byler oneshots

75 - it was my birthday

•takes place a few weeks after everyone is reunited in the last episode, except that was the ending of all the bad stuff!!!•
•will pov (angst)

Ever since we were all reunited in Hawkins, me, Jonathan, and my mom haven't gone back home to California. After all the time my mom and El spent away from Hopper, they definitely don't wanna leave for a while, which I'm okay with. I finally feel back at home now that I'm Hawkins, and I honestly can't imagine going back to California after all that has happened.

These past few weeks, I've tried to distract myself from how angry I am at Mike, but as things have finally calmed down, I can't hold it in anymore. Jonathan and I have been sleeping over at the Wheeler's this whole time, but I haven't had a second to talk to Mike without him saying some bitchy comment or someone interrupting us, but now it's just Mike and I home. Plus, things between Mike and El have been super weird since everything went down. They haven't touched or talked barely at all, but it's not like I'm complaining honestly.

I walk out of the living room and up the stairs to his room, knocking on the slightly open door.

"Come in." he calls, the sound of a pencil dropping on the desk.

"Hey." I say, opening the door slowly. He looks up from his desk and our eyes lock.

"Oh. Hey." he says. He gestures towards the bed, and we both go and sit down.

"I need to talk to you." I say sternly, all my emotions bubbling up inside me.

"Okay. Sure. Yeah. What's up?" he asks, sounding slightly annoyed, which causes me to get even more angry.

"You've been such a dick to me these past few weeks, Mike. It's like I've been invisible." I say, standing up. His eyes go slightly wide, my words catching him by surprise.

"W-What?" he stutters, standing up with me.

"You've totally ignored me. Remember at the roller rink? You treated me like shit! And then in the car, when I gave you the painting, you couldn't even turn your head and see that I was sobbing right next to you! Then at the pizza place I was so upset, but you couldn't pull your eyes away from El! I was in the darkest stage of my life that I've ever been in, and you didn't even notice!" I yell, tears beginning to fill my eyes. He stumbles a few steps back, trying to form words.

"Y - You were crying in the car?" he asks, his voice weak. I nod my head slowly.

"Why?" he says slowly.

I pace for a minute back and forth, trying to find the words, but I'm blank.

"B - Because...because I was upset. I was upset because...El didn't commission the painting from me. I made it. I made it for you, but I was too scared to tell you that, s - so I just lied. And when I was talking about the party, it just made me upset because I miss how we used to be." I cry, tears now streaming down my burning cheeks.

"Why were you afraid to tell me? I told you I loved the panting." he says softly.

"Because I knew that you would like it even more if you thought it was from El." I cry.

"That's not...true." he says, pausing between his words.

"We both know that's a lie Mike, it's fine." I stay sternly.

"I felt the relationship we had as kids die the day at the roller rink. I just felt the spark go out, and it hasn't been the same since." I say sadly, stepping a little closer to him.

"It was my birthday Mike." I squeak out, also inaudibly.

"What?" he asks. I look up and our eyes meet.

"The day of the roller rink was my birthday. Everyone forgot. My mom and Jonathan remembered, but I didn't want them to mention it so I could show them that you'd remember. B-but you didn't. You didn't." I cry. His face immediately drops, and tears fill his eyes. He wraps his arms around me tightly, catching me completely off guard.

"Will, I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I've been so awful to you, because I knew you were right. I knew El was lying to me at the roller rink, but I was scared to get mad at her, because I didn't wanna lose her, but by doing that, I lost you." he says, hugging me tighter. I wrap my arms around him too and cry as I listen to his words right next to my ear.

"I was just so scared and stupid. You mean so much to me, and I'm sorry I've been so rude to you. You're everything to me, Will. Everything." he says, slowly leaning back. His hands are still holding the small of my back and mine and still slightly on his shoulders, our faces only inches away.

"You mean that?" I ask.

"Yeah. I do, Will. I do." he says softly.

"Mike I-" I begin to say, but he nods his head slowly.

"I know. I know, Will. I do too. I love you too." he says, my heart beginning to beat a million times a second. My stomach begins to feel empty as I brush a curl out of his eyes.

"What about El?" I stutter.

"I love her too, but I don't think it's the same as the way I love you, Will." he says. I feel myself smile as he leans in, placing his soft lips on mine. The kiss is quick, but our lips move in sync for a few seconds, and it's everything that I've dreamt of for years and years, every single day.

When we finally lean away, he wraps his arms back around me and kisses the side of my face.

"I'm sorry." he whispers