All I can say is WOW, again, on the outpour of AMAZING comments and reviews on this story! It's absolutely amazing and I'm SO HAPPY all you wonderful readers really like where this story is going! I'm also having a lot of fun writing it as well!
So, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 2.2: The Morning After (Mileven's POV).
It's incredibly rare that the nightmares don't creep into her usual nightly dreams. Her dreams usually consist of the anguish cry of the demogorgon, where the world is decaying around her. And the worst is the fact that Mike is usually there too, and she can never save him in time. She usually wakes in a cold sweat, screaming into the night, while Hopper sits at her side, desperately trying to awake her from her fit.
She then usually spends the rest of the night in a fitful sleep, scared of closing her eyes and having the images of a dead Mike or the demogorgon synged into her retinas.
The nights that she has a restful sleep are rare, and are usually filled with dreams of nothingness. And this sometimes hurts her more, wishing that somewhere deep within her brain a sweet dream might manifest behind her closed eyelids. Where she can escape the realms of reality, just for a minute.
It seems that this wish had finally been granted upon the girl. For, as she falls to sleep beside the boy she had desperately yearned to see, her dreams, for once were filled with a very alive Mike, and her friends, basked in a warm glow. Even though she couldn't fully put into place as to what her dream was about, to actually feel at ease within her dream state calmed El immensely.
Her body seemed to bask in the deep sleep she was getting, however, a loud crash that echoed through the house startled her awake. She jolted slightly forward, her eyes opening widely, her head moving in all directions taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.
She could feel her heartbeat begin to rise, as panic began to set in. However, a stirring beside her brought her back to where she was. She cast her amber eyes to her right, and her body immediately relaxed as she saw who was laying beside her. His curly black hair was splayed in a million different directions, and it was slightly matted down do to it still being a little wet when he went to bed.
El sighed, as she moved herself back down onto the bed slowly, her eyes never leaving Mike's face. She could still feel the tiredness that swept through her body, but, she was too mesmerized by Mike's face that she couldn't close her eyes.
Instead of sleeping, she decided to take this moment to really look at Mike, and how much he has changed. Even though she had the advantage of being able to check up on him through the void, the brief moments she was able to see him, didn't allow her to truly see his changes.
The first thing that El discovered was the fact that: Mike was tall. And she smiled to herself at this fact. She secretly liked the fact that when he looked down at her, she noticed the soft look that would grace his features. And when he pulled her into a warm embrace, she enjoyed the fact that his larger body seemed to engulf her, allowing her to feel safe and warm.
She analyzed his sleeping face, and gently smiled as she was close enough to count each and every freckle that dotted his nose and cheeks. And just as her hair had grew, his seemed to grow in a million different directions, she cherished that similarity.
But, what really surprised her was how much more grown, he seemed to her. Hopper had explained to the young girl one day when she noticed a pair of shoes were too tight to fit her feet in. Hopper had chuckled and said "Guess you're going through a growth spurt, we'll have to get you a new pair". The word growth had piqued her interest, in which launched Hopper into a full explanation as to how people grow, kids her age especially, the fact had astounded her because it was something she had never thought about.
With the new information, however, she took it in stride and attempted to guess as to how big she would grow to. And, as Hopper had explained, her face would change and she would notice her body changing too. When she had asked how, Hopper got all red faced and said "That'll be a discussion for another time" before he left her, reeling with her own thoughts.
Now that she was laying beside Mike, she finally understood what Hopper meant. Her eyes moved around his face as she noticed how much finer his face seemed to be, he looked older. She couldn't help a small blush that crossed her cheeks as she admired the boy beside her.
He snored softly, his mouth was slightly open, and she could feel his breath tickling her face. She giggled quietly, and she felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch his face. So, without even thinking about it, El tentatively reached out her hand and moved it slowly towards Mike's face.
Her eyes moved wildly, as she watched the boy, her fingers just barely making contact with his soft skin, she moved them gently, stroking at his cheek. And at her touch, she was pretty sure she saw Mike's body relax as his breath became softer as she continued to stroke his skin.
She was too absorbed in what she was doing that, she hadn't noticed Mike's eyes starting to open just a crack. In which eventually turned into full blinks, as he attempted to figure out why he was feeling so relaxed in this moment.
His question was soon answered as his eyes fell on the girl laying beside him, her eyes focused on his face. He became aware of the fact that her hand was outstretched stroking his cheek. His mouth began to pull into a smile, and this act finally caught the attention of El, whose eyes flickered up, and met his own.
She seems startled, her mouth opening slightly at being caught, but Mike sighs in return, and greets her with a full blown smile, "Hey", he whispers tiredly to her. And his words seem to mellow the girl out because she gives him a smile in return as she pulls her hand away shyly.
El ducks her head away, her shyness enveloping her as she whispers a quick, "Sorry", not willing to meet Mike's eyes. And at this one word, Mike tenses, his arm is still wrapped protectively around her waist, which normally he'd be a blushing storm about, but this time, he wants this amazing girl to feel comfortable. So, he pulls her towards him, this surprises her, as she brings up both of her hands, and places them delicately on his chest. She looks up at him with wide eyes.
Mike's dark orbs search her face, and he smiles gently as he bends to connect their foreheads, "You have nothing to be sorry for El, I, uh, I liked it" he chuckled slightly. And with his words, El relaxes in his grip, and she smiles up at him. "Just wanted to...feel you" her words now bring a blush to his face.
He nuzzles his nose lightly with hers and she laughs too. They lay in silence, just embracing this moment together, when Mike opens his mouth to speak, "How'd you sleep?" he whispers to the girl.
At this, El smiles brightly, "Really good, no nightmares" she sighs in relief. Mike throws her a quizzical look as he sits up slightly, raising himself up on his left elbow. "Nightmares?" he asks. And the girl copies Mike's movements as she raises herself up too, however, she pulls herself up more and leans back against the headboard, a small frown now playing on her face.
Mike moves to sit against the headboard too, his head still turned towards the girl beside him. He reaches out and intertwines their hands together, he gives her small hand a tight squeeze. "You can talk to me about them...if you want" he hurriedly throws in, just to make sure she feels comfortable enough talking to him.
El merely shrugs her shoulders as she lets out a long, sad breath, "Nightmares, almost every night" she says quietly. Mike's eyes watch her, waiting for her to continue. "Usually about demogorgon, sometimes lab and…" she hesitates. But Mike gives her hand another squeeze in which she turns her now watery eyes on him, "You...dead", her voice quavers. Mike's heart breaks right then and there as he hears her explanation.
A silent tear falls from her eyes, and she sniffles slightly, she's really trying to not break down and cry.
"El", Mike whispers quietly, as he quickly throws an arm around her shoulder, he pulls her close to him, as she rests her head against his shoulders, her tears falling freely now. Mike rubs her shoulders and plays with her fingers that are intertwined with his.
"You know...I had nightmares too" he says just above a whisper, and El pulls her head away from him just enough to see his face. "Really?" she says with a watery voice. Their eyes meet again, and now Mike's are filling with tears too. He nods his head once, "Yeah, and...they sucked...they were almost always about the night at the school, and how you were...just...gone" his voice warbles as he swallows harshly, holding back his sob.
El's face softens at his words, she tucks her head underneath his chin as she moves so that she can clutch at his shirt, Mike moves his arm so that it wraps around the both of them. They hold onto each other as they cry silently, "Don't like nightmares" she says through her tears. She feels Mike nod above her, "Yeah, me either" he said as he held her close. Both feeling the sadness, the fear, the uncertainty that was held before them for so long. Both of them in agonizing pain, over the events that they both experienced.
They eventually settle down, their eyes drying from their watery sadness. El is the one now idly playing with their fingers. Mike silently smiles as he watches the girl play with his fingers. "Why are your fingers so long?" she asks him out of the blue.
