Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
<•>
"I have something to tell you guys."
Will sighs, nervously fidgeting with his fingers. He sits in front of the party, his mom, Jonathan, Nancy, and Robin. A bead of sweat trails down his forehead.
All geared up, they wait for him to speak. He said he had something really important to tell them. He said no others, only them. They're the only ones who he feels really need to know. His closest loved ones. His mom, his brother, his basically sister (Nancy), his gay mentor (Robin), and his best friends in the whole wide world.
"I... I haven't told any of you this because... because... because I don't... I don't want you to see me differently." his voice trembles as he speaks. He fidgets with his jacket sleeve, unable to look at anyone, staring down at his lap. "But, uhm..."
Joyce sits beside Will on his right, paying attention to every word he has to say. Ethan sits closest to him on his left. He reaches a hand out to him, resting it over one of his own to help him not begin picking at his nails, an old anxiety thing Will used to do. He's gotten better, but Ethan knows him like the back of his hand, no matter if he wants to admit it or not. He still does it sometimes when he's really nervous like this.
Even after sort of falling apart and mending themselves back together, Ethan knows Will like no one else. It's not something he even realizes. It just sort of... is.
Will feels a soft shiver trail up his spine. He feels his face grow warm, and his stomach starts to twist. It paces between good and bad. It's so confusing. So disgusting. It makes his stomach churn and jumble into knots.
"The- the truth is..." Will stutters, tears welling in his eyes. He's so fucking scared. This is make or break. He feels like the whole world might tumble down on him. If it does, he's just glad he was the one to tell them. Not Vecna. "I... I am different. I just tried to pretend like I wasn't because... because I didn't want to be. Not... not different like this. I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be like my friends, and... And I am like you."
Ethan smiles, giving him a reassuring nod. He has a small gut feeling he knows where this may go.
"I'm like you in almost every way," Will nervously chuckles, looking over at Ethan, Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. "We... we like playing D&D late into the night. And-and we like that old person smell in Mike's basement. And-and we like biking to Melvald's for milkshakes. And we like getting lost in the woods, and-and getting lost in Family Video arguing about what to rent and settling on Holy Grail for the millionth time."
Robin watches on like a proud mother, tears in her eyes, much matching Will. She feels like she could just get up and hug him now. The boys share smiles, recollecting memories they'd made together.
But Ethan notices something no one else seems to. Melvald's hasn't sold milkshakes since before they were even born. Melvald's is a general store, not a diner. Maybe this is just some small mistake, Will mixing up his mom's old workplace with Dairy Queen or something. But... some gut feeling makes Ethan want to think otherwise.
