Chapter Text
Chapter One – Love Of Mine
Will crammed the last of his clothes in his suitcase, zipping it up and letting out a sigh of relief. Picking up his backpack, he went to his desk to finish putting his art supplies in he’d be taking. A peal of laughter came in through the window, followed by joyful barking.
Leaning his hands on the windowsill as he went to look, Will smiled seeing Mike hurrying about the backyard, tossing a stick for their dog Ruby to chase after. He was making sure she got last minute exercise in before their hours of flying, from New York to California.
Five years after graduating high school and leaving all over the country for university, the Party was finally seeing each other after so long. Dustin lived closest, at MIT in Cambridge, and he came down to visit every few weeks. Lucas was in Chicago on studying physiotherapy, sports science, and screenwriting; Max was in California studying music, and Jane still lived in Hawkins.
As Will opened the window further, he called out, “I’m just about done here, Mike, the cab will be here soon!”
Ruby barked a greeting at Will as Mike called back, “Alright, love, I’ll get Ruby ready!”
Will’s heart tapped at Mike’s name for him; he knew how lucky they were to be at NYU together, Will studying art while Mike studied writing and dabbled in music. The separation was hard for Lucas and Dustin in particular; they hadn’t seen each the other longest out of everyone, and Will knew how much they loved each other.
Max and Jane had it easier; Hopper frequently paid for Jane to fly out and see Max, but everyone had been loaded down with college work before the summer holidays, and Will was looking forward to just eight and a half weeks with his best friends at a seaside cabin Max’s Dad owned.
There was a honk outside the front of their little house, and Will grabbed his suitcase, slinging on his backpack so he had a free hand to grab Mike’s larger suitcase, courtesy of being a Wheeler, and also was half-filled with his writings and lyrics and stuff for Ruby.
“Mike!”
“She’s got her harness on, just grabbing my bass!”
Will met Mike at the front door, his bass case slung over his back, taking his suitcase from Will as he clutched the leash of Ruby’s harness in the other hand. She had her tongue out, wagging her tail, and Will knelt to pat her head, keeping her still as she tried to jump about with excitement.
“Who’s ready to go on holiday? Who’s ready to have fun? Yes, you are! Yes, you are!” he gushed, grinning as Ruby licked his cheek. Mike was smiling gently as Will stood, and he smiled wider when Will leaned up to kiss him.
“We’d better go,” Will said breathlessly, Ruby practically dancing around them. “If we miss the flight then we’d better say our prayers.”
Mike’s loud laugh, free and spirited, made Will’s heart leap in his chest; even now, after years of dating, Mike made him feel as giddy as a teenager. Ruby started barking for their attention, and Mike said, “Alright, alright, someone’s impatient!”
As Will turned to the door, he saw Mike subtly reach into his pocket and discreetly hand a treat out to Ruby. She snapped it up immediately, crunching so loudly that she gave them both away and Mike jokingly muttered, “Traitor.”
Will hid a smile, leading the way to the cab.
“Hey guys!”
Will turned just in time to catch Dustin, who almost knocked him over in a giant bear hug, laughing. Mike was busy talking with the attendants, hopping from one foot to the other as he waited for them to bring Ruby over.
“Careful, Dustin, you might be shorter but you’re stronger,” Lucas said affectionately, hand in his pocket as he tapped Mike’s shoulder, wrapping the taller guy in a one-armed hug. Mike returned it half-heartedly, craning his neck.
“Did you guys leave Jane and Max behind?” Will asked, accepting Lucas’ hug. “How cruel,” he joked.
“They’re fine, they’re setting up the grill,” Lucas told him. “Dustin’s terrible at cooking and the rental car is in my name, so-”
“Wait a minute!” Dustin interrupted. “You said you liked my eggs and toast!”
“I do, I do,” Lucas laughed, putting his arm around Dustin and pressing his face against Dustin’s hair with a smile. There was a yelp, and Mike jumped slightly.
“My baby!” he gasped out as the crate with Ruby in it was placed before him: his hands shook as he opened the door and she skittered out, knocking him back onto the tile and licking his face. Will laughed, crouching down to hug Ruby, who switched her attention immediately, whining slightly trying to take both of their attention.
