Work Text:
The scraping of metal against wood filled Mike’s ears as he leaned his bike against the side of Hopper’s cabin. Entering the cabin only stunned him, as dust invaded his nostrils. A slight chuckle entered his ears, looking up lead him to realize it was El. It’d been at least two days since he and El had even spared a glance at each other. Mike hadn’t a clue that she had crossed into the upside down, nor did he question her location during these past few days. What was wrong with him? Surely he should wonder where his girlfriend was when the world was ending.
“Are you okay Mike?” El's steady voice cut through the silence. She was preparing to search for Vecna in her mindscape. The bright colors on her swimsuit(?) hurt his eyes, just slightly. She patted the edge of the tub next to her, urging Mike to join her. Sternness painted her face.
In his slow movement towards the tub, Mike forgot to respond to her.
“Yeah- I’m fine just, worried.” He sighed as he sat, reaching to the bottom of his sweater to pick at the fraying edge. "What if Vecna, or One or whatever gave Will those powers to manipulate him onto his side? I mean Will's strong, stronger than anyone gives him credit for, but what if that's exactly why Vecna chose him? Everybody underestimates him, but there's always been something special about him, something different. What if Vecna saw his kindness and is going to twist it against him and convince him we all hate him and-" Mike's words tumbled out faster than he could control, his breath following. "I'm probably overthinking, Will wouldn't betray us, not willingly anyways."
“I understand.” El reassured, rubbing his back slightly. “We should talk.” Mike inhaled deeply, seemingly accepting his inevitable fate as El moved her hand to his cheek, cradling his face with gentle care.
“Yeah.” He turned towards her, waiting for her to begin tearing into him for how terrible of a boyfriend he had been.
“Mike you have not been a very good boyfriend to me.” There it is. “And I think that maybe we should have never dated. Boyfriends lie. If we stayed friends you wouldn't have lied to me” She paused to regain her lost breath.
“Yeah, I guess I wouldn’t have. But the lies were to strengthen you, or they were meant to.” Words slipped his mind, leading to an unnaturally long pause. “I mean I love you but..” he stopped again, realizing how awful this was going to sound.
“I don’t think I’m in love with you, not anymore. Maybe I never was.” Mike sighed finally, risking a glance at Els face, only to realize she seemed uncaring.
“I understand Mike. I think I feel the same way. I care for you but I am not in love with you. I don’t think I ever was” A pause. ”You just saved me, that’s all.”
“I agree, obviously.”
“should I dump your ass?” Her confusion was genuine, he could tell.
”I mean I guess.” Tapping his chin almost comedically, “But it could be mutual. Like you’re not dumping me, but we’re dumping each other. If that makes any sense.” Mike only received a nod in response. “I am still um just a little bit, confused?”
“About what?”
“That um- painting you commissioned Will for, the one with the uh-” Mike stopped when he noticed Els clear confusion.
“What painting Mike?”
“The one you commissioned Will, with the party’s dnd characters fighting a thessalhydra. I had that heart on my shield?” He motioned to an imaginary shield he would have in his hands, as if this would somehow clear up her confusion. How did she not remember commissioning it? It hadn’t been that long, well I guess a year and a half might be considered a long time..
“Mike I have no idea what you are talking about, Will wouldn’t let me near his paintings.” El’s expression brightened, seemingly having a revelation. Mike stood up, deciding to leave instead of wallowing in the embarrassment of being lied to and then bringing it up to your girlfriend. Well ex-girlfriend but whatever.
“I’m going to head out, do you know where Will went?” Floorboards creaked a disgusting amount as he walked. A light pink color dusted Mikes cheeks. El nodded.
”He went to the church near Henry’s new base.”
”The church- why?” Mike stumbled as he tried to turn and face her.
”To distract Vecna while I hunt him.” El said proudly, a small smile on her face.
“Thanks Eleven. Good luck” Mike finished.
”I do not need luck but thank you Mike.” El’s grin grew as he walked away.
Heat creeped up Mike’s neck as metal scraping wood filled his ears once again. Hopefully Will would be ecstatic to see him. Even if the purpose of this trip was to confront him about a lie, not the best circumstances.
——————————————————————
After biking for a solid thirty minutes, Mike reached the church. He was almost positive El said Will was in the church by the library. Placing his bike against the building, he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Walking into the building unleashed a harsh scent of mildew into his nose.
“Will? Are you here?” Mike shouted, voice echoing throughout the building. No response. Oh god, maybe he wasn’t here, maybe Vecna already had him-
“Mike? What are you doing here?” Hurried footsteps against carpet entered his ear as Will ran up to Mike’s side. Instantly ending his thoughts and filling them with pure joy, even leading him to forget his reason for biking all the way here.
