#and Will byers is in need of a hug

[nadia-zahra]

….Hey 🤠✋….. I’m back from the dead (again)

I’ve been SUPER busy with with some stuff happening in my life, but I think I’m back in a place mentally and physically where I can hyper fixate on byler

So here’s what’s gonna be in store for my future posts (and I’m not even gonna make any promises cause I’ve been shitty with keeping those 😵‍💫)

Revamp on s4 mike and his Gay ass behavior + how it fits with his behavior from past seasons

make a post ab how El is bi

deep dives on Will and his gay feelings

I hate to do this but…. I will not be making a pt 2 to my Talisman theory. Ik I said I was going to but the theory I have up already explains why I think s5 will parallel the talisman so idek what else I could add to it. Like it’d be dumb for me to be like “here’s my s5 plot speculation: *reiterated entire talisman plot in depth*” like that’s kinda a waste of my time, when I think showing the parallels between the characters is better rather than plots (cause obviously Stranger Things is not gonna be exactly like the Talisman)

I have a post in my drafts currently showing a lot of interesting shit from s4 that no one’s really noticed or talked ab. This will most likely be the first thing I post, and the second will be the revamp on my s4 mike analysis

edit: omg I can’t believe I even forgot to add this to my list cause it’s been consuming my mind A LOT recently. I wanna make a post ab the st5 foreshadow games cause holy shit that whole thing was amazing and needs to be covered in depth

Another edit because I’m reading over my draft post I mentioned above and it talks ab smth I need to discuss: stranger things color theory and how it is used in st4

Again, not making any promises on when all this will come out (except for the 4th point cause it’s already pretty much finished) but yeah 😀 sorry I’ve been super absent but I think I’m fully back into byler brainrot

[springfaekohaku]

Warning Shot

It was only supposed to be a warning shot.

Steve Harrington found himself staring face first into the barrel of a gun, held by none other than Nancy Wheeler — his girlfriend.

Said girlfriend was shouting at him, while Jonathan Byers stood at her side with matching bandages on their hands, the boy looking just as shocked as Steve. His voice echoing around them and getting lost in Nancy’s booming voice, a side he never saw from the girl that he fell head over heels with. Steve could only hold his hands up in a surrendering gesture, he was officially freaking out.

It was chaos. Steve didn’t even know what to think, he arrived with the intent to figure out what was going on with the two of them, Tommy and Carols voices taunting him in his head that something was going on. But this? He was being screamed at, demanding he’d leave and get out of the Byers residence, while Christmas lights were flickering on the wall with an alphabet drawn into it; he felt like he was having a fever dream.

Until the walls started to tremble and shake, Nancy’s voice got desperate and in a panic at Steve’s insistence to know what the hell was going on, he just wouldn’t leave. Jonathan’s panic at the escalation and the added pressure of Steve being in the midst of their plan, making everything go astray. Nancy had to do something to get Steve to leave, she felt herself building in pressure and like a rubber band; she snapped.

Just as the roof was being sunken in and the lights bursting, a loud BANG! rung through the living room and it all went silent…

Steve felt like his ears burst and could only hear ringing as he stared at Nancy. It was like things were in slow motion and his brain didn’t catch up to what just happened until he felt a burning sharp pain in his right hand and turned his head to see a hole in the middle of his palm. That’s when it all set in and realised what the fuck just happened.

He hears both Nancy’s and Jonathan’s voices.

“It was only supposed to be a warning shot. I-It, I…I aimed above I swear. I didn’t mean to.”

“What did you just do?! You shot him! You actually shot him, whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck—”

Steve finally felt everything coming back and clear as the ringing subsided, the adrenaline wearing off and he truly feels the agony and pain in his hand. There is a hole in his hand. In the middle of his palm.

There is a fucking hole in his hand.

And Nancy Wheeler, his girlfriend was the cause of it. Pretty sure it was Ex-Girlfriend now.

