#THE PAINTING

[chirpsythismorning]

I swear this was a fever dream

[zooperspy]

“What painting?” The two words that are going to break Mike Wheelers brain

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

[gayofthefae]

I just realized something so sweet and personal about Will's painting.

Their DnD characters don't look like that. We saw him draw them plenty in season 1. Will the Wise has a long beard and Mike's character I think has straight blond hair.

Will didn't just draw their characters per usual, he drew them as their characters. He's drawn Mike's knight character a hundred times. But he's never drawn Mike as a knight. He was understanding that Mike's character is a projection of who he aims to be, like all of them, so he drew MIke as the knight this time. For the first time.

That's what this smile is. Mike has played a hero for years. But he's never been one. He saw a dragon and probably expected his character, overjoyed with more of Will's familiar art, but instead, he was met with a glorious knight in shining armor with black, wavy hair. He was the hero this time. *(you can even see his facial expression change from happy excitement to this broad smile)

In season 1, Mike initiates the search party because of Will's heroics in DnD meaning that he would do it for them. He acknowledges that Will's actions in character are still his own. This is the same. This is Will saying "To play a hero, you have to be one yourself. And you are. I see through your character disguise. I see you. This is just the hero you've always been without the mask."

THAT is why it's different. THAT is why it's so much more personal than all the others, not just the heart, MIKE. THAT is why it hurts so bad (Will too but I'm referring to me/us).

I've said in a previous post that it wasn't about the heart, the heart was kind of for us, it was more-so about the heroism. And that's exactly what I standby. The heart isn't the only new thing about this painting. The hero has never actually been Mike before. And Will responded "Yes it has been. It always has been."

[babybluebae-933]

okay but hang on does mike not know that will is lying about the painting? It’s one of the first things eleven tells him in s4; Will is painting something special and she thinks he must like a girl and that’s who it’s for. whyyyyyy would she tell him that if it’s a painting she commissioned for him?

I don’t think the disappointment in the van scene is because he thinks the painting was actually commissioned by el, I think he knows it’s from will, for him. And his wildest dreams have told him that it meant something special. That he means something special to will. It would be crazy for him to say it out loud because they’re best friends. They’re just friends. And he has a girlfriend, who he… cares about.

But somewhere deep inside of him, he was hoping that will would be the brave one. That he would be the one to do it, to say what’s unsaid, to make mike feel better like he always does. Find a way to explain what’s been happening between them the last two years. He wants to talk to him so bad; he calls all the time, but the line is always busy. Is it normal to be this upset over a best friend? He doesn’t know but he can’t think about it, not really.

He thought will would be brave, the one to admit it. I’m not joking, unless you are. I would be with you forever if you just asked, but if you don’t then I never will either and we’ll just stay like this. The only thing worse than loving you would be losing your friendship. Have you ever felt guilty about how much you cared about a friend that was actually just a friend?

He has just realized what he wanted. It came the closest to the surface that it ever has, he was as hopeful as he ever has been. But it turns out its from el. Or at least that’s what will wants him to think, and why would he lie about that? Friends don’t lie. Will won’t say anything; it was stupid to think that he would anyways.

If mike wheeler had one fucking brain cell to spare, he would figure out that will lied about the painting because he loves him. He made it for him because he loves him, and he lied about who it’s from because he loves him. But that sounds too good to be true, so he concedes within himself and says okay, maybe will made this for me because he cares about me but more important than that, he wants me to be with eleven. It doesn’t even occur to him that will could want to be with him but would rather mike stay with el and never find out the truth if that’s what would make him happiest.

He’s smart enough to figure out what’s really going on in the van scene, he’s just not confident enough to believe that it could be real. It is too good to be true, so it must not be.

Mike is realizing in this moment that he is upset that the painting is from his girlfriend not will. It’s obvious if he did have any feelings for mike, he doesn’t want to share them. And he wants mike to be with el. And because mike cares about will more than anything, that’s what he’ll do. Will told him to say the thing to el? He’ll say it. Will told him el loves him and needs him? That’s where he’ll be.

It’s the same look at the end of s3 after el kissed him and said she loves him back.

Wasn’t that exactly what I wanted?

Why does it feel like this?

Why doesn’t it feel good?

Why am I thinking about will?

There are some desires held so deep within us, you can’t even acknowledge the possibility of it until it’s actually physically happening, it would be too devastating otherwise. To admit even to yourself, that you want this thing that is so stupid and so impossible and so weird and so unacceptable. It’s better to never acknowledge what you want than it is to really really want something that you can’t have. Especially about this stuff. Because it doesn’t end at feelings for will, if this happens it means the entire rest of his life is different. And that sounds dramatic but really it’s not, what if I acknowledge my feelings for this person and what they really are, and what if I can’t have it? My world is shattered, the bubble is burst. And I don’t even get what I wanted. Especially in the 80s. he would be ostracized, judged. Different for life, weird for life. If he can’t have what he really truly wants, why shouldn’t he have the next best thing? A normal easy uncomplicated life with eleven. With a girl.

Mike is smart we’ve seen that. I think he knows el didn’t commission the painting. He's upset that will said the painting is from el, and he’s upset that deep down he really wanted it to be from will. But he doesn’t know what this kind of upset means, and he doesn’t know what to do with it.

mark my words s5 will be PACKED full of anxious overthinking overanalyzing mike wheeler and i cannot fucking wait.

[retrokittytakeover]

Not but guys will would definitely call Mike sweetheart. like he basically already did.

[pinksmonkey]

I got him for Christmas and I love him so much! He's so cute holding Will's painting, and I love this outfit from season 4. ☺️

Byler is so real. This is literally Byler merch. XD

[gayregina]

GUYS, I AM LOSING MY MIND

When I tell you I’ve never bought anything so fast in my life

[tinitiny]

WHY ARE WE IN A ROOM?????

[chirpsythismorning]

Never getting over how accurate this meme was 😭

[byler-com]

“Will is painting a lot, but he won’t show me what he’s working on.”

It’s finally done !!

After 4 days of painting I finally have my own Byler Painting™

I love it so much it’s going up on my wall,

Everybody thank Will Byers for creating this masterpiece <3

[multifandom-gif]

HARVEY SPECTER & DONNA PAULSEN in SUITS, 6x12 “The Painting” ❤️

[gayofthefae]

Mike not being angry because Will lied about the painting but rather being angry that Will thought he did something good, that Will thought of it as a noble sacrifice instead of hurtful sabotage. And Mike being the one to make him confront his self-sabotaging and hesitancy to let himself be happy.

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

Guys it's not gonna be "what painting?"

It's gonna be "oh, Mike, the painting was all Will, not me"

[lizbetlovesbyler]

Will saw Mike scrunch up Els (possibly last ever) letter to him and still thought milkvan could be saved

sweet boy