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INT. HOPPER'S CABIN - LATE AFTERNOON
ELEVEN, WILL, MIKE, DUSTIN and LUCAS are reunited. TENSION FILLS THE ROOM. They are discussing their newfound battle plan against Vecna.
MIKE
(to Will)
And you agree with this?!
WILL
We have no other choice. We have to
try.
MIKE
You're insane. You're all actually
insane.
Eleven reaches for Mike's arm.
ELEVEN
I will protect him.
MIKE
(wryly)
Protect him? Oh, like you protected
Max?
(immediately)
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry El, I
didn't mean —
Eleven removes her hand and crosses her arms on her chest.
DUSTIN
Wow. Not cool.
LUCAS
You're a fucking jerk Mike.
Honestly.
MIKE
I'm a jerk? You come up with an
half-assed plan that revolves
around sending Will to an almost
certain death, NOBODY says
anything, and I'm a jerk?!
LUCAS
Quit it. Quit making it sound like
you're the only one who cares about
Will. We all do.
ELEVEN.
Enough. You're right, Mike.
(MORE)
ELEVEN. (CONT'D)
(grimace)
I couldn't protect Max. We weren't
prepared then. But now... We are
stronger. We can fight back.
MIKE
Fight back? Will is still unstable!
It's way too dangerous! We should --
I don't know --
DUSTIN
(softly)
We have no time to come up with a
better plan, Mike. It's now or
never.
SILENCE. Then:
MIKE
(imploring)
He's your brother, El.
Eleven looks away. On the floor. She wishes things were different. Mike surveys the room, FROWNING. Angry.
MIKE
I can't. I can't. I won't
participate in this... madness!
Mike exits the room. Eleven flinches as we hear the SOUND OF A DOOR SLAMMED SHUT.
Lucas sighs. Annoyed. The CAMERA ZOOMS IN ON WILL. He looks EXHAUSTED and CONCERNED.
EXT. WOODS, HAWKINS - LATE AFTERNOON
Mike is sitting on A LOG. He ABSENT-MINDEDLY draws symbols in the dirt with A STICK. We hear the SOUND OF TWIGS SNAPPING AND LEAVES BEING CRUNCHED UNDERFOOT. Will appears. Mike does not look up. Will sits beside him.
SILENCE. Then:
MIKE
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left
like that.
(sigh)
It's just --
Mike lets the stick fall from his hand. He turns to Will.
MIKE
Why does it have to be you? First
you had to deal with Lonnie, then
you were trapped in the Upside
Down, then the Mind Flayer took
control over you, and now Vecna?
WILL
Mike...
MIKE
No! It's so unfair! I mean, really?
You never got to fully enjoy
anything! Anything!
WILL
(quietly)
You're wrong you know... I got to
enjoy things. Lots of things. And
above all, I got to be happy.
(a beat)
Especially when I was with you.
Will's look is so INTENSE that Mike's gaze DROPS. Guilt.
MIKE
You're saying that but... I was an
awful friend most of the time.
WILL
That's not true. I mean, yes, we
drifted apart but --
MIKE
Will. Your childhood was stolen
from you, ripped away -- and when
you came back, when you finally
came back to us, to me -- you tried
to retrieve it and -- and I didn't
understand. I couldn't understand.
I was so worried about... growing
up and walking on a normal path and
-- I was so stupid. I was so stupid
for pushing you away, for saying
all those awful things I didn't
even mean, for -- for not playing
DnD with you because now -- now I'm
realizing it might be too late. I'm
realizing we might have played our
last campaign already.
The weight of Mike's words lingers between them. A beat. Then:
WILL
If that's the case... I'm glad we
did that last campaign together.
(smiling faintly)
As a team.
MIKE
Me too. I'm glad you didn't join
another party.
They lock eyes. Will is OVERWHELMED WITH EMOTION.
MIKE (CONT'D)
(worriedly)
Will?
Will throws himself at Mike, wrapping his arms around his neck. Mike is SURPRISED but he hugs him TIGHTLY.
