"Where do we begin?" Will asked.
Those words surprised Will Byers because he was so certain of what he should do next. As if it didn't constitute something that could end his life. All the people he loved were here, in danger. Because of him. All he could do was find a way to trust the Upside Down consciousness, weird as that was.
"Will Byers, he is coming here. When he arrives we will help you fight him." The voice in the back of his head stated.
"How?" Will whispered.
"Will Byers, we will help you know what to do. Trust us." The voice said.
"I don't have a whole lot of choice here." Will said, irritation in his words.
"Your friends and family are not in any danger. We've simply gathered their consciousness' here as bait. We will trap him while you fight. Be wary, he is quite adept at weakening people with their fears." The voice instructed.
"He can certainly try." Will started to feel angry. The way he felt when Max had tried to contact him earlier. Maybe this was her. He couldn't be certain, there were a lot of different emotions here in this place.
"He can't hear us." Jonathan yelled.
"What happened? How did we all get here?" Lucas asked confused.
"How should any of us know?" Steve's voice full of annoyance more than fear.
"We have to trust Will. We have to trust he did this for a reason." Mike said.
"Mike's right." Joyce agreed. "But while we trust, we can see if there's a way out of here."
Will stood waiting for Henry. The pieces of his life that were taken in this place. The time, his mind, His friends, especially his best friend. Mike who he had a crush on for the last year. It was the kind of crush that sat on your chest and pushed the air out of you and stopped your heart. It made Will sick. He didn't want these feelings for Mike. He just wanted to be friends. He wanted to be close again.
A fire started in the back of his neck and it started to move throughout his body. So much was taken. So much. He wants to kill Henry. He doesn't just want him dead though. Will wants Henry to suffer. He wants him to scream. He wants him to know. Will wants Henr to know how much he hates him. With perfect timing a wounded Henry appears before him, confusion on his face. He was still burned and he staggered and drug a foot. Even so the monster was smiling. Henry was actually smiling.
Mike screamed at Will to run. El screamed at Will to run. The others were silent. Joyce and Hopper were struggling against the vines. Lucas and Dustin were stunned into silence. They knew this was the man who had killed Max before El brought her back. Steve, Nancy and Robin were flashing back to their attempts to kill Henry. They were silent with fear. They felt that fear being pulled on.
"Hello Will, it's been a long time. I've missed you so much." Henry said sweetly.
His words made Will freeze for a second. Then the burning in Will's body started to grow more intense. The Upside Down consciousness was still pouring itself into him. All of Will's emotions washed through him again and again and again.
"Will? Will? Hey Will?" The voice and form of Mike stood in front of him. Anyone else would still see Henry's true form. Not Will, this was Henry's trick. Even though the black pools of his eyes told him that this wasn't Mike, Will hesitated. Much to the delight of Henry who continued to close in on Will.
"I could never be a freak like you Will, never. I'm not like you at all. In fact, we're not really friends anymore. Are we?" The Henry version of Mike smirked at him.
Then Will watched helpless as an arm with long clawed fingers reached for his face. The false form of Mike gone. Suddenly Will's hand shot up and grabbed Henry's outstretched arm.
"Did you really think this stupid trick would work?" Will spat as his face narrowed into a scowl. The fire felt like it was exploding out of him. "I've already accepted that Mike probably would hate me. I've lived with that fear for two years. I also control it."
As soon as Will finished speaking he punched Henry with his free hand.
"Are we really playing such a stupid game?!" Will barked.
Will kicked the leg Henry was dragging. This caused the man to fall to one knee. He drew back and punched Henry in the head three or four times and then kicked him again. Before he could advance though, Henry assumed a new form. It was Mike again, but this time he had a wound like Billy's. He was coughing up blood.
"Hi Will." This Mike said softly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Will replied. He knew this wasn't real. The Consciousness had promised everyone would be safe. The words that Mike spoke. The ones Will would hear for nearly 3 years after he came home, those were Mike's words. Always soft, always concerned. Even when El came back for a short time after that, he heard those soft gentle words. Henry, he had no right to use them. Not ever. El felt the psychic flash of Will's anger.
"WILL DON'T!" El Screamed.
Will felt his anger turn white-hot and then to blue. It reminded him of the Hawkins lab. It hurt so much. It hurt everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere. And just like back then, Will screamed. It wasn't in pain this time. Instead it was hate and rage that fueled them.
