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The lights were dim in the SQUAWK, pooling in tired halos across the floor as the group trickled in. Mike had Will’s arm slung across his shoulder, despite the other boy’s protests that he was fine, because ‘holy shit Will you just single handedly took out three demos so put your goddam arm around me and let me help!’
Joyce was hovering behind, anxiously checking every few minutes to make sure her son was feeling alright – well, as alright as he could be, given the circumstances.
Mike’s mind was whirling a hundred miles an hour, snatching thoughts out of nothing and hurling them into existence before he had time to process the previous. But one took root against the rest: however, it had happened, whyever it happened, that was his best friend, his Will, and he had never been more stupidly, painfully proud.
{ 1 hour prior }
Mikes arms moved of their own accord, his body curling inwards as a last-ditch effort to protect itself from inevitable demise. And even though he knew, he knew he was about to die, he could only really think of one thing, one person.
He had failed him, again. He wasn’t there for him the first time he was taken; he didn’t see the signs soon enough when the mind flayer had a hold of him, and worst of all, he hadn’t sent those stupid letters. How hard was it to stay in touch with his best friend? That was something he would never forgive himself for. So, the very moment he got him back, he hadn’t left his side. When the quarantine was announced, he’d offered up the Wheeler residence in a heartbeat (much to his parents’ dismay). It was just like it used to be, the two of them against the world. Except, when it really came down to it, when their world really did begin to crumble, letting ungodly creatures slip from beneath the surface, Mike still wasn’t there to protect Will.
But then something happened, or, more specifically, nothing happened.
As Mike stood there, braced for death, everything seemed to stop. And when he looked, and saw the Demogorgon writhing mid-air, as if it was being held by some unseeable force, Mike’s first thought was Eleven. Relief washed over him, flooding his body as he thanked god that they were safe – that Will was safe.
But when it was not El, but Will, stood there, arms outstretched, face scrunched in a mixture of concentration and determination, it was not relief that Mike felt, it was complete, bone shattering awe. Absolute adoration. A feeling like no other he had ever experienced.
Then the Demogorgon crumpled with a series of sickening crunches and Will dropped. Mike didn’t even think; he was already in motion, colliding with his best friend before he knew he’d moved. His arms wrapped tightly around Will’s back, and he clung desperately to the other boy like a lifeline. Vaguely, he could make out other noises – Joyce, crackling flames and faraway sirens, but all he could think was Will.
Will is safe.
Will, Will, Will.
“Mike, it’s okay.” Wills grip slacked and his hands came to rest on Mike’s shoulders, pushing him back slightly. Reluctantly, Mike let Will move his body back until they were face to face. His stomach lurched as he stared into familiar deep brown pools, letting himself drown there as he relished in his best friend’s safety. “Why are you crying?”
He was? He broke eye contact and swiped roughly at his cheek to find that, yes, he was crying. Stupidly, his lips formed the word “Oh,” before a sob broke free and he lurched forward to wrap Will back up in his arms.
“That was so close, Will, it was so close.”
“I know. I won’t let it get you Mike, I promise.” Mike pulled back again, and a choked laugh tore free.
“What? No, I’m talking about you! You almost died Will!”
The other boys head cocked to the side, and he lifted a brow in confusion,
“That Demogorgon literally nearly killed you.”
Mike faltered, technically, Will was right. He had nearly died, until…
“Holy shit, you saved me! You saved me with your powers? Did you know you could do that? How did you do that? Have you done that before?” The words gushed messily out all at once, as if this vital piece of information had only just registered. Will looked equally as stunned for a second, as if he too, had forgotten what had just happened.
“I, uh,” He glanced to Mike’s right, where Joyce was standing (when did she get there?), before looking back at him. “No, n-never. I have no idea, I just knew that you were in trouble, that you all were, and I couldn’t let anything bad happen. I just… felt this power and somehow, I knew how to use it. I knew how to save you.” Wills gaze fell to his hands, which he opened and closed, as though testing to see if there was anything different. His brow furrowed, and for a second Mike knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Hey,” He placed his own hands in Wills, “That was amazing. We would be dead without you, and everything would have gone to complete shit.”
Will’s face crumpled and he tore his hands free to gesture helplessly around him.
“What do you call this then? The kids are gone. Vecna took them. We’re sitting in a military graveyard. We don’t know where Hop and El are or Jonathan and Nancy. Is this not complete shit Mike?” A tear fell down his cheek and he looked at his hands again.
“What if… What if I could do this all along, and I was just too caught up in my own head to realise. What if we could have defeated Vecna already?”
