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“Will!”
It was too late. The last demobat that the two were fending off tore right through Will’s shirt, taking a chunk out of his side. Will cried out, yanking the creature off of him, throwing it to the ground as he stumbled down himself. Mike rushed towards the demobat, raising his baseball bat.
Oh god, it hurt Will. It tore his side right out, and Mike wasn’t fast enough to stop it. Anger surged through Mike as he slammed the bat down, the demobat making an awful squelching noise on impact. Kill it, kill it, kill it! He swung the baseball bat down, what had to be around fifteen times. His palms were sweaty and his face was red, but he couldn’t stop. No, he won’t stop, not until—
“Mike! You got it! You- you killed it, Mike.” Will shouted from the ground.
Mike paused, lifting his bat. He had beaten the thing practically to a pulp. It was… gross, but at least it was dead. He wiped away the sweat beading on his forehead.
Will! The thought of his best friend jolted his head up, and his feet carried him to Will's side, where he dropped his bat immediately. “Will, oh my god, your side… are you—“
“‘s okay,” Will began to try and stand, but Mike grabbed his forearm and tugged him down.
Mike looked him in the eyes, eyebrows scrunched in concern. “No, no, stay there. You’re… It’s not okay. You’re hurt.” His eyes then darted down to the wound. He couldn’t see all that much due to most of Will’s shirt still being there, stained red.
“Mike, we have to go.” Will rested a moment, wincing in pain. He placed a hand on his injury, and in moments, his hand was soaked in blood. The boy stifled a groan. “It’s not safe here. Something’s gonna come. We- we have to go.” There was now an extra sense of urgency in his voice.
Mike sighed and looked around. Will was right, they weren’t safe. But where could they go? They were in the upside down, and there weren’t many safe options. The safest option would be inside a building of some sort… Mike supposed the town area wasn’t too far from where they were. “Okay… okay. We’re gonna find a building we can rest in, then we’ll check out that wound of yours. You’re going to be okay, Will.” He reassured the other.
Will nodded and crawled to his knees with hands in the dirt before stumbling to his feet. Mike immediately wrapped an arm around him— baseball bat back in his other hand— as Will unsteadily stood. He leaned heavily on Mike, wrapping his arm over Mike’s shoulder.
Mike looked over to Will, finding his face in a grimace. “Are you gonna be able to walk?” he asked softly, making sure not to graze Will's injured side.
“Yeah, not like there’s any other choice.” Will leaned his head on Mike's shoulder, preparing himself for probably the most painful walk of his life.
“I could carry you,” Mike said, and watched as this seemed to make Will crack a smile. “What? I could! Don’t underestimate me.”
Will blew out a breath. “Sure, Michael. Alright, seriously, I can walk. Let’s get going.”
The two began to take small steps, Mike guiding them both. He heard Will suck in a pained breath every step. It saddened Mike to see Will in this state; he wished to make him all better.
Seriously, Mike didn’t remember the town of Hawkins being this far from… itself. It really wasn’t that big, but at the pace they were going, it seemed like they were crossing the entire continent. They were slowing down, as Will seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, but refused to be carried. Sometimes he wished Will weren’t so stubborn. “You need a break,” Mike stated, not as a question.
“No, Mike, please,” Will practically whined, “We’re almost there… I think.”
Will was correct; they were almost there. Surely they would see a house or something in the next few minutes. But Will was really not okay. On the way, they had tried to apply pressure to the wound to get it to stop bleeding, but still, it somehow was still trickling. Mike could tell that the loss of blood was getting to Will; he was pale, so pale, and seemed short of breath even though Mike was going as slow as he could.
“Will, we haven’t seen or heard a single thing out here except our own footsteps. We can rest for a moment. I won’t let anything bad happen to us.” Mike promised.
“No.” Will firmly asserted.
“Will ple—“
“Mike, you don’t understand,” he snapped his head over to look Mike directly in the face, “I- I feel it.”
A beat passed as Will’s words sank in. Feel it?
What could that mean? “Feel what, Will?” Mike questioned, grasping at Will as he stumbled again. They stopped for a moment as they both adjusted their grip on one another.
Will made a noise in the back of his throat and shuddered. Scared. “You know how I can feel… him. Vecna. Sometimes. I can feel him now. I can feel him and the others. The demogorgons, the demodogs, the demobats, they’re here. They just… haven't found us yet.” Will looked like he was barely keeping it together. A shiver ran through him once more, and Mike held him closer.
It was no wonder Will was feeling shitty. The poor boy was badly injured and could feel them being actively hunted. He wanted to sit Will down and take care of him and tell him it would all be okay, but he also didn’t take Will’s warning lightly. Mike was in control right now, and Will’s safety was his responsibility.
Mike was scared— hell, who wouldn’t be— but when he looked at Will, he felt strength. He was here with Will, and that gave him a reason to fight.
