Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The driveway of the Wheeler house looked smaller than Will remembered.

Maybe it was because Will had been smaller the last time he’d been there, or maybe he had just started to forget. Though it seemed unlikely. How could he ever forget this house, where he had spent so much of his childhood in? Almost as much as his own house.

Will’s old house had been sold back when they moved to Carlifornia. Hopper’s cabin had been fixed with the help of everyone, and since El was once again wanted, this time by the government. They needed to keep her hidden and safe somewhere.

That resulted in Will, Jonathan and Joyce moving into the way too small cabin with El and Hopper.

It lasted a month.

Joyce and Hopper shared a room, (which Will honestly didn’t want to think too hard about, without getting grossed out) El had her own room, and Will and Jonathan slept on the sofas in the livingroom.

They had tried not to complain. They really had.

But after a month of basically no sleep and constant backpain, Joyce had asked Karen if it was possible the boys could temporarily move in with them, until they’d found a new place.

So here he was. In front of the Wheelers house, just like he had done so many times before in the past. But this was different.

It was quieter too, Will realized.

It was like everything else in Hawkins felt a little too still these days, like the town was holding its breath. Waiting for something to go wrong.

Will stood by the trunk of Jonathan’s car, clutching a cardboard box labeled WILL – CLOTHES in sharpie. His sketchbooks were tucked underneath a sweatshirt. The corners of one were already bent.

“You good?” Jonathan asked, lifting another box out beside him.

“Yeah,” Will said automatically, though he knew how he’d looked. Like someone who hadn’t gotten a good night's sleep in a month. Because Jonathan looked exactly the same.

Jonathan glanced at him sideways. “You don’t have to pretend.”

Will gave a tired shrug. “I’m just tired.”

That was true, at least.

The Wheelers’ front door opened, and Karen appeared, hands smoothing down her skirt.

“Jonathan! Will!” she said with polite warmth. “Come in, come in. Mike and Nancy’s upstairs— they’ve been helping get your room ready.”

Mike.

Will’s heartbeat kicked up a notch, which was stupid. He nodded, muttered a thank-you, and followed Jonathan inside.

The house still smelled like vanilla and Mrs. Wheeler’s homemade pies, just like it used to. Like nothing had ever happened. As if the world hadn’t torn itself open just a few miles down the road.

They passed the familiar wallpapered hallway, the same stairs he used to run up when he and Mike spent whole summers inventing campaigns or drawing comics.

“Your room’s at the end of the hall,” Karen said, leading them upstairs. “You boys are welcome to stay as long as you need. I know things have been…” She hesitated. “Well. You’ve all been through a lot.”

Jonathan smiled faintly. “Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler. Really.”

She nodded and left them alone, disappearing into the kitchen.

Will stepped into the guest room, which was actually Mike's old room. His king sized bed in the middle and posters still hung on the walls: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, an old Hellfire Club banner, hanging in the corner.

Will had mixed feelings about Mike, Dustin and Lucas joining the Hellfire club. Especially because it was after the same summer where they hadn’t wanted to play a single game of DnD with Will. The only conversation they’d found interesting back then was their girlfriends.

If Will was being totally honest, he was a bit bitter about it. But he was happy that his friends had continued playing DnD and being nerdy as always. And that they hadn’t turned into some assholes or something like that.

However, he was jealous sometimes. Especially when he heard stories about the great Eddie Munson. Will remembered Mike, Dustin and Lucas telling him about Eddie for the first time. It was like they were talking about a god.

“You would love him, Will trust me! And I know he would’ve loved to have you in Hellfire too” Mike had said to him, one of the few calls they ever had when Will had just moved to Carlifonia.

Unfortunately, Will was destined to only hear stories about Eddie. All of their friends were absolutely crushed by his noble death. Hearing Dustin tell how he died, only made him sound more like a hero in Will’s ears.

Eddie’s death had hit Dustin the most. Will could feel it. He had not been the same. He rarely smiled anymore, and took everything way too seriously. At least way more than he used to.

Though, Will had also sensed the loss on Mike. He knew Mike had looked up to Eddie, much more than he’d ever admit.

Will shook his head and blinked himself back to reality, his gaze tearing away from the Hellfire banner, and to the bed.

Most of the time, when they had been at Mike’s place as kids, they had been in the basement playing DnD, or just hanging out. It was rare that Mike let any of them up in his room unless it was to go get something.

But there had been exceptions.

