WILL POV-

---- 10:54 AM ----

After the emotional reunion, the group of Joyce, Hopper, El and Jonathan sat in the living room as Will recounted his past. Nancy and Mike were nowhere to be seen; Will had seen Joyce earlier whisper something to them, to which they left the house returning with bags of unknown contents and a box. Now, only their footsteps could be heard around the house walking from room to room.

The living room remained shrouded in silence as the group hung onto every word Will was saying. He held onto El's hand tightly, drawing strength from their connection as he unravelled the story of his childhood.

Will told them of the dingy, dimly lit house Lonnie raised him, about the lies he had been fed about his mother, Joyce. Tears welled in his eyes as he sniffled, painting a vivid picture of abandonment and neglect; locked in the house his entire life and being made to believe his own mother didn't want him.

Joyce's heart ached with every word; her eyes filled with sadness for her son, yet pure rage toward Lonnie. She couldn't hold her tears learning of all the pain her Ex-husband has caused to her family.

With his trained experience as a police officer, Hopper pieced together the puzzle quickly. It became apparent that Lonnie, in a twisted way, kidnapped Will as a child keeping him hidden from the outside world for years. But the question on his mind was for what reason? Did Lonnie only want Will so he could make an identical version of himself? Or to get back at Joyce after the divorce? The past interviews hitting him as he realised the inconsistencies in Lonnie's stories; the overprotectiveness of his car trunk... but even then, there was no clear proof despite circumstantial evidence.

Joyce sat beside the brunette, placing a hand on his back promising never to let him out her sight again, a promise she never intended to break; she lost her baby boy once... she would never let it happen again.

He finished telling his story, the weight of heaviness leaving his chest; never in his life did he think this moment would happen. The weight of his history shared among his loved ones, and they all had varying levels of shock as they listened to his story... except for Hopper, who looked like he was ready to drive to Hawkins and kill Lonnie himself.

Suddenly, Mike entered the room Nancy by his side with a mysterious announcement, "It's done!" he cheered, the words hanging in the air. Everyone besides Will sharing knowing glances and smiles.

Joyce's smile grew wider as she turned her attention to Nancy and Mike passing a short nod of appreciation. The tall boy then walked over to the brunette, holding a blindfold; one usually used for sleeping, extending it in front of his face, "Here, put this on!"

"Oh great," Will quipped in a witty tone, rubbing his eyes, "I'm being kidnapped again." he chuckled, but took the blindfold because he trusted everyone in the house; they were his family after all.

Placing the blindfold on his eyes, he heard shuffling and whispered hushing as two hands grabbed his; one of Mike, and the other he assumed, was El. The pair took his hands, guiding him in complete darkness to the dining room,

"Keep the blindfold on," they instructed as they let go. Will complied, though he crossed his arms in a fake annoyance. He couldn't be angry today even if he tried; he was way too euphoric and amazed by everything. He was curious about what was happening but decided to play along.

Then, his mother's voice broke the silence, "You can take the blindfold off now!"

The brunette removed the blindfold scanning the room; he saw decorations, it was clear something special was happening. His eyes adjusted to the lights, seeing his name written in banners along with the words 'Happy Birthday'

"Suprise!" they all shouted in unison and Will was genuinely taken aback.

"But- but my birthday was on Friday..." Will protested, feeling both touched and confused by this unexpected celebration.

El smiled, seeing confusion written on his face stepped forward to explain, "We know Will, but we wanted to celebrate it with you anyway even if it's a little late. Consider it a 'Welcome Home' and 'Belated Birthday' party rolled into one!" she warmly continued to whisper, "It was all Mike and mum's ideas!" she winked, seeing Mike who bashfully turned away embarrassed.

It touched him to his core appreciating the way his family were treating him; he felt a warm and gushy feeling rush through him. He hadn't expected any of this.

Next, the lights dimmed as Nancy and Jonathan approached the table with a cake adorned with colourful candles the words 'Happy Birthday Will' written atop it in yellow icing... his favourite colour. As they set it on the table, Will couldn't help but chuckle. The cake looked delicious, and the candles shimmered with a warm, inviting glow. He had never had a birthday party before; not one he could remember of course. He remembered buying himself a cupcake with a candle for his eighteenth birthday... of course Lonnie forgot as usual.

