Chapter Text
The group sat in the lounge of the WSQK building, arranged in a loose circle surrounding Will as he sat on the uncomfortable yellow couch. Mike had previously walked into a seemingly private conversation with Joyce and Will, as soon as he had walked in he spun around to leave out of respect, that was until Will called his name in the type of tone that Mike couldn’t resist even if he was possessed by Vecna himself.
Instantly turning around he met Will’s tearful eyes, ache and pity for him overwhelmed Mike’s body. Once this was all over, once everything was normal, maybe Mike could take Will out for a nice dinner date at Enzo’s so he wouldn’t have to ever see the look of pure guilt on Will’s face ever again. A friend date obviously. Mike internally laughed at the thought of going on an actual date with Will. Will was his best friend, and all he wanted was his best friend to be happy. Right.
“I think you need to hear this.”
Will spoke up. A glimpse of hope shot through Mike’s heart. The thought of Will spilling secrets to him and only him made the corner of his mouth perk up in a smile.
“Everyone does.”
The words didn’t process until Will was going back to his seat on the couch, the small smile on Mike’s lips dissolved as soon as it appeared, he nodded and made his way to where the rest of the group was preparing their weapons. He had to put his feelings last in moments like these, the group was more important than some silly thought of his best friend telling him some secret that didn’t matter.
That’s how they got here. Sitting in the lounge, the entire extended group staring hard at Will as he shook in the chair playing with the sleeves of his orange sweater and occasionally opening his mouth only to be met with a sob.
Will sat there, eyes darting from Mike to Lucas to Dustin to Max then back to Mike. Always back to Mike. Mike couldn’t describe how that made him feel.
Studied.
Observed. Maybe.
With tears in Will’s eyes his eyelashes looked longer almost, more noticeable than usual at least. Mike could almost think without sin, that he was beautiful in this moment.
After a brief moment of tense silence Will sucked in a deep breath and began speaking, sounding as if someone was forcing the words out of his mouth, Mike quickly glanced around to see everyone else staring at him with varying looks of concern, apprehension, and some impatience from certain people.
Give him a break.
Bitter thoughts filled Mike’s head as he felt like everyone around him couldn’t see how much Will was worth. How much he meant. He felt like the only one who actually cared about Will sometimes.
“I… I haven’t told any of you this because- because I don’t want you to see me differently”, It seemed like Will got the courage to start talking, Mike wished he hadn’t. Will’s quiet sobs were almost too much for Mike to handle.
He said it in such a way that made Mike’s chest hurt. He said it with such sincerity like he truly believed he was different than everyone else in the room.
“The truth is- the truth is i am, I am different.”
Different? Sure yeah they were all different. Bullied for one reason or another but Will wasn’t any different than the rest of the party. He sure as hell wasn’t any different then Mike.
More fiddling with his sleeves. More nervous gasps as he seemingly forced the words out of his mouth against his will. He sounded like he was on the verge of hyperventilating.
“I just pretended like I wasn’t because… because I didn’t- I didn’t wanna be different. I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be like my friends and I am like you guys. I’m like you in almost every way.”
He gestured to the group in front of him, then to Dustin and Lucas, not to Mike for some reason. His eyes drifted over to Mike then shot back to staring straight in front of him as if the sight of Mike had burnt him.
He couldn’t blame him. The sight of Will burnt Mike at times too, not out of disgust but out of idolization. Will was his cleric after all. More importantly his best friend.
Will let out another sob, this time sounding different. Faker. Deeper. Like someone decades older had just let out of fake sob yang Will’s mouth. Will sat up straighter immediately, eyes searching the room almost nervously.
Mike’s back straightened in response. His eyes narrowed at Will, at first in concern.
Will turned in his direction, he looked at him with awful eyes that Mike had only ever seen one time before. That time being years ago when Will was possessed by the mind flayer.
Something was off.
If eyes could communicate Will’s would say one word.
Don’t.
Something was really off.
“We like playing D&D late into the night, and- and we like that old person smell in Mike’s basement.”
The other’s in the group laughed at this, shaking their heads like this was a normal conversation, like there wasn’t a shift of dark energy in the room. Lucas bumped his shoulder with a smile and a laugh. This reminded Mike of the other people in the room.
Mike’s eyes scoured around, landing on El. She looked tense too. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who thought something was up. He turned his body back to Will slowly.
Will’s eyes darkened in his direction.
Any trace of a smile dropped instantly off Mike’s face. Did nobody else just see that? He thought it was a hallucination at first, maybe the stress got to him, he thought that until it happened again.
Mike has always prided himself on being able to read Will’s facial expressions better then anyone, better then Joyce at times, which is how maybe he could pick up on Will’s posture and glazed over eyes. Maybe that’s why Mike’s mouth fell open in shock as he locked eyes with Will again.
“Guys”, Mike’s face darkened in return. His jaw set.
“And we like biking to Melvald’s for milkshakes. And- and… and we like getting lost in the woods”, Will continued with tears sliding down his face like rain, a broken smile on his lips. The tears forming perfectly on his face to highlight his soft features. For the quickest moment Mike distrusted himself.
Melvald’s? Milkshakes? Mike’s clouded mind went blank for a second before reaching one final conclusion. Melvald’s doesn’t sell milkshakes. That store haven’t sold milkshakes since Joyce and Hopper were teenagers.
Mike’s heart drops.
Everyone else stared at Will with smiles and teary eyes, everyone looked fooled, sad even, maybe they weren’t and this was all an act who knows. But Mike had to make sure he wasn’t crazy. So he did the only thing he could do in situations that involved Will.
He dove right in without thinking
“He’s lying.”
The words came out harsher than Mike expected.
“That’s not Will.”
The innocent look wiped off Will’s face immediately, reminding Mike of a predator who gave up the act. The tears stopped and Will looked up, teeth grit, and a shadow crossing his face making those soft delicate features look somehow terrifying. For only the second time in his life Mike felt true fear and worry while looking into Will’s eyes.
“That’s not Will.”