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15 years of no contact, 15 years of Will always getting out of Mike’s grip just before he could grab him, and they meet at work.
Well, maybe not completely no contact. At least once a year they had meetings with the whole group. Mike, Will, Lucas, Max and Dustin. They weren't as close as they used to be, but they still tried to keep in touch.
Lucas and Max, still together like always. No kids or permanent address.
Dustin came back to Susie. They met after a few years and decided to try again since they no longer need to be long distance.They both have good jobs that are connected to science.
Will had his boyfriend, Mathias. Everyone loved Mat, a cute nerdy guy, working at IT. But Mike? He couldn't find words about how much he hated this guy. How he hates odds were and are in his favour.
Mike is freshly divorced. He already had two wives,Sylvia and Willow, but he wasn't able to love them. He was cold. He hated how much he was like his father.
The rest of the group thought Mike couldn't move on from El. They didn't know, they were long broken up before Eleven got away. Yeah, he loved her, and cared for her. He was a good boyfriend, the best he could for her, but even at the prettiest woman he wasn’t able to look the same way he looked at Will. William. William Byers, man that hunted his whole life and every book he wrote. Every night he repeated this one moment.
“Friends? No thanks…”
He now know he should have told his Will how felt, for fucking sake, even kiss him. He didn't know what or who Tammy was, but he knew one thing.
He didn’t want to be William's Tammy, he wanted to be his Michael. His Mike. To take Mathias place.
“I see that now you're the silent one, hm?” Will joked, making Mike look up.
Fuck, right, they were workong on paintings to his newest book.
“Sorry, you know, I'm still thinking about that divorce.” He lied as he reached for sketches, Will did for him. “But, yeah, let's get back to work.”
“You know you can tell me if something is wrong? Don't hold it in you.” Will patted his arm and walked to the window, waiting for another man to choose which works he wants in his book.
Sun from outside made Will’s ring shine. Initials on it said W&M. Mike could only think about how he should have the matching on, how ‘M’ should have meant Michael and not Mathias.
This meeting ended fast. Mike chose 4 sketches he thought would look best, and left as fast as he could. Tonight, he fell asleep hating the world a little bit more than before.
As Will wanted to leave his studio, he saw that Mike had left his coat. A soft smile appeared on his face, still forgetful. He still remembered this one D&D session when Mike forgot about one character he made and that appeared at the start. This character could have been used to fight the final boss. Party lost, but Will annoyed Mike till they played boss fight again, and this time Will, Lucas and Dustin won.
As he took this coat to hang it, he saw paper under his desk. Without thinking, he reached for it and just put it somewhere on his desk, as he thought it was just his random sketch.
As they worked together, Mike finally had Will just in reach to tell him everything, but Mike the Brave was replaced long ago by Mike Miserable.
Mike stayed as far as he could, not wanting to destroy even this little bit of friendship they started forming again.
“Yeah, those look perfect.” You look perfect, he wanted to say originally, but Mathias was in the kitchen. “I always knew you would be a good artist.”
“And I always knew you would be a good writer,” Will said softly as he stood up from the coach and went to see what his boyfriend was doing for dinner.
Will invited Mike for dinner, he wanted Mike, his best friend, and Mathias, his boyfriend to meet better. Well, they were engaged, but to Mike 'boyfriends’ sounded less serious, so he stuck to this term.
Also, Mike finally got back his coat.
He looked into his pockets, no letter he wrote more to himself than anyone else. He cursed himself, and noted in his mind to look for it in his house later.
For the whole dinner Mike could only concentrate on how he missed times when Will looked at him with those soft eyes.
“Hes very precious. Treat him well.” Mike said to Mathias, when William was in the bathroom.
This evening a decision was made.
Decision that will make Mike finally free from the past.
He just wanted to wait till his book was out.
The evening before Mike's new book premiere, Will just signed next contract. This time it was a comic series about a girl superhero. He couldn't wait till he got home to tell Mathiass about it. His boyfriend is a big comics nerd.
As he slid a few old sketches in the trash, he saw that on one of the papers, was something written.
He reached for this, and his eyes slid over neatly written letters.
To the only boy I ever loved.
Dear William Byers,
I’m sorry about how our ways parted. On this tower, I should have told you the truth. I loved you. I love you, I always had, and always will.
I wasn’t even with El at that time. We broke up back in California. She wasn't stupid. She saw how I looked at you, and I was stupidly denying it. I was scared. So fucking scared how people would react. I hoped that one day I'll force myself into loving Jane. But that day never came.
I can't force you out of my head, out of my heart. You're the only thing I over dreamed of. Even after all those years, I hate myself for being the way I am.
Everyday I hate myself a little bit more, no wife or lover could fix the ache in my heart. No person could replace you.
I'm selfish, I'm begging a universe for you and Mathias to break up, but I'm not selfish enough to give you this letter. I cling to those rare group meetings, not missing any of them, just to see your happy face again.
I just hope one day this feeling will go away, and I'm really happy that you're happy. Maybe writing a new book will help me, a book about a knight falling in love with a wizard, maybe at least the fact that we got together in another universe, will soothe my pain.
Love,
Mike
Mike
Michael
Miserable Asshole
Will closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh, as he slid a letter in Mike’s cold hand. He was the last one to say goodbye. The bottom of the coffin got closed.
Only the bottom was open, no one would want to see Mike’s devastated head after he shot himself. He killed himself the same day his book premiered.
Before his death, he wrote a testament. Most of the things going to his family, but profit from his last book “To the only boy I ever loved”, goes to Will.