The Tears of Rain

The school hallway buzzed around them, laughter, lockers slamming, the distant ring of the bell, but it all felt muffled, like they were trapped in their own world.

Will leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes fixed somewhere beyond Mike's shoulder. His voice was low, steady but hollow, "Mike... maybe we should just stop pretending."

Mike blinked, heart tightening, "What do you mean?"

Will met his eyes for a brief second before looking away again, "I mean... maybe it's better if we just go back to being friends. Like we were before all this started."

Mike's breath caught, "You don't want to be with me?"

Will shook his head slowly, a sad smile barely touching his lips, "I want you to be happy. I want me to be happy too. But I can't keep doing this...the hurt, the waiting, the doubts. I'm tired, Mike. And I'm scared I'm just holding you back."

Mike's throat tightened, but he forced himself to stay quiet, to listen.

Will took a deep breath, as if trying to steady a storm inside him, "I don't want to lose you completely. But maybe... if we're being honest, we lost what we had a long time ago."

Mike swallowed hard, the sting of those words cutting deep, but beneath it all, a flicker of understanding, and something painfully close to acceptance.

The noise of the hallway crept back in as they stood there, two boys on the edge of something ending, or maybe... just beginning again.

The basement was dimly lit, the familiar glow of the DND map flickering under the soft light of the lamp. The group sat around the table, dice rolling and voices weaving stories of heroes and monsters, but Mike felt miles away.

He watched Will across the room, quiet, distant, occasionally glancing up at the board but never really present. Mike's chest tightened with every breath. He missed the way Will's fingers used to brush his arm during tense moments, the warmth of his lips pressed gently against his own, the soft whispers they shared late into the night.

Mike swallowed hard, gripping the dice so tightly his knuckles went white. The laughter and chatter of their friends felt like a distant hum, drowned out by the growing yearning inside him.

I miss him. Not just as a friend. I miss my lover. The way we fit together.

His eyes never left Will, who caught his gaze briefly. For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them, the space between them charged with everything Mike had been trying to ignore. Mike's heart pounded. He wanted to reach out, to close the distance, to kiss him again and never let go. But the words were stuck in his throat, and the dice rolled silently across the table as the game moved on without a word from Mike. 

Will pushed his chair back quietly, avoiding Mike's gaze, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," he muttered, voice barely above the noise of the game.

Mike watched him go, his heart pounding louder than the dice rolling on the table. After a few tense moments, Mike stood up too, his steps slow but determined as he followed Will's path toward the bathroom. He found Will just outside the door, leaning against the wall, looking more vulnerable than Mike had seen in days.

Mike swallowed hard and stepped closer, his voice soft but urgent, "Will... I can't keep pretending like I don't want you. I miss you. All of you. The way you make me feel when you're near."

Mike took a breath, reaching out to gently cup Will's face, his thumb tracing the line of his jaw, "I'm not asking for forever right now. Just...a chance. Just a kiss..."

Will's breath hitched, the tension between them thick enough to cut. Slowly and hesitantly, he leaned in, and their lips met, soft, tentative at first, then deeper as the walls between them crumbled.

When they finally pulled apart, Mike whispered, "I'm here. If you want me."

Will nodded, voice barely audible, "I want you."

The hallway was quiet, the muffled sounds of the others playing drifting faintly through the walls. Mike's hand still cupped Will's cheek, their foreheads resting together, breaths mingling in the small space between them.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke, just soaking in the warmth of being close again, the simple comfort of each other's presence.

Will's fingers curled slowly around Mike's wrist, gripping just enough to reassure him. 

I'm still here. I'm still yours.

Mike smiled softly, brushing his thumb over Will's trembling lips, "I don't care about anything else," he whispered, voice raw with feeling, "I just want us. No games. No doubts. Just... us."

Will nodded again, eyes shining with unshed tears, "Me too."

Back in the basement, the uneasy silence stretched too long. Lucas finally stood up, his voice firm but gentle, "Guys... maybe we should go check on them."

Reluctantly, the others nodded. Slowly, they rose and crept toward the hallway where Mike and Will had gone. As they rounded the corner, the scene stopped them cold.

There, against the wall, bathed in the soft glow of the hallway light, Mike's arms were wrapped tightly around Will. Their lips met in a slow, deep kiss, full of all the longing and pain they'd been holding back.

For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, Mike's eyes snapped open, catching the group standing there, but he didn't pull away, and continued kissing Will, showing how proud he was of his love for Will, how un-deniably in love he was.

"Oh shit" Lucas was the first to comment on Mike's bold action.

When Mike and Will finally pulled apart for air, Mike spoke, "Yeah. I love him. And I'm not hiding it anymore.", and his voice was low but fierce.

It felt good, loving each other loudly.