Chapter Text
PLUS ONE
Everything had gone to shit.
They lost. They lost friends. They lost each other. They lost hope. The Upside Down won this time.
Lucas had spent the better part of the last week sitting in an uncomfortable hospital chair and Max’s bedside. They were so close. He just got her back after months of radio silence and her pushing him away. Finally, all of Lucas’s attempts to reach out were reciprocated. They made plans. They were supposed to go to the movies. It wasn’t fair.
“Lucas,” his mom said, rubbing his back when she came to pick him up one day. “I know this is hard but… this isn’t healthy. Your friends all miss you. Maybe tomorrow you can head over to the Wheelers. I’m sure Mike would love to see you.”
So that’s what Lucas did the next day, because he knew his mom was right. As much as he missed Max, being by her side 24/7 wasn’t going to magically bring her back. She would wake up whenever she woke up.
When Lucas arrived at the Wheelers the next day, he found the household was much more chaotic than usual. He soon found out that there were three extra people living in their house. Lucas didn’t really stop to think about where the Byers were living now that they were back in Hawkins. He knew that they were fixing Hopper's cabin up again, but that wasn’t finished yet. So for the time being Will, Jonathan and Joyce were all staying at the Wheelers house and they were more than happy to host. Eleven and Hopper have been staying in the cabin, which was really only suited for two people at the moment but they were trying to make it work for the rest of the Byers.
“Hey man, good to see you,” Mike greeted him, when he headed down to the basement, finding beds set up on the floor just like they used to do when they’d have sleepovers together. Will was also downstairs, as that’s where he’d been sleeping while at the Wheelers.
“Hey, thought I’d try and get out today,” Lucas sighed. “What are you guys up to today?”
Will shrugged. “Well we were going to try and help out a bit at the school. But if you want to do something else-”
“No, that sounds great actually,” Lucas said. If he couldn’t help Max, he could at least help others in need.
“You sure?” Mike asked.
Lucas nodded. “Yeah. I think it’ll be good for me.”
Mike and Will shared a look and Lucas couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. It’d been a while since he’d seen Mike and Will’s shared looks in action. Between joining the basketball team, and Max going MIA and then everything to do with Vecna and the Upside Down, what was going on between Will and Mike had kind of been shoved onto the backburner. But seeing them together again, like this, it was going to be hard.
Lucas still hadn’t told Will about the letter. He couldn’t. It would have shown that he snooped through Mike’s private thoughts– although how private were they if they were left on the desk with Lucas in his unattended room. Also, he didn’t want to out Mike. He should be able to tell Will on his own terms.
Although the day really tested him on the patience he could have between the two boys.
When they got to the school, Dustin was also there waiting for them. As for jobs, Will and Dustin decided to help in organizing books and toys while Mike and Lucas helped to make some sandwiches. While doing that, Mike and Lucas got the chance to catch up about his trip to California and what exactly happened. Apparently, El had been lying to all of them and had been having a hard time with bullies at school. She also went a little crazy and broke some girl’s nose with a roller-skate. Lucas just thought that whoever this girl was had been lucky she hadn’t met Eleven with powers. Anyways, afterwards, Hawkins Lab found out about her and helped her to gain her powers back, while Will, Mike, Jonathan and some stoner named Argyle had to go find her and rescue her.
Mike also talked a lot about this painting that Will had given to him showing the party battling a dragon that Eleven commissioned him to make.
Lucas’s eyebrows pulled together at the mention of that. “Does El even know all of our D&D characters?”
“Huh?” Mike asked, as he started making a new sandwich.
“You said El commissioned Will to make the painting, right?” Mike nodded slowly, looking confused as to where Lucas was going with this. “El barely knows about D&D. I think she sat through maybe one campaign and she was asking the most basic questions the entire time. I’m just surprised that she was able to commission a painting with that much symbolism when she barely knows about our D&D characters.”
Mike went quiet after that and they both made sandwiches in silence. Maybe Lucas shouldn’t have spoken up. After all, now he was implying that Will lied to him about the painting when clearly it had meant a lot to him.
