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Chapter Text

Hawkins high school sometimes felt like a tunnel. One long, dimly lit tunnel lined with lockers and bodies. Always bodies, pressed up against each other or shoulders slamming or elbows grazing uncomfortably.

As Mike forced his way through the tunnel of people towards his locker he resisted the urge to put his head in his hands. Seriously, did jocks not understand shared space. He didn’t consider it to be an impossible subject to comprehend but the mindless meathead crashing into him from behind clearly thought otherwise.

The halls were decked out in orange and green, with a big banner hanging at the end of the hall screaming 0 DAYS UNTIL SPRING BREAK! Every day the number on the banner ticked closer to 0 was a blessing. Mike needed this, he needed a break away from teachers breathing down his neck, of jocks with little regard for personal space and the appalling cafeteria food.

“Mike!” A voice called out.

He turned as Dustin approached him, beaming and nearly bouncing with excitement.

“Hey man,” Mike replied, stuffing his backpack with loose papers from his locker he was nearly sure he wouldn’t need over break but just in case or whatever.

“Are we still on for tonight?” Dustin asked, gesturing between them at their matching hellfire shirts.

Mike brightened a little bit, the tension in his shoulders easing as he pictured a night in with his friends, gathered around a DnD board at the dining table in Steve’s apartment.

“Of course, as if I’ve got anything better to do.” He pictured himself at home, sitting on the couch mindlessly watching TV like his dad does but shook off the image just as quickly. No, thank you.

Mike was preparing to follow Dustin through the sea of people and out the front doors of the school towards their waiting bikes when someone’s back collided with his, sending him stumbling forward. He registered a rush of apologies but his tolerance for mild inconveniences had run its course for the day.

He turned on his heels, prepared to give them a piece of his mind, the words “What the shit, asshole” were on the tip of his tongue but he stopped short.

Lucas stood in front of him, dressed in jeans and his basketball jersey, a big orange number 8 printed across his front. Mike couldn’t see his own face but he assumed it was the same as Lucas’; wide eyes and a dumbfounded expression.

“I’m uh- sorry about that,” Lucas said, glancing between Mike and Dustin.

Mike opened his mouth to say something. This is the first time he’s spoken to Lucas in at least five months. What do you say to your former best friend who you now barely speak to? Probably something incredibly meaningful and heartfelt. Mike had been wanting to talk to him, he missed him so deeply it hurt sometimes but he was used to the dull ache by now.

He’d been wanting to say something, he didn’t want to ruin this precious interaction, especially when they were so few and far between. This was the time. Say something, he urged himself. The usual thoughts came to mind, I miss you. You’re still my friend, right?

He’d been wanting this but when it finally came time to speak, to cross the mile wide gap between them he couldn’t say a word.

Instead, Dustin broke the silence. “It’s all good, man. Good luck at the game tonight.” He said, smiling with all his teeth. Dustin always smiled though. He was stupid proud of his freshly bracket-less smile.

Lucas smiled back at Dustin, his shoulders relaxing. He glanced at Mike, then back over his shoulder at his sports friends as they called out for him to join their dog pile or something. Mike isn’t entirely sure what jocks do in their free time. He can only imagine.

“Thanks, I’ll see you guys later!” Lucas smiled, jogging away from them, back towards his new friends.

Mike’s insides protested his friend’s absence, like they were screaming no, come back, I can’t lose another friend. He stuffed it down, instead turning back towards Dustin and leading them towards the bike rack outside.

“You know,” Dustin said, catching up to him. “You should talk to him sometime, he’s still our friend.”

Mike scoffed, his defenses raised. “Hardly, we’ve barely spoken for the last year.”

Dustin smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Doesn’t that make you sad?”

Yes. Very. “No dude, he chose those meat heads over us!” Mike exclaimed, his defenses now fully armed.

“Well you made that choice pretty easy for him, didn’t you?” Dustin shot back.

Mike’s face scrunched, his top lip curling. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you were a total asshole to him and you’re acting like he stopped hanging out with us for no reason.”

“So you’re saying this is all my fault?”

Dustin rolled his eyes, “no dude, I’m just saying you could’ve been more supportive of him when he pursued new hobbies, we all could’ve been.”

Will would’ve been, his mind supplied but he shook off the thought. No use dwelling on what he would’ve done. He’s gone. He’s been gone.

“Whatever,” Mike said, pushing the school doors open as they stepped into the sunny afternoon. He squinted at the sun, his face still scrunched in annoyance.

Next to the bike rack, El stood waving to them, her hand swinging back and forth wildly. She was always excited by something, he had always admired that about her; her eternal optimism.

“Hey El!” Dustin called, waving back with equal enthusiasm.

“Hi!” she called back. Despite being out of the lab for 5 years her voice still carried a certain monotone cadence she hadn't been able to shake.

“You coming to hellfire?” Mike asked, taking his bike from its spot next to Dustin’s.

She shook her head no. Despite coming to nearly every club meeting, El wasn’t necessarily a DnD enthusiast. She enjoyed watching the theatrics and listening to the dramatically clever storylines but she never cared much for playing.

As Mike understood it, in a room full of outcasts it was easy to find belonging. He hoped that’s what she was able to find with them. The first time she’d quietly sat in on a campaign Eddie had taken a liking to her immediately, which deeply offended Mike. It had taken him at least three club meetings for Eddie to even learn his name.

“I’m having a sleepover with Max,” she said, cheerfully. “We’re going to watch a movie.”

“Awesome,” Dustin beamed. “Well, you’re both welcome to come if you feel the urge for incomparable entertainment.”

“I don’t think we’ll be feeling the urge,” Max said, striding next to El, hooking their arms together. “C’mon, let’s go. Wheeler reeks of stank face.”

El giggled as Mike realized his face was still scrunched in mild annoyance.

Mike rolled his eyes, “oh, real mature.”

“Whatever, dingus,” She shot back, dragging El towards the parking lot. Mike wasn’t sure who that girl had bullied into giving her a license but he thought they probably deserved a medal of honor for their bravery or something.

Max’s antagonism towards him wasn’t new but it had definitely increased significantly since Billy’s death. Even though he died over 3 years ago she’d been different since. Her usual sarcasm had turned into a bite with anyone but El. She’d become distant, declining their offers to hang out or sit together at lunch. Mike hadn’t seen her talk to Lucas in months. Sure, they’d fought all the time even when they were together, but they’d always come back to each other. Until they hadn’t.

Mike was okay with being her punching bag though, and gave him a chance to work on his comebacks while Nancy was away at college.

“She’s been spending way too much time with Robin,” Dustin remarked, swinging his leg over his bike and starting off down the concrete path. “I’ll see you tonight, yeah? 5:30?”

Mike thought for a second, “yeah, I’ll see you then. I’ll be a little late though, 5:45 probably.”

“Dude, Eddie is gonna lose his shit.”

“Whatever, he’ll get over it. I just need to take care of some stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“Just stuff, okay?” Mike’s voice raised slightly in defense.

“Alright, geez. I’ll stall for you.”

“Thanks.”

“You owe me though!” Dustin called as the road split, both boys biking down opposite paths.

***

Mike checked the time on his watch. 5:00 blinked back at him. He began to bike away from his house. He passed the freshly cut green lawns, each one surrounded by a white picket fence and pale sidewalks. The American Dream flashed through his vision as he drove past suburbia in all its middle class glory.

Each house he passed held a story, unfortunately each story was probably largely the same. A loveless marriage, a blue collar job, a wife and mother, children and an inherent desire to be perceived as normal. Each picket fence he passed practically screamed PLEASE THINK WE’RE NORMAL, AREN’T WE PERFECT?

Eventually, Mike left his neighborhood and made it to the woods, he petaled through thick trees until he reached a small clearing.

Castle Byers stood in between the tall greenery. The twigs it was made from had become fragile from time but Mike had been sure to replace any especially thin branches with sturdier wood, ensuring the castle would still stand.

He’d been coming to the structure at least three times a week since middle school. Once, in seventh grade Joyce had caught him repairing broken branches. She’d just stared at him for a second, her hands on her hips, until one hand rose to cover her hand and the other over her heart.

“Oh, honey,” She’d said, Mike could tell by her voice she was crying.

At that moment, his chest had grown heavy and his shoulders had started to shake. He hadn’t cried at Will’s funeral because there was still a chance, but standing outside Castle Byers he was faced with the unbearable truth that his best friend was dead. He’d been too late and there was nothing he could do.

Joyce had held out her arms then, her posture incredibly welcoming. Mike had stumbled towards her, his vision blurring. He wasn’t sure how long he’d cried into her shirt, his arms clinging to her middle. Joyce had stroked his hair and rubbed soothing circles across his back the whole time he cried. Mike, though, hadn’t been able to shake a sense of guilt. Her son was dead and she was comforting him, whispering gentle assurances.

Now, Mike walked his bike toward the structure alone. His seventeen year old body had outgrown the fort’s dimensions years ago. Regardless, he crouched low and crawled inside, his backpack flopping as his knees dragged through the dirt.

Inside, he sat on a mildly stained blanket, caked in mud from years of being outside. Mike crossed his legs and pulled his backpack around to his front, pulling the walkie talkie from inside.

The radio static rang out through the silence.

Mike took a deep breath, running his hands over his knees before he spoke into the device. “Hey Will, it’s Mike.” His finger came off the button, letting the static fill the air again. “I know this is stupid and stuff because you’re dead. But I think this is also therapeutic for me, at least. I get to talk things out I don’t think the others would totally understand. Lucas is playing basketball, he’s the star player or whatever. And Dustin, he’s pretty much the same. We’ve got a campaign tonight at Steve’s place. We’re fighting evil wizards and it made me think of you. We could really use Will the Wise right about now.” Mike smiled to himself, picturing Will’s purple wizard costume.

“Everyone is doing okay. Nancy and Jonathan come back from school today which is pretty exciting. But, I just- I don’t know. It’s stupid I guess but I don't think I’m ever going to forget you. Everyone is moving on and trying new things or making new friends. And next year I’m supposed to leave for college.” He let out a shaky breath before continuing.

“But I can’t leave. I can’t leave you. My life started the day I met you and it ended the day you didn’t come home. It’s sad but I feel like I’m dragging my feet through life. I miss you. I miss you so much I feel it everywhere. Will, you’re in my chest, you’re in my bones and I can’t seem to get you out. I just- I wish you were here. I hope the afterlife is treating you well. I mean, you’re the best person ever so I’m sure whatever's gonna happen to me after I die is gonna seem like a shithole compared to wherever you are.”

Mike felt the ever present sadness which had taken root in his chest long ago start to spread. Some days, it felt like his entire being was missing Will, like sadness had been injected into his veins and just lived there now.

He reached up to his nose, which felt oddly warm. His fingers grazed his upper lip where blood had started dripping.

He let out a disgusted noise before muttering “gross,” into the empty air.

Mike checked his watch, 5:35. “Shit,” he muttered. “I gotta go but I miss you. Yeah, okay. Over and out.”

***

“Wheeler,” Eddie greeted, monotone. He stood to his full height in front of the doorway, blocking Mike’s entry.

Mike narrowed his eyes, “Are you gonna let me in or what?”

Eddie stood his ground. “You’re late.”

His dark brows furrowed, “So? Have you guys started yet?”

Eddie considered him for a second. “What’s the password?”

“Are you serious?”

Eddie’s eyebrows shot up, he made a move to close the door.

Mike’s hand shot out before he could, stopping the door inches before it clicked into place.

“Wait, wait, wait!” He called desperately.

Eddie looked at him expectantly.

“Mordor.”

“No.”

“Metallica.”

“No.”

Mike had an insult on the tip of his tongue but just then Steve nudged Eddie aside, clearing the doorway.

“It’s not your house, Munson,” Steve said, gesturing for Mike to come inside.

Eddie grinned, “You wound me, Stevie.”

Steve put his hands on his hips. “Well when you start paying rent you can have a say in who comes in and who doesn’t.”

Eddie laughed, flinging an arm around Steve’s shoulders.

Mike dismissed his mild confusion, if any other party member challenged Eddie like this they’d have been on the curb without a second thought. Steve seemed to be the exception.

Mike was making his way towards the dining table when he was stopped by Eddie’s hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie said.

Mike was about to question the sudden apology when the older man continued.

“The password was I’m sorry.”

Mike felt his face flush in embarrassment. “Oh.”

“Just doing my best to keep you humble, Wheeler.”

Mike smiled lightly as Eddie gestured to the living room in a low bow. He could hear his friends inside, he could already sense the warmth like it was spilling out of the room and embracing the entire apartment.

Mike took his seat at the table next to Dustin as Eddie took the head of the table.

“You’re late, Nerd,” Erica said, crossing her arms. “It doesn’t take a genius to read a clock. And look at that, yours is digital. So besides the obvious stupidity, I’m not sure what your excuse could possibly be.”

Mike glanced over to Eddie, then back at Erica. “I’m sorry I was late,” he sighed.

Erica opened her mouth to make a no doubt biting remark when Eddie’s theatrical voice cut in, he’d always been the best at leading their campaigns. Despite having graduated two years ago, he still made an effort to be part of the club, which they all appreciated.

Mike hadn’t been the dungeon master since middle school. Not since Will died, it just hadn’t felt right. If he was at the head of the table he would probably gesture to an empty spot, demanding Will the Wise make his move.

At some point, Steve left, insisting if anyone broke a single thing “they were dead.” Mike had rolled his eyes, he was used to Steve’s constant death threats. He knew where he was going without having to ask- Lucas’ game. Of everyone in the party, Steve was the only one who still talked to him on a regular basis.

To Mike’s knowledge, Steve hadn’t missed a single one of his basketball games the whole season.

After hours of game play Eddie insisted it was time to call it a night. Around him, the group groaned. Mike glanced down at his watch, 9:46.

“Do you have a bed time or something?” Erica snapped, crossing her arms. “I thought you were an adult.”

“Erica,” Eddie said calmly, too calm. He leaned across the table, “It would do you well not to insult the one who controls the fate of your precious Princess Applejack, okay Freshman?”

She rolled her eyes, “Whatever, nerds. I’m out of here.” She stood, walking towards the front door.

Dustin shook his head in exasperation, “She is so mean.”

Mike picked up his backpack, following Erica towards the door. “We’re lucky her and Max never spent too much time together.”

Dustin shook his head, the image of their combined forces probably flashing through his head. “Brutal.”

Eddie was the last one to join them in the hallway, locking the door behind them.

“Since when do you have a key?” Dustin asked, almost offended. Dustin had bragged for at least a week when Steve had given him a key to his place strictly for emergencies only. Mike was certain Dustin had abused his power on more than one occasion.

Eddie shrugged. “Sorry Henderson, guess you’re not special.”

Once they were outside Steve’s house they stood in the light beaming down from the apartment complex, dragging their bikes out of the bike rack. Overhead, the lights from the apartments flickered and Mike felt his chest grow tight, he glanced at Dustin, his eyes wide.

“Damn power,” Eddie sighed, stepping out of the apartment complex. “I keep telling Harrington this place is a piece of shit.”

Dustin’s alarmed expression matched his own. He watched as Erica mounted her bike, unbothered. Mike felt panic bubbling up in his chest, as she prepared to bike away.

The demogorgon, it got me.

“Erica, wait!” he called, almost frantic. She stopped in her tracks, turning to face him, he could tell an insult was on locked and loaded, waiting to be fired but it dissolved as she took in his expression.

Eddie twirled his key ring around his finger, oblivious to Mike’s panic.

“Eddie,” Mike said, gripping the shoulder of his leather jacket between white knuckles.

“Jesus Wheeler, what’s wrong?” He asked, concerned.

Mike felt his breathing grow faster, he’d been here before. He’s stood under flickering lights after an innocent campaign. He’d watched his friends bike away from him. And he didn’t come back. He never made it home.

“Hey,” Dustin said, he placed a calming hand on Mike’s shoulder. “It’s just Steve’s shitty apartment. Nothing to worry about.” He lowered his voice then. “The gate is closed.”

Mike felt himself grow calmer, the gate was closed, they were okay.

Dustin turned to face Eddie, who had been watching them with a nervous expression. “Eddie, do you mind giving us a ride home?”

His eyebrows shot up. “All of you?”

“Yeah,” Erica cut in, walking her bike up next to them. “All of us, is that a problem?”

Eddie glanced at his watch. “Fuck, shit, fine. Get in.”

They piled into the van, their bikes stuffed in the back. Mike let the heavy metal blasting through the stereo drown out his friend’s voices. He stared at the trees passing outside the window. Stupid fucking town.

***

The car stopped at the Sinclair house first, Erica jumped out, muttering a quick “later, nerds,” before rushing inside, walking her bike beside her. The wheeler residence was next, Mike sulked out, wishing them a good night before he crossed the lawn into his house.

Once it was only Dustin and Eddie in the car Dustin sat up straighter, preparing for his friend’s questions.

“Hey man,” Eddie started. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but is Wheeler okay?”

Dustin frowned, the sadness in his chest building. “Yeah, he just- he gets like that sometimes.”

Eddie nodded, pulling down the street and starting towards Dustin’s house.

“Do you remember Will Byers?”

Dustin watched as Eddie’s brows drew together in confusion. “Kid went missing a few years ago, right? Did you know him or something?”

Dustin swallowed hard, or something. “He was Mike’s best friend.”

Eddie sucked in a sharp breath.

“I mean, we were all friends, Mike, Will, Lucas and I…” he trailed off. “But Mike and Will were best friends, you know?” Dustin cleared his throat, swallowing the emotion building in his voice. It had been years, but it was still hard to talk about Will. “Will went missing after a campaign, he biked into the woods and they found his body in the quarry a couple days later.”

