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Nancy is one more awkward encounter away from figuring Will Byers out.
Look.
Nancy has always been… a perceptive person. Ever since she was a little girl, she’s prided herself on simply knowing and understanding things that most people her age hadn’t quite figured out yet. As a kid, her parents (or her mom at least) and the other adults would praise her for being so intelligent for her age and for being able to figure out situations better than her peers. It’s something that Nancy is honestly proud of, especially since it has led her to solve actual mysteries (like the whole mess with the Mind Flayer and Mrs. Driscoll or the Henry slash One slash Vecna debacle from about a month ago).
Nancy has always been a perceptive person. She prides herself on being able to pick up on things—on pieces of the puzzle that others aren’t able to figure out.
But for the life of her, Nancy cannot seem to figure Will Byers out anymore.
Honestly, it’s not like Nancy has ever really gotten to know Will, outside of being her little brother’s best friend and now also her boyfriend’s little brother, but then again, he’s been in her life for… God, nearly ten years now. It’s only been in recent years—around the start of high school—that Nancy found herself spending less and less time with Mike and all of his friends and more and more time with her own friends. After all, what teenage girl wants to hang out with her stupid little brother and his friends?
But then, the whole mess of the Upside Down entered their lives, and somehow, Nancy has become the teenage girl that… kind of wants to hang out with her little brother and his friends.
The kids have grown up. Nancy is begrudgingly willing to admit that. Mike isn’t the obnoxious twelve year old picking fights with her at the dinner table, and though he still gets on her nerves, it’s a lot easier to tolerate Mike now that the two of them have lived through hell and back together.
And Mike’s friends have grown up too—so much so that Nancy might even be willing to call them her friends. Lucas and Dustin aren’t the awkward, loud preteens that they once were, and spending time with them (even if it is in the context of monster-fighting) can actually be enjoyable. Likewise, Nancy likes El, and she loves Max. Both girls are sweet, and if… if things ever become normal again and if Max… ever wakes up, then maybe Nancy thinks a girls’ trip to the mall in Indianapolis is a must. They could invite Erica and Robin too and make a whole day out of it. After all this bullshit, Nancy thinks they’ve all earned the right to act like a bunch of silly teenage girls.
So, yeah. Mike and his group of friends really aren’t that bad, and Nancy is fairly certain she knows all of them and has them figured out.
All of them except Will.
Because while the others have grown up and become more mature and more bearable to be around, Will just… hasn’t. That isn’t to say that he’s unbearable, but rather that he actually just… fades into the background most of the time. While the others are constantly vying for the attention of their friends and their family, Will stays put in the background, content to stay quiet and stay alone. Out of sight, out of mind.
It’s strange.
Because while Nancy has always known Will to be a quiet kid, this kind of behavior just isn’t like him. Will has always loved spending time with his friends—spending time with Mike, so much so that Nancy has always thought of herself as a big sister to not one but two little brothers.
Now though?
Now, it seems like Will and Mike are never around each other. And that doesn’t make any sense at all.
It’s been going on for the entire month that the Byers have lived in the Wheeler household. And yes, Nancy knows that her house is fairly large, but it’s not that big of a house. Just like how Nancy had a hunch that Jonathan was trying to avoid her little brother (a hunch that was definitely confirmed by Jonathan’s outburst at Mike over a week ago), Nancy has another hunch.
Will is most definitely trying to avoid Mike.
And Mike is not taking it well.
Because here’s the thing: Nancy has spent this whole damn year listening to Mike complain on and on and on about how he wishes Will was here for whatever reason. To play D&D with. To share his latest story idea with. To do whatever the hell it is that Mike and Will always used to do.
When the Byers and El moved to California, Nancy was sure she’d be fighting Mike tooth and nail for the phone so they both could talk to their significant others. They did end up arguing over the phone, but… not so Mike could talk to El. No, it was so he could talk to Will .
(Not that their fights mattered much anyways. Somehow, the Byers’ phone always seemed to be busy, which was super fucking annoying for both Nancy and Mike.)
All the shit with the Upside Down aside, Nancy… would’ve expected the opposite from Mike and Will after this California visit. If anything, she would’ve expected them to have made up for lost time, to have rekindled their friendship, and to come back better (and unfortunately more annoying) than ever.
