Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Will had always known that he was different.

Lonnie was an awful father, but Will still tried to please him. It took years to understand fully that there was no way to actually make him happy, but Will still tried. He really, really hoped that there was some good in Lonnie that Will could help find.

(There wasn’t).

Will met Mike in kindergarten, and he was so thrilled to have a best friend. He rambled in childlike wonder to Jonathan and his mom about his new friend who was just so cool and nice and funny and kind and-

It was instant fuel for Lonnie.

For the first time Lonnie called him queer, called him that slur starting with an F (that Will can’t bear to say, can’t bear to think, because it holds so much contempt and disgust that it makes him sick to his stomach). It would not be the last time.

Suddenly, Lonnie had a new target. Will was queer when he talked about his friends. Will was a fairy when he cried because he scraped his knee. Will was a… F slur… when he held Jonathan’s hand when the family went out shopping. Will was a ‘fucking mistake’ when he had a nightmare and his mom slept with him for the night and Lonnie didn’t get laid. Will was a gay, queer, F slur, mistake. Because he was sensitive and caring and loved his brother and mom and best friend openly, with his whole heart.

It didn’t make sense to him at that age. All he knew was that he was different and wrong, because Lonnie only used those insults on him. 

Jonathan and his mom told him to ignore Lonnie, that the things he said weren’t true, that he was perfect the way he was, and he should never stop being himself. 

(Lonnie only told him the worst things, the worst words, when they were alone. He made it clear that there would be consequences if he told his mom. Will became a master secret-keeper.) 

It got easier once his mom finally kicked Lonnie out and divorced him, but the words never really left Will’s head. They stuck out in his brain like a splinter. If he pushed and prodded hard enough, a sharp pain would always return. A constant reminder that he was different. Wrong. 

There was a brief time of peace in Will’s life. The period between Lonnie leaving and November 6, 1983, was a blissful time. Mike and Will managed to round up two other amazing friends, who were funny and kind and loyal and nerdy and sensitive in the way that the other boys their age were trying to grow out of way too quickly. They all discovered DnD and became obsessed, spinning stories and adventures in the warm, homey basement of Mike’s house. Jonathan and his mom worked more often to cover the bills, so he didn’t see them quite as often, but the house was always calm and loving and every moment spent with his family brought him joy. He almost started to believe that he was normal: that Lonnie was wrong, and Will could live a happy, normal life.

But either Will was just incredibly unlucky, or fate had a bone to pick with him for some unknown reason. Because November 6th changed his life forever. Solidified the fact that Will would never, ever be normal. 

Chapter Text

Sometimes Will is overcome with so much grief and regret. He wishes that he’d just slept over at Mike’s house that night in November instead of biking home so late. God… so much would have been different.

(They would have all probably died if they hadn’t gotten involved with El and the gate and the Upside Down. That’s the only silver lining to it all.)

Will doesn’t really like to think about his time in the Upside Down. It was only for a few days in all actuality, but it felt like he spent a lifetime there. Alone, hiding, afraid, desperate for his family, admittedly thankful that they weren’t there because it meant they were safe at least.

And that was just it. Will hated talking about and thinking about his time in the Upside Down, but it haunted his mind. It has infected his mind like a virus, incurable. The flashbacks seemed so vivid sometimes, it was hard not to get lost in memories. 

The one good thing Lonnie did for Will was make him a professional hider. When he’d get angry, Will would find a place to hide. Somewhere small and quiet, thick doors and padding so his tiny whimpers and tears couldn’t be heard. 

It definitely came in handy during his time in the Upside Down. He spent days sneaking through his house, hiding in cabinets and behind mattresses and inside hidden storage spaces in the wall. In larger dresser drawers and the empty space at the bottom of the hallway closet. His ability to hide literally saved his life. 

He remembers peeking out from the kitchen cabinet at one point and seeing a glimmer of sparkling light. A strange sort of dust clouding the space above the house phone. Will could hear his mom’s voice distantly, and without thinking, he’d rushed over and dipped his fingers into the glitter. It felt almost warm, like a spot of sunlight. It was the only warmth he had felt since he’d arrived in the cold landscape of the Upside Down.

His mom’s voice came louder when he did so, and he panted in panic, confused at why he could hear her but not see her. Before he could even speak, the creature that hunted through his house growled nearby, and Will plowed through the cloud to get back to safety. It was gone by the time the monster left and his breathing had steadied.

(On the other side of reality, Joyce’s phone short circuited.) 

The glimmer returned a while later (Hours? Days? Weeks? Years? Time didn’t seem to exist without the sun to track). That time, he managed to get some words out before he was forced to run again.

(Another phone exploded in Joyce's hands.)

The shining spots started to appear more and more, and Will could hear his mom’s voice clearer. Luckily, the monster seemed to be further away than usual at the time. He trailed carefully down the hallway, tracing his fingers through the warm spots speckling the hallway. Will reached the living room to find a huge cloud of glitter in the storage space off to the side. He crouched inside, creaking the door closed gently in case the creature returned. His mom’s voice was clearer than ever, and he managed a conversation through ‘yes’ and ‘no’ signals. 

Will listened as his mom explained that she was painting an alphabet on the wall and would put a light above each letter. As the lights slowly appeared into place, small pockets of glitter popping up, he stared in confusion at the lack of writing on the wall. Although he didn’t quite understand how the connection between the Upside Down worked with the real world yet, he understood that he’d need to make his own letters.

Will dipped his fingers into some questionable, dark, gooey substance on the floor, and traced his own set of letters along the wall. (Looking back, he’d definitely touched one of the vines on the floor, which signaled his whereabouts to the Demogorgan). 

He only had a few minutes with his mom before having to run and hide again.

A lot of his memory is blurred from there on. He remembers nearly escaping through a weak point in the wall, so close to his mom, but having to run because the monster was gaining on him. Tearing through the familiar-yet-unfamiliar forest to Castle Byers. Being so tired, so cold, so hungry, so thirsty for something other than murky water, quietly singing to himself, the voice of a young girl. The Demogorgan getting him. Vines pulling him against a wall. A tentacle slipping down his throat. Choking. Darkness.

Waking up in a world full of color, his mom and Jonathan by his side. 

Smiling, laughing with his friends.

The quiet realization that he’d never be okay again. Normal was not an option anymore.

It was only confirmed by the next year. 

The creature that crawled out of him. Appointment after appointment, doctor after doctor. Taunts of ‘zombie boy’ adding to the already existing bullying. Mike, desolate and grieving, after El’s disappearance. The gnawing feeling at the bottom of his stomach as he watched Mike. Something unspoken, something he didn’t want to address.

The visions back into the Upside Down. Fugue states of staring into a storm. The spider-like mist getting closer and closer. Afraid, scared, petrified, frozen. 

Another wish, unheard by the universe, too late to come true: Will wishes he had never listened to Bob’s advice that morning on the car ride to school. 

Fight back. 

He never stood a chance.

Never had Will felt so deeply violated. The fuzzy, thick, vibrating, toxic dust pouring into every orifice of his body. Infecting him from the inside out. Choking, violently shaking, unable to breathe or scream or cry. Unable to think beyond the feeling of ‘wrong’ and ‘terrified’ and ‘hopeless’ and ‘unstable’.

Then, he became part of the very place he thought he’d escaped from. The Mind Flayer haunted him, controlled him, peered into every thought and memory inside his mind. Taking over more and more as Will desperately tried to find a way to help his friends, to escape. A two-way spy. 

One who failed, who wasn’t able to keep his loved ones safe, who caused Bob to die and his mom to wail and Mike to stare at him with such intense fear. Fear for Will and fear of the creature that had taken over him.  

Awaking in an unfamiliar place, thankful deep down that the Mind Flayer couldn’t find them, outwardly screeching to be let out, inwardly screaming to be held in place. His loved ones trying to connect to the real him, buried so deeply inside his own brain. Mike’s puppy dog eyes, overflowing with tears. The ache in Will’s stomach and heart. Morse code messages.

The sound of a phone. The Mind Flayer knowing their location. Darkness.

Hopper’s cabin.

Burning, burning, burning. Molten lava in his veins, mucky and fuming and searing pain. The particles of the Mind Flayer scraping and shaking throughout his skin, all his insides, needlepoint pricking pain in every nerve ending as he shook and shook, screaming his throat raw, until-

Peace.

The dust left. 

The trauma stayed. 

Chapter Text

If Will was longing for normalcy before, he was desperate now. Holding on tightly to the concept- begging the cruel, cruel universe to please, for once, grant him peace. A normal life. 

And it was, in a way. For a while at least. The first half of 1985 managed to be just slightly skewed to the side of normal. There were no more visions, no more moments of him slipping back into the Upside Down. The nightmares were still there, still the ever present fear of what could happen. But he finished his school year with his friends, and he finally got to become friends with El and Max. Jonathan was happy with Nancy and had a great internship lined up at the local news station with her, doing what he loved most. His mom was still aching over the loss of Bob, but she’d grown closer with Hopper in a hopeful turn of events. Steve babysat and the kids got more freedom as summer started. Everything seemed fine. 

But while things were normal on the supernatural side, his regular life started to creep back into the abnormal range. 

Because that feeling in his stomach, in his chest, only grew. And it ached.

It ached when he visited El’s cabin with the rest of the group and Mike immediately ran to El’s side. It ached when they hugged and kissed and held hands. It ached when Mike and El bailed on plans early or altogether to hang out together.  

(It didn’t ache when Lucas did those things with Max. He didn’t want to think about what those two facts meant when paired together.)

Summer got unthinkably worse when Dustin left for his month-long camp. 

Before, when the other two couples bailed or were distracted, Will at least had Dustin to play and talk with. They’d roll their eyes at each other and scoff, and Will wasn’t alone in his frustrations. 

But Dustin left, and Will was fifth-wheeling all the goddamn time. 

It frustrated him at first. Made him angry. He had been through so much difficult shit in the past two years, and his friends were abandoning him for their girlfriends. Nothing was the same. They barely cared for the games they used to obsess over.

Then, he just got sad. He was never good at being angry. It always slipped away like sand through his fingers. Instead, he started blaming himself. Because maybe it was less about them having girlfriends, and more about finding an excuse to avoid Will. Will must be a really unpleasant person for his friends to avoid him, huh?

In a moment of fear, he wondered if the others could tell that he had that achy feeling in his stomach and chest when he looked at Mike. He’d nearly fallen into a panic attack that night thinking about it.

There were still good moments though. Late night sleepovers, trips to the local pool, exploring the woods around Hopper’s cabin, and browsing through the huge selection of stores at the new mall. Harassing Steve until he let them sneak through the back rooms of Starcourt and get into movies for free, while his coworker, Robin, stared on in bewilderment. 

At that point, with Will’s luck, he should’ve known better than to let his defenses down. 

His neck tingled.

Goosebumps. That familiar feeling of cold, of standing petrified at the sky. Only- he didn’t end up seeing the Upside Down. Just the bright colors of the movie screen as he tried took in a shaky breath. 

He ignored it. Tried to keep up the normalcy.

But his friends were being stupid fucking boys, shitty friends, and even shittier boyfriends. Constantly ignoring Will for the sake of playing weird mind games with El, making stupid decisions that caused Mike to spiral further. The ache grew and grew along with Will’s frustration over being ignored and being pushed aside and he blew up.

Will had never blown up before.

He prided himself on being emotionally stable when it came to anger and frustration. In a friend group full of stubborn hotheaded kids, it was almost necessary for balance. But he couldn’t help yelling and storming off.

Mike followed him out into the garage and the arguing continued. And it ended with one of the worst things Mike could have ever said in that moment. 

“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”

Will felt all the air in his lungs leave in a millisecond.

He didn’t really know in which way Mike meant it. Was he just saying that Will didn’t have a crush on a girl at the moment? Or did he…know? Did he know the aching, gnawing feeling that Will had been harboring for so long? Was he disgusted that Will… felt like that?

It didn’t really matter which. It was a betrayal of the unspoken regardless. It was very clear that Will hadn’t brought it up, so Mike shouldn’t have said a damn thing. Will wasn’t ready to talk. Mike forced his thoughts into the open air between them.

Mike knew it, clear by the instant widening of his eyes and regret in his voice.

Will didn’t care. He ran. 

Will flew down the street on his bike, rain pelting his face until the feeling went from painful and sharp, to cold and numb. Streaks of heat burned his cheeks as he openly sobbed into the white-noise roar of the rainstorm. Ugly crying, exhaling heaving whines like he was a three-year-old again in the throes of a breakdown.

He didn’t want to go inside. Didn’t want to sit in anticipation to hear whether or not Mike would be calling his house. He couldn’t handle talking to Mike. He couldn’t handle the rejection if Mike didn’t call at all.

Dropping his bike in the driveway, he tore off into the trees into the direction of Castle Byers. A flash of a memory struck him- running from the Demogorgan to the same place nearly two years previously. His last hiding place before he was caught. Will choked down the fear as he tumbled into the structure, which was starting to feel more and more cramped each time he visited. 