He snapped out his thoughts as the room erupted into a chorus of "Happy Birthday,"

"Blow out the candles, Bunny," the ravenette smiled warmly.

With a feeling of joy and a touch of disbelief, Will leaned over the cake taking a deep breath, blowing out all the candles while everyone cheered.

Joyce leaned in, giving her son a tight squeeze, "We missed you so much. But we're going to make up for it. You're home now!"

But the surprises weren't over yet as Mike with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, approached, "I've got something special for you," he said, stepping forward and getting on one knee. The small boy panicked; not again! He hoped Mike wasn't proposing once more, not after telling him otherwise.

However to his relief, Mike reached for Will's shoe tying the brunette's laces with a playful grin. Will blinked, amusement washing over that Mike was, in fact not proposing again.

Then, with a playful bounce, the ravenette sprang back to his feet, and his cheerful demeanour suggested something else was in store. Since Mike was the one on decoration and cake duty earlier, he was able to go to the store and pick a gift for the brunette.

"Here you go! Now here's your gift for real!" he smiled, picking up a bag from under the table and handing it to the brunette with almost childlike excitement as he began to ramble, "I, uh, hope you like it. I mean, I wasn't entirely sure if you'd, you know, like it, but I thought, 'Hey, why not give it a shot?' so yeah, here it is,"

Will looked up at Mike, a soft smile painting his face and he couldn't help but chuckle at his boyfriend's nervousness. It was endearing to see the ravenette stumble over his words like this.

Carefully, Will reached into the bag pulling out its contents to reveal a sketchbook and an assortment of colouring supplies. His eyes widened in genuine appreciation, turning to Mike who bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. It was clear Mike had been listening to everything the brunette had been saying in the car and put thought into his gift even if he didn't understand Will's passion for art.

"Mike, this is amazing!" the small boy said sincerely, "I love it."

The ravenette's face lit up, "Really?" he replied, his voice bashful, "I wasn't sure you'd like it... I- I don't know much about art."

Will's smile grew even wider, and he nodded, "It's perfect Mike. It means a lot to me."

The tall boy audibly let out a sigh of relief, pushing out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Then he gently intertwined Will's fingers with his, placing a tender kiss to the brunette's forehead. He whispered softly, "Happy belated birthday, bunny."

After the gentle moment, Mike made his way to the table, tugging the brunette behind him to one of the chairs surrounding the table. The ravenette pulled out one of the chairs, gesturing him to take a seat. Will complied, sitting down with a chuckle, feeling amused and cherished as the tall boy tucked in his chair as well, before taking the seat beside him.

As Will shuffled in his seat, El sprang out of nowhere, placing a colourful party hat atop his head. The party hat consisted of a yellow base, with blue poka-dots and fit on his head with help of a string, "Looking fresh!" she chuckled, turning back to talk to Nancy.

Will's smile softened as Mike crept his hand over intertwining fingers once again. The tall boy gave his hand a squeeze, a smile mirroring that of a child after his first kiss; filled with adoration and admiration.

The brunette's eyes glistened green as he looked around the table, seeing people who cared about him. El, Jonathan, Nancy, Hopper, and, of course, his boyfriend Mike and his mother, Joyce. It was a moment he dreamt for years, and now it was real.

He couldn't have asked for a better birthday... even if it was belated. 

----THE END----

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1625 Words

I apologise but this is the last chapter! I am never good at ending stories, Sorry <3

I guess there is nothing left for me to say for this book

I will be back eventually with another book; the plot, cover, and vibes have already been established! All I need to do now is write the darn thing LOL. I shall only spoil the name; 'Don't Be A Dingus'

Anyways I hope everyone has enjoyed this book, and check out my other books; maybe you'll find your new fave

AND THANK YOU DEAR READER FOR GETTING THIS FAR!!!

Love you all, and as always

Stay Safe <3