Chapter Text
Mike has a perfect life.
Well, almost. His sister's boring and rude, his father barely notices him, his mom walks with a fake smile 24/7 and Holly's too young to even talk.
That's why he has his friends.
His wonderful, amazing friends. Lucas who has the best jokes and strategies, who's incredibly good at math, Dustin who is scary smart about science and physics, and Will…
Will, who is gentle and kind, who draws like a professional, who's smile makes Mike feel like everything's going to be okay. Will, who's Mike first friend since kindergarten, whose eyes lit up when Mike asked him to be his friend.
Mike'll never regret asking Will to be his friend, it was the best decision he's ever made
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Another session of DnD in the Wheeler's basement is the norm for now. They're in sixth grade, Dustin is the oldest of them at twelve years old, but their excitement over the game didn't fade since they discovered it three years ago.
Mike, as Dungeon Master, feels kinda bad for Will, who was taken by the Demogorgon, but there was nothing left for them to do. Will got caught, and he's off the board now.
Mike didn't know how true that was going to become.
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Joyce Byers calls for him first, because Will was in his house last night. But he says that Will left around seven pm and he never got back.
He never got back at home either.
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The first day is hell.
Mike's out of his mind with worry, as are Lucas and Dustin, but deep inside, Mike's sure they don't feel like him.
Will's is Mike's whole world, always has been. Even when Lucas and Dustin joined their Party later, it started with Mike and Will, and it was always them against the world.
Mike was there when the whispers and sneers started to be aimed at Will, just because he was quiet and shy.
Fairy. Faggot.
That's two of the words that Mike hates with all his heart.
Will was there when Mike got into another discussion with Nancy about something, it was never important. But what was important, was that Will was there. With his smile and his laugh, and Mike always felt his spirits lift up after.
Mike was there when Lonnie left. He left the house leaving behind Joyce with a black eye, Jonathan with his knuckles red and bloody, Will a sobbing mess.
Will was there when Mike fought with his dad the first time. Ted talked about severing their friendship, just because some stupid rumours about the Byers family.
They were there for each other, always, no matter the situation.
So, yeah. He misses Will like crazy.
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Eleven's arrival is unexpected, but it also sparks hope inside his heart. Hope that Will is alive, hope that they'll bring him back home.
Of course, learning about her superpowers was a bonus, and mind blowing for sure, but it just makes that spark in his heart burn brighter than ever.
Learning that she was kept as an experiment at the local laboratory was not cool. His heart bleed a little for the girl he just met. The girl who didn't even know her own name, only a tatoo number in her pulse, who didn't know about candy, Star Wars, DnD, waffles...
He bonds with her, of course he does.
There are many things that she doesn't know about the world, and Mike, Lucas and Dustin are happy to teach her. Sure, she barely speaks and her face is constantly an impassive mask, but they got through her.
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When Will's body turn up at the Quarry, Mike feels like his heart being ripped in two.
He vaguely remembers Lucas trying to pull them away from the edge of the lake, Dustin cursing loudly and Eleven at his side trying to offer comfort.
But it still hurts.
They take him back to his basement and put him on the couch. He doesn't remember when he started to cry.
Or when he screamed his throat raw.
Or passing out afterwards.
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He does remember waking up the late in the afternoon, Lucas, Dustin and Eleven napping over his basement, but Mike's mind is still far away.
He barely registers getting up and going to the living room. Barely spares a glance to his parents. He grabs his bike and goes to the Byers house.
He only registers he's out of breath when he's pounding on the door and Joyce answers it.
Her hair is frazzled, it's been like that ever Will went missing, and there's purple bags under her puffy red eyes, as if she didn't sleep at all.
He understands it. He's been the same way.
They didn't say anything for a minute, but Joyce sees what's wrong, because of course she does, and in a second he's engulfed in her arms, and he's crying his eyes out again.
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Seeing proof that Will was still alive made another lump stuck in his throat.
Even if Hopper, Dustin and Lucas were still sceptical, Joyce and Eleven believe the same as him, and that's enough.
Will's alive, and they're gonna bring him home.
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Mike doesn't like the plan.
He hates that Joyce and Hopper are going to the Upside Down save Will while he's stuck in school, with nothing to do but worry over them.
Worry over Will.
He wanted to go, wanted to help more, but Joyce grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at her.
“I need you here Mike, to look after them. Besides, Will would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
And he wanted to scream, to rage against it, because it should be him going there to save Will, Mike's isn't important, but he only stays quiet.
He just doesn't want to sit and do nothing.
And when the federals come looking for Eleven, he feels a little bad for jinxing them.
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El's sacrifice hits hard. Harder than he thought it would. He's a little heartbroken, he's not gonna lie, but then Hopper uses their radio and Mike's world shifts so quickly he's afraid he passed out.
“We got him. We're gonna go to the hospital.”
Mike never ran so fast, his legs never burned this way on his bike, and his mind is curiously blank, with only one word ringing in his brain.
Will.
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Dustin and Lucas do most of the talking. They talk about their worry over him, about El and her crazy powers, about the Upside Down, the Demogorgon, everything.
Mike chimes in once or twice, but remains quiet, because his mind is still frozen, because Will is there. He's there, and he's alive and breathing, and that's the most amazing thing in the world.
Dustin and Lucas eventually left, curfew and all that, but Mike stays where he is, even if he has a curfew himself. Joyce takes one look at him, smiles softly, whispers something to Will and she lefts as well.
And there, just the two of them, like always. Mike's trembling, his hands can't stop shaking, and when Will opens his mouth, Mike is on him in a flash, hugging the life out of him with all his force.
“I missed you. I missed you so much.” he chokes up.
Mike moves away just a little, just so their eyes met and Will sees it. Sees all the worry and desperation, all the fear and love, and he sobs himself.
“I missed you too.” he whisper, pulling Mike close once more.