Chapter 11 – The Rise of Will Byers

He was still screaming Mike's name when he felt strong arms pulling him back. The blackness in front of him faded and then, suddenly, he was back in the cabin.

"WILL!", Hopper's voice thundered in his ears as his stepdad tried to bring him to reason. "Will, stop!"

But all Will felt was panic. The image of Mike hitting the ground seemed to be burned in his head and his heart. He kicked and squirmed in Hopper's tight grip like a small child trying to break free.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"For god's sake, kid, calm down!"

He couldn't. He needed to help Mike. Now!

Then someone slapped him. And the burning pain on his cheek finally helped him come to his senses. As the veil before his eyes disappeared, he could see his mother, deathly pale, with a fearful look, a look he had seen so many times in the last few years. The rest of the group had gathered around him, everyone with equal expressions on their faces. He heard heavy rain hammering on the wooden roof and against the windows of the cabin through which he could see that it was still dark outside.

"Honey, what's wrong?", she asked, her voice showing deep concern. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Mike!", Will yelled. "It's Mike! We have to go! Help him!" The fear almost made him unable to breathe. All he wanted was to leave. To run. To save the one he loved.
He felt sweat and tears running down his face, blood dripping from his nose but there wasn't even enough time for him to wipe his face. All that mattered was Mike.

"Mike?" El stepped forward and grabbed Will's shoulders. "I looked after him just 30 minutes ago. What's with him?"

"They shot him!", Will screamed. "He's dying! It wasn't a dream, I've seen it!"

There was a collective gasp in the room. El's face seemed to lose every colour in an instant.

"Who shot him? Where?", Hopper asked loudly, still holding Will's arm in a firm grip.

"Sullivan, he's possessed. The army", Will panted. "They surprised him at his house." He looked at Hopper pleadingly. "Please! Please, we have to go!"

And in the face of his stepdad he could read clearly that Hopper believed him.

"Steve, Jonathan, take those weapons and get to your car!", he instructed, pointing at some guns and rifles in the corner. "Will and Jane, you come with me!"

"Jim, you can't take the kids-", Joyce objected but Hopper cut her off with a raised index finger.

"Without El we don't stand a chance, Joyce! And if Mike's hurt badly, then Will is the only one who can save him right now! So please, Joyce, just trust me for once this time!", he bellowed.

"We need to go!", Will demanded again.

Then the group stormed out of the cabin.

"The rest of you, try to contact Owens!", Hopper shouted over his shoulder while he jumped to the driver's seat of his pick-up. With the engine roaring, tires spinning and mud spattering everywhere, the car turned round and dashed away, closely followed by Steve and Mike in their own vehicle.

They had just hit the main road when El turned to Hopper.

"Turn on the radio and find a blank frequency." She narrowed her eyes. "I want to look after Mike."

While Hopper started to fumble with the buttons, she looked at Will. "Are you sure He didn't make you see it because He wanted to frighten you?"

Will shook his head vigorously. "No, El! I know the difference. At first, there was an illusion, but I saw through it. Then I touched Henry and suddenly I was in the void. There I had to watch how Mike…" He couldn't continue speaking.

And he didn't need to because suddenly the rustling of the radio filled the interior of the car – at least it tried to, considering the fact, that Hopper was driving almost at full speed and the noise of the engine rang in their ears. Since El had no blindfold at hand, she just closed her eyes and started to concentrate. All in all, certainly not the best circumstances for a journey into the unknown.
And indeed, for about a minute - that appeared to Will like an eternity - nothing happened.
Then El heaved a sigh of relief.

"What do you see?", Will asked.

"He's in the basement of his house."

Will looked at her confused. "But… that's not possible…"

"Wait!" He saw El frown. "I think he heard something." She gasped. "I hear it too."

"What is it, Jane?", Hopper asked.

"Engines. Vehicles. More than one."

And then, all of sudden, everyone in the car seemed to realize.

"They're coming for him!", Will yelled.

He saw El's lips start to tremble. "He's running up the stairs!"

