Chapter Text
It took Will a minute to come back to reality. He wondered if he was actually alive. Did they really make it out? Or was Vecna tricking him? He was afraid to open his eyes.
"Will. Will!"
A voice that Will could hear from any dimension. He felt an uncomfortable twist of his stomach and opened his eyes.
Mike's eyes were bright. With emotion, or reflections of the flames surrounding them, Will couldn't tell.
"You did it. You did it! You're a sorcerer. A real-life, honest to God sorcerer!" Mike said, grabbing Will and enveloping him into his arms.
Will felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. It felt like the sky was spinning, again.
Mike pulled back and observed Will, his hands resting on his shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." Will said, but his voice sounded shaky. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm okay. Are you?" He surveyed Mike's face, blood was trickling down his cheek from his temple.
Mike waved his hand as if to dismiss his concern. "Am I ok? You saved me, Will. You saved me." He reached up and swiped his thumb under Will's nose. "You're bleeding." He added.
Will sharply inhaled at his casual touch. "So are you." He motioned to Mike's cheek.
"It's fine." Mike said, gesturing impatiently again.
Will heard a groaning noise, nearby. Mike finally turned his attention away from Will, looking behind him.
"Mom!" Will said, feeling suddenly panicked. They both rushed over to her.
"Will! Are you alright?" Joyce said, struggling to stand up.
Now Will gestured impatiently. "Fine, I'm fine." He leaned down and put an arm around her, helping her to her feet.
"I don't understand. What happened?" Joyce asked, confusion mixed with concern etched across her tired face.
"Will's a sorcerer!" Mike exclaimed, proudly. Probably smug, no doubt, that he had been right all along. He couldn't imagine why else he would be proud. Joyce looked even more confused than ever.
Will sighed. "I...I don't--- it's not..." He began, struggling to know where to begin.
Suddenly, they heard helicopters overhead.
"We have to go." Mike said. "I'll explain on the way."
***
After a thankfully uneventful trek through the tunnels, they arrived back at the Squawk. After a make-shift meal of whatever snacks they could scrounge up, and several enthusiastic re-tellings of the events at the MAC-Z courtesy of Mike, they all decided to take a break and retire to bed before deciding what their next step should be.
Will laid on the sofa in Mike's basement, going over and over the events of that day. He knew he should feel grateful to be alive, but all he could feel was guilt. Vecna had the kids. He couldn't protect them. They still hadn't heard from El, or the others. His stomach felt sick with worry. It was a gnawing type of pain.
There was a light tapping on the door. So faint, he might have imagined it. He rolled over and squinted into the darkness.
"Did I wake you?" A soft voice, worried. Mike.
"No."
Mike shuffled over to the sofa and sat down next to Will.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Mike asked. Will shook his head.
"I just keep thinking that..." Will began. "That if I had acted sooner. None of this would have happened. This could be over. It could have been over a long time ago." He bit his lip, trying to hold back a sob.
Mike shook his head. "Don't." He said. He looked like he wanted to say more, but he was quiet.
"Mike---" Will began.
"Stop." Mike interrupted him. "We're going to fix this, Will."
Will bit his lip harder, and tasted blood. Despite this, a small choke escapes.
Mike didn't say anything. He put his arms around him and hugged him. Will didn't say anything either. He didn't have to. Mike already knew.
Will cleared his throat. "Have you heard anything? About anyone?" He wished his voice would sound more steady. Mike was still hugging him and his voice sounded muffled by his shoulder.
Mike sighed. "No. But that's not anything to worry about, Will. We weren't expecting to."
Will tried to stifle another sob and it sounded like he was choking. Mike pulled back and looked at him. He looked serious.
"You're safe, Will. You know that, right?" He said, softly. His voice was so soft, Will could barely hear him. "You're safe, here." He repeated. Gently, tentatively, he reached out and touched Will's cheek. Will didn't realize he was crying until Mike wiped the tear away.
Will took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. He wished Mike would look away. "It's not myself I'm worried about." He said.
Mike sighed again. "Scoot over."
Will coughed. "What?" His chest felt like it was tightening and his heart was beating uncomfortably fast. He coughed again.
"I said scoot over, so I have some room. We won't solve anything tonight and I'm exhausted." He reached out and pushed Will's waist gently, easily shifting his position.
"Mike, there really isn't enough space."
"Come on, we used to sleep down here all the time."
"When we were twelve!"
"Yeah." Mike smiled at the memory. "Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"
Will sighed. "Of course not." He sat up. "At least move for a minute so I can fold the sofa out."
Mike stood up and helped Will unfold it into a bed. The light moment from before faded and Will was gripped with sudden anxiety again. The room suddenly began to spin and he bent over, hands on his knees.
"Will!" Mike's voice was soft again, filled with concern. "What is it? Is it Vecna? Is it the others?"
Feeling embarrassed, Will attempted to steady himself. "No. I think I'm just tired." Mike didn't look convinced, but didn't push any further.
Will climbed into bed and Mike followed. They both laid on their backs, looking at the ceiling. The room was dark. There was a small opening in the curtains, a single beam of moonlight shined through. Will couldn't see Mike's face, couldn't tell what he was thinking.
"Mike?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks." Will said quietly.
Mike rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. "For what?"
Will continued to stare at the ceiling. "For checking on me. For staying." For always taking care of me, for making me feel safe.
"You're safe with me, Will." Mike said quietly. He always seemed to know what he was thinking.
"I know." Will said, to the ceiling. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. He felt Mike's warm hand on his cold one.
"It's ok. We're safe now." Mike said softly.
"I know." Will repeated. He felt Mike looking at him, unsaid words hanging in the air. He closed his eyes, feeling drained in a way he had never felt before. He began to drift.
"Will you ever know how precious you are to me?"
It was a whisper. It was so soft, it could have been a breath, an exhale. Will knew he was dreaming. But it was a good dream so he snuggled further under his blankets, never wanting to wake up.