Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Do you, um, by any chance, remember Tammy Thompson?”

The fires around him were blazing, eating at his skin despite their distance. His limbs felt clammy: hot and cold all at once.

In front of him, just a few meters away, lay the one person Will Byers was scared of. Truly scared of – more than monsters and his father and everything else he had gone through. This was what he truly feared.

“Yeah. But in the ninth grade, I thought she sounded like Whitney goddamn Houston.”

With every passing moment, all ability to remain upright felt like it was being manually drained out of him. Energy was being wrung out of his body like a wet cloth.

Where was he, exactly?

Will Byers was beginning to see blurry. The dead, twitching Demogorgons were sprawled across the area, and he could hear his mother’s breaking voice calling out to him, yet when his eyes rolled down to his sleeve, it was tainted with blood, and he did not understand anything. Despite the haziness in his mind, Will was rapidly realizing something was very wrong. This was not his body anymore, not entirely. He was not in control of it.

Cold, frantic hands reached him, checking for injuries, planting themselves all over his body. Yet Will did not, could not, focus. Consciousness slipped in and out of his head. Weakness embraced him, almost warmly. His eyes fluttered.

There were two faces hovering in front of him now, too. Their mouths moved rapidly, speaking to each other. Will recognized both; yet one of them sent panic blooming sharp and sudden through his chest.

“I mean, the first time I saw her, oh my God, like, time slowed down.”

His half-lidded eyes widened, his gaze instinctively fixed on that sharp, frowning face. His lips mumbled a string of incoherent words before his legs buckled.

Will’s heartbeat thumped, buzzing all the way to his fingertips, as they slid onto a familiar, soft arm. The arm of the one person he truly feared. Hot tears filled his closed eyes.

His lips were parted and twitching as if to speak, but he was almost unconscious now. They didn’t know. They didn’t understand. He tried again, but his mouth remained frozen. And so, his last thought faded into darkness, quiet and unheard.

He’s got me again.

Chapter Text

Mike Wheeler stared straight ahead with a fixed expression, his lips pressed into a stiff line. He didn’t know what to say, especially not to Joyce Byers, who sat besides Will, shaking and worried, as she usually was. He had never been very good with words or sentiment. 

It had been a few hours since the fight with the Demogorgons at the Mac-Z. After failing to fall asleep, Mike had shuffled to the Squawk’s basement to an unconscious Will laid on the sofa, and his mother sitting besides him, checking his temperature constantly. With an awkward greeting he had pulled a chair to the other end of the sofa, slowly sitting down on it.

Joyce had said nothing either; Mike assumed she didn't even notice him there. She seemed too preoccupied with resetting the thermometer hanging from Will’s mouth again and again.

And so there he was, staring at the wall in silence. 

After about 20 minutes, Mike had grown increasingly irritated at Joyce’s hysterical behaviour.

“He’s fine. You know that, right?” Mike finally muttered, his stare drifting to look at Joyce and then at Will. His tone wasn’t exactly harsh – it was more so firm, like he was trying to convince himself of it too. It was almost protective.

“Is- is he?” Joyce replied defensively, raising her hands up. “Last time he acted like this, he was possessed.”

“It’s different this time.” Mike’s eyes lingered on Will for a moment longer. “He killed 3 Demogorgons at once. At once!” a hint of awe crept onto his mostly serious voice. “Remember how drained El is after using her powers a lot? He just needs to rest.”

“So, you think he has powers now? Like El?” Joyce asked cautiously.

“I don’t know.” Mike replied, his eyebrows raising slightly. “But we both saw it. I think… he just learnt to manage his connection with Vecna, somehow. The Demogorgons snapped in the same way Chrissy and all the others did. It was like he… borrowed Vecna’s powers, or something.” His words were slow, thought out, deliberate.

Joyce hummed, then remembered the thermometer, and quickly turned her attention to it for the 30th time that night. 99℉. Normal. She sighed, half-relieved, half-uncertain, then placed it in Will’s mouth once again.

“Why do you keep checking his temperature? I doubt the Demogorgons hurt people using fevers.” Mike mumbled with an awkward smile, trying to keep the air light. Joyce smiled back half-heartedly.

“I just… I’m worried he’ll get cold. It’s dangerous.”

“Cold?”

“Yeah, you know. Remember? ‘He likes it cold’?”

“Oh.”

“If his body temperature decreases… and he’s so weak right now…” Joyce gestured towards the unconscious Will. “Vecna might target him. Again.”

Mike nodded slowly, unsure of what to reply. But the thought of Vecna possessing Will again made his stomach churn slightly.

“I don’t know.” Joyce continued after a beat of thick silence. “I always feel like I’m going crazy.”

“You’re not.” Mike replied, his tone detached but not unkind. “I’m sure Will feels like he’s going crazy. Hell, I’m going crazy, too.”
Joyce gazed at Mike with her usual tender, motherly expression. “Well, at least you two are going crazy together, then. You two boys have always been.”

Mike glanced at Joyce and swallowed deeply. The room suddenly felt too stuffy, too hot. “Uh- yeah.”

“And I’m glad you’re getting along with him again.” she continued, looking down at her son and caressing his hair. “I always felt like I ruined your friendship by making us move away.”

You kinda did, Mike thought, but he said nothing.

