Iɴ Tʜᴇ Eɴᴅ Iᴛs Hɪᴍ & I | Mɪʟᴇᴠᴇɴ Oɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs (Sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ Tʜɪɴɢs)

Hurts Like Hell

This is sad af. I'm just gonna warn you now.

Song: Hurts Like Hell by Fleurie (playable above)

Alternate ending of El closing the gate

"Mike will you stop pacing already? It's getting really fucking annoying." Dustin spoke up from the kitchen as he glanced at his best friend who was pacing by the window.

"Yeah stop it," Max added, "You're giving me a headache."

Mike rolled his eyes and continued to pace infront of the window, ever so often taking a moment to look through it. He was waiting for one moment that would debate whether he left the Byers' house smiling or in tears.

He was waiting for El to come back from the lab.

Mike truly wished that she didn't leave. He wanted to keep her safe and he didn't want her to risk her life. She was Mike's friend, or possibly more. He cared about her and he still had a difficult time believing that El was back. He figured it could have been a dream; if it was a dream, Mike didn't want to wake up.

In his mind, he went over the things he wanted to tell El when she walked through the doors. He had specific things he wanted to tell her, but most of all, he wanted to tell her how much he missed her. Mike had felt a wave of relief wash over him when El had stepped through the doors, and he wanted to feel that comfort again when she did the same now.

"They're back!" Mike shouted as he looked through the window and the truck parked at front of the house.

Mike watched as Hopper got out of the truck and moved to the other side to pick up something.

El.

Mike ran outside and to Hopper's side, "Is she okay? What happened? Is El okay?" He tried to keep his emotions contained but failed.

The next words that were spoken nearly broke Mike's heart.

"I don't know kid. I don't know if she's okay." Hopper quickly took her inside and laid her down on the couch, Mike following them.

"M-Mike." El's voice cracked as she forced her eyes to glance up at him.

Mike sat on his knees next to her and intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'm here El. It's okay; you're gonna be okay." He watched painfully as her eyelids began to flutter closed, "No sleeping El. Come on, stay with me. Focus on me."

El nodded slightly and watched him with tired eyes. Mike finally got a good look at her appearance but it made his heart skip a beat.

Her eyes were like shattered glass, reminding him of the mirror he and Nancy had broken when they were children. Her skin was pale and her veins looked like ink drawings, bold and dark. Her coffee coloured eyes lacked the warmth that Mike had missed so greatly.

'How can I say this without breaking'

How could he tell her how he felt? He didn't know specifically, but he knew that his heart fluttered whenever she was with him and that he wanted her safe and protected at all costs. And he had failed. He had failed to keep her safe. Twice.

'How can I say this without taking over'

"M-M-Mike." El mumbled, squeezing his hand tightly. "Tired."