#byler secret santa

[bylersecretsanta2023]

My present for @weareladyparts :)

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[runninguplenorahills]

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Byler as college roommates in the city for @movaie as part of the @bylersecretsanta event! I really hope you like it <33

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[vivelegalite]

my @bylersecretsanta piece for @andiwriteordie!! she asked for some older domestic byler so i drew a piece for her fic, the time of my life with you 🫶🫶 happy holidays and a happy new year!!!

[bylersecretsanta]

BYLER SECRET SANTA 2022: OFFICIAL APLICATION FORM

Hi again, everyone! Hope you're having a great ST Day ;) We decided to delay it a bit to give you guys time to lose your minds. In other news, here's our official application link! Fill away, and make sure to give it a good read.

Important details below:

DEADLINE

Expected deadline of this event is December 23.

Gift giving ranges from December 24-31. This can be done through DMs, or you can post your gift and mention/@ your giftee.

Posting period in social media sites ranges from December 24-January 15.

Throughout the event, expect regular check-ins. This is to ensure everything's on schedule, and will be done through your main form of contact.

GIFT REQUIREMENTS

Written works' requirements are limited to 300-500 words. If you wish to extend, the maximum limit is 5k words.

Other literature forms such as poetry can vary.

Artworks do not have to be fully rendered, but are expected to be relatively cleaned up and colored.

Video edits are limited to 15-30 seconds. Extended music fan videos can be up to 1 minute max. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your gift plan, you can contact us via our inbox here in @bylersecretsanta.

Please keep in mind these are just standard digital outputs. If you have any other ideas, you are more than free to explore them, and we encourage you all to be creative with your gifts!

Deadline of the application form is November 13.

Lastly, this is a strictly NO NSFW event. Requests or gifts that contain inappropriate content will not be tolerated and immediately removed from the event.

Thank you all again, and see you until the next update! 💙💛

Tag list under the readmore

@ilikeshinyrocksandcrime @whatever1983 @txmmychanz @4-lemurs-in-a-trench-coat @mikewheelerlikesboys @annabylers @borbealis @bookfansworld @strangerange1s @quinnick @forevereternally-janedoe @bylrndgm @surferboypizzaa @disco-phrog @oh-the-moon @itsmyworstself @allens-underground-lair @probablydeadrightnow @super-nova5045 @hei-jessi-draws @bylerisrequited @pablothefrog @enjolton @starsarefire824 @forever-augustine @xhavibee @belovdly @notebooknonbinary @estelinhabb @dictionarydyke @sugarcubetikki @ineffable-hubbiewubbies @runninguplenorahills @messrsbyler @dungeonsdragonstdelinquents @foodiewithdahoodie @madwheelerz @wheelerssecret @strangersynth @spring-picnics @wigglyworms @mage-011 @laozuspo @nnilkyway @disco-phrog @myhyperfixations @buck-yyyy

[thewrongmoon]

Secret Santa for @aceoflanterns ! Prompt was… “apocalypse byler, soft, falling in love, autumn/winter” I hope you like it!!

[moomiiii]

Merry Christmas or happy holidays @enjolton ! Here's some byler fluff <3

[fandomfoundmyart]

My Byler Secret Santa present for @tearsofsaudade

Happy holidays and I hope you like it! (click + zoom in for better quality)

@bylersecretsanta

(variations and other things under the cut!)

The non blurred version; + The without background version;

The background; + The lineart;

Tracked Time: 3 hrs 57 mins

Notes: I was going to draw tentacles around the swingset and stuff but they looked weird so I scrapped them. I had to draw this on ibis paint x, which is a program im not very familiar with bc my usual app wasn't working and stuff. FUN FACT: I did this within like three days. ANOTHER FUN FACT: I have never drawn people kissing or about to kiss before so this was a fucking challenge

[notebooknonbinary]

Happy Holidays @willow-lark ! I'm your byler secret santa! I hope you enjoy the fic! D&D is usually outside of my comfort-zone but I had a lot of fun writing this!

- Also posting to AO3!

-

“Don’t move, you self-sacrificial moron,” a familiar voice snaps.

Paladin Mike blinks his way back into consciousness, aware of nothing other than that voice, and the searing pain in his abdomen. He lets out a hiss and goes to touch it, but a hand smacks him away.

“Do not undo my hard work, Michael, I swear to Apollo and all of the gods.”

“Why’re you bein’ mean to me, Wise?” he mumbles. His lips feel numb and it’s a struggle to open his eyes to glare balefully at his friend (more-than-friend? He’s still unsure, what with all the unsaid tension they’ve been having lately). Will glares back twice as harshly. His face is blotchy from crying. 

