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Latest Posts by toomuchswagonme - Page 9
Posting the header I made for @byler-au-fanarchive
(second pic is the cropped version for better resolution)
Reminder to visit the blog mentioned above if you're searching for a particular byler AU fanart and can't find it in the website tags. You never know, it could be in there (I am actively working on finding and categorizing them all so everyone has an easier time locating them).
Mike's the kinda guy that would give Will his phone to play Candy Crush whenever he's bored and let him use up all of the special boosters he accumulated over the course of 5 months
gay mike this, bi mike that
let’s look at the real issue in the byler fandom and that’s ppl who think mike would be scared of spiders
FINN WOLFHARD and NOAH SCHNAPP STRANGER THINGS 4 4x04 “Chapter Four: Dear Billy”
Finn Wolfhard as MIKE WHEELER STRANGER THINGS 4 4x01 “Chapter One: The Hellfire Club”
AGHHHHHHHH
as a wise tumblr user (@howtobecomeadragon) once said: 'mike kissing the spot on will’s neck that got goosebumps'
Only Thing On My Mind
(Byler makeout fic ask/request for @iloveheadphones)
No one knows this, but it’s their 6th month anniversary. Mike and Will have been actual boyfriends for that long and it’s honestly kind of incredible. They’ve shared a lot with each other, back when they were merely friends. Best friends. From crayons to homework answers to food and so much more. This is different though. Good. No, more like better!
This time, instead of sharing something that could easily be considered normal friend behavior, Mike and Will have gone above and beyond, and shared their once guarded hearts freely with each other. Completely open and vulnerable. Ready to be doted on and loved. The ultimate treasure, so priceless and unique and in their grasps, finally, fucking finally. Simply put, they’re happy, and because Mike’s a sucker for puns, he substitutes happy for “gay” now that he’s comfortable saying it. They're gay and Will rolls his eyes at the bad joke Mike giggles in his ear often.
“Hey, Will?” Lucas asks one day when the Party’s sitting in Mike’s basement, going on a marathon of playing video games and munching on snacks, “You had your first kiss yet? Or are you saving it for someone special?”
All eyes are on him, except for a nervous Mike, who’s just a bit too obvious in his distress. It’s by the grace of God that Mike’s always been naturally weird so their mutual friends don’t bother pointing out how their dear leader nearly spits out his soda all over an oblivious Dustin and Max. Will’s feeling conflicted. Half trying not to laugh at his boyfriend’s lack of tact, seeing Mike choke-cough-swallow his drink down. The other half is Will trying not to shout to the world how he not only has had his first kiss, but he’s also the self-proclaimed Hickey King.
Mike has used the excuses of getting bit by mosquitos, and having sensitive skin that bruises too easy, in order to hide the fact that Will could be a vampire or possibly a cannibal because the boy likes to bite.
An air of confidence whirls around Will when he cheekily grins and boldly announces, “Yeah, actually, I have.”
All goes still and quiet after a collective gasp resonates among them. Then there’s uproar. Mike feels like he’ll die.
“WILLIAM!” El and Max say the first part of Will’s government name in shock, jaws dropped, as Lucas and Dustin finish the last part screaming elatedly, proud smirks plastered. “BYERS!”
Will laughs at their reactions, somewhat knowing that they all expected him to do the usual, shy away or wistfully sigh that his time hasn’t come yet, with Mike his personal knight in shining armor, typically swooping in for the rescue by changing the subject. That was when he had nothing to give them, but Will's feeling mischievous lately. Knows that Mike’s sweating bullets, and maybe Will’s a dormant bully all along because he rather enjoys seeing his curly haired boyfriend brightly blush, watching Mike subconsciously shield his long kissable neck that’s not exactly covered in vicious mosquito bites as their dear leader has claimed.
Video game abandoned, Lucas and Dustin hurry to flank Will, ready to interrogate, simultaneously patting him on the back in congratulations, and by doing so they carelessly push Mike out of his rightful seat on the couch beside the man of the hour, onto the less comfy floor. What a way to treat the host, sheesh.
