#NO WONDER MIKE SEEMED SO PUT OFF BY THE PAINTING

[significant-ace-nnoyance]

YOURE TELLING ME THAT beFORE THIS SCENE EL HAD ✨CANONICALLY✨ TOLD MIKE THAT WILL WAS PAINTING SOMETHING FOR A GIRL HE LIKES

MICHAEL YOUR JEALOUSY IS SHOWING

#I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS REAL #NO WONDER MIKE SEEMED SO PUT OFF BY THE PAINTING #HE NEVER THOUGHT FOR ONE SEC IT WAS FOR HIM #THE WAY HIS SMILE JUST DROPS WHEN HE SEES THE PAINTING #“cool” MY MAN IS TRYING SO HARD TO HOLD IT TOGETHER LMAOOO #byler #mike wheeler i know what you are #mike wheeler is a simp #jealous mike wheeler #I GENUINELY THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A FANFIC THING AM I HALLUCINATING

[aeoncss]

Hiiii I love your Mike content 😭💗!!! I was wondering if you could write headcannons about Mike developing a crush on the older sister of one of Abby’s friends? Like they meet at a school event or something </3 I can’t stop imagining him arranging sleepovers and stuff to see her shsssddsfs

hopelessly devoted | mike schmidt x fem!reader

a/n: this is SOO cute, thank you so much for sending in the request anon! <3

cw: guardian anxiety? mike being anxious, as always. some cute sibling / friend interactions. pining towards the end! not proof read bc my eyes hurt lmao.

after the events at freddy’s, abby was slowly coming out of her shell and making new friends — which made mike so incredibly proud, considering it was radio silence from her for so long.

he loved seeing her immediately run off to her small group of friends and acquaintances whenever he dropped her off for the day at school, seeing how happy she became.

when he went to pick her up one evening, abby had asked if one of her friends could stay over later in the week— begging mike to let her have a sleepover.

he was hesitant at first, still not quite over what happened at the pizzeria which made his paranoia spike, so he only agreed if he could meet her friend’s parents or guardian first.

which, led mike to abby’s friend — angelica’s older sister.

to you.

it was at a small school event. abby’s grade was putting together a small fair for the upcoming fall holiday, so a little harvest was in place. there were scarecrows, face paintings, quick crafts for the kids to enjoy, and overall just enough activities to keep both the parents and children happy.

abby pleaded with mike to go, asking him over and over for a week straight until he gave in and took a day off of work.

although he was happy that abby was having the time of her life — a smile stretched around a beautifully drawn butterfly across her lips and nose, mike couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t belong there.

he was her older brother, not abby’s parent. guardian, yes, but this wasn’t meant for siblings. it was meant as a bonding pair between parents and their child, and as the night progressed, mike was slowly beginning to feel worse.

of course, he was happy for his little sister. happy that she was getting out of her shell and running around everywhere with a giggle, but here he was — following behind with glares directed towards him, most likely from the incident back at the mall.

he hated the lingering eyes. the hushed whispers. it only caused his skin to trickle with anxiety and his tongue to bloat. he wanted out.

“mike!” abby shouted with a giggle, skipping over towards her big brother with her hand clasped in another. angelica came in tow next to her, her face decked out in some batman face paint.

“what’s up, kiddo?” mike questioned — looking down at the pair with a quirked brow.

the two girls before him shared another laugh before abby had turned around, pointing towards another figure standing alone by a small field of fake corn and hay.

“that’s angelica’s sister! you said if you meet her then we can have a sleepover!” mike’s younger sister beamed.

mike’s brows furrowed the more he looked at the absent stranger, his eyes focusing on the way her mouth seemed to contort into a frown, and that she kept glancing over towards angelica. from what he gathered, just to make sure she’s okay.

“…where are your parents, angelica?” mike had asked cautiously, looking down at the replicate-batman standing before him, who was plucking a piece of cotton-candy into her mouth.

angelica’s features softened as a shrug appeared across her shoulders. “i dunno. y/n takes care of me when they’re not home.”

abby budged in, little hands grabbing at his wrist to catch mike’s attention. “pleassseeee mike! you would be the best big brother ever!”

okay, now he can’t turn that down.

a sigh escaped his lips as he accepted defeat, smiling down at the two girls quickly before raising a hand to ruffle up abby’s curls. “okay, fine. i’ll go talk to her. but don’t go too far, okay?”

“okay!” abby and angelica shouted, immediately making a beeline towards a table that had supplies set up to make turkey-hand pictures.

as he watched the two girls run off, mike bit at the inside of his cheek, a hand moving through his hair. before he knew it, he was beginning to walk towards angelica’s older sister.

as he came within ear shot, he awkwardly cleared his throat — already hating the fact that he felt swarmed in social anxiety.

your eyes drifted over from where angelica hovered at the table, to now mike standing before you, a little surprise to your features. before you could speak, he was already taking the initiative.

“hey… you’re angelica’s older sister, right?” he asked tentatively, a little hesitation in his voice.

then you laughed, softly.

“yeah, yeah. i’m y/n, you must be mike?” you responded with a subtle smile, the exchange catching mike off guard.

“how do you..—“

“angelica loves to tell stories.” you grinned, looking down at your feet for a second, your eyes meeting together once more when you glanced back up. “and she tells me all the time about how she wants a sleepover with abby, but her big brother has to speak to me first.”

a laugh — a genuine laugh fell from mike as his shoulders shook slightly, lips contorting into a smile as he placed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

“yeah… sorry, it’s just a precaution.”

“don’t even worry about it. i get it.” you reassured, taking a quick look at your younger sister who was now holding up a picture of her magical turkey to show abby. you chuckled.

“uhm,” mike’s voice steered you away, pulling your attention towards him, “angelica said that you’re taking care of her right now..?”

he watched as you nodded, noticing the subtle purse of your lips as they tightened for a second, parting only shortly after.

“yeah— my parents are really busy, so i’ve been taking some time away from college to look after angelica.” you explained softly, rubbing at your arm gently.

“my dad’s a pretty hefty lawyer and my mom travels for work, so there’s no one else except for me.” you cleared your throat, putting on a small smile.

mike nodded, feeling a little guilty but at the same time, remorse and familiarity. you two weren’t in the same boat, but definitely shared some aspects.

“hey, i get it.” mike smiled, his voice soft despite the mantra of children yelling and laughing all around them. “just wanted to make sure you weren’t a serial killer or anything.”

that comment alone made a loud laugh spill from your lips, enough that you attempted to hide it with your hand — eyes glimmering towards him.

“absolutely not.”

since then, mike approved sleepovers — but only if they were at his place, still feeling a little iffy having abby at another persons house, but that paranoia slowly begin to die away the further mike was able to spend time with you.

you would drop angelica off on friday night, talking with mike at the door while angelica immediately threw her stuff down and bolted towards abby’s room.

“angie, you can’t just leave your stuff like—“ you tried to lecture gently, letting out a sigh when it became apparent that it was a lost cause.

mike looked down from where he held the door open, laughing at the small pile of clothes and toys now by his feet.

“i’m sorry—“

“don’t sweat it. they’re kids.” mike reassured with a chuckle.

when he looked back up to you, there was a pull he felt. like an inkling, almost.

“do.. you wanna come inside real quick? the weather is kinda nasty,” he asked, glancing behind you to see the cruddy rainstorm beginning to peak.

hesitation lingered on your features before a shrug danced off your shoulders. “sure, i don’t have anything else to do tonight.”

you weren’t expecting to stay longer than thirty minutes, so when you glanced down at your watch to see that you had stayed for almost three hours came as a surprise.

of course, abby and angelica blindsided you both and immediately wanted to play all these different games at once. dress up, cops vs. robbers, hide and seek. you were slumped after racing around the house for the umpteenth time, exhausted after finding angelica hiding in a freaking kitchen cabinet whilst playing hide and seek.

you fell back onto the worn couch in the living room with a sigh, wiping some sweat that gathered on the crown of your hairline. in your peripheral, you saw mike coming in from the kitchen with a water bottle, and you sighed happily when he handed it to you.

“thanks.” you beamed, grinning softly as you took a few swigs. “jesus christ, i forgot how energetic kids were.”

mike boasted a laugh, sitting down beside you with a grunt. “tell me about it. i didn’t think hide and seek could be that exhausting.”

“right?!” you laughed loudly, eyes widening as you looked over at him. “i remember hiding behind curtains and inside closets, not in the freaking kitchen cabinet?”

“abby somehow hid behind her desk. i don’t even want to know how that was possible.”

conversation felt easy between the two of you. even back at the harvest festival, where mike was afraid he was going to make a fool out of himself somehow, you were able to strip away that anxiety.

“hey… uhm, thanks for letting abby and angelica do this.” mike suddenly spoke, pulling you away from your thoughts. you glanced over to see him looking down at his hands that rested in his lap.

“abby’s had a hard time making friends until she met angelica, and i’m just— really happy she’s getting out, being a kid, you know?”

your heart clenched at his words, brows contorting into a sympathetic look as you smiled over at him softly.

“angelica doesn’t really understand why our parents are gone so often. every time she comes home, she gets all excited to see them and the disappointment on her face when she realizes that they’re not home is…” you trailed off, smiling sadly.

“i’m really glad angelica has abby. i don’t see the disappointment on her face anymore when she comes home. now, all she has are a bunch of stories of what the two of them did during school.”

the smile that graced mike’s lips caused your heart to thump — a sudden skip that surprised you. it caused his eyes to crinkle slightly, the smallest bit of a laugh falling through that made your heart race even further.

“i think,” you spoke out, not realizing that the words were spilling from your lips until you could hear yourself speaking, “that we should let them have a sleepover every friday.”

maybe it was because you wanted to make a tradition with abby and angelica.

or maybe it was because you wanted to see mike more.

your gazes met, and mike grinned, nodding his head.

“sounds like a plan to me.”

#sorry if the ending is a little rushed ); #also will go back and edit this later #just wanted to get it out there! #mike schimdt x you #fnaf movie mike #mike schimdt x reader #fnaf mike schmidt #fnaf mike #mike schmidt

[howtobecomeadragon]

mike gets sunburnt every summer. he tries to remember his sunblock, he really does, but sometimes it slips his mind. sometimes he does put it on but he then forgot to re-apply the sunblock after his first application washed off when he swam or when he was outside all afternoon.

either way, he inevitably always burns. he withstands the teasing from the others for a week, puts aloe vera on his burns with annoyance every day at his mom's insistence. and then his skin starts to get a little bit itchy and then suddenly, his sunburn is peeling.

will is his designated sunburn skin peeler. when lucas did it, he wasn't delicate enough and ended up peeling it to the unsunburnt edges of his skin, causing it to sting and pull. mike always ended up smacking lucas's hands away with a loud "ow, shit, stop!" lucas rolled his eyes at him and told him, "fine, you can keep looking nasty with all your peeling skin." when dustin peeled the sunburnt skin, he always got grossed out, making fake retching noises to make will and lucas laugh, and made distressed groans when faced with a back full of mike's peeling sunburnt skin. mike would call out "this means it's healing, okay! the skin underneath is healthy and not burnt. just do it!"

that left will. he was patient and gentle with his artist's fingers. when he peeled some sunburnt skin that stung, mike hissed in pain and will immediately stopped, whispering, "sorry, sorry. maybe i'll get that one in a few days." when will got a big peel, he showed it to mike with his nose scrunched up, looking a little grossed out but also delighted with sick fascination.

what his peeling sunburnt skin really was was a good exercise in trust. mike didn't love his body all the time. he took his shirt off to swim, got sunburnt on his back and shoulders, and then he couldn't reach the peeling skin as the sunburn faded. the peeling skin made him feel gross, entirely and overwhelmingly self-conscious by how disgusting it looked. and to get it off, he had to take his shirt off again to show it to someone and ask them to help.

will's fingers on his back always made him shiver a little bit. cooler fingers on burnt skin, perhaps. but he was often just red and flushed with the exposure of it all, and maybe that's why he shivered. his bare back being face up surrounded by his fully clothed friends, dustin making jokes about it all, lucas itching to meticulously get rid of all peeling skin with ruthless efficiency.

will helped. he made mike shiver but he helped. he was quiet in a way that mike knew probably just reflected his focus, similar to his focus while painting, but it also allowed time for mike to breathe through his anxiety and his discomfort at being shirtless like this. he wondered what will thought about his back, if his shoulders seemed broad enough, if he had too many moles, if he seemed too skinny or not skinny enough. maybe not muscular enough.

he always managed to breathe through it though, and on the other side, will would quietly say something funny or sweet or distracting, and mike could stop thinking for a moment about will seeing him half naked with gross, peeling skin.

when will was done, he laid a warm hand on mike's back, up between his shoulder blades. it was soft and fleeting but reassuring, and will announced, "all done! it looks a lot better." and he took his hand away.

mike sat up, reached around to feel his back feeling much smoother, and grinned gratefully at will. he shrugged his shirt back on and said, "oh my god, thank you so much. last sunburn of the summer, i promise."

will snorted and said, "sure."

but next time they went to the pool, once they all got out of the pool, will tossed him some sunblock and said, with a twinkle in his eyes, "put some on, okay? i can help if you can't reach your back." but then he averted his eyes quickly as mike flipped open the cap on the sunblock.

mike didn't need help applying it. but he thought about will's offer. he thought about it all afternoon and it hung in his mind for hours after he got home. he thankfully didn't get sunburnt after he put on a second application of sunblock.

he thought some more about will's offer and the way his eyes turned away as mike awkwardly put the sunblock on in front of all the people at the pool. maybe will knew he felt a little uncomfortable shirtless and being looked at too much. maybe mike wouldn't have minded if will had looked, though. will's eyes were always soft and gentle and held a feeling in them that helped mike relax in his skin.

he called will that night. mike thanked him for the extra sunblock and the reminder to put on a second coat, and reported that he was currently sunburn-free. will laughed and brushed off the gratitude like it was nothing. it was late so they both spoke quietly into their phones, mike cradling the handset close to his mouth.

