#i wanted to scream after mike said ily to el

[gayofthefae]

The ily speech isn't romantic because El indirectly got it from her brother, actually. It's part of why he's in the background of so many of those shots, and, really, the connection I just made is:

If Mike's reference to his earlier conversation with El empowered her to fight Vecna, Will's reference to his earlier conversation with Mike empowered Mike to tell El first.

It isn't romantic because it wouldn't exist without Will. It's not unromantic because that Mike wouldn't have said it otherwise. It's unromantic because you're brother shouldn't be that big a part of your romantic milestones.

The whole issue with Mike giving El strength is it undermines her independence arc because it gives him that partial credit for the fight. So if it does that, Mike's speech gives Will partial credit too.

This is Will in multiple shots of the speech:

This shot always gives me "WE love you".

Because when it cuts to Will, it's Will's reaction. But here it just feels like they're feeling this collectively, almost reminiscent of a joint reaction shot the way his entire body is fully in the frame. They agreed earlier that Argyle is making no sense so it cut to a shot of them. Now they agree that they love El and want her to live so it cuts to a shot of them.

When it gets more specific to Mike and El, it cuts to shots like this.

Actually, I found this gif. Where you can clearly see that when Mike is thinking only about telling El, something that Will is not privy to the internal motivation or struggle of, it shifts to primarily Mike - and there are later shots where Will isn't visible at all - but when it cuts back once he's built the courage, they're telling her together.

Even without all the reused lines, the speech can't be romantic because I could argue that Will gave that to her. The power of romantic love from your gay brother is not, I think, what we're going for here.

Especially when, most pertinently, the final shot in which Mike screams "fight!" Which is, after the whole speech, when El actually does, suddenly uses - after only using a close shot of Mike for quite a while including the last shot - uses this shot

Putting Will entirely back into the shot again, maybe even moreso than before.

And all these wide shots have El's head in them, El's POV - El's dirty OTS here. To Mike, it's just him (except for when it's Will too). To El, it's both Mike and Will every time we see her perspective.

Even to her, Will was included.

[mileven11forever]

Ok, since you were friendly with bylers, I want to actually know your own interpretation from some scenes that we as bylers sometimes use as bylers proofs, but mileven ones.

*I am just asking this on anon because the last time I tried to be friendly with a mileven off anon and just ask something, I received a wave of hate from a lot of milevens on my asks*

Ok, your thoughts about:

Mike claiming that his relationship with El is love at first sight, when the duffers made clear that they don't believe in it and they made fun of that trope with Argyle and Eden (while Mike is really annoyed by it behind them)

What do you think about the difference between mileven break up scene and byler rain fight, with Will being devastated and El hanging out and being really happy with Max after. Why do you think they decided to joke about it even when all other couples that broke up had been taken serious, like stancy.

About the fact that they made Max assure El that Mike would be at her door crying for forgiveness and at the same episode Mike goes to Will's door instead to scream "I'm sorry" and actually accepting that what he said to Will was wrong instead of blaming other as he did to El ("Max corrupting her" instead of understanding that she is mad because he lied).

Are you satisfied with the fact that the duffers used Will's feelings to save Mike and Els relationship?

The fact that El NEVER once said something that she likes about Mike or complimented him or tried to know what he likes or his interests, what leads to Mike to think that to her, he is just a random nerd and she is going to leave him for whatever reason (his words before Will's speech to him)

The fact that for some reason, Mike hides from Will what's the real problem in their relationship and says to Will that he need to say something but if he said "that thing" he would lose El, even tho he just needs to say "ily" and there is no reason to believe he is going to lose her, since she asked him for it.

Why do you think Mike acted the way he did with Will at the airport if it's confirmed that Mike don't know and don't even suspects that Will is gay nor in love with him?

What do you think about the writers choice to have a focus on Els memories with Max with Max saying "there is more to life than stupid boys" right after the monologue and El and Mike aren't talking after what's suppose to save their their relationship problems.

There are more things I would like to ad but those ones I really want to know what you think. I'm asking you this because you look like you are going to awser seriously without being bitter about it. Also, if you want to know bylers thoughts about all of this, let me know, I would explain to you our interpretation of it.

(I'm sorry you've gotten hate from people, that sucks.)

