Chapter Text
It was only 10 a.m. but Mike was already wishing the day was over. His day started at 5 a.m., when he had to wake everyone up so the plane wouldn’t leave without them and beg them to hurry up, but as he pictured: Steve, Holly, Nancy and Mike were running through Indianapolis’ airport, making puppy eyes to security to see if they could skip the line. After finally reaching their gate they were annoyed to find that their flight was delayed, great.
“Ugh, really?” Nancy sighed loudly the moment she saw the announcement.
Soon, they found a place to sit down and wait for further notices on their flight to New York.
Mike’s head couldn’t stop playing scenarios about what the party and Will will say about his pathetic excuses on why he couldn’t catch a plane to go see their friends, to be fair, neither Mike could come up with an answer to that question, this past couple of years he started distancing himself from everyone, he thought it was the fact that they were able to move on and he wasn’t, but he quickly realized it wasn’t just that, there was something more; something strong and powerful that he couldn’t describe. He had a theory in which he believed that that was the reason he couldn’t be with his friends, but he no longer believed in coincidences nor theories.
And then there was Will’s boyfriend, he met him back in July 1992, he had hated him since the moment he saw his big brown eyes which were the same exact color as his wavy hair, if it could event count as anything other from straight, and what he hated most was the way he told this horrible jokes and how Will laughed at them; he didn’t hate the part where Will was laughing, he genuinely wanted him to be happy, but he hated how he delivered the worst jokes ever created by humanity, and how he would tilt his head slightly to the right waiting for everyone to laugh.
What was worse about him was how he seemed all understanding about our story, like what do you mean your boyfriends just sat you down, told you that he has been kidnapped at the age of 12 and possessed by an evil interdimensional monster who had powers, could kill anyone just by looking at them and who wanted to draw our worlds together, and you just…understand it? Like you have been there the whole time? Like you have experienced losing your loved ones?
Whatever, on top of the excuses he would have to create he also needed to think about Will’s boyfriend name. He reckoned it started with a C, maybe…Charlie or…Cameron or maybe even…Christopher. Never mind, he would have time to think, it would come to him eventually.
For now, he needed to not have a panic attack about being in the same house for a week as Steve, Nancy, Holly, Jonathan, Robin, Dustin, Lucas, Max, Hopper and Joyce (who were getting married), Will and C-something.
Hopper and Joyce decided to celebrate their wedding in Montauk, where they settled down once their kids were off to college. It wasn’t that far away from NYU so they could still visit Will and Jonathan whenever they wanted.
So, to celebrate their wedding they decided to invite everyone who took part in the final battle, and reunite them at a rented house for ten days before the wedding, for Mike that was his worst nightmare at the moment, but it wasn’t like he could say no; Nancy would have definitely killed him if he did that.
So, there he was, on his way to John F. Kennedy airport, where he will meet Will, Jonathan and C-something, then rent a van and drive all the way up to Montauk.
When Mike was back to reality, half an hour has passed, he let his gaze focus on Holly for a few seconds, who was reading The Baby-Sitters Club, and was starting to get bored, he would bet a thousand dollars that she was going to start talking about Josh, school drama or her friends in the next five minutes, and to avoid being the one who she talked to, he looked away. His eyes lingered around the waiting area until they focused on Nancy, she was talking to Steve and looked genuinely happy; he hasn’t seen her like that since a long time ago, maybe it was because their parents didn’t approve her decision about dropping out, Mike could still remember the shouting from both Karen and Ted, that night was a long night in which he had to assure Nancy that everything was fine and that she wasn’t a failure for dropping out, that she was indeed very brave to make that choice. Since that night their relationship completely changed, they started actually talking about their lives and feelings; not just making small talk about the weather or asking how their day was to be polite.
Holly’s voice shook him awake from his memories “Hey Mike, did I tell you that Josh called me his girlfriend in front of the whole class the other day?”.
He knew it. He answered clearly filled with shock “Wait, what? So, you and Josh are boyfriend and girlfriend?”, he tried to sound casual but his posture from overthinking and stressing didn’t help him, at all.
Holly now had a smile in her face.” Yeah, he announced in front of the whole class before summer break. How romantic”.
“So, how about you. Do you have a girlfriend?” Holly asked innocently.
Nancy turned to look at Holly way too fast but she quickly realized that that wasn’t discrete, so, she continued talking with Steve, while side eyeing Mike, waiting for his reaction.
Mike gulped and tried to calm himself down. After what felt like an eternity for him, he answered while stumbling on words “Umm, no. I don’t have a girlfriend”.
Had his little sister really just seen through him? That couldn’t be possible, right? He was doing really good trying to hide it. No one could know what happened at Stacey’s graduation party.
He only told Nancy and it was going to stay that way. He remembered that night perfectly-way too perfectly.
It all started after their last D&D campaign; after having dinner, Lucas, Dustin, Max and Will couldn’t stop talking about Stacey’s party and they were trying to convince Mike to go.
“Mike, come on, we cannot miss it.” Max said, annoyed.
Mike stayed firm. “You guys can go but I’m staying home.”
