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Mike’s not in the room when it happens.
It's a lazy Saturday, and the party is sprawled out across his basement, half-asleep, surrounded by empty snack bowls and crumpled comic books. The TV is playing some infomercial nobody bothered to turn off. He’s lying on his stomach, chin propped on his arms, watching Will draw quietly beside him. The sunlight filtering through the basement window makes Will's hair look soft and fluffy, and Mike's stomach does that stupid flip it always does when he looks at Will for too long.
He's just about to say something—maybe tease Will about how he's getting ink on his face again—when Dustin lets out a loud, dramatic groan from the other side of the room. "I'm starving. Did anyone else hear that? That was my stomach. It's dying."
Lucas, half-buried under a pile of blankets, mumbles, "Then go die somewhere else."
Ignoring him, Dustin sits up and scratches his head. "Mike, you got any food?"
Mike sighs and pushes himself up. "Fine, I'll go check. But if my mom asks, you ate it." He's halfway up the stairs when he hears Will say something behind him, but he doesn't catch it. Probably just a sleepy "good luck." Mike waves over his shoulder without looking back.
When he comes back down, balancing a box of cereal and a jug of milk, the scene in the basement has changed. Dustin and Lucas are standing by the couch, staring at something on the floor. Max is leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking weirdly amused.
"What's going on?" Mike asks, setting the stuff on the table. "Did Lucas finally admit he lost —"
"Shut up," Lucas snaps, but his voice is tight, like he's distracted. "Mike, look. We have a... situation."
Mike follows their gazes and freezes. On the floor, in the exact spot where Will was sitting, is a small, fluffy brown bunny. It's sitting perfectly still, its ears twitching slightly, and it's looking up at Mike with big eyes.
For a second, his brain short-circuits. "Did... did someone bring a rabbit down here?"
"No," Dustin says slowly. "That's Will."
Mike blinks. "What."
"That's Will," Max repeats, deadpan. "He, uh. Touched something weird under the couch. Glowed a little. And then... poof."
Mike stares at the bunny. The bunny stares back. It's definitely not a normal rabbit. For one thing, its eyes are way too expressive. For another, it's wearing Will's favorite shirt, which is now comically oversized and draped over its tiny body like a blanket.
"Oh my god," Mike says, dropping to his knees next to it. "Will? Is that you?"
The bunny twitches its nose. Then it nods. Actually nods. Mike's jaw drops.
"Okay," he says, because what else is there to say. "Okay. This is fine. This is normal. We've dealt with worse."
The bunny—Will—hops toward him, and Mike instinctively holds out his hands. Will climbs into them, and Mike's heart does another stupid flip because he's holding Will. Well, a bunny version of Will, but still. He's soft and warm and his little paws are resting on Mike's palms, and Mike is pretty sure he's going to pass out from how cute this is.
"So," Lucas says, breaking the silence. "What do we do now?"
Mike looks up at him, still cradling Will like he's made of glass. "We... take care of him? Obviously?"
Dustin snorts. "Yeah, but how long is this gonna last? What if he's stuck like this forever?"
The bunny in Mike's hands thumps its foot, clearly annoyed. Mike frowns at Dustin. "Don't say that. You'll scare him."
"I'm just asking," Dustin protests, but he backs off anyway.
Max shrugs. "I mean, it's not the weirdest thing that's happened to us. At least he's cute."
Mike glares at her, because no one else gets to call Will cute. That's his job. "Okay," he says, standing up carefully. "We'll figure this out. For now, let's just... keep him comfortable. And maybe not tell our parents about this."
Lucas raises an eyebrow. "You think?"
Ignoring him, Mike looks down at Will, who's now curled up in his hands, looking up at him with those big, trusting eyes. "It's okay," Mike says softly. "I've got you."
Will's ears twitch, and he nudges Mike's thumb with his nose. Mike's stomach does another flip, and he decides right then and there that he's going to protect Will with his life.
The first hour is chaos. Dustin keeps trying to "scientifically observe" Will, which mostly involves shoving his face way too close and getting thumped on the nose. Lucas is pacing around the basement, muttering about how this is "definitely some Upside Down crap," and Max is just sitting there, smirking like she's enjoying the whole thing way too much.
