JUNE 1985
Lucas, Max, and Will sat on the sidelines of the Wheeler's basement while Dustin and Mike broke out into an full-on argument.
"Why do you get to see her and we don't?" Dustin interrogated.
"I dunno, maybe because I rescued her from the woods and she lived in my basement for a week?" sassed Mike.
Dustin threw his hands in the air, eyes wide. "We rescued her, too!"
"You didn't even like her at first!"
Max and Will exchanged a glance, feeling left out in the best way possible.
"I'm pretty sure that was Lucas."
"You asked if she had cancer, then compared her to Michael Myers."
Max snorted. Lucas stifled a chuckle at the memory.
"She didn't have hair!" Dustin defended. "And Lucas had me freaked with all that talk about psych wards."
"Either way," Mike backtracked. "That's not the point."
"Yeah," Dustin bitterly agreed. "The point is that you get to see her all the time, and we don't."
Which was true. El was back in hiding, but it did not take too long for Hopper's new and adolescent daughter to drive him mad enough to allow Mike, and only Mike, occasional visitation rights. Anyone else was a risk that the chief was not yet willing to take.
However, it was a decision that weighed heavily on Dustin and Lucas, who had silently mourned and missed their friend, too.
"I barely see her."
"Still. Barely is a hell of a lot more than never."
"Whatever, Dustin. I'm not about to apologize for saying yes when Hopper asks."
Dustin opened his mouth to retort, but Will was the one who spoke next. "He has a point, Dustin. If you wanna see El, you should be talking to Hop."
After letting the words sink in, Dustin sighed and turned to Lucas. "Help me out here?"
Lucas made a face. "With what? Will's right. I don't want to wait 'til December, either, but there's nothing we can do about it, man. Not unless you wanna have it out with the chief."
Dustin's face fell. "And here I thought I was your best friend."
"Max is my best friend," Lucas deadpanned with a playful smirk.
It was an obvious echo of Dustin, who lately liked to huff and say "Whatever. Steve's my new best friend, anyway."
"No, Max is your girlfriend," was Dustin's great comeback.
But the joke did not have the same effect as it used to. This time, neither of them rolled their eyes or tried to deny it like they had in the past.
Instead, Max simply said, "Exactly."
And even though her tone was lighthearted, the word alone caused silence to fall over the four boys.
"She misses you guys, too," Mike tried in a softer voice, shifting the conversation back to the original subject after a beat. "Hopper just thinks it's too dangerous."
…
That night, even though she had her skateboard and he lived only three houses down from Mike, Lucas walked his best friend to the end of her street.
They wore their hoods up in defense against the light drizzle of rain and bumped shoulders as they strolled and spoke of normal things. As if she had not just announced to the whole party - or for the first time in general - that she was, in fact, Lucas' girlfriend.
It was never something they had discussed, because they never had to. In a way, they both just knew.
Hell, it seemed like everyone just knew. Maybe even before they did.
Because it always seemed to be Lucas and Max. Max and Lucas. Hardly ever one without the other.
So they walked like it was any normal night. Because it was.
The only thing that had really changed was that someone had replaced the bulb of the lamppost on the corner of Old Cherry and Park, so it no longer flickered.
"Night, stalker."
"Night, MadMax."
Her hood fell down when she tilted her head up to kiss him, but she did not bother to fix it.
"See you tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Cool."
"Cool."
Then he kissed her a second time. Then a third. Then she giggled against his mouth at the fourth.
"Okay, bye for real." she said as she pulled away, first from the kiss and then from him.
"Night," he said again.
And then she was gone. She took a short running start, dragging the tail of her new board - the one her mom had gotten her for her birthday after Billy smashed the Madrid - for a few feet before dropping it and jumping on in one fluid motion.
It was not until Lucas turned around and headed back in the direction of his own house that the events of the night hit him. Actually hit him.
He had thought of Max as his girlfriend for a while now, but that was just in his own head.
And now it was official. Now the universe knew it, too.
His face spread into a wide grin as he walked with his chin high, feeling unstoppable. Like he was on top of the world. Like the blood in his veins had been replaced with liquid gold.
…
MAY 1987
The thought had been nagging at the back of Will's mind for as long as he could remember. The idea that something about him was off. Different. Wrong.
The truth had been gnawing at him ever since Jennifer Hayes had kissed him two Valentines Days back. But ever since a few weeks ago, when Lucas and Max threw caution to the wind and decided to openly love who they wanted to love regardless of what anyone else thought, Will's secret was eating him alive.
