Work Text:
Mike's eyes flutter open after a long nights sleep, a smile forming on his lips as soon as he gained consciousness.
The birds were chirping quietly in the background, as sun shone threw the sheer curtains beside his bed. Life was perfect.
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
Mike's clock went, creating a peaceful melody as it meshed with the morning birds outside his window.
"'Morning," A sleepy voice greeted him from below, the sounds creating a tingly-sensation in his chest.
Mike looked down to see Will cuddled up against himself, making him smile. "Morning, Will," He nearly whispered, as he admired the boy before him.
His hair was messy - He'd fallen asleep with it wet, and his bowl cut was now misshapen and fluffy on the top of his head. It looked nice.
Will's grip tightened on Mike's shirt as he leaned up to Mike's face.
"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?" Will hummed against Mike's lips. He wasn't kissing them, he was just...Talking against them? Whatever, it was adorable. Mike liked it.
Mike laughed, pulling away slightly from Will so that just their noses were touching. "All the fucking time," Mike responded, his eyebrows raised and cheeks pink.
"Well," Will said with an intriguing grin, before leaning against Mike's ear. "You're really pretty," He whispered against it, sending shivers down Mike's spine as he let out a girlish giggle.
"Stop," He groaned through his laughter, turning onto his side to face Will, who had a concealed grin on his face.
"Okay," Will reluctantly obliged, leaning in to give Mike a small peck on the lips.
Mike shook his head the second Will pulled away, wanting more from his amazing boyfriend.
He moved his hand up to Will's face, cupping his cheek as he leaned in to close what little distance they had between them.
Fireworks. Every time they kissed, it was just...Fireworks. Everywhere. Mike never wanted to stop.
Their lips moved in sync as they locked against each other, rotating between small pecks and long embraces.
Every once in a while Mike's eyes would flutter open, just for half a second, to see the relaxed and concentrated face Will had. He looked so peaceful.
"You're perfect," Mike breathed as the two pulled away, resting his forehead on the other's.
"Would you say you're...Happier than you ever been?" Will asked, chewing on his lip slightly as his wide eyes gazed into Mike's. His beautiful green eyes. Mike loved those eyes more than anything.
Mike smiled, nodding in conformation. "Definitely," He answered, making Will grin. "I'm glad."
Just as Mike was going to lean in again, the door creaked open. But Mike didn't jump away. He knew he was safe from whoever was barging in.
Instead, he simply sat up to see who it was, Will doing the same.
"Morning, boys!" Karen Wheeler - Mike's mom - Said with a cheerful grin, walking up to Mike's bed to place a kiss on his forehead. The action made Mike feel warm inside, like he was protected from anything, and loved by everyone.
"Breakfast is ready, you two get dressed and come down," She commanded, the two boyfriends' nodding in response.
Mike got up to grab his clothes as soon as his mother left, throwing Will over one of his hoodie's and a pair of jeans to change into.
"Thanks, love," Will murmured, placing a kiss on Mike's cheek before walking into the bathroom to change, leaving the door just barely cracked so that Mike knew he was still there. The nickname sent shivers down Mike's spine - Love. Because that's what it was. Mike was Will's love, and Will was his. It was beautiful.
He quickly threw on some new clothes, before Will came out of the bathroom perfectly on cue and the two walked hand-in-hand down the stairs together.
"There are our two loverboys," Jonathon teased from the dining table, making Mike blush. He wasn't quite sure why Jonathon was there, but he didn't question it. He liked Jonathon.
Nancy, who was taking a gap year from college for reasons unknown, was sitting across from him, warmly laughing at the comment.
"Oh, sweetie, you're here!" Karen greeted with a grin, as if she didn't see him two minutes ago. She set a plate of pancakes down on the table, before wrapping Mike up in a warm squeeze of a hug, making Mike feel like he might melt. He loved hugs from his mom.
Karen hummed as she pulled away from the hug, ruffling Mike's hair before giving Will a small hug and walking away.
The boys sat over at the table, Holly sitting on Will's lap because she was still a toddler, and Will was great with kids.
Something about the image felt off, but Mike chose not to worry about it. It was just his adorable baby sister and his adorable boyfriend.
"Hey, kiddo's," Ted voiced as he walked into the dining room, the echo of a yawn still left in his voice as he walked over to his wife to give her a kiss. He smiled warmly at her before walking over and sitting across the table.
"Morning, Will. You two have fun last night?" He asked as he poured syrup over his pancakes, Mike and Will nodding in response.
"Not too much fun, I hope," Karen teased with a small laugh, making Mike turn red. "Mom!" He groaned, placing his head in his hands out of embarrassment.
"Our little Mikey? No way, I could hear them playing on the Atari all night," Nancy said with a laugh.
"Oh, yeah. And I totally beat Mike in boxing," Will bragged, making Mike scoff playfully. "In your dreams, loverboy," Mike retorted, reusing Jonathon's nickname from earlier. The rest of the family snickered as Will rolled his eyes.
Mike could live like this forever. It was perfect.
It was his paradise.
-
"Mike!" Will exclaimed, nearly making Mike jump. Where was he? Had he disassociated, or something? He did that sometimes...
"Hmm?" Mike asked confusedly, turning to face the voice. There was Will, sitting on one of the chairs in Mike's basement, surrounded by all of their friends.
Mike was laying on the couch...Why was he laying on the couch? Had he fallen asleep?
"Don't fall asleep just because we finished the campaign! Come here, look at what I drew," He said with a cheery grin, waving Mike over giddily.
Mike obliged, shaking all of the confused thoughts away from his head and he walked over to Will.
Naps always made him feel weird and disoriented - He hated it. But it was normal, so there was nothing to worry about.
'Boys Don't Cry', one of Mike's favorite songs, was playing faintly in the background from his old radio.
Tick,
Tick
Tick.
The clock went, almost perfectly on beat to the song. He liked it, it sounded nice. The actual song should have ticking in it, Mike thinks.
