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The Byers had officially been staying with the Wheeler’s for a month, not that Will had been counting, but if he had been, who could blame him? Not everyone gets to move in with their (unrequited) love of their life. Will wasn’t bitter about it, at least not totally, Mike was his best friend always, first and foremost, Mike and Will no matter what, going crazy together, like Mike had said.
Which Will certainly was, he was losing his goddamn mind over Michael Wheeler. Will, would argue that he knew Mike better than anyone in the party, even El, but his behaviour made no sense, from the no-contact whilst in Lenora, to the complete 180, Mike could not seem to give Will any space to breathe. Will, selfishly, was not complaining, he loved it truly he did, even with the confusion it left him with, it made him feel soft and giddy (much like how he used to feel with Mike). It was a nice change of pace, compared to the drastic stakes they were all taking in their search for Henry, who had seemingly vanished from the face of the Upside Down.
Somehow, the disappearance was less confusing than Mike’s inability to allow Will to breathe air that had not been approved and filtered by Mike himself.
This was not changing at all it seemed, as Will was distracted from his inner turmoil by their new alarm clock.
“BREAKFAST!” Holly screamed from the living room.
“I think that’s our cue,” Jonathan grumbled, rubbing his neck from his night on the sofa (Will did not understand the shifts he took, from sleeping upstairs to then back in the basement with no pattern whatsoever).
Will hummed smiling, and then began to get ready for the day, despite the apocalyptic state Hawkins entered just over a month ago, the high school had transformed from the shelter, back to the hellish high school, Mike had described, not to Will of course, but to El who had read her first letters to Will until she realised Will wasn’t hiding Mike’s letters towards him and was instead not receiving anything from the best friend.
Will didn’t hold grudges though! Ha, totally.
He and Jonathon headed to the dining room, avoiding the bustling hall filled with two families. Karen had made pancakes, as she did most mornings now, with bacon and syrup being passed around. Will made his way to his seat in between Holly and none other than Mike.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
They both smiled at each other, before Holly interrupted.
“Will, do you ask Mike to make your plate or does he just do it?”
Will blinked, “What?”
As Mike leant behind him to flick Holly’s ear, as he hissed, “Holy.”
“What? You do Mike every time,” She grinned.
“I didn’t ask him, Mike is just nice Holly when I am a bit late, he does the same for everyone else,” Will said, smiling at her.
Nancy laughed from across the table, and Holly joined in, “No he doesn’t. He eats my bacon and just goes ‘snooze you loose’ he does it to everyone else too!”
“Oh my god, Holly, shut it,” Mike said this time.
Will just smiled at Mike, as Holly stuck her tongue towards them.
“Oh Will,” Karen interjected, “Could you bring up your sheets before you go to school, I’ll give them a wash.”
“Of course, Mrs Whe-”
“-I’ll do it!” Mike shouted, standing up, already running off to get them, tripping over his chair in the process.
“Mike always trips over himself to please you,” Holly laughed.
“Holly, Mike has done this since they were like 10,” Nancy informed.
Jonathan smiled and joined in, “Nah, since they first became friends, right Mom?”
“Yes, I don’t know whether you remember Karen, but Mike would always come out carrying Will’s bag when they got picked up?” Joyce chuckled.
“Or for playdates, Mike would always cut up Will’s food-” Karen added.
“Mom!” Mike said, thrusting sheets into her arm, “Me and Will need to get going.”
Will got up, quietly joining Mike with rosy cheeks, “Thanks for breakfast Mrs Wheeler, it was delicious.”
“No problem Will,” Her face shifted to a stern one as she addressed Mike, “Holly is biking with you now, remember?”
“Shit.”
“Language!” Ted supplied.
“Come on then, twerp,” Mike said, to Holly as she happily jumped up.
“Bet you he is gonna be the one to get your bike unclipped again,” She whispered conspiritually to Will.
“Holly!”
“What?! It’s cool he’s like the knight and you the princess.”
At least Will wasn’t hallucinating and making the treatment up.
-
Will always got tired at crawls. Despite the tension of it all, he didn’t exactly do anything other than cuddle up with Jane to catch up. It wasn’t for a lack of trying but, everyone already had their assigned roles and with Will and Jane both having insanely protective parents (for a good reason, he guesses) they were the only two who had nothing to add.
