#like i see them having mike make a speech about how will is friend always and forever like after everything

[bylertruther]

"will shouldn't use a gun in season five because his father probably taught him how to use one and that could be a bad reminder for him" have you considered that will using what was very likely a Bad experience to save his life in what is undoubtedly an even worse experience could be a good thing? have you considered that him using a skill he was forced to learn to save not only himself but (as is likely more important and meaningful to him) the lives of others could give him a sense of usefulness and safety knowing that he isn't defenseless and can stand his and others' ground if need be? especially considering that's a skill that we've only seen hopper and nancy possess, making it that much more valuable and himself more helpful to the group? after everything in s1 and s2, he's probably felt guilty for having endangered them and dozens of other people multiple times, i don't think it'd be out there for him to feel "happy" that he can finally return the favor and protect them for once (especially after having complained about being babied and treated like a doll).

"will doesn't have and shouldn't have powers because that makes him different and he doesn't want to be different" not only are you wrong lol <3 but how have you not noticed that will's entire thing since the very beginning is that he is different and he knows it and while he does get his heart broken over the fact that this means he faces constant unfairness in life, he still refuses to be any other way? will doesn't conform nor does he ever try to even when others try to force or shame him to. he gets frustrated and upset at being treated differently, yes, but he stays true to himself. to battle that feeling he sometimes gets that tells him he's a mistake, a feeling he gets not from his own otherness but from living in a world that Makes it an otherness and thus isolates him for it, he seeks out that which he loves and enjoys and throws himself wholeheartedly at it. will lives his truth and is willing to suffer the consequences for it. he refuses to live in darkness and let it take a hold of him. he holds on to hope and all that makes him feel better for being different. he holds on to art, to dnd, to video games, to his family and his friends, and everything that brings him joy and reminds him that it's okay to be different. in s1 joyce defends will ("he's missing is what he is") and jonathan tells him he shouldn't like things that other people (namely their homophobic dad) try to force him to like, that he should like what he genuinely likes. in s2 jonathan gives will the freak speech and tells him that no one normal ever accomplished anything and mentions bowie. in s3, he doesn't get a speech, (though joyce does tell him that when he falls in love he won't find it gross [avoiding the word girlfriend and leaving it neutral]) but he does face backlash from someone that IS trying to conform and IS shaming will for not letting go of "childish" things aka his interests, what's important to him, and what he wants. does will back down or shy away in shame? no. instead, he lets mike sit in his shame for having said something that hurtful, and he says "yeah. i guess i did. i really did." clearly this is a conversation about what makes will different aka his sexuality bc he goes and destroys castle byers (the safe place he and his brother built once their homophobic dad left which is a place will can be himself unapologetically) with what is likely a bat that lonnie gave him when trying to get him into baseball. he calls himself stupid and donates his dnd books, but i don't see this as an act of conformity (he tells mike as much, suggesting he'll just use his books + if he was ashamed he wouldn't have painted the party as their dnd characters and given it to him of all people lol). he felt stupid because he thought they'd always be crazy together, that they were of the same mind and heart still, and that they had the same brand of "otherness" if you catch my drift. then in s4 we get jonathan's tender "you're my brother and there is nothing absolutely nothing that will ever change that" which is the most direct anyone has ever been about that which makes will different. and he doesn't shy away from it! he doesn't deny it, because we can see from his confession and how he breaks down that he's desperately been wanting and needing to hear that. he accepts that love and allows himself to be held and seen by someone else, as he has every other time. because will doesn't hate being different, he just hates that he has to live in a world where that's seen as wrong and thus makes him feel like he doesn't belong because of it. but he doesn't change himself. he doesn't feel ashamed of it. he doesn't see it as a flaw in himself or others and he never has. will is different and he knows it and he wouldn't have it any other way.

will's story since the beginning has been about being different and going through awful things, and managing to not only find the light in it but also make it out stronger because of it all. it's always been about using what makes him different as a good thing and as something he uses to save himself and others.

will being good with a gun bought him time with whatever kidnapped him. will knowing how to run and hide kept him alive in the upside down. will acted as a spy while possessed and managed not only to save hopper but also tell them how to finish this. will's experiences and senses helped them figure out what was happening in season three. will's love and loyalty inspires mike and manages to bring him to a better place even if just for a moment in the van, and again he's the one that knows vecna's current state, aaaand had he been in hawkins at the time it likely would've gone a lot better because as dustin said "we need will".

taking something awful and turning it into a good thing and a source of strength is a wonderful trope. it's inspiring and empowering not only for the character but for those that could use that hope and reminder that there's always a silver lining, that life isn't all darkness and shadows and hurt. not only that, but it's something that they've literally always done for will since the very beginning. he is the prime character for that. his entire message has always been that it's okay to be different and that you can find strength and peace in that; that the things that make you different aren't a detriment, they're precisely what make you strong. like... i'm sorry, but have you not been paying attention at all whatsoever this entire time or... :/

[this-doesnt-endd]

why is everybody taking mike saying his life began when he found el to mean that he just straight up hates will like? its like all im seeing but like idk i just dont think thats what he meant like he was trying to get el to fight also this like whole thing were people are like mike is the fucking worst person alive he just shoulda died cause his character is gone like idk i feel like this is mike and the way him and will are these days doesnt seem that like abnormal to me like they have been best friends since they were young and theres never a time where theyre like we arent friends anymore, idk mike just has never seemed the person to pour his heart out, also like theyre in the worst growing pains of friendship. highschool, one has a girlfriend, one is figuring out who they are, one moved away, like i dont think mike doesnt care about will, will cares more outwardly cause thats just how he's been, also like personally i feel like its setting up for season 5 like this all started with will and i think in some sense its gonna end with will and theyre gonna be able to bridge them back together to be as close as they were in season one, like theres always been this thread of friendship and love being what save them and i feel like theyre working towards that and are gonna bring it full circle in the end

[will80sbyers]

Ranking some byler moments bc I felt like yapping about them rn:

5) The Rink-o-Mania fight

They both showed that they were paying close attention to the other one, and both knew that there was a problem in their friendship. Mike was dying inside all day long to ask Will why things had changed between them and why Will suddenly stopped reaching out as much as he did even after Will was the one that promised him that it was not possible that he would have left Mike behind...

Mike was so terrified that Will didn't care about him anymore while he spent all the months apart from him feeling sad and like he lost him and feeling crazy because of how much he missed Will...

and Will was feeling so jealous all day long watching him with El and he just wanted to be given attention and appreciation... even just as a best friend, and instead he was feeling like Mike didn't care about him....

but as soon as Mike makes him understand that he was paying attention Will takes the opportunity to ask him why he didn't write to him if he cared, because Will needs reassurance that he's loved too even when he's the first to pull away because he doesn't want to impose his romantic feelings on Mike when he's with his sister still... great Angst™ and I just love their romantic af fights lol

4) when Will makes Mike smile

This very small moment is really sweet to me and we need more moments like this between them, it just shows that they enjoy the company of the other in all aspects from the serious conversations to the rants about random stuff and also when playing around and just having fun and laughing... it's just showing how they are best friends before everything else, they just want to stay side by side because they enjoy the other person completely on all aspects of their personality

3) The crazy together scene

Iconic moment of their relationship, I love when they support each other and in this moment both of them are opening up about their feelings and making a promise to go crazy together... saying that they want to face the future together no matter what others think they are, even if they seem crazy to everyone else they will ALWAYS have the other one that truly understands...

2) Mike's monologue in the shed

SO sweet and honest, the memory of their first meeting is just such an heartwarming memory and it shows the pure love they have and just how deeply Mike feels towards Will, he thinks the best choice he ever made in his life was to ask Will to be in his life because Mike loves him that much, he can't imagine his own existence without Will by his side... Mike's life got better because he met Will.

and Will is just already in love with him and you can see it in his eyes, this is true love that breaks the evil spell on him casted by the dark wizard

1) Will's van speech

I love this moment because I think Will has this deep yearning inside of him about confessing just how deep his own feelings for Mike are and he wants to tell Mike so badly and this is the closest moment to that that I can get for now lmao

plus I love how Mike FINALLY gets told by someone just how amazing of a person he is and sees that he is valuable for all of them as a person, as he is already.

I truly think Mike couldn't avoid falling in love in this moment and he's wishing deep down that Will was the one meaning all of that romantically... even if he doesn't get it and he's confused that's what his heart is making him feel

look at this... he's just falling for Will all at once without even knowing it completely, he has been hit by a truck emotionally

[ice-sculptures]

see, i don't think will and mike fell in love when they were five years old. i don't think this is the case at all. but i do think they've loved each other deeply for their whole lives. the only thing that changed as they grew older is the type of love, shifting from platonic to romantic. that's the only thing that needed to change - because the strength of their bond and their deep, unshakeable connection has always, always been there. even when they were just friends, they've always been special to one another in a way that no one else has ever been.

they've always been them - a duo, a pair ("crazy together" / "we won't let him" / "looks like it's going to be up to us again" / "a team. friends. best friends" / "and we will. we will" vs. "please don't tell the others, they wouldn't understand" / "you guys keep trick or treating.")

when max joins the party, the thing that mike is most annoyed about is that will didn't check with him before letting her in, because they normally make these decisions together. will really thought that his future would be him and mike, playing games in the basement together for the rest of their lives. mike's biggest fear when the byers move is that will is going to leave him behind and join another party, but will reassures him that it's just not possible. will's big speech in the van is about how he will always need mike - not because he expects anything from mike at all, but simply because he loves mike for exactly who he is. will's love for mike is powerful enough to make will feel like he's not a mistake, and in turn will makes mike feel loved and valued and seen. they both just Get each other, and when they're around each other they're able to be the best versions of themselves.

love at first sight is not a real phenomenon. but it is possible to meet someone and have that kind of instant connection, and that is exactly what happened with mike & will.

mike said it himself: before he met will, he was so scared and so alone. and then they became friends, and for the very first time in his life, he wasn't alone anymore. and now that he's got will, he never has to be bc will is always, always going to be there for him. and vice versa - mike knows what it feels like to lose will, and he's never going to let that happen again. no matter what happens in season five, no matter what henry and the upside down throws at them, these two are going to face it together. and i know they'll make it out on the other side, stronger than ever.

i just know it.

[criminally-obsessed]

This is my first time writing for Steddie, so sorry if it's shit! Based on this post.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No one had ever seen Steve cry, and at this point they weren’t sure it was even something he was capable of. So, as he stood over Eddie’s open casket with the only dry eyes in the room, no one really batted an eye.

