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Everyone had a soulmate mark.
Will learned that from the moment the tiny silhouette of a swing set appeared suddenly on his wrist at the same exact time he made his first friend. The dark ink bloomed across his skin, swirling out as it etched his fate.
That didn’t mean everyone kept the same soulmate mark.
Often, the mark would change over time as different moments became more pivotal. It was incredibly rare for the mark to remain the same, especially the ones that appeared in early childhood, they could change month to month. As fickle as children themselves could be.
Really, calling it a soulmate mark was disingenuous.
Because not only did the mark change. The person it was meant for could change.
Generally, people had multiple soulmate marks before they settled. Some peoples never settled.
It didn’t even necessarily have to mean romantic love.
Will knew that because his mom’s soulmate mark wasn’t for his dad but for him and Jonathan. A small mark on her ankle of a mountain with two peaks, she explained it was derived from her maiden name, Horowitz.
Jonathan’s had a mark for as long as Will could remember, high up on his forearm, but his would change every now and then. The most common was the record player, that was the first one Will noticed, which Jonathan said was for him.
Will felt really special that his mom and brother both had marks for him. The only time Jonathan didn’t was when he’d get a crush. Will always knew because he’d get all nervous and jumpy and would only wear long sleeves.
His dad didn’t have a mark.
Will didn’t like thinking about that. It was odd for someone to not have a mark. To not care about anyone enough for it to appear. Will had never met anyone else who didn’t have a mark.
Wills mark hadn’t changed since it first appeared. He loved it. He liked how it looked. He liked what it meant. He adored who it was for. He was elated that it matched. Mike had the exact same mark on his upper thigh.
Will vividly remembered when they compared their marks, jumping around in joy at how perfectly they mirrored each other.
Matching pairs like that were rare.
It wasn’t a problem at first, that they were soulmates. Most kids marks represented their best friends when they are little, that or a family member. It was typically expected to start fluctuating when they got to the age of having crushes.
For some kids that started a lot earlier. Will remembered how much Justin got teased when Troy worked out his mark, a cello, was about Jennifer Hayes. It was humiliating for him at the time but as they got older, it became normal for your mark to represent a girl.
Will and Mikes marks stubbornly didn’t change. Not once. Will was happier about it than he should have been. Considering how much grief it caused him over the years. Even from the day it first appeared his dad was angry about it.
Despite, like Will said, it being common at that age. His dad knew something was off about him from the start though, and Wills soul mark was just more confirmation to his fears.
The other kids didn’t care when they were younger. They used to get annoyed when Mike and Will would show off their matching marks, bragging about how rare it was and it how it meant they were better best friends than anyone else.
Something changed when the years went by, and their marks didn’t.
Change.
Wills mark was easily visible, directly on his wrist, and even if he wore long sleeves they would slip up. At a certain point some of the bullies took the fact that Wills mark was for a boy meant certain things about him.
It didn’t.
It really didn’t. Just because Wills mark was for Mike didn’t mean it was meant in that way. It couldn’t be meant in that way. Will knew boys weren’t allowed to be together like that. His dad made sure he knew that, so did the other kids.
It only meant Mike was his best friend. His favorite person. When Will met a… girl he liked, it would change.
He tried to not be upset about that.
It made Will sad that he wasn’t allowed to be happy about his soul mark anymore. He and Mike used to take so much pride in their matching marks but around the time every other boys marks represented a girl, Mike stopped talking about it.
Stopped being happy about it.
He started wearing pants year round, only breaking on the absolute hottest of days reluctantly donning a pair of knee length shorts. When they had to change for gym, Mike would covertly cover the mark, and dress as fast as humanly possible.
Will followed his lead as best he could. Obviously, Mike was unhappy that his mark hadn’t changed yet, and Will didn’t want to make things worse. He couldn’t hide his as effectively as Mikes due to its position.
He wasn’t upset. He wasn’t. He wasn’t upset that Mike didn’t want to match anymore. He wasn’t upset that Mike was embarrassed at having Will for a soulmate. He wasn’t upset that Mike didn’t correct the assumption that his mark had changed whilst Will’s hadn’t.
That Will was the only weird one. That Will was mismatched.
It was okay because even though Mike wouldn’t admit it, Will knew they still matched. Wills marks was for Mike, and Mikes was for Will. That was all that mattered.
Until suddenly he didn’t have that anymore.
Until suddenly Mikes mark wasn’t for him.
When Will came back from hell changed in every way imaginable, except the swing set on his wrist, to find Mike changed in the one way he dreaded. Missing the mark that had connected them since they were five-years-old.
Replaced with a picture of Eggos, Mike raved about a girl called El adoring. This El who had superpowers and saved his life and sounded amazing and magical and was…
Mikes new soulmate.
He felt worse when Mike told him about his new mark than he did for a single moment in the upside-down. He felt bile fill his stomach and work its way up his throat. He wanted to burst into tears, and it felt like… dying.
He frantically checked his own wrist once Mike had left. Relieved that his mark remained. Guilt at the relief he felt because it stayed and anger that Mike finally got what he wanted. A new soulmate. One that wasn’t Will. Wasn’t a boy. Wasn’t a freak who got kidnapped by a monster.
Because he was a monster.
Who wanted Mike to stay his soulmate forever. Will had never wanted another soulmate. He wanted to be one of the special cases where it never changed, not ever. Even though he knew what that would imply. They could have been platonic soulmates.
That’s what Will wanted too.
Not-
He wasn’t.
Mike got comfortable showing off his legs now his mark had changed. The first few months after it happened it seemed like he was purposefully making sure the other boys noticed it. Going as far to strip off in front of Dustin and Lucas to point it out.
