Let’s rewind to Season 1, okay? Will is a quiet, sensitive kid who draws dragons and plays D&D with his best friends. Mike is the bossy, protective leader who literally refuses to stop searching for Will when everyone else gives up. That’s sweet, but here’s the thing—when Will comes back from the Upside Down, he’s traumatized and clingy with Mike. He sits super close to him, grabs his arm, and gives him these long, searching stares that go way beyond “thank you for saving my life.”
That “running into your arms” scene? Oh, honey.
In Season 2, the Snow Ball dance is a goldmine. Mike is all over Eleven, obviously, but Will is standing off to the side, watching them slow-dance. He looks crushed. Not jealous in a petty way—more like a kid who just realized the person they love will never look at them the same way. And then, when Mike says “we’ll always be friends,” Will’s face does this tiny, heartbreaking flinch. Friends. Ouch. That’s not “I’m scared of the Mind Flayer” energy—that’s unrequited crush energy, my friend.
