Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Time seemed to slow down for Mike as he stared at the whites of Will’s eyes. He barely processed the demogorgon corpse laying at his feet, the fire raging around him, the dead soldiers piled nearby, or the fact that they had failed in their mission to protect the kids.

For a drawn out moment in time, all Mike could focus on was Will’s hazel eyes slowly rolling forward from the back of his head. He stiffly, almost methodically, reached up a hand to wipe away the blood trickling down his nose as his face slackened. 

He looks so beautiful… A distant part of Mike’s mind echoed, which he didn’t have the current level of cognitive functioning to consider in any more detail. 

There would be time to worry about the ramifications of what this all meant later. For now, Will looked exhausted. His eyes were hooded and he gave a few lazy blinks from where he was kneeling on the ground. After a few moments, Will’s eyes closed fully and he slumped forward to the ground. That was what finally caused reality to snap back into focus for Mike— as if he had been in some kind of trance before.

There was a ringing in his ears left over from the blast that had sent him and the kids careening to the ground earlier. He was aware of the blood that had splattered on his face, the prickling uncomfortable feeling of the blazing fire drying his wet clothes, and of the ache in his body from being thrown around. Dimly he heard Mrs. Byers yelling for Will, but by then Mike had already pushed himself into an unsteady run over to where Will had fallen. His focus single-minded as he saw him collapsed amidst the smoke and bloodshed, looking so drained and small— a stark contrast to the strength he had exerted mere moments ago in order to kill the demogorgon. 

Mike was still off-balance and he practically collapsed to the ground as he came to a skidding stop at Will’s side, “Will, Will!” He yelled, grunting as he turned the other boy onto his back in order to assess whether he was injured. 

He didn’t seem to have any visible injuries, yet he didn’t stir at Mike’s desperate shouting. Vaguely, out of the corner of his eyes he could see Mrs. Byers hurrying over to Will’s other side, “Come on Will, wake up,” Mike pleaded as Mrs. Byers tearfully caressed his face and called out his name. 

The small rise and fall of Will’s chest and the soft breaths of air coming from his mouth were the only things keeping Mike sane at the moment. Will would be fine, Mike refused to consider any other option. Seeing Will collapse like that had made his heart drop like a lead weight into his stomach. Protecting Will was second nature to him, not just in their campaigns, but in real life too. He had always been the person Will came to when he had a problem, or when he was upset about something. There was an almost instinctive response in him when he saw Will collapse, that had shattered him out of that awestruck trance. 

 “We need to get him back to the Squawk,” Mike said urgently, “He needs somewhere safe to rest.”

If Mike had to guess, Will was probably just drained from using his powers, and god, was that still so insane to think about. Will had powers. He was actually a sorcerer in real life. Mike’s hunch had been right, and Will had been smart enough to figure out how to use his powers in the blink of a moment. The knowledge almost made him giddy as he imagined talking to Will about it when he woke up again. 

“Will,” Mrs. Byers pleaded for her son to wake up again. She was likely still in a state of shock. Getting tossed like a rag doll to the ground likely wasn’t helping much either, Mike hoped she hadn’t gotten a concussion or something. The jury was still out whether Mike had one as well. 

“Mrs. Byers, we need to get him away from here, now, Vecna could come back and Will isn’t in a state to fight back this time,” he urged again. Will’s mom looked up at him, her teary eyes hardening at the prospect.

The spark of determination returned to her eyes at the prospect of Vecna returning for Will, and she was quick to move into action, “I’ll go find a car-- or something that we can use to get back to the station. Can you—”

“I got him,” Mike said before she could ask, “I got him. Get a car, get Erica, and we’re getting Will out of here.”

She gave him a grateful look before stumbling back to her feet to go and find some kind of transportation for them. While she was gone, Mike started the process of getting Will off the ground. No one, including himself, had ever claimed that he was strong, and Will’s body being completely limp wasn’t helping matters either, but Mike managed to pull him up from the ground. He carefully leaned down and maneuvered Will so that he was supporting most of his weight on his back. From this angle, Will’s head lolled over Mike’s shoulder, and the quiet sound of him breathing was right next to his ear. It was a constant, comforting reminder that Will was ok, and Mike found himself pausing for a few moments just to listen and allow the shallow puffs of Will’s breath to soothe his concern. 

The noise of an engine sputtered to life in the distance, and Mike turned to see the headlights of one of the military trucks flicker on. It seemed Mrs. Byers had managed to find a car that escaped significant damage in the massacre and hotwire it. Mike grunted slightly as he shifted and shouldered the full weight of Will’s body draped over his back. In retrospect, he could have just waited for Mrs. Byers to come to him. But all he could think about was getting Will out of this place and away from the gate as quickly as possible, so he began to slowly make his way towards the direction of the car as it drove toward them. 

Mrs. Byers drove as fast as she could through the square, trying to avoid the bodies and military equipment scattered around. Mike winced as he watched, with all the dead bodies it was impossible not to hit some as she drove. She drove forward anyway, and Mike did his best not to look at the bloody mess it caused. They were dead, it didn’t matter, what mattered was getting Will to safety, and the car was the best way to do that right now. If that meant driving over, and desecrating, some corpses, then so be it. 

