#when the last time they talked mike seemed like he was scared of losing him
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Will Byers Analysis - Between S3 & 4
Something I always think about, is how Will probably didn't even know Mike and El were back together at the end of season 3.
When they had last spoke, part of Will probably thought Mike was talking about something else, which is understandable bc both him and Mike were speaking in code, whether they realized it or not (I didnât say it/You didnât have to).
At the very least, Will thought things could go back to how they used to between them; friends (best friends).
When the Byers arrived to Cali, I imagine within the first day, or within the first few days after they settled, it was most likely Jonathan who made the move to phone the Wheelers to talk to Nancy.
Then maybe Will decided he would call Mike once the phone was free or even asked Jonathan to have Nancy just hand the phone to Mike so they could catch up too.
But once Mike got on the phone, something was off. He sounded kind of distant and awkward and it left Will feeling confused.
Maybe Will tried to chock it up as them just needing to get used to living far away from each other, since this distance thing was indeed new for them. They'd been friends for the last decade and hadn't experienced being apart for longer than a week (the week of his disappearance). So, it was bound to be a little weird, for a little while. Right?
But honestly, just thinking about their fight in s3 and the events leading up to it, I wouldn't blame Will for being slightly worried.
Before the rain fight, Will was putting almost all of the time and effort into their relationship. He was fighting for it and Mike was leaving him behind. And that really hurt Will.
And that's what's honestly so incredible about Will's arc in s4, because he's not putting himself through that again.
Yes, he's growing up and he's matured, but he's also come to accept that, based on Mike's actions as of recent (despite what he might have sensed from Mike over the years), those romantic feelings he has for him will NEVER be reciprocated. If he's lucky, Mike will still want to be his friend, and he would be relieved to stay in his life in that way if it's something Mike still wants.
(Which also makes the GA's argument about how they think Will's arc in s5 is going to be about him accepting that Mike will never love him back, fall flat??? Because, Will's already realized that, sis. S4 ending the way it did was in part to make as clear as possible to Will (the unreliable narrator) that Mike cannot love him that way... And so why the hell would s5 confirm that for a second (3) time now? Where is the shock? Where is the value? What is satisfying about that? And why do that, while also holding off on Mike finding out about Will's feelings until the very end? Like... just let that simmer for a second and think about what that actually means in terms of the story going in a satisfying direction that also manages to surprise you... there is literally nothing satisfying about proving Will 'I'm not gonna fall in love' Byers, right...)
So, after about a week since they last spoke on the phone since arriving, a bunch of letters come in the mail: one for Jonathan, four for El, and three for Will (you can probably guess who from the party didn't send a letter to Will...).
And it's as if Will's worst fears are being (re)realized.
In his casual letter exchanges between the party, he talks about DnD and a new art class he's taking with Dustin, joining the basketball team with Lucas and how everything she'd told him about California was right with Max. Super casual catching up with some of his best friends. And yet still, nothing from Mike, arguably his best friend.
And so Will is understandably devastated.
He doesn't understand. Or maybe he does, he just didn't want to believe it.
And so, how Will chose to go about his contact with Mike over the next 'year' makes sense to me (and I support him fully tbh).
I think Will's arc in s4 is beautiful because he has some of the best development of anyone on the entire show. He's not the gay kid being used as a plot device for a heterosexual couple (stay tuned for s5). If anything, we're seeing this character who tried his best to mend his friendship with his best friend (also secret first love) after Mike presumably rejected him (ITS NOT MY FAULT YOU DON'T LIKE GIRLS!), and so, Will is not going to put himself through that again.
He's not going to let himself have hope that there could ever be something more between them, even if he thought so many times before there were moments or signs that Mike could feel the same (BC MIKE DID!!). He has already accepted it's not possible.
He's not going to 'stand in the way' anymore. If Mike wants to be with El, he's going to support them, even if it hurts him and his own feelings.
It's tragic, but it feels so in character for Will and his qualities as a person.
I know a lot of bylers argue that both Mike and Will were in the wrong when it came to them both not staying in touch, and I do agree, completely actually. Especially knowing Mike tried to call Will. HE TRIED. So it's not like he didn't. The miscommunication trope is doing it's magic. We just have to accept that.
And so, fittingly, when confronted, Mike doesn't tell Will he called (a lot). He lets Will think that he barely called and deflects and pushes it back on Will. But then almost instantly, he regrets it. Because it's in this moment he's only now realizing that Will did want to talk and missed him and is quite literally confused why they're not best friends any more. And suddenly it's all clicking. He knows deep down Will has every reason to be insecure, to not reach out to Mike after what happened last summer. It's just that he also thought Will had every right to move on because why wouldn't he, what's so great about Mike? Will could have anyone? Mike was so distracted by his own insecurities that Will had inevitably moved on, while also trying to hide his feelings, that he didn't realize Will actually did miss him. They've both got it all wrong.
As of now, we donât know for sure if Will called at all, and so me assuming he called first, is just that, an assumption. But Iâm giving Will the benefit of the doubt here. (It's also likely the Byers would have called the Wheeler's first because they know their number by heart most likely, while the Wheelers would've had to wait to get their new number).
Based on the story presented though (Will's unreliable narrator POV), he had a lot more reason to doubt Mike wanted anything to do with him. Will literally spent all of s3 fighting for their friendship, even if it meant coming off as slightly clingy and annoying and âchildishâ. And look how that turned out?
What else was Will to do in this situation? Just repeat all of his behavior in s4?
Was he just supposed to call Mike first, write him letters first, even though Mike was showing repeat signs of wanting to distance himself from him again?
And so, Will waits. He waits for Mike to make the next move, just in case his insecurities are right and that Mike doesn't want them to be best friends like they used to be.
One evening, about a month since the move, the phone rings and Will answers it. It's Mike.
Will is obviously surprised and thrilled. They talk for a bit, and yeah it's awkward. But still, it gives Will hope.
Now, it's still not enough to give Will the confidence to reach out first, fearing he'll come off too strong and scare Mike away again, and so he continues to give Mike space. But that doesn't stop this gesture from giving Will the inspiration to try one more thing, one last ditch effort to save their friendship; he's going to make Mike a painting.
So, all while watching El receive a new letter in the mail every few weeks or so, with him and Mike talking once (or if he's lucky maybe twice) a month over the phone, Will spends his time working on the painting, knowing that Mike used to appreciate his drawings when their friendship was at its strongest. And so, maybe this will be the thing that finally fixes things for them once and for all?
All too soon, it's Spring break and they're at the airport waiting for Mike to land.
In the months leading up to their reunion, Will made sure no one saw the painting he was working on, least of all El. Not even because he was scared she might figure out his feelings, but because he wanted it to be a surprise. We also know Will presumably had no problem with the others seeing the painting eventually because he literally brought it to the airport for Mike to open in front of all of them? And so... to him this was clearly an attempt at platonic reconciliation, even despite Will having romantic feelings for Mike. What he wanted was their friendship back.
But suddenly, Mike is standing before him and Will is so excited he can't hold back anymore. I mean, he's been holding back for MONTHS and he just wants to hug his best friend.
But then Mike is being awkward again, almost like he doesn't want to even touch Will at all, contrasting greatly from the last time they hugged during their goodbye only just a year ago (6 months they're so dramatic, i swear).
All this does is prove to Will that, despite them apparently ending on good terms, it seems Mike is just repeating last summer all over again.
Understandably, Will jumps to this conclusion fairly quickly, as his insecurities are being proven right in real time. Mike doesn't want the friendship they used to have. He doesn't want to hug, doesn't want to write to him, barely even called despite writing El a book worth of letters. He wants to talk to and focus on his girlfriend and Will is just an afterthought now.
There's no way he's gonna want this? A painting? Not a chance in hell.
So when Mike points to it and asks him about it nervously, Will panics and brushes it off.
How could he be so naive. Mike is making it SUPER clear he doesn't care about him, not like he used to. And still he's holding onto some misguided hope that maybe there's still a chance for them to be best friends.
How could he be so stupid.
#stranger things#byler#will byers#mike wheeler#byler theory#byler analysis#i want to cry#will byers deserves happiness#he really developed so much since s3#and it's not even that he's matured#even though he has#it's more so he's accepted what he believes to be reality#and its that mike could never love him back#but he just doesn't get why him and mike can't be friends at all#when the last time they talked mike seemed like he was scared of losing him#is it something he did?#how can he fix it?#and then the idea for the painting comes#and he spends so much time on it#and he waits it out#but then it all comes crashing down#will: stupid.!! so stupid!!#I WANNA DIE
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Firm believer that Mike was trying to ask Will for different advice in s4 but Will didnât understand. The last time Mike talked to Will about relationships was in s3 so what if he was expecting Will to react the same way? What if he wanted Will to encourage a breakup? Mike kept asking for the same advice because Will wasnât giving Mike what he wanted to hear.
This is the first time he turns to Will for advice. âWhatever it is you didnât say, you can say it to her then.â He smiles but then he drops it once Will looks away. Mike looks conflicted as if thatâs not the response he was expecting.
Then when Will says something that resonated with Mike more, they were interrupted before we could see his response. âSometimes itâs scary to open up like that. What if they donât like the truth?â So Will is getting closer to the point Mike is trying to make but the truth is still being hidden from us here.
Mike tries one final time in the van and it seems like Will gets it at first, that Mike is scared of losing El. It goes downhill once Will starts talking about how much El needs Mike. He looks conflicted again. But this scene ends more hopeful! Mike is smiling and feels reassured! Maybe Will understood after all?
And finally, Mike realizes that Will didnât understand what he was hinting at. Will wasnât reassuring Mike that El would still be friends with him if they werenât together. He meant it in a romantic context. Mike has lost all hope.
#notice how the lighting gets brighter as will gets closer to the point#but thatâs abruptly taken away when he pushes mike to give the monologue#byler#byler analysis
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Mike has a breakdown/ Mike goes off:
The last time Mike had a breakdown. He was 12, and the world was ending. The second time was no different. But everytime it happens, Mike is still surprised when the anger/sadness/powerlessness explodes out of him. It all comes spilling out in the worse way, like a shaken can of coke a cola exploding when you flip open the top. Lets set the scene. A empty office in the radio tower station, as Lucas and Mike wait for Will and Dustin. Mike and Lucas being the only two in the room. Mike has been on edge all day. Lucas is getting a little tired of it honestly. He knows you shouldn't go poking the angry bear known as Mike. But well, they have been avioding the obvious long enough.
"Its almost like you're afraid or something," Lucas says nonchalantly. Mostly to himself. But really to get a reaction out of the skinny, tall, brooding idiot he calls a best friend.
"What?" Mike asks confused. He turns to Lucas. Done with his staring match with the wall. Brings the seat he was leaning on it's back legs fully onto all fours again.
"You heard me, your scared of being with Will. Your terrified to love him. Or terrified to at least tell him." Lucas states matter of fact. No bullshit in his face or in his tone.
Seeing that he's serious, Micheal Wheeler's face goes through so many emotions in the span of seconds. Confused, realization, fear, acceptance, and then finally anger. Actually no anger isn't the right word.
Mike was in two words; pissed off.
"Fuck you. You know what Lucas fuck you.
Lucas doesn't get mad, "Well are you?"
"Im not talking about this!" Mike angrily whispers. Its the whispering that gets you. You can tell thats Mike's pissed because he hadn't started yelling yet. He's trying to hold it in.
"But are you? Are you scared? It will make you feel better if you talk about it Mike," Lucas declares with and honest, yet haunted look in his face. Unspoken between is whats obviously haunting Lucas.
Mike wants to cross that line and bring Max up to piss Lucas off. Get him to hate him and back off with this line of questioning.
But Mike thinks, he doesn't want to. Partly because he's just so sick of hurting his friends. But mostly because Mike is just tired. Tired of keeping it all in. So he pops open the soda.
Mike's pale face becomes red quickly in anger, "Of course I'm fucking scared! Im scared of losing him again!!
Mike yells this out into the room. Its loud and people could probably hear him.
Lucas though, oddly is in favor of the anger. For Mike to be honest, even if he is angry. Lucas feels like his best friend needs it. Seemingly wiser than his age suggests, "Mike your not going to lose him. You haven't lost Will. Will is still here."
"Yeah but for how long Lucas! How long huh? I couldn't handle losing him for a week when I was 12! 12 Lucas! He got lost from my house that day! My house! He was suppose to be safe! And he wasn't! I couldn't do anything! I was helpless! Then the next year with losing El, he was being possessed and hurt by that thing! He was hurt and everyone around us was dying! The best thing I could come up with was to burn up a hole in the ground! That was the best I could come up with to help him! I'm always useless! Every year its some new fucking disaster nightmare that could kill us all, but losing him in this mess is what terrifies me most. And your asking me to listen to my heart and get into a relationship with him. Tell him I love him and act like everything will turn out hunky dory, we'll be skipping off into the sunset, Will and I?! Are you out of your fucking mind Lucas!"
Mike is full on yelling now, and he seems to just be getting started.
Mike throws his hands in the air and starts pacing. Back in fourth like he needs to move.
"The whole town is this close to going crazy psycho mob on us, the upside down is leaking into our world. Plus you know homophobia is still a fucking thing in the 80s. And the cherry on top of all the piles of shit we are dealing with, Vecna wants Will.
Mike starts laughing in a cruel hysterical vocie, pulling his hair tight in his fists, still pacing. "Which is just another can of worms. That creep does not only want to kill my family personally, but he's making the moves on Will. Like no the universe can not let William Byers have a fucking break in this life! Lets add a homicidal pervert to the equation!"