"Oh my God, Will," Mike breathed as he hovered over Will's shoulder, revealing the amazing oil-pastel drawing Will had done.
It was of him and Will, the first day they met. They were little boys sitting on an old, rustic wooden swing-set. Hand-in-hand. It was exactly like how Mike remembered it.
It was perfect. Like, genuinely perfect. Way better than the other things Will had painted, which was definitely saying something, considering the fact that his usual paintings were beautiful.
It looked almost like a picture. He had no idea how Will could've done something like that, how he captured it so well...But he did.
"Do you like it?" Will asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Mike laughed. "Like it? It's amazing, Will, it's...Jesus Christ, when'd you get so good?" He asked astoundingly, completely in awe.
Will shrugged, a bashful smile on his face. "I just really wanted you to like it. It's for you," He explained, lifting up the paper and handing it to Mike.
"Thank you so much, Will. I'll hang it up as soon as possible," He promised as he gently grabbed the painting out of Will's hands.
"I'm glad you like it, love," Will murmured, making Mike's heart skip a beat. That damn pet name, it drove him crazy.
"Love," Mike repeated in a whisper. Will nodded, leaning in to give him a short-but-sweet kiss.
Mike's face felt like it was on fire as he pulled away, and he was sure it looked like it, too.
"Okay, ew," Dustin said from afar, tearing Mike away from his thoughts. "No kissing in front of us! PDA, ever heard of it?" He scoffed, making Mike roll his eyes.
"Shut up, Dustin, I'll kiss my boyfriend if I want to," He retorted, sticking his tongue out childishly. What? It worked!
"Lucas hasn't kissed me all day," Max grumbled under her breath. Mike turned his head to see her sitting next to Will, which was strange. He didn't remember seeing her before now. He really needed to stop focusing all of his attention on Will, but it was so hard! Just look at his face...
"Oh!" Lucas exclaimed, a scared look on his face as he stumbled over his own feet running towards Max.
She raised an eyebrow as he approached her with a smile, her arms crossed as he leaned in. But that all went away the second they kissed. They really loved each other, it was easy to tell.
He pulled away after a few seconds, leaving Max all pink and smiley. "Better?" Lucas asked, to which Max nodded. "I guess."
"Am I the only one who cares about our rules?!" Dustin shouted, making everybody jump.
"Yes!" They all groaned in unison, making him sigh. He was just butthurt because he missed Suzie, who was stuck in Utah.
"I respect your rules, Dustin," El said slowly as she walked down the stairs, pizza boxes in her hand.
Yay, El! Mike hadn't seen El in a while. They were the best of friends.
She walked down and sat the pizza on the table, as Dustin muttered a 'thank you' under his breath.
"Is there...A chair for me?" She asked hopefully, making Will grin. "Of course," He responded, before lifting Mike out of his own chair and setting him on his lap.
"Gah!" Mike exclaimed at the sudden movement, before breaking out into a fit of giggles. "When'd you get so strong?" He questioned, genuinely curious.
He knew Will had gotten a bit bigger ever since Highschool, but this was a while new level. He didn't know Will was strong strong.
"Always have been," He murmured, a glint in his eyes as he stared up at Mike. Mike pressed his lips together, unsure. But he dropped it nonetheless. Life was too perfect right now to care.
El laughed as she sat down on the chair where Mike was just seconds ago.
"You guys are cute," She said with a warm smile, ruffling Mike's hair jokingly.
Mike loved his friendship with El. He knew they dated at one point, but that was old news. Nobody ever brought it up again. Him and El loved each other - Completely platonically. They were best friends.
Mike rolled his eyes at El's affection, before turning to face Will.
"Sleeping back at your house tonight?" He questioned. "I'm sure El misses you."
Will's face fell at the question, immediately making Mike panic. Had he done something wrong? Did Will not want to leave?
"Oh. I mean...If you want me to, then yeah," He stated, his face turning back into a smile in the blink of an eye. Almost as if it were a glitch. Zone second his face was blank, fallen, and the next it was just...Smiling. With no lip curb or anything.
Mike must've been going crazy. He really just needed to sleep.
"N - No! I didn't mean it like that, I just...Well, it's been a while since you last slept at your real house, hasn't it?" Mike asked. He genuinely didn't know. He couldn't remember.
He knew Will had slept over at last week...Was it last week? Was it longer than that?
And he could sort of remember waking up in Will's arms this morning, just like always. They'd had the same little banter that they always did - The banter Mike loved. It was cute.
Right.
He could remember it now. Will had been sleeping over for the past week...Surely he must miss his family, right? His mom, Jonathon, El. Even Hopper.
Will nodded. "It has. I'll sleep at my house tonight, so long as your happy," He agreed, making Mike blush.
"Okay," He confirmed, flashing a shy smile as Will looked up at him with his beautiful, beautiful eyes.
"I will keep Will very occupied, Mike. And then you can have him back tomorrow," El obliged with a firm nod.
Mike grinned at the thought of it. Of course he didn't want Will all to himself, Will needed to stay at his own house, too. His family needed to see him just as much as Mike did.
"Good," Mike hummed along. "Tomorrow."
-
"God, I don't know about you, but I am ready for bed," Will groaned from beside Mike, snapping him back into reality.
Already? Mike thought. Isn't it only 6:15?
Wait. Was it? Why was Mike in his room all of a sudden? Why was he in a change of clothes?
He glanced over to the window - Dark. And then to the left at his calendar - Saturday. He could've sworn it was Friday evening. He was damn near positive.
He was sitting on Will's lap, chatting and joking around with the rest of the party. He swear he'd only closed his eyes for a moment.
Something was happening to Mike, something bad. Psychosis, maybe? Paranoia? Dissociative disorder, maybe. That seemed most likely for Mike.
