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It was the year 2025— when a warm, sunny atmosphere breathed into the land of USA.
It's been a few years after the final battle against Vecna, or Henry Creel, in 2023. The party and the others all went their separate ways, going different paths in life and doing their best, while still supporting each other. Dustin is working as a Tech Professor in a whole different school in Texas, Lucas and Max happily moved into their new home together while planning their future, and Will is now a professional comic and film illustrator, going beyond the depths of art.
They all grew, developing their own skills as the grown-ups they oathed to be. You could say their dreams came true.
Well, not for Mike.
Will is having a great life, finally, after all the trauma and havoc that happened in the past. He lives in a really nice apartment in New York, he's popular in social media, and he's meeting new people who care for him.
And here is Mike—a failed-to-be writer, now living Pennsylvania, trying to find his spark again. All he's ever written about was about the party, but it seems like no one cares about their story—not anymore.
It makes Mike's blood boil.
Not the fact that Will is finally happy, and on the other hand he's fumbling—but it's the fact he can't see and admire Will thriving like that, finally living the life he deserves after all these years of suffering.
He should've said something in those 18 months after the battle. And yet, he didn't utter a word. Who was Tammy? He never asked about the painting, either. By now, he knows it wasn't commissioned by El. There are unexplained mysteries, that he never ever got to confirm. He regrets it. Badly.
Maybe if he got to be with El again, he would be happier? Maybe, if she were still alive, and his theory about her living in a beautiful land with 2 waterfalls was true, he would have peace of mind and wouldn't think about Will at all?
He knows that's not the case.
As he scrolls on his Instagram timeline, laying comfortably on his bed, he quickly stops at the sight on a post by Will Byers himself. A photo of him and another man. Will’s appearance looks the same to Mike—the same beautiful, attractive man with wavy and luscious curls framing his face, and with radiating brown eyes. He misses looking into them.
But in this picture, he's not looking at the camera. He's looking at someone else; a boy with ‘stupid’ lovey-dovey eyes.
There's another picture—a photo of an expensive-looking ring. The caption says, "Always and forever." along with a tagged account, 'Mason Davis'.
Will's boyfriend.
Is this a nightmare? The fall of Michael Wheeler? Did he lose the final fight? He freezes, staring at the screen in disbelief. But why? Out of all emotions, why disbelief? Why disappointment?
All of the comments are messages supporting them and being happy for them both. In this case, Mike's the odd one out. He feels hollow, as if his guts had been torn out and twisted.
Somehow, he sighs of relief, realizing it's just a promise ring, instead of an engagement ring— thanks to a comment from Will confirming it. However, a promise ring means the day will come, soon. Very soon.
"Will Davis," he mouths, and immediately swallows the lump in his throat in melancholy.
"So happy for you two!" Mike types in, but hesitates to send. It took him what felt like 30 seconds to send that comment. He doesn't know what he's feeling at this point. Disappointed? Scared? Worried? Or happy for them, with silent malevolence?
He then realizes his DND is on, and there came multiple messages from the group chat of the party. They're happy. And of course, Mike should be too. It'd be weird that, Will's best friend of 10 years, wouldn't care enough to congratulate him for this big celebration.
As he stares at the ceiling, contemplating on what to do or what to say, he ends up forcing himself to at least send an encouraging message, despite the bitterness lingering in his words.
"Cheers, to more memories of you together." He types in, immediately sending it, but bursting out in tears right after. After all of this, he wanted to be more than best friends. He tried giving out the most obvious hints possible. But, it seemed that Will drifted away and moved on, leaving Mike alone in the end.
Mason is everything Will could've asked for. He's smart, funny, good-looking with large brown eyes and curly hair that grows along his neckline; and he treats Will great. Better. He shows affection. He could even say 'I love you' out loud, without shame. He acts like a servant to Will. But, this Mason will never understand what Will went through.
Was he there, by Will's side, when he was bullied and called names for being 'different'? Was he there playing D&D with the party almost everyday of their lives? Was he there after all of these deaths in Hawkins after that incident? Was he there when they defeated Vecna after fighting his trillions of Demodogs and the Mind Flayer in messed up places? Don't think so.