After Mike’s answer, Will decided to put his best puppy eyes and try to convince Mike one last time. “Please Mike, it won’t be the same without you.”
Something shifted in him. After some brief thinking he responded.” Ugh, fine.”
There was celebration after his response. The next hour was the most stressful of his life. Max decided it was her personal job to decide an outfit for Mike. She spent half an hour deciding what would suit him the best, until she gave up and threw the first fit she saw at him.
Once they arrived, the party was already going strong. Stacey greeted them at the door and immediately disappeared with Dustin. They made their way to the kitchen where they handed them drinks.
Mike finished his drink way too quickly and immediately went to grab another one. Hours passed within minutes and suddenly it was already 3 a.m.
After finishing his fifth drink Mike stepped outside to get some fresh air. As he sat on Stacey’s backyard stairs, another boy approached him and sat next to him. They introduced themselves to each other, but Mike was too drunk to remember his name.
Although, he remembered his beautiful green eyes under the moon light and his 37 freckles splashed all over his face; his hair was blonde and curls were covering part of his forehead. His mouth tilted slightly to the left every time he was thinking or processing something and he made Mike feel like he wasn’t crazy.
They spent hours talking about their lives, Mike opened up in a way he wouldn’t to anyone. They discussed ridiculous topics like pineapple on pizza or if marvel or dc was better.
They talked about losing their loved ones and not being a good friend.
They talked about their experiences with their dads, while Mike’s dad was only here physically; his dad wasn’t even here.
After what felt like minutes but was actually hours, he leaned in; Mike was way too drunk for his logical part of the brain to work so he met him in the middle.
In the first few seconds both of them were too scared to move; but they soon found their rhythm. What started as a soft and innocent kiss quickly had them breathing heavily and wanting more. Mike’s hands were on his neck, pushing him closer, deepening the kiss. While his hands were resting on Mike’s waist, not letting him go.
His lips tasted like alcohol and strawberries. There was a strong smell of sweat disguised under the smell of tobacco, it smelt sexy.
When Mike realized what he was doing he immediately broke the kiss. He almost fell down the stairs when he got up, way too quickly, and almost ran out of there.
He found Lucas, the only person that was sober, and begged him to drive him home. Lucas kept asking questions that Mike was too ashamed to answer.
Once he got home, he mumbled a quick thanks and made his way inside, where he rushed to bed. Lying in bed he couldn’t stop playing that moment in his head, he tried to evade himself with sleep but it was like his brain wouldn’t shut up.
The next morning, he woke up with the worst hang over of his life and with the guilt of kissing a boy still inside of him.
His friends called him all through the morning, asking what happened. It was clear by their tone that they were full of worry.
Mike told them that he was just worrying about his career and about the future and that he was way too drunk to see things clearly, total bullshit. But they seemed to believe, and that’s what mattered to Mike.
That same night it was clear that he was vulnerable and that guilt was eating his guts, he had been overthinking that moment all day, trying to avoid everyone in case that they found out.
However, when Nancy asked what happened to him and why he was avoiding everyone. Mike was too tired and just blurted it all out.
He could still remember the look on Nancy’s face, her eyes suddenly got big and her mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to say the correct thing, but words just didn’t come out.
After a few seconds of shock, she regained her posture and assured Mike that there was nothing wrong in liking or kissing boys. They stayed up all night talking about everything, sharing experiences and advice.
Since that moment, Mike placed a lot of trust in his sister.
“Mike” Called his siter, Nancy.
Mike was still in his mind so it took him another Mike from Nancy to regain consciousness.
“Huh, what?” Mike answered, still not fully present.
“Our flight is boarding” said Steve while Nancy was busy making sure Holly didn’t forget anything.
After finding his seat in the airplane, Mike attached his headphones to the Walkman and he started playing the butthole surfers. He was way too tired to pay attention to the music or anyone so he just let sleep take him.
He woke up an hour later, with a headache and his body pressed with the man’s body in the middle seat. He hated window seats, it made him feel like he was trapped.
He tried to get back to sleep but his mind just wouldn’t let him; it was playing all the possible scenarios that he might face when meeting Will and C-something. Making small talk about their lives was one thing Mike could tolerate, but staying in the same house as him for ten days; it was obligating Mike to calm him down.
Mike couldn’t stop thinking about this particular scenario where they will have an awkward side hug, just like when Mike visited them in Lenora. Then Will will forget about him and immediately start talking to C-something; completely ignoring Mike. Part of that scenario terrified him but a little part of him was begging for it; to not have to make up excuses about why he couldn’t visit his friends or why he couldn’t hold a conversation without feeling exposed.
That’s one of the things he’s been going to Nancy for advice; she was the only person who he could open up to without being scared, he didn’t know the reason why. With Nancy, conversations flowed; it reminded him of the conversations he had with Will as kids. It was usually during sleepovers when they didn’t let their mouths close, they truly talked about everything, even if it wasn’t a shared experience, even if they didn’t fully understand it, they were there for each other. Just a heart to heart.
As they grew older, they started drifting apart, while Mike grew up faster, leaving his childhood behind; Will hang on to it a bit longer, maybe to make up for all the time he was in the upside down or recovering in the hospital.