Now that Will thought back on it, all the times he had been in Mike’s room, they had been alone. Dustin or Lucas hadn’t been there. He remembered a few times they would just sit on Mike’s bed and talk or read comics.

Will dropped his box on the left side of the bed with a sigh.

Footsteps on the stairs made him turn.

Mike appeared in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest like he’d been about to knock, but forgot how.

Now, thinking back on the old days, Will realized how different Mike was. He had changed. Not dramatically, but just enough that Will felt it. Tired in the same way. A little more serious. He had felt it when he first saw him at the airport too, but it was only now he allowed himself to think about it.

But Mike had not only changed mentally… He’d grown taller. Will had gotten taller too but he was still almost half a head smaller than him. Mike had gotten a haircut too, that made his face look…well perfect? His arms had gotten bigger too, Will had noticed.

He looked good. Like objectively, he looked good. Will tried not to think too much about how he wanted to brush that strand of hair away from his eyes, or touch his bare arm, just to feel what his muscles felt like.

“Hey,” Mike said, leaning himself against the doorway.

Will swallowed. “Hey.”

“Well, um welcome,” Mike smiled shyly.

“Thank you, for letting us stay, really.” Will said, tripping back and forth on his feet, not sure if he should move from where he stood planted to the ground or not.

Mike’s gaze studied him. “Seriously, it’s no problem. I mean Nancy and Jonathan are always together anyways. And I guess we are too, so it’s not that big of a difference,” he said, shrugging. “I’m really glad you’re here actually.”

Will’s eyes widened, his pulse quickening up. “Really?”

Mike smiled sweetly. “Yeah, really.”

“I’m sorry, can I come through?” Jonathan had appeared by the door, standing behind Mike, with a cardboard box clutched in his hands. He brought one of his knees up to stabilize it, like it was extremely heavy.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Mike stepped aside to let Jonathan in.

“Um, do you need help unpacking?” Mike asked, gesturing to the cardboard boxes.

“Oh no, it’s fine, thank you though.” Will said, offering Mike a big smile.

“Okay, but let me know if you need anything, or if you need help,” Mike insisted.

“Thanks, Mike really, but I think we’re good, right Will?” Jonathan said and looked at Will for confirmation.

Will nodded at Jonathan’s question. “Yeah, we’re good.”

They spent the next couple hours unpacking—well, Jonathan unpacked while Will mostly arranged things into neat little piles, his mind not really being able to focus on unpacking.

Dinner with the Wheelers was… loud. Mrs. Wheeler kept asking polite questions, Nancy tried to ease the tension between her mom’s extreme enthusiasm about Will and Jonathan staying with them, and her dad’s dry comments. Not to forget Holly spilling half a cup of milk on Jonathan’s jeans. Mike caught Will’s eyes across the table, and smiled, and it sent a warm, buzzing feeling through Will’s chest.

Oh, how he’d missed this.

After dessert, Karen and Nancy washed the dishes while Jonathan had gotten himself into a conversation with Ted about their new car. Mike glanced toward the back door, then back at Will. “Wanna go outside for a bit? It’s… a bit nicer outside.”

Will hesitated, then nodded. “Sure.”

What could go wrong?

They grabbed their jackets and went outside. The air was cool and damp, smelling faintly of cut grass. They walked across the yard, the porch light throwing long shadows behind them.

Mike shoved his hands in his pockets. “I was thinking—”

Will froze. His breath hitched.

No. Not again.

The grass beneath his feet melted into ash. The hum of cicadas disappeared. A smell of rot filled his nose. His heart pounded as he blinked—Mike was gone. The Wheeler backyard was gone.

Or not quite.

It was there, yet much darker and blurrier.

He was in the upside down. Again.

Will’s chest tightened. His voice caught in his throat.

“You thought you could escape me,” Vecna’s voice was a low rasp, threading directly into Will’s mind.

His head turned and he spun around frantically, trying to locate the voice. But Vecna was nowhere to be seen.

“But you’ve only brought yourself closer.” The voice in his mind rasped.

Will tried to step back but his legs wouldn’t move. He could feel the vines crawling toward his ankles, cold and alive.

“Will?”

Mike’s voice snapped through the fog. The vision shattered. The grass was back. The porch light. Mike’s concerned face just a foot away.

“You okay?” Mike asked, stepping closer. “You looked like you were gonna—pass out or something.”

Will swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing. “Yeah… yeah, I’m fine.” But his hands were trembling.

