1 - 20 of 326 Bookmarks by michellebooface
Navigation
List of Bookmarks
-
These Bones I’m Hiding by dannitown, juleaftermidnight
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
07 Aug 2026
Tags
Summary
He had spent his life trying to be good enough, so maybe God would stop looking at him like something unfinished. When the Wheelers move into town, Will’s quiet Appalachian world begins to rot at the edges. In a town built on shame and scripture, desire becomes it’s own haunting.
——————————
Heavily inspired by Ethel Cain’s album, “Preacher’s Daughter”
Bookmarked by michellebooface
04 Aug 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
A story about denial and survival in a conservative Christian small town and family.
-
Tags
Summary
When Will left for New York, Mike stayed in Hawkins for El. One year later, he finds himself trapped in a joyless relationship, still a virgin and inexperienced in every aspect of his life.
When the Party reunites for a summer camping trip, Will returns more confident than ever. And as old friendships rekindle around campfires, Mike finds himself crawling toward the one person he has always wanted.
Or the summer Mike Wheeler cheats on his girlfriend with her brother and finally understands why nothing with Eleven ever felt right.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 120,691
- Chapters:
- 15/15
- Comments:
- 222
- Kudos:
- 553
- Bookmarks:
- 124
- Hits:
- 14,449
Bookmarked by michellebooface
27 Jul 2026
-
Tags
Summary
No, there was no way. Like seriously no way. He’d just been thinking about Will a lot recently. Will was far too shy to pose for pictures like this. He just… wouldn’t do that. Not his Will. Mike would just find the page again and prove it was someone else. He would open the magazine and see a stranger on the page, and everything would be fine.
As he flipped back, he prayed to a God that he didn't believe in. Please, let that model be a stranger.
How gay is it to jerk off after stumbling across a suggestive picture of your old best friend? Maybe it’s excusable. Suggestive is suggestive, after all. And everyone can agree that Will is a stunning dude.
But joining an AIDS coalition, getting a lap dance from a drag queen, spending the night in a holding cell, and accidentally finding a place in Chicago's queer community?
Yeah, that’s… pretty gay.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 86,455
- Chapters:
- 13/17
- Comments:
- 332
- Kudos:
- 413
- Bookmarks:
- 110
- Hits:
- 11,939
Bookmarked by michellebooface
24 Jul 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Delicious, the author times the time to do it right
-
Tags
Summary
When Will came out, he was relieved to be accepted by the people closest to him, especially Mike, and especially after Will made it clear to Mike that he was his crush. It was just a silly, stupid crush that really wasn’t about Mike at all. The best part is, Will got over it quickly, and they were able to laugh it off and remain friends. Things have been solid since he let those feelings go. That dumb high school bullshit is in the past. Their friendship is far too important to dwell on a crush that is doomed to be unreciprocated.
Imagine Will’s surprise when he catches Mike in a Chicago gay bar making out with another man.
Turns out, Mike is gay. So, what now? What is he supposed to do with this information? More importantly, what does that mean for them?
Friends? No thanks.
Best friends.
Or: The one where Mike is gay and Will is in the Friend Zone the whole time as he helps Mike along his self-acceptance journey.
Series
- Part 1 of The Book of Judith
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 85,382
- Chapters:
- 20/20
- Comments:
- 1,326
- Kudos:
- 990
- Bookmarks:
- 196
- Hits:
- 21,211
Bookmarked by michellebooface
12 Jul 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
You want to rip apart yourself by reading this one. Trust.
-
Tags
Summary
“We haven’t done this since middle school,” Will says, voice barely above a whisper.
“Huh,” Mike whispers back. “Yeah, guess not.”
A couple years ago, Mike read a National Geographic article about a phenomenon called the polar night. In the farthest north and south regions of the globe, there are weeks, sometimes months depending on how close you are to the poles, where the sun does not rise above the horizon, plunging the world into a perpetual nighttime. Living in such conditions, the article had explained, can affect one’s circadian rhythm, heighten issues with concentration and energy levels, and cause a spike in depressive symptoms among local populations. Some resort to using light therapy lamps to mimic the daylight.
It was only after the Byers moved away, all those years ago, that Mike began to understand what the prolonged absence of the sun can do to a person.
The Upside Down is gone, and everyone has made it out unscathed. In the aftermath of the not-so-end of the world, snowballs turn into avalanches. Sometimes it just takes time.
or: Mike gets into Brown, Will gets into RISD, and the friends-to-???-to-lovers slowburn that ensues.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 160,586
- Chapters:
- 12/12
- Comments:
- 313
- Kudos:
- 737
- Bookmarks:
- 266
- Hits:
- 24,395
Bookmarked by michellebooface
10 Jul 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
The levels of heart ache and yearning were perfect and gorgeous.