Mrs. Byers pulled the car into a screeching halt once they were close enough and leapt out to throw the back door open for Mike to get Will inside. Her face was practically white as she took in Will’s pallor tone and his bloodied face, “Will, baby…” she trailed off, gently stroking some blood off his face for a moment before looking back over at Mike, “Keep an eye on him until we get back.”

“Of course,” Mike breathed, still a little winded from carrying Will as he slid into the back next to Will’s unconscious form. He shifted Will’s body so that it was leaning against him in case they hit any more bumps on the way out and it jostled him. 

In the front, Mrs. Byers was quick to start the car again and step on the gas, being even less careful about how she was driving now that they were inside. Erica had made her way down from the church to join them at some point, and she was now sitting in the passenger seat. She had always acted as if the upside down stuff didn’t scare her, or even phase her in the slightest. But even she looked shaken by the scene in front of them as they drove out of the battlefield. There was a distinctive lack of smart comments from the normally outspoken girl. In fact, the entire car was silent. Mrs. Byers was totally focused on driving and Mike was focused on Will. 

————

The Radio Station was empty when they returned. The truck being gone was a good sign that Robin and Lucas may have been able to get some of the kids out after all, but the healed incisions burned into the ground left Mike with the distinct feeling that it might not have gone as well as they hoped. 

Erica practically collapsed on the first couch when they walked inside, looking a little shell-shocked still. It probably wasn’t helping that none of them had slept since waking up on November third, that was days ago now, nearly three. Erikia hadn’t got involved until the fourth, but she was likely just as exhausted as the rest of them. 

For Mike’s part, he knew he should be dead on his feet right now. But instead he felt as if his whole body was buzzing, still trying to process what had happened in the past few hours. Maybe the adrenaline was still getting to him, but he didn’t think he could sleep right now even if he wanted to. And he didn’t want to. Someone had to watch over Will while he rested in case something happened, and Mrs. Byers looked exhausted. It had to be him. 

The two of them left Erica to rest upstairs and worked together to carry Will down the stairs into the room that they used as their meeting place. There was another couch in the corner where Mike and Mrs. Byers carefully maneuvered and laid down Will. He didn’t stir despite the manhandling, his face remained serene in his resting state. There wasn’t a wrinkle on his forehead or a tenseness that would suggest that he was being plagued by any mental attacks or visions while in his weakened state, thankfully. 

Laying there, looking peaceful, he reminded Mike painfully of Max in her hospital bed. It wasn’t a comparison he wanted to think about even remotely. Even the brief connection between the two of them in his mind was enough to have his heartbeat spiking with a nervous buzz, and he had to remind himself that their situations were completely different. 

There was no denying that if Will was one of Vecna’s targets before, he was even more of one now. Mike doubted he would appreciate someone hijacking his army. But Will had powers now, or maybe he had had them for years and only now realized how to tap into them. All Mike knew was that he was a goddamn sorcerer now, and Vecna wouldn’t be able to defeat him so easily anymore. The thought gave him a vicious sense of satisfaction, if anyone deserved to kill the bastard it was Will after all the shit he was put through in the upside down. 

And if Vecna did try something while Will was resting, then they would be ready. They had walkmen ready in the station, one for each of them, with their favorite song inside prepped to play. If he caught any sign of discomfort on Will’s face he wouldn’t wait to find out if it was Vecna or not before he started playing the music. The bastard couldn’t touch Will here, for now he was safe, and Mike would make sure he remained that way. 

Mike didn’t know how long he remained staring at Will as he sorted through his thoughts, but a shaky breath from Mrs. Byers reminded him of her presence, “You should go get changed out of those wet clothes, I’ll do the same for Will,” she told him with a bone-weary look on her face that made her look older than her years. 

He was loath to leave Will’s side at all, but Mike could admit that he wanted out of his damp clothes that were making his skin itch. All of them had extra clothes stored here. It wasn’t just their communication center, it was a base of operations for them. There had been plenty of nights Mike had slept on one of the couches here after a crawl instead of biking home late in the evening. It was the same for everyone else, and it certainly came in handy now. 

Mike knew later he would have to go back to his house and retrieve some stuff from the ruins, but he wanted to put that off for as long as he could. Truthfully it hadn’t fully set in yet what had happened at his house. He knew his parents were in critical condition, he knew Holly was missing. He was all too aware of it. But he couldn’t think about what that meant right now, he couldn’t worry about the ramifications-- at least until they had Holly back and Vecna was dead. 

He could use a shower as well, but for now he settled on throwing on some clothes, which he hoped were clean, from a bin in the storage closet and changing into them. By the time he returned to the lower level of the radio station, Mrs. Byers had changed Will into a sweater and a pair of sweatpants. 

She had pulled up a chair from the nearby table in order to sit next to the couch. Her eyes were closed and she had her hands clutched tightly in front of her, her grip so tight her knuckles had turned white. As he got closer he could see the faint line of tear tracks on her cheeks that remained after being wiped away. 

“Mrs. Byers,” Mike broached hesitantly. 

Her eyes opened slowly, an utterly drained look in them. She tried to offer Mike a tense smile anyway. It was like she had aged ten years in the span of one night. Mike didn’t blame her, it had been a stressful few days leading to an even more stressful night. He was sure all she could think of right now was her worry for Will, he wanted her to know she wasn’t alone in that regard. He knew it was different, Will was her son, Mike worried about him in a completely different way than she did. But he was right there with her with his concern.