Instinctively, Will put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's looking out of the window. He's scared." A moment of silence. Then she sobbed. "Now he's grabbing his bike…"

"HOLD ON!", Hopper shouted, jerking the steering wheel violently to take a sharp turn. Even if they were buckled up in their seats the sudden change of direction tore Will and El out of their balance – and El out of the void. Hopper threw a quick glance over his shoulder: "SORRY 'BOUT THAT!"

When they had regained their positions, El turned to Will.

"I think you didn't see what happened but what's about to happen…"

"Like when he showed Nancy his plans for Hawkins", Will mumbled.

Hope sprouted inside of him. If he really had seen the future, there was still some time left to save Mike. And they were close, only a few blocks away from Wheeler's house. Then, for the first time since his return from the void he realized that they didn't have any plan at all. But he didn't care. They had El. They had him. They had weapons.

When they turned around another corner, Will heard the machinegun.
And the small sparkle of confidence went out in an instant.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam.

Eight shots that, he knew, were going to miss their target.

"Oh my god!", Will screamed. "We'll be too late! Drive!"

"I'm driving as fast as I can!", Hopper yelled back.

Then the second salve of the gun thundered through the streets.

Bam.

Mike on the swing, with childlike features, smiling at him shyly.

Bam.

Mike dressed as a Ghostbuster, looking goofy and incredibly handsome at the same time.

Bam.

Mike hugged him tightly, back then in the hospital just after he had been rescued from the Upside Down.

Bam.

Mike cheered loudly after having finished another D&D campaign successfully.

Bam.

"Crazy together", Mike said, sitting beside him on his bed.

Bam.

"Did you paint that?", Mike asked, beaming at him, while Jonathan navigated the bus through the desert.

Bam.

Mike grabbed his shoulders, looking at him with tears in his eyes. "In fact, you are the strongest person I know."

Bam.

They reached the final corner and Will could just see the last bullet of the machinegun hitting the ground behind Mike's bike.

And he realized that it was too late just as the man on the jeep pulled the trigger once more.

They were about 100 yards away from Mike when the sixth shot hit their friend in the back.

"NO!", Will and El screamed in unison, then Hopper stopped the car with screeching tires. Without hesitation, the two teenagers jumped out of the vehicle and started to run in Mike's direction. Within seconds, the rain, which was pouring mercilessly from the sky, drenched their clothes, the thick drops making it difficult for them to see properly. Behind them, they heard their stepdad yell: "Wait! No! Wait! Fuck!"

A group of five soldiers on the street had noticed their arrival and came towards them, raising their guns.

With a single nod, El broke their necks all at once. Then the rest of the heavily armed men opened fire. And behind Will his brother Jonathan, Steve and Hopper, who had sought cover behind their cars did the same.

The world fell into chaos.

There were bullets everywhere, the noise of the shooting almost deafening. They ducked, pulled their heads between their shoulders, turned corners – and just tried to reach the place where Mike laid.

Just when Will was sure they wouldn't make it, El seemed to think the same because after a few more yards she changed her direction - and started to charge directly at the soldiers and their vehicles, including the jeep with the machinegun.

"Save Mike!", she yelled at him.

"El, no!", Will cried out in panic. His feet though continued to run where El had ordered them to.
The next moment he heard the familiar scream of his half-sister activating her powers and out of the corner of his eyes he saw El yank up her arms, lifting the jeep in the air like it was nothing and throwing it at a group of attackers.

Then he was there.

And Will went pale when he saw his best friend laying in a puddle of his own blood. Mike was on his back, eyes closed, his face wet from the rain, his left cheek which had hit the street scraped up and covered with mud and dirt.
But the worst sight was his upper body.
Exactly on the spot where the bullet of the machinegun had hit Mike in the back, Will noticed a huge and ugly wound a little underneath his friend's chest. He shuddered by the sight. The projectile had gone right through him. And it surely must have punctured his lung. Will could hear Mike's rattling breath –at least a sign that the unconscious boy was still alive.

Barely alive.

