Chapter Text
“Will! Will, are you there? If you are, pick up the goddamn walkie!”
The voice cut through the remnants of Will’s sleep, the static grating against his ears so early in the morning. Not that his sleep was much more peaceful.
A groan escaped his mouth as he rolled over, facing the direction of the agitating sounds of his walkie as it blared from desk against the wall. Will took his sweet time climbing out of bed, his body aching from the lack of rest. Whatever the issue, it could wait until he had breakfast, or at least a cup of coffee.
“Will, seriously, this is not a joke. Pick up the damn walkie!” Will placed the voice as Dustin, giving him a target for any snappy remarks that might slip out today. As he stood from the mattress that was crammed into the corner of the basement, he looked over to the couch to see the cushions empty from any sleeping brothers that may be hearing him as well. Jonathan hadn’t slept there for weeks, at least not consistently. Sometimes, he would sleep with Will if he had had any visions of Vecna, or if a crawl didn’t go so smoothly. But nine times out of ten, you could find him upstairs in Nancy’s room, sleeping in a bed that didn’t have ancient springs or lumps in the mattress. Will had that all to himself down in the basement.
Living in the Wheeler house was definitely not the worst option they had. In fact, it was one of the better ones. Besides, not all of the Byers’ could move into Hopper’s cabin: the less contact they had with El, the better. However, Will wouldn’t call the basement his ideal bedroom. It got too cold in the winter, the shower in the bathroom always took too long to heat up, and the third and seventh steps on the stairs always creaked. But where else could he go? The cabin was full enough, neither Dustin or Lucas had a spare room for him. Will wasn’t even sure he wanted to stay anywhere else, all things considering.
“Will, I swear to god, if you’re sleeping through this, you’ll pay for it later!”
He rolled his eyes as he walked over to the desk, picking up the walkie to answer. “And I swear to god, Dustin, if you’re waking me up for something unimportant, I’ll make you pay for it.”
The walkie crackled before he heard his friend respond, “Finally, an answer from the Wheeler house. Can you tell Mike I’ve got some news and to meet me at the Squawk at 10?”
Will ran a hand through his hair, scratching at his scalp. “What? Dustin, you’re not making any sense. What’s going on?”
“I can’t talk about it right now, I have to go and make sure Lucas gets my message.”
Letting out a sigh, Will took a moment before asking his next question. It was too early for this. “Dustin, is everything OK? No one’s in trouble, right?”
A hearty laugh came through the walkie. “On the contrary, my friend. Just get your butt and Mike’s butt over there so I don’t have to tell my story twice, alright? Over and out.”
“Dustin!” Will tried to radio through, but it was clear from the empty static that Dustin was gone, most likely trying to find Lucas. His hand fell from his mop of hair and pushed the antenna back into the walkie. Yawning, Will looked back towards his mattress that sat a little too close to the heater. His eyes scanned beyond it, falling on bookshelves that held boardgames and D&D resources, everything well loved and used. There was a coffee table with Will’s sketchbooks and pencils and pens that he hadn’t touched in a few days. Warm light glowed against the curtains that covered the windows, begging to be let in. Still groggy, Will trundled over to the wall and pulled the drapes apart, squinting against the sudden explosion of light. The sun wasn’t too high in the sky, and Will looked over to an old clock that hung on the opposite wall. 08:25am. Sighing, Will knew there was no point in trying to get any sleep before he needed to be at the Squawk to hear this oh, so, important news from Dustin.
So Will grabbed a shirt and some jeans to change into, ignoring the heavy quiet that seemed to tug on his body as he moved through the basement. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling. He used to feel it when Lonnie was still around, the smell of beer and cigarettes a staple at the Byers’ house. He had felt it at Castle Byers in the Upside Down, hiding from Demogorgons and other monsters he hadn’t confronted yet. But those were more scary, more damaging to Will than the silence of the basement. It was a little softer here, not so noticeable if he weren’t alone. But he was, just like he was most days.
It wasn’t on purpose, or at least he didn’t think so. He visited Max in the hospital with Lucas every so often, and he helped Holly with her drawings at the breakfast table. El made sure he came to visit her once a week, if not more, either at the cabin or the junkyard. But those were only moments in his day that broke up the loneliness, the absence of something he used to have.