He hears the two teenagers shouting in panic and stress, while Steve checked out, only feeling blood pooling out from his wound down his arms and off his elbow. So he releases his hands from the air and cradles his injured hand with his other one, it hurt but his mind was somewhere else and everything seemed to collapse on itself. In his mind and currently in the Byers living room. However, he had a rude awakening as he felt Jonathan call out his name like trying not to spook a wild animal that’s been injured. His name was soft and gentle on his lips. Steve could see the desperation and panic in his eyes, like they were running out of time.

And they were. They were given a moment of peace until hell broke loose again. Only this time, the roof does sink in on itself, with a monster phasing through it and Steve was right under it. He could only look up and see what appears to be a claw, almost puncturing through the roof like it was made out of flesh and stretched skin.

Jonathan didn’t waste a second, discarding the initial plan to coax Steve into safety, they ran out of time; so he lunges for Steve. Grabbing his uninjured arm, tugging him and both jumping over the bear trap and to the room with Nancy ahead, opening the door for both boys and her last, locking it and standing guard.

Steve was walked to the bed and Jonathan sat him down. He had to find something to bandage Steve’s wound, which felt fruitless because there was no medical supplies in this room. So he figured the next best thing is a thin layered shirt that he can tear up and use as a makeshift bandage. It seemed like luck was on his side because he found exactly that. It was a disposable shirt too, it wouldn’t be missed, so he got to work. He had to act fast, he could hear the monster finally break through and its heavy body hit the living room floor. He kneels down in front of Steve and sees the other boy holding his injured hand and trembling. He coaches Steve through it and tells him it’s going to be okay, that it’ll hurt but that he’s here. Maybe it was also to get himself together too. He’s not leaving. As scared as he is, Jonathan knew the monster smelt their blood and now Steve’s fresh flesh wound, he didn’t want it to get any worse than it already is.

They had a plan. It’s all gone to shit and haywire.

Now, they just need to figure out how to trap the bastard and keep it from the others. They can still do this, they need to do this.

Jonathan looks at his handy work and deems is satisfactory for now and turns towards Nancy, meeting her eyes, he sees her guarded, her eyes were stormy and face littered in a ripple of emotions. But it seems like she also has the same conclusion, get it together and focus on the plan; no matter if it’s skewed and ruined.

So, she meets Jonathan’s gaze. She doesn’t even have it in her to look at Steve. Her boyfriend. The boy she shot.

They can still execute in the next phase. They just need Steve to be hidden in a secure place, away from danger.

Away from Nancy and her gun. Which was unsaid but it was spoken in her mind.

Nancy nods, standing guard and Jonathan nods in return. Standing up to guide Steve to a wardrobe, taking everything out and placing him in. Jonathan didn’t feel any resistance, he can clearly tell Steve is still in shock and internally dissociating. He notices that far-away look and how pliant he was with being essentially manhandled into the wooden wardrobe. Sitting him down, Jonathan can only offer a few words of reassurance and telling the older boy they’ll be back for him when it’s over. He wasn’t able to wait for a response as Nancy signals Jonathan and Steve feels the sense of safety and warmth leave his space. A feeling he’d never thought associating with Jonathan, it was new but he couldn’t help but feel his lingering touches, gentle yet firm.

He doesn’t even notice the wardrobe doors close and all he knows next is darkness and being left alone with his thoughts. He can’t help but think back to his and Jonathan’s spat, how Steve taunted him and called him names, said awful things about his family and yet…the younger boy grabbed him and took his hand into safety and out of danger without a second thought. He can’t help but also think about how in their fight, or well, Steve’s beat-down, how Jonathan being on top of him sparked a feeling that felt dangerous and unknown, yet familiar. How he straddled his hips and felt his hands on him and like moments ago, instead of his touch hurting, he was gentle and kind. He felt butterflies in his stomach. It made Steve and his entire world go into turmoil and it seems like he’s come to two conclusions tonight:

Monsters are real.

