#byler lip glances

[lorax-devito]

Michael wheeler is a boy snogger

my proof-

✨lip glances✨

And honestly,I could go on forever about the lip glances but here’s some of my favourite ones that I found

[ghostlycleric]

This one really obvious lip glance Mike does at the roller rink WASNT RANDOM.

When Will admits that El’s been lying to him, Mike calls bs, and then Will NUDGES HIM. He does it when he says “no listen to me” but his hand is offscreen. It’s very subtle but I swear u can literally see Mike shake like Will grabbed his arm and shook it a bit to get his attention.

That’s what that look was, it wasnt a completely random lip glance from Mike, it was cause Will shook him. Mike was defensive at first, calling bs, but then Will touches him and suddenly the defense is down and he believes him. His tone of voice completely changes and everything.

Something something Will has a tendency to nudge Mike like that during all their arguments where they aren’t seeing eye to eye and Mike is getting defensive. Something something Mike has picked up on that and now takes that as a sign that Will is being serious and he needs to slow down and listen to him. Something something theyre such a good team even when theyre arguing.

[mikesbasementbeets]

mike & (not so) covert glances

[bylrndgm]

ONE YEAR OF: STRANGER THINGS 4 VOL.1

march 22nd, 1986 in the closet (at rink-o-mania) aka, a date gone wrong.

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

I don't mean to state the obvious but I think that Will likes Mike back

[fruitbythefoot7]

girl help i’m thinking about the movie theater scene again

[mirkwoodsuperspy]

mini rant abt rink-o-mania

in summary, the rink-o-mania experience:

"(flatly) okay."

"mmhmm. mmhmm." *hand gestures* "yeah, mine's better."

will holding that plastic bag

mike checking out jake

"problems. okay" *lip glance* "what kind of problems?"

*blue and yellow light splitting mike's and will's faces in half*

*carefully not mentioning mike's clown outfit that wasn't even so bad*

*echoes*

the hand movements from the lines "you were! you were rolling your eyes, moping, you were barely talking, you basically sabotaged the whole day." to "well, she was lying to you, mike. straight to your face, ever since you got here."

will's deepened voice from season 3 to season 4

mike's "oh he went there" expression when will said "meanwhile, el has like a book of letters from you."

"we're friends. we're friends."

"let's just...let's just find her. okay?" (there's so much to say about this line)

in the closet (at rink-o-mania)

[clingybyler]

I'm never getting over how well they captured wills emotional state in season 4 with this figure

[glisten-inthedark]

I really really really want a super tension filled almost kiss between Byler before we get an actual kiss, I think that’ll make the build up feel even bigger and more exciting

I personally want it to be like, they just narrowly escaped something or they got separated and they grab at each other and hold each other’s upper arms/shoulders really close to each other (kinda like a parallel of Halloween in s2) and checking on each other (“Are you okay? Are—are you hurt?” “I’m okay, I’m okay—are you—?” “I’m okay.”) and they’re breathing hard and filled with adrenaline and they look up into each others’ eyes and the moment like, freezes, the camera stays on a mid-sized side shot of both of them looking at each other, and one of them (Miiiike, make it Miiiike) glances down at the other’s lips, and both of their eyelids grow heavy and start to close and they start to lean forward juuust an inch before—

they’re interrupted

and neither is sure if they read into it or not and both gaslight themselves for just a little longer that their feelings aren’t reciprocated

Hello!

OMG I need this to be a thing! Like, I can see it in my head so clearly!!! You're a genius

[lorax-devito]

My describing every Byler lip glance in extreme detail to my friend who just asked me what Byler was:

[lesbylertruther]

i know people have been saying this (i've also been saying it for years) but i 10000% believe that if will was a girl, EVERYONE would realize that byler is superior to mileven. they would see that mike and will have undeniable chemistry and they wouldn't say "can't people just be friends" (a thing people only say when it's a queer ship) or "why do you have to make everything gay" or "they're just friends" (are friends electric guys??). general audiences are way more likely to notice chemistry between a girl and boy than a boy and a boy. it has to spelled out very obviously apparently because they have no media literacy, unlike byler who has been built up more subtly. byler is a big example of this because everyone is so blind when it comes to them.

if will was a girl and NOTHING else changed, the lip glances, the blushing, the flirting, etc... even milevens would know that they were building something up between mike and will. it's internalized homophobia (or just outright homophobia with some people) that's keeping people from seeing the light!

anyway, all of this to say, byler is endgame 💙💛

[crzytogetherbyler]

Are we gonna talk about how in s1 and 2 (arguably the most Byler seasons, specifically 2), Mike wears t-shirts with both blue and yellow?

Also during these lip glances brooo.

[bylrndgm]

*:･ mike during the van scene [4 of ?] ੈ✩‧₊

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

[myname1sca1]

Part two billion of me psychoanalyzing Byler:

First: Remember Mike's iconically bad season 4 speech? Where Will is in frame the whole time? May I present...

And...

Actually, looking at this ⤴️ they seem REALLY close? Are they just standing really close or-

Oh- okay. No, Mike is just leaning four feet to the left in order to be closer to Will.

It's kind of telling Mike... like how close can you get?

