Work Text:
The final battle was coming to a close in Hawkins, and it was Will’s turn to venture into Henry Creel’s memories to defeat him once and for all.
El was spent from hours in the isolation tank, visiting the memories in his mind that Max had told her about, and finding some of her own. These haunting reminders of her past allowed her to venture further into the crevices of Henry, but forced her to relive her own traumatic experiences from Hawkins lab. Nevertheless, she succeeded in her mission, and Vecna was weaker than ever.
As El held Will’s hand as he floated in the isolation tank, she reminded him of what he was going to experience.
“He will trick you. He will make you see things that aren’t true to scare you, and you have to ignore them to survive.”
Will scoffed playfully, and squeezed her hand back, smiling up at her.
“He can’t scare me anymore, El. I told you guys my biggest secret that he was using to scare me, so I don’t see how he could get to me anymore.”
“He will find a way, Will. I don’t know how he does it but he always does.”
She squeezed Will’s hand, looking intently into his eyes as he sat up in the salty tub, and she continued:
“I didn’t think he could make me feel any more guilty about what happened to Papa, or what he made me think I did to my brothers and sisters, but he still showed me those memories.”
She sniffled, looking down, and Will raised a hand to cup her cheek. The smile had faded from his face at this, and a serious one overtook it.
“I’m so sorry you had to see that again, El. He’s doing this ‘cause he knows we’re winning.”
She looked at him, she saw him. Tears in her eyes, she responded.
“I still need you to be careful, Will. We can’t lose you again.”
Again.
That word played in Will’s mind as he looked into El’s face solemnly.
All of the sudden he was twelve, in the Upside Down, huddled into a ball in Castle Byers, when a girl with a shaved head and a pink dress was holding his hand.
“Just hold on a little longer, Will.”
He’d never seen this girl in his entire life, but she knew his name, and she cared about him enough to visit him in this terrible place. He felt a connection to her immediately, even when he didn’t know he would call her his sister in a few short years, in a new town, in a new life together. Even if it was a fake identity, he meant it with his heart when he said he was her brother, her family.
Now, about to face off against Vecna, and possibly the haunting memories of the shame he had been trying to overcome in the days preceding this one, Will felt a mixture of utter fear and immense courage as he met his sister’s eyes and squeezed her hand.
“Of course I will. You will never lose me again.”
And with that, Joyce and El wished Will good luck and closed the lid to the tank.
Will ventured through the memories that El and Max had told him about, but he’d yet to see anything familiar to himself. He treaded for what seemed like hours into this vaguely familiar world, trying to find any sign of the real Henry, ready to finish him off.
He wandered through the desert that he listened to Max describe the previous day, looking out for portals or any sign of his wicked mark. He ventured further out into the wastelands until he came across a cave. Reluctantly, he decided that this was where he’d find the next clue, and headed inside.
Inside the cave was a lot cooler, a lot more humid, and Will was once again reminded of where he was.
He likes it cold.
Will immediately tried to shake that haunting memory, continuing towards his goal.
Suddenly, he approached a dead end, a path that seemed to continue, but was blocked by a giant boulder. He sighed, turned around, ready to retreat to find a different path, when the cave became bathed in a red light, and he turned around to see it coming from behind the massive rock.
A spark of hope and fear was alight in Will when he saw it, and he began to attempt at moving it. He pushed his entire body weight against the stone, trying desperately to shove it to the side. Eventually, he was on the brink of giving up, turning around to rest his back on the boulder, sinking to the ground and resting his eyes in his palms.
“So stupid..”
He grumbled to himself.
“It’s not fair. I wish Henry would just stop teasing and show me what he wants me to see.”
Will buried his face in his arms as he sat against the boulder, trying to figure out what he should do, because there was clearly something important behind this stupid-
It began to move.
Will immediately stood up and turned around, to see the boulder pushing itself to the side, slotting itself into some space in the wall of the cave that he had failed to see before. The red glow behind the boulder became gradually brighter as it was revealed to him, and he saw Vecna’s home. That red, hellish, evil lair that he used as a place to keep his body.
Will carefully walked through the makeshift door that the boulder revealed, into that dreaded place. He looked around for any sign of Vecna, listened for his awful voice, but he heard nothing, and he saw no one.
He walked around, observing the fleshy structures that Vecna had created, searching for what it was that he wanted Will to see.
