Chapter Text
Will woke up coughing.
He could feel it, in his mouth, his throat, pushing... Things, inside of him. Thick and cold and slimy.
No matter how much he coughed, the feeling wouldn't leave. He could feel them, moving in his stomach, wriggling and gods they were moving-
"Will!"
Will flinched, covering his head.
"Oh, sorry... It's just me. It's Mike."
Will peeked at him through his arms, dragging in air. Mike offered an apologetic smile.
"Hey. You're okay. You're at my place."
Right. He was staying over.
"S-sorry..." Will sat up, his head spinning. He hugged himself, fingers digging into his ribs.
"You don't have to apologise..." Mike said. "...Was it him? Vecna?"
"Not... Not really. Just the upside down..." Will smiled weakly. "PTSD, y'know... We've been through so much since then. It feels weird to still be having nightmares about when I was twelve..."
Mike shook his head. "No. It's not. That's where this all started. Even I still wake up and feel like I did, on the night they found the body... I know it was fake, now, but..."
"It felt real..."
"Yeah." Mike tried to smile. "It's over, now. We beat it. You beat it."
Will sniffed, rubbing at his eyes. "Mm..."
"Can I touch you?"
"Yeah..."
Mike shuffled to sit next to Will, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Will leaned into it. Mike never felt like a danger. Not when he couldn't stand to be near anyone, not when he was sure people would hurt him if they found out he's gay.
"Sorry I woke you..." Will murmured.
"I already told you. You don't have to apologise." Mike rubbed his shoulder. "It's not your fault. I'm sure I'll wake you up with nightmares plenty, too. We'll be even after a couple days."
Will laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess..."
He laid his head against Mike. He was still tired. Sleeping through those nightmares didn't help him rest at all.
"You wanna lay in my bed with me?" Mike offered.
Will glanced at him, almost choking. "What? But-"
"C'mon, we used to do it all the time."
"Yeah, when we were eight... Things are different, now..."
"No, they're not."
Will stared at him. "Mike. When I said I don't like girls, I meant I like boys."
"So? I'm not scared of you. I actually am progressive enough to not think that any gay person would feel me up in my sleep."
"Still... We don't have to. I'll be okay."
Mike sighed. "It's cool if you don't want to, but... I'd like it, too. Nothing's really felt right, since El..."
Will watched him quietly. So much had happened, and they'd lost so many people. Mike had taken it the hardest, when El... Disappeared.
"...I wouldn't mind it. If it's not too weird..."
Mike shook his head. "It wouldn't be weird."
"Okay..."
Yeah, it was weird.
Will could feel every inch between them like ice. He didn't want to move in case he bumped Mike's legs. Subconsciously, he was breathing shallowly, not wanting to breathe too loud and piss off Mike or something.
Morning came before sleep did. Will felt awful. He rubbed his eyes, getting dressed before Mike woke up. Maybe breakfast would help. Anything to get the phantom taste of tentacle out of his mouth.
Mike watched from beneath the sheets. The sun hit Will's bare skin perfectly, making it a bright, beautiful white, highlighting every mole and scar. Mike bit his lip.
He hated to think it, but he felt more looking at Will than he ever had looking at El. Which was crazy, because he's straight. Heh. Wasn't he?
I mean, I've thought a couple times that I'd totally date Will if he was a girl. But who doesn't think that about their male platonic best friend?
Gods, he was screwed.
After wallowing in his feelings for a while, he pulled himself back together and followed Will downstairs.
He sat beside the other boy, taking some pancakes from the plate in the middle of the table. His mum always cooked when his friends were over. Mike thought she liked that other people were always more grateful. Maybe he should work on that.
"Thanks for the pancakes, mum." He called.
She gave him a weird look. Maybe it'd be less weird once he was practiced.
Will ate quietly at his side, his pancakes dripping with maple syrup. More than he'd usually have, and that was based off years of Will staying over.
"You okay...?"
Will glanced at him, his hands slightly shaky.
"Yeah. Fine."
"Okay..."
He didn't seem fine, but Mike dropped it. He did that a lot, he realised. He hummed to himself. Maybe he'd work on that, too.
"Y'sure? If I can help-"
"No." Will said sharply. He winced at himself. "Sorry. I'm okay, really."
"Totally, totally..."
Mike sighed internally. He didn't have the best track record. He knew he had been a pretty shit friend, especially in California. He was so wrapped up with El, he ended up hurting his friends. He understood why Will might not want to share anything deep with him.
