Archive of Our Own ^beta

“What do we do? How do we stop him?” Joyce asked, rubbing Will’s back, who sat next her. Will’s head was pounding. He could feel Vecna everywhere around him, in him. The voice he recognized as the one that had been inside his mind two years ago was back, calling out to him. He ignored it to the best of his ability and kept a straight face.

Mike, however, knew something was up. He was sat between Nancy and El, right across from Will. He could see Will shut his eyes in concentration every so often, like there was too much going on and he couldn’t think. He noticed him picking at his nails, a nervous tick he developed back in 2nd grade. He had known something was up with Will since he had arrived in California, but he didn’t want to push it. Will would tell him when he was ready, he always did. And if he pushed Will, then Will could push Mike, which he wasn’t ready for.

“I thought I got him,” El said, frowning. “Max didn’t die.”

“But she did,” Nancy chimed in, “for a minute. Maybe that was all he needed to open the last portal. And if that’s true, then that means there is no stopping him.”

It remained quiet in Hawkins for three days. During that time, they had managed to fix up the cabin enough that it was livable for the Byers family and Hopper to stay in for awhile.

Will, when he wasn’t helping El and Joyce redecorate, spent most of his time alone outside on the once flowery hill that overlooked Hawkins. Jonathon had tried to join him once, but Will asked to be alone. Jonathon came over to Mike after and asked him to try, but Mike had to go home. Today, Mike decided it was his turn to try and get through to Will.

He walked out of the cabin, a tree branch falling and hitting him on the head on his way through the woods. As he stepped to the hill, he saw Will wearing one of Mike’s old blue pajama t shirts. Mike had brought over clothes from his house and the school donation pile for the Byers since they had left theirs in California.

Will heard someone approaching and jumped about 3 ft before turning around.

“Sorry man, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Mike said, forcing a laugh. He knew something was wrong. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Will smiled half heartedly and turned around, sitting down on the hill. Mike took this as an invitation to go and sit with him. So he walked over and sat beside Will, leaving about two inches of space between them.

“You know what I told you? About being able to hear and feel him?” Will said, turning to look at Mike. Mike nodded. “It’s worse. I think he can feel and hear me too. It’s like, we’re connected now that I’m back. I can hear him calling to me. I think he wants me to find him. He wants me to go to him.”

Mike furrowed his brows in response, not quite understanding. “You mean, like, he wants to hurt you?”

“No, he doesn’t wanna hurt me. I don’t know how, but I know that. He just wants me .” Will said, before he chuckled to himself. “That’s the first time I’ve ever said that before, feels nice.”

“Don’t say that, Will. We all want you here.” Mike frowned, reaching out to grab Will’s hand. Will left it for a moment before hesitating and pulling his hand away. “Will-“

“I just wanna be left alone right now. You should go check on El, she needs you right now.” Will said, scooting a little further away from Mike.

“And what about you? You don’t need me anymore?” Mike said defensively, looking intensely at Will. “You used to always talk to me when you needed somebody. What happened?”

“You stopped needing me, I never stopped needing you.” Will retorted, glaring at Mike. “You’ve treated me like shit these past two years, Mike. I tried to talk to you, but you were never there. So yeah, I would love to be able to talk to you, but I can’t anymore, Mike. You ruined that.”

Mike’s mouth hung open like somebody had told him his mom commuted triple homicide. Never in his life had Will went off on him like that. He knew he deserved it, but he didn’t expect Will to ever call him out on it like that. But he was right. He had been ignoring Will lately, and as much as he wanted to explain why to Will, he didn’t even understand it himself.

“That’s not true, Will!” Mike yelled, turning his entire body to face Will. “Look, I know I’ve been shitty, but I never stopped needing you. Ever. You’re the most important thing to me an-“

“Fuck off, Mike.” Will yelled, startling both Will and Mike. Will never swore like that, especially at Mike. “You said the same thing about El. You said that your life started the day you met her, the day- the day I went missing.”

Mike saw Will’s eyes tearing up and he could feel his own tearing up as well. He tried to blink them away, shaking his head to avoid the falling of any teardrops. Boys don’t cry, as his dad said.

“Clearly I’m just a burden, Mike. So you can go back inside and comfort El because you love her and you can’t lose her. You already lost me.” Will sniffled, turning his head away from Mike and letting his tears fall.

Will had never had an outburst like that before. The closest he had ever been to calling out Mike’s bullshit was their fight in the rain a year back, but even then he had let what Mike said get to him and he was hesitant with his words. He expected Mike to walk away, but instead he felt Mike pull him into his arms and he let himself cry. He could feel Mike crying too, his body shaking as he held him.

“I let you down.” Mike mumbled into Will’s hair. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so so so so sorry.”

They stayed like that for an hour.

That night, Mike slept over. He stayed in the living room with Will. They hadn’t talked since that afternoon besides casual conversation with the rest of Will’s family.

Will almost wanted to apologize. He could feel his heart aching for hurting Mike. He could also feel Mike’s eyes boring into his back, and he couldn’t help but think about their hands touching. All the kind things Mike had said, the things he used to say before last summer happened. He almost felt like the old Mike again.

“Will? Are you awake.” Mike whispered. Will turned over in his sleeping bag to face Mike.

“Hey.” Will said, smiling sadly.

