Chapter Text
The room blurred at the edges as Will blinked slowly, his exhaustion feeling like a tangible being pinning him to the couch as it settled on his chest. Forcing himself to stay conscious, he turned his head to see his mom fussing with her walkie, the shrill beeps as she tapped out messages in morse code making him wince.
“Mom, stop,” he groaned, and she jumped as she rushed to his side.
“Will honey, you need to rest!” Her hands fluttered over him, settling on his cheek as his eyes half-closed again.
“I’m fine,” he insisted, lifting his head to try and sit up.
The hand that had rested on his face slipped down as Joyce pressed firmly on his chest, forcing him to stay down.
“No you’re not,” her voice was clipped as he opened his eyes again “these… powers, you’ve got, using them takes it out of people. El still gets drained and she’s been using them a lot longer than you have. So you can just stay there, at least until we hear back from the others, you got that?”
Her eyes widened, flashing almost dangerously, and Will sighed.
“Alright, fine,” he conceded “but can you knock it off with the walkie? The beeping is giving me a headache”
“See, you’re not fine,” she said, looking at him pointedly as she stood “I’ll ‘knock it off’ when we hear back from… well, anyone”
She returned to her stool and began tapping again, slightly less frantically, as Will pressed his palms into his eyes to dull the low thumping in his head. He was beginning to drop off when the metal door to the radio tower opened with an exploding crash, sending a fresh wave of pain coursing through him as he struggled to sit upright. Glancing at his mom, he could see his own alarm mirrored in her face as she stood again, holding out her walkie defensively.
“Sorry, the door got stuck!” Robin’s voice was cheery as she crossed the threshold, arms full of tarpaulin “does that sometimes, keep meaning to get Steve to look at it, but I’m sure he’ll get ‘round to it eventually”
The couch exhaled a fine cloud of dust as Will slumped back onto it, the panic leaving him as Robin caught his eye and grinned.
“Robin, you…” Joyce started, hand clutching her chest as she sank back to her seat “don’t do that! Knock or something first, Jesus!”
“Sorry!” Robin said, too quickly.
She dumped the tarps unceremoniously on a nearby table before crossing the room and perching on the arm of the couch by Will’s feet, seemingly oblivious to Joyce watching her intently.
“So?” Joyce asked after a beat, and Robin jumped slightly.
“So… what?” She asked lightly, glancing at Will in confusion.
“The others?” Joyce exploded, her frustration obvious “Mike, Murray, Lucas? Where are the others, what is happening?”
“Oh!” Robin blushed slightly under Joyce’s scrutiny “they’re fine, we found Lucas in the tunnels and got him to the hospital - demo got to him before you went all Professor X on them but he’ll be fine; Murray is, I believe, trying to find the closest liquor store, and Mike said he’d bike back, he wanted to check in on his parents”
Will’s eyes had flickered fully open at the mention of Mike’s name and he grinned as Robin fidgeted slightly, biting her lip to hide a smile as Joyce’s breathing began to slow.
“And all this?” Joyce pressed, gesturing to the messy pile of tarpaulin slowly sliding off the table.
“Ah yeah, a demo-go-go ripped a hole in the roof, lots of electrics here, don’t want it to rain and have everything go dead,” Robin smiled earnestly as a sheet fell, landing on the floor with a dull thud.
“Demo-go-go?” Will choked out, eyes twinkling as he stared at Robin, a smile threatening to break.
“Demogorgon,” she clarified, ears glowing pink “figured if their name was less scary, they’d be… less scary?”
Joyce stared at her in disbelief as Will cracked up. Shaking her head as she stood, Joyce dug her hand into her pocket and fished out a packet of cigarettes, pulling one loose and sticking it in her mouth as she headed for the still-open door, glancing between Will and Robin for a split second before leaving. Still laughing weakly, Will caught Robin’s eye and immediately froze as she raised her eyebrows at him expectantly.
