Chapter Text
Being a twin was never easy, everyone expects it to be but it’s not. It’s a constant comparison, a competition you never signed up for but will never be able to escape.
Will Byers wasn’t born a twin, despite the similarities in their appearance Jane wasn’t always his sister. Not technically at least, in his heart he always knew he was missing something before she came into his life, but from an outside perspective no. Will Byers wasn’t always a twin.
To him Jane Hopper always has and always will be his twin sister but apparently that's debatable.
Any who getting off topic; being a twin isn’t easy. You have this person who understands you like nobody else on earth, who you can always rely on to be there, who you know would never let you down, who you would burn the world for.
So when that person gets the one thing, the one person you have always wanted, you have to try not to let the jealousy fester and infect you, you have to love them more than you hate them, because you do, hate them that is; even when you don’t want to.
Being a twin means constantly being put against each other, being compared to the other. “Why can’t you just be like Jane” or “El wouldn’t do that” and so forth. Even unintentionally at times, “Ugh I miss El, I wish she were here, your sister is so amazing.” The day Will can go a whole day without hearing any variations of that one is the day he throws a massive rager.
It’s stupid. He feels stupid, because they aren’t wrong, it’s not like he disagrees, Jane is amazing, in everyway, she’s so perfect, it’s just that it’s all that he ever fucking hears.
So to summarise, he hates Jane as much as he loves her, but at the same time he could never hate her, not with a single cell in his body because she is his other half, but also he can’t stand it anymore.
Simple right?
Anyways, why is this important? Or even at all relevant, well that would be because Will is currently stuck. Stuck how you may be asking? And he would just like to preface that this is entirely Dustin’s fault.
3.5 Hours Earlier
Will was currently, as most teenagers do, enjoying his day alone in his room, avoiding everyone within a twelve mile radius because he was sick of everyone’s bullshit. They had been moved back from California for two weeks, Vecna defeated, everyone alive and breathing, couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Jane was out somewhere with Max, Dustin, Lucas, and Mike were probably off arse kissing that curly haired ring leader they follow around like kicked puppies, Eddie or whatever his name was.
Or the second option, the real reason he’s hiding away from the rest of the world, Mike might be following Jane around, or word vomiting about her, or ranting about whatever they have argued about today. He can’t do it, he simply can't. If Will has to spend one more second listening to the guy he’s been in love with since he was five, pine over his twin sister, he genuinely might cause a scene, either by ripping his hair out and screaming or, even better, pulling out a gun.
So as here he was, William Byers, the official hermit, sitting alone in his room, desperately trying to draw anything other than his best friend's face. It just feels like every time he puts the pencil to the page, the mindless lines he puts down always ends up reflecting that familiar smug smile. He hates him, his stupid face, his stupid voice. Every time he hears Micheal Wheeler’s, stupid ass laugh he has to remind himself;
He isn’t yours, you can’t have him. Jane, think about Jane, don’t do this to her, she would never do it to you.
His mind is his own personal prison sentence.
Sadly, his friends don’t seem to respect his self-inflicted isolation.
“WILL, WILLWILLWILL!” Getting off his bed, rushing over to the window, that none other than Dustin Henderson is banging on like it’s a life or death situation.
“Dustin? Dude what’s wrong?”
He huffs, doubling over a little, making it obvious that for whatever reason, he decided to bike from wherever he was, to Will as fast as he possibly could.
“You- *huff* Mike-” He would be lying if he said his heart didn’t flutter at the topic of Mike, however you couldn’t pay him to admit that. “Lucas, Max, El, *huff* emergency meeting *Huff* Mike’s house. Now.”
“You know I have a front door right, you could have just knocked on that, or I dunno, radioed.” Will laughs, earning an unimpressed look from his friend.
“No really smartass? You weren’t answering! And the window meant I would get your attention quicker! Now let's go, we don't have all day!”
“Okay, Okay, I’m coming, jeez”
By the time Will grabs his jacket and scarf, Dustin has already pulled his bike around and pulled him out the window, causing him to fall right into him. The two of them immediately breaking out into laughter.
“God you’ve gotten heavy, get off me you oaf!” he laughs shoving Will onto the grass
Raising his hand to his forehead, he laughs “You sure know how to make a man swoon Dustin”
“It’s truly a gift”
“I don’t know if gift is the right word here”
“Oh fuck right off” He laughs, dusting himself off. “Okay really though, we gotta go.”
“Yeah, yeah, to Mike’s we go.”