“Hi.” Mike smiled back, the soft smile he saved for Will. Will’s hair was disheveled, probably not as bad as his own though. He looked good like this, Mike thought. “I’m sorry again, for being an asshole. I didn’t mean what I said about my life starting when I met El. I think- I think I was so scared and was just rambling but i know my life was amazing before her too. I liked hanging out with you, Lucas, and Dustin every day. I liked how it was before. I loved it, actually. And I guess when you went missing, it was like my life kind of stopped. If you would have stayed gone, it probably wouldn’t have started again. But when we met El, I knew she was special. She gave us hope again, that we could find you. And that’s why my life started when I met her. It restarted. Because meeting her meant saving you. Not to say that meeting her was only good for that, of course she’s become one of the best things in my life- but that’s what I meant, Will. I want you to know that.”

Will smiled, a real smile this time. He could feel his eyes tear up for the hundredth time in the past week. “I love you, a lot, Mike.” Will said, before catching himself and adding, “I’m glad we’re best friends again.”

Mike’s heart restarted at Will’s last phrase, smiling back. “I love you too, Will. Really.”

That night, Will woke up in a cold sweat. He had a dream, but it felt too real. He had seen a creature crawl out of a rift in a trailer, and then two more followed. His vision flashed to three different rifts with more monsters filing out. A voice that Will was becoming too familiar with called out to him, telling Will to find him before these creatures find him and his friends.

He sat up, alerting Mike who was sleeping peacefully beside him. “Will? What happened?”

“Those portals Dustin was talking about-where can I find them?” Will asked, getting out of his sleeping bag and standing up.

“I don’t know, he said one was in Eddie’s trailer. He lives over by Max, but I don’t know where that is.” Mike said, quickly getting out of his own sleeping bag to follow Will.

“El.” Will mumbled, walking over to her old bedroom door and opening it. El sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes.

“Will? What’s wrong?” She asked, removing the covers and stretching slowly to stand up.

“I need to get to Max’s trailer. Can you show me where that is?” Will asked, and El nodded.

“It’s far. We need to drive.” El said, opening her door wider to allow for Will and Mike to come in. They did. “Dad won’t let us go until morning.”

“Then we’ll get someone else.” Will said, grabbing the walkie they kept in the corner of her room. “Dustin? Lucas? We need you. It’s Will. It’s an emergency. Over.”

A moment of silence passed before a crackle came on over the speaker. “Will? Why are you awake at 5am?” Dustin yawned into the walkie. “Over.”

“Look, I’ll explain later. Can you radio Steve and get him to pick us up?” Will asked. “Fast.”

“Okay, okay.” Dustin said, sounding a little more awake. “He’s gonna be pissed though. I’m coming too. And I’m calling Robin. We’ll be there soon. Over, over. Like, I’m switching channels now. Bye.”

Will refused to explain until Steve was there, not wanting to explain himself twice. When Steve did arrive shirtless precisely 18 minutes later with Robin in the front in a baggy pajamas and Dustin half asleep but dressed in the back, he demanded an answer before he unlocked the doors.

“Vecna, or whatever you call him, he showed me something. There were these creatures crawling out of the gates. Not just demodogs and the demogorgon. There were new ones, too. Scarier.” Will explained, his eyes wide as he recalled the vision. “I need to see if it’s happened yet. Or if it’s happening now. I think if it is, you’re all in danger. But I think I can pause it, maybe.”

They all stared at Will in confusion, but Steve still unlocked the car for them to crawl inside. Mike crawled to the very back and El followed behind him. Will sat next to Dustin, but stared out the window the entire ride. He could see Robin staring at him through the rear view, and he didn’t have to see to know Mike was looking at him in concern as well.

The ride was mostly silent, up until they pulled into the trailer park. El was asleep again in the back, her head resting on Mike’s lap. Will ignored the pit in his stomach that he felt every time they were cute and coupley in front of him. He pretended it didn’t make him sick to his stomach.

“I wanna go alone.” Will said softly, unbuckling his seatbelt.

“Hell no.” Steve said, putting the car into park.

“Yeah, no way. I’m going with you.” Mike said, gently lifting up El to alert her that they’re there.

“Me too,” Dustin said, hopping out of the car before Will could protest. “We’ll be back, honk if anything weird shows up, okay?”

Steve nodded, and Will opened his door begrudgingly and allowed Mike to follow him out.

As if perfectly on cue, Lucas yelled out to them, peddling his bike at full speed. “Hey! I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Will thinks that some weird creatures are coming through the portals to kill us but he might be able to stop them with some newfound Will power. Cleric magic or some shit.” Dustin explained, running over to Lucas. Will noticed that his eyes were stained red with dark circles appearing below them. His black eye was mostly gone, but he looked like hell. He wondered if Lucas had even left the hospital.

“To sun it up, we don’t know what’s going on. But Will’s got it covered.” Mike said, looking over at Will. “We just have to have his back.”

“Okay then.” Lucas said, walking over and putting his arm around Will. “We’re here for you.”

Will smiled. “Guys.”

“What?” Dustin and Mike said in unison, looking concerned at Will.

“This is the first time it’s been just the four of us since Halloween that one year.” Will said, making the other three laugh.

