Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Somebody just sit on the floor,” Mike pleads for the fifth time.

They have been arguing for ten minutes. Everyone is stubbornly in favor of the plush, expensive sofas over the hard floor. 

“It’s about principle, Mike.” Dustin said pointedly, crossing his arms. “We deserve some comfort.”

Mike rolls his eyes. “There are plenty of pillows on the floor.”

“Then why don’t you sit down there?” Max asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Because…”

“Yeah?” 

“Because it’s a damn nice couch and my ass still hasn’t recovered from Argyle’s van!”

“Woah there, we don’t want to know anything about your ass.”

Will giggles warmly on Mike’s neck, patting his back. “It’s okay, Mike. We all feel sympathy for the hard times you faced sitting on your butt while Jonathan drove us across the country and they fought monsters.”

Max nods. “I almost died while you were chilling in a van.”

El’s eyebrows draw together lightly. “I don’t see why we can’t all just sit on it. I am sure we would fit.”

Lucas shrugs. “You’re not wrong. It’d just be tight.”

El looks at Max. “Cuddle time?”

“Cuddle time,” Max agrees.

So that’s how Mike found himself shoved between Lucas and Will on a friday evening while watching The Outsiders because it’s a “classic” and filled with “hot guys in leather jackets” according to Max. As much as he complained, Mike could admit the guys weren’t bad looking. They filled out their jackets nicely and their hair, though greasy, framed their faces in a way that wasn’t all that gross.

“Isn’t this nice?” El asked from her spot in Max’s lap.

“I’ll admit, Dustin is a nice pillow. No collar bones means no pointy weapons in my neck.” Lucas nods. “Unlike Mike. Mike is only bones.”

“Hey!” Mike hit him lightly in the arm. “I could be a lot worse than I am now.” 

“Do you really want to try it, Wheeler?”

“C’mon Lucas, it’s not that bad,” Will leans around Mike’s back. “You just have to find the soft spots of him.”

Lucas looks unimpressed. “I don’t think there are any ‘soft spots’. I’m not even 100 percent sure he has organs under his skin. It is only bone.”

“I’ll show you bone!” Mike shoves into Lucas, elbows aggressively in his face. 

“Oof! Mike, why didn’t you use this against the monsters? You’ve got quality weapons right here.”

The strange wrestling match quickly travels to the floor in a sea of flailing limbs and trash talk. Max cheers for Lucas while Dustin half heartedly tries to get them to calm down.

“Will you be quiet down there?” Mrs. Wheeler shouts down the stairs. “Some of us need to sleep soon!”

“Sorry mom!” Mike calls back.

Dustin peers at them. “That means get off of him, dickhead.”

Lucas grunts. “Of course his mom stops us when I’m winning,” but he gets up nonetheless, pulling Mike with him.

Mike sits a little closer to Will when he gets back on the couch, throwing his arm over the back of the sofa. A light pink dusts over Will’s cheeks. 

“Am I too close?” he whispers.

Will smiles. “No, it’s fine.”

As the movie goes on, Mike notices Will yawn more and more. Eventually he feels the weight of a head fall onto his shoulder. He glances over to find Will’s eyes fluttered shut. His mouth is slightly open as his breathing evens. Mike can’t help the fondness settle in his spine. 

Will is just so peaceful in his sleep. It’s a rare sight to see the slight furrow ever present in his brow dissipate. Even rarer for all tension to ebb out of his shoulders and his hands to finally lie still. 

After everything that happened, nobody likes to sleep alone. It’s hard to relax knowing that flashbacks await behind their eyelids, creeping out of the darkness to wrestle people in their dreams. Every night is a gamble for their sanity slowly seeping through the cracks. Even Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Jonathan have been known to drop in when their partners are away and it’s just too hard to be alone.

Parents begrudgingly agreed to constant sleep overs after growing sick of panicking when their child is screaming and they don’t know why. The basement is set like a permanent lodge as the teens sometimes try to go home but inevitably stumble back at 3 am to make sure their friends are still breathing. It’s common to wake up to fingers pressed to the neck, wrist, or heart. The stillness of sleep brings back the pain of a dead loved one, sending someone’s mind into a shrill state of panic and care. 

It’s in these nights that they know their friendships strengthen. Holding each other and promising never to leave. Fingers gently combing through hair. Talking through it or just sitting in silent company. Tear soaked pajamas. Whispers of the small comforts that can be offered. Not pushing the subject. A movie for distraction. Understanding looks in the mornings as the smell of eggs floats downstairs.  

They’ll never be the same, but at least they have each other.

El is sometimes able to find solace in her parents, but Will never goes back for the night. 

Mike once overheard Joyce asking Will to join her and Hopper at the cabin, but Will shook his head, saying the woods reminded him of things he’d rather forget. Joyce seemed to remember then that Will might not be too keen on returning to the place where he was exorcized.

It feels selfish, but Mike is thankful for the constant presence at his side. Will wakes up in a mess of heavy breathing and sweat more than any of them. Mike knows he’s the only one that can ever really calm him down. At least enough to go back to sleep. Mike supposes the protective urge he'd had since they were in kindergarten is stronger than ever. 