Mike didn’t buy it. “You’re not fine.”

Will’s eyes flickered toward the tree line, half-expecting to see those vines again. “Mike… I think it’s starting again.”

“What’s starting?” He asked, gripping onto Will’s sleeve.

Will stared into Mikes eyes, a frightened look on his face. “The episodes, you know. Like how I used to have visions of the mind flayer?”

Mike swallowed. “It’ll be okay. We’ll kill this son of a bitch okay? We’ll kill him. Together.”

Together.

***

“Okay, so what exactly are you suggesting we do?” Lucas asked pacing around the room.

After Will’s episode, Mike had called Lucas, Dustin and El to his basement. El had to sneak out to not get caught by Hopper or Joyce. She said she got lucky they were “busy” whatever that meant. Will had made Mike promise not to tell Jonathan or his mom. He didn’t want to tell them right away, knowing how fussed they would get, so Nancy, Steve and Robin were out of the picture too, for now.

Max was still in a coma. Lucas visited her daily, refusing to lose hope that she would wake up one day again.

They all missed her. They could all feel it whenever they were together. It was like something was missing. Only then had Will realized how essential a part of the group Max had been. She was always there to knock some sense into them. To get things done, but also to think twice over their plans before someone did something reckless.

“I’m not sure, okay?” Mike said, also pacing. “All I know is that we need to stop him. We already let him win one time. Already let him hurt us once,” his gaze moved to Lucas, who lowered his head to look at the ground, not meeting Mike's gaze. “We are not gonna let him win again, okay?”

“Yeah, I’m with you on that, I just don’t see how?” Dustin said. “Like we know he’s out there, somewhere in the upside down, recharging. And he hasn’t shown us any signs, except for now that Will’s had an episode, where he could hear his voice. I hate to be the one to say this, but we don’t have much to go from here.”

“Well, we need to do something!” Mike raised his voice. “We can’t just sit around and wait, doing nothing!”

“Dustin is right,” It’s the first time El had spoken in the last 20 minutes while the boys had been discussing their plan. “We don’t know where he is or what he is planning, and I can’t find him using my powers. Trust me I’ve tried.”

“So what do you suggest?” It came out a bit more aggressive and heated than Mike probably intended, by the look of regret on his face.

He crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at El.

They broke up a few weeks ago. After all that had happened with Vecna. And after Mike’s speech when El had tried to save Max… El had barely spoken a word to him after they had returned to Hawkins.

She wasn’t mad at him, but after a while they had talked and decided they were better off as friends. No one besides them knew the details. It had been a shocker for everyone, including Will. Mike and El were like a fairytale couple. It seemed impossible that they wouldn’t get their happy ending.

After a while El spoke. “I’ll say we’ll watch his next move and decide from there. Meanwhile we have to look out for Will, in case he gets another episode. And we’ll keep a look out for weird things that’s happening in Hawkins.”

“Hey, I can look out for myself. You don’t have to focus on me,” Will protested.

They all raised their eyebrows looking at him.

“Yeah sorry, no way, we’re letting you out of sight man,” Lucas said.

Will sent him a warm smile.

Mike stopped pacing to look at Will. “I’ll look after him. I mean, I basically live with him now, it’s way easier for me.”

Will wanted to protest, but shut his mouth. If he was being honest he’d much rather be looked after by Mike, if he absolutely had to, than any of the others. No hate to them. He loved his friends, but he had missed some alone time with Mike. He had missed Mike, like in general.

All the others looked at each other and shrugged.

“Okay, but we contact each other, if anything weird happens, promise?” Dustin said, pulling up his walkie.

The others did the same. “Promise.”

***

“Can I ask you a kind of personal question?” It was just him and Mike in his (Mike’s?) bedroom, after dinner. The sun was floating down into the horizon casting streaks of orange through the windows.

Mike, who was sitting in the big windowsill, looking out at the sunset, turned his head towards Will, curiously. “Yeah, sure.”

Will stepped closer to the windowsill, and Mike pulled his legs into himself so there was room for Will too.

“Here, sit,” he said, patting the small space beside him.

Somehow, Will managed to crawl up beside Mike, readjusting and pulling his legs to himself, so that his own legs wouldn’t be tangled up with Mike’s. And he somehow managed all that, without completely knocking Mike to the ground or falling himself.

He gazed out of the window. “Woah, the sunset is really beautiful.”

Out of the corner of his eyes he could sense Mike smiling. “Yeah, it is.”

