🐈‍⬛

darn it, they're so cute together that I forget everything else.

At this meeting, they talked about so many things—absolutely everything. And well, they talked about Jane. and wow... it was hard to read this; she deserved a better ending.

I think that, in a way, this fanfic and others like it make up for the mess the Duffers made of this pair of friends, because, above all, they're friends. I think this fic gives them the depth and emotions this story deserved.

What peachstatic always keeps in mind about Will in her fanfics is his trauma and its consequences. she mentions it in My Will is good and it's also mentioned in this one.

It's a very sensitive topic that she addresses with respect and care, and she gives it meaning.

obvious...

<3

In this chapter, they said so many sweet things to each other—if I posted all the screenshots I took, I’d have to make like ten more posts lol.

Right now, I’ve been focusing mostly on Will because he’s the character I love the most, and the one I think deserved the best things in the show the most. He’s an incredible character, and I’m so happy that in this story he finds success, good friends, and love.

I think they still don't allow themselves—or haven't yet given themselves permission—to say what they really feel because of the circumstances they find themselves in.

this is both beautiful and sad.

There’s something else I really liked about this chapter, and that’s how Will repeatedly urged Mike to tell Maggie the truth. He didn’t do it by pressuring him, but rather by offering support and understanding. but he also told him something important; that he didn’t want to end what they had just because Mike kept putting off that conversation with Maggie, and that he wasn’t willing to stay in that situation long-term.

and to be honest, if Mike lies one more time in therapy and tells Maggie something like he’s been in touch with Will because he needed support and that he lied about Chicago because he needed to take that trip alone, I’d prefer that Will decide to stop seeing him. let him continue to offer his support as a friend, but no more secret meetings.

Maybe that’ll be the turning point between Will and Mike.

there’s something I’ve noticed about Maggie: she’s somehow shaped Mike in her own way. I mean, Mike moved in with her three houses away from her parents, and that’s about an hour away from Mike’s parents. Mike doesn’t have any friends there, and he doesn’t get along with the husbands of Maggie’s friends. He’s given up almost everything he used to enjoy, to the point where he’s almost lost interest in it all. He dresses the way she wants him to, and he styles his hair the way she wants him to. in a way, Mike has lost his identity.

and I don’t mean to say she’s a bad person because of this, but she says she loves him—but what is it that she loves?

And I find it strange that she wants to keep up appearances with Mike's family, but her own family and her friends know everything—absolutely everything—that's going on in her marriage, including intimate details about Mike.

I knew this was going to happen; I think I mentioned it in the previous chapter. Nancy was going to bring up Will lol, and that’s exactly what happened.

I feel so sorry for Maggie here. Because when Nancy mentions Will, they start talking about him, and in that conversation, it’s way too obvious that Mike’s family adores Will. And to make matters worse, they start watching old videos of Mike, and Will shows up in almost all of them. she must have felt awful about this.

I hope she finds happiness soon.

What I think, up to that point in the chapter, is that Maggie distrusts Will more than she does Mike. She isn't imagining that Mike is being unfaithful; I think she sees Will differently—as a threat or an influence on Mike. this is especially true since she realized in the past that Will had feelings for Mike.

I don't know—at least that's how I see it for now.

I'm not going to say what kind of situation Mike was in when he made that call, because just remembering it makes me want to kick his ass. But seriously, Mike. even though I know why Maggie kept pushing him to go to therapy, you can't say things like that, Mike! damn it!

And finally, Nancy finds out everything...

She’s a detective and smart—ever since she overheard Mike’s argument with Maggie and then the “coincidence” of Will’s visit, it was just a matter of putting two and two together.

I’m glad that even though she told Mike what he’s doing is wrong, she’ll always support him.

although Mike didn’t tell Will that Nancy knows everything—maybe so as not to scare him and have Will distance himself from him?