Mike chuckles, as he temporarily pulls his hands away from El's and holds his hand up like he is going to give her a 'high five", but he says, "Hold your hand out, like this" he motions with his hand. El gives him a quizzical look, but obeys as she copies his movements, holding her hand out to his. Mike moves his hand so that his and El's are resting against one another. His fingers stick up a couple centimeters above hers, she giggles. "I think it's just because you have small hands" Mike jokes to the girl, and she rolls her eyes at him. "But, why?" she stresses, looking at him as if he has all the answers in the world.
Mike shrugs, "It's usually that way between a boy and a girl, boys tend to have bigger hands" he attempts to explain. "We just grow differently is all" he finishes, as he looks to the girl to see if he has somewhat answered her question.
But a frown still holds onto her face, "Grow...different between boy and girl?" she says, her eyes looking towards him. He's not sure at first as to if she's asking him a question, but the look on her face tells him that she's looking for an answer.
His face immediately blushes, his mouth falls open, and he only comes up with "Uhhhm-" truly not sure as to how to answer her question, yet she sits there, waiting for his answer.
Instead, he takes in a deep breath and moves his hand so that his fingers fold neatly into hers, she follows his lead, their hands clasping together. "There are just things about boys and girls that are different El, a-and I think you should ask an adult about those questions" he says lamely.
El scrunches her face, "I asked Hopper, he was weird about it" she states. Mike nods his head, "Maybe Joyce, or even Nancy, they'd talk to you about it", he gives her a small smile. He watches as she contemplates his words, as he silently hopes and prays that this is a good enough answer for him.
Finally, El sighs, and nods her head, "Okay, I will" she gives him a little grin. "Oh, but maybe sometime when it's just the two of you...okay?" he asks uncertain if she understands, but she surprises him with another nod, agreeing.
He breathes a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn't need to go into that conversation, and he mentally puts it on his radar to ask Nancy or Joyce to fill El in on this particular topic. Anxious to move on from this topic, Mike lays back against the headboard, El mimicking his motions, as she lays her head back on his shoulder.
Mike internally can't believe how lucky he is to have this kind of interaction with a girl, but not any girl, he flicks his eyes down to her curly hair and his heart swells just looking at her. He thinks about how they met, and all they have been through to get to this point. It amazes him that they've gotten this far.
But, what makes Mike smile the most is the fact that this girl actually likes him, Mike, the nerd of a lifetime. It was something that he couldn't wrap his teenage brain around. Because, if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sure that during all of his daydreams that he had thought of them reuniting, he didn't know if she knew what this was. He was afraid that she wouldn't understand, that it would be him off to the side, silently yearning for her.
However, Mike was proved immediately wrong the second she walked through the Byers door last night. The look on her face when she saw him, that warm embrace, and her desperation for him to know that she had listened for him, that it wasn't her choice for not saying anything.
And when they had to say goodbye, he knew that she was leaning up to kiss him. Which, honestly, surprised him because she was the one who was making the first move. He was pretty sure his heart almost beat out of his chest.
Then, last night when she had asked him for a kiss, he's pretty sure his heart stopped at her words. To finally be able to place his lips on her gentle ones was like a dream come true. He had had a deep desire to kiss her the moment she walked in through the Byers door, but obviously refrained due to the many people around them and with the fact of not wanting to take her off guard.
But, all that fear seemed to go out the window when he saw her lean up to him, when she asked him to kiss her, when she seemed honestly annoyed that the had been interrupted twice by their two almost kisses. And she had actually liked the fact that he had kissed her last year in the cafeteria. He could probably die right now and be eternally happy. However, that was his last wish to have happen because right now he was curled up with the most amazing girl in the world, and wouldn't trade it for everything.
However, the thought of what came with what he silently hoped would be more kissing and hand holding, came the next step of asking him to be his girlfriend. Should he do it now? Maybe it's too soon, maybe we should take it slow…" echoed through his head.
And as if El could hear his loud thoughts beside her, she broke the silence, "I hope I can get out of the cabin soon" she mutters quietly. Her statement confuses him slightly in the fact that she pulls it out of the blue. "What do you mean?" he asks her.
He feels El shrug into him, "Just...don't want to be alone, want to be with you", her words are earnest and Mike feels himself deflate slightly, he honestly didn't know what was going to happen next. His anxiety swirled within the depths of his stomach, he squeezes El's hand tighter, "It doesn't matter, I'll make sure Hopper knows we aren't to be kept apart" his voice is firm.
El tightens her grip within his hand, a silent agreement, he's about to open his mouth to speak again, but he is interrupted by the door to Will's room squeaking open, both Mike and El's heads whip towards the door in surprise. Being caught up with each other, both have forgotten where they were.
Their eyes both widen, as they lay their gazes on Hopper who stands with his arms crossed, as he leans against the doorway. He quirked an eyebrow up at both of them.
Mike, feeling the intensity of Hopper's look, attempts to create space between them, but he doesn't get very far, the bed only being a twin. However, at his sudden movements, he feels an arm drape across his midsection, she holds him firmly in place, so he stops his movements.
He wants to say something to both of them, but no words are able to form in his mind. He turns his head to El, who is fixing the older man with a glare. This pushes Hopper to speak, "What happened to sleeping on the floor?" his words are directed at Mike, who, hears Hopper's words, but he feels that his throat has become incredibly dry.
He attempts to speak, "It was-uh, I-I didn't...w-we didn't…" he desperately sputters, honestly not having any real words form within his brain. He swears he catches a hint of a smile cross Hopper's face at his fumbling.
However, El comes to his rescue as speaks and says, "I asked", she states plainly, her eyes still not moving from Hopper's. Hopper evaluates her and gives a slow nod "And why did you ask, kid?" he shifts slightly at the door frame.
"Didn't want to be alone, Mike helps with the nightmares" El answers as she squeezes Mike's hand within hers. Mike feels his body relax instantly at her words and he can't help but stare at her in awe. Words finally make it to his brain as he asks, "I do?"
El turns her head slightly to meet Mike's gaze and she gives him a small smile as a blush remnants from her cheeks. He can feel the blush spreading on his face, feeling incredibly blessed to have this girl in his life.
They become lost within each other's deep brown eyes, they search deep within their orbs, melting into their own little world. However, it doesn't last long as a loud cough startles them and breaks their moment. Mike and El's attention is back on Hopper.
He points a finger in El's direction, "Kid, I'll let it pass this time, but we'll have to have a talk about this later" his voice is gruff. Mike listens as El sighs dramatically beside him as she grumbles, "Not more rules".
Hopper chuckles at the girl. And she surprises them both with her next words,"No funny business", she explains as gestures between the two of them, Mike feels his face light up in embarrassment even more.
Mike turns his head back to Hopper who is nodding profusely, as another finger points itself directly at himself, his eyes widen "There better not have been, kid" the statement is almost a warning, as Mike shakes his head quickly, "Yeah...no...nothing happened...sir" he throws in for good measure.
Hopper looks between Mike and El one more time, Mike contemplates what the older man is thinking. However, Hopper shakes his head and throws a thumb over his shoulder, "Come on you two, breakfast is ready, I'm sure you're both starving" he states.
Mike feels his stomach grumble at the word 'breakfast' he had almost forgotten that he hadn't eaten in almost a full day, and now it was the first thing on his mind. El straightens beside him as she says "Eggos?" in a curious and eager voice. And at this both Mike and Hopper can't help but laugh at El's excitement, but Hopper nods and says, "Yeah, kid, there's eggos".
And without another word, Mike feels El's pull on his hand, as her hand was still entangled with hers, and before he knows it, he is all but dragged off the bed by a very eager El. He's pretty sure if he was on the other side of the bed, he would have face planted. But since he was getting pulled across the bed, he had time to stable himself as El pulled him through Will's door, as they slipped by Hopper.
El had forgotten her hunger, Mike's presence eliminating all her other feelings. But, with Hopper's mention of 'breakfast' and 'eggos' her stomach immediately reminded her that she was absolutely starving. Her elation made her feet think first as she jumped off the bed, her hand still grasped with Mike's, so her bound made it so he followed her off the bed in a hurry.
