#were gonna get willel sibling moments

[itwasaseven]

will, eleven, and mike are gonna be the central characters in season 5 .... aren't they....

lol i'm scared, somebody sedate me.

[autistic-robin]

more dynamics i need to see in st5 for my mental wellbeing

1. el and dustin. that’s it send post. they were genuinely so sweet in season 1 and i miss their mad scientist/test subject vibe immensely. i know el and lucas are going to be paired up this season because of their shared connection (polyamory) to max, but i would love to see more scenes between dustin and el— maybe some lighthearted bonding over their matching leg injuries or daddy issues.

2. mike and robin. i don’t think you understand i need this like i need air. will has already had his gay awakening he doesn’t need a queer life coach!! mike on the other hand is out here in the TRENCHES. this man is down critically horrendously morifyingly BAD for will but is convinced el needs him and that will could never reciprocate his feelings. he needs robin’s gay intuition and advice if anyone does.

3. steve and jonathan. HELLO??? FOR THE LOVE OF GOD HELLO???? i know this is pretty much guaranteed to happen in st5 because full-circle character development and hammering in themes and blah blah blah but i’m still gonna talk about it because listen. steve got his shit rocked by jonathan one (1) time and immediately decided “fuck my idiot friends” developed a moral conscience and SHOWED UP AT HIS HOUSE to apologize. he wasn’t there for nancy he had no idea nancy was there!!! he bought jonathan a new camera!!! he was so respectful of nancy and jon even when nancy dumped his ass a season later!!! yet we never get closure between him and jonathan or even a conversation and i’m PISSED about it. matt and ross duffer rectify this or else.

4. hopper and jonathan and will. you see the vision. these kids have never had a stable father figure who truly understands them (i love bob but he was only there for st2 and was sweet but naive) and everything they’ve been through. jonathan DESPERATELY needs to be de-parentified and released from the emotional burden of constantly putting will and joyce before his own needs and dreams, and hopper desperately needs to feel like he can protect his family instead of “cursing” them. will needs a loving father figure who supports his queer identity, and hopper only had a fire lit under him in s1 when joyce mentioned it could have been a hate crime. this is like textbook recipe for healing and closure for these characters.

5. joyce and karen? i just think it would be neat. we know karen’s getting more involved this season and i think she should get to be a little gay for joyce as a treat. we had crumbs of their dynamic in s1 and on a more sincere note i honestly think joyce could help give karen the courage to leave ted or demand better from him moving forward.

6. nancy and mike. if they don’t have a genuine conversation i’ll actually be fuming raging pulling my hair out. i get it i get that they’re both emotionally repressed but GOD i wish we had more moments with them talking about their trauma or empathizing with each other’s survivor’s guilt and crippling savior complexes. all the “max and mike are the same character in a different font” business is very valid and i agree madwheeler is like ten shots of espresso injected directly into the bloodstream HOWEVER, nancy and mike’s traumas and emotional issues are so so similar please let them talk about it!!!!

7. steve and robin???? please for the love of god????? literally what the fuck was happening in s4 they were NOT given enough screentime together. not cool. i want them BACK on their queerplatonic bullshit in s5, fully codependent disgustingly clingy like god intended.

8. jonathan and el. i just want them to be siblings together!!! we got a lot of willel sibling vibes in s4 and some sweet jon-and-will moments, but i would love for them to delve into jonathan and el’s dynamic. this girl is a big reason why will was saved in s1 and we just… never really see the byerses address that? jonathan has a lottt of self-blaming tendencies when it comes to will and i’d love for el to help remind him he isn’t responsible for protecting and saving his brother all the time. conversely, i’d love for jonathan to remind el that she’s just a kid and that the weight of the world shouldn’t be on her shoulders. they’re both really soft-spoken and sweet characters with hard veneers and i feel like they’d pair well together for more emotional scenes.

9. literally the entire byers-hopper family they are the heart and soul of the show and i will never forgive the duffer brothers for losing that in s3-4 in favor of expanding the scope of the story. i miss them.

10. steve and el. i would maim and kill for this dynamic actually. both of them are involved in love triangles and have arcs centered around independency and platonic/found familial love, and steve has his whole mom-of-the-group shtick that could be really endearing paired with el’s plucky weird-little-girl vibe. idk i just think they would be a cute team, maybe paired with dustin or lucas.

