Chapter Text
(also guys i forget to mention will is wearing a bandana around his neck, he pulled it down when mike started to turn around)
“Will..?” Mike repeated, tears welling up in his eyes.
Will’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief. He clutched the rifle tighter, like a lifeline.
He started to back up, picking up pace until he almost tripped over a vine.
Mike’s legs couldn’t move, but he could manage another choked sob. “Will? Come on, it’s m-me, Mike.”
“No.” Will was about to cry as well, his voice thick and raw.
Mike finally got his legs to work, instantly running over to his best friend, he was crying so hard he could barely breath.
“No- NO- DON’T TOUCH ME–” Will snapped suddenly, jerking away from Mike’s embrace. “You’re– You’re not real..” His voice trailed off, but he couldn’t stop sobbing.
“Will–” Mike’s heart dropped, but he tried again. “I’m-I’m real, I promise.”
“No- No no no, you’re not..” Will finally met Mike gaze, but not for long as his eyes started darting into the eerie forest surrounding them. “WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS, HENRY?!” He yelled into the empty, dark woodland.
“Will–” Mike tried to press, but his mind lingered on one thing.
Henry. Henry Creel..? Did Will know– Mike decided to not think about that right now.
Will was here. Alive.
“STOP– I don’t know who you are– or if you’re just an illusion but–” Will kept stepping back, suddenly hyper-aware of all his surroundings. “But–” He couldn’t get out more words.
“Will– WILL–” Mike started yelling, even with a lump in his throat.
Will was about to push Mike away again, but he grabbed the boy’s incredibly thin wrist midair.
“W-What..?” Will stammered, eye wide, still spilling tears.
“I– I’m real, okay?” Mike muttered, using his other hand to wipe Will’s tears away.
Will shook his head, mumbling “No.. No.. No you’re not..” through sobs, but actually let himself lean into Mike’s embrace.
Mike grabbed at the back of Will’s cloak, like he would never let him go again.
Many people thought Mike was quite thin, which he was, but Will compared to him was basically skin and bones, other than a small build of muscle from the years.
The two boys continued sobbing into each other, causing Will to drop his rifle.
“Mike…” Will whispered finally, burying his head in Mike’s shoulder.
Mike nodded softly, barely managing a mumble in response.
. . .
“W-W-What are– how did you f-f-find me..?” Will muttered after a few minutes of the embrace.
“I– I came with Hopper, th-the police chief, Nancy, and Jonathan.. We’re trying to find this ugly bastard–” Mike started, but then got cut off.
Will pulled away against Mike’s better judgement, but it was good to see him light up at his brother’s name. “Jonathan?? Wh-what about my mom?? Is she here too!?”
“No, no..” Mike hated to see Will’s energy die as quickly as it started. “She’s in the real world, safe, with Dustin and Lucas and El..”
“El?”
“She’s– I’ll explain later.. But-” Mike observed Will’s face again.
There was a large, pale scar stricken through Will’s right eye. The eye itself was a milky white, but still blinked and remained open, surprisingly.
The realization Will probably couldn’t see through it made Mike’s stomach drop.
“What happened to..?” Mike lifted a hand to Will’s cheek, his fingers lightly tracing the scar.
Will flinched slightly at the contact. “I.. Well, a lot has happened, I can’t tell which event that came from, you know?”
Mike knew he was lying. He could tell.
Not because he sounded guilty, because he didn’t. He seemed honest.
But because who forgets how they became half-blind?
But that didn’t matter right now, Will was safe.
R ght..?
i
Mike hugged Will again, tightly. “I-I’m never letting you go again..”
Will let out a sigh, lowering his voice. “Thank you..”
The two stayed like that for a long time.
(GAY)
. . .
When they finally pulled back for the second time, Will’s calmness quickly faded. “I– I– I need to see Jonathan.” He stated urgently.
“Okay– Okay..” Mike ran his hand through his hair, flustered.
“Where are they??”
“Uhh.. 1.8 or so miles away..?” Mike smiled lightly.
“K. Let’s go.” Will leaned over, grabbed his rifle, and started walking.
. . .
Mike and Will walked closing, shoulders bumping constantly.
“So..” Mike started. “How– How have you survived this long?”
Will visibly swallowed. “I mean.. I just got lucky, really. I found this cave that wasn’t near any military bases or anything, so I figured it was good for the time.” He looked down, fidgeting with his cloak. “The fleshy man couldn’t get me, so I guess it was just luck, too.”
“The fleshy man..?”
“Uh.. yeah, uhm..” Will pondered for his next words. “He’s like, 9 feet tall and his face opens with a bunch of teeth?”
“Oh, demogorgons.” Mike nodded, getting it now. “Heh.. we named them after the creatures in DND, kinda dumb, but it works.” He chuckled.
“What creatures..?” Will seemed confused.
“Demagorgans, from DND, You know? We played it right before you left, and Will the Wise was about to get fried by one..”
“I-I’m sorry.. I don’t know what those are, Mike.." Will's voice trailed off.
Mike’s heart dropped. How could will NOT remember? He loves DND.
He’s just been down here for a while. Yeah. He’ll adjust back. Right?
“W-Well..” Mike tried to cover up his panic. “W-what did you eat?”