But something happened on that California trip, and Nancy is determined to get to the bottom of it.
She starts with the person who should be easiest to talk to: Jonathan.
Emphasis on should.
Things… are weird with Jonathan right now. Things are weird and tense, and Nancy gets the feeling that he’s avoiding her—or at least avoiding an actual heart-to-heart conversation with her. It’s the worst thing in the world because Nancy loves Jonathan, and God , she still wants him in her life. But things are just weird right now, and the world is ending, and her boyfriend seems to be lying to her, and—
It’s another problem for another day. Maybe once the mystery of Will and Mike is figured out, Nancy will move on to figure out the mystery of her own relationship. But for right now, she’ll kick that can further down the road and focus on figuring out what the hell is going on with Will Byers’ sudden change of heart.
It takes a little bit of planning to figure out when Jonathan is going to be alone; as of recently, he’s been spending a lot of free time with Will, holed up inside the guest bedroom that they’re sharing. But right now, Will is helping Holly practice her drawing skills and Joyce is sitting at the kitchen table with Nancy’s mom, so Jonathan should be alone…
Nancy knocks on the door to her boyfriend’s temporary bedroom. There’s a pause; then, his familiar voice calls, “Come in!”
“Hey,” Nancy says softly, and she walks into the room, shutting the door behind her. “It’s me.”
Jonathan looks up, a smile forming on his face. He takes off his headphones, letting them rest on his neck, and he gets up, meeting her halfway with a kiss. “Hi,” he greets, brushing some of Nancy’s hair from her face. “What’s up?”
It’s interesting. Even with how strained things have been between the two of them, Jonathan still tries to make an effort and still is somehow the most tender, gentle person Nancy knows. It’s one of the things she loves most about him, and she can’t help but smile into their kiss.
“Not much,” she replies softly. “I, uh… I just had a question for you.”
Jonathan’s brow furrows as he takes Nancy’s hand, leading her back to his bed. “Good question or bad question?”
“You tell me.” Nancy smiles wryly, and Jonathan just chuckles. “I… wanted to talk to you about Will… and Mike.”
Almost immediately, Jonathan stiffens. The briefest look of panic crosses his face, before disappearing underneath a careful, more guarded expression. It’s a common one that Jonathan uses with most people in the world but rarely with Nancy.
This is a conversation she needs to tread carefully on.
“What about them?” Jonathan asks with a frown. Even his voice sounds tense and on edge, and Nancy can’t help but sigh.
“Jonathan,” she says, giving him a look. “Come on… I’m not stupid. I know something’s going on between the two of them. You told me they had a fight in California, and then, you snapped at Mike in front of everyone! And it’s pretty obvious that Will’s been avoiding Mike, so… what the hell happened? And how do we fix it?”
For the longest time, Jonathan just sits there, his posture stiff and a strained expression on his face. He’s thinking—trying to figure out what he wants to say, which is incredibly frustrating. It means that Jonathan is going to be honest with her, like the two of them usually are.
“And you can cut the bullshit because I don’t want to hear it,” Nancy adds, and Jonathan winces. Maybe she’s being too harsh, but God damn it, all Nancy wants is to figure out what’s wrong and help both Will and Mike. Surely, Jonathan should want that too, right?
Finally, Jonathan sighs, and he runs a hand through his hair. “Nancy,” he says, his voice quiet. He turns to look at her, and there’s a serious expression on his face. “ Anything else you want me to tell you, I will. I… I know you hate the… the bullshit and the secrecy, so anything else you want to know, I will tell you. But not this. Because it’s not my secret to share, and because I won’t do that to my little brother. You understand?”
There’s a familiar sort of firmness in Jonathan’s voice—the type of firm, resolute stability that he reserves for moments when he’s trying to protect people he loves. Nancy has been a benefactor of that protectiveness for nearly two years now.
But never has Jonathan had to protect Will from her .
What the hell is going on? Nancy thinks to herself, even as the wheels are turning in her head.
“I… I just want to help them,” she says quietly. “I would never… do anything to hurt Will or Mike. You… do know that, right? I mean, Mike’s my little brother, but Will might as well be too.”
