Alright, I’ve already seen people talk about the overt Hanbrough moments (the hug, the forehead touching, the “I love you”s), so I’m here to talk about some of the more subtle stuff.

- A theme of guilt runs through both of their storylines.  Bill blames himself for Georgie, and boy does Pennywise prey on that.  He even gives Bill something else to feel guilty about when Bill can’t save Dean.  Meanwhile, Mike is guilty of repeatedly being dishonest to the Losers, and Pennywise preys on this.  We see during the final battle that Mike feels bad about this and blames himself for everything going to shit.

- After their first battle at Neibolt street, Mike is the last Loser besides Bev to leave.  Bill pleads with him to stay.  He leaves.  After the restaurant scene, Bill is the last Loser to remain.  Mike pleads with him to stay.  He stays.

- When the Losers are split up during the final battle, Richie and Eddie (canon love interests) are paired off, and Ben and Bev (canon love interests) are paired off.  Bill is in the basement, and Mike–wait, where was Mike?  We didn’t get to see. :(  But Mike and Bill are the only two who aren’t paired off for that.  When Bill encounters his younger self, his younger self has Mike’s bolt gun.  He uses Mike’s bolt gun to kill his younger self.  So Mike and Bill are kind of paired off symbolically in that scene, even if they aren’t physically paired off like the others.

Bill: Mikey, did you drug me?

Mike:

bill and mike: constantly framed together in the chapter two film, hearing each other out, grabbing onto each other and holding faces and pressing foreheads, affirming their emotions through 'I love you's, bill is no longer wearing his wedding ring and living alone, mike is leaving derry and staring at old photos of him and bill (and everyone else) hinting that they're gonna reunite

me:

Bill is already a sweet soft baby but he somehow becomes EVEN SOFTER WITH MIKE ??? I CANNOT BREATHEEE WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS CUTE ASS DUO BRB WHILE I FLATLINE IN A HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE

Look, it’s clear that Mike had in fact read Stan’s letter before he made his phone call to Bill. You know the letter that said “if you find someone worth holding onto, never fucking let them go.”

And I’m meant to believe that him coming out and saying that he loves Bill is just him saying “I love you, my BFF Bill.”

Nah, not with the way both got choked up after finally hearing the other say it (or at least knowing they won’t forget the other said it this time) and how both were crying a little after they hung up.

They’re in love and you can’t change my mind.

I feel slow af because I just made the connection between Hanbrough and their chosen professions.  Mike is a librarian and Bill is a writer.  Bill writes books and Mike takes care of books.  They really are made for each other. 

If this ain’t the look of someone hopelessly in love, then I dunno what the FUCK is

And when Mike said there were more memories worth remembering than forgetting ?? And Bill’s smile after?? B O I 👏🏻

This whole scene really came for my throat, huh... the audacity

mike: *takes bill to his living area above the library*

mike: make yourself at home :) <3

bill:

so ur telling me people watched chapter 2 and didn’t come out shipping hanbrough….. what

Y'all why is there a killer clown in my slowburn romcom

Hanbrough felt just as canon as Reddie and I'd say y'all can fight me if you disagree but this is a really enlightened fandom so I know y'all agree.

Hanbrough fic idea: They continually meet up in different cities as Mike takes his old lemon of a car on a journey around the USA and Bill just so happens to have the time to meet up with him to snag a drink here or grab dinner there (he doesn’t really, his book deadline is approaching and he’s spilling words across the page at a frantic pace on every red-eye flight that he catches on his way to see Mike’s sunshine-smile face in some new city or some small town or some bumfuck-middle-of-nowhere tourist trap attraction, but god he wouldn’t have it any other way).

At the end of each of their meetups, they pull one another in for a hug and do the Forehead Touch, where Bill pulls Mike down close to him and all 6′4″ of Mike goes willingly, leaning into Bill’s space and saying low, soft words like I missed you and you really didn’t have to fly out this time and I’ll see you soon, right? And the air is charged and heavy with words (other words, bigger words) that feel maybe too premature to be born from their lips yet, though they both know what it all means. It’s just that Bill’s going through a divorce and Mike’s wandering nomadic around the country so it feels easier to hug each other with restless hands and open hearts and let Mike drive on to the next city while Bill heads to the airport with electricity in his bones and chapters of words waiting to overflow from the tips of his fingers.

Until one day in early December when they’re standing outside of some shitty dive bar in Denver, Colorado and Bill pulls Mike in for a warm embrace. As he rests his head against Mike’s, Christmas lights are dancing too bright in his eyes while frigid air cuts like knives into the skin of his fingers, sitting restlessly against the cut of Mike’s jaw.

“Come home with me, Mikey,” Bill says. And he means home like his hotel, five blocks east on Colfax Avenue. He means home like his too-big bed, a whole plane ride and a handful of states away. He means home like let’s just not say goodbye this time. Like let’s stop pretending this thing that’s happening isn’t happening. Like please kiss me in the middle of this goddamned sidewalk in front of the twinkling lights and the passers-by and god and I don’t give a shit who sees.

And Mike does. He kisses Bill with 20-something years of intention and purpose and longing. And he does. He takes Bill back to his hotel and takes him apart with his mouth and his hands and his soft, reverent voice. And he does. He follows Bill back home. Back to the too big bed and the expensive furniture and the warm, sunny skies and he stays, and he loves, and he’s loved, and they’re happy.

IT’S MARCH

Uh… It’s still May…

It’s august

It’s September

on the one hand i’m like oh so bill and mike get to say i love you but eddie and richie don’t? then on the other hand i’m like well bill and mike are also gay