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It was April 7th, 1986. It was Mike's birthday, yet Will hadn’t seen him at all that day. He had left early in the morning, apparently. He was gone for breakfast and no one seemed to know exactly why. Will would be more concerned if this hadn’t already become a pattern for the last three days.
In other news, Jonathan seemed desperate to keep Will busy all day. Immediately after breakfast, he was being shoved mercilessly into the car, barely having time to grab his backpack, to go to the Hawkins High gym, which was now a shelter for those whose homes were lost during the “earthquake”. He was met there by Dustin and they worked on various jobs together.
“Hey, have you seen Mike at all today?” Will asked.
“Mike? Uh, I don’t think so. Why?”
“He was just already gone when I woke up and I was wondering where he might be?”
“Huh,” Dustin started, “Maybe he’s with Lucas and Max?”
Oh. Maybe. Lucas hadn’t left Max’s side even after she woke up. She had been hurt enough for the town to still be affected, but thank goodness the others were able to take care of Henry before it got deadly for her. She was in a wheelchair for a while and had a broken arm. She was also partially blind in one eye. She probably should still have been at the hospital, but had to be discharged early to make room for others. Lucas was constantly with her and they had doctor appointments consistently for her.
“Yeah that might be it. I wonder if they’re doing anything for his birthday.”
Dustin looked up from the clothes he was folding with a slightly panicked look on his face. “Shoot, that’s today? It’s been so hectic lately it totally slipped past me! I haven’t even gotten him anything!” He worried at his lip for a second. “Hey, are you free after this? Wanna go gift shopping with me?”
Will shrugged, nothing better to do with his time. “Sure.”
After they were done with the clothes, Will found Jonathon and told him what they were doing, just so he wouldn’t panic when he couldn’t find Will later on.
Unsurprisingly, the two boys ended up at the book store.
“The problem with this is,” Dustin said, “I know he likes fantasy.”
“So get him a fantasy book?”
“No, I mean he likes fantasy to the point where he may very well have already read every single one of these fantasy books.” Dustin looked at him pointedly. “He reads like a madman.”
Okay, yeah that was fair. “Okay, maybe not a book then?”
“What else am I supposed to get him?” Will shrugged. Dustin gave him an unimpressed look before lighting up. “Oh! What did you get him?”
“I drew him something–”
“Well he'll love that.”
“You don't even know what it is?”
“He loves everything you draw, his room and basement might as well be a Will Byers Art Museum at this point.”
Will blushed a bit at this comment but didn't push further on the topic. He had noticed that a lot of his drawings were up when he and Jonathon moved into the basement, but they had always been there so it didn't feel off.
He leaned down and grabbed something off the bottom shelf.
“What about these?” He asked, holding up a blue journal and a set of two nice mechanical pencils. Dustin grinned.
“Oh those are nice! How much do they cost?”
Will looked at the back of the items. “The pencils are five dollars and the journal is eight.”
“So thirteen dollars in total–”
“Plus five percent sales tax is–”
“Thirteen sixty-five,” Dustin finishes.
“How much do you have?” Will asked as Dustin dug out some money from his pocket, counting through the bills.
“Ummmmm….twelve. So I either gotta do one or find something else.”
“So which one?”
Dustin considered for a moment before sighing, “Find something else but keep the journal as a backup.”
Will nodded, putting the pencils back but carrying the journal with him as they continued looking through the store.
Eventually they settled on the journal plus a pack of fifty cent bookmarks.
“We gotta go back to my house now to get, like, a bag or something for it to go in,” Dustin declared as they walked out the door. Will sighed, not really wanting to walk more and wishing they had their bikes with them, but he had nothing else to do, especially with Mike disappearing.
Dustin got them each a glass of water when they got to his house. Will downed his quickly, exhausted from walking all over town.
“Where do you think Mike has been going? He’s been gone before breakfast for three days now,” Will asked as Dustin searched his house for an old gift bag.
“Honestly? No clue. My best guess is over to Lucas to help out with Max?” He shrugged. “Ah-ha!” Dustin triumphantly pulled out a shimmery silver gift bag. It was a bit small for the journal, but Dustin shoved it in regardless. He reached back into the closet he got the bag from and dug around for tissue paper.
Will nodded, realizing that he hadn’t seen Lucas and Max at all either, but they tended to stay at his house while she was still healing. It was easier for her wheelchair than her trailer was. Still, it was odd that Mike would be going over there so often without talking to Will about it or inviting him to join. And why would he have to leave so early? They live really close by.
His train of thought was interrupted by his stomach growling. It was three and neither him nor Dustin had eaten anything since breakfast.
Either Dustin heard his stomach, or was on the same track, as he looked up at Will from the floor, yellow tissue paper stuffed half-hazardly into the bag, and asked, “Lunch?”
As Dustin put their plates in the sink, his walkie gave a weird sound, like someone had connected to it and just tapped on it a bunch before leaving. Dustin clicked the button to speak and asked “Hello?” to no response before shrugging at Will.
“We should probably go to the Wheeler’s so I can at least leave the bag somewhere for him.” Will nodded and they started the trek towards the Wheelers. Will told Dustin he could bike there, but Dustin replied, “If you’re walking, I’m walking.”
And so they walked.
Karen greeted them at the door.
“Hey boys! You look exhausted, want some lemonade?” She asked before going to get each of them a glass without either of them responding.
“Ted! Could you please turn down the television just a bit?” She called out. Will found it a bit odd since to him it didn’t seem any louder than usual, but today had been odd in general so he shrugged it off. He thanked her with a smile when she handed him his glass.
“Has Mike been home today? I haven’t seen him at all.”