“Yeah, we should hangout more. Maybe under more normal circumstances next time.” Dustin said, walking over and putting his arm around Will’s other side.

Mike stood there as they hugged and watched Will’s eyes brighten like they used to, and he could feel a pit form inside his stomach. He loved his friends and the relationship they had with Will, but he missed when he was the reason his eyes would shine like that. He felt a little angry for a reason he couldn’t explain.

“Okay, we should get going.” Mike said, cleaning his throat and turning towards the trailer. Dustin, Will, and Lucas gave each other a look to say “what’s his problem?” but let each other go and followed him anyways into the trailer.

The inside of the trailer was empty. The portal that has been there before was nowhere to be seen. A disappointed Will who worried he had dragged his friends out at the ass crack of dawn for nothing was about to turn around, when he heard a voice call out his name. This voice shook the entire trailer.

“What?” Will said, speaking back to the voice. “What do you want?”

The other boys looked at each other in confusion. “Will? Who are you talking to?” Mike said, reaching over to grab his arm, as if to ground him in some way.

“ I want you to join me .” The voice said, the portal above then opening. The four boys screamed, being met with bats flying out of the trailer. Will knew what was coming next. It was the same as his dream.

“Run!” Will yelled, shoving Mike off of him and out the door after Lucas and Dustin. Will closed the door behind him and locked it.

“Will? Will! Open the door!” Mike screamed, pounding on the door. “Guys, help! Get something to break it down.”

As soon as the door shut, the bats fell to the floor, paralyzed. It was as if some greater force was controlling it all, waiting for Will to be alone.

Will closed his eyes to tune out Mike, and when he reopened, he saw he was in the woods. He recognized them as the woods they passed on the way into the trailer park.

“Will,” a voice said. Will turned around frantically to find himself face to face with a young, attractive blonde man he did not recognize. He wore a black button down and slacks, and looked like a regular person. Except something felt off.

“Who are you?” Will asked, backing away slowly.

“You know me, Will.” He said, and suddenly he recognized the voice. Vecna?

“You don’t look-“ Will started, before stopping and reconsidering. “What do you want from me?”

“I don’t want anything from you, Will. I want you. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but it’s not true. Eleven is lying. My name is Henry. All I ever wanted was to fix the world, to make them see me. I was always ignored, like you. I was a lot like you when I was young. I didn’t fit. But I want us to fit, Will. I’ll make us fit if they won’t let us.” He said, softly smiling at Will. The smile was kind, genuine maybe. “I know it’s scary, Will, but I won’t hurt you. I just wanna help you stop the hurt. To turn the hurt into something good. Something powerful.”

Will stared at him, considering his words. El wouldn’t lie, would she? Well, she had been confidently lying to Mike, so who is to say whether or not she was telling the full truth about Henry?

“I- I don’t know.” Will stuttered. But he didn’t move when Henry reached out his hand to touch Will’s shoulder.

Suddenly, Will felt a jolt of power rush through his body. He yelled out as if he was in pain, but it didn’t hurt.

“Just use the power. Use the hurt to fuel it.” Henry said, right before disappearing before Will’s eyes.

Steve had finally managed to break down the door, but when inside, Will was nowhere to be found.

“What the fuck?” Steve said, moving to the side to allow the four boys in.

El heard a scream come from the woods. It was Will. “Guys! He’s in the woods!”

They began to run to the woods, but just as soon as they were about to reach it, Will walked out, unharmed.

“Will? What happened?” Mike said, running to him and pulling him into his arms, one hand holding his back and one in his hair.

Will’s nose was bloody, his head was spinning. As soon as Mike wrapped his body around him, Will collapsed into it.

When he woke up, he was laying in the backseat of the car, his head on Mike’s lap as El’s had been before. He could feel Mike’s hands rubbing circles on his back, and he almost wanted to pretend to stay asleep for longer so he could enjoy them, but the blood that kept dripping from his nose and ears stopped him.

He slowly sat up, getting the attention of everyone else in Steve’s car.

“Byers, you alright?” Lucas asked, frowning.

“I don’t know,” he said, shifting in his seat. “I met Henry. Vecna. Whatever his name is. He seemed… nice. Normal. I can’t explain it.”

“Will, he is a bad man.” El said, turning around to give her brother a serious look. But Will cautiously remembered Henry’s warning, and looked at her untrustingly.

“Will, he almost killed Max. How could you say that?” Lucas says, getting defensive.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s stupid.” Will sighed, looking out the window and drifting off into thought. He felt Mike’s hand reach out to grab his knee in an attempt to say “ I know that’s not what you meant ”. Will was grateful for it.

The seven of them then arrived to the Wheeler residence, where Nancy and Jonathon were staying. They snuck into the basement, and Steve awkwardly walked upstairs to explain what was going on.

Will sat on the couch beside Mike, who had refused to leave his side. He was shivering. Lucas noticed and offered him his letterman jacket, taking a seat on the other side of Will and putting an arm on his shoulder.

Mike felt his stomach drop again. He was the one who was supposed to comfort Will. Will was his best friend, and everyone knew that. Will looked good in a letterman jacket, so good that it made Mike’s heart speed up even more and he had to awkwardly look away.

“Thanks, Lucas.” Will smiled, before standing up. “I’m gonna go get a water.”

Robin muttered a “same” and hopped up, following Will upstairs.