Something he hadn’t had in a long time.
Will climbed the steps out of the basement, wincing at the third and seventh steps. He ignored the cold of the doorknob and the way it seeped a little too deep into his skin as he pushed the door open, welcoming the sweet smell of breakfast.
Almost all the Wheeler’s were already sitting at the table, helping themselves to piles of toast, bacon and eggs laid out before them. Holly was struggling to butter her toast as her mother was trying to get Mr. Wheeler’s attention. Ted seemed to be engrossed in some article in the paper, giving his wife half-hearted responses in hopes to end the conversation. Quietly, Will joined them, sitting across from Holly and grabbing a plate to start eating. He stopped himself from asking where Mike was.
Holly let out a sigh of frustration, plopping the toast on her plate in defeat. Smiling, Will took the plate from her, spreading a modest amount of butter on it for her. She beamed at him, and he had sent a small smile back to her in reply.
Seeming to sense his presence, Mrs. Wheeler turned in her chair to face him as he handed the plate back to Holly. “Morning, Will. Did you sleep well?” Her interest in him seemed genuine enough, however distracted.
“Yes, I did, thank you.” He hoped she didn’t look too closely at him, because she’d be able to see the tightness in his shoulders, the hollowness of eyes, the stiffness of his movements.
Thankfully, she seemed to be satisfied with his answer. “That’s great, honey. Remember to let us know if you need anything down there, okay?”
Will only nodded, knowing that the chances of him coming to Karen Wheeler for help, much less her husband, were extremely low. Instead of admitting that, he stuffed his mouth full of greasy bacon and freshly cooked eggs, the warmth of it soaking into him.
Hawkins was by no means in its coldest months of the year. It was only early May, and no one was dressing for Winter. But, ever since the gates had opened and split their town into four, the air had seemed to cool down, making the warmer seasons nothing more than balmy temperatures and mild sunburns. He wasn’t the only one who hated the cold, but no one knew its chilly embrace like he did. It was why he rode his bike around so often, soaking in the weak heat emitting from the sun as much as he could. How he would make excuses to help Mrs. Wheeler with the dishes, so he could dip his hands in the warm, soapy water. Why his mattress was so close to the heater and why he didn’t sleep on the couch in Jonathan’s stead. He loathed the cold, and would do anything he could to stay away from it.
His plate was almost finished by the time he heard someone coming down the stairs. He almost didn’t notice over the sounds Holly begging for her mother’s attention regarding a matter with her shoes. But he did notice when the chair next to him was pulled out and Mike sat down, slouching as he tucked himself into the table.
Will didn’t like the way his breath caught as Mike moved next to him, how he stiffened when their shoulders brushed as he moved to grab a plate. It shouldn’t mean anything to him- Mike’s proximity should be normal. They were living together, after all. Will had bigger problems to deal with than the urge he had to tuck Mike’s curls behind his ears as they fell across his forehead, just to touch them rather than move them out of the way.
“Glad you could join us, Michael,” his father spoke from the head of the table, not taking his eyes off the paper.
There was no response from Mike as he reached for a piece of toast and the butter. Will could tell he was tired from the way his eyes weren’t full open as he scanned the breakfast table, looking for a knife. Slowly, Will picked up the one he had used for Holly and passed it to his right, careful not to look at Mike.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, barely audible, taking the utensil from Will’s grip.
“No problem,” Will replied, just as quietly.
Truth be told, this wasn’t the most awkward they had been. In fact, this was a wild improvement from the way they were acting last year, or even the year before. Things weren’t the same as they had been before Will had disappeared, and he doubted that they could ever go back to that. But as much as he hated to admit it, he missed Mike. He missed hanging out until the late hours of the evening, talking about school, D&D, comics, movies, anything. Mike would share his Walkman with him when a new album came out, and Will would pretend to make album art under Mike’s direction. He missed the way Mike would ride out to Castle Byers, and they would spend hours there, doing nothing together. He missed the normalcy they used to have.
Although, there was nothing normal about Will’s relationship with Mike Wheeler.
