about twenty different expressions in ten seconds.

First he looked confused, then he look surprised - Like he had realized something. Then it was another confused look, then a gape, before he finally landed on a soft, blank expression. Content.

"Oh. Um...I - I'm sorry," He murmured with a serious tone, nodding slightly.

Great. Now Lucas new, and now he probably hated them. Mike needed to deflate this as quick as he could, before he went full-on panic attack.

Just as Mike began to open his mouth and play it all off as a big joke, Dustin hung up the phone and spoke up.

"Wait, I'm confused, are Mike and Will dating now?" He asked casually, making Mike's eyes widen.

"What? No! Don't be ridiculous, we're boys," He nearly shouted, but Dustin's expression stayed the same.

"So?" He asked, making Mike's eyes widen even more. He'd gone through several different scenarios in his head for this very moment - Most where Dustin absolutely hated him, some where he was supportive...But never one where he simply didn't care. Why did no one seem to care? Was Mike the only one that saw him and Will for what they truly were? A glitch in the matrix - Or something. They were far from normal.

"S - So? What?" Mike asked, his tone hissy, like he was spitting the words out at the rest of the party.

"So, Northstar and Kyle are both boys, didn't stop John Bryne from writing them together as a couple," Dustin retorted, though everybody else was lost.

"Northstar. X-Men...Marvel? He can fly, he's - You know what, it doesn't matter! Point is, he's gay," Dustin groaned with an eye roll. Sometimes he was too geeky to understand, which was a lot coming from Mike: The party's DM.

"We're not superheroes," Mike muttered under his breath, using anger to hide the fact that he was sad, or to keep himself from crying.

"He's...A villain. Whatever, either way! It's the eighties, the world just keeps getting more progressive. What, you really thought we'd care?"

And now Mike wanted to cry. Because now Dustin and Lucas new, and Dustin was totally and completely okay with it, and...That was just really fucking unexpected.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you," Will apologized, nudging Mike slightly on the shoulder to keep him happy, and to say 'I Told You So'.

"Mike didn't - We didn't know if you'd be...Okay. With it," Will explained, his voice shaky as if he was going to cry, too.

Him and Mike weren't that different, when it came to all the hating yourself stuff. Mike always forgot, because Will put up a better front than he did. He always had.

Dustin shrugged, a warm smile on his face. "Yeah, whatever. Just don't let this mean you're gonna play favorites, and no making out during a campaign, ever."

Will laughed, but Mike was pre-occupied. Lucas hadn't said a damn word, and it was starting to worry him. Was he not okay with it? He knew it...

"Um - Lucas?" Mike asked, his breath heavy as his voice broke on the last syllable. He wasn't fully crying, he wouldn't let that happen. He was just trying far too hard to keep it in.

"Hm? Oh," Lucas muttered, snapping away from his thoughts. The rest of the party stayed staring at him until he spoke again.

"I just...Well I knew - I mean, we all knew that Will was...Well just, with the way the other kids always were with you, and how they always called you...Um," Lucas stammered, unsure of his own thoughts at this point.

Luckily, Will was Will, the most amazing and understanding person in the world.

And although he was clearly hurt, he nodded, a smile on his face.

Lucas sighed. "I just...I didn't think Mike was. I - I don't really understand, what about El?" He asked, his brow seeming as if it was permanently furrowed.

Mike tried to answer, but when he opened his mouth he only felt like he was going to sob, so he shut it back up tighter than before, his eyes falling closed as well.

Luckily, Will picked up on this before anybody else did, and answered for him. "Mike and El broke up months ago."

"No, I know that! I just mean...I don't...Was it fake?" He asked, but Mike shook his head, taking a deep breath before responding.

All he needed to remember was that Lucas wasn't mad. He was just confused.

"No. No it wasn't - It wasn't fake," He said through his breaths, before they began to steady out. "I just...I thought I loved her. I mean, I do love her, but it's just...It's not in that way. I love her the w - way I love you and Dustin," He explained, trying his best to be calm, despite the fact that some half-sobs escaped his lips.

Lucas nodded, staying silent for a long moment, before asking one simple question.

"You love Will the way that I love Max?" He asked, seemingly on the verge of tears. Lucas hadn't been the same since Max. He still talked about her like she was...Here. Even though she wasn't. And she hadn't been in a long time.

Mike nodded, a bittersweet smile on his face. "I really do."

