Archive of Our Own ^beta

one.

His mother is the first person to teach Mike what “love” is.

Quite honestly, Mike can’t remember a time that he didn’t know what love was, thanks to his mother. It’s as if he just innately knows that—yes, yes, he is loved because he is cared for and because he has everything he needs. Because love comes in the simplest of ways—from cookies that are baked, to bruises and scrapes that are kissed and made better, to trips to the park that leave him feeling tired but happy.

And Mike may be little—with chubby cheeks and a bright-eyed curiosity for the world at his chubby fingertips—but he knows. He knows that when his mother says, “I love you, Mikey,” she means it. 

And so at two, three, and now four years old, “love” is almost completely defined by his relationship with his mother. Yeah, Mike says the words to his dad and to his sister, and yeah, they say it back to them. But there is little love in the way his father barely looks at him or is always too busy to play catch or even talk to him. And there’s not much love in the way his sister rolls her eyes and tattles on him to their parents either.

Love is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and trips to the park. Love is being tickled so hard by his mom that Mike laughs and laughs and cries and cries. Love is movie marathons on the couch, complete with popcorn and soda and candy, and falling asleep in his mother’s arms knowing that he is safe there. Love is getting extra trips to the pool when Nancy is gone on her Girl Scouts camping trip, and it’s new toys and books that Mike asks for and always receives.

That’s what love is. Mike Wheeler is loved beyond comparison by his mom. She’s his hero, and even though he’s young, he thinks he wants to love as much as his mom does. Because she deserves just as much love as she gives him, and yeah, Dad and Nancy do too, even if they’re not as good at loving people. 

So, love is dandelions picked from the park and bunched up in a little bouquet for his mom. Love is promising his dad that he’ll be good when he starts kindergarten in the fall and that Mike will make his dad proud. Love is letting Nancy have the last brownie in their mom’s batch because she’d had a bad day at school and looked like she needed it. 

Love is a cool thing. And it’s as simple as that.

two.

Nancy Wheeler is hard to love.

Mike is eight years old now, and Nancy is eleven. And she’s a butthead. She’s annoying and mean, and she’s a brat whose only purpose in life is to make Mike’s life even worse. It’s not fair that other people get cool older brothers while he’s stuck with stupid, annoying Nancy. Take Will for example! His older brother is actually cool (and a bit awkward, but so is Will and honestly so is Mike), and he cares about Will and does fun things with him.

Nancy just wants to talk about boys all the time. Tommy Johnson said this, and Joey Gray did that, and Bobby Thompson is just so dreamy. She hogs the phone so often talking and talking and talking to her stupid friends that Mike never even gets to use the phone! How’s he supposed to talk to Will or Lucas, if stupid Nancy never lets him get a turn?

God. Mike hates her. And he’s pretty sure Nancy hates him right back. Whatever. Nobody ever said you actually had to love your siblings, especially if they’re as annoying and uppity as Nancy.

But then, everything changes one chilly October day in the park. 

Both he and Nancy are on fall break, and normally, their parents would take them on a fun mini-vacation. One year, they went to Chicago, and his mom even let him bring Will along since Nancy’s friend Barb got to come. Another year, they went camping in the Indiana Dunes, except nobody really enjoyed that. 

But this year, they don’t make plans to go anywhere. His mom has been a little sick recently—always throwing up in the morning for some reason—and his dad’s definitely not going to do anything with them alone. So, Mike and Nancy are stuck in good ‘ole Hawkins, and when their mom drops them off at the park so she can go to a doctor’s appointment, she puts Nancy in charge.

Stupid, bossy Nancy.

Nancy tells him not to go far and definitely not to wander off in the woods. Her hands are on her hips, and her chin is tilted up, like she’s something real special. Mike has half a mind to pick a fight with here right then and there, but he’s smarter than that. 

He waits until Nancy is busy with her own friends, then he runs as fast as he can towards the woods. Lucas’ house is just a few minutes away, after all, and maybe they call Will and convince him to bike over to see them. Then, he can finally show them this new game that he discovered and that he’s been dying to show them. Dungeons and Dragons , it’s called. Full of monsters and knights and wizards and more. It’s epic, and he just knows the others are going to love it.

Mike’s got it all figured out. He always does.

Except… he doesn’t expect to run into a few sixth graders in the woods. He recognizes them as the stupid boys Nancy always talks about. Tommy and Joey and Bobby. They’re all taller than Mike by several inches—and bigger too. It doesn’t take much for Mike to get knocked down onto the ground.