-
Tags
Summary
In the summer of 1989, the Byers family moves to Montauk, cutting short Mike and Will's last summer together before college. Certain he'll never see his friend again, Will confesses his love on their last night together, rocking Mike's world entirely. As the tear-filled goodbyes draw to a close, however, Mike is suddenly offered the unexpected opportunity to travel with the Byers family and help them move.
They have five days out of state together to address Will's confession, learn to communicate, and maybe, just maybe, say a few things they should have said all along.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 48,479
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Comments:
- 369
- Kudos:
- 2,847
- Bookmarks:
- 984
- Hits:
- 70,846
Bookmarked by michellebooface
27 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
So perfectly balanced, wonderfully heartachey and sweet.
-
Just for a second, I remembered myself by Romanoff_mylove
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
24 Apr 2026
Tags
Summary
Mike has finally made it as an author. But writing about your own past can get complicated, especially when fans start to draw conclusions that point Mike in the direction of the person he's been writing about all along.
And living life is hard. Especially when you're doing it all on your own. But grief and love are a lot more similar than you might realise. They both tend to wake us up from the monotony of our lives.
OR: Mike has a horrible time, which somewhere along the way turns into a wonderful time.
Podfic version by Sahana: https://archiveofourown.org/works/83941371/chapters/221295601
Russian translation: https://ficbook.net/readfic/019ce7f9-31da-7933-8df9-83a19fad21d6Series
- Part 1 of Just for a second, I remembered myself
-
Tags
Summary
"I really like being like this with you. It feels safe. Does it have to be more complicated than that?"
Will chews his lip and looks between Mike’s eyes. “I guess not. I feel safe with you too.” He laces his fingers behind Mike’s neck.
“I want this, and I don’t care that you’re a boy. You’re just Will to me.”
OR:
Will has never been kissed. Mike realizes he wants to be the one to kiss Will. As summer progresses, Mike discovers through a dangerous amount of sun exposure, a bottle of aloe vera, and a silver necklace that he wants more than just kisses, and maybe he always has.
Bookmarked by michellebooface
05 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Grade A exploring the complicated inner world of Mike Wheeler
-
Tags
Summary
This summer had been hard on Mike Wheeler.
As in... 'Hard'.
Apart from the cloying heat that seemed to permeate his lungs and stick to every inch of his skin, he had suddenly begun to notice things about his best friend that he wasn't sure were normal.
In fact he knew they weren't.
----------------------------
Set in the summer of 1989 after graduation, when Mike starts looking at Will with different eyes than before... and has a very 'hard' time concentrating on anything else.
Series
- Part 1 of Fireball
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 62,771
- Chapters:
- 23/23
- Comments:
- 1,440
- Kudos:
- 2,027
- Bookmarks:
- 368
- Hits:
- 44,784
Bookmarked by michellebooface
31 Mar 2026
-
Tags
Summary
It's 1992, and Mike and Will are juniors in college and living together in a tiny NYC apartment. Life is great. It's everything Mike could ever want: his best friend, an incredible city, and the world at his fingertips. The only problem? He's in love with said best friend and has no idea how he could ever tell him.
Luckily for him, he's presented with an opportunity to get much closer to him every Friday night, as long as he promises not to get all weird after. How hard could that be?
Or: Mike and Will become friends with benefits and the universe laughs because they're both ridiculously in love with each other.
Series
- Part 1 of Nirvana
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 71,098
- Chapters:
- 5/5
- Comments:
- 1,282
- Kudos:
- 10,008
- Bookmarks:
- 2,629
- Hits:
- 225,508
Bookmarked by michellebooface
30 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Yes, you want to read this. Honestly one of the best depictions of early 90s day to day life. The sweetest, friendliest, least posturing sexual interactions I may have ever read. Absolutely perfect.
-
Tags
Summary
A month in a half after the events of "My Will Is Good," Mike and Will spend a weekend in Montauk, get closer than ever, and navigate life as a couple. Mike grapples with the idea of coming out and what it means to be gay in the 90s.
Or: Mike and Will have fun in Montauk, do it without condoms, and are really nerdy and in love.
Series
- Part 2 of Nirvana
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 28,156
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 340
- Kudos:
- 3,005
- Bookmarks:
- 721
- Hits:
- 49,191
Bookmarked by michellebooface
30 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
This writer understands romance based on friendship, so heartwarming and hot without even trying.
