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Will’s body shook as his head was running through everything that could happen once Mike arrived. Today was the day, and by that I mean THE day—like arguably the most important day of his life currently—Will just couldn’t wait.
A week ago Will had asked Mike to meet him at their favorite burger joint after their shifts at their respective jobs on Friday-this Friday.- Mike is Will’s best friend so of course he agreed but Will really just wants to spill his feelings for Mike over his favorite burger and if it goes sour Jane was keeping a tub of ice cream in the back of said burger joint just for him. But if goes well—here’s to hoping it does for him—then Will did buy tickets to Childs Play, because it looked like a funky movie idea and bad, two key things you need to have a fun time!
Will sighed and looked down at his watch—his matching one with Mike—the time was 6:53pm, Mike gets out at 7pm today so Will still had a long time to go until Mike left Scoops Anoy. “I’m starting to rethinking leaving my job early,” he groaned and run his hands over his face as he stared at the dim ceiling light, “is it bad that I didn’t want to smell like pizza for a one sided date…” Will muttered.
“What’s bad with smelling like pizza?” A voice said, taking Will out of it. He looked down to see his sister, Jane, smiling at him. “What’s wrong Will? I haven’t seen you this worried or jittery about something since meeting Mike at the airport two years ago or when you..” she looks around to make sure there isn’t anyone listening—there’s no one around—then whispers “came out to Mike.”
“You really had to make it a pattern with giving examples with Mike didn’t you?” He huffed as she giggled and shrugged, “it’s just…this time I’m telling Mike my true most honest feelings, who knows how he would react. Gosh it was just a blessing he didn’t care when I came out to him, if anything I kinda like how extra protective he became about people saying gay slurs to me. But still! I’m just nervous..” Will finished as he looked down at his watch, watching the clock turn to 7pm. Will sighed knowing Mike would still be a few minutes to change and to get here.
“Yeah, I get it Will, i remember how nervous I got around Dustin. Especially when he asked me to hang out, I could tell what he wanted to say but deep down I wanted to say it too, so I was just as nervous.” Jane paused and looked in thought as if trying to find the right words, “so just act normal, Mike can read you like a book, and if Mike knows anything about you, he’s probably just as nervous as you are—and for the same reasons—so relax yourself.” Jane smiled softly at Will as she looked out of the window to see Mike walking to the door. “Well speak of the man himself, you got this Will!” Jane squealed as she hurried up and ran off to get menus.
Will watched Jane walking away to the front and grabbed menus from the host stand as Mike walked inside the restaurant. Will looked as Mike smiled brightly at Jane and hugged her—Will knew they haven’t really seen each other for almost a week—but he still frowned at the sight. He knows he shouldn’t think this way but he can’t help himself deep down from being slightly jealous. Mike ended up taking the menus from Jane and jogged to Wills table.
“Will!” Mike near shouted despite being two feet away, he leaned in and hugged Will, to which he hugged back. “Will I’m so glad you asked to hang out today, I needed an excuse to not be Hollys makeup test subject.” Mike shuttered out, as if he were recounting other things where he had been victim to Hollys horrible makeup skills.
Will laughed as he grabbed a menu, “well we should get milkshakes to cheer for that right?” He offered and got a soft smile in return.
“You’re absolutely right Will, we need milkshakes! What flavor out of the many many flavors do you want?” Mike asked in a sarcastic lighthearted tone as there was only one milkshake flavor and it was vanilla.
Will snorted, “I’m thinking….vanilla!”
“Yeah me too, something about it just calls for me.” Mike laughed as he shut the menu closed, Will following in suit.
Quickly after this chat, Jane had asked for their order; for Mike: vanilla milkshake with a double cheeseburger with no onions, and Will: vanilla milkshake and a house applewood bacon burger with extra sauce.
“So Mike, I had something I wanted to say…” Will started off as he fiddled with his fingers unable to look at Mike.
“Are you okay Will?” Mike interrupted as he took Wills hand in his own, “no one is messing with you are they? Because you know-“
“Mike, I’m fine, no one’s bothering me!” Will sighed out with a laugh and a smile, “I would’ve told you if someone was, but I have something really important to tell you so if you could just sit back in your seat and not cut me off or anything, just pay attention real hard, can you do that for me?” Will asked, with a hopeful gaze in his eyes.