It had been 3 weeks since Steve had carried the metalhead’s body out of the Upside Down, with Dustin leaning heavily into a misty eyed Robin and Nancy as he limped alongside them, tears still streaming from his eyes. Steve hadn’t shed a tear then, and he didn’t shed one now. It wasn’t because he didn’t care for Eddie, in fact he probably cared for him far more than he’d admit to even himself, but something just didn’t feel right. It was hard to grieve for someone when it didn’t truly feel like they were gone.

Eddie’s uncle had arranged the funeral to be a quiet affair, hoping to minimize the chances of any angry hicks’ gate crashing. So it was held in a small room at the morgue, with only close friends and family in attendance.

After a short speech from Wayne, everyone filtered through to say their own goodbyes. Mike and Lucas both stood by the casket momentarily, gripping the sides and saying their own quiet goodbyes. Erica didn’t say much, just placed a small black dice beside one of his hands before nodding down at him. Nancy went up with Johnathan and whispered a quiet thank you, letting her hands brush a stray lock of hair from his face. Dustin stood there in silence just staring down at Eddie’s still form before choking out a promise to look after Eddie’s ‘little sheep’. And then it was just Steve and Robin left in the room. Robin tugged on his sleeve, looking up at him with big pleading eyes until he nodded and walked up with her, he stood beside her as she whispered a soft goodbye, eyes then looking to him to do the same.

“Could I… I just need a moment with him, if that’s okay?” he said quietly, smiling gratefully as Robin just squeezed his hand and nodded before also exiting the room.

Eyes doing a quick check around the room to make sure there was nobody left to witness what he was about to say, Steve let his hands rest against the wood of the casket and leant down towards the long-haired man.

“Okay, you listen here you little shit, I know you’re not dead.” Steve whispered; eyes firmly trained now on Eddie’s face. His grip against the wood only getting tighter as the silence stretched on.

“Fuck.” he breathed, hanging his head at the lack of response, before turning to start walking away.

“Yeah, no shit Harrington.” Came the gravelly response from behind him, stopping him in his tracks.

As he slowly turned on his heel, he watched as Eddie pushed himself up into a sitting position, an almost familiar grin on his face had it not been for what looks like two fangs pushing down over his lower lip.

“What the hell, man?” Steve exclaimed, almost storming back over to the casket and taking Eddie’s face in his hands and tilting him from left to right to get a better look.

“Nice to see you too, Stevie.” Eddie murmured; cheeks being squished slightly by Steve’s grip on him.

“How long have you been, well not dead?” Steve huffed; brows furrowed as he let his gaze roam over the other man’s body.

“Honestly man, I have no clue. I woke up a couple of times, but this has been the first time I was actually able to move. Fuck, it really hurts dying y’know.” Eddie groaned, stretching all his limbs out and rolling his shoulders as he let his hands pick at the tight material of the black jacket he was dressed in, “Of course Wayne would take this opportunity to get me in a suit, I love the old man, but shit.”

“Really? I don’t think our biggest problem right now is your style choices, you’ve literally come back from the dead man.” Steve grumbled with a hand nervously running through his hair.

“Ooo, now that’s where you’re wrong Stevie boy, it’s always about the style choices.” Eddie grinned, loosening the tie that was around his neck with a grimace, "Anyway, what's the plan for breaking me out of here? Cus I don't know about you man, but I don't exactly love the thought of being buried alive."

“Look, you’re not meant to be being buried until tomorrow, can you just hang tight for a few hours? I can come by later tonight and sneak you out when there's nobody around” Steve said, hands landing like a disappointed parent on his hips.

“Harrington. You cannot be asking me to, what? Play dead?” Eddie scoffed, the realization slowly showing on his face as he realised that Steve was deadly serious. “Nah man, come on, there’s gotta be a better way than that?”

“Well, unfortunately for you, I don't think there is. You’ll get recognized the second you step out those doors, and I don’t know about you man, but I’m not exactly in the mood for a lynch mob right about now.” Steve said, raising an eyebrow as Eddie visibly deflated.

“Fine. Fine, but you better come back for me Harrington!” Eddie sighed, pointing an accusatory finger at the other man as he lay back down with a huff.

“Always, Munson.” Steve replied, knocking his knuckles against the side of the casket with a soft smile, missing the slight pink that rose in Eddie’s cheeks as he slipped out the room.

[grapesodatozier]

apologies as always for how incoherent I get when talking about mileven lmao but I’m having thoughts about them again and how important mike is to el, and how consistently there for her he is, and how that plays into st4 vol 2 especially.

as soon as mike meets her, he’s listening to her. he doesn’t tell her it’s weird when she says no to closing the door, he finds an in between and asks her if it’s okay with her before walking away. he spends 353 days listening for her, and reminding her that he’s there for her whenever she’s ready. he listens in s3 and thinks over what she said, and even in the midst of all this when she’s hurting or in trouble he shows up for her and defends her against flayed billy and holds her when it’s over and she’s exhausted, then apologizes and encourages her to be her own person and pursue what makes her happy, while making clear that he wants to be there with her when she does. he pays attention, and he remembers what happened when el turned herself to dust to save them all in s1 so he stands up for her in s3 when she won’t stand up for herself bc no one else there (except lucas, who also comes through for el in a big way) understands what el has been through and how far she’ll push herself for others bc she feels like it’s all on her. mike again is there for her in s4, crossing half the country to prove that he’ll always be there for her.

and to me that’s the crux of his speech to her. el’s series-long arc, to me, is about guilt and feeling solely responsible and alone. so it’s so powerful to me that she tells brenner he’s at fault, not her, and at the end of that she has mike right there, who led a multi-day, endless search across the desert for her, showing her she’s never doing anything alone anymore. but, naturally, when faced with the stress of seeing max being hurt, she slips back into the guilt and gets incredibly overwhelmed (especially bc she has henry constantly blaming her), so what helps her get through is mike. and to me it’s not even really about the “I love you,” to me it’s about the “I’m right here” and the “i can’t lose you” and “I need you to fight.” that’s what it’s always been about. when el is faced with all this pressure and is falling back into that place where she thinks it’s all on her, when she’s feeling powerless and alone and immense guilt, mike is there to say “this is not all on you, I’m right here, I’m always gonna be right here, you’re never alone in doing this anymore.” and to me, that’s what that scene is all about. he says I can’t fight this the way you can but I’m here for you and I always will be. please come back to me. and she does! she always comes back to him like he always comes back to her 💕

there’s a beautiful children’s book I love about grief, and in it one of the characters has a huge block she has to drag around, and her new friend comes up to her and asks her to hang out, and she says “maybe tomorrow?” bc she doesn’t feel she can move the block or let go of it. and over the course of the book, the new friend keeps coming back, and listens, and helps the grieving character pull the block until she can talk about her grief, and the block gets smaller. it doesn’t go away, and it’s still hers, but her new friend helps her with it and stays with her and it gets smaller. and it just makes me cry all the time bc like…that’s what love is!!!!

and that’s what mike does for el. el has gone through so much terrible shit, but mike is always there to listen to her and help her carry it. he never stops waiting for her, he never stops writing to her, he never stops looking for her, he’s always there at the end of each season to listen to her.

and we hear from mike that el still thinks it’s all her fault, but she told mike she feels that way!! that is a huge step!! even if she does still feel solely responsible at this incredibly low point, she knows that she can share that feeling with mike. a part of her knows she’s not alone even in the moments she feels most alone bc mike always shows up for her and listens to her. when visiting max in the hospital, el leans on mike. even in her darkest moments of isolation and guilt, she knows instinctively that she can lean on mike.

and that’s where their relationship is for me. in every single time they say to each other, “I’m here.”

[twoidiotwriters1]

The Curse of Oenone (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: THEM -Danny Words: 1,956 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'If It Wasn't (For You)' -by Jacob Noah

XXIX: Emotionally Repressed by Day, Socially Inept by Night

Leo makes a beeline to the control panels and sets the Archimedes sphere back in place. Ara hangs her Octopi over one shoulder and makes her way to the stairs, but then she spots Nico.

He's usually at the top mast or in Hazel's room until it's time for bed and he leaves to... wherever he sleeps. But he's leaning against the stern's handrail today, looking right at her. Ara lets out a heavy sigh, he wants to talk to her, and it won't be fun. 

"What?" She asks.

Nico eyes her before replying. "You got your stuff back?"

Ara leans on the railing and stares at the sea. "You ate?"

"Yeah, the birthday cake they made for you," he replies sarcastically. "I thought you'd died so I didn't want to waste it."

Ara lowers her gaze. "Did you tell them?"

Nico snorts. "I thought you would've told them all about you by now, that's how it always is with you."

She makes a face. "Some of it, not all. But Leo knows it all. He was always asking for stories and Jason had no memories, so I had to give him context."

Nico looks at her with a sarcastic smirk she's grown to loathe. "Bet it felt good to be someone's hero at last."

"Can we not do this today?" Ara groans. "Tomorrow we can do the whole thing all over but... it's the worst birthday of my life, man. I'm already going through it. Can't you enjoy in silence?"

That seems to bother Nico. "I take no pleasure in seeing you suffer, Ara. It annoys me that you try so hard to be something you're not."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can be who you are unapologetically and for some reason, you prefer to walk around in that stupid cloak, completely unlike you, and it makes you miserable—"

"The cloak gives me purpose—"

"Nemesis talked to you, right? Hazel said you never told them who you saw, so who was it?"

She hates having to look up when talking to Nico, he's a year younger than her and yet he could get half the things she's gained way easier. He could be happy, and he could've been the friend Lily needed when Ara failed her. Now both of them left their friend alone, standing on the remains of their broken promises.

"That is none of your business," she says tensely.

Nico's gaze is unwavering. "I talked to Achilles before taking Percy, and what he said—"

"Let me guess," Ara tilts her head, an ironic smile on her lips. "Something about ambition being our worst enemy or whatever? You're too late, Hercules already warned me about it."

The boy frowns. "I can't believe you chose to follow their path. Every win they got sent innocent people to their early graves."

Ara's heart stings at his comment. "Don't talk about them like that."

"I'm talking about you, you should know better," he glares at her. "You saw Percy take risks for nothing, you saw Mike die thanks to it. Beckendorf, and Bianca—" He cuts his speech short, turning away, then clears his throat forcefully. "You and Lily treat your birthdays like they don't matter, and all I can think is... she can't even have that."

He lets out a dry laugh and shakes his head.

"'Course—she joined the hunters before dying, so she would still be twelve years old no matter what." Nico runs a hand over his face and squeezes his eyes shut. "She wasn't allowed to grow old, but you are, and don't want to."

