atlantablack
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something in the static (i’ve been having revelations) by animalthemuppet
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
31 Dec 2025
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Summary
He’s twenty-two in his room in the dark, holding the Christmas lights close to his chest, waiting, wishing, hoping, praying for anything.
The lights flicker.
Mike should call Nancy, he should call his sponsor, he should call Lucas, he should call Dustin, he should call Jonathan, he should call Max, he should call Jane, and he should call his mom.
He should call anyone for help, tell them it’s getting bad again, call for anyone except for who he does-
“Will?” He calls out, voice shaking, strangled, a question and a prayer.
The room glows.or: Will Byers died in 1983, Mike Wheeler lost it. Ten years later he's talking to the lights again (nothing is really as it seems)
Bookmarked by atlantablack
13 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Tags:
Bookmarker's Notes
Mike's never had a relationship survive November; he probably never will. There’s no space in his heart to spare; the coffin leaves things rather crowded.
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Tags
Summary
It’s the first day of summer break, and Mike Wheeler is standing on Will’s front porch when he should be somewhere in Europe.
or, a love letter to change, to trying to be better, and to how, sometimes, growing up feels a lot like falling in love all over again.
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- English
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- 10,443
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- 1/1
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Bookmarked by atlantablack
08 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Mike is staring, wide-eyed, eyes darting from wall to wall to ceiling. “You’re incredible. You know that, right?”
And—
Will had prepared for a lot. Prepared for that's creepy and why would you want to have that up in your room and aren’t you too old to still waste your time drawing.
He’s not prepared for this, though. The way incredible had spilled out so easily from Mike’s mouth, the way his cheeks went a little pink straight after, as if he hadn’t meant to say that. Not out loud, at least.
He doesn’t take it back, or try and fix it to something less… less open.
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Tags
Summary
“Was what true?”
“That you—that you moved on. That you are over me. It was me, right?”
And despite the direction of Will’s current thoughts, that still catches him off guard. His brain works slow, thoughts sluggish. He drops his hands from Mike’s hips to his legs, which is a mistake. His shorts have ridden up with the way he’s straddling Will, and Will finds his fingers on the naked skin of Mike’s thighs.
He has no idea what he would have said. Is kind of glad, in retrospect, that he doesn’t find out, because Mike is looking at him with his eyes blown wide and his lips bitten red, and says, voice rough and plaintive, “Please don’t be in love with someone else.”
Ever since the world didn't end, Mike has been—touchy. Will would be lying if he claimed to mind.
Series
- Part 8 of Stranger Things Stories
Bookmarked by atlantablack
08 Mar 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Back when Will had recovered from his possession, Mike still refusing to leave his side for longer than absolutely necessary, they had talked about it. Will had woken from a nightmare, and before he could stop himself, he had told Mike—how he couldn’t wait to leave Hawkins, to get out, to never look back.
It had been shortly before he had realised that he was gay. In retrospect, that insatiable itch to run and never look back might have been a clue, really, if not for the trauma drowning out everything else.
He remembers Mike’s face that night. How the first shock had melted into brief hurt, then understanding. How, before Will could clarify that he didn’t mean leaving Mike, Mike had nodded. “Of course. Wherever you want to go.”
[...]
Mike’s still looking at him, and he doesn’t look nearly as confident as he had all those years ago, but the question is the same. “Do you know where you want to go yet? CalArts, still?”Will’s throat is dry, and he hands the joint back before taking a sip of his Coke. He’s stalling, and they both know it. Outside, the rain is coming down in sheets now, thunder rumbling in the distance.
“That’s the dream,” Will says, and watches as Mike’s smile curls fondly. He swallows. “Are you going to ask me?”
Mike meets his eyes again, fingers flexing around Will’s ankle. It’s a heavy look, sharp like a dare, and Mike doesn’t break it when he says, “Yes.”
“Ask, then.”
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the only sane response is to adjust by stardustandswimmingpools
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
16 Dec 2025
Tags
Summary
Mike snorts. “Trust me, Mom, you will not give a shit. But thanks for the tea.”
She refrains from chiding him for his language—for the second time today. He’s right, of course, but that’s the problem. He used to look at her like she hung the moon, like she was a superhero. He used to believe she could do anything. Maybe she wants to earn that blind faith again.
“Come on,” she says, poking his arm like she did back when he was too little to roll his eyes at her. “Don’t count me out just yet. I could always surprise you.”
Mike sighs. He looks at her, and she looks back, eyebrows raised as if to say, Go on. He must realize she's not just going to leave him alone.
“Fine,” he says. He jabs his finger at the illustration. “This is a Demogorgon.”
Series
- Part 1 of if it can bleed, it can bleed out
Bookmarked by atlantablack
25 Feb 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Sooner than she thinks, she’ll remember this day. There will be a monster, and she will know its name. She’ll remember the life-or-death look on Mike’s haunted face. She’ll understand, too late, that the things he’d been keeping from her all this time were not childhood secrets but bloodthirsty monsters.
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Tags
Summary
“Hey,” Mike finally says, casual as he can. “So, can I ask you something?”
Will makes a noncommittal go-ahead noise.
“That guy you were talking about,” Mike says. “It was me, right?”
(Mike and Will, immediately after.)
Bookmarked by atlantablack
25 Feb 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
He sniffs, watching Mike fall obediently silent. “You…you’re serious? You really want that?”
“Are you even listening to me?” Mike says, halfway between exasperated and hopeful. “What have I spent the last ten minutes trying to convince you? Yes, I want that! Not just with some random person, or some random girl, I want it with you. I want to live my fucking life with you. I don’t care what you want to call it, if it’s love or if I’m gay, I couldn’t care less. It’s just us. Is that okay?”