“Sorry if this is, like, super straight forward- I mean- I know we’ve never talked before, but I’m dying of curiosity and Steve is an idiot and has absolutely no clue what is going on ever, so I needed to ask you, but is there a thing going on with you and the little Wheeler? If there is that’s totally cool, like, awesome even. I just was wondering.” Robin rambled, her mouth opening as soon as the door shut and not stopping until Will began to fill his water glass.

“Um- no. Uh, Mike is dating my sister, El.” Will said, blushing. “Besides, he’s not like that.”

“Are you, you know, like that? For him?” Robin asked, leaning against the fridge.

“He’s my best friend.” Will said, handing her the first glass before filling another.

“Your best friend definitely has a thing for you.” She said, sipping her water.

“You’re wrong. I promise.” Will laughed, relaxing a bit with how cool Robin seemed about the whole thing.

“I promise you, I have never been wrong before in my whole life.” Robin smiled, tapping her glass against his in a cheers motion.

Downstairs, the tension was obvious.

“Mike, why are you being strange?” El asked, frowning at her boyfriend.

“I’m not!” He yelled out, earning him pointed looks from all of the other three. “Look, I’m just worried about Will. And you guys being all touchy and sappy isn’t helping the situation.”

“So you’re mad because we’re being nice to our friend,” Dustin stated, chuckling “He’s our friend too, you know. You can share him.”

Mike blushed, opening his mouth to speak, but stopping when Will came back down and sat beside him again. He didn’t make eye contact with Will. He was being too obvious already, they were catching on. He couldn’t let them catch on.

“El!” Steve called from upstairs, the door swinging open again. “Hopper called. He wants you home. Jonathon is gonna take you.”

“Can I stay here?” Will called up, seeing his brother appear on the stairs. He looked a little more well kept than he had a few days ago. Nancy had given him a much needed haircut and he’s had a shower since then.

“I’ll tell mom.” Jonathon nodded, smiling softly at his brother. “Just be safe, and don’t go running off again.”

Will nodded and returned his brother’s smile before Jonathon disappeared back up the steps.

El stood up, hugging all of her friends goodbye. When she got to Mike, she smiled and leaned down and kissed him quick. Because El had been rather closed off from Mike these past few days, this was the first public display of affection Will had to witness recently. Will cringed in his spot next to them. He felt his hands clench. The light by the stairway flickered.

“Love you.” El said, hugging Mike one more time before running up the stairs.

“Did Wheeler finally say I love you yet?” Dustin asked, scooting over to make room for Steve who joined them downstairs, probably disheartened from seeing Nancy and Jonathon together.

“Cut it out, Dustin.” Mike snapped, clearly irritated. He glanced sideways at Will, who he noticed tightened his jaw and swallowed hard.

“We all know he loves her, dumbass,” Lucas said, elbowing Will to try and cue him in on the joke. Will didn’t laugh. “We’ve been watching them makeout for a year, and saw Mike making moves on her the entire time we were looking for Will. Pretty sure that’s love.”

Suddenly, the lights in the basement bursted, sending sparks flying down. Robin shot up to open the back door and give them some light. “What the hell just happened?”

“I don’t know, we’ll go get Mrs. Wheeler.” Dustin said, standing up and grabbing Lucas’s arm to drag him up the stairs. They bickered on their way up about the glass shards that were stuck in Lucas’s sock now.

Mike turned his attention to Will as Steve made his way to stand next to Robin. In the daylight peering through the open door, he could see a drop of blood fall from Will’s nose.

“Will,” Mike said, grabbing his shoulder. “Your nose. It’s bleeding.”

Will turned to face Mike, before reaching up and touching his nose. He could feel the blood coming down. “Oh my god.”

“Do you think you were the one who bro-“ Mike started, but was interrupted by Will standing up and rushing out the back door, pushing past Steve and Robin.

“Hey, what the hell?” Steve yelled after him, but he didn’t bother chasing him. Mike was already on that.

“Will! Will!” Mike yelled, running up to him. When Mike reached him, he grabbed Will. Will stood still and didn’t fight him. Mike saw Will’s head fall, and lifted up his face to see his eyes rolled back again. “Will! Wake up! Look at me. Guys! Help!”

Will felt Mike touch his arm, but his touch soon turned cold. Even Lucas’s jacket couldn’t mask the feeling. “What are you doing to me?” Will yelled. He turned around to see Mike still holding onto his arm. “Mike?”

“You could’ve killed us in there!” Mike screamed at him, shoving him backwards. “So you can break things with your mind now? You really are trying to be just like El. You want her powers, her boyfriend , you’re sick, Will.”

Will took a step closer to Mike, only for Mike to step back again. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. “You know that’s not true.”

“Yes, it is, Will. I’ve been to afraid to say it, but it’s true. I know you’re a queer, and I can’t be friends with you anymore. It’s weird. You weird me out.” Mike said, crossing his arms defensively. “And I am nothing like you. You’re a mistake, Will.”

“Please,” Will begged, stepping closer again. Mike shoved him once more, hard this time, knocking him to the floor. Will felt his elbow scrape against the cold hard rocks below him.

“I’ve got you, Will.” Henry said, stepping beside Will and kneeling gently beside him. “I know you’re scared right now, of yourself, of your potential. But I can help you if you let me. You don’t have to feel out of control anymore.”