He knew he had a problem with zoning out, but this? This was next level. It was really freaky. He desperately needed to pay attention - As much attention as humanly possible. Before this turned into a real problem.
"Bed," Mike repeated mindlessly, before trying his best to snap back into his normal self. The last thing he wanted to was scare Will, the person he loved more than anything in the world.
"Right. Right! Bed, yeah," Mike stammered in agreement as he leaned over to turn the lamp off.
Will grinned, leaning over Mike to get to the lamp, flicking it back on as soon as the room went dark.
Mike mimicked Will's grin in anticipation. "Everything okay?" He asked slowly, eyeing Will up and down.
Will snorted. "Mike Wheeler, you're such a tease," He murmured as he leaned in closer to Mike's face.
Mike could feel his entire body warm up as he did so, letting out a shaky breath as Will climbed on top of him.
"Hi," Mike breathed, the words bouncing between each other's mouths.
Will bite his lip as he grinned down at Mike, leaning down so that their foreheads and noses were touching.
"Hi," He whispered back with a giggle, before finally closing the distance between the two.
At first the kiss was soft, like usual. Just a light grazing of lips to show love and affection. But dear God did that change in the blink of an eye.
After about four seconds, Will deepened the kiss, tangling his fingers into Mike's raven hair, as Mike's arms wrapped around Will's waist.
The kiss because a tangle of teeth and tongues. It was messy and uncoordinated - And Mike loved every second of it. Because it was Will. Mike Wheeler was making out with Will Byers
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
His alarm clock chanted next to him, but Mike ignored it. That damn thing was always acting up.
Instead, Mike tried his best to deepen the kiss, by pulling Will down as far as he could to his stomach as his left leg raised about Will's side.
Mike could feel Will smile into the kiss, before he quickly pulled away and began to trail kisses down Mike's jaw and neck without another word.
Mike giggled at the sensation of small, delicate kisses trailing down himself, until Will seemed to find the most comfortable spot. His favorite spot.
Will's neck kisses deepened, as he stayed in the same spot and began to lightly suck at Mike's skin.
Mike could feel his heart racing. If someone had took his shirt off right now, you would probably be able to see it thumping out of his own chest.
And, on cue, Will began to tuck at Mike's collar. And tug. And tug. Until Mike eventually snapped out of his own Cloud-9-like-thoughts, and realized what exactly was happening.
"Um, Wi - Will?" Mike voiced, just barely above a whisper as he gently pushed Will away from his neck.
"Is everything okay? Do you want me to stop?" Will asked sincerely, pulling away quickly to meet Mike's eyes from a safe distance.
Mike's face scrunched up into a small grimace. He felt awkward - Embarrassed, even.
"I'm just...I don't think I really feel like it. Right now," He explained slowly, scared of the fact that he was definitely letting Will down.
But, much to his surprise, Will smiled, calmly moving his body off of Mike's, staying close as he plopped down on his boyfriend's side.
"That's okay, Mike," He assured, his tone utterly convincing as he took Mike's hand into his own. "We can take things as slow as you need to. Promise."
Mike let out a sigh of relief at the reassuring comment. He knew right then and there that Will was the one for him.
Mike's always known, of course, but that really just set it in stone. Their relationship was perfect, and nothing could ever get in the way of that.
"Thank you," He responded, giving Will a warm kiss on the forehead, before turning around and flicking the lamp back off.
And with that, he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
-
"Mike," A soft, yet concerned voice boomed through the darkness.
Mike opened his eyes immediately, only to be greeted with white. Pure white, nothing else.
"El?" Mike asked, his heart rate increasing at the frightful sight. Why could he hear her, but not see her? Where even was he?
What the fuck was happening?
"I'm right here, Mike. I just need you to see me...I'm right in front of you," She urged, her tone met with a newfound ounce of hope.
Mike nodded, unsure of what was happening. All he knew was that when El told him to do something, he did it.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as he concentrated on the thought of El standing before him, before opening his eyes
And there she was.
Only she didn't look like his El. She looked different - The way she used to.
Her hair was short. Not fully buzzed, but still quite short. It looked the way it had when they were in eighth grade, but a little less messy. He liked it, but it was different.
This wasn't his El.
His El had long, beautiful brown locs, that she liked to twist into different hairstyles that Max would teach her.
His El was always happy. This El was not. This El seemed worried. But still...Hopeful? It was a confusing mix of both.
"Mike, can you see me?" She asked gently, her eyes darting back and forth between his.
Mike smiled. "I can see you," He assured, though he still had no idea what was going on.
This had to be some sort of sick, sick joke.
He wanted his mom to hug him right now, more than anything in the world. He needed a reality check.
He also needed Will - God, did he need Will. Mike didn't know what he would do without Will.
"Mike, good. I do not have much time, I need you to listen to me," She said sternly, her voice still gentle as always.
He nodded, watching as tears formed in her eyes. It was almost enough to make him cry. He was scared. Terrified.
Were his problems getting worse? Did he legitimately have some sort of mental illness?
What the hell was happening?
"You have to snap out of it. Please, Mike. For me, for...For all of us. You need to come home," She spoke, her voice echoing throughout the void they were currently standing in.
Mike's brow furrowed, his lips parting simultaneously.
What did she mean 'home'? She was the one who'd pulled him away! What was she talking about?
"I don't understand," Mike mumbled, shaking his head as his voice grew weaker.
"I don't have time to explain. He's coming," She rushed, her breath growing faster.
"What? El -" Mike started, but it was too late. Who was coming? Mike didn't know. All he knew was that he had to follow whatever instructions El gave him. Before it was too late.
"You need to wake up Mike...You need to wake up."
And with that, she was gone. Disappeared. Slowly fading into the background without another word.
Wake up. Wake up?
What did she mean wake up? Wake up from what?
Was this all just a-
-
Mike's eyes flew open, his chest heaving up and down heavily.
Oh. That's what she meant by wake-up.
