Archive of Our Own

Will could see the dark freckles splattered across Mike’s pale face, dancing along his nose and cheeks like the stars in the night sky. He wished he could breathe in the stardust that created Mike. Maybe then he’d have a part of Mike with him always. It was almost September, and the end of summer was crashing down faster than the waves onto the sand. They were at the beach, standing on the pier, paying no attention to the setting sun. At that moment, it was just them. Will’s back was pressed against the old salt-worn wood and his hands were in the back pockets of Mike’s jeans. They shared cranberry kisses under strawberry skies, soaking in each other, enjoying the last fleeting days of summer before Mike had to go home to Hawkins.

“California is going to be cold without you,” Will murmured softly.

Mike pressed his cold nose to Will’s warm cheek. Will closed his eyes as Mike said, “I’m with you always, Will. Think of me and you’ll be warm.”

Hawkins, Indiana was hot, and not in a good way. The heat had a way of sticking to you. It made your skin feel like it was slowly melting off, leaving you with nothing to protect you from the sun’s wrath. California was hot too but not like this. The heat there wasn’t oppressive. It didn’t suffocate you. It felt freeing, almost.

California was freeing.

The four years Will lived there were the best of his life. He was far from the reminders of the upside-down which eased his mind but more importantly, his family was happy—he was happy. For the first time, Will felt like he didn’t have to hide. In California he was free.

In Hawkins, he wasn’t. Being in Hawkins for the first time since that summer brought back feelings of dread that he tried to swallow down. He took his sister’s hand in his and squeezed it. Eleven squeezed his hand back, offering a small smile. He didn’t have to ask to know how she felt. It was obvious the dread was creeping up in the back of her mind too. The two of them didn’t have to speak to know how the other felt. If this was a science fiction novel, Will would say they had a telepathic connection. They didn’t talk about the way they could have full conversations without ever opening their mouths. Having that connection with Eleven was a comfort though and was something he found himself desperately clinging to now they were back here.

They were only here for two weeks. The Hawkins High graduation ceremony was in two days and Dustin and Lucas practically begged Will to come. He would’ve said no but his friends made him feel guilty for not seeing them in almost two years. They would’ve gone to his graduation but his ceremony was a week ago and there was no way he’d let his friends miss their finals.

So, here the Hopper-Byers family was, back in Hawkins for what would probably be the longest two weeks of Will’s life.

They were staying in Hopper’s cabin. It was recently renovated with the intention of being sold. It was as if the last tie they all had to Hawkins would finally be severed. Will couldn’t wait.

The renovation made the old cabin look unrecognizable. There were two new bedrooms, one for Joyce and Hopper and one for Will. Eleven’s old room was updated and she even had her own bathroom now. (It was important for a teenage girl to have her own bathroom their mom had said, giving Eleven a wink. It made Eleven and Will roll their eyes). The old cabin was still tiny and not as nice as their house back home but it would do. Will could survive here. Maybe he’d even thrive.

The next day was filled with a whirlwind of events and social gatherings and reunions. It was barely 9 a.m. when there was a knock on the door and very familiar voices were heard from outside. Eleven opened the door and before she could even say hello she was tackled by a red-headed girl and squeezed until she couldn’t breathe.

“Max!” She finally wheezed when Max let her go. Dustin and Lucas were behind her, hugging Eleven and then coming inside.

“Byers!” They both yelled as if they rehearsed it and then they pulled Will into such a crushing hug he couldn’t feel his sides. Will hugged them back as tightly as he could. Hour-long phone calls and four-page letters were a sorry replacement for his closest friends.

“I missed you guys. All of you. I’m sorry I didn’t come to visit over spring break.”

Dustin smiled, “It’s alright. But you did miss a crazy D&D campaign. You would’ve loved it!” He wrapped his arm around Will’s shoulders, pulling Will to his side.

“Henderson, stop hogging him!” Lucas pushed Dustin’s arm off Will’s shoulder and pulled Will closer to him. “First, I’d just like to say I missed you more than Dustin and Max combined-"

Max let out a snort.

“-And second, it’s okay man. Mike told us you guys had a… a falling out. We understand you probably wanted space.”

Is that what Mike called it? At least his friends were sympathetic. Still, Will wanted to talk about literally anything else and felt immediate relief when Max suggested they go see a movie.

They arrived at the movie theater without knowing what they wanted to see. The next showing was for some romantic comedy that looked cheesy as hell but they thought it would be fun to see anyway.

Will hardly paid much attention to what was happening. He accidentally dropped his popcorn on Dustin’s lap which caused his friend to throw an M&M in his face. Before he knew it, the five of them were throwing their snacks at each other in the empty theater. It was a mini food fight. The only part of the movie that did catch Will’s attention was the scene where the main characters were reunited at an airport. He watched as the characters slowly drifted towards each other and then hugged, gripping each other as if the world depended on it. When they pulled back, they stared at each other, smiles on their faces. When they kissed, Will sucked in a breath and looked away. The scene was almost too familiar and brought back memories he tried his hardest to forget.

Will was sitting in the airport. After doing this countless other times it felt like a typical Friday morning. Mike was flying in from Hawkins to spend the summer there like he had the summers and spring breaks before. Usually, Will didn’t pick him up alone. The other summers Jonathan and Eleven were there, all waiting to welcome Mike and, on the rare occasion, Nancy. Will didn’t mind being alone now. In fact, he was happy to be picking up Mike alone. The others would be here if they could be but Jonathan and Nancy were busy shopping for a new home, finally moving out of the small apartment they bought when they got married six months ago; Eleven tried to come but her boss—the only thing worse than the Demogorgon they joked—refused to give her the day off even though she told him about this months in advance.

Will didn’t have to wait long until he saw a mass of black hair bobbing in the crowd and Will just knew. He stood up and started walking toward his friend.

