Archive of Our Own ^beta

Will didn’t expect much for his birthday. Not anymore.

Last year had been a wake-up call—watching the day pass like it was nothing, waiting for someone to say something, anything, only for it to end in silence. It wasn’t their fault, he knew that now. Vecna had twisted their minds, stolen something that should’ve been impossible to forget. Knowing that didn’t make it hurt any less.

So when today started off the same—no calls, no visits, just the usual routine—Will told himself it was fine. He spent a majority of his life feeling invisible.

“Gotta hurry before the sunset,” he said, shaking the basket for emphasis.

Will raised a brow. “What is this?”

Mike glanced around as if making sure no one was watching, then pulled Will in with his free hand. Before Will could react, he pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, leaving warmth in its wake.

A blush crept up Will’s face. “Mike—”

Mike just chuckled, shaking his head. “You didn’t really think I forgot what today was, did you?”

Will ducked his head, but he couldn’t stop the smile creeping onto his face. “I mean… you have forgotten things before.”

Mike scoffed, nudging him lightly. “Yeah, well, never again.” His voice was firm, no trace of teasing. “Now, c’mon. Sunset waits for no man.”

Will let himself be pulled along, curiosity growing with every step. Mike led him to a familiar clearing just outside town—a place they used to race their bikes past as kids but had never really stopped to appreciate. Now, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, it looked almost surreal.

Mike spread out a blanket and set the basket down before flopping onto it with a satisfied sigh. He patted the spot beside him. “Get comfy, Birthday Boy.”

Will sat down, still feeling a little dazed. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

Mike started unpacking the basket, pulling out Will’s favorite snacks—things he shouldn’t have even remembered, like the specific brand of cookies Will had loved since they were kids. “You really thought I wouldn’t?”

Will hesitated, fingers picking at the edge of the blanket. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “It’s just… my birthday hasn’t exactly been a thing the past few years.”

Mike stilled, the air between them shifting. He set down the container in his hands and turned fully toward Will. “I know,” he said quietly.

Will swallowed. “First, there was that year. When everyone forgot.” He hated how small his voice sounded. How that hurt still lived somewhere inside him, even after everything. “And then last year, we were too busy trying to stop Vecna to even think about celebrating anything.”

Mike exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I hate that. I hate that he took that from you. From us.” He reached over, fingers grazing Will’s hand before curling around it. “But we’re here now. And I swear to you, you’ll never feel like that again.”

Will looked down at their joined hands. It still felt unreal sometimes—having this, having him. They had spent so many years dancing around their feelings, buried under fear and uncertainty, only to finally find their way to each other. And yet, they were still keeping it quiet, still figuring out how to exist together in a world that didn’t always make space for people like them.

“Well…it seems like they forgot again,” Will sighed. 

He tried to shake the thoughts away, the lingering insecurities. Because right now, here with Mike, none of that mattered.

Mike gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Hey. I’m sure there’s an explanation for it. No more sad thoughts, okay? I have one more surprise for you.”

Will raised an eyebrow, forcing himself to smirk. “Another one?”

Mike grinned. “You’ll see.”

He pulled out a thermos from the basket and unscrewed the lid, pouring out two cups of what smelled like hot chocolate.

Will blinked. “Hot chocolate? In March?”

Mike shrugged. “Yeah, well, I know you like it. And I wasn’t about to try and keep a milkshake from melting in here.” He handed Will a cup before grabbing his own, taking a careful sip. “Besides, it’s still cold enough at night to count.”

Will accepted it, feeling the warmth spread through his fingers. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.”

Mike smirked. “You’ll give me that one? Dude, I planned this whole thing, and you’re just giving me that one?”

Will rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the way his face softened. “Alright, fine. You get points for effort.”

Mike scoffed. “Wow. High praise.”

Will let out a small laugh, shaking his head before taking a sip. The hot chocolate was rich, a little too sweet, but perfectly Mike. He wasn’t sure when Mike had started remembering all these little things about him—the way he liked his drinks, the snacks he always reached for first—but it made something warm settle in his chest.

Mike leaned back on his elbows, stretching his legs out on the blanket. The sky was shifting now, streaks of pink and orange blending together as the sun sank lower. The light caught on his face, turning his brown eyes golden, and Will found himself staring before quickly looking away.

