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1. Public Bookmark 4

   Love the Long Way by hydrangea_33

   Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016), Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz  

   • Teen And Up Audiences
   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • M/M
   • Work in Progress

   07 Apr 2026

   Tags

   • Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
   • Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
   • Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana
   • Will Byers
   • Mike Wheeler
   • Aristotle Mendoza
   • Dante Quintana
   • Jonathan Byers
   • Original Male Character(s)
   • Karen Wheeler
   • Crossover
   • Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
   • Post-Canon
   • Slow Burn
   • Long-Distance Relationship
   • Pining
   • Reunions
   • 1980s
   • 1990s
   • Queer Themes
   • Jealousy

   Summary

   Mike Wheeler does not realize what he has lost until he sees Will Byers choose someone else.

   Reunited in New York, Mike is forced to confront the things he never allowed himself to want. Will is older, braver, and finally choosing himself, finally moves forward with a life that no longer waits. Caught between jealousy and grief, Mike begins to understand what love demands of him.

   Watching from the sidelines, Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana recognize the truth before anyone else does: love does not disappear when it is denied—it only waits.

   And sometimes, it waits years.

   Language:

   English

   Words:

   12,062

   Chapters:

   9/10

   Comments:

   5

   Kudos:

   16

   Bookmarks:

   4

   Hits:

   371

   Bookmarked by no_1_creature

   06 Apr 2026