She dragged the poor boy behind her, however, he obediently trailed behind her. El whipped her head back to the boy, who was giving her a warm smile, in which made El's heart swell. Her bare feet pad into the unfamiliar kitchen, where Joyce and Will were sitting at the table.
Her eyes flit up from the table, and she smiles when she sees El and Mike enter the kitchen. She stands and moves towards them. "Good to see you kids up, how are you doing?" she questions them.
El, suddenly becoming a little shy, smiles bashfully and tucks her head away. And as if Mike can sense her hesitation he answers for her, "We're good Mrs. Byers, just really hungry" he states. El feels Mike's hand squeeze her own, and El turns her head up to Mike throwing him a thankful smiley, which he dopely returns.
And in that moment, El feels the warmth and affection that resonates from the boy beside her. It's the feeling that she has felt since day one of meeting the dark haired boy. It's the whole reason why she decided to accept his jacket and follow him, Dustin and Lucas back home. His smooth, comforting voice was nothing El had ever heard before, and it stirred something inside her that she had never felt before. And over time El had learned what this boy had helped her learn: trust.
He was the first person she had truly trusted, and that's why his freckled face seemed to hold a special place within her heart. She's lost in her thoughts, when she feels Mike nudge her side, her eyes flick up to his, he grins, "Come on, let's sit and eat" he nods to the table.
But, before they sit, Will looks up at the both of them, he gives a faint smile. "Hey Will, how are you feeling?" Mike asks with a genuine concern. The boy merely shrugs and says a quick, "Good", as his eyes move to El, both of their eyes widen. Mike sees their reaction, and smiles, "Oh, Will, by the way, this is El" he gestures to the girl, who only gives a small 'hello', in which Will shyly returns. El stands close to Mike's side and he squeezes her hand once again, "Let's eat", he says again with a smile.
El doesn't argue as Mike pulls her towards two chairs, and she watches in awe, as Mike pulls at one of the old wooden chairs, the legs scraping against the floor, he gestures to seat. "Here ya go" he says a bit bashfully, and El feels her mouth open in shock, as he has just copied one of her favorite scenes from her favorite soap. In that moment, El doesn't feel like she could be any luckier. Her face lights up in a gorgeous smile, as she scoots into the chair, and Mike skillfully pushes the chair in as she sits.
Once she is tucked into the table, Mike sits beside her, and she immediately grasps for his hand. Mike seems surprised and he quirks an eyebrow at her, not that he honestly minds at the contact. El blinks her teary eyes at Mike, which seems to startle him, "El, are you okay?" he questions with worry. El shakes her head, still smiling, which confuses Mike even more, "It's just...amazing" is all she can say.
And at her words Mike can only pout his lips in thought, but at her smile, Mike relaxes, and squeezes her hand. They are brought out of their moment as Joyce pulls out a chair across from them. El turns her attention to the older woman, "Go ahead kids, dig in, Nancy and Jonathan will join us in a bit. El, there are plenty of eggos" she cheerfully tells the girl, and her eyes light up at the sight of her favorite meal.
"Don't forget some eggs, and a meat too kid", a gruff voice comes from behind them. And El can't help but roll her eyes. "Yes" she grumbles as she loads three eggos onto her plate, along with a helping of eggs and bacon. Mike follows her lead.
El is pouring syrup over her eggos, and she hands it over to Mike, who gives her a small, "Thanks". She grabs the fork beside her as she begins to cut up her eggos, however, she turns her attention to the boy beside her, who is heavily loading his eggos, eggs and bacon with maple syrup. Her movements stop as she watches him with curiosity.
As if Mike can feel her eyes on him, he turns his head towards her and he gives her a shy smile, "Sorry, I just like syrup on everything" he chuckles, his face blushing slightly. "I know it's gross...but-" El stops him by a shake of her head as she reaches over to grab the syrup bottle he has placed in front of him. She pours the syrup over her eggs and bacon as well.
"No, El, you don't have to-" Mike attempts to stop her, but she has already poured the syrup over everything. Mike watches as she finishes, places the bottle in front of her, as she picks up her fork and stabs at her eggs and pops them into her mouth. She chews thoughtfully, and even though she was slightly unsure about the combination at first, she actually smiles in delight.
Mike quirks an eyebrow at her, "Good?" he asks. And she can only smile and nod her head until she finishes swallowing her bite as she states, "Really good" with a genuine grin.
She watches as Mike relaxes and begins to dig into his own food. "Ew, Mike, don't tell me you taught this poor girl to put syrup on her eggs?" Nancy and Jonathan appear beside the table. Jonathan lets out a long yawn as Nancy gives Mike a look of disgust. El only shakes her head at the older girl, "It's good" she states simply. And Nancy laughs, "If you say so" she says with a shrug of her shoulders as she sits down besides her brother.
Nancy gives Mike a quick shove, in which he shouts, "Hey!" and shoves her back. But then, they grin at each other as Nancy loads her plate. El watches the interaction in wonder, not really understanding how bumping shoulders roughly seems to be a way of acknowledgement, but, it's another question she holds onto for later. Now, she enjoys the company of people around her as she continues to eat her breakfast.
She is only sitting a chair away from Will, and so many questions fill her buzzing head that she wants to ask the boy. But, as if an aura washed around the boy, she could tell that, like her, she was still recovering for the weeks worth of events. Both of their bodies tired and worn, ready to move on.
Silence falls over the table as the only noise that resonates around them is the occasional squeak of a fork making contact with a porcelain plate. El actually enjoys the silence around her, as she sinks into the contentedness around her. However, she is immediately startled when a loud knocking resonates from the front door.
Everyone around her stops mid motion, all eyes flicker towards Hopper. El's amber eyes are glued to his in silent fear. Her heartbeat begins to thrum against her chest. She feels her now sweaty hand within Mike's and she feels him give her a tight squeeze.
El watches as Hopper lets out a deep sigh, giving her a reassuring look as he rises to his feet. Her eyes don't leave his body. He clears his throat, "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing", he scoots around the table as he approaches the front door.
They all sit as silent as possible as they attempt to listen to Hopper as he approaches the door. El doesn't want to move or even make a peep, her worst fear of being discovered dances across her mind. Her breath is now coming rapid, and she tries to hide the fact. However, she feels a person come closer to her, "Don't worry El, I'm sure it's nothing" Mike has scooted closer to the girl, as he wraps an arm around her chair, attempting to soothe her. El's eyes find his, and she searches them for meaning. And what she finds is reassurance, his dark amber irises are full of kindness, and she finds solace within them. She takes in a deep breath and attempts a half grin on her face, relaxing slightly.
She keeps her eyes connected with Mike's finding peace there. However, her worry is almost immediately washed away the second she hears a voice through the door, "Guys, come on, let us in!"
And she can see Mike relaxes even more so too, hearing the voice of their boisterous friend on the other side of the door. She half listens to the conversation between Dustin and Hopper at the front door as she hears Mike let out a breath beside her, "Okay, it's just Dustin and the other's, everything's good" Mike gives her another warm smile, she nods at his words, as she calms her breathing, returning to the silence.
But, the silence doesn't last long as the rest of the party clambers into the kitchen, and immediately there are a million questions being thrown out and hugs being passed around the table. The action and loudness immediately surprises El, for, she is not used to this type of atmosphere, and her eyes widen at the stimulation.
And as if Hopper can sense her fear, a loud, "Hey!", echoes around them, all voices falling silent as all eyes fall on Hopper.
El watches as he lets out a long breath before he speaks, "Look, kids, I know you are all anxious to talk to El and Will about what happened, but all you need to know is that the gate's closed, and both are safe and sound. You are all safe and sound", he looks over everyone, his eyes landing on El's.
He opens his mouth to speak again, "El closed the gate, that means the nightmare with the Upside Down is done. These two have gone through a lot, how about in time they can tell you what went on, but for now...just relax, be kids" he shrugs his shoulders to them. El immediately feels relief wash over her, her gratefulness for this man growing.
