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the-case-book-of-fanfiction · 10 months

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Rain-Soaked Kisses

Ship: Steve Harrington x fem!Mayfield!reader

Summary: Steve hates storms but loves the rain—just another oxymoron of his life, like the secret the kids are trying so very hard to dig up.

Word Count: 6,582 words

Warnings: fluff!!!, sappy & romantic Steve, scheming Dustin & Max, healthy Mayfield sibling relationship, Billy mention, lumax sprinkles, secret relationship, friends to lovers, byler sprinkles, jancy sprinkles

Note: Told in part from the perspective of the kids! Written because it's storming where I am, and I love this weather so much.

☟ Continue below the fold ☟

"Who could he possibly be dating? There's not a girl in Hawkins that wants to go out with him!"

"Well, clearly one of them does!"

Dustin sighed, taking in Max's exclamation. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Steve had stopped complaining about bad dates and girls who left quickly; Robin reported he'd completely stopped talking about Leah and Heidi and Helen and the five other girls he'd been on-and-off again with; he walked around with a dopey, happy smile on his face all the time; and he was less and less reliable for rides, instead going on dates with a girl who's name he always pretended to forget.

As impossible as the idea seemed, Dustin had to admit it was a logical conclusion.

But who?

"Robin?" Max suggested.

Dustin shook his head. "Impossible. Steve steadfastedly refuses to date her. It's not Nancy again, is it?"

"Nope—saw her with Jonathan yesterday." Max huffed a sigh. "Maybe we have to...think outside the box more?"

"Who's outside the box? Who hasn't he already tried to date and failed miserably at dating?" Dustin demanded.

Max was silent for a moment too long. Then she said, "Alright, I don't know. I can't think of anyone who would actually go out with him."

"Exactly, neither can I," Dustin said. "We've got to watch him. We need to know who this is."

~❊~

But tracking Steve and his mystery girl down was much, much harder than either Dustin or Max had anticipated.

Without Steve driving them around, getting around town took twice as long as it needed, either in the attempts to find someone to drive them or in walking themselves everywhere. Nancy was either busy or with Jonathan most of the time, which ruled out Jonathan as well, and Robin still didn't have her license.

During yet another slow afternoon of trying and failing to put together the pieces of where Steve was going and with who, the phone rang. Dustin and Max both looked up quickly, scrambling over furniture and Dustin's new cat to beat each other to the phone.

Dustin got to it first. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dustin? It's Robin."

"Yeah, I know it's you, Robin, I can recognize your voice."

"Now's your chance."

"What?"

"Steve just left work—he said he's going on a date. Now's your chance to go find out who he's going out with!"

"Oh, shit!" Dustin turned to Max. "Steve's going on a—"

"I heard," she said. "Does she know where he's going?"

"Where's he going, Robin, did he say?"

"A restaurant, and he changed into a really nice outfit before he left here. And by nice, I mean really nice. Like fanciest restaurant in town kind of nice. Whoever this girl is, he really wants to impress her. And he's obsessed with her, too, he's been smiling all day from excitement."

Dustin scoffed. "And you didn't call us before he left?! Now we have to find out where he's going and how to get there!"

"Well, it's not like I could call you talk about him in front of him! Besides, we do know where he's going. What's the fanciest restaurant in town?"

"Enzo's," Dustin realized. "That's where he's taking her."

"I can guarantee it. If you go to Enzo's, he's going to be there. I'd go myself, but Steve and I'll both get fired if at least one of us isn't at the store right now."

"Thanks, Robin!"

"Good luck, guys!"

Dustin turned around to give Max the details, but she cut him off. "I heard. Enzo's."

"All we have to do is catch them in the middle of their date, and we know exactly who Steve's dating," Dustin said with a grin. "Easy!"

"Yeah, easy," Max snarked. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Dustin paused before he sighed. "Start calling everyone we know with a car, I guess."

Max rolled her eyes. "Like that'll ever work. Nobody's been willing to drive us around so far!"

"Can't hurt to try," Dustin insisted.

"No, Dustin, we'll be wasting time! We should just start walking now!"

But Dustin was already dialing the number to the Wheelers' house. It was answered by Mrs. Wheeler.

"Hello, Karen Wheeler speaking!"

"Hi, Mrs. Wheeler, could I talk to—"

"MIKE!" Dustin flinched at the volume from the other end. Max cringed, hearing the shout from where she stood. "Dustin's on the phone!"

A few seconds later, Dustin heard Mike's voice. "Yeah?"

"Is Nancy there?"

Dustin could see Mike's frown. "What do you want Nancy for?"

"Mike, I don't have time for this—"

"What. For? If this is Keith trying to get a date with her again, I swear that I'll—"

"Oh my God, Mike, no! Steve's going on a date and we need to catch him to figure out who he's going out with! We need Nancy to drive us there."

"Dustin, do you realize how idiotic that sounds? Nancy's not gonna drive you to go spy on her ex and his new girlfriend!" Mike hung up without another word.

Groaning, Dustin tried to call again, but he was met only with the dial tone.

Max rolled her eyes. "I told you it wouldn't work."

"I'm calling the Byers," Dustin grumbled. He dialed the number, but when Joyce picked up, she was talking to someone else in the house and by the time Dustin had gotten out "Is Jonathan there?" he heard the click of the receiver being put back.

"Try my sister," Max said.

Dustin dialed the number to Max's trailer, but no one answered. He shook his head.

"She's probably out running," Max sighed.

"Another run? Isn't that all she does now?" Dustin asked with a frown.

Max shrugged. "She says it helps her...deal with things."

Dustin sensed a can of worms—the kind that most people would avoid, the kind that Max clearly wanted to talk about anyway. So he asked it, when most people wouldn't. "Things?"

Max nodded slowly. "Yeah. You know...the Upside Down, Eddie..." She hesitated. "Billy."

Dustin glanced down at his feet. There was blood associated with all of those memories. He knew they plagued all of them, those who'd survived Vecna and his creatures, and he knew that they all had different ways of coping. Dustin's was research, Max's was music, yours was running.

"She's more like him than she wants to admit," Max said. "At least, she is with the running. Billy, he...he used to exercise to distract himself. She runs."

"Is that a bad thing?" Dustin asked.

"No, it's just... She needs someone in her corner is all. And I don't...I don't think that person is me anymore."

Dustin's heart squeezed in his chest. "Max..."

She shook off his concern. "Come on—we'd better start walking, or we're never going to make it to Enzo's on time!"

~❊~

It started to rain halfway through their walk to Enzo's.

The storm didn't start gently. There was no warning before it started to pour, no flash of lightning or boom of thunder. Just a steady downpour, hard and fast and painful against the skin.

Dustin and Max hid from the weather as much as they could, ducking under store awnings and hiding under outdoor umbrellas as they came across them.

After getting turned around at least twice, they spotted the restaurant's glowing sign. They ran toward it, stopping at the bay windows peering in. They scanned the tables inside. From the parking lot behind them, there was laughter and the slamming of car doors.

"Do you see them?" Dustin hissed. He looked at every face he saw, overanalyzing the back of every head that looked like it might be Steve.

"Are we sure they're still there?" Max said. "It's been, what, almost an hour and a half? Who eats for that long?"

Dustin shrugged. "Enzo's is a fancy place, they've got designated courses and shit. They could still be there."

A car engine revved. "Are you sure?" Max took Dustin by the shoulders and spun him around. "Is it just me, or does that look like—"

"Steve's car!" Dustin hissed. "Shit!"

They raced after it in the rain, Dustin catching sight of Steve through the driver's side window, his hair perfect and a huge grin on his face.

"Is he wearing a suit jacket?" Max asked.

"Did you see who was in the passenger's seat?" Dustin demanded.

Max didn't answer, still staring after the car, her face fixed into confusion.

"Max?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I...I couldn't tell who it was."

Dustin groaned. "Shit! That was our one chance!"

"We'll get another one," Max snapped. "He's been going on dates a lot, right? Robin said so, and he's always gone because he's been on a date. He'll go on another one with her soon."

Dustin sighed. "Good point. Now we just have to wait. Come on—we should call Robin."

~❊~

Max walked home in the rain by herself, hearing her mother fuss that she would get a cold if she kept walking around in the rain without a jacket, but not caring. Louder than her mother's voice was El's: friends don't lie.

Should Max have told Dustin what—who—she saw in Steve's car? Or the fact that she'd seen them going into Steve's burgundy BMW in the parking lot while he'd been focused on the store?

No.

Yes?

It was too late now. Besides, was she absolutely sure of who she'd seen?

Well, yes, she knew you better than anyone. You'd been by her side her entire life. There were pictures hanging in the trailer of Mom in the hospital bed after she'd given birth to Max, but it was you who was holding her, sitting in the plastic chair next to the bed.

The lights of the trailer were on when Max reached it, but only your car was in the driveway.

She pushed the door open. "Hey, I'm home!"

You poked your head out of the door to your bedroom. Your hair was just as drenched and stringy as her own. "Max! There you are, I was worried— Why are you soaking wet?"

"I walked home," she said, shrugging.

You hurried out of your room. "Come on, we need to get you out of those clothes. Mom will kill us both if she finds out we've both been out in the rain in the wrong kind of clothes."

"Where were you?" Max asked as you brought her into the bathroom.

You glanced up at her but didn't meet her eyes. "You couldn't get a ride home?" You left her in the bathroom, running into her room to grab her some dry clothes.

"No—Steve's the only one who will drive us anywhere, and he's unavailable most of the time."

Guilt flashed over your face. Max narrowed her eyes, watching you closely. You didn't seem to notice. "We'll tell Mom we took showers if she gets back before our hair dries." You paused. "You could have called me, you know."

"I did," she said. "You didn't answer."

Your face fell. "Max, I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Are you dating Steve?"

The question stopped you in your tracks. "Max, I..."

"Are you?"

You sighed, wiping a a hand over your face. You sighed. "Yeah."

Max sighed. "Hand me a towel, please." You did so silently, taking one of your own to towel-dry your hair. "Why didn't you tell me?"

You shrugged. "At first, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. I mean... I knew I liked Steve, but his track record with girls hasn't been good lately, and I..." You sighed. "I wanted reassurance he wouldn't be gone after a week."

"And after that?"

You groaned, putting your head in your hands. "This is...gonna sound stupid, but... Steve has been everything for you guys. For you, for Dustin, for El, everybody. He's saved you countless times, I watched him stand up to our brother to protect us, even though Billy beat him bloody for it. I didn't...I didn't want to feel like I was taking him away from you all, but I also...kind of wanted him to myself sometimes. And he seemed to want time alone for the two of us, too, so..." You looked up at Max. "And I didn't...want you to feel like I was taking away from you. After Billy..." Your voice caught in your throat.

There it was again. The silence that surrounded death.

"Died," Max whispered. "After he died."

You nodded. "After he died, I know Steve kind of...stepped up for you. I didn't want you to feel like he cared less about you just because I was in the picture now." You laughed shakily. "I know that kind of, uh, backfired. I'm sorry to keep him away from you guys for so long."

Max shook her head. "Stop apologizing for wanting someone that's yours." She breathed out a laugh. "I was just telling Dustin that you needed someone in your corner. I should have known it would be Steve. I mean, he's always been there for the rest of us, why wouldn't he be there for you?"

You looked over at Max. "Just how mad is Dustin that I'm dating Steve?"

"He doesn't know," Max said. "We've been trying to figure out who Steve's mystery girl is for months. He won't tell anybody, so Dustin wanted to try and see if we could figure it out ourselves." She glanced at you. "We saw you guys last night. At Enzo's. Or rather, I saw you. Dustin was too busy trying to peer inside the restaurant to even notice Steve's car."

You made a face. "How can you not notice Steve's car? It's a burgundy BMW for Christ's sake."

"I know!" Max giggled.

You laughed with her for a minute. The lightness in her voice—it had been a while since you'd heard her laugh like that.

After a moment, you said, "So...nobody else knows that it's me Steve is dating?"

Max shook her head. "Not even Robin."

You whistled. "I'm surprised Steve's capable of keeping a secret from her. It's gotta be killing him, I just know it." You giggled. "However...we could have some fun with this."

Max raised her eyebrows.

"If Dustin wants to know who's Steve's dating, he can keep digging as much as he wants." You grinned. "That's gotta be amusing, surely?"

