#hope this brings you bylers some comfort! ily! :)

[starry-clown]

Here's my version of a byler love confession

What if it's Mike who confesses his feelings first and then it was Will who showed Mike that he's reciprocated those feelings for years.

(Mike has poured his heart out to his best friend, Will after they're alone together right after the stuff they go through dealing with Vecna's curse.)

Mike let's out a breath of relief after confessing and Will is speechless, staring wide eyed at Mike.

Mike feels a touch of regret and thinking, oh shit what did I just do? so he awkwardly backtracks his words and before he could take it back Will starts laughing to himself which surprises Mike.

"Will, why are you-"

"Mike," … "you have no idea how much I wanted to tell you what you just told me."

Mike slowly tries to put two and two together but he's so damn oblivious. Will makes it easier by reaching and grabbing something behind him and reveals the rolled up painting that he kept in his back pack.

"What are you doing?"

"Remember when you asked me if I remembered the day we first met?"

Mike slowly nods his head at the question. of course I do, but why is he asking me that? Will hands the rolled up painting to Mike. "Here," … "This is your answer…"

Mike is stunned and shocked at hearing Will's words. Confusion is all over Mike's face as he goes through a mental breakdown in his mind as he begins connecting the dots. wait this is for me? but I thought…

Will can't stop fidgeting as he watches in both fear and anticipation as Mike begins slowly unrolling the painting. Mike hold's in his breath after he's done and stares at what's before him.

[ tender, emotional synth music plays ]

It's as if time had stopped, Mike just stares in awe at the picture, noticing every brush stroke and color and detail from the sky, to the trees, to the swings and to the two boys… his heart skips. wait a second.

"Is that-"

"The day we met?" … "Yes it is." Will says softly, finishing Mike's sentence.

Mike look's up back at Will, and freezes once he see's the tears falling down his cheeks. Mike wants to ask if Will's okay, like he's always have. Until Will nervously laughs and says "I do remember… because meeting you on the first day of kindergarten, and saying yes to being your friend, Mike… I-It was the best thing that I’ve ever done."

Mike quickly looks down at the painting with an overwhelming sense of understanding, it was like the sun meeting the moon, a lunar eclipse revealing all the stars in the galaxy ever so clearly.

This painting is of a special memory of something that him and Will mutually shared.

This is what love looks like.

Mike can't hold it in anymore, Mike breaks down in tears, some water droplets fall onto the painting where the two little boys were. Will notices and hurries to comfort and reassure him. and with no hesitation Mike lets the painting fall to the floor and rushes to warmly embrace his best friend whom he's loved so dearly his whole life. Then it was Will's turn to break down, he sobbed harder than ever. desperately clinging himself on to Mike, and burying his wet face into mike's shoulder. Both boys share a moment of releasing all emotions that were filling up inside of their hearts and finally spilling out from there soul.

"I-I feel like… I'm going c-crazy…" Mike shakily says.

"Me too." … "Hey, well, if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right?" Will laughs softly at the memory, causing Mike to laugh at Will repeating his own words back to him.

"Yeah, crazy together." Mike responds happily with a feeling of security.

#reposting cuz i needed to fix typos #hope this brings you bylers some comfort! ily! :) #byler #byler is endgame #mike and will are endgame

[argylemikewheeler]

Byler prompt: Soulmate AU in which you have your soulmate's name in your wrist since the day you't born But here's the catch: it's their real name. For most people this is the name they were given at birth but for some others (*cough* trans people *cough*), it's not. Mike and Will *almost* missed each other because one (or both) is trans.

hey so i adore this thank you anon ily

They had only brainstormed for the upcoming science fair for two hours. Even with scribbled notebook paper, they felt like they had a winning idea. Between Dustin’s strangely extensive knowledge on pretty much anything and Lucas’s hard-cutting decision making, they were able to wrangle a few ideas out of Mike and Will’s suggestions. Both of them were suggesting things they had read about in comic books or seen in movies but wanted to see if they could make happen– they had seen a lot weirder shit.

“Mom’s here– later, Byers!” Dustin clapped Will on the back. He grinned, a new habit since his false teeth, and took off from the dining table. He had a laundry list of ideas to fact-check.

“See you at the arcade tomorrow!” Will called.

“Byers.” Lucas echoed, mulling Dustin’s sentence over. “You know, we really need to come up with a different name for you.”

“You aren’t a last name kind of guy.” Mike agreed. “It feels weird.”

“I know.” Will sighed. “I’m working on a new name. I’m thinking about it.” Will folded his hands over his papers. His fingernails were still painted from his father’s most recent attempt at daddy-daughter time. Having a grown man hold his hands down to paint them powder pink was not a comforting childhood memory.

With his arm stretched out, Lonnie pointed to the name phantomed on his wrist– it was a boy’s name. Will couldn’t be a boy and have one be his soulmate too. Lonnie refused to have a son that would disgrace him; Will wouldn’t truly be a man.

“Well, tell us what you’ve been thinking.” Lucas said. He pulled another page out from his notebook and clicked his pen. “We’ll make a running list!”

