Chapter Text
The basement was quieter than it had been in years.
The old couch still sagged in the middle, the folding chairs still leaned awkwardly against the wall, and the faint smell of dust and cardboard lingered in the air, but something was different now. The noise was gone. There were no dice clattering across the table. No arguing over stupid topics. No laughter echoing off the basement ceiling.
Only Mike and Will remained.
Mike sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the D&D table like it might say something back if he waited long enough.
Will’s backpack rested by his own feet, half-zipped, like he hadn’t fully committed to leaving yet. Will stood near the old shelves, absentmindedly running his fingers along the spines of books and boxes. He looked calmer than he used to. Like someone who had just learned how to breathe again.
They’d watched everyone else leave one by one.
Lucas walked with Max up the basement steps, their hands brushing gently. Dustin had slung his jacket over his shoulder, rambling about college as he headed out the door, his voice fading as he exited.
Silence prolonged between the two remaining boys.
Mike shifted his position, the sound of fabric against cushions suddenly too loud. “So,” he said, clearing his throat. “Guess… that’s it.”
“For today,” Will replied softly, looking down at the taller.
Mike nodded, sharing a glance with the clock on the wall, before looking away again. He didn’t like how final everything felt lately.
Will hesitated, then spoke again, casual in tone.
“Uh, my ride’ll be here soon.”
Mike looked up. “Your mom?”
Will shook his head. “No. Not this time.”
Something in Mike’s chest tightened. “Oh… who, then?”
Will took a sharp breath. “My boyfriend.”
The word caused Mike’s eyes to widen.
Mike blinked. “Your—”
“Boyfriend,” Will repeated, quieter now. “His name’s Carlton. He said he’d pick me up.”
Mike stared at him. His brain felt like it had skipped a step, like he’d missed something somewhere and couldn’t figure out how the story had gotten here.
“Oh, uh…” he said finally. Then, stupidly, “…cool.”
Will nodded, relieved but still cautious. “Yeah. He’s… nice.” He finished shortly, unsure if he should continue.
Mike swallowed. He didn’t ask anything else. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to.
There was a buzzing in his ears, like static from a radio that wouldn’t tune properly. He told himself it was fine. Of course Will would meet someone. That was normal. That was what people did.
So why did it feel like something had just been taken from him?
“That’s good,” Mike added, forcing a smile that didn’t quite stick. “I mean. I’m glad.”
Will studied him for a moment, head tilted slightly, like he was listening for something beneath the words. “You’re… quiet.”
Mike scoffed weakly. “No, I’m not.”
“You are,” Will said gently.
Mike looked away, jaw tightening. The basement suddenly felt smaller, like the walls were inching closer. “I just didn’t know,” he muttered.
“Well, yeah,” Will replied. “I didn’t really… announce it.”
Mike laughed under his breath, but there was no humor in it. “Guess I thought I’d be the first to know. About stuff.”
Will’s expression softened. “You usually are.”
That made it worse.
Mike stood abruptly, pacing a few steps before stopping near the table. “So how long has this been… a thing?”
“A couple months,” Will said. “Nothing serious. Just… good.”
Mike nodded again. Always nodding. Always pretending.
“Right. Good.”
There was another pause. Long. Heavy.
“He’s here,” Will said, almost apologetically.
Mike looked up from where he sat on the couch. “Already?”
Will nodded. “Yeah. He’s… early.”
“Oh.” Mike swallowed. The word felt too small for the way his chest tightened. “Okay.”
Will shifted his backpack onto his shoulder. He hesitated, like he was waiting for something, some reaction from the boy in-front of him.
“I should go,” Will added.
“Right,” Mike said, standing up a little too quickly. The couch creaked behind him. “Yeah. Of course.”
Will took a step toward the stairs, then stopped. He turned back, studying Mike’s face like he was trying to memorize it, or maybe trying to understand something he wasn’t sure how to ask about.
“Mike,” he started.
Mike opened his mouth immediately, the words rushing forward all at once in his head—wait, don’t go yet,I don’t know what I feel but it fucking hurts—
Will nodded, a small, uncertain smile flickering across his face. “I’ll… see you, okay?”
“Yeah,” Mike said. “See you.”
Will turned away before Mike could stop himself, before he could say anything at all. He took the stairs two at a time, the sound of his footsteps fading upward, then the basement door opening, then closing.
And just like that, Will was gone.
Mike stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty space Will had been standing in. The basement felt wrong without him.
He sat back down slowly, elbows on his knees, hands dangling uselessly between them. His heart felt like it was still trying to say something, still reaching after words that no longer had anywhere to go.
Outside, he heard a car door shut. An engine started.
Mike squeezed his eyes shut.
He told himself it shouldn’t hurt like this. Will was allowed to be happy. Allowed to love someone. Allowed to have someone waiting for him outside while Mike stayed behind in a basement full of old memories.
But knowing that didn’t make the ache go away.