He supposed that made sense. There was a small chance that it really was all just a dream, that he wasn't going crazy.
But his brain didn't feel like that. Not one bit. His brain said otherwise.
His brain said to be scared, to figure everything out. His brain kept repeating those same two words: Wake up.
The sentence echoed throughout Mike's head, El's voice clear as day. What did it mean? Why did Mike still feel like he had to wake up?
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
The clock reaped him back into reality. Was that damn thing getting louder? What was happening?
He sat up quickly, his neck and hair covered in sweat from the...Nightmare? Hidden message? Mike didn't know what it was.
But these weren't the clothes he'd fallen asleep in. This was a grey shirt with red plaid boxers. He'd fallen asleep in sweatpants and a blue ringer tee.
"Oh, finally, you're awake," Will said with a laugh from Mike's desk.
Mike's head whipped over to face Will, who was holding a paper in his hand eagerly.
"I made this for you! Come look," Will urged as he excitedly held out the paper, but Mike couldn't bare move. He had no idea what world he was living in, but it wasn't his.
He was in his own head.
And he needed to find a way to get out - Fast.
A way to get back to what reality had been before. Him and Will having cutesy little sleepovers with the door three inches open, and waking up the next day with memories still fresh in his head.
That's what he needed to get back to - And fast.
"What day is it?" Mike asked quickly as he sat up, completely disregarding Will's previous statement.
"Thursday, my love," Will hummed in response. Mike's immediate reaction was to blush at the endearing way of speech - But he refrained. He had much bigger things to focus on.
Today was Thursday. Ten minutes ago, it was Saturday. Right? Right?
It had to have been. There was no possible way it wasn't. It had to have been.
"And you...What did we do yesterday?" Mike asked, raising his eyebrows. He needed to figure out what was happening. It was all he cared about right now.
Will smiled at the thought of it, laughing slightly at his own words. "We played games with the party all day until it was time for bed."
"And the day before that?" Mike questioned, to which he was greeted by the same response, in the same heartfelt tone.
"We played games with the party all day until it was time for bed."
"And...Before that?"
"We played games with the party all day until it was time for bed."
"Sunday?"
"We played games with the party all day until it was time for bed."
Jesus Christ.
Mike didn't know what was happening, but he needed it to stop right now. He was so flustered he couldn't even cry - And crying was Mike's first instinct when it came to pretty much every major emotion.
"Um - Here! Look what I drew you," Will exclaimed after a moment, realizing Mike had gone silent. He held out the paper yet again, Mike hesitantly grabbing it to look at.
It wad a drawing of Mike. And a damn good one at that. Too good. It looked like a picture, or at least like it was painted. But there were only colored pencils and crayons on the desk where Will had been.
Colored pencils and crayons didn't do this.
And don't get him wrong, Mike loved the drawing. It actually made him look good. But it wasn't Will, not really.
Mike sighed, closing his eyes tight before handing the drawing back to Will.
"That's great, Will," He murmured. "I have to go."
As Mike hoisted himself up and off of the bed, Will followed, grabbing his hand and pulling him back.
"Mike," Will spoke, his voice soft. "What's wrong? You can talk to me, you know. Always," The beautiful boy assured. Mike had to viciously blink back tears as he turned to face his boyfriend.
"Nothings wrong, Will," He lied, though it killed him on the inside. Him and Will didn't lie to each other. Ever.
"I just need some fresh air. I think I might be sick, you need to go home too," He continued, making Will frown as his grip tightened.
"Do you need anything, love? Let me take care of you, plea -" Mike cut him off with a snap. Something he instantly regretted, but didn't care enough to correct.
"I'm fine Will, Jesus! Bye," He screeched, dropping Will's hand as he huffed out of the room. He didn't know what Will did afterwards, but he tried his best not to think about how hurt he probably was.
Mike stormed down the stairs, past his family asking what was wrong and trying to cover him in hugs, and out the front door - To God knows where.
He ran and he ran, until eventually he found himself in the woods.
And he ran more.
Until he finally stopped, the place he was in seeming familiar.
To the left? Trees. So many goddamn trees.
But to the right?
Castle Byers.
Will had built that place years ago, and now the two considered it to be a safe space. A place away from anywhere else. He loved it more than anything.
Mike could feel the tears start to pour out of him as he plopped down on the ground, just outside of Castle Byers. He didn't have enough time to go inside.
The cries quickly turned into violent sobs, Mike screaming and groaning into his hands as he threw his head back.
He just didn't know what was happening.
Goddamnit, why didn't he know what was happening?!
"What the hell is going on?!" Mike screamed to nobody in particular as he stared up at the clouds.
"Is this - Is this all some kind of sick joke? I can't take it anymore, I can't take it! Make it stop!"
Maybe he was talking to God. Or Satan. Whichever one seemed more acceptable given the situation.
But whoever it was, he answered. And the very voice send chills down his spine. This voice was pure, unadulterated hatred.
Evil.
"Joke?" The deep, distorted voice asked with a laugh, making Mike jump.
His eyes darted around in every which direction, and...Nothing. Nobody was there. He didn't even know where the voice was coming from.
It sounded like it was maybe coming from inside his head, but somebody screaming it into his ears at the same time. Whatever it was, it was bone shrilling.
"No, no, Mike. This is no joke," The voice sneered slowly, making Mike whimper.
"Then what the hell is happening?" He peeped out, choking on his own sobs as he opened his mouth to begin the next sentence.
"How do I make it stop?"
The voice laughed a menacing laugh. "Join me, Mike, and your suffering will end."
And with that, gone.
Mike shouted and shouted after it, but no response. Everything was gone.
"What do you mean? I don't understand! I don't fucking understand!" He'd screamed after it, his voice turning sore after a while.
And then, blimp.
-
A knock on the door. Mike was in his room.
Only this time, he wasn't disoriented and confused as to what was happening, or why he was confused about his memory loss.
Because he knew it wasn't memory loss.