Jonathan was the only one who knew, though Will suspected he had let it slip to Nancy. Will had told his brother as soon as the Great Jennifer Hayes Catastrophe occurred. He just had not been able to keep it a secret any longer.
But now Jonathan was at school in New York and Will desperately needed someone he could talk to. Once again, he found himself struggling to keep his truth hidden.
And going through old comics in the Sinclair kitchen with the two friends he trusted more than anyone to understand seemed as good a time as any to drop the bomb.
Lucas was in the middle of giving Max the abridged version of X-Men 134. She nodded along, trying her best to keep up. Will knew he should feel like a lousy third wheel around them, but somehow he never did. After months of careful observation, he had come to this conclusion:
Above all else, Lucas and Max were best friends. They liked kissing and hand holding just as much as the next couple, but even more than that they genuinely enjoyed just spending all of their time together.
Seems pretty simple, right? After further inspection, Will had come to realize that it was anything but.
Everyone else was so quick to jump into relationships without first realizing the difference between attraction and connection. Most people tried again and again with the former, only to eventually stumble across the latter and label the new discovery 'forever.'
Lucas and Max, however, had managed to find both on their first shot. Mutually. In middle school, no less. It seemed most people go their whole lives without experiencing such a phenomenon, meanwhile they had found it so young.
It was a dynamic Will greatly admired. One he had tried to depict in their portraits countless times, but his hands could never seem to translate to the paper quite right.
He hoped to capture it one day, but even more so he hoped to one day find a mutual attraction and connection of his own. A best friend whose unconditional love was an added bonus.
And the more he observed the two, the more the thoughts of his secret began bouncing ceaselessly around in his mind. The anxiety of it all filled his heart to the brim, making it beat faster and faster. They'll understand, he assured himself. Of all people, they'll understand. They have to. They know what it's like to love someone the world tells them they shouldn't.
The secret in Will's heart overflowed, flooding his chest. As the words bubbled up his throat, the sudden doubt set in. What if they don't? he thought. What if they think I'm a freak?
But the words that echoed through his mind next - Jonathan's - gave Will the small boost of life-altering courage that he needed: You are a freak. I'm serious, you're a freak. But what, do you wanna be normal? Do you wanna be just like everyone else?
"And then Cyclops runs into Wolverine," Lucas explained to Max. "Tells him to gather everyone while he -"
"I'm gay," Will finally blurted. Silence fell over the bunch as his friends both looked to him, not sure if they had heard him correctly. Will did not know what else to do so he just kept going. "I'm gay and I've known for a while, but I've never told anyone except Jonathan because I'm scared."
His friends blinked at him a few times, just like his brother had when he found out, taking in the new and abrupt information. A moment passed long enough for Will's dread began seeping in. Suddenly, he wished the sky would swallow him whole.
"You don't need to be scared," assured Lucas, a supportive smile breaking over his mouth. "We know."
"You do?" Will asked hopefully, looking between the two as the entire weight of the world released itself from his narrow shoulders. He had not realized he had been holding his breath for the past year and three months until air hit his lungs again.
"Yeah," Max shrugged. "I kinda guessed it when you were so freaked out about Jennifer."
Will's eyes continued to bounce between them. "You never said anything…"
Lucas shrugged. "It wasn't our place to say anything. We knew you weren't ready to admit it."
"Besides," Max added. "It doesn't really change anything. You're still Will."
Will had felt this overwhelming sense relief three times in his short life: The first after waking up in the hospital rather than the Upside Down. The second the moment he finally caught his breath after the Shadow Monster was exorcised from his system, when his body was entirely his own again. The third in Jonathan's half-hour long hug when he found out, not needing to say anything for Will to know he was accepted.
He made a mental note to add this one to the list, too.
"Yeah," Will beamed, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. "I'm still me."
…
JULY 1987
El and Mike called it off again, even though it seemed they were never officially 'on' or fully 'off.' It was obvious that this separation would not last long, but it did not stop El from being upset about it.
To cheer her up, Max decided to take her to the drive-in theater in Ameswood, the next town over. Lucas, of course, came along since he and his girlfriend were all but attached at the hip, and also because he was still the only party member with both his license and access to a car. After hearing of his friends' plans, Dustin decided to tag along, too, since he had been wanting to see the latest zombie thriller for a while.
And so the four of them found themselves smushed together on the hood of Lucas' mom's Impala, shoulder to shoulder with Lucas and Max in the middle and El and Dustin on either side. Together they watched the dead rise on the massive projector screen across the sea of chrome cars gleaming in the moonlight.
