Chapter Text
Will Byers stood by the entrance of Mike Wheeler's home, holding the few things he had remembered to bring with him from Lenora in his hands. His chest felt tight, the nerves taking control. He tried to shake them off - it was Mike, after all. His friend. His friend.
A week after they had spectacularly failed at preventing Vecna from taking his fourth and final victim, Max, and splitting Hawkins into four jagged pieces, the town had gone into lockdown. Nobody could enter, nobody could exit, which had left the Byers and the Hoppers with nowhere to live in the town they had once called home.
Hopper and El had returned to their cabin, managing to make it livable within three days with the help of the party, allowing them to lay low and be invisible in the eyes of the law. The Byers had used the shelter in the school gym for six days after the lockdown started, but quickly realised it wouldn't be sustainable for long.
Thankfully, Karen Wheeler had been made aware of the situation through Nancy, and had kindly offered to let the Byers stay with them until they found their own place. Joyce, usually too proud to take an offer like that, knew that it was the best she could do for Will and Jonathan, and had reluctantly but gratefully accepted.
Now, they were moving in.
Joyce knocked on the door, and Karen was the one to open it, a sympathetic smile on her face and a small Holly Wheeler peeking out from behind her leg.
‘Hi, Joyce.’
‘Hey, Karen. Listen, thanks so much for doing this, we'll be out of your hair as soon as I can find a place-’
‘Hey, no worries at all. We're glad to help. Besides, Michael could probably use some more masculine figures in the house. Ted's not exactly the best example of how a man should be.’ Karen sighed.
Joyce smiled awkwardly, exchanging a look with Jonathan.
‘I’m sure.’
‘Anyway.’ Karen's smile brightened again. ‘Come on in!’
She stepped aside, allowing Will to take in the hallway of the house he had spent half of his childhood playing in.
Joyce entered without hesitation, Jonathan close behind.
Will followed reluctantly, aware that he and Mike weren't as close as they once were. Hell, years ago, when his parents were screaming at each other on the other side of the wall, he used to lay in bed and drown out the noise with daydreams of being adopted by Mike's mom. Living in Mike's house, sharing Mike's clothes, playing D&D whenever they wanted. Sometimes he'd get unsettling thoughts, too - ones that made him feel disgusted with himself when he remembered them the next day. Nobody normal would daydream about their best friend's lips on theirs.
Now, he was actually living with Mike. The same Mike who had been a really shitty friend to him in Lenora. The Mike who had only called him, what, twice in the months he had been gone? He had apologised, but Will hadn't forgotten.
He stepped through the front door, his thoughts interrupted by the smell that had hit him. Drying laundry, a detergent he recognised from Mike's clothes. Something baking in the oven - Mrs. Wheeler always had something cooking around this time. A hint of polish, a dead giveaway that she'd cleaned the place up before their arrival, along with the streaks from the vacuum cleaner on the carpet.
A wave of nostalgia washed over him. It’d been months since he'd last been to Mike's house.
Ted Wheeler's loud snores echoed through the house, almost drowning out the soft music coming from upstairs.
Karen rolled her eyes at him, making Holly giggle.
‘He was supposed to welcome you with me, but you know what he's like.’ She closed the living room door, muffling his noise. Without the snores, Will was able to make out ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ by Joy Division drifting down the stairs. That had to be Mike’s stereo.
‘I’ve already discussed sleeping arrangements with the family.’ Karen gestured upstairs. ‘Joyce, the guest room is all yours. Jonathan, I understand you and Nancy are together, and whilst you're both adults, I think it would be more… appropriate… if you took up the basement. Every young man needs his own space. And Will, Michael practically begged me to let you stay in his room, although I thought you might prefer to share the basement with Jonathan as there's a lot more room. The choice is yours.’
Will was taken aback. Mike had begged to have him stay in his room?
‘Oh, uh… okay.’ He managed to stammer out. ‘Thank you.’