Looking at all the knickknacks inside made him sob harder. The photos from when things were normal, when things made sense in the world and in his head. Drawings from before he got taken, small craft projects, photos. Even happy memories speckled between the bad times.

In that moment, it felt like none of it mattered. None of those items mattered. They all showcased the life of a normal kid. A normal boy. With normal friends and a normal family and normal interests and normal memories and a normal life and normal feelings and a normal crush and-

The grief and shame and frustration bubbled up and exploded. Will felt out of control as he kicked down the structure through heavy sobs, breath catching and sticking in his lungs like glue, pulling and punching and snapping whatever he could touch. He was just so angry at the universe for dealing him this hand of abnormalities, for making him so different, for still dragging him through hardships. For cursing him. He cursed the universe back in a flurry of swears. 

The universe said ‘fuck you’ right back. The chill on the back of his neck was sudden and unmistakable, stronger than the last two tickling feelings of dread. He hardly recognized as Lucas and Mike called out for him, stomping in muddy puddles through the forest. He just slowly turned toward them, terror on his face as he broke the news to them. The Mind Flayer had returned.

Then it was their usual clusterfuck of theorizing and trying to connect everything that they knew. And the fight from before seemed so tiny in comparison. 

Will carefully and neatly boxed up his feelings and repressed them to the back of his mind, much like he did with everything else he didn’t want to think about. Lonnie had made him a secret-keeper. Will could keep everything hidden and safe in the back of his mind. Easy.

The Battle of Starcourt was whirlwind. Will could hardly keep up with everything, and he wondered how everyone else had managed this the first two times that the Upside Down had caused issues. The first time, he was on the other side of things (literally and figuratively) and the second, he was basically only half conscious. 

It ended with his mom coming out from the Russian base, and the burning relief that she had survived. 

Along with the relief, came the overwhelming grief at the lack of Hopper’s presence, and sinking guilt as his mom separated from him to catch a wailing El as she collapsed to the floor. 

It seemed that his mom was desperate for a normal life too. So, when she sat her (now) three kids down and told them she found a place and a job in California (through the help of Dr. Owens), Will forced himself to be agreeable. Never mind the screaming voice inside begging for him to stay, wanting to remain where he was familiar, with his friends whom he loved, with Mike, regardless of the horrible memories that haunted the town.

He sucked it up. And if Jonathan held his hand tightly in a respectful silence for the first half-hour of their drive as he sobbed uncontrollably against the window, that was between the two of them. 

His mom didn’t need to feel guilty for doing what she thought was best for all of them.

Chapter Text

Will adapted to California. He adapted to having Eleven as his sister. And he adapted to the distance between him and his friends. 

It was very weird at first. He’d never left his childhood home, and Hawkins was a small town. Their place in California was bigger, the weather was way hotter, the streets were busier (even though they did live in a smaller suburban area), and the nature that surrounded them was incredibly unfamiliar but interesting at the same time. He went exploring during the first few weeks and El tagged along, allowing them to bond finally. Through the mess of the past 2 years, they hadn’t gotten very close. But through conversation and exploration of their new home, Will grew more and more accepting of his new sister. 

The box deep in his head rattled and produced a toxic thought: of course Mike would like El more than him; Will now understood how kind and funny and good she was. 

Starting school was hard. Will told himself that it would’ve been hard transitioning to his freshman year of high school regardless. But he knew that it would’ve been so much easier if he had Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and even Max to help smooth the transition. While he wasn’t bullied as much due to the absence of people who knew about the shit he’d gone through, he was still at the bottom of the totem pole at their school. Friendless and invisible.

It was hard enough adapting for himself, but even harder to watch as El struggled to do so. It was her first experience being in school, and no matter how much he tried to help, it showed. It made her an easy target for bullies. And while Hawkins wasn’t a pariah of anti-bullying, Will could sense a stronger sense of hostility at this school. 

He did his best to teach her social skills and keep her near him at all times to protect her however he could. She didn’t always notice that she was being teased, which was relieving in a sickening way, but it broke Will’s heart to see her sad face when she did notice the bullying.

After a few months of struggling, he wished that he could talk to someone else for advice. But unfortunately, his support system seemed to be lacking.

His mom was always on the phone for her job. She seemed lost in grief sometimes too, having lost Bob and Hopper both in such a short time period. 

Jonathan was busy with his senior year, but was extremely absent, which was very different from before. He had previously taken on a more… fatherly role to Will. Always there for advice, doing anything to support his family. But now, he had made friends with a classmate- Argyle- who was a pothead and had joined in his ranks of being high all the fucking time. It aggravated Will to no end to see his previously driven and hardworking brother turn into a lazy teen. Then, Will would be overcome with guilt because Jonathan had to grow up so fast to take care of him and their mom, which wasn’t fair. He was so young when he had to step up. So, Will begrudgingly accepted that Jonathan deserved to just slack off and be young for a while. 

But still, the lack of support from his brother made him hurt inside and close off more. Jonathan used to notice Will was hurting before Will even fully understood his own feelings himself. Now it felt like he barely noticed Will at all.

Worst of all was the lack of support from back in Hawkins. 

Dustin and Lucas tried their best to send letters when they could and sometimes phone calls. But as the school year settled in, those became less frequent. Dustin often grumbled about Lucas trying to be popular, which made sense with the distinct shortage of communication from him. 

Max was radio silent. According to Dustin, she was that way with everyone though. Will worried, but there wasn't much he could do from California.

Mike started out with very constant communication. To the point that he regularly heard Mrs. Wheeler join the call to nag at him for hogging the phone so often. Will couldn’t help but laugh listening to the screaming match Mike would eventually start up. 

He called El more though. And she got more letters. Will desperately tried to shove his jealousy down, because neither of them deserved that animosity from him. But he still felt that sick, deeply-rooted ache whenever he picked up the phone and Mike immediately asked for El. 

Around November, Will began to try and sit and address his feelings. Maybe it was triggered by the anniversary of his disappearance into the Upside Down, or just because he was maturing, but he decided to finally open up the boxes he’d been hiding and repressing in the back of his head.

And it was clear as day that he liked Mike. Maybe even loved him. That those feelings burning inside him had been present for ages, and it was obvious that he had liked Mike for a very, very long time. Even as Mike grew more distant, Will’s feelings didn’t dissipate. If anything, they continued to grow as the ache of missing him festered. 

Will realized and accepted this. But it immediately was met with internal fear. Because accepting the fact that he liked Mike, the fact that he was… different (god, he couldn’t even say the word in his own head)… that just fully solidified him as forever being abnormal. 

Lonnie had put so much fear in him about being abnormal. Made it seem like the worst thing in the world. 

But he remembered when Jonathan had spoken to him, not long before he got taken by the Mind Flayer. The memory was fuzzy, as many were from that time, but it came with a sudden clarity as Will continued to think. 

It was a conversation when Will was upset at being called ‘zombie boy’ and because everyone was treating him like broken goods, and he’d called himself a freak. And Jonathan had agreed. Agreed that Will was a freak and continued with:

“Do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be just like everyone else? Being a freak is the best, alright? I’m a freak.”

Will had choked up when Jonathan called him his best friend. And he continued with words that Will needed to hear but wasn’t quite ready to fully accept at the time.

“Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world. Got it?”

So, Will really thought about it. Thought about how Jonathan had mentioned Bowie, and how Bowie was the one famous person Will knew to be… like him. 

And Will, maybe just a bit, began to understand that being abnormal wasn’t the end of the world. 

Not long after, Joyce regrettably had to sit the family down and tell them that they couldn’t travel back to Hawkins for the holidays like they planned, as some military personnel had been sighted in the town looking for El. Owens had told her that it wasn’t safe. 

El went to her room to cry and Jonathan looked a mixture between upset and relieved. Will wondered why. He wondered if Jonathan would ever tell him.

It was a small blessing for Will anyways. He continued to work on coming to terms with himself. His biggest struggle was worrying about telling anyone. He couldn’t help but fear that if he told anyone he loved that they’d abandon him. Or think that he was a freak- in an actually bad way, not the fond way Jonathan had described the two of them. 

Even so, he decided to do something for Mike. Even if he couldn’t admit his feelings, both out of fear of his reaction and because it would put him in an awkward place with Mike and El, he could still show his care for the other boy.

So, Will began to paint. He hid the artwork but knew that everyone in the house had seen him working on it from time to time. They were all polite enough to not look or snoop. 

He chose a battle scene from one of their DnD campaigns. Will missed playing with his friends and was envious that the boys had apparently found a new dungeon master, Eddie, who spun complex stories in theatrical ways that Mike never quite managed to master. He hoped that if he got to visit Hawkins, he’d be allowed to meet Eddie and play with their club. 

Mike stopped reaching out. Will could admit that he cried about it far too much. 

Will stopped reaching out too. Instead, he started reaching out to shove the boxes in his brain back into the darkness.

But then plans emerged for Mike to visit during Spring Break. And Will, like a fool, got hopeful. 

He finished his painting a few days before Mike’s arrival. Will watched as El finished her project for their history class and had to choke down the tears at seeing her diorama of her lost home and dad. 

Watching El break down in front of the class due to some shitty bullies broke Will’s heart. He didn’t understand how other kids could be so cruel. Even ignoring the secret hardships that El had been through, they were still laughing about a girl whose dad had died. It only got worse as El snapped and tried to use her powers, only to embarrass herself further in front of the school. 

When she got home that afternoon, she stormed into her room and slammed the door before Will could even speak. He could hear her crying through the door. 

Quietly, he gave her some space, but when she didn’t emerge for dinner, he made her a plate of Eggos and decorated it the way she had described it- the Triple Decker Eggo Extravaganza she used to make with Hopper. He knocked gently on her door, calling her name, but she didn’t respond. Will called out anyways, letting her know that her food was outside, and moved to his room instead. Listening closely, he heard her eventually crack her door open and closed after a minute. 

Later that night, she snuck into his room, dressed in soft pajamas and her hair falling loose around her shoulders. Will sat up from his place in bed, but she just slowly slid into bed next to him underneath his covers. She was facing him, so he turned towards her as well.

“Will. Why is everyone so mean?” she whispered, brown eyes wide and sad in the moonlight. He felt his heart clench.

“People just suck sometimes. They don’t like when other people are honest and nice, like you. It makes them feel bad about themselves for not being the same. Or they think that it’s a weakness or embarrassing. But it’s not, El. Being kind to others is a gift. They’re just too stupid and young right now to realize that.”

She stared at him for a moment, before blinking her gaze away and fiddling with his blanket. 

“I guess that makes sense. But I do not understand why they think I am a freak. I could understand if they knew who I was. But they do not.” 

Will’s chest ached, but for a different reason now. His mind flashed back to his talk with Jonathan. 

“People just don’t like when people are different from them. It’s stupid, but it scares people I guess, so they tend to lash out. But it’s okay if you’re a freak. Jonathan said that to me once. He said that he’s a freak and so am I. But it’s better to be a freak, and be interesting and capable of doing awesome things, rather than be some boring nobody. Being normal is… overrated.”

The words sat heavy in the silence, both El and Will ruminating over their meaning. He wished that he could fully believe those words, but he was getting there.

“Thanks, Will. You are a good brother,” she smiled softly, gently petting over his hair, before turning over to sleep. 

Will felt himself choke up at the words, before forcing himself to roll over and fall asleep.

A day later, Mike came, and things went sour pretty quickly. 

Chapter Text

Meeting Mike at the airport was exciting. Will felt his heart pound in his chest when he saw his dorky best friend at the arrival gates. He looked like an idiot, but fit in with the California aesthetic. He couldn’t help but feel fond. 

Will hoped to give Mike the painting as soon as possible. If he didn’t have the balls to do it quick, he was afraid that he’d never give it over. But Mike barely spared him a quick hello, wrapped up in El. It was an incredibly awkward reunion. Will followed behind the group, blinking hard against his burning eyes.

So, maybe the lack of calls and letters had been intentional. Maybe Mike just didn’t care about him anymore. 

Jonathan and Argyle left them at the skating rink while they dropped off Mike’s luggage (and likely went for a smoke session). Will hesitated for a moment, wanting to go with them rather than third wheel. But he didn’t want to make everything about him, so he sucked it up and followed his friends. 

Then, El was lying. El never lied. But there she was, boldfaced and lying right to Mike’s face. Saying that she had friends and Angela was a good person. He wondered how long she had been lying to Mike about her life here.

He saw the disaster coming but couldn’t do a thing to stop it. Turning his head at the commotion to see El dragged to the middle of the rink and circled over and over and over, trailed by a camcorder. His heart got caught in his throat, body frozen like it had in those fugue states. Flight or fight or freeze. 

Will always froze.

A milkshake dumped all over her. And in a blink, she had disappeared. 

