Work Text:
the phone had been a constant source of disappointment that summer. especially for mike.
every week, sometimes every other day, the party would huddle in the wheeler basement around the home phone mounted on the wall. lucas tapping his foot against the carpet, dustin already rehearsing everything he wanted to tell will, max pretending she wasn’t invested but hanging around anyway. and mike? — mike would hover closest to the phone, jaw tight, the cord coiled around his fingers like it was a lifeline.
sometimes mike could call on his own. late at night, in his basement while the rest of the house was sleeping. he only once got an answer — and it was from joyce, who said will was sleeping and couldn’t come to the phone.
and every single time, the result was the same.
a busy tone. or worse, nothing at all.
the rest of the party filled the silence with excuses. such as: “they’re probably busy,” but mike never stopped hoping. every failed call sank heavier in his chest, but he just told them they had to try again. and again. and again.
it was sunday — the basement was quiet except for the hum of the lamp and the crackling tv in the corner. dustin was hovering by the wall phone, and mike was sprawled across the couch pretending not to care. lucas was sitting on the armrest like he was fighting against his sleep, and max was just leaning against the stairs with her walkman headphones around her neck.
“you know it’s just gonna be busy again,” lucas said, not unkind, just blunt. he tossed a nerf ball up and caught it. “it’s always busy.”
both dustin and mike shot him a look.
dustin’s was quick, a glare before rolling his eyes. mike’s lingered, sharper, but it didn’t hold much heat — only the edge of desperation he was too tired to hide anymore.
“still,” mike muttered from the couch, laying down. his eyes were locked on the phone in dustin’s hands. “doesn’t mean we stop trying.”
dustin sighed dramatically. “you’re like a dog with a bone, man. a very sad, obsessive dog.”
max groaned from her spot on the steps. “it kinda does, wheeler.”
mike just smacked his lips, his eyes still on the phone.
dustin huffed, pressing the last number in with exaggerated annoyance. “you’re lucky i’m nicer than her,” he said, though his tone was lighter than his words. “but when it’s busy again, you owe me a coke.”
mike didn’t respond. he couldn’t. his whole body was leaning toward the receiver without moving a muscle, heart lodged somewhere between his throat and the ringing silence. he’d already heard the busy tone so many times it lived in his skull — sharp, endless, mocking.
but, this time… it rang.
dustin’s body tensed up immediately, the cold receiver pressed to his ear.
once.
twice.
“uh… guys?” dustin gulped, muttering under his breath.
max just groaned. “what?”
a third ring.
“it’s ringing,” dustin said again, almost like it was hard to get out.
mike shot upright, hands gripping the couch cushion so tightly his knuckles whitened. lucas stopped tossing the ball. max even sat up straighter.
then — click.
the dial tone shifted, not to the sharp buzz of failure, but to a soft crackle — alive. someone picked up.
“hello? byers residence.”
dustin’s jaw dropped as far as it possibly could. “oh my god,” dustin hissed, eyes wide. “it’s—” he grasped the receiver a little firmer, “ms. byers? hi! it’s dustin, and—”
the basement went still. lucas’ head shot up immediately, even max sat up, suddenly interested.
mike couldn’t help his movements. before he even realized it, he was making his way to the phone in quick, long steps.
dustin opened his mouth to say something else, but he didn’t get very far. mike was on him instantly, snatching the phone with a desperation that made dustin yelp. “uh— wait— hey!”
“ms. byers? it’s mike— uh— is will—” he tripped over the word, breath catching. “is will there?”
there was a pause, just long enough to make his chest ache. then joyce’s warm, familiar voice came through the line, tinny but steady.
“mike? oh, honey, hi. he’s— yeah, he’s here. hang on, let me get him.”
static rustled faintly as the receiver muffled against her shoulder. distantly, mike could hear her voice calling up the stairs, half-faded: “will! phone!”
mike froze, every nerve on fire. he could feel the others staring at him, feel dustin’s huffy glare burning into the side of his head, but he didn’t care. his fingers clenched so hard around the receiver that the cord twisted, curling in on itself.
“unbelievable,” dustin muttered in the background. “my moment. my historic moment. stolen.”
max rolled her eyes. “shut up, dustin. this is, like, the most i’ve ever seen wheeler move voluntarily.”
lucas snorted, looking towards dustin. “yeah, and he nearly tackled you to do it.”
then, finally — footsteps on the other end. a shuffle. a creak of a door.
and a voice.
“hello?”
will. small, uncertain, but real. it was shaky, a little far away, the line adding static to the edges — but mike would’ve known it anywhere.
his breath stuttered out of him like he’d been holding it for years.
“will,” his voice cracked right through his chest. he pressed the phone closer, like he could close the distance. “it’s— it’s me. mike. i’ve—” he stopped, realizing the words that were spewing out. “we’ve been trying for—” he broke off again because all the rehearsed words, all the things he’d thought he’d say, were gone.
on the other end, will laughed softly. it was awkward, a little uncertain, but it was him. “mike? oh— um. hi.”
the sound of it hit mike harder than he expected. weeks of busy signals, weeks of silence, and now here will was, real and there — although he was still just on the other end of a phone.
but he stopped thinking about that once he realized that his overthinking would ruin everything, like it always did. and he couldn’t have that happen right now — not when he was finally talking to will.
he shut his eyes, let the laugh wash over him. “hi.”
