allwithyou
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Summary
Even gone, El remains Mike's only confidant. For six years, he writes to her in scattered journal entries—until something threatens his sanity one last time on Day 2191.
Bookmarked by yellowbennysburgerstshirt (allwithyou)
09 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
Day 78.
I’m with Dustin, Max, and Will in the cafeteria.
Lucas comes in, takes three apples out of his backpack. Dustin grabs one, all thankful. But Lucas snatches it back and proceeds to do some kind of... juggling?
Max is already over it: “He got it one time in, like, ninety-eight attempts, and now thinks he’s mastered the art.”
The third apple hasn’t even left Lucas’ hand, yet somehow meets the other two on the ground.
We burst into laughter.
All their eyes land on me, staring in disbelief.
And it hits me. My first time laughing since you were still with me.
I stop breathing.
I rush out.
Breathe too much.
Day 81.
Fuck everyone, honestly. With their pitying gazes, as if I should be better by now. For what? Just pick another shepherd and stop fucking putting me on a pedestal. Why am I the one who has to hold the Party together? Just enjoy it without me, or let me be a simple sheep in it. For once.
Sorry, El. Ignore all this. I’d give anything to be in your arms right now.
Day 94.
We’re back to that night.
You stand on the bridge. So close, yet so far from me.
The military pulls at my limbs as I try to break free.
I scream your name once more. Maybe this time you’ll change your mind.
Your eyes find mine. You look at me like I’m killing you.
You step forward. Yes, yes!
You leap.
Hurry towards me.
Hug me.
I weep. Hold you tight—
I jolt awake in Holly’s arms.
She must’ve crawled in seeking her big brother’s comfort. We suck at talking feelings, but I think she still sees Henry when she closes her eyelids.
She moves a sweaty lock of hair from my face and goes, “Shh. Shh,” like she’s hushing me to sleep.
Oh god, is she the one comforting me?Day 599.
You didn’t tell me...
If you had a plan to escape. You knew I wanted to do just that with you.
But you didn’t tell me.
Day 600.
I’m sorry. I’m not mad. I swear. I just mean... if you wanted me to find you, you would’ve told me how by now. Right, El?
It’s okay.
Just know that I’m still here.
Day 602.
Unless you lost your powers. Or someone caught you, and you’re locked up somewhere.
I found you in a top-secret lab in the middle of the desert once. I can do it again.
This is a fucking nightmare. How am I supposed to know what you need? If I hurt you by making the wrong choice again, I won’t survive it.
I swear to God, I won’t survive.Day 1096.
Three years.
I’m skipping classes to be in Hawkins. In front of the library. I know; shocking.
I can’t stop thinking that I’d recognize your voice in a heartbeat if I were to hear it. But that I can’t remember it on my own.
What does it mean? Is it gonna get worse? Are you gonna keep fading away? Because I’m not ready for that, like, at all.
You’re always on my mind, so why can’t I remember every little thing about you?
What’s left of me when there’s nothing left of you to hold onto?Day 1702.
Hi.
After three sleepless weeks coming off the benzos, I finally slept through the night.
Is it crazy to say that I’ve missed the actual hurt of missing you?
Day 1777.
I’m staying at my parents' till I get back on my feet.
I spend most days writing in the basement. Feels like the right source of inspiration, you know?
I wish the little fort were still there. With you in it, wearing my sweater and sweatpants, wrapped up in my blanket.
Gosh, I hope you knew how much I loved you. How much I still do. How much I always will.
Day 1827.
Five years... damn.Day 1835.
Our traumatic childhood has real bestseller potential. I could just change some details to avoid getting killed by whoever covered all that shit up, and be set for life money-wise. I really don’t want to, though.
This was our story. Not the world’s to read.
Still, I keep sparkling your personality across my best characters. If my writing one day lands somewhere, I hope it reaches you, and that you recognize every sparkle of you.😭😩😔
never tear us apart by inxs
when you’re gone by the cranberries -
Paladin & the Pom-Poms by timetaker (VincereDiem), VincereDiem
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
16 Jan 2026
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Summary
Mike and El make out in the Hellfire Club. Eddie catches them.
Snacks are dropped, minds are blown, and Eddie wonders if he can pull a cheerleader too. Hilarity ensues.
Series
- Part 5 of the mage and the storyteller
Bookmarked by yellowbennysburgerstshirt (allwithyou)
09 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
“Mike’s hands wander, resting on the bare skin of her knee, then moving up to the waist of her skirt.