Mike, meanwhile, is sitting on the couch with bunny Will in his lap, trying not to have a heart attack every time Will moves. It's not that he's scared—okay, maybe a little—but mostly it's that Will is so soft. Like, unbelievably soft. Mike keeps running his fingers over Will's fur, and every time he does, Will leans into it, his eyes half-closing like he's enjoying it. Mike's face is probably bright red, but he can't help it.
"You're so cute," he murmurs, and then immediately cringes because did he really just say that out loud? But Will doesn't seem to mind. He just nudges Mike's hand with his nose, and Mike's heart melts into a puddle.
Dustin, of course, has to ruin the moment. "Dude, stop flirting with bunny Will."
Mike's head snaps up. "I'm not—what—no!"
Max snorts. "Yeah, you are. It's gross."
"Shut up," Mike snaps, but he's too flustered to make it sound convincing. Will, on the other hand, seems to find this hilarious. He's wiggling in Mike's lap, his little nose twitching like he's laughing.
"You think this is funny?" Mike says, trying to sound annoyed but failing miserably. "You're the one who turned into a rabbit."
Will just tilts his head, looking innocent, and Mike sighs. "Fine. But if you pee on me, I'm never letting you live it down."
Will huffs, like he's offended, and Mike grins. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Eventually, they decide to try and figure out what exactly Will touched. Mike carefully sets him down on the floor, and Will hops over to the couch, where the weird object is still sitting under the cushion. It's a small, smooth stone, about the size of a quarter, and it's still glowing faintly. Mike picks it up with a pair of tongs (because he's not taking any chances) and holds it out to Will.
"Is this it?" he asks. Will nods, his ears flopping slightly, and Mike frowns. "Okay, so... what do we do with it? Do we just wait for the glow to wear off?"
Dustin shrugs. "Maybe. Or maybe we should take it to Steve. He might be able to help us."
Looking at Will, who's now pawing at the stone like he wants to touch it again. "Uh, maybe don't do that," Mike says quickly. "We don't know if it'll make you turn into something else. Like a frog."
Will stops and gives Mike a look that clearly says, "I'm not an idiot," but Mike just grins. "Just being safe."
They decide to wait it out for now. He puts the stone on a high shelf where Will can't reach it, and then they all settle back down. Well, almost all of them. Will is still a bunny, and he's now sitting in Mike's lap again, like he's decided this is his new permanent spot. Not that Mike’s complaining.
"Okay," Lucas says, flopping down on the armchair. "So we're just gonna... hang out with Will as a bunny for the rest of the day? That's the plan?"
"Pretty much," Dustin says, already digging into the cereal box. "I mean, it's not like we can do anything else."
Max shrugs. "Could be worse. At least he's not a slug or something."
Will’s ears twitch like he agrees when Mike laughs. "Yeah," Mike says, stroking Will's back. "At least he's cute."
When Will looks up at him, Mike's heart does that stupid flip again. He's pretty sure he's going to survive this, but he's also pretty sure he's never going to recover from how adorable Will is right now.
The day goes on, and Mike gets used to having a bunny in his lap. It's actually kind of nice. Will is warm and soft, and he keeps nudging Mike's hand when he wants to be petted, which is pretty much all the time. Mike’s happy to oblige.
At some point, they decide to watch a movie, and Mike ends up lying on the couch with Will curled up on his chest. It's the most comfortable he's been in weeks, and he's pretty sure he could fall asleep like this. But then Dustin opens his big mouth.
"Hey, Mike," he says, grinning. "You know what this reminds me of? That time you and El—"
He sits up so fast Will almost falls off. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."
Dustin laughs. "What? I'm just saying, you look pretty cozy over there."
Glaring at him, Mike is pretty sure his face is bright red. "Shut up. It's not like that."
Apparently sensing the tension, Will hops off Mike's chest and onto the couch cushion between them. He looks up at Mike, his ears twitching, and Mike sighs. "It's fine," he mutters. "Dustin's just being an idiot."
Will gives him a look that says, "I know," and Mike can't help but smile. "Yeah, you're right. He always is."
Mike easily dodges the pillow Dustin throws at him. "You're just jealous because Will likes me better."
"Pfft. He'd totally rather hang out with me. Right, Will?" Dustin gives the bunny an expectant look.
Will just stares at him, unimpressed, and Mike grins. "Told you."
Lucas rolls his eyes. "Can we just watch the movie? Or are you two gonna keep arguing over who Will likes more?"
