Don't Be A Dingus; Byler ✔️

6- Unexpected Hero

WILL POV-

---- Next day: 7:52 AM ----

As the night passed and a new dawn arose, the sun painted the sky as another day of school was upon them. He was all alone in the house; El and Jonathan had left early so Will was left to bike. The day was standard so far; Mike doesn't normally wait for Will, merely waiting for El and leaving immediately. The brunette didn't care about that. Honestly, he liked biking on his own and really didn't want to hear El and Mike's weird way of flirting.

Stealing his bike form the porch, Will pedalled his way through the streets of Hawkins; he couldn't help but feel a bit isolated even if he had Robin now as a 'girlfriend'. His mind always wandered, especially since he ventured deeper into his adolescence hiding his true self from people seemed increasingly complex. He was different, and in a world where being different was a liability he couldn't help but still feel an outsider; he wished he could be unconditionally loved in a parallel universe; where he was allowed to be who he wanted.

He thought of Mike and El, always having a deep connection with one another that seemed unbreakable. Their bond was beautiful; something he admired, seeing the way Mike would treat El, buying her flowers, taking her to and from school and knowing how she was feeling with just one glance... it just served to show how lonely he really was.

He felt unworthy of love; he always told himself he would find someone when he was older but... would he? He honestly stopped believing in such long ago; now he was just distracting himself to make the surviving more bearable.

But with a sigh he shook his head, casting those thoughts immediately out his mind; the brick walls of the school building came into view, students surrounding the entrance and gates of the school.

But upon reaching the school bike racks, the ravenette was waiting, blocking the place the brunette usually locked his bike; almost as if he was reserving it for him. He took in the rare sight; El wasn't by his side.

"Hey Will!" Mike waved the moment he caught sight of the brunette.

"Oh hey, Where's El!" Will sighed... did they break up again? It seemed like the only time they were apart was when they were broken up and Mike would come grovelling back to Will asking for guidance... it was cute the first time.

"Oh, she's... over there; talking to Jennifer." the tall boy gestured to the doe-eyed girl chatting animatedly to a girl with long blonde hair; Jennifer Hayes. The same girl Lucas and Dustin tried setting Will up with.

The small boy nodded, understanding why El wasn't with Mike, however what caught his attention was the palpable awkwardness radiating from the ravenette; unmoving, not acting like he usually was.

"Mike... could you move out the way? You're blocking the bike racks," Will requested.

"Oh, sure, sorry," The tall boy muttered, awkwardly shuffling to one side as Will proceeded to lock his bike. As the brunette worked on securing his bicycle, he couldn't help but notice Mike's discomfort that seemed to escalate with each passing second. "So, umm, what did you and Robin do after you left the arcade yesterday?"

The brunette paused for a second, his fingers momentarily stopping their task. Mike's question appeared innocent, but there was something about the way he asked that felt... off.