Will wiped away a tear as Henry reached his hand out to help Will up. “You hurt Max. You killed people.”

“It’s collateral damage, Will. I didn’t want to, but it was the conditions Eleven set for me to escape from that place. I was in there even longer than you. I just wanted to come back.” Henry frowned, his arm still extended. “I will help you, Will. We can fix everything. You can end your friends suffering for good. If we stop Eleven, we stop all of this. Forever.”

Will hesitantly reached out his hand, grabbing onto Henry’s. Henry smiled before yanking him back up, back into reality. Will gasped for air as he felt himself come back. He turned to see his friends surrounding him, and Mike ran to hug him as soon as he realized Will was alright.

Will, however, shoved Mike back. “Don’t touch me!” He cried, taking a few steps back from his friends. “I’m not- I’m not a freak.” He sobbed gently, continuing to step away.

“What? Will, I know that. I didn’t say that. I would never say that.” Mike said, a deep sadness spreading over his face. “Will, it was just a vision. It’s not real.”

“You know nobody thinks of you like that.” Lucas said, stepping forward.

“You’re the most badass guy we know, Will. You survived a whole week in that hell hole. You’re awesome.” Dustin said, smiling at Will.

Will wiped his tears and turned his attention back to Mike. Mike’s heart broke a little when he saw the look of fear flash across Will’s face. “I should get back to Hopper’s cabin.”

“I’ll take you.” Steve said, walking over to Will and wrapping an arm around him. “I’ll be back, Robin.”

“I’m coming too.” Mike said, running over to them. He saw Will shake his head at him. “I just need to talk to El. I can give you space, I promise.”

Will nodded, turning around to walk to Steve’s car. His friends stood back in the distance, confused as all hell as to what was going on with that boy.

“I need to get gas,” Steve said, pulling off into a little station near the edge of the town. “I’ll be quick. You guys can go get a snack if you want- on me.”

Will nodded, opening his car door. Mike followed out, still leaving space between him and Will. When he stepped too close, he saw Will tense.

The gas station was packed, full of families stocking up on snacks before making their way out of the cursed town. Will walked over to grab a candy bar, kneeling down next to a teenage boy who looked to be about their age. “They’re out of basically everything.” The boy said, his voice lower than Will’s and Mike’s.

“Jesus, they really are.” Will sighed, standing back up. The teenage boy next to him was cute. He was Will’s height, a stronger build, but a kind, soft face. Nothing like Mike’s lanky, chiseled features.

“I’m Jeremie. We’re on our way out of town, you?” He asked, turning to face Will.

“We’re on our way home. We’re kind of stuck in Hawkins.” Will sighed, turning to look back at the empty shelf.

“That sucks.” Jeremie frowned, before a mischievous look came over his face. “Hey, take this.”

He pulled out a bag of M&Ms from his pocket, handing it to Will.

“It was the last one on the shelf. But I think you need it more than I do if you’re staying here.” He smiled at Will, and Will smiled back.

“Thanks, you really don’t have-“ before Will could finish, he felt Mike come beside him and wrap his arm around his shoulder. He jumped a little before settling into the familiar feeling.

Mike was watching their entire interaction. He saw the way the other boy looked at Will, and he didn’t like it. What kind of nerve did this kid have to sit there and talk and make heart eyes at Will? His Will?

“Come on. Steve’s done. Let’s go.” Mike said, glaring daggers at the boy who stood across from Will. The boy didn’t seem to notice or care, and he offered Will a kind smile and a wave before Mike dragged him out.

“What was that about?” Will asked as Mike opened the car door for him to climb in. He turned to see Steve on the other side of the car clearly not done, still struggling to figure out how to work this gas pump.

“I- I don’t know. I didn’t like how he was looking at you.” Mike muttered, climbing in after Will and shutting the door behind him before crossing his arms. “He looked like he was gonna devour you whole or something.”

“That’s how you and El used to look at each other.” Will said pointedly, before regretting the words that compared a straight couple with a gay one. Was that too obvious? If it was, Mike missed it, because he just shook his head and turned to look out the window, leaving Will confused. Mike was focused on the words “used to”. Will was right. They never looked at each other like that anymore.

Steve finally got in the drivers seat a minute later, starting up the gas and driving the final few minutes to the cabin, leaving the boys off in the front and demanding that they go straight inside.

When they walked through the door, Will went straight to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Mike sighed and walked into El’s room, where he found her coloring on the floor.

“Hey,” Mike said, taking a seat next to her. He saw her drawing a field of flowers. It wasn’t anything like Will or Picasso, but it was a cute drawing. “I like it.”

“Thanks,” El said, picking up a new color. “Will is teaching me.”

“Yeah, he told me about how you helped him out with his recent painting. It’s super awesome.” Mike smiled, watching her draw.

“What? Will won’t tell me about what he’s painting. He never lets me see.” El said, turning to look at Mike. “Don’t you read my letters? I said I think it’s for someone he likes. He said it’s for somebody very special. Maybe Becky.”

Mike’s jaw dropped as the realization hit him. First, Will had lied about El helping him with the painting. Will had never lied before to Mike, so why would he lie about that? Second, the painting was most definitely not for Becky, as it was now hanging up in Mike’s bedroom. He was the special person. Which meant that if it was for someone he liked, Will liked him.