Once Hopper is done with his little speech, El watches as smiles grow on the parties faces, but Dustin is the one to speak,"Yeah, Hopper's right", Dustin nods in agreement, "Hey!" he starts excitedly, all the teens eyes are on him, "Let's teach El some board games, I'm sure she'll love them!" he jumps to his feet. El startles once again at the boys enthusiasm, not really sure as to what she should do.
Lucas jumps in as well, "Yeah, I bet Hopper doesn't play any with her" he turns and teases the middle age man, who huffs in return.
El however, speaks up, "We play games...go fish...old maid…" she begins to list off, but she's cut off by Dustin, "What, that's it?!" El is taken aback by his suddenness. Her eyes widen as she watches the boy.
"Come on El, we've got to teach you a proper board game" Dustin states officially as he begins to stand. "I've got a ton of games in my room, we can play in there" Will stands to move from the table, an excited grin on his face. El watches as everyone begins to move, she is beginning to feel unsure, but excited as well. However, she remains motionless in her chair. She begins to feel Mike standing beside her as he pulls their intertwined hands up with him. El gives him a worried look, and he returns a soft one to her. Mike pulls at the girls hand with delicacy as he pulls her up. He gives her a fierce smile. "We don't have to play if you don't want to, Dustin's just excited is all" Mike explains El. And at his chivalry, El's heart melts, knowing that he would do anything to make her happy, even if that meant doing something else other than with his friends. However, knowing that Mike will be by her side the whole time El gives him a gorgeous grin and pulls at him, "I want to learn", she states proudly.
And at these words, Mike nods enthusiastically as he pulls El towards Will's bedroom where the others have disappeared to. They move around the table, but El stops in her tracks, halting Mike's movements, he gives her a questioning look. He, however, can see that El's eyes have found Hopper's.
El stares up to the larger man, he gives her a quizzical look, "Is it okay...to go with my friends" she asks delicately to the man. And, El watches as the man's face softens, contemplating her words. She silently worries that he will say no, but instead, the man reaches out and places a gentle hand on her shoulder as he smiles at her and says, "Have fun". El gives him a brilliant smile, and she quickly turns as she pulls Mike towards Wills room.
She enters the room where she had slept the night away with Mike by her side, however, now with four other bodies in the room, it feels small. Mike shuts the door behind her, and panic rises in her chest. Her eyes flash to the door, in which Mike catches, his eyes connect with hers. "Hey", he says softly to El, who's eyes are brimming with small tears, "It's okay, we're all in here with you, we can leave the door open a little if you want?" he asks gently.
At the smoothness of his words, El lets out her held breath, shaking her head at her anxious feelings, and turns her mouth upwards. "No, I'm okay" she smiles to the boy, who gives her one in return, he pulls her over to where their friends sit waiting as Will pulls out an array of board games.
Mike can't help but beam in excitement, as he watches El's eyes light up in wonder as she gazes upon the bright covers of each board game Will has laid out. They join the circle, sitting next to each other, hands still clasped together.
Will is speaking, "I've got, Clue, Uno, Chutes and Ladders.." he lists as he pulls each game off of the shelves. "We should start with something easy" Mike speaks to the group. Max, however speaks, "Why, who hasn't played these before?" and she doesn't realize how stinging her question is.
Mike's heart pounds hard for a second, as his head whips to El, here face saddens. Mike turns to Max with a slight glare, as the other's eyes are on the redhead as well, however throwing her a look of alarm. "What?" Max asks the group, but Lucas is the one who catches her eyes, as he tilts his head towards El as in saying, remember? And Max's eyes widen in horror, she opens and closes her mouth, "Oh, uhm...I didn't mean like that...uhm...I meant who plays these baby games anyways", she tries to put off submissively.
The boys around her sigh and grumble, Mike is desperately trying to get the girl beside him to look at him. "El, it's okay, that's why we want to play these games with you, so we can teach you how to play" he encourages. But the girl still seems saddened.
Max speaks up again, "Why don't we teach her a real game anyways, like, Monopoly or something, I bet she's good with numbers" she shrugs towards the girl. And, for some reason at the girls attempt to be nice, it perks El's head up. "Numbers?" she asks the girl.
El's words towards the redhead startles her slightly, because their first interaction had not been entirely friendly. Max stumbles over her words a bit, "Yeah, uh, you get to buy properties and beat each other out, there's a lot of math involved with it" she offers the girl.
Mike watches El with interest, she seems to want to say more to Max, but something hold her back. Her eyes narrow slightly, but she shrugs and turns to him, "Monopoly, teach me" she states bluntly, and Mike blinks at her. He then turns hesitantly to his friends, they all shrug in return, knowing that the game might be a bit much, but….he turns his head back to the girl beside him. And now, she's giving him these adorable eyes, and he sighs, knowing that he is done for.
Mike nods though, and looks back at the others, "Let's teach El, Monopoly, then" he shrugs. And with hesitation, the other boys shrug as they begin to open the box, and set up the game.
El is mesmerized watching the boys set up the game as she sits back and watches. Her eyes scan the board, looking at all the colorful boxes that are aligned in a perfect square. Dustin and Lucas are counting out pieces of paper, while Mike and Will set up two stacks of yellow and orange cards.
"Better not cheat and put, 'advanced to boardwalk', at the top Mike", Dustin throws to the boy who scoffs at him. "Tch, Dustin, I don't cheat" he rolls his eyes. El watches the boys interactions with one another as she sits back and watches.
Once Dustin and Lucas are done with the stacks of paper, they hand it out to each person around their circle. Lucas hands a stack to El, who stares curiously at it. She can feel Mikes eyes on her, so she turns her attention to the boy, she gives him a questioning look. He chuckles lightly, "Why don't we team up this time, that way you can learn and play at the same time", he suggests.
El flicks her eyes towards the stack of paper that she holds loosely in her hand, she has no idea what it is. And she nods her head in relief at Mike's suggestion, "Yes, want to learn first" she states. Mike grins wildly at her as he takes her paper gently from her hand and hands it back to Lucas, who rolls his eyes.
"We'll just use my stack of money, it wouldn't be fair to have two" Mike explains as he holds up his stack of paper to her. "Money?" she asks curiously. Mike nods his head to her as he fans out the colorful paper in front of her, "Yeah, this is money, and all these little squares-" he then gestures to the squares around the board, "Are properties, and you use money to buy them" he explains to her.
Mike then goes over the amounts of money to her and how you have to use math to figure out how much money you need to buy properties and how much you get back in return. El smiles at Mike as he explains this to her.
"I get to be the racecar!" Lucas shouts as he grabs for a small silver token. "No, it's my turn Lucas!" Dustin bites back, but Lucas shakes his head, "Uh, no, you got to be it last time!" Lucas snarls at the curly haired boy. El watches as both Mike and Will huff and roll their eyes at the boys, when Max steps in, "Oh my god, it's like watching two year olds fight at the playground, just rock, paper, shoot, for it" Max huffs.
And almost immediately both boys silence their fighting as El watches the boys do something with their hands. It doesn't last long when Lucas pumps his fists in the air in excitement, "Yes, I get to be the racecar!" he says triumphantly as he takes the small token and places it on the word 'Go'.
Dustin huffs, "Fine, but next time, I'm the racecar, and we're writing it down!" he says indefinitely. El feels Mike nudge her, she turns her attention to the boy, "What do you want to be El?" he holds out his hand where other little tokens sit, gleaming dully in the light. El's eyes widen, "I get to pick?" she questions the boy who smiles brightly, "Yeah, of course, whatever you want to be, El".
El feels excitement rise within her as she looks over the pieces, however, one catches her eyes in interest, she reaches into Mike's hand and withdraws the token that is a horse, with a person riding on it, she holds it up to Mike, "A horse, like the westerns Hopper watches" she examines the piece in her hand.