“Because you’re an idiot who used Divine Allegiance to take a hit that I would have survived.”

It takes Mike a long moment to remember what Will’s talking about.

They’d been fighting…a Bearded Devil and Mike had suddenly turned to see Will on his knees, struggling to move, to reach his staff. Terror and desperation had Mike’s body moving without thinking. He’d cast Devine Allegiance, calling out for Apollo.

Apollo had sent the assistance, of course. He thinks the god might care about Will almost as much as Mike does. More than he cares about Mike, anyway.

(The feeling is mutual.)

“I won’t apologize for doing it,” Mike murmurs. “But I am sorry to make you worry.”

Will huffs and doesn’t say anything. Instead, he silently continues tending to the mess that is Mike’s torso. It makes Mike slightly queasy to see, so he looks away. 

Instead, his eyes drift over the makeshift camp. It’d been clearly set up in a hurry, just after the fight, likely aided by Lady El’s magic to streamline the process. But the Party is staying clear of the ramshackle first aid area that Will has commandeered. They know full well, at this point, to leave him be if he’s healing someone. (Dustin still has the bite marks.) The Cleric doesn’t appreciate unnecessary interruptions.

Lucas, sitting by the campfire, seems to feel Mike’s eyes on him. He looks up, giving Mike a relieved smile. His eyes flick up to Will and then back to Mike, and he shrugs—as though to say, you’ve made this bed, now you have to lay in it. Then he gets up to join Dustin at the river. 

Mike sighs and turns his eyes back to watch Will work. 

He carefully keeps an eye on the man, rather than what he’s working on. The sweet brush of Will’s magic belays the way he’s been glaring. Mike’s always loved the way Will’s healing magic feels—like a warm hug, or a cup of hot tea from Will’s mother. Even before they swore allegiance to Apollo and the Light, Will has always been warm.

The year he was gone was the coldest time of Mike’s life—even the always warm presence of Apollo seemed farther away and cooler. Life felt perpetually overcast until Will was saved. Until he had his Cleric held in his arms—safe and alive.

There’s a tension in the air as Will works. Mike wants to reach up and smooth the furrow away from his brow, but he doesn’t dare. It’s rare that Will gets this way, but he’s…protective. And sometimes that need to protect translates into anger.

Finally, Will speaks, quiet but still upset. “What I don’t understand is why? You’ve never treated me as though I cannot take care of myself. You had to have known I could take the hit.”

Oh.

Mike hadn’t been sure, is the thing. All he’d known, heart beating a tattoo into his throat, was that Will was on the ground—with that damn Bearded Devil above him, about to strike down. And he’d thought, not again, please not again. Mike had cast the spell before he finished his next breath. He’d called out to Lucas just before it’d taken effect, asking him to take charge. He’d taken one last glimpse into Will’s horrified eyes.

Then blinding, horrific pain, and the blank, blissful nothingness of being unconscious.

He tries his best to explain this, before reaching up to grasp Will’s hand. The warm weight and shape of his fingers is as familiar as Mike’s own. “The night…the night Vecna spirited you away…I wasn’t watching out for you.” He stares up into Will’s forest floor eyes. “T’was my fault I—we lost you. Can’t lose you again, Wise.”

“I—” The words stop Will’s argumentative voice in its tracks. His eyes finally soften, the furrow in his brow leaves, and he squeezes Mike’s hand. “I’ve told you before, that wasn’t your fault. And you’re not going to lose me, Mike. We’ll defeat Vecna and make Hawks a safer place to live.”

“Maybe we could finally retire,” Mike hums, closing his eyes to imagine it. Returning to their village, heroes. No longer having to fight every day. Not waking up footsore and weary from whatever battle they’d had the previous night. Helping Will in whatever clinic he’s bound to set up. And maybe…returning home to the same house, the same table, the same bed as his Cleric. Will being the last thing he sees when he closes his eyes for the night, and the first sight in the morning. Oh, what a dream that would be. “We could go back home and help your mother with her farm.”

“You’re crazy,” Will whispers, with an oddly choked laugh. “You’d get bored within a fortnight.”

“Mm, well, crazy together, right? Bored with you, doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Yes, Mike. Crazy together.” There’s a warm splash on Mike’s cheek. When he reopens his eyes, Will’s have welled up with tears, but he’s smiling.  “But to get to that day, you have to be alive. Which means you need to stop making needless sacrifices. I can’t bear to lose you either, Mike.”

