MIKE POV-

---- Next day 12:54 PM ----

The ravenette's consciousness slowly returned, finding himself in a rather unfamiliar setting. His eyes were groggy as the throbbing headache and the queasiness in his stomach were indicators that something must have happened. He tried to piece it all together; the memories of last night blurring together in a gigantic mess; he couldn't tell what was real and not. He remembered finding his dad's alcohol and downing the whole bottle but... after that was a blur.

With a grown, he opened his eyes slightly squinting against the intrusive sunlight that peaked through the gaps of the curtains. As his vision adjusted and his eyes landed on the nightstand, he spotted a glass of water and some painkillers. There was a note attached, his heart skipping a beat as he recognised Will's handwriting. The note was short and sweet, just like Will. It read:

Hey, you were pretty out of it last night. Take these, they should help with the hangover. The front door is locked so if you want to leave, use the window in my room. Feel better soon.

-Will

Mike couldn't help but smile as he reread the note; If only he could remember what happened last night, hopefully it wasn't anything embarrassing. He scrunched his eyes, what was going on? He couldn't remember a thing.

His memory was absolutely blank when it came to it; he didn't know how he got into Will's bedroom, but he was glad he was here; out of all people he was glad he went to Will. The panic he felt subsided at the realisation that if he did something bad, then Will wouldn't be caring for him, right?

Grabbing the pills from the nightstand, he took a sip from the water glass, downing the pills without a second thought. The room was quiet, save for the faint rustling of the curtains in the afternoon sun.

As he took a sip of water allowing the painkillers to work, Mike shuffled to a seating position, his throbbing head was dulled by the painkillers, allowing his gaze to wander around the brunette's room; it was an intimate space, filled with ordinary decorations of a teenager's life. Posters of bands and movies adorned the walls, and a bookshelf stood tall, filled with both books and figurines alike.

His eyes fell on a familiar sight- a poster of Will's favourite band, The Clash; well, it used to be; he didn't know anymore. Just like how his favourite song used to be 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go?' but now it was 'Boys Don't Cry.' apparently. It was like he didn't even really know Will anymore.

Mike got up, exploring the room, noticing the well-worn board games in the open closet, the evidence of countless evenings spent playing with Will. A collection of drawings were pinned to the corkboard, a testament to Will's artistic talents.

He couldn't help but feel a strange comfort just being in this room all alone; he couldn't remember the last time he and Will hung out; just the two of them doing nothing in particular. Being in this room brought back memories,

His thoughts, however, couldn't help but drift toward what Will might be doing at school. He imagined Will sitting in class, his brow furrowed in concentration as he processed the book they were reading in English. Mike knew the brunette loved English and it was his favourite subject, except for art of course.

But then he realised it was lunchtime, so Will would probably be chatting with Robin during lunch, sharing a laugh or even some inside joke that Mike wasn't in on. He wanted to be in on the joke; he wanted to be the person closest to Will; he missed him.

But he also wondered if Will missed him back at all. Afterall, they spent so much time together, it would be natural for Will to miss Mike, right? Or maybe that's just what he wanted to believe...

WILL POV-

Will sat with Robin in the refuge from the bustling school courtyard in Mr Hauser's English classroom. Despite all the chairs the pair sat cross-legged in the back of the classroom. It was a welcome change of scenery, Robin said she used to come here all the time when she was a freshman; apparently, it was her place of safety; when she used to feel the same Will did.

Mr Hauser sat behind his desk, engrossed in grading papers before him, occasionally interjecting into the pair's conversation with an observation.

Will began speaking, taking a bite of his sandwich, "So Mike turned up to my house yesterday; like completely drunk. I mean, I've never seen him like that before!"

"Mike? Drunk? Are you sure? That doesn't sound like him!" Robin furrowed her brows in surprise,

Mr Hauser's voice entered the conversation, a tad worried, "How old did you say this Micheal was?"