Mike must’ve caught it because he nudged Will’s knee with his own. “You know you can just look at me, right?”

Will scoffed. “That’s not—” He stopped himself when he saw the teasing glint in Mike’s eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

Mike grinned. “Yeah, but I’m your idiot.”

Will huffed out a laugh. “That was pretty cheesy.”

In reality, his heart was doing that thing where it tripped over itself every time Mike said something like that. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to it. To this.

Mike reached into the basket again, pulling out a small, slightly crumpled napkin-wrapped bundle. “Alright, now this—this is my masterpiece.”

Will raised an eyebrow as Mike unwrapped it, revealing a slightly squashed peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Will blinked. “Your masterpiece is… a PB&J?”

Mike groaned, dramatically throwing his head back. “It’s not just a PB&J, okay? It’s your PB&J.”

Will furrowed his brows, still confused, until Mike continued, “You like it with extra peanut butter and barely any jelly, right? And only on wheat bread, because white bread is, ‘too soggy and gross.’”

Will stared at him, mouth parting slightly. “You remembered that?”

Mike hesitated, suddenly looking a little sheepish. “Yeah? I mean, I don’t know, it’s just—it’s you. I remember everything about you.”

Will’s heart squeezed, and for a second, he didn’t know what to say. He took the sandwich, taking a bit before glancing at Mike. “Did you make one for yourself?”

Mike shook his head. “Nope. Figured you’d share.”

Will rolled his eyes, but he still broke off a piece and held it out. Mike grinned before leaning in and taking it straight from his fingers, his lips brushing against them ever so slightly.

Will felt his breath catch, heat creeping up his neck. “You—”

Mike chewed, entirely unfazed. “Mmm. Perfect PB-to-J ratio.”

Will huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “Ew gross—don’t talk with your mouth full. You’re actually ridiculous.”

Mike just grinned. “And yet, here you are, in love with me anyway.”

Will bit his lip, trying to fight the stupid, lovesick smile threatening to take over his face. “Yeah,” he admitted softly. “Here I am.”

Neither of them said anything as the sun dipped lower, the sky now painted in deeper hues of violet and red. The air was cooling, but Will didn’t feel cold—not with Mike next to him, close enough that their shoulders touched, their hands resting just inches apart on the blanket.

Mike exhaled, tilting his head back to look at the sky. “This is kinda nice, huh?”

Will nodded. “Yeah. It really is.”

Mike turned his head then, watching him carefully. “Hey. You’re not still thinking about them forgetting, are you?”

Will hesitated. He wanted to say no. Wanted to just enjoy this moment without the lingering sting of doubt.

Mike must’ve sensed it because he reached over, curling his pinky around Will’s. A quiet reassurance. “Trust me, okay?”

Will let out a slow breath and nodded. “Okay.”

Mike smiled, squeezing his pinky before pulling back. “Alright then,” he said, a little too casually. “You ready for your final surprise?”

Will narrowed his eyes. “You’re being weird.”

Mike smirked. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Will sighed, but his heart was lighter now, the weight of the day lifting just enough to let the warmth in. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got, Michael.”

Mike stood, dusting off his jeans before reaching for the picnic basket. “Alright, birthday boy. Time for your final surprise.”

Will arched an eyebrow. “You keep saying that like you’ve got something huge planned.”

Mike just smirked, offering him a hand. “You’ll see.”

Will rolled his eyes but took Mike’s hand, letting him pull him up. They packed up quickly, Mike seeming almost too eager, his movements a little rushed. It made Will narrow his eyes.

As they started walking, Will assumed they’d be heading toward Mike’s house, but instead of taking their usual path, Mike veered left, leading him down a different street.

Will frowned. “Uh… you know your house is the other way, right?”

Mike hummed. “Mhm.”

Will pulled back slightly, eyeing him. “Mike.”

“What?”

“You’re acting weird.”

Mike gasped, placing a hand over his chest dramatically. “Weird? Me? How dare you.”

Will deadpanned. “Mike.”

Mike bit his lip like he was trying so hard not to laugh. “Just—trust me, okay? I wanna show you something first.”

Will sighed but kept walking, letting Mike lead him further off course. They took a long, winding route through Hawkins, passing by the park, then circling back near the school before—finally—cutting across a familiar backyard.

Will stopped short. “Okay, now I know you’re messing with me. We just walked in a full circle, and now we’re at your house anyway?”