He had never been good at heart-to-hearts. He usually avoided them all together. The few successful ones he could think of off the top of his head were mostly the ones he had with Will. But it was different with Will, it always was. Mike didn’t know what it was about him, but something about Will always made it easier to speak about how he was feeling honestly. Maybe it was because they had known each other so long. They had been so young when they became friends that Mike didn’t remember a time in his life before he met Will. 

“He’s going to be fine,” Mike said as gently as he could as he leaned against one of the arms on the couch, “He’s just majorly drained from killing that demogorgon, but he’ll wake up once his body recovers its strength and he’ll be totally ok. Better than ok even! Now that he knows he can control the hivemind, he’s stronger than before.”

Mrs. Byers let out a tired sigh, “That’s what I’m worried about,” she said in a strained voice, “That-- that bastard was already targeting him. Now that Will is a threat to him, it’ll draw even more attention to him. I can’t-- I won’t lose him again,” Mrs. Byers choked out angrily. 

“And you won’t,” Mike promised, his voice tightening in anger as well at the very prospect, “I won’t let that happen, none of us will.”

Mrs. Byers sniffled, “He’s been so insistent on helping recently too. He even disobeyed me to go out and look for Holly with Robin. He’s never not listened to me before. I know he’s getting older, but he’s still my baby, and after everything that’s already happened to him all I want to do is protect him,” the words tumbled out of Mrs. Byers mouth, like she was incapable of holding them back for a moment longer, “Now that he knows he has these powers he certainly won’t let himself be sidelined. I already have to let El go out there and fight this bastard, but Will too? How is this fair?”

“It’s not,” Mike replied, “But if we really want to kill Vecna and make sure Will, and El, and everyone in Hawkins is never in danger from the Upside Down again, they’re gonna have to fight,” His words certainly didn’t seem to be comforting to Mrs. Byers at all, and Mike decided to switch tactics a bit, “In D&D you don’t throw your spellcasters on the front lines unless you have to. They typically have lower constitution in exchange for being able to deal massive amounts of damage, so when going up against Melee units you want them in a safe spot where your melee units can protect them, but where they’re still in range so they can still deal massive damage,” he explained, “But Vecna is like a spellcaster and a melee unit all in one, if we tried to throw our melee players against him, like Steve and Hop, they wouldn’t stand a chance. We have no chance at beating him unless we unleash the full force of our strongest players against him. Our spellcasters, our heavy hitters. that’s Will and El.”

Mrs. Byers stared at him blankly after his speech, looking a little confused as she attempted to follow the analogy. Mike had a feeling that nothing he was saying was really processing to Mrs. Byers with her limited knowledge of D&D. He sighed, deciding to just move on instead of explaining again, “Besides, he won’t be alone,” Mike added, “Wherever he goes, I will too. I’ll keep him safe, I’ll protect him Mrs. Byers, I promise,” he swore resolutely. 

Mrs. Byers let out a wet laugh, “I know you will, you always have,” she smiled at him, the fond expression tinged with sadness, “And I hope you know how thankful I am for that. But you’re a kid too, Mike. I don’t want either of you in danger.”

“It’s too late for that now,” Mike replied awkwardly, “Besides, we’re the same age as Jonathan and Nancy were when this all started. You and Hopper have always trusted them to play their roles, so trust us now. We’ll all play our part in killing Vecna and ending this once and for all.”

“I never wanted Jonathan, or Nancy, or Steve and Robin for that matter, to have to shoulder all this responsibility either,” Mrs. Byers replied sorrowfully, “I guess it was a little different because Jonathan always tried to act older than he was to be there for Will, and I let him, encouraged it even,” she admitted, sounding a little guilty, “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t kill me every time he puts himself in danger for his brother. But Will has always needed more protecting than others, and Jonathan knew that too. I just knew I couldn’t stop him if I wanted to, and Will needed him just as much as he needed me. I guess it’s the same with you kids now. With everything that happened, it feels like time has moved so quickly, I forget you guys aren’t twelve anymore.”

Mike didn’t know what to say so he just nodded tensely. Mrs. Byers gave him another fond look, “You’re a good kid Mike, Will is lucky to have you.”

Something about the way she said it caused a warm burst of pride in him. If anything, Mike felt like it was the opposite. He didn’t know what his life would be like now if he had never approached Will on the swingset that day. Maybe he would have never gotten involved in this craziness with the upside down in the first place. Maybe he would be blissfully ignorant of what was going on right now. Maybe his family would have left Hawkins before the quarantine ever went into effect. He could be safe with a bright future ahead of him, and no troubles beyond his next test in school. 

But the very notion repulsed him. Sure, maybe he would be safe. But he would be alone, so painfully alone. Even if he had different friends. It wouldn’t be the same as Will. And Mike’s opinion hadn’t changed since that moment in the shed where he had told Will that approaching him on the swingset that day was the best thing he ever did. Even if it came with the requirement of fighting interdimensional monsters through every single one of his teenage years. If Mike found himself back in that moment with the knowledge of what was to come in the future, there wouldn’t be a single part of him that hesitated to ask that fateful question to Will once again. He’d prefer to relive every horrible, painful moment of their fights against the upside down over and over again if it meant getting to be friends with Will. 

