Chapter Text
Mike wasn’t sure if he had ever felt anger quite like this before, and Mike is often an angry person.
The WSQK was in utter chaos, which honestly shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Mike still despised it. Not only were Eleven and Kali back, but so were Dustin, Nancy, Jonathan, and Steve, who had all gathered around Michael as he recounted his journey to Hawkins with a lopsided grin. However, the second that he spotted Will, he immediately stood and ditched his conversation with no explanation to cross the room with his stupidly long strides.
Mike knew he was in trouble as Michael got close enough to notice Will’s puffy eyes and tear-streaked face, yet Mike couldn’t even blame him. Will always looks so tragically beautiful when he cries, and he already feels horrible for being the reason it happened.
Only Mike would manage to come off as a homophobic bastard when trying to confess his feelings.
“Were you crying? What did you do to him?” Michael demanded, turning to Mike, who only glared back at him. “I don’t understand what is wrong with you in this universe!”
Mike is also not quite sure what’s wrong with him in this universe. He’s not sure if he would ever be able to win Will over the way Michael had within mere minutes. Michael was greedy, he already had Will in his own universe, why did he need to come here and steal his Will too?
Mike realized a beat too late that he never responded, and now everyone is staring at him, probably seeing how much of an asshole he is. He’s not even sure what he could say to defend himself, he doesn’t even know where exactly he went wrong in the conversation outside, just that it had spiralled out of his control almost immediately.
Thankfully, sweet, thoughtful Will cut in, “It’s fine, I’m fine. We were just talking. Let’s see what Dustin has to say, yeah?”
At his mention, Dustin grinned and waved them over, and Mike had never been happier to see him. After their quick reunion, and Dustin’s gloat that, “Sir Michael over here says I’m quite popular in his world!” they finally began discussing what could have caused this.
Mike only half-listened as the others began retelling their stories of what they’ve seen in the Upside Down, instead trying his best to peek at Will next to him. He didn’t seem quite as upset anymore, though his face was still flushed from their tearful conversation outside. Mike just wanted to hold him close and wipe away all the tears, but would Will even want that? When he could have Michael instead? Michael doesn’t make Will cry, he makes him blush and stumble over his words.
Dustin pulled out a weathered notebook and began pointing at various diagrams, talking about exotic matter and alternate universes. It seems as though the running theory was that Michael had entered Hawkins from another dimension.
“Do we have to send him back?” Max had asked, living up to her title as Mike’s biggest antagonist, though the spot may soon be taken by Michael. “I mean, he could help us fight Vecna, right?”
“No, we should definitely send him back as soon as we can.” Dustin didn’t even pause to ponder the question, and Mike tried his best not to let his happiness show. “It’s bad enough that we shot the exotic matter, but having someone here from another universe is bound to start shifting the balance of things. It’s in our best interest to keep everyone in the dimension they came from.”
Mike watched with thinly veiled anger as Will and Lucas stepped closer to look at the notebook, only for Michael to follow like a stubborn shadow. He came up behind Will without a second thought, glancing over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowed as he stared down.
Does Michael even know what science is? Mike faintly wonders if Michael even showers, have they discovered that in his world? Would Will want someone who doesn’t even shower? Maybe Will digs the grimy, rugged look.
Mike knew he was being stupid, even Lucas had made sure to tell him that. So he decided to be mature and remove himself from the situation, less dramatically this time. He muttered something about a snack before wandering over to the table where a large array of junk food had been dumped out.
Instead of thinking about the way Michael had placed a hand on Will’s waist, Mike focused on his snack of choice. He was between Pringles, again, and Skittles, but Will likes Skittles, and these are the last bag, so maybe Mike will just eat Pringles again. His mother would lose her mind if she saw what his diet was composed of these days.
“This must be crazy for you, huh?” Robin hummed as she came up next to him, leaning against the table, a bag of popcorn in her hand.
Mike barely spared her a look as he grabbed the Pringles, mimicking her stance to also lean back and stare out at the crowd around Dustin. “So crazy.”
“You don’t sound very stoked to see Michael,” Robin went on, and Mike faintly wonders what he did to deserve all of this. This was probably karma for making Will cry. “You don’t like the other you?”
“I didn’t say that. I just don’t think he’s all that.”
Robin paused in her chewing to turn to stare at him, a frown tugging at her brows. “And why is that? He’s you!”
“No, he’s not. He just looks like me. But he doesn’t talk like me or act like me, I mean, look at him! He’s all over Will, does he have no concept of personal space?” Mike gestured at the way Michael is now ducking down to ask Will a question, pointing at the journal with that stupid frown of his.
Does Michael even know how to read? Do knights read?
“I think it’s kinda sweet. I mean, they don’t even really know each other, but look how well they get along.”
“Sweet?” Mike spat out the word as he gaped at Robin. “Are you serious? Nothing about this is sweet!”
Robin just stared at him again for a beat before her lips twitched as if she knew something. “I don’t know, I think it’s cute that you two find each other in alternate dimensions, too. I mean, isn’t it crazy that in a world where he’s a knight and Will’s a-”
“A prince, apparently,” Mike supplied, because unfortunately, he had been hanging on to every last word Michael had said about his own world. It seemed like a dream come true.
“Yeah, so a knight and a prince. I mean, that’s not very conventional, is it? But you guys still found each other. It’s almost like fate,” Robin hummed, turning back to the scene ahead of them. “So yeah, it’s sweet that your friendship is so strong that it transcends dimensions.”
Mike was dumbstruck. Was Robin actually making sense with her incessant rambling? As much as he didn’t want to call anything involving Michael sweet, Robin’s words had warmed his chest, because she was right. Even in an alternate universe, Will and Mike were still Will and Mike.
Robin didn’t wait around for a reply, and instead just gave him a toothy grin before grabbing his arm to pull him back to the group. Mike didn’t resist and allowed her to pull him back into the conversation that seemed to be mostly wrapping up.
“So what’s the plan, then?” Robin wondered aloud, leaving Mike to go sit on the couch next to Steve, who seemed seconds from falling asleep.
Mike moved to stand on the other side of Will, noting happily that Michael is finally standing a respectable distance from Will. As he settled beside Will, the other boy turned to glance at him, raising his eyebrows as a silent check-in. Mike mustered up a smile and found that it was almost a real one. Maybe Robin should become a motivational speaker.
“I’ll piggyback out of Michael like I did with Max,” Eleven offered up, and Robin doesn’t seem to know what to do with that information because she just turned to Nancy instead.
“We think it has something to do with the exotic matter,” Nancy immediately took point. “The Upside Down came alive when I shot it, and that’s probably what allowed a gate to open.”
Mike frowned at this train of thought. Surely it can’t be that easy? “So we just shoot it again? And then Michael is sent back to his own world?”
