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After the others left, Mike walked over to put his binder on the shelf, next to Will's. He looked at their binders next to each other, and as a tear rolled down his cheek, he realised something. He had to tell Will. He deserved to know. Or else, Mike would be carrying this weight of what-ifs and could've-beens on his shoulders for the rest of his life. He hurries up the stairs before it's too late, wiping his tears out of his eyes as they find Will and lock on to him. The feeling that immediately floods his chest is just even more evidence that he has to do this.
"Hey, uh, Will?"
Will turned around, and Mike gulped, anxiety buzzing in his head
"Yeah?"
Will's eyes looked almost, hopeful, and... had he always looked at Mike this way? It made Mike's heart beat loudly in his ears
"Can we talk?"
He said quickly, before he can stop himself
Will looked a bit confused, but intrigued. He nodded, and followed Mike down the stairs, closing the door behind himself. Mike sat down on the couch, and Will followed suit, fidgeting with his hands, wondering what this could be about.
"So... you know, we graduated today... everyone has their future in front of themselves, and... I just,-"
Mike sighed. Why were words so hard? He took a couple deep breaths, but his 3rd one stopped halfway as he felt Will's hand on his shoulder.
He tried so hard to not look, as he knew it wouldn't help in his inability to express himself trough speech, but he couldn't help but turn his eyes to Will's face.
"It's okay. I know it's hard to see everyone go, it's hard for me too, take your time"
Mike blinked away tears in his eyes. He very much so felt like crying
"I think there's something you should know. Before we all part ways and-"
-grow apart, stop being friends, stop talking regularly. They both feared it. That in their time apart, they'd somehow forget everything, all the feelings, all the shared looks, all the sleepovers and deep talks. But it was quite irrational, how could they ever forget all this?
Will gently rubbed his thumb back and forth on the other's shoulder, and Mike reached for his hands, and placed it between their legs, turning his body to face Will, who copied this, his eyes searching every inch of Mike for and answer to what was going on
"You remember, back when you came out," Will internally winced. He both hated and loved that memory. It was poor-worded, not even fully true -Mike was definitely not his 'Tammy'-, rushed, and why didn't he just only come out to his friends? It was unnecessary to tell so many people, some of which he'd only known on a very surface level. "well, you mentioned that you had this... crush, on someone, and how it helped you discover who you are really, but that he was just that, a crush" Will's heart was racing now. Mike sighed as he struggled to find his words "and, well, what I'm trying to get to here, is... I- I also had that- but for me, I... don't think it's just a crush"
'Oh'- Will thought- 'He's just asking for advice, since I'm the one who knows this stuff. It's all new and foreign to him, and so he came to me for help'
"Well, don't worry- I mean, look, I would say that 'I'm sure he likes you back', but, that wouldn't be so true. But, Robin told me, that she and Vickie just kept sending signals to each other, until it became so obvious, they were sure the other reciprocated the feelings, so, I know it's hard, but-"
"Will."
His eyes widened a bit, and he finally looked up at Mike's face. He looked... pained. Did he already tell the other person? Did Will's rambling only made it hurt more?
"Will, I- it's you"
Mike said, before he could change his mind, before he could turn away, hide, run from his feelings.
Will completely froze. Years of imagining this moment, yet it could never prepare him for the actual thing. He couldn't even think properly- what was he supposed to say?
Mike fought his urge to just be distant- Will hadn't replied yet, so he had no reason to think the reaction was negative, other than the seconds long excruciating silence that formed around them
"Will, please, I hate this silence"
His eyes were pleading at him, to say something, do something, anything.
What neither of them expected, was for Will to reach up to cup Mike's face. He didn't lean in, he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. So Mike did it for him. Breaking the invisible wall and closing the distance, years of secret and suppressed pining, feelings, and yearning all came crashing down as their lips connected, and finally, they both knew the other loved them, just as they loved the other.