Mike couldn’t speak. He couldn’t speak because how, how could Will still think this was his fault? He hated that he had failed to protect will from the Demogorgon, the upside down, the mind flayer, Vecna, and now, he had failed to protect him from himself.
“Oh Will,” Joyce was now beside them, gently taking her son into her arms and holding him close as he cried. “Oh honey, no. You listen to me.”
She cupped his face, thumbs brushing at tears he couldn’t seem to stop. Her own voice wavered, but her words were fierce.
“You have spent your whole life fighting monsters you should never have had to even know existed. And every single time, you have gotten back up. You survived when the world tried to swallow you whole. You survived when he was inside your head, twisting everything. And you kept going.”
Will shook his head, breath hitching, but Joyce pressed on, firmer now:
“You want to know what would’ve happened if you’d had this power sooner? They would’ve killed you for it. They would’ve taken you away from me and used you and broken you until there was nothing left. This power came when you were ready for it. When the world needed you. Not some weapon, not some soldier, but you. My boy.”
She brushed his hair back, eyes locked on his. The moment felt so intimate that Mike had to look away, as if he wasn’t supposed to be here.
“The kids aren’t gone. Hopper isn’t gone. El isn’t gone. They’re out there, and we are going to bring them home. Because that’s what we do. That’s what you do, Will Byers. You don’t give up on the people you love.”
He blinked up at her, quivering and sniffling, but listening. And selfishly, Mike wished that he could be the one to tell him this. That he could be the one to comfort him and put hope back into those eyes that he so desperately…
The simple thought took him by surprise. That he so desperately loved.
Though, he supposed it was as simple as that. He loved Will. Will was his best friend, and Mike was the heart.
“You didn’t fail anybody,” Joyce whispered, pulling Will into her again, one hand rested protectively at the back of his head. “You saved us today. You gave us hope again. And hope is what keeps the monsters from winning.”
She leaned back just enough to look him in the eyes again, voice a fierce tremor:
“And I am so damn proud of you.”
Mike’s heart thrummed, and something inside him dared him to intrude on the soft exchange between mother and son. He leaned forward and grasped the other boy’s hands again, holding firmly so he couldn’t pull away.
“I am too, Will.”
{ Present }
They had collected Robin and Murray along the way, and once Will had been situated on the sofa, the adults retreated to a corner to have a hushed conversation – which, if you asked Mike, was a little unfair, seeing as they had all pretty much been through the same shit and therefore all deserved to be in on the adult conversation. Any other time, he might’ve tried harder to intervene, but right now, his mind was otherwise occupied.
Robin pulled up a chair beside them, collapsing into it with a heavy thud. Mike eyed the spot next to Will and, after a moment’s hesitation, sat down close – close enough that their legs pressed, despite the abundance of empty sofa he could’ve taken.
Robin’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she regarded this, and Mike found his expression tightening defensively. They had just been to hell and back, so what if he wanted a little extra closeness right now?
Though, his pulse had begun to stutter, because suddenly he was very aware of the warmth of Will’s thigh against his. It wasn’t like he hadn’t sat next to Will a thousand times before, but this felt different. Maybe it was the adrenaline still buzzing under his skin, or the terrifying almost-loss of it all, but the urge to stay pressed against him, to make sure he was still okay, was overwhelming.
Robins’ expression remained scrutinizing, until Will knocked his foot gently against hers and shrugged his shoulders.
Mike’s chest tightened. He couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something. Them maybe. The way they’d gotten so close lately – whispering, laughing, checking in on each other – it had started to get under his skin more than he liked to admit.
Not that he had a problem with it. Obviously. Will deserved people who made him happy. He deserved friends who stuck around and actually showed up and didn’t… push him away or screw things up or yell at him in roller rinks.
But Robin was older, nineteen and weird and cool and definitely not someone who should be messing around with Will. Not that she would. And he wasn’t saying she wanted to. Or that Will wanted to. It wasn’t like that.
Probably.
Mike swallowed, jaw tightening as Robin bumped Will’s knee with a grin, and Will flushed in response. They shared another knowing look that only made Mike want to shrivel in on himself even more.
Maybe he was just… protective. That made sense. Will was his best friend, after all.
He shifted slightly, their legs brushing again, and Will glanced down at the contact. It was a quick look, but Mike caught it.
His breath stuttered.
He forced himself to stare stubbornly ahead, like this was just the easiest place to sit, like his heart wasn’t climbing up his throat every time Will so much as breathed near him.
Yeah. Totally normal behaviour on his part.