"Mike calm done it will be ok." Lucas says, getting up and going to Mike.
That is the wrong thing to say.
"DONT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN LUCAS SINCLAIR! NONE OF THIS WILL BE FUCKING OK!!" Mike grabs something on the desk in anger. A paperweight. Turning to the window(behind him, no where near Lucas' vicinity) Mike throws the paperweight with all his strength towards the office window and breaks the glass. It makes hauntingly loud shattering noise. It echos loud in the room, and the glass from the impact falls out from the hole made with the round paper weight. Then the room is filled with silence and Mikes harsh breathing. His shoulder moves with his angry breathing, but doesn't turn around.
"Whats going on?" Says a soft familiar voice.
Both boys turn around, there standing in the open doorway is Will.
Mike turns back around, not wanting to make eye contact with Will. Not wanting anyone (especially Will) to see him like this. Mike just keeps staring out the broken window. In the reflection of the broken glass, if you look, you can see Mike Wheeler start to cry. Silent tears appear in his eyes.
Lucas tries to cover for him, " Nothing everything is-."
"Please don't say everything is fine Lucas. Mike shouldn't be yelling at you like that. Especially with everything going on." Says Will. But he isn't yelling. He says this with a tired but gentle look on his face. A look that he's only sending Mike's way.
Lucas is tired too. "I'm going to give you guys some space to talk."
Will nods as he fully walks into the room, heading towards Mike. Mike still hasn't turned around.
"Thanks Lucas, please shut the door too."
Lucas doesn't say anything. No point really, Mike and Will are in their own world. But he does as Will asked.
As he closes the door, he catches Will hugging Mike from behind. Mike leans into the touch as much as he can. Turns around (tears staining his face) and hugs Will fully.
*******
(God this took forever to write!!! But I'm so glad I finished. Would love to hera your opinions Byler shippers!)
#my thoughts#my writing#byler#mike wheeler#lucas sinclair#will byers#Mike has a break down#Mike goes off#stranger things
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Where's The "Talk"?
Based on a prompt from @samcoxramblings. I hope this meets your expectations! Please leave your thoughts in the comments and if you have any more angsty prompts, send them my way!
~*~*~*~
After coming out to the Party, Eddie and Steve were on their toes for days just waiting for someone to give them the âTalkâ. They were amped up, prepared to receive loads of various threats ranging in creativity and snipe. But the days came and went and no one mentioned anything. Anytime Eddie would mention expecting a shovel talk to protect their babysitter, the kids awkwardly looked between one another before changing the subject. When Steve mentioned to Robin and Nancy that no one had warned him against hurting Eddie yet, they just rolled their eyes and ignored him. Neither man knew what the Party was waiting for.Â
After a week, Eddie loses his patience and asks the kids at their Hellfire session. âOkay guys, what gives? Where are the outlandish threats of violence, the creative insults about my character, the whole shabang? Iâve been on the edge of my seat for fucking days.â
âEddie, what the hell are you talking about?â Dustin asked him, sounding puzzled.Â
Eddie snorted a sound of frustration. âThe shovel talk! Steve and I told you that we were dating a week ago and no one has said anything! Is this a gay thing? Are you too scared of being homophobic to say anything? I can take it!â
The kids looked uncomfortable but Mike spoke. âLook man, we just donât want to waste our time. You and Steve arenât going to last. I mean, look how different you guys are! Youâre awesome, you DM for Hellfire, and youâre in a band. What does Steve do? He works at Family Video all day and sure, he looks kinda good without a shirt on, but he has nothing else going for him!â
Lucas and Dustin looked at him in confusion before Dustin cleared his throat. âEddie, we know youâre not going to hurt each other. Youâre both our big brothers and youâre not actually dating. Steve likes girls! Iâm sure heâs just looking for a way to let you down easy. Iâm sorry, man.â
Meanwhile, Eddie looked at them indifferently. He couldnât believe that these little assholes would say that to him and at a DnD session no less! He whipped his head to look at the original Hellfire members only to find Gareth, Jeff, and Grant looking shellshocked.Â
âDo you boys feel the same way?â He asked them, his eyes flashing dangerously.Â
Jeff shook his head slightly, âno way, man. We just donât know Steve well enough to give him a talk. You know weâve always supported you, if you want us to threaten him a little, we can.â
âYeah, weâll threaten the socks off of him!â Grant nodded. Gareth though just continued glaring at the kids.
Eddie nodded, it seemed there was a division of true friends and posers around the table. If his little sheep didnât want to believe he and Steve would last, heâd show them. He and Steve were for life. Eddie was like a parasite, a viral STD if you will. Once you got him, you were stuck with him forever.
âWell, thank you for sharing your opinion. Does anyone else feel that way?â He asked them. Did the rest of the Party share the same views? He desperately needed to know.Â
Lucas nodded slowly, âwell, yeah. Hopper says you guys are only seeing each other because youâre trauma-bonded and Robin said that it doesnât mean anything anyways.â
Eddie chuckled sardonically. Oh so, the entire Party was against them? Fine, he didnât need to be a part of the group that tore his life apart anyways.Â
âAlright, Hellfireâs disbanded. Get your stuff and get out. Corroded Coffin, weâll continue the campaign as a three-piece on Thursday before band practice. Iâm going to go see Steve, the guy Iâm in a relationship with. You know, the one that âdoesnât mean anythingâ since weâre âtoo differentâ and âtrauma-bondedâ and âwaiting to get let down easyâ? Go fuck yourself and fuck your precious Party too.â And with that, Eddie stormed out.Â
He drove straight to Family Video and was ashamed to find that frustrated tears had started leaking from his eyes. He couldnât believe this. After all theyâd gone through together with the Upside Down and psychic killers and murder accusations, being in a relationship with Steve was the tipping point? Absolutely ridiculous. He darted into the video store and didnât even slow his stride as he threw his arms around Steve where he was talking to a customer.Â
âWhat the- Eddie? Hey, whatâs going on? Are you okay?â He asked him before turning back to the customer. âIâm sorry, could you talk to Robin over at the counter please? Have a nice day.â
Steve gently herded him into the employee lounge and pressed his teary face into the crook of his neck. âEds, hey, what happened?â
âIâm so sorry, Stevie. I never shouldâve said anything!â
âAbout what? Whatâs going on? Werenât you supposed to be playing DnD today with the kids today?â Steve asked him. He wiped the tears from underneath Eddieâs eyes and rested a hand on the back of his neck for comfort.
âI asked the kids why we hadnât gotten a shovel talk from anyone yet before we even started. They said that no one in the Party thinks weâre going to last. Hopper thinks weâre trauma-bonded, Mike doesnât think weâre fucking compatible, Dustin thinks youâre faking it, and Robin thinks weâre not serious. Theyâre not interested in âwasting their timeâ giving us a talk.â
Steve blinked in surprise before his face hardened. âWe donât need their acceptance or their approval. We know theyâre wrong and thatâs what matters. We donât even need a talk from them. Fuck âem! We can give ourselves a shovel talk if our good-for-nothing-friends canât do it!â
âSteve-âÂ
âIâm serious, who gives a shit about their opinions? Who are they to judge? Dustinâs dating a girl over the radio that lives in goddamn Utah or some shit. Lucas canât judge because Max broke up with him again for like the tenth time this month. Mikeâs only girlfriend was a girl he found in the woods that didnât know any better than to date him. Robinâs never even been in a relationship so she canât judge us for having one. And Hopper is 100% going to be in the doghouse after I tell Joyce about what he said. Fuck what they have to say.â
âBut Stevie, how are we going to give one to ourselves? That doesnât even make sense,â Eddie told him gently.
âFine, then weâll give one to each other. Eddie, if you break my heart, Iâm going to give Wayne adoption papers and take your last name whether you want me to or not.â
Eddie sputtered, âwhat the fuck? What kind of talk is that? Youâre supposed to threaten me with physical harm, not whatever mindfuckery that was!â
âDonât belittle my shovel talk! Like you could do any better,â Steve scoffed at him.
âOh yeah? Steve, if you break my heart then Iâm going to break your kneecaps so you canât leave until I win you back. And if I break your heart, Iâm going to finish what the bats started.â
âJesus fucking Christ, Eddie! Are you okay? Thatâs fucking violent!â Steve yelled.
âThatâs the point!â Eddie screamed back.
âNo itâs not!â
âYes it is, youâre supposed to threaten to hide the body with a shovel,â Eddie said like it was obvious.Â
âDingus, stop talking to Eddie and get back to work. We have a line,â Robin said exasperatedly, poking her head into the back room.Â
âWeâre giving each other shovel talks since you losers wouldnât do it. You know, since this means something. Iâll be out when weâre done with that,â Steve told her bitchily.Â
âFuck off Buckley,â Eddie hissed venomously. Robin looked shocked at his mutiny but backed away regardless.Â
Steve stared at the door for a moment but Eddie drew his attention back to himself with a whispered, âif you donât hurt me, Iâll help you hide a body.â
Steve cackled and murmured back, âyou already were accused of murder once, you need to stop being so violent!â
They continue to date until marriage is legalized in the state of Illinois, where they move shortly after they deliver their truly remarkable shovel talks. As payback, they get a marriage certificate at the courthouse and donât invite anyone from the Party to act as witnesses. Instead, Uncle Wayne, Jeff, Gareth, and Grant surround them and hear the clerk declare them husbands.Â
(Hopper and the rest of the Party find out at Christmas that year and everyone loses their shit in synchrony. They all learn a valuable lesson that day that Eddie Munson holds the meanest of grudges.)
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#Eddie does in fact show everyone that he's serious about Steve#whenever anyone ever asks him if he's serious he says âyeah as serious as I told you I was about Steve and I dating.â#Steve is a little bit nicer about it but some bitchiness comes out when his relationship is questioned#stranger things#steddie#steddie ish#fanfic#steve harrington#eddie munson#chief hopper#robin buckley#dustin henderson#lucas sinclair#mike wheeler#uncle wayne#grant#gareth emerson#jeff#corroded coffin
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When Will finally came out to the entire party, he did it from the floor of Steve Harringtons living room. He wasnât planning on doing it at all. Ever. He was terrified. Terrified of losing the people that meant most to him.
But then he walked in on Steve and Eddie stealing a quick kiss in the kitchen, and he froze, and hell, he almost passed out.
Eddie and Steve rushed toward him, pushing aside how terrified they were to help this poor boy who looked like a deer in headlight in front of them. Steve pulled him into his arms, because he knew that face. It was the same one he had made after Eddie had kissed him for the first time. Before he knew who or what the hell he was. So he just hugged Will until his breathing returned and his face was no longer whiter than a bedsheet.
âYouâre okay.â Steve whispered, running his fingers down Wills arm to signify he was there, and that he wasnât going anywhere. âCome on, take a breath.â
After Will pulled away, he gazed up at the two of them. âYou guys are dating?â He said in a whisper, like he was scared someone was going to hear him.
Eddie nodded slowly, holding out a hand. Will took it reluctantly and was led toward the kitchen table, sliding into the seat and staring at Eddie and Steve across from him.
The next words to come from his mouth about shattered Steveâs heart. They were small and timid, meek and filled with fear. It seemed to take everything in Will to get them out without collapsing on the spot.
âAnd itâs⌠okay?â He started, eyes glued to the floor. âTo be gay?â The last word was barely audible. It came out in a strangled whispered, like he was choking on his words as they pushed their way out his mouth.
âWill.â Eddie said, his voice filling the warm with warmth and comfort. âWill, look at me.â
Will did so, his head moving upward first and his eyes following after, slowing dragging from the floor to the table to Eddie and Steveâs faces. They were red, glossy, like he was biting back tears.
âWill.â Eddie repeated, reaching a hand across the table the testing it on Wills wrist, where the fabric of this shirt met the exposed skin. âThereâs nothing wrong with it. Nothing at all.â He smiled softly, leaning forward. âAnd anyone who tell you that? Doesnât know what the hell theyâre talking about. Okay?â
âOkay.â Will said after a beat, and the corner of his mouth quirked up a little bit. He repeated the word, a bit more confidently this time. âOkay.â
Steve looked at him, his expression full of pride. âWe can keep this a secret. If you want, I mean.â He offered, and Will shook his head.
âNo. No, I want to tell them. I just- I want to be the one to do it. Is that okay?â
âOf course itâs okay, kid.â Eddie said, patting Will on the wrist gently before pulling his hand away and looping it through Steveâs own. âTake your time. No oneâs rushing you.â
The three of them stood, heading toward the kitchen door, when Will paused. âDo they know about you?â He asked, and Steve bit his lip.
âNo. No, not yet. Iâm not sure iâm quite ready to tell them, ya know?â Will nodded.
âI wonât tell anyone.â
Eddie smiled at him, squeezing Steveâs hand one last time before dropping it and walking back out into the rest of the group.
The next few hours went on as normal. The kids argued for about an hour over which movie to watch before Steve stood up plucked the movies out of there hands, holding them behind his back and shuffling them around. He needed up picking Labyrinth, which was Dustins pick (mostly because Eddie said he loved it).
They settled into their normal spots, Eddie, Steve, and Robin on the large couch, Max in her wheelchair with Lucas and El on the floor beside her, Dustin in a large armchair he had claimed all to himself, and Will and Mike leaning against the front of the coffee table, closest to the television.
And then Will just sort of said it. The movie was paused so Steve could get some more popcorn, but the room was still dark, and the words just spilled from Wills mouth. There was no emotions or theatrics or gathering of attention. Everyone was in the middle of conversation and he just spoke up.