“Jesus, Man,” Eddie breathed. His knuckles white against the steering wheel. “I’m sorry.”

Dustin pressed on. “Mike was the last one to talk to him. I think now he just needs to keep everyone safe.”

As the van pulled into his driveway Dustin squared his shoulders and reached for the door knob.

“Thanks for the ride, Eddie. He might not say it but I know Mike looks up to you.” Dustin smiled, close lipped. “I know this meant a lot to him.”

Eddie returned the smile, “Anytime, Henderson.”

Dustin scrambled out of the van, grabbing his bike out of the back and coming to stand outside of Eddie’s window. “I’ll see you later, man.”

“See you later.”

***

“Who do you think is hotter, Tom Cruise or Ralph Macchio?” Max pressed, excited.

El stared at her for a second, looking between the magazines Max had raised in each hand. Her brows were drawn in concentration, like she was taking the question to heart. “How do I know which one is hotter?”

Max shrugged, “I don’t know, you just listen to your heart or something.” She thought for a second, “or… other organs.”

El’s eyebrows shot up, “Other organs?”

“Never mind,” Max said, giggling.

Briefly, Max’s attention shifted to the radio on her nightstand, currently narrating the Hawkins High Varsity basketball playoffs. “What an amazing ending to an amazing game folks, with 5 seconds left on the clock Lucas Sinclair has pulled the team ahead, scoring the winning point. Hawkins High is taking home the trophy tonight.”

Max got up to turn the radio off, stuffing it into her bedside drawer.

“We could have gone to the game,” El supplied gently.

Max felt a wave of sadness washing over her, if she was being entirely honest with herself she missed Lucas. He was her best friend before he was her boyfriend and now they hardly spoke. She knew it was her own fault, she’d been a complete jerk to him the year after Billy’s death. She’d pushed him away with so much force now she didn’t know what to do.

At the time Max felt like she was falling through a deep hole and she wasn't able to find the motivation to claw herself out. But after Billy's death El had shown up at her door with a handful of comic books and a box of tissues. El had been there with an out stretched hand and pulled her out of the seemingly bottomless pit she'd been in the midst of.

Max swallowed hard. “He doesn’t want to see me.”

“How do you know that?” El questioned, always the optimist. Her eyes widened, “Did he tell you that?”

“No, no,” Max rushed, “I just- I don’t know. I was so mean to him Freshman year.” El opens her mouth to protest but Max continues, “No, I was a total jerk. But I shouldn’t have been. He was so important to me and I shouldn’t have treated him that way because all he was trying to do was be there for me and I wouldn’t let him.”

El’s face softened, “you should say this to him.”

Max flashed her a sad smile, “yeah, maybe someday.”

They left it at that, picking back up on their debate from earlier. El remained indecisive, which Max found to be ridiculous because seriously El, have you seen Ralph Macchio?

Outside, they heard a car pull up. They both scrambled to Max’s window, peeking out from behind the curtains. Eddie’s van pulled up the dirt road and parked outside his trailer.

A couple weeks ago Max had a slightly mortifying and scarring interaction with a shirtless Steve Harrington. She had a friendly relationship with Eddie, so when she’d noticed the lights in his car were still on she’d crossed the dirt path between their trailers and knocked on the door, only to be greeted by a shirtless Steve, his hair a rumpled mess. Max had just blinked up at him. Steve had blinked back. Max looked him up, then down, taking in his appearance and putting the pieces together as to why Steve was half naked at 11:30 PM on a Friday night.

“Please don’t tell Dustin,” he’d said, wide eyed.

Max had narrowed her eyes, “40 bucks.”

Steve had rolled his eyes but eventually haggled his way down to 32 dollars before returning inside. They hadn’t spoken about it since.

So eventually, when a second car pulled up outside, Max assumed it would be Steve back for another late night tangle in the sheets. But to her surprise former cheer captain, Chrissy Cunningham, the pride and joy of Hawkins High was bouncing up towards the trailer door and knocking nervously.

“What is she doing here?” El asked, confused.

Max shrugged. “Maybe some kind of drug deal or something.” One of the worst kept secrets in Hawkins was Eddie’s drug business he kept on the side.

After a couple minutes of back and forth speculation, they’d returned to their earlier conversation concerning the hotness of various celebrities. After flipping through multiple pages El had decided her organs liked Meg Ryan the most. Max hadn't said anything about what that could mean, she decided instead to grab a different magazine, one filled with the top female actresses at the time and let El flip through it.

Overhead, the lights began to flicker.

“Piece of shit trailer,” Max said, without looking up from the magazine she was currently exploring.

El stood up, her shoulders tense.

“”El?” Max was suddenly alert, “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t respond, instead she rushed towards the front door, ignoring Max calling out for her in concern. She crossed the dirt road to Eddie’s trailer, their feet thundering against the dust in the quiet late night air. El unlocked the door with her powers, sending it flying open.

Inside the trailer, the lights flashed on and off, Max felt panic rising in her throat as she scanned the room. Eddie was on his backside, his back pressed against the far wall. He was pale, like he’d seen a ghost, or 20.

Max rushed over to Eddie’s side as El spun in circles in the middle of the room, her eyes tracking the blinking lights.

“Eddie, are you okay?” she asked, gripping his T- shirt. He didn’t respond, his eyes were wide and unfocused. “Hey, where’s Chrissy?”

Just then, Max heard the undeniable sound of bones snapping, she turned around and her eyes locked on Chrissy. She was suspended in mid air, her back pressed against the ceiling like she was trying to float away but couldn’t. Blood dripped from her eye sockets as her jaw snapped out of place. Her bones were contorted at unnatural angles, each of her fingers bent and misshapen. Her legs were snapped at the shins, leaving her feet pointed upwards.

Max slapped a hang over her mouth, next to her El let out a pained scream. Chaos flooded the room, seeping in through cracks in the walls until Crissy’s body fell from the ceiling and slammed into the floor face first.

Silence hung in the room for a few excruciating seconds.

Eddie was the one who broke the silence.

“What the actual fuck.”

Chapter Text

Joyce sat on the front porch, her fingernails bitten down to the skin until her teeth nearly drew blood. She wrapped her jacket tighter to her body, letting it swallow her in a feeble attempt at warmth. Her leg bounced up and down with such force she thought the whole house might be shaking. 

Anxiety pooled in her stomach as she looked out at the driveway, searching for headlights. She checked her watch again. Jonathan said he would be home by 11:00 but the hands on her watch had long since passed the hour mark. She tried not to panic, but the longer the driveway sat dark, devoid of headlights the stronger her anxiety grew, curling around her lungs. 

Joyce pulled a cigarette out of the box in her pocket, lighting it and taking a long drag. Her hands were shaking, but she wasn’t sure if it was the lingering chill of spring or the ever present fear that seemed to live in the corners of her mind. After everything she’d lost a little bit of fear felt reasonable. 

She took another long drag, letting the inhale calm her nerves. Will was gone. He’d died and that had broken her heart. A part of herself had died with him, she knew that. Her reaction had been almost desperate, clinging to Jonathan until he’d finally snapped. At first she’d been opposed to him going out of state for school. She wanted him in her eyeline at all times, so she could jump in front of any danger life threatened him with. 

He was thousands of miles away now, at his dream school with a girlfriend who loves him and a bright future ahead of him. Joyce was so proud of him she was almost ashamed she’d ever wanted to keep him so close. 

She looked behind her at the house her family had once lived in. It’s different now, no boys running through the halls, less drawings covering the walls. Will’s room had gone untouched since the day he went missing. It was completely irrational and probably incredibly unhealthy but Joyce had refused to touch the room or even move houses because a small part of her was always hoping he would come home. 

She’d cried to Hopper a couple years ago, sobbing into his shirt. But what if he comes home and he can’t find us? What if I leave and he comes home? So she’d stayed put, unless a miracle occurred and Will came wandering through the trees back to her she’d probably live in this house forever. 

A box wrapped in brown paper and coated in Russian postal stamps was sitting inside the house on her dining table. She took another drag from her cigarette. Hopper was dead, she’d accepted that. He died three years ago. 

Her life had become a cycle. Lose, deny, grieve, accept it, cling to what you can. She’d lost Will and she’d accepted that to a certain extent. She lost two of the most important people in her life, her son and her best friend. But she also had people relying on her. Jonathan had lost his brother and he needed her, El had lost her dad and suddenly Joyce had another kid to take care of. She loved El like her own daughter but, the new invigoration of love she felt could never quell the depths of her loss. 

Now though, there’s a fucking brown box from Russia with a creepy fucking doll inside it and she has a plane ticket to fucking Alaska booked for tomorrow morning with Murray fucking Bauman and she has to explain to her son that she’ll be gone for a little while because she has to break her best friend who she is also very much in love with out of a Russian prison. 

Joyce blew out a puff of smoke. Jesus Christ. 

Just then, headlights appeared through the trees. Joyce jumped to her feet as Jonathan’s car pulled into the driveway. She started to wave frantically, putting out her cigarette. She squinted into the headlights as he turned off the car. 

“Hey mom,” he called out, “I’m sorry I’m late. Dropping Nancy off took a little longer than I thought it would.” 

She waved him off, pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay sweetie, I’m just glad you’re home.” 

He wrapped his arms around her in return. “You didn’t have to wait up for me, you know?" 

“I don’t mind,” she shrugged, pulling back. “I wanted to make sure you got home okay.” 

Jonathan nodded in understanding, making his way to the trunk and pulling out his suitcase. They made their way inside, past Murray sleeping on the couch and the box looming on the kitchen table. 

“What’s Murray doing here?” He asked, dropping his suitcase on the floor of his bedroom. 

Joyce hesitated, she didn’t want to give him hope. But she also couldn’t lie to him either. “Jonathan, there’s something I have to show you.” 

She led him into the kitchen to the shattered doll nestled inside that stupid brown box. He examined it for a second, taking in the porcelain pieces and the ominous note. He looked up at her, his mouth open like he’s ready to say something. 

“Hopper is alive,” she said, suddenly craving another cigarette. 

Jonathan drew in a sharp breath. 

“I have a plane ticket booked to Alaska tomorrow morning. Murray and I are gonna go get him.” 

Jonathan looked like he was about to cry or hyperventilate or yell or something. “Mom, are you serious? Hopper he’s- he died. You said he died. You said you saw him die.” 

Joyce pressed her lips together, “I never saw a body.” 

He blinked at her, running his fingers through his hair. “That’s- it’s impossible.” 

“I know,” she whispered. 

He started to pace. “This is crazy.” 

“I know.” 

“What if it's-” Jonathan started, shaking his head. “What if it’s not real?” 

“Jonathan, I have to try. If he’s out there- if he’s been out there this whole time I need to help him. El needs her dad, after everything this is the least I can do.” 

When he responded he raised his voice slightly. “And if something happens to you? What then? What am I supposed to do then? What’s El supposed to do then?” 

“That’s not going to happen.” 

“But what if it does, Mom? I can’t lose- I can’t lose you too.” 

“I know honey, I know.” She put her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing and look at her. Her grip relaxed and her hands began to rub his shoulders in what she hoped was a calming gesture. “I couldn’t save your brother,” she started. 

“Mom,” he said, his voice gentle. 

“I couldn’t save Will and what happened to him is nobody’s fault.” She watched as his eyes welled up. “But I will never forgive myself for that.” 

They stood in silence for a second, Jonathan’s tears flowing freely now. 

“I couldn’t get to him, but Hop- I can help him. I can bring him back to his daughter. That’s something I’ll never have but I can give that to him.” 

Jonathan nodded, his eyes softening. “Okay.” 

Joyce pulled him into a tight hug. “Okay?” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

***

“Are you little shits gonna tell me what the actual fuck that was or are you just going to keep fucking whispering about it because if I have to watch you have one of your silent little eye contact debates again I’m going to lose my shit.” 

Max glanced over at El, her eyes communicating her urgency. 

“That!” Eddie exclaimed, leaning onto the center console between Max and El. “Stop doing that.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Max said, exasperated. “Could you just calm down for like two seconds?” 

Eddie’s eyes widened in offense. “Oh? You would like me to calm down? I just watched a girl float into the air, get her bones cracked like fucking twigs and then her eyes exploded out of their sockets. So no. I will not calm down.” 

El watched as Max swallowed hard, her voice softening the next time she spoke. “Okay, that’s fine. Just- you’re stressing me out and I’ll crash if you keep this up.”

Eddie huffed, leaning back into his seat. 

El closed her eyes, shuddering as Chrissy’s disfigured corpse flashed behind her eyes. Between visions of Chrissy’s gruesome death she saw flashes of something else. She saw the lab- the rainbow room. She saw the bodies of children, blood dripping from their eyes and their bones snapped at unnatural angles. 

She heard a voice. Papa. What have you done? Eleven, what have you done? 

“Hey,” Max said, snapping El’s attention back to the present. “Are you okay?” 

She nodded in response, “Where are we going?” 

Max shrugged, “I don’t know.” She glanced at the rear view mirror. “Eddie, where are we going?” 

“Fuck, I don’t know man,” he sighed. 

El turned around to face him. “We need to go somewhere safe. Where is somewhere you will be safe?” 

Eddie ran a hand over his face, groaning. 

“Eddie please, just think,” Max snapped. 

“Jesus Red, that was one of the most traumatizing moments of my life, give me a break.” 

“You can have a break once we’re safe,” Max’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. 

Eddie thought for a second, fiddling with the ends of his hair. “You know lover’s lake?” 

“Yes,” Max and El said in unison. 

“That’s where we’re going.” 

Max’s eyebrows drew together. “What’s at lover’s lake?”

“There's a house on the edge, the guy who lives there is in prison. No one’s gonna come by.” 

Silence fell as Max redirected the car towards the lake, pulling a u turn in the middle of the street. 

El could hear Mike’s outraged voice in the back of her head nearly screeching. “Seriously, what son of a bitch saw her drive, evaluated it and said we should subject the public to this.” 

Mike had a habit of being overly dramatic but his outrage at Max’s tendency to ignore traffic laws was not exaggerated. She always obeyed the speed limit though. 

“So, are you going to tell me what the hell that was because neither of you seem as phased as you should be.” He leaned forward between the driver and passenger seats. “Spill.” 

Max glanced at El who nodded in return. 

“Okay, fine. But it’s going to sound crazy.” 

***

“Mike, Dustin, does anyone copy?” 

Mike barely registered waking up, it was spring break he was supposed to be sleeping until noon, instead he was waking up before the sun to a crackling walkie talkie. 

“This is Max, is anyone there?” 

He groaned, rolling towards the nightstand beside his bed. 

“Mike, Dustin… Lucas. Is anyone there?” 

Mike forced his eyes open, reaching for his nightstand in the dark, missing the wooden frame several times before his grip found purchase on the rectangular device. 

He pressed the button down. “Do you know what time it is?” He groaned.

“Mike!” This might be the first time Max was actually happy to hear his voice. Something must be deeply wrong. “We have a problem.” 

Mike felt the seriousness in her voice. “What’s wrong?” His body felt suddenly awake. 

“Mike.” It was El this time, her voice just as serious as Max’s. “Something happened. It was the upside down.” 

Mike jumped out of bed, his limbs flailing as he searched his bedroom floor for clothes. “Shit, shit,” he cursed under his breath. “I’ll come find you, where are you?” 

“Lover’s lake.” Max replied. “Bring everyone else if you can.” 

Mike pulled a sweatshirt over his head, then raised the radio to his mouth. “Okay, I’m leaving now. I’ll be there soon.” 

Mike ducked under his bed, pulling out a black backpack and shoving the radio inside. He’d started keeping this bag just in case. Inside were lighters, hunting knives, matches, gasoline. Better safe than sorry. 

Mike rushed down the hall towards Nancy’s room. Mike had been asleep before she’d gotten home but he knew Jonathan had been planning on dropping her off around midnight. A glance at his watch told him it was 3:04 AM. She was definitely home. 

Mike swung the door open bursting into Nancy’s room. She stirred slightly, rolling over to face him. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her awake. 

“Mike!” She slurred, “what the hell?” She pushed at his arms, trying to shove him away. 

“Nancy, we gotta go. Max and El called, they need our help.” 

She blinked awake. “Mike, what?” 

“It’s back,” he said, swallowing hard. 

His sister drew in a breath, pulling the blankets off and standing next to him. 

“Give me two minutes.” 

Mike waited outside as she dressed, using the phone to call Dustin’s house to no avail. Mike cursed to himself, running his hands through his hair. His head felt like it was pounding through his skull. He stopped at the medicine cabinet, dropping a bottle of painkillers into his backpack after swallowing a few. 

Once Nancy emerged from her room, fully dressed they started towards the garage. Mike slipped into the passenger seat, holding his backpack against his chest. 

“Welcome home by the way,” Mike said, smiling slightly. 

Nancy cracked a small smile, “Thanks Mike.” 

They peeled out of the driveway towards the Henderson household. After a couple minutes Nancy pulled the car into the driveway.

“Keep the car running,” Mike said, opening his door and dashing around the side of the house to the window outside Dustin’s room. He tapped furiously on the glass until his friend answered. 

Dustin wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Dude, it’s like four AM.” 

“Listen, I know but we need to go, I’ll explain in the car.” 

Dustin must have registered the urgency in Mike’s voice, or maybe it was his no doubt frantic demeanor. 

Less than five minutes later Dustin was in the backseat of the car. 

“Who else are we getting?” Nancy asked, glancing between Mike and his friend. 

“What about Steve? He’s probably still got that nail bat, could be useful,” Mike proposed. 

“No go,” Dustin said, “he’s picking up Robin from the airport in like three hours. We’ll get him after. What about Lucas?” 

Mike hesitated, opening his mouth and closing it again. 

Dustin threw his hands up. “Mike, come on. We need him.” 