Another factor on why they drifted apart was El. Mike developed feelings for her early on his childhood and they started dating soon after. However, Will never showed any interest for any girl, now it’s obvious why, but, back then, they kind off thought that Will was weird; of course, they didn’t talk about it between them and they didn’t tell him, but that feeling was shared.
He could still remember that day in the summer of ‘85. He acted so incredibly stupid and he was a total jerk towards Will.
El had just dumped his ass. Lucas, Will and Mike were talking about how to understand women and how to make a good move while making a few jokes. Lucas was actually engaging with the conversation but it seemed like Will just wanted it to be over; he just wanted to play D&D.
After much begging by Will, they accepted it to shut Will up. However, it was clear their disinterest for playing. Will was tired of it and ran for his bike to go home.
Mike could still remember the whole conversation.
“Will, come on.” Mike followed Will to the garage, where Will’s bicycle was. “You can’t leave it’s raining” Mike emphasized to convince Will that it wasn’t a good idea.
“Listen, I said I was sorry, all right?” Mike truly was sorry. He wanted Will to forgive him so they could be able to move on.
“It’s a cool campaign. It’s really cool” Mike lied to avoid causing a bigger problem. “We’re just not in the mood right now”
Will quickly yelled back his response. “Yeah, Mike. That’s the problem” “You guys are never in the mood”
“You are ruining our party” Will continued as he angrily stared at Mike.
Mike tried to defend himself but there wasn’t anything else to say that will convince Will. “That’s not true”
Will was so tired that there was even a sarcastic tone in his words. “Really? Where’s Dustin right now?”
Will waited for Mike to come up with an answer, even though he had nothing; it was clear by the look on his face. “See? You don’t know and you don’t even care.” “And obviously he doesn’t either and I don’t blame him”. Anger was growing inside of Will with each passing minute.
“You’re destroying everything, and for what?” Will continued yelling as he swung his arms in the air. “So you could swap spit with some stupid girl?”
Mike will always be ashamed of the words he said to Will, he was acting on emotion rather than logic.
“El’s not stupid.” “It’s not my fault that you don’t like girls”. He quickly regrated those words, but they were already out, they already hurt Will. The look on Will’s faces after he said it will forever haunt him; his face immediately dropped.
Mike tried to rectify what he just said, but the damage was already done. “I’m not trying to be a jerk. Okay?”
“But we’re not kids anymore” Mike tried to make Will understand what he thought about all this. “I mean, what did you think, really?” “That we were never gonna get girlfriends?” “We were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?”
Will’s eyes started getting watery and it was clear that he didn’t understand Mike’s point of view. “Yeah.” Will sniffled and got quieter. “I guess I did. I really did.”
Will started to ride his bicycle under the rain on the way to his house, Mike called after him but Will just wanted to get away from there.
After telling Lucas what happened, Mike decided to go to his house to tell him that he didn’t mean it and that he was sorry. He convinced Lucas to go with him, but, when they arrived, no one was home.
Because it was late, they decided to say goodbye to each other and to go to their houses. Mike knew that his words had hurt Will, so he made sure he didn’t bring it up.
To this day he was still really embarrassed about how immature he was about the whole situation.
He was back to reality when the pilot announced they will be landing soon. Just ten days and it will be over, he can do this.
When the plane landed he patiently waited for everyone aboard to leave the plane; he hated it when people stood up even before the plane stopped; that’s why he always waited a few minutes for everyone to leave.
After almost everyone got off the plane, he stood up, grabbed his suitcase from the overhead bin and he walked down the plane stairs. The sun was completely covered by clouds, but it was still really hot.
Nancy, Holly and Steve were waiting for him just a few feet away from the plane. They looked annoyed for having to wait for him to get off the plane.
They made their way through the airport looking for the exit. John F. Kennedy airport was a nightmare, it was filled with people, shops and there were not near enough exit signs.
After what felt like hours but was probably just fifteen minutes, they finally reached the exit and spotted Jonathan, Will and C-something.
Will practically ran to them. He looked so excited to see them.
Mike barely had time to process what was happening before Will pulled him into a hug. He smelled like their childhood, like the sleepovers where they would have to pretend they were sleeping so they wouldn’t be told off by their mother, like D&D campaigns that ran late into the night, like watching Holy Grail for the millionth time, like bike races back home.
By the time Will pulled away, Jonathan and C-something were already greeting everyone. He was eavesdropping trying to catch C-something’s name.
“I haven’t seen you in so long. What have you been up to?” asked Will with so much enthusiasm in his voice. He was smiling from ear to ear. Mike lightened up just by seeing him so happy.
“Well, just trying to avoid my parents and writing, like always. What about you?” A shot of relief ran through Mike. He had been overthinking this exact moment for weeks, positioning him in the worst scenario possible; but, contrary to his thoughts. Will was actually treating him nicely.
“Busy with school as always, teachers expect so much from me.” Will took a long pause before speaking again. “Gosh, we missed you so much man.”
Before Mike could answer he was interrupted by Jonathan, who was asking him about his new book. They talked for a few minutes before C-something came to say hi. His biggest nightmare coming true.
