It’s winter in Hawkins, and Mike and Will aren’t speaking anymore. Living in Mike’s house, Will tries to be invisible, spending most of his time in the basement.
Then the power goes out — and if there’s one thing he dreads more than facing Mike, it’s the cold.
or
Seven nights in which Mike and Will have to sleep in the same bed, even though they’re barely friends anymore.
DUFFER BROTHERS TAKE SOME NOTES !!!!! i genuinely loved this so much. read it in one sitting. i'm honest to god tweaking out because it was so fantastically written and it makes every book seem 1000x more awful.
🖤By-By-By-Bylerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr 🖤 Post season 4 🖤 They don’t speak much 🖤One bed trope 🤭 🖤 Power outage 🖤 Cold winter 🖤 Body warmth scene ( omg it’s too cold let’s cuddle in bed to keep you warm) 🖤 Candle light evenings 🖤 Trauma 🖤 Will’s pov 🖤 Internalised Homophobia 🖤 x days of… 🖤 No smut just feels 💜 ➰ This is not a trope but I literally felt my hands tickling and this happens only with very special stories so wow this was powerful
BON C’EST LA DERNIÈRE CHANCE On m’a dit c’est génial, je vous crois, j’essaye. Si c’est nul je vais pleurer.
It’s the winter after the end of season 4 Mike is uneasy with Will being at his house all the time because they don’t speak much, so he spends most of his time in the basement
Will sleeps in the basement but it’s cold
« Like he doesn’t know the pattern of Mike Wheeler’s footsteps by heart » aaaaaaaaaaaaa
Yeah so they just don’t talk much like in season 4, they just don’t have much to say to it each other
I love how this is Will’s PoV I love that he tells us how fun it used to be to go to Mike’s I feel so much nostalgia from season 1 like how things must have been before his disappearance Also he reflects on the updside down and how it felt to be there I fell like that’s something missing from the series like, this kid went through so so much, and never really got to reflect back and that and talk to someone
Awwww I love that Will and El are close and that and he tells her about his fear of the cold being linked to Vecna but I wonder how that will act out with Mike. Because I liked Milleven in the first two season before Mike turned out to be an asshole but I also want El to be happy
He is so stressed his cold body could be a target 😭
Mike comes knocking at the door
« It used to be impossible for him to lie to Mike » awwww
Noooo El told Mike that Will is scared noooo my baby can trust no one 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
« Then he knocks. So quietly, he’s almost sure Mike’s gonna miss it. And if he does, Will’s not sure he could gather up the courage to know again ». OMG PURE CINEMA
He looks for his painting around the room but doesn’t see it CAN’T WAIT
Will sleeps on a mattress they used for the sleepovers
It’s so sad like it’s so awkward
But this definitely feels like what would happen if season 4 Mike and Will had to sleep in the same room, like ours just awkward due to them not being in good term like there is no tension in particular and I love that, it’s more accurate
Awww every night he is going to go to his room ??? And during the day they just ignore each other awww This time Mike left the door open awww
Will imagined them sleeping in the same bed when they were younger awwwwwwwwww my heart
Idk how to explain this feeling but it’s so cozy with the candles and the cold and trying to find warmth under the blanket It feels like I am there with them right now ☕️
Mike drops the lighter and their hands toucheddddd
« You’re freezing » = come to my bed ?????? No it more subtle than that and I love it because there is more tension
I feel like the author really gets Will and the way his mind works Of course Will hates being taken care of, he is always treated like a fragile thing in the first seasons. He hates being humiliated and he doesn’t anyone to know he is pathetically into Mike because for him it’s just being in love with his best friend, he thinks Mike is not into him But season 1 and 2 Mike took so much care of him, he was always there to confort him
At the breakfast table Will lies about sleeping the bassement and not being too cold and so does Jonathan ( who actually sleeps in Nancy’s room)
Later on Mike is mad about Will lying to his mom and confronts him
What is weird is that Joyce is that Hopper’s cabin but Jonathan and Will are at the Wheeler’s
Hopper things the power outage might have something to do with the upside down
On the third night Will decides not to got to Mike’s room and he comes td own to check on him Will draws but he scared it might be like the tunnels in season 2 and he doesn’t want to draw random things « You would draw me » awww I already read that can of scene in another fanfic but it felt cringe and very weird the way it was brought in the chapter but this is more subtle
« Is it noticeable int he curve of the lines ? Is it written all over the page, how much he loves this beautiful face » 🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨😯😯🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨
« The last painting » 🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨
Oh shit Here we are
« and I know you lied about »
SO THIS IS JUST WORDS ON A PAGE WRITTEN BY SOMEONE I DONT EVEN KNOW AND WILL NEVER MEET BUT I AM SUCH IN A DISTRESS RIGHT NOW LIKE OMG MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST
« Back when El broke up with Mike » what ¿¿¿¿¿ why are we just learning about this ??????? Mike is mad because Will lied about El asking for the painting and everything he said in that car
« I wonder what else you lie about » ohhhhhh shit shit
« Anyway what I wanted to say is that I really like the sketch you made. You always made me look… I don’t know … handsome.. you’re very kind when you draw » I WANT TO THROW THAT FUCKING BOOK BUT ITS ON MY E-READ SO I CAN’T LET ME JUST GHJJHHHHSNNZJJZJJZKZKKAKK FOR A SEC I literally broke the keyboard just reacting
I swear I haven’t laughed and kicked my feet so hard reading a book in a longggggg time
THEY ARE SO ADORABLE I HAVE TICKLES IN MY HANDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike wakes up Will because he keeps chattering his teeth, he is too cold I bet it’s time for body warmthhhhhhhhh
He touches his forehead to check temperature awwww YESSSS he comes under the blanket to keep him warm OMGGGGGGGGG
Mr Wheeler is a pretty important character even more so that Nancy or El, because he is annoyed with the Byler’s living under his roof and with the power outage he doesn’t have much to distract himself At the beginning of the book he already said Will should sleep in Mike’s room because they are both grownup now And now he keeps asking Mike questions about girl
And one evening, Mike and Will are in the living room, Will is drawing and Mike is reading a comic book they knees are touching and Ted is listening to the radio, and they are hear a report about homosexuals Which I think is very smart from the author because this is literally the 80s and yes there was a lot of homophobia at that time, and especially from Ted you must expect it. Mike ( in the head canon and in this book) has a lot of internalized homophobia and Will too from what we can read, he still has not accepted himself yet. Except the use of the word « homophonic » pretty sure Will doesn’t know this word and it wasn’t used in the 80s.
