Chapter Text
1996, New York City, Hell's Kitchen.
It had been years since Will and Jane had moved out of Hawkins. Will knew he wanted to study at NYU, just like his brother. So he followed in his footsteps and applied for college there. Unlike his brother, though, he was not able to finish his art degree. Life happened, and he had to drop out. Kas was right; they would end up in the city where the ley lines meet.
His sixth sense for the supernatural had made him aware of all the things that lived in the city. A new world, filled with witches, vampires, werewolves, and everything that hides in the shadows. The different species lived in harmony in that environment, but that didn't mean that there wasn't chaos brewing.
Jane followed his brother as well. She wasn't planning on going to college. She already had recommendations from her last job at Hawkins' Library and soon felt drawn to a small bookstore where she worked part-time for the first few years while Will was studying. It wasn't a coincidence; that's where she met Malcolm, a young man who soon revealed himself as a witch.
The twins had moved into a small apartment at first. While Will was focusing on his degree, Jane would learn from Malcolm all she needed to know about spells, potions, and her own powers. Will would learn too, with a focus on healing magic and more incantations connected to nature. He was no spell-caster like his sister, but their powers complemented each other when they needed them.
As the years passed, he gained more control in summoning the Demos whenever he needed them. A lot of things had changed inside of him; he would be faster, stronger, with an awareness of the world that surpassed his sixth sense. When he finally understood what it was, he decided never to tap into that. He was fine with only calling for the Demos and the healing magic.
Malcolm was their way into the world of shadows. There was an agreement to remain hidden from humans as much as possible. All creatures, as said, lived in harmony and had common places to meet. Pubs, Discos, and workplaces that were only for the supernatural and for whoever was aware of them, were scattered in the city.
Once they started to frequent those places, they realized why Destiny had put them there. Not all of the creatures respected the agreement. There was a need for someone who would keep them in check, and not only that, but someone who would help humans whenever the paths of these worlds met. They started small, helping a new werewolf through a full moon, exorcising a house that was haunted by ghosts, helping a witch who was framed for murder, freeing sirens from the control of a traffic ring.
Soon enough, they made a name for themselves in the New York Underworld. When they had enough money saved up, they rented a two-story building in Hell's Kitchen. The second floor was a two-room apartment that was not big by any means, but was comfortable enough for the two of them to live and have their privacy. The first floor served as a Magic Store, where they would sell things that didn't have that much power (or any) to the tourists and people who passed by. But to anyone who knew what the "Wonder Twins Tavern" really stood for, they would help whoever was in need. Selling their services, and enchanted products that actually work.
Will would usually be the one who worked there in the mornings. He had a vast knowledge acquired from Malcolm, and had learned how to control his sixth sense. He knew how to navigate that world. Jane was the one who would prepare the potions, check the obscure objects, and categorize which spells had to be locked up. Malcolm would help both of them part-time and whenever they needed someone to cover for them while they worked on the cases.
The mage and the witch still worked at the bookstore in the morning. Will would spend his afternoons painting and doing commission work to have an extra income for the store and apartment. Jonathan returned to Hawkins a little while before Will dropped out of college. They still kept in touch even when he or Joyce didn't visit the twins as much.
They haven't heard about Mike in a while. They knew that Lucas and Max had stayed in California and still kept in touch with them. She was working at a school as a therapy counselor for the kids, and he was working as a nurse. Dustin was traveling around the world with the work he got after graduating from MIT, and was harder to reach. They knew a little about Steve and Robin's lives in Indiana, but they would visit a few times a year.
Chance Lawson knew his entire life that he was different. It would come as little side glances from his peers when he would bring his mother's cooking for lunch. It would come as those same kids being rude to him whenever he was unable to express himself properly. English was a foreign language to him; he was able to understand it, but for a kid his age, it was difficult to speak.
When he was 14, after his mother left and his father remarried, they moved to Hawkins. He couldn't understand why his mother would leave like that in the night. When they arrived in Hawkins, he soon realized that it was one of the whitest towns in Indiana. His accent was no longer that noticeable, and his father's name gave him a position in the town that made it easy for him to fall in with the wrong crowd; everyone assumed he was just tanned, so he took advantage of that.
Very few selected people would notice how sometimes words in a language they didn't know would slip from him. His closer friends would notice how sometimes he would bring food they've never seen before, recipes he tried from his earliest memories with his mother, the last thing he had from her. He never revealed how much he loved studying, comic books, and Sci-Fi films. He never had the guts to join Hellfire, even though it was something that had always caught his attention.
And above all things, he would never reveal the way he felt about Will Byers, the boy who was brought back to life, zombie boy. He never thought he would see him again after the summer of '85. When he returned after the earthquake, he couldn't keep his eyes off him. It didn't help that something was going on with that friend group, all the jocks knew that. He would never touch a hair on Byers' head, but he wanted answers.