At least, not anymore.
The air felt heavy, almost as if the atmosphere knew there was a lot unsaid between them. Will ignored it, like he did most things he didn’t want to address, and ate the rest of the food on his plate as he mulled in his thoughts. Eventually, Ted Wheeler left the table, saying something about baseball or golf. Shortly after that, Mrs. Wheeler took Holly upstairs to change Holly’s shoes because apparently, they weren’t sparkly enough. Which left him at the breakfast table alone with Mike.
To be honest, Will never really felt alone when Mike was around. It had been that way since they were kids. As long as they were together, Will never found himself left out of conversations or standing alone at the playground. Mike always had a special talent of making sure Will had a space right next to him, and he would never be able to thank him for it. It made his throat close up at the thought that they weren’t that close anymore
The silence in the dining room was suffocating, and Will didn’t know how much longer he could sit there. Dredging up an ounce of courage, he cleared his throat to say, “Did you hear Dustin radio through this morning?”
Barely taking a moment to pause his eating, Mike shook his head. “Nope.”
Will nodded, just to give his body something to do. “He wants to meet us at the Squawk at 10. Said he’s got news, or something.” His words were shaky, nervous.
“Okay,” was all he got in reply, blocking any further attempts of conversation.
He tried not to dwell on it, instead standing from his chair and collecting some plates before walking over to the sink, reaching to turn on the tap. He braced himself against the counter, watching as warm water began to pool in the basin. He could hear Mike eating behind him and imagined a different life where they were still best friends. What would they be talking about right now? Would they be discussing the details of the next crawl, or complaining about their exams coming up? Would Will be able to look Mike in the eye a little easier than he could now?
The image of Mike’s eyes flashed across his mind, and Will dumped the dishes in the water to distract himself. He had thought enough about those walnut brown eyes of his. Will grabbed the detergent before he could indulge in thinking about Mike’s eyes yet again.
Idly, he washed the dishes, letting the warm water calm his nerves and soak his skin, bringing him some peace. He gazed out the window, watching the clouds as they moved lazily across the morning sky. A faint breeze rushed through the trees at the edge of the property, shaking a few leaves loose as it did so. A car drove by and the engine rumbled in a low hum. It was strange how ordinary things seemed considering their current predicament. It was times like these that Will cherished the most. The idea of someday not having to worry about saving the world, and only having to concern himself with when he should need to hang the laundry out, or whether it would rain while he was out.
He was so lost in thought, he didn’t notice Mike standing next to him. It was only when he cleared his throat to announce his presence that Will looked at him. His hair was still falling around his face, even though he’d cut it shorter just a few weeks ago. He was wearing a Hellfire shirt which he could see was well worn. He never wore it at school anymore, just around the house despite his parents’ protests. Will had never met Eddie, but he could tell he meant a lot to everyone from the way they talked about him, especially Dustin.
“I can do the rest.” Mike’s voice soft, gently shaking Will from his stupor. It took him a second to realise he was talking about dishes, and stepped away from the sink without saying anything.
Will hated whatever this was. It made his heart ache to think that he and Mike were acting like this, that they couldn’t go back to the way things were. He would squish the little flame of hope inside of him wishing for a different future if it meant he could just go back to being his friend. Because more than anything, Will wanted to be Mike’s friend.
Drying his hands on a nearby towel, Will watched as Mike washed his dishes. He wasn’t entirely sure when Mike had grown so tall, but it was so obvious with the way he slouched over the sink. There were a few years when Will had been only an inch or two taller than Mike, and he’d take every opportunity to tease him about it. Just another aspect of their dynamic that had changed. Mike didn’t just grow taller, but he had grown into his features. His face had become more sharp, much like Nancy, but still just as handsome as Will had always found him.
“What does Dustin want?” Mike’s voice was hesitant, almost like he was afraid to speak.
It took Will a second to respond. “Oh, uh, he didn’t really specify. Just said he had some news and that I’d ‘pay for it’ if I missed it.”
He saw Mike’s shoulders shake as he let out a laugh. “What are the chances it’s totally bogus?”
“Oh, one hundred percent,” Will replied, letting out a giggle as he did so.
