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It's 1997 and the ghost of Mike Wheeler walks back into Will Byers' life twice in one day: first in a Midtown coffee shop, then as the writer assigned to his graphic novel. Eight years of awkward distance now have a deadline. Collaboration is a special kind of torture when the person you're building a world with is the one who broke yours.
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
27 Jan 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Oh my what in the... WORDS
These words, these chapters, this story, it compliments itself because i can not make up words more beautiful than what I just read -
if there is a right time (chances are i’ll be here) by andiwriteordie
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
01 Jan 2026
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“And I guess… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry,” Mike says, and he scoots closer to Will, knee brushing against Will’s own. “I’m sorry that I let you deal with all this shit alone, and I’m sorry I didn’t see what was happening or what I was doing, and I’m sorry I hurt you, Will. But… but most of all…
Will’s heart pounds, and he waits with nervous anticipation, hanging onto Mike’s every word. “I’m sorry I was too late,” Mike whispers, tears welling in his eyes. “That… that I was too late for us.”
Or:
The one in which Will and Mike fall apart before they fall back together.
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It’s winter in Hawkins, and Mike and Will aren’t speaking anymore. Living in Mike’s house, Will tries to be invisible, spending most of his time in the basement.
Then the power goes out — and if there’s one thing he dreads more than facing Mike, it’s the cold.
or
Seven nights in which Mike and Will have to sleep in the same bed, even though they’re barely friends anymore.
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"Chance bit the inside of his lip. Truthfully, part of him believed Jason’s Hellfire theory was a desperate story fueled by the grief of losing Chrissy, but the more Chance watched Hawkins fall apart, literally, the more he felt his old logic snap into place. Maybe Jason had been right, the town had a wound and something crawled out of it, something that hid in plain sight. Chance didn’t believe in revenge, the Bible says justice belonged to God or the law. But, if there really was an evil in this town, wouldn’t it be just as evil to do nothing about it? To let it happen?"
OR
After losing two of his friends in the Hawkins “earthquake,” Chance joins a church grief group that believes Will Byers is the vessel for Satan. To prove them wrong, Chance agrees to befriend Will, but the closer he gets, the more the lines between faith, fear, obsession and love start to blur.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 109,882
- Chapters:
- 8/8
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- 770
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- 4,058
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Bookmarked by playingwithlight
16 Nov 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
this is fucked up bro
but a well written fucked up -
i just may be a daredevil (can you feel my heart?) by coopermyagent for hannibalismus
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
31 Jul 2024
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Will doesn’t have anything to lose anymore, and Mike can’t lose him. The two go hurtling towards an inevitable precipice where the only option might be to go tumbling down together, limbs grappling for each other, flesh melding, and heartbeats syncing in time.
OR
Will’s composure cracks and beats up their middle school bully, finishing the job Mike started. :)
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 10,342
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
- 167
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- 1,794
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- 524
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Bookmarked by playingwithlight
15 Nov 2025
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Summary
Mike saw him the second he entered the cafe, and the world stopped spinning.
He was standing at the counter, a jean jacket over a faded band t-shirt and a polite smile plastered over his cheeks. Just the man he remembered. The man he had been looking for for the past five years.
or, will doesn't remember anything, and something is very wrong
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
08 Aug 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
HOLY WOW this sounds like a good fucking scrip for a24
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the killing time, unwillingly mine by paladinsbrainrot
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
01 Aug 2025
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“Whoa ,” Mike says, voice hoarse and writhed with sleep, grasping the arm of Will’s sweater with impressive force, in his dream-like quality. Will doesn’t remember when he began slipping off the side of the roof. “Will, — Will,” Mike murmurs, and Will melts at the sheer familiarity of his name on Mike’s mouth, “come inside. You’ll hurt yourself.”
His heels won't move from where they’ve dug into the roof, despite Mike’s persistent tugging. All at once, he’s washed over with guilt. He shouldn’t be here. He’ll hurt him.
“Please,” Mike adds, the single syllable addictive and slow, like honey.
It’s embarrassing how fast Will folds.
Will wakes from a nightmare on the other side of town. He finds going home is easier said than done.
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
04 Aug 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
'you are my best friend'
'not what i meant. who am I?'😭
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“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:
- 37,896
- Chapters:
- 7/7
- Collections:
- 1
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- 227
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- 1,217
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- 306
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- 23,399
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
11 Jul 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
I WANT TO SCREAM EACH ONE OF THESE WORDS
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we all have a hunger (tell me what you need) by papenathy
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
03 Jun 2025
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Summary
“Looks like I bit you.” Will tilts his head to get a better look. All Mike can do is stare at him. His fluffy hair at the front, clumped pieces at the back where he’d slid his fingers in a mere few minutes before. His pretty green eyes that look hazel or even brown in this light, the dark circles he gets when he drinks framing them like intricate paintings. A satisfied, bloody smile.
Mike isn’t satisfied. He swallows thickly, choking down the words 'don’t you want more?'
Or: Will dresses as a vampire for a college halloween party, but Mike thinks his costume isn’t bloody enough. Will lets him fix it. Mike goes into a crisis.
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“Did you think I’d have a problem with that?” Mike had retorted, even though he knew.
“That’s not what I said– I just know you two haven’t really talked. I know he transferred. I don’t know if those two are related, because both of you are freaks and won’t talk about it with anyone. But I’m not an idiot, Mike,” Dustin had responded, making Mike promise that he’d be on his best behavior, to which Mike swore there was nothing to worry about, before hanging up and feeling a pit in his stomach he didn’t know what to do with.
It's 1994, and Mike has a wedding to attend.