Mike nodded, shaking off his anxiety. 

“Okay,” Nancy said, putting the car in drive. “To the Sinclair house.” 

“No!” Dustin realized, “the game was tonight, right?” 

“What?” 

“The basketball game, he’s definitely at some jock party.” 

Mike’s lip curled slightly, “Still?” 

Nancy spoke up, “The basketball team’s parties are ridiculous, they’ll still be going.” 

Mike’s attention snapped to his sister, “how do you know?” 

“Micheal, I dated Steve Harrington, we went to parties.” She said it like it was obvious. 

Dustin pressed on, refocused. “Where are these parties?” 

Nancy thought for a second, “Last I heard they were partying at Benny’s, the burger place that closed a couple years back. Do you guys think they’re still there?” 

Mike’s mind was drawn back to a conversation he’d overheard the other day in class, some meathead bragging about a party at an old restaurant. “Yeah, I think they’re still there.” 

***

Dustin unbuckled his seatbelt, reaching for the door. “Okay, I’ll go find him.” 

Mike looked out the car window at the flashing lights beaming through the windows of the building, the bodies scattered around the outside of the building. Mike swallowed the anxiety creeping into his throat, it’s just Lucas. His friend. Dustin got out of the car, starting towards the party. 

He sat in silence with Nancy for a second. Then, before he could reconsider anything he unbuckled his seatbelt too. 

“Mike!” Nancy called from the car but he ignored her, closing the car door behind him. He jumped out of the car, running across the dirt patches towards the worn down building. 

When he got inside his ears were immediately bombarded with the most obnoxious music he’d ever heard. The remnants of his headache from earlier intensified, a dull ache pounding at his skull. He made his way past unfamiliar faces and bodies, searching for his friend’s faces. Dustin was nowhere to be found, probably lost somewhere in the sea of unfamiliar people. 

He spotted Lucas across the room, holding a solo cup in his hand and surrounded by people Mike vaguely recognized from school. 

Any semblance of self preservation he had after a lifetime of being bullied was shed from his body as Max’s call rang through his ears. 

We have a problem. 

“Lucas!” He called to no avail. Stupid jocks and their stupidly loud music. “Lucas!” 

No response. Mike squared his shoulders and pushed any of his remaining anxiety out of his throat and deeper into his stomach where it belonged. He walked towards his kind of friend, dodging his drunk classmates along the way. 

“Lucas!” This time Lucas saw him, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion. 

“Mike?” 

Suddenly, Mike felt oddly exposed. Lucas’ eyes were on his but so were the eyes of everyone else in the small circle. Mike didn’t recognize all of them, but they all wore matching varsity jerseys. 

“What are you doing here?” Lucas pressed. 

This is it, Mike thought to himself. Say something, anything really. Lucas’ waiting expression was met with silence. 

***

Lucas wasn’t drunk, he was buzzed. There was enough alcohol in his system for a pleasant buzz which allowed him to relax just enough to forget how miserable he felt but, he was not nearly drunk enough to be experiencing full on hallucinations. 

Yet here he was, because the Mike Wheeler standing in front of him at a party was absolutely a figment of his imagination. He was about to chalk up the interaction to his impaired mental state when one of his teammates spoke up. 

“Who the fuck is this guy?” 

So he isn’t crazy. That’s good at least. 

“Mike,” Lucas said again, standing up. “What are you doing here?” 

Lucas watched as Mike swallowed hard, his eyes darting between Lucas’ and the group waiting around him. “I need your help.” 

Jason stood up next to Lucas, “Sinclair, you know this guy?” The judgement in his tone was clear. 

“Didn’t you graduate like 3 years ago?” Mike snapped. 

Lucas ignored them both, refocused. “Mike, whatever it is I’m sure Dustin or El or someone else can help you with it, okay?” 

Mike deflated slightly, his shoulders slumping. 

“That means scram, freak,” Jason taunted, making a shooing motion with his hand. Lucas turned back towards his place on the worn furniture. 

“Lucas,” Mike started again, he stepped forward but Jason shoved his shoulder back. Mike’s upper lip curled in his usual expression of disdain and annoyance. ““It’s Max.”

Lucas snapped awake, shoving Jason off of his friend. Once they’d separated he pulled Mike by the shoulder a few feet away from his teammates. “Wha- Is she- What?” 

Mike shook his head, “I don’t know. Max and El radioed a couple hours ago saying they need help.” 

Lucas felt his breathing shallow, “It’s not…” 

Mike nodded, “upside down.” 

He suddenly felt incredibly sober. He turned back towards the couch, grabbing his jacket. Lucas ignored his teammates' complaints as he followed Mike outside. 

“Shit,” Mike said, his eyes frantic. “We gotta find Dustin.” 

They nearly spun in circles, their eyes scanning the room. 

“There!” Lucas yelled, pointing to Dustin who had somehow gotten locked into a conversation with a very drunk basketball player. 

“Dustin!” They both called over the noise. Dustin’s attention snapped towards them as he made his way towards the door. 

Once they were all outside Lucas peppered them with questions. Mike responded to each. 

“Is another gate open?” 

“I don’t know, maybe.” 

“Is Max okay?” 

“I think so.” 

“Where are we going?” 

“Lover’s lake.” 

“Are you sure she’s okay?” 

“Lucas!” Mike snapped, turning around from the front seat to face him. “Just ask her.” Mike pressed the walkie talkie into his hand. 

Lucas blinked at the device in his hand. Just ask her. It’s fine. This is fine. He’d fought interdimensional monsters but this still felt like one of the scariest things he’s ever done. 

He raised the radio to his mouth. “Max, do you copy?” Silence filled the car for a second before the walkie talkie crackled to life, Max’s voice filling the empty air. 

“Lucas?” She sounded surprised. 

Lucas felt a familiar warmth bubble in his chest. “Yeah, I’m here.” He swallowed. “Are you okay? Over.” 

“Yeah. A bit shaken up but everyone's okay.” 

“Max, what happened?” 

“I- just- I’ll tell you when you get here, okay? It’s kind of a lot.” 

“Okay. Yeah, we’ll be there soon.” 

“Okay.” 

The mildly awkward silence in the car seemed to intensify the longer they drove. What do you say to your former best friends you now only talk to in passing? Lucas had absolutely no idea. It wasn’t his fault though. He didn’t see the shame in him not wanting to be bullied at every turn. After years of the namecalling, being shoved into lockers or stupid kick me signs taped to his backpack he was sick of the anxiety he felt walking through the school doors every day. So when the basketball team was having try outs and Steve offered to coach him on the weekends he saw his way out. 

It wasn’t his fault his friends couldn’t see that. The distance between them felt infinite sometimes, like they don’t know each other anymore. Like his friends had become strangers overnight. The distance between them felt somehow completely foreign but also natural. 

He never thought there would be a day he couldn’t turn to Mike or Dustin. Sure, they’d had their fair share of arguments but they’d been through insane shit together and come out stronger. Somehow though, they couldn’t survive high school. 

“Sometimes people just grow apart,” his mom had told him sometime during Softmoore year. Impossible he’d thought. Yet, here he was. 

The car pulled up in front of a small lake house on the edge of lover’s lake and Lucas felt fear, anxiety, excitement pooling in his chest all at once. Max and El were standing outside a small shed, their jackets pulled tight around them, shielding them from the early morning chill. 

Nancy parked the car, and they all piled out quickly. Lucas jogged over to where Max and El stood. 

Max’s eyes met his and the urge to reach out to her felt overwhelming. He shoved his hands into his pockets before he did something entirely stupid like pull her into a hug. 

In that moment he felt the need to say something incredibly clever but the only word he could form was a simple “hi.” He raised his hand in an awkward wave. 

Max’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Hi.” 

Lucas was on the verge of saying something suave when Mike cut in. 

“What happened?”   

***

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“It’s called the upside down,” Mike said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Yeah, I got that,” Eddie said, running his hands over his face. “It’s the alternate dimension part I’m still a little fuzzy on.” 

Dustin put his hands out, palm up like he’s calming a spooked zoo animal. “It sounds crazy, we know. But it’s the truth.” 

Eddie glanced around the room at the group of people around him. “Who else knows about this?” 

“Erica knows,” Lucas supplied. 

“Jonathan and Joyce know,” Nancy said. 

“Steve and Robin too,” Dustin finished. “And Murray.” 

Eddie rubbed his palms over his eyeballs. “Who the fuck is Murray?” Then he was suddenly alert. “Wait. Harrington is part of this?” 

Dustin grinned, “yeah, he’s actually pretty bad ass. He’s got a bat with nails sticking out of it and everything.” 

“Jesus H Christ,” he groaned. “So that’s what happened to Chrissy? The demogorgon?” 

Mike shut his eyes, ignoring the ever present pounding in his head. It got me. 

“No.” Everyone’s eyes snapped to El. “This was something else.” 

Mike felt a chill run down his spine. He crossed the room to her side. He’s never been very good at reading people’s emotions but she and Will had always been the exceptions. He understood the tension in her shoulders and the concern in her eyes without having to ask. 

“El,” he whispered, his hand on her shoulder. 

“I think I have seen this before. In the lab.” 

Silence fell over the room, all eyes were on El. 

After a couple seconds her eyes lifted to meet his. “I think someone like me did this.” Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. 

Well, shit.

Chapter Text

“Okay let me get this straight, this Vecna guy is killing people with his mind powers,” Steve said. He was gathered with Nancy, Robin, Eddie and Dustin in a small circle while the other kids curled on the couch recovering some much needed sleep. 

“Yes,” Dustin said, rubbing his hands together in a poorly veiled effort to quell his anxiety. 

“But we haven’t seen anything from the upside down in like three years,” he countered, glancing at Eddie in a way he hoped conveyed I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was involved in inter-dementional battles, I didn’t know how to tell you. Hell, he didn’t even know how to tell Eddie he wanted more than just friends with benefits, how was he supposed to tell him this? 

“But you said the gates are still closed,” Robin questioned. 

Steve had picked her up from the airport less than an hour ago and they’d gone straight to lover’s lake at Dustin’s urgent request over the radio. 

“Vecna is different,” he explained. “We think he has some kind of mind powers from the upside down.” Dustin hesitated a second before he continued, “El said she thinks he might be like her.” 

Steve’s brow furrowed and he glanced over at a sleeping El curled on the couch next to her friends. “Last time I checked El isn’t a psychotic murderer who breaks people's bones and shit.” 

Eddie followed his gaze. “She’s no Victor Creel, that’s for sure.” 

Nancy frowned, “who?” 

“Victor Creel?” Eddie glanced around the group. “Seriously? You guys never heard of him?” 

Nancy crossed her arms like she had an expectation he wasn’t meeting. Steve was overly familiar with the look, he’d been on the receiving end of it many times throughout their relationship. 

Eddie seemed to understand the look as he quickly supplied more information. “Uncle Wayne used to tell me these fucked up ghost stories when I was a kid. Apparently back in 59 this Creel guy killed his whole family- wife and kids. Snapped their bones and gouged out their eyes, he told everyone a demon killed them but the court ruled against him. The dude was declared insane. That shit gave me nightmares for weeks.” 

“But 1959 was way before the upside down was even around,” Robin challenged, confused. 

Dustin shook his head, “we thought El opened the first gate but that could’ve been wrong. The upside down could’ve been around since the dinosaurs and we would’ve had no idea." 

Eddie lifted his hands, waving off the thought. “You guys aren’t serious, right? Creel is a nut job, nothing he said was true.” 

Steve shrugged, “you do this shit long enough and nothing is a coincidence anymore.” 

Eddie held his gaze for a lingering second. His eyes narrowed slightly and Steve understood. We’ll talk about this later. He forced his gaze away from Eddie’s, focusing back on the discussion at hand. 

“I think we should look into it,” Nancy decided. The group nodded, exchanging glances. 

Steve’s eyes traveled to the kid standing next to him as he let out a long yawn. 

“Dude, get some sleep,” he said, nodding to his friends piled on the couch. “You clearly need it.” 

Dustin shook him off, “no, I’m fine.” 

“Dustin.” The teen’s eyes finally met his. “Get some sleep.” 

Dustin’s eyes softened, losing their usual spark of rebellion and dragging his feet towards his sleeping friends. Steve patted a hand on his head, the way he used to do when the top of his head barely reached Steve’s shoulder. These days most of the kids were at his eye level which felt entirely foreign to him. 

“We should all get some sleep,” Nancy suggested, her eyelids drooping. 

Eddie pushed his way out of the group. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

Nancy followed him, leaving Steve and Robin alone in the dimly lit shack. Steve knew he wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep, not with the fear currently running through his system. 

Steve slid down the wall, leaning against it with his knees to his chest. Robin followed him down, sitting beside him. 

He bumped his shoulder against hers. “You should get some sleep.”

She rolled her eyes, “I slept on the plane.” 

His eyes widened, “shit, I didn’t even get to ask, how’s college treating you?” 

She frowned, “you sound like my dad.” 

Steve frowned, “have they called at all?” 

Robin shook her head. “No, but that’s okay. I’d rather be doing something I love with them out of my life than have them in my life and be completely miserable.” 

Steve nodded, Robin had come out to him years ago in a bathroom stall after they’d been drugged and tortured by Russians. She’d come out to more of their friends several years later after she started dating Vickie. 

Their first kiss had taken place under the bleachers after the homecoming game, still dressed in their band uniforms. Robin had called him on the phone after then showed up at his front door, smiling and crying and talking at an almost unnatural speed. Steve could’ve sworn her eyes had gone heart shaped the entire time she told him the story. 

He could remember vividly the untameable warmth that had spread through his chest as she told him the story over and over again, pacing around the limited space of his apartment practically yelling “boobies, Steve! She likes boobies!” Steve had been too happy for her to spoil this moment with an I told you so. 

He placed a hopefully comforting hand on her shoulder. “They’ll come around.” 

She smiled but it was a sad smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I hope so.” 

It was a lie, her parents most likely would never accept her. Steve couldn’t even begin to understand them. Robin is his best friend and the way she chooses to love could never change that. 

Steve smirked, “how’s Vickie?” 

Robin blushed, “she’s good, we’re good. I’m supposed to see her tomorrow while we’re both in town but you know…” She trailed off. 

He leaned back until his head hit the wall, glancing over at Eddie’s sleeping form. “Yeah…” 

She followed his gaze. “How’s Eddie?” 

Steve shrugged, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he hated me forever for this. I mean, we kept things pretty casual and all but this is pretty big.” 

She raised her eyebrows, “I don’t think he’ll hate you.” 

He breathed a short laugh, “no?” 

“No.” She shook her head. “I think you’ll be in for a long talk. But I think you guys will be okay.” 

Steve considered what to say next. “I…” he started, “I just- I don’t know. I really like him and no one has made me feel this way since…” 

“Nancy?” She supplied. 

“Yeah. I’m not… I’m not saying I’m in love with him or anything.” Steve swallowed. “I’m just scared- for all of us.” 

“Me too. This time feels different.” She laid her legs out in front of her. 

He nodded, a familiar wave of protectiveness washed over him as he glanced at the kids. He wasn’t entirely sure how he’d fallen into the role of caretaker and he’d complain until the day he died but, secretly he loved it. He loved being the first person they call when they need help. Whether it’s Lucas for a ride home after he drank too much at a party, Dustin panicking because he didn’t know what to get Suzie for their anniversary or Max coming to him for driving lessons. 

He liked being someone they could rely on. At some point the protectiveness had settled so deeply into his bones it became a part of him. He couldn’t imagine going about life any other way. 

As much as they drove him crazy, they were the reason he was back in school, taking classes at the local community college. They might not know it but they’d given him a purpose and a direction. Steve was pursuing a career in education because of these little shits and he was eternally grateful. 

This time does feel different, but he’ll never say it out loud. Not for fear of jinxing them or some superstitious shit. But because he couldn’t bear the thought. 

***

“As of last night two people have been reported dead. The cause of both deaths seems to be murder of quite a brutal nature. The police have assured the public they are prepared to release statements regarding the suspected killer soon. As of right now citizens are advised to lock their doors and take defensive measures until a suspect is in custody-” 

Dustin turned off the radio, turning off the local news report. 

“Eddie, the police are going to be looking for you soon,” Nancy said, her eyes firm. 

Mike looked from his sister to Eddie, she could be scary when she wanted to be. She was terrifying in all her five foot four glory. 

Eddie nodded, clearly noting her seriousness. “So what do we do?” 

“We split up.” 

Steve groaned, “no, nope. That is a terrible idea.”

She rolled her eyes. “Steve-” 

“Seriously Nance, have you seen any horror movie ever?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Splitting up is absolutely the worst thing we could possibly do.” 

“You sound like a child, this is the best way to do things.” 

Steve huffed but didn’t fight her this time. 

“A few of us will stay here with Eddie,” she continued, “the rest of us will split off and either learn more about Victor Creel or the two people Vecna killed- look for any patterns.” 

Mike looked around the room at all his friends and the determined look on their faces. He couldn’t help glancing at the empty space beside him where Will should have been. Mike pushed away the thoughts, refocusing on the matter at hand. 

The group sorted themselves into smaller subsections, according to the plan. El was making her way over to Max, intent on following her to gather more information on the dead kids when Mike intercepted her. 

“El, stay with me and Eddie,” he said, trying to communicate his urgency through his eyes. 

She narrowed her eyes slightly, “why?” 

“Just trust me, okay?” He asked, his eyes pleading. “I have an idea.” 

She nodded in response, standing with him next to Eddie and Steve. 

Eventually they’d all fallen into their groups. Nancy and Robin would pick up Jonathan to investigate Creel while Dustin, Max and Lucas looked into the victims. 

“El, why aren’t you coming with us?” Max questioned, her brow furrowed. 