They sat in silence, Mike not pushing Will about the question, almost like he had forgotten it.

“Why did you and El really break up?” Will spoke, after a moment.

Will held his breath. What had he felt the need to ask that again?

Mike kept his gaze on the sunset, but a frown had appeared on his forehead.

“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. I was just wondering,” Will muttered, already regretting asking.

But then…

“I couldn’t say it.”

“What?” Will asked confused.

Mike turned to look at him. “I couldn’t say it. God, I couldn’t even write it.”

“Oh,” Will said, realizing what he meant.

“That’s what we were fighting about in California. That, and something about me thinking she was a monster just like everybody else.”

“But you don’t, right?”

“Of course not,” Mike said, offended. “I told her she’s a super hero, and later that she’s my super hero. I mean you were there when…”

Yeah, Will remembered that pretty clearly.

“But it turns out she didn’t need to be my super hero. To be anyone’s but her own. And I mean I get that. I support her, I really do, even if it's from a distance. I was just restraining her to her full potential. She needed to grow into her own person who wasn’t… influenced by me and my stupidity,” he said, looking away again. “She didn’t need me anymore. She probably never did.”

Will then remember their conversation in the van, and how Mike had told him he was scared that El didn’t need him anymore. That he was just some random nerd she stumbled upon. And now it turned out he was right.

“That’s not true Mike,” Will tried but deep down he knew that maybe it was.

“But it is,” Mike’s sad gaze found him. “I can’t protect her, I never could. She was always the one protecting us anyway.”

“She might not have needed you to protect her from monsters, but that doesn’t mean she never needed you at all, and still do,” Will said. “Maybe it’s just not in the same way anymore, or the way you want her to.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Mike sighed, then he looked at Will with an unreadable expression. “But you know, the things you said in the van, back when you know…You just made it sound so convincing. That El actually needed me, that she would always need me.”

Ah yes, the speech Will had made about El, and how much El needed him and was scared of losing him. Totally about El, and not at all a disguise to talk about himself and explain his own feelings for Mike without actually doing so.

“I don’t know…I mean, apparently I just feel like…so useless when I can’t protect the people I care about,” Mike sounded so hopeless. Will wanted to protest but he didn’t. “And I mean, that was just some of the reasons. I guess when you’ve been raised in a lap as an experiment your whole life…I mean she barely even knew what being in a romantic relationship meant, and she had no way of knowing if she actually liked me that way, or if she just cared for me because I was one of her first friends.”

Will opened his mouth to say something, anything to reassure Mike, but he couldn’t come up with anything.

“But it wasn’t just her that you know, had issues with our relationship. I just didn’t realize till now. Like El was the only girl I have ever really talked to and who I liked, and I guess my brain just immediately thought that maybe that meant I liked her more than a friend.” Mike said.

Will’s eyes widened. “But you were her boyfriend for years, clearly you did like her that way right?”

Mike shrugged. “I mean yeah, obviously I liked her, and cared for her a great deal. I still do, but I don’t think I…you know. At least not in that way.”

Loved her. The words Mike couldn’t tell her. Couldn’t even write to her.

“Anyway,” he let out a deep breath. “Long story short, we broke up because we’re not kids anymore, and she doesn’t need me, and I couldn’t tell her what she needed to hear when she needed it the most.”

A brief silence followed, until Will’s train of thoughts finally could be formed into actual words, that seemed appropriate to say.

“Thank you, for telling me, I mean. You didn’t have to,” Will spoke in a low voice.

Mike continued to stare out the window. “I don’t mind talking about it. At least not with you.”

At least not with you.

“Anyway, I’m glad you and Jonathan could stay here.” Mike said.

“Yeah?”

Mike smiled heartwarmingly, making Will feel all warm inside. “Yeah.”

“I mean I know the circumstances aren’t exactly ideal, but still I’m glad you’re here,” Mike said.

I’m glad you’re here.

“Me too. To be honest it was getting insufferable to be in that cabin anyway,”Will couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “I mean first of all, that cabin is not meant for five people. And second, if Jonathan or I had been sleeping one more day on those couches in the living room, we'd be walking around all hunched over.”

Mike shifted his long legs so they bumped into Will’s. He apologized quietly, and Will hoped he could blame the sun on the faint blush creeping over his face.

“Well, I hope you sleep better in my bed.”

Will almost choked on air, turning it into a cough.

