Chapter Text
Mike
Mike was more nervous than usual, especially as he got out of the stolen trailer. Will was beside him with a shotgun in hand, while Lucas and Max, with fluorescent flashlights, stood in front. They entered the Creel mansion in silence. He, on the other hand, held a notepad to facilitate communication with the rest of his friends so that Vecna wouldn't hear anything about their plan.
Upon arriving in the Creel mansion's living room, the fluorescent lights began to shine more intensely. Vecna was there, lurking.
Mike then wrote on the paper, "Phase one?" Lucas nodded, and Mike handed him the notebook. Max came over to the three of them, placed the flashlight on the floor, and wrote in her own notepad:
"Good luck." Mike smiled at her, but Will approached Max and hugged her, surprising her as well as Lucas, who made a sound of surprise. After three seconds, Max hugged Will tightly. He whispered something in her ear, which made her squeeze him tighter and sniffle. Will put his hand on her hair when Max whispered something back.
Lucas and Mike exchanged a worried look, and then Max and Will separated from the hug with sad smiles. Will turned to Mike, who nodded. The time had come.
Will and Mike ran out of the Creel mansion to a rocket-shaped toy with power cables connecting to old light bulbs that Mike hoped were working to facilitate communication between the groups.
Mike entered the toy while Will remained standing in front of him with his head down, back with the black coat he was wearing when he fell from the Upside Down and holding the shotgun. It took a few seconds for the old light bulbs to start flickering. Mike crouched down to the level of the bulbs.
"Okay, can you copy me?" The bulb shone brightly, then Mike grabbed the flashlight and, using Morse code, informed Lucas that the Upside Down team had arrived. Lucas replied that he and Max were going to start phase two: "The lovebirds are ready, Max is heading to phase two, distract Vecna."
Mike then turned to Will, who was already staring at him. He got off the ride, stood beside him, and sat on the ground, silently inviting his boyfriend to do the same. Will did so, placing the rifle beside him and sitting next to Mike, snuggling his head on his shoulder.
They stayed there for a few minutes, enjoying the silence, until Mike decided to break it.
"What did you and Max talk about?" Mike asked softly. Will sighed; he was visibly tired. Mike was no different; he only managed to fall asleep when Will's breathing regulated, and that took a long time.
“I told her I was sure she could do it and that she should be braver than me," Will replied. Mike thought that was impossible, and it hurt to think that Will didn't consider himself brave. He faced the Upside Down alone from the age of twelve to fifteen; he should be decorated for it, honored, and receive a generous sum from the government for whatever the Upside Down is. "And she told me she was going to try and that I should take care of you," Will smiled at the last part, making Mike's heart fill with joy.
“So you’re going to take care of me, huh?” Mike asked, kissing Will’s temple.
“We take care of each other, I remember that.” ”
“It’s always been like this and it always will be,” Mike replied. Will turned to him with a small smile. Mike approached, and they met halfway, sharing a kiss. It started as a peck, until Mike opened his mouth and Will did the same. It was calm and familiar, sweet and gentle, just like Will, which made Mike want to continue the kiss, but it didn't last long. The tension and fear of what was happening around them were still there, causing them to separate and rest their foreheads together.
"Wow, we're good at this," Mike said, and Will laughed, burying his face in the crook of his neck.
"I didn't know you missed this so much," Will said, lifting his head.
"Wait, what? You mean you didn't miss my brave paladin personality and only my lips, Will Byers?" Mike asked playfully, making Will laugh. "Hey! Don't laugh at me, my lovely cleric," Will kissed Mike's cheek, silencing him.
“I missed everything.” Before Mike could answer, footsteps could be heard. When Mike and Will turned around, Andy, the most obnoxious kid on Lucas's basketball team after Jason, came running towards them. They both stood up.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Mike asked, stepping in front of Will. Then he saw Jason Craver running towards the Creel mansion. When Will saw the scene, he broke away from Mike and tried to go towards the mansion, but Andy stopped him, pushing him and throwing him to the ground. “Will!” Andy then went after Mike with a knife. Mike then noticed that Will's shotgun was still on the ground. He bent down to pick it up, but Andy was faster, grabbing Mike by the collar of his shirt.