He had all the time in the world before this happened. He knew Will had a new boyfriend then, but he was too afraid to step in. To speak. To reach for Will. He could've gotten Will back, and yet, he let his cowardice win. Typical Mike.
They could've been so much.
And maybe, just maybe, in another lifetime, Mike and Will could have their happy ending. Just the two of them.
Another notification pings, with the plan of the party meeting up again in Will's new apartment in New York being the pinned message. As usual, it was Dustin's idea. This celebration would also be their opportunity to unite again, considering that they all went separate lives after college.
And while the others used to party hard, ironically, Mike had always been the outcast. His most used excuse was that he was 'too busy' with work. He's not wrong, though—he was always working so hard, writing, and yet, all of his published books were mostly unknown. However, he never revealed his true reason. His true secret.
"Mike if you're busy with work again, I swear to God I will slap you," Lucas messages.
He zones out, continuously staring at the screen. It would be really shitty of him to not see his best friend finally happy, all because of work and this stupid feeling of not being able to get over him. But, now, after not coming to most of their reunions, he has to make it up to them, somehow. Especially Will.
"Okay, okay, I'll come guys lol," Mike responds coldly, shaking his nerves off.
Will reacts with excitement, replying, "Thank you so much, guys! Remember, March 22nd (tomorrow) in my apartment, okay? Mason and I are so excited!"
"Mason and Will", Mike whispers coldly under his breath.
I guess he really doesn't have a chance anymore. Maybe he should’ve played D&D with Will, after his thousands of times asking.
It was March 21st, and Mike had a day to get ready—to get his act together. And as his eyes locked onto the ceiling of his bedroom, sighing, he hurries off to his desk to write on his journal, hoping that would make him better.
He remembers how Will would tell him to write his feelings out and doodle something to help with stress. As he mentioned, it aided as relaxation and simple meditation. Mike never followed this method, knowing he never had the time and he never had a private notebook. He also would just bottle up his feelings until he forgets them at all. But, I guess now, that wouldn't work. And so, Mike unfolds the journal, pen in hand. Only the faint scratching of the tip of the pen could be heard from across the room.
He was never that great at drawing, unlike Will, but he basically convinces himself that it's not about skill in this situation. He then creates a rough sketch of stick figures that look like the party. They're badly drawn, but he included the small details he remembers.
'The Party', he writes on top, along with their names. Will, Mike, Dustin, and Lucas.
It took him the time to finally doodle random things in his journal, while also writing what he feels. After a good 30 minutes of just sketching, soon enough, he fell asleep on his desk as the radio played melodies that soothed the minds of the worried.
March 22nd—the day has come. Mike wore a casual top with a long sleeved undershirt beneath, along with denim pants. A usual in his closet. He froze, staring at himself in the mirror, imagining Will by his side. It was too late now, and he has to at least pretend that he's happy. He wouldn't want to ruin the once-in-a-lifetime reunion, would he?
A loud car can be heard honking outside, signalling him to come outside. For the last time, he glares at himself, squinting with regret and utter distress. He grabs his bag and dashes to Nancy Wheeler's car. The passenger door slams.
"God, took you long enough." Nancy groans, as he rolls his eyes while buckling his seatbelt. After a few glances, his eyes stop at the rearview mirror, brows furrowing with confusion.
"What-"
"Hello," Holly the Heroic waves, as if she turned into royalty at the second. Her hair is in curled pigtails, and her legs are dangling off the seat.
"You said you were picking me up. You never said Holly would come!"
Nancy sighs, "Dude, relax, Mom couldn't find a sitter, so I figured she should come with us instead. Come on, it's only for a few hours that she'll be in here!"
"It's not like I have a choice." Mike groans, brushing his fingers against his hair, but Holly is feeling happier than ever that she can finally get to experience New York (even if she's locked in the car).
"So, Will's apartment, huh? You guys gonna, like—play D&D together?" Nancy smiles; But she'll never know what Mike truly feels. Another gut-wrenching story for another day, he supposes.
