William Byers has always known there was more to Mike’s little rituals. He’s watched them since he was 5 and he came over to his best friends house for the first time.

Mike had been adamant that shoes weren’t allowed on his bed and not just because he mom, Karen Wheeler, didn’t like it. No. Because Michael Wheeler hates changing his bed sheets. So he tries to keep them as clean as he can. So shoes were off and any activities like playtime were for the basement and not his bed.

Will hadn’t thought much of it as time went on. It was just Mike. That’s how Mike is. Dustin and Lucas never questioned it either.

However, since the party had finally destroyed Vecna, and Holly (Mike’s little sister) was saved, those small literal rituals have shifted. He doesn’t care about changing his bedsheets so much these days as he doesn’t care making sure he can hear his little sister still in her room breathing and here and safe. He does the same for Will too. Because Jesus Christ had it been a jump-scare the first time he had found Mike anxiously hovering over him just to check he was really there, alive and safe in the Wheeler house and not under Vecna’s control.

From that night on, Will has been sleeping in Mike’s bedroom where the other boy can hear him breathing and moving on the little makeshift bed they had put on Mike’s bedroom floor.

Mike settled. He calmed. His thoughts were soothed, at least for a while.

But today? Today Mike is spiralling because Will isn’t in his room or on his floor. Mike can’t hear him.

So he scrambles out of bed in the middle of the night, his new battery powered torch in his hand. He moves quietly, anxiously through the house, peaking into every room in search of his best friend (and definitely not crush), William Byers.

After a few minutes of panicked searching, Mike stumbles across Will in the kitchen. The oven hood light is on and Will sips at a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

At the sound of footsteps, Will turns to see Mike standing in the kitchen doorway, his eyes widened with slight panic and the torch trembling in his pale hand.

“Mike?” Will calls out softly.

“Y-you were gone and I thought- I thought he’d taken you.” Mike stutters out.

Will’s face softens. He knows that look, that tone. Mike is spiralling and the intrusive thoughts are winning.

“Where am I, Mikey?” Will replies.

“In my kitchen.” Mike murmurs, taking a stumbling step closer to Will.

“That’s right.” Will smiles warmly, turning on his stool to face Mike and hold out his hand to the taller boy. Mike takes his hand automatically.

“Am I hot or cold?” He asks, because the facts are that Will is only cold when the Hive-mind or Vecna are near or taking over Will. Will himself is obsessed with being warm for that reason alone.

“You’re warm.” Mike answers breathlessly, their fingers interlacing in the quiet of the Wheeler kitchen where no one can see them.

“Can you see any black veins?” Will asks softly, sliding his sleeves up to show Mike. There’s none.