Mike nods, "Good choice, El" he states as he nods to the board, "Place it next to the racecar, it's how you keep track of where you land" Mike explains and El reaches out, placing the horse next to the racecar.
Will chooses the thimble, Lucas the top hat and Max picks the dog. The pieces remain ready on the game board. El watches as Lucas picks up a pair of dice, he shakes them eagerly in his hand, "Alright, let's begin!" he shouts as he throws the dice onto the board and the game begins.
El flicks her eyes between her friends as they land on certain property, and say whether or not they want to 'buy' the property. El was happy that she and Mike were last, because she was trying to figure out the game by watching, but Mike was helping greatly by whispering what her friends were doing between each movements.
But, after watching each of her friends roll the dice, and then land on either a property, railroad, chance card or even the more unfortunate spaces, it was her turn to roll. Mike snatched the dice from the board and handed them to El, she took them, everyone's eager eyes on her. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she shook the dice in her hand, and let them roll.
She watched in anticipation as the die rolled and landed neatly on a five and six. She hears her friends laugh beside her. "Of course she rolls and eleven" Dustin chuckles, and at this El smiles. She reaches forward to grab her loan horse piece at 'Go' and moves it forward eleven spaces. Her piece lands on a pink square that is labeled "St. Charles Avenue".
No one has purchased the property, she turns and smiles at Mike, who is also beaming at her, "Nice roll El!", "Now we can start our collection" he says gleefully.
El can't help but feel excited over the prospect of the game, she leans closer to Mike as he says, "Okay, it's $140, so I'll give you, $500, Dustin you owe me-" and before he can even begin to calculate how much Dustin will owe Mike, El opens her mouth to speak, "Three hundred and sixty" she says nonchalantly.
El is staring intently at the game board, however, when no one moves, she looks around at her friends who are all looking at her with mouths wide open, she gives them a questioning look, "What?" she inquires somewhat panicked at her friends.
"How..how'd you-" Dustin sputters looking wild eye at El. She leans back slightly, not really sure what she did wrong. Mike immediately senses her insecurity and reaches a hand out to her, she eyes him nervously, "El, you did nothing wrong, it was just...how did you figure that out so quickly?" he questions the girl.
El thinks on the question, then shrugs her shoulder, "Papa...he had me practice numbers...a lot" she stressed. She eyes the boy next to her, but she relaxes when she sees the smile plastered on his face, "El, you know math, and you're really good at it too!" he says with excitement. El feels happy about the surprised looks that now surround her, but a question still hangs on her tongue, "What's...math?" she asks, her eyes immediately going to Mike for him to answer.
"It's a subject in school, El, and since you already know it, and I mean really know it, that'll make it easier for you to meld into it" he explains thoughtfully. And quickly, El's mind begins to think about being in school, with her friends, with Mike, and she feels her heart beat faster in excitement.
But, then it dawns on her, she has no idea how much longer she has to be in hiding. Her mind flashes to the lab, where a lot of dead bodies of lab workers laid about, but she knew that didn't mean the lab was gone. Her face must have faltered, because she hears Mike call out to her, "El, are you okay?" she shakes her fog away, she shrugs, "Still in hiding" she says with little enthusiasm. And she watches as her friends faces fall at her words.
However, she feels something warm on her hand, she looks down and sees that Mike's hand has ended up on top of hers, he squeezes it firmly, she tilts her head up slowly, and her eyes widen when she sees the determination written on his face. "It doesn't matter El, you'll go to school with us, no matter what" his voice is firm, and she can hear the fierceness that falls behind it. She feels her heart swell.
She can't help but soften as she quips at him, "Promise?" In which he beams at her in return, "Promise" he states firmly, as they melt in each others presence. A loud cough breaks them out of their trance, both Mike and El turn back to their friends, who are all giving them knowing looks. El can feel her face flush at their eyes. "Uhm, are you guys done with your love fest or…" Dustin teases them, and Mike huffs in return, "Whatever guys, let's just get back to the game" he states as he hands over the money to Dustin. But, Dustin's words, her friend's looks and the aura emanating from Mike, makes El catch her breath as she can't help but stare at him. Knowing that no matter what happens, she knows Mike will be there.
El picks up the game quicker than the boys and Max expected. And after a couple of hours, she and Mike are ahead, by a lot. "NO! Not Boardwalk!" Lucas cries as his piece lands on the property that has three little green houses perched at its top. Mike and El yell in victory as they look over their property and tell Lucas what he owes them, as he forks over the money.
"Geez, I can't believe this, Mike usually sucks at Monopoly" Dustin huffs as he throws his arms across his chest in frustration. "Hey!" Mike throws a glare at his direction. "It's true!" Dustin defends, and even Will nods in agreement.
Almost everyone who still owns properties is having to mortgage them. Max and Will have already declared bankruptcy. Dustin and Lucas are barely hanging on by a thread. "Why don't you guys just give up, El and I own almost everything" Mike taunts to the boys. They both glare at him in turn, "We won't give up, we'll make a come back!" Dustin states, as he picks up the dice and blows on them for luck, "Come on, seven!" he cries as he throws the dice onto the board, but, instead they roll to a nine, landing him straight on Vermont Avenue, which has a neat little red hotel, owned by Mike and El, they cry in triumph again as Dustin grumbles.
An hour later, only Dustin remains. "Come on Dustin, just admit defeat" Lucas grumbles as he lays on the ground, boredly watching the game. "No, never" Dustin grumbles. Even Will huffs in annoyance, "Dustin, we've been bored for hours, let's play something different?" he suggests. But doesn't shakes his curly hair, "No, just need to make it past-" he tries, but is cut off by Max, "Ugh, oh my god Dustin, you won't make it past all their hotels!" she argues.
"If I roll a five, I'll be safe", he tries to stay positive. "Yeah, roll any other number, and you're done" Lucas states. Dustin sighs, "Just, let me roll!" he grumbles as he picks up the die and shakes them profusely in his hand, "Come on, five!" he yells, and the first die lands miracuously on a four, the other die spins on its side, everyone watches in shock, as it wobbles, and then falls, a two facing Dustin. "NOOOOOOO!" the curly haired boy screams as he holds onto his head and crumpling his hat.
"YESSSS!" both Mike and El scream in victory as they stand, and Mike can't help but pull her into a hug. They rock back in forth, ecstatic about their win together. They pull apart, however, El stands close to Mike, as he rests his hand against her hip, he points a finger at Dustin, "HA! You said I'd never win, and look at that, I just did!" he says proudly.
El can't help but giggle at Mike's charade, enjoying seeing him so happy. When, for too long in the void, she witnessed his sadness wash over him. This Mike, though, made her chest swell will joy. And she can feel it reverberating through his body, and she can't help herself as she leans herself closer to the boy and plants a firm kiss on his cheek. She pulls away slowly, and she can see the blush beginning to form on the boys face.
"Oooooo!" is heard around the room, El glances at her friends, as they stare at her and Mike, with knowing looks. "Oh, Mike and Eleven!" Lucas taunts to them. And immediately, El feels self conscious. Mike huffs at them, "Calm down guys" he grumbles at them. But they don't relent, as Dustin stands and begins to singsong, "Mike and Eleven, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes-" but he doesn't get very far when a pillow smacks him in the face. All eyes turn to El, who has blood trickling down her nose. There's silence at first, and El thinks she has done something wrong, until she hears a laugh beside her, and then Will, Lucas and Max join in.
"What a shot!" Lucas admerates El, and she shyly smiles. Dustin stands from his spot, "Oh, so it's a pillow fight you want, huh!?" he states as he begins to rush towards El, pillow in hand. She doesn't know how to react, but Mike steps in front of her and takes the blow from Dustin instead.
"That...wasn't meant for you" Dustin admits, but then, Mike is rushing to Wills bed as he pulls a pillow off the bed, and runs towards Dustin. And within moments, everyone is rushing around, grabbing a pillow, and El copies their motions.