... :(

oooooh!!! Maggie looked into this after finding out that Mike saw Will in Chicago. She checked Mike's call log and found out everything about the conference. Even though that's not right—I mean, checking his call log—I understand why she did it. Mike won't stop lying to her 🤷🏻‍♀️

am I right in still thinking that Maggie doesn't actually suspect Mike is cheating on her? although maybe if she finds out about Will's visit to Hawkins after she left, that could change things.

I don't think she's homophobic, but I do think she has some biases or simply doesn't know much about queer people because she doesn't really understand it or think about it. She's religious and comes from a very traditional family, with parents who've been married for years and female friends who are also happily married. She grew up in a very conventional environment, so I think topics like sexual orientation are outside her frame of reference. She doesn't really understand them or take them seriously.

Because of that, I don't think her first conclusion would be that Mike is cheating on her with Will. What I do think is that she deeply distrusts Will. Like I said before, she probably connects Mike's growing emotional distance from her with the fact that he's reconnected with Will.

I don't know, but the way she talked about Will gave me the impression that she simply doesn't like him.

and of course, I can't leave out my spam for this chapter :)

okay, I'll always say the same thing, but I love it when people write about Will succeeding as an artist—it really helps me heal after that horrible ending to ST.

cute and sweet <3

okay, I'd definitely be Holly if I had Will standing in front of me🙈

seriously, if someone were to draw Will's gift to Mike, I'd be out cold for a week—it's truly incredible.

That's why I really admire peachstatic—because she truly cares about Will; she cares about giving him a life beyond the love he feels for Mike.

The truth is, I absolutely love Will in this fic. He’s sweet, funny, sarcastic, confident but not cocky, noble, kind, sensitive, genuine, smart, very smart, talented, brave, strong, compassionate, understanding, cute... Will deserves the whole world.

a lot of people are saying the movie didn't do justice to the series and the comics. I haven't read volumes 5 and 6, so I can't really judge how faithful the movie is to them. But I do agree that, compared to the series, the movie fell a bit short. It sidelined many of the supporting characters, giving them very little dialogue, and it created conflicts that could have been resolved with an honest conversation.

That said, I do think the movie portrayed something very real through Nick: emotional dependence and the danger of making your entire world revolve around your partner. The breakup made that very clear. Because Nick had made Charlie his whole world, he went through the breakup almost completely alone, while Charlie had multiple support systems around him.

It's important to understand that your partner's friends are not automatically your friends. It's important to have your own life, your own support network, and your own friends. and most importantly, you should always choose yourself first.

Charlie and Nick's conflict didn't need a breakup; it needed an honest conversation. Nick was the one who failed by shutting himself off and using physical intimacy with Charlie as an emotional outlet instead of confronting the real issues. He was the one who started displaying toxic and selfish behaviors. The breakup only made things worse for both of them. It wasn't necessary—or maybe it was, but only if it had been used as an opportunity for each of them to choose themselves instead of falling back into emotional dependence.

I would have liked to see Nick, once he was doing better after the breakup, reconnect with his own interests, make new friends, or reconnect with the friends he already had. But once they got back together, it felt like Nick's world shrank back down to Charlie again, or at least that's how it came across to me.

Maybe they should have broken up for good if that was always going to be the outcome. or maybe they simply needed to stay apart much longer, learning how to live independently, each building a life of their own before eventually finding each other again.

Another thing I really liked was that Nick, as a bisexual guy, was portrayed as versatile, breaking away from stereotypes and rigid sexual roles. Some people didn't like that, but I thought it was great. as someone who reads a lot of Byler fanfiction, where in 99.9% of what I've read Mike is the top because he's considered the more "masculine" one, while Will is the bottom because he's sweet and sensitive, I really appreciated that Nick's character challenged that mold.

everyone assumed Nick would be the top because he's bigger, stronger, and more "masculine," while Charlie would be the bottom because he's shorter and thinner. But there's no reason it has to work that way. we have to leave misogyny, sexism, and heteronormativity behind in queer relationships.

