Archive of Our Own

The smell of blood is overwhelming.

It wasn't supposed to go this way.

Mike was supposed to keep Will safe.

He can feel his vision going red around the edges. The scent of iron flooding his senses.

The urge to just lay Will down on the ground and suck him dry is so strong it's making Mike's legs buckle even with his newfound strength.

Will's eyes are squeezed shut, little sobs coming out of his mouth as he is jostled with every step Mike takes.

He tries to be careful to not hurt Will further but he knows they are being chased by the military. Knows that if they get caught, they are done.

It was a mistake to go down there with Will.

It was Mike's fault.

He should have not taken Will's side and agreed to let him come with them. Will would have been upset with him. They would have argued but at least he would be safe. Not injured and bleeding like he is now.

Mike hasn't really let himself look at the wound that is seeping blood through Will's gray shirt because he knows he won't be able to control his animalistic urges.

He needs to get him to the others so they can help.

If only he knew where they were right now.

The upside down should be familiar, as it's the exact same copy of Hawkins and yet the vines and the rot is making everything nearly indistinguishable.

They are somewhere in the woods though, but everything is so dark even with Mike's enhanced vision and senses.

They are still not far away from the danger as the lights flashes in his periphery.

With another muttered apology to Will, he fastens his pace. Will groans, head lolling on Mike's shoulder.

Mike feels tears gathering up in his eyes.

Will was just trying to protect him, the bullet was aimed for Mike, it was meant for him.

It should have been Mike, not Will.

And now he can't even help his best friend because his body has decided that he is fucking food for him.

"Shit!" He trips on one of the root-vines that is sticking out on the ground. Will cries out in pain and Mike shushes him before turning left and running till he can't even hear the military around them.

"Mike, p-please," Will gasps out, tears staining his face, and his grip tightening on Mike's sleeve.

They finally come out of the woods, an old and rotting building looming in front of them.

The military is probably still chasing them, and he can't find an escape from the upside down.

So, he runs towards the entrance.

It looks just as close to collapse from the inside, but it would have to do.

Till he can go and find the others, he needs someplace safe to keep Will.

He goes deeper into the house so that the military can't find them. It's a big building, whoever owns it in the real world is probably wealthy. Mike doesn't really care about it as he finds what looks like a living room, scattered with couches.

They look filthy, and disgusting but Will can't go further like this, so Mike finds the cleanest couch and gently lays Will down, slowly removing his hands from under his back and knees.

Except Will's grip doesn't loosen as Mike backs away from him. Instead he tugs him closer, grasp tightening.

"Wha—"

"D-don't—Mike, don't go, pl-please." His sentence is broken by the pained gasps getting wrenched out of him.

"Will, I need to go and find the others to help you," Mike covers Will's hand on his arm, trying to pry his fingers off, even though his body and heart is screaming for him to stay with him.

He needs to leave, he can't be around Will when all his instincts are telling him to hurt him.

Mike wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to Will because of him.

More than what has already happened.

He needs to go, but Will isn't relenting and his eyes are glassy when he finally opens them and looks at Mike.

"Stay…"

"I—I can't, you know I can't, Will. I won't be able to…to control myself."

"You will, please don't lea-leave me like t-this, Mike, please."

"No-no, please Will, I have to. I-can't I—" Mike shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut with tears streaming down from them, he bites his lip so hard it draws blood.

It isn't enough, though. His own blood is never enough. Not when a warm human is freely bleeding in front of him, helpless and weak.

He is a beast, a fucking animal.

A Freak.

So fucked up in the head that he can't help the sickening thoughts from swirling inside his head.

The man he loves is dying in front of him and Mike's instincts are screaming at him to not even let a single drop of blood go to waste.

He needs to leave.

Right now.

He stands up straighter, Will's fingers slipping from his shirt.

A distressed sound leaves Will's mouth as he sees Mike backing away.

He tries to turn away.

He can't.

"Mike please, please don't—" Will begs, shivering, and his body wracking with his sobs. A thin stream of blood runs down his chin from his mouth.

Fuck.