Before this moment, he expected this summer to be like any other summer. He, Mike, and Eleven would spend the days laid out on the beach and the nights counting the stars. However, the moment when Will and Mike locked eyes, the moment Mike closed the distance between them, the moment Mike pulled Will into a hug and pressed his face into Will’s neck he knew this summer would be different.

In the car, Will sat in the driver’s seat. He started the car to let the AC run but he didn’t intend on going anywhere, not yet at least. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for but something told him to sit there for a while.

So sit there they did. Will looked at Mike and took him in. Bright blue sunglasses were pushed up on his head and getting lost in the tangle of curls. The dark curls matched his dark shirt and dark jeans. Mike looked back at him, smiling.

“It’s going to be a good summer,” Mike said as he settled into the car. “I feel it in the air.”

“The air?” Will raised his eyebrows, amused at his friend's words.

Mike nodded. “Somethings different. Can’t you feel it?”

Will nodded. He could. He felt it when they locked eyes. Something shifted. It was strange how all at once the building blocks of his world crumbled and immediately built themselves back up. He didn’t know why. He couldn’t place it but when he looked into Mike’s eyes and saw them sparkle and a soft hint of red graced his cheeks, Will knew everything was about to change.

“I’ve been thinking,” Mike took in a deep breath as if thinking over his words, “I’ve been thinking that I’d like to kiss you.”

At that, Will laughed. “That’s funny, Mike. Glad to know Hawkins hasn’t stamped out your sense of humor.”

Mike blinked at him, “I’m not joking. I really do want to. It’s like I’ve been fighting the feeling and I’m tired of it. Seeing you in the airport right now I knew it was time to stop fighting. It was time to start living—to be free.”

Still thinking Mike was joking, Will laughed again. He shook his head, “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing!” If Will hadn’t known Mike better than he knew himself he’d think the other boy was offended but he could hear the playfulness in his voice. Mike leaned his head back on the headrest, never breaking eye contact with Will, “I've just dreamed about kissing you my whole life. Kiss me.”

Will stared at him. What the fuck? Who was this and what happened to his very-much-straight best friend Mike? Mike didn’t stop looking at him. Will could tell by the look on his face that Mike was being serious and his stomach wouldn’t stop doing flips. The first thing his mind said was don’t you dare but… this summer was different. They both could feel it. So why not? Why not kiss the person he’s been in love with since forever in his car right here in the parking lot of the airport?

”Fuck it,” Will thought. He leaned forward slowly and then pressed his lips to Mike’s.

Eleven and Will were lying on his bed chatting about the movies and their friends and how they expected the next two weeks to go. When the conversation died down they laid there in silence, staring at the popcorn ceiling above them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Will could see Eleven prop herself on her elbow so she could look at him. Will refused to make eye contact with her.

“Do they know?”

“Know what?” He asked, still refusing to look at her.

“About you. About what happened with Mike.”

Will sighed and turned, finally forcing himself to meet her gaze. She smiled at him. It was soft. It was the same one she gave him every time she tried to encourage him to speak. They both promised there would be no secrets between them and that was one promise he intended to keep.

“They know about me being gay. I told them the same day I called that family meeting to spill the beans.” He turned away from her and looked back at the ceiling. “I never told them what happened last summer and it sounds like Mike didn’t either.” He paused for a moment. “It’s for the best.”

Will remembered the day he decided to tell everyone the truth about who he was. He actually decided it the moment he stepped off the plane at that California airport. There was something about the rolling hills and bright blue sky that made Will want to stop hiding. They came here to walk away from the hurt and pain they experienced. They came here to start new.

There had to be something in the air, Will thought because the moment that fresh California air hit his lungs he decided he was going to start being the person he knew he could be. No longer was he the boy who cried himself to sleep and was spooked by any strange noise. He was no longer the boy who hid who he was in order to be perceived as normal. Starting now, he was going to start fresh. He was going to be free.

It ended up taking a week for him to finally have the chance to tell them. Every moment was spent unpacking boxes and moving furniture around. They didn’t stop until the new house truly felt like home.

His mother, stepfather, brother, and stepsister sat on the couch. They were all looking at Will. Their faces were a mix of confusion and worry since he called a family meeting out of the blue. Staring at their faces made him pause. Suddenly the words died in his throat. He shook the feeling away. He just needed to say it.

“I’m just going to come out with it. I don’t like girls. I like boys. I’m gay.”

In the darkest parts of his mind, Will had imagined his family turning away in disgust, kicking him out, calling him every nasty term they could think of. That’s not what happened though. He was met with a chorus of “That’s great, Will.” “It was very brave for you to tell us.” “We love you so much.”

He wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t. But then Jonathan stood up and pulled him in for a hug and soon he was followed by Eleven and then Joyce and then Hopper. They stayed like that, one giant group hug in the middle of the living room, and Will couldn’t stop the tears that escaped his eyes. He felt so happy. He felt so loved.

“So kid just wanted to warn you. When you bring your first boyfriend home I’m going to show him my gun collection and let him know that if he ever breaks your heart, he’s going to get to know my guns very well.” Hopper smiled at him in his weird yet caring way. Will still couldn’t help but groan in embarrassment.

“Dad, please don’t ever do that—”

Hopper just laughed and Joyce gave her husband an amused yet affectionate shake of the head.

The hard part was over. Now he just had to tell his friends.

Will walked over to the phone on the wall and stared at it. Slowly he reached out and grabbed it, calling Dustin then Lucas, and then Mike. Once they were all on the call, Will cleared his throat. “I didn’t call only because I miss you guys and I do, I really do. But I had something I wanted to tell you.”

All of them stayed silent and Will took that as his cue to continue on. “I wanted to tell you guys that I’m… that I like boys. I’m gay.”

There was nothing but the static of the phone line as his friends stayed silent. The seconds felt like an eternity and Will felt like he was sinking. He tried telling himself that if they reacted badly it was fine because they were a thousand miles away and for all he knows he might never see them again so who cares if they hate him now. That didn’t calm the churning in his stomach. He wanted his friends to accept him. They were some of the most important people in his life even with the distance. He couldn’t lose them.

