The Byler Fic Rec Post
Here are some byler fics that are in my bookmarks and I think everyone should read because I said so. I'm going to provide the fic description and share my thoughts on them a little bit too. Some of those are actually series so I'll specify when that's the case. The series word count is based on the fic that has more words in the series, not the total number of words. I'll keep updating this so if you want to come back later and check it out it might have new fics here.
take me anywhere, i don't care (i don't care) by Cherop (T, 3/3, 19k) - "At midnight on a chilly Friday night in September of 1988, The plan and it’s many backups finally culminates with a black eye, an old car, packed bags, and two boys who have loved each other for more than half of their lives." If you like the Smalltown Boy theory you will LOVE this one so much, it's incredibly well written and extremely in character too. They're already in a established relationship here. it makes me remember why I love the story of those two so much, it's heartbreaking but their love really tops anything. It got me BAWLING all the way through and it's definitely my all time favorite.
Promises Faithfully by blahruto (T, 1/1, 6k) - "It's almost time for Max and Lucas's wedding. Mike makes a promise." Established byler, such a nice dialogue feels very natural. They're talking about their future while making a gift for their friend's wedding. They're flirty as hell and cute and I had a lot of fun reading this one.
you're my angel, baby by boycattj (T, 9k) - Little series of established byler fics, there's only two at the moment but I think it might have more updates later on. Just nice and sweet byler in a relationship spending time together and having fun, makes me all giggly and shit really recommend it
a game of truths by RomeoWrites (G, 1/1, 22k) - "Mike and Will play a game of truths." Byler through the years told by all the times they played their little truth game it's so sweet y'all there's some miwi in it too and the ending is so beautiful, I love this author so much there's gonna be a bunch of their fics in here and I recommend checking everything out.
Snapshots by byliever (T, 40k) - "A series of one-shots detailing the married lives of Mike Wheeler and Will Byers as they raise their family, with plenty of glimpses at their own childhoods. Focuses on how childhood shapes who people grow up to be." The married byler fics of my dreams!!!! This is also a series and it already has 14 works and it's really good, they've been married for years here and have kids too and it's really sweet, deals with their traumas a little bit and everything is dealt beautifully through flashbacks and I love it so much please check it out some of them made me cry from how beautiful it is. Jonas and Maia already feel like the oficial byler kids for me idc.
Filling the Gaps by nfna118 (T/G, 44k) - "A collection of one-shots in a canon-compliant Byler universe" MIWI HEAVEN!!! Also a series, right now it has 17 works and it's SO GOOD. It goes through their lives since kindergarten until they're older and omg it's the sweetest thing, the dialogues are amazing i miss this one just thinking about it the miwi one's feels canon to me.
THE DARK MIRROR by sevensided (T/M, 100k) - "From Indiana to Anaidni, and across different times and dimensions, Mike and Will find each other." Another series and ok this is one is so canon compliant in some parts that is a little creepy, there's mad predictions of s4 here even tho it was posted before it dropped makes you wonder if it's not a stranger writer lurking there or something, it covers what happens in those 3 months before the byers move to california. So well written is insane got me crying like a baby at some parts and there's such a big surprise later on like wow and it's very slow burn I was dying reading this fr but it's soooooo good (not finished yet but read it anyway) also there's this big sequence of Mike trying to understand his sexuality that is just perfect and really fun to read. Also, this is the most historically accurate byler fic i've read so far, the author put so much effort in the details here is really nice. I stopped reading many times to get more information because there was lots of interesting stuff here.
nobody's ever loved me like you do by unidentifiedblackthorn (T, 11k) - STONER BYLER!!!! It's not really a series but it's in two parts and jfc it's one of the best fics I've read they're high, flirty as hell, no make out has ever been better written that this sorry y'all, it's too perfect. I love Mike's characterization in this, they also talk about important stuff and all but it's just so fun please read this one immediately.
belief in romantic clichés (holiday byler) by Cherop (T/G, 7k) - Another series it has 6 works already, basically holiday fics with byler getting together and being cute as hell really warms my heart give it a try is really really good.
if you kissed me now by astrobi (T, 1/1, 13k) - "Will Byers and the harrowing experience of being snowed in with your mom, your almost-stepdad, all of your friends, and your (kind of) (secret) boyfriend." Another established byler, they get stuck at home with all of their friends and some family members and they're in a secret relationship and kinda trying to hide it and enjoy their time together at the same time. Is very sweet and very fun love to see them being cute together as always. Also this author really have some bangers I recommend checking other works too bc they're all great.