They spent the day lounging around. Will was staying with them while Joyce and Hopper had their honeymoon. Karen was more than happy to have him. Mike was half convinced she'd trade him for Will in a second.
That night, Will went back to his own bed, the mattress on the floor. Mike had tried to give him the bed and take the floor himself, but Will insisted he didn't need it.
Mike was woken up at an unholy hour. Will was coughing and fussing again. He slid out of bed to sit by Will. He knew not to touch.
"Will, it's okay. I'm here. Try to wake up."
He sounded like he was choking. Mike dragged his paper bin over, just in case.
"It's alright. You're in my house. You're not there anymore. C'mon, Will..."
Mike wasn't sure how much air he was getting. Against his better judgement, he put his hand on Will's forehead, pushing his hair back like he'd seen Joyce do when Will used to panic or have seizures.
"It's okay..."
Will grasped for him, squirming against the sheets. Mike gently dragged him up, surprised as Will burrowed into him, holding on tight.
"Hey... It's okay, I'm here..."
"Mike...?" He sounded so desperate, so scared.
"Yeah, it's Mike..." He pushed down the instinct to press his lips to Will's hair. "I'm here, you're okay. Try to breathe."
Will dragged in ragged breaths, his hands balling into fists in the fabric of Mike's sleep shirt.
"H-he's here, he's in me-"
"He's dead, Will. He can't hurt you anymore."
"No, n-no, I can feel him, he's in me, Mike..."
Mike held him close, rubbing his back.
"Deep breaths. Focus on me."
Will whined, pushing his face into Mike's shoulder.
It took a while, but Mike managed to coach him back to a normal breathing rhythm. Will was still trembling, clinging to him. He hadn't loosened his grip at all.
"Will...? You okay...?"
The most Will could muster was a whimper. Mike stroked his hair. That was enough.
"We can stay like this as long as you need. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere..."
Will sniffed. "Can we have ice cream...?"
It must've been three in the morning. Mike just nodded.
"Yeah. Sure, if that's what you want."
"Yes..."
"Okay." Whatever made him feel better.
Mike stood up, somewhat awkwardly as Will didn't let him go. He patted Will's back.
"You good?"
"Mhm..." Will hesitantly released him, shaky.
Mike wrapped a blanket around him and offered his hand, which Will slowly took. They walked down to the kitchen, and Mike had him sit at the bench while he pulled out the good icecream, from when his mum got mad at his dad and ate a whole tub in front of a shitty reality tv show.
He put a decent serving in a bowl and gave it to Will, who ate slowly. Mike ate from the tub.
"So. Why ice cream at three a.m.?"
"My mouth tastes bad..."
Right, because that made sense. Mike licked the spoon.
"Because of the dreams?"
"Yeah..." Will took a breath, not looking at him. "Y'know... When we got the kids back? Those things on their mouths..."
"Right, the tentacle-looking things." Mike nodded.
"I, uh... When Vecna had me, in the upside down, the first time... It wasn't the same. It was right down my throat, a-and..." He broke off, closing his eyes. "I can still... Feel it. Taste it. It's been five years. I don't think he's ever leaving me..."
"Man, that... Sucks..." Yeah, his empathy wasn't great, either. He swore he felt it. He just couldn't express it right.
Will nodded slightly, eating another mouthful. He looked exhausted.
"...Wanna try my bed again? I know last night wasn't great..."
"You noticed...?" Will said tiredly.
"Uhh... Yeah. I really don't mind if we touch or anything, though. Not in a weird way, but- look, it's to make you feel better. However that looks."
Will eyed him. He just looked so tired.
"Okay..."
"Okay. Finish your icecream first, then we'll go back up."
"Yeah..."
Will trudged after him, his hand still in Mike's. Mike didn't mind the clinginess. It didn't feel awkward or weird. They'd always been close.
Will slipped into the bed, keeping the blanket wrapped tight around himself. He let out a soft, sad breath.
Mike laid down next to him, giving him some space.
"You can come as close as you want. I don't mind."
Will looked at him. There was something resigned behind his eyes. Mike wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
Slowly, he shuffled closer, until he was pressed against Mike's chest. The blanket gave them some barrier, but it was close and intimate and-
And Mike didn't hate it.
He ran a hand through Will's hair. It was fluffier now, less of that goofy bowl cut, a bit more inconspicuous. Soft and clean. Mike's always felt greasy, no matter how often he washed it.
"Mike...?" Will murmured.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you..."
"...Sure, of course. Anytime..."
Will didn't have any more nightmares. He woke up, curled neatly against Mike's chest.