“Ok, ok,” Will laughed. “Let’s get Ruby settled in and we’ll take her for a walk when we get there.” A thought crossed his mind, and he turned to Lucas, he was bending over to scratch Ruby’s ears. “Hey, Lucas, can we take Ruby in your rental?”
Lucas nodded, smiling as Ruby licked his hand. “Yeah, it should be alright, we’ll just run a vacuum over it.” He looked up at Will’s uneasy expression, and Will blurted, “I can pay damages!”
“Will, it’ll be fine,” Lucas insisted as Mike attached Ruby’s leash to her harness and handed it to Dustin, who was making grabby hands for it. “There’s spare blankets we can put down if you’re really worried, alright?”
“Fine,” Will relented with a sigh as they walked outside, blasted by the late afternoon California heat. Ruby gave an annoyed yelp at the sudden change in temperature, panting, and they had to stop so Mike could grab a bottle of water from a vending machine and open his suitcase, finding her water bowl for her.
“We have to grab a few things from the store for Max,” Lucas said, his voice trailing off slightly as he watched Dustin, who was watching Ruby. Will recognised the expression and clicked his fingers in front of Lucas’ face.
He glanced about to make sure no one was listening outside of their group, and said, “I get it, Lucas, you guys haven’t seen each other in months, but uh, we’re still in public.”
Lucas, still staring at Dustin, nodded, tearing his eyes away. He smiled at Will.
“What are we wanting for dinner? Jane thought we could grill pizza-”
“We can!” Dustin argued, straightening up as Ruby finished her water and Mike was able to repack her bowl.
“We need a pizza oven, dude,” Mike interrupted, patting Ruby one last time before Lucas began leading the way to the parking lot. “Let’s just get some hamburgers and cheese; I’m really craving some, and I like how Max makes them.”
Dustin sighed in frustration as Will laughed, clapping his shoulder.
“Maybe leave the cooking to the rest of us, Dustin.”
“WILL!”
Will was actually knocked back by Jane running out of the cabin and throwing herself at him. If Mike hadn’t been standing right behind them, stopping them from falling, he would have hit his head on the car. Mike wrapped his arms around both of them as Jane squeezed Will tightly.
“It has been too long!”
“You literally visited us a month ago,” Will laughed, squeezing Jane back as Mike rested his temple against Will’s head. “But I missed you as well, and we brought someone who missed you too…”
“RUBY!”
Dustin had just opened the back of the station wagon, letting Ruby just out where she ran, skidding in the sand to run into Jane’s arms after she crouched down with them held out. Will straightened up as Max walked over and hugged Mike tightly.
“Missed you, Wheelie-boy,” she told him, and Will could hear her smirk.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s not start on the nicknames, Mad Max,” Mike scoffed
“It’s affectionate, my dude,” she reasoned as she went to hug Will. “Hey Will, I missed you.”
“Hey!”
As Mike and Max began on their shenanigans, Will looked up at Max’s cabin. It was pretty nice, almost right on the beach, with a porch surrounding the entire thing. They’d parked near the largest part of the porch, where there was a glass table with enough seats for all of them, the grill, outdoor blankets set up for Ruby.
It was one storey, definitely somewhat of a holiday home. Max had already explained that Will and Mike would have their own room, Dustin and Lucas too, and Max and Jane had the master bedroom. Max had already explained she’d set up indoor and outdoor places for Ruby to sleep for whatever they preferred.
Will remembered hearing Mike telling her on the phone that they usually had Ruby on their bed and Max’s laughter was so loud Will could hear, and it made him laugh too. Mike had held the phone at arm’s length, glaring at it.
Lucas interrupted Max and Mike with, “So we’re definitely… alright, out here? We don’t have to hide?”
Max shook her head. “Nope. We’re good. We’re pretty far out of the way, so it really doesn’t matter what we do.”
