Work Text:
Will’s Pov
Right now we were discussing plans on how to defeat Vecna. El was in her room, she barely spoke to any of us which was why I didn’t want to tell Mike my… you know, feelings for him. I don’t want to cause El more trouble but it’s now or never.
We were having a break so I decided to approach Mike, “Hey,” I say with a smile trying to encourage myself that I could do this.
“Hey Will, is something wrong? you look nervous.” Mike Wheeler, of course he’ll notice. After withdrawing back to Hawkins, Mike always stayed with me, shockingly, he even paid more attention to me than El.
“Can we talk outside? I have something to tell you.” I stumble between my words, my nervousness getting the best of me. Mike showed a confused look but agreed to go out anyways.
Hopper didn’t want anyone to go out unless they have to go back home, but he allowed us as long as it’s not far from the cabin.
We were now walking towards the back, Me making sure no one was near enough to hear what I was about to say.
I stopped walking, now facing Mike, “Do you remember what I said in the van?” Confused, Mike shook his head, “You know, what I said about El?” Mike nodded, showing that he remembered. “It wasn’t exactly true, I mean, It is! she loves you, like a lot! but what I said to you was different than what I wanted it to mean.” His expressions changed from confused, to surprised, then to concerned, now listening to my words carefully. I was scared now was the time, I felt something cold in my neck but I ignored it, thinking it was just because of how nervous I am.
“Mike, I’ve always felt something different for you, I know this is coming of random or weird but I’ve always known I just didn’t know how to show you. I always felt safe around you, I felt something completely different, like, I have a feeling for you that’s different from how I felt for Dustin or, or Lucas,” I wasn’t looking at him, I was looking at everything else BUT him, “I like you Mike, and not like platonically, I’ve always had this crush on you ever since we were in 2nd grade, and if you don’t want to be friends anymore I completely get it!-” but before I could even finish Mike cut me off,
“You’re gay Will?” He said, with a hint of disgust in his voice. “I should’ve known! I would never be friends with a queer, I can’t believe this! I was protecting you from others because I thought they were wrong, but I guess they were correct, you’re just a pathetic and disgusting little fag” Tears were pouring from my eyes like rain after every word that escapes from his mouth, I can’t believe Mike would react like this. I thought he would at least reject me gently, but my train of thought and my tears of misery suddenly came to a halt when I finally looked at Mike. He had white, soulless eyes, vines, like the ones in the Upside down was attached to his face, Vecna. He really chose to attack now? Why!
I ran, I ran as fast as I can but it was no use. The scenery changed into something else, I was still in the woods, but near my old home, with me inside “Castle Byers.” But it didn’t look normal, I was back in the Upside Down. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what was happening in the real world, all I knew was that I had to get the fuck out of here, and I had to do it fast.
Meanwhile… Mike’s POV
I was listening to Will talk until he suddenly came to a stop. I was wondering why, he was just staring at me but something was wrong. He stood there, shaking, looking scared.
“Will!? is something wrong?” I asked, shaking him frantically. Then what happened next was unexpected, the thing I was dreading to happen. Will’s eyes rolled upwards, I was looking at him, hoping this was a dream and I would wake up any second now, but it wasn’t. “Come on Will! Please, I don’t want to lose you again!” Instead of continuously screaming my lungs out, I decided to shout for help.
“SOMEONE, ANYONE HELP. VECNA GOT WILL! GUYS COME ON!” I wasn’t even finished when Jonathan, Steve, and Joyce were right beside me. Jonathan tried talking and shaking Will, Steve trying to calm him down even though he, himself is panicking. Joyce was watching, worried and terrified of what was happening in front of her. Of course she would be! She almost lost her son, she can’t lose him again. Hopper quickly fetched El, Lucas, Erica and Dustin running to them immediately, Lucas was repeating the word no, probably reminding him of Max. Nancy and Robin arrived after hearing the commotion. They didn’t know what to do, until Robin got out of her position and quickly pulled some people, basically, Steve and Dustin and told them to go get Music.
The others helped, especially Jonathan, the moment he heard one of the ways to get Will out of the trance was music. They were trying to find tapes, but none of them were music Will listen’s to. Joyce, Hopper, and Lucas stayed. The same as me, still trying to wake will up from his trance. ‘This can’t be happening, please no! anyone but you.’ I thought trying to shake an unresponsive Will. Lucas was unable to move, Joyce was beside me, also trying to wake him up, Hopper was helping El, she was trying to get in Will’s mind. The determination in her eyes, she didn’t want to lose her brother to this asshole either.
