Archive of Our Own ^beta

“God, it’s so cold here.”

Mike shivers, running his hands up and down his sleeve-covered arms. He looks around the dark, chilly atmosphere of the Upside Down. It’s disgusting, not to mention terrifying. Jesus. How did Will survive here?

Will shakes his head. “Yeah, I know.”

Mike frowns at him. Will’s been mad at him ever since Mike tripped over a vine five minutes ago, saying he needs to be more careful in order not to alert any demo creatures.

To rebuke, Mike reminded Will that it’s his first time in the Upside Down and he has no idea what he’s doing. That only made Will even more pissed off and he scolded Mike for coming with him in the first place.

“Why are you still mad at me? You told me you changed your mind and allowed me to come.”

Will turns over his shoulder to look back at Mike and raises an unimpressed brow.

Mike raises his arms. “What? Is that not what you said? Because I’m pretty sure you said, ‘I can’t not go to the Upside Down. But I can’t leave you behind either. So that means I have to take you along.’”

Will rolls his eyes. “First of all, I said I was gonna take you along as long as you behave. Which you’re not. Second, you basically bribed me into coming with me by kissing me and declaring you love me. Third, you’re incredibly stubborn. Fourth-”

“Ok,” Mike interrupts. “I think that’s enough blows to my ego. Thanks.”

The two boys keep walking, silence hanging between them. But Mike can never commit to silence for too long.

“Are you actually still mad at me?” He asks, voice smaller than he intended.

Will sighs. “It’s not so much anger than it is fear. I’m scared. I hate being back in the Upside Down, and… having you with me is making it worse.”

Mike raises a brow in faux offense. “What, so you’re saying my company is making you feel worse?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I mean… I mean that it’s harder to be here, because like, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Mike’s expression softens at Will’s clarification and he takes his hand.

“I’m not gonna get hurt. And neither are you.”

Will looks at him, slow steps as they walk beside each other. His voice is a whisper as the words come out.

“You can’t promise that.”

Mike purses his lips. “No, I guess I can’t. But I can promise that I’m not gonna leave you. Whether if we make it out of this shithole with our hearts still in our chests, or if our bodies are burning in the fire-y pits of Hell-”

Will snorts quietly, shaking his head.

“Too bad. I think we’re already in Hell.”

Mike hums. “You know what? You’re probably right. But still, I’m not gonna leave you. You and me together, ‘til death do us part.”

Will smiles sadly. “If one of us dies, I hope I die first.”

Mike nudges him, furrowing his brows.

“You’re not gonna die, alright? Not on my goddamn watch.”

Will says nothing as they keep walking, tension in the crippling air of the Upside Down.

Mike looks around and shivers as he takes in the sight of the decaying corpses and rotting trees. He cringes.

“God, it smells terrible.”

Will shakes his head. “Yeah, well, that’s the kind of thing that happens when you enter an alternate dimension.”

Mike frowns at Will’s sarcasm and covers his face with the bandana around his chin. He nudges Will to do the same, and Will waves him off before he puts on his own mask.

“Where’s his lair?” Mike asks, slightly muffled by his mask.

“We’re getting there.” Will keeps his eyes peeled and looks left and right many times. He puts his arm out, preventing Mike from walking.

“What? What is it?”

“Did you hear that?”

Mike and Will stand in silence, looking around as they listen. A bat screeches in the nearby distance. Their heads whip towards the sound before they see a bat flying right at them.

They duck in time and Mike quickly smacks the bat away with the baseball bat he maneuvered out of his backpack. Will grabs his gun and shoots the head when the bat lands on the ground, instantly killing it.

Mike watches with wide eyes as Will yields the gun in favor of saving the walkie talkie that nearly slipped out of his bag.

“Woah,” Mike finds himself saying, slightly dazed and embarrassingly entranced. “That was hot.”

Will raises a brow, the red and blue light from the Upside Down illuminating his face.

“What was hot?”

“That.” Mike looks between the gun now poking out of Will’s bag and his face. “That- that was- woah.”

Will chuckles softly, patting his bag. “Like what you see?”

Mike swallows hard, and Will chuckles again as Mike’s rendered speechless. He wordlessly follows Will down the path they’re on.

The bat is slung over Mike’s shoulder for quick access in case they encounter any more demo creatures.

“You have bottles in your bag, right?” Will speaks up after another minute.

Mike nods, unzipping his backpack to double check.

“Yup. About eight in this bag. How many in yours?”

“Seven.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah.”

The boys keep walking. Will suddenly lets out a sigh. Mike looks at him.

“What’s up?”

“I’m just… I’m getting worried. What if we’re not strong enough?”

Mike shakes his head. “Will. We have a bat, 15 bottles that we’re gonna light on fire, and a dream. And hey, your super awesome, badass gun skills.” He nudges him gently.