More time passed, languidly, agonizingly, stretching out into the calm night. It was strange to think how frenetic their afternoon had been, compared to now. Joyce had gone to sleep. Mike sat on a random chair in the basement, looking at military maps and Crawl plans absent-mindedly. Exhaustion tugged at his bones, pulling him down like gravity, but, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to go to sleep. He preferred these quiet hours – no one annoyed him, no one expected anything of him. There was no need to be funny or tough. Mike could just let his brain dance between lazy thoughts and concepts, as if he was already sleeping. Sometimes, though, he wished sleeping would come that easy to him as it did to others. Because, as peaceful as the night was, it left him alone with only his own thoughts to turn to.

He flipped to the next page from the bunch laying on his lap. It was a military report on the first recorded experiences with the Upside Down. Prickly, rushed writing covered the page with words like ‘deadly’ and ‘toxic’. Mike almost laughed at the irony of the situation: somehow, they had survived shit that made the government tremble in their boots. A group of 16-year-old teenagers from a small town in Indiana knew more about Hell than anyone else in this world.

Especially Will.

Mike bit his lip slightly, his gaze lifting to Will’s still unconscious form. Will looked tranquil, his chest rising up and down slowly, his lips parted.

Will had seen it all. He had suffered things unimaginable to the average person. It had been harsh, but he seemed to be doing better, he seemed happier. Mike had done a lot of reflection recently, and it was only now becoming clear just how bad of a friend he had been, for years. He felt a low, grumbling shame swirling in his stomach frequently – like there were apologies stuck in his throat – but Mike was not good with words. Or sentiment. So, if the two had gotten closer recently, which they had, it was probably due to living in the same house. Mike always aimed to keep his composure aloof, though, so he doubted Will was happier because of him. A part of him hoped it was. A bigger part of him didn’t.

So what was it then? What changed that made Will’s smile a little brighter? Mike’s mind flashed with an image of Will chatting with Robin. His lips pressed together slightly.

After a long minute of winding, useless thoughts, Mike let out a deep huff and stood up, walking over to Will. Hesitantly, he slid down on the chair Joyce sat on earlier. His stare was fixed on the boy, his eyes narrowed.

I should probably thank him for saving my life when he wakes up, he thought to himself.

Mike glanced at his watch. It had been a long while since Will had fallen unconscious. If Joyce was awake, she’d probably be screaming in panic. And, to be completely honest, Mike was beginning to worry a little himself.

His mind rolled back to that afternoon, to the moments just before Will had buckled to the ground. It was so loud everywhere, and scorching hot, too. Mike remembered Joyce and him kneeling in front of Will, their hands rapidly searching for wounds. Will had looked like a total badass killing the Demogorgons – but after it, there was a tiredness in his expression that struck Mike. It was hazy, drifting, as if someone had clicked on a ‘power off’ button. It was as if Will was a puppet thrown to the ground when unneeded. And his lips, too; they were trying to form words. Will was trying to tell them something. Joyce’s panicked words from earlier rang in Mike’s head, and the familiar guilt began to claw inside his chest. Vecna might target him again.

He quickly grabbed the thermometer from the nearby tea table and gave it a gentle shake. Now, Mike looked at Will once again, falteringly bringing the thermometer between the corner of Will’s lips. Then, he instantly pulled back.

Mike distracted himself from the pooling guilt in his chest by thinking about the rest of the group. He had spoken to them earlier; they had all met up at the Squawk, reassuring each  other that they were alive. Lucas and Robin were speechless when they learnt it was Will who had saved them all. Simultaneously.

“Dude! That’s amazing!” Lucas laughed, shocked.

“Who knew Will could be so badass?!” Robin exclaimed heartily. It had made Mike’s lips press together firmly. 

He couldn’t place his finger on it, but there was something about Robin that Mike deeply disliked. Or resented. Maybe both. He didn’t even know that much about her, apart from the fact that her spirited and spunky nature irritated him. She was always peeking, always listening – besides Will, mostly – always just… there.

Mike suddenly snapped out of it, shaking his head dismissively. He really had to get his shit together. He wasn’t a child anymore; he had no reason to act this defensive. And yet, he did.

Slowly, Mike reached out and removed the thermometer from Will’s mouth. He brought it up to a nearby lamp to see the figures better. Then his stomach dropped.

96℉.

Chapter Text

When Will awakened, the first thing he noticed was the cold gripping at his limbs. It wasn’t just the usual November chill; it gave him the same strange sensation as years before, when he sat at his desk, maniacally scribbling endless blue drawings that formed into vines. It was an isolating kind of cold.
He felt like throwing up.

With a small groan, Will sat himself up from the stiff sofa, looking around the Squawk’s basement groggily. It was quiet except for some low buzzing from radio equipment attached to the walls. He blinked rapidly, trying to guess what time it was. Why did he feel jetlagged?

Will’s eyes landed on a slouching form on the chair near the desk. Those dark curls could be recognized from miles away; it was Mike, his head resting rather uncomfortably on his arms, his legs stretched out in front of him. Military maps were sprawled messily on the desk, and the lamp was still on, flickering every once in a while. It made Will shiver.

“Mike?” Will asked gingerly. His throat felt a little like sandpaper.

No response. Mike seemed to be asleep.

Will slowly got up, stretching his aching body. He felt a strange sense of resolution; as if something was finished, as if something had been accomplished. His mind was calm and controlled, like he was on auto-pilot.

He walked over to the sleeping Mike. Unsure of why, Will stopped in his tracks, staring him down. A long moment passed, the only audible sound being both of their slow breathing. Then he grabbed the military plans and turned to look at them instead.

For a moment, he felt his consciousness slipping again. Will was wide awake, but it didn’t feel like it was exactly him who stared at the papers in his hands, memorizing every cargo drop the military had performed, every entry to the Upside Down. His eyes roamed down the words almost obsessively. Then he snapped out of it, and a slow dread whirled in his head. He recognized this feeling. He knew it too well; the sensation of being a puppet. A vessel.

