Chapter Text
He knocks softly on the door before letting himself in. Holly is sitting at her desk focused intently on her book. She’s rereading A Wrinkle In Time so she can give Max a full and accurate summary because apparently, Max still abstains from reading anything.
“Time for bed,” He says as he pads over to where Holly is sitting. When she doesn’t say anything in response or make any move to put down her book, Mike taps her on the shoulder.
“Five more minutes?” Holly looks up and asks, wearing her own pair of puppy dog eyes. Mike would be tempted to allow her more time, but Nancy had already scolded him once for folding and giving into Holly’s pleas.
“Do you really think Nancy would let me live if I extend your bedtime any later?” He asks. Holly shakes her head and giggles at the thought of Mike getting in trouble with their older sister.
She hops into bed and begins to tuck herself in as Mike closes her book and sets it down on her dresser. He crosses to her bed and crouches down to be at eye level with Holly as she lays down. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” He asks, worry coming through in his voice. “You know you can come sleep with me and Will.”
“I know,” Holly says. “But I need to prove to myself that I can do this. I need to be Holly the Heroic.” And Mike thinks she must be inheriting some of the Wheeler family stubbornness. But he just nods and kisses her hair before he stands up and walks to her door.
He flicks off the lights and begins to close the door. “Goodnight, Hols. I love you.” He hears a muffled response from his sister, but he knows she’s probably already half asleep. He closes her door and walks down the hallway towards his own room.
Will is laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He’s been quiet since he and El ended everything, and Mike has been too preoccupied taking care of Holly while their parents are still at the hospital to say anything. But tonight he’s going to.
He takes a seat next to Will against the wall, lifting up his feet and putting them back down to rest on his lap. He lightly runs his thumb across the skin above his sock and listens as Will lets out a small giggle. “Mike,” Will says through his laughter. “You know I’m ticklish there!”
“Do I?” Mike responds, cocking his head and playing dumb. Will sits up and pulls his feet away from Mike’s hands. Mike mourns the absence of Will for only a moment before Will scoots over to crawl into Mike’s lap.
They’re in a bit of an awkward position, with Mike half slumped over against his bedroom wall, half sitting up. And Will’s not helping much by laying on Mike. But Mike can’t find it in himself to complain. Not about how his arm in the cast is positioned in a quite uncomfortable way. Or how Will’s hair is tickling his nose, making him want to sneeze. Because where else in the world would he want to be other than here?
“Did Holly go down all right?” Will asks, looking up at him.
“About as well as she usually does.” He explains, trusting that Will understands what he’s saying.
“So with many objections.” Mike nods in response, his hand reaching up to brush a bit of hair from Will’s forehead.
They fall into silence. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s not a happy silence either. Will is getting lost in a spiral and Mike knows how bad those can be.
“Is– Is everything alright?” He asks Will softly.
“Yes and no.” Will replies, he has a bittersweet smile on his face that makes Mike’s heart break. “I’m happy it’s over, but there’s something he said to me that I just can’t stop thinking about.” There’s no doubt in Mike’s mind who the ‘He’ Will is referring to, but he wishes there was.
“He was talking about how El created Dimension X,” they had begun calling it that in order to distinguish it from the Upside Down. “And he said something about how he wishes he could have created the Upside Down, but he didn’t. I did.” He says the last part slowly, looking up at Mike with a terrified look in his eyes.
“What?” Is all Mike can manage.
“He said that when he took me, he planned to take me to X, but somehow, I created the Upside Down in order to get away from him.” Will says this like he’s ashamed. Like he’s scared of the words falling out of his mouth.
“And, I guess, destroying the Upside Down felt like destroying a part of me. I mean, I hated that place, and knowing I made it, knowing I’m the reason for all of this? It feels awful.”
“It’s not awful.” Mike says. “It’s what kept you alive.”
“I know,” Will responds, but he doesn’t seem very convinced. “I know, but it still sucks.”
“I’m sorry.” Mike offers, but he knows it doesn’t give much consolation.
“You don’t need to be sorry. You’re the one thing I can find comfort in these days.” Will confesses.
“It’ll get better,” Mike’s voice is firm and gentle, somehow at the same time. “I promise you. It will.”
Will smiles at him and lets out a sigh. “I hope you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.” He says, which draws a laugh out of Will. Mike hopes that he has the fortune to be graced by that sound for the rest of his life. “I’m always right.” He declares.
Will hums in agreement, letting his head fall to rest on Mike’s chest. His breathing has become increasingly slower and Mike lets out a laugh as he realizes what’s happening. “You know,” he starts. “If we fall asleep like this, we’re going to wake up sore as hell.”
Will just grunts before he pushes himself up so he can turn over and flop back down on Mike’s pillow. Mike gets up and begins to change into his sleep clothes, since he has some common sense and doesn’t want to sleep in his jeans.
When he finally climbs into bed, Will immediately clings onto him. Mike just hums, content to let Will hold onto him.
“I love you.” He hears Will say into his chest. It’s a bit muffled and it’s laced with exhaustion, but it’s perfect. Mike thinks about how he gets to spend the rest of his life loving the boy who’s clutching onto his shirt right now, and he smiles.
“I love you too.”
And that may be the one thing Mike knows will always be true. Everything will end, and everything will change. But Mike Wheeler will always and forever love Will Byers.
He falls asleep with that thought on his mind.