Will didn’t care. He got used to it. Not seeing the familiar swing set on Mikes skin.
He got used to having a mismatched mark, a mismatched soulmate. It happened. Will didn’t think it would feel right to not have it anymore.
It didn’t make it less embarrassing.
That everyone knew Will still had a mark for Mike, but Mike had a mark for someone else.
His friends didn’t talk about it. There wasn’t anything to say. When the topic of marks and soulmates came up, they didn’t need to mention Will. His was the same as it always had been. It was much more interesting to focus on Dustin, who was a frequent changer, or the skateboard that appeared on Lucas’s shoulder after the new girl started.
Until the conversation inevitably descended into Mike waxing lyrically about El and how much he loved his new soul mark.
Will tried really, really, hard to not react to that.
He had to try really hard to not react to the bullies throwing it in his face too. Desperately withholding his tears as they would tease him, and make insinuations, and remind him that Mike didn’t feel the same.
Will knew that. He had proof. They didn’t need to rub it in his face. Mike did that enough, however inadvertently.
Things only got worse when El came back. Will wasn’t blaming her, exactly. She helped save him from the mind flayer. It wasn’t her fault Mike had been so attentive recently, Will foolishly thought things would go back to normal. It wasn’t her fault Mike wanted to spend all his time with her now.
Of course, he did. She was his soulmate, Will had to constantly remind himself.
It had been easier to theoretically think of her as Mikes soulmate. It was much harder when she was actually here being Mikes soulmate. Where Will had to see Mike treat her like his soulmate. Treat her how he used to treat Will.
It was not jealousy.
It was… grief.
Will would get over it. Mike would work out how to balance his new soulmate with his friends and things would be okay again. They would go back to normal, or whatever normal was going to be.
It felt weirder having Mike as his soulmate now El was around, like it was something she shouldn’t know. That she might think says things about him, which she will tell the rest of their friends, and then they will think says things about him.
Luckily, they weren’t particularly close so Will didn’t think she even knew what his mark was. Will certainly didn’t know what hers was. As much as Mike spoke about his, he never mentioned if hers matched back.
Out of every possibility Will considered, what happened wasn’t one he anticipated.
He didn’t even notice at first.
He had never argued like that with Mike before, never had cause too, and Mike had certainly never said something…
Like that,
To him.
Mike had never spoke about the rumors about him before. Ignored the bullies when they called Will names. Told him he was fine just the way he was. He never even made a big deal that Will still had a soul mark for him.
So, when he said that.
It hurt.
It hurt so much Will didn’t notice the searing pain in his wrist when it happened.
The other thing that can happen to soul marks. The worst thing that can happen to them.
The black ink burning away into a silvery translucent scar, permanently marking his body with his loss. It usually only happened when your soulmate died. Representing the persistent love that could no longer be returned.
The only person Will knew who had a scarred soul mark was Hopper. He’d never seen it very clearly, tucked just under his earlobe on his neck. It was rude to inquire but Will had heard it was to do with his daughter.
It could be sweet in those situations. Connecting soulmates past death.
It wasn’t sweet in his. It meant Will was stuck with his soulmate, who wouldn’t feel the same, forever. He could never find a new soulmate, a new match. He would be alone forever.
It’s not like he wanted a new soulmate. Like he said, he was okay with the situation, accepted it. The scarring on his wrist felt to permanent.
Proof that Will had been right, and Mike was it for him. He would never love anyone else as much as the boy he met when he was five. And that boy didn’t feel the same back, he scarred that knowledge into Wills wrist forever.
The scar ruined the delusion that one day he would meet a girl he actually liked. Liked in the way he was supposed to but never had. Never would now.
Will asked his mom to buy him a cuff after that. Relieved she didn’t pry as to why after all these years he wanted to hide his mark. Jonathan didn’t ask either which Will appreciated. They hadn’t spoke about marks since Jonathan’s had settled for its longest period yet.
All his friends were preoccupied after the Star Court incident so probably didn’t notice Will started covering. No-one asked him about it anyway, not even Mike, and then the next thing he knew he was living half-way across the country.
Going to a new school where no-one knew Will didn’t usually cuff.
He didn’t realise how much having a male soulmate screwed with his life until he was in a place where they didn’t know. For the first time in his school-career Will wasn’t being bullied. He wasn’t being teased and called names. If anything, people seemed to like him.
Especially girls.
Unfortunately.
Not that Will didn’t want to make friends. He did, and they seemed nice and friendly. Too friendly was the problem. The girls in Lenora were a lot more confident in their advances. A far cry from the shy smiles Jennifer Hayes used to give him in Biology.
They would touch his arm, and run their foot up his leg, and excitedly show him their soul mark of a paintbrush. His cuff made him mysterious, and they wanted to know if he matched them, and Will wanted to sink into the floor.
Having had to come to an inevitable conclusion that… girls… were not his thing.
Like at all.
His indifference had the opposite effect he wanted but at least it helped stave of certain rumors following him from Hawkins.
Will really enjoyed the absence of them, especially because he’d accepted they were true.
El was not having as much of a good time. The kids in Lenora picking up on some of her eccentricities and making life a living hell for her. Will wished he could help more. He was never the most outspoken and it was even harder when he didn’t want to put a spotlight on himself.
Didn’t think he could cope with those accusations coming back.
He supported her as best he could. They actually got really close. Will would say she was his best friend now, it certainly wasn’t Mike, but honestly she felt more like his sister. Like they were always meant to be family.