Mike pulled a plate out of the sink and set it on the drying rack. “Okay, I’ll finish up here and then get dressed, and then we can head over there. And then I need to study for Mr. Clarke’s test.”
Will raised an eyebrow. “Mike, that’s tomorrow. You haven’t studied yet?”
He watched as his friend turned around, leaning back against the counter. “I do well under pressure.” Unfortunately, this was true. The party had always hated Mike’s ability to do well on a test he barely studied for. It didn’t always work, but when it did, it was all they could talk about. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“Well, I’m glad you’ll be fine, but the rest of us have been cramming for weeks now.”
Mike’s face lit up. “Great! Then you can help me study.”
Will crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. “Nuh uh. This is your problem. You fix it.”
“C’mon, Will. I seriously need the help.”
“What happened to ‘I’m sure I’ll be fine’?” Will teased, rolling his eyes.
Mike lifted a hand to the back of his neck, scratching it nervously. “Well, yeah, but I could always use your help. You’ve always been good at helping me.” His words trailed off as he finished, and Will swallowed.
The moment stretched between them, and Will untucked his arms, letting them fall at his sides. “If you really want help, then yeah, I can help.”
He ignored the way Mike’s smile gave him butterflies. “Great! Thanks, man.” He only nodded in response, a tight smile forming on his lips. One of these days, he would have to learn how to say no to Mike.
Today was obviously not one of those days.
The ride over to the Squawk was a familiar one to them by now. Ever since Jimmy ‘Fast Hands’ Lee fled Hawkins when the town split into four, and Robin and Steve had taken over the radio station, it had kind of become their base of operations. It was for the best, as they had outgrown the Wheeler basement and Will didn’t really want to sleep in the same space where they planned their crawls.
Mike rode ahead of him by a few feet, sometimes looking over his shoulder to make sure Will was still there. Sometimes, he’d see Will looking back at him, and other times he would see him soaking in the sun as they rode down the street, welcoming the warmth on this cool Spring day. He was sure other people had noticed his aversion to the cold by now, but no one but his mother had mentioned it, at least not explicitly. But he definitely noticed the way everyone made sure there were blankets for him to use, and offered him jumpers and sweaters in the colder months. He was touched by their consideration, even if it came with a slight twinge of guilt.
The Squawk came into view as their bikes carried them up the hill, and Will could see two other bikes in front of the building, presumably Lucas and Dustin’s. Mike slowed down in front of him and he did the same, coming to a stop right by his side. The dry grass crunched under their feet as they hopped off their bikes and placed them down with the others. Will tried to ignore the way he stiffened as he entered the building when a blast of cold air met him. The Squawk was always a bit too cold for his liking, but they needed it to help preserve the vinyl.
Mike led them through the radio station, following the faint sounds of conversation. It took them to the very conspicuous secret doorway leading down to their planning space. Gently, Mike unlocked the door, sliding the shelf to the side and signaling for Will to go on ahead. He gave him a curt nod back and descended the stairs, looking at Dustin who was pacing in front of the projector. Lucas was laying back on the couch, clearly not impressed by anything Dustin had to say.
At the sound of the door closing, Dustin looked up, spotting the two of them. “Finally! We can begin.”
“Begin what?” Mike asked behind him.
Lucas rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying to ask him for ten minutes now. Said he wanted to wait for you two.”
Will sat down next to Lucas, rubbing his hands over his thighs in a poor attempt to warm himself. “Well, we’re here. So you can finally tell me why you woke me up.” He made an effort not to look at Mike as he slid next to him a little closer than he needed to.
Dustin had a smug smile on his face, clearly enjoying this. “Now, children, don’t get too upset. For I have heard news that is sure to brighten your day.”
Lucas leaned forward. “Is it something about the Upside Down? Have you and Suzie figured out something?”
Mike followed up with another question, “Is there a problem with the next crawl?”
“Have they found Vecna?” His voice was a little quieter than his friends, but that truly would brighten his day. Finding that bastard and getting rid of him once and for all would brighten everyone’s day.
Dustin faltered, pausing his pacing. “Well, no. But, this is sure to take your mind off of that stuff.”
