𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞; byler

Chapter 20- Mike

"HERE, JUST WEAR these," Mike said as he looked through Will's drawer. Finally, he found a white button down shirt and black pants. Perfect.

"Here," He helped Will off the bed. He saw the brunette's face crumpling in pain for a swift second before going back to the composed expressionless face he wore in times of pain, and tried to not let it affect him. A plan was putting itself together in his brain, but if he wanted it to work he needed to hurry. 

He helped Will towards the bathroom, handing him the clothes and closing the door in Will's very confused face.

He looked at his watch. 22:16. If they left soon they could still make it-
A few minutes later Will emerged from the bathroom, droplets of water hanging from his eyelashes, his hair wet.

"You look amazing," Mike heard himself saying. It was true, of course; the boy looked so elegant in the simple outfit, the simple colors bringing out his beautiful eyes, But Will just shook his head. 

Mike wasn't even sure Will was aware he was shaking his head, it seemed like an almost automatic response, as if Will was so sure it wasn't true he didn't even have the need to protest it. 

Mike hated himself for leaving Will alone for so long: he couldn't help imagining the scars on the boy's body, what he had said about being lonely... he should've been there for Will. He'll always be there for Will from now on, no matter what.
"Where are we going?" Will asked as they left the house. Mike silently helped Will onto the back of his bike, then started riding.

                                                                                        ✴ ⁕ ✴ ⁕ ✴

"School?" Will asked, confused as Mike put his bike in their usual place. 

Good. Will didn't remember the snowball was happening as they spoke.

"Five more minutes, then you'll understand." Mike said, putting Will's arm around his own neck and helping him limp to the door. 

They walked a couple of seconds in the dark silently, and then they reached a turn in the hallway, and Mike stopped. This was it.
" I'm really sorry. I'm sorry that I left you, I'm sorry that I made you deal with everything alone. I was an asshole, okay? but I promise we'll get through everything together. I promise I'll help you."  Mike stared at Will's face, but it was still confused. 

"Mike, what are you doing?" Will asked.

"What I should've been doing for the past five years." Mike said, and with Will walked the turn. 

In the dark hallway right before the entrance to the gym, on the floor they saw Max, Lucas, Dustin, Suzie and Jane sitting around a bowl of pretzels. 

Dustin and Lucas were wearing their tuxes, but their ties and overcoats were sprawled on the floor besides them. 

Max was wearing a pale purple dress and a pair of high heels were sitting next to her bare feet. Her hair was up in a messy bun. 

Jane was the only one who still looked like she was mid- dance. 

It was their party's usual state at dances; a few hours in, then the rest just having a small get together outside when they got tired of dancing. When they saw the two boys approaching, they all jumped to their feet and rushed to Will's side.

"Holy shit! Will, what happened?" Dustin asked, scanning Will's bandaged ankle and puffy lip.
"Are you okay?" Max called, looking at Mike with an angry look before turning back to Will with a worried one.

"Will, what-" Lucas started too.

But Mike didn't care about them. He looked straight in Jane's eyes, his eyes asking her permission. Jane smiled her beautiful smile at him, nodding her head so that her hair bounced cheerfully around her face. 

Thank you, Mike mouthed to her. She was so, so understanding. How did an un-considerate asshole like him get not one, but two amazing people to love him? 

Jane nodded again, her face still happy. Mike could see she truly  understood, and wasn't mad at him. Max was a whole different story, shooting him dirty looks over Will's shoulders every once in a while. Mike didn't think he could get away with hurting Max's friend, but that was a worry for a different day. 

Tonight he had something more important to do.

"Excuse us," Mike said as he pushed past them, entering the gym. 

He heard his friends follow behind, breathing words of confusion and annoyance.
The gymnasium was full of cheesy snowflakes, fake snow covering the bleachers. It was terribly decorated, packed with slightly tipsy high schoolers dancing frantically on the dance floor, some middle schoolers trying to dance behind them. It smelled of cheap snacks, sugary drinks and stinky teenagers. 

It was perfect.

"No." Will said. Mike looked to see a look of pure fright on his face, " No way Mike. No, No, No."

"Just, trust me." and as if the gym teacher in charge of music heard his thoughts, the fast pop music changed into a slow, sappy ballad.

 A few grumpy students left the floor towards the bleachers, but most people coupled-up and started slow dancing. Some of them were couples, some friends dancing to prove they didn't care they were single. Mike even saw Troy and James, the worst bullies in the whole school, slow dancing and making sappy, fake kissing sounds.

Mike pulled Will towards the middle of the dance floor, where he put his hands around Will's waist.
"I can't dance," Will looked down at his ankle. But Mike had already thought of that.
"You don't have to. Just put your arms around my neck, and we'll slowly bob in place." Will did just that, his hands cold and his Hazel eyes huge and beautiful.

"I've been a terrible boyfriend. I made you hide, I didn't listen to your needs, and then just left you. I don't know how you stuck by me for so long. But the fact is, you're the best thing that ever happened to me. You're smart, creative, beautiful and so kind. I don't understand how I could've ever been embarrassed to tell people we're dating. So you're right. We can't be like we used to be, but that's a good thing. I love you, William Byers, and this time I want everyone to know."The words weren't what Mike would usually say, but they were what he felt. 

He looked at Will's beautiful face, his heart beating out of his chest, and did what he came to do in the first place.

Right there, in the middle of the school gymnasium, surrounded by hundreds of eyes including the one's belonging to his friends Mike could feel burning on his back, Mike kissed Will.

It felt like the whole world stopped. The kiss they had shared before was nothing compared to this one. This kiss was real. He felt Will's soft lips against his, their mouths moving perfectly in sync, his breathing heavy. Suddenly, Mike felt like they were alone in the school, in the world. There was nothing in the world but the beautiful boy in front of him, the smell of vanilla soap making his head spin. he didn't care about how much bullying he'd have to endure very soon, how much more difficult this would make everything.

The only thing he cared about was Will's face when they finally pulled away, the smile Mike had missed so much shining on his face, the hazel eyes he loved full of wonder and happiness.

The only thing he cared about were the words Will was saying, the words he had missed so much;

"I love you too."

and then Will put his head on Mike's chest and they just continued dancing, like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, like they didn't feel how every single person in the room was staring at them, like they didn't know they had just become the hottest topic of gossip in the whole school, and soon in the whole town. They danced like they were just a couple enjoying a kitschy school dance, just a couple showing their mutual love. Because that's what they were. And they didn't care about anything or anyone.

They just danced.

                                                                                     THE END