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i'll keep your brittle heart warm by stardustandswimmingpools
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
10 Feb 2026
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Summary
Will rocks forward, bearing his weight through to his feet. His voice mingles with the sound of cars below them.
“There's a game I play sometimes,” he says, eyes fixed on the sidewalk underneath. “It’s called ‘Could I survive this?’”
Mike presses his lips together. Slowly, he rests his feet back on the snowy fire escape.
“Are you playing it now?”
Will nods.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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you were bigger than the whole sky by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
17 Nov 2022
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Summary
Mike breathes out sharply, sinking to his knees in front of Will without conscious thought. Every bone in his body is turning to jelly, because Will is here, but he's also- not. His form is made up of the same dusty gold that fills the air around him, flaking off him and dancing around. Mike wants to reach out and catch the light in his palm. Will looks not entirely solid, like this is some poor imitation of him rendered in light particles, like his physical form is somewhere else, and for a horrible moment Mike thinks that Will is a ghost after all. That this is an illusion, brought about by Mike's hopeless yearning. If it weren't for the pebbles digging sharply into his legs as he knees on the ground and the crisp chill of the spring air on his face, Mike would be sure he was dreaming, but he doesn't think he could dream up something so simultaneously as magical and horrifying as the specter of his maybe-dead friend hovering before him.
"Will," he whispers, reaching out until his fingers are centimeters from Will's arm, and Will's eyes fly open.
on march 29th, 1986, will byers vanishes for a second time. 366 days later, he reappears.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 28,025
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 190
- Kudos:
- 2,152
- Bookmarks:
- 648
- Hits:
- 25,608
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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want to hate you (half as much as i hate myself) by MazzyStardust7
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
03 Jan 2026
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Summary
For not the first time that night, Mike wonders if Will is still awake in the basement.
Tossing and turning on the old spare mattress that Mike had relegated him to instead of- Well. Mike's thoughts slam into a wall. Even if he had let Will sleep in his room, he'd still be on that mattress. Just... just on the ground beside him instead of two floors down.
"You're a freak," Mike mumbles to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.
Or, Mike and El are taking a break, and in the absence of being able to pour himself into that relationship, he's spending entirely too much time thinking about Will... who just so happens to be living in his basement. During the 18-month time jump where the Byers have been living with the Wheelers.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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Summary
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Will finally answers. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“Are you sure? Why did you call?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just bored.” A beat, where Will waits for Mike to say something, to say, we can come over! but it never comes. “Sorry for interrupting you. Or just, you know-I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“No it’s- don’t worry about it. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
Will wonders if he means tomorrow or in another two days. “Yeah, sure. Tell El I said bye.”
“I will. Bye Will!”
Will lowers the antenna and turns off the walkie-talkie with a loud sigh.
He’s never minded being on his own but he hates being left alone. This was never his choice.or
Three times where Will writes Mike a letter.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 28,136
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 63
- Kudos:
- 370
- Bookmarks:
- 85
- Hits:
- 4,695
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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Summary
A story told from two points of view - interspersed with memories of falling apart and falling in love.
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At seven, Will asks Mike not to kiss him anymore, and Mike takes it to heart – wanting Will safe is more important than just wanting him… until California. Where, for the first time, Mike wonders if safe is what Will wants at all.
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Will has loved Mike since he was ten tears old - but he's been in orbit around him a lot longer. By California, Will fears that orbit is decaying, and he's about to come crashing down to earth.- Words:
- 58,456
- Works:
- 2
- Bookmarks:
- 23
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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Summary
“I mean, obviously I’m gonna do it. I always do it. But I probably need a photo or reference, and my…” Will trails off and sighs, gaze landing on the dusty box sitting on top of his desk. Mike’s eyes naturally follow, looking a little lost. “My camera’s broken. So I guess I’ll be drawing my figurines again—”
“I could help you,” Mike interrupts.
And there it is. This is why Will should stop complaining out loud.
aka mike offers to be will's reference, they talk about mike's self-esteem issues, and more shenanigans with paint ensue
title from True Blue by boygenius
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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press you to the pages of my heart by paladins (nondisclosure)
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
18 Jan 2026
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Summary
Mike can see the flush on Will’s skin move up his neck and onto his cheeks. His fingers twitch at his sides like they're trying to reach out and grab the sketchbook, but the rest of his body stays frozen. “I – That’s not – You don’t know that that’s you.”
Mike gives him an incredulous look. “I think I would know what my own naked body looks like, Will, and what you’ve drawn in here is definitely it. Except for this. I mean, I guess the one at the top right kind of looks like it, but the rest…No resemblance.”
“Wha –” Will starts to stutter out, but his mouth slams shut when Mike turns the sketchbook around to show Will the page of dicks. “That’s not what it looks like.”