"Yeah, sure.” He pauses, looking out the window in frustration. “Actually, we're going to meet Will's stupid boyfriend. I mean, who brings their boyfriend to a friend reunion?! It's stupid that I'm actually going there!" Mike snaps, then gasps at the words he let out, as both girls freeze. Holly spits out the juice she'd been drinking. He could feel a tingle down his spine.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."
"Sounds like you did." Holly giggles, but both are still concerned for Mike.
"Are you okay? You sure you want to go there? We can still turn bac-"
Immediately, Mike cuts her off, "No- Nancy, it's fine. I'm making up for the times I've been busy and couldn't make it to their reunions. I guess this is what happens when I'm the only one without a girlfriend in our group." Mike says jokingly and the siblings giggle, smiling at each other.
Maybe he does want a girlfriend—or, a boyfriend too, for crying out loud. But, deep down, all he really wants is to be loved.
"You know what? Screw that. Screw girlfriends and boyfriends!" Holly yells out the window. Mike and Nancy exchange looks with each other, confused. In the end, they just shrug it off. Holly then shifts to the front to adjust the radio, trying to find a song that fits the mood—something light and fun.
"Ooh, this one!" She says, as Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie plays, static-driven and a bit choppy. It's the count that matters, she thinks. And as ironic as it could be, Mike has a bad feeling about all of this.
After a few hours, they finally reached New York, and it was up to Mike to find transport to Will's apartment. As the Wheeler siblings exchanged goodbyes, he sighed, wishing he could live here with someone special. It was not long before he reached the building of Will’s apartment, and as he brought cans of beer in his hands, he nervously knocked on the door. When the door unlocked, he was greeted by a tall, curly haired brunette upon his eyes.
It was Mason Davis himself.
"Hello, hello! One of Will's friends?" Mason exclaims excitedly, along with a bitter look on Mike's face as he nods.
Friends. Sure.
He can already hear the place bustling with people, just partying and happy to be there. "I'm Mike." He says, offering his hand to Mason. "Mason. Pleasure to meet you!" They share smiles and shake hands, with resentment being one-sided. As he welcomes Mike into the place, he immediately sees the party, along with Max, Robin, Jonathan, and much more people from college. They seem shocked, but much happier than before, now that Mike has joined at last.
"FINALLY! He's finally here!" Dustin yells out with Lucas and Max bouncing and screaming, and they all open their arms out for a group hug. They were just about to start their game of D&D—they were just waiting for Mike and Will.
"Where's Will?" Mike asks, lifting the beer cans and placing them on the living room table. He's been curious, considering he hasn't seen him from the very start.
"Oh, he's in the kitchen with his friends from college. Right over there," Lucas points to the busy kitchen with multiple people—and yet, all Mike sees is Will. Will, having his waist wrapped by his own boyfriend as they laugh. It was only when Will notices him, that he realizes he's staring.
"Oh, Mike! You're here!" Will grins from ear to ear, immediately running to share hugs. "I'm really glad you're back." He adds, and pats him on the back, smiling.
Mike feels awkward, but also feels a small jolt of excitement in his nerves. Maybe, he feels nervous because they haven't met up in so long? He hesitates leaving and going back to the table for a few seconds, then turns back to Will who is walking away, "Want to play D&D? With the party?"
Will smiles softly, holding onto Mason's arm. "I'll... Join you guys, maybe later. Sorry, there's a lot of people-" He chuckles coldly, almost like he's trying to avoid the party and their friendship all-in-all. Mike nods, making a great attempt on shaking his anxiety off, but it clings onto him.
It's been a few hours of partying and hanging out, from day to evening. At that point, the party had grown drunk. Dustin, Lucas, and Max are playing board games in the living room. Robin and Mason got close quick, and they're watching a popular series together with other college friends. Will is on the balcony, on his own, already tipsy after having multiple shots. Mike is doing worse, dizzy enough to trip on his own foot. He tries to sober up quickly, sitting on Will's bed for just a small ounce of rest.