Will fights the small smile making its way on his face. “Yeah. But… but we’re just two stupid kids. I mean, what if- what if he outsmarts us? Or like… tricks us somehow?”

“Do you really have that little faith in us? I get it, we both probably have no idea what we’re doing. But we have brains, guts, and stamina. What does Vecna have?”

Will frowns. “A four-thousand army of bats, Demogorgons, and Demodogs?”

Mike rolls his eyes. “A weakness to fire and music. A group of teenagers, stupid, young teenagers, coming after him. A superpowered girl. A scary policeman, a mom who never quits, and two gun-aiming badasses.”

“And an army of demo creatures.”

Mike frowns at Will, who returns it with a blank expression.

“Really? You’re gonna be pessimistic about it?”

“Well, if we’re gonna be honest here, then yes, I am.”

Mike sighs. “I thought you were the optimistic one. What happened?”

Will smirks. “It’s all a façade. It’s all a figment of your imagination. I’m not really here.”

Mike glares at him. “Stop trying to hypnotize me, you weirdo.”

Will snorts and shakes his head. “Come on, let’s keep walking. Stop distracting me.”

The Wheeler boy scoffs but silently obeys.

“Hey, Will?”

“Yeah?”

“If- when we make it out of here, do you wanna, like… go- go on a date?”

Will shrugs. “Yeah, sure.”

“With me?”

Will snorts, rolling his eyes. “No, with Lucas.”

Mike’s face falls.

“Yes, with you! Obviously.”

Mike lets out a breath. “Gee, thank God. You scared me for a second there.”

Will rolls his eyes again. Mike smirks.

“You know, if you keep rolling your eyes, you’re gonna get them stuck in the back of your head.”

“Good. Maybe then I won’t have to look at you.”

Will laughs as Mike scoffs.

“Well, excuse me-”

“You’re excused.”

Mike scoffs again and lightly shoves Will.

“You’re so mean to me.”

“Someone has to keep you in check.”

Mike grins.

“You’re lucky I love you.”

Will smiles, blushing faintly. He looks away and up ahead, keeping an eye out for Vecna’s lair.

They keep walking in silence for a few minutes. Will slows to a stop and his breath catches in his throat.

There, in front of them, is Vecna, perched on a chair made of vines, imitating a throne. His long, pointy claws are pressed together as if he was praying, and his cloudy, white eyes are closed. He’s a beast.

Will swallows and involuntarily reaches out to take Mike’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

Mike gives Will’s hand a reassuring squeeze and he looks at him. A silent conversation is shared between them.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

They give each other’s hands one last squeeze before they detach and pick up their respective weapons. Will cocks his shotgun and Mike tightens his grip on his bat, giving it a couple practice swings.

Will aims the gun just short past Vecna, firing a bullet into one of the vines acting as Vecna’s throne. It hisses and recoils before returning its position.

Vecna opens his eyes and slowly tilts his head down. His eyes focus on Will for a long moment before they dart to Mike briefly and back to Will.

Will clenches his jaw and straightens his stance when Vecna looks right at him. An almost twisted smile grows on the creature’s face.

“William.” His voice is grave and rusty. Mike feels a shiver run through his spine. “I am so glad you decided to show. Let us take over this world together.”

Another bullet is fired, this time hitting Vecna in the shoulder. Vecna only flinches as the hit lands but other than that he doesn’t react.

His eyes are locked on Will as he says in his deep, musky voice.

“Come on, William. You and I. We can be rulers.”

Will fires another shot, hitting Vecna in the neck.

“Mike, now!” He exclaims.

Mike swiftly pulls a bottle out of his backpack, grabs a lighter, and lights the sock covering the nose of the bottle on fire. He throws the flaming bottle at Vecna, setting the monster in flames.

But it’s not Vecna’s first rodeo. He quickly shrugs off his reaction to the fire and slowly stands, walking menacingly closer to the boys.

Vecna slowly approaches Will, flames still covering his entire being. Will takes a step back, squinting his eyes from the smoke and covering his face with his bandana, trying to protect himself from the heat.

He can feel the fury of the fire burning in him through Vecna’s one-sided connection. He resists the urge to find a pool of water and jump into it. He needs this. Vecna hates the heat.

“Oh, sweet, sweet stupid Will,” Vecna taunts, taking another step. “Don’t you want to teach them a lesson? Rid them of this universe.”

“No!” Mike exclaims, looking between them desperately, wanting to intervene but trying to stay away from the flames.

“Join me, Will. Join me, and together, we will take over this world. We will be the ones to go down in history.”

“No!” Will exclaims, grip tightening on his gun. “I’m not joining you in anything!”

Vecna hums, low and mocking. “What if I don’t give you a choice? What if I told you…” He takes a menacing step closer. “You are already part of me.”