She fit in to their little family unit just as perfectly as Jonathan and him, maybe even more than him. If they found out his secret he’s not sure he’d belong anymore.
It’s why he goes silent when she brings up soulmates and marks. She loved the whole thing, all of it. Will thought it made sense. After she told him that she never had a mark until she escaped and met Mike.
She didn’t still have that mark. Will hadn’t seen anyone cycle through marks as quickly as El before. Sometimes it would change multiple times in a day, Will had been fascinated. His mom said it was because El wasn’t allowed to care about people or have people care about her for so long, that her mark was catching up.
It would mostly repeat the same pictures, Will knew which mark represented who at this point. The most common was Mikes one, and Will wasn’t jealous about it. Wills favorite was his own, a small symbol they had to research the meaning of, delighted when it said twins.
Will had never felt like something was missing until she was there. Like she was meant to be there the entire time.
Will didn’t like looking at his wrist, keeping it cuffed even in private. The only time he removed the band was to shower, and he purposefully averted his gaze from the scar, not needing to see it as the image was already burned into his mind.
Despite his and Mikes friendship being non-existent at the moment, Will wanted to fix it. Out of naive hope perhaps that his mark would come back to life? Just because he missed Mike? Because he didn’t know how to not care about Mike?
Whatever it was, it led Will to slaving over his easel for weeks painting what he hoped could bridge the gap that had formed between them.
Will might have wanted more but that didn’t mean he needed it.
All he needed was his friend back.
Which was apparently a pipe dream itself.
He had been so excited to see Mike. Waiting impatiently in the airport, jiggling his leg in anticipation, the happiest he’d been since they moved and then Mike…
Did that.
Couldn’t bring himself to hug him, shrugging off Wills arms and patting him on the back. As if they were some sports jocks or something. It was ridiculous. It was humiliating. It made him think he did something wrong.
Was it because of what Mike said last summer?
Did he actually know?
Will couldn’t hide his jealousy and bad mood the rest of the day. Things got worse and worse, from arguing with Mike to El hitting Angela. Finally accumulating in an awkward family dinner, with Murray for some reason, and Will gave up burying his head in his hands.
If he thought that was a bad day it was nothing compared to the following few. From El getting arrested, his mom going to Alaska, and getting stuck on a cross-country road trip with Mike.
Some things were better. He and Mike spoke, they were friends again, in wasn’t enough to bring his mark back but it felt like progress, like there was a chance. It was why he took his painting with him. Hopeful that would be the key.
Will was careful, making sure his long sleeves covered his wrists, not wanting Mike to ask questions about the cuff. There wasn’t an explanation that didn’t imply certain things about Will, and he didn’t want to have that conversation.
Ever.
Luckily Mike was preoccupied with finding El and didn’t inquire much into Wills life in California. He did his best to support him, but it wasn’t enough. It’s why he gave Mike the painting but slapped Els name on it.
Mike needed to hear it, but not from him.
He wasn’t surprised his wrist remained scarred and ugly. Will didn’t deserve it to come back. He lied to his best friend. He lied to his soulmate. He had a boy soulmate in the first place. His love wasn’t meant to be reciprocated.
His eyes still teared as his soulmate declared his love for his sister, over a pizza dough freezer. His scar ached as Mike told her his life started the day they met in the woods. Will easily pictured Mikes mark settling on his thigh and Els matching on her collarbone.
It was that image that forced him to accept reality.
Mike and El loved each other. They were soulmates and their marks would match, if not now, then one day.
Wills mark wasn’t coming back. He was scarred. He had to move on.
So, he tried.
He religiously kept his wrist hidden, made a lot easier by the apocalypse and the toxic atmosphere that took over Hawkins. It was expected to be covered up head to toe. Not as easy was sharing a room with Mike, windows sealed shut, and the many layers not as necessary.
If Mike noticed, he never said anything, and Will had bigger problems than his soul mark. Like the probability of them all surviving the war. That sort of thing took priority not Wills stupid love life. Even if it still hurt to see Mike and El together. Even if it was agonising sharing a space with Mike and still feeling further apart than ever.
It took two years for it to finally be over. Two years of enduring a toxic atmosphere, battling back the spawn of evil as it escaped the hellmouth, suffering and losing in a never-ending cycle of misery. Until it was done. The day started like so many before it and yet when the sun set so did their war.
Will was surprised they all lived through it.
Even more surprised by how little time it took for everything to go back to normal. The cracks in the ground sealing over and trapping the poisonous particles where they belonged. The quick rebuild and repair of the damaged town to encourage the residents who had long since fled to return.
Which many did. The promise of retaining ownership of their properties in conjunction with a substantial government pay-out to tempting to turn down.
All this leading to the re-opening of Hawkins high school only three months after Vecna was defeated, almost as if nothing had ever happened.
His mom and Hop used their pay-out to purchase one of the few empty houses left in Hawkins, either the family not coming back or couldn’t come back, Will didn’t particularly want to know. Their combined money meant it was on par with their Lenora house and a significant upgrade from their old Hawkins one.
Jonathan left for college and Hopper moved in. He had got used to living with El in Lenora. He liked living with El, she was his sister, and he had missed her when he stayed with Mike. Hopper was harder to get used too. They weren’t close. Both on the outside and only connected by the people they loved.
He would get comfortable with it eventually. He hoped. Hopper was nice. To El and his mom at least. Even though he was big and loud, he hadn’t done anything to make Will think he wasn’t… safe. It would just take time, it was normal to be cautious around the unknown.
And Will had an extra secret that could complicate things.
