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You are Mike Wheeler.
And your best friend is Will Byers and asking him to be your friend is the best thing you ever did.
You are Mike Wheeler.
You have been told your entire life what you are supposed to be. You will marry a girl, have 2-3 children, live in a nice house in the suburbs.
You try to ignore it, you roll your eyes and learn to answer back sarcastically. But you don't forget what they told you. You don't forget your uneasiness at the thought.
You are Mike Wheeler and your best friend disappears when you are 12. You find a girl different from any girl you ever met. You help her because Will calls you Mike the brave and that's what brave knights do. And besides she is your only hope of ever finding your best friend.
People around you tell you that you help her because you like her. And... that must be it right? What they always talked about. This must be it. So you kiss her. And you find Will but El disappears.
You are Mike Wheeler. You found your best friend but lost Eleven. You always lose things because you are strong enough. You are worried about Will. He is beside you but sometimes he feels so far away.
And then he is possessed and you can't do anything. You are useless and he screams, screams and screams. You are Mike Wheeler and somehow you can never help your best friend. But Eleven can and she does and you are so, so grateful.
You are Mike Wheeler and you are what you were always suppose to be.
You and Eleven are dating. She is perfect and it's all suppose to be perfect. But the world is against you. They dislike you, Hopper and Lucas and Max and Will. And Will. He seems lonely and you want to comfort him but you are not supposed to notice, you are supposed to be happy with Eleven so you don't. And one day when it all comes boiling over, when he finally yells at you, when he finally says aloud what everyone has been thinking (that you are wrong, that you can't do anything right, that you ruin everything) you snap back at him and say something unforgivable. You see his heart break. You know it will never be the same again.
When it's all said and done and the Byers decide to move to California and your heart is breaking (it's because of Eleven, it's because of Eleven, right?) your (ex)girlfriend comes to you. She tells you she loves you too and kisses you. You are supposed to be happy but you can't find yourself any joy.
Something is wrong.
You are Mike Wheeler.
Your girlfriend and best friend are states away and you miss them. Eleven tells you how well she is fitting in and you are a little jealous of her. She tells you that Will might has a crush on someone and is making a painting for them. Your heart twists a little but you ignore it.
You go to California to visit them. You try to be the perfect boyfriend for Eleven. But your eyes fleet towards your best friend. You can tell he is upset and you would have asked him about it but this day is not about him (the painting was not about you) so why does he get to be upset? So you ignore him. And then reality comes crashing down. Your girlfriend was suffering and you didn't even know.
And you want to comfort her but all that comes out of your mouth are barbs and hurtful thoughts. Of course they do. That's all you are capable of. Your Girlfriend is begging you for comfort, to tell her you love her. And you do, you are supposed to, so you do right? But you can't say it. And you see her heart break. Eleven leaves, of course she does. Everyone is better off you.
You and your best friend are trying to save your girlfriend. But you keep thinking about her words.
Can't stop yourself from doing so. Guilt is eating you alive. But Will comforts you. Of course he does, he always has been too good for you. You tell him your fears and, your insecurities. And he pulls out his painting and it's about! It really is about you!
He tells you El commissioned and something is not right but you ignore it. He tells you she will always need you, that he doesn't make her feel like a mistake, that he is the heart. Something resolves in your heart.
You find her, but she doesn't need you to save her.
She is a superhero after all.
You are beside Eleven, you are holding her hand and the world depends on you telling her that you love her. Max's life depends on it. But you still can't. But then Will tells you that you are the heart and you push yourself to do it. You tell her you love her. It doesn't matter in the end.
You are Mike Wheeler.
Eleven broke up with you because she deserves better. You agree with her. But she is still your friend and she always will be.
The Apocalypse is here and the world is probably going to end but you can't stop thinking about Will. You feel his presence constantly. You always know where he is in any room. You can feel his eyes on you sometimes and your heart leaps when you do.
Vecna takes Holly. Vecna takes your little sister and you can't save her. When can you ever save anyone? Your parents are in hospital. And you wanna cry, wanna break down but you don't. There is a war coming.
Vecna plans to take more kids. You are furious and afraid and sad. You ignore it all and instead plan and strategize. But you fail (is that a surprise anymore?). He takes the kids and then a Demogorgan is coming at you and you are gonna die. These are your last moments. But it doesn't, instead it freezes in the air. And you don't understand so you look around. And there he is. Eyes clouded, hands extended and his body is rigid with tension. Your breath catches. He is so beautiful. Like an avenging angel sent by heaven. He looks mesmerizing. He pulls his hands down the Demogorgan is dead.
But it doesn't matter because you can't look away from him. For years you tried not to look at him but now you can't move your eyes.
Oh. The realisation hits you like a train.
You are Mike Wheeler and you are in love with your best friend.
(....to be continued)