“Where’s your boyfriend, Wheeler?” one of the boys (Bobby, Mike thinks) sneers, and Mike feels his face redden. “Look at stupid little Mikey, hanging out with all these losers !”

They throw around really horrible, mean insults about both Will and Lucas, and even though he’s boxed in and pinned down, Mike can’t help the protectiveness that flares up inside his chest. “Don’t talk about them like that!” he shouts, struggling to sit up and wanting nothing more than to deck one of these idiots in their ugly faces. “Shut up!”

“What’d you say to us?” Tommy snaps, and suddenly, Mike is being yanked up by his shirt and is dangling a few inches above the ground. “You’re dead, Wheeler—”

“Hey!” a familiar voice shouts. 

Four sets of eyes turn to see none other than Nancy, stomping over towards them, eyes full of fury and hatred. “Let. Him. Go,” she snarls, completely unafraid. 

Tommy looks stunned for the briefest moment, and his hand loosens around Mike’s shirt for the briefest moment. “Stay out of this, Nance,” he warns.

And that’s it. Mike’s certain of it. Nancy’s going to turn around and get out of here, like any sane person would do, and he’s going to be left to his fate with all her stupid sixth grade friends. 

“I said, let him go!” Nancy repeats, and the next thing Mike knows, Nancy’s fist is flying at Tommy Johnson’s face. The older boy drops Mike with a yelp, his hand going to his injured cheek, and Mike scrambles away, going to stand by his sister’s side.

“She hit me!” Tommy gasps. “You hit me!”

Nancy tilts her head up, that same bossy, proud look from earlier returning. “Damn right, I did,” she says. “And unless you want me to tell everyone that you got hit by a girl, you’ll leave my little brother alone. Got it?”

The three boys don’t look very happy, but Nancy’s got them backed up against a wall. Their social lives will be dead if anyone ever finds out a girl hit Tommy. And so, they very wisely mumble their agreement before turning and running in the other direction with their tails between their legs.

Whoa, Mike thinks to himself, turning to face his big sister.

He’s met almost automatically with a slap on the head. “Ow!” Mike yelps. “What the hell, Nancy?”

“Language,” Nancy scolds. “And I told you not to go anywhere, Mike! What were you thinking?”

That you’re not the boss of me, Mike wants to say, except Nancy definitely just punched a boy in the face, and he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of her rage. Like… ever. 

“Sorry,” he mumbles instead. “And… thanks. For coming to save me.”

His older sister’s face softens. Just for a moment, all their bickering and fighting and mutual hatred for one another is gone, and what’s left is an unusual softness and understanding.

“Of course,” Nancy says. She tries for a smile, and Mike does too. “You’re my little brother. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Now, come on. Barb’s waiting for me at the park.”

Then, she walks confidently back towards the park, leaving Mike alone to process all that’s just happened.

I’m not going to let anything happen to you, echoes Nancy’s voice in his head, and Mike smiles to himself.

“Love you too, Nance,” he says softly, before running after her.

three.

Dustin Henderson, Mrs. Sinclair says, needs their love.

Dustin is the new kid in school and has been since November. He’s… different, that’s for sure, and he’s quiet. Like… really quiet. He keeps to himself and doesn’t really talk to anyone, except for the teachers because Dustin is actually really, really smart. He gets almost all the questions right in their science and math classes, and the teachers all seem to love him.

The students, on the other hand… not so much. 

There’s a little part of Mike that kind of feels sorry for Dustin, just… not enough to really do anything about it? Having grown up in Hawkins his whole life, Mike has never had to transfer schools, but he imagines it must suck. Leaving all of his friends in the middle of the school year? Yeah, no thanks. 

So yeah, he feels a little sorry for Dustin, but honestly? Mike has Will and Lucas. His party. And he’s not exactly looking for another best friend. 

(Whoever said “three’s company” clearly hasn’t met Mike Wheeler’s party.)

But then, Lucas’ birthday rolls around in January, and the day beforehand at school, he grumpily admits to Mike and Will that his mom made him invite Dustin Henderson to his birthday sleepover on Saturday night. Will seems cool with it (because honestly, Will’s just content to go along with anything), but Mike about has a cow.

(Yes, he knows it’s not fair. It’s not his birthday party, and Lucas is allowed to invite whoever he wants. But really, what was he thinking? What was Mrs. Sinclair thinking? Doesn’t she know that their friend group is perfect just the way it is, with Mike and Will and Lucas? She’s going to ruin their party!)