His friends were dying, and Henderson was parrying around with the killer's t-shirt. Which meant he usually found himself with his friends bullying the kid. After the fall of 87, it was like all the anger against them had lifted. He could think more clearly and stopped buying the theory that Eddie Munson was a satanic cult leader. He did not have the strength to kill that many people like that.
After that, it was like his crush on Will Byers grew exponentially. He couldn't be near him. He did apologize to Henderson; his actions no longer represented what he believed. He expected that to solve everything so he could be able to romance the artist.
Unfortunately, his crush remained the same, just a crush. And he had a lot going on either way.
His grades and basketball abilities left him with a lot of scholarships in the bag. He had no choice but to make his father proud, whatever that meant to the old man. When he graduated, he started law school to fulfill his father's wishes. But as he was graduating from college, he could no longer live in the lie he had built for himself.
Being away in a city like New York had made him more confident in himself. He started letting his hair grow out, changed his clothes, and he felt a freedom he had never felt before. His father did not like that, and him being honest about liking men as well was the last drop that made his father disinherit him.
Chance was happy, though. He had finally broken the last chain that kept him from being himself. He had just finished law school, but he would never work in that field, a way to say fuck you to his dad. He started working at a bar as a bartender. The money was bad, but the tips were like a second income. The benefit of working for New York's upper class.
Unfortunately for him, that place put him at the crossroads of a very bad, very powerful coven of witches. And with that, he would be put again in the path of someone he hadn't seen since high school. A distant memory of what it felt, like another life.
It was a late night in The Red Moon bar. The bar smelled like cigarettes and perfume. Chance was getting ready to start the closing. There was just one client left. A middle-aged woman with blonde hair, Miss Genevieve, regular at The Red Moon. He had served her the last cocktail of the night and was waiting for her to finally leave.
"Come on, Chance, I know it's late, but I would love another cocktail."
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you know it's closing time." He was cleaning the last cups and was getting tired of wearing the shirt and bow tie his bosses made him wear. His scalp was hurting a little after wearing his hair in a bun since he started his shift.
"Always so formal, you know you can call me Ginny," she said as her manicured finger danced around the cup.
It had become a habit, middle-aged married woman would come to the bar, big wallets from their cheating husbands ready to be spent, and would take advantage of the eye candy and some drinks. He didn't mind, not really; he knew he was attractive. He spent way too much time in the gym not to be. He would try to use it in his favor, flirt enough with the ladies so he could get better tips. But, at the end of the day, he still preferred the company of people who were still single.
"As a company policy, I really can't," He said as he leaned against the counter, flexing his arms a little for her to see. That was a straight-up lie, but he still needed the tip.
"You are no fun," She answered, smiling and finishing her drink so he could clean it.
She paid for her drink and left a huge tip. When she got up from her seat, she tried one more time.
"I know that the bar is closed, but I have a really nice collection in my minibar at home. Maybe you can show me a few drinks. You can even come up with something new just for me." As she was saying that, she playfully played with her necklace and started to lower her finger a little bit until it reached her open cleavage.
"Sorry, ma'am, but I have an early morning and can't really do much right now. Maybe another time," He tried to be polite, she was a regular, and he didn't want to lose his job.
"Well, don't say I didn't try to do this the easy way," she said as she was leaving. He heard it but didn't even pay any mind. She was probably really drunk.
When he arrived home, he was really tired. His apartment was a small studio where he didn't have room for anything except for the bed, the small couch, and the space between that and the kitchen. He didn't even have a table, so most of the time he would just eat quickly on the counter where he prepared the food.
He undid his bow tie and opened the first few buttons of his shirt. The hair band that was holding his long hair was already on his wrist when he left work. Chance opens his small refrigerator to grab a beer. He's enjoying the drink when suddenly his head starts hurting badly.
He drops the bottle as he tries to grab something, so he doesn't fall. The loud noise of the glass breaking didn't help the situation. His head is ringing, and a loud white noise fills his eardrums, making him feel like his head is going to explode. He tries to go to the bathroom so he can grab some medicine from the lower cabinet, each step being torture.
But before he could reach the cabinet, he saw himself in the bathroom mirror from a distance. His eyes are crying blood, and trails of blood fall from his nose as well. This is not normal. He steps back before entering the bathroom, tripping over something on the floor. The fall makes him try to grab something, so his arm hits a pillow from the couch nearby.
That movement makes something fall as well. When he looks at his side, he can see a little bag with a pentagram on its front. He has never owned something like that before; he doesn't know where that came from. Before he can think what the hell is that even doing in his apartment, he hears a voice.
"Burn it, burn it now!!!" He is too busy dying to care that he is probably imagining things. So he does it, he grabs the bag and the lighter from his back pocket, and sets the thing on fire.
When the bag starts burning, he hears a demonic scream before the white noise and the pain stop altogether. His ears still ring a little bit after it stops. He was scared, he didn't understand what had happened, but he knew one thing. Someone had been inside his apartment.
