Chapter Text
Trembling in the dark alley beside his school, Mike Wheeler hugged himself tight while he waited, feeling goosebumps rise on his arms and neck as the cold breeze swept him by. He was consumed by his thoughts, his head throbbed with the weight of them as it had been doing for days now, and he could still feel the holes his friends had stared into his head today.
He knows he’s been different, these past few months. He knows since Will and Eleven moved away he’s been getting gradually worse and worse in terms of mental wellbeing. And he knows his friends have noticed if how Dustin was acting during the game of D&D tonight said anything.
Mike Wheeler used to love Dungeons and Dragons. He used to love playing it with his friends, sticking together to battle evil that plagues the lands, to take down trolls, evil wizards, and creatures of the dark. He used to love a lot of things…
But now the party is broken, Will and Eleven are in California and Lucas strayed to a different path. Not to mention the names of the creatures make him flinch. Every time someone so much as whispers Demogorgon or dog, all he can think about are the lives lost at the hands of other-worldly things. All he can see are people bleeding from their eye sockets, guns in his face, innocents like Bob being ripped apart, shadows lurking waiting to strike and worse. The screams of the fallen echo in his head like an earworm until he can barely hear himself think. He thought that if he joined the D&D Hellfire club in his high school, it would rekindle his love for the game and other passions of his that he's lost, but everything got worse.
And his friends have noticed.
He’s barely talked since Will and Eleven moved away, like Max, he’s isolated himself from their group. If Dustin manages to catch him after class, he’ll eat lunch with the Hellfire Club, but more often than not, Mike Wheeler hides away wherever he won't be found. He spends his time in bed, so overrun with thoughts and troubles he’s becoming crushed beneath the weight of it. Dustin has tried to get through to him, always pulling him into a hug or asking if he’s okay, popping by his house unannounced or, tonight, whenever Mike had to make a decision in D&D, Dustin’s hand landed on his thigh reassuringly.
God… if only they knew who they were caring for… what they were caring for.
If only Eleven knew the boyfriend she wrote to was a filthy-
“Wheeler?”
Mike jumped so hard the curls on his head bounced like springs as he spun to face Eddie Munson, “Jesus christ dude!” He panted, his startled breath turning into a grey mist in the night’s cold.
Their new party leader threw his head back and cackled, as if scaring the living shit out of Mike Wheeler was the funniest thing in the world, “What are you so jumpy for?” He grinned while the younger boy glared holes into his skull and shivered under a flickering orange street lamp. To Mike, lights flickering was plenty of reason to be jumpy but well he couldn’t say that as his teeth clashed together. Spring brought warmth but the process was a slow one and the night’s temperature still turned Mike’s fingers blue if stood still for long enough.
Eddie rolled his eyes and shed his sleeveless denim jacket to drape over Mike Wheeler’s shoulders, call him a freak all you want but he has enough heart to save the kid from frostbite. The dark crimson blush spreading across his face was proof enough that he was cold, but watching him shake so hard was pitiful.
Mike Wheeler wanted to claw his own heart out, he couldn’t stand how it pounded like Eddie Munson was some celebrity crush. It shouldn’t, Eddie is a… man, but well here we are.
“Y-Yeah whatever.” Mike rolled his eyes and began to walk with Eddie beside him praying that nobody saw them. Least of all his friends, he’s been doing a lot of sneaking recently but this is still the worst thing they could possibly catch him doing. He scanned the desolate parking lot for any signs of anyone.
“Chill out Wheeler, you’re acting like this is the first time we’ve done business.” Eddie quipped and flicked Mike’s ear, earning a loud protest and a slap on the arm, “All your secrets.” He shook his head.
“Yeah well if I don’t want my friends to find out I’m seeing the school shrink I don’t want them finding out about… this .” He gestured between them and closed his eyes with the shame of a child being scolded, “I’m not happy that you know.”
Eddie shook his head and lifted a hand to pat his back, “I still don’t understand why you’re hiding that you’re seeing Ms Kelley. Max is seeing her.” He shrugged, “And besides I only know about the therapy thing cause I was skipping and I saw you come out of her office, your other friends would never do that they’re nerds and I only know about this because well without me there would be no this .”
Mike closed his eyes the second a jazz hand appeared, letting the hand on his back guide him to Eddie’s van, “God help me…” He whispered and earned another flick to the ear and a small laugh.
He climbed inside the van and settled down in the passenger’s seat, tracing over the lines of his previous drawings on the window while Eddie picked out a song and started the car. It was almost eight, so he had an hour to get home before his curfew, if he was late, no California tomorrow.
Mike’s heart did a flip, California. Eleven.
“Y-You know I-I might just- can I stay at yours tonight?” Mike asked as Eddie finally started to leave the school. Music played quietly while Eddie drove, his ringed fingers gripped the steering wheel and moved the van gentler than you’d expect. Once on a straight road, Eddie turned to look at Mike.
He really took a moment to look at him, “Again?” He asked. He knew the kid had things on his mind, he’d known that from the second he’d met him and if the spiral Mike’s taken over these past months said anything, the things weighing him down weren’t few. But Eddie was worried now. Past the ‘freak’ persona and the chunky rings, lay a good heart, and he’d seen this before. Unspoken issues, things you can’t just bring up in a society such as this one, drag you down, and they keep pulling until you reach rock bottom.