He almost had a heart attack.
He'd cuddled Mike. Mike. In Mike's bed.
Shit.
He eased himself away, heard pounding. Just how out of it was he last night??
Mike shifted, grumbling to himself as he woke up.
"Will...?" He rasped, voice rough from sleep.
"Fine. I-I mean, I'm here. I'm fine."
Mike squinted at him.
"The sun is barely up. Come back."
"I-I don't think I should-"
Mike huffed, pushing himself up. Still half asleep, his hand met Will's cheek, so tender. Nothing like Vecna's hand on his face. Will almost cried.
"Mike, don't tease me..."
"Tease?" Mike mumbled, watching as Will pulled away.
"You know- you know what I am. We can't do this. I can't... It hurts too much."
"...Me?"
Will looked back at him, hugging himself.
"Mike, please. Don't show me what I can't have."
Mike bit his lip. He didn't want to hurt Will.
"I'm not- that's not what I'm trying to do."
Will's expression softened. Always so forgiving.
"I know you're not meaning to..."
"Will, just- wait. Wait a second."
Mike tumbled out of bed, digging through his closet. He pulled out a binder and a big, rolled up canvas. Will's painting. He heard Will's sharp intake of breath.
"You kept it..."
"Of course I did. You painted it for me." Mike smiled at him.
Will didn't look soothed. Mike continued, putting the thick, overflowing binder on the bed to show him. Pages and pages of Will's drawings, dating back to before Will went missing. A few crumpled pieces from their first year of friendship, even.
Will looked so close to tears, pulling away into himself. Mike wasn't getting his feelings across.
"Will, I'm not trying to tease you or anything like that..."
He couldn't make the words form. Not like Will had, at the radio shack.
"I promise, okay...? I wouldn't do that to you. What I'm trying to show you, is..." He breathed. One wrong word and Will's heart would break. "I think... I might be like you. A little bit."
Will's face crumpled. "Is this a joke...?"
Fuck. "Will, I swear, I'm not messing with you. You know I wouldn't do that to you. Look, I've been a shit friend, I know that. But I love you. You're my best friend. And since you came out... I think I've been learning things about myself, too. I... Honestly, I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I think I might... Like you... A little more than as a friend..."
Will stared. He didn't trust Mike - that was fair enough. It's not like gay people were overly normalised or accepted at the moment. Mike waited patiently for him, even as his own anxiety started chewing at his guts.
Will looked down at his hands, processing.
"You're... Serious? You promise?"
"I promise, Will."
Will looked at him again, tentatively. So afraid of rejection, of Mike laughing in his face for believing him. Mike offered a shaky smile.
"Can I touch you?"
The slightest nod, even as he cringed away from Mike. Mike went slow, bringing the smaller boy into a hug. He chickened out with the kiss and instead pressed one to Will's forehead.
"I mean it. I'm serious."
Will nodded dumbly. "Okay..."
"...'Okay'?"
"I-I mean- Thank you for telling me. I... I'm sorry, I can't..." He gestured around his head. "Five years of pining... I'd given up on you..." He laughed weakly.
"F-five years?!" Mike spluttered. "What, since forever? How didn't I know??"
Will laughed, the sound soft and sweet. "I didn't know for most of it, either... In California, I knew, and... It hurt, so bad..."
Mike felt a pang of guilt.
"And since then, I was working through it, and... Robin really helped me... And I thought I was over you. I didn't think I'd ever have a chance..." He smiled shyly. "You really want to try this...? Life would be easier with a girl..."
"No, I... Can't lie to myself like that. I loved El, but... Not like this. I don't know what it was. It wasn't... I didn't know enough. I think I do, now..."
Will smiled, and Mike saw him relax, open up a bit. Mike slowly cradled his face, leaning his forehead against Will's to test how much touch would be allowed. When Will closed his eyes contently, Mike kissed him.
Barely a brush of lips, but his heart leaped.
Will made a pathetic little noise, tears filling his eyes. Mike, scared he'd gone too far, shifted back.
"Shit, I'm sorry-"
"No, no..." Will rubbed his eyes. "It's just... I'm really happy... This is so special to me, Mike, you don't even know..."
Mike's eighteen months of thinking couldn't compare to Will's lifetime of unrequited love and the discrimination he faced for something he didn't even know about himself yet. Mike hugged him tight.
"Please, let me be your boyfriend... I'll try to be a better boyfriend than I was a friend."
Will, through breathy sobs, nodded into Mike's shoulder.
"Yes... Fuck, yes, please..."