Chapter Text
August 23rd 1988 12 AM
Snap! Will jerks his head to the right at the sudden sound of a twig breaking in the night. He’s kept his light on in his tiny tent, but that doesn’t make camping any easier. It really seemed like a great idea when Dustin suggested it, especially to El. Mike certainly seemed a little put off, but when Will asked him about it later, after the Party had dispersed and they were free to be their sappy selves, Mike insisted he was totally fine with being stuck outdoors all night.
After everything they’ve been through, Will’s proud of himself for doing this. And Mike too, though his bravery hardly comes as a surprise. Still, Will wishes they weren’t so determined to hide their relationship from everyone, leaving him to sleep alone. One centimetre away from the world outside.
Will closes his eyes and inhales deeply. Shut up , he tells himself. It’s okay . Mike’s in the tent opposite his, which means he’ll soon be able to hear his usual snoring. He grins giddily at the thought, remembering the first time he slept next to Mike since they got together.
A shadow passes his tent. Fuck trying to be okay with this, Will instinctively reaches for his flashlight, which is already cranked to full brightness, letting out a small yelp. He swings it toward the movement, his breath coming heavy. He knows this is technically ridiculous, but no one can blame him for being cautious right? Not after everything.
Someone, or some thing, is right outside his tent door. Will curls into his sleeping bag, eyes wide, ready to throw the flashlight at whatever—
“Will?” comes a muffled whisper from outside. Will slumps with relief, rolling his eyes. Of course.
“Yeah?” he calls quietly, still mindful that the rest of the Party might be trying to sleep. However, after their adventurous day—swimming in the lake, struggling to start a fire—they might already be knocked out cold.
The zipper pulls back and reveals Mike’s face in the opening, a wry smile spreading across his features as he greets him. “Hi,” he says, breathlessly, looking around the cramped interior of Will’s tent. “Nice place you got here.”
Will wants to quip something back, but he resorts to chuckling instead, his eyes heavy with sleep. As Mike unzips the door and climbs into the tent (which is definitely too small for both of them), Will’s heart jumps. He swears every time he sees Mike nowadays, he gets all flustered and sappy about the fact they’re dating. Jesus Christ, they’re dating .
Each time Will remembers that the past month of dating Mike Wheeler is real , it feels like he’ll never be able to contain his joy. Maybe it’ll fade eventually, since they’re still in their ‘honeymoon phase’ as Mom calls it, but Will couldn’t care less. All the pain, the overthinking, the restless nights full of crushing guilt and weight and feeling disgusting…
Doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past. That’s the point. Which is exactly why Will really, really wishes he’d brought a bigger tent.
“What are you doing?” Will muses as Mike clambers in, zipping the tent door behind him. It’s cramped, but to be honest, Will kind of likes it this way. Mike’s always warm, his presence always comforting. How does he do it?
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Mike says with a smirk, shuffling over and attempting to lie down between Will and the wall of the tent, failing miserably.
Will lets out a half-suppressed giggle. “Seriously—Mike,” he chides, rolling his eyes before giving up and helping Mike find a more comfortable position. With their faces much closer, Will feels the warmth of Mike’s breath against his face, deepening the amused smile on his lips.
“You doing okay?” Mike asks breathlessly, shifting awkwardly to get comfortable in the tight space.
Will frowns a little. “Um, yeah,” he replies happily, the simplest of questions making a little flutter stir in his stomach. His heart swells further when Mike, bundled in his coat, buries his face in the collar to warm up his face.
“I thought…” Will starts, drawing out the syllables, “...we weren’t allowed to sleep in the same tent, Mike.”
He’s quoting Mike’s words from earlier, when he’d seemed a little concerned that the others might notice and start to wonder. Will understands the worry, but he has to admit, he’d been looking forward to sleeping next to Mike in the outdoors. Oh well, it seems he’s gotten his wish after all, and he’ll be sure to make the most of it.
Mike stares at him, narrowing his eyes, but Will notices his face turning daylily pink. “Uh, yeah, but you had your…light on. So.”
God, he’s doing that thing again. That thing where he trails off, shy about Will knowing the truth—the depth of his feelings. Will’s glad to know him better now that they’re dating, much better, but this is one of those things Mike needs to be reminded of. As if his boyfriend has forgotten that he doesn’t have to be embarrassed around Will at all.