Will and Mike scoured the place, trying desperately to find her. Will called home, but the busy signal rang loudly in his ear. 

More commotion. And as if it happened in slow motion, Will watched the anger boil in El’s eyes as she smacked Angela on the head with her skate. 

Things were a blur after that. Will didn’t breathe until Jonathan arrived, instantly taking control of the situation and packing them all up in Argyle’s van.

Dinner was an awkward and stilted affair, especially due to Murray’s sudden appearance and his mom’s even more sudden business trip. It ended with El storming out and an awkward night for everyone. 

Mike slept in the living room. Will felt both hurt and relieved that he hadn’t ended up in Will’s room instead like he used to. 

It seemed like the bad luck curse from the universe extended to El as well. Watching her leave in handcuffs and Mike try to chase the car was devastating. 

But they soon had other problems- namely two of Owen’s bodyguards and a half-hashed plan to escape their house. 

(A deep talk with Mike about El and their relationship. The bitter jealousy burning in his chest like acid. Repress, repress, repress.) 

Being attacked. Somehow, making it out. Watching a man die in front of him as they lost their only lead to El. Burying said body. Finding said lead. Finding their way to Suzie and finally having the information they needed to get her back. 

As they made it to Nevada, Mike got more and more antsy, so Will swallowed his pain, and finally spoke to him. 

His fingers trembled when he handed Mike the painting. Felt his heart burn with fondness as Mike’s eyes lit up and his smile grew when he looked at what Will had made. 

And Will just couldn’t stop himself, rambling about how Mike was the heart of their group, he was the leader, the one who brought them together. He dug his nails into his palms as he continued.

“These past few months, she’s been so lost without you. It’s just; she’s so different from other people, and when you’re… when you’re different, sometimes… you feel like a mistake.” 

Will could feel the tears welling in his eyes as Mike watched him earnestly, hanging on to every word he said. He felt mixed up inside, relieved to get these feelings off his chest, guilty to be framing his emotions as El’s, but defensive because it was exactly what El had expressed to him the other night. 

“But you make her feel like she’s not a mistake at all. Like she’s better for being different. And that gives her the courage to fight on. If she was mean to you, or she seemed like she was pushing you away, it’s because she’s scared of losing you, like you’re scared of losing her.”

Will was terrified of losing Mike. His best friend since kindergarten. He already felt him slipping away. 

“And if she was going to lose you, I… I think she’d rather just get it over with quick. Like ripping off a bandaid. So, yeah, El needs you Mike. And she always will.”

It burned. His whole chest was on fire. 

“Yeah?” Mike asked, hope finally shining in his pretty eyes.

“Yeah,” Will choked out, forcing a smile for a moment before he was forced to turn toward the window. 

And he broke.

He knew Mike wouldn’t notice- by nature he was oblivious as hell when it came to feelings. Add the lack of realization that Will was talking about himself too? It was a confirmation that Mike had no clue. It was honestly a blessing, for moments like these where he didn’t want to be seen but had nowhere to hide.

Jonathan and Argyle were high and sleepy. They wouldn’t notice.

So, he let himself break. Quietly as possible. Cupping his mouth to stifle the sounds as he silently sobbed. Tears burning heavy down his cheeks. 

Unaware of the heartbroken eyes watching him from up front. 

Chapter Text

He managed to pull himself together after a few minutes. 

An hour later, and they were following tire tracks into the middle of the desert.

In a spectacular demonstration that could only be caused by El, he watched as a military helicopter jerked wildly through the air before exploding in a burst of flames. And… there was El.

Battered, loopy, shaved head and all. 

Jonathan skidded the van to a stop as Mike lurched past Will to throw the sliding door open and rush to the swaying girl.

Relief overtook Will’s body when he saw that she was okay, and she turned to him quickly, rushing him with a tight hug as well. 

Reunions were cut short as El had an intense moment with Brenner, then they hightailed out of the area. 

El told them everything that was happening. How everyone back home was in danger. 

And it was a race against time.

Time they didn’t have. 

They were all thankful for Argyle’s odd ingenuity as they prepped a half-baked sensory tank for El. 

A laugh startled Will while he was stirring the salt in, and he spun around to watch as Argyle tried to force pizza in Mike’s mouth, El gazing fondly at Mike while he fought a grin. 

The ache returned. He felt so stupid to be worried about that when the world was close to ending.

But apparently he hadn’t hid emotions well, because Jonathan went off on a tangent about Legos that he knew would lead to some profound advice as usual. 

“I don’t know, I just… I feel like you used to come to me more for help. Or to just… talk, you know? Cause, like, you don’t do that anymore. Not like before.”

An angry bitterness lingered in the back of Will’s throat, frustrated because he had wanted to talk. Jonathan just… wasn’t there.

But Jonathan admitted that it was mostly his fault that the distance existed, as he was dealing with his own problems. And Will felt guilty for being angry in the first place.

“I miss talking to you. I, like, really miss it. And I think, right now? We need to talk more than ever. Because things are just getting complicated. A lot more complicated than Legos up the nose, you know? I just… I don’t want you to forget that I’m here. And I’ll always be here. No matter what. Because you’re my brother, and I love you.”

Will’s eyes were dripping with tears, lower lip wobbling as the words hit him. 

“And there is nothing in this world, okay, absolutely nothing, that will ever change that. You got that?” 

There was so much emphasis on those words that Will couldn’t stop a sob from escaping. He wondered if Jonathan knew. It sounded like he knew. The look in his eye was desperate and searching, begging Will to understand the depth of his words. Will nodded his head shakily, and shifted in place. 

“Yeah, and I’m always here for you too,” Will croaked out, thinking of how Jonathan gave up so much for their family, and didn't have the same support.

“I know. I know you are. Come here,” Jonathan said, love shining in his eyes as he reached out. Will threw himself into his arms, clinging on tightly as his body trembled, overwhelmed after feeling so alone for so long. 

“It’s gonna be okay,” Jonathan whispered, rubbing his back in a soothing motion.

And for once, Will actually felt that way. He finally felt like he could possibly tell someone about the way he felt, his crush and all, and still be okay. 

But it would have to wait.

Will felt breathless himself when he watched El choking in the water. And there was nothing they could do to help, because it wasn’t actually happening in front of them.

He glanced to see the raw fear and Mike’s eyes, and ignored his stupid feelings for a moment to encourage Mike to speak to her, to help give her the courage to fight. 

Mike started rambling to her, begging and pleading and reminiscing on their meeting. 

“I feel like my life started that day we found you in the woods.”

Will felt a sick twist in his gut at those words. Will’s life started the day that he met Mike on the playground. And apparently Mike’s life started the day after Will went missing. 

He shoved down the feelings. Packed up that box to stuff into the back of his head again. Sealed tight. Mentally vowed that he wouldn’t talk about that toxic, shameful thought.

El slowly caught her breath again as Mike’s words reached her. Mike started to shout, begging her to fight, and they all watched as her brow furrowed in determination. 

She was fighting- that was clear. But there was a sudden shift. Her breath caught in her chest again, but it was a still motion this time. And the sound of her voice was broken and raw.

“Max?! MAX!?” she cried out. Her hand gripped tight where Will was holding it, making him wince. The boys all looked up at each other with horror as she began to sob, pleading for Max. Will’s breath began to pick up as he realized what was happening. 

She let out a desperate wail, and the tears started slipping down Will and Mike’s cheeks. Max couldn’t… she couldn’t have…

Then she fell silent. Still. 

“No. You’re not going.”

More silence. 

Long enough that Mike starting begging for her to wake up again.

A shift… then a gasp as she sprung up, blood trickling from both sides of her nose. They all sighed in relief, Mike gathering her into an embrace. 

“Dudes… what the hell just happened? What’s up with Max?” Argyle asked, breaking the tension with an uncharacteristic tremble in his voice.

El pulled back tearfully. Her gaze was intense, a thousand-yard stare. 

“One got Max. He… almost got me. But he… took her. Lucas was holding her… screaming for her. Her arms and legs were broken. Her eyes were… white. She couldn’t see. Blood on her face…” she replied, almost robotically, bringing a shaky hand to her own cheeks.

Will felt like throwing up. He held it in as she continued.

“I. She. Max. Max… died.”

Will sobbed, feeling his knees go weak. Mike wasn’t better himself, full-body shaking, staring at El wide-eyed. 

“Lucas was… screaming. I… I couldn’t let her go. Not Max. I. I did something? I do not know how. Or what. But I. My powers did something. She started breathing again. But it all went black. I do not know… if she is okay.”

She made eye contact finally, horror filling her gaze. 

“But One opened the fourth gate. And the ground cracked. The world was glowing red. The Upside Down is open. We have to get back.”

Chapter Text

The next few days were a blur. El, Mike, and Will sat in the back of the van, cycling between crying, staring into space, and desperately trying to sleep. Jonathan and Argyle swapped back and forth between driving and sleeping, only stopping for short breaks. They were all desperate to get back to Hawkins.

Watching a long line of cars leaving town made the worry grow. Smoke in the air came from seemingly everywhere. 

A dreaded goosebump feeling on the back of Will’s neck started up. He prayed to the universe that it was just from the shock of watching people leave and not from what he expected it to be. 

They finally pulled into the Wheeler’s house, hopping out to stretch their stiff legs. And a bit of joy returned.

Jonathan booked it to Nancy, Mike was accosted by his mom, and Dustin hobbled over on his wrapped ankle to grab El and Will as tightly as he could. There was a shakiness to his breath that made Will’s stomach sink further.

Mrs. Wheeler noticed the tension between the kids and quietly slipped back into the house after a moment so they could break the news. 

Dustin explained that Max was in the hospital. That she hadn’t woken up yet. That the ambulance had taken so, so long to get to them in the mess of the world splitting open. Long enough, that when Erica had guided the paramedics up to the attic of the Creel house, Lucas was in a full blown panic attack, wailing uncontrollably and hyperventilating over Max’s barely-hanging-on body. To the point where the EMTs had to sedate him.

They all stared at Dustin with choked throats, Steve, Robin, and Nancy standing solemnly behind him. 

The California gang finally heard the whole story of what had happened in Hawkins. Of the gruesome deaths, the manhunt for Eddie, the trips in and out of the Upside Down, their grand plan to take Vecna. Only to fail in the end. And lose two people in the process. 

Dustin completely broke when they got to Eddie’s death. Steve pulled him in to a tight hug as he cried, allowing Nancy to state the cold, hard facts. That he died to protect everyone else. He died a hero. That they had to leave his body in the Upside Down as the cracks grew and shook the world around them. 

Mike, who had idolized Eddie just as much as Dustin, turned to hide his face as he broke down too. Will longed to reach out and give him comfort, but El was there to hold him before he could. He looked away, that toxic feeling in his stomach. Jealously at not being Mike’s person to reach out to, guilt at feeling such a petty feeling at such a horrible moment. He boxed up his feelings with more force, mentally taping down and stapling the overflowing box, repressing and shoving them deep, deep down. 

(He didn’t notice the inquisitive eyes trailing over his expression from the girl at Steve’s side.)

After a few minutes to calm, they decided to head to see Max while the others took their donations to the refuge center set up at Hawkins High. 

Walking through the hospital brought back awful memories. Seeing Lucas’s broken face as he rushed to hold them only further turned the mood more somber. Lucas was always so strong for them. Seeing him so shattered was destabilizing.

Max’s body was paler than usual, stiff and unmoving. It felt like nothing could get worse, until El confirmed through tears that she couldn’t find Max anywhere.

The unspoken thought between them all, that no one verbalized, in fear that it could even potentially be true: she was likely brain dead. 

No one knew what to do next. There was no game plan for the absolute clusterfuck that had settled upon them. 

Finding a place to sleep for the night was a good first step. El was still wanted. There was only one place they could really hide her.

Will nearly forgot how destroyed Hopper’s cabin was when they left it last. July 4th seemed so far away. 

They did their best to start cleaning, but after an hour of doing so, Will plopped down with Mike to take a break.

He hated to destroy Mike’s hopes that Vecna was dead, but he admitted in a trembling voice that he could still feel him. That their fight wasn’t over yet. 

Seeing a car pull up set everyone on high alert. But when the door opened, all Will saw was his mom, and he bolted out to her.

The same overwhelming relief overtook his body, safe in his mom’s arms again. He listened to her cry in his ear as he slumped over to press his ear against her chest. Hearing her heartbeat instantly soothed him.

Looking up to see a not-dead Hopper was shocking, but they all let him move into the cabin to reunite with El first. 

Things were happy for a moment. But they were far from safe. Goosebumps erupted on Will’s neck, and he spun to see matter from the Upside Down floating down around them. It struck Will for a moment, nearly convinced that his fugue states had returned, but he looked around to see everyone else looking up as well.

The group trekked through the forest to the open clearing, where they all finally saw the full depths of the degradation. The world had literally been torn open. 