A secret that was much easier to ignore and push to the backburner when everyone was preoccupied with the end of the world and not dying in some excruciating way.
Which led him to the events that occurred one normal school day.
The party gathered at their regular table for lunch. Lucas and Dustin bickering over something nonsensical as Mike rolled his eyes at the pair of them, El whispering in Maxs ear everything she can’t see to insure she doesn’t miss out on a moment of it.
Will glumly poked at, what he assumed was, meatloaf on his tray, working up the courage to put it in his mouth. He was starving and surely it couldn’t taste worse than his own moms cooking but he was still reluctant.
He was so transfixed on the unappetising food he didn’t realise someone was trying to get his attention until a painful elbow poked him in the ribs. Will turned accusingly on Lucas, who motioned with his eyebrows to behind Will.
He turned his head over his shoulder to see a small blonde girl, a cheerleader if her outfit was accurate, standing with a hand on her hip as she introduced herself for supposedly the second time.
“Um, Hi.” Will eventually said after she told him her name was Clara. Honestly not sure why he should care who she was.
“Hi,” She grinned, bouncing on her toes in her pristine white sneakers, “You’re Will Byers, right.”
Will screwed his eyebrows together, cautiously peeking around the immediate area but not seeing an imminent threat apart from the group of giggling girls huddled a few feet from them. The group Clara must have just vacated.
He nodded, bracing himself for some form humiliation.
She grinned wider at that, flashing pearly whites as her lips stretched, “I’ve heard about you. You got caught up in that whole government cover-up thing, didn’t you.”
Will blanched, uncomfortable discussing that with his closest friends let alone a complete stranger. The NDAs they all had to sign a hanging threat to hard fought peace they won.
“Yeah,” he mumbled when she looked expectantly at him for an answer.
To his relief she registered his discomfort and didn’t probe at that further, “It’s weird being back, huh, in Hawkins” She laughed awkwardly, “Where did your family go.”
Will hesitated again. He couldn’t tell her they never left. “Um, Leanora- it’s in California.”
“Makes sense,” The girl nodded as if it did mean something to her, “My folks went to Denver to live with Grandma but I got to stay with my sister in New York during the holidays.” She said, excitedly.
“Oh, that’s uh cool.” Will offered.
Was she ever going to get to the point of this conversation. His friends were being suspiciously quiet behind him and couldn’t imagine what they were making of this whole situation.
“Yeah New York is like so hip, like trendy and stuff-“ her eyes gleamed, “My sister has this roommate and he would take us to the coolest places. He’s really fun and stylish, you know.”
“Right, well I’m sure you can visit again soon.” Will said, comfortingly.
“Duh,” Clara poked her tongue out him, “I’m just saying, you would like it there.”
Will screwed his nose up, “You don’t know me.” He said, the condescension dripping as it fell out of his mouth.
Clara flinched at his tone looking slightly chagrined before correcting herself, “I just meant you’ve got the same kind of vibe. Like your energies would match. It was a compliment.”
Will felt a bit bad. She didn’t seem like she had bad intentions. He still didn’t know what her intentions were, but he didn’t like upsetting people.
“Oh, okay, thanks.” He smiled awkwardly. “I’ll keep that in mind when booking future travel plans.”
She laughed, almost convincingly, “Funny-“ she playfully punched his arm, making him institutively dodge, “Anyway, me and my friends-“ she motioned to the group of girls with his thumb, “Were wondering if you wanted to hang with us Saturday. The new mall is opened, and we were going to do some shopping.”
This might be the weirdest thing that has happened to Will since the upside down was closed for good. “Shopping.” He repeated, the whole not becoming clearer unfortunately.
“Yeah shopping. We could use the advice.”
“Advice.” Will squeaked, “I’m not- I don’t really shop.” Will said, face red at his friends hearing this painful exchange. What the hell had Will done to give the impression he would like shopping. “Sorry.” He mumbled, struck by an odd sense of guilt at the shock on her face.
She frowned, “You don’t. I thought all the-“ she chewed on her lower lip, thinking hard “It doesn’t have to be shopping. We could do other stuff.”
Will squinted at her, “Why.”
He heard muffled groans behind him, that he steadfastly ignored.
Clara looked to be getting frustrated with him, which didn’t particularly feel fair as she was the one who interrupted his lunch. “Like I said, we thought you have a cool vibe. If you want to chill, hit us up, alright.” She left him with that open invitation, jogging back to her friends with a disappointed slump to her shoulders before the group of them scurry away talking.
Will shrugged at their retreating backs and turned back to his now cold and unappetising food, only looking up at his friends when they didn’t immediately return to the loud ruckus they had been engaged in before the cheerleader came over.
“What.” He asked, lost as they all stared at him with various degrees of shock and confusion.
“Will-“ Dustin took the lead, staring him down intently, “Why did Clara Hill, the most popular girl at school, come and talk to you.”
Will shrugged nonchalantly, pursing his lips smugly “Didn’t you hear, I’ve got a rad vibe.”
“She didn’t say rad.” Mike spluttered from beside Dustin, his hands thrown wide.
“Whatever-“ Will shrugged again, poking his fork into the suspicious looking meat, “It doesn’t matter-”
“It so does matter-“ Dustin cut him off, pulling his tray away from him across the table “Was that an offer of a date.”
Will frowned, whining as his food was taken from him despite not wanting it anyway, it hadn’t felt like that. Mike and Lucas agreed, the former snorting loudly and Lucas cautiously speaking up, “I don’t think dates usually include a bunch of friends tagging along.”
“Oh my God.” Max screeched, suddenly laughing manically to herself, catching all their attention. “Of course. That bitch.”
