#lucas wanted all three of the boys to share the best man title but mike and will let dustin have it

[glitchinginhyperfixis]

in terms of a lumax wedding, steve would walk max down the aisle, el would be the maid of honor, and dustin would be the best man.

[wantisamlindyla]

Your Ghost - Chapter 1

New York, 1999.

He wanted her to live again, even if she could only come back to him through the pages of a book. 

A/N: Hi all. I’ve been sitting on this for a while I finally decided to post the first chapter.  I have a rough outline but I don’t know how many chapters there are going to be, maybe 6? This is AU, Mileven, takes place 15 years after Eleven disappeared. Most of season 2 still happened, but there was no Mike/Eleven Reunion at the end of episode 8. Will eventually post on Ao3, but I dunno when I’m gonna get my invite to set up an account. Enjoy!

28 October 1999

 “Ladies and gentlemen thank you for coming here today. There will be a book signing of this amazing book after this session. Now, the reason for why we are all here today, and why some of you have been lining up outside the venue all night, is currently backstage, waiting patiently for me to stop nerding out and pull myself together to introduce him!

 After publishing his first novel and topping the New York bestseller’s list at only the age of 23, he is here tonight to talk about his newest novel, titled the Ides of Winter, and the third book in the world famous Montauk series. Everybody, please join me in welcoming to the stage, Michael Wheeler!”

***

It was one month and 17 days into the book tour. Mike had one more stop in New York before he could call it a day and go home.

He was so goddamned tired, he still had several book signings, an interview with the New Yorker (with that pretentious prig, Howell), a TV appearance on the Today Show, and, a few radio interviews, before he can escape back to the Lake house in Lovell, Maine which he now called home.

It’s not all bad news though. New York means seeing Will again for the first time since Christmas.

Not that Mike has completely lost all touch with his old friends, quite on the contrary.  

After graduating from a fine arts course at his brother’s alma mater, NYU, Will had decided to stay in the city. He’d eventually landed an unpaid internship at a small start up animation studio. Now Will split his time travelling back and forth from California to New York as the head character designer on a number of superhero animated cartoons that Mike watched religiously on Saturday mornings.

It wasn’t hard to stay in touch with Will, it was just that this last year had been manic. Mike had barely fit in time for sleep what with working frantically to get his novel finished, having to attend stressful and tense meetings with his editor, forcing himself to return his lawyers’ phone calls about a copyright infringement litigation his publishers had commenced on his behalf, and having to deal with ideas about for the short story anthology he had been working on springing up at the most inconvenient times.

He and Will still managed to talk every other day though, either by telephone or AIM.

Ever since Nancy and Jonathan officially became a couple around Christmas of ‘84, Jonathan and Will became regular dinner guests at the Wheeler residence. He and Will had become almost inseparable, more than anybody in the party.

During his parents’ divorce, which took place during Mike’s sophomore year of high school, with Nancy and Jonathan away at college, Mike spent more and more time at the Byers’ residence, trying to escape the tensions at home, right up until he left for college in ‘89.

At college, Mike made new friends, attended dumb keg parties, dated girls, but he never lost touch with Dustin, Will, Lucas, or Max.

You didn’t help save the end of the world with your friends, twice, and then drift away from them over trivial things like distance and attending different colleges.

In fact, Mike had just met up with Dustin only a few months ago. Dustin had been in Maine for some reason connected with his annoyingly mysterious job.

After Dustin had graduated from MIT he had immediately been recruited by a secretive tech company in California. Dustin couldn’t talk about where he worked or what he did at his job. Whenever people asked him where he worked he’d tell them Cyberdyne Systems with a straight face.

He and Dustin had attended the Phantom Menace premiere together with Dustin’s then-girlfriend, Cindy. The boys had left the movie theatre deflated and heartsore while Cindy had tried valiantly to console them by saying all the wrong things.

Dustin called Mike a few weeks later to inform him that he and Cindy were no longer going out.

“I had to dump her Mike, she said she thought Jar Jar Binks was cute. Also she refused to share her food with me when we went out.”

“So?”

 “So? So? It’s weird. We go out for Italian and I end up having to eat an entire Pepperoni pizza on my own, which I don’t really mind, but then her ravioli looks good too, but she won’t let me have any because she likes us to have our own meals. And don’t even get me started on that time I took her to Wang’s Treasure Palace.” 

Besides those occasional and surprising visits during the year there was always Christmas and New Years at Lucas and Max’s place to look forward to.

Of all of them only Lucas and Max had opted to return to Hawkins. Lucas quit his mechanical engineering job and got a position as an assistant professor, teaching at the community college only after a few years in Chicago. Max got a job as a mechanic at a garage. They bought a house, got married, and got busy starting a family.

Mike smiled at the memory of last year’s Christmas.