“So?” Will pries gently, wishing his hands weren’t trapped in his sleeping bag right now. Slowly, he wiggles them free as Mike opens his mouth to speak.
“I—I was just, y’know,” Mike murmurs, shrugging and looking down, “Wondering why you were still awake.”
Sure . Will finally manages to pull his hands out from the sleeping bag and tucks one arm around Mike’s waist, shifting closer even though he hardly needed to in this cramped space. His other hand rests lightly on the plane of Mike’s chest.
Their faces barely brushing against each other, Will leans forward and kisses Mike’s cheek, revelling in the snugness of this position. “Mhm, were you worried about me?” he asks, hearing Mike’s breath stuttering immediately—so he’s guessed correctly.
It’s not uncommon for Mike to act like this. He’s been caring for Will like this ever since they were kids, but now that the Upside Down is gone, Will had almost feared that Mike’s protective side might diminish. It has, in some ways, but since they started dating, it’s like a switch went on in Mike’s brain. He may not voice his feelings that often, but Will can see them through his actions.
“Yeah, maybe,” Mike mumbles, exhaling a small laugh to brush off his tension. “Or…maybe it was because your light was keeping me awake,” he teases, whispering in Will’s ear. The breath of his voice sends a small shiver through him, but he laughs quietly and subconsciously tangles his fingers in Mike’s hair.
Sleep starts to pull at Will, his eyelids growing heavier as he yawns before tilting his head and snuggling into Mike’s shoulder. “I’m okay.”
Mike lets out a suspicious sound.
“Seriously, I was a little scared before , but I just kept my light on to see,” Will replies quickly, leaning back to meet Mike’s half-lidded gaze. One thing Will’s learned about Mike recently is that he really can’t keep awake for long, especially when they’re wrapped up like this. “Promise I’m all good.”
His voice is croaky from exhaustion after the busy day, but Mike nods in understanding. Will frowns, sensing there’s something he’s missing. It’s always best to keep things light in these situations, so, noting Mike’s gentle touch on his back, Will wriggles away and pulls his hand from Mike’s hair—
“No, no, what are you doing?” Mike complains sleepily, reaching for Will’s arm again.
Laughing at what he’d expected, Will fumbles around for his flashlight. “You don’t want to go back to your tent?” he says, voice rising in feigned surprise.
Mike nudges forward, grabbing at what material of Will’s hoodie he can reach and trying to drag him back. “No,” he mumbles sleepily, and Will cannot resist goddamn it—flopping his arm back over Mike’s torso, still clutching the flashlight.
“No?” he asks softly, a smile tugging at his cheeks.
Mike shakes his head, rubbing his cheek against the top of Will’s hair. Will buries his face deeper into the cozy space of Mike’s chest. “Mm, you’re just so…nice.”
Will snorts. “Nice? That’s all I get, hm?” he teases, trying to sound casual, but hell, he can feel his face and body clenching with the joy that this brings him. Nothing could be nicer than dating Mike Wheeler, he thinks.
“Stop,” Mike chuckles, then places a much-needed kiss on the top of Will’s head. His voice is hoarse now too. They both take a simultaneous deep breath, calming themselves and preparing for sleep. Will opens one eye, catching sight of Mike’s eyes already closed, making his heart squeeze with affection. Grinning, Will clicks the flashlight off.
In the dark, Mike twitches, and his hand reaches for Will’s, scrambling a little. “Y-you’re keeping it off?”
“Yeah?” Will murmurs, wishing Mike would just sleep so they could return to basking in each other’s warmth.
Mike buries his face into Will’s shoulder, which is lovely, but it’s paired with a low grumble. “Turn it back on,” he mumbles, his voice a little whiny. Will lets out a snort, remembering what Mike had said earlier about it keeping him awake.
“Why?” It’s Will’s turn to whine now, quickly tucking the flashlight out of Mike’s reach so he can’t turn it back on himself. For a second, he thinks this is Mike being concerned about him again —he knows about Will’s long-standing fear of the dark, but that was a long time ago. Surely Mike doesn’t still think Will gets scared of shapes he can now fully rationalise?
Mike suddenly relinquishes his head from Will’s shoulder and resorts to rubbing his nose across Will’s cheek, sending little sparks of electricity through him. Will holds back a laugh, already knowing exactly what he’s doing.