“That stuff?” Lucas mocked. “That stuff is what really matters right now.”
Will let himself fall against the back of the couch. “You’re telling me I got woken up for something not even Upside Down related?”
“Well, when you say it like that, yes,” Dustin conceded, but kept talking. “I know it’s not high on our list of priorities, but that’s exactly why I think it's so important for us to do.”
“You haven’t even told us what ‘it’ is, Dustin,” Mike pointed out.
Almost as if he had forgotten the whole reason he had dragged them there, Dustin snapped his fingers as walked over to his backpack that lay on the floor next to the projector. He rummaged around there for a few seconds before pulling out a piece of paper.
“This,” he said, waving the sheet around, “is our chance at normality, my friends.” Dustin threw it down in front of him, and the paper landed on the small coffee table in front of the three of them. They each leaned forward, and Will sucked in a breath as Mike moved closer to him to read the contents of the paper.
“‘Frank Wallace humbly invites the cohort of Hawkins High to the biggest bash this town has ever seen,’” Mike read the words out carefully, as if they were foreign in his mouth. As soon as he was done, he peered up at Dustin with a confused look on his face. “What the hell is this?”
Dustin just stared back at him, as if the answer was obvious. “Didn’t I just say that it was our shot at normalcy?”
“Yeah, we heard you,” Lucas chimed in, clearly taking Mike’s side. “But I think what my good friend means is why the hell should we care about this?”
“Not the words I would use, but yes,” Mike clarified, still touching shoulders with Will.
Sighing, Dustin pinched the bridge of his nose. “You simpletons. You should care because this is exactly what we need right now!”
Will furrowed his brow “A party?”
“No, a break.” For the first time since they stepped foot in the Squawk, Will watched as Dustin became earnest, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “We’ve all been so focused on Vecna and El and the Upside Down, none of which a normal student should be worrying about.” He had a point, but they had never quite been ‘normal students’. It’s actually what made them all friends in the first place. A party of outcasts. “I just think that we could use a break from all this,” he waved his hand around, gesturing at nothing in particular. “Maybe just worry about something as trivial as a party for a change. I don’t know.” Dustin sat himself on the edge of the coffee table beside the piece of paper he had seemed so excited about just a few seconds ago. He had always been good at that; getting excited over the smallest of things. Will knew Mike was the biggest fan of his paintings, but Dustin was in second place. Even a few years ago, when he had found the Demodog in his trash, he had been over the moon about a potential scientific discovery. It was a shame the discovery had eaten his cat.
“I could use a break.”
Will watched as all three of them snapped their heads toward him, surprised by his response. He didn’t know where to look, so he peered down at his hands in his lap, picking at the skin around his nails.
“Really?” It was Dustin, a glimmer of hope in his tone.
Lucas joined in, less enthusiastic. “You serious, Byers?”
“Well, yeah.” His voice was small, but sure. It was the truth. “Dustin’s right. We’ve been so occupied with Vecna that we’ve hardly had time to do anything else. I just…” Will took a deep breath in before continuing, “He’s already taken up so much of my life. I just want one thing he has no hand in.”
His words hung in the air, chilly and somber, but true. And his friends know it. Besides El, Will knew Vecna the most intimately, and it was the thing he hated most in the world. He hated that he was the one who was taken all those years ago, he hated that he had been turned into a spy, and he hated that it was still following him around like a shadow. Everything he said was true, only he didn’t just wish for a moment without Vecna.
He wanted his life to be rid of him for good.
Will hadn’t noticed the silence until Mike broke it, saying, “Me too.”
They were still so close that when Will turned to face him, he could feel Mike’s breath on his face and count the freckles that flecked across his face.
“That’s two out of three,” Dustin exclaimed, but Will didn’t turn to him. He kept looking at Mike who was staring right back at him. Their shared look was loaded with months of unsaid conversations, unexplained actions, unrequited feelings. He could see it all in Mike’s eyes, big and full of care for his friends that never faltered. There was a time when Will thought Mike had a look reserved for just him. Now, he knew there wasn’t much setting him apart from the rest of his friends besides the fact that he and Mike had known each other first. Sometimes, Will let himself believe he was still special to Mike.
