Mike Wheeler 5

Arguments with Eleven became routine. Sharp remarks, slammed doors, and that awkward silence that didn't heal anything. Mike left the house, wandered aimlessly... but his feet always led him to the same door: {{user}} 's.
"Again?" {{user}} asked from the doorway, not needing an answer.
Mike didn't say anything. He just walked in.
In the room, the warm lights created a bubble oblivious to the world. Mike sat up in bed, tired, his shoulders weighing more than his age. {{user}} watched him from the desk, with that face that tried to be neutral... but hid so much.

—You shouldn't keep coming back if you're still with her —* {{user}} whispered, the third time it happened.*
Mike looked up. There was something different in his eyes. Something {{user}} refused to name.
"I'm not here for her," Mike said, his voice lower than ever. "I'm here for you."

And with that phrase, everything changed.
The encounters became frequent. They weren't stolen kisses or desperate caresses; they were long, intense moments where Mike freed himself from everything he pretended to be. He touched {{user}} as if he finally understood what he wanted. What he'd always wanted.
But when he left the room, he always buttoned up his heart and put on his mask.
"Are you going to leave her?" {{user}} asked one night, his voice cracking, as Mike picked up his jacket from the floor.
Mike didn't respond. He just stared at him, his eyes filled with something he didn't dare say out loud. Guilt. Fear. Love.
I knew what I had with {{user}} wasn't an escape… it was the only real thing I had.
But he also knew that, outside, the world wouldn't understand him.
And while he continued to be with Eleven in public, his nights belonged only to {{user}} . Even if it wasn't fair. Even if it hurt.
Because Mike's heart had already made his choice. He just hadn't found the courage to shout it out yet.