He’s pretty sure he’s having a Queer awakening.

He didn’t have time to dwell more in the closet, haha, because the sound of gunshots, the sound of like a banshee screeching, Nancy’s voice and Jonathan’s grunts could be heard; Steve had to get out.

So he does.

Steve breaks out of his hiding spot and opens the door, he rushes to the scene of commotion and sees Jonathan pinned down by the monster, which looked to be made out of flesh, its mouth opens like a flower with petals that has razor sharp teeth inside — all wanting to bite into Jonathan’s face as the boy tries to fight against it. Nancy fired shots but it seems to not deterrent the monster, not even bothering it and she seemed frozen and unsure what to do next.

Enter Steve who spots the nailed bat, so he leaps over the bear trap again, grabbing the nail bat and as the adrenaline fills his entire being once again; he doesn’t even feel the pain as he grips the bat in a death grip. He gets close enough and shouts at the ugly bastard. He gains its attention and it screeches at him, now smelling the fresh blood from Steve’s hand and detached itself from Jonathan. It stood and towered over Steve but Steve didn’t feel anything but anger, rage, the instinct to protect and keep them safe.

He twirls the bat to get a better grip and positions himself into a stance to fully swing at the monster, using all his strength and power, he hoped playing baseball for a while payed off.

So he swung, the monster staggering and Steve was hitting blow after blow and that’s when Nancy and Jonathan recoup to see Steve backing the hideous creature into the bear trap. It was working.

Holy shit, it was working.

Steve knew it fell into the trap as it screeched in a guttural scream that he hasn’t heard before.

That’s when he hears Jonathan’s voice shouting at him to stand back and he sees the boy throw a lit lighter into the gasoline which Steve didn’t even notice until it was engulfing the floor and racing towards the trap. Eventually engulfing the creature and the three teens watch as the creature screamed, tried to break free of the trap and even tears off its leg to escape.

Nancy was caught off guard at the unexpected movement and backed away and tugged Jonathan back with her. Eyes trained on it as it advances towards them but then Steve, Steve being the reckless idiot he was, uses the last of his strength and takes only a few strides and twists his body, elbows up and shoulders squared; his feet planted and he swings.

The nails pierced the monsters head before the rest of the bat followed, connecting with the head ripping it clean off its shoulders. The screeching stopped at its decapitation and only the sound of fire burning its flesh remain and the flicker of the lights finally stop and the room stopped feeling like it was going through an earthquake. They stare at the monsters corpse and sees it disintegrating under the flames, taking the heat with it and only leaving scorch marks behind.

Everything was still.

It was over.

Or was it?

TBC…

Next chapter —>

[luv-byers]

I just KNOW that Mike would have hugged Will like this in the airport scene if they were the only people there….

[pinkeoni]

WILL BYERS IN EVERY EPISODE Episode #409: THE PIGGYBACK

[yellowcrowindustry]

My baby 😭💛

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve was going to kill Jonathan. 

He had to save the guy’s life first, but once he did, Jonathan was a dead man. 

Skidding around the corner, eyes wild, Steve only slowed down when he could visually confirm that he had in fact, made it in time.

“Whoa, hey.” Jonathan said. startled as Steve nearly crashed into him, dropping the paper plates he was carrying to his backyard. “What’s wrong?” 

“You-” Steve huffed, breath coming out in sharp bursts and man, wasn’t that a sign that he’d been slacking lately on his workouts? “You need to--”

“What’s happening?” Will interrupted, sensing trouble-- and running immediately towards it as always, El trailing behind. “Are you okay?” 

“No.” Steve growled, hands on his knees, glaring up through his hair. “No, I am not okay. Jonathan won’t be either if he doesn’t go inside and stay there for at least the next twenty minutes.” 

He slowly stood, his general fitness allowing him to regain his stamina quickly even if he had been neglecting it. 

‘I’m sorry I ever stopped going on bi weekly runs.’ 