"Never mind that!" Robin rolled her eyes sarcastically at her teacher, "Carry on Will,"

"So basically, I allowed him in through my window because I didn't want to leave him outside drunk, but he fell on me, like ONTOP of me!" Will answered.

Robin smirked a little bewildered, "Like? ON you?"

Will nodded, the memory still fresh and vivid; unlike Mike, he could remember everything; every bit of detail; he could probably count the amount of time's Mike hiccupped: fourteen. He spoke, "Yeah... and I, I couldn't move. He kept kissing me and saying how much he was thinking about me."

"Holy shit!" The blue-eyed girl whispered in disbelief, taking a sip of her juice.

Will's gaze drifted to Mr Hauser who had been listening intently this whole time; he trusted Mr Hauser; Robin trusted him, meaning he would do the same; she was like an older sister to him so who she trusted, Will trusted. The teacher nodded.

"I tried to push him off at first, but he was just clinging to me and kissing me and... I don't know... and then he whispered something to me." Will mumbled

"Go on," Robin frowned, sympathy in her gaze, placing a hand on his shoulder in moral support.

"He said..." the brunette paused, the words feeling like venom as they refused to leave his tongue, "He said, 'I wish you were a girl' and then poof! He fell asleep." he attempted to dismiss, not wanting to be put in a sour mood any longer.

Robin was quick to respond, her voice soft, "I... I'm sure he didn't mean that. Mike was really hammered yesterday; I'm sure he was just really intoxicated."

"But that's the thing! Why did he kiss me? He kept saying my name, so it was obvious he wasn't mistaking me for El!" The brunette explained his thoughts.

The room was shrouded in silence, it was something Robin couldn't answer and any guess she did have may be wildly inaccurate. However, Mr Hauser kept his gaze fixed on the papers before him, stopping in his tracks; it was obvious he felt a personal connection to this incident, "You know Will, when I was your age, something similar happened to me,"

"Really?" the brunette asked, hopeful to get some sort of clarity, shuffling his body fully to face him.

Mr Hauser nodded, continuing, "Yeah, I grew up in a time were being gay wasn't as accepted as it is today. And I had a close friend back then, his name was Eric..." he said, pausing for a second to take a breath, "He was my 'boyfriend', but he hated that label; said it made him feel sick. And I was oblivious to it all and one day while were kissing in my bedroom, he suddenly turned to me and said, 'I wish you were a girl so this can be normal'... it hit me like a ton of bricks, just as Mike's words hit you."

Will leaned in, captivated by the story, able to see the radiating sincerity from Mr Hauser, "He really said that to you?"

A sad smile touched Mr Hauser's lips, "Yeah; I don't blame him though, it was scary being gay back then; you risked losing everything. But I realised that sometimes people say things they don't fully mean when they are struggling with their own emotions."

"What happened between you and Eric?" Robin chimed in soft, hoping to find some sort of silver lining to this situation.

The teacher's gaze returned to the present, meeting their curious eyes, "Eric and I drifted apart after that; last I heard he was married to some girl in Connecticut: I just... hope he's happy, wherever he is." He whispered the last part.

Instead of making Will feel better, the brunette started panicking; is that what will happen to him and Mike in the future? Mike'll move away with El as they slowly drift apart? He looked down at his sandwich, the thoughts weighing him down like a ton of bricks; the heaviness in his heart remained,

Mr Hauser, sensing the impact of his words on Will gently spoke, "Will, I understand this was a lot to take in. I shared this story, not to make you feel unloved but to not make the same mistake I did!"

"Mistake? But you didn't do anything wrong!" Will objected.

"I did... the reason our 'relationship' failed was because we never talked about that moment; I loved him, but I eventually started pulling away and when I saw he was doing nothing to stop me... I just... I just gave up completely."

The brunette frowned, his heart aching for his teacher, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that,"

"Eh," Mr Hauser shrugged, "In all honesty I think it was a good thing; I was able to grow from it and find someone who really loves me for me."

"Oh, are we talking about Charles?" Robin smirked with a little wit, hoping to lift the situation.

