Archive of Our Own

“Oh… oh god.”

Mike looked up and his stomach dropped at the expression on Dustin's face. He desperately tried to roll down the van window but it wouldn't give. He looked back up. “Dustin–” 

“Steve, I swear to god I’m gonna shit myself if you don’t stop the car within the next ten seconds!” 

Dustin launched a distressed look to the rearview mirror as he poked at Steve’s neck through the gap in the seat. He leaned forward to avoid the attack.

“Okay, just- shut your trap, we’ll be there in, like, ten minutes.” 

“Fine, then you leave me no choice. I’m taking aim, Steve!” 

“JEEZ- okay, okay. We’ll pull up at that gas station, what, a mile away? Stop poking!” 

Mike grimaced from his seat. “Steve, please hurry, I can’t take any more of Dustin’s bowel movements." Dustin elbowed him. 

“Yeah, what the hell did you eat?” Max groaned from the back seat. 

“Dustin farted!” Lucas died in a fit of laughter. 

“Real mature, Lucas,” Dustin muttered, clutching his stomach. 

“We should be thankful we never had to take a road trip to destroy the Upside Down, because gas masks wouldn't have saved us from Dustin's toxic fumes.”

The discussion continued, but Mike turned to the dark forests whizzing past. The thing is, they had gone on a road trip before. That is, Will and him. Yet it wasn't something they brought up. The topic made Mike cringe every time he remembered those awkward silences, and it made Will… quiet. Mike glanced at him in the sideview mirror. He was reading something. 

Steve parked the van and everyone took the chance to escape it, relieved to be on their feet after eight hours on the road. Dustin ran to the back of the building. 

There was a red Tim Hortons sign by the gas pumps, and a menu showing various baked goods. Robin pointed to it.

“Hey guys, we should grab some snacks. I’m famished, seeing as Steve didn’t think to pack any human food for the road trip.” 

“Hey, beef jerky is delicious!” 

“Uh-huh, let’s ask Dustin. Oh wait…” 

In the end, they all filed into the store at once, and the tired workers shuffled off to prepare what was likely the first order of their shifts.

Mike joined Will as they waited for the food.

“Hey,” he shifted awkwardly. 

Will smiled. “Hi.”  

Mike realised he didn't know what else to say, and searched for something to talk about. 

“Do you think the cottage will have a room for everyone? I don’t think I'll wanna share one with Dustin for the time being...” 

Will laughed, “Heh, yeah. Me neither.” 

They stood in awkward silence. Mike looked around.

The Tim Hortons smelled of coffee and sugary donuts. It wasn’t much different from the typical small coffee shops in Hawkins. 

It was crazy to think that just yesterday, they were standing on stage receiving their high school diplomas, and now they were 500 miles away from Hawkins, on the way to Steve Harrington’s cottage up north in Canada. 

Everyone in the Party seemed to be psyched for this cottage trip except for Mike. He didn’t know why. The idea seemed fun, and everyone spent the drive coming up with fun things they would do, but Mike just couldn’t bring himself to be as excited. 

He was crammed beside Dustin for eight hours, listening to Steve’s Billy Idol-filled mix tape and inhaling the smell of beef jerky. Robin wouldn’t stop talking the entire ride, and Lucas and Max were in a world of their own for the most part. And then there was Will, who was sitting behind him in the backseat, who hadn’t spoken to him once. Their first words were now, at the gas station. 

Mike hated himself for it. 

He'd felt Will distancing himself over the past year, since the final battle with Vecna and the Upside Down. Not from the Party necessarily, but from Mike. And he had a feeling he knew why… and it had to do with the talk they had on a certain radio tower. 

He was stupid then. 

Not friends… best friends, he had said. It was probably the lowest thing that had ever come out of his mouth and Mike wished he could take back that moment with his whole being. Ironically, rather than remaining best friends, the two grew more distant and every interaction more awkward. 

Mike wanted to change things desperately. He missed Will more than he could describe. 

An idea sparked in his mind. He could use this trip to the cottage as a way to win back Will’s favour. They’d be best friends again and Mike wouldn’t have to be stuck hanging out with Lucas and Max every day. Don’t get him wrong, he loved them… but they’re just way too loveydovey all the time and Mike was sick of being the third wheeler. Ignore the pun. 

Trying a new approach, Mike nudged Will’s shoulder and grinned. 

“So, wanna bunk with me this week?” He tried to hide his eagerness with a fake nonchalance. Will looked up quickly.

“Oh- um… yeah. Sure,” he nodded, and their eyes briefly met before Will averted his. Was Mike hallucinating or did Will’s cheeks seem redder than usual? He wanted to continue talking when Dustin slammed the bathroom door open, with a loud flush behind him, and announced, “Alright soldiers, operation Hiroshima has been terminated. We may proceed with our travels.” 

“Eugh…” Mike muttered and turned to grimace at Will, who thankfully shared the look. Behind him, the expression was mirrored on the cleaning lady's face.

“We better get going,” Will stated as he grabbed his coffee and left through the door. So much for small talk. 

That’s okay… Mike thought to himself. There’s still plenty of time to make amends with Will. 

***

They arrived just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. 

The sky was bursting with bright oranges, the clouds streaked with pinks and purples. The lake shimmered like glass, catching the last light of the day. Honestly, it wasn't that far off from Hawkins’ scenery, but maybe the novelty of it being Canada and not a stretch of country road made up for it.

Steve parked the van, and everyone made their way out, immediately stopping to gawk at the view. 

“Holy shit, Steve,” Robin breathed. “Your folks sure have taste.” 

“Had.” Steve corrected. “My parents died in the ‘earthquake’, remember?” He said the last part with bitterness, but Mike felt like there was something more behind the words. 

“Oh. Right. Yeah, sorry.” 

Steve shrugged and waved them through the entrance gate.

“C'mon, let's head in before the mosquitoes eat us alive.”

Mike lingered behind the others to take in the view. 

Despite the cottage’s size, it still had a home-y feeling. The wood creaked under his feet and the air smelled of woodsmoke and lake water. A stone fireplace sat in the middle of the living room and leather couches with neatly folded plaid blankets surrounded it. 

A wall of windows that let tons of natural light in also offered a gorgeous view of the lake, now dimming into a deep blue as the sun disappeared. 

“Okay,” Steve clapped his hands together. “Room assignments before all hell breaks loose. Now, with Dustin's–” 

“Op, op-op-op-op,” Dustin shushed Steve, his finger raised. “I'll use this moment to remind you that you ate just as much jerky as I did, Steve! So if anything, I'll be sharing the master bedroom with you.”

Steve did not look convinced. “Yeah, but there's only one of us who has Hiroshima under his belt. You're getting the ground floor guest bedroom— all to yourself! Don't worry, it has a built-in suite.”

Dustin rolled his eyes but seemed satisfied with his assigned room. 

“Now, there’s two bedrooms on the ground floor— so I'll take the other one. There's one upstairs, and one in the attic. Robin and Max can take the upstairs one,” he said pointing to a large spiral staircase. 

“Nice,” Max smiled. 

“Actually—” Lucas started, but Steve cut him off. 

“Absolutely not. You two are not sharing a room. I am not dealing with any– uh,” Steve flailed around for a word, “Hanky-panky, okay?”  

“Oh my god-”

Max snorted, “Relax, Sinclair.” 

Lucas grumbled and crossed his arms. Steve continued assigning rooms. Lucas was with Steve because Dustin was off the table, which left…. 

“The attic has two beds. Wheeler, Byers, you’re up there.” 

Mike’s stomach flipped, even though he'd been willing to suggest that to Steve himself.

“Oh,” Will said, almost too casually. “Okay.” 

Steve threw them a set of blankets and smiled. “Congrats, you get the haunted room.” 

“Great, just what I've been missing in life,” Mike muttered. Everyone was sent off to their rooms, and Mike followed Will upstairs, through hallways of dust-streaked sunbeams. 

***

It really wasn’t too bad. 

Low ceiling, sure, and the wooden beams made the space seem smaller than it was. But there was a window that overlooked the lake and twin beds pushed on opposite sides of the room. There was even a small desk in the corner with a radio sitting on top. 

Will walked in first, settling his bags near the window. 

“Not too shabby,” he said. 

Mike lingered in the doorway before stepping in. 

“Yeah. Cozy.” 

Will smiled softly, and something in Mike’s chest tightened. 

God, he missed that. 

“Dibs on the bed closer to the window,” Will called, making his way to it.

“Yeah, sure,” Mike said quickly. “I don’t– I mean I don’t really mind.” 

“Wow, you’re not going to fight me on that one. That’s new.” 

“I’m evolving!” 

Will laughed and the tension from earlier loosened. He threw himself on the mattress and a huge dust cloud exploded over the room.

“Um, we might want to dust things out a bit,” Mike noted.

Will pushed himself onto his elbow, and with how the dust was swirling around him, he looked like he was in a snow globe.

“Yeah, maybe just a bit,” he grinned.

Maybe this will work out. 

***

Mike decided that after a long day in the stuffy van, he’d take a shower to freshen up. He grabbed his toiletries and headed down to the second floor bathroom, relaxing under the warm water. 

Most of the others had gone to bed early tonight, exhausted from the journey and hoping to rest up for tomorrow’s adventures. 

Mike lathered the cedarwood-scented shampoo into his curls and rinsed it out. 

He was about to step out when the door suddenly opened. 

Scrambling behind the curtain, Mike cursed himself for not locking the door. He tipped his head just enough to peek. 

“Shit– Mike, I’m so sorry,” Will gasped, immediately covering his eyes.

“I was just gonna brush my teeth– I wasn’t paying attention. I should have knocked. Fuck–” he rambled, already turning to leave. 

“Heh… it’s fine, really. I should’ve locked it.” 

Will’s face had gone about five shades redder than usual, and his expression scrunched with embarrassment. 

“I’ll– I’ll come back when you’re done.” 

“No, no, I was actually, uh, just getting out. I just… forgot my towel upstairs.” 

“I’ll get it for you.” 

“Thanks.” 

Mike adjusted the shower curtain as Will hurried out.  

A moment later, he returned with a soft blue towel and held it out. Their fingers brushed as Mike took it and his breath hitched. 

Will quickly turned around as Mike wrapped the towel around his waist. 

“Well, the bathroom’s all yours.” 

Mike hurried out. Careful not to creak the floor panels too much, he made his way upstairs and changed into a pair of blue-striped pajama pants and his old Hellfire shirt. It fit him odd because he’d obviously grown since freshman year, but he’d spent little to no time packing and now he was facing his karma. 

He lay back on his bed and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. 

Sleep didn’t come. 

Instead, he found himself staring at the spider webs clinging to the ceiling, moonlight fluttering through the window and catching on their delicate threads. 

The door creaked open softly. 

Will stepped in, carefully closing the door behind him. He must’ve changed downstairs. He wore blue shorts patterned with little anchors and a yellow Surfer Boy Pizza t-shirt. 

Jonathan’s buddy—what was his name? Argus? Alvin? No, Argyle—must’ve given it to him. 

It suited him well. 

His hair was messy, falling into his eyes. Mike realised he was staring and quickly looked back at the ceiling. 

Will moved around the room, setting up his bed before slipping under the covers. 

Silence stretched between them. 

“Mike,” Will whispered. 

“Yeah?” he whispered back. 

“I’m glad Steve arranged this trip… it’s nice to have all of us together. For what might be the last time.” 

Mike turned, popping himself up on his elbow. “What do you mean, ‘last time’?” 

Will kept facing the ceiling. 

“Well, Dustin’s going to MIT. Lucas and Max are going to California… And, yeah, we’ll both be in New York next year, but…” he hesitated. “I don’t know, it’ll be weird. Having the Party split up like that. Maybe forever.” 

The word lingered in the air. Mike swallowed. 

“I wouldn’t say forever,” he said. “We always find our way back to each other. Hawkins is our home. Yeah, it’s got its… ghosts, but nothing’s gonna change that.”

Will turned onto his side to face him. 

“I guess.” He paused.  “It’s good we’ll still have each other. I miss—” 

He stopped.  

“I miss us too,” Mike said quietly. “The paladin was kinda lost without his sorcerer.”

“You mean cleric.” 

“No, I mean sorcerer. Don’t start this again.” 

Will laughed softly, pulling his blanket tighter around himself. 

He shivered. 

Mike immediately sat up. “Hey, are you cold? You’re shaking.”

He reached for the extra blanket. 

Will shrugged, “Nah, I don’t mind it, Mike. Don’t you remember? He likes it cold.” 

“Shit— Are you serious right now!?” Mike shot up from his bed. “Should I wake the others?” 

For a split second everything came rushing back. 

Vecna, the Mindflayer, the possession… 

“No-” Will snorted, trying not to laugh. “Relax, dude, I was just kidding.” 

He frowned when he saw Mike’s face. 

Mike stared, jaw dropped lower than the Titanic as he glared at Will with betrayal in his eyes. 

“Okay, yeah. Sorry. Not funny.” 

“Not funny,” Mike muttered. 

“I just feel like if I don’t laugh about it, I think I’d be stuck crying about it, y’know?” 

Mike softened. 

“Yeah, I get that.” He hesitated. “Just, let me know, okay? If it gets bad. You don’t have to deal with all that alone.” 

Will smiled. “Thanks, Mike. Good night.” 

“Good night,” he replied, crawling back into his bed. 

***

“Wait up!” Mike called after the group, who he felt were at all times at least twenty feet ahead of him. Max turned with a smug look on her face. 

“C’mon, Mike, I literally just got out of the wheelchair and I can already run laps around your unathletic ass.” 

Mike groaned in response and proceeded to almost trip over a root. Max laughed at him.

“Well- well it's not my fault you're some… mad skater. I mean, whose first thought is to go do Ollies after a year spent in a coma?”

“You're just mad ‘cause you've spent the last year locked up in your room. Will you ever tell us what you were doing in there?”

Mike looked away. He'd agreed to come on this trip partly so he could get his mind off the writing. Yet in those hours without sleep last night, that was all he'd been thinking about.

“Great, there he goes all quiet again,” Lucas said. “Max, just stop asking him about it, okay?”