It would be easier to stab his soft spots until he shows his fangs again, but she can't bring herself to do it. Ara's lost her brother, Annabeth, and Leo is next. She's tired of the fights.

Ara moves slowly to make sure he knows what she's doing, giving him the chance to step back. He doesn't. The boy takes a shaky breath, keeps his eyes closed, and lets Ara absorb some of his hurt. As soon as she does, her heart squeezes in a way that takes the air out of her lungs, she tries to talk, but her throat is tight with grief. 

Nico relaxes only enough to keep talking. "I know it sounds... cruel... but I'm glad she's not with them. I prefer missing her than resenting her my entire life."

"I regret not convincing her to stay," Ara admits hoarsely. "We were the same age, but Bianca was braver. If I'd taken my lessons seriously since the start, I could've shown her what camp could offer us..."

"Us?" He opens his reddened eyes, still scowling at her.

"Orphan kids." She looks down in shame. "I wasn't a hero, Nico, you're right. I chose what was best for me. I'm sorry." 

It's the first time she apologizes to Nico. It might be the grief she's absorbed, but Ara couldn't phantom the extent of Nico's pain until now, it feels just like when she lost Mike. She never showed regret, if anything, she'd made it clear that she thought nothing of Bianca. Now her words are coming out like they had been lying there for ages, rotting her core.

The way Nico reacted when Percy told him about Bianca, now that he and Annabeth are in Tartarus, she understands it. He's the only person on this ship who shares her anger and doesn't treat it like a scary thing.

The girl cleans her nose with the back of her sleeve. "I shouldn't say it now that I have their blessing, but I hated them for a while too. When Jason came and Thalia found him I realized it was you and Bianca all over again. My fate is to watch everything fall apart."

Nico stares at her, sighs tiredly, and dries her tears, his knuckles are cold against her skin but surprisingly gentle, which makes her feel even guiltier for all the times that she's punched his face. For the first time, he looks worried for her.

"It's okay if you don't want cake," he says. "But you should eat. The Kerkopes handed your ass to you."

Ara sniffs again. "I'm taking this conversation as you wishing me a happy birthday, so I'll say 'What the Tartarus you mean by 'happy', you jerk? Read the room', then I'll walk away and you can insult me and we can pretend this didn't happen."

"Tu sei sciocca."

Someone clears their throat in front of them and Ara looks back, spotting Leo. He's looking at them weirdly. Ara realizes she's holding Nico's hand. "You had issues putting the sphere back in place?" She asks, letting go of the boy.

Leo glances at Nico before replying.  "Came to ask if we should hold a meeting now or wait until tomorrow."

It's not like she's enjoying her birthday, but she's not in the mood to hold a second meeting today. "Let's call it a day. I'm tired."

Leo nods, unable to shrug off the jealousy. "Yeah, I'm tired too."

Nico walks past them. "I'll take the night watch."

"Thank you," Ara says kindly. Her boyfriend frowns at their behavior but says nothing.

Leo comes to her cabin before sundown, and Ara makes room for him to sit. The boy enters reluctantly, like he'd rather be somewhere else.

"What you saw," she starts right away. "It's nothing."

Leo pulls out screws and wires from his belt and braids them to avoid her eyes. "Looked like something..."

"I can explain it," Ara pouts.

"Forget it," When he smiles it looks genuine, but the girl knows it's not real. "Came to give you a present."

"Oh?" She blinks. "You didn't have to..."

"You thought I'd let the day pass by?" The boy raises a brow. "I'm better than that!"

"Well, it was a busy day," Ara chuckles. "What is it?"

"I'm new to this whole getting-presents-for-my-girlfriend thing, and you're not easy—you don't have hobbies outside pretending to watch movies with me," he teases her.

The girl tilts her head with amusement. "So?"

"So... I'm a mechanic and an inventor. I could build you the weapon of your dreams," he makes a face. "Then I realized Almighty is pretty much it—I was going through my options and it wasn't looking great..." Leo rambles.

"I don't care for presents," she admits. "I spend all my birthdays in camp, so it's more like a day to do whatever I want—"

"I know," he interrupts her. "I know you're all about practicality and utility."

He pulls an item out of his tool belt: a black hair tie. It's decorated with a bronze dove, the wings spread open like it's either taking flight or landing. Leo holds her hand and places it around her wrist.

"Then I thought, Ara is always losing her scrunchies, her hair is always on her face while we're fixing stuff—and I know it drives you crazy. So I made you this."

He presses on the dove's breast and moves back when it expands, creating a large shield with an Omega engraved at the front. Ara turns her arm to examine it, her mouth falling open. "What!"

"Hercules and Achilles had stuff made for them. You needed a shield," he says, fidgeting with scraps from his belt as he waits for a full reaction. "I know your compass turns into a shield but if you needed to also use it as a sword you'd be... though you aren't helpless and also have Lily's dagger but..."

While Leo rambles, Ara turns her arm and spots a bronze buckle on the leather strap. She snaps it open and the shield goes back to being a hair tie. The girl throws her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Leo stops talking and laughs, vividly glowing. It's like the setting sun is shining directly on him through the porthole window. His arms wrap around her waist. "Don't mention it."

Ara cups his face, a bunch of annoying butterflies making her mind fuzzy. "It must've taken you ages, I don't know what to say..."

He smirks. "Took me like a month, it wasn't that hard—but if you insist I wouldn't mind a few kisses if you're that grateful."

Ara kisses his face and neck effusively, making him giggle like a little kid, then she finds his lips and Leo makes a vastly different noise at the contact. This day doesn't seem so bad now.

"Y'know..." he mumbles in between kisses. "If you really feel like thanking me, you can give me my present in advance?" He pulls her close, and Ara blushes down to her neck. 

"What?" She squeaks.

Leo laughs. "I'm just messing with you."

"Don't joke like that!" She tries to escape his grip.

The boy grabs her chin and gives her another kiss, falling back with her on top. "Sorry, doll. Can't help it! I love how flustered you get."

Ara leans down and gives him a butterfly kiss, making him squirm a little bit. He's always been a big fan of small affectionate gestures, of any affectionate gesture, as long as it's Ara doing it. She pushes herself up and smiles. "También te amo. Now get out of my cabin."

Leo's eyes brighten. "No! Let me—let me hear you say that again!" He begs while Ara gets to the door. "Sunshine, let me stay over! It's your birthday!"

"Yeah, exactly. I want to sleep alone. Your birthday is in two days, if you want to sleep with me then, I'll comply."

Leo looks at her with a huge smile. "For real?"

"Well, I'm learning Spanish, which must mean I don't joke about commitment," Ara gestures at the exit again. "Now leave me alone."

"You're so rude," Leo says, though he sounds delighted. "I'll respect your autonomy today, but on my birthday, I'll have none of that. Be ready to have a Leo Valdez all over you on the 7th!"

The boy kisses her cheek effusively when he walks past, and Ara leans into it laughing. "The warning should go to the rest of our poor crew, not me."

"I don't love them enough to warn them."

Next Chapter –>

Taglist.

@siriuslysirius1107 @ask-giggles1303 @asnyox-the-hoarder @im-planning-something-look @bandshirts-andbooks @coolninjapaper @thewaterlily @whenisthefall @1randomcomic @you-bloody-shank @sunflowergraves @owlalex44 @taylordaughter @typicalsolangelolover @writingmia @espressopatronum454 @slytherinnqueen @orbitingpolaris @obxstiles @ellipsisspelled @thepixiechicksh

[hopper-wheeler]

just saw something along the lines of "lol mike is a terrible person, he didn't give a shit about eddie's death" and i need to vent.

seriously, what's your problem with him?!

i agree that the two day time jump ended up making it seem like dustin was the only one who knew or cared about eddie because they literally skipped everyone's reactions to his death but out of everyone MIKE is the one you're gonna shit on for this?

mike, who's been in california and then nevada for the whole season. mike, who didn't even know eddie was involved in all of this. mike, who knew so little about anything all around because he was being chased by the government and couldn't risk contact finn described him as disconnected from reality. this mike?!

as far as we know mike doesn't even know eddie died. there was no real time to talk after he got to hawkins before the season ended. it literally cuts off right after everyone first reunites. mike didn't even know about max's condition.

but of course you guys will find a way to turn this into the millionth reason why he's the worst character/person to ever exist.

did you ever think that maybe the reason why you find so many faults in him is because you're trying real hard to find them? that maybe the reason he "sucks" so much is because you create incredibly high expectations for him that literally no one could meet? that maybe the reason why he's always in the wrong and always the asshole is because even when he isn't you make him out to be? because everytime he explains himself or apologizes you either ignore it or find a way to turn that against him?

if anything s4 showed it doesn't really matter how he behaves. i mean, the things he's being shit on and blamed for? insane.

el lies to mike and somehow that's a reason to hate him. how could he not know what to do when his girlfriend turned out to be in an entirely different place emotionally than he thought she was? how come he didn't magically know she was lying? how come he (gasps) trusted her and believed she'd tell him the truth? how come he didn't come to cali prepared for vicious bullying and a roller-skate attack and el thinking he didn't love her anymore before being arrested? he's a terrible boyfriend even though he apologizes for being shocked, for not reacting the way she wanted him to and then apologizes again for not saying i love you more.

will doesn't reach out to mike, same as mike doesn't reach out to will. they fall out of touch. somehow, that's entirely on mike. he's the bad guy. but why? mike himself asks this. will could have called too. will even agrees with this (and later, in his speech to mike, indirectly reveals he was pushing mike away because he was afraid to lose him). somehow, this is still a reason to hate mike. he's a terrible friend even though he apologizes!! he still recognizes that he treated will badly after getting to cali and that that was wrong. he apologizes with tears in his eyes and says that hawkins isn't the same without will, that things are easier when they're best friends. he even fights will when he says it was okay and that he'd deserved it for how short he was being with el. he argues will didn't deserve anything. and that's even though i think we can all agree will bringing all of that up when el had just been put through hell and mike was desperately looking for her was terrible timing. they're on great terms for the rest of the season. mike never treats him badly again.

it's will that makes the active choice to support mike and el's relationship despite his own feelings because he cares for them both as people. will chooses to make that speech to mike but make it seem like it's entirely about el. will lies about the painting and says el commissioned it. will turns away and hides his crying because he doesn't want mike to see it. and somehow these are all reasons to hate on mike. how come he didn't magically see through will's speech and notice he was talking about himself too and not just el? how come he didn't confront will about el having commissioned it when el could easily have been talking about another painting in her letter? how come he (GASPS) is trusting will and believing he's telling the truth?!? how come he looked AT THE BACK OF WILL'S HEAD and couldn't tell he was crying?????!

like, come on!!

and then, worst of all, he gets hated for telling the girl he's loved for years now, his long-term girlfriend, that he loves her. el is dying in front of them. she's suffocating. mike's monologue gives her the strength to fight and save herself. and let me just say, that's will's sister!! he's just as terrified in that scene as mike is. when mike starts talking and tries to get through to el, will encourages him to keep going!! and that's because he loves el and believes in mike, and he'd probably be really upset at some of your takes. that moment wasn't about him at all and will was mature enough to understand this. why aren't you?

just keep mike wheeler's name out of your mouth. stop nit-picking. go gush over the characters you do like instead. please.