He was in the woods, face soaking wet from tears, and clothes dirty from the earth.
And now he was in his room, his face dry as an automatic smile turned on his face, despite the pure terror he felt on the inside.
Before, it had been a weird blur in between the scene changes. But now? He could see it happen clear as day. It took less than a second for everything to morph into place. He hadn't even closed his eyes.
Mike took a deep, shaky breath, before responding. Maybe it was the voice - Maybe he had come to talk.
"I'm...I'm in here," He squeaked out, his voice still hoarse from before, despite the fact that there was no evidence of crying.
"Hey, kiddo!" An old, familiar voice bellowed. Ted.
It was just Mike's dad. Or maybe not his dad - Maybe it was all fake.
He was too tired to grasp the concept of every specific thing that was happening to him. He needed to rest, and then evaluate. So he could fix everything, and stay happy with Will and their friends for the rest of his life.
"I just - Wow! Did you hang that up yourself?" He asked, an 'O' shape forming over his mouth as he pointed towards Mike's wall.
Mike directed his glance to Ted's point. There was the swing set painting from earlier...Or maybe weeks ago. He didn't have any concept of time anymore, because it wasn't real. Nothing was fucking real.
Nope. Mike didn't put that there. He had no clue how that painting had gone from his hand, to his shelf, to the wall all within a matter of minutes, but it was no use explaining. All he had to do was play around.
Maybe that's what the voice meant when he asked Mike to join him. Maybe Mike just had to play along.
"Oh, that? Yeah...Yeah, I just taped it up," Mike sighed out, running a hand through his hair as he looked back up at his dad.
"Wow. You didn't even need help with cutting the tape?" Mike shook his head no. "Good job, son. I'm proud of you."
The sentiment made Mike's heart ache in joy. Ted didn't used to act like that, it was more recent. Mike wasn't quite sure when he'd turned so nice, but he was forever grateful for the sudden attitude change.
"Thanks, Dad," Mike croaked out, placing his palm over his mouth to stop himself from crying.
"Anyways, your boyfriend's here to see you. He's downstairs," Ted explained, before walking away.
Mike nodded to himself, taking a moment to take in his surroundings before leaving to go greet Will.
And his fucking calendar was gone. As was his alarm clock. Yet that same ticking still happened
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
It was only getting louder. Like a booming in his ear, or a loud explosion.
But Mike didn't even have a way of knowing what day it was, let alone the time. He really was stuck. It was some sort of paradox - And Mike needed to figure out how to break it, and get back home into Will's arms.
But for now, he had to find the fake Will. Or maybe he was a cursed Will.
Most likely, he was just...Will. And everything was in Mike's head. He was finally losing his shit.
But Mike couldn't believe it - He knew himself, and he knew his limits. This wouldn't happen to Michael Wheeler.
"Mike! Hey," Will exclaimed giddily as Mike entered the living room, holding his arms out for an embrace.
Mike gladly accepted it.
Real or not, he could use a Will hug right now. And maybe a Mom hug, but he was fairly certain she wasn't home.
Will pulled away just barely, enough to lean in and give Mike a quick, soft kiss. It lasted a whole of three seconds, but Mike melted into it. He always did.
It just felt so...Right.
"I missed you, we haven't seen each other all day," Will expressed with a smile, fully pulling away from Mike now.
"I missed you, too...Look, Will, I'm so sorry," Mike sighed, sitting down on the couch below him with a hmph.
Will plopped down next to him immediately, a confused look on his face. "Sorry for what?"
"For snapping at you."
"Snapping at me? You would never!" Will exclaimed with a small laugh.
Mike's brow furrowed.
"No, I did. Just a few minutes ago, before I stormed out, and-" Mike was cut off.
"Honey, we haven't seen each other all day," Will said slowly, his eyes concerned. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" The back of his hand lifted up to feel Mike's head for a temperature, but he didn't have one.
So now, what, they were just pretending Mike hadn't done anything? Or did Will genuinely not remember?
Was he in the past? Was that why his clock and calendar was gone?
Tick,
Tick,
Tick.
"Right, sorry. I'm fine," Mike mustered out, though it was far from the truth.
Will nodded, a warm smile replacing his frown. "Good!" He exclaimed happily, placing another small kiss on Mike's lips.
"I want to take you to the arcade, you game?" He asked. Mike nodded, still trying his best to play along.
"Yeah, sure. Just let me use the bathroom real quick," Mike murmured. Will nodded as Mike got up to run to the downstairs bathroom.
No, he didn't have to go to the bathroom. In fact, he hadn't in a long time. He just needed a quick minute to gather his thoughts.
"Mike," A familiar voice breathed out as Mike shut the door behind him, making him yelp.
"Gah! El, what are you doing in here?!" He shrieked at the sight of El, until he realized.
This wasn't his El. This was dream El.
"Mike, you are not listening. You have to wake up," She repeated from earlier, her eyes side as she choked back a sob.
Mike shook his head. Wake up? He already did wake up!
Did she mean snap out of his trance, or whatever the hell this was?
"I don't..." Mike trailed anxiously, unable to voice the word 'understand'. "I just want things to go back to normal," He choked out eventually, making El's frown deepen.
"I know, Mike. And they will. You just have to open your eyes, your real eyes," She explained, though it didn't help.
Mike's eyes were wide open.
Was she crazy? Was he crazy? Was the whole world going crazy around them?
El sighed at the boys silence, before reaching out to grab his hands, a small spark flying through the air as she did so.
As soon as their hands touched, maybe even before that, everything came rushing back.
Every foggy memory became clear, as the important ones sped through his head.
The demogorgon.
The mind flayer.
Vecna.
The upside down.
Everyone dying.
Mike dying.
Wait...What? Mike dying?
His eyes grew large, a small whimper ex sling his lips as he jerked his hand away.
This had to be some sort of cruel joke.
