#and he and el work better as platonic friends

[eclipsebyler]

Mike and the “Truth” (A Long Analysis)

I always think about this S4 Byler heart to heart in the desert and how we understood the queer-coding of Will’s statements here:

And how Mike nods along with it, like he understands and agrees with the sentiment: "Because what if they don’t like the truth?”

Which will always baffle me because it doesn't make sense that he agrees here given the context of his problem.

Mike was opening up about his situation with El in this scene. How he wasn't able to tell everything to her. How he couldn't say I love you to her. He's thinking that maybe if he did do that, he would still have El by his side.

He didn't say the full details of the problem to Will. He keeps it vague. And Will tries to empathize with it anyway with his own thoughts. Something that he relates with about 'not being able to tell someone how you feel' and adding how 'scary it is because they might not like the truth'. And Mike nods in understanding.

But... why would vocalizing his love for his girlfriend a truth she wouldn’t like? When El herself has cried and confronted him about it and was asking him to reassure her that he still loves her. It’s something El has been waiting for and would love to hear. It shouldn't have made him feel scared or made him think she wouldn't like it or that it would hurt if he said it because it hurt her more that he didn't.

Unless this isn't what Mike is thinking about in this scene. Maybe he has another thing he is scared of her knowing, something she definitely wouldn't want to hear. Maybe there’s another reason why he’s having a hard time vocalizing his love for her — the full truth that he's holding back to say.

And what could possibly be a truth he’s scared El might not like?

In a few S4 scenes, we see Mike opening up about the truth to his feelings. He even starts his statements with it when he slowly gets vulnerable. 

1 - The bedroom heart to heart scene

The truth: His best friends are great, but they’re not Will. Will’s presence in his life is different from the others. Hawkins, their hometown, isn’t the same without him. 

If we recall in S1, Dustin insisted that Lucas was Mike’s best friend after they fought — Mike denies this and says all of them are important to him. Lucas, Will and Dustin are all equal in Mike’s eyes at this point of canon, they're all his best friends.

But then in S4, he says Max and Lucas and Dustin are different to Will. Will is in a tier higher than them now. There must be a gradual shift to how he sees Will through the years as they grew older. He’s more than a best friend to Mike now.

And then another truth he opens up about is that he felt like he lost Will because of worrying too much about El. 

Being in a relationship with El made him lose Will, has affected his friendship with him— but not his friendship with the other party members. This is another proof pointing towards Mike seeing Will differently from his other friends.

Instead, Will’s always being compared beside El — his supposed love interest. Mike even makes the comparison himself in their rink-o-mania fight.

When Will asks why he's been distant and didn't communicate with him for the past year, no letters, little to no phone calls; Mike retaliates with the reasoning that Will’s not his lover (like El is) for him to do that. He emphasizes they’re just friends.

What’s interesting in this scene is that Will isn’t even implying that. He just wanted to be close to be Mike again, like they used to be — best friends. 

Mike made the implication himself that if he did send a letter to Will, if he did call him as much — it would mean something more. Even though that’s a simple communication that should be normal you do with friends. Unless Mike has started thinking differently and have this exact train of thought when he thought of reaching out to Will. 

It wouldn't be farfetched. Given that Will did the same thing — he didn’t reach out as much to Mike and we know why. He must have been scared Mike would catch up on his feelings, that Mike would notice he's acting weird. He pushed him away because he’s scared of losing him.

(Mike has also felt weird the past year. Mike has also pushed Will away on a few occasions. It's easy to assume and put two and two together.)

2 - The van scene 

The truth: He doesn’t believe El needs him. He thinks she just needed someone, that anyone could have found her in that moment but he just got lucky that night. Their first meeting is not fate nor destiny, it’s just simple dumb luck.

Mike is having doubts about their relationship just like El is. El thinks he doesn’t love her, and Mike thinks she doesn’t need him. They don’t believe in each other anymore because they both see what’s happening in their relationship. Where Mike couldn’t say nor even write the world love to El even after being together for long, meanwhile there’s El who couldn’t depend on Mike and tell him the real situation of her life in Lenora. 

They’re slowly losing trust in each other, or rather, losing trust in their romantic relationship. (Or maybe they have already lost it.)

3 - The pizza dough freezer scene

The truth: Mike doesn’t know how to live without El. His life only started to have meaning or purpose when they found her in the woods. He fell in love at her at first sight and has loved her every day since. 

Mike’s monologue is an emotional speech of everything El needed to hear at this moment. Mike finally says he loves her, tells her that the reason why he couldn’t say it is because it would hurt at the end if she didn’t need him anymore, and not because he was scared of her (in relation to her worries of being perceived as a monster). He goes on a long list of how much he believes in El’s abilities and that she could do anything, that he loves and accepts her for who she is. But more than anything, El is his superhero. 

Now I don’t believe everything he said here is a total lie like most people say it is. Mike does love and cares so much about El, he does believe in her and he’s scared of losing her. El is important to him, just as she is to everyone else she loves. 

But some of the things he says here are very contradictory and doesn’t sound like the full truth — especially in relation to their romantic relationship. One of the biggest ones being how he says their first meeting is this fateful night where he fell in love with her. Out of all the sweet and cute moments between Mike and El, why is their first meeting (a horrible night for everyone no less) something he focused on and made it sound so romantic? 

It’s hard to believe because previously he admits that their first meeting is just simple dumb luck and suddenly it’s this grand romantic night of him meeting his first love. 

Nevertheless, this whole speech is Mike pouring out his love and care for El. 

However, between these three major scenes where Mike opens up about his feelings — which of these sounds like a truth Mike is scared of El knowing, a truth she (and the people he cares for) wouldn’t like?

Definitely not his grand love confession, because everyone already knows he loves El. If anything, El is the only one left doubting it and waiting to hear it. Mike finally says it, and whether El believes everything he said or not, we’re not sure of yet. But one thing for sure is Mike said everything she needed and would love to hear, not the opposite. 

“Sometimes, it’s just scary to open up like that. To say how you really feel. Especially to people you care about the most. Because what if they don’t like the truth?”

The only narratives that could fit this sentiment is the first two truths he says in his heart to hearts with Will. 

Mike might be scared of admitting that Will is more than a best friend to him now. He already grew romantic feelings for him. His life isn’t the same without Will. Mike has felt like he lost him because of El. And he wants him back like they used to. To be a team together, again.

And it also fits with how Mike admits that his relationship with El isn’t fated to happen and that it’s not going to last any longer. That after everything is over, he believes El won’t need him anymore. That with her, he feels like he’s just some random nerd who doesn’t have anything worth loving about him. Mike feels inferior to El, the same way El feels with him. They’re both stuck in this relationship that doesn’t help them grow individually.

Both of these are neither of the things he admits to El in the pizza dough freezer. He didn’t tell her the full truth (and given the grave situation at hand, I can understand why he couldn’t. El needed encouragement, not more disappointments). But more than that, Mike might still be scared of fully admitting and coming to terms with everything he feels.

I truly believe that in S5, all of these truths will be unpacked and come full circle. The biggest catalyst of it would definitely be the painting and the "You're the heart" speech. And it would affect all relationships involved one way or another: El and Mike. Mike and Will. And maybe to some extent, Will and El.

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

zuko and katara have genuinely SUCH an interesting dynamic and relationship to explore when you don’t have a bitch in your ear trying to tell you they should kiss.

like there’s nothing objectively wrong with shipping zut4ra but i CANNOT find any proper duo content of them that isn’t romantic or romantically implied and it annoys me. no i don’t think they would work. no i don’t think Katara would give up her man for that guy of all people. no I don’t think Zuko would be romantically interested in Katara. yes i do think that reducing all of their feelings towards each other into ‘romance’ oversimplifies and undermines the depth of the platonic relationship that they actually do have in established canon. yes whatever I’m sure there’s something sweet about a boy trying to get a girl to forgive him by helping her get revenge on the guy that killed her mom but don’t you think that it’s actually much more profound if there are no romantic ulterior motives whatsoever and it’s actually just a demonstration of the lengths Zuko will go to because he cares deeply about his friends and their feelings and what they think about him and he wants Katara to like him and he’s genuinely sorry that he broke her trust by warming up to her slightly before betraying them and to make sure she knows that he was being sincere and he actually was touched by what she said he tries to find a way for her to heal a wound that he knows tears her apart and it’s a wound he wishes he could heal in himself. and he does it because he’s trying to earn her forgiveness, not her love. he’s trying to earn himself the right to look her in the eye, not to hold her hand. he’s trying to amend for the mistakes of his people for nothing but the better of others.

and when Katara offers to heal him in the cave, it’s not because she’s fallen head over heels at all, or even in the slightest. she’s the first to see the light in him, and she sees a boy who’s been hurt by the fire nation in a similar way to her. she recognises that if she can convince him to come with her now, the gaang is up by a firebending teacher and a friend at best, and down an enemy at least at worst. for a moment she sees him for who he is and what he’s been through and it’s not because she likes him. the thought doesn’t even cross her mind, it’s just in her nature as a person to be caring and understanding and she has the help she can tell he needs, so she extends a hand.

and when they face Azula together? Katara was the first to reach out when it was almost the right time, and she’s the one who’ll be there to help him see it through. When he takes a bolt for her, isn’t it more profound that he jumps in front of the bolt not out of romantic love, but because Zuko is the kind of person who would put himself in mortal danger for anyone he cared about? Because his heart’s too big and because he’s seen those he love get hurt too many times to stand there and let them take it?

anyway I’ve spent too much of this post refuting romance but not actually expressing what it is i do like about their platonic dynamic but it’s late and i don’t have the words. so i’ll just say it’s such in that it would be really funny if Zuko instead dated Katara’s brother. and they yap together and she gives him a list of interests and he tells her embarrassing date stories. they also yap a lot about Aang because like. Zuko’s bff and Katara’s bf he’d probably come up a lot. also Maiko’s platonic shit-talking exes/close friends dynamic solos their romantic dynamic but that’s a discussion for another day ^-^

ship name censored because I don’t intend for any negativity to actually intrude upon certain shipping spaces lmao. i’m rarely opinionated but i don’t really care tbh i just wish there was more platonic stuff out there or i saw less romantic stuff el oh el

[callhermyname]

you're not going | eddie munson x reader, pt. 1

summary: basically the same plot of s4 ep.1; you see Eddie and Chrissy at the picnic table and get the wrong idea.

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 5.2k

warnings: MDNI!!; reader is bisexual; tiny bit of fluff, but mostly angst; Robin being the ADHD poster girl she is; crying, mentions of blood, assault, child abuse; THIS IS A STRANGER THINGS S4 REWRITE, I DID NOT CAME UP WITH THE STORYLINE!! let me know if i missed something.

a/n: this is part 1 of my stranger things s4 rewrite, so if you want to read more, you can help me by liking and rebloging this post, following my blog and telling me if you like it! If you haven't read the prologue, you can read it here. also, excuse any grammar errors, english is not my first language.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

You've all been through a lot. After Will went missing, a couple weeks after you met Eddie, your life has never been the same, and probably will never be. Your first year at Hawkins High was hard after all the shit that went down, and you were closer to the other teens and the kids now, but you really wished you could talk to Eddie about it. You felt like he would understand.

The year after that was a little better, all things considered. After Nancy dumped Steve and he and Dustin became… friends (i guess?), you and Steve got really close too, so no one dared to talk shit about you like they used to — they knew better than to upset the girl Steve Harrington treated as a sister. When Steve and Robin started working together, the three of you became peas in a pod (especially after Robin ended up learning about the upside down and El and all that). She was your best friend, someone you could talk to about anything, and she could talk to you about anything too. When she came out to you, you felt like you could also come out to her (as bissexual) and with that you, her and Steve became best totally platonic friends.