“Will,” Mike drawls, “I wanna see your face.”
“God,” Will whispers, wishing he weren’t so weak for this shit Mike pulls on him, more often than he’d predicted. Honestly, this can’t be the full truth—no matter how much Will loves the sentiment. “We’re about to go to sleep, Mike. Okay? Just fall asleep,” he says, his voice descending into a whisper as he brushes his fingers against Mike’s temple.
Mike breathes out a long sigh, his tense muscles relaxing slowly. “Fine.”
Will smiles and places a grateful kiss on Mike’s nose before settling back into their complicated position. The feeling of Mike wrapped around him, their chests and legs pressed together, pulls Will deeper into sleep, and soon his thoughts blur into incoherence. But the tranquillity is short-lived when an indistinguishable noise from outside their tent breaks the silence. Will’s too tired to make sense of it.
Mike, however, seems to jump out of his skin, and Will feels himself being shaken awake. He groans sleepily and blinks open his eyes as Mike whispers, “Did you not just hear that? What the fuck was that?”
Just about managing to make out Mike turning his head in the dark, Will scoffs and tries to pull him back down. “Doesn’t matter—”
“Right, give me the light,” Mike says a little too loudly, his hands starting to feel around relentlessly. Will tries to fight it, but his body’s too slow, squinting and grumbling at the light when Mike finally finds the flashlight and flicks it on. Now that he can see Mike’s face, Will spots the divot between his boyfriend’s eyebrows, the one that only appears when he’s worried.
Will forces himself to wake up a bit more. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
For a moment, Mike just sits there, eyes trained on the tent door in silence. Waiting patiently, Will reaches out to place a hand on his arm, before Mike finally snaps back to himself and quickly shakes his head. He lies back down slowly, blowing out a sigh.
“Nothing, it—it’s fine,” Mike replies stiffly, making Will frown in confusion and frustration. He knew it would take some time for Mike to get used to expressing his feelings, but how long was it going to take?
Mike continues, settling back into the same position as before, though his muscles are noticeably tenser. “Let's just leave the light on.”
Suppressing an eye roll, Will leans on his elbow, staring down at a fidgety Mike. “Okay, this is getting weird,” he says, watching as Mike continues to avert his gaze. “Something’s obviously bothering you.”
Mike puts on a clueless expression. “I just want the light on.”
“Mike,” Will tilts his head and lowers his voice, his eyes never leaving Mike’s face. “You literally said earlier that my light was keeping you awake.”
Mike’s eyes stare ahead as if sifting through his memories. Will can tell he’s got him stuck. He doesn’t like doing this; it feels too much like the old arguments they used to have, when things weren’t as smooth between them. Will knows it’s mainly Mike’s nerves and his tendency to bottle things up, but there’s a small part of him that knows it’s also his fault. He’s pried and pushed for Mike’s feelings, and now, after all the danger has subsided, it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. It’s not wrong to ask Mike for clarity, but it feels wrong to do it in such a pressuring way.
Softening his gaze, Will lies back down and traces his eyes over Mike’s face. He watches his eyebrows twitch in anxiety, the tension hidden beneath the surface.
“Hey,” he begins gently, leaning in to press his lips to the side of Mike’s face. “What did we say about secrets?”
Mike clearly registers this, cogs whirring in his mind as Will leans back. “What…” He mumbles, looking down and sniffing. For a moment, Will wonders if he’s touched a nerve, but he knows that as long as he stays caring, there’s nothing to worry about. He shifts, placing his palm on Mike’s arm, slowly rubbing his thumb.
“Remember? We said no more of ‘em,” Will mutters sleepily, willing himself to keep awake for his boyfriend’s sake.
Vulnerability flickers behind Mike’s eyes for a split second, something raw. He swallows hard, his hand fiddling with the edge of Will’s sleeping bag. “It’s not a big deal,” he mumbles, but Will hears the crack in his voice, the way it betrays him. Who is he trying to fool here? With his gaze bouncing around like that?
Will watches him closely, his heart sinking a little with the knowledge that whatever Mike’s not saying, it can’t be ignored without creating a weird, uncomfortable tension between them. He takes a deep breath.