“You're not getting away with this, Wheeler. You and your shitty cult aren't going to get away with this!"
"Cult? What the fuck are you talking about?" Mike yelled. "Let me go!"
"Let him go!" Will demanded, standing up. His voice was deeper than usual, making Mike swallow hard. Andy stared at Will for several long seconds.
“And who the hell are you?!” Andy asked, turning to Mike who had a hateful expression. “Ah, I understand now, this is your boyfriend Wheeler? I knew you were a faggot, but not that you’d reveal yourself now.”
“Go to hell, you son of a bitch!” Mike spat, trying to get away from Andy, who then put the knife to his neck.
“Let him go now!” Will demanded again. Mike began to struggle, trying to break free from Andy.
“I really didn’t want to hurt anyone today, Wheeler, but people like you don’t deserve to be in this world. I’ll do humanity and Jesus a favor by exterminating filthy faggots.” Mike felt the knife tighten against his throat and accepted the worst.
Until the gunshot was heard and Mike watched the knife fall from Andy's hand, his throat ripped open where his vocal cords should be, Mike's shirt soaked with a red liquid, and Andy's lifeless body fall in front of him.
Will was holding the revolver, his eyes were troubled, his hands trembling. Mike ran to him and exclaimed, "Will!" and placed his hand on his shoulders. As he got closer, Mike noticed Will's glazed eyes still fixed on Andy's body. "Will, my love, look at me." Will then looked at him.
“Mike?" Will asked softly, almost a whisper, as if unsure if he was real or not. Mike then took his hand and placed it over his heart.
"It's me, my wise, I'm here with you, you see?" Mike assured him, while Will stared intently at him.
“That always pushed him away, it always pushed him away," Will murmured.
"Will... I don't understand."
"He never bled before, why is he bleeding, Mike?!" Will shouted, looking at his own hands, throwing the revolver to the ground, and falling to his knees. Mike did the same, hugging him while Will continued to sob in his arms. "He... I saw him, I killed him..."
"Will, it wasn't your fault, you saved me, you saved me, my love," Mike assured him. "Who did you see? Tell me."
“Dad.” That was enough for Mike to squeeze Will tighter as he sobbed. “He always showed my dad saying those things.” Mike started making circles on Will’s back. “And him saying those things to you… I couldn’t allow it, Mike.”
“You saved me,” Mike said. “You were fucking awesome.” Then Mike turned toward the mansion. “Holy shit, Lucas.We have to go, we have to go inside.”
Will struggled to his feet and ran to his shotgun while Mike grabbed his revolver, and they headed towards the mansion. They ran to the attic and heard grunts. Upon reaching the door, Mike saw the worst imaginable scene: Lucas being strangled by Jason.
"Take him down" Will whispered, counting on his fingers from three. When the count ended, Mike quickly ran to Jason and tried to put him in a chokehold.
"Get off!" Jason yelled, managing to turn around, pushing Mike away and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
“No, you get off!” Will exclaimed, pointing the shotgun. Jason raised his hands imposingly.
Mike went to Lucas, who was lying on the ground. “Hey, are you okay?” Lucas groaned in pain but nodded.
“I heard a gunshot,” Lucas said with difficulty. “He attacked me after that.”
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Mike said, turning to Jason.
“Where’s Andy?!” Jason roared.
“Bleeding in the yard, do you want to be next?” Will threatened, surprising both Lucas and Mike.
“Max!” Lucas shouted, getting up with Mike’s help, going to his girlfriend, putting the headphones on her ears and turning on the song please let it not be too late. Mike then turned to Will, who had his hand on his neck.
“Will?” Mike asked, but before Will could answer, he fell into Mike’s arms, his eyes rolling back.