“That’s really cool, man. I’m proud of you for telling us.” Hearing Lucas say that instantly calmed Will’s nerves.

“I’m proud of you too,” Dustin said, “I'm glad you told us.”

Will let out a sigh of relief. He felt so much better knowing Lucas and Dustin were supportive and even proud. It was Mike’s silence though that was preventing Will from calming down completely. As much as he loved Dustin and Lucas, it was Mike’s reaction he was the most scared of because Mike… well… he couldn’t live without Mike in his life. Mike who was all freckles and pale skin, whose features Will had memorized over and over again. Mike who stayed by his side while Will was possessed by the Mind Flayer and slowly lost himself. Mike who stole Will’s heart the day he asked Will to be his friend and still wasn’t sure how to ask for it back.

“You… like boys?” Mike finally asked. He spoke slowly as if letting the thought settle in his mind.

“Yeah. I do. I’m sorry for not telling you guys before. For the longest time, I was scared. I felt like, in Hawkins, I couldn’t be myself. The town was too small and the eyes and gossip of everyone followed me everywhere. I felt like I had to be what the town expected but here, I don’t feel that way. Here I feel free. Here I am free. So yeah. Boys.”

There was silence again until Mike finally, finally said, “I’m really happy for you, Will. You deserve to be free.”

Eleven let out a small noise and Will was snapped out of the memory. He wondered what that sound meant. He didn’t let himself look at her.

“You can’t avoid Mike forever. What about tomorrow? I know it’s Dustin, Lucas, and Max’s graduation but it’s his graduation too. What if you run into him?”

Will groaned, “I’ll use you as a shield so he doesn’t see me.”

She let out a short unamused laugh, “You’ll have to talk to him eventually.”

“I have nothing to say to him.”

Even though he still refused to meet her gaze, he could tell she was rolling her eyes.

The graduation was bittersweet. Will felt nothing but pride and affection as he heard the names of his best friends called and watched them cross the stage. He and his family cheered and yelled for each one of them. Once the ceremony was over he found them quickly, pulling Lucas, Dustin, and Max in for a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you guys.” He said.

“I’m even prouder,” Eleven said, coming up from behind and pulling Max in for a long hug.

“We’re all glad you’re both here. It feels good to have the party back together.” Dustin was smiling but the rest were silent. They were standing in a circle but there was a small gap as if saving room for someone else. For Mike. He was there at the graduation of course. Will saw his dark hair pushed down by his bright green graduation cap. He heard Mike’s name announced and watched as he stood up, walked across the stage, and shook hands with the principal. Even from this distance, Will could make out the freckles he used to trace with his fingertips. He had to tear his eyes away.

It was good to know Mike was avoiding him too.

“We already talked to him,” Max said as if knowing what Will was thinking, “His family has dinner reservations so they’re leaving pretty soon.”

Relief instantly overtook him. If he could avoid Mike today then he’d never have to see him again. He was in the clear.

Will and Eleven stayed and talked to their friends until Hopper came up to them and said it was time to go. “Before we leave, go find your brother and sister-in-law and let them know we’re heading out and that we'll see them at breakfast.”

Will nodded and headed over to where he last saw Jonathan and Nancy. They were, of course, by the snack table picking at grocery store bought finger foods.

“Jonathan!” Will called out to get his brother’s attention. Jonathan and Nancy turned around. The smiles on their faces faded as they looked at Will. The two of them shared a look that Will couldn’t figure out and then they smiled again.

“Hey kid,” Jonathan said which caused Will to roll his eyes.

“Nance,” Will said in a quick greeting, smiling at her and then looking back at Jonathan, “We’re heading out. Dad said we’d see you tomorrow at breakfast.”

Jonathan and Nancy said they’d see him tomorrow and Will was about to walk away but the sound of a cup falling and hitting the table got Will’s attention. Twelve months after the day at the airport, nine months after he went back to Hawkins, seven months after that phone call, there he was: Mike Wheeler, the boy made of stardust, awkwardly trying to stop the flow of juice from his dropped cup. Will needed to walk away. He needed to leave. He could pretend like Mike wasn’t two feet away and Will could go the rest of his life never hearing his voice again. Before he could make his retreat, Mike looked up. Their eyes met and Will felt all the air escape his lungs. It wasn’t fair, Will thought, how Mike somehow became even more handsome in the last year.

“Oh uh, hey,” Mike said. His face was unreadable.

“Hey,” Will said.

So much for avoiding Mike for the rest of his life. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew he could hear Eleven saying “Told you so.”

Will felt frozen there for a moment as he and Mike stared at each other. He felt like he should say something but Mike didn’t deserve anything from him.

“I uh… yeah.” Will said lamely. He gave Jonathan and Nancy one last glance before walking away.

Will felt like he couldn’t get to the car fast enough. His parents were already in the car running the AC and Eleven was standing by the car door saying one last goodbye to Max. Will slipped into his seat behind his mother and turned to stare out the window. Frank Sinatra’s Something Stupid started fading and another song started to play as Eleven finally climbed in and put her seatbelt on. As soon as Will heard those familiar chords his stomach dropped. He wished it had been anything but this song.

The windows were down and Will felt the wind blow through his hair. He was in the passenger seat for once, Mike insisting he wanted to drive on the open California roads. Will’s parents hated that he let Mike drive the car—something about him not being on the insurance blah blah blah—but they didn’t say he couldn’t and Will enjoyed not being the one driving for once.

Mike’s left hand was on the steering wheel and his right hand was in Will’s lap, their fingers intertwined. Will rubbed his thumb against Mike’s hand, feeling the other boy's soft skin.

“You might think it's foolish, what you put me through. You might think I’m crazy, all I want is you.” Mike sang along to the song blaring on the radio and he kept looking at Will as if to emphasize the lyrics. “I’m dedicating this song to you.”

“Well, it's pointless to do that if you keep taking your eyes off the road, idiot. You’ll get us killed. Pay attention!”