“Argh!” Mike yelps pitifully as he falls halfway on Max, who shoves him off her quite roughly, but to be fair he is really heavy for her petite body to be squished under.
El, the only friend Mike considers an angel to his Hellfire Demon Party, has the decency to check on him, though the urge to be nosy and question her brother (maybe annoy him now that she’s embraced her sister role fully) is hailing her.
“Are you okay?” She peeps down at Mike sprawled on the floor akimbo.
He gives a halfhearted thumbs up paired with a blank face, groaning. “Peachy.”
They look towards the couch, where Max has joined Lucas and Dustin in surrounding Will, begging for details and the sight reminds Mike of the gossip circles Karen runs with when mothers of Hawkins see each other in grocery store aisles or scheduled book club meetings. As far as the secret couple’s friends are concerned, Will’s technically a late bloomer so this info dump is a big deal.
“Was it a girl in Lenora?”
“Hawkins? It’s gotta be!”
“No, it’s a random chick on that road trip from Cali to here, right?”
Will keeps laughing at all the wrong answers, the Party growing more frustrated, and Mike hoping none of them wonder why he’s suspiciously not participating when, according to his actions from that one infamous Halloween, he’s the most possessive over Will out of the friend group that should definitely be demanding the truth because friends don't lie by omission.
“Sorry,” Will’s grin is cute and he puts on some gentlemanly accent. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Booooo!”
That’s how it goes for a few minutes, them trying and failing to get Will to give away even the tiniest bit of descriptions, and El’s horrified to know that her brother is immune to her pleading puppy dog eyes (that usually worked on Jonathan and Hopper, damn).
“Cookies!” Mike abruptly hollers as he jumps to his feet, causing everyone to halt their speech to eye him, perplexed. He gestures his arms as wildly as when he attempted convincing people to sub for Eddie’s Hellfire campaign. “Who wants them? Mom bought the ready-to-bake ones and since we’re all here…”
“Actually, that does sound like a good idea.” Lucas only agrees because his stomach starts howling, his appetite more voracious now that he’s a certified athlete burning calories.
Dustin, El, and Max also agree that they could go for the sweet treat. Mike’s nerves calm down a tad, having successfully deflected the “Who’s Will Kissing?” topic that sent him in a crisis. Last thing he needs is for their friends to know that Will’s far from innocent. Call him selfish, but Mike wants to be the only one reveling in that knowledge a little more, quite mesmerized by how unhinged Will can really be when he’s completely candid. Joyce’s off-her-rocker genes are strong in her sons, and Mike’s kind of horrified that he and Nancy can’t leave the Byers brothers alone even if they tried.
“I’ll help Mike with the cookies.” Will offers, and there’s a glint in his eyes that has Mike already anticipating where this is going. “I can carry a tray of milk for us while Mike has the cooled off pan. We can pretend we're Santa.”
Oh gosh. Why is Mike’s boyfriend so naturally sneaky? None of their friends suspect anything. Some even encourage Will to go so Mike won’t burn the cookies, not trusting the raven haired boy’s baking skills at all.
“Dunking cookies in milk is the best! Can’t wait to eat.” Dustin says, unaware of Will licking his lips salaciously while following an eager Mike up the basement stairs.
Will parrots quietly under his breath. “I can’t wait to eat, either.”
********
The kitchen is supposed to be a sacred place, but with all of Mike’s family out of the house doing errands or other activities, and with the rest of the Party distracted by leveling up in video games, Mike and Will take the opportunity alone to start their 6 month anniversary festivities early.
“Swear on my life,” Mike hisses a feeble threat as Will devilishly presses him against the kitchen wall, a hand firmly on Mike's chest, the other grasping Mike's waist. “If you leave another mark I’m gonna have to steal my mom’s makeup and learn how to use her concealer.”
Will’s only half-listening, famished lips already latching onto the exposed patch of skin on Mike’s pale throat, mouthing along from the jawline to the collarbone to the crook of the shoulder and base of the neck. “Then you better get to learning. Think makeup would look pretty good on you.” He jokes.