~❊~

The storm that had swept in over a week ago had lasted the whole week, turning Hawkins into a mud patch and its roads into rivers. It let up briefly, leaving behind perfect spring days, only to return with a vengeance the next week—randomly on a Thursday afternoon.

Thursdays had become movie nights at Steve's house, and Dustin had concocted a plan to trick Steve into telling him who he was dating.

Max knew it wasn't gonna work. She had been present when you told Steve about Dustin's snooping and the both of you had decided to continue yanking Dustin's chain. Steve had seemed more excited about it than even you had.

While Steve set up his house for the group of rambunctious teenagers for movie night, Dustin explained his plan to Max in whispers.

"So, I'm going to try talking about Suzie for the first few hours," Dustin started, watching Steve like a hawk while he moved about in the kitchen, making popcorn for the group. "Get him thinking about his own relationship, you know? And then you know how he gets—" He cut himself off abruptly when Steve came into the living room with bowls of popcorn, setting them on the coffee table.

"Any idea when your sister's supposed to be here, Max?" Steve asked. "I thought she was driving you."

Max shook her head. "She said she'd come after she got out of work, but I don't remember when her shift ended."

Steve nodded. He disappeared up the stairs in the next moment.

"You know how he gets when it gets late into the movie and its dark and he's focused?" Dustin continued, picking up immediately.

Max frowned. "Like when he's so focused on something you can ask him a question and he'll either go 'huh?' and make you repeat it or he'll just answer without thinking?"

"Exactly like that," Dustin said. "That's when I'm—"

Steve returned with a stack of blankets. "How many of us are there, again? Twelve?"

"Thirteen," Dustin and Max both said.

Steve tossed the blankets onto the couch. "Go grab five more. Up the stairs, closet on the left."

They went up the stairs, Dustin whispering again before they'd even reached the landing. "I'm gonna ask him who he's going out with when he's like that."

Max rolled her eyes. "You don't know that'll work. He could say 'huh?' and make you repeat the question, like I just said."

Dustin shrugged. "Then I'll ask him something different, wait a little bit longer, and then ask again. He can't do that the whole night. Can he?"

"How should I know?" Max picked up the blankets and started back downstairs. Steve was whistling in the kitchen. "This whole plan is so stupid, Dustin. It's hardly a plan!"

"Do you have a better idea?" he hissed.

Max stayed silent. Of course she had better ideas, but those might make Steve actually tell Dustin.

"That's what I thought," Dustin said, clearly on the wrong path. "We'll stick with my plan." He glanced at Steve's back in the kitchen. "Unless your sister knows who he's dating? They're pretty much best friends now, right?"

Max nodded. "Blame Robin for that," she said, praying her poker face held. "I don't think she knows. I can't see Steve telling her if he hasn't told Robin."

"Fair point," Dustin decided. "Even more reason to rely on my plan."

She rolled her eyes. "Your plan is just going to annoy him until he kicks you out of his house."

"He likes me too much," Dustin said, with confidence Max wasn't sure he should possess—not about this, at least.

When they reached the first floor again, Steve was pacing around the living room, double checking he had everything set up. Max had to admit she liked the set up he had for movie night: the coffee table was set up with bowls of popcorn and a drink tray, there was a cooler next to filled with water bottles and soda cans, he had dragged every pillow in the house to the couch and floor, a fluffy winter comforter spread out on the carpet to make the floor more comfortable, and an egregious number of bagged snacks in a wicker basket.

"I think we're all set, guys," Steve said, surveying the room with his hands on his hips.

As if cued by Steve's motherly behavior, the rain outside grew louder, falling fast against the AC unit in the window. Steve winced.

"Looks like we're going to have to have the volume up high to hear the movie over the storm," he said.

"What are we watching?" Dustin asked.

Steve shrugged. "I dunno. We've got a couple choices in that cabinet over there, plus the stuff Robin's bringing. I think Nance had a movie she wanted to suggest, too, but I can't remember what it was..." His eye caught on the stack of blankets, leaning down to count them.

Dustin dug through the movie cabinet. "Come on, Steve, what are these movies? Why are they all romantic comedies?"

"Because they're my mom's favorite, dipshit," Steve said with an affectionate roll of his eyes.

"There's nothing of value here!"

"Well, I'm not watching Star Wars again, so—"

"It was Star Trek last week!"

"Even worse." Steve looked up at Max and waved her over. She glanced at Dustin, but he was too busy judging Mrs. Harrington's taste in rom-coms to notice her get up.

"Would it be too obvious if I gave your sister my blanket? I miscounted and we're short one."

Max bit back a laugh. "I think Nancy might notice, Robin would definitely notice, but Dustin's still a little too oblivious for that."

Steve huffed a sigh. "Can't have one of them letting it slip. Alright, fine, I'll use mine and give her a different one." He glanced at his watch. "Her shift ended almost an hour ago, she should be here any minute."

Max frowned. "Why do you know her work schedule better than I do?"

He shrugged. "In case she needs a ride to or from work. Can't leave her stranded if her car breaks down again."

A knock sounded at the door. Steve grinned at Max, both of them knowing you had arrived. He rushed to the door, slowing down only when he was within Dustin's sightline again.

You were hugging your arms when he opened the door, your hair wet and stringy, your clothes soaked through. "What took you so long, Stevie?!" you demanded, hurrying through the door. Max pointed to Dustin before you could kiss Steve's cheek.

"Jesus, you're soaked," Steve said, taking in your more than damp appearance. "Did you walk here?"

"No," you said, pointing out the still-open door to your car. "It's just raining hard enough that I got drenched on the run from my car to your door."

Steve slammed the door shut before more water could get inside. "Uh, okay, come on, I think I've got something for you to change into."

You blinked at him, gaze flicking briefly to Dustin. "Oh, no, that's alright, I'll just—"

"I'm not letting you stay uncomfortable and catch a cold in these clothes," Steve insisted. You nodded, all too ready to curl up in one of Steve's sweaters. "Come on—you two, we'll only be a minute. Answer the door if anyone else comes while we're gone."

Steve ushered you upstairs. Max waited a few minutes before telling Dustin she'd be right back, using the bathroom as her excuse, wanting to keep an eye on the two of you and stop you from any funny business. She followed the damp footprints you'd left behind, slipping into the bathroom across from Steve's room and peering around the door. She smiled at what she saw.

You had ditched your wet pants and shirt and were pulling on a pair of Steve's jeans. Steve had his back turned as he dug through his dresser.

"Um...do you need a different bra? I'm pretty sure you left one here last time..." Steve glanced back at you and smiled. "God, you look cute."

You looked up at him, cheeks pink. "You're just saying that because I'm half-naked in your bedroom and the clothes I'm wearing are yours."

Steve shook his head, still smiling. "I'm sayin' it 'cause you're cute." He walked over to you, sweater in hand, and kissed your nose. "You are beautiful, Miss Mayfield." He brushed your wet hair out of your face. "Arms up, honey."

You lifted your arms for him and he tugged his sweater over your head. He pulled you to his chest as soon as it was on, holding you like it was the last time he ever would. Max watched your hand go into his hair, pulling a soft sigh from him.

"Kiss me, Stevie," you whispered, coaxing his head toward your own with your hand.

Eyes closed, Steve obeyed, kissing you softly, chastely. Max heard the movie-perfect sound of your lips parting before you tugged him back down for a second kiss, deeper than the first.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," you said back. The two of you smiled at each other, sickeningly sweet, and Max wondered if the look on your face was the same one on hers whenever she was with Lucas.

Steve adjusted his sweater on your body one more time. "We should get back downstairs," he said. "Dustin might get suspicious."

You fell back into his arms for another hug. "Okay."

Steve took your hand and slowly lead you out of his bedroom, though he seemed just as reluctant as you to have to let go and pretend to just be friends. "Your sister thought it would be too much to give you my blanket during the movie, but I think I like having you in my clothes more."

You smiled. "If it's anything scary, I'll jump a lot and cling to you and we can blame it on the movie."

Steve grinned. "Let's hope Robin brings a good scary movie, and that Eddie wins the vote tonight, then."

Max shut the door before you could see it was open, making sure it closed quietly, quickly flushed the toilet, and turned on the sink and made a show of opening the door to see the two of you. She glanced pointedly at your hands.

"I thought we were still making Dustin guess," she said.

Steve sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He brought your joined hands to his mouth and kissed the back of your hand before letting you go. "Alright, I'm done now."

The three of you headed back downstairs, Max at the lead and you just behind. Max knew Steve had let you go down the stairs first just so he could watch you prance around in his clothes and run his gaze over you again, but she'd give him a pass, just this once. You did look rather at home in his clothes.

Max watched you while you made yourself at home in your usual spot, in the middle cushion on the Harringtons' couch. In fact, she realized, you looked more like yourself, the happiest you'd been, since Billy had died—maybe even since you'd left California.

Credit where credit was due, Max would have to thank Steve somehow (without it seeming like she was thanking him for bringing you back).

"You want anything?" Steve asked you, tossing you one of the blankets. He set his down on the cushion next to you, then the blanket Robin had claimed on your other side.

"I'm all set," you promised. "Anyone else here yet, Dusty?"

Dustin rolled over onto his back from the place on the floor he'd claimed as his several months back, which he said was the best place to watch the movie from, but Max knew was his spot because it was still close enough to Steve, too. The middle, which was hers, was definitely a better view than Dustin's righthand side.

"Not yet," he said. "Hi."

You smiled. "Hi. Find a good movie?"

"No," Dustin said. "Steve's taste sucks."

Steve narrowed his eyes, picking up a piece of popcorn and throwing it at him. "For the last time, it's my mom's rom-com collection!"

~❊~

Max lay in her spot between Lucas and Dustin, Erica on the other side of Lucas, only half-paying attention to the movie while she braided El's hair, Will and Mike snuggling on the opposite side of Dustin. Max was sure Dustin felt singled out, being boarded by two couples, plus Nancy and Jonathan sharing a blanket and a lounge chair just behind him. Eddie had curled himself up on the chair on Steve's opposite side, covering himself in his blanket to protect himself from the blow of the AC unit.

Robin had managed to snag a new release that had just arrived at Family Video—Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, a movie that had only been out for a few months in the theaters. The kids on the floor had propped themselves up on their elbows, drinks and half-eaten bowls of popcorn in front of them.

Every so often, Max faked a yawn to duck her head back to glance at her sister and Steve. Robin was stretched out across both your laps, and the two of you had leaned together to share both of your blankets after Steve had muttered something about the AC being too cold, only for the others to shout for him not to touch it.

And judging from the way you and Steve occasionally exchanged a look, Max guessed you were holding hands beneath the blanket.

Max turned her attention back to the movie, lifting a small handful of popcorn to her mouth. Not so subtly, Lucas fake-stretched and laid his arm over her shoulders. Giggling quietly, Max snuggled into his side. She heard your amused hum behind from behind her, followed by a small chuckle of Steve's.

As it had the entire movie, thunder crashed outside. While the rain had lightened up enough not to be distracting, the flash of lightning visible through the curtains and the boom of thunder had been frequent and often made the room's occupants jump in fear.

Another boom of thunder announced the power flickering.

Dustin looked back at Steve. "Uh, Steve?"

"We've got a generator," Steve said, but he had sat up straighter and had pulled away from you, his face uneasy.

With the next flicker of lightning and crash of thunder, the power went out.

The group of thirteen sat in the pitch-black room in silence. Lightning illuminated faces briefly, showing Max that Robin had sat up, and that you, Steve, and Eddie were all on your feet.

"There are candles in the study," Steve said, breaking the silence. His voice was wavering, and Max remembered you saying something about cutting a date short due to the storm earlier that week. Was Steve...afraid of storms?

"I'll get them," you said.

"Matches in the drawer next to the sink and lanterns in the sunroom storage cabinet," he continued. "Eds, come on, let's go see if we can get the power back to the fridge and a few lights, yeah?"

"After you," Eddie said and followed Steve out the front door. The pattering rain grew louder as the door opened, revealing a world in grey scale, but still lighter than the inside of the house.

Dustin sat up. "Candles? Why not just use flashlights?"

"Steve only has two flashlights," Robin said. "Working ones, at least. But candles? The Harringtons have plenty of those."

