Chapter Text
The clink of a fallen D20 die and eager anticipation were all you could hear as Dustin rolled the single move that could end the mini Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Spectators closed their eyes, held their breath, and crossed their fingers as they awaited the number on the twenty sided die.
The boys opened their eyes and all simultaneously gasped.
“Eighteen!” A man with long black hair shouts, “Hit! The Kraken falls back into the ocean, spraying Akwaven in seawater. The townspeople cheer and shower the party in gold!”
The room erupts in ecstasy. The kraken figurine on the table is knocked down by Dustin’s hand. Members of the group exchange high fives and hugs of triumph before packing up their things.
At least, that’s what WillIam Byers saw through the unkempt school window. Of course, he was only focused on one thing, Mike.
Part of him felt pathetic hiding in a bush waiting for Mike to leave school. The other part of him felt betrayed, Mike never wanted to play D&D with him before he left, and now he’s playing with this man who looks like he’s old enough to vote. Either way he felt dependent.
He could hear through windows, a perk of his new abilities, yet didn’t need that to see that Mike was leaving the classroom
“Shit. What time is it? My mom’s gonna kill me,” Mike was frantic now, eyes searching the room and landing on the clock hanging above the door. “Goddamnit, ten-fifteen? Does anyone know where a phone is?”
Mike was met with blank faces, it’s not like portable phones exist. Mike rolled his eyes and groaned.
”You can walk home with us,” Lucas said, attempting to calm Mike down.
”Whatever,” Mike replied.
Minutes passed before Mike, Dustin, and Lucas left school together.
From afar, Will could hear their banter. First, it started with mentions of the D&D session. Lucas was mad his character died, Dustin commented on how he was the reason they won, Mike said it was a great ending. Then, they went quiet, no one knew what to say. After that, it was simple chatter of what happened during the school day.
Will followed them throughout their walk, hiding behind bushes, trees, and even houses. He could move fast and was incredibly agile, another perk of his new ability.
The speaking stopped again, the chirping of cicadas and the hum of the street lights, once again becoming the main noise heard. This gave Will more time to really focus in on everyone. Both Dustin and Lucas were walking casually, and a bit slowly, likely because it's a late Friday night. His eyes zoomed in on Mike, who was keeping up the pace but lowering his head and looking around in an irritated manner. Mike was tense.
”It feels creepier today, like someone’s watching us or something,” Mike commented to the boys, his arms wrapped around each other.
”Hm, maybe, it is Hawkins after all,” Dustin brushed him off and shrugged.
”Whatever,” Mike replied, looking down.
Will was struck with guilt, he didn’t want to be the reason Mike was hurting, even if it was something as little as being slightly uncomfortable walking home. He sighed and refocused himself as Mike and Lucas crossed the street together and waved their goodbyes to Dustin, who lived a few blocks away from the two next door neighbors.
Will noticed Mike looking around and picking up his pace, Lucas followed. He was surprised Mike was this aware of his surroundings to notice him, even subconsciously. Maybe all those times in the Upside Down end up leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
Once Mike was only a block away from his house, Will sprinted. He leaped onto the Wheeler residence roof before Mike even turned the corner. He squatted onto the back end of the roof, making him invisible from the view of a passer by. However, he did peak his head out to see Mike approaching the door.
He couldn’t see, and could only faintly hear the sounds of Mike dropping his stuff, and responding to his mother’s worry about him with a voice-cracked yell. Will couldn’t even tell what they were saying, just that there was some sort of disagreement. He knew it was probably about Mike coming home at what is now ten thirty or ten fourty-five.
Will moved across the roof, now sitting outside of Mike’s window at an obscured angle.
Will couldn’t help but feel a bit antsy as he heard Mike’s thumping up the stairs. It had been a year since they last saw each other and it felt like he missed the Wheeler boy more everyday. Especially after what happened. He’s felt more drawn to Mike than ever since he’s turned. Is “turned” even the right word for it? Ever since he’s changed.