Mike laughed and just kept singing along. He gave Will’s hand a squeeze and when the song was over he turned the radio down. “Where should we go? The beach?”

“We just went to the beach. We could see a movie.”

“We’ve seen every movie that’s out,” Mike sighed, “We could go to the pier that you like. The one with that diner at the end that serves awful burgers but always gives us a bowl of cranberries and strawberries.”

“But that’s on the other side of town.”

Mike shrugged. “I love wasting your parents' gas. Your dad already hates me. Why not give him more reasons to?”

Will laughed at that. Hopper never did forgive Mike for his behavior that year in 8th grade. He thought that when Eleven and Mike broke up he was finally free of Mike only for Will to bring Mike home years later and announce they were dating now. Every time Will remembered the way Hopper reacted he couldn't help but laugh.

“Okay,” Will said, “Let’s go.”

Will paced his room. The clock's red numbers read 06:23. It was stupid early but Will couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw nothing but black hair and lanky limbs and could remember the smell of cheap cologne.

It really wasn’t that bad, seeing Mike again. For some reason, Will thought it would be world-ending but it wasn’t. It felt like another meaningless interaction like saying hello to your neighbor when walking down the street. Mike always felt too big to be meaningless. For seventeen years Will thought Mike created the world itself. It was still sinking in that Mike was just another flawed human like the rest of them.

Will went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth. Breakfast was at eight so it wouldn’t be long until the house was up and getting ready. They’d be late to the restaurant, of course. The Hopper-Byers family was late to everything. Joyce usually forgot to grab her purse and had to grab her keys and lipstick and get her shoes on at the last minute. Eleven always complained they didn’t give her enough time to do her hair and that it was a crime to make her go out looking like a mess even when it was her own fault she slept in late. During the commotion of last-minute preparation, Hopper would stand at the door and yell to the house they had to hurry it up. Will loved the craziness of his family. The noise they created was comforting and he couldn’t wait for them to wake up and fill the silence.

Just like last night, today was full of surprises too. They were actually on time for breakfast and they got a table. It was Jonathan and Nancy who were late. Finally, the two walked in. Will turned his head to look at them and let out a hello only to notice a third uninvited person behind them. Panic rose in his chest. Mike. Why was he here? He told Jonathan that under no circumstances he would see Mike while they were in town. Mike wasn’t invited to any family functions even though he was technically family. Will watched as his parents stood up to hug Jonathan, Nancy, and Mike. He hated how that made him feel betrayed. Even Eleven hugged him. He stared at her, narrowing his eyes. She shrugged and smiled. Traitor, he thought. Her smile turned into a smirk, knowing what he was thinking.

Will didn’t move. It was rude not to greet them but he couldn’t force himself to play nice this morning. They all took their seats and Mike, thankfully, had the decency to sit on the opposite end of the table.

Eleven sat next to Will and took his hand under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. Her presence always relaxed him.

“You alright?” She asked quietly.

Will nodded his head, “Yeah. It’s fine. Couldn’t avoid him forever I guess.”

Breakfast seemed to drag on. The conversation never died and he thankfully wasn’t pulled into it. He tried his hardest to look anywhere but the boy at the other end of the table but his eyes were traitors and looked over. Mike was looking at him. Will quickly looked back down, blush creeping along his cheeks. He hated that, even after everything, Mike still made him feel like this.

As a child, he said Mike made him feel twitterpated. Will didn’t have a better word for it when he was seven. All he knew was that he watched too much Bambi and the scene where Thumper and Flower find their mates made him think of being with Mike and how Mike made his heart flutter and skin tingle. Will knew was very, very much twitterpated.

It wasn’t until he was thirteen and watched as his best friend and not yet step sister ditch the party to make out that he knew what the feeling truly was. It was love.

Will watched as Jonathan and Nancy held hands under the table and pressed kisses to each other's cheeks. Will watched as his parents shared fond smiles and picked off each other’s plates. The love they had for each other radiated off them. It made Will incredibly jealous. Will wanted that. He wanted to have someone that he could mindlessly steal food off their plate and absentmindedly press kisses to their cheek. Twelve months ago he thought he had that with Mike. Twelve months ago he thought Mike loved him. Turned out he was wrong.

Will took the long way home from the airport. There was no rush to get home, especially when all he wanted to do was hold Mike’s hand as he drove, listen to music, and simply exist in Mike’s presence. When they pulled up into the driveway Will put the car in park but neither of them made any attempt to get out of the car. Will shifted to look at Mike better. Mike, who looked at Will like he hung the stars himself, and Will felt his breath catch in his throat. The other boy leaned over and pressed his lips to Will. It was a soft, barely-there kiss, but out of the five they’ve shared since he picked up Mike less than two hours ago, this one was definitely his favorite.

“So um,” Will said awkwardly when Mike pulled away, “Does this make us boyfriends?”

Mike chuckled, his eyes lighting up like the stars that created him, “Yeah, I think so. I’d like us to be. Can we be?”

Will couldn’t stop the smile that rose on his face, “Michael Wheeler, I thought you’d never ask.”

They got out of the car and Will, like the gentleman he is, got Mike’s luggage out of the trunk for him. Mike slung his backpack over his shoulder and the two of them made their way into the house hand in hand.

As soon as they passed the threshold Will turned to Mike, placed his hand on Mike’s cheek, and kissed him. It was deeper than the quick kiss in the car and they lingered there for a moment.

“Welcome home, honey,” Will said breathlessly.

“It’s good to be home.”

They made their way up the steps and to the door down the hallway on the right. Officially, this room was the guest room but since in the four years the Hopper-Byers family had lived here the only person who ever used this room was Mike, it unofficially became Mike’s room.

Will turned the light on and placed Mike’s suitcase by the bed. Mike dropped his backpack on the ground and opened the blinds, pushing the window open and letting in the fresh California air. Mike had left a few things in here over the years: a few dungeons and dragons figurines lined the dresser and some of the drawings Will made for Mike decorated the wall.