Will winces when Vecna steps closer, the heat of the flames blasting him like an overpowered hair dryer.

“You don’t have a choice, William. Everything you have done has led to this. We are going to create something together. A new future. And it is going to be… beautiful. They will be nothing to you anymore. You already are nothing to them.”

“No!” Mike exclaims again. “No, that’s- that’s not true!”

Vecna looks at him. “Oh, isn’t it, Michael?” He turns back to Will. “He hates you. He may act like he loves you, act like he cares for you. But it is all fake. All because he doesn’t want to look like the bad guy.”

“No!” Mike shakes his head vehemently. “No, Will, that’s not true! I love you! I do! I love you! Don’t listen to him!”

“Listen to all those lies,” Vecna murmurs, looking at Mike and turning to Will again. “Isn’t it sad? That is all you ever knew. Lies.”

“It’s not a lie! Nothing’s a lie!” Mike yells. “We love you! I love you!”

Will glares at Vecna. “Sorry, Henry. Your tricks are not gonna work on me.” He shoves Vecna back with the nose of the shotgun, raising it higher. “Say goodbye.”

Vecna hums. “But Will, don’t you know, if you kill me, then you die. And then everyone else dies.”

Will falters for a moment, and it’s long enough for Vecna to strike. He grabs Will’s shoulder and pulls him closer. A gasp escapes Will’s mouth as the flame nearly touches his clothes and he drops the gun.

“You don’t need to be afraid, William,” Vecna says lowly. Will grimaces at his yellow teeth. “Come with me, and all your fears will be washed away. Turned to dust.”

“No.” Will shakes his head, eyes watering. “No!”

“This is the only way out. You want to escape the pain. Yes? Then come with me.”

“No.” Will is shaking a bit, eyes blurring with unshed tears. “No, no!”

Vecna lifts his other hand when he’s suddenly pushed back by a bat, the same bat Mike has just smacked him with. Mike holds the bat in a defensive pose, planting his feet and glaring at Vecna.

A cruel, guttural chuckle escapes Vecna.

“Oh, this is perfect. He thinks he can protect his boyfriend.”

Will flinches at the use of “boyfriend.” Obviously, that’s what they are, but to hear Vecna say it is just weird.

Mike keeps his glare as he stands a little in front of Will but still off to the side. He points the bat at Vecna.

“You stay away from him.”

Vecna lets out another crude chuckle and takes a step closer. “Or what?”

Mike jabs Vecna in the chest with the bat, pushing him back.

“I said stay away from him!”

Will scrambles to grab his gun off the ground and holds it tighter, pointing it at the monster’s face.

Vecna stands in front of them, at least a foot between them. Will and Mike are standing in fighting positions, clutching their weapons to their chests and aiming them at Vecna.

“Isn’t it a shame?” Vecna starts. “How much misery people live in. Why hide the pain and suppress the urges? Why not expose yourself and the truth? Why not let yourself feel? Why not give into temptations?”

Will fires the gun again and hits Vecna straight in the chest. He shoots a couple more times and watches in satisfaction as Vecna stumbles backwards.

Mike grabs another bottle from his bag and sets it to flames, then tosses it at Vecna, letting the fire build up around him and graze the vines in the process.

The vines hiss and recoil in pain, squirming uncomfortably and convulsing. Mike and Will cringe at the sounds of the vines writhing and bats squealing in the distance.

Mike throws another bottle and that seems to get Vecna down. At least they thought it did.

Vecna staggers to his feet and closes his eyes briefly.

A bat suddenly comes down and charges Mike. He quickly bats it away but another bat comes down, and another one. He gets distracted with fighting off the bats that he doesn’t notice Vecna watching Will closely.

Another bat flies around Will and its wings aggressively slaps the gun out of his hands. Another flies low above the ground and runs into Will’s knee, causing him to slip on the slimy surface and fall on his back with a gasp. The back of his shin meets the shard of a split rock, piercing through his skin, and he screams in pain.

“Will!” Mike exclaims. He smacks the last bat away and quickly kneels beside the boy, examining him.

The sound of Demodogs howling and bats screeching distracts him for a moment and he looks over to see Vecna and the vines writhing. It seems the flaming bottles have finally paid off.

Mike watches in satisfactory fascination as Vecna falls to his knees, rather in slow motion, and gives out a final yell, evaporating into thin air. The vines still and the bats fall to the ground. The cries of the Demodogs have died and all creatures in the vicinity are clear.

The sound of whimpering brings Mike’s attention back to the boy beside him. Will is half-sitting half-laying, bending his knee up and looking at his shin. Blood is spilling down the back of his shin and a giant bruise is spreading across his skin.

Mike grimaces and Will sucks in his breath as Mike carefully takes his leg into his lap and examines it closer.

