Chapter Text
If Will thought he was having a bad day, he was unaware it was about to get way worse.
He rushed through the bustling streets of New York City, the place he had called home for the past eight years. He loved it dearly and had grown to love it after attending NYU just as his older brother did. Except he didn't attend film making or directing classes like Jonathan did, instead he fell more in love with illustration and animation design. But he secretly missed drawing in the pages of handwritten comics with an old friend, listening to 'I'm not in love by 10cc'.
Although he would happily spend the rest of his simple and plain life in New York, the big apple. He chuckled to himself at the nickname, he's always thought it was stupid considering he had never seen an apple tree in central park...He always felt as though something was missing between the constant conversations of passers by and the honks of inpatient and overpriced yellow cab drivers, something quieter and more personal. Well yeah, everyone could love New York but to be at peace in New York is something different entirely.
Will checked his watch quickly, barely registering the time and hurrying his pace, he was going to miss this train if he didn't move any faster. His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink and he muttered curses under his breath as he rushed down the underground steps and around the corner, dipping around and in between crowds of people. "Hurry up Will." he thought to himself as he took a sharp right and hit someone so hard that their pile of books came crashing to the dirty Metro floor.
"Oh hell, sorry Sir." Will leant down immediately and began picking up a mix of marvel comics and classics unspokenly reserved for experienced readers. "You have great taste in comics, but I've never cared much for Hemingway." He looks up to give the books back to the stranger but his heart stops. A painful pit of guilt set in his stomach, he hadn't felt it for years but as he looked into his brown puppy dog like eyes, all feelings he'd repressed, the good and the bad flooded his systems at once.
He was the first to speak, "Will." Mike seemed to be in as much shock as Will, he let out a quick and quiet exhale, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open in awe. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Will hadn't realised how dry his mouth had become, "Um..uh yes, it's been eight years Mike." Will pushes the books into Mike's arms awkwardly, they had this special version of atmosphere around them, the air was tense from unresolved arguments and secrets...suppressed feelings. Will takes into account what Mike was wearing, a dark blue jumper and grey business trousers. His fingers were dotted with a couple gold rings but nothing on the wedding finger, it made Will uneasy. His hair was different, longer from when he last saw him as a teenager and yet his face had barely aged. Of course he looked more tired and the bags under his eyes were more dominant but he still looked like the Mike he was best friends with, or used to be best friends with.
"You wear watches now." Mike stated, glancing at his watch with a dark yellow leather strap as the books shifted in his hands. They were standing in an awkward place in the underground, Will was almost backed up to the graffiti covered wall and Mike was a couple paces in front of him, they kept distance but weren't so far apart to make it any more awkward than it felt.
"You wear glasses." Will replied, motioning to the thin frames in his jumper pocket...He stupidly wondered how he looked with them on and what he would feel if he could draw him now. "I suppose I had to stop asking you for the time at some point, you would have gotten sick of me over all these years...I barely understand the thing." Will had been a bright person but numbers had never been his strong suit while Mike was an all round brilliant student, on par with their good friend Dustin who lives somewhere far away with Suzie. They reunited in college and had been in love ever since. Will sees him twice a year, during holidays and whenever Dustin needed somewhere to stay in New York for a business trip. He was glad they had stayed friends, Dustin was a breath of fresh air.
Mike shakes his head, "I would still give you the time if you asked Will, like um..." He balanced the books in one arm and grabbed Will's wrist with the other, pulling the sleeve gently to reveal the watch. "It's 10:56, see I'm still of use to you Will."
Will laughs before double taking the time, "10:56? Oh God I've missed my train now, it was meant to get me to 7th on Dabowie Street" Will runs a frustrated hand through his hair and his heart rate quickens just the same way it always had when he was stressed.
"Will, it's okay...this is my fault entirely. I was the one holding the stack of books and I made you late, please don't stress out...Where were you headed to?" A comforting voice that felt foreign and yet so familiar to Will spoke up. Mike took to Will's stress naturally and calmed him without much effort at all, he thought about all the panic attacks he would talk Will through, especially after he was taken into the upside down...Mike suppresses all memories from that time like his life depended on it, if he didn't he would be vulnerable to so much loss, pain and suffering. He couldn't take that again.
"I was meeting up with a friend, to discuss the chance that my animations would be featured in an up and coming disney movie." Will admits, his hands shake slightly with the overload of bad thoughts running through his head. What if I've messed up my chance completely? What if no one will look at my drawings again? What if-
"That's brilliant Will! Wow, you are incredible! They would have to be crazy to not give you another chance, call them this afternoon and tell them the circumstances and they will accept you right back." Mike exclaims, he seems to be struggling with holding at least nine books in his arms and a stack of comics too.
"Here, let me help." Will slides half the books onto his own arms so Mike is carrying less, "Where are you heading? Since my days plans are scrapped, I could accompany you to your location?" Will asks before realising that they weren't friends anymore, and hadn't been close since just after graduation. "That was stupid, you definitely don't want me tagging along and you probably need to get back to writing your third novel and-"
"Wait...You read my novels?" Mike tilts his head in question, he ignores the fuzzy feeling within his stomach as he pictures Will sitting at home reading the words he dedicated years of his life to. "Also you can come with me, you idiot. I'm going to the library to return all of these."
Will's cheeks burned as though he had been caught doing something childish or wrong, this was wrong...The things he felt for the man standing across from him, all Will wanted to do is pull out that part of him, the different part. He wished that he could love Mike as a friend, but then again, he never had..."Uh yeah, they are really good Mike. I always knew you would become an amazing author, you had been since we were young."