"Of course we are!" he chuckled, becoming serious again, "But seriously though Will, talk to him; maybe you'll understand why he said what he did."

Will swallowed hard; his determination renewed, "I will. I don't want to lose Mike, but I also need to know where we stand. With all the kissing and stuff; it's a little confusing!" he giggled.

"That's the spirit, Will!" Mr Hauser said enthusiastically, "Remember you will find love and acceptance for who you are; it's just... a little harder for us."

The words echoed in his mind, perhaps he had been looking at this all wrong; first he needed to talk to Mike about what happened last night. He had a plan; he would go home straight after school, write down the questions he had for Mike and sit him down tomorrow to ask him the questions.

What could go wrong? He was determined.

---- 3:52 PM ----

That was easier said than done; as he stood in his bedroom doorway, a mix of surprise and confusion washed over his face to see Mike sitting with a dumb smile on his face; almost as if he was waiting for him. The school day ended, and Will wanted to come home and write his points before saying them, so they didn't become jumbled thoughts stuck in his throat.

His determination dwindled in the face of Mike's chipper attitude and the thought of confronting his friend in his jolly state made him feel guilty, but still he needed to do it!

But now, seeing Mike sitting happily cross-legged on his bed made Will's determination dissipate like smoke in the wind.

"Hey Will!" Mike greeted with a bright smile, "I was wondering when you'd get back, I've been so bored all day!"

"You haven't left?" the brunette asked.

"Nope!" Mike waved around, "My mum thought I was at school, so I hid here till school was over!"

"Oh right!" the small boy murmured stepping into the room and sitting beside Mike, "Sorry to leave you hanging, I guess,"

"Eh no worries." the tall boy answered dismissively, "I was thinking!"

Will raised an eyebrow, could this be how he starts the conversation he was so determined to bring up? "Thinking about?"

"I was thinking we could spend after school together; just the two of us!" Mike explained, a childlike glint in his eyes as he shuffled to face the brunette,

"Oh..." the brunette swallowed the lump in his throat. Mike's enthusiasm was infectious, and Will found him oddly endearing. This was going to be difficult, but he pushed his feelings away for a moment as he spoke, "Mike, do you remember anything about last night?"

"Last night?" Mike furrowed his brows in confusion, "I can't really remember anything. I just hope I didn't do anything... you know, mean or hurtful. You're an amazing friend Will."

The word 'friend' made Will physically flinch; once again a reminder of what he wanted to talk to Mike about, but he couldn't; he couldn't destroy Mike's happy persona today, he just needed time to plan what to say; delaying their little conversation to later,

"Oh, never mind! It was stupid stuff, just talking about D&D and that." Will awkwardly lied with a chuckle.

"Oh, okay! Phew!" Mike said dramatically aloud, wiping a fake sweat drop off his forehead. "So, what do you want to do first?"

"What do you mean?" The brunette questioned.

"I mean, do you want to play Nintendo, or eat first or..." The ravenette suggested, a tad nervous.

"Actually, I think its best if you go Mike," Will insisted, trying his best not to come off rude.

Mike furrowed his brows confused, crossing his arms with a pout, "Why? What's the rush? You promised yesterday we would hang out today!"

"I... I know." Will had no guts when it came to Mike, "But today really isn't the best day... I still need to do my homework and stuff; aren't your parents going to be worried? They haven't seen you for a while,"

But the ravenette didn't budge, "I can help you with the homework, and besides it doesn't matter what time I get home; if I'm with you my parents don't really care!"

"No... I know but..." The brunette struggled to come up with excuses as he became steadily annoyed, "But I was just planning to go see Robin!"

"What? Again?" Mike whined. "You can see her all the time at school?"

"Mike... why don't you go see your own GIRLFRIEND? I heard she was worried." he emphasized the words hoping Mike would get the hint and leave.

