#byler ficlet
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Yknow what ? I think Byler getting Murray’d would be more heartfelt than anything else.
Because like-
Murray doesn’t just call out Jopper and Jancy because it’s obvious. He points it out because he knows they’re being stupid. In their cases, it’s really just them not communicating their feelings to one another and trying to pretend they don’t exist.
But with Byler it’s like…it’s different.
Because it’s not just that is it? We’re not just watching two people pine over one another whilst being oblivious to the fact they other likes them back. We’re not just looking at two people who can’t communicate well. There’s more to it.
Because they’re two boys who have been best friends since childhood. They grew up at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. They live in a small town and they’re expected to act a certain way. It’s different for them.
I don’t think Murray is gonna waltz in acting all holier than thou and essentially out both Mike and Will to one another. He’s a smart man as we’ve seen. He’s attentive. He doesn’t just call jancy and jopper out to prove a point he knows what they both need to hear so they can get over their miscommunication hurdle.
I think he’s going to go up to them. Either both or just Mike or Will or whatever, and he’s going to talk to them about it. Because that’s what they need. They need someone to talk to them about it. And I don’t think he would start with just directly talking about it. I think he (and this is me headcanonning Murray as queer) would open up first. Like about his own experiences- to show them that he gets it, and he knows what it’s like. And then he would casually bring up the whole byler thing.
Hmmm something along the lines of...
Okay– picture a conflict Mike Wheeler sitting by himself – either on the couch or on the floor or whatever. And, he’s stuck in his head. A lot had happened. He broke up with El and he’s struggling to grasp what he’s feeling about his best friend. And there's this…weird tension between them that– he just– he can't put his finger on. But they’re off. They aren’t clicking like they used to and Mike can’t seem to fix things.
So he sat alone, trying to understand or comprehend whatever he’s feeling whilst everyone else is god knows where in the house. Will was in the kitchen though. Mike knew that much. And then suddenly, he felt a weight on the couch seat next to him or the space on the floor beside him was no longer there and he heard the words of Murray Bauman pull him out of his thoughts with the weirdest fucking ice-breaker he has ever heard.
“Y’know…I was like you when I was younger.”
“Really?” Mike asked – mostly out of disbelief as he scanned Murray. No way. Not a chance.
“Oh yeah…” Murray smiled, nodding to himself as he continued. “I know it's hard to believe it, but I was this…brash, stubborn, reactive teen who loved going against authority. I was very...headstrong in my beliefs.”
He paused and Mike turned to him. Murray had his head down, looking at his lap silently, and Mike didn’t know what to do but watch or…more– listen to the silence.
“And…I was also in my head a lot.” Murray looked up, turning to Mike once before looking forward again. “I was angry at things – at people and at myself because…no matter how much I pretended like I loved being a freak…a part of me hated that I wasn’t normal…”
Mike felt cold. His heartbeat raced as he turned away from Murray – facing forward and staring at his lap as he continued to listen.
“Yeah?”
“Oh yeah…I was-- going through a lot of stuff internally that I tried pretending didn’t exist.” He paused again – taking a deep breath. “I was…in love with someone who I didn’t want to be in love with.”
“...You were?”
“Yeah…” Murray laughed to himself. “Yeah…it was– well he was…my best friend.”
Mike held his breath.
“I fell for him. And I was mad at myself for falling for him. Because even though I knew it wasn’t wrong…I just kept thinking about how I wasn’t supposed to like him. Because that’s not normal– Well ‘normal.’” Murray airquoted, rolling his eyes. Mike’s eyes were glued onto him at this point.
“So…I grew angrier. And I took it out on myself. On him. Even though he didn’t deserve it. Even though I loved him– I just..I let my fear get the better of me and I pushed him away until I lost him…And I hated myself for doing that.” He breathed, another pause, before finally turning to Mike. “It took me a long time to realise that there was nothing wrong about loving someone.”
Murray tilted his head towards the direction of the kitchen as he raised his eyebrows – and it clicked to Mike.
“I..” Mike’s throat felt dry. “You know?”
“I had a hunch.”
“Is it obvious? Does he–”
“No, he doesn’t know. Your secret's safe with me, kid.”
“Okay– good.” Mike paced his breathing. “I just…I– I can’t lose him because of this. If he knew– if– if he knew he would–”
“He’s your best friend right?” Murray cut him off.
“What? Yes but–”
“Then. he could never hate you, Mike. Not about this.”
“How do you know that?”
“Call it…another one of my hunches.” Mike knitted his brows together.
“Look – kid, I’m not going to force you to tell him or anything. It's your choice at the end of the day. And I can’t say much, but it doesn’t take a genius to know how much that boy cares about you. And you care about him, correct?”
Mike nodded.
“And you trust him?”
Mike nodded again. “With my life.”
“So…all I can say is…if you trust him? Then...trust him with this.” Murray began to stand up. “Take it from me. Holding it in only hurts the both of you.”
And then Murray leaves
Anyways yeah thoughts––
#Byler#byler ficlet#byler fic#kinda? ig?#mike wheeler#murray bauman#lmao it's not the best but if I try and fix it I won't be able to focus on the actual fic im writing#this is just a concept if you will#this was longer than it was supposed to be MAJSMANAN#also Grammarly fucked my laptop so I'm sorry if I didn't catch any errors–
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Every morning, Mike swears his alarm goes off earlier.
He groans, rubbing sleep from his eyes and rolling over. Will is still asleep beside him, arms looped loosely around his waist, and Mike winces as he shifts, trying not to wake him. He leans over to slap the off button on the alarm, then spends a long few minutes staring at the glowing red numbers, trying to gather the courage to get up.
This, unfortunately, is the cold reality of being a college student - his weekends are constantly usurped by extra shifts at the diner where he works.
But it also means that he gets to keep this apartment, where he lives with his boyfriend, and it's for this reason that he finally tosses off the covers and sits up.
Or- tries to. Before Mike can clamber out of bed, a pair of sturdy arms wrap firmly around his middle, and he yelps as he tumbles back onto the mattress.
He huffs, trying and failing to repress a smile as Will shoves his face into the space between Mike's shoulder blades. "Will," he hums, staring out at the window where light is streaming in - they'd forgotten to close the blinds - and letting one hand rest over Will's where it's pressed against his stomach. "I have to get up."
There's no response, only a light snuffling, and if Mike were just slightly dumber and didn't know Will quite as well as he did, he'd assume he was asleep. Unfortunately, though, Will happens to be very good at getting what he wants, and this is one of his primary tactics.
"Will," Mike says again, gently tugging at Will's arm in an attempt to pry him off him, and Will's grip on him tightens. "Will, c'mon."
Again, there's no response, but Will's nose digs into his back a little more firmly.
"I know you're awake," Mike tries, wriggling a little in his grip, and Will whines.
"Nuh uh," he mumbles, muffled.
Mike rolls his eyes, craning his neck back to peer over at him as best he can. "Babe, I have to get up."
"Nuh uh," Will says again, as Mike carefully twists around to face him again. His eyes are still closed, but his nose is scrunched up in offense, and when he turns his head into Mike's shoulder he can see that his cheek is flushed and lined with pillow creases. Something warm settles in Mike's chest, and he smiles as he presses a kiss to the top of Will's head.
"I'm gonna be late," he tries, but it sounds unconvincing even to his own ears, and Will grunts noncommittally.
"So be late," he mumbles, evidently giving up on feigning sleep, and curls closer.
"I'll get fired."
"So get fired." Will presses a kiss to his collarbone, and Mike, the weak man that he is, lifts a hand to tangle his fingers in Will's hair. "Then we can stay here forever."
Mike smiles, leaning into Will's warmth a little as his hand dips under Mike's sleep shirt, thumb rubbing placating circles into his hip. It makes Mike's resolve crack just a little more, and he sighs, cupping the back of Will's head with one hand and kissing his head again.
"That would be nice," he allows, and Will hums appreciatively, "until we stopped being able to afford the apartment, and then we'd have to live on the street, and-"
"Okay, Mike," Will grumbles, and his grip on him loosens ever so slightly.
Mike's resolve may be cracking, but he knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he uses Will's brief moment of weakness to wriggle out of his grasp. Will releases an unholy yelp of offense and scrambles for him, fingers skating over Mike's arms, waist, anywhere he can reach, but fails to find purchase. "Sorry, sorry," Mike says, half-laughing as he tumbles out of bed and Will falls back onto the mattress in defeat. "Sorry, I'm sorry, we can hang out later, I swear."
Will stays silent, bottom lip stuck out in a pout and arms folded over the covers. His eyes are open now, wide and brown and sad, and Mike knows it's all for show and can't help but be a little moved by it anyway. For someone that is generally opposed to lying, Will really is excellent at it.
Mike suppresses a smile, giving in and leaning over to kiss him softly. Immediately, Will wraps a hand around the front of Mike's shirt, smiling a little against his lips, and Mike leans away just as he tugs sharply at him, trying to pull him back down onto the bed.
"Nice try," Mike says, prying his fingers off and laughing as Will immediately goes back to pouting.
"I hate you," Will says, and Mike blows him a kiss as he crosses to the dresser and starts rooting around for a fresh t-shirt.
He gets ready quickly, on account of the ten minutes Will had so rudely absorbed, pulling on a t-shirt and jeans before stumbling out to the kitchen to make coffee and throw a piece of bread into the toaster. The kitchen is freezing, on account of it being mid-November and the two of them not being able to afford to keep the apartment constantly heated, and Mike wraps his arms around himself as he waits for the toaster to ding. With every passing second, he wishes more and more that he could take Will up on his offer (demand) to stay in bed, curled up under the warm covers with his even-warmer boyfriend.
It's rare that they get days like this, where the light streaming through the windows feels pleasant rather than blinding and their biggest strife is over one of them having to leave for work or school. It's nice, and normal, and Mike's never particularly subscribed to normalcy but, given the alternative of night terrors and monsters haunting them and those days when it feels like he can't move a muscle, normal sounds pretty great. He'd sell his soul for a lifetime of normal with will.
It's for this reason, mainly, that Mike makes a second cup of coffee, despite the fact that Will is a clingy nuisance who has probably already made Mike late for work, which Mike is actually rather pissed about.
(He's not. He wouldn't have it any other way, especially since there was a time when he didn't think he'd be lucky enough to have something as stupidly good as Will Byers clinging to him and making him late for things.)
When, after wolfing down a piece of slightly-burnt toast and pouring coffee into a mug for Will and a to-go cup for himself, he quietly pokes his head back into the bedroom, Will has already taken over the whole mattress, spread-eagled with his face planted firmly into a pillow. Mike smiles to himself and pads softly across the floor, setting Will's coffee mug down on the nightstand and reaching over to card a gentle hand through Will's hair.
"Mmph," Will groans, shifting just enough to open one eye at Mike.
Mike's smile widens, and he leans over to press a kiss to Will's temple, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Made you coffee," he murmurs, and when Will scrunches his nose at him, "I know, I know, you want to sleep. But- it's there if you want it, that's all."
"Thank you," Will mumbles begrudgingly, but Mike can see the smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he reaches up to curl his fingers around Mike's wrist. "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah," Mike says, a little regretfully, glancing at the clock. "M' sorry."
