Chapter Text
“Oh, hello Mike!” Dustin’s mom said fondly as she opened the door. “It’s so nice to see you! I feel like it’s been forever since you’ve been over. How have you been?”
She reached forward for a hug and Mike jerked backwards to avoid it, internally cursing himself when she frowned and stepped away to let him in. He would normally be willing to accept a hug, but his shirt pocket contained a very valuable package, and he’d rather not risk it.
“Is Will coming by?” she asked, blatant favoritism showing. Not that it was any surprise. Mike was pretty sure all of their parents liked Will better than the rest of them. “The others are all in the garage with Dustin already.”
“He’s busy this morning,” Mike lied smoothly. “But he’s supposed to be stopping by later.”
“Alright,” she said, thankfully not seeming too offended by Mike’s avoidance. “You kids have fun. I won’t be too much of a bother.”
He gave her a nod as he made his way to the garage, where Dustin was on his knees digging through the guts of his machine. Max had dragged the fan from his room in, and she and El were sitting in front of it, legs entangled as they read a Wonder Woman comic. A perfect idea, given how suffocatingly hot it was in the garage. Next to them sat a bag of at least ten apples. Apparently they were horses, because Mike couldn’t imagine any other reason they would need so many.
Lucas was sitting next to Dustin, hands full of the bits and bobs of screws and wires that Dustin must have given him as he worked.
“Hey,” Mike said, shutting the garage door and coming over to sit by Dustin and Lucas. He did not want to be in firing range, regardless if it was in the process of being dissected.
“Hi Mike,” El said. “And Will, I assume.”
“There’s no chance of this thing turning on and blasting someone, right?” Mike asked, eyeing it suspiciously as he sat down and scooped Will out of his pocket.
“I mean, I wouldn’t risk it considering that’s exactly what happened to me,” Will said.
Dustin said something unintelligible through the screwdriver in his teeth.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Will said.
Mike leaned forward and grabbed the screwdriver.
“I unplugged it,” Dustin repeated. “So no. I’m rearranging the wiring right now. I should be done in just a sec. I’m hoping this will fix the overheating problem.”
“That’s not inspiring,” Will said, leaning over Mike’s hand curiously. Rather than hold him in place, Mike lowered his hand to the ground so that Will could hop off and wander to his heart’s content. He had survived this room once before, and that had been with Tews in the room hunting him down. He’d be fine with five people there to look out for him.
Will walked up to the machine, looking positively miniscule beside it as he leaned down to pick up a screw that Lucas must have dropped. It was longer than his forearm.
“You dropped something,” he said, and Mike held a hand out for Will to drop it in, before tossing it back into Lucas’s pile.
“Mike, give me back my screwdriver,” Dustin said, fixing the metal plate back over the wiring. “Lucas, can I—thanks.”
He started screwing the plate back in as Will looked up at the machine towering overhead.
“Max, can you get me another apple?” Well, that ruled out the horse theory.
Max groaned.
“I got it,” El said, hopping up and grabbing an apple from the bag. She dragged a stool over to where the machine was aimed, the placement marked by some tape on the unfinished floor, and set the apple on top of it, careful not to stay in firing range for too long. “Okay, you’re good to go.”
“Alright, just one sec,” Dustin said, tightening the last of the screws. “Lucas, can you—?”
“Got it,” Lucas said, grabbing the cord that ran out from the machine and reaching over to plug it into the wall. Meanwhile, Will stepped back towards where Mike was sitting cross-legged, until he was leaning against his leg, casual as can be. Mike draped a hand down beside him, letting it brush against Will’s side. He glanced at it, and leaned into the touch. God he was so cute. Mike was going to miss this.
Not that he was upset that Will was getting fixed or anything. Of course he wasn’t. He couldn’t wait to kiss Will properly, to take him on dates, to be his boyfriend. But he had to admit there was a certain thrill to this perspective.
“Alright,” Dustin said, pressing a few buttons as the rest of them kept a wary eye on the machine. “Attempt number… what is this again? Thirteen?”
