Imagine if they were to carry it over to season 5. Similar to the way things played out in Little Women(2019). It even aligns with how clueless Mike has been even though somewhere deep down inside we know that he’s loved Will all along.
El breaks up with Mike within the first two episodes - she tells him they just don’t work together romantically anymore, Mike realises it was Will’s feelings being laid out in the van and that the painting was by Will himself, Mike running to will and telling him maybe he could learn to love him as well (Same as how Laurie tells Amy to not marry Fred after he sees the drawings she made of him. The final asshole move Mike pulls) and Will shoots Mike down by telling him that he’s loved Mike all his life. That he refuses to be second to El because it’s unfair to him. Mike understands then just how deep Will’s love for him runs. And we finally see Will standing up for himself after all this heartbreak he’s been put through.
Cue the timeskip and we see Mike Wheeler falling in love this time. Genuinely. No longer left to the audience’s interpretation. He’s had time to think it over and realises that it’s always been Will. Mike realises he’s the best version of himself around Will. Mike Wheeler is queer, and he is truly and wholeheartedly in love with Will Byers, and the pining is real and strong. The tension is always present. I can imagine them getting Murrayed in this situation perfectly too. Because this way, Murray wouldn’t accidentally out them to each other. He’s just going to give them the final nudge. Mike is going to have to win Will over this time (and he will. he always will) because I think Will deserves a love story where someone goes above and beyond for him.
adding onto my lighting post, will’s heart is more clear + brighter (indicating acceptance and knowledge) while mikes is dimmer and harder to spot (being literally in the dark to his own feelings)
throughout the season mike and will are consistently half-lit during their scenes.
in their fight at rinkomania, both of them are shadowed in blue and yellow (color analysis coming soon?!?).
both indirectly calling each-other out for the distance
when they make up in will’s bedroom, they are half-lit.
they apologise and makeup, but they haven’t said everything they need to
during the heart to heart with a view ( a scene in which the camera primarily focuses on will) he is half-lit
‘because what if they don’t like the truth’ relating his feelings for mike to the conversation
as he makes his masked confession, will is totally shadowed
using el as a cover for his love for mike
but as he sobs he is submerged in sunlight
he has accepted and confessed his feelings (even though mike is unaware). in his mind there is nothing left to hide, but the truth is not fully out there.
here in the cabin, mike is totally shadowed, and will is lit up
will has little left to hide, mike is still in the dark
on the couch, mike is very starkly in the dark while will is bathed in light.
again, will has accepted his feelings and been honest with himself. note that in this scene and the last there is still some shadow. his confession was a half-truth
the line between mike and the light is so clear lmao
the line between mike and the light is crossed as he reaches for will. the shadows lessen and part of him is lit up (sorry for the terrible sc lol)
• this is a cute little parallel to the super-spy hand hold, except when its in comparison to the rest of the season, i choose to view it as mike starting to accept himself
TL:DR -
•being in the light = knowing and accepting your feelings
•being in the shadows = either being in the dark to your emotions or trying to keep others in the dark by disguising them
• half and half = half-truths or using others as a disguise
i wish all the byler swiftie ao3 writer girlies a very pleasant evening. i want to bake cookies for y’all and kiss your genius foreheads. i want to cry to the bridge of ‘seven’ by taylor swift with you and shout the lyrics of ‘afterglow’ together. i want to brainstorm new ideas on which taylor swift song relates how to byler from who’s pov. i trust yall with my drink, with my whole life.
— i mean what did you think really? that we were never gonna get girlfriends? we were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?
— yeah. i guess i did. i really did.
//
— we could just play dnd and nintendo for the rest of our lives.
what was that?! why would they go through of that to clearly set up endgame couples in the last frame?!? or are they such bad writers that they didn’t realise?!
anyways i dont know why i had faith in them. i’ll collect my thought better later
In the closet starts playing right as mike says "i don't know, maybe you should've reached out more, why am i the bad guy? Why is this on me?" I seriously need to be sedated
Emotional tender music is “Letter to Willy” from the new soundtrack. Someone on Twitter compared it to the scene of them burying the body, and their heart to heart on the car. Guys…. I think we won. Let me know if you hear it too :)
EDIT: IT MAY BE A TYPO AND COULD BE TITLED “letter to Billy” BUT IT IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE SONG USED DURING THEIR HEART TO HEARTS
unambiguous true love/ letters to willy/ in the closet at rinkomania/you are the heart/ the cure pls come through with that will byers and byler screentime
yousharknotpass
snowghoul
titsay
baratheonpilled
jbbartram-illu