"so maybe you can make it through the summer with no more sunburns, huh?" will asked. he laughed and added, "no more peeling skin to deal with."

mike's head was fuzzy because it had been a long, sun soaked day, and they were already well into the night. he thought of will offering to apply the sunblock again, and of the shiver mike felt at will looking at his back. it was anxiety of being looked at mixed with... something. something that felt like butterflies or the shiver you get from a fever, the flush of a sun kissed cheeks, the comfort of wanting to be soft and quiet on the phone with his best friend late into the night. it reminded him of how he felt watching will get tanner and tanner all summer long, while mike just got pink over and over again. it was how he felt when will took off his shirt to swim, when mike saw the tan line on his arm from wearing t-shirts in the sun all summer. it was the flutter he got from will's scrunched up nose, his big smile, his laugh.

mike's head was buzzing and his heart was pounding out of his chest. the words tumbled out of him, not responding to what will had said at all. "do you want to go to a movie with me tomorrow night?"

there was quiet on the other end of the phone, mike could just hear will's breathing for a few moments.

"like with lucas and dustin?"

mike rushed to answer, "no. no. just you and me. i want to take you to the movies."

quiet again, before will said, speaking quickly and fumbling a little, "yeah, that sounds really fun. let's do that."

mike held the phone handset even closer to his face, as if that would help him see will from across town and know exactly what he was feeling. "no risk of a sunburn at the movies," mike joked.

will laughed quietly and said, "no, it should be a safe place for you."

mike thought to himself, absently, as if floating, that right next to will was always a safe place for him. once he grabbed onto the thought, it hit him hard.

he whispered quietly into the dark, "i'll get us icee's and some candy tomorrow night. whatever you want"

will's voice floated back to him, a little breathless with a small laugh. "i don't need much, mike. i'll just be happy with some reece's pieces. it'll be fun even... even without any candy. it's always fun going to the movies with you."

mike grinned and resisted the urge to bury his face in his pillow. "yeah. yeah, it is. i'll get you some candy anyway though."

mike hoped, as they said goodnight and hung up their phones, that will knew. he hoped that will could tell what mike meant, what was just beneath his words. will always seemed to get him, so he probably did. if not, mike was going to hold his hand at the movies the next night anyway, and will would definitely figure it out then. will's hand in his would probably be just as soft and reassuring as it was when it rested on mike's shirtless back.

mike had a little shiver at the thought before falling asleep.

#byler #sunburns #tw peeling skin?? #like not in a gross way but just the little peeling after a sunburn #summer byler vibes #inspired by my own peeling sunburn 🫡🫡 #mike and body image #byler ficlet

[mostlylurkinbarelypostin]

El’s Letter, Mike’s Mental Health, and Murray’s Ominous Comments:

It’s really no wonder Mike felt like he had to be someone else when he went to Lenora. El’s letter sends the message that her and the Byers are absolutely flourishing in California. All of her issues seem to be resolving and she’s having a great time now. And it’s not just El. Will sounds like he’s also doing great, apparently painting for a girl that he likes. From his perspective, El and Will are doing better without him, and here he is, still in the same place. Things aren’t even getting better for him, they’re getting worse.

According to El’s letter, she’s twice as happy now, she’s adapting, she isn’t missing Hawkins as much, everyone at school is nice to her, her grades are getting better, and she’s made lots of friends.

We’re shown that Mike, in contrast, is having the exact opposite experience. He is becoming more unhappy, he hates high school, he’s not adapting, his grades are suffering, no one is nice to him, he’s not getting used to life without Will and El, and he feels likes he’s losing the few friends that he still has.

A line that always kinda gets me is when El narrates from her letter “You were right, it just takes time,” in reference to adapting. It makes you wonder, when he told her “It just takes time,” was he trying to convince himself of the same thing? And then when he read the response, was he happy for her but also wondering why he can’t do the same? Why can’t things get better for him? Why can’t he adapt?

“I hate high school” might seem like a kind of melodramatic teenagery throw away line but it really reflects how much Mike is struggling in his new environment and how he, unlike El, is not adapting. Of course El wasn’t adapting either, but Mike thought she had.

I feel like that would have been a really difficult letter to read considering he’s very obviously struggling to begin with and now he’s finding out that his girlfriend is doing great without him and his best friend of a decade, who he’s been lost without, has seemingly moved on. In his head it was likely confirmation of what he probably already feared. While he’s been sitting in his basement, surrounded by Will’s art that still covers the walls, Will has been busy moving on, making art for someone else. And not just any someone, a girl that he likes.

It makes sense then why Mike is visibly upset for the rest of the day and why he reacts so strongly to seeing Lucas on the basketball team. There’s literal tears in his eyes when he sees how happy Lucas is with them, and it makes sense. He had already felt left behind by El and Will and now Lucas is slipping through his fingers too. He’s being left behind again. And of course he doesn’t want anyone to see how awful he’s doing or think poorly of him, so when he gets to California he pretends. He tries to hide behind a facade, but he can’t keep hiding when he learns that El lied to him and Will, from his perspective, seems to want nothing to do with him. He’s hurt, and he responds by lashing out at Will. Just like Max, Mike lashes out at others when he’s hurting. He did the same thing to Lucas when he found out that he was skipping Hellfire for the basketball game. He pushed back at Lucas until he insinuated that being “nerds and freaks” was something that they shouldn’t be. He wants them to change. Mike can’t change why he’s been put in that category though. It obviously strikes a nerve with him. After that comment, Mike’s posture changes and he doesn’t say another word for the rest of the conversation. He very visibly deflates and gives up, which is SO unlike Mike.

After that conversation, Mike is essentially back to where he was in 1983 after his failed reconciliation with Lucas. He’s once again operating under the belief that he has lost Will and El and has just lost Lucas too. He thinks he only has Dustin left. At this point in 1983, he was standing on the edge of the quarry and about to step off. While we know that Mike isn’t in a great place mentally, I think he was closer to the edge before he left for California than anyone knew. As many people have pointed out, there’s clear signs that at least Will is noticing his mental deterioration. He sees that Mike’s not eating, he hears Mike talking badly about himself, he sees the anxiety. He also notices when Nancy makes a comment about Mike’s room being unkept. Will is noticing all this.

Mike is obviously now a prime target for Henry given his emotional vulnerability. The ground work has been laid for his mental health to finally be addressed next season.

One of Murray’s comments leads me to believe that the cliff scene in particular will be revisited.

When Joyce can’t get ahold of the kids before the ransom exchange in Alaska, Murray says:

“There are certain things that one can be late to in life. A dentist appointment. A one-year-old’s birthday party, because who cares? That little idiot’s not gonna remember it.”

The thing is though, Mike couldn’t be late to the dentist in 1983. Troy was counting down to when the “dentist’s office” opened, and being late would have led to Dustin being harmed. Mike, who is always late, showed up on time that day and stepped off the cliff. It can’t be a coincidence then that Murray mentions a dentist appointment when the most infamous “dentist appointment” we know of led to Mike almost dying.

What makes Murray’s comments even more suspicious is how the dentist appointment is compared to a 1-year-olds birthday party. Remember that the context for the Murray and Joyce scene was that she couldn’t get through to her house in Lenora. The call wouldn’t go through. This is especially interesting considering all the hints that suggest that Mike was trying to call Will while he was in California. They even made it something that they have to circle back to by having Mike not reveal this to Will when he accuses him of not calling during their fight at Rink-O-Mania. It wouldn’t make sense for him not to tell Will UNLESS they’re planning on addressing it again later. They have to reveal the reason behind Mike keeping his calls a secret.

Given that Mike is represented by the dentist appointment comment, it makes sense that Will is then the birthday party part. Just like with Mike, it can’t be a coincidence that Murray makes a comment about a birthday party given all the weirdness surrounding Will’s birthday. It’s even more suspicious that Murray talks about the child “remembering,” given that it seems like the memory of Will’s birthday is missing for some.

I have no idea what direction they’re gonna take with Will’s birthday, but I do think that it will be an important plot point next season and will somehow be connected to Mike’s actions at the quarry in S1. I think there might be some parallel to the cliff scene, but instead of Troy threatening Dustin, it will likely be Henry threatening Will. I think that Mike will be self-sacrificial as always and try to save him. A lot of people expect Mike to almost die and I could see this being when that happens. Murray’s comments are just way too specific to not be foreshadowing. It would also make logical sense given all the work they’ve put in to hint at Mike’s deteriorating mental health.

#mike wheeler #byler #stranger things #Stranger things theory #Mike’s mental health #Birthday gate #Dentist appointment gate?

[temptingfatetakingnames]

The Last Steve Harrington Part 11

AO3 Part 1 Part 10

Steve’s first day at Scoops Ahoy wasn’t as bad as he was expecting it to be… even with the sailor outfit he was forced to wear. His coworker, Eddie Munson, who had started a few weeks before him brought a chaotic but fun energy to the job. The uniform showed off his legs but it was his hands that really caught Steve’s attention. They were beautiful. Long and slim. Almost delicate looking. He painted them, usually black but every now and then there would be a pop of colour. Every finger was decked out with a silver ring, even when he was scooping ice cream which Steve thought must have been annoying but didn’t seem to bother him. Steve knew that he played guitar and he wondered if his fingertips were covered in callouses – wondered what they would feel like against his skin –

– Eds’ hands slipped under his shirt, moving over his hip bones and across his stomach. Gently, softly – like he was afraid Steve would disappear into smoke if he touched him harder. Steve wanted it harder; wished that his fingers would brand him, bruise him, mark him forever. His nails were painted yellow, a colour Steve had never seen him wear before. When Steve had asked him about it, he had replied, “to match you,” in such a way that he thought it should have been obvious –

The house was quiet when Steve went downstairs, he had slept in and it seemed that everyone was already gone for the day. There was still hot coffee in the pot so he poured himself a cup and looked around the kitchen. It wasn’t messy, but it wasn’t clean either. It was lived in – comfortable. Steve set his cup down and opened the fridge. He grabbed out the ingredients to make an omelet and set them on the counter. He looked at them for a long moment before putting it all back in the fridge and taking out the milk instead. He grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard and poured himself some Cheerios. Maybe tomorrow he would make an omelet.

He was chewing on his cereal and looking out the window when he saw Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin roll up on their bikes. They threw them down onto the yard and climbed the front steps. The front door opened and they came barreling into the kitchen like a pack of wild hyenas.

“Hey, Steve!” Dustin exclaimed happily when he saw him.

Steve’s mouth was full so he grunted in reply.

The boys whirled around him, opening the fridge and the cupboards looking for easy snacks. Dustin sat down at the table and stared at him until he started to feel a little uncomfortable. A bug under a microscope didn’t get this much laser focused attention. But he was smiling his big Dustin smile and Steve couldn’t help but smile back.

He swallowed his cheerios and asked, “where are the girls?”

Dustin’s smile got wider. “It’s boys’ day, Steve.”

Steve blinked at him, waiting for more of an explanation. If Dustin was trying to communicate with him telepathically, he wasn’t picking up on the wavelength.

“Jesus,” Mike said from behind him. “Do you want to hang out with us later? We’re going over to Eddie’s for movies when he gets off work.”

“We do it every other Friday. No girls allowed for the whole day,” Will said happily.

“You gotta come!” Lucas urged.

“Sure,” Steve said. “Sounds like fun.”

Dustin whooped, Lucas and Will smiled and Mike rolled his eyes. They scampered out as quickly as they came, snacks stuffed into their pockets. Steve watched through the window as they took off on their bikes and smiled. He finished his cheerios and washed the bowl in the sink before taking his coffee outside. He sat down on the porch swing and sipped it slowly, enjoying the quiet morning and the summer breeze.

---

The boys came back after dinner, Steve had no idea whose poor house had to suffer them all through a meal. They were all on the lawn, waiting for Eddie to come get them. He had his backpack slung over his shoulder just in case he ended up staying over again.

The wind had picked up as the sun was setting, casting everything in a warm orange glow. A strong gust blew Dustin’s hat off his head. He chased after it as the boys laughed. He was smacking the dirt off it against his leg when Steve reached over and ruffled his hair. The action caused Dustin to freeze for a moment before he turned and grinned up at him. Steve smiled back and bumped his shoulder into the younger boys. It was starting to feel better, easier… being around them. The bitter part of his bittersweet feelings was melting into something he couldn’t name. Something closer to peace than the resignation he had felt for so long.

Eddie arrived shortly later, windows down and music blaring. Once again, the boys clambered into the back seats, leaving shot gun for Steve.

“Hey Eddie,’ Steve said as he hopped into the van.

“Steve.” Eddie nodded to him and turned the music down so it could be heard but wouldn’t hurt Steve’s head. The ride over to the trailer park was still a bit noisy with the boys in the back talking loudly over each other. Eddie drummed his hands on the steering wheel and bobbed his head to the radio.

“How was work?” Steve asked.

“Shop was busy, lots of people who refuse to change their oil and ruin their engines.”

“Lots of idiots who don’t know how to take care of their cars,” Steve said, lamenting the loss of his beamer.

Eddie snorted. “I would have around 60% less of a job if people took care of their cars properly.”

“What’s the other 40%?”

Eddie looked over at him with a grin. “Idiots who don’t know how to drive.”  

Steve laughed and Eddie turned back to the road, still smiling. Steve tried not to stare at his dimples from the corner of his eye and failed miserably. They made their way to the trailer park quickly and the boys hopped out before Eddie finished parking the van. Pushing and shoving each other, they all fought to get inside Eddie’s trailer first. Will and Dustin did their best but it was Lucas and Mike who made it to the door first. At the last second, Lucas managed to shove Mike out of the way and slipped inside.

“Is there a spot they’re fighting for?” Steve asked as Eddie came around the other side of the van.

Eddie nodded. “Wayne’s chair. Best seat in the house. Reclines all the way back.” 

“I’m surprised you haven’t claimed it for these movie nights, it’s your place after all.”

“I can never sit down long enough to claim it for the whole night. I’ll steal it for a little bit though.”