1) I don't know if it was actually love at first sight, I think Mike just said that because he was trying to say anything to save El. I do think he truly loves her, but he fell in love with her more gradually throughout season 1, not at first sight. And in hindsight, sometimes when you really love someone, it feels like it was immediately when you met them even if it wasn't. So Mike might have just felt like he loved her immediately and said it that way in a high pressure situation, that doesn't mean it's completely accurate to what actually happened, memories can be unreliable too. And the Duffers say lots of things, and sometimes they are inconsistent. That happens, they're human. Also, where's the proof that they said this? I think you're probably talking about that tweet with "wrong answers only", but how do you know the Duffers wrote it and not a different employee who believes differently than them? And I don't think Argyle and Eden were making fun of the trope, they hooked up. Even if it was meant to make fun of the trope, that doesn't make it untrue for Mileven. But like I said before, I do think he was being hyperbolic.

2) I think it was because they were more making fun of Mike specifically than Mileven/their relationship. And S3 was playing on the summer blockbuster sort of thing, so it was kind of different than the other seasons. And the rain fight was probably from Will's perspective, and so it was trying to portray how he was feeling. Mike was caught off guard by El dumping him and probably didn't really believe it at first, but Will believed everything Mike said and took it to heart. So I think that's the difference. Additionally, the Mileven breakup wasn't meant to be serious because they just got back together later that season, and still obviously liked each other while broken up, wanting to get back together. The break up wasn't serious because it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, they still acted like a couple and loved each other, and they got back together pretty quickly.

3) Again, because the break up wasn't serious, they both knew they would get back together. And Mike did apologize to El and tell her the truth later, he was just scared because Hopper literally threatened him. What was he supposed to do when a grown man threatened him? And of course Mike went after Will because he was visibly upset. El ran off giggling with Max, and Mike was surprised and confused about what was happening, so he needed some time to process it and vent to his friends. The urgency in the scenes are completely different. Mike could tell he really hurt Will, but El was fine, so why would he run after her? They were different circumstances, so I don't think it's really fair to compare them.

4) Yeah, I think it makes sense for the time period. He substituted El's name in place of his to be able to get out his feelings without outing himself. He doesn't know how people might react to finding out about his sexuality, it's the 80s, the height of the AIDS epidemic, he's scared. He just needed to get closure somehow, knowing Mike will never feel the same way about him, in a way that didn't possibly risk his safety. And *Will* didn't fix their relationship, he didn't know what Mike was going to say to El, he just tried to boost his confidence a bit. Everything Mike said to El was his own feelings, and repairing what happened in the Mileven fight earlier that season. Will had no idea what the problem between them was, so he couldn't have directly fixed it, and he didn't, he just helped a tiny bit, like any friend would. So yeah, I think the way it was written makes complete sense.

5) I think when we see them in the show they have a lot going on dealing with all the Upsidedown plot related issues, is there really a good moment for her to start listing everything she likes about him? They're going through literal hell, so of course they aren't just spending time complimenting each other. She said she loves him, he should know that without being given a list of her favourite qualities about him.

6) Mike was scared of losing El, and maybe worried if he said the problem out loud, that would make it feel more real. Will isn't entitled to any information that Mike isn't comfortable sharing with him, and they had drifted apart a lot since S3. Mike is just a 15 year old boy, not all of his decisions necessarily make perfect sense, he wasn't comfortable telling anyone, he struggles to express his feelings.

7) Because they hadn't seen each other in so long, and barely kept in touch. It would be pretty awkward seeing an old friend again after months of trying to call them and not having them reach out. Will could have called Mike, but he didn't, so they drifted apart. Their connection is just a lot weaker than it used to be because of all the things they've been dealing with. Being awkward around a friend you haven't had contact with for a long time is completely normal.

8) That scene was about Max and El specifically, so of course it focused on them. And that line was about how platonic relationships are just as important as romantic ones, they don't have to be mutually exclusive, El can have both kinds, and both are important. Romantic relationships aren't better than friendships, they're equally as valuable, both kinds of love matter and can make El's powers stronger. And Mike and El were talking a little after, he was the only person she talked to at all, so clearly she feels safe to open up to him after all the traumatic stuff she just went through.

So those are my thoughts and interpretations, I don't think any of those events in the show proves anything about Byler.

[pholiabanna]

Mike and expressing feelings

Maybe this is controversial, but a very popular take in the stranger things fandom is that Mike has trouble communicating his feelings. Melvins use this as an excuse for him not saying ily to El, but some bylers also seem to believe he does have trouble.

However, basing myself on what I've seen portrayed on the show so far, I don't think that's the case. Ever since season one, Mike has been very vocal about expressing his discomfort or disagreement. From confronting his own dad ("I'm the only one who cares about Will") to screaming at Hopper (when he hits him and calls him "liar", he didn't precisely struggle with letting him know how frustrated and angry he felt). He also has no trouble standing up against authority figures (Hopper when he said they couldn't look for Will, Owen's agents who he didn't trust enough to stay on lockdown...).