Blinking, Mike realizes he was staring. He sighs, his arm falling onto Will’s shoulders, letting his sleeping friend cuddle deeper into his neck. A silent promise of shelter.

Settling his gaze back on the screen, he finds his eyelids growing heavier with each exhale that tickles the hairs on his neck. Feeling his consciousness succumb to the darkness he leans into the warmth, missing the wide eyes of Dustin and Lucas watching his every move.

Chapter Text

“What was that?” Lucas turns to Dustin. “What the fuck was that?” panic grows in his voice.

“What was what?” Max’s voice rings in her forgotten presence.

El shushes her. “Will is asleep.”

“Sorry,” She returns to petting El’s hair. “So what’s going on?” she whispers.

“Nothing!” Dustin says too loudly, earning another shush from El. “Sorry. We just have to use the bathroom!” He grabs Lucas’s arm.

“Yes, yes we do!” They stand and make for the door.

“Are you going in at the same time?” Max raises an eyebrow.

Lucas puts on his best fake smile. “Yeah you know Dustin, he can’t aim,” he sucks his lips in immediately as Dustin’s grip tightens.

Max stares, unimpressed.

A heavy sigh leaves Dustin’s lips. “You know me, I can’t aim.”

El pokes her head up. “Try sitting down!”

“Thank you, El, good idea,” Dustin says through his (limited) teeth.

She grins, dropping back down.

“I’m gonna go with him anyways, you know,” Lucas winks poorly. “Just in case?” 

If looks could kill, Lucas would not be alive.

Max scoffs, shifting her eyes back to the screen. “And you say girls are weird.”

Dustin yanks Lucas into the small room with debatably more force than necessary. 

“Ow.” 

“That is the least I could do,” Dustin locks the door. “I mean what possessed you to say ‘you know Dustin, he can’t aim’?”

“I panicked!”

“I guessed!”

Lucas takes a breath. “Can we talk about what we just saw?”

He glares. “You mean the pure mortification on my face when you said that I can’t piss right?”

“No, idiot, I meant Mike.”

“Oh right. Kinda forgot about that part.”

Lucas sits on the toilet, fidgeting with his fingers. “You saw it though, right?”

“Yeah,” Dustin leans on the counter. “That was… interesting.”

“Mike isn’t soft,” Lucas says suddenly.

“...Okay?” 

“It’s true. He’s harsh and defensive and annoying. He’s anything but gentle. Just tonight we were arguing about his boneyness. I love the guy, but he is only sharp edginess. Even with El, that’s who he is. But he wasn’t when Will slept. He never has been with Will, not really.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, I just noticed it.”

Dustin contemplates this, nodding. “I think I do.” 

Lucas looks up. 

“All those days where Mike jumped on my ass if I made the slightest tease towards Will. The way Mike was the only one who Joyce let in when Will was possessed. I don’t know exactly what it is, but something about their dynamic has always been different, we just didn’t fully notice.”

Lucas smiles. “I know what it is.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m like that with Max.”

A simple look in understanding keeps down the four letter word on their tongues.

Lucas scoffs. “Wow, we’re stupid.” 

“What?”

“How did we never see the way Will’s face lights up when Mike looks his way?”

Dustin chuckles. “Or the way Mike is always looking his way.”

Lucas’s smile fades. “So what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do we tell them we know?”

“I’m not even sure they know.”

Lucas nods. “Fair point, they’re even dumber than us.”

“Especially Mike.”

Lucas laughs.

Dustin stands up straight. “I don’t think we should get involved, at least not until the morning.”

“Max might know what to do.”

“Then we’ll ask her in the morning. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good. Now get up because I actually need to pee.”

Lucas shoots to his feet. “Ew I’m out.”

“Nope we gotta keep up the charade you can’t leave while I’m pissing.”

“Ew ew ew.”

“Face away for fuck’s sake.”

Lucas squeezes his eyes shut, not opening them for a second until the telltale fall of sink water accompanies Dustin’s promise of modesty.

When they exit, they find that Will and Mike had leaned so far to the side that they were taking up the whole couch, Will snug in Mike’s chest. Dustin and Lucas share a look. 

“Stupid,” Dustin grumbles.

“Yeah,” Max curls her lip sympathetically. “This is what happens when you take a fucking long time in the bathroom, giving sleeping teenage boys the opportunity to manspread as much as possible.”

“We know.”

“Hey Max, you seem to have some extra space next to you,” Lucas grins.

“You helped Dustin aim?”

Lucas internally curses himself. “Yes.” 

“Floor.” 

“Fair enough.”

Chapter Text

Dustin pulls Lucas aside after breakfast. “You talk to Mike, I’ll talk to Will.”

“What?” 

“I can’t stand the little looks anymore. It’s driving me nuts!”

“You literally just noticed them last night.”

“And it’s already too much!”

“What’s too much?” El pokes her head around the corner. 

“Nothing,” Lucas and Dustin say at the same time.

“Friends don’t lie.”

Lucas grimaces. “Well, something. It’s complicated.”

