Chapter Text
Mike woke up in a cold sweat. His heart was racing and he closed his eyes to try and get his breathing under control. For a minute, it felt like he was back in Hawkins, back in Vecna’s grasp, crying and screaming and struggling as he watched his friends and family get obliterated in battle.
His eyes flew back open. It was still dark- much darker than it should be, but Mike could just barely make out a faint sliver of light streaking down in a pinpoint in the middle of his left eye. It was refracting off of dust and dispersing in a way that started to make him feel nauseous, but he didn’t close his eyes again. His doctor said that he should really try to keep them open for longer periods of time, anyway.
Will’s arms tightened imperceptibly around him, almost as if he could feel the distress coming off of the other boy in waves. Mike was safe. His friends were okay. They defeated Vecna and continued on with their lives. He was in his apartment he shared with Will. Will, who was alive, and not possessed, and who was currently snoring lightly in Mike’s ear.
Mike let out a small huff in contentment before detangling himself from Will’s limbs. It was a challenge, with Will’s arms gripping him and his right leg wedged in between Mike’s. He felt a little bad when he felt Will shift behind him, reaching out for someone who wasn’t there anymore. Mike swung his legs over the side of the bed, feet gently hitting the floor before getting up.
He made his way around the room, sticking to the wall so that he could move his hand to guide him where he wanted to go. He only ran into a cabinet once- the one he always bumped into at night, since it was a new addition to the apartment. He didn’t even need to run his hand over the smooth surface to feel Will’s paintbrushes roll to the edge, clattering to the ground before he could catch them. He would pick them up later- or, more likely, Will would.
Mike let out a low hiss, rubbing his knee where it stung from the impact. He heard Will mumble something in his sleep, the noise not enough to have fully awoken him. After moving, Will’s sleeping habits had changed drastically. He was always a light sleeper, growing up in a constant state of stress due to Lonnie and later the Upside Down, the Mindflayer, Vecna. Now, when he slept it was like he was absolutely dead to the world, sleeping through his alarm most days and only waking when Mike would climb on top of him and pepper his face and neck with kisses.
It was like he was making up for lost time, never sleeping enough, never with enough rest.
Mike also liked to think he contributed to Will’s general sense of ease and comfort. He still got nightmares, but not as frequent as when they were in Hawkins or Point Isabel and nowhere near as bad.
Similarly, Mike’s sleeping habits had also changed. In high school, he was always in bed, sleeping the day away so deeply that on more than one occasion Nancy had been convinced that he was actually dead. He was a lot angrier then- so despondent and miserable that he didn’t care about anything other than escaping to his dream world. At least there he could do whatever he wanted with Will. At least Will was there in his dreams and not still in California or in the Upside Down or-
Mike shook his head. There was no point in being so caught up on the past. After what happened with Vecna- after he was defeated and everyone was out of the hospital and safe- Mike had gotten better. It had taken a while, especially after waking up from his medically induced coma, which he still thought was overkill. Everything was fuzzy then, the sterile blues and whites from the hospital fading into grey and then the nothingness on the edges of his vision.
Getting used to light again was the worst, especially in a place so dominated by bright yellow fluorescents. Every time he’d open his eyes it was an immediate headache followed by an alarming confusion of what was happening around him. He preferred to keep his eyes closed then, now just opting for a dark pair of sunglasses where no one could see his eyes twitch and water from behind them.
The year following Vecna’s defeat was challenging for everyone, but Mike had a particularly difficult time in the immediate following months. After the gates had opened in Hawkins, all hell had broken loose. People were sheltered in place for eighteen months, boarding up their doors and windows so that the monsters couldn't get in. The streets were empty from dusk to dawn, and the only people out during the day were the military patrols. The school was destroyed, but even if it wasn’t, kids weren’t allowed to go- it was way too dangerous. So instead, the military made rounds to all of the house, dropping off textbooks and resources that would go unused for months before the parents of Hawkins attempted to homeschool their children in a fucked up sense of normalcy.
It was a hard time for everyone, but if Mike was being completely honest, he couldn’t find it in himself to care. There were certainly worse fates than being locked in his house with Will. Plus, they still did crawls- Dustin hotwired their radios to pick up military frequencies, allowing them to move in the shadows of the night unnoticed.
After the final battle, though, nothing was the same. The military relocated the remaining residents of Hawkins- a considerably lower population than before the gates opened- to a small suburb in Point Isabel before bombing Hawkins into oblivion. It was nice, Mike supposes. The hospital was down the road from the government housing the Wheelers were placed in, which was convenient. And the house wasn’t too bad either- two floors, three rooms, and two bathrooms. They even had a basement, smaller than the one in the house he had grown up in, but still big enough for the entire party to fit.
All of his friends also lived a lot closer than they did in Hawkins, situated within the same three blocks instead of scattered across town. The government housing wasn’t as nice as their old house back in Hawkins was, but it was eons better than where they put up the Hendersons and Sinclairs.
When picking Point Isabel as the relocation site of the remaining Hawkins residents, the military didn’t do much research. There weren’t many family houses empty or on the market in the small town, so those who weren’t considered “priority” were given government-issued trailers. Old, shitty, leaky trailers that sat on lots of empty property.
Families that were considered priority one were those with someone who was directly affected by the Upside Down. Usually in a way that left them with disabilities, needing more accommodations than a trailer could provide. Large families- those with three or more children- were considered priority two for similar reasons. Mike guesses the Wheelers sort of fit both of those descriptions. Max definitely fit the first. Unfortunately for Lucas and Dustin, their families did not.