As if on cue, Will began to hear the soft hum of a vaguely familiar song playing somewhere in the distance. He’d expected to hear The Clash along the way at some point, but this song wasn’t by them.
Will followed the music to a door that was floating in mid-air, just like the one Max described her and Holly seeing back in Camazotz. He couldn’t see the interior of the memory from far away, but as he progressed toward it, he saw a soft blue light, a stark contrast to the dangerous red hue of the lair.
He continued toward the door until he was hit with a sudden wave of deja-vu. Now, he was able to make out blue and silver balloons inside of this memory. He began to see empty tables with glittery blue, white, and silver cloth draped over them. Streamers of similar cool tones were strewn across the room from where Will could see, and he realized that the floor was tan and shiny, markings of a basketball court across it. How could he have forgotten?
It was the gym at Hawkins Junior High. Now, Will could make out the banner amidst the streamers and balloons.
The Snowball
Oh.
Will quickened his pace at the realization. This was his memory, finally.
When he finally reached the entrance of the ominous floating door, Will hesitated. He remembered this night all too well. It was the first night he felt somewhat normal for nearly a year after his disappearance, but at the same time, it was one of the first times he realized he was different, and not just because he was now Zombie Boy.
No, at the Snowball he realized that he would much rather stand on the sidelines of the dance with Mike and Dustin than dance with a girl. This didn’t seem all that strange to him at the time, of course, but he began to feel strange when that girl asked him to dance. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, or that he didn’t feel lucky to be noticed by a girl, but he couldn’t shake the thought that he wasn’t feeling the way he was supposed to feel. He would find his gaze wandering across the dance floor, to Mike dancing with El. He felt a pang in his gut at the sight that he couldn’t quite explain. At that moment he realized that it wasn’t because he didn’t want to participate in the dance, but because he wasn’t with who he wanted to dance with.
This train of thought was cut off when he finally entered the Snowball, and saw it just like it was that night. Will now saw that the tables were empty because the dancefloor was crowded completely by couples dancing to the slow, familiar song. He quickly noticed that it wasn’t all the same, as all of his middle school classmates were now his age. Fifteen years old now, still swaying awkwardly at a distance, hands placed on shoulders and hips with room for Jesus. Boy and girl pairings only. Will remembered this and felt a quiet sense of shame creep up on him.
The gym seemed to be bigger than he remembered, along with the crowd of people, and he watched from afar still, contemplating what Vecna was wanting him to feel at this moment, and trying desperately not to feel it.
Suddenly, Will caught the eye of a familiar face past the crowd of people.
Mike.
He was standing in front of the banner, just as he was that night, alone. He was wearing that same suit, or a very similar version of it, as he was Will’s age, the same as everyone else at the dance.
Will suddenly realized the difference between this memory and Max’s and El’s that they experienced here. They saw simple reenactments of things that happened, unchanged and unchangeable. They acted as outsiders, as viewers of these memories and not active participants. Nobody was aged up in their memories. He realized this also because Mike was looking at him at this moment. His gaze didn’t feel like the usual way Mike looked at him. It felt like something he wasn’t supposed to see, like he caught Mike off guard, but he didn’t try to hide the way he was staring this time. Mike was acknowledging his existence with his eyes, and Will realized that this isn’t how it was supposed to be like. This was entirely different.
Will turned around to find the exit of this false memory, but it was gone. As he looked down, he now realized he was in a suit, too. It wasn’t even the one from that night. It was off-white and subtly shimmery. His collared shirt, blazer, pants, and tie were all that same color, and he looked back at the crowd to see people starting to notice him. Boys and girls were suddenly faced away from their partners, staring at Will, or looking over their partners shoulders at him.
Will got to thinking that this sense of being watched, judged, silently but still somehow openly, had been following him around his entire life. Maybe it was because he was able to acknowledge the fact that this was a simple fabrication of a memory and not real life, but Will found himself not caring for once, ignoring the watchful eyes of his “peers” in order to focus on his mission. It also didn’t help that he felt Mike’s eyes on him as well, that they were communicating a different message than those of the teenagers on the dance floor. Under Mike’s eyes, he felt oddly understood.
At this moment, the lyrics of the song began to be sung, and Will still couldn’t place where he remembered it from.