"I know what it looks like, Mike, but it's not true," El assured quickly, raising her voice an octave.
"You are okay. You are okay," She repeated, but Mike found himself shaking his head again.
"Am I..." He started, tears filling his eyes as he looked down at his hands. "Am I dead?" He barely spoke, his voice no louder than a whisper.
"No! No, you are fine," El exclaimed, grabbing Mike's face to focus him more, immediately sending another rush of memories back.
Saving Will.
Getting back together with El.
It's not my fault you don't like girls.
Falling into his own mind.
He didn't want to remember any of it. It was all so terrible, so confusing. His whole life, everything he could remember up until now...It just wasn't real? All of those memories, for nothing?
"Mike," She blubbered, taking a deep breath before telling him everything he deserved to know.
"Vecna...He got you. You saved Will, and he got you instead. But it wasn't the same, you - You didn't float up and fall apart like Max did. You just...You just fell asleep."
"We couldn't figure out what was happening for the longest time, but - But eventually, we found out he's just been feeding off of your energy, using you as a vessel. You are in a dream, Mike. This life, this paradise he's created for you...It's not real. You need to come back, you need to come home," Her voice finally broke, tears streaming down her face.
Mike's face fell as a dawning realization came over him. More memories.
"El," He breathed, quickly catching her attention. "How much have you seen?"
Her eyes grew even sadder as she bit her lip, fighting back sobs. "Enough," She murmured simply, making his eyes widen.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit!
El must've been heartbroken. The two had never broken up as far as Mike could remember.
He had never told anyone he was gay.
What if El had cried about it to everyone? What if his family wasn't even there to greet him when he got back?
It was almost enough to make him stay. Enough to make him not want to leave. Almost.
"I'm so fucking sorry, El, I can't even -" Mike began to express, but El shut him down.
"It is okay, Mike," She said softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand yet again. "I understand."
Those words. Those words he'd waited his whole life to hear, from someone, anyone...And El was the one who spoke them. The real El.
Maybe he would be okay in the real world.
Mike nodded slowly, taking a deep breath as his eyes fell shut.
He was ready to open his real eyes, until there was an interruption.
"Mike? What's taking so long?" Will asked as he barged through the door that Mike had just so happened to forget to lock.
Shit.
Will made him want to stay more than anything. Even if he wasn't real, they could still be happy tighter, right? Wasn't that all that mattered?
"Will..." Mike breathed as his gaze turned to face his confused boyfriend.
"Mike. You have to let him go, you need to find the real Will," El said firmly, snapping the terrible thoughts away from his head.
"Real Will? Mike, what's El doing here?" He asked, his eyes quickly turning glossy as he stared up at Mike.
Mike choked back a sob, clearing his throat before shakily speaking. "I have to go, Will."
Will's brow furrowed, a tear slipping out of his eye. "Go where? Mike, don't leave," He begged, his voice cracking.
Mike glanced back at El, who nodded sadly.
"I just - God," He breathed, before finally mustering up the courage to do what he feared he'd never be able to do again.
He cupped Will's face in his hands rather roughly, before pulling him in for a final kiss.
It was the same as all of their other kisses - Passionate, gentle, and perfect.
But it wasn't real.
Mike hated that it wasn't real. He just wanted to be able to kiss Will, was that so much to ask?
Of course it was. Will would never like him back, not like that. Not like a queer.
"I'm sorry," Mike breathed as he pulled away, before turning to face El...Who wasn't there anymore.
She could be in danger. Mike needed to get back as fast as he could.
"I love you," Mike spoke, Will not responding. He seemed almost frozen in time, a sad look on his face until it just...Disappeared.
Along with everything else.
-
Mike's eyes fluttered open quickly, and for the first time, he could actually feel it.
He could feel everything.
He hadn't remembered what it was like to live in real life, but this was next level. He hadn't had full control over his senses in what felt like a lifetime.
Everything was so...Bright. Too bright. His eyes burned, which he could definitely feel. It was all too much.
He had to resist the urge to keep them shut, in order for everyone to notice that he was awake. Which they quickly did.
"Michael? Oh my God!" Karen Wheeler, who was sat right at his bedside with his hand in hers, cried out, immediately throwing her body over his to give him a warm hug.
Mike tried his best to reciprocate, but he was still trying to figure out how to move. Nothing felt right. He almost wanted to go back.
But this hug? This hug was 10x better than any other Mom Hug he'd gotten in his mind. This one made everything feel better.
The commotion quickly made everybody else in the room realize what was happening, as they all ran up to Mike's bed to greet him. Nancy leaned down at the other side of Mike's bed, placing her hand over his.
"Did it work?" The young boys mom asked as she pulled away from the hug, tucking one of his curls behind his ear. "Did El reach you?"
Well, that was new. Mrs. Wheeler knew about the whole powers thing, now. Mike supposed he should've figured, given the fact that he was in a coma due to a monster from an alternate universe, and all.
Mike nodded as much as he could, a small smile forming over his chapped, colorless lips. He really looked like shit.
"She - She found me," He choked out, his voice hoarse from not talking in God knows how long. "In my dream. She saved me."
Karen smiled, speaking up again as everybody else stayed silent. They knew how important this specific interaction was - She was his mom.
"And what was it? Your dream," She asked, her eyes glossy. Mike's heart began racing, as he spat out the quickest lie he could think of.
"I can't remember. M - Maybe I will later, after I wake up a little bit more?" He lied, Karen nodding along.
"Of course. I'll just go get you something to eat, yeah?" She volunteered, Mike trying his best to smile in response.
She placed a small kiss on his forehead, hugging him one last time before rushing out of his bedroom door, and down into the kitchen.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Nancy nearly whispered, as she gently traced her thumb over his hand. "Don't you ever do anything like that again," She demanded, letting out a small breath of a laugh.
