Byler First Kiss Where Will Is Kind Of A Bad Kisser At The Start, But Mike Finds It Charming Because

one gay

made mike so…. babygirl…. anyway kisses for him !

#23 carrying the other one in their arms w byler because im very normal and not insane?

The credits roll on the TV screen, and Will stirs in Mike's lap.

"S' it over?" he asks blearily, as Mike smirks down at him, hands in Will's hair. They've been curled up like this on the couch for the better part of an hour, half-watching some movie Mike had rented from the video store. It's Saturday night, which means movie night, which means Mike and Will cuddling in their shared apartment, which means that Mike is basically as happy as it gets.

"Yeah," he answers, poking a finger in Will's cheek, and Will makes a face at him, scrunching up his nose. "Were you even watching?"

Will blinks, shifting around in Mike's lap and half-sitting up before seeming to decide it's not worth it and flopping back down beside Mike. "Of course I was," he says evenly, yawning. "There was, like, people talking and shit."

"Lucky guess," Mike teases, placing his hands back in Will's hair, and Will smiles a little as he leans into Mike's touch. "You okay?"

"M' sleepy," Will says, voice muffled as he shoves his face into the couch cushions, and Mike laughs quietly.

"Okay," he murmurs, dragging a gentle hand over Will's back. "Let's go to bed."

Will peers out at him, opening one eye suspiciously and wriggling around to face him properly. "I'm sleepy," he reiterates, tugging his blanket further up onto his chest.

Mike widens his eyes, leaning over to press a kiss to Will's temple. "I know," he says, "That's why we should go to bed."

Will just huffs out a breath, tucking his face away against Mike's hip. Mike smiles down at him, leaning over to kiss the top of his head again, and Will makes a pleased little noise into Mike's shirt.

"You want me to carry you?" Mike offers, and Will nods instantly, no doubt getting exactly what he'd been angling for. Mike laughs softly, gently lifting Will's head off of his lap and shifting to get a better angle. "If my arms give out, though, it's not my fault."

"I'll take my chances," Will mumbles, as Mike hooks his arms around him and lifts him off the couch with a decent level of difficulty. He's not- he's not weak, okay, he's a perfectly respectable level of strength, but his arms are sort of- stringy, he supposes, and Will's broad now, so it's a bit of a struggle as he hitches Will bridal-style into his arms.

All the exertion is worth it, however, when Will tucks his face into Mike's neck, humming happily and pressing a kiss to his collarbone. "My paladin," Will mumbles, as Mike kicks their bedroom door open with his foot. Mike smiles at the old nickname, pausing just in front of their bed and peering down at Will.

"My favorite cleric," he murmurs, as Will lifts his face and blinks up at him, a sleepy smile on his face. He presses a kiss to the tip of Will's nose, then his lips. Will smiles against his mouth, hooking his arms around Mike's neck and hitching himself higher, swiping his tongue over Mike's lip.

This is, unfortunately, the exact moment where Mike's arms give out, and he topples onto the bed, pinning Will down beneath him and squeaking in alarm. "Sorry!" he yelps, but Will's laughing, face tucked into Mike's chest. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's okay," Will says softly, wriggling up onto the pillows, and Mike shifts around to the side and tugging the covers out from under Will. "C'mere."

Mike flops down onto the mattress beside him, climbing under the covers and pulling them up over both him and Will. "This better not become a regular thing," he says to Will, slinging an arm over his waist and kissing him quickly. "My arms can't take it."

"Maybe you'll just have to adapt," Will huffs, eyes fluttering shut as Mike cups the back of Will's head, pulling him close to his chest.

"Right, because historically I've been great with change," Mike mutters, as Will runs a hand over his bicep, squeezing the muscle - or lack thereof.

"I believe in you," Will teases quietly, squeezing his arm again.

Mike laughs, kissing the top of Will's head and slipping a hand under his sweater, brushing his thumb over Will's ribcage. "Thanks, babe."