Max rolled her eyes and muttered something Mike didn't hear. Robin started talking about something and Mike used the break as an opportunity to finally get a sip of water, which he was kind of running low on. Maybe one of the others would have it in their hearts to share. His eyes wandered to Will only to find that he had already been looking at him. He looked away as Dustin cleared his throat.

“Okay guys, can we please get a move on? We've been stopping every, like, ten minutes, and we'll be at least three hours behind schedule if we continue at this pace.”

“Say that louder for Mike in the back!” Lucas shouted.

Mike gave him the finger and forced himself to hurry up.

He didn’t know why he agreed to go on this hike at seven in the fucking morning with just a map and a dream. Back in the van, Steve had told them about some spot where he used to go cliff jumping as a kid, and Dustin had eagerly added it to the already stuffed schedule, which he followed like gospel. Mike… didn’t exactly have the best track record when it came to cliffs. It’s not as though there'd be anyone to stop his fall this time around.

Still, he had a mission: Get close to Will again. He thought he was off to a pretty good start so far…. putting the whole shower incident behind. He peered at Will through his bangs, but this time they didn't make eye contact. He was trekking down the hill a couple of paces ahead and chatting with Robin. She must have said something funny because Will burst out laughing.

Sun rays streaked through the canopy of trees, landing on Will’s hair, painting it a warm chestnut shade of brown. The waves bounced as he laughed. 

Max and Lucas were out front, following Dustin, who led the group with his map.

Steve trailed behind to join Mike in the back. 

“What’s up, mini-Wheeler?” 

Shrugging with a hint of indifference, Mike wondered how in the hell he got stuck with Steve Harrington; the so-called ‘cool guy’ Dustin and the others were absolutely obsessed with for what felt like forever. Sure, he turned out to not be a jerk, but Mike never really got the hype. He’s just some guy. One who so happened to have been inside his sister. Okay ew, why’d that come to mind... He shivered at the thought. 

Mike attempted to fill the awkward silence.

“How much left is there to walk?” 

Steve yawned and he placed a hand on Mike’s shoulder. 

“Eh, not long. Maybe three or four miles left?” 

Oh Jesus. Mike was going to kill himself. 

“Alright…” He took a sip of his water, shrugging Steve’s hand off and bracing himself for the long journey ahead. Steve half-smiled and put his arm out expectantly. He nodded his head toward the bottle in Mike’s hand. 

“Oh, uh, sure,” he said, handing it over reluctantly. Steve took a swig. 

“Thanks, man,” he returned the bottle and paused. “You know… now that I think of it, we never really talked before. Like, one-on-one. Isn’t that kinda crazy?”

“Yeah.”

“I mean, we’ve been in the same group for, like, years now, and somehow we haven’t had a conversation that wasn’t about the otherworldly monsters trying to kill us.” 

Mike let out a short breath. “Yeah, guess we’ve been pretty busy.” 

Steve huffed a laugh, “Yeah, haha.” 

They walked in silence for a moment, the crunching of leaves filling the space between them. Mike gazed back up. So he could see where he was going, no other reason…

Steve also glanced ahead, then back at Mike. 

“You’ve been staring at him all morning.”

Mike nearly choked on his own spit. “What?”

“Byers,” Steve said like it was obvious. “You nearly tripped on a rock earlier because you were too busy staring at his glutes.” 

“The hell is wrong with you?” His face burned. “I was not!” 

Steve snorted. “You walked into a branch too.” 

“I don’t know what you’re— That branch appeared out of nowhere!” 

Steve gave him a look. “Relax, man, I was just teasing. No judgement here!” 

“There’s nothing there to judge.” 

He took a swig of his water in an attempt to end the conversation. It did not. 

“Y’know, if there’s anyone who has experience with this kinda thing, it’d be me. I mean, even just thinking back to high school, you wouldn’t guess at the number of times I’ve slipped because I was too focused on something other than the path ahead…” 

Oh my god, Mike muttered to himself under his breath as he picked up the pace. Mike was not like Steve. At all. He wasn’t— How could Steve think he was… 

Whatever. 

“Oh okay, yeah sure just walk away without a word. I don’t mind.”

He caught up with the others just as Dustin abruptly stopped in the middle of the path. Mike walked straight into him. 

“Oh god, why are we stopping—” 

“Because we’re no longer on the trail.” Dustin said, glaring at the map in his hands and shaking his head. Mike didn’t need a map to tell him that much. The path ahead was more shrub than trodden path, and it wasn’t much better to either side.

“Hold on, what do you mean ‘we’re no longer on the trail’?” Lucas asked, sounding like he was trying to keep his anger out of his voice. 

“I mean Steve must've marked the map wrong. Look, the trail literally just ends right here.” 

Max groaned. “You’ve been leading us for an hour.” 

“Yeah, and I was doing a fantastic job until I noticed that instead of crossing a section of the lake right about now, we’re heading straight into a ditch. Steve, how old is this map, exactly?”

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know! It’s the only one I could find. I didn’t think the area would change that much in the past decade! Since when do maps have a ‘best before’ date?”

“Since always? To stay accurate? That’s literally what they’re made for.” 

Mike dragged a hand across his face. “Oh my god.” 

“Okay!” Robin snapped. “Nobody panic! We’re just a little off track. Dustin, you’re a genius, right? Can’t you figure out how to get there?” 

“Jeez, thanks for alleviating the pressure, Robin, I really appreciate it,” Dustin said with an eyeroll, then plopped himself on the ground and squinted at the map. Max and Lucas joined his side. Mike stood stiffly beside Robin, Will on her other side.

Steve lifted his arms up in exasperation.

“Amazing. We manage to find our precise way in an uncharted, alternate dimension, and then we proceed to get lost in a forest.”

“Okay, fine. Since no one seems to have faith in my ability to lead, ” Dustin mumbled, getting to his feet. “I think it’s best we split up. We have our walkies and smaller groups can cover more ground. Whoever finds the lake first can radio the others.” 

“Nope,” Steve shot down immediately. “That’s how people die in horror movies.” 

“Well, we’re not in a horror movie,” Max points out. “I mean, what does this forest have on the Upside Down?” 

“We should still be careful,” Lucas said. “Max will you–”

Max turned, having already set off down the hill. “Hurry up, Lucas. We’ll find the lake before the others have even had a chance to get off their asses and stop arguing.”

Lucas shrugged an apology to the others and sprinted after Max.

A moment passed before Steve sighed. 

“Okay, fine, we go in groups. But you and the map,” he said, pointing at Dustin, “are staying with me.”

“And me,” Robin added.

Mike eyed Will, who seemed to already be looking at him. 

***

In what felt like forever but was probably less than an hour later, Mike came to the conclusion that he and Will were lost. Like, incredibly lost. 

They reached a part of the forest that opened up to a large field of wildflowers; reds, yellows, and purples swaying in the afternoon light. 

No lake in sight. 

But to be completely honest, Mike didn’t mind it at all. As long as he got to spend more time with Will, y’know? 

They’d spent the time chatting mindlessly, about their last D&D campaign, plans for what they’ll do in New York come September, about nothing at all, really. Easy and familiar like they used to. 

Under the early afternoon sun in June, Mike’s t-shirt was already soaked and clinging to his skin, but he kept going with no complaints. 

“Should I call for help?” Will asked, already reaching for the walkie in his backpack. 

“No,” Mike said quickly. “I'm sure they’re just as lost as we are. Plus, no one else had called yet.” He shrugged. “Let’s just say we took the scenic route.” 

Will chuckled at that. “Okay.” 

“How about we take a break? You have snacks in that bag right?” 

Will grinned. “What do you think?”

They settled at the edge of the field, leaning against a large birch tree. Will spread out a blanket and handed him a PB&J sandwich along with a can of coke. 

“Mmmm, thanks.” Mike leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the bubbly taste of the coke on his tongue. 

Everything felt quiet. Safe. 

He stretched out on the blanket, quietly watching the clouds drift in the mostly clear sky. He could feel Will, who was sitting against the tree, watching him. He didn’t open his eyes. 

Will spoke up first. 

“Could I maybe… draw you like this?” He asked. “The light’s really nice.” 

Mike cracked an eye open and grinned. “Okay Bob Ross. Whatever you want.” 

Will huffed a small laugh and pulled out a sketchbook from his bag with some pencils and watercolours. 

Mike couldn’t see the drawing but he enjoyed watching Will’s face scrunch up in concentration. He always put so much attention to every detail. Mike loved watching the process almost as much as receiving the finished artworks. He kept a collection of Will’s art in a folder back home. 

Whenever he missed him, Mike would flip through its pages and admire each brushstroke, tracing the lines, remembering each movement.

He never told Will that. He wouldn’t really know how to. 

Will glanced up from his drawing and caught him staring. Mike didn’t look away this time. 

“You know, I still have that painting you gave me. It’s pinned to the wall in my bedroom.” 

“Oh.” 

“Can I ask you something?” 

Will’s hand froze, mid-brushstroke. 

“Uh, sure.”

“Did El really commission it?” 

He was met with silence. Will looked like a million things were running through his mind. He wouldn’t make eye contact. 

After a moment, he whispered, “No– she didn’t.” 

“Did you think it would mean less to me if I knew it came from you?” Mike asked softly. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he really wanted to know his answer. 

“Mike, please.” 

“I tried to thank El for it when we came back from Lenora. She had no clue what I was talking about. I kind of already had the idea that she wasn’t the one who commissioned it. I mean, she didn’t even play D&D. I was just hoping that it was from her because… why would you lie? You never did before. That was, like, our one rule. ‘Friends don’t lie’”

Will’s eyes appeared glossy as he continued to stare at the ground. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. 

Mike sat up. “No, Will, there’s no reason to apologise. That was a long time ago. I just— why didn’t you just tell me? Maybe El and I cou—” 

Mike stopped himself. 

He exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair. 

“I mean… I don’t know, you could’ve just told me it was from you.” 

Will let out a shaky breath. 

“No I couldn’t.” 

Mike frowned. “Why not?”

Will looked up and, yeah, his eyes were definitely brimming with tears. 

“Because it wasn’t about the painting,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. 

Mike’s chest tightened. 

“Then what was it about?” 

“Doesn’t matter anymore.

“But it does matter,” Mike said sharply. “It mattered enough for you to lie about it.” 

Will flinched. Immediately Mike softened. 

“No, I– I didn’t mean it like that. I just–” 

“You weren’t supposed to know,” Will cut in. 

Mike blinked. “What?” 

“You weren’t supposed to know it was from me. It would’ve been easier that way.” 

“Easier for who?” 

Will didn’t answer. 

The wind picked up slightly, rustling the trees behind them. 

“You think it would’ve made things weird?” Mike asked. “If I knew it was from you?” 

“It already was weird, Mike!” 

He swallowed. “I didn’t think it was.” 

Smiling softly, he rested a hand on Will’s knee. 

“I loved it. The painting.”

Will glanced up, his entire body motionless. The first eye contact they’ve made in a while. 

“I mean, I still do– it’s like the most important thing I have in my room. Even if it’s not from El.” 

Will seemed to struggle to bring himself to say something.

“Yeah?” he asked breathlessly.

“Yeah.” 

They sat in a charged silence for a while. But it felt… nice, almost familiar. Mike didn’t move and he really didn’t want to. Will shifted slightly and Mike realised his hand was still resting on Will’s knee. 

“Oh-” he muttered, pulling it back quickly and standing up. “Wait, do you wanna finish your drawing?” 

Will shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll finish it later.” 

“Okay.”

He closed the sketchbook before Mike could sneak a look at his portrait. 

A pause.

“We should probably get going.” Will added. “To look for the others. Or the lake.”

Mike nodded. He reached for the knife sitting next to the sandwiches and wiped the jam off on his already nasty shirt and took a step closer to the tree. 

“Um, what are you doing?” Will asked. “I thought you stopped cutting your… nevermind.”

Without answering, Mike leaned over him and began carving into the tree bark with careful accuracy. When he stepped back, Will moved beside him and read out loud. 

“W + M were here…1989.”

His breath hitched. “Oh. Nice.”

Mike shrugged, trying to play it off nonchalantly. “Figured we should leave our mark or whatever.” 

Will’s fingers lightly traced the letters and Mike watched, a grin spreading across his face. They packed the bag and glanced ahead at the field. 

“Bet I can cross it faster than you,” Will said, suddenly. 

Mike blinked. “What?”

“Race you.” 

Before Mike could respond, Will had already taken off. 

“Hey!” he called, pushing after him. “That’s cheating!”

They tore across the field, wildflowers tickling their legs. The wind blew through their hair. Will was ahead at first, but Mike caught up, grabbing his sleeve. 

“Oh no you don’t.” 

Will twisted out of his grip, laughing. 

“I’m going easy on you!” 

“Sure you are.” 

Mike lunged forward, tackling Will into the ground. His hands were around Will’s waist and his head was crammed onto his chest. The laughter faded. 

He could feel Will’s heartbeat, quick and uneven. 

The world went quiet. 

“You’re such a cheater,” Will said softly, though he wasn’t pulling away. 

“You started it,” Mike whispered. A cricket sounded somewhere nearby.

The two untangled themselves and got up. They walked the rest of the way to the forest and caught their breaths. 

Upon reaching the line of trees, Mike turned to Will. “Hey–” 

A crackle interrupted him. 

“GUYS I FOUND IT! Do you copy? Over.” Dustin’s muffled voice echoed from the backpack. 

They both jumped from the noise. Will cleared his throat, grabbing the walkie. 

“Um, yeah, we copy.” 

Mike rubbed the back of his neck. “Where are you?” 

“Go north-west, past the large hill! You literally can’t miss it.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Will said. “We’re coming.” 

He attached the walkie back to his bag and turned to Mike. 

“After you.” 

“Aright, but don’t you dare trick yourself into thinking I lost that race,” he teased. 

Will's grin was adorable.

“Oh my god, you’re actually delusional.” 

***

The cliff area turned out to be really nice. 

Mike had spent much of his childhood believing that Canada was just forests and polar bears, but this trip changed that. The view from Steve’s diving spot was kind of incredible. 

The water was almost crystal-clear, glistening in the sun as waves rippled bright turquoise. The air smelled of pine and lake water. 