Nancy and Jonathan did not seem happy at the thought, and Dustin was quick to interject. “In theory, a disruptance like that could be enough to open up a portal. But there’s no telling where it would lead to, and where it would even open. No, I don’t think we need anything quite that large, seeing as we have Michael here!”
Everyone turned to look at Michael, except for Mike, who just rolled his eyes again.
“Me? All I have is my sword, I don’t have any magic…” Michael scratched the back of his head, and Mike hated the fact that he did the same thing when he felt awkward.
“No, not you. We can use you! Or, El, she can use your connection back to your own world to help open up a gate when the time is right.” Dustin tapped at his journal. “The Upside Down is still a mess, so everything is still volatile enough to open up a gate. Eleven’s done it before.”
“It’s not that easy to just open up a gate. Eleven is strong, but there’s no way that’s actually a feasible option,” Mike interjected, sighing inwardly at the mess of a plan they seemed to have. There goes his chance of Michael being gone by tomorrow.
“Yes, but with the Upside Down so alive, it won’t be quite as hard. We just need to find a connection between Michael and his world. Just like Max used her connection to the real world, Kate Bush, to come back to us, we can use some sort of connection to Michael’s world to help things along.” Dustin snapped his journal shut with a flourish, and Mike couldn’t help but smile at his theatrics. He hasn’t seen Dustin so lively in months. “So this is where we’re stuck. Anyone have any ideas of a way to form a connection back to Michael’s world?”
“Do you have a favorite song, Michael?” Lucas piped up, and Mike snorted at the thought of Michael’s favorite tavern tune.
He leaned closer to Will, ducking slightly to murmur into his ear, quiet enough that no one else would hear. “And where will we find a fiddle and lyre for his favorite song?”
Will snorted and elbowed Mike, although even Mike knew it was a stupid joke, but he made no move to step away from the way Mike was crowding into Will’s space. Their arms were so close that Mike could almost feel the heat emanating from Will, muted only by the thin long-sleeve shirt that Will wore.
“I don’t have a favorite song. I’m not sure how that would help. Why are we listening to music right now?” Michael seemed truly lost, and Mike’s spirits were high enough to ignore the fond smile Will shot Michael’s way.
“It doesn’t need to be a song,” Max interjected, a thoughtful look on her face. “It can be anything that ties you to your world. It can be a person, or a place, sometimes it's music, but it doesn’t have to be. Can you think of anything like that?”
Michael smiled softly, gazing off into the distance. “My William. He’s always been my tether to the real world. I am sure he would be the one to save me now.”
Mike wondered absentmindedly if he looks that stupid and sickly in love when he thinks about Will. God, is it really that obvious how embarrassingly in love with Will he is?
“Perfect! For me, I had been trapped in my mind, so Lucas’ presence by me helped. Do you think you have enough memories with Will to rely only on them?” Max’s pink cheeks betrayed her casual tone, and Lucas pressed a hand against her shoulder.
“Of course,” Michael responded immediately, and once again, a silly smile played on his lips. The jealous part of Mike wanted so desperately to know what memories he was thinking of. What was it like to be able to love Will so freely?
It was decided then that Eleven would indeed piggyback out of Michael’s head. Dustin began doling out jobs and equipment lists for what they would need for their venture back into the Upside Down the next day, but Mike was more focused on the prospect of returning to the Upside Down.
He turned back to Will, who had been silent for most of the conversation, and without any hesitation, Will also turned to look at him. With their close proximity, Will’s face was only inches from his own, and Mike had to blink to refocus his thoughts. He trained his eyes on Will’s; now was not the time to get distracted by his rosy cheeks or his plush lips or-
“Will you be alright going back to the Upside Down? You don’t need to go, I’m sure Eleven and Nancy can watch over Michael until they send him off,” Mike whispered, soft enough that no one else would overhear or think to join their conversation. Will had begun biting his bottom lip, just like he does whenever he’s deep in thought, so Mike pushed on. “If you’re back in there, Vecna might be able to…”
Will just nodded stonily, his eyes flickering over Mike’s face before he glanced away. “I don’t want to let him control me and like- what I want to do. I mean, I’m not stoked about going back in there, but I want to be there for Michael.”
Mike huffed at the mention of Michael, and this brought Will’s focus back to Mike, his eyes crinkling ever so slightly with amusement. Mike took that as a cue to speak his mind. “I don’t care about Michael, I care about what’s good for you. I don’t want you to get hurt or for anything to happen to you. You already have such horrible nightmares from before, won’t this just make it worse?”
“I’ll be okay. I have powers now, remember?” Will teased, releasing his lip to grin shyly, and Mike couldn’t stop himself from staring this time. “And you’ll be there with me, yeah?”
“Of course I will. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Mike was about to reach out to- he’s not sure exactly what he intended to do, but it doesn’t matter because another hand lands on Will’s shoulder. Mike stifled a groan when he glanced up to see Michael looming behind Will.
“Will I be going home with you?”
Will just shoots Mike a questioning look, so he heaved a sigh before responding, “Will’s in my room, and there’s not a lot of space for you too. Maybe we can send you home with someone else?”
This seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Michael’s jaw dropped at Mike’s words, and he blinked incredulously before exclaiming, “You have bed him, and yet you still don’t love him?”
Mike was a mirror image of Michael as his jaw fell open and his stomach flipped at the thought of what Michael was implying. And now Mike couldn’t stop the forbidden thoughts from trickling in, thoughts that he had filed away, never to be seen again. It was one thing for Mike to pine helplessly, but it was another for him to fantasize about his best friend…
Yet, he couldn’t help but think of the way Michael had kissed Will earlier, the breathy sigh that Will had let out, a sound that Mike had never heard before, but one he knew he would never be able to forget.
Will wasted no time in clearing it up, “The floor! I sleep on the floor! Not the same bed.”
Mike did not dare disagree. He didn’t mention that night last week when Will had woken up with a scream, and how Mike had pulled him into his bed, holding him close as he soothed him back to sleep. He didn’t mention that when he had woken up, it had been to find himself tucked into Will’s neck, and for a moment, he could’ve sworn Will had been running his fingers through his hair. He didn’t mention that Will used to sleep in the basement, but both boys had agreed that moving the mattress back down as the days began to warm up again was ‘too much work.’
“You make William sleep on the floor?” Michael seemed even more offended at the mere thought of this, and Mike buried his head in his hands in response. “I can’t believe you would dare sleep in a bed while he is left with the floor?”
“Michael, it’s fine. I have a mattress on the floor, and I chose to sleep there!” Will jumped in, making an attempt at damage control.
This does not seem to ease the tension, but thankfully, Robin joined the conversation. “The WSQK has room, maybe we can make up a bed for you here? We also have the car.”