Max followed you around the house, lighting the lanterns as you found them and helping you carry the candles back to the living room.

With the room now illuminated by flickering flame, it was easy to see the worry on people's faces.

"Do you think the whole town's out?" Mike asked.

"No, it can't be," Nancy said, but she didn't sound sure.

Will wriggled out from under his blanket. The look he exchanged with Jonathan was concerned.

"Everybody keep calm," you said, setting a lantern down on the floor at the center of the group. "Steve and Eddie will get the generator running in no time."

Silence fell, still and eerie. You sat beside Max and Lucas, and Max laid her head in your lap, trying to smile up at you. It only took a look for her to know you were lost in your head, in memories of the night Billy went AWOL and had been controlled by the Mind Flayer.

Max took your hand in hers. "It's okay," she promised.

"Mmm," you hummed, but your gaze was fixed on the door; you wouldn't relax until you saw Steve walk back in, unscathed.

The AC kicked back on. A few lights flickered to life and the low hum of the refrigerator filled the room.

Relief filled the room with the sound of an audible sigh. Moments later, the door opened and a waterlogged Steve and Eddie stepped back in.

"Did it work?" Steve asked. Then he heard the AC. "Alright, good." He looked around. "Turn the lights back off—the candles will do until power really comes back."

"Steve, you're drenched," Nancy said, "you're going to catch—"

"A cold, I know," he sighed, glancing over at you. You fought a smile. "Sorry about movie night, guys."

Dustin shrugged. "It was only a matter of time before we lost power. The size of the storm—"

"Oh, shut up, nerd," Erica said, rolling her eyes.

Dustin leaned around Lucas. "Do I need to remind you of the vents?" he hissed.

Erica narrowed her eyes at him.

"Children, children," Eddie admonished with a shit-eating grin that said he knew his chiding was only going to rile them up more.

"Eds," Steve warned, opening the curtains to look outside.

Eleven craned her neck to peer outside. In a small voice, she asked, "Can...can we dance in the rain?"

Nancy hesitated, then said, "I'm not sure that's the best idea, the weather isn't exactly kind at the moment."

Steve looked back outside again. "It's not raining too heavily right now."

El wrung her hands. "Joyce says it's...fun and romantic to dance in the rain."

Robin leaned forward, gasping. "You've never danced in the rain before?"

El shook her head. "Only biked in it."

"We have to go dance in the rain!" Robin insisted, jumping to her feet and pulling Eleven up with her. "It's a...a...a cognitive milestone!"

"I don't think that's the right phrase, Robin," you laughed, but you were also getting up. "Still, I think it's a good idea. Good way to pass the time until the power comes back."

"Come on, Nancy," Jonathan said softly. "Let her have fun. Mom's right. It's fun in the rain."

You took one of Robin's hands and one of Steve's and dragged them into the rain. Robin created a chain by grabbing El, who grabbed Max, who grabbed Lucas. The small group raced out into the street, running through puddles and spinning through the falling rain.

Dustin appeared at Max's side, his hair matted to his face. "It's like the time they were drugged by the Russians," he said, staring at Steve and Robin, the latter of whom was trying to taste the rain.

Max did a doubletake. "When they were what?"

"Don't ask," Erica suggested.

Laughter filled the air as the group danced around each other, twirling each other and splashing through the current of water at the side of the road. Steve tripped through puddles with Robin; Jonathan convinced Nancy to dance in the driveway; Will and Mike splashed each other in the puddles.

"May I have this dance?" Lucas asked, holding his hand out to Max and trying his best to look gentlemanly, which was ruined by the water running into his eyes and making him squint.

"You dork," Max laughed, but she took his hand anyway and let him pull her close, guiding her in a slow dance through the rain. She rested her head on his shoulder and watched as you went over to Steve and Robin.

Steve stopped his fooling around, watching you approach with a dopey, lovesick smile. He held out his hands to you and you took them; he twirled you in the rain, catching you and pulling you close before you could fall in the wet road.

"Careful there," he laughed. Even with his hair plastered to his head, his clothes heavy and hanging off him, you were still looking at him like he was the most beautiful creature you'd ever seen.

Max watched the time slow around the pair of you. She knew you were both completely oblivious, cut off from the company around you, even from Robin's stare as she took in the way the two of you gazed at each other.

Steve swayed you, getting himself lost in your eyes. He cupped your face with one hand, running his thumb over your cheekbone.

Lost in your bubble, neither of you noticed that the others had all stopped to watch, unable to speak and break the spell—not even Dustin, whose mouth hung agape.

You were lost in Steve, Max could tell. Close enough to the pair of you now, she could see you drinking in every detail: the water droplets hanging off Steve's hair and eyelashes, the amazed curve of his open mouth, the gentle swipe of his thumb, the lovestruck look in his eyes, his rosy cheeks so stark against his otherwise pale, cold, and wet skin, the reassuring hold of his arm around your waist.

Max knew what Steve was going to do before it happened, before even you had caught up. He bent his head, slotting your lips together.

Like some magic, divine will, the rain fell a little faster, distant thunder boomed, and lightning splintered through the sky, lighting up the clouds above you and Steve, a dramatic backdrop to a kiss so similar to a first kiss.

Robin whooped first. You and Steve smiled into each other, but neither pulled away, and Max realized you had been aware of your audience the entire time; but keeping it a secret hadn't been worth skipping out on a spectacular rain-soaked kiss.

Mixed in with the cheering was Dustin's incredulous cries of "What?! Max, did you know?!" that she pointedly ignored.

Steve swayed you while the kiss continued, embarrassingly long but adorably sweet. When it finally broke, Steve pressed his forehead against yours.

"I love you," he said, loud enough to be heard over the storm. (Robin shrieked.)

"I love you, too," you giggled. (Robin shrieked louder.)

Steve pushed your wet hair behind your ear and kissed your forehead, then shoved his hand through his own hair to get it out of his face.

"Not what you were expecting, huh, Henderson?" he said with a cheeky grin.

Dustin looked flabbergasted. "How did you know I was— MAX!"

You and Steve burst into a fit of giggles. You snuggled into his chest.

"How is that comfortable? I'm soaked!" Steve asked you.

"Yeah, but it's you," you said. A soft, sweet smile pulled at his lips, barely distracting you from his quiet moan of relief. He squeezed you tight.

"You're going to need to borrow more of my clothes," he said.

You grinned up at him. "I'll happily live in your clothes, Stevie."

A few feet away, Mike sneezed violently.

"Alright, back inside," Steve decided. "That's enough rain for today. I don't need you all getting sick and still needing me to drive you everywhere."

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Are you actually gonna drive us again?"

"If you give my girl the front seat and behave when she's in the car with us," Steve said. "Inside, come on. Go, shoo."

He wrapped an arm around your shoulders, watching the others flee to the safety of his house, then following them in with you. You kissed his cheek as you walked. Max hung back with Lucas, wanting to know what you said about the sudden rain kiss.

"You are perfect, Steve Harrington," you whispered. His cheeks darkened.

"Says you," he said, nuzzling his nose into your hair. "Hey, um... You wanna stay the night?"

"Gotta take Max home," you said. "But...I can come back?"

"I...I'd like that," Steve said. Max wondered if he'd ever been this shy with a girl before.

"Me too," you whispered. Steve squeezed your hip.

Dustin rolled his eyes from the doorway. "Get a room," he groaned.

"Oh, shut up," Max teased. "You're just annoyed you couldn't figure it out!"

Dustin scowled. "You knew! You knew and you were hiding it from me!"

Max shrugged, fighting a giggle.

Steve passed out towels with a warning not to let them get close to an open flame. Halfway through his warning, the power flickered back on—and so did the movie.

The group cheered, but Max watched you and Steve sneak upstairs and come down a few minutes later in dry clothes, hand in hand. She smiled before shaking her head and turning back to the ending of the movie.

And if—no, when—Steve asked her for advice on how to propose to you, Max was going to tell him to do it in the rain.

☞ ❊ ☜

Stranger Things // Steve Harrington

Taglist: {comment and let me know if you'd like to be added to the S.H. taglist!} @ohatropa@nix-rose@live-the-fangirl-life

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carigm · 3 months

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MAJOR POTENTIAL SPOILERS/LEAKS REGARDING S5 (WARNING)

Last Spring/Summer, a semi popular fandom account on Twitter got sent some leaks about S5, focused on the first half of the season. At this time, many fandom accounts were receiving supposed leaks, so our attention was a bit scattered and we didn’t focus on any of them too much. A popular leak account on Twitter (unrelated to ST) also mentioned that they had gotten the first half of S5 leaked, and that this source is “never wrong”. Now, it is hard to tell if these leaks are the same as the ones that the specific fandom account I’m talking about received, but something to keep in mind. Her leaks were given to her by a person named James (which I assume is a fake name). These leaks were also posted on Reddit, last year, by her (the person in the fandom that got the leaks from James) but some major things were omitted in that post. I’m gonna leave a link here in case you guys want to read the discussion.

I’m sharing these leaks with you because some things from them are kinda lining up with what we’re seeing from S5 production. Keep in mind that these could be fake/wrong, and James himself said he didn’t have info on the last couple of scripts.

According to James, Mike dies in Ep. 3. I’m adding more screenshots later for more context, but the gist of these leaks is that Mike bites it, mlvn never breakup nor do they get a resolution, and Byler is left up to interpretation but never really happens. (I don’t really need to get into how shitty this all is writing wise)

Let’s go over the things these leaks might have potentially gotten right, according to what we know so far.

1. James said that the time jump would occur in ep. 1, after an establishing scene where S4 left off. He said the time jump would place us in late 1987/early 1988. He also mentioned there would be a series of flashbacks showcasing stuff from before the time jump. The dates he gave do seem to be accurate, and David Harbour had a shaved head right before they went into filming, which could imply pre time jump scenes.

2. According to him, after Mike dies, they find a letter he had been writing. Some of us were theorizing Finn had a letter in his back pocket in those rooftop pics. Could’ve also been Finn’s script and he just stuck it there (who knows).

3. He said that Joyce gets badly injured in ep.3, and since there’s speculation Winona was seen filming at the hospital, some people think that means she was taken there because of her injury. It’s important to notice that Natalia, Cara, and Finn were also supposedly seen filming at the hospital, and that the production called for many extras for nurses and paramedics. So whatever they’re filming at the hospital, it might be bigger than Joyce getting injured in her leg. Let’s remember Max is at the hospital too. I’m not 100% sold on this part of the leaks.

4. Today it was revealed that they’re setting up to film at Stone Mountain. (This is where they filmed UD scenes for S4)

Apparently production might have purple tentacles out already. (UD vines?)

Cara Buono mentioned, in that video shared by Ross Duffer, that she was filming stuff from Ep.2. This was around 2 days ago.

The people that know about the leaks think this is where Mike dies in ep. 3. Here’s some further context:

Here’s some stuff he said about mlvn:

Which is just….meh, because like I said, it doesn’t look like him and El ever breakup before his supposed death. Plus Byler never gets any resolution.

Now some things that might disprove the leaks (I’m trying to be impartial here)

1. These leaks mentioned Argyle a couple of times, saying he has a hero moment at some point. Eduardo made it sound like he’s not coming back to the show, but tbh he could just be lying. He’s listed for ep.2 on IMDb (and yes I know anyone with an account can edit that site)

2. These leaks say that Mike is very insufferable for the 3 episodes he’s alive, basically lashing out at everyone, specially El, and just overall behaving like an asshole. I really didn’t get that from the ElMike rooftop scene, in fact he seemed very gentle with her. People that know about these leaks think that the rooftop scene is Mike maybe apologizing to El and them having a heart to heart, right before he dies (no comment).

All in all, if Mike is dying this early, I’m sure we’ll know soon enough. The rest of the cast is gonna be filming for like a year, and Finn will be done in like two weeks 💀

I also hope there’s more leaks soon (on Reddit) so that we might compare them to these and see wtf is up.

I know someone is gonna inevitably ask why leaks would be out almost a whole year before they started filming when we usually get them during filming or post production, but I’ve been told these leaks happened around the time the writer’s strike began, which is when they were originally gonna start filming. I was also told other shows had issues with leaks around that same time.

