sincerelysarge
its the summer after the party's first years in college. they're all back in hawkins for the summer.
mike has been healing, partying, writing. he writes letters to el and never sends them, so they pile up in the corner of his desk. his hair is shaggier. he's going to college two hours away from Hawkins. every holiday, he drives himself home. every holiday, he sees his best friend of thirteen years. every night, he lies awake and wills the twisting in his stomach to die away. its funny how that feeling only comes up when will's face crosses his mind.
will is thriving at art school. he's being himself, finally living. its been hard, losing el, but he knows he's always with him. will goes out every weekend with his boyfriend, carlton. they dance and they love. will has never had a chance to love like this before, and its beautiful. he paints furiously, sketches wildly -- sometimes carlton is his muse. sometimes, its a certain paladin who's black hair reminds him too much of his boyfriend. this puts will to thinking, and suddenly, things change.
now, mike and will are home for the summer and the party has decided its only right to spend every waking moment of the next three months together. it their first summer free of monsters and death, so why not enjoy it the best they can?
only, mike has another kind of monster chasing him. the one in his head, telling him that every thought he thinks needs to be crushed into a million little stars, and the one in his heart that catches those stars and turns them into wildfire flames when he sees his best friend's face.