A/N: Hello all! It seems like this story is starting to get less traffic. Whether that is my fault for letting it go several weeks at a time without an update occasionally, or people are losing interest in this subject matter, or people have their own things going on, I want you guys to know that I appreciate you all taking the time to read, review, favorite, and follow, and thank you for sticking with me. I also genuinely hope you're all doing well and staying safe and healthy. 2020 is crazy, and things are only going to get crazier (if you live in the US, like I do). So, thank you all for reading. Please remember to review this chapter, and I hope you like it!
NoDownSide: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it and found the part with the bra funny. You're right, there is definitely conflict to come. I hope you enjoy it.
Shrike176: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Mike and El further their relationship in a couple different ways. I enjoyed reading your ideas of the different ways this could go, and I hope you like the way it does go!
Quest: Thank you. Yes, I have seen photos of season 4 filming on Instagram!
Andy: And thank you so much for reading.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters.
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El felt her body tense when she looked up and saw Eric enter the classroom. A part of her had been oddly dreading the start of this week. Eric had never really been cruel to her. He had actually seemed nice and welcoming when she had first met him in the check-in line the day they arrived, unlike Jason who made his fowl intentions quite clear from the beginning. But as the weeks had gone on, El had seen and heard more things about Eric that led her to believe that he was just as big of a creep as Jason, he just was not as outward about it.
Still, she offered him a warm smile as he approached the front of the classroom where El was separating the material by lesson. El figured there was no harm in trying to start the week off on the right foot. They had to work together all week, right? Might as well try to get along.
"Good morning," she said when Eric reached the table in front.
"Morning," Eric replied with a small nod before glancing down at the papers sprawled over the table.
"I was just organizing by lesson," El explained. "How do you want to do this?"
"I don't really have a preference," Eric shrugged. "Whatever you're most comfortable with."
"Would you mind instructing lessons one and two, and I'll do three and four after break?" El asked, suggesting the same routine that she had followed with Mike the previous week.
"Sounds good to me," Eric agreed.
"Great," El smiled.
It looked like Eric was about to say more, but El turned away from him and began addressing the classroom full of new students.
"Good morning! It's ten o'clock, so if everyone could sit down, we'll get started," she said cheerfully.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Eric's lips were pursed as if he were annoyed that she had cut him off. Oh well. They had to get along well enough to work together; they didn't have to be friends.
El and Eric each introduced themselves and went around the room so the campers could all introduce themselves as well.
"Nice shirt, buddy," Eric said excitedly to an eleven-year-old boy wearing a blue Indianapolis Colts t-shirt. "You like football?"
"Uh huh," the boy nodded enthusiastically. "I got this shirt when I went to a game with my dad and older brother last year."
"I bet that was a lot of fun to do together," Eric said.
"It was," the boy replied, and then his face fell. "Except now my brother makes fun of me for coming to science camp. He said it's not cool, and only nerds go to science camp."
"Well you can tell your brother that your instructor at science camp was a varsity football player," Eric said smugly.
"You play football?" the boy asked, his eyes widening.
"Well, I'm definitely not talking about Miss El," Eric quipped.
El turned her head toward him and felt the corners of her mouth tug upward in a grin as several of the campers laughed at Eric's joke.
"But yes, I play football, and I like science. There's nothing wrong with that. People aren't defined by just one thing you know about them," Eric said pointedly, glancing a few seconds longer at El before turning back toward the boy.
El subtly shook her head before looking back down at the table and picking up the stack of papers for the first lesson of the day. When introductions were complete, she began walking to each table and passing out the packets.
"We'll be covering four different topics," she explained as she walked through the classroom. "The first topic is physics, and you'll be learning about simple machines. After we cover all the different types of simple machines, you will get to put it to use and design and build a balloon-powered car that you will race at the end of the week."
Excitement murmured through the classroom at the prospect of racing, and when El had finished passing out the material, she walked to the back of the classroom and turned out the lights while Eric prepared to hit start on the PowerPoint.
"But before we get to the fun stuff, Eric has a slideshow for you," El smiled as the campers groaned.
She smirked as Eric met her gaze briefly before diving into today's physics lesson.