Mike sticks his tongue out at Dustin, but he settles back down, and Will hops back onto his chest. Mike can feel Will's little heart beating against his own, and it's weirdly comforting. He strokes his fur absently, and Will leans into it, his eyes closing.
"You're so soft," Mike murmurs, and he doesn't even care if the others hear him this time. "Like, ridiculously soft."
Will nudges his chin with his nose, and Mike laughs quietly. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. But it's true."
The movie starts, and Mike tries to focus on it, but it's hard when there's a cute bunny literally on top of him. He keeps glancing down at Will, who's now fully asleep, his little paws twitching like he's dreaming. Mike's heart swells, and he has to resist the urge to kiss Will's fluffy head.
"Will," he whispers. "You're killing me here."
Will doesn't respond, of course, but Mike likes to think he would've smiled if he could. Instead, Mike just holds him a little tighter and tries to pay attention to the movie. It's not easy, but he manages.
Mostly.
By the afternoon, Mike is completely smitten. He's accepted that this is his life now—holding a bunny version of his best friend and trying not to die from how cute he is. The others have gotten used to it too, though Dustin still keeps trying to "scientifically" pet Will, which usually ends with Will thumping his foot in annoyance.
But then things take a turn.
It starts when Mike, feeling bold and a little stupid, decides to tease Will a little. "You know," he says, grinning down at the bunny in his lap, "I gotta say, this is kinda nice. You're way quieter like this."
Will's ears twitch, and he looks up at Mike with a frown. Or as much of a frown as a bunny can make, anyway.
"I mean, not that I don't like you when you're human," Mike adds quickly. "But, you know. You’re being less dramatic."
Will's ears flatten against his head, and Mike's grin widens. "And you're so clingy right now. Like, I can't even go to the bathroom without you following me. It's kinda funny."
That's when it happens. Will suddenly stands up on his hind legs, his front paws planted firmly on Mike's chest, and thumps his foot. Hard. It's not just a little annoyed thump—it's a full-on "I'm mad at you" thump. Mike's grin falters.
"Wait, no," he says, but it's too late. Will hops off his lap and onto the floor, his ears pinned back, and then he proceeds to hop away to the other side of the room. He settles down by Max, who looks surprised but also kind of amused.
"Uh, Mike?" she says. "I think you made him mad."
Mike stares after Will, his stomach twisting. "I... I didn't mean it like that. I was just kidding!"
Will doesn't look at him. He just curls up next to Max's leg, pointedly ignoring Mike.
"Great," Dustin says. "Now you've pissed him off. Nice going."
Mike glares at him. "Shut up. I'll fix it."
He gets up and walks over to where Will is sitting, crouching down in front of him. "Hey, Will. Come on. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Will doesn't move. He just keeps his back to Mike, his little tail twitching.
"Seriously," Mike says, reaching out to pet him. "I'm sorry. You're not clingy. I like it when you're clingy. Actually. So... please don't be mad?"
Will finally turns his head to look at Mike, but his ears are still flat, and his expression is unimpressed. Mike sighs. "Okay, fine. I'll leave you alone for a bit. But just know that I'm sorry. And I'm an idiot."
With a huff, Will turns away again, and Mike stands up, feeling like crap. He walks back to the couch and flops down, running a hand through his hair. "Great. Now he hates me."
Max shakes her head, scratching Will behind the ears. "He doesn't hate you. He might... just need a break."
Mike nods, but he still feels guilty. He watches as Will leans into Max's hand, his eyes closing, and something ugly twists in his chest. It's not fair. He's the one who's supposed to be petting Will, not Max.
"You're good at that," he mutters, trying not to sound as jealous as he feels.
Max smirks. "Yeah, well. Maybe you should've thought of that before you called him clingy."
Mike groans and covers his face with his hands. This is officially the worst day ever.
The next hour is torture. Mike tries to focus on the video game he's playing with Lucas and Dustin, but he keeps glancing over at Will, who is still sitting with Max. She's petting him, and Will is actually purring—or, well, doing the bunny equivalent of purring, which is a weird vibrating thing that Mike didn't even know bunnies could do. It's driving him crazy.
"Man, you're distracted," Lucas says, pausing the game. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Mike says, too quickly. "I'm fine."
Dustin snorts. "Yeah, right. You're totally jealous that Max is hanging out with Will."