“So… you think she didn’t commission it?” Mike asked, quietly.
“I’m not saying that,” Lucas said, trying to take back what he said before. “Who knows, maybe Will taught her more about D&D while they were in California together.”
“Yeah… maybe,” Mike said and bit his lip. “Actually… I have to tell you. Me and El… We sort of broke up.”
“Oh shit, really?” Lucas said, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
Mike sighed. “Yeah. We broke up right before she got arrested. I tried to make it up to her when we got her back but… I think Will was wrong. I don’t think she needs me anymore. At least, not as a boyfriend anyways. We talked a bit and… I think we both agree that we’re done.”
“Man, I’m sorry,” Lucas faked his sympathy. In reality, this could not be more great. Maybe now he would finally realize how much he liked Will.
Lucas continued making sandwiches with Mike in silence, before picking out something Mike had said before and having to ask about it. “Wait… what do you mean, Will was wrong? He said that Eleven needed you?”
“Yeah. When Will gave me the painting he gave me this whole speech about how much El missed me and seemed like was pushing me away when in reality she was just scared to lose me. He said that El was having such a hard time and felt like a mistake but that… I made her feel like she was better for being different, and that she’d always need me,” Mike explained.
Lucas paused for a moment. “Will told you that that’s how Eleven was feeling?”
“Well, yeah. I mean they’re pretty much siblings now. They seem pretty close and everything so I’d assume maybe Eleven told him that,” Mike shrugged.
“You seem pretty close with Will again,” Lucas commented, looking at him out of the corner of his eye and catching the red blush that spread across Mike’s cheeks.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mike asked, almost defensively.
“No, it’s just nice to see that you guys are friends again,” Lucas said innocently. “I mean… I never said that, but he was kind of pissed at you because you never wrote or called him.”
“Oh yeah, that,” Mike’s voice sounded guilty. Mike suddenly had the same demeanor as last summer, another instance where he ignored Will and they got into a big fight where Mike paid the price. “After the whole milkshake incident on the roller rink, El ran off. While me and Will were looking for her, he kind of called me out on all of that. And I realized how stupid I was being about all of it. About how you guys are great and all… but you know Will… Well Hawkins isn’t the same without him, you know? I told him that and I apologized and in the car we had a lot of time to just catch up and be best friends again.”
“Right,” Lucas said and looked down at the bread bag which was now empty. “Crap. I gotta go grab some more bread. I’ll be right back.”
Mike nodded. “Okay. Thanks, man.”
Lucas did not go to grab more bread, instead he ran up to Dustin who was thankfully not with Will at the moment.
“Dustin, we need to talk,” Lucas told him urgently.
“Okay, okay, what’s going on?” Dustin asked as they walked outside the gym where there were less people around.
“Mike and Will!” Lucas exclaimed as soon as the gym doors shut behind them.
Dustin looked very confused at his outburst. “What?”
“Mike. And. Will,” Lucas repeated. “They are going to drive me insane, has he told you yet about everything that happened in California?” Dustin shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but Lucas cut him off. “Dustin, what would you say to me if I told you that, Mike, Max, Will, they’re all great but that Hawkins isn’t the same without you.”
Dustin closed his eyes and shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around what Lucas was saying, but still answered correctly anyways. “I’d think that would be a little weird. I mean I know we’re best friends but-”
“Exactly! It’s weird. That’s not really something that best friends say!” Lucas exclaimed.
“I’m sorry, what is the big emergency here? Are you okay?” Dustin asked, sounding very concerned.
“I’m fine, Dustin. But Mike and Will are going to drive me up the wall if I hear one more word out of their mouths about how much they’ve missed each other or if I see them do that stupid thing where they look at each other and like, read each others minds or God forbid Mike starts using the Will Voice again.”
“You think he will?”
“He might as well!” Lucas shouted, then took a breath.
“Lucas, what are you talking about?” Dustin asked him once he was calmer.