And soon, the Monopoly game is forgotten as the teens move around Wills room, laughter erupting from their lungs as they attack one another with pillows. Stray feathers fly about. El manages to whack each of the boys and even Max, and within that moment, with the room filled with laughter and joy, El truly feels like she is living.
Mike is still elated, his breath heaving as he lay on the floor, El beside him, as they catch their breath from the pillow fight. "That...was fun" El states as she breathes in and out.
The others laugh around her, as Mike turns his attention to the wonderful girl beside him. He honestly can't believe she is finally able to experience what it's like to be a kid with them. And he couldn't be happier.
"I'm hungry" Dustin's voice echoes around them. Will hops up from his bed, "I'll go see if we can get something ordered in!" he says excitedly as he rushes out of the room.
Mike and the others raise themselves upwards as they watch the boy run out of the room. They all move to stand near his door, listening to the conversation from the kitchen. Mike peers out the door as he hears Joyce say, "What's up bud?"
Mike watches as Will moves from side to side on his feet, as he speaks, "Uhm, we were just wondering, we're getting kind of hungry, can we order pizza?" he says hopefully.
The others hear Joyce laugh as she says, "Only if this guy's willing to chip in" she pats his shoulder lightly. Mike listens as Hopper lets out a long breath before he says, "Yeah, okay, what do you kids-" but as soon as he begins to ask for toppings,Mike is pushed out of the way as Lucas, Dustin and Max barrel past him, yelling numerous toppings at Hopper. He holds himself steady in the doorway, as he moves to look at El, who is giving him a curious look, instead of answering though, he holds out a hand and smiles to her. She returns his smirk with her own, as she grabs ahold of his hand as he leads them out the door.
As they step outside into the kitchen, Mike listens to the others discuss pizza toppings, however, everyone is brought out of their own moment when a small voice beside him asks,"What's pizza?"
And even Mike is a little surprised at the girls words, as their hands are held firmly together. All eyes are now on her. "You don't know what pizza is?" Lucas asks incredulously, in which Mike watches as El shakes her head, looking down at her feet, feeling uncomfortable.
"What the hell Hopper, you never brought her home pizza?" Dustin stares wildly at the middle age man, who only shrugs, "Never thought of it I guess", Hopper admits. Mike sighs as Dustin doesn't relent,"It's a kids right of passage!" He shouts throwing his hands in the air. Hopper shakes his head at the dramatic boy, "Alright, alright, I guess we will even see if she likes pizza" Hopper tells the teens who stand about.
Hopper turns his attention to the girl beside Mike, "What do you want for a topping, El?" he asks her. Mike looks down at her as she gives the man a confused look. Hopper looks like he's about to speak, but Mike swoops in before he can even get a letter out, "It's like what goes on top of it" he explains with enthusiasm, and his heart thrums against his chest when El's face lights up as he speaks.
He continues to explain what a pizza is to the girl, "So, it's basically a flatbread, topped with a tomato sauce, then cheese, and then people add other toppings to that" he explains, and her eyes go wide, "Eggos?" she asks, her own excitement growing.
Mike can't help but have an unsure look cross his face at her question, but he honestly can say he should have seen it coming. He is able to compose himself enough to speak, "Uhm, you probably could...it's not a usual topping for pizza-" and at this he watches in horror as he watches El's face fall slightly, but before she falls to sad, Mike tugs at her hand to look at him, and he smiles brightly to her, "Why don't we do a plain cheese, and then you can add eggos here?" he suggests. And with relief, El's smile is bright once again, as she simply nods her head in agreeance.
Mike silently pats himself on the back for saving himself on that one. He turns his attention back to Hopper, who rolls his eyes as he goes to the phone to place an order for the pizza. Mike pulls at El's hand as he leads her into the living room, the other teens following. They sit around the coffee table, teaching El new card games, that she quickly enjoys.
An hour later, Hopper arrives back to the Byers place with an armful of pizza. The teens swarm him like a fly to trash, and he has to bark at them to 'get out of the way, or you won't get any' and they then calm themselves down enough to move so Hopper can place the pizzas onto the counter.
Mike watches as his friends attack the pizza like it was the last food on the planet, and he can't help but chuckle at their antics. He instead stands off to the side, his hand intertwined with El's as they wait their turn, desperately not wanting to lose a hand to their friends.
"What's that?" El leans in and whispers to him as he points to Dustin's pizza with the pineapple. Mike scrunches up his nose, "Ugh, pineapple, for some reason Dustin loves he" he turns to El adn pretends to gag, in which makes her giggle in return. Listening to her small giggle, only makes Mike want to make sure he hears it on a daily basis. Warmth fills his body at having her so near.
When their friends have finally grabbed their pizza and head towards the living room, Mike pulls El to the table. She seems unsure, so he grabs two pieces of cheese and two pieces of pepperoni, he places one of each onto their plates.
El shoots him a questioning look, but all he says is,"The basic"and she nods with a wide smile.
They too, move to the living room to join their friends. Hopper follows them. Will, Lucas and Dustin have taken up the couch, while Max sits in the lone armchair, her feet tucked up underneath her. Mike and El sit next to each other on the floor sitting in front of the coffee table. El moves as she picks up her first slice of pizza. And suddenly, everyone stops eating, and their eyes lock onto El.
Mike watches as she brings the pizza to her mouth. He watches her as she takes a bite and chews thoroughly. And, as expected, her face lights up, and when she swallows she says, "That's really good", and her friends cheer.
They sit comfortably and chat idly as they chew on their pizza, exchanging short stories from their school days or from moments from the past. Mike doesn't like the teasing stories his friends lament about him in school in front of El, he glares at them, but El's reassuring squeeze of his hand tells him that she doesn't care what they say, she will always admire him.
Mike chuckles as El has quickly finished her first piece of plain pizza and moves onto the pepperoni, he smiles widely when he sees her eyes light up even more with this piece. She devours it quickly.
Mike is eating his pizza slowly, already knowing the flavor and deliciousness that it is, he can't take his eyes off of the girl who is experiencing this for the first time. She is getting towards the end, of her second slice, when he notices sauce has found its way onto her mouth. Without thinking, he grabs for his napkin, and he whispers, "El" to her. She turns to look at the boy, as she notices the napkin held out to her.
They lock eyes for a moment, as he gently reaches out and moves the napkin against her delicate skin. Mike watches as her face slowly lights up red, and he's sure his does the moves his hand downward, as El mouths a "Thank you" to him. Mike ducks his head, but then he gives her a smile, they move closer to one another.
It's as if everyone else in the room disappears. Mike can hear Dustin's babbling in the far off distance, but, right now, all of his attention has zoned in on the girl beside him. Their eyes move across the others faces, searching for something. Mike begins to feel the magnetic pull between them. He watches as El's eyes flitter down to his lips, and then to his eyes once again. His heart beats wildly against his chest. Forgetting everything else, Mike parts his lips as he bends down towards the girl, as he watches her bend her face up to him. Their noses softly bump into one another, but it's not to be as a loud, "So, how's the pizza, El?" makes it so they jump apart as if they've been struck by lightning.
Mike flounders a bit, his face red, as all eyes are now on them both. Will breaks the tension with his own question, "Yeah, which did you like better, El?" He hears El huff beside him, and his heart stumbles as he is pretty sure he hears the disappointment in her voice, but she answers with, "Pepperoni, definitely" she grins.
And the others let out either cheers of approval or faces of disgust. They continue to mingle together, when Nancy pokes her head around the corner, "Hey, Mike, mom just called, we've gotta get going soon" she says, biting her lip.
Mike hears his sisters words and can't help but let out a huff in annoyance, "It's the weekend, can't we just stay here again?" he stresses. But, to his disappointment, Nancy shakes her head, "Sorry Mike, I think mom knows something is up, she wants us home", she then turns to Lucas and Dustin, "I guess your moms want you home too" she says to them, and they let out noises of disappointment as well.