"S'okay," Will murmurs - the coffee gesture must have made him a little more agreeable. He guides Mike's hand over to his lips and presses a kiss there, right in the center of Mike's palm. "I love you."
Mike smiles, tapping a fingertip against Will's jaw as Will kisses his hand again. "I love you too. I'll see you when I-" he cuts himself with a yelp when, with absolutely zero warning, Will tugs on his arm, hard, sending him tumbling back onto the mattress.
"Oh," Mike sighs, as Will's ironclad grip settles around his waist again, "I am so going to get fired."
---
Mike does not get fired, which is great for his and Will's financial situation but not so great for his personal affliction to doing physical labor. By the time he gets home, after a grueling eight-hour shift and the added half hour of traffic, he's bone tired and half-wishing he'd taken Will up on the whole staying-in-bed-forever thing after all.
He closes the door firmly and leans heavily against it, sighing and letting his eyes fall shut. He takes three deep breaths, then opens his eyes again, dropping his keys and wallet on the counter.
There's a patter of footsteps from down the hall, and Mike smiles a little to himself, glancing up as Will pokes his head around the corner, calling out a bleary "Mike?" before, upon seeing him, breaking out into a blinding smile. "Baby!" he cheers, as Mike laughs and holds out his arms. Will launches himself into them with zero hesitation, colliding with him forcefully and sending Mike stumbling back into the counter.
"Hi," Mike laughs, as Will winds his arms around his neck and begins peppering the side of his face with kisses. "Missed you."
"Mmph," Will replies, which is code for I missed you too, so very much, and pulls away, hopping up onto the kitchen island and beckoning Mike closer.
Mike grins wide and comes to stand between Will's knees, placing one hand on his thigh and the other against the side of his face. "Have you done anything at all today?" he asks, looking him up and down. Will is still in his sleep shirt and a pair of Mike's stolen sweatpants, and his hair is endearingly ruffled, like he'd been napping before Mike got home. Mike is incredibly jealous of this fact, because he'd spent the day serving ungrateful customers and trying and failing to prevent anything from spilling on him, but any negative emotions are undercut by Will, who looks so sweet and flushed and warm that Mike can't really be pressed to complain.
"I did art," Will says proudly, despite the fact that doing art is kind of his resting state.
Mike bumps his nose against Will's, smiling. "Do I get to see?"
"Later," Will says, and kisses him, slow and sure. He tastes like early evening sleep and tea and cigarettes, his hands coming up to cup Mike's face and tilt him into a better angle. Mike hums, soft and appreciative, and Will pulls back with a lazy smile.
"I can't believe I spent all day working my ass off while you sat here and doodled," Mike mumbles, knocking his forehead against Will's.
"I didn't- doodle," Will huffs, breath fanning across Mike's chin, and Mike grins all teeth, pleased at getting him all riled up. "And I've worked plenty of long shifts this week. S' not a competition."
"You're right," Mike agrees, suddenly in a very agreeable mood which may or may not be related to Will's lips, which are very close and very kissable.
It's worth it, too, when said lips stretch into a pleased little smile, and Will rubs a thumb along Mike's cheek, gazing up at him with unfiltered adoration. "'Course I am," he replies, and kisses Mike again before he can argue, not that he would have tried particularly hard to.
It's sweet and saccharine, Will's tongue running slowly over the line of Mike's lip. Mike's hand shifts to grab hold of Will's waist, mostly just to ground him where he's gone a little weak in the knees, because if he melted to the floor over a singular kiss, Will would never let him live it down.
He's pretty sure Will knows anyway, though, because he grins against Mike's mouth and pulls him closer, humming appreciatively. "I love you," he murmurs into the kiss, and- okay, if Mike wasn't feeling dizzy before, he certainly is now.
He disconnects the kiss a little reluctantly, a smile tugging insistently at his lips. He presses it down, tipping his head to one side inquisitively. "I love you too, freak," he says, laughing a little. Will is so- odd, sometimes, so clingy and affectionate and giggly, and it's not a bad thing by any means, but he's not always so bubbly. Not without a reason.
He bumps his nose against Will's again, and Will scrunches said nose at him. You're like a cat, he'd said once. Always- fucking- headbutting me, or something.
It's 'cause I like you, Mike had replied, and Will hadn't been able to think of a comeback for that.
"What's going on?" he asks now, lightly teasing and faintly confused. "Why are you being so- nice?"
Will gives him a look, hooking his arms around Mike's neck and drawing him in for another kiss. "M' always nice to you," he mumbles, still half-kissing him, and Mike's smile wins out as he leans into it a little.
"I just meant," Mike starts, leaning away, only to be immediately cut off by Will kissing him again, quick and sweet, "you're being extra- affectionate, today." His eyes widen, and he pulls back for real, staring up at Will. "Oh God, did you do something bad? Are you trying to butter me up so I won't be pissed? Oh, no, what did you break this time-"
"Nothing!" Will squawks, flicking the side of his face indignantly. "Nothing, oh my God, I just. I don't know." He curls a finger through a lock of Mike's hair and tugs absently at it. "Today's a good day, and I just wanted to take advantage of that."
"Oh," Mike says, a slow smile spreading across his face. Will has a point - last week had had some bad days. They'd gotten into an argument on Monday - the small, inconsequential kind that had been resolved not even one full day later, but fighting with Will in any capacity always makes Mike's skin crawl. Then Will had had a bad day, the kind where he'd woken up screaming too many times the night before and had been overtired and sad all day. The day after that, Mike had had a bad day, the kind where he hadn't been able to move or talk or eat or do much of anything but lay in the dark, and Will had cried three times with worry and had tried not to let Mike see.
But this week has been better. They go in cycles like this sometimes, as lasting childhood trauma will tend to do to people, but it always gets better. Everything is better, with Will around.
"Yeah, okay," Mike whispers, and Will smiles as he drags him back in for another kiss.
#hi :))#idk what this is i've just desperately needed to write established relationship lately#but haven't come up with a good idea for a longer fic#. anyway. here.#byler#mike wheeler#will byers#st fic#byler ficlet
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mike coming out to dustin while off on a mission in s5
they’ve been walking around for about an hour now, making casual conversation and commentary on the invalding aspects of the upside down into their world when dustin decides to ask.
“so i’ve been meaning to ask, what’s up with you and el?” dustin asks as he carefully steps over a vine.
“huh?” mike turns around to look at him, a confused expression on his face in response to the question that to him came out of no where. “what are you talking about?”
“well you guys are barley talking to each other let alone in the same room anymore. honestly it’s been nice to not turn around to you guys making out every five seconds but likewise it’s a little off putting the space between the two of you” dustin comments as they continue on.
“oh,” mike says “i mean that’s probably because we broke up.”
dustin stops and looks up at him with a clear expression of shock on his face “what?!? when!?!” “uh, since a little after the rest of us got back from lenora?” mike offers, getting a little uncomfortable by how surprised dustin is.
dustin looks at him with utmost sympathy “aw man dude that sucks, i’m so sorry.” mike shakes his head “nah it’s fine. it’s for the best i think actually.” dustin sputters “”for the best”?! man what are you talking about? you guys were completely wrapped up in each other just last summer, how could you even say that?”
“dustin-”
dustin continues rambling “i mean you guys were so focused on each other that you ended up ditching us constantly! which was just as annoying as it was sweet by the way.”
“dustin-”
“i mean! hell i thought you guys would be together forever considering when you yelled at us that you loved her that one time-”
mike turns around and snaps “well you’re wrong dustin!”
dustin stops short and looks at mike, eyes wide in shock and taken aback from his outburst. mike deflates a bit after seeing the reaction from one of his bestfriends. he sighs looking down at the ground. “you’re wrong. el and i aren’t gonna be together forever. and i don’t love her like that. hell i’m not even sure i ever actually liked her like that.”
“what? but you guys were together like all the time. and kissing all the time. will even said that you told her you loved her when she was fighting vecna?” dustin replies even more confused
mike sighs again “yeah, i did do all those things, because i thought that’s what i was supposed to do. what all guys are supposed to do with their girlfriends. and especially in that moment in the pizza cooler, i was so afraid that if i didn’t say what el wanted me to say, that she would have died. but...” mike pauses and looks up at the sky, almost like he’s contemplating something. “none of those things i did were because i liked her romantically.”
the two of them keep walking but dustin keeps staring at mike, occasionally looking down at his feet to watch where he steps, because some things still aren’t making sense to him. “okay, but like dude, i don’t get it? when she left with the byers, you were so mopey and miserable. i mean we could hardly get you to leave you basement, like, ever. and other times all you would do is complain about joyce’s telemarketer job because you couldn’t get through the phonelines every time you tired to call them. i thought that was all from you missing your girlfriend?”
mike sighs again, but this time it’s shaky. he looks nervous as he turns a concerning combination of both pale and flushed. without turning to look at dustin he replies. “yeah, i mean i was miserable. but...el...she wasn’t the only one who left hawkins. i mean, she left with the byers remember?”
dustin’s face still looks confused, even as he’s looking down to watch where he steps. “yeah i remember but what does that have to do with- oh, oh right will. i mean we all missed will dude, you’re not the only one.”
“dustin.” “what?” mike still hasn’t turned around to look at him, his head’s hanging low. finally he does turn around and his face is pale and eyes glassy, dustin’s never seen him look this nervous and scared before. he looks at dustin and his voice is shaky “please don’t make me say it.”
with the same puzzled look on his face dustin goes “say what? mike, i really don’t get...” suddenly every thing in dustin’s brain clicks. his eyes go wide as he finally, finally puts the pieces together. he whispers “holy shit”
mike looks away and that’s pretty much all dustin needs to confirm what he was thinking. “holy shit”
“dustin-”
“oh my god dude. holy shit”
mike sighs, trying to keep his breath as even as he can “look if you want to head back now i can finish this on my own, but please-”
dustin looks at him like he just said he was gonna go and put one of the demodogs on a leash “what?! dude no! are you insane? i just can’t believe i never fucking noticed!”
mike now looks confused “huh?”
“dude it makes so much sense now!” dustin looks at him like he just gave him the simplest answer to the word’s most complicated question “i mean it explains everything! ever since we were kids! how you were so protective of him, how you always spoke to him in that voice-”
“dustin-”
“i mean you were so defensive when it came to him, i mean you wouldn’t even let us within five feet of him that one night on halloween-”
“dustin-”
“oh my god! it also explains why you never shut up about him during hellfire- EDDIE! HOLY SHIT YOU HAD A CRUSH ON EDDIE TOO DIDN’T YOU!”
“DUSTIN!” mike has now turned beat red from all the revelations his friend is now deciding to share out into the open. dustin calms down from all his sudden realizations “sorry, man i really just can’t believe i never noticed.” and mike looks at him a little shyly “and you don’t care?”
dustin once again looks at him like he just offered to invite the next Demogorgon them come across over for tea “what? no man” he becomes serious “you’re still one of my best friends. and besides we’ve been through way too much shit for me to care about your obvious crush on will, WHICH I CAN’T BELIEVE I MISSED-”
“dustin!” mike’s laughing now, relieved that he’s finally admitted this to one of his bestfriends and he doesn’t hate him or find him gross or disgusting, although still somewhat embarrassed by his friend’s comment towards his crush
dustin chuckles too “sorry. man, i can’t believe how oblivious i was. steve would be so disappointed in me. don’t tell him about this too by the way. i don’t need him giving me shit about not picking up on people’s feelings when he still won’t tell me why him and robin wouldn’t work out! i was so sure about those two!”
mike gives dustin a knowing look and shakes his head as he laughs and pats him on the shoulder “don’t worry dustin, i’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later.” and continues off in the direct they were headed. dustin stays rooted in his spot as he stares after him slightly confused. after a minute he runs after him.
