Chapter Text
“Hey!”
Mike jogged up behind Will. Will slowed down, matching his pace, and the two fell in line beside each other.
“Hey,” Will hummed.
“You have a car.”
“I do.”
“I have… an appointment.” Mike rubbed his hands up and down the straps of his backpack, avoiding eye contact. “On Saturday. It’s in Indianapolis.”
“You need a ride?”
Mike briefly met his eyes. There was something guarded in them- a wall that wasn’t normally there. Usually, Will could see right into his head.
“Yeah.” Mike bobbed his head in a quick nod, clamping his hands tight over the straps. “At noon. If that’s okay.”
If that’s okay. As if Will would ever say no to him.
“Of course.”
“Cool.” Mike nodded again, bouncing on his heels, before shooting him a quick smile. “Thanks.”
And he was gone.
Will was at the Wheelers’ bright and early Saturday morning.
He was jittery, fingers tapping incessantly against the steering wheel. Despite his nonchalance when Mike asked for the ride, he was nervous. Awkward. Flustered.
He’d found this happening a lot, lately. Anytime he was alone with Mike. He tried to avoid those moments, for the most part, because he didn’t want Mike to catch on. He didn’t want him to question why he was so jumpy around him.
(Mike had been jumpy too, lately. Was it for the same reasons?)
But Mike was like a drug. A little bit had him desperate for more. He saw him at school, waved in the halls, and he wished they were walking to class together. He sat at lunch with him, and he wished they were just the two of them, getting fancy sandwiches at some coffee shop. He drove him home, and wished he could ask him to spend the night.
Spending the night was a major no-no, though. They used to do sleepovers all the time, when they were kids, with the Party and without. Since he’d gotten back from California, it had been more few and far between, but they’d still managed to find the time.
The idea of staying the night now felt dangerous. The memory of their last sleepover was forever seared into Will’s head, afterimages playing across his eyelids when he let his thoughts stray too far. He was almost certain Mike would be weird about sleeping over, considering the fact that they’d never talked about any of what had happened, but even if he wasn’t, Will was pretty sure he’d combust the moment the idea was suggested. His face would get hot and red, his stomach would twist itself into knots, and he’d simply burst into flames.
He wouldn’t want to do that to Mrs Wheeler’s carpet.
He was broken from his thoughts by the sound of his passenger door opening. He jolted, looking up.
Mike all but threw himself into the seat, yanking the door shut behind him.
“Hey,” he greeted, and his voice was rough. His face was pale, sort of clammy, and he was wiping his hand over his mouth.
Will blinked, startled.
“Are you okay?” He blurted, taking in the state of his friend. He was dressed in sweats and one of Lucas’s old shirts, sitting too wide on the shoulders and a little too short at the waist. He had a long sleeve shirt underneath, tucked into his pants. His hair was puffed up and frizzy, not unlike Nancy’s when she used to tease it, and there were bags under his eyes.
Yet, despite all that, he was still breathtakingly gorgeous.
“What?” Mike blinked, a little dazed. His eyes were bloodshot. His brow furrowed, then relaxed, and he gave a little nod. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”
“Are you sick?”
“I’m all good, man,” Mike insisted. He waved a hand, leaning back in his seat and fiddling with the buckle.
And Will wanted to press. It was pretty obvious Mike was not, in fact, all good. But he’d been hesitant to press too much, lately, too afraid of where the conversation might lead if they started talking about feelings and wellbeing.
Will had never considered himself terribly brave, and he certainly didn’t feel that way now.
So he let it be.
“You got a map?” He asked instead, turning his gaze back out the front windshield. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel again, attempting to curb the urge to hold Mike’s hand.
“Huh?”
“A map. You know, for directions.”
“Oh.” Will glanced at Mike. The younger boy had his bottom lip between his teeth, fraying the pink flesh. “Um. I mean, I know the name of the place. And- and the address. I figured we’d just, y’know, find it.”
Oh boy.
“Well, what’s the name of the place?”
Mike’s eyes widened. His face flushed red.
“Um.” He opened his mouth, then closed it. His eyes bugged out of his head a little, panicked and put on the spot.