"But-" Mike tries again, his face filled with dread, his anxiety kicking into overdrive, knowing that leaving means, having to say goodbye to El, which, he does not want to do. Mike is brought out of his moment when he sees Hopper stand out of the corner of his eye as he says, "We've got to get going too, I still need to shower, and we need to get El back to the cabin".
At Hopper's words, something blazes within Mike, he gets to his feet quickly, "So, what, is this the last time we can see El?" he throws out, anger dripping from his words.
The room falls silent around them. He knows he shouldn't be doing this, but his dread, his everlasting worry of being away from El hangs over him.
The moment is broken when Mike hears Dustin say, "Oh geez, we're out of pizza, come on guys!" he bristles as he stands as quickly as he can, Lucas, Max and Will on his heels following him back into the kitchen. Leaving Mike staring down Hopper.
Mike eyes the man warily, as Hopper speaks first, "So, what kid? Everytime something doesn't work out in your favor, you're going to throw a fit?" he fires at him. Mike immediately begins to feel his face grow warm, a red haze glazing over his eyes. He rolls his fingers into his palm, tightening them into fists. He wasn't going to lose this battle.
"It just seems like everytime you step in...El gets taken away again. And what, how long are we going to have to wait this time, two years?!" he throws a glare at Hopper, his anger getting the best of him. So he decides to keep fueling it,"You know how much pain that separation caused us!" Mike growls gesturing between himself and El. "I won't be kept away from her this time" he says through gritted teeth as he moves himself so that he is face to face with Hopper.
They both glare at one another, daring the other to speak. Hopper stares down at him, attempting to intimidate Mike, but he doesn't back down. In his mind, Mike has to show him how much he cares, how much the separation destroyed apart of themselves.
Mike watches in surprise as Hopper body relaxes as he lets out a long breath, "Well, kid, if you'd actually let me explain the situation, you might not get so heated about it".
Mike falters slightly, he takes a step back, his anger dissipating slightly,"What do you mean?" he inquires.
Hopper glares at him, "Are you going to let me explain, and not jump down my throat?" he questions the him. Mike searches his face, not wanting to relent, but then he hears a soft voice behind him, "Mike", he turns quickly to the source. El stands beside him, and she intertwines her hand with his and gives him a soft smile. He feels his body relax at her touch, "Let him talk" she states to him. Mike contemplates her words slightly, but he can't help but obey her commands, he knows he can't say no to her, so, he slowly nods and comes to sit with her on the couch.
Mike and El stare up at the man, waiting for him to explain. Mike focuses on the soothing motion of El's thumb stroking his hand. Hopper finally starts, "Look, I've got a plan that has already been started, and it has something to do with lab getting shut down and El being able to go out" he explains slowly, and at his words, Mike leans into his words.
Hopper holds a hand up in front of both of them though, a silent reminder of making sure they know not to get too excited, Hopper continues, "However, I don't know how long it will take, I'm hoping sooner rather than later" he says delicately.
Mike sighs at his words, as El speaks beside him "Don't like the word 'soon'" she mutters, and her words break his heart slightly. He softens, turning back to Hopper as he lets out a heavy sigh as he bends down to their level, "Hey kid" he tries to grab El's attention but she shakes her head, refusing to speak.
Seeing how upset she is, Mike reaches out to her as he delicately places an arm around her shoulder, he gives her a tight squeeze, a reminder that he's right there beside her. She slowly moves her head to face him. He gives her a warm, knowing smile, and she immediately softens at his look, silently understanding Mike's intentions.
Mike watches as El turns her head, directing her attention back to Hopper. Hopper gives her a grateful smile, as he reaches forward and rubs at her curls, she laughs at the affection. "I know you don't like the word 'soon' kid, but there's something else that comes with this instead" he explains, and both Mike and El give him a questioning look.
"I've gotten the go ahead to let you two be able to talk to one another-but, only through Mike's supercom" he allocates.
"But, El doesn't have a supercom" Mike states sadly, and Hopper rolls his eyes, "I'll get her one kid, and I'll let you know when you two can talk", he explains.
Mike's chest fills with excitement at being able to talk to El when they are apart, but in all honesty, he wants more than that. And as if El can read his mind she speaks his unsaid question
"What about seeing each other?" she asks with hopeful eyes.
Mike watches as Hopper sighs, as if he knew this question was coming, he eyes the man warily as he speaks, "That's where you guys are going to have to compromise and be patient, if I get the okay, then I'll definitely let it happen, alright?" his eyes flick between each of them.
Mike contemplates Hopper's words in his head, however, El speaks again, "Snowball?" she asks in a small hopeful voice. And at her words, Mike turns to the girl, in utter shock, he can barely form words, "You...still want to go….with me?" he asks in disbelief, not knowing if she had remembered his explanation of the dance, and if she would actually want to go with him. But, his fear is diminished as El gives him a small smile, nodding at his question.
This then sends Mike's mouth into overdrive, as it widens in absolute joy, "That would be amazing" he sighs, his eyes, his every being melting into this wonderful girl beside him.
They are annoyingly brought out of their moment when Hopper says, "This again, I thought you dropped it?" his question aimed for El, but she shoots him a look, as she says "Promised". Mike's heart beats even more wildly as she remembered their word.
Hopper lets out another long breath, "I know kid, and I promise, I'll try my best to get you there with Wheeler, okay?" he says in a gentle voice. Mike hears the man's voice, but his attention is on El, trying to gauge her emotions.
Mike watches as El scans Hoppers face with her wide, amber eyes, attempting to make sure to see that there was no lie beneath his words. And she must have trusted his look, when she relaxes and nods to the man.
Hopper sighs in relief, "Thanks kids, I know this won't be easy, but we'll get there, you'll see". And at this Mike and El nod to the chief, as they slump against the couch, El's head coming to rest against Mike's shoulder, and he's pretty sure he feels his heart stop at her closeness. But he settles into her, enjoying their last couple minutes together.
Mikes eyes follow Hopper as he stands and moves towards the kitchen. He lets out a long breath as he rubs his head against El's, "Soon...I don't like that word either" he chuckles sadly at her. He feels El nod her head against his chin. "No….but promised, I will be at the snowball" she says with determination behind her voice.
Mike pulls away slightly and gazes down at the girl who is curled up against him. And he smiles warmly at her he wraps a gentle arm around her and squeezes tight, "Don't worry El, it won't be forever this time" he states, as they sit in silence together.
It seems like their time together went by so quickly, and El dreads the moment she will have to say goodbye to her friends, Mike in particular. El and the party are all standing around outside. Hopper had just explained the rules about talking with her to the rest of the party. Dustin and Lucas roll their eyes, while Max and Will sigh. El sees the frustration written on their faces and explains how it is a 'compromise' to them. They seem to somewhat understand, as they move towards the girl, each of the boys giving her a small hug goodbye.
El and Mike wait outside Hopper's cruiser as Dustin, Max and Lucas cram into the back of the vehicle. Once they are settled, El hops into the front seat, Mike following her as they squeeze in together. They blush at their close interaction, however, El honestly doesn't care as she rests her very tired head against Mike's chest, she feels his head rest against hers, and her whole body lights up in delight.
El listens as Hopper revs the old cruisers engine to life, as he skillfully backs out of the Byers driveway.
El closes her eyes as their journey is silent through the winding back roads of Hawkins. The cruiser bounces this way and that, which makes her body bump closer to Mike's each time Hopper hits even the smallest pothole. El reaches out an arm across Mike to hold herself steady, and she's pretty sure she hears Hopper scoff at their close proximity, but she honestly doesn't care.
Before long, Hopper pulls up to the first two houses and Max and Dustin are the first to be dropped off. El raises her head from Mike's chest just enough to wave goodbye to them. Lucas is dropped off next, and El and Mike take this moment to move to the back seat so that there's a little more room for them to sit next to each other, and so that they could get some privacy. El cuddles closer into Mike's chest as he holds her close. She knows his house is only a stone throw away, so she clings to him for dear life. She begins to feel the hot sting of tears starting to prick at her eyes, and she desperately doesn't want to cry, not when that's all that she has done in yearning for the boy she now holds close to her.
