Secret Moments-Byler

1.

This is also on AO3 under the same name, written by ur_ur_ur_mom

Will stared up at the ceiling in his room of the house he hadn't yet grown to love.He missed his old home. He missed the sound of the old window that didn't shut all the way and sometimes creeped him out enough to go sleep on the couch instead. He missed the long bike rides he'd take when he just felt like he needed time alone. He even missed the cold, wet weather in the winter. He missed home.

California was nice, he supposed, but it wasn't Hawkins. The new house didn't have the crack in his bedroom window. The streets didn't have the comfort they did in Hawkins. It wasn't home. As much as his mom tried to make it feel so, he knew this place could never be home. And she did too.

With the shine of the bright California sun shining in his face, Will tossed the blanket off of himself and slid so his legs were hanging over the edge of the bed. He let his bare feet touch the cold, wood floor, almost shivering at the touch. He rose, stretching a bit as he did. He had grown a lot this year and sometimes his back hurt from the sudden change. The clock on his nightstand read nearly 11:30. It was Saturday so sleeping in wasn't an issue. It was rare, though, to see Will sleep so late, though he was mostly in and out of sleep the last few hours, daydreaming and thinking.

He went to his drawers, grabbing a random t-shirt that would work for his walk to the kitchen. He slipped it on, taking a look at it as he did. It was a hand-me-down from Jonathan. Most of his clothes were though, so this really didn't matter much to him. He opened the door, almost immediately hearing his family from the main rooms of the home. Joyce was on the phone, working. Jonathan was getting ready for his shift at his job. El was making something in the kitchen, which would probably end in a mess that Will would probably clean up. These were just his predictions from the sounds he heard and as he walked down the hall to the kitchen and living room, he found these predictions to be correct. Jonathan was almost ready, slipping his shoes on as Will walked in. Joyce was on the phone, at the desk she had placed in the living room just for her work. El- or Jane- was trying to cook something that Will couldn't quite make out. She was distracted as she was doing so, opening a freshly received letter from the pile of mail that had surely just arrived.

"New letter?" Will asked, looking over to the stove and seeing that she was trying to make a grilled cheese.

"Yes. A new letter from Mike." El smiled a little dulley. Will nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. "That's nice. How... How is Mike?" He asked.

"He is good..." El said, which didn't seem genuine. It seemed as if she had more to say but Will wouldn't push it.

"Did you put any kind of spread on this?" Will laughed, seeing how badly the sandwich was cooking.

"Spread?" El put the letter down, looking back at her brother. "Like butter or mayonnaise? It helps it cook." Will explained. "Oh." El said, shaking her head. "I didn't know."

"It's alright, El. I'll make you a new one." Will assured, going to the fridge and grabbing the mayo.

"Thank you, Will." El smiled, folding the letter back up and placing it in the envelope. If Will was honest, this upset him. Constantly, El was getting letters from Mike and calls from Max. Will had none of that. Besides an every once and again phone call from Lucas and Dustin. It wasn't frequent though. He still appreciated it. So much more than he realized.

"I'm heading off to work." Jonathan's voice called from his spot by the door.

"Okay, honey. Be safe." Joyce said, removing the phone from her ear for a minute to say this.

Both El and Will said goodbye before Jonathan left. El walked out of the kitchen, going to her room and shutting the door. She seemed upset; Will could tell. He would talk to her when he finished their lunch.