#hints of mileven

[swingthesameway]

I'm sure someone's said it before, but it really is funny to me that genuinely almost every canon ship in Stranger Things has been part of a love triangle but some people still refuse to believe that Mike, El, and Will are actually in one just because they don't want to see Byler as an option.

Dustin, Lucas, Max.

Steve, Jonathan, Nancy.

Bob, Hopper, Joyce.

Dan, Robin, Vickie.

Duzie never involved a love triangle, but also the entire process of them meeting and subsequently getting together happened entirely off screen.

El, Will, and Mike being in a love triangle follows the Stranger Things Romance Structure to a T. Thinking that Will exists in the periphery of Mileven as the sad gay boy who loves Mike but could never truly be considered an option for him is (among other things) ignorant of the way this show's writers develop their romantic pairings.

[chirpsythismorning]

Mentally I'm here (wait for it…)

[cleradinscloset]

ok so hear me out but I need mike in the upside down calling out for will like how el and will both called for mike (their love interest) while they were in the upside down

[hellinhawkins]

there is genuinely no reason that i can come up with as to why the duffers created a string of tension among mike and will other than the fact that they are building up a relationship, as you do for slow burn. if byler isn’t endgame, it would be a lot more than a queerbait. it simply wouldn’t make sense.

everyone’s said this before but they seriously could have given will a love interest two seasons ago and everyone would have been much more cool with it than they would be now. they are defining will and mike’s friendship and characters based on will’s love for mike. hell, even mileven is being defined by that at this point.

and there was absolutely no plausible reason as to why they’d do all this if byler isn’t canon. it’s more than just bad writing- we’d probably need a new name for it.

someone please explain to me why they made the airport hug so awkward and why they made byler fight in the rain like a frequent romance scene, and why they even made will in love with mike to start with if he’s only getting repeatedly beaten every season and then has to come to terms with the fact that his best friend doesn’t love him that way, because i truly don’t understand it.

[gay-mike-wheeler]

it's so funny comparing jancy talking about each other and why they love each other in s4 with mike's ily speech to el bc one of those is actually these really sweet speeches that show that despite whatever issues they're having they still love and care about each other. and show the audience that the duffers can write a good ily speech. and they actually mention specific traits about the other person that they like. and the other is a bunch of lies AND mike focusing way too much on el's powers/her being a "superhero" (like he does all season).

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Ambiguously queer Mike. . .no matter how you look at it, the boy isn't straight. . . and a moment with his older sister. And yes, bisexuals experience comphet, too.

Mike, who thought for most of his life that he didn't like girls. . .that maybe it was just boys for him. . . Until El came into his life. He never felt this way before about a girl. . .all he wanted to do was play D&D, and then Will went missing. . . Then she came into his life. He thought for a moment that he was trying to force himself to like her, and then he knew when he kissed her, when she disappeared before his eyes that it meant something. He spent months, days, doubting himself, but he knew that she wasn't dead, and the minute she walked back into his life again, his feelings for her were real.

Over the course of their relationship, he struggled with his feelings. He doubted himself time and time again. No, he likes boys. . .he likes girls. Was he trying to force himself to be someone he wasn't because society taught him that someone like him can't have it all? He was afraid of hurting El, of not being goof enough, and one day, she'd end up as miserable as his mother currently was. He wanted to say it. . .he wanted to say he loved her, but what if he didn't mean it? What if his feelings for her weren't real?

He knew they were real when Will gave him the encouragement. . .Will. Mike wasn't totally obvious. He knew Will was lying about the painting because of the letter that El had sent him. Will was doing a painting for someone he likes. Mike swallowed. Will had put his own feelings aside to make his a priority. That's such a Will thing to do. Mike would be a liar if he said he hadn't felt anything. It would be hard not to with it being Will fucking Byers. Then there's El. And Will. El. Will. El. Will. El. . .

"Goddamnit," Mike muttered.

He crawled under his covers and threw them over his head. He wasn't going to come out until he made a decision, and the apocalypse was over. The image of him breaking up with El popped into his head and her crying. . .