“Okay, we keep moving. Almost there… I got you.” Mike took Will and pushed on. God, they had been trapped here for… hours at this point. A gate had to open soon, or Mike would just about lose his mind. Will hadn’t seemed to have taken it too well when they got here either. Mike wondered if it brought back the lonesome memories of 1983. He couldn’t imagine being stuck in this hellhole for a week; his heart ached thinking about how scared and lonely it must have been.
Every painful step Will took, he looked more and more worn. He squeezed his eyes shut, fending off the pain. Mike looked around for something, anything, and then he saw it. Just through the trees and fog, he saw the corner of a building. A house, it looked like. That would do.
Mike smiled, laughing in relief. “Will, a building!” He sighed. He could finally tend to Will, and they could both take a moment to breathe.
“Oh, thank- thank god...” Will stuttered, more out of breath than ever.
Mike's smile quickly faded as he realized how much Will was struggling. “Almost there, okay?” he soothed. Oh, how he wanted all this to be over. For him and Will to be safe, eating snacks in his basement and watching movies.
They made their way over to the house slowly, Will’s head resting on Mike, placing most of his weight on him. It only took a few more stumbles to make it to the front porch.
Mike carefully and ever so gently placed Will on the step out front. He then snagged a rock from the ground nearby and chucked it through the door window. Reaching inside, he unlocked the door, hearing the click of the lock turn.
Will rose to his feet with Mike's support, and they headed inside the unfamiliar home. It looked just like every other place in the upside down— covered in vines with particles floating everywhere. Finding a seat that wasn’t covered in the gross black vines was unlikely. They decided on a spot on the living room floor that had a lack of them.
Mike dropped his bat and backpack before lowering Will down. Will reached the floor with a painful grunt and settled against the wall, sighing. He looked exhausted.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” Mike rested his hand on top of Will’s. His thumb smoothed across Will’s skin comfortingly.
“Can I be honest? Like shit.” Will said dryly. He cleared his throat and coughed.
Mike frowned. He knew this, yet Will’s words still hurt. He unscrewed the lid of his water bottle he had taken out of his backpack. “Drink,” he said gently as he raised the bottle to Will's dry lips. He tentatively took a sip.
Placing the water bottle down, but not yet placing the lid on, Mike grabbed the bottom of his shirt. He tore a strip off, placing it in his lap. “Okay, Will. Can you- can I help you take your shirt off?” He scooted closer to the other.
Will hummed as he nodded. “Alright, let’s see. Raise your arms, okay?” Mike told him. He grabbed the bottom of Will’s shirt and, when Will had lifted his arms, yanked it over his head. Will grimaced as the fabric slid over his wound.
It was worse than Mike thought. Sure, the demobat had bitten him, but it had taken a whole chunk out of Will. It was no wonder he was losing blood. Mike felt sick. Seeing Will hurt upset him so deeply. He saw Will quiver at the sight of his side, paling even further than he already was.
“Hey, hey, we’re gonna fix you up, okay?” Mike reassured him. He pat Will's leg, desperate to give him some sort of affection to calm him down. Will just nodded stiffly. His breathing was uneven, and his hands were shaky. He stared at his wound.
“Don’t look at it, Will. It’s okay, I got it.” Mike
took the cloth in his lap and poured some water on it. He needed to clean it, at least a bit. Who knows what bacteria and viruses those monsters might carry? “This is going to sting a bit.”
Taking a deep breath, he gently dabbed at the wound with the damp cloth with a steadying hand on Will's other side. With a shriek, Will became tense, his jaw clenched and eyes pressed shut. “I’m sorry, I know,” Mike whispered, his free hand now taking Will’s. A few more agonizing seconds were filled with sorrys and comforting whispers, then Mike was finished cleaning it.
He then tore another piece of his shirt off, this time a longer strip. He tied it around Will’s side with one more sorry as Will flinched.
“All done,” he flashed Will a smile. Will weakly smiled back.
“Thanks, Mike,” he said, then shivered. He wrapped his arms around himself tightly.
Mike placed a hand on Will's shoulder. “Are you cold, Will?” He stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around Will, making sure he was comfortable. Mike situated himself right next to him.
“I’m okay, Mike. Thank you.” Will pressed himself into Mike's side. He hesitated, then grabbed Mike's hand, interlocking fingers.
Mike’s face began heating up. They were so close. They had been so close. He really couldn’t handle the way he felt around Will. Really, he never acted this way around any of their other friends, not Dustin, not Lucas, not anybody. Not even… El. His declining relationship with El had been apparent to him a while ago; he just didn’t want to accept it. Accept that it was his fault, and…. these feelings’ fault.
He couldn’t admit it.
Will stirred next to him, yawning. “Well, what’s our plan now?” He asked.