[pizzaboat]

I feel like Mike has become so insecure and lost himself so much over the past few seasons of Stranger Things

He used to sit as the leader of the group, he organised people together was the kind of friend who put his friends saftey and happiness above his own. Like stepping off that cliff for Dustin or pushing that shithead who was homophobic about Will.

Mike acted like the heart of the group back then and he seemed proactive in trying to protect his friends and be in their lives

But after all this stuff happened with the upside down and he grew more and more internalised homophobia Mike stopped acting like himself and started chasing what he thought he should be and really started idolising El to an unhealthy level as he simultaneously pushed himself downward

Like, El is his "superhero" and she's made it clear she doesn't even want to be seen for her powers and idolised like that. She wants to be accepted and to have the life that was taken away from her when she was little

He said in the van scene that he's afraid that El will wake up one day and realise he's just some nerd that got lucky and found her first when she needed someone

Which is an unflattering way to paint the kid in season one and two who was so brave and caring. Like he doesn't believe he has the ability to protect people and be a hero like her because he has no powers

And the thing is, Will then proceeds to comfort Mike and give him a speech where Will projects his feelings for Mike onto El. And Will tells Mike that he makes El(him) feel better for being different and that life is worth living because of that

Will was trying to tell Mike how much of an impact he can have on people's lives without powers, because Will canonically has been in love with Mike since season 1

And he fell in love with the boy who would do anything for his friends, and in his mind, did so much before all this to make Will's life better just by being in it. Will sees the Mike who would jump off a cliff for his friends

And he see's Mike as a more grounded version of a hero who can be loved and be tangible in people's lives and change them in the best ways. In contrast to how Mike see's el as a supernatural superhero just because she can move things with her mind-Will has a more earnest reason to love Mike

And just looking at how he's the night in his group's dnd party, and how Will paints him as this leader in his painting and explains how he leads the party into battle, it's really interesting to me that Mike has been inactive in this role as of late, and has a byler moment with Will where he voices his insecurities to Will, which are brought on when he compairs himself to El and thinks about their relationship... it feels clearly intentional by the writers

Mike, to me, seems like a bundle of insecurities since he's been bullied his whole life and is constantly being told to change by society. I really hope the show sticks with it and lets him take back up his leadership role of the group with a more positive view of himself. Because he's always been capable of being a hero

I really, really hope they don't just write him off as a one-dimensional asshole character because he's so much more than that

[suavis]

Never interacting with ST tumblr ever again. Went to the tag after Vol 2 expecting to see posts about the episodes/s5 set up, instead I got

Death threats to Duffer Bros for not making by//er canon

People who don’t support by//er are homophobic

Horrible hate to Mileven fans

Duffer Bros are homophobic for killing Eddie bc “Eddie is gay & they killed him bc they didn’t like Stedd¡e”

We’re sick & tired of El, she shouldn’t be focused on in s5, instead Will & Mike

Mike’s speech to El is out of character, he doesn’t love her

El is boring & her abuse for her entire life isn’t comparable to Will, his unrequited love for Mike is worse than her torture

Mike should’ve died instead of Eddie & he’s homophobic to Will, Mike is the worst person in the show

I’m also not interacting with ST tumblr again bc of the white mlm fetishizers. Billy was clearly racist to Lucas & abusive to Max (I understand he was abused but that doesn’t excuse his racism and horrid treatment of Max) but yet Steve & Billy is a popular ship. If Lucas was white, we’d see more Lucas/Dustin. But we don’t. Women are also always pushed to the side for mlm ships, so many posts diminish El for by//er

LITERALLY you’ve encompassed everything i hate abt the fandom 💀 it’s never really surprising when fandoms only care abt bland white men they can hc as gay/bi and then fetishize but truly the attempted character assassination of multiple whole ass children bc they don’t play into their specific narratives they want is extra foul.

i thought st*ddie was cute in passing at first but then the fans and esp eddie fans started acting Like That and i was outta there 💀 ain’t no way they thought it was going to end any other way have the ever watched this show before??? like he was fun but ultimately he was just some guy that some ppl in this fandom care more abt than MAX who’s been around for three seasons now like make it make sense???? and same with billy stans they just choose to ignore full on racism like i saw one say they did believe he was racist but still liked him 💔 truly no saving them the way y’all will cape for random white men even if they’re racist and abusive…… ur not seeing heaven

and YES the way this fandom passes over the black characters (the very few that exist 🥴) is sooooo…. obvious truly. billy apologists are obviously the worst of em but. if will had been in love with lucas and he’d been acting like mike first of all there wouldn’t even be a quarter as many shipper and second lucas would have been eviscerated 💔 people’s priorities in this fandom could not be clearer tbh

and people’s hatred of eleven is so transparent 💀 if she wasn’t in the way of that certain ship nobody would give a fuck but instead they’ll say she’s just his beard, she’s aroace/lesbian (which obvi i support hcs like this wholeheartedly but when the ONLY purpose is to try to make it so she couldn’t possibly be attracted to mike and so now will can have him???? gtfo), she looks like a man (which is mentioned MULTIPLE times in the b*ler slideshow LMAO make it make sense….. i’m a woman with short hair does that make my gf straight???), etc.

also yeah their fixation specifically earlier on the fact that mike couldn’t say i love you to her and then when he finally did it was out of character/him projecting his feelings for will on her??? it’s disrespectful to the characters tbh like the way they characterize mike idek how they like him anymore considering how they seem to believe he’s manipulating eleven AND being an asshole to will while still being in love with him??? i have truly never seen a fandom so deluded over next to zero actual evidence but i wasn’t around in the days of tjlc so 💀 but i’m definitely seeing some similarities LMAO it’s bad like. i think EVERYONE can agree that will is into mike but b*lers seem to think that means mike is going to have to be into will too like. ik they’re still hung up on their middle school/high school straight best friends (or are still IN middle/high school with that straight best friend 💀) and want to think that he’ll get the happy ending they didn’t but. truly i do think will deserves better than this even if mike DOES return his feelings like. they would not be a good couple 💔 here’s to hoping will gets a bf in s5 and all the characters get to be happy for once and b*let fans finally shut up <3

[duskdrawings]

Random Ronance thoughts/hopes for the future because my brain simply can't stop thinking about these two. (I didn't know how to title this but I just have MANY thoughts and wanted to share them 😂)

• Robin wanting to support Nancy and her love for journalism/reporting. Perhaps Robin is shown watching Nancy and she puts together an article in the school newspaper. Also I feel like Nancy would love using her journalistic instincts to find out more about Robin and ask her all these questions just to listen to Robin talk for ages about all these theories and ideas she has.

• A scene where Robin comes out to Nancy or Nancy somehow finds out about Robin's sexuality. There's so much that could be explored here! From Robin getting some closure that there are people who will accept her to the whole situation possibly making Nancy question some thoughts/feelings about her own relationships and sexuality. (I will die on the hill that Nancy has some repressed feelings about her sexuality and hearing that Robin likes girls could spark a lil something something up in her mind and then BOOM! Bisexual/Sapphic Nancy Wheeler!) Plus there are hints about Will being gay and liking Mike so Nancy could hear about that too.

• Robin being the one to save Nancy from Vecna. After going through her room in an earlier episode and seeing her tapes, it just makes sense that Robin would be the one to know Nancy's favourite song! Plus I'd love to see Nancy's reaction after she finds out that Robin is the one to save her. Even though Steve and Nancy did date, Steve was still in his 'douchebag era' at that time and I feel like he might not have properly paid attention to her and what she liked and also Nancy has changed quite a bit since then.

• Nancy just thinking about Robin and how important she is to her (perhaps whilst getting Vecna'd or after narrowly saving Robin from danger - like in that part of the trailer where Robin is tied up in those vines). Robin is Nancy's first female friend since Barb and I can just imagine her thinking about how she really wants to protect Robin so she doesn't lose her too. Plus it would be nice to see more of Nancy's storylines not being based around guys (I like Steve and Jonathan but I just feel that neither really belong with Nancy and they have all gone through so much development and would just do better just staying friends. They love each other but aren't IN love with each other).

• Nancy and Robin hanging out outside the group/just doing something fun together that doesn't involve attempting to save the world (Like with the Elmax scenes in season 3). They could hang out at Family Video whilst Robin has a shift or have a movie night or Robin could even dress Nancy up (which she insists is just to get back at Nancy for the whole Ruth and Rose thing but in reality she just wants to see Nancy in her clothes) Nancy wearing Robin's jacket is just something my heart and soul needs. Or if they don't show a scene like this, they could always just have one of them mention that they were hanging out or have plans to hang out, even something small would be so sweet. They deserve to enjoy time together without the looming threat of danger and death!

• Nancy finding out about Robin's crush on Vicki or just seeing them both interact and feeling jealous. OR what if Robin gets the courage to ask out Vicki and gets rejected and Nancy helps her get over things afterwards. OR perhaps Vicki isn't into boobies and is very much straight and might not even be very accepting if Robin confesses to her and then has a strong negative reaction and Nancy sees it all happen and comes to Robin's aid! She stands up for Robin and says how wonderful she is and delivers an epic speech (kind of like the one Robin gives when they are trying to see Victor Creel) and then takes her hand and drags her away to safety - Robin being a flustered gay mess from the whole thing.

• A scene of them both tending to each others wounds after escaping from danger. Nancy patches Robin up and says she was worried about her, whilst Robin tries to crack some jokes to make Nancy smile again and lighten the mood. And when Robin tries to patch Nancy up, she's insistent that she's okay but Robin says she knows she isn't and Nancy then lets her guard down so Robin can patch her up too.

• Nancy confides in Robin about her true thoughts and feelings behind the troubles in her relationship with Jonathan. Robin could offer some support and comfort Nancy if they break-up (which I feel is something that's been foreshadowed throughout the whole of season 4 as Jonathan and Nancy seem to be heading in separate directions).

