Chapter Text
It had been two years since the whole appocalypse, and everyone seemed to go back to normal lives.
Kind of.
Will still felt a little weird after coming out out of fear.. with some people he barely knew, but he couldn’t change it and he had to live with it either way.
At least Mike never treated him any differently, he never did. Even when he was cleared that out already.
He and his sister had broken up in Lenora as well, and they seemed to be enjoying being friends rather than boyfriend and girlfriend.
“Hey.”
He heard his sister call from the doorframe of his room, a tiny tired smile on her face, her hair messy stating that he had just woken up. It was currently 9 am on a Monday.
In June.
“Mom says to come for breakfast, annddd.. Mike invited us over to go to the pool afterwards, and yes the others too don’t get your hopes up yet.”
Will released a laugh. Jane knew about his not so small crush on Mike, but like everyone would think, she didn’t hate him for it, instead she told him to watch out for his own feelings since Mike never knows how to communicate.
Yeah he knew that.
Flashbacks when he had helped his crush/best friend to just say ‘I love you’ to his damn girlfriend for gods sake, of course he knew that.
“Okay, I’ll be right there, Chewbacca..” He teased, making Jane throw her pillow at him, screaming as she walked away. “Mom! Will is bothering me again!”
Will only rolled his eyes playfully and sat on his bed, stretching.
They were going to see Mike again, and go to the pool.. see Mike without a shirt and all.
He shook his head, trying to make any more thoughts to go to his head, stepping out of his bed, fixing his hair and walking towards the kitchen where everyone was already sat.
His mom looked at him with a smile and ruffled his hair, knowing he had fixed it, earning a, “Mom!” out of Will. Mission accomplished.
“Can’t believe you both are all grown up now..” Joyce had spoken while they all had their mouths stuffed with pancakes and waffles.
While Hopper scoffed and rolled his eyes, pretending like he didn’t feel old as fuck seeing both of his kids grow up so fast.
As a family that went through so much, they sure were the most normal out of everyone.
“Jonathan called while you guys slept by the way, he said hi.” Hopper spoke, mouth full, earning a glare from Joyce.
Will and Jane looked at each other with a smile and finished up quickly, standing up at the same time, bringing their dishes to the dishwasher. “Thanks for breakfast.” Said the ‘twins’.
They called them the Wonder Twins during their last years of Highschool, giving the fact both of them had powers and were quite similar in a lot of things.
“Wait whereー Hey!”
Joyce couldn’t even finish her sentence as both of them had ran to their rooms to get ready.
Hopper only shrugged, knowing that it was summer which meant their kids would be out all day and even night, considering their age. He and Joyce decided to stop giving them a curfew, much to Joyce’s displeasure, after all, she still got a little nervous when she didn’t hear about Will.
They both packed their bags, obviously, Will packed a few extra clothes, as he was used to Mike normally asking to sleepover after pool days. He always made sure to bring extra clothes either way.
Both were at the door, putting on their shoes when Hopper stepped up.
Oh boy..
“Say hi to Wheeler for me. And be careful.” He said with a glare, still not the biggest fan of Mike after he dated Jane for a few years, and he knew very well his Son now has had a crush on since who knows.
Jane only rolled her eyes and nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a smile, looking for her mom, whom was watching TV, she waved. “Bye Mom!”
Joyce only waved back with a smile, then looking at Will for any sign that he might not want to go.
It was the opposite, he looked quite excited, his cheeks slightly flushed even on his tanned skin, his hair a little messy, but his eyes looked full of life. “Don’t have too much fun without us..” He said to his mom, then looked up at Hopper, which he smiled at that.
“Sure thing kid, tell us if you stay over, would be nice to know this time, you don’t wanna scare your mom again.”
Both of them left, grabbing their bikes. (Yes they used bikes because they were both scared of driving yet.)
Jane spoke as they drove around town. “Can you try being less obvious on your crush this time? Or do you want him to know?” She giggled when her brother tried to push her while driving. “Shut up.. I’m just excited.”
“Excited to see Mike half naked.”
“Jane ohmygod.”
They both laughed, loving the summer breeze against their skin.
When they parked their bikes at the Wheeler’s driveway, they walked towards the door, Will knocking while he bickered with Jane about his crush on Mike, when the door opened.
“Heyー“ Will turned to greet what he thought was Mike.
Instead.. it was Mike with.. glasses?
Throughout all his life, Will Byers thought he knew everything about Mike Wheeler.
Except the fact that he wore glasses and Hawaiian shirts?? Until he spoke.
"Oh hey, so you're the Will that my cousin cannot stop talking about."
Cousin?!
They were practically brother by how similar he looked to his best friend, he genuinely thought it was Mike playing a prank on him.
“Richie for fucks sake, I said I was answering the door-“ Mike appeared next to.. ‘Richie’. He for sure was either dreaming or he was seeing double.
Jane didn’t look as surprised, she wasn’t exactly interested in Mike or his life that much anymore, of course he had never met Mike’s family before but she didn’t care.