The feel of Will’s sloppy warm kisses combined with his deliberate humming sends violent tremors throughout Mike’s body, his knees going wobbly weak. He’s glad the wall and Will is supporting his weight or he might collapse. Mike’s shaky squeaky breath hitches, heart stuttering when he felt the familiar slight sharp pain of Will’s teeth sink into his neck. It’s hard enough to leave imprints, but soft enough to not break skin. Mike’s irritated flesh begins to bloom sanguine red beneath Will’s velvety lips, especially when Will switches from aggressive biting to playful sucking in a gentle attempt to soothe. It causes Mike to loudly gasp and grip tighter onto the hem of Will’s sweater, right hand bunching the fabric up in his fist. His left hand flies to Will’s head, threading his bony fingers into silky syrupy brown hair, pushing his boyfriend further into him as if they could become one just from sticking together like paper mache.
Will continues to suck on his bite mark until he’s satisfied with his work, his ears enjoying the whispered mix of curses and praises escaping from behind Mike’s clenched teeth as he involuntarily yet lightly bangs the back of his head on the wall, all tingly and wired. His left hand falls from Will’s hair, fingers tracing the shorter boy’s nape, teasingly rubbing small circles, creating goosebumps with his scratching nails that has Will giving an appreciative purr, which again sends vibrations to Mike’s throat and spreads beyond that bundle of nerves. They were in perfect harmony, a symbiosis some say, with trading pleasures to amplify the experience. Both in agreement to desperately make out as a means to pass the time while their chocolate chip cookies bake in the oven for twenty minutes.
The sound of rushed steps from the basement is thunderous and the couple separate in haste, struggling to fix their clothes and hair. Mike looks absolutely wrecked and Will can’t stop feeling smug.
“Mike! Lucas beat your high score!” Dustin informs the second he’s in their presence and thankfully, he cares more for Mario rather than Mike’s blotchy face and hushed ravenous panting.
“Whoa! No way!” Will manages to speak and gain Dustin's full attention, hand wiping his mouth and then splaying to cover his own feral expression, despite his evidently blown pupils diminishing his hazel irises.
Dustin beckons them to come downstairs to see for themselves, after the cookies are done of course (priority people), and then leaves to complain about Lucas getting coached by Max.
Once alone again, Mike reluctantly asks Will how bad the damage is, to which Will supplies sheepishly as he scratches his cheek, “Probably wanna say you got bit by a spider this time. It has got to be your biggest and worst hickey as of date.”
“I hate you.” Mike exaggerates, just sensing his neck coloring a riotous purplish-blue, pinching the bridge of his nose in vexation.
********
It’s a long night. The Party plans on sleeping over, although Karen prefers the girls to sleep upstairs in Mike’s room while the boys have the basement. Somehow, the spider bite lie is believable considering its summer and all sorts of pre-historic creepy crawlies are afoot (though Max is doubtful, but remains silent), and when the Wheeler family return home after running whatever errands, Karen justly freaks out and forces Mike to put on healing ointment.
“I’m taking you to the doctor’s for an allergy test. This sensitive skin issue is getting out of hand. And what kind of spider bit you, again? Did you kill it? Is it still prowling my house?” She worries and Mike internally vows to pay Will back for his uncontrollable gnawing tendencies.
Eventually, the Party prepares for bed. Max and El sleepily walk upstairs and bid the boys a goodnight. Dustin and Lucas get cozy in their sleeping bags. Currently, Mike’s laying on the couch and Will occupies the basement bathroom to brush his teeth. This is routine. Ever since they were kids. Dustin would change into his pajamas and brush his teeth first, then Lucas, then Will, and lastly Mike. Because they did things in that order, that meant Dustin would pass out first, then Lucas, then Will, and finally Mike - who’d stumble out the bathroom to all three of his friends snoring and drooling away - waiting for him to turn off the ceiling light overhead.
Like clockwork, the moment Will started to run the tap to wet his toothbrush, Mike saw Dustin and Lucas slip into slumber with ease - old habits die hard. He quickly leaves the couch to tiptoe to the bathroom, the door ajar. Mike cracks the door open more and Will can spot him in the mirror’s reflection, standing behind him.
