Chapter Text
The nightmare wasn’t unusual.
Will had been having them on and off for nine years.
They rarely repeated. But always the same feeing. Something cold, watching, and out of sight. Always carrying the same lingering dread that he knew all too well.
This one was different.
Will woke up heaving gasping breaths, being dragged to the surface from somewhere cold and dark, lungs burning, sheets twisted around his legs. His hair was stuck to his forehead, slick with cold sweat.
For a moment, he couldn’t make out where he was.
There was only the thick and suffocating dark, and the echo of something vast just out of sight, something that was watching him without eyes.
A shadow.
An all too familiar shadow.
Will could still feel the storm. Feel the way it moved, fast, endless and alive, spreading through everything; through him. Black clouds twisting into impossible shapes, something enormous and inhuman shifting inside them.
He jerked upright with a gasp and the room abruptly slammed back into place around him.
The dorm he shared with Mike. The single beds they’d pushed together to make one. The faint glow of the lamp on the other side of the room – always left on for Will. The low, distant hum of the city outside.
New York. 1992.
Not there.
But the feeling didn’t leave. It clung to him, cold and heavy.
The lamp flickered.
He froze.
The light stuttered once, dimming and snapping back so quickly it barely resisted. But he felt it, the drum of energy, like a faint pulse.
Will’s stomach dropped.
“No,” he said under his breath. “No, no, no–”
He stared at the lamp, waiting for it to happen again.
Nothing.
The mattress shifted beside him.
“Will?”
The voice was soft. Too soft. But somehow Will’s foggy mind couldn’t register the lack of threat.
He flinched hard, and for a second, the room wasn’t there anymore. It was the storm; raging and endless.
Mike shifted closer, one hand coming up to touch his arm gently.
“Hey,” he murmured sleepily. “You okay?”
Will didn’t see Mike. All he saw was it. The shadow from the storm, the dark mass in the sky.
It was touching him.
“Stop–!”
Will shoved it – him – hard.
His whole body reacted before his mind could catch up. He twisted away at the same time, moving to the edge of the bed.
There was a thud and a sharp, “Shit!”
Reality hit him all at once.
Silence.
Will blinked.
The storm was gone, the walls returned, and the air became breathable.
Mike wasn’t beside him anymore.
“…Mike?” his voice came out small and thin, barely there.
There was a groan and a shuffle from the floor.
“Yeah,” Mike murmured, the air knocked out of him. “I’m here.”
Will peeked his head over the bed. Mike was on his back, clutching his side with his eyes screwed shut and mouth twisted into a pained grimace.
“Mike – Mike, I’m so, so sorry. I – I didn’t mean to. I thought – I thought–”
Mike sat up, his eyelids peeling open to reveal his worried, brown eyes. His face was focused and practiced, like it always was when this happened, like he knew exactly what to do and what to say.
“Hey,” he said quietly, a concerned frown etched in his brow. “I know. It’s okay. You were dreaming.”
Will shook his head, swallowing hard as his hands trembled, gripping the sheets.
“It wasn’t just–”
He cut himself off when he saw Mike’s face drop.
He pulled himself up, resting his arms on the edge of the mattress, peering up at him.
“Will,” he started. “What did you see?”
Will hesitated, then looked away with a sigh.
“Nothing. Just a nightmare.”
Mike didn’t push; he never did. He just watched for another second before climbing back into bed.
“Okay,” he murmured. “C’mere.”
He let Mike pull him close, let his arm wrap around him, warm, steady, and real. Will pressed in automatically, grounding himself in Mike’s warmth, his heartbeat, the familiar weight of him.
“I’ve got you,” Mike mumbled, already half-asleep, his hand moving against Will’s back in a slow, absent-minded rhythm.
Will closed his eyes. His breathing evened out, pulse slowing and chest loosening. He nestled his head against Mike’s chest, wrapping his arms around his waist with a content sigh.
He tried to let the peace settle, to let it drown out the panic, to let Mike’s warmth overtake the seeping cold.
It didn’t.
He could still feel it, the cold, the terror, the feeling of being watched, the buzzing electricity drumming under his skin. Worst of all, through half-lidded tired eyes, he saw the light flicker again.
When Will woke, it was to a familiar weight on top of him, touching every inch of his body head to toe. He smiled and ran a hand through Mike’s messy bed hair, feeling his warm breath against his neck, tickling his skin. Will’s other hand came up and sprawled flat against Mike’s back, feeling as it rose and fell with every steady breath.
It still felt surreal sometimes, even three years later. Will didn’t think he would ever adjust to Mike being his, to finally getting what he’d dreamed of almost all his life.