Despite wanting to never leave his house again or talk to anyone, laughing with Dustin was so nice, so freeing, he forgot just how much he missed it, how easy it was to just exist with him, riding through town as if nothing had ever gone wrong, like they were thirteen again; before they became more damage than not. He’s half tempted to finally cash in that comic he owes him. Out of everyone in Hawkins, he honestly thinks he missed Dustin the most, sure Mike was his best friend on top of whatever feelings he may or may not hold for him, but Dustin was his best friend as well.
The one that always made him laugh, the one that despite his short fuse was always the best of them, people might assume it’s Will, but in his opinion it’s always been Dustin, Dustin whose so loving, that it could be considered a fault, so caring, Dustin who never made him feel like nothing, or that he was weird or wrong, even when he was dating Susie, unlike Lucas and Mike who put Will on the backburner, Dustin never did that, so yeah, he missed Dustin the most.
Riding in between parked cars, mailboxes and bins, racing towards the Wheeler’s house, it’s like deja vu, a routine he’s completed hundreds of times, it’s so familiar it’s sickening, he wants to be sick.
Jumping off of his bike Dustin laughs, raising his arms into the air. “Hah! I won!”
“Barely! It was by like half a second!”
“Still counts! Don’t be a sore loser Byers!”
“You’re the worst”
Dustin smirks, wiggling his shoulders “You love me, admit it”
“You wish, now knock on the door, unless this emergency meeting isn’t as emergent as you made it out to be” Honestly he kind of wishes he would turn around and say ‘Yeah it’s not actually important !’ so that he could just go home, happily avoiding Michael Wheeler and Jane.
“Oh shit right” But sadly Will never gets what he wishes for.
Distantly Will can hear Mike shout out and he winces at the sound of his voice, reminding himself, get it together, it’s fine, just shove it back down, it’s just going back to how it was, shove it down.
Seconds later the door opens revealing a slightly disheveled Mike, because the universe obviously hates his guts.
Mike’s eyes land on him, making a face that he can’t quite decipher, staring for a moment, just a second, before opening his mouth, breathless “Will, you came”. He must’ve run to the door.
“I’m here too y’know” Dustin interrupts flatly, before Will gets the chance to respond, and he’s thankful for that to be honest, because how was he even supposed to respond to that, probably by saying something fucking stupid before he had the chance to think it through.
“Right, yes hi, come in”
Down in the basement everyone was gathered across the different couches pushed against the walls. Max resting against Lucas’ shoulder, Jane laying with her head on the arm of the couch with her feet in Max’s lap, and Lucas with his hands running through Max’s hair. Jane, shot up seeing Will come into the room, rushing over to hug him. “Will!”
“Hi Jane” he smiles, wrapping his arms around his twin sister's waist. She saw him yesterday in passing, but this honestly might be the first time she’s seen him leave the house properly since they moved back, and honestly she has been so busy with helping their mum and Hopper, well as running around catching up with Max, and whatever her and Mike do that he’d prefer not to think about that they’ve barely seen each other.
She pulled back slightly smiling, her long hair falling into her face a little. “You came.”
“I did”
She pulls him back into a wordless hug before pulling him down onto the couch with her, motioning for Mike to come as well, allowing him to take a seat on the floor in between their legs, because where the fuck else would he be. Will needs a cigarette god help him.
“Okay Dustin, what's the reason you have dragged everyone into my basement once again?”
“Right! Right. Yes, I, okay this. Listen.” As he stumbles over his words, Will has to stop himself from sighing because this is going to be the stupidest reason for dragging them all here isn’t it? He should have stayed home.
“Okay look- Will don’t even I can see you trying not to roll your eyes”
He sits up feigning offence “Slander!”
“It’s not slander if it’s true! This is serious!”
Below him he can see Mike sigh into his palm. “If it’s so important get on with it jeez.”
In that moment, Jane raises her hand smacking Mike at the back of the head with it. “Ouch- El!”
“Don’t be so rude, he wouldn’t have called a meeting for no reason, he’s our friend treat him like it, sorry Dustin, we’re listening I promise” She smiles, and god doesn’t she just look like the most perfect person in the world, maybe if he could smile like her, imitate her easy kindness, maybe just maybe, he could be good like her. Maybe he could’ve been, if he was never taken, touched, ruined.
Maybe if he never went missing Mike would look at him like he was his whole world, maybe if he was just better like her, Mike’s life wouldn’t have started the day he disappeared. Maybe he should have just stayed gone, he thought he had something worth fighting to come home for, but maybe he just made everything worse, made everyone’s life worse. “-Will?”