On the other side of camp, Dustin and Suzie were off to a great start, clearly excited to be working together.
"So you have to bear with us for these first couple days while we show you slideshows, but at the end of the week, one of you will reign victorious when your car dominates those of your competitors," Dustin said from the front of the classroom where he and Suzie were set up.
"What do we get for winning?" asked a boy in the front row.
"Bragging rights," Dustin replied.
"Lame," the boy sighed.
"The satisfaction that you built the sturdiest, fastest, and most resilient car in the class," Suzie chimed in.
"That's just a fancy way of saying bragging rights," the boy said.
"Listen, Charlie – may I call you Charlie?" Dustin began.
"My name's Carson," the boy replied, his brow furrowed.
"I knew it started with a C. You look like a Charlie to me," Dustin shrugged. "So listen, Charlie, we are trying to provide a fun, enthusiastic environment for you little Einsteins to expand your pre-adolescent brains in the world of science. We don't have trophies or ribbons for you, so if you can't be happy with the knowledge and experience that you get here this week, then maybe this camp isn't for you. Got it?"
Carson narrowed his eyes, not breaking contact with Dustin who maintained a firm look on his own face.
"Got it," Carson finally relented, looking down at his own table.
"Good. Any more questions before we get started?" Dustin asked, looking around to survey the classroom. All the campers shook their heads.
When Dustin turned back to face Suzie, she was observing him with an amused look on her face.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," Suzie replied, shaking her head, but still trying to hold back her laughter. "Just start the slideshow."
In Mike and Dani's classroom, Dani had entered the room that morning with a bubbly attitude and a big smile. Mike was leaning against the table in the front of the classroom, having recently arrived after parting ways with El.
He was feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he knew his and El's bond was strong and was only continuing to grow stronger. They had taken a couple big steps over the weekend, physically and emotionally. El had introduced him to her best friend, albeit over FaceTime, and they had talked even more about their plans for after they leave camp. She seemed genuinely excited to come all the way to Hawkins and meet his friends and family and spend time together, even though Mike had explained to her that there was not much to do in Hawkins outside of the movie theatre, the mall, and the arcade. El did not seem to mind. Then there was the physical part that had moved into new territory. After they had explored each other a bit Saturday afternoon, they snuck away to their spot again on Sunday, both unable to resist the temptation. Mike could still feel her soft skin under his fingertips and between his lips, could hear her soft moans and feel her breath against his neck, could feel the electricity shooting through every vein in his body when her gentle fingers touched him so delicately. They hadn't gone all the way; El was not ready for that. Mike was perfectly content letting El take the lead on how far she was willing to go. He certainly was not one to complain.
Then on the other hand, even though Mike knew things were going well and becoming so intimate, he could not seem to silence those insecurities and dark thoughts that had begun digging their way back inside his mind. He would be back to seeing El only during breakfast, lunch break, and after classes had ended for the day. The rest of the day, El would be with Eric all week. Mike did his best to remind himself that El cared about him, and that El liked him for who he was. He replayed that first night in the lake when he had overcome his insecurities of not looking like Eric or Jason, when he had opened up to El about his self-consciousness. She had been gentle and caring, and she made him feel better about himself. But still, knowing that El was going to be alone with Eric who was conventionally attractive, athletic, and apparently smart…
But Eric was with Dani. Of course, Mike did not have much faith in that. He was sure that Eric and Dani were by no means soulmates or even in an actual relationship. In fact, Mike continually found himself wondering why he still saw Eric and Dani together when Eric had gotten what he had wanted from Dani over a week ago. Why hadn't Eric ended things with her yet? Mike was certain it was coming. And then what would stop Eric from going after El? Hell, what would stop him from going after her now? It's not like Eric struck Mike as the type of guy who cared about Dani's feelings.
"Good morning, Mike," Dani smiled as she reached the front of the classroom.
"Good morning," Mike replied.
He looked at Dani's face which was brightened by her genuine smile. Her makeup was completed as it was daily, and her eyes radiated happiness. Well, Eric still hadn't ended things with her.
Mike and Dani introduced themselves to the campers and dove into lesson one.