"Oh... oh yeah, El!" the ravenette finally seemed to get the message, letting out an exasperated sigh, muttering something about needing to sort hang out with Will later. With that he reluctantly got up from the bed

"Can we... please hang out one day? You mean a lot to me, you know that, right?" Mike gave a weak smile before nodding and disappearing down the hallway and out the front door; allowing the front door to echo through the house.

Mike's sad voice and slight frown tugged at Will's heartstrings, reminding him of the times they spent together and the memories he had from yesterday. He sat alone in his room, hoping he could have some solitude.

Yet he couldn't have that as the front door creaked open once more, "Will? El? I'm home!" Jonathan's voice rang through the air, announcing his arrival.

Footsteps approached, and with a concerned glance, Jonathan noticed that Will's door was wide open. He walked down the hallway and softly spoke, "Hey, buddy, I saw Mike leaving in a bit of a huff, is everything okay?"

Will's frown deepened upon listening to Jonathan's caring words, appreciating his brother's concern but he couldn't find the words to express the turmoil within. He knew Jonathan was always there for him, ready to listen and support, but his secret held him back; would Jonathan even love him anymore?

Jonathan sat beside Will, his concern growing, gently shuffling in his seat, "There's something bothering you isn't there? You can talk to me, you know? Did Mike say anything to you? Did he hurt you?"

Will shook his head slowly, whispering quietly, "Mike... he didn't do anything to me; I'm just tired." he dismissed,

Jonathan knew that was a lie, trying his best to reach out to Will, offering support and a safe space for his little brother to be who he is. But upon realising that Will needed some time for privacy, and he was not ready to open up, he answered softly, "Okay, I won't push you to open up if you don't want to, but my door is always open and I'm here if you ever want to talk; about anything!"

Will turned to Jonathan, his eyes filled with uncertainty and vulnerability; he had been carrying the weight of this secret for so long, but he wished for reassurance from his own family. "Jonathan?" Will turned to him, his voice trembling, "If I had a secret; like a big secret that might change everything, would you still want to be my brother?"

Jonathan's heart ached as he saw the turmoil in Will's expression. "Will, I'm your brother, and I always will be, no secret could ever, ever change that. I just, wish I could help; no matter how small!" Jonathan got up with a solemn smile preparing to leave, he knew Will needed time for solitude when he was like this, turning his back away.

Will's hand shot out, grabbing his brother's arm with a sense of uncertainty, "Jonathan wait!" his eyes welling up with tears as he took in Jonathan's words of love and acceptance; feeling fear and relief; would his brother still love him? "You're right! There is something wrong with me; I'm scared! It's just that I see other people who seem so... normal, so comfortable with who they are, and I wish I was them. But I'm not. I don't want to be different, I wish I wasn't like this."

Jonathan's expression shifted to confusion as he took a seat once again beside his brother, squeezing his shoulder, offering reassurance and support, "Will, it's okay to be yourself; you don't have to be just like everyone else! And if others say otherwise, then fuck them!"

"No! Because if I do that everyone will hate me!" Will continued, his voice trembling with vulnerability, but he didn't cry, "You don't understand... I'm so scared. I'm scared that if I ever tell mum, she'll look at me differently, like I'm some sort of monster. And the guys, Mike, Dustin, Lucas; they'll hate me. They'll think I'm weird and won't want to be around me anymore! And I don't know how much more I can keep up this act!"

Jonathan listened to every word that came flooding out of the brunette's mouth, his eyebrows dropping with empathy and understanding, "Will," he said, his voice soft, "You don't have to pretend to be 'normal' for anyone, especially not for me. You are who you are, and no one should tell you otherwise. No matter what you're going through, what secret you have, or who you are, you'll always be my little brother and I, will always love you,"

Will hesitated, a lump caught in his throat, his secret weighing him down, then summoning every ounce of courage he had left, finally speaking, "And I... am gay..."

The room fell into a profound silence as Jonathan's eyes widened in surprise. Without a word or hesitation, he wrapped Will into a deep, heartfelt hug, holding his little brother close... He will always love his brother, no matter what. 

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3285 Words

Stay Safe <3