Dustin nods. “We’ll tell you once we figure it out!”

El blinks. “Okay!” She pops into the kitchen, engaging Will in conversation.

“What about the plan?” Lucas asks quietly.

“What plan?” Dustin says too loudly. 

Lucas hushes him. “Telling Max?”

“I feel weird about exposing this. What if she doesn’t like gay people?”

Lucas rubs his eyes. “You think Max doesn’t like gay people. Max.”

“We don’t know.” 

“She literally grew up in California.”

“California is not perfect!”

“Dustin, she’s Max!”

Dustin gestures for him to calm down. “I know. It just feels like a secret that we shouldn’t go around telling people.”

Lucas thinks for a moment before exhaling softly. “You do have a point.”

“I know. You guys really underestimate me. We’ll only ask her for help if things really go wrong, which could happen knowing Mike. Anyways, you talk to Mike and I’ll talk to Will.”

“Wait, why do I have to talk to Mike?”

“Do you not like Mike?”

“Of course I like Mike, he’s just the more stubborn one. And the stupider one.”

“Well, you’ve known him longer and I called Will.”

“I’ve known Will longer too. Plus, you can’t ‘call’ a person!”

“I just did.”

“Dustin.” 

“Lucas. He’ll listen to you more. Trust me.”

Lucas glares.

Dustin stares back.

“Fine!” Lucas mutters. “But you owe me one.”

Dustin makes several fist movements in the air. “Yes!” 

“Okay okay it’s not like you won the lottery, calm down.”

“Great, let's do it!” Dustin pulls Lucas into the kitchen. 

The empty kitchen.

“Where are they?”

Lucas shrugs. “Basement?” 

They go down the stairs, it’s empty except for Steve.

“There you are, man. We were about to leave without you!”

Dustin squints. “What?” 

“Mike is making me drive you to the quarry today, remember?”

Dustin smacks his forehead. “Shit I forgot about that.”

“Well get your ass in the car.”

“Alright, asshole,” Dustin grumbles, following him outside.

Steve knocks on the door for the fifth time, glaring at Mike.

Mike shrugs. “It usually takes a while if Mom’s in the bath.”

Steve knocks again.

“Alright hold your horses,” a disgruntled voice grumbles through the door, which opens to reveal a slightly disheveled Ted Wheeler. 

Mike grins. “Hi Dad, how was your nap?” 

“Short. Why didn’t you let yourself in?”

“I forgot my keys.”

“They’re your problem now, Mr. Wheeler,” Steve says, ushering the teens inside. 

“Aw, you love us,” Dustin grins.

“Not after today I don’t.”

“Ha! You’re implying you once did.”

Steve rolls his eyes, pulling the door shut.

“Dinner in an hour,” Ted says before hobbling back to the chair.

Max glances at him and then her watch. “Who takes a nap at six pm?” she mutters.

Will giggles. “Welcome to the Wheeler’s.”

Dustin pulls on Lucas. Having not gotten the chance in the morning, the pair had tried to talk at the quarry. Enough distractions arose that they agreed to give up until they got back to the house.

Lucas stares longingly at Max walking into the living room. “Now?” 

“Yes now!” 

“Fine.” 

Lucas and Dustin split, Dustin going to sit next to Will in the kitchen. Lucas sets his shoulders.

“It’ll be fine,” he mumbles to himself. “You two have been best friends for years!”

Lucas finds Mike in the living room with El and Max. “Hey, man. Can I talk to you?”

“Sure,” Mike says.

“Alone?” 

“Okay,” Mike points at a cabinet. “This one has the games,” he says to El. 

They walk to the basement while El squees about something she found.

Mike sits on the couch. Lucas awkwardly sits on the table. It’s reminiscent of an interrogation, Lucas realizes with a grimace.

“So what’d you want to talk about so badly?” Mike asks, scooting slightly to the left.

Lucas takes a breath. “I just want to start by saying that it’s okay, and we’ll support you no matter what.”

Mike’s eyebrows draw together lightly. “Okay…? What is this about, dude?”

“Mike-” Lucas puts his hand on Mike’s shoulder. “I know you like Will.”

Mike stares at him. “Of course I do, he’s my friend.”

Lucas sighs. Of course he would have to spell it out. “I mean like him, like him.”

“Yeah, he’s my best friend.”

No way he’s that stupid, Lucas thinks. “You don’t have to hide it, I already know.”

Mike frowns. “Know what?”

Okay, maybe he is that stupid, Lucas cringes. “That you’re in love with him.”

Mike blinks. “What?” 

“We’ve, I mean I’ve seen how you look at him and I just wanted you to know that none of us would ever stop-”

“Nope,” Mike shakes his head. 

“Mike.”

“No, you’ve got this all wrong. I’m not in love with him. I’m not gay.”

“Mike, you're not that soft. Not even for El. Shit, I don’t think anyone’s that soft for anyone. Something about you two… it’s different than anything I’ve seen.”

Mike gets up. “No. Nope. Uh uh. No way.”

“It’s okay to be gay,” Lucas stands too.

“I know, but I’m not!”