"Oh, I'm going to throw up. Yeah, I'm definitely going to throw up," Mike said and grabbed his trash can, pulling it underneath the covers.

There came a knock on his door, and it opened. Mike rolled his eyes. Why bother knocking if you were just going to come in anyway?

"Mike? Are you okay?" Nancy asked.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Mike asked.

"Well, I heard you yell earlier, and now you're wearing a blanket over your head," Nancy said.

"Maybe you're wearing a blanket over your head," Mike said.

"That doesn't even make sense," Nancy said.

He felt her sit on the bed, and the moment later, she was yanking the blanket away from his head.

"Hey! I was safe under there!" Mike exclaimed.

"From what?" Nancy asked.

"Feelings," Mike said and buried his head under his pillow, but Nancy quickly took that, too. "Hey!"

"What feelings are you having?" Nancy asked, holding his pillows hostage.

"I don't know!" Mike yelled and sat up, sighing. "You know, when I first met El, I thought she was a boy. I couldn't help thinking, 'Wow, he's so pretty', but it turns out she was a girl. Even knowing that, I still thought she was pretty. . .I love El, I fell so hard and fast for her, but I'm also afraid that the feelings might not be real. . .I mean, what if they're just because society wants me to like a woman? If she hadn't come into my life, I think it would have been Will, but then again, if she hadn't come into my life, Will still would be in the Upside Down. I think I love Will, too, but also, when I think about breaking up with El, I want to vomit."

"Wow. . .uh, that's a lot to process," Nancy said, blinking at him.

"Take your time," Mike said.

"Well, I think it's possible that you might like boys and I can't tell you how I know this, but you can like boys and girls," Nancy said.

"You can?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, and for some people, it takes time for them to accept that. So whatever you decide, I'll support you, but you know, you also don't have to figure it out right now or feel like you have to make a decision," Nancy said.

"We could die at any moment, Nancy," Mike said.

"That's true every single day without all of this bullshit. You can't let that pressure you," Nancy said.

"Why didn't you tell me about the whole liking boys and girls, thing?" Mike asked.

"I wasn't aware you were struggling with this or otherwise I would have I come to you sooner with this. . .although I just found out about this myself," Nancy said.

"From who?" Mike asked.

"You know I can't tell you that," Nancy said. "It's not my secret to tell."

Mike smiled and rolled his eyes. It wasn't hard to narrow down who she was talking about. She only ever spent time with Jonathan, especially since he came back from California. Although, now she was hanging out with Jonathan, Steve, Argyle, and Robin. It could be any one of them. Mike shook his head. He had his own sexuality to worry about. Plus, it didn't feel very nice to speculate about someone else's when Nancy told him it wasn't her secret to tell.

"I just - I don't know what I want," Mike said.

Nancy lay next to her brother on the bed, clutching his pillows.

"Well, that's fine, too," Nancy said. "I wish I had given myself more time before I made a decision. I just jumped right in because I knew immediately what I wanted in that moment. . .even more recently. I'm happy about my decision. Not everyone knows what they want, and even now, I still have some doubts. . .although, I know I've never really cared myself about what was on the outside."

"What about Will and El?" Mike asked.

"Well, if you talk to them and they love you, then they'll understand that you need some time," Nancy said.

"Thanks, Nancy," Mike said. "We should talk like this more often. . .why don't we?"

"Because our family is emotionally stunted," Nancy said.

"I think the one stunted here is you," Mike said.

"Excuse me?! It's not my fault you're a giant freak," Nancy laughed.

She hit him with his pillow. Mike glared at her and hit him with his other pillow. They laughed as they engaged in an all-out pillow fight. Mike might not have figured it all out, but thanks to Nancy, he did feel a lot lighter. He'd have time even if he had to make it.

[frozenfrogz]

I’m scared for what happens to me after byler is endgame and the three months of non stop posting about it are over. What will become of me?