Something settled itself in the pit of Will’s stomach, sitting heavy like a stone. Something about this whole thing- Mike’s behavior, his appearance, his asking Will for a ride instead of his parents- was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but the heaviness in his gut seemed to have an idea that it refused to share with the class.
“It doesn’t matter,” he found himself saying, shifting the gear back into drive. “If you know the address, you can tell me once we get there. Jonathan’s taken me out to Indianapolis before, I know the way.”
“Cool,” Mike breathed, sagging back into his seat. The relief was visible on his face, and it made something twist in Will’s stomach.
They started down the road.
“Do you have any tapes?” Mike asked eventually, and it seemed to snap Will back into awareness. He hadn’t bothered turning the radio on, so it was silent.
“Yeah,” he said quickly, waving a hand towards the backseat. “Yeah, you’re welcome to pick one out.”
“Cool,” Mike hummed. He twisted around in his seat, reaching behind them, and Will had to force himself to keep his eyes on the road. Mike rummaged through the cassettes, noisily clacking them together, before turning back around with a grin and a tape in hand. “Kiss Me.”
Will nearly swerved off the road.
“Huh?”
“The album?” Mike blinked, innocently waving the tape around. It only took a second before he realized his mistake, face growing red. “Like- like The Cure. The Cure album. That’s what I- I mean-“ Somehow, his face got even redder. “I can pick another one.”
“No!” Will shook his head, lifting his foot a little off the pedal so he wasn’t going quite so fast. “That’s a good one. I didn’t- I didn’t realize you liked The Cure.”
“I do,” Mike said awkwardly, averting his eyes. “Just Like Heaven’s one of my favorite songs.”
“Oh.” Well. That made Will feel all warm and fuzzy. He was the one who’d introduced him to the album. They’d laid on the floor of his bedroom the night he bought the record, listening through the whole thing in one go.
“Yeah.” After a beat, Mike reached across the middle console, sticking the tape in the deck.
The clangy introduction of The Kiss started playing.
Another awkward silence lapsed over them, although it was more bearable than the last. Mike’s fingers were tapping against his arm rest, a clear outlet for the urge to sway along to a nonexistent rhythm. The song was too rough, too different, for Mike’s usual methods of jamming out.
But he didn’t skip it. He stayed perfectly quiet, closing his eyes and leaning back in his seat.
Will let his mind drift.
He already had a couple of assignments on his plate. He wasn’t sure what Mike’s plans were for after his appointment, but he didn’t exactly have the whole day free. He knew he would say yes if he asked to hang out, though. He’d never been very good at saying no to him.
Hence why he was driving right now. And why he hadn’t watched Star Wars since The Marathon in June.
The song changed as he rolled out onto the highway, picking up a more jammable beat. He glanced at Mike out of the corner of his eye.
He was asleep. His head was lolling to the side, mouth cracked open, with drool dripping down his chin. His arms were folded over his waist.
He looked like he needed it.
Will slowed down just a little bit, turning the radio down so it was at a more comfortable level. He kept his eyes on the road.
The trees blurred together as he drove. They strayed further from the edge of Hawkins, closer to their destination. The songs kept going, plowing through one by one until Just Like Heaven started playing. Will glanced at Mike again.
‘Why are you so far away?’ she said.
‘Why won’t you ever know that I’m in love with you?’
‘That I’m in love with you.’
He didn’t want to wake him up. He’d have to play the tape again on the way back.
Eventually, though, he did have to wake him up. Once he was at the edge of the city, he needed Mike’s directions. And that required an awake Mike.
“Hey,” he murmured, reaching across to nudge gently at his arm. “Mike.”
Mike snorted, head bobbing forward. Will’s lips quirked up in a gooey smile.
“Miiiike,” he drawled, nudging him again. “I need the address, man.”
His friend groaned, peeling his eyes open. He blinked a few times, seeming disoriented, before peering blearily up at Will.
“Whuh?”
Will tried really hard not to laugh.
“The address, Mike.”
“What address?”
“For your appointment.”
Mike blinked slowly, moving like he was stuck in jello. His brow pinched, then furrowed, dipping down towards his nose. He mouthed the word appointment like he’d never heard it before.
Will waited patiently, keeping his eyes on the road. They were just getting into the city, and while the traffic wasn’t too bad, he was getting to the point where he needed to know where he was going.
