#and i want to write domestic byler

[andiwriteordie]

when it comes to writing, i have exactly two settings:

1. extreme angst that will emotionally damage you, me, and the characters within the fic 

2. fluffy shit that is so ridiculous and stupid and only happens in rom-coms and will make me feel like the most single person in the world 

there is no in between 

[hazmatazz]

speedrunning byler soulmate au ideas (long post)

au where you're able to see where your soulmate is hurt physically as it's marked on your body.

miwi + lonnie. when will is in the upside down. mike or will immediately going to the other when they know they're hurt. mike or will being sad they can't help the other when will is in lenora.

half of a quote on eachother.

mike having "together" tatted on him and thinking it's a different phrase while will has "crazy" and knows what's up. "it's not my fault" can apply to mike with how he's sometimes at fault for things he didn't do + "that you don't like girls" little will struggling with that

There's a marker on your skin the first time you touch your soulmate

Mike and Will have matching prints on their palm from where they met (hc they shook hands). or, mike gave will a hug so he's always surrounded by his love

your soulmark is the most recent drawing your soulmate has made for you

will loves making grand drawings because then he can see his dragon trailing up mike's back or a bouquet of flowers covering his forearm (he always looks so pretty). will with little doodled hearts littering his skin because mike stole his homework and drew hearts all over it (imagine one lands on his mole and mike traces it amused). miwi...mike always getting excited... mike always loves his art and it's even better seeing will's love on his skin. them not getting new drawings because will is in lenora or mike getting a heart shield randomly with no context (him kicking his feet knowing will is still drawing for him)

sharing a dream space

miwi playing like kids there. sharing kisses and moments there because it's where they're the safest (hidden. also imagine miwi first kisses there). maybe when will is in lenora and mike is in hawkins and they're not talking they avoid eachother in their dreams

soulmate's birthday is tatted on you

hurts will more that mike has forgotten his birthday. maybe, birthdaygate, the tattoo has disappeared (maybe...mike forgets will is his soulmate like birthdaygate)

everytime your soulmate lies it's written on you

mike assumes because he has like literally nothing on him that his soulmate is el. when it comes out that el lied while in lenora he's surprised to find nothing on him. the entire monolog will gave him is tattooed on his back (he's super distressed about that. maybe eventually he gets a tattoo done that changes the wording so it's what will wanted to say instead)

first words your soulmate say to you appears on your 15th (?) birthday

will knows that his soulmate is mike immediately "do you want to be friends". mike gets a simple "yes" on his wrist which doesn't help him at. all. will keeps from mike his words

the music your soulmate is listening to/singing in stuck in your head

mike only hears should i stay or should i go when will is missing (while he likes knowing will is alive hearing his shakily recite the song haunts him). will being excited his soulmate is listening to smalltown boy, the gayest song ever, on repeat.

if your soulmate loses something it ends up in your possession

will/mike returning the items in school. mike/will cherishing the iteams they get when will is in lenora/mike is in hawkins. will painting the items mike loses (making mike try to purposefully lose things)

you feel warmer when you're close to your soulmate and colder when far away

mike knows something is wrong in s1 ep1 when he suddenly feels frigid. mike and will being constantly cold when will is in lenora. will and mike meeting up in winter and being soooo warm <3

they share a book/can write on eachother's skin

i think they should be both in love with their soulmates but also in love with eachother outside of knowing the other is their soulmate. like jealous of the other's soulmates and shit <3. also domestic byler writing shopping lists or love notes <3<3

[himynameis4]

Adult Byler Teacher Headcanons

They both teach at the same school, maybe even same district.

Will teaches art, namely Drawing & Painting I & II, as well as AP Art & Honors Drawing for Production & Design. (He also was dragged into making props for the school musical, and started/runs the school’s GSA. Mans is SWAMPED)

Mike teaches AP Language & Comp, Creative Writing, Honors English 9, and English 11. He also runs the school’s Literary Magazine, Newspaper, and Yearbook clubs. (Mans is similarly swamped)

(They’re both considering starting up an AV club & a D&D club, but where they’ll find the money or the time, they got no clue)

Will was the reason Mike first explored teaching. Mike had taken his dad’s advice & become a business major, because it can be applied to lots of jobs & is a good way to get a job quick, but… yeah, he fucking hated it.

He ended up taking one of the education courses Will was taking, trying to fulfill some credits & figuring having a class with Will would make it bearable… and then he fell headfirst into teaching

They were hired at the same time. They student taught together, too. A wave of retirees meant most of their colleagues were new blood, like them, and… well, there was A Lot of relationship drama among the staff. It was like a freakin’ soap opera. (Did my high school have a lot of interpersonal staff relationship drama? Yes, why do you ask?)

Will & Mike came out when they got married, because Will wanted to change his last name. By this point, Will was already running the school’s GSA. They hadn’t been very public about their relationship, having been there for The Sanders Affair Of 2006 (and the subsequent divorces, marriages, and affairs that came from said affair) & making the mutual decision to keep their personal lives private… but as their district became less conservative, they hadn’t exactly hidden it, either.

Their friends on the staff all know, & some are close enough friends to get invites

Will had gone by “Mr. William” for the vast majority of his career, so it wasn’t a huge shift for his students or anything.

Mike’s nickname is just “Wheeler,” a similar sign of affection—at least, to his face.

(His students call him “Hot Wheels” behind his back)

(Will is well aware of this, & endlessly amused)

Will’s hair has gone entirely grey. (Lonnie’s genetics, rip). Post-covid, he uses blue light glasses… unlike mike, who needs glasses full-time. (Will teases him about this quite frequently)

Mike finishes growing his hair out, but ditched the bangs. He’s one of those teachers who always has his hair in a severe ponytail (he likes manbuns, too, but you wont often see him with one bc We’re At Work, Will, I Must Be Professional)

They Do Not Talk About The Mullet Era

Or The Bowl Cut For The Entirety Of The Childhoods

They have matching rings, customized replicas of the One Ring bc they’re both geeks. They’re engraved to say “crazy together” in elvish. Technically these were their engagement rings… and also the rings they used when they got a domestic partnership, and also the rings they used in their wedding ceremony. For a long time, they wore them like necklaces tucked under their shirts (bc the Mike in the Math department & Sydney from Social Studies are MASSIVE gossips, and also bc LoTR is iconic & these two are cheesey af),

They started wearing them openly when Will changed his last name, though.

