Mike Wheeler was most definetly struggling with internalized homophobia and even just realizing that he could be queer the whole series. I feel like he didn't even know that not liking girls could be an option and he thought that he had to love girls. I feel like when he was dating El, he assumed that this was what he was supposed to be like, but he could never truly love her romantically. He loved her platonically most likely, but I don't think there was ever any romantic love on his part in that relationship and I don't think he could tell that there wasn't. I think he most definetly loved Will romantically, but assumed it was just him wanting to be a very good friend to Will because once again, he isn't aware being queer and liking men is an possibility for him. I feel like throughout the series when he emphasizes constantly that he and Will are friends, it's because he can't comprehend them being more than that. Somewhere deep down, Mike is aware he wants Will as more than friends, but he's too confused to understand how he feels about Will. I feel like El definetly started his confusion on if he even liked girls, because he didn't like El as much as he liked Will. Mike came knocking on Will's door the second they got into a fight, but when he an El broke up he did nothing whatsoever. Mike reads Will and pays more attention to him than his own girlfriend in season 4. Mike knows there is something off and that he doesn't love El the way he's "supposed to" but he doesn't want to confront it because he's scared of that part of himself and he's confused and he feels shame at the ideas of not being able to be what El needs. Does this make sense or is my ability to talk to people shit
this makes perfect sense and i love it vey much