—

"Dustin, for fucks sake, Steve has been honking outside for 10 minutes, we're gonna be late, what the fuck are you doing in there?" you banged at your cousin's bedroom door.

"Don't come in! I'm naked!" he yells back.

"You know what? We're not doing this again, I'm not losing my ride because of you, you can bike to school." you grabbed your backpack and headed out the door.

Swearing at Dustin under your breath, you make your way to the backseat of Steve's car.

"What took you so long?" Steve looked back at you "Wait, where's the little butthead?"

"He's probably talking to his girlfriend, I don't care. If he's gonna be late, he can be late. I'm not losing my ride."

"Looks like someone's in a mood today huh?" Robin teased you as Steve started the car.

"Nah, the little shit might get on my nerves but you two always end up cheering me up. Unless Steve starts talking about whatever girl he's taking out this weekend, then I'd rather just eat a handful of broken glass."

"Oh my god, that's EXACTLY what he's been doing since I got in the goddamn car!" Robin turns back to look at you, holding her hands up to her ears "If i have to listen to him talk about having sex with Linda for one more second i swear to god-"

"Heidi! I was talking about Heidi! How can you complain about me talking about something you're not even listening to?"

You just can't help but laugh at them arguing like an old married couple. You love them so much it almost hurts.

"At least I'm actually doing something with my dating life, unlike the both of you." he said in a sarcastic tone.

For the next five minutes he and Robin went back and forth about how she can't just ask Vicky out and how she definitely should ask Vicky out because of the whole "people who like boobies" thing. You space out for a second and snap your head as you hear Eddie's name.

"What about Eddie?" you ask, trying to get back to the conversation.

"See?" Robin snaps "One second she's totally inside her own little head and as soon as someone mentions him she starts paying attention. How does that not qualify as having the most heart-wrecking massive crush on someone?"

"Shut up!" you bite back, trying to defend yourself, but obviously failing, because she was right.

"Ladies, ladies! Calm down, there's no reason to get feisty. You're BOTH chickening out, not asking Vicky and Eddie out. Though I actually see where Robin"s coming from."

"Steve, c'mon-" you try yet again to tell him you're not chickening out, but he doesn't want to hear it again.

"No! Look, you listen to me, how on earth do you manage to take down three military trained Russians and still be afraid to ask him out?"

"It's not that simple!" you frown, now starting to feel like a little girl pouting over your parents giving you a lecture.

"Yeah, sure," Robin snorts "you only hang out alone with him pretty much every day to help him study so he can finally graduate"

"You know what?" you snap at them "I don't have to justify my non-existent love life to either one of you. I'm just gonna keep pretending I don't have feelings for him. Who knows, maybe he'll ask me out? That's a possibility!"

"Okay, okay. We'll drop it." Steve says, lifting his hands from the wheel for a second, in surrender.

"We just care about you, babe" Robin follows his lead "You know that, right?"

"I do."

— 

You and Robin sit at your regular cafeteria table, a couple tables away from the designated Hellfire Club table, where Eddie is yelling at Dustin and Mike about something, making it a little hard to listen to what Robin is talking to you about.

"Seriously, I'm really worried about Max. I mean, we all know she's been depressed since Billy… y'know. But she was way off today at the pep rally, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess" Max was to you what Dustin was to Steve, something between a friend and the little sister you never had. "I've been begging her to talk to me, to tell me if there's something I can do, but she just won't-"

You lose your train of thought when you see Eddie climb up the table, walk across it, jump off it and yell nonsense around the cafeteria.

"God, he's really worked up today, huh?" Robin says, turning her head back to look at Eddie's little scene.

"I wonder what Dustin and Mike were talking to him about. He threw at least five mini pretzels at each one of them while he was yapping about something." you chuckle and roll your eyes when he catches you looking at his performance and gives you a smile and a quick wink. "He's kinda funny when he gets mad at them."

"Funny. Right." Robin turns her head back to look at you. "You obviously think he's just funny, not cute or anything else."

"Dude, you said you'd drop it!"

"I'm sorry!" she giggles "It's just hilarious when your cheeks turn all red just because he smiled at you. You look so silly!"

You watch as Eddie pulls Dustin and Mike by the collar of their Hellfire shirts and pushes them away from the table, both of them running off the cafeteria like they're in a rush. Eddie turns around and walks towards you.

"Okay, now shut the fuck up. He's coming our way."

Eddie heads towards you with slow dramatic steps, leaning over and resting his elbows on the end of the table, an evil grin on his face. 

"Hey ladies. Whatcha talkin 'bout?"

"Nothing much," you turn to face him, now with a playful little smirk of your own. "just watching you make a fool of yourself yet again. Quite the show you got going on there."

He gasps, spreading his palm over his chest, like he's offended by you calling him a fool.

"A fool? How dare you. And yes, thank you for recognizing my performing talents. It is one of my many gifts, as you know."

"Sure do", you remember the days long D&D sessions you attended when you used to be a part of the Hellfire Club. His theatrics flooding the room as he masters his most diabolical campaigns, standing up on his wooden carved throne and emphatically yelling the lines he'd written and planned for weeks, his voice echoing the drama club room, his eyes round and wide sparkling at the dim light as he smiles with pride over one of the only things he actually felt like he was good at.

"We miss you at the club, y'know?" his voice snaps you out of your trance. He sounds almost sad.

"Yeah, I miss you guys too. But you know, I really needed the job at Family Video." Now you sound sad too. "It's a shame my shifts are not scheduled as Robin and Steve's. Can't even make plans without risking the odds of a last minute shift."

"Study sesh still up today after class right?" he quirks a brow.

"Sure!" you try not to sound too excited, but judging by the look Robin gives you, it seems like you failed.

"Great! It's a date then." he flashes you a big smile, giving you a quick kiss at the top of your head. "Thanks sweetheart, you're the best. See ya later!"

With that, he turns around to get back to the Hellfire table. Robin looks at you with something that looks a lot like pity in her eyes. "Ouch. That 's gotta hurt."

"A little." you shrug. "But it's okay, I guess. Better than not having him around."

"Oh, for the love of GOD, just ask him out already!" she says, a little too loud.

"Sure. When you ask Vicky."

"Hm. Touché, I guess."

—

You were walking out the door, headed to your and Eddie's usual study session spot at the picnic table in the woods, when Dustin and Mike approached you.

"What are you doing tonight?" Dustin asked.

"Uh… I don't know, maybe watching the game? Robin is playing with the band and Steve is taking his date, so I'll probably just tag along with them after we get off work. Why?"

"We need a sub for Lucas at the end of Eddie's campaign tonight." Mike explained. "Can you come?"

"Pleeeeeease?" Dustin begged, before you could even think about the question. "I'll clean your room for the whole spring break!"

"Dustin, you don't even clean your room. My room is always tidy, there's no way you can make it cleaner than it already is."

"I'll do the dishes everytime my mom asks you to do it! I'll clean the cat's litter box! You name it, I'll do it. Just… please?"

You couldn't help but laugh. Dustin was offering to do all those things for you, when you'd actually join them for free. Getting to hang out with Eddie was already enough to get you to agree to fill in for Lucas, but the extra bribe from your cousin sure was welcome. 

"Okay, fine. But hey, no telling your mom about our deal okay? You know she does not like it when you take care of any of the cat related chores. She knows the cat's terrified of you."

"Deal!" he jumped up and down like an excited little kid. "Thank you thank you thank youuuu!", his voice slowly faded away while he ran to wherever else he was going to now, Mike following shortly after him.

You made your way through the woods, even though you knew you were a little early. You always liked to be at the picnic table a little before Eddie, to set up your textbooks and make a checklist of all the topics you'd be helping him with that day. You wouldn't consider yourself very smart, but you always got good grades at history and literature, so Eddie asked you if you could help him study. He really wanted to graduate this year, and part of you hoped it was because he would get to graduate with you. He always talked about how school would suck even more if you weren't there anymore, so you decided to take a little of your time out of school and work to help him — not only for his sake, but also because it is the only time you get to be alone with him, close to him. God, you feel pathetic.

As you get closer to the spot, you hear his laugh. At first you're confused, because he never gets there before you and as far as you knew, he had no idea you'd always be there at least 15 minutes before him. Also, why was he laughing by himself in the middle of the woods? He usually only gets high after you're done studying, so you assume he's not high, which makes it even weirder. Before you could get close enough to ask him what was so funny that got him laughing like an idiot by himself in the middle of the woods, you hear another laugh. A girls laugh.

Silently, you walk slowly towards the picnic table, trying not to be seen. When you get close enough to see them without them seeing you, you recognise who he's laughing with. It's Chrissy Cunningham. You feel your heart drop as you watch him trying to make her laugh, the same way he always makes you laugh. What the hell is happening here? You can't quite understand what they're saying without coming a little closer to them, but you don't wanna risk getting caught, so you just watch as Eddie jumps and claps his hands and Chrissy laughs at his dramatic reaction at whatever it was she'd said to him.

You know you shouldn't feel this jealous, he wasn't your boyfriend or anything like that — hell, you couldn't even gather the courage to tell him how you feel —, and you knew Chrissy, she was a very sweet girl. She was always nice to you, even when the other cheerleaders would call you names and stick bubblegum to your hair, she was always the one to tell them to shut up and teach you a few beauty hacks in the bathroom to get the gum out of your hair without having to cut it off. But maybe that was exactly the point. She was so pretty, and so nice, you wouldn't stand a chance against her.

As Eddie turned around and playfully punched the tree behind him, you caught a glimpse of a small gathering of tiny wildflowers resting by Chrissy's side, at the bench she was sitting on — wildflowers like the ones that grow near his trailer. Did he get her flowers? Did he HANDPICK flowers? For her? —, and you feel a knot forming on your throat. He pulled at the neck of his shirt, exposing his chest tattoo and you felt your eyes filling up with tears. What was that about? Was he flirting with her?

Even though you knew it was not a good idea, you took a few steps closer, quietly, so you could hear the conversation.

"You should come see us!" you hear him say. "We play at the Hideout on Tuesdays, it's pretty cool. We actually get a crowd of about… five drunks."

You feel the hot tears start to roll down your face. You always try to go see him play at the Hideout whenever you can. You've been there the past three weeks watching them play. Why is he talking about it like no one watching them is actually important? Like you're not important?

"You know, you're not how I thought you'd be like." Chrissy laughs.

"Mean and scary?" he replies.

That was enough for you. It's not like he was doing anything wrong, but it felt like someone had punched you at your stomach. It hurts to see him treating some other girl the same way he treated you, the way you thought he treated you because he liked you, because he might like you back. You tried to not make much noise as you turned around and followed back the path you came from. There was no way you could sit and study with him like you were not heartbroken.

—

"Chrissy Cunningham?" Steve asked, still not quite believing what you'd just told them. "As in Jason Carver's little princess of Hawkins High cheerleader girlfriend Chrissy Cunningham?"

"Yes." you assured.

"Are you sure it was her?" Robin asked, also in disbelief.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Heard her voice, saw her face. It was definitely her."

"Shit, that sucks, I'm sorry." Robin tries to comfort you, reaching a hand to tap your shoulder.

"What the hell was she doing with him anyways?" Steve questions. "Doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

"Maybe she was buying some weed?" 

"Robin, c'mon." you chuckle, sadly. "Chrissy Cunningham? Buying weed? Be fucking serious."

"Yeah Robin, I hate to say it but it makes absolutely no sense." Steve agrees.

