Chapter Text
With a trash bin of unfinished products, all of them curled up into balls the size of Mike's fist, Mike Wheeler finds himself without any inspiration for his next work. There is nothing that ignites a spark in him to write. Absolutely nothing.
He might have been a one-hit wonder. After his first book, Unrequited Love, starring Mitch and Wilma as the main roles reached a worldwide audience, he got himself enough resources to get his own apartment.
An apartment in Hawkins. He was still in Hawkins. It's familiar and it's safe. Something that Mike Wheeler never dared to face was change. He'd always been scared of trying new things. Maybe most of all, he was scared of what the people around him might think.
He always looked up to the rest of the party for moving out of Hawkins and starting all over. But it was hard knowing they all started over again without him.
Maybe it was better that way. They didn't seem to need him at all anyway.
Even though two years had passed, he still called most of the party regularity, just checking in. But for some reason, over the last year, he could never find the strength to call one certain person. Will Byers.
Why, you may ask? He doesn't have the answer. It's weird for some reason. They did stay in touch during the first year of being apart, but this last year, there's been nothing. And after his phone number changed this last month, he never gave it to Will.
He found himself calling the rest of the party, asking questions surrounding Will and his new life in New York. Last year, he found out that Will got himself a college boyfriend and seemed to be happy. That's good. It's good that Will is happy.
But then again, Will is happy without him.
It was hard to not feel needed anymore. Even though he'd received feedback that his book Unrequited Love helped multiple people, he couldn't stop blaming himself for not being there for Will. Not when it really mattered.
Still, two years later, he thought about Will and what he could've done to make his life easier. What he should've done.
God, how hard it must've been from him, being in love with someone who can't love him back.
For some unknown reason, Mike knew that feeling all too well. He didn't know why though.
After Will came out as queer, Mike found it hard to even give him a hug. He didn't want to give Will 'signals'. He didn't know why he even thought of it that way. Him and Will were best friends. Nothing more, nothing less.
But it broke him that Will couldn't even tell him who he was in love with. And he still wondered to this day who that person could've been.
But he's fine now. Will. He's happy with his boyfriend in college and living his own life. Without Mike.
And for some reason Mike really thought that they'd spend the rest of their life in his basement, playing games or whatever. For the rest of their lives.
But now, he was never in the basement anymore. Frankly, he hadn't been there since he moved out. There were too many memories, both good and bad. But most of them were good. And those were what hurt the most. That he couldn't relive those moments. And when he tried to think about them, it just hurt.
He missed everything- the party, the friendships, the things they had to overcome together. But mostly, he missed having a best friend. Like Will once was.
But Will was fine. He was so clearly fine without him. And therefore, Mike was fine too.
Will had probably seen how ridiculously fine Mike was anyway. His book had been published all over the world. It must have reached Will. But even if it hadn't, his next work would.
He just needed inspiration so he could start writing it.
But Hawkins was all the same- all the same people, the same memories, the same pain. I mean he'd been stuck here for a year without knowing what to write, so maybe it's time to visit a new place.
For inspiration, of course.
He'd been thinking about it for a while now. About visiting a new place for inspiration. It was about damn time he did it.
Today is the day.
Without hesitating he got in his car.
He didn't quite know where he should go yet. Or he did. He knew damn well where he wanted to go.
But would it be crazy? I mean, New York is full of inspiration, right? Sure, he'd love to see Will again. But at the end of the day, he was just visiting for inspiration.
Or is he?
It doesn't matter. He was going to New York for inspiration. Nothing more nothing less.
And regardless, if he sees Will, it wouldn't hurt to say hi.
Or would it?
It doesn't matter. It's not like he's going all the way to New York just to see Will anyway. He's probably hanging out with his boyfriend.
Whatever.