After he said it, the room fell silent, and he could feel the heat of every pair of eyes in the room settle on to him. But he didnât care. Because he had said it, and a sort of weight he didnât know he was carrying lifted off his shoulders.
Robin was the first to move. She rushed toward him and pulled him into a hug, practically squeezing all the air out of his lungs as she did so. âIâm so proud of you.â She whispered into his ear, so only he could hear it, and then she pulled away with a soft small and a lingering warmth left behind.
Max was the next to make any noise, letting out a small chuckle from where she sat in her wheelchair. âWay to go, William.â She cheered, partially sarcastic, but there was a hint of pride in her tone. Lucas simply patted him on the shoulder and gave him a reassuring grin, and El shot him a thumbs up from the floor.
Dustin stared up at him from his chair, silent for a moment before a grin spread across his face. âSo whoâs your crush?â He teased. Will went red.
âShut up, Dusty-Bun.â Eddie called from the couch, chucking a pillow at Dustin, who poorly dodged it and threw two more back in response.
âNo throwing pillows in my house!â A voice came from the hall, and Steve walked in with his hands full of popcorn bowls. âWhat did I miss?â
âWills gay!â Dustin supplied helpfully, and Steve shrugged.
âCool. No throwing pillows in my house.â Was a he said, but Will caught the gleam in his eye as he say down, and the large smile spreading over his face.
Mike never spoke. Not until Will sat down, still and awkward on the floor beside him.
âHey.â Was all he said, pushing his shoulder into Wills softly.
âHey.â Will responded.
The two smiled at each other before turning back the movie, but Will couldnât help to notice how Mike seemed just a tad bit closer than he was before.
And as Will fell asleep that night, head on Miles shoulder, he couldnât help but grin to himself. He had done that. And he hadnât lost anyone at all.
i sort of hate this but i spent so much time on it that iâm gonna share it anyway. maybe iâll make it better later. idk.
#stranger things#will byers#gay will byers#steddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#sky writes#max mayfield#fanfiction#dustin henderson#lucas sinclair#the party#mike wheeler#byler#sort of#will comes out#idk what this is#i donât really like it#but here have it anyway
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If you watched Mike turn down Harveyâs job offer in 6x11 and thought âthis should have gone differently,â boy do I have the fix-it fic for you.
Make a Catastrophe Seem Romantic
Mike owes it to Harvey to tell him this in person. He knows that. He hates it, but he knows it.
And so, less than a full week after Mikeâs triumphant and â as he keeps guiltily remembering â Harvey-orchestrated release from actual federal prison, Mike has dragged his ass across town to disappoint the one person he owes everything. Once again.
Mike wishes he could lose count of how many times heâs done that.
Itâs been a long time since Mike felt like he and Harvey were on remotely even footing. Mikeâs pretty sure, if Harvey had any sense, heâd have written Mike off somewhere around the first genuine jail time scare.
But that isnât how Harvey works. And for whatever reason, Harvey picked Mike as his guy.
Mike takes a deep breath. Heâs hard pressed to think of many things heâd rather do less, but he knocks on the door anyway, thinking about the first time he showed up here. He hadnât been as drunk as Harvey believed. He remembers it with the same crystal clarity that he remembers most things â and damn near everything involving Harvey. Harvey had been annoyed. Mike hadnât even made it inside. Still, it was the first time Mike had ever seen Harvey in anything less formal than a suit. Knowing Harvey the way he does now, Mike knows Harvey hadnât been that upset with him. Heâd opened the door, after all.
In the two seconds Mike has before Harvey opens the door, he wonders if Harvey might be dressed casually this morning.
Heâs not, of course. Itâs a workday. He opens the door without a jacket on, though. Something about that fact feels like a significant concession. Maybe thatâs just because Mike knows about Jessicaâs departure.
âMike, what are you doing here?â Harvey says.
âCan I come in?â
âOf course,â Harvey says. âYou want a cup of coffee?â
âYeah, thatâd be good,â Mike says, following Harvey down the hall.
Mike wonders if heâll ever stop feeling so unsettled about the fact that he can hear how happy Harvey is to see him in his tone. Heâs noticed it when theyâve talked on the phone and he hears it in person, too â even if Harvey hides it a little better when theyâre face-to-face. He just sounds⌠relieved, Mike thinks.
Every time Harvey sees him, heâs relieved. Mikeâs pretty sure itâs the biggest thing thatâs changed since he went to prison. He has no idea what to make of it, or how long itâll last. Heâs more than a little worried this conversation might be the end of it, actually.
Read the rest on ao3
#marvey#marvey fic#suits#harvey specter#mike ross#suits usa#harvey x mike#mike x harvey#suits fic rec#marvey fic rec#marvey fic recs
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I decided to analyze the pizza place scene before the ily scene because Iâm avoiding it like the plague but now my brain is buzzing
âCause itâs been said before that Mike sounds more like heâs gonna apologize here than confess his love for El and I agree
But damn oh damn is his body language here FASCINATING
For one thing he briefly hesitates before putting his hand in Elâs and itâs quite a light grip initially
Then when he brings up their argumentâwhich he calls a âtalkâ when previously heâd called it a âbad fight it feels like you canât come back fromâ to Will, broâhe is soooo halting in his speech. Heâs so nervous but it doesnât feel like an excited nervous or anticipatory or like heâs gearing up to say something big-but-positiveâa big positive he knows for a fact El wants to hear from him. Heâs even told Will a couple times in different roundabout ways that if he had âsaid the thingâ then maybe she wouldâve wanted him to go with her, so he knows itâs something she wants to hear. 100% knows it.
And then we get a close up and I swear, he looks scared. Genuinely scared. Thereâs no tiny smile or hesitant hope in his eyes or anything like that after he brings up the âtalk.â The only time thereâs hope or joy in his eyes is when El says she missed him, and he looks really relieved (imo thatâs likely because her saying that seems to put validity in Willâs insistence that she does need him). But that relief is gone once he brings up the âtalk.â
âOh heâs just insecure!â âheâs afraid to say it and make losing her hurt more!â bullshit and thatâs been broken down and analyzed before already so Iâll just move on lmao
Then when he continues and says âI guessâ and âI donât knowâ and âI just wanted to sayâ he stops sustaining/maintaining eye contact and can barely even look at her. if he was about to say ily for the first time, wouldnât you expect eye contact??? Longer than a few brief glances???? And at least look like heâs gathering his courage and wearing a brave face with a bit of anticipation?? Right before theyâre interrupted, the look on his face is so somber. Melancholy. He looks guilty.
And right before he says âI guess,â he goes âIââ and then his shoulders just slump, almost like heâs letting out a huff of breath or felt a wave of anxiety punch his stomach or is resigning to something, and his head does that side-to-side not-shake thing that to me conveys reluctance or hesitation or doubt, I canât place it exactly but it reminds me of something Joyce sometimes does when sheâs anxious. That whole shot when he says âI guess,â is so telling and so FASCINATING how could anyone look at his body language and face in that shot and think heâs about to tell El in this moment that he loves her??
And even if you watch Elâs face without the musicâshe doesnât look excited to me. Thereâs no hope in her eyes or smile starting to grow. If you look right at the end of her last shot before Argyle interupts, she looks concerned or like sheâs realizing something, but not something good.
The music here tricks you SO BAD, it sounds anticipatory, hopeful, it sounds like weâre in Elâs head and itâs her hope swelling a bitâespecially because I checked and right when it swells, itâs the Still Pretty track that plays during their almost kiss in season 1, which also got interrupted. But if you look at Mike??? If you look at El without the music??? If you LISTEN to MIKE???? Boy was about to apologize, not confess.
Oh I absolutely love that scene for exactly the reason you pointed out. He was not about to tell her what he knew she wanted it to hear.
The more we break apart everything, the clearer things become.
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Deciphering the Will-El-Mike Love Triangle: A Personal Perspective
I stopped liking Mileven as a couple way before I started shipping Byler, and the reason had nothing to do with Will, actually.
As someone who appreciates both Elâs and Mikeâs characters, I firmly believe they were always meant to be friends. They care deeply about each other, but their relationship has felt forced for a very long time. The main reason I stopped liking them as a couple is that I didnât like how Mike treated El at the beginning of S3, which led El to âdump his ass.â Subconsciously, Mike believed he knew what was better for her and, without realizing it, hindered her from developing her own personality. Also, he wasnât always good to her in S1 when he used her to find Will and snapped at her a few times. Donât get me wrong â Mike is not a bad person, and he did many good things for El, but they simply didnât seem to work as a couple. All they did when things went well was kiss and make out. They didnât have any common interests or things to talk about, only the Upside Down-related adventures. This is one of the reasons I find their couple boring: when physical attraction is the only thing keeping you romantically interested in someone, it wonât last.
I watched all four seasons as a GA member, and my opinion is based on what I saw from this show. I didnât even think about Will when considering El and Mike initially â this is just something I noticed when watching the show. Yes, I suspected Will had feelings for Mike since S3 came out but didnât think they could possibly be reciprocated at that time. My initial thought was, âAww, poor Will, I feel bad for him.â This thought only strengthened after watching S4. My love for Will as a character grew, and I felt a protective instinct towards him (much like Joyce, haha), but he is not the reason I think Mileven doesnât work. Observing El and Mikeâs relationship in S4 only made me like them as a couple even less. I donât think Mike was scared of saying âI love youâ just because he felt worthless and was afraid of losing her. I think thereâs something deeper than that. Otherwise, why did the season finish with El being annoyed at him after his âbrilliantâ monologue? And let's not forget the reason why Mike finally said he loved El and who pushed him to do that.
I also believe that both El and Mike are incredible characters and their own heroes, but they just donât bring out the best in each other. El does need someone to care for her and make her feel loved, but she needs a familial kind of love much more than a romantic one. And she has always needed people who would love her no matter what and wouldnât make her feel like she can only be loved if sheâs a âsuperhero.â She needs someone who would love her regardless of whether she has her powers or not. And she needs someone with whom she would still be independent and her own person. And I donât think Mike is right for her in this respect.
Likewise, I donât think El can give Mike what he needs. He doesnât just want someone to kiss and make out with; he needs more than that. He needs someone who would share his hobbies and interests; someone who would understand him without saying a word; someone who is simply there for him and is always willing to support him; someone who makes him feel loved no matter what. I donât think that El and Mike can love each other romantically under any circumstances. I think they started a relationship with their ideal images of each other in mind but later struggled because they felt they both didnât live up to each otherâs perfect images of themselves. And thatâs what makes this relationship doomed to fail.
And then, you know what happened? It suddenly dawned on me, shedding light on many things I hadnât quite understood at the beginning. It was that kind of moment when you think, âOh, so thatâs why! It has always been there but it took me so long to figure it out!â
There is exactly the kind of person in the series that can make Mike feel loved the way he wants to. The character that shares his interests and hobbies and is always there for him. The one that loves Mike unconditionally and is always ready to sacrifice his own feelings just to make his love feel better about himself, feel worthy and needed. This character has been there all along, and this characterâs name is â you guessed it right â Will. And I wouldnât be saying all of this if I believed Mike was totally straight, and could never love Will the way the latter loves him.
From the very first season, the show makes it clear that Mike and Willâs relationship is not the same as the one boys their age usually have (compare it to Lucas and Dustinâs, for example). We are both told and shown that Mike cares about Will much deeper than anyone else in their circle of friends, and heâs the one who was losing his mind, thinking he had lost Will but nevertheless never stopped looking. Mike is someone whoâs always been ready to do anything for Will, to be there for him when he had nightmares and was possessed, and bike to him through the storm just to apologize for hurting his feelings. Mike has always cared about Will very deeply, and even though with time the societal pressures forced him to set some boundaries of what is allowed between two male friends, Mike often âslippedâ and demonstrated his gentleness and attentiveness towards Will. The way he often looks at Will and the things he says to him when theyâre alone make me believe he has feelings for him even more. He may not fully realize them yet, he may be confused about those feelings, and he may certainly convince the GA that heâs straight, but those feelings are there and just havenât come out yet. He needs time to understand himself better and feel ready to acknowledge his feelings.
And returning to El, I strongly believe that her arc is leaning towards independence. She desperately needs to break free from everything and everyone that has been holding her back, to start living for herself at last and become her own person. This is how she can finally get her happy ending. And I think that Mike-friend can help her achieve that much better than Mike-boyfriend. As Max implied, El needs to discover herself without thinking about what her loved ones want her to be, and this is the right way for her character to develop. El is amazing and deserves happiness, as do Will and Mike.
Please note that this is my personal opinion and the impression I got from watching the show. Youâre completely free to disagree with me and have a totally different perspective. If you ship Mileven or dislike Byler, simply move on. Iâm sharing my thoughts here for those who I know will support them, and Iâm not here to engage in ship wars. Iâm not going to interact with you if youâre here to spit bile and troll those who donât have the same opinion as you. Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk. :)
#byler#byler tumblr#byler is canon#byler endgame#byler nation#will byers x mike wheeler#will x mike#will and mike#will byers#mike wheeler#el hopper byers#stranger things#anti mileven#platonic elmike
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Run Away: Detention (2011) & FNAF Movie Crossover - Chapter One
Masterlist
Mentions: weed, running away
Word Count: 781
Warnings: slightly angsty
Older!Clapton/Mike x GN!Reader
âYou have to believe us!â You screeched at the cops, eyes wide, Clapton at your side talking alongside you.
âHe might kill more people! Is that what you want?â He asked, his hand holding yours, a way to ground you both so you wouldnât lose it any further. You didnât have time to appreciate how his hand perfectly fit yours. How with his chest puffed up in defiance, he seemed truly taller than you by more than just a few inches.