“hi?” will repeated, teasing just a little, like the word meant more than it should.
behind him, dustin mouthed “give it here,” jabbing a finger at his own chest. max had leaned back again, muttering something about mike being predictable.
but mike didn’t budge. he curled himself around the receiver, twisting the cord until it bit into his skin. his voice went lower, almost private. “you sound… good. different, but good.”
will chuckled again, warmer this time. “yeah— i guess i’m okay. normal. it’s hot here. really hot.”
mike smiled, so small it was barely there. “normal’s good,” he wanted to say “i missed you,” but the words stuck. he swallowed them, heart thudding. “normal’s really good.”
the basement, of course, wasn’t normal. dustin was now pacing circles, muttering threats under his breath. lucas had resorted to trying to physically pry mike’s fingers off the cord. even max, who usually didn’t care, piped up with, “wheeler, you’re not the only one who knows how to talk into a phone, you know.”
he heard them all, but it barely registered. because will was still there, still speaking, filling his ear like a miracle.
“are things… the same there?” will asked after a beat. his voice had that careful tilt, like he was trying not to sound like he cared too much about the answer.
mike laughed— too quick, too nervous. “yeah, y’know, hawkins is hawkins. same old town, same old nerds.” he glanced at the corner where dustin was now dramatically slamming himself into the couch cushions in defeat. “nothing’s really changed.”
will’s voice warmed. “that’s really good.”
behind him, dustin sat up sharply. “oh my god, tell him i said hi already!”
“yeah, tell him we said hi,” lucas added, tugging on the cord again. “he’s not just your best friend, mike. let go!”
mike yanked it tighter, curling even closer to the receiver, nearly knocking over the lamp. “mmhm,” he hummed distractedly, like he hadn’t heard them. “it’s… quieter, i guess. not the same without you.”
that slipped out before he could stop it. his chest immediately squeezed, panic lacing the edges of his pulse, but then—
on the line, will went quiet. just for a second. and then, softly, like he wasn’t sure if he should be smiling or hiding it, “you miss me?”
mike’s throat went dry. “you don’t even know,” mike huffed out, like it was an instinct. his chest felt tight, but in a good way. “i— yeah. i’ve missed you.” he cut off, teeth catching his lip, then forced a lighter tone. “i mean, we all do. obviously," he tried to play it off casually.
something cracked in mike’s chest at that — sharp and full all at once. his eyes stung. he had to grip the phone harder just to keep steady.
behind him, dustin was practically foaming at the mouth. “are you kidding me right now?! mike, let us talk to him for god's sake!"
lucas chimed in, exasperated: “you can’t just hog the phone, dude! we all wanna talk to him.”
“seriously, wheeler,” max added flatly, “it’s not just your phone call.”
mike hunched his shoulders, glaring at them over his shoulder, pressing his hand over the receiver. “just— wait, okay?” he turned back to the receiver, his voice instantly soft again.
“mike—?” will voice drifted through after mike’s silence.
mike softened instantly. “don’t worry. i’m not hanging up. tell me about everything,” he said, almost breathless. “like— everything i’m missing. please.”
on the other end, will went quiet again. mike could picture him, head ducked a little, fiddling with the phone cord just like he was now. “everything?” will asked, voice carrying a smile so faint it cracked mike open.
“yeah,” mike’s grip on the receiver tightened. “i wanna know… what it’s like there. what your house looks like. school. what you’ve been drawing. just— anything. all of it.”
behind him, max made a gagging noise. “oh my god, barf.”
lucas swatted at her arm. “shut up, they’re having a moment.”
“moment?” dustin whisper-yelled, throwing his arms up. “he’s holding the phone hostage! we’re literally never gonna talk to will again because mike’s out here narrating his daydreams.”
mike covered the receiver with his palm, whirling around. “shut up!”
dustin sputtered, jaw dropping. “are you kidding me—”
then, back into the receiver, his tone melted again, like butter meeting warmth. “i just wanna hear your voice,” he admitted quietly. “i don’t care what you tell me.”
on the line, will’s breath caught, audible through the static. “um…” a pause, soft and nervous. “okay. well— uh, the sky here is… really different. it’s not gray all the time. sometimes it’s this huge bright blue, like… like it doesn’t even end. it kinda makes you feel small, but in a good way.”
mike closed his eyes. he could see it instantly, the way will described things — always so vivid — like he was painting pictures even with his words. he smiled, small but real, into the phone.
lucas, meanwhile, was whispering to dustin, “okay, new plan: next time ms. byers picks up, you distract mike— i’ll snatch the cord.”
max rolled her eyes. “yeah, good luck. he’s basically fusing with that phone at this point.”
but mike barely heard them anymore. will was still talking, still filling up the space that had been so empty for weeks. he couldn’t move. he didn’t want to move. he wanted to stay here in this moment forever.