Mike swallowed heavily at his own thoughts swirling through his head. There was a weight to them that he couldn’t quite admit. The part of him that had always categorized Will differently than everyone else, placing him in his own special ‘Will’ category in his mind that was separate from his other friends, knew that wasn’t how people usually viewed their friends-- even their best friends. 

He knew if he told Will about that, he would smile and tease him about it because he was embarrassed. But he would be happy about it, really happy. Yet, Mike imagined thinking of Lucas or Dustin in the same way and couldn’t comprehend it even though they were his best friends too. Nor could he imagine they would be touched about it in the same way Will was if he told them something similar-- more likely they would be confused. And something about that was bothering him, like he was so close to realizing something, and yet a part of himself already knew and wanted nothing more than to ignore it. 

“Mrs. Byers, I can watch over Will for a while,” Mike offered, “You haven’t slept in days, you should rest. None of us will be any help if we collapse before the final battle.”

Mrs. Byers shook her head, “You need rest too Mike.”

“I’m not tired,” he lied, “Please, just… I can watch over Will and try to contact the others. Go rest with Erica for a bit, I’ll wake you up if anything changes,” Truthfully, Mike wanted to be alone right now. His thoughts, especially the ones about Will, were a jumbled mess, and even though a part of him wanted to ignore it and remain blissfully ignorant. Another part of him thought that if it was the end of the world, and they all might die in the next few days, he owed it to himself to take the leap and try to sort himself out. Besides, the thought of Will being out of sight right now, while he was in such a vulnerable state, was out of the question for Mike. 

Mrs. Byers looked like she wanted to insist he get some rest once again, but something in his expression must have convinced her about how serious he was, because she relented, “Ok… but if you hear anything over the radio, or something with Will changes come get me.”

“I promise,” Mike agreed quickly. Mrs. Byers stood up from her chair and offered the spot to Mike instead. She gave him a gentle pat on his shoulder, and one last worried look towards Will, before going upstairs in order to find somewhere to get some sleep. 

Mike slumped in the chair, leaning forward and looking at Will’s peaceful face as he slept, “Wake up soon,” he said softly, even though Will couldn’t hear him.

Chapter Text

“Murray, do you copy… Lucas, do you copy, Robin?” Mike waited a few moments after speaking into the radio, “Anyone? Nancy? Jonathan? Hopper?" With most of the group in the Upside Down it wasn’t likely they would be hearing anything from them in the meantime, but Mike figured he should at least try. 

When nothing came over the line but static he grumbled and set the receiver down a little harsher than necessary. He told Mrs. Byers he would try to contact the others while he was down here, but no matter how many times he called out over the line, no one answered. After an hour of checking in every few minutes, it was safe to say wherever everyone was, none of them would be radioing anytime soon. They just had to hope that Lucas and Robin had managed to smuggle out the kids that had been with them before everything went to shit, and wait for them to make it back to the Radio Station. 

Mike turned his attention back to where Will was still fast asleep a few feet away from him. For a moment, Mike felt like he was thirteen again. Sitting next to Will’s hospital bed in the lab, unable to do anything to help as the most important person to him suffered. He had been putting off thinking about his feelings when it came to Will. Recently his thoughts almost always found a way to stray back to Will. He couldn’t think of anything else when Will was around him, and even when he wasn’t around, Mike thought of him anyway. With all that was going on, and everything at stake, Mike had decided a while ago he didn’t want to hold onto any regrets. He was coming to find that was easier said than done. Being honest with himself, after so many years of fighting, hiding, and lying to himself, almost felt daunting. Like he had dug a hole that was too deep to climb out of anymore. But, at least, he owed it to himself to try. 

And, if he was deciding to be honest with himself, for once, this wasn’t solely a recent development. He was beginning to find it harder to ignore that the way he thought of Will was different than how people would usually think about their friends… and he was really trying and failing to forget the fact that one of his first thoughts after seeing Will using his powers was how beautiful he looked. But the way he viewed Will differently than their other friends was nothing new. It had just been easier to ignore, or write off as meaning nothing, when they were younger and Mike wasn’t plagued with a greater understanding of how their relationship was different from what it should be between two friends-- especially two male friends. 

Him and El deciding they were better off as friends and choosing to break up once and for all only made his true feelings all the more obvious now that he couldn’t use his and Els’ relationship as an excuse to ignore them. He knew he had acted like a dick to Will when he and El were still together. And no matter the fact that Will seemed to unfailingly forgive him for each and every cruel action and misstep, the guilt still lingered on his part. At the time he hadn’t been thinking. But now, it was easy to look back and put the puzzle pieces together. When he was with El, he was forcing himself to dedicate a part of himself to her that he normally dedicated to Will, and Will alone. There was a reason that his friendship with Will suffered the most in the months after he and El first started dating. 

That summer in 1985, he hadn’t had the same problem with his friendship with Lucas. Sure, Lucas teased him a lot for focusing too much on his girlfriend and ignoring the rest of them, but it had mostly been done in good fun. Dustin had been away for most of the summer, so he was a little annoyed when Mike had ditched them right when he got back. But in the months before that, Dustin had similarly been unpashed at his and El’s clinginess. It was only Will and Mikes’ relationship that seemed to take significant damage during those months. 

At the time he chalked it up to the fact that Will simply hadn’t gotten a girlfriend like the rest of them yet, so he had no one to fall back on when the rest of them were busy spending time with them. But Will had never acted with the same frustration towards Lucas as he did towards Mike about the whole situation. He didn’t seem to take offense with Lucas and Max like he did with Mike and El. And Mike could see now that was because Lucas hadn’t started treating Will any differently after getting a girlfriend like Mike had. 