A tiny smile forms on Jonathan’s face; he reaches for Nancy’s hand and squeezes it gently. “I know,” he says, voice soft. “Trust me, I know… But it’s not my place to explain what’s going on with them, and I… honestly don’t even know if I understand it fully. But what I do know, I can’t share, so… I’m sorry.”
There’s a certain sort of quiet gentleness in Jonathan’s voice, and it’s so clear to Nancy just how desperately he is trying to protect Will. Though Nancy has never had the relationship with Mike that Jonathan has with Will, she… she gets it, at least to a certain extent.
“Okay,” Nancy relents softly, and she squeezes Jonathan’s hand back, accepting the olive branch to end the tension in their conversation. “I get it. I… I’m sorry if I overstepped.”
“It’s alright,” Jonathan promises, offering another small smile. “I know you’re just worried about them… And I don’t know. Maybe you can talk to Mike if you’re worried about him. He looks like he could use a pep talk or something.”
“Oh, was snapping at him across the dinner table not enough?” Nancy teases, and she watches as Jonathan’s face turns a bright shade of pink.
“Shut up,” Jonathan groans, leaning his head on her shoulder. “I already apologized for that. Multiple times to multiple people.”
Nancy just laughs, and she wraps her arms around her boyfriend, relaxing at the familiar sort of comfort Jonathan’s presence brings. “Well, I didn’t get an apology,” she teases. “I’m a little offended.”
Jonathan lifts his head, raising a brow. “Does ‘I’m sorry your brother is the world’s most annoying fifteen year old kid’ count as an apology?”
“Barely,” Nancy giggles, and Jonathan just gives her a crooked grin. “But you’re probably not that far off.”
Jonathan laughs again, leaning into her embrace. “I’m kidding,” he promises softly. “Mike’s… always been a good kid. I just… I think he’s a little lost right now.”
Nancy can’t help but think back to this past year—to the month directly after the Byers’ move when she barely saw Mike leave the house and to how frequent Mike’s sarcastic and downright angry outbursts had become this year.
It’s reminiscent of the year that El went into hiding and they all assumed she was dead, but that… doesn’t make much sense.
Or does it? Nancy wonders, and the gears begin to turn in her head again.
“I’ll have to talk to him sometime,” she decides, leaning over and kissing Jonathan slowly. “But ah… enough about our little brothers.”
Jonathan shivers, and he cups her face, deepening the kiss and smiling back. “Enough about our little brothers,” he mumbles in agreement.
(The mystery of her boyfriend’s little brother still remains unsolved and so does the mystery of her boyfriend , but at least for right now, Nancy thinks they’re okay.)
“That’s a new painting.”
“Holy shit!” Mike nearly jumps out of his seat, and he turns around, glaring at Nancy. “Ever heard of knocking?”
Nancy just gives him a look, walking over and sitting on his bed. “Your door was open,” she says with a shrug. “Sorry. I like the painting.”
Mike rolls his eyes, but he glances up at the painting on his wall, a smile forming on his face. “Thanks,” he says in a soft voice that sounds very unlike the little brother that Nancy knows. “El gave it to me… or I guess Will did, technically. He painted it. But El… commissioned it as a gift for me.”
Nancy looks back up at the painting, and she tilts her head curiously. The painting is most definitely a Will Byers original; Nancy has seen more than enough artwork of Will’s scattered around their house (particularly Mike’s room and the basement) over the years to recognize his style. He’s gotten a lot better over the years, and really, the painting is nice.
If Nancy had to guess, it’s probably something having to do with D&D, because four characters that look like Mike’s closest friends—the Party, as they call themselves—are fighting a three-headed red dragon. Mike’s little character, dressed in chainmail and wielding a shield with a little red heart on it, leads the charge against the dragon, just like a hero out of a fairytale would.
It’s probably Mike’s paladin or whatever his character class is called. Yeah, yeah, Nancy does remember some things about the few D&D campaigns she’s played with her little brother. Things like: Mike’s character is supposed to be the best of the good—morally upstanding and good . He’s meant to be a leader in the same way Nancy has seen her little brother lead his friends over the years. Mike’s character is a hero , a knight in shining armor, per se.