At first, none of the others could hear it. Then an explosion of a raging cry hit them. Joyce recognized it instantly as her son. The screaming continued as if it couldn't stop. Like a baby that didn't know how to communicate. A mix of loneliness and desperation hit all of them in a psychic wave.
"WE HAVE TO HELP WILL!" Mike shouted.
Mike struggled against his bonds, but just like the others he couldn't move.
"EL, DO SOMETHING. ONE IS HURTING WILL!" Mike screamed
"No Mike, Will is hurting himself. Oh god Will, you have to stop. Please stop. Please." El cries out.
Hearing El cry hit Mike and he started to tear up in helpless frustration. Then the scream intensified. It wasn't just in every inch of this place, a siren's scream. Now the scream was inside them. Filling them with an overflow of Will's feelings.
I can't connect
No one hears me.
I can't connect.
No one sees me.
I can't connect.
I wish it would just end.
I can't connect with anyone.
I am alone. They don't know. I can't tell them.
I have to protect them.
I can't lose Mike.
I love Mike.
Mike hates me.
I am alone.
I can't connect.
Even so, I will protect them all.
I will save them. I have to.
Then I can leave.
I can die and they will be okay.
El was alone like me. She needed my family too.
Now she can have them without me.
I will protect her too, for Mike.
He loves El, not me.
Mike. I love Mike.
I wish he loved me.
I can't connect.
I don't know how.
I am alone.
I hate this.
I hate myself.
I am broken.
I can't connect.
A surge of even more of Will's feelingsT causes everyone to pick up full memories from him. Some of them happy, some of them not. One of them sends ice through Mike's chest. In this memory Will Byers, his best friend once was standing on a canal overpass.
'What if I jump? Just jump and all of this will be-' Mike watches from Will's eyes as the boy shuffles his feet. The tightness in Mike's chest hurts. 'I can't. Mike will come soon. Maybe he'll talk to me.' He watches as Will jumps backward off the ledge. 'I need someone but I don't have any friends, Mike is my friend. No that's wrong. He hates me.'
And then waves of smaller memories hit Mike. The airport. The roller rink. The van. Will had buried himself so far down. Mike could feel Will's fear. Mike also felt how wounded Will was at the pizza place. 'I deserve this. I'm so disgusting' Filled with a mix of his own and Will's feelings, Mike began to sob.
El was hit with a different memory. Feelings of jealously, frustration, loneliness. There was something else though that replaced those feelings, resignation and understanding. Will looked out for El, cared for her, because he knew how she felt. Will saw how lonely she really was and did his best to help her. Mike couldn't love Will, but Will would make sure Mike was okay. The day where Angela broke her Diorama cane to the front. Will had tried to talk with her. She hadn't noticed he was crying. Even with all the pain she was causing him, he cried for her.
Filled with a mix of her own and Will's feelings, El started to sob.
Jonathan who was too disoriented with weed to comprehend anything was struck by several memories of Will almost knocking on his door and then turning away, swallowing his fear deep down. Even in his haze, Jonathan began to sob.
Joyce was hit by something else. Will's desire to not be broken around her. His faked feelings, his happy attitude. Will wanted to make sure his Mom didn't feel the need to watch over his shoulder. He didn't know how to talk about anything. He can't reach out and he wants to. Joyce also begins to sob
Everyone else sees their own moments through Will's eyes. Lucas and Dustin see how much Will watched them leave the group and how much he missed them.
Nancy, Steve and Robin saw Will's view as not really knowing enough about them. Though they all seemed nice. Will's thought about them punched Nancy hard. 'Maybe they wouldn't mind if I joined their group. Nancy is nice sometimes. I like Nancy.'
The psychic waves slowly stopped as Will's screaming began to die down. Henry who had stood at some point admired the rage that had sent waves through him. He'd have smiled, if he remembered how.
"How interesting Will Byers, that's quite the strength you've collected for yourself." Henry complimented as he took a step forward.
Will didn't move. However his fists were clenched so hard he started to draw blood from his hands.
"I shall enjoy consuming all of your friends. You Will, you should join with me. You're alone. We could make a world where you have all the things you want." Henry's voice attempting a softer tone.
"And just why the hell do you think that I would ever join you? You're a monster, I've seen those you've hurt. I've seen those you've killed. I won't forget that. I won't forget what you've taken from me. Max was my friend. I'LL NEVER LET YOU DO THAT AGAIN! NEVER!"