He steps back, eyes trained on the red spot on his shirt. The blood has started staining the couch below him too.

Will's hand is still outstretched towards him. He doesn't understand how dangerous Mike is right now.

He should be hiding from him.

Should be protecting himself.

Mike is a predator and Will looks like his perfect prey.

His mouth waters. Fangs sinking into his bottom lip.

"Will…"

Its a name, but he tries to convey everything that is rushing through him with it. The overwhelming urge to take. And the even stronger urge to protect, the only thing still holding him back somehow.

Will doesn't understand, he can't. He just shakes his head as he tries to sit up and fails, a whine coming out.

Mike takes a step towards him instinctively, and the smell of blood envelops him so completely that he staggers back, the rational human part of him screaming at him to put some distance between them.

The same part that is making him scared to leave Will.

Scared that something will happen to Will if he isn't there.

But nothing worse can happen than Mike staying and killing him himself.

He is ready to run, to leave even though he knows in the back of his mind that the others must have escaped the upside down when the military ambushed them.

It doesn't matter, Mike will be fast. He will find them. Find someone who can help.

He would give himself to the military if it means that Will gets to live.

"Mike, I—I won't survive."

That stops him in his tracks, his eyes wide as he stares at Will.

"What?" He breathes out, his voice cracking around the word.

"I—I won't, Mike. I will die, here," Will whispers, his breathing shallow and fast.

"No—no, no, no, you won't, Will. I will find Joyce or—or Hopper. They will help you. I won't let you—No, Will. I won't, you can't,"

"M-Mike, you have to help me. S-stay, please. 'm losing so much blood. I won't stay conscious for long. Please."

Mike's breath hitches, and he feels his knees buckling under him.

He can't help Will.

Not when he is like this.

A sob wrenches out of him, wounded as it punches the air out of him. The feeling of helplessness surrounds him till its weighing him down.

He doesn't want to believe Will. But the blood pouring out of him is too much.

He knows that Will needs immediate help. Needs the bullet out of his body and the blood to stop.

"Mike."

His eyes snap to Will's. His face is twisted in agony but he still looks so trusting.

Mike doesn't trust himself. He can't.

"Please, y-you have to help me, c'mere."

Will lifts himself a bit, body shaking, as he tugs at Mike's mud covered jeans. He stumbles and falls on his knees beside Will.

He can't control himself. The smell of blood is too strong. It's all his eyes can see. All he can focus on.

The beast is going to win.

Mike is going to lose Will.

"Hey." A hand gently grips his chin, tilting his head to instead look at Will's face. "Y-you can. Mike, you can. You won't hurt me. I trust you."

Mike's fingers are digging into the slimy couch, claws tearing through the already shredded fabric. He squeezes his eyes shut again, head shaking violently.

"You don't understand, Will. I can't. Please don't make me to do. I—I will hurt you, please."

"You won't, Mike, you-won't. I kn-know you won't." Will's thumb brushes his jaw.

He doesn't deserve his trust.

Will doesn't know what is going in his head.

He doesn't know that Mike's thirst for him was already twisted and disgusting even before the demobat bit him.

He wouldn't want Mike anywhere near him if he knew.

"Pl-please, I can't, Mike. Need you, now, help me." Will's eyes slip shut for a few seconds, and all air leaves Mike chest.

"No! Will! Will, wake up, fuck!" His hand instantly shoots towards his chest, splaying wide as he tries to feel his heartbeat, the other cupping his cheek.

It's slow, but its there.

Will eyes open slowly, a dazed look in them as looks towards Mike. "Help me, please."

He rests his temple on Will's bicep and tries to breathe but it hurts, his lungs feel like on fire, like the air is stuck somewhere in his throat.

But he won't be able to live with himself if he stayed here and did nothing, letting Will die in front of him.

He shudders a breath out, before whispering, "Okay."

He lifts his head, a look of desperation and determination in his eyes.

"Okay, tell me what to do."

Will smiles at him, its small and it doesn't reach his eyes, but something in him relaxes, "Okay…first you need to get the bullet out of me."