“Come on, man, this isn’t gonna change-”

“No!” Mike snaps. “You don’t get to tell me how I feel! Do you really think you know more about me than me?”

Lucas fiddles with his hand. “I mean… you are kinda thick sometimes.”

“Excuse me?” 

“I’m sorry, I just mean you’re not the most emotionally intelligent person I’ve ever met? Especially not about yourself.”

“That was the worst apology I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, it wasn’t supposed to be an apology, it was supposed to be a fact!”

Mike shakes his head. “Wow.” 

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, Lucas realizes with a pang of guilt. “I didn’t mean-”

“I’m done with this,” Mike walks towards the door, throwing it open with more force than necessary. 

A few minutes earlier...

“So,” Dustin slides into the chair next to Will.

Will glances up. “So?” 

“I was wondering if we could talk about-”

He’s cut off by El gasping in the other room. “This one!” she shouts. 

Ted Wheeler grumbles from his seat. 

“Sorry. Max look!”

Dustin looks back at Will. “Look-”

“Hippos!” El announces, walking in. Max follows close behind.

Will’s eyes land on the box in El’s hands. “Hungry hungry hippos! I haven’t played that game in forever!”

“Do you even know what hippos are?” Max asks, sitting across from Will.

“No,” El sits next to her. “But the box is pretty.”

Will leans over. “They’re like these,” he taps the plastic figures. “But big and purple.”

El’s eyes light up. “We must play this game.”

Dustin winces. “Actually-” 

Her intense gaze lands on him. “We need four.”

Will elbows him lightly. “Can we talk later? I kinda wanna play.”

Dustin sighs. “Fine. But only one game.”

Max explains the rules to El, and they all pick a color. Will on yellow, Max on green (“I’m not playing orange because it matches my hair!”), El on pink, and Dustin on orange. 

Then the table erupts into a sea of banging fists while crowded shoulder to shoulder, laughing like children and cursing like sailors. 

It takes four seconds before Dustin completely forgets about the conversation he was supposed to have. They make it past two games before realizing that El is using her powers to get more balls. 

“I can’t believe you’re cheating at Hungry Hungry Hippos,” Dustin gasps in mock offense. “You’ve ruined the sanctity of game time!”

“You can’t cheat at Hungry Hungry Hippos, Dustin,” Ted calls from the living room.

Max shakes her head in disgust. “Some people find a way.”

El bats her eyes. “I am using my natural advantage.”

Dustin shakes his head. “El, you know I adore you, but this is too far! My trust in you during board games is gone, and all because you and your hippo got greedy. I’m not angry, just disappointed.” 

Will laughs, grabbing El a tissue. 

She wipes her nose. “Do you want to play a round with no cheating?”

Max takes a bite out of her apple. “How do we know you won’t still cheat?”

El points at her nose.

“Maybe next time we should play monopoly,” Will offers. “You can’t cheat at monopoly other than stealing the money.”

Dustin narrows his eyes. “El would find a way.”

“Dustin.” 

“Yeah yeah, monopoly, whatever. First we need to play with no cheating so I can achieve my destiny!”

“Woah there Hamlet, you’ve gotten third every time,” Max says. 

Dustin shushes her. 

They all jump at the sound of a door slamming open. 

Mike storms past them. 

Dustin winces, remembering what he was supposed to be doing.

Will catches Mike’s sleeve. “What’s-”

“Not now!” Mike hisses, eyes softening when he sees Will. “I need to be alone,” he mumbles, running up the stairs.

Will goes to follow but Dustin pulls him back down.

“You’re not the one he wants to see right now, trust me,” he says.

“Mike, come on man,” Lucas pleads, following Mike.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Mike shouts back.

“It’s just-”

“No!”

Another door slam. 

Lucas sighs, walking back down the stairs. He goes to the kitchen to see if Dustin had any luck, only to double take at the sight of a bright board game.

“Please tell me I did not just have one of the worst conversations of my life while you played hungry hungry hippos,” Lucas seethes.

Max’s eyebrows draw together. “What did you talk about?”

“Something Dustin clearly didn’t.”

“If it makes you feel any better, El cheated,” Dustin offers. 

The slap that followed made it clear that no, it did not make him feel better.

Chapter Text

After being forced by his mom to come down for dinner, Mike sits between El and Max, not talking to anyone. He avoids Will’s eyes and mumbles one word responses when his parents ask a question. El doesn’t seem to mind, passing him food before he asks. Max is too busy glaring at Lucas to mind. Lucas is focused on his food.

“Can I be excused?” Mike finally says.

Karen shoots Ted a look. Ted does not react. Karen sighs. “Micheal, nobody else has finished.”

He doesn’t even look up. “But I have.”

“What’s going on?”

Mike puts his napkin down and stands up. “Nothing.” 

“Micheal!” Karen calls after him, but he leaves without a second glance. She turns back to the table. “Do any of you know what’s going on with him?”

Max narrows her eyes. “Lucas and Dustin do.” 

They glance at each other.

“He’s having a crisis,” El says, reaching for more food. “He’ll figure it out soon,” 

“El?” Karen says.

El looks up. “What?”