Despite his reservations about cliffs, Mike still jumped a couple times. Albeit, Will had to hold his hand the first time. Not that he was complaining. 

They spent much of the day playing in the water, swimming, splashing, yelling at each other as Dustin almost drowned, arms flailing. Steve had to save him. It was hilarious. 

By the time they finally dragged themselves back it was already sundown. Luckily, their return journey was much faster than that morning’s. Dustin insisted they follow the stream this time, and it turned out that the wilderness was more accurate than the map. 

By the time they got back to the cottage, Mike’s clothes had dried stiff on his skin. He was pleasantly exhausted. And probably stinky as hell but who cares? Everyone was. 

Steve and Lucas found some logs and threw them into a large pile. 

Robin attempted to start the fire but failed miserably. Probably since she was rubbing a stick and a rock together like some caveman. Steve laughed at her and took over.

The fire crackled to life just as the last hints of orange and pink left the sky. Everyone settled around it, wrapping themselves in old, itchy blankets and passing around marshmallows for s’mores. 

Robin and Steve had claimed the two Adirondack chairs already positioned around the fire. Dustin dragged out a foldable chair and plopped it next to Steve. Max lay stretched out on a picnic blanket, her head resting on Lucas’s lap. 

Which left Mike sitting next to Will on a wide log, their shoulders a few inches apart. He made sure not to sit too close— because he’s not… y’know. But he still liked being near him. 

“Here,” Mike said, handing Will a stick with a marshmallow already skewered. 

He took it with a small smile. “Thanks.” 

He held it over the fire, watching it slowly turn golden. 

Robin passed around graham crackers and chocolate. 

For a while, no one spoke. There was just the crackle of the fire and the hum of the woods behind them. 

A loud and eerie howl broke the silence. 

“What the fuck was that!?” Mike jolted, practically jumping onto Will’s shoulder by instinct. He nervously scanned the trees for wild animals. 

“Relax,” Steve said, looking on the verge of laughter. “It’s just a loon.” 

Everyone stared in confusion. 

“Uh, are you sure you’re allowed to say that word?” Lucas asked, subtly ducking behind Max. 

“It’s a waterfowl.” Dustin explained. He’d spent the last week or so reading up on Canadian roadtripping, and thought of himself as some master wilderness expert or something. “It’s super common in these parts.” 

Another howl.

“Are you sure, Dustin?” Mike tightened his grip on Will’s shoulder. “Because that sounded more like a wolf than a duck to me.” 

Dustin cupped his hands around his mouth and mimicked the call. 

Max scoffed. “Oh, so you speak bird now too?” 

Dustin grinned and took a massive bite of his s’more. 

The group relaxed again. 

Mike, however, didn't move. He didn’t realise he was still attached to Will until he heard the boy clear his throat. 

“Uh, Mike?” Will said. 

He looked up, his face was quite literally two or three inches away from Will’s. 

“Oh— sorry.” 

He shifted back to his spot further down the log. Not too far. Just… enough. 

“Careful,” Will added, after a second, nudging his stick. “Yours is burning.” 

“My–” Mike glanced down and saw his marshmallow was nearly jet black. 

“Shit.” 

Will laughed as Mike tried to salvage it. No use though, the thing had turned into charcoal. 

“You’re supposed to rotate it, you know.” 

Mike scoffed. “I am rotating it!” 

“No you’re not! You’re just holding it there and letting it burn.” 

“You have to let it cook,” he argued. 

“Not that much!” 

Mike huffed. “Okay, if you're such an expert, you do it then.” 

He handed Will the stick and lingered a bit when their hands touched. Neither of them said anything. Will skewered a new marshmallow and leaned in slightly, focusing on how the fire softened its edges and turned the white to a faint brown. 

“There. See?” 

Mike didn't answer right away. 

The fire illuminated Will’s face, embers surrounding him and dancing like fairy dust. He looked warm. 

Almost unreal. 

He reached out and wiped a bit of chocolate from the corner of Will’s mouth before he could stop himself.  

“...Yeah,” Mike said, quietly, pulling his hand back. 

***

Later, when the fire burned low and they had eaten more sugar than they probably should have, the group wandered down to the dock. 

The lake was dark now. 

The air was cool and quiet. 

But above… The sky was completely clear, giving way to a splatter of stars. Way more than Mike had ever seen in his life.  Sure, Hawkins had a bunch of stars, but this was a whole other level… the fucking galaxy right in front of them. 

“Holy shit,” Robin muttered. “Okay that’s actually insane.” 

They sat with their legs dangling, feet skimming the water. Dustin started pointing out constellations and everyone half-listened, too busy admiring the view. Mike couldn’t even hear him. 

His brain drifted elsewhere. 

He wondered if El could still see stars. Or if she was part of them somehow. Somewhere distant. Unreachable. 

He frowned at the thought. 

Like always, Mike had absolutely wrecked their last moments with his stupidity. Sure, they weren’t technically together at the time, but in the moments where she needed him to comfort her, convince her not to do it… not to sacrifice herself, to love her— 

He’d failed. 

He couldn’t even say it back. 

She died alone and afraid… believing that he didn’t love her. 

The fact hollowed him and he’d spent much of the past year and a half replaying those final moments, over and over, rethinking what he would’ve, should’ve, done differently. 

Trying to fix something that couldn’t be fixed. 

“Are you thinking about her?” Will asked softly. “El?” 

They were sitting a little bit further down the dock, just out of earshot from the others. 

Of course Will could read his mind. He always did. 

“Yeah.” 

The water lapped quietly against the wood of the docks. 

“I do too. All the time.” 

Mike glanced at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Well of course. She was my sister.” Will kept his gaze on the sky. “I wish I could've had the chance to say goodbye.” 

Mike swallowed, guilty. “She deserved better.” 

Will shook his head. 

“She had you.” 

Mike let out a quiet, humourless laugh. “Look how that turned out.” 

Will frowned. “Hey, that’s not fair. She loved you so much.” 

“Yeah,” he felt like he was about to cry. “That’s the problem.” 

Will’s eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?” 

Mike hesitated, he didn’t want to share too much. But then again it’s Will. If he couldn’t trust Will, he couldn’t trust anyone. 

“I don’t think I loved her,” he admitted. He realised how that sounded. “I mean, of course I loved her, just… maybe not in the ‘girlfriend’ way. But I… I don’t know. I couldn’t treat her the way she deserved. I couldn’t even say the words in the final moments.” His voice cracked. “I just kissed her because that was the only thing I was good for.”

“Oh.” 

Heavy silence settled between them. The hell-ish lyrics of Purple Rain rang in his ears like a nightmare. It had been Eleven’s favourite song before…

Ooooooh—

He wanted to shut his brain off. 

Mike exhaled, and he noticed that a tear was slipping down his cheek. He quickly wiped it against his shoulder. He shouldn’t have been crying. He didn’t deserve to…. But he couldn’t help it. Another tear fell from his eyes. Another, and then another, until he hunched over and covered his face with his hands, breathing unevenly and unable to stop the sobs. 

“I just…” he choked out. “I don’t know how to stop feeling like I messed everything up.” 

“Hey—” Will’s arms wrapped around him without hesitation. One hand rubbed slow circles around his back, grounding him. Will rested his chin gently on Mike’s head. 

“You don’t have to stop,” he said quietly. 

“What?” Mike whispered into his shirt. 

“You don’t have to stop feeling it,” Will repeated. “The regret. It just… won’t always hurt like this.” 

Mike stilled. 

“How do you know that?” he asked, voice small. 

Will hesitated. 

Then, softly, “Because it didn’t. At least not for me.” 

Mike’s chest tightened. 

He didn’t ask what he meant and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He had a feeling Will wasn’t talking about El anymore. 

Will’s hand kept gently rubbing his back. 

Mike let himself lean onto him (Just for a second! Okay, maybe two…), until the tension in his shoulders began to loosen. 

“...Thanks,” he whispered. 

“Anytime,” Will said. 

And he didn’t let go right away. Or at all, really. 

“Hey! What’re you guys doing?” Max shouted from the other end of the dock. 

Mike didn’t move. He just adjusted his head slightly so he could keep resting on Will’s shoulder. 

“Mind your own business,” he called back. 

Max raised a brow but turned back to Lucas and Dustin anyway. 

Will huffed a quiet laugh. “We should probably head inside,” he said. “Get some sleep.” 

Mike blinked, suddenly aware of how close they still were. 

“Sure, okay.” 

He hesitated. 

“Let’s go together.” 

Will nodded. 

***

The attic was dark when they got back. Only pale moonlight filtered through the small window, just enough to make out shapes. 

Mike changed quickly, not bothering to go to the bathroom for privacy. It’s not like Will hadn’t seen him shirtless earlier. Plus it’s too dark to care. 

Will moved slower, quieter, changing into his pjs and tucking himself in. 

They didn’t say much. 

“Night,” Mike said, climbing into bed. 

“Night,” Will replied. 

Mike slept easily. He smiled into his pillow thinking about the wonderful day they just had. This trip definitely wasn’t a mistake, he thought. 

In his dream, he was a paladin again, mounted on his steed with a sword on his side. He rode into a quiet village lined with small stone houses, their windows framed with flowers, and the air full of something that felt unmistakably like magic. It pulled him forward, guiding him toward a single house at the end of the street. He dismounted and knocked. 

“Come in!” a familiar voice called. 

Inside, the room was filled with bubbling cauldrons, colourful potions, and open pages of books in languages he didn’t understand. 

“Hey.” 

The sorcerer stepped into view. Will.  

Mike– no, the paladin– smiled immediately and crossed the room, closing the distance between them without hesitation. 

“Missed me?” 

The sorcerer smiled as he was pulled in by the waist, their faces only inches apart. 

“Of course, I did, my great love,” he murmured. “Why was your journey cut short?” 

The paladin let out a light laugh and leaned forward, his lips brushing—

“MIKE!” 

He jolted upright. 

For a moment, everything felt wrong. His eyes adjusted to the dim room. 

Early morning light filtered through the attic, illuminating the dust spiraling in the air. 

It took him a second to remember where he was. 

Steve’s cottage. 

The attic. 

With Will. 

He heard strained breathing from the other side of the room.  

Mike turned immediately. 

Will was tangled in his sheets and his body twisted as if he were fighting something invisible. He must have been having a really bad nightmare because his face was scrunched up and beads of sweat were sliding down his forehead. 

“No–” he gasped. “No, no!” 

Mike was out of his bed before he could even think. 

“Hey— hey, it’s okay,” he said quickly, reaching for him. 

Will flinched at the contact, his whole body jerking. 

“Will, it’s okay. It’s just me.”

Will’s eyes snapped open, wide and unfocused. 

“...Mike?”

“Yeah,” he breathed, softer now. “I’m here.” 

Will’s breathing didn’t slow right away. There was still a haunted look on his face, like the nightmare hadn’t really let go of him yet. 

Mike hesitated for a second before he sat at the edge of the bed. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Come here.” 

Will didn’t argue. He still seemed to be in a daze as he moved closer. Mike let out his arm for Will to lean into. He tried to steady him, mimicking the slow back circles that Will had done to comfort him the previous night. 

Will’s hands clenched the sheets, his knuckles turning white, and Mike felt how real all of it was, how close the nightmare probably still felt for Will.  

Mike adjusted them so they were both lying on the bed. His arm wrapped across Will’s body. 

“Sorry,” Will whispered after a moment. 

“Don’t,” he said immediately. “You seriously don’t have to apologize for this.” 

There was a pause before Mike asked, more quietly, “Want me to stay?”

His heart skipped a beat as he waited for a response. 

“...yeah.” 

They settled closer together. Mike tried to stay perfectly still, aware of the warmth, of the intimacy, of the way Will’s breath relaxed but then quickened when he put his arm lower down his torso. 

After a while, Will fell back asleep. 

Mike didn’t. 

He lay there staring at the ceiling, his mind drifting back to the dream, to the words he still couldn’t quite shake. 

my great love.

He swallowed, then shifted just slightly so their shoulders could stay touching. Looking up to the slanted ceiling, Mike thought to himself, I am so fucked. 

***

“So,” Robin said, with a mouth full of cereal, glancing between Mike and Will with a suspiciously amused expression. “Where did you two sneak off to last night?” 

Mike immediately choked and spat out his milk. 

Lucas handed him a roll of paper towels while Max burst out laughing. 

Will, of course, answered like a normal person. 

“Um, we didn’t sneak off. We just went to bed a bit early.” 

Max smirked and nudged Mike in the arm. “Wheeler here must’ve wanted to spend some alone time, huh? Couldn’t resist Will’s charming green eyes?” 

Steve, who wasn’t initially paying attention, suddenly perked up, “Huh– alone time? I thought I said no hanky panky.”

Will’s body froze in horror. Mike wanted to bang his head on the table. Repeatedly. 

“There was no… hanky panky,” he said, grimacing. “We were just tired.” 

“Oh yeah,” Max snickered. “I’m sure.” 

Mike groaned into his hands. Thankfully Dustin saved him from the embarrassment. Placing a hand on him and Will, he said, “Nah, my boys here are well behaved. Mike was just exhausted from the hike.” 

Mike was going to thank him until the bastard added, “That was probably the most walking he’s ever done in his life. You’re looking at a personal record-setter right here.” 

“Okay, Dustin, was that last part—” Mike started. 

“Hey, speaking of exercise, I bet Mike got a lot more of it last night,” Max said, and for a second, Mike thought he might combust before she continued. “He had to fight off god knows how many ghosts in that creepy attic.” 

Mike’s relief was immeasurable, but his heart was still racing in his chest. Steve must’ve noticed something in his reaction.

“Okay that’s enough,” he cut in, aiming a stern look at Max and Dustin. “Just drop it.” They both shrugged and got back to their cereal.

There was an awkward silence that settled over the table and Mike fidgeted with his spoon, all spaced out. 

Steve cleared his throat. 

“Okay guys, so here's the plan for today: we’ll be taking out the jet skis.”

“YES. YES. YES,” Lucas screamed. Dustin let out the wolf-bird cry in celebration.

“Okay, okay, settle down, children. Now, I only have two of them, and as the responsible adult here, I’ll be driving one—” 

“Um, you do know most of us are eighteen now, right?” Max interrupted. 

