Byler One Shots - Blingyu(s)

Impulse Reactions & Its Consequences

Before you read: On ao3 this was originally posted as three separate parts, but I'd rather upload it as one part. I will divide each part in here and put the authors notes at the end of each part :)

Description: Mike Wheeler figures out at 15 that he doesn't like girls. At 16 he figures out he loves Will Byers. It's kind of the most difficult thing he's ever had to deal with.

As a kid, Mike was always a little more brave than he should've been. He fearlessly marched into D&D battles that looked to be lost causes, he demanded they search the woods where they knew Will went missing, not even caring if they'd be next. Mike questioned authority directly and even jumped off of a cliff for his friend. Mike didn't care, because he had the belief that he should just do whatever he wants, that it'd probably work out. If it didn't, then oh well. This probably wasn't healthy, but he'd unpack that trauma later.

Anyways, he thinks that reckless bravery is why he says what he does to Will, "It's really not that scary, you know? I could teach you."

Mike didn't even fully realize he was going to say that, not until it was already rolling out of his lips. Will's eyes turned into saucers once he processed what Mike asked. Mike would've laughed at how dumb he looked had he not been completely terrified awaiting Will's response.

Word Count: 10,465

Date Originally Posted: November 11th, 2022

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A/N Pt.1: I've been sitting on this bad boy for a HOT minute. I wrote the original draft for this a month ago, but it was SO BAD. Like... terrible. But I got back from school one day and hunkered down, fixing it completely.

I am proud of this one because it is so fucking corny. Be warned. I am not lying when I say Mike Wheeler is an absolute fool in this!!! Do not fall into the Cool Mike Wheeler agenda. He is a nerd, a gay nerd. Don't let him distract you from that.

I also believe in Will Byers being cooler than Mike. It's so real to me. Again, don't let his sweet smile fool you, he is 24/7 scheming.

Part 1: Don't have a crush on your best friend (in a gay kinda way)

Sixteen. Michael Wheeler was 16 when he finally figured out that he was gay. If he was honest, he should've realized it a lot sooner, but he was oblivious to his feelings. At 15 he figured out he wasn't attracted to girls whatsoever, no matter how hard he tried to so he broke up with his long-time girlfriend, Eleven- Who now went by Jane Hopper.

Maybe if he realized earlier that his affections lied with men, he wouldn't be such a mess right now. He wrongly assumed that the mess that was his parents' marriage destroyed any chance of him having a meaningful relationship with a girl, but he never considered boys. He didn't think too much about his obsession with Superman, or how he stared a little too long while the wrestling boys fought. He absolutely, positively did not think about Will Byers. If he thought too hard then everything he knew about himself would shatter.

If he was honest with himself, he always thought Will Byers was the closest someone could be to perfect. He was extremely kind, but he knew how to make fun of you in a way that didn't seem too mean, he had a bright smile and a laugh that felt so infectious that it made Mike's stomach feel sick. Will Byers is also undeniably beautiful, anyone could agree. Mike should've figured out his crush way before 16 years old, and yet it was all underneath the surface, hiding. His affection was buried underneath all the heteronormative bullshit that had been placed on him since he was a child, something inevitable when you lived in small town Indiana.