Lucas mimicked Mike's smile, his eyes genuine as a single tear slipped out of them.

"I'm happy for you."

Mike approached the quarry for a picnic date with Will, immediately smiling as the two locked eyes.

Will was sat with his foot tapping on a red and white plaid blanket, a basket of food in front of him. He was so perfect.

“Mike! Come here!” Will urged with a grin as soon as he spotted Mike. Mike ran over to Will giddily, before plopping down next to him and kissing his cheek.

These past few months had been so incredible. Mike and Will were so comfortable with each other now, despite the fact that it had taken Mike quite a while to warm up to it all. Mike never even thought about the fact that they were queer when they were together anymore - The bad thoughts only came into his head when he thought about other people finding out.

“Hi,” Mike said with a smile as Will turned to face him, their noses nearly touching. “Hi,” Will whispered back, placing a small kiss on Mike’s lips before turning back in front of them and unpacking the basket.

He grabbed a plastic-wrapped PB&J and handed it to Mike, before setting out the rest of the tupperware’s of snacks he had packed, saving his own sandwich for the last.

“Thanks,” Mike murmured with a warm smile as he unwrapped his sandwich, before taking a bite out of it.

“Of course,” Will responded mindlessly, as he laid his head onto Mike’s shoulder and enjoyed the view.

The quarry could be really beautiful, once you got past all of the traumatic memories that were tied to it. The sky was a light blue, dusted with fluffy clouds, as the sun peaked out from behind a tree. A truly perfect date spot.

The two sat in silence for a moment as they ate and enjoyed the view, before Will pulled away and spoke up.

“Okay, I have news,” He announced, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Good news I hope?” He questioned with an intrigued look.

Will nodded. “Great news - At least, I think so…Honestly, I don’t know how you’re gonna react,” Will admitted through a small sigh, his eyes breaking contact for a split second before raising back up.

Mike’s brow furrowed, nodding silently as he pursed his lips. What could he mean by that? Why would Mike react poorly to good news?

“I told my parents about us!” Will blurted out loudly, making Mike’s eyes widen. He what? Without even consulting Mike about it? Parents…Plural?

“Now, before you get mad,” Will forced out the second Mike started to open his mouth, grabbing his hand gently.

“I didn’t…Mean to tell Mom and Hopper. It just sort of came out - I’m so sorry, I know you should’ve been there with me. I should’ve at least talked to you about it.”

Oh. Joyce and Hopper. Not Lonnie - That was good. Mike was seriously freaked out for a second there.

Much to his surprise, he didn’t really…Care. Will and Him had been together for so long now, he honestly kept forgetting that other people didn’t know.

“No, Will, that’s great!” Mike exclaimed, giving Will’s hand a small squeeze. Will grinned. “Really? Y - You’re not mad?”

Mike shook his head. “Of course not. I would be if you’d told anybody else, but…Your mom? Hopper? They deserve to know,” The young man assured his boyfriend. He wasn’t exactly sure when he’d started feeling so chill about this all, but boy was he glad.

“How’d they react?” Mike asked, this time feeling a little bit nervous. But he knew Joyce, and he knew she’d be happy. Hopper on the other hand? Mike wasn’t quite sure…What if he told El?

“They’re supportive, Mike. I honestly…I didn’t expect them to be. I didn’t expect anyone to be, but…” Will trailed off, his grin wide as he looked deeply into Mike’s eyes. “They were.”

Mike had to bite his lip to keep himself from grinning ear to ear like an idiot, instead keeping it as a normal-sized, toothy smile.

“I’m glad. Even Hopper?” Mike asked, still somewhat unconvinced.

Will nodded with a small laugh. “Even Hopper. I think he’s just glad you’re not dating El anymore - But now he’s also kind of mad that he’s gonna have to deal with you again, seeing as he’s moving in, and all,” Will explained, making Mike laugh as well. He loved that grumpy old man.

“But no, I mean, he was supportive. It took a little bit of convincing from my mom, but now he’s like…The worlds biggest ally,” Will voiced, holding his hand up to the sky on the last sentence as a joke.

Mike laughed yet again. “I’m really glad you told them, Will. Was - Um…Was El there, too?” He asked with a gulp, though Will shook his head.

“I made sure they know not to tell her. I want you to be the one to do that,” He assured. Mike let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“I will tell El, eventually. I promise,” Mike vowed, Will nodding his head. “I know you will. Take your time.”

