What is Love? (A Byler AU)

"Fuck Society." -Mike Wheeler

While the others went off to collect the various items Max had requested for some reason, I sat with El in one of the aisles in Bradley's Big Buy putting pressure on her injured leg. Typically, I wouldn't have ever done something Maxine requested, but my friend's life was in danger so fuck it. But then again, who put her in charge? And when the hell did she become some doctor or whatever? It was stupid, but not totally I guess. With El and I now alone in the aisle, I decided that now might be a good time to talk to her about our breakup... and apologize.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, still putting pressure on her injury.

"Not bad..." El replied.

"You're gonna have an awesome scar, you'll look even more badass."

"Bitchin'," She smiled.

"Yeah, bitchin'," I replied.

Here we go. I took a deep breath before speaking again. "El..."

"Yeah?"

"I've been meaning to tell you something. It's just... being broken up, it's been weird. And I also realized somethings about myself that I never knew before... and uh-"

I was cut off by some static on the super-comm beside us, but I continued talking. "And I like that you and Max are friends now. It's just--I was jealous at first. And angry; and that's why I said all that stupid stuff. It was, like, I wanted you all to myself. And now I realize how unfair that is. And selfish... and, like... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you... and I was such a jerk... and I'm so so sorry. For everything. And for something I'm about to say to you right now."

El looked confused, so I just kept talking, "I don't think we should get back together."

"Okay?" El questioned, thank god she seemed alright with it.

"I... I want to see other people."

El looked scared, "Who? Is it... is it... Max?"

"No! God, no! Jesus, that'd be gross!"

El looked ... relieved? This was weird.

"I uh..." I looked around to make sure that the aisle was still empty. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, okay."

El nodded with a smile.

"I like Will. And we might go out on a date, but we can't tell anyone because everyone would hate us... even people we don't know and-"

"Why? I don't hate you!" She looked really confused now, so I decided to explain things.

"Well, people in this world tend to think that only girls and boys can date, not boys and boys and girls and girls. So Will and I would need to be careful."

"Oh... I thought... people could love anyone?" She looked concerned now.

"They can, but some people just don't see it that way... some people don't think that it's alright for people to be gay, or lesbian, or bi or pan or anything other than straight. And that's just-"

"What's bi? And pan?"

"Well, bi- or bisexual- is when you like both girls and boys; and pan- or pansexual- is when you like anyone, no matter what they identify as. And gay is when a boy likes only boys, and lesbian is when a girl likes girls; and straight is kind of like what my parents are: boys like girls and girls like boys. That's all I learned from Lucas really... so I'd have to learn more before I tell you everything but-"

"I think I might be a pan...." El told me as she looked down

Well, it's not a pan, it's just pan and- wait what?"