El hesitated, searching for a lie. 

“Because!” Mike cut in, fumbling for an excuse. “If anyone comes looking for Eddie we’ll need protection.” 

Steve scoffed, “I can protect us.” 

“Dude, you’ve won like one fight,” Dustin pointed out. 

“But it was against a Russian guard, that’s gotta count for something,” Robin countered. 

Eddie’s eyes snapped to Steve, “you fought a what?” 

Dustin pressed on. “I guess, but he still got beat up after that.” 

Robin shrugged. “True.” 

Steve put his hands on his hips, offended. “You ungrateful little shit. I saved your ass, you just can’t admit it.” 

“The point is,” Mike said, raising his voice. “If there's a search party or something we’re gonna need more than just Steve. No offense.” 

Max seemed content with his reasoning, grabbing her car keys and following Nancy and Robin toward their parked cars. Lucas and Dustin followed soon after. Mike stood by the window watching as they peeled down the dirt roads and out of sight. 

“Alright, let’s do this,” Mike said, turning to El. 

Her brow furrowed. “Do what?” 

He pulled his backpack over his shoulders. “We’re going to the lab.” 

El’s eyes widened but she nodded. 

Steve stepped in front of him. “Wheeler, you are absolutely not going anywhere.” 

“Steve, let us go.” 

“No, dude.” 

“Steve!” 

Steve raised his voice in frustration. “It’s not safe!” He exclaimed, his hands flying up. “My job- my only job is to keep you safe and on occasion take the punches no one else can. But I’m happy to do it because you dipshits are important to me. But I can’t help you if you're running off to deserted government labs. So you’re staying here.” 

Mike felt his blood beginning to boil. He was about to make a cutting remark when the wooden table on the opposite side of the room swept across the floor in between them, blocking Steve from following their path as El grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him towards the door. 

Mike heard Steve curse behind him but he followed El out the door she’d swung open with her powers and made a run for it through the trees. He could hear Steve calling out for them but they ran until he was out of earshot. 

“Good thinking,” he breathed, his chest heaving from the brief run. Biking around town had kept him in decent shape over the years but a run through the woods had his lungs burning. 

El seemed less bothered by their mad dash through the foliage, hardly out of breath. “Let’s go,” she said, taking the lead along the dirt path. 

Mike sighed, ignoring the sting in his lungs as he jogged to catch up to her. “El, when we get there what exactly are we looking for?” 

She hesitated a second and Mike felt a sense of deja vu creeping into the back of his mind. Memories from the first week he’d met Eleven came to mind. He thought back to the time they’d been led by Dustin’s faulty compass through the woods in search of that first gate and hopefully Will. 

Mike shook his head, refocusing on El. 

“There’s a memory,” she started, “I can’t quite see it all but I know it’s there. Maybe the lab will help me remember.” 

“This memory… is it of people dying like Chrissy?” He asked, gently. 

She nodded, folding her arms over her chest. “I can see them, children in hospital gowns. Their bones are snapped and they don’t have eyes.” She swallowed, “but I don’t know who hurt them.” 

Mike took in her words, ignoring the faint rush of fear he felt creeping up his spine. 

El came to a stop, turning to face him. “Mike…” she trailed off, nervous. 

“Yeah?” he asked, meeting her eyes. 

“What if…” She looked like she might cry. “What if I was the one who hurt them?” 

“What?” he asked, shocked. “El, you’re a superhero.” He tried to be reassuring, he wasn’t entirely sure if it was working. 

Her lower lip quivered slightly. “But what if I’m the monster?” 

“Impossible.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. He thought for a second. “Do you remember those mouth breathers from a couple years ago?” 

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion but she nodded. 

“You remember how they wanted to hurt me on purpose?” 

She frowned, “yes.” 

“They told me to jump off a cliff and I did it. But you saved me. El, I would’ve died if you hadn’t been there.” 

She smiled slightly, warmth returning to her expression. He continued. 

“You remember that time Billy tried to beat up Lucas?” 

She frowned. “I wasn’t there.” 

“I know, but do you remember?” 

“Yes.” 

“Billy, Troy, mouth breathers, they hurt people on purpose. Those are the monsters.” His fingers tightened slightly on her shoulder. “But not you, never you.” 

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now, but she was smiling a little brighter. 

“You’re not a monster. You didn’t kill those kids.” He thought for a second. “And if you did they were probably dicks.” 

“Mike!” She exclaimed, outraged. “That’s not funny.” She was full on smiling now though.

“Okay, geez I’m sorry.” He pulled her into a quick hug. He’d grown so much taller than her, his chin now rested on top of her head. 

When they pulled apart they continued toward the lab, walking mostly in silence besides the odd snapping of a twig. 

As they walked Mike could still feel El’s head under his chin, he thought about the ways they’d grown over the last couple years. He’d surpassed most of his friends in height, towering over most of them. 

Mike has a mildly morbid habit of picturing what Will would look like now. Would he meet Mike’s eyeline or would his eyes meet his chin? His cheekbones? If they were to hug now would they still fit together like puzzle pieces? Or would it be awkward? He couldn’t imagine hugging Will could ever be awkward, even if they were strangers. 

He knew maybe it was a little unhealthy- thinking about his dead best friend at any given opportunity. But sometimes he felt like if he didn’t then who would? Lucas and Dustin had managed to move on okay so why was Mike still here. 

Sometimes he felt like the world had moved on without him, like the time period for grief had expired but he was still standing in the middle school gym. El had been floating in their makeshift sensory deprivation tank, the room had been silent except for the radio static. She’d been looking for Will but she hadn’t found him. He was dead. Gone. 

He knew El had blamed herself in part, but it wasn’t her fault. No use shooting the messenger and all. It wasn’t her fault the demogorgon had taken Will, Mike had never thought that. He’d been bitter when Eleven had messed with the compass, taking them in the wrong direction. But if she’d taken them to the gate maybe more of his friends would be dead. He mostly blamed himself- they should’ve been faster, he should’ve been faster. 

Mike could still feel the pit that had formed in his stomach when El had told them all Will was dead. The sinking feeling had started in his chest and spilled past his ribs to his gut, the same way he’d felt when the false body was pulled from the quarry but different this time because it wouldn’t go away. The pit in the bottom of his stomach remained, every time he met a milestone, failed his driving test or played a DnD campaign. The feeling that he shouldn’t be here. Will should be sitting in his seat. 

“Mike.” El stopped in her tracks beside him. “Your nose.” 

He snapped out of his thoughts, his hand lifting to his nose and wiping. His sleeve came back with a streak of red. 

“That’s weird.” He shrugged, wiping away more blood. “Must be the weather or something.” 

***

“Can you believe them?” Steve asked, for what felt like the 100th time. He was pacing back and forth in front of Eddie, complaining. “I mean seriously, they’re killing me- I swear to God if I didn’t love them so much they’d be dead.” 

Eddie threw his head back on the couch, letting out a drawn out sigh. 

Steve stopped pacing, his hands on his hips. “Eddie, are you sighing right now?” 

“Yeah man, you’ve been complaining about them for the last like 20 minutes.” 

Eddie watched as Steve softened, running his hands down his pant legs and sitting beside Eddie on the worn out couch. Steve reached over almost tentatively, grabbing Eddie’s hand. Eddie tensed slightly, but relaxed as Steve gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. 

He couldn’t help thinking about what Steve had said. Does he really think he’s only good for taking a punch? Is that what he thinks of himself? Doesn’t he know he’s so much more? 

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, shifting closer until their shoulders were pressed together. 

Eddie relished in the warmth of Steve’s contact, leaning into the touch. 

“It’s just, you know. It’s been a traumatizing 24 hours,” Eddie breathed, closing his eyes. Behind his closed lids he could still see Chrissy’s mangled body falling from his ceiling. He could hear the snapping of her jaw and the burst of her eyes. 

Steve squeezed his hand, “I know man, do you uh- do you want to talk about it?” 

Eddie’s eyebrows drew together. “Oh so we talk about our feelings now?” 

Steve shrugged, “I just figured you’d need someone to talk to. No one else is really here and you’re carrying some heavy shit.” 

Eddie scoffed, pulling his hand away. “I mean, you made it pretty clear you only wanted one thing from me.” 

“I made it clear?” Steve asked, shifting so his shoulders were facing Eddie full on. “You’re the one who said we should keep it casual.” Steve’s voice was sharper than he meant for it to be.

“Yeah, dude. You asked what are we and I fucking panicked.” 

Steve’s shoulders slumped. “Why- why didn’t you say anything?” 

“Because,” he started. “You deserve the best and is that really me?” 

Steve didn’t hesitate, “Yes.” 

Eddie drew in a sharp breath, he’d answered like it wasn’t even a question worth debating. 

“I was a dick until a couple years ago. Am I still what’s best for you?” 

“Yes,” Eddie answered, without thinking. 

“Well Munson, there we have it,” Steve said, the edges of his lips lifting into a soft smile. 

He leaned in slowly, Eddie met him halfway. His heart soared as their lips met, threatening to burst through his chest. It was something they’d done hundreds of times now but this felt genuine somehow. Like the calm before the storm, he wasn’t sure what tomorrow or the week ahead of them had in store, but for a window of time he didn’t care. He couldn’t bring himself to care about his impending doom because Steve Harrington was currently curling his fingers into Eddie’s hair and sliding across the skin on his lower back. 

They kissed until they were both out of breath, their chests rising and falling nearly in sync. Eddie leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Steve’s in a gesture he hoped conveyed the things he was too nervous to speak into the space between them. 

I think I’m in love with you. The words were begging to be said out loud but Eddie couldn’t bring himself to say it. Not yet at least. 

“I’m still confused about the Russian guard stuff,” Eddie said instead. 

Steve sighed, “that’s a long story.” 

Eddie looked around at the empty shack, “we’ve got plenty of time.” 

“I am sorry though,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean for you to be dragged into all this shit.” 

Eddie shrugged, “well here we are. Better start talking, Harrington.” 

Steve nodded, starting a recap of how he fell into this inter dimensional nightmare. 

Eddie was snapped out of the moment by a voice breaking through the walkie talkie sitting on the table. 

“Help! We need help. Is anyone there?” El’s panicked voice filled the room as she screamed into the radio. 

Steve scrambled away from his spot on the couch, crossing the room in under a second until the radio was in his hand and he was pressing into the button for a response. 

“Yeah, El I’m here what’s wrong?” 

Eddie swallowed hard, there was no response for a prolonged second. 

“El?” Steve almost begged, “are you there?” 

“Steve!” 

Eddie watched as Steve exhaled once he heard her voice. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s Mike, he’s- he’s in a trance. I think it’s Vecna.” 

Eddie’s blood ran cold, Chrissy flashed across his memory. 

Steve’s eyes met Eddie’s from across the room, his fear evident. “I’m on my way.” 

***

The lab was run down and deserted. No more top secret vans or polished cars parked outside. No doctors, no military, just a fucked up building in the woods. 

El stopped in front of the doors, inhaling a deep breath. 

Mike put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You okay?” 

She nodded, leading them inside. 

The interior of the building was just as he’d expected. He shined his flashlight against the wall, blood still stained the once pristine white paint. Papers printed with graphs, charts, lab results, statistics littered the floors in scattered piles. 

They made their way through the floors until they reached a room with a rainbow painted across the wall, children’s toys stacked in the corners. They searched the lab in silence, he watched El, looking for any signs of realization or recognition in her face. 

An oddly placed grandfather clock stood on the far side of the room. It chimed, drawing Mike’s attention to the sound reverberating off the walls in a chilling echo. 

“This isn’t creepy at all,” Mike muttered, scrunching his nose. He was met with silence. El was a fairly quiet person but she usually responded to him in some capacity. He turned in circles but he didn’t see her. “El?” 

He didn’t hear a response. She was gone. He was alone in this room with creepy kids toys and a chill running up his spine. 

“Mike.” 

The voice was so small, almost helpless. He turned around, his flashlight landing on a 12 year old Will Byers. 

Mike drew in a sharp breath, he dropped the flashlight to the ground. His heart stopped beating, he closed his eyes because this isn’t real. This can’t be real. 

When he opened his eyes Will was still staring at him. He was wearing the clothes he’d gone missing in- his blue jeans and red vest. He was even holding his bike next to him. 

Mike tried to speak but his throat was full of emotion. He swallowed, trying to regain his ability to speak. 

“The demogorgon. It got me,” Will said. 

Mike still couldn’t speak, he just blinked at the vision? Phantom? Whatever was right in front of him. 

“It got me and where were you?” Will took a step closer. “You lived and I died. Why did you get to live?” 

Mike shook his head. “I- Will, I’m sorry.” He finally mustered. “It- it should’ve been me.” 

“A lot of good that does me,” he snapped. 

As Will got closer Mike swore the skin on Will’s face had started to flake, to lose color. His once lively skin had turned gray and green, the upside down’s goo coated his hair. His clothes were ripped and each step he took dripped blood behind him. 

“This shouldn’t- it… Will, this should’ve been me,” Mike could feel the tears pooling in his eyes, obscuring his vision. 

“Why should you get to live?” Will pressed again, he was within Mike’s reach now. 

Mike could see every detail of the boy’s face, his sunken cheeks and white eyes. 

“I’m so sorry,” Mike said again, letting the tears fall freely. 

Will lunged at him and Mike took a startled step, falling backwards. He expected his back to crash onto the floor but instead he was in a freefall for seconds that seemed to stretch on, until finally his back collided with a hard surface. 

He scrambled to his feet, taking in his surroundings. He was on top of the quarry’s cliff, near the edge- the same one he’d jumped off years ago. He peered over the edge, taking in the height. 

“Micheal.” 

Fear pooled in Mike’s stomach, racing through his veins. This wasn’t Will’s voice. This voice was harsh and deep. 

“I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.” 

Mike turned around, a man was standing behind him, several feet away. He was growing closer, Mike looked back towards the quarry for an escape but the only route he could take was over a hundred foot drop. 

The man stalking towards him was tall but his limbs were obscured by a thick, gray skin. He was hairless and nearly reptilian. Vecna. 

“It’s your fault- what happened to poor William.” 

Mike froze. He was still crying, snot dripping from his nose. 

“You left him in my dominion.” Vecna was in front of him now, extending a clawed hand over Mike’s head. “All these years alone.” 

What? 

“Will is dead, asshole,” Mike yelled, swatting at the claw looming over him. A vine snaked from under Vecna’s skin, gripping Mike’s neck. He felt himself start to panic as his airway was cut off. 

“Some friend you are.” Vecna’s clawed fingers sank into Mike’s forehead. 

Mike saw flashes of something- someone in the upside down. A hunting rifle slung over broad shoulders. A head of shaggy brown hair. 

“He’s been here for how many years? Did you look once? You could’ve saved him but instead you abandoned him.” 

Mike saw more flashes, the figure’s face, warm brown eyes, strong jaw. 

“He’s alive, Micheal.” 

***

Mike jolted awake, panicked. His eyes frantically scanned his surroundings, searching for any trace of the boy who had just been in front of him. Will had been right here, right in front of him. His breathing was growing faster, his chest heaving. His hands raised to his neck, clawing at the phantom of vines that had once been around his neck. 

He registered his surroundings, El was in front of him gripping his shoulders like she’d been shaking him awake. 

“Mike, Mike, it’s okay…” She soothed, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. “You’re okay.” 

Mike’s hands were shaking but he raised them and hugged her back, grabbing his own wrist behind her back. He let out a shaky breath, tears spilling from his eyes and onto the back of her neck. 

“El- he was… he was there.” He lifted his head, pulling away slightly to meet her eyes. “He was there!” 

“Mike, who was there? Vecna?” 

He crumpled slightly, like his body was caving in on itself. Then he was on the ground with El, slumped against her again, falling into her arms. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there for, his brain working at what felt like a mile a minute yet still incredibly slow. He must’ve been lost in his head for a while because when he came to Steve was sprinting across the room until he stopped in front of them. 

“Hey, Wheeler!” Steve fell to his knees in front of Mike and El. “Jesus, what happened?” 

“I think he is cursed,” El whispered, nervous. 

“Jesus Christ man, I knew this was a bad idea,” Steve muttered. “Wheeler, can you stand?” 

Mike shook himself awake as Steve moved to loop an arm under his shoulders. Mike pushed him away, “yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” he insisted. He pushed himself up and off the floor, his limbs still shaky.

El raised her eyebrows at him, a look of concern still etched into her features. The look she gave him could only be interpreted as: I just watched you cry on the floor for 20 minutes, don’t lie to me. 

Mike picked up his backpack from where he’d dropped it, slinging it over his shoulders. “We need to go,” he said, making his way towards the exit. He stumbled slightly, still regaining his balance. 

“Where the hell are you going?” Steve called after him, he and El trailing behind Mike. 

“I have to find him,” Mike insisted. “I have to…” He collapsed again, stumbling over debris. 

Steve caught him before he hit the ground, hauling him up. 

“No, you need to see a doctor or something.” 

“No, I need to-” 

“Seriously man, you don’t look so good.” 

“Steve.” 

“Nancy is gonna kill me-” 

“STEVE.” 

Steve stopped short, staring at Mike. He was no doubt taking in Mike’s frantic state, his wide eyes and disheveled clothing. 

His features softened, “Wheeler, what’s wrong?” 

Mike swallowed back the tears threatening to spill over his cheeks. “He’s alive.” 

“Who? Vecna? We know man, we’re trying to stop him and stuff.” 

Mike shook his head quickly, fisting Steve’s jacket between white knuckles. Steve’s features flashed with concern, tentatively gripping Mike’s shoulders.

“Will,” Mike breathed, “Will is alive.”

