Ao3 story (Why would you ever kiss me)

Part 15

The wind was unusually strong as Mike biked through the forest. He could vaguely feel tears streaking from the outermost corners of his eyes. And something within his chest felt like it didn't know how to work, like an old car trying to rev up its engine after years of disuse. He wasn't even sure of what was going on. His mind was just a loud overwhelming static, blocking out everything else. Thinking so much and not actively recognizing a single thing that he was thinking. Just fear. And for some reason... regret.

But biking eventually became too difficult to do. Being that he had to dodge rocks that jutted out of the ground in unexpected places. And because every ten feet he had to struggle to get over hidden tree roots.

He just couldn't move fast enough. Nothing in his path allowed him to. So he abandoned the bike.

And he ran.

Will is hurt. Will is hurt. El can save him. El can save him—

"El!" He yelled when he was near enough to the Byers' old residence. What if she wasn't there? What if he couldn't find her? What if Will— what if Will—

"ELEVEN!"

The house was dark. Empty. She wasn't there. She's gone.

Mike spun around, as if the answers would lie in the darkness between the moonlit trees. He felt like a ship being called to shore and the lighthouse wasn't where it should've been.

But...he wasn't lost.

One hope still remained. Maybe. And he didn't know why he felt so strongly that she would be there, but a small voice in his subconscious was insistent. So he ran into the forest beyond the Byers' house. And he eventually found it. Castle Byers. Like it was the first time he'd ever seen it.

"El! Are you—"

He heard shuffling from within it. The wind howled, blowing the entrance sheet just enough to show who was inside.

She looked petrified. The waning moonlight that filtered through the small cracks in the fort illuminating a fear stricken face stained with tears.

Mike saw just enough to know she was closing her eyes. To know she was going to disappear again.

"Don't go! Please don't disappear!" His voice trembled. He would say or do anything to keep her from slipping through his fingers again. The sensation of it haunted him. "Don't."

He crawled into the fort and reached for her face. Her cheeks were cold.

"Just open your eyes. Stay. Please, stay." His words came out soggy and warbled, barely understandable. Panic was still coursing through his veins.

If he couldn't convince her to stay, all would be lost.

Will. Will. Will. Will.

Slowly, her eyes opened. And in the sparse moonlight he almost thought she was a different person. Someone else.

Will. Will. Will.

"I'm here. Stay here." He pulled her to his chest and rocked slightly. "Please, don't go."

He whispered "don't go" until he was sure she might stay. Until his erratic heartbeat slowed to small thumps. He squeezed her as hard as he could, hoping it would tether her to him for as long as forever could last.

Her shoulders were shaking, and at first he thought she was simply cold but then he realized that she was silently crying.

"Why are you here? How did you find me?" She sobbed. Something about the way she said that made it seem like she was angry with him. Or angry with herself. Why?