And Eddie didn’t want to see Mike Wheeler hit the ground, but what could he do? All he could do was help the kid where the kid asked.
“I mean… yeah if it’s okay?” Mike shrugged, “Dustin will always cover for me, and Lucas.”
“Sure, Mike Wheeler, my sofa will always have you.” Eddie grinned and felt a little relieved when he managed to get a chuckle.
Mike Wheeler went back to his drawings on the windows, a small burden felt like it had been lifted, though, another took its place. Was he really going to ditch Eleven? Will? Worry his mum and stay in Hawkins?
His head throbbed with the same persistent headache like a chill you can’t shake. It’d lasted for days and it was debilitating. He rested his hot forehead against the cold glass of the window and sighed.
“You okay?”
“Yeah just… this headache won’t go away.”
Eddie hummed, driving a little faster, “Well it’ll go away soon, as will the rest of your troubles. If only for a short time.” He patted Mike’s shoulder and grinned at the smile reflected in the window that the kid tried to hide, “Oh… also we might have company, just for a few minutes.”
Mike frowned and sat up straight, “Huh?”
“Yeah… you won’t believe it man but Chrissy fucking Cunningham wants to buy, she said she has something to do but like she’ll be there in a bit.”
Mike paused for a moment, wondering if he’d heard wrong or if it was a joke but Eddie did not laugh. He blinked, “Chrissy Cunningham?” He asked, receiving a nod, “...S-She can’t see me at your place!” He panicked.
Eddie was quick to take Mike’s wrist, preventing the inevitable onslaught of loud and undying panic, “Woah, she won’t say anything. Trust me, Wheeler, Chrissy is not as scary as she seems. Like me!” He cheered and flashed a brilliant smile.
Mike was not convinced, but the idea of surviving the night at home with nothing to silence his thoughts was worse than sharing a drug dealer with the most popular girl at their school; and so he sat back in the seat and pulled the blanket from beneath his chair, curling up warm and tight. The drive to Eddie’s from school was about ten minutes, so he closed his eyes and listened to the music.
---
Mike stumbled out of the van, throwing the blanket he had wrapped around his shoulders back inside and stretching as a dog barked somewhere in the background.
Eddie grinned as he closed his car door and dug the keys out of his pocket, “Alright Wheeler, I’ll set up the couch and we’ll watch a movie, anything but Back To The Future.” He smiled and unlocked his door.
Mike gasped and poked his arm, “Erm excuse me that’s a good movie! You liked it last time!” He scoffed.
Eddie shushed him and ushered him inside, “Jesus Wheeler you must’ve been high off your ass because I distinctly remember complaining about that movie for at least half an hour. S’not my fault you slept through most of what I said.”
Mike shook his head, pulling off the denim jacket that hung from his shoulders like a blanket and throwing it over one of the seats, “Lies.” He shrugged simply and sat down on the sofa, pulling a blanket over himself and shuffling through the stack of movies on the floor beside it. Moments like these brought him back to the times when he and Nancy used to be close, times when they’d curl up and watch movies and eat ice cream.
Nancy could barely stand to look at him now. Sure, in life or death she’s always there but Nancy has her own life now… and so does he.
He breathed through the twinge of pain that shot through his heart and picked a movie while Eddie rummaged around his trailer for food like a raccoon digging through the garbage. He also cleaned it up a little, Mike was a friend, and wouldn’t judge, not to mention he was used to mess everywhere but Eddie wanted to ‘make a good first impression.’
Mike snorted and got up to help, making himself a drink while he was at it and if a large percentage of it was alcohol then nobody needed to know.
It was when Eddie and Mike sat down with snacks and drinks that a timid knock on the door rang out. So hushed it almost went unnoticed. Once again Eddie reassured Mike that Chrissy would stay quiet but it didn’t stop his heart from racing.
Chrissy seemed just as surprised to have company as he did though. “Hi…” She waved, clearly caught off guard and as nervous as Mike was.
Mike gave her a nod and a smile, “D-Don’t mind me.” He cleared his throat and gestured to the metal box she seemed familiar with on the table. If he snitched, he also went down.
She seemed to relax, and the two sat in silence while Eddie looked for what she wanted in his room.
Mike sipped from his glass, grabbing a handful of the popcorn he’d brought last time. Mike brought the snacks, and Eddie brought other things.
“I wouldn’t expect to see you here.” Chrissy spoke, breaking the silence between them and making Mike flinch, “I mean… I’ve seen you with Eddie… but…”
Mike shrugged, “I’d never expect to see you here, Chrissy Cunningham.” He snorted and took another sip from his drink while she smiled.
“Though I should’ve expected the freaks would stick together.”
The sudden bite in her voice made Mike recoil. He placed down his drink and trembled, Eddie had said she was kind?
“Excuse me?” He blinked, leaning away as she took a step toward him.
“Oh, you know, people like you. People who are… abnormal, a curse, a plague on humanity, you should stick together and stay in your little corner. All you queers.”
Mike felt like the floor dropped from beneath his feet, he’s not- how did she- “W-What?” I-I’m not-”
“But you are!” She scoffed and crossed her arms, “Honestly I pity your mother. Her only son… betraying her like this.”
Mike’s eyes stung with tears as his heart raced and his lungs shrunk, how did she know? How did she-
Before he knew it he burst out of the trailer and ran, he ran like he was being chased. He ran the whole way home, a faint tick-tock following close behind.