I can’t believe I haven’t made a post about it yet, so let’s talk mike’s reaction to will’s coming out.
so, first of all, let’s remember that he didn’t know. sure, he might’ve suspected or heard about something but as far as he was concerned those were rumours. let’s remember that he actively fought people who called will queer, defending him. lets remember that he is the one who said “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls” to will and then proceeded to look the most guilty we’ve ever seen him, realising the way it came out. here, will is telling him a completely brand new information and mike is mulling all their interactions over in his head, realising why will reacted a certain way at certain times.
look at him, he’s thinking, you can almost see the little wheels turning in his head. hes piecing the puzzles together, which brings me to my second point.
he’s recognising the words will is using. this entire speech is full of parallels to their scenes together in previous seasons. moreover, when you add the painting, mike now knows there is no possible other painting that could’ve been for a girl as el told him in a letter. that his painting is the painting, that will was crying in the van because of it. look at him:
the scrunched eyebrows, the look in his eyes, this is recognition. will is looking him right in the eye, crying and saying he’s gay. will is crying because of mike, the one thing that’s made mike bike across the city to apologise before. mike is many, many things but he isn’t stupid. he doesn’t handle will being upset well, never has and now will is talking through his tears, looking right at him. mike knows. he’s just processing.
he has just realised he is the one will is talking about. will likes boys and mike has just realised he actually has a chance, but also maybe not, because will says had. not has, had. what if that was mike’s window and he has missed it completely now?
on top of it all, hes recognising the language will is using, those are the words hes thought and said before. he was the one pushing people away, the one hiding, literally wearing fucking camo in the scene. he’s finding himself in will’s speech. yeah, will feels like that but so does mike.
that’s why he is the last one of the core three to speak up, hes thinking. he isn’t an asshole, don’t mischaracterise him. plus the worst possible thing to do would be to confront will now, in front of all these people. will has has enough things taken from him and deserves to have this conversation in private and mike knows that. I’m not sure why some of you seem to think he should’ve stood up and straight up kissed him right there but that’s just not who mike is and has never been. he’ll talk to will as soon as he figures out the best way to do so.
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