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Somehow, in the mess, they'd gotten separated from the party. Chopping through the vines of the Upside Down with machete in tow, Mike and Will took conscientious steps, looking around for the party. Hoping not to find something worse.
Mike felt the anxiety hanging in the air, in the red streaked sky, in the musty smell that permeated the atmosphere. It terrified him to his bones. He still can't imagine how Will survived for a whole week here. Mike shivered.
He looked up at Will. His hand was clenched tightly into a fist, and Mike knew the fear that was taking hold in his stomach. Mike quietly took a deep breath, and slipped his fingers into Will's.
He looked at Mike, surprised, cheeks a rosy pink. Who wouldn't be in love with him.
"Hey."
"Hey." Mike smiled.
They kept walking in silence for a minute. All of the sudden, Will cleared his throat.
"Would you want to go somewhere with me? Before this all goes to shit?" Will grinned weakly.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Mike said, way too quickly. damn.
"Ok, let's go." Will took an abrupt turn, and changed his pace.
The path in the woods steepened, leading to a smooth asphalt road. Houses primly lined the street, contrasting the deep violent glow. Mike let himself be led by Will. Soon, he came upon a house he recognized.
"Hey, that's my house!" Mike pointed.
"That's where we're going. I want to see if something is still there."
"What do you mean?"
"Everything here is frozen in time, just as the day I came," Will traced his hand over the siding of Mike's house, gripping tightly to his hand. "It never changes, no matter what happens."
"So what are you looking for?"
"Mike, you are so impatient. Keep walking and you might find out." Will teased, bumping his shoulder on Mike's purposefully.
Mike's cheeks burned.
Will led him down the stairway into the basement, making his way to the small table.
"Oh my god, I can't believe this is still here." Mike murmured, letting Will's hand go reluctantly. "It's just how I left it."
The DnD board was still spread across the table, 7 still sitting atop the many sheets of paper. The nostalgia of it all was sickly sweet on the tip of his toungue.
"There's the Demogorgan, and the Troglodytes." Will's finger traces over the pieces softly, as if he's almost afraid to touch them.
"I'm almost surprised you still remember that." Mike clicks his toungue. "Did they have a DnD club in Lenora?"
"No." Will whispered. "I guess some things you just never forget, huh?"
"You never do." A voice growled from the corner.
Will's eyes widened with fear.
Vines overwhelmed the room, overtaking the exit quickly. Will stepped in front of Mike protectively, trying to shield him. Mike tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.
"No, Will, stop. Will, please, let me-"
"Mike. It's me he wants. Not you." Will said, pained.
Mike's stomach was sick. He felt like throwing up. There was so much more left to say. "Will, if we don't make it out of this, I want to tell you-"
"We'll make it, I swear. I promise-"
Vines crept up quickly and pulled Mike back to the basement wall, making him drop the machete. "Will!" Mike screamed.
"Mike!" Will turned around and ran towards Mike, but a stray vine wrapped around his ankle tightly and pulled him to the ground, hitting his head against the cold, hard floor. Will groaned, trying to pull himself up, crawling towards him. The vine tightened and dragged him to the middle of the room, where Vecna emerged from the darkness.
"It's time, Wiliam."
"Please, let him leave, let him go. This isn't his fight." Will pleaded.
"God, no, Will-" Vines wrapped around Mike's mouth, no matter how much he thrashed around.
"Pleading was never yours, WIliam. I can't imagine how special he is to you." One jeered, taking some apparent delight in Will's eyes widening and shrinking back. "In all matters, you've been a thorn in my side for too long. It seems that we've formed a sort of connection. You were quite useful to me in the beginning. I believed for a short time that we could've made a better world together."
"I would never fight by you." Will growled.
Henry sighed. "That's what I believe. Unfortunately, this connection, while it was of use, it's quite the opposite as of now. A lost soldier behind enemy lines. But all around you are too feeble-minded to realize what you are. Pathetic creatures. However regretful it is, I must remove you from the game. Displace you."
"What- What does that mean?" Will shook, his breath picking up pace.
Mike tore at his mouth, thrashing enough to cause a scene, but neither paid him mind.
"Maybe it's best we part. I thought you were smarter than that, William. It's simple."
A vine pierced through Will's abdomen. He stared ahead, wide eyes, and keeled over.
Mike tore the vine off and was fueled by new strength to rip out of his constraints. He picked up the machete and ran towards Vecna. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" He screamed, plunging the weapon into One's shoulder. He pulled it out, taking another stab in the neck. Black liquid seeped out of his wounds, and One disappeared. He dropped the machete and ran over to Will, tears streaming down his face.
The vine poked up out of Will's lower chest , soaking his shirt in the metallic-smelling blood. Something else was coming out with the vine, but Mike didn't even want to think about what it could be.
"Will, Will, oh my god, you're gonna be ok. It's ok. You're gonna be fine." Mike surveryed his wound, trying not to throw up the little he'd eaten that morning.
"Mike..." Will smiled up at him. He put his palm on Mike's cheek, and Mike held his hand there, sobbing heavily.
"I need to tell you everything, WIll. Everything. Please, let me. Let me." He begged.
"Tell me everything. I want to hear your voice forever."
"Ok well, umm... Let's start with California. Every since you moved to California, I realized how impossible it is to live without you. How much I- I" Mike stuttered.
"I love you too, Mike. I always have." Tears slipped out of his eyes, and he smiled, blood starting to seep out of the corner of his mouth. Mike wiped it away with his thumb.
"Forever and Always? Promise me?" Mike held out his pinky, and Will took it. "Promise me that we'll grow old together, that we'll get to see everything. All of the art meseums, all of the stupid sculpture, all of the places."
"Promise." Will nodded, eyes closing momentarily.
"Can I kiss you?" Mike asked, trying to wipe his tears away. "Just once. We can do it a million times after, I swear."
Will nodded, smiling. Mike closed his eyes and tried to memorize his lips, the sweetness he would never taste again. Every touch, every word.
"Mike." Will spoke softly after their lips parted.
"Will? What is it?" MIke asked urgently, searching his face for dicontent or dicomfort.
"Can you... hold me?" Will had the quavering voice of that little boy that he'd grown up with again. "I don't want to die."
"Yeah, of course." Mike laid down next to him, trying hard to ignore the small pool of blood that he felt his shirt soaking up. He moved Will's head to rest on his chest. Will moved his arm to wrap around Mike.
"I don't want to die." Will whispered.
"You're not going to. We're going to live long lives, and we're going to go to the most amazing places."
Will reached for Mike's hand. Mike took it, and held it strong.
"Who's going to be there when i get there?"
"Bob. He's waiting for you." Mike whispered, running his fingers through Will's hair with his spare hand.
They sat in silence.
"I love you, Mike."
"I love you too, Will. I'll see you soon."
Mike pressed his head to WIll's until Will's grip slowly loosened.
He laid Will's head to the ground gently. If he looked at him right, it looked like Will was just sleeping. Sleeping in the basement after a hearty campaign, like always. Mike walked over to where he stabbed Vecna, picking up the machete. Leaning down slowly, he wiped the black goop on the rug, polishing it off.
He walked back to Will, and laid next to him. He stared at the ceiling he at looked at so many times, and then looked over his shoulder at Will. Raising the machete, Mike drove it through his chest.
And somewhere, two boys are walking the streets, hand in hand, watching the sun set over the town.