Things moved fast after that. They worked to make the cabin livable again and tried to work up some plans to possibly fix the world. The absence of Max was glaring, but they all pushed through. If they could fix everything, maybe they’d get her back. 

Lucas was initially reluctant to join them, unwilling to leave Max at the hospital alone, but Erica volunteered to watch over her and keep her walkie on, so he finally acquiesced. 

Their plans were half-baked and messy, not enough information or man power to really come up with anything worth pursuing.

After a few days of stress, a beacon of hope arrived at their doorstep.

Apparently Sam Owens had been released from his arrest, once the government agents (who had previously been trying to kill El) went through the documents and footage from Hawkins lab of El’s past and got word of the abysmal situation in Hawkins. The government was desperate for a fix, as more and more soldiers tried to venture near the hostile cracks in the town and the ecosystem fell further out of whack. It was clear that El would be the only one able to fix everything. Her possible arrest afterwards was postponed and could potentially be pardoned if she was able to fix what had happened. 

It was a blessing. Brenner had informed Owens of his plans to fully awaken El’s powers to her maximum potential, and the supporting documents were found in the base N.I.N.A. had been set up in. 

They used an abandoned warehouse to set up the necessary equipment, and El left for a few days with Hopper, Owens, and government officials to oversee the process. 

The rest of the party waited anxiously for word of progress, as the town continued to struggle with the environmental changes and displacement. They worked to support the local families whenever they could and hunkered down at Hopper’s cabin or Max’s hospital room when they couldn’t. 

Until finally, El returned with Hopper, at full power and ready to plan for Vecna’s destruction and closing of the gates.

Chapter Text

The plan went as such: they’d find an easily accessible spot in the gate nearby to the Creel house, move in quietly and quickly, and search for Vecna. He may not be in the house, but it was a good place to start. With El’s heightened powers and Will’s ability to sense Vecna’s presence, they’d be able to track him down and ambush him. The government offered some military support as backup if things went south, and they would remain on the outskirts of the gate, radios available for signal. 

The adults gave up on requesting the younger kids to stay behind. Time had proven again and again that they’d find a way to get involved anyways. It was smarter to include them from the get-go at that point. Better to use their strengths when there was time to plan around them.

It was almost routine when things went south. They really should’ve known better. 

Will should’ve known better than to expect things to work out right for him.

The moment they entered the Upside Down, hidden in the forest behind the playground across from the Creel House, Will’s whole body erupted in goosebumps. He gasped out a ‘no!’ before everything shifted. 

When he blinked, reorienting his senses, he was deep in a storm cloud of red.

A short distance from him stood the creature himself. 

“Hello, Will. Long time no see,” Vecna drawled out.

Will gasped for air, twisting around to look for everyone else. He was met with more clouds, echos of voices coming from within. Memories, it seemed, as he distantly listened to Lonnie’s yelling and the frustrated voices of friends. 

“W-w-what do you want with me?! W-why am I here?” Will shouted out, fear entangling his body and making his voice shaky. 

“No greetings for an old friend? I thought we were… closer… than that. I know everything inside your mind, remember? And you know many things from mine,” Vecna continued. He stepped closer, and Will stumbled back.

“Why me?! What do you want from me?!” Will cried out, adrenaline pumping through his body, making everything tremble. His teeth clacked together in a painful rhythm. 

“I chose you, Will. Do you know why? When the gate first opened, I was still injured from your… friend… Eleven. I needed somebody who I could use to connect to your side of the world. I searched through Hawkins and came across you- a boy drowning within the secrets in his head. So secure that even I was unable to see what those secrets were. And I knew that I could use you- take over you, and you wouldn’t tell a soul.”

“You pride yourself on your ability to hide. But you do not realize that you do your best hiding within your own mind. Hiding from yourself. Hiding from things you’d rather not think about. And you hide those things from the people you love.”

A gleaming grin stretched across the twisted face of Vecna.

“And that makes you perfect for me to use. You wouldn’t tell anyone when things were wrong. When you returned home and released the offspring of this realm, allowing them to take over your side, you proved that. When I took over your body and you spoke a word to no one. No one realizes things are wrong because of your ability to hide.”

Will stood frozen as the weight of those words hit him. It was all true. His desire to hide his feelings from his loved ones was part of the reason things got so bad in the first place.

“Unfortunately, your connections proved to be a weakness in my plans. But now, I am stronger, and you are weaker, and I can overcome you.”

Vecna moved closer and closer until he stood in front of him. Will couldn’t move. He didn’t think it would make a difference anyways. 

“You devalue yourself, Will Byers. But you are so important to me. You are the key to my success in remaking this world. At breaking the barrier and creating a world for me to rule. Through you, I will destroy the only one who can stop me. Eleven will die and it will be your own hands that take her life.”

Vecna’s hand reached out, long spindly fingers wrapping around his face. Will whimpered in fear as shadows fell across his vision.

Will wished he could run. Wished there was a way out. 

But he was destined to fail. The universe had created him to freeze up by design.

Vecna taking over felt incredibly similar, yet so different to the first time when the cloud of the Mind Flayer had taken over.

It felt like every bit of him was being invaded, infected from the inside out. Less like buzzing and sharp dust this time, and more like slithering vines taking root in every cell. Trickling and squirming through every inch of his body. Still unable to breathe or scream. Fear completely invaded his mind, overwhelming every sense until it all blurred together into just pure terror.

Then he was blinking, and falling to the ground.

“Will!? WILL! Are you okay? Holy shit!” Mike screamed. 

“Will baby, can you hear me!?” his mom wailed.

A chorus of worried voices. 

An unexpected response.

“I-I’m okay. W-what just happened?”

Was that… his own voice? 

No. It couldn’t be. 

“You fucking started floating like Max, dude!! Did you see Vecna? Did you escape him somehow?” Dustin ranted, eyes wide and terrified. 

He went to reply, to inform everyone what had just happened.

“I think so? I started seeing bad memories, but there was a… portal? And I saw you guys, so I just ran to you. I… I must have escaped somehow.”

That was his voice. His voice, coming from his body. But that wasn’t what he wanted to say.

All at once, he recognized the disconnected feeling. It was as if his consciousness was shoved to the back of his skull- a heavy presence weighing at the front, completely blocking him.

He commanded his body to move. 

Nothing happened. 

Panic overtook him.

“Ah, realizing your predicament, Will? I told you. I will kill Eleven with your own hands. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” a voice echoed in his mind. 

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, FUCK! 

Will used every bit of energy he could to try and move, or speak, or shove at the invader in his brain. But it proved to be futile. 

He was stuck in his own mind, watching as Vecna possessed him. Pretending to be Will. Speaking like him, moving like him.

He knew everything about Will. Knew how he thought and all of his memories. Vecna would be able to pass as Will for long enough to kill Eleven and ruin any chance of salvation.

“Now you get it. Just sit back and relax. Enjoy the show.”

Will watched on helpless as his friends and family bought the story, pulling him up and holding him tight. He desperately wished to cry or scream. He still tried, even knowing that it wouldn’t work. 

The group continued on towards the Creel house, but Vecna stopped them.

“Wait, guys. I… it feels like he’s in that direction. The closer we get to the house, the less I feel him,” his own voice said, laced with confusion and fear. 

It was scary how well Vecna was playing him. 

Just like when he was connected to the Mind Flayer, he had a connection to Vecna’s mind as well and the creatures of the Upside Down. He knew that the new path that Vecna was leading them on was right towards a congregation of demogorgans, demodogs, demobats, and twisting vines. 

They were all going to die if they reached that spot. 

But their trust in him stood strong, and they headed in that direction anyways. Vecna slowed Will’s pace until his body was lagging a bit behind the rest of the group.

“You sure you’re alright? From what Nancy said, it was pretty traumatic to be in Vecna’s Mind Lair. You can talk to me about it if you need to,” Jonathan said softly, concern evident in his eyes, trailing next to him as they all walked cautiously through the town. 

Will could absently feel Vecna sorting through his memories to pull from. It was clear that he couldn’t avoid opening up to Jonathan.

“It… it wasn’t too bad. Lots of stuff about Lonnie. Some memories from the Upside Down,” Vecna worked out, puppeteering Will’s body to avoid eye contact and drift a bit. 

“Nothing else? You know you can tell me. We talked about this, remember?” Jonathan said worriedly, putting a hand on his shoulder and forcing Will’s body to look at him.  

“Really, that was it. There’s nothing else that Vecna would show me so…” Will’s voice trailed off with a hint of confusion, clearly painted on his face. Will could feel Vecna’s own confusion as he parsed through more memories to try and find what Jonathan might be probing for. 

Jonathan’s face scrunched up in confusion. 

“Nothing? But what about…” 

Jonathan’s eyes motioned to Mike and back. It was a pointed motion. Will could feel his heartbeat pick up. Whether it was from the switch in conversation, or the frustration mounting from Vecna, he wasn’t sure. 

Vecna was confused. It was clear by the way he was digging sharply through Will’s memories to try and find the missing piece to this conversation. What did Mike have to do with his memories? All Vecna could find was feelings of friendship. Until… he reached the more recent memories, the feelings of anger and betrayal from when Mike started going radio silent after the Byers’ move to California. The memory of Mike barely looking at him at the airport. 

He latched onto the information, confident that he had answered the mystery. Vecna was too busy speaking his next words to notice Will’s hope spike.

Could it be that Will had buried his feelings for Mike so deep down, repressed those boxes and boxes of feelings so hard that Vecna couldn’t access them? He remembered what Vecna said about being good at hiding. That even he couldn’t see all of Will’s secrets. 

His own shame could be what saved him. Vecna was going to tip Jonathan off.

“Oh. Well yeah. I mean, there was also the memories of Mike abandoning me once we settled in California. But I already came to terms with the fact that our friendship is over. I’m fine with it now,” Vecna replied with confidence. 

Will laughed. Or whatever the mental equivalent of laughing is when your brain is possessed. 

Vecna was a fool.

And he realized it fairly quickly. 

Jonathan’s face confronted in extreme confusion, then concern, then realization, and fear. 

“GUYS! THIS ISN’T WILL! VECNA IS CONTROLLING HIM! HE’S BEEN POSSESSED OR SOMETHING!” Jonathan screamed, rushing towards the group to give some distance. 

The group swiveled around in fear, some with more hesitation as they looked confused at Jonathan’s words.

“W-what?! Jonathan, what are you talking about?” Vecna cried out, forcing desperation into his tone.

“He’s saying things that don’t align with his actual feelings! I know one of his secrets and what he just said is the complete opposite!” Jonathan yelled, backing up further and barring the others from moving forward. 

Vecna was panicked and enraged. He clawed at Will’s brain, searching for that secret so he could do damage control. But Will had been shoving down those feelings for years and was a pro. A master secret-keeper. He stood strong. 

“Jonathan, I-I was just kidding! I didn’t mean it! I just meant that…”

All Vecna had to work off of was the recent feelings of anger towards Mike. He made a last ditch effort.

“It’s not that I don’t want to be friends with Mike! I’m just… jealous because I… because I like El.”

Will was howling with laughter in his brain. That was the complete wrong thing to say. Either it had slipped Vecna’s mind that Will viewed her as a sister, or that detail had slipped in with the boxed up repressed thoughts. He didn’t know how any of the mind-meld-boxed-feelings bullshit worked, but it really didn’t matter. Vecna had fucked up.

It was clear from everyone’s reactions that they didn’t believe that either. Some of them laughed, before sobering up as they realized that it meant Vecna had control over their friend.

El stepped forward, determined look on her face, hand outstretched.

“Let Will go. If you want to fight me, do it yourself.”

Vecna let out a rumbling laugh from Will’s body, using his own voice at last.

“And why would I give up my hostage, Eleven? I’m in the perfect spot. Kill me now, and you lose your friend. I have the upper hand here. I am stronger than you!” 

His voice grew with sick satisfaction, booming across the space between them. The horror grew on everyone’s faces. 

“Not anymore,” El replied, a smirk on her face. Her hand lurched out, and the world shifted again. 

They were back in the storm. Only this time, El was with them. 

“El!” Will gasped out desperately. 

“Go! I can fight him in here! Find his body!” she shouted, before turning her hand to Will and doing… something with her powers to force him out of the storm.

He gasped at the force of being sent back to his body, finally back in control.

Chapter Text

“Will? Is that… is that really you?” his mom called out.

Will stood, taking in the scene before him. El was standing in the same position from her attack, arm outstretched, eyes open and glazed over with white. Everyone stood behind her, defenses still raised.

“It’s me! I swear. El’s fighting with Vecna in his Mind Lair,” Will panted out, taking a step forwards.

They all raised their weapons higher, even his mom. It sent a sick feeling to his stomach.

“Prove that it’s really you, Will,” Hopper barked out. 

“How!? He had access to my memories, I don’t know how to prove it since he knew everything!” Will wheezed out in panic. 

“Jonathan- you said you knew Will’s secret, right? Something Vecna didn’t know. So, Will- admit your secret!” Nancy demanded, staring at him with suspicion.