He knelt down and put a hand on Mike's forehead.
"Mike, can you hear me?"
But there was no reaction. Instead, a bullet hissed past his ear just a few inches. When he turned his head in the direction where the shot came from, he saw a couple of soldiers aiming at him from the distance. Then one of them fell to ground, hit by Hopper's well aimed shot.
At the same moment he felt the tingling in his fingertips again.
There was no more time to be afraid.
All he had to do now was to concentrate.

To focus.
To function.
To heal.

Another bullet barely missed him.
Will put his hands over the bleeding opening in Mike's chest and closed his eyes, ready to activate the mysterious energies within him.

And to his sheer horror nothing happened.

At least almost nothing.
Will felt his newly gained powers building, felt how the strange sensation in his hands increased its intensity.
But that was it.
If he had to describe the feeling, Will would have compared it to a heavy sneeze that never came because the impulse suddenly stopped.

Aghast he stared at his hands which were covered with Mike's blood now.

And fear began to crawl up inside of him.

"No, no, no, that's not possible", Will whimpered and put his palms over the wound one more time. The result was the same as before. A tingling. Nothing else.
"It has to work. It just has to!"

Last time, he had hugged Mike to heal him…

Will managed to lift the limp body of his best friend at least a few inches from the ground so he could shove his arms underneath his back and pull him into what was kind of an embrace.
But his powers let him down again.

He heard Mike letting out a loud sigh and felt his body rearing up as if he tried to brace against the inevitable.
Then there was no rattling anymore.
Mike's breathing had stopped.

And the fear inside of Will turned into panic.

"Please. Not now…" His vision blurred as tears built in his eyes. "PLEASE!"

His pained howl almost drowned out the battle noises around him.

"Mike, Mike, Mike!"

Helpless, he started to shake his friend's lifeless body as realization started to sink in.

"Please don't leave!", he cried, grabbing Mike's face with both hands. "Mike, please, you must not go! You cannot leave me!"
He pressed his forehead against Mike's as he finally understood that he had failed.

"Mike, please don't go, please, please, please", he sobbed. Thick tears were flowing out of his eyes now as Will felt all sense of life, all joy, all everything escaping from his own body. He had endured so much pain within the last few years, had gone through so many traumatizing situations but it all was nothing, just nothing, compared to this. If hell truly existed, this had to be it.

Will pulled Mike's motionless body to his chest and ran his hand lovingly through the hair of his best friend.
How often had he wished to be that close to him, to hold him, to caress him.
And now, of all times, his wish came true. Now he had his very own personal moment with Mike.
Now that he was dying. How cynical.
Maybe, that was Vecna's final and most devastating blow.
Then, while his tears mixed with the raindrops on Mike's peaceful features, Will remembered what El had told him.

You should tell him the truth.

And even if he knew that it was too late for it, too late for everything, he decided to follow her advice.

"Mike", he choked out between his sobs. "I don't know if you can hear me anymore, but I have to tell you something I've kept secret for way too long. Especially from you."

He caressed the cheek of his lifeless friend.

"When I talked to you about El in the bus back then, I wanted to explain to you how she felt." With his sleeve he wiped away the tears from his face, but new ones already appeared.
"But most of all I wanted to show you how I felt. Why I missed you so much." He gasped for some air as the lump in his throat made it difficult to continue speaking.
"Mike, I know I shouldn't…, but… I love you. I always did. I love you more than anything. And I'm so, so sorry for it but I just can't help it… I wish I could… I'm so sorry…"
Will pulled Mike's body as close to him as he could as his voice broke off and he started to cry harder than he had ever cried before in his life.

The pain in his chest was so overwhelming that he thought he might die right here on the spot.
But even through his trance of agony he could feel the wave of bullets that was shooting in his direction.

Instinctively, Will raised a hand as if it could prevent him from being penetrated by the projectiles.

And actually, it could.

Just when he thought it was over, with a muffled sound the bullets hit an invisible barrier.
Not a single one of them got through.
It was the moment when Will felt the tingling again. And this time, it was everywhere.

