𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 ✦ 𝐛𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫

vingt six

will and richie were inseparable. two years of richie falling more and more in love with will and vice versa. the rest of his friends, who deemed themselves the losers club, had absolutely loved their relationship. yet beverly marsh, the red-haired girl, had a feeling that something was wrong. mike hanlon, too, a dark tan boy who wanted to become a journalist. hanlon wrote of will once:

"will always seems to be out of this world. and he seems to be longing for someone. there was a sort of helplessness in his eyes. there's someone he can't let go."

hanlon wrote lots of stories when he was observing his friends and the world around him, usually sharing them with beverly. but he always seemed to think that will was most interesting, mainly because he was mysterious and secretive when he doesn't mean to be. and he always wore his heart on his sleeve, his emotions on his face. but you could never pinpoint the exact reason of will's feelings.

richie tozier did not like this. he was never able to uncover what will was feeling, and he was too dumb to realize that what will would say and what will would feel were completely different. and will never could blame him— they were different. too different. the glasses boy always knew that something was off with him. he even overheard beverly and mike talking about it. that's when he knew that will wasn't right for him. it was richie who ended it. soft and slow. and will was not hurt, not one bit. they'd kissed and made love but will was not hurt when it was all over.

why?

the answer was simple, yet he didn't admit. he wouldn't, he couldn't. that was all in the past.

will published a children's book, just like he wanted. it was a picture book about a small boy who must slay a dragon in order to save his kingdom, but the dragon ended up being a nice dragon, who was fooled and wronged by the world. the boy loved his dragon, and they became the best of friends. it instantly became a best-seller.

mike was quite happy. at least he so thought. now and then he'd remember how will touched his hair at graduation. a small gesture, but nonetheless, imprinted into his brain forever. but mike was happy. in his junior year, everyone knew mike wheeler. life of the party, physics major, frat boy, dumbass. his grades were average and that was enough for him. he'd tried every college drug in the book—except for meth and cocaine, much to mike's dismay. according to him, weed was the best. and he was incredibly attractive to all who knew him, which made it quite easy for him to sleep around. both of his love affairs he'd met at absolutely mad frat parties— the first was a germaphobe who was dragged to the party, by his friend, stan. he went by eddie kaspbrak but mike, for some reason, never believed that was his real name. they dated for about six months, which was quite a long period of time for mike. mike's idiot frat friend, boris, would say that he thought "eddie really had him tied down."

mike never said anything about that. it was funny how six months was now considered long time for him, when he once had a love for two years.

the second person he'd dated in college was a little chestnut-haired boy named theo decker. the boy had gotten extremely drunk one night and ended up hooking up with wheeler. he considered it the biggest mistake of his life, when mike started falling in love with him. sooner, rather than later, theo succumbed to mike's charms. their romance was even shorter-lived, lasting around three months, perhaps less. his friend boris ended up falling for theo, strangely enough. this happened about a year later. boris and theo have been secretly in love ever since.

when mike was out of college, he was no longer happy. he became an engineer, which was what he wanted, and it was great and all, but he had no one. for christmas, mike returned to hawkins to see his family. nancy, who stood tall and beautiful, asked her brother about everything, from work to friends to love.

mike only cringed and asked: "how's jonathan?"

she flinched ans played with her hair. "oh, we took a break. work sucks. but we'll be okay."

"well, a break's not a break-up, right?"

"yeah. we just keep holding onto each other, i guess. oh— that reminds me! have you read will's book? there's gonna be a sequel! and another sequel and another and—"

mike was the one to flinch now. he tucked a single raven strand behind his ear, cheeks heated in a flush. "will... wrote a book?"

"yes," she said after a pause, "oh lord, forgive me i may have said too much!"

mike only stood in his old room, confused.

-

the next morning was bright and snowy. it was Christmas day, a day mike certainly enjoyed every year. presents were wrapped beneath the tree, including the ones mike had gotten for his family. everyone exchanged their gifts and laughed about old times. his whole family seemed to be jolly, and ecstatic that he was home. his father even, that he was never very close with, said he was proud of him. mike may have fooled around in college, but he landed a most decent job that could easily pay off his student loans and the bills for his singleman appartment.

but after the gift exchange and a few christmas things, even christmas dinner had passed and the lights and fire and laughter were dying down. mike noticed an unopened present beneath the tree. he didn't know how anyone could've missed it. so after dinner, when his family were passed out during it's a wonderful life, he went to investigate the unopened present, to see who it was for.

and it was then , his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

To: Mike
From: Will

how odd. how strange, how absolutely baffling that after all these years the boy he loved would remember him on christmas. he checked the living room, and then frantically opened the gift,hands shaking and eager. what could this possibly be, what could possibly be beneath this paper, what could the Byers boy possibly want to give him?

there were two things.

the first was a signed copy of his book, the boy and the dragon. mike could have cried. the pictures in the book had definitely been illustrated by will. his art style never changed, he noticed, only improved over the years. mike realized then that he was crying.

it was like will was here, holding him beneath the Christmas tree and telling him that he was brilliant and he loved him. it was almost as if mike wanted that, he wanted will there with him. he wanted him to stay by his side— maybe. a note was inside. it fell to the ground, and mike made a mental note to pick it up later.

the second gift was a framed photo. it was, yes, everyone. the party at the mall. el was on max's back, smiling demurely, while the redhead stuck her tongue out at lucas. dustin had his arm around lucas and beamed brightly at the camera— lucas had bunny ears behind dustin's head. and there was will, holding the camera, and then... mike hugging him from behind, looking at will lovingly. will looked pretty in that picture. mike remembered that day well— post-finals celebration of tenth grade. yes, how mike was sobbing. he looked so happy here, everyone looked happy.

yes, now he remembered how he let the party dissipate and die, and only fragments of it remained. and he remembered how he ruined his relationship with will and how el made them talk in his bedroom. he wanted to see everyone again. more than anything.

but now, he had a burning desire to see will.

then he picked up the note inside the book, that had fallen to the floor.

and mikes heart fluttered.

"meet me at the spot on new year's eve. merry christmas mike."