Huge shout out to everyone who once again reached out and left some sweet reviews. I'm truly happy that readers are still enjoying this story because I do love writing it and I'm hoping to get back into updating it more regularly, if my work schedule allows it.
Thank you all for you patience!
Warning: Mild drinking, they are all 21+
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
June 18th, 1993
She marvels at the simplicity that is held between them as they entertain the motion of domestication as Mike washes the dishes and hands them off to her to dry. They fall into a simple conversation, while their motions become clockwork, as if they've done this with each other a million times before.
And for some reason, it causes El's heart to feel full, especially when Mike quirks her a side smile every couple of minutes that causes her to internally swoon.
It's moments like these that she has always yearned for. A simple place to live, food always in the kitchen, and someone to share those quiet moments with.
In her head she always knew it was something she would probably never get to experience. Especially with the fact that she's spent most of her life hauled up in a lab and on the run, domestication was never really an option for her.
But now, as she stands in Mike's kitchen helping him with what most would find a remedial task, she feels at peace. A feeling that is practically foreign to her, and she allows herself to bask in the moment for as long as she is allowed.
"Hey, you okay there?" Mike's quiet voice breaks El away from her deep thoughts.
She shakes her head quickly and turns to look at Mike, who's holding out a dripping wet plate to her as he gives her a confused frown.
She flashes him a quick smile, "Oh, yeah, just…thinking is all" she tells him truthfully as she takes the plate away from his wet hands. Turning it within the damp cloth she holds.
El can still feel Mike's dark eyes on her, but he must decide to not ask on it because he thrusts his hands back into the sink where he pulls out one last plate and scrubs at it with a sponge.
She watches him scrub at the plate and once he's satisfied with its cleanliness, he rinses it off and points it in her direction.
El grins as she places her previous dish in the strainer next to the sink as she takes the last plate from Mike's hand.
"Okay" Mike says happily as he reaches his hand back into the sink and pulls at the plug, causing a gurgling sound to be heard as the water spirals downwards.
"Glad we got that done" he smiles at her and El hums cheerfully as she finishes her last plate, setting it in the strainer with the others.
"Honestly, this is my least favorite chore" Mike admits shaking his head as he reaches for another dish cloth and dries off his pruny hands.
El giggles at this as she drapes the now very wet cloth over the dishes in the strainer. "Oh, come on now, it's not that bad" she throws him a teasing look as she leans her back onto the nearby counter. Crossing her arms over her chest.
Mike gives her a look, "You say that but try doing them with a household of five and two annoying sisters that never had to do them".
El can't help but roll her eyes, "Yeah, that's why we didn't have them. Too much of a fuss" she lets out a loose chuckle.
"Oh…I'm sorry I didn't mean…" Mike starts but trails off and El casts him a curious glance. She can see his cheeks reddening, but not the usual embarrassed red, but more he's flushing because he seems to have made a mistake. He tries to look anywhere but at her.
It takes El a second, but it dawns on her.
'Oh', her brain echoes. 'He thinks he's offended me'.
El understands where he's coming from, but in all honesty for her, living on the streets was like living in a mansion for herself and Kali, especially after living in the lab for most of their lives.
She lets out a long huff as she pushes herself away from the counter and comes to stand in front of Mike, he can barely meet her gaze, but she forces him to.
"Mike" she says firmly, and continues to stare at him until his dark eyes finally meet hers. "I didn't take any offense to what you said, I don't expect you to take pity on me" she has yet to be this direct with him, but if there's anything she hates more in the world is when people look at her with pity. And she wants Mike to know that right here, right now.
He opens his mouth slowly to speak, "I don't pity you" he whispers.
El quirks an eyebrow up at him, a slight challenge.
Mike sees it and scoffs, "I really, truly don't El, I just…I mean…" he lets out a frustrated huff.
El watches as he runs a hand frustratedly through his unruly locks before he throws them down to his side, his eyes meet her directly. El startles at the directness.
"Look. It's not pity, I just…I'm sitting here complaining about having to do dishes and what not, and…" he closes his eyes as he seems to evaluate his next words. But, El sees the frustration written on his face, he's really trying not to offend her.
And she gets it, she does, so she decides to let him know, "Mike" she says gently once again, and the boy looks up at her slowly.
"I get what you mean, you don't want to be 'bragging' about your life when mine was so-" and she falters on her own words, 'weird, dangerous' bubble through her mind, but Mike finishes it for her.
"Different" he shrugs, and El casts him a look.
"Everyone's lives are different, and that's okay" he states.