And then, with his one hand still raised, he put the other one over Mike's wound again, not thinking, not acting rationally. Just following an impulse. Following the energy that spread through him until he finally was the energy.
He felt a wave of heat building in his upper body, then it rushed through him like a glowing worm until it reached the fingertips of his hand. And there it left him.
The next moment, Mike's body began to shine bright as did every single lamp in Maple Street until the darkness of the night was no more.

There was only light and light only.

For an instant Will also felt pain. And he knew that it wasn't his own.
Somewhere in the Upside Down a creature that once had been a man was hurting right now.
Then Will felt the warm embrace of approaching unconsciousness.
He didn't even notice anymore how the blinded soldiers threw away their guns and ran away in fear. And he didn't see how the bright rays of light penetrated corrupted Colonel Sullivan who had been pinned by El against a wall of Wheeler's house until he finally burst into billions of dark particles.

The only thing Will was truly aware of when he passed out was the fact that he was still holding in his arms what was most precious to him in the world.

A slender boy with dark hair who had changed his life.

The boy he thought to have lost forever.

The boy who opened his eyes just the moment Will's lids closed.

The cheerful singing of the birds somewhere in the trees outside was the first thing Will noticed when he woke up, followed by the characteristic smell of Hopper's cabin, a wild mixture of wood, coffee and cigarettes. Behind a closed door he heard the clattering of dishes and the muffled sound of people talking.

Then he noticed something else. Warm and slender fingers (some would call them bony) enclosing the ones of his own left hand. And before he could open his eyes, he heard a voice.

"Pretty weird that the savior is out cold much longer than the saved one."

Hearing the familiar tone, Will tried to prop himself up on his elbows but instantly regretted it when a sharp pain shot through his head. With a moan he let himself fall back into the pillows. Instead, he just turned his head to look at the person talking to him. And he couldn't believe his eyes.

Mike sat on a wooden chair, showing exactly the playful smile he had shown in Will's room back in Lenora Hills while thanking him for "knocking some sense into me".

"Thought you'd never wake up."

"Is this another of One's illusions?", Will just asked weakly, not daring to take the situation for real, even though the touch of his best friend felt pretty real to him.

Mike frowned. "I hope not."

"Then I must be dead…", Will mumbled.

"And why exactly do you think that?"

For a second, his headache was overlapped by a painful tugging in his guts as the scenes from Maple Street reappeared in his mind.

"Because you are." Will felt his eyes start to burn again. "I-, I saw it. I couldn't help..." He turned his head away from Mike. "I failed…"

Mike said nothing. Instead, he withdrew his fingers from Will's hand and gave him one of those characteristic nudges on the arm. Only this time he did it with much more force than usual.

"Ouch!", Will yelled.

"Does this feel like an illusion?", Mike asked, grinning widely. "Or like we're dead?"

Will just stared at him incredulously.

Still grinning, Mike shook his head as he repeated Will's word: "Failed, you got be kidding me…"

"But Mike, I saw you die", Will whispered, "I heard you breathe your last breath..."

The smile on Mike's face turned into a serious expression. Then he grabbed the hands of his friend once more. "Will, listen to me. You saved me. The others saw it, they saw what you did. You healed me. You brought me back like you did with Max."

And finally, Will allowed himself to believe.
And with that the tears came - but this time, they were no tears of despair, no tears of pain. Ignoring the nagging pain behind his forehead, Will sat up and wrapped his arms around Mike's body. The last time he had done that there had been no life in his best friend. But this time he could feel the warmth of his skin, could feel his chest raise and lower with every breathe, could feel it twitch with every sob Mike was muffling into his shoulder. For quite some time the two boys just sat there, clinging to each other, letting lose their feelings until Mike pulled away.

"I think we're even now", he finally managed to choke out with a stifled laughter, "this time it was you who thought that you lost me for good. We shouldn't make some kind of competition out of that…"

"No, definitely not", Will said smiling as he changed into a sitting position, leaning his back against the wall, rubbing his reddened eyes. Then his gaze fell onto the spot where the bullet had penetrated Mike. "Are you still hurt?"