I don’t want to get too much into the truly awful writing we’re facing if these are real but…First, I believe it’s a total disservice to Mike’s character. One of your mains since S1 and you don’t even offer him the option of dying towards the end of the season? Even fucking Eddie got that. Two, it seems like a very easy cop out for not having to make Byler canon. Let’s just have neither ship be endgame and that way we don’t get queerbaiting allegations. It also stands in a zone too close to torture porn for my liking, because sure let’s kill the character two of the most traumatized characters in the history of TV love most. And yes, it’s also a disservice to El and Will’s characters. And lastly, if that supposed letter vaguely alludes Mike having some sort of sexuality problems (we don’t know atp) it is pretty fucked up they just killed him off like that. Sure let’s not explore any of that, but give a half assed explanation via letter ex machina. This is looking like Supernatural finale levels of bad to me.

Another point, I distinctly remember the Duffers saying, after S4, that they could never kill off a character like Mike because it would be too painful, and that ST would cease to be ST and lose its identity. They didn’t want to be like GOT. I sincerely hope they actually meant this and were not trying to be cheeky or whatever the fuck.

It would be genuinely insane, and quite frankly, a highlight of their lack of writing abilities.

I hope the leaks are wrong, but I felt like it was necessary to warn everyone just in case. I know I’m not watching something this awful.

#byler #stranger things #st5 spoilers #st5 leaks #mike wheeler #mileven

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mylittlevsoldier · 6 days

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Mike's "Will Voice". - An Essay by me.

If you’re a byler you know about the “Will Voice '' . But if you somehow don’t or you’re new, the “Will Voice" is the voice that Mike uses when he is talking to Will and ONLY Will. Normally Mike is a little abrasive and defensive to most people when he is talking to them. But when talking to Will, his voice is soft and quiet, just above a whisper, gentle.

Before we get into it, I think you should just know that the “Will voice” isn’t just something Byler’s made up! The directors tell Finn (the actor that plays Mike) to use a “special voice” when talking to Noah (The actor that plays Will) when filming.

DISCLAIMER - i actually didnt think this was going to be this long so sorry in advance but here are my thought i hope you enjoy! i love you!

“It was a seven, the Demogorgon. It got me.” - Season 1

One of the VERY FIRST SCENES in the show is Mike using his “Mike voice” Even if he really doesn't have to say anything at all. After Karen tells everybody to leave and all of the boys are hopping on their bikes to go home, Will is the only one left behind with Mike. Will admits to Mike that in the campaign they're playing, the Demogorgon got to him and killed him.

Something about this scene is just so…. The look of understanding, the nod. Mike is just more gentle with will than anyone else.

Right before this he was just arguing will Dustin about weather his sister is cool or not but with Will it’s different.

Unfortunately, since Will really isn’t in the whole rest of the season, because yknow he’s in a whole other dimension there aren't a lot of other scenes where Mike is using his “Will voice” However, Mike was the person who wanted to find will the most behind maybe Joyce. Saying that he “was the only one who cared about Will”, so that is something.

“Crazy together.” - Season 2

In my opinion, season 2 is like beak soft byler. The first season 2 byler moment was..

The Arcade Scene

As soon as Mike snaps Will out of his trance, his vision, whatever you want to call it, he goes right back to Will's comforting voice and tries to make it feel better and distracts him with a dig dug.

In the next episode, it Halloween. And we ALL know what happened on Halloween night of 1987.

Will’s episode on halloween

When Will has a bad vision, who is the first name he calls? Mike. Not Lucas, Not Dustin, not even Max. Mike. Not anyone else but Mike. And who was the first one to find Will and the first one to comfort him? Micheal Fucking Wheeler. And he was using the same soft voice he always does when talking to Will, barley over a whisper. Not to mention that Mike wouldn't let anyone touch Will but himself after Will snapped out of his episode.

Talk in Mike’s Basement Scene

After Will had this awful episode, Mike takes Will and only Will back to his house. Will rambles and rants about how he feels stuck and Mike? He is attentive, sweet, listening, letting him get all of his words out. I’ve noticed with other people Mike can come off like he’s abrasive and harsh but with Will he is nothing close to that.

In this conversation also consists of Mike helping Will express his feeling by finishes his sentences for him when he just can’t get his words out. In the few times Mike does speak, he does not break out of the gentle voice and literally never breaks his gaze from Will, not once.

EVEN WHEN MIKE TALKS ABOUT EL HE TALKS IN HIS WILL VOICE. AND THE ONLY REASON MIKE BROUGHT UP EL WAS FOR WILL’S BENEFIT.

And then the most iconic Byler line in Stranger Things history, “If we’re both going crazy, we’ll go crazy together, right?” “Yeah, crazy together.” So gentle, so sweet, so wholesome.

The hallway scene

Mike immediately notices something off with Will and has to make sure everything is okay.

Side note: even when Will isn't with Mike and the party, Mike will literally do anything he can to help Will. That’s his only priority at the moment.

Will’s bedroom scene

Even when Will is talking about “Him” Mike still reminds him that Will is a good person, calling him a “super spy” Mike is doing absolutely anything he can to comfort Will and make him feel any better. (P.s. this moment is so wholesome I love it.)

And then the “yeah, yeah I really do” The PRIME example of “Will Voice” The gentleness, the voice, the look, the nod, the reassurance, AND THEN THE REACH FOR THE HAND.

Hospital Scene (Will wakes up)

Will wakes up and Mike is obviously right there (‘cause he slept in the chair next to the bed, WHICH IS LIKE MY FAVORITE BYLER MOMENT OF ALL TIME) and asks if Will is “hurting again”, Mike keeps his eyes steady on Will. His only focus is Will right now. He keeps his voice soft and he asks will things to make sure he understands and that he is hearing what Will is going through right now.

Mike recalling how they met

Even though the poor boys voice is shaky because he is literally trying (and failing) to hold back tears, it’s still soft and reassuring.

“It’s not my fault you don't like girls!” -Season 3

The movie theater scene

This scene is one of my favs from Season 3. Mike is the first and only person to realize something is off with Will and say something to make sure he’s okay. The "you okay?” and “you sure?” are so gentle and soft. It reminds me a lot of someone jumping at a scary part in a movie and their partner wrapping their arm around them and asking if they’re okay.

NOT TO MENTION THE NOT SO SUBTLE LIP GLANCES.

(Also the little gay panic Will has after Mike ask if he’s okay and the blush on Mike’s cheeks before)

The scene right before the fight scene

Mike immediately notices Will is upset after Mike makes his “joke” and he goes back to his voice that always gets Will and tries to convince him that they (him and Lucas) do really want to finish the campaign.

The fight scene

Mike IMMEADLEY goes back to his will voice after he drops the bomb shell because he know he fucked up and he did it BIG TIME. The big difference between Mike’s “Will Voice” in Season 2 and Season 3 is that in Season 2 he was really using that voice with Will because he knew that it was comforting to him but now in season 3 he uses it because he knows Will will fall for it.

(Also you know how Max says to El that Mike will come crawling back to El in no time? The only person he came crawling back to apologizing was Will.)

“Get away from the door” Scene

@myname1sca1 brought up a great point! The scene where Max is trying talk to Billy through the door, Will has a feeling that “He’s here” and Mike turns and say to Max to get away from the door a=in a gentle, quiet, soft voice and when she doesn't listen, he turns away from will at screaming at her do get away from the door. He was only using that voice because he was looking at Will and dropped that voice as soon as he looked away.

The “Not possible” Scene

Toward the end of season 3, Mike realizes that he was being (in his own words) an asshole the whole season and starts caring about Will again. And when Will comes out and puts his box of D&D on the donate box, the thing he has loved since forever, Mike makes sure that he knows he is giving it away.

Will knows he’ll just use Mike’s when he visits the won’t join another party. That’s not possible.

(Plus the look on Mikes face after Will says “not possible” is adorable.)

"I didn't say it." "You didn't have to."

Will's bedrooms scene

OMFG THIS SCENE

Immediately Mike is relaxed. His voice low and calm and he lightheaded. The "You didn't have to" AND THE SMILE. This is a COMPLETE contrast to has he is around El in this part of the season. When with her, he is all tease and feel like he can never say the right thing.

Also, the absolute adoration for Will in his voice. When he says "It's Hawkins, it's not the same without you."

You can also really tell that Mike is really confiding in Will and letting his guard down which he never really does with anyone. Including El. Especially with the whole line "I don't know what's going to happen next." And if you know Mike Wheeler he never tells ANYONE that he is wrong or that he doesn't know what's going on. So, the fact that he feels comfortable enough with Will is something.

"But you make her feel better for being different." Season 4, Vol 2

"We have to Kill him." "And we will." Scene

The MOMENT Mike finds out that Will can feel that 001 is there, he jumps back into being his reassuring, gentle self for Will. This scene reminds me a lot of the "Yeah, Yeah i really do scene for season 2.

OMG WE ARE DONE, if you made it through all of that, I love you so much. If you want to see more things like this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know because i love writing essays about Byler analysis!

also let me know if there's anything I missed because if i miss enough things i will gather it and but it in an update!

RESOUCES

Stanger Things I The First 8 Minutes - Series Opener [HD] (Still Watching Netflix on YouTube)

Stranger Thing 02x02 - Mike and Will 'Crazy Together' Scene (Raghaua Daroui on Youtube)

Byler compilation (Season 2-3) (GoraculGerard on Youtube)

every byler scene 1080p I Stranger Things Season 4 Vol 1 (longbttms on Youtube)

byler 1080p scene pack I Stranger Things Vol 2 (longbttms on YouTube)

@myname1sca1 's post!

people who wanted to be tagged!

@lebylershipper

@ash-the-wise

@tender-emotional-music

@wallywise

@willbyerswatch

@hearteyes-wheeler

@paloma-ascends-into-hellfire

@hollarious2

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wheelerthefroghere · 2 years

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I don’t think we talk about this moment enough.

Mike trying to comfort El by bringing up his own difficulties in life (things I’m sure he’d rather not talk about because who likes thinking about the times they’ve been bullied) only for her to brush him off... This destroys me!

And I know what you might say. “She said he doesn’t understand because El isn’t like normal people. She has superpowers and he’ll never be able to relate to how that isolates her!” I totally get this perspective and to an extent, I agree. HOWEVER!

“I am different. I do not belong.”

This, I 100% believe Mike can relate to. He’s always been an outcast for a number of reasons, but more than that, he’s different in the same way Will is. Bylers, we all know Mike isn’t straight. And based on how repressed Mike is, I think it’s very safe to say he feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. Imagine the amount of self-loathing he goes through over this and he can’t even talk to anyone about it. Or, at least, he thinks he can’t.

There’s just something really heartbreaking to me about him sitting here and having his experiences and insecurities brushed aside like they’re nothing. I’m not blaming El either. She doesn’t know. But just imagine how Mike feels! Imagine it! And through it all, he doesn’t deny what El’s saying. He puts her first and tries to listen and understand what she’s going through. Mike haters, I’ll never understand you.

I mean, Mike’s trauma/inner conflict is constantly ignored. He jumped off a cliff when he was twelve, struggled with massive survivor’s guilt for the year that El was gone, had a whole personality flip during S3, and if we count Lucas on the Line as canon... Honestly, Mike Wheeler deserves so much love. I’m optimistic that these things will be addressed in S5, but to think how little support he’s had through all of this is really depressing. At least, Will and El have an openly supportive family that’s aware of the Upside Down. Meanwhile, Mike only ever seems to open up to Will (and he’s so cryptic about it too).

Anyway, this is just a long-winded way for me to say I will never tolerate Mike slander. Love you all!

