Chapter Text
It took Mike Wheeler almost 5 years to realize that the Will Byers that currently occupied Hawkins weren't the real Will Byers.
It was a rainy day and Mike was sitting on the floor reading some random romance novel he had stolen from Nancy when it happened. His walkie talkie suddenly came to life and static filled his otherwise silent room.
"The hell" is all Mike remembers saying before he was met with an unmistakable voice:
"......Should I stay or should I go now
Should I stay or should I go now
If I go there will be trouble
If I stay it will be double
So you gotta let me know
Should I stay or should I go....."
The voice was slightly crackled and muffled but Mike would know the voice of his boyfriend anywhere, except this wasn't Will, because his Will refused to get a radio or walkie after he got back from the upside down. His Will hated that song. It was actually weird considering it saved Will on multiple occasions, from both the Demogorgon and Vecna.
Looking back at it Mike probably should've taken that as a red flag and the fact that Will also refused to have hot showers or baths. Will Byers also was always covered up during summer time and would claim that he was just scared of getting sunburnt. But not even paranoid people would wear tracksuit pants and sweatshirts during summer.
"Will what are you doing on this channel, you don't even own a walkie"
Dustin's voice bought Mike out of his trance.
But the singing doesn't hear the boy and just keeps on singing.
"Dustin I don't think he can hear us" Was Mike's reply
"What do you mean of course he can hear us"
This is what stumped Mike, if that was Wills singing voice how come he couldn't hear them.
"I don't know Dustin were probably just hallucinating"
"Your so stupid Wheeler, this is Dustin signing of"
Later that day Mike went to visit Will, he had completely forgotten about the static, but while Mike sat on the Byers couch and lay with Will he was reminded.
"Hey I didn't know you got a walkie" Mike said with that usal calm tone in his voice
"What are you talking about?" Came Will's confused reply.
"Today me and Dustin heard you singing over the walker, you know that song by the Clash"
"What no I wasn't, you know how much I hate that song"
"Yeah but it sounded so much like you"
"Well it obviously wasn't if I don't remember it"
Will's voice sounded slightly snappy, like Mike had just asked the stupidest question in the world.
"Alright I'm sorry for asking" Mike replies before leaning in for a kiss with his beloved boyfriend.
Will Byers was so fucking tired of running from the monster, he had been trapped in the upside for almost 5 years now, having being long forgotten, replaced by an imposter. But not anymore. Today was the day he was getting out and reclaiming his life.
He was gonna be able to see Mike, and Jonathan and his Mum and all of his friends and honestly if Will was being honest he would even be happy to see Troy and James stupid fucking faces, and he was proud to say it.
Will would be able to get a hairbrush to brush his ridiculously matted and knotted hair, that reached just down to the bottom of his ribs.
The boy had cut his hair multiple times with the knife that he always carried with himself, but in the end Will had gotten sick of it and now just let it grow freely.
He would also be able to eat something other than tinned foods, and moldy bread.
Will would also be able to get his wounds treated properly and be able to take a hot shower and brush his teeth with an actual toothbrush instead of his finger.
But now standing at the portal Will was scared. What if they don't believe him, and try to send him back to the upside down. Or what if they find out about the physic powers he developed and they try to trap him in the lab.
No. He would let them. He was getting out and that was that.
So as Will stepped toward the murky film covering the other side he let all of his anxieties and fear go.
Hawkins was nicer than Will remembered. But it still smelt the same. Kind of like a mix of cow shit and freshly cut grass. This makes Will giggle a little bit, something that he hasn't been able to do for a while. But he can now, he was finally safe, only after he did enough running to last him a lifetime.
Will wanted to cry and scream at the same time from happiness. But that could wait. He needed to reclaim his life back.
With a sigh Will pockets his knife, making sure that his pistol was still safe and loaded in the waistband of his extremely worn sweatpants, that he very unfortunately had to steal from a dead corpse. One of the demogorgons' many victims.
A victim that Will promised he would never end up being.
With the sun almost done setting in the background, William Byers started his walk to his (Ex?) best friend's house.
Mike Wheeler.
Mike was feeling weird.
Not only was the confrontation with Will unsletting, but it was also like his boyfriend was hiding something. But that was impossible because Will told Mike everything.
Friends don't lie was literally the party's whole mantra.
But the weird feeling remained in the pit of Mike's stomach. Refusing to leave.
"MIKE ARE YOU ALMOST DONE IN THERE" Nancy's piercing voice cut through Mike's thoughts.
"YEAH JUST ONE SECOND" Sighing, the teenage boy wipes the minty toothpaste of his mouth and wrestles on his pajama shirt, before unlocking the door to a very impatient looking Nancy.
Mike's older sister never liked waiting, probably one of the only traits she inherited from their dickhead of a Farther. Nancy rushes in the moment Mike is out of the door opening.
Mike heads back to his room ready for a good night of sleep and just seconds before he can actually submerge himself in his multitude of blankets, a knock from the front door is heard.
Mike's parents are out somewhere and Holly was at someone's place for a sleepover, so whoever was at the door it was either for Nancy or Mike.
Mike hoped it was Will coming to apologize for acting like a dick earlier.
"MIKE CAN YOU GET THAT"
"YEAH HANG ON"
Hauling himself out of bed Mike heads down the perfectly decorated hallway and down the stairs to the stain glass front door, pretty much tugging it open.
Michael Wheeler came face to face to the most confusing sight.
An extremely scruffy boy was standing on the front door step of the wheeler residence.
The boy had long knotty hair and was covered in a multitude of cuts and bruises, his clothes were ripped in some places and he was barefoot.
Moving his eyes up to meet the boy's face, Mike came face to face with the last person he would expect to turn up barefoot on his doorstep.
"Will?"