My point is, him rarely opening up about his feelings hasn't been established on screen for his character either. Since he's the leader of the party, that role can only work if he expresses how he feels about plans or situations, which he does in all seasons.

The only feelings he's having trouble communicating are his love for Will and his lack of (romantic) love for El. But in my opinion, this isn't because he's a person that normally struggles with voicing how he's feeling.

It's a really hard situation for him because to begin with, being in the process of accepting your queerness in 80s America had to be terrifying, so things like being scared of El's or Will's reactions definitely come into play.

Also the guilt. He can't tell El he doesn't wanna date her, because seeing her cry in front of him while asking him why he doesn't say he loves her, knowing what she's gone through, breaks his heart. He's a compassionate person, and even if he's not in love with her, it doesn't mean that he doesn't care about her, and given she's going through a terrible time with the loss of Hopper, he puts her before himself and tries to be the best boyfriend he can for her. But the heart wants what the heart wants, so he can't say "I'm in love with you" because he isn't. He can't express his romantic feelings for her, but not because he's a boy that struggles with expressing his own feelings, but rather because those romantic feelings don't exist. And his true nature would be telling her the truth (and in my opinion, all of his talks with Will in season 4 were about him building up courage to eventually tell her that, because again, he's a boy that likes to be vocal about his opinions and he's trying to overcome the fear of rejection in this particular case, which is what's holding him back from his natural state).

He's also not opening up with Will at the beggining of the season for this particular reason. He's coming to terms with the fact that he loves him, and he seems like he's bursting with it. That's the thing, Mike has always been very vocal about his feelings, and with Will particularly. This has been portrayed on the show many times ("I'm gonna stay by you no matter what, we'll defeat the mind flayer together, meeting you is the best thing I've ever done..."). He opens up his heart to him with no problem. His behavior in season 3 and the beggining of season 4 was about him not acting like his usual self. In those scenes where there's clearly something that he's not telling Will, it's been established that he's acting as someone he isn't. So when he's not expressing what he's feeling, that's not his normal self. That's not his core trait, he's acting out of character. And that's because the feelings he wants to scream and yell are being affected by external reasons (fear, self acceptance, internalized homophobia...). Still, after spending some time with Will in season 4, he slowly goes back to his real self, and he starts to let him know what's worrying him ("El and I fought, it was a bad fight, I feel like a random nerd"). He has no trouble opening up with the right person. He's in the process of reverting back to his true self, the guy who has no problem being vocal about his thoughts. The reason why he still hasn't been fully honest about his romantic feelings with both Will and El is because of the misscommunication trope, the painting fiasco and the fact that season 5 is planned to be a continuation of season 4, so they dragged the storyline for a bigger payoff, where Mike being completely honest about his feelings will make him come full circle, and go back to being his true self, once all the obstacles are overcome.

So in conclusion, Mike is not "so in love with El but he has trouble telling her because he's a boy who has always struggled with communicating his feelings". Instead, Mike is a boy who's always been blatantly honest until growing up and his own personal battles have made him stop himself from doing what he wants more than anything (being honest) and his journey consists of overcoming those obstacles, because his honesty wins over his fears.

Anyways, that's the way I've always seen it. I'd love to hear more opinions in this topic and I'm completely open to discussion! Let me know what you think.

[erikiara80]

Hi!! Why do you think it's the reason we didn't get a reaction of Mike when El found Will in the void in S1? Do you think they are hiding footage of some Mike's reactions and scenes (Example: Mike crying on his way home after seeing Will's fake body") for a montage to reveal his feelings for Will in S5?

Ciao, anon! Well, it is possible that we didn't see Mike's reaction when El said Will's name because they didn't film it. And I don't know if we will see Mike crying on his way home the night he thought he had lost Will. But of course I would love to.

Maybe it's the big surprise of S5 and they really have footage we didn't see that they want to use in the last season.

But even if they don't, don't worry. There is so much evidence IN the show already. And although I think it would be cool if the writers included some old footage as proof that Byler didn't "come out of nowhere", it's also important to show the audience scenes that we DID see. That would help the general audience to understand that one of the reasons they didn't see Byler is heteronormativity. Because it's always been there. I'm thinking about so many scenes...

S1. "Our son, with a girl?" "See what happen, Mike?" Karen telling Mike that he can tell her anything. Mike pushing Troy when he calls Will gay. Mike crying in his mom's arms. Him caressing Will's drawings. Nancy: "You like her." Mike: "No, gross."

