Soulmate au for whatever pairing
i’m doing byeler because i’m sad and i can lol (sorry if you don’t watch stranger things! if you do, canon divergence pre-season two so you should be fine if you aren’t caught up
mike actually hasn’t thought about his soulmate much - he’s only fourteen, after all. he supposes he’ll find it, one day, but he’s not in any rush. besides, it’s not like his soulmate wouldn’t know - he doesn’t do anything to cover up his mark. it sits on his neck, in plain sight - a 20 sided die. he was destined to be a nerd.
will continues to hide his mark each day, because unlike mike, he has thought about it. mike’s is on his neck in plain view for everyone to see, and he doesn’t bother to cover it up like most people would. but will’s is on his elbow. much easier to cover it up.
he remember the first day he wanted to cover it up. he ran home from the first day of kindergarten, and he told his parents excitedly - he found his soulmate. mike wheeler. he was a little shy to tell mike that day, but he knew his parents would be excited.
his dad was going to hit him. he swear he was. he was yelling terrible words he’d never heard before, but an eight-year-old jonathan scooped him up and took him back to his room while his mom yelled and yelled and yelled. will cried for hours while jonathan pet his hair and told him it was okay, it was okay, it was okay. but will couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t.
they’re friends - best friends. mike is just happy to have someone to talk to that actually listens, unlike his sister (who doesn’t want to be seen with him) and his parents (who hear him, but don’t listen to him). will’s heart aches and stomach flutters every time mike even talks but - he can’t tell him. he just can’t.
it’s raining the day lonnie leaves. will breathes a slight sigh of relief, but he doesn’t tell jonathan. he allows his big brother to lock him away and build castle byers. it’s terrible. his mom cries. it’s home.
then, all the sudden, will is gone. the demogorgan, he said. it got me. that was the last thing he said. mike cries for two days straight.
eleven shows up, and mike feels almost immediately drawn to her. she’s a storm inside of a girl, she’s calm, she’s quiet. she reminds him of will. if she can help get him back, he’ll love her forever.
will’s body is found. joyce is devastated. mike can’t tell if he’s any better. but she goes to the morgue to see the body and - “that’s not my son,” she insists, staring determinedly at his body. mike, who she demanded be let in with her, frowns. “what do you mean?” she points to his elbow, which is bare. mike doesn’t understand at all.
the upside down. it all comes together like pieces of a puzzle. eleven helps them get will back, she helps kill the demogorgan. mike is sure that she’s his soulmate. he’s so glad at the prospect of having will back he even kisses her, and she kisses back.
everyone comes out okay, in the end. eleven goes home with hopper, of all people, and mike stops her on the way out. “hey,” he says. “do you have a mark?” she tilts her head, inquisitive, and holds up her wrist. he shakes his head. “no, no,” he says. “not your number. i mean…” he puts his fingers to his neck. she looks at it and frowns, unsure of what he means. when she turns to go, he sees at the nape of her neck, a pink lily. his heart breaks just a little.
mike, dustin, and lucas rush to the hospital. will is frail and tired, but he’s happy to see them at least. they excitedly fill them in, and will, exhausted, still smiles and listens to them. once they’re done, all finally tuckered out, will clears his throat. “hey, guys,” he says. they all immediately perk up, willing to do pretty much whatever will wants after this whole mess. “can i have a minute with mike?”
dustin and lucas glance at each other but shrug and excuse themselves. dustin pats mike on the back and lucas squeezes will’s hand before they leave. once the door closes behind them, mike smiles at will. “what’s up?”
will’s heart jumps in his chest. he’s afraid, but after what he’s gone through, he can’t stand to be quiet about it anymore. he reaches for the sleeve on his left arm and rolls it up. mike frowns, confused, but will motions for his hand. mike obliges and will brings mike’s hand to his elbow.
20 sided dice. mike can’t believe he never realized. he lets his fingers linger on the dice and then looks back up to will’s face, who’s watching him with expectant eyes. “got any room up there with you?” he asks. will smiles tentatively and moves over, enough so that mike can sit next to him. he reaches up and wraps his arm around will’s shoulders, will immediately melting into him. “i’m glad,” he murmurs. will hums questioningly, beginning to doze. “i’m glad that it’s you. you’re, like, my favorite person.” will’s smile is brighter than all the stars in the sky.
