Work Text:
"Byers!"
Will perked up at the sound of the familiar voice. His eyes traveled to his hospital room door and there he was: Mike. Mike was running into Will's room with a huge smile on his face.
Will's expression lit up too. He was so happy to see Mike that he almost missed Lucas and Dustin following closely behind him. When Mike reached the bed, he bent down and hugged Will before he lay his head down on Will's chest, as if he wanted to hear Will's heart beating for himself. Lucas was hugging Will, too.
Dustin pulled Mike and Lucas off of Will and bent down to hug him, too. Will was amused that his friends were that excited to see him.
The boys started launching into an explanation of everything that had happened that week. Will was having trouble keeping up, but he smiled up at his friends, so excited and so happy to be seeing them with his own eyes and not just in his mind's eye.
"You had a funeral!" Lucas shouted.
"Troy pissed himself!" said Dustin.
"What?" Will said, confused.
"In front of the whole school!" Dustin exclaimed.
Before he could get another word out, Will was overcome with a small coughing fit. He covered his mouth as best he could. He coughed for a few seconds before he shook it off, his throat clear again.
"You okay?" asked Mike, looking down at Will with a soft expression on his face.
Will was worried that he was blushing because of the way Mike was looking at him. He decided to ignore that feeling and just be here at this moment. It was all he wanted after the past week from hell.
"It got me. The Demogorgon."
"We know," Mike said, nodding. "It's okay. It's dead. We made a new friend. She stopped it. She saved us. But she's gone now.
"Her name's Eleven," Dustin said.
Will frowned. "Like the number?"
"Well, we call her 'El' for short," said Lucas.
"She's basically a wizard," said Dustin.
"She has superpowers," Lucas whispered.
"More like Yoda," said Mike.
"She flipped a van with her mind!" Dustin exclaimed.
"And it sailed over us!" said Mike.
And so it went on for the next while. Will listened to his friends' tales of the week, grateful that they weren't forcing him to relive the events of his week. Will almost wanted nothing more than to forget everything that happened, but he knew he wouldn't be able to. So he was grateful to his friends for providing a distraction.
Mike, Lucas and Dustin probably spent a good hour chatting with Will about everything that had happened in the past week. When Will was starting to have trouble stifling his yawns, Joyce spoke up from the seat where she had been sitting, dozing off slightly but keeping a close eye on Will.
"Okay, boys, I think that might be enough for one night," Joyce said, yawning slightly herself. Jonathan had already fallen asleep in the recliner next to Joyce's, exhausted from the events of the evening. "You guys should probably get going."
"Yeah you're right, Mrs. Byers," said Dustin, giving Will a hug.
"We'll come back and visit tomorrow, Will, we promise," said Lucas, grinning at Will and bending down to give him another hug.
Will smiled at his friends as Dustin and Lucas left the room, turning and waving at him before they left. Mike was still in the room, and he looked apprehensive about leaving.
"Are you feeling any better, Will?" Mike asked, sounding like he wanted to stall for time.
"I think so," said Will. "After I get some sleep, I'm sure I'll feel better."
Mike nodded and bent down to give Will another hug. He rested his head on Will's chest again, listening to the thump of Will's heart. Will was worried his heart rate was picking up with how warm and cozy Mike was making him feel. Mike sighed slightly as he stood up. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Wait, can you stay, Mike?" Will asked.
"Uh..." Mike said, turning to look at Joyce, looking hopeful.
Will looked over at his mother.
"Mom, please."
Joyce didn't need any time to think about it. She nodded and gave the two boys a smile.
"Of course you can stay, Mike," Joyce said. "If anyone has the right to stay here with us, it's you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Byers," Mike said, blushing slightly and looking a little embarrassed.
"I'll go ask the nurse to bring in another recliner," Joyce said. "I'll be right back, boys."
Joyce left the room, leaving Mike and Will alone for the first time.
"You okay?" Will asked.
Mike startled. Will could hardly blame him. After all, it was usually Mike who was the one asking Will that question. Will never felt coddled whenever Mike asked it, because Mike always seemed genuinely concerned for him when he asked, just like how his Mom and Jonathan sounded when they checked on him.