El tilted her head to the side, “Thought it was sexist to call girls bitches.” She asked Max.
Max waved her concern away, “Only when boys do it. Girls can call each other bitches when they are being a total bitch.”
“How was she being a bitch.” Dustin said, sounding incredibly lost even as Mike nodded in agreement with Max, “She invited him shopping, what’s wrong with that?”
Max narrowed her eyebrows at him, “She wants to steal Will away.”
“And.” Dustin replied, not seeing an issue, “If she’s interested in him, why do you care. You and Lucas are soulmates.”
Max scowled, “That’s the thing, she’s not interested in him. Sorry Will.” She tacked on the end in his general direction.
“No worries.” Will shrugged, her lack of interest if anything a blessing.
“How do you know that?”
“Like Lucas said, she wouldn’t invite her friends on a date.”
“Then what does she want with Will?” Dustin said, frustration dripping from his features.
“Shopping, apparently.” Max said, making Dustin groan at her answer, “Urgh she probably thinks hanging with Will makes her cooler or something.” Max elaborated.
“No offense but since when has hanging out with Will made anyone cooler.” Lucas chimed in, “It didn’t do much for us back in middle school.”
Will would be offended if it wasn’t patently true.
“Not like-“ Max looked like she regretted opening her mouth in the first place, “She thinks- urgh- she wants an accessory.”
“And Will can help find it.” El offered, waiting for Max to confirm she was correct, “With the shopping.”
Max grimaced, “No, like-“ She hesitated, fingers tapping the table nervously, “Will is the accessory.”
Will paused his own mission to retrieve his tray while Dustin had been distracted with the conversation, his hand stretched halfway across the table as he turned his head to Max, “What?” Will wasn’t an accessory. What the hell was Max talking about.
“Like a toke-“ Max stumbled, “Never mind. I don’t know what I’m saying. Dustin’s probably right, she was just nervous about asking you alone on a date or something.” She hurriedly corrected herself.
Will was sceptical and wanted to question her further but had a niggling feeling he shouldn’t in front of all their friends. He wasn’t the only one that looked unconvinced at Max suddenly readily agreeing Dustin. Max was only topped in stubbornness by Mike.
“I’m always right.” Dustin boasted. Which might be accurate when they were fighting interdimensional creatures, it wasn’t as true when dealing with interpersonal matters. “Did anyone catch a glimpse of her soulmark? Any hints it’s for Will?” he asked the group excitedly.
Wills mood sank. He hated talking about soulmarks and soulmates. Particularly now all his friends’ marks had permanently settled, well apart from El, she was special. His own scarred wrist had settled in its own way, he supposed. A way fitting for his kind, he thought maliciously.
They all shook their heads, leaving Dustin huffing in disappointment. “Well, what about yours Will?” His eyebrows drew together, “What even is yours nowadays?” his eyes flickered down to Wills sleeve covered wrist, likely realising he hasn’t seen Wills bare arms in nearly four years.
He was to slow, and Dustin grabbed his arm before he could pull it away, yanking it into the centre of the table, “Woah, Dustin, wait.” Will said, in a panic as Dustin pushed his sleeve up to reveal the black cuff that enclosed his wrist.
“Since when do you cuff?” Lucas asked from beside him as the table stared at his wrist.
Will flushed, jerking his arm back forcefully out of Dustin’s tight grip, “What the fuck?” Why would you-“ Will rolled his sleeve down over the black band, avoiding his friends eyes as he burned with humiliation.
“Will always cuffs.” El said, innocently from her spot at the table. Eyes round as they jumped from person to person, confused by the shock on the three boys. “Even at home. Mom says its because sometimes soulmarks can be private-“
“El.” Will cut her off. He didn’t need to know what excuse his mom had given her for Wills secrecy around his mark, or lack thereof. He really didn’t need his friends to know either. It was bad enough they knew it hid it at all now. Fucking Dustin.
She thankfully stopped talking but unfortunately no one else began to break the excruciating silence that settled over the group. Will clutched his concealed wrist in his lap as his friends stared at him tensely.
Lucas, bless him, tried to break the awkward atmosphere “You- uh- never used to- um why-“
“Did it change?” Mike spoke over Lucas’s stumbling, and when Will gathered the courage to raise his eyes Mike was staring single-mindedly at him. His gaze hiding an emotion Will couldn’t quite place, grief perhaps.
He supposed it did change, in a sense, so he nodded. Disappointed that he felt a brief moment of joy when Mike flinched, his face echoing but an ounce of the pain Will felt as the soulmark burned his flesh.
Did he seriously think Will held the same mark from when they were kids.
“Oh,” Mikes eyes darted between face and his hand holding onto his wrist, his own hand slipping below the table to squeeze his thigh, “When?” he whispered.
“Does it matter,” Will grunted, he hated remembering. “A few years ago. I didn’t even notice; we were so pre-occupied with the mindflayer thing.”
Mike face fell in realisation, “The summer?” he asked, a memory so sharp Will could taste the metallic blood that had filled his mouth when Mike had uttered those words.
Mike looked devastated. It wasn’t fair. His changed first. He got rid of their shared mark first. He got to have a whole new mark and a new soulmate. Will got scarred and sentenced to a life with no soulmate, no true love.
Fuck you, Mike.
“I think-“ Max began, swallowing heavily “Maybe we should listen to Mrs Byers, soulmarks are personal sometimes.”
“Come on, Will knows all of ours.” Dustin whined, curiosity dancing across his face, “Whose it for? It can’t be more embarrassing than having Mike for years.”