“You guys don’t have to do that– I know this is kind of boring.” Will said. He was careful to never bring it up too much. Especially to Mike. With his name constantly staring back at Will from his wrist; he felt like he was always in contact with him– he had to make sure he wasn’t wearing out his welcome. Not all branded names matched up; some people were left out and abandoned. Will was sure with his true self constantly trying to surface, he was screwing himself to ever find the name written on someone else. The names never changed.

“No no, come on!” Mike said, clapping and hitting the table. “We want to be a part of this!”

“What? Part of what?”

“Supporting you!” Mike said. “I mean… is that how it works?”

“I don’t know.” Will admitted, laughing. “I really appreciate it though. Thank you.”

“We’d do anything for you, Byers.” Mike grinned. He placed a hand on Will’s back and he felt heat flood his cheeks. “Now let’s hear those names!”

“You promise you won’t think they’re stupid?”

“As long as you don’t go for ‘Zombiegirl’ I think we’ll pretty much love any of them.” Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

“Well, there goes my first choice.” Will teased, sticking his tongue out.

“Come on. Be serious.” Mike batted his arm. “I’m ready to start rewriting all my campaign papers! Give us the names!”

“Well, one I considered was James.”

“Like. Jim.” Lucas said flatly. “Nope. Renaming yourself doesn’t mean you have to name yourself after your step-dad.”

“I second that.” Mike said, but with far more compassion. “You are allowed to be yourself now. No offense, but fuck Hop.”

“I’ll tell him you said that.” Will nodded, pretending to write something down on his own hand. Lucas laughed and Mike went red, trying to rubberneck and see Will’s hand. “How about Wyatt?”

“Eh, sounds weird.” Mike muttered.

“My sister’s name is Eleven.” Will deadpanned. “You’re kidding.”

“Next.” Mike said. “Don’t like it.”

“What would even be your nickname?” Lucas added. “Wyatt Byers? Nah.”

“Fine! Fine!” Will laughed. “How about George?”

“No.”

“Steve?”

“Definitely freaking not.”

“Robert?”

“You don’t owe anyone your name, Byers.”

“Henry?”

“God no.”

“William?”

A pause. “Now wait a minute.” Lucas muttered. “Will Byers. Will. Will the Wise!” He has just been known as “The Cleric” to the group. He had been struggling to be someone.

“Yeah?” Will cried, grinning. “You like it? I mean, really? You really do?”

“It fits you. It does.” Lucas cried, standing and trying to pull Will up for a hug. “It’s great to meet you, Will!”

Will repeated the name to himself as he wrapped his arms around Lucas. He ended every sentenced addressed to him with his new name. Will Will Will Will. It was already natural and real. He had something to force his father to call him, something his mom and Jonathan could use with a smile on their faces, something for his friends to claim them in their party.

“Will.” Mike said. It was the first time he’d spoken. “Are you sure that’s the one?”

“Why are you saying it like that?” Will asked, folding his arms. “You don’t like it?”

“No. No, that’s not it.” Mike said, still stiff. “I’m just curious if you’re sure.”

“I have to use the bathroom.” Lucas said quickly, pushing away from the table. He backed away like their stares were making his skin crawl. “I have to go… Yeah.” He slammed the bathroom door behind him, leaving Will with Mike, still staring at him incredulously.

“What’s with the third degree?” Will asked. “I thought you wanted to support me!”

“I do! I am!” Mike cried, trying to reach over and take Will’s hands. He pulled them away and placed them under the table. The name on his wrist would come far too close to being revealed. It wouldn’t resolve anything.

“Then why are you being so difficult about it?”

“Because.” Mike pulled his own hand back and pulled at his cuffs. “I only know one Will.” He pulled cuff back to show William written in faded letters on his wrist. Will tried to cover his gasp, pressing his lips together. The skin around it looked discolored, like a rash had died away into scars. The name had gone through attempts of removal.

“I only know one Mike.” Will carefully revealed the own name on his wrist. “Has it always said Will?”

“Ever since it surfaced. And I had never met a Will before in my life. I thought I’d meet them at college or something… But, it’s been you the whole time.”

“It had my real name all along.” Will muttered. He reached over, his fingers brushing the raised skin. He matched someone. Will belonged to someone– he belonged somewhere.

“It’s been you all along.” Mike whispered. “I was always hoping it’d be you. I always knew… somewhere I always knew.”

“But.. You tried to scratch it off.” Will stated. The skin was dry and uneven, it was worn and trying to heal. “What happened?” Was Mike that scared to have a boy’s name written on his arm? Was he just like Lonnie?

“You didn’t always go by William.” Mike said with a laugh. “And I was ready to ignore it and go for you anyway.”

“You mean, when we were younger?” Will wanted to laugh, thinking of himself grumpily in dresses and with his long pigtails. He was not himself, but somehow Mike saw through to who Will was trying to be.

“You’ve always been my best friend. No matter what the name.” Mike smiled softly, his hand twisting to catch Will’s hand still trying to brush the scars away. “I’m just glad we get to be more than that too.”

“Me too, Michael.” Will laughed. He squeezed his hand and felt the warmth from Mike’s hand shoot up to his cheeks. He didn’t have to be ashamed of the name anymore. If it was on Mike’s arm it was meant to be; no one could argue it anymore. “I really love being around you.”

“I love it too, William.”

ao3

#prompts #trans will hcs #stranger things writings #byeler #byler #will byers x mike wheeler