“Mike…” Will’s voice is almost a whisper, coaxing him without pushing too hard. “We said we would tell each other things now.”
Mike gives a small, defeated nod. “Yeah…yeah, I know.”
Despite the frustration bubbling in his stomach, Will knows that he’s on the cusp of something, and for some reason, he has no reason to be mad. This isn’t like before, this isn’t like those times he barely has to think about anymore. Will feels that tug in his chest, his heart trying to reach out toward the person he loves the most. And for once, he knows he can do something about it.
Tilting Mike’s face up with his hand, Will gives him a sympathetic smile before leaning in and connecting their lips. It’s a small act, but hopefully, it sends the intended message: they’re in this together. Mike doesn’t have to force himself to be alone anymore. He doesn’t have to pretend he’s fine, there’s no need for that.
When Will pulls away, Mike’s face leans to chase the kiss, but Will whispers, “I get it. You don’t have to tell me everything right this second, but… don’t you think you should let me in a little?” He gives him a gentle nudge, and the corner of Mike’s mouth curls up in begrudging acknowledgement.
Mike’s fingers twitch at his side, then grapple softly onto Will’s sleeping bag, almost like he wishes they both be wrapped up in it together. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise. The weight of Will’s words hangs in the air as Mike’s face slowly breaks out into a sad little grin, succumbing to what he’s heard.
“It’s just… so dumb, but—” Will shakes his head fervently. “I feel safer like this. And…” He sniffs. Honestly, Will feels like crying—curse his heart, always so sensitive when it comes to Mike.
“Earlier, when I came in here—yeah, part of it was because I was worried about you but…” Mike looks down, licking his lips. “I just don’t wanna sleep on my own out here,” he whispers, making Will’s heart clench with affection. Before he can act on the overwhelming urge to kiss Mike’s face all over in comfort, his boyfriend looks up with that kicked-puppy expression, eyes slightly reflective.
“Guess I’m still not over things, y’know?” He exhales a small laugh.
Will chews on his lip in case he straight up starts sobbing—actually being with Mike only makes it harder to hold back his emotions, apparently.
“Aw, Mike,” he breathes out before pushing slightly on the back of Mike’s head, a silent request. Instantly, Mike gets the message and shuffles down, burying his face in the warmth and safety of Will’s chest, wrapping one leg around his, getting as close as he can.
His brave Mike. Well—maybe he shouldn’t always have to be the brave one.
Mindlessly, Will listens to the soft sound of pleasure Mike makes and begins stroking his fingers over his face, not caring to consider where they wander, brushing against his eyelashes. “I know,” Will finally whispers, feeling Mike nod against him. “I know. I gotta admit, I may have underestimated how creepy it is out here.”
Mike snorts softly. “Told you guys it would be.”
He loves being right. Oh well, Will’s gonna let him be right this time, maybe all the time, forever.
He definitely shouldn’t tell him that.
“Well,” Will begins, lowering his voice. “I’m not gonna have you feeling afraid. We can keep the light on if you want?”
For a second, Mike considers it. But Will knows it’s not about whether to keep the light on, it’s whether to let himself be vulnerable. And luckily, Mike nods into Will’s chest again. With a small “okay”, Will places the flashlight far away from their bodies so they don’t accidentally roll onto it in the night, then gets comfy, wrapped tightly in Mike’s embrace.
Their breathing evens out, but before Will can finally succumb to the deep slumber he’s been craving, he hears a small, muffled voice vibrating against his chest. At first, he doesn’t bother replying, barely registering it in his daze. But when Mike shifts his head, Will quietly whines at the loss of contact.
It’s soon made up for though., “Sorry, um,” Mike whispers, his face slowly coming into vision as Will blinks open his eyes. “Can you kiss me again? That was so nice.”
Feeling himself flushing red, Will’s mouth curls into a grin, and since Mike’s already kind of leaning in with his own stupid smile, he decides against teasing him about it. He just lets it happen. He’s denied himself this warmth, this bliss, this gratification for so long, too long . So it always feels electric when they acknowledge they’re about to kiss, or even touch, rather than just doing it without a word.
And yeah, sure Mom —this might be their ‘honeymoon phase’. But Will doesn’t think about that at all. He smiles against Mike’s lips, the world outside forgotten. For once, he doesn’t need to question anything.