Nancy knows that… only because she’s played enough D&D campaigns with the boys to remember.
But how would El know that?
“You said El commissioned the painting?” Nancy asks, curiously turning to her brother.
That soft smile rests on Mike’s face, and his cheeks redden slightly. “Yeah,” he says, a bit embarrassed. “We… I haven’t been the best in our relationship recently, but she… she put so much time and effort into thinking about this… And said some really… nice things about how I… I’m the Party’s heart and have always led the others… And I don’t know. I guess it reminded me of how much she loves me…”
Mike’s voice trails off, and Nancy waits for him to finish the rest of his sentence. It sounds like Mike is going to say he was also reminded of how much he loves El , but…
But he never finishes the sentence.
“Well, that’s sweet,” Nancy says softly, saving her brother from the awkwardness. “And it’s sweet that El learned about D&D for you too. That’s a good sign in relationships… learning each other’s likes and dislikes.”
Something unreadable crosses Mike’s face, and he looks at the painting, staring at it for several moments. Finally, he murmurs, “Yeah… yeah, I guess it is.”
Once again, an uncomfortable silence settles over the two of them, and Nancy fights the urge to groan. God, how does Jonathan do this heart to heart shit? Sure, Nancy loves her brother and would literally kill for him, but God damn it, having a conversation like this with him? It almost feels more difficult than facing the Demogorgon.
(Nancy supposes she has her parents to thank for that. The Wheelers’ favorite form of communication is none at all.)
“Are you and Will doing okay?” Nancy blurts out.
Mike turns his head around so quickly that Nancy is surprised he doesn’t give himself whiplash. “W-what?” he stammers, turning an even brighter shade of red. “Why would you ask that? Of course, we’re doing okay.”
He’s clearly lying, so Nancy just raises a brow. “Okay, so Will’s just avoiding you for fun then?”
At first, a defensive, angry look forms on Mike’s face, and he glares at her, which… Nancy probably deserves. But hey, the Wheelers’ second favorite form of communication is frustrated deadpans and statements that are bait for arguments, so Mike will understand.
Sure enough, Mike’s anger deflates like a balloon, and he hunches over, a frown on his face. “I don’t know why he’s avoiding me,” he mutters. “And it’s not like he’s given me the chance to ask him.”
Mike’s response confirms two things:
- Nancy has definitely not made this whole “Will is avoiding Mike” thing up in her head. Thank you, observation skills.
- Mike is definitely upset by Will’s sudden coldness towards him. Again, thank you, observation skills.
“Jonathan mentioned you two… had a fight while you were in California,” Nancy says carefully, and Mike looks up, a broken look on his face. “What… what was that about?”
Mike just groans, running a hand through his hair. “It was so stupid, ” he says with a frustrated sigh. “But I… I got to California, and things were just weird with Will and me… And we… we hadn’t really talked since he moved away, e-even though I tried to call, you know that! And he just… he was being weird and sulky, which pissed me off, and he… accused me of not reaching out… of not wanting to be his best friend anymore. And fuck… I don’t know, Nancy. It was a whole fucking mess .”
Well, shit. That seems to be the whole underlying problem. It’s clear the two of them just haven’t worked out their shit yet and then probably got thrown right back into the chaos of saving the world. All they need is to sit down and have a conversation.
“Well, it sounds to me like you guys just need to have a conversation and clear the air,” Nancy says softly, and she reaches out, putting a hand on her brother’s knee. “And then you both can talk about what hurt you and figure out your friendship, since you… you obviously still care about each other.”
“That’s the thing, Nance!” Mike exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. “We did! We already did! And I-I apologized… and we were fine. We were fine for the entire trip, up until… until…”
Mike’s voice trails off, and he glances helplessly at the painting, a watery look in his eyes.
And for Nancy, things begin to click.
El wouldn’t understand D&D… not enough to commission such a specific painting.
But Will would.
Oh, Nancy thinks to herself. Oh.
“I just don’t know what to do,” Mike says, burying his head in his hands. His voice is barely above a whisper, and Nancy can’t help but notice how lost he sounds. “And I… I’m just so confused, and it’s literally the worst time in the world to be this confused because fucking One is trying to take over Hawkins and the rest of the world… But I… I don’t know. I just feel like I don’t know anything anymore, Nancy.”