It wasn’t a feeling either were particularly new to, both ostracised in some way, and both out of place in a society that shuns those different. The crawl hadn’t started yet, his mom, sister and Hopper were still at the cabin and only he and his friends were in the basement in anticipation for tonight.
Will was not a pessimist: in regards to crawls however, he is the most pessimistic person alive. Henry wasn’t close, and he didn’t want to be found, he didn’t even want to toy Will with nightmares or visions. Despite the lack of plaguing visions, Will was still struggling to settle and sleep at night. Hawkins was a haunting place for Will, even if it was home and he was intertwined with it and the horrors it birthed. Hawkins had always been a place where he was thrust to the outskirts of belonging, especially at school. This hadn’t changed. He was still zombie boy and a fairy to the teens he shared an education with, it hurt and left him awake at night similar to how he was when he was younger. Plagued with ideas of fitting in, moulding to the idea of who he ‘should be’, it was confusing.
He yawned. Mike was at his side, as per usual, and brushed his elbow. Will didn’t know what possessed him to do the same but he mimicked the gesture nevertheless, sharing a smile.
“Tired?” Will hummed in agreement, “Are you getting nightmares again?”
Will shook his head, “It’s different being back in Hawkins.”
“In what way?” Mike probed.
Will averted his eye contact, “When I was in Lenora, it sucked obviously, I had no friends and Jane was getting bullied, but she didn’t understand in the beginning and I couldn’t protect her, I’m not like you, I got so scared and no one saw me I was so safe and I didn’t want to risk that,” He took a breath he didn’t know he needed.
Mike gave him an encouraging bump of the knee and smiled, though he had a sadness in his eyes.
“But being back here, everyone sees me again. They whisper about me all the time, they didn’t forget about me being zombie boy, a freak and a fa- and everything they used to say about me,” He huffed, “And it is scary, not just because of Vecna and the old bullying. But I see the blame in their eyes. I went missing for a week. That was the first big thing to happen here, but then I left, and came back immediately as the apocalyptic sky opened up and disappeared.”
“Will, it doesn’t matter what they say, they’re mouthbreathers, and even if everything they say is true it doesn’t matter. You are Will, one of the bravest people I know, my favourite person here and just because some dumb jock or some girls with their heads so far up their own ass say otherwise. You don’t deserve to lose sleep over it.”
Will was taken aback from the confession and couldn’t help the blush that arose to the cheeks so often around Mike, “Thanks, you’re my favourite person too.”
“You can have a nap if you want, erm, you could use my shoulder as your pillow!” Mike said, taking off his coat, “And this can be your blanket!”
“Mike, do I really want to use your bony shoulder as my pillow?” Will laughed.
Mike huffed, “You’re saying that as though you can actually reach my shoulder, and as though you don’t usually sleep leaning on me on movie nights.”
Will spluttered, “What?”
“Shh, just try and relax, Will, can’t have our cleric out of action.”
As Will yawned, he decided the implications of Mike offering this, noticing previous events of this and his declarations, were an issue for future Will. So he drifted off.
“Pssst, Will,” Will’s pillow whispered, “I’ve got to go with Lucas now, stake out for the crawl.”
“What.”
“It’s been an hour, come on, dude.”
“Huh?” Will shot up, “Sorry! Erm, good luck?”
Mike smiled, before heading up to where Will assumed Lucas already was. Until Will's thoughts joined him in his consciousness, and he realised he was holding Mike’s coat he would most likely need. He decided to try and catch up, despite summer approaching, it was dark and night, Mike needed the coat as a coat much more than Will needed it as a blanket.
“Mike!” Will shouted, “Your coat, you forgot to take it back!”
“You can keep it if you want?”
“NO!” Lucas whipped his head towards the both of them, “I mean no! You need it more! Erm stay safe, both of you! Goodbye!”
-
“I am just saying I would much rather watch Return of the Jedi tonight!” Dustin exclaimed.
Will rolled his eyes, “Seriously? Empire is so much better than that? Lucas, come on, you agree I know you do.”
“Usually sure, but Return of the Jedi has a more morale boosting ending,” Lucas argued.
“For God’s sake,” Will huffed, knowing the battle was lost, “Fine you guys win.”
“What, giving up that easily?” Dustin laughed, high fiving Lucas from across the table.
“Yes,” Will turned his nose up at them both, “Jane would agree with me, but Mike’s favourite is Return of the Jedi so there’s no point.”
