byler in a modern au where they lose contact after graduation, and will pulls himself away to find love beyond an “unrequited crush” from his childhood
eventually, with radio silence in regards to mike, will manages to move on from mike, and he finds himself in a committed relationship. he’s happy, and he loves him, and he doesn’t have a flicker of doubt when his boyfriend proposes, asking him to marry him
will thinks he’s in a secure place and he won’t fall back into bad habits with mike, so he extends mike an invitation to his wedding. he would be crazy to not invite his childhood best friend, especially after all they’ve gone through. besides, what’s the worst that could happen?
but unbeknownst to will, mike had some of his own revelations in will’s absence, and he’s in full acceptance of his feelings for will. when he shows up a few days before the wedding, all of will’s worst nightmares (and childhood dreams) start to come true
as mike waltzes his way back into will’s life (and heart), he starts to realize that while he does love his fiancé, somehow nothing even seems to compare with the way mike always makes him feel without even trying. he can’t believe he fooled himself for so long thinking he got over mike
with mike in full proximity, will stays falling back into childhood habits, starts feeling the fluttering in his heart again, starts doubting everything in his life he was so confident about up until now
but he’s committed, and he chose his fiancé, so it wouldn’t do him any good to give it up now just because mike thinks he’s entitled to the role of “the one who knows will best” (even if it’s true)
however, on the wedding day, they get so far — will managed to convince himself he’s prepared to go through with it, wants to go through with it — but when the preacher claims for anyone to “speak now or forever hold your peace,” mike, in all his audacity, has the gall to object to the wedding
will is furious and mike, but he’s more furious at himself because of the fact that he knows full well in his heart that he’d give all that he’d cultivated and worked for himself and this relationship away in a heartbeat for something more with mike
all it took was a few days of proximity to make that string that’s tied them together all their lives appear crystal clear, and will doesn’t even know how he convinced himself it wasn’t there for so long
