Chapter Text
Hawkins high! A loser's worst nightmare
and sadly Mike Wheeler was living that nightmare as we speak…or could I say as we read?
He thankfully wasn’t alone though!
He had his best friends Dustin, Lucas and Max…
Ok, maybe Max wasn’t a best friend –
They were the losers, the freaks, the outcasts, the weirdos and whatever other stupid names the popular kids came up with.
Now the popular kids were all the boys who played basketball and the girls on the cheer team.
The stereotypical high school coming-of-age movie type of crowd
And just like in the movies, the popular kids bullied losers for just being themselves.
Mike hated the popular kids with every fibre of his being.
He couldn’t stand the constant tournament, but he couldn’t stand up for himself either.
So he just left it; he took the beatings – both verbal and physical.
The only place he and his friends felt safe was with Eddie!
Eddie was the original freak and founder of the Hellfire Club!
When Mike, Dustin, Max and Lucas first came to high school, Eddie made it his mission to protect them from bullies.
And for the most part it worked.
But he couldn’t be everywhere at once.
But despite that, the four of them loved him not for what he did but for who he was.
They wore those crappy handmade shirts with so much pride.
Eddie was untouchable; none of the popular boys messed with him.
In a way Eddie ruled that fucked-up school.
Mine wanted to be like that one day…
…
“Good morning, Wheeler." Eddie said, giving Mike a high five as he entered the school building.
“Hey Eddie!” Mike said, smiling at him.
The hall was crowded – more like flooded with popular kids.
Eddie ruffled Max's hair. "Mayfield, good to see you remember to—"
“Be careful when skating in the halls, I know, Eddie," Max groaned, yet she couldn’t help but smile.
Mike moved out of Max's way as she skateboarded down the hallway, most likely going to the gym to see Lucas.
Mike was headed to the science lab to see Dustin and to drop off his homework!
He also wanted to show Dustin the new campaign he was working on…it was nowhere near finished, but he knew Dustin liked seeing his progress!
Clearly Mike wasn’t looking where he was going and walked straight into a group of popular boys.
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Wheeler number 2," the first boy said.
“Fuck off," Mike said, trying to pay no mind to them.
“Someone’s spicy today," the second boy added.
Mike ignored the comment and kept walking.
Suddenly he felt hands on his back, and the next moment he was on the floor, his papers all scattered.
The two boys laughed and walked away…
“Are you alright?” A soft and sweet voice asked, holding a hand out to him.
Mike looked up and locked eyes with him.
Will Byers, the golden boy of Hawkins High, Jason’s baby cousin, the star basketball player
He had a lot going for him…he was one of the most popular boys in school.
Despite that, he was one of the sweetest people one could meet.
“No thanks to you, arsehole friends," Mike finally replied, ignoring Will’s hand and picking up his papers.
"Yeah...sorry about them; that was totally uncalled for," Will said, kneeling down and helping Mike pick his stuff up.
They quickly made a neat pile ready for Mike to carry again!
“It’s fine; it’s not your fault anyway…thanks for the help." Mike mumbled, walking past him into the science lab.
“Hey dude, are you ok?” Dustin asked as Mike walked in, “I saw you talking to Byers out there. Was he giving you trouble?"
Mike put all his papers down. "Quite the opposite; he was actually apologising for his shitty friends."
“Oh...huh, odd, but not odd for Byers, I guess," Dustin said, looking at Mike.
"True...anyway, here’s the campaign," Mike said, handing the papers to Dustin.
“Oh, thanks, dude! I’ll get to reading this!” Dustin said happily.
Mike smiled. "Have fun!”
…
Mike opened the front door and went inside, making sure to lock it behind him.
“Mike, honey, I have to tell you something," Karen shouted from the kitchen.
Mike sighed and went over to her. “Yes, Mom?"
“I got your report card…you're failing maths, so I thought it would be a good idea to get you a tutor," Karen said, taking a sip of her tea.
