I know what you are Michael

Sorry for deleting so many times. I have OCD and the typos really bother me.

If we go with the unreliable narrator narrative then we know Will has never been sure if it’s just him or if there’s more there. We are meant to feel exactly what Will is feeling. Because he’s an unreliable narrator. He does not in fact know what Mike is feeling. However we as the viewers do. But the little doubt we are given is enough to drive a normally sane and mentally strong person insane. We have known for years how Mike feels a little different but we just assume he’s an asshole cause hey maybe he is.

Almost exactly like how Will has felt the past few years. I feel like it’s common in writing stories like this. I truly believe we are supposed to be unsure. Because Will is too. He’s unsure up until the very end of episode 4 where we now know from Noah’s spoiler that it’s from Mike’s POV. Now we know that Mike has always been a little softer with Will. More gentle. More attentive. We don’t doubt it at the end because it’s supposed to be an “aha” shock moment. We know for certain exactly what Robin said she felt. How time slowed down. Except I fully believe that ending means that Mike realized right then and there exactly everything he’s been shoving down and pushing down for years.

We are meant to be scared. Until the end of that episode. Now we have confirmation it’s from Mike’s perspective. We will be able to see exactly what Mike sees and how he’s felt for what we know to be years. I do fully believe the turning point in their friendship was Halloween in Season 2. His home is Will’s home. As someone who grew up in a small town queer with conservative parents and having to hide. It’s easier when you don’t have the lights and cameras and everyone watching on you. The stakes are much higher for someone of higher status like Mike.

He’s the leader. He can’t mess up his what he’s assumed to believe normal life. “I’m the only one acting normal” That just wouldn’t work. I cannot wait until we see Mike’s internal battle. The avalanche. I want to know the exact moment it became undeniable for Mike and he couldn’t fight it anymore. I want to know the exact moment he gave that boy hope. I want to know exactly what Mike is thinking because we know what you are Michael and you aren’t fooling anyone. Mr “I look at my best friend’s lips”. I know what you are Mike Queeler. It’s undeniable now. Even your closet broke. You can’t hide anymore. And he knows that.

Mike going from extremely protective and possessive of Will to not being able to touch him is important. Because we know that Mike doesn’t know Will has feelings for him. We are made to believe that something changed in Mike in Hawkins when Will left for California. Now Season 4 ending Mike is left standing on the hill with Will and they are paired up like the other couples. If we have nothing else we have this. There’s no way that was accidental. El was standing at the forefront. Leads us to believe who will end up together.

Now we enter into Season 5 with Vecna violating and impregnating Will. (Ties back to Lonnie in season 1) we know that Will feels different after all that happens (I mean he literally gets violated so young) we know that Mike has always protected him. That can lead us to believe Mike has seen things. He know how Will is and only him. We don’t get the sense that Will is that close to the other guys or even that the others fully know anything that deeply about Will. Mike has always been one to stand up for Will.

So now here I pose a question to the skeptical people. Why would we have all these facts that Mike was like this with Will in the beginning and then all of a sudden Mike can’t even hug his best friend? The one scene that cures my Byler doubt is the airport. He can’t even hug Will. Will the dude he’s protected since they were in Kindergarten. The one he tried to take from Hopper when they were running from the demogorgons. Why of all times would reuniting be when Mike stops touching Will because we know when Will left for California Mike was devastated. And conflicted. Mike never looks like this in other episodes where he’s so protective and loving of Will.

This leads us to believe Mike realized something when Will left for California. Something that made him think there’s more to them then he realizes. And his mom knows because she is not stupid and she’s seen the signs forever. Mike looks back at the Byers house. El didn’t live there. Will did. And then he bikes off so conflicted. Season 4 opens with Will painting Mike a picture but El writing a letter to Mike saying she thinks it’s for a girl.

It truly seems like the one thing holding Mike and El together like glue is Will. Even the clothes she’s wearing looks like Will’s almost like Mike is getting it but not quite yet. Then he notices everything wrong with Will but not his own girlfriend being bullied?? Makes no sense. Then he clarifies “We’re friends. We’re friends.” Which Will never said anything different. He just missed them being best friends.

Which leads me to my next point. What shifted in Mike for him to realize that maybe the way him and Will have been acting might not just have been friendship? What happened in Hawkins for him to become such a douche.

Season 5 we see protector Mike again. Will asking for signs. We know they are living together and from some of the threads we know that there a book where Mike offers to let Will live with him “like a sleepover” Mike initiates it. Beginning of the episode they are all sitting together at the kitchen table and finally Mike and Will are side by side again. Which is such a crazy contrast from how Mike couldn’t even touch him in Season 4. Then we know that they leave together with Holly on their bikes but just a little further ahead then her. We know that Lucas calls Max and El lovebirds but theres shock from both of them. Mike looks almost conflicted with himself. Before this we know they meet halfway up a hill but never fully go up. And then they both look at Will a parallel to Season 4. Now we see Mike and Will in the next scene going down hill. (It’s easier going downhill then it is to go uphill. We see Will test out Robin’s strategies. We see them work as Mike crisscrosses his legs to bump shoulders with Will and then stares at him in almost like a “hmm?” Like “Will did you notice that?” And even Will is shocked. Next we have their dialogue and lots of flirting. The birds chirping. The same exact music. The exact music used when Jopper was saying goodbye this season. When Hopper goes in the tunnels. Now we see Robin looking conflicted.