Mike thought about his own family, thinking over his drafted-decisions for a moment, before finalizing one. One that he’d been wanting to finalize for a long time.

“But for now…” He trailed, taking a deep breath. “I think I’m gonna tell Nancy,” He admitted, making Will’s eyes go wide.

“Really? Are - Are you sure you’re ready?“ He questioned in awe. Mike nodded, a goofy grin on his face. “I’m positive. In fact, I’m telling her tonight,” He decided, making Will smile.

“Mike?” He asked after a moment, Mike humming in response. “I love you.”

Mike blushed, placing his own forehead against Will’s. “I love you too.”

Later that day, Mike sat on his couch, eagerly awaiting Nancy’s arrival. She’d gone on a date with Jonathon, and Mike had been waiting hours to sit her down and come out to her.

Wow.

Come out to her. Mike was coming out. Mike was gay.

Well, obviously Mike knew he was gay. But he hadn’t quite…Told someone before. Sure, people knew he was dating Will, but he hadn’t told anyone those two glorious words yet.

I’m. Gay.

Such simply syllables, with such an insanely deep meaning. The thought of saying it sent shivers down his spine. It was…Weird. Scary.

But he had to - No, he wanted to. He was sick of keeping it a secret.

And although he had no intentions of telling his dad, and maybe even his mom, he needed to tell Nancy. It had been eating him alive ever since he and Will had gotten together.

Just then, the door knob twisted open, causing Mike to jump up onto his feet eagerly.

“Oh, hi, Mike,” Nancy said with a smile as she walked through the door. Mike only nodded, his mind racing.

“Whatcha doing?” She asked slowly as she set down her purse, an awkward laugh escaping her lips.

“I need to talk to you,” He blurted out all in one breath, nearly making Nancy jump.

“Okay…Shoot,” Nancy said with a shrug, looking skeptical nonetheless.

Mike nodded, standing still for a second before awkwardly turning around and plopping on the couch, motioning for Nancy to do so also. She obliged, sitting next to Mike.

He turned to face his sister, their knees touching as he did so.

And suddenly, just as he opened his mouth, the words just…Vanished. The conversation he’d spent months rehearsing was simply gone, as if it had never existed in the first place.

Instead, Mike sat there with his mouth open and his brow furrowed, breathing heavily as he tried to remember what to say.

And then the tears started.

Those stupid fucking tears that Mike hated. The ones that formed in his eyes every single time he tried to talk about something serious. He couldn’t stand crying, yet he did it constantly.

Nancy sighed, her eyes falling closed. “Did someone die?” She asked in a hushed tone.

Mike’s brow furrowed even more, before his eyebrows raised upwards. “What? No! Nancy, everything’s fine, it’s just…” He trailed, making sure to comfort her as soon as possible.

“Just?” Nancy asked after a moment, her eyes still wide. Mike knew that, given their history, the only other times Mike had had to sit her down was when bad news followed - Usually involving the upside down. But the upside down was gone now, and Mike’s personal problems didn’t even compare to those old problems.

It couldn’t be worse than the upside down. It couldn’t be worse than Barb, and Bob, and Billy, and Eddie, and Max dying. It couldn’t be worse than Vecna, or the mind flayer, or the demogorgons.

His problems were small. That’s all he had to remember.

“I’m gay,” Mike ripped the band-aid off, his eyes shutting closed as soon as he said it. “And I’m dating Will.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what he expected, but it definitely wasn’t an immediate, warm hug.

He flinched the second he felt her limbs near his, assuming she was going to hit him or something - Not that Nancy ever would.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around his body and buried her head into his hair. Mike couldn’t remember how to hug back in that moment, but Nancy didn’t care. Her goal was to make him feel okay. Her goal was to make him feel loved.

“Thank you for telling me,” She whispered, squeezing him a bit tighter, before letting go and pulling away, a warm smile on her face as tears streamed down Mike’s. What an interesting contrast. Almost symbolic.

She placed her hand on her baby brother’s face, using her thumb to wipe away his tears without another word.

“You’re not…Mad?” He asked quietly, his voice shaky. He’d expected her to be mad.

Nancy had…A reputation. Kids at school used to call her a priss, or stuck-up. Then again, she was dating Jonathon Byers. Maybe things had changed after that.

