Chapter Text
#1 He Didn't Know He Had Them
It had been a few months since Will had returned from the Upside-Down, had been possessed by the Mind-Flayer which had been banished once Eleven sealed the dimension, and had complete control over himself again.
At least, that’s what he believed.
Instead, a few weeks after Dustin had stopped gloating about dancing with Nancy and had let his hair return to the wild and frizzy curls, Will was brought to the sharp reality that he would never be himself again. Of course, he didn’t think that he would be normal after his ordeals- he didn’t think anyone would be, but the fact was that he wasn’t just a boy anymore.
This realisation was brought on by an event in the blistering heat that Hawkins, Indiana, was sweating through in the middle of summer.
It was hot at dawn, and, once the heat wave truly hit at lunch when even the fans had no effect, a plan was constructed. The talking, cracking over the walkmans, was fast and excited as Max begged the group to go down to the quarry and swim because, “I’m boiling, and I think if I don’t get out of this house I’m going to blow a fuse!”
The others were a bit more hesitant, memories attached to the quarry were definitely not the best. It was, after all, the place Will’s body had been pulled from, fake they knew (now) but it was still strange to think of swimming in water that they thought was where he died. Finally, however, they decided to travel together down to the water- made easier as Will didn’t have an opinion on not going, seeing as he hadn’t beheld the way his limp form had been dragged from the waters.
The party got together, Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will on their bikes, Max and Eleven on their skateboards. Max had been teaching the girl how to properly push and glide across the roads, shimmering with heat, and El was finding the experience delightful- judging by her excited shrieks.
The heat was starting to pick up further as they made their way down to the quarry, sweat glueing their shirts to their skin as they made the last few turns.
Mike wiped his hand across his forehead, sending his messy curls in all directions as he slumped against his handlebars. Max hopped off her board, examining the flat water and the serenity of the environment with a grin.
“Right!” She hollered, pulling off her backpack with an easy swing and catching her board as she stamped on the end, flicking the tip up smoothly, “Who’s gonna come in with me?”
Eleven, wanting to be called Jane now but accepting ‘El’ as a nickname from the party (even though they still called her Eleven), beamed as her hand shot up into the air and waved. She was incredibly excited about swimming, and Hopper’s lifting of the rules he had set only helped to increase her mood. She was the picture of enthusiasm, smiling so wide it was a wonder her cheeks didn't hurt.
The boys dismounted the bikes, leaving them carefully on their sides as the wheels slowly spun to a stop, arms stretched out to try and catch the slight breeze.
“Looks good today, huh?” Dustin said, craning his head to watch the small birds disappear at the sight of the humans, leaving ripples in the smooth water, “Think it’s cold?”
Max, who had slipped out of her clothes and put them in a rumpled heap on her messily spread towel, gave him an animated look, “Let’s find out!”
She and Jane, who had meticulously laid out her towel and placed her bag gently beside it, grabbed hands and leapt into the water giggling.
“How is it?” Lucas asked as they splashed in the water, their beaming smiles an obvious answer as he took off his shirt.
As Lucas toed the gently waving water, Dustin pulled out a bottle of sunscreen. Pulling the cap off, he started to lather himself in the gloopy mixture.
“You want to put some on?” He offered to Max and Jane, hand covered in the lotion as he tried to rub it into his arms. Max shook her head, wet red hair flying in a neat arc as she exchanged a glance with her friend, “No thanks, I’ll put some on later.”
Jane nodded her agreement, before using her powers to splash a wave over Max’s head. The Zoomer spluttered, water dribbling down her face in small streams as she gaped at her friend, who was trying to keep her smile contained as Lucas laughed.
Max’s open mouth curled into a smirk as she tackled her friend, both giggling, “You’ll pay for what you did!” She promised as she splashed water as hard as she could.
Meanwhile, Dustin had enlisted the help of Will to smear the sunblock across his back. Will’s fingers were thoroughly covered in a few seconds, dribbling across his fingers and across his small palms. Once he was done, Will stepped back and laughed as Dustin took a running jump into the water, a cannonball that sent waves dousing the group floating and chatting. There were splutters and chokes of laughter as Dustin rose from the water, smiling broadly and revealing his glimmering pearls.
“Hey Will?” Mike asked, snapping Will back from watching his friends frolic around, “Do you mind...” he gestured to the sunblock still in Will’s grip.
Will was frozen for a second, before shaking his head with a bashful smile, “Oh- yes- of course, Mike!”