There was a few moments of silence, then the sighs of relief from everyone except Jane were so sudden and simultaneous that they all burst out laughing. Ruby popped up at that, tail wagging madly, and became running around to everyone, as she was doing what Mike called ‘zoomies’. She couldn’t handle the excitement and happiness, and as Dustin started showering her in attention, Max and Lucas helped Will and Mike with their stuff.
Will smiled at the gesture, and his grin widened when he felt Mike warmly take his hand. With Dustin and Jane preoccupied with Ruby, and Max and Lucas trooping up the steps into the cabin, Mike leaned in and kissed Will warmly, his hand gently cupping Will’s cheek.
“I love you,” he whispered softly, that smile on his face that always made Will’s knees weak and his stomach flutter. He let out a weak chuckle, putting his hand behind Mike’s neck to bring him down and press their noses and foreheads together.
“I love you too,” he murmured back, his fingers gently grazing Mike’s skin, and he felt Mike shiver as they heard Max call out from the cabin. Chuckling again, Will pulled back to look up into Mike’s large dark eyes. “Guess we’d better check out our humble abode?”
Mike’s eyes flickered down, and he murmured, “In a moment,” as he kissed Will again, more intensely than before, tilting his head to get a better angle. Will would gladly have stayed right there forever if it weren’t for Max yelling, “HEY, I get it but we’re losing light and I wanna make dinner before it gets dark!”
Growling low in his throat, Mike pulled back and grumbled, “She is going to lose in a jam off later.” Keeping Will’s hand tightly in his, he turned and led the way up into the cabin, where Max was waiting, tapping her foot with her arms crossed. If it weren’t for her trademark smirk…
“This way, fellas.” She led them into the room they would be staying in, Lucas arranging their bags under the window seat. There was a skittering of paws and claws on the floorboards, and Ruby came bounding in, slipping and hitting Will in the backs of his legs. She let out a whimper, so he turned to kneel down, rubbing her coat.
“We didn’t forget you, baby, you’re in here with us,” he assured her, and he could have sworn she was smiling.
“We’ll leave you guys to get unpacked, it’s gonna be a long eight weeks,” Max said, turning to leave. “Dinner’s in half an hour,”
“Wait, Lucas, can you take Ruby with you?” Mike asked, his voice slightly pained at letting her go. “She needs a good run, and we don’t wanna keep her cooped up in here with us.”
Both Will and Max frowned, but Lucas just shrugged, calling Ruby over. “Sure, but if you guys are late, she gets your hamburgers!”
Mike mock gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
“I would,” Lucas laughed. “We’ll see you guys in a bit!” He and Max left with Ruby, leaving Will and Mike alone.
Will had barely turned to Mike when Mike’s hands were on either side of his face, letting out a long sigh of relief. “I thought it’d be longer till we were alone.” Will smirked.
“You were waiting?”
“I always am, Will,” Mike gasped, leaning down to kiss Will as he pushed him up against the nearest wall. “I always want you to myself. I love the others, but you… you…” He was kissing Will again, kissing him silly, his familiar lips sliding against Will’s, head tilting slightly, nails lightly scraping Will’s cheeks.
Will clutched Mike’s hips tightly, fingers hooking into the loops on his shorts, pulling him impossibly closer, letting a sigh then a gasp into Mike’s mouth. He could actually do this forever. After years of loving Mike in secret, wanting him close, just to be around him… Part of Will still couldn’t believe Mike was his. They lived together, they had found and adopted Ruby, their beloved dog. That Mike had…
He stopped that thought in its tracks.
He felt Mike’s hand tangle into his messy bowl cut at the back, his tongue sliding against Will’s bottom lip, and he willingly opened his mouth. He tried to stop the groan in his throat, bubbling up from his chest, but it did, and he felt Mike smirk against his lips, pulling away to rest his forehead against Will’s.
“Will,” Mike whispered.
Will’s voice was slightly choked as he strangled back, “Mike.”
“What’s wrong?” Mike asked. Will shook his head.
“Nothing,” he assured, insisted. “I just really crazily love you.”
Mike grinned. “I crazily love you too,” he managed, before he leaned in to kiss Will hard again. Will’s knees were weak, thoughts foggy, except for one thing, one person….
Mike.