“hey wait what do you mean by that? mike? MIKE?”
#stranger things#stranger things fic#stranger things fanfic#stranger things ficlet#byler#byler fic#byler ficlet#byler fanfic#mike wheeler#dustin henderson#wheelerson#platonic wheelerson#dustin and mike friendship#dustin being completely oblivious as usual#and him having the worst gaydar#coming out#mike wheeler i know what you are#mike wheeler loves will byers#will byers loves mike wheeler#st5 headcanon#stranger things s5 headcanon#the gears in dustins head are turning#oblivious dustin henderson#dustin henderson is a good friend#this is also probably the longest thing i've written#hope you enjoy#let me know how i did
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okay changed my mind i don’t want byler’s kiss to be dramatic i want it to be soft as hell with them staring at each other, closer than they’ve ever been, mike hesitates a little before bringing a hand to will’s jaw and almost pulls away when he feels will tremble under his palm. their breaths are ragged and warm between them, skin hot and flushed. and mike stares at will as if he was the only person in the whole world he wanted to be in this moment with, as if a stare could stop time and the end of the world from coming, because this moment is theirs and not even the upside down can rip it from their hands.
but they are both still timid and shy, doubting if to cross the line that has shaped their friendship all these years. and then, in the dead silence of the night, mike asks “is… is this okay, will?”
and will’s heart shoots to his throat. it pounds in his ears and thrums in the fingertips that cling to mike’s shirt. he heaves a breath and nods. “yeah, it- it’s okay.”
mike offers a wobbly smile and his eyes fall to will’s lips. his own mouth parts and will swears the ground is spinning under their feet. “will,” mike whispers.
“yeah?”
“can i-“ mike bits his lip and looks up, cheeks bright red. “can i… kiss you?”
and will doesn’t have enough breath in his lungs to mutter a single word. all of it is knock right out of his system in a dizzying wave tingles and butterflies. all he can do is give a small nod and try to suck in a breath before mike is closing the gap between them, glancing one last time at will’s eyes, maybe looking for any sign of doubt. but will knows mike won’t find any.
a second later, mike’s lips are on his.
#byler#byler ficlet#byler scenario#byler ao3#byler tumblr#mike x will#will x mike#mike wheeler#will byers#stranger things#byler endgame#cleradin#byler fic#byler kiss#messrs writes#my ficlets
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as if it's your last
Will used to kiss Mike as if it were his last.
During the days of the apocalypse, when they first got together — well, that was to be expected. Because any day could have been their final time on Earth. Any breath could have been the final one they took. And as such, any kiss could have been their final kiss.
Will poured all of his passion into those kisses. Searing, hot touches as his lips pressed firmly against Mike’s. The flames in his stomach that only burned brighter as Mike pulled him closer to his chest. The way sparks shot through his veins as he slipped his tongue between Mike’s lips. When Mike’s hands would find their way under his shirt and creep up over his bare skin, mapping it out with his large palms, spreading heat wherever they roamed. And in turn, Will’s fingers would trace the freckles that dotted over Mike’s chest and back, and he was sure — as Mike shuddered and whimpered — that Mike felt as though Will was leaving trails of fire with every scrape of his nails.
Sometimes he wondered, with all the ferocity in their bodies as they kissed, if the apocalypse lived within them. Hawkins had been reduced to smoke and hellfire, after all. So it didn’t surprise Will that kissing Mike, loving Mike, had felt the same way.
Smoke and hellfire. Ashes and sparks. Will feeling like a goddamn live wire! He felt as though he and Mike were destined to burn brighter than the sun… but burn out faster than a candle.
Then the apocalypse ended. It ended with a bang, sure — all the death and decay and destruction irreversible — but it still ended.
It ended, and then soon enough Hawkins was in the process of being rebuilt. It wasn’t easy — it was a strenuous task, and all hands were needed on deck.
And Will still kissed Mike as if it were his last.
He reasoned that, well, even though Vecna had been defeated, even though the skies of Hawkins were no longer a sickening blood-red… things weren’t really back to normal, were they? Even if they succeeded in rebuilding all the destroyed infrastructure, nothing could erase the fear and horror lingering in their souls. It was indelible, like an ink stain you couldn’t wash out, like a burn wound that would never heal. And it wasn’t just the Party, or the extended members, or the ones who had fought Vecna face to face — though he supposed that they got the brunt of the trauma. But Will saw the terror and anxiety in the eyes of each and every civilians, whenever they passed by the food shelter he was volunteering at.
Anyway, Will still kissed Mike like flash fire. During the day, they were were swamped with their duties volunteering at the shelter. What little free time was provided to them was duly spent inside locked storage closets that were cold and grimy, but it didn’t matter because, well, they were together — and the quick kisses warmed them up anyway.
Sleepovers became a much more frequent experience. Mostly because at night, both of them were plagued by nightmares, and they were able to seek comfort in each other’s arms almost instantaneously. The nights were cold, too — somehow turned even colder after the apocalypse — and underneath their shared blankets, they found untapped heat in their souls, and shared it with each other with every kiss, every touch, every gasp, every whimper.
Sometime between the first and perhaps the hundredth day after the apocalypse ended, the kisses changed. Just a little bit, Will thought. The fire still raged within them, red-hot and fierce, but the flames no longer felt as tall as a twenty-story building.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Hawkins. It took ages upon ages, but soon enough — it had been done. It wasn’t perfect — nothing is — but it was the best that they could do. The cement poured over the cracks caused by the gates was a little wonky, and some of the houses had uneven paint jobs, and there were days where the lights would still sometimes flicker and go out — but for all intents and purposes, Hawkins was restored.
And normalcy began trickling in like droplets from the tap, until it built up more and more — and then the floodgates burst open, and water streamed out everywhere. A sense of security had swept through Hawkins like a gentle tide wave, and though people were hesitant to latch on at first, they realized that they needed to move on. They couldn’t stay trapped in the brimstone hell that the apocalypse had dawned on their town. They had to be fluid like water itself, and pursue their future, lest they get left behind and drown.
Life seemed to take its cue again. People walked their dogs along the sidewalks, or they skateboarded in the park, or they went to school and complained about their teachers. Birds sat on windowsills and sung their tunes. The sun had never shone brighter.
But Will still kissed Mike as if it were his last.
They’re together now, sitting inside a rebuilt and renovated Castle Byers. The day felt more special than other days — it was raining, after all. Rain was a rare occurrence, because it felt like every other day was a beautiful and sunny one, with the sky an endless expanse of bright blue.
They’d been making out, as per usual for two teenagers. Will had his back flat on the mattress that covered the floor of Castle Byers, and Mike had been hovering over him, hands pressed against Will’s shoulders. The space between them was nonexistent — exactly the way Will liked it.
“Shit,” Mike whispered, sitting himself up, letting their mouths separate. That was something Will did not like. He sat up as well, following Mike’s movements, and, wrapping his arm around Mike’s waist, trailed open-mouthed kisses down his jawline and neck.
“Hmm?” he hummed, sucking a hickey onto Mike’s pale skin.
Mike let out a shaky breath, but continued. “It’s raining,” he pointed out.
“Astute observation,” Will deadpanned.
Mike rolled his eyes good-naturedly and huffed out a laugh. “You’re the worst,” he declared.
“Sure I am,” Will replied, waggling his eyebrows at Mike. Mike laughed again and pushed Will back onto the floor, resuming their kissing.
Nowadays, the hotness of their kisses felt more manageable, like the radiant heat of a snug fireplace. But in spite of the gentleness of that label, Will still knew the truth — it was still fire. Like a moth drawing closer to a lantern — like Icarus flying too close to the sun — no matter how cozy it felt, he could still burn himself.
Will focused deeply on the sensation of kissing Mike. They’d been together for quite a while now — a year or so, he vaguely remembers, his memories hazy as his brain is occupied with the feeling of Mike, Mike, Mike all over him. His hands were cold, which was a change, for once, but Will found that he didn’t mind the brief chill as Mike’s fingers touched his stomach. Will wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck and pulled him ever-closer, which seemed impossible, but whatever. Will wouldn’t mind if they somehow melted together into one being. (Wasn’t that what soulmates were, anyway? Two vessels that shared one soul?)
Will let out a moan as Mike’s tongue slipped into his mouth. His legs were moving restlessly now, and Will’s hands were bunching Mike’s shirt, tugging and pulling at it wordlessly. Mike chuckled, but made no attempt to follow what was clearly on Will’s mind. Will grunted, and started squirming, not knowing what to do with all this pent-up energy, all this stored love—
CRASH! Thunder clapped in the distance, and Will, startled by the sudden noise, bit hard on Mike’s tongue.
“Mmph!” Mike reeled back and sat up, wiping his mouth. His pupils were blown and his eyes were wide as he stared at Will in surprise.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Will hastened to say, sitting up and getting Mike off of him, so that they were both kneeling and facing each other. “Did I hurt you?” he asked frantically when Mike kept wiping his mouth.
“Mmm…” Mike rolled his tongue inside his mouth, then shook his head. “Nah, I’m fine. No blood or anything.”
Will sighed in relief, and stared at his lap, grateful that his actions, even if it were on accident, hadn’t injured his boyfriend. “That’s good,” he mumbled.
Mike smirked at him. “Well, I’m used to my boyfriend biting me, so—“
“Oh my god! Shut up!” Will yelped out, feeling his face flush scarlet. Mike, the utter traitor, had the gall to just laugh at him, so Will smacked him on the shoulder, which caused Mike to whine like a child.
“I’m serious!” Mike insisted, rubbing the area where Will had hit him. “I mean, hell, Will, every time you kiss me, it’s — it’s like it’s your last, or something!”
That stopped Will in his tracks. The playful grin on his face immediately fell off, and was replaced with something a lot more contemplative. Because, yeah, Will knew he kissed Mike that way, but it was a lot more different when his boyfriend actually said it out loud. It was a lot realer now — it was something Will had to confront.
Mike seemed to have picked up on the sudden atmospheric shift between them. He shifted closer to Will and prodded him gently. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, in that soft voice that Will always loved him for.
Castle Byers wasn’t waterproof. It was leaky, and Will could feel some of the rain droplets falling atop his head. He glanced at Mike, whose eyes were wide with concern and, more importantly, patience. That made Will’s heart swell up like a helium balloon. The way that Mike was always so considerate with him, never forcing him to do anything he didn’t want to do.
He shook his head and chuckled ruefully. “Nothing. Well I mean—“ Will sighed, “I guess I still kiss you like that, huh?”
When Mike didn’t reply, Will continued, “I mean, I think I’ve been kissing you like that the whole time. And like, I understood why I kissed you like that when we first got together — we were literally in a war, after all — and I even understood why even when the war ended, because things were still falling back into place and it wasn’t truly normal yet. But now…” He sighed again and looked at Mike, who only nodded at him, encouraging him to go on.
