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Will had always wished that everyone would stop treating him like a baby.
Will now wishes he could take back every time he complained about that.
Ever since Will had tapped into the hive mind and literally killed three demogorgons in one go, everyone is making game plans on how to defeat Vecna that revolve around him. Will has never been more scared in his life.
Well, being kidnapped by a monster and taken to an alternate dimension made him pretty scared, but this was a close second. Will had always been cast aside, always on the sidelines while he watched his friends and family fight the monsters and make the plans. All he could contribute was goosebumps on his neck. Even though Will always had that tiny part of him that wanted to be able to help, to fight the monsters, to do something meaningful, the rest of him had grown accustomed to it, maybe even found comfort in being safe on the bench. But now, everything was different.
Will still sits quietly while everyone discusses how to take down Vecna. Nancy is leading the group, trying to think of anything that they can do. Will can't help but cringe at how many times his name is being thrown around. 'Will can do this' 'Will can do that'.
Will hasn't done any of this before. He isn't Eleven. He doesn't have years of harnessing his mind powers under his belt. Hell, he couldn't even stand up to Troy and his goons in middle school, how can he defeat an interdemntional being?
Will is flattered that everyone thinks so highly of him. And Will is especially flattered that Mike this so highly of him. Mike had been the one to churn out this idea. Will can still feel the burn in his cheeks from when Mike had noticed Will's uneasy expression, placing a hand on his like they always used to do when they were younger. Mike had reassured Will of the plan, saying how Will was stronger than the thought. Mike wouldn't stop telling Will how 'badass' he is and how he's 'bitchin'. Whatever that means. Will doesn't really care, as long as it comes from Mike.
And thanks to Mike thinking just so highly of Will, they are now alone. In the Upside Down. Blood trickling down both of their palms.
"Okay, this should attract them," Mike says, looking at both his and Will's hands. Ever since Vecna took the kids, the 'giant metal bandaid' had burst open, upside down creatures slowly crawling out, seeking to kill. Basically, everything had went to shit, and apparently Will was "the key" to defeating Vecna. Great. The plan was for Will to tap into the hive mind, directly into Vecna's mind, to try and figure out how to get into the wall, or just anything to try and get the kids out of that hell that they were trapped in. The only problem is that Will can't tap in on command. He can only tap in when the hive mind is close enough. So thats what brings him here, to the Upside Down. Nancy had told him that the demogorgons were attracted to blood, so thats exactly what they are using as bait. Will never thought he would be back here, seeking out the very thing that caused him so many sleepless nights and anxious years.
Will sits down in one of the pews of the rotting church, vines spreading everywhere and mysterious spores floating through the air. Will starts to bounce his leg, looking at nothing as he unconsciously taps the tune to "Should I Stay or Should I Go". It is byfar not his favorite song anymore, but it was habit he had gained from...
From being trapped exactly where he was now.
Will must have been making a face, because Mike hurriedly sits down next to Will, careful to not get any blood anywhere.
"Hey, you good?" Mike says quietly. Will guts twist at the tone. Mike had always talked to him like that, and it was torture every time. Will takes in a shaky breath. "Yeah, yeah, its just-" Will pauses, "I guess just being back... here is-"
"Hey." Mike cuts Will off. Will looks at Mike slowly. Mike continues, "You don't have talk about it if you don't want to." Mike gives him a reassuring look. Will had always liked how him and Mike were always on the same page. Sometimes, they didn't even need words to talk to eachother.
Will gives Mike a small smile and turns his head down to look at his hand. The thought of a demo tracking down their scent makes Will uneasy to say the least, but he tries to take his mind off of it.
"We're gonna have pretty cool scars, huh?" Will says, still looking at the dark red liquid starting to pool in his palm. "Oh yeah, totally," Mike says as he moves his hand closer to Will's, palm up so now both of their soon-to-be-scars were visible. Will smiles.
Just as quick as the calm moment had come, it quickly vanished with the sound of snarling outside the church. Will and Mike shared a look before they both quietly stood up, Mike making way to his bag to grab his lighter and the bottles filled with gasoline, ready to fight whatever would come. Will looks around, feeling that familiar prickle on the back of his neck.
It had happened a few times now, but Will still wasn't used to tapping in to the hive mind. Will felt that strange pressure behind his eyes as he perceived the world from the demos perspective. Faintly, Will could feel the cold, wet ground beneath the demos feet. Will watches as the demo slowly creeped around the church. He was scared out of his mind, but he had to do this. The demo suddenly reached its claws forward and ripped through the wall of the church. Will can see himself, standing still while Mike is next to him, shouting with the lit bottle in his hand.
Will exhales slowly.