“Huh?” He blinks, refocusing to see Mike in his face, hand on his knee.
“You okay?” He wishes Mike would just shut up, just stop pretending to care, stop noticing, stop forcing him to fall back into the endless dance just to leave him dancing alone again.
“I’m fine, sorry, just zoned out.”
“It’s alright, you sure you’re okay though?”
“Yeah.”
Max claps hands, “Okay now if you two want to stop staring lovingly into each others eyes, can we get back to Dustin”
“What- we weren’t-”
Lucas cuts him off before he can even get a defence out, probably something about how he’s straight, about how he’s with Jane, Will doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t care enough. “Dude, nobody cares, Dustin you were saying”
“Thank you! Jesus Christ, Okay so, right, okay maybe it’s a little stupid now I’m thinking about it-” They all shout his name at the same time, a mix of fed-up, and amused. “No- guys but listen, okay, just hear me out-”
“We’re listening Dustin” Jane smiles again, and Will can almost see the heart eyes pop right out of his head, well, at least they’re in the same boat.
“Right, thank you El, so you know how Eddie always says, okay well some of you might not- but you know how Eddie always says how much he hates Principal Higgins?”
“Well yeah- I mean he confiscated all that pot from him right before break didn’t he?”
“Yeah! Thank you Mike-” God he hopes Dustin isn’t taking this where Will thinks he is. “So I was thinking, what if we snuck into the school and got it back? Christmas is almost here, it could be like a gift! Plus the school’s empty anyways, it’s not like we’re going to get caught!”
Before Will can say anything Max throws her shoe at him. “Dustin that’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever fucking heard, doesn’t he have more now anyways? He sells that shit, what’s the point?”
Dustin waves his hands, “Okay I see that, I hear you however, it’d be the gesture! And that way it’s a group gift and we don’t all have to get our own presents for him?”
“Okay but sneaking into the school does seem like it’d be kinda cool”
“See! See! Thank you Lucas”
Mike rests his head against Will’s thigh, wrapping an arm around his leg, and Will is about two seconds from asking Nancy where she hides her guns.
This is probably the worst idea he’s ever put forward, but hey if all goes to shit at least he can smoke some pot and forget all about Mike Wheeler and his stupid everything.
He sighs into his hands, “You know what fine I’m in”
Everyone’s heads snap towards him, as if he was the last person they were expecting to agree, and honestly he can’t blame them, Will changed in Cali, he smoked weed, he got a piercing, started dressing in darker clothes and wearing make up, Jane always said he looked so cool, said it was like gothic grunge chic from whatever magazine their mom had bought for her. Sure he got called a fag, a queer, fucking what else is new there. He changed.
Surprisingly Mike of all people broke the shocked silence “If Will’s in so am I”
Jane gave him a knowing look “Me too”
Everyone turned to Max with an expecting look. “Oh for fucks sake, fine.”
“Okay awesome you won’t regret this I swear!” He was definitely going to regret this. “So it’s almost 6, it’s been getting dark at 6:30, so if we leave like now, we could get there as it’s getting dark, be back by 7:30 for Mrs Wheeler’s roast dinner?”
20 Minutes Later
“I thought you said you knew what you were doing”
Currently, Will, and the rest of the party have been watching Dustin try to pick the lock of the entry doors at their school for 10 minutes, so far he’s dropped the lock picks at least 16 times, he stopped counting after 3. “Shove your attitude up your ass Mike! Eddie taught me I just need a sec to remember properly okay?”
Will walked over to his sister, putting an open hand in front of her, she rolled her eyes, a silent giggle caused her shoulders to shake slightly, as she pulled a bobby pin out of her hair, placing it in his palm.
“I”ll give you attitude if I so please, it’s fucking cold, the storm is getting worse and you dragged us all the way here just for-”
“Okay Dustin move over” Will gently shoves him to the side, bending down so the lock was at eye level.
“Will, seriously it’s a lot harder than it looks, I doubt someone with no experience would be able to- *click* -... I stand corrected.”
As the door swings open he gets up passing the pin back to Jane. “He used to do this all the time back in California, with all his-” Will gave her a gentle shove. “Jane-”
“What? You did?”
“William Byers used to pick locks, Will?, our Will? With who? To do what?” Mike looked like someone had just told him his dog died.
“Why does it matter?” Will was sick of his dramatics, god forbid in a year he actually changes as a person, wow, who knew?