“Byers!” Lucas shouted. Jason started to get up, and Mike pointed the revolver at him.
“Stay on the ground!” Mike demanded while embracing Will's body, still pointing the gun at Jason. Will’s eyes were closed, and he was breathing heavily. Mike then heard a scream from Lucas. Max began to float, just like he had in the cemetery.
“Why isn’t it working?” Mike yelled at Lucas, who didn’t answer. Then he turned back to his boyfriend’s sleeping body.
“What the hell is going on?” Jason yelled. “You guys are crazy!”
“What’s happening? I’ll tell you, you almost killed my girlfriend, you maniac!” Lucas said, going over to Jason.
“Lucas, calm down,” Mike said, his voice trembling more than he wanted, while holding Will’s lifeless body.
“The thing that did this to Max is the same person that did it to Crissy, don’t you understand? I’m trying to avoid it!”
“I didn’t know…” Jason began, but before he could finish, Lucas punched him so hard he knocked him out. “Bastard!” Lucas then turned his attention to Max, who was still floating.
“Will, come back to me,” Mike whispered, then looked at Max’s floating body. “You two have to come back to us.”
Will
Will woke up in a place that smelled of blood. He looked around; the place was brightly lit and decorated, resembling a disco. A large poster read "Winter Ball 1984." He struggled to his feet and noticed a red light on the door of what appeared to be a gymnasium.
"Will?" a female voice said from behind him. When he turned around, girl number one was staring at him. "What... what's happening?"
“I... I don't know..." Will observed her worried expression as she looked around. "What's your name again?"
"I'm Jane," she said with a sad smile.
"Jane... do you know where we are?" Will asked. The girl looked around.
“It's from the winter ball, when I danced with Dustin and met..." Her eyes widened and she ran to the large door with the red light. "Max!" Will went to her and saw the worst possible scene: Max imposing against a beam full of blood-red vines, just like the sky behind the door. Henry was saying something to him and then turned her face towards the door.
"Max!" Jane shouted, trying to force the door open. Will joined her, even knowing he couldn't do much; his arms were so weak it hurt to lift the shotgun.
Max looked at the two of them and cried profusely, a song that Will didn't recognize played in the background, Henry and his deformed claw turned Max's face again and slowly touched her face until Max's eyes rolled back completely.
"No! No!" Jane screamed and then the door opened by itself while Jane screamed, she stretched out both hands and Will noticed a thin streak of blood running down her nose causing Henry to fly away from Max. "You won't kill her, I won't let you!" And before Will could do anything like run to Max and help her up or simply stand there, he was teleported back to the Creel mansion.
He woke up gasping for air, realized Mike was holding him, and wasted no time hugging him. Mike squeezed him tightly while Will's breathing regulated. "I'm here," Mike said, his voice choked with emotion. Will pulled away from the hug just enough to observe Mike's face; he was crying. Will then heard a louder sniffle.
He turned and saw Lucas embracing Max's body. Will then struggled to his feet, helped by Mike. "Lucas," Will whispered. Lucas lifted his head.
"You're awake," Lucas whispered, then turned to Mike. "Call for help quickly! I don't know how long she'll last," Lucas said, visibly desperate, and Mike nodded.
"I'll be right back, okay? I think I saw a payphone nearby."
"Go faster!" Will said, giving Mike a small push, motivating him to run for the door, leaving them alone. Will crouched down and observed Max's face; her eyes were closed and blood was coming out of them. Will then touched her arm and noticed that it was softer than usual. "What happened?"
"She started floating and her eyes started bleeding," Lucas sniffed. "Her arms broke, but she fell into my arms before her legs broke... She spoke to me... and then passed out." Lucas took a deep breath. Will placed his hand on Max's chest; her heart was beating weakly. "What did you see there?"