Chapter Text

Will woke up to the sound of cans clanking together outside his window. He’d barricaded the house years ago, lining the outside with a homemade alarm system and a tall, monster proof fence. The clanking ringing through the house had him sitting straight up in bed. 

He slung the shot gun he kept beside his bed over one shoulder. He flicked on a lighter, preparing to let the flame consume the top of a torch. He’d learned fairly quickly the easiest way to stun the monsters was with a shotgun to the mouth but the easiest way to kill one was with fire. 

He peered out the boarded up windows, one of the monsters was stalking back and forth on all fours outside, oblivious to the alarm bells it had just set off. In the years he’d been here the walls of the house had never been breached by a monster. The bats tended to fly higher than the roof’s height and the taller monsters resided mostly in the forest. He mostly worried about the younger monsters- they were more likely to travel in packs. 

A second creature came into view in front of the house, standing beside the first. Will swallowed, there could be more. He made up his mind, taking the shotgun off his shoulder and slipping the lighter into his pocket. 

In their younger age the monster, when it’s still young enough to be on all fours, is easily scared. Once Will reached the bottom of the stairs he found the opening he’d carved in the wood barricading the windows. The opening was big enough to fit the barrel of the shot gun through while also allowing him full visual of the target outside. He lined up the gun with the ground in front of the creature then pulled the trigger. 

A loud bag rang out through the silence. The creatures jumped back in alarm. Will fired another shot at the ground, scaring the creatures out of the yard and into the foliage. 

He was painfully aware the creatures would kill him at the first opportunity but he could rarely bring himself to aim the trigger any higher than the ground. He’d killed monsters before, his survival demanded it but he didn’t particularly enjoy it.

The first time he set one of the monsters on fire he’d cried a little bit at the pained sounds it had made. But he’d recovered quickly when he found Barbra Holland’s decomposing corpse. He hadn’t known her very well but he knew no one deserved to die like that. 

Since then he’d decided to be on the offensive. He’d learned fast. How to kill and how to survive. 

He’d raided the police department for weapons, the hardware store for supplies to barricade the house, the library for any books on hunting or wilderness survival, and the local grocery store for food. Most of the food was rotted, but he’d managed to find cases of bottled water which he boiled over a fire to disinfect. He’d managed to drag a large shopping cart of items back to the house. 

Over the past 4? 5? years Will had been living in the wheeler household. His house was surrounded by woods on all sides and he hadn’t been able to quell the fear that a monster would burst out of the trees at any moment. The Wheeler house was in the middle of town and the monsters tended to stalk through the woods more often than the streets. 

When he’d first been taken to this darker dimension he thought he had gone crazy. He was hearing voices but one one was there, he was seeing things that he shouldn’t have been able to see. 

At first he’d hidden in his house, and he’d heard his mom’s voice echoing into the empty space. When he closed his eyes he saw flashes of his house on the other side. He’d seen Christmas lights draped across the wall, the alphabet scrawled beneath the colored bulbs. That was one of the last times he’d talked to her. 

He’d seen her a while after that through a crack in the wall. She’d told him to run and hide. That was the last thing she’d said to him. He’d taken it to heart, he’d hidden and he didn’t come out until the hunger clawing at his stomach and the thirst drying out his throat had demanded it. 

The fear had a death grip on his chest but he’d managed to push it aside and find his courage. After raiding every source he possibly could he’d barricaded the Wheeler house, rigged an alarm system and learned to hunt. 

For years he’d lived off of monster meat and seeds he’d managed to plant in a small garden box outside. The Wheeler’s backyard was surrounded in barbed wire as an attempt to keep out any unwanted guests. 

Will spent most of his days gardening, hunting, reading books he’d found in the library or drawing in one of the many notebooks he kept piled beside his bed. 

Sometimes he could hear the other side. He could hear the Wheelers if they ever got too loud. He could hear Karen and Todd yelling at each other in the dining room or Nancy and Mike when they argued. 

If Will had to rank the things he missed the most over the last couple years his family would be first, obviously, then his friends were a close second. God, he missed his friends. 

He’d realized at some point in his first year he could see things. The area around him was frozen in place while the other world moved on. He could hear his friends sometimes, see them if he focused hard enough. 

If he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to travel as if it was outside of himself he could see them. He’d seen Mike and Dustin laughing in the school halls or Lucas on the basketball court. He saw people he didn’t recognize too, a girl with red hair- she was usually arguing with Mike. He wondered if they knew how alike they really are. From what he’s gathered over brief snippets of his friend’s lives she matches his fury with a defensiveness to accompany it. There had been another girl too with an 11 tattooed on her wrist. 

A couple years ago when Will had been losing hope in a downward spiral of endless questions. What am I doing here? Why am I still here? Will I ever see home? Am I going to be alone forever? 

He’d found refuge in Castle Byers then, the smallest bit of comfort had been provided by those twig walls. He’d heard a voice then, cutting through the emptiness of the air. Mike’s voice had filled the space, directed at Will. 

“Hey Will, it’s Mike.” 

Will’s heart had stopped in his chest. Tears had swelled in his eyes and fallen without his knowledge. He’d been stopped in his tracks completely. Because for the first time in weeks someone was talking to him. 

Mike had spoken to him several times a week since then, there were some gaps in his one sided conversations but he always came back. Mike would talk about almost everything under the sun- the latest history test or stupid assignment, his frustrations with Lucas for joining the basketball team, his arguments with his dad. He rarely talked about any kind of supernatural threats. 

This last time had felt different. The words had lingered in his mind like a feeling that was up in the air, looking for a soft place to land. 

“I don't think I’m ever going to forget you.”

He didn’t want to keep his friends from moving on, but a part of him was happy to be remembered. That if he ever found a way he would have something- someone to come back to. 

“Will, you’re in my chest, you’re in my bones and I can’t seem to get you out. I just- I wish you were here.”

There had been several times in the past years he’d wanted to scream “I’M HERE, I’M HERE.” This had been one of the more prominent moments. He’d wanted to crawl through the walls, the dirt, anything to get to Mike. He would’ve done almost anything to be there, standing next to him, rather than a dimension away. 

In his worst moments he had wished someone would be there with him. A life in this dark dimension wasn’t something he would wish on anyone, but sometimes he just wished he wasn’t alone. 

As he’d grown he’d started wearing the clothes thrown into Jonathan’s drawers. Before bed, when he felt most alone he would replay Mike’s calls in his head. He took notes sometimes, just things he wanted to make sure he remembered. 

A notebook sat next to his bed, he kept drawings, notes, and thoughts inside. When the loneliness crept into his mind he would wrap himself in his brother’s clothes, take out the notebook and read Mike’s words back to himself. 

He’d been sleeping in the Wheeler’s house for years, partially because of the convenience, but also because of the comfort. It hadn’t felt right to sleep in anyone’s bed so he’d taken the mattress off of Mike’s bed and dragged it downstairs into the basement. He’d slept in the basement hundreds of times, it felt the most natural to him. 

Surrounding his bed were photos he’d collected from Mike’s room and his own house. He kept a loaded shotgun beside his bed at all times for protection as well as a torch, a lighter and lighter fluid. 

Books and notebooks lined the outskirts of the room. Books on all subjects- math, biology, poetry, classics. He’d taken whatever mildly stained books had been in the library. He hadn’t been the biggest fan of reading before, but suddenly books had become his best friend. 

In the empty hours of the day all he could do was learn. And draw. He drew constantly. He drew memories, things he didn’t want to forget or his friends. He drew Will the Wise sometimes, but that usually brought on a wave of pain. 

Lately he’d been feeling an itch, a craving, an overwhelming need to do something. The need to go home was stronger than it had ever been. He needed his friends, his brother, his mom. 

Mike’s words from yesterday still hung in his mind. 

“We could really use Will the Wise right about now.”

*** 

“Steve, we’ve got a problem.”

Steve looked around frantically. He had one cursed child on the ground insisting his dead best friend is alive and another child freaking out because her friend is cursed. Now his kind of boyfriend? Boyfriend? He’s still slightly unsure. Eddie is on the other end of the radio with a problem. 

“I’m a little busy here,” Steve replied. He looped his arm under Mike, hauling him to his feet and with El’s help they’d carried him to the backseat of Steve’s car. 

“Steve, seriously.” Eddie’s voice cut through Steve’s panic, refocusing him. “Kids in fucking letterman jackets are outside.” 

Steve’s eyes widened, his panic increasing. “Eddie, hide. We’re on our way.” 

“No dude, I gotta make a run for it.” 

“Eddie, I swear to God. Stay put. We’ll come get you.” Steve started the car, pulling away from the lab.

“No can do. The enemy is approaching. I’ve got this. Don’t worry.” 

Worry flared in Steve’s mind, sinking into his stomach. He peered at the backseat. Mike was passed out, slumped on El’s shoulder. Steve faced back towards the road, gripping the wheel. He took a deep breath. His friends are in trouble but he can handle this. 

“El.” Her attention snapped to him. “Call Nancy and Dustin, tell them we need to meet.” 

El nodded, taking the radio from his hand. 

Steve looked out the windshield at the road ahead. He gripped the steering wheel under white knuckles. His mind felt like it was caving in on itself and all he could do was push away the rubble and look straight ahead. 

“Listen, El,” Steve started. “Don’t tell anyone about what Mike said, okay? Let me talk to Nancy first.” 

She thought for a second, “okay.” 

Eventually, the car pulled to a stop outside the Wheeler residence. Steve hauled an unconscious Mike into his arms, carrying him into the house and down to the basement where Nancy and the rest of the party were gathered. 

“What the hell happened?” Nancy exclaimed at the sight of her passed out brother in Steve’s arms. 

“Nance, we need to talk.” He placed Mike on the couch gently, then pulled Nancy away. “He’s cursed. This Vecna guy got to him.” 

Nancy’s eyes widened. “Is he-” 

“He’s okay, I think. No broken bones.” Steve swallowed. “He just- before he passed out, he said some weird stuff.” 

She narrowed her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. “What did he say?” 

Steve looked back at the rest of the group on the opposite end of the room. Jonathan was there, deep in a conversation with Robin. 

“He said Will is alive.” 

Nancy seemed taken aback, like that was the last thing she’d expected him to say. 

“That’s impossible,” she challenged. “Will died five years ago.” 

“I know, I know.” He looked back at Jonathan. “Listen, I don’t know what’s real or true or whatever. But I do know that when Mike wakes up that’s what he’s going to say. I don’t know what’s best for everyone but maybe Jonathan shouldn’t be here until we can calm him down.” 

Nancy’s shoulders tensed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” 

Steve and Nancy exchanged information with the rest of the group. He and El told them about Mike’s curse (leaving out what he’d said about Will) and Eddie’s hiding spot being compromised. Nancy told them about her and Robin’s conversation with Creel. Music was the current theory, a favorite song or something could break the curse. 

“We need a plan,” Nancy decided. “A group of us are going to find Eddie, the others are going to stay here with Mike and make sure he doesn’t start floating and die.” She looked around the group as everyone's heads nodded in agreement. 

El volunteered first. “I will stay with him.”

Max was next. “Yeah, me too.” 

Lucas squared his shoulders, standing beside Max. “I will too.”  

“Good, the rest of us will find Eddie,” Nancy concluded, turning toward the door. 

Steve turned towards Dustin, a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, are you sure you want to come? You can stay with Mike if you need to.” 

Dustin swallowed hard, looking back at his unconscious friend. “I- I don’t know how to help Mike. But I can help Eddie. Besides, you’re all just about useless with a compass so I figure I’d better come.” 

Steve breathed a small laugh, watching as the teen left to pack his backpack no doubt with more candy and snacks than actual supplies. 

“Steve,” Nancy said, pulling him aside. “I think you should stay with the kids.” 

He felt his eyebrows drawing together, the anxiety and fear he’d been so careful to quell was threatening to bubble over now. 

“What? Why?” 

“They need someone to stay with them, okay?” 

“And that’s me? Always me?” 

She opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out. As if she couldn’t think of a reason for him not to stay. 

“Nance, you can’t bench me this time. I need to be out there, okay?” He felt himself getting restless, if he was sitting his knees would be bouncing uncontrollably. “I need to- I just…” He trailed off, running a hand through his hair. 

Nancy’s gaze had softened, she wouldn’t protest. 

“I need to make sure he’s safe and I can’t do that from here.” 

She nodded in understanding. “Okay.” 

Just then, Eddie’s voice came through over the radio. 

“Mayday. Meet me at Skull Rock.” 

Nancy lifted the walkie talkie to her mouth. 

“We’re on our way.” 

***

Mike jolted awake in a panic, his eyes bursting open. He felt his breath quickening, his chest heaving up and down. 

He registered El’s voice beside him, her hand on his shoulder. “Mike, it’s okay. You are safe.” 

Mike’s eyes trailed around the room, scanning his surroundings. He was sprawled on the couch in his basement, Lucas and Max asleep on the opposite end of the room. 

“I- I saw…” Mike shook his head, as if the action would dust off the cobwebs in his mind. “I saw Vecna. El, he- he showed me things.” He felt his eyes welling up again at the thought. The figure who looked like Will but wasn’t because Will died 5 years ago. 

Vecna’s voice still plagued his mind. “He’s alive, Micheal.” 

“I- I think Will is alive,” he breathed, checking El’s gaze for any signs she thought he was certifiably insane. “Vecna showed me him- in the upside down. I think he’s been alive this whole time.” Tears spilled over Mike’s cheeks, the thought almost overwhelmed him. If Will has been out there, alone for years he thinks the guilt will eat him alive. 

El leaned forward pulling him into a hug. She held him as he cried, his head tucked into her shoulder. 

“It’s okay, Mike,” she soothed, her grip on his back steady. 

Mike pulled away, wiping his eyes on the back of his hands. His nose was leaking snot but he ignored it, squaring his shoulders. 

“We need to find him. We need to go to the upside down or something.” 

“We can’t get there.” El frowned, glancing over at Lucas and Max’s sleeping figures like she needed support in talking him off a ledge. 

“That’s bullshit! We’ll figure something out!” His voice was raised, he felt almost frantic in his need to move, to be doing more. “I can’t just do nothing. Apparently I’ve been doing nothing for five years and now I know and I can’t just sit here on my ass.” 

El looked at him with a mix of concern and sadness. Like she desperately wants to help him but has no idea how. 

“Mike…” She trailed off, her voice small. 

He shook his head, “We’ll figure something out. We always do.” 

***

Jonathan wasn’t entirely sure how he ended up floating over Lover’s Lake on a small boat. They’d been led to the gate by Dustin’s faulty compass, presumably there was a gate beneath them in the depths of the water. 

Steve had dove below the surface in search of the gate a minute ago and now they all waited for him to surface. Jonathan glanced back to the shore where Dustin and Robin stood at the shoreline. 

Steve burst through the water, jolting him back to the present. 

“Jesus Christ!” Eddie exclaimed, his hand covering his heart. 

“I found it, it’s not as big as the main gate.” He thought for a second. “It’s more like a snack size gate.” 

Jonathan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to Steve Harrington to call an interdimensional portal snack sized. 

Eddie shifted forward, reaching out a hand to pull Steve back onto the boat when the water surged slightly. Jonathan watched as Steve’s brows drew together in something mirroring concern. 

“Steve, I think you should-” Jonathan started but he was interrupted by a shout as Steve was pulled back underwater. Panic erupted through the group. 

“What the hell was that?” Nancy shouted, jumping to her feet as Eddie leaned over the edge of the boat. 

“We gotta go after him,” Eddie prompted, staring into the depths. 

“We have no idea what’s down there!” Jonathan protested but Eddie was already jumping over the side of the boat with an ungraceful yelp. 

Nancy followed him, diving over the edge. Of course she would dive head first into the danger, she’d always been braver than him. He followed her into the water soon after, the chill of the water sent goosebumps across his skin. The gate projected a red glow onto the water, Jonathan followed Nancy into the gate, climbing through until he was no longer submerged. 

His chest heaved as he gasped for air. When they emerged from the water he was met with darkness then shouting. Steve was on the ground, a swarm of bats swarming above him. Jonathan lunged toward the rest of the group as they tore the bats away from Steve’s body before they could rip away more of his flesh. 

The scene before him was violent. Splatters of red coated the floor until he couldn’t tell the bat’s blood from their own. Wings and tails were ripped from flying bodies until the swarm retreated into the trees, away from the large clearing that was once a lake. 

Eddie was the first to speak, “Jesus Christ!" he screeched, running his hands through wet curls. 

Jonathan drifted towards Nancy, “you okay?” He whispered, checking her over for injuries. 

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she reassured him. 

The four of them regrouped, wiping blood from their faces and ringing out wet hair. 

“We can’t go back through that gate, the vines will just pull us back down,” Steve breathed, his hands hovering over the open wounds on his shirtless torso. 

Nancy crossed her arms over her chest. Jonathan felt a wave of familiarity wash over him. They were in a different dimension entirely but she managed to remain constant. “So we find another.” She turned towards Eddie. “There should be one in your trailer, right? Where…” 

Where Chrissy died. But she didn’t say that. 

Eddie nodded, his eyes looked far away. “Yeah, there should be.” 

“We can’t go in empty handed. We need weapons in case the bats come back,” Jonathan supplied. 

“I have guns,” Nancy volunteered. 

Eddie stared at her, his mouth open slightly. “You,” his eyebrows shot up in a question. “Nancy Wheeler have guns- plural?” 

She shrugged, “yes, in my bedroom.” 

Eddie heaved a sigh as Steve started towards the woods. 

“Let’s get a move on,” Steve groaned, as if every movement caused him a bit of pain. 

As they started their trek through the woods Eddie shrugged off his jean jacket, jogging to catch up with Steve and drape it over his shoulders. They paired off slightly, Steve taking the lead with Eddie beside him and Jonathan and Nancy trailing several feet behind. 

