Chapter Text
Mike was nearly done with his Christmas shopping for the year. The only person left on his list was Will. It always seemed like Will was the last person Mike could figure out.
Mike had gotten an enormous pack of new batteries for Dustin, for Cerebro, for his walkie, for whatever else Dustin used for batteries. He was always running out of batteries, Dustin seemed to go through them twice as quickly as anyone else.
For Lucas, Mike got a book about historical athletes and a cool Dungeons and Dragons novel that had been released earlier that year.
Max had requested cash only, so he’d slipped a twenty dollar bill into an envelope and stole a few Christmas stickers from Holly to make it seem more like a festive present and less like one person handing money to another.
Mike had gotten a big variety pack of snacks and candies for El, who’d recently declared that she wanted to try one of everything in her efforts to figure out what exactly she liked and what she didn’t like. She’d been trying out new hobbies, listening to different types of music, and Mike thought a snack and candy sampler would be a fun gift.
But what did Will want? He was more modest than the rest of their friends, not as likely to complain about not having what he wanted or ask for something with a bigger price tag on it. Mike had realized years ago that Will growing up with less money made things like that a little sensitive for Will. Especially around Mike and Lucas, whose parents made more money than Will’s or Dustin’s moms.
Oftentimes, when Will did ask for specific things for Christmas, he asked for items so cheap that it didn’t even seem like a present: gum or a new eraser for his drawings, things like that. As if he could trick them into not spending more than fifty cents on him for the holidays. As if no one was allowed to spend more on his presents than he could spend on presents for them.
And Mike knew that presents weren’t the biggest indicator of feelings or the most important aspect of a friendship. But he tried to give thoughtful presents ever since El had solemnly sat him down after their break up last year and told him how much all of his presents had always sucked. He wanted to give just the right thing to show Will how much he cared. He didn’t want Will laughing about his shitty gift giving abilities with El.
On Sunday, December 20th, Mike was hanging out with Lucas at the Sinclair house, venting his frustrations and pacing with determination. Mike whined, “But what does Will want? He won’t give me any ideas, it’s infuriating.”
Lucas, lounging on his bed, said, “He didn’t give me any ideas either, I just put some thought into it and bought him something, I don’t know. Why does everyone have to tell you everything?”
Mike rolled his eyes and stated indignantly, “You’re not being helpful at all.”
“C’mon Mike, seriously? It’s Will, you’ve known him your whole life. He likes D&D, he likes to draw and paint, he likes going to the movies. Just get him something related to one of those things. Give him some cash for a movie ticket or some candy he can sneak into the movies so he doesn’t have to pay for those expensive concession stand snacks. Get him a new D&D manual or some new paint or something.” Lucas sighed in frustration.
Mike scoffed. Those didn’t seem good enough. He’d gotten Will paints and D&D books and movie tickets in the past, he didn’t want to just give Will the same old stuff year after year. And he’d gotten candy for El, he couldn’t just give the same present twice. Besides, he wanted to get Will something bigger or better than that. Not that El didn’t deserve something bigger or better, but it just felt different and he only had so much room in his tiny budget for Christmas gifts.
It was a special Christmas this year, too. It was their first real Christmas together after two years of strangeness. Two years ago, the Byers were in California and Mike, feeling weird about going to visit for the holidays for some reason, just mailed a gift over to Will. Their relationship had been kind of distant and weird with Mike never able to reach Will on the phone and Will never reaching out at all, and the presents he sent felt weird too. It was all weird. And then one year ago, the party had been fighting monsters and it frankly didn’t feel like the holiday season, it felt like Armageddon. No one had really done much of anything for Christmas.
But now, Will was back in Hawkins and Hawkins had returned to some state of relative normalcy, but Will had been through hell and back with everything that had happened in the last several years. He deserved a good Christmas present. And more than just that, Will was the one that Mike went to for help and advice. When Mike and El broke up the previous year, Will was the one that had helped Mike through that process, Will was the one that made things better. Will was the person Mike went to when he wanted to feel happy and good and right. Hawkins wasn’t the same without Will, and now that things were back to normal with Hawkins, and with Mike and Will and their friendship, Mike wanted this year’s present to be good enough to make up for the last two Christmases and to express all of his gratitude and care for Will.
Mike asked, desperation embarrassingly tingeing his voice, “What did you get him?”
He certainly wanted to get Will something bigger or better than what Lucas had. Mike wanted Will to know that Mike cared for him most, that he was most cherished by Mike, because surely he was. Lucas cared most for Max, while Mike cared most for Will. Not that that comparison made any sense. It was apples and oranges, Lucas and Max were dating, while he and Will were friends, best friends but still, that was-
“Fireworks,” Lucas answered casually. Mike glanced over, and Lucas looked beyond smug about his gift.
Mike felt his mouth drop open. “Seriously? That’s…such a good idea, that’s so cool, fuck. Ughh how am I supposed to compete with that? How did you come up with-"
A loud bang on the door interrupted him, and Erica appeared in Lucas’s door frame. Lucas groaned and asked, “What, Erica?”
Erica scoffed and said, “I just wanted to see what you two were doing, no need to be such a grump.” She turned to Mike, “So? What are you doing? You’re being very loud, you know. You interrupted my show.”
Mike usually didn’t have a ton of patience for Lucas’s younger sister, he had his own annoying little sister to deal with at home, but as Lucas was being totally unhelpful, he leaped at the opportunity for a second opinion.