[annabylers]

Byler having parallels throughout the show to jopper, lumax, jancy, stancy, AND rovickie and some people still not being able to see them as a romantic possibility will always be crazy to me

[tearsofsaudade]

eleven - angels like you

[dukeofdelirium]

It makes no sense lmao like they rlly jump through hoops to make it plausible that Mike rlly does love El when it’s made very clear that he doesn’t not just through his inability to voice it but also through his actions. He doesn’t pay attention to her, he says all of the wrong things in times when she needs comfort, he does not understand her, he deflects when confronted, he straight up lies to her face when pressured all the while making heart eyes at his “friend” and practically begging for Will to advise him to break up with her for good 😂

The entire show: Mike is good at telling the truth and bad at lying Mike is good at telling the truth and bad at lying Mike is good at telling the truth and bad at lying

Mike: can't tell El he loves her

Everyone: it's so sad how he can't tell her because it's just too true

[teambyler]

One simple trick to make it obvious that Mike and El don't have a healthy relationship:

Switch their genders. Imagine that El is a GUY with superpowers. And Mike is a GIRL who feels like a nobody next to him.

Why would this amazing guy ever like her? She doesn't deserve him. She's just some random person who happened to catch his eye.

(Pics by u/alwaysbi and from Reddit)

He heightens her feeling of inadequacy. Yet she can't imagine losing her superhero boyfriend, because her sense of self-worth depends on having this guy.

She must make sure he DOESN'T LEAVE HER. Loving him as a person is less on her mind than her fear that he will leave her. (Mike literally spends more time thinking and talking about El leaving him than about her being hunted by part of the government.)

When the time comes, it's chaotic and our superhero is in danger of dying. She genuinely doesn't want him to die. But in her love confession, she says that he is HER superhero. She still views him as better than her. She looks UP to him and admires him from below.

Their relationship has never been about them being in love with the other person, but with the IDEA of the other person, the IDEA of a conventional "happy" relationship. And in this case, one where she sees herself as the lesser half of the two.

And still, after her confession of love, he is barely talking to her! For his own reasons (in El's case, probably healthy ones), the superhero seems to have moved on. The girl's fear of losing him was actually well-grounded.

The unhealthiness of Mike and El's relationship is disguised by the fact that the show switches the usual dynamic in real-life opposite-sex couples, where often it's the girl who feels inadequate and undeserving of the guy.

We know the show DID pull back the veil at one point: Mike refers to himself as Lois Lane and El as Superman in describing how he feels:

The writers deliberately chose these words to make clearer the unhealthy unequal dynamic in the Mileven relationship. (As well as hint that Mike might like boys. =D )

Hey Mike! There IS someone who loves you exactly for being you, and unconditionally...

-teambyler

[ven0moir]

So, Bychance is on my radar and ... I think it'll actually happen.

Disclaimer, I realize this is me going full unhinged mode and some of this might be because I'm so bored lately but the more I think about where we left Will off in S4, the more I think Will might actually take a chance ( lmao? ) to be with someone new, even if deep down he knows it's not in his best interests--it'll be more a coping mechanism, an attempt to move on from Mike, and without realizing he might be repeating the pattern of his parent's relationship due to trauma.

This will ultimately result in growth for him, of course, and the breaking of these cycles. Will Byers will be free in the end, but the road there won't be easy.

So here we go--by the leaks of Holly being taken, and the outfits they are wearing, we can infer S5 Byler will mirror S1 Jancy.

Yeah. And how did Nancy start S1?

Having a one-time, two-time secretive thing with a jock ( bully ) that left a note in her locker at the start of the season.

Something something bullies leaving a note in Will's locker at the start of the season.

Something something a bully leaving a note at the start of S5 in Will's locker with a place and time to meet.

And what is one of the most noticeable things that Stancy and Mileven have in common?

Yeah, they start seemingly very passionate, only to fall apart later. Add Bychance to that mix.

Now, about the place and time where Chance and Will likely secretly meet. At first I thought it would be Benny's Burger.