“Wow you turned into a delinquent in California Byers” Max laughed giving him a high five. That’s another person he missed, Max. Max who always lifted Jane up and taught her how to be herself without someone else, how to be independent and unashamed. Helped her figure out what she liked and what she didn’t. Max who always smiled at Will, whose cutting words and sarcasm never failed to lift his mood, Max who would people watch with him for hours when Mike had treated him like shit, making up lives for different people that walked by that were so ridiculous he couldn’t help but laugh, Max who always defended him, who helped both him and Jane learn how to stick up for themselves, how to stop letting people push him to the side until he snaps.
“One of us was bound to”
“Too right Will” she laughed with a nod.
“Thanks man, look Dustin, I have so much faith in you, I do, but without you I think we would’ve been stuck out here in the snow forever Will” Lucas laughed. Dustin turned slightly pink at his words but he brushed it off quickly whispering to Will that he should give him some lessons. The only person that didn’t seem to care much for it was Mike. Mike who was currently staring at Will like he was trying to blow him up with his mind, like his presence personally offended him. He had to wonder, was it the black eyeshadow smudged round his eyes, the rosary hanging from his neck, the gold earring dangling from his right ear, or maybe the way he was dressed, in a black coat, a range of rings decorating his fingers, and a layered outfit with a range of dark purples and black? Or maybe it was the picking locks, maybe it was the fact that Mike didn’t really know him anymore that made him look that way, or maybe it was just Will in general. As previously stated, Will could really do with a cigarette.
Piling into the dark empty hallways, they all fell into pairs, Max and Lucas, Dustin and El, and unfortunately because he just can’t seem to escape him, Mike and Will.
As they walk Mike bumps into him gently, “You’ve changed a lot y’know, I feel like I hardly know you” and isn’t that the truth, a whole summer of treating him like shit, barely giving him the time of day, then a whole year in a different state is bound to cause you to fall out of the loop. “And you are, exactly the same as you were when I left.”
A lie.
He knows, of course he knows, Mike’s taller now, finally growing into his hands, lean and soft, his jaw is sharper, more freckles litter his face, his hair is longer, down just past his shoulders now, curls running wild, some changes are all physical, some internal, internally he’s the same Mike as when Will left, he knows this, in his core he does, it’s all he ever thinks about, how Mike’s hands feel against his skin, how soft his lips look, how he swears if he counted there would be more eyelashes then when he left, how his eyes look darker, so dark he could drown in them, but in the light they return to that familiar hazel that he was so fond of growing up, god he’d love to think about anything else, to not know how he’s changed, to not notice, but that’s his curse; he’ll always notice everything about Mike Wheeler, Mike who will never be his because he’s with Jane. Jane, Jane, Jane, fucking Jane. Mike feels so far away, but if he gets any closer he’ll just get burnt again, and he doesn’t know if he’ll survive it again. He should try to be friends with him, for Jane, that’s his best friend after all, but he just can’t look at him without wondering what it would be like if he had chosen him instead; and he can’t, he can’t do that, not to Jane, not to himself, it’s not fair.
Smiling, Mike shoves him a little harder this time “Hey! That’s so not true, I’m taller now! Practically a giraffe, look at me” And dammit he can’t help himself, he does, he does look at him, and despite his best efforts a laugh escapes his lips. “That is so not funny! It’s simply an accurate depictor of my superior height”
“Superior my ass,” he laughs “careful you might knock your head on the door frame, actually nevermind please don’t be careful, maybe you’ll actually knock some brain cells into that head of yours.” Mike feigns offence, with hand to his chest and his mouth open, Will can’t help but notice the way the edges are slightly curved up into a smile, the way the corners of his eyes wrinkle, Mike Wheeler is beautiful.
“Low blow Will, low blow, I’ll have you know I have so many brain cells, that there’s no room for anymore”
“Yeah the two that fill up your tiny brain, considering it’s so small, what else is in your head that makes it so big or is it just air?”
“There’s more than two! How could you think so little of me Will” He raises a hand to his forehead, looking the picture of heartbreak. Will could stare at him forever, just admiring each little feature. A few paces ahead he can hear Jane laugh at something Dustin’s saying, fuck. He can’t do this.
His face turns sour, turning slightly away from Mike. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you consistently treated me like shit the summer before I left, then again when you came to visit?” He goes to walk away but Mike’s hand catches his arm. “I apologised for that! Both times! You said it was fine!” He pulls his arm out of his grip. “Yeah and what pathetic apologies.”