The three of you stay silent for a little too long and you feel your friends' eyes on you, looking at you with pity, and you hate it. Finally, after a few more seconds (that actually felt like hours), the silence is broken when the phone at the Video Family counter starts to ring. Robin walks away to pick up the phone and you feel Steve's arms wrapped around you.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier today in the car," he says. "I know I was a little too pushy and I know you're not chickening out. I know you're just afraid to get rejected, and us teasing you about it was not okay. I'm sorry about what happened too, with Chrissy and all. For what it's worth I still think there's probably a good explanation for it. I bet it'll be okay."

You hold back your sobs as you lean into your best friend's shoulder, trying not to stain his clothes with your tears. Even though you're still hurting, a good old bear hug from Steve always makes you feel better, like he squeezes together all of your broken pieces back into place.

"Hey, listen…" you feel Robin tap on your shoulder and you raise your head from Steve's chest. "Eddie's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."

Shit. 

"Tell him I'm not here!"

"Yeah I kinda already told him you were here, that's not gonna work."

"Shit. Fine."

You walk over to the phone and pick it up, both Robin and Steve following you to the front counter.

"Hello?"

"Hey, thank god I found you!" he sighs, relieved. "What the hell happened? I waited for you for like, half an hour and you didn't show up so I got worried because you're never late so I went looking for you but I couldn't find you anywhere," he rambles, like he does when he's nervous "so I- I went home and called your place but your aunt said you weren't there and I didn't know where else to call so I figured you were at work? Oh thank god you're there I was about to call the cops!"

"Yeah sorry about that, I was uh…" you look over at Robin and Steve, trying to come up with an excuse about why you didn't meet him like you'd planned earlier. "I- Robin! Robin had uh… band practice for the uh- tonight's the championship game so she asked me to fill in for her, sorry I forgot to tell you I was not gonna make it."

"But… wasn't that Robin who just picked up the phone?" he sounds confused. You look back and see Robin facepalming her forehead and Steve rubbing the bridge of his nose between his index and his thumb, shaking his head. Shit. You suck at lying. 

"Yes- yeah. She uh, she was at band practice but now she's here, she actually just got here. Yeah."

"Oh okay…" 

"Yeah, listen Eddie I gotta go now, talk to you later, bye!" you slam the phone back at the receiver, hanging up.

"Well, that went… well…?" Steve forces a smile.

"Sure!" Robin holds both of her thumbs up, also trying to look like she didn't think you just dealt with the situation in the worst way possible.

"Yeah sure. I'm gonna go home so I can cry in the bathroom now, I guess. Peace out." you said as you walked out the door. 

When you got home, you remembered you'd agreed to fill in as a sub for Lucas at Hellfire. Of course you did. Because you're just a stupid dumb piece of shit who couldn't pass any opportunity to follow Eddie around like a little puppy. So, you go looking for Dustin around the house to tell him you wouldn't make it to Hellfire, only to find out he's not home. You figured he's probably at Mike's, so you call the Wheelers'. 

"Hello?" Nancy picks up the phone after two rings.

"Nancy! Hey, is Dustin there? He's not home, I figured he'd be at your place with Mike?"

"Oh, hey! Yeah, they're upstairs, I'll go get him for you."

"Thanks Nance, I-" you got cut off by her screaming on the other end of the line.

"MIKE! PHONE FOR DUSTIN!" you hear her call. "So, you going to the game tonight? It's been a while since the last time we went out, we should do something after the game, I miss you!"

"Yeah, I miss you too!" you tell her. And you mean it. It's really been a while since the last time you two did something together. "I'm actually going to spend the night at Robin's tho. We can go to the movies tomorrow, maybe?"

"Sure! I can pick you up at 5, what do you think?"

"Sounds great, I'll see you then!"

"Great! Oh, here 's Dustin. See you at the game tonight!"

"See ya!"

"Hey, what do you mean you'll be at the game? Thought you were gonna come with us to Hellfire tonight" the other line now shifts to Dustin's voice.

"Yeah, about that, I'm not going anymore. Sorry."

"What? Why?"

"Something came up. Maybe you could ask Erica?"

"Erica? You know Eddie 's gonna lose his shit if I take her as a sub for Lucas."

"Yeah, I know, but it's her or nothing. Sorry, Dusty. I'll make it up to you okay? I promise."

"Fine. But you owe me one!"

"Big time, I know. Gotta go now, take care okay? See you after the game."

"Yeah, see ya." 

You felt bad about letting Dustin down. You really did. But you also knew you wouldn't last that much at Hellfire without crying, and that would be even worse.

After an hour or so of crying your eyes out, you decided to do your makeup. Even though you were feeling like absolute shit, you knew you couldn't look like absolute shit, and you usually get a boost of self esteem after getting your makeup done, and god knows you could use that right now. So, after spending half an hour doing your eyeliner on each eye, you changed into your jeans and your favorite little tank top, put on your old school black Vans, grabbed some random jacket that was hanging at the back of your chair and left to watch the game.

"Aunt Claudia?" you yelled from the front door, almost forgetting to tell her you were leaving.

"Yes honey?" she yelled back from her bedroom.

"I'm leaving to watch the championship game, probably will spend the night at Robin's, okay? You don't have to wait up for me." 

"Okay honey, have fun and be safe okay?" 

"Will do, see you tomorrow!" 

At the game, you sat right next to the band, Robin was right by your side and Steve was with his date a couple of rows back. You didn't really care for the game, you just needed to… not be alone. You and Robin had plans to go to her place after the game and watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the tenth time in the last few months so you could get Eddie out of your head. Before the game started, you watched as Chrissy and the other cheerleaders danced and jumped around the gym and couldn't help it when your eyes flooded up with tears again. As you tried to get yourself together, you felt Robin's hand on your shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah just… fuck, I can't even hate her, she's the sweetest girl on the cheer squad."

Before Robin could say anything, everyone was standing up for the national anthem. And then you saw Tammy Thompson walking towards the mic to SING the national anthem. You held back laughter as you looked at Robin and then turned around to look at Steve, both of their jaws dropped.

"No way." Robin muttered, as she took turns looking at you, Tammy and Steve, not knowing exactly where to look at. As Tammy started to sing, you felt your eyes flood again, but this time, it was not because of Eddie or the thought of him with Chrissy, but because you were trying so hard not to laugh. She sounded exactly like a muppet.

"Oh my god I want to rip my ears out" you manage to let out without bursting into laughter.

"I told you. Muppet." you could see Steve mouthing over to Robin.

"Okay, she does sound like a muppet." Robin admits.

"Oh my god she does kinda sound like a muppet" you hear Vicky say in a low voice.

You watch as Robin and Vicky laugh at each other's jokes, until Robin lets her ADHD get the best out of her and starts talking faster than her brain's working. Even though she talks too fast sometimes, you think it's cute how she gets nervous around Vicky. They would make such a cute couple. 

After the game, you approach Lucas, giving him a tight hug. 

"That was absolutely crazy, Lucas! You just took the ball and threw it like it was nothing and then we were like 'oh god is he gonna score?' and then you DID i swear i don't think I'll ever understand how you did that so quickly, like you just-" Robin rambled, as she held her hands up, like she was tossing a basketball through the hoop. 

"That was insane, man. Really, you're a natural." Steve said like the proud mama he is to the kids. 

"Thanks guys. I-" Lucas started, but you heard someone call out to him.

"Hey Sinclair, you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there!" he yelled back. "Look guys, I gotta go. But thank you so much for coming. It meant a lot to me."

The three of you smiled as he left to follow after whoever it was that called him. After a second, Robin turned to Steve.

"Hey, where's Heidi?"

"That's Brenda, Robin."

"Yeah, sure, sorry. Where's Brenda?"

"She uh…" he looked back at the crowd leaving the gym, like he was looking for someone. "She ditched me, okay? She left to talk to Tammy Thompson and then came back to tell me she was going to Tammy's to catch up or something like that."

"Ouch, ditched for Tammy Thompson?" Robin said, following Steve as he started to walk back to his car.

"Again?" you look over at Robin, the both of you laughing — not in a mean way, but playful, like the three of you always were.

"Ha ha, very funny." Steve bites back, sarcastic. "Any more jokes and the two of you are walking home."

As you walk over to Steve's car, you watch as Eddie and the rest of the Hellfire Club emerge from the drama club room, victorious. He waves at you, but you pretend you don't see it, turning over to Dustin, who's walking up to you.

"Hey, can I join you guys? Eddie said he's gotta go straight to his place tonight, so he can't drive me home."

"Steve's dropping us at Robin's, I'm spending the night out. But maybe Nancy can take you home?" 

"Oh, okay. Sure, I'll talk to Mike. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow. Night, Dusty!" you give him a hug and kiss the top of his head, watching as he runs off to catch up to Mike.

You turn around to Robin and Steve, puzzled look on your face. Eddie always takes Dustin home after Hellfire, why couldn't he take him home tonight?

You get in Steve's car and you exit the school's parking lot. You see Eddie's van a little ahead out the parking lot, where he always parks when he's doing a deal or up to something shady. As Steve drives past the van, you see Eddie holding the door open for Chrissy to hop in.

"What the fuck?" you say, maybe a little louder than you intended.

Steve and Robin turn to look at the direction your eyes were headed, also looking at Eddie as he closes the passenger door and Chrissy turns to reach for the seatbelt (and you think to yourself she probably won't find the seatbelt, because Eddie's van has no seatbelts).

"Oh shit." Robin mutters as she turns her head back to look at the van, now behind Steve's moving car.

"Hey uh…" Steve tries to get your attention. "don't- try not to think too much about it, it's probab-"

"I wanna go home." you cut him off.

"You sure?" Robin asks. "I already have the Rocky Horror VHS with me, we can watch Blade Runner too, I forgot to take it back to the store last week and I know you love it so maybe-"

"Please just-" you cut her off too. "I wanna go home. Please, take me home." you can feel your voice trembling and tears already running down your cheeks.

"Okay, it's okay." Steve talks in a soft voice, trying to calm you down. "We'll take you home."

The ride to your house is awkwardly silent, but you don't really care enough to be bothered by it. Your head hurts and your heart sinks to your stomach at the thought of Eddie taking Chrissy home. Not only because of your feelings for him (though, mostly because of it), but also because Chrissy is Jason's girlfriend. You know what Jason would do to Eddie if he finds out about this. It wouldn't be the first time Eddie gets beaten up by Jason and the rest of his party, and even though Eddie always came back laughing about his black eye, spitting blood and limping, you knew he'd spend the next few nights sleeping at the back of his van, so Wayne doesn't see him covered in bruises — so Wayne doesn't see him looking the same way he looked when his father dropped him off at the trailer and never came back to pick him up. You know he can take care of himself, you know he's strong enough to throw a punch or two, but  you couldn't stand the thought of him spending his days alone at the back of his van, not being able to see anyone because school was off. The whole situation made your heart ache.

As Steve pulls over in front of your house, you feel two pairs of eyes on you.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Robin asks, concerned.

"I'll be fine. I just need a little time, that's all. Thank you guys, for taking care of me. Sorry about the buzzkill. Get home safe, okay? I love you." you opened the door and climbed out of the car.

"We love you too. Call us if you need anything, yeah?" Steve says leaning over the car window.

"I will, I promise."

You open the door, hoping aunt Claudia was already asleep and that Dustin wasn't home yet. You tiptoe your way to your room and close the door, throwing yourself at the bed, not even bothering changing into your pajamas. Stuffing your face in your pillow, you cry yourself to sleep, hoping it was all a bad dream, but knowing it wasn't.

[nomaejie]

Nobody as for JackCarly and YuAki fan kids but here are my baby. They were created by me in 2019 so some information about them may have changed lmao. But the common point is: (Be careful with infodump!)

Eldridge and Riria are the same age

JackCarly's family live in Europe. They return to Neo Domino City every summer to see friends. They became friends during the summer.