Will inhaled shakily. “Now, I mean, things are normal — or, well, as normal as they could be, and like, I don’t know. I don’t know why I still kiss you like it’s my last. I mean, everything is as it should be. We’re safe now. Nothing will hurt us.” He reached out and squeezed Mike’s hand, conveying his real meaning: I won’t let anything hurt you.
Mike squeezed back, showing that he understood, and felt the exact same way. The two of them stayed like that for a while, silence only brokered by the sound of the rain, which looked to be picking up outside.
Then, Mike whispered, “I don’t mind. I mean, I think… Do you think it’s because… Well, I mean, the Upside Down fucked you up more than anyone, I feel like. So I understand if — if the reason you still kiss me like your last has to do with that shit.”
Will thought about it for a while. “That makes some sense,” he agreed. “But I feel like that’s only part of it. Like there’s another reason, a bigger one, and I just can’t quite wrap my head around it.”
Dramatically, Will let out a groan and flopped back onto the mattress, closing his eyes. Mike chuckled at his boyfriend’s hysterics, before draping himself over him. Their chests were pressed together, and Will could still feel the vibrations of Mike’s laughter. More importantly, he could feel Mike’s warm breath fanning over his face, and his slow and steady heartbeat. He felt Mike hold his hand, felt Mike stroke the back of it with his thumb, all soft and warm. He felt nothing but warm, even as the cold breeze swept into the open door of Castle Byers, even as rain drops fell through the roof. He felt peace, and love — so much goddamn love, Will felt he could burst with it. And he felt like he never wanted to be without this ever again.
Will’s eyes flew open.
Oh.
That was why.
Mike glanced up at Will, chin digging into Will’s chest, as if he could sense the change in Will’s emotion. “What’s up?” he asked.
“I think…” Will said as he brought his hand to Mike’s back, stroking it slowly, “I think that I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
He could feel Mike’s confusion, so he stopped staring at the ceiling, and instead looked into his boyfriend’s deep brown eyes. “I mean, you know… I thought for a long time that I couldn’t have this.” He pressed his palm harder against Mike’s back, as if solidifying to himself that this is, indeed, real. “I thought that I couldn’t have you, or have anything I wanted — which was, well, everything I wanted was you, but anyway. I couldn’t be with the boy I loved — you — and most people like me — like us — couldn’t have love in general, because that was the reality of our situations.”
Will let out a shuddery breath, and Mike left a gentle kiss on his sternum. Will went on. “So when I was finally able to be with you, to have what I wanted, I thought of how lucky I was. But then I thought, surely, this luck would run out? Surely, I couldn’t have this. That what I wanted, that you would eventually be ripped away from me.” He bit his bottom lip as he delved deeper into his thoughts. “And, like, during the war it was this constant fear of one of us dying, but when all the bloodshed was done, the thought still remained. And maybe it became even scarier, because now I don’t have to worry about a deranged monster, but instead the real world. And the war wasn’t kind to us, but neither is the real world. And then I was just… scared. No longer of a crazy beast, but of the mindset that stupid people have about us. That this thing we have was wrong and they would never allow it to last.”
When he finished his tirade, it was only then that he realized that tears had begun to form in his eyes. He removed his hand from Mike’s back to wipe at his face, but quicker than lightning, Mike snatched his wrist.
“Wha—?” Will glanced quizzically at his boyfriend, only to find Mike staring him down with the most sincere and genuine expression, that Will felt his heart glow in his chest.
“Listen to me, Will,” Mike said, and it was the most serious Will had ever heard him. “I want you to know this. I will never leave you. You will never lose me. This thing we have?” He gestured between the two of them. “It’s forever. I guarantee it.”
He said it so firmly that Will couldn’t help but believe him… almost.
“You can’t promise that,” he whispered, because in the back of his mind, he heard the murmurs of you don’t deserve this and you can’t have this.
“Bullshit I can’t promise that!” Mike scoffed. “Will, when everyone thought you were dead, I kept pushing to find you. I never gave up on you. Because the thought of us being apart, it just—” Mike’s voice cracked here, and he quickly shook his head. “And we were just twelve, man, jeez. I already knew by then that I wanted to spend forever with you. And yeah, as I grew up my dumb brain was sending mixed signals—“ Will chuckled, and Mike beamed, his joke clearly having landed.
“And yeah, we went through literal hell and fought monsters and terrifying dads and whatnot. And I was scared as fuck! For my own life, obviously, but also yours. Because you dying? That’s scarier than any demogorgon I’ve had to face down.”
By now, the two boys were kneeling again. Mike’s hands cradled Will’s face, and Will’s hands were on Mike’s wrists. Their foreheads were pressed firmly against each other. “What I’m trying to get at is… you don’t have to be afraid of losing me, Will. I’m sorry you felt that way, and I’ll do anything I can so you will never feel that way again. Because…” Will watched the bob in Mike’s throat as he swallowed. “Because, Will… you’ve always had me.”
Against his defiance, Will felt tears fall down his cheeks. He saw the same thing happening to Mike as well. They mirrored each other in every way.
“Always?” Will whispered, so reverently, like he never wanted this moment to end.
“Always,” Mike confirmed. “Always have, and always will.”
Will let out a choked sob, and threw his arms around Mike, hugging him as tight as he possibly could. Mike laughed, and it was a watery sound, and he hugged back just as tightly.
“I love you,” Will cried out. “I love you so much.”
Mike gently kissed the side of his head. “I love you too,” he answered.
The two boys stayed trapped in that embrace for a long, long time. Will listened to the sound of the rain, which hadn’t let up at all — in fact, it only seemed to go even harder. It would probably become a storm, soon.
For some reason, it was something that Will was looking forward to.
Then, he had an idea. It was his best idea yet.
Slowly, he pulled himself back from the hug. Mike looked at him with a mixture of palpable confusion and amusement.
“So… do I get a kiss now?” Mike joked, leaning in closer to Will’s face.
Will merely smiled at him, letting Mike get as close as he possibly could — before Will abruptly stood up and ran out of Castle Byers.
Out of the fort, and into the rain.
“Wha— hey!” Will grinned as he heard Mike’s protest behind him. He heard mud and leaves squish and crunch under Mike’s converse, as he followed Will into the coming storm. Will looked up into the dark gray sky, and he grinned.
“What the fuck, Will!” Mike sputtered.
“Come on!” Will shouted, and he was laughing, laughing, laughing. “Don’t you love the rain?”
“You’re fucking crazy!” Mike yelled back, and Will finally allowed himself to get a good look at his boyfriend. He held back a laugh. Mike’s long, black hair was plastered all over his face and fell limply over his shoulders, and his clothes were two shades darker from being waterlogged. He looked confused, and flustered, and concerned, and—
He was beautiful. Without a doubt, Mike was the most beautiful thing in Will’s life.
In art class, Will had been taught that the most beautiful things were also the most temporary. He learned that in Japan, there was something called the cherry blossom tree, which only bloomed for a short while before the wind blew away its gorgeous flowers. There was beauty in the ephemeral. Will could agree with that.
But fuck, there was nothing more beautiful than the fact that Mike was permanent. That Mike was the definition of forever.
Mike had treaded closer to Will, so that their noses were almost touching. “Did you hear me?” Mike demanded bossily. “You, Will Byers, are fucking crazy!”
Will beamed at him. “What? I thought you wanted to go crazy together, right?”
Despite the rain falling over his eyes, Will got a clear view of Mike’s haggard face melting into something softer, something sweeter.
“Yeah,” Mike said. “And we will.” His hands found Will’s, and he squeezed them tight.
“Together,” Mike reminded him. “Forever.”
That was all Will needed. Will wrapped his arms around Mike and brought him in close for a deep kiss.
Subconsciously, Will had been preparing himself to feel the tall licks of flame in his body, like he normally felt when he and Mike kissed. He did feel something, but he wouldn’t describe it as a raging fire anymore. It was simply warmth in its purest form. And it mixed together with the promise of the rain, and the whispers of the wind, and the steadiness of dirt beneath their shoes. Will felt all the elements — Will felt the whole world trembling in his body now, and that felt like a big responsibility for a meek, teenage boy. But he was holding Mike, and Mike was his forever and always, so he knew that he could share the world with Mike. Or share Mike with the world. Either way, he was happy.
Because Will didn’t kiss Mike like it was his last anymore. And sure, they have traded probably thousands of kisses between them at this point.
But now? It was definitely a first kiss. Or, at the very least,Will thought amusedly as he brought Mike even closer, it felt like a first kiss.
It felt like the first kiss of forever.
#byler#stranger things#mike wheeler#will byers#mike x will#will x mike#byler ficlet#byler fanfic#byler fic#virgil.writes#sorry if there's mistakes i got lazy beta-ing it
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imagine, if you will, six-year-old mike wheeler freaking out because today is will's birthday and karen and joyce arranged for the celebration to happen at the wheeler's (away from a certain someone). and it has to be perfect because will deserves perfection, but it's already going terrible because karen bought blue balloons (instead of yellow) and the candy they have are reese's cups (instead of pieces) and the toy they got will is a stuffed bear (instead of a tiger).
so he's as anxious as a six-year-old can be because he wants to impress his bestest friend but his mom wouldn't listen to him and now it's all a mess >.<
he's pacing around his room, eyeing his closet every ten seconds because even the sweater he's wearing is the wrong one ("will likes the grey one better, mom!") and he doesn't know how to make the day better.
and that's how nancy finds him, on her way to her room: a bundle of nerves so unlike mike that it's actually freaky. she asks him what's wrong and he breaks down and starts ranting about how everything is wrong and how will is going to hate the day and he'll never want to speak to mike again because everything was so terrible and he's going to start hanging out with greg freaking mccorkle instead and-
nancy stops him. tries to reason with him about how will is probably going to love the day nonetheless and mike is doubtful. he's so dejected he just sits down in his bed all defeated and nancy's not sure what to do,,,
,,,until she gets an idea. it's silly and it probably won't do much, but it might just be enough to ease mike's anxiety~
so she goes to her room, grabs a nice yellow ribbon, and returns to mike's side. she ties it around his head so there's a little bow atop his hair and mike's very confused because "aren't bows girly?"
she shuts him down and the bell rings at that moment, so she sends him downstairs and karen's a little confused, but doesn't question mike's antics because the byers are right there and she can't scold him anymore. so she opens the door and greets everyone, while a shy mike stands by the stairs hoping that his stupid sister's plan worked.
will takes one look at him and immediately decides this is the best birthday present ever.
- the end -
(just a silly idea i had. happy birthday to the pretty will byers~)
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college student mike wheeler studying literature who writes poetry but it all seems to be about one person with a certain flair for art, and his friends and classmates try to figure out whom. his poems are all full of little details, like 'crazy together' and 'cool, cool' and 'it was a seven' and nobody can figure out what they mean. one day will comes to visit and mike makes an off-hand comment about going crazy with all the work, and will smiles a little and gives mike a secretive look and says, 'well, crazy together, right?' and one of mike's classmates who's passing by hears and almost high on energy drinks and chocolate, with a crazed look in his eye, shrieks, 'IT'S THE GUY! ITS THE POEM GUY!!'. and mike goes red immediately while will looks around confused since the crowd around them are whispering to each other about 'the poetry guy' while mike hides his face in his hands. will asks mike about it after they escape the crowd of exclamations and congratulations and ooohs and ahhhhs. mike replies with a simple, 'i write poems about you'. will is baffled and blurts out, 'i've made portraits of you' and suddenly the silence between them tenses and they don't know what to do with it.
