ElephantShoe
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Hold My Heart (and watch it burn): a Byler Files Christmas story by ElephantShoe for PinksMonkey, a70sMatthew
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
25 Dec 2025
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KAREN: You nervous, honey?
MIKE: Y-yeah. I, I kinda am. I dunno why. I mean, it's only Will, right?
(As if Will could ever be “only” anything.)
KAREN: Well, yes, but… it’s bound to be a little surreal after not seeing each other for so long. It makes sense that things might feel… different. (Mike's furrowed brow furrows even deeper.) Oh, don’t worry, sweetie. I'm sure once he's here, it'll be like nothing's changed.
MIKE: Yeah?(It's at this point that the doors slide apart, releasing an avalanche of travelers. Karen’s mouth falls open and her eyebrows lift in surprise.)
KAREN: Or I… could be wrong…
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It's Christmastime while the Byers are still living in California and the only thing Mike asked his parents for... was Will.
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Chapter 14 is (FINALLY!) up! Enjoy 😃
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WILL (quietly): Are you… in love with me?
MIKE (shocked): What…? Why… why would you ask me that?
WILL (getting scared): Y-you're not, are you? Oh god – is it true? Am, am I… am I delusional?
MIKE: No! No. Will – Of course I'm in love with you. Why would you even have to ask? You know how much I love you…
WILL: You do…? Really? They said it wasn't true. That it was all a dream… That I'm… (slowly) not… really here.
MIKE: Who said that?
WILL: Are you real…?
MIKE: Of course I'm real. Who said that?
WILL: The Lost Souls. They said I'm one of them. They said I died in the Upside Down. Or… I'm… going to. Soon. I dunno.
MIKE: Well, that's bullshit. What do they know? (insistent) Will. You are here. (He cups Will's face in his hands.) And I love you.
WILL (welling up): Promise?
MIKE (nodding): I promise.
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Will and Mike are finally, happily together and ready to take on the world. But now, a terrifying dream, a mysterious phrase, and a looming threat lead them to uncover secrets buried long ago – secrets that could change everything.
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The Byler Files, appendix B: Mike's Song Lyrics by ElephantShoe
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
07 Jan 2025
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In one of Mike's letters to Will, he writes:
"Um, I have a little secret to confess… I write songs. Yup. Cringey, huh? I've been writing them for years now, since the first day of Kindergarten, actually – the day we met. Most of them suck, but I think a few might be pretty good. Eddie thinks so too. And here's another confession… they’re basically all about you. I know it sounds stupid and corny, and kind of makes me want to bury my head between the couch cushions a little, but… you inspire me, Will. You really do. You're just so sweet and beautiful and talented and amazing, and I think there should be songs about you, so I wrote some... I've been writing a lot of them since you left, because honestly, you're all I can think about. In case that wasn't obvious already."
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This is Mike's Song Book, containing the lyrics of the songs he has written and performed throughout The Byler Files, in the order they appear.
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The Byler Files, appendix A: Mike's Letters by ElephantShoe
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
17 Nov 2023
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Oct. 13th, 1985
Dear Will,
How are you? I am fine. Everyone here is good. Lucas made the basketball team… blah, blah, blah. God, this letter is bullshit! It doesn't even begin to tell you what I'm actually feeling.
I am miserable, Will – horribly, soul-suckingly, excruciatingly miserable. School sucks, everything sucks, you are gone, and I am so mad at you for leaving...
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In The Byler Files, vol. 2, chapter 3 - "Love Letters":
Stashed under Mike's bed, Will finds a shoebox with his name printed across it in thick blue marker. Inside is a pile of letters scribbled on scraps of paper in Mike's handwriting, all addressed to Will.
These are the letters.
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(Reluctantly, Will ventures a possible solution, despite the unlikelihood of Mike being on board. Desperate times, and all that...)
WILL: You knowww… my mom did say we could come to her with any questions…
MIKE (sarcastically): Oh yeah. I can just picture how well that would go. "So, Mrs. Byers… Joyce – can I call you Joyce? (Will starts laughing hysterically.) Just out of curiosity… what do you think would be the, um… safest way for me to bang your son?"
