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It was a late night, dawn would be approaching within a few hours, and the party sat in separate groups throughout the Wheeler’s basement. El and Max in one group, Lucas, Dustin, and Will in another, and Mike in his own. He didn’t need anyone, besides, he was working on their next campaign. It was going to be the coolest, sickest one yet. He knew it.
Mike couldn’t help but keep getting distracted though. The laughs of El, the whispers from Lucas and Will, it was all too overwhelming. This was summer break, the break everyone was back from college and supposed to spend it with Mike. They all see each other all year long while Mike is left here, alone.
“Let’s play a game!” Spits out of Mike’s mouth before he can process his words. Oh well, he’s gotta run with it now. He plasters on a smile and turns in his chair, facing everyone else.
Everything is the exact same as it was moments ago. Nobody heard him. Great, great. Great! Okay.
He takes a deep breath and stands, repeating himself just with more force. “Let’s play a game everyone!” Everyone freezes all at once, shit, shit, he was louder than planned. It’s fine. Mike, it’s fine. He takes control of his blinking, making sure to delay them opening by a few seconds to help prevent any tears from falling. He can’t cry over this, he can’t cry over something he did.
The silence in the room is deafening, Mike almost goes to speak again and apologizes for interrupting everyone’s ‘let’s ignore Mike time,’ before Dustin finally speaks. “That is a great idea, Mike!” He jumps up and goes over to Mike to pat his shoulder. “What were you thinkin’, buddy?”
“Uhm.” Mike stutters, “maybe like..” He glances around the room, his heart beating faster, and faster, and faster, and- “What about spin the bottle?”
“Uhh- okay. Sure, yeah, no, yeah, we can play that, Mike.” Dustin scratches the back of his head, before patting Mike’s shoulder once again. “That cool with everyone else?” The party takes turns nodding in agreement, Will being the outcast who doesn’t.
“I don’t really know, Dustin.” Will laughs nervously. “I mean, I don’t really want to kiss anyone here.”
El gives Will a side-eye, “you wanted to kiss Mike when me and him were together.”
Mike spits out imaginary water, his cheeks flushing as red as a poppy flower. That was years ago- no way El still remembers that. That’s part of the reason she broke up with him, she said and he quotes, ‘the waterfalls were never our dream, it was yours and Wills.’ Which, ouch. That stung. But Mike has moved on, so El has to as well. And Will clearly has. Will barely even speaks to him anymore, it’s like it's easier to pretend Mike doesn’t exist to him. Which, you know, is fine. It’s not like Mike would’ve ever reciprocated his feelings. It’s better this way.
Will looks away, concealing his blush from the party. “Fine, we can play.” Mike barely hears him, but his body jitters and face heats up more at Will’s agreement.
“Okay, uhm, here we can use this.” Mike leans down and picks up a coca-cola glass bottle that Max had finished a few hours ago. She has been here the longest, she came before everyone else and she and Mike hung out the two of them for a little. It’s crazy a girl is his best friend again, and he feels the same way he felt towards El. Which is weird because he swore up and down he loved El romantically, but with Max it’ll never be anything but platonic love. He’s got to be mistaken, he loved El. He likes girls.
The party all come together on the ground and Lucas is the first one to spin the bottle. It lands on himself. “Oooohhhh~” He sings while hugging his chest and making kissing noises. “Oh Lucas! How I loovvvee you!”
“Shut up, loser!” Max laughs. “We get it, you love yourself, get a room!” Which causes everyone else to break out into giggles and a generalized chit-chatter with those sitting next to them.
Everyone calms down and next it’s Mike’s turn. Wait, it’s Mike’s turn already?? Fuck, fuck, fuck, he thought everyone else would go and get tired and go drift back off before it got to him. How did he set himself up to go second??? He didn’t even really want to play this game, why did he suggest it again? What is wrong with him?
Mike gives an overly panicked laugh as he leans forward to spin the bottle. It only took a second before picking someone, but it felt like hours had passed. Mike’s heart rate spikes as it goes past El, as it goes past Will it spikes even more– out of disappointment maybe– and then watches as it passes El a second time and.
And it lands on Will.