Will couldn't tell him what he saw, at least not now. Lucas was visibly shaken; saying he saw Henry sink his claws into Max's face would only make things worse. He opened his mouth to make an excuse, but then he felt a cold shiver coming from the back of his neck and instantly put his hand there. He then looked at the floor and then at the walls, and then noticed slight tremors.
“Will?” Lucas insisted.
“Lucas, we have to get out of here,” Will said, standing up with wide eyes. “Can you carry her?”
“Will? What’s going on?” Lucas asked, visibly confused.
“This place is going to collapse,” Will explained. “Can you carry her or not?” Lucas didn’t answer, only nodded and placed his hands, carefully putting one arm behind Max’s back and the other under her knees. He stood up, adjusting her weight in his arms. Will noticed from the grimace Lucas made that he was straining himself. “We have to run!”
Will then let Lucas go ahead while carrying Max. They descended the stairs quickly, and when they reached the second-to-last step, pieces of wood began to fall from the ceiling. "Oh shit!" Lucas yelled. Will then noticed Mike at the front door, who, seeing the despair in the other two's eyes, let them through.
As they exited the mansion, the place began to collapse. Will and Mike held hands as they watched it happen.
"It didn't work," Lucas whispered.
"An ambulance is on its way, but I don't know if it will arrive in time, or we can wait for Steve to return."
“"It'll take a while for Steve to come back, we don't know if it worked or if they managed to get out of the attic yet," Lucas replied. "And we don't even know if they managed to get in."
"So what do we do?" Mike asked. From his tone, Will could tell how nervous he seemed. Lucas stared at Mike and then looked at Will. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a large crack in the floor.
"What the hell is that?!" Mike exclaimed, pulling Will to stand behind him.
“Mike, we have to call them,” Lucas said. Mike and Will then ran to the rocket-shaped ride. This time, Will climbed onto the ride with Mike, making them both squeeze together. Mike understood why no one would want to stand next to the body of the guy he had just killed to protect his boyfriend.
“Is anyone listening?” No answer. “Code red, I repeat, code red.” The light remained off. “Damn it,” Mike complained.
“No answer, Lucas!” Will shouted, getting off the ride, followed by Mike.
“Then let’s walk,” said Lucas, already decided, walking with Max in his arms. Mike and Will exchanged a worried look.
“Lucas, this isn’t going to work. We can’t make it in time; it’s a very long walk and—”
“Mike, I don’t give a damn. I need to at least try to have the slightest chance of saving Max.”
“I know, I'm sorry, you know I understand you." Lucas simply nodded, and they continued walking briskly and silently towards the city.
Suddenly, a car sped into their field of vision. Will saw the moment Mike's eyes widened as the car stopped a few meters away from them and a blonde woman got out.
"Michael!" the woman shouted. Will instantly went behind Mike. "What's happening?"
Mike
Mike had many expectations that night, he even expected Vecna to appear in person before him or something to catch fire. But his mother appearing, driving at high speed, surprised him; in fact, Mike thinks he's never seen her drive in his life.
"Mom, get in the car!" Mike shouted, grabbing Will's hand and pulling him to where his mother was. Lucas followed right behind with Max in his arms.
Mike opened the door and Lucas, with Will's help, gently placed Max in the back seat.
“What happened to her?" Karen asked. Mike didn't answer; he waited for Will and Lucas to get into the back seat and finally got into the passenger seat.
"Mom, speed up! We need to get Max to the hospital!" Mike shouted. His mother looked at him and started the engine, turning the car around and heading towards the hospital. Mike leaned back in his seat and sighed.
"Michael, where the hell did you guys go?" Mike continued without answering while looking at Will in the car's rearview mirror, who was looking worriedly at Max while checking her pulse. "And who is this?" Karen asked, pointing at Will.
Mike turned around, facing Lucas as if to say, “How the hell are we going to explain this?” Lucas just shrugged, and Mike rolled his eyes.
“Mom, it’s a long story, a very long one.” Karen looked like she was going to insist, but she gave up, took one last look at Will, and refocused on the road. “But we have to hurry, please. I don’t know how much longer Max can take.”