“Hey-“
“Is it Clara?” Dustin, bouncing in his seat as he interrogated Will.
Will blanched, “I’ve never even seen her before.”
“Not her then,” Dustin waved away the guess, “Give me a clue. What’s she like?”
This had spiralled way out of control. Will could feel the panic thrumming through him, no doubt emblazoned across his face, “Um-“
Should he lie? Make up an imaginary mark for an imaginary girl? Would any tale he spins only increase Dustin’s innate curiosity.
Out of habit he looked to Mike for help. To save him like he had so many times in the past. Mike was usually good at knowing what Will needed. Only one occasion came to mind where he failed, the snowball, pushing Will into the arms of some girl.
And apparently right now, as Mike sat in a sad silence his hands laced in his lap as he avoided Wills eyes.
The bell did what Mike couldn’t, it’s piercingly sharp screech cutting off the excruciating conversation and saving Will from this hell. He shrugged helplessly at Dustin, as if he was actually sorry for being interrupted, and gathered his things.
He never did get to eat the meatloaf he realised as he trailed after his friends back into the school, stopping to dump the tray in the trash on the way. It might have prevented unfortunate circumstance the next day as Will was pretty sure he saw the mystery meat burp when he dumped it.
The next few weeks were agonising as Dustin and to a lesser extent Lucas probed him for more information on his soulmark. Will was constantly ducking and weaving their questions, going as far as literally avoiding them at times.
Mike seemed to be doing the same to him. Will barely saw him over the weeks, Mike conveniently grounded for some indiscretion or another. His eyes filled with misery in the few moments they were forced together.
It was almost like Will was in Lenora again.
His friends finally noticing the cuff after years seemed to set of a domino effect, his wrist a blaring beacon catching everyone’s attention, especially that of those he really wished it hadn’t.
Like Troy and his cronies. They took no time in retaking their position at the top of the social hierarchy in Hawkins. They exerted even more power now they were upperclassman, and it didn’t take long for the recycled insults to start.
He should have appreciated his reprieve from all that more than he did, both in Lenora and in the apocalypse.
He was used to it by now. It didn’t hurt nearly as much as when he was a kid just figuring out that the words they called him were actually accurate. That had been hard. Being called a fairy at seventeen just didn’t hit the same way.
Will called that growth.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t unpleasant to be tripped in the hallway by the bigger boy, exposing his cuffed forearm, and the inevitably cruel comments that elicited. They weren’t wrong to assume he was hiding his mark because of shame. They weren’t wrong to assume it was for a boy. They weren’t wrong to assume it was woefully unrequited.
They were wrong in assuming that it was a mark and not an ugly blemish.
It didn’t take long for the rumor that Will Byers was still a queer to spread liberally around the school. Everyone wanted a peek under his band, gossiped behind their hands that he would just show it if it wasn’t true.
He couldn’t even blame them. Not when that was the same assumption his own mom and brother had made years ago, when they didn’t question why he started to hide in the first place. Of course Will knew why the subject of his soulmark hadn’t been discussed in the Byers house for so long. He was infinitely thankful they hadn’t pushed him to talk about it.
Even when Jonathan had shyly displayed his settled mark after he had eventually decided on his college, working up the nerve to chase his own dream while Nancy chased her. Certain they could withstand the distance, together.
Wills moms mark had expanded to include two more peaks to her mountain range and though she never said it, Will knew his mother’s mark was finally completed. Els still hadn’t truly settled, and Will would always be fascinated by its ever changing nature. He was almost jealous of the variety of her love. He wondered if Mike resented it.
He was stuck with one.
Hoppers was the most surprising. The small silvery scar by his hairline would peak out when reflected in the light, immortalised on his skin, but there was a new mark. Located on his ankle just like his mother, Will didn’t get a close look, the dark ink glimpsed briefly as Hopper would take off his shoes and socks in the evening.
What he would give for a new one. He couldn’t talk to Hopper about it. Couldn’t explain why he was interested. Couldn’t admit he had a scarred mark too. Couldn’t admit why his mark was scarred.
Mike avoided him for a few more weeks and Will was tearing his hair out by that point, until he was pulled aside by the boy after last period on Friday with a tentative offer of a sleepover.
Will wasn’t hard to convince, following after the lanky teen to unlock their bikes and ride home together. They didn’t wait for the rest of the party, not even Lucas who lived down the same street as Mike.
He tried not to feel awkward as they descended to the Wheelers basement. Will had spent nearly two years living in this house, yet had only stepped foot inside the basement a couple of times since the world was saved.
Getting back to normal had the unfortunate side effect of taking time away from being kids. Rebuilding harder than tearing it down in the first place.
They settled on the old couch in an uneasy silence, missing the rambunctious musings of their usual compatriots. Will patiently waited on Mikes lead, rewarded with a controller shoved into his lax hands and the familiar Donkey Kong theme emitting from the TV.
It only took a few games to relax, battling in a much more comfortable environment than what they were doing this time last year, as they shoved ineffectually at one another. If Will closed his eyes he could almost pretend they were twelve again and Wills wrist was whole and Mike had a matching symbol on his thigh.
It was almost like the moment Will thought it Mikes eyes dimmed as he gathered the courage to talk. Will swallowed as he realised, he should have seen this coming.
“So, uh-“ Mike mumbled, looking between the screen and Will repeatedly, “Your mark changed?”
“Yep.” Will said, with a significant pop on the p. “You didn’t seriously think I had the same one from kindergarten?” he said sarcastically, smiling to temper his words as his stomach tightened at the lie, “You said we had to grow up, remember.”