It was stupid. It wasn’t a weird sentence at all. Will shouldn’t react like that, he was totally overreacting. Mike probably hadn’t noticed if he hadn’t been coughing.

“You okay?” Mike asked, when Will was done coughing.

He nodded. “Yeah, sorry, don’t know what just happened.”

Mike looked away, almost like he was embarrassed. “Um, you how I meant it, you know with bed, it wasn’t like that. But you know that, I just worded it wrong, and now I’m talking too much sorry.”

Well it wasn’t actually wrong. Will was going to sleep in Mike's bed. The bed he had slept in the past many years, all the years Will had known him, from when he was just a small child Will met on the swings in kindergarten, to the teenager reading El’s love letters in his room. It wasn’t weird at all.

“No, I mean you’re not wrong, it is your bed after all,” Will tried to laugh it off, but it came out sounding more nervous than he’d liked. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

“What?”

“For stealing your bed, it looks a lot more comfortable than the mattress in the basement.” Will said.

Mike just shrugged. “I don’t mind. And it sounds like you need it more than me.”

Will didn’t answer that. They sat in silence for a moment. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable but not natural either. Mike's leg kept bouncing into Will’s own, and each time Mike would freeze and get this weird expression on his face, but then it would be gone again in seconds.

All while Mike was completely unknowing of what that did to Will. What it made him feel.

“You know, I meant what I said before, I’m really glad you’re here. I feel like we haven’t hung out like this in…well forever.” Mike said, meeting his eyes.

An old feeling of anger rose and made Will tighten his fist. And whose fault is that? Who never even tried to keep contact while Will was in California? Who had completely ignored their best friend after not seeing him for months? Who acted like a assho-

Will had forgiven Mike. Mike had apologized. He still wanted to be Will’s best friend. Will still wanted to be his. Everything was good, and Will did not hold a grudge for that.

Not at all.

He inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, mostly to keep himself from yelling at Mike. “Well, I’m glad to be here too. And you’re right, it’s been way too long.” He tried to smile, but most of all he just wanted to escape this feeling he had right now. Which was Mike Wheeler.

A look of skepticism and concern appeared on Mike’s face, and he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Karen Wheeler stuck her curly head inside the room. Her dyed blond hair had become more and more curly each time Will had seen her.

“Oh hey, sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, but is Jonathan here?” She asked looking around, as if Jonathan would be hiding in Mike’s old room somewhere.

“No, why?” Mike asked, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

“Just Joyce that called wanting to talk to him,” She explained.

“Him and Nancy have probably gone out somewhere,” Mike said like this happened occasionally.

“Maybe I should talk to my mom now that Jonathan isn’t here,” Will said, quickly rising from the windowsill, ignoring Mike’s finger that brushed along his sleeve. A quiet “Wait” escaped Mike’s lips, almost a whisper so no one but Will could hear it.

He quickly brushed past Karen in the doorway, turning and almost falling down the stairs.

He hated it, when he felt like this. 

He hated being angry at Mike. 

Hated that he had to act like everything was okay. 

Hated that Mike had ignored him in California when he was with El. 

Hated that he couldn’t just forget it. 

Hated that Mike and El had just broken up after Will had to suffer watching them for so many years. 

Hated himself for having almost felt some kind of relief when he had heard the news. 

Hated himself for caring so much. 

Hated himself for being in love with Mike Wheeler.

Chapter Text

Will gasped, as he jolted awake, chest heaving, and sweat dampening his hairline. For a moment the shadows in his room weren’t just shadows. They were vines, curling and black, reaching for him, pressing against his lungs in the same way they had when he had been stuck in the Upside Down.

He sat frozen, and listened. The house was still, the only thing that could be heard was the quiet sound of the fridge humming somewhere downstairs. But in his mind, Vecna’s voice echoed: You’ll always be alone. Unwanted. A mistake. A freak.

Will dragged a trembling hand over his face. He hated how easy the words stuck. How part of him believed them.

His mouth felt dry. Careful not to wake Jonathan, he pushed the blankets aside and slipped out of bed. The floorboards creaked under his bare feet as he tip-toed toward the kitchen, the sound way too loud in Will’s ears.

When he opened the fridge, the light was almost blinding him, pale and sterile. He poured himself a glass of water, and drank it as he leaned against the counter, glass cool in his hands, and tried to breathe.

It was just a dream. Just a dream.

But the voice in his mind kept repeating. “You might feel safe with your friends now, but how would they feel if they knew the truth? You really think they would still try to protect you?”