“What’s a car?” was Michael’s response as Robin led him away, and Mike shot her a thankful smile.
Will watched Michael leave with a furrow in his brow, but didn’t argue when Mike clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s go home, yeah?”
The WSQK slowly quieted down as everyone began slipping out, and soon enough, Mike and Will were back on their bikes towards the Wheeler’s house. With just the two of them and their bikes, Mike could almost imagine that nothing crazy happened today. That there wasn’t an evil variant of him who had stolen Will away, that they weren’t going back into the Upside Down tomorrow, and that everything hadn’t changed since their conversation at the WSQK.
Mike and I are friends, and that’s all we ever will be.
With all that was going on, Mike had done his best to push aside the conversation he overheard, but as he biked on the dark, silent roads, it replayed over and over in his head. Just thinking about the implications made his stomach twist and turn; not only was the statement a tough blow, but it was so definitive.
Yet, a small, hopeful part of Mike was stuck on the way Will had sounded almost self-resigned as he said that it was fine and good. Maybe Mike still had a chance? Though that had been before Mike made Will cry, so perhaps things weren’t okay.
“Mike?” Will called out, and Mike jolted as he realized he had almost biked past his house. He turned his bike around, watching Will’s receding figure as he walked his bike into the Wheeler’s garage. When Mike finally caught up to Will, he glanced over with worried eyes. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just, y’know, lost in thought. A lot happened today.” Mike responded, nudging his foot against the kickstand of the bike. “Don’t worry about me.”
The boys slipped in quietly, but there wasn’t much of a point. Mike and Nancy were the only Wheelers left in the house, and Joyce was probably at Hopper’s cabin, seeing as he had just returned from the Upside Down. Mike wasn’t sure what Joyce would say if she knew of their plans, but Will hadn’t mentioned it, and he wasn’t going to bring it up. Mike didn’t have much experience with an overbearing mother; his had been the opposite the past couple of years.
Mike and Will were silent as they got ready for bed, and the rest of the house stood so quietly that Mike faintly wondered if Nancy and Jonathan ever made it back. It wasn’t uncommon for them to spend the night at the WSQK with Robin and Steve while they worked on projects. It also wasn’t uncommon for them to slip away without any explanation.
As he lay in his bed, Mike tried not to watch Will as he finished getting ready for bed. He had basically pinned down the other boy’s routine at this point; he knew that the only step left was for Will to put on his second pair of socks before slipping into the bed.
A part of him felt a gnawing guilt at the fact that he had let Will sleep on his floor this whole time. Sure, Will had been more than happy to agree, but it’s not like he was going to self-invite himself into Mike’s bed. Maybe Michael had been onto something when he had yelled at Mike. He knew now what was wrong with him: he was a coward.
“Mike, I can practically hear you thinking in circles.” Will’s voice was quiet, but it felt deafening in the silent room, and Mike let his head roll to the side so he could stare down at him. “What are you worrying about?”
“I’m sorry I make you sleep on the floor,” Mike responded instead, rolling onto his back to stare at the peeling stars on his ceiling. “Michael was right, I should be better to you.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Will popped up above the edge of Mike’s bed. Even after just a few minutes, his hair was already askew and fluffy, and he looked so soft in his weathered yellow shirt. Mike’s heart clenched at how sweet Will looked.
“Mike, you both are acting as if I sleep directly on the floor with no blanket. I have a mattress, and I chose this. I could’ve slept on the couch in the basement,” Will reminded him, now bringing his arms up to rest against the bed and to pillow his head as he drops it onto them.
“But it’s too cold in the basement. I just- I feel like I could’ve done better. I should’ve done better.”
“Mike,” Will drawled, and Mike knew he was about to be made fun of. “Don’t let a knight from the literal dark ages dictate your opinion of where I should sleep. He probably has never even seen an air mattress before.”
Mike snorted at that and finally turned his head back to look at Will. Their eyes met, and the twinkle in Will’s gaze made Mike’s heart skip a beat. “I guess you’re right.”
There was a moment of silence as Will stared up at Mike, and Mike stared back as he thought of Michael’s words to him. What is wrong with you in this universe?
Mike doesn’t have to be a coward. He doesn’t need to be a knight to be brave. So he smiled at Will, and with a cheek squished against the bed, he murmured, “Still. Wanna come up?”
Mike held his breath in bated anticipation, hoping that Will would accept. Mike doesn’t think Will would decline, but he’s not sure if Will would even want to sleep in the same bed with him after everything that happened today.
But Will only brightened, lifting his head from his arms. “Really? Are you sure? Because if this is a guilt thing..”
“Not a guilt thing. I want you to. Unless you don’t want to…?”
Mike barely finished his sentence before Will was scrambling to grab his pillow and climb under the covers, while Mike scooted over to make space for him. It’s so easy to fall into this rhythm of closeness, and soon enough, Will is tucked under the covers, lying beside Mike with only a few inches separating them.
“Mike?” Will whispered into the once again silent bedroom.
“Yeah?”
“What were you going to tell me earlier? When we were at the WSQK and got interrupted?” Will’s voice was so soft, tender almost, and Mike wanted nothing more than to let it lull him to sleep. Perhaps then he wouldn’t have to finish the conversation he so stupidly began.
“Oh.”
“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to talk about it. But it seems like it’s weighing on you, so I wanted to check and see.”
Mike greatly appreciated Will for offering him an out, giving him a chance to just move on and not face this ugly problem of his head on. But tonight, Mike is finally living up to his name. He will be Mike the Brave, no matter what it takes.
“No, I should talk about it. It’s just hard.”
“Take your time,” Will assured him, turning so he’s now facing Mike, face pillowed in his arms once again. “I’m too wired to go to bed anyway.”
Mike fixed his gaze on the ceiling because he wasn’t sure if he could get these words out while staring into Will’s open gaze. He’s always so good at reading Mike, and right now, Mike wasn’t sure if Will would like what he’d see.
“I made a mess of what I was trying to say earlier. I don’t think you’re sick or even that Michael’s sick. I was sick to my stomach because I-” Mike took a deep breath in an attempt to slow down his racing heartbeat. “I was just so jealous of him.”
“Jealous? Why?” Will sounded so genuinely confused by the mere thought of Mike’s jealousy, and it almost makes Mike want to laugh. If only Will knew how jealous he could get at times. “Because he’s a knight and you’re-”
“Boring? No. I mean, yeah, obviously. But no, that’s not what made me so upset. I was jealous of the way he was with you. He was all over you, and you let him and it just made me feel so shitty.” Mike thought he might actually be shaking at this point, his whole body just vibrating with nerves. No amount of deep breaths prevented his next words from coming out all choked, “I was jealous because I wanted to be with you the way he was.”