Sure enough, when Steve got in the trailer, Lucas was sitting in the recliner like a king. The couch was big enough for three, which meant some of them were going to have to get comfortable on the floor. Eddie must have brought out pillows and blankets out before he picked them up and Will was already piling them in front of the couch, making a comfortable spot to lay down on. The table that was in front of the couch the other time Steve visited was pushed off to the side so they could still use it but wouldn’t be in the way of the people on the floor.

“Your horror movie education continues tonight my young pupils,” Eddie said as he looked around the room. “And Steve.”

Steve wiggled his fingers at him.

“Your choices are: The Thing, The Fly, or The Exorcist!” Eddie said in an exaggerated game show host voice.

“I sense a theme here,” Steve said dryly.

“Shush you, let them pick.”

Immediately the boys started arguing and yelling over each other. Steve let it go on for a minute, hoping that they would come to some kind of an agreement on their own. Eddie seemed content to watch them yell, but it wasn’t going to get them anywhere and it was starting to hurt his head.

“Jesus, one at a time! Dustin, which one?”

“The Exorcist!”

“Mike.”

“The Thing.”

“Lucas.”

“The fly.”

All eyes turned to Will. Deal breaker time.

“Will?”

Will’s eyes flitted around the room before coming back to Steve.

“The Thing,” he said blushing the tiniest bit when Mike jumped up and down, cheering.

Eddie clapped his hands loudly. “An excellent decision!”

Steve went to sit on the couch, he was still recovering and there was no way he was going to spend the night on the floor. He took the far corner and Dustin immediately came and sat beside him. Mike and Will settled on the floor. Eddie popped the tape into the VHS player and then claimed the vacant spot on the other side of Dustin. Seemed his generosity didn’t extend to him sitting on the floor of his own trailer. Dustin looked at Steve and then over at Eddie, a beaming smile on his face as the opening trailers started playing.

Everyone settled in as the movie played, the light from the television screen dancing on their faces. Steve liked The Thing; the special effects were great and Kurt Russell was hot. Eddie got up from the couch shortly after the start of the movie to grab beers for himself and Steve.

“Where’s mine?” Lucas asked with a cheeky grin.

“There’s soda in the fridge if you’re willing to lose your seat, Sinclair,” Eddie said as he sat back down.

Lucas grumbled but didn’t get up.

Steve sipped his beer and enjoyed the movie. Most of the time the boys were quiet, Dustin spoke every now and then with a little fact about the production or practical effects. Eddie constantly got up to get drinks or make popcorn. He had a restless energy, even when he was sitting his legs were jiggling or his fingers were spinning his rings. Eds had been the same, but where Eddie used his rings to release some of his pent-up energy, Eds had used Steve. He had played with his hands, ran his fingers through his hair, tugged at his clothes.

Steve felt Eddie’s presence like gravity – an inescapable pull. He found it difficult to watch the movie when all he wanted to do was watch him. As much as they had in common, Eddie and Eds were two very different people – and it fascinated him how that could possibly be. Steve didn’t know much about Eddie’s past but he couldn’t imagine it being that different from Eds’. So, it was the same as him and Other Steve – Something in the past few years caused a divergence in their universes.  

That wasn’t to say that there weren’t things about them that were similar – frighteningly and beautifully similar… Steve eye’s drifted over to where Eddie’s fingers were tapping a beat against his knee, his rings glinted in the flickering light and his nails had chipped black polish –

A scream from the movie shook him from his thoughts and he re-focused on the television, ignoring the pull from his eyes to look in a different direction.

The night was still young when the credits rolled across the screen, so they decided to watch another movie. They took a break, so everyone could stretch a little and use the bathroom. Lucas got up from the recliner to get a drink and promptly lost it to Mike.

“What was your Eddie like anyway? Was he like me?” Eddie asked after he shoved a handful of popcorn into his face.

For the first time Steve saw the question as an opportunity and not an attack. A wicked grin crept across his face.

“Eds was great, really friendly and popular – more popular than I was! Captain of the baseball team, too.”

Eddie looked positively horrified and Dustin stared at him with his mouth wide open in shock. Lucas blinked at him from the kitchen and Will and Mike traded confounded looks between them. Their complete and utter shock was one of the best things Steve had ever seen.

He let the silent horror build for a moment before he blinked at them, acting confused. “Were you not captain of the baseball team?”

Eddie sputtered, trying to chew and swallow his popcorn quickly so he could answer but ended up choking on it instead.

“No!” Dustin screamed so incredulously that Steve burst out laughing.

True – gut aching, tears in his eyes, full bodied – laughter.

“Got you!” he said as he wiped his eyes.

“What the hell, Steve?” Lucas yelled.

Steve just kept laughing gleefully.

When he finally calmed down and glanced around the room the other boys were all looking at him with soft expressions.

“Good one, Steve,” Eddie said with a matching grin.

“I knew Eds a lot longer than I’ve known you but from what I’ve seen so far, you two are pretty similar.” Steve paused and looked straight at Eddie. “Huge nerds with a rough exterior but damn big hearts.”

Eddie pulled his hair in front of his face and looked away.

Steve stood up and stretched, rolling his shoulders a little as he made his way to the bathroom. He closed the door but not before he heard an incredulous, “captain of the baseball team, my ass” from Eddie followed by more laughter. Steve smiled. He relieved himself and washed his hands before patting some cool water onto his cheeks and the back of his neck. It was warm in the trailer with so many bodies.

The last time he was here had been a bad night – but even so, it was a place that he was already starting to have fond memories of. Robin and Eddie had worried about him, had gone out in the darkness to find him, to make sure he was alright. And they didn’t try to make it better but instead kept him company. He learned more about Robin and shared a bit of himself. It had been warm then, too – but Steve hadn’t had such a good night’s sleep in a long, long time, tangled up in Robin’s legs and Eddie’s familiar scent all around him.

When he went back to the other room everyone was getting settled back down. Mike was in the recliner, Dustin and Lucas were trying to get comfortable on the floor, and Will was in the middle of the couch, chatting with Eddie who was sitting beside him. Steve’s spot was still open on his other side so he made his way over.

When he sat down Eddie went to get up, probably to change the tape and start the next movie but he ended up tripping over the carpet and falling hard into the table, knocking the bowl of popcorn off.

“Jesus, rolled a ‘nat’ one on that dexterity check, Eddie,” Steve said.

The room seemed to freeze around him and everyone slowly turned to look at him.

“What did you just say?” Dustin asked, pure shock on his face.

Steve was confused. “It was a D&D joke. You do play D&D right?”

“Do we play D&D?” Dustin spluttered. “Of course we do! Do you!?”

“With Eds as a boyfriend and all of you gremlins as my friends you think I could get away with not playing? Not a chance.”

“You play D&D!?” Dustin screamed.

“Eddie was your boyfriend?” Will yelled.

Mike made a gagging noise.

Lucas stared at him, wide eyed.

Steve wasn’t sure which fact was more shocking to them – him playing D&D or him dating Eddie.

“I play a half-orc half human barbarian named Chuggington, but his friends call him Chug.” He paused before answering the other question, unsure of how they would take it. “And yeah, me and Eds were dating.”

The room went silent again as the boys stared at him. Steve was afraid to look at Eddie, who had gone preternaturally still in his peripheral vision.

The silent moment ended abruptly when Dustin threw himself at Steve. “This is so awesome,” he said excitedly, “we tried to get Steve to play for years! Eddie, Will – you gotta write a campaign for us!”

Will blinked back, still a little wide eyed. “Sure, Dustin.”

Eddie didn’t say anything, just went over to the door and slipped outside. Steve tried to tell himself that it didn’t hurt.

He wasn’t very convincing.

“I should – I’m gunna go talk to him. Give us a minute, yeah?”

The boys nodded and watched him with heavy eyes as he went to the door. It was dark outside, the lamps in the trailer park doing little. Eddie sat on the steps, a lit cigarette hanging loosely in one hand. Steve went to sit down beside him.

“You didn’t tell them?” Steve asked.

“I didn’t know,” Eddie replied softly.  

Steve reached into his shirt and took out Eds’ necklace. “This didn’t give it away?”

Eddie looked at it for a long moment before he met Steve’s eyes.

“I knew he must have cared about you, but not how much. I guess I couldn’t wrap my head around a universe where Steve Harrington was with Eddie Munson.”

“There was at least one,” Steve said with a small smile. He didn’t understand what was so crazy about it, being with Eds was the easiest thing he ever did. “Sorry if I made things weird.”

Eddie sighed. “Things have been weird for a long time, Steve.”

He didn’t know what to say to that understatement so he sat quietly, looking up at the stars. Eddie cleared his throat and Steve looked over to him holding out his cigarette to him. He stared at the hand, the long and delicate fingers, the chipped nail polish, the silver rings – and for some reason he felt like he might cry. He swallowed the feeling and took the cigarette, brought it to his lips and inhaled.

“So… you’re? – ” Eddie left the question hanging.

“Bisexual,” Steve answered, passing the cigarette back.

“Cool, cool,” Eddie said looking away and taking a drag. Steve was curious about Eddie’s sexuality but he wasn’t going to push him on it. If Other Steve was straight in this universe, Eddie could be too. He hoped Eddie would want to talk about it, but the truth was… they still weren’t that close.

Yet.

But they were getting there, Steve hoped.

They traded the cigarette back and forth until it was spent. Eddie leaned down and reached for the ash tray that was on the bottom of the stairs and stubbed it out.

“Why is there a steak knife in your sock?”

Steve looked down at his leg, the handle of the knife was peaking out. He tucked it back in slowly, careful not to cut himself on it.  

“It feels better – safer, when I have a weapon. I have my bat at home but I didn’t want to bring it with me, so I went with something smaller, easier to conceal. Sorry… I must sound nuts.”

Eddie laughed and turned to him. “Not at all, Steve. Not at all.”

Steve smiled back and then gestured to the trailer behind him. “Should we head back in? Who knows what they’re up to in there.”

Eddie laughed again and nodded. “Yeah, let’s head back in.”

Part 12

@just-a-tiny-void @mx-jinxous @child-of-cthulhu @awholedamnmesstbh @phoenix0bird @queenie-ofthe-void @bookworm0690 @estrellami-1 @hbyrde36 @a-gae-af-racoon @nailbatandfreak @newtstabber @novelnovella @meela86 @lenathegay @vampireinthesun @penny00dreadful @questionablequeeries @espressopatronum454 @r0binscript @seths-rogens @fruity-nerd @sani-86 @n0-1-important @swimmingbirdrunningrock @ellietheasexylibrarian @manda-panda-monium @paintsplatteredandimperfect @viridianphtalo @goodolefashionedloverboi @13catastrophic-blues

-I debated between DnD and D&D for ages - googled which way other people wrote it and changed it back forth multiple times. -My knowledge of D&D comes almost exclusively form Baldurs Gate so please don't come for me (I will definitely be writing Astarion fanfic at some point). -Steve playing D&D as Chuggington was one of the first scenes I came up with for this fic -The truth is out! They know that Eds and Steve were together! Woohoo

#steddie #stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #multiverse #angst with a happy ending #slow burn #the party #The last Steve Harrington

[bee-dot-exe]

You didn't directly ask me for this to be made, but you put the idea out there, so yeah surprise @lilliancdoodles (and anyone else who hopefully enjoys!)

Promise Ring

This is so sweet and cute and I'm really proud of this.

1,019 words

Fit made sure everything was in its rightful spot in the inventory of his backpack, adjusting the strap over the shoulder his prosthetic was attached to a final time, and let the swirling purple pixels of the warpstone take him away.

He touched down on the lawn of Chume Labs, slightly dizzy, but with his feet firmly planted, so it was a success in Fit's eyes, and headed into the building.

It had been a bit since he was inside of here. It wasn't dark anymore, in fact, the walls were pink for some reason or another.

It was pretty clean all things considered, aside from some stray lab equipment. It smelled a bit like iron still, but only because it was the source of machines.

It wasn't the slightly tangy and metallic smell of wet vermillion oxidizing to dry umber puddles that had once painted the laboratory.

"Oh! Hi Fit!"

A bubbly voice came from the doorway opposite him. The source wore a blue hoodie that had a yellow circle with a cutout on the front and had just barely wavy onyx hair.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you here, not that it isn't okay to be surprising, I just don't have anything prepared if you wanted to come for something in particular, and Mike's not here right now in case you came to see him, or if you---"

He cut himself off suddenly, his thoughts seeming to have reached the same speed as his voice, and smiled shyly.

"Hi Fit."

"Hey Pac. Sorry to come by unannounced, I didn't really need anything, or I mean I wasn't looking for Mike or anything like that."

Fit coughed into his fist once to dislodge any words that were stuck in his vocal cords.

"I uh, I just wanted to see you for something, if that's okay."

"Oh! Yes, of course that's okay. What did you need, Fit?"

"Ramón, he uh, made something and wanted me to give it to you."

"Ah! What a good surprise!"

"He's a good kid that's for sure."

"Mhm he is. Is it okay if I ask where whatever he made is?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry, just a second."

Fit took the backpack off his shoulder and dug through one of its pockets for something.

"It's not much, and you don't have to take it if you don't want to, I won't be offended, sorry, this is kinda---"

"Fit."

Pac said, his tongue thick with accent on the name, his voice still sweet and delicate like cotton candy.

"It's okay, whatever you have is not silly or stupid, it will be wonderful because it was made by Ramón and it is coming from you, can you trust me?"

"Sorry, yeah of course, with anything."

"Then open your hand."

"It doesn't have to mean anything, and you don't have to take it, but here."

He released his grasp, and in his palm was a small copper band.

The apples of Fit's cheeks were tinged a shade darker, so were the tips of Pac's ears, and his chocolate colored eyes were sparkling.

"Oh!"

"It's uh it's a promise ring. It's kind of a sign of trust I guess. It doesn't have to mean anything more than that, and like I said, you don't have to take it. But he kinda made me one too, so you're not alone, see?"