“mike!” dustin shouted, finally snapping out of his frozen state. “it’s been ten minutes! let someone else talk!”
mike turned, slapping a hand over the receiver. “it has not been ten minutes!”
lucas checked his watch. “it literally has.”
“shut up!” mike snapped, spinning away from them again like a dragon guarding treasure. “just— one more second.”
he turned his back again, jaw tight, pressing the phone closer to his ear. “sorry. they’re— uh— they’re being themselves.”
“them?” will asked, sounding a little shocked.
mike huffed out a laugh, rubbing at his forehead with his free hand. “yeah. they’re all here. dustin, lucas, max… they’re kind of— hovering.”
in the background, dustin gasped dramatically. “hovering?! i’m advocating for the group, wheeler!”
“advocating my ass,” max muttered. “you’re just mad he stole the phone first.”
mike groaned and covered the receiver again, shooting them a death glare. “can you all not right now?”
when he brought the phone back to his ear, will was laughing — a real one this time, not hesitant or uncertain. “sounds… normal,” will said, fondness tucked inside the word.
the sound went through mike like a current, tugging at something deep in his chest. he pressed himself further into the wall, curling tighter around the receiver, as if that might shield their fragile thread of connection. “yeah,” he admitted, softer than before. “i guess it is. but— not without you.”
will hummed quietly, like he was thinking. “i miss normal.” his voice was faint, but the honesty in it came through clear as day.
mike’s throat worked, his words sticking like glue. for a second, all he could do was grip the phone until the plastic creaked. he wanted to blurt it out, “i miss you, so much,” but his tongue wouldn’t cooperate. instead, he breathed out, “yeah. me too.”
dustin didn’t wait for permission this time — he leapt, clawing at the cord like a starving animal. mike yelped, twisting away, but lucas was already behind him, prying at his elbow.
“give it up!” lucas grunted, tugging hard.
“no! wait—” mike clung tighter, the phone pressed so hard to his ear it might’ve fused there. “just another second, i—”
max groaned. “you’re pathetic.” then, before mike could react, she swooped in, snatching the receiver clean out of his hands with a victorious grin.
“max!” mike’s voice cracked as he lunged after her, but dustin blocked him like a linebacker.
“finally!” dustin cheered, bouncing on his toes. “okay, okay—” he grabbed the phone from max. “will? hi. it’s dustin. the best one.”
on the other end, will’s soft laugh came again, muffled through the chaos. “hey, dustin.”
“yes! he remembers me!” dustin pumped his fist like he’d just slain a demogorgon.
“of course he remembers you,” lucas muttered, trying to elbow mike back down onto the couch. he leaned toward the receiver dustin was now holding away from mike’s desperate grasp. “will! what’s california like? do they actually surf? is it, like… endless summer all the time?”
“yeah man, tell us something!” dustin yelled. “tell us everything! is it hot there? do they have, like, palm trees?!”
max rolled her eyes. “don’t listen to him. answer the important stuff. do you actually like it there, or does it suck?”
“dustin!” mike practically growled, clawing at her wrist. “you don’t just—”
but then, will’s voice slipped through again, patient and a little shy. “um… it’s… different. really different. but i’m okay. mom likes it, and—well, i think el— jane’s happy, so… it’s good.”
mike froze, hand still gripping the cord like it was a lifeline. will’s voice had shifted again— quieter, gentler, almost just for him.
but dustin was already shouting over him. “do you have palm trees or not, byers? this is crucial intel!”
“palm trees, huh?” will laughed faintly on the line, the sound a little scratchy through the static. “yeah. there’s a couple outside our house. they’re… cool. kinda look like broomsticks with bad haircuts.”
dustin howled with delight. “see? i knew it! palm trees are real!”
max shoved him with her shoulder, leaning closer to the receiver. “that’s the dumbest description i’ve ever heard. i like it.”
lucas chimed in next, rattling off questions about beaches, skateboards, and whether or not california kids really said “gnarly,” the basement was alive again, voices overlapping, everyone eager to cram their piece of themselves through the phone line to will.
and mike…
mike just stood there a second longer, hands empty now empty after dropping his desperate grip on the cord, his pulse still thrumming where the receiver had pressed against his ear. the warmth of will’s voice lingered, like an echo, and he knew if he kept chasing it, he’d only make a scene.
so he exhaled, sharp and shaky, and let the fight drain out of him. he turned away, shoulders sagging, and dropped back onto the couch.
the others were still crowding the phone, grinning, laughing, shoving at each other to get closer. it was loud, messy, normal— almost normal.
but not without will there. not without will here, with him.
so mike just sat there, sinking into the cushions, staring at nothing. his fingers twisted absently in the hem of his sleeve. he’d gotten what he wanted — what he’d been desperate for, for weeks.
and yet, all he could think was how ten minutes of will’s voice hadn’t been nearly enough to clear his mind.
to clear all his thoughts and worries he’s had since will had left hawkins.
not even close.