Will & Mike are the teachers who let students eat lunch in their classrooms. The ones who invite them in during free periods. The ones who hear about the shitty chem teacher, the asshole ex, the awful divorce, the toxic friend group, the impending move. They’re the ones who collect & display dozens of senior photos, whose hands cramp from writing yearbook messages, and the ones whose students will remember years later. They’re the ones who keep in touch—they get wedding invites and scattered letters and life updates.

Because they’re the ones who remember what it’s like to be 14, 15, and feeling like the world was about to end. They remember the bullies. They remember the isolation. They remember how awful it feels to grow apart from the people you used to hold dear, and how much they hated high school.

It’s why they love being teachers, exhausting as it is. They’re the adults they didn’t get in high school, despite their parents’ best efforts—they get to be the support they desperately needed. They get to watch their kids grow, and its so, so satisfying to know they’re giving the kids better than what they had.

But most importantly? They’re happy.

[astrobei]

Hi I just read your story “I might be hoping about this” for the first time and it’s SO GOOD!! I love fics that explore character relations like that, and I definitely love a good, fluffy sickfic! I know you wrote it a little while ago, but I would literally do anything for a part 2. It’s so well written and I’d love to see more of that story!! Regardless, i loved it, you did a fantastic job!! <3

hiiii omg thank you so much! i know i wrote this fic just about a year and a half ago (??? insane) but for some reason i have received soooooooo so so many asks in that time wondering if i’d write a part 2 for it (another couple of asks like this are rotting in my inbox rn i am so sorry to anyone who sent one omg) and also very sorry if this answer is so super long but i just wanted to fully explain my thought process for this fic/the pt. 2 questions!!

first and foremost i’m so glad you enjoyed it! that fic was a very special one for me to write because it was my foray into established relationship, which i previously swore i’d never write (lol) and also because physical touch and acts of service are definitely how i show love in romantic relationships so it was just many thousands of words of me projecting hopelessly onto the two of them 😗 unfortunately i have never really had any plans to continue this story in a part 2 — so many people have asked for one and i hate to disappoint, but this fic has always existed in my mind as a one-parter, and i don’t think i could write a follow up without it falling flat or feeling way too repetitive :( for me personally it’s very important that i feel i’m doing justice to the story i’m writing, even if it means doing things like sacrificing a reasonable word count (stares at my 30k+ oneshots and chapter updates) for the sake of good pacing and time to flesh out scenes i think are important to include, etc. i just unfortunately don’t feel like i would be able to do this universe and story justice with a part 2, which is why i don’t think i’ll ever write one. so so sorry to disappoint but i do appreciate your dedication to the fic and i’m glad it touched you!! byler and domestic intimacy are two things that are very important to me and i do have a couple of concepts that i haven’t yet written that would definitely also explore this dynamic for them — if you can bear to stick around until i finally end up writing them LOL. thank you so much for the kind words (and so sorry to the atrociously long answer i gave for a very simple ask) 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

[notebooknonbinary]

I have this headcanon about writer/artist duo byler. If they were to write a ‘fictional’ story/graphic novel relating to their fights with the Upside Down—like I think a lot of us believe they will, and the govt were to allow that, the caveat would be that it has to be under pseudonyms so that story can’t be connected back to Hawkins. (At least not until the NDA expires rnfjdjxi)

So they write the book under pen names and it becomes decently popular enough to get sequels etc. and they decide hey we should use pen names for other stuff—like mayhaps a gay romance novel (since this is the 90s). So they use different pen names for that. And then maybe they write a few children’s books (bc maybe they have foster kids and tell them stories and) and those have to be under different pen names too.

Nonfiction stuff, like DnD info books and, like, writing books or how to draw books idk, those are the books that are under their real names.

And like, they don’t always pair up under their different pseudonyms—sometimes they write/illustrate w other authors, depending on the genre.

The Party (Extended) all knows ofc. I hc that one or two of them become teachers so they earn Lots of Cool Points with their kids by having autographed copies of the DnD novels.

Then in like the early 2010s, all of byler’s pen names are connected with them. This sparks rumors about their relationship (bc gay novel??? w no sad ending??), so they make a post about it (I hc that they’re on tumblr like Mr gaimem, Will likes looking at art), confirming that yes they’re in a relationship. Been in a domestic partnership since that was legal, and been married since that was legal where they live. They probably lose some fans bc ✨homophobia✨ but they also gain fans bc gay.

Also in like 2014-2015 their gay romance gets picked up by a small movie company and does decently well.

In like 2016-2019 their DnD series is picked up by netflx to be a show. V Popular.

Both times, Mike and Will are involved so that nothing unfortunate happens to their stories (looking at u l/ast a/irbender & fake pjo movies)

Anyway this went off on a tangent but I have all their pen names if anyone wants them Djdidieidfi

Edit: here are the pen names :D

[shippingfangirl013]

Medieval Byler? Parallels to Merlin? I want it. And I’m probably going to write it.

Bridgerton! Byler? Yes, please, with angst.

College! Equestrian! Byler? I’m writing it.

Anastasia! Byler? Yes please. Will would be Anya - maybe we have the royalty theme but he still gets memories taken away from Vecna? Angst? Mike as Dimitri? A lil swindler but is obsessed with the idea that Will is still alive after saving him during the siege?

WWII! Byler? Possibly. The historian in me just loves historical fics. Will on the front lines writing home to his lover? Having a picture of his boy in his pocket and hoping he makes it back home? All the angst that could come with it? (I will never get over Twist and Shout the destiel fic that made me sob for days and altered my brain chemistry) Mike writing to Will and telling him all about what’s going on at home, about school and why he hates that Will is one year older because at 18, Will shouldn’t have to be dealing with this crap?

Silly Rom Com domestic Byler?

Artist! Will and Author! Mike using one another as inspiration but never telling the other? Will painting and adding things that remind him of Mike to his work? Like painting trees with the exact brown/gold shade of mike’s eyes when the sunlight hits them just right? Mike writing small details about Will into his characters? Like Will’s smile that he makes when he thinks others aren’t looking, but finds a comment funny? Both of them being too flustered to admit to this, but Mike knows and Will knows and Mike knows that Will knows, and Will knows that Mike knows, so they leave it an unsaid secret.