"Mad? No, Mike, I -“ She started as she shook her head, before taking a small, deep breath. “I already…Knew. At least about the Will part,” She admitted, biting her lip nervously.

She knew? How was that even possible? Had she seen them together, or something?

Maybe she had. After all, they weren’t that good at keeping things secret. They were almost always holding hands, and they’d been hanging out a lot more than normal lately.

Mike spoke up as soon as he noticed that the last minute had been filled with silence. “I guess…” He trailed, sniffling and wiping his eyes as his tears came to a halt.

“I guess we’re not that good at keeping it a secret,” He said with a small, slightly forced laugh.

Nancy laughed, nodding in agreement. “No, you’re really not. I caught onto it a couple months ago, and -“ She started, until Mike cut her off. “Months?” He asked in a hushed tone.

Why didn’t she say anything?

“And,” She started again, throwing him a glare. After all, she was his sister. “I asked Jonathon about it. Figured if anybody knew, it would be him. He was reluctant at first, but he told the truth. God, I’ve just been waiting for you to tell me for so long. I was starting to think you never would.”

Mike was shocked. Like, actually shocked. Jonathon told her? She knew…She knew. Mike’s life was so insane to him. How had literally everybody been okay with it so far? How was that even possible, when he knew for a fact that he’d never heard anything good about gay people - Ever!

“And it’s a good thing Jonathon told me when he did, honestly, because I was…I was really confused,” She admitted after realizing that Mike wasn’t going to speak until she explained more.

“You were?” He asked, his brow furrowed. She nodded, a sad smile on her face.

“I knows it’s stupid, but I just…I didn’t get it. You and El seemed so good together, a - and I mean, Will? Little Will Byers that you’ve known your whole life? It didn’t make any sense,” She said with a laugh, Mike nodding along.

“But that wasn’t…That wasn’t even what confused me the most. I didn’t even know that boys could love each other in that way, at least not in real life. Definitely not in highschool,” She admitted, embarrassment and guilt taking up her entire expression.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the reaction he’d expected. The normal reaction. The same one he’d had when Will first kissed him.

He was glad that it wasn’t the one he was greeted with. Maybe Jonathon telling her really was a good thing. Maybe if he’d told her before, it would’ve all gone to shit, and she wouldn’t have ever forgave him.

“Neither did I,” Mike admitted, his voice quiet as he looked back up at Nancy’s eyes. “Not until Will kissed me,” He explained, stumbling over the word kiss. It was a weird thing to talk about.

Nancy nodded. “But that just makes the two of you so much more special. And now I understand that, but before? It really scared me before. I - I thought you were just going through a phase, or something, as stupid as it sounds,” She stammered, but Mike understood. He understood more than she could imagine.

“But, anyways, I’m just…I’m just glad I found out before you told me. Otherwise this could’ve been really messy, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell you that I support you,” She finished with a smile, making Mike smile as well.

“I’m glad, too. Thank you so much,” He rushed out, before pulling her into another hug, this one lasting a bit longer than the first.

She hugged him back, the two siblings holding each other tight as they sat on their living room couch, heads buried into each other’s shoulders until neither one could breathe and they were forced to pull away.

“Nancy?” Mike said after a moment. “Yeah?” She asked. “How did you find out?” He pondered, realizing that she hadn’t specified.

Nancy laughed, letting her eyes roll upwards before responding. “Most teenage boys don’t go on picnic dates with their friends - Or have, like, a thousand paintings of themself on their wall from their best friend,” She teased, this time making Mike roll his eyes.

“Okay! Okay, I get it,” He said with a laugh, as she ruffled his hair. He really should try to hide it better, but what was the harm? His dad didn’t pay enough attention to catch on, and his Mom…Wait, did his mom know?

Nancy spoke up right then, almost on cue. “I’m pretty sure Mom knows, too. But trust me, she doesn’t care. She loves you two, y’know?” She said.

Mike grinned. “Well, there’s no way in hell I’m telling her. She’ll have to bring that up herself.”

Nancy laughed. “Oh, I’m sure she will. Mom always needs to know every single detail of our lives.”

And the same time next week, she did. And it ended with a hug and a batch of warm chocolate chip cookies.

“You smell so good,” Mike muttered against Will’s neck as he placed kisses up and down it, making Will laugh.

“I smell good?” He repeated, in a tease-y tone. Mike pulled away, leaning in so that his lips were just centimeters away.