• Robin realises she has feelings for Nancy and gets worried that she'll lose her friendship with Nancy and Steve, as Nancy is his ex. But perhaps Steve finds out about Robin's feelings and comforts her and I get the feeling that he would act as her wingman and be number one Ronance supporter and would even offer to babysit the kids more so Nancy and Robin could spend more time alone together.

•Nancy realises that her feelings for Robin extends beyond friendship as, while she thought she just wanted to be close to her because she doesn't really have female friends, she realised that people who are just friends don't think about how much they want to kiss their friends lips.

•A confession scene! Part of me feels like Robin would want to be brave and confess to her (probably after a big pep-talk from Steve) and so she goes to Nancy and asks to speak to her in private and then starts rambling and being a big chaotic lesbian mess until Nancy laughs and calms her down and says that she likes her too. But also part of me feels like Nancy could confess and it would be a more softer and gentler scene where she reveals her feelings and she has a whole speech prepared about her discovering her sexuality and her past relationships and about Barb and how she wanted to protect Robin and didn't want to lose her and all that jazz and then Robin is just absolutely flabbergasted because NANCY WHEELER LIKES HER! It would just be so amazing to see them being all happy and giddy and have their love lives blossoming!

• They kiss and become girlfriends and live happily ever after.

Even though I know that the chances of Ronance becoming a thing may not be that high, I just want to see more of them together and more of their relationship and them growing closer. Their dynamic is so lovely to watch and I feel like them becoming girlfriends (or even just best friends) would be so amazing for their character arcs and development and would make so much sense. It would be such a 180 from season 3 where Robin calls Nancy a priss to then be able to cut to the end of season 4 or 5 and then see how close they've become. Even just seeing how Nancy seems irritated at Robin at first when they don't really know each other but now she always chooses Robin to accompany her whenever they are doing anything. She could choose someone else but she doesn't.

Also in the Rebel Robin podcast there's a small scene where Robin and her teacher, Mr. Hauser, are talking and he mentions how people in Hawkins could surprise Robin and she needs to give them a chance AND THEN who comes into the classroom a few seconds later? Nancy freaking Wheeler!

And the parallels between Robin's crushes on Tammy and Vicki and then how she is with Nancy (how she looks at Nancy in the boat scene when Nancy is looking at Steve and how she talks a lot when she's nervous and around pretty girls and then we see her ramble ten times more with Nancy then she even did in her scene with Vicki).

Not to mention, how Maya and Natalia both act or talk about them when Robin and Nancy are brought up in interviews and how Maya basically pushed for canon lesbian Robin and we got it!! And it's basically a known fact that the LGBT's flock together! And I could go on and on! There's some serious potential for their relationship here! Especially as there's still the last 2 episodes of season 4 AND season 5 AND apparently there's a time-skip in-between the seasons so you never know what could happen in that time! And there's talk about potential spin-offs - just IMAGINE a Nancy and Robin spin-off where they go off solving mysteries together!!

Just please, Duffer Brothers, treat these girls right 😭

[strangerfigs]

my analysis of mike’s “feelings” for el and what leads to the monologue/his feelings behind it

in 4x4, mike says:

“Maybe I should have said something, and if I said that thing, then maybe she’d want me there with her. Wherever she is.”

Then in 4x5, he says again:

“I should have explained myself. Maybe Eleven would’ve taken me with her, and things would be different … but I just didn’t know what to say.”

To me, Mike sounds confused about his feelings, as he doesn’t really understand why he feels the way he does. Will gives him an explanation to his problems, within the perspective of “El” and Mike relates to those feelings, and it suddenly makes sense to him why he is not able to say he loves her. [even though it’s will who he says he feels like he lost]

he feels inadequate to El; and feels as though she will not need him, even though we have never really seen this occur before. during his monologue, he states that he loved her from the moment they met, which we all know is bullshit based on how flippant he is with her in season 1 at first, and then again when he thinks she lied to him about will

giving it some thought, I believe that mike is equating love with protection/care. the moment he saw her, he had an instinct to protect/help/care for her (like a lost puppy as the duffers called it, lol) and if el doesn’t need his protection, if he puts his trust in her that she is capable of protecting herself on her own (which she asks him to do in season 3), where does that leave him and his feelings for her?

the roller rink feels like a direct contradiction to this, but it’s really not. el didn’t tell him about the bullies, ergo not letting mike help/protect her which is what he equates his feelings as, therefore feeling useless to her, and also - he fails to protect her here, and el is the one to take action, whacking angela over the head, which mike responds negatively too “out of surprise,” he says, but i think this is just another reminder to him that he failed to protect her, therefore furthering his insecurities of the base of his feelings for her which consist largely of protectiveness and care

throughout the season, we see mike struggle even more with not being able to protect her/care for her as she goes with owens and leaves mike behind, where mike cannot look after her. because of this mike doubts himself, and his ability to protect her, leaving him with confusion on the role of which he has in his own relationship

he finally comes to this realization while in the car with will that maybe he can’t protect her, that she doesn’t need him (which is true!) but then we have will’s speech - will’s speech where he uses el as a cover for his own feelings, while also thinking he understands eleven’s, and mike’s, and what’s for the greater good

will convinces him that el needs him through this moving speech, that she’ll always need him, but he is talking about himself. and mike doesn’t completely understand what’s happening, or will’s feelings or the duality of them. he also trusts will, especially with how much they had bonded the last couple of days. and he was right last time (about her being bullied). it doesn’t make total sense to him and he is confused, but he truly takes his words into deep consideration, and not to mention, that hearing it from will (after eleven telling him so many times that she loves him, and it still not registering to mike that she really does), it more easily settles his doubts and worries because that is what will does for him and always has had the ability to do. this speech provides mike the confirmation that el will always need him so therefore he will always be able to protect and take care of her which is what he equates to what love means, in the case of el. but we all know this speech is a lie because it’s not el who needs him, it’s will, and mike needs will too. which is within the subtext of the scene in 4x4 where he says hawkins is not the same without him, signaling him out in comparison to their other friends, showcasing his worry in i don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but ‘i think it would be easier if we were a team. friends. best friends.’

my second point, is that due to the fact that mike now believes el needs him, and his failure to protect her at the skating rink, after she first leaves with owens and then again when they find out the government is after her, he feels a strong regret. he tries to figure out why el didn’t tell him about the bullying because he wanted to protect her and help. and with the other two things, we see him saying that if he said the thing and explained himself he maybe could have gone with her and things would be different

again, we see this as mike wanting to protect her, and at this point, he is more at the surface level thinking of, if i said all those things, then it would have worked out, that would have fixed things, and i would be with her. the easy answer. but as pointed out above, the more time he thinks on it, the more he doubts that the words would do anything for her, because she doesn’t really need him, especially after she gets her powers back, and el is going to be fine, they are going to warn her of the government which he wouldn’t be able to do if he went with her, but these doubts are still lingering, anyway, because after all this is over, what will she need him for? what will the words even matter if she does not need him to protect her? and if he cannot protect her, what use is he to her? i truly do not think he understands romantic love at all, and it is so largely based on protection/care (familial)

but then, again, will fixes his doubts or puts them at ease at least. and maybe everything doesn’t make total sense but what else is he to do than to just take will’s words at face value? (plus i also think he just wants to believe them because it fixes his problems with el, and he does care about her so much - they are bffs - so he doesn’t want to lose her, it’s true)

so combined with will’s speech and settling his doubts and a combination of regret - of failing to protect el before when he couldn’t say the words - and another nudge from will, under pressure of not only el dying but their friends and family too, mike finally says it. and i don’t think it’s all necessarily untrue but i think he is largely confused by it all still, by his feelings, and because el is such a big part of his life, i think this is what he meant when he said his life didn’t start until he met her, because she is a huge part of his life, of all their lives, their lives changed drastically when he met her, like before this, fantasy just existed in d&d, and also in account to trauma bonding, it makes sense but it’s also the added stress of it all, of saying anything that makes sense to get her to believe him, and as we know, mike projects, so i think the cheesiness; the exaggeration, the repetition, is mike trying to convince himself that this all feels right, that he does love her, but he is also clearly reacting to what will told him in the van, too, what he was confused about and what he doesn’t fully understand, and i think some of what he says is projecting his feelings towards will onto eleven for this reason (it’s all blended in his head now)

so, yeah. that’s my two cents. mike is rly clueless, but… he is in love with will byers and loves eleven like family, like a pet, like paternal. like how he has been compared to hopper/brenner before; and while it’s kind of gross to compare since they’ve made out lol, that’s truly what it feels like… paternal. and his anger is directed at hopper for these reasons, because hopper ends up taking care of her instead, mike doesn’t agree with how he does, so there is conflict between them lol, but yeah. <3 thanks if you read all this lol

[will80sbyers]

Byler theory, Mike’s point of view through the seasons

SEASON THREE

We start the season with El and Mike that are dating, Hopper is annoyed because they are always making out in her room, Mike is always around and they show them when they joke around a bit, Mike is having fun singing a song but El doesn’t really like it, she likes to kiss Mike more…

puberty has taken over lol

Hopper sees that they are making out and he doesn’t like that, El catches him and closes the door with her powers… Jim opens the door and Mike and El are pretending to be doing something else…. Mike says ‘’What’s wrong?’’ to Hopper like the little bisexual piece of shit he is (I love him)

Mike has to go…. He has a date to the cinema with Will (and Lucas and Max too)

him and Eleven talk on the radio while he is on the road there… they exchange only a few words, not very deep but they wish they were still together probably to kiss again… eh…

Mike arrives to the cinema at the Mall and he is late, the others are there… Lucas tells Mike that he and El never hang out with them and only make out all the time… Will thinks it’s funny how Lucas is making fun of Mike for that (William Byers is the funniest person on earth, I love him)

Mike thinks that he is spending romantic time with his girlfriend and it’s normal… Lucas point out how him and Max are together and they go out with their friends more than El and Mike and still have romantic time together like that…

They are now in the cinema and sit like couples because the Duffer brothers are two evil, evil men…

The power goes off and Will feels Vecna again… Mike notices this and asks him if he is okay.... puberty has started, Will is in love with Mike and he is noticing Mike too in a romantic way… Mike? Who knows.. maybe he had some strange thoughts too but we are not shown his perspective about it here, we know he STILL pays attention to Will and he is still asking him how he feels… Will says he is okay and they keep watching the movie.

