Mike Wheeler has been streaming for three years. He's got a routine, a solid following, and a reputation for being a little chaotic, a little loud, and a lot committed to his craft. What he doesn't have â according to his chat, his friends, and literally everyone who has ever watched him exist in the same room as his college roommate â is any chill whatsoever when it comes to Will Byers. Will Byers is tired. He's got a deadline, a painting that won't cooperate, a roommate who doesn't understand volume control, and absolutely no idea that thousands of people are about to watch him become the subject of the internet's newest favorite slow-burn romance.
Mikeâs cousin Richie is staying with Mikeâs family for a week and one night, will comes over for a sleepover. Richie, very shamelessly, flirts with Will. Aged up AU- theyâre juniors in high school.
Senior year at Hawkins High, the theater department is putting on its biggest production yet. Will Byers is the lead. He didnât plan to be. But somewhere between moving back from California, trying to figure out who he is, and needing somewhere to exist without feeling wrong, he ended up auditioning. And heâs⌠good. Really good. The stage becomes the one place he feels seen without having to explain himself. Meanwhile, Mike Wheeler isnât on stage at all. Heâs backstage. Lights. Soundboard.
Mike and Will are sent to stay together in the upside down as a chekpoint for Hopper. They set up camp in the Wheelerâs garage, unsure of just how long theyâll be cooped up there. One night, they get to talking about their pastâŚ