“So, baby Byers-“
“- don’t call me that,” Will interrupted quickly, and she raised her arms defensively.
“Sorry, sorry; badass Byers then?”
She grinned as he shrugged, tucking her feet under his legs as she settled more securely onto the arm of the couch.
“So, what happened?” Her eyes were bright as she leant forward, elbows pressed to her knees.
“I don’t know,” Will shrugged again “it all happened so fast, Vecna had me and then the demos… it’s like I could see it all, I could see you, and Lucas, and then I saw Mike and it’s like… everything you said, about having the answers, and being free, it all just ran through my head again and,” he paused, glancing at Robin nervously as her eyes grew wide “it’s like I was seeing my life, but not through my eyes. Like I was watching this little version of me, just like a film, like you said, and Mike was there and I just… I knew I couldn’t let anything hurt him - any of you, so I acted on instinct or something. And it all just… fell into place?”
He stretched out further on the couch cushions, breathing heavily and staring up at the ceiling as he felt Robin’s stare intensify.
“What?” He asked after a beat, his voice small in the silence.
“Nothing, I just…” Robin trailed off, and Will dared to glance at her, a flush rising on his cheeks.
“You love him, don’t you?” Her voice was soft as a sad smile crossed her face.
Will froze.
“What?” He spluttered “n-no, of course I-“
“- you do,” Robin interrupted “even if it’s not love, this isn’t just some crush; there are definite feelings here, aren’t there?”
With some effort, Will forced himself to sit up, his eyes never leaving Robin as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Seeing his face run pale, Robin grabbed his arm to steady him, concern knitting her brow together.
“Woah there Byers, you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine” he said faintly, leaning into her as the room began to spin “just a bit tired”
“Tired?” She laughed “you look ready to pass out!”
Will shook his head with a shrug as she removed her hand, clambering down from the arm of the couch to kneel on the floor next to him. The edges of his vision went black as he swung his legs out to sit up fully, Robin’s arm darting out to rest on his shoulder as he swayed slightly.
“Thanks,” he said breathlessly, leaning into her.
“No problem,” she grinned weakly, her forehead still creased “just if you do wanna pass out, try and fall sideways okay? I’m not some dashing prince, won’t be catching you. If you swoon, I will let you fall on your face”
Will allowed his eyes to drift shut as he chuckled lightly.
“There aren’t any princes coming to catch me”
“Okay, I’m no dashing paladin,” Will’s eyes snapped open as Robin grinned at him before hesitating “… that’s what you call him right? I didn’t just make that word up? Because I’ve never played D&D so I’ve got literally no idea”
Will chuckled again, leaning more fully into her as she joined in, their laughter echoing around the room as his dizziness subsided. Robin’s gaze flicked to the door for a split second before she caught Will’s eye again, her eyes sparkling as he turned slowly. Mike stood in the doorway, fingers tapping lightly on his handlebars as he looked between them, a small frown forming between his eyebrows.
“Mike, hey!” Will called, heart fluttering in his chest “when did you get back?”
Pressing his hands into his knees, Will tried to stand. Immediately the room began to tilt again, and he stumbled as Robin pushed him back onto the couch, her eyes flicking to Mike as Will’s breath caught in his chest. He was vaguely aware of the crashing of metal on concrete before Mike was next to him, one arm wrapped around his shoulders as he was guided back to a laid down position. Will squinted at Mike’s face, focusing on his lips as he tried to make sense of what he was saying, the words drowned out by the ringing in his ears. Time seemed to slow down as Will watched Robin step back, an inexplicably thoughtful expression on her face. His vision flickered again and his breathing hitched as Mike pressed a hand to his forehead, his fingertips blissfully cool as they brushed against the overheated skin of his eyelids. Will blinked once more, slowly, as his consciousness slipped out from under him.
