Chapter Text
You don’t know what it means to be safe until the feeling of it stops. Until you’re in danger. Everything after that? Well, it’s the conflict of distinguishing real threats from the ones in your head. What can you do when you can’t trust your brain? You self-destruct.
Will Byers has been dealing with this exact problem for nearly four years. With all of the counseling with Owen and various other attempts at therapy, he’s supposed to have gotten better by now, he’s sure. A lot of therapists have told him that progress like this isn’t linear, but that’s pretty hard to believe. Also, it seriously does not help that he can’t be entirely honest with them. He has to work within metaphors and lies. He doesn’t blame them for not being able to help them. And yet.
A floorboard creaks somewhere in the Wheeler house.
It’s way past the time anyone should be up. Will has been trying to get to sleep for a long time, long enough that it’s starting to get light outside. He just… has this awful feeling that something horrible is about to happen. It’s a physical thing — the empty feeling in his gut, the restless ache in his arms and legs, the headache that’s only barely present. Since returning to Hawkins, he thought it had gotten better than it used to be. Not completely, but enough that he could sleep at night. But now? It’s worse than it has been in a long time.
He should just leave it alone and try to get some sleep. He’s just imagining it. Nothing is actually wrong. It’s more likely that Will is in some weird dream state right now. Only, that doesn’t really make sense. There also is a possibility something bad is about to happen.
There’s been a standoff as of recently between them and the Upside Down shit. Both sides, at least from what they can gather, are planning and resting. Gathering strength and recuperating.
“Will?” Mike asks, voice groggy and deep from sleep. Will can’t help but flinch at the sudden noise.
Will’s hand drops from the back of his neck, leaving the skin exposed to cold air.
Oh shit.
Both boys move on autopilot. Will grabs his bag where he’s stashed his gun gifted to him by Hopper and leaves the room with Mike behind him, who’s got a hold of a walkie talkie. They move quickly. Will’s heart is pounding as he opens Nancy’s door, but he doesn’t see anything amiss. Nancy and Jonathan are fast asleep, and they’re fine. He shuts her door and makes his way to Holly’s room as Mike goes to check on his parents.
Will catches him by the sleeve with the hand that’s not holding the gun. The feeling of dread is almost suffocating as he lets go of Mike to find the door knob to Holly’s room. He opens it quickly, like ripping off a bandaid.
Something isn’t right. He can’t… He doesn’t know what it is, but there’s something wrong. There’s no imminent danger from what he can see. Holly is just standing in the middle of her room, blinking sleepily. Will is quick to hide the gun behind his back so she doesn’t see it. A hand falls on his shoulder and Will flinches, hard. Mike is quick to step back, giving Will some space and so he lowers the gun again. Fuck, that could have been bad. Mike looks like he’s desperate to ask, but he waits, his hair a complete mess and clothes rumpled from sleep. He doesn’t look scared — well, he does, but not of Will. Which . Well. Will literally had a gun in his face a second ago, so that’s a little concerning.
“I don’t…” Will trails off, confused. He rubs at the back of his neck, trying to get rid of a sensation no longer there. Everything should be fine, but why wasn’t it? Whatever caused his dread is gone, but he knows better than to think it won’t come back. “I could…” Will’s voice fails him again, so he uselessly turns back to Holly’s room.
Mike gently pushes past him to get through his sister’s door before making his way over to her. Will hadn’t realised that she’s been watching them this whole time. He doesn’t let himself think about whether she saw him point a gun at her brother, but judging by her smile, he doesn’t think so.
“Are you okay?” Mike asks his sister, kneeling in front of her.
Holly looks between the two of them for a moment. “Yeah,” she nods, albeit very sleepily.
“What were you doing up?” Mike asks, pressing for more information.
“I dunno,” she shrugs.
Mike turns back to him for a moment and just… looks at him. He studies Will like he’s trying to find an answer, and then turns back to his sister. “Would you mind if Will and I have a sleepover with you tonight?” And then, in a jokingly conspiratory whisper, Mike adds “He’s having a rough time sleeping, I think my room is too boring for him.”
Holly grins. “Yeah! My room is much more interesting.”
Mike sends Will a wink before standing up and stretches his muscles. Will politely looks away, feeling his face heat up at the glimpse of exposed skin. He blames his overtired brain for being so easily flustered. When he looks back up, Mike is standing in front of him. “Why don’t you look after her while I grab us some equipment?”