“How do you know what’s going on?” Lucas asks.

She shrugs.

“El has a sixth sense for this sort of thing,” Will says. 

“Huh,” Karen says before looking back at Ted. “Well?” 

Ted pauses mid bite. “What?” 

“Aren’t you going to help our son with his crisis? Man to man?”

Dustin grimaces. “I don’t think Mr. Wheeler is the one to help with this.”

“Why not? What is his crisis about?”

“Yeah, what is it?” Will asks.

Dustin strokes his chin. “Maybe you should call Nancy.”

El nods. “Or Steve.”

“Steve?” Dustin, Lucas, Karen, Max, and Will say at once.

“Steve is nice.”

“Yeah but he’s not that smart,” Lucas points out.

El smirks. “And Mike is?”

Karen takes a breath. “Can you just tell me what’s going on?”

Dustin and Lucas furiously shake their heads.

“Teenagers,” Ted grumbles, focusing back on his chicken.

Mike locks himself in his room and takes a breath. Stupid Lucas trying to tell him how he feels. Mike isn’t gay, he liked El. He and Will are just best friends, nothing more. So what if Will is the only thing that makes him feel at home? It’s not like Mike daydreams about kissing Will or anything. Even if Will’s lips look very soft sometimes, it’s just a normal friend thing to notice. Lucas is delusional, Mike decides. 

He sits on his bed. Someone knocks on his door.

“Fuck of, off, Lucas!” he shouts.

“Micheal!” Karen’s voice is what responds.

Shit. “Sorry mom!” 

“What’s going on with you? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, everything is just peachy.”

She pauses. “Micheal, you know you can talk to me.”

“I said I’m fine! Just leave me alone.”

Mike feels her frown through the door. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.”

Will lays in the hospital bed, all too familiar sensors taped to his forehead. His empty hazel eyes trace around the room, slowly flickering from person to person. 

Dr. Owens points at Mike. “How about, uh… How about this guy here?”

Mike lifts his hand for an awkward wave.

“Know who that is?” Owens asks.

Will tilts his head, taking Mike up and down. 

“No.”

Something in Mike breaks.

The background twists into fog. Grays and blues smoothen into smears of color that flow around the two of them. One by one each person in the room dissipates until it’s just Will looking at Mike.

“How could I know you?” Will asks, but it's not his voice. “Someone as selfish and stubborn as you could never be my friend,” a lisp seeps into his words as they fire arrows at Mike's psyche.

A gray claw wraps around Will’s neck.

“And now he’s mine,” Vecna hisses. “And I’ll never let him go.”

Will lifts into the air. No matter what Mike does, how much he thrashes, how much he screams, he can’t do anything to stop it.

Each of Will’s bones snap, his features contorting beyond repair. Last go his eyes, his beautiful beautiful eyes.

“You could have stopped this!” Jonathan accuses.

The curse seeps into Will’s body. Mike reaches for his hand, but the hand is pasty and rubbery. It’s not his anymore.

“It’s your fault!” Shouts Joyce. “He needed you, and you weren’t there!”

“Will!” Mike squeezes the lifeless fingers. “Come back!”

“Mike,” Vecna taunts. “Mike~”

“Mike!” Karen shakes her son. “Wake up!” 

Mike’s eyes burst open. He barely registers his mom’s disheveled hair. He pants, sweat sticking his shirt to his body. “Where- Will, he-”

“Honey, you were screaming in your sleep.”

“Woke up the whole damn house,” Ted adds from the doorway in his rumpled shirt.

Karen shoots him a glare before turning back to her son. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Will. Where’s Will?” Mike demands, wiping his damp cheeks.

“He’s in the basement, but I don’t-”

Mike jumps to his feet, ignoring the headache that slams into him and the black that clouds his vision.

“Micheal!” Karen calls, surprised.

Mike pushes past his dad, rushing clumsily down the steps. He seethes through the stings of pain in his head. All he can think of now is Will’s dead body, Will’s harsh words, Will’s-

Mike shoves the thoughts out as he reaches the landing. He throws the door open, scanning for the smooth brown hair. Max sits up, groaning. But there’s Will. Looking so peaceful in his sleep. Too peaceful. He’s not moving.

Mike runs to him, sliding on the knees of his pajama pants. He puts his fingers where Will’s head connects to his neck, listening for the thrum of a racing heart. 

Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump 

Will stirs. “Hmm?”

“What’s my name?” Mike whispers, voice hoarse.

Will opens his eyes then. Full and adoring. The grass and dirt of childhood mixed with flecks of gold. 

“Mike,” he says softly, and everything clicks into place.

Mike can breathe. 

He lays his head on Will’s shoulder, inhaling sharply. 

Bump Ba-bump Ba-bump

Will is okay. Will knows him. Will doesn’t hate him.

Karen’s confused eyes don’t reach him. Max’s questioning words don’t either. Dustin’s snores are barely background noise.

Mike cuddles in close, keeping his hand feeling the pulse so he knows the life is there. Somehow he knows that if Will is okay, the world is okay.

And nothing else needs to matter.

Chapter Text

It’s the same dream every night. 