“Oh no, not the old lady next door again," Mike said, a shiver running down his spine.
“No, no, a new tutor," Karen paused, “a student, actually."
Mike looked anxious.
She knew about the bullying; she had known since it had really got bad, which was rare since Mike refused to even tell Nancy about it.
“It will be ok, Mike," she said, but she didn’t seem sure.
Knock knock.
"Ah, seems like he’s here already," Karen said, getting up and walking to the door.
She took a breath and opened it.
“Good afternoon, Mrs Wheeler," a familiar voice said, making Mike gasp slightly, clearly shocked by who was at the door.
“Hi William, come inside, sweetheart," Karen said, stepping aside to let Will walk in.
“Will is just fine, ma'am." He said, looking around the house, his eyes landed on Mike, and his expression changed to one of recognition. Will remembered Mike from the other day.
“Alright, well, Mike, please show Will to the basement, then you two can start the tutoring session," Karen said, putting a hand on Mike's back.
Mike flinched, remembering the push from a few days ago.
"Yeah...sure, uh, after you, I guess," Mike said, walking down after Will.
Mike was definitely a gentleman; one couldn’t deny that.
Once the two got into the basement, Mike took a seat on the couch, clearly waiting for Will.
Will took some maths books out of his bag and gently placed them on the table.
“So where should we start?” Will asked, sitting down next to Mike.
…
It had been thirty minutes, and Mike was bored! Like, really, really bored, so he asked if a break
The two of them sat awkwardly on the couch, not too sure what to do with themselves.
“So…what’s it like being popular?” Mike asked; he was genuinely curious.
“It’s fine, I guess... I don’t think my friends really get me though…” Will mumble, fidgeting with his pencil.
"Hm, I guess I can relate in a way," Mike said casually.
“Oh? And why’s that?" Will asked, putting the pencil down on the table.
"Well, we have the same interests, but everyone has their person, you know, and sometimes I feel like they don’t really see me," Mike said, sighing.
What was he doing…venting to Will Byers of all people?
Will took a breath. “I get it…I sometimes wish I had friends who liked anime and stuff."
“Huh…what anime do you like?” Mike asked, frowning slightly.
Why was the golden boy interested in nerdy stuff?
"Oh, all of it! Though I think my favourite is Yuri on Ice; we were robbed after they cancelled the movie," Will said, digging in his bag.
He pulled out a small sketchbook.
opened up to the last page and handed it to Mike
“Here I sketched some of the characters as chibis the other day!” Will said proudly.
Mike stared at the drawings…they were really well done. Will had definitely spent a lot of time on them.
“These are really cute!” Mike said, handing the sketchbook back to him.
“Thanks! I would have done more, but that was the last page in this sketchbook." Will said, slipping it back into his bag, “I think I’ll have to get going soon, but...can I have your number?”
Mike's heart skipped a beat...but despite that, he kept a straight face and nodded.
"Yeah, sure," he said, sounding a little more excited than he wanted to admit.
“Yay! "Ok, here, put your number into my phone!” Will said matching Mike's excitement
He took Will’s phone out, put his number in, and handed it back.
Will smiled and changed the contact name to “loser <3” before slipping his phone back into his pocket.
Mike quickly saved Will's contact as "Byers".
“I’ll see you tomorrow!” He said, walking up the basement stairs.
“Mhmm, later, Byers…" Mike mumbled, staring at his phone.
…
Back at school the week after…
“Hey Mike," Lucas said, walking up to Mike in the hall.
“Morning, Lucas." Mike smiles at him. "Ready for class?” Mike asked, opening the classroom door, trying not to drop all his stuff.
"Yeah, I guess so…I actually did my homework today, so it will be chill today… I hope—" Lucas said, sitting down at the desk next to Mike's.
Conveniently, Will was in front of Lucas.
Class started soon after the two sat down, and Lucas immediately noticed Mike staring at Will.