“We don’t have anything to do but rest. Seriously, you look beat.” Mike huffed. The bags under Will’s eyes were apparent, as well as his drooping eyelids. “I’ll keep watch. Don’t worry about anything right now.” Oh, how he wanted to hold Will right now. To rub his back and tell him how he really felt. How could he tell Will the truth if he didn’t want it himself?
“I am tired, I guess.” Will rubbed at his eye. “What about—“
BAM!
That woke Will right up. The sound of the door slamming open was heard from the other room. Both boys sat frozen, white as sheets. A familiar guttural screech rang out by the doorway. Neither dared to move, afraid to make a noise.
Mike just made out the back of a demodog entering the kitchen through the doorway, trying to find its prey. They surely couldn’t fight it. They could beat some demobats, but going up against anything larger would most likely end in fatalities.
He looked at Will. Will made him strong. Will reminded him of everything he loved.
Without another second to spare, Mike yanked Will up with the hand he was holding. Will bit down on his lip, stifling a pained yelp. Mike could be sorry later; they needed to hide. He looked to the right and found a small closet about ten feet away. They could make do.
Carefully, he guided Will over vines, not making a sound but moving with urgency. Reaching the door, he was in a predicament. The door would surely make a noise. Alas, what choice did they have? The demodog would find them any moment now. He slowly tugged the door open, cringing at the creaking noise it made. The two jumped as they heard another angry roar. Mike shoved them both into the closet and shut the door.
The closet was so small that Will was in his arms. He could feel his quick, panicked breaths on his face.
He couldn’t tell Will it was going to be okay.
He heard Will’s breath hitch. Through the crack in the door, they could see the demodog prowling into the living room. The creature snarled, making its way to Mike’s backpack and bat, which he had left in a hurry. It screeched, unpleased to find that the items had been abandoned. The demodog began making its way around the room.
Mike clutched Will, holding him close. If the demodog found them, it would have to get through his body first. Will’s face was in his neck. Will’s body shook as Mike felt moisture on his collarbone. He placed a hand on the back of Will’s head, stroking it, tears pricking at his own eyes. Both took shaky, quiet breaths as they waited.
The demodogs' breathing was right outside the door. Its footsteps ceased. Mike didn’t dare look. He grasped at Will’s back as he held his breath. Will tightened his arms around Mike’s midsection.
They stood in that closet, holding onto each other like it was the end of the world. Maybe it was, for them. At least they went out together.
Holding their breaths. Holding their hands. Mike realized that his feelings weren’t the scariest thing in the world.
So there he was, in the closet with Will.
…
He held Will for a long time. Seconds passed. Minutes passed. Maybe hours, maybe days. He thought he would never let go of Will, ever.
He could just stay here and protect Will forever. Forever in this space, they could exist.
They stood in that crammed closet silently. The only noise that reached Mike’s ears was the soft breathing of Will and him, and the eerie hum of the upside down.
The hum had grown familiar as they waited.
…
“Mike.” Will’s voice jolted him out of his head. The name was muffled into Mike’s shoulder.
They both knew that it was gone. It had been gone, but neither boy had made a move. The task seemed daunting.
A pause.
“Don’t go out,” Mike told him. Stay here with me, in the safety of the closet.
Will lifted his head from Mike’s shirt to look him in the face, wriggling away, creating a small gap between the two. There was barely any light, but Mike could just make out Will’s face, splotchy from crying. “Mike.” he repeated, softer.
A surge of emotions overtook Mike. Many emotions he couldn’t identify. They took form in weird ways and places and felt warm, cold, soft, and hard all at the same time. What would happen if they left that closet?
He was conflicted. Did he want to leave that closet?
Did Will want to?
Mike slid his hands down to Will’s waist. He waited for a reaction. For a moment, Will stood as if Mike hadn’t moved at all. Then he looked down, then back up. His eyes glistened. Will moved his own hands up to Mike’s chest.
Will wanted to.
So did he.
Pulling Will in by the hips, Mike leaned in slowly. He wanted it so bad. Fluttering eyelashes and warm breaths between them. Soft glances passed back and forth lovingly.
Their lips collided unexpectedly, and it took Mike a moment to realize what had happened. Will pulled back to check for confirmation, and when they both got it, they went back in like two thirsty men in a desert. Mike tightened his grip on Will as they kissed. Their tongues broke through, meeting for the first time. It was awkward, and there was no room to move, but god, it was wonderful.
Even in the circumstances, it was truly the best kiss he’d had. He smiled into Will, who brought his hand up to Mike’s cheek. Will wanted it. They were the perfect disaster together, ever since the beginning. Mike felt like he could take on anything right about now.
He couldn’t think of the others. The judgment could wait; right now, he was just with Will. Will, injured and bruised. He was the strongest person Mike had ever met.
He wasn’t ashamed. Not right now. Not with the most beautiful boy he had ever laid his eyes on in his arms. They squeezed their bodies closer and closer together, as if they wanted to become one.
One concept, Mike and Will.