#maybe i'll write this into a fic . just maybe .#byler#will byers#mike wheeler#byler ficlet#stranger things (sara's version)
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it's the first kiss, it's flawless, it's really something. it's fearless.
ok i am feeling fearless tonight, and thea byler first kisses are The Byler First Kisses so i am politely requesting a first kiss in the rain!
this was a VILE prompt to send in that i am so emotional about fearless (taylor's version) and byler and byler first kisses. i hate you so much. i hope you love it.
“Probably shouldn’t have taken our bikes, huh?”
Will looks over at Mike, blinking rainwater out of his eyes – they’re standing under the awning of the entrance to the only bank in town, closed for the afternoon and completely free of any other miserable, rain-drenched suckers. The bikes in question are lying on their sides on the pavement, abandoned in their haste to get under cover. And Mike is completely soaked, dark hair plastered to his forehead and shirt clinging to hm probably just as uncomfortably as Will’s is sticking to his own skin, and he’s got this sheepish, guilty grin on his face. It had been his idea to take their bikes, hadn’t it? Something about we only have a few weeks left of this weather, Will and let’s enjoy the summer sun, Will and it’s only a twenty percent chance of rain, Will, we’ll be fine.
Famous last words.
“Well, it was only a twenty percent chance of rain,” Will points out, doing a bad job of suppressing a smile of his own. This one, though, is less in the realm of guilty, and more in the realm of, I told you so, idiot. "How could we have known?"
Mike shoves at him, a playful brush of wet skin on wet skin, and Will laughs. “Shut up,” Mike says, but he’s still smiling. He reaches a hand up, tangling his fingers in his hair as he brushes it up and off of his forehead, and Will immediately looks away, biting his lip – he shouldn’t think Mike looks cool right now. In actuality, Mike looks like a drowned rat; in actuality, Mike is the reason that they’re stranded here, soaked from the rain; in actuality, none of that makes Will want to kiss him any less.
“How long do you think it’ll last?” Mike is asking now, somehow heard over the sound of the rain hitting the pavement and the sound of all the blood in Will’s body rushing all at once to his ears. He crosses his arms over his chest, resolutely staring at the empty office building across the street, at the trees in boxed planters swaying in the wind – anywhere but Mike, willing his heart rate to go back to normal.
“Check your phone,” Will suggests, doing a very good job of keeping his voice even and steady. “Hot tip: if there’s a little rain cloud under the number, that means it’s still going to rain.”
He doesn’t have to look to know that Mike is rolling his eyes. “Really living up to your name, o’ Will the Wise,” he says, and then presumably turns his attention to digging his phone out of the wet, gross pocket of his jeans – or at least, that’s what Will guesses he’s doing. He still won’t look at him, so he wouldn’t really know, but there’s a lapse in conversation that Will can only attribute to looking at the weather app. “It’s only going to last for another half hour,” Mike declares, affirming Will’s assumptions.
Will lets out a scoff. “Let me see,” he says, more aggressive than he intends to be, but he doesn’t trust Mike’s assessment of the weather at the moment, thank you very much. Good thing Mike has no interest in meteorology, because Will would have way too much fun bursting that bubble.
In a feat that has taken years of a mixture of natural talent and diligent practice, Will manages to avoid looking at Mike directly, instead just looking at the raindrop-smeared screen of his phone. Fortunately for Will, Mike is actually right – the app does show that the rain is going to clear in thirty minutes, the forecast free of tiny thunderclouds for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately for Will, his herculean efforts of not looking at Mike are thwarted completely by standing so close to Mike that he can feel the body heat radiating off of him, and he literally jumps back, cheeks burning.
Smooth. He still won’t look at Mike, but he can tell Mike is looking at him, now. Great.
“You’re jumpy,” Mike comments, sounding amused.
“I’m not jumpy,” Will barks back, rocking back and forth on his heels, which is almost jumping. He plants his feet to the ground instantly, standing as still as possible.
“You are,” Mike says, taking a step closer to Will, who immediately steps away from him in – well, in a jumpy way. Damn it. “You’re like a little rabbit.”
Will flushes something violent, his cheeks burning with it, and this is not what he had in mind when he was urging his respiratory system to act normally around Mike Wheeler, please, for once in our pathetic life.
“I am not,” he says haughtily, still refusing to look at him.
“You are,” Mike insists, reaching out to grab at Will by the waist. Will yelps and hops away from him, out from under the cover of the awning and nearly tripping over a nearby parking block. Mike laughs at him. “See?” he says, sliding his phone back into his pocket and taking another step towards Will, who hops backwards out of his reach, involuntarily proving Mike’s point. “Bunny rabbit behavior.”
“Because you’re trying to grab me,” Will seethes, no real heat to it, taking several steps back as Mike steps out into the rain after him. “Go away.”
Mike only smiles wider, lunging for Will again with his arms stretched out. His fingers brush the wet fabric of Will’s soaked t-shirt, but on account of it being wet and Will once again jumping away from him, he doesn’t quite get a hold on him.
“Bunny behavior,” Mike repeats, a gleeful sing-song, and Will flips him off.
“I hate you,” Will spits out, dodging another grab attempt.
“You don’t,” Mike says.
“I do,” Will insists, letting out another yelp as Mike comes after him again. He does more than jump away this time, trying to beat the bunny allegations, and instead turns to run towards the other side of the parking lot.
Mike makes a noise of protest, and Will glances over his shoulder to see Mike start after him. “Come back!” he calls out, following Will’s path through the parking lot, “I’m not agile enough for this!”
“Not my fault!” Will yells back, though he’s not having much luck, either, the oil from the asphalt of the parking lot working together with the rain to make him slip and slide all over the place. Mike is working against the same conditions, but even with Will’s head start, Mike and his stupid long legs make the distance between them a lot closer than Will would like. “Oh my God,” he screams, jumping away from yet another close call, “get away from me, you freak!”
“You’re just mad that I caught up to you,” Mike laughs, and then immediately slips in a puddle. It would be funny, except it sends him sliding forward, and his momentum is too quick for Will to react on time – which lets Mike crash right into him, grabbing at the clinging fabric of Will’s t-shirt for dear life.
“Yes,” Will grits out, trying to squirm out of his grip, but Mike’s hold is firm, “I’m very, very mad. Let go.”
“Nah,” Mike says, pulling Will closer and spinning them around, their sneakers sloshing with every step. Will grips onto Mike’s biceps, fingernails digging in for some sort of purchase on his wet skin, desperately trying not to topple over backwards and take Mike with him. “I like you right here.”
They’re close – so, so close – but Will won’t look up, fixing his gaze on Mike’s bony shoulder and the way his shirt clings to it, almost transparent. The rain beats down on them, flattening Will’s hair against his forehead and sending a cascade of water dripping into his eyes, but he doesn’t care. It beats the alternative.
“You’re an idiot,” he accuses Mike’s shoulder, furiously blinking against the onslaught of rainwater.
“You like me, anyway,” Mike answers easily, fondly, hopefully. “You like me so much.”
Despite himself, this makes Will tip his head back to look up at Mike, rain be damned, because that’s not the way a friend says those words. And that’s certainly not the way a friend looks at a friend, either.
Will blinks, and the entire day restructures itself in Will’s head: Mike, calling him at noon, insisting he find his bike, because he’d be over in twenty; Mike, almost crashing into a fire hydrant, because he’d been too busy looking at Will to pay attention to where he was going; Mike, paying for his meal at the burger joint they’d gone to for lunch, a normal occurrence; Mike, constantly tapping his foot against Will’s beneath the table, brushing Will’s ankle with his toe, something that’s never happened before.
And then there was Mike, insisting they go grab ice cream and share it, so that they could get the most bang for their buck; and there was Mike, offering his same spoon to Will, waving off Will’s halfhearted concern about germs; and there was Mike, lying back in the grass with him, his body angled towards Will as he let Will ramble about the portfolio he’s preparing for his college admissions; and there was Mike, who offered to bike back with Will all the way to his house, even though it was in the wrong direction from Mike’s own.
This entire day has been a date. He payed for Will’s food, and played footsie with him, and shared his ice cream, and happily listened to Will rant, and chased him in the rain, and, and – Mike took Will on a date, and Will didn’t even notice until right now.
Maybe they’re both idiots.
“I do,” Will says now, squinting up at Mike through the rain. He lifts one of his hands from Mike’s bicep to Mike’s hair, ignoring the way that it shakes in favor of pushing Mike’s hair back off of his forehead again. He lets his fingers card through the wet strands, traveling from Mike’s hairline all the way around his scalp so that his hand is resting at the nape of Mike’s neck, its tremor slight, but still there. His voice is steady, though. Braver than he feels. “I do like you so much.”
Mike’s hold on him tightens, pulling Will forward so that their torsos are pressed up against each other, and any and all nerves get washed away with the rain. Holding tight onto that courage and running with it, he uses his grip as leverage to pull Mike’s face down to his, stands on his tiptoes, and brings Mike’s mouth to his.
The first thing Will registers is that wet, the rainwater catching between them, but as Mike’s mouth moves against his, gently pressing for something beyond the static stack of lips on top of lips, the kiss bursts with new sensation. Mike’s mouth is warm, stark but welcome against the chill of the rain, and the strawberry flavor from his ice cream from earlier makes itself known in the next brush of their lips, bringing a sweetness Will hadn’t expected. It’s soft, slick, sweet, and somehow – shy yet fearless, all at once.
Will lowers himself back to the ground, breaking the contact but bringing Mike down with him. He holds his face close and just breathes him in, all sweet strawberry breath and the fresh muskiness of petrichor and somewhere beneath them both, that same generic bath soap Mike’s mom has been buying for him as long as Will has known him. It’s a mix of old and new and Mike, Mike, Mike, and best of all, it’s his. It’s his.
“For the record,” Mike says, his breath fanning out across Will’s face, and through the haze, Will wonders why he was trynig to get away from Mike earlier when this is so much better, “I like you so much, too.”
Will smiles, big and wide and bright enough to banish the storm clouds, but he doesn’t want them to leave. He’s not ready to give this moment up, not yet.
“Good,” he says, bringing his other arm up to wrap around Mike’s neck. Mike’s thumbs brush at his hips through the soaked fabric of his t-shirt, and Will shudders, the feeling soaking him to the bone in a way the rain could never hope to manage. “Kiss me about it.”
And as certain as the rain falling down all around them – Mike does, and does, and does.