“That friendship is just about the last thing I expected from King Steve.”

“I know,” Nancy said, stepping over a rock blocking their path. “I’m happy for them though.” 

Jonathan nodded along, “yeah. The guy has come a long way.” He turned to look at Nancy, taking in her wet, tangled hair, her stained clothes and the dark circles beneath her eyes. “How are you doing? With Mike and everything?” 

“I’m… I’m okay, I think. I’m scared for him though. I just keep thinking I should’ve stayed with him.” 

Jonathan took his hand in hers, squeezing slightly. “You’ll be with him soon,” he assured her. 

She spared him a small smile, returning the squeeze. “What about you?” she asked, gesturing to the area around them. “How are you doing- being here?” 

Jonathan swallowed, “not too great.” He stopped walking for a second. He felt his breathing start to quicken. “What if… what if we find his body or something? What if we find Barb’s?” He suddenly felt like crying. “God, Nance. I can’t handle that.” 

Nancy held his face in her hands, “Jonathan. Just breathe with me, okay? I need you to slow down.” 

He tried to match his breathing with the rise and fall of her chest until his wheezing breaths turned deep and full. 

“It’s going to be okay,” she said, pressing her forehead to his, running her hands up and down his shoulders in a soothing motion. “That’s not going to happen.” 

His breathing evened out, his panic subsiding. It’ll be okay. It’s okay. 

“Okay,” he breathed, nodding along. “It’ll be okay.” 

He repeated the mantra in his head until he somewhat believed it. 

*** 

Will was getting bored. He was bored a lot of the time. Reading and drawing on repeat for five years will do that. By his timing Mike should be at Castle Byers around this time of day. 

He made the trek through the woods several times a week, just to hear from his friend. He slung the shotgun over his shoulder, lighter and torch secured to his pack. 

He walked through the woods, careful to avoid the vines laid out on the ground like a nightmarish tripping hazard with the potential to kill you. He preferred to go by foot to Castle Byers, less likely to hit an evil vine that way. 

Once he’d made it through the woods he sat himself inside Castle Byers, the structure was completely too small for his young adult frame but he cramped himself inside regardless. 

Will sat there and closed his eyes. He focused his energy onto this spot, not just in the present but somewhere else too. Across time, across space. He let his mind wander but gave it a target- something he’d learned to do over years of practice. 

He’d learned he could see things back home, but only exactly where he was. He couldn’t see beyond his location in the upside down. It was like being in two places at once.

Will focused himself and his mind, when he opened his eyes he was still inside Castle Byers, only cleaner and warmer somehow- loved. Will expected to see Mike seated in front of him or at least walking up. But he was met with empty space. 

He shook off the feeling of disappointment as he waited. He sat in silence until the anxiety of being monster food got to him and he forced his eyes open. 

Mike hadn’t come today. Maybe he’d given up, maybe he was dead, maybe he decided talking to a dead boy was crazy and he’s done forever. Will felt his thoughts spiraling, but he ignored the urge to panic. 

It’s one day. 

Everything is fine. 

He slung his gear back over his shoulder and started home.

***

“What the shit?” Eddie muttered. 

Nancy echoed the same feeling. Her house was surrounded by a gate covered in barbed wire and rigged with some kind of trip wire. 

There’s no way in hell Mike was right. 

Steve glanced at Nancy, she was already looking at him, her eyes wide. 

They pushed the gate open, stepping onto the dead lawn. Inside the house looked mostly the same, family pictures lining the walls and magnets hanging off the fridge. 

“These pictures are like 6 years old,” Nancy remarked, shining her flashlight over the glass frames. “None of this makes any sense.” 

They started up the stairs and turned into her room but something felt wrong. She reached inside her closet for the shoebox she kept on the top shelf. She ripped it open, revealing pink ballet flats she’d outgrown years ago. 

Eddie ran a hand over his face. “Those are really pretty, Wheeler, but we need guns.” 

“I don’t understand,” she rummaged through her closet, coming up empty. 

“Maybe you keep them somewhere else?” Jonathan tried, joining her in searching through the closet. 

“Holly is in the house. I know where I keep my guns.” Nancy felt her frustration growing, she scanned the room again. The posters were wrong, the flashcards on her desk she’d made five years ago for sophomore chemistry. She ran to the drawer beside her bed, nearly tearing it out. 

The last entry was dated November 6th, 1983. 

She instantly recognized it.

“So what?” Steve questioned. “We’re stuck in time or something?” 

Nancy was about to answer when the door downstairs slammed shut, plunging them into silence.

***

Will felt an instant relief as the Wheeler house came into view. He was tired, he was hungry. He pictured the meal he would eat tonight- the meat cooked over an open fire and whatever vegetables had managed to survive his temperamental garden. 

He crossed the lawn, swinging the door open and closed behind him. His shoulders sagged, the tension in his body easing. Most days he spent in constant vigilance. But inside this house he allowed himself to relax. 

He stopped in his tracks when he heard a creaking upstairs. The floorboards shifted, supporting the weight of something large. A monster. Maybe fully grown. The floor creaked again in several places. 

“Fuck,” Will muttered to himself, cocking the loaded shotgun. 

He started up the stairs, sure to avoid the sensitive spots he knew would creak from years of practice. 

He made a mental note to check the fence for any weak spots. 

He rounded the corner at the top of the stairs until he reached the bedrooms. 

Will sucked in a sharp breath, a dim light came from beneath Nancy’s door.

That’s impossible. 

He must be seeing things. The loneliness finally got to him and he’d progressed to full on hallucinations. That must be it. 

He heard hushed voices coming from inside, he was frozen in front of the door, shotgun still raised. 

Suddenly, the door opened and he was blinded by a flashlight aimed at his face. 

***

Jonathan’s flashlight fell out of his grip, clattering to the floor. 

The room was silent besides the metal flashlight rolling along the floor. 

Someone was standing in front of him. He looked familiar, he was wearing Jonathan’s old clothes and carrying a familiar shotgun. 

He looked like Will. But that’s not possible. Because Will is dead. 

But looking into this boy’s eyes he sees Will so clearly. 

The shotgun crashed to the floor beside the flashlight.

“Jonathan?” 

Jonathan doesn’t think he’s ever been happier to hear his own name. He felt the grief of the last five years building in his chest and spilling over. Will was here. Alive and standing in front of him. 

“Will?” He croaked, blinking away the emotion gathering in his eyes. 

The boy in front of him nodded, almost frantically. His features collapsed in on themselves, his lower lip trembling. 

Jonathan was the first to take a step forward, his arms open wide. Will stepped into his embrace, his arms wrapping around Jonathan’s middle. Jonathan held his brother’s against his chest, his arms around Will’s shoulders. He felt Will’s silent sobs underneath his hands. 

“You’re okay,” Jonathan whispered, his grip tightening. “It’s okay.” 

***

If this is a hallucination it’s the cruelest Will could imagine. If it was fake he didn’t really care. He would bask in it for as long as possible. 

But his brother’s warmth pressed against him felt real enough. “You’re-” Will gasped, trying to force the words out. His voice was rough from a lack of use. “You’re here.” Will fisted Jonathan’s shirt in his hands. Holding him close. 

“Yeah, buddy.” The old nickname sent a fresh wave of sobs raking through Will’s body. “I’m- I’m here.” 

“Jonathan,” he pulled away slightly, staring into his brother’s gaze. All of the sudden he felt 12 years old again, crying to his older brother. “I want to go home.” 

Jonathan nodded, his hands still on Will’s shoulders. “Let’s go home.” 

Chapter Text

“You don’t seriously think they were stupid enough to go through the gate, do you?” Dustin whispered, mindful he was in the back of a cop car after trespassing on a crime scene and running from the cops. 

“Dude, I don’t know,” Robin snapped, her anxiety clear. “Maybe. Shit. I have no idea. Is it hot in here? I’m feeling hot. Seriously, how are you not freaking out?” 

“Robin, geez, calm down.” He glanced at the cops in the front seat. They hadn't even bothered cuffing them. “We’re gonna be fine.” 

“I know, it’s just I’ve never been in a cop car before and my parents don’t know I’m in town and I seriously don’t need them finding out so I’m just getting a little bit-” She cut off abruptly as the car engine turned off. 

Even with the engine turned off the car still shook slightly from Dustin and Robin’s combined anxieties manifesting in bouncing knees. They stilled when the officers swung the car door open. Dustin glanced back at Robin before making his move to exit. 

Dustin climbed out first, breathing out a muttered “shit.” 

His mom’s car and the Sinclair car were parked in the Wheeler’s driveway. This wasn’t going to be good. 

The walk to the front door felt like a death march, straight to his doom. The cops knocked and Mr. Wheeler answered, his blank expression as unflinching as ever. 

“Dustin,” Ted sighed, unamused. “And oh good, you brought the cops to our home.” 

Dustin resisted the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes towards the back of his skull. 

“Ted,” he replied, pushing past the doorway. 

Inside, the adults were gathered around the kitchen island, talking seriously amongst themselves. His mom was the first to see him, her arms outstretched. 

“Dusty what is this? Did you really get in trouble with these officers?” She pulled him into a strong hug, holding him against her chest.

“Mom, really it’s not even that big of a deal,” he tried, diminishing the reality. “Just a little slap on the wrist. Nothing too serious.” 

“Like hell it wasn’t that serious,” Officer Powell snapped, exasperated. “Son, you trespassed on a crime scene and resisted arrest.” 

Dustin’s mom gaped at him, “Dusty?” 

He shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated act of innocence. “I didn’t mean to?” 

The officers turned away back towards the adults, Dustin and Robin found their friends in the living room. Max and Lucas sat beside each other on the sofa, their shoulders pressed against one another. Mike sat on the opposite end, bouncing his leg at the speed of light and ringing out his hands. El sat on Ted’s La-Z-Boy, reclined slightly. Erica sat on the floor, cross legged. 

“Jesus,” Lucas said, standing. “What happened to you guys?” 

“You look like shit,” Erica remarked.

“Erica!” Lucas snapped. 

Robin cut them off before Erica could follow up her statement with a snarky just the facts. “We think those idiots went into the upside down.” 

Mike’s attention snapped fully to Dustin, he stood and crossed the room in a few strides. 

“How?” He asked, he looked completely serious and almost desperate. 

“All of the deaths- a gate opens where they died. There was one at the lake. That’s where the cops found us,” Dustin explained. “Dude, are you okay?” 

“But they don’t know,” Mike said, his eyebrows drawn together. He turned to face El. “They have no idea.” 

“Mike-” Lucas started, he looked almost sad. 

Dustin was completely confused. 

“What the hell is wrong with him?” Robin whispered, eyeing Mike the way you would approach a wild animal who could snap and bite you at any moment. 

“I have no idea.” Dustin eyed Mike the same way as he began to pace across the room. “Earth to Mike! What the hell are you talking about?” 

Max stood abruptly. “Jesus, Mike just tell him.” 

Mike kept pacing, ignoring their demands. 

Dustin was getting mildly frustrated by his friend’s antics when El cut through the tension. 

“He believes Will is alive.” 

What the shit?

***

Will pulled away slightly, but not entirely out of Jonathan’s embrace. His brother’s hands were still on his shoulders, a grounding presence. 

“How…” he started, his gaze shifting from Jonathan back to the rest of the group. “How are you here?” 

“Me?” Jonathan asked, almost laughing through his tears. “How are you here- I mean, how the hell are you alive?” 

“I did what mom said- I hid. I just-” Will started, but he stopped when an overwhelming wave of emotion washed over him and he crashed back into his brother’s arms. “Jonathan, I really missed you.” 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” 

Will closed his eyes and let himself feel, let himself bask in a moment of satisfaction. He felt a sudden pride in himself. Every time he’d held himself and cried until he fell asleep was all of the sudden worth it because he was here. 

Jonathan pulled away slightly, sniffling. “Let’s get out of here, yeah?” 

Will felt a small smile pulling at his lips, “yeah.” 

Jonathan moved away from the doorway and for the first time Will took in the people in front of him. At this point Will was pretty sure he wasn’t hallucinating. If he was he definitely wouldn’t be seeing Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington and some random punk rock man. Nancy probably wouldn’t be here either. 

He could feel their eyes on him. He felt self conscious all of the sudden, all too aware of his choppy hair and the dirt under his nails. 

“Hi,” Will stated, awkward. He hasn’t had a social interaction in five years, hi felt like a pretty good start. 

“Hi,” the punk rock guy said back. He looked vaguely familiar- like maybe Will had seen him around school way back or something. 

Will blinked. “Who are you?” 

“Eddie. Munson.” The name pinged then, Mike had mentioned him before. Matching the face to the name felt like a step forward. “I take it you’re Will the Wise?” 

Will nodded, the tension in the air still present. 

“I’ve heard tale of you, seems you’re quite the warrior,” Eddie remarked. Beside him Nancy and Steve seemed to ease. 

Nancy took a step towards Will, almost skeptical like she didn’t actually believe he was in front of her. 

“Hey Nancy,” Will said, his throat still tight. 

Nancy stepped closer, her arms open hesitantly. He stepped into her embrace, his smile broadening. She was different than he remembered- not a bad different, just different. 

When he stepped away from her he looked over to Steve. He was shirtless- which was odd but Will wasn’t one to judge. Steve smiled slightly, his eyes wide. He swallowed as if he was nervous. Steve was glancing from Nancy to Will back and forth. Will brushed it off as shock, turning back towards Jonathan. 

“Can uh… can we go home?” Will felt like a child making such a feeble request but the restlessness growing in his pounding heart was urging him on. 

Jonathan seemed to snap awake. “Yes. Yes, we can.” He turned towards Nancy. “We can go through the gate in Eddie’s trailer.” 

“The gate?” Will questioned. 

“We’ll tell you on the way, okay? Do you have anything you need to take with you?” 

Will thought back to the items stacked in the basement. “Yeah, I’ll go grab it,” he turned on his heel then stopped. He hesitated, scared for a second that if he went too far Jonathan would disappear. “Will you come with me?” The request felt a little bit ridiculous but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Jonathtan nodded, his hand once again a grounding presence on Will’s shoulder. “Of course, lead the way.” 

**

“Something is seriously wrong with you all.” 

“Erica!” Lucas shouted, embarrassed. 

“Just the facts,” she muttered, shrugging. 

“Back up, you saw what?” Dustin asked, his hands dragging over his face. His attention was still on Mike’s earth shattering statement. “That’s just Vecna messing with you, it has to be.” 

Lucas had reacted the same way. He’d rejected the idea, confused. Even if he secretly hoped Mike was right. 

“But what if it’s not!” Mike exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. “We have to do something! What if he’s alive?” 

Lucas glanced over at Dustin, they exchanged a pained glance. Mike’s claims had dragged up pain Lucas had put to rest a while ago. It was still a presence in his life but he didn’t feel it daily anymore- just every once in a while. 

He’d felt Will’s absence and their middle school DnD campaigns, or the lunch table before he’d branched off to make new friends. But he felt it now more than ever. 

Next to him, Max put a hand on his shoulder. She’d never met Will though Lucas liked to think they would’ve gotten along. Like she would’ve dragged him out of his shell or something. 

“Mike,” Lucas started. The air felt thick with tension. Like they were all thinking the same thing but no one wanted to say it out loud. 

“I know, okay?” Mike assured, “I know it sounds fucking crazy but if there’s even a chance Will’s out there and alive I can’t do nothing!” 

El stood up next, decisive. “I can look for him.” 

All heads turned towards her. Lucas felt a wave of deja vu, he felt 12 years old again standing with his friends around a kiddy pool filled to the brim with salt and water, in the Hawkins Middle School gym. El had tried to find Will then too and she’d come up empty before. 

Officer Callahan stood in the doorway, breaking the momentary silence which had fallen over the group. “Henderson, Buckley, we gotta talk.” 

Lucas looked from Dustin to Robin as they exchanged panicked glances. 

“Of course, of course,” Dustin said, standing. His voice was oddly high pitched. “We’ve got nothing to hide.” 

Robin nodded, standing beside him. “Yeah, absolutely nothing to hide.” 

Lucas’ head fell into his hands. Not suspicious at all. 

Dustin and Robin left the room. Lucas glanced around the room, meeting everyone’s eyeline. Wordlessly, they all stood and made a run for the stairs, bounding up towards the top level. 

They stopped in Mike’s room, sitting in a silent circle around El as she pulled a blindfold tight over her eyes. Static filled the silence as Lucas glanced around the room. It was different than he remembered, granted he hadn’t been in Mike’s room for almost two years. 

Instead of toys, Mike’s room was now decorated with posters filling the once empty spaces on his walls. He still had a series of photos taped to his wall. Lucas’ heart swelled a little when he realized he was still featured in several photos Mike hadn’t taken down. Even photos Lucas remembered Mrs. Wheeler had taken during Freshman year still hung on the wall. Dustin and Lucas were beaming at the camera while Mike scowled slightly. 

A certain fondness overwhelmed him at the sight of the photos. Like maybe despite the distance between them a bridge still remained somehow. 

“I see Jonathan,” El whispered, unmoving. “He is walking through the upside down. He is with Nancy, Steve and Eddie.” 

Everyone seemed to release a breath of relief at the same time. 

“Are they okay?” Max pressed, scooting closer to El. 

“Yes. They are safe.” 

Mike folded his arms over his chest. “Do you see anything else?” 

El tilted her head slightly as if in deep concentration. A trail of blood ran down her nose, dripping down towards her upper lip as the lights above them flickered. 

Lucas’ shoulders tensed, like he was expecting a demogorgon to burst right through the walls at any second. On instinct he searched for Max, she was several feet away from him, sitting on her knees in front of El. Lucas was busy resisting the urge to reach out for her; he almost missed what El said next. 