Mike just stares at Will, there’s a softness to his look, and something else Will doesn’t know if he wants to place in fear of being wrong. “Anything.” Mike says in such a self assured tone that holds tenderness and gentle warmth. It makes Will believe his words, because how could he not when Mike is gazing at Will like he made the sun.
Will inhales and exhales, “Mike, you are the most important person in my life. You are the person I look for in a crowd, the person I join events for, the person who has been there for me the longest. You know me better than anyone, better than my mom, better than Johnathan—well frankly there’s some things they don’t need to know about right?” Will gives out an airy laugh at his attempt at humor that does in fact earn a laugh from Mike. “But Mike you are so much more than just my best friend, you mean everything to me. I don’t even know where I would be without you in my life, and there’s so much more. Because Mike you are my heart, and I want to be crazy with you forever, and all of that is just to say…” Will takes a deep breath and forces himself to look Mike in the eyes, “I love you.”
The words roll perfectly off of Wills tongue, he’s said them hundreds of times before but this time? This time it feels just right, it’s deep, it’s true, it formats his feelings in a way that finally makes the world feel calm. But that doesn’t mean he’s out of the storm yet, Will gulps as he stares at Mike-who is unmoving-waiting for an answer.
Just before Will says anything Mike leaves his stalemate position and speaks, “y-you lov-you what?” Mike stutters as his face turns hot pink with a flustered expression.
Will hadn’t expected this, never in his life had he seen this emotion cross Mikes face. He quite likes it. “I love you Mike, more than you pro-“
“I’m crazy about you too,” Mike says quickly, cutting Will off on accident. “Sorry Will…” he quickly recovers.
“I-it’s fine…continue with what you were saying…” Will breathes out in shock.
“Well I’m surprised you haven’t noticed it either Will but I’m super into you, and I know you gave that whole beautiful speech but I don’t really have one prepared…I just know I’ve had these feelings for you for a long time now. At first they scared me, I was scared I was going to be judged and hated by those around me, so I hid it, I hid them. I just hated myself even more, these emotions are part of me but I acted like they weren’t. It was more recently when I started to accept these and I’m so glad I did, it made me realize just how much I need you in my life Will. I can’t imagine my life without you, when I think of my future you’re right there by my side, right by my side. Because I love you Will.” Mike finishes looking at Will the same he was earlier, but this time Will makes clear of what that glint in his eye is.
———————————————————————
Today had been a great day for Will, he confessed, got a boyfriend, had a great first date and now they’re sleeping in the same bed. What could be any better? ‘Nothing,’ Will thought as he turned his head to look at Mike who was dead asleep.
Mike let out small quiet snores that made for great white noise, with his mouth slightly open and his hair in his face. Mike looked adorable to Will, and quite peaceful. When Mike is awake he always has the tone that he’s constantly thinking about something, that stops him from truly being in any moment. Today and now were moments where Mike looked at peace, like he could let down his wall and just be himself. Just be there in the moment, with Will.
Will sighed peacefully as he kept looking at Mikes face. His eyes slowly drifting down to Mikes lips, it’s something he’s done a lot, many times before to be honest. But now he can look at them without feeling horrible inside, and Will can definitely look at them more than before without the fear of being caught. While Will loves Mikes lips and the thought of his own on them, they hadn’t gone any further than holding hands. Maybe they were going slowly, but Will doesn’t mind.
Of course he would love to kiss Mike, but only if Mike is comfortable in doing that. They’re a duo now, even more so than before. And Will wouldn’t give this up for anything in the world, sure it’s a little selfish if he picked his relationship over saving the world if it came to it. But why would he give up on this moment? Or their history? It’s something Will doesn’t know if he could live without.
‘Is that dark?’ ‘Am I evil?’ The thoughts that played in Wills mind but he didn’t really care. He’s tired of choosing someone else over himself, he’s made up his mind. He wants to choose him and Mike, it’s them against a world that wants them apart. Even if they don’t exactly know at the moment, but that’s the point. This world doesn’t know about them, because this horrible world refuses to acknowledge what they have is real. Like it has done to everyone just like him in the past.
‘Geez, I sound like Mike right now, I guess since he can’t overthink for the both of us-it’s up to me to think a little too much.’ Will thought and sighed, ‘it’s definitely time for bed if this is playing in my mind at the moment.’
Will pushed hair away from Mikes face and smiled, “good night Mike, I love you.” He whispered not expecting an answer. Slowly his eyes closed as he pictured his day until this moment once more. Then finally, he was asleep.