Benny's Burger, which also foreshadows Mike telling Eleven something about her Benny Burger's t-shirt in EP9. It is also established in these screenshots that Benny's Burger is a place commonly used for people to hang out, likely teenagers, to engage in illegal things like drinking ( and probably more, the 69 poster above Lucas' head notwithstanding )

We also have the whole 'WE ❤️ TIGERS' posters, and Christmas Lights which we have come to associate with Will, as it has been established that this is Will's favorite holiday as well.

However, Chance and Will would have to be extra careful not to get caught, so chances are they'll go for places that aren't frequented ...

Now, the main question is, why Chance? And I'll admit this is all oh so fairly loose and likely a reach, but if we are to believe Will is going to have a secret thing with a bully, then out of all of the ones introduced in S4, Chance is the one that I'd dare to say we can connect Will with through symbolism, albeit vague.

The first time we see Chance, we see the poster 'Defeat The Falcons' closer to him than anyone else on the team even though he was on the bench.

Now, correct me if Im wrong, but if there is an association with Mike and falcons, then it could hint at Mike having lost to chance this season. Foreshadowing he loses to a literal Chance next season? Since Chance didn't come out the bench this season. Yikes. Good luck, Mike. You're gonna need it.

We also notice he's sporting the number 22 in his shirt ( which considering the attention brought to t-shirts this season, I'd say this means something, especially bc 22 is Will's birthday and it is also speculated to be the date of the Creel Murders -- Chance and Will meeting at the Creel House oh god ... ).

Speaking of 22, this scene is interconnected with Will in California through music--it does have a similar context in which both Lucas and Will feel abandoned by their friends. But we also see what you could argue is an extra that is supposed to remind us of Chance behind Will wearing a shirt ( again with the shirts ) that says 'I love contact sports'

Moments before, we *just* saw Chance next to Lucas, in the same spot we see Mike as well--as if the two are being compared. ( Tiger vs Falcon? )

We know Will is associated with tigers, but we can also infer that he loves tigers, which connects him to the 'WE ❤️ YOU TIGERS' poster in Benny's Burgers.

This is as far as I have gone in my analysis, but I might rewatch S1 and S3 at one point to follow along the narrative patterns and see if I can uncover more.

My guess right now is if Bychance is established early on, then it might go for about a couple episodes before it inevitably crashes and burns--with Will being the one to end things, and then Byler happens at the end in a way that pays off.

[cypherheartnokey]

Mike & Will are more aware of their (own & each other's) feelings than people think.

Regarding this reblog by @ven0moir:

In my opinion most of the Byler fandom is underestimating Will’s & Mike’s level of awareness of the situation. Which is leading to some equivocated beliefs about these characters, their relationships & their possible s5 arcs.

1 — WILL’S IDEA OF MILEVEN

First things first...

Will cares about Eleven. But deep down, he knows her & Mike’s relationship is not actually real or genuine... & considers it kind of a joke, even. This is highlighted by his frequent sassy mocking remarks & facial expressions towards Mileven. He thinks it’s unserious. Will definitely suspects (but obviously can’t be sure) Mike might feel the same for him. And as far as I understand it, despite Will obviously not saying it out loud, he does deep-down know that El is a farce/façade/beard Mike is hiding behind to avoid confronting the truth.

It’s kinda like how everyone close to the Wheelers looks at Ted & Karen’s “relationship”. They, including Karen herself, know this “marriage” is a joke. But obviously, no one says anything out loud, as it’s a sensitive/taboo topic. They know that if they were to actually say or do something about it, it would disrupt the comfortable familiarity & start an irreversible chain of events.

The only reasons Will tries to keep Mileven together is because (1) he cares about Eleven, (2) he cares about what Mike seems to want/need at the moment & (3) Will has self-sabotaging traits: he’s too afraid himself of what a romantic relationship with Mike would actually mean.

If you pay attention, when Will is trying to “fix” Mileven, he never once states or implies that Mike loves her. The only thing he states is the reverse: that Eleven needs Mike, & therefore she deserves him. “But she’s sad, mommy!”.