“What?” Jonathan asked, at the same time Will and El said;

“Why?” 

Steve turned his attention to Will, startled to find the kid was almost taller than he was. That was  a train of thought for a different day, because right now he was still focused on keeping Jonathan living and breathing. 

‘The shit I do for these people.’

“You guys remember Gareth?” He said, staring pointedly at Jonathan. 

Ah yes, there was the little wince he was looking for. 

“Gareth?” El asked, voice soft as Will stiffened visibly besides his brother. 

Steve nodded, still glaring Jonathan down. “You know, Gareth. Skipped a grade, Brown hair, part of the Hellfire club, got his ass kicked by Carver’s asshole buddies because he’s super close to Eddie?” 

“Steve--” Will started, staring at him and not at his brother's hunched shoulders, the very first sign of guilt in a Byers. 

(Among many other things, but Steve knew Jonathan better than he knew Will, and those? 

Those were guilty shoulders.) 

“Your brother,” Steve interrupted, making sure the sheer annoyance in his tone came through, “--decided to have a talk with Gareth.”

He  put his hands on his hips, doing his best to communicate ‘you done fucked up’ with his own face. “Eddie found out and is on a rampage.” 

A fact he had been alerted to by Gareth himself, after the poor kid had called him from Eddie’s shiny new government supplied house, begging Steve to stop Eddie before he made the situation worse than it already was.

(Considering Eddie’s paranoia and general protectiveness was still ramped up to a hundred even now, six months after all the Vecna bullshit, Steve didn’t blame Gareth for calling it like it was. 

Eddie absolutely would make things worse.)  

There was a very long pause, in which Steve got a front row seat to several different Byers expressions. 

First was confusion, followed quickly by realization, and then the slow dawning of horror as Will cued in to exactly what his brother had done. 

Meanwhile; Jonathan’s hunched, guilty form took on the look of something a bit more pinched. 

Like a soccer player who had clocked that the ball was in the air, hurtling dead towards his face, and all he could do was stand there and take the hit. 

“Oh.” El said, her head tilted comically, correctly reading her brothers faces. “Gareth is the boy Will has a crush on.” 

She turned to peer Jonathan, Will’s face managing to somehow go redder at his sister's words. 

“The talk Jonathan gave him was like Jim’s talk to Mike.” 

Implied: That talk broke the two of them up. 

Implied: Said talk was now firmly rooted in El’s head as a bad thing. 

Implied: Jonathan was screwed. 

“That’s not good.” She finished calmly, as Will whipped around to confront his brother. 

“What the hell!?” He shrieked, voice cracking right in the middle as Jonathan raised his hands defensively. 

“Look, you’ve been through a lot, and-” He started, only to be immediately interrupted by a furious;  

“That’s not an excuse!” 

Will advanced on him, sticking a pointed finger in Jonathan’s face, a whole tirade of words pouring out of his mouth. “I can’t-I can’t believe you! I told you about Gareth in confidence! You told me I could tell you anything, Jonathan!” 

Steve raised an eyebrow, impressed to find that baby-Byers could actually be intimidating when he wanted to be. 

He was pretty sure it was the height. 

“Scream about it later, get inside now please.” Steve said, trying to cut Will’s attempt on Jonathan’s life off. 

Personally he didn’t care if the guy’s own brother murdered him, he just didn’t need Eddie to catch a charge.

Again. 

The very thought coincided with their time ending, as a furious screech of wheel’s and muffled metal roared into the Byer’s driveway. The car wasn’t even off by the time Steve heard the door slam, Eddie’s stomping footsteps loud enough for Steve to track him as he came around to the backyard. 

“Hey, El?” He said, as he turned to face down his furious boyfriend. “Tell Will I’m on his side for this one, would you?” 

El nodded politely, a smile overtaking her face as she watched Steve match Eddie’s stride, aiming to head his boyfriend off. 

Kid probably knew what he was going to do before he did it, the little shit. 