Fit pulled a second copper band from a pocket in his bag to demonstrate.

"Thank you, Fit, this is really cool!"

"Oh, yeah, it's okay?"

"Very okay! Thank you! And thank Ramón too because he did such a good job!"

"Yeah, he sure did, it was kinda cool of him to do this I guess."

The undertone of Fit's skin was still slightly burgundy and both of his hands fidgeted.

"I have an idea, one second, stay here!"

Pac went to a room around the corner.

When he returned, he was holding something that Fit couldn't see.

"Tada!"

Two small silver chains were in his hand and tangled playfully between his fingers.

"Can I see yours too if that's okay?"

Fit handed Pac the piece of jewelry, ignoring the way their fingers barely brushed against each other in the exchange, and the still prominent blush on his cheekbones.

Pac put the loop of jewelry through the chains then held them forward proudly.

"If we wanted to wear them still but it won't be as much of a display this way."

"Oh, you're smart, Pac."

The tips of his ears were maroon again.

"Can I?"

He motioned his hand to Fit with one of the necklaces.

"Oh, um, of course, go ahead."

Fit turned around and lowered slightly for Pac to reach, who was holding both ends of the necklace in one hand, and then used the other to separate them and put the ring at the front, then clasped the back.

"There you go!"

The jewelry hung just below his collarbone when it was said and done, perfect height to tuck away under the collar of his shirt if that's what he chose to do.

"Thank you, Pac."

"Mhm!"

"Could um, could I do yours now, if you want?"

Pac turned around and pulled his hood to the side slightly as a response.

So Fit did the same thing, put the ring around the front, then clasped the back, being mindful of the flyaways of hair.

Pac straightened out his hoodie, tucked the necklace inside, then turned back around and smiled so big it reached the corners of his soft brown eyes.

"Thank you Fit! This is really nice! Thank you for the promise!"

"Yeah, you're welcome, Pac. Um, that was the only thing I really wanted to do, so I can go if you want."

"Oh, yeah, that's okay, if you had somewhere else to be, but you can stay if you want, I can show you the things Mike and I have been working on, if that's okay?"

And who was Fit to say no to such a pretty boy with kind eyes and a shy smile and was fidgeting with the present around his neck?

#mcyt #qsmp #fitmc #pactw #fanfic #creative writing

[viewmasterfeeling]

so i stayed in the darkness with you

ao3

SUMMARY:

The worst of it is, Vecna wasn’t wrong. Especially about the painting. Will was stupid to ever tell Mike how he felt, and Mike has every right to hate him now…

And yet, somehow, Mike doesn’t.

(This fic takes place in a scenario where Will has already given Mike his painting and confessed his feelings, and also survived Vecna's curse.)

-

Click. Rewind. Play.

Will sits on the couch in what used to be El’s bedroom in Hopper’s cabin. He’s resting, listening to Heroes on loop though a pair of old, crackly headphones. The others are conversing in another room, talking in circles about how to defeat Vecna, no real answers in sight. When Will had left them to sit in here, they seemed worried, but he brushed them off, saying he was fine and wanted to be alone. Everyone reluctantly agreed, except for Mike. He’s been clinging to Will’s side ever since it happened, and Will feels too weak to protest. Earlier, he’d feebly tried to assure Mike that it was okay, that he was okay. Mike stayed firmly by his side, and now, he keeps checking on Will. 

Everything Will saw in that vision– it’s still running through his head. He saw things he’s been trying to forget– horrible, warped imaginings of the future, and the most negative of his thoughts come to life. That he’s unloved, forgotten. That this pain will never go away. That when they find out the truth, they will all hate him. That Mike will hate him.

Mike still hasn’t given a real response to the painting, and Will wonders if the meaning went over his head. It was kind of subtle, but still, Will had basically poured his heart out. And Mike hadn’t said anything; he only looked surprised. And then they were interrupted, and they haven’t had a real chance to talk about it since then. And, of course, Vecna had used that in his messed up curse…

“You are living in a bubble, a foolish bubble of hope. He does not really understand you, Will. Nobody does.”

It’s part of the loop that keeps repeating in his head, the loop of twisted visions that still make Will’s skin crawl. The worst of it is, Vecna wasn’t wrong. Especially about the painting. Will was stupid to ever tell Mike how he felt, and Mike has every right to hate him now…

And yet, somehow, Mike doesn’t.

Instead, he sticks to Will’s side like glue. He’s heart-achingly overprotective, putting blankets around Will and getting him glasses of water and asking him if he’s okay. It’s nothing new, but… it’s been a while. Will gets d éjà vu from when he was… well. Two years ago.

So much has changed since then, so he didn’t expect… Well, it’s nice to be remembered. Even if he lies every time Mike asks. 

After Will’s confession, the comfort of Mike’s presence is accompanied by uncertainty. Everything is the same, everything is different. It’s too confusing to think about. He feels like… Maybe it would be easier if Mike just forgot about him.

No. No, that’s ridiculous. But… maybe…

Footsteps snap Will from his thoughts. “Hey, what’s up?” Mike asks, sliding into the spot next to Will on the couch. 

Will blinks and says, “Hm? Oh, nothing, I’m fine.” He’s only vaguely aware of what’s going on, though. Half of him is still stuck in that loop.

Mike stares at him with intense concern. “Will. You almost just died.” His voice is quieter than usual. It’s soft and serious and full of worry. Will blinks, surprised. His awareness increases in the presence of Mike. Like Mike is a lifeline.

“That was like, three hours ago, Mike. And I have my song. I’m okay.”

Mike looks doubtful, but stays quiet. Neither of them speak for a while. Will thinks Mike should get up and join the group, where he’s most needed. He could probably save the world with one of his ideas. 

Instead, he stays. He stays with Will. It's not quite surprising; it’s Mike.

“Hey, um…” Mike starts, shifting the tone. “I wanted to talk to you about… everything.”

“Everything?” Will asks, but he knows what Mike’s talking about, and sharp anxiety fills his stomach. Now he’s awake.

Mike glances at the open door, where light filters into the dark room. He avoids Will’s eyes, and Will’s stomach drops. “Yeah,” Mike finally says. “But can we go somewhere… somewhere else?”

“Okay,” Will responds too quickly. He’s kind of suffocating in anxiety at the moment, which is not great on top of everything else, but it’s fine. Everything is fine.

Everything is not fine. Vecna showed him that. Everything is not fine, and if he keeps pretending, it will break him. It’ll tear him apart, and no one will ever know. 

Mike stands and holds out a hand to help Will up. He blinks and then realizes everyone is still sitting in the main room. He doesn’t want to see them, but he doesn’t know how to tell Mike.

They leave the dark room, and Will avoids looking at the others, but he can still feel them watching. “Will needs some air,” Mike tells them, and as he does he puts an arm around Will’s shoulder. His heart skips a beat.

The two of them step outside, and the chilly air helps bring Will out of his head and back to reality. The anxiety that’s been steadily growing in his stomach has been helping with that, too. He’s about to get a response to all of the stupid shit he said before, and he’s terrified. 

He could lose Mike.

Shit.

Mike leads Will around the cabin until they reach a wall with only one darkened window. No one to overhear whatever it is Mike’s about to say. The scene is only faintly lit by moonlight trickling through the trees.

Finally, Mike draws his arm to his side, leaving Will to shiver in the cold. He tries to casually lean against the wall, heart pounding, head racing. Why is this almost scarier than facing Vecna? Maybe because Vecna’s visions weren’t real, but right now, the reality of rejection is right in front of him.

He hopes this’ll be over quickly. Mike wouldn’t cause him pain on purpose, especially when Will’s in such a fragile condition… he thinks. He hopes. Because, yeah, this will probably break his heart. It’s fine. 

Will looks up at Mike, who’s glancing at the ground. Mike meets his eyes, causing Will to glance away. 

“I just want to say…” Mike starts, and Will looks up. Mike wrings his hands, and his eyes dart around anywhere but Will’s face. “I don’t know. In case something terrible happens, I just wanted you to know…” What? Will’s eyes widen, and his heart rate picks up, and he watches Mike’s moonlit face. Mike is blinking and avoiding Will’s gaze and he looks… not angry. No. Nervous. Mike looks nervous. “Well, I’ve been thinking a lot, and…” Mike lets out a shaky breath. Finally, his eyes meet Will’s. There’s something in his eyes, something world-altering. Larger than life, larger than Will deserves. Will blinks, frozen, waiting for Mike’s next move. His mind is racing, but one thought beats loudly in his ears:

This doesn’t feel like rejection.

And then, in a quick motion, Mike gives his head a small shake and steps forward into Will’s space. Will’s breath catches. “Can I…” Mike puts his hands on Will’s shoulders and waits for a response.

Oh.

Will can’t do anything but nod. Mike leans in and Will meets him. There’s a breath, a moment, before Mike closes the gap and they’re kissing. Oh.  

It’s not fireworks; instead, it’s something soft and warm and nothing like Will expected, but he might explode with all the butterflies and warmth and everything he’s feeling right now. His hands find Mike’s face, and this doesn’t seem real, it seems not possible, Will’s heart is exploding… He just wants to cling to this moment. To wrap it in a blanket and relive it forever and to never, ever forget it.

The two of them separate and stare at each other, breathing heavily, both equally stunned. The forest is quiet. Everything has slid into place.

And then, Will feels himself smile. And Mike breaks into a grin.

“I just…” he looks off to the side, and then back at Will. They’re still standing so close. “Your painting, it’s beautiful, and…” His expression sobers, and he watches Will with an intensity as he says, “I remember it, too. Well, obviously, since, you know…”

It was the best thing I’ve ever done. The moment Will has never forgotten, that helped him fight back against the Mind Flayer, that he mentioned when he gave Mike his painting. The swingset. The first day they met.

Will nods, still staring, still in shock. Mike continues, “But… I still remember. And…” He bites his lip and looks right into Will’s eyes. Will’s breath catches as he says, “It’s still the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Oh,” Will breathes.

“And, I…” Mike’s eyes downcast. “I’m just, I don’t… I don’t know what I’m doing. But…” He looks up at Will again, tears in his eyes. He smiles softly. “I feel the same.”

“Oh,” is all Will can say again. He blinks and a tear starts streaming down his cheek. He hesitates for a split second before pulling Mike into a tight hug. Mike hugs back, resting his head on Will’s shoulder, not letting go. And maybe the emotions are running too high, because Will is full-on crying now.

“Woah, hey, what’s wrong?” Mike asks, pulling away from the hug to examine Will’s face. Will shakes his head and pulls Mike back into the hug. Mike hugs back tighter as Will cries. He rests his head on Will’s shoulder. They embrace for many moments.

Will’s voice shakes as he belatedly responds, “I think I’ve just had a long week.”

Mike chuckles. Will lets go and only then does Mike step away. They stand in silence again.

“So… what now?”

Will glances at the cabin. “Maybe we could just… talk for a while?” He looks earnestly at Mike.

Mike nods. “Yeah, okay. Do you wanna sit down somewhere?”

They find a not-quite-comfortable place in the trees. In the brisk woods, they sit and talk for longer than they’ve been able to for months, and yet not long enough. Will wishes that they could just stay out here forever.

The cassette clicks, and he’s hit by a wave of exhaustion. He shivers.

Mike frowns as Will begins rewinding the loop. “We should get you back inside. It’s not good for you to be out here in the cold.”

“I’m fine.” He shivers again.

“Will.” Will looks up and his breath hitches at the way Mike is looking at him. Softly, intensely.

Shrugging, he mutters, “Okay,” and lets Mike help him up. Mike puts an arm around his shoulder again and Will lets himself lean into the touch. They return to the cabin in silence. Will feels himself smile again. As they enter into the light of the main room, Mike pulls his arm away and Will tries to return his face to a neutral expression. They make for the other room…

“Mike! Will!” Nancy calls, stopping them where they stand.

Mike rolls his eyes. “What?” 

Nancy looks at Mike, then Will, then back to Mike. “We have a plan.”

-

Thank you for reading! More fics by me

#byler #byler fic #byler fanfic #byler fanfiction #my fic

[cluelessbees]

Okay….

A concept— Dash and Lily Byler AU (I posted a part 2-ish)

Idk if you guys have watched dash and lily but it’s a very cute season-long like cheesy Christmas romance. The whole premise is that Lily puts this book in a bookstore that Dash finds and they essentially communicate through the notebook. They don’t know each others identities but they have to do a dare in order for the other to answer their question.

Im like not explaining it well but it’s very cute 😭. So like I was wondering ….byler au 👀?

So now enjoy my take on their notebook entries to each other—

(For context this one is Will’s to Mike after Mike proposed being called Blue + Mike’s entry afterwards)

Idk if it’s any good but enjoy—

***

Blue huh? 

You really aren’t giving me any clues to your name? I guess you do really like the mystery aspect of this all.

I guess I’ll continue in the theme of colours. Call me yellow. Or…think of me as yellow. I don’t think yellow works as well as a name compare to Blue, but it’s my favourite colour.

It just feels warm….which feels sorta weird to say. How can a colour feel warm? 

I don’t know. It just- reminds me of sun and how it would tickle my skin when I would lay on the grass in the park with my family. It’s just one of those warm memories. Something I think about when I want to escape.

That’s- a really weird thing to admit to a boy I’ve never met. But it’s just easier to tell you these things I guess? You’re easy to talk to- or write to.

I’m sorry if I’m being weird. I hope I’m not scaring you away.

Because ….i like talking to you blue. I hope you like talking to me.

Anyways, enough about me. It’s time for your dare. 

You’ve mentioned never really being an artist, huh? I’m not buying it. I think you like being creative. You just hate showing it.

I’ve attached a drawing of a map to this art centre. Go to it. I’ve booked you for a 4pm painting lesson. Let me know what you draw.

Don’t focus on perfection just have fun, okay? 

Give the book to the instructor, tall guy with a weird mustache you’ll know what I mean when you see it.

