12 Bookmarks by WistfulWheeler
List of Bookmarks
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Summary
Mike Wheeler is thirty years old, three years married, and incredibly unhappy. After an unexpected AOL Instant Messenger group chat with the Party, Mike reconnects with Will after several years and realizes that maybe his life doesn't have to be so bad.
Or: A 2000s epistolary fic in which Mike falls in love with his childhood best friend and cheats on his wife.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 151,782
- Chapters:
- 7/12
- Comments:
- 2,379
- Kudos:
- 6,090
- Bookmarks:
- 1,658
- Hits:
- 167,011
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
29 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
genuinely my FAVORITE byler fic EVER!! So beautifully written and incredibly complex.
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Summary
“No. No, Mike, can you hear me?” He nods, ever so slightly. It’s enough for Will. If he’s dying— if these are truly the last words that will ever be spoken between them— there’s only one thing he can say. “I love you. I’m in love with you, Mike, please. You can’t go. I love you so much,” Will whispers, cradling his body to his chest.
—
Will confesses his feelings as Mike takes his last breaths— and then Mike decides to be a stubborn asshole about it and survives. Will is left to deal with the aftermath of his choice, navigating an awkward new friendship.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 36,317
- Chapters:
- 10/10
- Comments:
- 474
- Kudos:
- 6,687
- Bookmarks:
- 1,522
- Hits:
- 100,027
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
Will Byers was raised to have the only correct opinions on music ever, actually, and he’s proud to show this off in the music review section of his university's queer student artists’ collective’s relatively popular zine, zine of the times. He actually really enjoys this position–that is, until the president of the zine informs him that he has to review his least favorite band on this earth: The Fellowship of the Ring.
At least his incredibly attractive neighbor in his U.S. history class is gonna go with him on the assignment, right?
Or: A music snob and the frontman of his most-hated local band walk into a bar for a date. It’s either the beginning of a really good joke or a really shitty love story.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 54,518
- Chapters:
- 4/4
- Comments:
- 191
- Kudos:
- 1,207
- Bookmarks:
- 441
- Hits:
- 23,998
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
In the end, it doesn’t matter. None of it fucking matters. Because what’s really in control is the tension. This elusive string tied between their chests that’s always changing length. Right now it’s so short and taught and strong that Will can’t imagine resisting it. So really, it was never a matter of if he would. Just when. When will he fold? When will he let go and let himself follow Mike into the water?
He dares to glance down at his knees, where he can see Mike’s fingers peeking out from behind his calves (as if he needed that visual reminder that they’re touching), and then back up to meet Mike’s expectant gaze.
He’s going to do it. He’s such a fucking idiot.
OR
Mike & Will have a long overdue conversation on the way back to Hawkins— by, in, and around a random motel pool.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 30,013
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 151
- Kudos:
- 3,936
- Bookmarks:
- 1,316
- Hits:
- 70,529
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
Will loved ordinary things, an uneventful existence was something he craved. Sadly, when Mike Wheeler walks into his life, Will’s easy going path snaps right in half. A passion he could never imagine overtaking his whole being.
It was too bad their friend groups hated each other and his sister had a huge crush on the musician. Off limits.
Fantastic.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 170,879
- Chapters:
- 46/46
- Comments:
- 6,914
- Kudos:
- 26,907
- Bookmarks:
- 4,892
- Hits:
- 763,268
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
Mike recalls the brief interaction he had this morning in the hallway for perhaps the hundredth time. Maybe his friends can help. Help with what exactly, Mike doesn’t know— but something has been bugging him and he needs to get to the bottom of it.
“Hey, do you guys know that kid that wears all black? Chain belt? Eyeliner?”
“The gay kid?” Dustin supplies.
Oh, that’s right. Mike knew he had heard about him somewhere. He’s kind of famous around school. Well, him and his boyfriend. Even with it being 2006, they’re still the only openly gay people at the school.
Mike nods. “Yeah, I guess. I ran into him this morning. Literally, like we collided.”
——
Mike has a run-in with Will Byers, the school’s so-called “gay kid”. He takes it upon himself to befriend him, and quickly learns about Will’s relationship troubles with his boyfriend Matt. Along the way, Mike struggles with his identity, and Will struggles with his self-worth.