“I’m talking about the fact that Mike and Will are in love with each other and no one seems to notice but me,” Lucas told him, finally.
Dustin gasped. “Oh my God. You’ve noticed it too.”
Lucas’s eyes lit up in realization of what that means. “Oh thank God you’ve seen it too.” Dustin laughed and clapped with excitement. “I thought I was going insane!”
“Me too!” Dustin exclaimed. “Oh my God, wait. Did Mike actually say that–”
Lucas nodded. “Yup. Told me himself that he said it.” Dustin gasped at the information and covered his mouth to hide his excitement. “And! Will gave Mike this painting that he said El had commissioned him to make, but it’s of our D&D characters.”
“El barely knows about you D&D characters,” Dustin finished Lucas’s thought.
“EXACTLY! And when Will gave Mike the painting he also gave a whole speech to Mike about how alone El has felt. How much El needs him. How Mike makes her feel special and it is so obvious that that speech was about himself!”
“Holy shit, you’re so right,” Dustin agreed. “All day, Will has been making goo-goo eyes at Mike from across the gym and got sad every single time Mike didn’t catch his eyes back.”
“No way,” Lucas burst.
But Dustin just nodded. “Believe it. He was talking to me about when he went to visit Suzie, and he could not shut up about how much of a genius Mike was for figuring out the clues that the secret agent guy left for them.”
“Oh my God, they’re so in love with each other!” Lucas shouted.
Lucas was so caught up in the fact that he wasn’t the only one who noticed the insanity that was Mike and Will, both he and Dustin didn’t even notice when the two people they’d just been talking about, walked in on them. “Who’s in love with who?” Mike asked.
Dustin and Lucas turned to the other two boys in sync. They looked back at each other then back at Mike and Will.
“This is not getting bread, Lucas,” Mike told him.
“What…” Lucas said in fake innocence. “That’s- That’s crazy I thought the bread was here.”
“Yeah, I thought the bread was here too,” Dustin giggled nervously.
“Dustin, we’re organizing toys,” Will deadpanned.
“I-I know that,” Dustin stuttered. “Lucas just needed my help with finding the bread, so we came out here.”
“Looking for bread,” Lucas finished.
“And talking about how two mystery people are in love with each other?” Mike added in, obviously not buying their story.
“Yup…” Lucas muttered, looking away from two said, mystery people.
“So who is it?” WIll asked, curiously.
“No one,” Lucas and Dustin said simultaneously. Lucas hit Dustin for that because now they were really screwed. Mike and Will shared a look and Lucas almost rolled his eyes on how they couldn’t figure out that they liked each other.
For there Dustin tried to dig them out of this hole that they’d gotten into. Mike of course, being the stubborn and pushy guy that he is, argued back countering whatever bullshit story Dustin was making up. Lucas stayed quiet, just like Will, watching. Although Will was watching Mike, eyes trained on him like he was a toy on the highest shelf. A prize that he couldn’t reach. He thought just because Mike had been with Eleven that there was no chance Will could ever be with him, when that just wasn’t true.
Will Byers had a habit of thinking that he wasn’t deserving of anything he got unless it was pain and suffering. Lucas had seen it over the years. Lonnie had made him feel like a piece of shit for just existing at such a young age. So did the bullies at school. Just because he was quiet and caring, bullies took advantage of his inability to push back and gave him more crap about it. Ever since the Upside Down, it seemed those self-deprecating thoughts only solidified more for Will. Lucas knew that deep down Will thought that he deserved to have gotten stuck there, that it was just another instance of suffering that Will deserved because he was no good. When that wasn’t true. Mike ignoring him, well it probably only made these thoughts Will was having worse. Now Will was at the point of no return, head over heels in love with Mike Wheeler, thinking that if he ever told anyone, they’d hate him, and all those thoughts in his head about what everyone truly thought about him would become true.
So that’s why Lucas decided to do it. He knew that Mike Wheeler loved Will just as much, maybe ever more than Will loved him. Lucas knew that Will was deserving of love and respect and that he was a great person and that no one here hated him.