School was, by far, the worst, though. The public high school in Point Isabel was incredibly tiny, not nearly enough room for even the small number of students transferring from Hawkins High. The middle school was able to host the younger kids, as they were fewer in number, but the teenagers had to be bused to Elwood every day. Another huge oversight on the government’s part, if you asked Mike. The bus ride was just long enough to be annoying and he often got car sick from how fast the driver would take turns, but it could’ve been worse.
At least he had his friends reeking havoc and keeping him entertained.
Being at the new school itself was the real issue for Mike, though. It was decently large- easily accommodating the new one hundred students or so- which meant that it was loud. Kids were always yelling and running in the halls, and Mike was constantly overwhelmed. He was falling behind in classes, only managing to pass thanks to the mutual aid from his friends. At least the bullying had somewhat lessened.
The other party members were doing alright, all things considered. Jane was free and vindicated, finally being able to move in with the Byers and start enjoying her life. Her and Dustin had gotten closer during that time, meeting up for movie nights and going to the mall together when Lucas was preoccupied with Max and Will with Mike. They started officially dating the summer after graduating, but Mike knew they had liked each other for much longer.
Jane had never been happier than talking to him about Dustin, her voice getting lighter and hands flinging wildly side to side, almost hitting Mike in the face- a habit she certainly picked up from the other boy. Mike just smiled any time she rambled about Dustin and their budding romance. She certainly let him drone on about Will enough over the years.
Mike couldn’t help but smile when he thought of El. She went by Jane now- the party only slipping up when in deep conversation or of high emotions. Mike was by far the worst offender, El rolling her eyes and correcting him every time without fail. She had one of the hardest times adjusting after the gates were shut. The government had ceased their interest in her after she lost her powers permanently, allowing her to move to Point Isabel with her family and live a, somewhat, normal life.
Jane moved to Philadelphia with the party that following fall after a summer of convincing Hopper. She's currently working towards getting her G.E.D in between her (very) part time job at a bakery, volunteering with ACT UP, the PEA, and traveling with Kali.
She was always a sunny, whirlwind of energy and Mike would frequently find himself at his most joyful during the periods she was around.
Joyce and Hopper got married in the winter of 1988, a small but beautiful ceremony that Murray had officiated. Joyce wanted it to be in the spring, but after everything that had happened, neither of them wanted to wait any longer. They moved to Montauk the fall of 1989 after Will and Jane had packed up and left. The subsidised housing they left went to another family quicker than when the bombs had leveled Hawkins.
Max was awake and with the rest of the party, spending most of her time catching up on her studies and newfound appreciation for mock trial and the debate team. She claimed it was all ironic and it was just to let off some steam, but she ended up graduating with a scholarship to University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School because of it. Mike still found it astounding that Max was getting her degree in law, but he figures that she’s always been argumentative. Getting accustomed to her disabilities was difficult, but she faced it with a grace that still inspired Mike on his worst days.
Max liked to say that she got it easy- when she first woke up she could still see.
The doctors had told her that there was a potential for her eyesight to degrade more rapidly than normal due to the damage Vecna had done. Both of her retinas had detached, and even though they had performed surgery, the lack of use and extent of damage left them permanently weakened.
And it had gotten worse- although she was spared from full blindness until that following October, that didn’t mean that she had her original scope of vision up until then. It started slow at first, her vision fading from the edges like she was entering an increasingly smaller tunnel.
The summer after defeating Vecna, it got worse more rapidly- the constant summer sun causing the accelerated formation of cataracts. By the time she was halfway through the first semester of her senior year, she was fully blind. She was already so comfortable on her cane, though, that she could walk laps around Mike. She did extremely well during her joint rehabilitation too, getting comfortable with her wheelchair and working overtime in the summer to strengthen her legs and arms.
By the time Max started college, she was able to get around impressively without her wheelchair for long periods of time. She still had to use it occasionally, but her low mobility days were getting further and further apart.
Dustin was still trying to get the Hell Fire club exonerated at the time- collecting freshman like Pokémon and dragging them to their lunch table. It was easier at the new school, but the rumors still followed them like a plague. Mike didn’t mind and they left him alone for the most part- too scared of the upperclassman save for Dustin and Will.
He and Max certainly didn’t try to change their minds.
Dustin also joined the robotics club that winter, stating that after defeating Vecna he deserved to do something he hadn’t had time to enjoy in years. No one could disagree with that, and Lucas ended up joining him after going to a competition that Dustin lost in the last round. He claimed that he could fix whatever niche part that had caused Dustin’s robot to implode during the fight, and the rest of the school year they racked up gold medals like candy.
The two of them preferred to work on whatever current project in the Wheeler’s basement, the whole party coming over and making it a full blown hangout session most nights. Mike loved to feel how everything connected and went into place. Max loved making fun of them, even though she had no clue what they were doing.
That summer, for Mike’s eighteenth birthday, Dustin gifted him the computer that was currently tucked in the corner of his and Will’s apartment. It was huge- a bulky thing that took up four times as much space as his old computer, but Mike loved it more than anything else he’s been gifted.
Coming back from the hospital and realizing that he could probably never write again had been a really hard pill to swallow. It had been harder than when the Byers had moved to California, worse than when he found out his father had died from his injuries- more detrimental than fully accepting what Will meant to him.