God, Will had just gone through one of the worst weeks of his life, being possessed by the mindflayer, and almost dying. And Mike should have been there for him like he was when Will was rescued from the Upside Down. But he hadn’t because he’d been too caught up in the novelty of having a girlfriend. He had started treating Will differently in the moment where he needed Mike more than ever, no wonder he had been upset with him. He had tried to give a part of himself that normally belonged to Will to El instead. A part of him knew that the reason he had pushed Will away so much after he began dating El was because Will’s presence made that fact and all its implications painfully obvious.  

It was one thing to ditch his friends to hang out with his girlfriend. They groaned about it, but it was only understandable. It was only expected. But to ditch one of his friends because he felt as though his presence consumed the full force of Mike’s attention and devotion when he was around, the attention and devotion a boy should want to give their girlfriend… now that was different. That wasn’t normal. He knew Lucas and Dustin didn’t have the same problems with their girlfriends. It wasn’t like they felt like they were trying to have their girlfriend fill the same role that currently belonged to one of their male friends. Even worse, trying and failing to do so. 

It was why he and El could never seem to overcome the challenges in their relationship. Mike was trying to have her fill a role he knew already belonged to someone else, simply because everyone seemed to think that she fit that role better than Will did because she was a girl and he was a boy. Mike had always been too scared to let their relationship go, even when it showed every sign that it wasn’t working and never would. Dating El was like a safety net, everyone thought they should be together, everyone thought they made such a compatible pair. So, if Mike proved them wrong by ruining the relationship, then it would be the same as admitting the core of the problem. If he couldn’t function in a relationship with a girl as wonderful as El, then he couldn’t function in a relationship with any girl. 

Mike swallowed heavily and looked away from Will’s sleeping face. That was the type of confession that would cause certain accusations to be thrown his way. Accusations that were true, but that Mike wasn’t sure he wanted to face the ramifications of. It wasn’t that he thought being gay was wrong, despite all the negative comments and stereotypes he had heard about gay people growing up. As a bullied social outcast and nerd, who was Mike to judge other outcasts of society? They were both in similar boats, and well, Mike actually had a foot in both boats it seemed. 

The crux of why he had always avoided accepting that part of himself was never because he was disgusted by it, but because he had found that it was easier to bury it than to deal with the consequences it would have on his life. Everything would be harder. It would be so much easier if Mike could just love a girl who he would eventually marry like society expected of him. 

His eyes went back to Will, drawn there unconsciously as they tended to do whenever he was in the same room. A lot had changed in a night. He had relented and accepted a fact he had worked so fastidiously to deny for years. And god, was it a relief, even if it left an uncomfortable pit in his stomach. 

Everything was building to a grand finale, and Mike couldn’t be positive they would all live to see it. He had just watched dozens of soldiers be viciously torn to pieces by monsters on a battlefield, he had watched his plan fail and the kids they fought so hard to save be dragged away. He had truly believed that he was going to die, and he had remained rooted in place as he watched the demogorgon move in for a killing blow. He had expected to feel its claws ripping through his body, and the worst part of it had been knowing that he had never had a chance to live while being totally truthful to himself. 

A part of him had always known, but over the years he had grown skillful at dodging the truth. But not tonight, he promised himself he wouldn’t live with regrets any more. He was Mike Wheeler, and he was in love with his best friend, and he had been for a very long time. Fuck it. He was gay. Mike was gay and in love with Will Byers. The world was possibly ending, why should he care about hiding a part of himself? Why should he be ashamed? Why had he been so goddamn scared to admit such a simple fact when he had faced down horrors nearly beyond comprehension for all of his teenage years? Who cared that he loved a boy. Monsters were actively invading their town, his parents were on their death beds, and his little sister was missing. He was so goddamn tired, and so mad. And he was fed up with hiding from himself. Almost dying put into perspective just how stupid it was to get hung up on what society told him he should or shouldn't do. He could have died tonight. 

Besides, Will was perfect, how could anyone fault Mike for falling in love with him. He was doomed from the start, it was an unfair game where he had never stood a chance of escaping the pull of his own feelings. And looking into Will’s eyes after he used his powers to slaughter the demogorgon that had been seconds away from killing him had sent his heart racing in a way it never had before. Will was so beautiful in that moment. If he hadn’t passed out, Mike might have done something stupid and rushed over there and kissed him then and there, consequences be damned. 

Will shivered slightly in his sleep. It was the smallest movement, just a slight tremble, but it was enough to have Mike’s focus instantly shifted from his own jumbled and messy realizations to the boy in front of him, “Will?” Mike called softly, hopefully. He should probably be more nervous about the moment when Will wakes up, and the fragile bubble of safety they found themselves in down in the radio station basement shattered. 

They would have to focus on finding the others and planning for the final battle. And after everything that Mike had realized about himself and their relationship, he should be worried that Will would start to catch on that Mike didn’t think of him in the innocent, platonic way one should think of their friend in. 

