Chapter Text
As the two boys walked to the cabin, Will couldn't help the slight pink blush covering his face. Looking between him and Mike, he noticed the absence of space between them.
Will’s internal thoughts overcame him, and he thought, ‘You're gross for thinking this way. Move away from him. Why are you so close to him?’
He moved to the side, creating a couple of feet of distance between them. The blush on Will's face disappeared thinking of liking Mike. Boys aren't supposed to like boys. He shouldn't be feeling this way towards him. He needs to stop.
Mike's face fell as he observed the newly created space between them, but he tried to ignore it, wondering why he was so disdainful of the occurrence. He pushed down that thought and decided just to keep walking. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and looked down, walking quickly, hoping they would reach the cabin soon.
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They then reached the cabin, Will speed-walked through the front door and immediately passed everyone's attempts to comfort or talk to him. He bursted through Els's old room, it still not being entirely cleaned up, since they had only started cleaning the cabin today, and slammed the door shut, locking it so nobody could come in.
He silently hoped El wouldn't mind him having his panic attack meltdown in her old room, but decided to push that thought away for now.
He stood staring at the door for a few moments, then slowly treaded to the edge of his bed. As Will stared fixated at the wall hoping this pit of sudden sadness and urgency to dissipate tears slowly started to fall out of his tear ducts spreading a red tomato-looking appearance all over his entire face. Great he thought crying again. Like a baby. His thoughts quickly made him, surprisingly, stop crying. He took a handkerchief from the desk and wiped his tear-stained face not minding that there was dust and dirt all over it from the exposure of not being used in probably a year or more.
After all the events of that day, he had just decided to go to sleep.
Realizing he didn't have any clothes to change into since his house in California had been shot up and probably raided by the government, he decided to sleep in his flannel, gray undershirt, and khakis.
He sat down next to the white dresser, pulling his knees up to his chest and laying his head down. He closed his eyes and felt sleep come over him, steadying his breaths. He finally fell asleep in a deep slumber.
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When Will woke up from his sleep, he heard a bunch of noise coming from outside the room’s door. He presumably thought it was just people fixing the house more since it was a complete wreck. He checked his watch to see it was 9 am. Damn, he thought. He slept for an immense amount of time. That could be a world record at this point.
He stood up, almost sitting back to sleep again because the thought of going out there to face everyone after his breakdown last night made him cringe internally. He decided to just face it and get it over with, even though he hates being babied or pitted. He placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it, and walked out the door into the living room.
Many heads turned his way as he stepped out, including Mike, Joyce, El, and Hopper. Joyce immediately ran up to hug her son feeling like she was in a flashback of when he went missing and when he was possessed. Will was shocked by the impulsive hug and stood there buffering before he hugged his mom back.
Joyce looked teary-eyed when she pulled back from the hug but Will couldn't help but wonder why. All he did was freak out because the thought of having to sacrifice himself made him sweat a little. It was just him being a baby like he always is. There was no need to worry for him and definitely no need to cry for him (that was what he was supposed to do). But seeing his mom in a state like this also made him have some empathy knowing how hard it can be as a mom having to see your kids suffer. So he decided to brush the whole interaction off and go outside and sit on the porch for a bit.
He sat pondering for a little almost wishing he had a cigarette to smoke. He knew it was stupid of him to say but it was a shitty habit he had picked up in Lenora one afternoon after school when he saw an abandoned pack laying on the sidewalk. He was especially stressed that day and thought it was a one-time thing. It wouldn't hurt. But that's what they all say. Now he wouldn't say he was addicted he could never be after seeing how it made Lonnie, but he usually has a pack on him when he gets stressed. He clearly didn’t have a pack or even just one, because of the shootout that happened at his house, so he guesses he’ll just sit here, doing nothing, probably looking like a creepy weirdo.
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Walking back into the house after being on the porch for about 20 minutes he locked eyes with who was sitting on the beat-up couch with El. Both of them looked like they were in a distraught situation that had now been interrupted by Will walking through the obnoxious, storm door.
“Oh uh-sorry I didn't mean to interrupt your guys' conversation,” Will said apologetically.
“It's fine we were just-” Mike paused and looked at El with an uncomfortable face almost like they were caught doing something or were having a private conversation. Which is weird since they are essentially, in the middle of the living room.
“We were just talking that's all.” he turned his face back to Will's and glanced at Eleven again. Why did he keep doing that?
El then interrupted his brain processing the awkward interaction muttering under her breath, “Just talking yeah.” with a sarcastic and almost annoyed tone in her voice like there was something wrong. She rolled her eyes and Mike shot, yet again, another weird distraught look at her.
Well, Will now knew there was definitely something wrong but he thought in more of an upside-down apocalyptic way, not a relationship kind of way. He still even guessed if it was something about their relationship but whatever, El will probably fill him in later.
Mike abruptly stood up grabbed his sweater muttered a quick goodbye to El and left out the door. Will stood dumbfounded in the room still facing the couch where El was sitting and was about to ask what that was all about but she also stood up and stormed off to her room closing the door with her hand using her telekinesis. Will stood there in silence wondering what the hell that was and what their problems were, guessing, with each other.
He decided to check up on Els since she seemed way more upset than Mike was, and he would always choose his sister's side over Mike's. (sisters before misters)
Will walked over to El's door and knocked on the door frame so he wouldn't open the door since it was 3 inches open. “Can I come in and talk?” he asked politely and sincerely.
“I would like to be alone, please” El murmured in a somber way that almost sounded like she was tearing up.
Wills's heart broke at the tone and asked if she was sure but she just replied with a soft ‘yes, I'm sure’
He pondered on just coming in the room anyway to comfort her but didn't because that would be invading her privacy. So he just sat on the couch, left alone with his thoughts, and pondered what happened to make her cry. Will had only seen her cry about a small amount of times in the short time known her. The most memorable time was in Lenora when it waHalloweenen and El wanted to dress up as Daphne from scooby doo for school. He tried to tell her in a discrete not straightforward way, hoping she would get the hint but she was set on wearing a ginger-colored wig, purple top and skirt, a green scarf wrapped around her neck, and pink tights. When she was all dressed up for school wearing the new pink lipstick she especially asked Joyce to get for her, she had a giant grin plastered on her face the whole car ride to school. Jonathan gave Will a confused look but he just shrugged.
As soon as they entered the school and began walking down the hallways everybody immediately laughed and gave weird looks at El. Will noticed the fall of El's face and had sympathy for her and wished high school wasn't this cruel. As they took stuff from their lockers they went to their English class. And there was Angela and Stacey with their goons of other friends. They took one glance at El and erupted into a fit of laughter. They made comments about her hair, the lipstick, the tights, everything. Before class started she ran into the bathroom and was gone for a couple minutes. Will started to get worried but she then came back without her wig, pink tights, and green scarf, and had no lipstick on with a little smeared on her face. She had tears coming out of her eyes noticeable because of her red face from the embarrassment. The whole day she moped and when she got home she yelled at Will for not telling her something like this would happen. He knows she didn't mean to yell because he understood her anger at the bullying and harassment.
Ever since that day, Will vowed to himself, as El’s brother, that if he ever saw her cry again he would always comfort her and be there for her having first-hand experience of being bullied and made fun of. He also vowed that if he ever had the chance to, he would bet them up for making El cry because she has the purest kindest soul. If anyone would make her feel like shit they should feel like shit too, and since he has concluded that Mike is the problem and seeing as though he has the chance, he might as well beat him up.