And well, Mike Wheeler has always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve—with negative emotions, at least. So, when he sulks into the Sinclair household, Mrs. Sinclair picks up on it right away, and she pulls Mike, Lucas, and Will all into the living room just minutes before Dustin arrives.

“Alright, I want you boys to listen to me,” Mrs. Sinclair says sternly. Mike can’t help but squirm uncomfortably. He knows that voice. It’s a mom voice, which means that they’re about to get scolded hardcore. 

But we haven’t even done anything, he wants to gripe. Stupid Mrs. Sinclair.

“I know you boys are protective over your group,” Lucas’ mom begins, and Mike can’t help but correct, “Party.”

Will kicks his foot, and Lucas gives him a look. “Sorry,” Mike mumbles, wincing again at Mrs. Sinclair’s stern look.

“You’re protective over your party,” she amends. “You boys have been friends for years now, and you love each other. That’s great, and I’m so glad you boys have each other.”

“But,” Mrs. Sinclair says softly, and she leans closer to them, her expression and tone of voice serious, “I think that Dustin needs some of this love too. He doesn’t have very many friends, you know, and he’s had a very difficult year.”

She goes on to tell them why Dustin has had a difficult year—because his father died of cancer over the summer and because he and his mom had to relocate to Hawkins to temporarily live with his grandparents. Apparently, Mrs. Sinclair and Mrs. Henderson had met at book club and bonded over having two boys close in age. In the process of getting to know one another, Mrs. Henderson had revealed all these things to her first friend in Hawkins.

“You boys are all so full of love,” Mrs. Sinclair says with a soft chuckle, ignoring Lucas’ embarrassed protest, “Mom!” 

“I know your mothers raised you to be good boys,” she reminds, and she looks at Will, then at Mike. Her brown eyes seem to gaze right into Mike’s heart and soul, and suddenly, he feels so, so guilty. “You’re lucky to have families and friends who love you, so how about tonight, you show the same kind of love to Dustin?”

“Okay, Mrs. Sinclair,” Will says without hesitation. 

Lucas chimes in, “Yes, Mom.”

Mike’s response isn’t immediate. He thinks about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and late night movie nights with his mom as a kid. He thinks about a swing set and the terrified feeling of asking Will to be his friend on the first day of kindergarten. He thinks of Lucas boldly walking up to them in first grade and talking about their mutual love for X-Men. He thinks of Nancy’s fierce protectiveness hidden underneath their typical bickering.

Mike Wheeler has a lot of love in his life. 

More than enough to share.

“You bet, Mrs. Sinclair,” he says, just as the doorbell rings. Mike flashes a grin at his friend’s mom and jumps to his feet. “Come on, you guys. You think Dustin will like D&D?”

four.

To Eleven.

From Mike.

From Mike.

From Mike.

From Mike.

From. From. From.

Not love.

From.

God, Mike Wheeler may be smart, but he’s also really, really fucking dumb.

Look. It’s… not that he doesn’t love El. Of course, he loves El; she’s his girlfriend! And he’s known that he’s loved El for a long, long time now. Even back before everything went to shit with the return of the Mind Flayer and Hopper’s death and stupid Mrs. Byers taking not only El but Will away from him—

Whoa. He needs to chill. It’s not Mrs. Byers’ fault, and Mike can’t blame her for moving her family out of Hawkins. (Even if he sort of does.)

Obviously, Mike loves El, even if it’s really, really difficult to say it. It’s kind of ironic, actually, that he’s so damn bad at saying how he feels about the people in his life. As the Party’s Dungeon Master, normally Mike is great with words. He’s a master storyteller. He loves crafting stories and using his words to articulate just what should be felt by everyone in that very moment. Just like Dustin is a whiz with numbers and math, Mike’s a whiz with words.

Except then sometimes, he says really stupid shit he doesn’t mean. Shit like, It’s not my fault you don’t like girls! to his best friend in the entire world. Or shit like, From Mike, on apparently every goddamn letter to his girlfriend.

But Mike loves El. Even if he doesn’t say it.

(Right?

Right.

He’ll get around to saying how he really feels… to El, to Will… to everyone. Eventually.)

Except now, the universe has decided to fuck with all of them again, as if they haven’t already been through fucking enough. As if Mike doesn’t wake up with strangled sobs stuck in the back of his throat and tears in his eyes because of yet another dream of Will’s dead body being pulled out of the quarry, or El vanishing into thin air thanks to the Demogorgon, or the Mind Flayer attacking all his friends while stupid, pathetic Mike can only watch. No, no, the universe really just loves to make him—make all of them—so fucking miserable.

El is gone before he can even really say goodbye. She “has to become a superhero again.” 