Lucas frowned. Why was Mike staring at Byers?
Maybe he was zoned out or something? Lucas couldn’t tell, so he decided to write Mike a note.
Lucas: Dude, why are you staring at Byers? Did he do something to you?
He slipped the note onto Mike's desk and waited for him to read it.
Mike: Oh...no reason, just, uh...stuff.
Mike quickly placed the note onto Lucas’s desk and went back to taking class notes.
Lucas: You sure? And what stuff?
He put the note onto Mike's desk, but he ignored it.
So Lucas writes another one.
Lucas: Is he your secret boyfriend or something?
He threw the note at Mike.
Mike: WHAT, NO! We’re friends, ok? I’m friends with him.
Mike flipped Lucas off and handed him the note.
Lucas smirked.
Lucas: Right, right, friends...
He handed Mike the note, which was getting pretty full.
But just as Mike was going to read it, the teacher interrupted.
“Wheeler! Sinclair! Is there something you’d like to share with the class?” She said, frowning at the two.
“No, ma'am," Mike mumbled.
“That’s why I thought..." she grumbled, "Go outside and come back once you’ve both thought about your actions."
“Yes, ma'am," Mike said.
“Sorry, ma'am," Lucas said as he passed her desk with Mike following behind.
…
The two of them stood there not saying anything.
"So...Byers?" Lucas asked.
“He tutors me," Mike said, sounding embarrassed.
“And you guys became friends from that?” Lucas asked, taking a seat at one of the benches.
"Yeah, he’s like secretly a nerd," Mike said, laughing slightly.
“I see…” Lucas said, standing up, "Well, I’m off to practice. See you later."
“See ya," Mike said, taking his phone out.
Lucas frowned slightly.
He decides he’s going to talk to Will about it at practice!
They were on friendly terms, so it would be pretty simple.
He wasn’t against the friendship between Mike and Will; it was just...unexpected.
He pushed open the doors to the gym and walked over to Will.
“Hey dude, I wanted to ask you something," Lucas said, keeping his tone light and friendly.
"Oh, hi Lucas! "Ask away," Will said cheerfully.
“Do you happen to be friends with Mike?” Lucas asked.
Will nodded happily. "Yeah, I am! I tutor him as well."
"Ohh, that makes sense," Lucas said, laughing slightly.
He already knew about the tutoring – but he wasn’t here to get answers from Will; he just simply wanted to know.
He was totally going to tell Max about it later.
Lucas was about to walk away but Will quickly stopped him.
"Hey, quick question: can you tell me what Mike's favourite thing is?” Will asked, sounding slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, easy! "D&D," Lucas said, smiling.
“I see…thank you!” Will said, seemingly taking a mental note of that.
“Anytime Byers," Lucas said, walking away.
…
Later that day…
Will walked up to his room feeling happy! He had just finished dinner and felt really good!
He really liked being friends with Mike; he felt free to be himself.
He didn’t have to perform or pretend.
And it felt so…real.
But just as everything else in Will’s life…
It didn’t last long.
Will lie down in his bed
Then he heard it.
That familiar crash
The shouting…
The furniture being thrown
But Lonnie wasn’t there; he hadn’t been there for years.
So it wasn’t real.
It wasn’t real.
But to Will it was.
His whole body tensed up; his hands started shaking.
He couldn’t breathe; he couldn’t even move.
He felt that familiar terror slowly building as the screams got louder and louder.
And then he woke up.
He immediately broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, clawing at his ribs.
He now knew it wasn’t real, but it was real, maybe not in that present moment but somewhere in the past.
And the past still haunted him.
He’d get nightmares and flashbacks, but no one would listen to him.
Listen to his pain…
But maybe he would…
Will shakily grabbed his phone, clicked on Mike's contact and hit call…
“Hey Byers," Mike said softly, "are you ok? It’s pretty late; I thought you were asleep."
Will took a shaky breath and spoke, “I-I had a nightmare..."