“Oh shit,” Dustin stopped, both he and Lucas’ smile dropped, “You’re seriously bringing Mike into this?”
Will didn’t dignify that with a response, Lucas interjected putting a hand on Will’s arm, “Dude, please, we beg do not say you chose Empire in front of Mike, we will lose, if you care for us at all, do not bring it up.”
“Exactly, if our friendship means anything to you at all, do not bring up your disagreement.”
“What are you guys on about?”
All of a sudden, Lucas’ hand left Will's arm and Mike sat down next to him, lunch tray in hand, bumping their knees together, as he smiled conspiratorially with Will, “What are those two dorks on about?”
“Movie night,” Will’s smile dropped.
Lucas and Dustin exclaimed, “Don’t you dare.”
“Lucas and Dustin have won,” Will said, gloomily.
“You don’t know that! What are our options?” Mike said, taking a bite of his sandwich, “Do you want my fruit pot?”
“Yes,” Will nodded, whilst swapping Mike’s fruit pot in exchange for the crisps he had got this morning, “Star Wars, don’t worry your favourite has won.”
“William.” Dustin growled.
Will smiled, “Dustin.”
Mike once again bumped their elbows, “Which one do you want? Empire Strikes Back, nah, I’m down for that I love the Vader and Luke scene you know I do, lets watch it tonight.”
“Seriously?”
“Come on man again with the preferential treatment?”
Mike laughed, “I do not know what you guys are on about, do you, Will?”
“Nah, but I do have to go now, thank you for the deciding vote, I shall see you all later,” Will gloated.
Mike looked confused, “I just got here, why are you leaving?”
“Art stuff, bye everyone!”
“Dude you are so obvious it isn’t even funny anymore.”
“Shut up, Lucas.”
Will enjoyed playing the blissfully ignorant person he seemed to be at the minute.
-
Will was anxious, to say the least. Relying on ‘Delightful Derek’ was not something he ever wished to do, especially with how often Holly complained during dinner after she had had the displeasure of joining his class (her words not his, Will would never judge an 11 year old kid). It also stung him just a teensy bit that his mom had more faith in this kid rather than him. But listen, Will may get jealous of his sister whom he loves very much, but he refuses to be jealous of an 11 year old.
“What are you doing?” Mike asked, interrupting Will’s pondering. As Mike seemed to do these days (everyday for the past eighteen months but who is counting, not Will!) he was standing in Will’s personal bubble.
Will was not doing anything of significance in any way, just packing the rucksack they were going to need for the kidnapping to go well, “Erm just packing the bag, why?”
“Er, no reason, I just noticed you were gone, feels like I’ve not seen you since school,” Mike huffed.
Will’s eyes widened, Mike was right, he had been spending most of the time with Robin, a nice change of pace, someone like him, who understood him in a way no one else could, it was scary but refreshing, it gave him a sense of hope. But in expanding his social skills, in the past couple of days he’d neglected his oldest friend who most definitely needed him more than usual. With a confidence that possessed him, he held Mike’s cheek and gazed into his eyes, “Mike.”
Mike seemed a bit flustered, “Will?”
“I am so sorry, Mike,” Will exclaimed, bag forgotten, giving Mike a tight hug, “I haven’t been there for you, like you have been for me constantly. But trust me, we will get Holly back okay, this plan will work I swear, and Mr and Mrs Wheeler will be okay. I’m here if you need it.”
Mike was oddly silent, reciprocating the hold with his usual ferocity and they stayed like that for a minute, maybe two, “You don’t have to apologies, Will, even you just being near me helps. I actually came to see, whether you were okay? I mean you’ve been gone a while soo.”
“Mike. It has been ten minutes tops.”
“A long time, especially to pack a bag, we need to get going,” Mike grumbled, a red tint dusting his cheeks, Will suspected it to be from the coldness of the squawk basement. Will rolled his eyes but complied anyway, checking the bag one more time, before picking it up. “Woah, Will, what do you think you are doing?”
Will raised his eyebrows, “Mike. Picking the bag up, you know for our mission?”
Mike snatched the bag, “Yeah don’t think so, I shall take that!”
Will was confused, but knew better than to argue with a determined, if misguided, Mike.
-
“Oh my babies,” Joyce cried, happily, “I am so, so proud of you both!”
