#ag posts

[sincericida]

Not sure why but many of your glasto posts aren't appearing in Andrew's tag. Have you been shadow banned or something?

I have no idea. What I noticed in recent times is that many posts about him here on the blog are being flagged as adult content - without containing any sensitive content. Where it comes from and why, is a mystery to me.

[thehawkinsarchives]

byler mystery fic recs

fics that kept me on my toes! canon divergence or aus that don't fall under s5 speculation, but have a really good plot and elements of mystery.

The Crossover by nbfutureboy

“Didja hear about all that stuff with The Ringbearers? Apparently the frontman’s totally gone off the grid! Nobody knows where he is!” The frontman for The Ringbearers is Mike Wheeler.

Will Byers, a comic book author and illustrator at the very beginning of his career, initially turns down the invitation to Hawkins ‘HorrorCon’. But after hearing that a certain musician has gone missing - and despite the fact that Mike and Will haven’t spoken since their high school graduation - he can’t seem to shake the feeling something’s seriously wrong. Now complete!

28.5k words, 9/9 chapters Notes: One of my all-time favorite fics!! super interesting premise and features audio clips. intriguing relationship dynamic and absolutely gorgeous prose that makes you feel things. I lost count of how many times I've reread the ending and sometimes I think of a random line from this fic and start to get emotional :')

there's something wrong with michael by willelworld

“Hungry,” is all Mike manages to get out. Will can hear each ragged breath scuttle up and down his chest. He squints at Mike, the boy refusing to break eye contact, staring intently at Will. The emptiness from this morning is back. Will scoots up in bed and shimmies out of his blanket cocoon, placing his hands on the sides of Mike’s arms. “Are you feeling sick?” he questions gently. Something’s not right. Mike shakes his head and once again, opens his mouth with a brief pause before speaking. “I’m so hungry, Will.”

Mike gets a little too into the occult. After a ritual-gone-wrong, Will has to piece together a decades-old mystery to save his best friend's life.

84.4k words, 18/18 chapters Notes: AMAZING. Bro. I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to spoil but you have to read this. byler as boarding school roommates? will tries to solve a mystery with high stakes?? party friendship??? mutual pining???? this fic is everything.

Come Hell, High Water by naiesu

“It’s been months, Mike,” Lucas says, staring at Mike, hard. Mike can’t remember a time he didn’t look at him that way. “Will is a cold case. You need to accept that.” Mike is cold, and for one terrifying moment he feels the numbness wash over him. Everybody in the group is either looking at Mike, or at something that isn’t the two of them. Is that it then? Will Mike’s silenced protests be the last voice turning away from the boy that was Will Byers? Maybe he should.

26.7k words, 2/2 chapters Notes: college au after season 2! mike and will are put through the wringer :( but this is so worth it i promise. also features lots of flashbacks!! i love flashbacks that connect to and enhance the present narrative, especially in this mystery/missing persons setting. mike will do anything for will.

i've come home, i'm so cold by astrobi

“You’re not boning, though, right?” he says, suddenly. He doesn’t know why he feels such an urge to bring it up again, as if the thought of Mike boning is not something that is CODE RED #1 at the top of Will's list of things to absolutely never think about. But also. Look– “What? No, of course I’m not boning,” Mike splutters, turning a violent shade of scarlet, “how would I even hide that from you, I’m with you all the time–” And then he falls silent, so fast that Will gets tonal whiplash from how fast Mike just went from saying boning over and over again to just clamping his mouth shut and staring at the wall across from them.

Will's trying his hardest to make it through fall semester in one piece. Unfortunately for his degree, he's being haunted by maybe-feelings for his best friend (metaphorically), and also a maybe-ghost with rather abysmal fashion sense (literally).

53.5k words, 4/4 chapters

Notes: I LOVE this (as with any fic by astrobi). A little more low-stakes and lighthearted than the others on this list but an awesome college au with an interesting premise. will loves mike sm.

As the World Falls Down by olliecoddle

Mike saw him the second he entered the cafe, and the world stopped spinning. He was standing at the counter, a jean jacket over a faded band t-shirt and a polite smile plastered over his cheeks. Just the man he remembered. The man he had been looking for for the past five years. or, will doesn't remember anything, and something is very wrong

20.9k words, 8/15 chapters

Notes: unfinished but worth reading (as well as anything else from this author). i'm very picky with angst but will happily read anything from this author because they do it so so well. gut-wrenching, emotional writing.

