Chapter Text
They did it.
Vecna is dead.
Holy shit. Holy shi-
“Will!”
The party ( plus the extended party ) were all in the abyss, in Vecna’s lair, his body grossly destroyed by El, and help of Will. His head now lay on floor and, at first. For the first time in a long time, it was quiet in Mike’s head. Other than the constant loop of, ‘Holy shit’ or ‘We did it.’ He knew this time it was over for good.
It was quiet until he heard El’s voice. Frantic and shaky. Mike turned his head toward the direction she had her hand pointed at, and thats when he saw Will falling to the floor.
“Will!” Mike said under his breath as he ran over to his falling best friend.
Mike barely made it in time before Will’s head hit the ground, Mike had placed his hand right under, cushioning the fall.
Mike looked around, yet no one other than Eleven seemed to have noticed what happened, either celebrating or helping the younger children they had saved from Henry’s mind.
Eleven came running to Will’s other side on the floor, grabbing Will’s wrist and checking for a pulse.
Mike was full on crying now holding the limp boy on top of him whispering things like ‘Please wake up’ or ‘Will please dont leave me, please’ over and over.
Eleven seemed to have found a pulse because she sighed in relief.
“Mike, he will be okay.” She said sounding confident. Eleven had a way of just talking and having a calming effect on people. Mike adored her for that.
“How do you- is he even- what is happening El- W-Will he- he-“
He was cut off by another voice behind him. Though he couldn’t bring himself to turn around and look at the source of the voice, his eyes stayed glued on Will‘s face, paler than it was just two minutes ago. His flushed pink cheeks now seemed dull and lifeless. His lips now a little blue, instead of the full pink lips mike remembered (not that he was looking) and his hand was so awfully cold.
Mike could hear people talking around him. He tried to make sense of the words, He really did. But his ears were ringing so incredibly loud, he was suddenly dizzy. He was still sobbing. Unable to hold it in, and he just wanted will back.
Suddenly a pair of strong hands grabbed his shoulders pulling him back. Away from Will.
“No!” Mike screamed as he jerked away from the hands that grabbed him.
The hands pulled again, but this time he could register the words.
“Kid.” Hopper said, pulling harder
Mike, on instinct grabbed Will’s hand harder and hugged him against his chest as he cried “No please- he- he needs me- i cant- let me go!!”
He got pulled yet again, but this time he couldn’t fight Hoppers pull, he watched as Will got pulled away from him by whoever was carrying him ( Mike is pretty sure its Steve, or maybe Jonathan ) He saw everyone disappear towards the exit, he knew someone was carrying Will, yet Mike couldn’t get his legs to follow.
And at the very last second, right before whoever was holding Will turned the corner, they adjusted their hold on Will, causing his Will’s arm to slip, still limp. All Mike wants to do is to reach out and hold Will until he wakes up, until he knows he is safe. But as he is reaching his hand up, even though he would be too far to hold on to him, his hand disappears from his view.
“No!! please- Wi-Will-“ Mike cries
Hoppers hands suddenly grabbed him and just held him as he sobbed. He felt an ache spreading through his chest and body, it seemed as though his fingers were becoming numb.
“i’ve got you” Hopper said, holding him tightly.
“I-i cant loose him. please i-i lo- i cant” Mike rambled not filtering his words. Mike turned his head away from Hopper’s chest, eyes darting everywhere for Will. When he couldn’t find him, he was fully convinced he lost him.
His ears were ringing harder now, his head spinning, his eyes sore from crying, his fingers shaking and he couldn’t feel them, and his throat burning.
He knew Hopper was talking to him, but Mike couldn’t hear, he felt as though he was underwater. Everything sounding muffled and like static. He wasn’t even sure if he was still crying
A couple things happened next that mike cant really remember.
He remembers leaving the abyss and upside down right in time for bomb that he made to destroy the upside down for good. He remembers being met with some sort of military, but he thinks he saw Owens, then he remembers the drive to the hospital.
Now Mike sits in the waiting room, with Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy. He doesn’t know where everyone else is, but he doesnt really care about them right now.
Mike is staring at the floor, his leg bouncing and his hands visibly shaking.
“Mike!”
Mike blinked and suddenly Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy were all staring back at him, all heading out the waiting room, towards the paitient room.
He doesn’t know how long they had been calling him. But it was probably a lot by the way they were staring at him.
Joyce stepped closer to him and put one of her hands on his shaking knee, causing it to calm down. And her other hand on top pf both of his, also stopping it from shaking.
“Mike, honey. the doctor just came by, Will woke up. he’s okay” Joyce said gently, tears in her eyes but Mike saw so much relief in her eyes that he knew it was genuine.
“Okay” Mike managed to say. His throat hurt. Bad. Probably from all the crying he had done, and maybe some yelling. Yeah definitely a lot of yelling.
When they made it to the room, Jonathan and Nancy were already talking to Will and having a small laugh. When Mike and Will made eye contact the dam broke. Again.
Mike went rushing to his side and hugged the boy so so tight. Sobbing right into his hospital gown.
Will hugged him back just as tight, one hand then started rubbing circles on his back, while the other one found its way to Mike’s dark curls, since Will knew he loved it.
“It’s okay, Mike, I’m okay. You’re okay” Will whispered so lovingly and gentle Mike cried even more. He pulled back just barely to make eye contact.
“I-i thought you-you scared me I couldn’t i-“ he was cut of by his own sob, burrying his face back into Will’s neck.
“Shhh. Mike its okay i promise. I’m right here okay? I’m not going anywhere.” Will reassured.
Mike finally started calming down, just little hiccups instead of sobbing. When he slowly lifted his head, Will‘s eyes were already on him, red rimmed in a little teary.
“I’m sorry” Mike quickly said, his face still wet from previous tears.
“What? Mike- you have nothing to be sorry for, okay? nothing at all.” Will said with a wet chuckle as he wiped tears from Mike’s face. Mike didn’t notice, but he leaned into the touch, taking a deep breath as Will’s soft and delicate fingers traced his face.
“I’m right here. Okay?” Will said as he grabbed one of Mike’s hands and put it on his own chest. Mike could feel the steady heartbeat in his fingertips rising up into his arm into his own heart. He finally seemed to calm him down. He lean down and pressed his ear against the heartbeat and took a deep breath.
“Promise?” Mike asked, his eyes meeting the similar and grounding emerald green eyes.
“I promise”
—
Will got discharged from the hospital the next morning, but Mike stayed by his side the whole time.
The Byers-Hoppers had moved to a bigger house out by ‘Salter Road’ a bit more into the woods, but closer to town and Mike’s house.
Mike couldn’t help but think why the Byers-Hoppers moving caused an ache in his chest. It’s not like they were leaving all the way to California again. So why?
The more Mike thought the more he started to realize something. He got that same painful ache in his chest the same night he realized that Will went missing, and the same night he thought that they had found his body in the quarry, and the same night the Mindflayer had possessed him, and when the Byers actually moved to California, and when they came back and were just akward and then arguing. (good thing they made up) and then again when Will collapsed after—
Wait did this have to do with Will?
Probably. It made sense to mike. he is his best friend after all. Since kindergarten too, so yeah thats all it is…
Right??
Why does he feel like it isnt all then?
Maybe he’s just tired. He had a long day helping Will set up his new room, so Mike decided to just go to sleep. A similar but smaller ache in his chest lingered, until sleep found him.