“S’not your turn yet. It’s mine.” Will muffles with a mouthful of toothpaste that he spits out to rinse. “See! Finally done. Your turn now.”
Swiftly, Mike breaches the threshold, shuts the door, and locks it (memories of Jonathan barging in haunt the Wheeler's sole son daily).
He clicks his tongue, tsking, “That’s where you’re mistaken, Will. It’s actually my turn. My turn to get…. Dun, dun, dun… revenge!”
“Huh?” Will sets down his toothbrush on the sink, twisting around to face Mike, and is caught off guard when his boyfriend pounces on him animal kingdom style.
Stolen kisses taste better. Their lips connect, fit together like puzzle pieces and Lego toy sets. Just like their childish games, Mike plays to win. His large hands are cupping Will's jaw, thumbs smoothing the skin under the shorter boy's lidded eyes. He gives ample affectionate pecks to a pliant Will, who's clasping onto Mike's wrists, squeezing and using his own thumbs to yearningly caress the pulse points of his towering boyfriend. Soon, Mike's insatiable tongue bravely licks at the seam of Will's swollen lips. It doesn't take much for Will to comply, and Mike takes advantage, savoring the fresh icy spearmint contrasted with heated smooches for a hot and cold sensation that sparks up jolting electricity, quick flashes like lightning.
"Mike." Will rasps when his lips are begrudgingly freed.
Dark eyes are even darker, tinged with devious intent, and suddenly Will's on the receiving end of being bitten, branded by Mike's pearly whites while also leaning on the sink, some of the toiletry items like soap and the soap dish falling carelessly to the tiled floor. His only warning is the humorous Transylvanian accent Mike jauntily gives a whirl, "I want to suck your blood."
It makes Will quiver and pull Mike closer to him, flush against, for Mike had the audacity to mumble that in his ear, gingerly nipping at his earlobe. Teeth snatching onto the very spot where girls get piercings. Will’s mouth falls open wide and eyes screw shut, voice unexpectedly roaring in rapture that would definitely wake up the entire household if unchecked. Luckily, Mike has spectacular foresight, sliding one of his hands from cupping Will’s jaw to smother his shrilling mouth. Mike’s other hand snakes across his boyfriend’s back and bends him backwards in a faux ballroom dance dip, arching him over the sink’s edge to the point where Will’s head touches the cool mirror glass. This new angle gives Mike full access to the love of his life’s splattered with moles throat, Will’s Adam’s apple bobbing with every gulp of sheer excitement, inviting. Mike lowers his pink lips to map out a trail along the enticing junctions, biting and suckling and lapping, undaunted at the evidence he’s tagging. Just like his immature days of middle school graffiti. Except this time it’s with his tongue and teeth, not a permanent marker and paint spray can.
Between Will’s muted palatable babbles suppressed by Mike’s left hand, plus his flexing back muscles that Mike’s right hand strokes at a risky area of his spine, and the breathtaking buzz that quakes his every senses, it’s not too surprising when the bathroom light flickers rapidly - as if it’s short circuiting. Mike’s grown accustomed to it. Will’s powers tend to activate when overstimulated. He knows that’s one of the reasons Will tries to lead in their private amorous exertions. Because if Will took the lead, then he could control the pacing and himself better. Not to become undone from Mike’s calculated cradling that makes up for all the time wasted when they could’ve been officially dating pre-Vecna and awkward dancing with girls. So far, Will only trusts Mike to keep this secret of theirs, besides their secret relationship. He hasn’t processed why he has powers yet.
His screwed shut hazel eyes pop open when Mike’s wicked lips siphoned a patch of skin in just the right way that had his nose start bleeding from both nostrils instantly, and the flickering lightbulb above them exploded, glass raining down on them and scattering everywhere.
“Shit!” They both swear in sync, bracing themselves to block the raining glass shards. Okay, alright, Mike perhaps overdid it with his silly hickey revenge. That’s not very herolike behavior of him.