This was really beautiful, back when Nick had realized that he couldn't save Charlie, but he could walk beside him and support him through his healing. I honestly think that's the approach the movie should have taken when it was Nick who needed support.

but I guess the movie ended up showing something else instead: how dangerous emotional dependency can be, and what happens when you make your partner your entire world. you end up neglecting yourself, losing your own identity and support system, instead of choosing yourself first.

The fanfic is called Like everybody else does; it has 6 chapters and takes place during the summer before Will and Mike go to college.

one thing I really love about Peachstatic is that she doesn't forget that Will is an artist and that Mike likes his art. In every stage of Will's life that she's written about, she really takes this aspect of Will into account—something the Duffers forgot.

🥲

another thing I love about her writing is that she doesn't forget about Will and Mike's friendship; she weaves it into the story very naturally. Whatever kind of relationship they have, they never stop being friends and doing things that friends do<3

<3

I'd seriously read everything she writes. I know I sound like a crazy, but it's just incredible how she captures emotions. I'd even read a mileven fanfic by her xd

peachstatic has written to Will and Mike at different stages of their lives: on graduation day, before they went to college, while they were in college, and when they reunited in their thirties. and each time, she’s done it in an incredible way.

I watched Heartstopper Forever, which is the movie that wraps up the show's story. I haven't read volumes 5 and 6 of the comics yet, but wow... it's a story I'll always recommend watching. queer love, human rights, mental health, healthy and constructive friendships and romantic relationships. pure and true love.

and I keep coming across more and more and more HTDC fan art—it's incredible. I really love sharing this because I'm a huge fan of art in general, but even more so when it's art created with pure love and dedication.

*** at the end of this post, I've included my own thoughts on how I see Will in this story, as well as a great comment from peachstatic (the author) sharing her interpretation. I think this is necessary because I believe Will is the character who has been most misunderstood in this fanfic.

illustrator @rbndomo (X/twitter)

illustrator @_mikeystardust (X/twitter)

chapter 6

illustrator @ups1decho (X/twitter)

cover designed by @eeveeaddict (X/twitter)

chapter 4

illustrator @finnerwheeler (X/twitter)

chapter 6

illustrator @eeveeaddict (X/twitter)

*** I think the fandom as a whole seriously underestimates Will, and because of that, the author has, in a way, felt the need to explain how she interprets Mike and Will's dynamic in her fic—without, of course, dismissing readers' interpretations. even so, I'm really glad she did.

Look, I'm worried about Will getting hurt in this story too. but Will isn't some naive person with no agency who's willing to settle for crumbs, like some people make him out to be. First and foremost, Mike is his friend, and he supports him as one.

besides, Mike and Maggie's problems didn't begin when Will came back into Mike's life. the gay porn incident makes that pretty clear, as does Mike and Maggie's attempt to have a baby. And Mike himself makes his feelings pretty clear in chapter 7.

I don't think anyone is taking advantage of anyone here. they're all adults making conscious decisions, whether those decisions turn out to be good or bad.

Will achieved his dreams. he's successful, he's been in a loving relationship, and he's loved. He has a career he's passionate about. He moved on after losing Mike as a friend. Of course he missed him and needed him, but he didn't spend all those years pining away for him, like people also claim. Will's life doesn't revolve around Mike.

••• and honestly, the author explains it much better than I ever could:

*** Hi! :) I typically want to let the character interpretations rest on their own because once a work is out in the world, readers are free to interpret regardless of author intention. However! I do want to share some of my insight because I’ve had a few comments regarding Will and Mike’s dynamic this chapter and in the past, and it may be helpful (or not lol) to hear my thoughts.

(Also, please, please ignore me if you want. I’m not even joking lol I'm honestly sort of anti- author opinion insertion because it literally doesn't matter what I think about how others interpret unless it's factually incorrect, and I think your feelings are fine and valid.)