His hands dropped the papers.

The sound woke Mike up in a blur. He seemed a little startled at Will standing just a few feet away.

“Jesus, Will.” Mike mumbled, glancing at Will’s face and then down to the papers. His expression became perplexed. “What…?”

“Oh, sorry.” Will stepped back awkwardly, picking up the papers.

Mike rubbed his eyes and fixed them on Will. “How are you feeling? You were knocked out cold for, like, 8 hours.” A subtle smile formed on his lips as he spoke. “Dude, do you even know what you did? You got powers! I told you, you’re like a sorcerer! You saved my ass, and Robin and Lucas, too!”

Will seemed out of it. He nodded absent-mindedly, his hand slowly reaching up to his neck. “Uh…yeah…?”

“You seriously reminded me of El!” Mike continued.

“Well, okay.” Will finally met Mike’s eyes with a shy smile. “That’s an exaggeration.”

“No, no, I’m serious.”

“I don’t even know how I did it, alright? It was probably a one-time thing.”

“Look, whatever you did, you did it right.” Mike’s unreserved tone finally dialed down as he tried to regain his aloof composure. “We survived the day. That’s all that matters.”

Will nodded, leaving the papers on the desk. “What time is it?”

Mike checked his watch, and his eyes widened. “...4am.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Will sighed, walking back to the sofa and flopping down on it. “I don’t know, Mike. I don’t feel good after killing those Demogorgons.”

“Well, I wouldn’t feel great either.” Mike shrugged.

“No, like, something feels really… off.” Will looked up with a firmly fearful expression.

“You mean, like, at the arcade? When we were kids?” Mike’s voice was laced with uneasiness now.

“...Yeah. Kinda.”

“Shit, Will.” Mike swallowed anxiously. “Your mom…she…”

Panic sprouted in Will’s chest. “What? What happened to my mom?”

“No, no, she’s fine.” Mike corrected himself. “She was just- really worried. That maybe… Vecna had gotten into your mind somehow.”

Will let out a sigh, both relieved and exasperated. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Mike stared at Will. “We won’t let him do that again. Okay?”

Will suddenly felt like a little kid again. He immediately noticed the achingly familiar softness in Mike’s tone, the one that had seemed to deteriorate over the years. Before Vecna, before El, before everything had gone to shit. It was a tone that Mike seemed to reserve for him and him alone. And it was haunting. Why was Mike suddenly being so soft with him? What had changed since Mike visited California and couldn’t even hug him? Was it pity?

Definitely, Will hated being pitied. Ever since he became Zombie Boy, teachers and parents talked to him slower, quieter, as if he had a hard time understanding their words. It wouldn’t have been so hard to reintegrate into society if he hadn’t been treated like an endangered animal. Then again, he had never been truly integrated in society, had he? People like him never are.

His thoughts were cut off by Mike standing up and handing him the thermometer. “Here, take your temperature.” Mike said, his words rushed. “I need to see if you’re still cold.”

Will obeyed silently. As he took the thermometer, he felt their fingers graze slightly. Mike quickly pulled his hand back and turned the other way, seemingly shifting his attention to something else. A quiet shame pooled low in Will’s gut. Of course. 

As if to rub salt on the wound, Mike then began to ramble about where El could be and if she was okay. His voice was blurring in Will’s mind now. Tiredness was taking over again. Will laid down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, feeling the same kind of calm resolution as earlier, as well as the cold seeping in through his fingers and feet.

“Are you going back to sleep after this?” Mike finally noticed. “I’m pretty tired too.”

Will nodded gently as he put the thermometer under his tongue. Soft, involuntary shivers let his body every once in a while. Why was it so damn cold in here?

They shared a few minutes of silence. There was a certain tension in the air, one that neither of them could describe. It was full of unspoken apologies and invisible glances, those that were stolen, that felt wrong somehow. The two were on better terms now, it was visible: but neither of them ever addressed it. Not properly. There had been a few quiet conversations here and there in Mike’s basement, where Will slept, with hesitant “I missed us hanging out”s. But there was still this kind of… heat between them. Will wondered if he was just imagining it. He was just happy to have this best friend back after all, even if it frightened him.

Will finally removed the thermometer from his mouth and looked at it closely.

“96℉,” he muttered, surprisingly neutral.
Mike nodded, swallowing. “Still cold.” He grabbed a blanket from nearby and gently threw it over to Will. “Here, if you’re gonna go to sleep, warm up.”

“Thanks.” Will accepted the blanket gratefully, swaying it up and over his body, then curling into himself like a cat. Quickly, he glanced up at Mike. “What about you, though?”

“Oh, I-” Mike shrugged, a little too casually. “I’m not tired.”

“You just said a minute ago that you were.”

“...Huh.” Mike replied awkwardly, as if Will had made an astute observation.

Will let out a light sigh. “I’m just saying, I’m sure we have some long days ahead of us.”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

“So… are you going to sleep then?”
“Well,” Mike cleared his voice. “Uh- my house is kind of destroyed because of a Demogorgon right now, and both my parents are in hospital, so I can’t really go back home, y’know-” he had a tendency to ramble mindlessly. He stopped himself, gazing at the sofa. “I mean- I could, like, would you mind- scooching over? And we share the sofa?”

Will was slightly caught off guard by his request, yet moved over to leave Mike space. Mike Wheeler was okay with laying besides a queer? Who would’ve known? Will thought to himself, the brash words forming in his mind before he could suppress them. I really have to stop being this self-pitying.