“You smell amazing,” He specified through a whisper, making Will laugh even more. “That’s such a creepy thing to say!” He exclaimed, but Mike shook his head, making their noses brush together.

“No, it’s not, it just means that you smell good,” He said, placing pecks on Will’s lips in between the last three words.

“Yeah?” Will asked.

“Yeah,” Mike repeated.

“What do I smell like then?”

“Like Will.”

“I smell like ‘Will’?”

“Mhm.”

“How does one smell like Will?”

“I don’t know, you just do.”

“Well what does ‘Will’ smell like?”

Mike thought for a moment, trying to depict every separate scent he was smelling. Will just smelled like…Will.

Like a mix between a lot of things. A mix between sweat, and leaves, and mint toothpaste. So that’s exactly what he said.

“‘Will’ smells like a mix between sweat, leaves, and mint toothpaste,” Mike explained, causing Will to grimace.

“That doesn’t sound very good,” Will countered, but Mike shook his head, causing their noses to bump yet again.

“It smells amazing,” He pressed, despite the fact that Will didn’t seem convinced. Maybe Mike was just used to the smell, but he smelled like home. Was that weird?

“Leaves…Like what kind of leaves?” Will asked, cocking his head.

Mike pulled away a little bit, running his fingers through Will’s hair as he answered. “Fall leaves - Like when theres a big pile, and you step on them and it makes that crunch sound.”

“It’s…It’s not even fall,” Will said with a small laugh, as Mike continued to run his fingers through Will’s hair.

“You’ve smelled like this your whole life, baby, I don’t know what to tell you,” Mike murmured, his tone lower than normal because he knew Will liked when he did that.

“Baby?” Will repeated, his face red as he let out a small giggle. Mike could feel his cheeks heat up as he noticed what he had said earlier - It just came out so naturally!

“Shut up,” Mike murmured quickly, before leaning back into Will and pressing his lips against his.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds, their lips moving in sync perfectly, before a knock on the door caused Mike to jump away.

“Come in!” Will exclaimed through a small laugh, noticing how dumb Mike looked from throwing himself across the bed.

“Hello, Will, Mike,” El said with a cheery smile as she walked through the door, just now getting home from her friend, Stacey’s, house.

Mike’s heart rate increased rapidly as he smiled at El. That was close. “Hey, El.”

“I wanted to sh - What’s that?” El cut her self off, pointing towards Will’s neck.

Will’s brow furrowed, unsure of what she was pointing at, until Mike looked and his eyes widened. A hickey. Maybe those were a little more than just ‘small neck kisses’ he had been giving Will…

“Oh! That’s um - That’s um -“ Mike stammered, unsure of what excuse he could use. He was at a loss.

Will’s brow furrowed deeper as he looked at himself in the mirror, before gasping. “Oh!” He exclaimed, before quickly saving himself.

“I have no idea, maybe it’s just a freckle from the sun…You don’t worry about it. I’ll ask Mom when she gets home,” Will assured, scarily good st lying. He’d had to lie his whole life, Mike supposed. It was kind of sad.

Maybe Mike didn’t want Will to keep lying. Hell, even Mike didn’t want to keep lying. It was tiring, and he was over it. He just needed to rip the bandaid off - Just like he had with Nancy.

His only concern was hurting El. Not that he really thought it would, because El definitely didn’t love him in that way, but because he knew it’d be weird for her to see him dating someone else…Let alone her brother.

El’s brow furrowed, clearly unconvinced. “Okay,” She muttered. “As I was going to say, I wanted to show you two something. It is a drawing I did,” She said with a grin as she reached into her tote bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

“I am very proud of it - Stacey helped me with the shading. It is for you guys,” She explained as she handed it to Will, who unfolded it.

A large grin took over Will’s face as his eyes darted back and forth between every corner of the picture.

“El, this is incredible,” Will breathed.

Mike scrambled over to Will’s side to see what it was, before the same look came over his own face. “It really is,” He agreed as he placed a hand on the other end of the paper.

It wasn’t as good as Will’s drawings, no, but she was really improving. Mike was really impressed.

The drawing was of two boys - Seemingly Will and Mike - Sitting on the quarry, feet hanging off of the edge as they looked up at the sky, arms wrapped around each other. It was beautiful.

“Thank you,” El said shyly. “Will talks a lot about how you two like to hang out at the quarry. He says you eat food out of baskets there, too. I thought it sounded very pretty,” She explained, seeming very proud of herself.