Mike nods, it's shaky, the smell of blood is assaulting his senses as he finally lets his hand drift towards the hem of Will's shirt. It's wet and dark red in color, completely drenched in blood.

He bites the inside of his cheek, and clenches his other hand on his thigh, anything to keep him from putting his mouth to the wound. His ears are ringing as his brain chants a mantra of preypreyprey.

Maybe it's only the love for Will that's holding him back.

But it's also the love for him that is feeding his urges, the blood looking more delicious than anything.

Will winces as the fabric is lifted, and Mike gasps.

"Shit!"

"W-what? Mike, what is it?" Will tries to lift his head to peer at the injury, but it clearly hurts him as his head falls back on the armrest.

"Fuck, Will, the bullet—oh my god—"

"Mike?"

This can't be happening right now.

"It—it was the one they use for the—the demos,"

"What?"

It's worse, so much worse.

Recently, the military has started using specialized bullets for the demos, since the normal ones definitely do not work on them. From what Murray and Hopper had gathered, they had some kind of venomous liquid that spreads and turns their body into a sickly green color before finally killing them off

And now Will's skin is green around where the bullet is wedged inside his skin, and its spreading further.

"Nononono fuck Will, I can't—oh my god, Will, this is—fuck—" Mike vision blurs as hot tears fills his eyes. He starts hyperventilating, breath coming in too fast and yet not at all. This should not be happening right now.

If it was a normal bullet, he could have taken it out, stopped or at least slowed down the bleeding somehow. They could have been out of here and gotten help.

As far as he knew, no human has been shot by this. He doesn't know what to do. He doubts anyone else knows.

And Will, oh god, Will has his hand on Mike's jaw again, and he is caressing it so gently as he makes him look at him again.

"Hey—hey, you need to get it out alright? Get it out before it makes it s-spread further."

Will nods at him even as his own eyes are filled with tears, reflecting back Mike's fear.

Mike shudders as looks down again. He hesitates before bringing his hand towards the wound. He touches the skin around it lightly, and Will whimpers in pain.

"I—its going to hurt…I'm sorry,"

Mike tries to swallow down the the ache in his throat, it's too much. Fresh and rich crimson blood is staring back at him, his head pounds from the sheer effort of not putting his mouth there to just drink. His throat feels too tight, and his tongue heavy as he bites down on it.

He breathes in shallowly before finally pushing his index finger inside the wound, trying to feel the bullet stuck somewhere as Will cries out loudly, squeezing Mike's shoulder so tight it almost crushes his bones. Its wedged between tore muscle and skin, going at least a couple inches as Mike feels its edge somewhere deep inside his body.

His other hand comes up to Will's ribs, rubbing through his shirt to soothe him as he wiggles his finger a bit, trying to get the angle right to pull it out.

Will's mewls and groans are the the only thing that's grounding him to reality and not letting his beast-like instincts take over.

His finger finally catches the bottom of the bullet, and his other hand comes up to push against the skin as he tries to tug it out.

Will flails, his body trying to get away from Mike's hand, "Mike! Mike, it— it hurts, p-lease! Mike!"

Mike risks a glance up at Will's face and he almost breaks down then and there. Its a mess of tears, snot, sweat and blood all mixing together. Expression twisted in agony, mouth open in whimpers as he thrashes his head on the couch.

Mike takes a shuddering breath in, "'M sorry, baby, please, it's going to be okay very soon, I promise, please 'm so sorry." His voice comes out small and shaky, trying to comfort Will as he give the metal another tug.

It's a tedious task, as Will whimpers every time Mike moves his finger even a little.

Sweat beads on his temples by the time he can finally see the bottom of the bullet poking out of the hole in Will's body.

"Shit, I see it, okay—breathe for me, okay? 'M gonna take it out now,"

He pulls his finger back before gripping the bullet between his thumb and index finger. Will mewls when it slowly get dragged out of his body.

Mike immediately regrets as soon as he gets it out as even more fresh blood starts pouring out of the gaping hole, with nothing to hold it in.

"M-Mike?"