He closed his eyes, bottomed the rest of the water and went back upstairs to his and Jonathan’s room.

Jonathan’s light snores kept Will up as he slipped under the blankets again.

He didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

The next morning Karen had invited Joyce, Hopper and El over for lunch.

Will was excited to see his mom again, of course. But he was tired after not sleeping last night, and all he wanted was to walk right back to bed. On the other hand he knew he wouldn’t be able to close an eye, in fear of Vecna haunting him in his dreams.

The smell of roast chicken and biscuits filled the air, in a warm and comforting way. Will had been surprised at how quick he had felt at home with the Wheeler’s, but he suspected that having spent half his childhood there, did help.

Jonathan sat on the couch with Nancy, flipping through one of her old magazines, while Mike paced between them and the kitchen, already half in an argument with his mom. Something about “But I did the dishes last time. It’s been ages since Nancy did them.” Will sat at the edge of the living room, watching Mike. He had found himself watching Mike more often lately. He wasn’t doing it consciously. It just happened.

The doorbell rang.

Joyce’s voice was the first thing he heard when Karen answered: “Thanks so much for inviting us, Karen. Smells wonderful in here.”

Will greeted Hopper with a nod and El with a short hug and a knowing look on her face saying. No one knows I was here.

His mom embraced him in a big hug, squeezing all the air out of his lungs.

“Mom! It’s only been a few days since I saw you!” Will exclaimed, desperately trying to get out of his mom’s tight embrace.

When everyone had greeted everyone, they sat down to eat.

Mike was placed next to Will, their knees brushed under the table, which made Will tense up a little. Jonathan sat on Nancy’s other side, and Ted sat at the head of the table, mostly silent except for the occasional grunt of approval at the food.

“Mike, pass the chicken please,” Karen said.

Mike grabbed the basket, half-heartedly passing it down to his mom, until Will noticed his best friend glance toward the window, distracted.

Will frowned and followed his gaze. Something -or someone-shifted just outside. A flash of curly hair. Then a muffled “ow!” that definitely belonged to Dustin Henderson.

Mike choked on a laugh, quickly disguising it as a cough. Will’s eyes widened. Oh no.

It seemed like El had finally discovered what Mike and Will were looking at now. She gave them both a look, and Will shook his head lightly.

Another voice hissed from outside, undoubtedly Lucas, this time: “Shh! You’re gonna get us caught!”

Will hide his mouth behind his hands, biting back a smile, hoping no one would notice. But as the table conversation moved on, and Joyce asking Karen for her biscuit recipe, and Hopper sneaking a second piece of chicken on his plate, it became painfully obvious that Lucas and Dustin were not going to stop trying to get their attention. A rock bounced off the window and back into the bushes with a thud.

Nancy’s fork clattered against her plate. “What was that?”

“Probably squirrels,” Karen said, not looking up. “We have seen an awful lot of them here lately.”

Mike muttered under his breath, “Yeah. Two really loud, really annoying squirrels.”

Will stifled a laugh.

The moment lunch finished, Mike caught Will’s sleeve under the table. “Basement. Now.”

He looked to El on his other side, who nodded.
They slipped away, but Nancy took ahold of Mike’s sleeve on their way down to the basement. “Mike Wheeler, what are you doing?”

Jonathan crossed his arms. “Yeah. What is going on, you’ve been acting weird the whole meal. All of you.”

Mike groaned. “It’s nothing, just—”

Then suddenly a knock could be heard on the basement window, and Lucas’s voice cut through. “Mike! Will! El! Open up!”

So much for subtle.

With a sigh, El swung the door open. Lucas and Dustin tumbled inside, looking like they’d run a marathon.

“You guys have to listen,” Dustin blurted, not even bothering with hello. “We think the-“

“The cracks are spreading,” Lucas interrupted.

Will’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean?”

“The cracks,” Lucas said, his voice low and urgent. “The ones Vecna made. They’re spreading. Like… everywhere. Streets, yards, the woods-”

Nancy’s face went pale. Jonathan swore under his breath.

“It’s happening,” El closed her eyes.

“Why?” Jonathan asked. “Why now?”

“We don’t know,” Dustin said, placing his hands on his hips. “It spread for about an hour or so, before stopping, but who knows when it will happen again. And it won’t take long before all of Hawkins has turned into one big gate.”

Before they could even process, there was another knock upstairs.