Mike could feel his future falling through his fingers, like when he picked up sand from the beach. He was nothing and would be nothing and that’s all he could be now. Maybe he could live with his mother for the rest of his life.
Maybe Will wouldn’t mind and he could latch onto him like how he did when they were little.
But then, on the afternoon of his birthday, Dustin and Lucas called him into the basement. Mike could feel the energy coming off of them in waves, bouncing up and down from excitement. Lucas grabbed his shoulders gently, leading Mike to a chair by the far wall and placing his hands on a keyboard. Mike stilled, not understanding what was happening until Dustin told him to type something, almost yelling in his enthusiasm.
A voice burst through the speakers when Mike finished his sentence- something about beating Lucas’ ass that made the boys behind him huff out laughs. Mike sat back in his seat in shock, his eyes already tearing up as he turned around to face the other two.
“I- how-?”
Dustin grabbed his bicep, shaking it eagerly as he answered, “Susie helped with the programming! Isn’t it great?- oh! And Will helped a bit with the installation too- it was sorta all of our idea though- and I really couldn’t do anything without Lucas- he carried all of the equipment down and did all of the-“
He didn’t finish his sentence, cut off by Mike launching himself out of the chair and grabbing Dustin and Lucas to pull them into a hug.
Lucas was doing well too, coping with the collapse of the Upside Down better than others. His time was spread thin- always juggling robotics, Max, and his side projects with Dustin. He wanted to join the basketball team at the new school, but after the severe arm fractures he suffered during the final battle, he wasn’t able to play again- at least not for a while.
However, Lucas was able to find other things to fill in that free time. He got really into architecture, flinging ideas around for more accessible infrastructure so fast Mike found it hard to keep up. Lucas found that he thrived with more on his plate- it was like his mind was regularly working overtime and he couldn’t be bothered to slow down.
He was always bursting with a happy energy, eternally relieved that his friends and family were safe and alive. Lucas was the true backbone of the party, always checking up on the others and dragging them to each other’s competitions or houses to hang out with each other.
Mike will always be grateful for him being the glue that held them all together. Mike was the heart- the one that brought them all together, that introduced them to each other and forced them all adjacent to one another. But he couldn’t hold anyone together. He could barely hold himself up most days. Lucas was always the solid one. The one to wrap his arms around everyone he could reach and solidify that bond.
Will was- well, he was perfect in Mike’s eyes. Like usual. Doing well in his classes, spending his free time painting or with Mike or working out with Lucas. The first month after the final battle was rough for Will, though. Mike knew that more than anyone. He was constantly visiting the hospital to see Mike which forced Jonathan and Hopper to move all of his stuff into the new house without him.
He was still haunted by what had happened in Hawkins- the constant deep throbbing of the black veins threaded up and down his arms and legs reminding him daily. They were ugly, twisting things- ruining what he had looked like pre the Upside Down. At least they kind of looked cool. Will liked to pretend they were tattoos of flower vines instead of the rotted, black ones. It almost felt like they were winding themselves up his limbs in solidarity, reaching out in comfort.
When he thought of them as something beautiful instead of repulsive, he almost didn’t mind seeing them when he looked down. The nightmares were also bad during this time, waking him up gasping and reaching out for his best friend who was still stuck in the hospital. Jane was always there for him those nights, calming him down with hushed whispers and heavy petting. Will loved sharing a room with her.
Will was struggling, but he was so focused on Mike that he buried those feelings down- not deep, just surface level. Shallow and open enough that one night, after he had been released from the hospital, Mike asked him what was wrong and he couldn’t hold back the flood of emotions that spilled out of him.
Guilt, disgust, shame.
Mike held him as he sobbed out his apologies. Mike didn’t blame him- of course he didn’t. He would never blame Will for something he couldn’t control. They fell asleep tangled in each other after what felt like hours of comforting and talking. Will’s nightmares slowly started getting better after that.
Then there was Mike. Mike, who was still stuck in his head, still angry at himself, still wanting to change something, anything. But now, he was angry at others too. Angry at Nancy for not getting to him in time. Angry at Jane for not getting to Vecna in time. Angry at the doctors for performing the life saving surgery that cost him something that at the time he thought was more valuable.
He wasn’t eating, and now he couldn’t force himself to sleep even if he wanted to, the threat of his nightmares consuming his thoughts until he was up pacing next to his bed and rubbing his chest until the sun rose. His friends and family visited him at the hospital, of course they did, but the three weeks he was there under observation he was like a ghost. A ghost that would grow increasingly angry any time you’d try to talk to it.
Going back to school had helped him a lot, even though he was embarrassed to always have to keep a grip on one of the party members or risk falling on his face in front of the entire school. The bullies had a bit of a field day with constantly trying to trip him when he was left alone for too long, but after Max almost broke one of their legs with her cane, they quickly stopped harassing the two. Being home had helped too, his new room providing him with the sense of security and privacy he lacked in the hospital.
Mike really enjoyed having Nancy around as well, although he’d never admit it. She had decided to take a year off of college, moving to Point Isabel to be with her family after the apocalyptic war that had taken place in Hawkins. It was nice being able to slow down after years of being in a state of fear. She technically shared a room with Holly, but spent most of her time at the Byers’ house with Jonathan.
Once a week Nancy walked to the hospital with Mike, having to do a low-impact form of rehab for the several fingers she blew off of her right hand after misfiring a gun in her haste to pump lead into a Demogorgon. Mike refuses to tell her how cool he thinks it is that she can write with her left hand now- even though he won’t shut up about it any time someone brings up their friend or distant cousin who’s left-handed.