"You look so good in this," Mike murmurs against her jaw, peppering kisses down El’s neck. "It’s unfair. It should be illegal."
El giggles, a breathless, high sound that vibrates against his chest. "I like your shirt," she whispers shyly, biting her lower lip. "You look really nice in it."
She likes the shirt, Mike thinks hysterically. I am never taking this shirt off.
Mike groans and kisses her again, deeper this time, his tongue sweeping into her mouth. The world outside dissolves. There is no cheerleading team, no Mind Flayer, no Hellfire Club. Just the friction of her pleated skirt against his dark jeans, the taste of her strawberry lip gloss, and the feeling of her heartbeat hammering against his own.
They are a tangle of limbs and heavy breathing, completely oblivious to the sound of heavy combat boots approaching the door.
They don't hear the jingle of keys.
They don't hear the loud, booming voice until it is entirely too late.
"ALRIGHT, MY LITTLE ACOLYTES! I HAVE RETURNED WITH THE BOUNTY OF—"
The door swings open with a dramatic creak.
Eddie Munson stands in the doorway, holding two massive bags of Funyuns and a crate of soda like a conquering hero. Behind him stands Dustin, looking sweaty, and Will, holding his sketchbook. And behind them are Jeff and Gareth, holding candy bars, looking 100% confused.
Every single person freezes.
The scene before them is undeniable. Mike Wheeler - lanky, pale, frog-faced Mike Wheeler - is standing between the legs of the El Hopper. His hands are gripping her thighs, her legs are locked tight around his waist, their faces are inches apart, and their lips are swollen, red, and wet.
Mike freezes. His soul leaves his body. He spins his head toward the door, his face instantly turning the color of a ripe tomato.
Kill me, Mike thinks. Just strike me down. Take me now.
El just blinks, looking slightly dazed, her light pink strawberry lipgloss smeared near the corner of her lips and - mortifyingly - onto Mike’s chin.
The silence lasts for five agonizing seconds. You could hear a pin drop.
"No. Way," Gareth whispers, his candy bar slipping from his limp hand and hitting the floor.
"Holy shit," Jeff breathes, adjusting his glasses. "He wasn't lying. He actually... he really..."
"MIKE!" Dustin shrieks, covering his eyes with his hands. "LITERALLY! AT THE WORST MOMENT! WE JUST SET UP THE BOARD ON THAT FREAKIN’ TABLE!”
Will just stares at the floor, turning a sympathetic shade of pink, clearly wishing he could turn invisible.
Eddie Munson, however, doesn't scream. He slowly lowers the Funyuns to the floor. He steps into the room, a look of pure, unadulterated shock warring with massive, begrudging respect on his face.
"Wheeler," Eddie says, his voice low and serious. “Wheeler. Wheeler.”
"I - We - It was - " Mike stammers, stepping back a bit from the table, one hand hovering awkwardly in the air, but the other stuck to El’s thigh as if he was a knight protecting her. "We were discussing strategy! For... the game!"
El doesn't look embarrassed at all. She just smooths her skirt, fixes her ponytail, and sort of glares at the intruders for interrupting.
"Don't you dare apologize," Eddie holds up a hand, a slow, shark-like grin spreading across his face. He looks at Jeff and Gareth, who are staring at Mike like he has just slain a dragon in real life. "Do you see this? Do you guys see this?"
"I see it," Gareth squeaks. "The cheerleader. The freshman cheerleader."
"The laws of social physics just broke," Eddie announces, walking around the table to inspect the couple like they are a rare science experiment. "The nerd and the lady with the pompoms. It’s... it’s anarchy. It’s beautiful."
"Can we all just shut about it and forget this whole thing happened, please?" Mike begs, frantically wiping the lipgloss off his chin with his black sleeve.
"Are you kidding?" Jeff asks, stepping forward. "Dude, I thought you were lying about her being your girlfriend. I thought she was just your cousin or something. I thought you made it all up and shit!"
"I am not his cousin," El says firmly. She hops off the table, walks over to Mike, and takes his hand, clutching his arm tightly while pushing her cheek against his shoulder. She looks at the group of stunned boys with a fierce protectiveness. "I am his Mage." Mike almost face-palms in embarrassment.