#byler#byler fic#byler fanfic#byler fanfiction#byler ficlet#wiseatom minis#andi i HATEEEE U FOR THIS I LTIKERALLY . SCREAMING AND GNAWING UR ARM OFF AND SHAKING MY HEAD LIKE UR A CHEW TOY GRAHARHGRAH#U FREAK U FREAKZOIIIIDDD I LITEALLRLLY JHAT E YOU GOD . GOD!!!!!!!!!!!#me beating will byers over the head w the bunny allegations#u cannot escape them
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Byler Actors, Enemies to Lovers AU
"Don't you see? Don't you see how desperate I am for you to understand, for you to see that I love you. Even if I was, or am, an asshole. Even if we don't always agree on everything,I love you. You mean everything to me and I promise to cherish and protect this, what we have, forever. So please, don't go, stay. I promise I'll change. All for my love to you." Mike sobbed as he got down on one knee and kissed Will's knuckles, gently.
"I love you too, you know? I've never stopped thinking about you. Never. You're the one moving me forward, urging me to keep living. That there is something worth living for. Listen, I've always felt like a mistake, except when I'm with you because you make me feel like I'm not a mistake; like I'm better for being different."
Mike stood up and stared at Will, love in the form of tears streamed down. Will grabbed the sides of Mike's face, and the two kissed.
Will loved this. He loved hearing Mike swear his undying love to him and then promptly make-out.
"CUT! Well done, guys!" a man yelled.
Too bad it was all fake and part of an act. Too bad.
**THIS IS NOT FOAH. I DO NOT SHIP FOAH AND I AM AGAINST SHIPPING ACTORS**
#ignore how shitty it is#it's 5:30 am#i haven't slep shit#*slept#byler#byler brainrot#byler endgame#stranger things#byler au#byler hc#byler headcanon#byler moodboard#will byers#mike wheeler#mike x will#will x mike#byler ficlet#byler wip#byler snippet
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will wants to kiss him.
it’s not a new development, far from it actually. he can clearly recall the first, terrifying moment when the burning desire to kiss mike made itself known.
it was silly really, after all, mike was just lounging in the grass. but the thing about mike is, he can never really sit still. so yes, he’s lounging, but he’s in a constant state of motion. one hand gesturing wildly as he regales a tale, especially written for will, the other picking at the grass at his thigh. it’s not just his hand though, no, his feet tap to a phantom rhythm that will quickly gives up on trying to identify.
but these things aren’t anything new, and they aren’t even the thing that jumpstarts will’s “I need to kiss him” thoughts. no, it’s the way Mike’s eyes keep flitting over at him. usually, will would write it off as one of the many ways that mike simply has to be moving, but this felt different. every time their eyes met, mike would quickly look away, a flush steadily blooming on the apples of his cheeks. and sure, it was pretty hot out, but mike just had this look. like he wanted him to do something, but will wasn’t sure what.
the fifth time their eyes met, mike smiled in a goofy, lopsided kind of way, eyes crinkling at the corners, and that was it. will felt the warmth rise in his chest, could practically hear the thrum of his heart beating. I want to kiss him.
but that was then, and this is now. now, mike is smiling that same lopsided smile and giving will the same look that taunts, do something. and he wants to. he really wants to. so he does.
it’s clumsy, he almost trips over his own feet in his hasty attempt to grab at mike. but he doesn’t trip, he steadies himself with both hands on mike’s shoulders. he doesn’t allow himself the time to decode the shocked expression on mikes face, lest he be deterred. in a desperate attempt to keep his newfound confidence, he leans in as quickly as possible and- it’s kind of horrible.
he misses by an inch or two and ends up kissing mike half on the lips and half on the cheek. he also manages to lightly headbutt mike on the way in, making them both grunt in pain. it’s quick and clumsy but will just can’t bring himself to regret it.
he pulls away as quickly as he leaned in, surveying mike’s features to try to gauge his reaction. unsurprisingly, mike’s eyes are open, but his eyebrows were raised and lips curled at the corners. before will can even consider apologizing, mike pulls him in close, lips inches from his own before whispering, “took you long enough,” and finally closing the distance.
all in all, the kiss did little to quell will’s “I need to kiss him” thoughts. now it’s more like, “I need to kiss him again,” but he definitely isn’t complaining.
#Will wants to kiss Mike so bad it makes him look stupid#luckily for him though. Mike wants to kiss him just as bad.#byler#will byers#mike wheeler#stranger things#byler ficlet#\\ m musings
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"Mike," Holly huffs, standing over him with her arms crossed, "You're doing it bad."
Mike glances up from where he's sitting on the sidewalk in front of their house, covered in chalk and sweating. "Thanks," he says sarcastically, as Holly kicks her shoe at the drawing he's been half-heartedly creating on the ground. "You're the one who wanted to do this, remember?"
"You're hogging all the chalk," Holly whines, collapsing onto the ground and tossing an arm over her eyes in despair. Mike scowls; anyone who thinks he's dramatic has got him confused with the wrong Wheeler. "And you're not even doing it good."
Mike sighs, glancing down at his half-completed chalk drawing of a bunny, per Holly's request that there be more fun animals, Mike, it's too boring otherwise. She has a point - all his drawings have turned out sort of blob-shaped and ugly. "You do it, then," he says sourly, shoving the box of slightly broken chalk in her direction, and she grins all teeth at him.
Mike pulls his phone out of his pocket, grimacing when he sees the time. With Nancy off at college, he's been getting stuck on Holly-duty more and more often, and he's still got a solid three hours this morning before his mother gets home. Not that Holly's bad company, necessarily, though her incessant criticism certainly isn't helping her case. But it's summer, and Mike had had some vague plans of maybe going to the lake today, and hopefully dragging Will along with him. And besides, Holly's almost nine years old. She shouldn't need full-time looking after. Probably.
As if he's somehow read his mind from afar, Mike's phone buzzes with a text from Will:
hey :)
how's holly duty
Mike smiles, glancing up at his sister, who is currently scribbling out his misshapen rabbit drawing with a stick of red chalk, tongue poking out between her teeth as she concentrates on utterly destroying his attempt at art. It's hard to have authority over someone who knows you're a loser, he texts back, as Holly finishes scribbling out the bunny drawing and moves on to one of his earlier drawings.
don't call my boyfriend a loser :(, Will replies, and Mike's grin widens.
To be fair holly said it first, he types, and a piece of chalk hits him square on the forehead. He yelps and glances up from his phone, scowling at his sister. "Ow!"
"Stop texting Will," Holly says sourly, "and draw with me."
"Who says I'm texting Will?" Mike demands, snatching up the piece of chalk Holly had thrown at him. "And you said I was bad at drawing."
Holly stays silent, staring him down until he reluctantly leans over and starts drawing again. "I know you're texting Will because you have the dumb look on your face," she says, "And it's not fun if you're not drawing with me!"
"My face isn't dumb," Mike mumbles, but he goes back to drawing anyway. Maybe- fish are probably pretty easy to draw, right? He draws a circle with a triangle on the end that looks vaguely fish-like, and then sets about filing in multicolored scales.
Holly starts talking again, babbling on about whatever little world she's drawing at the other end of the pavement, and Mike nods along absently, doodling little circles around the slightly wonky-looking fish and praying that the sunscreen he'd hurriedly sprayed on before going outside is enough to protect his frighteningly pale skin from the blazing sun overhead. It's barely noon, but it's already getting hot, and the sidewalk is in direct sunlight with no trees around to shield him. Holly seems unbothered, though Mike can already see the bridge of her nose pinkening, and he'll undoubtedly get a lecture from his mother lately about taking proper care of his baby sister and whatnot. Even though Holly is literally not a baby, and Mike is pretty sure that when he was nine he was perfectly capable of putting on sunscreen.
It's a welcome relief, then, if a little surprising, when a shadow falls over him, and Mike jumps, dropping his chalk and raising a hand to shield his eyes as he glances up at the person standing over him. When he sees who it is, his entire body relaxes, a slow smile stretching across his face.
Will matches it, offering a little wave as he surveys the situation; Mike, covered in chalk and doodling multicolored circles all over the sidewalk, with his sister five feet away frantically scribbling out his earlier drawings. "Hi," Will says, amused, and Mike waves back, grinning a little sheepishly. "Are we having fun?"
"Hi, Will!" Holly chirps before Mike can answer, popping her head up and smiling brightly. "Mike is being a bummer," she informs him seriously, and Will laughs.
"Is that so," he replies, eyes flicking to Mike, and he nudges Mike's knee with the toe of his shoe.
"No," Mike replies sourly, giving Holly a scathing glare, "I'm being super nice, actually."
Holly is unperturbed, sticking her tongue out at him and going back to drawing, and Will laughs again as he sinks to the ground in front of Mike, crossing his legs beneath him and leaning back on his palms. He looks good like this, warm and tan in the summer sun with a teasing twinkle in his eye and his white t-shirt tucked neatly into his jeans.
"Hi," Will says again, low and soft, reaching forward and tugging at the collar of Mike's t-shirt until he leans forward for a quick kiss. In his peripheral, Mike watches Holly pull a face of disgust, and actively decides to pretend he doesn't notice. "I like your drawing," Will says, glancing down at the fish Mike has been slaving away at, and Mike flushes, whining in embarrassment and scooting away.
"Shut up," he grumbles, reaching for a fresh piece of chalk and halfheartedly filling in one of his circles with purple. "You're the artist, not me."
"Hey, I was being serious!" Will says, laughing lightly, "It's cute."
Mike presses his lips together, giving Will a scrutinizing look. "You're cute," he mumbles, which isn't quite the comeback he'd been looking for but is still, unfortunately, very true, and Will brightens, shooting him a brilliant smile.
"Hey, thanks," he replies, and leans over to steal the chalk out of his hand. "Can I draw too?" he asks Holly, who glances up from where she's drawing a mustache and goatee onto Mike's poor attempt at drawing a cat.
She looks Will up and down, weighing her options, and then nods once, shoving the box of chalk in his direction. "Don't break any," she chides.
"I won't," Will says seriously, placing a hand over his heart like he's swearing it.
Mike rolls his eyes. "You've already broken like half of it, Holly," he says, reaching for a blue piece and doodling another circle near his fish.
"That's why we can't break any more!" she says shrilly, which is a fair enough point. Mike lets it go.
Will smirks, leaning over and sketching out a few gentle lines on a blank stretch of sidewalk. "When does your mom get back?" he asks, as the lines he's sketching gradually take the shape of a much more realistic-looking fish than the one Mike had drawn.
"Like, three maybe?" Mike says with a grimace, pulling out his phone to check the time again. Tragically, it has been less than fifteen minutes since the last time he checked. "She has to do grocery shopping and then yoga, I think. I don't know, I wasn't totally listening."
Will snorts, picking up a piece of blue chalk and drawing gentle, wave-like lines around the two fishes they've drawn. "Okay," he says, chalk-dusted fingers brushing over the back of Mike's hand gently, "But you're free tonight, yeah?"
"Yeah," Mike confirms, "Why, did you want to do something?"
Will nods, filling in little white crests on each of the waves he's drawn. "Yeah. The lake, maybe? I don't know, I just want to hang out with you."
It's impressive, how easily Will is able to make Mike's entire chest fill with butterflies with a single phrase, especially such a mundane one considering how long they've been dating. He bites down a shy smile and nods as normally as he can manage, though he's pretty sure Will can sense the giddiness radiating from him anyway. "That sounds nice," he says, and then, because he can't help himself, "We are hanging out right now, though. In case you hadn't noticed."