“Did Will give you the painting?” El asked, the realization hitting her at the same time. She suddenly connected the dots. All of the sad looks Will gave when she talked about Mike. All the longing stares when he sat with them at dinner. But Will was the one assuring her Mike felt the same way? Why was Will helping their relationship when it hurt him?

“I-“ Mike started, before breaking down in tears. El quickly sat up and hugged him. “I’m so stupid.”

El shushed him, running her hands through his hair soothingly. “You didn’t know. It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” It’s not your fault you don’t like girls .

“I’ve been so shitty to him, El. No wonder he doesn’t wanna talk to me anymore. I lost him.” Mike sobbed, burying his face in her.

“He loves you, Mike. You could never lose him.” El said. It reminded him of the speech Will had given him in the car to encourage Mike to tell El he loved her. Was that really him projecting? Could Mike have been so blind?

Mike pulled away, wiping his eyes. “El, do you need me?”

“What?” She asked, furrowing her brows.

“Do you need me?” He repeated, looking deep in her eyes.

“Mike, I love you, and I want you in my life.” She said, before pausing to think. “But I don’t need you. I have a lot of people who love me. There’s more to life than boys. I am happy, Mike. You make me happy. But so does Max, and dad, and my mom, and my brothers, and the rest of our friends. But I’m a superhero, Mike. I don’t need anyone.” El smiled. It was the first time she had felt confident enough in who she was to say that.

“I love you, El. And I never wanna lose you.” Mike said, reaching out to grab El’s hand.

“I know.” She said, moving her other hand to his face. “But you love him too. And he needs you more than I do right now.”

In the bathroom, Will stared into the mirror. He tried his best to concentrate, and when he really focused hard, he could see the light flicker just barely above the sink.

Unexpectedly, the bathroom door flew open as Will was shutting his eyes once again in concentration. He jumped slightly before whipping around to see Mike standing at the doorway.

Mike had to know. He needed to know for sure if Will liked someone. If Will liked him. He had thought for a moment in the car that maybe Will was really feeling the things he was saying about El, like maybe Will knew because he felt that way too. But he didn’t get the chance to press further, because Will ignored him the rest of the car ride and El’s return soon after halted all emotional talks between the two boys.

He didn’t know what he wanted Will to even say. Mike is oblivious to a lot of things, but he’s smart enough to know that the way he thinks of and interacts with Will sometimes is far past what a friend would be. He would excuse it as being like brothers, but brothers didn’t usually stare at each other’s lips and daydream about connecting them one day. Mike knew he wasn’t gay. He liked El, loved her even. But he also knew that the way he felt for Will was something special, and deep down past all of the fear and self hatred, a big part of him hoped Will would confess that he did like Mike.

After all, they’ve seen crazier things than boys who kiss boys.

“Hey, Will.” Mike smiled, looking down and awkwardly fiddling with the door handle still clenched in his fingers. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah, of course.” Will sighed. He was always ready to drop anything if Mike needed him. He smiled a half hearted smile, stepping towards Mike to try and get out of the bathroom.

Mike, however, didn’t register this. He saw Will take a step closer to where he blocked the exit and his breathing hitched in his throat. He could feel his body heating up, a blush definitely creeping onto his cheeks. When his eyes met Will’s, who had realized their close proximity as well, he noticed that Will was also red.

“Uh- you wanna talk in the bathroom?” Will asked, looking confused.

“Oh, shit,” Mike muttered, moving out of the doorway and hitting his head on the frame, causing a hiss to escape his mouth. “Totally wasn’t thinking.” He laughed, reaching one hand up to grab his aching head before walking to the living room sofa.

“Do you want ice for that or anything?” Will asked, concerned but stifling a smile.

“No- no. I’m good. Happens a lot these days.” Mike grinned, taking a seat on the couch. Will followed after him, returning the smile. “You’re lucky you’re, like, the perfect height.”

“Shut up, Mike.” Will smiled, bumping his arm before turning his attention to the floor. “Jonathon always says girls love tall guys. That’s probably why El likes you so much.”

“About that-“ Mike cleared his throat, shifting his eyes down to his hands as he played with his fingers. “I think El and I are just gonna be friends right now.”

Will’s mouth fell open as he instinctively put a hand on Mike’s shoulder in comfort. “Shit, I’m so sorry. Do you- do you wanna talk about it?”

Will was curious, but he would never pry. He has just seen Mike confess his love, even if it was a little encouraged by Will. And El clearly loved him. What could have caused a breakup?

“I don’t know. It’s just- she doesn’t need me anymore.” Mike sighed. “I feel like I word vomited so much when I thought we were losing her and I didn’t even fully understand half of what I was saying.”

“Mike, it’s not about how much you need each other.” Will took his hand from his shoulder to move it to Mike’s fidgeting hands. Both of their hearts jumped a beat. “It’s about how much you want each other. Like, if my future person is only with me because they think I need them, that would make me feel miserable.”

“ Them .” Mike repeated, looping his pinky around Will’s. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Will, why did you lie about El commissioning the painting you made?”

