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Everyone huddled together in the Wheeler household after their practical defeat.
They were either too scared,exhausted or hurt to leave.
Dustin and Steve were still healing and they had to make a plan to defeat vecna once and for all.
It was late, the younger teens were up in Mikes room while the older teens stayed in the basement.
Hopper,El,and Joyce had decided to stay in the Cabin as to not take up all of the room in the house.
-
Mike lay there in his bed while the other boys slept on the floor in an assortment of pillows,blankets, and sleeping bags.
He felt a little bad having them sleep on the floor. Especially Dustin. He was still hurt. Why didn’t he atleast offer him his bed?
-
Mikes mind was racing.
It had been three days since he’d been back in Hawkins, and two since he found out Eddie Munson had died.
Ever since he’s felt as though he’s been floating through life. Eyes vacant of and without thought.
But as he lay there tonight he can’t help but think.
Eddie.
Eddie was dead. Dead and gone. He’ll never see him again.
Eddie had died protecting this hell they call a town, protecting the people who had hated him.
Eddie Munson. The one they berated, hurt, and thought would murder innocent people. The one who they thought was conspiring with the Devil.
Eddie Munson who was kind and loving, and would never hurt anyone.
-
Micheal Wheeler had lost not only his Dungeon Master, but his friend, his teammate, his hero..
his brother.
-
When Mike had first joined Hawkins High he was immediately seen as an outcast. After starcourt he went AWOL. He ignored most of his friends besides probably Dustin and surprisingly, Max.
Eddie had seen him, had seen himself in him, and taken him under his wing.
Mike couldn’t stop thinking,
Why would he do that?
Why did he have to be a hero?
I wish I was there.
…
“Why wasn’t it me..?”
Mike whispered his last thought. His throat has felt as though a rock had lodged itself in him. He couldn’t breathe. His heart was racing.
He sat up and looked at his friends
Dustin.
He hadn’t even asked if he was okay after Eddie.
He was a horrible friend.
-
As he was looking at him he saw just how awful he looked. A red stricken face, blotchy and full of tear streaks. Eye bags starting to sprout from the lack of sleep they’ve been getting.
He should’ve been there.
If he had, maybe Eddie would still be alive. Dustin wouldn’t be in this situation, and he wouldn’t have lost someone so dear to him.
Mike pushed himself over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment.
Why couldn’t he calm down?
He felt tears start to prick at his eyes as the lump in his throat grew wider.
He got up and walked to the bathroom slowly as to not wake up his friends, leaving the door just the slightest bit open letting light leak in.
He walked in with shuffling feet stopping at the mirror.
He looked…awful to say the least.
As he looked at himself he noticed just how bad it was.
His long hair had lost just about of its volume. He hadn’t had time to straighten it so his curls were strewn everywhere. His bangs stuck to his forehead with sweat and oil.
When was the last time he took a shower?
He could feel knots and tangles forming from days of neglect.
Look down at his face, his eyes were empty of color. Dark voids of brown. Not a shine of light in them.
His eye bags had drastically gotten worse.(two days in a cramped,bloody pizza van, and three in a practical apocalypse will do that to you)
He could see dark red and purple seeping into his skin.
His dried cracked lips and his dirty cheeks were aparent.
He had tried(and failed) to go outside which ended up in a dirty face and a busted lip.
His lanky body was wearing pajama pants that were way too big on his hips. And-
His hellfire shirt.
When had he put this on? Had he really not looked as to what he was picking up?
It was just as bad as him. Sweat seeping into the fabric. Wrinkles havicked the folds and it was twisted around his body awkwardly.
This is was his favorite shirt.
Mike had been sort of copying eddies style since he met him.
He wore eye liner, started wearing bolder clothing, and grew out his hair.
His hair.
His hair looked so much like Eddies now. I mean that was the goal before…everything.
He could think about how much he wanted to look like Eddie, be Eddie.
Now all he could think about was Death.
Cold,hard, horrifying death.
A tear rolled down mikes face, then another, and another, until he was practically holding onto the sink for dear life as he heaved and sobbed.
He couldn’t do this.
Everything reminded him of Eddie, even himself.
He landed on his dark curls and pulled.
It was a pleasant pain.
He looked up and saw,
Scissors.
He sniffled and took them in his hand.
He grabbed a chuck of hair and-
snip
snip snip snip
Tears were still streaming down his face as he continued to chop and hack at his(now very insane looking)hair.
He couldn’t barely see what he was doing though the blur of his eyesight.
When he heard a floor board creak.
He snapped and turned to the door(he apparently forgot to lock)
Dustin was standing there with a look on his face.
Surprise,sadness,sympathy.
Mike was sure he looked absolutely insane.
He leaned against the sink and looked away in shame. What was he doing? Cutting his own hair..
“You look horrible.”
Dustin had said, breaking the silence.
Mike let out a soft almost silent chuckle
“Shut up.”
He could still feel tears sliding down his face.
“Need help?”
Dustin had asked.
Wait he asked if he needed help? Not judged or yelled at him?
If it were his mom or his sister they would probably be disappointed just with how he looked like right now. With a disgusting snotty face and hacked bob on his head.
“S-sure.”
He looked away again as Dustin grabbed the scissors from his hands.
He didn’t start cutting right away.
He gave Mike a hug.
Not just an awkward side hug that had become their new norm, a genuine, warm, enveloping hug.
-
Mike broke.
He felt tears cascade like a waterfall.
Wetness dripping down his face onto Dustin’s shoulder.(Sorry Dustin..)
He sobbed.
When was the last time he let himself cry like this? Especially in someone else’s arms.
He hiccuped, sniffled and cried as he pushed himself into Dustin burying his face into his shoulder as to muffle his noises.
Dustin was just..there.
He didn’t make a sound. He didn’t judge. He didn’t berate. He just let Mike cry.
-
When Mike came back to his senses, he separated from Dustin.
He looked down at his shoulder and cringed
“Oh..sorry man.”
Dustin looked down and saw multiple wet spots all up and down his shoulder.
He chuckled
“Nah your good.” Dustin made eye contact and landed a hand on Mikes shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
Mike looked away slightly
“Yeah man.”
…
“Thanks.”
He smiled. A genuine, actual smile.
“Your hair looks…great!” Dustin was clearly lying
“Ha. ha. Very funny Dustin. Now are you going to help me or not?”
Dustin rolled his eyes as he grabbed the scissors once more
He grabbed mikes raven hair and started to cut
Mike leaned against the sink for support as Dustin’s hands gently went through is hair.
He looked back and saw a teammate, a friend,
A brother.
~~~~~~~~~~