I just want more AUs that are so out of left field and niche, but end up being so specific to those characters, that the quirks pop out on the page. With little meet cutes and little details that just add to what we already love about the ships and characters. (Yes, this is primarily about Byler, but it applies to all of fanfiction)

[findroleplay]

23nb looking for 20+ writers for a byler (stranger things) plot!!

hey besties. i have been thinking a lot about mike wheeler, and all i want to do is write him. it’s becoming a problem. interested in mostly post-canon/canon-adjacent aus. maybe a college scenario or them as young adults moving into the city for the first time? i just want some sappy, early- to mid-'90s vibes with my favorite boys. no supernatural happenings or further trauma, just them getting the time to actually sort out their feelings and admit that they’re helplessly in love with each other. huge fan of slow burns and domestic mush. literate writing style (~500-1,000ish words depending on the partner) and pretty active during the summer months. love love LOVE!! plotting, making playlists, and swapping headcanons so please connect prepared to engage. i write almost exclusively on discord, so please react to this post and i’ll reach out from there! 💙💛

_

[sunflowersand-bees]

✨❌👀

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

awwww thank you. umm im a pretty good writer, i've been writing semi-seriously for a long time, probably over 10 years and i've had a lot of practice to improve.

❌ What's a trope you will never write?

well, earlier i answered this and said a/b/o, but i'd also like to add that i won't write any kind of mpreg that isn't a trans guy (or probs mpreg at all bc idk anything about being pregnant, not looking to get pregnant myself and i dont want to write about a topic i'm so distanced and uneducated about), but like sex pollen and shit, yk?

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

oh god. i have so many, which one, which one. ok i've almost finished this one, i have some editing to do, if i ever get around to it, but basically it's my opinion that time after time is SUCH a byler song, and i thought it would be cute if will and mike had a soft, domestic dance to the song in mike's basement. it's adorable and everyone will love it once i finish editing it.

thank you allie jay!! <333

[wisehearted-ao3]

I'm subscribed to your ao3 account and I'll read anything you post i swear.💋

Besides writing, do you read byler fics too? and what are your favorites or the tropes you like the most?

Also, are you excited for S5? what do you think is going to happen with Mike and Will?

This ask made my day whaaat! (And that's really so sweet of you, I hope to post at least a little more consistently now 🙏)

I definitely read Byler fics - and not just nsfw even if that's what I write - I love every aspect of Byler's relationship! Plus this fandom is so talented.

Hmmm short list of tropes I enjoy for Byler that I can remember, but there are for sure many more than this: the party or their families + established Byler, secret relationship, forbidden love, mutual pining, I do enjoy a good jealous/protective Mike moment, bodyguard (I mean Mike is a paladin type, come on...) Also domesticity/slice of life, so sorry to everyone who isn't into that but I can't stop won't stop having Byler be domestic in my fics either 🫶

I really enjoy a good AU too, I love recognizing the same characters in a new setting and seeing how people apply canon elements to their world. Like all the fandom staple AUs (coffee shop/college/royalty/bookshop etc) as well as the occasional more niche one someone does really well! (Like A Cruel Summer With You for example)

(This ask is making me realize I need to organize the fics that I read more 😭)

And oh I am SOOO excited for s5! Right now 14th of Jan I feel so on alert because the first pic of Mike and Will could drop at any time and that is terrifying. Honestly, I can never decide what I think is gonna happen with them (apart from obviously being endgame), the how and when's aren't solid in my head there are just too many fucking possibilities and so many are fun... I will say I'll be sad if they only get together in the finale though, I'm team earlier-in-the-season because I just want as much of them to make up for the fact they're the plot twist, if that makes sense. If they're being coupley and mutual pining before actually getting together in the finale, I guess I wouldn't mind that either!

Genuinely thank you for this ask it was so fun!!!

[findyourrp]

23nb looking for 20+ writers for a byler (stranger things) plot!!

hey besties. i have been thinking a lot about mike wheeler, and all i want to do is write him. it’s becoming a problem. interested in mostly post-canon/canon-adjacent aus. maybe a college scenario or them as young adults moving into the city for the first time? i just want some sappy, early- to mid-'90s vibes with my favorite boys. no supernatural happenings or further trauma, just them getting the time to actually sort out their feelings and admit that they’re helplessly in love with each other. huge fan of slow burns and domestic mush. literate writing style (~500-1,000ish words depending on the partner) and pretty active during the summer months. love love LOVE!! plotting, making playlists, and swapping headcanons so please connect prepared to engage. i write almost exclusively on discord, so please react to this post and i’ll reach out from there! 💙💛

like & asker will find you !

[valenhell]

From the studio that brought you “I can’t find good Byler fics in the ao3 tag”, comes:

"The Definitive Byler fic rec list"

Literally no one asked for this but because I spent the majority of last year (...and 2019, and 2018...) reading byler fics and coping with life, I thought I’d make a list of some of my absolute favorites. 

The other day I was basically starving for some byler fics and the angel @magicalfairy provided me with some of her faves so I thought I’d do the same, because I love reading, and I love all of these fics and I appreciate their writers💗 And fic writers in general, come on!

- This is a mix of long works and one-shots/short stories. - Everything is mostly fluff with a tad of angst and a lot of internalized homophobia conflict.  - Every fic is completed, except for the ones I mention that they are not. - I try my best to lay out the stories in a way that I won’t spoil you the plot but also warning you of some stuff you might don’t like. Either way, all of these fics are correctly tagged by their respective authors/owners, so read at your own risk. For better understanding, in between brackets I denote Rating, Words and quantity of Chapters. - I feel like I should clarify, none of these are narrated in the singular first person. None of that “And I told him...”, no. 

Long fics

a dream always the same (T, 99k, 35 chapters) What happened in those few weeks between the Battle of Starcourt and the Byers leaving Hawkins. Literally a satisfying and very needed fill in of season three, with a good dose of Mike’s thoughts and conflict. Mike’s characterization is specially amazing in this one. The writing style is amazing and I know the author put everything into making it historically accurate, and it was really sweet. You probably read it, it’s by the amazing sevensided here on Tumblr🧡

Spring Break (T, 120k, 14/15 chapters) The slowburn of my dreams. Lots of internalized conflict and conflict with each other. Conflict within the Party (uhh kind of), conflict with Mike and Will. Byers family has moved and the kids are visiting! Chaos. Characterization is on point. Yeah, I know it’s unfinished, but the fourteenth chapter actually serves as a pretty nice ending. 

This is where it starts (M, 148.8k, 24 chapters) Aged up characters. The Party is in college and Will disappears again, but now it’s different. Mike knows he didn’t vanish from thin air, and the discovery he and the Party end up making is pretty insane. Mystery solving/fantasy/third dimension, throw in a bit of D&D and Mike realizing some shit, and you get this marvelous fic. It’s a breath of fresh air. The world building is definitely one of the elements that stands out the most, because it’s very nicely described, it sounds like a dream and it’s completely immersive. Absolute gem of a fic. 

there’s a Starman waiting in the sky (M, 30.6k, 8 chapters) Do I need to say anything? Will is out there living his best life and Mike realizes that wow, umm, maybe his best friend looks a bit too nice with that costume... and wait, is he getting horny? It’s actually really fun and sexy.