Jim goes to Joyce to talk shit about Mike, he wants El and Mike to break up because they are together all the time, constant kissing, he says it’s not normal or healthy… and maybe yeah... they love to kiss a lot because…. they have nothing to talk about really? For El it’s difficult to make long speeches… Mike probably talks but he often feels like he is ashamed of being himself in front of her like we see in the finale at least… he wants to always look cool to her

Dustin is back from camp! They organize a welcome home party for him and they all hide while El uses her powers to surprise him… Mike is framed between Will and El as always… but Mike and El are extremely touchy with each other, they hold hands constantly and she is always attached to him!

Mike is still framed between her and Will lol

Dustin tells them that he has a girlfriend now, Mike asks if she is cute? and they go to the hill to install the antenna for cerebro… Mike and El hold hands still instead of helping the other carry the stuff ( btw how rude is that )

They whisper stuff to each other??? idk that’s just weird to me lol

The others are talking…

Dustin says ‘’ like star-crossed lovers….’’ Aka destined to fail AND MIKE ONE SECOND LATER SCREAMS ‘’HEY GUYS…’’ …………….. lol this was funny Duffers

Mike and El lie to the others and go home to make out again probably, the others point out how it’s all summer that they are acting like that, Will thinks it’s gross because he is jealous and gay, Dustin says it’s bullshit.. Mike is treating the party badly, he didn’t see Dustin for a long time and leaves early anyway…

Will feels Vecna again but doesn’t tell anyone…

is he distancing himself a bit from Mike since he started dating Eleven? He is not talking about his problems with him because Mike is completely focused on Eleven in an unhealthy way… puberty

We are at the cabin again, Mike and El are making out AGAIN… Jim is almost having a stroke in the other room because, like us, he hates knowing that it’s happening….

Can’t stop this feeling plays in the background…

Jim wants to talk to them, Mike is being disrespectful as always and he whispers something in El’s ear again making fun of Hopper, Jim is pissed off and tells him that his mother called about his grandma.... he makes Mike leave and when they are in the car he tells Mike what all of us were thinking:

There is something wrong about their relationship!

Mike is angry now because…. Hopper lied! Mike doesn’t like being lied to!

Hopper scares Mike and tells him that he will talk to him and maybe if he is lucky he can continue dating El after he’s done with him….

The others are still on the hill, Dustin can’t reach Suzie and Lucas, Max and Will have to go home

Will tells Dustin that maybe they can do something fun tomorrow, maybe play d&d again… he wants to bring the party together again

It’s the morning after, El was expecting Mike to be at the cabin but he didn’t show up, she calls him and he is visibly nervous, Hopper’s talk scared him… and he… decides to lie to her about it, he hates people that lie to him but he lies to El.

El doesn’t believe him…. He keeps lying and says to her ‘’Friends don’t lie’’ and that he misses her but it’s all very fake tbh… El is angry and closes the door of her room with her powers…

El decides to go to Max to ask for her help and they talk about it: Boyfriends lie, all the time!

Mike is at his home with Lucas and Will… he is panicking because he knows that El knows that he’s lying…. He asks Lucas for help, Will couldn’t care less about it and just wants to play d&d again..

Mike does care about El and he does like making out with her… and Hopper is threatening to stop them completely… and yeah, maybe they don’t talk a lot when they are together and they can’t really go out on dates…but he likes kissing her, it’s nice!

El and Max go to the mall… Max tells El ‘’there’s more to life than stupid boys’’ starting her path to independence!

Mike, Lucas and Will go to the mall too because Lucas thinks Mike needs to buy a present to make El forgive him… it seems just communicating honestly is not an option?  lol

Anyway… Mike wants to buy her a teddy bear because she likes them but he doesn’t have the money… they look at perfumes after, nothing specific!

They finally meet with the girls, Mike is angry at El because she’s not allowed to go out like this…

El asks him why is he treating her like shit, he keeps lying to her and she does it, she dumps his ass!!!!

(YOU GO GIRL! DO IT AGAIN IN SEASON 5 PLEASE!)

Anywayyyy…. Mike makes a weird expression, he seems offended at first then the shock settles in and we see he's a bit sad as she leaves on the bus... but Mike knows he deserved it.

Will is about to burst out laughing in the background lol

Max and El are at the cabin now, they talk more than she and Mike did in three seasons……………………………………………….

Max asks her if Mike is a good kisser, they kiss all the time but El doesn’t know if she likes how Mike kisses because he’s her first boyfriend? Uhm… shouldn’t you like it if you’re doing it that much? Lol

El spies on the guys and Mike is… avoiding responsibility for lying.

He says that he doesn’t know what he did wrong but he knows, Mike is not stupid… He doesn’t really care about resolving the problem between him and El as soon as possible, it’s too much work and Hopper is scary and he is having fun with his friends again, talking about his problems, he didn’t spend much time with them when he was with El and he missed them! He does like El but…

(There is Ted Wheeler with a yellow and blue raincoat in front of Mike’s house….)

and Will wants to play d&d!

Will wants attention now, he is tired of all of this mess and he starts a little theatrical scene, he dresses up as a wizard and bosses Mike around:

address me by my full name!

Will the wise is here and we love him!

Mike and Lucas are tired because it’s early morning, they don’t really want to play but let themselves be convinced… they are playing now, Will is into it but the other boys are not, the phone rings, Mike thinks it’s...

‘’El?’’

‘’No, not interested!’'

it’s telemarketers....

(INTERESTING SCENE lmao)

Mike doesn’t want to play anymore so he finishes the game in a hurry making fun of it and that’s when it happens..

Will had enough of this!

Will lashes out at Mike and he is about to leave… NOW Mike is worried, he tries to make Will stay and keep playing but Will is doneeeee! Bye, bitch!!!

Mike is worried af and he goes after his best friend… he feels bad because he knows he is being an asshole..

He apologizes immediately to Will, but he tells him they are not in the mood to play and Will explodes… we know how the scene goes, we know about the eyewitness parallel… and Mike suddenly says it

‘’It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!’’

Now this scene is a byler hint

in my opinion Mike here didn’t mean to talk about the fact that Will has been called gay all his life but he meant

"It's not my fault you don't like girls... yet"

Mike does have an interest in girls, he likes kissing them and likes kissing El… maybe he has thoughts about boys too, we don’t know yet, he has been called gay slurs too by the bullies so maybe finding out that he does like kissing El was a good thing for him because he could do that all the time and forget about the other part of him that has an interest in guys too…? Will is not interested in girls or relationships and Mike doesn’t know why yet so he says that… but he then realized how it sounded, he feels like shit because he just hurt Will deeply and he knows it… and he tries to explain that they are not kids anymore and he wants to focus on growing up because that’s what they must do, right? That’s what’s normal and what Lucas wants to do too… he would love to play d&d but… Mike feels like it’s time to grow up because society is telling him that’s what he should be doing… (in the scene right after this we are in the pool and a ball with RED, YELLOW AND WHITE colors is floating in it………………………)

/ ISTG... IF COLOR THEORY DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING IT'S THE WEIRDEST COINCIDENCE /

Mike feels like shit... he needs to find Will immediately and apologize to him again, Lucas and Mike take the bikes and go to Will’s house even if it’s raining, Mike is ready to take full responsibility about the fight because Will is Will and he can’t live with Will being angry at him.

Will is at castle byers, he calls himself stupid for liking Mike and still wanting to be young and play with his friends and he destroys the picture of them and he destroys castle byers because he is angry at himself and at how unfair everything is… he knows he is gay, he knows he can’t just ignore his feelings for boys like Mike can and he thinks he will never have a relationship like the one that Mike has because of this… he also hates that he feels like this for Mike and Mike doesn’t even care!

Castle Byers is gone, his childhood is gone… Will feels Vecna/ the mindflayer again and this time he doesn’t want to ignore it anymore, he faces it.

Mike and Lucas finally find him there, Mike ask if he is okay… and Will tells them: ‘’He’s back’’

They really need El right now so Mike calls the girls and they all go to Mike’s to talk, Will explains everything… they go to the pool to spy on Billy

Mike, Lucas and Will go into the place with the sauna, it’s funny how the only one that makes a comment about throwing up after the sauna scene is Lucas lol

but not that important tbh

Anyway they have a plan now..

Lucas apologizes to Will

Mike admits to El that he was lying to her but he says that Hopper ‘’made him’’ lie…. He doesn’t take responsibility for his actions and doesn’t say he is sorry… he says to her that she’s the most important thing in the world for him but…. Boyfriends lie all the time! And El has had enough of his bullshit anyway… she says that maybe Hopper is right, she tells Mike that she basically knows that he said that girls and boys are two different species, he is annoyed that she spied on him.. she leaves him behind LOL

They fight with Vecna/Billy and Mike protects everyone as much as he can, he tells Max to get away from the door because he trusts and understands immediately what Will tells him (they keep being framed together in every occasion) and he hits Billy when he is hurting El… the fight is over and they go….

They are back at Mike’s house… El searches for Hopper and Joyce… Mike thinks that Max and El are conspiring against him because he doesn’t understand girls really… Will reminds him that they are over and Mike says they are just on a break… Jonathan and Nancy arrive on the scene they all talk and they go to Heather’s home, Mike is again paired with Will and they sit on the back of the car together

When El and Mike are not together, they pair Mike with Will... All. The. Time.

They are now at the hospital. El makes the vending machine work and Lucas tells Mike that that was a peace offering, he doesn’t get it, Lucas says to him that he’s hopeless (HE DOES NOT GET FEELINGS AND ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. HE IS DUMB. ) and he should go and talk to El… he offers her m&m’s…. and says he likes the new look because it’s cool… he doesn’t apologize at all… they don’t show them talking and the next scene they are reading the plastic wrap of the m&ms ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????what

Anyway, the monster is there, Will can feel it and Mike looks at him when he says that… El fights it and kills it!

They go back to the cabin, El is looking for Billy and Mike is worried for her because she is spending too much time doing the thing that makes her weak, he does care about her a lot, he doesn’t want her to get brain damage from it… he has a fight with Max about it, Mike says he just wants to protect El, Max says he is controlling with her and he doesn’t trusts her to make her decisions and have her own limits… He says that she is risking her life for no reason, the others tell him that’s not true and

Nancy says: ‘’ El is not stupid, she knows her abilities better than any of us and she is her own person, with her own free will’’

Mike makes this face:

Max says it as it is.. El has saved the world twice and Mike still doesn’t trust her!

Mike deflects this accusation by saying that she shouldn’t talk about trust because for Mike, MAX made Eleven spy on them… even if we know, and Max says it, it was El’s idea lol

Mike doesn’t completely trust Eleven and he is placing her on a pedestal at the same time, thinking she is great and other people can corrupt her because he thinks she doesn’t even make her own decisions at this point of the narrative... and at the same time she needs him to act almost like a parent keeping her safe and guiding her because she's inexperienced in some things...