Shit, he didn’t catch his name. He relied on Nancy and she let him down.
C-something stretched his hand towards Mike. “Hey Mike, it was a long time since we last saw each other. How are you?”
To avoid any awkwardness Mike stretched his arm and shook his arm to avoid any awkwardness. “Hey man.” Nancy stared at mike once she heard “man”; she knew he avoided saying people’s name when he didn’t know it, it happened way too often.
“Yeah, umm, I´m great. Hope you’re doing okay too.” Mike continued while trying to ignore Nancy’s unbelievable look.
“So far so good, I´m doing so good at uni.” C-something responded, completely oblivious about the whole situation.
Mike had to control his facial expression to not give C-something a dirty look. Nobody asked about how you’re doing at uni, but whatever.
He forced a smile that looked way too fake. “That’s great man.”
“We should get going, it’s a long drive to Montauk and there’s a lot of traffic today.” Jonathan suddenly announced. Thank God for Jonathan, he had just saved him from what could have been the worst conversation ever.
Mike stayed back; he didn’t have the energy to answer questions nor ask them.
Nancy slowed down her pace to be able to catch up with Mike.
“For the record. It’s Carlton, not man or whatever you call him in your head.” Nancy looked directly at Mike while saying that.
“Excuse me? I knew his name was Carlton.” Mike tried to look offended.
“You’re excused. Come on, I saw you were eavesdropping on our conversation before, trying to catch his name.” Nancy shot back with a playful tone.
Mike’s right hand moved to his chest in a dramatic movement. “I was not.”
“Oh yes you were.” “How was my attempt at trying not to say Carlton’s name. Was it good?” Nancy was holding back her laughter and looked seconds away from exploding.
Mike gasped. The audacity. “Let me tell you. You have won the prize to worst sister of the year.”
Nancy chuckled, trying not to get the group’s attention. They had to pick up the pace so they wouldn’t lose them in the middle of the most crowded airport in the world.
On top of being stuck with people he had been distancing himself from; the wedding apparently also included playing Tetris, trying to fit all the suitcases in the van they rented.
Mike packed lightly but his sister, Holly, seemed like she packed to move out of the country.
It also didn’t help that Carlton had like three suitcases full of his stuff. Hate was just too weak of a word.
After loading their car up with their stuff, they barely had any space left for them.
Jonathan was in charge of driving us so he was the most comfortable. Steve was riding shotgun and all his leg space was invaded by backpacks.
Mike, Will and Carlton occupied the middle row, in that order. Their leg space was also filled with backpacks and suitcases, making Will’s and Mike’s knee brush occasionally.
Finally, Holly and Nancy stayed in the back row, with barely any space because of the suitcases.
Mike took a long breath, he would have to survive four hours with his body pressed against Will’s, making uncomfortable small talk and having to watch Will and Carlton being all lovey-dovey. Great.
“Hey Mike, you never told me about the book you’re writing. What’s it about?” Will asked.
“Oh, I’m just planning it for the moment, you know brainstorming.” Mike watched Will nod. “But my main idea is making a fiction and adventure book about dragons and monsters and all that stuff.”
Will genuinely looked interested. “It sounds really cool. You’ll have to let me read it once it’s finished.”
“You’ll probably forget about it when I finish it, it’s taking me a long time” Mike cracked a smile.
“Trust me, I won’t. I have been trying to find a good book for months.” Will said enthusiastic.
“I’ve recently read The Giver. It’s really good, you should try it.” Mike finished that book in one afternoon, it had him so hooked up that he forgot to eat or drink for 14 hours.
“I’ve heard about it but I guess I was too lazy to give it a try.” Will admitted.
“That’s me when it comes to planning. I’m okay with writing but brainstorming has me pulling my hair off.” Mike noticed he was losing himself in the conversation and that he was actually enjoying talking to Will. Shocking.
“Ugh me too with exams. I actually like taking notes but studying is another thing.” Will said as he rolled his eyes.
“You’re doing your master degree, right?” Mike asked, embarrassed about not knowing it.
“I just finished my degree in art history and I’m starting my master on September.” Will seemed like he repeated that line a millionth times.
“That’s cool, will you still live in the dorms?”
“Umm, yeah. Unless there’s something cheaper for me and Carlton.” Will said as he squeezed Carlton’s hand. Mike stopped himself from punching Carlton in the face.
“Isn’t Jonathan living in an apartment near campus?” Mike suggested.
Jonathan joined the conversation. “Yeah, but it’s a sketchy apartment building” “I wouldn’t let them live there.”
Will rolled his eyes again, answering Jonathan. “Ugh, I already told you this, we are adults. We could live there.”
“Will, I’m your big brother and it’s my responsibility to take care of you. You are not living there, over my dead body.” Jonathan stated firmly.
Mike was embarrassed, a fight had just started because of him, great.
“Have you painted anything during these years?” Mike hated not knowing that, he should have been present in his best friend’s life, but he wasn’t.
“Yep, I sold quite a few and displayed a couple ones.” Will seemed proud of himself.
“Wow. But I never imagined you selling your paintings, I always thought you will keep them forever.” Mike pictured Will keeping his paintings forever like Mike did with the ones he gifted, he still had them in a box in his bedroom.”