He hasn't even realized he has leaned so close to it, breath ghosting over the wound when Will's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"Fuck! Oh my god—I'm so sorry, Will. I—I need to—"

He jerks back as though burned, before trying to get up and get as far as from Will as possible.

He isn't successful as Will catches his arm.

"Will, no—Its too much, I can't—can't stay close. I almost—"

"Mike, you need to suck."

"What?" He freezes and he isn't quite sure he heard Will right as the words process in his brain.

"Mike, you…you need to get the venom out, its spreading and I won't—Mike please, you need to suck it out of me." Will's breathing is shallow yet his voice comes out steady.

It's logical. He has seen in it movies, people do it with snake bites. And this is probably something similar. If he spits the blood out and gets it out of Will's system then it should work the same, especially since Mike is kind of a vampire.

But he won't be able to control himself once he starts.

He will drink till Will is completely drained.

Mike can not do it.

It's—

"Mike please, we don't have much time,"

But he also can't let Will die in front of him.

"Will, you know what I am. I won't be able to stop. I can't—"

Mike cuts himself off when Will squeezes his arm and its the look in his eyes. The desperation, the trust, the vulnerability that make him want to go forward with the crazy plan.

But he is still struggling to get air in his lungs, breathing shallowly through his mouth so the smell of blood wouldn't completely overwhelm him.

Its mostly useless though, Will is too close and he is begging him to get closer.

He needs to rein back the monster inside him.

Will needs him. And Mike can't let him down.

Not right now.

"Mike…please." His voice is small, begging.

He nods, its a minute and shaky movement, but he sees the way Will finally registers it and his eyes fill with relief and something like gratitude.

Mike is going to throw up.

Will isn't aware how wrong this could go.

But either way Mike could lose his best friend.

So he lowers his mouth to the wound, holding his breath, hands gripping the frayed couch till his knuckles turn white.

"Don't uh…drink, alright?" Will says from above him, his voice registering through a haze in Mike's blood lust-addled mind.

His lips finally grazes the skin, tongue peeking out to gently prod inside.

Its the first time he has tasted any human blood.

Something is off.

It's bitter, something sour mixed with the sweet iron.

Oh.

He spits out on the carpet suddenly, and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing

Will looks at him with confusion, a question forming on his lips before Mike explains.

"The poison, its making your blood taste like shit,"

"Oh?"

The haze is slightly clearing as his body registers that the food isn't as appetizing as it looks. It's probably for the better. Mike can focus better on saving Will this way.

He dives back in, already expecting the taste. He sucks a mouthful before spitting it out.

He repeats the process a couple times more before he realizes that Will is very quiet.

He looks up at him, and sees Will biting his lips and looking at him with wide eyes.

"What? Does it hurt a lot?"

"No!" Will says a bit too quickly, before his lips quirk up slightly, "No, the opposite. It feels…good? I mean, I don't really feel anything. It's like your spit is numbing it down."

"What?" Mike can feel his own eyes widen. He didn't expect that.

"Yeah, I—I don't know, it's just…" Will trains off before he signals as Mike to continue with the poison removal.

It's a few minutes later that he notices that the color around the skin is no longer that rotten blackish-green.

Its working.

Except the sweetness in Will's blood is also increasing. And its getting harder and harder to not just latch onto his skin and finally claim him.

He keeps repeating the process of sucking and spitting almost mechanically now, trying not to think about anything else.

The green has completely disappeared now, even the inflammation around the wound has gone down.

But he taste of blood is almost perfect.

He sucks on for the last time.

It's so fucking good.

Mike almost moans as he presses further and tries to fill as much as possible.

Its intoxicating. And so goddamn hard to not continue lapping and letting the blood down his throat.

Its the tug on his hair that pulls him back before he does exactly that.

He vision is hyper focused on Will who is laid out on the couch like the perfect treat. A mixture of hunger and lust meddling in Mike's mind, making it almost impossible to form any clear thoughts.

"Spit it out, Mike," Will says gently, as he cradles his jaw, forcing it open slightly.

The blood spills down Mike's face before he can stop it. It trails down his chin, some of it getting on his clothes before he snaps his jaw back.

