Bookworm & Toothless (Stranger Things AU) #Wattys2018

[11]

Mike was looking through some of the drawings Will had made and left at his place while Jess was curled in a ball on the floor, the Star Wars hoodie Will gave for her 12th birthday on.

Eleven was toying with Mike's Supercomm again, this time changing the channel every second.

"Can you please stop that?" Mike asked, irritated.

Eleven looked up, stopping for a second before going back to playing with it.

"Are you deaf?!" Mike asked, his anger showing.

"Michael Wheeler..." Jess warned, looking at the freckled boy.

"No Jessica Hernandez! She needs to listen what I have to say!"

Jess sighed, frowning.

"I thought we were friends, you know? But friends tell each other the truth. And they definitely don't lie to each other. You made us think Will was okay, that he was still out there, but he wasn't. He wasn't!"

Eleven opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, thinking against that idea.

"Maybe you thought you were helping, but you weren't. You hurt me, AND Jess. Do you understand? No offense to Jess' first language, but you made her speak only in Spanish for three HOURS. That's how sad she was. What you did sucks."

Eleven looked at the latina on the floor, playing with the hoodie strings.

"Lucas was right about you. All along."

"Mike! That was too far and you know it!" Jess growled, her forehead bangs sticking to her face from the dried tears on her cheeks.

Eleven continued to play with the Supercomm, using her powers when she found the station she wanted.

Jess' eyes widened when she heard Will singing through the Supercomm, Mike looking up to Eleven in disbelief.

Jess turned to Eleven, seeing the blood running down her nose as Will continued to sing 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go'.

Jess and Mike rushed to Eleven, who handed the Supercomm to Mike.

He hesitated before grabbing it, Jess gasping, looking at Eleven with watery eyes.

"Will, is that you? It's Mike! Do you copy? Over?"

No reply and Will was no longer singing.

"Will are you there? Will?"

No reply.

Mike looked at Eleven, any anger he had towards her disappearing in an instant.

"Was that...was it..."

Eleven smiles softly at the two.

"Will."

Jess cried out in joy and relief, jumping on Eleven, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"¡Gracias, gracias!" she cried, burying her head in Eleven's shoulder.

Eleven freezes, not knowing what to do.

Then Mike joins the hug, wrapping his arms around the two, he and Jess crying out their thank yous in English (Mike) and Spanish (Jess).

Eleven hesitantly wrapped her arms around the two, smiling and breathing out shakily.

She had successfully stopped them from mourning a death that never happened.

X

"Michael? Jessica?"

Mrs. Wheeler opened the door to see Mike and Jess sharing the bed, Jess fast asleep, hugging Mike, tears still running down her cheeks, and taking heavy breaths while Mike was stroking her hair in a comfortingly-brotherly way.