There’s such a sad love
Deep in your eyes a kind of pale jewel
Open and close
Within your eyes
I’ll place the sky
Within your eyes
Will was distracted from his thoughts when he noticed Mike walking away from his original spot, and into the crowd of teenagers slow dancing, and he felt a sense of panic. He began to take hesitant steps towards the crowd, eyes following Mike’s body turned away from him as he weaved through the mess of people.
He was suddenly struck with the strange urge to follow him, and quickly. He needed to talk to him.
Will entered the tangles of teenagers dancing together, and he again noticed that he was being silently watched by everyone.
There’s such a fooled heart
Beatin’ so fast
In search of new dreams
A love that will last
Within your heart
I’ll place the moon
Within your heart
Still, Will couldn’t bring himself to care about the judgemental stares. He continued to follow the head of short black curls facing away from him, walking towards the center of the dance floor. Will hadn’t realized that he’d been shouting for him.
“Mike! Mike! What are you doing here?! Come back!”
Mike ignored him. Either that or he didn’t hear him. Why was it that it was always that way with Mike?
Will suddenly lost Mike in the crowd, and he began frantically spinning and looking around to find him again. That's when he noticed that barely anybody was dancing anymore. Everyone around him was still, facing toward him, hands around their partners and staring at Will. They weren’t even pretending to dance with one another anymore, just grasping onto their partners with their necks snapped in Will’s direction.
Will took notice that everyone was wearing deep blues, forest greens, shades of plum, and other winter hues, and he stuck out like a sore thumb amongst them all.
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Just before he could overthink these noticings, he caught the sight of pale skin and dark hair in the distance. Mike was once again turned towards him and closer than before in the crowd, just a few feet away. All Will could think of when he saw him was that he didn’t remember him looking this beautiful on that night three years ago. Of course, it was because Mike had grown up just as he had. When did that happen, again? While he was in California? While he was living in his house for those months? He didn’t remember. All he could think about was the sudden air of maturity and seriousness on Mike’s face at this moment, suddenly sprouting into an admiring grin as he noticed Will in the crowd. The same look he saw Mike giving him when he killed the demogorgons to save his life. But Will wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary as he stared back at Mike. He was just looking for him. Like he always was. And this time, he found him.
Wasn’t too much fun at all
But I’ll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down
Will advanced towards Mike without a second thought, pushing past their bystanding classmates. When he was suddenly face to face with the love of his life, Will realized he didn’t even know what he wanted to say. He was struck with the realization that this was all a part of Vecna’s carefully crafted fantasy for Will, not a memory. He hesitated, as Mike stood before him, knowing that Henry wanted him to give in, just so he could suddenly shatter the illusion and remind him that it would never come true, weakening his mind and leaving him vulnerable to succumb to him.
However, Will thought to himself that there were always frequent cracks and weak spots in Henry’s tactics when it came to getting to people. Will decided that in order to truly end Vecna once and for all, he needed to find a weak spot in the illusion, tricking him into thinking he was falling for this false sense of security, and secretly being ready for whatever he had in store. At this, Will decided to be open to accept what Henry wanted him to see. This wasn’t Mike, after all. Will knew that well enough. Why not take chances?
He continued to stare into Mike’s eyes until he noticed his hand outstretched to him, an offering. Will took it and was pulled in. It was unlike the awkward stiffness of their peers around them. Mike’s hand immediately met Will’s waist and pulled him close, chest to chest, grasping his hand firmly and slowly leading a steady waltz. Will was a bit shocked at the forwardness, but he forced himself to remember that this wasn’t real, and this was a part of what Henry wanted him to see. So he placed his other hand on Mike’s shoulder and let himself fall into the steady rhythm of this familiar-unfamiliar song.
They stared into each other's eyes as they moved across the dance floor, unimpeded by the other dancers and Will felt a sudden rush of sadness overtake him.
I will never get this again.
At that, Will let the tears spill from his eyes, closing them as he felt Mike’s hand move from his waist to wipe his tears away. Will refused to look at him at this moment, he refused to let himself fall for the artificial sincerity in Mike’s eyes that Vecna crafted to trick him. Mike moved his hand to the back of Will’s neck, holding him closer so that his head was resting on his shoulder. He wound his arms around Will’s back, still swaying, and Will reluctantly held him back.
Falling
As the world falls down
Falling
Falling in love
Will opened his eyes and observed the scene before him as Mike continued to move them slowly around the gym, when he spotted something out of the ordinary in this fantasy scene.