Will stares at him, his pupils blown wide probably in fear as his hand tightens on his jaw before sliding down Mike's throat.

Mike swallows.

He can feel the remaining blood sliding down his throat— his Adam's apple bobbing under Will's thumb— warming up his chest before finally settling deep in his belly.

It's the best thing Mike has ever experienced.

He wants more.

He can't.

So his blood lust addled mind decides to get the next best possible thing.

He lunges up and crashes their lips together.

And Mike doesn't know how he actually came to this decision but Will's lips are dry and chapped against his bloody and wet ones, and it's perfect.

It's just the press of the lips for a few seconds before Mike realizes that Will has gone very still beneath him.

Panic rushes through him as the initial euphoria fades and he pulls back abruptly.

"Shit! Will—'M so sorry, I—I shouldn't have—" His sentence is cut short as trembling hands wrap around the back of his neck and head, and pull him back in.

His hands are still hovering over Will's shoulders, eyes looking at Will's closed ones with his eyelashes fanning over his wet cheeks.

Will makes a tiny noise in the back of his throat, his hold tightening, lips moving more desperately against his and Mike's eyes finally flutter close and his hands settle as he deepens the kiss.

Mike should have gone to hell after this.

But somehow he just got to know what heaven feels like.

All kinds of fluids—which absolutely have no place being present in a kiss— mix together. They don't mind as Mike's tongue nudges Will's lip and slides inside.

Relief trickles in, his mind processing that he had almost lost Will. Lost all this without ever knowing what it feels like.

He clutches tighter to Will, hands rubbing over his arms, before sliding down to his chest. He pauses there and just feels the heart pumping, steadily

Alive and safe.

They slide lower, just to physically take in all of Will, to reassure him that he is there.

Will winces.

Mike pulls back immediately.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Panic flares again as he remembers Will was hurt and lost a lot of blood.

Maybe enough to cloud his judgment.

And Mike had just gone in and taken something which wasn't his to take.

"No—Don't stop—"

Will tries to close the distance again with a whine, and Mike has never seen Will like this.

It's probably the effect of the injury or— the venom.

Which still needs medical attention that Mike doesn't know how to give.

He extracts himself from Will with an almost impossible restraint and something in Will's eyes break.

"Mike?" He asks, voice small and almost wounded.

Mike is going to puke. He feels sick— of himself and how he had just managed to be selfish once again.

"Will, we need to get you out of here. Its not healed properly. We need to, yeah, you need a doctor,"

Will blinks at him as though he has forgotten that he was shot. And everything that has happened after that.

He glances at his abdomen, and stares. Mike follows his line of sight and he can't believe what he is seeing.

There is no wound there, no hole where the bullet was lodged. Just the drying blood and some swelling.

The skin looks immaculate other than that.

"Wha—"

"Oh,"

"Oh?" He looks up at Will, and realizes that he might be blushing if not for the blood he had lost.

Will ducks his head, almost shyly before looking down at where shot wound was supposed to be, and slowly raises a finger to press it there.

His nose scrunches up as he hisses, moving his finger over the skin.

Mike waits.

Will looks at him finally.

"I—I told you that it felt numb?"

"Yeah?"

"So like what if you have like…vampiric abilities to heal people?"

"Will, I am not a vampire,"

"You were bitten by a bat, and now drink blood as your primary food source, I think that classifies as a vampire." Will deadpans.

Mike is quiet for a moment, mulling over it before he decides to redirect the conversation, "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I feel a bit dizzy but it hurts a lot of less now." Will smiles at him and Mike eyes instantly flick to his lips.

"Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"What about the—kiss?"

Mike inhales sharply, eyes darting around and then settling somewhere on the couch's back.

"I am sorry, Will. I shouldn't have done that. You are still—you were shot and clearly still not feeling okay and I took advantage of that. I am so sorry," Mike says, jaw clenching as his eyes fill with tears, threatening to spill.

"Mike, look at me,"

Mike can't.

Will's hand gently cups his cheek and guides his face to look at him.

Mike also can't resist him.