“Are you ok?” Mike asked, his voice instantly exploding with worry.
“No, no, I’m not, but I will be; just…talk to me for a while," Will mumbled, choking back sobs.
“I’m coming over.” Mike said, zipping his bag shut.
“No, Mike, it’s ok; I really didn’t mean to bother!” Will protested, his voice still shaking.
"No, it’s not a bother; I was already on my bike anyway," Mike said, clearly lying.
"Oh…ok," Will said, wiping his eyes.
“Open your window," Mike said clearly, out of breath.
“How the fuck—" Will mumbled.
“I’m just fast," Mike interrupted.
Will walked over to the window and opened it.
"Hey...are you ok?” Mike asked, climbing through the window.
"Yeah...now that you’re here everything is ok," Will mumbled, leading Mike to his bed.
“You want to tell me what happened?" Mike said, lying down next to Will.
“I had a nightmare…" he mumbled.
Mike pulled Will close, wrapping his arms around him.
“I’m here, ok…" he whispered. “I’m not going to leave till you’re ok."
“Mm ok," Will said sleepily. "Hey Mike…want to stay over on Halloween? We could, like, watch movies and cuddle."
“Yes! "I'd love to," Mike said excitedly.
“Yayyy!” Will said softly.
As Mike held him close, his chest started to feel lighter.
He felt safe.
He wanted that night to last forever…
…
Mike's phone dinged.
"Mike, your phone!” Max shouted from across the room.
No reply.
"MIKE, YOUR PHONE!” Max shouted even louder this time.
Still nothing!
“MICHAEL WHEELER, I SWEAR I WILL LOOK AT THOSE TEXTS," Max shouted.
Still no reply, so she picked up the phone and started to read.
"Baby—? Huh. I didn’t know Mike was in a relationship” max mumbled
Then Mike ran in “hey! Give that back," Mike said, snatching the phone out of Max's hands.
"Yeah, yes, whatever – so who are you dating?” She asked, sounding so interested yet so uninterested at the same time.
“No one. "I'm still single," Mike mumbled.
“Your phone says otherwise," Max said, smirking. "Who's the person you have saved as 'baby'?"
"Byers..." Mike said it so quickly Max almost didn't hear it.
“Byers? Like Will Byers…YOU LIKE WILL BYERS?!” Max shouted.
“UH UH IUH I GOTTA GO," Mike said, running out the door.
Max laughed to herself.
She liked teasing Mike.
It was funny.
…
"Hm, what to watch?" was mumbled while scrolling through Netflix.
It was Halloween! And Mike had promised to come over to watch movies and cuddle.
Will was more excited to cuddle; he didn’t really care for the movie.
Mike walked into Will’s room with some snacks.
“Hey! I brought some snacks if that’s ok?” Mike asked them to set them down on the coffee table.
"Yes, of course! ”What do you want to watch?” Will asked, sitting on the couch.
"Hmm, I’m ok with anything," Mike said, sitting close to Will.
“Oooh! How about this!” Mike suggested
“That’s My Little Pony: Equestria Girls?" Will said, sounding confused.
"Yeah, but it’s peak, trust me." Mike reassured putting the movie
At some point Will decided to lie on top of Mike…it was comfy.
Mike's chest felt warm suddenly; his face flushed at the thought of Will.
He really meant so much more to him than he thought.
He was in love with Will…
…
December! Aka party season!!!
It was like a competition.
All of the rich kids would throw these big parties, each trying to upstage the last.
Whoever had the best one would host the Christmas party.
And Will had decided to drag Mike to one of these parties just to see what it was like.
“Come on, it will be fun!” Will said, opening the door,
"Fine, but just because you want to," Mike said, squeezing Will's hand as they walked in.
"Ooo, let’s go over there. I think they have snacks," Will said, leading Mike to a corner table.
"Hmm, ok!” Mike said, looking around in awe.