“Lemme see if I can flip it back!” Max bragged, looking over her shoulder where Mike was waiting expectantly with his plate.
“Go for it!” he crowed, and she flipped the hamburger over her shoulder. Mike, in a rare show of reflex, whipped his plate up, catching the hamburger when Max cheered in victory. Will watched Mike, smiling, leaning his chin on his hand.
As Mike helped himself to salad, cheese, and dressing, Will realised someone was staring at him, and looked up to meet Jane’s eyes. She smiled at him, sitting in the chair beside him, halfway through her burger since she was the first to be served.
Laughter came from Dustin and Lucas, who were wrestling on the faded grass as they playfully argued what movie to watch later. Max had a drink in her hand, smiling as she flipped another burger. Will looked down as Ruby lay next to his chair, her head resting on his bare feet.
After everything that had happened, defeating Vecna, the Upside Down being ceiled away forever, losing Steve and nearly losing Jane, Max, and Hopper, as well as his own life… Will wasn’t sure they’d ever get to a point they could be happy again.
Max still had mobility and vision issues. Mike was almost blind in one eye and partially deaf in one ear. Jane still had a giant scar from when part of the Mind Flayer was in her leg. Dustin limped. Lucas had burn scars on his arms and one of his legs, as well as scars on his chest from where a Demogorgon scratched him, and Will had the burn scar Nancy gave him and tiny lightning-like scars all over his body from Vecna’s vines.
And the psychological scars ran deeper. Nightmares still plagued them, trouble sleeping, Dustin was almost overbearing toward them after losing Steve and Eddie, and Jane had lost Kali.
It was taking time. A long time. Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max all had to leave after that, get as far away as they could.
Will jumped as Ruby’s head plopped onto his lap, her large eyes staring up at him. He smiled, scratching her ears.
"You always know, don't you?” he asked her, looking up to thank Max and accept his plate from her. “Can I have an extra hamburger? For the best girl in the world, of course.”
Ruby’s ears perked up at that, and her tail started wagging so hard it thumped against Mike’s leg. She gently took the hamburger from Will then went off today it in private, a habit of hers that made Will and Mike laugh. Dustin and Lucas wandered back and sat down, watching her go.
“What is she doing?” Dustin asked, accepting his plate and a drink from Max that he cracked open.
“Going to eat alone,” Mike explained, putting his hand on Will’s leg and squeezing lightly. Max joined them, giving Lucas his plate and sitting down, smiling at Jane. “She does it at home, she will actually take things to the back door and wait for one of us to let her out.’
Everyone laughed, Dustin snorting.
“Your dog’s weird, guys,” Lucas chuckled, waving his fork around. “A good weird, though.”
Will grinned mischievously. “She spends the time most with Mike right now, home alone, she gets weird habits from him.”
“What?!”
The others laughed harder as Mike pouted. “Ruby doesn’t get her habits from me!”
“She adores you, Mike, she might be a dog, but she does some things similar to you!” Will told him, putting his hand over Mike’s and intertwining their fingers. “She’s our baby, I love everything about her like I do with you.”
“Gag, get a room,” Max teased as they heard movement, and Ruby’s paws were skidding slightly on the wooden porch as she wandered back, putting her hand on Mike’s leg, staring up at him wide, pitiful eyes, silently pleading. He laughed, patting her head.
“’Max, can I have another hamburger’?” ‘Ruby’ asked, earning an eyeroll from Will and Max clutching a hand to her chest.
“Of course, Ruby, anything for you!” She fetched another plate and loaded it up with hamburgers for Ruby. “Here you go, good girl, where are you eating them?”
Ruby led Max away as everyone watched them. Will squeezed Mike’s hand again, and his boyfriend looked back at him.
“She’s as smart as you, so smart I kind of expect her to actually speak half the time.”
Will came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel, and nearly smacked right into Dustin, who was hopping from foot to foot with his hand holding the family jewels.
“Thank god, I’ve been busting for ten minutes!” he gasped, shoving past Will and sliding the door shut. Will heard him fumble with the hook, locking the door, and Will laughed, shaking his head as he went out to grab a glass of water.
