Chapter Text
Will does not remember the first time he saw that boy from his dream. He must have been only a little boy himself, all alone with no friends. Then, one night, a great knight came to rescue him from the endless darkness of a nightmare. He was trembling, hiding away from a monster and just as the big, lurking creature was about to get him, a black-haired boy with shining armour, a shield and a sword came to his rescue. He slain the monster as if it was a mere shadow, with one swing of his sword.
Will though about the knight all the time. He was sure, that the boy was real, although he’s never seen him before. He was a boy like him, but brave enough to face all the monsters of the world. From that day on he stopped being afraid of nightmares as he was certain his knight would save him.
And Will was right. Soon enough the brave knight visited him again, but this time it was no bad dream. Will wore a purple cloak and a pointy hat, and the knight addressed to him as his wise cleric, whom he owes his salvation. Will did not know what he meant.
„The other day I was struggling, big slimy creature was about to kill me when you, my wise sorcerer, showed up. You swinged your magic staff, said an incantation and he disappeared. You saved me and now I owe you. “ said the brave knight. They were sitting in a meadow with blooming flowers surrounding them. He smiled at Will and his eyes reflected the setting sun.
„But that’s not right! “ objected Will. „It was you, who saved me, my brave knight, “
They starred at each other for a while and then the knight smiled kindly. „We must have saved each other then, “
Then, occasionally, Will would meet the knight, and they would talk to each other for so long. It felt more real than any other dream, it was as if Will was fully conscious, he could always remember what the last thing was, they talked about the last time they met in a dream. They would walk through the forest, across the meadow, get lost in a castle.
When Will was ten, he had a notepad full od drawings of this knight. After the first few times he’s met with him, he told his mom about him. Joyce said it’s nice that he’s made a friend, but she never truly believed him. She thought the knight was just an imaginary friend of Will, since he didn’t have any real friends. Some kids just cope this way, she thought.
Will stopped talking about the knight to anyone, but he still kept drawing of the scenes from his dreams with the knight. The notepad was always secured in his drawer underneath schools work and lots of paper. No one but him ever rummaged through it, so it was safe. Or so Will thought.
Jonathan was looking for something and found the notepad. He knew that his little brother had no friends here in California, he himself was Wills best friend. Their parents have just broken up, and they spend up most of their time together playing games or listening to music.
Jonathan waited until Will came back to his room. When Will saw that his brother took possession of his drawings, he sprang towards him and tried to snatch it from him.
„Give that back! “ Will yelped.
„What are you doing?!“ Jonathan jumped as Will tried to nearly scratch his hands while reclaiming his most prized possession. „I just wanted to ask if that’s a character for some new comic you’re drawing. What’s gotten into you, Will? “
In this exact moment Will realised just how vulnerable his knight is. The safe feeling he only felt when he was dreaming of him was something, he could never let anyone share. He could never tell anyone about him.
From that day on he found a way safer place where he would keep his dream friend. Every time Will felt down or just wanted to relax a bit, he looked at his knight. After all these years he knew the exact grimaces, he made and the freckles that were scattered across his face. The way his eyes smiled just as much as his mouth, his dark hair that changed over the years. It was as if his knight was a real person with a name he never told, just as much as Will was the cleric who never could say his name out loud as well.
Now, Will is sixteen years old, he still has no friends here in California and he probably never will. Jonathan is still the only person he dares to call a friend, because it’s still better to have your brother as best friend that your mom. But yes, Joyce is Wills second best friend, as embarrassing and lame as it sounds.
Will tried to make friends, he really did, but it never worked out. Everyone just thought he was too weird, too nerdy.
And he never will have friends in California, because today is the last day he’ll ever see this awful town, this awful country. He does not know, if Indiana is going to be any better than this lousy place, but he has high hopes.
Few months ago, Joyce met her old friend from back home, Hawkings. Jim Hopper and his daughter Jane were visiting some distant relatives here in California and stayed for a month there. As fate has it, Joyce and Jim met and would meet again and again.
Will was really glad that his mom finally found someone she could rely on and be happy with. Hopper was a nice guy, at first, he looked mean and scary, but he would make embarrassing jokes and actually care about your feelings, not like Wills real dad. Both Will and Jonathan became very fond of him.
One night, when Hopper was staying over, Will overheard him and his mom talking.
„I’m sure that Jane and the boys should meet, “ suggested Joyce. „I mean, Jane and Will are both the same age and well- Will could do with a friend, “ she said the last thing quietly, as if it really troubled her.
„Come on Joyce, he must have at least some friend, don’t tell me he’s really got no one,“ said Hopper.
„But that’s the thing Hop, he doesn’t, he’s,“ she paused. „He’s different. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, bud I’m just worried about him. He never goes out, he’s always in his room drawing and painting- and again, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but I just don’t think its good for a boy his age to be this isolated from everything and everyone. “ Joyce sounded broken and Will, hearing all this come from his mother, stood shook up I the hallway.
Will knew he was different. He tried to change, he really did. He just didn’t like the things others did. He didn’t like, like others did. He was weird. He was told that so many times he just believed it at this point. The only person he could tell at least a bit of the truth was his knight.
He couldn’t tell him, how much he liked his dark curls, his shining eyes and nice smile. He couldn’t tell him how the world became so slow whenever he thought of him, their meadow full of flowers and the light breeze swooping around them as they laugh. He could only tell him so little, but it was more that enough.