"I should be asking you that," Mike said.
"Mike, it's okay," Will said. "You went through a lot this week, too. From everything you guys were telling me, it sounds like you were doing a lot to find me."
"I'm okay, Will," Mike said. "I'm just glad you're home."
"Me too," Will said. Though he wasn't actually in his own home, Mike was right. Being here with his Mom, Jonathan and Mike made Will feel like he was home. He was right where he had wanted to be ever since he had been taken to that...place, whatever it was.
Joyce returned with one of the nurses, who was pushing in a recliner for Mike to sleep on. The nurse placed the recliner on the left side of Will's bed (on Will's right side), the opposite side of where Joyce and Jonathan's recliners were. Joyce thanked the nurse before the nurse left.
"You boys should get some sleep," Joyce said, yawning again. "It's been a long night and week for all of us. Try and get some sleep, okay?"
"We will, Mom," Will said. "You get some, too, okay?"
"Thanks, kiddo," Joyce said, grinning at her youngest son. She bent down and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Before she went back to her own recliner, she walked over to Mike's recliner, where Mike was covering himself with a blanket. She bent down and kissed Mike on the forehead too.
"Thank you for helping bring him home," Joyce whispered, just loud enough for Mike to hear."
Mike blushed and nodded at Joyce, a little too embarrassed to say anything in response. Will grinned at Mike, knowing exactly what Mike wanted to say. Joyce sat back down in her recliner and was fast asleep.
"Good night, Mike," Will said.
"Night, Will," Mike said, leaning back into his own recliner and closing his eyes.
Will woke up with a start. Oddly, it wasn't a bad dream that had woken him. In fact, he wasn't even sure he was having any dreams. Will figured he must be so exhausted that his whole brain was basically shut down and resting, recovering from the past week.
When Will heard a noise from his right, he realized that's what it was. He glanced over at Mike, who looked like he was in distress. Mike was whimpering in his sleep and thrashing about.
"No...No!" Mike said in a hushed voice.
"Mike," Will said, not wanting to wake his mother or brother and keeping his voice down. "Mike, you're having a bad dream."
"No, please!" Mike said, a little louder in his sleep.
"Mike, it's Will," Will said, glancing over at his family and praying that they would forgive him if he woke them up. "Mike!" Will shouted.
Mike's eyes flew open and he breathed out in terror. Will glanced over at his mom and Jonathan and saw they were still fast asleep. Will sighed with relief before he turned back to Mike, who was sitting up in his recliner.
"Mike, are you okay?" Will asked in a soft voice.
Mike trembled again. He looked more scared than Will had ever seen him. It was a look that didn't suit Mike. He was always the brave one, the protector, the leader. Seeing him like this broke Will's heart and he wanted nothing more than to comfort his best friend.
"Mike, come here," Will said in a firm but gentle voice.
Mike stood up from the recliner and threw the blanket down on it. He walked over to the side of Will's bed, wiping some tears from his eyes. Will held out his hand and Mike took it, grasping onto it tightly. Will winced slightly, but was happy to have Mike's hand in his own again. Somehow the world felt right again.
"What happened, Mike?"
Mike shook his head as fresh tears threatened to fall down his face. Will squeezed Mike's hand.
"Please tell me, Mike."
"I'm sorry, Will. You've been through too much already," Mike said, struggling to keep the crying out of his voice. "I don't want to put more on you."
"Mike, listen to me, you've been through a lot this week, just as I have, it's okay to have a bad dream about it," Will said.
Mike looked so scared and younger than Will had ever seen him. Mike always looked older than his age because of the way he carried his emotions, but this Mike looked more like the Mike who Will had met on the swing sets all those years ago.
"Here, Mike, sit down with me," Will said, scooting over so there was room for Mike.
Mike got into the bed with Will, never letting go of his hand. When the two of them were in comfortable enough positions, Will turned to look at Mike and Mike turned to look at him.
"Talk to me, Mike," Will said. "Tell me what's wrong."
Mike sighed shakily.
