"Want some?" Mike turned to Will with green grapes in hand. Will nodded eagerly and Mike plopped a grape in Will's mouth.
"How is it?" Mike asked in almost a whisper, Nancy observed from the kitchen as her brother softly spoke to the smaller boy next to him on the couch.
"Little sour.." Will responded but with a smile nonetheless
"Hey..mom?"
"Yes Nancy?"
Karen was placing groceries away in the fridge as Nancy stood next to the counter, her face leaning on her cheek as she watched the two younger boys.
"Have you ever noticed how Mike acts around Will? He's different.."
"What do you mean?"
"Hmm..like when he's with Dustin or Lucas he'll be more rough and they push each other around y'know it's just different from how he treats Will. He's so gentle with Will, never raises his voice, very touchy, sweet, and the list goes on mom!"
"Oh. I see what you mean now Nancy. I would've thought you noticed this by now."
"Noticed what?!"
"You know Will is...different,yes?"
"Well..yes but different how?"
"I believe your brother is also different."
Nancy turned to both boys, glancing down at Mike's hand which lied on top of Will's hand. Mike looked up to be met with his sister's eyes.
Will noticed this and quickly shook Mike's hand off his own and took a grape from the bag in Mike's hand. Mike turned to Will and slightly frowned before scooting farther away from Will on the couch. Nancy didn't know how to feel. Of course she loved and supported her brother but she felt betrayed, why didn't Mike tell her?
She could also feel a pit of guilt in her stomach seeing as the two boys place distance between each other only because she was looking.
She knew Mike and her weren't that close but oh how Nancy wished sometimes that her brother would just talk to her and be open.
She let herself think that it was her fault for always pushing him away when they were younger. For always slamming the door in Mike's face, for always yelling at him for any mistake made, for never listening to him talking about his friends and school, for giving him half assed advice and not listening to his problems, for not letting him borrow anything, even for only acting sweet when Karen was around. Nancy could see it all now, she answered her own question. No wonder Mike didn't come to her anymore.
Mike was no longer sweet with Nancy, the had very few moments where they actually got along. Mike was no longer the sweet six year old boy wanting to tell Nancy about his day and getting the door slammed in his face in return, he was now the twelve year old boy shouting at Nancy to leave the basement as he and his friends played dnd. He was the twelve year old boy who only talked to Nancy when it was mandatory. Though under the same roof, sometimes they'd go days without speaking.
"I haven't heard Mike talk in a hushed voice like that in years.." Nancy's eyes were glossy almost like those of a porcelain doll.
"Yeah he doesn't talk like that often does he? Me and Joyce noticed that, we call it Michael's Will voice."
"His Will voice?"
Nancy turned back to see Karen closing the fridge and dusting herself off as she rose from her knees. She sighed in content and walked over to the counter opposite side from Nancy, "The boys were in kindergarten. Your brother and Will were sitting next to each other during an award ceremony and the teacher called Will's name for 'Academic Excellence Award.' Mike is Will's number one supporter so he got exited and shouted excitingly as he went in for a high five. Instead of having a normal reaction Will flinched and put his arms up almost as if in defense...you know about the Byers past with Lonnie right?"
Nancy's eyes widened and watered in realization of what the poor little boy had to go through. She couldn't even imagine how Will felt the second a hand was raised to him...
"So-"
"Your brother took notice of this obviously and quickly realized his mistake. He brought Will into a hug and apologized in a soft voice. Ever since then he never raises his voice to Will and is very gentle with the fragile boy. Though Mike takes notice of how Will doesn't like being treated differently so he's still playful with him just like the other boys, he's just more careful with him."
Nancy never knew how tender her brother could be until she saw him with Will. She turned back to the couch to find Will and Mike sitting just as close as before and trying to catch grapes in their mouth, she noticed how her brother watched as Will giggled. Mike was always smiling when he was with Will. Will was always smiling when he was with Mike. Mike was always sad when Will was sad. Will was always sad when Mike was sad. But through it all Mike kept a brave face to protect Will and make him feel safe.
She was proud of her brother and she hoped that maybe one day they would be closer and get along, she hoped more than anything that Mike would forgive her and maybe even tell her about him and Will.
a/n: I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! i may or may not have put my heart and soul into this one :')
