#sad Will Byers

[will80sbyers]

Imagine if it was also, canonically, his birthday

[sagegreenflow3r]

Will with hanahaki disease, the pain of one sided love.

But we all know Byler isn’t fully one sided 🙌🏻

[byler-prompts]

So, you all know how Mike, Jonathon and Joyce, (the three main people who wouldn’t have forgotten), actually forgot Will’s birthday? And don’t tell me they didn’t, because all background and verbal clues all lead towards it, and if you still don’t believe me, here’s the tiktoks that has piled all of the evidence;

Birthdaygate Part 1

Birthdaygate Part 2

Birthdaygate Part 3

I want more fanfics that don’t just blame Mike and El for it, because everyone forgot. Everyone back in Hawkins, I can understand, because they were dealing with Vecna’s curse, and I know this will be brought up in Season 5, but please, I want more fanfics that touch up on this. TwT

Also, Byler. Because, Byler. O>O

[Also, don’t rely on me to write this, I have my own original stories to write and attempt to publish. Apologies.]

[toezierr]

YALL it’s been a while since i’ve posted on here but since i just rewatched the entirety of ST, prepare for some of my rants 😼😼

ANYWAY yalll i am so hoping for a will-centric s5 bc why tf is he being mr tingly neck for all of s3 and 4… ngl it looks like the writers got somewhat lazy w his character (and tbh most of the cali crew) , which is baffling and incredibly disappointing considering how complex him, jonathan’s, and mikes characters are, esp w wills trauma in s1 and 2. at the same time ik damn well that if he is gonna be a more main character in s5 (which i think he will b) ik bro wont b able to catch a mfing BREAKK

[serendipitouswasteland]

The Hammock

Note: This was transcribed from my AO3.

ship: byler pov: third person written: July 5, 2022 first published: July 5, 2022 word count: 1,054 _

summary: Them accidentally (or purposefully) dozing off in a hammock together as the sun sets and the air cools down.

As much as Mike wished he were at the beach, none of them could afford that. At least, not right now. After all, they live in the middle of Indiana, nowhere near a beach. Instead, Hopper put a hammock up and bought a pool as well as two lounge chairs for the kids to all enjoy during the summer, a way for El to enjoy all the things everyone else would.

Because of Hopper’s initiative, it’s helped all of them get a lot closer than they used to be, and that says a lot, because they were already really close. Today, though, Mike can sense that something is off. Not with everyone, but with one person in particular.

Usually, Will is happy to at least be spending time with his friends, but today something is different. Well, the past few days have been different, but he won’t tell Mike why. Because Will wouldn't tell him, Mike started ignoring him to try and get some sort of reaction. The two haven’t spoken in two days because of it.

Mike is in the pool with everyone, and he, Lucas, El, and Max are playing chicken when he notices Will is sitting over in the hammock by himself, not even looking anywhere near Mike’s direction, as if he’s ignoring Mike, too. This causes him and Lucas to lose to El and Max, but with El’s powers, that probably would’ve happened anyway. Lucas falls backwards off of Mike’s shoulders, his legs pulling Mike down, causing him to sink under the water with him. They both spring back up from the water, and El goes to give Mike a kiss but he doesn’t register it, not even realizing she’s there as he moves his hair out of his face and steps out of the water, slipping on his sandals and making his way over to where Will is.

He practically throws himself into the hammock, causing it to swing back and forth vigorously. He laughs a little, doing his best to keep himself and Will from falling, using his hands on the ground to slow the swaying. He looks over at Will, expecting some reaction, but his face is blank, his eyes locked on the woods far out in front of him.

“Hey,” Mike says, tapping Will’s knee, but he doesn’t move.

He doesn’t even flinch. He refuses to acknowledge Mike’s presence.

���Will, come on. Earth to Will!” Mike continues, not getting the hint and waving his hand in Will’s face and, to his surprise, Will still doesn’t do anything. “Will, are you okay? Will, this isn’t funny. Come on, just say something .”

Silence.

“He’s not gonna answer you,” Hopper says from the porch, and Mike turns to face him.

“Oh, yeah? How do you know so much?”

“Use your head. You’ll figure it out,” Hopper says, bringing everyone else inside for dinner but leaving Mike and Will in the hammock, clearly wanting them to work out their problems.

Mike sighs, looking at Will, before laying to look the same way Will is looking. The next thing he knows is that it’s sunrise, the sky barely beginning to change from black to blue as he stretches and yawns, rubbing his eyes as he looks at Will who’s sitting up now, his legs criss-crossed as he plays with the fabric of the hammock.

“Did we fall asleep out here?” Mike asks, but Will still doesn’t say anything. “Look, Will, I’m sorry, alright? I have been an asshole to you and that is completely my fault, and I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. You just wanted to know what was wrong and got mad that I didn't want to tell you, even though I tell you everything ,” Will says, the first Mike has heard his voice in what feels like forever.

“So why not tell me?” Mike asks, careful with the words he chooses.

“It’s different this time.”

