Chapter Text
“I just – I just – I – I don’t like girls.” There’s a short, awkward pause that makes Will fumble and spit out more words. Spiraling. “I mean, I do. Just – Just not like you guys do.” His teary gaze jumps from Mike to Lucas to Dustin until he tilts his head to the ground.
His confession lingers in the room and suddenly the air around Mike feels like he’s breathing in sticky syrup. He bites down on his teeth but ultimately remembers that the words Will's mouth produces must make him feel more vulnerable than anything he has ever said before, so he tries to smile. It comes out awkward and must not look very Mike, so he stops showing any emotion at all.
When Will looks up again, he finds Mikes gaze already on him. Something clicks in his eyes, and he doesn’t look away. “And I had this crush on someone even though I know they’re not like me. But then I realized he’s just my Tammy, and by Tammy, I mean it was never about him. It was about me.” His eyes drift away from Mike to someone else further away. Maybe Johnathan. Maybe Robin, who he somehow spent so much time with these past few weeks. Mike had jumped to the conclusion that Will might have liked Robin more than just a friend but it seems this theory just jumped out the window. Mike cannot even start to understand what the boy said because Will doesn’t stop talking even though tears start running down his face again and his voice is shaking like it’s about to break.
“And I thought I was finally okay with myself. But then Vecna showed me what would happen if I did this, if I told you guys the truth.” His body is shaking now, and his breath sounds like air isn’t reaching his lungs properly. Mike is still trying to understand what he said last. He has a feeling that he knows, really knows what his confession meant but it would take some time to really sink in. It sank in enough to make his body freeze, especially his legs, otherwise he already would’ve jumped up to hug his desperately crying friend.
“He showed me a future and in this future, some of you are just worried for me, worried that – that things will be harder for me, and it just makes me feel like something’s wrong with me. So I push you away and for the rest of us, we just drift apart more and more and more and more and more until I’m alone and I know none of that has happened and Vecna can’t see the future but he can see into our minds and he knows things and it just felt so real. It felt so real.”
He breaks down, cries escaping his mouth and Mike feels like someone just ripped the world from under his feet and let him slam unto the ground. He could even feel his shoulder and hip hurt from the imaginary fall. The wind is knocked out from his lungs and he needs a few seconds until he can breathe and pay attention again. He didn’t catch what Joyce said to Will but his cries intensified as he pressed out multiple okays.
“And you’ll never loose me.” Jonathan's comment makes Mike's head snap to his left were Wills brother sits, tears streaming down his face but also smiling reassuringly at his little brother still sobbing to Mike's right. Jonathan stands up and before he even reaches Will halfway, the smaller boy slings himself into his arms and hugs him like the world is ending. For the record, the world didn’t end at all with Will's confession but Mike still feels like his entire world shifted. Like the wormhole - the bridge - has already collapsed and created an entirely new dimension around him that he couldn’t quite get ahold on yet.
“Or me.” Lucas jumps up and slings his arms around the brothers. “Or me.” Dustin agrees, also joining in. Mike's mouth works without his knowledge and so do his legs. “Or me.” He is not even reaching Will with his arms because there are so many people crouched into the hug but he shows his support by slinging his arms around his friends. He can feel tears bubbling up from inside, but he can swallow most of them with a big gulp.
They stay like this for some time before Murray clears his throat. “I don’t want to interrupt your itty bitty reunion hug moment but according to plan we are already a few minutes behind, so we really should be going.” A few people clear their throats not in disagreement but in acceptance. The group untangles itself as everyone draws back their arms.
Will sniffles and rubs a sleeve over his running nose. “Right, the kids.”, he brings out, his voice hoarse from crying. Mike unintentionally reaches for his shoulder which he squeezes for a short moment, glancing at Will and offering him a soft smile. “We are going to find Holly. I can feel that we are getting close to him, that’s why he’s scared.” Will touches Mikes elbow before his head turns in Max’s direction who is calling for him. Mike pats Wills shoulder another time before he steps away, grabbing the nearest gear and stepping outside to the big truck they were going to drive to Mac-Z.
Robin and Steve are already outside, the young woman is crying while he hugs her. They seem to be happy tears. When Mike steps outside, they step away from each other and Steve jogs to the front of the truck to talk to Murray. Mike steps closer to Robin. He isn’t sure if they ever spoke more than two sentences with each other.