Sometimes, when Will’s dreams were haunted by blood-hungry monsters and cold parallel universes, he’d come in here. It was weird to be here during the cold months that Mike was back in Hawkins. If Will laid down on the spare bed and squeezed his eyes shut he could almost convince himself Mike was here in this room on one of his visits. The room was cold without him. The light never quite filled the room the same way when Mike wasn’t in it. Now that Mike was here though the sun seemed to celebrate his presence. The sun shined brightly throughout the room, casting out any shadows that might’ve tried to come for them.

Mike walked to Will and took his hands in his, “What are you thinking about?”

Will looked up at him, squeezing his hands. “How much this room sucks when you’re not in it.”

A soft chuckle escaped Mike’s lips, “Well I hope you don’t mind but I was hoping this room wouldn’t be used much this summer.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

They sat down for dinner. Will was in the middle of Eleven and Mike and across from them were their parents, Jonathan, and Nancy. Dinner was filled with conversation and laughter. Will and Mike tried to participate but they kept getting distracted by nudged knees and silly things being whispered.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Joyce. “You two seem very happy to be reunited.”

Twin blushes rose on both of their faces. They had been caught.

Will tore his eyes away from Mike and gave his mother a sheepish smile. “Mike and I talked and we decided we wanted to be together. Like together together.”

Jonathan and Nancy shared a knowing glance and Joyce couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m glad you two finally figured things out.”

Eleven gave them both a smile. She took Will’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently. He was about to say something to her but the sound of fists hitting the table startled them and they looked over to their left. Hopper had a grimace on his face.

“Will, I’m happy for you, I really am, but why him? Anyone but him.”

Everyone at the table started to laugh. The conversation started back up as the laughter died down. Jonathan and Nancy started to share stories of the houses they looked at and Mike begged them to get a dog.

Will turned his attention back to El. She stayed silent through all of it and it made him worry. She knew about his feelings for Mike. After she broke up with Mike, they promised each other they’d move on from him together. Will spectacularly failed at that one.

He tried his best to channel their weird telepathic bond neither could really control, “Are you okay with this?”

In the back of his head, he could hear her voice, “As long as he’s in love with you I am.”

Dustin’s car pulled up in front of their house. Will and Eleven were out the door as soon as they heard the engine stop and climbed in. Eleven took the front seat because “Girls get the front, Will,” and Will took the seat behind her.

They were off to the arcade. Will was surprised it was still in business with the success of home consoles. In all honesty, he’d rather stay home and play his Gameboy instead of going back to that arcade but this was the last time the party would be able to go there together. They couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Lucas and Max were probably there already. They never gave up the chance to get in a few extra rounds of Dig Dug and make out behind the game cabinets. When the three of them arrived, the party would be complete.

“Hey uh, Will, just wanted to give you a heads up,” Dustin said, catching Will’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Mike is going to be there.”

“What?” Will squeaked out. He was pretty sure he had said many times that Mike was not to be invited to any party outings.

“Well, it’s the last time we’ll all be there together. It wouldn’t be right if he wasn’t there.”

Will groaned. Why did it seem like Mike was haunting him here? Every step he took he thought he saw a flash of pale skin or dark hair. All he wanted was one night where he didn’t have to think about Mike. Now he had to hang out with him.

“What even happened between you guys?” Dustin asked.

So Mike really didn’t tell their friends about that summer. It wasn’t a secret but it just never came up. The original plan was to tell their friends together but the opportunity never came. Will hated keeping things from Dustin but there was no point in telling him what happened between them now. It was over. Ancient history.

Will leaned his head against the cold window. His breath caused fog to appear and he drew a sad face with his finger. “My mom always says that growing up means growing apart.” He was avoiding giving a real answer but Dustin, thankfully, didn’t call him out on it.

“You guys grew apart.” It was both a question and a statement.

Will let out a breath, “Yeah, and we grew up.”

The arcade was dark and harsh neon lights made the floor dance with greens and blues. It felt so familiar. Nothing changed in this town. Some of the game cabinets had been replaced with new ones but most of their old favorites were still plugged in and collecting dust. Max and Lucas were standing at Dig Dug; Will could hear their cheers echo through the building. For a Saturday night, the arcade was surprisingly dead. Will figured it shouldn’t be a surprise. Long gone were the days when kids had nothing better to do than waste their parent’s money on game tokens. For some reason, it made him sad.

Will did a quick scan of their surroundings—there were a few adults playing Donkey Kong and smoking cigarettes. He also noticed a few groups of teenagers hanging around looking like they’d rather be anywhere else.

Will didn’t see Mike and for a split second, he felt relief. Maybe Mike canceled. But then the familiar head of dark hair emerged from the bathroom and walked over to Max and Lucas before noticing the rest of the party had walked in. Will watched as Mike looked over Dustin and Eleven and then his eyes finally settled on Will.

Eleven seemed to notice that Will was on edge so she grabbed his elbow, “Let’s play Galaga.”

Will smiled at her, nodded, and let himself be led away. For the first part of the night, Eleven and Will stayed together with Max coming over once in a while to hang on Eleven’s shoulder and shout out pointers. Soon though all six of them were surrounding the same game. Max was only a thousand points from beating the high score. They all watched with bated breath as she played, her score reaching higher and higher until she did it. She beat the high score. Mad Max was once again number one and they all cheered.

They all patted her on the back, each one pulling her into a hug and saying congratulations. Will hugged Lucas and Eleven and then turned with his arm stretched out to give Dustin a hug. His arm fell limp to his side when he realized it wasn’t Dustin next to him, it was Mike.

Will shifted awkwardly. All the excitement he felt disappeared. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Mike gave him a small smile. “Yeah. I knew she’d do it though.”

“Me too.”

Things wrapped up pretty quickly from there. They had plans for tomorrow and suddenly Mike was invited to those too.