“Yeah, I know, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Mike says, exasperated.
or, mike finds will's secret sketchbook that's filled with dirty drawings of mike. the only thing he didn't get right is mike's dick.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
21 Feb 2026
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Mike Wheeler's Guide to Not Getting The Guy by the_heliades
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
19 Jan 2026
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Summary
‘You better,’ Max says, ‘any man who puts up with a two hour long—’ ‘It was twenty minutes!’ ‘—panic attack in a bathroom, talks you down from it and still gives you his number over two years later deserves at least a call back.’
Mike shrugs. ‘Maybe?’
‘But,’ Will’s weak, thready voice breaks through the chatter of their friends, ‘you don’t date guys.’
‘Oh shit,’ Dustin says, but it’s like Mike is hearing him underwater as he looks at Will.
Mike is confused, he can hear the blood rushing in his ears as he blurts out, ‘Will, we dated for, like, a month and a half.’
----
Didn't know they were dating fic where Mike dates Will Byers, is gently let down and broken up with by Will Byers, and tries to move on from Will Byers. Will thinks that Mike's just finally letting himself be happy in New York City.(Mike Wheeler, in fact, does get the guy. Eventually.)
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
20 Feb 2026
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(give me a second to) forget i ever really meant it by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
05 Feb 2024
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Summary
“Any of it.” Will shrugs, embarrassed. “I don’t know how to ask someone out, or how to act on a date, or how to- kiss, or anything like that.”
“Oh.” Mike’s expression clears, and he grins. “Well, like I said, you’re a catch, so I don’t think you’d need to worry about putting people off or something. And all of that stuff is way easier than it sounds, seriously.”
Will makes a face. “That can’t be true.”
“I’m serious!” Mike says, laughing a little. “Here, we can practice.” He shifts on the bed, arranging his legs beneath him and sitting up a little straighter, running a casual hand through his hair. “Pretend I’m a guy you like.”
Practice makes perfect, especially when the person you're practicing with is your best friend.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 11,272
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 220
- Kudos:
- 6,318
- Bookmarks:
- 1,109
- Hits:
- 46,378
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
18 Feb 2026
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either i'm careless or wanna get caught by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
01 Aug 2023
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Summary
Love is a funny thing. It’s standing with a girl in a desert after a crippling battle and wondering how am I going to tell her? It’s sitting next to a boy in a van while he lies to you and thinking oh, how am I going to tell him?
Mike’s not sure which is harder - telling someone you don’t love them or telling someone that you do. He supposes it depends on selfishness; if it's worse to break someone else’s heart or to offer your own up to be shattered.
He supposes he’s going to find out soon enough.
Or: the one with a boy made of too much fear and too little hope and, just maybe, enough love to make it all worth it anyway.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
14 Feb 2026
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Summary
Mike’s gotta be cursed.
It was fine. For the first time in ages, Mike’s life seemed to be on an upward trajectory instead of plummeting downwards. College had, in some way, fixed things. Fixed Mike. He didn’t even feel the need to dissect what exactly had made his early teenage years so horrifying.
But like a curse, it’s all come back.
aka mike figures out his sexuality in the worst way possible, but as always, will is there to help. in more ways than one.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 53,565
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Comments:
- 161
- Kudos:
- 1,575
- Bookmarks:
- 398
- Hits:
- 25,796
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
10 Feb 2026
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Summary
Mike feels a little or a lot, never controlled and always one extreme or the other. It’s visible in the way he snaps at his friends when he gets too angry or too upset, and it’s audible in his relentless stutter that appears when there’s attention on him. It’s laced in the lies that he grinds out through his teeth, claiming that he’s fine, and it’s in the fight to appear as though he’s swimming gently through a body of water when in reality he can’t keep afloat.
His feelings are like waves, gentle or all consuming as they rise and fall with the tide, and nothing drowns him quite like Will Byers.
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mike falls apart one drunken night. will helps piece him back together.Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
07 Feb 2026
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Summary
"I live in your house, Mike," he said, crossing his arms defensively. "I thought you'd already have enough of me."
"I don't." Will jumped at Mike's voice, head whipping back around to face him. "Come on, Will! You talk to Holly more than you do me. You're always doing those— those ugly craft projects with her, and I didn't even know you liked crafts, and I didn't know you liked Holly more than me, either. I don't know anything about you."
Will blinked at him, mouth agape. "They're not ugly," he said, weakly.
"They are." Mike glared at Will harder. "See? I didn't know you lied now, either."