Focusing a large force of power through his right arm as he'd seen El do, Will attacked. In one single enormous blast of power, Henry evaporated into nothing. Everyone was speechless. Will felt the barrier around him fade.
"You have made his journey back that much harder, Will." Max's voice called to him. "The battle is over for now. We apologize for all of this."
Will didn't hear Max, instead he was feeling overwhelmed again. Seeing Mike dead. It was still with him. Will began to float up into the sky. He cried in agony this time. His friends and family surrounded him from the ground. They were all calling to him, but he couldn't hear them.
Will's body started to convulse violently and El was unable to reach him. She couldn't risk pulling him down and she didn't have the ability to go up and reach him. El dropped her hand in frustration.
"He's losing control Mike. He doesn't know how to stop." El said fighting back tears.
El was trying to stay composed but she knew exactly what Will was experiencing. All of it. Using power is a lot like summoning an ocean so you can fill a bucket. The untrained can lose themselves completely in those waves.
Will's cries became more desperate, the emotional agony only seeming to build. El didn't realize the others were panicking too. She'd become so focused on Will's form violently thrashing up above her. It wasn't until Mike grabbed her by the shoulders that she brought her eyes back down and met his.
"El, can you push me up there?" Mike asked, he looked desperate.
"Yes, I'm sure I could." El said, quickly clearing her eyes of tears.
Her arm extended and Mike felt himself ease off the ground. Mike wanted to tell her to move him faster but he decided against it.
"I'm coming Will, just hang on. I'm coming." Mike said quietly.
When Mike was at eye level with Will, he grabbed the sides of his once and now again, best friend's face. Will was still crying.
"Will, it's me, it's Mike. You can stop now. It's okay. It's over Will." Mike shouted.
Mike tried to force eye contract so Will would see him.
"Will-" Mike called his name loudly once more.
Then a thought struck him and he leaned in and hugged Will to him. Mike rested Will's head on his shoulder.
"It's alright Will, I'm here. I've got you. I'm right here. Will, stop. It's over." Mike whispered.
He cradled Will gently. It was easy. It didn't feel weird at all. Normally he would have been very tense about affection, but Will's pain showed him how much that didn't matter. Finally, like a plane hitting a runway, Will quieted and went slack.
"Oh Mike." Will said weakly. "I'm sorry"
"Shhhhhh, don't worry about that okay? Hang on to me tight." Mike said softly. "El you can bring us down now. Be careful." Mike shouted down.
El did so very slowly. They spun slightly as they came down, almost looking like they were slow dancing. This hit Joyce with a pang of heartache for her son. They all wanted to crowd around when the boys landed, but suddenly they found themselves back at the hospital, in and around Max's room. According to the wall clock they'd only been gone two or three minutes.
"Will-" Mike whispered. "I will keep you safe."
The truck ride back to the cabin was quiet as all hell. Will was in the back of Hopper's truck with his back towards the driver's cabin. Joyce was rubbing his back as he burried his head as close to between his knees as he could. Mike just sat there, dazed at first and then he felt himself start to get angry. El decided to ride with Hopper, which was good because the way Mike was feeling, he didn't want to deal with any distractions.
They all knew they couldn't go back to Mike's house as they needed to discuss things. The cabin however, was nearly uninhabitable. It was their only option though. The Military likely listened to Hopper's place. The cabin was remote and unlivable. Not necessarily on the list of watch points.
As soon as the truck stopped, Will couldn't bolt into that Cabin fast enough. He slammed the door to El's room. He needed to vent. Something anything, the tension, the anguish of everything. Then Mike had held him. Mike had held his best friend Will Byers in a long hug.
"Fuck!" Will shouted. The shout going mostly unheard thanks to the closed door.
Everyone got out and waited for the others minus Dustin and Lucas who stayed with Max. As the others arrived, Mike started to pace. He was absolutely mad at Will. He didn't understand it. It was like a semi-smothered fire coming to life as air gets to it.
"Mike, it's just Will, you love him, he needs you." El said sharply.
Mike stands in shock and embarrassment. When he didn't move toward the Cabin El spoke again, firmer this time.
"Mike, it's just Will, you love him, he needs you."
He doesn't move a muscle. Defying a dangerous super-powered girl was probably not a good idea though.
"Mike, NOW!" El demanded.