“It’s twelve,” El corrected, back at Max’s side. Mike was glad she was there. Not just now, but earlier. Will had asked him to call her yesterday and had requested that she go help Dustin to make sure he was taking care of himself. She had gone above and beyond in that sense, from what her phone call last night had described. Dustin had been exhausted and hungry and shaky before she dragged him away to get some food. He looked a lot better this morning than he had the last time Mike saw him, even with the fading bruises on his face.
“Alright, attempt number twelve. Go.”
Like a scene from a sci-fi movie, a red beam shot out and hit the apple, right on target, before vanishing as though nothing had happened. The apple appeared gone, though Mike could barely make out the tiniest shape on the stool. Tiny apple. Cool.
“Ten, nine, eight…” Dustin counted. He made it to four before the apple exploded, shooting tiny shards of fruit around the room. The flecks of fruit didn’t hurt, but Mike still cupped his hand over Will to shield him.
“Alright,” Max said. “Will’s turn.”
Will snorted as Mike lowered his hand, giving her a dry look she probably couldn’t see, grinning in her corner. “I think I’ll hold off for a second.”
Dustin groaned as Lucas reached over to pull the plug out of the wall. Smart. Probably wasn’t the best idea to leave that running for any period of time. “I don’t understand! I mean, I thought maybe the wiring was the issue, but I’m most confused as to how it worked in the first place. Not that I’m upset you didn’t blow up, Will, it just doesn’t make sense. There’s no reason the overheating problem would be fixed with a living organism. I have to be missing something.”
“Is there anything you can remember?” Mike asked Will, nudging him with a knuckle. Will stumbled, pushing his hand away gently, but he didn’t seem irritated. “Something that might have changed things?”
Will stepped away from Mike, spinning around to look at the room. His eyes caught on the broken window. “There was glass everywhere. That’s how I got out of the garage in the first place.”
“Maybe it has something to do with the temperature of the room?” Lucas asked. “I mean, if the window hadn’t been broken before, it would have been hotter in here, right?”
“I don’t know,” Dustin said. “We could try to make it hotter in here. We might have to block that off though. My neighbor’s kids broke it playing baseball.”
Will straightened. “That’s it! Oh my god, there was a ball. When I came in here the ball was stuck in that slot in the front of the machine. The laser burned through it and hit me.”
Dustin’s eyes widened, hands in his hair, as Will gestured under the cabinet to Mike. Mike leaned down, reaching into the dusty crevice to pull out a singed baseball and toss it to Dustin.
“Of course. It cooled the temperature enough that it didn’t fry you.”
He jumped up, leaping over Will and digging through a bin until he pulled out a few tennis balls, setting one in the little twist of metal in front of the laser. A perfect fit.
“We probably can’t use the same ball, but hopefully the type of ball doesn’t matter. El?”
An apple rose from the pile without being touched, and El wiped her nose as Dustin caught it from midair and set it on the stool, still covered in the remains of its predecessor.
“Okay, thirteenth time’s the charm.”
Lucas plugged the machine back in, Mike shielded Will with his hand, and Dustin turned it on. They had to wait a long minute as it singed the ball, a thin trail of smoke coming from it, before it shot through, making the apple vanish just like before.
They sat with an intent focus as Dustin counted down, El and Max finally sitting up and putting down their comic for good. He reached zero, and nothing happened.
“Unplug it,” Lucas unplugged the machine, and Dustin walked over to the stool, pinching something between his fingers. He stepped over to them and leaned down, holding his fingers open. Will opened his hands, and what had been a speck of nothing in Dustin’s became a regular old apple in Will’s, who tossed it in the air casually.
“Well,” he said. “That worked. Okay, let’s go.”
“Are you insane?” Mike asked.
“Absolutely not,” Dustin told him. “We’re not trying anything on you until we confirm that the reversing process is stable, and definitely not until we try it on something alive.”
“Fix the apple,” Mike said. “As for the living thing…” He trailed off with a grin.