The music vibrates through the walls, with the bass pumping through his nerves. As Mike zones out, staring at the wall and gripping onto his half-empty drink, he finally notices Will, who's only a few feet away from the bedroom couch—where Mike is sitting. The wind is draping over his skin and clothes, pushing his hair away to the side. He looked beautiful, even when drunk. Mike's vision kept blurring, but the more he focused on Will, it felt like his dizziness left his body.
He felt a subtle vibration coming from his right pocket, and as he searched, he reached for his phone to see multiple notifications coming from Nancy and Karen Wheeler. 10 missed calls. Yikes.
A voice message from Karen says, "Mike, I know you're old enough to be partying but, call me if you need me okay? Have fun!"
Then another, "Mike? Reply if you see this, I'm getting worried!"
And another. "MIKE! PLEASE REPL-" Karen was practically panicking at that point, and Nancy and Holly could be heard trying to calm her down.
Mike sighs, and opens the camera to take a selfie. He shifts the camera to his front, adjusting it to make sure his face is caught in the photo. Not knowing what face to make, he just lets out a small grin. "I'm okay, Mom," he replies.
Long before he knew, Will was sitting right next to him. He jumps, and his face flushes red from the shock. Will lets out a laugh. "Didn't mean to scare you," he says.
"You having fun?" He asks, but he should know the answer by now—Mike was red, horribly drunk, and half-conscious. He must've had lots of fun.
"I guess. I mean- Well, yeah." Mike panics, hoping he didn't make a bad impression. They both chuckle, awkwardly.
Mike, curious, takes a good look at Will's apartment room. He just realizes that there are so many memories in this very room. Will has a wall full of the party's pictures in Hawkins, and he still kept their trophies in the Science Fairs back in middle school. He even kept the D&D Demogorgon figure way back. There are lots of his own paintings and drawings framed and hung up his walls.
"You kept lots of stuff from back in Hawkins." Mike says, offering cheers to the other before taking a sip of his fizzy beer drink. The cans clank, and they smile.
”Cheers-“
Mike wishes he could say it.
'Cheers to what we could've been.'
"Oh, yeah, I did. I always loved keeping memories of old places. I always loved our memories in Hawkins, even though I literally almost died there. It was an interesting place, you could say." Will reminisces, jokingly. They share laughs.
A long pause—Mike opens his mouth, then closes it, like he's trying to think of what to say. Tammy. The painting. What were they all about, he wonders. It’s a bad time to say all of this, but he’s drunk, and has a lot on his mind.
"Can I talk to you, for a second?"
"You already are."
"You know what I mean." Mike replies flatly, while Will nods, listening and confused.
"I know it's been so long, 18 months. And in those 18 months, I couldn't stop wondering about when you came out, back in Hawkins. I mean—this isn't about you coming out. You know, I was so proud of you. And now here you are, with a boyfriend. I'm just—curious,"
He gulps before continuing,
"Who is Tammy?"
Will's eyes widen in shock, after hearing that come out of Mike's mouth. He never knew that out of all people, Mike Wheeler would care about Tammy.
"Why are you asking me this, Mike? I've already moved on from that person I loved-"
"No, you don't understand, Will. I- I need to know." Mike cuts off, and at that moment, he felt a bit dizzy. His head hurt, like a hammer pounding into metal.
Will hesitates, but gives in—they're best friends, after all.
"Fine. But never tell anyone this. Ever again. I'm only telling you this because you're my best friend. Okay?"
Best friend. So that's what they see each other as.
Mike nods, anxiously.
"Tammy, Tammy Thompson, is someone from Robin and Steve's class, years ago. She was Robin's hallway crush. She was nice, I mean, she was everything Robin asked for."
"Like-liked her?"
Will pauses, then starts again.
"Yeah. And, that's when Robin realized, she's not the same as others. Like how I realized myself in Hawkins."
"Did Tammy find out?" Mike asks, still listening very closely for any clues that he may have let out. The other replies, "Well, no. It didn't matter anymore, anyway."