“Well, I only sold those which I thought they didn’t represent me or something, you know?” Will tried to explain.
“That’s good for earning money. I still have all the paintings you gave to me as kids.” Mike confessed.
Will seemed embarrassed by the confession, his cheeks turned pink and he was staring at his hands now. “Really?”
“Yeah, I also still have the one El commissioned, the one that you gave me when I visited Lenora, hanged up in my bedroom wall.”
Will’s cheeks were now a hot shade of red, his hands looked sweaty and he looked like he was trying to regain his posture. “Wow.” “I didn’t think it was that good.”
“Are you kidding me?” Mike said completely serious. “It’s amazing.”
“Thanks.” Will responded shyly.
“It was all because of El.” Will blurted out, stumbling over his words.
“I never thanked her for it. I feel so bad.” The conversation suddenly turned emotional.
One moment they were talking about their careers and now they were remembering El.
He still remembered the day he met her as it happened yesterday.
Will had just gone missing and Mike was desperate to find him. He dragged Lucas and Dustin into the forest in the middle of a rainy night to find Will or any clues that will lead them to him.
As they were about to leave because of Lucas’ and Dustin’s complaints, they suddenly heard something. That’s when they saw her, she was wearing a yellow t-shirt way too big for her which was completely soaked. It was clear by her face expression that she was terrified.
They took her to Mike’s house where they started asking her questions that she didn’t answer. Lucas and Dustin were freaked out by her, but Mike acted calm, he provided her clean clothes and a fort to sleep.
She was scared of everything and flinched at even the slightest motion.
The next day, Mike, Lucas and Dustin met again to plan what they were going to do with her. They were straight forward to her about the plan but she refused to follow orders. That’s when they discovered she had powers.
This made Lucas and Dustin distanced themselves from her, however it made Mike and her grew closer.
From that moment, they were inseparable. They had their ups and downs, of course. But overall, they understood each other, and that’s what mattered.
The real problem came when El, Will, Jonathan and Joyce had to move to Lenora. They talked through letters, sure; but it wasn’t the same. Mike felt so lonely, not only his best friend moved away, but also his girlfriend.
He didn’t stay in touch with Will thought, the simple reason was that they just drifted apart, however, the long version would involve unnamed feelings, fear and being stuck; that’s why he didn’t talk about it.
When he visited came to visit in Lenora, everything just felt wrong. Mike and El had a major fight involving Mike’s love to El.
He just couldn’t bring himself to say “I love you” to her. He tried to say it; but nothing came out.
He thought he was a horrible boyfriend at the time. To calm him down he used to believe that he couldn’t say it to her because he had never experienced love before and it was a big deal for him.
Now he knew the truth.
He didn’t love her. There was a time when he did, early in their teen years. But, as they grew up, Mike started being a total asshole to El. He lied, gaslighted her and even talked to her badly sometimes. He hated this.
He couldn’t bear the thought that he treated her badly. He felt so bad.
He now knew the truth. He couldn’t say “I love you” to El because it would be a lie, not because it was a big deal for him.
What he hated most was her face every time she confronted him about it. On the outside she acted tough and brave. But, on the inside she hated telling her boyfriend to love her.
Mike still thought about her every single day.
They would have been better as platonic best friends.
El didn’t deserve Mike. She deserved much more. A guy who can tell her “I love you” every day. A guy that wouldn’t blame her if she did something wrong. A guy that understood her.
Hopefully, now she’s living in a little village, near three waterfalls, with a good guy and with a job that she loves. Away from the laboratory or Dr. Kay.
“I just hope she’s in a place with at least three waterfalls.” Will said, with his eyes watery and a soft smile in his face.
“Yeah, I believe.” Mike covered his eyes with his hands as soon as they got watery. He didn’t want anyone to see him crying, he thought that made him vulnerable.
He looked through the window, making sure no one saw him cry. He always felt vulnerable when he was crying.
He was sure it was because of his dad. Since he was little, he drilled into Mike’s head that boys don’t cry, girls do, but boys have to act strong, tough and masculine.
Every time Mike cried he shushed him away, neglecting his feelings. Mike learned to not worry any one every time he felt tears were coming. To cry silently. To keep his feelings to himself. To act like a man.
But Mike didn’t want to act like a man anymore. He had been doing it all his life, and he was exhausted.
The problem was, that now he couldn’t talk about his feelings without feeling vulnerable or scared.
He talked to Nancy about that. She was the only person he trusted. He felt safe around her, in a way he hasn’t felt before.
After taking a few long breaths, he looked away from the beautiful green landscape to look at Will again.
Will was giving Mike a pitiful smile. Gosh. He had seen right trough Mike.
Will suddenly changed the topic. “Did I tell you that we adopted a dog?” He was smiling so big that Mike’s reflexes made him smile too.
“Wait, what? When?” “Does your university even accept pets?” Mike had a thousand questions.
“We adopted her like a year ago. She’s adorable, the fluffiest dog you’ll ever meet.” Will seemed like he was exaggerating everything.