Then when Eldridge was old enough to attend middle school, Jack and Carly decided to move back to Japan to live and send their two children to study at Duel Academy.

I like El and Riria as soulmate, platonic. But sometimes I also like them as romantic. Most of their stories in my head are just fun adventures. I'm more invested in these two than Itsuki - Eldridge's younger sister, and Crow's adopted son (sorry).

Since childhood, Riria has been an extremely kind, gentle girl. Riria won't be able to sit still if she sees something unpleasant. Actually, when she was young, she was quite shy and couldn't make friends, but since she started admiring her father's stories, Riria gradually changed and became a more confident. "She likes to be a hero and protect people, but that ideal has gone too far and caused big trouble. And she needs her friends to remind/save her" is her character arc

As said, Riria loves her mother and father. Especially her father - the person who inspired the ideal hero image that she pursued. Riria's parents rarely have much time for Riria, they always try their best to spend their free time taking care of their daughter. But perhaps because their childhood lacked parental love, the young couple still has immaturity in their upbringing. Both Yusei and Aki are people who rarely talk about their personal feelings and often try to deal with them alone. It seems that it also affects Riria herself and turns her into a closed person when it comes to her personal feelings.

Because being the son of Duel King Eldridge often suffers from outsiders' prejudices about himself. Even using him as a means to reach the Duel King. Of course that's how the world works, with more fame comes such trouble. One time, because of a slip of the tongue on television, the boy was discussed by the entire media, so much so that he couldn't go to school for a while. That incident made him more withdrawn and especially afraid of paparazzi.

Jack and Carly took good care of little Eldridge so that he could withstand those evil intentions. They also moved to live in Neo Domino City so the boy can interact with better people.

This is them when they grow up.

[maximoff-pan]

I know this is random but I was reading your why do fools preview of your steve fic (which I love and can't wait for more of), and I was wondering if you could write a blurb about will byers coming out to the reader? I feel like with her being so close to jonathan and the byers family, it would be such a pivotal moment 💕

oh my goodness this idea warms my heart, of course I can — I also would love more requests in this universe before I post the next part (if anyone has some

pairing: will byers x fem!(platonic)reader

set in the why do fools universe (read here) — eventually steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 600+

“I think I like Mike.”

The implication is clear; right as the words pass quietly through his lips, you understand what he means. But almost like he thinks there’s no way you could possibly get it, he feels the urge to clarify. Because in his mind, why would you ever understand? “More than–” he struggles with it. This is much harder than he thought it would be.

Except as he glances towards you, your eyes locking steadily, he knows he doesn’t need to say any more. 

“More than a friend.” You finish delicately. And there’s no judgement in your tone, only love.

Will nods. This has to be one of the scariest things he’s ever done: admitting how he really feels. “I’ve never…” he trails, trying to form the right words, “you’re the only one I’ve told.” 

And you can’t quite describe it, the warmth that spreads through your chest. It’s almost surreal, thinking about how much he must trust you…enough to be the first person he feels he can talk about this with. Initially, it catches you by surprise. What could you have possibly done to deserve this kind of trust? But in your heart, you know why.

The love you hold for Will Byers is unconditional; he’s the little brother you never had. The little brother you didn’t ask for, but who fell into your life and changed it for the better. Of course, with that came Dustin, Mike, and Lucas, (and later El and Max), as well as an interesting friendship with the one and only Steve Harrington, but you suppose, everything had worked out for the best. 

“C’mere.” You gesture to him, arms outstretched and a soft smile gracing your features. “You know I love you right? No matter what?”

You can feel him nearly collapse into you, feeling as he releases a breath of relief. He’s crying, his tears a combination of fear and happiness. They wrack through him in intense waves, and yet paradoxically, his demeanor remains as delicate and fragile as you remember it being. Ethereal. 

It brings you peace knowing that he feels safe with you. Because as much as you adore each of the kids equally, (and while you hate to admit it), Will has always been the one you gravitated towards. Something about his timid nature drew you in. From the moment your friend Jonathan introduced you to his little brother, you knew how special he was. With his gentle brown gaze and shaggy bowl cut, he exuded pure innocence. 

The first thing you remember about him was how reserved he seemed. Minimal words were spoken in those early months. Until he started to open up. Regardless, he was always a bit of a scared kid, a kid who didn’t have a fair shot right from the jump.

Maybe you just got that. And unlike others in his life, you refused to give up on him, or Jonathan.

“Oh Will.” He’s clinging on to you now, grip tight as he shakes like a leaf. “I’ll always be here for you. I promise.”

He breathes heavily, beginning to apologize profusely. “I’m sorry.” He murmurs. “I was just so scared.”

“Never be sorry for your emotions.” 

He pulls back from you, calmer now, allowing you to get a good look at him.

"Never apologize for being who you are." You tell him. "Not to me, not to your brother — not to anyone. You hear me?"

Your tone is delicate, but Will knows just how serious you are. He nods, unable to find the words to thank you, unable to describe the feeling of warmth that has spread through his entire body.

You are a safe haven. You always have been. You always will be.

Will knows what it's like to feel accepted by you, to be loved by you. And he never wants that to change.

"Thank you." He clings to you still.

It's silent and left unsaid, but in your mind you think, always.

I will always be here for you.

[obsessionatthemoment]

One of the few arguments I have ever had with a Mileven shipper was me saying Mileven was toxic and them saying Byler was toxic. I have been thinking about this a lot recently, and have come to a conclusion (it's my personal opinion, and you can disagree if you want).

Before I start, I want to say that I am using the term toxic loosely (I am mostly using the term because it's the term we used in the argument). I am mostly referring to both ships' arguments when I refer to their toxic moments.

I think that the Mileven toxicity will get better with them agreeing to just be friends, and that the Byler toxicity will get better with them becoming boyfriends. Let me explain…

When Mileven fight, it's typically due to Mike not being able to reciprocate Elevens feelings, one of them lying, their relationship being too controlling or codependent, them invalidating each other, or Eleven hurting someone (whether it being her accidentally hurting Lucas in season 1 or her hurting Angela in season 4). I think, looking at this list, it is clear that they are not compatible. However, they are still compatible as friends. Mike can love El platonically, El would have space to figure herself out and have complete independence, and generally they would be happier and most likely fight less.

When Byler fight, it is almost always due to miscommunication, internalized homophobia, or jealousy (and sometimes invalidation or lying). If they started dating, I think a lot of this would be resolved. If they were dating, that would mean to some extent they were working through their internalized homophobia (which would eliminate a lot of conflict because out of all their conflicts, this comes up the most). Most of their miscommunication was due to them being many states apart (phone calls, letter, etc.), which will be resolved even if they didn't start dating. The jealousy would be resolved as well because most of their jealousy is due to both of them thinking the other doesn't like them. I think the invalidation would be solved alongside the miscommunication because Will would know that Mike called (that miscommunication was invalidating on both ends), Mike would probably understand if Will explained feeling like he missed out on his childhood due to his trauma (not sure if there is more invalidation I missed). The lying would be solved as well if Mike and Eleven weren't dating anymore because Will would stop trying to keep them together. Once they started dating, Will wouldn't need to use El as a cover for his feelings.

There is probably stuff I missed, but I feel like I got the most compelling evidence into words. I definitely think most of the toxicity would vanish if this happened, but obviously they would still fight occasionally because that's just how humans work. Conflict happens no matter how healthy a relationship is. Hope this made sense.

[wheelsvoid]

HOME ; STRANGER THINGS

⇢ you don’t have a place to call home, or a family, and you keep it a secret from your friends. however, they find out and find a way to help you without your knowing

masterlist

genre: platonic, angst with a happy ending

word count: 1,674

warnings: one curse word, and the reader doesn’t have a good life outside of school so keep that in mind ofc

request: “Heyyyyyy for a platonic stranger things imagine could be like an orphan and friends with the gang and no one knows about Rs's situation but El looks for r one time and finds out about Rs's bad living situation (maybe homeless?) and the crew rally around their friend and hopper adopts r?”

tried my best, here you go!

Jealousy was something I was very familiar with. I knew it well enough to call it a friend, but I hated it enough to wish it would leave me forever.

I never knew myself to be such a jealous person until I made all the friends I did. I was typically quite kind, and forgiving, and I only got angry when justified. Still, my jealousy never left me.

All my friends had homes, and at least someone to go home to. I had nothing and no one. Their lives weren’t perfect, but the little voice in my head always told me that mine was worse, even if it wasn’t fair to compare.

I found ways to hide my lack of a real life. I often stayed at Lucas’ house, or Mike’s. I had sleepovers, and their parents didn’t mind. I stayed long enough to look as though I was hanging out, but I left before they could think to call my mother or father.

It was embarrassing to depend on others for a bathroom, or a bed, or food, or anything necessary to live a normal life, but I had nothing else.

They never had to know, anyway.

I was the first one at Starcourt Mall today, seeing as I had taken the early bus. I watched as all my close friends left the large vehicle with smiles on their faces, smiling back at me when they saw me leaning up against the wall.

“Y/N!” El ran up to me in excitement. She gave me a hug, and I laughed as I hugged her back. When the boys got closer, with Max by their sides, Lucas, Will and Dustin each gave me a high five, and Mike gave me a fist bump with a grin.

“What took you guys so long?” I raised a brow, sending a teasing grin as we made our way in the mall. “I’ve been here a whole hour longer, waiting.”

“Oh, we’re so sorry that you had to wait.” Lucas sympathized, dramatically holding a hand over his heart.

“It was Mike’s fault, anyway.” Max said. “He got into an argument with Nancy over who got the last pancake.”

I laughed loudly. “Typical.”

And the energy was up the entire day, too. We went to the movies, sneaking through the back thanks to Steve (who grew more regretful for letting us do so the first time every time we saw him). Afterwards, we went back to Scoops Ahoy to each grab an ice cream.

I was glad for my job, from Tuesday to Saturday every week, so I could pay for my own ice cream. I worked after school each day, not having to worry about a curfew or anything of the sort. I only had myself, and the longer I worked the better. I liked feeling as though I was in a normal environment for a teenager, even if it was just a café.

On the way out of Scarcourt Mall, Max turned to me. “Hey, Y/N, wanna go to your house this time?” We typically went to one of our houses after our meet ups, and hung out the rest of the day. However, the thought of doing so this time scared me. I had no place to call home. “I just realized, we’ve never been.”

For a moment, my eyes were wide and I went pale, but I relaxed a second later. I played it cool. “No, thanks. I’d rather go to Mike’s, I wanna see Nancy anyway. And my house is a mess today. Maybe another time.”

At this point, I was digging my own hole. Another time? I couldn’t keep denying them. They’d figure it out eventually.

Max, Lucas, Will and El frowned in confusion, but Dustin and Mike were blissfully unaware of my slip up. “Sounds fun.” Dustin cheered.

And it was fun. I spent as long as I could at their house without seeming lost, or alone. I tried my best to fit in. And I was hopeful that I did.

How could I have known that I’d worried the others, leaving them to talk as I left to go fill in for my coworker on a Sunday?

———

“I’m worried about Y/N.” Will admitted. “They were acting… weird.”

“I noticed too.” Lucas sighed, leaning forward from his spot on the couch downstairs.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Mike frowned in confusion.

Max turned to him, raising a brow. “You didn’t notice?”

Mike stared, “no…?”

“They looked…” Max had to think about it for a second. She had to think of the right word. Then it hit her. It was fear that she’d seen. “Scared.”

“Why would they be scared?” Dustin asked. “We go to each other’s houses all the time, right?”

“Not Y/N’s.” El said. “We’ve never been.”

For a moment, everyone was silent. They were either lost in their thoughts, or unsure of what to say.