Will’s eyes went wide, and he tried to pull his hand away to run it through his hair, but Mike’s grip was firm on it. “I- shit. Mike, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie, I just wanted to help you guys fix whatever was wrong. I know it was stupid and friends don’t lie and stuff, but I care about you guys both so much and I just- I just wanted you to be happy. And El. Obviously. I’m sorry for lying, though, it was stupid.”

“Stop saying stupid when you talk about yourself. You’re not stupid. Your feelings aren’t stupid.” Mike and Will made eye contact again, and Mike hoped that this was enough of a hint for Will to know that Mike was okay with him expressing whatever was on his mind, but Will’s eyes remained wide and scared. Like somebody was stripping him down to his naked truths. “You can always be honest with me.”

Will felt tears form in his eyes and he quickly looked down at their hands to avoid staring any deeper into Mike’s eyes. He had been so afraid that Mike would hate him if he knew his feelings for him, but maybe that wasn’t the case. Maybe Mike really did accept him.

“Mike-“ Will started, before being cut off by the slamming of the front door, where Lucas and Dustin ran inside looking sweaty and afraid. Will quickly pulled his hand away.

“What happened?” Mike asked, standing up to face his friends. Mike’s head was reeling with thoughts of what Will could’ve been about to say, and he would’ve been annoyed at the interruption if it wasn’t for the distressed faces of his best friends.

“The portals are all opening. The clock tower in the library is counting backwards .” Lucas explained, shutting the door behind himself.

“And we only have 7 hours on the clock before it reaches 12.” Dustin added, looking at El as she exited her room to join them after hearing the commotion. “We think it’s a countdown.”

“We need to go find a way to fix it. My mom and Hopper are at a radio station with Murray trying to contact these Russian friends they made to help them close the gate in Russia.”  Will said, standing up beside Mike. “We don’t have time to wait for them.”

“Okay, okay.” Dustin said, walking in a circle around Lucas and El. “But we need a plan first. Will, can I borrow a piece of paper and some crayons?”

Twenty minutes later, a large paper laid out across their new kitchen table with a bunch of random circles and dots that made no sense to the other four. Mike fought his urge to take control, knowing how badly Dustin needed to feel in charge of something at the moment. He was determined to avoid the pain caused by Eddie’s death at all costs. He thought maybe by avenging it, the pain would go away. Mike knew that the best way to help his friend was to support him however he needed, even if he had really complicated plans.

“What is this?” El asked first, reaching out to touch one of the circles.

“That’s the river. This is where we’ll send out Jonathon, Steve, and Nancy. They can fight off whatever comes out of there until we can lure out Vecna.” Dustin said.

“Are you trying to set up Nancy and Steve? She’s dating my brother.” Will said, grossed out.

“And Luring out Vecna?” Lucas asked, before continuing “How do we do that? Because he’s staying away from Max this time.”

“Maybe don’t interrupt me and you’ll see.” Dustin snaps, pointing to a new circle. “This one is the gate in the woods. I think that’s where Erica, Lucas, and I will go to fend off whatever comes out of there. Then the next two- we need to figure out what he wants. Then we can split the rest.”

“He wants Will.” El said, frowning and looking up at him over the table. “That’s why you have had visions. That’s how you knew to go to Eddie’s trailer and why you disappeared. He wants you alone.”

“Okay,” Dustin took a deep breath before continuing, “Then we have Robin, Mike, and El go to Eddie’s trailer, and… I guess Will goes to the Creel house.”

“Will is not going there alone.” Mike chimed in, glaring at Dustin.

“I can’t do this.” Will said, pulling away from the table. He felt fear rise up all over his body, along with the overwhelming feeling that this was what Vecna expected to happen.

“Will-“ Dustin started, reaching out to touch his shoulder before pulling back, screaming out in pain.

“Dustin? What happened?” Lucas yelled, running over to put an arm around him.

“He shocked me.” Dustin yelled, before screaming again in pain. Lucas removed his arm from Dustin and shoved him teasingly.

“You’ve been walking around on a sprained ankle for a week but you’re freaking out about static electricity?”

“Fuck off. That didn’t feel like I pissed off my microfiber carpet.” Dustin mumbled, shaking out his hand.

Mike turned to Will to see him blushing. Will knew that he was responsible for whatever shock had just happened to Dustin, and he did not doubt that it hurt. He could feel it building inside of him, like a ball of negative energy that needed to be released. Maybe if he harnessed that energy, he could help El take him down for good.

“I’ll do it.” Will spoke up, looking back at Dustin. “But I’m not going alone. I need El.”

“And they’re not going without me,” Mike said, interrupting them.

“Fine, fine. Robin and Erica will take the woods and Lucas and I can cover the trailer, I guess.”

“Okay. Then it’s settled. We’ve spent approximately 30 minutes, so we have 6 and a half hours to update everyone else on our plan, get battle gear, eat, and get in places all with one car. Good?” Dustin asked, rolling the paper up and tucking it under his arm. He looked around to see solemn faces. “Great. Let’s go.”

Later in the night, after everyone had finally agreed on the plan, they met up to have pizza at the Wheeler’s house while Ted and Karen were out volunteering. Will had noticed the tension that was building between Jonathon and Nancy. He had finally told her he didn’t want to go to college, and it seemed like they were fighting. Will wished Argyle would have stayed to be a friend to Jonathon, but he was adamant about being back for his shift on Monday in true Argyle fashion. To get away from the bickering, Mike and Will had gone upstairs to pack a bag of supplies such as flashlights and lighters.