S2. "I don't know, he's quiet today." "Will, what's wrong? I couldn't find you. Are you hurt?" The famous Crazy together. Mike grabbing Will's hand. The shed scene! Honestly, the whole S2.

S3. If Mike gets vecna'd in S5, Henry could use a lot of scenes from this season to show him that he was hiding what he really wants and feels. The rain fight. Him not being able to say ILY to El, but being worried that Will might join another party (and his smile, that too). Or him hugging his mom, when he thinks he lost Will again.

S4. Almost every interaction with El and Will in this season screams that Mike is hiding something. He's not happy in his relationship with El, and he's hurting everyone. El, Will, and himself.

But there is one scene that we've never seen that would be perfect in S5, imo. The swings scene. I think they could show that moment, maybe as a happy memory Mike and Will use to hide from Vecna. Or it could just be a flashback. In S4 we saw a 8 year old El, and imo we'll see 12 year old Will again when he'll remember his days in the UD. So why not 5 year old Mike and Will, meeting for the first time?

So yeah. Byler has always been there. And in S5 it's going to be one of the most important storylines. Hope this helped!

[inutaffy]

ngl duffer bros kinda made ME feel like a mistake

[hawkinsp0st]

i need to scream!!!

s4 recap going into season 5…

we found out 001 is behind all the evil in the whole show. brenner is dead. el’s powers are back. everyone is reunited. the battle is clearly laid out ahead of our main characters, they don’t even have to set that up.

and sure, the battle of hawkins is going to be huge, but ST has shown us time and again that they’re going to spend lots of time on relationships even amidst life or death situations.

taking byler/melvin out of the equation, what relationships do they have to focus on now? once max is saved, lumax has clearly fallen back in love and will be reunited. jopper is basically married at this point, robin seems to have gotten her girl, jancy seemed mostly okay……

i’m just saying. i’m just SAYING… mike has been paralleled with brenner (“you can fly”, urging el to find vecna and fight him, etc). brenner is dead and el is framed by herself in the final shot of 4x9.

literally the ONLY thing that makes sense at this point AT ALL is for s5 to be byler’s romance season. i’m talking long flirty scenes like we saw with steve and nancy in s4 (probably a lot more angst tho bc have you seen these boys lmao). i’m talking romantic look after romantic look. i’m talking, as one wise melvin put it, a massive straightbait!!!

and yes, they still have to resolve jancy/stancy, but i doubt that’ll take up enough screentime to be THE central love story of s5. we already did that in s1/2.

even if melvin is endgame, what would their love story be in s5? mike finally said those three little words, so where could their relationship go now, growth wise? they’re weirdly distant rn but how could that even get resolved in a satisfying way other than a breakup, since they already had the big ily monologue?

as viewers, our reaction to this show is holy shit, these are kids and this is traumatic for them please give them hope. so the audience roots for them, wants them to win, and to be happy and healthy. and for eleven, someone who is…ahem…LIKE PAPA in some respects is not gonna be the healthiest partner for her at the end of the day. i just don’t feel like any audience will be satisfied seeing her go thru no personal growth and gaining no independence from mike by the end of s5.

TL;DR: i’m not saying they’ll do it bc who tf knows, but literally, everything about this sets up a byler s5. the relationships are the core of the show, and the current relationship setup of s4 makes nOoooOoOooo sense if we’re not looking at a byler centric s5.

[diagnosedblog]

Pretty much anything Mileven (calling El, El not Jane) with fluff or angst or anything really but preferably while there still young (shortly post season two)

Word Count: 3k 

Rating T: Occasional language

Pairing(s): Mike/Eleven

Content:

Chill!Mike - not as nervous or fidgety 

Growing!El - has grown on her knowledge but still struggles with things

Limited telekinesis - she doesn’t want to accidentally hurt Mike so she keeps them to a minimum.

Enough fluff but probably not enough bc this is horrible and it’s my first request please spare ily anon

okay let’s DO THIS

(please enjoy it and thank you for the prompt) - Diagnosedblog

January 11th, 1985

7:40 PM

Jim & Jane Hopper Residence

“7-4-0.”

She read this and sighed. Hopper was nowhere to be found, and El was becoming very bored.

After what happened with the gate closing and the previous events, El had decided to simply relax and enjoy being able to sit down and breathe. She still had to hide for the remainder of the year so everyone made sure to keep her under wraps. However, things were no longer as hectic as they used to be and she could finally be with her family and friends. She had more time to be with Mike now and that was the cherry on top; spending time with him. Even a day without him seemed to be a struggle now that they were able to see each other. She had grown used to their separation, and she was glad it was over.