“Alright, Wise. I’ll do my best,” Mike mumbles sincerely. He’s gratified at the sweet smile he’s gifted.

And then he feels himself blush, as Will leans down and brushes the faintest kiss to the apple of Mike’s cheek. “Get some rest, hero,” he murmurs, stroking his fingers through Mike’s hair. Will goes back to humming his healing incantation, as Mike drifts back to sleep.

[enjolton]

Merry Christmas @chiquitablanquita ! Here is some Byler in the Upside Down ;)  “Wait!” Will stopped right in his tracks. This was a voice he didn’t expect to hear while walking between the dark trees of upside-down Mirkwood. No. This couldn’t be. Still, he turned around, only to find Mike standing here.  “Mike?” This had to be some kind of trick. There was no way Mike was here. And yet… “Hey. Hi. Just me.” Mike said, way too awkward to be some of Vecna’s tricks. “Will why would you come here?” Will didn’t answer just yet. He still had to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. He got closer to Mike, watching him, tentatively poking his arm. “Mike, what are you doing here?” he finally asked. “That’s what I just asked you.” Mike said, shaking his head. “I heard you going out in the middle of the night, so I did the next logical thing and followed you. I didn’t expect you to come here of all places.” “I…” He couldn’t say it. Friends don’t lie, a little voice that sounded way too much like El echoed in his mind. But this truth he couldn’t tell Mike. So he settled for a half truth. “I thought I could maybe fix things from here. But I realise now it was a mistake. We should go back home.”  He gently pushed Mike’s shoulder to make him turn back but Mike resisted. “Not this way.” He said, and he looked… guilty? “The gate. It closed behind me.” No. They were stuck. This was bad. This was worse than bad. But Will couldn’t freak out. Not when he was the one who knew the place and could get them out of here. Not when Mike needed him. Instead he sighed. “Come on, Mike,” he said, biting his lip. “We can’t stay here too long, we have to find some place to hide.”

It was all his fault. The only thing he wanted less than to go back in this hellish place that was the Upside Down was for Mike to be here. He should have been more careful. Instead, he accidentally led him right here. And now he had to do everything he could to get them safely out of here, forget about his original plan to destroy the Upside Down from the inside.

They somehow ended up in Mike’s basement. Or, like, its Upside Down equivalent. The safest place Will could think of, now that Castle Byers had been destroyed in and out of the Upside Down. It wasn’t that different from its real word equivalent. A bit darker, a bit messier, but it was a basement, with teenagers as its tenants, so obviously it wasn’t that bright or tidy to begin with. After barring the door the best they could, they sat on the couch. “So, uhm…” Mike started, unsure. “I guess we should find another gate to go back home?” Will nodded in silence. This was too much. They didn’t even know if the other gates were still open. What if they weren’t ? What if they were stuck here forever ? What if Mike was stuck here forever because of Will ? He tried his best to keep his composure but the tears were coming and he didn’t seem to be able to keep them in. Before he could stop himself, he was crying, and he couldn’t see Mike’s face through the tears, but he knew his friend had seen it. He knew because Mike’s warm hand had found its way to Will’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly, rubbing it in comfort. Somehow, it only made Will cry more. He didn’t want to. He wanted to thank Mike, to show him that his efforts were doing what he intended - comforting Will- but he only felt the overwhelming guilt that had its hold on him.  “I’m sorry.”  At first, Will thought the words had escaped his own lips, but the voice sounded different, and he realised it was Mike who just apologised. He blinked his tears away to see Mike looked just as distraught as he felt. His instinct kicked in, immediately stopping his own tears. He had to do something, anything.  “Hey.” He said, voice a bit hoarse. “Hey it’s okay, I’m the one who decided to come here, you don’t have to apologise.” “I should have stopped you instead of following like an idiot.” Mike said, shaking his head in disapproval of his own actions. “I just… I guess I had something to prove. That’s stupid.” He sighed, but Will had to counter. “You know what’s stupid?” he asked. “Coming here alone because I thought maybe I could fix it without risking anyone else’s life, only to risk yours because I couldn’t even make sure I wasn’t followed.” He had wanted to keep this to himself, but he couldn’t let Mike blame himself for the situation they were in. Still, the other insisted. “Yeah well what about coming with you so that if anything went wrong I could be here to rescue you only to become the reason things go wrong?” What?  “Why would you do such a thing?” “Exactly.” Mike said with a pointed look. “I’m an idiot. It’s my fault.” “No but, like…” He couldn’t hope. It was a dangerous thing to hope right now. And yet he couldn’t help but do. Did Mike really come here just to save him? “Why would you want to save me?” “Because…” Mike bit his lip, staring at the ground for a second before looking up. “Because you’re my best friend.” There was a mix of disappointment and relief in Will’s heart, but he was determined to focus on the positive. “Thank you.” He said. “You’re my best friend too. You know that, right?” “Right.” Mike said with a nod. He seemed somewhat troubled and Will couldn’t figure out whatever was going on in his mind. Instead, he decided to focus on what was going on in his own. “Which is why I’m telling you,” he said. “if by any miracle we make it out of here, the greatest thing you can do for me would be to stay safe.” “I’ll keep that in mind, but I can’t promise anything.” Mike said, before shrugging. “Can’t let you get all the hero moments.” “You mean, like getting kidnapped ?” Will asked, shaking his head. “Or being possessed by an evil upside-down spirit?” “I mean like surviving the Upside Down.” Mike said, suddenly very serious. “And getting through to us so that we could defeat the Mindflayer.” “It was all thanks to you, Mike.” Mike looked like he wanted to argue, so Will immediately insisted. “It was. You were the one who saved me. The one who found me and brought me back. Both times. I mean it. If anyone’s the hero here it’s you. I’m like, the damsel in distress.”