"And…my life wasn't exactly 'normal' either. My parents never loved one another, they fought all the time. They finally got a divorce when I went to college and it was the best thing to happen for my family, and that's not normal to say" he finishes.
El softens. She evaluates Mike's words and can see that he's trying, really trying to make her own life not seem so abnormal, and she appreciates him for that. But honestly, no one can beat her crazed upbringing, but she admires him for trying.
So, she gives him a soft smile, "Thanks Mike. I truly appreciate it".
Mike finally relaxes his tense shoulders and lets out a tight sigh, and just as he opens his mouth to speak, his phone attached to the nearby kitchen wall lets out its horrible ringing screech which startles the both of them.
El attempts to catch her breath as Mike huffs in annoyance as he reaches for the phone.
"Hello?" his voice is laced with annoyance.
El watches as Mike slowly closes his eyes as he breathes into the phone waiting for the person on the other end to stop speaking.
"Yes Dustin, of course she's still here" his voice is low.
El has to stifle a laugh as she watches Mike exchange words with his friend.
"Yeah, that was the plan wasn't it?" Mike continues, as he then stops and listens to Dustin. "That sounds good, see you then" he finishes and not so softly places the phone back on the receiver.
Mike casts El a look, and she finally lets out a laugh, "Dustin?" she asks, even though she knows full well that it was him.
Mike sighs and shakes his head, "Yep, just wanted to let me know that they were on their way over here is all".
El can't help but feel her heart sink slightly. She had totally forgotten that Mike's, no, there, group of friends was coming back over today to figure out next steps in trying to rescue Kali. Or at least come up with ideas.
She can feel guilt swirling deep within herself at the thought of her even forgetting about Kali. It had been less than 24 hours since she had seen Kali in the void and in her nightmares. Yet, for some reason she was easily able to set that fear aside, and now that it was back in her present memory, sheer guilt swept over her.
"Hey, El you okay?" Mike asks her worriedly.
She can feel his hand wrapped firmly around her wrist and she looks down to see that she has reached out quickly as if to stable herself on Mike's kitchen island. She must have stumbled slightly, and Mike was reaching out to help balance her.
El looks up at him and sees the concern written on his face and she swallows harshly, it's the last thing she wants him to be feeling right now. So, she nods and attempts to pull herself together the best she can.
"Yeah…yeah I'm fine, I just get dizzy sometimes" she tries to play it off as she pulls her hand away from the counter as Mike gingerly lets go of her other wrist.
He bends his head down as he tries to look into her eyes. And she meets his gaze and tries her best to reassure him, "Mike, really, I'm fine" a smile graces her features. And it's only then does she see Mike relax slightly.
He nods, "Okay, well just let me know if this is too much for you. I don't want you to get hurt" he says genuinely.
El can feel the way her heart beats warmly in her chest at the tenderness in his voice. She softens, "Of course, I will let you know" her voice soft.
Mike finally cracks her a smile and nods as he gestures towards the living room, "Want to just chill and watch some TV while we wait for everyone?"
El nods at the idea, "Sounds perfect" she grins, and Mike leads the way into his living room where they both settle onto the loveseat. Mike reaches for the remote as he flicks on the television. The room fills with the noise of some show, causing a simple silence to befall them.
He could definitely get used to this. Mike found himself cozied up on his simple loveseat with his long legs stretched out to rest on his coffee table, which in retrospect wasn't unusual. No, what was by far the most unnatural thing occurring right now was the fact that he had a girl who was sitting pressed up against his side, their heads resting against one another as he described what was going on in the current episode of 'Saved by the Bell'.
He wasn't sure how they ended up so close to one another especially since they had started off with a good two feet of distance between them. Mike guessed it was because he had settled on one of his favorite past time television series, in which El had never seen.
So, when she first bent herself closer, whispering a question to him, it only seemed natural for them to drift closer together as El continued to pepper him with questions which he happily answered.
It was all so weirdly normal for him. As if El was always meant to sit right by his side as they watched mindless television. He allowed himself to feel the contentment that settled over them.
He especially felt warm when a funny scene happened and El let out a stream of laughter. The first time he heard it, he couldn't stop himself from smiling brightly at her. It was soft and gentle and he couldn't wait to hear it again. In which he was lucky to be watching a comedy show since he got his wish over and over again every few minutes and he couldn't hold back his smile each time.
He feels a set of eyes on him, he flicks his own eyes to the set that is looking at him. Veda and Pitch are curled up just like him and El are on Pitch's dog bed. Pitch raises an eyebrow up at him and Mike merely rolls his eyes, turning his attention back to El.
