i like to believe henderhop got together in their 20s. dustin is on his way to some tech company and is feeling overwhelmed while el is wondering what to do with her life and they had dinner because they dont know whats going to happend and they are scared but they are scared together so its easier.
its months of them getting dinner just them and it was never really a date it was two best friends finding comfort in each other while they navigate the world on their own and just somewhere along the line they fall in love and it feels like the most natural thing in the world
It started with me seeing an edit of them on Twitter a couple of months ago and I noticed the potential…
• Like their goodbye hug… it was so lovely, warm, genuine and emotional. Like they didn’t want to let go. Just look at how El is touching Dustin’s hair???
• The camera zoom-in to THEIR faces when they see each other again at the starcourt… why just them two?
• The way he cared about her in season 1 when Mike said “El can find them!” and Dustin looked at El who sat by herself, hugging herself, looking scared.. “Mike look at her!”
• The way Dustin said “wow” when El had done her makeover with the makeup, the dress and the wig.
(And Lucas’ reaction of that lmao)
• In season 2, Dustin wanted to impress girls with his pearls so many times with his funny “grrrr”, and when he met El again in the last episode, the first thing she did was to look at Dustin right after the hug and say “you have teeth” 🥹 I don’t know why but I found that so cute. The look on Dustin’s face was like “you noticed?”
Like.. they could be a perfect example of a potential friends to lovers trope. I doubt it will happen though, mostly because of Suzie, but a girl can dream.
Dustin would probably stay with her, because after Eddie, he knows that we wouldn’t be able to live with knowledge that he left another friend in upside down to die alone
this is secret henderhop propaganda 😆 because tell me why they are using the break up letter and Mike and El splitting a Pizza like is a heart breaking in two... like I don't think it really means anything but the artist is a secret byler lmao
and on both of these El is alone, because Dustin, her future partner, is in the other place :)
I just noticed that this shot represents Eleven’s independence. The pink “I” in the background? With a STAR above it? ⭐️
And then this huge Coca Cola sign (and we all know that Coke represents El in season 3) and there are blue mugs behind the sign. Which means El is gonna leave Mike (blue) behind but he’s still gonna be a part of her life (foreshadowing their mutual breakup)
And also I noticed the lights… there is four of them. Remind you of anything?
Dustin's mom is always saying to him that she loves him he will have zero problems saying it to El when they get together in the epilogue... he will do it every day and even too much