“How is it different? I’m still me, you’re still you. We’re still us, Will. How—"

“Because you’re with her .”

“El? What does she have to do with this?”

“Nothing. Nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

“No. Will, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I love El like a sister, Mike. Me telling you would be betraying her and it would ruin everything. I can’t do that to her. And I can’t do this to you. I can’t ruin everything between us because I decide to let slip that I have feelings for you!” Will shouts at the end, stopping as soon as he says the last word, not even meaning to have said it. 

He just…let it slip, just like he said he would.

Mike’s eyes are intensely focused on Will and each of his movements. The nervous glances, the picking of the hammock, the heavy breathing, the waiting for Mike to respond, but he doesn't know how. Then, involuntarily, his eyes flicker to Will’s lips. He’s caught himself doing it before, and he never really knew why because he was into El , but now, maybe he was wrong.

Against any better judgment that Mike has, he quickly leans forward and presses his lips to Will’s, placing a hand on the back of his head to pull him closer, his other hand pressing down into the hammock to steady them so they don’t go flying off at his sudden movement, and Will, without hesitation, reciprocates the kiss, wrapping his hands around Mike’s neck. Mike moves closer, making it so their bodies are just inches apart. Then, finally, he pulls away from the kiss, leaning his forehead against Will’s.

They sit there, breathless, neither one saying a word. Neither one needed to. They both knew what this meant, and they were both a little scared, but they would figure it out. They’d have to. Mike, for the first time since his lips met Will’s, opens his eyes. He pulls his head away and simply looks at Will, the urge to kiss him again all too prominent in the moment for him to just sit there like he is, but, Will doesn’t let him go in for a second because he gets up and pulls Mike off the hammock with him, going and entering through the front door of the cabin.

If anyone had seen them, it was going to be a hell of a day.

[kidovna]

manifested mileven at the snowball in 2016, so now I’m manifesting byler at senior prom🪻🌻

[hellfire--cult]

THEY'RE AT HIS PICNIC TABLEEEEEE

im gonNA CRYYYYY

[ghostlycleric]

I still can’t believe this shot.

This is LITERALLY Jonathan looking through the mirror and seeing himself through Mike and Will. They were actually crazy for this.

They said that the scene at the pizza place where Jonathan comforts Will was added last minute. The point of making Jonathan aware of byler wasn’t to get someone to comfort Will.

The real point was to make the viewer look at byler and see jancy. Because Jonathan is hearing Will say “she commissioned it” and hearing himself say “he asked me to take you home”. He’s been in this situation. He knows that Will is hurting because he remembers the hurt he experienced himself.

Jonathan was looking through a mirror. Not glancing or turning behind him. He looked through a MIRROR.

THEY WERE SO INSANE FOR THIS

[doriandrifting]

Rewatching season two and its wild how they literally have Owens explain anniversary affect and PTSD symptoms like irritability, lashing out, etc. and we see Joyce listening to Hopper about it and being really concerned about Will only to fast forward FOUR MINUTES to the dinner table with Mike’s family describing how he’s been acting out and chiding him for his behavior because the last year being tough isn’t going to cut it as an excuse anymore. They really drove that comparison home.

[jonathanbyersphd]

[will80sbyers]

NOAH SCHNAPP as WILL BYERS

in STRANGER THINGS 4

[v-i-r-i-d-i-a-n]

“I’m not gonna…fall in love” hits harder when you realize Will most likely knew he was in love with Mike at that point

he doesn’t mean it in the “I’m not gonna fall in love with someone” way, he meant it in the “I’m not gonna have the type of love other people have, where I love someone and they love me back and we can be in love and that’s okay” way

[gayofthefae]

The meme distracted from it and the rewatches desensitized it but Will canonically said

"I feel like being gay makes me a mistake, broken, like I need to fix myself...until I remember that being gay means I get to love you"

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So... I lied about getting a full fix-it to This → Part 1. Y'all get parts focusing on different characters for now as Hop traverses his guilt trip. I won't say it gets worse before it gets better but... kinda in places? I promise it's a happy ending though!!

What do you want from me I'm stressed and depressed and I like making my blorbos suffer (a.k.a projecting my trauma instead of doing the healthy shit my shrink tells me to)

You've been warned... But I do hope you like it.

So here we have Part 2 (Pride and Prejudices: Joyce Edition)

He goes to Joyce about it first. Thinks about her gentle herding of the trio that has become the Hopper-Byers brood. Thinks about how she put everything he was feeling about Mike and El and their giggling and the fucking door into words that kept him from looking like an imbecile (if he'd have ever used them instead of fucking it up 'winging it'). Thinks about the way her voice stays soft and kind of quiet even when she's spitting in his face about listening to her (and every time she's been right) and how that's translated to talking down government goons and wrangling the army of children that seems to get bigger each time they have to fight interdimensional terrors. So he goes to Joyce about what Murray said, the noise Steve made with That Look in his eyes and his bandages peeking out from under a shirt that looks like one of the Henleys he's been missing since coming 'back from the dead' and they dug out his clothes from storage. (El wouldn't let her throw anything out, not until she was ready to say goodbye. Thank whatever god[s] there may be she never needed to)

He doesn't expect Joyce to make a face like he suggested inviting Owens to family dinner. He doesn't expect the scoff and eye roll as her shoulders tense and her hands flex at her sides like she's about to let loose her (honestly really attractive) righteous fury. About the Harrington kid.