"I won't," Mike promised. Because everything was better now. And although Mike wasn't sure if Vecna was destroyed or not, he knew for a fact that he couldn't get to Mike's head again. He just wouldn't let it happen.
"Yeah, don't fall asleep again," A small voice peeped from the corner of the room, causing Mike's eyebrows to twitch up.
He knew that voice. He loved that voice.
"Holly?" Mike asked, peering over to look at the little girl, who was carefully walking towards his bed.
She looked so much older than she had before, in his dream. She must've been at least seven, but she looked even older than she had last time he saw her.
"Come here, Holly," Mike waved over, causing the little girl to run up to her brother's bed and throw her body over his.
He let out a hoarse laugh as she did so, moving his arms to squeeze her tight before she pulled away, placing a small peck in his cheek as she did so.
"How long was I out, Holls? You look so much older," Mike asked through a pant, as he observed his sister. Her bone structure was more defined, as she must've been at least two inches taller. Kids grew too fast for him to keep up.
Holly frowned. "A long time," She said vaguely, making Mike roll his eyes.
"Six months," A very familiar voice spoke, making Mike's heart skip a beat.
Will was talking. Will was there.
Mike had been too focused on his family to notice anything, and too scared to check. But there he was. He was really there.
Mike couldn't help but smile as he turned to face Will, who was now peering over Nancy's shoulder.
"That long?" Mike asked softly, his eyes glancing between Will's eyes and lips, even though he knew they shouldn't be.
He hated the fact that he had to relive this.
Will nodded, a sad smile on his face as tears filled his eyes. "Yeah...God, I really thought we lost you," He stammered.
Mike shook his head. "You couldn't get rid of me that easily, Will," He teased, making Will laugh through a small sob.
The sight of Will was enough to make Mike cry. He looked so devastated, but hopeful at the same time. Mike didn't know how to put what he was seeing into words.
"Oh, trust me, we know," The final voice spoke - Jonathon. Mike was excited to see Jonathon. He cared about him far more than he led on.
The older teen made his way over to the chair Karen Wheeler earlier sat in, placing a delicate hand over Mike's shoulder.
"You're too strong for that," Jonathon assured, making Mike smile weakly yet again.
The five sat like that for a moment, soaking up the silence peacefully, until the door creaked open.
El.
"Mike?" She spoked softly, peaking her head through the door.
Mike fought to hold back a sigh. The two had never broken up - He'd basically been cheating on her for the past six months. He was a terrible person, and she knew it.
"We'll um...We'll give you two some time alone," Nancy said with a small wink as El fully entered into the room.
If only she knew.
El walked over as the rest left the room, sitting down at the chair next to Mike's bedside.
Mike could feel the tears fill up his eyes the second she sat down.
"I'm so sorry - Jesus, I can't do this," He mustered out, muttering the last bit under his breath.
El shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek as she grabbed his hand with hers.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Mike. I know...How difficult, it must have all been. I am sorry, for making you feel like you could not tell me," She spoke clearly, enough to make Mike actually believe the words that El was saying.
Mike sniffled, shaking his head. "I love you, El. I really do," Mike assured, gripping her hand tighter. "Just not in."
El took a shaky breath, nodding her head continuously. "I know, Mike. I have known for months."
"You don't have to forgive me, not ever. I - I used you to mask my own real feelings. And that was so shitty, and I just...Just please don't forgive me," Mike practically begged.
Much to his surprise, El let out a laugh. "You have always been too hard on yourself, Mike. I forgave you a long time ago, you just were not able to hear it," She explained, making Mike frown.
"I'm sorry," He repeated.
"It is okay," El responded.
Mike still wanted to apologize. He didn't understand how she could forgive him for treating her so terribly. He didn't know how she could be okay with...Everything.
Mike being gay.
"For what it is worth, I really think you should tell Will. He deserves to know," El suggested, but Mike quickly shut it down.
"No! No, I can't do that. He'll...He'll hate me," Mike exclaimed, his voice still weak.
El laughed, rolling her eyes at Mike's ignorance. "Will could never hate you, Mike. He has spent every single day at your bedside - All day! For six months. Mike, he is never even home anymore. He loves you, far more than I ever did."
Mike simply melted at the revealed information. Everyday? Six months? It was enough to make him swoon.
Hell, it was making him swoon.
But he needed to snap out of it. Will was just best friend, of course he cared! And sure, maybe he did love him. But it would never be in the same way Mike loved him.
"Just...Just let me tell Will on my own, yeah? And let me take my sweet precious time," He tried to joke, though it pained him to say.
He would have to tell Will at some point, wouldn't he?
He had never been able to lie about Will. Once the boy asked what his dream was about, Mike would have to tell him. It was scary - Far scarier than the upside down.
"Of course. You always do," El teased, making Mike laugh lightly.
Silence filled the room for the next few seconds, until Mike broke it yet again.
"Vecna. What happened to Vecna? Are you okay?" He asked, making El grin.
"He is gone, Mike. For good."
-
Mike spent the next couple weeks in bed, still recovering. His friends and family would take turns visiting and bringing him his meals, which Mike enjoyed.
It gave him time to talk with everyone.
Well...Almost everyone.
He couldn't bring himself to so much as look at Will, it was too much to bare. Every single time Mike noticed that it was Will's turn, he'd simply pretend to fall asleep until he left.
Every once and a while, Will would reach out to touch Mike's hand, or begin to speak. But he always ended up leaving with a sigh.
Of course it made Mike feel bad, but he didn't want to face Will. He couldn't.
He felt so guilty, like he had violated Will. Because, when it came down to it - It was more than a dream. It was Mike's life for the past six months.
And there he had been, madly in love with Will like it was nobody's business. Like it wasn't wrong.
Mike couldn't bare to even think about it.
He was, however, excited for his next meal - which would be coming any second, now. It was Lucas.
Mike really enjoyed his talks with Lucas, they were always a good mix between serious and lighthearted.