He’d practically lived at Lucas and Max’s house the whole time he was there since the picture perfect Wheeler family Christmases that his mom had worked so hard to create during his childhood was now only a distant memory.

Nancy preferred to spend her Christmases in New York with Jonathan and Mrs Byers. The Wheeler home had been sold a few years ago when Holly had left to go to college. Holly preferred to spend her holidays in Chicago with her boyfriend’s family.

His mom was away on another cruise, and, his dad was busy with wife number two.

So, Mike spent his Christmas and News Years at the Sinclairs. He’d taught their three-year-old son, Robbie, how to build a snowman. He conducted a twelve-hour D & D Campaign, pelted Dustin with snowballs, watched a pregnant Max eat all the ice-cream and listened to her complain about how gassy pregnancy made her, watched a star wars marathon and gorged on pizza on Christmas day (just because Max was the only girl in the party did not mean that she would be cooking and cleaning for four man-child wastoids who liked to mooch off her and Lucas).  

Mike considered a detour to Hawkins for a visit after New York so he could meet the newest addition to the Sinclair family, baby Grace, who was about to turn 6 months old. He decided to bring it up with Will tonight at dinner.

Mike pulled himself back to the present and to the interviewer who was introducing him to her broadcast audience.  

“You’re listening to Terry Gross on Fresh Air. Joining us today is Michael Wheeler, author of the best selling book series, Montauk. The series is set in the 60s, in the small town of Montauk in upstate New York, the town is haunted by the misdeeds of its occupants.

The main protagonist is Millie, a brave young girl, with a few secrets of her own.

When Millie’s best friend, Noah, goes missing in mysterious and sinister circumstances, she sets out on a journey into the woods near the town to find him. The first two books in the series have already sold over 80 million copies worldwide and a movie adaptation of the first novel is currently in the works. The third book in the series, Ides of Winter, was released recently.

Michael was only 23 when the first novel in the series was published. He was awarded the Hugo Award for best new author in ‘95 and he has been named one of Time’s most influential people of the year. Michael thank you so much for joining us today.”

“Of course, thank you for having me.”

Terry was one of the best interviewers Mike had the pleasure of meeting. Her soft spoken and inquisitive questions put him immediately at ease, so much so that so he almost forgot he was being interviewed on radio.

He didn’t forget to lie though.

When Terry asked him about where he’d drawn inspiration from for his twelve-year-old girl protagonist, he told her Millie was a blend of himself and the two sisters whom he’d grown up with.

When Terry asked him what drew him to the supernatural and horror themes prevalent in his novels, he only talked about the books and authors he’d read growing up.

“Michael, my favourite chapter of your second novel is the Cave of Horrors. I’m sure you get that a lot. I just wanted to ask you about that chapter, because it’s pivotal, its when Millie comes to believe that she may have truly lost her friend forever, and you write so well about grief, and loss, and the trauma associated with that at such a young age. I guess what I wonder is, was this kind of loss something you had experience with?”

Mike pauses for a long moment.

He doesn’t know what it was, perhaps it’s the kindness in Terry’s voice.

Maybe it was the year he’d just had, it’d been especially difficult.  

Maybe it was the tour.

Maybe it was the thought of that big empty lake house waiting for him at the end of the tour.

Maybe he’s just so tired of the lies and the bullshit. He didn’t really even understand why he still did it; it’s as natural as breathing, but its been almost 15 years. All the men who could punish him or his friends for saying the wrong thing are long gone.

He doesn’t know why or what it is, but all of a sudden his chest feels as if it’s been cracked wide open and its like everyone can see the wound inside him, vulnerable and raw as the day it happened. He wants to tell the world about her, he wants to scream it from the top of the Empire State Building.

He’s twelve years old again, he can smell the tang of blood and the smoke of ashes that had never touched fire. He can hear the violent and desperate screams of a dying creature ringing in his ears and in between darkness and the flickering fluorescent lights, he sees her eyes, tired, resigned, and filled with pain.

Goodbye Mike.

He wanted her to live again, even if she could only come back to him through the pages of a book.

So he’d saved her the only way he knew how. She came back to life by people reading his book, by growing to love and adore Millie, the brave and wonderful girl that would face monsters and death in order to save her friends.

“I….I lost a friend when I was a kid Terry. I don’t really speak about it often. But the way that it happened….it was violent and sudden. I don’t think I was able to come to grips with it for many years. It’s hard to admit sometimes, I think I lie to myself about it, but so much of her is in my writing.”

Terry nodded thoughtfully even though though the gesture won’t be captured by the microphone.

“Did writing help you with dealing with that loss?”

Mike answered honestly, “I don’t know. Some days I think it’s made it worse, because she’s with me, everyday. I live and breathe the loss of her in work. But its just become inseparable from me, the pain. I think it’s just like an arm, or a leg. You heal, but you’re not ever the same. And you never really forget what you lost.” 