Will made a stop at the bathroom before leaving. After washing his hands he splashed his face with water and took a deep breath. He could handle seeing Mike again. Everything would be fine. Once he was back in California then he’d never have to see Mike again. He could survive until then.

The party had said goodbye before Will excused himself to the bathroom so he expected Lucas, Max, and Mike to have left already. What he wasn’t expecting was for Mike to be standing outside the bathroom door waiting for him.

“Hey, Will. Can we talk?”

It was the end of November and Will was looking forward to the final weeks of the semester. Christmas vacation was always his favorite. His mother started decorating for Christmas on December 1st and for the whole month, the house smelled of pine and gingerbread. The happiness he felt was often interrupted by the sadness that lingered in the back of his head. He missed his boyfriend. He missed Mike.

It’s not like they didn’t talk. They called each other at least three times a week and sent way too many letters filled with a whole lot of nothing. Phone calls and letters did little to make the thousands of miles between them feel small. Will was trying to convince Mike to come out there for Christmas break but Mike only gave him half-hearted responses to that. It bothered Will even though he tried to hide it. He hadn’t seen Mike since the first week of September and he still regretted the last in-person conversation they had at the airport. Everything felt off since and Will thought that if Mike came back he could fix it.

Will wasn’t sure what it was about this night in particular but he couldn’t relax. He watched the clock waiting for Mike to call. Mike always called on Friday nights at 8 because that’s when he got home from Hellfire Club. Usually, they talked until one of them fell asleep. However, the call at 8 never came. Will tried to swallow down the sinking feeling that rose in his stomach. There was no reason to panic. Maybe Hellfire ran late or Mike fell asleep—it was 11 p.m. in Indiana after all—but Will still couldn’t shake the feeling. He could just call Mike and find out what was up but he didn’t want to seem clingy. He could go a night without talking to his boyfriend.

He watched the clock from the couch, staring at the changing numbers as the night grew later and later. Just before it hit 9 Will stood up, having decided to finally go to bed when the phone rang. It rang once. Then twice.

Will felt frozen. He needed to answer it. Slowly, he made his way over and picked up the phone, pressing it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Will. Can we talk?” It was Mike.

“Aren’t we talking already?” Will tried to joke. Mike’s tone was off. The hint of playfulness that trailed his words wasn’t there. Will couldn’t quite place what he was picking up. It felt something like resignation.

“Yeah but I mean like,” he heard Mike suck in a breath, “Like about us. About… about what you said at the airport. I know we both said it was fine and that we could move on from it but I think that maybe we can’t. Maybe I can’t give you what you want. I can’t be the person you need.”

The sinking feeling was back. Will couldn’t breathe. This all felt wrong and he wanted Mike to stop talking.

“Mike, honey, baby, what are you talking about? You are the person I need that and more just–”

“No, Will, listen. I’m sorry, okay? I’ve always tried to be perfect and I can’t and I failed and I wish I could be the person you think I am. I couldn’t say what Eleven wanted when we dated and I can’t say it now we’re dating. Maybe I’m broken. I can’t bring you down with me. I’m sorry but it’s over.”

Over. It’s over. They’re over. Will felt tears threatening to fall down his face. “I don’t understand. You said everything was fine. Did I do something–”

“No, Will, it's definitely not something you did. I’m sorry I really am. I have to go.”

“Mike, wait–”

But the line went dead. Mike had hung up. Mike had ended their relationship and shattered his heart with one five-minute phone call.

“Aren’t we already talking?” Will said. He thought he was funny but he saw Mike wince. He thought Mike deserved it.

“I was hoping you’d give me a chance to explain myself. I feel awful about how things ended between us.”

Will wanted to roll his eyes. Who’s fault was that? “I don’t owe you anything.”

“I know. I’m not saying you do. I’m not trying to clear my conscience or anything I just… I just think you deserve a reason.”

“Start explaining then,” Will said impatiently. He wanted Mike to hurry up and stop talking so he could go home, curl up in his bed, and cry himself to sleep.

Mike stuffed his hands in his pockets as he bounced slightly on his heels. He was nervous. “Not here. I was hoping maybe Monday night. There’s a new diner in town and I was thinking we could go. Like we used to.” He rushed out the last part and Will wanted nothing more than to pull Mike in his arms and tell him it was okay.

Instead, Will took a step away from him. “Sure. Monday night. New diner.”

“I was thinking 8.”

Will walked out to Dustin’s car. Dustin and Eleven were hanging out by the driver’s door waiting for him. Eleven looked mildly worried and Dustin said something that made her laugh slightly to help and ease her. When Will got closer they both looked at him.

“Everything okay?” Eleven asked.

“Don’t worry, El. He probably just got lost in there or something.” Dustin laughed but the sound quickly died when he saw Will looking incredibly upset. Dustin’s eyes flickered from Will over towards the door of the arcade where Mike stepped out and headed to Lucas’s car.

“Oh.” Was all his friend said.

“Yeah,” Will responded. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

The drive home was awful. Dustin did his best to try and lighten the mood but neither Eleven nor Will responded much to what he said. Dustin stopped talking completely. Eleven turned the radio up letting Tom Petty’s Breakdown fill the silence.

When they arrived back at the Hopper-Byers residence Eleven said goodbye and jumped out heading towards the door. Will exited but lingered by Dustin’s open window.

“I had fun tonight.” Will said, “But I’m sorry about… uh…” He trailed off and waved his hand in the air hoping Dustin would understand.

Dustin shrugged and gave his friend a smile kinder than Will felt he deserved. “I had fun too. And don't worry about Mike. He’ll get over himself. He always does.”

Will nodded his head. He wasn't exactly sure what Dustin meant but it did make him feel better. “Get home safe, Dustin.”

Their big Sunday plans were to take a hike in the woods and try to find something interesting. They wanted to relive their childhood days of hunting demogorgons and mind flayers. The thought of it made Will shudder but he went along with them anyway.

The Indiana summer heat was just as sticky as Will remembered. Less than five minutes into their trek he was already pouring sweat.