Mike had confessed to Will the day of graduation after their D&D campaign. Will had been on his way out of the basement when Mike grabbed his arm, urging him to stay. He had told Will that he had tried to thank El for the painting she commissioned for him, but she had no idea what he was talking about. He had realised that those feelings he’d fallen in love with had been Will’s all along. Before Will was able to deny it, hide, lie, any of his usual strategies, Mike had pulled in into a searing kiss.
They took it slow from there, casual, secretive dates, stolen glances when hanging out with the party, kissing behind any closed door they could get behind. Eventually, they told the party in freshman year of college. To Will and Mike’s surprise, none of them had been shocked. Apparently, had a bet about who out of Mike and Will would figure it out first.
It was easier now. They didn’t need to hide from their friends, repress feelings that had been sitting dormant for far too long. Best of all, they were roommates, which made it easier to play off their relationship as a friendship to curious eyes.
Lucas and Dustin had been rooming together, while Max had been with a randomly assigned roommate until El had joined them that year. She had been a bit behind, of course, and had to repeat a couple of years of high school, which meant she was a freshman while the others were juniors.
So even though moments like these weren’t rare, Will still relished in every second of it.
“Mike,” he whispered, giving him a small shake.
“Mm,” Mike grumbled in response.
“You’re heavy.”
“Mh.” Another sound of protest as he nestled deeper against Will’s chest.
Will chuckled. “C’mon.”
He gently pushed Mike by the shoulders, flipping him onto his back and falling back on top of him. Mike immediately wrapped his arms back around Will, sighing sleepily into his hair.
He let himself stay like that for a while, listening to Mike’s steady breathing as he slept peacefully beneath him. He soaked in the warmth, the familiarity, the comfort, until he grew antsy, no longer able to lay still.
He slowly wriggled out of Mike’s arms, slipping off him and watching as Mike’s hands curled around himself instinctively to replace the feeling of Will above him. Will leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead, before standing from the bed.
He made his way over to his desk drawer, pulling it open as quietly as he could and taking out his sketchbook and a lead pencil. The book was green; the cover decorated with stickers of bands and other artsy symbols Will found appealing. Mike had drawn a paladin and a cleric on the front, quite terribly, but it still made Will smile every time he saw it.
Making his way back to bed, he took a moment to appreciate Mike’s beauty in the warm morning glow. His dark hair flopped lazily over his forehead, his lips parted slightly and face relaxed in his gentle slumber. He was wearing one of Will’s old ‘The Clash’ t-shirts which was a bit short on him, revealing a sliver of pale skin on his abdomen. It was still a sight that knocked the breath from Will’s lungs, no matter how much time passed.
He sank down onto the bed beside him, propping the pillows up to support his back and placing the sketchbook in his lap. He brought the pencil to paper and began tracing the outline of Mike, his soft curls, his sharp nose, his defined jaw and cheekbones. Then he filled it all in, adding detail and shading.
He had just about finished up when Mike made a small sound and stirred, his eyes peeling open. He squinted them against the morning sun creeping through the window, then turned to face Will, a smile curving on his lips.
“Morning,” he mumbled.
“Morning,” Will replied, leaning down to place a gentle kiss to Mike’s lips.
Mike sat up and inched closer to Will, throwing an arm over his shoulder.
“What are you drawing?” he asked as he tilted the sketchbook towards himself.
Will helped by letting go, allowing Mike to hold it fully in his hands.
“Will…”
Will frowned. “What? No good?”
“I thought… I thought you’d stopped drawing this,” he sighed.
“I–”
What the hell was Mike saying? He had never had a problem with Will drawing him, which was quite frequently.
“What are you talking about?”
He snatched the book back, meeting Mike’s wide, worried eyes, his brow furrowed.
When he glanced down, the drawing had changed.
The image of Mike had been replaced by something far more sinister. Darker. It was the storm. The same storm he had dreamt about. The storm that had legs. It was the day he had been taken over by the Mind Flayer in his middle school field.
“I–”
Will didn’t know what to say. He had been drawing Mike. He would swear his life on it. But the sketch of Mike was gone, replaced by a spider-like shadow. Had he been subconsciously drawing that the whole time?
Mike placed his hand on top of Will’s. “Hey. Are you okay?”
“I- I’m fine,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I… drew that.”
Mike gently took the sketchbook from his lap, shut it and placed it on the nightstand.
“It’s probably just your nightmare lingering,” he said quietly, pushing a strand of hair from Will’s forehead. “But still, you know you can talk to me, right? Instead of… that.”
Will nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”
“And you’re sure you’re okay?”
