Chapter Text
1. I Gave You My Heart
December 25th, 1985,
The Wheeler living room…
(It's Christmas morning at the Wheelers’. A fire crackles loudly in the fireplace. Boxes and bows and pretty paper torn to pieces are strewn about in chaotic piles. Holly flits around the room, passing out the last of the presents from under the tree. Slumped on the couch beside Nancy, Mike dons an oversized blue knit sweater. His name is stitched in puffy letters like clouds across the front, hovering above a very cheerful snowman which grins from his chest in stark contrast to Mike's own sourpuss expression. Glumly, he looks down at the present in his hands, eyeing the contents with all the enthusiasm of a diseased ferret.)
MIKE: Super Mario Brothers… (blandly) Awesome.
HOLLY (peering over his shoulder): Oooh… That looks fun! Can I play it?
(Mike shrugs and tosses her the cellophaned case.)
MIKE: Here. Knock yourself out.
KAREN: The guy at the store said that game's all the rage this season…
(She purses her lips in sympathy, hoping to see some spark of excitement from her son, or at least a little less gloom. But Mike refuses to cooperate. If he has to be miserable today, he's taking everyone down with him.)
NANCY: I'm sure it's great, Mom.
MIKE (sneering at Nancy): Well, why don't you keep it then?
HOLLY: But you gave it to me! It's basically mine now…
KAREN: Holly, he didn't actually–
MIKE (bitingly): No, I did. She can have it. She can have everything! I don't want it. (standing up) Can I go to my room now?
KAREN: Mike…
TED: You're being ungrateful, young man.
MIKE: I'm…?
(With a huff, he scowls at his dad, folding his arms in a barricade across his chest that smothers the snowman's smile. Ted just stares at him tepidly and adjusts his La-Z-Boy.)
KAREN: It's Christmas, honey…
MIKE: I know! And guess what I do every Christmas?
(Mike's scowl slips a little, revealing a look of anguish he's kept boarded up all morning. All month. His eyes glisten with unpacked emotion. Feeling for him, Karen stands up beside her son. She puts an arm around his shoulders and gently pats his hand.)
KAREN: I know, sweetie – I do. You show all your presents to Will and try them out together.
MIKE: Yeah! And guess what I can't do this year! (He pulls away from her and glares around the room, daring anyone to say it out loud. Holly opens her mouth just as Nancy leans over and covers it.) So, if you don't mind… I’d rather go wallow in self-pity upstairs. Alone!
KAREN: Honey… You'll see him again…
TED: It's not like the boy's dead, son.
(Simultaneously, they all gape at Ted, the fire snapping and popping in their stunned silence. Mike scoffs, shaking his head as he stomps towards the hall. Nancy jumps up after him.)
NANCY: Aw, come on, Mike… I know it sucks. I miss Jonathan too, but… you can't go around being bitter and sad all the time.
(He turns to Nancy, arms still pretzeled in front of him, and stares his sister dead in the eye.)
MIKE: Oh, yeah? Watch me.
(With that, he spins on his heels and resumes his dramatic departure.)
KAREN: Michael. Wait… There's still one more present. It’s just… not quite ready yet.
HOLLY: Do I get another present?
NANCY (whispering): No, Holly, it's…
(She mouths something behind her hand. Mike slows down but doesn't stop.)
KAREN: So… if you can hang on just a little while longer, it should be here soon…
(Fists clenched, Mike pivots, aiming his deadpan stare at his mother.)
MIKE: So?! It's not Will. So I don't give a f–
NANCY (cutting him off): Mom…? (Holly starts to say something, but Nancy muffles her mouth again.) Can't we just… put him out of his misery already?
(Mike’s jaw drops in disbelief. Are they… planning on offing him?! He's not being that annoying, is he?)
KAREN: Well, I was waiting for… (She sighs, then adopts a resolute smile.) I guess it doesn't matter. He'll be excited either way…
MIKE: Why? What…?
(In bewildered irritation, Mike peers at his family all grinning at him. Even Ted offers a mild smirk from his armchair.)