He thinks back about Leonie knowing that something was wrong and threatening him
Now Will doesn’t want to go to Mike’s room so Mike comes to the bassement but Will is stubborn so Mike gets in the mattress but it’s smaller than in Mike’s room and it’s super cold
There is an hit that Mike know Will is gay because Mr Wheeler probably called him names but they don’t really say it BUT OMG THIS WAS SO INTENSE I WAS STRESSED I FELT LIKE I WAS WITH MY BEST FRIEND IN A BED ABOUT TO HEAR THEM SAY I WAS GAY
The morning when they wake up they are all cuddly and Mike almost jumps out of bed
I like there is also a bit of mystery about is Verna coming back and did he cause the power outage so it gives more depth to the story
Later they hang out in Mike’s room and Will notices the mattress his gone 🥳🥳🥳
They cuddle sooooo much omg, and Mike says he likes it And then he mentions the fight in the rain Will thinking it’s not Mike’s fault he doesn’t like girls but he probably would have taken him so much time to figure it out if it wasn’t for Mike
And then Mike bring back the painting
This is basically a full book of one bed trope and I am so so so here for it
It was all cute and nice and sweet until they have to shower because they boiled water and Will helps Mike wash his hair. Most of it was okay accurate but like why would you ask your best friend to wash your hair ? Maybe that’s a bit too much I guess yeah they don’t shower together or anything they just help poor the water from the pot but yeah maybe got me a bit out of the story
Will spots ✨the painting✨
Mike is sleepy and caresses his skin like it’s nothing
Honestly for Will this must be torture
Mike wakes up in the night because he is too hot and just stays in t-shirt and underwear and I - Oh my I feel so bad for Will but at the same time oh my lucky you
Mike asking about the painting and if Will had a girl « There’s someone, right » ?
My boy Mike is so dumb but I am sweating like it my own secret
« he know he know he knows » awwww Will
« Hop » yeah no El would never call Hopper that
The tensionnnnn
Sometimes there is a bit of repetition tho
I think I am obsessed with slow burn because I physically feel tingles in my hands seeing characters so in Love yearn for each other You know things are at steak and it’s not just for one night stand or whatever
The way Mike’s lips brush Will’s so slowly so unsure YOU KNOW it’s not just to play, and we waited so much, it’s such a beautiful build up
« He’s never kissed anyone before » awwww baby Will
So they kiss and it’s absolutely adorable like I can’t explain how happy this made me feel Then the next morning Mike is gone and the electricity is back Mike goes for a walk and Will worries
They have a conversation in the basement at night and Mike explains that he was confused for the past two years and didn’t know what it what and that it was possible, but this week, getting close made him realize. Will tells him he liked him all alone and they kissssss
I just felt the ending a bit more rushed and I feel like Will could have said that he was desperately and uttlerly in love with him because juste « I like you » didn’t felt powerful enough after what I just read for 4 full hours not moving and just feeling so much love
Now I just want my best friend that I am secretly in love with cuddle me
But yeah it’s just a bit rushed but just a few sentence to close it but the author still is realistic on the fact that this is Hawkins, and the 80’s and that unfortunately it will be very lonely and secretive due to society
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I CAN’T BELIVE I SPEND 5 HOURS OF MY DAY CLUED TO THIS BOOK I LITTERALY FELT THIS STORY LIKE IN MY BONES AND THIS HEALED BY BROKEN BYLER HEART Now I kinda want more tho :3 I spent the whole day reading fanfiction…. What am I ???? 13 ?? Time to take a shower but oh my this was intense and I will think about it long after I finished the book so 5/5 masterpiece so need to think more about it. Yes it could have been better but this was exactly what I need and I love Will, and Mike is finally not a shitty person, to me this is canon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
You know that warm feeling that you get in your chest when your all cozy in the winter. Thats the feeling you get when reading this. I've read it twice and will probably read it again. Its one of the best things I've ever read. The book feels comfortable is that makes sense, it provides a sense of comfort.
This book brought back my 2022 Byler phase, and hasn’t left since!
I didn’t even read it as a “fanfic,” it was honestly written so beautifully that it could stand alone as its own piece of art. Now, everytime I think of a power outage, I think of them.
A masterclass in inner dialogue. An exploration of characters that is better than the people who actually wrote the characters. It should’ve been them your honor.