“Get out of my way, Steve-!” Eddie bit out, stopping only so he could point to where he wanted Steve to move to. 

Sadly for him, Steve had a different plan.

Instead of slowing down, he simply bent at the knees, wrapping his arms around the back of Eddie’s thighs and putting his shoulder firmly in Eddie’s torso. He had to withhold a grunt to do it, the step- to kneel-to carry was not as smooth as it used to be when Steve was in proper shape and throwing girls around like footballs, but he managed to get Eddie over his shoulder anyway. 

“Hey!” His boyfriend squawked, as Steve smoothly continued walking, right back out of the Byer’s backyard, Eddie hanging over his shoulder. 

“Steven Reginald Harrington, put me down right now!” Eddie shrieked, the words only slightly tangled with Will’s own;

“You’re DEAD Jonathan!” 

(and Els’ gentle laugh, of course.) 

[cleradin-archive]

just wanted to reverse this scene for funsies lol

[elephantshoetoo]

💙💛💚

Hello fellow Bylers!

Because I care about Byler a normal amount (I swear!) I wrote the fanfic "The Byler Files" for my daughter, who is equally obsessed with Will and Mike from Stranger Things and needed to see them get their "crazy together" happy ending. Hopefully, we'll all get to see the real thing next year when season 5 comes out (pun intended), but who can wait that long?

Please check it out if you also love Byler, and leave kudos and comments -- the feedback means a lot to me.

(Fanfic writers get paid in compliments.😊)

Love,

Byler Mom

💙💛💚

*If you follow my daughter, @pinksmonkey you've probably seen her posts about this already.

*This fan art, "Castle Byler," is also drawn by me specifically for the fanfic, and available at RedBubble under the username ElephantShoe.

*link to my fan art:

[lunabug2004]

Mike Wheeler Needs A Hug (and not one that he initiates)

I saw someone say that when people claim Mike doesn’t receive comfort it’s a complete lie because he hugs Karen and Hopper, and yes, to an extent this is true. He does receive (physical) comfort multiple times throughout the show. But the problem is that he receives it too late and he’s almost always the one who initiates it. Even with these two factors alone, we can still come to the conclusion, just like he probably has, that no one cares about his issues.

Karen only hugs him in seasons 1&3 because he came into the house upset and in obvious need of support, he was hurting so much that he let his usual walls fall down (at least partially, we don’t ever actually see him open up). Hopper only hugs him in s2 because he was literally bursting at the seams and in obvious need of support. Of course, this is also after Hopper yells at him for being completely reasonably upset.

He has to make his emotions very obvious before anyone will comfort him because no one pays enough attention to notice his silent suffering. Every time he’s received (physical) comfort he’s either asked for it by letting his walls down almost willingly (s1&3) or his walls unwillingly breaking down (s2).

This is why we say Mike has not really received comfort. Because he shouldn’t have to (essentially) ask for it, that makes it almost meaningless.

[share-the-damn-bed]

JOYCE & JONATHAN in stranger things three

[nburkhardt]

Here is an angsty thing with a happy ending! (Please note: this takes place BEFORE seasons 3 & 4 but after demodogs.)

Pray for the Ground to Swallow Me Whole

He’ll eventually thank her for the domino effect she caused. It’ll be the best thing to happen to him, even if it meant leaving town very premature.

But for now, his heart hurts and his eyes are burning from holding the tears back. For now he’ll stand here and listen to words that’ll haunt him, to faintly be reminded of times when he was an ignorant asshole that only cared about himself and didn’t bother thinking of his actions.

Truthfully, he sorta thought this would happen.

The only ones who actually actively engaged with him was the kids, especially Dustin and Lucas. But if he was being truly honest with himself, a nasty voice in the back of his head always told him they just liked him because he saved them. He tried not letting that get to him.

Currently though? That nasty voice is whispering and it’s not just a voice in his head anymore.

The voice just sounds a lot like Joyce Byers.