Left His Heart There in the Sea by Concerned_terrapin

“Mr. Byers! I was hoping to catch you. This is Dr. Owens, from Hawkins National Laboratory.” Will pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance, already feeling a headache beginning to form in his temples. "I’m kind of in the middle of a lecture here, can this wait?” “I’m afraid it can’t. We need your assistance urgently.” “And why do you need me?” Will was unable to suppress the bitterness in his tone, “You’ve got plenty of experts and doctors on your staff. I’m just a grad student, and I’m halfway across the country. What could I possibly do that no one else could?” Dr. Owens cleared his throat on the other end of the line, “You’re the only one who’s been there and made it out alive. Honestly, we could use your expertise. We’ve caught a specimen. A live one. And you’re definitely going to want to see this.”

Or, it's 1998 and the Upside Down is still alive and kicking, and something new just came out.

133.9k words, 22/22 chapters

Notes: mermaid (kind of??) au with a twist! i LOVE scientist!will and the interactions from the ensemble cast. author is also hella knowledgeable about marine biology so def read the notes after reach chapter. i usually don't read mermaid/other nonhuman aus but i finished this fic in one sitting because i couldn't put it down.

[thehawkinsarchives]

byler summer fic recs

for byler fics set in the best season of the year! ft beaches and swimming pools, popsicles and sunburns (rip mike), chaotic camps and (somewhat) relaxing vacations

trusting things beyond mistake by passerine_in_jade

It feels impossible that it could even be like this — that two hours back in Will’s life after the longest and most tense separation they’ve ever braved, he would be getting this domestic fantasy, him and Will and a kid they’re looking after, lounging on a beach like they don’t have a care in the world. It reminds him of being kids, of falling so in love with Will Byers he couldn't think, of kissing his best friend one summer under the Indiana cover of stars. It is lovely. It is all Mike could dare to want.

4.4k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: post-canon adult byler! they hang out and reflect and flirt. i love this author sm and this is probably one of my all-time favorite oneshots. great characterization and the song that inspires this fic (the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us!) is AMAZING

Static Re-connection by IllogicalFallacy

AND - H E R E - I - T H O U G H T - U ‘ D - F O R G E T - M E N E V E R N E V E R - E V E R - ? N E V E R - E V E R He thought about the way Will had looked at him all those years ago, lying in the hospital bed, eyes not his own. Even through the fog of possession, something behind Will’s gaze had clicked and recognized Mike for who he was. Even without anything else left, Will had still remembered the connection he had to his mom - and... to Mike. His trembling fingers hesitated for an infinite moment, before typing faster than his brain could hope to process, P R M S E - ? Y E S - - - A miles-apart, oblivious mutual pining, emotional summer vacation disaster-fest starring Mike, Will, and one incredibly unreliable radio connection.

63k words, 6/6 chapters

Notes: I LOVE this fic! takes place post-s3ish, diverging from canon. their friendship feels super real and comfortable. if you like funny morse code conversations, mike going to the ends of the world for will, and miscommunication angst then you might want to check this one out

no end to this want by astrobi

Mike thinks back to the painting Will gave him, rolled up and placed carefully in his dresser drawer, because for some reason it felt too wrong to hang it up on the walls with everything else. Too intimate. Like Will had made it for his eyes only. Or, apparently as everyone else thought, some mystery lover in California. And then he thinks about Will dozing off on his bed, and saying I think I’m in love with you all soft and slowed down from the inertia of sleep, and that’s right about when Mike starts to feel seriously lightheaded. He leans back against his bed and focuses very hard on taking deep, even breaths.

Or: Mike contemplates his feelings for Will Byers, partakes in a concerning amount of swooning, and learns to drive. Sort of.

21k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: any work by astrobi is amazing, but this is probably one of my favorites! the summary is pretty self-explanatory but you guys definitely have to read this trust

a cruel summer with you by andiwriteordie, astrobi, wiseatom

Five years into a rivalry with bittersweet origins, the only thing Mike and Will want is to beat each other at this summer’s camp counselor competition. But being back at camp is dredging up old memories, and as Mike and Will lose momentum and gain something else entirely, it becomes increasingly clear that one summer can change everything.