And, finally, let's finish it off with an ICONIC lip glance:

(Screenshot for a specific moment) ⤵️

[elephantshoetoo]

So, I wrote this little miwi flashback scene today. I plan to use it in The Byler Files somewhere, but I don't know where yet. Probably Vol.4.

(*warning: contains a homophobic slur.)

May 7th, 1979,

The schoolyard at Hawkins Elementary…

(It's morning recess. After staying back to talk to his teacher about a late homework assignment, 8-year-old Mike Wheeler exits the building with Miss Drew to find his best friend Will huddled in a corner, his legs pulled up to his chest, quietly crying into his knees. Mike rushes over to him, alarmed.)

MIKE: Will! What happened?! Are you okay? Why… why are you crying?

(The teacher catches up and bends down to check on him.)

MISS DREW: Will…? Honey? Can you tell me what happened?

(Will shakes his head and pulls himself in tighter.)

MIKE: Are you sick? Are you hurt?

(Still not looking up, he shakes his head again. Mike rubs his back, concerned.)

MISS DREW: Sweetie, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong…

(Will doesn't respond. He squeezes his legs like he's trying to fold in on himself and disappear.)

MIKE (to the teacher): I… I can probably get him to talk… (Nodding, she mouths, “Okay,” and continues watching them.) Um… alone.

MISS DREW: Oh. Alright. (She hesitates, but decides it's probably the best course of action.) Well, let me know if he needs anything, okay?

MIKE: Yes, ma’am.

(Once she's gone, Mike puts his arms around Will and holds him tight, rocking slightly to comfort him. He softly hums the tune of “I Want You to Want Me” by Cheap Trick. When he feels Will start to loosen up, Mike pulls back to see if he'll talk yet.)

MIKE (softly): Will? Are you okay? What happened?

WILL (sniffling, into his knees): It's… it's nothing. It's stupid.

MIKE: Hey, it's not nothing if it upsets you… You can tell me.

(Will sighs and leans into Mike, whose arm is still cradled around his back.)

MIKE: Please…?

WILL: Okay… (Mike soothingly strokes Will's hair, waiting patiently for him to feel safe enough to open up. Will tilts his head slightly and peeks up at Mike. He's greeted with an encouraging smile and relaxes a bit more. Gathering his thoughts, Will starts to talk, slowly at first, his words tinged with shame.) James and Troy were… were calling me names again. And… and everybody laughed.

MIKE: Oh.

(Mike looks out at the schoolyard. A few groups of kids are still hovering nearby, glancing at them and whispering. Mike sends them a piercing scowl and they quickly disperse.)

MIKE: What did they call you?

WILL: Troy said his dad told him I'm a… a…

(Will tears up a bit and hides his face again.)

MIKE (gently coaxing): A what?

WILL (cringing): A… a disguting… f*ggot…?

MIKE: Oh. (He looks down, wincing, then purses his lips and resolves to make Will feel better.) Well… it doesn't matter what they think. They're a bunch of stinky dunderheads anyway. (Will chuckles sadly for a brief moment.) I mean, they even waited until Lucas was home sick and I… (regretfully) wasn't here. They're total cowards.

WILL: I know, but… it's not just them – everybody thinks it. Even my dad.

MIKE: R-really…?

WILL (looking down): Yeah.

MIKE: Well… I don't.

(Will gazes over at Mike, overwhelmingly relieved to hear this.)

WILL: Y-you don't?

MIKE: No! I could never think anything bad about you. You're… you're perfect, Will.

WILL (quietly): No, I'm not.

MIKE: I think you are…

WILL: Really…?

MIKE: Yeah. Really.

WILL: But… what if it turns out they're right?

MIKE: They're NOT!

WILL: But, what if… what if they are? Would… would you still like me?

MIKE: Will. (Mike holds Will's face between his hands and peers resolutely into his eyes. He speaks gently but insistently.) I would still love you.

(A flash of joy lights up Will's whole face.)

WILL: Y-you would?

MIKE: Yeah! Of course. You're my best friend. (He squeezes Will's hand reassuringly.) Nothing could ever change that, okay?

(Fresh tears slip down Will's cheeks. He gives Mike a small, grateful smile, rubbing his thumb over Mike's knuckles for comfort.)

WILL: Okay.

(Mike tenderly caresses Will's face, wiping away his tears, then pulls him against his chest, kissing the top of his head. Holding Will securely in his arms, Mike's heart glows with a sparkly kind of warmth.)

WILL: Mike…?

MIKE: Yeah?

WILL: D’you know a f*ggot is…?

MIKE: No… D-do you?

WILL (shrugging): I dunno. Something horrible and gross, I think. It… it sounds like… some kind of… monstrous garden slug, maybe...?

MIKE (laughing): Well, you're definitely not that!

WILL (also laughing): No, I guess not.

(Mike gives Will one last comforting hug before they stand up and, hand in hand, head over to swings. Watching them from the school steps, Miss Drew smiles to herself.)

(END SCENE)

*The Byler Files, vol 1 and 2, and the first half of vol. 3 are all on AO3, under the name ElephantShoe.

Okay, now I seriously need to get back to the story I'm supposed to be working on.

(Procrastination -- the best way to get something *else* done. Am I right?)