Plus, Lucas's mom was a phenomenal cook. He always brought the best meals, they were way more seasoned than anything Mrs. Wheeler ever made. Not that Mike was complaining...
Mike grinned as the door creaked open.
"Hey," He greeted, sitting up in his bed in anticipation.
"Mike! Mike, oh my God, you're up," Will exclaimed as he walked through the door, immediately making Mike's face fall.
Will?
Will was not supposed to be there. Why were they going against the schedule? The schedule kept Mike sane!
"God, I haven't spoken to you since you woke up...I just feel like I have so much to say," Will laughed out, giddily plopping down next to his best friend and setting a Tupperware of soup on Mike's nightstand.
Mike nodded, his eyes wide as he smoothed out his messy, raven curls. He didn't know what to say, so he simply didn't speak.
"Um...I've just really missed you, Mike," Will sighed, causing Mike's lips to twitch upwards.
"I - I've missed you, too. Sorry about all the sleeping, I've just been...Well, you know," Mike finally mustered out, making Will's grin widen.
"You're voice! I - I mean, your real voice! I haven't heard it in so long, I was starting to forget what it sounded like," He laughed, making Mike blush.
Was he that excited to hear him?
It only made Mike want to tell him more. To hug him, to kiss him, to love him.
To be loved back.
It was stupid, he knew. But he had to tell him - And the second Will mentioned something, he would. He had to just rip the Band-Aid off.
"Well...Here it is? This is me speaking," Mike said awkwardly, making Will laugh even more.
"God, and you're still a huge dork. Apparently even severe brain damage can't fix that," He teased, making Mike giggle.
He loved their banter. He valued it more than anything in the whole world.
"God, what was even happening in there? I mean, El said you were in like, a dream? But was that even it, like, what was happening?" He asked.
Mike sighed, closing his eyes shut briefly before responding. "Yeah. Yeah, it was like, a really vivid dream. I thought it was real," He explained, making Will's face fall slightly.
"That must really suck. I'm sorry," He said whole-heartedly. "What was it about?"
And there it was.
The question Mike had been dreading. He had to answer it - He knew he did. The real part he was scared of was Will's reaction.
"It was - Um - It was like a paradise, I guess? Vecna...He wanted me to be happy. It produces the most energy, which he was feasting off of, I guess," Mike explained, trying his best to tiptoe around the subject.
"Paradise? What, like a beach, or something?" Will asked with a small leaf. "I'm picturing a lounge chair with an umbrella over it, and pina colada's."
Mike forced out a laugh as he shook his head. This was somehow even harder than he'd anticipated.
"No, no not exactly. It was like...It was like my dream life, you know? Like the best future I could hope for, only - Only it was in the present. Well, it started out in the present. It went on for...I don't even know long," Mike slowly began to explain.
"What was it like?" Will asked, his voice soft as he gazed into Mike's eyes, clearly intrigued.
Here it goes.
"Um - Well, I was here. At home. And Nancy took a gap year from college, so she was, too. Holly was still a little girl, I - I guess that was just me being protective. And my parents...They were so expressive, you know? Like my Mom hugged me everyday, and my dad kept telling me he was proud of me. Stupid, I know." He sighed.
"And then...And then there was you," He nearly whispered, making Will's eyebrows raise, his breath increasing.
"Me?" He asked, his eyes not leaving Mike's contact once.
"Yeah. Yeah, you," Mike murmured, running a hand over his face before finally revealing the whole truth, his voice breaking as he did so.
"You um...You stayed over every night. We were always with each other, like, 24/7," He let out a small laugh before continuing.
"And it was just...It was just great. You called me 'love'. And every night, we - we'd fall asleep in each others arms. And you'd tell me you loved me, and...I'd say it back."
And there it was. The dreadful truth of what had really happened. The thing that was going to make Will absolutely fucking despise Mike.
Will was practically panting at this point, his heart racing as he gulped. "I...What else?" He asked, much to Mike's surprise.
Did he not understand? Was Mike somehow not clear enough with his words?
"What else? Oh," Mike murmured, blinking back tears. "Well...Everyone was supportive. And I mean, really supportive," Mike let out a laugh.
"They would tease us, and call us 'loverboys' and shit. It was...It was nice."
And then...Nothing.
Will looked like a computer that couldn't compute - His palms sweaty, his eyes wide and still as they stared into Mike's soul.
Mike had fucked up. Big time.
He knew he could've kept it to himself, but he couldn't help it! If he hadn't said anything, he very well could've exploded.
But now? Now he has to suffes the consequences. He wasn't sure what Will would do, but he could only hope it wasn't too bad. Just a harsh rejection was all Mike needed.
And then everything could go back to normal.
Mike could feel the sobs climb up his throat as tears slipped out of his eyes.
"God, Will, I'm so sor -" And he was cut off. In a very, very unexpected way.
In a half a second, Will had gone from sitting up still, eyes wide, to crashing down into Mike, and pressing his lips against his.
Mike almost didn't kiss back - Almost.
And it...It definitely didn't feel like it had in his dreams.
It felt better.
Yeah, there were fireworks just like Mike had hoped there would be, but it was so much more than that!
It was passion, and love, and comfort, and warmth. It was everything Mike could dream of and more.
It was like all of his favorite emotions and feeling rolled up into one - Like Christmas morning to a little kid.
Their lips moved in sync, the same way they had in Mike's head.
Only Will didn't quite know what he was doing - Which only made it better. It made it so much more real.
Their lips slowly parted as Will pulled away, his thumb tracing over Mike's jawline.
Mike stared into Will's eyes, unsure of what to say, or even think.
That wasn't even close to what he thought would happen - Like, at all.
In fact, it was the one thing he was sure wouldn't happen.
But he was so happy, he didn't even care. It was the best case scenario, by a long shot.
Will smiled, his cheeks rosy as he gazed lovingly at Mike, who's entire face was a bright crimson.
"I love you, too."
-