336k words, 12/17 chapters

Notes: you've probably heard of this fic but in case you haven't you definitely have to read this>>>> it's the st cast but in modern times and THE summer camp fic. Longest fic I've read (and still being updated) but definitely worth it

harness your hope by johnnyfucksup

Mike looks at Will, and he sees everything he is not supposed to want, and he doesn’t understand why he does.

7.7k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: the author has such a unique writing style that conveys the character's emotions so well (you should def check out the other work by them too)! just read the tags and you will understand why you should read

i think we're alone now by lumism

“Whatever," Lucas shrugs. "You’re just jealous that you aren’t getting any.” Mike raises an eyebrow, like he knows something the rest of them don't. Will looks like he wants to drown him. He probably deserves it.

In which Will has a love bite, the Party freaks out about it, and Mike is jealous of himself.

3.5k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: i say this with love, but mike is very lame. will still likes him though

the great big mystery of mike wheeler's no good, very bad, terrible feelings by smoosnoom (moonsooms)

It’s at that very moment that, for reasons completely and utterly unknown to anyone at all, every single possible word he has ever learned from any language ever has suddenly disappeared from his brain, and his throat feels relevant to the Sahara Desert. None of this, of course, has to do with the fact that Will is very, very, very – shirtless. Will blinks at him. “Are you okay?” “Shoulders,” Mike says, sounding vaguely chipmunk-like, and he hears Max barely choke down a snicker.

Will comes back for the summer, and Mike deals with it. Kind of. Not really.

13.6k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: their friendship is so comfortable and authentic! also mike is hella whipped

Mike Wheeler’s Foolproof Plan to Beat the Heat by kekw

Mike Wheeler’s air conditioning goes out during the hottest week of the year. He’s forced to find other ways to keep cool, and maybe address why being around Will Byers gets him so flustered.

4k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: fluffy oneshot, funny moments

a heart unknown by bcvcrly

Things aren't the same anymore in Hawkins, especially between Mike and Will. Something has changed, but neither of them have figured out quite what it is. A summer of secrets and self-discovery.

30k words, 20/20 chapters

Notes: both POVs, also features an intervention by byler #2 (jancy). idk what else to say but this is SO good please read

hold and hurt and kiss me by ultrasulk

In a universe where the only horrors that persist are strictly mortal, Will finds himself stuck at a standstill while everything that's been lurking finally comes to head for Mike. The world can be a lonely place, but as long as they have each other they'll never really be alone.

15k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: They know each other so well <3 this fic has amazing vibes and gorgeous prose. not completely during the summer but i love it so it's going on here anyways.

this must be the place by vipertooths

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.

36.8k words, 20/20 chapters

Notes: I lowkey don't remember all of this fic but there are some cute kiss scenes and banter so check it out for a fun read

shape it up (get it straight) by fivecenturiesverse

Mike doesn't know when he started caring why Steve and Eddie are friends now, but Dustin has made him curious. Eddie and Steve were enemies before, sort of. So why are they now best friends? They've just got to do a bit of surveillance to work this puzzle out. If Mike accidentally finds out he has feelings for his best friend along the way then... well, shit.

“At least I’m not using binoculars.” Mike shoots a derisive look over at Dustin. “Like we’re not in the middle of the high street, if they spot us how are you going to explain away those, huh?” “Bird watching,” says Dustin. “My new hobby.” Lucas punches him on the arm. “God you’re so fucking stupid.” “You gave them to me!”

6k words, 1/1 chapters

Notes: Mike's POV! This fic heavily features steddie as well (which I don't really read) but it's hilarious and includes a ton of interactions between the entire party so I def recommend

[thehawkinsarchives]

I’m looking for a fic that featured post-s4 Mike transporting to Will at various ages.

Some specific details I remember:

- Mike transports to Will while he was stuck in the Upside down. He enters Castle Byers and comforts/reassures s1 Will

- Mike transports to California pre-s4 and comforts Will who is upset over not receiving any letters from Mike

General details I remember:

- Will only remembers all of the details about older Mike’s visits when older Mike is actually there. After he leaves his memory of it fades.

