Chapter Text
Break had begun and for the first time, Mike was not excited. Summer used to mean days filled with laughter, swimming in Lover’s Lake and terribly cooked barbeque. Nowadays it means application letters and too many goddamn cardboard boxes.
Sweat pooled on his forehead as Mike taped the last box shut. It was their final Summer. The last time they’d be together before everything inevitably changed.
‘D&D and action figures.’
He let out a frustrated huff as he stared at the black ink. The red tape glared at him. He hated it. Hated how the colour was for ‘redundant’ contents. Even though Will had promised countless times that he won’t find a new party. Or give up D&D. It still stung.
“Stop staring like that. I thought we agreed I’ll just use your pieces?”
Mike turned, a smile slipped onto his lips before he even noticed. Will leaned against the doorframe, a lazy grin curling on his lips.
“Yeah, still rude of you to just throw them out like they’re expendable”, he replied as he moved to the next box and taped it shut.
‘Stuffed animals’
A lump formed in his throat. Time really was flying by. Just yesterday he gifted Will a stuffed elephant and now it was going out with the trash. Mouth dry, Mike bit his lip. Of course his best friend was too old for plushies now. That’s how adulting worked.
Hands reached for the box and Mike’s eyes followed. Will smiled and tilted his head towards the door. “Come on, Max and Jane are here.” His voice softened. He always knew how to look out for Mike. Especially now that Mike and Jane hadn’t been on the best of terms lately.
The sun shone bright, dust visibly dancing in the light. His heart thrummed as they entered the living room. Everything felt a bit too small.
“What’s up, Wheeler?” Max said. Her voice was cheery and teasing. Mike rolled his eyes, pushing down the urge to flip her off. Her red hair was loose, curls framing her freckled face like the wind personally fought her. Which it probably did considering her skateboard was leaning against the wall.
Next to him, Will already rushed forward. Arms wrapping around the brown haired girl by the door as laughter left them both. Mike’s eyes drifted to the floor.
Ever since Mrs. Byers and goddamn Jim Hopper started dating, Will and Jane had grown incredibly close. That’s what months worth of family nights do to you, he guessed.
Then the dreaded moment came. Mike’s time to shine. The air was static, pressing down onto him. Thankfully, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as it was a few weeks ago. Back when the breakup was fresh and lingered in every breath he took. It was mutual… sort of.
Jane smiled, a little awkward, a little sweet. Mike waved in response, a little small, a little shy. Perhaps a pair of really strong scissors could cut the tension, rid Mike of the embarrassment he felt whenever he looked at Jane.
“Alright weirdos”, Max clapped her hands together and Mike’s never been this grateful, “Lucas is already loading some of the red boxes into the car. Where’s the rest?”
Mike’s gaze wandered to Will. Who was already looking at him with a crease in his eyebrows. Shared looks were one of the simpler pleasures of their friendship.
“Where’s Dustin?” Will asked, taking the words off Mike’s tongue. He nodded in support, foot tapping against the wooden floor.
Max shrugged, taking the red taped box Will dropped earlier. “Who knows?”
Jane nodded along, already moving towards Will’s bedroom.
He blinked once, twice, three times until he gently placed his hand on Will’s shoulder. “Dustin can pay for the snacks later then.” That made his best friend smile. A pretty one. The one where the sunlight hit his face just right.
Summer wasn’t about exploring on sunny days or playing D&D on the rainy ones. Now it was about cardboard boxes taped red and too much sweat forming on his back. The boxes might not be heavy, but there were certainly too many of them.
“Dude, you serious? That’s your D&D stuff!” Lucas' voice ended on a high pitch, disbelief clouding his eyes as he looked at Will. A nervous chuckle left the boy’s lips before pointing at Mike.
Proximity was the usual, the norm. Even so, he couldn’t deny the sweet flavour spreading on his tongue. Fingers a tad too close to his chest, lightly brushing him.
“If there is anything I need, I’ll borrow it from Mike. It’s not that big of a deal.”
In some way, that was true. It shouldn’t be a big deal. It shouldn’t matter if Will threw out old manuals or those handcrafted pieces no one used anymore. It didn’t mean anything, even if Will and Mike spent hours painting small details onto those figures.
“You’re going to college, Will! You’ll still come back here during breaks.” Lucas’ tone was on edge. Though, Mike wasn’t sure if Lucas felt about this as strongly as he did. As he really shouldn’t.
Will groaned as he threw his head back. “Yeah but it’s time to get rid of the things I won’t need anymore. The really important things are still in my room.”
Lucas gasped, grabbing his chest like a wounded soldier. “You hurt me, Byers.”
A gentle sensation blossomed in his chest as Will leaned closer to his side. Their shoulders were brushing as Will chuckled at Lucas’ antics. His fingers buzzed. Though, apparently he wasn’t allowed to dwell on that feeling.
A cold sensation to his neck made Mike shriek, jumping away from whatever unholy thing touched him. Spinning around, he saw Max holding up a can of coke, probably straight from the fridge. Smirking, she waved the drink around. “You scream like a girl.”