MIKE (CONT'D)
(under his breath, but
audible)
Promise me you're going to be safe.
Will represses a sob. He can't. Mike hugs him TIGHTER.
MIKE (CONT'D)
Please. You have to promise me.
SILENCE. Will's head rests on Mike's chest. Will's hands CLUTCH Mike's shirt.
MIKE (CONT'D)
(desperate)
Will? You have to. Please. I can't
do it. Being here, without you. I
can't do it.
Will pulls away from Mike's embrace. Will looks up at Mike.
WILL
Yes. Yes, you can. You'll miss me
for a while but -- you don't really
need me in your life. I mean, you
have El, and Lucas, and Dustin, and
-- and --
MIKE
(angry)
And what? And what? How can you
even imagine that I'd be fine
without you here, when every
goddamn corner of this city holds a
memory of you?
WILL
Please don't. Don't make this
harder.
MIKE
No! Don't act like you don't matter
because you do. You matter so much,
to me, to everyone.
Will begins to TEAR UP again. He needed that.
MIKE (CONT'D)
And I -- Don't you get it? In the
van... When you said we could play
DnD and Nintendo for the rest of
our lives? I agreed. I agreed.
WILL
Didn't you think it was childish of
me?
MIKE
No! I was worried about El and --
anyway, it doesn't matter. What you
said... I want that. I want you.
You're the best thing that's ever
happened to me. You're the person I
want to spend my whole life with,
because --
Mike hesitates, then -- screw it --
MIKE (CONT’D)
Because I love you, ok? I love you.
And if I have to lose you then I'd
rather watch this entire cursed
town burn to the ground. Because I
-- I don't want to save a world
you're not part of.
Will's eyes are WIDE-OPEN. It can't be.
WILL
Do you... mean that? Do you
understand what you're saying?
MIKE
Yes.
Tender, emotional music starts playing. Mike's hands GENTLY cup Will's face.
MIKE (CONT'D)
I do.
Mike looks at Will INTENTLY. Asking. Will doesn't dare expecting. But...
Mike closes his eyes and KISSES HIM. A weight is lifted from Will's shoulders. Will kisses back; his hands are gripping Mike's upper-arms. The kiss is URGENT and DESPERATE. When they pull away, they're BREATHLESS.
MIKE (CONT'D)
I’m --
WILL
(in a whisper)
Don't. Please don't apologize, or
say that you don't know why you did
that, or that it was mistake.
Because I've waited for that for so
long. I've waited for you for so
long.
MIKE
I know -- I wasn't going to say any
of that. I mean, yes, maybe I was
going to apologize. For taking so
much time to put all the pieces
together.
Will shots Mike a QUESTIONING GLANCE.
MIKE (CONT'D)
I mean... You know. It took me some
time to understand why the
relationship I have with you always
felt different than the one I have
with Lucas, or Dustin. Or... Why I
was so upset that you didn't reach
out more when you were in Lenora.
And why I felt... disappointed when
you said El commissioned the
painting. But I should have known -
- El doesn't know anything about
DnD. And she told me it was for
someone... someone you liked.
WILL
(chuckles)
Well, yes, you can be a bit
oblivious sometimes.
(a beat)
But that's part of who you are and
-- I love you. I love everything
about you.
MIKE
Even if I'm just some random nerd?
WILL
Especially because you're just some
random nerd.
They CHUCKLE.
MIKE
So... apologies accepted?
WILL
Wouldn't that be too easy? You have
a lot to redeem for. So, Michael, your action?
MIKE
Give me a D20.
Mike motions with his hands AS IF HE WAS SHAKING A DICE AND THEN TOSSING IT.
MIKE (CONT'D)
And... It's a 20!
WILL
So?
MIKE
So that means... The Paladin gets
to successfully kiss the Cleric.
WILL
(leaning in)
Wrong... It means the Cleric gets
to successfully kiss the Paladin.
Will closes the gap between them. Their faces are bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
Camera ZOOMS OUT.
Fade out.