He says a good thing though: El is not a machine and he doesn’t want her to die, he doesn’t want to feel the grief he felt when he thought she was dead in s2, he says he loves her and doesn’t want to lose her again and I do believe him!

He does love her, he cares for her, he likes her and wants to protect her and keep her alive! But…. he is not in love with her.

He doesn’t understand what being in love is... yet, he never really felt it, he doesn’t show it, he didn’t show it to Eleven because he doesn’t really know her enough to be IN love with her.

He loves her, he is not in love.

But, he said that out loud…  with everyone there, that’s so freaking embarrassing, and he doesn't know this but he didn’t mean it in a truly romantic way... but he can’t explain that to people because he doesn’t even realize it himself so he thinks he must mean it in that way… it’s awkward… did she hear that? he just goes on avoidance mode and when she asks what’s happening he says nothing.

Then we have the first genuine scene between them. Mike still tries to make El change her mind and avoid risking herself, El asks him to trust her… he says ‘’yeah, be careful’’ after Max gives him a ‘’try it, bitch’’ look lmao and he sits down but he doesn’t really seem to come to that decision on his own, he still has problems trusting her…

Billy scares her in her mind vision and when she gets back Mike is there to comfort her… the monster attacks and El is injured, they all save her, and she saves them splitting it in two! They escape and go to the grocery store…

Mike and El are alone now, and Mike finally apologizes to her, tells her he was jealous of Max but he isn’t anymore and he is happy that they are friends… and he wanted to tell her something, he says he never felt like this before and he… says that "they do say it makes you crazy" … she’s confused… what? He says… it’s like a feeling… something that old people say to each other…. (HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THAT FEELING IS. If he truly had felt it, he would have just told her, he thinks he does love her like that but he can’t say it… he can’t even write it down, he doesn’t know what he is talking about)

He tries…. But they get interrupted again by Dustin on the radio!

Things happen... they reunite with the adults, El discovers that she is losing her powers because she tries to destroy a coke can and she can’t… Everything happens, Hopper ‘’dies’’ but they won… They save the world!

3 MONTHS LATER

El is living with Will and the Byers are moving, and we have Mike and Will talking about the d&d game… Will says that he will use Mike’s manual when he comes back, if Mike still wants to play, if Mike doesn’t think he is too grown up to play…

Mike says yes but, what if Will wants to join another party? And he is thinking, did I lose Will? Does Will forgive me for that awful fight we had? He is leaving… I am afraid that I’m going to lose him again… but Will is clear ‘’ Not possible.’’ I still love you, I still want you in my life, I still want to play together… and Mike just smiles.. they get it, they don’t even have to ‘’say it’’ … they understand.

Eleven lost her powers, we see her struggle with this fact and with Hopper’s death… Mike arrives in the room and helps her take the bear from the closet, he tells her that her powers will come back to her, he does still think about her like a superhero now because she did save the world again, she’s great!

And they talk about visiting each other, Mike wants her and Will to come to Hawkins for Christmas day so that they can play with the new presents they get… it’s like Mike now wants to go back, he doesn’t want to grow up as fast as he wanted to before… Eleven brings out the love argument, Mike still can’t say it, he fakes not remembering that he even tried to talk about his feelings… he is confused and doesn’t understand what is wrong with him or why he can’t just say it…. She makes the first move, she tells him ‘’ I love you, too’’ but…

he stays still, eyes open? Open closet in the background?

he is thinking ‘’ What the hell just happened? Why did I not feel it right now? What? ‘’ He is confused.

They are leaving... Hopper’s voiceover plays in the background and we have another hint towards Byler:

they edit the scenes to reference the relationship between Will and Mike, they put a scene where Mike looks at the Byers home while in the background we hear

‘’ lately I’ve been feeling distant from you, like you’re pulling away from me or something. I miss playing board games every night, ’’ (EL JUST TOLD HIM HE LOVED HIM WHY WOULD THIS BE ABOUT MIKE AND EL? IT’S NOT. Who likes to play board games aka d&d? Mike and Will)

The scenes switch between the characters and the voiceover describes how they are feeling...

it's exactly what Mike and Will are feeling.

Mike is feeling like he is losing his favorite person in the world, Will, he never lived without Will by his side, he did everything he could to save him and have him back in season one but now Will is going away… forever?

he will miss El too, of course, but he just had the strangest thing happen between them because she told him she loves him but he… didn’t really feel that.

he thought he loved her... now he's unsure?

He's not completely aware of this yet(we are thanks to how they filmed it) , he's mostly shocked by her telling him the I love you randomly and finding out that he just couldn’t tell her in that moment because the feeling was not there and he froze... he felt weird, it felt weird kissing her again like that, he was used to not kiss her after the break up… he doesn’t know what to think, he feels too weird now, he needs to talk to someone that understands him.. someone… like Will?

But Will is moving away from him so… he goes home to the only other person he can talk to.. his mom.

*heroes plays in the background*

He needs his mom… and we have a clear parallel of the time in s1 when he thought Will was dead, they hug and we focus on his confused face… what is happening? Why does he feel like he needs Will more than El?

And then Hopper talks about how life is moving and changing whether you like it or not

AND WE HAVE A SHOT OF ELEVEN IN THE CAR….

Hopper says, sometimes life is painful and sad and we see Max mourning Billy,

sometimes life is surprising, happy AND we see Erica’s door with a rainbow drawing on it and Dustin and Lucas give Erica Will’s manual of d&d!

Will is going to be surprised and happy!

SEASON FOUR

[byler-makemewanttobelieveitsokay]

Part 1 - Fic

The three o'clock bell rang two minutes late. El Byers jumped out of her seat and sprinted out of the classroom. She had to find her brother. Will should have art now. El groaned, the art classrooms were on the other side of the school. 

As she ran El bumped into someone.

"Jane! Watch where you're going!" Cried a nasty voice.

El looked up and her heart skipped a beat. A tall girl with a blonde, low ponytail and a face crafted by the gods was standing in front of her. Oh no.

"Sorry Angela." She muttered as she ran around the blonde girl.

Angela smirked.

"Watch out Hopper!" She calls after El.

After what seemed to be a hundred years, El finally got to the art block. 

El peeked into a window, A4. Yes! There was Will!

She opened the door and jumped.

"Will!"

"Jane!" He cried, turning away from his canvas. Will walked over to the door where El stood.

El was always called Jane Hopper at school, it was to keep her real identity secret. If the wrong people found out the true story about Will and Eleven Byers, their whole family could become subject to torture or something far worse...

"C'mon, we're meeting Max out the front of school!" El urged him.

"Alright, let's go then." 

El basically dragged Will out of the classroom.

"How was art?" El asked Will.

"It was fun. I'm painting a dragon!"

"One from dnd?" 

"Yeah. How was woodwork?"

"Eh, it was OK. I wish Max was there." 

"It's a shame the school won't let her do woodwork, she's really good at it."

Hawkins High wouldn't allow Max to take woodwork on account of it being "too dangerous for her because she's blind." El had seen Max drop into a 20 foot halfpipe, no helmet. What was really so dangerous about a hammer?

“Max has this friend who’s transferring here, I think you’d get along well. Like me and Max!” said El, jumping to the bottom of a flight of stairs.

Will gave her a knowing grin.

“What?”

“Nothing, I’m just glad you’ve got a friend like Max.”  Will replied. 

He was glad. After living as a lab rat for twelve years, El deserved to have a good best friend. She'd struggled with bullying since she started school in 9th grade. People picked at her limited speech and lack of social skills. Will had never been able to stand up to bullies, but Max Mayfield? Yeah, Will Byers will never forget the day she poured half a gallon of strawberry milk into the bags of Troy Walsh and his dickhead friends.

Finally, the Byers twins reached the entrance of the school buiding.

El sprinted out the doors, having spotted Max. She could really run when she felt like it.

Will followed her. He could also run when he felt like it... He really didn't feel like it.

“Max!” El called out to her friend, knowing Max wouldn’t see her coming.

“Jane!” Called Max, swinging her head around, trying to place what direction El’s voice had come from.

“Jane slow dow--” Will stopped mid protest, he saw the person standing next to Max.

He was the most handsome person Will had ever seen. Long black hair, a black hoodie paired with black jeans. Lots of black actually, because he was also wearing black converse all stars.

"H-hi, I'm Will!" Will's face resembled a beetroot.

"Hey, I'm Mike. Nice to meet you!"

Will beamed, and Mike smiled back. Next to them, El was almost suffocating Max in a bone-crushing hug. They whispered something to eachother, and then fell apart, El had a mischievous glint in her eyes, and Max a meddling smirk.

El turned to Mike.

"Hey Jane."

"Hey Mike!"

She attempted to hide her trouble-making tone, but Will knew it all to well to be fooled. He was about to say something when Max slid over.

"Have a good day Will?" She asked. She folded her arms. She was definitely up to something.

"Yeah, pretty good." Will replied, slightly suspicious.

Mike turned to face everyone.

"I've got to go. A tour of the school or something."

"Bye Mike!" Cried El, jumping and waving, overenthusiastic as ever.

Max settled for a simple "C ya."

Will waved with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Mike. See you around?"

"For sure!" Mike agreed. Will's heart gave a flutter.

Damn it! A crush was the last thing Will needed to deal with at the moment. Honestly, as if he didn't have enough on his plate.

Mike waved as he walked into the entrance of the school building. Rows of lockers were scattered throughout the front building.

He's pretty cute, Mike thought. How does Max find the cute ones? She can't even see!

Will, El and Max rode down the street towards their neighborhood. Max on her skateboard, Will on his bike and El on rollerblades. El was surprisingly good at rollerskating, Will had been suspicious she was using her powers to steady herself, but no, El just had natural talent.

"Where'd you meet Mike?" Will asked Max, in what was supposed to be a casual tone, but probably wasn't.

Max paused skating. She brought her hand up to her face and frowned in thought.

“I think... Yeah we met in elementary school. Back when we went to the Grammar School. He was in my class in the second grade.” 

Hawkins Grammar School was a big fancy building on the other side of town. It took kindergarten through to seniors. All the rich, snobby kids went there. Well, most of them. A few, like Angela and Steve Harrington went to Hawkins High.

“You went to the Grammar School?” Will was surprised. The Byers had only ever been to the public schools. The grammar school was expensive, and Joyce never saw the appeal of it anyway. Why pay extra just for the same thing?