Somewhere beyond the little bubble he and Mike had created, Dustin was turning to Lucas to further convince him, saying something about majority vote. But Will was still looking at Mike, searching his eyes for answers to questions he hadn’t asked yet. His throat was closing up and his breathing got quicker before he finally looked away, unable to stand it anymore.
Mike cleared his throat, casting his gaze over to Lucas and Dustin. “I mean, think about it. Will is right. That bastard has taken enough from us already. Besides, we could all use a break from school.”
That brought Will back to the present. “Oh, please. You haven’t even touched any of your physics homework.”
Mike winced, a grin spreading across his face. “What I’m saying is that maybe, just for a night, we can forget about crawls and Demogorgons and just… be normal.”
The party sat in it for a second before Lucas groaned. “Fine, but I’m leaving the second something stupid happens. Because something stupid will happen.” He could barely finish his sentence before Dustin jumped up from the coffee table, shouting in success. Will laughed along, breathing in a little easier. They did deserve it. And nothing could possibly be more stupid than anything that’s already happened.
Right?
The party was happening in a week. That gave them plenty of time to make sure no crawl was planned on the same day, and warn Hopper of the big gathering. It sucked that El couldn’t come due to her being wanted by the military, but it was for the best. At least, that’s what they hoped.
Will sat on El’s bed, fiddling with a piece of paper. Earlier that month, Will had told her about some origami he had made in art class, and she had been asking him to show her ever since. Now, he watched as she sat on the floor moving her fingers around the paper impatiently, huffing when a corner didn’t fold the right way.
“You’re moving too fast, El.” She rolled her eyes at him, not slowing down. “Seriously, you’re gonna rip the paper.”
“No, I won’t,” she countered, turning the paper over.
Will just shook his head, focusing on his own little crane as it began to take shape. He was by no means good at origami, but the act of doing something with his hands had always calmed him. It was similar in the way he would paint or draw, how each brushstroke was like an extension of him, a breath from his soul. He and El were very different in that aspect. She often ran into things headstrong, much like Hopper, while Will would take the time to form out a plan before doing anything hasty.
He heard El let out a frustrated sigh and looked as she threw her hands up in defeat. “Why does the paper have to be so small?”
Will tried to stop the laugh bubbling up in his mouth, but it escaped as he spoke, “It doesn’t have to be. This is just the paper we were given. It’s also the traditional size.”
“Well, maybe I’d be better at it if I had the non-traditional size.”
Will raised an eyebrow in question. “So, you’re blaming the size of the paper?”
El just stared back at him. “Yes.”
He laughed hard now, unable to take her seriously. El had always had her own way of talking, and Will hoped that she would never change it. It was one of his favourite things about her; her inability to be like anyone else. Just another thing that made her truly special. Eventually, she cracked a smile and giggled alongside him, tossing the paper to the side and joining him up the bed. She leaned against him and he welcomed it, always finding comfort in her presence. It was funny, Will thought, that they had become so close over the course of just two years. It helped that they lived together in Lenora, and Will really saw her as a sister. So did Jonathan, and he knew his mom loved her like a daughter. They had been through so much together, and he owed his life to her. She was his family now, and he was so grateful for it.
“I’m sorry you can’t come to the party,” he said, his sides aching from his laughter.
She shrugged against him. “It’s okay. I don’t think I would like going, anyway.”
Will turned to her, confused. “What makes you say that?”
El sighed, lying back on the bed and Will followed suit. “I think I am too focused on Henry to be partying. I know that’s the whole reason you are going, but I need to be ready for whenever he might come back.”
He only hummed in response. If any of them needed to be on their A-game, it was El. But still, he felt bad that she couldn’t enjoy herself with the rest of them. “Maybe we can do something later? A smaller get-together with just the party. You still deserve to have some fun.”
She considered it for a moment, turning her head to face him. “I do not think Hopper would like it.”
Will grinned. “Hopper needs to let loose, too.”
El laughed. “Yes, he does. And Joyce.”
“Oh, god, yes,” Will agreed. Don’t get him wrong. He loved his mother, and would do anything for her. But Will was 17 and he had a curfew. It wasn’t a totally unreasonable idea, and it wasn’t like Will went out very often anyways, but he couldn’t help but feel like a little kid every time he had to go back to the Wheeler house.