âLook, kids, I donât know what kind of drugs your on, but stop with this fairytale bullshit, Cinderhella isnât real.â
âUgh!!â You cried out, Clapton pulling you back against his chest as you tried to make him let go so you could take a swing at the officer.
âItâs not worth it,â he whispered, âthey wonât believe usâŚâ you could tell it was truly bothering him, so you slumped down, nodding to him. Once the cops left, Clapton put you on his skateboard, instructing you when to lean for a turn as he pushed you two forward. He didnât know how to tell you that he was leaving the lame town of Grizzly Lake, so he took the cowardâs way and decided he wouldnât.
âThis is bullshit!â You yelled once you were in his basement, sitting on the couch and crossing your arms. âSanders is still out there!â
âI know,â he said, digging around and humming triumphantly when he found the little baggie he needed. He wanted to ask you to run away with him, but he couldnât. You were just 14, hell, your friendship was already a questionable age gap once he turned 18 last October. But you had been neighbors and best friends since you were born as both of your parents liked to say. His parents would say that Clapton would beg to be your babysitter at five years old, how heâd always want to keep you safe. And your parents would say that he was the only person capable of soothing your cries, that you could be throwing a tantrum but the second he ran in, you cheered up. Destined to be best friends for life.
âCome on, little firecracker,â he smiled, sitting beside you and passing you a joint. Making you gasp in excitement, Clapton never let you smoke with him, he said he wanted to keep you as innocent as possible.
âReally?!â
âYes really, now put the filter between your lips before I change my mind.â He chuckled, watching as you eagerly took the blunt to your lips like youâd seen him do numerous times. âInhale when the tip starts to smoke a little okay?â He instructed, bringing his cheesy gas station lighter up and flicking the flame on, igniting the tip. You inhaled a little too much and too hard, smoke filling your mouth and lungs, making you quickly pull the blunt away as you coughed, Clapton couldnât help but to laugh as he rubbed your back.
âSorry, kiddo, I forgot to warn you. Consider it a rite of passage.â
âAsshole-â you gasped out, wheezing for air as you laughed and tried to clear the smoke out of your lungs. He smiled at the nickname, knowing you meant no harm behind it as he plucked the blunt from your fingers and took his hit, leaning back on the couch.
He hated it, you had fallen asleep on his chest, the blunt long gone hours before, his hand resting on your back and his lips on the top of your head as he fought back tears. âIâm so sorry,â he whispered, âIâm so sorry, please donât hate me, please⌠know that if I could, youâd come with me. Iâll leave a note for your parents, telling them to leave this shitty town. Oh god, Iâm gonna miss you so muchâŚâ he carefully got himself up, laying you on the couch and putting his flannel shirt over you, and then a blanket on top to really keep you warm. âIâm sorry, I have to go⌠Iâm scared⌠please be safe, find me again okay? Best friends for life.â He softly kissed your cheek one more time before going upstairs to his room, grabbing his emergency bag and leaving in the night.
âSo, I only have the day shift available, but itâs 7 days a week, 5:30AM to 6:30PM, I give a thirty minute shift change for you and the other guard to get your things settled.â Steve Raglan spoke, your career counselor since moving to Louisiana three months ago.
âIâll take it.â You said simply, dressed in your Sunday best, determined to start a new life. One without Clapton Davis on your mind.
Mike stirred awake as he swore he heard a door open and slam, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he saw the time, 5:30 in the morning. He stood up and stretched, his shirt lifting above his stomach lightly before he heard the security room door open. He whipped around quickly and stared at you, his eyes widening as he recognized you instantly.
âYou must be the night shift.â His world shattered at that simple statement, you didnât recognize him.
âUh, yeah,â he stammered, almost desperate to use the name he abandoned ten years ago. âMike, Mike Schmidt.â His heart pounding in his chest as he heard your name, it really was you. Your hair was a touch shorter than he remembered, your eyes seemed to lack their spark, but he felt his eyes linger as he recognized his old red flannel.
âWhen Will You Come, the Wavves.â Mike stated, hearing the music through your earbuds. Instantly he remembered it as the song he had left playing in the basement that night.
âOh, yeah,â you chuckled, setting your things into the locker. âMy best friend used to love this song.â
âStill doâŚâ he murmured, making sure you didnât hear him.
âGod, Iâm supposed to forget him, and I still bring him up.â It was clear you hadnât meant for him to hear that, he felt his chest tighten as he looked at you.
âForget him?â He pressed, what did you mean, did you hate him now?
âItâs⌠itâs silly.â You sighed and shook your head. âHe left ten years ago, no warning or anything. I think I should have known something was up when he finally let me smoke with him.â You seemed sad, Mike wanted nothing more than to hug you, to confess everything, but if he confessed, he risked you quitting and moving away. He couldnât handle that, not when life brought you two back together. So for now, heâd keep quiet, whatever it took to keep you in his life. âIâm sorry for dumping all of that on you, we just met but I donât know⌠I feel like I could talk to you all day.â
âDonât apologize,â he smiled, knowing your subconscious was recognizing him. âWe all need someone to lean on, I donât mind listening to you.â
âWell then, the same goes for you Mike.â You smiled at him, the extra security vest over your clothes and his flannel. âJust tell me if thereâs anything I can do to help, I just moved here, so I donât exactly have friends or anything occupying my time.â
Mike softly groaned as he laid down on his bed, Abby was driven to school, luckily having eaten some cereal with Max. You were back, you were finally back, but you wanted to forget him⌠you moved to forget him. He let out a frustrated groan into the empty house. He knew he should have texted, or sent letters, or something. But he was scared, cowardly.
Sander had said something to him that day, something Mike never told you. âIâll find you first, and Iâll make her watch as you die.â He didnât want that, he didnât want you to watch him get killed. Truly if he died, then so be it, he supposed. Just as long as you didnât watch. âIâm sorry, Firecracker, I have to lie to you just a little longer⌠Iâm selfish like that.â He murmured as he rolled over on his stomach, getting comfortable to have some proper sleep.
Tag List: @na-is-salty @cancelledkaley @thegirlwholoveslivesfanfiction @dessxoxsworld @mad-die45
#clapton davis angst#clapton davis fluff#clapton davis x you#clapton davis x reader#clapton davis#detention#detention 2011#fnaf au#fnaf#fnaf movie#mike schmidt fluff#mike schimdt x reader#mike schmidt angst#mike schmidt#x reader#josh hutcherson x gn!reader#gn!reader#gn reader#run away#billyjustexists#billyistired
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Another life part 2: đ¤ Gojo x Fem reader (isekai fic)
THIS STORY IDEA WAS TAKEN FROM @stsg-losers thank you for this amazing idea! đđ
â ď¸MAJOR SPOILERS for Jujutsu kaisen â ď¸
(If youâre not caught up with the JJK manga avoid this story at all costs).
Please read all the parts of this story first you can find all the chapters Here.
~ Another life đ¤ ~
Scenario: After losing to Sukuna and after seeing all his friends in the âafterlifeâ. Gojo decides to go north and be reincarnated into a new world little did he know this new life would be everything heâs ever wanted.
â ď¸WARNINGS â ď¸
Some sexual talk.
Some angst but allot of fluffy love đ
ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
Gojo POV:
We were driving back from the elementary school when y/n turned down the music in the car.
âOh, I forgot I need to stop by the grocery store, are you okay with staying in the car for a bit Toru or do you want me to bring you home first?â. âNo, I want to go in with you and Miyokoâ. âOh okay! It shouldnât be that long, I just need to pick up a few thingsâ. âMommy, Yuji, and Nobara are coming over, you might want to get extra snacks they stole my fruity gummies last timeâ. â- youâre right thank you for reminding me sweetie Iâll buy you more todayâ. We pull into the grocery store parking lot.
I watch as y/n gets Miyoko out of her car seat. âBe on your best behavior today you make sure to hold onto Daddyâs hand, and donât run off like you usually do got itâ. âI know mama, I wonât I promiseâ. Y/n sets Miyoko on the ground, She immediately runs up to me holding my hand.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
As we walk through the grocery store, I take a moment to appreciate how peaceful everything is. itâs kind of nice to not be constantly on edge, waiting for monsters and or people to come to attack you at any moment. Me and Miyoko walk along behind y/n who is currently walking a little ahead of us. I admire her watching her perfectly plump ass as she walks.
when a sharp pain in my head stops me in my tracks, I hold my head for a moment letting the feeling subside. âDaddy are you okay?â. I stand there for one more moment longer then I look over to Miyoko she looks up at me with worry, I smile at her. âYeah, Iâm fine donât worryâ. I look around for y/n just to see her talking to an older man in a business suit. He grabs y/nâs shoulder and looks her over in a way thatâs a little less than friendly. I start to walk up to them when Miyoko tugs on my arm. âDaddy no, can we go somewhere else I donât like Mr. Anderson, heâs creepyâ. âWhat do you mean heâs creepy?â. âThe way he looks at Mom I donât like it, Mommy doesnât like him either he always yells at her on the phoneâ. âOh, really? Letâs go help your mom everything will be fine Iâm right here I wonât let him get near youâ.
We walk up to y/n and Mr. Anderson they seem to be bickering back and forth in English. âIâm not doing that, I already told you over the phone. Coming to Japan makes no difference Mike and how the hell did you find where I liveâ. âIt wasnât that hard y/n I just looked it up on the internet, and oh, look here itâs Mr. Satoru. Glad to see you're recovering so well from your accident. I heard it was pretty bad, and is that little Miyoko I see wow youâre getting so bigâ. Mike starts to come towards us Miyoko immediately hides behind my leg.
I immediately grab Mike by the shirt. âThanks for your worry!â. I pull him towards me bringing him close so I can whisper into his ear. âleave my family alone, we are here to shop and you're causing a scene. Not only that you're pissing me off by staring at my wifeâ. âTsk, you donât scare meâ. âOh really? Well, I should now goâ. I let Mike go pushing him away. I turn around picking up Miyoko bushing her white hair from her face. âLetâs keep going y/n and letâs get homeâ. âY-yeah, youâre right letâs goâ.
We finish up our shopping and head back to the car, I put Miyoko into her car seat for y/n. When Y/n walks up to me handing me a Sailor Moon coloring book. She whispers.â I found this while shopping, Miyoko loves Sailor Moon sheâs going to freak out, Iâll let you do the honors in giving it to herâ. Y/n walks back to put the groceries away. âOh Miyoko, look what your mom foundâ. I hand her the coloring book. âOH MY GOSH THANK YOUâ. She hugs the notebook swinging her feet. âI canât wait to get home and color in it thank youâ. I Pat her head then I close the door.
âââââââââââââââââââââââ
We arrive back home, and I get out of the car and help Miyoko out of her car seat once again. I also go over to help y/n carry in groceries but she stops me. âg-gojo itâs fine you can go inside, youâre still injured, I can take care of this myselfâ. â the both of you can head inside we got thisâ.
âkids, hey!â. âHey, Mrs. Satoruâ. Yuji and Nobara say at the same time
jinxing each other in the process.
âHey, Mrs. Satoru! Mimiko and Nanako also walk up waving. âOh, hey girls, Happy to see you two Does Geto know youâre hereâ. âYeah, Dad knowsâ. âBig sisters!â. âMiyoko runs up to the two of them Nanako immediately picks her up smiling everyone heads inside.
As all of us head inside my head is starts to throb again. âSorry, y/n but Iâm going to go lay down againâ. âDo you want me to bring you more pain medicine?â. âThat would be greatâ. I walk back to our bedroom feeling existed. Damn, Iâm not used to having an injury like this, in the other universe Iâd be able to reverse it.
I lay there for a bit with my eyes closed until I hear y/n enter. She hands me a glass of water and some medicine. âYour vision isnât blurry, is it?â. âNo, itâs fineâ. âGood!â. I take the glass and pills from her when She leans over casually kissing me on the side of the forehead. My eyes widen slightly, she immediately backs away. âO-oh no Iâm sorry! I forgot you donât remember me, that was just a force of habit. I hope I didnât upset youâ.
I lay down shaking my head. âitâs fine,
I wouldnât be mad if you did it againâ. I smirk at her. âI-if youâre sure..â. I nod yes. She leans over kissing me this time on the middle of my forehead. âyouâre cute y/nâ. She blushes standing upright. âThank you, Toru I-Iâll let you know when dinner is readyâ.
Y/N POV:
I walk back out towards the kitchen my face still slightly red, That man is going to be the death of me. I think to myself. when I look over at all the kids lying around the living room. âHey, kids Iâm making dinner if you need me Iâll be in the kitchenâ. they all answer me back with various responses, as I head into the kitchen, shocked to see Geto already putting stuff away.
âOh Geto, you donât need to do that youâre a guestâ. I walk up to him with a concerned look. âPlease, y/n itâs fine Iâm just helping out since I assume Satoru is restingâ. âYeah, heâs had a big day todayâ. Me and Geto put the rest of the groceries away keeping out the ingredients for tonightâs dinner.
âOkay, y/n what are we doingâ. âIâm making homemade pizza! For dinner, I hope you and the girls are okay with thatâ. âThe girls love pizza that Sounds good y/nâ. âFantastic! First off, I got to turn on this ovenâ. I turn on the oven quickly then I head off the sink washing my hands very well. âIf you can grab the dough out of the refrigerator for me, it should be on the first shelve towards the backâ. I grab a couple of pizza pans from out of the lower cupboard laying them out as Geto hands the homemade pizza dough.
I unwrap one Bach of the dough and I begin to shape it to the pan as I usually do. âso,
y/n what did you and Satoru talk aboutâ.