He nodded again, this time managing a small smile. “I’m fine.”
“Good.”
Mike leaned forward, cupping Will’s jaw and pressing his lips to Will’s, his other hand finding his waist. Will exhaled into it, allowing the tension to release from his shoulders as he savoured the warmth of Mike’s lips.
It started slow, almost tentative, but soft and sweet. Mike licked Will’s bottom lip and Will parted his as an invitation, tilting his head slightly as he melted into the kiss. Mike tasted of mint, lingering from last night’s toothpaste, and something else so undeniably Mike.
The kiss turned deeper, a little messy, a little more desperate. Mike’s hand slid up along Will’s side, fingers pressing slightly into his waist. Will shifted beneath him, and that was when it tipped.
Mike moved with him, swinging a leg to straddle Will’s hips. Their lips broke apart for half a second, just enough for them both to breathe, then came back stronger.
Will’s hands slid up Mike’s back, pulling him down, so there wasn’t an inch of space between them.
He tugged at the hem of Mike’s shirt, muttering, “Off,” against his lips.
Mike answered by pulling it over his head, then repeating the action with Will’s.
Once both their shirts were off, Mike’s mouth left Will’s and instead began pressing open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, then down his neck, sucking on the skin. His teeth grazed the skin just below Will’s ear, and Will dipped his head back, a soft broken sound slipping out before he could stop it.
“Mike–” It came out more like a gasp than a name.
Mike rolled his hips down, drawing a sharp inhale out of both of them. Will’s hands tightened against his sides, his own hips bucking up to chase the friction.
The rhythm built without either of them speaking, slow but insistent. Mike’s breathing grew uneven, breaking against Will’s cheek where their mouths parted briefly for air, before pulling him back into the kiss.
Will felt the heat growing between them as their movements picked up, more certain now, a little desperate. Mike groaned against his lips, one hand braced next to Will’s head, while the other moved over his bare chest.
The sound went straight through Will, and he tightened his grip on Mike’s skin, grinding up against him. The sound of their heavy breathing filled the room.
“Will,” Mike gasped out through pants. “Will–”
The sound of the door swinging open startled them both.
They didn’t have time to break apart before Lucas and Dustin appeared in the doorway, both wearing matching horrified expressions.
“What the fuck?!” Lucas shouted, before the two of them bolted out of the room, slamming the door behind them.
Will looked from the door back to Mike, who looked almost equally as horrified, his face flushed and a little sweaty.
“Oh god,” Will murmured, running his hands over his face.
Mike rolled off him and onto his back, both of them panting.
Will turned over to face Mike, and was surprised to see his face lifted into an amused smile.
“Is this funny to you?!”
“A little,” Mike chuckled.
“Mike, they’ll never let us live this down.”
“Oh, come on. It’s not that serious.”
“Not that serious?” Will repeated. “They’re gonna make this a huge deal. They’ve probably already ran down and told the girls.”
“So?” Mike shrugged, still laughing. “It’s not like Lucas and Max don’t have sex.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like we’ve walked in on them.” Will paused to let out a sigh. “We need to go apologise.”
“Apologise?!” Mike repeated. “Fuck that!”
“Mike.”
“Fine. But you’re doing the talking.”
“Whatever,” Will sighed, slipping off the bed and onto his feet. “Let’s go.”
“Now?! Will, I’m still–”
“Shut up and put a shirt on, Michael,” Will interrupted, throwing a shirt over to Mike.
Mike squirmed uncomfortably and sat up, reaching for the shirt and pulling it over his head.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
They made their way to Lucas and Dustin’s dorm, which happened to be only a few doors down from them.
Will shifted nervously on his feet before bringing his hand up and knocking on the wood of the door.
No answer.
“Dustin?” he called. “Lucas?”
Nothing.
He turned back to Mike, whose hands were stuffed into his jean pockets.
“You realise what this means right?”
Mike sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Mhm.”
They walked to the staircase at the end of the hall, stepping down it and heading to the floor below them.
Once they were outside Max and El’s dorm, the door was already opened a crack, and Will could hear muffled laughter and several voices.
“Fuck,” Mike mumbled beside him.
“Yep.”
They pushed through the door and were immediately met by four amused faces.
El was on Max’s bed, wearing a flowy, purple plaid dress. Her long brown hair was twisted into two braids, undoubtably done by Max, who was sitting beside her, looking quite smug, wearing a cropped red shirt.
Dustin and Lucas were standing in front of them, both now facing Mike and Will.
“Uh–” Mike started.
Lucas shook his head and held his finger up. “Sit.”
He pointed to El’s empty bed.