“You good?”, he asks her. He feels obligated to. “Yeeah...” Her gaze is lingering for a longer moment until she wipes away her tears. “It got really heated in there, I don’t think I have ever seen something this emotional and I have to say that I cannot even start to express how proud I am of Will and of what he has become. You know, I assumed that nothing could ever beat the moment we found out he was a real-life sorcerer but seeing him growing into his sexuality and telling all of you, so Vecna cannot use his deepest fears against him – that was a power move. It really reminded me of that one scene-”
“What do you mean ‘all of you’?”, Mike interrupts her familiar rambling. “What?” Robin snaps back to reality. “You said it like you already knew.” Robin blinked so fast, he wasn’t sure that the girl didn’t have some kind of seizure. “Well...I assumed you knew as well?”, she phrased it as a question and raised an eyebrow which made her look like a teacher. Her voice dropping low like she always did when she was getting serious.
Mike is taken aback by the question. Had he known? His first instinct is to scream that he hadn’t, so he does. “I didn’t know. How was I supposed to know? What do you mean?” He knows, he’s getting defensive and he also knows why he does, even though he is not ready to put this thought into words.
Robin blinks slowly like she’s not believing him. “But you clocked it, right? Even if by some miracle, you were able to persuade yourself for the past few years that you didn’t know, you clocked it today, right?” Mike, staying defensive, crosses his arm like he is hugging himself. “Of course, I clocked it, he literally said – and I quote – I just don’t like girls. How am I supposed to misunderstand this?” He throws his arms up and feels anger bubbling up like soda pop inside him. He knows that his face is getting redder by the second.
“Michael Wheeler, not even a relentless little child like you, can be this inattentive.” She throws her arms up in the air, mimicking him. “William does not deserve this kind of egotistical blindness of his best friend that pretends he doesn’t clock it because he is scared of what it might means for him.” Mikes jaw drops. “Don’t you tell me what I am supposed to feel, you don’t even know me!” His voice jumps up at the end of the sentence, which marks how upset he is getting. He’s so upset that he doesn’t notice hurried steps getting closer until they stop right next to him.
“What is going on, you two?” Will's voice sounds confused. Joyce stops close behind him, while Nancy and Jonathan stand just outside the door. His eyes dart between his fighting friends. “Nothing!”, both exclaimed eagerly in one breath. Mike shots Robin a piercing look which she responds to with a cock of her head. “It’s nothing.” Mike clarifies again and hops onto the back of the truck to store his gear inside.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news – again – but we’ve got a problem.” Murray's voice cuts through the tensed air. His words do nothing to ease the tension that is already there. “Erica tuned in, we need to wait another hour to start.” Mike jumps out of the vans back and storms around it's side until he sees the man who speaks. “What is this bullshit? We need to go!” He yells without meaning to. “Mike!” Nancy shouts, still on the steps but quickly stepping nearer.
“We will not go anywhere until we get clearance from Clarke and Erica. They are responsible for the first step of our plan and we cannot risk overthrowing them!” Murray shots him a glance that puts the boy in his place. Mike knows that the man isn't personally responsible for their delay but he still couldn’t bear the thought of wasting another second to save his sister and the other kids.
“What’s the matter? Are they alright?” Joyce walks over to Murray who is holding the two-way receiver. “Guards are way too observant at the moment, it’s like they know we are coming. Like they know that tonight is the night, the worlds collide.” Nancy crosses her arms and cocks her head and Mike shockingly notices that he has the exact same stance as his sister. He loosens his arm around his torso even though he feels the obligation he needs to. “So what are we doing about it?“
“We are doing nothing. Kali, El and me are meeting Erica and Clarke in the tunnels below Mac-Z and we are going to create a plan on how to distract them long enough for them to get into position. When we give you the signal, you will start driving and everything will be according to plan again.” Hopper seems to make it his mission to look every single one in the eyes. “No one will move, before we haven’t cleared most of the area. Understood?” He looks especially long in Mike's and Nancy's direction. “Fine.”, Nancy surrenders, shoving her gunbelts over her head and throwing them into the back of the van. Hopper keeps on looking at Mike who shrugs his shoulders in defeat. He wouldn’t be of any help if the military’s got a hold of him.
“Great. Stay inside. Wait for my signal.” He stalks off to the funeral's service car, Joyce trails closely behind him. Mike looks away, when Eleven calls his name. “We will get to Holly as fast as we can. Nothing will happen to her.”, she says. “Promise?”, Mike answers even though no one can promise him that. An uneasy feeling creeping up his back as El's smile turns bittersweet. “Friends don’t lie, Mike.” She would only be lying if something happened to Holly.
Before he can stop himself, he throws his arms around the girl and hugs her tight. “Be careful.”, he whispers into her ear. As he pulls away, she smiles widely. “I’m a superhero again, remember?” She slowly walks backwards until she reaches the car. She sends them a short wave, before Mike turns around and almost collides with Will who stands right behind him. Mike raises his hands up and steadies himself while grabbing the other boy’s arms.
