belle

WILL BYERS | JESUS OF SUBURBIA

Hello beautiful people!! I just started posting this story that I've been developing for a while now, it's the longest byler fic I've ever planned, a psychosexual slowburn deep dive into Mike's brain (and Will's too, in the near future) and the complexity of the wide range of emotions he represses. He and Will go on quite the journey on this story, but I won't give too much away.

Whose do you guys find more interesting/like reading better?

I'm also writing this under the hc that Mike and Will are a couple who lives in NYC together & are very into nerdy and punk cultures. I can totally see them going to small punk gigs and joining a big d&d party, or something.

- In 1989, Nirvana released their debut album "Bleach". They weren't mainstream popular at the time, but Jonathan knew about them and made sure that Will did too. He instantly became obsessed with the band, digging their grunge sound. Later on, in 1991, "Nevermind" came out and they absolutely blew up. Will made Mike listen to it and he also became obsessed with Nirvana and Kurt Cobain.

- While visiting Hawkins for the summer of 1990, Will, Mike and the party make a pact to go see the third "Back to The Future" movie together, and needless to say, it's the main event.

- In 1991, the boys go to the movies to see "Terminator 2: Judgement Day", a very much awaited sequel to one of their favourite movies.

- In 1993, RuPaul releases her song "Supermodel (You Better Work)", which isn't really like what Will and Mike usually listen to, but it certainly drew their attention closer to the local NYC queer culture, making them go to their first ever drag show & ballroom. That's how they learned all about Stonewall and queer history.

- Also in 1993, the movie "Jurassic Park" comes out, and I have strong reasons to believe Mike and Will absolutely loved it (remember Rory?)

- In 1994, Green Day releases their second studio album "Dookie" and it's a huge success, especially the song Basket Case (which has a notably bisexual lyric). Being a punk rock fan himself, Will obviously becomes obsessed with the band, dragging his boyfriend, Mike, into it with him. In 1995, Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day's lead singer) reveals he's, indeed, bisexual in an interview, and that makes the boys like him and the band even more.

- Also in 1994, Will and Mike saw Green Day live at the Madison Square Garden, on the NYC stop of their "Dookie" tour. There, they found out about the band Pansy Division, a queercore pop punk band, which was also somewhat life changing for the boys.

- In August 1995, the boys attended the Warped Tour, already deep into punk culture by the age of 24.

- The movie "Contact" from 1997 definitely brings back some memories, with the wormhole themes and all, but the boys love and cry over it either way. The just might never watch it again, for emotional reasons.

- Both boys and their friends become extremely obsessed with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" book when it comes out in the US in 1998, as expected. Mike doesn't let Will hear the end of it over the word "Sorcerer".

- In 1999, Dustin, Lucas and Max visit the boys in NYC and they all go to the movies to watch "The Matrix", which they debate and obsess over for days, months. Actually, until "The Matrix: Reloaded" comes out. It never ends, really.

1. Joyce's reaction after Will says he doesn't like girls. You can tell she's getting flashbacks of Lonnie and basically the whole town calling her son "queer" or a "f*g" before AND while he was missing, when he was still a child. The pain she must've felt thinking of all the years her boy has been suffering is unimaginable for any mother, but ESPECIALLY for Joyce. You can see how shattered she is. (This isn't necessarily heartwarming, it's actually heartbreaking, but the next ones aren't, I promise!)

2. Nancy and Steve's reactions when Jonathan says Will will never lose him and hugs him. A lot of reactions in this scene are from the actors more so than the characters, but since it's on the show, let's talk about them as characters. I just find their reaction here so wholesome, and Steve crying probably because he remembered how hard it was for Robin to tell just him, and now Will had to do it in front of everyone. Plus, the mention of "Tammy" made him realize that Robin helped him through this too. And despite his beef with Jonathan and the things he said about him and Will on season 1, he can see the love these boys have for each other. As for Nancy, she knows just how close the brothers are and how painful it was for Jonathan to lose Will, to have to plan his funeral at 16, so she understands the importance of this moment.

3. Dustin. Dustin has some of the cutest, most supportive reactions in this scene, but this one in particular is just so precious to me. We don't get to see his friendship with Will being explored as much as him and Lucas or him and Mike, but we know just how much Dustin cares about Will, it's in the details of every season, and after everything they've been through, you can tell how glad he is that Will trusted them with his secret and how loved he is.

4. Mike, El and Lucas' reactions when Max asks to hug Will. This is just a full circle moment for these characters, especially given they've lost both Will and Max separate times in different ways, but equally devastating, since they didn't know if they were ever gonna get them back. Seeing Max there, alive and supporting Will after getting mentally tortured by Vecna like she did, must definitely be a breath of fresh air for these characters.

Mike "reconciling" with his GIRLFRIEND: "You're being ridiculous, what is this?"; "What are you doing here?"; "[Your father] is just an angry old man who hates joy."; *read a candy wrapper together as if it's peak romance but don't talk at all*; just straight up lying and saying what he thinks she wants to hear.; "you're a super hero." (to a girl that is trying to vent about feeling isolated for being different because of her upbringing aka being a "superhero")

I've just entered the "depression" stage of post breakup grief and it's been weird. It's weird missing someone that hurt you so much (even if they didn't mean to). It was just emotional hurting, it wasn't abusive or toxic, just incompatible. 3 years is a long time, especially when you move to another country for this person.

Will Byers, a tragic hero