They hear multiple stomping and stumbling noises from beyond the bathroom door. Both in the basement and up above on the ground floor. If it wasn’t pitch black, they’d see each other’s shared looks, reading each other’s minds from mere eye contact - Will must’ve broken every lightbulb in the house. Damn.
“Mike! Will! Where the fuck are you guys?!” Lucas shouts and Mike feels for the bathroom door, careful to not step on any shards and slice his bare feet. At least Will has socks and slippers on.
“I’m by the washer and dryer!” Mike lies, slithering out the bathroom before Will, rushing over to the adjacent location he claimed to be at. “Will’s still in the bathroom!”
That much was true. Will is still in the bathroom. It’d be suspicious if they both were there during this extremely uncanny blackout. Dustin has said something neither Mike nor Will can make out, but it’s all unimportant once the basement door opens.
“Are you boys okay down there?” It’s Karen, tone motherly and leveled. “Ted’s gone outside to see what happened. Apparently, the whole block is without power. The streetlights have all… Uh… exploded or cracked or something. Mr. Sinclair’s telling Ted he thinks it’s another weird earthquake since the lights were flickering strangely.”
“Bullshit!” Dustin exclaims in the darkness. “If it were that shouldn’t furniture be toppled over, too?!”
Mike effortlessly deadens Dustin’s prying. “Hey, now, it’s Hawkins. What’s new?”
“He’s right about that.” Lucas cosigns. “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another with this place.”
The boys decide to stay up using the Wheeler’s spare flashlights. The girls join them, El even tapping into the mindspace and finding nothing odd out of the ordinary since the Upside Down gates were permanently sealed. Another mystery for the Party to solve at daybreak. Until then, they huddled together and told ghost stories, making the most of it. Mike would hope one day to figure out exactly why Will's powers manifested and lingered, despite his connection to Vecna being severed.
*******
It’s early morning. Hours after Will accidentally ruined the power grid system of Mike and Lucas’s street. The electrical company’s out to fix things. Weather’s in their favor, blinding rain pouring as Mike and Will are the first ones up in their sleeping friend huddle to get dressed, throwing on hooded buttoned up rain coats (blue and yellow respectively) that hide their blemished necks efficiently. The couple’s not usually morning people, but with the Party unaware of their relationship and probably on the cusp of it, Mike and Will always stayed one step ahead just in case. The rest of them promptly wake up one after the other. With no power, the sleepover is cut short - so says Karen - and everyone leaves. Lucas drives Dustin and Max home, with El hitching a ride to stay with Max a little longer at her trailer. Mike opts to drive Will home, the Byers-Hopper house in the opposite direction of where Lucas’s going.
“We can’t let that happen again.” Mike chews on the inside of his cheek, blushing aflame when driving by the electrical workers scratching their heads at a broken streetlight.
Will huffs, arms crossed, slinking into the passenger seat. “Whose fault do you think that is?”
“Well, you started it! You freaking vampire.” Mike rips his hood off to display Will’s mock spider bite hickey smudging his pale neck.
“Oh, yeah! That’s only one! You did a gazillion on me!” He copies Mike to show off his hickeys that seem to be the same amount as his moles, his neck almost two-toned.
They glare at each other for just a fraction of a second, the steam getting lukewarm. Neither can be too mad or peeved with each other. It’s in their nature to forgive the other. That’s just how they are. Mike does a peace offering, laying his hand on the armrest, palm side up, and Will automatically interlocks their fingers. Holding hands in the car is a few of their favorite hobbies. They pull up to Will’s home, not a single car in the driveway. Maybe, Hopper’s been spirited away by the station to investigate the power outage. Will has no idea where Jonathan or Joyce could be. But with Vecna gone and the Upside Down perished, the Byers don’t keep tabs on each other like they used to.
“Your folks out?” Mike wistfully probes, eyebrows waggish and dark eyes sly.
Will thoughtfully glances his way. “Seems so.”
“Are you cold? Since it’s raining, y’know?” Mike’s expression is laced with suggestions.