Fear ran through his body. He… he couldn’t admit it in front of everyone. Those things were repressed for a reason. What if… what if they heard it and hated him? What if they were so disgusted that they just decided to kill him anyways? Or left him for Vecna to take again? They’d have an excuse, at least.

“I… I can’t,” Will choked out, tears beginning to drip down his cheeks.

“C’mon man! If it’s really you, then you just gotta be honest!” Lucas begged. 

Will sobbed, gripping his shirt tight. 

“I-I can’t say it. Not out loud with everyone. Please don’t make me. I- I can’t ,” Will cried out, breath stuttering.

He understood logically that it gave them no evidence to trust him. That Vecna could easily be playing this emotional act up and trick them. But he just couldn’t admit it.

“If… if you’re really Will, then. I understand why you can’t tell everyone. So… I’ll come closer and you can just whisper it to me. Okay?” Jonathan said, speaking slowly with conflict in his eyes.

“No, Jonathan! If it’s Vecna, getting that close could get you killed!” Steve denied, looking at him like he was crazy.

“And if it’s Will, his ability to find Vecna could save everyone! Just. Just have your weapons aimed, okay? First sign of hostility and I’m backing off and you can say ‘I told you so’. But if it’s really Will, I can’t force him to admit this secret out loud. It was buried deep enough that Vecna couldn’t reach it, and it was buried that deep for a reason,” Jonathan explained. 

Will sobbed in relief, his breath hitching.

“Thank you, Jonathan, god- thank you. I’ll do whatever to make myself less threatening. See, I’ll-“ he cut himself off to kneel down and put his hands behind his back. 

Jonathan moved towards him slowly and with caution, his own weapon trained carefully on Will. Will could see his hands shaking and knew that this position of potentially harming his little brother was hurting Jonathan too.

He got close enough that Will could whisper and no one else could hear. 

Then, Will just had to speak.

It was so hard to force the words out. The words he had never spoken, even just in his head to himself. The fear ate at him, making his lips tremble and more tears pour out. 

“Remember. Absolutely nothing will change the fact that I love you,” Jonathan whispered, eyes searching for some sign that it was really Will.

Will sobbed again, before gasping in, and forcing his words out from where they had been stuck for so long. For years, so many years of internalized guilt and shame and disgust and fear.

“I-I’m g-gay. I… I like b-boys. I’m. I’m in l-love w-with M-mike,” he whispered in hiccuping breaths, just barely loud enough for Jonathan to hear. 

Jonathan’s face collapsed in pure relief, and he threw his gun down. He rushed forwards and pulled Will into the tightest embrace he’d ever felt. Jonathan sobbed, tucking Will’s face into his shoulder.

“IT’S HIM! IT’S WILL!” he shouted, before everyone rushed over, offering their own words and gestures of relief. Will felt his mom latch onto his other side, holding her boys together.

“I’m okay. I’m okay. We. We gotta hurry. El’s fighting Vecna in his head, but we have to kill his body. We need to go,” Will forced out, pulling away.

“Okay, but we’re definitely talking about this all later! Tell us everything you know,” Mike demanded. 

With a quick rehash of events, they created a plan and started moving. El was hoisted up onto Hopper’s back in her frozen state, secured with some careful rope tying that would be easy to slip out of if she returned to her body.

Will had already been able to sense Vecna, but after the brief possession, it was like a beacon calling out to him. They rushed through the Upside Down, until they reached the attic of the Creel House.

It was surprisingly easy, all things considered, and Will guessed that El was putting up a hell of a fight to keep Vecna distracted from their actions. 

Unsurprisingly, Vecna was there, attached to his vines and completely vulnerable. Robin snorted and mumbled something about not learning the first time. 

They wouldn’t make the same mistakes that they had before. 

It was quicker than expected. Steve jumped in with a quick, but brutal chop to Vecna’s head, cutting it off nearly halfway. The second he gasped and opened his eyes, he was met with fire as Robin chucked a Molotov at his face, burning him like before. Nancy shot him straight in the face, followed by a misaimed shot from Jonathan that struck a hole through his chest. Joyce ripped the axe from Steve’s hands and chopped into the other side of Vecna’s neck, cutting the remaining tendons and sending his decapitated head rolling to the floor. 

El jolted with a gasp as she woke up on Hopper’s back. She watched as the group used all their weaponry to completely destroy Vecna’s body, chopping and shooting and pouring more fuel for the fire. It was morbid and animalistic with fury but also beautiful all at once, watching the destruction of the horrendous creature that was once human. 

Something shifted in the Upside Down. Dust poured out from the mess in front of them and shot into the sky, incredibly similar to the moment when the Mind Flayer had left Will’s body the first time. They stood frozen in fear, before piling out into the lawn and looking at the sky. 

The dark red haziness in the sky started to melt into a brighter red, then orange, then finally settled into a soft yellow color. The ever-present screams and screeches of creatures quieted. Houses and other manmade structures began to collapse into the ground, turning to rubble and dirt. Soon enough the landscape looked like a piece of untouched nature. They all stared in confusion, before rushing towards their exit. The Upside Down seemed to be returning to its natural state without the meddling of Vecna to shape it to his will. Regardless, they didn’t want to be on the wrong side of things if the place decided to mend itself closed.

Back on their side, many feet from the edge of the open gate, they watched as the blackened bits of nature began to come alive again. El stepped forward, taking a deep breath, and stuck both her hands out. Dustin radioed the military officials to tell them that they were closing the gate and to stand clear. Everyone watched on as the land began to shift, sewing itself back together with only a scar to mark the devastation that had occurred there. 

Finally, the ground stilled, and they all stood silent, simply staring at the blank land before them. Then, El turned, wiping her nose with a bright smile, and they all began to cheer and cry. The boys shouted that El was a superhero, and she saved the day. There was a mixture of tears and laughter and screaming and it was the most beautiful moment of Will’s life. 

Finally, after all this time, they were safe. The hellscape of the Upside Down was gone, for good, and no one would ever hurt them again. The relief was too much, and Will collapsed to the ground, bawling into his bent knees. 

Years of fear and pain and paranoia. Completely finished, never to happen again. Will was free from the burden of the Upside Down, free from his ties to the place and the creatures there. That ever-constant presence of Vecna was completely gone. His body felt free, and wholly his, for the first time in years.

Lucas, Mike, and Dustin piled on top of him, hugging and laughing and telling them how proud of him they were. 

He blinked through his tears to see El watching them with a smile, and he reached out for her. Her grin grew, and she jumped in to hold him tight. 

“Will is a superhero too,” she proclaimed, messing up his hair. 

It took a while to calm down, everyone sitting or lying down in exhaustion, until El spoke up.

“I think we need to get a car. There’s someone we need to see. Someone missing.”

They stared at her in confusion, before a bright giggle burst from her chest.

“I found Max in his mind. I freed her. I sent her back to her body. I think she will wake up now.”

Lucas flung himself at her with a shout, picking her up and spinning her around.

“Seriously?! She- she’ll be okay? God, thank you El, thank you, thank you! I can’t believe I was so mean to you when we first met, you’re the literal best,” he cried, tears trickling down his cheeks. She just laughed and hugged him back.

It was a mad rush to the hospital, and easy to bypass the receptionist with a look from Hopper. They piled into the room, startling Erica who shot up when she saw them.

“Did you do it? Is he dead? Tell me everything,” she demanded.

Before anyone could speak, a wince of pain came from the bed and their attention was diverted.

“Max?! Max baby, are you awake? I’m here, everything’s okay, you’re safe,” Lucas said, shooting to her side and grabbing the exposed section of her fingers.

Her brow furrowed, and she kept making tiny noises of discomfort and confusion, until she finally managed to squint open her eyes. 

Her brilliant blue eyes.

Lucas whimpered when he saw that her eyes had returned to a normal shade, no longer clouded in white and unseeing.

“L…Lucas,” she mumbled out, confusion in her tone.

“It’s me, Max, it’s Lucas. You’re okay, you’re safe now. Everyone is here, nothing is going to ever hurt you again okay?” 

They gave her more time, and she slowly became more aware and awake, allowing Joyce to carefully pour some water into her mouth and gently rub at the sleep in her eyes.

“What… what happened?”

El moved to the other side of the bed, holding on to her fingers.

“Vecna got you. Remember we were in his mind together. And you died. I brought you back. But your mind was still lost. He still had you. But I got stronger, and I got you out. We killed Vecna and closed the Upside Down and everything is fixed. We won,” El explained in her choppy way of speaking, smiling big at the end.

“We won?” Max repeated, taking a moment to process before grinning, big and happy. 

“We won.” 

Chapter Text

They worked their way slowly and steadily back to some semblance of normal afterwards. 

The town of Hawkins began to rebuild, families returning and businesses opening once more. Schools tentatively opened, settling for a 4 day schedule until the end of the year to adjust to the chaos and displacement everyone was dealing with. 

The government had signed a deal that allowed for El to live a normal life with only occasional government check-ins, as long as she closed the gates and returned balance to Hawkins. There was a stipulation that if anything supernatural returned to cause havoc, she would be enlisted to help, however. Hopper wasn’t thrilled on that part, but El felt that with her powers, being able to help was her duty, so he begrudgingly allowed it. 

They were able to send men to pack up the Byers’ home in California and bring it to the newly purchased home for them in Hawkins. It was a big house, fully paid for by the government as part of the deal, with 5 bedrooms, a big backyard, and was fairly isolated from the busier parts of town. They also replaced their broken down car, thankfully. No one mentioned that it was broken before the ambush.

Joyce demanded that Hopper and El move in, seeing as the cabin was still trashed to hell and Hopper was still recovering from the trauma of his imprisonment. He took the fifth bedroom, but Will didn’t expect that room to stay occupied for long, based on the heated glances between him and his mom. 

It should’ve grossed him out, but he was just happy that his mom was happy.

Jonathan finally had a sit-down talk with Nancy about their futures and agreed to do long distance when Nancy left for college. Jonathan admitted to his lack of submission to colleges and although she was upset at first, Nancy eventually forgave him for lying. Jonathan decided that he’d keeping working and save up for another year before making the move to follow her out of state. 

Argyle dipped not long after, mentioning something about going back to find Eden and court her. He called Jonathan regularly to catch up and had plans to visit in the summer.

Max recovered quickly, somehow cutting the healing time down majorly due to El’s interventions with her powers. Lucas stayed by her side, the patient and steady protector that he had always been. She was seeing a therapist that was helping her deal with the trauma of everything.

They all got access to therapy, actually. The government provided some psychologists who were educated on the situation, and sworn to privacy, and they helped everyone with recovering mentally.

Dustin continued on being himself but had a sadder tone to him. Eddie’s death still weighed heavily on him, but he also used his grief to keep Eddie’s memory alive. He became president of the Hellfire Club, started learning to play the guitar, became bolder at school, and spent at least one day a week with Wayne Munson. 

He made a request to Owens in private, and the man was kind enough to grant it. The story of the mysterious deaths before the ‘earthquakes’ was ‘officially’ reported as solved. 

The story went: Henry Creel had returned to Hawkins after being released from the facility he had been in since he was a kid. He desired to replicate his father and carried out a string of murders in his same, gruesome way. Eddie Munson had been in the wrong place at the wrong time but was cleared as innocent. Several accounts witnessed Eddie leave his hiding place in order to save a group of young teens who were nearly killed by Henry, managing to subdue the serial killer, but the earthquake hit suddenly and killed them both. Eddie Munson would be recognized as a hero for his actions. 

The story spread quickly, and it wasn’t uncommon to see people reading the paper or watching the news with guilt written on their faces for believing that he was the bad guy.

It didn’t make up for Eddie’s death. But it brought Wayne and Dustin some peace. Dustin told Will that he hoped it would bring Eddie some peace too, wherever he was.

El continued to grow, finally in a safe place, with everyone she loved. She and Mike grew closer, learning to communicate better with the help of their therapy sessions. It still ached in Will’s body to watch them together, but it was a bit easier now. It often was overridden at the content feeling of knowing his friend and sister were happy and safe and loved.

Hopper struggled for a while to acclimate back to normal life. He had already struggled with PTSD through his experience in the war, then the death of Sara, and everything that had happened the past few years. Turns out that being a Russian prisoner for 8 months didn’t really help that. Some days he was incredibly jumpy and on edge, others he was quiet and somber. Some days he was totally happy and normal. But he still had nightmares and flinched at sudden loud noises and hoarded food in his room (aka his mom and Hopper’s room- he didn’t last a week in his own room). But he had support and it helped.

Hopper eventually rejoined the police force part time, the explanation for his ‘death’ being that he was recruited for a top secret mission after his bravery in uncovering the corruption surrounding Starcourt, requiring him to go off the map completely. The town welcomed him back with open arms, and the common sense to avoid discussion of his scars and gaunt appearance. He seemed weirdly happy to be breaking up stupid civil arguments about property lines and noise ordinances.