It was clear now, the way a few of his possessions were in places they weren't supposed to be. He lived in an organized chaos and knew when something was moved from where he put it in the first place. There was also the fact of the little bag that had come out of nowhere. When he looked inside it, there were pieces of what looked like charcoal bone, an almost burnt flower, and the bag smelled like burnt hair. He needed to go to the police.
The precinct near his home was a bust. He knew he sounded like a madman, but he was so sure someone had been inside his apartment.
"Please, I don't know what happened. I already told you, but I need help, someone, to see if the place has something else that could kill me."
"Sir, we have more important business to handle than a drunk trying to make a joke. If you keep this up, we are going to put you in jail for the rest of the day." The officer said.
He had been waiting for hours for them to take his statement. The sun was rising, and he's eyes had bags that showed the lack of sleep. He wasn't going to that apartment alone. Not until he had answers or felt safe.
"Fine," he said, the police were not going to be able to help him. They never helped people who looked like him.
Before he could make his way out, near the entrance, he felt a hand on his forearm, stopping him.
"Hi, I couldn't help but hear the conversation. They are not going to be able to help you." It was a young woman; there was something weird about the way she moved, eerie even.
"Yeah, I figured." He responded, trying not to sound too angry.
"There's someone who can, though. There is a shop in Hell's Kitchen, not too far from here. They are going to be able to tell you what's in that bag." She explained as she gave him a small business card. "They helped me a long time ago, and I just know they are going to be able to solve this. You just have to keep an open mind."
Before he could answer her, she left. When he looked at the card, it read "The Wonder Twins' Tavern," the address of the place in a smaller font under the name. He didn't know how that was supposed to help him. But at this point, he was going to consider anything. When he arrived at the place, he saw a two-story building, with the first floor painted in purple. There was a big window that displayed the things that you could purchase. Golden suns and silver moons decorated the building as well. When he opened the door, a small ring of a bell sounded in the place.
"Coming!" A man's voice said.
As he waited, he looked around the store. Crystals and letter books were scattered around the place. Small trinkets were on display. Everything looked like it came out of a storybook. The air felt different inside the shop, and a sense of peace flooded him. Maybe he had finally lost his mind. How was this supposed to help him when somebody broke into his home?
The man was giving his back to Chance, and he looked like he was organizing something.
"Hello, traveler. What is it going to be for today? A palm reading? A tea to control anxiety? Or maybe you are looking for something specif…" He turns around as he is saying it and stops abruptly.
Chance had definitely lost his mind.
Right in front of him was Will Byers. Once, the boy who had given him his bisexual awakening. Now the man from what looked like a magical knockoff store. He looked good. He looked really good. He was wearing a black sweater that hugged his body; it was so open in the neck that his clavicles were showing, covered by three necklaces that held crystals.
His hair was still a bowl cut, longer now, styled in a shaggy way that made Chance want to run his fingers through it. He could also see a small tattoo peeking that looked like a sun with a star inside of it. But he couldn't focus on that because Byers was wearing eyeliner, and that almost made Chance fall to his knees.
"What are you doing here?" Will asks, all semblance of customer service gone from his voice.
"Wow, aren't you full of sunshine this early in the morning?" The banter came naturally to him; it was like he didn't care anymore about what was going on. He was there for the ride.
"I'm sorry, but I really wasn't expecting you, of all people, to walk inside my shop at 9 am. Do you even want to buy something, or did you decide to just barge in to mess with me?" he said, crossing his arms.
And that was so unfair, the one interaction they had in High School was him accidentally hitting Byers with a volleyball. He had even apologized to Dustin.
"Well, I'm sorry, cause it feels like I'm losing my fucking mind. I almost died last night, somebody broke into my home without me noticing it, and now you're here in what looks like a fucking gift shop talking to me."
Will could hear the tiredness in the other man's voice. He was surprised to see him there. He looked so different from the boy from high school. Chance had longer hair now, and it suited him. He was dressed in an open white shirt that showed his chest a little, and it looked really toned. Will had to look at the jock's eyes really quickly.
"Okay… but why didn't you go to the police?"
"They wouldn't help me cause they thought I was crazy. And honestly? I would think it too if a voice in my head told me to burn a bag to make my eyes stop crying blood."
And that got Will's full attention.
"What do you mean you burnt a bag to make your eyes stop bleeding?"
"I found this hidden in my couch when I arrived at home, I'm not kidding you, Byers, my head felt like a bomb." He explains as he shows him the rest of the bag. He is surprised to see that Will is looking at the bag intently, like he knows something.
"Well, that actually makes a lot of sense."
"What? Why? You believe me?"
"Yes, but I don't think you're going to believe what I have to say."
"Spit it out, Byers, at this point, I'll believe in anything".
"Chance, you have been hexed."
Time stops. Right there, in The Wonder Twins Tavern, the paths finally crossed. Destiny had set in motion events that would change their lives forever.