only you. (m.w)

ten.

mike and y/n were official.
or,
so to speak.
y/n felt her body tense with confusion.
up until now,
she had never doubted her love for mike.
but it seemed as though the longer they stayed committed to one another,
the more she became anxious.
she wasn't sure what was love anymore.
she couldn't even love herself,
yet she was so invested into this kid.
y/n had forgotten about the family she lived with.
she forgot about all the past mistakes she made.
she seemed to have forgotten everything that didn't include mike,
and apparently will.
"y/n. the snowball dance is tomorrow. and i was thinking you and i should go,"
mike suggested once they took their seat for lunch.
she let her eyes fall to his smile,
and there her heart stammered.
"yeah, i'll be there."
she weakly smiled.
she didn't even wanna think about tonight,
much less tomorrow evening.
not right now.
her mind was strictly painted with worry.
what was she to do?
she couldn't run to her mother,
or her sister,
she didn't have anyone else.
nancy.
she had nancy.
nancy and y/n had grown quite close over the days she stayed over.
sometimes when mike would fall asleep,
she would trail off into her room and talk.
they'd talk for hours.
she was sweet,
just like her brother.
"y/n?"
the voice snapped the girl out of her thinking.
"hm?"
mike smiled at her response,
placing his hand on her thigh.
"love you."
***
y/n fell asleep quite early that night,
earlier then she had in years.
her exhaustion had finally caught up to her.
until she stirred awake at four am.
she prayed and hoped nancy was awake.
the light that poured from beneath nancy's the door signaled that she was still up.
but y/n suddenly felt her throat tighten.
she didn't realize how much she loathed her family.
y/n was forced to run to her boyfriends sister for advice,
not her own kin.
not only was it embarrassing,
but also just sad.
she began to cry quietly in the dark hallway.
all the stress,
all the worry,
and all the pain
was here to remind y/n just where she came from.
she opened the door slowly,
revealing nancy who laid on the bed with a genial smile across her lips.
but it wasn't until y/n walked in that she saw her company,
steve.
"hey y/n,"
nancy greeted.
but her smile soon fell as she stared at the tear stained girl.
steve grew worried too.
which y/n felt was unusual.
she slowly walked to the girls bed and sat against it,
breathing in deeply but shakily.
she allowed the perfumed air of nancy's room to cleanse her lungs,
and restart herself.
"what's wrong?"
steve asked.
"honestly? i don't know what i want anymore.."
she admitted with a wry chuckle.
the two stared at her with confused eyes,
so she did what she could do to explain her situation.
nancy's lips drew into a flat line as she searched for the right thing to say.
"y/n...you're stressing out. you know what you want, deep down in that young, little heart of yours. you know the answer. you're just...scared to hurt someone in the process."
steve propped himself up on his elbow to face y/n,
"let's be honest, y/n. who says you can't have both, hm? why make a decision when both are so obviously there? yeah?"
y/n snickered,
leaving nancy to smack his shoulder.
after hours of talking to one another,
y/n's eyes grew heavy and she then decided it was time to sleep.
she only had two hours until the school day began.
"thank you guys...you're the best."
y/n smiled as best she could to the teens in front of her,
letting her heart pool over with love.
she knew what she wanted.
and there was no doubt in her mind anymore.
***
it was after school now.
mike pedaled home quickly with y/n behind him,
eager to get ready for the ball.
"i can't wait to see you tonight."
he beamed.
y/n shook her head with a quiet laugh.
"don't get your hopes up now."
she got off the boys bike,
trailing to nancy's room.
she knocked on it and waited for a reply.
nancy soon opened the door just a hair,
"come on, come on!"
she pulled y/n in quickly and shut the door behind her,
leaving y/n to stare at the dresses laid out on her bed and the varieties of makeup against her vanity.
"let's get you ready!"
y/n picked out a dress she knew would catch mikes attention,
just mikes,
and allowed herself to feel her most beautiful, vibrant self.
y/n had never felt this confident.
seeing her so dressed up sent chills down her spine.
"that dress looks better on you than it ever did on me!"
nancy laughed,
eyeing y/n like a proud older sister.
y/n could've let her eyes fill over with tears,
but nancy warned her about ruining her makeup.
so she swallowed her tears and began playfully dancing around with nancy.
y/n was radiating happiness.
pure, kind happiness.
she looked up at nancy,
then pulled her into a tight hug.
y/n had never been one for hugs.
but as she stood here with a heart so full of love,
she needed to show her gratuity.
nancy laughed but hugged y/n tight.
"what's this for, y/n?"
"thank you...for being my family."

y/n finally stepped out of nancy's room,
and mike felt his heart swell within his chest.
she's so beautiful.
mike thought adoringly.
his mouth was wide open as she danced down the stairs to meet him,
and he noticed the glow in her cheeks,
and the twinkle in her eyes.
she was perfect.
hand made just for him.
y/n let her soft hand fall into his own,
and as they turned to walk out of the door,
his mother cut them off.
there she stood with a camera in hand,
and smile so large y/n couldn't help but giggle.
y/n and mike took a couple photos to capture their evening together,
but mike soon grew annoyed and was ready to leave.
as they finally reached the school,
everyone was dancing.
and laughing.
and conversing.
even will.
"you look great,"
mike whispered as he held y/n close,
walking her throughout the crowd of people.
she smiled and laid a warm kiss to his cheek,
"you too, love."
they met up with the gang and began dancing.
y/n was glad to see smiles on everyone's faces.
she felt a million times lighter,
and knew the worst of the storm was over now.
so here she remained,
basking in the sunshine of her hawkins' friends.
her consuming worries no longer existed as of right now.
all that mattered was mike and the gang.

the dance was growing close to the end,
leaving mike and y/n to sit in the spare chairs to rest their aching feet.
"you're an awful dancer,"
y/n spoke while giving mike a soft nudge.
he laugh and playfully pushed her back,
"whatever. at least i don't have blisters on my feet."
"you should! maybe it'll stop you from getting on the dance floor next time."
y/n and mike laughed together as one while watching the rest of the boys mess around in the eye of the crowd.
"but, no really, thank you, mike. i had a great time tonight."
mike smiled and wrapped an arm around her,
pulling her to his chest.
he laid a kiss to the top of her head,
"i did, too. i love you, you know?"
"i know. i love you, too."
they shared a quick but loving kiss while the bass of the music flooded their veins.
soon the group crowded around mike and y/n,
and joined in to tease mike about his dancing.
but soon the echoing of slamming gym doors cut them off.
and in walked a girl.
with curly, short hair.
all the guys stopped to stare.
but not at her,
at mike.
mike's eyes were wide with surprise,
and y/n could feel the acceleration in his heart.
whoever she was meant a great deal to mike,
"eleven."