Robin cleared her throat, a small, sharp sound that sliced straight through Mike’s haze and dragged his attention back to the present.
The older girl tipped her head toward Will, eyes bright. “So when, exactly, did you decide to become Jedi Jesus? Because that was some serious Force-ghost-obliteration out there, Byers.”
Will flushed again, and Mike’s chest felt strange. “I just, knew somehow that I could do it… knew that I had to.” He tilted his head and considered her for a moment, “You helped, actually. What you told me earlier today, I mean. That really helped.”
Robin’s teasing demeaner softened instantly. Her smile warmed, proud and fond in a way Mike had never seen directed at anyone except maybe Steve.
He frowned, the twist in his chest changing into something pricklier. “What did she tell you?”
Robin made a strangled sound and Mike swore her neck went bright red.
Will waved his hands, flustered. “It’s not – it’s nothing. I’ll… I’ll tell you later.”
Later.
Why later?
Why was he suddenly not allowed in this conversation?
Mike opened his mouth to push, to demand, to know—
But Robin steamrolled right over him. “Anyway!” she said loudly, clapping once. “Pretty sure Joyce is trying to interrogate the walkie-talkie into submission.”
Mike blinked, thrown, then cast his gaze over to where Joyce was fiddling with the walkie.
Robin leaned in slightly and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “She’s doing that thing where she holds it like it’s personally offended her. And if someone doesn’t go over there and help her, she’s gonna have all of Hawkins police force on us in like… ten minutes tops.”
She was directing a look at him that said ‘You are the someone. Go.’ Which only got on his nerves even more. He bristled, straightening his back, ready to argue before Will place a gentle hand on his knee and his whole world melted away.
His heart dropped like he was on a roller coaster, and his forehead prickled with a rush of heat. All of a sudden, Mike was feeling very lightheaded.
“We’ll be okay.” Will murmured, and Mike could only just bring himself to wrench his eyes away from the hand on his knee and into the eyes of the boy he lov-
Wait.
What?
Robin gave him a tap of encouragement with her shoe. But Mike barely registered it. “Go. You’re better with tech anyway. I’ll stay here with Will.”
He barely registered it as he made his way over to Joyce. Barely registered the tips he muttered about adjusting the walkie’s frequency, about holding it just so, about the subtle angle that made the static finally clear.
Between instructions, his gaze flicked back toward the sofa, and he caught Will’s eye. Just a glance, a fraction of a second, and it was like someone had pressed a thousand tiny sparks into his chest. Mike shook his head, trying to focus on the walkie, on Joyce’s endless questions, on anything other than the way his entire nervous system had suddenly forgotten how to work.
“Okay, okay,” he muttered more to himself than to her, fumbling with the knobs. “If we just… wait, no, that’s-”
Robin appeared at his side, taking the walkie and squinting at it. “I think we’ll get a better signal on the roof. We might have a clearer shot of connecting to them up there. Come on, follow me.”
Joyce hesitated, glancing back toward Will, and Mike immediately snapped back into action.
“We’ll be okay,” he said quickly. “If anything happens, I’ll shout. Don’t worry – we’ve got this.”
She gave a small, uncertain nod, and Mike grabbed the extra cord, pressing it into her hands with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Okay,” her voice wavered, and Mike felt a pang of regret for making her do something that he could so easily do – but he was not open to leaving Wills side right now, “We’ll be quick. Come get me if anything happens.”
“I will, don’t worry.” Mike’s voice had somehow found its own confidence, which he was glad for as it seemed convincing enough for Joyce to follow Robin out of the room.
Mike looked at Murray, who had been silently observing the whole interaction. His eyes twitched with amusement, his mouth tilting in a lopsided smirk, and Mike felt that familiar mix of irritation and the unsettling sense that Murray could see straight through him.
But before he could say anything, Murray tutted and headed off after the other two.
Mike huffed, who did that guy think he was anyway. Just a crazy conspiracy theorist who happened to be right on the mark with this one. He had no business judging him. Mike rolled his eyes, making sure Murray had left the room before turning around dramatically to relay his thoughts to Will.
“Can you believe that guy? Did you see tha – oh.” Mike’s words abruptly cut off at Wills unexpected closeness. Under normal circumstances, he would have guided him back to the couch, quipping at him to rest, but right now his throat had completely dried out and his thoughts were no longer coherent.
“Mike… I need to tell you something. It’s… it’s really important.”
Mike blinked. His chest tightened. Will’s hands fidgeted together, but him eyes were locked on him, waiting.