“What happened?” Mike asks, concern leaking through his voice as he looks up at Will.

His boyfriend lets out a shaky breath.

“I slipped and fell back. I think I cut my leg on…” He momentarily turns over his shoulder and motions to the rock shard. “That.”

Mike lets out a breath. “Ok, we’re gonna get you cleaned up. It’s gonna be ok, alright?”

Before they can think about standing, the atmosphere around them starts to shift. The vines have disintegrated alongside Vecna, and the rotting trees and walls are starting to break down.

Will gasps as he realizes what’s happening, watching as the space starts getting smaller.

“Mike, take this…” He shoves his gun in his backpack and hands his bag to Mike. “And go.”

Mike furrows his brows. “What? No. I’m not gonna just leave you here.”

“Mike, we don’t have a lot of time. You need to take this and go.”

“No. No, Will, no way. I’m- I’m not going anywhere.”

“Mike.” Will looks up, a pleading albeit fearful look in his eyes. “I can’t walk.”

“No. No, come on, we- we have to get out of here.”

“Mike, listen to me. The Upside Down is shutting down. Now that Vecna’s gone, soon it will be too. You need to get out of here, or you’ll be stuck here.”

“No, no, Will. No-”

“Just promise me you’re gonna get back safely and tell the others that we did. We killed Vecna.”

“No. Will, we- we’re gonna tell them. We. Because you’re coming with me. Come on, we have to go.”

“Mike.”

“Will, no, wait-”

Will takes his hand. “Mike, go. You have to go.”

“No, Will! No, I can’t! I’m not gonna leave you!” Mike’s eyes prick with tears. “I promised. I promised I wouldn’t leave you.”

The Byers boy smiles sadly. “Mike. You’ve given me everything I want and more. You’re not leaving me. Not really. I mean, I’ll always be with you. Right here.” He puts his hand on Mike’s chest, right over his heart.

A tear runs down Mike’s face as he stares at the bleeding boy. Will’s eyes well up but he smiles reassuringly.

“Go, Mike.”

Another tear rolls down Mike’s face, starting to come faster as he shakes his head.

“No. No-”

“Mike. You need to go.”

The structure of the Upside Down is shrinking smaller and smaller, and the gate is getting further and further away.

“Go, Mike, go! Go now!”

Will all but pushes Mike up and shoves him away. Mike’s feet move on their own accordance and he sobs as he runs towards the gate.

Mike furiously wipes at his eyes as the Upside Down gets smaller and smaller, the portal bright and beckoning him closer. He repeatedly curses to himself.

Finally, he reaches the portal, and with two more steps, he’s through. Mike pops out on the other side, in the real world, where he’s in front of an abandoned Melvald’s.

Mike watches as the portal dematerializes right in front of his face, disappearing into the air as if it was never there. Nobody’s around him on the abandoned streets.

Tears flow down his face with more force than ever, his mind swirling with 1000 different thoughts. Emotions take over him like no ever, and he buries his face into his knees, turning away from where the gate once was.

This is it. This is the end.

He startles and nearly jumps out of his skin when he feels something grabbing his shoulder. He pulls his head out of his knees.

In front of him is his boyfriend, bent over, hand on his shoulder, eyes tearful and a sad smile on his face.

Mike’s eyes widen and his heart stutters.

“W- Will?”

“Mike.” Will’s voice is choky and quiet, a hint of relief and resignation woven between the single word.

“Will.” Mike blinks a hundred times to make sure his eyes don’t deceive him. “You- you’re ok!”

And with that, Mike grabs Will and pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. Will lets out a relieved laugh as he hugs Mike back, sitting in his lap. He buries his chin against his shoulder.

They hug for a moment before Mike slowly pulls back just a little to look at him.

“But- h- how?? You- you-”

“Mike.” Will smiles sadly, forgotten tears in his eyes. “I’m a stupid, young teenager.” Mike looks down. His shin has dried of blood, but there’s still a gaping wound.

Mike chuckles in relief and looks into Will’s eyes. “Thank God.”

Will leans in and rests his forehead against Mike’s, closing his eyes.

Mike puts his hands on his face and kisses him. Will’s hands climb up to his shoulders. They hold for a minute or so before they slowly pull away, resting their foreheads together again.

“So…” Mike lifts his head and smiles. “How about that date?”

Will smiles warmly, face pinkening adorably.

“That sounds good.”

Mike’s smile grows, eyes flitting between Will’s. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Mike gently pushes Will off and stands, then takes his hand. Will intertwines their fingers and kisses Mike’s knuckles. Mike smiles and leans in again.

Their lips press together and they hold for twenty seconds. In that time, Will puts his fingers on Mike’s chest and taps in morse code.

“Stupid, young teenagers. Crazy together.”