With everyone out of the tunnel, the car's headlamps began to shine with an impossible blinding intensity. The other four shut their eyes and quickly added their hands. However, for Mike, the light was warm and familiar.

"El," he said, not even consciously vocalizing her name. Mike found himself bathing in this embrace and then collapsed.

Her in his mind, them in their future.


At the lab, Eleven dropped to the ground as the gate closed, but swore she heard Mike's voice, like she "heard" him many times in the past year, before that. She vaguely realized Hopper was wrapping her in a hug and heard him saying that she'd done good.

Her mind drifted out of consciousness, but not before saying "Mike."


Dustin and Lucas were quick to examine their fallen friend. He had a pulse, but seemed to be otherwise unresponsive to their shaking and shouting. Steve told them to cut out the latter and heard a faint whimpering of "El."


Elsewhere, Hopper, El, and the elevator reached the top. Carrying El, he put her down for a second when he heard the radio buzz.

"Mike fainted, but he murmured El's name. Oh, and we went out, but it was the kids and not me" said Steve.

Having noticed that El did the same thing, he couldn't prescribe it to chance that the two tans collapsed simultaneously. Furthermore, she kept murmuring something which he now was sure was Mike's name.

"Get back to Joyce's. Heading there now."

Picking Eleven back up he hurried out of the control room, though stopped at the stairwell

with Owens.

"Doc, I'll be right back from you. Getting her out before they come back. She did it. It's closed"

"Go," said Owens empathetically.


With Steve driving, they returned. Mike being laid down on the couch, while the others sprawled down in the living room, exhausted. This babysitter of sorts also radioed to Nancy that she might want to come back.


Nancy and the Byers were able to beat Hopper home and she rushed to find Mike in a fitful sleep on the couch.

"He's been like that since he collapsed," said Lucas. To which Dustin and Max recounted the plan to get El to the gate unimpeded. Nancy brushed Mike's curly head of hair and noticed he had begun to sweat from his forehead, though he wasn't particularly warm.

She took off his sweater, bandana, and gloves, hoping to cool him down.

At that Jonathan carried an exhausted Will in, which made Lucas and Dustin excited to see their friend. Joyce quietly shushed their excitement.

"I'll put him in my room. Maybe Mike can have his," said Jonathan.

Nancy agreed and began to lift him up.

It was then that Hopper walked in with El in his arms.

At the same time, the two started to stir, with Mike untangling himself from Nancy arms. He moved to El, but didn't get too far before falling. Fortunately, Steve caught him before he reached the ground.

Meanwhile, El began moving and flailing her arms towards Mike's direction. Steve, with an idea, moved the two together, but before he even got close Mike flew out of his arms towards El like metal to a magnet.

Hopper stumbled backwards, but was able to expand his grasp to prevent both of the kids from following. El and Mike were now in a tight embrace, heads leaning on each others shoulders, while arms around their respective middles.

Throughout this, all the participants of the room were slack jacked at the literal force of attraction.

"Cool," said Dustin.

"Let's move them to a bed," said Hopper with Nancy helping.


As Mike was being moved from the couch he felt Eleven outside.

El felt her Mike even before she crossed the threshold of the door and called out to him when they were a little closer.

Their magnetic draw towards each other caused a spark to explode in their heads. Their previous heat and worry ended and they fell to a peaceful, happy sleep. Feeling the other physically, but also somewhere in their minds.

When Nancy and Hopper finally got them to bed, the Chief pulled off her heavy black coat. Immediately, Mike and El's hands touched and held each other's.


In their minds, this freeing and flinging of arms caused even more comfort for Eleven and Mike.


"This is going to be a thing," said Hopper to no one in particular.

"They were already a thing last year," Nancy remembering their interaction in the middle school. "He never admitted it, but he was so lost without her."

Hopper harrumphed, "You don't know the half of it. She's been wanting to sneak out to him for the past year. Not to mention the thing she can do with her mind to visit people."


"Looks like I can't take Mike home. Shit, we're late for dinner."

Joyce volunteered that she'd call her parents to note that Mike was staying over for the night and that she'd take him to school the next morning.


Sometime past midnight El and and Mike's eyes flashed open at the same time.

"Hi," they said at the same time, though neither realized their mouths hadn't moved.

Smiles immediately came to their faces as El slowly raised her fingers to stroke Mike's cheek. He felt electricity shoot through the side of his face, while she felt a lesser tingling on her finger tips.

Wanting to return this feeling of pleasure he did the same for her and her eyes slammed shut enjoying this feeling and the fact that he was here with her in person after having waited for so long. She leaned into the palm of his hand and put her hand on top of his.

Her eyes opened and she kissed him. Not a quick peck, but a long embrace on the lips. Mike returned in kind. By accident their tongues briefly and accidentally touched and a new electricity shot through them.

When they parted, embarrassed, Mike ran a hand through the back of her hair, lightly gracing her scalp and she smiled that brilliant wonderful smile that he so long wished to see.

They moved closer so that they could rest their foreheads together, falling back asleep.