#Byler #mike wheeler #mike wheeler i know what you are #He needs a hug #I wish the GA appreciated him more #All of this and he's only 14 #Can't wait to see what happens in S5 #I need him to break down #I need hurt/comfort

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byernation · 2 years

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Whenever you doubt Byler, remember that Will was planned to be in love with Mike from the start. Remember that Finn and Noah had to take a chemistry test. Remember that Mike has never had moments like that with anyone but Will. Remember the Venkman Lucas/Max Mike/Will foreshadowing. Remember every heart to heart Will and Mike have had. Remember the Variety interview. Remember Brett Gelman. Remember Eleven wasn't supposed to come back after season 1. Remember how most of the cast ships Byler. Remember how Byler has way more chemistry than Marijuana. Remember that the Duffers have taken inspiration from many shows with best friends to lovers tropes. Remember that Shawn Levi is for Byler. Remember Finn and Noah are for Byler. Remember the scripts. Remember the Eyewitness parallel. Remember the Byler docs. Remember nobody believing us about Will being gay and calling us delusional when we were right. Remember that Mike and El have nothing in common, and never have normal conversations. Remember the Duffers saying they don't believe in love at first sight. Remember Mosquito breakups being shown as comedic. Remember Byler fights being shown as a serious breakup. Remember Season 2. Remember the final placements in Season 4. Remember the show cares about detail. Remember Megamind is paralled to doomed relationships. Remember that, Byler, Jancy, Jopper, and Lumax are endgame couples, and have been all paralleled to each other at least once. Remember how the four endgames are always standing together. Remember the Duffers calling Mildew puppy love. Remember the cast's reaction to the monologue. Remember the stupid ass monologue in general. Remember Causeineedu. Remember NaturallyBrielle. Remember Millie improvising in almost all Mormon scenes. Remember the duffers mentioning one of their favorite shows growing up was a show where a man fell in love with his best friend who had a gf, and it turned out he shared those feelings. Remember that Mozzarella is paralled to Byler, but Byler is always the better version (You make me feel better for being different/You think I am a monster [] I say it/You didn't have to) and many more. Remember that Byler is absolutely going to be endgame, and they wouldn't build it up for 4 seasons for it to be unreciprocated. The duffers make mistakes, everyone does, but they know what they're doing (they made a hit show) and if you're still doubtful, it isn't just them writing it. Also, we have the music, the sets, the outfits, and camera angles on our side as well. Let MinnieMouse deny it all they want, but Byler is endgame along with Jopper, Jancy and Lumax. We have already won. It's been confirmed many times before, we just have to wait to prove it. And in those to years more proof will come, and we've gotten a lot of it already and it's only been 2 weeks. I know that sounded really stupid, but I see a few people giving up hope that the Duffers can pull this off (including myself at times) and I think despite all the proof we have we all need to hear this, especially with the Malaria shippers flooding everyone's inboxes lmfao. Anyways have and anazing day/night Byler nation. I am done with my rant.

#byler is endgame #byler #byler nation #byler tumblr #brett gelman #murray bauman #mike wheeler #mike wheeler is gay #mike wheeler is not straight #will byers is gay #stranger things #will byers #byler better be canon #byler hope #byler is requited

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wibble-wobbegong · 1 year

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why do we lose mike’s perspective over time?

after s1, mike’s perspective on things slowly fades away. commonly, you’ll see people talk about the duffers hiding his queerness by stripping us from his perspective, and while that is true, it doesn’t make sense as the grander reason when we look at the show as a whole. it’s more of a helpful side effect

if mike’s perspective is given to us on a basis of his sexuality and wanting to mask his queerness, why do we get his perspective in scenes like these?

but not scenes like this?

really, the whole sauna test should have been from mike’s perspective because he came up with the whole thing, was the most involved in orchestrating it, and was a direct target of billy. we get many shots of mike, but little to none are from his perspective.

i don’t think it’s about mike being queer. i think hiding his perspective gives them more maneuverability as to how they want to handle mike’s queerness, but i don’t think that’s the main motive.

the thing about mike’s perspective is that is never completely disappeared. it still bleeds through, but only in specific moments, and it rarely lasts for long. we see his perspective bleed through in later seasons during scenes like these;

it’s weird, right?

let’s look at each season individually and what characterizes those seasons for mike as a whole.

Season 1 - mike is our central perspective and when he’s on screen, 90% of the time we’ll be in his POV. he’s determined and strong. he’s scared but also fascinated with what they’re discovering. this season can mostly be regarded as the season where mike is most true to to himself because he doesn’t yet understand why he would be anything else (until people start pushing him towards el, but he’s still being himself throughout it which is why he’s openly confused about what’s happening)

Season 2 - mike’s perspective becomes a bit more sporadic, and we aren’t in his perspective nearly as often as we were in s1, though still a good amount of time is given to him. his perspective becomes most prominent when danger is involved, and the hospital scenes are the best example of that shift between non-danger and danger scenes and where the perspective falls. in this season, he’s depressed and even believes he’s dealing with post-traumatic stress. he still has confidence in himself and his abilities, but we don’t see him partaking in DnD at all and he spends all of Halloween semi-pissed. he’s more uptight than he was in s1. he’s himself, but he’s being pulled towards a very dark spot

Season 3 - almost no perspective from him this season. the driest of deserts for anyone looking for mike’s perspective. even in danger scenes we don’t get his perspective!! this is the season where mike is doing everything in his power to repress who he is in order to try and “fix” himself — to grow up and finally start liking girls. he knows he doesn’t like girls, but he attributes this to being a child and thinks if he forces himself go grow up then he’ll finally like el back. he looks to lucas for guidance constantly and doesn’t know what he’s doing. even without his perspective, we see this perpetual regret on his face when he sees the consequences of his actions

Season 4 - mike’s perspective is still limited, but we get more blips. scenes like the cafeteria scene, the van scene, the scene on the couch and in the car back to hawkins. there are plenty of small moments that show us mike’s perspective, but majority of the season is through other people’s eyes despite the very central role mike has in the cali plotline. in a story that was meant to service the race to el, it ended up becoming much more about byler because the story was being told through will’s eyes. had it been from mike’s perspective, there likely wouldn’t have been as much clash between the romanticism of that plot compared to the action of everything else. obviously they wanted to include the romance stuff but they could’ve kept it more to the side like in previous seasons by maintaining the perspective of the guy finding all the clues and putting all the pieces together — they didn’t.

mike’s lacking perspective impacts more than just the byler story, and honestly i think that it very much so has to do with why mike was the one we were introduced to as the main character in s1 and why it’s important we’re going back to s1.

it seems that, typically, it’s only when mike is most secure in himself that we’re allowed to see his perspective (and i can make an argument for the ending of s3). mike being introduced as the main character, the character who’s shoes we’re supposed to fill, adds to this idea by making us less secure in the support we had for mike in s1 as mike becomes more and more insecure. it’s a rhetorical tactic to keep us in mike’s shoes in a very roundabout way and the unveiling of his perspective in s5, which i assume will happen in one massive episode, will directly coincide with mike being forced to face all the things he hates about himself.

mike’s sexuality is a massive insecurity, but it definitely isn’t his only one. we see issues with his family, his inability to be good enough for el or anybody, his slow loss of relationships by his own destruction, and his on-the-line dynamic with death. i’d make the argument that, rather than it being about his sexuality, it’s about having us go on this emotional journey with mike in an unconventional manner. as mike comes to accept himself for who he is (which goes far beyond his sexuality, which is arguably one of the few things he has accepted about himself using the perspective argument) we will learn to accept him as well. if we were the GA. we’re not which is why we already know all this

#this could also be a classic case of me rewording what everybody already knows and being a dick about it #in which case. my bad #draft #mike wheeler #mike analysis #byler

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longtallglasses · 1 month

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okay now more byler headcanons slightly older - the miwi ones

mike is a huuuuge physics nerd. he studies it on his own before taking it in hs, going to the library to get books on it and textbooks to figure out equations. when he learns a new concept he excitedly tells the party, who all share in his joy to varying degrees. in hs him and dustin compete to be the star student of the class both becoming quite the teacher’s pet. will loves hearing mike explain different phenomena with all the big terms. he doesn’t really struggle that much with it in class but he pretends to be stuck more often than not just to watch mike explain a concept with enthusiasm. will asks “can you explain this?” and mike’s eyes light up so excited to get into it. and will also loves that when he does finally “get it” mike praises the shit out of him.

every time will’s over and changes in front of him mike immediately averts his eyes, and he doesn’t understand at first what makes him so uncomfortable bc he doesn’t react that way w anyone else

when will’s starting to realize his feelings for mike are becoming very serious he tries to train his brain to think of something else whenever mike pops into his head. although most of his distraction topics tend to remind him of mike anyway.

they both could notice something shift between them when hs started but they pretended like everything was normal.

when mike visited in lenora will noticed how mike’s smile seemed forced and he thought it was bc maybe mike wasn’t that excited to see him - that maybe mike really was “out growing” him

when the party get drunk together for the first time mike and will gravitate towards each other like magnets. becoming very hushed and giggly together, and the whole party thinks “okay figures”

the small sober part of both their brains is quietly thinking “wait why can’t it be like this all the time?”

mike finds himself grabbing will’s arm with everything he says, subconsciously trying to pull him closer, thinking crazy stuff like “i wanna be all over him” not even knowing in what way or why really, “whoa being drunk is weird, it makes me even more obsessed with my best friend…”

meanwhile will is like why is mike so touchy now, i don’t hate it, i really like it but what’s going on? why is he looking at me like that? am i crazy or is something happening right now?

they probably end the night drunkenly telling each other how much they love each other, how they’re each others best friend, like Best Friend™ thinking that will help the gnawing feeling in their gut subside when they look at each other

they used to hug much more when they were younger, in greetings and goodbyes, but they noticed that most boys didn’t do that as they got older, even lucas and dustin didn’t, so then it became a secret thing, only when they were completely alone. but after a particularly brutal dressing down from lonnie and harsh words from bullies it seemed to stop completely. only when it was truly warranted, if they had some real justification for it. like getting hurt, skinning a knee, crying, then it was okay.

when they get drunk that first time they hug each other very intensely, mike says “i wish we could do this all the time” will says they can if they want, and then starts them trying to let themselves be more familiar w each other again

when they first get together mike is overwhelmed at random moments looking over at will that all of it is real, will loves him and he loves will too, attacking will with kisses all over his face bc “oh my god oh my god i like you so much what the fuck!” will has to beg him to stop but of course he loves it and feels similar feelings take over him too

sitting and admiring mike while he’s doing whatever, maybe he’s talking or just walking around, temporarily forgetting where he is and mike looks over at him smiling and will is just a puddle of emotion that he gets to be with mike.

also during their early relationship will has to constantly remind himself that he doesn’t have to hide what he feels for mike. he doesn’t have to look away or hold his tongue. mike calls him out on it thinking maybe something is upsetting him but will is just worried that he’ll be too much. he’ll say too much or seem too clingy and it will scare mike off with just how much will likes him. (part of him knows it’s silly when mike’s confessed so much to him at this point but it’s still scary!) once he’s reassured he can express whatever he wants will slowly discovers a whole side of himself that was lying dormant. feeling more open with his feelings than he ever has <3

#random hcs in my notes #byler #byler headcanon #will byers #mike wheeler

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andiwriteordie · 1 year

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hello! ✨sending you good vibes in this stressful month✨ (why is february Like This?)

if you feel so inspired for the valentine’s day fic prompts: byler where someone asks one of them out and the other cuts in like “he has plans” and (one the person is gone ofc) they share a cute lil moment? 💕🫂

lark i LOVED THIS PROMPT!!!! this was so fun!

here you go, have some post s5 byler set in the winter of 1989 in a not-destroyed hawkins!

—

1: take my hand, wreck my plans.

Mike hates high school.

Yeah, that much was a given, and honestly, Mike fucking hates high school. Middle school was bad enough, but then high school came around and turned out to be a million times worse—a tall order, considering the fact that middle school was full of things like the demogorgon and the Mind Flayer and then the Mind Flayer’s fleshy form.

…

Okay, technically, high school did have One and the near interdimensional war that could’ve ended the entire world. That sucked too. So maybe, high school was always destined to suck just as bad as middle school.

Or maybe Mike just has rotten luck.

That has to be it, because there’s no other reason that Mike would find himself here, waiting by his best friend’s locker and watching stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes flirt with Will.

Will, who most definitely seems uncomfortable right now, and Will, who most definitely does not like girls in a romantic way, and Will, who Mike is almost positive actually likes Mike.

Like… like-likes Mike. You know. In a romantic, more-than-friends kind of way. In the “Hey, I want to make out with you underneath the bleachers” kind of way and in the “I know we can’t because this is Hawkins, but will you be my date to prom this spring?” kind of way and in the “I don’t ever want to lose you again, so please don’t go” kind of way.

…

Okay, fine. Maybe Mike is projecting a little bit. But he likes to think that after knowing Will for over ten years, surviving all the horrors of the Upside Down with him, and coming out on the other side of all of this with a stronger friendship than ever, he knows his best friend pretty damn well.