At first, Mike refused to talk to her, offering instead several weeks of the silent treatment. Nancy wasn’t deterred though, and after a long talk and teary apologies from both siblings, Mike realized how selfish he was by putting blame on Nancy for what had happened with Vecna. She was even more abashed by the outcome than Mike was- still blaming herself instead of listening to Mike’s hurried reassurances.
The best thing about being home, though, was that his father was no longer there. Mike tried to feel bad for being so relieved at his father’s death, he really did, but he just couldn’t force himself to. Not when there was no one there to call him out on every little thing he did wrong, or to scoff haughtily at him over the dinner table when he tried to talk. Or to make comments about him and Will.
Because then, there was suddenly Mike and Will. After being released from the hospital, Will was somehow always around Mike, and after that night when they both fell asleep in each other’s arms, they were nearly inseparable. They had the majority of the same classes together, so Will was usually the one to walk him to all of his classes- Mike practically hanging off of him in a way that sent the school gossips chomping at the bit. But Will didn’t mind, and Mike certainly didn’t- not when he could hear Will’s soft laugh as he threw up the bird in what he hoped was the correct direction of their verbal assailants.
He was also always at the Wheeler’s- so much so that when Jonathan needed to get in contact with his younger brother after a certain time he would just dial the direct number to the landline in Mike’s room.
Some evenings Will would eat dinner at the Byers’ house, but he would always wind up in Mike’s room by the end of the night. Sneaking in through the window in what he told Mike was an athletic feat of monumental proportion. Mike would inevitably laugh and throw a pillow in his direction, usually missing its target.
Once it bounced off of Will’s head and tumbled out of the window. Mike had laughed himself blue as Will went back outside to grab it, chucking it so hard back into the room that it hit the door.
It was weird at first, Will being in his room so frequently again. During the eighteen months the Byers had lived with the Wheelers, Will was always in and out of Mike’s room- usually to grab something or to talk to him in private or to hurriedly grab him for another crawl or an emergency. But this felt different.
It was softer, quieter- more gentle.
It reminded Mike violently of what it was like when they were much younger, having sleepovers every weekend and laying around all Sunday before Joyce picked up Will. They talked a lot during those reticent hours; about college, their futures, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns that would never happen, the party, their family, life. Love. They confessed in ways they hadn’t since they were small children, hiding in pillow forts or curled up on Mike’s bed.
One night, though, they weren’t talking, opting instead for sitting side by side in easy silence. Mike had his head on Will’s shoulder, dozing off in the other’s comfortable warmth. Will had just been reading The Hobbit out loud, including the silly voices and off key singing. He laughed every time Mike would try to flip the pages. He could still hear the quiet sound of Will changing them every few minutes, indicating that he was still following along with the story even though he wasn’t speaking anymore.
Mike didn’t care- he knew that Will had dogeared the page they left off on together. Then, Will shifted beneath him, placing the book on the side table and moving himself so he was facing Mike more openly.
“Hey, I should really be heading back, it's getting late.”
Will’s voice was so quiet it was barely a whisper, more an impression of words. Mike didn’t acknowledge him. Maybe if he pretended to not have heard, Will wouldn’t leave. Will huffed, his breath moving Mike’s bangs slightly. He shivered.
Will’s voice was still impossibly gentle when he spoke again, “Mike… are you asleep? No way you were that tired… it’s barely nine.”
Mike outwardly reacted to the comment this time, wrapping his arms around Will’s waist and tightening until he heard the boy gasp. He buried his face in the crook of Will's neck, letting out a low whine.
“Just stay the night- you already have clothes here from when you lived with us!”
Mike knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he couldn’t help himself. Will was so- so warm and comfortable and safe. Plus, he did have clothes he’s left at the Wheeler’s, Karen packing them up in the move and throwing them in a box labeled as Mike’s things. There was a lot of other stuff Will had left or that got mixed up in the rush of packing as well- paints, brushes, comic books, figurines.
Sometimes Mike pretended Will still lived with them. He was over so much already he was basically the fourth Wheeler child already. Or Mike’s live in nurse. Mike couldn’t help but snort at that thought. Will could definitely stay the night- Mike knows Joyce would say yes if asked. Will laughed at him then, a delicate, pleasing thing, and moved further down the bed, dragging Mike with him. They were facing each other now, legs interlocked and arms loosely around each other.
Mike felt his breath hitch slightly when Will’s hand moved under his sweater. He tilted his chin down just enough that his overgrown bangs fell in front of his eyes, his face getting hotter the longer Will rubbed circles on his back. He should really have Nancy cut his hair. Not that it mattered to him what he looked like. Plus, Will said he liked his hair long. Maybe he won’t ask Nancy to cut it. He shifted again, trying to hide his face back against Will’s chest.
Mike hated how safe and loved Will made him feel, hated how Will never left his side even after everything that happened. He hated how much he adored Will, and hated how much he knew Will still adored him. But, what he really hated, was not knowing what Will was thinking as easily as he used to. He couldn’t look in his eyes and instantly know what the other was saying in his head anymore, couldn’t analyze the way Will’s eyebrows shifted or how he bit his lip.
It upset Mike so much he’s cried himself to sleep over it multiple times. Never when Will was over, though. It’s admittedly gotten better since Mike had put on his big boy pants and actually talked to Will about it- the other boy now using quiet inflictions in his tone or subtle touches to let Mike know how he was feeling.
