byler oneshots

80 - we're the heart

Authors Note
This is going to be from Mikes POV because I feel like almost all are from Will's perspective!! PLEASE leave suggestions on new chapters. This is another one with a first "I love you", so sorry for the repetitiveness.

•mike pov•
•about a month after the end of S4 except when they get to the cabin, that's the end!!!•

It's been well over a month since Hawkins basically collapsed because of Vecna, and things are still very far from normal. El is going through so much right now, and we both decided that it would be better to just be best friends, at least until everything becomes normal again, because I didn't want her to feel pressured to spend time on me when she's going through a lot.

And cuz of other reasons.

Luckily the town is starting to get put back together, and a good amount of the houses didn't get too damaged. Luckily ours wasn't effected, and neither was the Byers old house, since they moved back here after all.

The party hasn't really hung out because of everything that's happened, but I feel like there's so many things I need to say to them, especially Will and El.

I hop on my bike and pedal all the way to El and Hopper's cabin, throwing my bike down on the ground.

My hand shakes as I go to knock. I haven't had a real talk with her since we decided to break up. Of course I still love her, but I feel it more as friends than I do as a romantic partner.

"Mike." she says when she opens the door. She's wearing jeans and one of Hopper's huge shirts that almost goes down to her knees.

"Hi." I say softly, not knowing what to do.

"Hi. Do you want to come in? Hop is at the store." she says calmly. I nod and she lets me in, us sitting down on the couches across from each other.

"How are you?" I ask. Her face tightens for a moment, trying to make something up, but it loosens.

"I - I'm not doing great. These past few weeks have been a lot. I don't really wanna talk about it though." she says, wiping a few stray tears off her cheek.

"That's fine. I wanna talk, though. I haven't been great either. Every time I close my eyes, I see you pulling away in that van. I mean, I seriously thought I was never gonna see you again. When me and Will went with Argyle and Jonathan, I honestly had no hope, but then Will gave me the painting, and everything felt okay again." I say, her eyebrows slightly raising.

"Mike, I feel the same way, but uh - what painting?" she asks.

"You know, the painting you asked Will to paint me? Of me as the heart of the party?" I say, her face still looking lost.

"I never asked Will to paint something for you, Mike." she says softly.

Oh

Oh

We're those his words? What did they even mean? Does he - does he love me back?!

"I - I have to go. We'll talk again soon." I say, stumbling out to my bike. It feels like my head is spinning as I pedal, and before I know, I pull up to his house without even realizing that's where I was going.

When I pull up and see him reading on the porch, I know that there's no turning back this time. I've wanted to tell him so many times, but it never felt right. Until now.

"Mike?" he asks worriedly, noticing the startled expression on my face.

"Uh - hi." I say, walking up the step to his porch. He stands up and sets his book face down on the swing, walking a little closer to me.

"You look kind of scared. Is everything okay?" he asks, his voice timid and small like usual.

"Will, I know you lied." I say, anger and confusion and fear filling my body. His face goes blank for a moment before I can keep going.

"It wasn't - it wasn't commissioned by El." I stutter. His face goes even more blank.

"W - What?" he stutters.

"Yes it was!" he says defensively after a few seconds of waiting.

"I just talked to her. She didn't even know what the painting was, Will." I say, tears filling his eyes.

"I'm so sorry I lied." he says, breaking down. He cries into his hands, but I slowly reach mine up and take his away from his face, wiping a few of his tears as his face reddens.

"I'm not mad, Will. I just - I just need you to know that you never lost me. I need you to understand that you're never gonna lose me." I say, his hands still in mine. We're standing only inches apart now.

"And more than anything, I need you to know that - that I'm in love with you, and I should have realized it a long time ago. I've been in love with you throughout all this hell that we've been through, and I don't think I will ever stop being in love with you." I say, my hands trembling as his face lights up underneath the tears. He's speechless.

"Mike-" he says, but I cut him off.

"You say I'm the heart but...that's not true. It's you. It's always been you, and it's always gonna be you." I say, stepping even closer to him.

"I don't know what to say, Mike, except that...I - I love you too. I always have." he says, my heart racing. I've been waiting to hear those words fall from his lips for so long.

"Can I kiss you?" I ask, slowly inching forward.

"Please." he almost begs.

I tilt his chin towards me with my right hand, my left resting on the small of his back as my lips finally reach his. His lips are soft and move in perfect sync with mine and his fingers pull through my hair, our chests pressed up against one another.

When we finally let go, his cheeks are crimson, and I assume mine are too.

"We're the heart" he whispers.