He thinks back. He thinks of when his mom had gotten them both tickets to The Exorcist, even though she had previously said no. He thinks back to when Johnathan first introduced him to real music, ignoring the loud yelling behind the thin walls. Will thinks back to Mike. Every campaign they played, every time Mike stood up to Troy for Will, every sleepover. Will felt a release inside him, like a weight being lift off his shoulders.
He sticks his hand out, the demo stopping mid sprint. Instead of killing it this time, Will reaches into the demos mind, tracking further into the labyrinth that is the hive mind. Will wasnt pleased to be familiar with it, but it would come in handy this time around. Will tries to search as quickly as he can, feeling his grip on the demo starting to falter. Will finally reaches his destination. He sees the kids, all on those 12 spires. Will feels disgusted at the sight. How could Henry do this? Will can't dwindle on that thought. He struggles as he tries to find something, anything more. He sees the outside of the wall, then he sees a girl. Not Holly, no. She was much older and had darker skin. More importantly, she had shaved hair and an 008 tattoo on the inside of her left wrist.
That was all that Will needed.
Will tries to backtrack, to leave the way he came in, but something is stopping him. Panic fills his system as he realized he can't untap. Will feels his grip on the demo slip away. He suddenly remembers Mike.
Mike.
Before Will can even think about how Mike could save both Will and himself from the demo, Will hears a voice. One that is too familiar.
"William," he hears Vecna growl out. Will looks around, but Vecna is no where to be found. "You think that you can intrude into my mind, and I wouldn't find out?" Will feels like he can't breath. Every ounce of oxygen has been stripped from him. "How gullible." Vecna's voice echoes through Wills head. It hurts.
"I want you to watch," Vecna draws out slowly. The words are familiar to Will, the same ones that Henry had said to Nancy. Will knew what was coming, but he was powerless to stop it.
Will is suddenly being dragged back, back through all the memories, back through all of the hive mind, until he can see again. Except, its not right. The edges of his vision are still red, but he isn't looking through the demo anymore.
Will is looking through is own eyes.
Will tries to look down, but his body won't let him. Will tries to move his arm, his fingers, no movement.
Suddenly, Will can hear again. It's muffled, but he can clearly hear the sound of Mike's voice, yelling at him. "Will!"
Will feels his body move for him, turning around to reveal Mike running towards him. Out of the corner of his eyes, Will can see the demo on the ground, dead, with small flames around it. Will doesn't know how long he was in the hive mind, but he's thankful him and Mike are okay.
Mike engulfs Will in a hug. "God, I'm so glad you're okay." Mike says, gripping on to Will slightly tighter. Will wants to scream. He wants to push Mike away, afraid of what he might do to him.
Mike pulls away slightly, looking at Will but still keeping his hands planted on Wills shoulders. "Will?" Mike says with an edge in his voice. Will feels his hand reach up to grab on to one of Mike's wrists. Will feels like he's in a daze, watching himself do things without being able to stop it.
Will watches as Mike's face twists in horror as Will pushes Mike off of him.
"Will! What- what's going on-" Mike tries to reason with Will, before Will tackles him to the ground, his hands being placed around Mike's neck.
Will doesn't know what to do. He is absolutely powerless against Henry. Why did the others think that he could handle this? Why did he think that he could handle this? Will knew the risks when he agreed to take part in this crazy plan, but he chose it ignore them, and now Mike is paying for it.
Everything seems to move in slow motion. Will tunes out everything, the only noise he hears is the ringing in his ears. How did Will even end up here? Strangling the love of his life? If he could go back and stop himself from ever riding home that night, from ever going to Mike's house, from ever meeting Mike, than maybe all of this could have been avoided. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten taken. Maybe he wouldn't have caused the night that changed everything for his friends and family.
Maybe he wouldn't have ruined their lives.
For a fleeting second, Will wants to surrender. To let Vecna control him, to- to kill Mike.
Cause then, maybe his friends would have to kill him, too.
Will is brought back to the present, the sight of Mike struggling beneath him. Mike is desperately clawing at Wills hands, Mike's legs flailing around, trying to get out of Wills grasp.
Henry wanted Will to suffer. Henry knew Will had powers, but he wanted Will to kill Mike with his hands.
"Will-" Mike strains out. Will continues to put pressure onto his neck, but he desperately needs to hear what Mike is going to say.
"Will, please," Mike begs, "I know its- not you," Mike gasps for air. Will can feel his heart breaking. He needs to do something. Will watches Mike slowly bring up one of his hands to Will's cheek, the other still trying to pry off Will's hands.
"I know you're in there," Mike squeaks out.
Will suddenly feels empowered. The warmth of Mike's hand on Will's cheek. Will takes a deep breath, thinking back.
Will thinks back to the van. How he had poured his heart out to Mike, with El as his veil. Even if Mike believed it came from somewhere else, at least he had accepted it.
Will hears Mike's small, strained voice again.
"Will, please- don't d-do this," Mike gasps for air, "I need you, too."