For an instant, Mike just looked at him blankly. "What?" Then his eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! No, I'm fine. See?" And with that he pulled up his shirt until it revealed the part of his upper body which should have been badly wounded. But it wasn't. Will swallowed hard when his eyes fell on the pale skin of his best friend, a sight he adored every time. The hole in Mike's body had disappeared and there was not even a trace which indicated that just a few hours ago there had been a life-threatening injury.

"Seems like you did quite a good job", Mike said and – to Will's regret – shoved the shirt back down. "It was pretty bad, wasn't it?"

Will nodded. "Don't you remember anything?"

Mike leaned back in his chair and looked up to the ceiling. "Not much. I know that I tried to escape on my bike. And then something hit me in the back."

Will shuddered when the memories came back once more.

"It didn't even hurt much. I remember falling. Then…just warmth…and light… Then I woke up in the cabin."

"What about the others? I mean, El and Jonathan, and…"

"They're all fine. And they're eager to talk to you about everything. I just asked them to give us some time alone." Mike looked at Will almost shyly.
"Since there's something we should talk about, I guess."

Will felt a chill running down his spine. In all his joy he had almost forgotten the main reason for everything that happened in Maple Street. And with it, the one question that had haunted him the whole time.

"I wondered… why you left yesterday…", Will asked quietly.

Mike buried his face in his hands for a moment. Then he shook his head. "Listen, Will, I'm so sorry, you can't imagine how much I am, especially with everything that happened thereafter." He looked his friend deep into the eyes.
"I never wanted to make you feel bad. I mean, like I wouldn't accept you for who you are."

Will's eyes widened. "So, you do?"

Mike grinned sheepishly. "Of course, you idiot. I wouldn't go as far as to say this information about you is completely irrelevant for me. But do you really think it would change anything I said about our friendship?"

Ashamed, Will lowered his eyes. "I wasn't sure…what you'd think of me…"

"Will, what I said on that swing a couple of days ago was exactly how I feel about you. About us. For my part, it still is. Without a doubt."

Will was relieved but also confused.

"But why did you storm out of the cabin then?"

Mike let out a loud sigh. Then again, he shook his head. Will saw his hands start to tremble a bit. "Will, I'm…, I was…", he leaned back in his chair and desperately ran his hand through his hair, "argh, it's so weird to talk about it." Then he inhaled deeply, trying to pull himself together. "You know, when you told us yyesterday, my mind started racing. I-, I mean, …it was like a gigantic puzzle was put together. And I had to think about it. It was just too much for me to handle then, that's why I rushed out."

Will nodded. "I'm sorry, Mike. I know it wasn't the right moment to tell you all. I should've been more thoughtful. I didn't intend to overstrain you."

Mike looked at him puzzled. "What? No, Will, no, no! It's not about the fact that you're…gay. You know, it's not like I never considered that before."

"You did?"

The question made Mike laugh. "Of course, you silly. We all did. You're our friend, Will. And of course, we talked about you not having a relationship yet. Some of us believed that you just weren't ready or maybe Lucas and I scared you off with our stupid behaviour."

Will chuckled. "Yeah, that truly was chilling."

"Dustin - to give him all the credits - suspected from the beginning that you're into boys. To be honest, we thought he was mental."

"Mental?" Will's heart dropped.

Mike held up his hands in defense. "Let's just say that Lucas and I couldn't believe it. Maybe we just didn't want to." When he saw Will's sad face, he gave him a warm smile. "Don't get me wrong, Will. I really don't have a problem with it, but it's just not a thing I'm used to. I think that's why it was almost unthinkable for me."

"Yeah…", was all Will managed to say as he started to knibble at the edge of his blanket. He was thankful for the honesty of his best friend. But he still was a little dejected after Mike's words. Maybe he had set up his hopes too high. Maybe he had expected more acceptance, more tolerance in the first place. There was an odd moment of silence.

"So, um, Will…", Mike then started to stutter, "I wondered if…currently, th-, there's…someone you fancy…"

Will froze. Or, to be more precise, every part of him froze except his heart. Because the latter began to beat like crazy in his chest.

"W-, w-, why do you…ask?", he finally replied, not stuttering any less than Mike.

