they were fucking insane for this

mike really said meeting will is the best thing he's ever done, that if ever will goes crazy, it'll be okay because he'll go crazy together with him, and home will never be the same without him... and we're all supposed to think that will is the one canonically in love with him and not the other way around??? or that there's no chance of his love being reciprocated?????

it's funny because if you think about it, mike has shown and said more things pointing towards that than will did. will's feelings was only made obvious in season 4 and most especially in his speech in the van. but like... mike? he showed so much care for will throughout the seasons, and it doesn't stop with his actions because he said it in words, too.

they're clearly so important for each other and doesn't have that deep, special connection with other people the way they have together. we're going to get a beautiful payoff for this relationship and i truly believe that. nothing can convince me otherwise.

fuck it just mike wheeler looking at his best friend's lips while will's confession

michael wheeler is a boy kisser he kisses boys he loves kissing boys he stares at boys in a homosexual way because he's, indeed, a boy kisser.

mfs are like “yeah i’m straight” after looking at their best friend’s lips for the 600th time

One of my favourite things currently is the head canon of people thinking mike and will are a couple when they first meet just by the way they act. Like when the group bothered Steve to let them use the back entrance in the mall to go see the movies Robin laid her eyes on the two boys and as soon as they passed through asked Steve if they were a couple. And Steve only answers back with “no. But they act like one. Don’t worry I made that mistake as well”. Then with season four Eddie never got to meet will but imagine mike just constantly talked about him so much and complained that Will could never talk on the phone because of Joyce and how much will would love each of the campaigns and would add little parts of will into his characters that Eddie didn’t find out he was dating eleven until Dustin mentioned it and Eddie was so confused that he pulled Dustin aside said “what is going on with mike and this Byers kid?” and Dustin replied “we have been trying to figure that out for years all we know is that they are ‘special friends’ that never leave each other’s side unless needed and that are way closer then the rest of the party combined”.

I was watching a video about season 5 that said "There are a lot of teenage fans that would like Will and Mike to become a couple, but I don't think it'll happen cause Mike has eyes for El" Like look at this picture this is saying the opposite

Like look mans in love

one of the reasons why I'm a mike having a crush on eddie truther is bc eddie being someone's mentor is already dustins gig, so from a writing standpoint if thats eddies storyline/relationship with dustin then what is mike's relationship w him supposed to be? 🤨 Exactly

am i the only one who wants to shove mike wheeler into a yellow coin purse and carry him everywhere with me ( affectionately ofc )

You know what I want to see ? Alongside byler (of course) I want to see Mike being reached out. By Nancy, whose realizing she's losing her brother. By Dustin and Lucas, because Mike's their best friend, and doesn't feel the same anymore. Because Mike changed.

I don't know I think it would be nice for them to show support, you know ? And especially with Eddie's death, whom Mike definitely admired. I want Dustin and Mike to mourn together. I want Lucas and Mike to talk about Max (and how Madwheeler is similar so Lucas is WORRIED about his best friend yk). I want Nancy to reach out, this time, and be honest with Mike. (It would be nice if Karen decided to be a mother to him too.)

On a sidenote : I want Mike to breakdown !!! I want his walls DOWN. I want him to cry and say every little thing he kept inside !! I want him to talk about the cliff in s1!!

Someone out there needs to make a Mike Wheeler edit to I Wanna Love You But I Don't by Ben Platt, because that is pure concentrated Michael's Internal Conflict right there??

Specifically in regards to El and their relationship.

Like:

I think it sucks that you're perfect

'Cause you're not perfect for me

And though you kill me with kindness

It ain't the kind that I need

I know we look good on paper

Until you give us a read

'Cause when we pull back the curtains

There ain't a whole lot to see

I wanna love you, but I don't

I wanna need you, but I won't

I begged my heart to start to race when I'm kissing you

I say, "I'm dreaming 'bout your face", but it isn't you

...paired with synth?? 80s vibes overflowing??

Do you see the vision? Am I still associating every song I hear with Byler six months after s4? Absolutely I am.

It's insane that most of Byler's heartwarming moments and quotes are initiated and said by Mike Wheeler and some people still think it's never going to be requited on his side.

"If we're both going crazy, we'll go crazy together, right?"

"Do you remember the first day that we met? .... I asked if you wanted to be my friend. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done." (This whole monologue, seriously)

"I've no idea what's gonna happen next. But whatever it is, I think we should work together. It'll be easier if we're a team. Friends. Best friends."

"Maybe I feel like I've lost you or something."

"It's Hawkins. It's not the same without you."