However, she hears a sniffle, and turns her head up slightly to catch Mike's face, and see's that a stray tear has fallen, and that's when her tears let loose, as she buries herself into his neck, crying silently together.
All too soon Hopper pulls into the Mike's driveway, El watches as he turns towards herself and Mike. But, she turns her head just so, and her watery eyes that match Mike's find each other. They take the moment to memorize everything about the other. They way their faces move, the color of their eyes, everything, because they don't know when the next time they will be seeing each other. El wants to say so much to the boy, but not within the ear shot of Hopper.
She sighs heavily as she pulls away from Mike, however, she hears a sigh from the front seat, she turns to Hopper who is flicking a hand at both of them, "El, you can walk him to the door to say goodbye, just don't linger too long, okay?" and at his words, a small breath escapes El, and she hears Mike do the same. They both smile brightly at one another as Mike opens the door to the cruiser, stepping out first.
El follows behind Mike, who begins moving towards his house, however, she hesitates slightly before closing the door, she can't help but narrow her eyes at Hopper, sending him a silent message of, please don't watch us. She watches as Hopper rolls his eyes and turns his head away from Mike's house as he waves a hand at her and says, "Don't worry kid, I won't watch" El smiles at his words, as she shuts the cruisers door and quickly runs to catch up with Mike, who stands waiting for her only a couple feet ahead of her.
He holds out a hand to her, in which she eagerly grasps as she holds onto his arm, and lays her head gently against his shoulder. She sighs in contentment as Mike walks her to the front door. They stay silent even as they step up the concrete steps. They turn and face one another.
Mike gives her a tight smile as they hold both hands between each other. "So…" Mike attempts to break the silence that hangs between them. "So…" El quietly repeats, which brings a smile to the boys face, in which she loves to see. Mike shakes his head at her, "There's...just so much I want to say, just to you, but...I feel like we didn't even get two seconds alone" he explains as he plays with her hand, having a hard time meeting her eyes.
El nods in return, knowing exactly how the boy feels, because she wants to talk to. About the year they had apart, about the Upside Down, about everything. "I know, me too" El whispers to the boy, who finally looks into her eyes. Even though they had only spent a week together a year ago, an unbreakable connection formed between the two of them. And El wanted to know more about this boy, she wanted to grow and experience new things with him. Her heart sighed heavily within her.
El searches the boys face, and she watches as he fights with words he wants to say, he opens and closes his mouth, debating over his words, "El" he finally chokes out, and she smiles softly at him, "Yes", she whispers to him. "Uhm...when we get to see each other again...can it be...just you...and me?" he gives her a heartfelt look. El understands his words, as her smile grows larger, she gently nods her head, "Yes, I'd like that" she says gently, as Mike's mouth grows into a timid smile as he lets out a breath in relief, "Good, ok" he breathes. And El can't help but giggle at the boy.
They stand there for a moment, just taking each other in, when their eyes meet, and something else stands between them. She feels herself moving closer to the boy, and he mimics her movements. The pull is immensely strong, and El had never felt it before, until she met this amazing boy in front of her. Everything about her wanted to just be closer to him, like not having any kind of physical connection to him made her feel empty. She thinks back to the night in the cafeteria, when they had shared their first kiss together, it was something she didn't understand then, but did in this moment.
She watches as Mike bends his head lower, and she stands on her toes slightly, wanting to meet him halfway. Their nose brush against one another, cold from the night air, they stop, their eyes searching the others, making sure this was okay for the other, but as they both felt the pull, they closed the space between them.
El feels the warmth spread between them as their lips connect with one another. This time she feels Mike cast out his hands slowly, as he gently grasps her arms and pulls her just a little closer. El's hands move and find their way onto Mike's chest, and she grasps at his shirt. Their mouths move tentatively against one another. And El immediately melts into the embrace, this kiss being the longest between them.
She feels Mike shift his head slightly so that their mouths part for a moment, but are together within a second. El takes this moment to toss her arms behind the boys head, pulling him tighter together. It's sweet and innocent. But when they finally pull apart for a breath of air, it's as if everything around them is lighter. They give each other warm smiles, but El wants to be within his arms again so she throws her arms around his neck, as their bodies are taught against one another. Mike's arms hold her tightly, and she feels every ounce of the feeling he is pouring into their embrace.
"This is nice", El whispers into Mike's ear. She feels him hum against her in delight. "Yeah, it is" he says. And slowly, they break apart, knowing that their time is short. El feels her face fall, and she watches Mike do the same. He attempts a smile at her, "Call me the second you get your new supercom, okay, channel eleven" he smirks. El's heart swells at the boys words, and she nods, "Channel eleven" she whispers.
Their is a heavy silence that falls between them, and El is holding back her tears with every breath, but she know Hopper will be calling to her soon. So, she silently steps forward and stands on her tiptoes as she places a gentle kiss on Mike's cheek. She lingers ever so slightly and pulls away, she can't help but adore the way his face lights up red at her action. They give each other one last smile as she steps down one step, their hands still grasped together, "Bye, Mike" she whispers sadly.
But Mike shakes his head, "No, no more goodbyes, I'll see you later" he gives her an earnest look. She beams at him, "See you later" she repeats as she continues to step down the front steps. Holding onto the boys hands until they can no longer be held. She misses his contact immediately, so she walks back to Hoppers vehicle backwards, not wanting to let Mike out of her sight just yet.
When El finally reaches the vehicle, and she opens the door, her head immediately turning back to gaze longingly at Mike, as he does the same. Hopper revs the engine once again, as El continues to gaze out the window as Hopper backs out the Wheeler's driveway. El doesn't take her eyes off of the Wheeler's home until it is no longer in sight. And once it is, she begins to silently cry, letting the pent of sadness wash over her.
The tears fall easily as she sniffles, trying to not cry out. But then she sees out of the corner of her eye that Hopper has reached out his right hand to her, she peeks up at him to see he's still watching the road, but he is trying to comfort her. She smiles to herself as she takes his hand in comfort and gives it a tight squeeze. She hears him sigh next to her, "Kid, I really do promise this time, soon, will be soon". She listens to his words, but there is an uncertain knot that holds tight within her stomach. At first, she doesn't want to believe him, but deep down….she knows he won't keep Mike and her apart, so she takes in a deep breath and says, "I know", through her watery breath, she turns to look at him with genuine trust embedded within her smile, and she sees him relax.
They sit in silence for a while, allowing the night to pass them by as they head towards the cabin. El sits, watching the trees go by, thinking of the dark haired boy when she feels Hoppers eyes on her, she turns and gives him a questioning look as he says, "So", he asks, "Did he kiss you?" he gives her a teasing look.
And at his words El can't help but gasp, as she leans over and smacks his arm, "Hopper!" she growls at him. And at that Hopper lets out a barking laugh, which she doesn't find amusing, "You said you weren't watching!" she throws at him.
He continues to laugh, "I didn't actually, but you just confirmed that he did!" he throws his head back, in which El growls at the man again, as her face lighting up red, as she crosses her arms over her chest, huffing in return.
"No fair" she comments as she turns away from the still laughing man. But, even though she is still slightly ticked off by Hopper's words, El can't help but smile to herself at his charm and silently thanks the stars for allowing two amazing guys to have come into her life.
WOW! Okay that was 30 pages worth of writing! The longest chapter I have written yet for ANY of my stories! I really hope you all enjoy this one and I hope that it is not repeditive. It's hard writing the same thing in two different perspectives while trying to keep some originality in place.
So, next chapter will be Hopper's view again, and it will be the days leading up to the snowball!
Let me know, are you guys still enjoying the flip between scenes? I love writing Hopper's perspective because I think it's funny, but I can't help the Mileven fluff scenes from their own perspectives. Also, from some awesome suggestions going to try to integrate what the rest of the party thinks of this new budding relationship.
And as always REVIEWS are more than welcome! Thanks again!