byler au where will was never found and survived in the upside down until 1987 because of his powers

“I don’t- I guess I just don’t understand,” Mike blurts. “Why aren’t you coming? You- you can’t stay down here alone.”

The boy blows out a huff of air, the traces of a smile lining his face. It’s the closest Mike has seen to the boy smiling at all.

“You’d be surprised.”

“But- but, you can help us. If you’re after Henry, just like us, we should work together,” Mike insists. “With you and El, we’d be unstoppable. We can finally kill that bastard, and all this bullshit can be over. Things can finally go back to normal. Let’s- let’s just flip back to the other side and regroup. We’ll make a plan and-”

“I can’t.”

Mike falters and looks to the boy. For someone who is harboring actual superpowers, he appears so small. It's as if he's a mere shell of the powerful figure that saved Mike from the demogorgon.

“What? Yes, you can. We’ll just-”

The boy’s warm brown eyes meet Mike’s over the top of his bandana.

“No, Mike. I can’t.”  

Mike’s heart begins pounding in his chest. He takes a step backwards. Panic flashes in the boy’s eyes, and Mike can see him recognize his own mistake. 

“How- how do you know my name?” 

"I- uh," The boy’s eyes dart around. “Would you believe me if I said it was a lucky guess?”

“No,” Mike breathes. 

Suddenly, every fear he had before, about this being a trick of Vecna’s, about his mind being manipulated, leaps to the forefront of his brain. How could he be so stupid? This socerer landed right in front of him and saved him like he was some damsel. How could any of this be real? How could he have trusted him so blindly?

Anger rises within Mike, at himself, at Vecna, at every beast in this godforsaken place. He repeats with more force, “How do you know me?”

“I- I didn’t at first,” the boy sounds honest. Mike realizes that he’s shaking in front of him. The boy wraps his arms tightly around himself. “But then, you mentioned Dustin and Lucas and Nancy and–” his voice breaks a little– “and Jonathan, and then DnD, and I just- you know, you still have your freckles, and- and the same hair, and those stupid big brown eyes…”

The anger has seeped away, and Mike just feels confused. His head hurts trying to wrap his mind around what the boy is saying. He looks absolutely desperate for Mike to understand. He is pulling at his hair, wildly gesturing about, and he looks near tears. 

“...I guess- I just kinda realized, holy shit? You know? After four years, Mike Wheeler just landed on my doorstep. What are the odds?”

Four years…

And a horrible, impossible, wonderful idea crosses Mike’s mind. 

There’s no fucking way. 

“I- I can’t lie, I feel like I’ve been losing it for the past year, but then, Henry was fleeing from the Creel House, and he was hurt, as if someone, somehow, finally struck him. I didn’t even see anyone around, but it gave me this sense of hope. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to fight back. But- but he’s been missing. He’s gone. I can’t see him anywhere. And the military has been a nightmare to avoid–they just want to kill me or kidnap me, I’m still not sure–and then the police chief has been sneaking around every month looking for Henry, with this- this radio that can somehow reach through to the other side,” he pauses to demand, “how do you do that, by the way? Because I’ve run every battery out of juice for years just trying to make contact…”

Mike feels like passing out. 

“...and then you show up here of all people! With Lucas and Dustin too? And you’re- what? Working with the chief? After all this time, you’re after Henry too?” he looks absolutely bewildered. “This- it can’t be real. This isn’t real. It’s gotta be Henry in my head again because-”

Mike is sure he's shaking now. He's not even aware of himself as he slowly closes the distance between them.

He already knows. Mike knows. But he needs to see him. 

The boy’s words die in his throat as Mike’s hand nears his face. Mike waits, as if asking for permission. When he doesn’t move away, Mike gingerly pinches the edge of the bandana, just below his eyes, and slides it down, inch by inch. Mike is holding his breath as he slowly reveals the boy’s nose, a small mole that is all too familiar, his mouth, his chin, until it hangs freely around his neck. How could Mike not see it before?

It feels like he got hit by Murray’s semi truck. And then Murray backed over him again. Twice. 

All the wind in him escapes, like being punched in the gut. Mike stumbles a few paces back out of mere shock, but he can’t take his eyes off him. Mike would chalk it up to being a sick, twisted hallucination from Vecna as well, if the boy hadn’t shared the exact same fear aloud.

Mike's heart hammers in his throat. It just can’t be possible. It shouldn’t be possible. His voice shakes when he finally speaks. It comes out softer than he’s spoken in years. 

“Will?”

Will’s eyes flicker up from the hole they were staring into Mike’s chest. He fiddles with the cuffs of his jacket, wringing his hands together. 

“Um,” Will says, like he has to think about it. “Uh- yeah?”

Mike blinks rapidly. Maybe that demo got him, and he really is dead after all. 

“Will Byers?” 

Will glances around, as if there is another Will Byers in their vicinity. He manages a weak smile. “Yeah, it’s- uh. It’s me.” 

And well, in Mike’s defense, he never thought he’d see Will smile ever again. He thought the last time he'd ever see that sweet smile was in the basement of his house when he was twelve years old. So, he thinks his reaction is perfectly appropriate considering. 

Mike rushes forward, and all he can think is holy shit, Will is alive, as he’s throwing his arms around the other boy and tugging him in for a crushing hug. It isn’t until Will is secure, nestled–maybe a bit stiffly–in his arms, that Mike starts crying. He tucks his nose into the crook of Will’s shoulder, inhaling awful Upside Down musk but a scent that is so entirely Will that Mike can’t believe he forgot what it smelled like. He can’t help but let out a sob at the thought. 

Mike thought he was going to die today, and the verdict is still out on whether or not this is just the afterlife, but he’s hardly concerned because he has an armful of Will Byers, and nothing but that matters.

Will is still stiff as a board, frozen beneath him as Mike cries quietly into his shoulder, squeezing him tightly. 

“I thought you were dead,” Mike murmurs, muffled by Will’s jacket. He sniffles. “I thought- we- they told us you were dead.” 

Mike can feel Will’s posture sag. Slowly, hesitantly, as if Mike could easily be spooked, he feels Will’s arms wrap gently around his midsection. The touch only makes Mike cry harder. All he can think is, this better be real. 

severely addicted to aus where they never found will in s1 and he's presumed dead, and vecna still has his world-ending plan by the time s5 rolls around, and when everyone is venturing into the Upside Down for the Crawls, they accidentally find will who is very much still alive and very much part of the hive mind and very much on board to kill vecna

this matters to no one but me

but i am COOKING with a long form byler fic outline set between christmas and new year's eve dec 1993 where mike shows up unannounced in New York at will's door

and they've drifted horribly after high school and haven't seen each other in probably a year and a half

and it's them crashing back together after they've changed so much - will coming into his own in a more accepting city, dating, becoming an artist, and mike still stuck in the past, not fully moving forward, only just now coming to terms with himself

mixed with: Will volunteered months ago to help throw some of the 3,000 pounds of confetti on times square at midnight. He and Mike are looking out the window at the celebration, Will looks so happy and in awe of the city, Mike yearntron 3000 queerler is just staring at him dazed and in love

and he's unable to do literally anything but kiss him, so he does!

i changed my icon.... mutuals pls don't forget me <3