Notice how working together like a team is a present subtext to most canon relationships? It's not a one-sided give and take dynamic, not "I" or "You", but "Us". And Mike, when he talks to Will, always pertains to the both of them as a team- they need to be together, never dealing with things alone.

And thinking back to every moment in the show, Mike is always the first one to act and notice everything relating to Will.

Season 1 Mike who without hesitation initiated a search party for him and didn't give up on finding him, even when it's dangerous. Will being missing (and that fake death) affected him so much he shut himself off at first. He hangs and keeps a lot of Will's drawings, his admiration for his works evident. He's the first to defend him and wouldn't let Troy and the bullies badmouth him.

The entirety of Season 2 is just Mike's loyalty, care and thoughtfulness towards Will. It gives the impression that while the og party are all close friends, Mike and Will's bond is different and special. He stayed with Will all throughout the whole ordeal, always the first to notice when he was unusually quiet, gone, and acting differently. He trusts Will and is more open to him than to anyone else (and Will also trusts him the most). He's the one who pulls him out of his nightmares and visions. He literally never left Will's side and believed in him no matter what.

Season 3 Mike, even though he was mostly shown with El, never lost his soft spot for Will. He's still quick to notice whenever he isn't okay (at the cinema, during the Billy sauna fight, etc.). After their argument in the rain, he immediately went to apologize to him. It's like he can't take it if they're both upset at each other for too long. When the Byers were preparing to move, he got worried Will would move on from D&D or that he might find another party. He was the one lingering behind looking back at the house when they left, knowing how much memory it holds.

Season 4 Mike, despite their awkward and weird reunion (and prolonged tension), still notices Will even if Will just tried to fade in the background. After their fight at the rink, he also went and quickly reconciled with him the next day. He always found it the easiest to confide in Will with his feelings— his safe place—just like he is to Will. Will's monologue about him being the heart of the party meant the world to him. And by the end, when Will was clearly shown still being connected to the Upside Down, he sticks by his side again.

Whether it's platonic or romantic, no one can deny that Mike and Will share a long history and deep connection that they wouldn't ever have with anyone else. They've known each other for almost a decade.

It's not too farfetched that Mike can share Will's feelings and affection. He wouldn't reject Will when he finds out Will loves him. As a byler shipper, I may be biased to believe he already reciprocates it even. With how much he cares and initiates these moments with Will, I would even think he'll be the first to reveal he's in love with him and not the other way around.

But even from a non-shipper perspective, the 'they're-just-platonic-bestfriends' people: Mike still won't completely reject the idea of loving Will the same way. He just won't, not after his reaction to the veiled 'you're the heart' confession. And certainly not just judging by the way he holds the softest spot for this boy all throughout the show. If he does reject him though, we all know that's going to ruin their friendship and I don't think the writers would just do that?

Byler has such a great and high potential to be canon, whether you look at it in Will's or Mike's POV, and if they aren't, then that's a huge waste of building up such a beautiful bond.

And if they really didn't have a romantic subtext, why would they have so much focus with just the two of them? If they were platonic, why not include the other friends in their moments? Why would they have Will be canonically in love with him? If they did that just for another plot device and towards a rejection of all things, that would be so... I would never forgive them for that (less because they're my ship, but more on with how they handle Will's sexuality). It'll be such a harmful and disgusting narrative for many reasons.

So yeah, making them canon won't only wrap up both their character arcs beautifully, but also that would make better sense for the building up they've done throughout the show.

goodnight to bylers who call mike wheeler ‘michael’ when yelling/condescending to him 💀 it’s like a drug

Protocol is actually just us Magnus Archives fans rapidly descending into s2-Jon-levels of paranoia. Granted, just like s2 Jon, we have reason to be paranoid, but it's still hilarious to see us all collectively scaling the walls of our enclosure while frothing at the mouth over our theories.

Jonny and Alex are playing us like a cheap harmonica and I'm so here for it

“mike wheeler is so straight” he can’t take his eyes off will’s lips

IF NOT GAY THEN WAY ACT SO FRUITY AND HAVE RELATIONSHIP BE SO SIMILAR TO CANON COUPLES?????????? IF NOT GAY THEN WHY CONSTANTLY STARE AT EACH OTHERS LIPS????? IF NOT GAY WHY STARE SO LONGINGLY INTO EACH OTHERS EYES????? IF NOT GAY THEN WHY HAVE ART FORM YOUR “BEST FRIEND” BUT NO PICTURE OF GIRLFRIEND????? IF NOT GAY THEN HOW ARE YOU FAILING AT BEING STRAIGHT???????

(Probably has already been said but still)