“- you did help him and I’ll always be grateful for that. Honestly. But I also remember him coming home from school and telling me about this kid, this jerk who laughed and poked fun at him,” Joyce stops to take a breather, crossing her arms and looking disappointed as if he wasn’t already used to that kind of look, “It actually makes me very uncomfortable to have you around, you have to understand that?”

He choked down a defense and sob, blinked hard before looking away with a nod. Listening to this for the last twenty minutes has broken him down faster than Nancy calling him “bullshit”.

“Yes, Mrs. Byers, I’ll-I’ll leave your family alone”

She nodded, “I’d appreciate that, Steve. But I’m not just talking about my family”

He’s hit with ice and dread. Freezes up and looks back at her, “wha-what do you mean? I’m sorry, I’m confused”

“I don’t think it’s really appropriate for you to be around Will and his friends. With my knowledge of what Jon told me about you and the fact you are five years older than them. It would make a lot of their parents uncomfortable too. Don’t you know that?” She’s speaking softly now, like she’s talking to a scared animal.

And maybe she is, he feels like it.

He shakes his head, not to her though. To himself, shaking the memories of hang outs with the Henderson family. Memories of Claudia Henderson making extra food- “just in case, dear! You can even have leftovers for tomorrow!” And Dustin biking over just to tell him about the newest movie he wants to see- “we absolutely have to go, Steve! It’s gonna be a classic, trust me!”

The memory of Claudia hugging him close, telling him “such a blessing, sweetie! You’ll always be welcomed here” that still makes him cry late at night in his empty quiet home.

He avoids looking at Joyce, trying to figure out a way to get away.

“I- uh, I gotta, if you’ll excuse me” he mumbles and doesn’t smile or even look directly at her. Just moves around her to leave, as he walks out and overhears the excited voices calling for him, he ignores them and keeps his head down to avoid showing them how red his cheeks are in embarrassment and how much he’s holding back tears.

Without saying goodbye, he gets into his car and drives.

He doesn’t know how long he drives, doesn’t know where he’s going. Just driving to get away, to avoid listening to Joyce’s words that are already taunting him in his head. Slowly mixing in with “you’re bullshit” and “run away, Steve, always running away!” and all the disappointed sighs and taunts from his father.

The car picks the location for him, gas running low and he’s forced to stop at Lovers Lake. Pulling to a stop and turning his car off, he sits in silence. Staring ahead at the lake, eyes still burning.

It’s a long time as he just sits there. In silence.

Rubbing his eyes to get the tears to go away, there’s no reason to cry. She is right, he was an asshole and it is inappropriate for a eighteen year old to hang around thirteen year olds.

Even more inappropriate to hang around a house where he isn’t welcomed.

He rests his head against the steering wheel, arms around it and his knuckles turning white from how hard his gripping the wheel. His eyes burn and he laughs a bitter sound, lightly hitting his head against the wheel. “Fucking, knock it off, get yourself together” he mumbles and it’s weak, he chokes back another sob as he squeezes his eyes shut.

There’s a knock on his window that makes him flinch hard, eyes are wide and he’s immediately aware of how fucking stupid he was to let his guard down like that. Looking next to him he flinches again, not because he’s scared but because of who’s standing there.

Of all the people to find him right now, during probably his lowest point ever, is the local drug dealer. The twice senior and King of the Freaks, Eddie Munson.

“Hey man, uh, you okay?”

Shaking his head, he rests it back on his headrest taking a breath before rolling the window down. Munson takes a step back, he only knows because of the chains hanging from the guy’s pants.

“All good, Munson” he lies straight through his teeth, he doesn’t need to see how red his face is with how warm it feels. And his hands actually hurt now from how hard he was gripping the wheel, “i didn’t- uh, see anything.”

Since he’s leaning his head back on the headrest with eyes closed, he doesn’t see how Munson reacts. The only noise is just nature, birds chirping and the wind hitting leaves. He doesn’t even hear Munson moving, so opening his eyes he looks over and finds the guy standing there with an odd look on his face.

