Chapter Text
If i tell you now, will you stay?
This is all real.
This isn’t like any other fantasy Will had when they were twelve of Mike Wheeler. The day they first met on the swings, it was an instant click. They knew right there and then that they would be friends. Best friends.
But neither of them expected something more.
Will was already used to hiding his feelings by now. He didn’t want to hurt El, and obviously, his fear of rejection always took upon him.
When Mike and Eleven broke up that summer, he didn’t know what to do. How to act. How he felt.
So he kept it all to himself, as per usual. He thought nothing would ever happen between them.
But I guess he can’t say that now that there pressed this close to eachother.
This time, its real.
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2 MONTHS PRIOR
Chapter 1: Bike ride
WILL´S POV
Time: 08:00 am
Its August 21st in Hawkins. Summer is pretty much almost over and everyone is just trying to enjoy these last upcoming days.
Will doesn’t fully get up with his alarm.
“Cmon Byers, wake up!”- Hopper shouts and he immediately jumps out of bed. Daily reminder Hopper would probably win “Star Search” by just exploding the judge’s eardrums.
Will doesn’t want to get up just now. But he has to help El train today. Maybe next time he shouldn’t stay up until late rewatching “Back to the Future”.
He gets up and quickly gets dressed before heading to the kitchen. There, he meets Joyce who’s finishing her toast while Hopper cleans the dishes.
Mornings are usually calmer this time of the year. For awhile now, Wills routine has consisted of: waking up everyday around the same time, helping with stuff out and then spending the rest of his day to his desire.
Joyce: “Morning Willy, sleep well?”
Will nods. He grabs an apple from the fruit basket and heads to the door.
Will: “Im gonna go help El out, need anything?”
Hopper: “Has long as you come back alive and don’t give your mother another heart attack, I think we’re good.”- he says teasingly.
Joyce nudges him playfully.
Will loves that his mom is finally happy after everything with Lonnie. He doesn’t show it, but he thinks and feels it.
Will: “Guys its 8am!! -he says with a hidden smile "...Gross.”
They both roll their eyes dramatically.
Joyce: “I don’t think you’ll say that once you fall inlove.”
Will: “Im not gonna fall inlove.”- expect he has. And he feels so stupid about it.
Will puts on his shoes, smiling at the couple’s direction, sharing their goodbyes before closing the door. He grabs his bike and rides to the junkyard where El practices.
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Will: “11 minutes and 19 seconds. Pretty good.”- he stops the timer.
El just hums and he notices her discomfort right away.
Will: “You good?”
El: “Its not good enough.”- shes been pushing herself all summer, even before the breakup.
Will: “Don’t do that.”
Eleven swallows hard, leaning over a yellow car she uses has an obstacle. She looks down.
He hates seeing people down. Especially his sister.
Will goes over and pulls her for a hug.
Will: “It’s gonna be fine. I promise.”- he’s not sure.
Deep down, everybody is scared. Himself included.
Eleven: “I don’t want him to hurt you again. The party”.
Will holds her hand.
Will: “Well stick together. Bitchin?”
El smiles.
Eleven: “Always, William.”- when Vecna said it, it was terrifying. But that doesn’t apply to his eggo lover.
Will: “Not my government name, “JANE HOPPER”- he says mockingly, gesturing with his fingers.
El pushes him and they laugh. Then, they go back to training.
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Its afternoon now, probably around 4pm. They’re done for today so its packing time. They talk about Vecna, the party- and obviously, - DND.
Will: “So if the party wins, they get to live happily ever after.”
Eleven looks him up and down smiling, followed by a scoff.
Eleven: “You’re just using Mikes words.”- she says, shoving an empty box of apple juice onto her backpack, to later throw it off.
Will just looks at her and nods. He´s still a bit unsure when she mentions him.
And basically, just that funny feeling of hearing Mikes name.
Sometimes he thinks she’s still hurt, even though she makes it clear that they’re on good terms. He does know one think that would probably hurt her though.
El notices.
El: “Will -she says softly-, its fine. Were still friends at the end of the day.”
June 18th.
He still remembers it like it was yesterday.
The fight her and Mike had. No one truly knows what it was about, only that they fought and ended up mutually breaking up. It’s still weird to Will, to everyone.
Since then, Will has always felt this bit of…guilt.
God how could he be inlove with his sister’s ex bf? His bestfriend? He tries to remind himself emotions like that cant be controlled, but it sounds even stupider that way. And it hurts that he cant tell El. Because…hes scared. And what would…. he even think?
