"Even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight. You're a candle in the window, on a cold, dark winter's night and I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might. And I can't fight this feeling anymore. I've forgotten what I started fighting for. It's time to bring this ship into the shore and throw away the oars, forever" -REO Speedwagon
"Good luck," El said with a small giggle, turning away from the kids and grasping Mike's hand as they ran down the hill. El liked hanging out with her friends, she really did. But she also REALLY liked hanging out with Mike. Alone. And at the moment, that's all she could think about. Her heart was pounding, but she knew it wasn't because of the steepness of the climb. She stole a quick glance at Mike, who seemed to be in just as much of a hurry to leave as she was. El thought about yesterday, when they were kissing in her room and Hop had interrupted them. Just like he had the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that. It was getting a little annoying, she had to admit. She really didn't see why Hop had such a problem with El and Mike being alone in her room. Kissing Mike made her happy, and Hop wanted her to be happy, right? So what was the big deal?
Even with the prospect of Hop interrupting them again today, El didn't care. She hadn't kissed Mike all day, and just the thought of his lips on hers made her heart explode. She almost asked him to stop, to just kiss her right then and there in the middle of the woods, but she had promised Hopper that she'd get home, and she knew if she didn't obey his rules he would be mad and wouldn't let Mike come over any more. And let's face it: El wasn't the best at keeping track of time when she was kissing Mike. So she managed to restrain herself, for just a bit longer.
The bike ride home was long, and El seriously thought she might combust. The second they arrived she grabbed Mike's hand and practically ran through the front door. "Hey, Hop!" El exclaimed as she passed him on the way to her bedroom. She was hoping to avoid as much conversation with her father as possible because she wasn't exactly in the mood to chat.
"How did Dustin's homecoming go?" Hopper asked, but El already wasn't listening. She made sure the door was left slightly ajar—three inches to be exact, as per her father's ever demanding insistence—and then turned her attention to her boyfriend.
Mike barely had enough time to turn on the radio before El was kissing him, not that he minded. Mike had been going crazy all day wishing they could be alone. He was excited to see Dustin again, don't get him wrong, but the charged electricity Mike felt between him and his girlfriend was hard to ignore. Suddenly they were in their usual spot: sprawled on El's bed, sitting as close as possible, with music playing from her radio, though Mike couldn't even register what song was playing. The only thing he could focus on was the way El's lips felt against his, so soft yet so fierce, moving against his own. He felt her hand move from his neck to his hair as he gripped her waist tightly, trying to soak in this moment. If it were up to Mike, everyday would be like this, getting swept up in the feeling of just being together.
Mike and El's usual steady rhythm was replaced by a sense of urgency, a heat that was only getting stronger. It was almost as if they knew this would be their last kiss for a while, the last time before angry fathers, lies, and protective friends got in the way. The desperate way they kissed each other reflected the desperate way they felt about each other: the love inside them demanding to be felt, even if neither one had fully realized it yet. The months of separation they had experienced caused the couple to cherish every single moment they had together, and this was no exception.
From outside, the grumblings of heart-to-hearts, sharing feelings, and these damn kids could be heard, and they knew their moment was almost over. So they stole one last kiss, slow and steady, enveloped in the sensation of romance and rebellion, before letting reality set in.