The Evening Speaks (T, 23k, 7 chapters) In where Mike is a late-night college radio host and Will is the art student that stays up till late to catch up with Wheeler on the Mic. They flirt through songs y’all, this one is really sweet. 

heads or tails? (E, 24k, 3 chapters) Aged up characters. I know most people don’t enjoy sex in fics and with specific characters but this one is insanely well written. It’s a slowburn that commits to the tension and with every word you are grasping and anticipating their next move. I think you can find the author here on Tumblr as yousaidyes🧡

The Man of Average (M, 56.7k, 5/? chapters) Aged up characters. No but you don’t understand, the writing here is absolute gourmet. The story is exciting as well, it’s super interesting. Weirdly enough, for being very aged up characters, they are well characterized but they don’t feel like teenagers. They are naturally Mike and Will. The author really captured Mike and Will’s essence. I know, it’s unfinished and it’s updated very rarely, but this is the typical fic you can’t believe someone just posted on the internet for free. I will say though, I think it’s definitely not for everyone. Read at your own risk.

Heartstrings (E, 82.8k, 24/? chapters) Aged up characters. By the same author of The Man of Average. A collection of memories, the road to Mike and Will’s happy ever after. And fucking hell!!!!! You’ll cry and get angry, you’ll cheer for them, then you’ll want to crash their faces together because god dammit you love each other!!! But yeah, same thing here. The writing and the way the story is laid out as a nonlinear narrative is brilliant. And I also think this is one of the best Will versions I’ve read. The author might as well be the og creator of this two characters tbh. You can find the author here as mylesimeblr🧡

Sinners behind the walls (T, 1.5k, 1/1) And because I can’t stop recommending this author, a little thing of Mike tormenting himself but also being too deeply committed to Will. 

The Red Envelope series (T/E, 167K, two completed works) Something happens that Will thought was impossible and from there, pure drama and romance. Anything by this author has the potential to become your absolute favorite fic, but this series in particular is amazing. I doubt that any of you haven’t read this, but it doesn’t hurt to put it in this list. I’m pretty sure the author is serendipitous-magic on Tumblr🧡

A New Fight series (T, 91k, two completed works, one WIP) And finally the Star Wars AU that we all needed. But this isn’t your typical “Mike is Han”, “Will is Leia” and “El is Luke”, it’s way more interesting than that, and the author has appropriated the Star Wars world like no other. I’ll admit I’m not a 100% fluent in SW lore but this is amazing to me either way. This author is also on Tumblr, tea-for-one-please🧡

- Yes, most of these are (if not all), in a way, canon compliant/canonverse/canon continuation into fanon. (In a way)

One-shots and short stories

Sundae for Two, Please (G, 4.8k) Steve being the supportive friend and older brother these kids collectively need. (not Jonathan erasure, we love him). Steve is very sweet himself, and this little cute thing through his POV is gorgeous. Yes, it’s byler.

Backstage (T, 10k, 2/2) Jonathan, you forgot to mention to Will how hot your new band’s guitarist is, dude. Now he’s hyperventilating and weirdly flirting with him in the corner. Background Stonathan because why not.

102 Peach Street (G, 3.8k) Established relationship, but not only that, they are married :’’))) PURE fluff. Extreme fluffiness. Diabetes. 

sweatshirts and bottled up feelings (T, 3.2k) Or, Mike thinks that the sweatshirt Will wears looks insanely good on him. And kitchens are for lovers. 

kiss it better (T, 16.3k) Basically one of the best character studies of a few precise moments of Mike and Will’s relationship and feelings. 

will wonders ever cease (T, 11.3k) #i ship will and happiness. Omfg what a beautiful piece of fanfic. Will centric, this kid really deserves all the good in the world.

The Calm After the Storm (T, 1.6k) Tooth rotting fluff, boyfriends in love. Boyfriends being lazy, cuddling, love words, kisses. Boys loving each other’s company... Basically, Mike and Will in their element. What more can you ask for?

neither of us ready to let go (T, 4.8k) That scene from season three, but a bit of a fix it. 

Still in love (G, 1k) Domestic, married life au fluff. Y’all, I’m a sucker for established Byler, even if I can’t find many fics with it. But this is very sweet. It takes place in 2020, but I don’t think there are any mentions of the COVID-19 crisis that I remember.

I Nver Find Out ‘Til I’m Head Over Heels (G, 12.5K) Classic 5+1 fic. If you haven’t read it, where have you been? This is your moment. In where Mike keeps inviting Will to the school dances and Will thinks it’s just a joke until he realizes it’s not. 

Before You’re Gone (T, 5.9k) Will is leaving Hawkins and Mike thinks this is a great moment for a confession. This one I discovered last friday, thank you friend @magicalfairy 💗

You’re weird Wheeler (M, 4.5k) Mike unintentionally starts a tradition of going to each other to talk about their sexual encounters just after they finish. Will keeps getting more explicit with the details he shares, and he makes his best friend interested. This one is really fun y’all.

Out-Of-Town Friends (N/R, 4.6K) It’s not rated. I haven’t re- read it but I’d say it would probably fall in a T rating. So cute!! Will has new friends and sneaks off every friday and the Party doesn’t know where he is going, so Mike decides to follow him and is surprised. 

Snowed Under (G, 1.3k) By the same author of The New Fight series. Mike is spending christmas by himself in college because a snowstorm hits Chicago and Nancy can’t drive to see him, but then he has a surprise visitor. Ahhh just a lil sweet holiday fic. Super cute. 

you love me anyway series (T, 7.1k, three completed works) Literally just the cutest thing ever. Established Byler. Will loves to take pictures and he loves taking pictures of Mike. It’s adorable. 

you wanna be friends forever (i can think of something better) (T, 9k) This one is so amazing. So. Amazing. From Will’s POV, my kid deserves the world and he gets it. 

okay not to be okay (T, 4.9k) Mike is a bit sad but then everything is okay. 

can’t hold out forever (G, 18.4k) Y’all!!!!! 5+1 sweetness. Mike has been falling in love since kindergarten. And it’s long af, you’ll enjoy it. 

even if it takes forever (G, 1.3k) College short AU, they miss each other, they love each other, they promise all to each other. It is sappy y’all.

clear as day (N/R, 18.4K, 4 chapters) It’s not rated, but I’d say it falls in the T category. Strangers to friends to lovers. And also, everyone is pretty gay; we have our dynamic trio Mike, Max and El as disaster lesbians (and gay). Will works at the library and he is also gay. Lucas and Dustin and Will are the best friends we needed. It’s very sweet and the Party is kind of formed here!