It was fancy; there was a whole dance floor with a DJ, there was a huge pool out back and a lot of games and such.
"Hey, where have you been...?" Chance said, stepping in front of Will
“At home?” Will said bluntly,
“With…him?” Chance asked, his tone flat.
"Yeah, but no big deal." Will said, smiling at Mike.
“Ok then, let’s go dance," Chance said, pulling Will away from Mike.
Will’s face fell. "Umm…ok."
Mike watched as the two of them danced.
He frowned.
“Lucky arsehole..." Mike mumbled.
The jealousy quickly built in his chest; he felt like crying or screaming, yet he knew he couldn’t cause a scene, because what would that help?
So he just watched…
And he noticed how miserable Will looked.
Either way… Mike couldn’t take his eyes off him.
He really had it bad.
“Why are you always hanging around Wheeler?” Chance asked harshly.
“Cus he’s my friend...?" Will said, looking confused.
“He’s a freak! You shouldn’t be seen with him!” Chance said, gripping Will's arms tighter.
“He’s not! You’re just jealous!” Will said, pulling away from him.
“Of him? HAH! You wish." Chance shouted.
The music stopped, and people were starting to stare.
“If you aren’t jealous, then what is it, huh? Can I not have friends now? Is that what you want?” Will said, backing away.
But not in a scared way, more in a breaking-free way.
"No, I just don’t want you to be friends with him," Chance said, his voice growing smaller.
"Well, tough luck! Unlike you, he actually sees me and accepts me for who I am! "You're blind to that; you only see the parts of me that YOU like," will shouted.
"I..." Chance mumbled.
He had no words… Will just stood up to him.
Mike saw the fight and walked over.
He pushed through the crowd, walked over to Will and put an arm around his waist.
"Hey, ready to go?” Mike asked gently.
"Yeah...now more than ever." Will said, staring at Mike.
As the two walked away, Mike turned back and smirked at Chance.
Chance scowled at him, and then he turned away…
…
Christmas Day! One usually spent with family or friends, maybe even a lover!
But that wasn’t the case for Will.
See, he was about to go hand-deliver a gift to his best friend.
Who he happened to have a crush on…
It was a really big crush.
Like he had a whole sketchbook filled with drawings of Mike.
He really wanted to show his love…
So he custom-made Mike some D&D figures.
It took him forever, but it was worth it.
He just wanted to see Mike smile at him.
“Will, honey, where are you going?” Joyce asked.
“Just on a, uh…walk?" Will said, and he wasn’t lying; he was going to walk to Mike's house.
“In the middle of a snowstorm?" Joyce questioned
"Uh...huh." Will nodded slowly.
“Will doesn't lie," she asked, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
"Fineeee, I’m going to deliver a gift to my friend." Will said, holding up the small box.
It almost looked like a ring box.
"Oh…ok, that makes more sense." Joyce said, walking away, "Be safe out there."
“I will be, don’t worry!” Will opened the door and stepped out, letting the icy wind hit him.
But he was on a mission, so he ignored the cold and just walked.
Mike doesn't live too far away, only like 2 blocks over.
Though in this moment Will didn’t care if he lived across town; he would have walked all the way there.
Will knocked on the door, and thankfully someone answered.
Will! "What a nice surprise!” Nancy said, smiling.
Nancy Wheeler, the former queen and sweetheart of Hawkins High
Everyone at that school respected her; some even feared her.
Yes, she was the sweetest, but she also knew how to fight, so no one messed with her.
She used to stand up for the losers; she was pretty much in the middle of popular kids and losers.
But basically everyone loved her, and well, you can probably see why.
“Hi Nancy!” Will said happily, “I’m here to see Mike."
Nancy smiled. “I thought so…come on in! Mike's in his room."
"Alright, thank you!” Will said, taking his shoes off at the door and running up the stairs.
Nancy smiled…she knew why this was.
Young love…
…
Will knocked on Mike's door.
