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After yet another crawl, the party of four were walking back home, which for Will was now the Wheeler house. He tried not to think too much about that, it was temporary, nothing to get your hopes up about. Jonathan and Mom lived there too, because otherwise they would be homeless or in the shelter.
The darkness of September was descending over Hawkins. It was cold enough that they were all wearing light jackets, but not enough for any of them to complain.
As they say their goodbyes to Dustin and Lucas, Mike’s elbow bumps into his. Will tries not to smile to himself, eyes drawn to the ground to hide the reaction.
They continued walking along the road in silence, the kind of silence that had become familiar between the two of them.
Will was too busy staring at his shoes, kicking rocks, as a million thoughts went through his head. He stops hearing Mike’s footsteps beside him. Then he looks back, telling Mike to pick up the pace, since it was getting colder by the second.
But Mike is standing still, looking out of it.
“Mike?” Will takes a few steps to see Mike clearly on the road, devoid of streetlights.
“Mike, what’s happening? Answer me,” Mike continues to stand still, unresponding. Will panics, he knows this. Not from seeing it himself, but from what Dustin and Luckas have told him, it’s Vecna.
He wastes no time, drops his backpack and takes out his music. It had saved Max once, so it should work for Mike too.
“Good thing I always have this.” He says, more to calm himself down than to the unconscious Mike.
He sets his headphones to Mike’s head and turns the volume until he can hear the familiar and comforting song blasting through the headphones - Should I Stay or Should I go - it wasn't Mike’s favorite, but maybe it was better than nothing. He looks at Mike’s face, he doesn’t look like himself. Will feels a new type of fear. He takes a step back to see a reaction, any reaction, hoping for the best.
After a few minutes of the music blaring for both of them to hear and nothing happening, Will feels helpless.
He thinks of the ways to act, does he have time to run to the Wheelers’ and get Mike’s own music? But he doesn’t even know where it is. Should he go get Lucas for help? But what would that accomplish?
Wasn’t there a different way to snap Mike out of it, to save him from whatever torment Vecna had made for him?
He has no time to think, so he does the first thing that comes to mind.
He drops the headphones off to dangle on Mike’s neck, the music louder for Will to hear now. His vision threatens to get blurry,y but he blinks hard and focuses.
“You remember the painting?”
This was Will’s last resort.
“El didn’t actually commission me, I lied.” He needs a few seconds to gather the right words. This could go wrong in so many ways.
The Walkman and headphones clatter onto the ground. Will tries to pick them up, but then Mike’s feet lift off the ground.
Will, in his panic, drops the Walkman and wraps his arms around Mike’s neck, as if it would help.
“No, no, no, not you, please, not you.” He gathers all his strength and ignores the fear and doubt. He continues, now in a shakier voice and wet eyes.
“I said it because—” If this saves Mike, the consequences won’t matter to Will. He takes a deep breath to get the words out. “—Because it was true, not for El, but for me. Those were my feelings. You’re my heart. I’m scared of losing you.”
He leans right over Mike’s left ear, his lips slightly touching the skin. His tears were now soaking his cheeks and Mike’s hair. If this doesn’t work, he’s out of ideas.
“I need you. Don’t leave me. Please come back to me.” The words find their way out shaky and scared, but so earnestly that it scares Will, there’s no going back. He holds onto Mike with all his strength, closing his eyes.
Time feels like it slows, they’re at least a meter off the ground. Will has never felt this scared, not even when he was alone in the upside-down.
And finally, gravity takes hold of them. Nurturing and crashing all at the same time.
Their feet hit the ground, Mike falling on top of Will, gasping for breath.
Will’s hands find their place on Mike’s face, grabbing it like a lifeline.
“I thought I lost you.”
“I- I thought I lost you.” Mike’s eyes are looking everywhere on Will’s face, coming back from the horrors Vecna subjected him to.
“I’m here. You’re here. We’re okay.” Will whispers between them, for both of them. Both of them need a few seconds to catch their breath.
“I heard you.” Mike breaths out, now less shaky.
Will caresses Mike’s face, forgetting everything else. “Good.” He remembers his words and what they meant. His hand leaves Mike’s face like the contact would burn them. He knew the consequences of his feelings.
Mike’s eyes search for something, an answer, one that he should’ve already had.
“You like me?” Mike asks, with a slightly unsure tone and a confusing smile.
“I love you.” Will has never meant something more than those three words, it comes out like something tangible. He can’t deny it anymore.
Tears begin to gather in his eyes again.
Mike smiles like he’s never smiled before. He reaches for Will’s face.
“Can I?” Mike whispers.
Through the falling tears, Will nods his head, not thinking about what he had given permission to. Some hair manages to fall over his face, obscuring his vision.
Mike brings his hand to the back of Will’s head — brushing the hair out of the way, and smiles up at him.
Will can feel the hand in his hair taking hold of it. He closes his eyes and feels Mike slightly lifting himself up, finally connecting their lips.
The kiss is short, sweet, and a little awkward due to the way Mike’s coordination skills stopped working in the middle. But Will doesn’t mind that the kiss is a little off-center. He is shocked, but oh so happy, he smiles through the kiss.
Mike pulls away with teary eyes, and they both burst into a laugh.
“You’re not getting rid of me, unfortunately.”
“You mean fortunately?”
The moment starts weighing on them, the realization of the near-death experience crashing all at once. Will pulls Mike to a sitting position and hugs him. After a minute, they separate and share a small smile.
“It really is getting too cold now.” Mike states. Will nods and lifts Mike with him off the ground, but when Mike gets up, he stumbles.
“Sorry, I’m still a little unstable.”
“It’s okay,” Will offers his hand with a smile. “If you fall, I’ll catch.”
Mike takes his hand, still unsure on his feet, but he has always trusted Will with his life.
The door to the Wheeler house opens slowly, Mike scans around for signs of anyone being awake. He looks over at their connected hands and directs Will with him through the dark house, bumping into a chair and almost knocking it over.
Will’s head is swimming in a confusing state of happiness and dread. Is he supposed to be happy, or be distraught for almost losing the love of his life?
All of his internal panic subsides when Mike doesn’t let go of his hand to go their separate ways. He stops on the first step of the stairs, their connected hands making Mike stop as well.
“Am I sleeping in your room?” He feels stupid asking it, and he probably is.
“I don’t wanna sleep alone, if that’s okay.” Mike mutters, seemingly ready for rejection. “Of- Of course it’s okay.” Will takes the first step, and they climb the stairs side by side.
Mike’s bed is comfortable, much more so than the spare mattress in the basement will has been sleeping on for the last few months. Maybe he should have asked to share Mike’s bed from the beginning.
They lie there shoulder to shoulder, in maybe the most comfortable silence of their lives. Will feels safe, hearing Mike’s breathing and feeling he’s physically there.
Will teeters on the edge of sleep when Mike breaks the silence to whisper the words 13-year-old Will thought he’d never hear from him.
“I love you too.”