Silence. Now silence filled the room as the two boys lay on the edges of the sofa, discreetly moving as far away from each other as possible. Will was now half-sat up instead of laying down, his head leaning up on the sofa’s backrest. They said nothing.

Will thought about what tomorrow was going to be like. He’d talk to his friends and his mom, reject their compliments and concern shyly, or refuse to talk about how he was doing, as he always did. They really had to get in contact with Hopper and El– what were they even doing?

He noticed something off again. The thoughts of El and Hopper suddenly became more robotic, as if someone was watching through his eyes, memorizing their surroundings and their appearance. His breathing picked up, his closed eyes moving behind his eyelids. Stop, he told himself, but his own head voice felt like it was distant. Goddamnit! Stop! 

A warm hand brushed his shoulder. Will shot up, letting out small gasps, finally feeling like he was in control of his mind again. Temporarily.

“What’s wrong?” Mike asked sleepily, with the same stupid soft tone.

Their eyes locked for a moment before Will rubbed his face, exasperated. “My mom was right.” He was trying to keep the panic out of his voice, but his words were coming out strained and high-pitched. “I feel him watching. It’s not safe… not anymore. He’s got me.”

He turned to look at Mike, wide-eyed. Mike’s face was one of equal terror. 

“Fuck.”

Chapter Text

The new day drifted in slowly, after a few hours of short, anxious sleep. With it came the promise of danger and change. There was a lot to do: get in contact with El and Hopper, save Holly and the kids, and plan their next steps to defeating Vecna once and for all.

Mike stirred awake from his last glimpse of rest, slightly sweating and shuddering. Nightmares had invaded every corner of his mind since yesterday. He felt that control was slipping from his hands.

And he hated that. He hated that. Mike was brave, a hero, a saviour, a Paladin. He liked protecting and defending his loved ones. He needed to be needed.

But there was no time to wallow in anxiety now. He rubbed his eyes, looking around, then checked his watch: 6am. Maybe… 3 hours of sleep total? Could be worse.

Only then did he realize how close he was to Will. Their sides were touching, Will’s blanket was basically shared, as well as their body heat.

“Shit,” Mike breathed, instantly moving away. He felt warmth trickling to his cheeks. Mike decided to sit as far away as possible. He settled at the edge of the sofa, elbows on his knees, twirling his thumbs together and contemplating the day the group had ahead of them.

His mind switched to flashbacks of all the kids. They were all in the Upside Down now – unless Vecna had killed them already. Just the thought of it made Mike’s stomach churn with panic. He took a mental note to ask Lucas how he was doing, knowing Lucas was probably suffering with the same guilt at their failure to save the kids.

As if on cue, quiet footsteps sounded across the basement as Lucas entered. Mike glanced at him with a wry smile. Speak of the devil. “Hey.” he muttered.

“I can’t FUCKING sleep-!” Lucas exclaimed, his voice tinged with irritation and tiredness, which was promptly cut off by Mike’s glare and head nod to a sleeping Will. “Oh. Sorry.” Lucas whispered, with a slightly questioning look.

Mike stood up and walked over to him. “Any updates since yesterday?”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah. We managed to talk to Hopper and El.”

Mike’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “Really?! When?”

“Yesterday, late at night. It was a short conversation because the static was horrible, but yeah. They’re fine. And they found another lab kid.”

Okay, now Mike’s eyes were really gonna pop out of his head. “What the fuck do you mean, another lab kid?”

Lucas shrugged defensively. “Dude, I don’t even know. Apparently the Brenner guy was training a damn army of psychic kids. Anyway, they found a girl called Kali with a tattoo of the number 8. She was tied up to a bunch of tubes, at the military base.”

Mike took a moment to process this all. “And El?”

“She’s fine.”

“Fine? That’s it?”
“What do you want me to say?” Lucas whispered harshly, trying not to wake Will up.

“I don’t know- where is she? Is she hurt? When are we meeting up with her?!” Mike replied with an equal whisper.

“I told you, we didn’t talk much, we couldn’t. The signal was really weak.”

Mike let out another annoyed huff, which Lucas glared at him for. “Chill, loverboy. You’ll get to see her soon.”

The nickname made Mike freeze. He wasn’t a loverboy, that was for damn sure.  “Don’t call me that.”

“But you are,” Lucas cooed mockingly, shooting a brief glance at Will. “How come I haven’t seen y’all two make out?”

Mike followed Lucas’ trail of sight back at Will as he said this. His heart skipped a beat.

“Wh-what?” Mike asked, slightly wide-eyed.

Momentary silence.

Lucas raised an eyebrow at him, now equally as confused.

“El and you?” Lucas rectified, his eyebrow still raised.

“Oh.” Mike mumbled. “Oh- yeah, um- I don’t know, we just really haven’t… we aren’t…” his voice trailed off.

The sound of quiet clanking on the metal stairs made both boys whip their heads around.

“Good morrow.” Robin greeted them awkwardly. “Worst night of my damn life.”

Mike’s lips instinctively pressed together, and he said nothing in reply. Thankfully, Lucas did. “Mornin’.”

Robin shuffled through the basement and flopped down on the sofa, next to a curled-up Will. “How is he doing? Did he not wake up yet?”
Mike was going to reply that yes, Will had in fact woken up, but something about mentioning their 4am conversation last night felt almost shameful. So he just shrugged, his expression maintaining its rigidness. He decided to switch topics. “Dude, where did you all even sleep?”