Mike slipped his shirt off, standing uncertainly once he had dumped the sweaty cloth onto his stuff. If it hadn’t been so hot, he would’ve crossed his hands over his stomach, a habit he’d started a few years ago.
Will rolled his eyes endearingly, gesturing with a hand, “You have to come over here, Mike.” He said with a smile that Mike had missed seeing on his face. Then the words made its way through to his brain, and he blushed.
“Oh.” Mike said, stumbling on his long legs, “Right. Thanks, Will.”
“It’s fine!” Mike could hear the happiness that had been lacking from his younger friends voice for months and felt his mouth curl into a soft smile. He had missed this, the casual grins and happy aura around his small artist. Like the very air bounced when he was around.
He twisted around, staring at the bikes discarded on the dirt, trying to ignore the laughs and occasional words sliding toward him from his friends in the water.
He started slightly at the touch of cool hands against his back, the feel of soft, delicate fingers. It was slightly cold, but it was a pleasant respite from the heat that continued to buffer the two not in the water, and he relaxed slightly into the gentle massage of hands against his shoulder blades.
The fingers and palm danced along his back, dotted with freckles, carefully rubbing the liquid across all skin. It was peaceful, if not slightly ticklish.
A few minutes later, after Dustin and Lucas had finished wrestling in the water, Will gave a small hum. “All done!” He squeaked, stepping back from the extensively sunblocked Mike’s back with a stumble as he attempted to wipe some of the white liquid onto his face. Mike turned, laughing at the sight of Will with smears of the sunblock across his cheeks like he was some kind of warrior.
Well, he really is, Mike thought as he smiled, to be able to smile after everything happened was a feat that shouldn’t be understated.
Mike’s face gained a fond look as he noticed Will had missed a spot smearing sunblock across his cheek, and it only felt natural to reach out a lanky arm to carefully rub in the remaining lotion. Will’s eyes flicked up immediately to meet Mike’s as his finger gently presses the sunblock across his slowly reddening cheek, and for a second Mike thinks he can see the entire universe in his eyes.
He’s drowning in the honey warmth, in the home that Will’s eyes promise.
The world is on pause, they can’t break eye contact, can’t look away. In that moment, Mike’s heart and stomach do a strange fluttering- fast and unsteady, and Mike’s jolted out of his stupor, blinking.
“Do you want me to do your back?” Mikes voice is high and wavering, and he resolutely tells his heart to go back to its normal speed. Wills was flushed as he touched the spot where Mike’s hand had rested, perhaps out of shock, before continuing to even out his cheeks.
His summer green and glowing amber eyes sparkling in the light turned onto Mike’s chocolate browns. Mike felt something in himself tremble with pure elation as he saw the joy returned into his friend's vision.
“Yes, please!” Will said, scrunching up his nose as he heard a call from Lucas to hurry up, and Mike shook his head fondly.
Gently, taking care to avoid the burn scar on his side, Mike smothered the young cleric’s lean back with sunblock. He tenderly rubbed his fingers, long like the rest of his rapidly growing body, across the smooth and blemish free skin under his palms. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of Will fidgeting and the hot breeze tousling his hair, Mike could say he was finished.
And there was nothing, nothing at all, that Mike could think of that could ruin the day as he saw Will hopping with excitement at the edge of the water. Even if shadows attacked, he knew that they would be fine. Because they had survived, and just the light radiating from Will’s shy smile could banish any darkness.
He hesitantly approached, relieving the image of a limp shape being dragged from the water like a sodden doll, and the feeling that his chest was shattering into a thousand pieces.
But now… now Will was beckoning to him, looking at the water with contemplation for a second before the emotion turned to enthusiasm, and Mike firmly told himself that they got out, they were here and now, and Will was waiting for him to step forward and stop acting like a statue.
He found his smile, felt it bloom across his face. He could do this.
Will tentatively touched the water with his foot, taking a small step in. “Woah!” He commented, surprised, “It’s cold.”
Mike simply made a muted sound of shock as he walked in, but the cool liquid felt like heaven across his hot skin as he trailed in deeper. “Yeah, but its so nice.”
Will nodded, a less sure smile than before appearing back on his face as he followed Mike deeper to their friends.
“Will!” Dustin said, hands making uncoordinated movements to keep himself afloat, “How much sunblock did Mike put on you?”
“Yeah,” Lucas agreed, relaxing onto his back, “You look like a ghost!”