now more RomeoWrites fics bc they slay
accidentally on purpose by RomeoWrites (G, 1/1, 5k) - "Mike accidentally kisses Will in front of everyone. But maybe that's not such a bad thing." established byler in a secret relationship my beloved!! it's a lot of fun and really sweet, their friendship here it's great too and it's just them being goofy and having great friends.
the boyfriend problem by RomeoWrites (G, 1/1, 15k) - "Ted Wheeler thinks Mike has been dating Will since they were twelve-years-old. And Mike doesn’t know quite what to do with that information. Until he does." I was reading a discussion here this week about how funny it would be if Ted Wheeler was not actually homophobic and has been thinking that Mike and Will were dating this whole time and I remembered this MASTERPIECE of a fic. Is hilarious and this idea is so well explored here, the dialogues feels very natural and it goes through many moments in their lives. One of my favorites for sure.
a jonathan byers pep talk by RomeoWrites (G, 1/1, 5k) - "Mike experiences a classic Jonathan Byers Pep Talk - one that helps him in more ways than he could have imagined." SWEET!!! yes I love established byler how did you notice? Jonathan and Mike talk about his relationship with Will, their childhood and Mike's own struggles too and it's so nicely written and the dialogue is so natural ugh just read it's super cute Jonathan being a great big brother as always.
my life begins and ends with you by RomeoWrites (G, 1/1, 10k) - basically a s4 fix it and it's the best one out there in my opinion, Will confronts him and they fight a lot, there's some jealous Mike in it, but they love each other so much and the ending is so beautiful I loved it
i'll kidnap all the stars (and i will keep them in your eyes) by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy) (G, 1/1, 6k) - mike takes Will to stargaze in a field, it talks a little bit about Mike's depression and how Will reacted after finding out about the quarry incident, their friendship is everything will is so down bad I love it.
i hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this). by burgundyshirts (T, 3/3, 16k) - "five times Mike kissed Will, and one time Will kissed back." Ok this one is insanely good I'm serious just read it just do it is very fun and very sweet and there's a plot twist in the end definitely one of my favorites.
i'm tearing you asunder by smoosnoom (moonsooms) (T, 1/1, 21k) - "The world ends, and then some. Mike and Will find each other again, amidst the debris and distance." A beautiful fix-it for s4, there's so much tension in the beginning here and we get to see them rebuilding their friendship while Mike is trying to make up to Will for his mistakes. It's very sweet and really in character too, I highly recommend other fics from this author they have so many other great ones everyone should take a look.
come back to me and forgive everything by dragons_like_smores (T, 18/18, 78k) - "Will spends every July at Lonnie’s due to his parents’ custody agreement from their divorce. Fueled by a heartsickness that he doesn’t quite have a name for yet, Mike does his best to make things better." I loved the concept of this one, everything is based around this idea of Lonnie having shared custody and how this affects both Will and Mike. They fight a little bit, forgive each other, communicate, learn how to treat each other more fairly too is very nice. Mike is a sad wet cat in this one he's sooo pathetic I love him, one of the rare fics where he doesn't have internalized homophobia enough to kill 10 men.
Heavy Hopes by beansie (5/5, 44k) - "Mike walks in on his roommate making out with another guy, and gets really upset about it. For all of the normal, straight reasons." College byler living together, Mike having some realizations about himself (he's very slow ok but he gets there), I really love the characterization in this one and is SO FUN to read, is in Mike's pov and he is a disaster💀 usually I don't enjoy bi mike fics bc it's not my headcanon but this one stands out so pls read it.