The rest of the morning passed by rather quickly, as the campers in each of the cabins participated readily enough to keep the classes moving. After cleaning up the dissection of the earthworm, the campers were dismissed for their phys ed and lunch hours. In El and Eric's classroom, El had just finished wiping down the counter, and she was about to leave for lunch when she heard Eric stop her.
"Hey, El," he called, and she turned around to face him as he walked toward her. "Before you go, I just wanted to clear the air."
"What are you talking about?" El asked, curious to see exactly where he was going with this.
"Well, I know when we first met on day one, we seemed to hit it off okay, almost like we could've been friends," Eric explained.
El raised her eyebrows slightly, wondering if it had ever been on Eric's mind to actually just be friends with her, especially after seeing how quickly he moved in on Dani.
"I know I was hanging out with Jason a lot, and sometimes when I'm around certain types of people, I start to slip into that mentality too, and I know I shouldn't. I know Jason was a jerk, and if I ever came off poorly to you, I want to apologize," Eric said.
El considered his apology. He sounded genuine, and he looked sincere. Of course, he had never really been cruel to her like Jason had been, but he had been friends with Jason. El softened, deciding it would be for the better to forgive him for his behavior and accept that it may have been influenced in part by Jason.
"It's okay," she said. "I know how easy it is to be influenced by other people."
"So, we're okay? Because I want us to be able to work together – and I know we didn't have any problems working together, but I don't want to feel that weird tension between us," Eric said.
"Yeah, we're okay," El replied.
"Cool. I'll see you after lunch, El," Eric said before leaving the classroom.
In the cafeteria, Mike and El met up with Dustin and Suzie for lunch. Kayla and Tom walked in a few minutes later, and after getting their lunch they walked over to the table where the other four sat.
"You guys don't mind if Tom joins us for lunch, do you?" Kayla asked, looking around at the four who she had grown to consider friends.
"Not at all. Pull up a chair," Dustin replied.
Kayla took a seat next to Suzie, and Tom sat across from her next to El.
"How is your day going so far?" Suzie asked, turning toward Kayla.
"Good! We have a couple mouthy campers, but that's with any group of kids," Kayla shrugged, and Suzie nodded her agreement.
"Oh yeah, we know all about that, don't we?" Suzie turned toward Dustin with an amused grin.
"I have no idea what you are referring to," Dustin said.
"What did Dustin do?" Mike asked.
"He had a standoff with an eleven-year-old boy," Suzie replied through a wide smile.
"Did he win?" Mike chuckled, and Dustin glared at him from across the table.
"If you consider winning to be making my point for the appreciation of science, then yes, Michael, I won," Dustin said.
"And you were so tough, too, Dusty-bun. Standing up to that middle schooler," Suzie teased, pinching at Dustin's cheek while their friends laughed and Dustin blushed.
"Alright, alright. You all laugh, but sometimes they need to be put in their place," Dustin insisted.
"Sure, Dustin," Mike smirked.
"And how about you? How are things going with Dani? Has the ceiling come falling down yet?" Dustin asked, turning things around on Mike.
"Actually, no, they haven't," Mike replied, looking over at a table along the opposite wall where Dani and Eric sat eating lunch. "And, I mean, things have been fine. She's a nice girl."
"El, how is working with Eric going?" Suzie asked.
"Surprisingly well," El replied, and Mike turned to look at her. "He's weirdly pretty good with the campers, and he seems to enjoy the stuff we're teaching."
"He always did like science," Tom said. "He kept acting like he was only here because his parents thought it would look good for colleges, but I think he still enjoys it like he did when we were younger… Even if he is a jerk now."
"I was worried about working with him, but he actually seems to be an okay guy now," El said carefully, and she felt Mike tense up beside her. "I mean, I obviously don't fully trust it, but he apologized to me and said he didn't mean to come off negatively, but being around people like Jason pull that side out of him."
"If being around certain people bring that side out, that still means that side is there in the first place," Suzie pointed out.
"No, I know," El said. "I'm not saying I'm going to be friends with him. I'm just glad that he and I will be able to work together this week. I was hoping we would be able to get along well enough for that."
El glanced over at Mike who was looking down at his plate on the table. She reached over and rested her hand on his leg under the table, and Mike offered a small smile and placed his hand on top of her hand.
