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Oh my darling,
Don't stop loving.
You're the one I see.
Even with the lights off.
In the midst of the victory celebration, it was abruptly halted by soldiers swarming around the vans escaping from the Upside Down.
The rest of the party were dragged from the vehicle and pinned against walls⚊aswell as Mike forcefully pressed against the cold surface of the van while he's yelling at soldiers to let go of him, his harsh words and struggles were futile.
While the other voices overlapped in chaos and trying to wrestle out the grips of the soldiers, Mike's mind lingered on one thing. El.
He turned to Dustin, "Where's El?" The realisation dawned on them, Dustin came to a conclusion. "She must've escaped."
For a moment, Mike exhaled a sigh of relief⚊but his breath was caught when his eyes met someone still standing at the gates of the Upside Down.
The adrenaline pumped through his veins, his palm slipped off the van and he made a run towards the gate but was yanked back by two soldiers. But nothing stopped him. Not when he doesn't want to lose her again. He fought and wrestled his arms from the grasps⚊and then he fell.
...But not to the hard ground he thought it would be. He could feel the floor somehow... wet, yet solid.
He looked up, darkness shrouding the environment but his eyes focused on El.
Mike quickly got up, yelling over and over⚊"El! El!"⚊until he finally got a hold of her. His hands clutched tightly on her arms.
"El, what are you doing? What are you-"
"Mike." El murmured, solemnly looking at him. Her hand caressing the back of his hair.
Mike's eyebrows etched in worry. He thinks he's gonna lose her again. He thinks she's gonna-
"I have a plan."
"W-what? What plan?" His worry transitioned to curiosity, still looking at her with the same miserable look as his lips quiver that tugs her heart just right.
"Kali's still alive." She begins, lowering her hand to rest on his shoulder. Even at this critical moment, she can't get enough of his touch. His warm and comforting touch.
"She will help me escape using her powers, she will trick them into thinking I'm dead⚊and... and then we'll be free."
El shakes her head: "No more of them chasing me down and finding me." Her smile is finally showing. "And then we'll be somewhere far away... somewhere we always wanted to be together."
Mike hiccups, tears streaming fast and hot. "You promise?" He asks, smiling but it wobbles.
El's lips stretched wider, "I promise." and she leans in, meeting his lips.
He kisses her back, deeper. His head tilting. As much as Mike didn't want to let go, he had to. He presses his forehead against hers, feeling her hand soothing his cheek bones.
"You will never lose me."
Mike's pulled back to reality, the soldiers yet again grabbing him by both of his arms.
He watches El, this time he wasn't scared, because he knew.
He knew he wasn't losing her, not anymore.
Mike can briefly hear the others screaming her name, shaken with tears. He'll tell them the truth. But for now, he just had to think.
From the day they've met, to the day that he first lost her⚊he grieved like a kid who's entire world went down the drain and watched it disappear.
He watched the very moment El said, "Goodbye, Mike." And disappeared with the demogorgon. Right infront of him.
He barely ate for months, pushed away people because nobody can understand the pain he was through. Mike sat in the basement, staring at the fort for weeks. It still smelled faintly of eggos.
He stayed in the fort with a walkie talkie, thinking that if he stayed long enough that he'll be able to catch a message from her.
Mike never did.
But she came back to him.
He waited for her for 353 days.
And he knows that losing her again is something he'll never be prepared for.
The second time was slower. He watched El disappear in the Blazer, to close the gate once and for all. He watched her leave, it gutted him painfully.
But she came back, dancing with him blissfully in the Snowball.
The third time was the worse. His life flashed before his eyes, El was taken away by the government again. His heart cracked in half because he wasn't able to do anything about it, he felt so stupid just staying house arrested.
But she came back. She always did.
And he was gonna make sure he's never losing her again. Not anymore.
2 years later, 1989.
After the party graduated and spent their night at Mike's basement, Mike drove away to somewhere far away the next day. Somewhere only he and El knew.
It was only a couple of hours before Mike arrived at the destination.
He walks up and down the hills, trees and snow covering the environment. He didn't need a map or a compass to locate where El is, he simply knew where he was going. It's embedded in his soul to know where she is, where his home is.
Birds chirped as he walked down the area. Mist blocked the area but it soon disappeared, revealing a peaceful cabin in the middle of nowhere. Nearby, he could hear three waterfalls running.
Mike ran until he reached the door like his life depended on it. His breath coming in and out short.
He knocked, the door opened to show El in her cute pink, gray striped sweater and jeans he had always adored. His smile came naturally.
"Mike!" El quickly wrapped her arms around him⚊embracing him, placing a kiss on his cheek and dragged him inside.
"Come on, I made eggo waffles with syrup. You're gonna come and watch Miami Vice with me, right?" She smiled widely at him.
Mike looked at her like she's everything.
She is. She'll always be his everything.
"Yeah, of course. Always."
They spent the rest of the day watching TV. As always, Mike ranted to her about his day. The graduation, the stories he'd been working on, and the D&D session.
When night came, they sat under the porch and chatted away.
The sky was clear, stars scattered across the vast sky. The air smelled like pine and the faint smoke from the fireplace inside. From afar, they can see northern lights shimmering⚊a beautiful sight.
But Mike was only looking at El.
She leaned on his shoulder, legs tucked under her arms. She was wearing his coat now, sleeves rolled up as the hem brushed her thighs. Mike had his arm around her, his thumb caressing her upper arm like he still needed to check if she was real.
"You know, I..." Mike trails off, moving his arm to hold her hand instead. "Sometimes I think that this is all a dream. Like I'm gonna wake up someday and I'm back at Hawkins, in my room and just... wondering if you're okay."
El tilted her head up to look at him. The porch light caught the soft curve of her cheek, the faint scar on the side of her head that Mike always kissed everytime he has the chance.
"I'm here." She says, reassuring him. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Mike nods solemnly, his gaze drifting to the view infront of them. "I know, I just... spent so long losing you over and over again." His voice cracked on the last part. "I'm still trying to stop waiting for the next time, I just can't bear it."
El shifted her body to face him, taking both of his hands in hers. "You never have to wait again." She says simply. "You won't lose me again."
Mike smiled, his eyes filling before he could stop them from flowing. He laughed once, wet and shaky.
"I'm such a mess."
"You're my mess, and I'm here." she said, smiling as she rests her forehead on his. She smiled, the kind of smile that always undid him.
He leans in⚊capturing her lips, deep, slow, and tender. Like he's afraid to let go. When they pull apart, they stay like that for a long time, listening to the faint fire inside. Foreheads still touching.
Mike continued telling her the lives back in Hawkins. How Dustin became the valedictorian in graduation, how Lucas and Max spent time together happily, how Will met someone at the bar, and Mike's own life. El listened, smiled and asked questions like she'd never stop being part of their lives.
Eventually, she rested her head on his chest, listening to his soft heartbeat.
"Do you miss them?" El asks.
"Everyday." Mike admitted. "But we can always go back to Hawkins. But for now... I just wanna spend some time with you."
El's fingers tightened around his. He can feel her smiling against his chest. "Okay." she simply says, lifting her head up and kissing him. Mike sighs softly against her lips.
Later on, they were under the covers. In each other's arms, basking in each other's warmth. Mike would sneak in some kisses on whatever part of her face that he could reach, making El giggle fondly. God, he wished he could just listen to her all day.
He smiled at her, kissing her one last time but can he ever get enough of it? before finally falling asleep.
"You're my home, El." He whispers against her hair. She doesn't need to say it back, because he already knows.
And for the first time ever, he wasn't afraid of losing her again.
Not anymore.