“Just a little chilly. I could warm up more, though.” Will keeps the game going.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Ten minutes later, they’re in the house, nearly tripping to the living room couch while pawing at each other. The drenched raincoats are pooled at the front door by the hat rack and various assorted shoes. Mike’s hair is a tad damp, and he squeals at Will needily tugging at the curls. Glossy puffy lips weld together, fast and hard. It’s with urgency. They stretch out on the couch, cramming in the cushions on their sides, limbs interwoven and taut, much like intricate Boy Scouts knots (something Mike and Lucas were forced to do for a brief stint in their childhood). Mike’s holding onto Will fiercely, preventing the other boy from falling off by pasting him to his chest and hooking his legs over his hip. Carnivorous messy kisses are exchanged. Will’s nibbles on Mike’s jutted bottom lip. In response, Mike creeps his hands under Will’s shirt, clawing at his vertebrae.
“H-Happy anniversary, by the way. I mean to give you your gift sooner, but it’s not dry yet.” Will confesses between peppering kisses on Mike’s freckled face.
“Dry yet? Is it a painting?!” Mike sounds gleeful, or that be how ticklish he is, giggling at Will’s switch to butterfly kisses.
“Nope. I’m dabbling in a new media. Clay.”
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
“Well, my gift to you is two tickets to that art gallery coming to Indy.”
“You didn’t!”
“I did!”
“Indianapolis? Really?” Will stares smitten at Mike who brushes a stray hair behind his ear.
“Totally.”
“Sweet.”
They return to making out, calming down some to delicate touches and massages. Enshrouding tranquility luxuriates them. The rain stopped pouring buckets outside, but neither boy noticed. Too entranced in feeling the other up, immersed in being felt up, and their unconditional enthrallment is to be their rude awakening when a car pulls up in the driveway beside Mike’s. By now, their hair is disheveled and shirts are off. Reddening nail claw marks made from Mike streak Will. Hickeys sprinkle all on Mike’s clavicle, trapezius, shoulder, and sternum. The familiar thrum of Will’s body alerts him that his nose is going to bleed again if they don’t get ahold of themselves.
“Honey, I’m home!” Joyce calls, entering the house with Jonathan and Nancy hauling grocery bags. “You didn’t tell me Mike was dropping… You… Off…” She trails at the sight before her.
Stopping in her tracks, so does Jonathan and Nancy, all three gawk silently at Will and Mike scrambling for their shirts. They’ve been caught. Will’s not too bothered, considering Joyce and Jonathan know that he’s gay. It’s more of the fact that they didn’t know he actually got with his dream boy longterm crush turned true love. Mike, on the other hand, is mortified that he’s in this indecent position and of all people, his sister Nancy, is the first of his family to witness this. He could handle Jonathan and Joyce, but Nancy was a different story.
“Um… G-Good morning.” Mike stammers out as Will grabs his boyfriend’s wrist.
Well, they certainly have some explaining to do.
___
End scene. To be continued or not.... Thanks for reading!
An observation that breath catching isn't always romantic in the show.
Byler kissing
I love to draw "kiss" mini-comics. and haven't drawn them for a huge amount of time.
i could NOT stop thinking about this post from @elmaxed so i needed to draw something based on it
[+ still version under the cut]
thinking a lot about byler first kiss. firm believer in wills first kiss being with the boy hes been in love with for years being so overwhelming that he just bursts into tears. happy tears tho <3.