Will nods, finally stepping into the room as Mike steps out. He doesn’t watch Mike go because that would be ridiculous. Except, he still kind of does.
Holly giggles, drawing his attention. She takes his hand and leads him to her bed. She clambers on with a little struggle before shuffling over and taps the space next to her in invitation. Will complies despite the limited space, awkwardly trying to keep the gun hidden from her.
“I’m glad you and Mike made up,” she yawns, wiggling beneath the duvet so she’s lying down again. It’s a little difficult since Will’s sitting on top of it, but she makes it work. “He was miserable and nothing I did would cheer him up.”
Will brushes a piece of hair out of her face with his free hand. She smiles and turns closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’m glad we made up too,” Will admits, running a hand through her hair like Jonathan used to do for him when he had nightmares.
“I missed you when you were gone,” she whispers, like it’s a secret as her eyes fall shut.
“I missed you too.”
Not too long later, Mike returns with his arms full of blankets and pillows. After one look at Will’s predicament, he adopts the fondest smile Will has ever seen on him. He can’t help but study it, committing the image to memory so he can try to replicate it later with pen to paper. It won’t be hard, though, he’s not going to let himself forget it.
Mike picks out a bigger, comfortable looking blanket from his collection and carefully drapes it over Will so as not to disturb his sister before going back to grab some pillows. Those, he hands to Will to put them behind his back and head.
“What’s the time?” Will asks, as Mike sets up his makeshift bed. It’s not too different from the one they alternate sleeping on in Mike’s room.
“About 5. I don’t think we’ll be getting any sleep.”
Will nods in agreement. They’re both far too on edge to rest now.
“Mike? Something was wrong.” He needs him to know. “I can’t explain it, but-”
“I know,” Mike interrupts. “I believe you. That’s why we’re here. To keep her safe. We’ll have as many sleepovers as it takes for it to stay that way.”
He didn’t expect Mike to believe him so quickly. He blinks stupidly at the other boy for a while. “Thank you,” he finally says.
Mike gives him a weird look for that. “We’re a team.”
Once he’s done setting up, he hands Will his bag. Will gives him a grateful smile and put his gun inside, setting it on the bedside table so it’s still in reach.
When Will wakes up, it’s to the sun in his eyes. He doesn’t even have a moment to panic because Holly is yawning right beside him, and a quick look around the room shows Mike writing in his book.
“I figured you’d wake me up,” Will blurts, rubbing his eyes and sitting up to stretch. His back will annoy him later, he reckons.
Mike looks up and shuts his journal before setting it aside. Then, he grins. “I tried to, sleeping beauty. You wouldn’t budge.”
Will blinks, and then immediately decides not to think about the implications behind that.
Holly, on the other hand, didn’t seem to get his memo. She giggles and screws her face up in a way not too dissimilar to how Mike does. “Did you try to kiss him?”
Mike gapes as Will flushes a bright red. “What!?” Mike yells, as Will splutters.
That seems to only make her laugh harder. “Sleeping beauty!” She begins to explain, “She gets woken up by a true love’s kiss.”
Will lets out a deep breath, finally able to start regaining his composure.
“I didn’t kiss him!” Mike tries to defend himself, looking on the verge of a heart attack.
It’s mean, but Will can’t help himself. “Wow, Mike. You’d let me suffer in a coma?”
Holly sets off in another bout of giggles. “Yeah Mike, that’s so mean.”
“That’s not…” He trails off, before shrugging. “You make a good point, come here Will,” Mike smirks, already getting up. He makes a show of licking his lips in the most obnoxious, goofy way.
“What?” Will squeaks, looking around for an escape as he flushes red. “Holly!” He calls out, putting her in between himself and Mike. “Save me!”
Mike cackles, leaning in to tickle his sister in revenge. She screams and laughs as she squirms and tries to escape his hold. Will uses the distraction to arm himself with a pillow.
“Will! Help!” Holly gasps, a wide smile on her face.
“I’ll save you!” Will promises, standing on the bed and then proceeds to wack his best friend with his pillow.
There’s a brief pause as Mike releases his hold on his sister from pure shock. “Oh, playing dirty now, Byers?”
The mattress dips as Mike steps up on it. Will positions the pillow in between them, gripping it tight as a makeshift shield. “No?” He tries.
It’s at this moment that Holly hugs Mike’s legs together—and Mike, who has never been great with the whole balance thing—is left to try and stay standing. It’s incredible to watch.