***********
Will awoke with a start, his body aching as though he hadn’t moved for hours, and immediately glanced around the room. A small smile tugged almost involuntarily at his lips as he caught sight of Mike asleep on the overstuffed armchair a few feet away, his gangly limbs curled up uncomfortably and a small frown on his face as he twitched. Sitting up fully, Will was relieved to find his earlier dizziness completely gone, and he frowned slightly as he watched Mike. Even in sleep, he seemed too tightly wound, unable to fully relax, and it tugged at Will’s heart as he watched him shift slightly, his frown deepening. A faint crashing sound shuddered through the stone building and Will sprung to his feet, head whipping around as he caught Mike’s eyes opening unexpectedly slowly.
“Shit, I fell asleep,” he yawned, eyes widening as he took in the panic on Will’s face “what‘s the matter?”
Standing quickly, Mike crossed the room to stand by Will’s side, concern growing on his face.
“Are you okay? Are you hurting?” Mike asked, hands fluttering before resting on Will’s arms.
As if in answer, a thunderous dragging noise echoed through the room and Will whipped his head around again as Mike seemed to relax slightly.
“Oh, that!” He gave a small smile as he stepped towards the couch. “Your mom and Robin are setting the tarps over the roof”
Will stared between him and the ceiling in bewilderment as a quieter dragging sound reverberated.
“That doesn’t sound like a tarp?” Will asked hesitantly, slowly lowering himself onto the couch next to Mike.
“They’re weighing them down, I carried some bricks up for them before switching out with your mom for watching you,” Mike paused, pursuing his lips slightly “hey, can you maybe… not tell your mom that I fell asleep? She’s kinda scary lately”
Will laughed, knee brushing Mike’s as he leant back in the seat.
“‘Course I won’t tell her,” he promised as Mike joined him in getting comfortable “what time is it?”
Mike checked his watch, frowning and tapping it slightly.
“I… don’t know?” He said slowly, lifting his eyes to meet Will’s “think it must’ve stopped with all the water earlier, sorry man”
Will shrugged, eyes meeting Mike’s for a split second before he glanced away, his cheeks growing warm.
“Nah it’s fine, just didn’t know how long I’d been out”
Mike opened and closed his mouth as another dragging sound rumbled above them, his eyes glancing up. Shaking his head slightly, he chewed on his bottom lip as his fingers tapped out a rhythm on his knees. Will’s eyes flicked between the ceiling and Mike as the silence grew heavy.
“Should we go and help-“ Will started slowly.
“So you and Robin seem to be getting on-” Mike said at the same time, and then froze, cheeks pink.
“Yeah, I guess?” Will frowned.
“No, I asked earlier-” Mike said simultaneously.
Will caught his eye as they both grinned, then nodded his head.
“You go first”
Mike paused as he glanced down, his blush still obvious.
“I asked your mom if she wanted help earlier, but she said she wanted to talk to Robin,” Mike’s voice was deliberately casual as he refused to meet Will’s eye “you two seem to be getting pretty close?”
Will frowned slightly, feeling his cheeks grow warm as Mike finally caught his gaze.
“Yeah..?” Will drew out the word “we’re friends?”
Mike’s mouth gave a funny twist as his eyes searched Will’s face.
“Cool,” he said quickly, dropping his gaze to his hands, still fidgeting on his lap “I mean, she’s cool and all, but she’s a bit old right? It’s like me hanging out with Nancy”
“Or Dustin hanging out with Steve?” Will questioned, a tiny frown creasing his brow.
“I guess?” Mike shrugged, an edge creeping into his voice “I mean, I’ve never seen Dustin and Steve laughing like you two did in the tunnels?”
Will’s frown deepened as his eyes searched Mike’s face.
“What do you-“ he paused, shaking his head “oh that! We were just talking about that girl, you remember Tammy Thompson?”
Mike glanced up, confusion clear on his face.
“What, the singer?”
“Yeah!” Will nodded enthusiastically as Mike seemed to relax slightly “Robin was just telling me about how they were in the same class”
“How did you even get onto the topic of tone-deaf Tammy?” Mike asked, his arm resting against Will’s as he leant back into the couch.