Series
- Part 1 of GUTS (spilled)
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 107,927
- Chapters:
- 36/36
- Comments:
- 873
- Kudos:
- 3,557
- Bookmarks:
- 828
- Hits:
- 94,440
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Rec 6354
Mystery Work
Part of priv00090
Summary
This is part of an ongoing challenge and will be revealed soon!
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Tags
Summary
After catching his boyfriend cheating, makeup artist Will Byers ends up making out with a stranger in a club who kisses him with more care than anyone ever has.
Then the stranger turns out to be Mike Wheeler — actor, Hollywood heartthrob, and the lead of the movie Will has just been hired to work on.
Working together for six months was already a bad idea.
Hooking up with each other definitely makes it worse.
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Tags
Summary
xam dam: mike what the fuck
mikal: Wmldem
mentally wILL: are you okay?
mikal: Peachy
ranger danger: wtf?
El Enchanted: If you need help, blink twice
mikal: 😐😑😐😑
mikal: Has this not already been established?—
Unserious texting fic because I need professional mental help- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 83,846
- Chapters:
- 35/35
- Comments:
- 442
- Kudos:
- 1,462
- Bookmarks:
- 213
- Hits:
- 31,401
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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i'll love you (even at the end of the world) by ziahra
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
26 Jan 2026
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Summary
“Mike,” Will had said to him, voice calm despite how hard it was for him to even make a sound. He didn’t try to sit up, but Mike wasn’t sure he could, even if he wanted to. “I need you to kill me.”
Mike shook his head, holding Will closer to his chest.
“Mike, please.” Will pleaded, closing his eyes against the light, or perhaps it was too much effort to keep them open. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” Mike whispered, surprised at how vulnerable he sounded, at the shake and utter defeat in his voice. “You won’t kill me, Will. Because we’re the same. We can’t hurt each other, even at the end of the world.”
;
It's been three years since the start of the zombie apocalypse and Mike is finally returning home. He discovers that not only is he not the sole survivor of Hawkins, but that his friends and sister are alive, too. As he begins to reconnect with them, the tension between them begins to increase, and Mike doesn't know how long he can stay with them.
Because while some of the group are more than happy to have him around, others don't like the company he keeps...
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 101,450
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Comments:
- 421
- Kudos:
- 2,133
- Bookmarks:
- 776
- Hits:
- 39,101
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
“D’you ever consider I did it on purpose? I am a bit of an attention-seeker, you know.” Perhaps Mike is drunker than Will initially thought.
“What?”
“How else could I get the chance to talk to you alone?” Will feels like the air was just knocked out of him. Of course Mike is joking, but there’s a hint of truth to the statement. He was looking for ways to get Will alone. Will isn’t sure whether this information excites him or terrifies him.
“You’re nutty,” Will says, physically shaking the worries from his head.
“Maybe so,” Mike says, “but it worked.”
A collection of moments between cowboy Mike and saloon worker Will as they start to understand what they want in life. Story set in the Red Dead Redemption universe. Byler Big Bang 2024
Series
- Part 1 of red dead byler
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 38,897
- Chapters:
- 7/7
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 401
- Kudos:
- 2,423
- Bookmarks:
- 600
- Hits:
- 52,460
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026
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Summary
A certain scene from the movie popped up, causing Will’s mouth to drop open and for his eyes to widen as he soaked in what was on the TV.
Of all the scenes in the movie, Mike had returned The Outsiders paused during the few, brief seconds when Sodapop was getting out of the shower in the background of the shot. Sodapop haphazardly covered himself with a towel, and then wrapped the towel just, like, stupidly low around his hips, his chest still wet and bare from the shower.
Or:
3 times that Mike Wheeler doesn’t rewind his rental movie before returning it to Family Video + 1 time that he does.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 15,579
- Chapters:
- 4/4
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
- 312
- Kudos:
- 2,556
- Bookmarks:
- 578
- Hits:
- 20,130
Bookmarked by WistfulWheeler
28 Jun 2026