Will thinks back to Halloween night of '84. Will had been so scared. So scared that he was back in the hell that he had fought so hard to escape. Mike was there to cradle him, to tell him that he was safe. Mike had always been strong, even in DnD. Will needs Mike to be strong one more time.
Mike continues, "I'm sorry I didn't say it-" another gasp, "before. I was just- scared."
Will remembers Mike.
His Mike.
His Mike who never gave up on looking for Will even after his body had been discovered in the lake. His Mike who had stayed up with him every night, lulling back to sleep after he had nightmares of the upside down. His Mike who had pulled away from him, even after they had promised to stick together through thick and thin.
His Mike, who had returned to him, and is now sticking closer than ever.
"Will," Mike says in a wet voice, still strained and still determined to speak even though its wasting what little air he has left. "I love you, Will."
Will feels a single tear fall down his cheek, and onto Mike. Will suddenly feels angry, angry that Henry is trying to take away something so precious, so valuable to Will. Will uses everything he can to force his eyes closed. Will strains as he feels something in him snap, explode. He can feel the Mind Flayer moving inside of him. It hurts like hell, but he powers through. He yells as he uses everything in him to force the Mind Flayer, Henry out of him.
Will collapses onto Mike.
Will is teetering on the line of consciousness, weak as his eyes slowly, slowly flutter open. Will takes in his surroundings in a daze. While he isn't totally present, Will can feel the unmistakable heavy rise and fall of Mike's chest beneath him.
Sharp coughs fill Will's ears. He turns his head slowly, pupils dilated and breathing slow. He focuses his eyes...
Mike looks down at Will, relief spreading across his face. Mike still breathing heavily as he quickly wraps his arms tight around Will, one hand coming up to grasp onto the back of Will head.
Mike is shaking, so is Will.
Will can feel Mike's heavy, raspy breathing on his neck. Will's mind seems to clear for just a second. The weight of what he had just done comes crashing down on him like a wave, sharp and total.
Will wraps his arms under Mike's and around Mike's back as tight as he could, afraid that somehow Mike would slip away from him again. Will let's himself go, sobbing into Mike's shoulder.
"Oh god, oh god, Mike-" Will chokes out between sobs, grasping onto Mike's jacket. Mike just holds Will, letting him cry, letting him be vulnerable.
"Im so sorry," Will squeaks out, voice wet and heavy with guilt. "I am so so sorry Mike, I-"
Mike makes his soft grip on Will's head a little firmer. "Are you okay?" Mike asks quietly, voice raspy.
Will can only sob more at his question. How can Mike, after almost dying by Will's hands, ask him if he was okay? Will could never wrap his head around how Mike could be so brave. Could be so selfless. Could be so caring.
"God, Mike," Will pulls away slightly so Mike can hear him clearer. "Mike are you okay? I'm so sorry I-i dont know what..." Will says louder than he wanted to, unable to control his volume from his crying.
"Hey," Mike croaks out, pulling Will closer to him again, "don't worry about me. Did he hurt you?" Mike says in that tone, making Will shiver.
Will feels another pang of despair wash over him again, sobbing once more and nodding his head into Mike's shirt, wet with Will's tears. Will can't help but get de ja vu. It seems like yesterday Mike was sleeping on Will's floor every night, comforting him when he woke in the night screaming from his nightmares.
Mike gently rubbed his hand on Will's back. Will had calmed down a little and pulled back far enough so that they were facing eachother. Will frowns at the red marks on Mike's throat, but he uses everything in him to contain himself.
"Mike," Will whispers, "I am so so sorry Mike. I couldnt-" Will's voice breaks, but he continues, "I was just watching, and I couldn't stop it. I am so-"
Mike grabs his hands.
"I know, its okay, Will. I was so worried about you." Now Mike is the one crying. Will reaches out and wipes the tears from Mike's cheeks with his thumbs. Mike rests their forheads together.
They sit there for a moment, catching their breaths and calming down. Will still felt very guilty, but at least they were both okay. At least Mike was okay.
They look at eachother. Mike looking deep into Will's hazel eyes, into Will's soul. Will feels exposed, like Mike can see everything about Will, but for the first time, Will doesn't cover himself up. Will doesn't throw his hands and retreat, but he gazes directly back into Mike's eyes.
They are warm, accepting, safe. Will doesn't know what he would have done without them. Without Mike.
Nothing can harm them in the bubble they've created. No creature from the upside down. No names or slurs from the people in the rightside up. Nothing.
Will feels accepted as he is, that Mike would accept him with everything that came with him. Nightmares, the Mind Flayer permanently attached to him, anxiety issues, family trauma. Will always felt like these things made him unloveable, but here he is. Laying himself bare with all his imperfections and flaws for Mike to see.
And Mike loves him.
And Will loves him too.