corollary by smoosnoom (moonsooms) (T, 1/1, 4k) - " Mike proposes a sleepover. Unsurprisingly, no sleeping is done." Some silly cute byler talking instead of sleeping, is one of those you read quickly but sticks with you bc of how sweet it is <3
a real fucking legacy, to leave by andiwriteordie (T,9/11, 98k) - "The story of how Mike loses Will and finds him again." This one has a different premise from all the others I've read until now. It actually starts with byler getting into a relationship right before the events of s1 and it follows from there. It's canon compliant but with this new perspective and it is really really interesting. There's so much angst later on it's unbelievable and lots of Mike's internalized homophobia and homophobic comments/ideas from that time getting in the way of his and Will's happiness. There's such an interesting look into this too i've never seen anyone dive deep into how the homophobia of the time could affect them in the way this fic does it's very original. They're like 14 in the beginning but there are lots of miwi vibes so in my head this is miwi idc. Fans of the theory that Mike and Will already had something going on before s3 this one is for you!!!! It's not completed, unfortunately. So, read it if you don't mind too much, but it's left on a bitter note, and I don't know if the author will go back to it :(
a traveler to polaris by miketozier (smallcuts) (T, 2/2, 23k) - "Will is leaving Hawkins. Mike tries to figure out how to accept that." Will announces to his friends that he is leaving Hawkins, it happens in that litte time skip that happened in s3. There's so much tension here, their friendship is in pieces in the beginning but slowly they come back to each other.
Teal Streaked Ribbons by GardenFairie (T, 2/2, 17k) - Will and Mike are together and want to move on in their relationship, but Will's past and trauma won't let him. This talks about some delicate topics related to sex and sexual abuse and everything is treated in a very smart and respectful way but beware in case you feel uncomfortable with those topics. Is very beautiful the way this author writes their relationship here, is all in a very mature way and the way Will learns to deal with his trauma is very realistic.
poor old jim's white as a ghost (he's found the answer that we lost) by AttaboyLuther (T, 4/4, 19K) - "Mike and Will fall in love, told through the perspective of one Chief Hopper" this one is soooo fun to read!! Hopper seeing byler through the years and trying to figure out what's going on with them. Also is very sweet the way he connects with Will in this one.
afterimage by ratherbeyouthful (T, 1/1, 17K) - "Mike’s struggle to accept that he should pursue what makes him happy, i.e. Will, and Will’s refusal to let Mike slip by him no matter how hard he tries." Older byler they're like 26 in this. They've been living together for years now and are invited to their siblings wedding and Mike recently realized he has been in love with Will all along but doesn't know that Will loves him back. Now he's super sad about it while trying to deal with this supposedly unrequited love and trying to pull away from his loved one's but Will won't let him. Is very interesting to see Mike being the idiot who thinks Will doesn't love him back and idk how to explain there's just a mood to this one that is different from any other fic i've read.
It's just wrong enough to make it feel right by alyb97 (T, 1/1, 15K) - "5 times where Mike realizes he feels differently about Will, and 1 time he can finally act on it." Mike figuring things out about himself and the world while asking Will to marry him using a Ring Pop and watching Fast Times. Very sweet there's lots of miwi in the beggining and Will and Mike mlm/mlm solidarity hating to see naked woman in movies.
Sick of Meaning (I Just Want to hold you) by SuzieBurself (T, 1/1, 27K) - "The party decides to get drunk and Mike takes it too far. With tension between him and Will, awkwardness with Eleven, and a terrible secret, the night just keeps getting worse and worse for Mike until eventually, he can no longer take the truth." Best way I can describe this fic is CRYING, SCREAMING, THROWING UP, PASSING OUT because it's pure CHAOS all over the place and it's perfect. Mike is a sad wet cat and absolutely down bad horrendously. The dialogue is amazing. There's jealous Mike, gay Mike, lesbian El, mlm wlw beef/solidarity and I really like the perspective about Mike's sexuality and relationship with El here.
any semblance of touch (M, 1/1, 8K) - "Mike’s still new to this whole smoking thing. Will has a few ideas." STONER BYLER!!! Classic Mike and Will smoke together for the first time and Will teaches Mike how to shotgun and they get kinda crazy fic. The writing here is amazing is so descriptive and the author really knows how to set the mood and the way their feelings are expressed here is so good and so intense you can feel the tension while you read it.
I’m a Wreck (Without You Here) by @oldfashionedmorphine (M, 20/?, 116K) - "Mike has been living 2,200 miles away from his family and hometown for the past fourteen years. He rarely visits, but when he receives heartbreaking news, he’s forced to return home for a funeral. It’s in this unfortunate chapter of life that Mike must come to terms with the consequences of abruptly running away from home and perhaps reconnect with the one person he’s tried his damnedest to forget about." One of the best byler fics ever. Mike and Will are two people who love each other very much and their love is so strong that even in a reality where they hurt and lost each other they would come back to one another again. One of the best Mike characterization I've ever read, the story is in his POV and you can feel all of his grief, regret, hopelessness, desperation, jealousy and love while he deals with the absence of Will and how his life choices have turned out.