Mike’s like… ninety-five percent certain Will has feelings for him too, which is exactly why he’s been trying to work up the courage to ask Will out for Valentine’s Day. He had planned to do it today, since the rest of the Party is busy today, and Will is planning on coming over to do homework with Mike.

But then stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes had to come and mess all of Mike’s plans up.

Look.

Sometime around sophomore year, something weird started to happen. Girls really started to notice Will—or maybe Mike just started to notice how they noticed Will. Either way, it was like everywhere, left and right, girls were coming up to talk to girls. Will’s reputation as “Zombie Boy” had somehow disappeared in his year spent away from Hawkins, and suddenly, all the girls seemed to view him as the cool and sweet and lovable California boy.

Suddenly, all the girls at Hawkins High wanted to date Will.

Right around the same time, Mike suddenly wanted to kill all the girls at Hawkins High.

Looking back on it, that really should’ve been Mike’s first clue (or his second… or tenth… or twentieth) that he had feelings for his best friend. Honestly, Mike knows that he’s a decently smart person (not as smart as Dustin, but smart enough), but sometimes, he can just be downright stupid.

Oh well. At least Mike knows now, and he can finally do something about it.

“Yeah,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she does that stupid girl thing where she twirls her hair and smiles really big at Will. “Mrs. Elliott canceled practice for the musical on Tuesday, since it’s Valentine’s Day and everything!”

To his credit, Will smiles back at her, and to anyone else, it seems like a genuine smile. But Mike can tell that Will seems incredibly uncomfortable right now and is just looking for a way out of this awkward conversation. “Oh, that’s fun!” Will says with a bit of an awkward laugh. “I’m sure everyone was, um… excited!”

Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes smiles widely again, and God, Mike wants to punch her in the face. “We were!” she says brightly, taking another step towards Will and leaning up against the lockers. “And um… anyways, I was just thinking about it, and well… I know this is so awkward, but I was wondering if you were maybe free on Tuesday? To… you know… go on a date?”

Mike’s going to punch her in the face.

Mike is actually going to punch her in the face, and hey, it’ll actually do some damage, because unlike little fifteen year-old Mike with noodle arms, absolutely no hand-eye coordination, and a complete inability to hold his own in a fight, Mike… can sort of do some damage now. He still has noodle arms, mind you, but the hand-eye coordination has improved (who would’ve known that he’s needed glasses this entire time) and can hold his own in a fight, thanks to many long days spent training with Steve and Jonathan and Hopper and literally everybody else in their Upside Down group.

So, yeah. There’s no way stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is winning in a fight against him.

“Oh!” Will squeaks—like actually squeaks. He sounds like how he used to before his voice dropped near the end of middle school, and his face is bright red right now. He looks completely panicked, which is actually sort of adorable if you ask Mike. “I, um. I-I mean, I—”

“He has plans,” Mike blurts out, before he can stop himself.

Both Will and stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes turn to look at Mike, with varying looks of surprise on their face. Stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes also obviously looks a little disappointed (which makes Mike feel incredibly smug), while Will looks caught off guard but also a little pleased (which makes Mike feel even more smug).

Will recovers first, and he smiles again at stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes. “I’m sorry,” he says, even though he’s definitely not. “I… I’ve already got plans.”

“Oh… okay,” stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes says, and she shifts awkwardly, glancing at Will then back at Mike. “That’s alright.”

Judging by the look on her face, it definitely isn’t alright. Mike fights the urge to grin at that.

Then, with another forced smile, stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes picks up her wounded pride, and she waves at Will. “I should get going,” she says awkwardly. “Bye, Will!”

“Bye, Jennifer,” Will calls faintly, though stupid fucking Jennifer Hayes is already gone, her ponytail bouncing stupidly behind her as she walks down the hall. Mike can’t help but roll his eyes.

Goodbye, and good riddance.

Beside him, Will clears his throat, and Mike flinches slightly, glancing at his best friend. There’s an amused look on Will’s face, and once Mike catches his eye, Will raises a brow. “I have plans, huh?” he says with a bit of a teasing smile.

Mike feels his face go warm, and he clears his throat, leaning his hand against the lockers. “Something like that,” he says, trying his best to ignore the way his heart is pounding inside his chest. “I figured anything’s better than having to go on a date with her.”

A soft laugh escapes Will’s lips. “Jennifer’s not that bad,” he says, rolling his eyes. “But you’re right. I definitely don’t want to spend my Valentine’s Day on a date with her.”

Once again, there’s a playful smile on Will’s face, and when he meets Mike’s eyes, Mike becomes like… ninety-eight percent certain Will has feelings for him too.

Oh, to hell with it. Ninety-nine percent.

So, Mike just decides to take a leap of faith.

“Well… is there anyone else you’d want to spend your Valentine’s Day with?” Mike asks softly.

Another little smile tugs at Will’s lips, and he shrugs, leaning against the lockers slightly. “Maybe,” he says, just as soft. “That depends though.”

He’s teasing Mike—again, which… fuck, is driving Mike absolutely crazy. Will’s always been a little bit mischievous, but now, over the past few months of settling into their friendship and finding peace after the mess of the Upside Down, it’s like he’s become more and more comfortable to do little things like flirt with Mike more openly.

Mike absolutely loves it.

So, all he can do is grin back at his best friend. “Depends on what?” Mike asks, and Will’s eyes crinkle as he smiles again.

“On what these plans are that you were talking about,” Will hums, a playful glint in his eyes. “Because last I checked, Lucas had plans to take Max and El to the movies, and Dustin plans on calling Suzie that evening, so…”

Will’s voice trails off, and he looks Mike expectantly, a hesitant but shy look on his face. There’s a rosy little blush on his cheeks and a dozen different emotions in his eyes, and God, Mike just wants to kiss him.

“So… it sounds like it’s just you and me for Valentine’s Day,” Mike says, soft and shy.

“Sounds like it,” Will agrees.

“And I don’t know… I was thinking that since it’s just the two of us… maybe we could make it a date?” Mike asks softly.

A huge smile stretches across Will’s face, and Mike’s heart does a stupid little somersault because of it. That ninety-nine percent certainty increases to a solid one hundred percent, and inside of Mike’s mind, it sounds like one of those game shows after someone has finally won something—like DING DING DING, WE HAVE A WINNER! YOU’RE THE WINNER! YOU DID IT!

“I’d love that, Mike,” Will whispers back, just as shy. “I’d really, really love that.”

Mike can’t help but grin like a complete idiot, and he nods, probably just a little too excited. “Cool,” he says breathlessly. “It, um… it’s a date then.”

Somehow, Will’s face turns even redder, and he beams. Luckily for Mike, he nods just as enthusiastically, so that’s definitely a good sign. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “It’s a date.”

#byler #byler ficlet #andi writes not dies #send me valentine's day prompts friends!#if u want

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paintingformike · 2 years

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a lot of milevens like to point out that el was grieving max and thats why she wasnt reaching out to mike and being distant from him and acting aloof when she slammed the door in the cabin...but the thing is, if that was the case then she would’ve been acting distant and disconnected from everyone. she wouldn’t have had the energy to even smile and be that happy the way she did with joyce and hopper but this only goes to show that she was only treating mike that way specifically (and possibly will too ig)? her literal boyfriend? who at that time could’ve been a support system for her?

in the end they showed us el seeking comfort from hopper and having heartfelt moments with him and being able to look happy along with joyce. yet we didn’t get a single interaction between mike and el in the cabin, or even have them staying close by each other at the very least. she literally saw him and even glanced at him for a moment but kind of just walked by then...used her powers to slam the door? even as i first watched that scene with a GA mindset i thought it felt out of place and didn’t understand why she actually seemed sort of annoyed about something, especially because after that she managed to be genuinely happy around her parents, a stark contrast of emotions. if this wasn’t supposed to be unusual behavior towards mike on her part then will wouldn’t have asked him if she ever talked to him and expressed visible concern over it because it shows that will noticed her weird demeanor around him. he expected her to talk more to mike specifically, because he knew she would’ve actively reached out to him as one of the most important people in her life. if it was just about el grieving and being distant from everyone then will wouldve asked something along the lines of “did she talk or open up to anyone at all?” yet will was inquiring about mike and el’s relationship specifically. why isn’t she opening up more to you at the very least?

and the weirdest part is mike just shrugging it off and saying “not much...i mean, a little bit.” it’s like he didn’t even look worried/concerned about her, he acted so nonchalant about it. you literally can’t deny that he was being a little too calm and indifferent over his girlfriend supposedly being deeply sad and grieving one of her closest friends and not talking to him much. if that wasn’t the case then maybe he was feeling defeated/done over something between them, idk, but it really doesn’t look good for the stability of their relationship. if they truly resolved all their problems and their love for each other was stronger than ever then mike would’ve taken more of an initiative to comfort her at a time when she felt her lowest? and tried to actively do something over her being distant from him? since he was so afraid of her not needing him, too. like those were literally his supposed fears playing out in real time. but he doesn’t, and then we find out the one conversation they had wasn’t even deemed important enough to happen onscreen.

its also important to note that they actually made most of the couples stick together by the end of s4 too, even jancy who were supposedly the ones still having unresolved issues between them. lumax in the hospital, jopper up towards the field holding hands. its pure instinct for them to stay close together and naturally gravitate towards each other, and they’re purposely paired up because it conditions the audience to constantly associate them with each other. yet who did mike choose to stay close with by the end of the season? will. and they made a point to give them one last one on one scene and intimate conversation together too, where they once again confide in each other. the moment they did this, they emphasized byler’s relationship more than mileven’s. and the more i think about it, the more im realizing it doesn’t feel as natural to picture mileven as a dynamic duo or unit as much as the other couples, who have gone through hell and back to their own little missions together. their relationship just wasnt given enough opportunity to develop that way, season 1 was the most we got of them teaming up. since then, el has always been off on her own self discovery arc separate from mike. and mike doesn’t feel like they’re equals, he feels inferior to her which is all the more reason why thinking of them working as a “team” feels unnatural and unlike the way their dynamic is portrayed. well, so much for them being the “main couple” of the show i guess...

#me when my posts end up being too long again #but im always correct and right on the money about everything idc!#byler #byler analysis

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stranger-theory · 3 months

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I'm making Byler comics, and am asking for your input/thoughts!

Y'ALL!!! i'm so ready, and actually in the process of coming up with ideas for simple four panel comics centered around small byler moments, wether it's a headcanon or something like the lip glances.(??) i had one in mind and then realized that i'm absolutely not gonna draw that, that would be like declaring war against my artistic comprehension. so do you have any ideas?🙏 i realllyyyyy have motivation for this, a lot more than most of my art, but i can't seem to think of something simple enough. i would really appreciate it if you could share ideas maybe? i'm sure i could come up with at least a few ideas if i scrolled through the byler headcanons tag, but i'd also like if i could get anyone's personal input, even if their headcanon isn't "popular".

thank you so much for listening, i have a thirst for drawing byler, and i wanna make people's ideas come to life!! i hope to have this comic going 'til the day i DIE, even if it isn't all that serious. who knows, maybe i'll get really invested and make a larger story beyond the no plot void i have envisioned for this to be.

#byler #byler comic #stranger things #mike wheeler #will byers #byler endgame #byler nation #byler tumblr #comic #byler headcanon

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wheelercurse · 2 years

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The painting plotline

or how the narrative was built for byler endgame.

Back in July first, I was angry because I thought they had used the painting that was introduced as something important between Mike and Will's relationship to fix the straight relationship. But when I questioned the writing choices, I realized I was wrong.

Do they really end this plotline with a lie when the main theme of season 4 was about telling truths?

The answer is no, of course; it was just one more step in their journey. So, the truth has to come out, and we have two outcomes: they will get together, or Mike will reject him. And some people think Mike won't reciprocate, but that doesn't make sense because why would they build this complicated plot only to end in... nothing? And I said nothing because if they remain just friends and Mike is still with El, we're back at how this plot started.

Anyway, when you view all this storyline in retrospect, you can see the painting plotline was built as a love story. They even used some classic romantic tropes with this one.

So, let's explain this better.

They introduced Will's character with the painting. Through El's letter, the first thing we learn about him is that he's painting something, and probably it's for a girl that he likes. So we knew that he was interested in someone, and Mike knew about this painting because he was reading the letter.