Jonathan side eyed his brother, but said nothing.
‘Anyway, dinner should be ready in about an hour. You should make a decision now and get Mike to help you set your bed up.’ Karen smiled. ‘Make yourselves at home.’
She vanished into the kitchen, Holly close behind her.
‘Alright, boys. Don't actually make yourselves at home. Remember to use your manners, especially with Mr. Wheeler.’ Joyce grimaced before heading upstairs to her bedroom.
Jonathan smiled sympathetically at Will, clearly leaving the decision up to him, and headed upstairs behind Joyce.
Will sighed. He climbed the stairs hesitantly, eventually forcing himself to knock on Mike's door once reaching the landing. The last time they'd spoken had been positive, but that sour taste caused by California was still in his mouth.
The music stopped, and Mike's door swung open.
‘Hey!’ Mike grinned. He appeared to have just gotten out of bed, his curls in a tangled mess on his head and the imprint of his pillow still on his face. Will was floored by his effortless beauty. How did he make it look so easy?
‘Damn, I must've lost track of time. I was reading this comic, super captivating stuff. Maybe you'd like it!’
Will blinked, unsure what to say. Was this the same Mike who had sidelined him at Rink O’ Mania?
‘Uh, sure. I'll have a look.’
Mike stepped aside, allowing Will inside his bedroom.
It was the same as Will remembered, except the painting he had made was now framed and on display next to Mike's bookcase.
‘I got it put up two days ago. I haven't been able to see El very often because she's laying low and whatever, so it's like… I don't know.’
‘Yeah, I get it.’ Will forced a polite smile.
‘Cool.’
Awkward silence fell over them.
‘Well, um… Oh! Did you want to set the bed up? It's the old mattress we used to use for party sleepovers.’
Will smiled at the memory.
‘Yeah. Your mom said that she wanted me to stay in the basement, so-’
Mike frowned, his nose wrinkling in distaste.
‘Nevermind what my mom said. The basement is cold and shitty at night, you know that.’
‘Yeah, I know.’
‘Just... It sucks that I can't see El regularly and I think… I think it just might be easier if you stayed.’ Mike kicked the floor softly.
Will felt deflated. Of course his presence was only necessary to distract from the lack of El’s.
Mike paused, scratching the back of his neck.
‘I don't know. It's better when you- when someone is here with me.’
Will swallowed, his chest tight, and nodded. He hated himself for still wanting to comfort him.
‘Yeah.’ He said softly. ‘I’ll stay up here.’
Mike didn't seem to detect the reluctance in Will’s tone, and smiled.
‘Alright.’
He knelt to the floor and pulled the dusty mattress out from under his bed, dragging it across his bedroom floor.
He gestured for Will to come and help, and together they attempted to set up the bed. Neither boy knew how to put a duvet cover on, and Karen had to come and do it for them. When she came upstairs, she brought dinner with her, seemingly having decided that Ted being asleep and the Byers having just moved in called for an exception to the “dinner at the table every night” rule.
Will sat and ate at Mike's desk, whilst Mike sat on his bed, ignoring his mom’s instructions to under no circumstances do that when eating.
The sound of static fizzled around the room as Mike tweaked the signal on his walkie, attempting to reach El.
Will ate in silence, pretending not to watch.
Eventually, Mike got through.
‘Mike?’ El’s broken voice came through the walkie.
‘El! Finally, I thought this stupid thing wasn't working.”
‘Sorry. I w… dinner.’ The signal was weak, and El’s sentences were barely coherent.
‘Oh, I'm eating mine now.’ Mike replied. ‘What did you have?’
Soon, Mike and El were deep in conversation, and Will had been forgotten once again.
Defeated, Will took his plate downstairs and washed up, before getting ready for bed and crawling under the covers.
Mike continued to talk to El, quieter now Will was in bed, but still loud enough to bug him. Will pulled his pillow over his head to drown out the sound.
The warmth of the room didn't reach him. He was already on the outside.