Mike wheeler one-shots

Little Do You Know

All credits to BewitchingNotes

Max is hurt by Billy once again, and she and El learn something about Mike that brings them all impossibly closer.
TW:CHILD ABUSE

To say everyone was worried when Max showed up to Joyce's with a black eye would be an understatement.

Calls were made, and the whole gang was over in minutes, preparing ice and trying to make her as comfortable as possible.

Max was curled up on the couch, a blanket thrown over her and a cup of cocoa in her still shaking hands.

"Here, this should help." Lucas held up the wrapped ice pack, and Max reluctantly allowed him to press it to her face gently.

"What happened?" El asked with worry.

Max took a deep breath. "It was so stupid...just Billy getting angry at nothing and taking it out on me as usual."

"You should stay here with us, mom won't mind." Will insisted gently. "Or with El and the chief, they could protect you and-"

Max huffed. "I'm not gonna do that, I can't, it's-"

"Embarrassing." Mike finished softly.

Max looked at him with surprise.

"Look I...I know it feels humiliating, like, like it makes you a coward or weak or afraid or something, but it doesn't. It's that thinking that he's counting on. There's nothing wrong with staying with a friend when it gets to be too much." Mike insisted.

Max's eyes narrowed. "Don't act like you know. You have no idea what I'm feeling and I'm so sick of people acting like they could ever have a clue."

Mike let out a breath. "Just trying to help."

"Well, I don't want or need your help," Max snapped, pushing Lucas' hand away from her face to remove the ice. "I don't want to hear your shit advice. Don't you DARE pretend to have any idea what I'm going through, do you hear me!?"

Mike refused to look at her, finding the floor very fascinating.

"I think that's enough-" Lucas tried to chime in gently, but Max ignored him.

"You could never understand what it's like!" Max hissed. "What with your perfect, happy little family. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO HOME AND WONDER IF YOU'LL BE OKAY!"

Dustin spoke up before he could help himself, shaking his head with a scoff. "You don't know what you're talking about. Just shut up."

"Dustin!" Lucas protested with wide eyes as Max choked out a gasp of offense.

"What!? We're supposed to sit here while she talks to Mike like that?" Dustin questioned angrily.

"Stop it." Mike muttered uncomfortably, getting a worried look from Will and confused looks from El and Max.

"You wanna know the truth?" Dustin asked.

"DUSTIN!" Mike protested.

But his protests went ignored as Dustin glared at Max. "Mike's father used to beat the crap out of him daily, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT his family can be considered a perfect or happy one."

Max and El's eyes went impossibly wide as they stared at the boys with genuine disbelief. They looked at Mike for answers.

But Mike was already running out of the house.

The second he was gone, Lucas smacked Dustin's arm. "What is wrong with you!? You made a promise. We said we'd never tell; you swore to it!"

Dustin looked torn before believing he was right, and believing he was wrong. "They're in the party too, they have the right to know."

"No, they don't." Will spoke up coldly, surprising them. "Because the only one who gets any say in who knows anything about Mike's life is Mike." With that, Will headed out of the house to go after Mike.

El looked positively horrified, she'd started shaking. "...They hurt him?" She asked as tears bubbled in her eyes.

Dustin and Lucas shared a look, before finally sighing.

"...Yeah...yeah they did."

"Mike talk to me, please." Will pleaded as he followed Mike out to the woods behind his house.

"Go away." Mike told him coldly, not slowing his pace.

Will ran to catch up to him. "Mike, there has never been anything you couldn't talk to me about, tell me what you're thinking, please."

This made Mike pause, he turned to face Will, who was looking at him with such caring eyes, full of nothing but love and support.

It wasn't a look Mike saw very often.

"I'm mad at Dustin, how could he share something that personal? Especially now, when Max is going through this. What if she feels like she can't bring her problems to us anymore because she'll be comparing her problems to mine? And in a way...Max is right, I don't know what it's like, because it wasn't Nancy who-" Mike cut himself off, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Nancy isn't the one who did those things to me. And it's...it's just different and I'm scared El isn't going to look at me the same anymore." Tears rushed down Mike's cheeks as he struggled to get the last part out.

"Okay...okay..." Will tugged him into a tight hug, heart breaking in two at Mike's sobs.

It wasn't often that Mike cried, because emotions made him weak, something that was beaten into him growing up that made Will genuinely angry.

Emotions were healthy, and good, and someone tried their best to take Mike's away.

"Mike?..."

The two broke their hug to see a tearful El and a concerned Lucas, Dustin and Max heading towards them.

Mike quickly wiped at his face. "Ugh, God, what is wrong with me?" He muttered.

"Nothing is wrong with you." Will whispered softly. "Emotions are good, remember?"

"...Yeah, they're good, they're good..." Mike mumbled under his breath.

El quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into another embrace. "I understand." She told him softly.

Mike smiled tearfully, hugging her back slowly. "I know you do..." He whispered.

"I'm sorry."

Mike and El broke their hug to look over at Max, who looked impossibly guilty. "I-I don't even know what else to say other than that...I just...you have siblings, your parents are married, I just...I assumed your life was great."

"It is." Mike admitted. "At least, it's better than it could be."

"Don't downplay what you went through." Dustin scolded.

"Sorry, sorry." Mike chuckled weakly. "Force of habit I guess."

El cupped his face gently in her hands. "You're safe now."

Mike grasped her hand with a fond smile. "I know. Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Max. "I meant what I said. I know how...embarrassing it feels, but it's not. We're here to help, so even though every bit of your body will be telling you to, try not to push us away too hard, okay?"

Max seemed to contemplate his words for a moment, before nodding softly. "...Alright, I'll try."

"...We should get back inside before mom freaks out." Will told them.

El wrapped an arm around Mike's shoulders, making him smile. The gang headed back into the house, feeling closer than ever.