From El.

From Mike.

What a pair they are.

And yeah, to make matters even better, Hawkins is in danger. Again. Mike is thousands of miles from home, and his family and friends are in danger because the stupid fucking Upside Down doesn’t want to take a goddamn hint. He has no idea what they’re up against or if his friends and family are safe. There’s no safe way to get a hold of them, and the feeling of uselessness settles deep in his bones as it truly sets in that he can’t protect the people he loves.

(Loves. 

From Mike.

Love Mike.

Why can’t he just tell people how he feels?

You know why, that nagging voice in the back of his mind whispers, and Mike does his best to tune it out.)

The next thing Mike knows, he’s in the back of some stoner’s disgusting van with a dead secret agent man bleeding out in his arms. El’s in danger, they’re fugitives, and Hawkins is royally fucked. All in a day’s work for Mike Wheeler.

God. When did his life get so fucked up? He misses the days when the worst things he had to deal with with Troy and all his stupid cronies, not Russians and government agents and interdimensional monsters.

At the very least, Mike has Will with him, and it’s… nice. It’s also different, but that’s probably because they haven’t seen (or talked) to each other much at all over the past several months. Mike’s partially (alright, mostly ) to blame for that, and God, there are a dozen different explanations that he can’t even begin to try and explain or unpack, especially right now. All he knows is that he really did miss Will Byers, and different as it may be between them, Mike’s damn glad his best friend is here with him.

Somehow, by sheer dumb luck or maybe a bit of divine intervention (shoutout to Suzie), they find El. And yeah, the last time they saw each other, they’d fought like they never had before, but that doesn’t stop Mike from hugging her like she’s the last damn person on the earth.

I love you, he thinks to himself, and he knows he means it. I love you so much.

Owens’ team flies them into Hawkins, coincidentally as things are ramping up against this year’s resident bad guy. They reunite with the entire party, and though Mike’s never been religious, he has to thank someone out there for keeping Nancy safe. Apparently, she had gotten way too close to certain death for anyone’s liking, only to be saved by the combined efforts of Steve, Robin, and Eddie, of all people.

Dustin catches all of them up on who they’re up against. The Party calls him Vecna, which actually would be awesome if this were a D&D game and not real life where Mike could lose all of his friends to some demonic, twisted psychopath. Apparently, this creep targets people with trauma, which is just real fucking great, because Mike’s party has tons of trauma.

El has tons of trauma. Will does too.

(This is Mike’s worst living nightmare come to life, and he wants to be sick.)

But luckily, El has her powers back and the team is reunited, so very quickly, the team gets to work to prepare themselves for Vecna’s next attack. They break out into little groups, with each person preparing in their own different way for what comes next.

Somehow, though he wants to, Mike can’t bring himself to go over to El and talk to her. He should apologize; God, he needs to apologize. He’s been such an ass to his girlfriend, and she deserves better. He needs to just come out and say the truth.

Mike loves El. Really, he does. 

So, why can’t he say it?

With a frustrated groan, Mike turns away and walks in the opposite direction like the coward he is. Nancy stands a few feet away from him, loading ammo into her guns, so Mike ambles up to her and softly says, “Hey.”

His big sister looks up, her expression softening. “Hey.”

“You doing okay?”

“As okay as I can be,” Nancy says with a shrug. There’s a faraway look in her eyes, and Mike’s no idiot. She’s obviously not okay, so he reaches over and pulls her into a hug.

“I’m glad you’re not dead,” he mumbles, and that comment earns him a watery laugh from Nancy.

“I’m glad you’re not dead too,” she says once they’ve pulled away. Clearing her throat, she turns back to her guns and ammo and murmurs, “Let’s try and keep it that way.”

Mike merely nods in agreement, and silence settles over the two of them. In the background, he can hear Dustin and Steve bickering (surprise, surprise), and Max and El quietly catching up. The others all seem to be doing their own thing, though he thinks he hears Jonathan and Will quietly talking to one another too.

Probably figuring out a game plan for if Will is targeted, Mike realizes with a shudder. God. He doesn’t want to think about that. He needs to change the subject in his mind, so—

“How did you know you loved Jonathan?” Mike blurts out, and God, he feels like an idiot. Sure, the fate of the world is left in the hands of a handful of teenagers yet again, and he’s over here asking his big sister about love. God, he’s an idiot.

Nancy just blinks, her hands paused mid-reach for more ammunition. “What?”

The surprised but still scrutinizing look on his older sister’s face is enough to make Mike’s cheeks go warm, and he looks back down quickly, suddenly embarrassed. “Nothing,” he mutters. “Never mind.”