His voice cracks, and for a moment, Nancy feels like she’s ten years old again, meeting up with her seven year old brother and finding him covered in cuts and bruises inflicted by the other kids at school. Her heart twists painfully inside her chest, and she can’t help but frown.
“Hey,” Nancy whispers, and she moves off the bed, kneeling in front of her brother. “Mike… look at me.”
Mike looks up, his eyes watery, and he meets Nancy’s gaze. He looks completely miserable and unlike himself, like he’s on the edge of a breakdown. “I feel so stupid,” he admits quietly. “A-and… I don’t… I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I… I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.”
“Mike…” Nancy takes her brother’s hand and offers a tiny smile. “You’re fifteen. You don’t… you don’t have to have everything figured out. Hell, I just turned eighteen, and I don’t have everything figured out. Being in a relationship is… is complicated a-and messy, and sometimes…”
Nancy closes her eyes, and in spite of herself, a familiar, warm smile fills her mind.
It’s not Jonathan’s.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to know what exactly you want,” Nancy admits, even though the confession makes her feel like complete shit. “Especially… with the world… ending around us, sometimes, it’s just hard trying to figure all that out. But that doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.”
“But… but what if I’m hurting other people because… I don’t know what I want?” Mike asks quietly. “And what if… what if what I want… isn’t… good?”
Nancy can’t help but glance at the painting; likewise, Mike follows her example and looks at it as well. There’s a guilty expression on his face, and Nancy gets the feeling that Mike might be a bit more in tune to the whole situation that he’s letting on.
“The way I see it,” Nancy says softly, and Mike glances back at her, “love is good. In all forms, love is good, Mike… whether it’s romantic, or platonic, or familial. The love you have for other people is good, no matter what, okay? I guess the tricky part is just… figuring what type of love you have for other people. But no matter how the cards fall… don’t ever let anyone tell you the way you love someone else is wrong, or that it isn’t good. Don’t let other people’s expectations stop you from loving who you want to love, Mike, because you’ll end up miserable like…”
Her voice trails off, and Mike just gives her a smile—small and a bit wry. “Like Mom and Dad?”
Nancy snorts, squeezing her little brother’s hands. “Like Mom and Dad,” she agrees. “And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be stuck in a loveless relationship just because I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Mike’s gaze turns a bit distant, but he nods slightly, taking a deep breath and letting go of Nancy’s hands. “Yeah,” he echoes, his voice soft. “I don’t either.”
“And hey,” Nancy adds, smiling up at her brother. “I’m no Jonathan when it comes to pep talks, but… you know you can always talk to me, right? No matter what’s going on… I’m here for you. You’re my little brother, and as annoying as you may be sometimes, I love you. Don’t forget that.”
A smile forms on Mike’s face. “I know,” he says softly. “I… know, Nance. Thank you. And I, uh… I love you too.”
Nancy just smiles back at him, and she sits up, wrapping her arms around her little brother. “It’s going to be okay,” she promises. “Whatever happens… I swear, it’ll be okay.”
(So, that’s one mystery at least partially solved. The mystery of the moody little brother suddenly makes much more sense, and if Nancy knows Will Byers at all, she gets the feeling the mystery surrounding his strange behavior is pretty closely linked to this one.)
Finding the time and space to talk to Will alone is almost impossible.
It’s not like Will actively avoids Nancy, the way he’s been actively avoiding Mike. Will is friendly and kind any time he interacts with Nancy, but given how many people are living under the same roof right now, they really don’t get any time together other than the family dinners or movie nights that both of them just happen to both be at. And yeah, there is no way in hell Nancy is bringing up this conversation in front of both of their families.
Getting Will alone proves much more difficult than Nancy would’ve expected. With the threat of another attack from Henry looming over their heads, Jonathan and Joyce watch Will like a hawk, alert to any unusual behavior that might imply an attack of some sorts. Nancy imagines it must be suffocating to be fifteen years old and have next to no privacy, and she feels slightly bad for Will.