After lunch, Mike and El separated from their friends and decided to go for a walk. They walked until they reached the large grassy area in front of the admin building, and they sat next to each other on a bench along the edge of the woods. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining through the trees, and it was warm but not disgustingly hot.
El turned sideways on the bench, draping her legs over Mike's and resting her arm behind him, reaching her fingers up to twirl strands of his hair gently.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Mike asked.
"You seemed… off… toward the end of lunch," El replied.
She had felt him tense up when she began talking about Eric, and she noticed how he wasn't even looking at her toward the end. They were small signs, but they were there.
"I don't know," Mike sighed, and El waited patiently for him to continue. "I'm glad that you're getting along with Eric, I guess. I mean, I didn't want this week to be bad or uncomfortable for you."
"But…?" El encouraged him to continue when he paused.
"But I still don't trust him, El," Mike admitted.
"Well, do you trust me?" El asked.
"Of course," Mike replied.
"Then what's the problem?" El asked, and Mike sighed, unsure of how to explain how he felt.
He looked into her hazel eyes which were staring at him so soft and sincerely. He was being stupid. Mike knew he was the only person El looked at like that. He was the only person she had opened up to the way she had. Their connection was real, and their relationship was strong. Mike was not going to let his insecurities win and screw things up.
"There is no problem," Mike said, forcing a smile.
So what if she was working with another guy? El had shown him numerous times that she truly cares about him. Of course, Mike had thought Stephanie truly cared about him, too. And maybe she had, until she met Troy. Then things changed because she was able to be with someone better.
No, Mike pushed that thought as far away from his mind as he could. El was not like that. Thinking about Stephanie cheating on him was only going to work him up, and Mike knew that. This was different; his relationship with El was already more meaningful than his relationship with Stephanie had been. Mike was not going to get inside his own head and let himself destroy it.
"Are you sure? If there is a problem, I want to talk about it," El asked again.
"I'm sure. There is no problem," Mike repeated.
"Okay," El gave in, not wanting to push him any further, but not entirely convinced that he wasn't still bothered.
El stopped playing with the strands of Mike's hair and wove her fingers into it, pulling his head toward hers so she could gently meet his lips with her own. She kissed him slowly, hoping to reassure him without words that whatever may still be bothering him would be okay. Mike returned the kiss, tracing his fingers up the soft skin of El's legs that were draped over him until he reached the bottom hem of her denim shorts.
"You know, we still have some time," El whispered against Mike's lips when they pulled back.
Mike grinned and nodded, and then El stood from his lap and pulled him by the hand into the woods behind the bench. They only made it a few feet into the trees before El turned to face Mike and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into another deep kiss.
Soon, Mike was on the ground, his back leaning against a tree while El was on top of him, straddling his hips and pressing their bodies closely together. She felt his hands on her waist slip underneath her shirt, and his warm fingers traced back and forth on the skin of her lower back along the waistband of her shorts.
El trailed her kisses from Mike's mouth down his jaw and settled on a spot on his neck, sucking and nibbling on his skin. She felt his grip on her tighten when he sharply inhaled, and it encouraged El to keep going, shifting her hips against his instinctively.
Mike began to push El's shirt further up her stomach, and El's lips finally pulled back from Mike's neck so her shirt could come over her head. Mike gazed at the girl in his lap. The sunlight coming through the trees shining off her chestnut hair, the pupils of her hazel orbs blown as she looked at him through half-lidded eyes, her lips red and swollen from kissing him, the tan skin of her chest and stomach separated only by the thin fabric of the blue bra that she wore.
"You're so beautiful," Mike sighed, marveling at every inch of her.
El smiled and blushed. Even though he told her she was beautiful every day, El still felt butterflies in her stomach each time as if it were the first time.
She wordlessly moved back in to kiss him again, and Mike and El quickly melted into each other, making the most of the rest of their break.
When their break was over and Mike and El had each returned to their respective classrooms, Mike had completely forgotten the insecurities that had crept inside his mind. El had a way of putting his mind at ease; it was one of the many things he loved about her.
