"EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE" Will Byers x Reader

The Spy// chapter 17

Y/n's POV 

'It's like... It's like I feel what the shadow monster's feeling.' Will describes to Mike as Joyce hurries around the house, trying to identify the remaining blue marks on the walls. 'See what he's seeing.' 

'Like in the Upside Down?' Mike asks, leaning forward slightly as he walks around the room. Will's face glistens with sweat and his blue shirt is misty. He's hunched over on his bed, the expression on his face pure concentration. 

'Some of him is there. But some of him is here, too.' Will answers. 

'In this house?' I ask, adjusting my position beside him. 

'In this house and...' Will's voice breaks. 'In me. It's like... It's like he's reaching into Hawkins more and more. And the more he spreads, the more connected to him I feel.' His eyes drift towards the floor. 

'And the more you see these now-memories.' Mike says, his eyes still on Will. 

'At first I just felt it in the back of my head.' Will puts a hand to the back of his neck. 'I didn't even really know it was there. It's like when you have a dream and you can't remember it unless you think really hard.' He hesitates.  'It was like that. But know it's like... Now I remember. I remember all the time.' Will's gaze raises to the wall in front of him. 

'Maybe...Maybe that's good.' Mike suggests. 

'Good?' Will echoes with a hint of disbelief. 

'Just think about it, Will. You're like a spy now. A superspy.' Mike grins. 'Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's seeing and feeling...maybe that's how we can stop him.' 

'As long as it doesn't result in Will getting hurt, Michael.' I add warningly. 'You aren't suggesting he purposefully spy?'

Mike shakes his head. 'I just mean, maybe all of this is happening for a reason.' 

Will looks back at me, then at Mike. 'You really think so?' 

'Yeah. Yeah, I really do.' Mike replies. 

Both boys stop talking and glance towards the drawing of the monster on Will's chair. A certain ominous feeling hangs over it, and the picture suddenly looks threatening. A warning. 

'What if he figures out we're spying on him?' Will murmurs, sniffling. 'What if he spies back?'

'He won't.' Mike says firmly. 

'How do you know?' Will grimaces. 

I place a hand over Will's. 'We won't let him.' 

....

We sit like that for an unknown amount of time. 

'I'm worried about him,' Mike whispers to me after Will goes to talk to Joyce. 'He's....he seems more fragile than normal.' 

I sigh. 'I know. I'm worried too.' 

'I just wish things didn't have to be so hard.' Mike mutters, his lip twitching. I pull him into a hug that only lasts a few seconds. 

'El's alive though.' I point out. 'Not everything is such a tragedy. Maybe it's a sign that things'll work out in the end.' 

'I hope so.' 

Will's anxious voice startles me from the other room. Mike and I look at each other, running into the living room. 

'I saw him.' Will's saying to Joyce. 

'You saw who, baby?' Joyce asks worriedly. 

'Hopper. I think he's in trouble.' Will says. 'I think he's going to die.' 

'Where is he?' Joyce asks. 'Where's Hopper?' 

Will paces around the room for a few minutes, glancing around at all the walls. Then he pulls out a piece of paper and begins scribbling a bunch of lines in brown and blue. 

'We have to find where it fits.' I say to Mike, looking at the walls. 

'Hey, is this where you saw him?' Joyce whispers, leaning over Will. 'Is this where you saw Hopper?' 

'I think so. Yeah.' Will says. 

'Okay.' Joyce says softly. She takes the paper, searching around the house for where it fits. 

'Here!' Mike shouts. 

'Okay, so... so Hopper is here?' Joyce says. 

'Yeah. Now we just need to find out where here is, right?' Mike agrees. 

'Right.' 

'Did he say anything? I mean, before he left?' Mike asks. 

Joyce sighs. 'Uh, some...something about vines?' 

The sound of a car causes Mike and Joyce to look up at the window. 

'Hopper.' Joyce trails off. 

It's not. It's Bob. 

'Surprise.' Bob's cheery voice says from the doorway. 'I would've called, but you said not to clog up the line.' 

'You know, I... We're fine, we don't need anything.' Joyce tries politely. 

'When I was sick as a kid, and I was sick all the time as a kid, nothing made me feel better than focusing on these brain teasers.' Bob says. 

'Those are great. Ah...' Joyce sighs. 

'I could teach him how to play.' Bob suggests. 

'You know, he's sleeping.' 

Thunder rumbles overhead. 

'Okay. I could wait with you?' 

Joyce sighs again. 'Listen, it's just not a good time. But, um, you know what? I'll call you, okay?Thank you.'

'You sure?' 

'Yeah.' 

'Well, have him call me. They don't call me Bob the Brain for nothing.' Bob chuckles. 

Joyce gasps. 'Bob!' 

'That's my name.' 

...

'Huh. Hmm.' Bob remarks, glancing around at the glowing lines. 'How- what's making it glow like that?' 

'I... I told you the rules.' Joyce stutters. 'No questions, okay?' 

'Yeah.' 

'We... we just need you to help us figure out what...' Joyce walks away. 'Bob? Bob?' 

He follows her. 

'Over here.' 

Joyce points at the paper Will drew. 

'Where... where this is. That's the objective. Find the X.' 

'Yeah? What's at the X? Pirate treasure?' Bob chuckles. 

'Bob, no questions.' 

Okay.