Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mike sat on his bed desperately trying to gather his thoughts.

Today is the night… Four months of planning for this…

Mike dips his hand into his bedside table to pull out his note.

Tonight is the night Mike makes it out of this hideous town.

His Senior year or any year in fact was not his year. Mike just had to get out of here. Since he is eighteen his family won't bother looking for him. Mike couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't eighteen if they would even bother to look for him.

Mike rips himself from the warm comfortable bed.

The clock blinks at 3:23 in the morning.

Mike is cautious to not wake the sleeping Will on the floor. Will has been staying with them since his family moved back to California. Mike doesn't want to leave him but all he's ever been is a bump in the road for him and he doesn't want to be that anymore. Mike wants to be something better even if that means he will have to leave the only one he has ever truly lo- felt comfortable with in a best friend's way of course.

Mike grabs the duffle bag from under his bed.

Mike sets the note on his bed and gets on the ground.

A text pops up on his flip phone.

“Be careful and tell me if anything bad happens. If anything bad happens I will drive anywhere to help you.” Jane texted.

It's true that they broke up in freshman year but Jane is still the dearest thing to Mike.

Mike texts “Okay, feel free to visit me at any time. Please don't reveal where I am to Will no matter how much he begs and please comfort him.”

Is it also true that Jane is downstairs on the couch? Yes, she very much is.

Will begged Jane to stay in Hawkins to be with the ‘The Party’ though Jane tells Mike he stayed to be with Mike. Mike marked that with her trying to get Mike to stay.

Jane stumbled across Mike's plans and although her efforts to stop him failed she still tries a little. Tonight is the night she knows it's very real and she can't do anything to stop it.

Mike puts his flip phone down and presses a kiss on Will’s cheek. "I'm sorry. I hope you understand.” Mike whispers as he leaves.

Mike walked out the front door. Jane waves as she relocks the door.

Mike starts up the car and right when he's ready to go there's a knock that hits his window. The door is pulled open. Will gets in the seat.

“Where are you going?” Will asks as he wipes his red eyes. Clearly tired.

“Oh- Nowhere just head back to bed. I'm just gonna get something from the store.” Mike whispers lovingly.

“The stores closed.” Will interrogates.

“I skimmed your note. Don't leave me.” Will whines.

“Will, I have to. I swear life will move on without me and you will find out how much better it is without me.” Mike mutters in his ‘Will voice’. It's a very soft, loving voice.

“Take me with you. I can't bear to be without you. Why do you think I stayed?” Will cried.

Mike brought a hand to Will's face. He used his thumb to wipe his tears.

“Will, you have to stay. Everyone would be destroyed if you left.” Mike stated as his thumb glided across Will’s face.

“But- But..” Will choked on his tears.

“Please go back inside. We can laugh about this some other time.” Mike smiled.

“Some other time? In what? 5 years!” Will screamed through his tears.

Will pushed Mike’s hand off his face. Will hated that movement instantly. He missed the warmth of Mike’s hand and what if it was the last time he felt that? Will grabbed Mike’s hand and slammed it back on his face. Mike was horrified at the fact it looked like Will was trying to slap himself with Mike's hand.

Mike cupped Will’s face in his hands.

“It's okay… I'm still here… let's go inside.” Mike comforted.

“You're not gonna trick me, Mike. We're not leaving this car. I'm coming with you.” A sloppy Will somehow stated through heavy breaths.

Mike didn't know what to do. He hadn't planned this.

He decided that he would drive somewhere then drive home when Will was… better.

Mike drove to the spot he could always feel safe in. He drove to an empty field he often went to for a good cry or to watch the stars.

Mike parked in the grass.

Mike lit a cigarette and got out. Will wiped his eyes and followed.

They sat on the hood of Mike’s car. Mike blew out a cloud of smoke. They sat in silence for a good thirty minutes.

“Are you ready to talk now?” Mike asked.

Will nodded.

“Why do you wanna leave me?” Will quickly asked before Mike could say anything.

“I would never wanna leave you. If I could stay with you forever then I would.” Mike spoke and was just about to say something else before Will cut him off.

“Then do. Stay with me forever.” Will replied.

Mike did a short laugh.

“I have to branch out Will.” Mike insisted.

Mike let a little smile go on his face as he looked over to Will. The smile was quickly erased as he realized Will looked as if he was gonna cry. Mike took Will into his arms.

“Just think of all the bad things I've done and that will make this ten times easier.” Mike whispered into Will’s ear.

“I could think of so many things since you're a jackass but that doesn't mean I want you gone. You're the only reason I'm still in Hawkins.” Will whined.

Mike's grip around him tightened.

“You've said that twice and now I want an explanation.” Mike jokingly asked.

“Why do you wanna leave me so bad?” Will cried completely ignoring the last comment.