“Oh, sorry.” He coughs up, remembering his fight with Robin minutes ago. “She didn’t say goodbye to me.” Will looks at the car, slowly rolling away while Joyce walks next to the driver’s door, still talking vigorously to Hopper. “You will see her once we enter the Upside-Down.” Mike lets go of the boy’s shoulders and lets his arms drop to his sides. Then he crosses them in front his body for a short time, only to let them fall to his sides again. He didn’t know what to do with his limbs at the moment. Mike Wheeler, you relentless little child.
“What if we will not see her in the Upside-Down again?” Will's hands get ahold of a loose thread on his sleeve, his head is bent down. “Or ever.” His voice sounds thick again and before Mike can respond to any of it, the other boy turns around and walks away with long strides. Mike follows him but only with his gaze because his legs deny their service to him once more.
Almost everyone has made it inside again, only Mike is still staring at the door Will vanished through. Or so he thought. “I’m sorry, I shouted at you.” Robins voice sounds as raspy as always. Mikes head snaps to her silhouette in the back of the truck. “I’m sorry, I snapped at you.” He responds, raising his arms apologetically. “Do you want to talk?" She offers and sits down, her legs dangling over the edge of the open truck. Mike scurries closer. He leans his arms on the floor of the truck near Robins legs, still standing on the ground. His gaze drifts far away, not even close to where Robin is seated.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He bets his cheek on his arms, still facing the other direction. He tries to ignore the lump growing in his throat. Robin is unusually quiet, even after he pauses for a long time. It confuses him so much that he lifts his head up and shifts in her direction. She is looking at him but quickly looks away when she notices his change. “I think I have known for a few year," he says, clearing his throat when the words try to strangle themselves in a knot. “There’s always been signs. So many signs but I guess I have been trying to ignore it as best as I could because I don’t really know how to feel about it.” He sighs deeply. Robin looks at him but her gaze is careful like she’s afraid she is about to break something inside of him if she pushes too hard. And maybe she would. Mike is thankful when she looks away again.
“Will’s my best friend and I know he will always be because we’ve known each other forever. And he literally died one time and it still didn’t change anything between us but I cannot shake away the thought of losing him some day. I know that logically, nothing will change our friendship, but I am still so fucking scared that this will.”
Robin looks at him and this time, he sees from the look on her face that she will not keep quiet this time. But this time she at least has the decency of being polite about shoving her advice down his throat. “Can I say something?” Mike nods in agreement. He wouldn’t have spilled his guts to her if he didn’t want to hear her opinion about it. He hasn’t talked often to Robin but the way she and Will got along this quickly after the Byers family moving back to Hawkins must mean something. She was so unapologetically straight forward with everything she said that it must be straight from her heart.
“You don’t have to feel like something’s wrong with you. The way you feel is absolutely normal even if you might think you are strange. The thing about accepting yourself is coming to terms with every part of yourself. It might take some time but when you do, you will be so much more powerful than you think. I mean, look at Will. He always tried to push that part away from himself, and it made him vulnerable in the eyes of Vecna. I’m not saying that he was weak before because from what I’ve heard, he must’ve been the smallest but strongest child ever to survive alone in the Upside-Down while being chased by Vecnas lapdogs but look what he’s done since he came to terms with all parts of himself. If it wasn’t for you and Vecna threatening your life, he might’ve never fully accepted it.”
Mike swallows but he doesn’t look away this time and accepts Robins piercing eyes. “What are you saying?” He kind of knows what she wants to say but he’s still unsure about it. Robin sweeps away some hair that has fallen into her eyes. “I’m saying that Wills love for you unlocked his true powers and without him accepting it just in time, me, you, Lucas and probably everyone else would be dead by now.” Mike swallows again, the lump in his throat growing. He feels like its growing spikes and thorns and it makes him want to throw up.
“What are you saying?” He knows he just repeats his prior question but he offers her a pleading look like a lovesick puppy. Robin shakes her head, her eyes soften. “You know this thing Will did back in there?” Her hand loosely points to the WSQK-building in front of her. “The thing where small, amazing Will cried his heart out to confess his undying love to someone in the who he thinks, doesn’t return his feelings?” Mikes body shivers and he has to lower his eyes, not being able to look her in the eyes. He feels her shifting closer, leaning in. “I know, you clocked it, Michael. And I am pretty sure you’ve got something to say about it.”