It’s not like he was worried Will would judge him for it if he knew. He was too kind for something as petty as that, and after having kids bully him for being perceived as queer his whole life, Mike couldn’t see him turning around and doing the same to someone else. In fact, sometimes Mike wondered whether there might be something different in the way Will behaved around him in comparison to others as well. He wasn’t oblivious, he knew Will’s eyes always lingered on him the longest, even when they were among their other friends. And secretly, Mike had wondered whether there was a chance Will actually was gay, like all the kids accused him of being when they were growing up. Will just never seemed to care about girls like Dustin and Lucas did, he had looked terrified the entire time he was dancing with that one girl at the snowball. He never brought that up with Will though, or hinted that he might suspect it, knowing Will would probably take it the wrong way and think Mike was judging him for it. 

Until that argument in the rain three summers ago. It’s not my fault you don’t like girls. God, Mike still didn’t know why he said that to him. Will hadn’t been upset because Mike had a girlfriend, he was simply calling Mike out for ignoring him all summer. And Mike had just panicked and blurted that out because in the spur of the moment. Will had been getting too close, too close to the thing that Mike had been terrified to put into words at the time— terrified to even put into thoughts. He wasn’t choosing to ignore Will, but rather he had to ignore Will in order to keep up the act of a loving boyfriend to El. Because the more time he spent with Will, the harder it was to ignore the truth.  

And then El had told him that Will liked some girl in Lenora and Mike had been left to practically seethe in a jealousy he was too ashamed to admit out loud. Even now, the thought of this unknown girl caused his stomach to flip and a sour taste to enter his mouth even though she clearly didn’t mean much to Will if he hadn’t mentioned her at all in the eighteen months since he returned to Hawkins. 

Will had gone deathly still again after that brief shiver, causing a brief flash of disappointment in Mike. God he wanted Will to be awake and here with him right now, his own complicated feelings aside. The boy he had known for as long as he could remember had just developed actual superpowers. This was everything they fantasized about as kids, running around in his backyard with fake wands and swords and pretending to be heroes from storybooks. And later as characters in their D&D campaigns. If those little boys knew that one day magic would be very real to them, and that Will would actually be able to use it, they would lose their minds. Mike tried to focus on that instead of the shitty situation they were in that caused Will to develop the powers in the first place. Sometimes you have to look on the positive side of things in order to keep yourself sane in a sea of misfortune, especially in a town as shitty as Hawkins. And developing superpowers was cool as fuck. He wanted to hear Will’s side of what had happened so bad. Once he understood more, he and Will could start brainstorming on how they could use his new abilities to their advantage and protect himself from any interference from Vecna. 

Will shivered again and Mike frowned. It wasn’t particularly cold, and he was dressed in a sweater and covered by a blanket. He shouldn’t be cold at all. It all seemed reminiscent of when the Mindflayer had used him to spy and he was constantly cold to the touch. 

Slowly, he reached out and covered one of Will’s hands with his own. His skin was icy to the touch, but Mike didn’t pull away at the sudden feeling, just like he hadn’t back when they were thirteen. He was just about to consider finding another blanket for Will, when the sound of shoes pattering quickly against the steps reached his ears. 

Mike pulled his hand away and swung his head around towards the stairs wearily. He expected Joyce and Erica, but instead he was met with the wild, frazzled gazes of Robin and Lucas, “Mike? What’s going on, is Will ok?” Lucas asked in a concerned voice as he saw Will’s limp form on the couch. 

His relief at seeing Lucas alive was quickly tinged with annoyance when Robin suddenly exclaimed, in a voice that was far too loud in his opinion, “Oh my god. Oh my god! What happened? We heard that warning from Erica about you guys being under attack, but after that we were under attack as well, and the truck crashed, and our walkie broke, and--”she rambled as her boots made a loud clattering sound and she cleared the last few steps in a rush to get to Will. Lucas trailed after her with his forehead creased in worry. 

Mike didn’t know what her deal was. They had worked together for eighteen months now, they were allies, but she had never been close to him, Dustin, Lucas, or Will. And then suddenly, in the span of, like, one day her and Will become best friends who were practically glued to each other's sides. He would almost think she had a thing for him, as creepy as that thought would be given the fact she was Jonathan and Nancy’s age, if it weren’t for the fact he had loudly heard her brag about some boy she was dating to Steve countless times before. 

He didn’t know why it made him so defensive to see Robin so worried. Of course he was happy that other people cared about Will. But she was behaving entirely too personal for someone who had only started to truly get to know Will yesterday. Besides, she was being way too loud and overwhelming given the fact Will was resting only a few feet away, “Hey, back off, he doesn’t need people crowding him right now!” Mike glared at her in annoyance. 

“What the hell happened with you guys?” Robin asked again, not seeming to pick up on his annoyance about her badgering at all, “Joyce told us that he was drained but recovering. Did he tap into the hivemind again? Did he get another vision? What happened at the Mac? Did those Demos come for you guys too?”

He really wanted her to just give Will some goddamn space, right now she was leaning over the couch as if she could stare at him long enough to magically assess the problem, “I’ll explain, just back off a bit,” he huffed, “The last thing Will needs right now is everyone hovering over him while he’s resting.”

Robin didn’t even blink before replying, “But you’re hovering over him right now?” 