“Where did you? I had to ask Will’s mom to find out you slept down here.” Lucas replied casually, shooting another brief glance at Will.

“We slept, just… around. Cars. Sofas upstairs. Hopper and El told me they found a safe building to rest in, too.” Robin added. “I think they said… a church?”

“Uh-huh,” Mike nodded, processing. “So, are we going to go there?”

“To the Upside Down?” Robin let out a small, sarcastic scoff. “What, is this a suicide mission?”

Mike rolled his eyes, his pressed lips becoming even more stiff. “Jesus, you’re annoying.” he mumbled under his breath.

“Okay- what is your problem?!” Robin shot back, her voice rising defensively.

There was a sound of soft stirring. The group looked behind them as Will awoke. Mike gave Robin a steely look. “Now look at what you did.” he hissed, which earned an expression on Robin’s face that Mike couldn’t quite distinguish. It looked watchful, skeptical. Understanding, somehow? The cogs working in her mind could almost be heard. Mike cleared his throat and looked away, feeling uncomfortable at her stare.

Will sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. “Uh- hi, guys.” his voice was raspy with sleep. Without a word, Lucas strode across the basement and wrapped his arms around Will, who was caught off-guard, yet returned the hug. “Uhm, are you okay, Lucas?”

“Thank you, man.” Lucas simply said, his voice muffled by Will’s shoulder.

“Huh?”

Lucas finally broke the hug. “What do you mean, huh? You saved my life!”

Will broke into a bashful smile. “Well, I…”
“How did you even do it?! You weren’t with me in the tunnels!”

There was a beat of unexpected silence. Mike looked up from his absent-minded stare at the ground, confused at why Will had gone quiet. 

“Where?” Will then asked, dryly. Lucas frowned, confused.

“In the tunnels? Remember, I was getting the kids-”

“Getting the kids from where?” there was something deeply unsettling about Will’s voice. A knot formed in Mike’s stomach as he witnessed the interaction. Then something clicked in his brain.

Vecna.

Mike rapidly reached out and pulled Lucas backward. “Don’t tell him.” he hissed. Robin and Lucas exchanged a dumbfounded glance.

“Wha-”

“Lucas, speak.” Will spoke up again, his tone cold and firm. “Where were you getting the kids from? Who had them?”

“Don’t.” Mike repeated.

“SPEAK!” Will yelled, making the rest of the group jump back slightly.

Mike’s head began to buzz with panic. He stepped forward, breathing in shakily. “Will-”
“WHO HAD THE KIDS, LUCAS?” Will yelled again, standing up.

Robin stepped back from the scene. “What the hell is going on?!”

Will then raised his arm up, and Robin was abruptly swung backward. She swept through the air and hit the wall, letting out a weak yelp of pain. 

Mike’s jaw dropped. Oh God. Cautiously, he stepped closer to Will and threw his hands onto Will’s shoulders, giving him a small shake.

At that, Will froze in his tracks before promptly gasping and buckling to the floor.

For a long moment, the group just stared at Will, shocked and frightened into silence. The only noise in the room was Will heaving. Robin eventually stood up, swaying from side to side and hissing in pain. “Jesus…!”

Mike dropped to his knees and placed a comforting touch on Will’s back. “Will?”

They locked eyes and Mike could feel his warm, sharp breaths on his face.

“I-” Will gasped, stuttering over his words, sweating. “I’m- so sorry-”

Robin and Lucas also crouched down now, hesitantly.

“Woah.” Lucas simply breathed. “Mike, can you explain to me what the fuck just happened there?”

Mike turned to look at Lucas, speaking slowly and clearly. “Okay. Do you remember when the Mind Flayer possessed Will?”

Lucas’ eyes widened “...Yes?”

“It’s happened again.”

“What?”

“It happened again,” Mike repeated, pausing between every word. “I think- when Will used his powers, he… opened his mind up to Vecna completely. It’s like Vecna’s using his body.”

Will turned to Robin, his mouth twitching as he noticed her in pain. He stepped up and shoved Mike’s hand away. It was a little too quick.

“Robin, I’m sorry…” Will mumbled. His voice broke in the process. His gaze lowered to Robin’s arm which was trembling and pale with blunt force trauma. Robin shook her head softly, her eyes still wide, as if saying it’s okay.

Mike wouldn’t ever admit it, but selfish, frustrated thoughts bubbled in his subconscious the instant Will got up. He was starting to suspect something, and he didn’t know exactly why, but the idea of it made him feel nauseous. Nauseous and cruel.

Chapter Text

The group shuffled out of the Squawk, all equally as tired and sluggish. Soft sunlight painted the outside, glimmering over the streets, the sky a pleasant icy blue. Winter was approaching, it seemed. Soon it would be December.

Robin and Will walked alongside and chatted quietly. Will had apologized about 30 times to her, yet it still made him sick every time he glanced down and now saw a compression bandage on her arm. It was uncertain whether she had sprained it, broken it, or what. But Will could see the silent twitches on Robin’s face every few minutes. He had hurt her.

“I mean- yeah, it hurts like a bitch, but- uhm- I mean, seeing you use your powers was pretty cool.” Robin tried to reassure him. 

Will looked at her with a remorseful smile.

“Anyway, we have too much to focus on. We can’t stop by the hospital, right?” Robin continued. Then she gasped. “Oh, no, no, NO!”

“What?!”

“I forgot to tell Vickie... last night- I had a date with her at Enzo’s…” Robin rubbed her face, letting out a deep groan.