He’s standing in the rain. He waits. Some nights his mind is mean, forcing him through visions of red storm clouds and deep shadows that seep into every fiber of his skin and reach deep into his gut to pull out any brain waves that let him control his own body. Some nights he feels a hand slip into his, and hears as the rain drips on an umbrella instead of him.

“Will, come inside,” Mike pulls on him. Will turns to face him. He has a worried furrow to his brow. “You’ve been out here for too long.”

Will’s lips reach up subconsciously. If Will had any hope, he would think he sent a pink tint to Mike’s cheeks. He forces the smile into a grin. 

“You worried about me, Micheal?” he grits out, ignoring the real words on the tip of his tongue. You’re beautiful.

“Yes!” Mike sighs, using his free hand to gently hold Will’s face. “Of course I am. I love you.”

“What?” Will can’t believe his ears.

Mike’s fingers move to Will’s chin. “I love you, Will.”

So Will lets go. He touches Mike’s face back. He touches his hair. His arms. His waist. Mike in turn takes Will’s neck, and begins pulling him in. 

This is it. Will thinks. This is everything . But before their lips meet, Mike drops the umbrella and burrows his face in Will’s neck and hugs him tightly. Mike hasn’t hugged Will like that in a long time. And fuck is it nice. So he hugs back with twice as much force, warmth seeping his bones to protect him from the rain.

The scent of Mike’s cheap deodorant lingers in Will’s nose as sunlight hits his eyes. Will reaches back for the warmth. He’d like to stay in this dream a little longer. He rubs his head on his pillow, which lets out a content sigh. Wait- what?

Will’s eyes shoot open. The Wheeler basement looks the same as it always has, light streaming in through the windows and mess covering every inch of the floor. His friends are in various states of morning haze, Max and El playing their usual game of “how many things can we stack on Dustin until he wakes up” (their previous record was broken a few weeks prior when El went as far as to levitate Lucas on top of Dustin) while Lucas halfheartedly reads a comic book with a pillow imprint on his face, shooting Will an awkward smile. 

Will sees nothing out of the ordinary. With a sigh he closes his eyes again, almost forgetting what alarmed him in the first place. Almost. His pillow takes another deep breath.

Will lifts his head, finally taking stock of his position. Or should he say their position. He and Mike are tangled up together in a comfortable mess, legs and arms entwined. Mike holds him tightly, fingers lightly squeezing his wrist. His face is calm. Calmer than it’s been in a long, long time.

Will feels the heat rush to his face. They’re just so close . Too close. Mike would hate it if he knew what Will had just been dreaming. Will’s fingers itch to trace Mike’s freckles. To feel Mike’s smile as his eyes open into Will’s. 

“Ow!” Dustin grunts, sitting up as an empty soda can clunks onto his head. “Again? Do you have to do this every morning?” 

Will snickers, all eyes suddenly on him.

“Uh,” Dustin says. “You look… cozy?”

“Eloquent as ever, Dustin,” Lucas groans.

“He does look cozy,” El pipes in. “Even though Mike does not look like a comfortable pillow. Next time you should be the pillow, Will.”

If Will's face was hot before, it’s scorching now. “I- um. I don’t think there will be a next time, El.”

“Was Mike down here when we fell asleep?” Dustin asks. “I thought he was still pissed at Lucas.”

“He came down in the middle of the night looking like a crazy person,” Max scoffs. “The rest of you were sleeping like rocks.”

“Hey! It was a long day!” Lucas protests.

“You always sleep like a rock.”

“I do not-”

Grateful for the attention leaving him, Will tunes out his friends bickering, focusing on his situation. Mike is bound to wake up soon to the noise, so with a regretful sigh Will begins to remove himself.

Mike’s brows furrow, mumbling incoherently as he tightens his hold. Will winces, gently prying Mike’s fingers from his hammering pulse. He untangles their legs and slowly kneels, almost free. Suddenly Mike’s hand shoots up and snatches Will’s shirt, yanking him down until they’re nose-to-nose.

“Will,” Mike mumbles, stirring.

Shit. Will thinks, acutely aware of every point of contact in their compromising position. Their chests are flush, Mike’s morning breath dancing over his mouth. Will is terrified to move, terrified for Mike to wake up in disgust. Shit shit shit.

“Will,” Mike says louder, eyes fluttering open.

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT

Mike gazes into Will’s eyes, big and brown. “Will.”  

He’s not disgusted, that’s good at least. But what the fuck is Will supposed to do now?

“Hi?” Will manages to spit out.

Mike softens, blinking up at him through his ruffled bangs. “Hi,” he says quietly. Will almost swears he sees pink smattering against Mike’s cheeks.

Fuck. He’s so beautiful. 

Someone coughs behind them. Shattering whatever fragile moment this was. Will practically launches himself off of Mike, putting a good ten feet between them. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Max smirks. 

“Good morning, Mike,” El says through a grin. 

“Morning, El,” Mike replies, tense and heavy breathing.

“Can we have eggos for breakfast?”

Mike takes a deep breath, dropping his head with a smile. “Yeah, sure. I’ll ask Mom.”