Keep in mind she doesn’t know that Will and Mike are close and have been friends forever. She’s an outsider looking in. She doesn’t know their dynamic so of course she gives her speech of self acceptance and how she felt so free. The Duffers have confirmed this was about Will realizing who he is and his self acceptance arc. Now tell me why would Will be laughing if Robin was telling him something that would make him lose hope of him and Mike? Then the next scene is my favorite.

The dick jokes from earlier that episode carry over. Especially the ones between Lucas and Mike. And then we know Mike hits a pipe and it bursts but he doesn’t know that yet. He’s still helping kids escape. The next time we see him he’s popping up because he heard a hissing sound (parallel to the coke can hissing when Will saw Rovickie) he says “shit” shaking and breathing nervously. Which we see with Robin earlier. Now Mike has to go up there and stop the water from gushing Will comes with because we hear Mike struggling. Now I’m not a skeptic a lot of the times but why not just have Lucas help? He was right there. But now Mike insists on Will. They try to stop the leak (“Then they put dick in the washroom”) they do all this gripping and grabbing to the valve and pipe just to hold hands. (Let’s be so fr. Mike kept moving his hand to hold Will’s) even Will noticed. Then they get caught. After Mike says his infamous line “Mr Whatsit?”

Now my favorite turning point scene and as someone earlier in this thread mentioned. They get caught. (Tying back to gay men being caught in restrooms in the 80s) now Mike gets thrown to the ground cause now the water is everywhere and he flys back and breaks his arm or at least shatters his shoulder. Remember this for later. They obviously then have the infamous fight and arrest scene. The demogorgons attack “blah blah blah” we know now that Will starts seizing after the moment in the shed with the demogorgon almost attacking his mom. Mike notices and try’s to writhe free from the officers. They hold tight. Then Will falls to the ground. Biggest plot point in my opinion. Mike doesn’t care anymore he breaks lose and shouts for “Will, Will, Will, cmon Will” we know at this point that the military is fighting the demogorgons but they are losing pathetically might I add.

Then we have Mike trying to carry Will but they fall. Just as a demogorgon jumps over them. Will is now writhing in pain screaming because we can assume since he connected to the hive mind he feels everything the demos feel. Then we have our Vecna scene. This is the first time Mike has ever seen Vecna. And he ends up getting thrown to the ground and passing out. After the explosion Vecna creates. We see Joyce trying to stand up to Vecna and gets thrown against a car and passes out. Now Vecna has Will.

He pulls him forward writhing in pain. Reminding Will of his worst fears. That he is weak and useless. After he’s done he takes the kids and goes back to the upside down. Mike is now waking up and we see the demos go in all directions. All towards the ones he loves. But when they get to Mike. Mike is scared. Mike looks horrified. He thinks he’s gonna die. Then we get the amazing scene of Will and his flashbacks of Mike. His love for Mike gains him powers and his self acceptance arc. He snaps the demos just like how Vecna has done to everyone in previous seasons. (I absolutely love this parallel.)

We see the iconic moment Will drops to his knees dare I say in the most badass way. And Mike realizing what happened. Except he’s not horrified. He’s enthralled. And we see the slow mo to Mike smiling back to Will’s eyes rolling back in his head and Mike’s assumed POV slowing down. (Going right back to Rovickie) Mike was in Will’s tape. How Will never responded just nodded and we see all this and then Mike’s reaction. Which slows down. Which can only lead us to believe Mike isn’t scared of powers if it’s Will. Because he knows Will.

Will’s his Superman that showed up. Just in time to save his life. The reason I believe the avalanche is coming is because Mike just isn’t some crush. Will is and has been in love with him for years. They would not build us up like this just for a slow burn rejection. As much as the doubt is there it makes me believe it’s on purpose. Marketing strategy? Because there’s way too much prof for Byler. And we go back to the tape the swingsets were blue and yellow.

They are setting us up for Mike’s POV for volume 2. The avalanche will happen in volume 2 where the van scene will come back and we will get painting gate.

They simply would not lead us on this long for a rejection. It wouldn’t make sense with the story line. Will is still connected to the hive mind so we can safely assume he will be possessed again. And like AWIT has been mentioned a love confession will have to happen.

I do fully believe they put AWIT in their for a reason.

Anyways sorry this is so long. But I thought I would share all my theories and all I’ve noticed. I tried to do paragraph breaks. I apologize for any typos in advance.