candle_ice
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Summary
A year and some change after college graduation, Mike Wheeler is living in his parents' basement.
It isn't as pathetic as it sounds - he's also got a publishing deal, and he's putting the finishing touches on his debut novel.
It's even more pathetic than it sounds - he's got nobody left to hang out with in Hawkins except his ex-girlfriend and his sister's ex-boyfriend, and his best friend isn't returning his calls. The Wheeler house is a pressure cooker and he’s newly terrified that he might be identifiably bisexual. He's totally not spiraling. Everything's hunky dory.
Really, it's ideal timing. Will's due in Hawkins for Thanksgiving any day now, possibly with his beloved sack of hair gel, the ur-yuppie, Country Club Carlton. Mike definitely still knows how to exist in a room with him.
OR:
Mike goes through a late bi awakening, crashes out, comes out, grapples with Catholic guilt, and pines over a Will Byers who might no longer have a place in his life for him - not necessarily in that order.
Recent bookmarks
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Will Byers is forced to relive the worst day of his life - March 22nd.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 25,999
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Comments:
- 151
- Kudos:
- 2,665
- Bookmarks:
- 449
- Hits:
- 33,244
Bookmarked by candle_ice
28 Apr 2026
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Summary
"Boys!” Hopper barked.
They broke apart instantly this time, Mike nearly fell again, but Will held onto him.
“I leave for one goddamn second,” Hopper snapped, voice rising, “ONE SECOND—”
“Hop—” Will started.
“No,” Hopper cut him off, pointing at Mike. “I scream at you, I leave the room for a second, and you think that means permission to continue—” he gestured wildly between them and stared right at Mike, “—DEFILING MY SON?”
Bookmarked by candle_ice
11 Mar 2026
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Summary
It's 1992, and Mike and Will are juniors in college and living together in a tiny NYC apartment. Life is great. It's everything Mike could ever want: his best friend, an incredible city, and the world at his fingertips. The only problem? He's in love with said best friend and has no idea how he could ever tell him.
Luckily for him, he's presented with an opportunity to get much closer to him every Friday night, as long as he promises not to get all weird after. How hard could that be?
Or: Mike and Will become friends with benefits and the universe laughs because they're both ridiculously in love with each other.
Series
- Part 1 of Nirvana
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 71,098
- Chapters:
- 5/5
- Comments:
- 1,144
- Kudos:
- 7,571
- Bookmarks:
- 2,044
- Hits:
- 156,409
Bookmarked by candle_ice
10 Mar 2026
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with a body to hold (you found a way to keep me here) by cloudings
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
30 Dec 2025
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Summary
After sitting through Will’s coming out to the whole party, Mike is still left with more than a few questions.
Before they move out, he manages to get Will alone. He manages to ask them.
Bookmarked by candle_ice
05 Mar 2026
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That’s What You Get For Falling In Love by harriet_vane
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
25 Aug 2022
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Summary
After they save the world, Will gets a boyfriend and a haircut. Mike loses his mind.
A bunch of random words and feelings flash through Mike’s brain but they won’t settle down to form a sentence. He just can’t fathom the idea of Will…with a boyfriend. Will’s boyfriend. A boyfriend who is Will’s. It won’t make sense no matter how he squints at it. “Dudes kissing or whatever is cool,” Mike says eventually. “It’s just… Will…”
Will picks up a pillow and throws it at Mike’s face. Mike catches it. “That’s not fair,” Will says. “Dustin has Suzie, and Lucas has Max.”
“But you’re Will,” says Mike. Doesn't everyone else feel this way, too? Dustin and Lucas are looking at him with twin expressions of horrified fascination, like Mike is some kind of slow-motion train wreck. “I mean– I mean, you’ve always been–”
My Will, Mike’s brain finishes. Shit, he’s not saying that out loud.
“The baby?” asks Will, glaring at him. “Shut up, Mike.”
“No,” Mike says again, miserable, but he can’t say I don’t want there to be some other guy you like more than me out loud where god and Dustin can hear him and never let him forget it as long as he lives.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 39,336
- Chapters:
- 9/9
- Comments:
- 260
- Kudos:
- 2,481
- Bookmarks:
- 596
- Hits:
- 32,383
Bookmarked by candle_ice
20 Feb 2026