“Yes,” Steve said, flatly. “But I absolutely do not trust any of you driving these bad boys. They require a… special touch.” 

Robin snorted. 

“So then who’s driving the other one?” Dustin leaned forward eagerly. “Because I was thinking—”

“Nope. Nice try, Henderson.” 

“But I have a special touch! I… ride my bike a lot,” Duston said, slowly deflating. “My mom lets me take out her car, sometimes…”

“Woah there, now those are some crazy credentials,” Lucas snickered.

Dustin slumped and Steve stood up from the table. 

“Uh, yeah no. I’d offer the role to Robin since she’s kinda old—” 

“Pfft, says the graduate of 83’!” 

“—But seeing as she's never even driven a car, I think I'll pass.”

Robin leaned back with a yawn, putting on her sunglasses.

“Whatever, I didn't feel like dying today anyway.”

“So…” Steve hummed, grabbing a set of keys from the kitchen counter. “Lucas, I heard you're doing a pizza delivery gig? Think you're up for it?” 

Lucas let out a high-pitched squeal. He was always making those little girl sounds…

Dustin rolled his eyes, Mike and Will were trying to hold back their laughter, and Max laughed right in his face.

Trying to cover his embarrassment, Lucas cleared his throat extra loudly and nodded. 

***

Steve’s cottage had a fucking garage that opened directly onto the lake. Just how rich was this guy?

Mike stared at it, genuinely stunned. Steve lifted the door with a dramatic flourish. 

Two light blue jet skis sat inside. They were a bit dusty from a long time of no usage, but they looked to be in top shape.

“Hey there, my lovelies. Daddy’s been gone for too long~” Steve murmured. 

Robin gagged. “God, never say that again.” 

“Okay, so we're pretty much all set to go. While you lazy bums were sleeping into the morning, I cleaned them up, fueled them, and checked they were all set.”

“Wait, this is them cleaned up?”

Steve rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Robin’s comment. He climbed onto one and started the engine with a loud roar. 

Dustin and Lucas both squealed this time. Mike and Max shared an amused look.

“Alright, who wants the honour of going first?”

Despite his lack of squealing, Mike was still eager to try. For months now, it'd felt like his mind was aching for the thrill of something new. Huh, he’d never been this adventurous before. 

He was about to volunteer…

But then he saw Will. 

His face was so awestruck, all wide-eyed and excited. He was practically glowing.

Mike paused. Then he stepped back. “Will should go.” 

Will blinked, surprised. “What? No, you should go.”

“I can see how excited you were. It’s written all over your face,” he smiled. “C’mon, you deserve it.” 

“Actually I think—” Dustin started, waving his finger. 

“Shut up Dustin.” Mike cut in quickly. “Will is going and that’s final.” 

There was a beat of silence. Dustin’s mouth stood half-open.

Mike flushed slightly. “Sorry.” 

“Wow,” Robin raised her brows. “The difference in how you talk to your friends just gave me whiplash.”

Mike wanted to argue, but then again… he couldn’t really. 

Lucas smirked “Yeah, Mike has always had what we call a ‘waccent.’” 

“A what?” Robin asked. 

“A Will-accent,” Dustin clarified. “He’s always so gentle and caring when he talks to Will and then treats the rest of us like shit.” 

“Hey that’s not true!” Mike snapped

“I beg to differ,” Dustin grumbled. 

Will looked… amused. He seemed to be enjoying their bickering. 

“I don’t mind it, really,” he said lightly. “The ‘waccent’ or whatever. It makes me special.” 

He winked then. 

Like, actually winked. 

Mike’s brain short-circuited. 

“Uhh,” is all he could let out. He looked at his toes. 

“Okay, nice to know Will has nothing against the special treatment. But it's fine. I can wait. I don't care. Patience is a virtue,” Dustin said, crossing his arms.

“...Okay, so is it settled then? Oh, what the hell. Byers, get on before I change my mind,” Steve called loudly, looking slightly annoyed. 

Will climbed onto the jet ski, still smiling, and a second later they zoomed off. They raced over the surface of the lake and Mike watched until Will was just a tiny speck on the horizon, yelling something unintelligible. 

He looked so happy. 

Mike smiled without even realising it. He heard the snap of Max's camera, and turned expecting to find her facing Will and Steve, but it pointed right at him. She smiled with a shrug, and got to taking pictures of the jet ski.

“So, uh…” Lucas said behind him, gesturing to the jet ski that was left behind. “This is great and all, but how am I supposed to drive this thing without a boating licence? I mean, Steve didn't exactly give me a crash course before he zoomed off." 

Max groaned. “Oh my god.”

“Are you serious right now?” Dustin said. 

Lucas shrugged, “What?” 

Dustin stared at him. “Give me the key.” 

Lucas held them above his head. 

“Nuh-uh.”

“Lucas, Lucas please. Please– I'll give you the good blanket tonight, I promise!”

“Uh-huh, yeah. Last time you said that, it was before farting in it and throwing it at my face.”

Max groaned and lowered her camera to look at Robin.

“God, why did we ever decide to sentence ourselves to a week in the woods with boys?”

Robin gave a helpless shrug. 

“Lucas, no I promise. Scout's honour.” 

“Sure, we'll see about that tonight, Scout.”

Resigned, he held out the keys. 

Dustin immediately tried to grab them mid-transfer… and failed. Lucas whipped his hand back. 

“Ha! Nice try, smart fella,” he said. 

Dustin crossed his arms. “At least I'm not a fart smeller!” 

Mike side-eyed him. 

“Stop lying Dustin, yes you are. Inhaling your own fumes is the same as any other. Self-inflicted fart smelling.”

Lucas roared with laughter and Max looked like she was debating on pushing him into the lake.

A few moments later, Steve returned with Will, slowing as he approached the dock. Will pushed his hair back and he appeared breathless. “Wow, that was insane.” 

Mike stepped closer. “Yeah?” 

“Oh yeah. You definitely have to try it,” Will said. 

Mike nodded. “Okay, sure.” 

Will stepped off the jet ski and Mike helped him up. Will was still a little unsteady from the motion of the water, and brushed past him as Steve cut the engine. For a second, Mike forgot what he was doing, only snapping out of it when Dustin loudly cleared his throat behind him. 

“Come on, loverboy, we don't have all day,” Dustin said while dramatically gesturing toward the jet ski. 

“Shut up,” Mike muttered, though there wasn’t much bite behind it. He climbed on the jet ski, gripping onto Steve’s shoulders for support. 

“Hold on tight spidermonkey.” 

“Do not call me that,” Mike said immediately. 

Steve only grinned, revving the engine with a loud roar that vibrated through Mike’s chest before they took off. The jet ski lurched forward with enough force to make Mike’s stomach drop as he instinctively tightened his grip on Steve’s shoulders. 

For the first few seconds, all he could do was try not to fall off as Steve swerved recklessly and water sprayed into his eyes. But gradually the panic faded into something else, and he started laughing, the sound ripping out of him as the wind blew past. Behind them, he could see the dock shrinking into the distance. Right at the edge, Will was watching him, a hand over his eyes to shield the sun. 

Mike faced forward again. His heart did something weird that had nothing to do with the speed. Steve slowed down after a while, giving Mike a chance to steady himself before gesturing to the handlebars. 

“Here, you try. Don’t crash.” 

“Oh, great advice,” Mike muttered, but he shifted forward anyway, switching places with Steve. He grabbed the bars a little too tightly as he tried to mimic what Steve was doing. The jet ski glided across the water, uneven at first, but Mike grew bolder with every second, going faster and faster, testing sharper turns, until eventually he lost his grip and fell off, bringing Steve along with him. 

“Faaaa–” He yelled and crashed into the cold lake water. As in, full-on flopped onto its metal-hard surface.

The jet ski skidded to a stop only a few meters away from them, thankfully still upright. 

“Nice job, Wheeler…” Steve laughed, shoving his shoulder. 

“Ow!” 

Steve swam over and got back on, while Mike treaded water, catching his breath. He thought he was hearing things when a slight hum sounded from behind him. 

It grew louder until eventually he turned around and saw Dustin zipping past them on the second jet ski. Okay, how the shit did he manage to get the key from Lucas?

Dustin was going faster than the speed of light. He hooted and hollered like a maniac. Lucas shrieked.

“How did he even–” Mike started. 

Steve’s head snapped around. “Henderson! I thought I said no driving—” 

Dustin whipped past again, creating an enormous wave that crushed into Steve’s face. 

“What!? Sorry, I can't hear you!” he shouted, barely containing his laughter as he spun sloppy circles around them. 

Steve flipped his hair and rubbed the water out of his eyes. 

“You little shit,” he grumbled. 

Mike swam over and took his original place behind Steve just as he started the engine, a dangerous grin spreading on his face. “You know what? We should race him.” 

“That’s a horrible idea,” Mike replied. Not that Steve would listen. Of course he didn’t. 

They surged forward again and caught up with Dustin, who let out an excited yell when he realised they were gaining on him. “Oh, you’re on, shitheads!” 

What followed was less of a race and more of a complete disaster, with Dustin zig-zagging unpredictably while Steve tried to overtake him, both of them creating massive waves that rocked the jet skis back and forth. 

Mike held on as tight as he could, half laughing, half terrified, as they bounced across the water. 

“Steve! I AM BARELY HOLDING ON TO LIFE!” He yelled, but the wind either was too loud for Steve to hear, or the guy was straight up ignoring him. 

Eventually Dustin lost control slightly and turned too wide, forcing him to slow down and giving Steve enough time to pull ahead. 

“YES!” Steve cheered. 

“Fuck off! Cheater!” Dustin called, though it was very unclear how. 

By the time they returned to the dock, they were absolutely soaked, out of breath, and riding the leftover adrenenalina. 

Robin clapped her hands together. “You guys look like you had fun.”

Steve smiled. “Wanna go next?” 

Robin shook her head. “I have a better idea. Look what we found!” 

Lucas and Max stepped forward, both carrying a large yellow tube. 

“Oh lord…” Mike gawked at the size of the thing. It could probably fit six or seven people. 

“Wow, I forgot I had that,” Steve said. Will came out from the garage carrying another. 

“I found the other one!” 

Five minutes later, the tubes were dragged into the water and ready to go. 

Steve pulled Lucas, Max and Robin out into the lake, while Dustin (who Steve had clearly given up on trying to control) took the second jet ski, gesturing wildly for Mike and Will to get on. 

“Trust me,” Dustin grinned like he meant absolutely no good. “I know what I’m doing.” 

“Yeah, that's why I'm scared shitless,” Mike said, but he climbed onto the tube anyway and Will followed. He settled next to him, their sides pressed together. 

“Ready?” Will asked, his voice quiet and breath warm against Mike’s ear. 

Mike nodded and nervously grabbed onto the straps. 

Dustin wasted no time. 

The jet ski jerked forward suddenly and the rope tightened as they launched across the water, sending a spray up around them. Mike yelped and tightened his grip. “DUSTIN!” 

The tube skimmed on the water at an alarming speed and Mike could feel every bump on his bottom. That’ll definitely bruise, he thought. Every small wave made his teeth clack together as he laughed despite himself, adrenaline buzzing through his system. 

“Okay– okay, this is so much fun!” he shouted. 

Will laughed beside him, the sound bright and unrestrained. “Yeah!”

Up ahead, Steve’s group was already up in chaos. Their tube swung wildly as Robin screamed and Lucas tried (and failed) to keep them balanced while Max cackled like she was genuinely enjoying their suffering. 

Dustin, of course, took that as a challenge and went crazier with his driving. Mike's tube whipped sideways, almost tipping over. Mike leaned the other way, trying to counterbalance. 

Didn’t work. 

They hit a wave and launched, the entire tube lifting into the air for three seconds before slamming back down hard enough to knock the breath out of him. 

Will’s hand gripped his arm on instinct. 

“OH MY GOD–” 

Mike burst out laughing, completely losing it after the shock wore off. “Again!” 

“Mike, no!” 

Dustin swerved again, more aggressively this time, sending them flying across the waves that Steve's jet ski had created, the tube bouncing violently as they held on for dear life. 

“YOU’RE INSANE!” Will cried, though he was laughing just as hard. 

Another sharp turn. Then another wave. 

This time, they didn’t stick the landing. 

The tube flipped just enough to throw them off balance, and suddenly Mike was airborne for half a second before hitting the water with a big splash. 

Everything went cold and quiet. 

Then he surfaced, gasping, pushing hair out of his face as he blinked against the glare of the sun. 

“Holy…”

“Mike!” 

Will plopped up beside him and Mike grabbed onto his shoulder without really thinking. 

“Hey, you okay?” Mike asked, breathless. His expression was somewhere between concern and giddiness. 

Will let out a breathless laugh. “Yeah– yeah, I’m good.” 

The lake stretched out around them, sunlight catching the ripples, the noise of the others distant as Dustin circled around back, still shouting something incomprehensible. 

“You definitely let go first,” Will said after a second, smiling brightly. 

“No I didn’t!” 

“You did.” 

Mike scoffed. “No, you definitely pulled me down with you.” 

Will laughed and splashed him. 

Mike immediately splashed him back harder, until they broke into a full water fight. Both of them laughed as they shoved waves back and forth at each other, drifting closer and closer without even noticing. 

At one point, Will shoved him harder than expected and Mike grabbed onto his wrist to steady himself, their faces ended up being way too close for a second. 

They both froze. 

Then Mike let go. 

“Okay, truce,” he said quickly, catching his breath. 

“Truce,” Will agreed, though he was no longer smiling. 

Dustin pulled up beside them. “Am I interrupting something?” 

Mike jerked and nearly drowned for a moment. 

“Wha– no.” 

They both climbed back onto the tube and Dustin pulled them back to shore. By the time they got to the dock, soaked and exhausted, the others were making their way back as well, looking equally as wiped. 

Robin lay out flatly on the wood, staring directly at the sun. “I think I just met god.” 

“That was insane,” Max said, dropping onto the dock beside her. 

Mike sat at a distance from the others where Will was, swinging his feet, toes slightly grazing the water. 

Dustin strutted up a minute later with a giant smile. “You’re welcome.” 