Will spoke next, sounding hesitant. “Are they okay?” His voice was so soft, it could only be heard due to the quietness of the room.

———

After school the next day, Mike had come up to me and told me that El wanted to hang out at her house, but since I hadn’t given them my phone number, she asked him to tell me. I was glad that El wanted to hang out, and I was glad that she wasn’t scared to ask.

I told him I’d love to, and he grinned, telling me he’d call her and let her know I’d be over after school.

Since I had nowhere to go, I began my walk from school, all the way to Hopper’s cabin in the woods. It was a long, exhausting walk. But I was glad to make it before it’d gone dark (and lucky it wasn’t that long of a walk).

When I saw the small cabin, I felt relief. Despite my aching legs, I began jogging to the front door. I was more than excited to see El after not seeing her all day. It would be nice if it was safe enough for her to join us at school.

I knocked on the door, waiting patiently for it to open. Hopper opened it, and it wasn’t a surprise for me that it was him. He had to, to keep El safe from any unwanted visitors. He could play it off as the only resident in the cabin if he wanted to.

“Hello, Hopper.” I grinned. “Can I come in.”

Hopper smiled like he was expecting me, but there was something else shining in his eyes that worried me. “Sure, kid.”

I had always liked Hopper. He was kind to me, and grew kinder over the years, too. He was special.

As I walked in, putting my bag down that held all of my belongings, I looked around in search of El. I saw her door, which was opened only a couple inches, quickly guessing for her to be in there. As I took of my shoes, Hopper stood a few feet away.

“Before you hang out with El, would you mind if we talked?”

I looked up at him, somewhat surprised but mostly confused. As I finished untying my laces, I nodded, kicking off my shoes and getting to my feet. “Yeah.” I said, but it sounded like more of a question.

Hopper led me to the living room, and I glanced at El’s door which did not open any more. He sighed as we both sat down on the couch that fit perfectly in the room.

He was silent for a while, like he was thinking of what to say, before his voice broke through the silent space. “The kids told me that you seemed… off yesterday.” He said.

I held my breath. Had they figured it out? Did I mess up? How much did they know? How did they—

“They just want to make sure you’re okay.”

I stared at him, unsure if I looked as calm as I wanted myself to. I was sure I was showing some of my fear. Still, I nodded. “I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be?”

Terrible answer. Now he’ll never let me leave. Shit.

He looked at me, frowning. “Well, they told me that you’ve never given them your number, and that you never let them stay over.” He said softly, “and that you never talk about your family, and that you get nervous whenever they bring anything up.” He sighed. “We’re just worried, kid.”

I held my hands together, unable to look away from them now. I didn’t know what to say. Why had I gone silent? I’d never be able to play it off now.

But what if I needed some help?

“What’s going on at home?”

I chipped away at my blue nail polish, which Max had lended me. “I have no home.” I said.

I could feel Hopper’s eyes on me. “None at all?”

I let out a shaky breath. “None.”

He was quiet for a second. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I… didn’t know how.” My voice was quiet now. Gentle. “I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

Hopper put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look at him. He looked sad, and sympathetic, but mostly heartbroken. “How would it ruin anything?”

“I didn’t want them to have anything else to worry about.” I said. The weight on my chest felt a little bit lighter. “I didn’t want to… make things worse, I guess.”

They already had so much to deal with.

“I promise you,” he made a point to look me in the eyes. “That nothing you could ever say or do would ruin anything. They would always help you. I would.” I couldn’t control the way my lip quivered, and as Hopper squeezed my shoulder, he asked me a question that made me feel like I could breathe again. “You want to stay with me?”

A tear slipped from my eye and I nodded, “yeah.”

He smiled softly, pulling me in for a hug. “Okay.”

[ljaylmaoo]

Can you do a platonic hook x a fem vk reader where she’s apart of Uliana’s crew and she isn’t really close to James as much as the rest and he goes to the reader for help about his relationship or crush he has on someone? (like el and max from stranger things when el goes to max for help about Mike!) and they end up becoming better friends? Thank you!

It doesn’t have to be long I just like the idea of reader and hook being at a sort of awkward stage with each other because they aren’t as close but they don’t exactly hate each other and it ends with them being closer after she helps him with his love life type thing

My next request is in the works ;) thank you for your request! I love stranger things especially max and el’s friendship so I’m excited to write this for you hehe 🤭

[starbylers]

Nothing is more headache-inducing than when people say ‘Give me a single piece of evidence that Mike likes Will romantically’ because you just know what they’re looking for is simple, easily summed up and understood statements like overt flirting and obvious verbal hints etc. But this is a friends—best friends—to lovers story. Set in a completely different time period. It’s obviously going to be more nuanced than that?

The other couples on this show did not start from the same basis as Byler. Byler have been best friends since they were tiny. They’re also both boys. It’s also the 80s. Lumax, Jancy and Jopper were pretty much obviously romantically entangled from the minute their stories intertwined. (They are friends to lovers, yes, but the platonic side of their relationships was not hugely explored before their romantic interest became obvious, although they were still all friends before dating/kissing which is why they work). They are also all heterosexual couples.

Is it not obvious that Byler is probably going to look a little different in terms of its build up? Is it not obvious that it’s not as simple as ‘Mike likes Will and is 100% aware of it and cool with it and therefore treats him exactly as he would a girl he fancies’? Can people not consider context such as hmm if Byler was going to happen as they say, that means Mike would like boys, in the 80s, which would probably be a pretty difficult thing to navigate and come to terms with so maybe his feelings for Will aren’t going to be as in your face and overtly romantic as I might expect from the other pairings. And is it also not obvious that given M*leven is a canon couple, Byler happening would have to be intended as a plot twist, a twist which would be redundant if they gave obvious hints that Mike is in love?

But even keeping that in mind, Jancy, Lumax and Jopper have behaved in very similar ways to how Mike and Will have consistently done aka intimate heart to hearts, confiding in each other about their problems and fears, really emotional scenes that build the bond between them. And even aside from those glaring similarities that go right over peoples heads:

Mike confides in Will in a way he just doesn’t with El, there’s a deep sense of trust there

Mike pays extremely close attention and takes care of Will hinted in s1 and shoved in our faces in s2, a desire to protect that rises way above the rest of their friends

He treats Will with miles more maturity and compassion than he does El in s4, and is in fact made to look and feel really happy by Will’s literal (disguised) feelings in the van

And those are just a few examples of how strong and close their bond is on Mike’s end. People just brush this stuff off as platonic because well, yeah…they are friends. But it’s friends to lovers!! And a slowburn plot twist at that! Their relationship for the entire show builds the foundation for a realisation that the perfect person has been right in front of him the whole time! We might not see Mike giving Will apologetic M&Ms or calling him pretty, but what we do see over and over is how the two of them work really well together, as a team. A million times better than Mike does with his own girlfriend.

The only real difference with Byler and the other couples is that the obvious romantic vibes for those couples began way early on. Because they could. Because there was nothing really preventing them from realising and acting on their feelings other than ‘we’re attracted to each other but oh I’m dating someone else or oh we’re scared to take that next step’. When it comes to Byler, Mike and Will and Mike specifically have much bigger barriers to contend with. Mike may not understand what he feels for Will is actually love. Mike may not even realise he likes boys, he’s had a gf this whole time after all. Mike may be really scared to even subtly act on his feelings if he is aware. And these people expect Mike to be smiling all lovesick at Will, staring into his eyes, saying romantically coded things? (The biggest joke of all is of course that these things actually have happened but when they do? It’s oh they’re just good friends stop being delusional!!)

Byler is just a very complex and nuanced relationship, you can’t take the same approach to analysing it as you would M*leven like oh proof Mike likes El? That one scene where he called her pretty. He said he was scared she’d leave him. He said he loved her. It’s very easy to cherry pick and point to these moments, but to understand Byler you have to look at the bigger picture and not everyone’s willing to take the time to do that I guess 🤷🏽‍♀️

[leahnardo-da-veggie]

Writerly Question Tag

Back from my self-mandated social media break to respond to tags from @urnumber1star, @cowboybrunch, @fortunatetragedy and @the-golden-comet :')

About You

When did you start writing?

Damned if I know. My parents told me that I used to tell my toys stories at bedtime back when I still slept in a cradle, though (I started talking at 6months)

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Very different, actually. I love reading sci-fi and almost never touch horror, but I've written tons of horror and only 1 sci-fi. Plus, I hage reading slice of life.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I'm a fan of Mark Lawrence's writing (he's super underrated), and though I'd rather not emulate someone directly, I sure wouldn't mind if someone compared me to him.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)?

The walk to school, the busses and trains I take, walking my dog. Basically on the go.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Go out and live my life. Eventually I'll see something cool and insist upon turning it into a short story.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Yeah, it's basically made me physically incapable of writing anyone other than city ppl.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Err... The horrors persist but so do I is a personal favourite among my one-shots. And platonic male-female relationships is another darling of mine.

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

I literally almost never talk about him, but Hans-el, the Spirit Emperor, chews my heart up and spits it out on a regular basis. I'm currently writing a short story from his pov, which I may or may not try to submit for publishing, so I guess look out for that when it happens?

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Err- I think Hash, Dave and I would be buddies. They're probably the only ones, though.

Which characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Everyone else. Iraela would get mocked relentlessly by me, Katherine and I would but heads immediately, and I would cheerfully start a gossip war with Luna. And yeah, I would get my ass kicked in every above fight, but that's never stopped me before.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

They show up whenever the plot demands it, and then headlock me until I write more about them. Alternatively they infiltrate my dreams and haunt me.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

I like people who destroy themselves in blazes of flaming triumph. Also headstrong bitchy women, because I am one.

How do you picture your characters?

I don't lol. My mind just doesn't do the whole 'mental image' thing. I can hear them though.

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I have nothing better to do with my life.

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

If they like something I did with my writing (technique, phrasing, etc) and mention it, I will melt with joy.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

I just want to be heard.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Description. I don't really do visual descs, but I love nailing voices to the wall and dissecting them.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

Description, dialogue (or internal monologue), and gore

How do you feel about your own writing?

I go through the five stages of grief with it: 'oh I'm finally done', 'i love it so much', 'hey maybe I should edit it some more to make it better', 'oh fuck it actually sucks', 'okay nevermind let's never think of it again'

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

I'd be dead too quickly to write, honestly. But if I survive, fuck yeah. I'll scrawl my words across a meadow and scream it from the sky.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy?

Every now and then I cringe from how weird my writing is, but it always passes.

Tagging @just-emis-blog, @drchenquill, @novel-nook-blog, @thecoolerlucky, @the-letterbox-archives

@kaylinalexanderbooks, @honeybewrites, @orions-quill, @vampirelover890, @glitched-dawn and open tag!

[v-i-r-i-d-i-a-n]

YOU WANNA KNOW SOMETHIN

Y’ALL ACTUALLY WANNA KNOW HOW I FEEL ABT MIKE WILL AND EL??