Mike frowns at the thought. "Why not?"
Will opens his mouth, but closes it again. He's still trying to think it through. Mike could tell.
"Because, she was normal. She liked boys. She had her own plans, unlike Robin did back then." Then, a long pause.
Silence filled the room, as Mike exhaled, "Oh." while Will nods.
Oh.
Oh.
Mike understands now. But all he wants to know, who was his Tammy? And on top of all that, can he really ask that? Or would he go over the line, then? He really wants to know, though.
"You want to know more? You seem shocked," Will laughs again—but it feels colder this time. Guarded.
"If it's okay with you?" Mike says, careful now. Of course, Will nods. He wanted to tell Mike this for so long. It feels easier. He's moved on. He tells himself that he's finally allowed to talk about it, especially to Mike.
"I realized I was like Robin. And, the first boy I liked... He was my Tammy." He exhales.
"Because, despite being different, I learned he wasn't. I admired him from far away, and I never said anything. I don't regret it, either. If I had, I don't think we'd still be friends."
"Friends?" Mike repeats. His chest tightens. "You're still friends with him?"
Will hesitates, just long enough.
He knows where this is going.
"That's all I'm going to say, Mike—"
"Who is it?" Mike cuts in, the question leaving his mouth before he could stop it. They're both drunk, their heads are hurting like hell, and they know they can't take this anymore. “Who did you love, William?”
"I always felt you pushing me away, years ago. I never knew you had this crush before you came out in Hawkins. I— I was upset, Will. And I still am! You always used to tell me your secrets then, and now you treat me like a stranger."
Will groans, dragging his hand down his face, "Mike, I am not doing this right now. I thought we were done with this shit-"
"No," Mike snaps.
"We aren't done with it! Because I wanted to be more than best friends, Will."
They stare at each other, wide-eyed and almost pale from those last words.
The words hit, like a punch. Silence lingered and stretched. For too long.
Mike could feel his face burning up from that small confession. Before he knew it, tears were formed, dripping down his face by seconds. It was humiliating.
"...What? What do you mean?" Will asks, disbelief falling from every word.
"You know what I'm saying, Will." Mike mutters, vulnerable and obviously, drunk.
Will just stared.
"...Are you seriously saying this now?” Will snaps, sharply. "Now that I have a boyfriend? Now that I finally moved on?"
Mike shakes his head, desperately. "Will, please. Just—just give me a minute to explain." His voice breaks.
"That painting El asked you to commission? I know she didn't really commission it. She never even knew about it. And I was really hurt, but I—I loved you, Will. I was just... I was scared to say something. I thought you'd get defensive. Or worse—cut me out."
"Stop it. Just—stop it, Michael. Fuck, we're both drunk." Will says, voice sharp, as he stands up from the bed.
"I'm going to make this clear. Yes, I did love you. But you're too late now. You still love me—but that version of me ended years ago. Younger me wanted this. Badly. I admit it."
Mike gasps.
"But, I have someone now. Someone who... Who will finally love me for who I am. For who I was."
His voice softens, just this once.
"Please Mike. Move on. Don't do this." He says, when he finally leaves the room, with the door slightly ajar as he steps out. The rain grows louder. There's nothing more to be said, but all Mike wants is to cry. To scream. To beg.
He sits there, in the silent room, knowing he messed up, again. So much for just a friend reunion. He stays weak, not knowing what to do. Humiliated and embarrassed, he clutches his bag, and hurries to exit the apartment without any goodbyes. The rest of the party, including Mason, stare confused, while Will, on the other hand, rushes to the bathroom for privacy, tears dripping down his cheeks as he claws at his scalp, fidgeting and frustrated.
The Cleric, moves onto the next stage, once more, standing resolute as he casts his protection spells and destroys the Paladin’s heart with the fireball. Finally, he is at peace—But will this peace last forever?
While, the so-ever brave Paladin, got too brave, and finally stood his guard and went down on his knees, giving up on the battle he could no longer win. His sword clattered against the cold, hard stone as his surrender to the depths of fate.