Expanding on this headcanon a little more because itâs to near and dear to me:
Itâs the 22nd of march 2021, and Mike just threw Will an incredible one on one party. heâd organised a video call with the others, and he cooks Will an elaborate birthday dinner with all of Willâs favourite dishes. Theyâre just on the sofa after, relaxing with a glass of whiskey each, talking about fond memories from college, when Will looks at mike and goes âI want to marry you.â out of the blue and mike turns to him a little shocked. theyâve spoken about marriage before, of course they have. They spoke about marriage when they were younger and Mike was Lucasâ best man at his wedding. They spoke about getting married when they were so full of spite for the law that made them feel lesser for their love, but they obviously couldnât marry then. And then by the time it was legalised, theyâd gotten over marriage as a concept. they exchanged promise rings in 1997. Had a little get together with their loved ones and then never told anyone why they called them over. But to Mike and Will, it was their own private little union. To them, that was their wedding. Even though it was never documented or no one except them knew.
Skip to 2022 and Will looks at Mike, who had been planning the perfect 50th birthday for him for almost two weeks now. Mike, who has planned almost every single birthday of Willâs since they were 6. Mike, who has loved him and made him feel safe for 45 years now. And heâs just struck by how much he wants to be able to call Mike his husband, even if itâs just a matter of legal papers because theyâre basically married. And as always, theyâre obviously on the same page because as soon as mike gets over the shock, he suggests that they get married on the 31st. Their shared birthday. Will thinks heâs not being serious, so he lets him know that he actually meant what he said about wanting to marry Mike even though they decided that getting married wasnât all that anyway. Mike says âAnd iâm serious about what I said as well. Letâs get married on the 31st. It can just be us and a few people we want there. Whatâs stopping us?â and now Will is the one shocked and a little excited.
The first people they call immediately is obviously Nancy and Jonathan to let them know theyâre getting married in a week and they need their help. Nancy and Jonathan donât hesitate to help one bit. they (especially Nancy) plan everything. the party and the Hawkins UD squad come together to celebrate Mike and Willâs wedding. Will cries for three whole minutes when he sees Mike at the altar. 15 year old Will wouldâve never believed his 50 year old selfâs fate. 15 year old Will wasnât even sure heâd live longer than 17 or 18 because of how rotten his luck was. But heâs the luckiest man on earth that day. And thatâs exactly what he tells Mike there in his vows.
In his vows, Mike says âimagine telling 12 year old Mike Wheeler that heâd be marrying an older man in the futureâ and everyone laughs. Will just goes âhey!â through tears because heâs still crying a little knowing that heâs marrying Mike Wheeler. This eventually becomes a joke that gets repeated every single year without fail on their anniversary. Nancy is so fucking stressed out that week leading up to the wedding because she basically plans the whole thing from scratch. When the wedding is done, sheâs like âNEVER make me plan something so suddenly again. not even your funeral.â and Mikeâs like âyes maâamâ. She even goes as far as ordering them custom gold wedding rings that look like the Ring of Power from the early 2000s Lord of the Rings trilogy because the party suggests it immediately after they find out about the sudden wedding. Mike and Will get very emotional about it and green light the idea. They get âcrazy togetherâ carved on it, but in Quenya. Itâs the dorkiest thing ever, but itâs so, so Will and Mike.
Joyce is much older and sicker at this point from the number of years the UD basically took away from her but this is the loveliest day sheâs had in a while. It takes her back to Hopper and her wedding in 1991. El and Jonathan stick with Hopper and Joyce all day and Will joins them after the festivities. The five of them have a heartwarming family reunion. Hopper tells mike âSo youâre officially a part of my family, huh. It only took you 37 years.â Karen Wheeler and Holly with her partner and child are there as well. Ted died in 2007, but Karen had left him in 1995 anyway. When he found out Mike was queer, he was unsurprised, disappointed, and always made sure to let Mike know that. Mike wouldnât have invited him to the wedding even if he were alive. Same as Will with Lonnie
Getting married at 50 was the best thing they ever did but the party always makes fun of them for how sudden the decision was. they call it their âmidlife crisisâ