Mike's face heats up. "I'm not jealous!"
"Sure you're not," Max chimes in, still petting Will. "That's why you keep staring over here like you want to murder me."
Mike opens his mouth to argue, but then Will does something that makes his heart stop. He hops onto Max's lap and curls up, looking completely content. Mike's stomach drops, and he has to look away before he does something stupid, like yank Will out of her lap and put him on his own.
"Okay," he says, standing up abruptly. "I need some air."
He heads upstairs, not waiting for a response, and steps outside. The cool air helps a little, but not much. He leans against the side of the house, crossing his arms, and tries to calm down. It's ridiculous. He's being ridiculous. It's just Will. It's not like Max is stealing him away or something.
But then why does it feel like she is?
Mike sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He knows why. He's known for a while now, but he's been ignoring it, because it's complicated and scary and he doesn't want to mess things up with Will. But seeing him curled up with Max, looking so happy and comfortable, makes Mike realize something: he doesn't want anyone else to make Will happy like that. He wants to be the one Will trusts, the one Will leans on, the one Will—
"Mike?"
Startled, he turns around to see Max standing there with Will in her arms. "What—how—"
"I brought him out here," Max says, walking over to him. "He was moping after you left. I think he missed you."
He stares at her, then at Will, who's looking up at him with those big, apologetic eyes. "Really?"
Max nods and holds Will out to him. "Here. Take him. But maybe don't call him clingy again, okay? He's sensitive."
Carefully taking Will from her, he cradles him against his chest. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."
Will nudges Mike's chin with his nose, and Mike feels his heart melt all over again. "I'm really sorry," he murmurs, stroking Will's fur. "I didn't mean it. I swear."
Will makes a soft noise, like he's forgiving him, and Mike sighs in relief. "Thank you."
Max watches them for a second, then smirks. "You two are so cute. It's disgusting."
He sticks his tongue out at her, but Mike can't deny it. He is pretty disgusting right now, but he doesn't care. "Shut up. Go back inside."
While laughing Max heads back inside, leaving Mike alone with Will. Mike sits down on the steps, still holding Will close. "So," he says quietly. "You really missed me, huh?"
Will wiggles in his arms and settles back down, his little paws resting on Mike's chest. Mike smiles and scratches behind his ears. "I missed you too. Even when you’re a bunny."
Will thumps his foot lightly, like he's saying, "Hey," but Mike just laughs. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm an idiot."
They sit there for a while, just enjoying the quiet. Mike's heart feels lighter now that Will is back in his arms, and he realizes that maybe this whole bunny situation isn't so bad after all. Sure, it's weird, but it's also given him an excuse to be close to Will without feeling awkward about it. Not that he'd ever admit that out loud.
"Hey, Will?" Mike says after a while. "Can I tell you something?"
Will looks up at him, his ears perked, and Mike takes a deep breath. "I... I really like spending time with you. Like, a lot. Even when you're not a bunny. Actually, especially when you're not a bunny. Because I miss... I miss talking to you, you know?"
Will's nose twitches, and he nudges Mike's hand again. Mike smiles, even though his face is probably red. "Yeah. I just... I wanted you to know that. Okay?"
Of course, Will doesn't say anything—because he can't—but he does something better. He climbs up Mike's chest and nuzzles his cheek, and Mike's heart does about ten flips in a row. "Okay," Mike whispers, his voice shaky. "I'll take that as a 'me too.'"
By the time the sun sets, everyone is exhausted. They've spent the whole day trying to keep Will entertained, which mostly involved letting him hop around the basement and occasionally chasing him when he got into something he wasn't supposed to (like the cereal box, which he somehow managed to knock over and spill everywhere). But now, as the evening winds down, they're all sprawled out on the floor and couch, too tired to move.
Mike is lying on his back, with Will curled up on his chest. He's gotten used to the weight of him, the soft rise and fall of his breathing. It's comforting, in a way he can't quite explain. He strokes Will's fur absently, his mind drifting.
"You think he'll turn back soon?" Lucas asks, his voice quiet.
He glances at the clock on the wall. It's been almost fifteen hours since the transformation happened. "Maybe. I don't know. The stone didn't exactly come with instructions."
Dustin yawns. "Well, I hope so. As cute as he is, I miss being able to understand him."
Max nods. "Yeah. It's weird not hearing him."