Cuz in what world would Mike Wheeler be queer….
Suddenly, someone speaks through the walkie.
Eleven: “Can you check that? I’m gonna go pack the rest up.”
He´s already halfway there. But he stops when he hears who it is.
-“El, do you copy?”
Its Mike.
Will freezes for some reason. It’s like hearing his voice awakes something in him. It does.
Mike repeats and Will finally grabs the walkie.
Will: “Its Will. I copy.”
Mike: “Oh.”
Ever since, well “June 18th”, Mike and Wills relationship has been….I don’t know.
Different.
Maybe Will has just been dreaming this whole time. But i´m sure they both know its changed. Hopefully.
Or maybe not.
They’re still close obviously, but the energy. It all changed. Maybe it’s the way Wills heart pounds everytime he sees, hears, imagines Mike. How good they would look together.
But again.
Its all one sided. Atleast it’s what Will believes by now.
W: “Hey.”- he swallows dry.
M: “Uh-hi! So…”
W: “Me and El are packing rn. You?”
M: “I’m with Nancy and Jonathan inside that stupid suit shop”- he totally forgot his brother and the Wheelers were hanging out today.
W: “What are you guys even doing?”- he asks, confused.
M: “I don’t even know honestly I was dragged here”-he says- “apparently its for “nostalgia purposes” or some shit.”
Will laughs softly through the walkie and imagines Mike smiling too.
M: “They tried to make me wear a suit but I ran away from their trap.”
The last time Will saw Mike in a suit was during the snowball dance.
The night.
The moment he saw Mike, it was like his heart stopped beating for a second, just a singular second.
But it was enough to change everything.
Will has always been a caring and warm hearted person, but since then, it hasn’t been the same. Its fine when its Joyce, El, his friends. But when its with Mike, its like that second replays over and over again. And he never gets sick of the sensation.
Because its Mike, and you never truly get tired of the things you love most.
He just imagines how good he would look in a suit, older now. How his biceps would look, the lighting on his face, the same one from the dance. He still remembers it.
A light pink shade.
A marine blue.
A tint of yellow.
Oh how good he would-
-“Hello?? Will?”
Right. Back to reality.
M: “You heard what I said?”
W: “Sorry I zoned out.”
M: “ Lucas asked if we wanted to hangout tonight. I was gonna ask El if she wanted to come too-“
They both pause for a second. Its so weird. This didn’t use to happen before.
W: “Ill ask her”
He can hear Mikes breathing.
M: “Cool.”- hes been saying that alot lately.
W: “Yeah.”
A moment of silence before the walkie turns off.
Yeah, theres no way Mike would want anything like…that.
Why is Mike weird? Or is it Will?
El: “Ready to go?”
Will nods.
Will: “Btw, Mike asked if you wanted to…hang at Lucas tonight.”- hes tried, but he can never not feel jealous.
They have kissed. Gone on dates. Slept on the same bed. They have-
Will: “Ok then.”
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Its around 7 pm when Will grabs his bike and starts biking to the Wheelers house.
During summer all you see is kids playing around, barbecue hangounts, the Starcourt Mall full of people. It’s the only time of the year they get to have just a tiny bit of peace from Vecna.
Even though hes still out there and ready to kill anyone who appears infront of him.
And who knows, he could come back today, tomorrow, the next day.
Will starts feeling a warmness has he stops infront of the Wheelers. Apart from Ted, whos a homophobic son of a bitch whose death cause will probably be from rotting on his couch, they have always been very welcoming. When Will was being used has the spy for the Mindflayer, Mrs Wheeler tried to offer their house incase they needed a place to stay. Will and Mike were each other’s first bestfriends, and both moms are eternally grateful for the company they give eachother.
He also remembers when Mike slept next to him in the hospital. Just for him.
He misses it.
Him.
Will finally knocks of the door.
Karen: “Mike baby, Will is here!!”- she screams.
Will can hear his footsteps. He memorized every single one of them.
M: “Hey.”
The heartbeat.
W: “El couldn’t come.”
Mike just nods.
He’s really confusing. Mike always found it hard to express his feelings to others but not Will. Now…
Will just doesn’t understand why he’s become like that. Cold.
Is it El? Is he just having a bad day?
Mike closes the door and they grab their bikes. He can feel the tension in the air.
This is gonna be a long night…