“Oh.”
Will glanced at him again. He looked a little more alert, more aware of where he was. His eyes were rounder, lips pressed in a thin line.
He looked frightened.
“It’s, um.” Mike swallowed thickly, throat bobbing. He pointedly did not look at Will. “It’s further into town.”
“Mike,” Will sighed, feeling just a touch frustrated at this point. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but I need to know where we’re going.” Even if he did feel a little hurt. He and Mike used to tell each other everything. He wasn’t sure when that had changed.
“I know,” Mike said, and it was a small noise, caught in his throat. He shrunk into himself. “I know, I just- it’s-“
“Should I be worried?” Will found himself asking, that heavy feeling settling in his gut again. “Are you okay?”
“I- I don’t know,” Mike mumbled, bangs hanging over his eyes. That dread started to spread, tugging at his heart.
“Mike,” Will said urgently. They’d just gotten into town. It was 11:40. Whatever Mike was so nervous about, they were nearly there.
Abruptly, he turned his blinkers on and pulled off to the side of the road. Mike made a startled noise, grabbing at his seatbelt.
Will put the car into park and turned to fully face Mike, hands off the steering wheel.
“You’re scaring me,” he said, softer.
And Mike- he looked almost guilty. His face was twisting up, fingers digging into his seatbelt. His eyes were startlingly wet.
“I’m sorry,” he rushed out, shaking his head. “I don’t wanna scare you, Will, I swear. I just don’t want you to be mad.”
“Why on earth would I be mad??” Will questioned, voice pitching up. “I could never be mad at you, Mike.”
“It’s-“ Mike sucked in a breath, holding it in his lungs. He let it out in a slow hiss. “The clinic. My appointment’s at the clinic.”
“What clinic?”
There was something pained in Mike’s eyes. It made Will’s chest hurt.
“The women’s health clinic,” he bit out, tearing his eyes away to stare out the window.
And Will wasn’t stupid. He may not have been quite as brilliant as Dustin, but he did well in school. And he was perceptive. He could put two and two together to get four.
Mike being weird, plus what happened in June, plus his fear of him being mad, plus women’s health clinic.
Bile rose up Will’s throat, and he swallowed it down.
“You said it was further into town?” He prompted, mouth tasting dry and stale. Mike’s head bobbed in a short nod, still looking anywhere but Will’s face. “And it’s at noon.” Another nod.
Will turned his gaze back out the front windshield, resting his hands back on the wheel and digging his nails in.
“Okay.” He nodded, trying to keep his tone casual while Mike quietly spiraled in the passenger seat. He reached to crank the volume up again, swallowing.
The rest of the drive was silent, save the dramatic crooning of Robert Smith. There wasn’t too much traffic, which was a miracle in itself, and Will ended up pulling into the parking lot five minutes early.
The sight of the clinic made him feel sick.
Apparently, the feeling was mutual. Mike sat frozen in his seat for what felt like forever, staring wide-eyed up at the sign. His hand rested on the handle, but didn’t budge. His back was straighter than he’d ever seen before.
Eventually, Mike opened the door, hesitating another moment before stepping out and slamming it shut. The resulting thud echoed around Will’s skull.
He watched Mike get about halfway there before he threw his door open too, standing with one hand on top of his car.
“Wait!”
Mike twisted around.
“You-“ His heart was beating so fast and hard he could feel it in his temples. “You don’t have to go in alone.”
They were Mike and Will. They didn’t go into scary places alone.
“I-“ Mike’s mouth hung open, a response resting on the edge of his tongue. Slowly, his shoulders sagged. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
Will’s grip on the door tightened.
“Are you sure?”
Mike nodded. He turned and walked the rest of the way, then disappeared through the doors. Will sat back down and closed the door behind him.
Maybe this wasn’t what he thought. Maybe he was jumping to silly conclusions.
But how the fuck could it be anything else?
Panicked tears started to burn at his throat, itching behind his eyes. He dug his fingers into the steering wheel again. Mike was alone in there, and he hadn’t fought harder to stay with him. And he’d- it was his-
It was his fault.
God, was hurting the people he cared about all he ever did? Was he just a curse?