Another light, iridescent figure was across the room. A girl, with long brown hair, teased and piled onto her head in a graceful, ethereal, and large style, silver pieces pinning it up half up-half down. Her dress was a similar colour to Will’s suit, leaning more towards baby blue, but still contrasted against the dark tones of the rest of the room. It was long and straight, falling down to her stocking clad calves, with puffed sleeves and a romantically cut corset bodice. Still, everybody was staring at Will and Mike.
Will kept his eyes locked onto this mysterious girl, as she was turned away from him, but she seemed lost. Suddenly, she turned around and Will saw it was El.
What the hell is she doing here?
Will didn’t have time to react to what he was seeing, as El took the hand of a man with black curly hair, similar to Mike’s. The man pulled her against him just as Mike had done to Will, and they began to waltz. Will looked around to see no one paying any mind to this new couple, all eyes still locked on him and Mike.
El had seemingly yet to see Will dancing with Mike, and she looked at her partner with adoring eyes, saying something that Will couldn’t pick up from across the dance floor.
As Will continued to watch El and this mystery man, he felt Mike’s hands rubbing his back as if to comfort him from what he was seeing.
Suddenly, the man spun himself and El so that he was now facing Will and he was staring at-
Mike?
Mike was dancing with El, but how could that be?
Will watched with terror as Mike spun El and he watched as they disappeared into the crowd out of his line of vision. Mike suddenly lifted Will’s head off of his shoulders and shifted them back to their original waltzing position, eyes worried and searching over Will’s face. He spoke:
“What’s wrong?”
Will looked at him incredulously.
“You can talk?”
“Uh, yeah?”
Mike’s face shifted into another grin as he chuckled softly and continued to sway himself and Will.
I’ll paint you mornings of gold
I’ll spin you Valentine evenings though we’re strangers ‘till now
We’re choosing the path
Between the stars
I’ll leave my love
Between the stars
At this, Will began frantically searching over the room with his eyes, still not letting go of Mike, when he spotted that glowing figure again.
El, with her head now over her partner’s shoulder, was swaying softly to the music, but the figure she clung to was different. Will craned his neck to look back at them. The man was now wearing an all too familiar hat facing toward him. He spun El around and Will was face to face with a bespectacled Henry Creel staring back at him, a small, knowing grin on his face.
Will immediately launched himself out of Mike’s arms and screamed.
“LET HER GO! LET HER GO!”
The eyes that were already observing him from all around were suddenly zeroed in on him, and they all wore amused looks. He turned around to see Mike, still standing in the middle of the dance floor. As he stared back at him, Will noticed how their classmates were distantly crowded around the pair, likely the entire time they were dancing. They were in the middle of an empty circle on the dance floor, the teenagers still staring at the two of them, and beginning to snicker.
Will’s exclamation finally caught the attention of El, and she lessened her hold on her partner to look in his direction.
“Will?”
“El! What are you doing here?!”
El ran towards Will and embraced him in the middle of the dance floor. She released him to put her hands on his face, searching concerningly for something.
“You were screaming in the tank, I’m here to get you back! I thought this was one of my memories.”
Will stared at her, reply on the tip of his tongue, when he realized what this meant.
“Why were you dancing with Henry?”
“Henry? I was dancing with Mike, Will, I don’t understand-”
Their exchange was interrupted when a hand grabbed Will’s shoulder gently. Will whipped around, ready to face Henry’s mocking face, but was met with Mike’s warm smile.
“Hey Will, where’d you go?”
Will wasn’t going to buy into Mike’s false sincerity and excitement at the prospect of resuming their waltz, and he pulled away, taking Jane by the hand and urging her past the crowd. The people around them have now broken out into full on laughter, nearly falling over each other as their eyes track Will and El attempting to flee.
As the pain sweeps through
Makes no sense for you
Every thrill is gone
Wasn’t too much fun at all
Their pursuits are stopped by a different voice behind them.
“Going so soon? It’s not even midnight yet.”
But I’ll be there for you-ou-ou
As the world falls down
The illusion is shattered suddenly, literally. Will began to hear glass breaking all around him, balloons popping, and the walls around them crumbling. The scene before them hadn’t seemed to phase any of their classmates, as the laughter continued even as they were suddenly all falling in mid air, lifting off the ground as if they were suddenly in a giant snow globe that had fallen off of a dresser. With that, everything went dark for a second, and El and Will are back in the red-tinted dimension that Vecna resides in. The music is still playing, nonetheless.
