Chapter Text
Stacey's party was an uncomfortably large contrast to the comfort of DnD in Mike Wheeler's basement. There were drinks flying all around, the smell of marijuana was ever present, and Mike couldn't find any of his friends anywhere. The last time he saw Max and Lucas they were making out in a corner, and the last time he saw Dustin he was outside, swimming fully clothed (drunk off his ass) in Stacey's pool. Mike hadn't seen Will since they arrived at the party, and honestly, that's what worried him the most.
So Mike went from room to room, giving occasional waves to friendly faces or school acquaintances. He found Dustin first, soaked but back inside the kitchen, pouring himself two more shots of Tito's. Mike had to cut him off there. Max and Lucas were still making out, and they were in the same room they'd been in, but they'd moved to the other corner. Strange, neither of them could recall exactly why.
But Mike's nerves didn't ease up. Will was still nowhere to be found.
"Calm downnnnn," Max shouted over the music, grabbing a bottle of Tito's from Dustin's confused grasp and handing it to Mike. "Have some liquor it's wonderful for when you're saddd and you can't find Will anywhere!! Oh my gosh you will be so happy do NOT be scared just try and he will be hereeee," she giggled.
Lucas nodded and giggled with Max, but he didn't seem to know what was going on around him. God, Mike never thought he'd see his friends drunk like this. Mike himself had only ever tried alcohol one time prior to Stacey's party, and it was a shitty cheap beer. It tasted staying sober was a good idea.
Well, Mike took one look at that bottle of Tito's, and then he took a second to think about Will. Where was Will? Why wasn't he with Mike? Was he drunk? Was he high? Was he even downstairs? Could he be upstairs?
Mike had been in love with Will for a while. How could he not be? Will was, well, perfect. His gorgeous green eyes, his soft pink lips. The way he held himself, the way he spoke, the way he treated his friends. The way he treated Mike.
But he wasn't with Mike right now. He was off somewhere, likely having the time of his life. He didn't need Mike.
Somewhere, deep in Mike's heart, he felt a twinge of the despair he'd felt when he lost Will. Maybe they hadn't been separated for long, but Mike may as well be back when he was twelve, watching Will's lifeless body bring pulled from the quarry.
It hurt. So he poured himself a shot.
"Holy fucking shit!" Mike yelled after downing it, and then regretted opening his mouth at all. He felt like he was going to puke.
"Dude you forgot the chase dude," Dustin chuckled.
"Duuuuuuude," Max agreed with a big fat smile plastered across her face. It took Mike a second to figure out what 'the chase' was.
Mike did not make the same mistake twice. Taking a shot of straight vodka is a one way ticket to Hell; he made sure to have a chaser after that.
--
At 6:43 in the morning, Mike jolted awake. Looking around, he could tell that he never made it home from Stacey's.
There were red solo cups on every surface imaginable, Mike included. Laying on the floor, he had three solo cups around him and two sitting on top of his chest. There were a couple sleepy teenagers lying around, but not really that many, which surprised Mike. He saw Max and Lucas asleep on the couch in the room over, but Dustin was nowhere to be seen, and Will still hadn't been found? At least, Mike couldn't remember finding Will. He couldn't remember anything after his second shot.
Mike stood up too fast, and almost toppled right back over onto the solo cups beside him. His headache beat against his skull like a big-ass bass drum. His mouth was way too dry and everything was way too bright. All he could think about was finding Will, but he ended up blowing chunks all over the ground first.
He didn't bother trying to clean it up because Mike Wheeler is an inconsiderate asshole.
Stacey herself was lying on the stairs, snoring with a bottle of water next to her and a bucket at the bottom of the stairs. Mike carefully stepped over her and then almost fell down again.
Mike looked in every single room upstairs. Surprisingly, most of them were empty. Two were occupied by sleeping couples. One of them was occupied by Will Byers.
He was also fast asleep, with many, many more solo cups around him. Next to him was a shirtless man, someone Mike had never seen before. It scared him, and he gasped. Will stirred in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Mysterious lover man seemed to shift closer to Will, and all of the sudden, Mike was gonna puke again. He ran into the hallway bathroom without closing the door behind him, and felt someone pat his shoulder while he hurled. He flushed the toilet as he turned around, and he saw a Dustin with eyes as red as blood and eye bags deeper than the Mariana Trench. Before Mike could say anything, Dustin shoved him aside and hurled into the toilet. Valid.