KAREN: Sweetie…? Will's gonna be here tomorrow.
(Karen beams, brow raised in delight, as she watches Mike's eyes burst like fireworks while the news sinks in.)
MIKE: What?! A-are you…? You… I… Oh…
TED: So, we're just naming vowels now…?
MIKE: Oh, oh, oh my god! Are you serious?!
KAREN (chuckling): Yup. Completely serious.
TED: As a hundred-dollar bill. That's what the ticket cost me.
KAREN: Mrs. Lancaster’s knitting him a sweater right now… (She points at the one Mike is wearing.) With his name and a decked-out Christmas tree… so you two will match! I was going to have you open it, instead of just… telling you, but… (grimacing in apology) I guess she’s not quite finished.
(Mike rakes his fingers through his hair, still trying to process everything.)
MIKE (amazed): And, and… all of you knew? How…? How did you keep it quiet? How did you keep Holly quiet?!
HOLLY (indignant): I can keep a secret…
NANCY: Bribed her with candy. She can't talk with her mouth full.
(Holly glares up at Nancy as Mike continues spinning out.)
MIKE: Holy shit! I, I…
TED: Language, son.
MIKE: I can't believe this. I just… Oh, my god! Will?! Tomorrow? For real?!
(His voice rises in pitch with each utterance.)
KAREN (nodding): For real.
MIKE: Oh my god!
(He rushes over to his mom, throwing his arms around her and kissing her forehead repeatedly. He then picks up Holly, dancing her around the room in a circle as she giggles and squeals, the flames in the fireplace dancing alongside them. Putting her back down, he glances at Ted – who raises a hand in demurral – before swiftly moving on to his older sister.)
MIKE: You guys are the best! The absolute best!
(He hugs Nancy and kisses his mom one more time before making a mad dash for the hallway.)
KAREN (calling after him): Hey! Where are you going?
MIKE (without stopping): Upstairs! I have to write him a letter!
TED: But he's gonna be… (He gives up mid-thought, waving Mike away despite the fact that his son is long gone.) Ehn, nevermind. We don't have to watch him sulk anymore. That's the best present of the year!
The next morning, at the arrivals gate of the Indianapolis International Airport…
(Standing beside his mom as he waits for Will to emerge, Mike fidgets with his fingers, with his zipper, with his hair, his mind tobogganing through every little thing that could possibly go wrong. Or right. All the what ifs. Reassuringly, Karen rubs his back.)
KAREN: You nervous, honey?
MIKE: Y-yeah. I, I kinda am. I dunno why. I mean, it's only Will, right?
(As if Will could ever be “only” anything.)
KAREN: Well, yes, but… it’s bound to be a little surreal after not seeing each other for so long. It makes sense that things might feel… different. (Mike's furrowed brow furrows even deeper.) Oh, don’t worry, sweetie. I'm sure once he's here, it'll be like nothing's changed.
MIKE: Yeah?
(It's at this point that the doors slide apart, releasing an avalanche of travelers. Karen’s mouth falls open and her eyebrows lift in surprise.)
KAREN: Or I… could be wrong…
(Mike follows her line of sight over to the gate, nerves buzzing with anticipation. His worries melt away, the adrenaline taking over now that Will is here. Will is here! He can hardly believe it. He's been wanting this for so long. He runs to get a closer look, still unable to spot him. His eyes search through dozens of unfamiliar faces. Finally, he finds him as the crowd thins, snippets of piped-in music peeking out between the passengers. He stops dead in his tracks.)
“Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye…”
(He was expecting to see the boy who drove away crying in October. But the person walking towards him now, trying to wave as he lugs a tote bag, a backpack and a duffel so heavy he can barely keep it on his shoulder – this Will? Is someone else entirely.)
“Tell me, baby
Do you recognize me?”
(Shorter hair, slightly tanned. Taller, broader, his jawline more square, his chin more chiseled. Is that… facial hair?! Mike gawks at the shadow of stubble surrounding Will's mouth like a bullseye. What the hell? Who even is this person?)