"Okay, listen, I'm trying to figure out what to buy Will for Christmas. He won't give me any ideas that are actually good, but I want to get him something nice this year. I just have no idea what. Do you have any ideas?" Mike asked hopefully.
Erica raised her eyebrows at him and asked, "What do I look like, his best friend? Of course I don't have ideas for what he wants." She was looking at him like he was a total moron and Mike felt himself flush a little. Erica always had a way making her words sharp and cutting if the people around her were acting dumb. And Mike knew he was acting dumb.
After a few moments though, Erica added thoughtfully, "Although, I may have a way for you to find out what he actually wants for Christmas, if you’re interested in hearing about it. I have a foolproof way to get the truth from anyone, which is perfect for you because you’re acting like a fool.”
Mike perked up at that, ignoring the insult, but Lucas growled, “Erica, get out, I’m hanging out with Mike, not you.”
But Mike held up his hands, and said, “No, Lucas, I want to hear her out. It’s not like you were helping. I need all the help I can get.”
Erica stuck her tongue out at Lucas and stepped into the room.
Mike asked eagerly, “So what do I have to do?”
Erica lifted her eyebrow at him and smiled. She said, “It’s all about catching him off guard. I do this with my friends all the time and they never see it coming. I’ve acquired a lot of valuable information from Tina with this strategy.”
Mike gestured with his hand for her to hurry up. “Yeah, yeah, get to it, Erica.”
She raised an eyebrow at him and said to Lucas, “Your friends are rude.”
Lucas retorted, “I never said they weren’t. And you’re the one who barged in here. Maybe you’re the rude one.”
Erica rolled her eyes. “Anyway,” she said, drawing the word out as if to specifically test Mike’s patience, “You need to pose a quick succession of questions. Say it’s a game or whatever, just do not let Will know what your aim is. Tell him to answer each question as quickly as possible without thinking, just gut reaction answers. Ask him like five or ten questions, and then ask what he wants for Christmas. He will be so focused on answering quickly that he will just say what’s on his mind. It’s all, ” she continued, slowing her words for effect, “about the rapid fire questioning.”
Erica looked incredibly smug and Mike couldn’t even blame her. It sounded foolproof.
Mike said, “Erica, you might just be an evil, little genius,” and Erica beamed with pride. He rubbed his hands together excitedly until he found himself hesitating. “Can I see it in action though? I don’t want to go in unprepared and mess it up.”
Mike looked over at Lucas pleadingly with a hopeful smile on his face. To his glee, Lucas sat up and nodded. “Yes, I’ll help demonstrate, but only if I’m the one asking questions.” He pointed at Mike and then Erica. “Neither of you are surprising me with any weird ass questions.”
Erica laughed and said, “Yeah, yeah. Go for it, I have nothing to hide.”
Lucas squinted his eyes at Erica and started his rapid fire questions.
“Ice cream or pie?”
“Ice cream, easy.”
“Christmas or Halloween?”
Erica paused for a moment, and Lucas cut in loudly, “No thinking, Erica, just answer the question.”
Erica stuck out her tongue at him and said, “Christmas. There’s candy on Halloween, but also on Christmas, plus extra presents.”
“Favorite flower?”
“Daffodils.”
“Favorite season?”
“Summer.”
“Best friend?”
“Tina.”
“Favorite subject at school?”
“Social studies.”
“Do ever copy Tina’s homework?”
“Yes.”
There were a few moments of silence after Lucas ceased his relentless questions and Erica realized what she confessed. Lucas broke it with a big, “Ha!”
Erica finally shrugged her shoulders and said, “Yep, that’s how you do it. Not even embarrassed, of course I copy Tina’s homework. I have more important things to do than endless math worksheets. But that,” she said proudly, pointing at Lucas, “is exactly how it’s done. Ask enough questions to disorient the person, and then sneak attack them like a ninja.”
Lucas was looking very pleased with himself. “Yes, I am the master. Erica may have taught me this trick, but I am the master and she is still the apprentice. Now, Mike, do you want me to practice on you, so you can feel how easy it is to blurt out all your secrets when being asked questions quickly?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Mike paused to think. It might be good to see it again and he didn’t feel like he had any big secrets to keep, but… he didn’t want to risk it. Maybe he had a secret he didn’t even know about yet. “No thank you, I’m not ready to be outmaneuvered by your mastery right now.”
Lucas said, chortling, “Aww, c’mon Mike, don’t be scared, I’ll only uncover your deepest and darkest secrets!” Erica laughed.
Mike started walking towards Lucas’s bedroom door. He looked both Lucas and Erica in the face and said, “You two are absolute menaces, and it's a good thing that you’re each other’s siblings, because no one else would be able to handle either of you. Now, I’m off to track down Will and figure out what he wants for Christmas. Thanks, Erica!”
Mike left Lucas’s room and jogged down the stairs to the main level of the Sinclair house. Erica shouted after him, “Chicken! Don’t screw it up, it’s foolproof! If you mess this up, you’re worse than a fool!” Lucas’s laughter followed her words.
Mike huffed and rolled his eyes as he left the house, zipping up his winter coat. He got on his bike that he’d ridden to get to Lucas’s just down the street, but he knew it was a longer bike ride to the Byers. There was snow on the lawns but the roads were cleared so he figured it was safe enough. It would just be a little chilly. He blew some hot breath on his hands, got on his bike, and cycled off to Will’s house.