|| Weeks later, Will has a new air of confidence about him, and Mike is dealing with feelings he doesn't quite understand ||
//as far as Will and Rachel- they've been talking quite a bit, they're pretty close. Rachel knows all about how Will feels about Mike by now as well//
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Mike and Will had taken up their usual pastime of playing video games in Mike's basement. Atari games, of course. Although Mike was having a lot of trouble focusing on the game. He kept messing up, earning playful teases from Will, but his head was fuzzy, like he was stuck in a cloud.
"Dude you keep getting your ass kicked! You off your game today or something?" Mike heard Will's voice come from next to him, but it took a moment to register what exactly he had said.
"Oh, yeah." Mike chuckled dryly. "Guess so. Just... let me try again." He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus as hard as he could on the level displayed on the screen in front of him. A question was burning the back of his throat, something he knew he had been just itching to ask since Will got here. For some reason bringing it up was hard, he felt bitter and couldn't understand why. "How are things with Rachel?" He heard himself say. He bit his lip in regret, pretending to be entranced by the game.
Will seemed almost taken aback by the question, as if it was an odd thing of Mike to ask, "Oh uhm, fine." Mike saw a glint of uncertainty in Will's eyes, "They're fine. Are you doing okay?"
Mike felt his nose twitch. "Yep I'm fine." He knew Will was asking about the breakup he had gone through with Eleven. For some reason that was hardly a thought in his mind. He felt a strange buzz in the back of his head now. This feeling... it made his hands tremble.
What the hell is wrong with me?
His gut wrenched while he tried to decipher his own emotions. Then it hit him.
Jealousy.
Was he thinking about El subconsciously? He was jealous that Will supposedly had a girlfriend now and he didn't? He almost shook his head.
No, that couldn't be it. Mike's fingers curled around the joystick so tightly his knuckles turned white. He knew he was jealous, but why? His ribcage was tight, and Mike found it difficult to get the amount of oxygen he needed.
He felt Will shift beside him, "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked gently.
Mike tore his gaze away from the TV, taking down his false sense of focus. He turned to Will and saw the softness in his expression and felt something in his chest break.
Mike wasn't jealous of Will-
He was jealous of Rachel.
The air caught in his throat, and he felt the need to run away as fast as he could.
"I-.... just, I need... I'll be right back." He stood from the couch, abandoning his controller and booked it for the bathroom, slamming the door so hard he heard picture frames rattle on the wall. He slid down the back of the door, hugging his knees to his chest.
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
He really did shake his head this time, breathing uncontrollably.
This didn't make sense!! This doesn't make sense!!
His brain must be playing with him, it's all a joke.
It couldn't be... like that!
He didn't like Will like that- Will is his best friend!
Will's concerned gaze came back into Mike's mind and he felt a little like melting.
"Shit..." he whispered, a horrible panic wracking his body. The boy was frozen as a timid knock echoed through the room, and Will's quiet voice came through.
"Mike... are you okay?"
"Fine! Yep! Everything's fine." Mike pushed himself up against the door desperately trying to gain control of his own lungs. He shut his eyes tightly. A moment of silence fell over them before Will spoke up again.
"I can come back later if it's a bad time okay? Just call me-"
"No!" Mike shot up, lunging for the doorknob and wrenching it open. "Please," He panted, still out of breath. "Don't go."
"Mike-" Will's voice nearly broke, worry spreading across his face. As if he'd been resisting it all day, Mike grabbed the smaller boy and wrapped his arms around him tightly. Will did the same, returning the embrace with furrowed eyebrows. He let himself be held for a moment.
"You know you can talk to me right?" He whispered.
Mike shook his head miserably, pulling back, "Will I'm sorry but... I can't." The panic came back, rising in his chest like he was about to explode. "Please just, don't leave... give me a minute."
And with that, he retreated back to the bathroom and shut the door again.
He went to the sink, gripping the sides roughly. He splashed some water over his face, rubbing the towel to dry it a little too hard. Mike grumbled in frustration. It's just stupid hormones being... stupid right? Or it's just because of Eleven. That makes sense.
Much more sense than this.
Then why did he feel like that hug was the only thing grounding him? Like if he just held Will close to him nothing could ever go wrong again?
He shook his head yet again, letting out another grunt. No. Mike would just shove these feelings away, and not let some weird hormone jealousy reign over him. Fuck puberty right?
He took a deep breath and opened the door. He stepped out confidently and found the couch empty. "Will?" He looked around to find Will on the phone with his back turned to Mike.
Perhaps he was going to leave after all? He figured he was on the phone with his mother until he heard his friend say "Rachel". Mike couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but the nasty sting came back and slapped him right across the face. He could hardly control himself by this point. He felt like he'd boiled over, something was wrong.
"Talking to your girlfriend I see," he spat bitterly as he approached the boy. He instantly regretted his tone when he saw the look on Will's face. He stepped closer, and heard a muffled "give Mike the phone!" from the other line. Will hesitantly obeyed, handing the receiver to Mike. Will looked a little pale as he took a few steps back, wringing his hands together.
"Hello?" Mike sounded a little more demanding than he wanted to. He was speaking to the girl who was causing him so much grief.
"Mike? Yeah hi, quit being a wet sock!"
"Excuse me?" Mike's eyes grew wide and Will looked like he was about to run up the stairs and never look back.
Rachel laughed her usual all-knowing laugh. What Mike didn't realize was the incredible knack she had for reading people even if she could only hear them.
"You're such a dummy. I'm not Will's girlfriend."
"You're not...? But- But you-" Mike was cut off by another laugh from her end, it was kind and sweet, and only a little teasing.
"Will doesn't even like me that way."
"What's that supposed-"
"He likes you!"
Silence. Mike's jaw dropped to the floor.
Rachel spoke again, "Hello? Mike? Oh yeah don't worry, Will said I could tell you," she chuckled. "Mike?"
Mike stood completely still, staring at Will with shock. He spoke partly to the phone and partly to the boy in front of him.
"He... what?"