He smiled widely to show he was joking as Will shrugged, Mike’s flush spreading to his ears as he started to debate with his friends about the amount he had coated Will in. To be fair, Will did look like he’d just walked through a snowstorm bare-chested the suncream was so blinding on his pale skin, but Mike refused to admit anything.
He just didn’t want his friend to get burnt- was that so bad?
Will floated on his back as he gazed at the grey cliffs and trees in a moment of solidarity from Dustin, Lucas and Mike’s discussion, and Max and Eleven’s quiet talking as they treaded water. He hadn’t looked at the sky like this from a long time, thought about stars and night and life. It was comforting, the gentle lapping of ripples at his sides and the soft buzz of conversations he wasn’t listening to, the endless sky like a canvas painted in the brightest of blues.
His moment was shattered by the feeling of water crashing against his body, so cold that for a second he was too shocked to do anything other than flutter in the water, trying to get his bearings. It was so cold that he knew it could only be Him, and he flailed trying to right himself. He managed to bring himself to a more or less vertical position, looking around frantically for the source of the brisk water.
It’s back its found me I’m going to die its going to take me back I won’t ever escape its going to catch me. Will’s heart was going a million miles an hour, thoughts as icy cold as the water that seemed to have grown bitter as his eyes widened- searching for the enemy that leeched blackness and pain. He knew it preyed on fear and suffering, delighted when he was so petrified that he just couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe...
He didn’t find any monsters, no waiting shadows or prowling demi-dogs or whatever Dustin had named them, but did see the amazed smiles that Max and Eleven had pasted across their faces at his reaction, and the shocked ones across Lucas and Dustin. He saw Mike’s last, horrified and worried, as the laughs of Max and Jane echoed slowly around the suddenly silent area. Will felt something constrict around his heart as the cold worked its way into his bones, his soul his mind.
He had memories flooding his head, of dark and night and a hunger that wasn’t his own. He shivered, barely feeling the water as he felt the numbness slither inside himself.
“Why did you do that?” Lucas’s sharp, worried, voice snapped him out of the shadow that had sucked him up yet again, and Will shook himself out of his stupor.
“Guys.” Dustin’s disappointed tone was both parts annoyed and surprised, as though he had thought that they wouldn’t do something like that.
“What were you thinking?” Mike’s snapping voice, a different emotion layering his words as he started to swim to where Will had drifted away when on his back, was as sharp as a knife.
“Chill out.” Max had tilted her head, easygoing in the face of the storm, “It was just some water. Jeez, Wheeler, I didn’t hit him or anything.” She sounded defensive as the stares of Dustin and Lucas were levelled on her.
“Can’t you see what you’ve done?” Mike’s voice was loud, anxious, as he saw Will’s eyes flick around the group- searching for… for darkness.
Max shrugged, looking slightly annoyed, “It was some water.” she repeated, using her hands to gesture.
“Well, next time you decide to-“ Lucas started, but his sentence stopped as he and the others saw what Jane was doing with an eager smile, at the hand raised as a drop of blood rolled from her nose.
“El, NO!” Mike shouted, but it was too late as the water bunched up into a wave like a mini-tsunami, almost two and a half meters tall, directed by that hand, roaring for the young Byers still looking desperately for an enemy.
Will turned and felt his heart drop somewhere deeper than the pit in his stomach, lower than the tightness of his lungs, somewhere so low he couldn’t feel it. He could only feel the icy terror that was filling his veins, the wall of water approaching so so fast-
He screwed his eyes closed, hand out as he braced for the crushing impact that would steal the breath away from him, leave him floundering in the dark-
The water never hit.
—
Mike was halfway to Will when the wave arched up, as if it was a clay sculpture rearing up to touch the hand of the creator. The world froze, every second hours as the scene unfolded in front of his wide eyes, like someone had hit the pause button on reality.
Every detail was stuck, the way Will had his hand out, head twisted away, a statue of a boy awaiting destiny to sweep him up in punishing blows yet again. The way the water seemed to glow with a unearthly light, as if lit from within. Like the sun was streaming through each flying droplet as if it were a window into another life. The rays seemed to dim, or maybe it brightened to blinding as the palm of Will’s hand flared with white, and the water was suddenly ice.
The frost spread out, like a piece of glass being shattered; ink spilling across a page, as the water hardened into something the sun had never touched, hoarfrost like the scales of a mighty dragon. The freezing spread, climbing up the water like vines encircling a building until the whole thing was a solid glacier. Unmovable, frozen, huge.