“There is something else.” 

***

El stood in a dark landscape inside her mind. This time was different though, she didn’t know why but something was wrong. She had a feeling she wasn’t seeing the whole picture. It was like being in a car on a rainy day, you can see the street for a second between swipes from the windshield wipers but the rain obscures your view again just as quickly. 

Nancy and Steve walked beside each other as Eddie led the way in front of them and Jonathan trailed behind.

“What the hell are we going to tell Mike?” Nancy said, she sounded worried. 

“What the hell are we going to tell Jonathan?” Steve said, turning to face her. “He’s gonna find out we knew.” 

El registered the truth of their conversation. How are they going to tell Jonathan they know about Mike’s vision? 

El shifted her focus to Jonathan, several feet behind them. She could see him looking at the empty space beside him. His mouth was moving but she couldn’t make out the words. His hand was reaching out and landing on nothing. El strained her focus, concentrating completely on Jonathan but she wasn’t able to make out a word of what he was saying. 

Frustrated, she relaxed, focusing again on Steve and Nancy. 

“How far until Eddie’s place?” She whispered, glancing back at Jonathan then back to the ground in front of her. 

Steve glanced around, thinking for a second. “Only like a mile, we should be there soon.”  

Nancy nodded and they continued their walk in silence. 

El let the darkness dissolve, pulling the blindfold off of her eyes. She looked around the room, letting her eyes adjust to the light. She registered Max right in front of her, her eyes wide. 

“Are you okay?” 

El nodded. “I could see Jonathan,” she started. “But I couldn't hear him.” 

The room exchanged glances until Erica spoke up.

“Has that ever happened before?” 

El shook her head, no. “I couldn’t find Will. I tried, but I only found Jonathan.” She turned towards Mike. “I’m sorry, Mike.”

Mike seemed to deflate, his head hanging as if in defeat. “Thanks for trying.” 

El’s heart ached for him, she’d wanted to find Will, she’d wanted to give him that so badly. 

“They are going to Eddie’s trailer. That’s how they are coming back.” 

Max perked up beside her, “I’ll drive.”

***

As they peeled out of the driveway, cramped in the back of Max’s car Mike felt almost unconscious. He’d been so certain. The vision had felt so real, like Will was almost there with him. 

Stupid fucking wizard, Mike cursed. If Vecna was out there somewhere, reading his fucked up mind he was getting an earful from Mike. 

He stared out the window, shoulders pressed against his friends. Even with the multiple rows of seats it was still a tight fit. He refused to cry here, even as the disappointment pulled at his heart strings and forced emotion into his throat. 

When they finally pulled up to the trailer park they parked in front of Max’s place. They shuffled out of the car, stretching aching limbs as they stepped into the night air. 

The group started towards Eddie’s front door but Max caught him by the wrist before he could follow. 

“Mike, can I talk to you real quick?” She asked, her eyes down cast slightly. 

He looked over his shoulder toward the rest of the group, then back towards Max. “Uhhh, sure.”

Lucas noticed their divergence from the group, jogging towards them. 

“You guys okay?” He asked, stopping beside Mike. 

“Yeah, Lucas. We’re fine.” Her tone lacked the usual bite. “I’ll be right back, okay? You guys just wait here.” 

Then she turned, making her way through the door and into the trailer. 

The silence following her departure was awkward. The air was thick with history. Layered with friendship and hurt. 

“Lucas,” Mike started, turning to face him head on. “I-” 

Lucas was staring at him, his eyes alert. 

Mike was prepared to give a speech he’d practiced in his head a thousand times but had never found the courage to actually deliver. But hey, curses do something to you. The potential of death looming over him seemed to summon the words into existence. If he was brave enough to face this shitty curse he should be brave enough to tell Lucas he was sorry. 

“I’m… I’m really sorry.” He felt like crying all over again, but he pressed on, pushing the emotions aside. “I shouldn’t have let you go so easily. I should’ve- I don’t know, I should’ve listened to you and I’m sorry.” 

Lucas seemed to be taking in his statement, absorbing it. “It’s not your fault, Mike.” 

Mike swallowed hard, it is though. 

“You said you wanted to try new things and I just- you and Dustin and-” he stopped himself before he could say Will. “You guys mean so much to me so when you wanted more than that I thought- it felt like we weren’t enough for you. So I’m really sorry for that and I really want to be your friend again.” 

“Yeah,” Lucas beamed. “I want that too. I really missed you guys.” 

Mike smiled for the first time in what felt like days, “cool.” 

Max burst through the door then, carrying something plastic in her hand. 

“I’ll uh-” Lucas said, glancing between them. He nodded to Max and jogged back towards the trailer. 

Max cleared her throat, holding out the plastic rectangle Mike now recognized as a walkman and a pair of headphones. 

“Look, I uh-” she started. “I know we don’t always get along and stuff but I really don’t want you to die or get your bones snapped or something.” 

Mike blinked at her, reaching out a hand to take the walkman. 

“I just-” she continued. “Nancy said the best way to defend yourself against Vecna is music so I figure this way you’ll always have it with you.” 

He smiled at her, “thanks, Max.” 

She shrugged. “El would probably kill me if I didn’t give it to you so you know…” 

Mike scoffed, “sure, that’s the only reason.” 

“It is,” she insisted. “Don’t mistake my act of kindness, Wheeler.” 

His smile grew, “I wouldn’t dare.” 

They turned back towards Eddie’s trailer, walking back to the rest of the group in silence. 

***

The closer Will got to Eddie’s trailer the faster his heart was beating until he thought it might burst through his chest and explode or something equally as gory. He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous, this is what he’s been waiting for. He’s wanted this and only this for 5 years. So why am I so nervous? 

Will followed close behind Nancy, Jonathan on his heels. His brother’s presence was a source of comfort he’d been devoid of for far too long. 

He carried a backpack over his shoulder, filled with the things he didn’t want to leave behind. Inside the backpack were a few journals of drawings he felt particularly proud of, and a small binder of loose papers recounting the things Mike had said during his visits to Castle Byers. 

As they reached the steps to Eddie’s trailer Will froze, his heart seizing in his chest. This is it. 

Jonathan’s hand landed on his shoulder, the warmth was a welcome distraction from the panic rising in his throat. “You okay?” 

Will nodded, swallowing hard as he prepared to take the next steps. Jonathan started towards the house again, gently nudging Will forward. 

But the panic was taking over, planting his feet in the ground. He reached forward, tugging on Jonathan’s sleeve. 

“Jonathan,” he paused. His brother stopped in his tracks, concern flashing across his face. “I’m… I’m just-”

“Hey, it’s okay. I know this is a lot but let’s just get you home, yeah?” 

“But what if-” his brain was spiraling now, thinking of a million possible ways this could go wrong. He stared again. “I’m not the same anymore. I’m different. Jonathan, that place it- it changes you.” 

His biggest concern went unsaid. What if my friends don’t want this version of me? 

Jonathan took a step closer, his hands finding their place on Will’s shoulders once again. “You’re my brother, okay? I’m going to love you no matter what. Will, you’re the strongest person I know. You survived and you should never feel ashamed of that.” 

Will wiped at the damp spots that had formed around his eyes, stunting the tears before they could steak down his cheeks. 

He followed the rest of the group into the trailer after that, his feet regaining their momentum. Above him a giant hole was embedded in the ceiling. When he looked up from the edges of the gate he could see light on the other side. 

“No freaking way,” Steve breathed, shining his flashlight towards the red light. “Henderson!” he called out and Will’s attention snapped to the figure walking into their view. 

Dustin beamed up? Down? At Steve. From this angle Will was pretty certain Dustin couldn’t see him, but he could see his friend. Dustin’s wide grin was toothy and vibrant, his curls had grown out slightly, almost a curly mullet now. 

The ball of anxiety in Will’s stomach eased into a cautious excitement. He never thought he’d see his friends again, the anticipation was almost all consuming. 

“Steve!” Dustin called back, jumping up and down. “What the hell were you thinking, asshole?” 

Steve turned towards Eddie then, his eyes rolling fondly. “He’s got a real attitude problem.” 

Eddie nodded in agreement. “It’s his tone, right?” 

Dustin crossed his arms over his chest, “I can hear you!” 

Above them, Dustin and a new figure started moving, arranging a mattress below the gate. Will stayed out of sight, his nerves keeping him in place. Dustin and Lucas started tying sheets together, creating the kind of ropes he’d only ever seen in action movies. 

Lucas was here too, the excitement in Will’s chest was building rapidly but he remained in place. Lucas was taller now, probably about Steve’s height. 

“Is that even going to work?” A slightly bitter voice said, cutting through the chatter. 

Will froze. 

Mike. 

***

“This is so trippy,” Mike remarked, standing beside Max, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. 

“You can say that again,” she agreed, her eyes stuck on the opening. 

“It’s just physics,” Erica cut in, eyeing them up and down. “I thought you guys were supposed to be nerds.” 

Mike rolled his eyes, refocusing on the scene in front of him.

Eddie climbed out of the gate first, falling almost head first onto the mattress. Robin pulled him up and off the mat, clearing the space. Nancy climbed through next, gracefully lowering herself onto the padded ground. 

Once she’d reoriented herself her eyes scanned the room, landing on Mike. Then she stepped off the mat, crossing the room straight to him. 

“Mike,” she said, gripping him by the shoulders and forcing his attention to be on her. “I need you to be calm, okay?” 

Mike’s brows furrowed, confusion clouding his mind. “What?” 

Nancy spared a glance over her shoulder as another body- Steve- fell to the ground. “Just don’t freak out, okay?” 

His confusion didn’t dissipate, he was prepared to continue questioning his sister when an unfamiliar figure fell to the ground and Mike almost stopped breathing. 

***

Once Nancy had gripped the rope of sheets and began the climb Steve had turned to face Will. 

“Your friends are gonna be so happy to see you dude,” he said, grinning. “Seriously, Mike is gonna lose his shit.” 

Above them, Nancy hit the mat and scrambled to her feet. 

Will let his words fall over him like a blanket. On the other side of this he’ll find everything he’s been craving for the last five years. Past this threshold he is loved, he’s a friend, a brother, a son again. He hasn’t felt like those things in a long time. 

As Steve’s feet hit the mat Jonathan nodded to him, gesturing for Will to start. 

“I’ll see you on the other side,” Jonathan assured him. 

“Yeah,” Will nodded, the knot in his stomach loosening. “I’ll see you there.” 

He gripped the fabric under his shaking fingers and began to climb. He inched higher and higher until suddenly he was falling, flipping over onto his back and hitting the stained mattress with a pained thud. 

Steve was beside the mat, pulling him to his feet. Will looked around the room as it fell silent. He spared a glance across the room, painfully aware that everyone’s eyes were on him. Dustin’s jaw had fallen open, his eyes scanning Will up and down like his mind was travelling a mile per minute trying to come up with an explanation for what he’s seeing. Lucas’ eyes were blown wide, his limbs completely frozen. 

Will registered movement from across the room and suddenly Mike Wheeler was striding towards him. 

***

Mike would regret the time he spent just standing there like an idiot for the rest of his life. Those two stupid seconds he spent frozen in place were precious seconds wasted. 

Once his body had caught up with his mind Mike started towards Will. He sidestepped Nancy, desperately trying to get to the opposite side of the room. 

He felt almost desperate in his need to be where Will was standing. To be beside him, breathe his air. 

The room was small and Mike’s legs were long. He was in front of Will almost instantly, when he reached him he sent them stumbling back a couple steps in his urgency. His arms opened of their own accord, flinging themselves around Will’s shoulders. 

Will stiffened slightly but relaxed almost immediately, his arms circling around Mike’s back, locking him in place. Mike felt like his entire body was shaking, his hands, his organs, everything. 

He wasn’t sure how long they’d been standing there for- 30 seconds? A minute? Two minutes? 

Mike started to pull back slightly, but as he started to retreat Will tightened his grip, pulling Mike back against him. This time, Mike closed his eyes, letting himself relax into the embrace, his head falling into Will’s neck. 

“Hi,” he whispered, words suddenly impossibly difficult to summon. 

“Hi,” Will breathed, almost a laugh. 

Mike could feel every breath Will took, the rise and fall of his chest and his shoulders was a comforting motion. Will is alive. He’s here. He’s right here. 

Beside them, Dustin’s voice broke the silence. “Will?” 

***

Will was vaguely aware he was on the verge of crying again but he didn’t care. He was home. It had taken five years of scraping by in the dark but he’d made it home. 

And now, Mike Wheeler had his arms flung around Will’s neck. He was no longer a vision, a voice traveling across dimensions. 

He was here. 

In the flesh. 

Real. 

“Will?” Dustin had said it, it shouldn’t have been much but just hearing his own name sent a wave of warmth through his system. 

Will forced himself to pull away from Mike’s embrace, he seemed hesitant. Mike let go slowly, like he too was forcing himself to step away. The heat of Mike’s touch still lingered once their limbs had disconnected. For the last five years Will had grown so used to the cold he felt reluctant to step out of the warmth radiating from his friend.

Once they’d pulled back enough to meet each other’s gazes Will was able to make out his face clearly for the first time. Mike was taller now, Will had to look up to meet his eyes. Mike’s eyes were the same deep brown they’d always been. His hair was different though, shaggier- it looked good. 

Will turned towards Dustin before he did something embarrassing like run his fingers through Mike’s curls, just to make sure he was real. 

“Dustin,” he said, his head nodding almost frantically. 

Dustin grinned, stepping towards Will and engulfing him in a bear hug. Will felt a smile spread across his face until he was grinning too. 

Will felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head, still in Dustin’s embrace to find Lucas standing beside him, his eyes wide and his jaw still open. 

“Lucas,” Will said, beaming now. 

Dustin detached himself from Will, letting him turn and throw his arms around Lucas. Lucas met him halfway, holding on tight. 

Eventually, he pulled away and took in all three of his friends. They stood in a small circle, their arms around each other’s shoulders.  

His eyes met Mike’s again. He stood beside him, his hand found its way to Will’s back like an anchor keeping him grounded in a storm.

“Will, I-” Mike cut himself off, glancing at his friends. “We missed you. We missed you a lot.” 

“I missed you guys too.” This time, he couldn’t stop the fresh batch of tears that streaked from his eyes. He felt better when he realized the rest of his friends were crying too. 

He made it out. 

He was home.

Chapter Text

Hot water ran down Will’s head, his shoulders, his back. He looked down, watching as the previously dark streaks of water turned clear. The warmth of the water in contrast to the chill he was used to sent goosebumps running across his skin. He closed his eyes and titled his head back, letting the steam fill the room and take over his senses. Dark streaks pooled around his feet and sank into the drain, years worth of grime washed away.  When he closed his eyes he saw flashes of the upside down, darkness creeping in behind his eyes. Vines covered the tub, the sink, and the ceiling. 

Will’s eyes burst open and he resolved not to close them again. He focused on the warmth of the water instead, letting it run against his skin.  

Will had kept himself clean enough in the upside down to the best of his abilities but there was nothing quite like warm, running water. 

He squeezed probably too much shampoo into the palm of his hand and ran it through his hair until the soap bubbled and the top of his head was almost entirely covered in white foam. He kept his eyes open, ignoring the sting of soap in his eyes. Then, he scrubbed at his arms and legs with a wash cloth, seeking out every inch of skin until he was satisfied. 

He didn’t stay in the shower long, it had only taken about 15 minutes for the once comforting heat of the shower to grow stifling and uncomfortable. 

Will turned the knob on the wall, cutting off the continuous stream of water and stepped out of the tub. He looked around the bathroom, it was mostly as he remembered. He recognized the tiled floors and the plastic shower curtain, but the strands of long brown hair stuck to the shower wall and covering the drain were new. 

The drive from the trailer park to Will’s childhood home hadn’t been awkward exactly, just silent. Will had sat in the backseat, pressed between the car door and Mike’s side. Their shoulders had brushed every time the car hit a mild bump in the road and every point of contact led to a flare of heat rushing to Will’s cheeks. 

Jonathan had sat in the front seat, when he wasn’t turning back to look at Will every 30 seconds he was looking at him through the rear view mirror or exchanging nervous looks with Nancy as she drove. 

Eleven sat on the other side of the car, he figured he should say something to her but he had no idea what. She was Mike’s friend and like a sister to Jonathan but none of that meant anything to Will. He hoped it would, maybe one day they could be friends but for now they sat in awkward silence. 

The interior of the house wasn’t very different, a lot of the furniture had stayed the same and some of his old drawings still littered the fridge and the walls. His room still looked the same, untouched. 

Jonathan explained that El had moved in a couple years ago after Hopper had died but Will had already known that. Mike had mentioned it in one of his calls but Will still wasn’t sure how best to bring that up. 

Instead of dwelling on it, Will wrapped himself in a bath towel and patted himself dry. He eyed the stack of clean clothes on the counter with a quiet longing. 

One thing at a time. 

***

“Mike, I think you’ve been pacing for 24 hours straight,” Nancy stressed, running her hands over her face. “Sit down.”

“No!” Mike snapped, his anxious energy manifesting in each step against the hardwood floors. He was practically buzzing with energy, he felt alive. His heart hadn’t stopped hammering in his chest since the moment Will’s body fell through the gate. 

He’d assumed knowing where Will was would calm his nerves. He was wrong. Now, he was just pacing in a new place for new reasons. 

Mike walked back and forth through the living room, his eyes dragging themselves back to the bathroom door every ten seconds. The steady stream of running water against the tub was a vaguely comforting reminder that Will was here. 

Mike’s mind echoed the same thoughts. 

He’s here. He’s alive. 

He’s on the other side of that damn door. 

So why can’t I calm the hell down? 