And his best friend blushed. "Just curious…"

For a moment Will feared his heart would leap right out of his throat. But at the same time a small amount of confidence stirred in him.

"Maybe…, there's someone."

"Cool." Mike swallowed. "What's his name?"

Will couldn't help but smile while he felt his own cheeks getting red. "I won't say."

Mike smirked. "Shame. How is he?"

Will's smile grew even wider.

"Clever. Handsome. Brave. Stubborn." He chuckled. "Sometimes quite impulsive. Sometimes a real jerk. Altogether…", he gathered all his strength and forced himself to look Mike in the eyes, "…the most wonderful person I ever met."
Will couldn't believe what just happened. Here he sat, confessing his love to his best friend.
And Mike didn't run away, he didn't yell at him, he didn't punch him in the face.
Instead, he blushed. He smiled.

"Will, would you mind?", Mike then asked and pointed at the bed, his voice sounding a little hoarse. "It's pretty weird to sit on that rickety old chair beside your bed while talking about something like that. I feel like your nurse."

"No, not at all…", Will managed to respond although he felt like he was about to fade every second. This time not because of some superpowers but some very mundane reason.
Mike left his seat and swung himself on Will's bed. He took the same position as his friend, leaning his back against the wall, legs drawn up, hands resting on his knees. His left arm was touching Will's right one, so they both could feel each other's slight trembling.
For a moment they just sat there.
Then courage overcame Will and he leaned his head on Mike's shoulder and closed his eyes.
His best friend neither shifted nor protested.
And at least for a second Will Byers thought that all his dreams might come true.

"That's why I left last night, Will", Mike finally said quietly. "Because everything became clear to me then."

"What do you mean?" The sweet smell of Mike's freshly washed hair almost made him unable to think anymore.

"Well, you know, all you've said and done within the last months. The picture. Your speech in the bus. What you said to me on that hill. I was finally able to put everything into context."
Now Will could think again. And he didn't dare to turn his head when his best friend continued, his voice now shaking with emotion.
"And I learned what you tried to tell me all the time wasn't about our friendship, …but about something else. Am I right?"

And suddenly, Will felt fear swelling up inside of him. For even if he had spoken in a calm and tender way, Mike's tone didn't sound right. At least not how Will would have hoped it to sound right now.

"What…if you were?", he asked, his own voice now sounding weak and fragile.

"Will…"

That definitely wasn't the tone he wanted to hear.

"Will, it's…" Mike moaned, clearly annoyed by his struggling to find the right words. "I ran away last night because I was scared, Will. Not of you. Not of the fact that my best friend is gay." He smiled sadly. "But because I knew that I'm going to hurt you, Will." His eyes filled with tears again. "And I really don't want to. I really don't."

Will realized that his dream was shattered.
That reality was so much stronger than his greatest wish, than his biggest desire.
How foolish he had been to even dare to hope.

"It's okay, Mike", he whispered, feeling his own eyes burn again. "I knew there wasn't any chance…" He pulled his head away from Mike's shoulder.

"No, it's not okay", Mike lamented. "You've suffered so much within the last few years - all you deserve now is to be happy. But I just can't give you what you want. And to know that I'm the reason for you to be sad is driving me insane."

Sitting side by side, both boys were letting their tears flow now. Each of them because of their very own reasons.

"Mike, I don't blame you for anything. Don't you dare even think that. I know that it's not a matter of choice." Will took Mike's hand in his own and squeezed it reassuringly. "It wasn't mine and it wasn't yours either."

"You know what I fear most of all?", Mike almost whispered.

Will looked at him through watery eyes.

"That you're going to distance yourself from me. That you can't stand it anymore to have me around…" Mike suddenly looked very small and vulnerable. "…that I'm going to lose my best friend."

Even though he was considering that Mike might not want him to do it anymore, now that he knew about his feelings, Will did what he felt was the only right thing to do. He turned to Mike and wrapped his arms around him once more.
It was the tightest hug they ever had.

"I would never be able to distance myself from you, foolish Mike Wheeler", Will said and managed to choke out a little laugh, still pulling his friend to him. "Since you put me under some kind of spell or curse or something, I'm afraid I'm unable to let you go."