Mike shrugged, biting back a grin. “Maybe.”

Will gave him an unimpressed look, crossing his arms. “Is this some kind of prank?”

Mike stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Would I prank you on your birthday?”

Will didn’t answer. He just stared.

Mike laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, okay, fair. But I swear, no pranks. Just—come on.”

He grabbed Will’s hand again, tugging him toward the basement door.

Will huffed, letting himself be pulled along. “You’re the worst at being subtle, you know that?”

Mike grinned. “And yet you are still following me.”

Will rolled his eyes but felt warmth creep up his neck anyway. Mike was so annoying, but somehow, Will never wanted to be anywhere else.

Mike stopped in front of the basement door, turning to him with an almost too innocent smile. “Alright. You ready?”

Will eyed him. “For what?”

Mike wiggled his eyebrows and reached for the handle.

Before Will could ask one more time what was going on, Mike pushed open the door—

And the second he stepped inside—

“SURPRISE!”

A chorus of voices erupted, the basement packed with all their friends, streamers hanging from the ceiling, a handmade Happy Birthday Will! banner strung across the wall. There were balloons, a cake on the table, even a few wrapped gifts.

Will froze. His brain struggled to catch up.

He looked from Dustin, who was grinning like an idiot, to Lucas, Max, and El, all standing near the cake, to Jonathan and Nancy, leaning against the couch and finally to Steve and Robin sitting on the couch. Even Hopper and Joyce were tucked in the corner, smiling warmly.

They were all here.

They hadn’t forgotten.

Will’s breath hitched. His throat felt tight. He turned to Mike, who was watching him carefully, expression soft. 

“You really thought we’d forget again?” Mike murmured.

Will swallowed, emotions crashing into him all at once. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, he just shook his head and did the only thing that made sense—

He threw his arms around Mike, burying his face in his shoulder.

Mike laughed, arms wrapping around him tightly. “Happy birthday, Will.”

Will squeezed his eyes shut, holding onto him like he never wanted to let go. Eventually, he had to.

Will suddenly let go of Mike, hyper-aware of all the eyes on them. He cleared his throat, stepping back as his face burned. “I—I can’t believe you guys did all this.”

Max smirked, arms crossed. “Yeah, well, we owed you after… you know.”

Lucas nudged her. “What she means is, we wanted to. It’s your birthday, man.”

Dustin beamed. “And not just any birthday—the birthday. The one where we make up for all the times we sucked.”

Jonathan stepped forward, ruffling Will’s hair like he used to when they were kids. “Happy birthday, little bro.”

Will swatted his hand away but couldn’t fight his smile. “Thanks, Jonathan.”

El squeezed his hand. “We love you, Will.”

Robin, from where she was sitting with Steve, pointed at the cake. “Yeah, yeah, emotions are great, but if we don’t light those candles soon, Harrington’s gonna eat half the cake before Will gets a slice.”

Steve scoffed. “Okay, rude. But also, yeah, we should probably cut the cake.”

Will laughed, the warm buzz of love settling in his chest.

The party started in full, voices overlapping as everyone gathered around the cake. Dustin launched into a dramatic retelling of how he almost burned down his kitchen trying to bake it, while Lucas and Max bickered over who got the first slice. El just giggled, amused by all of them.

Jonathan and Steve were reminiscing about high school while Robin made sarcastic commentary. The whole room was alive, and for once, Will wasn’t just standing on the outskirts watching it all—he was part of it.

Mike nudged him, voice softer under all the noise. “You good?”

Will met his eyes, something unspoken passing between them. He nodded. “Yeah. I really am.”

Mike grinned. “Good.” Then, quieter, just for him: “Because I still have one last surprise for you.”

Will narrowed his eyes. “Mike.”

Mike just laughed and grabbed his wrist, tugging him toward the stairs.

Jonathan and El, who had been watching from the couch, exchanged a look—El raising her eyebrows, Jonathan tilting his head slightly.

Will caught it as Mike pulled him away, and his face burned. He avoided their eyes, but he could feel them watching, something knowing in their expressions.

Before he could even process that, he was being led up the stairs, his heartbeat picking up. He wasn’t sure what Mike had planned next, but if it was anything like the rest of today it would be perfect.

