but that’s not important

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler Characters: Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Jonathan Byers, Joyce Byers, Jim "Chief" Hopper Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealous Mike Wheeler, First Kiss, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Internalized Homophobia, Idiots in Love, Will Byers Needs a Hug, Mike Wheeler Needs a Hug, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Mutual Pining, Angst, Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Mike Wheeler is Bad at Feelings, Conflict, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Will Byers Cheats on Will Byers's Epilogue Boyfriend, Smut, Top Mike Wheeler, Bottom Will Byers Summary:

"And then sometimes I think, maybe that’s just it, then. Maybe it’s not for me. Maybe, with everything I’ve been through and the way that I am…maybe…it’s just too much. It’s something I have to let go of. I’m not going to fall in love. And I just have to stop being so stupid and so selfish and everything will be so much easier. But I can’t.” Will couldn’t let it go—this craving to be loved. It was going to starve him for the rest of his life.

“Oh, Will, that’s”—Mike looks down at his lips, once, before looking into Will’s eyes again—“that’s not true.”

Will is getting ready to tell him again that it is true, but Mike has pulled his face slightly closer, and then he’s kissing him.

Wills pulls away. The look on his face must give away his thoughts—What the fuck did you just do?—because Mike looks guilty. Will takes his hands off of his face.

“Sorry, I—I just…wanted to make you feel better.”

“You thought that would make me feel better?”

Chapters: 4/5 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler Characters: Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Robin Buckley, Vickie Dunne, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Jonathan Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Joyce Byers, Henry Creel | One | Vecna Additional Tags: Slow Burn, POV Mike Wheeler, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jealous Mike Wheeler, First Kiss, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Internalized Homophobia, Idiots in Love, Will Byers Needs a Hug, Mike Wheeler Needs a Hug, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Mutual Pining, Childhood Friends, Angst, Happy Ending, Fluff, Mike Wheeler is Bad at Feelings, Conflict, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 Rewrite, Stranger Things 5 Rewrite, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Fix-It Summary:

It’s not that Mike isn’t strong enough to open the door, it’s that Will won't let him. He won't let Mike in.

Will, please. He places both hands in front of him and rests his forehead against the door, tired. It’s just me.

And what was he asking of Will, really? To open himself up. To show Mike every part of himself, even the parts he hates the most—especially the parts he hates the most—and hope that Mike will still be there after. It was selfish, really. Mike knows he keeps things hidden from Will, from himself, from everyone; that’s how Vecna had gotten to him in the first place. And here he is, asking Will to be the selfless one, one last time.

I’ll stay, Mike promises. You know I’ll stay, because Will has to know Mike doesn’t belong anywhere else.

or, a post- vol. 1 rewrite of stranger things season 5 ft byler (painting gate, mwtfdyd gate, lovers lake gate, letter gate...all the gates), parallels, character study, patty newbie, and more