Mike Wheeler - Blog Posts
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'
Byler kissing
I love to draw "kiss" mini-comics. and haven't drawn them for a huge amount of time.
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
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.
"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.
weirdos on here who clearly haven’t unpacked their own internalized homophobia as well as they think they have: even IMPLYING that byler would do anything more than innocently kiss in fanfiction is a CRIME it is SEXUALIZING MINORS and it should be PUNISHABLE BY DEATH how DARE you
meanwhile the actual show:
two instances of Will and Mike very blatantly checking the other out and then ofc-
but sure. fanfic authors who write heavy byler makeouts and potentially suggestive themes should be shamed and exhiled or whatever
desperately want mike to be super doting on and protective of will. the kinda guy to hold him close and kiss his forehead in front of other guys. the kinda guy to sweep him off his feet and swing him around while singing as will has his arms wrapped around his neck and giggles like crazy. the kinda guy to constantly ask if will needs anything so he can do something for him and he internally goes nuts every time he can help him bc it makes will go :) “thanks mike” and mike collapses
This was flirting btw. They were flirting here. Just in case you forgot.
sleepy byler...cuddles. will snuggling his face into mike's neck. mike tracing his spine up and down up and down. will having a leg kicked over mike and a hand on his waist
sleepy byler...kisses. mike tiredly traveling down will's neck. soft and slow presses of their lips. nuzzling their noises against eachother's after
sleepy byler...banter. instead of boyish laughter it's calm, breathy chuckles. will lightly pinching mike. them trailing off as sleep slowly takes them
sleepy byler...mike staring at will with the most relaxed expression he's had in years. will brushing hair out of his face and keeping his hand there. fluttering eyes as they fall asleep on eachother
Thinking about the fact that Mike and Will are insinuated and blatantly shown to be attached at the hip, crying-screaming-throwing up over each other for an entire decade and now fighting / showing signs of romantic interest in each other (one confirmed)….but NOT ONE SINGLE SOUL over the course of this entire show (including their parents) has ever called their relationship brotherly or said they were like family?
honestly I’m still floored. Like.
As someone who has watched a million and a half shows and movies, “you’re my brother” or “they’re like family” is one of the easiest plausible deniability things you can do in writing to give yourself an out for a queercoded friendship (especially one with a confirmed gay character)…and the duffers absolutely refused to do it—and instead gave the familial coding to mlvn. It’s iconic.
Mike is out here raising his eyebrows and checking Will out while giving him the biggest heart eyes and I’m supposed to believe the feelings are one sided?
Please this is the flirtiest look I’ve ever seen but people still wanna act like this is nothing more than a friendly conversation between bros 😭
yeah the height difference we’ve all seen it. i wanna talk about the hand size difference
I FINALLY FUCKING DID IT HOLY SHIT. Byler cats, everyone!
i cannot. AHHHHH I FINALLY FINISHED IT.
Yeah fuckign sue YEAH I WROTE A LITTLE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM? IS IT CORNY AND CHEESY? YEAH. BUT IT'S CALLED LOVE, OKAY??
dedicated to tge two biggest byler cat enthusiasts: @doctordixon , @willgraham-clizzy
insp. and extra stuff under the cut
discussion that started it, thanks to @xbylerxstrangerthingsx
post i made about them
references i used:
We don't talk enough about the Sauna Test.
Mike literally grabbed a pipe and tried to bash Billy's brain in to protect El, and then it backfired and Billy almost killed Mike, and all Will could do was... stand there.
We forget this because as soon as Mike grabbed the pipe, the camera prioritizes Mike, Billy and El. But Will was there. Lucas was there. Max was there. They watched helplessly as Mike nearly got himself killed trying to save El.
Will has his own memories of Mike being in danger and not being able to do anything about it. Watching Mike be a knight in shining armour and not being able to stop him from putting himself in more danger than he needs to be in.
Dustin has the cliff scene from season 1 but it's Will, Lucas, and Max that saw the sauna test.