The creak of Mike’s bedroom door opening only added fuel to the fire. Byers was so desperate to see him he felt pathetic and pitiable, yet something deeper in him, some sort of carnal desire, craved Mike to an unhealthy extent. That’s why he was lingering outside the boy’s window in the first place.
Will slowly shifted his body to see Mike through the glass better. He watched him flop onto his stomach and sigh.
He started trying to spot the things on Mike that were slightly different. His hair was longer, he was a bit taller, the boy noticed that even his facial structure looked a bit different when Mike rolled over.
Abruptly, Mike’s head turned to the window and he opened his eyes.
“AAAA!!” Mike screamed and jumped back. His relaxed, “laying down” position became panic-stricken as he scurried to the edge of his bed and held onto his knees.
How did Mike even spot him?
Shit. Will thought to himself. I forgot my eyes glow.
Joyce first noticed it while Will was spacing out at dinner with a glum expression. A tint of red covered his hazel eyes, turning them into more of a desaturated vermillion. That’s when Will learned they only glow when he’s emotional.
Will remained still as Mike cowered, he was frozen, unable to make up his mind. Will hadn’t exactly planned this out. Would Mike call him a monster? Would he kick him out? He didn’t know. He couldn’t know.
“Who— Who are you?” Mike whispered. Of course, any normal person wouldn’t be able to hear such a small sound through a window pane. Mike grabbed a book near his bed as he hopped off of it steadily. Mike readied the make-shift weapon for a strike as he approached the window. “Wait,” his face changed within milliseconds, “Will..?”
Mike unlocked the window rapidly and flung it open, revealing a crouched, wide-eyed Will. His eyes dimmed back to their red tint as Mike noticed him.
The Byers boy inched his way inside, he drifted onto the floor in an almost feather-like manner and dropped his bag onto the carpet.
“Will, what— what are you doing here?” Mike asked, grabbing Will’s shoulder with bright eyes and that signature confused expression Will knew so well.
Will scanned the other for a moment, Mike was still taller than him, which he always enjoyed.
After even something as small as a touch on the shoulder, he couldn’t resist grappling onto Mike for a tight hug.
“Woah, I—“ Mike cut himself off. Will let his arms slowly leave the tight grip on the other's waist, he didn’t want to seem too desperate, now.
“I can explain everything, really,” Will said in a near whisper, “promise not to freak out.” Will walked to Mike’s bed, letting himself fall onto it.
“Yeah, yeah, sure. Will, you’re scaring me a bit. You’re really pale, and your eyes are…” Mike rambled, overly-using his hands for expression. He followed Will onto his bed, plopping down next to his unusually pale best friend.
“Mike, remember when we were moving to California?” Byers questioned, the other nodded along. “There were still gates open, small, and closing, but open.” Will was almost shaking now, and felt something hot at the corner of his eyes. He didn’t know recalling the memories would be like this. He didn’t come with a plan, but he definitely did not want to break down in front of Mike. Some first after a year apart. “I don’t know how but I think that somehow the Mind Flayer opened them when he targeted those people. I don’t know if I’m right, though, and I don’t know how it’s possible but I just—“
“Woah, woah, woah,” Mike interrupted, “slow down, Will, you’re shaking. Take a deep breath.”
The boy inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower multiple times. Mike always knew how to comfort him. After a few times cycling the breath exercises, he was calm enough to finish the story.
“I-I,” he stuttered, “I found one of those gates when we were running around the neighborhood before we left. I-“ Will took a moment, resisting tears, Mike’s eyes never strayed from the other’s. “I felt something pulling me into it, I didn’t want to go, but I needed to. I think it was… him.”
Will pulled his face into the Wheeler’s shoulder. He felt pathetic crying into him but Mike was just so… irresistible.
Mike patted the other boy’s back. Will knew that even when they were children they were never as intimate as crying into each other. He wondered if it was awkward for Mike, being a fifteen year-old boy and all, but Will couldn’t help himself. He swore it was his ”turning“ that was making him act up.