Hopper was out because apparently someone had taken a lawn mower from farmer Merrill’s shed and used it to mow obscene images into the free grass outside of his field. Merrill was absolutely furious and insisted that it was one of Eugene’s ‘hooligan friends’, and he refused to lay it to rest. Hopper went to go question Eugene, only to find out the same thing happened to him. Both men went to the station and were going off completely on one another, and Hopper had to stay to help calm them down and gather more details. He would be home at around 8:40 or 9, beeping “HOME BY NINE” in Morse code.

This left El free to do as she pleased and she didn’t mind, to begin with. She had eaten 7 Eggos, watched 10 soap operas, took 2 naps, read 4 magazines, and attempted to fix the broken radio (which proceeded to explode).

She lay there, dazed and still extremely bored. She no longer wanted the house to herself as she had nothing to do; she had no work to do because she was not yet enrolled in school, and she had already finished her daily practices (she was home-schooled at the moment). There was nothing interesting for her to (try) to read, and she had watched a majority of the soap operas on the television. Everything else was trash on a screen. El wanted Hopper to come home so he could teach her how to play board games tonight, but since he was out she had no guide. She didn’t understand the directions and playing without them was pointless, so she gave up. Board games aside, El really just wanted to call Mike and maybe talk to the Party (except Max - there was still bad blood there). She had trouble working the phone and also didn’t know the Wheeler’s number though, so there was no hope. She laid there, contemplating life.

Suddenly, there was an unfamiliar knock at the door. It wasn’t the secret knock, but it wasn’t alarming either. It was quiet yet simple. Almost as if this person was being cautious or trying to hide. El had been taught by Hopper to never open this door for anyone else under any circumstances and these rules still applied to her even after she no longer had to hide but this person didn’t seem threatening. She pondered on whether to hide and let the mysterious person leave, or just to crack the door open a  bit.

She decided to do neither and simply turned the porch light on, looking out of the window onto the porch. When she saw them her eyes grew wide and she quickly scurried to the door and opened it.

The mysterious person had been Mike. Having been grounded, he snuck out of his basement and took his bike up the trail to the woods, as he hadn’t seen El since Christmas Day in late December. They greeted each other with a hug.

“Hey, El.”

“Hey, Mike.”

Having Mike here really brightened up her mood. The boredom was starting to consume her, and she had been wanting to see him for a while, but now that he was here things were looking up; this night wouldn’t so boring after all.

“I brought you some chocolate candies since I know you like them. Maybe you can put them on your waffles.”

“Thanks, I will put them in the fridge. I’m too full to eat anything else.”

She smiled as she took them from his hand and headed to the kitchen. As she went to go put the chocolates away, she noticed Mike was still standing awkwardly at the door.

He noticed her puzzled face and grew flustered. “What’s wrong?”

“Why are you still standing? You may sit after all.”

“Oh. Right.”

She stifled a giggle. Even after knowing for 2 years he was still a nervous wreck, and she thought it sweet.

He quickly took a seat and casually watched the television. “I got the candy from Dustin - he had a bunch of chocolate left over from our last campaign.”

Dustin and leftover food was a suspicious combo. “Is it safe to eat?”

Mike laughed. “Yes, it is, this time at least. He had a bunch of other weird candy that no one wanted and tried to shove it at me, but I just threw it back at him because of no one like honeysuckers.”

This made her grin cheekily as she came up with an idea. As Mike stayed on the couch, she quietly went through the kitchen drawers until she found a pack of uneaten jelly beans. She turned back to him from behind and began to aim. A lift of her hand and a swift wave-

FLICK.

Mike felt the back of his head in confusion. It was something had been thrown at him, like a little piece of paper. He looked around and saw El in the kitchen, who had sneakily pretended to look for something in the pantry. He didn’t find any answers and decided to just ignore it. He impatiently waited for El on the couch. “Whatcha lookin’ for?”

“Oh, just potato crunches.” While she actually picked out 3 more jelly beans.

“Oh okay. I’ll just be here. On the couch still.”

“I’ll be in there just a second.”

THUMP.

Okay, now he knew he wasn’t imagining things. Three tiny objects had basically been launched at his head and he knew who was responsible.

“Hey!”

He turned to find her giggling like a giddy little girl while holding a whole jar of beans.

“Stop throwing candy at me!”

“No. It’s fun.”

She proceeded to launch 5 more beans, but Mike ducked quickly.

“Stop it!”

El just laughed. She was clearly enjoying this.