This time Mike protested by stomping up the stairs to the cabin. He knew full well that Will was in El's room which was going to be really weird. Once he'd been set upon his task by El, Mike would complete it.
"Talk to me Will, what the fuck was that?" Mike snapped.
It was as if the spell of Will's desperate emotions had stopped. Now, able to feel his own feelings again, Mike found they were twice as strong.
"I can't talk about this. Not right now, Mike." Will sniffed.
"That's the problem though, isn't it? You never really wanna talk about anything anymore. You lie to my face all the time Will. All. The. Time." Mike's words were as forceful as Will ever heard them.
"What are you talking about?" Will asked, confused.
"Well, I don't know Will. Let's start at the very beginning of all this. From my point of view this time because holy shit would it be nice to be acknowledged just once. First, you go missing. I'm so fuckin' scared, all I can do is try and look for you. I need to find you. So I don't find you at first, instead I meet El, she ends up helping us find you but then, I think she blows up with the Monster. I'm crushed but at least I have you back."
Mike breathes and runs his hands forcefully through his hair.
"But I don't have you back, you're completely different. You're scared of most things, you won't really talk to me about anything. I also know that that's when you started lying to me. So I'm just worried I'm gonna lose you again. I lost you, I lost El, you come back, but in a sense you're still gone."
Mike starts to pace.
"We go out for Holloween which is the first time you've really done anything. I get it. I really do."
There's a lump in Mike's throat that he manages to force down.
"But that doesn't last as you have a terrible episode and I take you home. Then you get possessed by the Mind-Flayer. Now? I have to watch what little is left of my best friend vanish behind this cold monster's face. I can't do anything. I can't do anything."
Mike puts a finger up when Will tries to speak.
"Then you find out the Sheriff of Hawkins has been hiding El from you this whole time while you've been desperate to find her. Even though you asked him to help you. He lies to your face. Then things kinda go okay for a while. Until your best friend stops spending time with you. Stops talking to you and when you put your arm around him-he pulls away like you're hurting him. He also has this look on his face that seems like agony."
Mike throws his head up and runs his hands through his hair again.
"So you end up pulling away because shit, if you're hurting him. I turn to El because at least she talks to me. Your best friend only wants to spend time with you if you're playing D&D. There's no you and him. No one for you to really sort your head out with, because you always did that with him. Always. Always."
Tears are starting to fall from Mike's face.
"I keep getting lied to. You keep telling me you're okay. Then El dumps me out of nowhere. The only thing on your mind is D&D. I can't talk to you, so I just sit there and try to be your friend while being completely fucking confused by El dumping me. In the end you end up screwing the game up for your best friend. You try and bring him back, because god, this is the first time you've really seen him engaged. You try to say the right thing."
Mike pauses, pacing and folding his hands in front of him.
"But you don't, god you don't. Instead because you're so frustrated and angry with yourself, you blame him. You don't mean to. All you want is for him to come back inside. You want to fix it. He rides off in the pouring rain without a jacket. You go back to your basement and you try to cool off, but you can't because you feel like a jerk for the things you said."
Will watches Mike now. Fully starting to see everything.
"So you go to find him and you bring your friends to help ease the tension. He's not home. When you finally catch up to him, he tells you the creature that possessed him is back. So now that drama hits. And shit, you're even more useless than ever. In the end, everyone fights off this giant monster. You watch Billy die. And then, both your girlfriend and who you think is your best friend, at least your oldest friend move across the country. El writes. He doesn't. You're convinced he moved on only to find out on a visit and then afterwards that he'd been struggling to reach out to you."
Mike punches the wall and the hit is so loud that Will jumps.
"You find out El has been lying to you this whole time that things have been okay, but they haven't. You try to sort it out and she just abandons you completely. But your best friend, shit, he finally seems more like himself. At least since he came back from the Upside down. He does everything he used to do for you. He listens. Fuck. He listens and then tells you what you need to hear."
Mike shudders as he takes a breath
"Then just as that happens, we get shot at by bad guys again. God. We travel across the country and your best friend is finally present. He even tries to help you with feeling like a worthless loser about your girlfriend, but again, he lies straight to your face. Straight to it. You know there's something you're not getting but you're dumb about asking the right questions."
Mike finally sits down against the wall opposite Will.
"Then, you almost lose your girlfriend again after only a few days. Your best friend helps you but something definitely seems off. But shit, you don't ask because you're conditioned to expect him to lie anyway."