“Mike.” Suddenly, Nancy’s hand is on his shoulder, and Mike can’t help but look up, meeting his sister’s curious gaze. “What’s going on?”

“I…” Mike swallows the lump in his throat, once again staring at the table in front of them. “El and I got into a fight… before all this started. Like… a bad one.”

One I don’t know if we can come back from.

“Oh, Mike,” Nancy says sympathetically, squeezing his shoulder gently. “It’ll be okay. Once all this is over, you guys will work things out.”

“I couldn’t tell her I loved her,” Mike blurts out again, and God, he’s gotta stop doing that. But he forces himself to look up at his sister. He deserves her ashamed look. He’s been a shitty boyfriend and friend right now.

Friends don’t lie.

But instead of the ashamed look, Nancy merely seems surprised. She purses her lips together, as if thinking, and she casts a glance in Jonathan’s direction. Much like Nancy and Mike, Jonathan and Will are standing close together, and Jonathan’s arm is protectively around his little brother. Will looks distressed, though he seems to be trying to hide it, and it reminds Mike far, far too much of that fall when the Mind Flayer first attacked.

“It snuck up on me,” Nancy says softly. Mike blinks, looking up at her in confusion, so she clarifies, “You asked how I knew I loved Jonathan. Well… it snuck up on me. For the longest time, I… I thought he was just a good friend. Someone I liked being around and that I could be myself around. Someone who brought out the best in me. But then, we kept getting thrown into these insane situations together, and suddenly, it was like… he was just part of me. Someone I can’t imagine my life without. And not in the weird, codependent way just… I don’t know. When I imagine my life and my future, he’s in it. And anytime that… that future together is in danger, it’s like nothing else matters. Like I have to make sure he’s okay… that we’re okay. Because no matter what else happens, as long as that’s true, I know we’ll figure it out. Together.”

There’s a soft sort of fondness in Nancy’s voice, and Mike glances at his sister, following her gaze back over to the Byers brothers. Neither Jonathan nor Will have noticed their staring, and for that, Mike is glad. After all, he’s not sure how he would explain the flush on his cheeks when he doesn’t even know why it’s there.

“I’m glad you have him,” Mike says finally, turning to look at Nancy directly now.

Nancy turns to face him too, and there’s a curious but not unkind look in her eyes. “I’m glad you do too, Mike,” she says softly. “And hey… about this El stuff… you’ll figure it out eventually. You’re a smart kid.”

“Not a kid anymore,” he reminds, rolling his eyes.

“Please,” Nancy scoffs. “You’ll always be a kid in my mind. Now come on. I need to finish this.”

**

Later, Mike gets it. 

He gets it when he finally witnesses Vecna’s curse right before his very eyes, and his heart is pounding so hard that he thinks it might burst right out of his chest. There’s so much happening at once, and God, so many people he loves and cares about are in danger but—

But Mike can only see Will.

Will, whose eyes are rolled back in his head, reminding Mike far too much of two years ago when the fucking Mind Flayer had Will under its control. Will, who is caught so deeply in Vecna’s trance that he’s not reacting at all to Mike, even though Mike is shaking him and screaming and crying because fuck, he can’t lose him, he can’t lose him, he can’t lose Will—

“Get a fucking walkman!” Jonathan is screaming at somebody, anybody, except everybody else is busy fighting the fucking demobats or trying to keep others safe from Vecna. He’s gotten powerful, far too powerful, and even though El is putting up a damn good fight, for once, Mike doesn’t know if it’ll be enough.

(You have to trust me, she’d whispered, in the short conversation they had finally gotten to have just hours before. 

I do trust you, Mike had promised. Of course, I trust you, El!

Like you love me?

He didn't have the right words to say in that moment. He never does. And so, El had kissed him gently and smiled that sad little smile of hers.

And it had felt like goodbye.)

The next thing he knows, Will is moving out of his arms and fucking levitating, and thank God  Jonathan managed to somehow find a Walkman after his had been broken and somehow gotten it onto Will in just the nick of time. But despite Jonathan blasting the music so loud Mike thinks he might even hear it, Will floats higher and higher, and fuck, fuck, fuck, Mike is going to lose him, he’s actually going to lose him, and there’s no amount of words to describe how fucking terrified he is right now. He can’t lose Will. He can’t lose any of his friends or his family, but this is Will. His best friend in the entire fucking world. He can’t imagine a world without Will Byers in it.

“Will, please,” Mike croaks, helpless to do anything but watch as his best friend stays levitating several feet above the air.