The speaker calls for the train that takes Mike and Will to the library, they look at each other and smile before walking to the platform 2. "You give me too much of an ego boost Will Byers, my work isn't that great."
"Stop lying, you are a bestselling author Mike Wheeler." Will teases, bumping his shoulder to Mike's casually. "I love all your pieces, but my favourite would have to be 'How to save the world 101', the one about sorcerer trying and failing to save the world on his own until the ordinary boy provides the unlikely help and ideas as they complete their quest." Will leaves out the part about the hinted romantic relationship between the two characters. But that was the part he loved most, how the sorcerer would be willing to die for the ordinary boy.
Mike smiles, looking at Will as they take the steps further into the stations labyrinth of tunnels. Without Will he would have gotten lost, Mike was in New York for sixteen days to promote his new book. It followed the journey of a group of friends that get sucked into a DnD game and meet a girl with superpowers who could help them defeat the evil Vecna. Mike knew the risks of writing the book but he wanted everything they went through to be remembered in some way. He changed everyone's names and El's original storyline but he was struggling on writing Will's experience and the author in him itched to ask him everything...What was it like? What emotions did you feel? But he didn't of course, they weren't best friends anymore. This was the first time they had seen each other in eight years and it was by an accident.
"That was my favourite too, it was more personal to me I think...But my third novel I am stuck on, but it should be easy...I take things from my life and my experiences so in theory I shouldn't be stuck at all." Mike sighs as they sit down on the uncomfortable metal chairs in the middle of the platform...The train was arriving in three minutes and Will would be getting on the train with him. Mike felt different, his life had become a little more breathable. It's difficult to keep a good morale when you are trapped behind your computer all day, imagining a different 'made up' world whilst people are living in the real one.
"Well what exactly are you stuck on?" Will asks, placing the books on his lap as they wait for the train.
"You..." Will's eyebrows furrow slightly and his nose turns a light pink as Mike realises what he said didn't come out quite right. "Oh shit that came out wrong, you...As in, I'm writing about what happened to all of us in Hawkins, obviously changing places and names but I want to write about what you went through yet I haven't experienced it so I'm stuck and obviously I want to do you justice and not downplay anything you experienced so I'm stuck on you and your time in the upside down and your powers...so you." His hands fidgeted from the embarrassment of his answer, Will probably thought that he was obsessed with him now, thinking about him all the damn time.
Will went still and Mike immediately regretted asking him on this crowded subway platform as he was trapped under a pile of comics and classics. "Sorry, I shouldn't have bought it up, just forget I asked you anything at all." Mike tries to grab the books from Will's lap as the train pulls in, failing terribly.
"Mike what are you doing?" He asks, holding the books tightly, "I'm not mad at you, I know that's what you are thinking...It just surprised me, that was all." Mike stays silent as they walked onto the train together. "Did you really think I was just going to leave you because you asked that?"
Mike nodded, jolting a tad as the train moved. "I was inconsiderate to ask you here, I could have at least asked you to lunch or something first." Will tilts his head, smiling.
"Same old Mike, you've not changed at all...You were just being curious and that's okay..." Will smiles, "You want to take me to lunch? Do you even know where you are going in New York?"
"Hey! I would say I've grown into my looks and I had to of changed since we were sixteen Will, you've changed too." Mike relatiated casually, pouting his lips to show off his sharp cheekbones and jaw. Mike was right, Will had always thought mike was pretty good looking as they were growing up, but he had definitely grown into his looks, he was handsome. "Also no, I have no clue where I would like to take you to lunch...Is there anywhere you would recommend William?"
"I've not changed, I feel like the same person I was back when we were fighting him..." Will admits,stupidly. Why would Mike want to hear his sob story in a packed underground train? He clears his throat, changing the subject back to lunch. "I do know a place you could take me to lunch Michael. I have the day free off work so we could go after the library?"
Mike nods eagerly, "Good idea...Oh but I need to head back to the travel office to book a hotel for my time here. My suitcase is still there too." Will wonders how long he is planning on staying in a most likey overpriced hotel in the centre of New York. An idea pops up but he lets him continue to talk first. "You haven't got a bowl cut anymore, thats a change for sure...I didn't mind your bowl cut but your hair now is really nice" Will's hair was scruffy and slightly past his ears instead of combed into a bowl cut, Mike missed his bowl cut but this new thing suited him well...It bought out his blue eyes, they were soft and caring compared to tired and wide throughout their time as teenagers. He remembered the countless times he found himself lost within them. "You are taller then me now, only by a little but still and you don't seem as afraid of life."
Will smiles at the complements, looking at Mike happily. "Oh the height thing definitely matters! How long are you staying in New York?"
"Sixteen days, give or take...I might have to stay longer depending on how many book signings the stores want me to do. Why do you ask?" Mike thinks about how far he's come from writing comics in his room, to now being in New York with his name on thousands of covers.
"Do you want to stay with me instead?" He blurts the question out as quick as possible, "I have a spare bedroom because whenever Dustin comes to New York for business I let him stay over for a couple nights so I suppose I'm offering you the same.
Mike hesitates to answer, running a million thoughts through his mind immediately, however he lands on one and it makes him smile. "I would love to Will, are you sure? Dustin must only stay a couple nights and I'm planning on a couple weeks. You'll go crazy if you see me that much."
Will laughs and shakes his head, "He does, but I know what I'm offering Mike...I promise I won't go crazy."
"Okay, I'll stay Will...Thank you" Mike can't believe what has just happened.
"My pleasure Michael. Will can't believe what he's just signed himself up to but he feels good about this.