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29

Will the Watcher

Will Byers has watched Mike Wheeler his whole life.

He watches Mike Wheeler all through kindergarten. And Mike will never know it, but Will's heart gave a curious skip when Mike asked him to be friends. Will Byers wanted that too, but he was too shy to ask.

He watches Mike Wheeler in elementary school, when the two of them meet a kindhearted boy with wide eyes and an adorable toothless smile, who calls himself Dustin. They make plasticine fruits and practice cursive handwriting in their schoolbooks, and Will writes out the names of his friends-pages and pages of Mikes and Dustins. And Mike will never know it, but his name is written many more times than Dustin's.

He watches Mike a year later, as he punches Troy for calling the new kid, Lucas Sinclair, a n*gro. Lucas smiles at them in that wonderfully comforting way of his as he blinks away tears; Mike hands him a tissue and hugs him in an almost uncharacteristic show of affection. And Mike will never know, but Will Byers hated Lucas Sinclair for hugging Mike.
Will watches Mike Wheeler at his birthday party when he's had too much cake to eat. He grabs Mike, goes outside and runs all the way out into the sunset, just because they can. And Mike will never know, but that is the day Will starts daydreaming about dates at the diner and hand-holding through movies and candygrams on Valentine's Day.

Will watches Mike Wheeler in Hawkins Lab that terrible night when he feels like he's losing his mind, and there's a single moment when Mike looks deep into his eyes, past the monsters and the craziness and the terror of having killed people, and Will Byers knows that Mike loves him. And Mike will never know, but Will Byers remembered that gaze for many, many years.

He watches Mike Wheeler at the Snow Ball, and watches him kissing a strange girl in the blue dress. The look on Mike Wheeler's face is one that Will Byers has never seen-will never see. And Mike will never know, but Will cried in the bathroom for two hours until fiery, beautiful Max finds him and hugs him until he stops crying, the long red flames of her hair curling around them both.

He watches Mike Wheeler take her out on dates at the diner and hold her hand through movies, send her candygrams on Valentine's Day and kiss her many more times. And he watches Mike propose to her at Joyce and Hopper's wedding. Max grabs his hand without looking at him. And he has to hug El Hopper and give the "brother" talk to Mike, which sickens him because El should be the one giving it to Mike for him. And Mike will never know, but the tears he cried into El's short, soft hair weren't tears of happiness.

He watches Mike Wheeler scoop her into his arms after the ceremony and clutch her hand all through the reception. He watches the flowers and decorations and gifts that should have been his. He watches Mike sign the documents that make him Will's brother. And he watches them run away into the sunset. Just like the two of them had, many years ago.
Just like the two of them should have been doing now.

A single tear rolls down his face.

Mike made his choice.

Will Byers turns around and walks back inside.

He's done watching.

via pretty-bitching-poems