- The fic was multi-chaptered (maybe 4/5 chapters long?) and completed.

- I read it around 2 years ago.

Hello! Sorry for the delay. I believe I may have found this fic, but it has been deleted.

Using the link, I was able to recover the first chapter on the Wayback Machine, but it may be difficult to get the rest of the fic.

broken hearts can always mend by sarol03

"The Road to Madness really wasn’t just a grayscale painting. It had colors scarcely hidden along the way- they were tiny patches in size, yet they felt bigger than life itself, the darkness making them even more vibrant as they called out to the eyes with their beauty. Their presence made the journey feel all the more sorrowful." Or: While growing up, Will is being visited by a tall, 15-year-old boy with dark hair and dark eyes, who looks just like his best friend, Mike if he were a little bit older. Will thinks he might be a ghost; he always disappears without a trace after all.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44178982

[thehawkinsarchives]

Will has powers fic list (pt 1?)

in celebration of will's birthday, here's some of my favorite fics where he has powers! a lot of these fall under s5 speculation (and all of them have byler). Also this is a pretty popular category so there may be future parts coming later!

i'm gonna wade out past the shadows by bluebears

There were vines growing underneath his bed and no one else could see them. It sounded crazy, he’d been to enough therapy to know that. But there was no other explanation. Just last Tuesday, Dustin had climbed under there to reach his pen and when he popped back out he was completely oblivious to it. Almost as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

3/3 chapters

43k words

Notes: this fic has amazing prose! and very in-character dialogue. Highly recommend this fic as well as the other longer one by this author. The plot takes a bit of effort to decipher but it's definitely worth it! This is a super interesting interpretation of will's powers and fits him very much.

There Is A Season by ghostlin

After Vecna's curse is unleashed onto Hawkins, the town has been placed under government lockdown as the contagion continues to spread. Everyone’s been forced to the margins as they try to pick up the pieces. Maybe it's the swirling spores in the atmosphere or the grief that seems to linger everywhere, but it feels like everyone's haunted by something. Everyone except Mike, that is. He's the heart, right? He's keeping it together. He's the only one acting normal.

25/25 chapters

68k words

Notes: One of the only Mike POV fics in this list! Mike and Will's relationship is so well done here. Featuring reconnection, dramatics, and perhaps a rain fight.

without heart by aceoflanterns

“Here we go again,” he murmurs, words pressed thin. Mike hears him, just barely, and bumps Will’s shoulder with his own reassuringly. “Home, sweet home,” he whispers. “Bet you didn’t think you’d be back so soon, huh?” Will chuckles. “You could say that.” At twelve forty-seven, Will Byers makes it back to Hawkins. At twelve forty-eight, a clock chimes. Welcome home, something sings, voice scraping low and familiar, and he shivers. or, will byers, the upside down, and teenage love... sort of.

7/7 chapters

31k words

Notes: This author writes so beautifully! some of the lines from this fic are still stuck in my head because it's so well-done. I LOVE fics that explore will's relationship with the Mind Flayer and the author does this perfectly.

You are the Heart by TouchTheSky

It's two weeks after the fall of Hawkins and the Party are trying to figure out how to move on, find Max and stop Vecna. Will's heart is still breaking over Mike and El, but when those emotions awaken something decidedly more otherworldly and powerful he, and a strange new friend, have to confront what really happened in Hawkins on November 6th 1983 and what side Will himself is really on.

Notes: I would be so happy if s5 was like this! The author has a super unique (and probably my favorite) take on Will's powers and the Mind Flayer. Plus there's great moments from the entire cast. I stayed up all night when I read this it was so good!

27/27 chapters

140k words

riders on the storm by orphan_account

Will brings his fingertips to his nose and sniffs deeply. That tangy, metallic smell… so familiar by now. He can practically feel the sharks circling him, except they’re not sharks, they’re beasts with clammy, cold limbs and flower-shaped faces and far, far too many rows of teeth. There is blood dripping from his nose.

3/3 chapters

22k words

Notes: this had a super interesting exploration into will's mind powers. this is a little sad and will's relationships are very complicated (especially with mike) but i really liked willel's friendship in this!

i know the end by bookinit

Stranger Things re-telling, but make it byler.