[fromdemonsandart]

Byeler fanfic

  Title: No light 

  Parts: 1/?

 Words: 1915

  Pairings: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Eleven/Mike Wheeler.

   It’s their last year of high school, the traumatic event that happened years before it in the past. All they hope is to enjoy that last year. The boys are best friends as always, except for Mike and Will who are more than that...

   Everything seemed as normal as it could be, but things couldn’t be easy. They never were.

  Or

  Eleven returns, Mike develops feelings for her again and Will is in the middle of everything.

  Mike Wheeler sighed dramatically as he contemplated the sunset between the trees. It should be something wonderful, his head resting on his lap, with him caressing his curls. Nobody was there of course, it was their (and Lucas and Dustin) secret place, even if anyone could find it there in the woods. Castle Byers. Even after all those years it was still there, though they rarely went inside (they weren't as small anymore). An exception to that rule being Will, who still went there from time to time to be alone.

 Considering how at peace Mike felt, it was hard to believe what had taken place almost four years prior. It felt like it was an eternity ago, another life, just a very surreal dream. Maybe he could pretend it never happened, but the way Will was terrified of the dark, the way he sometimes spaced out was proof enough. Everything had been real, the funeral, the demogorgon, her… They were at peace, that was all that mattered. Except for one detail, that made him sigh again.

 “Cut it out.” Will said, clearly amused. Hearing his voice, Mike moved to see his boyfriend's face.

 “Are you telling me you don't find this depressing?” He replied quite annoyed, but Will just laughed.

 Lucas and Dustin left mere minutes ago. First it was Dustin, whose parents basically threatened to burn his comics if he didn't clean his room before the Summer ended. Obviously he waited until the very last moment. Then Lucas followed, out of boredom and something about being the third wheel. Which, yeah, annoyed Mike a little too much. It was the last day of summer, damn it! They'll be starting school the next day, their last year of high school! Will told him they practically spent everyday of that Summer together, except for that week Lucas went on a trip with his family, a weekend Mike went to visit some relatives as well. Besides that? They spent an amazing summer, all four of them.

 When he started dating Will, ten months before, he thought everything would be different. His friends accepted them, sure, but how much? In the end, it was just an irrational fear. At first, their friends found it weird, not so much because they were two boys but because they basically grew up together. `Till that day though, both made gagging sounds whenever they were, as Dustin put it, disgustingly cute.

 “Mike? It's getting dark.”

 He understood, leaving his comfy place to stand up. It was time to leave, as much as he hated to admit it. Just in case, Mike brought a lantern but he knew that wasn't the issue. Understandably the darkness unnerved Will, and yet he would stay if he asked. However, he'd never dare to do that to him. So he did what he had to do, ride on his bike alongside him.

 “You don't have to.” Will said, a bit embarrassed even if flattered.

 “I know that. But you said so, it's getting dark.”

 Will smiled a shy smile and, gosh, did it seriously took him that long to realize his friend was that cute? Closing the distance, he place a kiss on his lips. It lasted a second, but it was enough to make his heart skip a beat. Would he ever get used to it?

 Thus, they rode towards Will’s home in silence.

 His mother was waiting for him, nervous to that very day. It was getting dark after all,  and he always got home before that, now more than ever. Jonathan left for College, so there were times where Will was left alone with all the lights on. At first, it was his mother who insisted he returned earlier than usual, Will  almost refused just because he could (teenage rebellion or something) but in the end he accepted. Actually, he didn’t want to be outside in the darkness.

 Mike wanted to give him a goodbye kiss, but decided against it. Most of their love ones knew they were dating, there were rumours as well, but they rarely showed public display of affection. Hawkins was a small town after all… Nevertheless, he squeezed his hand before saying goodbye.

 It was a beautiful, sunny day, too pretty to spend it at school. Yet there they were. Even so, none of the boys hated school; none seemed bothered like Mike did. It was hard to explain it, but it was their last first day at school. Then it was college and… Just thinking about it made him want to vomit.

 All firsts days were boring anyway. Rarely did they do something interesting, just talking about the summer with their teachers. As if he cared! Again, he didn't hate any of his classmates (because Troy wasn't there) but he didn't care who travelled in the summer or who didn't. All he said when asked was that he spent summer with his friends, he spent it kissing Will too but sure as hell he wasn't sharing that!

  At lunch, Dustin couldn't stop complaining about how tired he was, having slept a couple of hours at best.

 “Who told you to wait the whole Summer to clean your room?” Lucas complained between bites. “I won't defend you here, man!”

 “You never do, Lucas!” He said, before looking at his other two friends “You guys support me, right?”

 “I don't know, waited until the last week of Summer? Yeah. To the last day? Dude…”

 “You’re both some shitty friends, you know that?” Dustin said as Lucas ignored him and Mike rolled his eyes. “At least I can count on you, right Will?... Will?”

