Byler Oneshots | finkwo

𝗍𝗁𝖾 "𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄"

None of the events involving, Eleven, the Upside Down, or anything of that nature ever occurred. The characters are the same age as they were in season 1.

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Wheeler Residence 8:57pm

Johnathan walked down the basement stairs, catching the attention of the four young boys in the basement.

Will frowned, knowing full well that it was time to leave.

Dustin and Lucas decided it was time to leave as well.

They both said goodbye and ran up the basement stairs.

"Johnathan, can I please stay a little longer?" Will pleaded.

"Sorry buddy, Mom wants you home." He replied.

"But we don't even have school tomorrow!"

"Please!" Mike joined in.

"Will can sleep over! Right, Will?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I can sleep over!" Will agreed.

Johnathan looked at the two, their adorable eyes ultimately winning over.

"Fine.." Johnathan sighed, chuckling to himself.

"I'll be back with your stuff in a bit." He said, leaving the basement.

Will and Mike looked at each other before laughing and giggling with excitement.

"Come on, let's grab some snacks and head to my room!" Mike said, grabbing Will's hand, leading him up the stairs.

Ted was on the La-Z-Boy reading a newspaper, Nancy was in her room calling Barb, and Karen was talking on the phone with one of her friends while she kept an eye on Holly, who was unsurprisingly playing with dolls.

Ted watched as he saw his son and Will raid the kitchen, grabbing mostly freshly baked cookies that Karen had made.

He continued to watch, growing slightly irritated seeing Mike and Will hold hands while running off upstairs.

He sighed and went back to his newspaper.

___
Wheeler Residence 10:04am

Mike gave his best friend a tight hug before waving him off and closing the front door.

"Son," Ted began.

"I wanna talk to you about something, come here."

Mike didn't know what it was his father wanted to talk about, nor did he really care.

"So Michael, I can't help but notice how close you are being with Will." He started.

"Well yeah, Will's my best friend." Mike replied.

"But son, he isn't normal."

Mike grew confused.

"And I'm worried that you are becoming, well— like him."

"Boys are not supposed to hold hands with other boys." He said.

Mike didn't know what to think.

"Look Michael, let's face it, I don't really want you hanging around with a queer, if ya know what I'm saying." Ted said slightly quieter, chuckling.

"I also don't want you to become one because of him. People like that don't belong in our world." He said, nonchalantly.

"And they certainly don't belong with normal boys like you." He concluded.

"Got that, son?"

Mike nodded and went up to his room.

He started thinking about Will and how he felt about him. And how being around Will gave him butterflies, how no girl had ever make him feel the way Will does.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he liked Will a lot, like, he like-liked Will.

A lot.

Mike started to cry.

His tears wetting the ends of his sleeves as he wept quietly into his open hands.

And then he started to get angry.

Why did his father call Will that name? That name that bullies called him? Will isn't the one to blame.

Will doesn't deserve this.

His hands balled into fists and he slowly stopped being angry, starting to cry to himself again.

He curled up on his mattress. Questions with no answers flooded his brain.

Why am I like this?

Why did I have to like him?

I can't do this.

I hate who I am.

I'm disgusting.

Boys can't like boys.

Why am I like this?
Why am I like this?
Why am I like this?

_____
Just some of Mike's internalized homophobia, little quick angst :(

633 words
10.26.22