Mike rejoined Dani, and when the campers were all seated and ready to begin, they started lesson three which was about biomes. The campers quietly watched the PowerPoint, and afterward, Dani began lesson four and led the campers through the beginning steps of creating their crystals.
In almost no time at all, the fourth lesson was coming to a close. When the campers finished cleaning up their area, Dani asked if they had any questions. Soon after, the campers were dismissed, and Mike and Dani finished cleaning up their area and making sure the material was in order for the next day.
"Are we about finished here? I'm meeting up with Eric before dinner," Dani said through her ear-to-ear smile.
"Yeah, I think so," Mike said. "You can go ahead and go if you want."
"He's just so wonderful," Dani sighed, leaning against the table with a dreamy expression on her face.
"Eric?" Mike asked, knowing the answer.
"Of course, silly," Dani laughed. "He's so sweet and caring… Mike, you share a cabin with him. Does he ever talk about me?"
Mike thought back to the things he had heard Eric saying to Jason about Dani. Nearly all of it pertained to getting Dani to agree to have sex with him and how he was going to let Jason have "his turn" with her afterward. Mike decided it would be better to keep that to himself rather than tell Dani and have her either not believe him or break her heart… Neither would bode well for Mike for the rest of the week. Plus, Jason was gone, so it wasn't like that part was even relevant anymore.
"Uh, you know, I don't really talk to Eric much," Mike replied, deciding that he wasn't really lying to her.
"Oh," Dani said, her smile falling a bit.
"But, I mean, if he makes you feel that good, then-"
"He does," Dani gushed.
"Well, that's great," Mike said. "I, uh… I hope things work out."
He meant it, to a degree. Of course, Mike didn't really care about Eric or Dani's love lives, but he hoped that as long as Eric was focused on Dani, he would keep his sights off of El. Mike shook the thoughts out of his head again before his insecurities had time to fill his mind like they had earlier.
That night after walking El back to her cabin, Mike was in the male counselors' cabin getting ready to go to bed. While he was brushing his teeth in the large bathroom, Eric came in and started brushing his teeth in the sink next to Mike.
"Hey, are you still seeing El?" Eric asked casually as he squirted some toothpaste onto the bristles of his toothbrush.
"Yes," Mike replied, his body completely tensed up. "Why?"
"Just curious," Eric shrugged, that same casual tone in his voice. "I'm working with her this week."
"I know. She mentioned that," Mike said shortly, rinsing off his toothbrush and placing it back in its holder.
"She did?" Eric asked, his eyebrows raising.
"Yeah, and she knows I'm working with Dani. You're still seeing Dani, right?" Mike asked, and Eric sighed.
"Dani and I have… been having a nice time together," Eric replied. "But you and El, is that more of a casual thing or a serious thing?"
"It's really not your business how serious El and I are. You just need to know she's not available," Mike said steadily, focusing on remaining calm.
"Hey, I'm just making conversation," Eric feigned innocence and raised his hands up in surrender. "I'm sure you two are happy together. She's a sweet girl."
"Yeah, she is," Mike said, watching as Eric finished up and put his toothbrush away.
"Well, good talk," Eric said, clapping Mike on the shoulder with a smug smile before leaving the bathroom.
Mike left the bathroom after him and crawled into his bottom bunk, his heart racing as he reached for his phone. He quickly typed a message to El and hit send.
Good night beautiful. I loved spending time with you today, and I can't wait to see you tomorrow. Sleep tight.
Aww, thanks Mike. I loved spending time with you too. Good night, see you tomorrow. El replied with a heart emoji at the end of her text.
Mike simply replied with a heart emoji of his own and then dropped his phone onto his chest, staring up at the bottom of Dustin's bed above him, steadying his breathing and waiting for his heartrate to return to normal.
Eric was up to something, Mike was sure of it. Should he say something to El? Would that upset her? Mike didn't want El to think he didn't trust her. Surely, if Eric tried something, El would reject him and tell Mike about it, right? Of course she would. Mike closed his eyes and eventually fell into a restless sleep.
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A/N: I hope you all liked this one. I'm sure you can feel that more drama is on the horizon. Let me know what you're thinking! Please remember to leave me a review, and I'll see you next time.