Truthfully though, Mike didn’t need to see Will to understand what he was doing next, moving his hand from the small of Mike’s back to cup his chin. Suddenly, Mike’s head was being moved up carefully, and after only a moment of hesitation, Will’s lips were on his.
Mike continued making his way to the kitchen before opening the cabinet above the sink to grab a glass, face heating up at the memory. His and Will’s apartment was small- a studio in Mantua, right across the bridge from the Museum of Art Will liked to frequent. There were three apartments in the building- one on the bottom floor where Max and Jane technically lived, and two on the second floor past a narrow set of stairs that Mike loathed. The apartment was tucked at the end of the hallway, right above the girls’.
Mike had run into the neighbors only a couple of times- two women his sister’s age who went to UPenn. They were nice enough, always waiting for him to come up the stairs first before going down and bringing his mail inside for him if Will couldn’t get to it fast enough. El was friendly with them, and when she was actually home for once, would always stop by to chat with some sort of baked good.
Mike was pretty sure they were together, considering the fact that their apartment was also a studio, but he could never gather the audacity to ask when he talked to them. Maybe they were just really close friends. He knew that Nancy and Robin had shared a bed when they first moved in together before Robin’s Shikifuton came via snail mail (Steve still bullied her about buying it from the Pyramid Collection any time she complained about her back hurting). Girls were weird like that.
Dustin and technically Lucas lived five blocks down from them, on Pearl Street. Mike liked to use that word when thinking about both Lucas and Jane’s living situation, because technically, El was on the lease with Max, and Lucas with Dustin. But, in actuality, Lucas spent most of his time at Max’s- only leaving when she forcibly kicked him out- and Jane was always traveling with her older sister or spending the nights at Dustin’s.
El at least made sure to spend a minimum of one consecutive week a month living in her apartment with Max, though. Lucas had been staying at Max’s so perpetually their first month in Philly, that she had threatened to change the locks on him one day when he was left naked and alone on the streets. Mike had no clue how, but he didn’t doubt she was able to make good on that promise. Lucas had gotten a bit better about spending more time at his place after that.
Whenever Jane would get back from a trip with Kali, the older girl would always crash on the couch. Max loved when Kali visited- she always had the coolest stories and was completely badass. The three of them would stay out all night at underground punk shows and house parties. Or, they would just roam the streets of Philadelphia, passing around a bottle of shitty, bottom shelf whiskey they had swiped. Max always felt safe with her and Jane.
Their apartment was extremely close to campus, only about a ten minute walk- fifteen if taking your time, which Will liked to do. Something about smelling the roses or whatever. Dustin and Lucas’ apartment building was a little closer though, and during his first semester at Drexel, Mike would often sleep over the night before his eight am classes. They were also close enough to nightlife and the typical amenities that they didn’t need a car. Mike thanked the gods for walkable infrastructure and amazing public transportation every day.
Their apartment was tiny, but just big enough for the two of them. Having everything confined to one large space instead of several smaller rooms also made it immensely easier for Mike to get around. He didn’t understand how Max could get around her and Jane’s apartment so easily- the narrow hallway leading to their rooms and bathroom alone gave him anxiety every time he visited. At least the extra space helped with Max’s service dog substantially.
Mike didn’t even need his cane when staying at home anymore, the limited space making it simpler for him to mentally map out where everything is. However, it also made it a challenge for the two boys to fit all of their belongings comfortably- Will’s easel, canvases, and paint supplies surprisingly taking up less space than Mike’s meager worldly possessions. His monstrously bulky computer, the gift from Dustin and Lucas, sat in the far corner tucked next to Will’s makeshift art studio. His eyes still tear up occasionally if he thinks about it for too long.
He knew his guitars sat propped up behind the couch, right where he left them- one acoustic for practicing and serenading Will with during the evenings, and an electric one Eddie gifted him that he’d bring to shows when it was just him. Or if it was just him and Max- and that was if they ever landed any shows again. Mike sighed. The last gig they played was at a small social club with no dance floor. It was just him, Max, and Robin playing that Thursday. Steve and Eddie were technically the fourth and fifth members of their makeshift band, but Steve had a Friday morning class and Eddie couldn’t get off work to make the trip.
Sometimes Nancy even brought Robin’s extra keyboard to jam with them when they made the trip down from New York, which was always fun. Once she had left it at Mike and Will’s apartment for two weeks and Mike had accidentally stepped on it, breaking a control knob and two of the keys off. He was currently saving up to replace it for her birthday.
That particular Thursday was memorable.
Nobody paid them any mind and they didn’t even get paid for the show, but the night ended with them getting banned for life after Max started a bar fight. Mike and Nancy left with matching black eyes, Robin a split lip, and the rest of the party penciling in Dirty Frank’s on their shit lists. Mike didn’t even like it there anyway- the floors were sticky and the regulars were creeps. It was always too loud and the small room was always overpacked with sweaty drunk people. It was hardly something to write home about and definitely not a situation that Mike was upset by. Still, it was nice to play for a crowd full of people- even if they were too inebriated to pay attention.