“Great,” Mike muttered. “Who now?”

But before anyone could get up and open, Mike was already on the run.

“Wait, Mike! What if it’s someone bad!” Lucas hissed.

Dustin stood and smiled smugly.

Mike's surprised voice could be heard upstairs. “Steve?”

Will let out a grunt and looked at Dustin, who shrugged with a smile on his face.

Heavy footsteps came down, and Steve’s voice echoed from the entryway: “Harrington delivery service: News from hell!”

Robin trailed him, arms crossed, hair a little frizzed. “He means literally. Hawkins is splitting apart. You’ve seen it, right?”

All eyes turned to Lucas and Dustin.

“Called it,” Dustin said smugly.

“Woah, has there been a meeting this whole time, and we weren’t invited?” Steve said, crossing his arms over his chest. “What if we hadn’t come, then you wouldn’t-“ He stopped.

Dustin raised an eyebrow. “You were saying?”

“The meeting was kinda spontaneous,” Mike muttered under his breath.

“So what is going on,” Robin said. “Why is this happening? Does anyone know anything.”

El, Mike, Dustin and Lucas all looked to Will, who stiffened under their stares.

“What?” Jonathan said. “Will what is happening?”

“What do you know?” Nancy demanded.

Mike, who stood close to Will, let his hand linger over Will’s back, only barely touching, as he leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I think you should tell them.”

Will sighed.

They filled in Nancy, Jonathan, Steve and Robin on Will’s episodes and visions of Vecna and the Upside Down.

“So he is healing,” Robin said, staring into nothing, her head in her hands.

“Why the hell haven’t you told us before,” Jonathan exclaimed. He turned to Will. “Why didn’t you tell me? You could have gotten seriously hurt!”

“Because of this exact reason!” Will yelled. “You and mom always treat me like I’m some…fragile thing that can’t protect himself. I know it’s because you worry, but that was the reason I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to worry. To treat me differently.”

Jonathan’s eyes softened. “Okay, it’s alright I understand. But I’m your big brother, I’m always gonna worry.”

Will returned his smile. “Yeah sure, but will you promise not to tell mom? She’s gonna freak out.”

“Okay, I promise. For now. But if it gets worse, I’m telling her.” Jonathan said with a pointed look.

“Look, this is all really sweet and all, but what exactly are we going to do about this?” Steve interrupted.

Mike took a step forward the dim light from the lightbulb hanging over his head, illuminating his face. “I don’t know, but what I do know is that, y’all need to get out of here before my mom or Will’s mom or Hopper realizes you’re here,” he said. “Let’s meet here again tomorrow and figure out a plan, yeah?”

He looked to Will, who nodded. Then to the rest of them.

“Tomorrow,” El agreed.

Will tried to hide the smile forming on his face. Mike wasn’t their leader for nothing, and it was great seeing him step into that old role again.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. “So… yeah. Tomorrow? We all meet, we make a plan. Before things get worse.”

For a moment, the basement was quiet except for the hum of the old lightbulb overhead.

Will exchanged a glance with Mike, the same sinking feeling reflected in both their eyes. Whatever little peace Hawkins had offered since Vecna disappeared -it wasn’t going to last.

Once all of the others had left, and Will had said goodbye to his mom, Hopper and El again, he found himself sitting in the basement with Mike.

They both sat on Mike’s bed. Will sat crossed legged staring into one of Mike’s walls, having completely zoned out.

“Will?” Mike scooted closer to him. He held up a hand before Will’s eyes and waved it up and down. “Are you there?”

Will blinked rapidly. “Sorry,” he muttered, and Mike laughed softly.

“What were you thinking about?” Mike asked, head tilted.

Will shrugged, even though his eyes stung. He was so tired of everything. Tired of getting possessed. Tired of Vecna lurking in the corners of his mind, each time he closed his eyes. Tired of the world ending.

“Hey,” Mike placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“I’m just tired of all of this you know,” Will sighed. “I miss when everything was just normal.”

“Me too,” Mike said, then suddenly he looked away.

“Hey, Will?”

“Mhm?” Will turned to look at him, but Mike was staring somewhere else.

“I’m sorry,” he said, biting his lower lip.

Will frowned. “For what?”

“For everything,” Mike finally turned to look at him. “I’ve been a real asshole towards you, and a really bad friend. Especially in California, and you know before that too.”

It’s not my fault you don’t like girls. Will swallowed. “Hey, it’s okay. You already apologized for that, it’s fine.” Even though it was everything else than fine.

