A/N: I know there are a bajillion fics out there about mileven centric events between season 2 and season 3, but you haven't had one from me yet, so surprise. El's POV
El was still reeling from The Snowball. Specifically the touching lips part. The kiss, she reminds herself. She remembers the first time watching two people do this exact thing on the TV in her time of self isolation at Hop's cabin, and getting excited knowing it was the same thing Mike and her did on that last day they were together. For some reason, Hopper's face had gotten all red when she had asked him what it was called. He had mumbled something about how it wasn't important, that she didn't need to know, but El had disagreed-it seemed quite important to her-so she'd persisted until he told her the name for it. Kissing. Even now the word brings a smile to El's lips. It has been two days since the snowball, since the time she got to dance with Mike, to be with him and their friends at the school, to feel pretty again. Two days since Mike fulfilled his promise-maybe we can go to the snowball together-and still, every time Eleven closes her eyes, she sees herself kissing Mike, their heads resting against each other, the way he held her hand even when they stopped dancing and went back to their friends. The whole night she felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. She can't stop smiling when she thinks about it. The only thing that does keep the smile from her face is the fact that it has been two days, two whole days, and she hasn't seen Mike. Sure, she went more than 353 days without seeing him, so theoretically two days should be easy. But no. Two days is torture.
"Please?!" She begs, once again giving Hop the doe-eyed treatment she learned was quite effective in the past. "Can I PLEASE see him?"
Hopper sighs, and El thinks her constant begging might have finally paid off.
"Fine," he agrees begrudgingly. "I guess there's no point in keeping you separated anymore. But he has to come here. You're not ready to go out into town yet, and we'll have to think of something to tell the Wheelers. Maybe let them know about the adoption somehow…" but El has stopped listening. She is overly ecstatic at the prospect of Mike coming to the cabin. She'll get to see him again! She has a million things she wants to show him-her room, her TV, the place they keep the eggos-and more than that, she has been dying for them to kiss again. Her cheeks redden at the thought.
"Eleven, are you listening?" Her head whips around at Hopper's question.
"No," she replies honestly.
The chief sighs again. "We need to set some ground rules. First things first, he can only be here under supervision." Before she gets the chance to ask what that word means, he continues. "And not by those dorky kids, it has to be by an adult. You can hang out at the cabin but you can't leave with him to go anywhere else. And there will be a curfew..." Again, he continues before she can ask for a definition. "...that is set by me and is subject to change as I see fit. And most importantly, if you are ever alone in your room together…" He looks her dead in the eyes, making sure she is paying attention and taking him seriously. "Leave the door open three inches."
El nods quickly, the grin on her face impossible to hide. These are much better than the don't be stupid rules. Because now, she gets to see Mike! She can't wait to call him and tell him.
I was debating between doing a really long one shot or breaking it into chapters. I chose chapters, so each one might feel short, but I promise they're just small pieces of a bigger thing. Enjoy!