One and Only (Byler)

The way he looks at Her

TW: Homophobic slur/Homophobia.

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Will smiled at Mike, looking down into his lap. Mike looked away from him, and Will could've sworn he saw him blush. But perhaps he was just tricking himself into seeing what he wanted to see. Even after their argument a little bit short of a month ago, Will still couldn't get what Mike had said to him out of his head, he couldn't help but overthink it, and it felt so stupid to read into his words.

'I guess I just kinda moved on.'

Will gave a shudder that had nothing to do with the pressure on his broken leg, listening as Mike talked to him about what was going on with the rest of the party, and, mainly El. The way he would look at her when she spoke, or constantly ignore Will when she was around, made him wish that everyone had left him to die in the upside down. It sounded silly when he thought of it, but it was also painfully true.

Mike was the only person who seemed to consistently visit him, while the rest of the party was absent, or gave very brief visits - so that should mean he cared, right? Then why did feel like Mike was pushing him away at the same time? Mike got to his feet, looking down at Will. "Hey Will, I'm just gonna go to the bathroom, be back in a bit." Will nodded, shifting his leg cast, and staring at Mike's departing figure. He was just overreacting.

Will sank back into his pillows, grabbing his book again. He sat there for a few moments, watching the words twist and tangle on the page, before eventually giving up, and bringing out his sketch pad. There was nothing but the sound of wind blowing through an open window for a few moments, and Will traced his paintbrush against the page, watching as the red of the watercolour moved across the sketch.

Will's bedroom door creaked open, and Mike poked his head around it, a small smile on his face. Will blinked at him.  "You're back early. It's been like a minute."  Mike moved to sit on the chair again, laughing.  "You make it sound like you didn't want me to come back."  Will shook his head, smiling.  "And you know perfectly well what I meant."  He turned his sketch pad around, and Mike leant closer to him.

"I don't know Mike, every time I try to go back to normal, when I try to pick up my paintbrush and create something normal, it's like I go right back to where I started. I go back to painting the upside down."  There was a long stretch of silence, and Mike frowned at him.  "But you couldn't even stay there?" Will frowned back at him, confused.  "I don't know what you mean,"  he replied, and Mike smiled at him again, but it didn't look like it was his smile, it looked as like someone had pulled up his face.

"Why couldn't you just do everyone a favour, and accept the fact that you don't belong here, your fate was in the upside down."  Will sat up, his heart beating faster than usual.  "Very funny, Mike, cut it out-"  Mike gave him a look of disgust, digging his elbow into Will's broken leg, causing him to give a cry of pain.  "Freaks like you don't deserve love. I wish you would just stay away from me. I wish you would just die."

Will flinched, tears welling in his eyes.  "But- but I was supposed to stay alive for my friends, that's my job, you wanted me to-"  Mike laughed at him, standing up.  "You're job was to be dead, and you couldn't even do that. Nothing you do is ever good enough. You're exactly what you're dad says you are."  Mike shoved Will onto the floor, and Will shook his head, tears streaming down his face.  "You're not real- you're not him- leave me alone-"

"You can keep telling yourself that, Will, but you know it's all true. You know what I think of you, what they all think of you." He gestured behind him, where a crowd of faceless people stood, and among them were the rest of the party, all sharing the same disgusted look. El stepped forwards, looking down on Will. "You can get through this Will, I believe in you!" Will blinked at her, hope rising in his chest. "Really?"