“Will, you don’t have to do this.” Mike said, setting his backpack on the floor of his bedroom before taking a seat on his bed.

Will frowned before walking over to sit next to Mike. They sat knees touching, as they always did.

“I do. I can’t let them down.” Will said, looking at his hands.

“I can’t lose you, Will. The week you were gone was the worst week of my life. And I mean that. Worse than the night El and I broke up. Worse than the day that Troy and his friends shoved my head in the toilet.” Will chuckled at this, looking up at Mike to let him continue. “I need you, Will.”

“And I’m always gonna need you. But what did I say about the whole needing people thing?” Will joked, jabbing Mike with his elbow in an attempt to lighten the mood, before smiling softly.

“Will.” Mike frowned, his eyes glancing down to Will’s lips. This action didn’t go unnoticed by Will. “I want you in my life. I need you and I want you. More than anyone or anything. And I need you to know that. I know I’m shit at expressing my feelings, and I tend to be an asshole to you a lot of the time and push you away, but I can’t stand the thought of losing you. Please tell me you know that.”

Will’s heart fluttered. There was no way Mike was saying this how Will was interpreting it. But then again, what other way is there to interpret it? Still, Will felt a pang off sadness knowing that Mike’s words would only ever have platonic intentions.

“I know.” Will swallowed, his eyes unintentionally glancing down at Mike’s lips like he had done about 10,000 times in the past ten years.

“Did I say something wrong? You look upset. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything.” Mike’s words stumbled out of him. Had he given himself up? Was that too obvious of a confession of feelings?

“No, no. Not at all.” Will assured him, looking at the window to the right of where he sat on Mike’s bed. It was getting dark. He didn’t know how much time they had left. He did know that this horrible feeling in him that something would go wrong meant that if he ever wanted to be fully honest with Mike, now was the time. “It just- It sucks to hear that and know that you mean it differently than I do.”

“What do you mean?” Mike asked confused, his attention still on Will. Will stayed silent. Mike knew he had to keep pushing, he needed the truth. “Why did you really lie about that painting, Will?”

“You know how you said my feelings aren’t stupid? My feelings are stupid. Because if I tell you I need you and I want you, those mean totally different things coming from me.” Mike noticed Will’s eyes were welling with tears as he talked, so he grabbed Will’s hand and squeezed it in a comforting motion. “And when you do that- it means more to me than it does to you. You- You’re my best friend, Mike. But you’ve always been more to me than just a friend.”

“Will-“

“I’m sorry.” Will sniffled, tears falling down his face. “Please don’t let that ruin our friendship. Our friendship really does mean the world to me and I wish I could push these stupid feelings away but-“

Will was cut off by Mike’s lips meeting his own. Mike’s hand lifted to cup the side of his face, and the realization that Will was having his first kiss with his best friend Mike Wheeler almost made him explode. The electricity between them was undeniable. Will did his best to follow Mike’s lead, moving his arm to the back of Mike’s head and running his hands through his hair. When they eventually pulled away, they both felt a longing to be back together again.

“Mike… you didn’t have to do that.” Will said, his eyes wide and face red.

“I know. I wanted to.” Mike replied, taking his hand in his own. “And I wanna do it again.”

Will smiled and reconnected their lips, this kiss being less needy and more loving. If he wasn’t feeling enough energy to face Vecna before, he sure as hell was now.

“You ready?” Mike asked, pulling away slightly and smiling sadly up at Will, afraid and reluctant to stop kissing Will for even a minute.

“Not yet,” Will said, kissing him again. Mike grinned against his lips before deepening the kiss, and they stayed like that for another five minutes.

Outside the hallway, Steve and Robin were making their way to the bathroom to try and find some more bags. Steve followed behind her, whispering about how annoying Jonathon was being by not wanting to follow Nancy. Robin rolled her eyes as he talked, glancing down the hall to find the bathroom.

To stopped in her tracks when she saw in her peripheral Mike and Will sat on his bed, kissing. She smirked to herself before gently shutting the door without closing it as to not disturb them.

“What? What’s happening?” Steve whispered, trying to peek inside. Robin grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

“They’re just working things out between them, let ‘em be.” Robin whispered back, finally finding the bathroom and turning the light on.

“Oh, I didn’t know they were fighting.” Steve said, frowning. God, he was such a mom.

“Yeah, but I think they’re making ou- up. They’re making up now.” Robin coughed, chucking a bag at Steve. “Let’s get back to the others now.”

As they passed the door, she saw that it was still closed, but she heard quiet laughter and hushed voices coming from inside. It was the happiest she had heard anyone in the past couple weeks and she wanted to savor every second.

Will giggled as Mike chucked more random unnecessary supplies into their bags. “I think we should bring Volume 121. That one gave me nightmares as a kid, maybe it’ll freak him out too.”

“You’re so dumb.” Will rolled his eyes, failing to fight a smile.

“I know,” Mike said, smiling back at Will. “Well, now I do.”

They stayed smiling at each other for a couple minutes before they shared one more kiss and returned downstairs to the others. Will was feeling more hopeful now than ever that he could really do this. After all, if Mike Wheeler could like him back, anything could happen.