“Oh, yeah. He’s downstairs I believe.” She smiled. Holly called for her from the dining room so she left.
The basement? KInd of odd since that was sort of Jonathon and Will’s room for now, but it was his house so it made sense.
The basement lights were off when they opened the door. Will found the light switch and flicked it on.
“Surprise!”
Will can’t help but grin at the sight. All of his friends, even Max in her wheelchair, are gathered at the base of the stairs. Mike is holding balloons, one reading ‘Happy Birthday!’.
“But I–it’s not–what?” Will sputtered out.
Mike spoke up this time, “Your birthday got kind of overlooked, so I thought we could share mine?” He smiled sheepishly in a way that made Will’s stomach flutter. He felt his grin soften a bit and he went downstairs to hug the other boy.
“Thank you.” Mike hugged back.
“Not just me, Max, Lucas, and El did all the decorations, and Dustin and Jonathan kept you busy all day.”
Will turned to the rest of his friends. “Thanks, guys.” He tried to fight the light tears in his eyes.
They played a short campaign Mike had made, even Max and El. After the campaign, Mrs. Wheeler brought down pizza and cake, allowing them to eat downstairs so Max wouldn’t have to figure out the stairs. Then the gifts.
Will really wasn’t expecting anything. The party was more than enough, yet there he was, sitting on the basement couch as each of his friends handed him and Mike various bags. Will got colored pencils from Lucas, a new sketchbook from Max, a homemade bag from El made of patchwork from old clothes, and a sci-fi book from Dustin. Mike leaned over to whisper in his ear.
“You’ll get mine later, promise.” Will smiled as the breath hit his ear. He shifted to whisper to MIke.
“Same with yours.” The two smiled at each other before Dusitn called out.
“Okay, birthday boys! A New Hope, The Thing, or Ghost Busters?”
After some discussion, the party was huddled with blankets and pillows while A New Hope played on the television.
Finally, it was time for everyone to leave. Will hugged everyone tightly, thanking them again. He sat down on the couch next to Mike when they were alone.
Mike looked around, suddenly nervous. “We’re gonna have to leave the house for my present.” Will looked at him curiously, but let Mike help him up. They put their shoes on and made their way out of the basement door to the outside. They grabbed their bikes and Mike led the way down familiar roads.
“Mike?”
“Yeah?”
“Are we headed to my old house?” Mike wobbled on his bike a bit, caught off guard by the question though it was reasonable.
“Um, not exactly.” Will furrowed his eyebrows but let it go. He would see soon enough anyway.
They got to the base of the woods before getting off their bikes. It was dark, but Mike pulled out a flashlight.
“How much do you trust me?”
Will blinked with some concern. “That entirely depends on the context.”
“Enough to let me guide you through the woods while you’re blindfolded?”
For someone so uncoordinated, Mike was surprisingly good at guiding someone through the woods at night. He carefully made sure that Will didn’t trip or fall as they made their way around the tree roots and rocks.
Eventually, they came to a stop. Mike left Will’s side for a moment and there was a rustling.
“Ready?” Mike asked. Will smiled and nodded. His blindfold was pulled off and he gasped.
Illuminated by Mike’s flashlight and various lamps that Will assumed Mike had left his side to turn on stood a newly rebuilt Castle Byers.
“Oh my…Mike…”
“Do you like it?”
“I..I love it!” We walked towards it in awe, a grin on his lips. He pulled aside the curtain that acted as a door. It had been rebuilt larger than before, so it was able to fit the two boys easily. When Will turned, he saw that Mike was already looking at him with a sweet smile on his face. “Is this what you’ve been doing for the past three days?”
Mike opened and closed his mouth, blushing. “I–Um, yeah–” Will rushed forward to wrap his arms around him.
“Thank you, Mike.” Mike wrapped his arms around Will as well.
“I got you something too,” Will said as he pulled back. He turned to swing his backpack off of his shoulders. Out of the large pocket he slid a roll of paper out, handing it to Mike.
Mike was smiling even before he unrolled the drawing.
It was done in colored pencils that Will had stolen from Holly. An image of a young Mike and Will in their homemade Mike the Brave and Will the Wise costumes. They were running hand in hand, Mike leading the way with his cardboard sword raised.
“Oh Will, this is beautiful.” Mike studied the drawing with love. Will couldn’t help but to start blushing again.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? WIll this is the best thing anyone’s ever given me. I love it! I love–” He cut himself off. Will tilted his head.
“Love what?”
Mike looked up at him, a hopeful, yet anxious expression on his face. He took a deep breath before quietly saying, “I love you.”
Will gaped for a moment. “Oh…”
“I’m sorry–I–I don’t know what I was think–”
“I have another gift for you.” Mike blinked at Will, who also took a deep breath. Without giving himself a second to overthink, Will connected their lips. Mike reacted instantly.
Whoever said that kissing felt like fireworks was full of it. Fireworks implied fast, nervous energy. Something jittery and full of sparks. This was nothing like that.
Kissing Mike felt like a campfire on a cold night. It was calm. It was Mike relaxing into him and wrapping his arms around Will. It was Will tangling his fingers through black curls. In a world that was in a constant state of anxiety, Mike Wheeler was his peace. Though anyone else would describe him as anything but peaceful.
They parted, keeping their foreheads pressed together.
“I love you too.”
The two boys smiled and Mike pressed another kiss to Will’s lips.
They laid down on the cushions at the floor of Castle Byers, Mike leaning his head on Will’s chest.
“Happy birthday, Will,” Mike said.
Will ran his hand through Mike’s hair.
“Happy birthday, Mike.”
It may have been nearly three weeks late, but this was the best birthday Will could have ever asked for.