They sat in silence for a minute, then Will suggested they tried Lover’s lake gate. It was the closest, from there. Mike nodded, but then held Will’s hand to keep him on the couch. Will tried to ignore the electric tingle he felt in his fingers at this contact. “Hey.” Mike said. “Before we go… You remember when we were kids? I was afraid of thunderstorms.” “I do remember.” Will confirmed, unsure where this was going. “Anytime there was a warning for one, you’ld ask if we could have a sleepover.” He couldn’t help but smile at this thought. He had came to love thunderstorm, cause they meant he would spend the night with Mike, inventing all sorts of adventures. “And every time, you would hold me through it so that I wouldn’t be scared.” Mike continued, only strengthening Will’s smile. “I did.” He said with a nod. Mike would all but drag Will in his bed at the first sight of lightning, using him like a cuddly toy. “Did it work, at least?” “It did.” Mike said, and he was smiling too. “Would you…”Mike didn’t finish his sentence, instead biting his lip, unsure. Will gave him an encouraging look. It seemed to work. “Would you do it right now?”Mike finally asked, and Will all but melted. He didn’t trust his voice, so instead he just opened his arms, letting Mike cuddle up next to him.

“Ha. Who’s the damsel in distress now?” Mike joked after a moment, looking up to Will, and Will laughed, but he felt the need to put things right. “You’ll always be the hero to me.” They were close. Too close. Will could see every freckle on Mike’s face, every slightly lighter brown streak in his dark eyes, could feel his breath on his skin - on his lips. And then there was no distance at all, and he couldn’t see Mike’s eyes anymore as he had closed them. Will followed, unable to process what was happening. 

Mike was kissing him. There was no way. Mike was kissing him, and he was kissing Mike back. This was impossible and yet. He let his thumb run along Mike’s jaw, cupping in face like was the most precious thing on earth- and to Will it felt like it was. Mike’s hands were around his neck, not as a threat, but as a way to ask him, without a word, to not break the kiss. So Will didn’t. 

When they finally parted, Will couldn’t say how much time had passed. An eternity. Not long enough. Mike’s cheeks were red, and so were his lips, and it was Will’s doing… That thought alone was enough to send some warmth through his body.But what now ? Mike was looking at him, expectantly. Was he supposed to say something?

“We should probably go.” He said, cursing himself for breaking whatever moment they were having. “Find out if the other gates are still open.” “Right.” Mike said, pursing his pink lips. They removed the planks they had used to bar the doors, then gathered their stuff.  As Mike was about to open the door, Will caught his hand. This was his chance to make things right. “Wait.” He said, then pressed a light kiss on Mike’s lips. He almost expected Mike to reject him, even after what happened a bit earlier, but Mike did nothing of the sort, so Will smiled. “For good luck.” He said, before opening the door.

[toystoryfan]

Happy Secret Santa @nancysglock !!!

It's officially Christmas for me so... Here it is!!

Your prompt had madwheeler & byclair friendship so I did a byler + lumax parallel edit with Them being friends at the end. Sorry if this isn't quite what the prompt was but I tried my best!

For the @bylersecretsanta event!