Me trying to explain that it only makes sense for Mike to be the one who confesses to Will next season, because we already got Will confessing (even if it was veiled), so having him do it again would be redundant; and also a genuine love confession from Mike would be an evident contrast from his monologue to El making it obvious to the audience where his heart genuinely lies
plushie collector will? canon. fashionista will? canon. bratty don't-make-me-do-physical-labor-omggg will? canon. crybaby will? canon. stage musical enthusiast will? canon. artistic will? canon. labeled gay for his clothes n behavior will? canon. comparable to female horror icons will? canon. pacifist will? canon. need a petite actor w big lovable eyes will? canon. walk like a pendulum will? canon. damsel in distress who quite honestly doesn't mind being one as long as he got his knight in shining armor will? canon. most comfortable in a dynamic where his love interest lead him n protect him n speak for him will? canon. mama's boy will? canon. gentle to an unwanted slug baby of his even tho it's a reminder of his assault n caused him misery will? canon. accept himself for what he is even if he resign to a life of loneliness bc will is brave n independent at his core while u struggle bc u insist that gay men like him can't ever be complex human beings that deserve to be represented, not ignored/erased? go seethe in a corner shit ball
Honestly, I think a huge reason why we saw Mike pull away from his core self and come off as more cold and aloof in seasons 3-4 is because when we see him tender and soft again, it’s going to hit 10x harder. Not only does this make perfect narrative sense for his character arc…it also creates this exciting ebb and flow with the audience where we’re almost led to believe Mike has forgotten the way things used to be, before his feelings got more real for him. I absolutely love the angst, the pulling away, the tension. Because what about “crazy together” and “it was a seven” and “what if all this is happening for a reason” and “I’m the only one who cares about Will” and “hey, are you okay?”
Mike hasn’t forgotten about any of this. He’s just tucked it away to not feel it, because he doesn’t think Will could ever feel the same way about him. And because of this, Will is probably left to feel Mike has forgotten how they used to be. When we get that crazy together callback in s5 I’m going to scream. Because OF COURSE Mike remembers. He remembers all of it, but it’s too painful when he thinks his feelings aren’t reciprocated. Imagine fully-developed and confessed feelings “crazy together” with a crooked smile and a kiss. I’m going feral over the byler kiss possibilities and all their precious moments from earlier seasons that would make for PERFECT “full circle” moments.
I can't remember who made the post (whoever it was, let me know), but I'm thinking about how someone said El and Will both represent the different sides of fight or flight trauma responses. El is fight. Will is flight (or I guess freeze/flight).
El was taught to use violence growing up. Which is why her first instinct when looking danger in the eye or when she's upset about something is to typically get violent. I mean, we saw it when she threw Lucas off of Mike, when she melted those lab people's brains, when she threw those waffles and that book at Hopper and hit him with the couch, when she threw Max off her skateboard, and etc.
These are the two most recent examples.
El represents the "fight" aspect of fight of flight.
Will on the other hand has been shown time and time again to flee or freeze when faced with dangerous or upsetting situations. (And the two times he did stand his ground and "fight", he got kidnapped and possessed...so it makes sense for him to want to not fight anymore and to run). I mean we saw it when he ran away from the "Demogorgon" (before trying to fight and getting caught), he spent all of his time in the Upside Down running and hiding, he ran away from the Mind Flayer MANY times (obviously before following Bob's advice and getting possessed), and etc.
And two of his most recent examples is when El was getting bullied. He completely locked up.
Will represents the "flight/freeze" aspect of fight or flight.
I don't know...I just think it's interesting that Willel are on different sides of the spectrum when it comes to trauma responses and how they deal with dangerous or upsetting situations.
coming back just to reiterate that the way will and mike look at each other is with the most intense longing I have literally ever seen and if byler isnt canon Finn and Noah are in love with each other me thinks
Re: Last Lonnie post but a reminder that most of the town likes Lonnie than they like Will. Yeah they have search parties because they aren’t heartless and he’s just a kid but what happens when he doesn’t die innocent and instead grows into his sexuality. That one guy who talked to Hopper knew what Lonnie’s kid looked like so he probably knew what Lonnie said about him. Billy was in town for a day and he knew that Will was the freak. Troy and his dad are not meant to be outliers, they’re just the ones who are the most vocal.
"Wait, are you- are you giving me a hickey?"
Mike pauses what he's doing, feeling almost like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, his mouth hovering mere millimeters above the soft curve of Will's neck.
"Um," he says, lips brushing against warm skin, and he can't help but revel a little in the way it causes Will to shiver. "No?"
"Mike."
Will lets out a small, frustrated groan, and Mike knows, okay, he knows - no hickeys in visible places. But they had been making out and then Will's neck was right there, looking all inviting and delicious, and Mike's brain just kind of... short circuited. Can you blame him really?