The Byers spend their first year with the Wheelers. Will learns how to handle Mike, and Mike learns how to handle change.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 19,617
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 149
- Kudos:
- 2,161
- Bookmarks:
- 497
- Hits:
- 28,742
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
07 Feb 2026
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love was the law and religion was taught by mugamuchyuu
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
20 Jan 2026
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Summary
“Oh, you weren’t aware?” Will clicks his tongue, his slow steps sounding menacing against the quiet surrounding them, “Guess you’re not much of a protector after all.”
Mike can’t do anything but stare. Think, Mike, he tells himself, think.
Will doesn’t waste any time as he flips through a Bible left on the pulpit. “And you call yourself my best friend,” he almost spits those words, and Mike tries not to feel hurt, “but that’s not entirely correct, either, am I right?”
What?
Will and Mike get sent out on a mission to a place that’s suspiciously guarded in Vecna’s mind, which is Hawkin’s Church. Mike has a general dislike for churches that he put aside in favor of accompanying Will.
When Will’s connection to Vecna spirals out of control, Mike is caught in the fallout, not only forced to confront the truth he’s been carrying with him for years but also try to get Will and himself out of there alive. The biggest issue is, Will is possessed and Mike isn’t leaving the church without him.
What begins as a desperate attempt to wake Will up, ends in Mike realizing he would rather face hell than lose Will again.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
04 Feb 2026
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Summary
Mike Wheeler learned, in the long summer after the world did not end, that houses had habits.
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There's a painting in the corner of Mike's room, and a boy living in his basement. And he finally has the time to give to both.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
03 Feb 2026
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Summary
The invisible shoulder nudges him, and Mike wishes he'd taken the piece of paper to read what Will would've actually said, and then misses, more generally, Will's voice. His spoken word. Which is unfair - Mike's lucky he gets even this much, the cool brush on his arm, the creaks of his weight on the floorboards, the gentle drum of his fingers. Reminders. Will, inasmuch as he can be, is here, even if it will never feel like enough.
Sometimes — he never tells anyone this — he shuts his eyes, tells himself that Will is alive, and sitting there, next to him, and the moment he tilted his head, they'd be face to face.
He doesn't like opening his eyes, after that.
Will is a ghost. Mike is haunted.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 20,593
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 62
- Kudos:
- 751
- Bookmarks:
- 216
- Hits:
- 6,956
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
31 Jan 2026
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Summary
“Did I do something wrong?” Mike questions, mouth twisted in a frown, eyes less wide than they were a few moments ago, sleepiness gone. His arms stay at his sides, although his fingers fiddle with his sleeves. “What did I do wrong?”
Will frowns back. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Mike doesn’t look like he believes him. Will doesn’t blame him. “Then why do you keep leaving?”
The world ends, and then some. Mike and Will find each other again, amidst the debris and distance.
Series
- Part 1 of fix-its
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 21,203
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 743
- Kudos:
- 16,258
- Bookmarks:
- 3,800
- Hits:
- 236,325
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
31 Jan 2026
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Summary
“They pulled your body out of the quarry.”
It’s a story Mike’s sure Will’s heard many times, but it’s been watered down — rewritten, almost; masked by the exhilaration of the unknown, the riveting supernatural adventure that awaited them. Will doesn’t know the truth — not the full one, at least. The one fogged with cries, splinters in throats, You said he was alive! The air hangs differently now, four years later, and Mike thinks Will can sense it, because he lets out a strained, choked noise.
Death seems to follow him everywhere. It's only natural Mike breaks down about it, late at night, letting a few secrets slip in the process.
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
31 Jan 2026
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body on body (until i’m all gone) by surrender2thesound
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
27 Jun 2025
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Summary
“What? It’s a reasonable question! You’re acting like that’s impossible or something.”
“Because it kind of is, Mike.” Will scoffs, only half-humorous now. He pauses for a moment, then sighs, his smile wavering. “Lenora Hills is a big school, and I’m not exactly the most memorable person. There wasn’t anyone, like, lining up to date me.”
Mike blurts, “Well, that’s—that’s stupid.”
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On the way to Nevada, Mike and Will share a motel room. Things spiral from there.
Series
- Part 1 of look at me baby, dead in my eyes
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
28 Jan 2026
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a hundred thrown out speeches by andiwriteordie for livsmessydoodles
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
22 Mar 2023
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Summary
“I think we’re leaving soon!” comes Will’s response. He sounds closer now—like maybe he’s about to enter the room or something. “Did you find anything?”
Yes, Mike thinks, and his eyes flicker down to the old shoebox sitting in front of him.
LETTERS FROM MIKE, LETTERS FROM MIKE, LETTERS FROM MIKE, Will’s childhood handwriting screams back to him.
Or:
While in the Upside Down with the Party, Mike stumbles across an old box of letters to Will from... himself.
Series
- Part 3 of it was a seven
Bookmarked by MermaidMarie
28 Jan 2026