Stranger Things: Brave New World

A Stranger Things/Walking Dead oneshot (although the crossover aspect is more backstory than anything), that I hope you enjoy, it's a bit angsty in places but it's got a hopeful ending, I hope.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things, Walking Dead or their characters.


The sounds of the water cascading from the shower and the feel of the water against his body overwhelmed Mike's senses, he had been treated for his injuries, but he still felt the pain, even as the shower felt nice, the steam and water unknotting the muscles, releasing the tension, the abrasions remained, his broken ribs still healing. But he was alive, that was the main thing. He had made it, he was safe.

'Never imagined in a million yeas I'd go against you, huh Ted?' He thought bitterly about his dad, the man he blamed more than any other for his pain. 'Never thought I'd choose my love for Will over being your son, thought you could control me and the rest of the family...look what it's left you?'

Even as he thought that, trying to lose himself in the anger, he couldn't. Instead sorrow filled him at the cost, at everything he had endured, at what had almost been lost. Tears stung his eyes as he rested his hands against the wall, to stay upright, letting out a primal scream of sorrow as he finally let his emotions out. He couldn't hold it back anymore, the emotional breakdown was overwhelming.

"We're not okay Mike, but we will be." Came the soft voice.

Mike gasped hearing it but as he straightened up, he felt the gentle arms wrap around him, the soft feel of a kiss on the back of his shoulder, the equally bare body pressed up against his.

"Will…"

He looked over his shoulder at his beloved boyfriend, the boy he had nearly died for, the boy who had nearly died for him.

Things had changed since the world had gone to hell, the dead rising and walking around, now the aptly named Walkers were causing terror and those who survived were forming communities with various people to try and protect themselves and restore some form of order. This was the situation for Mike and his family the Wheelers, had found themselves in when they joined a particular community, their old home where he had stayed and met Will, as well as the others of the Byers family, Joyce and Jonathan, Will's mother and older brother respectively. Will's dad was gone, having abandoned the family and likely killed by Walkers. Mike had become close friends with Will and gradually that friendship grew, into a deep love for each other. Something they tried desperately to hide in fear, for by then they had learned that their community was ruled by people like Mike's father Ted, who had implemented a number of harsh laws, particularly harsh homophobic laws. Mike wasn't sure if he and Will had slipped up and been seen, or if it was just suspicion on Ted's part, but before long both boys had been arrested and were being interrogated, or more accurately tortured to force a confession out of them, a confession to their crimes of being homosexuals. The boys had tried their hardest to endure, a small part of them hoped that held would come but they knew it was a slim hope. Who would save them?

'Will's mom and brother wanted to, but their situation...they had no choice, Nancy and even Holly wanted to do the same, but Dad browbeat them into silence, like he did to mom since they were married.' Mike recalled. 'That was...until the torture became too much.'

It had been a cruel twist, trying to get them to confess, by torturing them and even being beaten by the guards when they were not being seen to. But the confessions were not for themselves, but to out the other. But no matter what Mike's father and the other leaders of the cruel community tried, the boys would not betray each other.

Which was why they both mutually confessed and were sentenced to death, that was when Karen had surprised everybody by joining Joyce, Jonathan, Nancy and Holly in trying to protest this and call out the leaders for torturing the boys, only to be banished to 'wall duty' which meant they were assigned to guard one of the walls against the Walkers. The boys however soon learned that this was all part of a plan. After being imprisoned again, instead of waiting until dawn to be taken out to be executed, they were removed from their cells during the night by Hopper and were driven away to the wall that their own families had been sent to and they were already waiting with other vehicles, the whole thing had been an elaborate escape and by the time anything would have been discovered, they were already out of their cruel communities territory and in the territory of Sanctuary where they now stayed. They had arrived and been quickly admitted once their story had been told. Mike and Will had been taken to be treated for their injuries and now here they were, with Mike now showering, with Will joining him in the shower as they faced each other, trying not to pay attention to their bodies natural reactions to being so close, while naked in the close, steamy confines of the shower.

"Will, I...we...everything's just…" Mike said shakily.

Will nodded. "I know, it's okay...we're all safe now, all of those who matter. The people here are good and are open-minded, they've promised to protect us and they have so many allies, so many people...your dad and the others won't be able to come after us, they'd be in a rather dangerous situation if they did so."

Mike swallowed but nodded, before adding. "Father...he doesn't deserve the title of dad...and barely deserves the title of father."
Will nodded, accepting that.

After a pause Will turned off the shower and gently guided Mike out.

"It's okay, c'mon, we'll get dried and ready for bed...we get to stay together, we're all staying in the same house and our moms made sure we got a room together." He explained as he passed Mike a towel and got one himself.

They quickly got dried and as they did so, Mike bit his lip.

"What are we going to...to do tomorrow?" He asked.

Will shrugged. "I don't know, but I think we should ask Sam, he can help us you know, there's actually an LGBTQ Club here and he is the head of it."

"He's our age?"

"And?"

Mike finally managed a smile as he understood, Will was right, in this new world, something like that shouldn't matter. Sam was a boy they had met while recovering, he had done his best to comfort them and help them settle in, showing a lot of affection for both boys which they both admitted they were actually touched by. It didn't hurt that they both admitted he was attractive. He had even shared his background with them, how he'd been in a similar circumstance to them, living in a very religious community with his parents and two sisters and while there being gay and just being different in general was HEAVILY frowned upon. Even though Sam's sexuality was pretty much common knowledge because of his personality, love of dance and style, his dad had always tried to make him downplay it because in his dad's mind it was "just a stage" or "just Sam being a weak girly little boy". And that attitude from him only got WORSE after they moved into that community, which eventually led him to become abusive to Sam and Sam's mom, who tried to defend and protect him. So as a final resort one night after Sam got "punished" by the elders of the community for "sinful behaviour" with another boy. A friend of his named Diego who sadly didn't survive his punishment, Sam's mom decided enough was enough and risked EVERYTHING to sneak out of their home and out of the community with him and his sisters, leaving his dad behind to try to find us a better life on their own.

Which was how they eventually came to be at Sanctuary and had settled in and flourished, becoming much happier and Sam, while still saddened by the loss, had recovered from Diego's death. By the point Mike, Will and their families arrived, Sam's mom was a HUGE part of the community's leadership and, even at his young age, Sam was, as noted, the head of the "LGBTQ Club" there that helped welcome others to their new home and that helped them get used to their new surroundings there.

"So, no matter what...we'll be safe." Will said reassuringly.

By then they had changed into pajamas, ready for bed.

Mike nodded. "Right...we'll talk to Sam tomorrow, maybe he can help us."

That made Mike feel happier, relieved and as he lay down in bed with Will, the two embracing and sharing a soft kiss, Mike knew that Will was right. They weren't okay, but they would be.


End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.

Just in case you're wondering, the whole thing with how the boys react around Sam and such is actually meant to hint at a future triad relationship between them that I thought would be a nice hint.