Ao3 story (Why would you ever kiss me)

Part 6

Will touched just beneath his nose and he couldn't help his sharp intake of breath when he saw that his fingers came away with red on them. Blood. This had to be a coincidence. It had to be. Somehow.

But it couldn't have been. The only times he had ever gotten a nose bleed was when he'd lost control of his bike and crashed into a rose bush when he was eight. The other time being when he cried so hard that he broke the blood vessels in his nose, that had been an especially bad day.

Lucas and Mike didn't seem to really understand El's concern when she grasped Will's shoulders and examined the blood with intent eyes.

"What's wrong? Her nose usually bleeds." Mike said, having no idea just how unusual this actually was.

El looked up at Lucas, barely hiding her panic. "Sorry to cut this visit short, but we've got to go."

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Mike stepped towards them. "Is she okay?"

Will could hardly speak, he touched the trickle of blood again, it was still gushing, enough to start dripping down his lips.

El looked back at Will and after getting his attention she pointed to Mike with her eyes. Basically telling Will that he was the only one who could convince Mike that everything was alright. He tried to swallow down his panic before he spoke.

"I'm fine, Mike, I'm just a little tired after all that." Will's voice shook as he got through the words he needed to say. He felt like he was going to be sick, for real this time.

What had he done? Was what he saw of Max...real?

El ushered Will from the room, throwing a quick goodbye over her shoulder. When they were at the front of the hospital that's when Mike stopped them. They hadn't noticed him following them initially, so he must've caught up with them by taking the stairs.

"Please, tell me what's going on. The both of you—" Will and El shot terrified looks up at Mike. Had he finally discovered them? "—are acting weird. No. You've been weird. For the past couple of days."

El stepped forward. And as she moved to stand in front of him, Will saw her as a force of nature. She almost looked like her true self even under his guise. Like she was facing off another monster. But no, she was facing Mike. And lately, Will got the impression that El was just as afraid of Mike as all of the other monsters.

"You've been weird too, Mike. You've barely talked to me." El sounded pissed. And all Will could do was look at the concrete and hope that it split open and swallowed him whole. "And can you really blame us for acting 'weird'? We're the ones that Vecna is targeting now. Our lives are the ones at stake, not yours." El paused quickly to take a breath. "So, if you are going to continue to be an oblivious asshole, back off."

El put an arm around Will and walked him past Mike. Will couldn't bring himself to look at him.

"Oh." El turned quickly to look back at Mike. "And remember the day you came to California?" El waited for Mike's reaction before she continued. "It was my birthday. Just thought I'd remind you. You know, because we're best friends. "

Will ended up sitting on the back of his bike as El steered them home. And he was glad of it, because he wasn't sure if he would be able to do much of anything for a while. Neither of them spoke. But he was positive that the both of them were crying.

When they came up to the forest, they hid his bike in the bushes and walked in the direction of the cabin. On the way there they passed through a familiar clearing and that's when El finally spoke.

"I forgot too, Will. Your birthday. I'm so sorry. Joyce mentioned it a few days ago and it's been eating me alive. I'm so, so sorry." El was sobbing openly.