 The boy in question was looking at nothing in particular, as everyone turned down to see what it was. Nothing, no one. Yet he still stared at it intensely, lost in his own thoughts. While that had happened before, it hadn’t happened in months. There were those small things that reminded them of those years ago… Then he blinked, looking confused for a moment, before a pink shaded started to show on his cheeks.

 “Are you alright?” Mike asked, slightly touching his arm.  All Will did was smile and nod.

 “I think your parents waited too much, Dustin.” Will said, ignoring what had just happened. “They should have told you like a month ago, not three days ago. If they did, then you would have had more time.”

 “You’re right!” Dustin exclaimed. “This is all their fault!”

 Once again, the air seemed normal again. Still, Mike worried and he took note to ask him again once they were alone.

 Everything continued being normal, even Troy annoying them as usual. For a while, after El broke his arm, he didn't even look at them. Then again, it only lasted a while. Even so, it was only name calling and the boys learned to roll their eyes at their comments.

 The classes, if that was what you could call it, were insufferable. In order to ‘start in a good environment’, they were forced to participate in some hippie shit. Again, who cared about what anyone did in the summer!? Mike sighed of relief when the bell rang, almost running away. It was only Monday, sure, but they would do something productive the rest of the week at least.

 The friends walked alongside their bikes through the woods. None of them owned a car yet, although both Will and Lucas got their licences. In Will’s case, Jonathan taught him how to drive but both Will and his mother insisted him to take the car for College. Lucas, however, was only allowed to drive in certain occasions; even so, his parents promised him a car before the end of school. Nevertheless, they didn't seem to mind that much.

  Then it happened again.

  They were ranting about how lame that day had been.

  “Next time I'll say I went to space! Me and E.T were best buds!” Dustin said, as everyone laughed.

  “Lame! I spent the Summer having adventures with Luke, Han and Leia!” Lucas bragged, having too much fun with it.

  “Did Han teach you how to fly the Millenium Falcon? ‘Cause he taught me… He also told me I was a natural.” Mike said, pretending to be interested in his answer.  

  “Did Luke teach you how to use a lightsaber? Thought so…”

  “None of them would hang out with you, losers.” Dustin joked.  “Right, Will?... Will?”

 Then they noticed, their friend had stopped walking, standing meters away from them. He wasn't looking at them though, but to the right, looking quite confused and scared. The boys called his name, telling him to hurry, but Mike got closer to him. It didn’t take the other boys long to realize that something was wrong.  

 “Hey! Will!” Lucas almost shouted, to no response.

 Everyone seemed to talk at once, as Mike cupped his boyfriend’s face between his hands. As if he were elsewhere, Will did not respond. Instead he took a deep breath, almost choking and almost falling. Before so, Mike held him.

 “Will? Can you hear me? Will!”

 “M-mike?” He asked slowly, looking from his boyfriend to his best friends. “What happened?”

 “We could ask you the same thing, man.” Lucas said, confused and worried.

 “Are you okay?” Dustin asked at the same time.

 He wasn’t sure how he felt, but he knew that everyone talking only made him felt dizzy. Even so, feeling Mike’s arms around him made him feel a bit safer. The thing was, safer from what? Tiredness, that was all it was; perhaps he didn’t eat well, or just… There had to be a reason, something he was ignoring. In the end, he offered no response and just ask his friends to help him get up.  

  On his way home, he made no comment about what had happened, ignoring his friends questions, which served to annoy them even further.

  That night, however, he received a call from Mike.  

 “I’m better.” He promised against the phone, speaking lower than necessary. If his mother were to hear him…

 “I hope you’re not lying…”

 “Why would I do that?” he asked, rather annoyed.

 “Because you’ve done it before.” Mike replied, annoyed as well. He still remembered how he hide things when he returned from the upside down, important ones.

 “I’m not.” Will replied, he deserved that… “I don’t know what happened, I swear. I must be tired, that’s all... ”

 “Will.” He said, his voice firm. Even through the phone, Will could see his eyes being intense. “I believe you. But talk to me if you need to, okay? I’m your…”

 There was a pause, he suspected Mike’s father was near.

 “Thank you. I love you, Mike.”  It wasn’t the first time saying it, but it always felt special.

 “I know.” He replied. It took him a moment, but then he understood the reference and they both laughed.

   Hopper woke up startled at the sound of his phone ringing, looking around in confusion. Everything felt dizzy, even if he only had a couple of beers before going to bed. As he walked towards the phone, he noticed that everything was dark. It was either too damn late or too damn early!

 “What?” He growled, quite annoyed. “Someone better be dying.”

  “Uh, no, chief.” A voice answered, another policeman. “It's… Kind of the opposite?”

 Alright, that did it. It served to confuse him but it woke him up. Surely it was her.

  “Where are you?” He asked, already looking for his shirt.