Maybe he should have asked when the kids weren't home. Before El quietly told them the bullying wasn't as bad as it was in California but some people still made fun of how she spoke and how all of her friends were boys (and just as quietly asked they not do anything. Asked that they let her and The Party handle it until they couldn't). Before Will came home sulking about something idiotic Mike said or did or something the kid missed (though lately the latest Wheeler mistake is followed by bashful mention of the Emerson kid doing something specifically to make Will feel better in the moment). Before Jonathan came home from 'job hunting' or 'volunteering at the school's relief center' reeking of weed and his long-haired friend in tow (less than usual but still enough to make Joyce feel guilty for missing it for so long, for making the boy grow up so fast that he spends his days out of his mind instead of the weekend bender like when they were kids). Before The Party had come by with what homework the school was still giving out and talking over each other about all the latest small-town gossip a teenager can get their hands on (Eddie's name has been cleared but he's still laid up at the hospital. Susan Mayfield has been noticeably absent according to every nosy housewife in Hawkins considering her daughter is in a coma. The Hagans, Carvers, Perkins and a handful of other 'well to do' families have skipped town taking most of the sports population with them. Steve has been letting people displaced by the damage crash at the Harrington mansion. Steve has kept up hours at Family Video somehow and is a regular volunteer at the various relief centers in town. Steve has been giving all of them rides and may have told Dustin he's thinking of trading in the Beemer for a bigger vehicle for all the kids and people he chauffeurs about. Steve keeps a room empty and waiting for when Max wakes up before her mother makes an appearance. Steve. Steve. Steve.)

He doesn't expect the way she spits his name like she's talking about Dick and Margaret under the bleachers over a smoke before the yard teacher catches them. The rant about bullies and broken cameras and trashed kitchens and dead monsters in her fridge. The crack in her voice when she crosses her arms to stop their shaking as she lays sin upon sin at this boy's feet.

And maybe before that would have been enough.

He doesn't expect the stone in his stomach or the burning in his chest as he looks the woman he loves in the eye and says "So I guess we should tell Nancy to break up with Jonathan before he pulls a Lonnie, huh?" It's a low blow. He knows from the hurt anger on her face and on the purse of her lips. He knows that's why he said it. "That kid is lucky to be alive let alone walking and have we ever even thanked him for keeping the fucking kids alive each time they pull their dumb shit when the world goes to hell? Does that sound like anything his folks would have ever done for us? Hell for their own fucking kid they practically signed over to ME of all people?"

He's shaking now too and Joyce has her hands fluttering between them like she wants to reach out. To touch, comfort. Pull him close and tell him to take a breath.

"He called me 'His Hop', Joyce" He barely has enough breath on him to squeeze the words past his tight throat. "Called me His Hop and watched Ellie and the kids when I just couldn't and you were at work. I don't think I've seen his folks in town since the mall was opened and all the donors had that big party. Don't think I've spoken to them since '83 and they made me the kid's guardian when they aren't around cause they didn't want to fly down for a government sized concussion."

By now he knows El and Will are peeking around the corner, their eyes wide and worried. Jonathan has his door cracked and Angus (is that the hippie's name? He can't remember) is whispering something about heavy auras. Joyce is staring somewhere off in the distance, wringing her hands and biting her lips like she's facing an interdimensional portal shaped problem.

"The kids are planning to have one of their games in a few days." Her voice is brittle in a way he's not used to anymore. Not since she pulled her youngest out of hell and faced down a demon clawing through her walls. "He always drives them over and- and disappears until they need to head home. I can make sure he stays for dinner. Like the rest of the kids. I know Claudia has been having him over so I- I can get some recipes from her that he likes."

Something in his shoulders shakes loose and he reaches out to pull her practically shaking from into his chest.

"I don't know what to say to him Hop. He's not Mike and he's not like either of my boys. In my head he's just always been..."

"Dick and Margaret's brat." He sighs out and rests his cheek on the top of her head as she nods and presses herself in closer.

He's aware of eyes on them. Confused and worried and judgemental and he'll pay that piper next. These kids taught him how to be a dad again once, they can do it again, right?

Part 3

Part 4.1

@thelittleclare @jackiemonroe5512 @0body0disphoria0 @strangersteddierthings @lingeringmirth

Part 4.2

Part 5

If I missed you in the tag list I'm sorry I tried 🙃🫡 Tell me what you think? 🫣🥲

[onlyhereforbylerlol]

thinking about the fact that will wasn't only crying in the van scene bc he basically just confessed his love but also bc he lied to mike and "he doesn't deserve that" 💔

[kidovna]

🤝🏻 part 1 (next)