One and Only (Byler)

Head over Heels

Mike groaned, rolling onto his side and blocking his eyes from the sun. He buried his head inside his pillow, wanting to disappear into his mattress, and hide from the rest of the world. Ever since yesterday, he couldn't take his mind off of Will - how he was doing, whether he was still mad at him, and the possibility that Will might be thinking of him too.

Mike hated that it took Will being in danger for him to realise how much he needed him, but he also hated that he was thinking about him while his girlfriend slept in the next room. He didn't know what was wrong with himself, why he suddenly thought Will's stupid bowl cut looked really good on him, or why he thought that Will was prettier than any girl he had ever seen.

It's ridiculous, Mike thought, sitting up in the guest bedroom of the Byers house, because boys liked girls, that's how it works, that's why he was with El, that's why he tried to distance himself from Will. But there were times, times where Mike was so close to him, times where he felt that if he leant a little closer to Will, maybe he could close the gap, and kiss his best friend.

But that notion was nothing more than a pipe dream, because Will would hate him for that, and Mike had a girlfriend, a girlfriend he loved very much. At least, that's what he wanted to believe, because that's what everyone accepted and expected, what he was meant to do. Mike covered his face with both of his hands, groaning loudly. Since when did he lay awake at the break of dawn thinking of kissing Will Byers?

Mike stumbled out of bed, drawing the curtains in the guest room shut, and then he changed into something comfier. He left the bedroom, and El stopped him in the hallway.  "Are you feeling any better today?"  she asked, reaching out to hug him. Mike hugged her back, a thin smile on his face.  "Joyce, Jonathan, and I already went out to visit Will in the hospital yesterday, but she says that she'll drive you and the rest of the party there this afternoon - would you like that?"

Before Mike could even respond to El, Hopper surfaced from his room - making a sound of triumph as if he had caught the two doing something particularly nefarious.  "No physical contact with your boyfriend inside the house, El, how many times do I have to tell you?"  Mike pulled away from her, rolling his eyes.  "All we did was hug, Hopper, calm down."  Hopper snarled at him, adjusting the collar of his night robe.  "Listen here-"

Joyce appeared from the kitchen, holding a coffee mug in her right hand. "Leave it, Jim, it's fine." She turned to El and Mike, smiling. "Good morning, you two, breakfast is on the table - but it might be cold. You guys slept in, and I didn't want to wake you up, she said, re-entering the kitchen with Mike and El following behind her. Nancy sat at the table, comforting Jonathan with her arm around him. She looked up when her brother came in.  "What are you doing here?"  Mike scowled at her.

"I should say the same for you, Nancy."  Nancy scoffed, gesturing over to Jonathan.  "Consoling my boyfriend, of course."  She narrowed her eyes at Mike.  "You can't just disappear like that, Mike, I was worried about you."  Mike made a sound of contempt, taking a seat opposite her at the table.  "Sure you were, I'm utterly convinced that you're practically fainting with relief as we speak."  El yawned, sitting beside Mike.  "Can you guys take your argument somewhere else? It's too early for this."

Nancy huffed, going back to her job of comforting Jonathan, who was staring into space with a slightly lost look on his face, and the kitchen fell silent again, the only noises to be heard being the occasional scrape of cutlery. In the middle of breakfast, Mike stood up, making towards the front door, and Joyce looked up, a half awake look on her face.  "Remember to shut the door behind you, Michael, wherever you're going."

Mike stepped out into the early morning sunlight, his mind full of thoughts that refused to leave. He had to see Will.

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Mike stopped in front of the hospital Joyce had told him Will would be staying in, getting off his bike, and walking through the double doors. The man at the front desk looked up from his magazine when Mike walked in, appearing mildly bored.  "Visiting hours haven't started yet, meaning you can't see anyone right now, come back later."  The man fixed his gaze on his magazine again, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes.

Mike leant across the desk, giving him a pleading look.  "Can't you just make a small exception, just this once? I really need to see my friend, Will Byers-"  The man gave a long and exaggerated sigh, slamming his magazine onto the desk in front of him.  "Can't you see I'm busy, or are you deaf? Visiting hours haven't started yet."  He said the last bit slowly and deliberately, as if Mike really was deaf. Mike crossed his arms stubbornly, not moving.

"I'm not leaving until you let me through, so just make this whole situation easier for both of us, and give in,"  he said, tightly clutching the flowers he had brought for Will. The blond haired man knitted his eyebrows at him, and they both glared at each other for what seemed like an agonisingly long time, before the man sighed, picking up his magazine once again.  "Fine, go see your friend. But if anyone finds out about this-" 
"I'm dead, I know!"  Mike called back, already making his way down the patient's ward.

He slowed down when he got to the quieter parts of the hospital, and when it suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea where Will was staying. He peered through the little windows on the doors, until he spied a Nurse tending to a pale boy with a bowl cut, and pushed that door open. The Nurse turned her head in confusion, and Mike cleared his throat, shifting the bouquet of flowers in his hands behind his back.  "Can I just have a moment to talk to the patient?"  The Nurse put her hands on her hips, shaking her head.

"You know I can't let you do that-"  Mike glanced over to Will, who was giving him a curious look.
"Please?"  The nurse sighed, straightening her posture.  "Oh, alright then, but you have five minutes - and don't touch anything."  She made her way out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Mike turned to Will, who gave him a slight frown.  "Don't think I'm not still mad at you, Wheeler."  Mike drew up a chair to sit next to his bed, tapping the bouquet on the palm of his hand. 

"I know- I just- I brought you some flowers,"  he blurted, handing Will the bouquet with a brush of pink on his face. Will considered them, stroking the petals.  "I didn't really know if you had a favourite, so I just got one of everything..."  The other boy looked up at him, a soft smile on his face.  "Thank you, Mike, these are actually really lovely." Mike beamed at him, sitting up instantly. "I knew you would like them, the florist said that-"
"But they won't be enough to win my forgiveness, Michael."

Mike's jaw dropped, and Will gave him a look of amusement. "What? But I cycled all the way here- and that was no easy feat, let me tell you that- and then I-" Then Will actually laughed at him, wincing as his leg cast shook too. "I was just joking, Mike. I guess I'll always end up forgiving you, because, no matter what you say, I don't think you ever really mean it." Mike gazed at him, vague smile on his face now. "Thanks Will," he said, putting his hand on the other boy's, "I don't think I deserve a friend like you."

Will blinked in surprise, his face going red.  "I guess you could say that, yeah-"
"But it's so true! I've been so horrible to you, and I don't feel like I can apologise enough-" Will laughed again, the worry lines on his pretty face smoothing out. "I said it's fine, Mike, drop it, I forgive you." Mike sighed, staring absently into his eyes. "Fine, but the moment you get out of here, I'll make it up to you, I promise." Will's lips tugged up into a smile, and he covered his half of his face with the flowers Mike had brought.

"I'll be looking forward to that, Michael."  They stayed like that, holding each other's hands and talking, until the Nurse came back in.  "Time to say bye to your friend there, Will, you guys have had more than five minutes now,"  she said, and Mike nodded at her, getting to his feet and reluctantly slipping his hand out of Will's. The nurse raised her brow at that, but didn't say anything.

Mike walked out of the ward and past the man at the front desk, pushing open the double doors and leaving the hospital with a sort of warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. Will forgave him. He couldn't have been happier. Wow, you've really fallen head over heels for him, haven't you?
Mike shook that though away, convincing himself that he only liked Will as a friend - nothing else.

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A/N: Well would you look at that, frog face and zombie boy are getting along again.