But then again… if that’s what it takes to protect Will from getting his bones snapped the way Max did, then fuck it. Fuck his privacy, fuck any sense of normalcy, fuck it all. Whatever it takes to protect Will—protect any of the kids from that happening again—is necessary, in Nancy’s opinion.
They’ve already failed once. She’s already failed once.
It won’t happen again.
So, yeah, it… is a challenge, trying to find a moment to talk to Will alone. Nancy watches throughout the week for any opportunity that she might have for a conversation—even just one that’s five minutes long—but she’s never able to find one. Will is never alone. There’s never a good moment.
Until there is.
It happens on a random Wednesday night, of all days, when Nancy just can’t go back to sleep. It’s a common occurrence nowadays, and she often finds her nights filled with the awful visions she was shown by Henry in the trance. Every night, she relives those horrible memories—the promises —of what is to come for Hawkins… for them all.
Sleep evades her most nights, but Nancy supposes that’s just life.
Sometime around 4 AM, she gets up out of bed and goes downstairs to grab some water. There’s no point in going back to sleep now and the cup of water she’d gotten before bed is already empty, so as quietly as she can, Nancy sneaks downstairs to the kitchen.
To her surprise, she finds she’s not alone.
Under the dim kitchen lights, Nancy can just make out the silhouette of someone—one of the boys. The person is taller than Jonathan but shorter than Mike, so it has to be Will.
Perfect.
“Hey, Will,” Nancy says softly as she makes her wake into the kitchen.
The younger boy flinches, looking up from where he’s leaning against the counter. It’s easier to see his face now, and much like Nancy, Will has tired, dark bags under his eyes. “Oh, hey, Nancy,” he says, his voice quiet. “Sorry… did I wake you up?”
“Nah.” Nancy shakes her head, and she opens the fridge, grabbing the pitcher of cold water her mom normally keeps. “I… I was already up. I, um… had a nightmare and couldn’t fall back asleep.”
A sympathetic look forms on Will’s face. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “Are… are you alright?”
There’s genuine concern in his voice, and not for the first time, Nancy is reminded why Will has always been her favorite of Mike’s friends. The others are fine—and have gotten a lot better recently—but there’s always been a special place in her heart for Will Byers. There’s a reason why he’s the closest thing Nancy has to a second little brother.
“I’m okay,” Nancy says with a small shrug. “I mean… you probably better than I do how much nightmares suck, so… I’m doing as best as I can, with… everything.”
“Yeah.” Will manages a tiny smile, and he glances down, fiddling with the edge of his shirt—of Mike’s shirt. With the Byers being essentially homeless for the time being, most of Will and Jonathan’s wardrobe consists of hand-me-downs from Steve, Mike, Dustin, or Lucas. It’s a bit comical seeing the two Byers brothers in a wild assortment of clothing styles, but hey, the world is ending. You take what you can get.
Nancy takes a drink of her water, then she takes a step towards her boyfriend’s brother. “You know, I was actually trying to find a time to talk to you,” she laughs softly. “But it seems like you’re always with your mom or Jonathan… and it never really felt like the right time.”
Will looks up again, his brow furrowed in confusion. Now that he’s older, he looks so much like Jonathan, and Nancy just smiles. “You… wanted to talk to me?” he asks, clearly confused. “Um… please don’t take this the wrong way, but… why?”
The we’ve never talked before is clear from his tone of voice, and Nancy just laughs softly. “It’s nothing bad,” she reassures. “I just… noticed you seemed… off, and um… that things seemed… tense between you and Mike.”
The color drains from Will’s face, and he takes a shuddered breath. His walls very clearly go up, and everything about him seems tense and uncomfortable. “Oh,” he stammers. “I-I… Mike and I are fine; there’s nothing wrong—”
“Will,” Nancy interrupts softly, and Will shuts his mouth, a panicked look in his eyes. “Come on. I’ve seen how you and Mike interact… how you’ve interacted since you were five . I know that things are… different between you two.”
Now, Will’s cheeks turn a bright shade of red. “People change,” he croaks, his voice barely audible. “A-and Mike and I… we’re still friends. But we’re not kids anymore, so… it… it’s stupid to think that everything would be the same … So, it’s fine, Nancy. We’re fine.”
He sounds like he’s trying to convince Nancy, sure, but even more than that, it sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.