Even though he was still crying, Mike couldn't suppress a chuckle.

If Will had to describe the moment, he would surely have failed miserably because of its strange mixture of conflicting emotions. Even though he was deeply sad and devastated that he now knew that the love of his life couldn't return his feelings, at the same time there was also happiness in him. Happiness about having told Mike the truth. About still being close to him right now. About having things settled.
No more secrets. No more hiding.

"Are you really sure you can cope with it, Will? I don't want you to feel bad when I'm around…"

"I don't know for sure, but right now, I feel like I could", Will mumbled into Mike's shoulder then pulled himself out of the hug and looked at his friend questioningly. "But what about you? Isn't it weird for you to know that El isn't the only one around who… loves you?"

"First of all, you jerk, I feel flattered", Mike replied showing a smile, "and loved, of course." Then he sighed heavily. "But yeah, it's also kind of…odd, to be honest. It just makes things more complicated, you know. I mean, to act normally when I'm with you."

Will nodded in understanding.

"Mike, I think we both just need some time to find a way to deal with everything.
But I'm sure we'll find one."

Mike smiled at him relieved.

"Yeah, me too. I mean, think of everything we've been through together. And what we're about to endure – I mean, there's still an asshole waiting to be defeated."

"Totally", Will replied.

For a moment they both went silent. Then Mike turned to him again.

"You know, when you were lost three years ago, and we tried to figure out where you could've been, we had a conversation with Mr. Clarke about the possibility that there's another dimension."

"You had?"

Mike nodded. "And he told us that, THEORETICALLY", he held up his index finger and tried to imitate Clarke's voice which made Will giggle, "there are countless dimensions that are very similar to our own, maybe even a dimension where you hadn't been lost."

"Yeah, that's typical Mr. Clarke", Will said grinning. "But why are you telling me this?"

"My point is, maybe somewhere out there there's a dimension where you and I are happy together right now. Holding hands, kissing", he grinned, "well, and all the stuff you're imagining right now that I really don't want to think about, you perv."

They both laughed.

"Sounds nice", Will finally said with glistening eyes.

"Yeah, it does."

For a few more minutes, the two boys just sat there, lingering on their thoughts, trying to process all the emotions.

Then, finally, Mike straightened, got up from the bed and pointed at the door. "Shall we?"

Will nodded, wiped away the last remaining tears on his face and followed his friend.

Just as he was about to open the door, Mike stopped, his hand already laying on the handle.

"Everything alright?", Will asked.

And then, before he could say anything else, Mike turned around and put a quick kiss on his cheek before saying: "Thanks for saving my life, Will the Wise."

Will said nothing. Instead, he just looked at his best friend incredulously while absently running his fingers over the spot where Mike's lips had touched his skin.

When Mike saw his friend's baffled expression, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Don't expect more to come! Just wanted to show my gratitude."
Then he put his arm around Will's shoulder and together they entered the living room.

The next hour, Mike and Will were pushed from one hug into the next. After some time, all the praise, all the congratulations rang in their ears. Mike, for his part, had to endure some blame too for having left and for bringing himself in danger. But no one seemed really mad at him.

The whole group was together now, everyone eager to talk to the two boys about what had happened back in Maple Street. Even Dr. Owens was there who seemed more than pleased to hear that Will finally tore down the barrier that blocked his abilities. And, of course, he was very interested in learning more about the concrete circumstances."

And Will told him willingly, for there was no reason anymore to keep it for himself.

"Well,", Owens said, scratching his head, after he had finished his explanation, "that truly sounds interesting, kiddo. And I must admit: It makes sense."

"I'm just not afraid anymore", Will replied. "And One feeds on the fear of his victims. He needs them to be weak and vulnerable so he can take over their minds. That's because despite of all his powers he's weak himself. And he's afraid." Will made a grim face. "What he fears the most is to lose those powers, they are the only comfort he has."

"Quite a remarkable comfort, to be honest…", Hopper mumbled.

"Yeah, but it won't be enough in the end for him to succeed", Lucas said confidently.