"I wanted it, not just now but for so long, Mike. I have wanted this for years."

Will's voice cracks a little at the end. He meets his eyes with so much sincerity and hope in them that Mike just breaks.

His breath hitches before a sob slips. Then his tears are spilling freely as Will hooks his arm around his neck and pulls Mike closer.

It's like everything from the past hour has finally caught up with him as he cries, burying himself into Will's chest and murmuring apologies.

His hands claws at Will desperately, realizing how close he has come to lose the love of his life.

Will rubs his back, shushing him and breathing reassurance into Mike's ear.

It's minutes or maybe hours afterwards that something in Mike settles. His breath stop coming in short bursts as his pulse steadies.

Will just holds him through it.

Will who has grown up with him, who has seen Mike at his best and at his worst. Who Mike has hurt countless times in the past few years, and still refuses to leave Mike's side.

He pulls back slightly and looks up at Will.

He is so selfless, and caring, and beautiful and amazing—

"I love you."

Its out before Mike has thought it through. Or maybe it had been sitting in the back of his throat for so long that he couldn't contain it there anymore.

Will remains silent for a few seconds, his lips parted, and eyes wide. And Mike instantly thinks that maybe Will didn't mean that he loved him back earlier, but he doesn't dare take it back.

It just sits there between them.

Mike thinks that all that crying earlier must have dried up his tear ducts but somehow more of them gather up in his eyes.

Will seems to snap back as his hand immediately shoots to Mike's cheek to wipe a tear that has slipped past his eyes.

Mike leans into the touch unconsciously.

"We are both idiots, so fucking stupid, Mike," Will murmurs before leaning in and kissing Mike, hard.

Mike feels a little behind on what's happening as Will pulls back and kisses Mike on his left cheek, then his right. Moving to his chin, his nose, both his brows before he finally resting his forehead against Mike's.

Will closes his eyes and breathes in.

The angle is awkward and its hard to see being this close yet he looks so peaceful it's almost like he has fallen asleep.

But he is smiling.

"Will?"

He hums in response.

"What are you doing?"

Will opens his eyes and looks at Mike.

"Loving you."

And it feels like the air is knocked out of Mike and he forgets to breathe it back in.

"What?" It comes out broken and cracked, his mind still processing.

"I've loved you since you made a sword out of a cardboard and used it to defend me from imaginary demogorgons, Mike. I've loved you for the past decade and you just told me that 'm allowed to do it openly now, so I am doing it right now, Mike. I love you, so much."

Mike really wants to pinch himself and confirm that all of it isn't just a dream. That it's real and happening and Will loves him back after all this time.

He discreetly tries to do just that and Will chuckles, "What are you doing?"

"Will, if this is a dream, then I will consider it to be mind torture."

Will giggles and brings Mike's hand between them, kissing the back of it, "It's not, Mike. I promise. I am here, You just saved me."

Mike gulps, and tries to swallow down another sob, before he breaks into a wobbly and wet giggle as well.

They laugh through the tears, the sound loud in the eerie silence of the upside down.

As they calm down Will brings him closer again, and Mike nuzzles his throat, gently rocking them left and right

"I love you. I love you, Will, more than anything else. Thank you for being here. And—and trusting me through all of it, I love you," he mumbles against Will's neck as his fingers tangle in his curls and scratches at his head. Mike makes a pleased sound at that.

It's a few minutes of pure bliss before Will speaks again.

"Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I feel sleepy."

Mike suddenly remembers that although Will has no visible injury anymore, he had lost a lot of blood and they still weren't entirely certain about the whole venom situation.

"Oh shit, Will. I totally forgot about it." He fusses over him, tucking his shirt back, and wiping his face with the hem of his sleeve, trying to clean him as much as possible, "Oh my god, we need to get you out of here and possibly get you checked over. I am sorry ba—"

His rambling is shut off effectively as Will presses his lips against his again.

He pulls back after a second, smiling at Mike.

"I think you will need to carry me back, my vampiric paladin."

Mike grins back at him before standing up and scooping Will into his arms once again.

"With pleasure, my cleric."