Seeing her laugh really lightened the mood for Mike. She had never laughed so fluidly before and he loved how happy she sounded. Wait, no. No candy fights - they would make a huge mess and El might break something.

Mike huffed. “Give me the bowl.”

“Nope.”

“Fine, I’ll just take it.”

He got up and walked towards, reaching for it when-

WOOSH.

The bowl was 7 feet in the air.

“El, give me the bowl.”

“No.”

Mike tried to jump for it, but she only lifted it higher.

“Please?”

Mike pleaded with his eyes, which she found charming but ineffective.

“Okay.”

He went for it as it was lowered and-

WOOSH - thump thump thump.

She had levitated it again, but tilted it, so that about 7 pieces fell on Mike’s head.

He looked at the pieces on the floor but kept his head down. He decided it was better to play along. If she wants to play dirty, we’ll play dirty, he thought, smiling to himself.

“Okay..since we’re doing this..” he said, still facing the floor.

He jolted to the kitchen, catching El off guard and thundered through the cabinet doors to find more candies. El grabbed more beans and began to hurl them at Mike but her attempts to slow him weren’t successful, as he found a whole bowl of candy.

“GAME ON!” he screamed as he threw the candy.

El shrieked as about 10 things of candy were hurled at her. At first, she was frightened because she didn’t want Mike to throw them too hard, but the fear subsided when he literally completely missed her and basically threw candy at the fridge.

She bee-lined out of the kitchen as Mike threw multiple piles of jelly beans, laughing maniacally. El suddenly remembered the whipped cream in the top drawer to the right, and she snatched it out when she got back to the kitchen. Mike’s face dropped at the speed of light, as the can was levitated and suddenly sprayed everywhere. The whole living room was soaked - it was snowing whip cream. Mike covered himself and bolted into her bedroom, slamming the door where he could shelter himself.

“Try and get me now!”

“Damn you, Michael!” She learned that one from Miss Wheeler.

She chuckled as she set the can down and sat at the door. Part of her was exhausted, but the other part of her could have done this forever.

Mike was sitting on the other side. “El?”

“Yes, Mike?”

“I just wanna say..” Suddenly the door opened and El flew to the ground.

“Hey!”

“I found the spare can!” He snickered as held it directly in front of her face. “You better run!” She quickly got off her feet and ran out of the room. That’s what she gets for sneaking the second can into her room.

They did these things all night, and Eleven was truly having a good time. Though she did love his calm and kind demeanor, she loved Mike like this too - fun-loving and wild.

They threw and used every piece of candy and junk they could get their hands on - Skittles (“Taste the rainbow sucker!”), chips, whipped cream, waffles, even a piece of cake. The floor was basically destroyed with cream and crushed candy and snacks. You would’ve thought someone sprayed the place with a fire hydrant, as the walls were splattered with everything from syrup to flour. The kids looked even worse - El was covered in everything from Eggo crumbs to cinnamon, and Mike looked even worse with sugar in his hair and a powder covered face, with whip cream up his nose. Eleven found this especially hilarious, especially when it came out whenever he sneezed. He looked so adorable when he wrinkled his nose.

“I don’t find anything funny about this.” He pouted.

“I do.”

He looked at her as she laughed and giggled. This time he was able to truly look at her. She looked so pretty even covered in sugar and messy smashed chocolate. Her smile was still infectious as hell, and Mike couldn’t help but stare. It made him happy to see her so happy and to have so much fun with her doing something so ridiculous. It amazed him that this was the girl he loved, but he didn’t regret it in the least.

El loved that Mike had gone from being the party pooper to being the life of the party in just a matter of jelly beans. She hadn’t expected him to get into so quickly, or to have so much fun. It was so adventurous; throwing Skittles and Hershey’s and expired candy that elderly people gave you and pouring flour all over the place. The whipped cream was the best part - Mike has sprayed directly at her and running all the place had been a pure blast. She was basically in confectionery bliss; the boy of her dreams was acting crazy with her and enjoying every second of it.

She happily munched on a skittle she found in her pocket while continuing to think about it.

“I thought you were full.”

“Well, I’m not anymore, so haha.”

Mike let out a weird giggle that caused her to laugh quietly. Another great thing about him - his weird giggle. It sounded very odd, but it was still contagious. It was beautiful in its own way.

“El?”

“Yes?”

“I had a really great time with you. I thought we were just gonna watch TV, but this is way better.” He pointed to the ceiling, which was dripped with fresh cake dough. They had basically used everything in the kitchen.

“It would be funny if that fell on you.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think it would.”