“You two are the ones in love with each other!” Lucas yelled, effectively cutting off the heated argument Dustin and Mike were in.
Mike looked like he’d seen a ghost, his jaw agape. He could see the gears turning behind Mike’s eyes wondering how Lucas could know, or that he must be talking about someone else. Will’s reaction was similar. His eyes wide, a small gasp was sucked in through his mouth and he looked frozen in fear of what Lucas might do.
Lucas looked at Dustin who mouthed “what are you doing?” Lucas gave a nod, signaling to Dustin that he knew what he was doing.
“What?” Mike managed to say.
“You,” Lucas pointed at Mike. “And you,” he pointed at Will, “are who me and Dustin were talking about. Now, first and foremost. I want to say that Dustin and I both accept you and you’re still the same people in our eyes.” Dustin nodded vigorously at both of them. “In fact, we know this is who you’ve always been because I’ve known you guys loved each other since the moment I met you.”
Mike’s eyebrows shot up first, so of course Lucas had to address him first. “Mike, you act like it’s your sole responsibility on this earth to care for Will. If me and Will were both hurt, you would go to check on Will first no matter what. You’ve always acted differently towards him. With me and Dustin you’ll act like you’ve had the worst day ever, but the moment Will shows up you transform into a completely different person who is all sunshine's and rainbows. And I know about the letter Mike, both the one from Will and the one you never sent him.”
“You went through my stuff?” Mike asked, defensively. “What- when was this?”
“Last October, Mike,” Lucas told him. “And you never did send that letter, did you? No, you just kept ignoring Will, trying to run away from the fact that you liked him and you couldn’t accept it.”
Mike’s mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to say something but couldn’t, so Lucas knew he’d gotten his point across crystal clear with Mike.
“And Will,” Lucas started, turning to him. “You cling to Mike like super glue. You’re always quiet, but especially so when Mike’s not around. In fact, you’re very irritable when Mike doesn’t pay enough attention to you. You’re always looking at him when you think he’s not looking and you’re constantly forgiving him for shit that you shouldn’t have let slide, but he is the one person that if he pushes you too far, you will blow up at him. You wouldn’t do that with anyone else in the party, but if Mike is rude to you, the world better watch you.”
Will looked terrified out of his mind, so Lucas decided to continue in a gentler approach. “Look man, I love you, but you are so oblivious. I mean, you don’t notice half the sappy shit that Mike does right in front of your face because you're so wrapped up in the idea that he hates you, that everyone hates you. Well I’m trying to tell you, that the world does not hate you. Mike doesn’t hate you. He’s just as caught up in trying to get rid of his feelings as you are, you just went about it in different ways.”
He took a step back from Will who looked like a door had been opened that he thought was locked.
“Both if you two are going to get your shit together. And the next time I see you, you’d better tell me that your boyfriends already,” Lucas told them and started walking away.
“Exactly what he said!” Dustin called out to them, as he followed Lucas out, leaving the two boys alone to figure their shit out.
“Holy crap, I can’t believe you just did that, Lucas!” Dustin spat out as soon as they left the school, Lucas also felt like he could breathe once the spring air hit his face.
“I know. I didn’t think I’d do it, and then all of a sudden I just felt really bad for both of them you know? Like they both like each other so much but they think the other would hate them if they actually said anything. Then it dawned on me that they’d never confess unless someone else pushed them to do so. So, I did something about it!” Lucas rambled about his thought process. “Hopefully they won't hate me forever.”
“Nah, they won’t hate you forever,” Dustin assured him. “Trust me, they’ll be thanking you in no time for saying something.”
“Yeah. I hope so.”
—
In two days, Lucas hadn’t gotten so much as a peep from Mike and Will.
He’d been hanging out with Dustin for the duration of them, trying to get his mind off of everything that happened. But in the end, not knowing whether or not Mike and Will hated him or not made him feel guilty beyond reason. In the end he decided to go back to the hospital and be with Max, it’d been a while since he visited and he couldn’t help but worry over her.