But, of course their quiet moment didn't last as long as he had hoped. About thirty minutes later, Mike hears a frantic knocking on the door.
He lets out a heavy sigh, as El giggles gently beside him.
"Mike, dude, we're here!" Dustin's muffled voice comes through his door.
"He's not subtle, is he?" El jokes as her eyes follow Mike as he begrudgingly pushes himself off of the couch.
"No" he shakes his head, "Dustin doesn't even know the meaning" he casts her an amused look as he heads towards the door.
He flicks the deadbolt and pulls the door open in which he finds his four oldest friends. Lucas, Max and Will each holding their Anima's tightly in their arms while Dart barrels through the door right between Mike's legs.
"Hey!" he shouts after the dog who heads straight for Pitch's bed.
"Just want to get the best spot!" Dart barks backwards as he barrels towards Pitch's bed, but stops abruptly when he sees Veda is seated beside him, both now fully awake.
"Hey, that's my usual spot!" Dart growls slightly. Mike can't help but laugh at the whine behind his voice that suspiciously sounds just like Dustin when he whines.
Pitch peeks an eye open, "Veda was here first, live with it" he comments disheartenedly, closing his eye again.
"That's not fair, she's practically living here!" Dart continues.
But Pitch doesn't comment as he continues to doze. Veda, however, stands and stretches, "It's okay Dart, you can have your spot if you want" she comments as she pads her way over to El and jumps up onto the hand rest.
Dart barks excitedly as he takes Veda's spot and curls up next to Pitch.
And Mike can feel the annoyance that grows within his Anima, and it's a weird sensation. It's usually the other way around, Pitch picking up on Mike's emotions, but for what feels like the first time he can actually feel Pitch's. Mike quirked an eyebrow up at his Anima, who catches his look. And with an alarmed face, Pitch places his head back down onto his front legs and closes his eyes. Mike feels the sensation fade.
But he ignores it as Dustin pushes him out of the way.
"Geez about time you opened your door, probably too busy sucking face wit-, ow, hey!" Dustin grunts as Max whacks him upside the head, shutting him up, in which Mike throws her a grateful grin.
"We were waiting for like two seconds" Max rolls her eyes at the curly haired boy as she walks by Mike and into his living room.
Lucas and Will follow Max, as they all give El a warm 'hello' which she returns.
Mike shuts the door behind him, however, his eyes catch Dustin as he heads to the kitchen and sets a brown paper bag down onto his counter.
He gives his friend a suspicious look, "What's that?" he points to the bag. Dustin gives him a large grin, "Beer" he states.
Mike rolls his eyes, "Seriously?! We're going to be trying to figure out how to help El and her sister, we don't need to get wasted" he says trying to keep his voice from rising.
Dustin scoffs at him, "Mike, you need to chill man, I mean, it's just a couple of beers" he says harmlessly as he begins to pick up the bag once again and sets it into Mike's fridge.
Mike huffs as Dustin turns back to him, smiling, and then heads into the living room.
"Alrighty then, where do we start?" he asks rubbing his hands together and sitting down on the floor across from El.
She hears the question the second Dustin asks it, but her mind immediately blanks. She notices that Mike sits back down beside her and all eyes are now on her.
Her soft brown eyes widen as she looks at all of them, finally landing on Mike's, "I...I don't know" she states honestly.
Mike nods, "Well, I guess the question is, how do we rescue your sister?"
"Yeah, I mean how are we supposed to break into that lab anyways, there's a huge fence surrounding it and extensive security", Lucas states.
"But the lab shut down years ago. Would there still be a security system there?" Will asks.
"And why would Brenner go back to the lab anyways if it's shut down, I mean how did he get back in there?" Mike questions out loud.
El knows exactly why Brenner went back to the lab, so she voices her thoughts out loud.
"It's because he wants me to come. He knows I'll come for Kali".
She can see the others exchange worried looks with one another.
Max huffs, "So, if he's just expecting you, how the hell do we get in there?"
At this Mike perks, "But that's just it" he clasps his hands down firmly onto his knees, as everyone stares curiously at him, waiting for him to continue.
"He's just expecting El, he's not expecting us" Mike gestures to their small group, and the others begin to smile at the realization.
El's lips quirk up slightly, but she shakes her head remorsefully, "No, he knows about you" she looks at him steadily. Mike's smile falters.
"He doesn't know about us though" Max reiterates as she points to Dustin, Lucas, Will and herself. "He won't know what to do with all six of us" a smirk grows on her face.
El sighs, "But what if he does find out about you, we have no idea how many followers he still has".
"I guess that's what we need to figure out then" Mike states firmly.