I just want them to be happy

I started watching stranger things because of the hype of S4, I watched the first season with my parents in 2018 but didn’t rlly remember anything abt the plot and I didn’t get past episode where Jonathan’s camera was broken because I physically couldn’t watch anything with embarrassment at that point in my life

Anyways all I remember is that I didn’t care abt milkvan, like at all, I had no emotional attachment to them, I thought they were vaguely cute? But I felt like I had seen this formula a million times before and it was boring at that point, so I just didn’t really care abt them, I loved the characters don’t get me wrong but their relationship just never really felt that important to me, I always preferred them as friends anyways, their platonic interactions were always my favorites

I knew that I just wanted these little fuckers to be happy and if Mike and Eleven being together made them happy so be it, even then tho I was starting to realize the differences between Mike/Will and Mike/El but I could’ve passed off S2 Byler was platonic if they wrote Mileven super cute, but at that point I hadn’t seen them together on screen enough to rlly have any attachment to them

And then I watched S3, and S4

And I realized if I want these characters to be happy they cannot be together- they’re relationship does not work, it is not healthy, it’s not good for either of them- and it’s not good for Will

THEY COULD’VE SALVAGED IT IN S3 WRITTEN THEIR PROBLEMS OFF AS IT BEING MIKES FIRST RELATIONSHIP AND HOW HES STILL A KID AND DOESNT ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND AND HOW EL DOESNT ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS TO BE A PERSON YET

BUT THEN WE’RE SHOWN EL LITERALLY AT HER HAPPIEST WHEN SHE ISNT HANGING OUT WITH MIKE?? WE’RE TOLD MIKE AND HER DO NOT HAVE PROPER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EACH OTHER- ABOUT THE THINGS THEY LIKE TO DO- THE THINGS THEY JUST LIKE- AND IM SUPPOSED TO BE ROOTING FOR THEM???

We’re shown El giggling and having a good time after breaking up with Mike, we’re told that El see’s him as “her first boy friend” which means she thinks she’s gonna get another eventually- we’re SHOWN El being happy without Mike

We’re shown that Mike keeps El in a holding place she doesn’t want to be in anymore

AND THEN WE’RE SHOWN WILL BEING DEVASTATED WITHOUT MIKE, WE’RE SHOWN AND TOLD THAT WILL LOVES MIKE AND WE’RE SHOWN THAT WILL KNOWS HIM AND HOW TO HELP HIM AND HOW TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER AND WE’RE SHOWN JUST HOW DIFFERENT AND IMPORTANT THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS

EVEN JUST THE ENDING OF S3 WHERE MIKE AND WILLS CONVERSATION ENDS WITH THEM SWEETLY SMILING AT EACH OTHER WELL MAKING PROMISES TO NEVER REPLACE EACH OTHER WELL MIKE AND ELS ENDS WITH THEM KISSING AND MIKE HAVING HIS EYES OPEN AND EL WALKING AWAY FROM HIM WELL HE STANDS STARING LOOKING VAGUELY DISGUSTED WITH THE INTERNAL DIALOGUE OF ��what’s wrong with me” ?????????

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ROOT FOR THE COUPLE THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BE BETTER OFF AS FRIENDS??? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO ROOT FOR THEM WHEN THEY DONT SEEM TO MAKE EACH OTHER HAPPY??? WHEN THEY KNOW LIKE NOTHING ABT EACH OTHER? WHEN ONE OF THEM IS ALWAYS SAYING THEY DONT LIKE THE OTHERS INTERESTS?? WHEN LOOKING OBJECTIVELY AT IT THEIR PERSONAL ARCS GO IN LIKE OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS???

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOT ROOT FOR THE COUPLE THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO KNOW EACH OTHER THE BEST OUT OF EVERYONE??? TO HAVE SOME OF THE SWEETEST SCENES AND HEART TO HEARTS AND PARALLELS SO MANY CANON COUPLES ?? WHO MAKES OOGLY EYES AT EACH OTHER AND SMILE AND PROMISE EACH OTHER THEY WONT REPLACE ONE ANOTHER

I just want El and Mike and Will to be happy and looking objectively at it Mike and El breaking up seems to be when El is the happiest, and Mike and Will being together is when they’re at their happiest

[starmanbyler]

thinking about how there were two examples of unrequited love/crush in stranger things (dustin/max and steve/robin) and how they were handled delicately yet quickly and easily in the same season they were introduced.

dustin has a crush on max when he first sees her in s2 but quite quickly he gets over it when he realised how well her and lucas work together. he goes on to get a girlfriend the next season so he’s obviously not dwelling over it. if the byler/mileven love triangle was handled the same way that max, dustin and lucas’ was then wills unrequited feeling would be much more plausible.

in s3 when we’re introduced to robin steve also has a crush on her and dustin points this out. the difference here is that it’s not really a love triangle, but an example of unrequited feelings because of someone’s sexuality. not long after steve starts to develop feelings for robin she comes out to him and he accepts her, they move on and stay friends. while all this is happening wills has feelings for mike but it isn’t commented on, nobody draws attention to it. it’s supposed to be subtle and gradual. it’s literally just slow burn and i’m surprised it’s not more obvious to the general audience.

the difference with byler is that will’s crush has been dragged out for at least the last two or three seasons and there still hasn’t been any resolution or response from mike and/or el. not only would it be heartbreaking to put will through all of that yearning for years just for him to get rejected, but also it narratively makes no sense. all of the development of their relationship, especially in season four, was for nothing? if will’s feelings were unrequited, then season 4 or preferably season 3 would be the right time to show this. not in the final season. especially when he’s supposed to finally be getting his ‘happy ending’. he’s been through so much suffering, being ‘rejected by mike but being accepted for being gay’ is not gonna cut it for a happy ending. will is miserable; if he’s getting a happy ending it’s gonna be something that will surprise him and change his life. it will be something that subverts his negative self-perception and doubts. you know what would do exactly that? mike reciprocating his feelings.

it’s not just about will either. it’s important for his own self-acceptance but mike’s too. especially even. mike is the most repressed when it comes to his feelings and his sexuality and it would be incredibly important for him to come to terms with that and what better way than to accept himself and his feelings by confessing to will? also, el and mike don’t have a good relationship: they have nothing in common, don’t know each other very well, and struggle to communicate with each other. they don’t feel like they can be themselves around each other.

i don’t like when people act like it’s as surface level as whether or not mike is gay and if ‘he’s shown any evidence of being attracted to men’ because it’s a lot deeper than that. people say it’s nothing more than platonic when it’s been shown again and again how different their relationship is to their relationships with the rest of the party.

plus how can anyone have watched season 4 and said he has no signs of attraction to guys?? were we even watching the same show?

like girl wtf 😭

[paintingformike]

one particular mileven argument i’ve been seeing around lately is that we can’t just compare byler and mileven because obviously friendships and romantic relationships are different and you can overall trust your best friend more than your girlfriend...which is all fine and dandy if they hadn’t written their storylines in season 4 the way they did but unfortunately, you have to look at the larger context.

at this point will isn’t just mike’s best friend, he’s in love with him, so that puts him into the role of a potential love interest. at surface level, maybe all of their heart to hearts and intimate conversations in season 4 were just about will being a good friend to mike. but as soon as they canonized will’s feelings for him, it wasn’t just about friendship anymore and they’ve gone beyond platonic territory. in a fictional show where writers have a purpose for every plot point and narrative, you have to look into what message they intend to relay to the audience. why would they make mike spend the entire season having intimate conversations with his gay best friend who happens to be in love with him and emphasize how he’s more open and vulnerable with will? why show how much will understands and comforts mike better than anyone else? why develop and show the depth of byler’s relationship and put a lot of care into their connection while at the same time, showing the cracks in mileven’s relationship and making mike spend the rest of the season away from el?

the thing is, you have to understand writing and narrative devices. when there’s two love interests in a love triangle and the writers are working to develop and resolve the plot between these characters, it’s important for them to show the contrast between the two love interests and their relationship with the person in the middle of the triangle, so that the audience can understand which relationship dynamic works better. they have to establish enough development and foundation for who they choose to make the person in the middle end up with.

and is it pure coincidence that they’ve been making both byler and mileven have one major fight each for two seasons straight while mike and will’s fights are always in relation to mileven? well, if you compare them, then it’s obvious what they’re trying to convey.

these scenes are framed the way they are to show the contrast between the impact and the outcome of byler fighting vs mileven fighting and how mike handles conflict with will vs with el. the mileven breakup, which is comedic and bright, ends with mike looking confused and annoyed more than anything while making no effort to go after el and needing constant push from lucas just to talk to her. the byler rain fight, which is serious and gloomy, ends with mike looking absolutely remorseful and heartbroken and shouting for will to not leave. he instinctively bikes across town in the pouring rain just to apologize to will. in season 4, mike enters both el and will’s rooms with the intention to resolve his conflicts with them. his attempts to fix things with el end in a massive fight instead because they weren’t on the same page and failed to understand each other. his attempts to fix things with will were successful because they understood each other and were on the same page.

so...its safe to say that you’re meant to watch byler scenes in the context of mike being set up to get together with the most compatible romantic partner for him, and vice versa. besides, most of the reason and basis for romantic relationships in media comes from the characters’ dynamic when they were still friends. heck, they did the same thing with jancy in seasons 1-2. nancy was the most emotionally vulnerable and soft with jonathan than with steve, even though they were just friends. jonathan was the one who took care of nancy when steve wasn’t there for her and he got her to open up about her inner turmoils, and that’s how people knew she was better off with jonathan. so if people who watched season 2 compared nancy’s relationship with jonathan vs her relationship with steve to prove how jancy works better, were they just going to get shut down because “obviously jancy was a friendship and stancy was a romantic relationship and they aren’t the same”? do you now realize how stupid it sounds? because somehow it’s easier for people to infer that jonathan was being contrasted with steve as a better love interest for nancy, but they can’t apply the same logic with will and him being a potential love interest for mike.

is it so crazy to think that the writers intended to show how much will is the right person for mike because mike is the most comfortable being emotionally open with him, and will obviously knows exactly how to reassure him with his insecurities and fears and knows his core self more than anyone else? is it so crazy to think that will is obviously being contrasted to el as the better love interest for mike because he listened to his inner turmoils and was there for him in a way el wasn’t shown to be? because let’s be real here, we get virtually zero scenes of mike opening up to el the way he does with will and receiving comfort from her the way he does with will again, most of the scenes where we see mike feeling the most reassured and validated and loved was with will. the van scene was the most obvious instance of this contrast because mike literally just expressed how he felt useless and inferior in his relationship with el, but will made him feel the exact opposite by emphasizing how important he was and calling him the heart. none of those sentiments came directly from el, they were all will’s. no matter how much will tries to attribute his feelings to someone else, mike was still getting that unconditional love and appreciation only from him.

and again, this isn’t to diminish el as a character or paint her as the bad guy for not being there for mike as much as will was, it’s to point out the choices the writers decided to make with these character’s arcs, why they decided not to allocate scenes for mike to actually get reassurance and comfort from his gf instead of constantly only getting it from his best friend. why they chose to separate them for the entire season, why the only conversation they had afterwards was interrupted before they could actually have a meaningful and serious talk. you could argue that el was busy having her own self discovery journey and obviously couldn’t be physically present for mike, but their scene together in surfer boy pizza should’ve been enough proof that they had every opportunity to just insert a scene of mike and el having an actual heart to heart, and yet they still cut it short and decided to do away with it anyways. that’s just how things were written in season 4, and it’s becoming undeniably obvious that byler is being written as the relationship with a stronger connection, understanding and trust between both parties.

[yurtletheturtlehenderson]

You Weren't There || Nancy Wheeler

SEQUEL TO: You Were There

PAIRING: Nancy Wheeler x Fem!Adopted!Harrington Reader, Nancy Wheeler x Platonic!Robin Buckley, Robin Buckley x F!Platonic!Adopted!Reader

GENRE: A cup of fluff, a pinch of angst, and a sprinkle of doom ~~☆

WARNINGS: reader is fem coded, but no actual pronouns are used. vol. i and vol. ii spoilers, mentions of (canon) death/injuries

A.N: girl help, something in me keeps saying to make this a blurb series and it's getting harder not to listen

SUMMARY: After a long and stressful visit to Cali visiting family (whom you didn't get to see very much of) you return with Will, Jonathan, El, and Mike to your home in Hawkins. There you are reunited with your friends, your brother, and girlfriend Nancy. Her and Robin's newly kindled friendship has come to many a surprise, and you were no exception; but evidently its not quite the shock Robin had when she discovered who you were dating.