But! here is my Opinion and a bit of the method to my madness:

First, Mike: I have intentionally set this story up to be one in which a man who is severely struggling in his current personal circumstances finds comfort, happiness, and a renewed understanding of life and possibility through the transformative powers of True Love and connection. So much of this story relies on the past as a foundation. Mike was in love with Will when they were younger and in college. He just didn’t recognize it as such because he didn’t understand that part of himself. Beginning to lose Will after college in the 90s and settling into the ways of conformity had such a profound effect on him that it destroyed his mental health. He hasn’t been happy with Maggie this whole time. He LOVES Maggie, and he cares for her and enjoys her company and existence in his life, but what he did in January was the result of an entire marriage and relationship of feeling like things don’t fit the way they should and assuming it’s normal.

The fic begins right at the moment in which Mike is starting to recognize the WHY of it all: he’s gay. And then reconnecting with Will immediately allows him to recontextualize his feelings and understand, “I was in love with him that whole time. I just didn’t understand myself enough to know it.” So I don’t think it’s a situation in which he was happy with his wife “five seconds ago” (I know you were being hyperbolic lol) and all of a sudden finds happiness in Will; he’s always found happiness in Will, and he wasn’t happy with his wife in the way he needed to be. Reconnecting just allowed that missing puzzle piece to settle into place for the first time in years.

Additionally, Mike being able to regain his sense of bravery is what the whole fic’s about. He says in Chapter 1 that succumbing to conformity has turned him into a coward. This fic is about how he grows out of that and is ultimately able to do something really hard because it’s right rather than easy. Conformity is the easiest thing in the world. Coming out to your wife and family, living authentically as yourself, and chasing a better future for yourself is so difficult. So far, he has chosen the easy thing. His character arc involves him learning that he can be brave like he was when he was a kid.

Now, Will: I think that ultimately, I have a very different view of him. He is way more successful than Mike, has his dream job, an incredible apartment, friends who adore and value him, has been in a long-term, loving relationship, and has been living authentically as an out gay man. I don’t at all see him as having been pining away this entire time (definitely 80s and first half of the 90s, as he admitted to) or having the lack of agency that an NPC-like character would have. He has effectively "moved on" in the sort of way a person can move on from their True Love, to whom they will always be ultimately tethered. Mike is in crisis at the beginning of this fic, and Will is living life and enjoying himself (minus the understandable loneliness and desire for a relationship). Mike is even jealous of him.

The support Will provides to Mike is out of pure love and care for someone who has been his best friend since the age of five and with whom he has a soul connection that still, after years, hasn’t been severed. The conversation subject balance has been unequal up to this point, but it’s because Will simply doesn’t currently need the degree of support Mike does. I really wanted Will to have gone off and thrived in life, and he has! While he is certainly still impacted by his trauma in some ways and absolutely needs support in a bunch of other ways (that he is receiving or WILL receive through his relationship with Mike -- see the upcoming chapter), he isn’t currently going through a life crisis. I think Will is happy to help -- not because he is prostrating himself before Mike and taking whatever he can get but because he cares about him. He's an awesome human being, and as a gay man who went through his own significant personal issues with regards to his identity, he wants to help. I do recognize the parallel with season 4, but I don't think that Will's kindness and care for Mike is a reflection of desperation but reflects how truly wonderful, supportive, and loving he is as a person. While I think at first, before Mike came out, some of the talk about Maggie probably stung (she's beautiful, he loves her, etc.) Will knows the situation now. He understands Mike. In his email a while back, he was even gently suggesting that he one day potentially find "shoes that are a better fit." I want to give Will more credit, here. He's thirty-one. He's lived a life. I don't think he's the same fifteen-year-old in the back of the pizza delivery van.

I also approached the Will “initiating” stuff as a way to show that Will has an active role in this situation. If Mike were the one initiating everything, it could feel like he’s taking advantage of Will, using him as a way to escape his miserable marriage. Instead, Will is choosing this. He wants Mike. That’s why it’s also important that Mike asks him what he thinks before answering, himself. Obviously, Mike wanted to do it again. He initiated the kiss and the sex. But it was important that Mike first knew that Will wanted to engage in that again.