Nancy purses her lips together, pausing for a moment to try and figure out what she wants to say. More than anything, Nancy wants to make sure Will doesn’t feel uncomfortable, and she doesn’t want to put Will or Mike into a worse situation than they’re already in. But there has to be a way to address this whole situation and help both the boys.
“You know,” Nancy finally decides to say, and Will looks back up at her, a watery look in his eyes. “This year was… weird. Really weird.”
Will’s brow furrows. “I… I don’t understand.”
“Things just felt different after you all moved away,” Nancy admits, meeting Will’s gaze. “I mean, I know how I felt because Jonathan was gone, but Mike? Mike just… hasn’t been himself these past several months. He’s been a lot quieter… more reserved… angrier… And I don’t know. I suppose it could be because El was gone too, but I’ve never seen him like this before, Will. It’s worse than the year El was gone… worse than the week you disappeared. And… I think we both know why.”
Will’s eyes widen in surprise, and a blush spreads across his cheeks as he stares back at Nancy. Clearly, it’s the first time he’s hearing this information, and if Nancy had to guess, he really doesn’t know what to do with it.
“Look, Will,” Nancy says softly. “I… I’ve known you a long time, and I’ve seen what your relationship with Mike is like… and same with your other friends. And there’s no doubt in my mind that you are Mike’s best friend. He loves the others, but he’d do anything for you. Whatever… whatever all this tension is between the two of you, I just… I think…”
Nancy pauses, and she thinks back to two years ago—when she had been in nearly this exact same situation. Stuck in a relationship she was trying to convince herself she was happy in, all while fighting her ever-growing feelings for Jonathan. It had taken one bad night of drinking and then Murray’s wake up call for her to finally get her shit together and realize what was right in front of her.
“I think people like Mike and I can get a little confused when it comes to love,” Nancy says with a self-deprecating laugh, and Will’s face just turns even redder. “I mean, you know how our parents are. It’s… easy to get trapped in the same cycle. But… at the end of the day, I found my way to happiness… to where I belong, with Jonathan. And… I think that Mike will too. You just have to give him time and… space to come to that realization. Pulling away… it’s not going to do anything but hurt both of you and cause even more confusion.”
It’s funny. Articulating those things… remembering all those moments from when Nancy was sixteen… it helps. It helps to put her own relationship into perspective once more. Because sure, while Steve has grown up and matured, Nancy… never loved him. Not like she loved—loves—Jonathan.
The irony of seeing her little brother experience the same type of thing with Will? Jesus, apparently, the Wheelers have a type, and it’s the Byers.
A slow, tiny smile forms on Will’s face, and he blinks back his tears, nodding slowly. “I… I thought that pulling away would help,” he admits, his voice impossibly soft. “But it just… it sucks. All of it sucks right now, and I… I miss him. I miss him, and he’s right here.”
“He misses you too.” Nancy offers a small smile. “I know Mike, Will. He misses you too. So, if… if you can wait for him to get his head out of his ass, then… I think you’ll find it’s worth the wait. And I think Jonathan would say the same.”
“Yeah,” Will agrees softly, and he looks back down. “Thank you, Nancy… Um… I needed to hear that.”
“Of course.” Nancy takes a step towards the younger teen, and she carefully wraps her arms around Will, squeezing him tight. “I’m here for you know, no matter what. One way or another, I’m sure we’ll end up being family, so… that’s what big sisters are for.”
Will tenses for the briefest moment, but then he relaxes into the hug, wrapping his arms around her too. “I’ve never had a big sister before,” he laughs quietly.
“Usually, we’re better than big brothers,” Nancy teases as she pulls away. “Jonathan may be the exception though.”
A grin forms on Will’s face, and he bumps Nancy’s shoulder lightly. “Well… I’m glad I have both of you,” he says. “Seriously. Thank you.”
The smile on Will’s face is enough to warm Nancy’s heart, and she just bumps his shoulder back. “Anytime, Will.”
(And with their conversation, Nancy finds herself with another solved mystery, and she can’t help but smile to herself.
Mike and Will? They’ll figure it out eventually. Nancy knows they will. It might take some time and some hard conversations, but… Nancy is perceptive enough to know how this will end.)