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After two months of sweating over the checkout counter, Will was more than ready to get away from Hawkins. He was, admittedly, a little excited to spend some one-on-one time with Mike, too, who had spent most of June and July in Michigan teaching math to brainiac summer camp kids. With them both going away to college in just a few weeks, these last few moments of summer were precious.
or, will goes on vacation with mike's family. they get....bored.
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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:
- 120
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- 3,227
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Bookmarked by playingwithlight
11 May 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
i am gonna be insane about this for a whole week
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Summary
Will and Mike have been adventuring for nearly half their short lives and they're one quest away from achieving their dream of living out the rest of their lives in a secluded cabin together.
But when Will sustains a terrible injury and finds himself in said cabin with Mike, things aren't exactly what he'd thought they'd be. Between dirty windows, weird nightmares that don't feel like his own, and Mike disappearing one night of every week, Will has a feeling something is seriously wrong.
He just can't pinpoint what it is.
Series
- Part 4 of Bylerween 2023
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Summary
“It’s been five years. Five years! That you have been ignoring me. And now you just what? Want me to tell you where I am? You’re just here now? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Will flinched, shutting his eyes as tears threatened to fall. Shit, shit, this was a bad idea, a terrible idea. What was he thinking? Mike was right. What was wrong with him? “I- I’m sorry, I-”
“You’re sorry? Will, you can’t seriously think I’m just going to-”
“77 Indigo Street. Meet me at 8,” Will interrupted, the words spilling out before he could chicken out. “I’m sorry. Love you.” And then he slammed the phone back down with so much force the entire booth rattled. Though not exactly how he planned, there. It was done.
---
After leaving Hawkins and refusing to look back, Will decides it's finally time to reconnect with the person who would always have his heart.
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Summary
Mike opens his eyes against the water droplets hanging off his eyelashes. Will hasn't stopped walking away from him, and he’s far enough now that Mike can no longer really see the details of his jacket. The rain feels like needles against his skin, and a frustration builds in his gut. Mike can't stand this anymore.
He breaks off into a run.
or Mike and Will finally confront each other about everything. It's raining, and things get messy.
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Summary
“You’re back,” Mike states as his wide eyes catch Will’s.
Will just tilts his head at him as he takes his seat. “Yeah, I said I would be.”
“Right, obviously,” Mike mutters before stabbing his chicken sandwich with his toothpick.
“What?” Will asks despite every inkling in his body telling him to drop this conversation and just pick up his burger. “Did you think I was just going to leave?”
“No, I-”
“Because I wouldn’t just…” Will cuts himself off before he can finish and looks down at his plate instead, the unsaid words resting bitter on his tongue. I wouldn’t just leave with no explanation. Not like you did.
----------After everything they've been through, it is Mike who rips off the final band-aid of their friendship. Years pass of Will pretending like he never thinks about Mike at all. Years pass of him forging his own life and finally letting go.
But when a young boy shows up at Will's apartment, it becomes clear that he'll never fully be done with Mike Wheeler.
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"Daniel came in this afternoon," Will starts, looking up at the painting of the party so he doesn't have to look in Mike's dark eyes.
"I remember," Mike interrupts in agitation. "I wish he'd try to burn the place down just so I could ban him."
"Right.." Will continues, with a great amount of hesitancy now. "Well, he asked me on a date. A movie date, tomorrow night, and we're going to get dinner. But I didn't think that was safe, so he suggested we bring someone so we look like a friend group, but it would have to be someone we trusted and I trust you, so I guess I'm asking if you'll go on a date with me?"
Will pauses his rambling, breathing unevenly and waiting on Mike's answer. The other boy sits up slowly, keeping his back to Will and looking contemplative, if a bit unreadable.
This was his chance for a real relationship, a chance for all those teen firsts he'd never had, and he knows he can like Danny. He's not going to blow his chance.
/OR/ Will gets asked out on a date, and asks Mike to come along to make it less obviously a date to outside people. Ft. Dramatic 17 year olds, rain fight parallels, jealous Mike Wheeler, and unrequited affection (but its not between byler)
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
14 Apr 2025
Bookmarker's Notes
Mike's confession on this feels too much real i am in love
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(i haven't been there) for the longest time by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
06 Feb 2025
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Summary
The little girl makes a squeaking noise, shoving her face into the guy's chest and bringing her thumb back up to her mouth. “Uh uh. Wanna stay with you, Daddy,” she implores.
Her dad sighs, leaning back against the bench and placing a hand at her back, glancing apologetically over at Will. “She’s been going through this shy phase,” he says conspiratorially.
Will laughs. “Personally, I’ve been going through a shy phase for almost three decades, so. I get it.”
The guy snorts. “Fair enough.” He peers down at his daughter, who’s still hiding her face in his t-shirt, and smiles a little as he pats the top of her head. “I’m Mike, by the way."In which Will meets a very cute guy, with an even cuter daughter.
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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
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 46,457
- Chapters:
- 10/10
- Comments:
- 418
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- 6,668
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- 1,360
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- 135,717
Bookmarked by playingwithlight
10 Dec 2024
Bookmarker's Notes
love love love love love love it's always about love
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Summary
Dr. Wheeler did not touch Reverend Byers on Sunday. He did not kiss him, even when they woke up in the same bed. Will woke up before the first light of morning broke the horizon, the gray hue of pre-dawn signaling the sun's imminent arrival. It would soon illuminate all the buildings of the small town of Hawkins, peeling back shadows and glinting off of window panes.
or, the year is 1887 and in a small town on the Kansas prairie, things go terribly wrong