“Oh, she ah, she had a thing for Steve back then,” Will said quickly, trying to ignore the warmth radiating from Mike “Tammy, I mean, not Robin”
“Right,” Mike’s eyes narrowed “so what, do we need to find a recorded version of Tammy butchering a song in case Vecna goes after Steve?”
“What? No?”
Will stared in confusion as Mike’s cheeks started to glow pink.
“For you then?”
“Mike, what?” Will frowned “what are you even talking about?”
“I don’t know!” Mike stood without warning, carding a hand through his hair as he looked around the room “guess I’m just trying to figure out why you and Robin were laughing and talking about Tammy Thompson of all people in the middle of a rescue mission?”
Will watched in bewilderment as Mike started to pace, his hands twisting together seemingly subconsciously.
“Why are you so upset?” Will asked after a beat, his voice quiet, and Mike froze.
“I’m not,” he replied too quickly, glancing at Will for a split second before dropping his gaze again.
Frustration starting to prickle along his skin, Will stood up slowly and walked towards Mike, resting his hands on his shoulders as he moved to step away.
“Yes, you are.” Will said firmly “what’s going on?”
Mike seemed to deflate slightly as Will stared at him, dropping his head and leaning his weight into Will’s hands. He took a deep breath, staring at Will through his lashes before he closed the distance between them.
“Mike, what’re you doin-“
Will froze as Mike dropped his head on his shoulder, squeezing tight enough to bruise as he hugged Will’s midsection, his shoulders shaking slightly.
“Hey,” Will said softly, hesitating slightly before resting his hands on Mike’s arms “is everything okay?”
Mike didn’t answer, just squeezed impossibly tighter, and Will felt his heart lurch at the tiny sniffling sound Mike let out in response. A flicker of guilt sparked in his stomach as Mike’s shoulders continued to shake, and Will pulled back slightly to look at him.
“Mike?” Will asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Mike loosened his grip slightly, his head still on Will’s shoulder as he took a deep breath, eyes flicking up to glance at Will.
“Is everything okay?” Will asked again, gently.
Mike let out a shaky laugh as he stared at him wide-eyed.
“Shit, yeah, sorry,” he sniffed, a watery smile pulling at his lips, “I’m just, shit. I don’t know, dude. Everything that’s gone on today and I’m stressing about Tammy fucking Thompson”
Will returned his smile hesitantly, confusion knitting his eyebrows together as he scanned Mike’s face, his hands dropping from his shoulders to his upper arms as Mike swallowed hard.
“I know,” he said, voice still as gentle as he could make it “I just don’t get why-“
His attention was snagged by the door behind Mike swinging open, revealing Robin standing in the doorway, her face unreadable. Her eyes widened as she took in their position and Will froze, a blush creeping up his face as Mike glanced over his shoulder, his expression hardening as he looked between Will and Robin.
“Oh.” he said quietly, stepping out of Will’s embrace.
Will felt his heart sink as Mike stepped away, and he glanced desperately at Robin who was, inexplicably, staring at Mike with narrowed eyes, her head tilted to one side.
“Little Wheeler,” she said softly, her voice clear in the silence of the room “can I borrow you?”
Mike’s hands twisted together as he glanced at her, his mouth a hard line.
“I’d rather stay here”
Robin seemed to bite back a grin as she rolled her eyes.
“It’ll only take a minute, it’s important,” she said cryptically, turning so she was sideways in the doorframe.
“Important how?” Mike asked, crossing his arms as he remained in place “for the mission or…?”
“Something like that,” Robin’s eyes glittered as she glanced back at Will, stood frozen as Mike finally looked at him.
“You gonna be okay?” Mike asked, his voice soft, and Will nodded.
“Think I’ll be fine for a minute, Mike,” he smiled slightly “I’m sure my mom will be back soon anyway.”
Mike nodded once, his eyes running over Will’s face intently before he walked towards the door, shoulders hunched.