“I think it will.”

“I bet you 10 bucks it won’t.”

“I don’t have 10 bucks.”

“Better find some.”

“Hmph.”

They quietly laid there, eyeing the fan to see if the cake stuff would actually fall. It did.

Eleven was in pure giggle fits as Mike wiped soggy cake mix off his face.

“You get some too!” He laughed as he slathered some on her.

“Gross!” She exclaimed

Mike cackled. “I’ll get it off just wait.”

“No, let me get it.” She said as he attempted to get up and wipe it off.“No, I got it just let me-”

He stopped as their faces got closer together, blushing very hard. Mike hadn’t realized he was that close to her when he went to focus on the cake mix and he had crawled in between her legs. He thought of getting out of her personal space so not to seem rude, but he didn’t do this. Instead, he leaned in, slowly but surely, and placed a small peck on her lips. They were soft even while dirty, and very comforting. It tasted like sugar and passion. It sounded corny, but it was the most honest he could’ve been. He almost kissed her again and then he realized what he was doing.

“I-I’m sorry. I should’ve given you a heads up, that was rude-”

Mike was interrupted by the crashing of lips onto his. El smiled as she held him in a smooth, but short little kiss, full of affection and silliness. She’d never kissed him like this before; the kiss was either really emotional or just rushed, but this was different. It was more joyful, more giddy and playful. Mike enjoyed it.

She pulled back and saw that Mike’s eyes were closed. He must’ve really liked it because he didn’t open them until she snapped her fingers.

“Mike?”

“Huh? Oh. I’m okay.” He chuckled nervously. El frowned; she didn’t mean to make him uncomfortable.

“I apologize.”

“What? No! It was amazing. I mean.. Really good. Cool. Yeah.”

She grinned at the nervous goof in front of her. “I love you, Mike. I really do.”

Mike smiled, face as red as a tomato. “I really do, too. Love you, that is.”

El laid back down, resting herself as Mike regained his composure. All the excitement had tired her out.

She felt Mike’s fingers intertwine with her, and instantly felt at ease. His soft, warm hands served as a forgiveness for the mess they had made, and both children blissfully fell asleep.

Eleven woke up first. She had had a very good nap, albeit on the floor, and she turned to see Mike still knocked out. He was cute while he slept; the silent breathing and the way he would slightly twitch here and there. She decided to get and check the time to see if Hopper was close. She immediately panicked.

“8-3-0! No! Dad is going to be furious!”

Mike groggily awoke. “What time is it?” Then he saw the clock.

“Shit! We only have 30 minutes to clean this whole house!’

Fear started to set in as the two realized the severity of their mess. Everything was basically vandalized with dry and sticky food as well as littered with candy.

“What am I going to do?” El mumbled to herself sadly.

“I’ll help you clean up. We have to hurry though.”

She perked up. “Of course. I will get the broom.”

“I’ll get the mop. Then we’ll do what else is necessary. Let’s go!”

They spent the next 25 minutes cleaning up what they could. It was definitely grueling; you would’ve thought there was a supernatural war going on, as paper towels and brooms and cleaning supplies flew back and forth along the house. It gave Mike a lot to keep up with and Eleven several nosebleeds and a big headache, but it had to be done.

At about 8:55 PM, the work was finally finished. Mike had just vacuumed the last of the candy, and after putting back in the closet, collapsed on the now clean couch as El sat there in her blankie, popcorn in hand (the only thing not used in the food battle). He looked at her with tired eyes and scoffed. “You get to sit there and eat while I clean. I’m underappreciated.” El playfully rolled her eyes at her silly boy. He smiled at her, all teeth, as they held hands until Mike decided it was time to leave. “I love you,” he said as he enclosed her in a tight hug. “I love you too, Mike.” She returned the hug warmly, and then he quickly got on his bike and peddled home.

Hopper came home shortly after Mike had biked home so he didn’t know the boy had been there. He didn’t notice anything at first, though he did note the house seemed cleaner than usual. “Hey, kid. I trust you been good.” He ruffled his daughter’s hair and let out a sigh of relief at finally getting home. “You been anywhere today?” “No.” “Good. Don’t want you to be in any danger out there.” He said gruffly as he rummaged through the fridge. Then he noticed it - the Eggos was completely gone. He turned back to Eleven who was completely lost in the television, holding the empty box. “Did you eat this whole thing?” She turned to face him and for a brief second Hopper saw worry in her eyes. “Umm…yes.”

He grew suspicious quickly. “Why?”

“…I was hungry.”

“There was plenty of leftover food.”