“Maybe I do but this is not the time to talk about it. Will would never have told anyone if not for Vecna. Not today at least.” He shivers at the thought of what Henry must’ve shown Will to provoke such a strong reaction from him. It’s not like the confession came completely out of the blue but either way it was a shock.
“This is exactly the time to talk about important things.” Robin's voice drops low once again, Michael looks up again, meeting her gaze. “We are about to enter the last phase of our destruction plan. If we fail, Dimension X and the bridge will collapse with our world, and everything will be destroyed. If we, by some kind of miracle, succeed, we probably made our losses. Think about Eddie. About Chrissy. Hell, think about Max und Holly and Dipshit Derek. Think about Will.” She doesn’t have to make her point even more clear. Still Mike has to ask her. “You really think, we are going to lose Will tonight?” His voice sounds shakier than usual, portraying his fears.
Robins face turns even softer as she raises her eyebrows in a pitying matter. “I don’t know anything, if I am being honest. I don’t even have the slidest clue about what’s going to happen tonight, but either way, there’s a huge possibility of it going to be ugly. Very ugly.” Mike presses his forehead into his arms again. Not wanting to see the truth, even if it’s right in front of him.
“Will is part of the hive mind.” He exhales. “Will is part of the hive mind.” Robin repeats. There’s a silence between them. It’s lingering, comfortable but uncomfortable at the same time because neither of them wants to speak about the undenyingly obvious fact that Mike is supposed to have a chat with Will. A great chat. A big one. The biggest there might have ever been. Because if he doesn’t, there is a chance that he will never get to admit the things he has pushed down for so many years. If he doesn’t and Will dies, Will would die, never knowing the truth. If he doesn’t and Will lives but Mike dies, Will would live, never knowing the truth.
Mike snaps back to reality when Robin touches his arm. “This might be your last chance to talk to him, Michael.” He wants to snap but the heaviness of her words pushes him so far down that his emotions drop to his stomach. Steering and wrenching. He bites down on his teeth until it hurts his brain, before he takes a deep breath.
“I really want to give you a hug right now, but I am not entirely sure, you will not murder me for speaking the plain and honest truth?” Mike shots her a death glare but he is glad about her usual mocking voice. It makes him feel slightly lighter when he opens his arms. Robin jumps down from the back of the van where she has been sitting and throws her arm around his neck before he can change his mind. He hugs her back as tightly as she does and it feels like the reassurance he needs at the moment. Somehow Robin knows exactly what is going on in his brain. She digs a path for him to walk through without even admitting that she’s a mind reader of a higher class. Like a Divination Wizard from DnD. Mike is pretty sure now that she must be a Wizard.
“Heey, you two! Glad you are making up for whatever that was earlier. What were you two fighting about?” Steve, the hair, Harrington marches through the open doors of the Squawk-Station like he owns the world. Like he owns everything. Mike does not understand the hype around him. Dustin has been talking non-stop about him for the first year the two of them got closer. Nancy’s the same.
“Tammy Thompson.” Robin declares, letting go of Mike. He notices in this moment that Robin is pretty tall for a girl. “Urrgh.” An undefinable sound escapes Steve and he scrunches his nose as he gets closer. “She still sounds like a muppet to me.” Tammy Thompson. Mike’s heard the name but doesn’t really know who she is. Is Tammy Thompson really the Tammy Will was talking about? How does he even know her?
He takes a step back from where Steve comes up next to Robin and crosses his arms. They would make a great couple, Robin is the only one next to maybe Mike's sister, that could bring this man down from his high horse.
“She sounds like an angel.” Robin raises an eyebrow and her mouth quirks into a smirk she cannot hide. They laugh like it’s a private joke between them. Mike takes another step back and Robin nods reassuringly. The boy turns on his heels and almost storms inside the building to find his friend
When he enters the building, he’s greeted by most of the party. Lucas, Dustin, Max, Murray, Joyce, Nancy and Vicky almost sit in the same spots as when Will held his speech. Jonathan and him are nowhere to be found. “Mike!” Max calls for him. He pauses but then stalks over to where she’s sitting in her wheelchair. Since she woke up from her Vecna induced coma, he cannot find the strength to refuse a request coming from her even though he really doesn’t want to waste any more time.
“I need to talk to you.” She exclaims. Mike grimaces. “Can it wait? I really need to talk to Will.” Max inspects his face carefully before her eyes widen in a knowing matter. “It can wait.” He gratefully squeezes her shoulder. Mike is sure she would pat his hand if she were able to move. “Thanks, Max. I’ll be back.” He wants to leave her side but she calls for him again. “He’s in the back with Jonathan. By the record shelves.” He squeezes her shoulder again, offering her a warm but nervous smile before he stalks off.