Chapter Text
Mike Wheeler knew what to expect when the airport arrivals door would’ve opened, or at least, thought he knew.
When his older sister, Nancy, had finally gotten some free time off college, didn’t even wait a week to ask Mike about visiting the Byers. They had moved to New York City not too long ago. Joyce and Hopper, who had found a new job, were about to get married, and Jonathan had been accepted to NYU.
Mike was ecstatic at the news, he missed his best friends terribly, and the thought of visiting one of the most important cities in the United States, was exciting in the most meaningful way.
After some shoulder bumping here and there to get out of the plane, him and Nancy were finally walking the footbridge separating them from the airport entrance.
Joyce was the first one he noticed when the door opened in front of them, and she was smiling from ear to ear, immediately hugging the both of them, being careful not to squeeze them too much.
Then it was Hopper’s turn, who hugged Nancy and acknowledged Mike with a playful slap on his shoulder. Mike never really knew if he liked him or just tolerated him for Will’s and Jane’s sake.
He hugged Jane next, chuckling in her ear when she couldn’t reach his shoulder, which made him lower down a bit.
Will was right beside her when Mike noticed him, and the sight left him speechless and freezing in place. Will noticed his reaction and quietly chuckled, before opening his arms up a little.
“Am I the only one who’s not getting an hug?”
He said, smiling brightly and teasingly, taking a step forward.
Mike snapped out of his daze the moment Will spoke up, and shook his head before lunging forward slowly, and wrapping his arms around Will. He didn’t remember him being like this.
The hug lasted only some seconds, but Mike could swear the cologne in his nostrils lasted at least for an hour or two.
“You guys look… tired, to say the least.”
Joyce said a moment later, affectionately, noticing the dark circles under Mike’s and Nancy’s eyes. Little did she know they had been too excited for this trip to even sleep the last two days.
“Yeah, you guys definitely need a dinner and a good night sleep, we should get going.”
Hopper said, picking up Mike’s backpack from the floor and sliding it on one shoulder, and taking Nancy’s luggage handle, leading the way to the airport exit.
Jane was holding Hopper’s arm to the way out, listing all the fun things they should do during Mike’s and Nancy’s visit, while Nancy and Jonathan were taking about how much they missed each other and acting disgustingly sweet.
Mike was walking next to Will behind the group, and it took everything in him not to stare at the boy beside him every few seconds. In what felt like hours of draining silence, he finally spoke up in a curious tone.
“You know Will, you look… different… not in a bad way though! Just… your style changed a lot?”
Mike said carefully, stumbling a little over his own tongue, finishing the sentence with a sheepish smile.
Will glanced up at him when he spoke up, and smiled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Well… yeah I did. Jonathan introduced me to goth music and… well did some research and… yeah I really like it.”
Mike listened intently to will talking, trying not to focus too much on the way his black waterline was making his hazel eyes pop out even more, or the piercing on his eyebrow giving him a slight more dangerous look.
“I-I like it… it really suits you.”
Mike says, quietly, almost as if he was scared to admit it, and nearly punches himself thinking Will could not believe him.
Instead, Will just lowers his head, and Mike could swear to have noticed a faint pink creeping up his neck.
“Thank you, Mike.”
Will says, raising his head just for a moment, smiling, almost shyly, as if he didn’t expect the compliment.
“You changed your style as well… I see.”
Mike looks down at himself, not self-consciously, because he knew Will wasn’t the type to judge, and nodded, proudly.
“Oh yeah, me, Dustin… we joined a DnD party a senior founded… his name’s Eddie, I think you’d like him. And yeah… he kind of influenced me in his music taste like Jonathan did with you… and his style too, you know, chains, black clothes and… crazy hair.”
Mike explains, and chuckles a little at the ‘crazy hair’ part.
Will listens, and nods in understanding, noticing Mike’s chipped black painted nails while he gestures.
Their attention was redirected to the group when Hopper announced to follow him to the car outside the airport. Mike and Will nod to each other and share a laugh, as they totally forgot they were still in the airport lobby.
They catch up to everyone else and Mike furrows his eyebrows at the sight in front of him.
“Have you guys bought a pizza delivery van?”
Will chuckles, and shakes his head, while helping Mike put his luggage between the seats.
“Oh no, it’s Jonathan’s friend van, we borrowed it since Hop’s car is at the mechanic.”
Will explains, and hops up into the van, extending Mike an hand.
Mike nods, raising his eyebrows not to ask further questions, and stares at Will’s extended hand a second longer than necessary before taking it and hopping into the van next to him.
“Well… functional… but honestly… not really comfy.”
Mike comments with an amused sigh, testing the seat by bouncing and sliding a little on it.
“Well, it’s the best we have for now, Wheeler, your butt needs to get used to it.”
Hopper says, sliding into the driver’s seat, and adjusting the rearview mirror to look at Mike, who raises his hands in surrender and shakes his head when the attention shifts away from him.
The drive home was filled comfortable silence, broken only by a comment from Nancy about the city and Jonathan’s explanation now and then. In the quietness, Mike couldn’t help but notice some little habits that Will had that Mike remembered so vividly. Like the constant lip biting and the eye squinting every time the sun caught his eyes.
Mike smiled a little to himself remembering how he always brought a cloth handkerchief in case Will’s eyes watered too much in the sun. Will didn’t seem to notice his constant glances, and if he did, he clearly didn’t mind, since he kept flashing him little nods whenever he caught him staring.
After some more minutes of driving, Hopper finally gets to their house’s driveway, and gets out first to open up the van for them. Jonathan helps getting the luggages out before they all get out.
Mike stretches his limbs as he gets out, already feeling his back hurt from the uncomfortable position he was seated in, unintentionally hitting Will’s arm when he was trying to get out of the van.
“Oh shoot, sorry Will.”
But Will shakes his hand, dismissing his apology with his hand.
“Don’t worry, it was kind of funny seeing you struggle to sit still in that van, you looked like you were fighting for your life.”
“I was! How in hell do you not have back pain?”
Mike says, trying to defend himself, before getting a playful flick on his forehead.
“Come on long legs, you need a nap.”
Will says, taking Mike’s backpack from his shoulder to slide it on his own, and walking ahead of him to the front door. Mike shakes his head fondly and catches up to him, playfully shoving him to ‘take revenge’ from the forehead flick.
As soon as Mike steps in the Byers house, he is immediately welcomed by all the various furniture styles it contains, and by the fresh paint smell coming from Will’s room.
“Your room is… really nice.”
Mike says as he enters Will’s room, looking around, seeing multiple bands and movie posters, comic books scattered across the desk and vinyls kept neatly organized on the shelves.
“Thank you… and sorry it’s kinda messy but I woke up late this morning and I haven’t had time to tidy it up.”
“Oh no don’t worry, you should see mine if you think this is messy.”
Mike adds with a small laugh.
“So, I’m sleeping here right?”
Will nods, and starts collecting the comics on his desk to put them in his drawer.
“Yeah, I have Jonathan’s sleeping bag somewhere but… I don’t mind sharing the bed, it’s big enough for two, if you want.”