“But it’s not!” Mike said, his voice breaking. “And I know it. I see it Will. You always try to be nice to me, but sometimes I see it, even when you think I don’t.”

“See what?” Will voice barely a whisper.

“The anger, like the way you clenched you fist when we were talking yesterday. The way you fake a smile sometimes, and god Will that’s the last thing I want you to do.”

Mike stared so intensely into Will eyes he almost forgot to blink. “I don’t want you to ever feel like you have to hide anything from me okay? A smile, a thought, even if you’re angry I would much rather you just yell at me or punch me or something than staying silent and faking it.”

Will’s mouth was half agape. “I- I don’t want to punch you, Mike.”

For a moment Mike seemed almost relieved.

Will grimaced. “God, Mike did you really think I wanted to do that?”

Mike shrugged. “No, maybe not, but I do deserve it.”

“Listen, you’re right I was mad, but that’s not just because of you. I really do appreciate you apologizing again, because yeah, I’m gonna be honest, you acted pretty shitty towards me for a while in California.”

He could see Mike’s face break down, biting his lip as he tried to hold himself together. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he shook his head into his hands, covering his eyes. “I promised myself I would protect you, that I would never let anything bad happen to you again, and then I treat you like that…I got to be the worst best friend-“

“But you’re not Mike,” Will placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Please let me finish. Yeah you said some things, but I was just as bad as you were.”

Mike gave him a confused look.

“You were right, I was moping around and being a douche towards El. And I think one of the reasons I get mad sometimes…Mike it’s not just because of you. It’s because I’m mad at myself for…well for a lot of things. And don’t you dare say you’re not a good best friend, because you’re the best best friend, anyone could ever dream of having. You kept looking for me even though everyone said I was dead. And you know when I was possessed by the mindflayer? You were there for me, the whole time. You never left my side. You always looked out for and took care of me. You always…cared. So no Mike, you’re not the worst best friend I could have gotten, and I definitely do not want to punch you.”

Kinda the opposite actually, a thought in Will’s mind said.

Mike stared at him for a moment, speechless.

Will didn’t think Mike was going to speak at all, and he didn’t even realize what was happening before Mike had wrapped himself around Will in a big hug.

Will wrapped his arms around Mike’s middle, and closed his eyes. It had been years since him and Mike had hugged like this, and oh how he had missed it.

“You’re the best best friend too,” Mike muffled into Will’s neck, and Will laughed, tightening his grip around Mike, not wanting to let go.

You’re my best friend. I love you. I love you. I love you. Will pressed his face into Mike’s neck.

“I missed you,” Will said, raw and honest.

“I missed you too,” Mike said, and finally they pulled away.

They sat smiling at each other for a while.

“No more secrets, okay?” Mike said.

“No more secrets.” Will agreed.

Will woke the next morning Nancy barging into their room, shaking Jonathan awake.

“Jonathan! Have you seen Holly?” She grabbed his arm and shook him.

He let out a tired sound and turned around in sleep.

Nancy placed her hands on her hips, looking angrily down at her boyfriend.

“JONATHAN!” She shouted, and Jonathan jolted awake, rising from the sheets.

“What?” He asked, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

“Have you seen Holly? Or heard something last night, or anything?” Nancy sounded desperate.

From downstairs raised voices could now be heard, and Will rose from his bed too.

Jonathan shook his head. “No, I haven’t heard or seen anything. What, isn’t she just in her room?”

Nancy shook her head, a worried look on her face. “No, we can’t find her. And I don’t think she just ran away. I can almost feel like something is wrong. You know, like with Barb. What if…what if she’s…”

“Hey, hey,” Jonathan hugged her, as she broke down in his arms. “She’s okay, I’m sure of it.”

Will felt the shivers run down his back, and he went downstairs, to see what was going on. A lamp had fallen, (it looked more like it had been thrown) to the ground and a glass shattered beside it.

“No, of course you don’t notice! You never notice anything!” Karen stood, yelling at Ted, her hands on her head in frustration.

Will scanned the room, until they landed on Mike, who had seemed almost invisible sitting on the couch, frozen, staring into the air. He went over to him and sat down beside him, still in silence.

“Mike,” he said after a while.

Mike’s head turned slowly, and even though his eyes were on Will’s, it was like he was looking somewhere else.

“He got her, Will,” Mike said, voice cracking. “Vecna got her.”