âI caught him up on some things that have to do with the kids and some about my background, could you grab the pizza sauce, it's also on the first shelfâ. Geto nods walking over to the refrigerator grabbing the bowl of pizza sauce he walks over to me laying the bowl on the counter. I pour some of the oregano into the sauce before I start spreading it into the pizza.
âAre you okay? Y/nâ. I stop for a moment shocked by his question, but I continue spreading the sauce onto the pizza already placing the cheese.
âIâm fine, getoâ. âYouâve been holding things together pretty well all things concerned y/nâ. âI tryâŚâ. I set the plain cheese pizza aside repeating the steps but adding pepperoni to the top. âToru, losing his memories is kinda hard of course.. but he has it harder than me, imagine waking up in a place you donât recognize at allâ. I make one more half cheese and pepperoni pizza. Geto puts all the pizzas into the often for me. âY/n, itâs okay for you to talk about your frustrations as well I donât mind listeningâ. âWell,⌠itâs not frustration, itâs more sadness. Knowing that the man Iâve been with for 5 years no longer remembers me or his children is a lot to take in. But at least heâs still here and aliveâŚâ.
âIâve been meaning to ask you y/n, Do you think some of the people threatening you caused Satoru to get into the accidentâ. I nervously mess with my hair. âI donât know maybe? The police asked me the same question, that thought scares me. especially after what happened todayâ. âWhat happened?â. âAnderson, my father's old business partner came up to me at the grocery storeâ. âWhat did he do?â.
âNothing crazy, he just was arguing with me again about selling my father's company to some of the shareholders. I donât care what he says Iâm not selling my fatherâs company to those people, Iâm still waiting on the right seller. -
the company isnât struggling right now, I mean we are still doing the same as we always have with me at the command- â.
âMommy!â. I Watch as Megumi and Miyoko enter the kitchen hand in hand. âCan I get some fruit gummies pleaseâ. I bend down to Miyokoâs level. âYou do realize dinner is going to be ready soonâ. âI know, but I just want one bag pleaseâ. âFine, but just one this is your reward for being so good at the grocery storeâ. I stand back up grabbing two packs of the fruit gummies I hand one to Miyoko and I hold one out to Megumi. âMom I donât need any-â. âI know you want some as well just take itâ. Megumi sheepishly takes the bag and they head back to the living room.
âââââââââââââââââââââââ
- a few weeks later-
Gojo POV:
A few weeks pass everything is still going great my recovery is going along smoothly and Iâm sort of getting used to this relaxed life. So far Iâm enjoying it.
The night was creeping in and everything had calmed down, all the guests had already gone home. Everyone had retired to their separate rooms and I was ready to relax, I get into my and y/nâs bed turning on the TV.
When the bathroom door in our bedroom swings open. I look over to see y/n in nothing but her underwear, holding one of our bathroom towels and running it through her beautiful hair. My eyes fixate on her entire body for a second before reality hits me and I look away out of respect. âOh, you! Youâre in here Iâm sorry just ignore me. I forgot my pajamas in the dresserâ. âI-itâs fine y/nâ. I continue to look away but my curiosity gets stronger as I hear her shuffling through the dresser doors. I decided to have one more peek. I turn my head slightly just to see her back towards me, my eyes travel down to her ass I can feel myself getting hot after seeing that she was wearing a thong. âToru, I need to talk to youâ. âY-yeah.., uh- what is it y/nâ. âAbout that concert, you know the one that the kids are going to in a few days. Well, Iâm still worried about itâ. âY/n Iâm sure theyâll be okay I mean theyâre all high schoolers arenât theyâ. âNo, you probably donât remember, kenshi our biological son is only 13â. âWait! That tall kid is only 13?!â. âYeah, heâs 3 years younger than Megumi, Iâm letting you know this because Iâm worried about him I mean Iâm worried about Megumi, Tsumiki, Yuji, and Nobara - well, all of them but they're all older, and Kenshi-â. I get up from the bed going over to y/n she turns around as cage her in using my arms. I smirk to myself slightly as she blushes. âHeâs already done the work and so has Megumi, they earned the money and did a decent job. I know youâre nervous but it would be unfair to not let him go after they worked so hardâ. Y/n still looks worried I sigh. âheâs going to be with his siblings Iâm sure heâll be fine. I was thinking since all the teens will be gone maybe we could find someone to watch Miyoko for a few hoursâ. She raises her eyebrow at me. âand why is thatâ. â I figured Since Iâve lost my memories maybe theyâd come back a bit faster,
if we were to spend some quality time togetherâ. âOh, really? Gojo? What kind of quality time?â. She looks up at me in a teasing way rubbing her hands up and down against my biceps. âMaybe we could watch a movie have some dinner and then -â. I put my lips to her ear. âI could rail you into that mattressâ. âOh youâd do that to a âstrangerâ huh?â. I start to kiss the side of her neck as her arms wrap around my waist.
Just then I hear a tiny knock on the door me and y/n pull apart immediately as Miyoko opens the door, carrying her blankly and stuffed cat in her arms. I also notice her eyes are red like she was crying. I go over to her picking her up immediately as y/n scrambles to find a nightgown.
âAre you okay Miyoko?â. âI had a scary dream.. she trembles hugging me tightly around my neck, as she starts to cry. I rub the back of her head. âWhat was it aboutâ. âI donât wanna talk about itâ. She sobs harder.
I carry her over to the bed, sitting on the side of it still holding Miyoko. Y/n now dressed in her nightgown walks over to us. She sits beside me as she rubs Miyokoâs back. After a few moments, Miyoko finally sits back looking up at us her red eyes still running with tears and her nose dripping. Y/n grabs some tissues from our side table wiping Miyokoâs face softly. âAre you ready to talk about it?â. She nods yes. âI had a dream a man was outside my windowâ. Me and y/n look at each other for a moment as Miyoko continues to explain. âI was sleeping in my bed, and I thought I heard someone tapping on the outside of my window. I opened my eyes to see a figure I thought I was still dreaming or imagining it so I covered my head and tried to go back to sleep. I was too scared to move, so I stayed there for a few minutes until I finally got the courage to look out the window again, and there was nobody thereâ. Just then Megumi opens the door. âHey is everything okay? Why is Miyoko crying?â. I hand Miyoko to y/n and I get up. âIâm going outside to check things, stay here with your mother if Iâm not back in 10 minutes call the policeâ. Y/n tries to grab my arm pleading with me to stop, but I ignore her heading outside.
I open our front door locking it behind me as I quietly head outside. It is pretty dark, there are a few lights on the outside of the house but it looks like we need more. I move very quietly through the grass listening for any sound. I wish I had my six eyes right about now. I think to myself when I hear some shuffling in the bushes near Miyokoâs room. I get ready to attack when a black cat jumps from out of the bush, Iâm shocked to see. One tiny kitten walks out from that same area. The mom and the kitten rub against my legs I check back behind The bush and around the area luckily I donât find a human or any other cats. Well, at least it wasnât a person.
I pick up the cats theyâre pretty skinny and they seem used to people I wonder if theyâre lost? I bring them inside. As I walk in the door a cold sweat breaks out on my neck,
I can feel y/nâs eyes burning into me oh man sheâs pissed and Iâm in trouble I can feel it.
I lock the front door, just to see y/n, Miyoko, and Megumi sitting on the couch. Y/nâs stare is making me nervous. âL-Luckily what you saw wasnât a person Miyoko it was a black catâ. Miyoko runs over excitedly. âmore kitties awe!â. â you can look at them, but you canât touch them yet. We donât know what diseases they could be carrying we donât want you or Kyo getting sickâ. y/n walks over her arms crossed. She looks at the two cats reaching out and petting the black cat's head she sighs. âIâll set up an area for them in the guest room until we can get them checked out by a vetâ. y/n says in a stern voice waking away. Megumi gets up shrugging.
âOkay then, Goodnight dad, good luck on trying to get Mom to forgive youâ. My eye twitches slightly. When Miyoko gets my attention tugging on the bottom of my shirt. âDaddy, Iâm scared to sleep in my room by myself can I sleep by you and Mamaâ. âLetâs go ask your mom firstâ.
âââââââââââââââââââââââ
Me, y/n and Miyoko get cozy in me and y/nâs shared bed we sit and watch the original Frozen. âYou donât have to worry about going to school tomorrow little one, itâs 2:09 am am youâll be way too tiredâ. âOkay, mamaâ. I Watch as Miyoko falls asleep hugging y/nâs arm. I reach over and stroke Miyokoâs hair when me And y/nâs eyes meet she looks at me with the same scary look from earlier. I smile at her nervously. âHey, y/n Iâm sorry-â. â you ever make me worry for your safety again, you. wonât have to worry about someone else trying to kill you, because Iâll do it myselfâ. She turns her attention back to the movie. âo-okayâ. Women are so terrifying.
Read part 3 HERE
Back to part 1
MASTERLIST
Tags đđ: @phoenix666stuff , @missroro
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#jujutsukaisen#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#gojo#anime#manga#gojo fluff#satoru gojo#gojosatoru#gojo x y/n#gojo x reader#gojo angst#satorugojo#jujutsu gojo#jujutsu kaisen gojo#fanfic#fanfiction#writing#gojo fanfic#gojo fanfiction
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Here it is. The Mike Wheeler Playlist Post.
So I finished it. What seems to be the end of season 4, at least. I am avoiding spoilers for myself. All 28 songs from Smalltown Boy to Mad World. Here is what I have deduced:
Mike got over El after she left and started liking Will, but when she came back, he got with her motivated by the grief of âwhat could have beenâ but once they got together he felt that the relationship was aimless, only staying because it was familiar. He pursued getting back together with her because he didnât want to lose her, despite feeling that the spark wasnât there anymore. His fight with Will makes him question their relationship again but he ultimately doesnât believe Will reciprocates and regrets even going back down that path. He doesnât know what heâs going to do when Will moves. He canât get Will out of his head and, though secrecy is the only safe thing, heâs getting worn down with it and is increasingly considering taking action in his relationship with El because his feelings for Will make him happy and donât seem to be going anywhere. Heâs getting anxious as it gets closer but Will talking to him in the van gives him a lot of security, but then the moment comes and he lies and feels absolutely horrible about it. He feels like heâs just running in circles. More inaction. Over a year now of just inaction.
There are 19 songs left which feels like a lot for one season as I've said before but in defense of that on top of just the consistent alignment with plot points in the playlist this far, season 5 is going to go back in and reveal a lot of this stuff with some very complicated emotions and much more focus on him, his feelings, his trauma, and his overall relationship with Will. So there IS a lot there to fill songs with. If you would like to read my original semi-chaotic notes from the past 5 hours(you read that correctly. You're welcome. And yes I know the full playlist I didn't even finish is only 3.5 hours) listed by song and including bits I skipped over so that it wouldn't be horribly long, lyric quotes, and one link to a cover analysis, you can do so under the cut.
Scared closeted gay kid in a smalltown in the 80s (confirmed by the songwriter, widely known in this fandom)
He sees Will everywhere.
This girlâs really cool and knows about things I donât
Alien abduction - ET Parallels.
This song is an instrumental but the title âIn The Face of Evilâ is self-explanatory
El heroically sacrificed herself for everyone. She is a hero because she is the type of person to make that choice.*sweet that his love isn't hero worship, that's just how he conveys it.
Heâs haunted by the memories of El, seeing her face everywhere.
Over time, âabsence makes the heart lose weightâ and his feelings for her fade
Heâs starting to experience a new and scarily tempting, intoxicating kind of love. (based on contextâŚfor Will)
This song is an instrumental but the title is âBeta Girl Lost in Foreverâ. There is a great cover art analysis by @digestionsack at #20 of the post linked here but I could not find anything on the original meaning of the song or album. I couldn't find like anything else on Google of this one's meaning there were under 300 results when I searched in quotes.
This song is a duet that looks back on the relationship of a boy who helped lift up a girl from a very low and helpless place but the girl is now gone and he wants her to need him again and a girl who always had ambitions not dependent on him from the start and appreciated the time they spent together but needed independence now.
He feels an uncontrollable love thatâs taking all his focus that he âcanât shakeâ but âmakes [him] feel so blueâ (for Will given the last love song)*this is to say nothing of his self awareness. (though could have convinced himself he got over it as opposed to never having known? *consistent with the s3 fight words)
A song about teenage love. Kinda horny.*He's in love and a little bit horny in the season checks notes...without El?
Itâs âGhostbustersâ. It makes sense in a literal context but for the record this song is actually very 80s-under the radar-horny like âBarbie Girlâ. Probably literal in this case but Iâm sure the Duffers know about the second meaning and so maybe it shouldnât be put right after Teenage Kicks if they arenât trying to make me at least consider the possibility that theyâre meaning to say Mike is jerking off to Will, possibly while heâs possessed. I didnât need that, Pete Duffer. (Although 13-year-old boys definitely do. I remember the back of the bus conversations on middle school jazz band trips. I'm all for openness and sex education but I know too much about your masturbatory habits, Ben.)
El comes back and he reflects on how their relationship ended so suddenly and she branched out into independence but now that sheâs back heâs not gonna let her get away again.*seems like he wants to fix the past vs take action in the present. What could have been. Acting on behalf of his past self.
Their relationship feels aimless to him, but he stays because itâs familiar. âIâll carry on with what I knowâ.*her dumping HIM was an important push for him.
Making mistakes is human and a natural part of relationships. He stays in the relationship despite the spark dying out of a larger, more general love for her and because he doesnât want to lose her. âIf not so in love, itâs not so wrong, weâre only human after all.â*feeling an obligation to get her back because while not dating, she's gone completely (at first)?