Mike sighed, turning the faucet on gently and letting the water run cold. His mind wandered back to the home he built with Will. The rest of their apartment was, for lack of a better term, filled with Mike and Will’s shit. It wasn’t messy- never messy, Will always made sure of that- but there was just… stuff everywhere. Most of it was on shelves or hung directly on the walls, like the cords for Mike’s amp, neatly wound up and placed with care after each practice. Will’s large canvases, leaning up against the wall and out of the way. Will’s textbooks stacked neatly on the bookshelf or the small writing desk the two of them shared, although Mike was usually glued to his computer. It’s not like he had much use for a writing desk, anyway, besides to rest his head on occasion when the bed was occupied.
The houseplants that Mike couldn’t see but loved to water balanced on the windowsill. The small standing clothing rack Lucas and Will stole from a boutique pressed next to the wall closest to their bed- a mighty double to fit the two boys. Mike didn’t mind. He preferred to sleep held against Will. He also didn’t mind the fact that Will took up most of the clothing rack. Mike wore pretty much the same thing every day- a random t-shirt or sweater and some jeans with a jacket- unless Will was feeling particularly cheeky and decided to dress him.
Mike filled up the glass with tap water, his left pointer finger hanging into the rim so he’d know when it’s filled enough. He turned around to rest against the sink, sighing as he brought the cup up to his lips. His thoughts traveled to what had woken him up. The nightmare wasn’t bad- certainly not even close to how terrible they have been- but Mike still knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.
He made his way over to the couch, only stubbing his toe once when he took a turn around a side table a little too sharp. Mike sighed again, feeling around on the coffee table for a coaster before giving up and placing the cup straight down on the wood before settling down on the couch. Will would understand if it left any marks.
He lifted his arms above his head, stretching his shoulders and feeling a small, satisfying pop in his right one. It still bothered him from time to time when the weather was bad, the muscle and tendons never allowed to fully heal after it had gotten dislocated and stayed that way for two days before it had gotten so bad and he had to say something.
Mike was still angry at himself for that; if he had said something about being injured sooner, maybe then El would have- he cuts himself off from that line of thinking. El- Jane- was fine. She made it out alive and safe and relatively unharmed and was downstairs in her and Max’s apartment. El was fine. She had just come back from a trip to India with Kali and she was alive.
Mike reached to his right, fingers brushing along the end table nestled against the side of the couch. He moved his hand around, knocking into a water bottle and sending it flying across the floor. Will would have to pick that up later. After pausing for a second to listen to where the bottle ended up- somewhere under the coffee table- Mike resumed his task. It didn’t take him too long to feel his watch on the table, next to his cassette tape and a book he was trying to get through. He pressed the button on the side twice, causing a grainy robotic voice to quietly reiterate the time.
“542.”
Mike groaned before throwing his head on the back of the couch. Will wouldn’t be up for another hour and a quarter. Fortunately, it was notably after two am. Recently, Mike had been waking up so early he felt like a complete zombie wandering around a barren wasteland most days. It was making him grumpier than usual and snappier to people that weren’t in the party.
At least it was Tuesday, meaning that he got to go to Drexel for his Classes. Tuesdays were Mike’s favorite day of the week. He only had two real classes on Tuesdays- ones where he had to go in and sit down with the professor, or more likely, the teacher’s assistant- the last class being less of a class and more of a fifteen to thirty minute check in with his advisor in her musty office.
Mike ran a hand through his hair- he should really be more grateful to his preceptor. Without her willingness to jump through so many hoops for him, he wouldn’t have been able to make it this far in his education. When his friends had gotten accepted into college, and so close to each other, he figured that he could follow them to Philadelphia. He’d work a dead end job at a fast food chain down the road and continue writing in his free time.
Mike didn’t want to go back to school. He couldn’t even figure out what he wanted to, or could, do. He was prepared for this new, easy life he imagined for himself. Excited, even. It wouldn’t be much, but it would be his, and he was satisfied with that. Mike had made peace with the fact that he would never be normal- never live a normal life. Plus, Will had already agreed to move in somewhere with him, so he couldn’t find himself getting upset regardless.
Then, one day, a month after graduation, Karen and Nancy sat Mike down to talk. He had just gotten back from hanging out at Eddie’s trailer with Dustin, Robin, and Steve. Mike still felt a little embarrassed around Steve, regardless of how different he was compared to when he was with Nancy. Actually, Mike thinks, the change made it way worse. He saw a lot of Steve during those years, and Steve… Well, Steve saw a lot of Mike. Too much of Mike’s awkward pre-teen years. It was mortifying if he thought about it for too long, especially considering the attempts he had made in recent years to be more of a cool older brother figure to Mike.
He would go over to Eddie’s trailer frequently when they lived in Point Isabel, Steve always picking him up and dropping him off, Dustin usually camped out in the passenger seat. Eddie was teaching Mike how to play the guitar- having shown him a bit before the gates opened in Hawkins and everything went to shit. Mike loved playing the guitar. Learning the chords and melodies reminded him of when he was younger and Nancy had tried to teach him how to play the piano. Learning guitar riffs to rock songs was a lot more fun than the slow, boring classical pieces Nancy would play.
Eddie having to wrap his hands around Mike’s occasionally to fix his finger placement was also a huge plus.
Mike closes his eyes, running his fingers over his brow bone to try and ward off the headache he can feel coming. He remembers that day clearly. He had just gotten back from Eddie’s trailer, shrugging off his jacket and stepping out of his shoes in the door. He left his cane at the door- he hated using it around the house.
He heard someone clear their throat from the kitchen table, getting his attention before he could head down the stairs into the basement. He made his way to the kitchen slowly, taking his time grasping for the chair closest to the door- the one his family left empty for him. He sat down, and his mother started talking.