I went overboard with the one-shots, so you must have realized how much I love long one-shots and I favor them over long works lmao but they are all amazing!!! If it’s on this list, I probably read it at 2 am, sobbing in my bed. So. Hope you enjoy it☺️🧡

[madcaprainbow]

My brain is apparently just doing an end-of-year purging of all the stray Byler thoughts and concepts and headcanons that are rattling around in there. So here are some more headcanons:

When Will first gets the job offer at the art gallery he’s terrified of telling Mike about it, because he doesn’t want Mike to feel pressured like he has to come with him, but of course Mike is immediately on board when he finds out because “I can be a writer anywhere, and what good would I be at it without my main inspiration right next to me?”

They’re not as well-off as they’d like at first because they decide it’d be best to rent a two-bedroom apartment that costs a bit more just because they don’t want to risk drawing any unwanted attention because of period-typical homophobia.

The ‘second bedroom’ has a bed in it but it’s never used and the room is full of a writing desk for Mike and a bunch of art supplies for Will.

When it’s warm out Will likes to hang out on the fire escape and look out over the city because he finds it so beautiful.

Mike starts wearing his hair longer and Will likes to bug him by putting it in a ponytail, but Mike ends up okay with it and starts doing it himself to keep his hair out of his eyes when he’s trying to focus on something.

Mike starts wearing turtlenecks in the winter and Will definitely steals them even though they’re too big for him.

Will needs reading glasses and one of Mike’s favourite sights to come home to after a day at work is Will curled up in an armchair lost in reading something.

They’re both still massive nerds. It’s hard to play D&D with just the two of them but they play board games all the time.

They find a small comic book store and their bookshelves are from that point on just stacked with comics.

They also find a little LGBT-friendly diner tucked away and it becomes their go-to spot to eat out because they don’t have to worry about being judged.

Mike gets rejected from a lot of publishers because he writes gay storylines into his fantasy and science fiction stories but refuses to take them out because he knows that representation is important and what’s the point in being a writer if you don’t write what’s important to you anyway.

Sometimes Mike feels bad that his job isn’t as well-paid as Will’s and that he can’t seem to get a publisher for any of his writing for a long time so he tries to get better at being domestic around the house. In general it works but it takes him a long time to be able to cook anything without burning it to a cinder.

He also tries to learn to dance because Will loves to dance but Mike has all the coordination and rhythm of a giraffe on roller skates. They still dance together in the apartment anyway because they find it fun and nobody can see Mike’s flailing.

I’m very aware most of these headcanons can easily be domestic AF one-shots and I’m going back into lockdown as of Boxing Day so... I’ll try. I can’t promise anything.

[serendipitous-magic]

Any HCs for older (30s/40s) / married byler? :)

Yes! And most of them are blatantly self-indulgent (don’t look too closely at Mike’s career path, I swear it’s not just me projecting), and I’m not even sorry. :) Let’s gooooo!

(Also, note: I took this in a very fluffy domestic direction, so sorry if anybody was really hoping for some NSFW HCs or wedding HCs or something like that - although I might be convinced to expand on that another time. ;) )

-As a young couple in their 20s they lived in a typical shitty apartment near where they went to college, but now as they’re getting more established and their careers are picking up, they’ve moved into something more similar to a townhouse / condominium in the city where they work. They don’t need an entire house, really, and besides, they’re usually not a huge fan of suburbia. If they did have a house, it would probably be one of those small-ish houses near the outskirts of the city - you know the type I mean. Lots of renovation expenses because it’s so old, but unique and cozy enough that it makes up for the hassle. I do tend to picture them in more of a townhouse/condo situation, though.

-Speaking of careers, they both got into something creative. Neither of them at all wanted to work in any type of office environment. Will fought tooth and nail to make a living with his art, which has made for some rough spots financially, but now that they’re getting through their 30s and into their 40s, it seems like it’s finally starting to even out and become more reliable as a source of income. He may do concept art for movie / TV / video game studios, he may do comic illustrations, he may do commissions, maybe a combination. 

-Mike, meanwhile, leaned into his passion for storytelling and his leadership skills - but I feel like Mike would wander in a couple different directions with that. Trying out this path, then this one - less of a cohesive, driven career path than Will’s, just trying things until he landed on something he really liked. Maybe he dabbled in computer engineering in college for a while (see: Mike’s nerdy mini-conversation with Bob about programming languages), decided that wasn’t quite for him, tried some creative writing classes, some film studies. Maybe he was a high school history or language arts teacher for a few years after college, what with his caring and nurturing instincts, his nerdiness, his leadership skills, his passion for stories (LotR, Star Wars, and D&D, anyone?), etc. But that probably wasn’t quite for him. Eventually, after having storytelling hobbies for most of his life, he starts integrating that into his career kind of on accident - and that’s when he hits on what he actually likes doing for a living. He consistently writes short stories on the side and submits them to magazines for publication. Maybe he uses something like commercial writing/directing as a stepping-stone, making heartfelt hit-you-in-the-feels and funny-memorable commercials for shitty instant coffee and cotton tee shirts, and that block on his resume is what gets him into The Business for real. From there it’s small-time TV  studios, sitting in a writers’ room hunched over cold coffee cups, chattering with a table full of other creatives about plot twists that will air on local stations. Or maybe he’s on set, wearing black jeans and a black tee that won’t reflect the light and mess up the shot, flipping through a clipboard of rumpled papers and hustling towards a fast-incoming deadline. Maybe he’s third-in-command on set, right-hand-man to the right-hand-man of the director. Continuity supervisor or art director. Or maybe he’s a practical effects guy, mixing up buckets of sludge or fake blood or figuring out a way to make a plastic-and-foam lobster puppet look alive. In any case, he’s doing something he really enjoys, and he’s steadily moving up in the ranks. Will swears he’s going to be directing blockbusters in Hollywood before they’re fifty; Mike always scoffs at that, laughing it off, but Will isn’t entirely joking.