The next scene with the painting in it is the airport reunion. Will is excited to see his best friend again; we can assume this painting was for Mike. But then Mike gave him an awkward hug (first romantic trope). It's too common to see an awkward reunion between two characters, repressing feelings for each other. So, there's tension, but this doesn't end with the awkward hug. Mike looked at the painting, dropped his smile and asked about it, and Will avoided the question, saying it was nothing. There's tension between them. It's so blatant, and it was thanks to the painting.

The tension finally explodes with their fight (in the closet at Rink o Mania). Yes, there's no mention of the painting, but Will's bad mood started because of the airport reunion. And yes, Mike was upset about the stressful situation with El, but also because Will wasn't talking with him. Remember Will told him during the fight: "Mad that I didn't talk to you?" Will knows him better than anyone.

In this fight, we have another basic romantic trope: one character insists they are just friends. And Will didn't insinuate that he wanted to be more than friends, but Mike took it with romantic connotations. It's a classic trope to state there's nothing romantic between them when they're repressing feelings.

To solve this conflict between them, Mike went to apologize. In this emotional scene, they shared an intimate moment that got interrupted. Oh yes, another classic romantic trope they have used many times in the show.

In this scene, Mike has some dialogues with romantic connotations.

"Max, Dustin, and Lucas, they're great. It's Hawkins. It's not the same without you." "I feel like I lost you or something."

At the end of this scene, they were closer, so Will decided to take the painting with him.

Another relevant scene it's the one when Will told El that Mike wouldn't like that she was lying to him. Will hadn't lied to Mike yet, but he was already hiding his feelings for him. This little interaction isn't just about Mike and El's situation but also Will and Mike's. And later, it will also become relevant to the painting plotline.

Let's also mention another relevant scene: Mike and El fight. At first glance, it seems like it isn't important to this plotline, but it is because it introduces their main conflict: Mike can't say I love you. This is just a surface level; their problems go beyond that, there are a lot of insecurities and misunderstandings around them, but I'm not going to dig into these.

This scene is relevant to the painting's plotline because this painting is the thing that makes Mike finally utter those three words to El. I will explain more about it later.

Another important scene in this storyline is Mike and Will heart to heart in the desert. They are burying a body, and Will is staring at Mike with a lot of yearning; then Mike glances at him, and when he gets caught, he tries to look away. Another classic romantic trope.

They talked in the top of a car about the thing that Mike couldn't say to El, but he never mentioned what it was. Will told him:

"Sometimes it's scary to open up like that, especially with people you care about the most, because what if they don't like the truth?"

This line also refers to Will because he is scared of telling Mike how he really feels; he's in love with him. So, we are expecting that he will overcome his fear and be honest about his feelings, but he ends up lying.

The van scene. Mike opened up about his insecurities, and Will couldn't take Mike talking so little of himself, so he decided to give him the painting. And he gave him a speech, telling him that Mike is the heart, and he's a leader, he's the one who inspires and guides their group of friends, but he lied, saying that El was the one who commissioned the painting. Then, Will kept describing his feelings for Mike but used El's name as a disguise.

Mike was moved by these feelings. Will's words reassured him. Will has the love that Mike is looking in his failing relationship.

But remember that Mike knew about this painting, that's why he looked confused every time Will mentioned El's name. He was trying to connect the dots.

Let's move on to the monologue scene. It's fascinating how this scene should be just about Mike and El, but Will's presence is palpable. He even is in the shot when Mike said I love you for the first time.

Mike stumbled on his words, and Will touched his shoulder and told him:

"Don't stop, remember you're the heart."

That line reminds Mike and us (the audience) about their talk in the van. These feelings weren't from El, and Mike is about to give this speech with the wrong idea. He believed that the painting was from El, that she needed him, but he was wrong. That's the whole point. That's why they lost.

I have read people saying that Mike would have told El that he loved her without Will lying, but that was not what happened. This was a specific writing choice. Not only they wrote, Will disguising his feelings as El's, but he also reminded Mike about the painting, telling him that he's the heart, seconds before Mike tells his speech.

So yes, Mike finally utters these three words thanks to Will and his painting.

Another classic romantic trope: that one character is moved by these words or feelings, but they misattributed them, thinking they came from another character.

For example, Beverly thinks the poem was for Bill but then learns it was from Ben, so they end up together.

Half of it: Ellie writes letters to Aster, pretending that they are from Paul, and Aster falls in love with these words, and she gets closer to Paul, but in the end, after learning the truth, Aster and Ellie kiss.

Gossip Girl: A character asks Dan to write his vows, and he does it, so these words move Blair, and she falls in love with them. In the end, when she learns they are coming from Dan, they get together.

There are more stories with a similar plot, but with these three examples, you get the idea.

They didn't mention the painting again in s4 because their plan wasn't to solve this conflict until the last season. But they ended the season with Mike and El barely talking to each other, even when Mike said these three words that El wanted to hear, there’s still distance between them. And Mike and Will are closer than the way they started this season. They got another important conversation, where Will confided in him about Vecna, and Mike reassured him.

So if the painting was the solution to fix Mike/El’s conflict why the ones who ended being closer are Mike and Will?

And if it was the solution, the plotline will be over.

With this outline, you can see that Will’s arc was about telling the truth about his feelings, but he was scared and most important, he thought that there was no chance for him, so he pushed Mike and El together. He sacrificed his own happiness for them. So, he has to be rewarded from the narrative. Again, remember they’re characters, not real person. Yes, I know that a real person isn’t due to reciprocate, but in a story there should be a good pay-off for your character. More, if he’s a kid that have been suffered all the show, and they have taken so much from him.

And with Mike’s arc is similar. He was also hiding feelings. You can infer it for his actions, that he has feelings for Will. Some romantic tropes apply to him (looking away, awkward reunion, just friends, he created the intimate moment). But anyway his pov was hidden from the audience. He never confirmed that he in fact loved El, until the monologue that it was pushed by Will. When El asked him if he still loved her, he AVOIDED the question

“Who say that I didn’t?” “I say it” “You know what I THINK of you.”

And when he’s talking with Will, he never said that he should have told her how he feels, he just keep saying “I should have said that thing.” “I should have explained myself.” His arc also ended similar. At the end he wasn’t completely truthful about his feelings.

Now you can see how the narrative was built up to make them endgame. The painting was a plot device to develop their relationship, and this story isn't over until the truth comes out. And when that happens, they will get together. It's inevitable. It's carved in the narrative.

#byler #narrative byler #byler analysis

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thranduel · 2 years

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the fact that we trended worldwide, took over the internet, had articles written about us, been noticed by the cast AND we’re almost at 100k followers on the byler tag is absolutely CRAZY. like the impact of bylers is just incredible. it just shows how many people truly do care about this ship and how passionate we are when it comes to analysing and paying attention to all the hidden details and subtext (which is what the writers want fans to do!). and it’s so much more than just “oh yeah we ship these two random characters for no reason and we’re gonna scream about it so they can give us what we want”, like no, byler is clearly being set up and will is canonically gay and has been in love with mike since the beginning. it’s already semi-canon! people love byler because it’s a beautiful ship between two childhood best friends that understand each other better than anyone else and need each other more than anything. the show has literally proved that over and over again. and it would so be beautiful to see a queer ship between two main characters on a mainstream show like stranger things. as shawn levy said, “our show is an anthem for the marginalised and imperfect, precisely because the duffer brothers know from experience that the popular and easy road is rarely the most interesting one, and that character, grit, connection, and soul are bred in the same moments that challenge us most.” what better way to represent that than to have byler become canon? so many people relate to mike and will and just want to see them happy after everything they’ve been through. they have the closest and most genuine relationship in the entire show and can actually be themselves around each other. why is it so surprising that people just want to see them happy together?

#byler #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things

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gayofthefae · 3 months

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No bc it's the fact that I WASN'T that invested in Byler during vol 1 actually I got invested in between volumes so really the entire time I wasn't like "ooh another clue!" I started believing they were gonna be endgame - to the extent that I assumed it was the intention to be obvious and I was just behind only to find out that people didn't think it was as obvious as the St*ncy flirting was and was baffled - I literally was passively confident so I wasn't like noting down the proof at all I was super focused on Lucas and Max tbh and Byler was also cute, right?

So what I'm saying is that I realized in 4x02 then had no reaction basically, except empathy, of course, but no surprise, when Mike couldn't tell El he loved her even though they had not yet had issues when I started believing in Byler and I did not bat my eye when Mike talked to and looked at Will like that or all the other moments we've found obvious.

I am one of the many shippers that joined in season 4 after it BECAME obvious and then was like "you guys didn't see it??" I saw it and then analyzed how we got there for fun is what I think many antis don't understand. I didn't need the details to know. It was obvious to me, I just like to nerd out on filmography.

So point being it was always obvious. I never even thought of anything up until after the ily speech as "proof", or rather after volume 1 when I saw that there were apparently doubters I had to defend against, because I didn't NEED proof.

I went "Oooh he can't tell El he loves her I woonder why" in the same way I went "Oooh Max called Lucas' name in the upside down and her memories were a lot of him". Like I could have been wrong about them getting back together, technically, but it's the natural prediction one makes based on context. Byler was the natural prediction I made based on context. Just like L*max getting back together. Just like J*pper getting together. Could I have been wrong? Yes. Was I? No.

I just- I cannot emphasize enough how passively confident I was in Byler before logging on. I am now actively confident and with loads of proof, but honestly I feel like the biggest comfort and best argument to people who aren't invested like that is that once I realized - realized, not "believed" - that Mike would reciprocate Will's feelings, I forgot about it as a concern, relaxed, and just watched the show like anything else. If they got together I wouldn't have been like "told you!" because I didn't think anyone would miss it beyond the point I did any more than they would miss the other canon couple predictions I brought up - some people would, sure, but that many? Jesus.

Really, volume 2 just revealed to me that it was supposed to be more of a twist in season 5. It subverted my expectations of the Duffers' intentions for audience perception, not my expectations for the plot. I thought that everyone misinterpreted what they were obviously telling us but volume 2 revealed to me that I suppose we were purposefully divided. Doesn't change the outcome. The only surprise was the delivery.

Two times I had the thought "why are they doing this?" in the season. When Mike and Will fought in the roller rink and when Mike told El he loved her. Guess which plot became heavily backed up the more new episodes I watched and guess which one contradicted.

#stranger things #byler #first watch

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andiwriteordie · 1 year

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mermaid byler? 😳🧜‍♂️

hehehehe this one was so fun, thank you for this!

—

your cascade ocean wave blues

It’s cold tonight, and Mike can’t sleep.

This, of course, isn’t an entirely new occurrence. Restless nights have been part of his life since he was a young boy—back when he was a different person than the man he is now. Back then, restless nights looked like wandering around the castle, running down corridors and back passages that very few people knew about, and just trying to escape the mundane life of a prince.

Nowadays, the restless nights don’t come as often as they used to when his days were spent in long meetings and studying for hours with his tutors. Strangely, the life of a pirate makes it easier to relax at night. Maybe it’s because his days are spent full of adventure—sailing the seven seas with his best friends and with their crew, chasing after slave ships and liberating anyone held captive, and working to help those people find a new home. There’s never a dull moment in this life, and Mike has the battle scars to prove it.

It’s a much more fulfilling life than the one he used to live. That makes it a lot easier to rest easy at night, and so, the restless nights of his childhood have become somewhat of a relic of the past.

Tonight’s different though. Tonight, Mike finds himself tossing and turning fitfully, unable to get comfortable. One side of the hammock to the other; Darkness from the quarters he shares with Lucas and Dustin, then light from the little window closest to his hammock. It’s gotten so bad that, on more than one occasion, both Dustin and Lucas have grumpily snapped at him to go to sleep and also to go to hell.

(Yeah. It’s been quite a long night for all of them.)

But Mike can’t help it. The day has been nothing short of absolutely insanity, and Mike’s mind is still reeling over it, even hours later. He’s experienced a hell of a lot of things since running away from home five years ago, but today? Today might top everything.

After all, it’s not every single day that you capture a slave ship full of prisoners whose home has now temporarily become the crew’s quarters, realize that the captain of this slave ship was none other than the disgraced healer from Mike’s own country, Martin Brenner, and discover the existence of not one but two merpeople below said slave ship’s deck.