“So, Mike, you know Nancy is going back to school in the fall, and- well, with you being set on moving to Philadelphia with your friends-”
Mike tense at that. It had been hard convincing his mom to let him move several hours away to an unknown city, but he thought that they got over that.
“I”m going- I told you, I don’t care if you try to say no again, I’ll still leave. You’d have to-”
Nancy scoffed, “Chain you up and lock your door? Yes, we know Mike.”
Mike couldn’t see her, but he just knew that she had rolled her eyes at him.
“Oh, I swear to god, Nancy-”
Karen clapped her hands lightly at that, snapping her kids’ attention back on her instead of each other, “Okay! Children! Mike, we didn’t sit you down for a fight. There’s actually something we wanted to talk about. We think it could be a great opportunity-”
“I found a college in Philadelphia that has a program in blindness and low vision studies. It’s a little far from University City, but I reached out to one of the program advisors and she’s willing to commute to Drexel’s campus during some weekdays. You could get a teaching certificate.”
Mike’s eyes went wide. He had considered being a teacher his freshman year of high school. Probably English. His English teachers always seemed to have it easy, and he enjoyed the subject enough. But, he hadn’t given it much thought past that, and definitely not since being released from the hospital.
He thinks he might have offhandedly mentioned it to Nancy in passing when she asked what he wanted to do career-wise once. The fact that she had remembered that, coupled with her going out of her way to find a college with a degree he could work towards, and reaching out to professors personally, was enough to send Mike into shock.
“I- that’s amazing.” Mike felt his face heat up as he turned in Nancy’s direction, “I didn’t even know- I didn’t think that was still an option.”
Nancy reached across the table and gently squeezed his hand, “It’s the first college in the country offering the program-very new. Made it a lot easier to get accommodations for you. If you want, I can give you the contact information for the woman I’ve been talking to. She’s excited to meet you, if that means anything.”
Mike turned his hand over, squeezing Nancy’s back. He felt a smile start to form over his face.
And so, that’s how Mike got into the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He was fortunate enough to get a pretty good scholarship and his advisor was really nice- a little too eager for Mike’s comfortness, though. He felt a bit like her guinea pig when they met every Tuesday. Apparently, him being a part of the program was some career-defining moment for her and looked good for the university.
Mike dragged his hands out of his hair and down his face, grabbing for the watch again.
“600.”
He let out a huff before standing up, grabbing the book on the end table before making his way back to the bed. It was The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy, and Mike couldn’t help but feel incredibly intimidated by the sheer size of it.
He had gotten it from Jonathan during one of his visits, who had gotten it from Hopper with a sticky note on the front that said “for Mike”. Mike was taken aback when Jonathan had first pulled it out of his bag- confused as to why Hopper would ever give him a gift- and such a considerate one at that. It’s not that the two didn’t like each other, they just didn't really get along.
Despite its intimidating size and only picking it up two weeks ago, Mike was almost halfway through already. Running his fingers along the braille made it a lot more fun- especially when Will would pick up his copy and read out loud in tandem.
Mike made his way to the far side of the bed, a small section of floor left bare in between the window and the bed. He bumped his hip gently against his folding massage table that he knew was leaning underneath the window. He felt overcome with affection when he thought of the conversation he had with Steve and Robin over fall break.
They had started going to couple’s massages once every couple of weeks- Steve finding a coupon in his newspaper when they ran the ad. Robin gained a bit of respect for Steve when she found out it was The Village Voice. Mike thought the two of them were idiots and he loved them so much his chest hurt.
It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and Mike, Will, and Jane had taken the PATCO through New Jersey and to the heart of New York City, walking through downtown to get to the apartment in Hell’s Kitchen that Jonathan shared with Steve and Eddie. Mike still thought it was incredibly cool the three of them lived where Daredevil did. El wanted to stop at Carnegie Hall, Will at the Modern Museum of Art. They ended up at a Hallah cart outside of central park.
The siblings promised each other to come back to see the MOMA’s newest installation- Mike decidedly would not be joining them. Maybe he would take the train up, though, when they did come back to Manhattan. He could stand to visit Nancy more, especially since she lived so close. The train ride from Philadelphia was a little less than an hour and a half- totally doable for a quick weekend visit. Mike felt safe on the train and loved traveling with his friends. They were always so obnoxious on public transportation.
He had even gone to New York just with Max a few times. The first time, both Lucas and Will had near heart attacks- not knowing where they were until Jonathan called letting Will know they made it safe. Those trips were always the best. They would walk arm in arm down the sidewalks, canes whipping side to side and violently whacking pedestrians who didn’t move out of the way fast enough. One time Mike accidentally hit a kid so hard it’s dad had chased the two of them almost four blocks, only stopping when they almost got hit by a bus and he realized it actually was an accident.
That had been terrifying.
Not as terrifying, though, as the time Max had pushed (playfully nudged) Mike (almost) into upcoming traffic (as a joke). His foot had gotten stuck in a sewer grate as he stumbled, nearly breaking his ankle but saving him from falling flat on his ass in front of a taxi cab. Mike had gotten Max back later that day by shoving (lightly poking) her down a (very short and carpeted) flight of stairs.