Mike nodded, opening his mouth to respond, before taking a moment to consider what he wanted to say.

Well, obviously he knew what he wanted to say. The question was: Should he say it? Was now really the time?

No time like the present, right? That was a common phrase…Right? Fuck. Shit. Who cares anymore. El deserved to know, she was basically the last person to find out. She needed to know.

“Yeah, um…Will and I love going on dates at the quarry,” He said, his eyes darting up towards El again. “It’s our favorite spot.”

Mike didn’t even have to look at Will’s face to know what his expression was - He could practically feel it. His eyes and mouth were wide open, and his nose was small from sucking in a breath.

El stood for a moment without responding, her brow furrowed intensely.

“Was…I on a date with Stacey? When I went to her house and we drew together?” She asked after a moment, making Mike laugh.

“No, El. Friends - Friends don’t go on dates,�� He said through a deep breath, wincing at the thought of what could come next. There was no way in hell that El had ever heard of gay people, so this could go…A lot of different ways.

She thought for another moment, before nodding. “You and Will are more than friends,” She stated, before looking up for conformation.

Mike glanced at Will, who nodded, before looking back up at El. “Yes.”

“You and Will are boyfriends?” She asked, surprisingly catching on quite quickly.

Mike nodded against, chewing on his lip vigorously. “Yes. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, it’s just that you and I used to date, so I didn’t want you to -“ Mike started, but El cut him off.

“Mike,” She voiced, immediately making him fall silent. “It is okay. I understand,” She said with a small smile, her eyes relaxed.

Mike…Did not expect that kind of reaction. He never does, no matter how many people support him, he always thinks the worse will happen. Maybe he should get a therapist, or something, but that was beside the point.

“You’re not…Confused? A - About the fact that I like boys?” He asked hesitantly, though the question seemed to make El more confused than the sentiment.

“I like boys, too,” She said simply, her brow furrowed as her head shook back and forth.

“Well, yeah, but you’re supposed to -“ Mike got cut off again. “Are you not supposed to?” She questioned, her head cocked.

“Well…I mean no, but like…But also like yeah, I guess - It’s so confusing, it’s not like -“ And yet again Mike gets cut off by an agitated Will.

“It is normal, El. Some people like girls, and some people like boys, and some people like both. It all depends on the way you’re born,” He explained simply, throwing Mike a playful glare as he did so. Mike smiled sheepishly.

El nodded, her face retreating back to it’s normal expression. “Okay. Well, I hope you like the drawing. Now I can tell Stacey that it’s a date,” She said, making Mike and Will’s eyes both widen.

“No!” They exclaimed in unison, causing her to jump back. “No?” She asked, confused again.

“We - Um…Some people don’t like when boys date other boys,” Will explained.

“Why?” El asked.

“Because they think it’s weird.”

“Why?”

“Because society has taught them to.”

“But why?”

“I…Jesus, I don’t know, El. Mike and I just wanna keep this a secret for now, okay? No telling anyone?” Will eventually gave up.

El nodded, a smile on her face once more. “I understand. Make sure you keep the door open three inches - Just like Mike and I had to. We do not play favorites,” She said, squeezing Will’s hand before walking out the room, and leaving the door open exactly three inches.

“Wow,” Mike whispered to himself, before both him and Will broke out into a fit of giggles.

“Yeah,” Will agreed with a snort. “Wow.”

The one person he’d been dreading to tell, the one who he thought would take it the hardest…Took it the easiest? He should’ve known. El was awesome.

“Wait, hold on,” Will murmured, as if he has remember something. Sitting up straight once more, he called out for El, who reluctantly came back to the doorway.

“What?” She asked with an exaggerated eye roll. Mike was wondering the same thing.

“El, do you really not know what a hickey is?” He asked with a small laugh.

El shook her head, her face scrunched up in confusion. “Hick-ee?” She asked slowly, making Will laugh even more, and Mike feel extremely embarrassed. Yeah, he never built up the courage to give her one of those. The closet really was made of glass.

“Some people call it a love bite,” He explained. “It’s…It’s just something you get when you’re in a relationship sometimes,” Will vaguely explained, trying not to go too into detail about the things that him and Mike did.

“Oh,” El said with a shrug, a smirk appearing on her face as she crossed her arms.

“Mike never really was a good boyfriend to me.”

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