“It’s not working!” Jonathan’s voice is hoarse and panicked. “Why isn’t it working? God, why isn’t this working?!”

Mike is going a bit crazy, because he probably can’t hear the familiar guitar chords of Should I Stay or Should I Go —not over the sounds of his friends battling the Upside Down creatures, at least. But the song should work, because it’s been Will’s favorite since forever, and God, why isn’t it working?

A cassette on the ground catches Mike’s eye.

The Cure.

Mike is definitely going crazy.

Because he grabs the cassette in a mad scramble and rips the walkman from Jonathan, and he all but tears the one inside out of the walkman, throwing it aside. If he’s wrong about this, he’s doomed Will to a horrific death. He can’t be wrong.

Mike puts the cassette in. Turns up the volume all the way. And waits.

“Come on, Will,” he says. “Please. Please keep fighting. Please, Will. Come on, come on, come on!”

Mike’s not sure how much time passes. Maybe an eternity. Maybe a few seconds. But then suddenly, Will comes crashing back to earth, landing right next to Mike with a strangled groan, and Mike can’t even deny the sob that escapes his mouth. 

He throws himself at Will without hesitation, and he hugs him as tightly as he can. Will’s a sobbing mess, and Mike’s crying too. He doesn’t care because Will’s alive. Will’s still here with him.

The world around them has descended into full on chaos, but somehow, Mike manages to look up from Will’s shoulder and catch Nancy’s eye. That curious, almost knowing look on her face has returned, and she offers Mike a tiny smile.

Suddenly, it was like… he was just part of me. Someone I can’t imagine my life without, Nancy’s words echo in his mind.

And Mike gets it.

five.

There’s something Mike Wheeler needs to say, but before he does, there’s someone he needs to talk to.

He’s nearly sixteen now, but God, he feels so much older. The past four years have been hell, almost literally. It’s a miracle he’s still alive—that any of them are still alive—but hey, they are. And as far as Mike is concerned, he’ll take what good the universe gives him with an open hand.

He drives over to the Byers-Hopper household on a snowy Saturday in January, much to his mother’s chagrin. Technically, he shouldn’t be driving on his own, but nobody tends to care in Hawkins. But still, his mom doesn’t like the idea of him driving when the weather’s bad. Mike doesn’t have the heart to tell her he’s faced far worse than some slick roads. How embarrassing would it be to have gone against Demogorgons and demodogs and Vecna and the literal Upside Down itself then get taken out by some snow and ice .

El would kill him.

The drive to the Byers-Hopper home is a familiar one that he’s made several times since getting his permit (and a few times before then, but don’t tell Hopper). After their defeat of Vecna and Hopper’s miraculous return, it just made most sense for the two families to start living together. El had already gotten used to living with the Byers, and Mrs. Byers and Hopper were definitely very close… so, yeah. They all moved back to Hawkins, allowing the entire party to plan out their next moves in between Vecna’s defeat and the rise of another baddie.

Sure enough, it turns out, defeating the “five-star general” of the Upside Down attracts the Big Bad, aka the Upside Down itself. Yeah, the strange another dimension that’s the home of monsters who have tormented them for years? It’s an entity in it of itself. Go figure.

Thanksgiving brings the final battle against all this shit. Against the Upside Down itself. It feels fitting that the end happens right around the same time it all began —just four years later. Somehow, their plucky band of three adults, four college kids, six high schoolers, and one middle schooler manage to defeat this interdimensional cosmic entity. How the fuck they did it? Honestly, Mike’s still trying to wrap his mind around that.

Better not to ask questions though, lest the universe try and change its mind.

And so, everyone was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and actually enjoy Christmas with their families. No more monsters, no more prying government agencies (turns out, saving the world from an entity hellbent on destroying life as you know it is a great bargaining chip), and no more Russians. Just a Christmas ham and mashed potatoes and presents, and quality time with the people he loves.

School starts back up again in just a few days, and Mike’s definitely not looking forward to it. He’s due to take his ACTs and SATs again in the spring because his practice scores weren’t that great in the fall, and his dad had been less than pleased. Sophomore year seems to be the hardest yet in terms of classes, and the fact that his friends are all busy with part-time jobs or clubs or sports does not leave a lot of time to spend together. 

At the end of the day, though, the Party still sticks together, no matter what. And for that, Mike is grateful.

Before he knows it, he’s pulling into the familiar driveway of the Byers-Hopper household. Jonathan, who’s home on break from college, answers the door when Mike knocks, and he mentions that Will’s still at work, which… Mike definitely knew already. But that’s okay. He’s not here for Will.

