52- Pretty Lucky
Summary: After the events of S4, Mike and Nancy catch up on everything. A brother and sister moment ensues.
Requested by: Guest
Mike heaves a board over his shoulder and carries it to where El and Hopper were fixing a window. He might still have been a scrawny kid, but he was getting stronger.
Mike heads back to the wood pile to get some more, when he feels eyes on him.
He turns and sees Nancy, who is sitting on the porch steps, fiddling with her long necklace.
When their eyes meet, Nancy gestures to come over.
Mike walks over to the steps but when he gets over there, he doesn't know what to do.
Nancy seems to notice that, so she pats the empty space besides her.
Mike hesitates but sits down.
"So," Nancy starts. "How's it going?"
Despite himself, Mike chuckles.
"Seriously?" Mike asks.
"Well, I have to start a conversation somehow!" Nancy defends, beginning to laugh with Mike.
After they both settle down, Nancy asks, "No, but really. How are you doing?"
Mike looks at his hands for a moment.
"I've been- better." he admits.
"Haven't we all?"
Mike gives Nancy a small smile.
"I heard what happened," Mike tells her. "When you tried to get back into the real world."
Nancy slightly freezes.
"Oh, yeah?" Nancy says, trying to keep the lightness in her voice.
Mike can tell that his older sister doesn't want to talk about this. But he knows she should.
"You know, when El went into Max's mind, I was scared. So scared. I mean, I didn't know what was going to happen. El could have-" Mike really hated talking about his feelings but he had to do this. "She could have died. And Max. She's basically dead. I know I shouldn't say that, but seeing her, in the hospital like that, it's not promising."
Nancy is still quiet.
"I guess I feel kind of guilty. I mean, I was a jerk when I first met her, and we've sort of tolerated her since then. I was still really mean to her though. And I was still pretty mean to her still. And after Billy, she just pulled away and I never tried to make a friendship with her."
Mike stops abruptly, trying to stop his shaking hands.
There's quiet.
Then, "Oh, Mike."
Mike feels an arm wrap around his shoulder.
"It's okay." Nancy murmured. "It's okay."
The siblings stay silent for a minute.
"I saw her." Nancy says to fill the silence. "When Vecna took me, I saw her."
Mike didn't have to ask who 'her' was.
"She was leaned up against the pool and she had vines all over her body and her glasses were broken and-" Nancy cuts off with a sob.
"I'm so sorry, Nancy." Mike tells her, switching roles.
Once Nancy starts to calm down, she takes a look at her baby brother. 'Not baby,' she corrects herself. 'Not anymore.' Her brother is now taller than she is and doesn't have his baby face. 'He's becoming a man.' Nancy realizes.
"You know Mike," Nancy says, breaking Mike's hard stare at something on the ground in front of them. "I'm really proud of you."
Mike just stares at her.
"You are becoming a really good guy. Sweet, understanding, and honest. I've never realized how much you've grown up. It's like I blinked and now, you aren't that kid that stayed coop up in that basement for hours on end." Nancy paused before delivering the punchline. "Now, you're a teenager who stays cooped up in that basement."
Mike stays still for a moment, mouth slightly agape. Then he bursts out laughing.
Nancy joins him, tilting her head back up toward the sky.
"You know Nancy," Mike tells her. "I'm getting real tired of all of this."
Nancy nods, knowing what he means.
"It's like, we get use to the new normal after it, then it comes right back at us, 10 times harder." Mike states.
"Nothing could have been truer." Nancy leans back on the step. "But hey, we've always come back 10 times harder as well."
"High five to that sister." Mike says, holding his hand up.
Nancy smacks it with her own hand.
"You know," Mike says. "I'm lucky to have you as my older sister."
Nancy's head snaps to look at Mike. He'd never really said anything like that.
"Yeah, you are." Nancy jokes, but then grow serious. "And I'm lucky to have you as my baby brother."
"I'm not a baby!" Mike defends.
Nancy just leans forward and pats his cheek, then stands up and starts walking away.
"I'm not a baby!" Mike repeats, calling after her. "You literally just said I was a teenager and have grown up!"
Nancy smirks as she walks away, shaking her head.
'Yeah,' Nancy realizes. 'I was right.'
Mike was pretty lucky to have her as a big sister.
And she was pretty lucky to have him as a brother.
A younger one. She'll give him that.
AN: I hope you liked Guest! Requests are open everyone!