-They have a medium-sized dog - something with a long snout and a long tail. Will counts himself as a dog person, but for a while there after the fall of ‘84, it was hard for either of them to be around big dogs without remembering the Demodogs. But it’s been decades, and somewhere in their late 30s (when they finally live somewhere with some form of backyard), they finally feel ready to get a puppy.

-Semi-regularly, they group-call the old Party and play D&D over the phone (much like The Adventure Zone). Sometimes one or both of them (Mike or Will) will be trying to do something else in the background at the same time - cooking dinner, working on a piece of art, etc. (Hey, they’re adults, they’re chronically short on time. Gotta multitask where they can.) This leads to occasional bouts of hilarity - like the time Mike almost knocked his entire laptop into a pot of spaghetti sauce because he was trying to DM and cook simultaneously. These over-the-phone D&D sessions are invariable merry and hilarious, cheering everyone up even after the worst of days. The Party is often spread out over the whole country - Mike and Will probably in one of the hubs of the storytelling industry (San Francisco or NYC), Dustin somewhere in the midwest doing scientific field work, Lucas still somewhere in or near Indiana, El and Max living in a new city every other year - but these phone calls bring them all together, and remind them of “simpler” times when they were kids in the Wheelers’ basement.

-Nancy is a highly successful journalist who travels a lot for her work, and whenever she and Mike / Will are in the same city, they make sure to meet up for coffee if not a day or two of old-times sibling shenanigans. Nancy has considered Will like a brother ever since they were teenagers, and that only strengthens as they grow older. But Mike, especially, reverts right back to a fifteen year old whenever his big sister is in town, throwing potato chips at her across the table and teasing her until she chases him with her soup spoon, and the whole time Will is just laughing with his face in his hands, pretending to be embarrassed but really just happy to see the two of them both happy.

-Similar situation with Jonathan. ^^^ He kept up his photography through the years, but like Mike, he’s wandered from career path to career path, just trying things out. (Whether he and Nancy are together depends on your own HCs, but be assured, whenever he’s in town he and Will are just as insufferable as Mike and Nancy.)

-It’s a long time before either (let alone both) of them feel ready to seriously consider kids. They both have a lot to work through after what they went through as kids themselves, and being a parent means being 100% there for someone else’s needs, often at the sacrifice of your own. Not to mention that with both of their creative-based careers, with not nearly as much financial stability as some of their peers, they’ve had some years where supporting just the two of them is a challenge. But eventually, they do get to the point where they start thinking about kids. I think they’d have at least one. Maybe they adopt, maybe they team up with El and Max (depending on how you HC the girls at that point) to do an in vitro deal, it depends.

-They visit Joyce and Hop (who are married) for Christmas. El and Max come home for the holidays, too. Joyce and Hop moved out of Hawkins together after all the kids moved away for college. Not too awfully far from Indiana, but far enough from Hawkins that they could leave the memories behind. Somewhere fairly rural, but not quite small-town. A large town or small-to-mid-size city, maybe, where they have a house with a big backyard and a big front yard and enough combined beds and couches to house all the “kids” over the holidays. 

-Ever since college, they go to Pride every year - most likely along with El and Max, if the four of them can arrange to meet up.

-Mike and Will still tease each other a lot and play-fight and they still tussle for the remote or the last fry, and they still have nerdy posters up in their living room, and they still trust each other more than anything else and they still geek out over their interests together and they still bicker and protect each other and love each other. So, really, not too much has changed since they were teenagers - they’re just in a better (read: much less homophobic) environment, working on their mental health, growing, healing from years-old traumas, doing what they love for a living (after decades of fighting tooth and nail to make it work), spending time with loved ones. Just living life. Taking new risks. Riding the ups and downs together. 

[slccplessnights]

This blog is still kinda new so this might not show up, but... I’m really in the mood for some 1x1 rps (preferably on discord), if anyone’s interested! I’m a full time student so I get a little busy for replies sometimes, but I am always on for hcs, plotting and all that fun stuff! Gonna add all the info down below because I have a tendency to ramble so I’m sorry it’s a lot lmao.

general info about me: 

I’m 23, so I’d prefer my partners to be at least 18+. GMT+5 timezone, but almost always online and replying on discord because insomnia lmao. 

As mentioned above, I am a full time student and have classes mon - fri with my busy days mostly being tuesdays and wednesdays. 

I write all pairings m/m, f/f, m/f, nb, etc. My personal preference is m/m or m/f. 

I’m pretty open with the kinds of plots I do, let me know and we can talk! I’m a sucker for cliche tropes. Good with nsfw content, darker themes and smut, but the last bit isn’t the most important thing for me so if you’d rather not i’m 100% good with that too. 

Only faceclaims I won’t write with are deceased fcs, underaged, or ones with abuse, racist, etc histories. 

things I really want to do: 

lets start with fandom pairings: 

Buddie from 9-1-1. I love them so much, friends to lovers trope??? THE BEST. and who doesn’t love hot firefighters? I’m down for literally anything with them, canon, aus, etc. just gimme. I can play either of ‘em but my preference lies with playing Buck. 

Reddie from IT. Another pairing I love with all my heart, I’d be down for any au with these two as well. All the tropes, all the aus, fix-it timeline? Lets go. I play Richie, but I could try my hand at Eddie. 

Justin/anyone (OCs included) from 13 Reasons Why. I just love Justin Foley so much, and I wanna rp him against someone, please? I’d give you anything you want lmao. 

other fandoms include: Teen Wolf, GoT, Stranger Things (Byler, Lumax, Elmax, Stancy mostly, possibly Mileven or Jancy), The 100 (I play Murphy).

non fandom plot ideas: 

alright, so like one specifically for m/m would be frat bros. They sneak around and hook up and it’s all “no homo lol” until they realize that it’s actually very “yes homo” and no matter what they say that it’s just sex, deep down they know it’s not and it leads to complications and frustrations, even jealousy mayhaps? bad explanation but we can talk and i can explain my thoughts better lmao. Could have joined the frat together in freshman year and are best friends that start hooking up, or one muse could be a pledge or new initiate, the other is a slightly older member. for the latter I wouldn’t mind playing either muse. 

this one’s for f/m and I’d prefer the f, but could def do m too! The idea here is that f was never in a serious relationship because she was always busy and focused on her goals, but she started dating m and he understood her priorities and supported her. they had a good, strong relationship and before either of them knew it they’d been together for 2-3 years and that made f panic because she felt trapped even though she loves him and ends up sabotaging their relationship and sleeping with someone else. She tells him and he breaks up with her but they’re both still very much in love and maybe trying to work through it as friends? But can they remain just friends? lets find out! he may also be trying to make her jealous but that’s neither here nor there. 