From, 

Yellow (?) (i have no idea of yellow is working or not)

***

Dear Yellow,

I’ll have to admit- it doesn’t work as well as Blue, but that’s okay. I think I’ll continue calling you notebook boy. I like the mystery element behind it. You’re very mysterious to me. I cant help wanting to know more about you.

You do remind me of yellow though- the warmth that is. I don’t know how else to describe it you just seem like such a warm person. Which- is weird to admit because I don’t even know you but it’s true.

Also, you don’t have to worry about scaring me off. I’m far too intrigued in knowing who you are to be scared off by anything. 

And….I happen to like you too, Notebook Boy

(See notebook boy just works better)

Anyways, a finger painting class huh? Have to admit I did not expect that. You’re always filled with surprises.

At first I thought you were just being sadistic. Like- you wanted me to stain my hands as some sort of punishment for a previous dare. But- I have to admit it was fun getting messy.

And I managed to get a sweet finger painted rainbow out of it. I’m sure I can’t compete with the art you make. You’re probably the most talented artist I know (I’m aware I haven’t seen your art yet but I’m still right.) But I like it- I think. It’s a decent painting.

Scratch that my friend just asked me if it was made by my little sister— okay so maybe not decent, but I had fun. Maybe…I do like creativity. Although no one will know but you.

I hope I get to see your paintings someday.

For now, i leave you with a dare and a question. 

What’s your taste of music like, Notebook Boy?

Mine is a mixed of genres, but I thought it would be fun for you to try something new. You seem very reserved so…I’ve attached a ticket to a friends rock show. It’s for tomorrow at 9. He makes good music. I’ve always like the atmosphere of his gigs. They’re so loud and the energy just seeps through the veins. 

I hope you like it. 

Blue 

P.S. hand the book over to my friend at the end of the show! He’s the guitarist. Tell him Blue sent you. 

***

I have more if y'all want but yeah--- thoughts? (Part 2)

#byler #I need to post more content so #I've sent this to my friends and I thought why not post it here #byler ficlet #Byler fanfic #mike wheeler #will byers #Dash and Lily Byler Au

[hawkinsschoolcounselor]

The problem is that a lot is still hanging. If we’d gotten a realization about Will’s feelings on Mike’s part and a rejection, as much as it would have sucked, we could have just put an end to it there and then. Let them be friends or not be friends. But Mike told El he loves her through Will’s encouragment, and Mike still has no damn clue about Will’s feelings. And yes, I know this doesn’t mean he would reciprocate, but it does mean that the plot will be explored more (I gather). Which means more suffering for Will, more weird behavior from Mike. I don’t see the point of doing this. If Will wants to move on, he needs closure. He needs to tell Mike how he feels, and Mike has the right to know. It seems like they just left it open for whatever reason. At this point, the possibility they won’t address any of this is real, because it’s just too strange.

It's infuriating because they're giving us just enough to make us wonder.

I can't accept that Mike wasn't seeing what Will was getting at in the van. We saw him react to Will in a way that he often did this season, but never did with El. A lot of attention was on Will in that scene, and justifiably so, but Mike's eyes also looked a bit watery, just like they were in Will's room in episode 4. We also know that he was told by El that Will was painting something she assumed was for a girl, so I have trouble believing he bought Will's story about El commissioning it. Maybe he didn't think about it too much at the time, but I struggle to accept that he just bought what Will was saying.

They also have Mike freezing up when El is in trouble. He didn't get his act together, or whatever Finn had said. Will had to urge him on, reminding him that he's the heart. It was only then that he sprung into action. I honestly feel like Will shot himself in the foot here. Mike now thinks El needs him. His monologue wasn't half as heartfelt as what he told Will in the shed in season 2, though.

The fact that what he says is suspiciously similar to what he said to Will has me wondering, as well. The connection to Mike being the heart is in the fact that he was able to inspire both of them to break free of their respective mental bonds because of the love they have for him.

They also didn't show any type of follow-up to Mike's monologue. Yeah, El got the strength needed to save the day (sort of), but they don't talk afterwards. I don't get the sense that she didn't believe him, otherwise I don't think it would have worked. Still, they went out of their way to mention that she and Mike didn't talk much since then.

Then, to top it all off, they have Mike and Will standing next to each other, while two presumed endgame couples do the same, as El goes up to inspect the dying field. They just as easily could have had Mike follow her, but he doesn't. They could have had the whole group standing together, but they didn't.

A ton was left hanging regarding this love triangle. It's not even just on Will's side of it.

I don't know what game the Duffers are playing, but I don't like it.

#stranger things 4 spoilers #byler

[schrijverr]

DnD Night at the Harrington Mansion

Gareth is invited alongside the rest of Hellfire to play DnD at the Harrington mansion, something that is very odd. Throughout the night he meets a much nicer king Steve, who is playing house with their DM. He watches in confusion at their domesticity, wondering how that came about

On AO3.

