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Joyce had been the one to suggest Will and Mike stay in the same room, after Will had his night terror.
They had slept awkwardly at first, both laying as far to their side of the mattress as physically possible. But then one night, Mike put his arm around Will.
They didn’t talk about it- not when it happened, not the next day, and not when Mike did it again the following night, but it was nice. It helped Will feel warm, and that warded off the nightmares about thim.
He likes it cold.
So Will would have to stay warm.
For awhile, Mike being there was enough to keep his restless mind at bay, but tonight was different. Will was inconsolable. He had felt on the verge of a panic attack since the morning, and every thought he had threatened to push him over the edge.
It was cold. Too cold. Cold, cold, cold.
Mike must have noticed something was off because he followed Will as soon as he went downstairs as opposed to waiting the usual thirty minutes they gave to seem natural.
Will was huddled in a blanket, close to the fireplace when he came down to check on him.
Tears streamed down his cheek and his teeth chattered. He looked pathetic. Mike shouldn’t see him like this.
“…Cold?” Mike asked, putting a gentle hand on Will’s shoulder in order to steady him. Over the years, he had caught onto Will’s tendency to bundle up and stay as warm as possible.
Will tried not to look back at him.
“It just.. it reminds me of-“ His voice cracked ever so slightly, but Mike noticed. “I can still… feel him on me, you know. Vecna. It’s like I’m dirty.”
Mike nodded knowingly, his lips pursing in thought. “Well… I think I know a way to help you get over your fear..”
Will wiped his eyes and finally turned to look at him.
“What do you mean?”
Mike stood up and extended a hand.
“I’ll show you.”
————————————————————
Mike made sure to lend Will one of his coats, and put on his gloves for him when his hands were too jittery.
It was only August but to Will, it felt like the arctic outside. The harsh autumn air seemed to whip him in the face, making his nose run and his cheeks sting.
Mike promised it would be worth it.
He took Will by the hand and led him down a path he had never seen before, just west of main street. The leaves on the ground were brilliant colors, and as they walked, Will began to relax.
“You trust me, right, Will?” Mike asked after awhile, using his arm to sway away a tree branch as they navigated through the underbrush.
“Yeah.. But you have to admit, you’re acting weird.” He laughed, and Mike gave him a warm, reassuring smile.
“Okay… wait here a second.”
Mike disappeared into the shrubbery, and suddenly all Will could hear was the rustling of leaves. It was frightening, and the tree in front of him was obscuring his view. But he trusted Mike. With his whole heart.
After what felt like years of silence, there was finally a noise in the distance. The splashing of water. What on earth did he have planned?
A moment later, Mike called out to him again.
“Okay, come on!”
Tentatively, Will stepped through the gap in the trees that Mike had used. The ground beneath him felt different when he stepped. Grainy.
It hit him all at once. Sand, the sound of water, and the sight of Mike’s bare back as he washed himself. He plunged under the water and came back up with a whooping cheer, his long ebony curls now turned to wet ringlets.
God, he was beautiful.
For a moment, Will was transfixed on the curve of his spine, his shoulder blades and the freckles that riddled his fair skin, but Mike snapped him out of it.
“You coming or what?” He grinned.
“How exactly is this supposed to help me get over my fear of the cold…?”
“By showing you it doesn’t always mean something bad. It can be nice to cool off.” Mike came a bit closer to the shore, extending his hand once more before pausing. “Take your time, though. I get that it’s hard.”
Will took off his coat, gloves and shoes, and barely allowed himself to dip his toe into the water. It was freezing. All the memories of the upside down bursted into his mind as if a flood gate had been opened, and he shuddered.
“I… I can’t.” Will flinched and pulled his body back. How lame was he that he couldn’t even go swimming? It made him feel awful and dejected as he sat on the sand, but Mike didn’t judge.
“Hey, that’s okay. Take all the time you need…. I’m, uh- I’m sorry if this was a bad idea, I just.. I wanted you to have some fun. Y'know, take a break from saving the world real quick?”
Will smiled weakly, his eyes never leaving Mike’s exposed skin. He was ethereal like this. Like a renaissance painting come to life.
“How did you even find this place?”
For a second, Mike looked stunned.
“You don’t know about Lover’s Lake?”
The word “lover” made Will’s cheeks glow red all over again. The name did sound familiar, though. Max had mentioned going here with Lucas once.
“Lover’s lake…” He tested the name, letting out a soft, satisfied hum.
“Yeah, cuz, uh.. You know. We’re lovers now, I guess.” Mike smiled, awkward and beautiful.
For a long time they just talked. Mike cleaned himself, and then just soaked in the water, letting it wash over his body. They talked about comic books, dungeons and dragons, and shitty movies. Anything to distract them from the real world. It was sweet, how Mike always knew how to help.
——————————————————————
After about a half hour had passed, Will stood. Mike cocked his head at him, curious.
“Leaving already?” He asked, sounding almost sad.
“No, uh… Actually, I wanna get in.” Will asserted, trying to keep his voice from wavering.
He felt Mike’s gaze on him as he took off his sweater and tossed it to the ground. The air still stung, but now he had found a new sense of determination.
As he neared the water, his breath hitched again. Maybe he couldn’t do this. Maybe if he got in, Vecna would come back and then-
“Hey. I’m here.” Mike spoke softly, coming closer to him. “I’m with you.”
Will mustered his strength, closed his eyes, and stepped into the water. When he winced, Mike touched his arm. Mike was warm.
He could focus on that.
Slowly and carefully, Mike brought him further into the water, until he was waist deep. There, he stopped, taking a moment to look at him.
Will couldn’t help but break out into a flustered smile.
“You’re cute when you’re happy.” Mike brushed his hair away from his eyes.
Will let go of Mike’s hand and instead wrapped his arms around him. He was right- this was kind of nice.
“Ready?” Mike asked, and Will knew what he had planned. Together, both boys sunk down and let the water submerge them. They stayed for a moment, and when they rose, Mike was there, scanning his face for any worry or hurt.
Mike’s hair was flat now, slicked back like some kind of rockstar. Will erupted into laughter, and Mike laughed too.
“Your hair!” Will said between giggles.
“YOUR hair!” Mike echoed, and Will knew he looked just as silly.
They laughed a long time. They laughed until they cried, until their lungs hurt. Just like when they were kids. And then, Mike kissed him.
With his eyes closed and Mike’s lips on his own, Will forgot the world around him. Yeah. This was nice.
Around midnight, Mike wrapped his jacket around Will and walked him home.
This time, Will hardly felt the cold at all.