Will rolls his eyes, lifting a chalk-covered finger and booping Mike's nose lightly, undoubtedly covering his face in green chalk dust. "I did notice," he says, jabbing his finger at him again, "But- alone, I meant. Sorry, Holly," he adds, glancing over at her apologetically, and she sticks her tongue out at him.
"Mean," she whines, and Mike rolls his eyes.
"Don't dish it out if you can't take it," he tells her, and she scowls, maintaining eye contact with him while she draws a giant red X directly over one of his earlier drawings.
Will's eyes widen. "Cold," he mutters, and holds his fist out. Holly bumps it dutifully and goes back to drawing.
His eyes flick back to Mike, and the corner of his mouth ticks up as his gaze darts over Mike's face. "You have chalk on your face," he informs him, looking like he's trying very hard not to laugh, and Mike scowls, lifting a hand and scrubbing at his face with the back of it.
"That's your fault," he grumbles, and Will makes a fake-sympathetic face as he scoots closer and bats Mike's hand away, raising a still green-tinged hand to wipe at his face. Mike lets him, leaning into his warmth, even as he says, nose wrinkled, "Listen, I can't see my face right now, but I feel like you're making it worse."
Will grimaces, and his hands tragically pull away from Mike's face as he surveys his work. "A bit, yeah," he acknowledges. "I kinda just spread it around."
"Idiot," Mike accuses, and Will grins all teeth, tilting forward slowly like he's falling into Mike's gravity before closing the rest of the distance in one swift motion and stealing another quick kiss. "Idiot," Mike says again, and leans in for another.
"Love you too," Will replies cheerily when they part again, and Mike shoots him the finger before remembering that there's a child present and quickly hiding it behind his back.
"I saw that," Holly says anyway, as she finishes whatever she's drawing and glances up at him.
"No you didn't," Mike says matter-of-factly, and Will elbows him.
"Don't gaslight her," he reprimands, and Holly points at him and nods.
"Come here," she demands, despite the fact that Mike and Will are sitting less than ten feet away from here. "I wanna show you what I made."
Mike wants to tell her to say please, or something, or at least take a slightly less bossy tone with the person who is literally in charge of her for the day, but Will is already scooting over to her, peering down at her drawing with genuine curiosity, and Mike has no choice but to follow. It's a little infuriating and all too endearing, how nice Will is to Holly, and most people in general. He makes people feel important. Mike in particular.
Holly's drawn a rainbow, Mike sees as he clambers over to sit beside Will, hooking an arm around his waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. There are little multicolored hearts all around it, complete with white clouds at either end, and Holly looks way too pleased with herself for someone who's basically just drawn a bunch of lines, but whatever. It's probably better than Mike could do.
"It's for you!" she chirps, grinning wide, and Will huffs a surprised laugh, hand absently coming to rest on Mike's knee. "Because rainbows."
"Aw, Mike," Will laughs, tilting his head back to look Mike in the eye, "Did you teach her that?"
"No," Mike says, squirming closer to him and grinning, "Nancy, probably. She keeps sending me all these lists of queer resources and shit."
Will hums a laugh, thumb tracing gentle circles into Mike's knee as he reaches for his phone. "This is very sweet, Holly," he says sincerely, and she blushes as he snaps a picture. "Thank you."
"You should take a picture of Mike's fish, too," she says seriously.
Mike frowns. "I thought you hated my drawings."
"Not the fish!" she says, and does not elaborate, which- yeah, sure. Mike will take what he can get.
"Here, you take it," Will says, passing Holly his phone, and she hops excitedly to her feet and shuffles over to the other end of the sidewalk to snap the photo.
Mike settles more comfortably onto Will's shoulder, enjoying the solid warmth of him even under the burning summer sun. "You know there's a twenty percent chance she's going to break your phone," he murmurs into Will's ear, still half-hugging him from behind, and Will lifts a hand to rest over Mike's where it's pressed against his side, threading their fingers together.
"She's like four feet tall," Will points out, "she can't break it any worse than I already have."
"You'd be surprised," Mike mutters darkly, and Will laughs, tilting his head to the side and pressing a soft kiss to the side of Mike's face. Mike leans into it, a smile creeping onto his face despite himself.
Holly flounces back over, dropping Will's phone unceremoniously into his lap and resuming her previous position amidst the chalk drawings. "You guys are gross," she announces, as Will presses another kiss to Mike's temple.
"You made a drawing for us, though," Mike points out.
"Doesn't mean you aren't gross," she says matter-of-factly, and Mike supposes it's kind of hard to argue with that. "You have chalk on your face, by the way."
Mike splutters something incomprehensible, and Will laughs quietly, slinging an arm around his shoulders and grinning up at him. "It's okay," he says seriously, "I like your face."
"I like your face too," Mike replies teasingly, leaning in to rest his forehead against Will's.
"Gross," Holly says again, and the sun keeps shining.
#happy pride <33#consider this a mini reparation for the soul crushing angst of my last fic . at least until i finish the next chapter#byler ficlet#mike wheeler#will byers#holly wheeler#st
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will learned how to put syrup on his eggs from mike at their first sleepover
little six year old will wandered downstairs with mike and sat down at the table with him, mike's mom had said she was making pancakes, hash browns, eggs and bacon. will had never seen so much food for breakfast in his life.
after mrs. wheeler set down the food and told the boys to help themselves, will and mike started to scoop some food onto their plates. will was chewing on some eggs he grabbed, along with some bacon, when he looked over at mike and did a double take.
mike had the syrup bottle in his hands, which initially made sense considering will noticed he had grabbed pancakes, but he was not pouring it only on his pancakes...he was pouring it on his eggs...
"you're putting syrup on your eggs?" will asked him completely shocked, not believing the two flavors of sweet and savory would work at all
mike looked up at him mildly surprised before he grinned "yeah! it's really good! you should try it"
will looked apprehensive at the suggestion "i don't know..." but mike stopped him
"trust me will, it's really good! and you're my friend so i would never lie to you because friends don't lie"
will contemplated looking down at his plate and back at mike because mike was right, friends don't lie. he finally nodded his head a little and said "okay, i guess i'll try it"
mike grinned wide as he passed the syrup bottle over to will "you're gonna love it, i'm 100% sure"
will took the bottle and popped the cap. he tipped it and nervously poured the syrup over his eggs. he trusted mike, but a small part of him was worried he was gonna end up having to throw his breakfast away and apologize to mrs. wheeler for wasting food. he picked up his fork, scooped up some eggs and hesitantly brought them to his mouth before he took a breath then took a bite. he chewed apprehensively, worried he might smart gagging or something, before he realized they taste...wasn't bad? actually...it was really good! mike was right
"so? i was right, wasn't i? it's good?"
will snapped his head up to look over at mike, who was looking back at him expectantly with a slight grin on his face. will smiled at him "yeah, it's really good"
mike clapped his hands "see! i told you! syrup on eggs is the best breakfast food" he said excitedly. will giggled at his antics
just then mike's mom entered the room "boys, how's the food? everything good?" she asked. she was observing what they had ate before she noticed mike's plate and sighed "michael...i've told a dozen times to stop putting the syrup on your eggs"
mike looked at him mom and groaned "but mooom! it's really good! even will agrees!"
quick to support his friend, will nodded his head and as he finished chewing said "it's true mrs. wheeler. it is really good"
mrs. wheeler finally turned to look at will and his plate and noticed the same odd combination of food "oh don't tell me michael convinced you to do it too. oh my goodness..." she started mumbling to herself, shaking her head as she walked away
mike and will looked at each other once she left and immediately burst into a fit of giggles. for whatever reason, they don't know, but regardless they continued to enjoy their breakfast of syrup covered eggs, pancakes, and bacon
#byler#byler fic#byler ficlet#byler fanfic#stranger things#stranger things fanfic#mike wheeler#will byers#mike wheeler loves will byers#will byers loves mike wheeler#will byers defender#mike wheeler defender#miwi#pre s1#baby byler#mike wheelers weird food combinations#i've never had syrup on eggs and i dont plan too but if its byler i'll tolerate it#karen wheeler#byler sleepover#byler breakfast#miwi breakfast
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And if when Will said he wasn't going to fall in love he wasn't really denying his already growing feelings for a certain black haired boy?
And if what he was trying to say went deeper, touching one of his biggest fears about the future, but he couldn't just dump all of that on his mom, so when she said "you won't think it's gross when you fall in love" Will just said he wouldn't fall in love.
What if what Will meant was that he wouldn't fall in love like that, the way Jonathan had fallen in love. Because Mike would never sneak out of his bedroom window after staying over the night, tripping on his way out smelling like Will, with his hair flat on the side where he shared a pillow with him.
Will wouldn't rush to get dressed and then come to the kitchen for breakfast still wearing a mark of Mike's kiss on his cheek that then his mom would try to brush clean with her thumb. Joyce wouldn't give him a knowing look and a quick smile, and she wouldn't be so lighthearted pretending she didn't know what Will and Mike had been up to.
They wouldn't share a ride to work in Mike's beat up car that would start with the coughing and then pouring of the engine, a sheepish grin from Mike and a kiss in the front seats. Will wouldn't get to hold Mike's hand as they walked from the parking place they found to where they worked, and they wouldn't get to catch lunch together outside where they would snuggle up together in a bench. Will wouldn't rest his head in the crook of Mike's neck and Mike wouldn't feed him his fries even when Will said he didn't want any but then changed his mind when it was too late to add them to the order.
And then they wouldn't get to come back home together and sneak Mike back through the window so they could fall asleep next to each other. Because even in the impossible scenario where Mike could want Will back... if they snuck through a window it wouldn't be because they would be trying to dodge their parents making any cheesy comments or awkward but well-meant questions. It would be because they were sneaking from the shame and wrongness of it all.
What if that's what Will meant, but it was too much of a mouthful. So instead, Will simply said "I'm not gonna... fall in love".
#byler#byler tumblr#just a thought#mike x will#byler endgame#/nic posts#byler angst#byler ficlet#my ficlets
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“Would you stop it?”
Will freezes, confused and shocked now, his yelling ceasing at once.
Mike shouts again. “Would you stop yelling at me? It happens so often now!”
The other boy’s anger returns in a moment. “Then maybe you should stop giving me a reason to!”
The hurt in Mike’s eyes, returning to Will’s glare, shows his knowingness enough.
“You’ve changed, Mike! You stopped caring. You stopped asking. And you never, never, used to do that! What happened?” Will’s voice quavers. “What did I do wrong?”
Mike’s eyes go wide with horror, reaching out his hands to comfort him in a touchless surrender. “Will, no, you didn’t do anything-”
“You can’t even touch me, Mike. Don’t pretend like you haven’t noticed it.” Will’s voice is much less furious, now. It’s upset. “Can’t hug me properly, can’t put a hand on my shoulder unless I’m scared. And it fucking sucks!”
Mike’s taken aback by the profanity. Will never swears.
He continues. “It sucks, because I’ve been looking for a little fucking comfort. You used to care. I care, so why can’t you? What have I done wrong?”
A sob is let out, one that makes Mike’s heart rip itself in half. “Will, please, come on, I’m sorry. I- I…”
He stands there numbly for a moment, a short one, because suddenly he’s wrapping himself around Will, holding him close. He fears what could happen, Will pushing him away and snarling disgusted words at him, a repugnant glint in his eyes.