“Well, I’m sure she’ll understand-”
“No, I can’t tell her everything that’s going on. She isn’t supposed to know. Oh God, she’s gonna absolutely hate me…”

“Hey.” Will turned into the reassuring one now. “You’ll work it out. Don’t worry. Either way, Lucas will want to visit Max soon, and Mike needs to check on his parents. So yes, we will go to the hospital, actually..”

Will almost wanted to laugh. He was performing the role – the role of therapist, of relationship counselor. He had done it for Mike countless times. With a rueful scoff, Will reminisced when the two had sat in the van and Will had spilt his heart out to Mike. It had been so stupid. So, so stupid.

“El needs you, Mike. And she always will.”

And for what? Mike had said ‘I love you’ to El that same day, he had said the three damned words that Will would kill for. There was nothing to do, nothing to hope for. Mike loved Eleven, and Eleven loved him back. 

He was only loved when needed.

As if to confirm his worries, Mike’s voice broke his thoughts off. “Can you two stop kissing back there? We’re going to the Upside Down soon!” Mike called out from ahead. His tone was surprisingly cold, making him flinch; it reminded Will of their argument at Rink-o-Mania.

Robin rolled her eyes and turned to Will. “Seriously, Will? Out of everyone in the world, you choose him?”

Will blushed slightly, shrugging. Tell me about it.

“Oh, calm down, Micheal!” Robin yelped back, sarcasm bleeding into her voice. They caught up to the rest. “Did we not say that going to the Upside Down was, like, a total kamikaze moment?”

“The others are there and they need us! And Holly! And the other kids too!” Mike continued rambling on, stubborn as ever. For the first time ever, Will's stomach twisted with irritation rather than endearment.

“Chill.” Will mumbled under his breath. Mike turned to him. They locked eyes. Something told Will that this wasn't a good path to take.

“Can we please just get on with it?” Lucas spoke up, irritated. He turned on his walkie, adjusting it. “Joyce? Can you hear us?”

There was static on the other line for a moment. “Yes, yes, I’m here.”

“Good.” Lucas looked at the group again with a questioning glance. They nodded back. Robin let out a deep sigh, but said nothing.

The group finally reached the Mac-Z. Soldiers loitered the area. There was less than before; many had been killed in yesterday's battle, and an eerie silence had spread through Hawkins.

“Okay,” Mike muttered as they hid behind a nearby building. “Do we all remember our parts? Lucas, up to your usual crawl position. Robin, distract the soldiers. Will, stay near me as we sneak in. And we stay in contact at all times. Yeah?”

“Yessir.” Robin replied quietly, stare fixed on the Mac-Z as she took the last sip of her Coca-Cola and crushed it with her unharmed arm. 

With hesitation, the group split up. Robin walked into the entrance of the Mac-Z, swaying lightly, her expression morphing into one of pure delight.

She reached a tall, masked man, who immediately stopped her. “Well, hello… soldier.” Robin began, giggling slowly. “You know where- where the liquor is?”
The man frowned at her. “Miss, step back, this is a military zone.”

Robin took another uncertain step forward. “But I want the liquooor!”

“Miss-!”

Will watched from afar as Robin pretended to be drunk. It was a risky game, but she seemed to be doing just fine.

“Alright.” Mike spoke up as they took their positions from behind an entry wall. “Stay close, okay?” his tone was softer now they were alone. Will simply nodded.

As Robin continued to fuddle against the soldier, the two boys made their way into the zone. Will held onto Mike’s clothes, letting him take the lead. As it had always been.

Just as they successfully stepped foot in the zone, Mike slipped and fell, which made another soldier spot them. “Fuck!”

Will’s heart lurched in his chest. He grabbed Mike and pulled him upwards. “Run-”

Mike did not need to be told twice. While the yelling voice of soldiers and bullets whizzed around them, the two sprinted towards the open gate.

It was there. It was right there.

All of a sudden, Will watched as they were both tackled by various soldiers. Time seemed to slow down; he felt the blood in his head flush in, buzzing, icy hot. He could stop this. He knew it now. With one swift motion, he pulled out his arms, and the soldiers flew back, spreading across the bloodied floor, letting out growls of pain. Red began to trickle down his nose. 

“Will!” Mike yelped, watching with an astonished expression. He grabbed Will’s arm and dragged him towards the gate.

But Will could feel the familiar slip of conscience circling back, and he couldn’t tell whether it was by exhaustion or by possession. As if it was the easiest thing to do, he shoved Mike’s hand away. And once again, he couldn’t identify whether that was Vecna or himself acting, and it terrified him.

Mike turned to him with a perplexed and hurt expression, his eyebrows drawn upwards.

Will stood up, wiping his nose. His legs trembled.

Mike’s eyes hardened with determination and he grasped onto him again, the gate just a few steps away. A minute of pushing finally threw them over into the Upside Down. 

When Will finally looked up from his position on the ground, he saw Mike staring at the sky, his eyes wide.

Striking, dark thunder ran across the sky, painting streaks of red and blue. There was a distant storm booming to their left. The air was bitter and frigid. Particles of unknown matter floated around with a pungent odor, burning at their nostrils, almost acidic.

Right. Mike had never been here before.

Their walkie began to screech with static, before Lucas’ voice rang through: “Mike? Will? Hello?”

Slowly, Mike reached for it and brought it to his mouth, his eyes still fixed on the blue and red sky. “...Yes, yes, we’re here. We made it. Over.”

“Oh!” Lucas exclaimed. “Thank GOD! I saw how Will used his powers on the soldiers, holy shit, it was awesome. What now? Over.”