“Hey!”
The three of them freeze.
“What are you doing?” Nancy demands.
“Uh,” Will says intelligently as Mike finally loses his battle with gravity and practically crumples on Holly’s bed. It’s just lucky he didn’t fall on the floor.
“Going down for breakfast?” Mike offers, sitting up.
Nancy looks at each of them with equally displeasing stares before muttering a very sarcastic “Uh huh.” She then shakes her head and walks away.
The three of them immediately burst out in laughter as they start making their way downstairs.
They’re immediately greeted with the smell of pancakes. Will’s stomach grumbles in hunger, and he flushes pink. He glances to the other to note that yes, Mike definitely heard that if his smile is anything to go by. “Shut up,” Will mumbles, sending his best friend a look.
Mike just continues grinning at him. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face,” Will responds, rolling his eyes and trying to keep his own smile off his face.
His friend sees right through him, though. “Oh yeah? What does my face say, then?”
Will takes his seat and squints. “Mike Wheeler is stupid.”
Holly’s giggles interrupt their squabble, and so he gives her a high-five which she eagerly returns.
“You’re turning my own sister against me,” Mike laments, “I feel so betrayed.”
Nancy chooses that moment to put a plate of pancakes on the table. “You can feel as betrayed as you want once you’ve eaten breakfast and cleaned up afterwards.”
Mike sends her a withering glare, to which she only responds with a bright smile.
“And Will,” Jonathan says, bringing the other plate out. “Nancy offered to help you practice with…” he spares a look at Holly, “the present Hopper gave you.”
“Really?” Will asks Nancy, surprised. “I mean, yeah, thank you so much. That would be great.”
Mike gapes. “Seriously? That’s so not fair! Why do I have to do the dishes while—”
Nancy rolls hers eyes. “While what? Mike, your hand-eye coordination is awful. You’d nearly take someone’s head off before angrily watching.”
Mike looks like he wants to argue, but manages to stop himself. Instead, he passes Will the maple syrup and serves himself a few pancakes.
Will smiles to himself as he generously coats the pancakes with a layer of maple syrup before passing the bottle back to Mike.
The next few days pass without much happening. Every morning, they eat breakfast together and enjoy each other’s company. Of course, there’s the underlying uncertainty of whether or not it will be their last time. It’s nice, either way. After breakfast they break into groups. Nancy and Will go out and practice shooting while Jonathan, Mike and Karen alternate cleaning up and looking after Holly. After that, Jonathan and Mike make their way outside to do their own workouts. And then, come lunchtime, they all eat together again. Afterwards, Nancy, Jonathan and sometimes Karen break off to help out the others however they can. Will and Mike stay with Holly. Then, they eat dinner together and then go to their sleeping arrangements — Mike and Will are still camping out in Holly’s room.
It’s been better than Will would have ever thought, getting to know the little girl. She’s the perfect combination of Nancy and Mike, equal parts confident and goofy.
As much as Mike jokingly complains about taking over Steve’s job as designated babysitters, Will knows he is grateful for how much closer he’s gotten to his sister. Him and Nancy have always had a more stilted relationship than himself and Jonathan. So, it’s just nice seeing Mike like this with Holly. So free and full of love instead of the complicated love he has with Nancy. Not to say they’re any worse off or anything. It’s just… Will caught the way Mike would look at Will and Jonathan’s relationship with envy. He’d even asked Will at some point how he managed to be friends with his brother.
No matter what happens, Will is always going to be grateful for these little moments. The pockets of laughter and safety.
“Mike?” Holly asks after a few beats of silence, her voice quiet and a little unsure. It’s the fifth night of their sleepover extravaganza.
“Yeah?” Mike responds, rustling the fabric of his blanket as he sits up. Nothing bad has happened yet, but both boys are on alert.
“Can you tell me a story?”
Will turns to Mike, curious. He wasn’t aware that was something he did for her, though it probably shouldn’t surprise him.
“Of course,” Mike says, stretching his arms out. “Which one do you want?”
Holly seems to think for a few seconds. “Something about dragons and a princess and magic.”
“Adventure or fairytale?”
Holly giggles. “Both.”
Mike takes a second as he breathes in, adjusting his posture and relaxing his face. It’s his Dungeon Master persona. Will could recognise it anywhere.
“There was a time, almost too long ago to remember, when nights were calm and docile. Villages spread rumours of star gazing and sage travels.”