(Not yet, anyways.)

Instead, he walks the steps up to El’s room and lightly knocks on the door. There’s a beat, then: “Come in!”

“Hey,” Mike says with a small smile. 

El looks up from the book she’s reading, and she grins back at him. “Hey.”

“Little Women,” Mike comments, taking a seat at the foot of his friend’s bed. “That’s one of Nancy’s favorites.”

“She recommended it to me,” El agrees. “I like it so far.”

“Not your favorite though?”

“Nah.” El shrugs, then gives him that wry, very El smile. “Don’t tell her though.”

“My lips are sealed,” Mike promises. 

“Friends don’t lie,” El muses, “but brothers definitely do.”

“I heard that!” Jonathan yells from down the hall, and both El and Mike just laugh.

A comfortable silence settles over the two of them, and Mike leans back onto El’s bed, staring above him. Will’s painted constellations up on the ceiling, per El’s request. Apparently, the two had often gone stargazing during their year in California, and Will had taught El all the constellations he knew. Picturing that warms Mike’s heart, and he just smiles.

“I love you,” he says softly, turning to look at his best friend.

El raises an eyebrow. There’s a curious look on her face, and she tilts her head. “Do you?”

“Yeah,” Mike says, and he sits up, so he can see her more clearly. “I know we’ve talked about this, sort of… but I had to make sure you knew. I love you. Always have, and always will.”

He means it—truly, he does mean it. But El knows him too well, and so she knows exactly what Mike is trying to say. “But not like that,” she says, and she doesn’t seem sad. They’ve been broken up for nearly a year now, after all.

“But not like that,” Mike agrees, and El gives him another smile—small and a little bittersweet.

“Different kinds of love,” El murmurs.

“Exactly,” Mike whispers back, because he gets it now… or at least he thinks he does. He’s not even sixteen, so he doesn’t have it all figured out… but he thinks he’s starting to get it. “Like… my mom. The love I have for her is different from the love I have for Nancy and for Holly… and that’s different from the love I have for Lucas and Dustin and Max. Then that love’s different than the kind I have for you, and—

“And Will?” El smirks at him. Heat rises on his cheeks. She’s always known Mike too well.

“He’s my best friend,” Mike says, trying for a nonchalant shrug. “For as long as I can remember, it’s always been me and Will. Will and me. Like… as long as I had Will, I knew I’d be okay. And… I don’t… I don’t know what that says about me or-or… or what it means—”

“Friends don’t lie, Mike,” El reminds gently, and she reaches out to put her hand on his. “It’s okay.”

The heat on his cheeks is almost unbearable now, but Mike can’t bring himself to look away. “I love him,” he admits, soft enough that he can barely hear himself. The way I thought I loved you.

El just smiles. “I know,” she says, nodding slightly. She takes Mike’s hand and squeezes it. Then, with the most genuine look on her face, she leans forward and kisses Mike’s cheek. “I love you too, Mike.”

It feels a lot like deja vu—like that moment before they fought Vecna and El had kissed him. 

It feels a lot like saying goodbye. Like letting go. 

But it also feels like acceptance. Like a new beginning. Like a promise. 

A promise that no matter what, Mike will always have a special place in El’s heart, and El in his. That the two of them will always love each other—even if it’s not in the way they once thought they did.

“I should go,” Mike says softly, and he gives her a smile of his own. “I, ah… am supposed to be meeting someone in a little bit.”

El grins—a shit-eating, very Max-like grin—and Mike wants to groan. “Have fun,” she teases in a sing-song voice as Mike stands and walks to the door. “Tell Will I say hi!”

Mike just flips her off on his way out.

** 

Mike makes it to the new and improved Castle Byers about fifteen minutes before Will does.

The little fort was their summer project, and it had been so fun to make. At Mike’s instance, they had resurrected the little fort from their childhood and built a new fort on the Byers-Hoppers property. With Dustin’s help, they’ve made it slightly more waterproof, and because they’re all growing teenagers, the fort they build is much larger than the original Castle Byers. Everyone from the Party joins in with the building and Jonathan, Nancy, Steve, and Robin do too, but in the end, it’s Will and Mike who spend the most time on it.

Rebuilding Castle Byers feels a bit like reclaiming the lost pieces of their innocence and childhood, and it feels a lot like coming home. 

(Being with Will feels a lot like coming home, the more Mike thinks about it.)

“Hey,” Will says breathlessly. His cheeks are rosy from the cold, and there’s a bright smile on his face. “Sorry I’m late!”