It’s true that Mike hasn’t been saying things out loud to Will that he writes about to ID, but that's also something he is working on and ties into his thus-far inability to be fully authentic in himself. He’ll get there!

I think it’s ultimately important to recognize that both Mike and Will are voluntarily on the Hell Bus together. There are several comments about Mike hurting Will by not swiftly ending it with Maggie, and while that’s valid, I think I mostly just don’t want to build into Will as a person who lacks agency. It’s important to me that he’s an adult man who is also making a conscious choice here and doesn’t serve the purpose of just being the object that Mike uses to fulfill his desires outside his marriage. Mike and Will are choosing each other over their own morals, and that’s much more interesting to me. So while I think it’s fair and kind to be concerned about Will getting hurt, I do want to say that officially, he’s having a great time right now, even though he is feeling terribly morally conflicted. For him, most of the conflict will come with recognizing his own values and determining whether what he’s doing with Mike aligns with them and whether being with the man he has desired since puberty is worth compromising himself.

I was thinking about the comic Will and Mike are working on in the HTDC fanfic, and as I was rereading it while waiting for chapter 8, I saw that the fox was Dustin's idea xd, and Will came up with the name for it.

I hope someone draws Rowen—that would make me really happy. btw, the fox used to be human lol—or so they say.

illustrator @b1mb0theh1mb0 (X/twitter)

illustrator @bellstworock (tumblr)

illustrator Vertpap LINK <-----

chapter 14

illustrator @rocleradin (X/twitter)

part two of my spam from Chapter 16 of Talk to me dirty; talk to me sweet

that's why I say, I'm glad I didn't get Will's perspective in this fanfic. It would have broken my heart.

this isn't a game anymore.

it's real :')

long live queer love!!! 🏳️‍🌈

What I liked about this is that it happened the night after Will's first kiss, and it wasn't part of the game—it was when everything had already become real.

It wasn't perfect; it was real, human. the nerves, the fear, the awkwardness, and the clumsiness of a moment like that.

chapter 14

"Outside, the birds chirp. The morning comes, and maybe they can sleep now, knowing they might not be happy with the result, but they’ve fixed what they could. Mike allows himself to be sad about it, just one last time."

illustrator @_HotpotMike (X/twitter)

Talk to me dirty; talk to me sweet has been updated—Chapter 16, the second-to-last chapter!

how embarrassing :v and Hooper heard them too lol

Mike is demisexual. The author had already confirmed it, but it's great to see this in Mike's confession, too.

although Mike obviously doesn't know he is—it's 1989—it's great to see this kind of representation in such a popular fanfic.

social expectations—and when you don't live up to them, you have to figure things out on your own because no one understands.

Will went through that whole process alone at a very young age, and even though the Duffers didn't know how to portray a queer character living in the '80s, Will was brave and strong when the odds were stacked against him.

Will the Wise<3

I liked that Mike's confession was detailed and realistic—in the sense that he himself didn't fully understand what he was feeling, but he wanted Will to know the things he was certain of.

another thing I really liked was that Mike didn't resort to fancy words or metaphors to express how he felt. No melodramatic I love you or anything like that. he was human, nervous and afraid.

pero esto a nadie le importa. por qué? porque el fútbol mueve demasiado dinero y porque gran parte de la fanáticada del fútbol son hombres, a ellos no les importa. su ídolo siempre será su ídolo, haga lo que haga.

Y luego se atreven a decir que la denuncia de una mujer arruina la vida de un hombre? están seguros de eso?

el fútbol es el deporte más machista y homofobico del mundo. Puedes ser un criminal, pero no gay, eso no. Eso sí es grave.

FANFIC LINK <-----

illustrator @seanquild (X/twitter)

illustrator @seanquild (X/twitter)

illustrator @PidgeyBridgey (X/twitter)

illustrator @CSeseman (X/twitter)

illustrator @_mikeystardust (X/twitter)

illustrator @ninonoart (X/twitter)

illustrator @ninonoart (X/twitter)