Mike carefully settled back down under the sheets, Will being quick to cling back on like a vicious, adorable otter. His thoughts drifted from planning his next visit to New York and back to fall break. The rest of the party had come up from Philadelphia the day after Mike and the Byers twins- both Max and Dustin having afternoon classes they couldn’t skip, even with the looming holiday weekend. Lucas stated that he opted to go with them because it would “make things even and it just made sense.” Mike had rolled his eyes at that.
Mike both loves and hates Manhattan. The energy is always busy- busier than Philly- and Mike loves the feeling of getting lost in the crowd. He loves feeling small in an insignificant way. In a way that makes his worries and regrets melt away. In a way that makes his relationships feel that much more fundamental. However, he also despises how busy it is at all times of day. People don’t tend to give as much space on the sidewalk as they do in Philadelphia, even when they see him coming in advance. It never feels quiet enough, even in the dead of night, and it smells like pee everywhere.
They decided to celebrate “friendsgiving,” a term that El and Lucas came up with one night after sharing a joint and gushing to each other about how much they loved their friends, in Hell’s Kitchen after talking over logistics with Jonathan. Steve and Eddie readily agreed to hosting the four boys for the weekend- Robin and Nancy claiming Jane and Max.
New York City was also significantly closer to Montauk, allowing the Byers siblings to climb into Jonathan’s beater and visit their parents for actual Thanksgiving. Mike was supposed to go with them, but Robin commandeered him at the last second, claiming that her and Steve had to do something very important and that it was imperative that Mike stayed with them. It had been a completely moronic and pointless “mission,” but he didn’t really mind. It was nice spending the actual holiday with his sister and close friends, and he was already planning on spending Christmas with the Byers. They deserved to have some family alone time.
During the several hours he helped Robin and Steve stake out the mayor’s house (and really, why did they need him there? and for such a ludicrous reason, at that), they kept on bringing up their newly found fondness for couples massages. Mike thought it was weird at first, but quickly understood why they were talking to him about it when they brought up a new masseuse that had started working there.
“Seriously, little Wheeler-”
“Holly and Nancy are both still shorter than me-”
“Oh my god okay! Sorry, biggest Wheeler-”
Mike’s gasp cut Robin off, “Hey-! Take that back- I am not-”
Steve’s groan cut him off in response, “Okay seriously guys- off track-”
“So, like I was saying- seriously Mike, this blind lady had the fingers of an absolute angel. It was like she just… knew where all my worst knots were- right Steve?”
“Oh, yeah, definitely. It was like…. Like…. She was a….”
Mike burst into laughter as Steve trailed off, trying to accurately describe the best massage of his life. He heard the soft thwack of Robin slapping Steve’s arm.
“Okay, Steve, no need to overheat the modem,” Mike laughed even harder at Robin’s metaphor. She shifted in her seat, “But really, we talked to her a little bit, and she said that in parts of Asia, traditionally, they, like, specifically train blind people- people who are blind- those hard of seeing!- in massage therapy because they’re- like- super good at it!”
Mike sat there for almost three hours with them, bantering with them and exchanging stories of what had happened since the last time they saw each other. Robin would rant and Steve would start talking over her, their words turning into a form of gibberish only they understood. The three of them would jump from topic to topic- a story that would remind them of a joke that would remind them of another story that would remind Steve of this really cute dog he saw the other day.
Mike thought he’d get sick from laughing so much by the time they started the car up again.
The conversation drifted frequently to the topic of the art of blind masseusery, as Robin called it. Frequently enough that Mike was seriously starting to consider looking into classes. It couldn’t hurt to have a back up if the whole teaching thing didn’t work out, especially if being blind gave him special intuition and empathetic energy according to Steve.
After returning to Philly with Will- to their apartment where they had all the privacy in the world, and they didn’t have to sleep sprawled on random surfaces with Dustin and Lucas, or be worried about being interrupted by Eddie returning from a night shift or woken up by Jonathan using the bathroom 30 times throughout the night- Mike decided to test these magical blind massage powers he may or may not have.
He started small- placing himself behind Will at the kitchen table one evening after a day of classes. He brushed his hands over Will’s arms and up to his shoulders, starting to rub gentle circles.
Will immediately melted into Mike’s hands. Mike immediately understood what Robin and Steve were talking about.
He felt something hard in the nook of Will’s right shoulder blade and dug his thumb into it softly. It shifted slightly under the pressure, Will releasing a hum in appreciation. Mike applied more pressure, his thumb working in a circle. He was rewarded when a moan escaped Will’s mouth. He smirked and started moving his hands more confidently. There was another large area of tension on Will’s left side, almost mirroring his right exactly and smaller knots working their way across his shoulders and up his neck. He felt like a spring that was wired shut- wound tight and seemingly with no release. Mike reveled in providing that solace to Will.
He felt how the muscles under his fingers moved, where the tension was loosening easily versus areas he had to focus on more. He heard how Will responded to different pressure, breathy exhales when it was too light, sharp inhales when it was too harsh. Those heavenly moans when it was perfect.
Mike found himself memorized by working his hands over Will’s neck, his shoulders, and then dropping lower to his back. He was entranced by making Will feel better, by taking away some of the physical manifestations of his anxiety. Will let out a long sigh in satisfaction when Mike’s hands started to still on his back, dropping his head back to lean on the stomach behind him.
“And where did you learn how to do that?”
Mike grinned down at him in response, “I think I want to look into massage therapy classes.”
Mike settled into bed further, balancing his book on his lap before opening it. He started running his left fingers over the braille and let his right hand fall gently into Will’s hair.
Today is going to be a good day.