Will knew the Wheeler. He knew he wasn’t much for comforting others while crying. He had a distinct memory of Dustin at ten or eleven bawling on the playground floor, his twisted ankle a mixture of red, brown, and blue. Will and Lucas helped him, but Mike just kind of stood there awkwardly, not because he was mad or embarrassed by Dustin, simply because he didn’t know what to do.
He never did that for Will, though. Will remembered when the Mind Flayer first attacked him when he was thirteen. Of course, he didn’t remember much, but he did remember Mike. He remembered Mike standing over him at the hospital telling him it was going to be okay. He remembered Mike sleeping in his hospital room on one of those bruise-inducing plastic chairs that gives you back pain. He remembered Mike trying his hardest to help Will recover while staring at him with those those eyes of his. He remembered Mike.
He wondered if it was awkward for Mike.
He hoped it wasn’t.
As he cried, Mike rubbed his back and whispered to him about how “it” was okay, and that he may continue when ready. God, it was agony.
Once Will collected himself, he pulled himself off of the other’s shoulder and wiped his face with his shirt sleeve.
Byers sighed, gulped and looked down while continuing his recap.
“When I entered the Upside Down, there was a bat. It wasn’t a regular bat, though, it attacked me,” Will announced, still sniffling from his breakdown. “After it bit at me a few times, it just stopped. Then it started—“ Will paused, gathering his thoughts, “It— It melted into me, into my wound. After that I left, I think… I think he let me leave.”
Will swore those eyes were going to be the death of him. Those big black eyes that never strayed, yet never overstayed their welcome. They were huge now, a great pair with the Wheeler’s upturned eyebrows. The poor boy found it almost impossible to resist the urge to kiss him. The thing was, another urge was brewing deep inside of him, one Will wasn’t familiar with. The urge to bite him.
Will flinched when he realized how long he’d been staring for. He pursed his lips and continued.
”I know I should’ve, but I didn’t tell my mom. She already had a lot on her plate with the move and everything and I didn't want to add more stress so I covered it up,” Will sighed. “But around the sixth week of living in California, I started noticing changes. My skin was getting paler, and my canines were growing larger.”
”Oh shit,” Mike shuddered.
“My mom noticed my changes right after I did and from there things just kept getting worse,” Will added, a downturned expression covering his face. “I started needing blood. First it was only every ten days or so, now I need blood once every three or four days. I also got faster, I guess that’s cool.”
”You’re like a vampire,” Mike commented in a sort of dreadful awe.
“I don’t know what to do,” Will sighed and bit his lip.
”I—“ The Wheeler was clearly in shock and was unable to collect his thoughts. “Have you bitten anyone? Should I be worried?” And just like that he was back to frantic, albeit more contained. The nervousness caused the boy to scooch back from Will as if he wasn’t just telling him everything was okay.
“I haven’t bitten anyone, my mom’s bought me pig's blood from God knows where after I told her. I’ve never even tasted human blood before,” Will soothed, and it worked, Mike moved back to his spot closer to the other.
Of course, Will “forgot” to mention the first time he was hungry for blood, how he pounced at El with glowing red eyes, and had to be held back and restrained by Jonathan.
“We’ve tried everything. Remember when I was thirteen and I got the Mind Flayer burned out of me?” Mike nodded along. “We tried that, it didn’t work, only hurt like hell.”
“So, you’re here to get it out,” Wheeler observed.
I’m here because I miss you. “Yeah.”
”We’ll get it out,” the boy said, determination coloring his face.
The unfamiliar urge was growing stronger now. It was luckily still resistible.
“So… where are the rest of the Byers?” Mike asked nonchalantly.
Will fiddled with his fingers and looked to the side. “Uh… So the thing is… they didn’t come with me.”
Mike’s expression twisted into something much more foul, he got up from the bed in his emotional intensity. “Will,” he paused in disbelief, “are you joking? Do you even have somewhere to stay? How– how did you even get here?” The boy was yelling now, and Will knew he deserved it.