"Obviously. Someone needs to watch him, but I already have it handled. I’m the one who knows him best,” Mike didn’t remember Robin being this annoying in his interactions with her before. She spends one day hanging out with Will and suddenly thinks she has a leg to stand on while making calls about his well-being. Mike was the one that had been with Will the last time his connection to the hivemind had made itself known, when the mindflayer had used him to spy. He had been the one to sit by Will’s bedside every single day. He was always the one who looked after Will. Robin hadn’t even known about the Upside Down back then. She may think she knows Will, but she doesn’t. Not like he did. 

Robin raised an eyebrow sharply, looking at him with a weirdly blank expression that Mike couldn’t read at all. But she seemed to finally listen to what he had been telling her for the first time since she came barging down here. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender which Mike glowered at, feeling as though she was mocking him with how she did it. And then finally, she stepped back and went over to sit next to Lucas at the table across from the couch. 

“I’m glad you guys are ok. It was looking pretty rough there for a moment, I can only imagine what happened on your end,” Lucas said, sparing Mike from having to deal with Robin’s incessant questioning finally, “... I assume they got the kids that were with you guys,” Lucas added guiltily. 

“Yeah,” Mike muttered, remembering waking up, his ears ringing, and seeing those demogorgons dragging away the kids they had fought so hard to protect, “Same with you guys?” he asked despite knowing the answer already. If they were back this quickly, then there was no way they had completed the plan of driving the kids to the next town over, they wouldn’t have made it back in time. 

Robin shook her head with a frown on her face, “They were so close, but I couldn’t do anything to save them in the end,” Lucas said in a hushed, angry voice, “One of them begged me for help, begged me, but all I could do was watch.”

“We’ll get them back,” Mike replied resolutely, glancing back towards Will for a moment and feeling a smile grow on his face, “Now that we have our sorcerer, Vecna will think twice about sending the hivemind to do his dirty work in Hawkins.”

“Woah, hold on… sorcerer?” Lucas blinked, “You mean Will?”

Mike wished Will was awake to see the wide-eyed looks on their faces. Though knowing Will, he’d probably try to downplay just how amazing what he accomplished actually was, “Vecna sent one of the demogorgons after me, but Will was able to take control of the hive mind and kill it.”

“That was him!” Robin blurted at the same time Lucas glanced over to Will’s sleeping form and mumbled, “Holy shit Byers…” while shaking his head. 

“What was him?” Mike asked sharply. Robin hadn’t been anywhere near the Mac when the attack happened, she couldn’t have known what Will did there. The same went for Lucas, and yet the both of them looked like they had finally managed to connect pieces in their heads to a puzzle that Mike wasn’t aware of, “What are you talking about?” Mike insisted again. 

Robin and Lucas shared a quick look that only caused Mike’s impatience to spike further, “After the kids were taken, the two of us were attacked as well,” Lucas revealed, “I thought I was done for, but it froze before it could deal the final strike. And then--” he grimaced. 

Lucas paused for a second, and Robin interjected immediately as if she couldn’t contain the words in her mouth for a moment longer, her eyes lighting up with excitement, “The way their bones snapped was just like what happened to the people Vecna targeted last year! I assumed it must have been him who interfered for some reason, but I couldn’t comprehend what reason he would have to help us. It makes so much more sense if it was Will who saved us,” she laughed to herself, “Holy shit, I knew the kid had it in him,” she added fondly as she looked over at Will with a proud look that pissed Mike off to no end. What was she talking about? She knew Will had it in him. No she hadn’t. She. Didn’t. Know. Him. Mike had been the one who knew what Will was capable of, Robin acted like she had as well, but it was all bullshit. 

As proven by her next words, “He told me about his connection to the hive mind, but he never mentioned he could actually take control of it.”

“That’s because it’s a recent development,” Mike rolled his eyes, “Did you think that Will was hiding it from us?” he accused. 

Robin screwed up her face in confusion, “What? No, I was just saying--”

“Look you don’t really know what you’re talking about,” Mike didn’t let her ramble this time, “You weren’t there the last time Will’s connection to the hive mind made itself known. I was at the lab with him when the mindflayer took control of him with it. But that connection is a two way street, and I knew that Will could take back that control for himself. I knew he was capable of turning Vecna’s plan against him! And I was right, because I know Will better than anyone else,” Mike explained through gritted teeth. Will had teased him about the idea when he brought it up, clearly not thinking it was possible. But he had trusted Mike’s judgment in the end and attempted it when Mike’s life had been put at stake. He had saved all three of them, in three different locations, simultaneously. But when he exited his powered state, the person he had been staring at without faltering had been Mike. He knew now that Will had saved Lucas and Robin as well, but he couldn’t help but feel that he had been the catalyst for it. At least he hoped he was. It was stupid, he knew that. He wasn’t jealous that Will had saved their other friends' lives as well, and that his awakened powers hadn’t resulted solely because of Mike. It’s not like he hadn’t wanted Will to save him. 

But it was his theory, and he had been the one to actually believe Will could do it when no one else had even considered it a possibility. He had been the one there with Will during the battle, and the person he looked at when it was over. He wanted more than anything to believe that it was for him. Because it would mean that Will viewed him differently than their other friends, in a category more than simple friendship. That it might mean that the feelings Mike no longer wanted to hold back may be reciprocated. But then again, Will had been trying harder than anyone to keep him and El together when their relationship had been on the rocks. It was probably just Mike’s wishful thinking that Will might think of Mike the same way he thought of him. 

