Byler

"Do you remember the first day that we met? It was the first day of kindergarden. I knew nobody. I had no friends. I just felt, so alone. And so scared, but- I saw you on the swings and you were alone too. You were just swinging by yourself. And I just walked up to you and asked, 'do you want to be my friend?' and.. you said yes."

- Mike Wheeler to Will Byers Byler is the slash ship between Mike Wheeler and Will Byers from the Stranger Things fandom.

Pre- season 1
Mike and Will have been best friends since kindergarden, where Mike had found Will on the swing sets all alone, and decided to approach him and ask if they wanted to be friends. Will said yes, and Mike told him it was 'The best thing he's ever done'.

Season 1
Time skip to season 1, and Will goes missing after he's captured by the demogorgon. Since he was gone for most of the season, there isn't much moments between the two- Mike stops at nothing to rescue his best friend from the upside-down. After Will is presumed dead, Mike rushes home and hides away in his basement, looking through drawings that Will had drawn before he went missing, blaming Jane Hopper (better known as Eleven) for misleading himself.

Season 2
After ward in season 2, Will is found. The first moment we get in season 2 is when Will has an 'episode' (or so called flashbacks of the upside-down), and Mike comes out to check on him. The two walk back into the arcade with arms wrapped around each other. Throughout this season, Mike is very overprotective of him. When Will goes home early for no explained reason, Mike is visibly concerned for his friend and his health, and even goes to call his house to make sure he's okay. After not getting any awnser, he tells his other friends that he's going to visit him to make sure he's doing okay. After discovering Will's possession by the mind flayer, he helps him through it by holding his hand (after reassuring he'll be okay), and often expressing deep concern after Will uses his true sight. Mike even comes to the hospital with Will and stays by his side throughout the whole thin (even when unconscious).

Fanon
Typically this ship is looked down upon, as Mileven is the canon ship in the series. Despite this, Byler is a pretty popular theme throughout and most people had shipped it even before season 2 came out, and is a very popular theme in fanfiction. Most of fanfiction is based around Mike expressing feelings for Will after realising Eleven wasn't for him. Throughout the series, Byler has been decently popular.

On AO3 it is the most written ship for Will, and the second most written ship for Mike. It is the fifth most written ship in the Stranger Things tag.

Quotes
"Well, if we're both going crazy, then we'll go crazy together, right?"

- Mike to Will

"I'm the only one who cares about Will."

- Mike

"Will! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

- Mike to Will

Fandom
AO3

Tumblr

Wattpad
 * #byler tag on Wattpad.

Trivia

 * Mike is seen as Will's go to for help/secrets.
 * The two are often seen looking into each other's eyes for a longer amount of time as usual.
 * Mike often expresses the most deep concern for Will both in season 1 and 2.
 * Due to the slightly popular shipping of Byler, some have begun to write fanfiction and address the new ship "Foah" (Noah Schnapp X Finn Wolfhard).
 * The two are known to be more physically intimate toward each other than the other friends in the party (e.g. Mike grabbing Will's hand, putting their arms around each other, hugging).