“I don't wanna leave you.” Mike remarked with a sigh.

Will broke the hug apart.

“Then explain why you're doing this.” Will grumbled.

“For everyone's sake. I don't want to bother anyone anymore.” Mike replied.

“I want you to bother me!” Will yelled.

“Let's just go home.” Mike responded.

Will shook his head in disbelief.

“No… Mike, please take me with you. I can't stand being here if you're not.” Will agonized.

“I can't and you know I can't.”

“Why not?”

“You know why.”

“I actually dont.”

“You have so much here and your mother would come looking for you. I don't want to put that on Joyce again.”

“Won't your parents look for you too?”

“No. They won't.” Mike replied coldly.

Mike’s ‘Will voice’ had left when he suggested we go home.

“I love you.” Will muttered under his breath.

“What?” Mike questioned.

“You can't leave me because I love you.” Will yelled.

Mike was stunned. He stared into the open night sky trying to think of something to say.

“I'm so stupid. Why would I say that? You probably knew and were trying to get as far from me-” Will trailed off before his lips collided with Mike's.

The kiss was short but was different from every other kiss. It was meaningful and meant something to each other.

Mike pulled out another cigarette and lit it as if nothing had just happened. Like he hadn't just kissed his ex’s brother and his best friend.

They retreated to the car and promptly made it home. Will didn't think he just got out of the car and went to bed.

Mike faked sleep but he carried out his plans. Thinking that love will change your plans was silly to Mike even though all he wanted was to wake up next to Will and have a happy life. But happy lives don't actually exist to Mike. All married couples look like his parents, unloving, so he was not taking the chances. He had found out how Will managed to get outside without Jane seeing. Nancy’s window. The same window Mike used to sneak out for the second time that day. The window Mike climbed out of but never climbed back.

5 years later…

Will was casually in California in Joyce’s house.

He came over to hang out with Jane, Jonathan, and Joyce.

He moved back to California the day he found Mike’s bed empty. He doesn't enjoy thinking about that day so he pushes it down.

The doorbell rings.

“I'll get it!” Jane yells as she runs to the door.

Jane screams.

Everyone put down what they were doing and ran to the door. Will was met by the much broader Mike Wheeler.

Will's jaw dropped.

Joyce ushered Mike into the house. She was frantically trying to make him eat. Will glared at Mike. Jane realized this.

“Joyce and Jonathan, I think we should allow them to catch up.” Jane expressed.

Will opened his mouth to disagree but it was too late. They were gone.

Mike gestured to the seat in front of him.

“Hi Will.” Mike stated in his signature ‘Will voice’.

“No. don't do that voice with me.” Will spoke in a calm but angry voice.

Will loved the voice and missed it so much but he couldn't show that.

“How are you gonna walk out for five years after kissing me?” Will questioned.

Mike looked down trying to gather his thoughts.

“I don't know what you want me to say.” Mike hesitated.

“Great then don’t talk I have a lot to say. Yea you left because you didn't want to burden me but this is a bigger burden. Our fights were bad but they were resolved. You left and just burdened me by coming back. I finally got my life in order after you and you march back in. Maybe it was best when you were gone.” Will yelled as tears fell down his face.

“You don't mean that.” Mike whispered.

Will faced the other way.

“I guess I should get out of your hair then.” Mike assumed.

Mike stood up but was stopped by a hand.

“Now you're trying to leave me again? God, what is with you and leaving me?” Will laughed through tears.

“Will, you’re confusing me?” Mike pondered.

“Mike, you're confusing me! Do you love me or not? Because who leaves someone they kiss? Am I just a summer fling to you? Was what we had nothing?” Will screamed in response.

Mike smashed his face against Will’s.

The kiss was better than the first one. It was much better but it wasn't supposed to be better. Will was supposed to hate Mike! but … the way his long uncut curls laid upon his forehead, the way he came back looking the same yet so different.

Mike’s hands made their way to Will’s hair as Will’s hand cupped Mike’s cheeks.

The kiss lasted for what felt like hours but was just minutes. The kiss was rough so by the time Will pulled away his lips were red.

Mike and Will had somehow shuffled to the couch throughout making out.

The familiar silence filled the air. The silence you can't feel with anyone else because it was specifically Will and Mike’s silence.

Mike laid on the couch with Will on top of him.

“What if you leave me again?” Will whispers into Mike's shirt.

“I won't. I can't.” Mike whispers back.

“How do I know that?” Will whispered back.

“Because as long as I have you I don't have to be anywhere else. I ran away from my feelings now I can just face them head-on. I'm not eighteen anymore Will. I've changed.” Mike whispers as he runs his hands through Will’s hair.

This was the end of a chapter and the beginning of a new chapter for the boys. A chapter where they wouldn't run away, they would face them head-on together.