That might have come out sharper than he intended.
“Right, yeah, of course.” Mike stuttered, “It’s just- I guess I thought- you’d tell me or whatever” he mumbled with a self-conscious shrug, “”I mean I told you straight away when mine changed the first time.”
Yeah, Will remembered that, thank you very much. The moment still ranking exceptionally high in the list of the worst experiences of his life. Sandwiched between getting lost in the upside-down and the moment his best friend eyes rolled back into his head, and he started levitating.
“Like I said we were busy at the time.” Will used Mikes inattention to mash the controller to perform a combo on his motionless character, smirking when he demolished him when his mind caught on the last part of Mikes sentence.
The first time it changed. Will assumed it was the same image of eggos Mike excitedly showed him in the hospital.
“What about after?” Mike asked, not even looking at the screen as it declared Will the winner, his focus entirely on Will.
Will fiddled with the controller, “I don’t know, it never came up besides then I went to Lenora-“
“It’s been years Will. Why didn’t you mention it. You lived here for goodness’ sake.”
Will huffed, “Why are you so upset when like you said I lived here and you never noticed so what’s the big deal.”
“I’m sorry I was preoccupied with the literal end of times but I thought this was the kind of thing best friends talk about. Why didn’t you talk about it with me.”
“Mike-“ Will spat, “Don’t you think the fact that I keep it hidden means I don’t want to talk about it. With anyone.” Will would never have had this bravery even a year ago. He was surprising himself with how fast he was maturing more than even his mom.
“Is it that embarrassing?” Mike said lightly, knocking his shoulder into Wills side, “I won’t tease. I promise. I mean mines super cheesy.”
“It’s not that.” Will said, his curiosity over Mikes mark growing, eyes latched onto Mikes clothed thigh hiding the answer.
“Then what?” Mike asked, chewing on his lower lip the longer Will didn’t respond, “You don’t have to tell me but- whoever it’s for, that’s cool, like I don’t care who your soulmate is or-“ Mike hurried to correct himself, “Like I care but I don’t like-“ he vocally huffed in frustration.
Will swallowed, “What are you trying to say?” Will said, tensing as he braced himself for what he thought was coming. Really Mike had been more than generous avoiding the elephant in the room for so long.
The gay in the room if you would.
“Whoever you love, that’s cool. No matter what, okay.” Mike said, steadily. Fixated on Wills face as he tried to get his meaning across in the vaguest terms, giving Will the slimmest possibility of denial to the very end.
“No matter what anyone else says. Like assholes like Troy-“
“So you agree-“ Will interrupted, making Mike gape his mouth open “You think I won’t tell you because it’s for a boy-“
Mike reached out for him, “Will-“
“Get Will all alone and make him admit he’s a queer and he’s hiding the evidence.” Will pulled away, cringing in on himself.
“Is?” Mike whispered.
Will glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes, “What?”
“Is a-“ Mikes mouth twisted, “queer?” he mumbled, eyebrow twitching on his wrinkled forehead.
Fuck.
Wills eyes widened in horror at his slip, “I don’t-“
“Which would be fine.” Mike assured him frantically, “If that- it makes sense why you’re hiding it but its cool with like, me-“
“Its scarred.” Will said aloud for the first time. He finally voiced the truth and of course it was to the person who scarred it. “I don’t have… one. It scarred, alright, that’s why I cover it.” He looked at his feet as he blinked back his tears.
That shocked Mike mute. Will avoided the penetrating stare he could feel burning into him, Mike frozen in his periphery.
“Oh,” Mike eventually whispered, hand hovering awkwardly over Wills shoulder, “I’m sorry Will-“ he clasped his shoulder tightly, “When- when did they pass?” he asked, cautiously.
Will screwed his eyebrows together as he parsed Mikes question. Pass? Like die? Of course he assumed they had died, Will had thought that was the only way to scar before it happened to him.
“No, it wasn’t because of that-“ Will shuddered as he recalled the all-encompassing grief that suffocated him when he noticed his mangled wrist, “Sometimes it- it just scarred okay.”
Will felt Mikes frown, “How-“
“When they don’t love you back, okay.” Will exploded, his chest heaving with the emotion he had been withholding, “It happens when you get rejected.”
Mike shrank back into the cushion a Wills outburst, “Who?” he asked, “Who?” he repeated with a hint of menace like he wanted to kill the person who hurt Will.
Will sneered at him unimpressed, “Who do you think Mike?” he sighed, “What was the last mark you saw on my wrist and when did I tell you it changed.”
Mike eyes glistened with unshed tears, “Me.” He whispered, devastated, “Because of-“
“It’s fine-“ Will held his palm up to stop Mike, “I’m over it. I get it, okay. No-one wants their best friend to be in love with them, especially not their male friend. I tried to hide it, make sure it wouldn’t affect you but you kept pushing-“
“Will-“
“I don’t need you to let me down easy Mike. I got the message when we thirteen. If it didn’t sink in then and I really got it when yours settled for El in that Pizzeria-“
“What?” Mike frowned, “My mark didn’t settle then.”
“Huh?” Mikes interruption broke Wills tirade, “It didn’t?”
“No-“ Mike’s featured deepened further in thought, “That happened in the van. Gotta be honest the fact that it’s the heart in the shield really threw me off for a while.”
“What-“ Will wasn’t keeping up very well. Was Mikes soulmark the shield he drew in his painting. The one he lied about.
“Yeah like obviously I assumed that it meant romantic love, I mean it’s a heart, so it took a while to figure out it was meant platonically.”