Will nodded. "I see now why he chose me back then. In a way, he saw much of himself in me. He thought we were the same. Alone. Misunderstood. Not able to talk with anyone about the things that were haunting us."

"But he was wrong", Mike said. "You're not like him at all. You're brave and you finally faced your fears."

Will smiled. "Took me quite some time…"

"But you did it", Max said. Then she gave him a wink. "All by yourself."

"And now we're not only having Super El by our side but also a freakin' cleric who can heal even the gravest injuries", Dustin threw in, beaming.

"Just imagine, Byers", Steve said smirking, "when we're done with Vecna you can make a fortune with your abilities!"

Will shook his head. "I'm pretty sure my powers will end the moment we kill Henry. Somehow, I got them from him, from the Upside Down or whatever. And as soon as we finish him, they'll be gone too."

"Would be a shame", Steve mumbled.

"Well, my life doesn't depend on it", Will replied, "there are things far more important than that." He and Mike threw a quick glance at each other, and Will thought to see a hint of a smile on his best friend's face.

"Speaking of important", he continued, looking into many curious faces, "I think I have a plan how to defeat One…"

And then, in a long and convincing speech, he presented his idea. A strategy that included El's powers, his healing abilities and a lot of trickiness by the others. A plan, that resembled the one he had used in their latest D&D game in a wondrous way.

They had a long discussion about the likelihood of their success, the details of their specific tasks and the right time. But finally, they all came to the agreement that altogether Will's plan was indeed their best chance.

"Well, this is probably the craziest idea I've ever heard", Dustin summarized. "But, then again, we attacked a giant monster of slime and goo with fireworks, exorcised the Mind Flayer with radiant heaters and played a rock concert in hell. Who am I to judge crazy ideas…"

No one objected.

After the main things were settled, the group decided to try their best to enjoy a day as uneventful and peaceful as possible (which was, regarding the last few days, quite an ambitious goal). Joyce made waffles for everyone, they drank coffee, they chatted.

On the one hand, Will enjoyed the socializing, still feeling fully relieved and free for the first time in many years. But he couldn't help but also notice a certain way of melancholy in him. Especially when he saw Mike and El together. The two were apparently trying to exchange as little tenderness as possible in front of him which he was truly thankful for. But of course, he still noticed their touches, their looks, all the small signs people use to show their love.

When he looked over to them once more, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything alright?"

He turned around and looked into Jonathan's face who gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah", Will said weakly.

"Your face says different", his older brother answered. Then he frowned. "You told him, right?"

Will just nodded.

"Didn't go the way you wanted, I guess."

"No, I-, I mean yes", Will stammered. "Don't get me wrong. He's understanding and everything. He still likes me a lot. Actually, it went better than I had hoped." He bit his lip. "But it's still hard to know that…", he blinked a few times, "…that I'll never…"

Jonathan squeezed his arm as his voice cracked.

"Yeah, I can imagine. Sucks, huh?"

"Totally."

"You know, Will, maybe it takes only a few days, maybe it'll take months, but I'm sure one day you'll realize that you still have your best friend around. And that's a good thing." Jonathan smiled at him again. "And no matter what the future brings, I just want to tell you that I'm proud of you. More than anything."

Before Will could reply anything, they were interrupted by Steve who just stepped in between them. "Sorry to destroy this beautiful moment of brotherly love but can I borrow Will for a minute?" He didn't wait for an answer but just put his arm around Will's shoulder and shoved him with gentle force towards the front door of the cabin.

"You know, Byers", he said, "I'm surely no expert in the complex world of gay love but luckily I know someone who really would be happy to talk to you."

With that he opened the door and pushed Mike outside.

There, leaned against a wooden bar of the front porch, Robin stood. When she saw Will, a wide smile appeared on her face that showed all of her shining white teeth.

"Hey shrimp", she said. "Wanna go for a walk? I mean, only if you'd like to have a talk from queer to queer."

Will's jaw dropped.

"You are…"

Robin just winked.

It was the moment when Will knew that everything was going to be fine.

He wasn't alone.

He wasn't afraid.

He was ready.

THE END