Will releases his own breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He glances around as El giddily jumps onto Max, sending them into a roll of giggles. Dustin laughs and joins the cuddle pile, never one to miss out on hug time.

Lucas clears his throat. “So, uh Mike can we-”

Tension returns to Mike’s limbs immediately. His finger points at Lucas, face following suit. “Not. A. Word,” he hisses with his signature snarl. 

Dustin pokes his head up. “Mike, relax. We were just trying to-”

Mike whips around. “We? You were in on this? For fuck’s sake does everyone here think they have some claim to my life?”

Max frowns. “What do you-”

“Nope! Hell no! Not you too! This is exactly why- fuck it. I’m done with this shit,” Mike jumps to his feet and stomps up the stairs muttering under his breath. All Will can pick up is “my own goddamn basement… the hell do they? Fucking bullshit I’m not…”

“Ow!” Lucas yells. “El!”

Will turns around to see El with her hand up. “You ruined eggo time!”

“We can still have eggos.”

“We need everyone to fully enjoy eggo time!” El pouts. “Will, go fix it.”

Will blinks. “Why me?”

“You are the only one Mike listens to when he is mad. Bring him downstairs for eggo time.”

“But-” 

“Please?” El bats her eyes.

Will Byers may have survived literal hell, but even he is no match for El’s puppy eyes. “Fine.” 

Will makes his way upstairs. What the hell is going on?

He finds nobody in the kitchen. Just a box of eggos sitting on the counter that Mike must have grabbed. Will can’t help but smile. Even when he’s angry, Mike does care.

Will hears a door close on the second floor. With a sigh, he walks up to the noise. He lightly knocks on Mike’s bedroom door.

“Piss off!” Mike yells. 

Will doesn’t flinch. He’s gotten more used to Mike’s raised voice over the years. He tries the doorknob. It’s unlocked, thankfully. The things I do for El .

He opens the door. The room is messy as ever. Sheets, clothes, books, and anything Mike couldn’t be bothered to clean, thrown on the floor or the bed. Mike sits on his pillows with his head in his hands. 

“I told you to-” he glances up. “Oh. I thought you were Lucas.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Will closes the door behind him.

“You could never- I mean, I’m glad it’s you.”

Will can’t fight the smile. Best friends, he once said. This is enough. “So,” he sits on the end of the bed.

“So?” Mike raises an eyebrow.

“El wants everyone downstairs for eggo time.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to deal with Lucas or Dustin right now.”

“Why? They’re your best friends.”

“Not right now, they’re not.”

Will sighs, scooching closer. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing!”

Time for the big guns. “Friends don’t lie, Mike.”

Mike twists his mouth. “Yeah well, friends shouldn’t meddle either.”

Will crosses his legs. “Care to elaborate?”

“It’s nothing it’s just- Lucas thinks he knows better than me. About me. I know myself better than him! I know how I feel about-” Mike’s jaw tenses as his eyes flick around the room. “About. It doesn’t matter. The point is, he can’t tell me things that aren’t true. He can’t conspire with Dustin to-”

Will puts his hand on Mike’s knee. “It matters to me, Mike.”

Mike’s eyes settle on Will. “What?” 

Will can’t help the faint flush on his cheeks from Mike’s attention. Focus on him, Will. “It matters to me how you feel. Not what Lucas and Dustin think.”

Mike struggles to bite back a smile. An opening.

“So?” Will pushes.

“So?” 

“How do you feel?”

The smile fades. “You don’t want to know.”

“I really do! You can tell me anything. Best friends, right? Something is clearly bothering you, let me help.”

Mike drops his head into his hands. “I don’t know. I’m just so confused.”

“Okay,” Will starts tracing comforting circles on Mike’s knee, watching Mike’s body relax.

Mike sighs. “Lucas just- he told me that I am something I’m not,” he glances up, wide eyed. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being that thing, but, you know, it’s just not me.”

“And that’s confusing because…?”

“Because,” Mike chews on his bottom lip, Will catching the movement. “Ever since he said that, I’ve been having…thoughts. About what he’s saying. Like he’s reshaping my mind.”

Will chuckles. “I don’t think that’s an ability Lucas possesses.” 

That earns a small smile from Mike. “Maybe not. But I just don’t understand why him saying that I-” Mike turns red. “Uh, I mean, calling me dense about myself or whatever, makes me think about…things.”

Will raises an eyebrow. “Things?” 

“What he said, I mean. Like he opened a floodgate of new thoughts. But they don’t feel new. Even though they are.”

Will is starting to lose track of what they’re talking about. “Maybe he’s right.”

Mike stills. “What?” 

“Or not. I mean, he was right about one thing at least. You can be pretty dense sometimes.” 

“Hey!” Mike gives Will a light shove.

Will holds up his hands. “Hey, friends don’t lie.”

Mike smirks, earlier turmoil seemingly forgotten. “They might lie down, though.”

“What?” 

“In defeat!” Mike surges forward, tackling Will. Or, trying to at least. 

Will grabs his arms. “You really wanna do this?” 