“Well, it's been a year
It doesn't surprise me…”
KAREN (catching up to them): My goodness, Will. You're practically a full-grown man now! What have they been feeding you out there on the West coast?
WILL (blushing awkwardly): Um, hi… M-Mrs. Wheeler. Uh, I dunno?
(The voice, when it hits him, nearly knocks Mike off his feet. It's still Will's voice but somehow… not. It's deep and resonant. And kind of makes Mike's stomach quiver and his knees go weak. And is that sweat? Mike wipes his brow, his fingers coming back damp.)
KAREN: Well, I'm going to go find a cart to carry all the baggage. (to Will) I didn't realize you'd be bringing so much.
WILL: Oh, yeah – my, my mom and Jonathan sent presents. (to Mike) And… El too.
“I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying "I love you"
I meant it…”
(Oh shit. Did Mike get anything for El? He tries to remember, wincing a little. Whoops.)
“Now I know what a fool I've been…”
(Karen bustles off, leaving the boys alone together for the first time in months. For a moment, they simply stare at each other, not really sure where to start. Not really sure what's okay anymore.)
“But if you kissed me now
I know you'd fool me again…”
MIKE (voice cracking): H-hi…
WILL: Hi.
MIKE and WILL: Wow. You're so…
WILL: Tall. And look at your hair!
MIKE: Oh. Yeah, I've… I've been… growing. I, I guess.
WILL (with a chuckle): I can see that. W-what were you gonna say?
MIKE: Um… (What was he gonna say? You're so… gorgeous? Nope – can't say that! Maybe try something not weird.) Uh… Y-your voice is really, um…
(Mike flounders, self-consciously kneading his too-long hair.)
WILL: Low? Yeah. I… I guess we haven't talked in a while, have we?
MIKE (looking down): N… no.
WILL: Hey, it's okay… I, I've been busy too.
(Except Mike hasn't been busy. Mike's been miserable. Will's phone has been busy. But he doesn't want to say anything. Doesn't want to start anything. Or cry. Mike kicks at his shoe, worried that he also has changed too much. And somehow, not enough.)
MIKE: I… I…
(Mike's words stall. He can't think of anything to say. He's been missing Will so much, walking around with a hollowed-out hole in his heart where Will is supposed to be. And now, he doesn't know if his Will even exists anymore. Doesn't know if this new guy, as hot as he is, can fit the space Will left behind. He's terrified the answer is no. It's too much. He just wants Will back – the way he used to be, with his radiant smile and sweet little laugh and his gentle voice. And that look that made Mike feel special, the one that told him he was Will's best friend, his favorite person, and no one could ever take that away. Remembering it, Mike feels his eyes well up and his face go blotchy.)
“This year
To save me from tears…”
WILL: Mike…? A-are you okay?
MIKE: I…
“I'll give it to someone special.”
(Will drops his bags. He loops his arms around Mike’s shoulders, tentative but firm, and pulls him close, and Mike melts into him, accepting the warmth, the comfort. Needing them, desperately. He holds onto Will as if he's the past and cries for everything he's lost. Soothingly, Will rubs his back, scritching his fingers in a little squeeze on Mike's shoulder blades, just like used to. It's such a distinct gesture, and something only Will does. A speck of hope takes root – maybe he's not gone. He still feels like Will, still smells like Will… Mike holds on tighter.)
WILL: Aw, it's okay… I, I missed you too.
(Pulling back slightly, Will studies Mike's face. With a little pout, he gently wipes the tears off Mike's cheeks, blinking away the puddles pooling in his own eyes. He smiles, shy but bright like the sun, and Mike's chest begins to glow because he knows that smile. He loves that smile.)
MIKE: Will…?
WILL: Careful… y-your mascara's gonna run.
(He flashes Mike a goofy grin. Laughing, Mike's heart fills like it's about to burst, and with an aching affection, all he can think is, Oh, yeah – that's my Will.)
(END SCENE)