Chapter Text
With the soft stiff fabric under his fingers, Mike raised his arm to place his book alongside Will’s. It shifted as he let go, his long lanky fingers pulling back, leaving the book to lean. The images from before felt so horribly real to him. He liked being the story teller, leading the Party through their journeys, having control and showing the way, but that did not feel like it was in his control or his story. He didn’t want or like what he saw. A sharp pain flashed in his stomach when he thought about himself in his future. I looked like my Dad. His face twisted into a contorted grimace as he finally got enough strength to turn away from the shelf. The sound of his friends above his head quickly pulling him out of his stupor.
“Mike! Are you coming?” That yelling voice belonged to Will. Mike felt his lips soften from their previous scowl into a light smile. At least his friend was happy. Best friend. If those images were going to be true, Mike would bear with any bleak future as long as Will was happy.
However before those thoughts grew anymore, another voice joined in.
“Yeah Dipshit hurry up!” That was Max. The Redhead grew on him after all of this but God let him have his moment. Rolling his eyes, Mike chose to make a move for the stairs instead of yelling an insult back. Wow, I really have matured.
“Yeah in a second MadMax, don’t worry I know you’re dying without me,” Technically not an insult. His voice carried up the stairs where he had no doubt in his mind, reached a certain person who was definitely flipping him off. Things didn’t completely change. He may now have a gapping jagged ditch in his heart where El should be, but she is alive. He knows she’s alive. Just not with him. Not with the Party. Crying wasn’t exactly foreign to him now but he hated the feeling when two sharp tears stung down his cheek.
Boys don’t cry. Men don’t cry. He was a man now, no matter the fact his life turned completely upside down just at the age of 12. Stop. Stop crying. He’s only made it up 6 steps he has to stop.
Breathing out, he wiped his face with his sleeve and continued his path to the door at the very top. It was bathed in golden light contrasting the blue surrounding it. The metal of the doorknob was cold as Mike turned in clockwise. Without another thought, he pushed it open, took a step and shut it behind him.
As soon as he heard the honed click of the door, a deep ringing noise struck once heavy in the surface of his skull. His entire body stiffened. Wrong wrong wrong wrong. Letting his instincts take over, Mike quickly swept his eyes around his surroundings looking for anything that resembled a weapon. He once had to make-do with a candle holder so anything would be fine really. However not even a twelfth of a second later the chime was accompanied with the laughing noise of an angel.
Will.
His friends.
They defeated Vecna.
They are waiting for him.
They won and they graduated and now they’re celebrating.
He always had a problem with his mind. Always tended to make stories even before DnD. Always analyzing things and keeping it stored for later. Imagination was always a little much. His dad told him to stop with that. But why would he care about what his dad thinks? Get it together, act the part. It’s all made up.
Holly thought so too.
Shut up. Curse his stupid head.
Straightening his back (which felt really unnatural, Will always teased him about his “Shrimp-like posture”) He reached his destination of the kitchen. There he found Holly, sitting on a stool facing the island with Max and Nancy, who were hunched over on either side looking at a drawing of some sort. Will has given her lessons. She hasn’t improved. Jonathan and Steve were arguing (teasing) about something stupid, Dustin was their judge. Then on the fair left he found Lucas sitting on the counter talking to Will, while occasionally messing with his hair. Robin was behind them laughing along with Vickie about the scene before them. There was an empty spot next to Will. Maybe that was just his imagination but it looked unbelievably blank.
El should be there. She should be standing right there leaning on Will while chatting with Lucas. I should’ve done something. What could’ve I done? Anything. He shut up the nasty voice and made a few steps forwards. Will quickly catches Mike’s eyes at the same time Lucas realizes he’s there. Both their expressions brighten and Will moves his hand indicating he wants Mike to join them. Oh the spot’s for me.
“Hey there Mikey!” Lucas teases smirking as he leans back. This is fine. It’s normal. I’m replacing El.
“Never call me that again,” The nickname caught up in his brain. Weren’t they crying before? Wasn’t he? ”What were you two talking about?” His attempt to make small chatter failed as the deep ringing noise throbbed in his head again. What the heck. Will smiled but it felt so off. He had memorized Will’s smile when he was in second grade. He liked the shape of his lips. Then later in fifth he made a list of adjectives to describe it. He still had that list and used it whenever he was writing. It’s a perfect smile. The one he now gave was not.
“It’s almost time,” Will spoke softly, but everyone else went quiet so he didn’t have to. He felt the burning gazes of everyone in the room directed at them.
The floors creaked under Mike’s feet as he shifted back slightly. Don’t mess up.
“Time for what exactly?” His voice wasn’t strong and firm, it cracked and sounded like a child. Like a boy. He was a man.
Will only gave him a washed out gaze as he started to mumble.
Heavy deep clang. Bad Wrong Bad. This time it echoed deep into the core of his head. He briefly wondered if this is what El felt like with the kryptonite before he dropped to his knees in pain. The sound was so vivid it rang and vibrated through his entire body. Death. It felt like death.
When he was younger he was curious about it. He wasn’t really afraid. Even when he took a step off that cliff. But as he blinked to find himself in a broken deserted home with a bright red sky painted above him. Rocks and floating objects. He felt scared.
“Micheal,” a deep, disgusting voice drawed out his name. His body involuntarily shuddered slightly. This doesn’t make sense. “It’s time.”