“For a couple of years, yeah. Until Mom and my stepdad got married. Billy didn’t want to go to the grammar school, and so I had to move.” Max rolled her eyes - old habits.

“Did you ever meet Dustin?” Asked El. Dustin Henderson was a good friend of Will’s. In elementary school, Dustin was on a scholarship at the Grammar school. It paid half the yearly cost, but when Dustin’s dad had passed away, the Hendersons couldn't cover the cost on only his mom's minimum wadge job.

“Yeah, he and Mike were friends, so I knew him a little bit, but it wasn’t really ‘til Middle School when I started dating Lucas that we actually became friends.”

“Then we met through Dustin and Lucas.” Will added.

Lucas Sinclair was Will's other best friend. They'd been friends since elementary school. Lucas and Will always wanted to play "wizards and warriors" at recess. Wizards and warriors mostly consisted of waving sticks around and trying to speak in old English. Is it surprising they love dnd?

Max nods, “Then I met Jane well, you know when...” Max trailed off.

Max and El had met in a very unusual manner. But that was a story for another day.

“Race you to our street!” Yelled El, already flying ahead on her rollerblades.

“Unfair!” Cried Max, pushing her skateboard and cruising down the street.

Will chuckled and peddled faster, determined to beat El. He can’t let her win three days in a row.

***

The Byers' kitchen is cozy, with it's strawberry wallpaper and marble bench. On said bench sits El Byers. She has a smug grin on her face.

“Three days in a row!” She cried. Will shook his head. Siblings are infuriating.

"You cheated."

"Sure."

“Hurry up with the snacks. We’re supposed to meet Max back at the park in two minutes.”  

El reached for a few cookies, opening the pantry and moving the food with her powers. Then she shoved them into her bag.

“Done!” She cried as she jumped off the bench. She wiped the blood from her nose. Should El use her powers for household tasks? No, probably not. Does she do it anyway? Absolutely.

“Let’s go then.” 

A snapchat notification sounded. El checked her phone. El's phone case was covered in tiny sitck-on dimonties.

“Max just wanted to let us know Mike will be at the park.” El informed him, the ghost of a badly concealed grin crossed her face.

“That's okay. I don’t mind.” Maybe he and Mike can hang out when El and Max inevitably ditch him to use El’s powers in some incredibly irresponsible way that Will should reprimand them for but can’t actually be bothered to. (What Joyce and Hop don’t know won’t hurt them.)

"So, what do you think of Mike?"

Will can hear the grin on El's face. It sings I'm up to no gooooood agaaaaiiiin. Will groaned, if Mike's transferring to Hawkins High, then he'll be hearing a lot more singing grins.

"I don't know, I only spoke two sentences to him!"

"Hm." El seemed unconvinced. She typed something into her phone, then slid it into her bag.

"We should go meet Max and Mike now!" El urged Will, as though she wasn't just wasting time gloating about cheating.

Will followed his twin sister out of the kitchen. He turned off the lights, wiping the blood from his own nose. The scar where a 012 tattoo used to be got smeared with red.

"You shouldn't use your powers for silly things, like turning off the lights." El reprimanded him, waggling her finger and tutting.

"Hypocrite!"

"You shouldn't!"

"I'll zap you!" Will wiggled his fingers at El, squinting his eyes in mock concentration.

El chuckled, it's fun to wind up her brother sometimes. Will has never used his powers to hurt anyone. Except Brenner, but he deserved it.

El and Will Byers leave the Byers house, each with blood on their sleeves.

links: chapter 1 comic.

[clericbyers]

I don’t want to hijack anyone’s post so I’ll make my own on this as there’s a lot to say about this exchange between Mike and Will in 4x04.

I want to start by noting that this conversation is still in the context of their previous discussion about El. Mike tried to talk about the rink argument, Will tried to take blame (“I deserved it.”), Mike stopped him (“No, no, no; you didn’t deserve anything.”), apologized for his behavior and for hyper focusing on El, then admitted he’s felt like he’s lost Will. (Reminder that Will never reached out either.) No matter how much the audience is driven toward sympathy for Will given he was a third-wheel during the date, he is explicitly stated to have dropped the ball with communication as well. After metaphorically leaving the decision to progress their friendship in Mike’s hands (by stating he will use Mike’s D&D set next time he visits back in s3), Will expected him to take that chance. Mike, the oblivious nut that he is, expected the opposite.

They are equally unsure if they are allowed to reach out, as sending letters has romantic connotations here. Why did Mike send El letters and not Will? “She’s my girlfriend!” And Will’s response of “What about us?”—explicitly comparing his relationship with Mike to Mike’s relationship with El—has Mike doubling down with, “We’re friends. We’re friends.” Clearly trying to establish boundaries as an explanation for his behavior. But, “We used to be best friends,” sinks in hard and he’s left to question how they lost each other to the point used to can apply to them.

Back to the 4x04 conversation though. While Mike saying “I don’t know what’s gonna happen next,” can very well point toward the overarching conflict of El’s departure and Hawkins’ safety, context can easily narrow down “what happens next” to being about his relationship with El. No matter what happens between himself and El, he believes he and Will should stick together. He wants to be with Will, as a team, as friends, as best friends. He’s putting Will back on equal footing as El in comparison to 4x02 where he attempted to “demote” Will as being just a friend. Implied there is that equal footing with El means seeing Will as boyfriend material. But, is this really equal footing if Mike believes the problems between himself and El—inability to love her the way she wants—cannot be fixed but those between himself and Will—losing each other’s importance in their lives—can and will be fixed no matter what else happens? Because that’s definitely not equal. Becoming Will’s best friend is and always will be the best thing in Mike’s life.

Now during his mini speech, Mike is also in tears. He’s stuttering slightly, his gaze flickers to and fro and he blinks repeatedly, his voice is soft, he’s nervous but firm and—this is all Will has really wanted. Mike finally reached out first. And given he previously stated his and El’s argument was one that they probably can’t come back from, given he tossed away El’s letter before this conversation begins, given the fact he has confronted how he feels about Will—in that he misses him—“what happens next” between himself and El is leaning toward a break up and he knows it. What happens in the fallout may not be known but Mike knows that he most definitely wants Will back at his side. It’s always them, together.

And that cool exchange at the end? Acceptance and approval of this change in their relationship. Of mutually putting each other first and embracing their affections toward one another.

Coupled with their later conversation in the next episode where Will speaks to being afraid to tell the truth and Mike ponders it—feels the same about speaking his truth—well, that, my friends, makes all of that emotionally revealing conversation nothing less than a love confession.

[deckerswheeler]

mike may be oblivious to will’s feelings, but he knows will is gay, and he likes him; here’s why:

1. mike was very awkward and antisocial with will in the airport. he cut their hug short on purpose and tried to mask his excitement to see will, this was in direct opposition to their goodbye scene in season 3, where we can clearly see both mike and will clinging to each other while they hug and crying. mike’s actions are in indication of internalized biphobia, he doesn’t want to seem too excited to see will, because he knows how it looks when will does it, and he is afraid and ashamed to be perceived that way.

2. when mike and will got in their fight in the roller rink, mike uses the excuse that he is el’s boyfriend and will’s friend as justification for why he didn’t call will enough over the 8 month time span. He repeatedly says “we’re friends... we’re friends!” the second time with more conviction, symbolizing that he was convincing himself of this statement himself. will is near tears at this point, and clearly mike knows something is wrong, because he quickly attempts to apologize, regardless of how bad that apology is. mike senses that there is more going on than just will missing his best friend, he understands now that it IS in fact his fault will doesn’t like girls.

3. when will and mike have their talk in will’s room, will is doing everything he can to help mike feel better about el, despite feeling the pain that comes along with it. mike can see the pain will is in and he wants to make him feel better, he also wants to clarify that will has always and will always be his best friend, no matter what. we get to see mike become vulnerable again, on the verge of tears while revealing that he doesn’t feel the same without will in his life, in fact he feels he has lost him. will starts to tear up, this time from happiness at hearing mike’s words, and mike smiles at him sheepishly. he knows he is fixing whatever gap he drove between them. 

4. mike says it’s going to be up to them again, meaning him and will, and will says “it always is, isn’t it.” this causes mike to smile, not a fake ‘doing this to be nice’ smile, but a real, genuine grin. mike is just as happy and grateful that will is in his life as will is with him, and the audience really gets to see this here. the only thing that breaks their smiling and locking eyes with each other is the interruption by jonathan. 

5. when they are digging the grave in the desert, mike is staring at will thoughtfully, a strange look on his face. when will looks up at him, mike looks like he’s been caught and quickly gets back to digging. i wonder what he could’ve been thinking about? the same thing applies to when they are on the truck together, and will tells him it’s hard to open up, especially to the people you care about the most. mike looks deep in thought as will says this, it is clear he knows will is talking about himself. 

6. when will gives mike the painting, mike looks ecstatic, he is so excited that will painted something for him. as soon as will claims el commissioned it, his smile fades, and he looks almost disappointed. will’s speech was so obviously about himself, mike may be dumb, but he’s not stupid. he definitely knows what will is talking about. but he’s 15 years old, and his best friend is practically confessing his love to him, and he doesn’t know what to do or say, and why would he? he’s a kid for fuck’s sake. so instead of saying anything, all he can muster is “yeah?” we can even see that when will is crying, mike gives him a concerned glance, but stays silent, admiring the painting instead. also, mike knows will was painting something for his crush, el told him in his letter, so mike must know will lied about el commissioning it.  

7. when el is about to die, mike initially wasn’t going to give the “i love you” speech. the only thing that motivated him to do so was will affectionately grabbing his shoulder and saying, “don’t stop, okay. you’re the heart.” the audience can even see the struggle on mike’s face as he forces himself to say he loves el. sure, he cares about her, and doesn’t want her to die, but another reason why he’s doing this is for will, to save his sister. 

8. mike and will’s scene in the cabin was a direct parallel to their scene in season 2 when mike held will’s hand and said “we won’t let it,” this time, mike held will’s shoulder and said “and we will”. mike is only ever really affectionate with will when they are alone, signifying the fear that he feels to be affectionate with will in public. he held wills hand, wrapped his arm around will multiple times, and held his shoulder when they were alone, but he couldn’t hug him in the airport after not seeing him for 8 months? as mike has grown older, he’s become more hesitant to be affectionate with will, perhaps because he is realizing his own feelings for will, and doesn’t know how to handle it.

the series isn’t over yet! we still have one more season to go, and many more opportunities for byler to happen. i’m not giving up hope yet, because i truly believe the duffers have been planning this since season one, and we just don’t know it yet.