MIKE POV -

---- 4:43 PM ----

After school, the ravenette headed to their usual spot, the bench under the big oak tree; it was a worn-out bench but this was where the pair would always meet. Unlike usual, when Mike arrived, Will was already there, sitting down, his leg bopping up and down nervously.

As soon as the brunette noticed the ravenette approaching, he immediately stood up, straightening his hair, flicking any dirt off his clothes. Mike slowed his pace, unsure of the trajectory of this conversation; they hadn't spoken all day after what happened in the morning- Mike worried their would be another fight.

Will took a deep breath as he approached, his expression soft yet serious, "Sorry for earlier." He whispered, "I kinda overreacted." He apologised a little regretful, promising himself to be better for Mike. Then, he held out something, a brown packet in his hand, as if he was ready to present a trophy, "I got this for you... to, um, you know, apologise." He stammered his way through the sentence.

The tall boy blinked; it was Mike's favourite chocolate bar in Will's hand. The brunette was blushing like crazy, as if he was worried what Mike would say. With a little smile, he accepted the candy, "Thanks, but you didn't have to..."

"I did," Will cut off despite his own nervousness, "I shouldn't have said what I said, I was just... worried and I got upset... and... well, I didn't handle it well."

The ravenette didn't know how to react, holding the candy-bar in his hands like a child at the checkout counter. The brunette was doing all the talking, his voice was more passionate and heartfelt then usual and it really threw Mike off; he expected a confrontation, not an apology... it was strange, it made him realise that no one had ever apologised to him before.

Will continued talking, clutching the strap of his backpack, clearly anxious of the reaction, unable to stop rambling, "I shouldn't have said some of the things I did; it's just, bad things happen to the people around me. I didn't want you to get hurt." He paused for a second, a genuine glint in his eyes, "I'd do anything protect you."

A knot twisted in the ravenette's stomach, unsure of how to even respond, "That's pretty... bleak."

Stepping closer, Will searched the ravenette's face, his expression soft, "I want to be someone you can rely on." he admitted sheepish, almost worried for the response; he knew he sounded childish, but he didn't know what else to say, it was his first relationship with anyone, let alone someone he really liked. "So just don't hate me," he asked, almost begging.

Mike opened his mouth; how could he ever hate Will? He was about to respond when suddenly, a message appeared before his eyes,

[Initiating Server Stabilisation]

[URGENT MISSION! – Keep Will Byers's Fondness Under 66 Until Server Stabilises]

He read the mission, his doubts creeping up to him once more, remembering that he wasn't someone from Will's world. He immediately had to end this conversation, "I think we should leave it there for today," Mike tried to smile casually as though he was thinking logically; he couldn't explain it to Will- he had no choice, "Let both go to our own houses and cool down,"

"Mike?" Will flinched, that wasn't the reaction he wanted.

"You said not to treat you like a child, so here I am." His tone coming out harsher than it was meant to be, walking past the brunette, leaving him under the tree.

The short boy jogged over, blocking his path, holding his arms out in protest, "I was wrong." His tone was slightly desperate, he didn't know what to do, what did it mean if Mike left; were they over? Were they on a break? Would this fight ever be resolved? Why did he always do this? What was wrong with him? He continued, "I'm sorry."

When the tall boy moved, Will moved with him, as if a mirror image refusing to let him pass; there was no one else around. Mike turned his face away, he couldn't bear to see the brunette's sad expression, but the damn mission was blaring at him to do this, "Let's talk later." He bit his tongue.

"When later?"

A persistent question followed, Mike should have expected it honestly, not even bothering to reply as be tried to move past the brunette once more,

Will continued, "D-did I do something so wrong that you don't even want to look at me right now?" he didn't understand. The conversation was going so well; was Mike growing tired of him? Was it his crying and clinginess? He wanted to stop... why couldn't he stop? Why wasn't he normal? He wanted to be the best partner, but no matter what he did, he was always doing something wrong... he was a burden to Mike,

Mike's legs felt like iron chains encapsulated them, for no matter how much he tried he couldn't get away. He wanted to explain that it wasn't Will's fault, nor had Will made a mistake or was disliked... but he couldn't speak.

[URGENT MISSION!– Keep Will Byers's Fondness Under 66 Until Server Stabilises]

[Penalty: @@£&$£@*&^%]

Mike squinted his eyes, trying his best to read between the symbols, but it was futile; whatever the penalty was, it was dangerous; it was in deep red, signifying the severity of the situation. "Why do you have to act so serious about this?" Mike tried his best not to look at the brunette's face, feeling like he would fold immediately. He took a few more steps.

Looking over his shoulder, the ravenette saw Will following hesitantly, like a lost child with a pale face and wide puppy dog eyes. Mike couldn't bear it, he felt like he was abandoning him, "Are you seriously going to cry?" he questioned, quietly whispering,

Will couldn't force words off his tongue, not responding, looking at the ground, worrying he might express all his emotions; why did he always have to spill? The distance between them was noticeable.