As he walks over to join Jane and Dustin, he can hear Mike’s footsteps freeze for a second, as if he was going to stop him again, but cut himself off, seconds later, he can hear them return.
Ahead of them Lucas takes a bow, holding Max’s hand “We have arrived my lady”
“Oh shut up you dork” They laugh together, and for a second, just a second, Will lets himself wish it was him and Mike, that Mike wanted him as badly as Lucas wants Max. Only a second.
“Will?” Dustin motions to the locked door, lock pics in hand.
Jane passes him her pin once again. “I won’t be needing those”
“Suit yourself dude”
*Click*
“So far so good” He hears his sister laugh with Max “Careful you’ll jinx it”
“See what did I tell you, easy peasy.”
Will walks over to Principal Higgins desk, searching the draws with Lucas. “Bingo”
“Did you find it?” Dustin rushes over.
“Yup”
Lingering in the doorway is none other than Mike, staring what feels like holes into Will. Why can’t he just leave him alone, he can’t do it, honestly if he has to spend another second with him he isn’t sure if he’ll kiss him or punch him, and he’s not willing to take that chance.
“Uh guys.”
“Hm?” Max raises her hand pointing at the window, the window that appears to be almost halfway covered in snow. Oh Fuck. He could hear the storm worsening outside but he didn’t think it was going to be that bad. “Motherfucker! Dammit, dammit-” Dustin shouts, running back towards the door. “FUCK” They all hear his yell, echoing down the hall.
“I told you all this was a stupid idea didn’t I!”
“Yeah I think we realised that Max!”
“Oh shut it Wheeler, for once in your life, could you do us all that favour?” She shoves him so hard he stumbles. “Guys-” Jane rushes over with Lucas trying to keep the two apart.
“Oh fuck you Max! What the fuck is your problem”
Will swears he can feel his hair turning grey. “Fuck this” he mutters, opening the baggie filled with pot and rolling paper, taking his time to roll a joint while the others argued, their voices and shuffling steps filling the hallway. Putting it in his mouth as he sits down on Principal Higgins chair, he pulls a lighter out of his back pocket, lighting it. “Finally” He sighs as he breathes out.
Max shoves Mike back into a locker “You’re such a- whats that smell-”
“Will!” Jane shouts, rushing back over to her brother. “Will!?” The others shout, seemingly in unison.
Jane tries to take it from his fingers but he spins the chair, moving it away from her grasp. “Jane, you have to understand I need this.”
“You do not, this is why Mom and Dad took them away from you and Jonathan!” He spins the chair back and forth trying to keep the joint away from her.
“Hop has to he’s a cop, but listen Jane, listen, okay?“
She huffs crossing her arms “I’m listening”
“I haven’t even had a cigarette in weeks okay, and if I have to put up with this bullshit for one more second without this in my system, I will actually die, I will combust, it’s just one time okay.”
“Fine.” Behind them the others still have their jaws on the floor, honestly what’s with that, he’s 16, he’ll smoke if he pleases. “El, you aren’t seriously letting him have that!” Mike looks between the twins before stepping back into the office to try and take it from Will, who pushes the chair back, foot against Mike’s chest, causing him to stumble catching himself on the back of the chair, hitting the back wall with a thud. They stare at each other for a second, behind Mike, they can hear Jane walk back out to the others as Dustin runs back to try and explain the situation, although he’s not sure they actually care that much that he smokes the occasional joint. “Will-”
Will takes a puff of the joint staring Mike dead in the eyes, daring him to do something, now what he does next, he needs it to be known that it can not be held against him, it was starting to hit him okay-?
“It’s really not that bad Mike, look-” Wrapping his hands around Mike’s head, letting his fingers take root in his curls, he pulls him closer till their mouths inches apart, he can feel Mike’s breath again his lips, the softness of his hair in his hands, the way his eyes are staring at his mouth, and Will, he just closes his eyes and blows the smoke past those beautiful lips that he’s spent years staring at, admiring them, lips that he knows so thoroughly that he could draw them blindfolded, lips that he wouldn’t need to touch to recognise anywhere, lips that by god does he want to kiss. Mike’s eyes go wide as he inhales the smoke, the cold air of the room giving him a pink tinge in his cheeks.
“See?” Will uses the foot planted against his stomach to push him away as he gets up raising the joint back to his mouth and walking out of the office, leaving Mike standing alone in the office.
So much for smoking it to forget about Mike and his stupid everything, what a load of shit.