But it doesn’t happen. So he stands there, holding him.
“All I ever wanted to do was spend my life, whatever’s left of it, with you.” He bites his bottom lip hard. “But that’s so stupid. It’s so dumb.”
Mike shakes his head. “No, no it’s not.”
“It is.” Will snivels. “It’s so idiotic that I’m crying to you like I’m fucking five again. That… that I…”
When he trails off, Mike speaks again. “I’ve spent my whole life saying that.”
Will pauses, puzzled. “What?”
“All the time, I used to- I still do act adult, like I know what’s gonna happen. What I’m doing. But there’s only a handful of things I really know.”
He continues. “I know the sky’s blue. I know my name is Mike. I know that you’ve always been my best friend.” Mike lets out a small, sad laugh. “But even those don’t stay true. The sky can go gray, my real, full name is Michael…”
He smiles, shakily and unsure. “And sometimes… sometimes I’m in love with you.”
He feels Will tense in his arms, only pulling away far enough to look him in the eyes. “Which I’m lying about right now, because I’m in love with you all of the time. Every day.” His smile’s slowly crumbling, scared and terrified and falling all at once. “But I’m so shit at showing it. I’m so bad at communicating, at showing I care.”
And that’s when he says it. “But you’re not.”
Will’s eyes widen. “I understand. I know what you’ve been saying, and I see how dumb it was that I couldn’t say it, in the quietest way, back. So, if you’re gonna be loud, and honest to me, then I’ll be loud and honest to you.”
Will’s heart skips about two beats; one for each of them. He’s breathing, and it’s so loud. It’s loud, and he knows, then. He feels. Lets himself guide without much thought at all.
He kisses Mike. And immediately, almost too quickly, Mike’s kissing back, holding him and swearing things silently that are too noisy to hear through their passionate embrace. It’s messy, but not rough, and they’re honest. They’re telling the truth, now.
They stand there like that for what feels like hours, holding and caring and showing it. Being too loud in that quiet. The first time, the first kiss, that first song that hums out in the nonexistent space between them. They can’t get close enough.
When they break for air, loud and obnoxious air that they require to live, Will says it. “I love you, too.”
And Mike laughs. “Can I get a redo?”
Will’s brows furrow at the ridiculous request. “A redo? On what?” He laughs. “You were doing so well already!”
And the other boy shakes his head, beaming. “I didn’t say it first. Like, the real thing.”
“Well, now I get the credit.”
“Fine. Sure.” But Will relents, so Mike speaks on. “I love you.”
Will grins wider. “I love you, too.” Then, after pressing a kiss to Mike’s enthused lips, he says, “Even though I said it first.”
#byler#byler ficlet#this drained twelve percent of my battery and it was worth it#stranger things#stranger things 4#st4#mike wheeler#will byers#pink october bones#sapphic bats#byler ao3#Byler endgame#byler fic
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whatever you do, please do not imagine fourteen-year-old will byers being left alone in his house in lenora for a day or perhaps just a few hours. maybe his mom and el are out buying stuff while jonathan hangs out with argyle, maybe he's a little sick and was forced to stay home on his own.
whatever it is, he's alone for a bit, he's done all his homework, there's nothing on tv to distract himself with, and he's not in the mood for painting at the moment.
so, bored as he is, he decides to look around in the many tomes of the encyclopaedia britannica that now clutter their house and, taking advantage of his solitude, he decides to read up on a term that scares him as much as it intrigues him because he wants to know what other people think of, well, him. he wants to know if it's just hawkins who are so hateful and prejudiced against people like him, or if it really is the whole world who see him like a mistake.
so, whatever you do, please don't imagine will looking up homosexuality, reading line after line of clever-sounding text that describes his inclinations as nothing but sexual and impure, a phase he should get over with soon lest he becomes target of social persecution, and which explains all the many theories of why he's like that and the measures that should've been taken to "fix him".
whatever you do, please don't imagine will reading the next excerpt and realising that his time for being "fixed" has passed, that his father's complaints were not exclusive to him, that most people share that opinion, and that the fact that so many people could see it must mean that he really fits all the mentioned stereotypes and therefore must also fit everything else the book was saying about "homosexuals" like him.
(hi. i got curious and consulted my 1994 version of the encyclopaedia britannica to see what will would've read on certain subjects (it's the same edition as the 1986 one). i can post the whole section on homosexuality if someone wants it, but it's incredibly uninformed and prejudiced and honestly quite icky (borderline triggering) to read so i wouldn't advise anyone checks it >.< and that's not even including the part on conversion therapy x.x)
#🎀#✨#🧸#will byers#will byers analysis#byler#byler fanfiction#byler fanfic#byler ficlet#(obviously not actually byler but idk what to tag this as)#w // internalised homophobia#w // homophobic language#(ish)
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mike gets sunburnt every summer. he tries to remember his sunblock, he really does, but sometimes it slips his mind. sometimes he does put it on but he then forgot to re-apply the sunblock after his first application washed off when he swam or when he was outside all afternoon.
either way, he inevitably always burns. he withstands the teasing from the others for a week, puts aloe vera on his burns with annoyance every day at his mom's insistence. and then his skin starts to get a little bit itchy and then suddenly, his sunburn is peeling.
will is his designated sunburn skin peeler. when lucas did it, he wasn't delicate enough and ended up peeling it to the unsunburnt edges of his skin, causing it to sting and pull. mike always ended up smacking lucas's hands away with a loud "ow, shit, stop!" lucas rolled his eyes at him and told him, "fine, you can keep looking nasty with all your peeling skin." when dustin peeled the sunburnt skin, he always got grossed out, making fake retching noises to make will and lucas laugh, and made distressed groans when faced with a back full of mike's peeling sunburnt skin. mike would call out "this means it's healing, okay! the skin underneath is healthy and not burnt. just do it!"
that left will. he was patient and gentle with his artist's fingers. when he peeled some sunburnt skin that stung, mike hissed in pain and will immediately stopped, whispering, "sorry, sorry. maybe i'll get that one in a few days." when will got a big peel, he showed it to mike with his nose scrunched up, looking a little grossed out but also delighted with sick fascination.
what his peeling sunburnt skin really was was a good exercise in trust. mike didn't love his body all the time. he took his shirt off to swim, got sunburnt on his back and shoulders, and then he couldn't reach the peeling skin as the sunburn faded. the peeling skin made him feel gross, entirely and overwhelmingly self-conscious by how disgusting it looked. and to get it off, he had to take his shirt off again to show it to someone and ask them to help.
will's fingers on his back always made him shiver a little bit. cooler fingers on burnt skin, perhaps. but he was often just red and flushed with the exposure of it all, and maybe that's why he shivered. his bare back being face up surrounded by his fully clothed friends, dustin making jokes about it all, lucas itching to meticulously get rid of all peeling skin with ruthless efficiency.
will helped. he made mike shiver but he helped. he was quiet in a way that mike knew probably just reflected his focus, similar to his focus while painting, but it also allowed time for mike to breathe through his anxiety and his discomfort at being shirtless like this. he wondered what will thought about his back, if his shoulders seemed broad enough, if he had too many moles, if he seemed too skinny or not skinny enough. maybe not muscular enough.
he always managed to breathe through it though, and on the other side, will would quietly say something funny or sweet or distracting, and mike could stop thinking for a moment about will seeing him half naked with gross, peeling skin.
when will was done, he laid a warm hand on mike's back, up between his shoulder blades. it was soft and fleeting but reassuring, and will announced, "all done! it looks a lot better." and he took his hand away.
mike sat up, reached around to feel his back feeling much smoother, and grinned gratefully at will. he shrugged his shirt back on and said, "oh my god, thank you so much. last sunburn of the summer, i promise."
will snorted and said, "sure."
but next time they went to the pool, once they all got out of the pool, will tossed him some sunblock and said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "put some on, okay? i can help if you can't reach your back." but then he averted his eyes quickly as mike flipped open the cap on the sunblock.
mike didn't need help applying it. but he thought about will's offer. he thought about it all afternoon and it hung in his mind for hours after he got home. he thankfully didn't get sunburnt after he put on a second application of sunblock.
he thought some more about will's offer and the way his eyes turned away as mike awkwardly put the sunblock on in front of all the people at the pool. maybe will knew he felt a little uncomfortable shirtless and being looked at too much. maybe mike wouldn't have minded if will had looked, though. will's eyes were always soft and gentle and held a feeling in them that helped mike relax in his skin.
he called will that night. mike thanked him for the extra sunblock and the reminder to put on a second coat, and reported that he was currently sunburn-free. will laughed and brushed off the gratitude like it was nothing. it was late so they both spoke quietly into their phones, mike cradling the handset close to his mouth.
"so maybe you can make it through the summer with no more sunburns, huh?" will asked. he laughed and added, "no more peeling skin to deal with."
mike's head was fuzzy because it had been a long, sun soaked day, and they were already well into the night. he thought of will offering to apply the sunblock again, and of the shiver mike felt at will looking at his back. it was anxiety of being looked at mixed with... something. something that felt like butterflies or the shiver you get from a fever, the flush of a sun kissed cheeks, the comfort of wanting to be soft and quiet on the phone with his best friend late into the night. it reminded him of how he felt watching will get tanner and tanner all summer long, while mike just got pink over and over again. it was how he felt when will took off his shirt to swim, when mike saw the tan line on his arm from wearing t-shirts in the sun all summer. it was the flutter he got from will's scrunched up nose, his big smile, his laugh.
mike's head was buzzing and his heart was pounding out of his chest. the words tumbled out of him, not responding to what will had said at all. "do you want to go to a movie with me tomorrow night?"
there was quiet on the other end of the phone, mike could just hear will's breathing for a few moments.
"like with lucas and dustin?"
mike rushed to answer, "no. no. just you and me. i want to take you to the movies."
quiet again, before will said, speaking quickly and fumbling a little, "yeah, that sounds really fun. let's do that."
mike held the phone handset even closer to his face, as if that would help him see will from across town and know exactly what he was feeling. "no risk of a sunburn at the movies," mike joked.
will laughed quietly and said, "no, it should be a safe place for you."
mike thought to himself, absently, as if floating, that right next to will was always a safe place for him. once he grabbed onto the thought, it hit him hard.
he whispered quietly into the dark, "i'll get us icee's and some candy tomorrow night. whatever you want"
will's voice floated back to him, a little breathless with a small laugh. "i don't need much, mike. i'll just be happy with some reece's pieces. it'll be fun even... even without any candy. it's always fun going to the movies with you."
mike grinned and resisted the urge to bury his face in his pillow. "yeah. yeah, it is. i'll get you some candy anyway though."
mike hoped, as they said goodnight and hung up their phones, that will knew. he hoped that will could tell what mike meant, what was just beneath his words. will always seemed to get him, so he probably did. if not, mike was going to hold his hand at the movies the next night anyway, and will would definitely figure it out then. will's hand in his would probably be just as soft and reassuring as it was when it rested on mike's shirtless back.
mike had a little shiver at the thought before falling asleep.
#byler#sunburns#tw peeling skin??#like not in a gross way but just the little peeling after a sunburn#summer byler vibes#inspired by my own peeling sunburn 🫡🫡#mike and body image#byler ficlet
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