Oh. Also… merpeople exist, apparently. That’s something new as well, and Mike can’t blame Dustin for nearly passing out the moment the Party first caught a glimpse of their two new… passengers.

Their names are Will and El, they’re siblings, and they were kidnapped by Brenner… some time ago. Time’s a funny concept that the two of them don’t really understand, so it’s a bit difficult to gauge how long Brenner has had these two in captivity. But regardless of how long Brenner has had them, it’s already been too long in Mike’s opinion.

It’s why, despite the fact that helping two merpeople get back home isn’t the Party’s mission, Mike had voted to make it their mission. The rest of the Party had voted that way too, reminding Mike once again just why the four of them have remained friends even into their adulthood. At the end of the day, all of them just want to do something good in the world. None of them wanted to live the stuffy, meaningless lives planned out for children of royal or noble blood.

If they can help just one person—er… in this case, one mer-person?—while sailing the world together, Mike thinks the Party’s done its job.

Speaking of the Party, a sudden loud (and very obnoxious) snore from Dustin echoes through the room, and Mike flinches, turning back onto his side and squinting in the darkness. Both his best friends appear to be fast asleep, and not a moment after Dustin’s snoring ends, Lucas fills the newfound silence with a snore of his own.

So much for falling asleep, Mike thinks dryly. He glances back, one more time at the window, and hesitates.

Well… if he’s not going to be able to fall asleep…

Without giving it another thought, Mike throws off his blanket and climbs out of the hammock, hitting the wooden planks of their ship with his bare feet. Neither Dustin nor Lucas stirs, even as Mike sneaks out of their quarters and climbs back up to the deck.

The ship’s surprisingly quiet for how many new passengers they have for the next couple days, and Mike – he doesn’t want to think about why that might be. It might just make him reconsider agreeing with the Captain’s decision to throw Brenner in the brig instead of running him through with a sword.

There are a few crew members out on the deck tonight, still making sure the ship sails smoothly, and as Mike walks up, they nod to him, offering tired but cordial smiles. Their ship doesn’t have too big of a crew; beyond the Party, they’ve kept as few people as possible on their crew to help maintain their secret. After all, Mike really, really doesn’t want some mouthy crew members telling the whole world that the lost prince actually isn’t dead and is, in fact, a fucking pirate.

Yeah… Nancy might just cut his head off for that. Or maybe sentence him to a lifetime of diplomatic meetings. Mike’s not sure which punishment would be worse.

So, a small crew it is, and even if it means the Party has to pick up some extra slack, working late night shifts just like the others and doing their part to keep the ship running smoothly, then all of them are fine with it. It’s a far cry from the lives any of them used to live, but it’s better this way. Much, much better.

Before he knows it, Mike nearly reaches the edge of their ship, and he hesitates, eyes flickering to the tank right in front of him.

He… he doesn’t know why he’s here. Honestly, he doesn’t, other than the fact that Mike has heard the old folktales about sirens that once lured sailors to their deaths. Maybe those folktales aren’t actually a load of bullshit, and maybe their newest passenger (mer-passenger? No, no, that sounds stupid.) is the reason Mike can’t sleep tonight. Maybe Will’s been calling to him this whole time.

For some strange reason, that thought makes warmth rise to Mike’s cheeks, and he winces, glancing over his shoulder. This – this is a stupid idea. It’s a stupid idea, and the result of a long day of fighting, of confronting a face from his past, and of discovering the apparent existence of another species. What he needs to do is just go back below the deck, try his damnedest to ignore Lucas and Dustin’s snoring, attempt to fall asleep, and—

“Mike?”

A voice, soft and melodious, echoes through the silence, and Mike spins back around, only to see that Will has resurfaced from his tiny tank. He’s resting his arms on the edge of the glass and seems grateful that he isn’t fully locked inside of the tank—not like he was before, when Brenner was holding him hostage. There’s a curious but not unkind look on his face, and here, under the dim glow of the moonlight, he actually looks really beautiful, in an ethereal sort of way, and—

Sirens, Mike thinks dumbly. Definitely sirens.

Will’s lips quirk up into a tentative smile, and he flicks his tale as best as he can in his containment. “Is… everything alright?” he asks hesitantly. “Is my sister okay?”

His – his sister. Right. His technically-a-mermaid-but-also-now-a-human sister, who is currently hanging out in the Captain’s quarters, because Max had insisted El stay in her own quarters tonight, instead of the crew’s quarters. The two of them had bonded right away, which makes sense, of course. When the Party had found El and Will, El’s tank had already been shattered, and the poor girl (mer-girl? Wait no… mermaid, right?) shivering on the wooden floor, covered in water and glass, and with two human legs, as opposed to a mermaid’s tail. And while the rest of the Party had been too dumbfounded to even act, Max had immediately gone to El, helping her away from the broken shards of glass and covering the other girl with her own coat and promising without hesitation that they’d help reverse the effects of whatever Brenner had done to her.

“El’s fine,” Mike says, once he manages to find his voice. “Er – well… I think she’s fine. I don’t actually know, but she probably is. You – you can trust Max. You can trust all of us. We’re not going to hurt either of you.”

We’re not like him, Mike thinks but doesn’t say aloud. Somehow, Will seems to understand him regardless. The worry melts away from his face, turning into something softer—something still hesitant, but less scared now. More trusting and comfortable that causes a warmth to form in Mike’s heart and a smile to tug at his own lips.

“Thank you,” Will says, his voice still soft. He flicks his tail, bright and golden, again, and Mike can’t help but glance over at it, wincing as Will’s tail bumps into the edge of the tank. “For – for everything, I mean. You… you saved us.”

“That’s what we do,” Mike replies quietly. He hesitates, for just a moment, before taking a step forward. “Um… do you… do you mind if I sit with you? I couldn’t sleep tonight, and I… well, I thought you could use some company.”

“Some company,” echoes Will. He looks like he’s trying to fight a smile as he leans his head on his hand, eyes meeting Mike’s own and seemingly peering right into Mike’s soul. There’s curiosity clear in his expression, like he’s trying to figure Mike out, and it’s enough to set Mike’s entire face aflame.

Gods above. He hasn’t felt this stupid and flustered since he was eighteen years old and expected to propose to Max in front of practically everyone of importance in their home country. That had been an absolute disaster, and though she’d said yes (against her will, just like the proposal itself had been against Mike’s will), to this day, Max still teases him ruthlessly about it.

Mike swallows the ever-growing lump in his throat and nods. “Yeah,” he breathes and takes another step forward, so he’s right next to Will’s tank right now. He’s not sure what possesses him to do it—though his brain does vaguely and unhelpfully think, Sirens. It’s gotta be sirens, again—but Mike crouches down so that he and Will are at eye-level. “My company.”

Will still seems like he’s trying to fight a smile, but he’s a man (Merman, Mike corrects himself) fighting a losing battle. “Well,” he says, softer and shyer now too, “I’m always a fan of good company.”

Mike’s stomach does a little somersault at those words, and as Will smiles at him, he can’t help but smile back. “So am I,” Mike says softly. He adjusts himself so he’s sitting with his back against Will’s tank now, body angled so that the two of them are still looking at one another. “Gotta say though… I’ve never been in the company of a merman before. I didn’t even believe your people existed before today.”

A quiet laugh escapes Will’s lips. “We try to keep it that way,” he admits and gestures to the tank sadly. “I mean… look what happens when humans find out about us.”

Those words feel like a knife in the heart, and the smile falls from Mike’s face, quickly becoming a frown. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “You… you and El didn’t deserve this.” He pauses, considering for a moment what to say, and quietly adds, “If… if it helps, not all humans are like Brenner though. He’s literally one of the worst people I’ve ever met.”

“Not surprising,” Will deadpans. “He’s an awful man.” Like Mike, he pauses, pressing his lips together in a small frown, before adding, “But… I know that you and your friends aren’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have helped us. You wouldn’t still be helping us. You… you could’ve just left us there or kept us for yourselves to… I don’t even know. But you didn’t, so… thank you.”

Will’s voice takes on that same soft and gentle tone from before. There’s something so genuine and so trusting about it, and despite the fact that they’ve barely known each other for a day, Mike feels a surge of protectiveness wash over him. It’s different from the protectiveness and the drive to help people that he feels when liberating captives from slave ships. No, this protectiveness and this need to help and to keep Will safe is much more like the feeling Mike has for Lucas and Max and Dustin—and strangely, maybe even something more than that.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Mike says genuinely. He doesn’t know why he does it, but he reaches forward, putting his hand on top of Will’s. The mere touch alone feels like the very first spark to light a flame, and that flame burns through Mike’s whole body, filling him with the warmth and protectiveness he only knows for his closest friends. “You’re our friend, okay? You – you’re my friend. We’re gonna help you and El, and we’ll get you home. I promise.”

For a moment, Will doesn’t say anything—just stares with wide eyes at Mike’s hand on top of his own. But then slowly, another smile forms on his face, even shyer now before, and he whispers, “I’ve never had a friend before… not unless you count my siblings or my parents. That’s a little lame though, to be honest.”

Mike can’t help but laugh, and he ducks his head, trying his best to ignore the fire blazing across his cheeks right now. “Siblings and parents only count if you want them to count,” he says decisively.

“They don’t count then,” Will decides. He turns his hand upward, holding Mike’s hand in his own, and softly says, “So… you’re my first friend.”

Mike’s gaze flickers down to their hands, and he squeezes Will’s hand gently, scooting a bit closer. “Well, it’s an honor being your first friend,” he says with a smile. “But hey… if we really want to be friends, we’ve gotta get to know each other.”

Will raises a brow. “Okay. What do you want to know then?”

“Well, obviously, I want to know everything,” Mike says dramatically, and as Will laughs, he can’t help but grin even wider.

“Everything,” Will echoes, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Very specific.”

“I was getting to that,” Mike complains, and Will just laughs again, his tail flicking in the water and splashing some droplets onto Mike. “Okay, okay, counterintuitive, but you know, if we start with the deep stuff, everything else will feel a lot easier by comparison.”

“The deep stuff,” Will muses, leaning his head on his hand and looking at Mike curiously. “And what ‘deep stuff’ do you have in mind?”

“Easy.” Mike shrugs. Scoots in closer. Leans up against Will’s tank. And with another smile, this time just as playful as Will’s own, he asks, “What’s your favorite color?”

The sound of Will’s laughter fills the silence on the deck, and gods, it might just be the best sound Mike’s ever heard. There’s a disbelieving look on his face as he shakes his head at Mike. “‘That’s your deep question?” Will laughs. “Come on. You can do better than that.”

“Okay, ouch.” Mike feigns a hurt look. “Are you saying my question isn’t deep enough for you?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Will says, this time with a smirk. His tail flicks again, and he rolls his eyes, playfully splashing some water at Mike. “But I’ll humor you. It’s yellow… like the sky during a sunset. I used to always swim up to the surface to watch the sunset because I thought it was beautiful.”

He pauses here, glancing up at the vast expansion of stars above the two of them, and a wistful look forms on his face. “It was nice seeing the sunset again today,” Will says softly. “It… it’d been too long.”

Another pang of guilt stabs through Mike’s heart, and he squeezes Will’s hand gently. “No more missing sunsets,” he says softly. “Promise.”

That softness appears in Will’s gaze again as he squeezes Mike’s hand back. “Sunsets are a lot prettier when you watch them with someone else,” he says, soft and a bit shy. “And since you’re my friend…

Warmth rises to Mike’s cheeks, and he leans closer. “Well, funnily enough, my favorite color’s blue,” he admits with a laugh. “Blue like the sky right after a sunset. So… that works out well, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Will says, and he scoots closer to Mike too, a smile on his face. “It really does.”

Silence settles over the two of them, but strangely, it’s not uncomfortable. Instead, it’s a peaceful sort of silence that leaves Mike feeling more at ease than he has in a long time—almost like he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be, right here, right now in this moment with Will.

There’s something special about Will, Mike thinks, and while he doesn’t quite know what it is yet, Mike knows one day he’ll figure it out.

For right now, he’ll take silly questions about favorite colors and the promise of watching the sunset and this newfound friendship for what it is.

Everything else will come with time.

#byler #byler ficlet #andi writes not dies #andi's asks

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