“You’re a menace,” Mike said flatly. “A talented menace.” 

***

The Party spent a little while longer by the water, jumping in, splashing each other, and trying to recover from the chaos until Steve noticed the sun setting and groaned. 

“Alright, I gotta make a run into town before everything closes. We’re out of, like… actual food.” 

“That was fast,” Robin said. 

“Anyone up to join?” Steve asked, already heading toward the van. 

Lucas, Max, and Dustin immediately perked up at the idea of leaving, mostly for the promise of snacks, and started drying off and gathering their things. 

“I call shotgun!” Dustin yelled. 

Within minutes, most of them were piling into the van, arguing loudly as they went. 

Mike stayed where he was on the dock, still too warm and tired to move. 

“You coming?” Steve called. 

Mike shook his head. “Nah, I’m good.” 

Steve shrugged, “Suit yourself.” 

The engine started and the van pulled out of the gravel driveway, slowly fading into the distance. 

For a second it was quiet. Then…

“Well,” Robin said, flopping down beside him, propping herself on her elbows. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.” 

Mike glanced at her. 

She gave him a look. And not just any look. A look. 

The kind that made him immediately regret staying behind. 

“What?” he asked, already defensive.

Robin hummed, tilting her head slightly as if she were studying him. “Nothing.”

“Okay, that was definitely not nothing.” 

She shrugged slightly, picking at a piece of skin that was hanging on by her nail. “I just think it’s so cute how you light up like a christmas tree anytime you get to spend time with Will.” 

Mike blinked. “I do not—” 

“You do,” she cut in, not even looking at him. “It’s kind of insane. You seem like you’d want to be surgically attached to his hip.” 

“You’re the insane one, oh my god. Stop reading into things.” He laughed awkwardly. 

“I’m really not. You’re down bad.” 

He didn’t respond to that, instead choosing to stare out at the water. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Mike could feel the older girl staring at him. 

Robin sighed softly, leaning back onto her hands. “You know, I thought you didn’t like me at first.” 

Mike frowned, glancing over at her. “What?” 

She shrugged. “Yeah, you were always kind of… stiff around me. You still are. Like you don’t know what to do with me.”

“That’s not–” he cut himself off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t dislike you.” 

“I know. But you don’t seem to like me, Wheeler. I used to think you hated my guts.”

“I don’t hate your guts.” Mike said, more firmly. 

Robin smiled faintly. “Relax, I believe you. I said ‘used to,’” 

Another pause settled, and he could see Robin’s thoughts swirling in her head. 

“Are you jealous?”

That caught him off guard. 

“Huh? Jealous?”

“Of me. Whenever I hang out with Will you get all tense and broody.” 

He glared at her, “I’m not jealous!” 

She smiled, unconvinced. “You know, there’s nothing to be jealous of.” 

“Yeah, I know…” he paused, thinking about the speech Will made at the back of the Squawk. “He’s not into girls. Of course I know that.” 

“I am.” Robin said flatly. 

“What?” 

“I am. Into girls, I mean. So, really, there’s nothing for you to worry about regarding me and Will.” 

Oh.

“I, uh… didn’t know. Sorry.” 

Robin shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but there was something quieter underneath it. “Yeah, well, it’s not something I go around announcing. He’s also way too young for me... I’m not a creep.” 

Mike nodded, a little awkwardly. “Right.”

A small silence settled between them again. 

Robin glanced at him sideways. “So now that we’ve cleared that up… let's get back to real matter at hand.” 

He groaned softly. “Oh my god, don’t.”

She ignored him. “You’re not jealous of me because of Will.” 

“I just said I wasn’t jealous.” 

“Sure,” she said lightly. “But not because of me.” 

Mike didn’t respond. Robin’s voice softened just slightly. “You don’t have to say it out loud, you know. But,” she raised her brows, “the first step is admitting it to yourself.” 

“I don’t even know what ‘it’ is.” 

“That's fine,” she said. “You’re allowed to not have the words yet. You’ll realise soon enough.” 

Mike’s brain scrambled trying to think of what she meant by that. Luckily he didn’t have to answer because Robin stood up and left. 

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

After staying at the docks for a few more minutes to watch the sun dip under the horizon, Mike decided it was time to go inside. 

It got chilly without the sun, and Mike ran to the front door, arms wrapped around himself as he stepped in. 

The house was quieter now, and the silence felt so large after all the chaos from earlier. The wood creaked under his feet as he shut the door behind him, shaking off the lingering cold. 

“...Will?” he called out, mostly out of habit. 

No answer, obviously. 

He went with the others.

Mike frowned slightly, glancing toward the stairs. He went up and the attic door was creeped open just slightly. 

He pushed it open and froze. 

“Oh, shit— sorry!” 

Will stood with his back turned, in the middle of changing, clearly not expecting anyone to come in. His bare ass was reflecting the moonlight from the window. Flinching from the sudden voice, he turned his head and Mike realised he had walked in at the worst possible moment. 

Mike turned around so fast he nearly slammed into the doorframe, stumbling back down the stairs in a panic. 

“I didn’t— I wasn’t— I didn't know you were—” he called, cutting himself off as he reached the bottom of the steps. His face burned like fire. 

“Jesus Christ." 

He dragged both hands down his face, pacing the living room like that somehow would reset his brain, which, unfortunately, did not. 

Because now he was hyperaware of everything. Great. Just perfect. 

He needed a distraction immediately. 

That’s when he noticed the piano tucked in the corner of the living room. 

“...no way.” 

He doubted Steve ever played. Maybe his mom did… or some sibling they were never told about. 

Mike approached it slowly, then sat at the bench, pressing his finger tentatively on a few keys. His mom used to make him play when he was little. He lost interest as he grew older, but a few songs still stuck in his memory. 

He hesitated for a second.

Then started playing. 

The melody overtook his fingers, and they moved on autopilot as he played something soft, familiar. The notes smoothed after the first slightly out-of-tune ones, and the room echoed with a beautiful sound. He played Starman by David Bowie, one of his favourite songs. It just felt right. 

As the song neared the end, Mike was too into the music to hear the floorboards creek from behind him. 

Will nervously made his way beside Mike. 

“You still remember the songs Mrs. Wheeler taught you?” Will asked softly, over his shoulder. 

Mike startled a little, glancing up quickly before looking back at the keys. “I mean– barely. I’m just messing around with it.”

“That sounded really nice.” 

Mike let out a shaky breath. “Yeah? I’m a little out of practice.” 

“Didn’t sound like it.” Will smiled and they held eye contact for a long moment. 

“Oh–” Mike said, suddenly breaking the moment. “Sorry about earlier. I uh… didn’t mean to walk in on you. I thought you were with the others.”

Will chuckled softly. “It’s really okay, Mike. We’ve known each other for over a decade now. I don’t mind you seeing my buttcheeks.” 

Mike burst out laughing, the situation so dumb that the tension slowly eased from his shoulders. 

“Okay, freak.” 

Will smiled. “Freaky together, right?” 

He gestured back to the piano. 

“Play something else for me.” 

Mike hesitated, fingers hovering over the keys as if he was suddenly unsure what to do with them now that Will was present. 

“Uh… I don’t have a whole list of songs ready to go, y’know,” he said, half-joking. 

Will shrugged slightly, leaning his hip against the edge of the piano. “Then make something up.” 

“That’s not really how that works, but… okay.” 

Mike bit his lip, thinking of what song to play. Something about the way Will was looking at him, all calm and patient, made him feel really nervous. But he tried. The next song started slower and less certain. It wasn’t very recognizable until he reached the chorus. 

“Oh, Under Pressure! I love Queen.” Will beamed. 

As Mike continued playing, Will closed his eyes and swayed his head to the rhythm. 

He lightly murmured the lyrics. “‘Cause love’s such an old-fashioned word….”

Mike grinned and joined him for the next line. “And love dares you to care for the people on the edge of the night…..” 

They sang over the piano, together, “And love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves…” 

Mike glanced at Will, who smiled like he was having the time of his life. As if he was enjoying this even more than the jet skis or the cliff jumping. Mike realised he was too.

***

Outside, Robin watched from the window with a small, knowing smile. 

She shook her head to herself. 

“Unbelievable. These gays.” 

***

Mike heard the van pulling into the driveway around an hour later. He and Will had abandoned the piano and were lounging on the couch, the radio set to a low volume to fill in the silence. Mike was reading a comic while Will continued painting his portrait from the field. 

They turned to the window at the noise and, to be honest, Mike was slightly disappointed. He was enjoying the comfortable environment with just the two of them. Will’s presence made him feel… something. He didn’t know the word. Cheery? Content? Safe? Was safe too strong a word? They were best friends… It shouldn’t be too weird to consider his presence safe or— 

“Guess they’re back,” Will said. 

“Yeah,” Mike groaned, not wanting to get up. 

“C’mon,” Will reached his arm out, “let’s go see what they got.” 

Mike allowed himself to be let up and the two made their way to the doorway. 

The noise annoyed Mike immediately. Steve slamming the trunk closed, Dustin yelling something at him. Lucas and Max were laughing together in their own world, as usual. 

Robin popped out from the side of the house. She saluted Mike, who she caught staring. “Sup Wheeler?” 

“Where have you been?” 

“Oh um… just for a walk. Enjoying the Canadian nature.” 

“Aren’t there a million mosquitos out right now? And it’s so dark you can’t see anything.” 

She chuckled and continued walking, ignoring him. 

Mike huffed as he followed Will down the steps of the front porch.

Steve was carrying a large cooler with the help of Lucas. 

“What’d you guys get?” Will asked. 

“Just the essentials,” Dustin smirked and then cracked open the cooler. 

“Ah,” Mike shook his head. “Vodka. How essential.” 

Max stepped forward, carrying some plastic bags. “Hey, don’t worry. We got some food too.” 

“Steve…” Mike said slowly, still staring at all the alcohol. 

“Oh come on, it’s just a little.” 

“That’s more than a little,” Robin nodded, already grabbing one. “But thanks.” 

Steve smiled. 

“Come on Wheeler, stop being such a party pooper,” Max said, shoving his arm. 

“Yeah, whatever.” He glanced at Will who was watching the interaction with a small smile. He tilted his head and smiled wider when he caught Mike staring, and Mike forgot how to breathe. 

Within minutes, the bonfire was going again, its smoke drifting out into the starry night sky. 

Steve unpacked some burger meat and threw it on the barbecue. It wasn’t a kind Mike had eaten before, dark red with bits of cheese. Steve kept piling them on.

“Why're you making so many?” Dustin asked. 

“Well, the recipe was for twenty, so…” Steve shrugged.

“So cut it in half. What, you can’t do math?” Dustin said in a patronizing tone. 

“Leave me alone, man.” 

Everyone settled into their usual seats and into that loose energy that comes from a long day of fun and a tad bit too much alcohol. The sky was almost black apart from the same twinkling stars from the first night. 

Mike sat on his log next to Will, a red plastic cup of spiked coke in hand. He watched the others and smiled. 

Lucas had brought out the radio and switched the channels until he landed on a song. Love My Way by the Psychedelic Furs seemed to satisfy him, and he turned the volume up full blast. 

Max grabbed Lucas’s hand and pulled him up, and the two of them started dancing like absolute idiots, jumping and spinning with zero coordination but full commitment. Happy and in love.  

“Oh, get a room,” Dustin muttered, though he was smiling and nodding his head to the beat. 

Robin nudged Steve who had just finished transferring the burgers onto plates for them. “Come on!” she said as she dragged him to join Lucas and Max, despite his obvious resistance. 

Mike watched in amusement. He nipped at his burger and nodded his head slightly to the beat of the song. He took another sip of his drink. It burned slightly against his throat, but not unpleasantly. He enjoyed the tingly sensation it gave him. Everything around him seemed a bit fuzzy, more enjoyable. 

Beside him, Will was swaying to the music, tapping his fingers against his knee. He sang quietly, “Loooooove myyyyy wayyyyy— it’s a new road….” 

Mike glanced at him. 

Will caught him looking again. 

He smiled, that same soft, slightly shy smile made Mike’s stomach flip every time. 

“C’mon,” he nudged Will’s shoulder, feeling bold. 

“Oh?” Will raised his brow, a light giggle escaping his mouth. He left his cup on the ground and followed Mike to join the others. 

They let loose, moving without any real rhythm, just laughing and bumping into each other while the music blasted from the speakers. Mike spun Will once, very poorly, and they nearly crashed into the ground when their feet got tangled. 

It didn't matter that they weren't any good. Nobody was. Dustin was doing what Mike could only assume was an attempt at the worm, flopping around like a freaking maniac while Robin and Steve cheered him on. He probably crushed a whole family of ants. 

Mike’s head felt light, the mix of laughter, music, and alcohol blurring everything into something warm and dizzying. Will was dancing extremely close to him, the heat of his body making it even worse. Or better? Mike wasn’t sure. 

He couldn’t help it, his hands found Will’s waist and they swayed together. The noise of the music and the others faded to almost nothing until it felt like they were the only two people there. 

Mike’s breath stilled as they shared a look. Will’s eyes, which were normally hazel-green, appeared bright orange from the reflection of the fire. His pupils were dilated and his lashes looked especially long. Had they always been so pretty? They fluttered a bit and something in Mike’s chest did the same. 

He could feel Will’s hands grip his arms, almost grounding him to the earth. 

The vodka buzzed in his system. His heart acted before his brain could catch up. Grabbing Will’s hand, he started to lead the boy across the lawn, toward a shed that was far out of view from the others. 

Will said nothing, just laughing as they descended into a hillside full of cricketsong. They ran wildly, hands keeping them tethered together. Mike burst open the shed’s door and they tumbled inside, wood creaking under their sudden movement as he kicked it shut behind them.

They stumbled forward and hit the wall harder than expected, both of them laughing breathlessly for a split second, adrenaline still running through their veins. 

Then the laughter faded. Mike did something he never had the courage to do before. Liquid courage or whatever. 

Wedged between Will and the wall, he stilled, his breath catching as his eyes dropped to Will’s lips. They were slightly pouted, small uneven breaths slipping through as Will stared at him. 