an idea for f/f. One’s a popular cheerleader and the other’s a little nerdy and unpopular. They’re either best friends that grew up together and both harbor secret feelings for each other but never acted on it, or they’re even already dating and we have the cutest relationship where they’re just in love and so fucking soft. Or they could hate each other’s guts but there’s always this sexual tension under that both are refusing to admit until it spills over and a heated argument leads to another kind of passion. 

m/m, f/f, m/f, m/nb, f/nb, nb/nb, any. And they were roommates!! They’re pretty good friends and roommates, but there’s always been a spark of something. Neither acted on it, but they’re also super domestic and get mistaken as a couple by people that don’t know them at parties or friends’ get togethers. Always side by side at those occasions, getting each other drinks. Muse A gets tired and walks over to Muse B who’s having a conversation with someone else, just tugs on their sleeve and Muse B knows it’s time to go home, excusing themself from the conversation to grab their coats and go home. Just super cute domestic stuff, it starts platonic but grows to more. Lets throw some jealousy in there if one time Muse B doesn’t wanna leave and decides to stay and flirt with the person they’re with so jealousy and angst! 

m/m. where muse A, closeted and in denial, calls a phone sex line on a dare expecting to talk to a girl but gets muse B instead, a shockingly sultry-voiced dude who just laughs at the mistake and keeps on flirting with muse A until he gives in and lets muse B talk him into one of the best orgasms he’s ever had — and after that he can’t seem to stop calling back, be it for sex talks or regular talks, eventually getting weirdly close with a guy he’s never seen and who’s never seen him, but who already might know him just a little bit better than most of the people who are actually in his life do. ( I got this from @softhvnds but the blog doesn’t exist anymore so i can’t credit them! ) 

f/m, m/m, m/nb. This one’s probably like a politician’s adult child (maybe a college student, etc) and their surly bodyguard, because I just love that cliche okay? The politician’s kid is kinda spoiled and maybe kind of a wild child, always partying and sneaking away, and the bodyguard always has to track them down and drag them back or go with them and make sure they don’t get too messy. just anything and everything about that lol. 

m/m, f/f. They’re kids of super rich rival business/magazine owners, politicians, etc, idk something like that. Basically just enemies, feuding families and they’re always trash talking each other every time they see each other as well. both spoiled and used to getting their own ways, probably go to school/college together and share a lot of classes, get paired up and hate every moment. See each other at social events too, always bicker, but maybe one day the bickering and arguing leads to a heated make out sessions and now they’re sneaking around to hook up and they totally don’t like each other, it’s JUST sex, nothing more, nope not at all. They’re both lying to themselves about that. 

[mautadite]

january book round up

27 books this month! the most i’ve read in a month in quite some time, and a good start to the year. a couple days late because i’ve been feeling a bit meh. i doubt i’ll be able to read this much at any point this year. but it’s nice to get a good strong head-start on my yearly goal. a mix of audiobooks and e-books so far.

a land so wild - elyssa warkentin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a really lovely epistolary/found media m/m romance story, set during the 1840s, about a ship captain and a naturalist trying to chart a northwest passage in the arctic, and find a ship that was lost five years ago trying to do the same thing. very beautifully told, with lots of emotion that you’d think would be lost because of the mode of storytelling.

how to bang a billionaire - alexis hall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a re-read. i remember being very sceptical of this when i first read it, but now that i’ve finished the entire series there’s so much i appreciate about it.

trade me - courtney milan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ my first courtney milan book, after hearing a lot of good things about her. the hype was deserved! i like her writing a lot and this book (a romance between a poor chinese-am daughter of immigrants, and a billionaire heir with an eating disorder) touched on a lot of stuff that you don’t typically see in romance novels. particular what it mean and what it feels like to be poor. this was probably my favourite treatment of billionaires in a novel (at least, ones where they don’t get beheaded).

hold me - courtney milan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the second in the series, equally enjoyable. the hero of this novel has to confront and own up to his sexism in ways that a lot of romance novels would simply let men get away with! if i’d known that that’s part of what the book covered i might not have been enthused to read it, because while i genuinely believe bigoted people can change for the better, i’m not super interested in reading about it. but i really enjoyed how milan wrote it, and the romance was lovely. (also the heroine is trans, nice.)

my lady’s lover - nicola davidson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ not a lot of substance, but it’s historical lesbian romance, which is my eternal catnip. a lady’s maid who’s the member of a society for sexual freedom falls in love with her mistress, and happily discovers that the feelings are returned. there’s sex, some angst, and a happy ending,

a lady’s desire - lily maxton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ another historical f/f romance. pretty low stakes, without much external conflict, but it had good writing and great characters, and i’ll always have a soft spot for childhood friends to lovers. and let’s be real: i mostly picked this up because of the cover. a woman with her head in another lady’s lap, gazing gayly at her? yes, thanks.

rebound remedy - christine d’abo ⭐️⭐️ eh! m/m holiday romance, about a guy who gets dumped before christmas, has a whirlwind rebound romance with his bartender, and then starts falling deeper for him. nothing bad about it, but i just wasn’t feeling the romance. i’ve read shorter stories that had more chemistry and character interaction.

don’t let go - cynthia dane ⭐️ another f/f romance that i got mostly because of the cover, but this one let me down hard. i liked that it was set in taiwan; had a lot of cultural nuance and tidbits that i enjoyed, but everything else, the writing, the editing, and characters, the chemistry... it was a bust. it also had a weird and baffling approach to mental illness, and managed to be yet another book that makes me hate rich people. also... the two authors credited are the pseudonyms of the same person skfjhdfkj ihni why she’s crediting herself twice.

alone - e.j. noyes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ LOVED THIS. f/f mystery/thriller-ish romance, though the mystery aspect is admittedly light. noyes has lovely prose and a good sense of storytelling, but the romance is where this really shone for me. which... idk, i’m aware that it might not be for others who read this book. but something about the way olivia fell so helplessly in love with celeste, everything celeste does to hold on to olivia... it appealed to me on a visceral level.

boystown book 1 - marshall thornton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ three short stories about a gay private eye solving mysteries in the community in the early 1980s. it reminded me of how much i love short form mysteries; there’s just something about stories being told that way that i can’t resist. i was also kind of charmed by the way our main character tripped into bed with a cute twink like every 10 pages. :3

poems i sleep next to - shelby eileen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ a collection of contemporary poems. really enjoyable. nothing wowed me, but several poems moved me.