Without thinking I immediately wrap my arms around Will in a hug, I don’t ever want to let go, I want to make sure he stays on the ground. The last thing I want to see is him with broken bones and blind eyes.
Back to Will’s POV
I knew all of this was an illusion but it felt so real, I was re-living my worse nightmare. I tried to run as fast as I can but the demogorgon was starting to catch up. Just as it was going to prance on me, the scenery changed abruptly.
I was in my room, in front of my desk, with a drawing on top of the table. It didn’t click to me at first but I noticed it was the drawing I drew as a kid, one of my favorites, me and Mike… holding hands. My thoughts was suddenly interrupted by someone aggressively knocking, or to be exact, trying to break my door followed by a shout, “Come out here you little fag! Don’t make me break this door down!” I couldn’t move, I was reminded of what Lonnie did to me that time, how my Mom had to come back home to me with a black eye and a bunch of cuts, how I stared at my torn drawing on the floor. I immediately went to the door and blocked it as best as I can, Lonnie’s voice going deeper and deeper every second. The door wasn’t going to hold any longer, the shouts from behind it going deeper and stronger petrifying me even more. I tried to open the Window but it was barricaded, I didn’t know what to do. Swiftly, I remembered how Max lasted longer, Lucas and the others told us while we were discussing our plans. It was worth a shot, I closed my eyes trying to focus, Lonnie’s voice not helping whatsoever.
It was hard to find good memories, trying to remember each one of them. Like a flash, a memory popped up and just on time. I heard the door break down in front of me but the instant I opened my eyes, I was in a different place, far too similar. There were kids running around, parents happily watching them and just by the sight of it, I couldn’t help but smile nearly forgetting the situation and how different Hawkins is from now. There I saw a swing set with a little boy, about the age of 5, sitting there alone, anxious of what was waiting for him. I approached him, until a black haired boy beat me to it.
I watched as the two young boys stare at each other, waiting for the other one to speak patiently, so the taller boy decided to speak, “Hey, I’m Mike!” Mike, I knew the moment I saw the swing set that it was this memory, the day I met Him, “Hey.. do you need anything? I could go somewhere else if you want to play with the swings..?” Smiling to myself, I remember how hesitant I was with things, “No, No! I wanted to ask if you could come play with me?” I saw how little me’s eyes lit up, nodding like his life depended on it, the two boys went to go play at the sandbox.
‘If only I could stop time, I would’ve stayed here forever. Before the upside down, before El, just me and Mike’
The swings where the two little kids were dissolved into the air without notice, the scenery changing before I could even blink, now I was standing in front of Mike’s house. it was pouring, I didn’t remember anything like this until I heard a voice shout something from behind me.
“Will, come on. You can’t leave it’s raining”
Great. Just great. I buried this memory a long time ago, I forgot about it, now here I am, watching the scene unfold right in front of me. I hated what mike said to me, but no matter what I did, I could never hate or blame Mike because of it. Well, maybe I can, he is the reason I don’t like girls anyways.
I watched as past me scurry to get his things, not caring if it’s raining. At that moment all I wanted was to get away, I hated how childish and cowardly I was, still am.
“Listen, I said I was sorry all right?- It’s a cool campaign, it’s really cool. We’re just not in the mood right now!”
“Yeah, Mike. that’s the problem. You guys are never in the mood anymore.”
I couldn’t listen to the fight anymore, until I finally heard the words,
“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” wow, didn’t that just feel nice
I just knew what I was thinking at that moment, how my own best friend who protected me from those bullies who called me slurs, used it against me. Those words repeated in my end like a never-ending saga, every night, every day, until I eventually forgot about it.
I watched as I rode my bike and drove it under the pouring rain, I didn’t know Vecna could make these types of illusions, but without hesitation, I followed my past self towards “Castle Byers”
I watch as he, no, I broke it. I go towards my past self as he was breaking down on the ground. I know he can’t feel nor see me, but I hugged him, or me to be exact, I hugged myself. That’s what I needed, what I wanted the most, just a hug showing how someone would accept me, love me the way I am. Of course the Upside down had to ruin it like every other fucking time.
I don’t know what to do anymore, Vecna can kill me any second. This felt longer than I expected, it felt like I was in this trance for hours already.
The room faded into dust, changing into somewhere unfamiliar. It was like a house, but parts of it was flying around, the air felt toxic and the place was red, bloody red.
“William,” I heard a voice behind my head that sent a chill down my spine, I had nowhere else to go so I went forward. There I saw the bodies of the murdered teenagers, it was completely horrifying.