Fucking Carlton joined the conversation. “Well, we kind of lied to the uni administration and told them it was for Will’s nightmares.”
That damn uni word. He hated it.
Wait, was Will still having his nightmares?
He felt so bad, for not being there, for not knowing, for not even asking or calling.
He was deeply concerned about Will and it was clear by the look on his face. “Are you still having your nightmares?”
Will noticed Mike’s worried expression. “Very rarely, like once a month top.” Will sounded humiliated by what he just announced.
“Shit Will. I’m sorry I didn’t know.” Mike sounded sad again, he placed his hand on Will’s left shoulder to let him know he was there.
“Are they as bad as they were?” Hid hand stayed firm on Will’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, don’t worry. No, umm… There are a lot better” “You have nothing to worry about.” Will assured Mike.
Mike’s hand started to feel uncomfortable resting on Will’s shoulder. It would be awkward if it was kept there and much more awkward if he removed it.
He stopped overthinking and removed his hand from Will’s shoulder. The problem was that he did it a bit too quickly, enough for Will and Carlton to realize.
He tried to distract himself by looking out of the window. An hour and a half had already passed, and they still had another hour and a half before they would arrive.
He could hear Will quietly talking to Carlton and giggling every once in a while. He imagined them holding hands, looking at each other with that love stare they had for each other, especially Will.
He could melt anyone with that stare. Mike didn’t know how he managed to do it unconsciously. It only took Will some soft eyes combined with a low, soft smile to win anyone over.
He couldn’t stop his mile when he heard Will laughing. It was a thing since we were little.
Every time Will laugh at anything, it was contagious to Mike. He couldn’t stop it.
And the weird part was that it only happened with Will; it didn’t happen with Lucas nor Dustin. It was like this weird thing they had.
His eyes slowly began to close while he heard everyone’s soft voices talking to each other.
When he woke up the van was quiet. It was 6 pm and the sun was slowly making its way down.
According to Jonathan they were just a few minutes away from where they were staying; he woke up in the perfect moment.
He took a few minutes to adapt to the sunlight again and to fully wake up.
“Hey, did you sleep?” Will asked softly.
“Yeah. I needed it; I was exhausted from all the travelling.” Mike rubbed his eyes, trying to not let them close again.
Carlton was resting his head on Will’s shoulders while he slept. He looked ridiculous. His mouth was hanging open and his hands were sitting on his lap in a weird posture.
“Did you sleep?” Mike said, trying not to focus too much on Carlton’s stupid pose.
“Umm, no. I was talking with Jonathan. I want to sleep at night instead of staying up until 3 am.” His tone was quiet and sweet.
“Does your mom have anything planned out for today?” “I guess not, but I’m just asking.” Mike tried to match Will’s tone but it didn’t come out as good.
“I think not but I’m not quite sure.” Will said as they turned left to a long dirt path that lead to a big white house near the beach.
Will tapped Carlton’s shoulder to let him know they arrived.
“Finally.” Jonathan said. “We arrived, everyone, wake up.” He said a bit too loudly.
The house was gorgeous. From the big, wooden door emerged Hopper, Joyce, Dustin, Robin, Lucas and Max.
It felt like home.
Jonathan parked the car in the garage, maneuvering to not crash into the three cars that were already there.
After what felt like an eternity, they could finally get off.
Mike’s legs felt weak after being trapped in a car full of suitcases.
Dustin came running to him and wrapped him in a hug.
“I haven’t seen you in ages man. What were you doing?” Dustin exclaimed cheerfully.
“It’s good to see you. I missed you.” Mike said as Dustin pulled away to greet the others.
By that time the other have already reached them and were helping with the luggage while catching up.
“Now I remember your annoying tone, Wheeler.” Max was standing behind Mike.
Mike turned around to look at Max with her arms crossed and a grin in her face.
“If we’re talking about annoying, Wheeler isn’t the right last name. Maybe Mayfield.” Mike responded. This was their whole relationships. They had to make fun of each other and piss each other off, if not, they wouldn’t be their selves.
“Yeah, sorry. Not Wheeler but definitely Mike. Your sisters are cool, unlike you.” Max had the best comebacks, naturally. Mike hated it.
Holly joined the conversation. “That’s right. We are cooler than you. Right, Max?”
“Right, Holly.” Max gave her a nod.
After Lucas finished helping everyone with their suitcases, he came to say hi.
“Gosh Wheeler, are you real?” Lucas said while shaking Mike’s shoulders.
“Ha, Ha. Great joke. Comedian of the year.” Mike rolled his eyes.
Lucas clapped Max’s hand. “I know. This next ten days all you’re going to hear are my crappy jokes. And you can’t escape that.”
“That sounded creepy.” Mike said while making a disgust face.
Lucas started crackling up and left Mike alone to talk to Max.
Robin asked similar questions as everybody, like how I’m doing or how my book is going.
Joyce and Hopper came next. God help me out.
Joyce talked in that same sweet tone she always had. “Hey Mike. I haven’t heard from you in ages. I hope you’re okay.”
“So far so good. Well, congratulations for the wedding. I mean everybody thought you would get married so it wasn’t that much of a surprise but, yeah.” Mike got so nervous that he blurted out whatever sounded best.