Mike led Will into his room, shutting the door behind them. His energy had shifted—he was fidgeting, messing with the hem of his sleeve, eyes darting between Will and something behind him.

Will narrowed his eyes. “What?”

Mike shook his head quickly. “Nothing.” But his voice was a little too high-pitched, a little too Mike-who-is-clearly-hiding-something.

Will followed his gaze when he saw it. The guitar.

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you… gonna serenade me or something?”

Mike groaned, already covering his face. “Okay, see, this is why I wasn’t gonna—”

Will laughed, stepping closer. “Wait, wait—so you are?”

Mike huffed, lowering his hands. His cheeks were red, but his eyes were serious when he said, “I just… I wanted to make something for you.”

Will’s breath caught.

Mike rubbed the back of his neck, glancing toward his desk. “You always draw for me, and I keep all of it, you know? But I— I don’t really do that kind of thing. I don’t paint or draw, but I—” He exhaled sharply. “I can do this.”

He picked up the guitar and sat on the bed, shifting uncomfortably.

“Remember how I learned guitar while you were in California?” he said, strumming lightly, like he was testing the waters.

Will nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

Mike kept his eyes on the strings. “Well… this was one reason why.”

Will’s heart stuttered.

Mike let out a nervous breath. “It’s dumb, probably, and I don’t even know if it’s good,” he muttered, fingers hovering over the strings. “But just—don’t look at me while I do this, okay?”

Will smirked, sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Okay. Not looking.” He exaggeratedly turned his head toward the wall.

Mike let out a breath—then, finally, he started playing.

The first few notes were hesitant, like he was still convincing himself to go through with it. As he settled into the melody, his voice softened, and the words came naturally.

Will—he felt every single one.

Because this wasn’t just some random song. This was Mike speaking the way he always struggled to. Every chord, every lyric was filled with quiet confessions, memories wrapped in melody, a promise between them.

By the time Mike strummed the last note, Will’s chest was so full it ached.

Mike set the guitar down quickly, already avoiding Will’s eyes. “Okay, that was embarrassing. I don’t know why I—”

Will was up in an instant, grabbing Mike’s face and kissing him before he could finish. Mike made a small, surprised sound, but then he melted into it, his hands gripping Will’s waist.

When they pulled apart, Will rested his forehead against Mike’s. His voice was barely above a whisper when he said, “You wrote me a song.”

Mike let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I did.”

Will swallowed. “I love it.”

Mike finally looked at him, his lips curving into a small smile. “Good. ‘Cause it’s yours.”

Will exhaled softly, his fingers still curled in Mike’s shirt. He could have stayed like this forever—just the two of them, wrapped up in something quiet and real. Suddenly, from downstairs, they heard a sudden burst of laughter, followed by Robin loudly saying, “Okay, but where is the birthday boy?!”

Mike sighed, pressing his forehead against Will’s one last time before pulling back. “Guess we should head back down.”

Will nodded, but he didn’t move just yet. He glanced at the guitar resting beside them, then back at Mike. “You know… you could play that for everyone.”

Mike let out a sharp laugh. “Absolutely not.”

Will smirked, tugging him toward the door. “Alright, alright. It’s just for me then.”

Mike squeezed his hand before letting go, his voice quieter. “Always.”

They stood there for a second, just looking at each other, before Will reached for Mike’s hand again. And Mike took it, threading their fingers together without hesitation.

Will’s heart pounded as they stepped into the hallway, the sounds of laughter and conversation growing louder. Yet, Mike didn’t let go.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Robin was the first to spot them. “There he is! Birthday boy and…” She trailed off, her gaze flicking to their joined hands.

Steve, who had been mid-sip of his drink, coughed. Jonathan and El exchanged a look—one that was way too knowing. And then, after a beat of silence, Dustin threw up his hands. “Oh, finally.”

The tension broke instantly. Robin groaned dramatically, shoving Steve’s shoulder. “You owe me five bucks.”

Steve scoffed. “Are you kidding me? This wasn’t even an official bet.”

Joyce smiled, stepping forward to wrap Will in a hug. “Happy birthday,” she whispered, squeezing him a little tighter than usual.

Will exhaled, leaning into it. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but this—this felt right.

Mike nudged his shoulder. “See?” he murmured. “Told you there was an explanation.”

Will turned his head, catching the warmth in Mike’s eyes. He finally let himself believe that he deserved all of this.