You weren't there. Nancy thanked God you weren't there. And yet, she wished with all her heart you were; you and Mike. Just to hold you two again in her arms and know you both were safe.

Hawkins was on the brink of total collapse and you, Mike, Jonathan, and his family were (hopefully) far from any kind of danger.

You weren't there when it started. Chrissy and Fred's murder, Victor Creel, the angry mobs, Vecna—all of it. And shit... Max. How would she tell you? Nancy knew, like your brother, you loved the kids. But you always had a bit of a soft spot for Mayfield. She knew you would find a way to blame yourself somehow; that you weren't there. But you didn't know, and you surely hadn't seen how powerful he was. Nancy prayed you never would.

You weren't there because you had left with Mike to Cali to visit family. Steve had nearly gone with you but he couldn't get out of work. Had he, Nancy would have had to worry about one less person.

At least it had allowed her to befriend the famous Robin Buckley; official best friend to the Harringtons and a girl you wouldn't quit talking up. 'Robin said the funniest thing today, I totally thought of you,'. 'Nance, I'm telling you, you have a lot more in common with her than you might think.' etc. It wasn't that Nancy was jealous; she trusted you completely. But sometimes she couldn't help but wonder just what could have bonded you two so that would make you want to introduce the two of them so badly.

But damn it if Robin hadn't grown on her. It might not have been the easiest thing for Nancy to admit, but the more she got to know Robin—the more Robin got underneath her skin, chipped away at her patience with all the grace of a jackhammer—the harder she found it to push her away. There was just something infectious and addicting about Robin and her runaway attention span and quick wit. She could keep up with Nancy in a way others couldn't, and her strictly Platonic-With-a-Capitol-P friendship with Steve had certainly brought out a fresher side to him. Even better, Nancy found the two of them had something very important in common; you.

Nancy first noticed it in the first 15 minutes of alone time with Robin. The ride to the library was not one spent in easy silence. Between the rapid flipping through the radio stations, the flipping of the sun visor up and then down and then up, the tongue-in-cheek humor, and—oh, hell—now the feet on the dashboard. Here, she thought it was just you.

You weren't there when Robin and your brother followed her into her room in her search for a disguise. Had you been, she was certain with the two of you there, Steve would have been worn down twice as fast.

"You have a Tom Cruise poster," she had chortled, coming to a full stop having barreled into her room. Then came a shit-eating grin she had seen in you once or twice. "You have a Tom Cruise poster,"

You weren't there, and yet she heard your relentless teasing as if you were glued to her side. ‘I see Tom Cruise is still here.’ At the time, your arms had wound a gentle but almost possessive hold around her torso that she had a hard time admitting she enjoyed. Your smirk had been audible despite it being buried in the back of her shoulder. ‘I certainly hope this means I don't have any competition.’

At the recollection, Nancy's face had ducked down to the floor in an involuntary effort to hide the heat in her cheeks, though not for the reason Robin likely suspected. Mercifully, the topic had changed and their evolving plan recaptured everyone's attention.

You weren't there for the trek through the woods to Skull Rock, wherein Nancy finally made your wish a reality; Robin Buckley was her friend. She was surprised at how easy it was to accept. Nearly as surprising as her almost admitting the nature of your relationship. Sure, maybe Robin knew you were into girls, but she didn't know Nancy was. And Nancy had no knowledge Robin was either. They were completely oblivious. And it remained just so when Steve had called out in victory upon arrival to (the correct location of) Skull Rock, unknowingly cutting off Nancy's confession.

And once more, Nancy would thank her lucky stars you hadn't been there when they found themselves in the middle of Lovers Lake. Dustin's theory had brought them here, the four of them squashed into a tiny little rowboat in search of Watergate; herself, Robin, Eddie Munson, and Steve. Your brother. There was an aching ball of fear lodged in her ribcage as he prepared for the dive. (There was also a strange feeling of being watched).

"Steve," she had said, somewhat shocked at how small her voice came out. "Be careful."

A look was shared between them, one filled with meaning. Sure, they had a history, but those feelings had long since burned away, leaving behind nothing but mutual love and respect. Though maybe not in the way it once had been. Simply put, this was her friend, and she was his. And both of them knew what he was about to do was not in the least bit safe. Nancy couldn't lose Steve any more than she could lose you.

His solemn nod told her he knew. And that he would. For her, and you. And with that, and an impressive form, Steve had dove into the unknown.

The wait for his return had been hard. But thanks to Robin, not completely unbearable. Her faith in Steve was well placed, but the unknown that waited for him in that damn lake is what had left Nancy so uneasy.

"You know," said Robin, hands glued to the rim of the boat and peering down into the black water. Nancy knew just enough about Robin to recognize about two or three of her nervous ticks had come out as she said this, but couldn't quite pinpoint what they were. "The average adult can hold their breath for three to five minutes. A-and Steve has experience. So probably longer. He'll be alright,"

Nancy took another look at the girl across from her and felt a sudden rush of gratitude. Of course, Nancy knew Robin was trying to reassure herself as much as she was anyone there, but that wasn't what brought her comfort. Oddly enough, it was the worry. If there was ever any doubt behind Robin's "platonic with a capital p" speech, it had just been obliterated by the shake in her voice Nancy herself had just been fighting. She knew now, for certain, the matter regarding Steve's safety was of great importance to more than just herself and you. That what was brought her comfort.

And it was just their luck the overwhelming comfort of Steve's return to the surface was then immediately sunk. Right along with him. That wait was just too agonizing to endure. Nancy didn't fear whatever the hell just yanked Steve back under, she feared what would happen if she didn't dive in after him. So she simply didn't allow it to take him.

The only thing to delay her was the sudden but gentle tug on her arm from Eddie, telling her to wait. "You're not going in there, are you?" Maybe Eddie had been afraid of what may happen to her and Steve, maybe he was afraid of being down two people so quickly. Or maybe it was both. But Nancy didn't have time for either.

"Just wait here," she ordered before disappearing beneath the water with a splash. And ignoring the fearful pleas of her name tearing up Robin's throat.

"Nancy!" It had been a shriek filled with worry, and it had been the last thing she had heard before the rush of water around her as she swam to the bottom of Lovers Lake with a dangerous amount of adrenaline.

Not five minutes later, the four of them reunited and stood panting on the floor of a barren Lovers Lake located in the Upside Down, a flock of what appeared to be demo-bats scattered dead at their feet. They had narrowly escaped death (again) from the welcoming party that waiting for them on the other side of Watergate, and it was then three of those four had another reason to be grateful for your absence, as much as they missed you.

You were on Steve's mind often, particularly when it came to the dangers he feared you coming home to. Robin, like her friends, was grateful you weren't around for the dangers, but on more than one occasion, found a part of herself wishing you were—your curiosity and unique way of looking at any problem surely would have sped the Creel investigation along. And Nancy thought of you, for the same reasons. And not without absolute certainty, Mike was with you, and you were protecting each other. She couldn't say for sure what told her you and Mike weren't without your dangers in California, other than past experiences. But she hoped you both were safe.

Utterly convinced her luck couldn't be pushed anymore, she stood gaping in her driveway at the brazen horn of a pizza van came barreling up the cul-de-sac to deliver to her Mike and you (not pizza, as the van's advertising would otherwise suggest). And not just you; Jonathan, Will, and El. Even who she could only guess to be the infamous friend Argyle she had heard so much about from Jonathan.

Everyone was here and everyone was alive.

You and Mike were alive.

Four years now of escaping monsters and still Nancy is certain she has never moved that fast. She was in your arms in an instant, swept quite literally off of her feet and in your arms. Her smirk was smothered deep in the crook of your neck, where she could hear—where she could feel—the vibrant laugh bubbling up your throat. It was music to her ears.

Her feet returned to the ground but she would never have felt it; as far as Nancy was concerned at this moment, her relief had her floating.

Her hands were secured on the sides of your face, palming gently at your jaw and temple as she inspected you and unintentionally spoke the

-"Are you okay--?"

-"Are you okay--?"

The two of you laughed.

Nodding, she gave you a knee-buckling smile—one of relief and sheer joy as she looked at you. She looked at you like you hung the moon, and you knew she was seeing the same look in you. "I'm okay," she swears, melting when you clasp your hand over hers where it is on your face. "I'm okay. Are--?"

"--I'm okay. Really," you promise, and it's like another breath is rightfully returned to her lungs.

"A-and Mike, he's--?" You follow Nancy's eyes over your shoulder at Mike a few feet away. He's trapped in their mother's grip—it's anyone's guess she's not letting him go any time soon.

"Safe," you smile. "A little scarred, probably, but I think that ship sailed for all of us ages ago," she doesn't laugh at your comment, because she knows it's not a joke. But that hasn't stopped her smile. But the sight of yours falling did.

Your eyes weren't on her anymore, they were frantically scanning the yard with rising panic. "Steve. What about Steve, is he okay?"

Nancy nodded instantly, and yet it wasn’t fast enough for her standards. "Yes! Yes, he's okay! I promise. He--" she was looking too now, not daring to let go of you for even a second. "He was just--"

Steve, damn his timing, had just gone inside with Robin to grab another box of donations for the car. He had just missed you. And yet, thanks to that same timing, he came waltzing out of the house—donation box in hand—and right into your line of sight with Robin on his tail. Locking eyes, you watched him freeze where he stood. The donation box—thankfully, nothing but kitchen towels and old placemats—was dropped to the concrete and forgotten in his dust.

Another laugh of relief was released from your lungs as Steve met you in a bone-crushing hug. Literally. No sooner had he tackled you in a fierce and protective hug did you catch the sharp wince he was trying so hard to hide from you. Thanks to his years of athletic injuries (and the past three years) you always knew when your brother was trying to downplay his pain for your sake.

"What? What happened? What did--?" You asked immediately, trying to break free from his hold and save him from himself. He wasn't quite ready to let you go. "What did you do to yourself?"

"You're okay," was all he said as if he hadn't heard you. He just hugged you tighter, and you caved. You missed him so much, and the worry for his sake (and Nancy, and everyone else for that matter) had been eating you up inside.

"Yeah," you smiled. "I'm okay,"

Nancy was still beaming as she watched you two. Even when you broke away, immediately you began a search over your brother for evidence of injury.

"Now what the hell happened?"

He shrugged, left hand going to his abdomen and rubbing at it with a wince. "Ah, you know, same as usual. Got my ass handed to me. What else is new?" He nodded to your forehead, where there remained some traces of dried blood you had missed.

It was your turn to shrug, stepping back into Nancy's touch that hovered over your lower back, the two of you gravitating back to each other's sides. "Ah, you know, same as usual. Kicked some ass, took some names. What else is new?"

They laughed and said nothing more of it. But both Steve and Nancy had noticed that the usual light in your eyes had dimmed another shade.

"Thank god one Harrington has their shit together,"

Everyone's eyes turned to Robin, who had appeared at Steve's side. You didn't waste a second, sweeping her up in a hug. More or less, the same tearful words of reassurance are exchanged before you return, yet again, to Nancy's side. Steve liked to joke the two of you were made of magnets, always snapping back together.

Another surge of gratitude swept over Nancy, and she rubbed at your back, inviting you in close. Her light was contagious, quickly taking over you and warming you up in the autumn wind picking up from down the street as she rested her chin in close. The small act of affection hurled you into auto-pilot and brought your lips to the crown of her head with a quick and meaningful kiss. As all of you looked between the reunions taking place all up the driveway, you hugged Nancy even tighter to your side.

