Work Text:
BYLER
2 AM – Hawkins, 2025
18yo – Byler – AU Modern Day
It’s 2 a.m. Mike didn’t mean to call Will. He just… did.
He’s crying so hard Will can barely understand him.
“El and I broke up… I feel so bad b-b-because I think I never really felt anything for her… Not nothing, but not something like that either… Will, I think there’s something wrong with me…”
Will listens carefully, trying to understand everything Mike says.
Silence takes place. Mike crying. Will listening.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I ruin everything. I don’t think I can trust myself…”
“Mike… it’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you. I will never leave you, okay? I can stay on the line with you the entire night. I’ll drive all night. Don’t let the darkness fool you. Don’t let it discourage you. You can fall in love, you can be angry, you can be sad. There’s nothing wrong with you…”
Will grabs his keys with shaking hands while he talks. He drives through Hawkins’ empty roads, the radio playing very softly. Mike is still on the line, speaking nonstop about how miserable of a human being he thinks he is. It breaks Will’s heart hearing his first love speak like that about himself. Even if it hurts, Will shows up every time Mike needs him.
Mike is sitting on his porch, the light flickering above his head. He looks small, exhausted, and miserable.
Will parks badly, but he doesn’t care. His friend needs him. They just stare at each other for a second.
“I didn’t think you’d actually come.”
“You called, Mike.”
They’re sitting close. Mike is messy and scared.
“I love El, but not the way I’m supposed to… She’s a great friend, but that’s it. I can only see her as a friend… I hate myself for it… I realized I never liked her that way. I just liked the feeling of security, of being right in the eyes of society… But I’m not, and it’s so, so terrifying. Because…”
The silence is loud between them.
“Because I like you for years. I like—no, I loved you since we met. Since we were five…”
“I-I’m not asking you to respond to me right now. Or ever, if you don’t want to. But I wanted you to know. I love you. Even if I’m really scared. I wanted you to know.”
Mike is terrified. He never stops crying. Will doesn’t rush him. He puts an arm around his shoulders, hugging him from the side.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Mike. You don’t have to punish yourself for loving someone. You’ve always been kind. You might not have been the best boyfriend to El, but you never hurt her badly. You were lost and scared. You deserve to be happy too. To be safe. To be loved.”
Will takes his hands. He presses his forehead to Mike’s, and finally pulls him into a quiet, grounding hug. Mike cries again, but softer this time. He’s less scared. He feels safer. More loved.
Mike pulls away slightly from the hug. He hesitates, looking at Will’s eyes, then his lips. Will lets him. He lets Mike take his time. Mike puts his lonely hand on Will’s jaw and, even if he’s still unsure, he slowly kisses him.
Will.
The boy he’s loved since kindergarten. The person he feels the safest with. Will, his first love.
The kiss is full of relief more than passion. It’s a kiss between two people who have loved each other since the beginning of their story together.
“I’m scared,” Mike whispers.
“I know. But I’m here. We are here, together.”
That’s love. A true love. Between two friends. Two best friends. Two lovers. Two soulmates.
It’s 8 a.m. The sun shines through the living room window. The light wakes Will. Mike is still there, sleeping in his arms. The night was emotionally exhausting, but now they are here for each other.
“I called you because I didn’t trust myself to be alone last night.”
“You can always call me. I’ll always come. And you will never be alone, not anymore. I’ll be there.”