“Is this an intervention?”
“Absolutely,” Dustin chimed in. “Now, sit.”
Will saw Mike roll his eyes before planting himself on the edge of El’s bed, Will following after him, the single bed creaking beneath their weight.
Will wished, not for the first time, that he could disappear into his own skin. He had faced monsters with more dignity than this.
“Okay,” Dustin said, pacing like he was about to start a lecture. “Ground rules before we begin–”
“We are not having ground rules,” Max cut in.
“We absolutely are,” Dustin insisted. “Because what Lucas and I witnessed–”
“Was you opening a door without knocking,” Mike snapped.
“I was about to knock!”
“The real question is,” Lucas started, “why the fuck was your door unlocked?”
“Oh, sue me,” Mike sassed. “It’s not like we were anticipating you to walk in without permission.”
“Look, man, we said we’re sorry.”
“You didn’t, actually,” Mike snapped.
“It’s fine,” Will blurted, even though it really wasn’t. “It’s fine.”
Everyone looked at him and he immediately regretted speaking.
Dustin pointed. “See, it’s not fine. Thank you, Will, for your honestly.”
“I didn’t–” Will stopped, pressing his lips together.
El sat cross-legged on Max’s bed, watching him carefully. “You are embarrassed.”
“Yes, El. I’m embarrassed.”
Max leaned back on her hands. “Okay, but like… what exactly is the problem here?” she asked. “You two are dating. You’re adults. You share a dorm. This was bound to happen at some point.”
“It really wasn’t,” Mike retorted.
“Right, because normal people lock the fucking door, Mike,” Max said with a roll of her eyes. “That sounds like a you problem."
Lucas cleared his throat. “Look, for real, we didn’t mean to make it weird.”
“Well you did make it weird,” Mike pointed out. “You staged a fucking intervention.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m apologising.”
Dustin nodded. “Deeply. Sincerely. Emotionally scarred, but apologising.”
Max threw a pillow at him. “Oh my god, you are not the victim here.”
“I saw things, Max.”
“You saw your friends kissing.”
“They weren’t just kissing…”
“Could’ve been a lot worse.”
Will covered his face with one hand. “Please stop talking.”
Dustin was pacing again. “I’m just saying there should be, like, boundaries. A system. Some kind of schedule, even.”
“A schedule?” Max repeated, incredulous.
“For privacy! So no one gets accidently traumatised again.”
Mike groaned. “Oh my god, can we drop it?”
Will stayed quiet, arms folded tight across his chest, eyes flicking between them but never staying anywhere for long. The room felt too small. Too loud. Every voice layered on top of the other until it blurred into something sharp and grating in his ears.
“You guys are acting like we committed a crime. We were in our own room.”
“Door unlocked,” Dustin shot back.
“You opened it!”
“Because I thought you were ignoring us!”
“Why would we be ignoring you, Dustin? Take a guess.”
Will squeezed his eyes shut for a second.
The noise pressed in harder.
Something under his skin prickled, faint, but there. Almost like static.
El’s voice cut through, softer. “Everyone is upset. Let’s all just-”
“I’m not upset,” Max interrupted. “I’m entertained.”
“This is not entertainment,” Lucas cut in.
“It absolutely is.”
Lucas sighed. “Can we just reset? Please? We said sorry, you said it’s fine.”
“It is fine,” Will said quickly, even as his head throbbed. “C-Can we not make this a whole thing?”
Four faced turned to him again. Too many. Too much.
“Will–” Dustin started.
“He’s right,” Mike interrupted. “This shouldn’t be a whole thing and you’re making it worse.”
“I’m trying to help!”
“Well, stop!”
Their voiced spiked again, overlapping, louder.
Something in Will snapped.
“Can you all just drop it?”
The room didn’t go silent. But it shifted.
Something small – barely noticeable at first – a small thud from across the room.
Everyone froze.
A book lay on the floor near Max’s shelf, like it had just slipped off the edge.
For a second, no one spoke.
Max frowned. “Did that just–”
“It probably wasn’t balanced right,” Lucas said quickly.
Mike glanced at the shelf, then back to Will.
Will’s heart was suddenly pounding out of his chest.
The static was gone. Like it had never been there at all.
“See?” Will said, forcing a small shrug. “Gravity.”
Max studied him for a second, then snorted. “Riveting explanation, Byers.”
The tension broke, just enough for the conversation to stumble forward again, less chaotic now.
But Will could still feel Mike’s eyes on him, searching, like he’d noticed something the others hadn’t.
Will avoided his gaze, staring instead at the fallen book. For some reason, it made his skin crawl, and he didn’t know why.