Mike finally risked a glance over at Will, only to find him staring back, eyes wide and mouth agape. Mike supposed that shock was better than disgust, though both were ranked lower than excitement. But then Will was pushing himself up, supporting his weight on one arm while he loomed over Mike.
“What do you mean by that?” Will asked, leaning imperceptibly closer, but Mike noticed because he was sure that if Will came any closer, he would probably spontaneously combust.
“I-” Mike’s voice came out as a croak, and he cleared his throat. “I wanted to be the one who kissed you, not him.”
Will cocked an eyebrow at that, and Mike felt vaguely like prey, pinned under his dark gaze. “And why is that?”
Mike floundered for a moment. He felt as though every word he knew had been wiped from his brain, and all that was left was Will, Will, Will. However, Mike knew that caveman speak wouldn’t win Will over, so he tried his best to put together a coherent sentence.
“Because I- ugh,” Mike groaned and threw his hands over his face. “I can’t think when you’re looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” Will’s voice was light and teasing, and he must know the effect he’s having on Mike by now.
“I don’t know! I just told you I can’t think! Just let me.. I’m going to talk like this,” Mike decided, hands still thrown over his face.
Will’s hand gripped his wrist gently, tugging his hands away, and Mike let them go, peeking out from behind his fingers to see that Will had sat back down beside him. His smile was warm and inviting, and when he spoke this time, there was no humor in his voice. “Don’t hide from me, Mike. It’s just me, yeah?”
Mike nodded, humming in agreement. “I know. I just get nervous, sometimes. I don’t want to mess this up.”
“You aren’t messing anything up. I promise.”
Mike scanned Will’s face for any evidence otherwise, and when he was sure that Will was truly open to whatever he had to say, he dropped his gaze to his fidgeting fingers.
“I think about you every day,” he finally admitted. “I think I’ve thought about you every day since we met. And for the longest time, I didn’t know what that meant. I thought it was normal to… to be so infatuated with your best friend. Because they’re your best friend! They understand you in a way no one else does, and you guys have all the same interests, and it’s just so easy to exist around them.”
Will offered Mike an encouraging smile, and it was enough to motivate Mike to continue with his word vomit.
He kept his gaze fixed on his hands, tugged at his index finger, then his ring finger, and then his middle finger before repeating the pattern as he spoke, “But then, as the years went by, I guess I realized that what I was thinking wasn’t normal. I tried so hard to push it away and to just be normal. To be what everyone wanted me to be. But I couldn’t do it. Even when you were a thousand miles away, I still thought of you every day. You have consumed every part of my being, Will. I don’t think I will ever be able to separate you from me, and I don’t want to.”
Mike finally gained the courage to lock eyes with Will again, and for once, it felt like he could see him so clearly. Will’s face looks just like it did earlier today, except it wasn’t because of Michael this time. It was because of Mike.
Mike propped himself up on an elbow, lowering his voice as the distance between them closed. “I know I’m not cool and jacked like Sir Michael, and I know I’ve done some really fucked up shit. But I still love you, and seeing him with you scared me so much, because I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. So- uh yeah, that’s why.”
Mike glanced at Will again, peering at him through his lashes, and Will stared back. For a moment, they just looked at each other, and then Will finally moved. He shifted his position slowly, almost as if he was scared of spooking Mike, but Mike was enraptured by him. He watched, wide-eyed, as Will stretched out over him, a hand pressing into the bed right next to Mike’s elbow, and leaned down. His other hand finally reaches out to cup Mike’s face, his palm molding around his cheek so perfectly it felt as though his hands were made to hold Mike.
“Well, I don’t want Sir Michael,” Will whispered, leaning even further down, his breath washing over Mike’s face as he spoke. “I want Mike Wheeler. My Mike.”
Mike couldn’t hold himself back anymore, and he wasn’t sure if it was him or Will who finally closed the distance, but soon there was no space left between them. Will’s lips were soft against his, and Mike could feel him pressing against his chest, the warmth of his arm against Mike’s elbow, his hair tickling Mike’s forehead. It felt like a missing piece had finally clicked into place, like a circuit that had finally been completed, allowing electricity to zip through his body.
Mike tried to press himself closer, leaning up on his arm, burying his free hand into Will’s hair, only for Will to return the favor and then take it a step further, tugging gently on Mike’s loose curls. A low groan was pulled from the back of Mike’s throat, and it allowed Will to lick into his mouth, and oh, this was even better than before.
Mike felt like he was in a daze, one moment he was leaning up to chase Will’s kiss, and then the next, Will was swinging his leg over Mike’s to settle into his lap and properly connect their lips again. And this angle’s so much better because now Will could properly press him back into the bed, and all Mike could do was sigh into his mouth.
Eventually, they pulled apart, chests heaving as they gasped for air, but Mike hadn’t quite had his fill yet, so he littered kisses across Will’s face and down his neck. It doesn’t take long for him to realize that Will was so perfectly sensitive about his neck, and Mike fully intended to use it to his advantage.
He found a spot that had Will tugging his hair with the sweetest of sighs and got to work, sucking and nibbling at his pale skin, until the hand in his hair grew more incessant. “Mike, you’re gonna- it’s gonna leave a mark.”
“Good,” Mike responded, lips brushing against the reddened skin. “Let him see.”
“Shit,” was the only response Will provided before Mike was being yanked back up for a proper kiss.
When they finally parted, Mike was still catching his breath, but he couldn’t peel his eyes away from Will. He looked absolutely angelic, sitting above him with his hair all ruffled, and his cheeks flushed pink. Marks were scattered across his neck and down under the collar of his shirt, and Mike felt an odd sense of satisfaction at what he had accomplished.
“We should have been doing that a lot sooner,” Mike finally breathed out, lips quirking up in a crooked smile. “I’m sorry for being such an idiot.”
“You aren’t an idiot,” Will replied immediately, but he’s smiling too. “But I agree. We’ve wasted so much time just… dancing around each other.”
Mike finally allows his hands to explore the way they’ve always wanted to; he reaches out with one to grip Will’s waist, to make sure this is really happening, and the other laces their free hands together, pulling them to his lips to press a quick kiss against Will’s knuckles. “So I take it, you like me too?”
Will seems as though he will be pink permanently, eyes glued to the way their hands are interlinked. “‘Course I do. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.”
Mike’s chest felt so warm, and he was sure that he was grinning so wide that he must look stupid, but he couldn’t help it, he was just so happy. “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that.”
Will laughed softly at him before tipping over sideways to fall back onto the bed. The covers were all ruffled, but Will just wiggled under the blanket and collapsed into Mike’s chest with no hesitation. Mike’s arm wrapped around his waist within seconds, and Will was still smiling widely as he laced their fingers together once again.