5/5 fics (entire series completed)

500k words

Notes: this is super duper long but 100% worth it!! Especially the last fic in the series (season 5), where the author also has written a script. Super great writing and interpretation of the show.

just know that if you hide, it doesn't go away by fizzseed

Mike doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like this at all. “What’s wrong?” he asks. Will takes a deep breath. “You’re not going to like it,” he says wryly. El’s hand closes around Mike’s wrist, and Will’s eyes flicker quickly to it before he looks back up at them. He glances over to Jonathan, too. Joyce brings her arm up around his shoulders. “I think I know how to get him,” Will says. “Vecna, I mean.”

OR Mike breaks up with his girlfriend, helps save the world, and comes out. Not necessarily in that order.

1/1 chapters

7k words

Notes: Mike POV! Will has light powers

you were bigger than the whole sky by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)

on march 29th, 1986, will byers vanishes for a second time. 366 days later, he reappears.

1/1 chapters

28k words

Notes: this is one of the first stranger things fics i've read, and still one of my favorites!

[thehawkinsarchives]

byler gets holly'd fic list!

hi! i'm a new mod on this blog and will be posting more lists soon. wanted to start with this one bc holly is awesome and I can't wait to see her in s5!

time for mistletoe and holly! by andiwriteordie 

Mike and Will like each other. As in—they like like each other. And they really need to get their act together—and soon, because Holly thinks that everybody in the Party is one more flirty (and adorable) moment away from strangling her big brother. But that’s okay.  Because Holly’s got an idea. 

OR

Holly Wheeler's mistletoe matchmaking extravaganza!

1/1 chapters

18k words

Your Number One Fan(girl)(boy) by FoodieHoodie

Holly has a crush. It's Will. Her friends are crushing too. Their eyes on Mike. While Mike's none the wiser of his very young admirers, Will isn't Will the Wise for no reason, our darling cleric trying to handle this sensitive situation as he's caught in between two Wheelers.

OR

Mike and Holly might send Will into an early grave with their flirting.

3/3 chapters

18k words

Notes: this one was so funny!

what can i do by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)

"Is Will your boyfriend?" Holly asks, and Mike immediately chokes on the lettuce in his mouth. "Wh- what?" he gasps, dropping his fork and swallowing back the salad that suddenly feels like cement in his throat. Holly's looking at him with a strange expression, like she's trying to figure something out.

OR: holly visits college roommates mike and will, and has a few important questions for them

1/1 chapters

21k words

Notes: college au!! anything by this author is amazing

laminate the stasis by miketozier (smallcuts)

“What’s this?” ”Your binder?” asks Holly, confused. She stops perusing her book to look at him. “This isn’t my binder,” Will says as he opens it, mouth dropping in a silent ‘o’ before his eyes narrow in recognition. “Holly, where did you find this?” “It was in Mike’s room.” She leans closer to conspiratorially whisper to him not to tell Mike she stole it. “I’m gonna put it back soon, I just wanted to see what he was looking at all the time.”

OR: Byler, as seen by Holly

1/1 chapters

6k words

Notes: will'sartbindergate! my new fav <3

[thehawkinsarchives]

Heyooooo I'm looking for a fic thats based in "season 5" and like it has about 5 ish characters I think? And it's basically about the byers living with the wheelers and will and mike go for a walk but will gets like heavily injured by a demo dog that mike beats up with a gun 😭

And it's not real "main plot" focused and is kinda just them being gay and pining

(Sorry I can't remember that many details abt it 😔)

Hi! I think this might be the fic you're looking for:

a body in motion by astrobi

Will raises his eyebrows. “Is that why you came in here?” he repeats, looking back down at the blue flannel. “To ask me about the weather in Lenora?” “Kind of,” Mike says, and then, “well no, not about the weather specifically. I just– I wanted to talk to you.” “Oh.” And Will looks a lot more surprised at this, actually, than the idea that Mike might have just wanted to come to his room to make small talk about unseasonably frigid California winters. “Okay. What about?” “Anything.” The response is embarrassingly immediate. “Everything. I don’t know. I missed you.”

Hawkins, 1986. The world is ending, there are too many people in Mike's house, and to top it all off, he and Will have some things to talk through.