Mike awoke to the sound of muffled sniffles. It was 0:18am, and El was turned away from him, trying to mute her crying into her pillow. "El?" He said gently, placing a hand on her arm as she turned to face him, her brown eyes red and puffy from tears. "What's wrong?" She attempted to mask her obvious sadness with a small smile, but he saw right through it. He hadn't known (and loved) this girl for 12 years without learning how to read her emotions. "What's wrong, El? You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"It's just…" she began, trying to figure out the right words to use, the right way to say it. He waited patiently, knowing she'd tell him in her own time. "It's just… what if, our baby…" her eyes welled up with tears, and Mike felt like he was 12 years old again, watching her go through pain but not knowing how to help her, how to ease away her troubles, how to keep her safe. "What if he's like me?" With that she broke down again, clutching him to her, as if she was afraid he'd otherwise disappear. It took him a few seconds to realise what she was talking about, and when he did he just felt so damn useless. "Hey," he said softly, cupping her tear streaked face in his hands "it's going to be okay, okay? It doesn't matter whether or not he's like you. In fact, I really hope he is. Because you, you're the greatest, kindest, sweetest person I know. He'd be so fucking lucky to be like you, okay? Don't do this to yourself." She sniffled, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Bu- but, what if he has m- my powers?" She stuttered. "How are we gonna look after him without putting you danger?" He'll only be a baby. He might not be able to control them. And what about school? How are we gonna keep him from revealing his powers in front of the other kids? Or the teachers, Mike. The kids, that could be fine. But the teachers? They're more likely to be believed. Oh yeah, there's someone else too." Taking a shaky breath, El closed her eyes and spoke quietly, fear and terror overpowering her voice. "Bad men." All of a sudden, anger welled inside Mike's chest. 12 years later, and Brenner, the Bad Man, the man El was once manipulated into believing was her 'Papa', was still managing to haunt and terror her life. The bastard was dead, and yet he still managed to worm his way into their lives and fuck everything up. Mike wrapped his arms round her protectively and buried his face into the crook of her neck, whispering encouraging, reassuring words to her as she continued to sob into his t shirt.
It's okay.
I'm right here.
He'll be okay.
The Bad Men are gone now.
They can't hurt you anymore.
I love you so much.
Eventually, her crying subsided, but they kept in that position, both wishing for the moment to never end. When it did, El looked her deep, doe-like eyes, eyes that'd seen so many terrible things as a child, into Mike's and chewed her bottom lip, grinning slightly. "Promise?" Mike smiled at their sacred word, which had caused them so much grief and yet so much happiness, and placed a small, sweet kiss on her lips, much like their first that night in the cafeteria. "Promise."