Mike swallows another huge lump in his throat.
"Then, just as things start to sort out in Hawkins, you watch your girlfriend seal your best friend into the upside down. She says it's because he asked her too. You can't be sure of anything." Mike accused.
"El wasn't-" Will offered.
Mike held up his hand so fast Will almost swallowed his tongue.
"You don't understand why he did that. You panic. Then, finally after fucking years of just lies and distance, your best friend tells you the truth. Maybe it's not everything, but he seems honest for the first time. It's in a goodbye letter. Lord knows I can't keep my fucking friends."
The bite of Mike's words is killing Will inside.
"He comes back yet again after you rescue him. This after suppressing your own feelings. You even help him breathe again with CPR. Just two fucking weeks later, he ends up in some kind of psychic battle and nearly loses himself to it. Then a memory hits you, one where your best friend, your oldest friend is thinking about ending his life. Do you have any idea how this all fucking feels Will?"
Mike breathes in but is obviously crying.
"Why the fuck would you think about killing yourself? How bad a friend must I be that everyone keeps leaving me behind? I am so tired Will, help me understand what's wrong with me."
Now both boys are crying.
"I-Mike-you-I don't-" Will stammered, trying to fight fear while finding his words. Will tries to say something anything to make this better. Through dripping tears and years of self-hatred and depression, Will finally says the words he's been afraid of for three years. "I'm gay, Mike. I'm disgusting. And that's not even all of it. I am in love with you Mike."
Mike watches in silence. He's not stupid. He knew this was coming.
"I'm sorry if that makes you feel gross. I know you'll hate me. I don't want these feelings Mike, I never did. I just-I wanted to be your friend. Your best friend. I can't remember how that went. Oh god I'm so sorry Mike. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Will sits cross-legged and starts to rock himself. "I wish I was dead. I wish I never came back. I wish you could remember me as a good person."
Mike gets up, Will doesn't hear it because his eyes are closed and his ears are full of his own hard cries.
"Will, who says you're a bad person?" Mike asked softly.
"Me. I don't know. TV." Will said trying to pull air through his snot-filled nose.
"Come here. I'm gonna tell you a story." Mike says.
Mike could feel Will tense up as he sat next to him but up on the edge of the bed. Will hears Mike pat the mattress. With ease, Will reached behind his back and pushed himself off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Holy shit, you're strong." Mike complimented.
This caused Will to blush uncomfortably.
"Not that strong." Will smiles embarrassed.
Mike takes a second to gather himself and wipe his eyes. He can feel a headache coming on.
"You probably don't remember this." Mike began. "I think we were like seven or eight. Your Mom brought you over to our house unannounced. My dumb ass was so excited, I didn't even care why you were there. We went straight to my room. God, I remember so well how you grabbed some colors and started to draw. I got curious so I leaned over your shoulder and my hand pushed on your back."
Mike put his arm around Will.
"I will never forget that scream because I caused it." Mike stated. "I freaked out and went to get my mom and dad. Of course my mom came immediately having heard the scream, but not knowing if it was distress. When we both finally convinced you to take your shirt off, I won't forget those bruises Will. I can't."
Mike shifted attempting to pull Will even closer.
"Do you remember what you asked my mom while she was trying to help you?" Mike asked looking down at Will, who shook his head. "You asked if this was because you were bad." I remember how my mom covered her mouth. Then she showed me how to help with ice on your back and then told us to get to bed."
Mike shifted again, still trying to figure out how to get Will closer to him.
"Your Mom ended up asking my parents if you could stay over for the rest of the week. This didn't go over well because-" Mike stopped when he noticed Will's face screw up.
"I thought she threw me away." Will choked out.
Mike, without realizing kissed Will's temple.
"You were definitely not doing good. Anyways my Dad took us to a small carnival and said we could do whatever we wanted. So of course, I fuckin' dragged you everywhere." Mike sounded triumphant.
Will snickered.
"I remember this one ride, I think it was a dragon roller coaster for little kids, I think. Well, after the ride stopped you had this big stupid grin on your face. You got off and ran to my Dad and gave him one of your classic Will hugs." Mike grinned.
"Classic Will hugs?" Will asked.
"You'd have to experience them to understand. But anyway, you hugged him and he picked you up. My dad never did that much with me or Nancy. I remember you laughed and he said something and then he put you down and we kept playing around."
Mike breathed a soft sigh.