The fucking bottle, HAD to land on Will. No- nonononoono-
Mike can’t do this to him. No. Will is over him, Will doesn’t want anything to do with him- Will hasn’t even spoken to him without making sure there's someone else present in nearly 2 years. Mike’s breathing rapidly speeds up, causing him to lose control of the air around him. Suddenly there’s not enough, suddenly he can’t seem to inhale properly and his head starts spinning.
Dustin coughs but Mike barely hears it, his ears start ringing and his heart pounding so loud he swears everyone else can hear it.
“C'mon guys, maybe it’s time to wrap this up-” Max starts, a sympathetic tone in her voice.
“No.” Will cuts her off. “It’s just a game, right?” He shrugs.
“I uhm-” Mike’s vision blurs, but he can’t let anyone know. Nobody in this room knows about his anxiety, and how he’s been getting severely worse anxiety attacks recently. After everything with Vecna he started experiencing them nearly everyday, but was too ashamed to tell anyone. He didn’t want to make another thing about himself. Everyone was so happy, but him. He couldn’t take that away from them. “If you say so, Will.” He leans on his arm, putting all his weight on it to help him from not falling over. “Can we just- can we talk, privately, first? Or uhm- I guess kiss without an audience?”
In Mike’s mind he has decided that if he says they did it without anyone else there, then they will believe it happened. But Mike doesn’t plan to actually kiss him. That’s not what Will wants- that’s not what he wants. But he feels his heart drop thinking about not kissing him.
Everyone in the circle but Mike and Will stand while saying some form of ‘yeah,’ and before Mike’s vision forms back to reality, it is just him and Will.
“Mike.” Mike fuzzily makes out, “Mike. Mike? Mike, are you there? Are you okay?” Will is right in front of him, holding his wrists, looking incredibly concerned.
Mike blinks a few times to make sure this is real. “Yeah, sorry- yeah. I’m alright, why wouldn’t I be?”
“Mike.”
“Yes, Will?”
“How long has this been happening?” Will sniffles and leans in to wrap his arms around Mike. “I’m so sorry I didn’t notice before. I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you away, you’ll always be my best friend. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough-”
“Will, you’ve always been more than enough. I don’t deserve you.” Mike feels a tear fall as he pushes himself up against Will, his head resting on Will’s shoulder. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Not you.”
Will lets out a giggle and places his hand on the back of Mike’s head, twisting his hair into spirals while the two just melt in their overdue hug.
Mike doesn’t move, not until he is feeling back to how he felt earlier. The only thing he can’t seem to readjust is his heartbeat. It’s calmed down a little, but he knows Will can feel it. He smiles as he pulls away, resting his hands on Will’s hips. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”
Will gives him an even larger grin in return. “So, are we still doing that whole spin the bottle thing?” He slims his eyes, and Mike notices his pupil enlarge.
Without hesitation, Mike leans in and connects their lips together. It should only be for a second, after all that’s what spin the bottle kisses are. Their embarrassing half-a-second contact that barely counts as a kiss. But Mike doesn’t want to pull away, it feels like Will is completing a part of him he didn’t know needed completing. Will doesn’t move away either.
The two sit there frozen for a second before Mike shifts himself forward to be able to get better control, and starts for real kissing him. He had only done this with El, and he never enjoyed it much. It always felt so forced and unenjoyable, but with Will it comes naturally. It’s like the rhythm to a song he’s never heard, but somehow knows by heart. Will makes a small noise as his hands explore Mike’s hair.
Mike loses access to air again, causing him to separate away from Will, but this time his loss of air is a feeling he wants to experience over and over again. He would do anything to kiss Will again.
Will is completely pink as he stares at Mike’s fucked up hair. “Uhm.” He mumbles. “I uhm-”
“I think I’ve been in love with you for years, Will.” Mike’s eyes pace between Will’s. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize- I know you’re over me now and everything. I just- yeah.”
“It’s always been you, Mike. And it always will be.”
Will chuckles and pulls Mike into another hug. Mike can’t help but to start planning their wedding as they roll over and fall asleep in each other's arms. He hopes the rest of the party will be fine without them for a while.