Dustin grimaced. “Yeah, that’s fair. Just don’t tell my mom.
Will was content to stay pressed against Mike’s leg as Dustin returned with his arms full of cat. Sure, Tews might have looked cute, purring happily in his arms, but Will didn’t trust it. Mike seemed equally tense, fingers twitching from where his hand rested beside him.
“Okay, sit,” Dustin said, like she was a dog, as he set her on the stool. She obviously did not listen, but she did sprawl out across it, still purring, and Dustin stepped back, setting a new, unburned tennis ball in the frame. The apple, now back to it’s original size, had been tossed to the side, likely to end up in the trash. Will couldn’t imagine any of them would want to eat it.
There was another long minute of waiting for the blast to gather enough energy to travel through the ball, and then Tews was gone. Dustin turned it off, Lucas unplugged it once more (they certainly weren’t taking any chances this time) before Dustin came to look at Tews.
“Aww,” he cooed. “Will, come look.”
He leaned down, offering his hand, and Will climbed on easily, almost used to the sensation at this point.
Dustin was gentle, much better than Mike’s first attempt at carrying him, and he rested on the stool so Will could climb off. Tews trotted over to bonk her head against his legs, seeming perfectly content with her new height.
Will scooped her up, scratching her little head as she purred, leaning into his touch.
“You’re not so bad like this,” he admitted, pressing a kiss to her nose. When he looked up, Mike was looking at him with the sappiest smile on his face, and Will ducked his head to hide his blush.
“Alright, Tews. Let’s get you back so we can get Will back.” Will set down the cat and hopped back into Dustin’s hand to be moved out of the way.
Tews was returned to normal height without an issue, and Will grinned in excitement as she hopped off the stool, meowing at El and Max to give her attention.
“Come on,” Mike said, standing up and blocking her path to the girls with his leg, trying to lure her back into the house. “Get out, kitty.”
“Be nice,” El scolded him. “She’s just a cat.”
“Yeah, Mike, be nice,” Will said, even though he would happily stay in Dustin’s hand until she was gone.
“Alright,” Dustin said once Tews had been successfully removed from the garage. “I guess this is it.”
“Wait,” Mike said, hurrying back over. “I want to see tiny Will one last time.”
“Max, El, and Lucas hopped up as well, and suddenly Will was surrounded by giant versions of his friends.
“Can we please get this over with?” he groaned. “I’d really like to be normal human height again.”
“You’re just so cute,” Max teased.
“Okay, guys, give him some space,” Mike laughed, even though he had started it.
Will jumped onto the stool again, sitting in the center nervously toying with the sleeve of his jacket as Dustin prepared the machine.
“Okay then. Here goes everything.”
The light of the laser flashed, and dizziness overcame him. Will stumbled off the stool, struggling to keep his balance, and a pair of hands grabbed his shoulder, holding him upright.
“Woah there,” Mike said. “You good?”
Will blinked, meeting his eyes. Tall. But normal tall. He grinned, throwing his arms around him tightly and slumping against him, letting Mike carry his weight. He stumbled, slightly, but didn’t drop him.
“I am better than good,” he said. “Just wobbly.”
“Oh,” Mike said, obviously holding in a laugh. “As long as you’re just wobbly.”
“Shut up,” Will huffed, poking at his cheek as he pulled away to hug the others.
“Once again, so sorry about all this,” Dustin said, joining the hug.
“Please tell me it’s off,” Will said, eyeing the laser still directed at all of them.
“Off and unplugged,” Lucas assured him.
“Can I smash it with a hammer now?”
Pained indecision warred on Dustin’s face, and Will laughed.
“I’m kidding,” he promised, even if he really hadn’t been. Not entirely, at least.
“Oh,” Dustin sighed.
“I’m not,” Mike said loudly.
“Lighten up,” Max said, poking him in the side. “It’s all fine now, right?”
“Are you sure you didn’t make him taller than before?” El said, playful suspicion on her face.
“I think you’re just short,” Will said.