This was never about Will thinking “Mike truly loves Eleven”. It just means that right now, he knows being with Eleven is what Mike seems to need (for other reasons other than love) & being with Mike is what Eleven seems to need too.

2 — WILL’S ROMANTIC MOVES

I believe Will was sending hints intentionally too, you know, “just in case”. In the remote possibility Mike would ever want this with him. Even though Will isn’t sure this could be possible, he still tries in a low-key way, which is a testament to his (thin but resilient) remaining thread of hope.

I think that he also sent an intentional hint through the red heart in the painting. Words don’t come easy.

Will’s trying to subtly tell Mike that underneath his (apparent) friendly gestures, there is a romantic undertone & an invitation to maybe start something deeper & “serious” between them.

And he’s hoping that Mike takes the hint, understands it & gives some type of *sign* back—makes a move—without Will having to spell it out for him in an obvious way.

3 — MIKE’S PERSPECTIVE

Like @ven0moir, I’ve always wondered if Mike’s behavior in these conversations (Rink-o-Mania for example) is actually him “testing the waters” & trying to get SOMETHING out of Will. Like, pushing the emotionality up in hopes that something ends up “spilling” out. So that he can be “sure”.

The problem is, he's adopting the cowardly, toxic & therefore wrong, approach. From a character standpoint, Mike needs to be the one who makes the unambiguous (sincere) first move. Why? Because he naturally & inherently craves being the masculine, protective, proactive, BRAVE energy in his relationships.

But in this particular case with Will, he’s still too terrified of doing that, because of multiple factors. He’s not prepared, yet.

He hasn’t grown enough to (1) learn that this is what he must do, & (2) decide that this is what he WILL do—despite the fear & everything else. Hence his hero journey, set to happen throughout s5.

4 — THE MUCH-FEARED TURNING POINT

I think they’re both aware that *something* is going on between them. But they’re both afraid of making the “first move”.

Because they know—they just KNOW—that the very moment it happens in an unambiguous way…

…there is no going back. It changes everything. Forever.

And they know that, from that very moment, they will have to deal with the real consequences that come after.

Pay attention to their nervous gulping while making eye contact during their tension-filled heart-to-heart (s4 scene in Will's bedroom).

This is completely uncharted territory for Mike & Will. They are so scared.

“Our relationship is going to change permanently”. “I might lose him forever as a friend.” “What comes next?” “How will we act with each other from now on?” “Even though I want this, it still feels weird & unbearably shameful.” “What does the future hold for us?” “What if others find out?” “How will people react? Our friends? Our family?” “Is this even a morally good option?” (Religious/cultural guilt) “We will put ourselves in danger” (stigma, ostracization, loss of opportunities, hate crimes, health risks, AIDS) “What will happen to Eleven? How will she feel? How will she react?” “What if I’m just imagining things?” “What if he freaks out?”

The questions are endless. All of these thoughts, beliefs & doubts, even if unconscious, would be tormenting two queer teen boys from 1980s rural Indiana. Like an impenetrable wall or obstacle made of uncertainty, fear, hurt, shame, guilt, hopelessness.

5 — HOMOSEXUALITY IN THE 1980s

I think many people in the Stranger Things & Byler fandoms—probably because they’re still so young or just sheltered—heavily underestimate or straight-up dismiss the overwhelming impact of the above factors.

For teen boys, it’s incredibly difficult (from a social & emotional standpoint) to act upon queer feelings even today. In 1980s Midwest America… being homosexual & engaging in homosexual behaviors was one of the worst possible TABOOS you could be involved in.

I mean, let's be clear: on a literal wide scale (unlike today), gay men were associated with the worst of the worst: weakness, shame, ostracization, mental illness, moral corruption, filthiness, disgust, disease, pedophilia, death... the list goes on.

The only contexts where "the lifestyle" was more-or-less tolerated were in very specific environments in very specific big cities—still accompanied by many risks & stigma nevertheless.