The tall boy realised how much this was hurting Will, but the mission lingered in his head, how was this fair at all? He asked, "Is cancelling our plans really that sad?"

Once more, Will didn't respond; in all honesty, he didn't know what to say, maybe Mike was right, maybe he should leave... it was clear Mike didn't want to be with him right now.

The ravenette felt his resolve crumbling, so with a deep sigh, he flipped around, opening up his arms as if inviting Will in; he didn't say anything, but his expression was soft.

It took the brunette a mere second, but he stepped forward, immediately collapsing into Mike's body, wrapping his arms tight around Mike's waist almost as if making sure he couldn't move- like he was afraid letting go would be losing Mike. The tall boy was almost knocked back by the hug, feeling the air knocked out of him.

"Are you angry?" Will mumbled against his chest.

"No."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No."

"Then?"

"I'm just worried," the ravenette mumbled reading the next pop-up,

[Calculating Fondness...]

The translucent pop-up message appeared before his eyes, seeming to be taunting him,

[Fondness: 68]

It increased...

How the Hell did Will come to like him so much? Yet, he had to admit he liked the hug, feeling the arms around him holding him so tightly, scared he might disappear. Regardless, it was still nice to feel the embrace. Mike was the one who made him this sad and was also the one soothing him; it played on his mind; did that make him a bad person, doing simply what he pleased, in a way toying with Will's emotions?

It must be so confusing for the brown-haired boy who just wanted a normal relationship without Mike suddenly becoming hot and cold for apparently no reason.

It was a disaster, well, it was good, but damn, it was bad at the same time; all Mike wanted was to be Will's high school sweetheart and share memories until graduation, when Mike was forced to leave. He counted the days in his head, his final day here would be some time in July; he still wasn't sure what would happen if he 'wins' or 'loses' his mission objective.

Will liked him too much to just be high school sweethearts.

[URGENT MISSION: FAIL!]

[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION]

[*$$%&$ Forcefully Executed]

The tall boy pulled Will in tighter, his lips trembling slightly from the words; he couldn't read past the gargled text; he squinted, looked at it from different angles and blinked hard... but to no avail.

He was screwed.

---- 7:32 PM ----

The pair decided to walk home today, mindlessly roaming the streets with no direction in mind; Mike was feeling too anxious to go home; there was too much on his mind, hoping a quiet walk would be good for his nerves and spiralling thoughts.

As they walked down the path, the ravenette's head was filled with thoughts; the quiet filled the air, it was tense despite the apologies. Mike felt trapped, no matter what he did, he loses; if he followed his heart and gets too involved in this world, he'd have to leave it all behind and hurt Will and himself, but if he follows his head, he'd feel hollow...

Will glanced at his boyfriend who seemed unusually quiet, his hands were stuffed in his pockets, and he barely made eye contact, merely walking, lost in his own head; he was distant. He wasn't saying much. Any conversation that was started were ended in mere seconds as Mike gave one-or-two-word answers.

Sure, the ravenette was always hard to read, but today, something was different. He was distracted, quiet and aloof; all he wanted was peace and quiet. Will bit his lip, there was so much Mike could be thinking about, the event from earlier this morning, the argument, the reconciliation... he opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it, not wanting to push; he didn't want to be overbearing.

"Are we going to Max's today?" the short boy cut the void, asking a separate question while glancing at the ravenette. Normally, he would be talking, joking around or at least complaining about something random. But right now, he just seemed so distant. Like his mind was on another planet. His eyes were dull, as if he wasn't really there.

Mike was never like this, not even when they first met; Mike never treated Will like a stranger. They had jumped straight to acquaintances with Mike doing a lot of the heavy lifting. So, of course it was natural Will believed that warmth would last forever.

"Oh, um," Mike mumbled, barely listening, "No, she got detention..." He replied, with complete seriousness, not adding anymore,

"Oh, okay." Will smiled, nervously giggling, trying his best to fill the silence... it was unnerving.

[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION]

"I'll walk you home." The tall boy blurted out loud, remembering the whole stalker situation from earlier. If he wasn't plagued with one issue it was another. He didn't know what this error message could do, each time it appeared, it did something different; as if it was there to 'correct' the world Mike had 'corrupted'.

The brunette blinked at the sudden offer, he wasn't sure what to make of it, "You don't have to," he turned his head, feeling a tad guilty,

Mike rubbed the back of his neck, clearly responding, "Your house is pretty secluded and it's in the woods... with the whole stalker thing, I think its best if I stay close; he could literally pop up outta nowhere."

"We're closer to your house... maybe I should just stay at yours tonight?" Will didn't hesitate. Although he was worried sharing a room with Mike, he gathered all his courage to ask that question, hoping it was well reciprocated.

"Yeah, sure..." the ravenette replied, "It's a failure anyway," he muttered the last part with an exasperated sigh, referring to the mission from earlier; he had already failed it, what was the point of keeping Will's fondness stable now?