“Platonically?” Will repeated in disbelief.
“Yeah, me and El are just friends. Pretty rare to have a platonic soulmate at this age but whatever.”
“That’s why you never cared El mark hadn’t settled.”
“Well, yeah-“ Mike shrugged, I thought you knew this. El didn’t mention we broke up?”
“No, why didn’t you-“
“She’s your sister, I assumed she would tell you.” Mike defended himself, “It was ages ago so really its on you for not noticing.”
“You act the exact same with one another, how was I supposed to know.”
Mike blew out his lips, “See, the heart threw me off. It was always platonic love.”
“And you know its for El?” Will clarified.
“Well, it’s the spitting image of the painting she commissioned, so…” he trailed off.
If Mike was willing to accept a platonic soulmate maybe Will could tell him that he was pretty sure his soulmark had nothing to do with El. Or at least it had as much to do with her as the painting did. Maybe he was only okay with a female platonic soulmate though.
“She didn’t commission it.” Will admitted, tapping his fingers nervously on his knee, “El doesn’t know anything about the painting. It was me, all of it, the painting and the…words.” Will drew his legs up, hugging his knees tightly to his chest.
“I’m sorry-“ he squeaked, “It probably doesn’t mean I’m-“ it did, it had too, “But it was me- I thought- I’m so sorry Mike, I just thought if I told you maybe-“ his voice dropped to a whisper, “Maybe it would come back.”
He squeezed his covered wrist painfully. He had never wanted anything more than for it to come back. He wanted his back more than he wanted Mikes to have never changed.
“The paintings from you?” Mike asked, sounding like his entire world had been turned upside down. “It’s- El had nothing to do with it?”
“I’m sorry. I tried to move on, I promise. I didn’t mean to tangle you up with all this. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you?”
Mike swallowed, throatily, “You were being serious? You love me?” his voice missing the disgust Will had always envisioned would accompany that question.
Will didn’t answer, instead unbuckling the black band and shoving his mutilated wrist in Mikes direction. The scar more than proved his point. Proof that Will loved so deeply his soul rejected the possibility of anyone else.
“Oh,” Mike breathed, tentatively cupping Wills arm as his finger traced the silvery lines of the swing set etched deeply into Wills fragile wrist. “It’s beautiful.” He whispered, irreverently.
Will flinched, but kept his arm in Mikes grip, “It’s ugly.” He scoffed, “It’s a dead end.” It’s a sealed fate.
Mikes fingers tightened into his flesh, “Its history. It’s permanent. It won’t ever fade or change, it’s forever Will and I think that’s the most selfless love there is.”
Will did yank his arm back this time, “Well maybe I want to be selfish. Maybe I want a soulmate who can love me back. Maybe I don’t want to be a mistake.”
“You’re not a mistake.” Mike rebutted, “and who said your soulmate doesn’t love you back.”
“This does-“ Will waved his wrist in Mikes face, “This proved it. I’m destined to be alone-“
“That’s complete bullshit!” Mike blanched, “If you just stopped and thought about this for a minute you realise your soulmate does love you back.”
“What?”
Mike lifted his eyebrows, “Urgh, I have a soulmark for you. Pretty sure that means I love you too.”
“But-“ Will weakly flopped his wrist again.
“Is the product of stupid thirteen-year-old Mike who spoke before his brain could catch up. My marks more recent so it’s definitely more accurate than yours.”
“You only just realised it was for me.”
“Details-“ Mike waved him away, “Everything makes way more sense now, especially regarding the ginormous crush I’ve had on you for months.”
Will could hear his heart pumping in his ears, “You what now?”
“The embarrassing crush I’ve got.” Mike smiled, “You didn’t notice.” He raised an eyebrow.
“What,” Will gaped, “Since when were you gay?”
Mike frowned, “Did I not mention that? Sorry.” He said, as Wills mouth dropped even further open, “Was going to use this whole talk-“ he motioned around the basement, “to tell you. I thought, I guess correctly, you’d understand.”
“Right.” Will agreed, several sentences behind. Will would understand because Will was gay. Mike wanted Will to understand because Mike was gay. Mike was gay. Mike was gay and had a crush on him. Mike was gay, had a crush on him, and was his soulmate again.
He started to hyperventilate. “I’m your soulmate?” he asked desperately as Mike panicked when he breathing quickened to a worrying speed.
Mike smiled gently, ruining Will to face him, his hands clutched comfortingly on his shoulders, “Your my soulmate Will-“ he cupped Wills jaw with his palm, “Like it used to be. Like it was always meant to be.”
Wills almost certain his expression is one of complete and utter disbelief.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away-“ he enclosed Will scarred wrist in his fingers, “I’m sorry I did this-“ Will shuddered as he stroked over the bare skin. “I love you Will Byers.”
Wills eyes flittered between Mikes open face and the reassuring pressure on the area he had grown to detest, subconsciously leaning into Mikes open palm on his cheek. He started to feel a slight tingle on the back of his neck.
The sensation enough to ground him and fill him with the courage risk it once more. It’s not like he could get more scarred. “I love you too, Mike Wheeler.” He smirked, cheekily before being swept into a mind-blowing kiss.
A better first kiss than Will could have dreamed off because it was real. Because Mike was his soulmate again. Because Mike loved him, and Will loved him back.
And the tingling on the back of his neck intensified the longer and deeper they kissed, branding him with a new image. The familiar heart enclosed shield would be discovered later evening, binding them with matching soulmarks once more.
Will even came to love his old, scarred mark, if only because of how much Mike adored it.
His first soulmate was his last soulmate.
Not many people could say that.