The words disappeared in Mike’s throat, the shout or call withering on his lips as Will’s eyes opened, gleaming a shade of blue so shadowed it was like looking into the deepest of oceans. There was something different in that gaze, something old and young and eternal- powerful. Like Will had harnessed something and bound it inside himself, the cleric’s strength transforming into cold that Mike could feel from meters away.
The ice was growing still, advancing through the water with an almost lazy grace. It was like watching flowers bloom in fast motion, the frost like falling petals on the wind, spirals of ice like unfolding leaves.
Will examined them with a blank yet curious gaze, the sudden ice-sculpture that radiated such cold that Mike found himself shivering, and his outstretched hand. For a second, Mike could believe that time had stopped- disappeared forever in the moments that Will’s eyes travelled over the creation that he had somehow made.
Then the second passed, and the inhuman sapphire blue dimmed from those startling eyes, melting into tired greens and dark browns as Will took a shuddering breath. The colour had drained from his skin, turning it an ashen grey as his eyelids fluttered and he collapsed. He crumpled like a puppet who’s strings had been cut, falling through the air as he disappeared through the freezing water.
“Will!” Mike's voice had returned, cracking and breaking as he forced himself through the thicker water to Will’s side, “WILL.”
He could hear the others swimming as fast as they could over, but Mike could only focus on the sight of his smaller friend, slowly sinking through the freezing water, hair floating as if in the softest of winds. He dove, not caring about the way that the cold caught the breath in his lungs and sent firey freezing shivers dancing along his skin, his hands continued to reach for Will.
Bubbles drifted past Mike’s face as he pushed himself faster, as he ignored the science screaming in his head that Will was breathing out air and taking in water and that was not good, not good at all-, and managed to grab a thin arm. He tugged as hard as he could as he pulled Will up to his chest, hands slipping to his waist as he forced them up to the surface, legs kicking hard. He ignored his lungs shrieking that he needed oxygen, the cramp starting in his body as the cold took effect, kept his hands tight around the slim chest and swam.
He hit the surface, choking big lungfuls of air as he cradled Will in his arms. Dustin was a few metres away, hollering about something, but Mike’s gaze was trained on the streak of red above Will’s lip, a slim trail of blood. He pulled him closer, tight against his chest, letting Dustin help carry him out of the water.
Dustin helped Mike support him as they rushed up the shore, but really Will was so light that Mike could’ve taken him himself. He’d always had a slim figure, Will, and was noticeably less heavy once the ordeal with the Upside-Down had passed, but multiple stops of pizza with their Soccer Mom Steve™ had started to get his weight back to normal.
But he wasn’t supposed to be like this, so cold and limp...
Mike was rushing, so caught in the moment and worry, that he didn’t realise what was missing till they were almost back at the bags and bikes.
He leant his head near, heart thrumming like a drum, and didn’t stop even when he pressed his ear next to Will’s heart.
A few seconds it was silent, before a faint sound reached him. He couldn’t check to make sure as Dustin pulled him up to his towel, old and slightly worn blue, but the colours seemed vibrant next to the scarily pale skin tone of Will’s.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him!” Mike barely heard Eleven’s sobs as he collapsed to his knees next to his best friend.
“We didn’t mean this to happen! How did Will do that?” He drowned out Max’s cries.
He pressed his hand to Will’s wrist, holding tightly, head on chest.
“Shut up!” He roared at the girls, “Be quiet!”.
Silence. Silence. Silence. Silenc- There. A beat, but faint- so horribly, excruciatingly faint.
“His hearts beating- b-but I can’t hear him breathing-“ Mike had barely finished before Lucas and Dustin were shoving themselves forward, crowding around their fallen cleric. Dustin pressed his hands to Will’s stomach, and Mike couldn’t cry couldn’t make a sound as he pushed once, twice.
He felt his fingers clenching, unclenching, until finally- finally Will trembled, eyes snapping open, as he turned and started heaving. Water spilled from his lips, and all Mike could do was pat his back and try to coax him through it whilst the relief crashed over him, choking him to the point that he wanted to bend down beside his best friend and cough everything up as well. He was so relieved- he couldn’t even think of a world without Will- he couldn’t be living without him- couldn’t do anything but breathe beside him.
After an eternity, Will slumped, exhausted. He leant against Mike and Lucas, who had taken his other side, as though he had no strength of his own. Maybe he didn’t. But they willingly lent their support to him, would always lend it.