"We tried getting ahold of you all, but there we couldn't exactly--"

"--I'm sorry!" Robin blurted, shaking away the daze you all seemed to have missed in her a moment ago. "Really, I am but if I may--"

Ohhh. You looked at Nancy where she was still nuzzled in close, though now, granted, a bit frozen. Right.

"did we resurface in an actual, parallel dimension, or something, or-- or am I really looking at the same thing you are, Stevie?" Her ring-clad hand was now clutching Steve's arm like the lifeline it was, never taking her side-eye off of you and Nancy.

Steve didn't answer, his mouth snapping shut. He wasn't involved, and he was determined to keep it that way.

"Huh? Wheeler," Robin fought her blinking gaze over to Nancy. She had nothing to offer but a pitiful wince. "After everything?"

"Robin," you tried, feeling guilty. You were just about to apologize, tell her you hadn't meant for her to find out like this. Truly.

But she didn't give you a chance to speak. In fact, all you had succeeded in doing was calling her wrath down on you like a lightning rod. Your mouth snapped shut, not unlike your brother, and not without a hint of amusement in your features.

She shook her head in a scolding manner that only fueled your smirk. You knew Robin well enough to recognize when her excitement was canceling out her anger, even though she was fighting so hard to hide it. Going as far as to look you up and down with exaggerated disgust that, sadly, didn't look 100% fake.

"Et tu Brute?"

"Robin, I wanted to tell you, trust me," you laughed. "Why do you think I've been trying so hard to get you two in the same room?"

"Uhhh," Robin scoffed, that same dumb-struck look on her face as she gestured widely to nothing in particular. "I don't know, maybe to wave your kick-ass monster-slaying babe of a 'friend' in my face?" She tried, stressing the word friend. From beside you, Nancy blushed, failing to wipe off her amused smirk as Robin continued. "Maybe you were trying, good-naturedly as you so often do, to shove me out of my comfort zone with a very beautiful, but very unobtainable 'straight' girl? Maybe you were just being a bro? I don't know man! But I'm hurt. I. am. hurt."

Another laugh, not feeling too bad at what you said next. "Well," you wagered, giving your girlfriend an affectionate squeeze. "You got the unobtainable part right,"

At this point, Nancy gave up trying to will away the smirk and instead buried it in your shoulder in an attempt to spare Robin. It didn't work.

Robin took one look at all of you, displeased to see so much giggling. She clicked her tongue, finally giving in to the aforementioned contagion spreading to her face. Not because she was happy for you two, but she was still very upset she had been left out of something so exciting and would lord it over you three for the foreseeable future.

"You think you know someone, " she tsked.

Robin felt her heart melt a little in her chest as she took in the sight of you two together. In fact, it brought such comfort to her. Not that she'd ever give either of you the satisfaction of knowing this of course, not now. But it really did fill her with so much reassurance.

Here the two of you were—two of the very small list of people she trusted more than anyone, mind you—so at ease in such troubling, traumatizing times. Just because you each knew the other was safe.

Here Nancy was, after a week of anxious, quick-to-anger fear Robin wouldn't ever think of blaming her for, and she was like a completely different person. Her signature, bad-ass edge Robin had quickly come to admire was still there, of course, but... Robin couldn't pinpoint it. Nancy was just... happy. Very happy. Without fear. Simply because...

You were there.

[mikesmelodrama]

eleven doesn't need a boyfriend to be happy. (an analysis)

some mlvns say bylers hate el but that just isn't correct at all?

the argument is near always that "wanting mlvn to break up means you hate el because she's happy with mike"

now, first of all: did you ever stop to think whether mike happy with el?

because maloobans also say things like "just because will likes mike doesn't mean mike has to like him back."

okay! with that same logic, just because el likes mike doesn't mean they have to stay together. their relationship has been rocky for a while. mike has trouble saying he loves el. if els feelings are unrequited in s5 (which i don't believe because i think she realised she doesn't love mike at the end of s4 and neither love each other anymore), it wouldn't make sense to keep them together.

second of all: is el the happiest she can be with mike? in s3, we see el finding herself with max who says "there's more to life than stupid boys." and el IS happy without mike, but i believe she was still in love with him in s3 and that's why they got back together. however, i think mike wanted to stay broken up at the end of s3 but was caught off guard by the love confession

i'm not even gonna get into the shitshow that was mlvn in s3 but y'all have seen it, so...

third: i'd assume most mlvn shippers are straight - therefore they're watching the relationship through a heteronormative lens, and thinking that el would need a boyfriend to be happy is a heteronormative idea.

some melvins say they want mlvn to get married and have kids, which is also a heteronormative idea.

i don't necessarily like eddie but in his wise words: "forced conformity is killing the kids."

so, what do we learn from this?

el needing to be in a relationship goes against the idea stranger things is trying to push. the idea that stranger things is saying over and over over again is that you don't need to be "normal" according to society.

for example:

dustin is disabled. will is gay. lucas is black. max is (likely) disabled in s5 if she wakes up. joyce is a single mom. robin is gay. jonathan is bullied. murray believes in alien conspiracies.

obviously, all of those things (except the alien conspiracy lol) are normal but in the 80's they weren't treated as such, or even now.

with characters like that, is ST really going to push a relationship like mlvn to be endgame? NO.

you don't need to be in a straight, unhappy relationship because it's what society wants you to do. you can be a freak, and just because a boy and a girl are friends, doesn't mean they need to be together.

also, "boy finds traumatized girl in woods, takes her under his wing, they fall in love, end of story."

does that sound like what's best for el? because when you think about it, el doesn't need mike and vice versa. she hasn't needed him since she moved in with the byers, because she has a loving family & friends. mike isn't the only important person in her life.

and having els arc to be diluted to being some nerds superhero girlfriend with very little personality of her own wouldn't be a good way to end s5 on.

having mike just be rude to will for no reason and magically figuring out all his troubles with saying i love you to his girlfriend (that can't possibly have anything to do with him being queer, can they?) and them being happy forever wouldn't be a good way to end s5 on.

what el needs is to be independent and learn what she likes without a boyfriend she's heavily codependent on. SHE DOESN'T NEED A RELATIONSHIP AND ISN'T READY FOR ONE.

the truth is, she doesn't know enough love and healthy relationships to be with mike while being independent and figuring out her own identity. i honestly believe even canon elmax would work out better than mlvn, even though i'm a single, independent el truther at heart.

hope you liked my little ramble!

i really hope we get platonic elmike in s5 cause we were ROBBED 😭

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Flowers and Feelings

Summary: Roman and Patton have their own flower language, and it certainly has its uses.

...

Roman has always loved roses.

Even before he knew they represented romance, he loved the way they looked and smelled.  Elegant but simple, variety between all the different colors and smells but all of them still sweet.

Patton had picked up on this young, and started giving Roman roses whenever he wanted to express care.  They’d come up with their own language between them, because they’d both been too young to know there was an actual flower language.  Blue roses had been for when he was sad, and Patton had been wanting to sit in the sadness with him.  Yellow had been for joy, when he wanted to be excited or happy with him.  Red had been for pride, because it was Roman’s color.

(It had been slightly awkward after they had learned red roses were traditionally for romance, since neither of them were romantically inclined for the other.  But in the end, Roman had waved the tradition off.  They knew what it meant, and that’s what mattered.  Besides, who was to say you couldn’t platonically romance your friends?)

Pink had been for when Thomas had a crush, and Roman was excited about it.  Those roses had come up far more often after Thomas accepted he was gay, and as such, there was a positive association.

Orange had been for anger, since red was already taken.  It was often used as a silent apology after they got into a fight, meaning Roman had given Patton plenty over the years too.

Green was touchy, but often Patton used it for reassurance.  Roman had admitted to him once about being scared he’d someday do something that would make him unwanted, and though he hadn’t brought up Remus directly, he knew they’d both been thinking about him.  And despite the fact that Patton was not a huge fan of Remus, the next day he’d found a green rose sitting on his desk, and he’d known what it meant.  (That he would always be better and more wanted than Remus, right?  Right?)

He’d gotten a purple and red rose together a little bit after they’d all accepted Virgil, after Virgil had chosen purple as his new jacket color.  He tended to get a lot of those two mingled together, usually when Patton was proud of him for doing something brave, but that day he was pretty sure the purple was meant to be Virgil specifically.

The two of them talked a lot through flowers throughout the years.  It wasn’t something they needed to say aloud much anymore, just a shared language between them that he could always count on.

The day after the wedding, Roman found a blue, green, and red flower outside his door in a vase.

They wilted in between the time it took to carry them back over to Patton’s door and set the vase down as a rejection.

…

Roman stayed in his room for a week after the wedding.  He summoned his own food and left a note on his door saying not to bother him.  Thomas had tried to summon him a couple times, but in a move that made him feel even worse, Roman ignored him.

He’d really blown it this time.  He could never seem to figure out what was right and when.  He thought he’d made the right decision when choosing the wedding, or when he tried to protect Thomas from Deceit— Janus?  Deceit— or when he’d tried to follow Patton’s lead, or when, or when, or when.

Clearly, he just had no idea what he was doing.  El Príncipe es estúpido, right?

He just didn’t know what to do anymore.  Nothing he tried seemed to work right.  Often, it just seemed to make things worse.  Of course he wasn’t Thomas’ hero anymore.  Of course the others didn’t love him anymore.  He didn’t deserve it.

Roman spent the week after the wedding holed up in his room, summoning roses and ripping them to shreds in tune with his mood.  Orange first, what gave him the right to be angry?  Blue, he didn’t get to be sad.  Yellow, because he wasn’t going to be happy for a long time.  Purple, he was such a coward.  Red and green and red and green and red and green over and over and over again.  Where was he to begin with those?

Finally, after the week was up, and Roman had torn up way too many roses, he figured he’d have to go and face the music.

He sat on his bed and stared at the floor for a couple hours at least, until he finally managed to drag himself up, put on his prince outfit, and drag a smile onto his face.

He trudged over to the door, took a deep breath, and pulled it open.

His smile dropped instantly.

The entire common area was absolutely covered in roses, of all different colors.  Even some they had never used before, like teal, or black, or some that were multiple colors at once.  There were dozens of roses outlining Roman’s door, all of them rainbow.

Roman stood gaping at all of the roses for a second, speechless.

Before he could get his bearings, the door across the hallway opened, and Virgil walked out very casually, like none of this was particularly noteworthy.

As soon as he saw Roman, though, his eyes widened, and he yelled, “Pat!” down the stairs.

“Coming, hang on!” Patton called back casually.  He appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later, and noticed Roman a second after that.

“Roman!” he called, starting over towards him immediately.

“Padre,” Roman said weakly.  “What— what is this?”

As he reached Roman, Patton held out his hands as a clear offering, and Roman took them shakily, still not sure what was going on.

“Roman,” Patton said, looking very firmly into his eyes.  “Last time I saw you I told you we loved you, and you didn’t seem to believe me.”

“I—” Roman said weakly.

“I know we have some making up to do with you,” Patton said with a sad smile.  “We just… wanted to show you you’re wrong.”

Roman looked around at all of the flowers, and noticed Logan had shown up over by Virgil, and all of them were looking at him and smiling.  Virgil looked nervous as always, Logan looked slightly awkward but still firm, and Patton looked so, so loving.

Roman looked back one more time at the roses and burst into tears.

He fell forward into Patton’s arms, who caught him with ease and lowered them both to the floor, running his hand through Roman’s hair.  Virgil and Logan showed up too, though Logan put a hand on his shoulder and Virgil just hovered nearby, as neither of them were the hugging type.

They both stayed there though, even Patton, though Roman was making an absolute mess of his shirt and cat hoodie.

He still wasn’t sure where to go from here, and he still didn’t know how to do anything right, but somehow his family was still here, roses and all.

And maybe that was a decent start.