how to talk to nice english girls - gretchen evans ⭐️⭐️⭐️ early 20th century f/f romance between a spirited american heiress and a nice proper english girl. low stakes, character driven. not really character driven enough actually; i felt like they didn’t get to spend enough time knowing each other. and some more external conflict wouldn’t have hurt. but it was hot and fun and well-written.

by his rules - j.a. rock ⭐️⭐️⭐️ an m/m romance that looks at abuse in bdsm communities, and spends a good long time on recovery, survival, and healthy relationships that involve kink. i really could not get into the discipline stuff, but i really liked that the main characters worked for their HEA; nothing clicked magically into placed for them, and aiden was given space and resources to work out his trauma.

the wolf and the girl - aster glenn gray ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a retelling of little red riding hood set in early 20th century russia and france that focuses on the friendship between two young women. simple story, very beautifully told.

the secret diaries of anne lister - anne lister ⭐️⭐️⭐️���️⭐️ i started reading this in the middle of last year, after i finished gentleman jack, and i was basically reading snippets at a time until december, and then by january i was eating it all up. i LOVED this. i loved the diary of this at times manipulative, haughty, but kind-hearted and tender and clever woman, and all of her loves and struggles and observations. there’s just something... very good about knowing and seeing that lesbians have always existed, and hearing her first hand accounts is just... GREAT. really looking forward to the next volume.

oh, earthman! - berlynn wohl ⭐️⭐️⭐️ an anthology of short stories. weird, fun, scifi-flavoured m/m erotica.

emma - jane austen ⭐️⭐️⭐️ took me long enough, i know! but i really really thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book, especially the audiobook, whose narrator i loved. i loved emma: her cleverness and wit and finesse and all her terrible blunders. though i could tell where the story was going, the getting there was really fun, and i super duper enjoyed the romance (though at one point i got seriously squicked out haha). and fight me: i adored miss bates, i thought she was the best character in the book. LOVE a spinster who don’t know when to shut her trap but is earnest and kind and gentle-hearted and GOOD.

«légendaire.» - kai ashante wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ kaw, i’m begging you, PLEASE write another fell length novel. or novella. please! i love his writing and world-building so so so much, i flip out thinking about it. until he does, these short stories will have to suffice. this was great: everything i love about his writing, revisiting the world and concepts that we’ve seen in his other books, with mesmerising characters and a tragic, but soulful tale.

a conspiracy of truths - alexandra rowland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ i love stories about stories, and as far as that goes, this a pretty good one! the one way it failed to grasp me was on the character front; i just didn’t enjoy the main character as much as i could, or as much as i was meant to, and i felt at times he was too far removed from the plot. basically, chant is a master storyteller travelling in a foreign land, when he’s falsely accused of witchcraft and spying. the novel details how he uses storytelling to get himself out of the pickle, and all the consequences that follow. there are some amazing side characters in this (esp. his apprentice, who i will definitely read the nest book for).

animal farm - george orwell ⭐️⭐️⭐️ felt like rereading this, so i did. and i mean, it’s animal farm! it holds up.

the overdue life of any byler - kelly harms ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ like i said above, i like books about books, and i got this thinking it would be something like that? but it’s more about a single mother who gets the chance to take some time off from her kids and her life, have fun, find romance, and how she deals with managing that, and the guilt, and all the elements that are introduced/reintroduced to her life. i don’t think this is an amazing book, but it’s a lovely one, and i know there are middle aged mothers out there who would benefit from reading it. it’s not about romance (though there’s a cute romance in it); it’s about motherhood and being there for yourself as much as your kids.

the subs club 1&2 - j.a. rock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ the first two books in an m/m romance series. a group of friends is still reeling after one of them dies at the hands of an irresponsible dom. they decide to form the subs club; a website to review and rate doms, with an eye towards making the community safer for subs, though it doesn’t really work out that way. the first book follows dave, who ends up getting involved with a guy who’s eerily like ron swanson from parks and rec, and the second follows miles, a masochist who gets involved with a guy who likes to pretend to be a vampire (lmao??). i have to tip my hat to j.a. rock, who seems to have a knack for getting me to read things i’d be otherwise sure i wouldn’t be interested in. and i mean, even after reading, i’m pretty sure i don’t want to read other books about domestic discipline or s&m or pretend draculas, but her characters and plots are well written and engaging and i had a really good time. although, i have to mention: the second book dealt with internalised racism in a way that... while well meaning, was definitely not very deftly done.

alice & jean - lily hammond ⭐️⭐️⭐️ post wwii f/f romance set in new zealand. a young widowed mother falls for the dashing woman who delivers her milk every morning. they have to contend with community scrutiny, an old friend of alice’s husband, and her bitter old mother to fight their way to happiness. i enjoyed it; it was simple and the romance was incredibly sweet, though the writing did drag at times.

american dreamer - adriana herrera ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ DELIGHTFUL. the very definition of feel good romance! a young dominican-american man moves to the outskirts of new york to start his food truck, and almost immediately meets a cute librarian who turns his head. i flipping love queer romances with characters from the caribbean; it just feels so good when slang is part of the language of love.

minotaur - j.a. rock ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ i read four books by this author this month, and this is hands down my favourite. i don’t know man, combine girls and monsters and lesbian romance and i”M THERE. thera is a teen orphan sent to a home for girls at the edge of town. there, she makes friends, raises hell, falls in love with the mysterious new girl, and also becomes obsessed with stories of the minotaur, half woman half monster, locked the labyrinth in a cliff not far away. this story appealed to me in so many ways, and i really hope the author writes more f/f in the future.

two dads and three girls - nick (yu) he ⭐️⭐️⭐️ the autobiography of a gay man growing up in china, and the story of how he finds himself, finds love, and becomes a father. very sweet.

whew. that took me a while lol. that’s it for january. i probably (hopefully) will be too busy to read as much this month, but i have some interesting books on my plate. currently listening to an audiobook of beneath a scarlet sky, which is unfortunately underwhelming, and i’ll probably move on with some fun YA.

[argylemikewheeler]

whenever i hear "wouldn't it be nice" by the beach boys i immediately think of your byler on peach street fanfic and i need to sit down for a while and... contemplate.. try to stall my inevitable emotional breakdown.. it's all OK :)

GOD you’re so valid??? I didn’t have that song in mind when I wrote it, but honestly? Listening to it makes me want to write a sequel. That song is such a gay classic and it’s so sweet... That’s our Peach Street Boys.

Also yeah. Domestic Gay Happiness induced breakdown? I respect you.