Will's eyes fall shut, and Mike can feel his breathing evening out from where his hand rests against Will's side. He smiles, watching his boyfriend sleep peacefully. This, above all else, is why Saturday nights are his favorite - Will is warm and cuddly and sweet, and they have the whole evening together, and in the mornings they can sleep in, all wrapped up in each other, and Mike- he's happy. It's moments like this when he feels it the most.

"I love you," he whispers to his sleeping boyfriend, kissing his forehead one more time before settling into the pillows.

Will's mouth twitches into a small smile, and Mike presses down one of his own - maybe he's not asleep after all.

Will doesn't respond, but his fingers find Mike's arm again, and Mike smiles as Will taps out a well-known pattern:

.-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- / - --- ---

do u ever think about how naturally these two were able to reconnect and how damn easy it was for them to fall back into their usual, reassuring, effortless friendship?? like. as a reminder, this was the first time they'd actually spoken to one other after rink-o-mania, and yet they were still able to make each other smile and laugh and blush like their fight and their whole year of distance and miscommunication had never even happened 🥺😭🥹

“BLUE MEETS YELLOW IN THE WEST”

-EYESofCORAL

Thinking about the fact that Mike and Will are insinuated and blatantly shown to be attached at the hip, crying-screaming-throwing up over each other for an entire decade and now fighting / showing signs of romantic interest in each other (one confirmed)….but NOT ONE SINGLE SOUL over the course of this entire show (including their parents) has ever called their relationship brotherly or said they were like family?

honestly I’m still floored. Like.

As someone who has watched a million and a half shows and movies, “you’re my brother” or “they’re like family” is one of the easiest plausible deniability things you can do in writing to give yourself an out for a queercoded friendship (especially one with a confirmed gay character)…and the duffers absolutely refused to do it—and instead gave the familial coding to mlvn. It’s iconic.

byler having sex could be extremely important to will's coming of age as a gay man.

hear me out.

(also - before anyone comes at me for sexualizing minors - i'm not saying i want an explicit sex scene. i don't! something like jancy's s2 fade to black would be more than enough for me.)

now back to the point:

will has heard his whole life how being gay is this disgusting, dirty, vile thing - from his father & from bullies at school. likely other adults around the town, as well, considering we hear troy referencing what his dad said about will being killed by "some other queer" in season 1. not to mention this story is set in the midst of the aids epidemic. i mean, he's from a small town in bumfuck indiana, he's no doubt heard his share of casual and overt homophobia throughout the years. (and then there's the alan turing poster in s4...) long story short, he's only heard negative things about being gay. about loving other boys and wanting other boys and desiring other boys.

but then there's mike. his best friend. the one person that makes him feel like he's not a mistake for being different. for being gay.

mike & will having sex, being intimate and together in a way will was always taught was gross and wrong, and learning that it isn't any of those things - will learning that loving mike and wanting mike and desiring mike is beautiful, and wonderful, and right - and having mike want him back, desire him back, learning that it's okay, it's good, continuing that arc of mike making him feel like he's not a mistake, that he's better for being different because he gets to have this with mike - he deserves that moment, i think. and mike does, too.

"To love is to suffer greatly at the hands of your desired and to rejoice in their arms. Love is foolish hope for hopeful fools, in which passion cycles to and from nightmares and dreams. And thus, loving is the greatest burden of all."

OMG ILYSM THANK UUU FOR LIKING MY POST!!!<33💗

i love ur art like omg what??? i'll like all of them now!!!💞💞

...

i may have a request ʕ·ᴥ·˵　ʔ...

so, im currently writing a little fanfic thing, and i would love it if you could draw something to inspire it , so I'll send you the first paragraph of the fic and i'll let you draw whatever you think fits best <33💗 ↓↓

(( It was a spring morning, the birds are chirping and the lukewarm breeze brushes past the trees. Mike and Will decide to go out for a little walk, just to catch up on things. Mike put on his jacket and Will put on his scarf, and the walked out. ))

you don't have to, of course, but it might help me gt a better perspective on the story! thank you for reading! <33💓💞💗

I hope this is some good inspiration for you lol :))

your art style is really cute too!! Keep me updated on the fic :) <3

Soulmate au but Will uses an aphrodisiac on Mike to get him to love him. Turns out they’re actually soulmates