“It looked gross.” A blatant lie. The food actually was delicious, but she had eaten the waffles first and was too full to get to it.

Hopper grew irritated. “C’mon kid we talked about this. You can’t not eat just because it doesn’t look good. It’s still good for you, you can’t live off of waffles, alright?”

She nodded understandingly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Just eat real food next time.” He started to walk towards his room when he noticed the fan was on but was going really slowly. He flicked it off, and El heard a strange gooey noise. Then she remembered: she’d forgotten to get the fan!

Hopper took note of the house again and walked back towards her, perplexed. “Hey, kid did you clean the house-”

SCHLOOP.

Sticky, soggy cake dough. All over him. Hopper stood there for a moment, pondering whatever it was that hit him when he realized it. “My cake mix?” She stayed awkwardly silent.

“Why in the hell was this on the ceiling?” He growled, turning to his daughter accusingly.

El didn’t know whether to feel bad for him or laugh at how he looked covered in dough.

“I can explain.”

Hopper slowly wiped it from his face. “Oh trust me. You will.”

As he went to go clean himself off, El recapped the evening’s events. She knew she would be in deep trouble. She didn’t care much though.

She remembered the fun she had and how much she had loved being with Mike that whole time. Throwing food, running around, sleeping on the floor, cake dough on Mike’s face; it was all brilliant.

A word she’d learned from Flo at the station. Perfect to describe the night.

Wait.

Mike owed her ten dollars.

Fun fact: Potato crunches are her weird names for potato chips. Just so you know lmao.

[gayofthefae]

I think the Milkvan explanation for why we don't see Mike's transition to being able to say "I love you"/the only way it couldn't be because of the painting is because he was able to as soon as she left and it was just like one of those "I couldn't tell you until I lost you" things but

Why is it a fight you can't come back from if you can tell her now, Michael? Why isn't this something you can fix if you have the solution? Why can't you even say it to Will ("If I had said that thing")? Why would El "not like the truth?" Why is that a relatable sentiment to you?

Yeah. The biggest Byler proof to me is the inconsistency in Mike's reasoning. In season 3, I fully believe he was just a kid who was nervous she wouldn't say it back, or that he believed that until she said it back and he still couldn't. But in season 4, he couldn't be scared of her not reciprocating it anymore. So the explanation we get is that he was scared to admit it to himself, and likely just hadn't realized that was the problem in season 3 and that would be why he looked so scared when he said it out loud. Understandable.

But the ACTUAL reason we get FIRST, based on only volume 1, is that he doesn't feel that way for her.

The ily speech hit me out of complete left field, I'll tell you. Because they absolutely built it up to be that he didn't love her. I started believing in Byler as the reasoning after the roller rink fight but they did little to disprove me, I'll tell you that much. In fact, it was very consistent. "Maybe he's being weird because he reciprocates" and then he can't tell his girlfriend he loves her? Can't even say it behind her back like he did in season 3? Is worried that they can't come back from this? Is scared to tell her because she might not like the truth?

That SCREAMS that "the truth" is that he can't tell her, or still can't up until he does because of Will's painting and words.

Mike could not say I love you when El asked. And he couldn't say it when he told Will. And he was starting to come to terms with the fact that he just plain couldn't and that he would have to find a way to tell her that. And he was scared that he would lose her because of it, because who is he not to love her? She's amazing! And he does, technically! Just not how she wants him to, to quote Millie. He was scared to tell her the truth because he doesn't want to lose her.

Mike was coming to terms with the fact that he could not say it because he did not feel it and that he would have to tell her that. And he felt horrible because he couldn't give her what she needed from him, that she's amazing and he's just some sad sack who can't even tell her he loves her. That she'll go and find someone who can. It was only a matter of time before she realized, and this is that time. He saw it in her eyes the first time he couldn't. That's all she wanted from him and he couldn't give it to her. She was giving up on him. And he was terrified of losing her because of that.

If Mike could say I love you and just wished he had in time, he would have said "and maybe if I had just told her how I feel, she would want me there with her". See? He doesn't even need to say the words. But instead he said "and maybe if I had just said that thing". Instead, he said "if only I had said what she wanted me to say". Not what he feels. What she wanted him to say. With the knowledge he has now, he would have prioritized lying over her being in danger. But either way, at the time that he said that, he did still couldn't say it and he knew it.

The biggest Byler proof is the plot they fucking wrote. Because who writes "character A has feelings for character B" and "character B can't tell his girlfriend he loves her, not even behind her back, and he's worried because there's something she might not wanna hear" in the same fucking season. That was all them. I'm just the messenger.