Mike had looked so worn down when he got in the car. And he’d been distant and distracted all week. Was this why he’d left the arcade last Friday? How long had he known?
Was Will really so awful that he didn’t trust him enough to tell him?
What kind of question was that? Of course he didn’t trust him. Look what he’d done.
He pressed his forehead against the rim of the steering wheel, tears spilling over his cheeks. He broke silently, as he’d learned, not uttering even a whimper as they dripped onto his jeans.
A car door swinging open startled him so badly he jumped. He whipped around, and Mike was back in the passenger seat, hand still propped on the handle as the door sat half open. His face was deathly pale.
A heavy silence fell over them, stealing all the air from the car. Mike stayed very still, hand glued to the door, and his eyes all but pierced through the dash. His whole frame trembled on a slow, drawn out inhale.
His hand fell from the handle and he buried his face in his hands, leaning forward on his knees.
And Will didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to make of what was happening, of what Mike had walked into the clinic to do and why he was back so soon. Of what the fuck they were anymore.
Could Will claim to be Mike’s best friend when he’d hurt him like this?
Mike had hurt him too. Mike had moved on like it was nothing, like being together meant nothing. Like he didn’t spend every waking moment thinking about it.
Like he wouldn’t give it all up just for the chance for one more kiss, one more tight hug that said ‘you’re the most important thing in the world.’
“Um,” Mike said eventually, voice sounding hoarse. “I couldn’t, uh- I couldn’t. I’m sorry.”
Will’s heart ached. He wiped at the tears still streaking down his face, terrified of being seen.
“For what?” He found himself whispering. He needed to hear it. (Hearing it might break him.)
Mike laughed, a bitter, choked noise.
“For dragging you into this mess,” he huffed, rubbing his hands over his face. He ran them back through his hair, eyes glued to his feet. “For making you waste your time and drive me all the way out here. I’ll fix this. I swear. I’ll- you don’t have to have anything to do with it. I’ll send it off down the river, bible style. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Will started to cry. Really cry. Mike kept rambling.
“You don’t have to be around me anymore,” he continued, voice pitching up and growing louder with his urgency and panic. “If it’s too much. If I make you uncomfortable. And you don’t have to be friends with me.” That was where Mike started crying, too. “I know I messed up. I know I mess everything up.”
Will sobbed, clamping his hands over his mouth. Mike hid his face again, shoulders heaving with panicked breaths.
“Mike,” Will cried, voice warbled and broken. “Why- what-“ Another sob wracked his body, so hard he worried he might puke on his steering wheel. “What have I ever done that made you think I wouldn’t want you around?”
Mike sucked in another trembling breath. He peeked up at him through his fingers.
“Am I that terrible?” Will asked, devastated by the mere thought. And then, quieter, terrified, “Am I that much like my dad?”
The suggestion seemed to snap Mike out of it, because the boy sat up with a startled look, tears all but forgotten. His eyes were wide, brow furrowed.
“Will, you are not like your dad.” He shook his head, wearing his patented serious Mike face. “At all. Not even close.”
“You- you think I don’t want to be your friend anymore,” Will whined, face burning as more tears surfaced. He was being stupid. Mike was the one who was going through something, and he was making it all about him. Maybe he really was bad.
“No.” Mike shook his head again, twisting around in his seat so he was fully facing him. “No, Will. I don’t think that. I just- I’ve made a whole freaking mess. This is my fault. I don’t want to mess up your life.”
You are my life, a stupid, sappy part of Will’s mind replied, but he didn’t dare say it.
“You’re my best friend,” he said instead, staring at Mike through blurry tears. “My best friend, Mike. Nothing in the world could change that.”
“Oh.” Something in Mike’s stony expression chipped away, face softening and eyes going rounder. His mouth parted, showing off crooked teeth, and a short puff of air tickled Will’s nose even from their modest distance.
Will kind of wanted to kiss him. But that would be really stupid.
“So-“ Will took a deep breath, brow furrowing. “So if you’re doing this, then I am too. We’ll figure it out together.”
Mike nodded, seeming a little dazed. There was a light pink flush to his cheeks.
“I can, like, get a job,” Will added, feeling the tears start to subside. His shoulders drooped a little, even as the knot of anxiety stayed strong in his chest. “I’ve been meaning to anyway.”