“Is Max already here?” She asked, and both the twins? Or Cousins I guess, let her in without a word, moreover, waiting for the boy in front of them to say something, instead he was.. frozen.
So, Mike spoke first.
“So uhm... Will this is Richie, my cousin. He’s staying with us this summer, my aunt is going somewhere with her new husband, and he didn’t want to go and here he was... but you don’t have to... y’know... like him, he’s kind of a douche- “
Richie bumped an elbow against his cousin’s stomach. “Fuck you Wheeler, you wish you were as delightful as me. Anyways... hi, I’m Richie, and I’m guessing you’re Will?”
Will finally blinked and closed his dry mouth, hoping he didn’t swallow any flies or something. He cleared his throat. “Oh uhm Hi..” He blushed a little.
Richie tilted his head at him, his cheeks also flushed a little and Will didn’t know if it was because of the heat or because he was shy.
Mike blinked a few times, at the awkward interaction and whole situation, stepping aside and pushing Richie to do the same. “Uh- come in, we’re still waiting for Dustin and Steve, since they’re picking us up.”
Will only nodded and walked in, immediately speed walking towards the giggles of Jane and Max. He could hear some whisper fighting behind him, obviously it was Mike and Richie.
When Max saw Will she waved, making a space for him on the floor, then looking behind him. “I knew cousins fight but you two genuinely look like you want to kill each other.”
Mike opened his mouth to speak only for Richie to interrupt him, “Actually that’s just Mike, I adore my sweet lil muffin cake of a cousin.” He snuggled against Mike, while the other pushed him, disgusted.
“He makes unfunny jokes and flirts with everything that moves.”
Max and Jane looked at each other, their brows raised, when Max spoke, “He hasn’t flirted with any of us though?”
“I’m not into girls.” Richie said proudly, then looking at Will, mischief, making him blush even more because he was so similar to Mike.. well physically not personality wise.
Mike noticed that look and kicked Richie, earing an Ow! “That’s my best friend, Tozier. You have Eddie.”
It sounded possessive. Like Mike was claiming Will as his. And that did things to Will’s stomach and heart.
“Jesus fuck, calm down, I’m staying here, I should at least have one friend. Besides what if you dump Will? He will need the better looking cousin.” Richie teased, making Will somehow laugh at that, both cousin looking in his direction.
“I don’t know why that was so funny..” He rubbed his eyes, maybe it was the heat getting to him, but he felt like this summer was going to be a little different. In a good way.
Then the door rang, making both guys look in the direction of the noise, pushing against each other like little kids to open the door.
While that happened, Will turned to Jane and Max, which were looking at him with smirks on their faces. “What?”
“So are you high?” Max asked out of the blue.
“What?? What are you-“
“Do you like Richie or Mike better?” His sister asked now.
Will’s eyes widened and shook his head. “They could hear you ohmygod..”
The girls giggled, as Dustin came into view with Lucas and Steve.
“What are we gossiping about?” Asked Lucas with a grin towards Max.
The three of them said in unison, “Nothing”
Ooookay..
“So, you guys ready?”
Will was so ready.
As they arrived at the pool, the quickly claimed a spot so everyone could tan AND protect themselves from the sun, that someone being Richie and Mike, the most pale people from the group.. well aside from Max.
They all applied sunscreen on each other, and soon jumped in the pool. It was a hot day in Hawkins, so it felt absolutely refreshing.
Except Will was still not in the pool.
He fe He felt two pairs of eyes on him, and he was sure because of his back freckles, or something, he didn’t know, so he turned and the only who looked away from him was Mike, only Richie looked up from his back to his face.
“What’s wrong Byers? Scared of a little water?” He teased.
When Will shook his head, he was about to tease again, but Will opened his mouth again, “Forgot to put sunscreen on my back.. and I can’t exactly reach all my back.”
Mike was about to speak without even looking at Will, but Richie was one step ahead of him, “Let me help you then, but come here, I do not want a sunburn, first day of summer, I look like a damn sausage afterwards and you do not wanna see that.”
Will chuckled and grabbed his sunscreen, passing it to Richie, getting closer, so now they were close, too close was what Mike thought. He was glaring holes into Richie’s back but he didn’t seem to mind.
He whispered something inaudible, not Will or Richie paid much attention to it, only then when he was done applying sunscreen did he turn around, facing his cousin. “Got a problem with me touching your best friend?”
“As a matter of fact, Tozier, yes. Yes I do.”
This time Will rolled his eyes and jumped in the pool, he was starting to sweat and he didn’t have time to hear their bickering, maybe later.
After some while, Richie and Mike had jumped in the pool as well, playing with the others.
Richie was without his glasses so he would bump into people sometimes or even grab Will by ‘accident’. But the other didn’t seem to mind, instead he giggled.
“Richie this is the fucking eighth time you grab Will.” Mike spoke up about it, splashing water on him, trying to shoo him away from his best friend who didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
It was distracting really.
How Will looked good in everything.