[bylersecretsanta2023]

from @iamtheoneandonlyever, to @imactuallyreallycool

[edelweiss-coffee]

Merry Christmas, @dont-open-dead-inside-25! I'm your Secret Santa! I've written you a oneshot of young transmasc Mike getting his first 'boy' haircut. I hope you enjoy it! Happy Holidays, sending the warmest of hugs your way! <3

This story is set before season one. :-)

“Hey mom?” Will chirped, bouncing on his heels.

“Yes, baby?” Joyce answered, peering over her newspaper.

“Have you ever known someone who was born in the wrong body?”

“I’m not su–” she stammered. “I don’t know, honey. What do you mean?”

“I mean like, if your heart is a boy but your body is a girl. Or even the other way around, and you want the outside to match the inside.”

“What’s this about, honey?”

“Micah has a boy’s heart. She– I mean, he, wants to be called Mike now. And he wants a haircut, like mine. I told him that you could do it, so his hair will look just like mine.”

Joyce sat down, taking a deep breath.

“I can do that. Did M-Mike ask Mrs. Wheeler if that was okay?”

Will looked around the room, avoiding eye contact.

“Yeah, he did. He’s gonna come over in a little bit, is that okay?

“Sure, baby,” Joyce whispered, a smile breaking across her face.

– – – – – – 

“Mike is here! He’s here!” Will squealed, barrelling toward the door.

He opened the door and took a deep breath.

“Hi, Mike!”

Mike smiled warmly and waved.

Mike’s hair was long, a bit past his shoulders. It was slightly wavy and jet black, and he had soft, straight across bangs. He donned a white shirt adorned with an all-over pink floral pattern and a pair of baby blue jeans.

“Are you ready?” Will beamed.

“I am so, so ready,” Mike smiled. “Hi, Mrs. Byers!” he waved.

“Hi, sweetheart!” she yelled from the dining room. “Come here, guys!”

Mike and Will practically skipped their way into the dining room. They giggled incessantly, excitement filling the room around them.

“So you can sit here,” Joyce motioned. “Let me go get a towel, so hair doesn’t get all over your nice shir–” she paused. “Y’know what? I’ll be right back.”

She promptly left the room, if only for a moment. She returned with a towel, as promised– but held some clothes in her other hand.

“These used to be Jonathan’s. I think they’ll fit you nice. Go ahead and try those on and we’ll get your hair chopped, okay?”

She handed Mike a green turtleneck sweater and a pair of khakis.

Mike stood still a moment, staring at the clothes in his hands.

“It’s okay, go ahead,” Will pushed. “I’m sure you’ll look great!”

“O-Okay,” Mike muttered, beelining to the bathroom.

Mike emerged wearing the clothes Joyce had given him and was met with a gleeful gasp from Joyce. 

“Oh, they fit wonderfully! Great, perfect. Now you come sit here, and we’ll get you started.”

Mike sat down, smiling brightly.

“So,” Joyce began, wrapping the towel around MIke’s shoulders. She tied it around his neck. “I know you want your hair to look like Will’s, but you’ve got bangs here. So it’ll probably end up looking a little more like Jonathan’s does, is that alright honey?”

“As long as I don’t look like a girl anymore, it’s fine,” Mike laughed.

“Alright, are you ready?”

“Wait, Will. Can you… hold my hand?”

“Yeah.”

The two linked their hands and Mike closed his eyes tightly. 

“Okay, let’s just get it over with,” he whispered.

Joyce wrapped Mike’s hair into a ponytail and twisted it behind his head. She held the scissors, open, next to his hair dramatically.

“Alright, I’m gonna make the first cut!”

The shk shk shk noise of the scissors onto his hair could’ve been heard in the next room over. Nobody said a word until the ponytail fell to the floor with a soft thunk.

At that, Mike let out a relieved and happy gasp.

“Oh my God, it’s gone! The ponytail is gone! Will, look!” He pointed to the hair lying limp on the floor.

“Are you happy?” Will smiled.

“I’m so happy right now, I could throw up.”

“I’m not done yet! You’ll love it when I’m finished, I promise,” Joyce beamed.

Mike smiled and squeezed Will’s hand. He hummed happily and closed his eyes until Joyce was finished clipping.

“Wow, you look great!” Will gasped. 

“Do I look like a boy?” Mike wondered aloud.

“See for yourself, Mr. Mike Wheeler,” Joyce smiled, removing the towel from his neck.

Mike ran to the bathroom mirror and checked himself over.

His hair ran slightly over his brows, and only a bit below his ears. It wasn’t long anymore, it didn’t fall down the side of his neck or down his shoulders and back anymore. It was short, and the new breeze on his neck sent a visible chill down his spine.