“Come in," Mike said, sounding bored.
Will opened the door and walked in.
“Hey Mike," he said softly.
“Will!” Mike said excitedly.
He jumped off his bed and ran over to Will.
“What are you doing here?” Mike asked, wrapping his arms around Will.
“I wanted to give you your gift!” Will said excitedly.
"Aww, that’s so sweet of you," Mike said, holding Will close.
"Well, of course, anything for you," Will said, burying his face into Mike's neck.
Mike laughed softly.
Will pulled away from the hug and took out the box.
It really did look like a ring box.
“Will you marry me?" Will joked.
Mike laughed softly.
He probably wouldn’t say no to that…
Will handed him the small box and let him open it.
Sitting inside were custom D&D figures for each member of the party…even Eddie!
“Will…these are amazing!” Mike said, examining them carefully.
“Thank you!” Will said happily.
“Of course, and thank YOU for this amazing gift." Mike said, kissing Will on the cheek,
Will’s face flushed.
“I, uh... I should get going home before the storm gets worse; the walk here was already pretty bad," Will mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“WALK?! Hell no! "You're staying over," Mike declared, leading Will over to the bed.
“We can put on a show till you feel warm, ok?” Mike said, "Make sure Will is comfortable."
“That sounds good; let me just text my mom." Will said, taking his phone out and texting Joyce.
She immediately agreed.
"Ok, it’s all good! She said yes," Will said, putting his phone on the nightstand and cuddling up to Mike.
They lay there for a while watching whatever stupid show Mike had picked out.
“Will…?” Mike said softly, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" Will replied, sounding extremely sleepy.
“Why are you still with him...?" Mike asked, sounding almost as upset as he felt.
“I… "I don't know," Will mumbled. "I have everything I want right next to me…I don’t need him." Will said as he fell asleep.
Mike's heart swelled…did he really mean it? Was he everything? What had Will ever wanted?
He really hoped so…
…
New Year’s Eve!
Definitely a popular day for parties
And that’s exactly where Will and Mike were right now!
“What’s your New Year’s resolution?” Will asked quietly as the countdown began.
10.
“To be with you every day," Mike replied, lifting Will's chin up slightly.
9…
“I’d like that…" Will whispered.
8.
“I know you would.” Mike said, staring at Will just as he always did…with so much love.
7.
“What’s your resolution then?” Mike asked, pulling Will in closer.
6.
“Probably the same as you but more…" Will mumbled, his face flushing from embarrassment.
5.
"Well, it’s a deal then," Mike said, his cheeks getting a little red as well.
4.
"Yeah... deal." Will said, staring deep into Mike's eyes.
3.
"Want to seal that deal properly?” Mike asked.
2…
"Yeah, I’d like that," was whispered.
1.
“Happy New Year!!! Everyone shouted.
But instead of shouting, Mike pulled Will in for a long, passionate kiss.
He wanted to taste every part of him…but for now just his mouth would do.
Will melted into the kiss instantly…
To Will, this was a dream come true.
But that dream would quickly fade.
Mike pulled away; he looked…horrified.
"I'm...I'm so sorry," Mike said, running away.
And will just…
Stood there
He was in awe; he had just felt so many things he’s never felt with Chance – hell, with anyone – and he loved it so much, but most importantly, he loved Mike. He loved Mike so much he genuinely couldn’t put it into words.
But seeing him run away like that made him doubt Mike would ever return these feelings.
And that just
Crushed him
Did Will ruin their friendship…?
Or was this…rejection?
…
Let’s go back a few moments.
Rewindddddd
"I'm...I'm so sorry," Mike said, running away.
He ran so fast into one of the bathrooms, holding it all in till that door was closed.
And once it was, he just let it all out.
He sobbed into his hands, feeling as if he had just ruined something with his stupid feelings yet again.
Then he paused…he was going to throw up.
Mike leaned down and just let it all out.
What was wrong with him…