Slowly, Mike lifted his hand to cup Will’s face, his thumb brushing lightly across his cheek. He bit his lip, searching Will’s expression, silently asking the question he didn’t know how to say out loud. Will looked slightly overwhelmed but more determined than Mike had ever seen him.

He gave a small nod. 

That was all Mike needed. 

He leaned forward and closed the distance between them, pressing his lips in a way that felt sudden and… long overdue. 

The kiss was shy at first, unsure despite their courage, testing the moment as it unfolded. But Will seemed to grow more confident, his hand tightening in the collar of Mike’s shirt as he pulled him closer. His hands moved to gently tangle in Mike’s hair. Mike’s eyes fluttered at the feeling, a soft breath escaping him as he leaned into the touch. 

For a second, Mike attempted to carry Will. His hands reached under his thighs, but sadly Mike had never trained his arms at the gym a day in his life and he failed miserably. It wasn’t his fault Will had built so much muscle in the past few years! Goddamn he was heavy. Will let out a laugh against his lips in response and, before Mike could even react, he guided him toward a small table at the back of the shed. 

Mike swiped away a tool box that crashed onto the floor with a loud thud and they both flinched. Hopefully the loud music from outside covered the noise from the others. Who cared, really? Will stood between Mike’s knees and Mike sat on the table. He steadied himself against it as Will leaned in closer again, the space between them disappearing just as quickly as before. 

The kiss felt different this time. 

Less hesitant and way more certain. 

Mike tilted his head back to allow Will access to his neck, and Will took to it with eagerness. He planted long kisses down Mike’s chin, moving lower and lower until he reached his collarbone. Mike gasped, closing his eyes so he could let himself feel the moment instead of overthinking it. It was too much in the best way. 

He reached up, cupping Will’s face again, and pulled him back into another kiss. Their breaths mixed and Mike could feel his heart thumping out of his chest. 

“All the people are fake,” he whispered, pulling back just enough to speak. He pressed a quick kiss on Will’s cheek before continuing, “They’re just made out of metal…” 

He smiled faintly, meeting Will’s eyes. 

“But I like you. And that’s not— it’s not fake.” 

Mike couldn’t see much in the dark, but he thought he saw Will’s cheeks turn a darker shade as a small, almost disbelieving, laugh escaped him. 

“That made absolutely no sense, Mike,” he said. Then, a little softer, he added, “But I like you, too.” 

Will leaned in and planted a small kiss on Mike’s forehead. 

Mike wanted to stay in this exact moment forever. Everything finally made sense without needing to be explained. Will had gotten over that Tammy guy and actually liked him. 

Him. 

For a second, Mike just stared, taking it in, trying to memorize the way Will was watching him. 

Then, faintly through the thin walls of the shed, Mike could hear someone shouting, loud and slurred, probably Dustin drunk on his ass, and the sound was just enough to remind him that the rest of the world was still there, waiting for him outside. 

The reminder of the outside world sparked different thoughts that started clouding his mind. Sobering thoughts of a different kiss.

Of El. The way she looked at him. The way she loved him. 

Mike couldn’t treat her the way she deserved. 

He failed at that relationship. Miserably. How the hell could he even try to succeed in another? Especially one that… society would not accept in a million years. That kind of relationship was illegal. 

His father’s voice echoed in his mind at a deafening volume. 

His chest tightened and hands stilled. 

The warmth that had filled him just seconds ago now was replaced with something sharp and uncomfortable, like he crossed a line he didn’t even realize he was standing on. 

Fuck. 

He pulled away and Will frowned. 

“Mike?”

He didn’t answer right away. He couldn’t, because for some reason now everything felt wrong. 

“I–” Mike started, but the words caught in his throat. 

He got up from the table and pushed past Will, whose expression shifted immediately, confusion creeping into his face. “What’s wrong?” 

Mike ran a hand through his hair, pacing slightly further away from Will. He needed the space to breathe. 

“I can’t…” he said quickly, shaking his head. “I can’t do this.” 

Will blinked. “What?’ 

Silence filled the shed. The air felt heavy and uncomfortable.

Will’s hands dropped to his sides. “But you just said–” 

“I know,” he said. “I know, I just…” 

He swallowed hard. The drunkenness from earlier completely flushed away as he was left with the painful after-feeling.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

And before Will could respond, before Mike could ruin things more, take it back, or worse, stay, he turned and left. 

He pushed the door open and stumbled out into the night, slamming it behind him. 

The music hit him, loud and jarring. Laughter spilled from the fire like nothing had changed, like the world hadn’t totally spun off its axis. 

Mike stood there for a second, breathing hard, trying to steady himself. Behind him, the shed door stayed closed. 

Mike felt his eyes burn, but he wouldn’t let the tears spill. Not here, where his friends could see. So instead, he turned and bolted for the attic. 

***

Mike barely slept.

At some point, after staring blankly at the ceiling, he must’ve drifted off, because when he opened his eyes again, the attic was spilling with morning light. The room was soft and peaceful in a way that felt completely undeserved to him. 

He stayed there for a while, staring at the same spot on the ceiling as everything from the previous night flooded back in. 

He felt frustrated at first, but it slowly drifted into a feeling of anger. Not directed at Will, obviously. Not even a little. Will hadn’t done anything wrong. It was Mike who turned heel and ran when the situation got too real. 

Mike let out a breath as he dragged his hands down his face, trying to push the thoughts down before he would spiral, which didn’t work. 

Because Will was... 

Mike’s eyes snapped open and he turned his head sharply toward the other twin bed. 

It was empty. 

The blanket was tucked neatly into the bedframe, untouched, like no one had come up here at all. Will hadn’t come back. He must have bunked with someone else. 

“Shit,” Mike muttered under his breath, dropping forward and burying his face in his arms. 

He’d ruined everything. 

It had only been, what, two days of this trip? And somehow he’d already managed to ruin the one good thing to ever happen to him before it even began. 

Mike sat at the edge of his bed for another few minutes, as if delaying the inevitable will make it hurt any less, but the quiet of the attic made his thoughts echo even louder, so he forced himself to stand up. 

He pulled on a hoodie and made his way downstairs, each step dragging before the other. 

In the kitchen, voices overlapped, dishes clattered, someone laughed and the others joined in. Mike could smell the slight scent of something burnt drifting through the air. 

He lingered at the edge of the kitchen, just out of sight, watching. 

Steve was at the stove arguing with Robin. Lucas leaned over the counter with his arms crossed, clearly entertained, and Max sat at the dining table nibbling on a piece of toast while Dustin hovered nearby, sipping from a mug and adding unnecessary comments to Steve and Robin’s argument. 

And then there was Will, sitting at the end of the dining table, shoulders slightly hunched. His attention seemed fixed to a spot on the ground. 

He looked smaller. Quieter. 

Mike’s stomach turned with guilt. 

For a second, he considered turning around, going back upstairs and pretending he hadn’t come at all, but Steve saw him from the kitchen. 

“Wow,” he said, turning around, “look who decided to join us. He is risen!”

“What is he, Jesus?” Dustin chuckled.  

Mike let out a weak huff that must’ve passed for a laugh and moved toward the counter, grabbing a mug just to have something to do with his hands. 

“Shut up,” he said, pouring himself some coffee. 

Dustin popped up just behind his shoulder. “Hey, don’t drink that yet! Steve’s about to make his hangover smoothie.” 

Mike grunted, and took a sip of his coffee anyway, the bitterness grounding him just enough to stop him from thinking too hard. 

“Dude, you just missed the near-death experience we all survived," Max called from the dining table, leaning back in her chair as she gestured toward Robin. “She almost set the kitchen on fire.” 

Robin’s jaw dropped in exaggerated shock. “Okay, well sorry. I don’t cook that often. I’m pretty much only good for a PB&J sandwich– ask Vickie. I was just trying to stop Steve from making twenty hard boiled eggs for breakfast.” 

“There’s good protein in that,” Steve argued. 

“Well I like them scrambled!” Robin shot back. “And hard boiled eggs are disgusting." 

“They make me fart a lot,” Dustin added, for some reason. Lucas gave him a look. 

They continued bickering and Mike gave up on trying to keep up. His attention drifted, almost on instinct, back to the table. 

To Will. 

He was still sitting the same way, like he was deliberately making himself smaller and harder to notice. 

Mike waited for a second longer than he meant to, waiting—hoping—for some kind of acknowledgement, even just a glance. 

It didn't come. Will didn’t look up and didn’t give any sign that he was even aware that Mike was there. 

He sighed, and took a seat on the high chair at the kitchen island. 

Everyone else settled around the dining table as Steve poured scrambled eggs on each plate. He poured the hangover smoothie into a bunch of glasses and turned toward Mike before he sat down. 

“Are you just gonna sit there?” 

Mike rolled his eyes and got up. He sat between Robin and Dustin, at the furthest possible spot from Will. 

The conversation carried on, shifting from breakfast to something else entirely. Dustin explained in detail his plans for the day. Something about taking the bikes out or something. Steve nodded as he half-listened. Robin shared ideas for other things they could do. Lucas laughed at something Max said, lightly nudging her foot under the table. 

Mike wrapped his hands around his lukewarm mug of coffee. He stared at it and zoned out for a moment. 

“...And then Dustin almost flipped the whole thing,” Steve was saying, gesturing wildly with his fork. “The boys were spinning around like a chopper!” 

“Well, I did not flip it. I was totally in control,” Dustin muttered. 

“Driving around like a maniac didn’t seem like control,” Lucas said, before being struck by inspiration. “Oh he's a maaaniac, maaaniac on the skis, and he's driving like he's never drived beforeeeee!”

“That doesn't even rhyme. And besides, it was all tactical.” 

“Yeah, tactically stupid,” Max snorted. 

“Hm yet I don't recall you giving it a try, Mad Max…”

“That’s because I'm not stupid.”

A small ripple of laughter moved through the group and Mike forced a small smile, hoping no one would catch his lack of enthusiasm. 

Of course, Robin did.

She leaned closer to him, her eyes flickering between Mike and Will from the other end of the table. Her expression sharpened just a bit as she took in the space, the lack of interaction, and the way they both seemed absolutely miserable. She didn’t say anything yet, but Mike could tell she was clocking something. 

A few feet away, Will finally moved. 

He pushed back his chair quietly and gathered his plate. His movements were careful, as if trying not to put too much attention on himself. 

“I’m not really hungry,” he said to no one in particular, in a low voice. 

Mike’s grip tightened slightly on his mug. 

“Hey, you barely ate,” Lucas said, frowning. 

“I’m fine,” Will replied quickly, already turning toward the sink. Lucas grabbed as much of the eggs as he could before the plate was whisked away. Will rinsed it and set it down with a clink before heading toward the stairs. 

For a second, Mike thought (or rather, hoped) that he might pause, say something, or even glance back just once. He didn't. 

The sound of footsteps faded as Will disappeared upstairs.

Mike stared at the empty spot where he’d been sitting and frowned. 

“Okay,” Robin said suddenly. "What did you do?”

Mike blinked and was pulled out of his thoughts. “What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me,” she said, lowering her voice just enough so it wouldn’t carry upstairs, and so the others wouldn’t hear, though her tone stayed firm. “You’re moping, he’s avoiding you, and… the vibes are incredibly different from yesterday. What the hell did you do, Mike?” 

Mike looked away almost immediately, his grip loosening on his mug as he tried to come up with something to say that didn’t sound as bad as the truth. 

“I didn’t do anything,” he muttered, even though to his own ears it sounded weak. 

Robin raised a brow, clearly unimpressed. “Okay,” she said slowly, crossing her arms as she studied him. “Whatever you didn’t do, you should probably fix.” 

Mike didn’t respond because there wasn’t anything he could say that wouldn’t unravel the whole situation… and the silence that followed felt heavier than any argument would have. 

The truth was, he had no idea how to fix any of this. He was abysmally screwed. 

After a moment, when it became clear he wasn’t going to give her anything else, Robin let out a sigh and backed off. Though, the look she gave him made it clear she wasn’t done having this conversation. She turned to the others as if nothing had happened. 

The conversation continued and laughter filled the space, but Mike stayed where he was, half-listening at best, the noise of it all fading into something distant as another voice cut through his mind. His father’s… 

It grew louder and louder, twisting into a collection of tones and remarks he’d grown up with, offhand comments and quiet disapproval that had always lingered whenever Mike acted out-of-the-norm. The words tangled with everything from the night before, making it difficult to separate what felt right from what he was taught to believe was wrong. 

He rubbed his eyes with his hands, trying to shut the voice out. Beside him, Dustin laughed loudly and the sound snapped him back just enough to remind him where he was, but it didn’t help. 

His eyes flicked to the stairs before he could stop himself, drawn to them like he could fix everything if he just went up there and said the right thing. 

But what would that even be? 

Sorry I kissed you? 

Sorry I meant it? 

Sorry I ran? 

None of it sounded right. 

He exhaled slightly, trying to push the thought away and to convince himself that leaving it alone might somehow make it better. 

Obviously it won’t, and Mike knew that. Staying here at the dining table, pretending everything was normal while things sat unresolved between them, felt just as impossible. 

Yet still… he didn’t move. 

***

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They drove their bikes down the dirt road, making sure not to venture into the forest out of fear of getting lost again. They made their way into a small town nearby, the same one the others had stopped in for groceries, and wandered aimlessly between shops and sidewalks that were surprisingly pretty busy. 

Will had hesitantly joined them. 

He laughed at the right moments, responded when spoken to, kept pace with the Party like nothing was wrong, but every time Mike found himself drifting a little closer, Will shifted just enough to keep the distance between them intact. It was subtle enough for no one to notice, but deliberate enough that Mike couldn’t ignore it. 

Mike hated it especially because there was no argument, no confrontation or anything to push against. Just a quiet avoidance that left him with nothing to do but dwell in the feeling. He hated feeling it. 

He pushed through the rest of the day with dread. 

That night, when Mike finally made his way back up to the attic, he already knew what he was going to find. It still hurt just as much. 

Will wasn’t there. 

Again. 

The bed across from him sat untouched, the blanket still neatly tucked in and everything, but this time, Mike noticed something else was missing. Will’s suitcase. 

He'd fully moved out. 

Fucking great, so Will must actually hate him. 