By s4, Will & Mike are 15 years old. They know homosexual men exist, somewhere. TV, movies, books, music, people—all of them talk about it, even if rarely, subtextually or in a neutral or negative light. They've gone through puberty: they know what they themselves feel. They know what they crave & desire, emotionally & sexually. Mike knows Will is an effeminate boy & about the rumors of Will being gay. And they are also aware of how they act with each other & of how their relationship is not like their other friendships: which means they very likely have at least suspicions about each other's feelings.

What they don't know, though, is IF it will ever be possible to actually fulfill those needs, & fulfill them with any semblance of safety, peace or happiness. And by consequence, they don't yet know HOW to proceed exactly—which decisions & choices to make.

This is why they are behaving in such subtle, careful, guarded, defensive, angsty, roundabout ways despite correctly suspecting what is going on.

Mike knows what he's feeling... he's just too stubborn, insecure & fearful (at least for now) to be able to accept & come to terms with its real-world implications—let alone act on it properly.

6 — BYCHANCE & MIKE

The only thing Mike cares about right now is mending his friendship with Will, keeping him close & selfishly/possessively making sure Will isn't pursuing anyone else.

Which is, of course, unfair to Will (& to Eleven as well obviously).

This, I believe, is what is going to lead to s5 Will "taking a chance" on someone else who acts sooner than Mike.

Because, even if he suspects Mike reciprocates his feelings, that's still (understandably) not enough! The way Will functions romantically requires that Mike be the one to "bravely" pursue him & make the first move. This push-pull dynamic is even demonstrated in the lyrics of Should I Stay or Should I Go. Romantically, Will is not in the pursuer role. Mike is.

And as we know, Mike is avoiding. Stalling. Procrastinating. Getting late. Postponing the issues he needs to face. Which is another recurrent motif/pattern consistently foreshadowed & associated to Mike throughout the show.

7 — CONCLUSION

So, for those in this fandom who are still very young, let me end this post with a very important lesson on romance:

Will isn't wrong for getting involved with someone else. He can't wait forever. He has already made his moves, sent his hints to Mike.

This is on Mike now. He needs to grow. And if he truly wants Will for himself only, he needs to act!

🗝⸮₎₎⁾⁾⸝⁺⋆｡ﾟ⋆⸜﹒⋯﹒

To see more of my Bychance posts, click here -> BYCHANCE MASTERPOST.

[hellinhawkins]

”byler would be rushed!”

wrong! mileven kissed after knowing each other for around six episodes when they were twelve, and eleven couldn’t speak basic english! mike and will have known each other since they were five and know everything about each other! they have had intense buildup over five seasons!! hope this helps <3

“byler would be poor writing!”

wrong again! mike and will have had deeper more heartfelt scenes since episode one than mileven has and it would reveal how much effort the duffers put in to hiding easter eggs and hinting strongly in this direction for YEARS!! hope you find this helpful <333

[heartmilheart]

Queer Mike Wheeler

I swear some people don't understand how important it would be for Mike to be queer. I may be a little biased because I'm a big Byler shipper but there are so many hints that make him queercoded. He is more queercoded than Will, the CONFIRMED GAY CHARACTER. But people don't see it but that's also the point. Let me explain:

He has internalized homophobia and forces himself to be "normal" and live up to society's standards. He wants to be as normal as possible sexuality wise.

If he doesn't have internalized homophobia then it would mean that he became an asshole to his best friend, Will, and his presumed love interest/gf, El, for no reason.