11. stoncy and robin. literally give me this team or give me death. i miss stoncy’s iconic end-of-season-1 monster-hunting trio dynamic SO MUCH i would give anything for them to go on a sidequest and really just hash it all out with each other. and robin could offer steve moral support and comic relief— while we’re on the subject i would also kill to see her and jonathan interact!! like they are so similar in that brooding-noncomformist way and i feel like they would either immediately gravitate toward each other based on values OR immediately clash due to their personality differences. jonathan is all quiet and avoidant and robin can be… A Lot (said with love) when she’s not masking like s3. i just think they’d be funny together.

12. this is devolving quickly so scott clarke and the party. no i will not elaborate. thank you for your time

[mike-wheeler-ik-what-you-are]

I love making up scenarios so here's my vision for s5.

I'm gonna leave out the supernatural stuff for the majority because 1) my blog is about byler 2) my brain is obsessed with byler 3) I have no ideas for that and 4) byler.

after the timeskip mike and el are back together again. their relationship doesn't work as usual

this leads to them fighting again and mike says "but didn't you need me?"

to which el responds "I don't need anyone, it has always been you needing me and we both know it"

and mike is so so fucking confused bc of the painting so he says "and what about the painting"

he expects el to say something but she just says "I have no idea what you're talking about"

after a few moments of disbelief he realizes she's not lying and wants to confront will

they have a fight because will obviously doesn't want to say why he lied while mike is mad that he lied to him and now doesn't even know what to believe anymore

they don't even have the time to stay mad at each other though because vecna uses mike's confusion / disappointment + the amount of trauma that he's carrying to target him

nobody knows mike's favorite song n we're in apocalyptic times so perhaps no-one has even a walkman with them and El has been taken by the government again

nobody knows what to do, but then dustin remembers will's connection to the UD and they decide to give it a try

will gets inside mike's mind to find him but instead of finding him in a happy memory it's 1984 and he's near his garage again

will gets nervous because he remembers perfectly that day, he is surprised mike does too though

- didn't expect to find you here

- will? are- are you real? how did you get here?

- it's a long story, hurry up, let's get out of here. I'll explain it to you once we're back

- I have no idea how to get out of here though

- oh. me neither. guess we're fucked then

- I guess.

- so, is this your happy memory?

- no, not at all, it's actually one of my worst memories...

- then why did you get there?

- I don't know, I guess it was the first thing that came to my mind

-oh. ok

- I guess I was sort of nostalgic too, things were easier back then...

- you mean with el?

- no, no, I meant with me actually, 'guess I was more naïve once

a beat

- you know, I never told you but I actually had written you a letter for when I came to cali

- oh. why didn't you give it to me then?

- I don't know...

- you could still give it to me now if you wanted to...

mike can hear his own heartbeat, is he really doing this now out of every moment? fuck it, he might not even get out of this alive, who cares anymore -

- mike? did you hear that too?

the voices are getting louder, it's everyone in hawkins telling mike to wake up. they get out of the gate.

they get out and will wakes up, they did it but they don't know how

end part one

mike and will go back to ignoring each other once again, things are awkward and they don't know how to act around each other

then, right when everyone thinks things are finally getting better, BAM! will gets vecna'd

mike, desperate, takes out the fucking letter and reads it out loud, thinking it might be the last time will gets to hear him

meanwhile vecna is saying shit like "nobody cares about you, they think you're a mistake, they didn't even remember your birthday"

but mike reading his letter to will is opening a gate so will doesn't care and he keeps running

happy birthday, will is how mike's letter ends, and will gets out

willel siblings defeat vecna together and, over the ruins of hawkins, the sun rises again, the sky painted by yellows and blues

mike and el hug each other, "I thought I had lost you" says mike "you never did" says her "I still dump your ass though" she adds, and they both laugh

from behind el appears will too, she gently pushes mike towards him "come on, go, you two clearly need to talk", she gives him a thumbs up

"uhm, hi" says mike, "hi"

- so, about the painting...

- yeah, I'm sorry about that...

- no, no you don't have to apologize! I get it you were just trying to make me feel better

- no, you're right, I actually did lie

- what do you mean?

- you know, when I said all those things about el. they weren't actually about el, they were about me

mike's breath catches "oh"

"it has been you this whole time will. it has always been you"

THEY FUCKING KISS AND I'M SCREAMING FROM MY COUCH

the grass grows again from the soil and the world seems to be living again

speaking of living, lucas comes in running to inform everyone that max has woken up, el's face lights up

elmax reunite

mega huge ass time skip

it's 2024, they are all old now, we see mike has become a writer, he lives in his apartment in NYC with will, they're releasing their own comic: stranger things

[stuck-in-hawkins]

Next to a Broken Castle

This is a gift for @willel​ / @kirabook​  This has been a long time coming, darling. Thank you for your patience, for your gift, and all your support. ^w^

This is an alternative scene. If Jonathan had found Will by Castle Byers instead.