(...)
Even with the apparent chaos in the city, they managed to get to the hospital quickly because Karen Wheeler ran countless red lights, and Mike can be sure she swerved around so many cracks in the road that the car must have been completely scratched.
Max was quickly attended to when the doctors noticed her bleeding eyes and broken arms. When they took Max from Lucas's arms and placed her on the stretcher, he practically collapsed into the reception chair and began to cry. Will tried to comfort him by making circles on his friend's back while Mike paced around the reception area and Karen signed the papers to confirm Max's admission to the hospital.
"Michael, come here," Karen said, drawing his attention.
"Damn it," Mike muttered.
“Michael, language!” Karen scolded as Mike approached. “Now explain everything to me, what the hell happened to Max and who is that boy? And where is your sister?”
Mike stared at his mother, he didn’t know what to say, in fact he was very stunned and any lie that came out of his mouth would be the most ridiculous thing on the face of the earth, he couldn’t tell the truth, how would he explain?
“Hey mom, that’s Will. He’s not dead, he was alive the whole time trapped in another dimension, and I couldn’t forget to tell you that there’s an evil monster that almost killed Max and may be keeping Nancy trapped in the other dimension right now, and most importantly, dad was right, I’m very gay!”
“Mom, I..." Then the unmistakable interference noise of the walkie-talkie could be heard, saved by the gong "I'll be right back." Despite Karen's protests, Mike went to Lucas and Will and sat down next to his boyfriend.
"Is anyone listening? Over?" It was Jonathan's voice, thank God.
“Paladin listening. Over."
"Mike, thank God," Jonathan replied, relieved. "Where are you guys?"
"Have you already gone back up?"
"We just went up."
“We’re at the hospital, he almost hit Max.” There was a pause on the other end of the line, then a breath that Mike interpreted as relief.
“We’re on our way there, Dustin got hurt.”
“Is he okay?”
“Physically, yes.” Lucas and Mike exchanged a worried look. “And you? Are you okay?”
“Same answer”
“Okay, we’re on our way, over and out”
After Jonathan hung up, it wasn’t long before the Upside Down team arrived. Dustin had twisted his ankle; he was walking with difficulty, supported by Steve and Jonathan who placed him in a chair next to Lucas.
Jonathan and Nancy went over to Karen, who was leaning against a pillar away from the boys.
“Where’s Max?!” Jane asked directly to Will, which Mike found strange. Since when had they become friends? No, that wasn’t it, she was blaming him?! “Answer me!” Jane insisted. Mike noticed Will shrink back; Mike was so angry he was about to start an argument with her right then and there if Will didn’t speak up.
“She’s being treated now,” Lucas replied. “Now please, can you all calm down? I’m already freaking out here.”
“Keep calm?" Dustin scoffed. "Are you listening to yourself, Lucas? It's impossible to stay calm, nobody here can stay calm!" Then Steve and Robin appeared.
Mike noticed how dirty they both were; Robin had a scratch on her chin, as did Steve's arms.
"Dustin, they don't know anything," Steve interjected, looking exhausted. Well, everyone was. "Take it easy."
“Take it easy?"
"Yes, damn it, you need to take it easy," Steve reprimanded. "Have you even thought about Lucas's side of things? He has nothing to do with what happened."
"Steve, what the hell are you two talking about?" Mike asked abruptly. Steve sighed.
“Mike, you need to be strong.” There was a pause. “Eddie died.”
Mike opened his mouth but no sound came out. Lucas sighed loudly beside him, Will squeezed his hand, and Dustin began to cry, being comforted by Eleven afterward.
“How?” Lucas asked softly. Mike didn’t want to know how; he didn’t want to be there.
“It was the bats,” Robin said, her voice choked with emotion. “We should have been there… we should have.” Then she put her hand to her mouth and hugged Steve, beginning to cry on his shoulder.