Eddie clutches his chest as if he’s been shot by an arrow. He staggers back dramatically. "His Mage. Oh my god. She plays? She speaks the language?"
“I play sometimes,” El insists.
"She’s a Level 2, or so she says," Dustin grumbles, peeking through his fingers. "But she cheats 'cause of Mike. Can we please play now? And Mike, can you please sanitize your face? It’s disturbing."🥰😌😂
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all my dreams mean nothing without you by mermaidpromises
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
14 Jan 2026
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Summary
Eleven survives by disappearing.
Mike survives by believing.
Or, when a dream blurs the line between hope and grief, Mike sets out to find the girl who has always been his home.
Bookmarked by yellowbennysburgerstshirt (allwithyou)
08 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
"By the time he pulls into the quiet street and spots Owens sitting on the porch, much older than the last time he saw him, everything he practiced evaporates.
He cuts the engine off quickly, slamming the car door shut as he gets out.
The sound echoes louder than it should in the stillness, announcing his arrival sharply. Owens looks startled, blinking as if he needs a second to orient himself. Mike is already crossing the yard, pulse roaring in his ears. “Is El alive?”
The words tear out of him raw and unfiltered, as if he’s been dying to speak them for twelve years.
Owens blinks again. “I—what?”
“El,” Mike repeats, stopping just short of the porch. His voice trembles, subtle fury curling beneath it. “Is she alive? Did you… did you help her escape?”
Owens stares at him for a long moment, something flickering behind his eyes, recognition pulls at his features. “You’re Michael.”
The non-answer scrapes against Mike’s nerves. “I asked you something.”
Owens’ face pales, color draining from it in a way that tells Mike everything before another word is spoken. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes,” Mike says hoarsely. “You do.”
Owens exhales and looks away. “Look… I’m not sure where this is coming from, but I think you’re confused.”
“I felt her.” The words catch in Mike’s throat, anger and desperation knotting together until he can barely breathe. “She visited me in my dream. I know how that sounds insane but I know it was her. She told me to find you.” His voice sharpens. “So tell me. Is. She. Alive?”
Thick silence settles between them as Owens finally sets his eyes back on Mike and stares at him for long, excruciating seconds.
“If she is,” he breaks the silence, “then what?”
Mike’s lungs feel like they’re about to collapse. That if is all the confirmation he needed, all that was necessary for him to know. Owens doesn’t dismiss it, he doesn’t belittle it.
His eyes flutter shut, breath shuddering. “Then I’ll go find her.”
Owens studies him carefully, like he’s sorting through his words and picks them with precision. “If she’s out there,” he says slowly, “maybe there’s a reason chose to be hidden alone. Maybe she wanted you to be protected.”
The words hit him with a force that makes his knees buckle. Relief, sadness, anger, they’re all twisting inside his ribcage in a knot he can’t undo, can’t measure any of them, can’t separate them from each other.
But it’s relief. It’s so much relief.
She’s alive. She’s alive—God, she’s alive—!
But then the rest of his words sink in, ringing in his head like sirens and alarms.
Maybe she wanted you to be protected.
Something ugly and furious unfurls within him, the words boring in his skin in a way that makes him want to tear his flesh off.
Protection.
He can’t fucking stand it. He can’t stand hearing that cursed word. He’s fucking sick of it, sick of hearing that terrible excuse.
He doesn’t want protection.
He wants El.
“You don’t get to decide that for me,” he snaps. “Did anyone ever ask what I wanted?” He exhales, his voice demanding. “Where is she?”
Owens shakes his head. “I can’t tell you.”
Mike steps closer, standing directly in front of him now, hands trembling at his sides. “Where is she?”
“It’ll always be a risk to know,” Owens says, holding his gaze. “For you.”
“I don’t care!” Mike explodes, the words ripping out of him. “I don’t fucking care about risks. I don’t care about protection!” His voice breaks as he shouts, years of grief and rage spilling free. “I need to know where she is. Please, please, just…” his anger collapses straight into vulnerability, breath hitching as violent sobs tear out of him. “Please, I need to know.”
His legs give out and he crumbles straight to his knees, tremors shaking his shoulders. His hands uselessly clutch on everything and nothing at once.
He’s trembling, wrecked by the confirmation he’s been wanting to know for years. Alive. She’s alive. The word feels too heavy to hold, too big to hold.