Ships: Steve x Eddie

Warnings: brief smoking

~~~~~~~~~~

Gareth isn’t sure what happened over spring break. In fact, the whole thing is quite the mystery among the older members of Hellfire, save Eddie, because of course Eddie is at the middle of their conundrum.

Eddie, who got accused of murder. Eddie, who was in the hospital for a month. Eddie, who scrapped a part of his DnD campaign, because it was too gory. Eddie, who is even closer with the three Freshmen that joined this year. Eddie, who somehow managed to befriend Steve Harrington throughout the whole ordeal.

Honestly, if you had told Gareth in Sophomore year that he was going to get invited by Eddie to go to Steve’s house for anything other than committing a crime, he’d think you were insane. Yet here he is, ringing the bell to the Harrington mansion to play DnD.

He half expects Steve to laugh at him, before punching him when he opens the door in his full preppy glory, but instead the man smiles pleasantly and asks: “Gareth, right? Welcome!”

“Uh, yeah, yeah, that’s me,” he replies awkwardly, willing himself to disappear out of the sight of the jock.

Luckily Steve seems to pick up on his awkwardness, because he steps aside to let him in as he tells him: “Take your shoes off, please. The others are through there in the big dining room.”

“Yeah, okay, sure,” Gareth stumbles over his words as he gets in, Steve closing the door and disappearing in the direction he’d pointed to. The big dining room. Of fucking course the Harringtons had multiple dining rooms, Gareth mentally rolls his eyes.

However, when he finds it, he has to admit it’s pretty cool. The walls are a cream greenish-blue and there is a fire place on one side, above it an empty space where the oil painting that’s on the ground next to it, turned away from the viewer, used to hang. The floor has a giant soft Persian rug on it, that looks good on the dark hardwood floor.

The center piece, though, is the table. Made out of equally dark wood, it stands imposing, filling the whole room. It can seat a big group, probably twenty or something, because the DnD party gathered there far from fills it.

Gareth can see why Eddie would want to play here.

Eddie, who has taken over the table like a king at his court. He looks good. The most Eddie-like Gareth has seen him in months. He is seated at the head of the table, sprawled over a fancy chair, wearing a lazy grin as he watches Lucas and Dustin argue about a loophole Dustin thinks he has discovered.

When he spots Gareth, his grin widens and he opens his arms in a dramatic beckoning gesture as he booms: “Ah, Gareth the Great, welcome to our new, less than humble lair.”

“Yeah, man, this is crazy,” Gareth greets, relaxing a little in the big house with Eddie and the annoying kids there, while Steve is nowhere to be seen. “How did you even pull this?”

“I have my charms,” Eddie grins mysteriously as both Dustin and Mike pretend to gag, earning them a small cuff on the head from their DM.

The whole thing leaves Gareth a little confused, but before he can ask about it, he is distracted again by Eddie, who points to a kid Gareth hasn’t met yet. The kid looks vaguely familiar with his brown bowl cut and shier demeanor. Eddie introduces him: “This here, is Will the Wise. A cleric. He’s in town from Cali and will be joining us alongside baby Sinclair for the summer campaign.”

“Hi,” Will says softly, giving Gareth a soft wave.

He looks nice and Gareth knows what it’s like to be not that outgoing and in the middle of a group having to meet new people, so he puts on his kindest smile and waves back, with a: “Hi, nice to meet you.”

The rest of the group seems pleased at his greeting to Will, as if he passed some sort of test. Before they can fall into an awkward silence, however, Erica enters the room again with a drink. Gareth doesn’t know her well, having only played with her once before, but she was a riot then, so he just says hi and goes to sit at the table.

It’s a little awkward.

Not intentionally, of course. Eddie has a thing about making people feel included, he just also gets distracted easily. And the kids are really distracting, albeit in the best way.

They’re loud, yelling arguments to each other as they debate what will happen and discuss strategies for scenarios that might never be. They pester Eddie, who is notorious for never sharing anything, though his steady silence isn’t stopping them. Besides, Eddie looks like he finds the whole thing amusing, making vague comments when they seem to loose steam that send the kids back into a tizzy again.

The room is lively. Fun. It just also feels like the others are way closer with each other than Gareth, even Eddie, who has known for three years already. So, he just sits awkwardly at the fringes and wills Jeff and Chris to come soon.

Throughout the whole wait, he doesn’t see Steve again, almost wondering why the man had agreed to host if he seemingly wants to avoid everyone like they have the plague. Honestly, Gareth would have assumed Steve joined the hunt Eddie down crowd this spring, but apparently not if he was agreeing to let Eddie host his devil’s game here.

He only sees Steve again when the doorbell rings once more. A door to the dining room opens and Steve comes out, followed by the wafting smell of food, which confuses Gareth. Especially when Steve appears to be taking off an apron as he comes by.

“We could have gotten the door, Stevie,” Eddie sighs fondly when Steve rushes out of the kitchen, before anyone has gotten the chance to get up. The deep affection in his tone taking Gareth by surprise, wondering what happened to make his friend sound like that about Steve Harrington, the jock he used to scoff at, even if he would blush about how hot he is right after.

Steve surprises him again by smiling back at Eddie, equally fond, and saying: “But I like hosting and you have a game to play.”

“I set up ages ago,” Eddie protests, though he’s already relenting.

“So did I,” Steve says smugly, then disappears as Eddie rolls his eyes in the background.

Mike fake-gags again and pouts: “You two are terrible. Do you have to be so mushy all the time? I mean, you used to be cool, Eddie.”

“I’m still cool,” Eddie gasps dramatically, sounding incredibly offended at the implication that he isn’t as he brings a hand to his chest.

His actions makes everyone giggle, even Gareth finds himself cracking a smile at their fearless leader finally loosing his seeming coolness to the Freshmen. It’s enough to distract him from the strange interactions between Steve and Eddie.

Then Jeff and Chris finally enter, Steve disappearing back into the kitchen, and their evening can begin, just plain old DnD as they’ve always done.

It’s clear that Jeff and Chris are also a little intimidated and confused by their venue and host, so the three can share glances every once in a while when it hits them again. Or, more accurately, when Eddie hits them again. They already knew the kids adored Steve for some reason, but to see Eddie so comfortable in his house is strange.

It’s all little things that add up throughout the night. The way Eddie carelessly sits in his seat, the way he easily slips into the kitchen and get something to drink when he’s thirsty, the way he doesn’t get lost on his way to the bathroom like Gareth had. Just how comfortable he is. He looks so out of place in the fancy house, yet entirely at ease.

Safe to say that by the time it really gets weird, Gareth, Chris and Jeff are already curious. So, when the next oddity happens, they all notice. Starting with their host showing his face again for the first time since letting them in.

The door to the kitchen opens and there Steve stands, hands on his hips, dishtowel over his shoulder and apron tied around his waist. He looks closer to a housewife than the king of Hawkins High as he says: “Dinner is ready, go sit on the other side to eat, I’m not going to listen to your whining if you get pasta sauce on your character sheets.”

“But Steveeeee,” Dustin whines. “We’re in the middle of an important battle. We can’t just pause the game to eat.”

And Dustin is right that they’re in the middle of their campaign and Eddie hates anything interrupting their campaign at any other time besides the breaks he built into it himself. But it appears that Steve has cooked and none of the older members are gonna go against King Steve, especially not when he’s hosting them for some unknown reason.

However, with how comfortable he is, they all expect Eddie to have about the same reaction as Dustin just had. Naturally that means Eddie surprises them, by going: “No complaining, you heard your mother, Henderson.”

“He’s not my mom,” Dustin complains.

“Sure, whatever,” Eddie grins as the other boys all back Eddie up to make fun of Dustin, getting up to sit at the other half of the table, which is empty.

It’s out of character for Eddie, like so much has been this night and Gareth shares another one of their looks with Jeff and Chris. Eddie is a good guy, but one stubborn bastard, who would never fold or give up what he wants to do just because conforming sheep jock Steve Harrington asked.

Yet, there he is, backing Steve up and covering his notes, before getting up and popping his head in the kitchen and calling out: “You need help there, big boy?”

“Can you do the drinks?” they hear Steve reply, sounding almost apologetic as he comes out of the kitchen juggling a dish of lasagna and two coasters.

“Sure,” Eddie agrees easily, despite the fact that he hates most chores. “Kids, go fetch a drink,” he tells the others, who disappear into the kitchen alongside Steve, also comfortable at the house, as Eddie turns to the other three, still sitting uncomfortably at the table, and asks: “What do you wanna drink? Don’t worry, Stevie always buys everything, even Lucas’ weird New Coke.”

“Uhm, sprite?” Jeff is the first who speaks up.

“Just water,” Chris adds.

“Coke,” Gareth manages himself.

“Cool,” Eddie smiles, then pauses and asks: “Are you three okay? You seem quiet.”

And it’s so very Eddie to worry about them that it eases the tension that had unknowingly crept back up without the game to distract them. Eddie has always been the one, who gave the least fucks, who got between them and the world. He’s always been protective and more kind than people give him credit for.

Gareth gives him a smile and says: “Yeah, man, we’re good. Just fucking weird to be in the Harrington mansion of all places, you know.”

That startles a laugh out of Eddie, who grins: “Fuck, don’t I know it. I broke a vase my first time over, thought I was going to get arrested.”

They all laugh a little and it feels just like old times, even if there has been an inexpiable barrier between them and Eddie ever since spring break. Eddie is still Eddie in the end. Gareth kind of wants to ask him what the deal is between him and Steve, but doesn’t get the chance with the gremlins coming back in, chattering loudly.

The group is followed by Steve, who puts down another dish of lasagna on the empty coaster he brought last time. Telling the group still seated at the play area of the table to make themselves comfortable while he gets plates with a gentle smile.

He has lost the apron, but he is still… off? Domestic. Gareth can’t believe it, but there is no other way to describe this new Steve, who made them all lasagna, hosting their DnD night as he putters around doing the catering. As if he’s some housewife instead of a popular jock.

Though all of them had seen how he changed halfway through his Junior year. How he had left his old friends behind. How he lost his throne to Billy. How he stopped caring. How he become nicer to people.

It seems that went further than any of them could have realized while still walking the halls of Hawkins High with him.

But they can’t help but feel they stepped into an alternate reality as Steve sets the table for them and asks how their game is going, clumsy on the terminology and names, but obviously trying and looking very proud whenever he gets something right.

And it is also very weird how easily they talk to him as they get settled down, for some reason Eddie still at the head of the table, Steve on his right and Dustin on his left.

Steve fills everyone’s plate, telling them he hopes they like lasagna and all of them assuring that they do. It’s odd, Gareth thinks, how Steve’s expression makes one want to reassure him, even if he’s always been the most confident guy around.

However, Gareth also has to concede that this is a very different arena for the former king. So, maybe it’s not that weird to reassure him about the food he cooked for them. Because that is their life now. King Steve making them food for their DnD campaign. It is genuinely good too, another surprising fact that Gareth finds himself not minding in the slightest.

When they’re done with eating, Eddie offers: “Why don’t you go sit down, sweetheart. We can do the dishes.” The petname not registering as weird for any of them, because it’s Eddie, though Steve’s lack of reaction to it is noteworthy in Gareth’s opinion.

“Yeah, you already cooked,” Will pipes up.

“No,” Steve refuses, sounding like this is a common argument. “You have your little game to play and I have nothing better to do. Besides, I like doing the dishes and I am hosting. I’m not letting guests do the dishes.”

He looks almost offended at the thought of anyone implying he would force his guests to do that, which is slightly hilarious.

From across Steve, Dustin rolls his eyes and says: “You need to let that go at some point, Steve. We are over so much that we can hardly be counted as guests at this point.”

“Maybe another day,” Steve says in a way that alludes he doesn’t mean that at all, as he starts stacking dishes, everyone quickly jumping to help. “There are more guests than you shitheads here today anyway. It’s not polite to keep people waiting.”

“You’re not actually responsible for our upbringing, you know that right?” Mike rolls his eyes as he hands Steve a stack of plates and gets up to carry the empty dishes.

“I do,” Steve sniffs. “I just don’t need your bad behavior to reflect on me.”

“Whatever,” Mike says and they both disappear into the kitchen.

Eddie collects everything that couldn’t be carried and hurries after them, soon reemerging with a wet cloth to wipe down the table. Another show of how comfortable he’s gotten there that baffles the trio.

Unable to help himself, Jeff comments: “Who would have thought that Eddie Munson could function in a household.”

At the words, Eddie pauses, looking at his own hands as if he’s only just realizing what he’s doing, the utter domesticity of it all. Then the confused realization makes place for a dopey, dare he say, lovesick smile.

He quickly shakes it off and gives Jeff a crooked smirk and says: “You know me, always doing the least expected. I’m out housewiving the housewives,” which makes everyone at the table crack up, before they move back to their spots.

They quickly loose themselves into the game again, Steve easily put out of mind without his presence there.

The party doesn’t see him again until about an hour later when he comes to refill their drinks and ask if they’re hungry for a snack again. The kids all fall over themselves to tell Steve they’re starving, which is hard to believe with how much food they watched them pack away earlier, but Steve just smiles and nods.

Then he looks at the three not initiated into the weird thing that bonds the others. Gareth, like the others, never says no to snacks, seeing that he is a teen boy himself. However, he feels kind of awkward about it, so he pulls a face that he hopes conveys ‘if it’s not an inconvenience?’

Going off the way Steve smiles back, that message is conveyed.

When he entered, Eddie was just calculating the damage done, so he hasn’t replied by the time Steve checked with everyone else. A part of Gareth assumes that Steve will go ahead with everyone else’s approval, yet Steve does the unexpected again, which he should have seen coming.

He cards a quick hand through Eddie’s hair, another one of those intimate moments between them that Gareth feels like he should be questioning, but he doesn’t even know how to begin questioning them.

The whole group here feels closer than normal people should. They are all a tad too comfortable with each other and Steve and Eddie could very well be that. Still, it feels like more, though Gareth can’t grasp how. He knows Eddie is gay, but Steve? Steve is the straightest man to ever straight, so the only logical conclusion of their closeness can’t be right.

However, as he watches Steve murmur softly about snacks to Eddie, who pats his side absentmindedly and replies: “Sounds great, thanks, baby,” he can’t help but let his mind wonder to the possibility.

Again Steve leaves, returning a little later with more confusion surrounding him. Eddie hates it when their DnD stuff gets messy and has therefore banned many snacks at the table, which leave figurines or dice sticky or dirty.

And at this point, Gareth is proud to say, it doesn’t surprise him when Steve returns with only Eddie approved snacks.

Still, as has been the theme for this evening, Eddie stops mid narration, a think that has never happened in the history of Hellfire. He looks at Steve, who is putting down snacks, and frowns, before asking: “Are you okay, Stevie? You’re looking a little pale there, princess.”

Now that Gareth looks, Steve’s face does look a little pinched as he gives a reassuring smile: “I’m alright, just a bit of a headache starting.”

“If you’re admitting that, it must be bad,” Eddie replies with an achingly fond tone that alludes to how well he knows Steve and how much he cares about him. “Go lie down. I’ll man the hoard, you’ve been a great host tonight, doll.”

Steve puffs up for a moment, looking like he is going to protest, then deflates. He rubs his brow, then gives Gareth, Jeff and Chris an apologetic smile and says: “Sorry for dipping out early, enjoy your game.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, man, of course,” Gareth stumbles out, feeling Eddie’s eyes in the side of his skull daring him to say something bad to Steve right now. “Thanks for hosting us.”

Jeff and Chris quickly follow the sentiment and they see both Steve and Eddie relax for different reasons. Like they would be a dick to Steve, Gareth thinks. Tonight has been strange, but a good kind of strange.

And just as he thinks that, Steve does the strangest good thing he has done all night. He confirms the closeness between him and Eddie that Gareth had picked up on.

He wishes all the kids goodnight, promising to drive them to the arcade this weekend, even ruffling Dustin’s hair as he passes the kid, before pressing a kiss to Eddie’s cheek. The gesture is natural, thoughtless, done so effortlessly that it speaks of the many times he’s done so before. Gareth doesn’t know if Steve has forgotten they were there or if he doesn’t care as he says: “Don’t stay up too long, Eds. I’ll miss you and the kids have a curfew.”

None of the kids pretend to be grossed out by their mushiness, not even Mike. All looking away from the couple with fond eyes, happy they have each other.

Eddie lights up and cups Steve’s cheek, giving Steve a proper peck on the lips as he promises: “I’ll get them home on time, mother hen.”

“Like you’re not just as bad,” Steve teases, tone filled with love.

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddie agrees with a big smile on his face, the concession obviously not a hardship in the slightest. “Go take some pain meds and lie down, angel.”

“I will, love you,” Steve says, this time glances at them in a manner that tells Gareth he is aware of their presence, yet he apparently can’t leave without telling Eddie that, so he braves their potential reactions to say it.

The three of them fight to keep positive expressions on their face, none of them wanting Eddie or Steve to think they don’t agree with their relationship. Not the mention the kids, who are all eyeing them like Eddie was earlier, daring them to say something bad.

Eddie is the only one, who doesn’t seem to care, a big smile stretching over his face, the most genuine one Gareth has seen him wear in all their years of friendship. He replies: “I love you too, darling.”

