𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (byler)

014

"why would you ever kiss me?"

"so, kids, how has your summer been?" hopper asked as he took a bite of his food.

"good." eleven answered and will shrugged.

jonathan just gave him a look and will rolled his eyes.

"it's okay." will replied.

"and you, jonathan? i heard that you and nancy are interning together." hopper turned towards him

"oh, yeah, it's been good. photography has been my thing for a long time, so this interning is going to..."

will stopped listening and starting playing with his food.

"will, i need to talk to you." eleven whispered.

"i'm not in the mood to talk." will whispered back.

"please, it is about mike." eleven muttered.

will placed his fork down and turned to look at eleven.

"i don't care about mike, okay! i don't want to talk about him so just leave me alone!" will
whisper-shouted.

joyce looked over at her son. she had overheard him.

"i'm sorry to interrupt, but will are you okay, hon?" joyce asked.

"i'm fine, mom, i'm just tired." will rubbed his eyes.

joyce nodded and rubbed will's shoulder.

hopper and jonathan continued their boring conversation about interning and photography or whatever. will didn't care at this point, he just wanted to plop down on his bed and forget that he was will byers and forget all of the bad things.

eleven kept looking over at will and saw how much he didn't want to be at this dinner and how much he'd rather be somewhere else.

"this food is delicious joyce, how did you make it?" hopper asked joyce, snapping eleven out of her thoughts, but will was still in his own little world.

"it is very good, mrs. byers." eleven smiled.

"thank you, sweetheart." joyce returned the smile.

will kept stabbing his chicken over and over and over with his fork, waiting for this pain to end.

suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"i'll get it!" will immediately jumped up, hoping it would be max or dustin that came back to save him from this torture.

but instead, he saw the tall figure of mike wheeler.

will stepped outside with mike and closed the door behind them, angrily.

"what are you doing here, mike." will folded his arms.

"i love you." mike blurted.

"really, because you have a funny way of showing it." will looked him up and down.

"no, will, i don't love you as a friend." mike shook his head.

will put his face in his hands. "mike did you come here to waste my time or do you have a real explanation for what the hell is happening?"

"look at me." mike said and will looked up at the handsome boy.

"i don't love you as a friend because i love you as something more than just a friend!" mike explained.

"okay, now i know you're pranking me and just trying to make me feel like a goddamn fool for having a crush on you. news flash, mike, i already feel like a fool for having a crush on you!" will ranted.

"i'm not doing that either, will. i like girls—."

"mike, you have three seconds to leave before i go inside and get hopper to get you off of my property." will seethed.

"okay, okay. i like girls, but you didn't let me finish. i also like boys!"

"what?"

"will," mike grabbed the brown-haired boy's hands. "i came here to get you before i lose you forever."

"you know what mike, you already have. go home." will spat and slammed the door in mike's face.

will ran to his room, not wanting to face anybody as he felt the tears well up in his eyes.

"will, where are you going?" joyce called.

"just leave me alone!" will slammed his door shut.

after slamming it, he let out the loudest sob he's ever let out.

mike, rode his bike all the way home, not letting one tear slip out, even if they were burning his eyes. he wished he had kissed will back there, but will hated him.

when he got home, he ran up to his room and finally let the tears escape. mike also let out the loudest sob he's ever let out.

both boys were in love with each other, but still felt so much pain.

word count: 707