Mike sat on the hardwood floor outside the bathroom, staring hard at the cracked bedroom door that Will was behind. He looked at an abandoned solo cup on the ground, filled with a frightening, pungent bright red liquid. Before he could change his mind, Mike drank all of the rest, and it tasted like shit. As much as he needed to find out who Mysterious lover man was, he felt like he also needed to be blackout drunk again. Before he could find any more liquor, Max appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Mike?" She whispered, not very quietly.
"Hmm?" His head was still pounding, holy shit, and the red beverage didn't help (how could it) and made him want to throw up for the third time (why did he drink it?) "Do you Tylenol have any?"
"No, I don't have any Tylenol Mike," Max laughed.
"I bet Will would have Tylenol," Mike groaned. "Will, Will, Will. Where is Will? He's in there with some mystery man!"
Mike was starting to talk a little too loud for seven in the morning, and Max kept shushing him, but he was still drunk and just kept getting louder.
"William Will," Mike sighed. "Why do we call him Will? Do you think he sometimes gets his name and the word mixed together?"
"Mike, what the fuck are you talking about," Lucas shook his head, appearing behind Max.
"I think I need a drink," Max grumbled.
"Me too," Mike frowned.
Dustin emerged from the bathroom, teary eyed and smiling. "I found you guys!!" He exclaimed. He seemed a little drunk still too, but maybe a little more high than drunk.
Well, the party was there, all except for Will, and Mike kept staring hard at the bedroom door. Dustin, Max, and Lucas started talking about something, but Mike couldn't hear it. He was too invested in door-watching.
As if it had been waiting for the whole party to arrive, the door dramatically swung all the way open. Standing in the frame was none other than Mystery lover man himself.
"Hey uh do you guys know where I could take a piss," he asked, with a VERY heavy frat accent. Hey, maybe he was straight after all. Maybe he slept in the same bed as Will on accident. Max pointed him to the bathroom, and as soon as the door closed, Mike shushed everyone dramatically, despite the fact that nobody was talking.
"Guys," He whisper-yelled. "That man is shirtless. And he is in there with Will! Sleeping in the same bed!! Why would he want to do that man! Looks like Harry goddamn Potter," Mike sat back against the wall and hit his head, hard. "OW!"
"Oh, Mike," Max smiled. "Let's get you back home."
"I can't go back to my parents!!" Mike cried, with a crazy look in his eyes. "They're so kill me and ground me for forever!"
The whole party looked rough; half of them were still drunk, they all looked like they came straight from the Upside-Down, and one was even still asleep.
Lucas and Max decided to herd Dustin and Mike back to Mike's car (not before taking his keys), and then go wake Will so they could all leave together and sober up before returning home.
Max pushed Mike into the backseat, hard. "STAY. HERE. Got it?"
"Fine, I do not even give a shit. Lady." Mike pouted. Dustin fell asleep almost immediately after Max shut the car door. Mike just sat there, looking at his hands and occasionally whispering about how stupid it was that Will had fallen asleep with another man, and how stupid it was that he didn't have his keys.
Lucas and Max were back within fifteen minutes, with a smiley Will Byers travelling behind. Max sat in the driver's seat, Lucas sat next to her in the passenger seat, and Will sat next to Mike at the back right window seat.
"Will!!!" Mike exclaimed, pretty loudly. Hungover groans ensued from the rest of the Party, besides Max, who seemed to be feeling the best out of all of them. That was surprising; she probably drank the most out of all of them.
Mike leaned on Will, overjoyed that he'd found his best friend. "Where were you last night?? I looked for you all over but I never found you anywhere!!"
Will smiled to himself, and looked out the window.
"I met someone last night. You guys wouldn't believe it!" Will's eyes wrinkled at the edges. "He was so sweet, and we danced together the whole night!"
Mike's brain spun, trying to process what Will was saying. "You met... the same guy in the room? That's where you were last night?"
"Woo, Will!" Max looked back into the rear view mirror at Will. "I've never been more proud!"
Will sighed dreamily, which made Mike's chest ache.
"I don't know why we hadn't started talking sooner, we have so much in common! He really appreciates art, even if he wants to study business, and..."
Mike tuned out the rest of whatever Will was saying. This random guy? Having so much in common with Will? His Will? That couldn't be right.
"And..." Will said, shyly, with a blushing face. "We cuddled and kissed and I earned this guy right here!"
Will was pointing at a spot on his neck, bruised with blue, purple, green and red. An obnoxious hickey. It earned a lot of teasing oooooohs from the party. Except for Mike. Maybe he hadn't really ever drank much before, but he found himself needing more and more alcohol the more Will talked about this guy.
Mike glared forward for the rest of the car ride, staying silent, while Will excitedly talked about Carlton. What a stupid fucking name.