The movie turned out to be awful, much to Dustin's disappointment. The plot was predictable, the acting bad, and the special effects were even worse, but halfway through it sparked a debate over how the party would break up into teams if the zombies took over Hawkins.
Everyone wanted El on their team for obvious reasons. But once they all decided that, for arguments sake, she would not have powers in this post apocalyptic hypothetical, the fighting quickly shifted over to Lucas.
Out of everyone, they decided, he would be the one to survive, even after he swore up and down that the black guy was always the first to die. His boy scout experience had him well trained in survival, whether it was starting a fire, foraging for food, or following the directions of the stars. Then, of course, there was his impeccable aim, whether it be with a baseball or a Wrist Rocket, that would prove itself useful in taking down zombies. Not to mention, he had read all of those old Tales of the Crypt comics and subsequently knew a thing or two about all different sorts of the undead.
Max and Dustin and El all decided that they needed him as an asset to their survival team.
"Screw you guys!" Max exclaimed trough the bickering. "Lucas is mine."
Lucas chuckled, but Dustin spoke next. "No, no, no. Just because he's your boyfriend doesn't mean you get him on your team."
"What if we split up girls versus boys? Me and Max, Lucas and Dustin?" El offered.
"That's exactly my point, guys," Max tried to explain. "Someone's gotta repopulate after all that shit blows over, and God knows that's not gonna happen unless me and Lucas are a team."
Dustin made a face as if he had eaten something sour. "Oh, my God. Ew."
"Lucas, you pick," suggested El. "Whose team do you wanna be on?"
"Max makes a good point," Lucas said as he squeezed the hand he held in Max's lap. She beamed victoriously. "Besides, you guys never listen to what I say, which would get us killed. And neither of you have the best track record when it comes to being civil with her when the world's about to end."
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Dustin, a slightly offended by the remark.
Max rolled her eyes at the obvious. "He means you basically told me to fuck off and go home, and El, you blatantly ignored me."
El frowned. It had not been her proudest moment.
"That was so long ago," Dustin defended. "And I was just mad 'cause you liked Lucas better than me. But now it's fine 'cause we're best friends."
"Wrong. Lucas is my best friend," Max was quick to correct. "And I'll always like him better than you."
"That's why I'm on her team," Lucas added.
Dustin ignored the comment. "How many times do we have to go through this? Your boyfriend can't be your best friend. It's weird and wrong."
"You're just jealous," Max and Lucas teased at the same time.
Dustin threw his hands up exasperatedly. "This is exactly what I mean! You spend way too much time together. El, tell me I'm not the only one who sees this."
El just laughed, happy to have friends who could lift her spirit so easily, and allowed a few beats to pass before shifting the subject back. "Dustin, me and you should claim Will while we still can. He's good at hiding and he already survived the Upside Down."
Dustin scoffed humorously. "Yeah, and you two can take Mike. Good luck getting him to listen..."
…
NOVEMBER 2005
"Uncle Lucas?" Franklin asked from his spot in Lucas' lap, craning his neck to look at his uncle's face. "Who's your best friend? And don't say me!"
Lucas feigned deep thought, humming and narrowing his eyes and scratching at his chin to amuse the four year old. It worked easily, sending little Franklin into a fit of chuckles.
When the short burst of laughter subsided, Lucas pointed his nephew in the direction Max, who stood across the room making conversation with the two-year-old boy in Erica's arms. "Her."
"Mom?" Franklin asked incredulously.
"No, silly," Lucas chuckled, lightly tickling the boys's sides, causing even more writhing and squealing laughter. "Max."
A/N: I can't believe we're ten chapters in already! I owe all of you readers and reviewers a huge thank you because I would not be writing this without all of your incredible support. If you have a moment to let me know, I'm always curious to see which sections you like best in these time jump chapters.
Also, for anyone interested, or just looking for song recommendations, I listened to "400 Lux" by Lorde on repeat while writing this chapter, as well as many of the others (because it's on my Lumax playlist; yes, I have a Lumax/Road Maps playlist). It's an amazing song with a vibe that fits Lucas and Max really well, in personal opinion.
iAmCC: Ugh, I agree, Dustin deserves so much love. Sorry to hear that you are/were sick, I hope you're feeling better! xx
phieillydinyia: I'm glad you liked the chapter and the pictures! It was definitely fun for me to think of how Will would see/draw each of his friends.