heyy, here’s a little 1070-ish word self-indulgent thing about mike and nancy and the vanishing of (sibling) wheeler! sorry! i couldn’t stop myself! hope you enjoy, you get this first, ao3 gets it in the morning if I have the will to format by then lmao hope you like
“BULLSHIT!”
Mike sensed, more than heard, Nancy slam the door behind them. The glass rattled bad, but no one followed them out, so at least there was that. He made it to the edge of the porch, and Nancy’s hand fisted in the back of his shirt, yanking him back.
“Stupid little shit,” she groused, steering him to the stairs (which he hadn’t realized he was about five feet from) and marching him down. He shrugged her off as soon as it wouldn’t damage his windpipe, and barely held off from damaging some other part of his body by elbowing her. The memory of what had just happened was still too fresh.
Nancy apparently agreed, letting slip a little huff as she marched off into the woods. Mike followed her, at a respectful distance, anger still burning white-hot and blinding behind his temples. He was getting a headache.
Either she comes back alive, or Holly is already…
Murray was going to burn for that. Mike was going to burn him. He had to drag him into the Upside Down, and leave him there tied to a tree. Several trees, in pieces. That was his fucking little sister, damn it…
All of a sudden, Nancy screamed, at the top of her lungs, and turned to kick a tree. She flailed when she bounced back, running smack into Mike’s chest and nearly knocking them both over. He managed to stay standing, pushing her back the other way to counter the momentum, and that had Nancy whirling and grabbing his arm.
Except, she wasn’t mad. She was strangling his bicep like an evil snake, but her face was more…lost.
Mike was speechless. He didn’t know what to do with this sister acting like this.
Gently, Nancy ran her fingers through his hair, ruffling his curls gently. “Idiot,” she scolded, but it was quiet. “Watch your step.”
Mike bit his lip. “Your mouth moves too much when you talk,” he bit back, not sure why.
She smiled, suddenly, and her whole face lit up. His sister’s eyes crinkled, an old trait, and something in his chest caught.
Their sister was out there, alone, alive, somewhere, she was too little, she was still just a baby…
He knew his face must’ve crumpled, because Nancy was pulling him into a hug. Her arms wound around his back, fingers clawing into his favorite blue sweater.
Mike let himself accept the hug, sinking into her shoulder with a quiet, shaky breath. She held him for a while, almost like she didn’t want to let go. He let himself believe that was true. That, maybe—even though he was a lot more of a pest, and definitely a pain—his big sister still loved him sort of like he loved Holly.
“We’ll get her back, Mike,” Nancy promised, her nails digging into him even harder. “You and me, and everyone else. He can just go fuck himself.”
Mike hissed a laugh. “That’s gay,” he joked, earning a sharp pinch to the ribs. He jerked back, glaring, but she was returning the glare.
“Michael,” Nancy stressed, “we agreed.”
“Agreed what?” He wracked his brain, trying to remember.
Oh. Nancy had told him something funny earlier? Well. Implied.
Mike just rolled his eyes.
She blew out a sharp huff, shoulders slumping. “No more reasons to draw attention, Mike. If you can’t be nice about—gay people, can’t you at least pretend?”
“Fine,” he agreed, folding his arms. “I’m not not nice, Nancy. But fine.”
“We need to be on the same page,” she stressed, backing off easily. “Just be nice. For Holly.”
“For Holly,” he agreed, glancing off into the trees.
They were nice trees. Pretty. Strong. He wondered if it would hurt to kick one.
“Don’t,” Nancy muttered, and Mike hadn’t even seen her mouth move. He glanced over. She was frowning, a little. “Limbs to yourself.”
He wanted to laugh. That was awfully hypocritical of her, after just giving him a hug, but he understood. He thought. “I wasn’t going to,” he argued, but Nancy just crossed her arms.
“Of course not,” she agreed, because that was what she always did.
Nancy—this was Nancy, and Holly was gone, but they would find her. Together, with their friends, they were going to rescue her, and then the three Wheeler brother and sisters were going to live out the rest of their days in relative quiet. He and Nancy were always going to pull each others’ hair, get on each others’ last nerve over nothing, but she was his big sister. They were both usually going to get along with Holly, but she was so much younger than them, and it was sort of easy to pull her along in that he knew he was only lovingly getting judged.
Mike loved them, he couldn’t stand them, sometimes he couldn’t stand to see them succeed. But he needed his sister back in a way that felt like a hole was constantly burning through his chest.
“We’ll get her back,” he breathed, assuring himself as much as anyone. “She’s okay. If she wasn’t, Will would have felt it.”
Nancy gave him a funny look, but she didn’t say anything.
“Come on,” she said instead, turning to head back to the house. But not to the cabin. To their house.
“Is this a good idea?” he said dryly, even as his heart jumped.
“I don’t give a shit,” Nancy assured him, weaving her way through the forest.
Mike decided to follow. He still didn’t feel like going back, yet, and walking out their anger would probably do them good. Besides, they could look for clues, on the way.
“Nance?” he asked, falling into step behind her with his hands tapping his thighs.
“Hm?” she said, absently.
“I.” He swallowed, determined to get it out. “Thanks. For You know. Things.”
Nancy didn’t say anything for a moment, and he thought she wasn’t going to. That would be fine. But—
“What else are sisters for,” she said quietly, leading the way.
And Mike. Mike had never been more glad to have a sibling like that, ever. He reached out and touched her arm, briefly, just a thank-you.
She tapped his fingers as he released her, softly. Nancy knew. They could count on each other, no matter what.
Once a Wheeler, always a Wheeler. Holly was no exception. Soon enough, they would prove it, and be able to truly say it.
Mike, Nancy, and Holly had each other. They would get her back.
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