If he doesn't have internalized homophobia/he isn't queer, it wouldn't make sense:

- that he couldn't hug his best friend who he hasn't seen in six months

- how both he and Will exaggerated the time that has passed since they have last seen each other. They DOUBLED the time, it's been six months but for them, it's been a year because they've missed each other

- that, despite Will thinking that he was being completely ignored at Rink O Mania, he described what Will was doing as if he's been observing him the entire time while he was supposed to have his attention on El

- when he and Will were arguing, Will said "what about us?" and he took it romantically, repeating the sentence "We're friends" twice, like he was trying to convince more himself than Will. Will meant the question friendship wise, but Mike taking it romantically might indicate that he has been questioning and thinking about their relationship that past "year"

- for him to have his eyes wide open when El kissed him in the last episode of s3 or for him to make that face after the kiss

- (still in the finale of s3) that he looked back at Byers's house for El because El didn't live there. He looked back for Will because he knows he'll miss him. You could also take this friendship wise but him being sadder for his best friend rather than his gf is very suspicious if you ask me 🤨🏳‍🌈

There are way more hints to prove he is queercoded but this isn't the point of this post, I simply went a bit off tracks.

I'm putting my whole trust on the Duffer Brothers for them to do the right thing because queer Mike Wheeler would show an experience for gay men in the 80s: suppressing themselves, trying to fit the "norm" and have a girlfriend. It would be very important for queer representation, not only in this show, but also in general because it's also "unexpected" because you wouldn't expect him to be queer because he hides his queerness in the safety of an hetero relationship.

I'm not saying mileven fans can't ship mileven, they can, but I'd like for them to understand the possibility of this, especially with that amount of queercoding, instead of saying "I won't watch the show if Byler happens".

Honestly, I think the Duffer Brothers are making it happen in s5, the last season, on purpose. What is Netflix gonna do? Cancel the show? Too late for that! It's already over!

If Mileven fans understand that queer Mike could happen and how great of an impact it would have, then I'm happy but for now I only saw two Mileven fans like that.

Anyways, heartmilheart out. Best believe I will make more posts about Stranger Things 😎 (I have some in mind already)

[thedayidiedwasthedaythatidied]

If you have byler doubt just remember this:

just imagine how crazy the people who shipped byler before season 4 dropped felt.

the hardcore byler shippers have been picking up on the hints all throughout the first 3 seasons, at the time feeling crazy that the majority doesn't see what they see, making video essays and proof slides. i once searched up season 1-3 byler proof on YouTube, and I found a video from 2019 with the comments turned off. they were probably turned off because the milev*ns went crazy.

and at the time, they probably thought "this would be cute but it's probably never gonna happen, let's be honest", even bylers probably thought that it would never happen. and that all the clues were just coincidences or something or that they were being delusional

THIS SHIT HAS BEEN PLANNED SINCE SEASON 2.

in the original snowball script, will was supposed to be the one to look at mike dancing with eleven wistfully.... but in the SHOW they changed it to MIKE looking at WILL and the girl dancing wistfully. come on now. why would they change that if it was unrequited on will's part.

milevens didn't even THINK will could be gay at that time.

but then guess what happened?

season 4 drops and we get the van scene, the bedroom scene, the rink o mania fight, the airport scene, mike's hidden and implied jealousy, wills yearning and the fact that he was CONFIRMED GAY AND IN LOVE WITH MIKE BY THE CAST AND CREW?!

the pre season 4 byler truthers that were called the most delusional beings on the planet got REWARDED with the downfall of melven's relationship and mike and will having their ABSOLUTE GAYEST SEASON YET

who would have guessed that would happen before season 4 besides the hardcore byler shippers.

they didn't give up hope and time. proved. them right.

here are a couple other things to remember....

lostlettergate?

them being paired together SO MUCH next season?

noah being extra cautious on not spoiling anything about byler in season 5?

how apparently noah and finn had to start filming like two months before everyone else?

interview with the vampire book series being on the season 5 vision board?

noah saying that his favorite scenes that he ever filmed with finn are in season 5?

loverslakegate... noah liking that tiktok and then deactivating his account?: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjv9Bx1y/

church gate?

this?? :

we shall not prevail because some milkvans on tiktok are getting are little too brave with their blatant homophobia and because of the stranger things sub reddit's existence.

we are not delusional.

we shall not prevail.

we will stay strong.

november 26th, 2025. we ride at 8pm eastern time/5pm pacific.