Robin remained silent after his speech, her forehead wrinkled in confusion as she looked at him like he was some math problem she couldn’t quite figure out, while Lucas stared at Will with a worried look, “Are you sure this is safe? Cause, once again, I’m getting serious deja vu…” he pointed out, “It’s a two way street, like you said, that’s why Will was able to take control. But that means that the Vecna could use him to spy again.”

“You think I haven’t thought about that,” Mike replied defensively, “Will’s connection to the hive mind exists whether we like it or not. Vecna will always be a threat to him, but at least now, at least if Will is more aware of how the connection works, he has a better chance of fighting back if that bastard tries to take control of him again!” Ignoring the elephant in the room wouldn’t make it go away. No matter how much Joyce tried to keep him away from combat, and no matter how careful they were, if Will was connected to the hive mind, there was little they could do to actually hide him from Vecna’s sight. Mike had known that the moment that Will had explained to them how he had been seeing through the eyes of Vecna’s victims. And then it was only cemented when he had been forced to watch Will convulsing at the Mac as he experienced the feeling of being burned alive right alongside the demos. It was just like the first time, and once again Mike hadn’t been able to protect him from a threat that came from inside of him. There wasn’t a bully he could push, a physical injury he could tend to, or any amount of comforting words he could give to help Will. And that knowledge fucking killed him because he had always been Will’s protector before this bullshit with the Upside Down had grown larger than Mike could ever protect him from. What he could do though is trust Will, and help him figure out how to turn this thing that had haunted him and tormented him for years into something he at least had a modicum of control over. 

Lucas’s worry hadn’t abated in the slightest, but he nodded, “It makes sense, but Mike… what are we going to do if Vecna takes control of him again? If this is a situation like with the mindflayer, hurting Vecna could hurt Will too.”

Mike was exhausted, and he really didn’t want Lucas asking him questions about the one thing he was dreading thinking about more than anything right now. They needed Will to help stop Vecna, but if he was that close to the hive mind when the deed was done, how would that recoil back to Will? There was simply too much they didn’t know right now, and Mike doubted they would be getting any answers at least until Will woke up and could give them a better insight into how he had tapped into control of the hive. 

“We’ll figure it out,” he insisted, as if he spoke the words with enough conviction it would erase all the nagging worries that whispered in the back of his own mind, “We’ve found a way before, we can find one again. And at least this time Will actually has a way to fight back.”

Lucas frowned, but nodded, “What’s up with your jacket, by the way?” Mike asked as he eyed the article of clothing in question. Of course he had noticed it the moment that Lucas walked downstairs, it was a little hard not to with how obvious it was, but they had immediately started questioning him about Will so he hadn’t had a chance to point it out. He had his jacket tied around his chest, with one end going over his shoulder and wrapping under the armpit on the other side of his chest. Presumably  the sleeves were tied in a knot behind his back to keep it secured. 

“Oh?” Lucas winced, “Yeah, a demo got me across the chest while I was trying to protect the kids.”

“What the hell? Are you ok?” Mike exclaimed, “Why are you only mentioning this now!”

“Relax, I’m fine, it’s just a flesh wound,” Lucas insisted, “I got it to stop bleeding pretty quickly, so I doubt it’s deep enough to need stitches. It just hurts like hell,” he tried to joke. 

Mike rolled his eyes, “Yeah, sure. Well you won’t be laughing if it gets infected, I’m sure that getting a flesh wound from an inter-dimensional monster in a cave isn’t the most sterile environment. Remember--” 

“Clean, disinfect, then bandage,” Lucas finished, a morbid smile on his face as he repeated Max’s words. His mood dropped significantly at the reminder, like it always did whenever they brought up Max. He could laugh off a demogorgon injury, but a reference to Max was enough to send him spiraling into misery. It was another reminder of just how much was on the line. They needed to end Vecna and close the gate into the upside down once and for all. Mike and Max had never gotten along well. Max seemed to delight in annoying him, but she was still his friend, annoying or not. And things didn’t feel right with her gone. If they couldn’t find a way to kill Vecna and wake her up, then Mike wasn’t sure if Lucas would ever recover, and something would always feel off with their group, they would be missing a part of themselves. The thought made him look back at Will. It wasn’t just Max’s life on the line, they needed to end this for Will’s sake as well, he would never be safe with his connection to Vecna and the Upside Down looming over him. 

“There’s, uh, medical supplies in the closet upstairs,” Robin cautiously spoke up for the first time in a few minutes, her eyes briefly flickering between him and Will before going back to Lucas, “We keep it stocked, just in case, you know?” she laughed awkwardly, followed by an equally awkward pause before she cleared her throat and grabbed Lucas’s arm, “Alright, come on Sinclair. I can help you get bandaged up, we’ll leave Will in Wheeler’s capable care!” 

Lucas didn’t have a chance to answer before Robin was half-dragging him up from his seat in order to scurry away. Mike watched them go with a frown. Robin was odd, and that was saying something in their group. He couldn’t understand how Will had become so enamored with her presence over the course of a single day. As of a few days ago they had only ever spoken in group settings. And now suddenly, Will was treating her like some hero came to life and giggling with her over inside jokes during missions. Mike did not see whatever Will was seeing in her at all. 

He heard the door loudly close and sighed as he slumped back in his chair, reaching out to hold Will’s cold hand again, “Just wake up soon, Will,” Mike mumbled, “There’s so much I want to say to you.”