“Look, I’ll just- fuck,” he knocks his head back before rolling the window up and turning his car off, climbing out and avoiding looking directly at the guy. “I’m gonna just go”

Doesn’t bother waiting for something back, it’s been long enough in his own pity party. Now, he just needs to walk home and figure out how he’ll go about life without seeing the Henderson family and the rest of the kids.

“Are you walking? What the fuck, just leaving your car here?” Munson shouts out at him.

He glances back at his car then at Munson, slowing to a stop. “Why do you care?”

It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, why would this guy care whether he leaves his car here? It’s only Hawkins, no one is going to steal his car. You’re more likely gonna come across a monster around than a stolen car.

Especially not at Lover’s Lake. Also why care about him? He’s an asshole and everything Munson hates and loudly announces at lunch.

He shakes his head and starts walking again, taking the silence that Munson doesn’t actually care about him. It doesn’t hurt to admit another person doesn’t like him, he honestly would be shocked if someone did like him.

What really hurts is the fake worry, the questioning, the fake concern and the curiosity.

He’s going to continue to walk home that’ll take him a few hours and will only make it back by dark. Without a weapon, without the bat to hold, because he left that in his car and Munson is still here. Can’t let him ask anymore questions.

“-sus Christ! Jesus, slow the fuck down Harrington!” Munson sounds out of breath, a lot closer too.

He flinches when a hand lands on his arm, “What? What do you want?” He turns and shakes the hand off, “if someone steals it, whatever. It- it doesn’t matter.”

Munson squints at him, looking confused, “Dude, wait, why are you crying?”

Touching his face, he laughs and it sounds so wrong. He is crying, didn’t even realize it was happening. Shaking his head, he turns around and doesn’t bother answering.

“Come on, Harrington!” Munson grabs hold of his shoulder and his grip is rough, “look, I’m sorry if you want to be alone but fuck, dude, you look like shit and crying alone is the worst. So, why don’t I give you a ride to whoe-“

Shaking his head, “like I have anyone to run to right now”

There’s a flash of Claudia and Dustin Henderson in his head and he wants, thinks that they’d shake him and hug him tight if they knew what was said and how it’s haunting him already. Won’t go away, it just brings more tears.

Munson’s silent and his hand drops, leaving behind a faint pressure and that hurts too.

“God, I’m so pathetic right now.”

“Nah, just lonely it seems”

His eyes snap to Munson and his hands are shoved into his jacket, kicking his foot before looking back at him, “I won’t judge, seriously. Let me help, even if it’s just to give you a ride”

“Just a ride?”

Munson nods, “just a ride, unless you change your mind”

He nods, taking a deep breath before stepping towards Munson, “okay, you can, um. Take me home?”

A smile spreads across Munson’s face and he takes his hands out to swing them towards where his van most likely is, “your chariot awaits, good sir!”

Despite his mood and how this might possibly be one of the worst days of his life, he cracks a tiny smile. Just enough to squeeze at his heart, actually.

Walking along side Munson is quiet, it’s a little peaceful. If he remembers correctly, Munson was never this quiet before. Always talking or laughing or yelling, he’s loud and sometimes overly obnoxious.

This is nice. Actually really nice, this quiet with him.

They make it to the van and the ride isn’t the same quiet but it’s still there. He can feel it deep in his bones now.

That this, right here, is peaceful.

Hello! This whole thing originally started back in May and I lost a little interest in this particular WIP, so I stopped and it’s been in my drafts since. Then I kept getting writers block, still have it tbh. But I read it back today and decided I can technically turn this into a two part fic instead of a one shot soo, it’s finally being shared!