“Is that hot chocolate?” Mike asks, eyeing the thermoses in Will’s hands. 

“Obviously.” Will grins, taking a seat on the chair next to Mike. There’s not much furniture in the new Castle Byers, so it’s a tight squeeze, but Mike doesn’t mind. 

“You’re forgiven,” Mike decides, and he flashes his best friend a grateful smile, taking the thermos of hot cocoa. “How was work?”

“Busy,” Will groans. “Everyone’s still returning stuff from Christmas. It’s like, why even buy this stuff if you’re just going to return it?”

Mike shrugs. “Maybe their kids didn’t like their presents. I know my mom had to return some things when I was little.”

“Oh to be rich and have the luxury of returning your gifts,” Will teases. “Silly parents for getting the wrong toys for Mike Wheeler.”

“You’ve been spending way too much time with Jonathan,” Mike grumbles, and he shoves the other boy lightly as Will just laughs. “Shut up.”

“You know I’m kidding.” Will rolls his eyes, but there’s a fond smile on his face. “I’m pretty sure I ended up getting a decent amount of those toys you didn’t like.”

Mike grins, bumping his shoulder against his best friend’s. “What’s mine was yours,” he recalls. “Even if I didn’t really like it, I knew you might.”

Will just bumps his shoulder back. There’s a small smile on his face, and for a moment, both of them are quiet, content to just be with each other. The world seems far, far away, and it’s so quiet, save for the gentle rustling of the trees in the wind and the sound of Mike’s own heart racing.

“So,” Will says, clearing his throat and looking away. “You said you wanted to talk about something?”

“Oh.” Mike feels his cheeks heat up, and he nods. “Right. Yeah, um… I… did.”

Will glances up. There’s a teasing smirk on his face. “Well?”

And see, here’s the thing.

Mike Wheeler is normally good with words. English classes are almost always his strong suit, and he gets great feedback on his essays. He’s the Party’s Dungeon Master, and somehow, he knows what to say to get people to listen to him. Mike normally has a way with words. 

But somehow, he can’t figure out the damn words to say to his best friend of ten years, who Mike also may or may not be completely in love with. Yeah. There’s not exactly a guidebook on what words to say in this situation.

But luckily, Mike Wheeler is also a man of action. He’s never been one to sit on his ass and just let life happen to him. He’d rather get up, make a plan, and tackle something head-on with his friends beside him. 

So, sitting here, in a little fort in the woods with his best friend in the entire world, Mike Wheeler does the only thing he can think of doing.

He kisses Will Byers.

He kisses William fucking Byers.

(Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, is the only thought running through Mike’s mind.)

He pulls back after only a few brief moments and meets Will’s eyes. His best friend looks completely stunned but not upset, so that’s good. And finally, Mike’s brain catches up to him.

“I love you,” Mike blurts out. Somehow, Will’s eyes get even wider. “Not… not just as my best friend and… and not just like… someone I have feelings for.”

(Because it’s bigger than that, isn’t it? It’s a different type of love entirely. Not just friendship, not just romance. Just… Mike and Will.)

“You’re my favorite person to be around,” Mike says, his voice quiet. “And I… I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you in it. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the best thing I’ve ever done is ask you to be my friend in kindergarten. You’re my person, Will, not that stupid, cheesy, you complete me kind of way, but… you make me better. Like when we’re a team and working together, everything just feels right, and I… I know we’re always supposed to be together, you know?”

There’s a certain sort of softness in Will’s eyes, and a slow smile spreads across his face. He blinks back tears, nodding slightly at Mike. “Yeah,” he whispers back, reaching for Mike’s hand. “I think I do.”

And then, Will’s lips are on his again, and this time, Will is kissing Mike. And Mike can feel it—all the years of friendship and laughter and joy and love that the two of them have built up over the years. The closeness of this bond and this love they have for one another—something so, so different from any of the other types of love that Mike has experienced but something so, so right. 

Love is chapped lips and the chill of January air out in the forest. Love is fighting alongside one another against monsters from another dimension and crazy government cronies and Russian villains like they’re in some chaotic 80s show or movie. Love is years of laughter and memories spent together with board games and movies and more sleepovers than either of them can count. Love is the simple yes to the question of do you want to be my friend? asked over a decade ago.

“I love you too,” Will whispers once the two of them have pulled away. He’s breathless and his cheeks are flushed, but he’s beaming from ear to ear. And God, Mike loves him. 

Mike Wheeler loves Will Byers, and in this moment, he thinks he understands more about what love is than he ever has before.