Will smiled, tearily with her, Jane rolled her eyes at them both. They were both dressed in matching orange cloaks, with a hat that matched. He had never felt more like a traffic cone in his life, but Jane for some bizarre reason loved it. “How did you even graduate?” He stuck his tongue out at her.
“William Byers!”
“What, mom? It is a valid question, I mean who likes this colour?” He snarked.
“He is just jealous I didn’t need to revise to graduate, mom,” Jane laughed, smugly.
Will felt his eye twitch, but before he could say anything, Hopper beat him to it, “Because you didn’t kid.”
He smiled triumphantly, before Jane went into reach for his hair.
“Guys! Enough video time,” Jonathan grumbled at their bickering, camera in hand, he instructed, “Say ‘Happy Graduation!’ guys!”
The family of four all complied, although not without Jonathan and Hopper bickering over the light. Joyce still had a sad smile painted onto her face as she looked at the two of them, before she became almost wistful, “Oh my beautiful twins, I remember when I birthed you all those years ago.”
“That is not what happened in the slightest?”
“And both me and your dad knew, you two would be together to be there for each other throughout all your lives,” Joyce continued, “You’ve both made me so proud.”
Jane whispered, “Even though you are delusional, Joyce, you are still the mom I am glad to have chosen and my dad and my brother and my twin, I love you all, thank you for letting me in.”
“I love you too, Jane,” Will whispered, pulling her in separately, “You understand me more than anyone, never try to leave us again or I will hunt you down.”
“And we will all help, and you would live to regret it for the rest of your life, and you would be grounded for the rest of your life,” Hopper joined in, over the two of them.
Jonathan hummed in agreement, “You can travel on your own-”
“Welll,” Hopper and Joyce interjected.
“-Yes. But you tell us, no more doing stuff on your own even though you are both adults now,” Jonathan finished.
They all separated, Will felt sticky from the heat but the emotions of them, as Jane smirked, “Has Will told you Mike is taking him to graduation.”
“Jane, what the hell,” He hissed, flipping her cap off.
“No.” Hopper said, “Wheeler, really? Any of your friends and you chose him.”
Will, offended, replied, “He offered?”
“If he offered you drugs would you say yes?” Hopper asked.
“What? No?”
“Jim, cut it out, Mike’s a good kid,” Joyce laughed.
“Not when he is trying to make it through my family, next thing I’ll be single because he has swept you off your feet.”
Will gawked at him, “Mike is my best friend, that is not what is happen-” A loud knock cut him off. “Nobody be weird.”
He opened the door to flowers, blue and yellow, being thrust into his face, tickling him enough for a little sneeze to come out.
“Will! Hey! Happy Graduation, you look great!” Mike sped through the words, “You ready to go.”
“Yes!” Will said, taking the flowers, “I’ll just sort these out, thank you, Mike.”
“I thought it wasn’t like that?” Jane smirked, before he could tell her to shut up, she waved him off.
“See you at graduation, baby, Mike, make sure to drive safe!”
The two departed from the cabin and made it to Mike’s car, Mike rushed over to open the passenger door for Will, and Will had to hold in a face palm as he saw all four of his family staring at the action, Will squinted at them.
Mike got in the car a moment later, “You ready?”
“Maybe, it’s so odd, I feel like we’ve lived a hundred lives since we have met,” Will laughed.
Mike smiled back, “You are not wrong,” He hesitated, just for a second, but Will noticed the flash of contemplation, “At least we kept choosing each other.”
Will was taken aback, “Yeah, I think I always would choose you.”
“It is never a decision for me Will, not anymore, I don’t know whether you have realised that,” Before Will could acknowledge that statement, Mike pressed play on the mixtape and Bowie started playing.
-
Mike Wheeler is not known for his patience. He can admit that, but from about Summer before sophomore year: he has been playing the long game. Mike wasn’t completely stupid, he knew what he wanted even if sometimes he was a bit late to the party (which is incredibly in character with his poor time management) but as soon as Will had started living with him. He did not want a future where he and Will did not live together.
So he started planting seeds.
He couldn’t be obvious, not with so many people in the house and with the uncertainty of the reciprocated feelings, but after an enlightening conversation with El. His faith in Operation Getting Will Byers success rate; skyrocketed! The painting wasn’t from her, it was all from Will and look, as artistic as Will was, he got flustered with words and always had to have a script in his head. So that meant Will felt that way towards him!