“I can’t believe it took another Mike showing up for you to say something finally,” Will murmured, ear pressed against Mike’s heart. Mike wondered if he had noticed how fast it was racing.
“I can’t believe you kissed him before you kissed me,” Mike grumbled, and Will shook with silent laughter. “I almost told you how I felt this morning, right before he showed up. I was losing my mind all day.”
“He might have been my first kiss, but you were my favorite. And you’ll be my last,” Will promised, nestling further into Mike’s arms. “Don’t think about him too much. I chose you, not him, remember that. I love you.”
“I know. It just felt like he was everything I wasn’t, and maybe you would rather have him.” Mike puffed out a breath, watching as it ruffled the hair on Will’s head. “He’s so tall and strong, and he basically spent all of today confessing his love for you. How can I even compare to that?”
Will must have heard the crackle of insecurity in his voice because he shifted to perch his chin on Mike’s chest, frowning down at him. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. Let’s start with the fact that I don’t even like him like that, I like you, and he is you.”
“Don’t say that,” Mike flicked the back of Will’s arm, but he managed a small smile. “We are not the same person.”
“Let me finish. I didn’t even know you were- well, that you might like me. I thought he was my only chance to experience what it might be like to be loved by you. But it wasn’t him I wanted,” Will assured. “I wanted the boy I’ve known my whole life, the one who reads stupid comics with me and has saved my life countless times.”
Mike scoffed, “I would hardly say I’ve ever saved your life.”
A blush crept up Will’s neck and spread across his cheeks as he coughed lightly. “I also think about you, Mike. That day at the MAC-Z, when Vecna had gotten inside my head, I thought about you to escape. I used memories of us, of my love for you, to take control back from him. Even when we were kids, when I had just come back from the Upside Down, you were the one who saved me. Every time.”
Mike was rendered speechless, his heart pounding in his ears. This time, it was Mike who shifted to grab Will’s face and pull him in for a deep kiss, though the other boy had no complaints. He allowed Mike to press kiss after kiss against his swollen lips, and stuttered out a laugh when Mike rolled them over to cage Will in against the bed. Mike’s voice was rough when he pulled back, “I can’t believe this is real. You’re unreal.”
Will smiled up at him, his lips bitten pink and pupils dilated as he caught his breath. “Still concerned about Michael?”
“Don’t even bring him up,” Mike bit out, before closing the gap between them once again.
The restless fear that had been growing inside Mike’s chest had finally quieted down. He wasn’t sure how Will could be so forgiving after everything that had happened the past couple years, but Mike knew he would be forever grateful that he loved someone so kind. Will didn’t care what Mike looked like or how strong he was, that much was clear. Will loved him for him.
---
Mike didn’t have a good feeling about their plan.
Perhaps it was due to his fears of what could happen to Will in the Upside Down, or maybe it was the way it had been put together so last-minute. Mike trusted Dustin’s intuition about the wormhole and the exotic matter, and he trusted Eleven to know her limits, but there were just so many other factors.
It seemed like Michael shared in Mike’s worries because he had taken to pacing the field near the Hawkins Lab in his armor, the heavy metal clanging with each step. Every now and then, he would pause to glance at Will, who was sitting in the grass next to Eleven, caught up in a quiet conversation that resulted in a few laughs here and there.
Mike was just trying to soak up the sun as best as he could before they entered the Upside Down when the shifting of metal got louder and louder, and soon enough, the clanging was right behind him. Wishing it wasn’t true, he turned around, and there stood Michael, his face relaxed despite the grim circumstances.
“Do you need something? Mike asked him, not even bothering to hide his distaste.
“No. I just wanted to speak with you,” Michael responded before dropping his helmet to the ground and settling down on a nearby log. He cocked his head in a signal to follow, and Mike huffed as he too sat down. “I apologize for pulling my sword on you yesterday. I truly thought you had used a spell.”
“It’s fine. I don’t care anymore,” Mike huffed. He could still see Will from his spot on the log, and he gave him a quick once-over before looking back at Michael. “Is that all you wanted to say?”
Michael looked thoughtful for a moment before he smiled. “I see you two figured out your problems?”
Mike did not appreciate the way it took Michael mere minutes to put it together, but he supposed it really was just another variant of himself. “Depends on what you call a problem, but yes.”
“I’m glad you finally came to your senses,” Michael responds, and he follows Mike’s gaze out to where Will lounges. “William is incredibly special, he only deserves the best.”
Mike’s stomach still does a queasy flip at the thought of what Will deserves and whether he could ever actually fulfil that.
“When I say he deserves the best, I mean your best,” Michael continued, glancing at Mike with a knowing look in his eyes. “When William and I first began getting close, I also had quite a few issues I had to face before we were able to pursue a relationship. I always felt like I could never be good enough for him, our prince.”
“But you’re a knight,” Mike turned to Michael, and his confusion must be clear because the man laughed.
“Yes, I suppose I look much more royal than I actually am. No, in our kingdom, knights rarely even speak to royalty. I would have a few stolen minutes with William throughout the day, hidden away in service closets and gardens. The suitors who travelled to our kingdom from foreign lands were the ones the court deemed “fit” for him. They had more gold than I could ever earn, and they promised him riches that I didn’t even know existed.”
“And what about you?”
“I had my love for him,” Michael smiled, that same stupid smile he had whenever he spoke of his Will. “We practically grew up together, and our love only grew stronger with time. I didn’t have much to my name, but I knew that I would treat him as best as I could for the rest of my life. He is my entire world, and I would do anything for him.”
“Well, I think that’s one thing we can finally agree upon,” Mike offered up, and Michael chuckled.
“Yes, I suppose so. I never meant to torture you so. I truly believed that there was a chance they put my William under a spell. I had never heard of these “alternate” dimensions until just yesternight,” Michael almost sounds apologetic. “I’m sure you would have done the same if it meant saving your William.”
Yesternight?? This guy was just so odd, but Mike didn’t bother bringing it up.
“I guess, yeah.”
Thankfully, Mike was saved from continuing with this conversation when Nancy and Jonathan finally pulled up in their sputtering car. This completed their group: only Nancy, Jonathan, Eleven, Will, Mike, and Michael would be entering the Upside Down. The rest of the team had taken point at the WSQK with some of the party members in the woods in case the gate opened up near where Michael was first found.
Truth be told, Mike was a bit scared to actually enter the Upside Down. He had heard so much about it from Will and Eleven, but he had, thankfully, never ventured down there himself. But now wasn’t the time to be scared, he had to focus on Will.
Eleven led the group once she was able to pry a sheet of metal off the ground, Nancy and Jonathan following closely behind. Michael and Mike had assumed positions around Will, Mike walking in step with them while Michael hung behind, watching the back of the group.