“Mike…” Will began, but Mike paid no attention. He simply stood up and headed towards the bathroom. He entered the first stall, and tears began to stream uncontrollably down his face. His stomach suddenly churned, as if something was being squeezed from the inside. A bitter taste rose in his throat, forcing him to close his mouth tightly while bringing a hand to his lips.
Mike remembered the first time he met Eddie. He had tried to convince Mike to join Hellfire, without success, but Eddie was good company. He let him sit at the table with the club, always talked to him, and tried to understand what he was feeling, unlike most people.
Eddie was a very good person who had dreams, who didn't deserve to be involved in this mess.
Mike's breathing became short and irregular, and a shiver ran through his entire body. He swallowed hard, trying to suppress the nausea, but the effort only made his abdomen contract even more. He then crouched down in the bathroom and vomited.
Mike then sat on the stall floor, chose his knees and rested his head on them, trying to hold back the tears.
"Mike?" Will's voice was heard. He looked down and saw Will's boots in front of the stall. "It's me, it's your Will, can I come in?"
“Yes,” Mike said softly, but Will managed to hear him. He opened the door and sat down opposite Mike. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone there.” Will looked at him incredulously, but then his expression softened.
“Mike, please don’t think about me right now. You just lost someone important, both to you and to everyone else.”
“Can we talk about something else, please?”
“Of course, my love, what do you want to talk about?”
“My love?” Mike asked with a silly smile.
“You call me that all the time,” Will said, shrugging. “I want a nickname for you too, Mike.”
“Well, that’s my nickname for you, come up with your own for me.”
Will scoffed. “You’re impossible. I’m trying to be a good boyfriend, you know?”
“Even if you called me Chewbacca, you’d still be a good boyfriend.”
“What’s a Chewbacca?”
“The good thing about you not remembering things yet is I can show you the greatest cinematic work ever made again.”
Will smiled at him, and Mike's heart sank as reality returned to his head. "Come here," Will said, seeming to understand what he was thinking. Mike crawled over to Will, snuggling between his legs and resting his head on his chest.
"When we were kids it was more comfortable," Mike said, amused, and Will rested his chin on Mike's head.
"Because we weren't in a smelly bathroom?" Mike chuckled.
"No, my Wise, because we were almost the same size. Now I'm much taller than you."
“Don’t exaggerate, Mike,” Will complained. Mike then decided to turn around, facing Will, and his boyfriend showered him with kisses all over his face, making Mike laugh.
God, Mike loved him, loved him so much that sometimes when he looked at Will, when he saw that he had managed to win him back, Mike’s heart ached with happiness.
“I love you,” Mike said, and Will’s eyes welled up with tears. “Thank you for distracting me.”
“I love you too, and I told you, didn’t I? We protected each other,” Will said, his voice a little choked with emotion. “Thank you for still loving me after what I did.”
Mike looked at Will incredulously. He felt like laughing; he would never stop loving Will, not even if Vecna brainwashed him or if he were reborn.
Will killed someone to protect him, someone who would have killed them both if he hadn’t done anything. Just the thought of someone wanting to take him away from Will deeply irritated him.
“Will, even if you killed my father, I would still love you.”
“Don’t say things like that,” Will said seriously.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Mike apologized with a kiss on the cheek that made Will smile. “Let’s get out of here,” he stood up and extended his hand to his boyfriend, helping him up.
They left the bathroom in silence, hand in hand, and went to the reception. Lucas was still in the same place, Robin and Steve were sitting in the middle, while Dustin and Eleven were sitting in the last chairs away from everyone, and there was no sign of Jonathan or Nancy.
“Oh, dear,” Karen said calmly, going to her son. “Nancy told me, I’m so sorry.” ”
“Thank you, Mom,” Mike replied softly, looking at his own feet while squeezing Will’s hand tighter.
“So it’s true? It’s you, Will?” Mike then looked up and realized his mother was crying. Will nodded, and Karen placed her hand on his face in a loving gesture.