Joyce gave him a smile before he approached Will to talk to him.
And there he was. Hopper and him. It was incredible how many stories they shared.
“It’s good to see you again, kid.” Hopper gave him a pat in the back with a soft smile in his face before entering the house.
Mike took a long breath and grabbed his suitcases. He ignored the fact that tears were just about to come and forced a smile.
When he entered the house, a strong delicious smell was immediately captured by Mike. It was around 7 pm and he was starving. He hadn’t eaten since this morning so he got excited when he saw Joyce setting the table.
Once he took away his eyes from the dining table he saw the gigantic, beautiful house they were going to stay in.
In front of him there was the living room with three ginormous sofas and a television, decorated in a minimalistic aesthetic.
Looking out the living room window’s you could see the house patio with a small kitchen and a dining table, as well as some lawn chairs by a kidney shape pool. He could see more patio space but he wasn’t able to see what that space was dedicated for.
At his right he saw two identical closed doors; he supposed they were bedrooms but he wasn’t sure. He would find out later.
He saw stairs going upstairs at his right. He assumed there were more bedrooms upstairs.
Joyce finally finished setting the table and was plating up the food now. “I assume you are all exhausted and hungry; so just leave your suitcases here and after dinner we’ll tell you in which bedroom you are going to stay.” Joyce announced to everyone.
After that, the foyer was a mess. You couldn’t walk normally; you had to be very careful and try not to fall.
Everyone sat down at the table immediately. It was clear everyone had a long travelling day.
Joyce kept making trips to the kitchen, bringing the food and making sure that there was enough water or napkins.
Once she finished she sat down and everyone started eating. Everything looked amazing.
On everyone’s plate there was white rice with diced chicken that both looked and smelled deliciously. On top of that, as sides there were salad, mac & cheese and breadsticks.
Mike grabbed his fork and shoved a big spoonful of rice in his mouth. His sister, who was right by his side gave him a dirty look as a warning to have manners.
It was the same stare that mom always gave us. Every time we started eating before everyone was sitting down, we didn’t use cutlery correctly or we made disgust faces she gave us a warning by her looks.
That mother stare.
Mike used to make fun of it when his parents turned their backs, he usually tried to imitate it badly to Holly. It always made Holly laugh way too loudly and that lead to Nancy warning them.
Every one was talking and asking questions; but Mike, he was just in his own bubble, eavesdropping on conversations.
At least that was until Dustin decided to invite Mike to his conversation. “Hey Mike, were you writing a book?” “I don’t remember.”
“Umm, well I’m planning it right now. But I hope I start writing it soon.” Mike responded.
Dustin looked interested. “And do you already know what it is going to be about?”
“I want it to be a fiction and adventure book about dragons and monsters. But that’s just an idea yet.” Mike looked like he repeated that phrase over a thousand times.
“You’re going to let me read it once it’s finished, period.” Dustin stated.
“You are getting your hopes up.” Mike warned. “How is university treating you?”
“Physics is so hard, dude. I almost failed two classes.” Dustin was always exaggerating about how bad he is doing in school, when, in reality, he made valedictorian in high school while fighting Vecna. He’s fine.
“Yeah, whatever. And I’m batman.” Mike said with sarcasm.
“No, I swear. I almost failed.” Dustin looked really serious.
Will joined the conversation. “Like when we were in high school, and you almost failed all of your classes, but then you made the valedictorian. Interesting.”
Dustin tried to defend himself but there was nothing else to do. “This time was different, okay?”
Mike and Will were grinning to each other.
“And what grade did you get in those to classes?” Mike asked, trying to catch Dustin.
Dustin put his head down. He didn’t come up with an answer right away, but, after a few seconds he finally spoke in a low whisper. “I got an A in both.”
Will and Mike both bursted out laughing at the same exact time. They couldn’t stop it. Dustin always did this.
After calming down, Will started talking with Carlton and Hopper and Dustin joined Jonathan and Steve.
Mike didn’t feel safe like before, being in his own bubble, he now felt lonely and vulnerable.
The change was so drastic, considering it was minutes apart. He couldn’t explain it. He didn’t have questions nor answers.
His whole mood just shifted.
Nancy seemed to notice and asked if he was okay, really quietly so no one could hear.
He nodded, faking a smile and deep breathing so his eyes wouldn’t get watery.
Nancy wasn’t too convinced; but knew that pushing for answers was going to be a thousand times worse.
Now, he just had to focus on getting through this dinner. Maybe tomorrow he’ll wake up with answers to everything in his life. He only hopes.
He finished eating quietly and then helped Joyce and Will clean the kitchen. It would be rude not to.
“Did you like the dinner, Mike?” Joyce asked while loading the dishwasher.
“Of course. It was all so delicious. Did you do it all yourself?” Mike answered while handing clean plates to Will so he could dry them.
“Yes. I have so much free time right now so I picked up cooking. I really like it.” Joyce responded proudly.
“It was so good. Kudos!” “Did you make the breadsticks yourself?” Mike was curious.
“Thank you. Yeah, I did everything myself.” Joyce finished loading the dishwasher and dried her hands.