Without him having noticed Nancy had stood from her spot beside Jonathan on the couch and placed her hands on Mike’s shoulder. 

“Mike, seriously-” she started but he shook her off. 

“No, Nancy- I was right.” Mike started to shake his head, his anxious steps continuing and his brows knitting together. “Vecna wasn’t lying. Why would he do that? Just to mess with me?” 

On the couch Jonathan sat up straight and Nancy’s posture stiffened slightly as her eyes widened. 

Her mild panic faded quickly and her usual controlled demeanor returned. “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out okay?” 

Some of the tension in Mike’s shoulders softened as he looked at his sister. She was here to help, everyone is just as lost as him. 

He found himself nodding, his eyes shifting to the bathroom door again before he let Nancy guide him to a spot beside her on the couch. 

They sat in silence for a few seconds. Mike’s leg bounced furiously, sending soft vibrations against the couch. He ran his hands over his own thighs, pressing his palms down in an attempt to quell the nauseating anxiety building in his stomach. 

Without a word Nancy reached for Mike’s hand, holding it in hers. She squeezed lightly, a comforting gesture. Mike squeezed back, a silent thank you. 

For a while the only sound in the house was running water. 

Eventually the water cut off and Mike’s head spun towards the bathroom. 

Mild panic ran through his body. Should he stand? Should he sit? Should he try to talk? Does Will even want to hear him talk? 

Before he could allow the panic to fully sink its claws into him the bathroom door creaked open and he launched to his feet. 

Will stood in the doorway, with the years worth of grime washed away Mike had a chance to take in his features. Will looked older yet achingly familiar. A small dot still rested above his upper lip and his hair was still the same rich brown he remembered. Will was taller now too, his figure transformed. His shoulders were broader, his arms firm with muscle. 

Mike swallowed the ridiculous urge to reach out and touch. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he realized he had absolutely no idea what to say. 

Jonathan was the first to speak. “Will, let’s get you to your room.” 

Before Mike could summon any kind of noise Jonathan was ushering Will down the hall towards his room. He watched them go, ignoring the pang of jealousy rising in his gut. 

After a solid minute of standing with his shoulders slumped Nancy snapped him out of his self pitying stupor. 

“Why don’t you go talk to him?”

He didn’t have the energy to summon his usual antagonism he reserved for his sister. Instead, his voice was sad. “And say what?”

When they were kids they would talk about the latest Star Wars movies, DnD campaigns and science projects. That all seemed so juvenile now. 

The short walk to Will’s room at the other end of the hall felt impossibly far. Just do it. Just go. But his feet didn’t move. 

“Here, take this.” Nancy held out a glass of water. 

Mike brushed her off, “I’m not thirsty.”

She rolled her eyes. “Not for you, dumbass. Bring it to him.” 

Heat rushed to his face, “yeah, okay. Uh- good idea,” he stuttered before gripping the chilled glass in his shaky grip. “Thanks.”

Nancy nodded, patting his shoulder and giving him a slight shove towards the hall before returning to the couch. 

The walk to Will’s room was painfully slow. But after less than 20 steps (not that he was counting or anything) he made it to the door and knocked. 

“Come in!” Jonathan’s voice called out. 

Mike inhaled and pushed the bedroom door open. Inside the room, Jonathan and Will sat on the neatly made bed, their backs were to Mike but they’d turned their heads towards him at his entrance. 

“Hi, I just- I wanted to bring you this.” He gestured vaguely to the glass of water. “I can just leave it on the nightstand or-” 

Will cut off his mild rambling. “Thanks, Mike,” he said, a mile ghosting his lips. He reached a hand out to take the glass and in seconds Mike was crossing the room to hand it over. 

As Mike rounded the bed Jonathan made a move to stand. “I’ll give you guys a minute.” He turned to Will, “let me know if you need anything, okay?” 

Will nodded in assurance as Jonathan exited. 

Mike stood in front of the bed unsure of himself and his role here. 

“You can sit down, Mike. I don’t bite.” 

Mike flushed, “sorry, I didn’t mean to uh-” 

Will breathed a faint laugh and Mike’s features twitched with something like pride. “It’s okay, I’m just messing with you.” 

“Well I’m glad that hasn’t changed.” Mike rocked to the side, his shoulder bumping against the other boy’s. 

He realized then how close they were sitting. The bed was plenty long but Mike had managed to attach them at the hip, their shoulders were nearly touching and a dull heat was spreading through his body starting at where their knees brushed. 

His gaze lingered on their knees but when his gaze traveled back to meet Will’s he found the other boy was already looking at him. 

***

In his five years trapped in an alternate dimension Will had pictured a thousand ways his reunions with his friends might go. His fantasies rarely included awkward silences. 

“I thought about you guys a lot- in the upside down I mean,” Will started. Part of him was desperate to hear Mike’s voice again. After years of hearing disembodied radio calls he was ready to hear it from the source. “Sometimes I thought I would go crazy.” 

Mike huffed a laugh, “I think I know a thing or two about going crazy. After you were uh- taken…” Mike looked up at him worried as if his tragic reality was a great offense. 

“It’s okay, you can say it,” Will assured him, nodding along. 

He swallowed nervously, his eyes scanning Will’s. He hesitated before continuing. “After you were taken I thought I saw you everywhere. I thought I was going crazy. Seriously, my mom had to drag me out of the grocery store once because I swore I’d seen you in the dairy aisle. Sometimes I would even-” He stopped himself short. “Never mind, it’s uh- it’s not important.” 

Will felt himself sit up a little straighter. The radio calls. I heard you. The words were creeping into the back of his throat. 

“I get it. I could… see things when I was in the upside down. I saw Hawkins. If I focused I could see what was happening on the other side. At least I think so. Maybe it was a trick, maybe it was Vecna. I don’t know, maybe I’m going crazy too.” Will bumped his shoulder against Mike’s again, the warmth of Mike’s shoulder against his sent a wave of comfort through his body he’d been craving for five years. 

Mike smiled, “well, at least we’re going crazy together.”  

Will swallowed hard, “yeah, crazy together.”

Mike paused for a second, his jaw twitched as his eyes filled with a quiet severity as if what he was about to say would carry immense weight. “I uh- Will, I really missed you.” 

I know. I heard you. 

Guilt clawed at Will’s mind as Mike’s words rose to the front of his thoughts. 

My life started the day I met you and it ended the day you didn’t come home.

I wish you were here.

Will bit the bullet. “I heard you.” 

***

Mike’s brows drew together, “what?” 

Beside him, Will looked almost worried. He’d started fidgeting with his fingers, his eyes drawn to the hands resting in his lap rather than Mike’s gaze. 

“On the radio, I could hear you. In Castle Byers.” Will’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. 

Before Mike could say anything the other boy rushed to continue. 

“I assumed it would stop eventually, because you’d give up or something. Everyone thought I was dead, I wouldn’t blame them. But you didn’t stop.” Finally, he met Mike’s gaze. “Why didn’t you?” 

Mike had to think for a second. Why didn’t he? 

Because I couldn’t accept it. 

I missed you. 

I don’t think I ever would’ve gotten over your death. 

Eventually he settled on an answer. 

“Because you’re my best friend.” 

The worry in Will’s gaze softened. “You don’t even know me anymore.” 

That’s not entirely untrue. On the surface, Mike hardly knows him anymore. He doesn’t know the boy sitting in front of him as well as he used to but his core is still the same. He’s still the bravest person Mike has ever known. He’s still kind- despite everything. 

He doesn’t know Will as well as he did. But he wants to. He wants to know everything. 

Knowing Will was like a habit. He didn’t have to think, it was a given.  

Mike’s jaw tightened as he focused on keeping his voice steady. “I think I’ll always know you.” 

The tension in Will's shoulders eased, pressing easily against Mike’s. 

“I mean- Lucas and Dustin and everyone are great but you know.” He shrugged, “it’s Hawkins. It’s not the same without you.” 

Will huffed a laugh and Mike felt his heart swell. “Well I’m glad to be back.” 

“Did you ever get bored? In the upside down I mean.” Mike’s eyes went wide, “you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to- obviously. I was just-”

“Mike,” Will tried, but he pressed on. 

“Wondering because I want to make you feel-” 

“Mike.” 

“Comfortable and stuff. Of course things are different but I still want to be your friend and I hope you want to be mine-” 

Mike was cut off by a hand over his mouth. His body seized up, his eyes going wide and his mouth snapped shut. 

“Mike, you’re spiraling. It’s okay to have questions. It’s been a long time. I don’t mind talking about it.” He considers this for a moment. “With you, at least.” 

Mike nodded, his eyes glanced down to where Will’s hand was still pressed over his mouth. Will’s fingers were cold against his skin. Will removed his hand quickly, like it had burned him. Mike resisted the urge to protest the loss of contact. Instead, he let his knee press more firmly against Will’s. 

“It wasn’t exactly boring,” he started. “It was lonely most of the time. Some of it is fuzzy, I don’t know.” 

Sadness tugged at Mike’s chest but he stayed silent as Will continued. 

“Every day was mostly the same. I would wake up, check the fence, hunt, eat. I drew a lot and I would read sometimes.”  

Mike thought back to the binder of Will’s drawings Mike kept under his bed. He resisted the urge to ask every question that flooded his head. What did you draw? Can I see? 

Will must have noticed his interest. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you sometime.” 

Mike flushed, “yeah. Okay- that sounds… nice.” 

Will’s gaze turned strictly towards the floor. He continued, a little quieter. “My favorite times were when you’d call. I was lonely, I couldn’t- I didn’t have anyone to care for me. To care about me. I mean, they all thought I was dead so I don’t blame them.” Will lifted his head, “but I was alive. You made me feel like I was less alone.” 

Mike felt like he was barely breathing. Was his heart even beating? 

“For a while I was scared you would stop. But you didn’t.” Will pulled his eyes away from the floor, meeting Mike’s. “That meant a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.” 

When he spoke again Mike hardly recognized his own voice. It was the softest he’d sounded in five years. “You mean a lot to me too.” 

Mike shifted, pulling the other boy into a hug. They sat in silence for the duration of the hug, they held each other so close and so tight Mike was certain Will could feel his heart hammering against his chest. 

After a minute insecurity poked at his mind. Boys don’t hold each other like this. 

Mike heard his dad’s voice in the corners of his mind. 

See, Micheal? Do you see what happens? 

He pressed his eyes closed, he decided he would hold on for five more seconds. 

Five. He felt the tip of Will’s cold nose pressed against the crook of his neck, right above the collar of his shirt. 

Four. He felt Will’s hands against his back, holding him. 

Three. He felt the warmth of Will’s breath against his neck. 

Two. He felt his own fingers twitching at the urge to reach towards the other boy’s hair. 

One. He opened his eyes, looking down at Will’s yellow T-shirt. 

At the last second Mike realized this was the happiest he’d felt in five fucking years.  

Reluctantly, Mike started to pull away. He lifted his head from Will’s shoulder and started to disentangle his arms from around Will’s torso. 

To his surprise, Will’s grip tightened. His arms stayed locked around Mike’s back, pulling their bodies back together. 

Mike obliged, allowing himself to be pulled back to the safety of Will’s embrace. 

He stifled the wave of fear that ran through him. 

What if someone saw them? What would they think? 

His father’s voice again. 

See, Micheal? Do you see what happens? 

The voices in his head were drowned out as Will spoke. “Just one more minute, okay?” 

Mike nodded into Will’s shoulder. “Okay.” 

He could be brave for one more minute. 

***

“So you’re… cursed? And that’s how you knew I was alive.” 

“Yeah, Vecna he uh- he showed me. Did you ever see him? In the upside down.” 

Will thought for a second, willing his mind to come up with some kind of image, a face, a name, anything. But he came up empty. “No. Some of the stuff is a little hazy but I think I would remember running into a person made out of vines.”

“Do you have a song in mind?” 

“Not really.” 

Will frowned. “You can’t think of a single song that might work?” 

Mike shrugged, “I don’t know. I used to get all my music recommendations from you.” 

Will stood up from the bed, an idea coming to mind. He ignored Mike’s confused glance and dropped to his knees, searching for something under the bed. After a second of padding his hands around blindly he pulled out a shoe box covered in a layer of dust. 

He blew off the dust and pulled back the top of the box, revealing a messy pile of cassette tapes. 

Will handed the box over to Mike. “One of these has gotta work.” 

Mike took the box, gently placing it on his lap. He shuffled through the tapes, examining a few before putting them away. 

Will reached over, pulling out a tape that had caught his eye. 

“If the clash doesn’t break the curse, I don’t know what will,” he said, pulling the clash tape out of the box. 

Mike rolled his eyes, turning back towards the box. After sifting through the tapes for another long minute he settled on a choice, putting the box aside and holding the potentially life saving piece of plastic in his hands. 

Will smiled, peering over Mike’s shoulder at the tape. “Bowie?” 

Mike shrugged, his face was slightly flushed but Will wasn’t completely sure why. Bowie was a good choice. An awesome choice. “It’s a good song.” 

“Heroes is a great song. Don’t disrespect Bowie like that.” He almost sounded offended. 

Mike’s face scrunched up, defensive. “I wouldn’t-” 

Will’s face lit up, a memory surfacing. “I remember, a very distraught Mike Wheeler calling me over the radio because Nancy and Max refused to let you dye your hair bright orange.” 

Mike’s blush deepened, his ears turning red. “That’s not- I-” He stopped, folding his arms over his chest. “I would’ve pulled it off.” 

Will pressed his lips together, not wanting to say anything offensive. 

“I would’ve!” He replied, exasperated. 

Will threw his hands up in surrender, “I didn’t say anything!” 

“You didn’t have to!” Mike frowned again, but he couldn’t seem to fully suppress his smile. “You were thinking it.” 

Will shrugged, unwilling to admit to anything, he turned away for a second to stifle a yawn, a hand covering his mouth. 

He felt sleep creeping into his vision, his eyelids drooping lower and lower with every minute he was still awake. He glanced at the clock mounted on the wall, it was past one in the morning.

Mike tossed the walkman aside. “We should go to sleep.” 

Will nodded, wordless. He fell against the bed, his back landing on the mattress. The surface was so soft he nearly groaned. 

Mike stood awkwardly, gesturing towards the door. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned towards the door. “Night, Will.” 

Will sat up straight, panic settling in. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that if he was left alone he’d wake up back in the upside down, alone and cold. It wasn’t rational but part of his brain still expected this whole day to be a dream. 

“Mike, wait!” He called out, scrambling to reach towards the other boy. 

Mike stopped in his tracks, his eyes as wide and panicked as Will’s. “What is it? What’s wrong?” 

Sitting alone in an empty bed Will felt a trail of goose bumps running up his skin. His whole body felt cold. 

“Will you,” he ran his hands over his arms, soothing the cold away. “Will you stay with me?” 

Mike opened his mouth to say something but Will cut him off. 

“I just-” he swallowed. “I don’t want to be alone.” 

Mike was nodding before Will had finished his sentence, he almost seemed relieved. “Yeah, of course.”

Will made room for him on the bed. They’d shared before but they were children then. Now, they were definitely too big to be sharing. They hardly fit on the bed anymore, Mike’s limbs were long and lengthy and pointy, WIll’s shoulders were broader now. The bed was just large enough to leave an inch between their bodies. 

Will felt infinitely colder without Mike’s touch. He ignored the feeling that he was missing something. He’d been without it for so long he figured he should be okay without it now. 

“Do you want me to turn off the light?” Mike whispered. 

Will shook his head, his mind flashing back to the years spent in darkness. He wasn’t eager to return to it now. 

“I’d rather not if that’s okay,” he whispered back. 

“Okay.” 

Silence filled the room and Will’s chest ached for touch. He thought he’d be able to swallow the longing but his skin itched and he almost felt like crying. He turned to face Mike and all the sudden it felt impossible to deny himself what he’d wanted for so long. Not when he was this close. 

He clenched his jaw and turned on his side to fully face his friend, but when he turned he was surprised to find Mike already looking at him. 

“Mike?” Concern creeped into his features but before he could ask what was wrong Mike was already speaking. 

“Will, can I-” his jaw clenched. Then his eyebrows drew together like he’d made a decision. “Can I hold you?” 

Will’s heart jumped into his throat. His head nodded of its own accord and he inched closer. He slipped under Mike’s outstretched arm, laying his head on his friend’s chest. Heat radiated off the other boy’s body. Will felt nearly uncomfortably warm but he didn’t mind. This room, this place, Mike, it was all safe. 

“Is this okay?” he whispered, tilting his head to meet Mike’s gaze. 

“Yeah, it’s good,” he replied, his arms tightening around Will. “Good night.” 

“Night,” Will muttered, his eyes falling closed. 

***

Mike wasn’t entirely sure what had come over him last night but he’d wanted to be brave. He wanted to hold his friend because he was terrified of losing him. 

He’d slept through the night with the lights on and Will pressed against his chest. 

When he woke up the first thing he noticed was he wasn’t in his room, the second was the lack of weight on his chest. 

Awareness snapped him awake and he turned frantically, padding around at the empty space beside him where the bed was empty, his eyes still bleary from sleep. 

He wiped the fog from his eyes, and called out for his friend. “Will!” 

He saw him then, on the edge of the bed. He was hunched over, the blanket he’d used last night thrown aside. His shirt was nearly soaked through with sweat. 

Mike crawled towards the edge of the bed, his hand on Will’s shoulder. 

“Will?” 

Will’s eyes were unfocused, his lips slightly parted. He shook off the hand Mike had placed on his shoulder, he grazed Will’s neck. His skin was freezing. 

“Will, you’re freezing. I need to-”

“No.” His tone was harsh. Firm. Harsher than Mike had ever heard it. 

Mike drew his hand back. 

Slowly, Will turned to face him. 

“He likes it cold.”