With those words, Steve can tear himself away, giving one last wave, before disappearing into the dark bowels of the house.

None of them speak about what just happened, turning back to their game and ignoring the weirdness of the setting as they have done all evening.

In the end, the game lasts another two hours, before Eddie wraps it up. He assures everyone that he’ll clean up when he gets back, the corrals the kids into packing up their stuff and getting them into the van.

Jeff and Chris got there together and are the first to leave. Gareth doesn’t live too far, so he biked there.

He and Eddie are sharing a smoke as they wait for the kids to get done packing. After a moment of silence, Gareth says: “So, you and Steve.”

“Yeah,” Eddie concurs, seemingly unable to help the giddy smile at the mention of his boyfriend.

“I’m happy for you, man,” Gareth tells him. “You two look good together.”

“Thanks,” Eddie softly replies, looking a bit shy. They have always supported Eddie ever since he came out, but Gareth supposes actions to a reality are different than words to a hypothetical, so he tries not to take offense.

“Of course,” he smiles, then lets it morph into a grin as he jests: “As long as we don’t have to hear about his muscles again. I’ve heard enough during lunch period to last me a lifetime. I don’t need another rundown with more accurate information.”

Eddie lets out a bark of laughter and gives Gareth a light shove as he tells him to “Shut the fuck up, I’m not joking, Gareth.”

By then, the kids come piling out of the house and they both extinguish their cigarettes. Gareth claps Eddie on the back again and says: “See you around, Eddie. Don’t leave us hanging for too long with that cliffhanger. And ask Steve for his lasagna recipe. It was killer.”

“Will do,” Eddie grins brightly, before skipping over to his van, calling out the window: “Bike home safely!”

Gareth calls back: “Who’s the mother hen now?”

That gets him a “Fuck you!” and a middle finger as Eddie screeches out of the driveway and onto the road. Gareth just laughs at him, waiting until the danger that is Eddie behind the wheel is gone before getting on his bike.

After tonight, Gareth still isn’t sure what happened over spring break. In fact, Eddie has both semi-solved the mystery and made it worse by introducing this new relationship to Steve into the mix of weird shit he already does. The fucker probably likes being at the center of some weird plot.

Eddie, who got accused of loosing also being a mother hen. Eddie, who co-hosts from the Harrington mansion. Eddie, who now plays house, offering to do the dishes and cleaning up the table for Steve. Eddie, who is weirdly close with a group of kids. Eddie, who somehow managed to get into a relationship with Steve Harrington.

Honestly, if you had told Gareth anything of what happened tonight in Sophomore year, he would think you were insane. Yet here he is, biking home after playing DnD at the Harrington mansion, because their DM is dating Steve. What an odd world they live in, Gareth is pretty sure nothing in Hawkins could top this evening in weirdness.

~~

A/N:

That one scene is based of my grandma, who refuses to let us do the dishes in her house, no matter how many times we offer or try. Like, if you allude to the fact of doing it, she’ll get up earlier to do them, just in case. It’s sweet, but also oma, lemme help!!

Also, I love writing oblivious characters, people who don’t know. Outsider POVs are one of my favorite things out there :D

#rr writing #tw: smoking #stranger things fic #stranger things #gareth stranger things #jeff stranger things #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie lives au #steve harrington x eddie munson #eddie munson #st the party #the party stranger things #the party #outsiders pov #steddie

[sapphicalexaandra]

Okay okay I will post a little thought/theory I have for s5, even though I haven't actively partecipated in a fandom in years and i just read and like all the amazing theories, but I want to just get this off my chest:

I have a strong enough feeling vecna may possess will again

I read many talk about him being "vecna'd", which is not the same thing and judging from his and will's connection, i don't feel he would need to consume him like that, but rather it seems that ever since he was young vecna selected will as a potential host/vessel for himself, based on whatever he saw in will that at this point we don't know what it is exactly

Maybe will does indeed have untapped power (and in this theory I'm going to stick to this premise, as the luke/leia parallel between el and him makes it enough likely for me), so vecna, having lost his purely human form, may have thought he would need a human vessel in the human world so that he could also operate from there. This plan didn't end up well in the past (s2)...

But now, since he got injured, he is hurt and weak, he may need will again

Let's say the season starts with everybody already determined to put an end to him in this weakened state and they all - full group together finally! - gear up to do it...

And in a Moment, something something is happening, maybe el is fighting the monsters protecting vecna and we see the shadow of the mind flayer reaching her AND at that point will steps in front of her as the sacrificial boy of my heart that he is (and vecna knew he would do that...) so there we have the shadow entering him again like in s2 (but probably worse, and anyway the possible scenarios here are many ofc) and our dear old 001/henry takes hold of will's body, grinning from ear to ear, maybe lifting el up from the ground, revealing that will has this powers and he now knows how to use them for him, so he taunts all our group, like how are you gonna stop me now without killing the precious william... and as everybody is paralized in shock he manages to flee

Cue the time skip? As they need to figure out how to fight and defeat this powered up vecna using will's body without killing will (ofc they know they need to kill his actual body, but well now he is doubly protected by an enemy they don't want to harm, vecna in will)

AND i hope in the meantime we still see the actual will, maybe trapped in his own mind or vecna's, bonus point if he finds max in there because i need them to Bond and fight vecna from the Inside

So yeah, i feel like this could bring full circle a lot of themes and elements from the 1st season, as they said they would do.

And do I even need to mention all the potential Byler Angst this could spur as mike is put back in his I Need to Save My Will mood (and el has broken up with him for all the reasons we know - she realized his feelings are not genuine and that she is actually more herself without him and needs to channel what max taught her and become her own person without unhealthy attachments that keep her dependant and small - so mike has no more channel/distraction for his True Feelings)

Also *ahem* judging how Henry treated his own mother, i wonder if he may try to kill Joyce while she tries to reach will through a motherly speech of love, and vecna almost succeeds but then will manages to get control back to save his mother and he promises he will come back, he found max and they are both trying to figure out vecnas weakness (i would ugly cry at a scene like this, with will cradling his injured mother and then leaving her with this promise before vecna gets control back)

This happens earlier on, AND THEN we have later on towards the climax a similar scene but with MIKE and oh boy, the potential throw backs to the shed scene, the fact that in this time apart mike has figured out the truth about the painting and will's feelings and has had time to fully comprehend his, so it's a struggle of vecna wanting to kill him knowing that he has the potential to wake up will more than anybody, and indeed a (proper, heartwrenching) love confession from mike in that Moment is what Does it, and combined with whatever else the others are doing to defeat vecna, the Power of True Love (the duffers love that shit they told me) saves the day and the upside down becomes a beautiful meadow of green grass and blue and yellow flowers (lmao jokees but also has anyone seen she-ra?? Catra chipped by lord prime and adora trying to get to her > "I don't matter!" "You matter to ME!" Is so will and mike Plus their ending kiss saving the universe *ahem* has been a big inspiration for all this, plus to everyone complaining that a season is not enough time to develop a byler endgame, catradora also became esplicitely romantic in the last season (s5 look at that) after being frenemies for 4 seasons and I can just see something similar being done with them)

Anyway if anyone is still here, to sum it up a possessed will would allow a lot of plot points for different characters come to fruition, joyce, johnathan, el and mike especially - like i feel this scenario/theory could be developed to infinity) and I personally would love to see noah playing vecna, imagine the juciness for such an amazing young actor of a role like that after being sidelined for two seasons

and it would really explain all the parallels between henry and will and why henry chose him at the start, because he saw himself in will and knew he would make a good vessel (plus he could have a style change as henry makes him look more how he used to be as human, lol imagine mike seeing that) (plus plus i would cry and love it at the same time)

and the super byler potential is real for me, i See it. I know many would want them to become canon before the ending, but judging by the kind of storytelling the duffers go for, i am inclined to believe they may go for a climatic Moment for them,

still, hopefully the development throughout the season on both will and mikes side of the fight (i would literally love the inside/outside struggles that converge at the same point, poeticness of this scenario) is good and satisfying enough (coming from ME though that i had a pretty good grasp of s4 as it was airing, i knew the build up WAS going towards a mike confession to el which would be what he really believed he felt in his own warped understanding of his true feelings, which allows for an arc of actually understanding it in s5, so I did feel satisfied by what they showed in the sense that i see this as an ensamble show of fighting monsters, where the emotional development is carried on through the moments in between, so no Big fanfiction style inner stream of consciousness of how every character is understanding and feeling the situations)

So really, tying the supernatural and love drama together allow for more actual focus

Anyway! This was longer than i thought. I am very very curious to see if I get anything right at all, would be definitely fun to see it

*goes back into lurking mode*

#stranger things #will byers #byler #vecna #sts5 theory

[mikewontstopwhiningaboutit]

your tags got me THINKING bro…how do u think mike will react in the show to the news will loves him back?? do you have more thoughts on this?? u blew my mind kinda

Here's a chune as my answer (this will be playing in the background when Mike has the realisation).

Man, oh man have I thought about it and I truly don't know how he will react. My guess is that he will be shocked, probably even in disbelief. Given that Vecna is still around, he would probably think it's a trick. I'm really not a good analyst but here's more thoughts to my tags:

He would be shocked first of all because Will is a boy and Mike has been surrounded his entire life by people who have told him that boys loving boys is wrong (bullies at school and probably his Republican dad -- his mother loves him and would accept him, season one has proved us as much, but she might not have been impervious to societal biases) and he probably never would have believed that Will would feel the same way he does towards other boys. Liking someone of the same gender AND that person being queer and liking you back and WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, bonus points, it's your best and oldest friend in the world? In Mike's small town, it's highly unlikely bordering on lunacy to even dare hope it would be mutual (compared to Will's bigger town where he seemed to embrace his identity more than in Hawkins - so was Will the first delulu byler?). First shock. Add that to the fact that it's mostly always been Mike showering Will with affection (both platonic and romantic) so it would be easy for Mike to think the feelings only go one way (like the sign, heh), what with Will not contacting him when he was away in California. And then, Mike does not think highly of himself in his actual "romantic" relationship, putting El on a pedestal and doubting his worth. It should be easier, right? El's a girl, wa-hoo, we did it guys, heteronormativity will shield us! But does he feel loved and worthy? Nope. Once again, he has been surrounded by a family that did not curate a healthy environment to share one's feelings, a girlfriend with powers who shuts down his attempts at a connection by refusing to see his struggles as valid, and friends who have all gone on to prove their worth by being talented, loved, smart, funny. My boy has self-love issues and nobody is helping. So for Will, that wonderful pretty boy, to love him back? That's mental gymnastics not even a highly trained Olympic athlete can manage.

At the same time, season 4 has brought Mike and Will back on track and it's clear to everyone and their mother that those two share a special bond, so when the first shock has worn off, my boy will be ECSTATIC. He's comfortable enough around Will to understand his true feelings and not doubt them (outside of a Vecna attack, that is), and once he finds out the painting and the feelings are Will's and Will's only, he will understand how loved he truly is. It's not a love that's coming from words like "Love, El" or "I love you too" from season 3, but a love that runs deeper, that doesn't need to be told but shown, and he has been shown that love multiple times. He will know and understand and accept it.

#ask #italiantv #jo <3

[krispyweiss]

Book Review: “Lanegan” by Greg Prato

It’s a weird thing to put in a biography. But in this case, the following is true.

“When it comes to Mark Lanegan, there are many things that you are better off not knowing,” music journalist Charles R. Cross says of the former Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age singer and solo artist.

Fortunately for “Lanegan” author Greg Prato, Lanegan wrote all that stuff in his harrowing memoir, “Sing Backwards and Weep,” freeing Prato to focus on other stuff in his oral biography.

Like Lanegan the man, “Lanegan” the book is non-traditional. Generous at 319 pages and including a passel of black-and-white photos from throughout Lanegan’s career, it’s self-published - released Feb. 22 on the one-year anniversary of Lanegan’s death from undisclosed causes - but professional in content and layout.

“I look at (Nirvana’s) Kurt (Cobain), (Alice in Chains’) Layne (Staley) or even more Andy Wood - Mark was darker than them all,” Cross says. “I don’t know that Mark’s death is darker, but Mark’s life was darker than any of those people.”

In addition to Cross, Prato spoke with Lanegan’s Screaming Trees bandmate Gary Lee Conner; QOTS bassist Nick Oliveri; collaborators Chris Goss (Masters of Reality), Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.), guitarist Jeff Fielder and bassist Aldo Struyf; Sub Pop Records CDO Megan Jasper; original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing; former Red Hot Chili Pepper Josh Klinghoffer; former Soundgarden bassist Kim Thayil; Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal; and friends including Sally Berry, Clay Decker - who makes the dangerous assertion that Lanegan died because he was vaccinated against the coronavirus - and others. The result is an often-surprising portrait of a singular musician that paints Lanegan as an even more enigmatic figure than he seems in life and art.

“Like, we liked Lindsey Buckingham,” Hughes says in discussing Lanegan’s musical influences.

“How the fuck are you going to tell me you can see that? Point to a Mark Lanegan song and go, ‘Oh, Lindsey Buckingham.’ I couldn’t do it. So, the fact that I can’t do it tells me … Mark was in full possession the knowledge that he was unique.”

Rather than unfolding like a typical oral biography, Prato’s book is organized in 16 chapters built mostly around a single question such as “What made Mark so unique as a singer?,” “What was it like to work - in various capacities and on various projects - with Mark?” and “How would you like Mark to be remembered?” This makes “Langegan” as unusual and singular as Lanegan.

Though Lanegan left a ton of damage - to himself and his friends and collaborators - in his wake, the man who emerges from “Lanegan” is a musical omnivore (as his unlikely partnerships with Isobel Campbell and Soulsavers demonstrate) with a wicked sense of humor and a fierce sense of loyalty to the people he held closest.

“His heart was wonderful,” producer John Agnello says. “I know he was tough, I know he could be a cocksucker to people, but man, I saw things about him that I don’t think enough people saw.”

These are the things about Lanegan you are better off knowing. And they’re there for the learning in “Lanegan.”

Grade card: “Lanegan” by Greg Prato - B

3/27/23

#mark lanegan #lanegan #greg prato #the screaming trees #queens of the stone age #jesse hughes #eagles of death metal #kurt cobain #nirvana #layne staley #alice in chains #andy wood #gary lee conner #nick oliveri #chris goss #masters of reality #mike johnson #dinosaur jr #sub pop records #chad channing #red hot chili peppers #josh klinghoffer #kim thayil #soundgarden #lindsey buckingham #fleetwood mac #isobel campbell #soulsavers #belle and sebastian

[you-were-alone-too]

the universe we dreamt

a byler big bang project

Author/Artists: @you-were-alone-too @oceanic-sunsets​ @hei-jessi-draws

Rating: Teen

Tags: Road Trip, Internalized Homophobia, Period Typical Homophobia, Set in 1988, Post-Season 5, Gay Mike Wheeler, Gay Will Byers, Mutual Pining, Will/El Siblings, Mike/Eleven Friendship, Heart to Hearts, Denver, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, California, Mixtapes, Letters, The Painting, Best Friends to Lovers, Miscommunication, Not Actually Unrequited Feelings, Angst, Fluff, Mike Wheeler I Know What You Are, And Soon Will Byers Will Too, The Closet is Made of Glass

Summary: It's six months after they defeat Vecna and close the Upside Down for the final time, and along with it comes the spring of 1988. When Mike suggests that he and Will try and recreate their perfect spring break in California, it leads to a road trip towards the west coast that stirs up old memories and, perhaps, something more.

Excerpt:

Will glances up to where the painting is hanging above the couch, eyes raking over every careful detail. He still remembers the day he’d come down to the basement and saw it hanging up for the first time; Mike had rearranged his other posters just to put it there, and something about the proud look on Mike’s face reminded him of the way Will’s mom always liked to hang his artwork on the fridge, no matter how bad Will insisted they were. It’s stayed there ever since, and even now, seeing it still makes Will feel like his heart is a gaping, wide chasm, one that exposes his entire being if anyone decides to look hard enough. 

He’s just glad that Mike hasn’t attempted to, at least. 

“God, that feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?” he asks. 

“Yeah,” Mike agrees. His eyes seem to follow Will’s line of sight to where the painting rests above the couch. “You know, if there’s one bright side to all of this, it’s that we never have to sit in a Surfer Boy Pizza van ever again.”

“Don’t remind me,” Will says, shuddering at the memories. Not even counting the emotional turbulence they suffered throughout that week, it had been awful—between the constant stench of weed, the lack of showers or clean clothes, and the mind-numbing boredom of sitting in a van for hours at a time, it was no wonder that just the reminder of it made their faces twist in disgust. “That was…”