“What?” Holly interrupts, not unkindly. “But that’s so boring!”
Mike laughs and nods his head. Will can’t do anything but listen and watch, captivated as he always is. He didn’t realize how much he missed this.
“Boring? Oh never had they heard a word so foreign! How they wished for boring. No, instead nights were full of fire and agony. They were lit from the war between dragons and humans.”
Will can’t help but smile. There’s just something about the way Mike tells stories. He draws everyone in, immersing them in his tales.
“And for someone as high value as the princess? Sole air to the throne? She was never allowed to leave the bunker. Princess…” Mike trails off, looking at Holly as he waits for her to name the character.
“Princess Ally!” Holly cheers, holding up her favourite doll the princess is named after.
“Princess Ally,” Mike nods, “was effectively trapped in the bunker beneath the castle that was half covered in ruins.”
Will tunes them out, watching the siblings fondly. It had been a good day. Him and Holly had spent most of it drawing together — It had been her idea to create some more decorations for Mike’s room.
Will pulls out his sketchbook and starts a drawing for her, taking inspiration from the toy she’s currently clinging to her chest and the story Mike is creating for her.
The scene fills him with a warm feeling. It is honestly the best he’s felt in a long time, and it’s all thanks to Mike. Holly, too. He’s ashamed to say he didn’t get to know her a whole lot when they were younger because he was Mike’s friend first and foremost. He regrets it more than a bit now. She’s just so full of happy, innocent energy.
He doesn’t realise that he’s stopped drawing until Mike meets his stare. Caught, Will resolutely returns his attention to the paper, ears burning red.
When it starts getting darker, Will has to stop, but he promises himself that he’ll finish it for her.
He doesn’t get the chance to.
Will barely puts his sketchbook down before he hears it. A clicking noise.
“Mike,” he says, urgently.
“I know. I heard it. What…” Mike trails off, looking between Holly and Will.
Will takes a deep breath as his stomach drops. “Do you have your—”
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence.
Holly’s window smashes and something black tumbles in. Will barely has time to get his gun out and shoot the demobat before another one comes in.
“Code red! Code fucking red! We’re getting attacked by demobats. Holly’s room. Hurry.” Mike screams into the walkie talkie, holding Holly behind him as Will shoots as many as he can.
Fuck.
This is not good.
Will’s hands shake enough from fear that he misses a shot. It’s enough for a demobat to start an eldritch crawl towards them. He gets it the second time, but more and more are coming.
There are too many, Will knows. There isn’t enough time.
Holly is crying. Mike’s trying to reassure her, but Will can hear in his voice just how scared he is.
There’s a bang on the door. Will doesn’t know if it’s Nancy or something else.
He needs to think. He can get them out of this.
Will’s gun clicks with an empty barrel.
From there?
It takes him five seconds to reload the gun with the spare he keeps on his person.
It takes five seconds for Mike to successfully tackle him out of the way.
It takes six seconds for a demobat to reach where he was standing.
It takes seven seconds for the demobat to reach Holly.
Will struggles to sit up, gun at the ready, but he can’t make the shot. There’s too much margin for error. He tries to catch it as it drags Holly across the floor but another one latches onto her other arm and they lift her up and out the window before he can.
Within twelve seconds, Holly is taken.
“NO!” Will cries.
The fight isn’t over, though. Will shoots another demobat before it can reach Mike. A second later, Nancy has broken the door down.
“Holly’s gone,” Will whispers, and watches as Nancy—strong and endlessly brave—breaks. Her face slips into despair. It’s his fault. He should have been faster. “The demobats took her. Is everyone else…” he trails off.
Nancy nods, answering the unspoken question. “We’re okay. There were only a few that went after us.”
Holly had always been the target, then.
He watches as Nancy tries to feign confidence. “We’ll find her. We have to regroup and figure everything out.”
It could be too late, though.
Will isn’t going to wait. Not this time.
“Okay, just give me a moment. I’ll meet you both downstairs.” The lie comes easy to him. Neither one of the Wheeler siblings are in a place to notice anything amiss. He’ll feel guilty for taking advantage of that later.
Nancy nods and leaves them.
Mike gives him a long look. “Will… it wasn’t your fault. We’re going to get her back.”
Will’s hands curl into angry fists. The metal from the gun digs painfully into his right hand. “I know.” He isn’t waiting for them to come up with a plan, though. He already knows what he has to do. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”