The Upside Down was… well, it was terrifying. Mike finally understood what Will had meant about its striking similarities to Hawkins: it was as if someone had taken Hawkins and sucked all of the life out of their little town. With no sun or real sky, the entire place was in a state of perpetual gloom, save for the little white spores that floated through the air.
Nancy had already warned the group about the endless vines that stretched across the Upside Down, and Mike kept his gaze pinned on the ground as he stepped around each writhing vine.
“You doing okay, Will?” Mike asked, glancing sideways at the other boy. “Feel anything weird?”
Will was also focused on avoiding the vines on the ground. “I think I’m fine. I feel him, but it’s not that strong. I think he’s busy.”
Mike still didn’t fully understand how Will was able to discern each of these feelings of his, but he was glad that at least one of them was able to understand their feelings. Will had always been the perceptive one out of the two of them.
“Okay, well, you let me know if that changes, yeah?” Mike nudged Will as they walked and smiled when Will bumped their shoulders on the next step.
“I will, Mike.”
Thankfully, the Hawkins Lab was close, given the gate they chose to enter, so Eleven wasted no time in getting them inside. As they began winding through the achingly familiar halls, Mike slipped his hand into Will’s, tightening his fingers around their joint hands. It felt like no time had passed since they had been down here with Joyce, Hopper, and Bob, fighting tooth and nail against the demodogs and Will’s possession. Mike held onto Will just a little bit tighter.
“Almost there!” Eleven called back, shouldering open another door before descending some stairs.
As they travelled deeper into the lab, the vines had only grown thicker, though they had contained themselves to the walls instead of the floors. Without the obstacle course of vines, the group was able to hurry down the last set of stairs and enter a large room that must have been the lab where Eleven used her sensory deprivation tank.
“Um, guys?” Eleven started, and as Mike approached her, he saw the problem. “There’s no water in the tank.”
The lab looked fairly operational, but much like the rest of the Upside Down, there was no working electricity, and it seems, no water.
“Surely there’s just some sort of tap we need to turn on, yeah?” Jonathan suggested, glancing back at Nancy, who shrugged.
“I’m not sure. I guess… Lover’s Lake had been dry when we entered the Upside Down. I hadn’t given it much thought, but maybe it’s something that’s unique to the Upside Down? No water?” Nancy cringed as she came to this hypothesis, glancing around the room once again.
Mike was about to suggest leaving to figure out their next steps in a less creepy location when Will fell to his knees, letting out a guttural scream. Mike fell to his knees as well and found Michael doing the same, both of them grabbing Will’s arms to hold him up. Will’s eyes had already rolled back in their sockets, and he was shaking, small whimpers leaving his lips as he squirmed in their hold.
“Will? Will, can you hear me?” Mike let go of his arm, Jonathan stepped into his place, and instead cupped Will’s face. “Will! Please, you need to come back to us!”
Michael looked horrified, though he kept a hold of Will. “What’s wrong with him?”
Mike didn’t bother stopping to explain, he just continued speaking to Will in low, soothing tones. He wasn’t sure how much of it Will could hear when he was in this trance, but a small part of Mike hoped that maybe his presence might be enough to alleviate some of Will’s pain. Just as the thought flits through his head, blood begins to drip from Will’s nose.
“Vecna,” Will rasped, head rotating this way and that until he was facing Mike’s general direction. “Knows. Coming. Try to stop them.”
“Vecna’s coming?” Mike asked, still holding Will’s face. He used the sleeve of his left hand to wipe at the blood on his face before it could get into his mouth, and then wiped the sweat from his face for good measure. “C’mon, Will. You need to come back so we can get out of here. It’s no use to try and stop them if you’re dead!”
Almost as if the room heard him, the entire place came alive. Vines began snaking and moving, slipping around one another, and then began their descent to the ground and towards Will.
“Fuck!” Mike tugged at Jonathan and Michael so they could haul Will up. “We need to get out of here!”
The vines were still advancing, and though Eleven and Nancy are trying their best to keep them at bay, Eleven yanking them away with her powers and Nancy shooting at the pulsing balls of vines that are forming in the corners of the room, it wasn’t enough. They needed to get back to the gate.
Jonathan and Mike exchanged matching looks of fear. There’s no way they’ll be able to haul Will out with them when he’s like this, dead weight and no longer a little boy. Michael doesn’t share in any of these concerns.
“Here,” Michael muttered, reaching down to his belt to draw his sword and hand it to Mike. “I got William.”
In one smooth motion, he ducked and secured Will in his arms, holding him bridal style. Will’s head lolled against Michael’s shoulder, his face still contorted in pain, and his eyes rolled back in his head. Michael began up the stairs as if Will weighed nothing at all, and the others set into motion after him. For a moment, Mike just stared at the ease with which Michael was able to move with Will in his arms. Now wasn’t the time to reflect on the way his chest squeezed so Mike took the stairs two steps at a time, reaching the top and turning around to make sure the others made it up as well. The sword weighs heavily in his hand, and he glanced down at the way it glints in the light.
Once everyone had made it up the stairs, their group ran down the hallways. It seems as though the vines are mainly targeting Will, and though Michael had a firm grip on him as they navigate through the twisting halls, he could only duck out of the way so many times.
In a split second that seemed more like slow motion, Mike watched as a vine shot out from the wall towards Will’s head, and on instinct, he swung the sword at it. The severed piece fell to the ground with a squishy thud, and Michael glanced over his shoulder to give Mike an approving nod.
With Eleven watching their backs, Mike remained close to Michael and Will, slashing at any vines that came close. The sword was much heavier than he expected, and with every swing, his arms grew more tired. But then he looked over at Michael, who was clearly beginning to bend under the strain of running with another person in his arms, and he wills himself to keep going.
“Turn right! Last hallway out!” Eleven shouted from the back, and they all pivoted at the fork in the hallways.
The last thirty seconds were the worst of them all, as the vines had mostly taken over the floor at this point. Though Eleven tried her best to shove them out of the way, many of them still grabbed at their feet, and Jonathan even lost a shoe. But still, they continue running.
Mike never thought he would be so happy to see the gloomy skies of the Upside Down as they finally emerge from the lab. The Upside Down is pulsating with energy, and the vines only continue their journey towards them. With a chance to stop, Eleven is finally able to stand her ground and direct all her energy at keeping the vines at bay.
Michael ended up next to Mike, and he’s breathing heavily as he grunted, “Need to switch. I’ll be more helpful with the sword.”
Mike wasn’t sure how far he would be able to get with Will if they were in another chase, but he didn’t argue. He took an arm over his shoulder and wrapped his own arm around Will’s waist to hold him up. He was still shaking, but he didn’t seem to be in pain. If the blood dripping from his nose is any indication, it’s probably the demogorgans who were in pain.