“Wow,” he whispered.

“Wow,” Will whispered behind him. 

“You look so handsome,” Joyce beamed. 

“Like a boy,” Mike smiled.

“Yeah,” Will answered.

“I hope you like it, honey,” Joyce whispered.

“I do, I love it,” Mike awed. 

“Does the inside match the outside now?” Will wondered aloud.

He hadn’t looked away from the mirror once.

“Yeah,” Mike uttered. “Mike. I really look like a Mike now, huh?”

“You do. The clothes help a lot, too.”

“I’ve got a bag somewhere around here of Jonathan’s clothes, they were too big on Will. I’ll find it and send ‘em home with you,” Joyce bellowed from the hallway.

“My mom’s gonna kill me,” Mike laughed.

“She can’t put the hair back on,” Will reassured.

“You’re right. She’ll have to get used to it at some point.”

Joyce peeked around the corner.

“Get used to what?”

“My haircut,” Mike whispered.

Joyce set down the bag of clothes.

“Are y– Will!” 

She covered her mouth.

“You said he asked his mother!”

“Mom, he really wanted the haircut! I’m sorry! But he looks so good,” Will giggled.

“Oh, I have to call her. You– oh, you boys!” she laughed haphazardly, trudging toward the phone.

The boys giggled together. It was warm, and it was sweet. Comfortable.

“Hi, Karen?” Joyce uttered into the phone.

It only made the boys laugh harder. They could only hear bits and pieces of Joyce’s conversation over their laughter.

“Oh, you know… Just around nine or ten.” She was silent for a moment. “Inches, yes.”

Another burst of laughter from the boys.

“Yes, and I’m sorry, but he really–” Another silence. “Yes, he. Mike.”

“Do you think she’ll be mad? LIke, mad for a long time?” Will whispered.

“No. My mom is never mad for a long time. Unless it’s at my dad. Then she’s always mad.”

“He looks great, Karen, really. I’ve given him a bag of Jonathan’s clothes….” Joyce trailed.

“She won’t be mad. She might cry at first, though. She loved my long hair. But she loves me more. And like you said, it’s not like she can glue it back on.”

“I think you look handsome,” Will whispered. “You look so much happier.”

“Thanks, I think so too,” Mike whispered back.

[bylersecretsanta]

Hey guys! So if you don't want to miss out on anything big due to timezones or other circumstances, reply or reblog this post if you would like to be tagged!

[madwheelerz]

Stay the Night

@mage-011​

Will was angry, Mike knew this. He saw the anger. He felt Will looking at him as if he were some type of criminal and part of Mike longed to apologize, but he couldn’t. This was the path he’d chosen. Although angering the prince, who he knew as his best friend, was not part of the plan.

It was midnight when Mike snuck out towards Will’s room. The guard on duty had taken one look at him and sighed before allowing Mike in. It was only after entering the room that Mike understood why the guard had let him in so easily. Will was awake, sitting on his bed, staring out of his window and moonlit. He looked every bit the prince he was.

Mike took a deep breath and prepared to call out. “Hi,” Apparently, he didn’t need to. “Hey,” Mike slowly made his way towards the bed and took a seat staring at Will’s back. The other was refusing to look at him for the time being.

“I know your mad,” Mike started before he could even think of what to say next Will had turned around to face him.

“Mad doesn’t even begin to cover it Mike,” The rage in Will’s voice was a quiet sort of fury that had Mike holding back a flinch.

“It’s a great honor Will,” Mike swallowed, “I get to prove myself and honor my family,” Mike wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Will or himself at this point, but it wasn’t as though there was another alternative.

“An honor? You mean a death sentence,” Will spat.

“You shouldn’t talk about the knights’ expedition that way. You’re a prince Will,”

“No, this isn’t an expedition. This is a send off to death. You saw their faces, Mike.” There was the sound of a deep breath as Will shut his eyes and recalled images of stiff men and ladies prepared for. “Everyone that was sent for came prepared to die,”

Mike knew that. He knew that. He knew that he shouldn’t have been scouted for this expedition. He knew that whatever the captain of the knights had planned for him, it did not involve his survival.

“I know,” Mike’s reply come soft and quiet; quieter than his voice had been the entire conversation.

“You know?” Will spluttered.

Mike’s smile was small and bitter. “I’m not even eighteen. I’ll be the youngest knight to join the expedition and-” Mike chokes back a sob, “all my father cares about is what an honor it will be for me to be the youngest knight to ever join an expedition of this size,” Mike feels like he’s shrinking in on himself a little and he can feel Will’s eyes boring into him.

