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The wedding was small and casual. Still full of warmth and love all around. Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Joyce Hopper had a nice ring to it. What more could they ask for? A nice calm, normal wedding. Photos were being taken all over the little wedding hall they rented out. Photos that showed the union of not only a couple who at last got together, but the union of a family. Or at least it would be.
Will Byers is missing. No, not like the other time he went missing. Vecna’s gone. The Mindflayer was defeated. They all defeated him. El sacrificed…that’s right. His sister sacrificed herself and that’s why he’s in here. He thought about what could’ve been. Will wanted to share this moment with her. And yes, he’s extremely happy his mom finally found someone who cares about her and adores her. Him and Jonathan finally have a dad who supports them in every aspect of life. But El should have that. There were days where they talked about it in Lenora.
“If dad was still alive I think him and Joyce would have gotten married.”
El looked up from her homework to meet Will’s eyes. Will looks up too.
“Yeah that…that would’ve been really nice.”
“Then you and I could have been officially siblings! And the five of us would be a family.”
Will smiled ear to ear at that.
Knock. Knock. “Will?”
Will snapped his head up from the bathroom floor wiping tears away fast. Of course Jonathan would find him immediately. “Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
Will took a deep breath and slowly opened the door allowing his older brother to enter. Jonathan, who was always good at reading the room, shut the door quickly and sat right next to Will on the ground.
“Hey.”
Will stares at the ground. “Hi.”
“You know this place is pretty nice, but I don’t think the bathroom floor is the ideal wedding party spot.” Jonathan nudges his brother’s knee.
Will sighs,
“Eh thought this was the open bar. Guess I was mistaken” Jonathan snorts.
“You know we do need you for a little family photo and I’m being forced away from the camera for this, so you have to be there too.”
Will sighs again, but it’s a little heavier.
“I know…I just needed a moment I guess.”
Will finally looks up, the fluorescent light hitting the tear streaks.
Jonathan narrows his eyes mentally checking in on his little brother. “You ok?”
“Yes.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes I am. I needed air.”
“Will no one goes in the bathroom for air.”
Will eye rolls because of course Jonathan smells bullshit.
“She should’ve been here.”
Jonathan turns to look at Will more. “What?”
Will shifts to look at Jonathan more.
“El. She- She would’ve been all over this.”
Jonathan slumps back onto wall a gentle smile on his face.
“Oh…she would wouldn’t she…”
“She would be smiling ear to ear, dancing, probably taking all the instant cameras and telling you to take as many pictures as you can. God, she would’ve probably gotten into some fight with Hopper about how he needed to dress up more or something.”
Will’s laughing, but the tears are telling a different story.
“We could’ve been a real family.” Will softly says.
Jonathan’s rubbing circles around his back.
He speaks softly. “We didn’t really have time to be a normal family with both her and Hop huh. We couldn’t just have them together long enough...But Will, she’ll always be with us no matter what and I know no matter where she is, she’s happy for us.”
Will wishes he could stop the tears. He leans his head on Jonathan.
“You’re right but the family picture will still feel empty.”
“I know.”
Will groans into his hands. He’s been emotional all day but of course now he’s crying non stop.
“Do you think I could wear your sunglasses during the photo so they can’t see the tears?”
Jonathan laughs wiping his own fallen tears off his face pulling Will in for a hug.
“And have you be the only cool looking one in the photo? No way.”
Will finally relaxes again laughing too.
They sit in silence for a moment.
“Do you ever think about Dad- Lonnie?”
Jonathan taken aback by the sudden subject change.
“Geez Will give me a warning next time you decide to give me whiplash-“
Will sniffles sitting back.
“I just mean like. We finally are getting the life we all deserve. You. Mom. Me. I kinda wonder what he’s doing.”
“I hope he’s living a literal life of hell.”
Will laughs softly.
“Well yeah me too…after all these years I kinda wonder though what happened.”
Jonathan shifts to look at Will.
“I think he probably got with some other questionable girl, forgot anything about us and then continues to lead a sad lonely life.”
Will smiles, tears almost dried, nods approvingly.
“When you win big awards I hope he sees your name on every newspaper in town.”
Jonathan stands up holding out a hand smirking, “I think the same will happen with you too and your art is plaster all over the world.”
Will takes his brother’s hand and gets up. They both straighten their clothes out.
Jonathan speaks up,
“Let’s stop thinking about that guy and take a picture with our parents hm?”
Will looks up taking a breath.
“Yeah. Our parents.”
The two brothers leave the bathroom and go back into the party where Joyce and Hopper hug the two getting ready to pose.
“And the 5 of us would be a family.”
Will smiles in front of the camera.
“The 5 of us are finally a family.”