Everyone had turned in for the night, it being almost midnight. The door to the room Lucas and Dustin shared was ajar, the lamps on the bedside tables weakly shining out. The master bedroom was open three inches, which made Will smile slightly.
Some things never changed.
Will had left Mike in their room, sitting on the bed with Ruby next to him. As Will reached the kitchen, which had the only light on the rest of the house, he saw Max in there, leaning over the sink. She turned at the sound of his bare feet padding on the wood floor.
She had a glass of water in one hand and her orange bottle of anti-anxiety medication in the other. Max smiled at him, setting them both down and leaning against the counter with both hands behind her back.
“Hey, Will. Find everything OK?”
He nodded. “Getting some water.” He nodded at the orange bottle. “Are you alright?”
Max smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I’m OK. Need it sometimes… it what’s my therapist told me.” She quickly popped two right in front of him, setting the pill bottle back on the windowsill. “It’s good most days, you know, and it’s been so much having Jane around, and now you guys are all here…”
He went to stand beside her, the two looking out the window at the dark ocean, the sound of the waves coming through the cracked window and open back door, where the screen door was closed and locked, letting a breeze through the house.
“Sometimes, it just isn’t… ok,” Will said softly. “And that’s OK too. We went through a lot back then…all of us did. But yknow… I am glad we’re all here together like this.”
She lightly punched his arm. “I’m glad you bought Ruby; I thought Mike was tricking me when he said he wanted to bring her.”
Will breathed a laugh. “She’s been good to us, yknow. She knows when people are sad, or just aren’t feeling well… She’s so smart.” He glanced at Max. “I’m serious though, Max, I haven’t seen you, Jane, or Lucas in months. It’s good to see you all so happy, and it looks like you and Jane are going strong.” He smiled cheekily at her.
Now Max breathed a laugh. “We really are. It’s been hard with the distance, but Hop was really awesome to fly her out here semi-frequently.” She was deep in thought. “You and Mike look good too. And Lucas and Dustin have been struggling a lot with the distance, more than me and Jane, but they’re so happy together it makes me wanna puke.”
Will laughed louder, rolling his eyes. “You’re so romantic, Max.”
She flicked his elbow. “I am so damn romantic I could star in one of those rom coms Jane loves. I swept her off her feet, Byers, and don’t you ever forget it.”
A twinkle came to Max’s eye when they heard Jane calling out for her. A door closed, indicating Dustin had gone to bed, and Max gave Will a small salute.
“See you tomorrow, Will. Got a lot going on tomorrow.”
They walked out of the kitchen, leaving the light, and Will called, “Night, Max!” as he went into his room. Max threw a wave over her shoulder, and she was gone.
Mike was still awake, sitting up in bed. He had his long legs stretched out, Ruby lying next to them with her head on her paws. Mike had his acoustic bass sitting on his lap, tapping a pencil against his lips as he read over some paper in his hands.
Will’s knees went weak. With only the bedside lamp on, bathing Mike and Ruby in a weak yellow glow, it was so picture perfect. He went to his backpack as Mike looked up, smiling lazily, and extracted his pencils and sketchbook.
“Hey, you,” Mike said softly as Will sat beside him, flipping open the sketchbook. Setting the paper and pencils down, Mike’s hand gently moved to Will’s neck, just under his jaw, twisting into his hair at the nape of his neck. Will shivered at the action, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
Mike chuckled, then leaned over and kissed Will softly, his thumb stroking Will’s jaw. Will reached up to close his hand over Mike’s wrist, breathing in heavily the scent that was so Mike, with a little of his aftershave and dog fur. It was intrinsically Mike.
Mike leaned his forehead against Will’s, his hand still on Will’s neck. “I love you.”
Will smiled, kissing Mike lightly again as he whispered, “I love you too. Now can I sketch this gorgeous scene of you and Ruby now?”
Snorting, Mike drew back, looking a little punch-drunk as he nodded. His fingers sliding away made Will shiver again, and they went to scratch Ruby’s ears, one of which twitched as she slept. Still smiling, Will took up his pencil and began to sketch the man of his dreams and their beloved dog.