Work Text:
It’s now the year 1990. Lucas, Dustin, Max, Will and Mike are all twenty-one now. Mike is living in New York, his first book on the party's adventures published, and he’s now working on his next book. Will also lives in New York with his brother, Jonathan. They share an apartment where Will paints and makes art while Jonathan does photography. Lucas and Max live happily in California, but they visit Hawkins and the others frequently. While Dustin is studying physics in college.
Will and Mike haven’t talked in a while, they still kept in touch briefly but neither knew what to say. They both miss the way their friendship used to be, but both of them are too afraid to try to reel those two little boys playing D&D everyday back together. That is, until Mike walks into a bar, looking for a drink. He’s been a little depressed lately. He has been since Eleven’s death and everything he went through. Especially the fact that he drifted apart from Will. So he goes to bars alone sometimes to help with that pain.
Mike sits down on a bar stool and orders a drink. But then, he looks across the bar and sees Will. The last time he saw him in-person was when they were eighteen at Dustin’s birthday party. They’ve called, but only talked about stupid things. Like the weather, or work, nothing like they used to. Will looks a little bit different, but Mike still sees him as the little boy with the bowl cut he used to stay up late laughing and giggling over the walkie-talkies.
Will is sitting next to another guy, Mike doesn’t know his name but Will seems to be annoyed with him. His brows furrow together but he’s trying to stay nice and calm. Classic Will, Mike thinks. Mike feels a pang of jealousy and annoyance towards the other boy. And a strange sense of protectiveness over Will. The same way he felt when he and Will were just boys.
Just as Mike is about to walk over to them, the other boy gets up and leaves, the bar
door jingling as he steps out. Will looks down, his fists clenched.
Mike walks over to him, “Will? Are you okay?”
Will instantly looks up at the voice. He remembers that voice so clearly. It’s the same soft voice Mike always used when Will was upset. Mike used to speak like that whenever Will was scared or upset.
Will’s fists unclench and he seems calmer just in the presence of Mike. He says, “Mike?”
Mike says, “Oh, right, I'm sorry to just walk up on you like that. I came here for a drink and saw you and that..other guy”
Will hesitates, not sure if Mike will say yes, “Do you want to sit?”
Mike hesitates for a second, and then nods and sits down. He abandons his questions about the other man, figuring Will probably doesn’t want to talk about it.
Mike says, “...Hey, Will. We haven’t really talked in a long time. I…missed you”