He left Will/his feelings for him behind but heâs reminded of them by their fight (âlittle deals and S.Uâsâ) and he questions the nature of their relationship again but he doesnât think that it means to Will what it means to him. âA sly touch at times; I donât think it meant anything to youâ. He regrets even going down that road again. âAnd I should never have triedâ.
Heâs going to miss them when they move, seeming to specify Will with âseven years went under the bridgeâ. He doesnât know what to do without him now.*this song might sort of also explain why he didn't call if he didn't but it's not sure and there are no other songs about it, so he still could have called("if you leave don't look back, I'll be running the other way" but not every lyric has to apply and it could mean something else)
Heâs now set/stuck in his desire for Will and canât get him out of his head. (I considered an angle of this being for El, but the constant thinking about the lover + the interpretation of unreciprocated a love/a pursuit didnât fit)*one of the interpretations I read also said they think it's about a gay guy which is a great addition, though not an "official" interpretation.
He feels safest in isolation/secrecy (car=closet?) âItâs the only way to liveâ but heâs wearing down and feeling lonely/alone in this state so heâs starting to consider âleavingâ it.
He definitely still has feelings for Will that donât seem to be going anywhere. Theyâre kindaâŚbaffling âYou got me so I donât know what Iâm doingâ. Heâs losing sleep over them. ButâŚheâs not mad at it âdonât ever set me freeâ.
He criticizes himself for his inaction and starts to seriously think about making decisions for himself.
Heâs in love. (very simple lyrics: âI saw your eyes, and for a little while/though it took a while, I was falling in loveâ repeatedly with minor variation)
Heâs worn and broken down but still wants love. Heâs holding onto Will in the chaos of his mind and the world and trying to keep out of preying eyes. Also it is apparently written as tribute to Stranger Things after season 1, which is cute. âJust stay closeâ âYou canât stop this feeling.â âThey wonât pull us downâ. This song is also called âVale of Shadowsâ.
Instrumental Synth called âDead of Nightâ
Heâs full of uncertainty as seeing El gets closer but Will talking to him in the van comforts him and gives him more security; Willâs love makes it all better. âAnd she pulling the stringsâ definitely fits this idea of the situation with Will (especially if he is aware)
He feels horrible about lying to El (The song is âMad Worldâ). He feels like heâs just ârun[ning] in circlesâ.
Notable lyrics:Â
[pre-season 2-season 2]
When Love Breaks Down "Absence makes the heart lose weight yeah, til love breaks down, til love breaks down" "When love breaks down, the things you do to stop the truth from hurting you. When love breaks down, the lies we tell, they only serve to fool ourselves." I really thought it would say âgrow fonderâ, which fit and was cute and I was fine with, but nope. And my jaw went slack and it made me want to write this whole thing.
Love is a Stranger "Love is a stranger in an open car to tempt you in and drive you far away." "Love is a dangerous drug. You have to receive it and you still can't get enough of the stuff." "Comes in like the flood and it seems like religion" "And I want you so, it's an obsession. It's guilt edged."
[season 3]
Something About You âIf not so in love, itâs not so wrong. Weâre only human, after all.â
Are âFriendsâ Electric âA sly touch at times. I donât think it meant anything to you.â âAnd I never should have tried.â âFor you see, it meant everything to me.â
[season 4, volume 2]
Mad World âWhen people run in circles, itâs a very, very mad world.â
#mike wheeler sexuality analysis#my life#for that one gory detail about jazz band#byler#stranger things#haven't done a full show one of these in a while#i used to do them like every other night in 2022#planned byler
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oooh chickie!! Iâd love to see 4 & 11 with Val & Ev and 17 & 21 with Rosie & Jo for the âin love and scared to lose youâ prompts! đĽ°
Chickie these were a lot of fun, thanks for picking them! So sorry for the wait, I hope you love it! đ
Prompts from this list; ask box is open and so are requests.
More of our favorites under the cut đ
Ev & Val
4. "i feel stupid, why do u make me grin like a spineless fool whenever i am around you?"
11. a soothing, and tender "come here, sweetheart
The sound of the band playing filled the Officers Club, the menâs voices carrying over the music as they crowded around the bar and various tables. Those who had been gone for so long, finally home where they belonged. Thorpe Abbotts had never been so crowded, and yet, Val had never loved it more. Standing with a group of their friends, she was tucked under Curtâs arm, the two catching up on everything he had missed while he was held POW, the two years seeming endless while they were happening, but now, it was as if no time had passed. Friends till the very end, Curt had swore when they were teenagers- sheâd be hard pressed to let him ever forget it.
âSo, gal, tell me,â he started, lifting the rocks glass to his lips, taking a generous sip of whiskey. âIs Blakely coming home with us?â
âYou make it sound like weâre a throuple,â she rolled her eyes. âBut to answer your question, yes. Heâs coming back to New York. At least for now.â
âFor now?â
âWell, his family is in Seattle CurtâŚ.â
âWalla Walla ainât got nothing for him but his Ma, and he knows that.â
âWell his mother is going to want to see him, same as yours wants to see you.â Val rolled her eyes, polishing off the last of her drink.
âHeâs gonna wanna stay with you back home, mark my words.â
âThere he goes again, Curt Biddick, psychiatrist.â
âYou said not to do that anymore.â He grinned widely, blue eyes shining with mischief.
âI did, now stop, itâs gross.â
âWhatâs gross is the goo goo eyes Blakelyâs making at ya while pretending to listen to DeMarco.â
She turned on her heel, eyes searching the crowded club until she found Everettâs big hazel eyes staring back at her. He was smiling lazily, whiskey glass hanging from his grasp, cigarette nestled between his middle and pointer finger. Benny DeMarco was going on about something, Meatball sitting dutifully at his owner's feet, but Everettâs eyes were on her. Turning back to the bar, she leaned forward to order another drink, when one was placed in front of her with no pretense. Expecting to see Curt to her right, she was surprised to find the spot empty, only Mike the bartender standing in front of her.
âFrom Major Blakely.â He nodded his head down the other end of the bar, where Everett was still watching her.
âThanks Mike,â she grinned, taking a sip as if to make sure it was right. âPerfect as always.â
âYou always say that Val.â
âAnd I always mean it.â She departed with a wink, intending on thanking her man for the sweet gesture.
Mindful of the drink in her hand, she crossed the room, pushing through the bodies packed in around her, until finally she reached Everett, who was still trying to give DeMarco some of his attention.
âBenny,â she placed a hand on his back to catch his attention. The way his shoulder blades seemed more pronounced was not lost on her. âMind if I join you boys?â
âCugine!â He crowed, throwing an arm over her shoulder. âWe were just talking about you!â
Her eyebrow raised as if to ask what about, when Everett seemed to realize he had in fact missed an entire conversation about his girlfriend because he was too busy staring at her from across the room.
âIâm almost afraid to ask, BenâŚâ
âI was telling Blakely all about your secret letters in code.â
âI didnât write letters in code, stunadâŚâ
âAnyway,â Benny waved his hand as if to clear the air. âLooks like you want a minute, so Iâm going to take this fella for a walk. Câmon Meatball!â
Once Benny was out of earshot, Ev had her in his arms, lips pressed to her ear so only she could hear him. She was shivering before he even said a word, the warm breath fanning over her cheek as she waited for him to do something. Anything.
âEverettâŚâ
âI feel stupid,â he murmured, lips brushing the shell of her ear. âSo, so stupid⌠like a fool in love.â
âHoney?â
âWhy do you make me grin like a spineless fool whenever Iâm around you?â
âOhâŚâ
âYou,â he wrapped his arm around her tighter, until she was flush against his body. âHave all this power over me, did you know that?â
âI think youâll find that youâre the one with all the power, Major.â She blinked up at him, lashes fluttering against her cheek
âAre we back to formalities?â He looked down at her, his left hand coming up to take the glass from her right hand, and carefully place it on the bar.
âDependsâŚâ
âOn what?â
âOn whether youâre going to use some of that power or not.â
âJesusâŚâ he groaned, pressing his face into the soft curve of her neck, teeth grazing her pulse with enough force to leave her breathless.
He turned her in his arms, her back now pressed to his front, and guided her through the crowd in the club, towards the dance floor. To her, it was like the first time, every time. Being in his arms, safe, protected and loved, was Valâs favorite place.
John Brady, who had decided to jump in with the band for old times sake, clocked the two of them and mumbled something quick to the conductor, giving Everett a thumbs up before going back to his sheet music. As the music slowed, Val found herself being swayed gently, secure in her manâs arms.
âYou all caught up with Curt?â
âOh, hardly,â she giggled. âMostly talked about going home.â
âI have a feeling weâll be there sooner than we think.â
âYea?â
âAbsolutely, things are looking up.â
âAre youâŚare you excited to go home?â
âWith you,â he grinned, and pressed his nose to hers. âAbsolutely I am.â
âWell, what about your home?â
âI mean, we can take a trip out to visit, but there's nothing left in Walla Walla for me, honey.â
âOhâŚâ
âThereâs some things of mine in the house Iâd like, but otherwise, my life is with you now. Ma knows that.â
âI donâtâŚâ
âDonât what?â
âI donât want her to think Iâm taking her son away.â
âCome here, sweetheart,â he tugged her closer, the hand on her waist sliding up her back. âI promise she doesnât think that.
âShe doesnât?â
âShe wants to come see us in New York as soon as we get back. She wants to meet you, and your Ma. Wants to see everyone and everything.â
âMy mother is pretty keen on meeting yours too.â
âHer last letter said, and I quote âEverett Ernest, if I get there and she isnât wearing a ring, god help youâ.â
âShe did not!â
âShe canât wait to meet her daughter in-law.â He grinned, pinching her chin softly.
âSheâs always been sweet in her letters to me.â
âCause she already loves you,â he soothed her, his hand coming up to rest on her neck, thumb grazing over her cheek. âSweetheart, itâs hard not to love you. Youâre something amazing.â
âEvâŚâ
âWeâre going home soon. I promise, weâre going home soon.â
Rosie & Jo
17. "you.. you're a dream."
21. a sigh of release when they're finally in your arms like they longed for it all day !!!!!
Jo had just gotten baby Crosby to settle. After an hour of Jean rocking him, Jo had taken over to give her friend a break, the exhaustion on her face bordering on frustration and sadness, at her sonâs feeble cries. Shushing him softly, Jo placed him in his bassinet before flicking on the small night light that Mrs. Rosenthal had gifted the baby, tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door open a crack, and made her way back downstairs to join Jean. She found her friend on the sofa, two cocktails in front of her on the coffee table, and the radio playing softly.
âRough day?â Jo joked, coming to sit beside her.
âHeâs his fatherâs son alrightâŚâ Jean huffed out a deep breath.
âFussy?â
âHeâs particular,â Jean rolled her eyes, passing one of the glasses to Jo. âThank you for helping with putting him down, I thought my arms were going to fall off.â
âOh, stop that, Iâm happy to help for as long as you need it, I love that little boy.â
âHe loves his Aunt Jo too.â
The pair remained on the sofa for some time, leisurely sipping their drinks and humming along to the radio. Time passed comfortably for them, and when Jo suggested a snack, Jeanâs eyes lit up because she knew exactly what Jo was going into the kitchen to get. Mrs. Harrisâ famed chocolate chip cookies. Standing from the couch, Jo made her way into the kitchen just as someone knocked on the front door.
âJust bring the tupperware, Jo!â Jean called out to her. âIâll get the door.â
âItâs probably that grouch from next door,â Jo mumbled as she wandered into the kitchen. âShe canât stand the baby crying and now sheâs come to tell you to quiet him down.â
Pulling open the ice box, Jo retrieved the tupperware of cookies from her mother. She couldn't hear Jean talking to anyone, and quickly made her way back towards the front of the house to find out what was going on.
âJean? Whoâs at the door?â
âJo⌠put those down and come here.â Her friendâs voice was muffled from the foyer, and so she quickly dropped the cookies on the coffee table to join her.
âYou sound like youâve seen a ghost,â Jo turned to join her at the door. âWhoâs hereâŚoh!â
She knew this boy. Knew his curls, blue eyes, and bright smile. But it couldnât be; not her Robbie, looking the same but older somehow and standing at their door. Behind him, she could see Harry Crosby in that same pressed uniform as when he came home on that four week leave all those months ago, giving her a gentle wave.
âHi, honey pieâŚâ
âRobbie!â Jo gasped, hand coming to cover her mouth, eyes filling with tears. Rosie smiled, taking a slight step forward to capture her free hand in his.
âIâm home, sweetheart.â
She was in his arms in a flash, nose buried against his neck, arms wrapped around him tightly. Years of missing him, days spent trying to occupy her mind, nights curled under the blankets worrying while staving off tears, now over. He was home, and he was holding her the way she had longed to be held since the day she said goodbye to him on the platform of Grand Central. The scratch of his uniform against her cheek felt the same, his hands burning hot through her blouse and he tugged her infinitely closer on the doorstep. She hadnât realized that she was crying until she heard Rosieâs quiet soothing, his hand rubbing up and down between her shoulder blades as big, fat crocodile tears splashed from her eyes to his shoulder, her quiet sobs (she hoped) muffled by his body.
âAre you⌠youâre a dreamâŚâ
âNot a dream, honey,â he huffed out a laugh. âIâm very real.â
âIâm sorry, I just⌠I canât believe youâre finally home!â
âWeâve been wishing for this havenât we,â he murmured lowly, pressing his lips softly into her hair. âWishing for it all to be over.â
âItâs really over,â she sighed in relief, Rosie gingerly pulling her face from where she was hiding so that he could see her clearly. âOh, Iâm a mess, Robbie, no.â
âYouâre beautiful, my sweet girl.â He beamed, thumb and index finger cradling her chin.