His mom was doing well. She had always been strong and resilient, and this last batch of fuckery seemed to have slid off her back fairly quickly. Having everyone safe and sound seemed to be enough for her. She was a good support system for everyone, always offering hugs and food and a warm smile. She was settled in a way that Will hadn’t seen since Lonnie first left. 

Steve and Robin bought a small house together, not far from the Byers’ own home. They continued to reinforce the ‘platonic with a capital P’ story, backed up by their separate rooms and constant bickering. 

They’d tried to create a nickname for the house, as saying ‘Steve and Robin’s House’ felt like a mouthful compared to ‘The Byers’ or ‘The Wheelers’. Steve had suggested ‘BH’ as a combination of the initials of their last name. Dustin had immediately quipped back “butthole” which sent everyone into hysterics and Steve into a slapping fight with the younger boy. 

Horrible renditions of a combination of their names started to get thrown out (Strobin, Reve, Rosteve, Buckharr, Harringly, Harckly), getting worse with each suggestion in order to piss Steve off more. Lucas finally snapped his fingers in inspiration.

“Buckington! It sounds like Buckingham, like Buckingham Palace. We can call it the Buckington Palace!”

Steve groaned, claiming it sounded stupid as hell, but everyone else agreed in excitement (mostly due to Steve's distaste), so it stuck.

Apparently the Harrington’s had finally decided to finally move away from the tragedy-stricken Hawkins, abandoning their only son in the process as well when he refused to leave his friends. Robin had a similar defection, which was unknown to everyone besides Steve it seemed. All Will knew is that she had stormed up to Steve one day, angry tears dripping down her red cheeks, and demanded that he find a place with at least 2 bedrooms. 

No one pried, for once.

Will was… coping. The past month (past 3 years really) had been a whirlwind of moments and disasters and trauma and tension and pain. Processing it all through his therapy sessions was helping, but it had the negative effect of resurfacing everything he hated to think about and remember, causing him to relive the pain and try to move past it. It was…difficult to say the least. Impossible, it seemed at times. 

School helped. It was a good distraction. High school in Hawkins proved to be more peaceful than in California. El was doing way better- her clunky way of speaking was completely looked over (as everyone had bigger things to worry about) and she had people who she trusted to keep her company. Will’s friends were always around, he was able to play DnD regularly again, and the mind-numbing monotony of academics and schedules helped everyone.

Life continued on.

The large group that they had accumulated decided to have weekly get-togethers on Saturdays, when the adults and older teens were off work, and school wasn’t an issue. The Byers’ new house was big enough to host, and it turned into a big family gathering of sorts. Hopper liked to use his new grill to cook for everyone, El love to boast to everyone about the plants she had started to grow in the backyard with his mom, Steve and Robin brought newly released movies for everyone to watch, and the younger teens caused chaos as usual. 

Will loved to sit in the corner on Saturdays and sketch the smiles of his friends- his family. It was overwhelming to see everyone so happy and semi-carefree after the gruesome pain they had all gone through. To watch as the bonding helped heal their grief and fear and anger. 

One Saturday, Will noticed something different from his armchair in the corner of the living room. Everyone was sitting around- Hopper and his mom squeezed against each other in the loveseat, Nancy perched in Jonathan’s lap in the other armchair, Mike, El, Max, Dustin, Erica and Lucas sprawled across the floor playing a board game and arguing, and Steve flopped across the couch next to Robin. 

And that was the difference: Robin.

Robin was an interesting character. Will had only gotten to know her in bits and pieces, growing slowly closer over the past few Saturdays and visits to the Buckington Palace to help decorate and paint and landscape. His interactions before had been brief too: just quick eye contact at Scoops Ahoy, a frantic touch when passing over a lit firework to throw at the fleshy Mind Flayer, a nod in thanks when Will had handed her a broom at Hopper’s cabin.

She was hyperactive and regularly went on rambling tangents about anything and everything. It was familiar, considering Will was friends with very passionate nerds, and helped him feel more at ease with her. Robin was spacey sometimes too, the same way Steve could be sometimes, like her focus only came in bursts. Regardless, she was smiley and funny, and loved to tease and knock Steve down a peg when his head got too big. 

The thing that really stood out to Will about Robin was the glances she gave him when she thought he wasn’t looking. It was a searching look, almost considering, and he wondered if she was just sizing him up the same way he tended to do with everyone else too. Jonathan used to talk about being a people-watcher, and how it inspired him with photography. Will understood that too and loved to observe so that he could imprint the memories to paper. 

He wondered for what reason Robin was observing.

That night in particular, she was a mixture of everything. She kept spacing out, knee bouncing, chewing on her nails and staring at everyone. Steve kept leaning over to whisper to her, and she would nod in respond, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The cycle repeated a few times, before she blew out a big breath and shot up out of her seat. 

“U-um! I-um. I have something to say!” she rasped out, shaking her hands out with nerves. Steve stared up at her, watching her closely with the slightest hint of concern. Once everyone shifted to look at her, silence ringing through the room, she spun to send a panicked look back to Steve. He sent her back a smile full of confidence, nonverbally communicating his support. Robin took another deep breath before swiveling around again. 

“Okay! So!” she started a bit shrilly, before clearing her throat and starting again.

“Okay! Um! So, we’ve all known each other for a while and we’ve seen each other at our absolute worst, like seriously how much trauma can a group of people see before we all go crazy just like the Creel family- anyways- shit, sorry I shouldn’t mention them, too soon right? God, sorry, this has nothing to do with what I wanted to talk about, shit, um, so-“

Steve reached out to grab her wrist and squeezed lightly.

“Rob, chill. Deep breath and start over,” he said patiently. 

She did as he asked.

“Sorry guys. You know I ramble and obviously it gets worse when I’m nervous. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I trust you all and I want to share something that I hope doesn’t completely freak you out, considering you’ve seen what could be explained as literal hell on Earth. But, um. If you do have a problem with this then Steve told me to tell you that you’re not invited to our house anymore and he won’t drive you anywhere. So. Yeah. Here goes.”

Robin paused, steeling herself, before blurting out what was on her mind.

“I’m gay. I’m a lesbian. And I have a girlfriend, her name is Vickie, some of you might know her from school. And. Yeah. So, she might be over at our house sometimes now and I’m tired of hiding myself where I should feel safe, so if you have a problem with us holding hands and like, kissing, then you can. Fuck off,” she finished strongly. 

Steve beamed up at her with pride when she glanced back to him. 

Will felt like his body was on fire again. Then like he was freezing to death again. Back and forth until his head went dizzy. His breath caught in his throat and stayed there.

Holy shit. 

Holy SHIT.

Not only was Robin also gay, but she just had the balls to come out in front of the people she trusted most. 

Will felt faint, terrified of the reactions from everyone else in the room. Their reactions meant as much to him in that moment as they did to Robin.

“Hell yeah,” Max said, nodding her head with a smirk.

“No problems here,” Lucas said magnanimously, shrugged simply. 

“I’ve got more important things to worry about than who you’re kissing,” Erica said with a roll of her eyes.

“I kind of already caught you and Vickie in one of the practice rooms last week? It’s totally fine, Barb was out to me too,” Nancy smiled sweetly, a melancholic hint in her eyes.

“Jesus CHRIST! That’s why you and Steve weren’t dating!? Jesus Robin, tell me that next time before I spend a year trying to coax Steve into dating you. Damn. Well, anyways, Vickie is pretty cool, definitely in a high enough league to date you. Unlike Steve,” Dustin cried out.

“Hey, watch it Henderson, I’ll make your ass walk home,” Steve snapped back. 

“What is… gay?” El asked in confusion, head tilted like a confused puppy.

“It means you like people of the same sex. A girl liking a girl, in this case. Some people view it as bad, but there’s no reason to. There are bigger problems in the world than worrying about who someone else likes,” Hopper gruffed out, making eye contact with Robin to give her a nod of support.

“Oh. I did not know. Vickie is very pretty and so are you, I am happy for you both,” El responded after a moment of processing, smiling at the freckled teen. 

That left the three most important people in Will’s life to talk. He dug his nails into his palms painfully as Jonathan opened his mouth.

“I’m totally fine with it, Robin. Thank you for trusting us enough to tell us,” he smiled. 

“Oh sweetheart, I’m sure you were super nervous, but that doesn’t change anything! You’re absolutely still welcome here anytime, bring Vickie over with you sometime, okay? I’m proud of you for telling us, I’m sure it was scary even with support,” his mom spoke up, standing to wrap Robin in a hug, leaning down to hug Steve as well. 

Will could feel the tears welling in his eyes and he frantically blinked them back. His stomach was swirling with fear and happiness. His mom and Jonathan would support him. That knowledge meant SO much.

But Mike had yet to speak. The fear grew.

“Oh. Uh. I mean it’s a little weird,” Mike started, jumping when everyone turned to glare at him. Will was sure that if he looked down, there would be a hole in the floor from where his stomach had just dropped through his feet. 

“No! Sorry, Jesus, that came out so wrong. I didn’t mean weird in a bad way, just weird like, different. I’ve just never met a gay person before,” he shrugged. 

“Doesn’t bother me. Do what makes you happy, or whatever. Uh- sorry again. I’m bad about putting my foot in my mouth,” Mike said sheepishly, scratching his head.

Will had to hold back delirious laughter at the turn of events, which only got more difficult when El looked concerned and disgusted, eyes flicking back and forth between Mike’s foot and mouth. 

“Not literally El,” Mike laughed, ”it just means that you say something stupid without meaning to.” 

El sighed in visible relief.

Finally, Robin turned to Will. The look in her eyes was different from before, hidden from everyone due to her facing the corner of the room where he sat. The look almost said ‘see, it’s okay, everything’s okay, you’re safe, they all are okay with it’. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that Robin knew- that she was able to see right through him and knew that this moment was just as big, if not bigger, for him. Her face was soft, with a gentle and understanding smile. 

Will’s heart ached. In a good way. He was finally being seen, finally being understood in a way that no one else was able to give to him. The wave of emotions overwhelmed him for a moment, before he shoved it aside, and breathed.

“That’s awesome Robin. Thank you.”

He left it at that. If he said more, he’d start bawling in front of everyone. 

Robin took the cue and spun around, drawing the attention back to her. 

“I. I genuinely can’t thank you enough. This was extra terrifying considering I tried this same conversation with my parents and got disowned instantly, ha!” she choked out, lips wobbling as some tears slipped out. Steve stood and pulled her into a hug from the side.

“Um. Yeah, so that was really rough, especially after everything with the Upside Down. But dingus here is the best and loves me and now I’ve got a place where I can be me and all of you who don’t mind either so. Just. Thank you,” she finished off, beaming at the group. 

“Wait, Steve knew before me? What the hell Robin, I thought I was your favorite?” Dustin whined, subtly trying to lighten the mood. 

“Nah, Steve’s my favorite, sorry buddy. He’s known since we got drugged and mugged by Russians and ended up puking in the girl’s bathroom at Starcourt. He asked me out on a dirty bathroom floor, and I had to reject him. Stevie here was really chill about accepting me when I told him. Probably the only reason I had the balls to tell you all, I know he’d stick with me if any of you had an issue.”

“…how did that conversation end with you guys opera singing when Erica and I finally found you,” Dustin asked in confusion. 

Steve and Robin made eye contact instantly, saying ‘Kermit’ in sync, and started belting out ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ in weird voices.

Everyone ended up laughing along at the horrible rendition, regardless of the confusion at the inside joke. And just like that, the night continued. 

Chapter Text

Will managed to slip out unnoticed after a few minutes, walking quietly down the hallway until he reached his room. He closed the door quietly, locking it for good measure, before throwing himself onto his bed and burying his head beneath his pillows. It only took seconds before he was crying into his sheets, face quickly getting hot and sticky in the humid space he had carved into the bed. 

The crying was due to a huge mixture of feelings. Comfort that his family and friends wouldn’t hate him. Fear and joy, knowing that Robin knew that he was gay too. Residual panic from Mike’s awkward response. Grief from knowing that he’d wasted his time worrying and burning and angsting and hurting, buried in shame and self-hatred, when at the end of it all, it was for nothing because no one would care in the end. Immediate annoyance at himself for feeling bad about that, since it was the one thing that helped them survive Vecna. Heartbreak because while Mike seemed fine with people being gay, it was clear as day that he wasn’t gay, and Will was destined for an unrequited love. But god, the relief that he wouldn’t be hated? It was so overwhelming.

The feelings cycled, reappearing again and again until he’d fully let himself feel them all, and properly wrung himself out, exhausted. His head ached when he finally emerged from his pillow cave, heaving in a fresh breath of air after so long spent buried in fabric. Will scrubbed at his face, wiping the dampness off his cheeks, and feeling the puffiness of his eyes. He took another minute to just sit and breathe before a knock startled him.