“I bought a plane ticket with most of the money I have saved,” Will’s brows arched inwards. “I don’t have a place to stay, though. Sorry.”
“Oh my God, Will,” Mike mumbled to himself, pacing. “I… I guess you can stay here? I can set you up in the basement. It’s just, it’s a lot you’re putting onto me.”
”I know Mike, I’m sorry,” Will replied, “I just— I had to see you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mike asked, an eyebrow raised.
”I dunno,” Will replied. It was the truth.
The Wheeler rolled his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned around while stepping closer to his door.
”Where are you going?” Will tried his best not to sound clingy but the thought of Mike even leaving his sight felt like some sort of medieval torture method.
“Brushing my teeth. You need a toothbrush?” He was obviously still mad, yet cloaking his anger. Byers looked over at his bag slumped against Mike’s bedroom wall.
”I have one. I am hungry, though,” Will responded.
”For— For blood?” Mike gulped, his eyes widening and body moving backwards.
”No,” Will smiled, “I only need blood every few days. I still have to eat normal food.”
”Oh, okay,” Wheeler’s body let its tension leave. “If I get you food now I’ll wake everyone up. Can you wait until tomorrow?”
Will nodded slowly before Mike pivoted and left the room. The second the boy left the room pain erupted. It felt like scorching fire in Will’s intestines. Byers let his palm cover his eyes, he really was pathetic. He never felt this possessive over Mike before, so why now? Unless it has something to do with—
”Will?” He jumped a little at Mike peering his head through the open door he just left out of. “You coming?”
“Y-Yeah,” he stuttered, “I just gotta grab my toothbrush.”
Will zipped through the air, within an instant, his bag was in his hand.
”Jesus, you really are fast,” the Wheeler’s mouth was agape, Will flashed him a small smirk.
· · ─ ·ྐ❤︎· ─ · ·
“Soooo… If you’re a vampire does that mean you’re immortal now?”
Will laughed, “I don’t think so. But really, how would I even know?”
Both boys were laying on their backs and staring at the ceiling on Mike’s bed. The artificial light, hurting their groggy eyes. Will really wished he could freeze this moment forever. He missed Mike in a seasick sort of way. He missed him in a childish sort of way.
Will thought back often to the day his mom announced the move. She was so happy, new house, new school, new neighbors, no haunted town. Will felt like she didn’t realize both him and El were leaving their entire life behind. Hawkins was cursed, yes, but it was home. It was home because of the streets he used to bike down. It was home because of the school he used to go to. It was home because of his friends. It was home because of Mike .
California felt like a shell of a home.
“Can I see your fangs?”
Will cocked his head to Mike, “Huh?”
”Can I see your fangs?” Mike repeated, rolling onto his side to face Will, his haunting black eyes didn’t know how to stop staring.
”Um- sure,” his index and thumb pulled his top lip back, revealing a set of near white teeth, complete with a showing canine significantly longer than all other teeth in the Byers’ mouth. Intrigue coaxed Mike’s face.
”Can I touch it?”
Will looked at Mike for a moment, only a moment. He nodded faintly and let out an inaudible chuckle to say yes you can touch it.
Wheeler brought his pointer up to the other boy's face. It glided through air thick with anticipation and landed softly on a sharp bone. Mike only carefully grazed it before drama ensued.
”Ow!” He yanked his finger back, “I think it pricked me.”
Will peered at the other’s fingertip, emptying with red. Soon a peer became a glare, a glare became a gawk, and a gawk became a full, red-eyed stare.
The poor boy could smell it as soon as the skin broke. It was much more fragrant than pig's blood. At the same time, it smelled much more delicious. The urge jolted at him again, it took his eyes up to Mike’s neck, one of the best spots to find that crimson nectar. Will bit his lip, anything to cope.
It’s not like Will was hungry, too. His last “blood meal” was two days ago. Now does that mean he’s entirely full? No. But there’s no reason for him to be thirsting over blood this badly, especially a drop of such small quantity.