But somehow he always looked so good all tanned, his cheeks slightly pink, his hair wet and his broad shoulders also wet.
He really enjoyed the view of Will Byers completely soaked.
“Keeping tabs on me, cousin?” Richie snorted, still hugging Will.
“You literally only hug Will by accident, it’s not even an accident anymore, he’s probably uncomfortable-“
Will spoke this time, with a smile, “Actually it’s fun, but thank you for worrying, Mike.”
Wouldn’t be so fun if I was hugging you.
Mike just got out of the pool to dry himself, they had been for over three hours at the pool and they were thinking of going to the mall later.
Will was debating on going, he didn’t know if he wanted to go and maybe get ice cream, but he also didn’t want his friends teasing him about Richie and Mike.
So he stayed home.
With Richie and Mike.
Of course.
Mike was at least focused on his video game, while Richie sat next to him on the couch, Will reading a random comic book Mike gave him so he wouldn’t get bored.
He was staying over, but this time with two Mikes- Well two cousin that could pass as twins.
Richie scooted over to literally glue himself against Will, looking over at his comic book. And somehow that made Will’s heart skip a beat because this dude clearly didn’t know what personal space was.. or he was just used to Mike barely even hugging him now.
“I’m boreddd.. entertain me, Byers.” Richie said in that voice that made Will smile for some reason.
“Uhm.. you could read this with m-“ But he was interrupted by Richie throwing it across the room, shaking his head and looking over at Mike, who was too focused on his game to even notice what they were doing.
So, Richie grabbed his hand, sneaking out of the living room, walking towards the backyard, laying down on the grass, signaling to Will to do the same, and so he did, next to Richie, while facing the sky, which was already darkening, a light breeze against their legs.
“You’re staying all summer here?” Will asked, out of curiosity.
He liked Richie, it was a nice add to the group, and everyone else clearly thought so too, as of course Max and Lucas loved seeing how Richie would make Mike mad about everything.
“Yeah, don’t wanna spend time with that dipshit of a boyfriend of my mom’s.” He scoffed afterwards, even rolling his eyes, then he turned his head towards Will, his expression softening. “And, do you spend a lot of time with my dick-sucking cousin? Or like do you also do cool stuff?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Will only laughed at that because well.. he did. Most of his time was Mike, at Mike’s house, or at his house with Mike. So he couldn’t lie. “Yeah I guess, sometimes though when I’m alone or at home, me and my sister like to play.”
“Play? Fuck does that mean?”
Oh right, Richie was new, so of course he didn’t understand why they called him and Jane, Wondertwins, or that.. he had something special in him.
“Wait look at this.”
Richie’s eyebrows were furrowed when his glasses were lifted from his face without anyone grabbing them, they were.. floating in the air, and Will’s nose began to bleed a little.
“Well I mean now you can’t really see but, I’m doing that..” He said shyly while putting Richie’s glasses back on his face.
“No way you just did that, fuck no. Nu uh. Do it with another thing.” He looked around, and since he didn’t find anything, he removed his sock from his right foot and laid it on the grass. “Here.”
And once again, this time Will used his hand so he wouldn’t loose balance and with his mind began making the sock float, right in front of Richie.
“Holy fuck! Are you like a.. like a witch or something?” Richie looked amazed, even impressed. But as he turned to see Will, he frowned, “Your- your nose dude.”
Will wiped it immediately and let go of the sock, sniffing. “One. If I was a witch I would be a woman, which I’m not. Second, yeah that happens sometimes, or most of the times don’t worry.”
“So you and your sister.. that’s how you play?”
Will was kind of thankful Richie didn’t like make fun of him or looked weirded out by it, instead he asked the question about the main reason.
“Uh yeah we like see who can lift the heaviest stuff, though we got in trouble once for trying to lift the fridge..” He looked embarrassed.
Richie could literally have stars on his eyes if he could. “That’s so fucking cool, dude. You could use that for so much stuff.”
Before Will could answer, Mike walked outside, he looked pissed.
“What the hell did you do to him Richie? Why’s his nose bleeding and.. Oh my god.”
Richie looked proud and even jumped to stand up, of course helping Will out. “Your best friend is a wizard! How come you don’t like celebrate?”
Mike sighed and crossed his arms, Will thought he kind of looked.. jealous?
“He’s a sorcerer. Completely different. But that’s not the point..” His voice turned softer, just a little bit. “Will.. did he force you to lift his.. sock?” He even got closer, and he looked like he was going to hit Richie so Will pressed his palm to his chest.
“Um no, I just wanted to show him since he didn’t know and I didn’t want to scare him one day..” He explained, somehow his touch made Mike relax. His body softening even, and as Will looked up again, he saw the famous puppy eyes that were in his dreams from time to time.
Mike shrugged, clearing his throat and his cheeks a little pink. Then he looked at the sock again, realizing something. “Is that my sock? Motherfucker-“
Richie ran inside the house, Mike chasing after him, leaving Will alone outside.
Alone with his thoughts.
This would be a summer to remember.