“Will, why don’t you tell everyone where their bedroom is? I’ll finish up here.” Joyce said.
“Okay mom. I love you.” Will said giving her a kiss in the cheek.
“I love you. Mike, why don’t you go with Will? You must be exhausted.” Joyce was now organizing the kitchen.
“Umm, okay. Bye, good night.” Mike said before he followed after Will, who was reaching the living room.
“Okay, we organized the bedrooms this way.” Will announced.
“Dustin, Steve and Jonathan. Let me take your suitcases.” Will grabbed Steve’s and Jonathan’s suitcases and dropped them inside one of one of the two identical doors.
Will came back to the living room to gather around the next group of people. “Holly, Nancy and Robin. You are going to stay right next door.”
Will helped them with their luggage. The foyer was slowly getting cleared.
As Will came back to the living room; he started to panic. There were no rooms left on the first floor, that left Mike in the second floor alone with Will, Carlton, Lucas and Max. Without Nancy to tell her any minor inconvenience.
What was he doing? This was his best friend who he was talking about.
Also, he was 22 years old. He couldn’t run to his big sister every time there was a problem.
“We are all going to be staying up stairs so grab your things because I can’t carry all of that.” Will chocked a little laugh.
Lucas and Max lent them a hand. Once they reached upstairs, everyone was breathing heavily, even thought there weren’t that much stairs.
“Well, you guys already know where you’re sleeping so have a good night’s sleep.” Will was talking to Lucas and Max.
Everyone said their goodnights to each other, and Lucas and Max disappeared trough a big wooden brown door.
Mike was panicking. There were only a couple of doors left.
Will gave him a follow me nudge. They advanced a few feet to a door, similar like the one where Lucas and Max disappeared into.
Will opened it, pushing it with his suitcase, to reveal a small hallway, separating two areas. In the middle of that hallway there was an open door, that let the bathroom visible.
Will seemed embarrassed about what he was going to say next. “So, umm. There weren’t any rooms left, so there’s one bedroom at the end of one side of the hallway, and another one at the end of the other side of the hallway.” Will looked at the ground while saying this.
Mike controlled his face to not reveal his feelings.
What? This has got to be a joke. This couldn’t be possible. This was the universe hating him. He had to share a room with his best friend that he hasn’t seen in ages and his boyfriend. Well, separated by a few feet, but, what?
Mike didn’t know what to say. Words didn’t come out. There was silent awkwardness.
After seeing that Mike wasn’t answering, Will asked. “Is it okay? We could change the rooms.”
Mike’s people pleaser self came to life and immediately responded. “No, umm. It’s totally okay. No problem.”
Will asked for reassurance. “Really? It’s no problem if you want to change rooms.”
“Completely positive.” Mike nodded while saying his answer.
Will showed Mike his bedroom, telling him where everything was and making sure he was comfortable.
“Also, umm. There’s only one bathroom so we have to share it. You can go now if you want to brush your teeth or whatever. We could use it later.” Will added.
Great, everything was just piling up, and he couldn’t do anything about it. He just had to get through these ten days and it will be done.
“Umm, okay. I’ll use it now. Thanks.” Mike answered, unsure about it.
Will gave him a soft smile and left to go to his side of the hallway.
He opened the suitcase and left it open on the table in front of the bed. He didn’t unpack. He had to be prepared for anything, even if that meant running away in the middle of the night and not attend the wedding.
He took his hellfire club t-shirt and some pajama pants from the suitcase. He grabbed his clothes and went into the bathroom to change.
The bathroom was cold and small, a bit uncomfortable to move around.
He changed quickly, wanting to go to bed. After he finished putting his pajama on and folding his clothes, he realized he forgot his toiletry bag in the suitcase. Shit.
He was stepping out of the bathroom when he bumped into Carlton.
“Oh, sorry Mike. I didn’t see you.” “Did you finish in the bathroom?” Carlton asked.
Mike stumbled all over his words. “I just have to brush my teeth and then I’m finished.”
“Is that a D&D t-shirt? Cool” Carlton looked excited.
“Umm, yeah but it is from high school.” Mike went to his room to grab his toothbrush and quickly disappeared in the bathroom. He couldn’t stand Carlton a minute longer.
He quickly brushed his teeth to avoid making Carlton wait too much and end up embarrassing himself.
When he opened up the bathroom door, he found Carlton leaned on the wall waiting for him to finish with that stupid face he had.
He said a quick goodnight to both Carlton and Will and laid in bed.
He wanted to sleep but it was like his mind just didn’t let him, he wasn’t able to close his eyes either. He was just staring at the white ceiling, waiting for exhaustion to kick in.
He stayed like that long enough for Will and Carlton to finish unpacking and to get in bed. He was hearing everything. Every single laugh, tone, movement and even breathing if he stayed quiet enough. It was killing him.
He could hear Will and Carlton talking rapidly, in a whisper, making sure Mike didn’t hear.
Mike tried to make up what they were saying but it was impossible. He hated it. He hated not knowing. He hated secrets.
He closed his eyes and hoped that sleep will come eventually.
Just ten more days and it will be over.