And then Mike heard it. The faint beating of wings in the distance. He was about to ask what it could be when Nancy’s face dropped.
“Oh shit. The bats- It’s the demobats!” She exclaimed, dropping to a knee to fumble with her rifle, reloading and sifting through her bullets. “We need to get out of here before they reach us!”
In theory, all they had to do was run the last couple of minutes to the gate and cross back into Hawkins, but Will was still unconscious, and Mike wasn’t sure how much longer Eleven could hold off the vines.
And if things couldn’t get any worse, in the distance, Mike could see figures moving rapidly towards them. He wasn’t quite sure what they were… Demogorgons? Demodogs?
But then Will was gasping, and Mike shifted just in time to grab Will tightly before he crumbled. They both pitched forward, only held up by Jonathan, who grabbed Will’s arm just moments before they fell. Will was coughing, his chest heaving as he gasped for air, and all Mike could do was rub a soothing hand against his back.
“Will? What happened?” Mike asked, pressing his cheek against the top of Will’s head as he continued rubbing his back. “Are you okay to stand?”
With some help from Mike and Jonathan, the three of them straightened up. Will was still unsteady on his feet, and he grabbed Mike’s shirt tightly, his arm still looped over Mike’s shoulder. Once he was mostly upright, Mike leaned in to wipe the blood off Will’s face again.
“Vecna saw us. He sent them all after us,” Will finally muttered, and Mike had to lean closer to catch the second half of his sentence. “I tried to stop him, but all I could do was hold him off for a bit.”
“We need to move!” Jonathan yelled, and slowly, he and Mike began walking with Will stumbling between them.
With a start, Mike realized that he hadn’t heard Michael’s annoying voice for a few glorious minutes, but after whipping his head around, he saw that Michael was off cutting vines. Between him and Eleven, they were able to clear a large circle around the group, with each clean-cut stump lying on the ground, unmoving.
They only made it a few yards over before the beating of the wings had gotten too loud to ignore. Mike glanced over his shoulder to see a flurry of winged demobats coming straight towards them. Shit, shit, shit.
“You need to get Will out of here!” Nancy yelled over the screeching of the demobats. “Eleven and I can fend them off until you can get him out of here.”
Mike faltered at the thought of leaving Nancy behind, but then she turned around and fired a round, sending five demobats to the ground. On second thought…
They only made it a couple of feet further before Will began digging his heels into the ground, muttering, “wait, wait, wait.”
“What is it?” Mike stopped, shifting his stance to further support Will’s weight. “Are you hurt?”
“No, they’re- I can see them coming. We’re not going to make it to the gate if I don’t help,” Will said, trying to step away from Mike to stand on his own. He managed one wobbly step before Mike swooped back in to steady him.
“Will, you can’t even stand. How can you fight him?” Panic continued to build inside Mike’s chest, and he glanced back at the demobats again before staring further into the distance, where the creatures were getting closer.
“I’m not fighting him, I’m fighting them. The demodogs. They’re coming for us, and there’s no way we can outrun them.” Will attempted to straighten again, gritting his teeth and rolling his shoulders back.
“How can I help?” Michael asked, materializing next to them. For once, Mike wasn’t even upset. If anything, he was thankful that there was at least one other person whose main focus was keeping Will safe.
“I need to stand, I can stop some of the creatures, but I’ll need someone to watch my back,” Will informed him, and Michael didn’t hesitate to nod, sword already drawn.
“Will, are you sure we can’t make a run for it?” Jonathan asked, stepping closer to put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve only done this once before. What if something goes wrong?”
Will just shook his head grimly before pointing his chin towards Nancy and Eleven. “They can’t keep that up much longer, and it’ll only get worse once the demodogs arrive. I have to do this.”
Mike knew there was no convincing him out of this plan, so he resigned himself with a sigh before turning to Jonathan. “I can stay with Will, you should help Nancy.”
Jonathan looked torn for a moment, glancing between Will’s shaky stance and Nancy, who was facing a growing swarm of demobats. Even with Eleven, the bats only seem to be multiplying as the ones on the ground eventually twitched and began to attempt to rejoin their pack in the air. “You promise you’ll keep him safe, Wheeler?”
Both Mike's and Michael’s voices rang out loud and clear, affirmatively, and Jonathan seemed satisfied with their answer. He ran towards Nancy and Eleven, dropping to his knees by Nancy’s feet to begin loading the extra rifle that she must have tossed to the ground at some point.
Michael put himself between Will and the herd of demodogs approaching, sword drawn and brows set in a focused glare. Mike wasn’t sure what exactly he could even do other than stand behind Will in case he crumpled again, though he seemed a bit more stable on his feet, thankfully.
When the first of the demodogs finally reached the group, Michael greeted the first one with his sword, swinging to cut its head clean off. The demodog fell to the ground and didn’t stir. As more approached, Mike watched as Will’s eyes rolled back once again. This time, instead of crumpling under the weight of Vecna’s mind, he stood tall as he began to infiltrate the minds of the nearest demodogs. Even having seen it before, Mike’s jaw dropped with every demodog Will demolished, their bones cracking like a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
Watching Will tear the demodogs apart while Michael focused on hand-to-hand combat in order to keep the demodogs away from Will, Mike wondered if this is what Michael and William are like in their own world. Is this how they fight their battles? William casting his spells while Michael defends him in the meantime? Either way, it was amazing to watch, and Mike found himself momentarily entranced by Will's sheer power as he destroyed bones with just a curl of his fingers.
But there are just so many of them. Mike felt as though he was watching a horror movie as he watched Nancy shoot her last bullet before ducking down to let Jonathan take over while she attempted to reload. Eleven stepped in front of Nancy, throwing demobats this way and that way, though they eventually got back up. Michael fought valiantly, but there’s only so much one man with a sword can do, and it’s clear that with every demodog Will takes down, the longer it takes for him to kill the next.
They’re not going to make it.
Mike had never felt so useless, yet he had no clue how he was supposed to help fix any of this. He was about to run towards Nancy, who seemed to have run out of extra bullets, when a crackle of energy on his left sent sparks flying towards him. He jumped back, frowning at the swirling sparks and colors that spiralled through the air. What is happening?
And then the spiral was spinning faster and faster until it was growing in size, and Mike faintly wondered if he was witnessing the creation of a black hole. But then the sparks began to catch, and flames licked outwards through the spiral, until it pulled back to reveal a gate of sorts.
Mike watches in shock at the familiar figure on the other side of the gate. He had always imagined sorcerers to be dressed in long robes and a pointy hat, much like Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings books he had read with the party. Instead, Mike was face-to-face with none other than Will, dressed in tall brown pants and a puffy white tunic. It seems as though he once had purple robes, though they fluttered from his shoulders in a tattered mess. If he had a hat, it must have suffered the same fate, because even his face was all battered and bruised.