“Will, can we talk for a sec?” Mike asked, and everyone looked at him. Will’s heart stuttered nervously.
“Sure. Yeah,” he said. Realistically speaking, he knew it couldn’t be anything bad. If anything, Mike probably wanted to discuss their new relationship status. But that didn’t stop him from catastrophizing.
“Cool. Dustin, we’re taking your room,” Mike said, grabbing Will’s hand to drag them out of the garage.
“Oh, hello Will, when did you get here?” Mrs. Henderson said, confused, as they passed, and Will barely lifted his hand to wave before Mike was pulling them into Dustin’s room, kicking the door shut behind him.
“What did you want to—?” Will started as Mike cut him off with his mouth, pressed urgently against him.
Will froze at the unexpected movement, but it was only a moment before he melted into the action, his arms snaking around Mike’s waist and pulling him tighter.
“Will,” Mike gasped, desperate. He certainly felt desperate, arms tight around his waist, fingers digging into his shirt like he was afraid Will would fade away if he didn’t hold him in place. Will had never been kissed before, not like this, and he thought he might float away as Mike pressed open-mouthed against him breathlessly.
“Mike,” Will said in return, trying to maintain his wits. It was hard when Mike was doing everything in his power to remove them.
He fell backwards, dragging Mike with him onto the bed, and let out an oof when Mike landed on top of him, pressed chest to chest, mouth to mouth.
“I thought - you wanted - to talk,” he breathed through kisses.
“I lied,” Mike said, smirking against his mouth.
Will pulled back, ignoring Mike’s whine as he did so. “I missed you,” he said simply.
“I’ve been here the whole time,” Mike reminded him, tilting his head like a dog.
Will twined his fingers through his hair. “Not like this.”
Mike’s eyes crinkled with his smile. “I was trying very hard not to overwhelm you.”
“You don’t overwhelm me,” Will assured him. “You’ve never been too much.”
Mike’s eyes went soft as he pressed a kiss against Will’s throat, gentle. “You’re perfect,” he mumbled.
“No one’s perfect.”
“You are. And god, you were cute. You’re already cuter than should be possible. But like that? All tiny and adorable with your little hands and your little shoes and—”
Will had spent years trying to figure out the best way to shut Mike up when he was being too annoying. This was by far the most effective. Mike kissed him back eagerly, not pulling away until Will did. He seemed content to kiss him until the daylight ran out. Will, however, was more concerned about their friends. And his family.
“I should probably call my mom,” he sighed.
“Or you could just come over to my house.”
Will snorted. “I’ve been at your house all week, Mike. I need to go home.”
Mike pouted like this was the cruelest thing Will could’ve said. It was breathtaking. Never in his life had he dared to dream that Mike could want him this much. Not the way that Will wanted him.
It was impossible to resist.
“I guess you’ll just have to come over to my house instead.”
Instead of answering, Mike kissed him again.
Will had two blissful weeks of perfection before everything went to shit again.
“To shit” might have been an overstatement. There were no monsters tearing holes in other dimensions. No deaths or military shootouts. It was nothing insane. But it broke up the monotony that had taken over Will’s life.
Monotony made it sound like a bad thing. The repetition was fine. Better than fine. Mike was his boyfriend (still mind-blowing), he was back to normal, with no danger of being eaten by any pets. His mornings were spent with the Party, enjoying the tail end of summer before they’d have to go back to school. They rented movies, hung out at Lover’s Lake, played DnD, and it was heaven. In the afternoons, he and Mike would wander off together, ending up at one of their houses, and they’d do whatever. Sometimes, Mike took him out for ice cream, other times they’d play games. Most often, they’d sit in comfortable silence while Mike wrote and Will drew. In the evenings, Will would go home, help his mom make dinner, and listen to music in his room, in complete and utter awe at how wonderful his life was. It was perfect.
Will blinked, his mouth dry. Ugh. He hated waking up in the middle of the night. Some nights, it was easier to fall back asleep. Usually that was the case when the reason Will woke up was because of nightmares. Other nights, his insomnia would tighten its grip around him and he’d be up the rest of the night.