***

The next few days passed by very quickly.

Mike stopped expecting things to magically fix themselves, because by that point it was painfully obvious that they wouldn’t. 

He and Will danced around each other, maintaining the distance that had settled into something almost permanent, something neither of them were willing or able to cross. 

They spoke, technically, but only simple things like:

“Pass that.”

“Watch out.” 

“Excuse me.” 

“Would you stop farting?” 

Nothing that really mattered. 

Will kept himself busy, sometimes disappearing for long stretches of time and only reappearing when the group gathered, his sketchbook never far from reach. 

Mike tried, once or twice, to catch him alone, but every time the opportunity presented itself, he panicked or the words got stuck. He stopped trying after a while. 

A constant feeling of dread followed him at all times. The feeling that time was running out, that he needed to do something or else he'd forever regret ruining the trip for himself. Yet the hours still passed, and the dread did not.

By the time the last day at the cottage arrived, the tension had worn a little thinner, but that didn’t make it any easier to ignore. 

If anything, it made it worse. 

Will seemed to be tired of the avoiding game he was playing, allowing himself to sit near Mike, even though they still didn’t speak much. 

The others seemed tired of their little dispute too. They didn’t say anything outright, but conversations shifted in weird ways, glances lingered for a beat too long, and Robin watched Mike like she was still waiting for him to do something about it. 

That morning, at breakfast, Steve announced that Jonathan would be arriving later. 

“What? Why?” Dustin asked, looking up from his plate with immediate suspicion. 

“He’s in Toronto for some photography thing,” Steve said with a shrug. “I told him to come swing by. It’s only, like, two hours from here.” 

“You told him to come?” Dustin asked, incredulous. “What, so you could model for him or something?”

“Or something…” Steve muttered. Mike noticed the slight flush creeping onto his face before he quickly looked away again.  

Robin had an evil expression on her face as she loudly sipped her coffee.

After a brief pause, Steve cleared his throat, adding, “Also, since tonight’s our last night here, I wanted us to go out with a bang,” he grinned, gesturing an explosion with his hands. 

“Fireworks!” Lucas shouted excitedly. He'd always had a thing for them, hadn't he?

“Uh… no. I'd rather not be arrested for inciting a forest fire. Buuuut, an old friend who lives in the area invited us to a party at his place. Could be fun.” 

“A party?” Max perked up immediately, sitting straighter as Lucas slumped back a bit.

Dustin almost floated through the ceiling. “Oh my god, this will make up for Mike forcing us to miss Stacy’s party last week!” 

Everyone made sounds of agreement and Mike flipped them off. These assholes. 

“Okay then, we're all set,” Steve said with a satisfied smile. 

The others eventually went on a nature hike (after Dustin had ensured they had two copies of the updated map with them). Even Will tagged along with his sketchbook. Mike talked his way out of going by complaining about a stomach ache, but judging from how many eyerolls he received in response, he wasn't very convincing.

He spent the day doing nothing, and the cloud of dread above his head intensified into a full on stormcloud. He tried playing the piano some more, but memories of Will singing by his side put that to an end. He tried swimming but the water was murky and cold after the previous day's rainfall. He'd read all his comics, so he landed in front of the tv, like an absolute loser.

He could've been writing. He could've been talking to Will…

The others returned in a good mood. Steve set some frozen pizzas to melt off in the oven as Dustin chatted excitedly about a honey badger they’d spotted, and how they'd almost run into a beaver. 

Mike was checked out for the most part, except for when Will pulled out his sketches of a blue jay they'd spotted, “Though it's not really that accurate, I only saw it for a few seconds.”

It was beautiful. Mike made up an excuse and went up to his room. His and only his, ever since Will had joined Dustin on the day after they'd…

Evening fell, and eventually, Mike was dragged into Steve’s van and they were on their way to the party. 

He tried to keep it casual with slicked-back hair, a dark blue polo shirt, and a pair of light-washed jeans. He didn’t really know what party attire was supposed to look like considering he had never attended one before. Or really even been invited to many… 

Mike ended up sitting between Lucas and Will in the back row of seats, and he had to focus far more than he should have to avoid any unnecessary contact. 

They arrived after a short drive to a large house overlooking the lake, music blasting from inside while at least fifty people around their age or older crowded the place, busting it down. They parked down the street and just stared for a second, collectively taking it in. 

“Wow this is going to be so epic!” Dustin said, already dragging Steve and Robin ahead of him. 

“Too epic to be true,” Robin giggled. Everyone ignored her.

Lucas and Max followed, and Mike trudged along beside… Will. 

 “So,” he started, a little awkwardly. 

Will perked up slightly, like he was brought out of his thoughts. 

“Our first party… you excited?” 

Will shrugged. “Not really.” 

At least there was one thing they could agree on. 

“Yeah,” Mike muttered, “Me neither.” 

They walked the rest of the way in silence after that.

Inside, people were dancing, shouting, playing drinking games in different corners of the house and The Party was split up pretty quickly. 

Usually Mike would follow Will around in large crowds like this, but since that was clearly not an option anymore… 

You know what? 

He was sick of sulking around because Will wouldn’t talk to him. He was going to find a way to forget about all this bullshit. 

Mike made his way to a table lined with different alcoholic drinks and poured himself a cup of some red punch that looked harmless enough. It tasted sweet on his tongue but left a stingy after taste. His throat burned but he forced himself not to react and took another sip. 

The music rang in his ears and the lights felt too bright, too overwhelming. He found himself drifting toward the edges of the room, clinging to the wall and lurking in the shadows like a comic book villain. 

After a while, someone tapped his shoulder. 

“Hey handsome,” a girl shouted over the music. “I’m Jessica! Wanna dance?” 

Mike blinked, unsure if he’d heard her right. 

“What?” he yelled back. 

She laughed, grabbed the drink out of his hands and went to her tiptoes so she could reach his ear. 

“Want to dance with me?”

“Oh.” 

He looked around for an escape, but before he could come up with one, Jessica was already dragging him by the arm towards the makeshift dancefloor. 

She chugged what was left of his drink, tossed the cup aside, and started dancing close to him. Like, real close. Mike tried to follow along, letting the alcohol loosen him enough that eventually he stopped overthinking and just  followed Jessica’s lead. He shimmied his shoulders, his drunkenness let him believe he was doing a good job of it. Jessica was feeling up his chest.

And then the song changed.

She’s crazy like a fool 

Wild about daddy cool

Mike let out a disbelieving laugh when he recognized it. 

He and Will used to joke about this song all the time when Joyce would play it back when they were kids. They would spin around dramatically and sing along to the weird lyrics just to make each other laugh. 

The memory struck a cord in his heart. 

That cord was then beaten up violently and ripped apart when he looked up and spotted Will from across the room. He was dancing with some tall guy with fluffy black hair, and they seemed to be all up in each others’ spaces, moving in sync like they belonged together. 

Mike froze the second they made eye contact. Time pretty much slowed to nothing as their gazes locked, neither of them looking away. The music was all he could hear, echoing in his head like a nightmarish lullaby. 

Daddy, daddy cool 

Daddy, daddy cool

Daddy, daddy cool 

He began to step forward, almost in a trance, when the moment was suddenly broken by Jessica, who he’d forgotten was there. Her hands wrapped around his neck. 

She tilted her head up at him, eyes closing as she leaned in. 

Mike swerved his head back immediately. 

“Woah, um–” He averted his eyes, too embarrassed to make eye contact. 

“Oh,” Jessica blinked. “Sorry.” 

“It’s fine, it's just…” he gestured vaguely toward the kitchen. “I’m, uh, going to get another drink.” 

He walked off without waiting for a response, making his way to the only person that mattered in this room. Will’s eyes widened slightly when Mike grabbed his arm. 

“We need to talk.” 

Without giving him a chance to argue, Mike pulled him through the crowd. They weaved between bodies and Mike kept his grip firm but gentle on Will’s arm. 

“Mike, what are you doing?” Will asked, raising his voice over the music. It came out almost nervous, but he didn't try to break free.

“Just… hold on,” Mike said, barely looking back. 

His heart was pounding way too fast and the alcohol buzzed in his veins. 

He pushed open a door at the end of the hallway and brought Will inside with him, kicking it shut behind him. The music dulled instantly. They were in a really small bathroom. 

Will pulled his arm free then, not harshly, but enough to put space between them. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, his voice steadier now. 

Nothing came out. 

Everything Mike had planned to say, every version of this conversation he’d imagined over the past few days, collapsed the second he actually had to say it out loud. 

“I just…” he started, then stopped, dragging a hand over his gelled hair in frustration. “You were dancing.” 

Will frowned slightly. “Okay…” 

“With that guy,” Mike added, the words coming out sharper than he meant them to. 

Will’s expression shifted. He was no longer confused but his stance seemed to turn into something more guarded as his shoulders stiffened. 

“Oh.”

“I know I don’t get to— I don’t have any right to say anything,” he said quickly, stumbling over himself. “But I just—” 

He shook his head, unable to finish his thought. Will watched him for a second with an unreadable expression. 

“You just what, Mike?” 

Shit. The thing he’d been avoiding for days. 

Mike swallowed hard, the weight of everything pressing down on him all at once. 

“I…” he hesitated, then exhaled. “I’m sorry I left that night.”

Will blinked, clearly caught off guard. He seemed at a loss for words, simply staring with those soft doe eyes that made it hard to look away. 

“Yeah?” he said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Mike admitted, a small self-conscious smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Not exactly one of my finest moments.” 

Will actually huffed out a quiet laugh at that, lifting his hand to rub his eye like he didn’t know what to do at the moment. 

Mike took a step closer before he could overthink it and took both of Will’s hands in his own. 

“I have spent so long trying to feel less, and trying to be the man my dad raised me to be. But these past few days have been so confusing and, well, eye-opening. I can’t stop thinking about you and that kiss in the shed. I dream of you when I'm asleep, and, god, I actually prefer sleep because that is where I might find you. I can’t fathom a life without you, Will, and these past days have been like torture thinking you must hate me.” 

Will’s expression softened completely, something almost disbelieving breaking through. 

“I don’t hate you,” he said, shaking his head. 

“Okay,” relief washed over him. 

“But what you said just now… Are you saying you love me, Mike Wheeler?” he said, with a glint of hope in his eyes. 

Mike frowned, caught off guard. “I don’t even know what that means.” 

Will’s smile grew a little. “But you just said it. In your own way.” 

Before Mike could think, one of Will’s hands slipped free and came up to cup his face, his thumb lightly brushing his cheek before leaning in. And Mike let him. 

Their lips met and something in his chest finally settled. The kiss wasn’t hesitant at all. It contained a certain hunger, the kind that builds after days of avoidance and all the tension they’d been pretending wasn’t there. 

Will pushed him gently back until his shoulders hit the door, slightly rattling its hinges on impact, and Mike’s hands instinctively found his waist. He pulled him by the fabric of his shirt so there was practically zero distance between them. 

Will pressed long, uneven kisses across his cheek, temple, and jaw, his fingers tangling through Mike’s hair and tugging just enough to make his breath hitch. 

“Hey—” Mike breathed out, between kisses, barely able to get words out. “You’re ruining the ‘do!” 

Will pulled back just so he could grin at him. “Looks better messy. I don’t want to be kissing mini Ted Wheeler.” 

Before Mike could respond, Will tugged him by the collar of his shirt toward the toilet, sitting down on the closed lid and pulling him down with him. 

Mike ended up halfway in his lap, the position a little awkward (though Mike was weirdly into it…) but neither of them seemed to care anymore. 

“How is this real?” Will murmured, tilting his head back to look at him. 

Mike leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the bridge of his nose. 

“I don’t know,” he whispered. “But I’m so glad it is, Will. You have no idea.” 

They let the moment settle, Will’s hands still resting gently on his sides while Mike’s fingers curled loosely in his shirt. Their breathing hadn’t quite steadied yet, and everything they’d both said and done still lingered fragile in the air. 

They heard a thundering crack as the toilet lid caved in under them, but neither of them really cared. 

Mike brushed a strand of hair out of Will’s eyes, his thumb lingering for an extra beat before he spoke. 

“We’ll just have to… keep this low-key. You know what I mean?” 

Mike hoped that didn’t come out wrong. Will had to know the dangers of this kind of lifestyle. They’d have to be really careful not to let this get out. 

Will’s eyebrows furrowed immediately. 

“And, what, I’d be your secret?” he frowned. “A- a ‘mistress’ for you to keep in the dark?”

Mike's mouth gaped open. 

“What? No! No you would never be that, Will. Never.”

Will held his gaze. “Then what would I be?” 

“I don’t know… My– My beloved,” he said, softer now, as he held Will’s face. “But nobody can know.” 

Will’s expression shifted to a sad smile. After a long pause he took a deep breath and spoke. 

“No, Mike… I can’t. I’m sorry.” 

“What?”

“I can’t be your secret.” Will said, his voice laced with sadness and something that felt like defeat. “I don’t want to be something you take out whenever it comforts you and then left in the dark when things get tough.” That came out bitterly. 

Mike froze. 

“I’ve liked you in secret for a long time, Mike. And much of my life I’ve hid out of shame. But I’m done. I’m done hiding.” Will hand settled on Mike's shoulder. “You will either have me openly, or… you won’t have me at all.” 

Mike sat there and stared in shock for a long time. Probably way longer than he should have. Will gently nudged him off his lap and stood, making his way to the door. 

“I thought it would be different this time…” he murmured, almost to himself.  

He opened the door and disappeared into the crowded hallway, leaving Mike alone in the quiet. 

Bruh. 

***

Mike sat on the broken toilet seat for a good fifteen minutes before a loud bang on the door startled him out of his thoughts. 

“Hello!? Can whoever is in there please hurry up with your shitting— I’m about to pee myself!” 

Max. 

She knocked on the door again and started to rattle the door handle. It swung open faster than she expected, sending her stumbling slightly. 

“Holy shit, I didn’t think it would be unlocked– who’s….” 

She froze when she saw him. 

“Mike?” 

He looked away immediately, frowning at the floor. 

Something in Max’s head seemed to click, and her usual sharp expression softened just a little. 

“Oh my god,” she muttered. “Come on you big dummy, let’s get you something to eat.” 