“Did Nancy tell you this too, Mom?”
“Yes, she told me what that bastard Loonie did. I’m so sorry, Will, to be separated from Joyce like this. I’m so glad she found you in California.” Mike and Will exchanged glances, raising eyebrows. “You look different, my dear, more handsome, aren’t you, Mike?”
“Yes!” Mike said bluntly, and Karen smiled. “I’ll leave you two alone.”
“Mom, are you going home?”
“Yes, dear.”
“Can we come along? Can Will sleep over?”
“Of course, Will is always welcome,” Karen said, ruffling Mike’s hair. “Say goodbye to your friends, I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
When Karen left, Will pulled Mike over to Lucas, who was sitting silently. As they stood in front of him, Mike cleared his throat.
“We’re going to my house, okay? I just can’t stay here, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, man,” Lucas replied understandingly. “But are you coming tomorrow?”
“Of course, both of us,” Will answered for him. “Can you tell John?” Lucas just nodded, then Mike and Will walked out of the hospital.
“Is everything alright? I know you don’t want to talk about what’s happening right now, but—”
“I just want to go to bed, lie down next to you, and try to sleep,” Mike admitted. “And then we can talk in the morning, okay, babe?”
“Babe… another new nickname,” Will commented amusedly. Mike chuckled.
“The competition is fierce,” Mike said, giving Will a light nudge on the shoulder as they walked. “Actually, I’m winning three to zero.”
“Stop it,” Will replied in kind.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Karen was standing in front of the car with a worried expression. When she spotted the two of them, she smiled and got into the car.
The drive was silent except for the music playing on the radio. Karen seemed bothered by the unmistakable rock beat of KISS, but Mike asked her to stay on that station.
As they drove through the completely destroyed city, Mike hummed the opening melody in Will's ear, who only giggled. That song was special; Will couldn't remember, but he could.
Mike remembered when they were kids and they put on the cassette tape Jonathan had given Will. They danced together awkwardly but had fun like kids should. Mike remembered changing the lyrics, changing "girl" to "boy," so he decided to do the same, humming the song in Will's ear, making a terrible imitation of the KISS vocalist's voice.
"Cause, boy, I was made for you, And, boy, you were made for me," Mike sang, squeezing Will's hand, who looked at him intensely. Mike could live in those hazel eyes, in that gentle gaze that only Will had and that he missed so much.
“I remember that,” he whispered, resting his head on Mike’s shoulder, who kissed the top of his head contentedly and looked ahead.
Karen watched them both with a smile and teary eyes. Mike hadn’t seen that in a long time; most of the time when he was with his mother, Karen always seemed very tired or very worried, especially about him.
Mike knew she suffered along with him when Will disappeared. There was a time when Mike didn’t eat and just stayed holed up in the basement. Once, he went upstairs to get a glass of water because his throat was begging for it, and he came face to face with his mother crying.
He asked what was happening, Karen just hugged him and said she missed him. Mike understood everything and blamed himself for it, but the pain was too great to do or think about anything else.
“It’s going to take a while to get there, the city is a mess,” Karen said, looking out the window. “I think you should have stayed at the hospital.”
“It’s okay, Mom, we’ll wait,” Mike replied calmly. Karen turned and looked at the two of them. Will lifted his head from Mike’s shoulder and looked at the older woman, who had tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, darlings, it’s just that I’m so happy that you two are still the same.”
“I’m very happy too,” Will affirmed, squeezing Mike’s hand, who was smiling broadly.
Then the line of cars started moving and Karen turned back to the road, wiping her eyes. Mike didn't notice but did the same, tears of joy. He thinks he's never cried tears of happiness in his entire life. Will Byers was there, hugging him in the back seat of his mother's car, her getting emotional over their supposed friendship.
In truth, Mike was almost certain his mother knew, just like Nancy. He didn't make much of an effort to hide it, and now with Will in his arms, he would do it even less.