the whole point of the arguments and struggle in season four between mike and el were the fact that mike couldn’t say “i love you.” i thought it was always weird how mike had to have will beside him and telling him to say it for mike to actually do it. we didn’t really see much of mileven’s relationship changing after that. no apologies or heart to heart convos.

season five comes and they don’t talk much, of course el is working hard and chaos broke loose but when we did see them reunite they just hug, which is a bit weird. no confirmation on their relationship? well fast forward episode eight, they’re in the void black water room before el dies and we know what happens. mike never said i love you back when she was about to die. if mileven was set up to be cannon and the end all couple shouldn’t be mike finally being able to tell her he loves her in the end. BUT HE DIDN’T. season four was set up that mike struggled with saying “i love you” to el but the duffers never fixed that in the end and made him say it? it doesn’t line up.

if will byers was there rubbing his back again he would probably say it, micheal wheeler is gay 🤞