Still, he feels a little bit bad about it. Especially when he, mournfully might add, lifts his head and leans back to see Will's face being all pout and sad eyes.
"How bad is it?"
"It's, uh," he glances down at Will's neck, winces a little at the bruise that's starting to blossom there, before looking back at Will. "You can barely see it?"
"Ugh," Will drags the palms of his hands over his face, before letting the right one slide down to touch the offending spot, as if he could tell what it looks like from touch alone. "I won't be able to show myself for days."
Mike rolls his eyes at that, because honestly, it's not that bad. Besides, there's always turtlenecks, but when he tells Will as much, he gets a glare and a shove to the shoulder in return.
"Hey, turtlenecks are great for hiding hickeys," he insists, wiggling his eyebrows a little, and smiling when he sees the corner of Will's mouth twitch a little. "That's probably why they were invented in the first place."
Now its Will's turn to roll his eyes, but his pout is slowly turning into a smile, so Mike counts it as a win.
"Besides," he continues, hand coming up to curl around the collar of Will's tshirt, tugging slightly on the material. "You look really good in 'em."
Will blushes at that, and Mike feels his own cheeks heat up a little, too. It's still new, the whole being able to say what they really think, how they really feel. Even if it's just a compliment, or the use of a pet name, or- or accidentally giving each other hickeys during a make out session. That's new, too.
Mike likes it, though. Likes the newness of it all, the nervousness of not really knowing what they're doing, but happy that they're doing it together. He thinks that there is probably nothing that he wouldn't want to do with Will, that this is just the beginning of all the new, wonderful things they'll experience together.
"Maybe," Will says, bringing Mike back to the present. "But it's also the middle of the summer, Mike."
"Yeah."
"Yeah," Will echoes, looking up at Mike with fond amusement. "I'll die if I wear a turtleneck in this weather."
"Oh."
Mike blinks, seeing a hint of mischieviousness in Will's eyes, feels his heart speed up a little when Will reaches up to tuck a lose strand of hair behind Mike's ear. His hand stays put after, palm gently cradling Mike's jaw, as he pulls him closer until their noses touch. Will leans up a little, closing that last bit of space as he lets his lips brush against the corner of Mike's mouth, sighing contentedly when Mike turns his head into it, capturing Will's lips in a kiss. It's gentle, unrushed, like they have all the time in the world. Mike hopes they do.
"So," Will hums, in between kisses, pulling Mike even closer, his voice all feigned annoyance. "I guess we'll just have to stay here until the hickie has gone away."
Mike is definitely more than okay with that, and if he somehow happens to give Will a few more hickeys, by accident of course, then they'll have no other option but to stay just a little bit longer.
ONE YEAR OF: STRANGER THINGS 4 VOL.1
march 22nd, 1986 in the closet (at rink-o-mania) aka, a date gone wrong.
Ngl I do like the headcanon that Will wouldn't like Eddie, just for the angst, u know??
Like in s3, you can see Will trying to make a DnD campaign to bring the party together
Whereas Eddie's DnD campaign in s4 tears the party apart
I think it's obvious that Will cared more about having time with his friends over actually playing DnD, the game just ended up being the thing he thought could bring them together and the thought of DnD being something to hurt their friendship would definitely hurt Will.
I also think Will would be on Lucas' side with the whole "I don't want to get bullied" thing, even if he wouldn't be too keen on trying to hang out with popular kids. I think he would prefer to stay in the background, which is what he does for like the whole of s4, especially at the start in Lenora High, it's like he was invisible to everyone but El and that one girl who liked him.
Whilst on the other hand, Eddie is all about being proud to be a freak (and whilst Jonathan is similar, he does it in a much more subtle way). Moreover, Will's comments about how he feels 'different' and a 'mistake' as well as his efforts to blend in whilst in California make me believe that he would be incredibly insecure and self conscious about being around someone like Eddie; he obviously doesn't want to be a target.
And so therefore, I think that if Will ever got the chance to meet Eddie, he would either dislike him or try to avoid him when he could. However, in time I do think he would admire Eddie's willingness to be himself.