Will’s neck had begun to form goosebumps the instant he had stepped into the Upside Down. His vision was almost futile, considering that all he could see were visions of demogorgons and flashbacks of his childhood. He reached out – his hand grasped Mike’s arm almost on instinct. 

They locked eyes, both equally as terrified. Mike nodded, trying to be reassuring, trying to be brave. “Come on. We got this.”

The instant that Mike grabbed his walkie-talkie to reply to Lucas, a low, animalistic growl made the two boys freeze in their place.

Will’s blood chilled even further. He knew that sound.

He slowly turned around to see a Demogorgon in the distance. He reached out, expecting the usual surge. Nothing came. He was too tired.

“No,” Will breathed. The Demogorgon began to crawl forwards, faster, faster, faster with every moment, approaching, taunting.

He felt like he was going to pass out. While time blurred through into a haze, he felt himself being pulled across, his legs following shakingly, and then shoved into a nearby building. 

Then, silence.

Will finally opened his eyes to find a horrified Mike staring back. Their faces were too close – close enough for Will to feel Mike’s breath hit his cheek, uneven and warm. 

Another growl rolled from afar. Will pressed his palm against Mike’s mouth, smothering his words before they could escape. His other hand lifted in silent warning. Quiet.

When they locked gazes once again, something twisted low in Will's chest. Mike’s face was flushed, pupils dilated, body rigid and trembling. Heat bled between them in the cramped space, inescapable.

Inches away… just inches away… he could grab him and…

Click.

The thought cut off mid-breath.

Will’s gaze turned steel cold. The boy he feared the most was suddenly the one he aimed to destroy. Uncontrolled, slowly, he watched as a hand slid from Mike’s lips, to his jaw, down his neck. The skin was warm. Alive. The fingers began to tighten.

Chapter Text

“Mike? Mike, do you copy?”

The walkie, now dropped onto the ground, rang out Lucas’ voice, echoing faintly in the atmosphere of the Upside Down. A few pieces had flung around on the floor, leaving the noise even more staticky than before, broken.

But Mike did not, could not, pick it up.

His fingers reached down faintly. Short, strained gasps left his body. His other hand clawed at Will’s arm. “W-Will… please…” he whispered shakingly.

Will’s eyes were white. “He can’t save you, Michael. Not like last time.”

Mike’s eyes widened. Was this it? Had Vecna possessed Will completely?
“Vecna,” Mike wheezed, fighting the buzz in his head caused by lack of oxygen. “Why?”

Will’s lips slowly curved into a calm, cruel smile. “Why…” he leaned in. Mike could feel their breaths mingle together.

“Y-yes- why?”

“Because I have a world ahead of me to reshape. I am going to make it better. I am going to make it beautiful.” The icy cold fingers tightened around his throat even tighter, causing a light-headed, breathless whimper to leave Mike’s lips. “You’re naïve, Michael. Very naïve. You can’t save the world, you can’t save people, not even Will."
“Don’t- hu-hurt Will–” 

“Hm?”

Mike’s eyes filled with hot tears, his face flushed red from being choked. His legs kicked below him. “Ple-ase- not- him-”

“Mike, what’s going on?” Lucas’ voice sounded through the broken walkie again, which Will– or better said, Vecna– promptly exploded with a glare.

Mike’s vision began to blur. His legs began to weaken their kicks, his words turned into useless twitches and gasps.
“I won’t kill Will,” Vecna hissed. “But I can’t promise he won’t do it himself.” 

Just as Mike’s eyes slid to the back of his head and fluttered shut, Vecna let him go. The limp body fell to the ground with an echoed thud.

Mike’s vision was a blur of faint colors and shapes, his chest jerking with the attempt to get in air. He couldn’t feel his limbs. There was no doubt that he was going to pass out. Just before the world went black, Mike could see as Will’s figure began to shake and yell. Clearly Will was regaining control of his body, though they both knew it was temporary. Will was dangerous now. Deadly.

Dizziness took over. From somewhere distant, muddled with thunder vibrating in the ground, Mike could hear Will’s breaking voice:

“Mike… no, no, no, Mike… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

When he awoke again, his head felt like it was going to pop. 

It was mostly dark. There was a flickering flashlight somewhere to his left, illuminating the particles floating in the air. Beneath him it was soft, but insanely cold, and even in the darkness Mike immediately recognized it as his house’s basement.

He tried to speak out, but his throat was piercingly sore and tasted to metal.

“Mike.” a gentle and raspy voice whispered near him, and as Mike blinked a few times, Will’s face came into vision. 

He stared at the boy, who had obviously been crying for a while. Will put his hands in his face and broke down.

“Jesus, Mike, thank God you’re awake. I’m so, so sorry, I really hate this, I hate this, so fucking much- I really can’t control it-” Will began to ramble through his tears, not even daring to look at him. Mike softly reached up and brushed Will’s arm, to which Will jerked back, terrified.

“Don’t- don’t touch me,” Will whispered. “I’ll hurt you again.”

Instantly Mike shook his head in response, reaching out again. They were both shaking as their hands touched. This time, neither of them moved back.

Mike looked around. The broken walkie had taken away their form of communication; what now? They had to reach Nancy and the others, not to mention Holly, and El, and everyone else. His heart rate picked up, hammering against his chest and ears.

He tried to speak again with a pained breath. 

“I know.” Will cut him off with a nod. “We’re fucked. I have no idea what comes next.”

Mike groaned in reply. He tried to sit up, his eyes finally adjusting to the blue-tinted darkness again. His hand still didn’t leave Will’s.