“I feel disgusting,” He muttered mostly himself. Eleven heard him though. She stuck to his side like glue so, of course, she heard him.

She let out a small laugh. “You kinda smell gross too.”

Will rolled his eyes, “Hey, if we turn back and run do you think they’d notice?”

“We’d notice.” Dustin, Max, and Lucas said at the same time.

“There's no turning back, Byers!” Lucas called from up ahead. He and Max were a few paces ahead, holding hands as they avoided any big roots sticking up from out of the ground.

Dustin and Mike weren’t too far behind them. Dustin was talking about how much he missed Eddie’s D&D campaigns and all Mike did was nod his head in response.

They followed the train tracks and kept glancing at their compasses to make sure they stayed on the path.

“Where are we going again?” It was the first thing Mike had said all afternoon. Will almost jumped at the sound of his voice.

“Must we have a destination?” Max asked. “Can we not just enjoy each other's company?”

Mike raised his eyebrows, “When have you been sentimental?”

Max turned her head back and grinned at him, “I’m not. Only Lucas knows where we're going.” She looked back at Lucas. “Where are we going?”

“I’ll explain when we get there. It's not much farther now,” Lucas said, not looking back at them.

They walked until they entered a small clearing just at the edge of the woods. Will thought they had been here a few times when they were much smaller. They had played pirates here. He still couldn’t figure out why exactly they were forced to come all the way out here, though.

When they came to a stop Lucas cleared his throat. “Fellow party members thank you for joining me out here today.”

“We didn’t have a choice, asshole!” Dustin yelled.

“Shut up, Henderson,” Lucas said, hitting Dustin in the stomach. “I’m sure you guys don’t remember but before Will moved away we promised each other we would meet out here and announce where we all were going to college.”

There was a chorus of “oh rights” and “I think I remember that.”

When they settled down Lucas started again. “And now that we all got our acceptance letters, I thought we could go around and share what’s next for all of us. Max, would you care to go first?”

Max shrugged, “I’m going to the University of Boulder with you, you know that. What about you, Byers?”

“I thought I told you guys already. USC.”

“I’m going too,” Eleven said as she smiled at Will.

“I got accepted into IUB.” Said Dustin grinning.

They all looked at Mike. It was his turn to tell them where he got accepted. Will had a feeling none of them knew where Mike applied to. Will did, though. And even though deep down Will knew what Mike would say, Will still winced when he said, “I’m going to USC.”

The thermostat in the living room read 78 degrees. It was almost 9 p.m. and the night refused to cool down. Will and Mike excused themselves from the living room and made their way to Will’s bedroom, collapsing on his bed.

“I think I’m sweating.” Mike groaned as he rubbed his hand across his forehead and then rubbed the same hand against Will’s shoulder.

“Gross!” Will pushed Mike away, “Keep your sweat to yourself.”

Mike pouted and Will kissed him. “You’re so annoying,” Will mumbled.

“You wouldn't change me.”

Will wouldn’t. “I’ve been thinking. Soon we’re going to have to turn in college applications and decide our future. I know we talked about going to the community college in Indiana since we were kids but I can't go back there. I don’t want to be anywhere near Hawkins.”

Mike nodded. “I understand. I've been thinking too. Wherever you go, I go. We can fill out our applications together and maybe even share a dorm. Have you thought about where you want to go?”

Will tried to hide the tears that formed in his eyes. Mike wanted to go where he went? He kissed Mike again just because he could and squeezed his eyes shut. “I have thought about it. I want to go to USC.”

“USC it is.”

“Really?”

Mike brought his hand to Will’s face, brushing Will’s hair off his forehead. “You really thought I’d say something else?”

Will covered Mike’s hand with his own and connected their lips. Will pulled away but stayed close enough so he could still feel the presence of Mike’s lips on his. It was here that Will told Mike he loved him for the first time.

Will stood outside of the diner he was meeting Mike at. He wasn't sure what he wanted out of this. An explanation, he decided. Closure. He hated that he still found himself asking why Mike broke up with him so out of the blue. It had been long enough, and he felt like he shouldn't care anymore.

Shaking away the thought he put his hand on the door and pushed it open, stepping inside the diner. It was 50’s themed with high counters and bar stools. Red and white booths lined the windowed walls. Will scanned the restaurant wondering if Mike was already there.

He was.

Tucked in the back was Mike. His face was turned towards the window and he was staring at the starless sky. Will slowly made his way over, stopping when he was in front of the table.

“Hey.”

Mike jumped slightly. He looked over at Will and gave him a small smile, “Oh, hey. Why don’t you sit?”

Will looked down at the red booth and then the door. He could leave. He could just go. But he didn’t. He sat down and scooted to the middle of the seat. The menus were on the table and Will stared at them, wanting to look anywhere other than Mike.

The two said nothing until the waitress came to take their orders. Finally, Will looked up at him. “So… you wanted to talk?”

Mike sank farther into the seat. “I did. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to show up. I’m glad you did though.”

Will knew he was blushing. He hated that he was. “Stop wasting my time.” It came out harsher than he intended and Mike looked away.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn't able to tell you I love you.”

They got to the airport an hour early. It was time for Mike to go home and Will tried so hard not to cry. Tears had been threatening to fall all day and Will couldn't stop touching him. Touching Mike reminded Will that he was real, that this summer hadn’t been one long wonderful dream. Will wished Mike could stay here forever but he knew he couldn’t.

“I’m going to miss you,” Mike said. He brought Will’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.

Will was sure he was crying now. “I miss you already.”

The look Mike gave him broke Will’s heart. “You know I’d stay if I could.”

Will nodded his head. “I know. It’s just after this summer I’m scared things are going to go back to how things were.”

“Impossible.”

Will placed his hand on the nape of Mike’s neck. He played with the ends of Mike’s hair, twirling the strands between his fingers.

“I love you, Mike.”

Mike bit his lip. “I know.”

Will was silent for a bit, “That's all you're going to say?”

Mike shrugged, “Yeah. I know you do. I’m glad you do.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, what?”