The torment of Mike bringing his finger up to his mouth to suck the blood out of the prick was real. That should be me. Will thought.
Without thinking, Byers brought his tongue up to the canine Mike had just grazed, searching, scouring, desperately seeking for any sort of irony residue he could find. Nothing.
When Mike was done addressing his wound, he shifted his gaze back to Will. Not the best idea.
Mike jumped back at the red-eyed creature staring back at him. Will looked almost rabid. His eyes were only focused on one thing, the blood that just exited Mike’s finger. The cut was no longer bleeding, bonded by saliva and its sheer meagerness. All that was visible was the wetness and if you really focused, the indent in the skin.
Will could still smell it, the blood. Even with its ”shield”. It was so cravable in an almost evil way. He wanted it so bad.
“Will…” Wheeler said to a wide-eyed Will.
Will inhaled and closed his eyes, he wouldn’t let this aroma take over him.
“I’m okay, Mike,” Will smiled, reopening his eyes. They were still red, but dimming by the second.
”Was it the blood?,” Mike asked, already fully knowing the answer. Will always loved how smart he was. “Sorry.”
Will was reeling with thirst, yet collected himself. “No, no, it’s not your fault, Mike, It’s mine, really,” he looked down at himself, ashamedly. “I need to learn to control myself.”
“Will,” just Mike saying his name made him beam internally. Will wished he could record Mike’s voice and watch it on replay for hours. “You shouldn’t feel guilty when the Mind Flayer or whoever is controlling you. Just know I’m…” Mike paused, Will tried to read his expression but this wasn’t one even Will could decode, “I’m here for you, alright?”
Will smiled and nodded subtly, “Yeah, yeah, of course Mike.”
He wanted it so bad.
He needed the satiation.
It was so easy, too. A quick shove against the wall or the bedframe is all he’d need to get Mike still. Byers hadn’t noticed the turning affecting his strength at all but that hardly mattered. Will had been stronger than Mike since the eighth grade, even though a third party would usually assume Mike is stronger. Mike was actually fairly thin and had been ever since elementary. After the pinning of the Wheeler, Will imagined grabbing his chin and tilting his neck to the side to reveal a patch of skin suitable for a bite. Then, he would go in for it. Two small punctures were all he needed to suck out more than enough. He imagined sucking the wound how a man sucks his rattlesnake bite to remove venom. He would do it until enough blood had emptied, lick his lips, and sprawl the unconscious Mike out on his bed, caring for him before he woke up.
Will scolded himself for letting anything like this creep into his mind. He felt perverted. He knew he would never do it, at least not without Mike’s consent, but the thought still came to him. Will always felt nasty anytime thoughts like that came to him, thoughts about Mike.
His face shifted to that of desperate confusion when Mike got up from the bed, his feet . Will prayed the other wasn’t leaving, for whatever reason he might. Small relief filled him when Mike stopped in the middle of the route to the door.
”We should go to bed,” Wheeler stretched, Byers smiled. ”It’s like twelve-thirty.” Phew, Will thought. He wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with Mike like they were kids again.
”Will, are you sure you want me to sleep on the bed?” Will’s eyebrows curved upwards and his eyes widened. Yes. “It’s a small bed. I can sleep on the floor.”
“It’s fine, Mike,” Will responded too quickly to not seem eager. “It’s your room.”
“Alright,” a small smile was playing on Mike’s lips. “I need to change, did you bring clothes?” Mike eyed the clothes on his body.
Will was wearing his everyday wear. A button-up shirt with jeans he found at the bottom of his dresser. He wasn’t the pinnacle of fashion, nor did he care much for it at all, but he still put effort into making his clothes look half-decent.
He glared at his bag, school bag to be exact. He packed it only two hours before the trip. In it lay two changes of clothes, a toothbrush, and a sketchbook. The thought of packing clothes to sleep in completely slipped his mind. The whole trip was incredibly impulsive in the first place, and Will had a habit of forgetting a thing or two on almost every trip he went on.
”Will?” Mike asked out to Will’s empty response. “You do need to sleep, right?”