“Huh?”
“A job.” Will swallowed thickly, trying not to stare at Mike’s lips. “Y’know, to support, um.” He failed, eyes flicking down to stare directly at his mouth. “The baby.”
Mike’s eyes fluttered. He seemed to lag behind a moment, lips pursed as he gulped.
“The-“ He blinked, then seemed to focus back in again, processing what he’d said. “Um. I don’t- I don’t really think I’m ready for all that. For… kids and such.”
Will’s eyes flicked back up to Mike’s. In a rare moment of bravery, he reached across the center console and wound their fingers together. Some of the tension loosened from Mike’s shoulders.
“I wasn’t totally joking,” he continued carefully. “About rivers, and all that shit. Obviously, we shouldn’t do that, because it’s child endangerment. But, um… adoption is a thing.”
Will’s chest felt weird. There was an odd touch of disappointment, as he’d just started to work himself up to the idea of a family with Mike (something he’d wanted desperately as a kid, without really understanding why.) But most of him was overwhelmed with sheer relief.
“It is,” he breathed, nodding quickly.
“El’s adopted,” Mike added distractedly, nodding along to his own words. “And she’s turned out great. Hopper is, um-“
“He’s great,” Will supplied, knowing Mike wouldn’t come to that conclusion on his own.
“Yeah.” Mike nodded again, eyes dropping somewhere below Will’s nose. He tried not to think too hard about it. “I’m sure there are lots of other Hopper-adjacent people out there, just, like, desperate to take in somebody else’s bastard.”
“Maybe he would know how to find some,” Will added, slowly relaxing as something resembling a plan laid itself out in front of them.
“Only downside is that we would have to tell him.”
“Yeah.” Will cringed at the thought. “Sounds like a fun conversation.”
“Man, if you’re dreading it, imagine how I feel?” Mike scoffed, making a face. “‘Yeah, hi, mister scary policeman whose daughter I turned into a lesbian. I boned your stepson. Please help.’”
Will let out a startled laugh, punched right out of his lungs. It made Mike’s eyebrows shoot up behind his bangs. But then, when Will kept laughing, Mike started to laugh too, squeezing his hands.
“Please don’t say that to him,” Will begged breathlessly, squeezing back. “Oh my god.”
“No matter what, it’s what he’ll hear,” Mike insisted, shaking his head with mirthful tears shining in his eyes. “I’m a menace, Will. Haven’t you heard about my reputation? I’ve corrupted you.”
“Really?” Will was smiling, now. It made his cheeks hurt.
“Yeah!” Mike grinned, mischievous and playful. “You used to be so sweet and quiet. Now you say swears, like, all the time.”
“You can’t take credit for that,” Will hummed, letting himself get a little mesmerized by Mike’s eyes. “That was all Dustin’s doing. He’s very proud of it, and you’d hurt his feelings if you took that from him.”
“Well I’m the one who made you so sarcastic.”
“Definitely Max, actually.”
“Dammit.” Mike rolled his eyes dramatically. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m the only friend you’ve boned, so…”
“Stop fucking calling it that,” Will huffed, finally dropping Mike’s hands to cover his flushed face.
“You have to give me credit for that one!”
“Actually…”
“Oh my god,” Mike whined. “If you tell me you and Lucas have hooked up, I’m going to walk out into traffic.”
“We haven’t,” Will laughed, dragging his hands down his face and dropping them into his lap. “That one’s just you.”
“Rad.” Mike grinned, toothy and smug. It made Will’s stomach flip.
“We should do something,” he decided, turning away before he could do something stupid, like grab his hands again and kiss him silly. “Since we’re here. You wanna… I dunno, grab lunch?”
“Lunch sounds amazing,” Mike all but moaned, leaning back in his seat again. “I didn’t eat shit this morning.”
“You need to eat, Mike.”
“You sound like my mom.”
And that was one way to diffuse any romantic tension that might’ve been building. Mike sounded like a petulant child. Will rolled his eyes.
“Buckle your seatbelt,” he quipped, waving a hand. “And close the damn door, idiot.”
Mike’s face flushed at that one. He did as he was told, pulling the door shut and buckling the belt.
“Can you go back to Just Like Heaven?”
“Of course.”