"But your luck Will, you can never seem to just have nice things. We were walking to the car and you were pretty tired. Yawning and stuff. You tripped. My dad tried to catch you by the arm and I think he must have pulled too hard. Oh god Will, you whipped around and pleaded for him not to hit you. I remember the look on his face."
Will tensed and Mike gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"I also remember that he picked you up and carried you to the car. He kept apologizing and saying that he would never hit you. My dad doesn't change expression much, I've taken it as a contest to try and change that. But that night? I saw the saddest look on his face. I couldn't and still really don't understand. When we got back to the car, he helped us get in. I remember he shut the door but didn't get in." Mike's voice was full of frustration.
Will drew in a nervous breath.
"I watched him pace outside the car. Then I watched him put his hands behind his head and pace. It was probably only a few minutes, it felt like hours to me."
Will looked at Mike's face. Mike was looking down at his lap.
"We got home and he put us to bed. Before he left, he leaned down, brushed the bangs out of your eyes and said; 'I will never hit you Will. You hear me?' you nodded and he left. We fell asleep pretty soon after that."
Will had a sudden flash of memory and his heart sank.
"I woke up crying, right?" Will asked
"You remember what I told you?" Mike inquired a little more forceful than he intended.
"I love you, Will. You said I love you Will." Will voice caught. How could he have forgotten that? Why did he forget?
"Uh-huh. So this big long story is just to show you that even if no one else loved you, we would all of us. My mom, my dad, everyone. Especially me, Will. Especially me." Mike said softly. Pulling Will into a partial hug, Mike placed his chin on Will's head. "It looks like the two people I'm closest with have powers now. I got nothing. I can't compete." Mike laughed.
Mike felt Will tense in his grasp. He looked into his face from the side. Will's eyes were wide and distant as if remembering a far away memory.
"You don't want these powers, Mike. It was like, I was being puppet-ed." Will's tone turned dark and withdrawn. "This isn't like the mind-flayer. This was worse. The mind-flayer pushed me down or back. This thing, this force from the upside down? It turns on my worst emotions to get what it wants. I'm scared of it Mike. That's why I wanted to seal myself away." Will looked like he was spacing out.
"What do you mean? Didn't you say that you just got control of it before you sealed yourself away? How could you already feel so sure of this thing's intent?" Mike watched Will fidget.
"The nightmares. I started have specific ones. When I was in Cali-it was like an ache or a distant feeling. I think this thing was purposely trying to compel me down into that gate." Will said his voice increasing in firmness.
Mike watched Will's mannerisms. Now he was concerns.
"These nightmares, what are they about?" Mike asked.
"I kill my dad." Will said coldly. "That's only the first part of it. I enjoy it, like, I really like it. It's so good to feel that power that I feel myself slipping away and I start thinking of killing other people."
Mike put his hand on Will's shoulder.
"You won't do that Will." Mike said.
"How do you know?" Will asked.
"Because I am here." Mike said in a whisper.
"Maybe you're right." Will smiled weakly.
"I know I am." Mike said offering reassurance.
Will suddenly looked at his best friend. Really looked at him for the first time in years. Then something formed on his face that reminded Mike of shame.
"How much of my thoughts did you see?" Will asked. Mike watched as Will swallowed so hard his Adams apple hung for a second. "Anything weird?"
Mike raised an eyebrow and then smirked in realization.
"You mean anything sexy?" Mike got a little closer than he intended and regretted it when Will pulled back. "No, nothing sexy, but it did fill in the gaps about your crush on me. Also, what do you think is hottest about me?" Mike smiled playfully and then regretted that also.
"Those are my secrets Mike. That's not fair. They're mine." Will started to close off.
Mike could tell. So he leaned in and whispered sharply into Will's ear. He was rewarded with a shiver.
"What if I showed you a secret?" Mike asked. "Would you like to see it?"
Will gulped his nerves burning, wanting him to escape.
"Sure." Will replies nearly breathless. In the next moment the world spins away as Mike Wheeler leans in and kisses Will Byers. As Mike pulls away, Will's expression makes him have to bite back a laugh.
"This can't be real. Mike, you didn't just-what-" Will sputtered.
"Don't believe it? Maybe this one will help." Mike kisses Will again while laying his best friend down on the bed. It reeked of mildew, but neither of them cared. So lost in the moment, they never saw El start to come in. Stunned, she backed away and turned to leave the cabin. Her suspicions confirmed.