“Hey Will? It’s Robin. It’s okay if you just want to be alone right now, but I’m here if you want to talk. Or we can talk later. Or not at all, if I’m being presumptuous,” Robin spoke quietly.

Will hesitated for a moment, before getting up and opening the door. Robin looked surprised that he had answered, then her face sank to sadness as she registered that he’d been crying.

“Ah, shit. Will, can I give you a hug? I know we’re not the closest, and I swear I’ll respect your personal space, but you just look like a sad kitten, and I might cry if I can’t hug your little face-“ 

Will pulled her into his room gently by the wrist, closing the door behind her, before turning and sitting down heavily at the edge of his bed. She followed suit, then reached out slowly, testing the waters. Will turned, burying his head into the space between her neck and shoulder, where it was dark, and he could pretend to ignore the world again. Robin was quick to reciprocate, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and stroking his hair with one of her hands. His face scrunched up at the soft gesture, feeling tears burning again. He allowed himself to wrap his arms around to her back and cling onto her sweater as she rocked them gently, ever in motion.

“I see you, Will. I see myself in you. God, I know how scary it can be to know who you are, to know that you’re different and that everyone else might view that as bad. I spent years so afraid to tell anyone, to be honest with myself about how I felt. Then in a drug-induced impulse, I finally told someone, and I felt so free. I felt so seen, so free, so… myself. It’s so scary sometimes Will, but having someone on your side, who you know you can trust… it makes it not so scary. And if you need that someone… well, I’m right here, okay?”

Her raspy voice was so comforting as she quietly parsed out her words. Will hiccuped a breath before pulling back so that he could look her in the eyes.

“I. I’m gay. I’ve spent so long, so goddamn long hating myself because of it, Robin. I hid the truth from myself so deep that even Vecna couldn’t reach it. That’s how ashamed I’ve been.”

Robin looked stunned at the revelation of the secret he had told Jonathan, proving his innocence and lack of possession by Vecna. Then her face cracked in a heartbroken stare.

“Will… that’s what you told your brother? God, no wonder he wouldn’t force you to say it out loud. I’m so glad you have him, that’s real support and love there,” she smiled.

“It’s not just… the being gay part. But I also… I’m in love with Mike,” he admitted, feeling like he could finally be open with his feelings. 

“I know,” Robin sighed sympathetically.

“W-how?” Will stuttered. He wondered if he had been that obvious.

“Hmm… call it gay intuition? To everyone else it just looks like you’re worried about him or that you care about your best friend. But I can just tell. El’s powers have nothing on my gay-sensing superpowers,” she joked.

“Maybe it’s a lesbian thing because I couldn’t tell that you are,” Will quipped back. 

They laughed for a minute before Will continued.

“I just. I’ve known him since I was five. I’ve loved him a long time. And on top of the shame I felt about being gay because of my shitty dad and the way society hates me… hates us… I felt even worse because I liked my best friend. Then he started dating El and I just felt so jealous all the time, on top of all the shit going on the past few years, and I. I felt so guilty and awful and toxic. I hated thinking about any of it. So, I decided to repress it all and avoid thinking about it. Guess it helped us in the long run though,” he laughed weakly, though it fell flat at Robin’s sad stare.

“It’s the worst when it’s unrequited, huh? You almost wish that they hated you because then at least it wouldn’t be because you’re gay. I would always wonder if I was born a boy, if then she’d like me. It’s so stupid, because then the universe probably would’ve just made me a gay guy. Hmm. Then would they make her a guy too? Huh. Probably would, just to spite me. But anyways. Wait. What was I saying?” Robin trailed off, staring in confusion at the wall, before giving up and flopped onto her back on Will’s bed so her feet dangled off and she was staring at the ceiling, arms folded on her stomach. Will paused, then mirrored her position.

“Who is the ‘her’ you’re referring to?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. She was Tammy Thompson. Had a huge crush on her for years in high school. Pretty, curly blonde hair… big blue eyes, always wore the sweetest perfume and this soft blue eyeshadow… God she was gorgeous. Cutest laugh too. Anyways, she sat near me in class, but Steve did too and she was always flirting with his stupid self. It killed me to see, like, he was such a dingus and she liked him anyways. I’d go home and scream into my pillow and cry and wonder what made him better than me. Why did I have to like girls? It felt so unfair,” she explained, voice drifting off near the end.

“I told Steve that- when I rejected him and came out to him. I was so scared for a minute, but he just went with it, asked me why her. Said that she sounded like a muppet when she sang,” Robin trailed off as she burst into harsh giggling.

“That explains the impromptu concert earlier?” 

“You have no idea Will, it was so fucking funny at the time. I'd spent ages in a secret Russian bunker with two kids and Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington, thought I was actually going to die, got doped up with happy drugs, was high out of my mind with Steve, threw up in a mall bathroom, then King Steve tries to confess to me, and I suddenly blurt out my sexuality and he’s fine with it and we’re singing like muppets… like what the hell? How the hell did things get so odd?”

“Anyways, I’m on another tangent, sorry. It’s gonna be hard having a lesbian-pseudo-older-sister who can’t shut the fuck up ever. Am I saying fuck too much? Am I corrupting your pure ears?” 

“Nah, you’re fine. I like it. I suck at knowing when to talk sometimes, or I get too nervous in big groups, to the point where I can’t even get a word out. So, it’s nice when you fill the silence.”

Robin turned her head to grin at him, reaching out to grab his hand.

“I changed my mind: you’re my favorite now. Even Steve gets annoyed with my rambling. What a dingus, as if he doesn’t do the same shit when he gets passionate,” she rolled her eyes. 

“What about Vickie? Shouldn’t she be your favorite?” Will asked lightheartedly. He looked over, only to see her eyes melt as she stared in a daze at the ceiling.

“Oh, she is. She really is. Dude, she’s like, a literal angel on Earth. Tammy Thompson is a complete chump compared to her. She rambles just like me sometimes and it’s one of the only times I can actually focus and listen. And she listens to me and is actually interested! Plus- she’s so beautiful- her hair is the prettiest color and, god! Her freckles! I swear that I have a heart attack every time I see her smile, she just lights up the room and her eyes get so soft and ughhhhhhh,” Robin groaned, rubbing at her face.

“I’m so into her it’s crazy. I had a crush on her for a while, and Steve was convinced that Vickie was gay too, but I wouldn’t let myself get my hopes up, yaknow? It’s easier when you write off the possibility completely. I saw her with her boyfriend at the time when we were preparing to fight Vecna and even though I didn’t get my hopes up, I was crushed anyways.”

Robin sighed, before starting to smile again.

“But he dumped her when everything happened, and I got closer to her while volunteering. And she kept giving me these looks, and I felt like I was reading into them too much, but I wasn’t because one day she just kissed me! Will, it was so embarrassing, I literally went weak in the knees and dropped to the floor,” Robin said seriously, turning to stare at him with wide eyes.

Will couldn’t help but laugh, continuing as she playfully smacked his arm.

“Shut up. But yeah, she confessed to me and now we’re girlfriends! I’ve never been happier, seriously.”

She reached out and carefully grabbed his hand, holding it in the space between them.

“All of that is to say: you’re not alone, Will. I thought it was just me, but Vickie surprised me. I think there’s probably a lot more people like us in the world- most of us are just afraid to show it, right? But you’ll find somebody. I worried about that for so long, thinking I would just die alone after never finding another lesbian. But there’s definitely hope, okay? You’re going to find someone who is super handsome and sweet and into you, and I’ll threaten them with death if they hurt you, and you’ll find your happy ending, okay? I just know it.” 

Robin finished her speech with a squeeze of his hand, before finally falling silent so Will could process what she said.

It was a reality that Will had never allowed himself to believe in. One where he could be happy, where he could be seen and loved for exactly who he was. His mind raced with the possibilities, and eventually, he turned back to Robin.

“I-thank you. Just… thank you, Robin. I never let myself hope but… you’ve changed that. That means so much to me.”

Will took a deep breath before continuing.

“I think I want to tell them. Everyone. Now. I’ve been so scared to for so long, but you being brave just showed me that I don’t need to worry so much. I want to be brave too,” he whispered, hand trembling slightly in her grip.

Robin looked at him in surprise, and slight concern.

“Are you sure, kiddo? You don’t have to come out all at once. You can do it however you want. Whatever makes you the most comfortable. It’s not bad to start small.”

Will shook his head, letting out a measured breath.

“No. I think if I have to tell people one-by-one, I’ll probably die from the anxiety by the time I finish. I’m feeling brave right now. I feel like it’s now or never honestly.” 

“Dude. You are the coolest kid I’ve ever met. Alright, well then, let’s go! Do you want me to stand with you? Or introduce you? Or I can go grab Steve and you can tell him first, so we have some extra support? Or-“

Will cut Robin off before she could continue her ramble.

“I’m just going to wing it. But… yeah, could you stand with me? Please?” he asked nervously. 

“Of course, dude. What kind of lesbian-pseudo-older-sister would I be if I didn’t.”

Chapter Text

They got up, and Will took a minute to breathe and steel himself, before heading into the hallway. He could hear the talking from the living room and forced his legs to move in that direction.

He’d faced a demogorgan before. He’d dealt with a mind-controlling creature infecting his body. He’d faced a huge melted-people-monster with nothing but fireworks and adrenaline. He had singlehandedly outwitted Vecna while possessed.

He could do this.

That’s what he reminded himself as he stepped into the entryway of the living room, Robin a steady presence at his side.

“Will, are you okay?” Max asked, instantly picking up on his puffy eyes, red cheeks, and scared look on his face. 

Her words caused everyone to turn his way. Will felt his hands begin to tremble, and he reached back slightly to wrap his fingers around Robin’s. She squeezed them, running her thumb soothingly over his hand. 

 Deep breath. In. Out. In. Out.

“For the first time in a long time, I actually feel brave. So even though I’m terrified, I want to tell you guys something. It’s something I’ve shoved down for so long because I was scared. Scared to even admit it to myself. I ignored it for a long time, repressed it so hard, to the point that even Vecna couldn’t even access it in my head,” Will started, a shake in his voice that got steadier as he continued.

He paused for a moment. Everyone looked confused or considering, listening to him intently. Jonathan was staring at him with pride in his eyes. Will swallowed the lump in his throat caused by the look.

“But Robin just gave me the confidence and reassurance I needed in order to be honest with myself, and with you guys.”

Another breath. No going back.

“I’m gay. I… I’m gay,” Will stuttered out. Without missing a beat, tears started to pour down his cheeks again.

“I’ve hated this part of me for so long. I’ve been afraid of it. Afraid to confront it. And it’s been a long time. Part of me knew as far back as when my dad used to call me… slurs. And when things started happening with the Upside Down, I just wanted to be normal. I wanted something about my life to just be normal. But nothing was and I hated that fact, I hated it. So I just kept pushing the feelings down, pushing away how I felt until it ate at me from the inside.”

Will scrubbed angrily at his cheeks, looking to the floor to avoid eye contact.

“I hated myself. And I was tired of hating myself, but I had only just started to deal with those feelings before everything happened with Vecna. Now, I can be weirdly grateful about it, because it was the one thing that tipped you guys off when Vecna took me, and probably the only reason we all lived. But I’ve still been so scared to admit it, to talk about it. Until… well, until tonight. Knowing that all of you accepted Robin instantly, and that you’ll… hopefully… accept me too…” he trailed off, anxiety building and insecure thoughts crowding in his mind as he realized how open he had just been. 

A few seconds passed, then Jonathan was standing and moving towards him in big strides. He crushed Will into a hug, squeezing him tightly.

“I told you before, didn’t I? Nothing in this world will ever change the fact that I love you. Nothing, Will,” Jonathan choked out. Will buried his head into his shoulder with a small whimper, tears soaking into his flannel shirt.

“Will, sweetie, god I’m so proud of you. You know my love is unconditional. I’m so proud of you baby, oh-“ his mom responded, wiggling her way into the hug as well. 

The embrace was suffocating in the best way. After a minute, they let him go, and moved slightly out of the way when someone cleared their throat.

“You’ve got my support, obviously,” Steve announced, “and before anyone else speaks: if you have a problem with Will, I’ll beat your ass. For real.”

“What the hell Steve, you didn’t offer that up for me,” Robin joked, still at Will’s side. 

“More like- what the hell Steve, you really think we’d have a problem with Will? We didn’t save his ass multiple times just to abandon him because he’s gay,” Dustin said incredulously. He stood from his place on the ground and moved to grab Will in a hug.

“I love you man, nothing could ever change that,” he said quietly. 

Will smiled through the constant tears and nodded.

“C’mere man, I can’t stand it when you cry, it’s like watching a hurt puppy crying” Lucas added, moving to join the embrace. 

“Ha! I said he looked like a sad kitten! Same brains, Sinclair,” Robin snorted, before moving to sit by Steve again, seeing that Will was properly supported by his friends.