Right now, it felt like the latter. He could probably grab his headphones, listen to music as a distraction. Some days, he would go for a walk, but he didn’t really feel like moving. He was comfortable, drowning in thick sheets, and the room was warm enough that he wasn’t missing his blanket. Where was it, anyway? He must have kicked it off at some point in the middle of the night.
He sighed, stretching out his arms and legs, wishing the drowsiness in his mind was enough to quiet it. It wasn’t. He stared at his ceiling, eyes adjusting to the faint moonlight, and frowned. It seemed… weirdly distant.
He glanced to the side, seeking out his alarm clock to determine what time it actually was, and he stiffened. Oh, what the fuck?
Will scrambled to his feet, stumbling on the thick fabric beneath him, and looked from side to side, his head spinning at the vastness of the world around him. This could not be happening. THey had fixed it. It was fine. He was back to normal. So why in the hell was he small again?
This was a dream. It had to be. He pinched himself, hissing at the sharp pain. No. Of course not. He could never be so lucky.
A weird sensation burrowed under his skin, making him shiver as his ears popped, and when he blinked, he was back to normal, standing on his bed like a weirdo. He stood there, mouth agape.
It was one in the morning. He was tired. He was probably just seeing things.
He could almost try and convince himself that was the case, but he had a sinking feeling it wasn’t.
He was at the Wheeler’s by eight in the morning. It was the earliest he could get away with showing up without making both of their parents suspicious. Karen Wheeler smiled at him warmly as she opened the door. He and Mike had quietly debated whether or not they should admit their relationship status to her, but they hadn’t yet done so. Mike had told Will that he was about 70% sure she already knew, and with the knowing look she gave him, Will’s guess ticked up to about 95%. She definitely knew.
“Good morning, Will,” she said. “We were just about to sit down for breakfast. Did you want to join us? Mike’s still asleep.”
“I already ate,” Will assured her. “Do you mind if I go wake him?”
“Not at all,” she shrugged, stepping aside so he could enter. “It’ll do him some good to not sleep past noon. When I try to wake him he tries to bite my head off.”
Will grinned as he toed off his shoes and shot her a goodbye, taking the stairs two at a time up to Mike’s room.
It was dark, with the curtains drawn, but Will didn’t let that stop him. He shut the door behind him gently and wormed his way onto the bed next to Mike.
Mike groaned as he was jostled, muttering something incoherent. Mike was always out of it in the morning. Will just grinned as his boyfriend slowly woke up, blinking blearily at him.
“Hi cutie,” he croaked, pressing a quick kiss to Will’s mouth. His morning breath was horrendous, but the relationship was new enough that Will didn’t quite care. “When’d you get here?”
“Just now,” Will said, smiling at his bedhead.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “And you just had to wake me up?”
“It’s my civic duty,” Will told him, moving to sit and trying to drag Mike up with him. “Apparently, I’m the only one who can do it and escape with their head intact.”
Mike hummed, grabbing Will’s head to press a kiss to his temple and dragging them both back down and under the blanket. “Your head’s too cute to bite off.”
“Mike,” Will huffed. He tried to sound stern, but his amusement was too strong to fight the smile on his lips. “Get up.”
“No,” he whined. “‘m tired.”
“I have an actual problem,” he said, kicking at Mike’s leg. “We need to talk.”
Mike buried his face in the pillow, ignoring him.
“Hey Mike,” Will said, laying down beside him. “Wanna see something weird?”
Mike didn’t respond, merely twisting his head and opening one eye to watch. Will had attempted this four separate times to make sure it really hadn’t been a dream, and for a moment, he wondered how funny it would be if the one time it failed was the one time he needed it to work.
His ears popped, and he was laying on Mike’s pillow, raising an eyebrow at Mike’s ginormous face in a mimic of the look he had just given him.
Mike’s face paled as he stared at Will in abject horror. “What the fuck?”
“Like I said,” Will said dryly. “Problem.”