My Personal Thoughts
Personally, I first became a fan of Byler not too long after my Stranger Things hyperfixation started in January 2026. I admit, I am a newgen. Genuinely newgen final boss, I never bothered to watch it until this year, because a couple of my close friends told me I really should watch it. I am very fashionably late... i take great pride in my sense of fashion! I binged the hell out of this show, I was immediately hooked. I wasn't immediately a Byler fan, though. I actually kind of liked Mileven until about mid Season 3, then I started disliking it because i gained a consciousness. i just thought they were a little cute, but didn't care that much I have ultimately stopped gafing about mileven no hate to mileven shippers! I couldn't care less about whatever u ship even if it's ass lol! I definitely was able to see the appeal of Byler before I became a fan though. By around the time I had reached Season 3, I was deep in my ST hyperfixation, so of course, I did what any hopelessly obsessed autist would do and took to ao3. I desperately needed to immerse myself in fan content, and I quickly found that the vast majority of ST content on ao3 was Byler. The first few times I took to ao3 were before i actually really cared about any ship in particular. However, I did not mind giving Byler a chance. So I gave Byler fics a chance, and I did not regret it. Soon all I was reading was Byler, and it warmed it up to me a ton. This was only one of the reasons that I stopped caring for Mileven. Anyways, enough about mileven. This is the Bylerhood nobody wants to hear about that. So! All these Byler fics were making me a huge fan, and I started noticing more and more how cute Mike and Will would be together and how much I love their general dynamics together. Now it's led me to reading ao3 for hours every day and spamming the gc (tiche generals hiii hi sophia if ur reading this) with unfunny gifs related to byler. The freak i have become... fuck!!!
It’s winter in Hawkins, and Mike and Will aren’t speaking anymore. Will stays in Mike’s basement, trying to avoid him.
Then the power goes out, and Will dreads the cold more than facing Mike.
Or: Seven nights in which Mike and Will have to sleep in the same bed, even though they’re barely friends.
OF COURSE i had to include this one. how could i not, it is the #1 byler fic on ao3. and also the #2 most kudoed fic on ao3 last time i checked. and for good reason, too. genuinely so good. i am unwellll
There’s something wrong with Will.
It started three weeks ago, almost four. Will had woken from some sort of nightmare and, instead of seeking comfort in Mike the way he usually would, he’d rolled out a sleeping bag from the closet and chosen to sleep on the floor.
No one believes Mike, except for Joyce. But even she doesn’t understand the full extent to which something is wrong with Will.
Mike understands, though. Mike has been paying attention.
that one fic where mike eats will's eye. god this is SO GOOD. just like it says in the tags, there are extremely graphic depictions of violence. like seriously, be careful. i had to take many breaks because it's so detailed it felt like i could feel everything going on!! so much trauma and self loathing and guilt and pain i love it. can't recommend it enough if you are able to handle graphic violence and suicidal/self harm themes
“Why? Why won’t you ever tell me what’s wrong with you?” Carlton’s voice is filled with frustration, and it sounds like nails on a chalkboard to Will.
What is wrong with him. It’s such a loaded question. Why does Will wake up screaming sometimes? Why can’t Will handle the cold? Why are there days when Carlton’s hands on him feel like being kept under water with no way up?
And why can’t Will tell Carlton the truth? How could Will possibly explain it without sounding insane? What is the human translation for being taken and kept in another dimension, violated, and possessed, only to then be violated yet again—
This part of him is something Will is never going to be able to share with anyone else. That nobody would understand.
Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong with you.
“Because you wouldn’t get it.” Will somehow manages to say it without gagging.
And then, Carlton goes in for the kill.
“Oh, but Mike does?”
OR
After leaving Hawkins to go to college in the great city of San Franscisco, Will finally finds someone who loves him. The only problem is that the only person in the world who knows him, is someone else.
TBA
This is the hidden content.