“I don’t mean to be an asshole, but I literally thought you all knew that. Like, since we met. That’s embarrassing on my part, oops,” Max interrupted. 

“Yeah, can’t say that came out of nowhere. These idiots can save the world but don’t have working gaydars it seems,” Erica snarked. She gave Will a tiny smile when he glanced at her though. 

“So gay… is not just girls……… okay. I think I understand now. I now understand why you would kick away Emily Wallace’s foot in history class when she would rub on your leg,” El nodded, a bright playfulness to her eyes.

“El, what-“ Will groaned, face flushing as multiple people laughed.

“El,” Hopper admonished lightly. 

“You heard me earlier, kid. I’ve got no problem with it. And you tell me if anyone gives you trouble, okay?” Hopper continued, his stare intense at the last sentiment. 

“Same here, Will. You know that I know how to use a gun,” Nancy smiled playfully from her spot in the armchair that Jonathan had vacated. 

And that left… Mike. Again. Only this time, he was quiet for longer. He was staring at the floor in contemplation.

“M-Mike?” Will asked nervously. Mike’s opinion meant a lot. And he had already called it weird. But maybe he would react worse since Will was a boy… 

His head snapped up, but his eyes locked onto Steve’s rather than Will’s.

“Steve. Punch me right now,” Mike commanded.

Everyone looked at him, dumbfounded.  

“Uh… no? What the hell, Wheeler?” 

“You said you’d beat up anyone who was mean to Will. And I was last year, so just punch me dude.” 

“What the hell are you talking about Mike?” Will asked.

Mike finally looked at him, and there was so much guilt in his eyes, it made Will feel sick to his stomach.

“Last year, before the Mind Flayer. We had an argument in my garage, remember?” 

Flashbacks of that moment played in Will’s mind. 

It’s not my fault you don’t like girls.

“Mike… It… it wasn’t that big of a deal…” Will trailed off. That was a lie. It was a big deal. It caused one of the biggest breakdowns of Will’s life. Those words led to him tearing down his safe space of Castle Byers. 

“No, Will. It was. I was a dick. I said… I said that sentence that I shouldn’t have. And I didn’t really get the full impact at the time, I didn’t know you were gay. But that almost makes it worse, because I hurt you even more without even realizing it. Like, I knew it was mean and it hurt you, but… it was really bad, wasn’t it?” Mike asked, voice going slow and small at the end as he continued to come to terms with the truth. 

“I… I mean… yeah,” Will whispered honestly. 

“God, I’m such an idiot. And when Lucas and I found you, you’d torn down Castle Byers. I… I made you do that. Will… I am so, so sorry. I’m sorry I said that, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, and I’m sorry it took me this long to realize and apologize for it. You’re my best friend, and I love you, and that’s not going to change just because you’re gay, okay? I’m just- I’m sorry,” Mike choked out, beginning to cry as he moved towards Will. 

They gripped each other tightly, both crying in an emotional display that they hadn’t done in a long time. It felt like the awkwardness and disconnect that had been growing for the past two years was starting to mend.

The night ended not long after everyone’s tears dried, and the older teens eventually left to cart the younger ones back home. Robin left after giving Will a bear hug, leaving him breathless and aching, but in a good way finally. Steve mussed up his hair in a loving gesture on his way out as well.

Will showered, finally washing away the salt water from his face, and wished his family goodnight after another round of hugs and words of support. 

He went to sleep, and for the first time in a long time, it was peaceful. 

Chapter Text

A few days later, El knocked on Will’s bedroom door in the evening. He turned from his spot at the end of his bed where he was hunched over an essay for his English class.

“Come in!” he called.

El peeked in, before coming inside and shutting the door behind her. She sat next to Will, and he pushed his materials out of the way when he saw the confused look on her face.

“Is something wrong?” Will asked.

“I have a question for you. I do not mean to pry. But I was just wondering about something,” she started.

“Okay, what is it?”

“When we were in California, I noticed that you acted… different. I thought that you maybe had a crush on someone. I thought maybe it was a girl in a class we had, but I never could tell who. And now I know that you do not like girls. So, I wanted to know who your crush was. If you had one. Or have one. It is okay to keep a secret if you want. But I want to know if you want to tell,” she asked earnestly. There was genuine curiosity in her look.

The words made Will’s stomach sink, however. That was the part of his confession to everyone that he couldn’t quite admit. Not that everyone needed to know. But now El was asking him, and some part of him really just wanted to admit it. To finally get it off his chest and stop letting the toxic feelings continue to rot his mind. 

“I… I want to tell you. But before I do… can you promise me something?” Will started nervously.

“Yes,” El replied with a serious nod, “we can do the pinky promise. Max said it is a very serious promise if we use pinkies.”

Will smiled a bit at her sincerity.

“Okay. Will you promise to not get mad? Or if you do, then just hear me out before you say anything? Please?” 

El nodded, though her brow furrowed in confusion. She linked her pink through his, took a deep breath, and said seriously:

“I pinky promise.” 

El paused for a moment, before turning her confused look to their fingers.

“I thought it would feel different than a regular promise. Maybe we did it wrong?” 

“Nah, it’s just a symbolic thing to show that you’re serious,” Will laughed. 

“Oh. Okay. I am serious.”

Will did his best to dredge up the brave feeling from a few nights previous and gathered his thoughts. 

“Before I say who it is, I want to make it clear that I know he doesn’t like me back, not romantically. I know that liking him is pointless because he’s not gay. I’ve accepted that. But… yeah. I… I like Mike,” Will rushed out before he could second guess himself.

El looked at him with wide eyes.

“But! Like I said! Um. I know he isn’t gay, and I really don’t expect anything. I’ve liked him for years, it’s nothing new to me. I seriously am happy for you guys. So… sorry… if it makes things awkward…” Will trailed off, unsure of what El would think.

He gave her time to think about his confession, picking nervously at the bedspread below him.

“Okay. I can understand why. Obviously. Because I like him too. Thank you for trusting me and telling me. Even though you were worried. I am not mad,” she finally replied.

“Really?” 

“Yes. Why would I be mad that someone else sees how amazing he is? Have you told Mike? Do you think he knows?”

Will blinked in shock. How was El able to take such a mature stance on this?

“Uh, no. No way. I think there was times I was obvious, but Mike is super oblivious,” Will paused when he saw El’s confusion at the word, “Meaning that he doesn’t notice things easily. It’s easy for him to not realize how someone feels, yaknow?”

El nodded in agreement.

“Yes, Mike is very ob-liv-e-ous.”

She looked to Will for confirmation that she had pronounced and used the word right and beamed when he nodded.

“Mike is bad at feelings. But it is okay, he is getting better. The therapist we see is helping him talk more. She says it is important to ‘be open and communicate how you feel, even when you worry about what the other person will say’. I think she is right. I have been communicating more. It has been helping me a lot. I think you should communicate how you feel to Mike. It might help you.”

“Wait- what? You really want me to confess to your boyfriend?” Will asked incredulously.

“Yes. You said that hiding how you feel makes you feel bad inside, right? So, you should be honest with Mike. Even if it ends with him saying he does not feel the same way. It might be sad, but maybe it can help you feel better, right? Communicate so you can heal?” 

Will was quiet for a moment.

“When did you get so wise El? We might have to change my DnD name and make you El the Wise instead.”

El just smiled at him.

—————

It was really weird to plan a confession with his adopted sister to confess his feelings to his best friend AKA her boyfriend. But then again, nothing was normal with his life. It was time to accept that and embrace it.

There was an afternoon when everyone was meant to be out of the house, so Will invited Mike over. They put on a movie, slumped onto the living room couch, when Will finally decided to speak up.

“Hey, Mike? Can I talk to you about something?” Will choked out. Anxiety was tightening his throat, but he forced himself to speak.

“Huh? Oh, yeah sure. Should I pause the movie?” 

“Uh, just turn the volume down I guess,” Will replied. He didn’t think he could handle the ringing of silence in his ears at that moment.

“What’s up?” Mike asked, turning to him after lowering the volume.

“Well. See. I was talking to El. About some stuff. And there’s something I want to tell you. It’s something I… I honestly just want to hide forever and not talk about but… El was really persistent about communicating how I feel in order to heal and stuff. So. Even though I don’t really want to say it out loud… I’m going to,” Will parsed out. 

Mike looked at him with concern but kept his full attention on Will. 

“I just have to start off by saying that I know the feeling isn’t mutual. And that’s part of the reason that I’d rather just ignore it. But keeping this secret really does eat me up inside. So, I just have to say it.”

Will took a deep breath to try and calm his heartbeat. It didn’t help. 

“I like you. Like… romantically. I have for a long time. But like I said: I know it’s not mutual. I know you’re not gay. And that’s why I never said anything. On top of being ashamed of who I am, I felt even worse knowing that I was keeping these feelings secret. And feeling stupid jealousy when you and El were together. I’ve gotten over that, really. But hiding this… still felt awful. So, hopefully by telling you, I can… move on…”

It was quiet for a while. Will refused to look up at Mike, staring down at his fingers as he picked at his nails in embarrassment. His heart almost stopped when Mike finally spoke up.

“Will… I… Yeah, I’m really sorry, but I don’t like you like that. I don’t see you in that way. Part of me feels guilty to reject you but… it’s just the truth. And I… I feel like I owe you another apology. Because what I said last year is now 100 times worse, because I didn’t know you had feelings for me. Damn, I’ve been a dick.”

“No- Mike. It’s not like you knew. And I knew this whole time that you wouldn’t feel the same way. I just… I think I needed some closure and to be fully honest with you.”

“I’m still sorry, Will. I hate to be the first person who you confess to and get rejected by. Well, as far as I know. But really, I’m proud of you for being honest. That’s obviously not something that was easy to say. And even though I don’t feel the same way, I do still love you. You’re still my best friend regardless,” Mike said with sincerity. 

Will blinked tears from his eyes.

“R-really? You don’t hate me?”

“Dude, I could never hate you. This doesn’t change anything.”

“God, you have no idea how relieving it is to hear that. I spent so long worried that you’d leave me if I ever told you…” Will trailed off, traitorous tears slipping from his eyes. 

Mike reached out without hesitation, pulling him into a hug. 

“No way am I ever letting my best friend go. You never have to worry about that, Will.”

The moment lasted for a while, before they both pulled away, laughing a bit while wiping their respective tears away. And just like that, they continued on as normal, joking around at the scenes on the TV and digging for the good snacks his mom liked to hide in the back of the pantry. 

El was thrilled when she heard that the confession and rejection went well. She was extremely proud that her advice had helped them. 

———

Summer continued on with the refreshing air of normalcy. It felt like old times again, when everyone was happy, and they could be kids again. There were no more supernatural events to haunt them (although the nightmares and memories still took their toll at times) and the town of Hawkins finally regained a sense of peace.

The first day of their sophomore year fell on a Wednesday in August. Will walked with his group of friends into Hawkins High with his head held high and a smile on his face. It was nice to look forward to a school year, knowing that he had friends by his side.

His first period was chemistry, which he unfortunately did not share with anyone else. A bit of social anxiety crept back in as he made his way to his classroom, and his assigned seat at a 2-person lab table. His lab partner was already seated and doodling in his notebook.

The first thing that Will noticed was that the boy was really pretty. He looked like someone he would’ve seen in California, with blonde wavy hair and a golden tint to his skin. He was wearing a soft looking yellow sweatshirt, which was pulled over half of his hands, so that only his fingers stuck out. His tongue stuck out a bit in concentration, which was weirdly endearing. His brown eyebrows were furrowed as well, and they shot up in surprise when Will sat his things on the table next to him. 

“Oh shit, you startled me! Oh, I guess you’re my lab partner, I’m-“ the boy started, before making eye contact with Will and stopping abruptly. 

His eyes traced over Will’s face slowly, before traveling over his whole body. Will’s cheeks flushed as he realized that he was checking Will out. He had a matching blush on his face, making the freckles on his cheeks stand out more prominently. His eyes snapped back to Will’s; embarrassment clear on his face. 

“Uh! Um! Uh, yeah, my name is Jamie! I just moved here. And you are…” he squeaked out before trailing off, looking at Will intently.

“I’m Will. Nice to meet you,” Will replied, a smile lighting up his face as he sat.

“Nice to meet you too,” Jamie beamed, pink still lingering on the tips of his ears.

Will glanced down to look at his doodles and made a noise of excitement in the back of his throat when he saw an assortment of dice and what were clearly DnD related drawings.

“Holy shit, you play DnD?!” Will asked, leaning forward with wide eyes and an even wider grin. 

Jamie matched his expression.

“Oh hell yes! Please tell me you have a party!”

Will laughed in delight, and his heart ached in the best way when he watched Jamie’s gaze move to his lips, and back to his eyes, his blush returning. He was incredibly unsubtle in the most endearing way.

“I do. We’d love to have another player.”

It was just like Robin had said. There was hope for him after all.