𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐅𝐓| Mike Wheeler [COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON FIVE]

vii. the mindflayer is back

Eventually, Jackie pulled away, and Mike, sensing the need for unity, grabbed her hand once again. The group stood together, finding comfort in their reunion amid the uncertainties that surrounded them.

"I was so worried about you guys," Jackie confessed, concern etched on her face. Dustin and Erica exchanged a look, prompting Jackie to question, "What?"

"We're okay, but..."

Dustin recounted the escapades involving Steve and Robin, sparking frustration from Mike and Jackie. "You idiots! You're supposed to give them water to sober them up—!" Jackie scolded them, her lecture briefly halted as realization dawned. Dustin stood there with an annoyed expression, while Erica sported an impressed look. "They were acting like little kids, right?" Jackie asked, capturing the essence of the situation. Dustin nodded slowly, his arms crossed, acknowledging the accurate observation.

"C'mon, I know where they are!"

Jackie led them to the bathrooms and forcefully slammed the doors open, revealing Robin and Steve laughing hysterically inside. Jackie folded her arms, Mike raised his eyebrows, and Erica gave the duo a confused look, while Dustin looked at them with disbelief.

"Did you two like make out or—" Mike started to ask, earning a glare from Robin. "No," she replied firmly, shutting down the speculation. Mike and Jackie furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. "Okay. What the hell?"

Steve and Robin looked at Dustin and burst out laughing. "Looks like they puked to get the drugs out of their system," Mike informed them, pinching his nose from the smell. Jackie leaned her head on Mike's shoulder, a mix of exasperation and amusement evident.

—

              𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃. "Well, shit, that worked," Erica remarked, lowering her voice. "Course it worked," Dustin asserted confidently. "We just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come." Jackie gaped in surprise as Mike chuckled softly, holding Jackie's hand gently and rubbing circles around it. "Uh, Dustin? Jackie?" Steve prompted, drawing their attention to something needing their input.

"What?"

"Yeah, we might not wanna go to either of your houses," Steve uttered, prompting Jackie to give him a dumbfounded look. "Why?" she asked, puzzled by the unexpected twist in their plans.

"Well, I might've told them your full names," Steve admitted with a touch of guilt. Jackie huffed in frustration, expressing in unison with Dustin, "What is wrong with you?!" Steve defended himself, "Dude, I was drugged." Jackie groaned in annoyance, slapping her hand on her face.

Mike, trying to contain his laughter, exchanged a soft smile with Jackie. However, their momentary connection was interrupted when Robin piped up, drawing their attention to a group of approaching Russians. The revelation about sharing their full names coupled with the newfound threat escalated the tension in an already chaotic situation.

"Ah, shit," Jackie muttered under her breath, squeezing Mike's hand gently. "Abort," Dustin uttered, and the Russians turned towards them. "Abort. Abort. Abort!" Dustin yelled as Mike and Jackie backed away. The group quickly turned around and ran, escaping the potential threat posed by the approaching Russians.

As they reached the escalators, the realization hit—they were turned off. "Slide down!" Mike suggested urgently, and Jackie nodded in agreement. With a quick decision, they slid down the escalators, the cold metal beneath them as they descended in haste.

Upon reaching the bottom, they ran for cover, finding refuge behind a counter. The tension in the air intensified as they sought to hide from the impending danger.

—

                𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑, but Jackie heard a car start to go off. Slowly peeking over the counter, Jackie caught a glimpse of a car in motion, shaking, accompanied by intermittent static and a flickering light beam. Before she could observe further, Mike pulled her down with a cautionary look. She rolled her eyes, realizing it was likely El and Kylie causing the commotion. The uncertainty of the situation lingered as they remained hidden, trying to make sense of the unfolding events.

A loud crash echoed through the air, compelling them to cautiously reveal themselves. Peering over the railing, they witnessed their friends executing a daring and successful rescue. A smile graced Jackie's face, but Mike's emotions were more complex – relieved that El was okay, yet struggling with changing feelings.

"You flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!" Jackie yelled in admiration as she ran over to the escalators. Embracing Kylie, Max, and El into a giant hug, she expressed, "Gosh, I missed you guys!"

Mike observed from behind Jackie, wearing a sad smile. El, noticing the expression on his face, prompted Jackie to pull away from the group hug. Jackie followed El's gaze and understood. She walked over to El, who then embraced Mike in a hug. "We need to talk," El whispered into Mike's ear, furrowing his eyebrows in response. El grabbed his hand and led him to the side, signaling an impending conversation that held the weight of unspoken emotions.

"I saw how you were looking at Jackie, not just today, but the past six months," El confessed, and Mike scratched his neck nervously. "I—" he began, grappling with the unspoken feelings that were now brought to the surface.

"Mike, I don't care. I think I've lost feelings, too," El interrupted him, leaving Mike agape. "Wait, what?" he stammered. El thinned her lips, glancing over to see Kylie and Jackie talking. "Jackie?" he asked stupidly, prompting El to chuckle softly with a head shake. His eyes widened as El nodded. "I get it if you're against it—"

Mike embraced El in a hug. "I'm not, El. I'm proud of you," he exclaimed quietly, earning a soft smile from her. "Now go get your girl," El whispered, playfully punching his shoulder. Meanwhile, Jackie and Kylie observed the interaction with a tinge of jealousy.

"I guess all of our improvements didn't pay off, Ky," Jackie frowned as Kylie huffed. "I don't get it! El and I just kissed yesterday, what the fuck is this?" Kylie exclaimed, bewildered. As Mike walked over to them, he began, "Jackie, can we—"

The group's reunion was interrupted by El falling to the ground. Kylie was the first one to run over, shaking El. "El! El!" Kylie rolled El's body onto her back. "What's wrong with her?" Jackie asked, concern etched on her face as the unexpected turn of events shifted the focus to El's well-being.

"What's wrong?" Kylie asked quickly, and Jackie's worry for El was evident. Mike, noticing the potential for a panic attack, held Jackie close. "My leg. My leg," El groaned. Jonathan carefully took the bandage off her leg, unveiling something visibly moving inside. Disgust echoed through the group. "Oh god," Jackie gasped, and Mike pulled her even closer. "Just don't look, Jack," he whispered into her ear, his hand gently rubbing her back as she buried her head in his chest.

Mike gently grabbed Jackie's face before she could turn away. "You need to listen to me, okay? I know you don't like gore and anything nasty. El's gonna be okay. Jonathan and Kylie are gonna handle this. Let's go on a walk while they help her," Mike reassured her, holding her face as Jackie nodded. The comforting touch and Mike's reassurance aimed to guide Jackie away from the distressing scene and offer a moment of respite.

They were so in love.