Falling
As the world falls down
Falling
Falling in love
They’re now both constricted by fleshy ropes, and Will wondered when they had even gotten there. When did the illusion actually begin? He thought to himself how stupid he was to believe he was actually outsmarting Vecna for once, and threw his head back in defeat as he struggled helplessly against the vines. El was similarly wriggling in her grip beside him, both of them strung up against a fleshy wall that they both recognized as the Upside Down.
“The both of you are exceedingly foolish.”
The siblings looked forward, seeing the source of that gruff, deep voice. Of course it was him. In his terrifying, monstrous form, it was Vecna. No longer attempting to conceal himself in the classy, thin frame, innocent eyes behind glasses, and charming demeanor of his previous body.
He began to laugh, but paused as a deafening rumble rattled through the Upside Down, followed by an explosion in the distance. At this, he turned around, and El took advantage of his vulnerability.
She reached the short length of her forearm out and used all her might to loosen the vines around hers and Will’s necks. She succeeded in her effort and Will and herself were able to free themselves. Will knew he had to act quickly if he was going to defend himself and his sister, and finish the job for once.
So with that, he closed his eyes and tapped into the hive mind. It was something he had previously been terrified to do, as it brought him closer to the debilitating and vulnerable state he had been in all those years ago, when the mindflayer was using his body. This time, however, he felt a sense of empowerment as began to see through Vecna’s eyes. He felt like he had total control over this evil being, instead of the other way around for once.
El watched as Henry began to float into the air, and in this moment she realized just how weak he had become throughout this fight. The vision he had trapped El and Will in was a bluff to scare them, make him think he still held all the power, but he was really terrified of what he knew they could do to him.
Henry couldn’t do anything but seize in mid air as his form began to glitch. El watched as he shifted from his previous form, into Mr. Whatsit, into 001, and over and over again until he was stuck in the white uniform from the lab and his limbs began to snap, one at a time.
El looked towards Will, next to her, his eyes white and his hands outstretched as he continued to do what he had intended to do this entire time. He had a look of rage that she had never seen on his face, as he yelled, unfaltering:
“You have no power over me!”
His nose was bleeding and he only stopped when he heard Henry’s neck snap, and they both collapsed.
El immediately rushed towards Will, embracing him and cradling his face in her hands.
“We did it Will! He is dead! Henry is dead!”
Will could only smile weakly in response. He cradled El’s face in his own hands and pressed their foreheads together as they sobbed in utter joy and relief.
Will suddenly was woken up by the lid opening to the isolation tank, and he took in a huge breath despite not being deprived of oxygen. He immediately sat up and Joyce had to calm him down as he tried to get out of the tub as fast as he could to see El again. Joyce slowed him down, helping him carefully step out with shaky legs, as he had been floating for hours.
She handed Will a towel, and he dried off as he searched for his previous clothes. Once he was able to change into them, he made a B-line to find where the other isolation tank that they had used to send El to him was.
“Mom! Where is she?!”
He was anxious to see her again, as apparent through his demeanor, so Joyce led him to her bedroom, where she informed him they had to make a last minute backup tank to come help him. Will stepped inside and his mother thankfully didn’t follow him in so he could have a moment with her, but when he walked in he saw her sitting with Mike on the bed, and they both turned to him, their conversation interrupted. Will immediately began to back out of the room, but he heard his sister calling for him to come back, so he did as she said.
As he walked back into their view, he saw El ushering Mike to leave to give them some space, which Will was very grateful for, remembering what they had both just seen on their mission to defeat Vecna.
As he recalled what happened, he couldn’t help but feel extremely awkward as Mike walked right up to him and pulled him into a tight hug, his head hooked over his shoulder just as they were at the dance. Will was frozen, and he could feel the heat rushing to his face as Mike showered him with congratulatory praise and compliments, still held in his grip.
“I knew you were a wizard! I never doubted you for a second, Will!”
Will became even more flustered as Mike pulled him away by his shoulders just to be face to face with him. His eyes were alight with pride, admiration, sincerity, and something Will refused to believe might just be love.
