Byler one shots

8 part 2

Mike wanted to stay at Will's house for the night. But he couldn't.
"Your parents will be worried sick!" Joyce had told him.
Mike didn't believe her if he was honest. In his head, the only thing that he could possibly think his parents would be worrying about was who got to have his old room.
Mike felt that he could never go back home. He would be hated. Unloved.

"I can walk you home." Will said gently.
Mike shook his head. It was pitch black outside. He knew how afraid Will was of the dark. Even though he wanted nothing more than a long walk and conversation with him, he couldn't bare the thought of Will shivering in fear walking back from Mike's house alone.

Jonathan offered to give him a ride.
"They'll see your car. And they'll know I was at your house. They'll know about Will."
Jonathan gave an unreadable glance to Joyce; who nodded.

"It's okay, Mike. Jonathan can park his car a bit down the road and let you get out." Will was still rubbing his back, reassuring his boyfriend to the best of his ability.

In Mike's pain, he felt frustrated with Will. Why was he not on his side? He knew what his parents were like. So why was he so eager to send him home?
At the back of his mind, he was thinking rationally. Obviously here would be one of the places to check when looking for Mike. It wouldn't be too long until his parents showed up and told him to get home. Plus his dad would probably ban him from seeing Will ever again if he found out that he ran here.

Mike said nothing and stood up. "Can... Can I talk to Will for a minute?" he breathed out and added "Alone."

Jonathan nodded and left, Joyce following after him. "Be quick."she said.

Mike walked towards the front window, running his hands over his face and his hair. "I feel sick."

Will watched him from where he sat. Mike had blue jeans on, as usual. He was wearing his favourite polo shirt that Will bought him for Christmas one year. It was red and white and had striped across the chest. Mike wore it as often as he could. It was tucked into his jeans waist as usual.
Will noticed that Mike didn't bring a coat in the hurry of leaving his house.
His hair fell back into place even when he ran his hands through it. Everything seemed so normal. He looked just like Will's old Mike on the outside. But on the inside it was something completely different.

He wasn't Will's goofy and awkward boyfriend now. He was in pain and angry and felt a million emotions at once. Will wanted nothing more than to fix it all for him, but Will had barely enough strength to fix himself nevermind everyone else. He tried his best though, every day of his life.

Will stood up. He couldn't fix Mike's pain, but he could at least make it less of a weight to carry alone.
He moved towards him. Mike turned around and took a step forward.

Just as Will was about to say something, Mike kissed him. It wasn't the first time they kissed, but it startled him. It didn't feel the same. It felt urgent. Like Mike was absolutely terrified. And he was.

Mike couldn't bear the thought of being without Will. His mind flashed back to that night when they pulled his body from the water. He remembered the shock. Then came the realisation. Then disbelief. And then it all came raining down on him. Everything; gone in an instant. No more Will. He loved Will more than anything, and he missed his chance. All he remembered was shouting at Eleven through clouded eyes of tears. Everything else he tried his best to forget.

And then they heard him through the radio.
"It's like home! But it's so dark! It's so dark and empty and it's cold! Mom!"

Hearing Will's voice in that much pain hurt him so badly. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to him, but it was impossible. It was like loosing him all over again.

So Mike kissed him. He kissed him with as much passion as he could because he knew that if he didn't he could loose him again. He didn't want to stand by and watch Will slip through his fingertips like sand.

Mike pulled back slowly. "I love you." Tears rolled down his face.

Will had never heard him say that before. "...I love you too."

Joyce opened the door and signalled to Mike that it was time to go.

-

Mike arrived late. The lights were all off in the house, suprisingly.
He moved to the front door. Just as he was about to open it, he heard a "pssst!" from Nancy's window.
Mike walked back so that he could see her. She motioned for him to come into her room.

Mike nodded and ran up to the wall. He had walked Steve climb up the wall before, it couldn't be that hard. If that big idiot could do it, so could he. He was a bit more agile.

He made it into Nancy's room as silently as he could.
Nancy looked at him and sat on the bed.
Mike stood awkwardly in her room, not really knowing what to say.
"....Do you know about-"
"Yes." Nancy stated. She had an unreadable expression on her face.

Mike felt unbelievably overwhelmed. "They told you?"
Nancy shook her head. "I stood at the top of the stairs and listened."

"And... How do you feel about it?" Mike asked. He was shaking. He didn't know if that was because he was freezing or if it was because he was nervous.

Nancy was silent. "I.... I'm not sure Mike. I need a bit of time to think about it, okay? But I don't hate you for it. I just don't really understand it. I'm not like mom or dad though."

Mike breathed out a breath of relief. Mike understood. Nancy had probably never known anyone who was gay before, so it would be quite worrying that it would be her brother. Plus, the "gay cancer" - as everyone called it (AIDs) was the only publicity she seen of it.

"Just give me some time. But like I said before. From now on we tell each other everything, okay? No more secrets. I'm your sister, Mike. I love you."

Mike scrunched up his face in disgust. "Love you too I guess."

Nancy laughed. "I left a sleeping bag for you on the floor so you won't wake up mom or dad when going to your room."

Nancy didn't push Mike any more after that, she let him go to sleep. She was still worried though. She was wondering where Mike had been, who his boyfriend was. And if his boyfriend was cute.

She couldn't have her brother dating boys that weren't cute. And Will was, and Mike couldn't wait to tell her all about him.