Will looked down at their laps. “I just thought that maybe you’d say it, too.”

“It’s not that I don’t care for you. You’re the most important person to me.”

“But you don’t love me.”

“I…” Mike trailed off.

Will pulled away from him. “You know what? Forget it. You couldn’t say it to El so I don’t know why I thought it might be different with me. It’s not even a big deal.”

Will stared at Mike. He was expecting him to keep talking but he didn’t.

“I already forgave you for that. I said it was fine.”

“Yeah and yet every time we talked it felt like you resented me for it. I hated it, Will.”

It was Will’s turn to feel bad. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. It just sucked knowing my boyfriend wasn’t in love with me.”

The waitress came back with their food. Mike was quick to dig into his mediocre burger but Will’s appetite was suddenly gone. Will couldn't help but think of the countless other times he ate with Mike. Meal times were always filled with laughter and crazy stories. Last summer they were filled with kisses. Now it felt like it was filled with a giant rift.

“It was weird being back in Hawkins,” Mike said breaking the silence, “It felt like everyone’s eyes were on me. The freedom I felt in California was suddenly gone. I felt suffocated here. My parents kept asking me questions about why we talked so much and why I started getting letters from you every day. They started noticing how you were always on my mind and I knew I had to tell them but I got scared. They still think I’m going to marry some woman and have 2.5 kids and spend my life secretly miserable like them. I took the coward’s way out. I had already disappointed you. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone else.”

The words settled between them and Will wasn't sure what to say. He felt like he should be angry. That’s why Mike broke up with him? The anger didn’t come though. All he felt was understanding.

“I think we both deserve someone who we can love completely. We deserve to have a partner who won’t disappoint our parents. We deserve happiness. It sucks that we couldn't find it with each other.”

Mike’s eyes went wide and then he dropped his gaze from Will down to his half-eaten burger. “Yeah.”

“Yeah.” Will grabbed his wallet out of his pocket, pulled out cash, and put it down on the table. “Dinners on me.” He stood up and took one last look at Mike. “Goodbye, Mike. Maybe I’ll see you around USC.”

Mike didn’t say anything. Will walked away.

The day finally came. Hopper’s cabin had been sold and their bags were packed. They were going home. Will felt a weight off his shoulders knowing he would never have to come back to this town. It was too small, too constricting. It sucked the joy out of everyone who lived there.

Will was free from its clutches. It would never get him again.

Max volunteered Lucas to drive Will and Eleven to the airport. Lucas begrudgingly agreed and the five of them piled into Lucas’s car for one last time. Africa by Toto was playing on the radio and they all shouted the lyrics, enjoying being together for the last time in who knew how long. It was bittersweet and they were all in various states of tears. Eleven was crying as she sang along to the song. Dustin tried to discreetly wipe his cheeks but Will saw the tears. He was sure Lucas tried to keep it together but even Lucas couldn’t hold it in. Somehow Max was the most composed of them all.

It seemed like they got to the airport too quickly. They sat in silence, soaking in the moment.

Will spoke up first, “Guys, I wanted to say thank you, for everything. I can’t imagine what it was like thinking I was dead and then finding El and suddenly fighting monsters. When we moved, I thought for sure we’d slowly stop talking but that never happened. You all stayed my best friends. I can’t put into words how much that means to me.”

“I feel the same,” Eleven said, “You guys helped me more than you know. It felt good to have people who cared for me. You guys saved me. Thank you for being my friend.”

That was it. Will couldn’t stop the sob that escaped his lips. His sister loved their friends just as much as he did and he knew this was just as hard for her as it was for him.

They exited the car and found their parents, Jonathan and Nancy waiting for them. Joyce pulled them both in for a hug and Hopper ruffled both of their hair.

“You guys ready?” Joyce asked.

“So ready,” Will responded.

They turned away from the door and started walking towards the bag check. Will took two steps before he was stopped suddenly by someone calling his name.

“Will!”

Will turned around slowly. Standing by the door gasping for breath, was Mike.

“I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye,” Mike said, “I couldn’t let you leave without telling you that I realized something and I think I realized it a long time ago but I was scared, so scared, to admit the truth to myself. To admit the truth to you. I love you, Will. I think I always have.”

Will couldn’t help but bite his lip as Mike walked over to him. When Mike was finally in front of him he said, “I told my parents about us. I told my parents about last summer and us and how for the first time in my life I felt complete. I thought they’d throw me out but they hugged me and said they always knew it would be you. I feel like such an asshole. If I hadn’t been so scared I wouldn’t have fucked everything up. If I hadn’t been so scared I wouldn’t have lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me,” Will took Mike’s face in his hands and kissed him. Will kissed him and kissed him and thought that he could be happy kissing Mike until the world ended. When they pulled back they pressed their foreheads together. For a moment they just breathed each other in, feeling a happiness they hadn’t felt since they were in that airport in California.

Instead of getting a dorm, Joyce proposed they get an apartment off-campus. Will loved that idea and they found a small two-bedroom apartment only a few miles from USC.

It was move-in day and Will and his family along with Max, Lucas, and Dustin had spent the whole afternoon unloading boxes from the truck. Mike and his parents walked in with Holly, bringing dinner. They wanted to keep working until it was done so there wasn’t time to take a break long enough for all of them to eat.

The boxes were mostly unpacked by the time the sun fully set. When everything was done they all said goodnight and went back to the hotel. Will and Mike were finally left alone in the apartment. As soon as the door shut, Mike pulled Will for a kiss. It was too quick for Will’s liking so he kissed him again, slower this time, enjoying the feeling of Mike’s lips against his.

Mike wrapped his arms around Will’s hips and started to sway. He was dancing to some tune he was humming and then he started singing, “You might think I’m crazy. All I want is you.”

Will couldn't stop himself from laughing. He placed his hands in the back pockets of Mike’s jeans as they danced in the living room, their living room and Will was ready to start the rest of his life with the boy made of stardust.