Chapter Text
Will had been feeling really left out and quite literally out of it after defeating Vecna. So far all that was even remotely positive that he became friends with Robin and Steve who were surprisingly fun and caring towards him.
They even joked about how they were becoming like Will's second set of parents; Will knew that the comment had been made sarcastically, since Steve was still trying to (and failing) to get dates and Robin...felt a little bit too much like him to be interested in Steve, But it felt true sometimes, Whenever being ignored took a particularly bad tole on his mind; He knew all he'd have to do was go to Steve's house and he'd find himself being included in jokes, having intense movie debates (that always ended in eating ice-cream and watching the winner smugly play the movie, usually the movie turned out mediocre but Will didn't care), or just sleeping in Robins or Steves lap in comfortable silence.
Okay, Maybe remotely positive was a massive understatement; He was actually ecstatic that he managed to make two very cool friends who were so understanding and, well words just couldn't describe how he felt about them.
And it seemed like it would remain that way until late at night, when Will had been sitting on the couch with his mom and El in Hoppers cabin (since him and Joyce had officially gotten together after the final battle with Vecna and also because they sold their house when they moved to Cali); Who were talking about something, He'll be honest he wasn't paying attention that much. The conversation was cut when they all heard the phone ringing and buzzing and out of curiosity (and boredom) Will offered to get it and made his way from the couch to the phone, And when he heard the conversation between the two women continue, he picked up the phone and answered it,
"Hello, This is Will Byers Speaking."
And the voice that came through the phone sent a warm, almost electric current through his entire body. "Hey Will, It's Leon...I don't actually know why I'm calling I don't even know what to say right now." Wills heart started to pick up it's pace as soon as it heard Leons voice pause to take a shaky laugh (If that's what you could call it, It more resembled that of simply letting out a breath after holding it for god knows how long.)
"Leon? How did you get this number?" He asked, Only after opening his mouth had he realised how rude he sounded and closed his eyes in annoyance with himself.
"You gave it to me, remember? You wrote down a list of phone numbers if I ever wanted to reach you, Before you left...Sorry this was stupid-"
"No, No I remember sorry and it's fine!" Will interrupted Leon in hopes that he'd stay on the phone because to be truthful he missed his boyfriend so, so much.
"If you say so-" Leon paused and laughed then continued, Will leaned against the nearest wall and smiled at his boyfriends chuckle.
"-So you mentioned that you live in Hawkins, And...Don't be mad or freaked out please but I'm...maybe...sorta...in Hawkins?" Wills heart stopped, Whilst his brain took over running at a rapid speed.
Of course he was thrilled that his boyfriend was in Hawkins, on the other hand he immediately thought of Vecna and the upside down and he also thought of his mom and friends and Jonathan and how he'd explain how he managed to not mention he had made a 'friend' in California and-
"I'm sorry I should've let you know in advance but I just wanted it to be a surprise and now I realise how stupid it is because why would it be better when I don't even know where you live so..." Will listened as his thoughts were interrupted by his partner, his smile returned as he imagined his boyfriends face as he rambled.
"No, I mean I guess that was pretty stupid but I get it," Will pauses to shift his position on the wall. "Where are you now?"
"I'm at a pay phone next to a...diner? I think? I think it's abandoned though, Do you know where I am?" Will thinks for a moment, his eyes wandering towards his mom and (basically) step-sister; who were both looking back at him, who were also both visibly confused.
His eyes locked on the ceiling trying to escape their gaze. "Yeah I'm pretty sure, Benny's Burgers?" Will asks, unless there was suddenly a new dinner in town and he hadn't heard of then Benny's was the place his boyfriend was calling from.
"Yeah! Oh thank god I thought I'd be stranded here...Can you pick me up?"
Will pondered about how to actually get to his boyfriend, as he was looking around the realised that Hopper had made his way into the cabin and an idea struck him.
"Maybe, give me a second." He smiles at Hopper and puts the top of the telephone to his chest, as to silence the noise he'd be making.
As Joyce and El greeted Hopper Will pondered about how exactly to word his question.
After about ten seconds he decides on, "Hopper could you drive me to Benny's?" It may not be smart but it does get his point across, And honestly if he takes any longer he thinks the bill will rack up into the thousands.
"Benny's?" Joyce asked concern thinly veiled in her voice, her eyes drifting near the clock Hopper had hung near the door.
Will followed his mothers gaze towards said clock and looked at the time along with her and Hopper and El.
"It's twelve past ten kid, I think it's closed by now." Hopper added to Joyce's previous statement, looking back from the clock; his eyes doing a double take on the phone.
"Who's calling?"
Shit.
"It's someone from California...I forgot to tell you guys, I guess, but I made a friend there and he's come to...visit?" Technically he wasn't lying. He did think of his boyfriend as one of his best-friend's so.
"You made a friend in California and didn't tell me?" El asked, that made him feel very guilty; he knew how hard it was for El to be gone from the party and being bullied on top of that made his guilt ten times worse.
"I'm sorry El...I just-just forgot to tell you because you seemed like you were really trying to make friends so I didn't want to hang out with him around you, because I thought it would be...un-fair?"
You have to give him credit for thinking on his feet, at least.
"Oh..." El seemed to accept it but did look down at her hands; something she does when she's upset.
"Uh, Sure kid. When do we need to go?" Hopper asked, finally looking at Will's face and not the phone in his hands.
Will furrowed his eyebrows; 'Oh, I forgot.' His thoughts replied to Hopper's question.
"Now. He's at the pay phone near there." "Uh...Okay; Come on kid."
Will smiled and put the phone in his hands up to his right ear; "-You there?".
He heard his boyfriend ask, even whilst nowhere near him, he knew that his boyfriend's face was full of worry.
"Yeah, I'm here. I'll be there in about ten minutes; Is that okay?
Will could practically feel the sigh that his boyfriend released over the telephone.
"Yes! Yeah that's great, I'll see you here?"
Will smiled and replied "Yep, Bye."
"Bye, babe."
Will could feel the light dusting of blush creep up his ears at the romantic nickname being used so casually.
"Ready to go?" Hopper asked, holding the door open for Will.
Joyce and El smiled at the two men as they left, Hopper in front of Will and opening the car door for himself before sliding in.
After Will closed the car door and buckled his seat belt; He looked over at Hopper, Who also looked over at him.
"So, What's you're friends name?"
Will looked away, even the thought of his boyfriend's face could dust his features with a light-yet-noticeable blush.
"His name is Leon,"-Will started explaining "I met him at the store he works -well worked at."
Hopper started up the car, Looking in the mirror instead of the back of the teenagers head; Will looked back to Hopper.
"He worked at a store? How old is your friend?" That was a valid question, I mean Will was fifteen and his two of his closest friends were eighteen and nineteen years old; And to anybody who wasn't aware of what they had all been through, together, it probably would of been seen as weird and creepy; but Hopper was there; and understood.
"He's sixteen and he quit because the manager was kind of a terrible person." Technically, The manager was a terrible person, she was homophobic, racist and very prone to taking her anger about her life or whatever on minimum wage sleep-deprived teenagers; but Leon didn't quit, he got fired because he forgot to turn off his register light one night.
As Hopper started speeding up the car out of the woods, Will started to actually think about what would happen when they got Leon; Where would he stay? Would everybody get along with him? How did Leon even get into Hawkins? Will they keep their relationship a secret?
Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath, Forcing his tense shoulders to relax and drop.