”Yeah, yeah,” Byers forcefully broke himself out of his chain of thought, “I don’t have anything to sleep in, sorry Mike.” All these inconveniences, however tiny they may be, were sure to add up. Will was sure Mike was furious.
“Oh, okay, no problem,” Mike hummed, entered his closet, and called back to Will. “I can just give you a Hellfire shirt and some shorts.”
Will smirked as the boy rummaged through the clothes in his dresser. Mike wasn’t moving quickly, likely from his fatigue. On top of that, even though he wouldn’t admit it just yet, he definitely could not find what he was looking for. Will started getting concerned when the two minute mark was hit.
”You ever gonna come out of there, Mike?” Will called out, a grin brewing.
“Yeah just—“ he mumbled, his voice wouldn’t be detectable to anyone other than Will in the closet. “I need like one minute.” Will smiled, watching the Wheeler, his Wheeler, tear apart his closet for someone so unimportant as himself. Mike did have a habit of making him feel wanted.
Mike shot up, two pieces of clothing in hand as he stood at the edge of where his closet and the rest of his room meet.
“Here,” he said, tossing the clothes to Will, who barely reacted fast enough to catch them.
Will examined the shorts first. Blue, not the most comfortable fabric either. Eh, it’ll do. His eyes fixed on the black and white shirt on his knee, letters hidden under the messy folds. He grabbed the shirt by the neckline and examined it.
HELLFIRE CLUB
Ah. So that’s what Mike was talking about. Will hadn’t been paying much attention to his shirt, far too focused on his face to even realize. This must be Mike’s D&D club, Will remembered both Lucas and Dustin were wearing the exact same shirt.
The demon in the middle of the shirt was hard to ignore. Pair that with the morningstar and burning sword. Will found himself taking a liking to the shirt, despite the amount of ‘FOMO’ it ignited in him. Plus, it was Mike’s. Like a dumb school girl, Will desperately hoped Mike had worn it before, even though he knew that probably wasn’t true.
”How many of these do you own?” Will chuckled, Mike was still standing at the door, now leaning on it. Was he just staring at Will the entire time?
”Uhh…” Mike looked up and hesitated, “Probably like six or seven.” Will nodded along, grinning subtly. “Alright, well you can go to the bathroom and get changed there.”
Will desperately wanted to stay with Mike. Not for some lewd reason, it’s never been a goal of Will’s to invade Mike’s privacy or be the reason he feels uncomfortable. He just didn’t want to be without his presence, even only for a minute or two. He had to agree, though. How weird is it to change with your best friend in the same room?
Will stumbled through the dark hallway to the bathroom. He luckily knew this house like the back of his hand, and could navigate through it easily. That being said, the dark did make it much harder.
He flicked on the bathroom light, illuminating the room in an eerie white, almost blue glow. The hum of the light was much stronger than any other rooms, and was always annoying to Will with or without his enhanced hearing.
Will didn’t consider himself a vampire, even though others compared him to them. Yes, he had vampire traits. Fangs, speed, strong senses, even red eyes, but there were differences. Vampires couldn’t walk into the sun, Will could. Sure it hurt more than it used to, but it’s not like his skin started to disintegrate the second a ray of sunlight hit him. Will ate real food, blood was just a means of survival for him. Real food didn’t taste bad either, it tasted like it always had. He wasn’t immortal, at least he didn’t think so, and he wasn’t technically turned by another person.
He also could see himself through Mike’s bathroom mirror. Can vampires do— Will paused, his face distorting to one of pure terror.
The last time he fully checked himself in a mirror was around a week ago. His skin was only a few shades lighter than it was before his “turning”, his canines only a millimeter or two larger than his other teeth. But now? Oh boy.
His skin was nearly paper white, his canines almost reached down to the gums of his bottom teeth. His eyes were still hazel, but quickly shifting to red as they normally did when an intense emotion rushed over him.
He wrapped his cold hands around the marble bathroom counter, breath quickening.
It was getting worse.