i promise ♥ mileven one-shots

Every Breath You Take

• Hawkins High School, 1986 •

Mike and El's song (it was Lucas and Max's as well, but their friendship meant more than a relationship) started playing over the speakers.

Mike wasn't here (yet) to dance with his girl.

Will had gotten dragged off by some girl, as well as the party knowing he likes boys.

Max was stood at the punch bowl, chatting with Joyce, who was chaperoning.

Lucas had also got dragged onto the dance floor by some cheerleader, who had been too busy making out with some guy 10 minutes ago.

So, the only person she thought of dancing with - apart from Mike - was Dustin. Who was nowhere to be seen...

★★★

"Mom! Come on, hurry up! Not only am I late, but I'm gonna miss my dance with Jane!" Mike exclaimed from the car, as Karen walked down the front porch waving at a 7-year-old Holly Wheeler.

"I'll be back in a little bit, honey," Karen promised, climbing into the car. "What's so sacred about this dance with Jane?"

"It's the first one we ever danced to, please mom! Let's go!" Mike begged, tears glistening in his eyes.

★★★

"Dustin? What are you doing here?" El asked when she found one of her very best friends on the bleachers.

"It's nothing," Dustin brushed off as the tears starting to roll down his cheeks were wiped away.

El rolls her eyes, and takes Dustin's hand, "come on," she sighs and drags him to the floor.

★★★
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby, please

"No, no, no! I'm gonna miss it!" Mike exclaimed, watching the clock in the car tick by.

"Miss what?" Karen asks, looking from the road to her only son and back again.

"It's the first time I kissed her, at that dance," Mike whispered, slightly lying, his head coming into his hands. "She's probably found someone better than me to dance with..." Mike trailed off, looking at the streets passing by.

★★★

"Where's Wheeler?" Dustin's asked, spinning his best friend's girlfriend (who just so happens to be one of his own best friends) around and holding her out by one hand.

"I don't know, he promised he'd be here," El said, heartbreak slowly settling in her eyes.

"Come on, El, he'll make it. Mike Wheeler doesn't break promises, does he?"

★★★

Mike pushed open the door to hear the final guitar strum of his and El's song... he missed it...

Nothing was going to stop him from finding her and making it up to her. He pushed past couples who were still slow dancing and some who were slowly separating.

But what laid before was something he'd hope he'd never witness.

El, sobbing, in the arms of Dustin. It was only when Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees from the 70s played that they separated, and Dustin saw him.

He must have said something to Mike's precious girl when she turned to face him. Small tear tracks working their way down her face and there was another stab to his heart.

He heard the soft hiccup she made as she sobbed, before running as fast as she could into her beloved boyfriend's arms. As she sobbed into his jacket, Mike tried everything to soothe her.

"I'm here now, I'm so sorry I was late,"