WILL (laughing): Well, when you put it so eloquently…
MIKE: You're her precious little angel boy. There is no way I'm asking her how to defile you.
(Will falls back onto the bed, his legs still dangling over the side, and pulls Mike down on top of him, kissing him deeply.)
WILL: But I want you to defile me.
MIKE: Yeah, but she doesn't need to know that.
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Together, Will and Mike navigate the boundaries of their new relationship, while also trying to hide it from the homophobic haters of Hawkins, and maybe find a little privacy once in a while.
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(Volume 2 of TBF series -- you don't have to read vol.1 first, but you can if you like.😊)
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“You’re not boning, though, right?” he says, suddenly. He doesn’t know why he feels such an urge to bring it up again, as if the thought of Mike boning is not something that is CODE RED #1 at the top of Will's list of things to absolutely never think about. But also. Look–
“What? No, of course I’m not boning,” Mike splutters, turning a violent shade of scarlet, “how would I even hide that from you, I’m with you all the time–”
And then he falls silent, so fast that Will gets tonal whiplash from how fast Mike just went from saying boning over and over again to just clamping his mouth shut and staring at the wall across from them.
Will's trying his hardest to make it through fall semester in one piece. Unfortunately for his degree, he's being haunted by maybe-feelings for his best friend (metaphorically), and also a maybe-ghost with rather abysmal fashion sense (literally).
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Bookmarked by ElephantShoe
19 May 2025
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A N D - H E R E - I - T H O U G H T - U ‘ D - F O R G E T - M E
N E V E R
N E V E R - E V E R - ?
N E V E R - E V E R
He thought about the way Will had looked at him all those years ago, lying in the hospital bed, eyes not his own. Even through the fog of possession, something behind Will’s gaze had clicked and recognized Mike for who he was. Even without anything else left, Will had still remembered the connection he had to his mom - and... to Mike. His trembling fingers hesitated for an infinite moment, before typing faster than his brain could hope to process,
P R M S E - ?
Y E S
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A miles-apart, oblivious mutual pining, emotional summer vacation disaster-fest starring Mike, Will, and one incredibly unreliable radio connection.
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- English
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- 6/6
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Bookmarked by ElephantShoe
11 May 2025
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“I need you.”
Will’s expression grows more stunned. “What?” he breathes, voice barely above a whisper.
His instincts tell him to take it all back, but the way that Will’s looking at him with those sorrowful, questioning eyes weakens him. And he’s been stupid for many, many years, so what’s a little more stupidity?
aka a s5 speculatory mike wheeler-centric fic about his internalised homophobia and a lot of moments where he's not so clever about his feelings with will
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- English
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Bookmarked by ElephantShoe
16 Feb 2025
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“Well, it was nice meeting you two,” David said. He leaned forward towards Will, and gave him a single, light pat on his head.
“And I’ll see you around,” he said softly.
Will blinked up at him in a daze, eyes wide and cheeks gaining a tint of pink again.
Mike stared, stunned. Did he just touch Will’s hair? Mike was the only one that ever did that!
Mike's semester takes a serious turn when—
A) He realizes he's in love with his best friend
B) A popular handsome senior takes interest in said best friend, and he can't stand it- Language:
- English
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- 81,373
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- 12/12
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Bookmarked by ElephantShoe
07 Jan 2025
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He recognized the buzz immediately as a text message- Will rarely got those. They were expensive, which meant he didn’t exactly send many. He flipped open his Nokia, expecting it to be his mom, or El or Max or maybe even Justin from that club last week. But it wasn’t a number he recognized. He clicked on the message to get a fuller view, and his breath caught.
hey will its mike
you know like mike from hakwins
like your best friend
The first thing he noticed was that Hawkins was spelled wrong. The second thing he noticed was the word Mike. That was Mike. His entire body had gone so cold so fast, he couldn’t think straight.
i’m getting married
i want you to come
Will almost dropped his Nokia.
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Mike and Will haven't spoken in seven years. Apparently Mike's getting married, and, of course, he wants Will to come.Bookmarked by ElephantShoe
12 Sep 2024