𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐒 ; 𝑚𝑤 / 𝑤𝑏 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠

- where are you? - mw

this is set during season three, episode eight: the battle of starcourt.

summary; everyone is saying that y/n died during the battle of starcourt, but mike, her boyfriend, doesn't believe that.

word count: 784

mike wheeler hobbled out of starcourt mall, holding up el with the help of max. all three kids had pretty bad injuries. el had to get a weird creature ripped out from her leg, max got hit in the face by her brother, leaving a graze on her cheek and mike had his face smashed against metal pipes, cracking his head open with a fountain of blood pouring out.

ambulances, fire engines and police cars were planted all around the parking lot, tending to everyone's needs. three paramedics carefully led mike, el and max to separate ambulances. el and max obeyed, but mike struggled. he needed to find someone first. he needed to find her.

eventually the paramedic excepted the fact that mike didn't need any medical help right away, and ran off to help someone else.

mike's eyes darted around the scene. he wanted to make sure all his friends were okay, especially y/n.

will was wrapped up in a blanket, staring off into the distance, waiting for his mom.

lucas was getting asked some questions by his parents, as erica, who recently turned up, was laughing at dustin, who smiled along.

at least they're happy.

el and max were getting treated. el now had a make-shift plaster on her forehead, as max was getting some rubbing alcohol on her cheek.

robin and steve were having a conversation sitting on the hood of the crashed todd father.

nancy and jonathan were awfully close to each other, making sure the other was okay. mike needed that right now, with his girlfriend, yet she was nowhere to be found.

mrs. byers and murray bauman appeared looking rather down.

hopper wasn't there.

"shit." mike mutters, looking at eleven who was now crying, realising her dad was never coming back.

murray quickly rushed over to her, as she cried into his shoulder.

mrs. byers was now hugging her youngest son.

and here was mike, standing in the middle of chaos, looking for his girlfriend.

mike decided to ask his older sister if she knew where y/n was.

"nancy." mike said, approaching his sister.

"mike!" nancy pulled him into a tight hug. "are you alright?"

"where's y/n?" he got straight to the point. "nancy, where is she?"

"oh, mike. you don't know." nancy said solemnly. "she's gone."

"w-wait, gone where?" mike asked, his hope faltering.

"i tried everything i could." nancy said, tears now in her eyes. "when the monster was dying, it knocked down a certain portion of the ceiling, where y/n was standing. i tried to warn her, but she couldn't hear me."

"no. n-no. it can't be. she-she can't..." mike couldn't form the correct words.

mike thought about her. the memories he shared with her. when he first asked her to be his girlfriend. their first kiss. their first date. the first time they met. every little moment.

"no." mike whispered, loud enough for his sister and her boyfriend to hear.

"mike, we're sorry-" jonathan began.

"no, she's not gone, and i'm gonna prove it." mike said sternly.

"mike, no-" nancy desperately tried to convince her younger brother to stay.

mike didn't listen, instead, he ran into starcourt mall.

the desperate calls of his friends were heard out from the parking lot, but mike kept going, his figure not faltering.

"y/n!" mike called when he entered the demolished mall. "where are you?"

mike eyes scanned to where y/n was standing when the battle was happening, a pile of stone lay there.

the middle wheeler child ran up the escalators, as fast as possible.

"y/n?" mike whispered, afraid to see what lay under the cobble.

mike crouched down next to the pile of rubble, his hands getting to work, moving the material off from the pile.

a small groan was soon heard the deeper he got.

"y/n?" mike muttered. "y/n! is that you?"

"mike?" a small voice was heard.

"y/n!" mike smiled as tears cascaded down his cheeks.

y/n was now visible, but mike couldn't keep going, he wasn't strong enough.

"nancy! please, help! anyone! please!" mike called at the top of his lungs.

"mike!" jonathan and nancy came running up the very same escalator mike ran up.

"she's alive, please, help me!" mike hopelessly whimpered.

jonathan immediately started pushing the broken rubble off of the young girl with the help of the wheeler siblings.

soon y/n was out of the rubble.

mike immediately pulled her into him.

"y/n." he muttered, smoothing down her hair.

"mike." she responds, clinging onto him. "you came."

"yeah, i-i did. i... somehow knew that you weren't dead. you couldn't be- you wouldn't be, you wouldn't leave me like this, i know you wouldn't." mike gripped onto his girlfriend.

"i love you, mike." y/n looked up to him.

a smile appeared on mike's face.

"i love you, too. so damn much."