Byler

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

Canon
Mike and Will have been best friends since kindergarten, where Mike had found Will on the swing set all alone and decided to approach him and ask if he wanted to be friends. Will said yes, and Mike told him it was ‘the best thing he's ever done’.

Season 1
Will goes missing after he’s captured by the Demogorgon. Since he's gone for most of the season, there aren’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 Eleven for misleading him.​ In​ the​ very​ last​ episode, Mike​ is​ shown to​ be​ the​ only​ person,​ who's ​apart​ of​ the​ A.V. club, who​ stayed​ awake​​ in​ the​ hospital​ to​ not​ miss​ a​ chance​ to​ talk​ to​ Will.

Season 2
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. Will also Has An 'Episode' In Season 2 Episode 2 "Trick Or Treat, Freak" Where Will Is escorted home by Mike after being scared into an episode. The Episode then goes on to have one of the most loved Byler scenes "Crazy Together" Witch still holds a very special place in the people's hearts. Throughout this season, Mike is 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 answer, he tells his other friends that he’s going to visit him to make sure Will’s doing okay. After discovering Will’s possession by the mindflayer, he helps him through it by holding his hand, after reassuring he’ll be okay, and expressing deep concern after Will uses his ‘true sight’. Mike comes to the hospital with Will and stays by his side throughout.

Season​ 3
Mike​ is​ still​ shown to​ be​ concerned​ for​ Will​ in​ the​ first​ episode​ asking​ if​ he​ was​ ok.​ Soon​ after​ when​ Dustin gets​ back​ from​ camp, it​ is​ shown that​ Will​ think​s​ that​ Mike's relationship with​ Eleven was​ gross. ​The​ two, Mike​ and​ Will, ended​ up​ having​ a​ fight​ after​ Mike​ and​ Lucas don't​ show​ much​ interest in​ playing​ D&D with​ him​ and​ only​ showed​ interest in​ girls.​ The​ fight​ concluded with​ will​ biking away​ in​ the​ rain, not before Mike makes the comment “It‘s not my fault you don’t like girls!”. Not long​ after​ Mike​ is​ shown to​ be​ at​ Will's house, with​ Lucas, to​ apologize.​ Then in episode 6, we see Mike finally confessing his 'love' for Eleven and we see Will look down in sadness. Finally, in the last episode, we have a scene between Will and Mike acknowledging that Will will never leave their party.

Season 4
Will recently moved to California and Everyone is getting ready for Spring Break. Eleven Is secretly heavily bullied but Chooses not to tell Mike. Will Does not receive many letters or calls from mike and instead paints. However Eleven Receives many Letters and A Bunch of calls. Mike Goes down from Hawkins to meet with Eleven And Will And As will goes in for a hug Mike gives him an awkward side hug. Leaving Will down and sad. That day They decide to go to the Rink-O-Mania where Will is a third wheel and miserably watches the happy couple skate, whilst hearing the lies about Eleven's Bully Angela Really being her friend. Angela happens to have shown up and pulls an awful prank on eleven causing Mike and Will to get into a fight with how He wouldn't contact him and that Will should have reached out more. Mike also blamed him for not talking so much. Eleven Slaps Angela On the nose with a "Rubber" skate as Argyle calls it and Eleven is sent to juvie. While they are packing to go get her Mike and Will talk. Making things up and making a Very Nice Scene. While packing Military shows up and raids the Byers house searching for Eleven who is currently on her way to "juvie" Argyle shows up and Drives them off. Narrowly escaping. While Argyle and Johnathan are searching for the Nina Project Mike Doubts his relationship with El. So Will, (Being the Best Boi He Is) Shows mike his painting. Telling Mike that "Eleven Basically Commissioned it" And telling him that he is the heart of the party." After that he begins to tell Mike his true feelings about him but in Elevens point of view. Mike doesn't catch on and A sorrowful music plays as Will Quietly Cries to himself. After rescuing el they end up in another Surfer Bros Pizza to Enhancing Elevens powers to kill vecna from max. There Eleven Is Caught in Vecnas grasp and Will Has to Tell Mike to say he loves her. (It is still unknown if it was true though.) After that they head home to Hawkins and Go to Hoppers cabin and Will asks If Eleven Is Even Talking to Him He Replies With "Not much" And proceeds to talk about how she feels. But Will turns the conversation around. Denying what Brenner said. Then they start to talk about how they hope one is dead and rotting. To witch Will Responds, Teary Eyed, "He's Not. Now That.. I'm here... In Hawkins. I can Feel him. And He's Hurt. He's Hurting. But He's still alive. Its strange knowing now who it was this whole time but.. I can still remember what he thinks, and how he thinks and he is not going to stop. We have to kill him." Mike responds with "And we Will. We Will." Placing his hand on Will's Shoulder. Comforting him.

Quotes
Mike - I Don't Know. Sometimes I Feel Like I'm Going Crazy.

Will - Me, Too.

Mike - Hey, Well, If We're Both Going crazy, Then we'll go crazy together. Right?

Will - Yeah. Crazy Together.

- 2x2 Mike Comforting will After an Episode from the Upside Down.

"Will! Will, I'm sorry, man, alright? I was being a total asshole. Please, can you just come outside and we'll talk?"

- Mike knocking on Will's door after their argument. 3x3, 'The Case of the Missing Lifeguard'

"I’m the only one who cares about Will!"

- Mike.

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

- Mike to Will.

Behind the Scenes
In an interview with Variety, Noah Schnapp, who portrays Will Byers, stated that he believes that it is "100% clear" and a "very real, obvious thing" that Will is gay and is in love with Mike.

Fanon
Typically this ship is looked down upon, as Mileven is the canon ship of 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 realizing Eleven wasn't for him. Throughout the series, Byler has been popular.

On AO3, Byler is the fifth most written ship within the Stranger Things (TV 2016) tag; Mike’s second most written, and Will’s most written.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Will/Mike tag on FanFiction.net
 * Will/Mike tag on FanFiction.net

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