Mike smiles down at Will. "Yeah. I miss it too."
Will's ears twitch, and he shifts slightly, like he's trying to get more comfortable. Mike adjusts his position so Will can settle better, and then Will does something that makes Mike's breath catch. He climbs up Mike's chest and burrows under his chin, his little face nuzzling against Mike's neck.
"Oh my god," Mike whispers, his heart racing. "You're so cute. I can't stand it."
Will makes a soft noise, almost like a sigh, and Mike wraps his arms around him carefully. "It's okay," he murmurs. "I've got you. Just... stay there. Please."
Will complies, his body relaxing against Mike's, and Mike closes his eyes. He's not sure how long they stay like that, but it feels like forever. The others are talking quietly in the background, but Mike doesn't really hear them. All he can focus on is the warmth of Will in his arms, the softness of his fur, the way his little heart is beating against Mike's skin.
Eventually, Mike feels himself starting to drift off. He tries to fight it, not wanting to miss a second of this, but it's no use. His eyes close, and his breathing slows, and the last thing he thinks before he falls asleep is how much he wishes Will could stay like this—close and safe—forever.
When Mike wakes up the next morning, something feels different. For one thing, his chest is heavier than usual. For another, there's a weird tingling sensation spreading through his body. He blinks his eyes open and looks down, expecting to see a fluffy brown bunny, but instead—
"Oh my god," he whispers.
Will is lying on top of him, human again, his face buried in Mike's neck. His arms are wrapped around Mike's waist, and his legs are tangled with Mike's. He's still asleep, his breathing slow and even, and Mike's heart is pounding so hard he's sure Will must be able to feel it.
"Will," he says softly, trying to wake him up without startling him. "Will, wake up."
With an adorable a bit grumpy snuffle, Will stirs, his eyes fluttering open. He blinks up at Mike, confused, and then his face turns bright red. "Mike?"
"Hey," Mike says, his voice shaky. "You're... you're back."
Will looks down at himself, then back up at Mike, and then he scrambles off him so fast he almost falls off the couch. "Oh my god," he says, covering his face with his hands. "I was—last night—"
Sitting up quickly, Mike tries to calm his racing heart. "It's okay. It's fine. You were... cuddly. As a bunny. It was nice."
Will peeks at him through his fingers, his face tinged pink. "Really?"
Mike nods, trying to act casual even though his whole body feels like it's on fire. "Yeah. I mean, I missed having you around, but... it wasn't so bad."
Will lowers his hands and smiles, and Mike's stomach does that stupid flip again. "I missed you too," Will says quietly. "And... thanks for taking care of me."
He shrugs, trying not to smile too wide. "That's what friends are for, right?"
Will's smile fades a little, and he looks down at his hands. "Yeah. Friends."
Mike's heart clenches, because he knows that tone. He's heard it before, when Will is trying to say something without actually saying it. And suddenly, Mike doesn't want to be just friends anymore. He wants to be more. He wants to be the one Will cuddles with when he's human, not just when he's a bunny.
"Will," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Can I... can I tell you something?"
Will looks up at him, his eyes soft, and Mike takes a deep breath. "I... I really like you. Like, more than a friend. And I know this is probably weird, especially after yesterday, but... I just thought you should know."
For one horrible second, Will just stares at him, and Mike is sure he's about to be rejected. But then Will's face breaks into a huge smile. "Mike," he says, and his voice is full of relief. "I like you too. A lot. I thought you'd never... I mean, I didn't think you—"
Mike cuts him off by leaning forward and kissing him. It's clumsy and a little awkward, but it's perfect, and when they pull apart, both of them are grinning like idiots.
"So," Mike says, his face red. "Does this mean I get to cuddle with you when you're not a bunny?"
Will laughs and leans into him, resting his head on Mike's shoulder. "Yeah. I think that can be arranged."
He wraps his arm around Will, pulling him closer, and for the first time in a long time, everything feels right. "Good," he says, kissing Will's forehead. "Because I was getting really jealous of Max."
Will giggles, and Mike's heart swells. "I know. It was kind of adorable, actually."
Mike groans. "Shut up."
Will just laughs and snuggles closer. "Make me."
Mike smiles and kisses him again, because he can. And he's pretty sure he's never been happier in his entire life.
Bunny Will was cute, but human Will is perfect. And Mike wouldn't trade him for anything.