Will was weird, because his knight wasn’t real, yet he thought of him as the realest person in his life. Will was weird, because he had a full box of drawings of his knight. Will was weird, because he was in love with his knight.
The day after Joyce said that the next time Jim comes around, he’s going to bring he’s daughter Jane with him. Will wasn’t sure what to expect from this Jane, but he wasn’t very thrilled about it. Every girl he ever tried to talk to was just mean to him, tried to make fun of him or was highly disgusted by him. He never fully understood why he was so hated. Yes, he didn’t dress very modernly, yes, he was an art freak, and yes, if a girl would ever like him, he would never be able to like her back. He hoped it would be different with Jane, but it probably won’t.
Two weeks later Hopper and Jane arrived for the long-expected visit. It was the beginning of May, the weather was warm outside, but not necessarily hot. Hopper was just taking out two suitcases out of his car while Joyce was greeting Jane.
Jane looked… nice. Will observed her a little. She had long brow hair, not a very modern dress with blue flowers and she stood kind of awkwardly as if she was very uncomfortable. That made will at least a bit calm.
„Hi, Will. It’s nice to finally meet you. Dad told me a lot about you,“ she came to me awkwardly.
„It’s good to meet you as well, Jane,“ Will said. „So, it looks like the two of us will be sharing a room for this week. I could maybe shown you around?“
„Sure,“ said Jane and followed me into the house. They made way into the first floor where Wills room was.
„Okay, so you will take my bed and I will sleep on the mattress,“ Will pointed at his bed. „Hope you won’t mind my bed, but it should be clean,“
„Oh believe me, I’ve slept in worse,“ She jumped onto the bed. Will didn’t know what she meant by this. „So, Will, is there anything fun to do around here?“
„Eh, I don’t really know, to be honest,“ Will answered. He was so sure Jane was going to just be weirded by him anyway. „I don’t really hang around, “
„I get that. Me and my friends are most of the times in a basement playing D&D. Not that I really get that game, but it’s fun sometimes, “ Will was really surprised by this. He really didn’t think that Jane would be the kind of person, who would enjoy a freaks game. He was starting to like her.
„You play D&D? “ asked Will ecstatically.
„Mostly my friends and my boyfriend,“ Jane answered. „Do you and your friends play it?“
„Ah, no, not really,“ Will answered truthfully. For some reason he felt no need to lie to Jane. He didn’t know, what it was about her, that made him feel safe to just be himself. He never really felt this way about anyone, but his family and his knight. „I don’t really have any friends to be absolutely honest,“ he added.
Jane looked at him like she was sorry, but didn’t know that to say. „Well, maybe you’ll meet my friends one day and you’ll get to play that stupid game with them instead of me,“ she got up from the bed. Will decided that Jane was not like any other girls he ever encountered.
Though Will couldn’t believe it, he quickly realised that it was like to have a friend. Jane was the one to talk most of the time. She told him about Hawkings, her friends and boyfriend. Her boyfriends name is Mike, he is really good at telling stories and writing them, he’s funny and presumably good looking. Then there’s Dustin, he’s the funniest one, then Lucas and Max, who are dating and are the most perfect couple right after Jane and Mike.
Will would listen to Jane talk about it all and suddenly he felt as if this is that he was missing his whole life. It made him happy to hear all about Jane and her perfect life, but it left a big empty hole in his heart, knowing he wasted sixteen years of being utterly alone.
„ You’d love Mike, he’s like, totally your person. He could write stories and you would draw it. And Max, she’s the funniest girl,”
„You already said about everyone that they’re the funniest person!“ Will laughed.
„Well, they all might as well be,“ Jane laughed as well.
Joyce saw how happy Will was with Jane and she saw haw empty he became when Jane and Hopp left home after the week. Joyce and Hopper have been talking about moving together to Hawkins for the whole week.
Joyce never thought that she would be returning home, to Hawkings. After high school she was glad she could finally leave the place. But nothing was no longer keeping her nor her sons in California and it seemed like everything was attracting them toward the small town in Indiana.
So, at the end of June they definitely packed all of their things and had to spend one last night in their house in California.
Will went to sleep and in his dream he appeared in a weird place. It was dark, it looked like the normal world, but... Different. There was something lurking around in the shadows. Will started looking around like a madman trying to see what it is, that’s pursuing him.
„My sorcerer,“ an arm reached out behind him and touched Wills shoulder. Will Quickly jumped.
„Where are we, my knight?“ asked Will.
„I do not know,“ said the knight. He looked as beautiful as ever. Even in the dark, frightening scene. „But it does not matter, as long as you’re here with me, even the most petrifying of a place is a paradise,“
Will smiled widely at those beautiful words. „If you were not a knight, you would have been a poet,“
„ Something's worrying you, my sorcerer?“ asked worryingly the knight.
„Big changes are upon me, that’s all,“ said the cleric carelessly.
The knight took him by both shoulders and looked right into his eyes. „Every ending is a new begining, do not worry,“
Will felt as if something shifted between them. He didn’t know what it was, but the knight was looking at him hungrily, almost as if he was holding himself back from something.
„We shall meet again soon,“ said the cleric as a goodbye.
„We shall,“ said the knight.
The darkness became darker. Suddenly everything was pitch black a then the black turned into a blinding light of the sun outside. Will got up from the bed, looked at his childhood room one last time and left California for good with no regrets. Every ending is a new begging.