Work Text:
Mike teeters on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the waves that crash over the jagged rocks below. The cold wind bites at his reddening cheeks. He realizes, distantly, that it might be the last sensation he feels before his body erupts in pain.
He ignores Dustin's cries behind him, hearing nothing but the ringing in his ears and a countdown to his own death. He tries to remind himself of all the reasons he shouldn't do this, but it only seems to have the opposite effect.
"Three." The destruction of his friend group.
"Two." Dustin's safety, resting in the hands of Mike.
"One." Will.
Will, whose dead body lives in this very water. Will, who Mike would spend all eternity with, even in death.
Mike's leg swings forward; and then, nothing. No tethers to the earth, no ground to stand on.
He drops like a stone. He sinks like one, too.
The water cradles his weightless body, welcoming him with a warm hug. It ushers him deeper, pulling and yielding— winding itself tightly around his legs. Bubbles tickle at his skin, making themselves at home along the smooth surface.
This is nothing like the icy grave he thought he'd dug for himself.
He doesn't realize that his eyes have closed until they're awoken by a foreign touch— almost human, almost reverant— brushing his cheek. He blinks away the fog, allowing his eyes to adjust to a kind of light he's never experienced before.
He knows now that he must be dead, because the sight that lies before him is too good to be true. A boy, whose familiar hazel eyes are flooded with deep sorrow and selfish elation. A crown of seashells rests upon his water-swept hair, his golden tail glistening in the streaming sunlight.
His Will.