season 1, will is gone , mike finds el and just randomly kisses her after people kept putting it in his head he liked her (which i really don’t think he actually did)

season 2, el is gone this time and will is back and mike is always at his side

then el comes back, their reunion is cute mike is obviously emotional to see she’s alive

HOWEVER.. eleven goes to kiss mike outside will’s house before she goes with hopper to close the gate .. and mike doesn’t lean in he just stands there frozen staring at her.. yet he was the one who initiated it first when will was gone.. pretty funny how suddenly can’t now will is back

meanwhile, el has been watching romantic films/commercials whatever on the tv the whole time she was apart from mike (kinda feeding into her belief she should date him even though she really had no idea the concept of dating)

anyway

mike def doesn’t look like he wants to kiss her

UNTIL…

the snowball dance … mike obviously looks depressed as will goes off to dance with that girl

then el shows up at the dance

mike saying to el “please don’t leave me”

as she’s about to die

stems from him needing to be needed.. now no one will need him

obviously we know mike loves her, but obviously isn’t IN love with her