It was still Will, though. His hair was styled differently, and just like Michael, this Will seemed a couple years older than Mike, but he still looked exactly the same. Mike felt frozen to the ground as he watched this sorcerer continue whatever spell he had been casting before finally looking up and locking eyes with Mike.
Mike was beginning to understand why Will had acted the way he did with Michael. Because as he stared into the eyes of this Will, an older, powerful sorcerer, Mike knew he would have made a fool of himself if he ever spoke to him. A cocky smile played on the sorcerer's lips, and as he spoke his spell, he cocked his head ever so slightly, his eyes dragging down Mike’s frame.
Mike was about to call out, to ask what was going on, when simultaneously, Mike’s Will fell to his knees with his arms still outstretched, Michael turned around to see his William through the gate, and said William finished whatever spell he had been muttering.
Almost as if a picture had been taken, everything around them froze. The demobats hung suspended in the air. Demodogs that had surrounded Michael were frozen mid-leap. The writhing vines had finally stopped moving.
Michael was the first one to break the silence and the first one to move, as he ran towards the gate. Mike followed suit and dropped to his knees next to Will, who seemed to be coming back to himself, and wrapped an arm around his waist. He couldn’t help but look back at the direction Michael had run in.
William the sorcerer stepped forward just as Michael stepped into the gate, and then they were embracing each other, holding each other tight in one another’s arms. The hug only lasted a moment before they pulled back just far enough to fall into a kiss so passionate that Mike felt the need to look away, ears pink. A quick glance around showed Nancy, Jonathan, and Eleven all staring through the gate with matching expressions of shock. Nancy was the first to break her gaze and look at Mike with an all too knowing look in her eye.
Mike faintly remembered a crumpled-up piece of paper under his bed that had a messy scrawl of a story featuring a knight and a sorcerer who were in love. Though 10-year-old Mike hadn’t been creative enough to come up with anything quite like this.
“Oh, my William, my love. I have missed you so,” Michael declared, now holding William in his arms, their foreheads pressed together. “You don’t know how long I’ve been searching for you!”
“It’s alright, my dearest. I found you just as you found me. I had been looking for days, but I only just sensed your presence today.” William pulled back to assess Michael for any damage. “I was worried sick!”
Mike tuned out of their conversation, turning back to Will, who was rubbing a fist under his nose. The sheer number of demodogs had left Will with more blood than a normal nosebleed, so Mike just pushed his hand away and tugged at the hem of his own shirt to clean Will’s face off.
“Do you see what’s happening behind me?” Mike whispered, using his sleeve for a final swipe across Will’s face. “This is so freaky!”
Will allowed more of his weight to fall against Mike, arms wrapping around his neck as he weakly lifts his head to stare over Mike’s shoulder and through the gate at William and Michael. “Oh- is that, is that me?”
“I think so. You look so cool! Michael wasn’t lying when he said you’re powerful,” Mike pressed his own face into Will’s neck with the way they’re situated, and squeezed his waist once again to remind himself that Will was here, he was alive. Mike had been so scared of how this fight could have gone.
Speaking of…
“Nancy!” Mike called, and she looked up from the bag she had begun digging through. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I think we should try to get out of here!”
She opened her mouth to respond when a voice cut in from behind him.
“Your Mike is correct,” William’s voice rang out, and Mike pulled away from Will to turn to face him. “I was able to locate my- Michael due to your location in this… land. But my enchantment won’t last for much longer, so I suggest you get going.”
Jonathan had already begun hurrying towards Mike and Will, and together, they’re able to haul Will up. The three of them face the gate where Michael and William stand, arm in arm. Michael turned to his William, speaking quietly, and then he pulled away and stalked back through the gate.
He swept Will into a hug first, Jonathan loosening his grip to step away and allow them their moment, while Mike stayed standing there stubbornly. But then Michael turned to Mike after he pulled away from the hug. “You take care of your Will, yeah? Seems like you guys have your own monsters to worry about in this world.”
Mike agrees readily, “I will. I’ll do what you said, I’ll treat him right.”
Michael gave him a curt nod before turning back to Will. He placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned in to speak quietly, but Mike was still close enough to listen in, so he did. “I hope my time here has shown you that our love truly travels across space and time. There is nothing wrong with you two, just as there is nothing wrong with my William and I. Enjoy your time together, don’t listen to the hatred from those around you.”
Will was a combination of blushing cheeks and teary eyes, and he shook his head rapidly. “Yes, I understand! I’m so glad you ended up in this world. And I’m so happy that your Will came for you.”
Michael smiled softly, glancing back at his William, who raised an eyebrow in response. “As am I, he always finds me. I must return to my own world now.”
Will and Mike stepped back just far enough for Michael to detangle himself from the two of them and to step back through his gate. Unlike in Hawkins, Michael looked at home next to William, and Mike realized that the coat of arms on Michael’s armor matched the purple of William’s tattered robes.
“Thank you for looking after my Michael,” William spoke up, and Will’s cheeks flushed even further. “We really must shut this gate, there have been enough interactions between our worlds.”
Both Mike and Will watched as William’s hands moved in time with the spiraling motion of the gate, flames travelling in the opposite direction as earlier, spinning closer and closer together until the gate was shut and all that was left was a buzzing in the air.
They barely had a moment before Nancy and Eleven were running past them, motioning them to follow. Nancy shouted over her shoulder, “That was sweet and all, but we need to get going!”
With both Jonathan and Mike under each of Will’s arms, they begin their lopsided run back towards the gate. They only just reached when there was an audible pop in the air, and the Upside Down came back to life. By the time the creatures reoriented themselves, they already passed through the gate, and Eleven began levitating a large piece of metal to seal off the entrance.
Will and Mike ended up in a heap on the ground, and Mike could faintly hear Nancy saying something into the radio, most likely updating the others on what happened.
But just for a moment, Mike lay there in the grass, his arms around Will as they both caught their breath. Will was mostly on top of Mike, and with a shaky hand, he began to push himself off Mike and off the ground, but Mike just tightened his arms and pulled him back down.
“Just one more minute,” Mike pleaded, squishing his cheek against Will’s messy hair. “I finally have you all to myself. I just need a moment to enjoy it.”
Will laughed at Mike’s words, but he relaxed in his arms. “You’ve always had me, Mike.”
While this may be true, Mike still had his variant to thank for everything that had happened in the past 24 hours. Mike was grateful for all that Michael had done, but he was also so glad that he was the only Mike left in this world.
All this world needed was one Mike and one Will. Because that’s the way it always has been and always will be.