“William, you’re just like me,” I look behind to see a creature, walking towards me, none other that Vecna himself. I stood there paralyzed, watching as he went near me, “Come join me, William. They cannot save you,”
I turn to run but the vines was too fast, they grabbed my ankles pulling me back towards a pillar covered in vines. I was stuck in my place, I couldn’t move a finger, the vines tightening their hold on my neck and arms holding me in place.
“You’re useless to them, if it weren’t for you many people would’ve lived happily, alive with their loved ones,” I couldn’t breathe, my ears were ringing and my body was in pain.
He hoist his hand right above my head, his eyes rolling back, This was it, this was the end, I’m sorry Jonathan, Mom, El, Mike..
Darling, you got to let me know
Should I stay or Should I go?
If you say that you are mine
I’ll be here ‘till the end time
Looking away from Vecna’s huge claw, I saw my body floating, Jonathan panicking, Lucas looking away not wanting to watch this while Erica’s beside him trying her best to give comfort, Robin and Dustin shouting, Steve trying to keep Jonathan calm, mom beside Hopper helping El at the same time trying to figure out a different way to get me out, and Mike, looking at my floating body, scared, hopeless, this is the first time I’ve seen him cry. It looked like he was saying something, all of them listening to his words, at the same time focusing on my subconscious body.
I couldn’t hear him properly, but it looked important, I was still stuck, I thought I was going to die. Vecna did seem a little fazed by the music, distracting him, but I still felt hopeless. Until I heard the words, “I love you, I love you so much” coming from his voice, Mike’s.
I thought it was me hallucinating but the moment I looked back at the portal, I proved myself wrong. Vecna’s hand was ready to claw it’s nails to my mind any second now, memories suddenly flashing making me remember each and every one, both bad and good ones.
I painfully fell to the ground of Vecna’s lair, looking around I saw someone holding out their hand, with a deadly look.
“El!” I shout, “I will not allow you to take my brother” the look of determination in her eyes was very obvious, she looked at me still holding Vecna in a chokehold, sending me a look and I understood she was telling me to run
I didn’t want to leave her, but I ran, finally being able to feel my arms. The vines was right behind me, debris falling from all around clearly an attempt to stop me.
I felt myself fall, immediately greeted by a group of arms, mainly mom, Jonathan and Mike.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again! I thought I lost you for the 3rd time, the 3rd time Will!” Mike said bringing me into a spine-breaking hug.
“Ok, Ok, I’m sorry” I say, I saw El immediately standing up, looks like they didn’t plan on killing Vecna yet. She wraps her arms around me, whispering a little ‘are you ok?’ I reply, nodding my head
“Alright, no one is leaving the cabin today, everyone is staying right here,” Hopper announces, “Let’s go back inside and rest a little.” Everyone nods, all of them were still scared but if they were all together, they would have each other. I look at Mike noticing he was already staring at me, I was nervous that I ruined things again but he smiled at me, and of course, I smile back.
Once we were all back inside, Mike pulled me in a room, before telling Dustin to stop teasing him. I didn’t know why but most of them, mainly Dustin, Lucas, Erica Steve and Robin were looking at the two of us along the way, El was staring at them, she looked as excited as Nancy was for no obvious reason. And Jonathan… he looked like he was trying to blow Mike’s mind, staring at him with killer intent. Steve pulled him to the kitchen where Nancy and Robin followed.
After that I just gave my focus back to Mike, “Did you hear what I said?”
“Well, I kind of only heard one thing so please, elaborate” I could sense the tension between us so I decided to speak
“Hey, it’s alright, you can tell me anything. I promise I won’t be mad” I say with a smile, Mike returning it.
“Ok, Alright, I can do this.. fuck it I love you Will, and not like platonically or anything like that, Its- Its like what I used to feel for El but with you and I understand if you hate me now. You can scream at me or, or call me a-” I cut him off, I was surprised like really, really surprised.
“Mike, I don’t hate you. Why do you think I could ever hate you?” Tears, forming in both our eyes. Mike definitely has powers, it’s like he read my mind. Looking at me, he was asking permission and without hesitation I nodded.
His lips felt perfect on mine, I did not expect this after what happened with Vecna. We slowly pulled apart, staring at each other fondly, comfortable silence surrounding us, he was about to speak until, “DID YOU GET THE PICTURE?” we both look at the door, Mike still holding me, a flash blinding the both of us.
“WHAT THE HELL GUYS” Dustin, Lucas, and El was around Robin holding a picture of Mike with his arms around me, Erica calling them nerds casually taking a peek of the picture, Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan watching the chaos unfold as Joyce and Hopper call Murray on the phone.