I want to be clear that it’s an AU from after the demodogs and everything after that won’t be the same. And that I have nothing against Joyce but I thought “what if it was someone else than made Steve leave/didn’t like Steve?” guess who I picked 😇 plus we have enough Hopper & Joyce adopt Steve fics, we need a little more of them not doing that. Also!! There should be more fics of them being wrong, that they’re being judgmental and need consequences for their words & actions.

Anyway! I’m automatically assuming only a few people will read this far into my rambling. And if you did I love you, you get a platonic forehead kiss ☺️

Permanent Taglist: @spectrum-spectre @itsfreakingbats @mysticcrownshipper @artiststarme @thereindeerlady @justforthedead89 @ronniescontinuum @freyaforestafay @littlewildflowerkitten @gregre369 @zerokrox-blog @flustratedcas @carlprocastinator1000 @marvelmwah @solliesolesito @navnae @i-less-than-three-you @grimmfitzz @estrellami-1 @cartercaptainofthemoon @strangersteddierthings

[weird-an]

Joyce Byers creeps Billy out. Even a bit more than Steve Harrington with his stupid pretty face and all the dreams that followed.

He's just picking up Max and waiting outside. He can't go in. She holds the door open, golden light and laughter spilling out from the inside.

There it is again, her smile that makes Billy feel like he's five again, like that time when he got lost in the supermarket and Neil drove home without him and he just wanted to hug his mom.

"You wanna come in?" she asks - not for the first time. She asked last week and the week before. Not in the way Karen Wheeler did with too much lipstick and hunger. In a way Billy doesn't get.

"No, thank you, Ma'am." It's not even a lie. Billy doesn’t know what to expect when he goes inside. What would he even do in there? It's fucking scary.

"Okay," she just says. Like it really is okay. Like he isn't one giant disappointment. "But next time you're welcome to join us for dinner."

Billy wants to tell her no again, but he only had a chocolate bar for dinner and the thought of sitting in front of a plate full of steaming hot food makes his stomach churn.

"I'll think about it," he says. Then Max shoves past him, bitching about Neil's stupid ass curfew and well, that's one thing they can agree on.

Next time is the most inconvenient moment, because it's the day his mom left and Billy tries to forget the exact date, but he can't. It's a day that hurts, that's always gray. There's a giant hole inside him and he's aching, remembering her favorite summer dress and laughter and screaming and a plate's shards on the floor.

He's earlier than usual and she's opening the door. He hears the kids' chatter and can't.

"Not a good day?" Joyce asks, seeing right through him and it's so much like a fucking mother - or what Billy has the vague idea of one to be like. He wants to bolt and to stay at the same time.

He snorts, but it's more of a sob. Not a good day, not a good life.

"Do you wanna come in?" She pauses. "If you don't want to, I already saved some for you."

Years full of memories are clogging his throat.

"Next time," he hears himself say. He can't, not when a mother that isn't even there and never will be, is still holding his hand.

She disappears and comes back a few minutes later.

"Sorry, I only had Will's old one..." She gives him a sheepish smile. "You're always welcome, you know."

It's a kid's' food container, a giant green turtle.

Billy takes it.

It's stupid. It feels like a hug.

[throne-of-crows]

Byler edit to BLUE by Billie Eilish

'I thought we were the same, birds of a feather, now I'm ashamed.'

@bookinit02 I saw your post that BLUE is a Will Byers song and I totally agree. I don't know if this is anything like the edit you were imagining but I enjoyed making it so I hope you like it.

'I don't blame you but I can't change you.' Actually heartbroken at the thought of Will believing there is no possible way for Mike to ever love him back. Can't wait for Season 5 to prove him wrong.

I have now listened to this song for hours on repeat while making this and somehow I'm not sick of it. Honestly quite proud of this, it's the first edit I've ever made.

[asylum-of-dreams]

that would be enough

drew them again, I’m going insane (I should be studying a monologue but shh let me be)

[gay-episode]

I want to gently wrap him up in a cupcake cup and put sprinkles on him

[yellowcrowindustry]

Cause boys don’t cry ❤️‍🩹