There was no movement, words, as they processed what had happened. Will lifted a shaking hand to his nose, swiping at the blood and bringing it to his lap. His fingers curled outwards, looking like a flower, and his lips parted in a small ‘oh’ as he beheld the crimson staining his fingers, clenching inwards immediately like a withering bloom as he hid the blood from his sight.
“W-what.” His voice was hoarse, as though he had been screaming, “What, what h-happen-ned?”
Mike levelled a glare at Max and Jane, who both looked suitable horrified and guilty. Like they should be, a tiny, spiteful angry voice in Mike’s head thought.
“W-we didn’t, didn’t mean-“
“It was a j-joke-“
Tears started to pour down their faces, mingling with the blood on El’s lip and the sand from where Max had clutched her face in terror as the party tried to make Will breathe.
Will smiled, albeit slightly strained, “Its- it’s fine. You didn’t mean any-anything.”
Max’s eyes filled with tears again, glimmering like diamonds, and Eleven just nodded frantically as the Zoomer tried to say she was sorry a hundred times.
“Its fine, Max. Honestly.” His eyes traveled to Mike’s, who still had his hand in his protectively, “What.. what happened next? I-is that ice?”
Dustin quickly dove back into the story, mimicking with his hands what had happened as Lucas and Mike tried to add detail.
“T-hen you had your hand up-“
“Dude, you have magic-“
“-it just froze-“
“-you looked at us, with these eyes-“
“-then you, like, collapsed-“
“Mike was closest-“
“-we thought you had died-“
“Don’t ever do that again-“
Will looked overwhelmed, but staring at his hands, things started to slide into place.
“I-is this how I survived,” the words felt slippery on his tongue, “the, the… the…”
“Upside-Down.” Jane was kneeling in front of him, eyes open and staring into his haunted ones as she took his trembling hands in hers. She blinked slowly at the blood dried on his fingers as he opened his mouth to reply.
“Y-yes..”
The words felt like they were swimming in his head, the ache of his throat and tightness in his nose, like he was on a different plane of reality.
He was weird, abnormal. This was just another barrier between him and everyone-
“You’re wrong.”
Will’s head snapped around to look at Mike, who was staring with that utterly deep and emotional look of that only with his chocolate eyes could muster up. His freckles like an inverted constellation across the bridge of his nose, droplets of ink against snow.
“W-what?” Will asked, knowing the words were aimed at him, “Mike, what do you mean?”
“You’re thinking that you’re weirder now. Stranger. That you’re different from us.” Mike’s eyes were staring into the very depths of his thoughts, and Will felt himself freeze. “But you’re wrong. No matter what happens, no matter what, I’ll never hate you. I’ll always be here. Always.”
Will couldn’t breathe, tears were filling his vision.
“He’s right. You’re our Cleric, Will, and we will never hate you.” Dustin said, face serious and glowing with warmth at the same time.
“You are like me, Will,” Jane said thoughtfully, dark eyes drinking up the crying boy with the slowing nosebleed, “I understand.”
Max and Lucas jumped in with their words of agreement, assuring Will that he would always be with them no matter what.
Will’s throat wouldn’t allow anything other than a small sob of thanks, his mouth only a shocked smile of gratitude. They enveloped him in a hug, and he let them be his pillar of strength as he was too tired to do anything other than soak up the tears, his and others, and tell himself that he was loved.
That he wasn’t normal, but maybe… maybe that was okay.
“You have ice powers.” Dustin said, once the group had broken up from the hug, eyes wide, “Dude, this is amazing!”
If only Joyce Byers thought the same.
When his friends proudly informed Will’s mother over the incidents at the quarry, she promptly freaked out- calling Hopper around thirty-five times (a feat that drove Flo round the bend) and demanding that her son wouldn’t be able to leave the house for two weeks and with no contact from anything or anyone. Thankfully, saving Will from boredom and house arrest, Hopper managed to calm her down.
After all, it was clear that Will had no control over the powers he had brought out of nowhere. Jane promised to help him adjust to the ice at his fingertips, whilst Dustin and Lucas burst in with varying degrees of amazement, “You’re a real cleric now, Will!” “You’re a wizard oh this is so cool!”
Will blushed, his pale skin a contrast as he felt that pit inside him that housed that power.
"I really am a cleric now…..
He smiled, letting the arms around him keep him afloat.
He could get through this.