A Wish for Something More by waroftheposes (T, 1/1, 7K) - "Truth or dare at seven and truth or dare at seventeen." This one is adorable, Lucas dares Will to kiss Mike when they're seven and is totally not a big deal really because they're seven right? But then they're seventeen and it IS a big deal now. So cute and so fun to read and there's miwi too which is always a win.
this must be the place by be_brave13/vipertooths (T, 20/20, 36K,) - "A year after Vecna's defeat, things have finally returned to normal. Well, aside from the lingering nightmares. And the fact that Mike is in love with his best friend and it's getting increasingly harder to keep that to himself. But it's all going to be fine. They're going to go to Steve's parent's heretofore undiscussed lakehouse, spend two weeks slow-roasting in the Indiana sun, and be normal teenagers for once. Really, the least they deserve at this point is a little summertime relaxation." Classic post canon getting together fic, really good stuff, they go to Steve's parents lake house and you know the rest. Really well written and in character, had a lot of fun with this one.
keep him to myself by eightfifteen (funkylittlebidiot) (T, 19K) - Two parts fic where in the first we see them getting together and the second one they're already in a relationship. I love both but the second one is really special bc we get to see them trying to hide their relationship but everyone kinda figured it out already and there's some jopper being nice parents and supportive of them is really sweet.
just gotta call on me by wiseatom (T, 1/1, 18K) - "Five times Mike and Will shared a phone call throughout the years, plus one time they didn't have to." Byler through the years with this phone call concept which is really well done here, we see them before and during their relationship and is really cute also the ending is SO wholesome I loved it so much.
This is Me Trying by love_kurdt (E, 3/3, 24K) - "It’s December 1990, and Mike is at his last University of Indianapolis frat party. He’s going through hell; after having lost contact with his friends, tried to fill his emotional void with sex, and dropped out of college a year and a half in because of his worsening drinking habits, Mike stands at the edge of a lookout with only one thing— one person— on his mind." Lots of bad copying mechanisms and suicidal thoughts in this one, so it's kind of a heavy fic to read, so beware of that. That being said, i LOVE Mike in this fic, we go deep into his thoughts, and his head is a MESS. It explores the concept of Mike finally learning to accept his sexuality and indulging in his attraction to men with a lot of different guys whose initials start with W and B for no specific reason. It's very funny, dramatic, sad, and chaotic, and I love this concept of Mike losing his shit because Will is mad at him. I was cackling while reading some parts of it because Mike is insane, so it's really funny to read his pov. Is also sad and talks about very heavy topics BUT the comedy in this is too perfect to ignore. There's a little sequence to it, and apparently, there are going to be even other fics of this story so that's really cool.
winterland by hopperbyers (G, 1/1, 20K) - While visiting Hawkins for Christmas, Mike stumbles upon his mom in the supermarket. They haven't talked in about 2 years after he was kicked out of his house for being gay. Now she invites him to spend Christmas dinner at her house, and to dispel the assumption that she can convert him to being straight, he gives one condition: he's only going if he's allowed to bring his boyfriend with him. The thing is, he and Will are not actually dating. Classic fake relationship fic, really funny and sweet. The Christmas dinner part is hilarious, i love Will being a little shit.
it feels good to be known so well by castlebyer (T, 11K) - This is a small series set in the same universe with Byler and Lumax living in the 90s. It's very sweet, and the first one is in Lucas' POV. It's nice to read his perspective on Mike and Will's relationship as someone who grew up with both of them.
The Red Envelop - by midnighteverlark (T/E, 122K) - This is a two parts fic, the first one is them getting toghter and the second one is a established relationship. Basically Will writes Mike a letter that he never intended to send talking about his feelings and Mike finds it. I love both of them, but the second one is amazing. Is very explicit so beware of that, but i highly recomend it because the story is great. If you want you can jump all the explicit parts and only read the story because is reaaally good. My favorite part about it, outside of the story, is the way the author describes the feelings and emotions here. I don't know how they do it, but even the most specific things are so accurate in a way that I've never seen before. There's a specific description they do here about something that won't ever leave my mind, but I shan't say what it is because it's in a very explicit part so try to find it yourself.
(give me a second to) forget i ever really meant it by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy) (T, 1/1, 12k) - "Practice makes perfect, especially when the person you're practicing with is your best friend." Classic practice kissing fic. It's very very cute and they're both so stupid in it aww <3 I love their friendship here.