The words were quiet, but the brunette heard them clear as day considering he was solely focused on his boyfriend. His heart sank in his chest. Failure...? What was Mike talking about? What did he mean by failure? Himself? Was Will the failure? Was the failure breaking up with Will? Was he just being a burden to Mike? He tried not to show that the comment hurt but it seeped into his bloodstream.

[ERROR: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION]

Mike's eyes widened; this was the third time today.

The sky was dark as they continued walking, Mike couldn't shake the unsettling feeling creeping into his very core. He kept glancing over his shoulder and peering into every alley to make sure no-one popped out from them. Something was definitely off tonight. Although he didn't want to admit it, the error warning he got earlier terrified him; how was he supposed to react?

The pair finally reached the house; the atmosphere between them quieter than it had ever been before. They were on good terms, sure, but they didn't know what to say to one another.

When they stepped onto the front porch, Mike put his hand in his left pocket... but when he did, it was empty. He pat his pockets, realising with a sinking feeling he didn't have his keys on him. Cursing under his breath he sighed, understanding that in his earlier haste this morning, he'd forgotten them.

He knocked on the door, hoping his sister would answer but to no avail. He tried again, nothing seemed to be working. Peering around into the windows, he saw the dark staring back through the reflective glass like no one was home. "Nancy!" he called, getting slightly impatient, where was she? She's supposed to be home from work right now; he had an itching bad feeling, not realising when he was practically banging on the door.

Out of nowhere, a voice cleared from the sidewalk, "Would you please shut up? I can hear you from down the street!" her arms crossed against her chest.

Turning on his heel, there was Erica, Lucas's little sister, standing across the lawn with an unimpressed expression, one that stated she had better things to do then listening to some sounds, "You know this falls under noise pollution?"

"It's not even 8PM!" Mike scrunched his face sarcastically; he had met Erica on a few occasions before, but her attitude never ceased.

"That's what makes it worse!" the youthful girl threw her arms in the air dramatically, seeing from the corner of her eyes as her mother appeared, looking both tired and annoyed searching for her daughter; it seemed like Erica was in big trouble, but she didn't care.

"Erica! Where have you been? Why aren't you picking up your phone!" Sue Sinclair, Erica's mother advanced, her presence dominating,

The girl rolled her eyes dramatically, "I told you, I was at Tina's,"

"Your curfew was 7!" she pressed, hands on her hips, her anger coming from a place of worry, "You're supposed to be coming straight home!"

With a smirk, Erica replied, pointing to the two boys still on the porch, "I'm teaching some kids about noise pollution," her emphasis on the word 'kids' was prominent despite Mike and Will clearly being older than her, passing the boys a smug look as though she had won some sort of argument.

Sue sighed, knowing how her daughter could be, finding every excuse in the book to have her way, but when she turned to the two boys, her gaze softened upon seeing the ravenette, "Mike?" she questioned, only knowing the tall boy from his sister, "How's Nancy doing?" she asked, too worried for the question to be causal small-talk.

Mike blinked, confused by the tone, "She's fine...?" he replied but it sounded more like a question, "She was supposed to be home, but she might be working overtime..." he pondered.

Sue's face fell slightly, "Y-you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Nancy was admitted to hospital earlier today,"

The ravenette's eyes widened, rushing up to her, almost pushing Erica out the way, "Hospital? W-what? Why?" feeling overwhelmed at the mere thought; the last time Nancy was in hospital in the real world... she didn't make it. He hoped it wasn't happening again. He felt like throwing up.

Will followed, walking up to the tall boy, placing a soft hand on his back, "I'm sure it's nothing." He had to be the calm one, no matter what inner turmoil he was in right now, Mike needed him, "Let's go to the hospital, okay?"

Nodding with anxiety, the ravenette felt dumb; Why did this have to happen? Why wasn't he told earlier? He was so scared... he hated the thought of Nancy in hospital. Was this the penalty from earlier?

Sadistic Asshole Game!

Before the boys could move, Sue spoke, "I'll drive you boys, it's not safe this dark."

Usually, the ravenette would protest, but right now, he just wanted to see Nancy, to see she was okay with his own eyes. His ears were ringing, his head was pounding, and his legs felt faint... he wasn't sure if he could do this,

Erica felt like a mere observer, trying to slink herself out of the conversation to get to her house that was a mere five doors away, but when her mum noticed her, she crossed her arms stern, "Yes Erica, you're coming too," answering the question she knew she'd ask. Directing the boys to her car, she unlocked the door, hearing the girl grumble despite sliding into the front seat and placing her belt on.

Mike placed a hand on his chest; it was pounding hard, was that his heartbeat? It was like a drum, he wanted it to stop!

Why won't it stop?

And then, to make his day worse, a new sub-mission appeared before his eyes, the worse one yet:

[Sub-Mission: Who Is More Precious To You?]

[Q. Nancy Wheeler or Will Byers?]

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2952 Words

Stay Safe <3