She grabbed his wrist and hauled him up without waiting for permission, dragging him out into the hallway and through the crowd. 

Mike half-followed, half-stumbled after her. He attempted to reach for another cup of that red punch on the way past but Max slapped his hand away. 

“Nope. You’re cut off. Food only.” 

She marched him straight into the kitchen and to the counter splayed with charcuterie boards with a variety of tiny foods. She loaded a plate with tiny sandwiches and a handful of chips. 

Mike stared at the cookies with wide eyes. 

Max rolled her eyes, “Fine. But only if you eat the sandwiches.” 

She added two cookies on top of the pile. 

“Let’s go. You need fresh air.” 

Mike didn’t argue. He felt like he was suffocating anyway, and he felt nauseous from– well, from a lot of things. 

Max shoved the front door open and guided him toward the front curb, nudging him down until he sat with his plate of food balanced on his knees. Max dropped down next to him and pulled out a plastic water bottle. 

“Here, drink this.” 

He obeyed, tilting it back and chugging the whole thing a little desperately. The liquid felt cool down his throat and brought at least some sort of relief. 

Max watched him the entire time with her arms crossed until he finished the bottle to the last drop. 

“Good,” she smiled, taking the bottle and crumbling it up. “I’m gonna go throw this out and piss. I’ll be right back, Wheeler. Please don’t die out here while I’m gone, okay?” 

He nodded slowly and lifted a wobbly thumbs up. 

She disappeared back inside. 

The night felt quieter out here, the music either dulled by the walls of the house or by Mike’s racing thoughts. The air felt cool against his skin. 

A few moments went by where Mike just sat there staring at the street, when sudden headlights flashed across his face. 

A car pulled to a stop on the opposite side of the street. The door opened, and out stepped Jonathan Byers. Behind him, a wild goose flew into a lamppost with a strained HONK, too distracted by his overwhelming aura. 

Plaid shirt, jeans, camera strung around his neck like he just walked out of an indie movie. His wild new haircut, the infamous mullet, flowed in the wind as he looked around, taking in the scene.  

It took a second before Jonathan seemed to notice Mike. 

When he did, he squinted, eyebrows furrowing in mild confusion. 

“Mike? Is that you?” 

Mike groaned, dragging a hand across his face before giving a small, defeated nod. 

Jonathan crossed the street, slowing as he got closer, his expression shifting to one of worry. 

“...you look pretty bad.” 

Jonny boy, never one to sugar coat it. 

“Thanks,” Mike muttered. 

Jonathan studied him for a moment longer, then glanced toward the house, his expression shifting into something a little more serious.

“I, uh.. got a call earlier,” he said. “Before I got here. From Will.” 

Mike’s stomach dropped. 

He already knew where this was going. He didn’t want to hear it out loud. 

“He asked me to drive him home early tomorrow.” 

“Oh,” was all Mike could say. 

Jonathan nodded like he’d expected that answer. 

“I don’t know what’s going on between you two,” he continued, a little more carefully now, “But I hate seeing you fight. It broke my heart, hearing him like that on the phone. He sounded really…” he paused, searching for the right word, “dejected.”

“I’m sorry.” Mike buried his head in his hands, hoping Jonathan would go away if he made himself small enough. 

Jonathan didn’t leave. 

“I hate seeing you like this, too,” he added, softer now. “I’ve known you since you were, what? Up to my hips? You’re basically family, Mike. I care about you.”

Mike swallowed hard, his fingers digging into his arm. 

“I don’t know what happened between you and my brother,” Jonathan went on, “but it’s obvious it matters. To both of you.” 

Mike let out a shaky breath, staring at the pavement. 

“I think I screwed up,” he admitted quietly. 

Jonathan was silent for a moment, then he stepped a little closer. He made sure not to crowd him, just hovering over Mike. 

“Then fix it,” he said simply. “It’s not too late.” 

Mike didn’t respond. He knew there was an invisible clock to this.  

Tomorrow. 

Tomorrow they’d all be going home, leaving the magic of Muskoka behind. 

Jonathan shifted his weight, glancing at the house again. 

“I’m gonna head in,” he said, bending over to plant a quick kiss to the top of Mike’s head and ruffle his hair. He disappeared inside without another word. 

The front door creaked open again a moment later. Max stepped out, scanning the street until she spotted him. 

“Still alive?” she called, making her way over. 

She slowed as she approached, an eyebrow raised when she saw his face. 

“Uh-oh, what happened now?” 

Mike let out a deep breath and stared at the sky. 

“Jonathan just told me that Will’s leaving tomorrow,” he said. 

Max stilled. “Oh, like, early? With him?” 

Mike nodded.

“Wow, okay. Yeah. That’s uh– not good.” 

“You think?” 

“You must’ve really stirred the pot, Mike.” 

“Not helping.” 

“Sorry.” 

They sat in silence. 

Mike reached down and finally took a bite of a tiny sandwich. It tasted a little stale but he ate it anyway.

Max gently nudged his arm with her elbow. “Hey, Wheeler,” she said, a little more careful now. “Can I… can I ask you a question?”

Mike swallowed and gave a small shrug. “Sure.” 

“Do you… like him?” 

Mike didn't need to think about it. He knew the answer by now, even if he hesitated to voice it. But this was Max. She may be a pain in the ass, but she and him were more alike than he’d like to admit… both strong, loyal, and… stubborn. She would definitely push him on this, repeatedly. So, Mike gave in. 

“Yeah,” he said quietly, his voice softer than anything he’d said all night. “I really do.” 

Max nodded slowly like he’d just confirmed something she was already suspecting. 

“Okay,” she said. “Then why do you keep acting like that’s such a bad thing? 

Mike let out a shaky breath, fidgeting with the sandwich between his fingers. 

“Because it is a bad thing,” he said. “Or at least it feels like one. It’s complicated, Max. It's not just about me liking him.” 

She tilted her head, “He’s crazy about you, you know.” 

He let out a huff. 

“I get the feeling you are even crazier about him, Mike.” 

He stared at the ground. “Yeah… you’re probably right.” 

Max studied him for a second longer. 

“He’s also miserable.”

“What? Why?” 

Max gave him a look like he was an idiot. 

“Nobody wants to be kept a secret.” She elbowed him. “Eyes on me, doofus.” 

He hesitantly looked at her. 

“I’m doing my best. I really like him. I- I love him.” His eyes widened as the words spilled out. He’d finally admitted it to himself. Max smirked like she knew all along. “I just don’t think we can do any better than keeping what we have a secret. Especially in Hawkins. No one would ever accept us.” 

Max let out a deep breath. “I know,” she said quietly. “And he’s so in love with you that he probably would put up with it.” 

His chest tightened. 

“But it’s killing him,” Max added. Her eyes softened when she saw his expression, nudging his shoulder again. 

“Look, Mike, I’m not trying to be mean,” she said. “I honestly see you as a brother. You’re great, okay? You really are.” 

Mike hummed, not quite believing it. 

“But he’s great too,” she continued. “And he deserves the best. He deserves… sunshine.” She paused to let that sit. “And so do you.” 

Shit. Her words hit him deep. Mike felt like he just got hit by a ten ton truck. But he also felt like Max sort of opened his eyes a bit. 

He’d been an idiot. He gave Will mixed signals all week (scratch that– for the past five years, at least) and put distance between them whenever he felt like things were getting too real. 

Mike was supposed to be the brave one. The paladin. But instead he’d been a coward. Not just tonight, not just this week, but for most of his life. He ran from his feelings for Will for long enough. He wasn’t going to let them go, not while he was still breathing. Not while he still had a chance. The world was wider than the small-minded people in Hawkins. 

Jonathan’s words echoed in his mind. 

It’s not too late. 

Max stood up from the curb. She dusted her jorts and straightened herself, watching him like she already knew what he was about to do. “You still have time,” she said. “Barely. But you do.” 

Damn it. 

You’re Mike the Brave. 

Be brave. 

He shot to his feet and bolted toward the front door, adrenalina hitting him all at once as he pushed through it and back into the chaos of the party.  

Max smiled behind him. 

***

Mike pushed through the crowd, weaving between bodies, scanning every face, every corner, every flicker of movement. 

Will. 

He just needed to find Will. 

“Lucas!” he shouted, spotting him near the drinks table. 

Lucas turned, startled. “Huh— oh, hey Mike.” 

“Have you seen Will?” he asked breathlessly. 

Lucas blinked. His expression then morphed into something more apologetic. 

“Oh,” he said slowly. “He left…” 

Mike froze. “What?” 

“He left with Jonathan around a minute ago.” 

“No,” Mike said under his breath. “No, no, no, no, no—” 

He wasted zero moments before turning and running back out the front door. 

He ran down the steps, into the night, heart pounding out of his chest so hard it felt like it would spring out. 

He spotted Jonthan’s car. The engine was just starting and the lights flashed on. It began pulling away. 

“WAIT!” Mike shouted, his voice cracking as he sprinted forward, waving his arms like an idiot. “Wait– wait a second!” 

The car continued down the dimly lit street. 

Mike groaned and continued chasing after it. 

“Will! Will! Stop!” His throat burned from screaming. 

“Will…” Mike’s lanky legs began to give out. He slowed down, huffing and puffing, terrified that he’d just missed his last chance. He felt tears brimming his eyes as he hunched over, catching his breath with his hands on his knees. He dared to look up a moment later. 

The car was slowing. 

For a second, he thought maybe he’d imagined it. 

The break lights flared red. And then it stopped completely. 

Mike straightened up and stared in confusion. 

The passenger side door swung open twenty metres ahead of him and Will stepped out. 

Mike’s head was racing a million thoughts per second as his feet moved forward. He stopped when he was a couple metres from Will, who stood still for a moment, taking him in. 

“I don’t want this to be a secret,” Mike said simply. “I’m done being a coward.” 

Will’s mouth was slightly parted and his eyes widened in shock. He let out a muffled sound.

“I want to be with you, Will.” He felt desperate, his eyes searching Will’s for any sign of an answer. 

Will’s lips turned up slightly, into a shy, disbelieving smile that flooded Mike’s stomach with butterflies. Real chompers that ate away at his insides. 

Mike stood there with his hands to his sides, unsure of what to do with them. He shrugged, awkward and almost defeated. “Are you sure that you’re over me?” 

He watched Will’s fingers fidget by his side, his downturned smile grew wider. 

“What the hell do you think?” 

Mike’s grin stretched all the way to his ears. The answer made every hair on his arms stand up and Mike bit his lip, unable to contain his joy. 

They stepped toward each other at the same time. 

Mike’s arms wrapped around Will’s, pulling him close. Letting go wasn’t an option anymore. They just stood there in each others’ arms, holding on, both of them trembling slightly as everything caught up with them. 

Will pulled back just enough to hold his face, his thumbs brushing under his eyes, wiping away the tears that Mike hadn’t noticed falling. Will’s cheeks were damp as well, his expression something Mike had never seen before… soft, overwhelmed, and, so, so happy  

Mike leaned in slowly until their noses were touching. Will closed the rest of the distance in an instant. 

Their lips crashed and Mike felt like he was reborn. They’d both been holding back for far too long. He tangled his fingers into Will’s hair and pulled him impossibly close as their breaths mixed, tasting punch and salt from the tears– but neither of them cared. Mike smiled against Will’s lips, unable to help himself, and kissed him again, slower and more deliberately this time, like he wanted to map out this moment to keep it in his memory forever. 

When they finally came apart for air, Mike stayed close, leaning his forehead against Will’s. 

“I love you,” he whispered. 

He pulled his head back to see the look on Will’s face. The boy’s eyebrows shot upward and his smile was the sweetest thing Mike had ever seen. 

Will’s breath seemed to catch like the words knocked the air out of his lungs. For a second he didn’t say anything at all. Just stared in shock. 

“You—” he licked his lips and sighed. “You love me?” 

“I do,” Mike said with his whole being. “That’s the worst fucking part of all this. That all I’ve ever wanted is you. It’s always been you. I was so in love with you and I didn't even know what to do about it. Sorry it took me so long to realize.” 

Will sniffed, his eyes glassy but bright. “I love you, too.” 

“Yeah?” Mike said with a small disbelieving smirk. 

Will huffed a laugh. “Yeah, Mike. You’re such an idiot. I thought it was pretty obvious.” 

And then he was moving, closing the distance again as he practically pounced on Mike, pulling him into another kiss that was just as messy and desperate and relieved as everything else about them. 

Behind them, the car door burst open. 

“Finally…” Jonathan called out, his voice carrying across the street. 

“Took ‘em long enough!” Max yelled from the opposite side of them, from the house's driveway. She was walking toward them, followed by the rest of their friends who were hooting and hollering like maniacs. Dustin even gave another shockingly good imitation of the Canadian wolf-bird.

Mike turned around and let out a nervous laugh, his hand flying to the back of his neck. “Oh. You, all, uh… saw that.” 

Robin barged forward and tackled Mike and Will into a giant bear-hug. 

“About time!” she cheered into their shoulders, slightly muffled. “I’m so damn proud of you both.” 

The others piled in after, and suddenly Mike was stuck in the middle of a giant bundle of human flesh, arms squeezing, warmth accumulating, laughter spilling in every direction. 

Mike had never felt happier in his life. He couldn’t stop smiling. 

Across the street, Steve had somehow appeared beside Jonathan, the two of them leaning casually against the car. They both exchanged a look. 

Mike wasn’t sure if—

You know what, nevermind. That’s none of his business. 

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” Dustin called, clapping his hands. 

They all scrambled into Jonathan’s car, somehow managing to cram each person into the far too few number of seats. Mike ended up on Will’s lap in the back, his arm loosely hooked around his shoulders to keep from falling over. He did not mind at all. 

They held hands and both kept smiling at nothing. 

The radio blasted at full volume. Steve rolled the windows down to let the wind in, even though the music was probably way too obnoxiously loud considering it was almost midnight. Jonathan drove along the street and the car filled with lots of off-key singing and howling. 

Mike leaned back onto Will, letting his head rest against his shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment. 

Everything felt different now. 

He didn’t feel scared anymore. 

They found sunshine. 

He was never going to hide in the dark again.