“I just– I feel more powerless each time.” Will glanced at their hands, remembering how he had choked Mike. “It’s getting harder to regain consciousness each time. I’m scared. I’m scared I’ll hurt you, and he's going to win.”

Mike again shook his head gently. His gaze traced Will’s face. The beauty mark he knew since they were kids was still there. The green eyes that Mike knew had darkened into tired, black ones. He remembered how, as a kid, he would sit and stare into those eyes, then attempt to doodle them, knowing that art was always going to be Will’s thing. He also knew those trembling lips. In fact, he knew them too well – shameful memories floated in Mike’s mind, of a younger him in bed, his own mouth parted as he fantasized of kissing Will. He had suppressed those thoughts since he could remember; it was a side of him that no one, absolutely no one, was allowed to ever see, kicked and pushed down until only his subconscious bled with secret longing. It was wrong. He was supposed to feel this feverish over El.

But now, as the shadows casted sharp contours over Will’s face, Mike couldn’t help himself. The flashlight highlighted Will’s skin warmly. He would beat himself up over this later. For now, he stared.

Instinctively, he leaned in, his eyes still fixed downwards. There was a force like gravity pulling him closer.

“Don’t do this,” Will breathed, sniffling.

Mike attempted to talk once again, and his voice came out croaky. “Don’t do what?”
“Send me these signals,” their eyes locked. “I don’t want us to hurt each other again.”

Electricity struck through Mike’s body, reaching from his stomach and through his sore throat. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“I did. I almost killed you.”

“That wasn’t you. That was Vecna, Will. We both know you’d never hurt me.”
“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“How?”

Mike swallowed, noticing the pain in his neck flare up again. His mind swirled with memories – specifically, images of his breakup with El. Nobody knew what had happened. It had happened more than a year ago, shortly after the Byers moved in with the Wheelers, outside with the sunset glinting on both of their faces.

“I never thanked you for the painting. It was really nice.” Mike began, smiling sheepishly. 

“Painting?” El frowned at him, confused. “What painting?”

He frowned back. “What do you mean, what painting? The one Will commissioned for you, with the dragon and all.”

“I didn’t ask Will for a painting.”

Mike’s head tilted, perplexed. “But- he said- he told me, in the van, when we were coming to get you- he told me that I was the heart, that you asked him to draw that.”

“No.”

Silence enveloped them for a long minute, and there was something mutual between the two. Something about Eleven’s tone was resolute, accepting. But Mike was too scared to say anything.

“We shouldn’t be together.” El had then suddenly mumbled, her eyes on the sunset.

“W-what? What are you talking about?”

El turned to lay a gentle hand on Mike’s face. “I love you, Mike.” she muttered. “...But you’re not mine.”

Mike stared back, wide-eyed, letting out a nervous laugh. “I-I don’t understand.”

“Do you think I am stupid? I’ve seen the way you act with me. We’re not meant for each other.” El’s lips formed into a rueful smile, her hand dropping back to her side. “Please, tell me you understand.”

He had not understood. Not until now.

Now, Mike smiled sadly at Will. “How? How can I know?” He almost laughed. “Will, I know Eleven didn’t commission the painting.”

Will’s eyes grew as big as saucepans. “What?”

“I asked her about it. We talked it out. Why didn’t you just tell me that you made it for me?”

Briskly, Will stood up, creating distance between them. “Can we not talk about this right now?”

“No. I want to talk about it.”

“Well, I don’t.” Will stepped back again, wiping his dampened cheeks.

“I don’t get it.” Mike cleared his rough voice. “I hope you didn’t feel like you had to lie.”

“Just stop.” There was a certain coldness in his tone.

“Jesus, Will, can we just talk this out? As a team?”

But Will had already stopped listening, and was not going to budge. He picked up the walkie, and began to work on it in the dark, trying desperately to fix it. They couldn’t know what was going on now and neither did the rest of the group. For once, Mike wished he had adopted Joyce’s overly worried attitude, and avoided Will from going back into the Upside Down. And Robin, too – he hated, hated to admit it – but she was right. This had been a fatal mistake. It was only going to be so long before a Demogorgon found them, or before Vecna took control of Will again and choked Mike to death. The thought of Vecna having Will made panic shoot fresh and bright through Mike’s chest.

But his thoughts were cut short but Will shoving the broken walkie in his bag. He looked at Mike with a hardened expression, something that unsettled him deeply.

“We can’t stay here forever. You stay back here. Rest. I’ll leave and try to get to the others.”

Hell no. “Absolutely not. We’re not separating. We need to stick together-”

“Stay. Back.” Will yelled, as his voice began to break deep into Vecna’s again.

Chapter Text

ok so.
volume two came out.
lemme say that was the most lukewarm shit i have ever seen.

too many characters, incoherent, clunky, and hard to keep up with. we bylers were fed a nothingburger but so were milevens. AND JANCY? how bad does the writing have to be for nobody to understand that was a break up scene and not a confession scene?? i rly thought my babies were endgame💔!
there are many other problems but it's too many to address. here's my point. i want yall to please let me know what you think and if i should do this.

volume 1 was yummy for byler but still had plot issues etc. in general s5 is a bit of a mess. so.......
how about, i write an ao3 work that is a whole re-written season 5?:
- prioritising the core group
- pre-lobotomy Mike Wheeler
- no 12 kids subplot
- keeping the Upside down to be a gorgeous horror sci-fi concept from season 1: an evil alternate dimension. instead of an incomprehensible wormhole thing. (i fear they lost the plot after s3/4)
- etc etc

PLEASE tell me if yall would like to see this because, not to be cocky, but i feel like i could make it work better than how s5 is turning out.