~

Jonathan had his music turned all the way up. He wished it could be louder. He needed to drown Nancy’s words from his head, to pull himself away from the panic at having to find another job, and the crushing defeat of having to work at some place he hated, manning a register or stocking shelves.

How was it that Nancy didn’t understand that? This job had been the gateway to a career he was actually passionate about. Where else was he supposed to get a job doing photography in this town?

He hated having all this anger built up inside him. He wanted to slam things, kick everything that was in his way. But whenever he felt like that, he’d remember his father and the way his anger would fly. He didn’t want that. So he settled for throwing his laundry in the basket, and singing/ screaming at the top of his lungs.

He almost didn’t hear the phone ring but he caught it as one song faded into the next. He bolted up and ran to the kitchen. In a matter of seconds, he’d found himself hoping. Hoping that Tom would take him back, hoping that Nancy would be calling to apologize.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Jonathan. Is Will there?” Mike asked.

Jonathan blinked and his heart skipped a beat for a second. An old fear crept up from the pit of his stomach. “No. I thought he spent the night at your place.”

“He did but… umm...”

The knot relaxed somewhat but he could hear the guilt in Mike’s voice.

Mike admitted, “We had a fight…. and he walked off. Or, well, biked off.”

Jonathan looked outside. It was pouring out and starting to get dark. “You let him go out in this?”

Mike’s voice immediately turned back to prideful, obstinate. “What was I supposed to do? Grab his bike by the handles?”

There was no denying that Mike and Nancy were siblings. The Wheeler family had a strong streak of stubbornness.

“I don’t know what you could have done but if he’s that mad at you, he’s probably not in the mood to talk.”

There was quiet on the other end. “Then, just…” he could almost hear Mike grappling with his pride. “Then, just please tell him that we’re sorry. That I’m sorry. And… just… find him, please.”

“I will.”

“Call me back the minute you do.” Mike ordered and the line clicked.

Jonathan hung up the phone and shook his head. No wonder those two fought like cats and dogs.

He opened the door to Will’s room, just in case. He looked at all the new drawings up on the wall. Will was working with charcoal now, and a fine dust had settled in parts on the floor around his desk. Will had been spending more time out of the house these days.

Will had once let it slip after an episode. “When is it gonna feel like home again?” The words had cut through him. He knew that their mom must have heard it, too. He knew that had to be why she was circling houses in the paper now, though he knew it wasn’t the only reason.

He grabbed his raincoat, flashlight, and for a moment, he thought about grabbing the rifle, just in case.

No. He thought. The gate is closed. It has been closed. “Stop thinking like that.”

He ran to his car, ducking out of the rain, and started it up. He’d drive around town first, he’d cover more ground that way. But a thought struck him.

‘Check the castle,’ he thought.

It was raining. Just like it had been that day. He got out of his car and shut the door. _____________________________

Will’s small voice asked, “Dad’s never been gone this long. What if something happened to him?”

It hadn’t been the first time their parents fought. It hadn’t been the first time their dad walked out to win an argument. He would be gone a few days but he’d come back. Things would be quiet for a while and then it would all start over again.

But this time had been bad. Things were broken. They had to wear shoes around the house because there were still hidden shards of dishes on the floor.

Lonnie had actually put his hands on their mom. She’d filed a report. Will didn’t know about that though. Will had been asleep in Jonathan’s bed. Jonathan heard their mother that night. “Get your hands off of me!!”

Jonathan ran out to put himself between them. Lonnie had let go. He was drunk and spewed out bitter words. “Turning my own son against me? Boy, she’s got you whipped.”

Then, he'd went past them into the bedroom, packed his bag, and left.

Jonathan felt for Will. He still loved their father. He was too young to understand why he left. He couldn't process that it was better for him to be gone. Jonathan had hardened his heart to survive all the words Lonnie threw at him. He’d learned to stop looking for acceptance from him. And, with more time, Will might have done that too. But this time, Jonathan knew it was for good. Or, at least he hoped it was. And that meant that all this would hurt for Will, much deeper than it would for Jonathan.

“Will, I don’t think he’s coming back.”

Will’s eyes had grown big. “What- what do you mean? Why wouldn’t he?”

“He hurt Mom. He really hurt her. If he came back, he’d hurt her again.”

Will bent his head down. Jonathan had been there when their mom explained to them. She had told them that even if she and Lonnie didn’t love each other anymore, they still loved Jonathan and Will.