“I wanted to come talk to you- I thought it was urgent but it really wasn’t the more I thought about it. And eleven said something about you distracting Vecna so I thought I’d come and make sure it goes well yknow.” Will put his hand on Mikes shoulder to ground him, interrupting his rambling mind.
“Yeah I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to distract him..” Will looked down as Mike felt Will begin to fidget with the sweater on Mike. “…but I’m going to try to figure out something..” Mike began to tune Will out as his eyes danced over Will’s features, staring at him as if he hung the stars in the sky. I mean he basically did. Well Mike thought he did. Even the way his brow furrowed in stress looked perfect. In their ten years of being friends, Mike couldn’t recall a time where he had not viewed Will like that.
"I'm sure you'll figure something out, you always do. I mean you've got such a creative mind you can do anything, craft up anything. Especially with your new powers; you're a literal superhero." His smile grew as a heat continued to creep up his neck.
"Superhero is an exaggeration, I barely know what I'm doing Mike." Will laughed softly, shaking his head in disbelief. "But thank you, that means a lot." They both looked away from each other, Will returning his gaze back first. “Are you good? It's not that hot in here, and your face is really red” Will spoke with a tone of humor, shoving Mike with his shoulder lightly.
“Yeah well you don’t have a coat on so” Mike looked away to hide the growing heat that was inching up his face. "But I'm fine, well as fine as you can be when your best friend is about to risk his life"
”If you say so. So.. what did you wanna talk about?” Shit.
”Nothing important, like I said. I already sorted it out in my head I swear, I’m so stupid.” Mike playfully hit the side of his own head to display his idiocy.
“I’m sure it is, what happened?” Will reached for Mikes hand, as if to reassure him.
“Well. If you insist.” Mike paused, noticing his flirty tone and internally face palming. “Why did you lie?”
“..What?”
“About the painting. You lied, didn't you? El didn't commission it.” A sigh left Mike as he ended the sentence. Will looked mortified at Mike‘s revelation.
“I thought it would help you. Help your relationship, make you realize how strong you could be.” Will rambled sincerely, finding himself interrupted by a familiar feeling. Hand rising to his neck, he muttered something about Vecna that Mike didn’t quite catch before walking away.
“I just don’t get why you didn’t just say you made it. It would've meant more.” Mike followed him, stumbling over his feet like a lame puppy.
“I told you I was trying to inspire you to save El, not that she needed it you know.” Another person saying that El didn’t need him, what a great day. Will sped up, his destination was now clear, the vine, or vines, stretching down the wall. He stopped in front of one in specific , Mike right by his side. “Step back mike, I don’t know how this will go.” Will glanced over his shoulder as Mike watched Wills expression falter slightly. Mike took a step back, then another.
“What are you trying to do.” Mike murmured as he sat in a pew right behind Will, head resting in the back of the pew in front of him. Will’s hand shot back down to his side, clearly at least a little annoyed at Mikes interruption.
“Just trying to get Henry’s attention so El can find him in her mindscape.” Will turned back to the vine raising his hand again. Mike decided against continuing the conversation as to prevent any more annoyance from Will. Instead, Mike watched, rather intently. Will’s arm rose slowly, as it did the vine slowly floated off the wall. As it seemed he was accomplishing something, Will stopped. Mike glanced around his shoulder, trying to glance at Wills face. As his arm fell, the vine slithered down the wall and towards Will.
“Will?” Mike stood cautiously, grabbing his crowbar from his bag. “Will what’s happening?” The vine continued towards Will
Will began to mumble something, Mike catching the occasional “no” or “I won’t”. Mike's grip tightened on the crowbar as he approached Will, unaware of anything about to happen. Suddenly, Will whipped around, eyes an unsettling shade of white.
"Holy shit-" Mike felt the ground disappear beneath his feet as he stumbled back in fear, an attempt to escape Will's steps echoing as though they weren't his own. He continued to approach a stunned Mike, who's heart was beating as though it were likely to leap out of his chest. Something slithered behind Will, seemingly following him.
"He's scared of you Mike." A guttural voice escaped Will, clearly nothing like his own. "Deep inside, he despises you." The vines continued to slither along, trapping Mike's wrist to the floor
"Will, what's happening?" His crowbar clattered to the ground as yet another vine inched up his left arm. The vines grasping Mike began to hoist him into the air, and combined with Will's rising arm, Mike's fear was confirmed.
“He knows how you feel about him Michael. He knows how your feelings have made you weak.. pathetic.. disgusting.” Mike had finally become eye level with Will, or whatever had infected him. Breathing became hard as squelching vines snuck around Mikes neck.