He’s angry—so goddamn angry he can barely see straight. Angry at everything and everyone. Angry that he had to live with the uncertainty of her fate for years. He’s had to grieve the loss of her as if he’s lost a part of himself, and had to relearn how to function without her. Angry that he never had a choice in this. He should’ve been the one to decide if he wants to be protected or not.
All of it is fucking bullshit.
But, Jesus, the relief is so much heavier and bigger than his anger. It overtakes him from head to toe, leaving him with gasps and tears to chase.
She’s alive. She’s alive. She’s alive."😩😭🥺
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I'll find you at the base of three waterfalls by ch1nens
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
26 Jan 2026
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Summary
Mike never gave up on her.. even after all these years he believes she made it out. Even after everyone moved on, he stayed.
Bookmarked by yellowbennysburgerstshirt (allwithyou)
08 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
"Her other hand reached down to squeeze his hand. “I’m okay, Mike. I’m safe here and I’m happy here. I’ve built a life that I love. It’s so beautiful here and it’s so peaceful. I can’t wait to show you everything. There’s always been space for you in this life. I’m happy you’re here.”
His mind eased and his thoughts slowed. He wanted to see her new life. He wanted to see where she lived, where she made her meals, how she had her things arranged, where she brushed her teeth, where she slept every night.
“I’m happy I’m home.” He said. Even though he was soaking wet, standing in a foreign country, under three waterfalls, with the girl he loved the most in the entire world, he felt more at home here than he had felt anywhere else.
She smiled at him again, hugging him once more before pulling apart and grabbing his hand.
“Come on then, let’s go home.”"After a few moments of silence, El cleared her throat and slowly let go of Mike’s hand. “I’m sure you’re tired,” She said, standing up and grabbing his empty plate.
Mike nodded, his eyes glued to her the whole time, afraid that if he blinked she would disappear.
“You can sleep in my bed if you want, the couch is kind of small so I don’t think you’d fit and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable– or if you want the couch, you can-”
“-El,” Mike said softly, interrupting her rambling. In her four years alone, she had changed. She was still quiet, but when she was nervous, she rambled on just like how Mike used to do. Like she had spent so much time in silence that any opportunity to speak, she just let it all out. It was like they had switched personalities. Mike was now more reserved. There was a silent sadness about him that El couldn’t place.""He loved watching her sleep, he loved seeing how comfortable she was sleeping next to him. Her eyebrows were always gentle, showing no history of the tension they used to hold. He loved seeing how soft she looked while she slept. The gentle curve of her shoulders, the soft dip of her collarbones, the slope of her spine and the narrowness of her waist. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.
Mike’s hand gently rested on her face as his thumb caressed her eyebrows, slowly going over each hair repeatedly. This is generally how he woke her up every morning, his hand brushing over her hair, her cheeks or her eyebrows. He loved watching her wake up, the flutter in her eyelids and the squint of her eyes as the sun hit her dilating pupils. She would always look confused for a few moments, a wrinkle forming in between her brows before her eyes focused and Mike’s face became clear.
Always when she spotted him, the wrinkle would cease and her eyes would soften. Her lips would gently curve upwards, dimples carving into her cheeks. Then, she would scoot closer to him so their noses were pressed together. Sometimes they would talk and sometimes they wouldn’t say anything. Sometimes El would even drift back into sleep.
She loved waking up like this. She loved waking up with the empty space in her bed occupied by the one person she loved the most. She loved being only inches apart and how easily she could fill the space between them. She didn’t have to close her eyes and focus, listening for that high pitched noise before her mind turned black and she could see Mike in the distance of the void. She didn’t have to force herself to stay away from him. She didn’t have to see him in pain. She didn’t have to force herself to leave the void because the sight of Mike became unbearable." -
Say I’m the Only Bee in Your Bonnet by peanutbutterbirdwings
Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
08 Jun 2026
Tags
Summary
“Hey, I know that one!” Mike grinned, taking it from her and rolling the thin stem in between his thumb and index finger. “We had them back in Hawkins. They’re supposed to be edible.” He opened his mouth unnecessarily wide and raised the dandelion up to it in a dramatically slow fashion.
El snatched the flower back from him and rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you should wash it first - to remove the dirt and bugs.”
“Noted,” he replied cheekily. His face turned softer as he watched her carefully pluck the leaves off the stem and tuck it behind her ear. “You’re kinda like a dandelion, y’know?”