Neither of them had noticed Harry and Jean slipping back into the house, or that they were now alone in the foyer of the Crosby home, but it wasnât something either cared to remedy at that moment. Love letters had brought them to this moment, and now there was nothing blocking the way for them. They had survived quite possibly the most difficult part of their relationship- the part that wasnât much of a relationship, but a sweet courtship leading them to the good stuff.
âI have missed you, something terribleâŚâ Rosie sighed, arms still wrapped around her, yet holding her at a distance so he could take all of her in.
âJustâŚâ With a deep sigh, she fell back into his arms, holding him as tight as possible. Her head resting against his shoulder, fingers gently carding through the curls at the base of his neck, safe and content. âHold me a little longer, please.â
âHoney pie, Iâm never letting go.â He grinned, nose buried in her dark curls. âNever ever.â
#writing prompt#masters of the air#oc: josephine harris#love letters: Rosie & Jo#rosie rosenthal#Rosie & Jo#oc: valencia dirosano#eight to the bar: Blakely & Val#everett blakely#Ev & Val#Gina baker writes#mota fanfic
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The rain fight lingers between Will and Mike so much in season four. Thereâs an unspoken tension and caution even after Mike apologizes.
Mike had clearly taken notice of Willâs lack of interests in girls before. When El mentioned Will liking a girl, he seemed surprised, curious even? He tries to subtly bring it up at the airport but Will quickly dismisses it. Mike gets a weird expression on his face like he regrets bringing it up. Was he reminded of their fight? Does he think Will took what he said to heart and found a girl to like because of it? Mike doesnât bring up Willâs crush again the entire time theyâre together because itâs a sensitive topic for both of them.
Mike accuses Will of being a douche to El the same way he did in their previous fight. When Will flips it back on Mike not paying attention to him, Mike tries to end it there because he can feel everything unspoken bubbling back up. He doesnât want another tear in their friendship after everything.
Will doesnât back down, though. The worst has already happened. He puts everything theyâre avoiding out in the open because he just wants to know why Mike keeps pushing him away. While Will only mentions the lack of calls, they both know the real thing tearing them apart. Mikeâs disinterest in Will the previous summer is what made Will feel like he didnât care. When exactly did they used to be best friends? It wasnât right before Will moved, it was before the rain fight. Thatâs where the true push and pull began.
At this point, Mike hadnât apologized yet. Will was looking intently at Mike until he brought up old fights with El. He feels uncomfortable at the mention of Mike fighting with someone. Is he remembering the two fights they had? The more âadultâ fight they had in the rain about growing up?
Mike is fidgeting with his hands and seems very nervous to bring up El around Will. The last time he talked about relationship problems, Will was very dismissive and annoyed. Mike was scared they would have the same constant bickering again. This time, Will reacts softly with advice which surprises Mike. He has a strange expression like that wasnât the reaction he was expecting (another explanation of this here). Maybe heâs thinking about how much Will has changed? Maybe he feels guilty for being the catalyst of that changeâŚ
After that interaction went smoothly, Mike goes to apologize to Will. Will is surprised when Mike says he didnât deserve any bad treatment. There it is again, the unspoken tension.
Mike goes on to say that worrying about El made him lose Will. He seemed much more worried about Will at Rink-O-Mania, though? He noticed Will acting upset but didnât notice El acting the same way. Oh but itâs just about the calls, right? Nope. Mike tried to call many times. So when was this worrying happening? The previous summer. He started losing Will after their big fight in the rain, not when he couldnât reach Will over the phone. Thatâs what heâs referring to here. Mike was so preoccupied with his relationship with El that he couldnât balance his friendship with Will.
With their friendship slotting back into place, Will decides to bring up DnD. Mike looks away, preoccupied and disinterested. Will gets quiet and tries to talk about the only thing that seems to keep Mikeâs attention: El. Why would he think this? The rain is still in the back of his mind.
Mike rambles about his insecurities and when he finally looks over, itâs Willâs turn to seem disinterested. Mike backs down and apologizes for worrying about âstupidâ things. Heâs thinking about their bickering from that summer again. Even though Will has shown a changed mindset, Mike is still wary about asking Will for relationship advice. Will is just glad that Mike is actually talking to him after months of silence and uncertainty. Will constantly shifts the topic to El even when Mike doesnât mention her. Theyâre both trying to keep each others attention without starting another fight.
Constant reminders of that summer linger between them because they havenât really talked about it yet. Will avoids âchildishâ topics like DnD while Mike avoids bringing up El too much. Theyâre trying everything they can to prevent another rain fight.
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Haddie Harrington Pt. 8
|part 1|Â |part 2|Â |part 3|Â |part 4| part 5 | part 6| |part 7|
He felt his work was done.Â
Standing back on solid ground, everything around him looked the same as in the Upside down, but a bit more alive, a bit more aflame. So much has happened so fast; being trapped by the hive mind in the stairway of the Creel house, being released and seeing Vecna, the Molotov Cocktails, the reverb of Nancyâs shotgun, Vecna falling to oblivion, the chimes.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
Four chimes. Four lives. The beginning of the end.Â
At least they made it out alive.
Most of them.
Eddie Munson, the misfit, the freak of Hawkins, and alleged murder, hadn't made it. He fought one hell of a battle, Metallica and all, but he had taken his last breath surrounded by his friends and the real monsters responsible for all this. Not him.
Steve tried ,hell, did he try to think of every way to get the boyâs limp body back to Hawkins, if only for Dustinâs sake, but there was no way.
Caressing the back of the teens head against his shoulder, suppressing his sobs, he made a bunch of false promises. Anything to see his best friend happy again.Â
âWeâre ok, he didnât die in vain, weâre safe, Vecnaâs gone, we defeated him, weâll find a way to close the gates again, you tell his uncle the truth, weâll never forget him, El and Mike and Will and everyone will be alright. Weâre safe.â
He said it with such confidence, and yet, he didnât know if anything he had said was true. Or ever would be.
âMax,â it was a whisper from Nancy, and he couldnât help but wonder if Vecna had succeeded in his curse. What had happened on the other side. Was Max really ok? Was she safe? Were you safe?
Thatâs the moment when he felt his chest tighten, his heart beat a mile a minute, the first time he was nervous, scared, in all of this. It wasnât seeing Vecna, the scaly, slimy, humanoid dark wizard, it wasnât nearly losing his breath as the vines tightened around his neck, or when he saw the same happen to Nancy and Robin. None of that scared him. But the fact that he didnât know what happened on the other side, if you were safe, if you were alive, that left him feeling like a knife had been plunged in his heart and twisted.
âWeâve got to go. NOW!â The panic in his eyes didnât go unnoticed by any of them, and yet still he found himself carrying all the extra weight for them, hurrying them back through the glowing red portal, trying to process the rips in the Earth as they sped across town to the park, the Creel house, looking for answers. Hoping to have his worst fear denied.
Though he fought hard against it, you said youâd be the one to stay behind with the kids in actual Hawkins, to protect Max and Lucas and Erica the way Steve protected Dustin and Nancy and Robin. Though it wasnât the same, not really.Â
But who said he always had to be the protector?
He knew he should have fought you harder. To stay with him, fight by his side.
You were safe but just barely.
Steve went rigid, frozen in his spot when he laid eyes upon the scene sprawled out on the floor of the Creel House, illuminated in a sickenly calming blue glow. Lucas was sobbing, holding Max in his arms. Max, a scene out of a horror movie, eyes foggy, glazed over, drips of blood like Carrie starting at her eyes and dripping down her cheeks, as if she was crying blood. She was crying, whimpering, her limbs broken at odd angles that werenât humanly possible. And yet she was breathing, she was talking, and though Vecna had been successful with completing his four curses to open the literal gates to Hell, he hadnât succeed in taking everyone away from the party.Â
Gruesome though it was, hopeless though it seemed, the ambulance was on the way, the distant wails of the siren growing louder, though he knew the crews were being dispatched all around town.Â
And suddenly, when they needed him most, there Steve stood frozen.
Dustin raced over to them both, grasping Maxâs other hand in his and taking care of her, helping to keep her comfortable as they could do nothing more than wait. He cried harder when Lucas continued to tremble. Robin hugged Erica in the corner, reassuring her everything was ok and Erica just quietly accepting the comfort.
He felt her hand on his shoulder, a quiet sign asking if he was ok. Nancyâs voice barely above a whisper as she asked it out loud, hoping maybe heâd respond to that.
âSteve.â It was a squeak, a whisper falling from your lips. You sat on the ground not far away from the kids, needing the wall to support you. The commotion, the voices of the others, knowing they were ok and they were here, was enough to give you strength to open your eyes. He looked at you, finally, with a face so horror-striken and panicked you knew you must have looked as awful as you felt. You kept your hand pressed to your side, every deep breath in aching your ribs, which were most likely broken. All you smelled was the metallic sting of blood, caked all over your face from you bloody, broken nose and the other cuts littered everywhere. Besides the broken ribs and the broken nose, your ankle had twisted in a way that only gave you any comfort when you werenât on it.
âSteve,â you breathed again, hopeful this time, a quiet pleading in your voice for him to come to your side. You wanted to hug him, kiss him, you wanted him and the warmth that radiated from his chest like sunshineâŚ
And he had just looked at you; exhausted, scared, and frozen to his spot, as you were slowly slipping away, the seconds tick, tick ticking towards their end. The kids all turned to him, yelling with tears in their eyes for him to do something. Because he always knew what to do.Â
And this was the second time in 24 hours he did not have an answer. Or a truthful one at that.
He failed.
It was all becoming too much. Lightheaded, dizzy, nauseous; it hit im all at once. Until then heâd enough adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream to ignore the pain he felt from his own sustained injuries. Injuries he wanted to forget, to fight against the sting to scoop you up in his arms, but by the time something in him finally snapped, clicking into place and he took long strides over to you, it was the pain again that stopped him. Crouching down hurt, the phantom feeling of the bat tail snaked around his throat and closing in on his windpipe. He took a sharp intake of breathe to fight the lightening sting coursing from his arm down to his ribs when he reached out to run a thumb over the apple of your cheeks. Hot to the touch, read and puffy and tears brimming your lash line.
It was in that moment, in that touch, that peace found you at last. It took all the energy left in you to bring that smile to your face, reaching all the way up to your eyes when they locked on his.Â
âSteve.â It was a slight promise, the final one that he realized he couldnât keep.
And he watched, hopeless, as your eyes fluttered closed.Â
The next minutes were frantic. Robin, Dustin, and Steve worked on getting you down into the backseat of his BMW while Nancy stayed with the others until the ambulance and EMT workers came to load Max onto a stretcher. Red and blue lights flashed in the review mirror, Steveâs own heart beating louder than the sirens passing by and god, how he wished he could be cradling you in the backseat rather than pressing the pedal to the floor. His gaze was blurry, unsteadily shifting from the road ahead to your reflection in the back. He told himself you were just asleep, that youâd endured too much but everything would be alright with some rest. He sped across town, through traffic lights and stop signs, carrying your body inside and beginning for help.
He watched them take your body to a room, the hospital overflowing with patients needing assistance after the town was shaken and spilt in four. There wasnât any time to think about the ther casualties that existed out there. The only thought in Steveâs head, nagging at him over and over again as he paced a tred in the linolime floor, wanting to looking away but unable to as the nurses worked to find a room and they started healing you behind curtains, was why? Why did you freeze? Why couldnât you move? Why couldnât you have done better? Was it enough? Where you going to be ok?
Please be ok.
----
Everyday, like clockwork, the routine was the same. Wake up, freshen up quickly, wait for Sinclair (this usually took about 3 or 4 honks of the horn which were immediately followed by the annoyed stare of his neighbor, Mrs. McNeal for having her quiet morning interrupted, but soon he grew to love even that part of his day) and drive over to the hospital. Lucas took books in to read to Max during her recovery and Steve shuffled into your room, a black coffee in hand and one for you everyday. He didnât care if they went untouched. One day, he knew, itâd be drunk. For him, it was the caffeine that helped him stay awake.
And sometimes thereâd be an odd assortment of the party shuffled in the backseat of that BMW to visit, always looking forward to the extra company on those days because it was the days he sat opposite you, alone with his thoughts, that were the worst.
All he could do now was be there for the kids, for you, but heâd never forget how he just stood there watching you weakly. Or how he couldnât do anything to say Eddie, and in turn say Dustin. And Max. And every move he took when trying to get comfortable in the chair at your bedside, only reminding him of the welts now turning into disgusting scars, and reminding him of all that everyone had to go through to come up defeated.
Thankfully, you werenât out for long, a few days, a week at most, but it felt like years. The doctors said your recovery time was remarkably fast, but now that you were up youâd be ready to go home in a few days, back to normal in a few more, cuts and ribs healed.
And the way you looked at him when you opened yours eyes could have been enough for him to get past all the hurt, but it was your question that broke him.
âHi Stevie, did we win?â
Not having the heart to tell you of who youâd lost, the fact that Vecna could still be out there (a fact overlooked by all), he answered the only way he knew how.
Grabbing your hand carefully, thumb brushing over the back of yours, he forced a smile. Relieved. âYeah, we did.â
It was the last lie he was willing to tell. It was another promise made because what else was Steve Harrington supposed to do than be the hero and promise the world to everyone he loved?Â
Lately, his promises werenât as strong as they once were.