"I was dreaming about when they found your....your b-b-body," Mike said, sounding like he was on the brink of tears again. "Will, I wanted to give up on my whole life when that happened. When I saw that body, I thought that was it. You were gone and never coming back. You'd never get to come over for DND nights anymore. I'd never get to see another one of your amazing drawings and hang it up in my basement or my room. I'd never get to see you smile again. When I saw that body, Will, I felt like my life had ended."
Mike took a deep breath as he wiped away some fresh tears from his cheeks.
"I went home. I didn't want to talk to Dustin or Lucas or El. I biked home. I was reliving almost every moment I've ever had with you, Will. I don't think I've ever cried that hard in my life. When I got home, Mom knew something was wrong, but I couldn't say anything, because that would make it real. I just cried when she gave me a hug. Then I heard the news come on and I knew they were gonna talk about you, so I went down to the basement.
"I grabbed the binder I have of all of your drawings. I don't know why, but it helped me feel close to you. I've never felt so helpless in my whole life, Will. I was looking at the drawings when Dustin and Lucas dropped off El. She started playing with my walkie talkie, or that's what I thought. Then, somehow, she made it so I could hear you.
"I knew it was you the instant I heard you. You were singing that song you and Jonathan like and I knew, I knew you were still alive, Will. I had hope again. I had hope that we were gonna find you. And we did, Will. We found you. And I'm so happy that I could cry for hours. But just the image of your body scares me so much, Will. I never want to experience pain like that ever again."
At this, Mike started to break down. He was crying quietly, as if he wanted to avoid waking Joyce and Jonathan. Mike cried into Will's shoulder while Will wrapped an arm around Mike and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring hug. It was several minutes before Mike calmed down again.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Mike said. "You've already been through so much this week, Will, and now you're having to comfort me. I'm sorry."
"Mike, stop apologizing," Will said.
"I..."
"Mike," Will said in a serious voice. "You don't have to apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for."
"But I'm being a burden!"
"Mike, you are not a burden. You are my best friend and best friends help each other. Now listen to me, you're allowed to have feelings, Mike. You don't have to hide them away from me or anyone else. We love you, Mike, and we want you to be okay."
Will reached down and grabbed Mike's hand again.
"You're never gonna lose me, Mike, I promise. When I was in, what did you call it?"
"The Upside Down."
"Yeah, the Upside Down. When I was there, you know what got me through that week?" Mike shook his head. "It was you, Mike. You and Dustin and Lucas and Mom and Jonathan. I had to hope that you all were looking for me, and I knew in my heart that you were. I knew that you wouldn't stop at anything until you found me, one way or the other. I clung on to that hope like it was a lifeline, Mike. It's how I survived. You helped me survive that hell and now I'm here with you."
Mike started to cry again and Will gave his hand another squeeze.
"I never gave up on you, Mike, just like you never gave up on me. You told me that you had hope when Eleven made it so you could hear my voice. You never gave up on me, Mike. And that means more to me than anything.
"You helped save me, Mike. I'm home because of you and everyone else. That's all that matters, in the end. I'm here. You're here. We're together again and we're safe."
"I'm never letting you go again, Will," Mike said in a watery voice and smiling slightly.
"And I'm not going to let you," Will said, smiling reassuringly at Mike. "I'm gonna be right with you for the rest of our lives, Mike. You're my best friend."
"You're my best friend too, Willie."
Will smiled at hearing that nickname. It had been some time since Mike had called him it and it always made him feel like a little kid again.
"We're gonna be okay, Mikey," Will said. "I promise."
Mike nodded and yawned.
"Yeah, we probably should go to sleep," Will said. He squeezed Mike's hand again. "You can sleep up here, okay? This way you know I'm still here."
"Thanks, Will," Mike whispered before he shut his eyes and started to snore lightly.
Will chuckled slightly and scooted over to give Mike a quick kiss on the forehead. He wasn't nervous about Mike waking up because he knew it would make Mike feel better. Will then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
And that's how Joyce found the two boys when she woke the next morning, holding hands and their foreheads pressed together. They looked so peaceful that Joyce couldn't help but smile and wish she had a camera to capture this moment, forever.