“Scared, Byers?” Mike wiggles his eyebrows. 

Well, Will’s goal is to cheer Mike up. If that means kicking his ass in a wrestling match, so be it. 

“Not a chance, Wheeler.” 

Mike had a bit of an advantage, with his bony weapons as Lucas so kindly put it, but he didn’t seem to remember to use them. Instead gently pushing on Will and carefully maneuvering so his elbows didn’t go anywhere near Will’s face or stomach. Mike’s always been so gentle with Will. Well, his mistake. 

Their tangle of limbs doesn’t take long to be sorted with Will laying over Mike, pinning his arms over his head. “Ready to give up?”

“Never!” Mike shouts, attempting to wriggle his arms free. Attempting being the key word. “Fuck, when did you get so strong?”

Will smirks. “Maybe you’re just weak.” 

Mike lifts his head off the bed, “Am not!”

Will leans down, raising an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”

Mike opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. He glances downward. Is- is he looking at my lips?

Will is suddenly aware of their position, oddly reminiscent of how they’d been earlier that morning. He feels heat pool his face and start its way down his neck. He loosens his grip on Mike’s wrists, getting ready to stand up.

“Alright, since-”

Mike wrenches his hands free and rolls them over, switching to being the one leaning over Will. Will is unable to move, distracted by Mike’s legs straddling his, hands on either side of his face. This is something entirely new. 

“Triumph at last!” Mike laughs, poking Will in his cheek. 

Will doesn’t trust himself to speak. Mike is smiling so wide, wider than Will’s seen in years. His big brown eyes alight with joy. Hair wild all over his face. Even his freckles seem to sparkle. 

Mike lowers down, smile thinning. “Will? You okay?”

“Yeah yeah! Just not used to losing haha,” Will spits out. He bites down hard on his lip, hoping the pain will distract him from the glow of Mike Wheeler. It does not. 

Mike’s eyes trace the movement, leaning in ever so slightly. 

God, it would be so easy to just sit up and-

Will’s mind goes blank as Mike closes the distance and kisses him. 

It’s careful and fleeting. It’s everything to Will. Something he never in his wildest dreams thought could actually happen to him. A fantasy meant to stay locked up in his brain. Mike’s lips are so soft, softer than Will ever imagined anything could be. All too soon, he pulls away eyes wide and terrified.

“Will, I-” he fumbles.

“Mike,” Will whispers.

Mike’s eyes soften. “Will.” 

This time when Mike leans down, Will meets him halfway. 

This time, Mike’s lips are moving, sending tingles of ecstasy down Will’s spine. He grabs Mike’s shirt to ground himself, surprised when Mike’s other hand takes Will’s hip, pulling him even closer. They’re flush together, Will getting more confident in touching Mike everywhere. So many times he’s dreamed about this just to wake up, but real life is thousands of times better. Millions, even. He doesn’t taste like anything Will can describe. It’s just Mike. A unique taste that matches his smell. Unlike Mike’s morning breath, however, it doesn’t taste bad.

He doesn’t know he’d survive without Mike touching him, his neck, his knee, his shoulder. He doesn’t know what he’d do without his own hand trailing patterns on Mike’s stomach and back. He can’t believe how long he went without Mike’s tongue in his mouth, Mike pulling him closer, Mike’s noises when Will squeezes his waist or pulls his hair. He doesn’t know how many times he says Mike’s name when Mike presses kisses to his neck. He doesn’t know how to breathe when Mike’s fingers begin unbuttoning his shirt. 

He doesn’t know what to do when Mike gasps, jumping off of him.

He doesn’t know what to say as they lie apart, breathing heavily. Will sees Mike looks like the mess he feels he is, disheveled and pink. Every part of him tingles with want. Want to pull him in again. Want to push for more. 

Will tries to speak, voice hoarse and lips sore. “Mike-” 

Mike shuts his eyes. “Get out.”

“What?” 

“Get out!” he screams. 

Will feels the moment his heart shatters, vision blurring. “But-” 

“Please,” Mike sounds so broken.

So Will leaves. His legs take him down the stairs in a haze. He doesn’t realize he’s crying until Max is asking what’s wrong. 

His vision clears enough to see Lucas looking at him, panic and guilt covering his face. “What did Mike-” Lucas starts, eyes widening at the angry sob ripping free from Will’s lungs.

The pieces start to put themself together. Mike’s avoidance. Dustin and Lucas teaming up to talk to both of them. Mike’s anger. Mike leaning down-

Someone’s hugging Will, he knows, but he doesn’t deserve it. Fuck Lucas for making Mike do that. Fuck everyone for loving him when they should hate him. When he’s so different. When he ruined everything. He shoves the arms off.

“Fuck you,” he says through his teeth to Lucas.

He doesn’t stay long enough to hear anyone’s questions. He’s too busy running. Too busy biking. Too busy cursing himself for ever thinking he could have what he wanted. He can barely see where he’s going, but he bikes on. 

When he knocks on the cabin door, all he wants is to fall into his mother’s arms. To let her comfort him. But he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

Will doesn’t know what he’s going to do without Mike.

But he knows he ruined everything.