“Will please- it’s me.” The words came out hoarse, using the last of his strength to get them out. Fighting against the vines capturing his wrists ended in success as Mike’s hand shot to the vine strangling his neck, trying to pry it off. The acrid scent of mildew in the church was adding to his suffocation, along with the struggle to get more pleas for freedom out. Frigid air ran down Mike's spine as his continued struggle ended in his jacket lifting slightly. The still position of Mike was abruptly shifted as he was thrown against a pew nearby, shattering it into little pieces of wood. Mike's head throbbed as he gasped for air, gaining some due to the slight loosening of the vine around his neck. His ribs ached as he fought back fruitlessly. Confusion continued to swamp his brain as he looked up at Will through tired eyes. "Please..." Mike's pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears. His struggle continued with no sign of success. Tap tap tap tap. Mike froze, realization crossing his face as the burn in his lungs surged on. H. Another tap, E. His vision blurred as he fought to comprehend the signs Will was sending him. Tap, taap, tap, tap, L. Mike understood Will's plea for help just as he was finishing it. Using his foot, Mike clumsily kicked his crowbar up to his recently freed hand, instantly grabbing it and swinging at the vine around his neck, stunning it long enough for him to escape it's grasp. Shooting up despite how lightheaded he had become, Mike swung fruitlessly at another vine, missing this time. "Will I know you're in there. It's me." Pleas continued like a waterfall from Mike's lips. Before he knew it, Mike had been backed against a wall, Will approaching closely. As Mike went to swing once more, this time at Will, hazel pupils flickered against the cream of Will's eyes. "Will!" Mike exclaimed as Will's hand shot to Mike's neck, pinning him against the wall.
"Pathetic. Even the faintest flicker of him makes you falter. Your weakness for him will destroy you." Will's voice continued to deepen as he continued to speak. Mike's left hand swung at the one wrapped around his neck, hearing a painful gasp escape Will's lips. He couldn’t hurt him, no matter how badly he had injured Mike. It’s as though he were physically incapable of doing damage to Will.
"Will- please it's Mike. It's Mike!" His pleas were for naught as his vision blurred, tunneling into darkness faster than he could fight back. Tap tap, I. The taps sliced through the thick air like a knife. Mike’s disgustingly tired eyes shot open, seeing the silhouette of Will’s beautiful pupil returning. Tap taap tap tap, L. His hazy brain tried to form words with these letters. Taap taap taap, O. He desperately searched his brain for any fits with these letters- Tap tap tap taap, V. His heart lurched painfully.
oh
oh
The hand around his neck loosened enough for him to inhale, just once. But it was enough for his brain to regain some usefulness. Instead of wasting his final breaths attempting to return the gesture, Mike sprung forward, lips colliding with Will's in one final, desperate attempt to drag him back. The haziness in Mike's head slowly drifted away without him realizing; Will's grip had released and instead moved to his cheek. As soon as the kiss ceased, Mike dropped to his knees, still on the verge of fainting. Despite his desperate gasping, he was still lacking oxygen majorly.
"Mike." Will seemed to mirror Mike's exhaustion, falling to his knees beside Mike as though he needed to be closer to him than he already had been. "Please be okay." Mike found his face being cradled by a soft, almost desperate touch. As he looked up, Mike saw only Will in his eyes for the first time since the vines struck Mike.
"I'm okay." Mike croaked out, hoarse voice giving the opposite impression to Will. He folded against Will, his weak body begging him to let it give out. The scent of Will mixed with the lingering scent of dust to overwhelm Mike's senses, leading him to finally fall into a safe state of unconsciousness.
----------------------------------
Light flooded into the familiar surroundings of Will's bedroom as Mike arose from his seemingly endless slumber. Ruffling covers sent a light layer of dust flying into the air, further illuminated by the invading sunlight.
"Are you okay?" Mike felt movement directly beside him, though in attempting to turn to face the disruption, his head ached as though he'd been stabbed by a million daggers. Despite the pain, Mike turned to face it, well him. It was Will. His eyes met those glorious hazel pupils and he almost instantaneously felt at home; safe. Worry clearly filled Will's face, especially since Mike had failed to respond to his question.
"Yes" Horrendous scratching filled the air where Mike's voice should've been, leading to a finger meeting his lips; shushing him.
"Your vocal cords, I-" guilt painted Will's expression, voice cracking in pain. "I messed them up. You won't be able to speak normally for a week" Finishing the statement seemed like it physically hurt Will. Mike's hand raised to Will's face, using his thumb to stroke his cheek gently while he wore a sorrowful expression. He leaned in slowly, giving Will time to escape just in case it was somehow false information Mike had imagined in his suffocating haziness. Despite his doubts, he felt soft skin meet his lips, a fragile smile and a sigh of relief followed close behind. It was proof, not solely of Will's requited love for him, but also proof that Will was here, and not actively being stolen from him any longer.