So yeah Mike started bringing bouquets (metaphorically until the Byers moved out).
He did everything for Will that he could think of: offering his jacket, his shoulder, refilling his drink (without asking!), sharing his food, helping him with chores, carrying his bag and driving him everywhere once he passed his test, as Will had passed but preferred not to drive.
But still nothing had worked.
Mike’s faith had started to dwindle when Will talked about this crush that meant nothing in the end, but that wasn’t him surely? Mike was so clearly into Will that El, his ex-girlfriend, was coaching him on how to get with her brother. He really thought her advice would have worked better due to the number of rom coms she (and Hopper enjoyed). But no. Will was stupidly oblivious.
(Mike blocked out the memory of him saying no best friends, as he rehashed it to Lucas and Max, both could not stop laughing and his pride was crushed).
“Do you think, maybe, it is because you have always been like this with Will? He simply doesn’t see that you’ve turned the behaviour up to a hundred, because he thinks he has no chance?”
Dustin was smart, very smart, but after that incredible insight, he had no advice.
So he called a code red minus Will, a group discussion before graduation, so that Mike could enter college with a boyfriend.
“Your lonely ass being desperate for Will does not qualify for a code red dipshit,” Max slapped him up the head.
“Agreed, you are the one always going on about the sacredness of these codes!” Dustin hissed.
Mike huffed, “I need help please.”
“Mike,” El stated, “You know, Will so well. You need to do something so explicitly romantic he will have no reason not to see it as such. Please do it soon, it is getting painful to see both sides of you pining.”
Then Mike had finally gotten it. He knew what to do.
The graduation ceremony had just finished, Mike was finally putting his plan into action. He was silent from the nerves, but a plan had been set forth for the evening, DnD then party (what, how did that happen, Mike wondered, dazed).
“You, okay?” Will whispered, bumping his elbow.
“Come with me,” Mike said, dragging him to where it could all go right.
They walked to the elementary school park, “Mike, are we even allowed to be here?”
“Who cares, Will, just erm,” Mike said, “Read this, please.”
Will watched him pull a letter from his trouser pocket, and received it gently, opening it whilst sitting on the swing.
Dear Will,
For as long as I have known you, you have been the most important person in my life, my first friend and the first person who could understand me in ways I didn’t know I needed to be understood.
You have always been so good to me, and I haven’t always been the best to you. When we were thirteen I saw that same look in your eyes you targeted towards mouth-breathers like Troy and nothing hurt me on such a surface level like that. I was scared I had lost you for a third time, but instead of other worldly beings taking you away, I pushed you away instead. Even at thirteen that scared me, because I needed you to function in a way that didn’t make sense, when I was eleven and you went missing my whole world tilted and until I saw you still alive, until I held you in my arms when you first awoke, I thought nothing could stop this feeling of goodness, as long as I had you breathing the same air as me.
I kept pushing you further and further away. Like you said, we push people away when we are scared of losing them, and I did that to you. I was a coward without you. You always said that I was the brave one, out of the two of us, but I am only brave when I have you to be brave for. You make me a better person without realising it, you make me kinder to everyone else around us, you inspire me with the confidence to lead. I didn’t realise it until you were so close but I do this because I want to be someone who is worthy of your bravery and kindness and inherent goodness.
I know only you can decide this, but I thought with me asking the most important question of my life here and succeeding, I could ask the next most important question of my life here too.
Love,
Mike
Will had tears in his eyes, making them glisten in the bright sunlight. Mike thought he looked ethereal.
He sat on the swing, joining Will, “So do you wanna be boyfriends?”
Will nodded with a smile, that juxtaposed the tears streaming down his rosy cheeks. They stood up together and reached for each other. They hugged for a minute or two, as Will’s cries drew to a close, hiding his face into Mike’s graduation cloak
“I love you, Mike,” Will whispered.
Mike knew this, but was still surprised nonetheless, “I love you too. Can I kiss you?”
“In an elementary school playground?” Will laughed, “Is that really your best idea?”
“We have these big ass diplomas we can use them to hide us.”
“No, Michael. Take me back to your car and kiss me there!”
Mike smirked, “Will Byers you dirty dog, I haven’t taken you out on a date yet.”
They both ran hand in hand to get back to the car, Mike had been playing the long game for the best part of two and a half years, sue him for wanting to kiss the object of these affections as quickly as possible.