—
El’s birthday is coming up and she has an unexpected request.Bookmarked by yellowbennysburgerstshirt (allwithyou)
08 Jun 2026
Bookmarker's Notes
“Those things can thrive anywhere: meadows, soccer fields, cracks in concrete. You can put ‘em through hell and they’ll always find a way to keep growing.” She smiled at his words, eyes sparkling with adoration. He smiled back, before molding his face into something more serious. “I think you should do it - you should take Dr. Liepa up on her offer.”
Her expression shifted, becoming more hesitant as she lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip. “I don’t think… I mean - I don’t know if I can. I’ve never been good at school. Never been smart enough for it.”
“Bullshit,” Mike laughed, although there was no humor in it. El snapped her head back up at him in surprise. “You know three different languages, two of which you learned on your own.”
“My Russian is pretty bad,” she muttered under her breath.
Mike ignored her comment as he reached down to take both her hands into his. “El, you tricked the entire U.S. Military. You fled the country and built a brand new life for yourself from scratch. I don’t know anyone clever enough to do even half of what you did. Grad school is nothing by comparison!”
She still looked uncertain, so he dropped one of her hands in order to bring his own up to cradle the side of her face. “Listen, I can see how much you want this - how much it means to you. And, hey, even if you decide it’s not for you, at least you tried! That’s all that matters.”
El’s deep brown eyes bored into his, and he could see the mental calculations that were occurring behind them as his words sunk in. After a few moments, she dropped her gaze and took a shaky breath. “Okay.”
“Okay?” He echoed curiously.
“Okay. I’ll do it,” she said, meeting his eyes once again as a nervous smile graced her lips.
The grin that formed on Mike’s face threatened to split it in two. He grabbed her by the waste suddenly and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around. “Yes! You’re gonna do amazing!”
“Mike! Put me down!” El squealed.
He spun her around once more before gently lowering her down until her feet touched the grass. She swayed slightly - dizzy from the twirling. Her face was flushed and she wore a smile that matched his own. Mike slid his hands up from the sides of her arms to her shoulders and tilted his head down so it rested against hers.
“You’re gonna be a botanist,” he said breathlessly, closing his eyes.
“I’m gonna be a botanist,” El repeated, just as breathless.
She pulled away from him, and her smile turned tighter. “I will have to study a lot. For the exam.”
“Yep,” his smile morphed into a bit of a grimace as another realization dawned on him. “You’re gonna have to live in the dorms, too. Can’t really afford to rent an apartment in Jelgava.”
That fact didn’t seem to faze El. “They have apartments for married couples,” she said simply.
Mike laughed and tilted his head at her playfully. “We aren’t married, though.” His smile dropped as he registered the fact that El was wearing a dead-serious, almost expectant expression. He furrowed his brows as his mind struggled to compute what she was insinuating. “Wait - are you -? Do you - ?”
She nodded once, edges of her lips curling up as she failed to suppress a smile.
He gaped at her, eyes scanning every inch of her face for any sign that she was messing with him. He found no such indication of such - only a nervously hopeful glint in her eyes.
“You’re serious,” he exhaled. It wasn’t a question, but rather an acknowledgment of the truth. The rest of the world seemed to fade away in the moment. There was only El, standing before him in flannel, blue overalls, and knee-high boots, cheeks flushed and bottom lip pulled behind her two front teeth. Silence seemed to stretch between them for an eternity, although it was probably only a few seconds. He let out a sudden, sharp laugh, and shook his head in disbelief. “Alright. Let’s do it. Let’s get married!”
The smile that El was failing to contain broke free completely, and she let out a breathless laugh of her own. “Okay, cool.”
“Cool,” Mike beamed, tears now threatening to spill from the corner of his eyes.
El slid one hand up his chest and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him down into a kiss. Her other hand rose to tangle in his hair, while he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her flush against him. They traded soft, tender kisses for a minute before El broke away, laughter bubbling up from her throat as her hands dropped to her sides limply. The sound of Mike’s laughter filled the air soon after, and the two tilted their teary-eyed, joyful faces down until their foreheads were pressed together once again.
Mike reached for her hands, staring down at them as he ran his thumb over the red stone faceted onto a thin golden band that had sat on her left index finger for over fifteen years. “Guess we’re gonna have to get you a new ring, yeah?”
“Yeah,” El replied with a laugh that could’ve also been a sob. “Guess so.”
🥲🥹🥰