Mike just stared at him for a moment, suddenly needing to catch his breath as their eyes remained locked along with his grip on Will’s shoulders, and he unashamedly took the view in. Will could’ve sworn Mike’s eyes landed on his own lips for a second longer as he trailed them across his face, and at that he blushed harder and stumbled out whatever he could to get away from this embarrassingly intimate moment while El, his girlfriend and Will’s sister, was still waiting for him on the bed.
“I- uh..need to talk to El for a second, man, sorry-”
He felt Mike’s grip loosen on him as his smile faltered slightly, and he let him pass.
“Yeah, of course you do, huh..” he sighed as he grinned awkwardly and begrudgingly took his eyes off of Will for the first time in about a minute.
Will slipped past him, running a hand through his hair as he continued toward a waiting and somewhat amused looking El.
“What are you smiling about?”
“Oh nothing..” she trailed off.
“Yeah, right” Will responded, halfway between a chuckle and a groan. He continued:
“So what did you need to talk to me about?”
“Oh! That’s right!” El seemed surprised that that was the first thing he said as he approached her. Her face suddenly became much more serious as she patted the space beside her. Will sat down on the bed, legs dangling off the edge like El’s. El took his hands in hers and stared into his eyes, they weren’t sad, but they weren’t filled with the relief that came with their victory, and they seemed slightly hesitant to continue.
“I wanted to talk about what we saw down there, before you killed Henry.”
“Before we killed Henry-” Will attempted to stray, but El cut him off.
“Don’t try to change the subject, Will.” She looked at him sternly, eyes warning, but still playful. That brought a sense of comfort to him, and he reluctantly allowed her to continue her train of thought.
“At the Snowball. I could not see you that well but I could see you were also dancing with someone. Who was it?”
Her face softened as she said this, and Will could somehow tell that she had an inkling. He sighed, letting go of her hands, and covering his eyes with his, refusing to make eye contact with her.
“I don’t want to talk about it. It doesn’t matter, El, really. It’s over, and-”
El cut him off before he could continue rambling.
“I lied. I’m sorry, Will. Friends don’t lie. Let me start over, please.”
Her voice was quiet now, almost a whisper. Will nodded.
“I know it was Mike.”
Will looked up from his hands to gauge her reaction to the information she was giving him, expecting her to look sad, annoyed, even betrayed, but she had a small smile on her lips instead.
Will suddenly felt her hand move to his arm, rubbing soft circles on his bicep as if to comfort him. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, and he started feeling the tears that had been welling up finally spill out.
“I’m so sorry you had to see that El. I don’t know why he made you see that-”
“It’s okay, you know?”
At this moment he decided to finally meet El’s eyes. They were somewhat somber, but unmistakably full of love. She smiled knowingly at him, hand still grasping comfortingly at his arm.
“What?”
“Mike loves you.”
Will shook his head on instinct, and his immediate response was to try and console El because obviously Mike did something to make her feel like he didn’t love her anymore, and he felt awful.
“Don’t say that, El. He showed us those things to mess with us- nothing he does is rooted in truth, and now that he’s dead you can’t believe anything he said-”
“Will.”
El interrupted him once again, and moved both her hands to his shoulders to calm him down.
“El, no! Mike loves you, we both heard him say it, you can’t let him get to you, especially now that that bastard is dead. He told you, El, he knew it from the moment he saw you-”
“Will, stop talking.”
“No! I won’t let you think that! You guys have been through way too much, and-”
Will was actually glad for this interruption, as he wasn’t quite sure where he was going to distract from the fact that El was not only acknowledging his feelings towards Mike, but Mike’s apparent feelings towards him as well.
“We broke up.”
“What?! El! You can’t just break up with him over a stupid vision that Vecna conjured up-”
“A year ago.”
This statement left Will slack-jawed, staring incredulously at El as she bit back a laugh.
“WHAT?!”
“We didn’t think it was that big of a deal. We both just decided we were better off as friends, and we didn’t want to be dramatic about it.” El responded gingerly with a grin.
“And you decided to let us all believe that you guys were still going strong?!”
“There was way too much going on! Between training, being hunted by the government, and y’know, the whole apocalypse thing, I didn’t think breaking up with my middle school sweetheart should be my biggest concern, nor should I have made it anyone else’s.”
Will just continued to stare at her, jaw still on the ground, as El finally began laughing at him, head falling on her brother’s shoulder.
After a moment of silence, El and Will still embracing one another, Will decided to speak up.
“What were you guys even talking about before I came in here? Since you’re not a couple now I guess.”