“Well, I mostly found rations from the military bases, but if I couldn’t..” Will paused, carefully choosing his next words. “I would kill and cut open these fleshy dog things that looky like those.. demogorgons?.. It didn’t taste the best, but it was food, you know?”
“The demodogs..?” Mike’s breath hitched. “You ate them?”
“Demodogs..? Yeah, I guess so..” Will looked away, both of them unaware that not only was it revolting, but it also strengthened Will’s unidentified connection to Vecna, the hive, everything.
(damn wiw 😔 – guys idk what to put after ominous sentences like that so be prepared for unseriousness 😔😔)
“Damn.” Mike processed everything quite slowly.
To the point where they reached the edge of the forest, where there was a small clearing the group had agreed to meet up at.
Mike and Will paused, hearing the commotion.
Hopper was talking on the walkie, frustrated. “Yeah, he’s not back yet..”
Nancy was pacing nervously, biting a nail.
Jonathan was at her side, trying to reassure her.
Mike looked over to Will, whose eyes were fixed on his brother.
He whispered in Will’s ear, “Stay behind me, okay?”
Will nodded slightly, after hesitation.
Mike made his way into the clearing, keeping Will behind him but still at a close distance.
Everyone’s eyes turned to him, relief spreading over their faces.
Nancy rushed up to Mike, pulling him into a hug. “Oh my god Mike, you’re such an idiot.” She murmured into his jacket.
“I’m sorry.. I wasn’t paying attention..”
“Of course you weren’t you dumbass–” Nancy paused.
Mike felt his posture stiffen, and guessed she spotted Will.
She pulled away and gestured to behind her brother. “Who..?”
“Did you capture some soldier, kid? That was not the–” Hopper started, but then realized the boy was definitely not a soldier.
Mike muttered close to Will’s ear, “Would you like me to tell them or..?”
Will nodded, as if a ‘I got this’ to Mike, then stepped forward.
He slowly removed his hood, then his bandana.
Will observed the still confused faces on Nancy and Hopper, but then locked eyes with Jonathan.
Realization bloomed in his older brother’s eyes as Will slowly lifted his hand and waved a small wave to him.
“Hi, Jonathan.” Will smiled crookedly.
. . .
A hush went over the whole clearing.
Jonathan dropped his gun, not even blinking or flinching at the clatter it made against the upside down forest floor.
“Will..?” He whispered, but it was loud among the group.
Will nodded, starting to cry.
Jonathan rushed over to Will, pulling him into a tight, desperate hug. “Oh my god.. Oh my god.. You’re alive..”
“Mhm..” Will nodded into Jonathan’s shoulder, pulling his brother closer.
“I– I’m never letting you go again, you hear me?”
Will nodded, smiling at Mike. He’d said the same thing.
Mike smiled back, still standing with Nancy, whose hands cupped over her mouth.
. . .
“How are you alive?!”
“Is it really you?!”
“I thought you were dead– we all did!!”
“Uh.. It’s kinda hard to explain..” Will rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly overwhelmed.
Nancy was by Jonathan, shooting Will with questions as well.
The walkie crackled with many voices, confused why Hopper stopped responding.
Well, Hopper was also asking Will a lot of questions.
Everyone was amazed how Will had survived four years in the upside down, but compared to what was about to happen, it was nothing.
Will had no idea how big the reunion was going to be for him.
He thought everyone forgot about him. (my babyyy :C)
“I– Uh– Well–” Will stumbled over his words, then shot Mike a glance.
Mike instantly got it, then intervened .”Hey, so, we should go back to the squawk right?” He smiled, stepping in front of Will.
“Yeah, everyone will be so thrilled to see you!!” Nancy grinned.
Before they headed to the tunnels, Hopper grabbed the walkie. ‘We are heading back early. There’s something you need to see. Someone.” He corrected himself.
“A soldier?”
“Did you find Vecna?”
“Of course not, idiot.”
“What?! It’s possible.”
“He wouldn’t have said that if they found Vecna, dumbass.”
Hopper silenced the arguing over the walkie.
Mike and Will shared a glance before bursting into giggles.
. . .
They walked together through the tunnels, constantly bumping into each other.
It felt natural.
But something was off. Mike didn’t know what, but Will didn’t seem like himself.
He didn’t remember DND instantly, didn’t acknowledge Nancy, and forgot how he literally lost vision in one of his eyes?
“Hey, Will..?” Mike muttered, bumping their shoulders together.
“Yeah..?”
“You okay?”
“Uh-huh.” Will nods, like its the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean, as much as someone who was in an alternate dimension for 4 years can be, right?”
Mike tried to laugh along, but his worry didn’t go away.
Not even when they reached WSQK, by the time the sun was completely set.
Everyone was still there though, and through the window, you could see Lucas pacing, Steve and Dustin bickering, and Joyce sipping coffee.
Everything seemed normal.
But by the time The group walked in, the previous silence imploded.
Joyce rushed Jonathan and Hopper, Robin and Steve to Nancy, and Dustin and Lucas towards Mike.
They came rushing up towards him, throwing questions like,
“Dude, are you okay??”
“What happened?!”
“How’d you even get separated?”
The questions died off once they saw a mysterious, unidentified boy behind Mike.
“Hi guyss–” Will hummed, waving, trying to act cool. “Remember me..??”