35. Strong

A/N: Oh boy, has it been too long. I apologize, the month of May was insane, so I couldn't finish the one shot I was originally planning to do. However, I'm going to pour everything into getting that piece out at the end of June in time for Season Three (CAUSE HOLY CRAP WE'RE LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY AHHHHHHHHHH!). In the meantime, here's a scene I've been tossing around in my head for a while, in which El has already returned by the time Will confesses his visions of the Mind Flayer to Mike. Enjoy!

Mike trudges up the worn wooden steps of the cabin, his footsteps as heavy as his heart. His sack of candy drags behind him, the loot he once was so excited to get as a kid now feeling only like a bargaining chip, a way to get to what he really wants.

He's not surprised when the door begins to unlock once he's finally on the patio. He wasn't trying to be quiet...although on second thought, maybe he should've been more discrete on his journey to prevent any watching eyes following him too closely, but that's something he's going to worry about later.

Hopper doesn't look too pleased as he slowly opens the door and leans against the door frame with his arms crossed, guarding what's on the other side of the threshold with authority. On a normal day, Mike would've looked him dead in the eye and made it clear that he wanted to see El whether he was okay with it or not, but tonight his gaze falls to his feet, fidgeting uncomfortably with the end of the bag in his hands.

"Please let me in," he manages to mumble, still looking anywhere but El's guardian's face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I came here." "Kid, she told me you were coming," the Chief replies, with just a hint of disappointment and Mike almost misses what he says next, because he's too busy trying to sort out what he feels about El having seen the conversation he had just had with Will.

"So what, you're just gonna run to her every time there's trouble? You ever gonna face your problems on your own?"

That slices through Mike more than he supposes it should and he's speechless as shame is now added to the heavy weight on his chest. He swallows thickly, hanging his head and deciding just to take it, anything that'll get him through that door. Maybe he is weak. Maybe he'll never be independent. Maybe he can't do a single thing right. But if he's all those things, surely the girl in the cabin will still welcome him with open arms.

Finally, after a tense silence, Hopper sighs and steps back, subtly giving him permission to enter, and revealing the love of his life standing in the living room, glaring Hopper down with her mouth dropped open, clearly horrified at the things he said. She sets her jaw, sending him a look that even Mike recognizes as the "we're talking about this later" look before quickly closing the distance between them and grabbing his hands, the touch sending waves warmth up his arms. Without a word, she guides him to her room and doesn't even bother turning around to close the door behind them with her mind.

When she turns to face him with worry displayed on every inch of her face, he feels obligated to say something, but just like with Hopper a few moments before, his words fail him and he falls back into his sheepish position, eyes falling to the ground, arms wrapping around himself in a search for the shred of comfort he craves.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees movement, and El is suddenly embracing him, enveloping him in a hold that he loves so dearly...so it horrifies him when his arms refuse to hug her back and his body tries to retreat, "pathetic", "weak" and "inadequate" weaving in and out of his thoughts.

"Mike." Her voice is stern and he snaps to attention, halting his movements and raising his head slightly, his cheek brushing against her temple to let her know he's listening. "I need you. I need you. And it's okay to need me too."

Good.

His sack slips out of his hands, and then he's wrapping his arms around her waist, his face dropping into the crook of her neck and burrowing further, further, like the closer he can get to her, the safer he'll feel, a sentiment that is not incorrect.

She doesn't try to baby him, doesn't tell him it's going to be okay, she simply holds him as tight as he needs her to, and he's starting to wonder what would happen if he just never left her arms.

"I wish you could talk to Will," he mumbles, knowing full well that won't happen for a while...only him and Hopper know about El's return and Hopper's demanding they keep it that way until he can "figure everything out", whatever the heck that means. Keeping the secret hasn't been hard—he's so overjoyed that she's actually here that he understands the importance of her safety and is willing to do anything to keep her protected.

Except, now that the Upside Down might be creeping back into their town, he's not sure El will be okay with just standing by and watch it all go down. That's something the two of them share in common, he's noticed. They both hate being the bystanders and are willing to do anything if it means they can help, so he's guessing that if he goes into battle, she's gonna be right by his side.

"I do too," she replies quietly, bringing him out of his thoughts. "You were right...I understand. I feel it too." He raises his head off her shoulder, his brow creasing as concern begins to bubble in him. "Really?" he asks, wondering why he hadn't heard about this from her yet. His voice softens, studying her closely. "Are we...are we in danger?" She sighs and when she looks back up at him from underneath her long lashes, he can see the heavy look in her eyes.

That's a yes. Oh no.

His heart sinks and she sighs dejectedly, before sinking back into his arms, her head nestling into his neck. He bites his lip and squeezes her tight, trying to ignore how afraid he's becoming. He believed Will, he really did, but to hear it from the person who would know better than anyone else is the final blow.

Something's coming back to Hawkins. And it's not here to make friends.

"Don't overwork yourself this time," he whispers in her ear and she starts to protest, his name escaping her mouth before he shakes her head. "El, I'm serious. I cannot lose you again. Three hundred and nine days was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I...I just need you to stay. Please."

She's silent and it scares him. "...El? El, please, I-" "You won't lose me. I promise you." "...really?" "Yes. Promise. I can't lose you either. I'm going to stay." He relaxes at that, knowing in the back of his mind that she can't really promise her survival, but the reassurance that she's going to do everything she can to stay by his side is all he needs.

Eventually, she pulls back and he smiles weakly at her. "So," she starts, reaching up to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "Tell me about Halloween." He grins, having almost forgotten about the pile of candy that's laying at his side. "You had candy before?" he asks and when she shakes her head no, he almost goes to find Hopper to ask him why on earth he hadn't given El candy yet, but ops for dumping his stash onto her bedroom floor instead.

It turns out she likes chocolate the best, and his heart pitter patters at the enraptured look on her face when she bites into a Hershey's. Soon, it's just them, their intertwined hands and the pile of candy that they slowly work their way through together, Mike's heart growing warmer with every new discovery El makes.

Tomorrow will be for disapproving fathers and tormented friends and supernatural doom. But for right now, they're together and safe and it's this time with the girl he loves that will give him endurance through the nightmare that's about to come. In the days that follow, he'll look to her for strength, unaware that she's looking right back at him and he'll think several times how he can't even imagine a universe where he'd have to support Will without having her right by his side.