if byler wasn't endgame, they'd have will be mostly over mike by now. it's that simple. his hopes wouldn't be raised since s4.
if mike hadn't given a reason for will to get his hopes up in these 18 months and if byler wasn't endgame, then will would be distanced, not flirty, and asking robin about... how to spot other queer people, how to find that kind of community, and worries about coming out to his friends and family.
we would be building towards will's acceptance with regards to coming out and fears of being shunned or not accepted, like non-bylers all predicted would be his s5 storyline. he'd be spending more time nervous around friends and family, testing the waters of telling them something big. people would be talking about how will is acting withdrawn and nervous. mike would be wondering why will is so distant. robin would've talked to will about the joy of telling steve about her sexuality and the acceptance she felt.
but no. will is staring at mike with lovesick eyes in every single scene still. he's got it bad. they're spending time on will asking how to signal and be signalled about queer attraction. that would be a massive waste of time in a jam packed show like this if it doesn't pay off. every character moment is significant. will isn't testing the waters to come out with anyone, he's flirting with mike. he's not showing big signs of worrying about his acceptance amongst his loved ones, he is learning about accepting himself, to love himself, that he can take control of his own life and be useful and grow up and be his queer self fully. he doesn't have to be held back by fear of romantic rejection, he is his own person and loves himself. he is confident and strong and he still loves mike.
if the storyline was about acceptance amongst family and friends, then the story wouldn't be focusing on mike and romance still.
if the storyline wasn't leading us to byler, then the reaction to his powers wouldn't have come from just mike, it would've come from his mom and brother and several friends. we wouldn't just focus on mike's awestruck face. will would've saved his mom in that scene, not mike. will tapping into his powers is showing his trauma and his sexuality. he pushed himself to do that for mike. not his family or platonic friends.
if will's endgame wasn't with mike, then it wouldn't have been mike telling him he's a sorcerer. his mom would've clumsily referenced radagast and fireballs, and jonathan would've talked about a childhood memory of will dressing up as a sorcerer and how free he was back then. this is how it would've gone if the story wasn't about byler.
i may not understand the full story yet, but vol 1 is giving us the first half of byler endgame. this is not the first half of an acceptance of rejection, coming out to friends and family story.
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