-
Tags
Summary
“I said anything.” Mike laughed. “Come on, you can do better than that. Make me… drink water out of a bowl, or something.”
“Like a dog?”
It was meant to be a joke, but Mike practically short-circuited, his breath hitching as his cheeks flushed pink. Oh my god, he really—
“Okay.” Will focused his gaze intently on Mike, as if he was actually using Jedi mind control powers. “You want… to get on your hands and knees.”
Mike didn’t break eye contact as he slid off the couch and settled onto the hardwood on all fours, peering up at Will as he patiently waited for instruction.
Fuck. This game was going to kill him.
OR
Mike and Will accidentally get into a totally platonic BDSM dynamic. Because that’s what best friends do. Totally.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 71,437
- Chapters:
- 12/18
- Comments:
- 859
- Kudos:
- 2,348
- Bookmarks:
- 531
- Hits:
- 63,234
Bookmarked by michellebooface
23 Mar 2026
-
i get what i want (i want what i see) by orphan_account
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
20 Mar 2026
Tags
Summary
Will Byers' past is a distant thing. It's 1994 in New York City, and he's an artist: both in the studio and on the pole. When college money troubles lead him to seek alternate employment, Will starts stripping with a friend at a club off Wall Street. It's a whirlwind of money, glamor, and the thrill of living two lives. It's perfect...
...until Mike Wheeler shows up.
~~~
Or, simply, a Stripper!Will AU.
Bookmarked by michellebooface
21 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Super impressed, much more authentic than I initially suspected from this concept
-
Tags
Summary
Mike pushes into his hands, but Will keeps him still.
"Ask again," he says. Because he's greedy, and he wants Mike to want him.
He stares at Will's mouth. "Please."
"Again."
El is gone.
Will tries to figure out how to move on in New York, and Mike follows him. Their apartment is haunted not by ghosts, but by the two of them.
Or: Catastrophically traumatized boys cling to each other and accidentally figure out how to be close—too close—while moving through their grief.
Series
- Part 1 of Supervoid (& Will’s Letter to El)
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 48,989
- Chapters:
- 4/4
- Collections:
- 4
- Comments:
- 1,819
- Kudos:
- 14,866
- Bookmarks:
- 4,346
- Hits:
- 288,398
Bookmarked by michellebooface
12 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Visceral, beautiful, wonderfully fucked up followed by gorgeous healing.
-
Just Paint Your Face, the Shadows Smile by moonliteallnite
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
27 Feb 2026
Tags
Summary
A lot of things can change in a few months. For instance, the fact that Will apparently wears eyeliner now. This is a fact that Mike Wheeler is entirely unprepared to cope with, and thinking about it too hard elicits some particularly confusing feelings...
In short: Will takes Mike to the local goth club, and Mike realizes some things about himself.
Bookmarked by michellebooface
11 Mar 2026
-
Bookmarked by michellebooface
03 Mar 2026
-
baby, you can change (and still choose me) by notapartytrick
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
02 Mar 2026
Tags
Summary
Mike Wheeler is stuck. Has felt that way for months now and can't seem to shake it. Running out on an NYC premiere, he bumps into Will Byers, who he's been avoiding writing back to for months. Will Byers, happy and settled in the city, who Mike neglected to tell about said premiere. It doesn't help that Mike's cracked his face open on the stupid sidewalk.
Will, concerned, insists he stay with him, and old feelings and memories resurface further and further the longer they spend together.
Series
-
talk to me dirty; talk to me sweet by thesweetestdream
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
02 Aug 2026
Tags
Summary
Will and Mike accidentally overhear a couple talking dirty over the walkie, and start repeating some of the filthy phrases to each other for shits and giggles. What starts as a joke, soon turns into something they can't stop doing – and can’t tell anyone about.
Or:
Mike and Will start talking dirty to each other for fun. What they don't consider is that it would accidentally turn them on.
-
Tags
Summary
On New Year’s Day, less than two months after the bomb and the end of the Upside Down, Mike comes out to Will.
On February 14th, another unexpected thing happens.
-
Tags
Summary
Twenty-two years after leaving, Will travels back to Hawkins to face his past. Only Mike now lives there, too.
Or, ‘He might as well have carved 'Mike' into his thigh. It would have been more honest.’
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 65,525
- Chapters:
- 15/15
- Comments:
- 2,654
- Kudos:
- 2,862
- Bookmarks:
- 1,049
- Hits:
- 60,528
Bookmarked by michellebooface
12 Feb 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
So beautiful, such a journey of healing. Wonderfully introspective while creating an amazing history for Will.