Every hero has a moment of doubt, a head to head battle with cowardice personified.Â
And it was the hardest battle of all.
Everywhere he looked was a reminder of his failures and broken promises.Â
And looking at you was near impossible.
Though you were in no state to go with him, he thought about asking you to come when he had made up his mind. One last attempt at righting things. But he didnât ask you to come because he knew you never would. Never leave home, never leave your family, never leave your friends who turned into family, never give up everything good you had just to be a coward like him and run away from everything.Â
So he packed up his car with a few essentials and left without goodbyes because goodbyes would have been harder. Would have made it impossible.Â
And he chased the open road, trying to simultaneously find the next thing in his life to make his purpose and run away from, forget the one promise he made that he cared about keeping so much it broke him when he couldnât.
#stranger things fic#stranger things imagine#stranger things#stranger things fanfiction#stranger things imagines#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington fluff#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington#steve harrington and robin buckley#steve harrington fic#dad!steve harrington
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Happy Birth to Mike! and a tiny (almost 2k) ficlet to celebrate :D
The apartment was darker and colder than usual. Or at least it felt like it at the moment: Mike sitting at his tiny kitchen table, barely big enough to fit two plates, and one single ray of sunshine reflecting on the picture frame placed on a table near the front door.
The picture was one of the Party, taken one day after graduation in the Byersâ new home in Hawkins.
Mike stared at it for a long moment, not even able to make out the faces from the distance but knowing exactly what it looked like anyway. He liked to look at it whenever he left the house or came back home. It was nice to know that the five most important people in his life were only a phone call away.
The phone had rung a total of three times today, which was more and less than Mike expected at the same time.
Joyceâs call just before she had been off to work in the morning had been a nice surprise. Even Hopperâs grumbling in the background, most likely still half asleep and craving his coffee, had only made Mike smile and then laugh when Joyce joked about Hopper loving his morning coffee more than her.
Nancy calling was always fifty/fifty. There had been last year when she had been drowned in paperwork the entire week and only remembered a month later that she completely missed the date. She had come to visit him as an apology, even though Mike had told her it was fine. This time she called, as usual during entirely unpredictable times like four in the morning, while being incredibly hurried and letting him know that there will be mail coming sometime this week, letâs hope they donât lose it again.
His mother had called sometime around lunch when Mike had been at work. She left a nice message on the answering machine, hoping he has a wonderful day and telling him about her womenâs club meeting in the afternoon and who knows how long it will take this time, Dorothy knows how to talk the whole night if she wants to which was a subtle way of telling him that he wonât catch her if he called back. He did anyway and got Holly on the phone. She had been all too excited to talk to him, and he made a mental note to call more often if only to hear all about the newest elementary school gossip.
It seemed that his mother had kept her promise of not giving his number to any other relatives that might attack his phone line and would expect him to act polite while they talked about their problems and made underhanded jabs at him when they forgot that they were talking to him and not his mother. Not even good old Loren managed to get through, notorious for stealing at least two hours of your precious time and calling every five minutes until you picked up because she forgot to tell you about my neighborâs dog, Henry, do you remember Henry?
Five other calls had arrived sporadically throughout the last month, all disappointing to various degrees but all equally dampening his mood.
The first had been Max. Since Mike couldnât come to Hawkins like he had done the previous two years and her mother had just suffered a minor health scare, she wouldnât be able to make the trip. Mike told her it was fine and that he hoped her mom was going to make a quick recovery and used the opportunity to open a bottle of wine a few hours after their call.
Lucas had been next, quite predictably, because he had decided to be the amazing person that he is, and went home to see his parents to subtly support Max and her mother. He wasnât subtle at all but Mike was sure Lucas was well aware of the fact without his input.
Dustin had followed only a few days after Lucas, talking about this big project his favorite teacher had offered him and how it was an opportunity he couldnât miss. Mike told him that he understood and wished him good luck which Dustin won't need anyway.
El hadnât quite mentioned a reason when she called, only that she was really sorry and would try to make up for it the next time they saw each other. Then she wished him a good time with Will and hung up before Mike could ask any questions.
Will had told him last week even though Mike visited him for his birthday two weeks ago. Apparently, some big art project would keep him in New York for the near future. When he talked about it, Mike had been so proud of him because it sounded like a really big deal and Will had sounded nervous about it, like he usually got about his art. Mike would have felt awful to even consider asking him to come anyway, even though Will asked and made it quite clear that he would drop everything, you just have to say a word, Mike. Promise youâre not just saying it? Are you sure? Ok, I still really wish I could come. See you as soon as possible.
Mikeâs eyes wandered from the framed picture back toward the table and the bowl of cereal in front of him. At this point, it was soggy and looked entirely unappetizing. Somehow, cereal only tasted good in the morning. It was too sweet and slimy any other time of day, especially if the cereal-milk ratio was completely out of order because of Mikeâs embarrassingly empty fridge and pantry. One would think that with a grocery store just around the corner, having a decently stocked fridge wouldnât be that hard.
Breakfast for dinner, Mike thought to himself and chuckled at his own dumb joke. Iâm pretty sure cereal usually doesnât count as breakfast for dinner, Mike. Probably not. The thought still looped around in his head for a full minute.
In the end, Mike didnât eat the cereal. It looked more like soup at this point anyway.
Mike had just put the freshly rinsed bowl back into the cupboard when a knock on his door made him startle bad enough that he almost threw the spoon out of the window. Which would have been less than ideal because Mike only had five spoons to begin with (donât ask what happened to the other five; and if you do, ask Dustin) and three of them were weirdly bent out of shape.
More knocking sounded throughout the quiet apartment while Mike carefully placed the piece of cutlery onto the counter and turned toward the door. If someone knocked, it usually was one of his neighbors. Which meant it was either someone asking for eggs or flour or something of the sort, which Mike didn't even have (see exhibit a: the saddest birthday dinner known to man), or Mr. Baggins from the second floor who, despite his very awesome last name, was mostly annoying and looking for a strong young man to help me with this box I just got in the mail. I donât even remember what I bought, ha!
Mike could live without another two-hour endeavor and endless chatting but judging by the third round of knocks it would be something he wonât be able to escape tonight.
With a sigh entirely too dramatic but warranted---because Mike already had a really exhausting day at work with lots of customers that all had something to complain about and children with extra wishes ranging from no tomatoes please to demanding he went and bought a specific brand of bottled water for them just because they didn't like the taste of anything else. Frankly, Mike thought he didn't get paid enough for this, and since all his coworkers agreed with him, he must be right---he made his way over to the door and opened it without much hesitation to just get it over with.
Instead of Mr. Baggins, who really didnât deserve his name, Mike was greeted by five familiar faces, grinning expressions, and an assortment of snacks and drinks distributed more or less equally between all of them.
For a second, nothing happened. It was almost as if the rest of the Party didnât expect him to open the door so soon or at all and Mike wasnât sure what to do with the unexpected company when he had planned on accompanying a better Mr. Baggins on his quest and going to bed early.
Before Mike could question anything, his arms were full of El who squeezed the air out of his lungs, pressed a kiss against his cheek, and wished him an enthusiastic happy birthday while expertly pushing him back into his apartment and clearing the doorway for the others. There surely was an explanation why she only carried a single package of potato chips that he would be sure to hear within the next few hours.
Dustin, with his arms full enough that Mike wondered how he hadnât left a trail of snacks in the hallway, bumped their shoulders together and echoed Elâs words before following her and dumping the food onto the couch.
Lucas was sensible enough to transfer his charge onto one arm to give Mike one side hug and ruffle his hair while he was at it. Mike finally gained enough brain cells to splutter and bat his hand away, which only made Lucas laugh before he joined the other two who already managed to start bickering about the best way to arrange the snacks.
Max, cane in hand and backpack on her back, made a show out of hitting him with her cane a few times before pulling him into a tight hug. She grinned at him, told him that he was way too naĂŻve sometimes but not to worry, they would only tease him about it for the rest of his life.
Last was Will, looking a little sheepish but highly amused while he closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes at the entrance. He put his backpack down and pulled Mike into a hug without pausing or explaining anything.
Mike wrapped his own arms around Will, breathing in the familiar scent of his shampoo and relaxing with the boyfriend-shaped human in his arms. The confusion from earlier and disappointment of the last month gave way to a quiet calm that always accompanied Willâs comforting presence. With the Party chattering in the background, Mike couldnât have imagined any other place he would rather be than right here in Willâs arms.
âYou didnât think we would leave you all alone on your birthday, right?â Willâs voice was muffled because his face was buried into Mikeâs sweater and Mike thought it was the best sound in the world because it meant that Will was close and here and not all the way in New York.
âYou were very convincing,â Mike mumbled, tightening his hold on Will and pulling him even closer. Will did the same, one hand resting at the back of Mikeâs head and the other rubbing circles into his back as if he could sense the stinging in Mikeâs eyes.
âWill! Stop hogging the birthday boy!â Dustinâs voice was way too loud for the thin walls of Mikeâs apartment but he chuckled anyway. They pulled away and Will pressed a firm kiss to Mikeâs lips.
âHappy Birthday, Mike. Love you.â
âI love you, too.â
#yay! I managed to do something after all!#I was already pretty sure I wouldn't write anything for Mike's birthday :(#but I did!#this whole idea came to me bc I was planning on eating cereal for dinner tonight#(I didn't but I also think my cereal is a little different from typical American cereal so it wouldn't have been as sad as Mike's anyway)#but then I had the breakfast for dinner phrase stuck in my head so yeah. this happened#anyway happy birthday to Mike! he's my favorite and deserves a nice birthday even through I only wrote the sadder part of it oops#also Holly crumbs! she's always in my fics somehow#also my brain had some problems with english today which might explain anything weird you might come across in this#byler#stranger things#mike wheeler#writing#byler fanfic
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The Grid Unravels
Jim was in a bad mood, it was his birthday and at fifty-five heâd have enough of those. Once heâd wanted to be a general or an astronaut, but for twenty years heâd gone to work at the same hydro plant. His wonderful boyhood ambitions had decayed away.
He had decided because it was his birthday to order lunch, fresh Mex, for his guys. It came to the plant in a brown paper bag with a red logo silk-screened on the side. He ordered a sofrito burrito, his usual. When he first started ordering that he was afraid the guys would ridicule him for going veggie, but they either didnât know or didnât care what sofrito was. He opened the bag in the break room and got the lunches out then folded it up to toss in the trash. He then noticed something strange. The bag was red and tan and the pattern on it was the same as before, but it was just a pattern, it didnât mean anything. He shrugged his shoulders. Bags were something food came in and thatâs all, the pattern on them didnât matter.
He walked into the control room. Ed and Sam were the operators on duty. Mike was going his rounds checking the switching gallery.
âI got your shit,â Jim told them.
His two employees went into the break room.
Sam bit into a carnitas burrito but after two bites stopped with a puzzled expression.
âWhatâs that on the wall?â Sam asked.
âItâs a poster,â Ed said.
âI know itâs a fucking poster, what does it fuck say?â
âSafety shit,â Ed said.
Jim looked at the poster. It was a piece of card stock with designs on it, there were no words. He looked around the break room and nowhere were there words, where words used to be there were patterns that looked the same but conveyed nothing. Mike came in clipboard in hand.
âMy handwritingâs messed up. These readings I took down donât make no sense,â he said. The clipboard clunked down on the table.
âOkay guys, lunch over, emergency shutdown time,â Jim told his crew.
âWhat?â Ed said. He was the lazy one.
âOur minds are going, none of us can fucking read. Thatâs why we shut down the plant. We got to assume that whatâs happening to us is happening everywhere. The last thing a bunch of idiots needs is 256 kilovolts.â As a boy, Jim had imagined his commands would save the day in a crisis. Now all he could do now was try to make the absolutely awful less bad.
âCall corporate first. I donât want to lose my job,â Mike said.
The man had worked for him for ten years, so Jim took out his phone and tried to comprehend the icons on the screen. Sam, not as badly affected, hit the virtual assistant icon so Jim could talk to it. Elmer Bloch, the VP of generation, was an older engineer, near retirement age, and as conventional as hell. Jim expected to be called names. Sam put the man on speaker.
âShut down Snowy Mountain Station One? Do what you want. I donât understand why you called me,â the vice president said and hung up without saying goodbye. Elmer had said the name of the station slowly like he wasn't sure what Jim was talking about.
âMan, that was weird, he didnât give a shit, weâd better do it,â Mike said.
In half an hour the plant was dead, though the shutdown was only carried out properly due to years of practice. By the time the shutdown procedure ended, the men no longer understood the power that had flowed through the network of busbars and cables. The contraction of Jimâs mental horizon no longer scared him. His awareness had become limited to what he could sense. The world around him seemed brighter and more vivid as abstract thought and imagination faded to shadowy memory. No longer capable of understanding his losses, Jim felt free. There was a beauty to the world Jim hadnât felt since childhood. A vine had intertwined itself with the cyclone fence around the switchyard. Jim picked one of its leaves and ate it. It tasted sharp.
The sky filled with smoke, but after some days it cleared. Inhuman now, even in appearance, the men sang when the stars returned. Edâs wife and kids showed up and played on the dead switchgear.
âStay here?â Edâs wife asked Jim. Speaking and comprehending speech had become progressively harder for all of them, but Jim understood her.
âSure,â Jim said.
A month later Jim and his crew sat in the shade of a transformer the eating squirrels Jim had killed with rocks and watched while the kids played, dangling from the wires. Words intruded into Jimâs head less and less. He was content. The power grid was now something beyond his imagination, the plant was just where he and his friends lived. As the sun set, they sang a poignant wordless song.
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