“Easily the worst road trip of all time?” Mike asks. 

“Yes,” Will laughs, although he doubts it even deserves to be in the same category as ‘road trip.’ At the time, it felt more like a getaway car than anything else. “I still can’t hear ‘Pass the Dutchie’ without my ears bleeding.” 

Mike laughs as he collapses against the couch, and Will follows suit, the both of them working in tandem the way they’ve always seemed to. 

“We should do that again. But an actual road trip, you know? Not when we’re one wrong turn away from getting shot by rogue government agents.” Mike’s eyes flicker up at him before his gaze falls back to the fidgeting hands in his lap. “And it would just be us this time. No Argyle and Jonathan getting high and playing their shitty mixtape on repeat.”

Will can’t help but smile at the way he can see Mike’s mind already formulating an idea at a hundred miles an hour, the way it always does when he comes up with a plan and his imagination begins to run away from him. And then the words it would just be us hit the forefront of his thoughts, echoing on a never ending loop the way Jonathan’s cassettes tended to do when the film was old and worn. He tries his best to brush them off, but instead, the words seem to worm their way down to his chest and nestle in the holes. He turns back to Mike, shoving the thoughts down, down, down. “Oh, so this time it’ll be us playing our own shitty mixtape?” he asks. 

“Yeah!” Mike says, and the smile on his face reminds him of a younger Mike, one that led the party through countless battles with goblins and the thessalhydra and everything in between. “Well, maybe if I make it, it’ll actually be good.”

Will sits up, angling his body toward Mike with a kick to the shin. “Excuse me? Are you implying that I have bad music taste?” he scoffs. 

Mike wrinkles his nose. “It’s just that you like all that weird stuff, like The Clash.” 

“Wow. At least I don’t just listen to the top hits and think that means I like good music.” 

“They’re the top hits for a reason! Besides, that’s not all I listen to,” he argues, arms folded against his chest. 

Even now, Will can’t help but smile at Mike and the defensive attitude he seems to wield like a plate of armor, rolling his eyes. “Whatever you say.” 

“I’m serious, though,” he says, and when he glances up, Mike’s already staring back at him, brown eyes ploring into hazel. Insistent. “We should do it. For real.”

Will’s breath catches at the way it feels like he can see right through him, and he swallows hard at how sincere he sounds, even if he doubts the idea will ever get off the ground, if he figures that Mike will forget about it in a day or two. “Where would we even go?” Will says, humoring him. 

“California,” Mike answers, like it’s obvious. “We can have the spring break that we never got to have back then. Well, except it would be summer, and we’d probably have to take my mom’s station wagon.”

Oh, something inside him seems to say as his lips part, just the slightest bit. He has so many questions, like why not invite the rest of the party? Or, maybe more pressing, why me? Why now? But with the hopeful smile Mike’s casting his way, radiant like a beacon in the dark, it’s hard to voice any of it, especially when his tongue has transformed into a bed of sandpaper. “It beats a pizza van,” he shrugs with a smile. “Yeah, let’s do it. But only if I get to help make the mixtape.” 

Mike gives him a grin that somehow manages to challenge the one before it, face glowing as bright as Will had ever seen it, and really, that in itself is enough for him to push past the swirling confusion in his chest. “Yeah,” Mike smiles. “It’s a deal.”

#stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #byler #byler fic #byler big bang #byler art #byler moodboard #byler big bang promo #byler big bang 2022

[calcifersfireplaceao3-moved]

Show: Stranger Things

Ship: Lumax (Lucas/Max)

Rating: General, pure fluff 

tags: post canon, a year later

-------

"Wow. There are so, many, nerds here." 

"Nerds? Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Ghostbuster, it's only uncool when it's medieval times?" Max snorts and Lucas looks pained.

"Popular culture and pretending to be blacksmiths are two very different things, Max." 

"Shut up, Lucas, you think it's cool, too!" Dustin says, punching him in the arm as he passes.

No way, Lucas mouths at her dramatically to make her laugh, it works and she smiles and rolls her eyes in pretend exasperation. 

The rest of the gaggle of their friends filter past them, the older teens heading towards what a sign directs as jousting. Will and El lingering at a potions stand, El wide-eyed as the seller waves her fingers and goes on about the properties of newt tails. Mike is pretending to be too grown up for this just like Lucas but is drifting towards the display of real metal armor, Dustin already enthusiastically enthralled in conversation with the display manager. 

When Dustin first pitched the idea she'd thought it was incredibly stupid, who even goes to things like "Renaissance Faires" other than weird nerds obsessed with elves or that new movie The Princess Bride- speaking of there's at least two dread pirate Robert's she's seen already. There was an air of anticipation in the car that was contagious though, and two hours from Hawkins and five bucks each sounded like a waste of a day at the time but the more Dustin talked about it the more it seemed like it could be fun. 

Max doesn't know where to start, there's wooden signs with Ye Old Timey font carved into them pointing towards various things but she's not exactly sure what some of it means- or if they'd even be fun to see. She still walks pretty slow and has her cane just in case she needs it but today is a very good day. As much as she hates to admit it there is something magical about this stupid little fake town. The swords may be spray painted pool noodles but there's real live horses and that's pretty neat.

"What's a melee?" Max asks, pointing at the sign. Lucas comes up beside her and shrugs.

"It's a type of attack in DnD, but it just means hitting someone with, like, a weapon instead of magic."

"Huh. Maybe it's people beating each other up, then."

"I dunno," Lucas leans down and wiggles his eyebrows, "want to go check it out?" 

She rolls her eyes but takes his offered hand easily. As they walk through the crowded dirt paths there's so many people in costumes it's hard to tell who's part of the event and who are patrons and Max is starting to think that it's not so uncool. There's a quartet of women with perfectly coiled hair and tight corsets singing in a high choral harmony; they've attracted a small crowd and people are putting money in a fancy basket sitting at their feet, the singers waving and winking at the crowd as they perform.

"You're pretty good at that, you could join that group, wander around singing silly songs all day." Lucas laughs, dodging her attempt to shove him over. 

"Very funny, Lucas, I wonder if they're hiring any jesters – you'd be a shoe-in." He pretends to be mortified, fanning himself and holding a head to his forehead like he needs a fainting couch as she laughs.

Eventually she gets winded though, thankfully just in time to see the stands surrounding a ring marked off with hay bales. Lucas sets her up, shrugging off his backpack and offering her a water bottle and snacks as they wait for whatever this "melee" will be when it starts, sharing peanut butter crackers and bad jokes.

Scratch anything she said that made fun of this place, the melee is cool. Very cool. Quickly they both stop snickering and getting invested in the fight. Players being knocked down and tagged out one by one, each person in their own colors and fans in the crowd, the swords may be fake but the skill is real and it is awesome. The fight comes down to two people, a slight figure with a full helmet obscuring their face and a huge man dressed like a Viking. The smaller figure is faster though and within seconds they've tapped their opponent enough times for the ref to call him out. When they reach up and pull free their helm, free hand raised in a fist of victory there's a quiet hush before a deafening cheer. The champion is a girl, smug and confident, jeering at the people booing her and laughing it up with those cheering her on.

"Okay, no, I want to do that." Max says excitedly to Lucas, grabbing his arm. 

Lucas smiles at her before leaning down and giving her a quick peck on the lips, "Yeah? You'd kick ass for sure."

"There they are!" She can hear Dustin shout and sees him waving enthusiastically at them, metal helmet under his arm and fake sword in hand.

"Okay, that's gotta be the coolest thing so far, so what if the lances weren't wooden, it was real, live, jousting." Robin is talking off both Nancy and Jonathan's ears as they meet up with the pair.

A hand comes down on her head and ruffles her hair, "You good, Mayfield?" Steve, ever the mother hen, asks her. 

"Perfect." And this time it isn't sarcastic.

-----

That was a very cute request, thank you @hollysoveralls ! I hope you like it :)

I’ve never been to a ren faire but boy do I want to

#prompts #stranger things #lumax #mucas #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #max/lucas #my writing

[onthepyre]

They're ten the first time.

Lucas is away visiting family for Easter, and Mrs. Henderson needed Dustin home earlier than usual so that he could do the chores he'd been putting off all weekend. Only Will and Mike remain in the Wheeler basement, half-painted minifigures scattered on the floor around them.

It's warm. Will has always loved the basement for that. Even in the dead of winter, with the water heater just a wall away, it would only drop to sixty-five. Now, as March bleeds into April, it’s about seventy degrees, with yellow lighting that makes Will feel sort of fuzzy and tired. Mike is close to him, too. The body heat and the comfort of being near his friend push Will to the edge of sleep. He has a task to finish, though, and the orc staring up at him isn’t getting painted any faster as he starts to doze off, wondering how soon he’ll need to be home.

He finishes two orcs and starts on a gnoll like that, eyes half-lidded and leaning on his elbows. It’s silent except for the hum of electronics. He suspects Mike is feeling the same sort of fatigue. Once, Will hears him sigh, like he’s a sad dog, and then he blinks three times, heavy and intense. He assumes Mike is trying to keep himself awake, but Will can’t seem to find the reason or the courage to get up and go home, when the basement is so peaceful. He never wants to leave.

Eventually, though, Mrs. Wheeler shouts down that his mother has called, and Will has no choice. He hollers back an ‘okay,’ and turns to Mike with a sad smile.

“I’ll finish this gnoll on Wednesday,” he says, and places it on the edge of the little circle they’ve started. It’s a request and a promise.

“Wednesday sounds good,” Mike responds, and Will’s smile shifts into a real one.

He’s overcome, in that moment, with that soft feeling that began with the lights and the tiredness. It grows in his chest and his face, and he pinpoints with sudden certainty where it’s coming from now. He leans forward to wrap Mike in a hug.

It’s calming. They’re both spindly and weak, something Will knows unfortunately well, but with Mike’s arms around him, he feels safe. Mike only lets it last a few seconds before he’s pulling away, clapping Will on the shoulder. He looks happy, though, and Will is emboldened.

“See you then,” he says, and then, “I love you.”

He means it innocently. Mike is important, and Will wants him to know that. He doesn’t understand why Mike’s face falls, but either way, the warm feeling vanishes and instead, weight starts building in his gut.

“Don’t,” Mike says quietly, “Don’t say that.” He shifts backwards, away from Will, like he’s a rattlesnake about to strike.

Will can’t help himself. “Why not? You’re my friend.” And I love you, he thinks, but saying it out loud again doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would fix this.

“Because. Because we’re friends, and friends don’t say that kind of stuff. And because boys can’t love other boys. Okay?”

This is news to Will, who stares, incredulous, at Mike. He thinks of Jonathan, who Will loves more than anything, and who likes to tell him that he should be himself no matter what. But when faced with the possibility of Mike saying something like that again, and the prickling in his throat, Will can only nod.

“Bye,” he says, and stands to head upstairs. Mike doesn’t respond.

Will has to pull over on the bike ride home because the tears make his vision too blurry to see the road in front of him.

The next time, they’re fourteen.

Will is lying flat on his back on El’s bed, complaining, while she sits cross-legged on the floor and puzzles out her algebra homework.

“I mean, it’s not like this place isn’t technically more fun, you know? Like, Hawkins had Starcourt for, what, a few months before we blew it up? Other than that, you could play D&D and go to the pool that was about it. And here, there’s the ocean, there’s everything downtown, there’s, like, a million places open after six, which was impossible to find in Hawkins, and yet. I just wish our friends were here, too. Maybe it wouldn’t be so boring then.”

El nods along like she’s listening. After a few seconds’ pause, she asks, “What is 32 divided by 8x?”

“Let me see that,” Will responds, joining her on the floor. “You’re just dividing by eight, not 8x, see? So that’s four, and then you’ve got four equals x minus two. So you add two, and you’re done.”

“Yes,” El says. “You should write them a letter.”

“I call them all the time, though,” Will says. “I talk to Dustin almost every day.”

“I talk to Mike a lot, too, and Max. I like writing more, though. It feels better” she says. She plucks her pencil out of Will’s hand and starts to pick at the eraser. “I am more honest when I write.” El looks at him for the first time since he’d started. “Even though I do not always send it,” she tacks on.

“Maybe you’re right,” Will says. “I’ll give it a shot.”

He does, that evening after dinner. He pours out his heart and soul in a letter addressed to Mike. He tells him how boring California is, how glad he is that El is with him, how much he misses Hawkins. And then he keeps going. In his messy scrawl, Will tells Mike about how everyone seems to hate him, about being called a dozen new insults that put zombie-boy to shame, about how there's hardly a week that went by without him or El ending up in the other's arms, sobbing. And Will tells Mike how much he misses him.

He waxes a little poetic about it, though he reads back and finds it horrifically embarrassing. It's true, though — everything would just be so much better if Mike was here, too. That isn't to say he doesn't miss Dustin and Lucas and Max, but without Mike, everything just feels sort of incomplete. He doodles in the margins of the paper while he thinks about what else to write. There's the things he usually draws, stars and trees, but also hearts and tiny frowny faces. He scribbles out the hearts.

By the time he gets halfway through, Will knows he's never going to send it. After only a little bit of thought, he signs off the letter, "Love, Will." He knows that if he were to mail it, the best response he would get would be an angry phone call. You can't say that. More likely, Mike wouldn't respond at all. He would read it and pretend it got lost in the mail.

Will burns the letter in the backyard. El adds to his pyre with a few of her own.

The last time, they're sixteen.

Mike, to Hopper's chagrin, is helping to plan a campaign, and he's doing it in the Byers-Hopper family's dining room. It feels like a silly thing to do after all of the chaos of the last few years, but with the recent weeks of calm, Will is cautiously hopeful.

The plan features a smaller party than usual, and Will's storytelling skills are rusty, so Mike's offer to co-DM was a welcome one. They've sketched out a rough outline and are working on fleshing out the big bad — a vampire couple looking for revenge — when Mike stands to stretch.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, though Will catches what he really means.

"Sure," Will says as he gets up, "It is getting kinda late. We've got chicken nuggets, if you want."

"Sounds great," Mike says. He follows Will into and around the kitchen, both sliding around in their socks and laughing. Will finds himself thinking that he missed this, though what exactly "this" is, he's not sure. Mike's laugh, maybe. The calm of the two of them, alone together.

The kitchen light is dim and orange. Mike's hair is getting long, and he runs a hand through it, something he doesn't seem to really be aware he's doing. Either way, it makes Will want to touch it, too. Touch him. He's right there, and it's been ages since the last time Will tried, so maybe it would be okay now, he thinks, knowing it isn't true. Still, the desire burns dark within him, almost hungry. He catches himself staring at Mike's collarbones.

Will doesn't end up doing anything. The oven timer goes off and he shakes himself loose from his trance to get their food. He tries to go back to the easy conversation they'd been making, but something has shifted, and Mike feels it, too.

He picks up flipping notebook pages, right where he'd left off, but Will can't shake the feeling that the mood is wrong. Everything feels on the verge of crumbling until Mike speaks.

"I'm really glad we have time to hang out again," he says, and though it's not really all that deep, the sentimentality gets to Will.

"Me too." He lets it sit for a moment before he tacks on his own thoughts. "I've missed us, you know? We used to be so close as kids, but with everything, we've sort of drifted apart, so. I'm glad too."

"Yeah," Mike says, and he holds Will's eye for a while before they return to their work. Whatever had fallen loose had slid back into place, and Will finds he's able to think again.

There's a feeling that starts building in his chest that's becoming overwhelming, and Will knows all too well what it is. Every time he glances to Mike, who is glowing in the soft light, it gets worse, and he thinks if he doesn't say something, he might die, because it's weighing even heavier after what they'd just said and it's just going to keep growing.

"I love you," he says, quietly enough he thinks it might go unheard.

He's wrong. Mike closes his eyes. Will knows he's made a mistake.

"Why would you say that?" Mike asks, soft in a way that makes Will think he might get punched.

"Because I do," he answers. He's scared, but more than that, he's tired of hiding this. He wants Mike to know. "Because I've missed you, and I like spending time with you, and you mean a lot… mean everything to me. Because I love you."

"I don't…" Mike has his face in his hands, and it makes Will want to cry. He might, actually. His throat is starting to prickle. "I can't, Will. I'm sorry, okay? But you can't say that to me."

"Why not?"

If he doesn't get an answer, Will is going to cry.

"Because," Mike says, and stops.

"Why?" Will insists.

"Because I can't say it back! Alright? I don't." Mike's head is up now, but he won't look Will in the eye. "And I don't see why you can't understand that. Anyone else would've gotten it by now, and I don't get why you keep pushing!"

A tear slips down Will's cheek and he wipes it away as soon as it falls. It's not enough.

"Just…" Mike stands, sighing. "For both of us, just forget this ever happened. Okay?"

Will doesn't respond.

"Okay?" Mike reiterates, forceful, angry.

"Okay," Will chokes out. "Yeah. Fine." His voice breaks twice.

"I'm going home. I'll see you at school."

Will lets him leave. He turns off the kitchen light once Mike is gone.

#byler #stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #fanfiction #angst #hurt no comfort #unrequited love #june's writing #look at me actually posting to tumblr instead of putting the link to ao3. wow #period typical homophobia