Lucas brought a Wonder Woman comic. He knew it wouldn’t be as interesting for her without the pictures, but Lucas didn’t even know if Max could hear him at all when he was reading, so it was better than nothing.
His voice was starting to get sore from reading when the door to Max’s room opened.
Lucas looked up to see Mike and Will there together. Will closed the door again and as soon as the door was shut, Mike laced their fingers together and started walking towards Lucas and Lucas couldn’t help but smile seeing this. Wishing desperately that Max would wake up and see their friends so happy. He hoped she’d be just as happy when she woke up and they were still together.
“So…” Lucas said, glancing between their linked hands and the shared looks they were giving each other.
“So…” Mike echoed, for once, at a loss for words.
Lucas put down the comic book and crossed his arms. “Well, better late than never I guess. It only took you guys, what? Eight years or so?”
“Give or take,” Mike shrugged, playing along.
Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head. The idiots had finally done it. They were together at last. “You guys have no clue how infuriating it has been watching you two dance around your feelings for each other.”
“How long have you known?” Will inquired.
“I’ve known that you guys liked each other since about eighth grade,” Lucas admitted. “But I’ve always known that you two treat each other differently than everyone else since the moment I met you two. It’s just been one big guessing game about if you guys actually had feelings for one another, who had feelings for one another at what time, if you guys knew about it, which the answer to that one was always no.”
Mike and Will both chuckled at this.
“Well thanks for telling it to us straight,” Mike told him. “I mean… yeah, I was in denial of my feelings. I don’t think I ever would’ve told Will had it not been for you.”
“Yeah, same,” Will agreed, glancing at Mike before continuing. “I thought Mike was as straight as could possibly be. But then you said all that stuff and me and Mike talked, obviously, and we’ve figured our shit out. So, I’d like to officially tell you Lucas, that me and Mike are boyfriends.”
Lucas smiled widely seeing how happy Will got saying that, how Mike blushed to the tips of his ears when Will said it. He couldn’t help but get up from his seat and wrap the both of them in a big hug.
“I’m really happy for you both,” Lucas said as he pulled away, then sighed. “And I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable at all when I said all that stuff. It was just getting really frustrating watching you both yearn for each other from a far. I mean, it’s like some cheesy romcom that Max made me watch. But I’m sorry if I crossed a line.”
“No, we’re glad that you said all that,” Mike told him.
“I mean, maybe we were a little upset afterwards and that’s why we waited so long to tell you,” Will confessed. “But in our case you were saying all of that willy-nilly in the school hallway where anyone could’ve heard.”
“Well did anyone hear?” Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No, but that’s not the point,” Will mumbled.
“Okay, okay, I’ll promise to be more careful when talking about your relationship,” Lucas told them. “Do you want me to cover Max’s ears for you?”
Will laughed and rolled his eyes. “She can know.”
“Well, I wouldn’t have told her so soon,” Mike muttered, giving Max a side eye. Lucas knew that if she were here she would’ve had some sort of witty comeback for Mike.
“Don’t worry,” Will said, gaining Lucas’s attention. “She’ll wake up.”
“You think so?” questioned Lucas.
Will nodded. “I know so.”
“She’s a fighter,” Mike chimed in. “She won’t stay down for long.”
Mike and Will stayed for a bit longer chatting about Max, their relationship, and everything else they needed to catch each other up on.
And finally Lucas Sinclair had solved the mystery of Mike and Will’s relationship. They loved each other. He could see it in the way they gazed at each other, through their shared looks. He saw it in the way they spoke to each other, and spoke about each other. He saw it in the way they were always finding excuses to shove each other, or holding hands or leaning on one another. Lucas had seen it years ago when he was jealous of their friendship and how they always seemed to care more about each other than Lucas, but now he saw there was a reason for that. There was a reason Mike had a Will Voice, why he was so protective over him and why he was always willing to forgive. There was a reason why Will always let himself be protected, why he got upset when Mike ignored him, why he was always looking at Mike for stability. Mike and Will were in love, and Lucas had no doubts that they would forever stay that way.