“Is Mike going?”
The question made Will turn to face her. “Yeah, why?”
Her eyes left his and gazed up at the ceiling. “That’s good. He needs to ‘let loose’.”
Will couldn’t help but find the image of Mike Wheeler ‘letting loose’ a little ridiculous. “Why’s that?”
El turned to him again, her brow creased in confusion. “Did he not tell you? We broke up.”
The sheer speed at which Will straightened broke the sound barrier. “What? When?”
El sat up much slower than he did. “Two weeks ago. It was for the best.”
The best for who, though? Will could barely think about it. “Does anyone else know?”
“Joyce and Hopper.” El let out a small giggle. “Hop was very happy when I told them.” That didn’t surprise Will. There was only one thing that Jim Hopper hated more than the Upside Down, and that was Mike Wheeler dating his daughter.
“Wow. No, he didn’t tell me.” Will paused before grabbing El’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me? We could’ve talked about it.” As much as Will really wouldn’t have liked to talk about El and Mike’s romantic relationship, he would have if El wanted to. Because he loved his sister and wanted her to be happy, and if that meant crying to him about how much she loved him, then so be it.
El squeezed his hand, her palm warm in his. “There is nothing to talk about, Will. It was mutual. We are better off as friends.”
Will found that hard to believe. “Mutual? You guys have been together for so long, you’ve been through so much and now you’re just… friends?”
She nodded as if there wasn’t much else to discuss. “I love Mike, but I love a lot of people. You, Hopper, Joyce, Lucas and Dustin. I think I just thought that my love for Mike was meant to mean something more than it did. And he seemed to want the same thing. I mean, back when we were kids.” She looked down at their hands, and Will stopped himself from interrupting her with several questions he had. “When we talked, we both realised that we love each other just the normal amount. The amount you’re supposed to love someone you care about. Not ‘marriage’ love or ‘love of my life’ love. That’s how Joyce explained it to me.”
El kept talking about it, but Will wasn’t really listening to her. What the hell is the ‘normal’ amount of love? And how do you tell it apart from ‘love of your life’ love? He sure didn’t know. For as long as he could remember, he had loved Mike. Everything about him and everything they were to each other. And he didn’t know what it was for a really long time. Will thought that was the ‘normal’ amount of love because he had nothing else to compare it to. Sure, he loved his mom and his brother, but they were family. Dustin and Lucas weren’t in the picture yet, so he didn’t really have any friends to measure it against. Until he did, he just kept on loving Mike with all his heart.
He didn’t think he ever stopped.
Now, with several friends and a few life-changing experiences on his belt, Will knew what his love for Mike was, even if he would never admit it. Sure, it killed him to watch Mike and El be together, and yeah, he never did love anyone quite the same. But how the hell was he supposed to know if it was ‘love of his life’ love?
“Will? Are you okay?” El was watching him, some slight concern on her face.
Dazed, he shook his head to stop thinking about Mike. “Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry. I was just thinking about what you said.”
“About how I think that love is too complicated?”
He shrugged. “Well, yeah, that. But also about ‘love of your life’ love. How did you know it was just ‘normal’ love between you and Mike?”
Will tried to ignore the look El was giving him as she said, “I don’t know. I guess I just realised that Mike was more of a friend to me than he was a boyfriend. I mean, he acts the same as the rest of you, except sometimes he would kiss me.” There was a small smile on her lips, and Will was glad to know this wasn’t a sore subject.
“So, you guys just decided to be friends?”
“Yes. We both have bigger things to worry about than dating.”
Will’s stomach dropped a little. “You both are not dating other people?”
“I know I’m not. But Mike never said anything, so I told him it was okay if he wanted to. We didn’t really talk much about it.”
El was still looking at him a little too closely, so Will said quickly, “Sorry I'm asking so many questions. I guess I’m trying to understand where you guys are now.”
She placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. “We broke up. That is that.”
Will rolled his eyes, grinning. “I got that part. It just changes things.”
“It doesn’t change much.”
Oh, but it did.