El chuckled. “Boys and girls are allowed to be friends, you know?”
Will feels a little dumb now that he thinks about it. For the past year, he suddenly couldn’t recall seeing Mike and El kiss once, when before, they were all over each other since the moment they met. Mike hadn’t ditched a single D&D campaign or hangout with the party since Will moved back to Hawkins, when Will could barely get a word in with him before he had moved away. These realizations came rushing back to him as El continued to give him that sarcastic look, as even she hadn’t realized how oblivious he had been before.
Will sighed and covered his eyes in embarrassment again
“Yeah I guess that was a pretty stupid assumption to make.”
El straightened herself suddenly, remembering she had more she needed to tell him.
“You need to talk to him, Will.”
“About what?”
A knowing grin creeped onto El’s face.
“You know what.”
“I don’t know where you got that idea from, but if you’re just saying this to make me feel better, then just know-”
“He told me, Will.”
Will’s eyes grew somber as they fixed themselves on El’s once again.
“What?”
“When I got out of the tank, I told him about everything that happened. About how Henry had shifted into him, and danced with me, and how I saw you dancing with someone.”
Will straightened his posture, suddenly feeling horrified at the thought of Mike knowing he was slow dancing with an apparition of himself.
“Don’t worry! I didn’t tell him who it was.”
Will let out a deep sigh of relief, and motioned for El to continue.
“Mike got kind of weird when I told him about you dancing with someone. He kept asking me who it was, guessing boys from school, he even thought it might’ve been Lucas!” El couldn’t contain herself once again, and her and Will both began laughing, doubling over until they were almost hugging again.
Will spoke up after a moment:
“Wait, so why exactly did he care so much about the fake person I was dancing with at the fake dance?” Will almost laughed as he said this.
“I asked him the same thing! He got all defensive, and I realized that there was something he wasn’t telling me.” El paused
Will gave her a questioning eyebrow.
“Sorry, I just don’t think I can give you your answer. It’s not for me to tell.”
She was suddenly serious, and Will’s concern began to grow. El continued:
“I told him that friends don’t lie, and he eventually gave in and told me the truth. I’m sorry, Will, I think you really need to talk to him.”
Will was already nervous at the prospect. Nevertheless, he responded:
“Oh.. Okay.”
El gave him a reassuring look and placed a hand on his cheek.
“Trust me, the sooner you do it, the better.”
After that enlightening conversation with El, Will began to mentally prepare himself for the conversation he would have to have with Mike, and soon. He didn’t even know where to start with this. “Hey Mike! El just told me to tell you that I know that you’re in love with me and I’m not yet sure what to do with that information.”. No. That would not work.
After talking with El for another hour, debriefing about their individual endeavours, making plans for hangouts, and bonding over their mutual annoyances towards Mike, Will realized how tired he was and excused himself to his room. He opened Joyce’s bedroom door to a startled looking Mike, fist raised as if he was about to knock.
Will could only chuckle a little bit at how awkward and nervous Mike looked, when his own afternoon was nothing but relieving. Nevertheless, he broke the awkward silence.
“Mike?”
Mike put his fist down and raked his fingers through his hair in an attempt to make it look like he wasn’t hesitating to do something as simple as knocking on the door. He smiled wide and responded through gritted teeth:
“Will! Funny seeing you here huh?”
Will gave him a genuine smile and giggled to himself at his friend's apparent nervousness. He wasn’t completely sure where it was coming from, but if El was right in any capacity about Mike’s feelings, that thought painted a blush on his face.
“Not really, I mean, you saw me come in here an hour ago and I haven’t left since.” Will meant it to sound playful, but the way Mike palmed his forehead made him reconsider his sassiness.
“That’s right! I totally forgot. I mean, not that you’re forgettable or anything! I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since El told me what you did. Not in a creepy way- you know what I mean! It's just totally insane to be in the presence of a superhero who I can also call my best friend.”
Will tried not to notice how flustered Mike was getting as he kept rambling. Even though it was extremely adorable, he tried to change the subject.
“Hey I couldn’t have done it without El. She’s always been the real superhero right?”
Mike’s eyebrows furrowed at that, which surprised Will a bit.
“Don’t downplay yourself like that, Will.” He sighed to himself and looked down for a moment, seemingly contemplating his next words, choosing them wisely, then looking into Will’s eyes with an intensely sincere gaze.