But Jonathan knew that Lonnie didn’t love them. Not the way dads were supposed to. It didn't matter to him anymore, their moms love made up for that. She loved them more than enough for both.

Jonathan tried to comfort Will, as he saw his eyes brim up. “We won’t have to hear them fighting anymore. And, like mom said, we’ll still get to see him. It’ll be one on one stuff but we’ll get to see him.”

Will nodded.

Jonathan knew his words couldn’t make up for it. There was nothing he could say that would make it hurt less. There were no words that could shelter him from all the pain that would come.

“Hey. You want to build that club house?”

Will looked up, blinking. The club house their dad said he’d build. Will had spent months gathering fallen branches, picking out sturdy ones from deteriorating ones. Will had asked father their nearly every day until he snapped, “I’ll get to it when I goddamn feel like it. Stop nagging me. You sound like your mother!”

Will never asked him again. He tried to keep the good wood off the ground, so it wouldn’t rot. But he had resigned himself to the fact that it would never happen.

“I don’t know how to build one.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for. I’ll show you.”

“You’ve never built one before.”

“Well, I’ve built enough. We’ll figure it out together.”

In that moment, Will looked at him with such love and gratitude, that Jonathan swore to himself, he’d make up for their dad’s absence. He’d fill the hole in their family. He’d do whatever it took to shelter his little brother. ________________________

Jonathan tread the familiar path. It was pouring. Why would Will come here in this? But then, he never fought with Mike, with any of them. He wasn’t the confrontational type. He avoided it whenever he could. Fights were normal things, but for Will they meant an end.

Jonathan heard a loud crack echo through the trees. He ran through the mud, his feet soaked through his sneakers. He tried not to picture what it could be as he heard more sounds of something being smashed. As he got closer, he recognized the sound as the ringing of metal and crack of tree branches.

As he came over a hill he could see Will, bat in hand, landing blow after blow to Castle Byers. The sanctuary they had built. Jonathan had stopped. He watched his brother curse and pull the front of it to the ground. He was seeing something inside his brother, beneath all the layers and guards he put up. Underneath all the quiet, the gentleness, the smiles, his brother was hurting more than he’d ever let on. How hadn’t he known? How had he missed it? Will sank to the ground and Jonathan found his voice.

“Will.”

Will turned, startled, and saw his brother soaked from the rain. He was overcome with shame. This place hadn’t just been Will’s, it had been a gift from his brother. It had been a promise of safety and love when his world had turned upside down. And he’d destroyed it… with their father’s bat.

He didn’t want to face him. He got up to run but Jonathan’s voice kept him still.

“Will, please.”

He walked up to his younger brother and couldn’t find the words. He was going to ask why. But he had intruded on the moment. It wasn’t right to ask. And that wasn’t what Will needed now. He pulled Will in and felt him crumble in his embrace. His sob shook Jonathan’s whole being. It was something visceral from a depth he couldn't fathom.

He held Will tight, and whispered, “It’s okay, Will. It’s okay.”

Will felt like a child again. He and Jonthan were now nearly the same height, yet he still felt small in his arms. It felt stupid and immature to be so comforted by this. Maybe that was all he was, a child, who would be left behind. Everyone else would grow and change and Will would be stuck, wishing for something that would be forever out of reach.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m here, Will. It’s going to be okay.”

Will cried and held his brother tighter. Maybe he just needed to get it out. Maybe he could allow himself this one last childish thing. Jonathan had carried him through the worst parts of his life. Now here he was again, on the night he felt like his world was falling apart. Picking him up, wrapping him in his arms, and sheltering him, like he’d done so many times before. He leaned on him as they walked away from the broken castle.

Jonathan wrapped an arm around Will. He would explain when they got back. That one fight did not mean the end of everything. As he thought about that, he realized he would have to follow that advice too. Sometime tonight he would have to call Nancy. It was something he needed her to know, too. Their fight didn't have to mean the end of everything. He would be there if she still wanted to work on it. He would be there for her if she wanted to see this thing through to the end.

Will looked at their house as they walked up. There was an overwhelming gratitude of being home. He remembered year ago, walking up the path, soaked, and carrying the tools from their project. The best part about building the castle had been spending the whole day close to his brother, putting something together from pieces that had been broken and cast aside. When they got inside, Jonathan wrapped him up in a blanket and put the kettle on. And Will could see he was doing it again, like he always did, fixing what felt broken. He breathed.

Even if everything else changed, he knew that would always be the same.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18285635/chapters/57007879