“Yes. Of course. Anything. You can tell me anything,” he said, trying to sound calm, trying to sound like his brain wasn’t throwing a thousand possibilities at him over what this could be, each equally as overwhelming as each other.
Will swallowed. “I… I understand that this might change things between us, but… if I’ve learned anything today, it’s that I need to be brave. That’s what Robin helped me understand, anyway.”
Mike’s mind raced. Brave? Change things between them? What could Robin possibly have told him that had anything to do with Mike? He blinked, shaking off his panic and tuning fully back in to Will.
“But… I’ve been feeling this way for a long time,” Will continued, voice trembling just slightly, “and… you might not feel the same. And if you don’t… that’s okay. I… I believe that we will make it through anyway.”
Mike’s stomach dropped. He could feel the pulse in his temples, in his ears, a slow thunder of fear and wonder.
“But… Mike…” Will’s voice broke, his breath hitching, and his eyes glimmered with something that made Mike’s heart stop cold. “I… love you. I’m in love with you.”
The words hit him like a physical force. His ears filled with a high-pitched ringing, the world narrowing down to Will’s face and the space between them. The floor seemed to tilt, the walls disappeared, and Mike’s mind exploded into a thousand shards of memory and sensation.
They came in fragments, the memories, just as strong and rich as the first time he had experienced them.
The first time he’d ever held Will’s hand that very day they became friends, frantic dashes through school halls as they were late to class, biking home together every day, making their very first DnD figurines, their very first storyline… Each memory ignited with new light, connecting to something deep inside him.
His own chest felt electric, like the universe itself had settled inside him. Colours sharpened. Sounds intensified. He felt the pull of his own heart, the rhythm of his blood, the surge of everything he had ever wanted but never named. He could see everything through a whole new light, see Will through a whole new light.
It was overwhelming, terrifying, breathtaking. He realized he knew Will in a way that went beyond words or sight or sound. And somehow, in that infinite, dizzying instant, he understood what Will had been feeling. Understood what he felt in return.
The ringing faded slowly, the world righted itself, and Mike was left with nothing but Will, and the echo of those five words drumming through him: I’m in love with you.
And for the first time, Mike understood what bravery really meant.
He strode forward. Once. Twice. Then reached out an arm, curling it around the back of Wills head and nestling his fingers into the still-damp curls. His other hand pressed firm against Wills chest, fisting the fabric of his shirt before roughly pulling him closer until their lips collided.
Mike could feel Will freeze beneath him for half a second before reciprocating with just as much fervour. He could feel hands in his hair, pulling and twisting and oh.
This was nothing like he ever had with Eleven. This… this was much much better.
At first it was sharp and urgent – a press of heat and tension that left no room for hesitation. Mike’s mouth moved against Will’s, rough and searching, tongue brushing once, testing, then pulling back slightly before diving in again. Every nerve in Mike’s body seemed alive. And it hit him all at once, the taste of adrenaline, of sweat, of Will’s subtle sweetness, all combining into something insatiable.
Mike’s hand on the back of Will’s head tightened, fingers threading into dark curls, anchoring him while the other hand pressed flat and hard against Will’s chest, feeling the rapid thump of his heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt. He tugged slightly, pulling Will closer, molding him against his own body, demanding closeness as if the world would fall apart if he let even a fraction of space remain.
Will responded in kind, lips parting, tongue brushing against Mike’s in a desperate, unpracticed rhythm. His hands slid up, gripping Mike’s shoulders and arms, anchoring himself in the fervour of the moment. Every touch was electric, urgent, clumsy and utterly perfect.
The kiss rolled over them, and with it, Wills hand slid down Mikes chest, leaving a hot trail in its wake and a heat that flared low in his belly. Will’s hand found rest on his waist and squeezed, causing a gasping sound to tumble out of Mike’s mouth that would have caused him to pull back, cheeks flaming and stuttering in embarrassment if Will hadn’t reacted with even more urgency. The shorter boy stepped forward, trying to press closer – but they were already flush against each other. Mike stumbled slightly under the shift of weight, and his hands shot out instinctively, wrapping around Wills waist to steady him.
They broke apart, chests heaving and breaths ragged.
“Gotcha,” he murmured, holding him close, heart hammering as Will leaned into him, hands now gripping his shoulders. Their foreheads pressed together as they gazed hazily at one another.
Will inclined his head so their lips were mere millimetres apart, and Mike couldn’t get enough of the way Will was staring at him now, eyes hooded and pupils blown wide,
“Don’t let go.”
Mike pressed closer, nuzzling his nose into Wills cheek and gently touching their lips together once more before pulling back a fraction,
“I won’t.”