“I just feel like I haven’t apologized enough for how I’ve treated you these past couple of years, man. I mean, El’s been great to have around, but she’s not you. Even if you haven’t had crazy telekinetic powers this whole time, it still wouldn’t have been possible to defeat Vecna and the mindflayer without you.”
Mike paused, and Will noticed that he was speaking in a manner that almost seemed desperate. Like Will was seconds away from ditching him as his best friend and running away to whomever else. He thought it was nice that he was being vulnerable and honest for once, but he didn’t like feeling like Mike had to persuade him to continue being his friend.
“It’s really no big deal. I mean, I was pretty whiny before and I should have respected you and El’s relationship more. Really, I mean-”
“No, Will! I’m supposed to be the one being vulnerable and apologizing to you right now!”
Will quieted at this and let Mike continue.
“I think El might’ve told you, but there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
Will held his breath. Mike inhaled.
“Maybe we should talk in your room instead.” He motioned around them, and Will noted the fact that they were having this awkward, charged conversation directly outside of his mother’s doorframe, and he nodded, walking to his room and motioning Mike to follow him.
They settled on the edge of Will’s bed and just sat awkwardly for a second, before Mike finally piped up:
“So..that guy you were talking about the other day, you said you had a crush on him and he didn’t like you back, and he was just your…Tammy? Or whatever, anyways, I was just wondering if you’d ever wanna like.. Tell me about that situation, y’know, as your best friend I feel like it’s kinda my right to know right?”
Mike smiled awkwardly and playfully nudged Will with his elbow, encouraging him to say anything.
“Oh! That, yeah. I honestly might’ve misjudged that situation now that I think about it.”
Will gave him a playful grin and looked down for a second before continuing:
“Tammy is- kind of a long story.” Will chuckled to himself.
“I’ll explain it to you someday, but it’s not exactly a priority right now.”’
“What is your priority right now?” Mike nearly cut him off, throwing a playfully challenging look at him as they made eye contact again.
“Explaining myself to you, as you dragged me here to do you dumbass!” Will gently shoved him in the chest at that, his signature move apparently when it came to both flirting with Mike and putting him in his place.
Mike made a mock-offended face with a hand on his chest, but motioned for him to continue
“Well, basically, I thought that in order to get over myself and the whole..not liking girls thing.. I had to get over this guy who I thought didn’t like me back, but in actuality, he kind of helped me realize that I’m stronger than I think.”
Will started that sentence off shyly, but he ended up feeling the same sense of empowerment that he felt the first time he hijacked the hive mind. He smiled to himself thinking about it, and glanced at Mike to see that same look on Mike’s face from that night. The same look from the illusion.
(Is this real?)
Will shook that thought from his head and brought himself back to the present moment. Mike was looking at him in a way he’d never seen before. It’s like he could see the pride and adoration spilling out of them. He looked in Mike’s eyes unashamedly and smiled, tears welling in his eyes once again.
“I had tried to convince myself that I was stronger alone. That I didn’t need him, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling in my soul that he was a part of me. I needed him. I need him..” Will trailed off, as he felt those all too familiar tears running down his face, and he closed his eyes, ducking his head.
Deja-vu hit him like a truck and he felt a hand on his face, wiping those tears away. The same hand, the same motion as before. But this time, he let himself open his eyes. This was real. Mike was here, listening to him, wiping away his tears. All that he ever wanted.
What he saw was Mike not restraining his tears either. The adoration and pride he saw earlier was escaping Mike’s eyes in streams of tears down his face.When their eyes met, Will couldn’t help but to reach out and embrace him. He clung to him like he had on that dance floor, but it didn’t feel empty or forced this time. He didn’t feel any eyes on him this time, and if they were, he didn’t care, and neither did Mike.
Will couldn’t stop himself from saying it out loud.
“I need you, Mike.”
“I need you, too.”
After a moment, Mike broke the embrace so that he could see Will’s face. He reached his hand up, cradling it to hold his jaw, and continued to wipe away tears with his thumb, despite his own still pouring from his eyes.
Will was going to say something to try to lighten the mood, when Mike broke his train of thoughts.
“Can I kiss you?”
“Of course.”
Will responded without thinking, and Mike swooped in to catch his lips without thinking, and it was the most natural thing he’d ever felt.
Makes no sense at all
Makes no sense to fall
Falling
As the world falls down
Falling
Falling
Falling in love