“Your father knows about this?” Will asked, voice flat.

Mike wisely kept his mouth shut as Will started to pace. The prince was mumbling under his breath and though Mike could only make out a few words here and there he could somewhat understand what Will intended to do.

“Will,” Mike tried. “Barely legal-” Will was saying. Mike tried again, “Will!”

The prince stopped abruptly. Mike patted the spot next to him and Will, taking the hint, sat down.

“Listen to me. There’s nothing we can do right now, not unless the laws get changed within the next day or so-” Will opened his mouth, “and,” Mike said firmly, “we are not involving the Queen and King over something like this,”

“You’ll die,”

“We don’t know that. I could live. The expedition might succeed,”

“Then promise me,” Mike’s face fell as Will continued, “promise me you’ll live,”

“I can’t do that,”

Will’s face fell. “Why not,”

“When I become a paladin, I swore an oath. I swore that I would always be honest with the royal family,” With you goes unspoken.

“Promising you’ll live is dishonesty?”

“Making a promise I can’t keep is dishonesty,”

The prince turns away from him again and Mike is left looking at his best friend’s back. Just when the silence has hit a level of awkward that has Mike debating on how he should break the silence Will starts speaking.

“They can’t force you to do this,”

“They can unfortunately. I’m technically my family’s property until I come of age,”

“Your seventeen, you became a paladin less than a month ago. Paladins don’t join expeditions until they’re at least twenty-one,”

“That’s just a formality, you know that. There are no laws that state a paladin can’t join an expedition prior to that age,”

“It isn’t a law because no one has been stupid enough to go against it,”

Mike shot Will a look. “Normally,” The prince added belatedly.

Mike rolled his eyes, “We both know there’s nothing normal about head general over there,”

“Are you allowed to be talking about him that way?” Will asked, but he was smiling now.

“No, but are you going to tell him?”

“No,” and just for a second everything was alright. There were no monsters to be hunted, there was no expedition to go on, and Mike wasn’t heading off to die tomorrow. The bliss was temporary.

“You’re going on a mission that will likely leave you dead tomorrow,”

“Yeah,”

Will sighed and laid down on his bed. Mike watched him for a moment and started to leave. “Stay,” Mike stopped doubting his ears for a moment.

“What?” He asked, voice soft.

“You’re leaving tomorrow, and I don’t know if I’ll see you again, so please stay the night,”

Mike bites his lip, swallows, and steals his nerves.

“Okay,” If he might not make it back, he might as well.

He laid down on the bed facing Will for only a second before the prince moved closer. Mike’s breath caught when the prince borrowed his head onto Mike’s chest, right where his heart was. Mike wrapped his arms around Will. This. This was okay. Mike pressed his face down onto Will’s hair.

He could enjoy staying like this for the night.

[mike-wheeler-faggotry]

@cluelessbees secret santa gift!

+ a companion art i did below the cut

[evil-gay-person]

secret santa gift for @mike-wheeler-faggotry !!!

and you lucky bitch i'm actually gonna use proper grammar/capitalization/punctuation for you <3

I call it...

"wheeler's basement therapy session"

(I'm very unoriginal ^)

Mike and Will were planning to hangout today. It was weird, needing to plan these things. Normally Will would just show up at Mike's and they'd go to the basement and chill out. But Mike had to do chores today, so he and Will had had to plan their hangout for today. Will isn't going to show up for another half-hour still. Maybe Mike could try tidying up the mess that is his basement while he waits ?

As he's going around picking up old candy wrappers and the odd soda can, he peeks under the couch to see what trash might have been lurking there. But as he's reaching underneath to try and find any wrappers, a sharp pain forces him to pull his hand back. A paper cut. He looks back under and sees a piece of paper. He grabs it, making sure not to cut himself again, and blows off the dust that had collected on it's surface.

It's one of Will's drawings. One of Mike and Dustin. Well, their D&D characters celebrating over killing a monster. But as much as Mike would love to just admire Will's old art, he can't help but cringe at this one.

The scenery in the picture contains a cliff, some bushes and a half-dried lake at the bottom. His initial thought is the quarry. The cliff he jumped off of. To save Dustin.

Or that's what he tells himself.

His train of thought is interrupted by the sound of a door opening and footsteps ringing down the staircase. Will.

"Oh, hey." Mike greets, scrambling to his feet.

Will smiles at him. "Hey. I thought I might get greeted at the door, but my expectations were to high, I guess." he teases, setting his backpack on a chair at the table.