Well, fuck you too, Mayfield. He didn’t say that though. Instead, he ripped the can from her hands and flipped her off in the process. The way the cold seeped into his palms felt good, relaxing.
“When are we going to help you pack, Mike?” Jane’s eyebrows creased as she asked and Mike really couldn’t help but look away this time. Grass looked more yellow during summer and heatwaves.
A hand on his shoulder and a squeeze later, his eyes flickered up again. Will looked at him, then at Jane before tightening his grip on Mike’s shoulder. “I think Mike would not want us to see what type of things he’s got in his bedroom.”
Lucas snorted, Max made a gagging sound and Jane tilted her head in confusion. A sigh escaped his lips as he shook Will’s hand off. Something he almost never did. Except on those rare occasions where Will took utmost pleasure in teasing him.
“Break’s barely started. Why is everyone so obsessed with packing already?” Mike grumbled, staring off into the distance. Truth be told, he hadn’t really gotten around to… applying to anything.
Part of him wondered if he’d end up like Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington. Always jumping around jobs. Always working with his Robin. Dustin says they’re having fun. But how fun would it be if Mike didn’t have his own Robin? Biting his tongue, Mike ignored the part where he imagined himself to be a version of Steve.
It’s gotten quiet. The silence bit into his every nerve. In the distance, he couldn’t see much. Trees, bushes. Still far more interesting than his friends.
“He’s right. We should go to the mall and do some shopping instead”, Max said and for the second time today, she saved Mike. She might get on his nerves constantly but when it came down to it, she got his back.
“We can get some new outfits for Mike, god knows he needs them.” Lips forming a thin line, Mike took back all the praise he just gave her. Max Mayfield was a horrible, horrible person.
Laughter cut through the air, loud and hearty. His friends really seemed to enjoy his suffering far more than they should. Lucas’ voice pitched as it always did, Jane muffled her giggles with her hand and Max had this god-awful smirk on her face.
Will’s hand found his back again, lightly patting Mike. He allowed himself a glance. Mouth agape, chuckles and giggles spilling forth, hazel eyes finding his own.
The sunlight cradled Will’s face. Strands of brown hair falling into his face. That familiar buzz flared up again. With a gentle touch, he could push those strands away. Mike could feel his heart beating just a bit faster at the thought.
“Seems like someone finally decided to join.” As if burnt, Mike averted his eyes. Lucas pointed to somewhere and Mike followed. Distant rattling grew louder as a bike appeared in his view. Dustin, finally.
Taking a step back, Mike bumped into Will. His skin hummed as his back met Will’s chest. Too close but necessary considering Dustin apparently wanted to assassinate him. The bike came to a halt right where he stood just a second ago.
“Dude!”, pushing away from Will, he threw his hands in the air. “Crash-land on someone else next time.” Dustin just huffed in response as if Mike’s suggestion was simply ridiculous. Brown locks were tousled beneath the blue cap Dustin wore.
“You overslept, didn’t you? Your shirt is inside out, man.” Lucas pointed out, amusement evident in his tone. Dustin simply shrugged as he got off his bike. A grin spread across his face, bright and uncaring.
Something Mike has always admired about Dustin was how he smiled with his entire face. Puffy cheeks, grin so wide it showed teeth, eyes narrowing and nose scrunched up just a bit. It was infectious, to say the least.
“Nope!” Opening the blue backpack, Dustin searched around in it. “Seeing as this”, he waved around lazily, “is our last, proper summer together. I figured we’d do something special.”
Mike shared a look with Will. The corners of his lips were twitching, undoubtedly curious about what their friend was about to say. He watched as Dustin almost dropped his bag.
His friend made an “aha!” sound before fishing out a white piece of paper. All Mike could make out were a bunch of blue lines, a stamp and something that looked eerily official. Waving the sheet around far too excitedly, Dustin looked at each and every one of them.
“We, my dear friends, are going to Europe!”
Mike blinked, raising an eyebrow. “No, no we’re not.”
Max scoffed, totally not believing Dustin and shaking her head. Lucas suppressed a chuckle and Jane tilted her head.
Dustin opened his mouth, eyes wide. “Guys, I’m serious!” He gestured around, paper flying and probably crinkling in the process. “Will, Lucas and I are off to college in just two months! We need something memorable, something special. Something… European!”
That was awfully serious for something that should be so completely out of question. Surely, surely the others shared his opinion. It was ridiculous, going to Europe. Alas, his disappointment only deepened.
Max shrugged and turned to Jane. “Sounds fun. Why not?” Mike swore his chin met the floor. Even Lucas showed a thumbs up with a grin. Betrayed. He has been utterly betrayed.
Hawkins was fine, good even. They had Lover’s Lake, the Byers’ backyard, Mike’s basement. Hell, even Starcourt mall for movies and shopping. What could Europe possibly offer that Hawkins didn’t?
Warmth made itself present on his side as Will nudged him. A glint was present in those hazel eyes. “We can watch The Terminator on the plane then”, he whispered, hot breath tickling Mike’s cheek.
As heat spread from his neck to his ears, Mike considered it. Perhaps Europe could be a nice change of pace.