"What do you mean ?" Mike retorts. "I'm cleaning !"

Will laughs and sits down on the couch. He notices the paper in Mike's hands.

"What's that ?" he asks, although he knows perfectly well it's one of his old drawings.

"Oh, um, nothing." Mike answers, looking around frantically for a place to place the drawing. Hide it, even.

"Show me !" Will says, smiling, while getting off the couch to make his way towards Mike.

Mike just shakes his head. "No, seriously Will, it's nothing."

Will stops short. Something's off about Mike. "Is it not one of my old drawings ?" Will asks, trying to make some sense of the situation.

Mike pauses, considers. "I mean, yeah, but like..." he trails off, bouncing anxiously on his feet.

"But what ?" Will asks, slowly making his way towards Mike. "What did I draw that you can't possibly show me ?"

Mike sighs. "It's not that I can't show you it's just that it's a bit... I don't know, personal ?" he tries.

"What do you mean by 'personal' ?" Will inquires gently.

"What am I even talking about ? It doesn't matter, it's not even my art." Mike says, deflecting any potential deep conversations. He just wants to hangout with Will, not have a deep convo about their trauma.

"Mike." Will persists. "You know you can talk to me, right ?"

Mike nods. "Yeah, I know, but-"

Will cuts him short. "No buts. What's on your mind ?"

Mike takes a deep breath then sinks onto the couch. Will sits down beside him, and watches him intently.

"It's just, seeing this picture... reminded me of something that happened when you went missing," Mike starts, voice wavering. Will nods slowly, encouraging him to go on.

"Troy and James had chased me and Dustin all the way to the cliff above the quarry and-" Mike's voice starts to break. "and-and," he tries to continue. But to no avail.

"Hey, it's okay." Will says, placing a hand on Mike's now shaking hand.

Mike nods again. "Troy put Dustin in a headlock, and he had a knife. Said he'd cut Dustin's mouth and send him on an 'early trip to the dentist'. But he-he," A few tears start to well up in Mike's eyes. This part is harder. "Troy said that he'd let Dustin go if I- if I...jumped." he says.

Will let out an audible gasp when Mike said that. "But, you didn't ump though, because you're here though, r-right ?" he asks.

Mike doesn't respond immediately.

"Mike. Tell me that you didn't jump."

Mike gulps. Will wouldn't be happy with this. "I jumped."

Will explodes milliseconds after Mike finished. "You jumped ? " He asks, dumbfounded but also very worried. " You actually jumped ?"

Mike nods quietly.

"But-but why?" Will asks him.

Mike looks Will dead in the eye. "B-because I thought I had lost you. For good. This happened after I saw your fake body got pulled out of the quarry, so I guess a part of my brain just used that as 'proof' that you were gone and I jumped." he explains.

Will nods, but doesn't add anything. Mike continues.

"And the worst part is," he says. He's crying now. "The worst part is, is that I knew I wouldn't hit the water. I knew that if I jumped, I'd die. I consciously knew that. But I jumped anyway."

Will looks at his feet. "But if you... you jumped how are- shouldn't...?"

Mike follows suit, and also looks down. "El. I had no idea she had followed us. If El wasn't there I would be... y'know.." He takes a breath and wipes his eyes with his sleeve. "I was mid-air and suddenly I just stopped falling. And then I wasn't looking at the rocks an water below me, but the pebbles and dirt on the cliff. El had broken Troy's arm, and then Dustin was yelling at them but I was more or less focused on the fact that I could've died."

Will reaches his hand up and wraps his arm around Mike. There's tears in his eyes, too.

"Mike, losing me is not a reason to take your own life. Losing one party member would already hurt the others a lot. Losing two isn't something that they shouldn't ever have to deal with. So promise me, that if anything happens, to anyone that you care about, not just me, that you won't try to take your own life, okay ?" Will implored. "Please."

Mike nods and leans his shoulder onto Will's. "I promise."

They sit like that for a while, until Mike breaks the silence.

"Hey, Will ?" he asks, getting his attention.

"Yeah ?" Will responds.

"Crazy together, right ?"

Will smiles. "Yeah. Crazy together."

---------------------------------------------------------------

THERE YOU GO HAPPY HOLIDAYS BESTIE <3333333

i had to include crazy together, how could i not ?

and i am really sorry if it isnt what you were expecting, i cant write :(

ilysm bestie <3

also to anyone else who reads this, please don't post it somewhere else or claim to own it, i worked really hard on this. and if you do share it, PLEASE CREDIT ME. thank you <3