"How do we do that though? We're a long way away from Hawkins" Lucas states abruptly.
Mike turns to El hopefully, "Is there anyway you can see into the lab?"
She gives him a half smile, "I can, but…" and she falters slightly and she can feel Mike watching her as she closes her eyes tightly. She can still feel the raw emotions from going into the void yesterday, from her nightmares. It's not something she can shake off easily.
But then, she feels a slight nudge in her side, and a warm hand embraces her cold one. She opens her eyes and looks to her left and sees Veda giving her a knowing smile. And when she looks to the right she sees the bold look in Mike's eyes. He squeezes her hand tightly. The gesture is a growing acknowledgement between the two of them. As if the simple act of placing the hand on top of the others is a nod to understanding how the other is feeling.
He attempts to give her a reassuring smile, "El, you don't have to do anything you don't want to".
She nods slowly, "I know" she whispers, "And I want to, but…" and at this she backs off.
"But...what?" Max tries to pull it out of her.
El sighs heavily, "But, we're so far away, it makes going into the void and finding people harder. I can do it, but for not as long", she sighs.
"So, you need to be closer is what you're saying?" Mike asks slowly.
El nods, "Yes" her voice is low as the others let out held breaths.
"That means...we'd have to go back to Hawkins" Will states as he shifts Elvie in his arms.
El shakes her head, "No, I'm not asking any of you to do that. I mean one, it's dangerous and two, you all have jobs to worry about" she states firmly.
They've already done so much for her, she can't ask them to just stop everything in their lives for her.
But then, Mike squeezes her hand to get her attention. She looks at him as she tries to control the tears that threaten to fall
"You're not doing this alone El. You have all of us" he states firmly. She can see the bare determination in his eyes, he wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer.
El opens her mouth to speak, but Max cuts in first, "Hell yeah! El we would never let you do something like this by yourself!"
"Besides, it's the fourth of July in a couple of weeks, we can take the week off to go to Hawkins" Dustin perks up.
"But, a whole week?" El asks.
Dustin scoffs at her, "Don't worry El, Mike and mine's boss won't care, we never take time off".
"Yeah, and Lucas and I usually get the week off anyways" Max brightens.
"And I own my business, so I can do anything I want" Will smiles.
She allows the tears she's been holding back to fall. For all the world has thrown at her, she never expected that she would find five strangers quickly coming to her rescue. It was something she had never experienced in her short life. And by the way they were all looking at her, eyes filled with sentiment, she knew she could trust them.
She sniffs and laughs lightly, "Thank you guys, you don't know what that means to me".
Everyone smiles fondly at her.
And with that, Dustin stands to his feet, El's eyes follow him into the kitchen.
"Dustin, where are you going?" Mike asks suspiciously.
"Mike, we've already got our plan figured out, a couple of beers while we talk logistics won't hurt" he states as he pokes his head into the refrigerator and pulls out a bag, bringing it into the living room and setting it onto the coffee table.
The others perk up but out of the corner of her eye she can see Mike blanching.
Dustin rifles through the the bag and pulls out two six packs of a cheap beer and sets them down. Max is the first to reach out and pull two from the ring. Dustin reaches back into the bag to pull out two more six packs.
Mike groans beside her, "Seriously? You planning on getting shit faced or something?" his voice is full of dread.
Dustin laughs, "There's six of us, that means two for each of us and…" a wide smirk grows on his face as he pulls out a tall bottle filled with clear liquid.
El sees the vodka label and cringes slightly.
"Nice! You scored good tonight!" Max grins ear to ear as she cracks open her beer and takes a long swig from it.
Lucas and Will follow by opening up their own beers. And El looks at them precariously, especially when Dustin hands her a can. "Here ya go El, one just for you" he states and she gives him a weak smile.
She must give the can an interesting look because she startles slightly when Mike bends closer to her, "You don't have to drink" he says gently.
El turns and gives him a half smile, she shrugs her shoulders, "It's okay. I've drank before. Beer I'm okay with the vodka…" and she trails off slightly as her mind flashes back to the time Kali had stolen a bottle very similar to the one Dustin pulled out.
It hadn't been her first time drinking, she just didn't prefer it. But when the other members of the gang began throwing shot glasses of the liquor in front of her, she felt she couldn't refuse. Needless to say, she spent the next morning with a pounding headache and puking her guts out. She hadn't drank hard liquor since.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to" Mike reminds her once again as Dustin thrusts an open beer can into Mike's hand, the dark haired boy giving Dustin a look.
But Dustin brushes it off as he raises his can into the air. Will, Lucas and Max follow, while Mike and El are a bit more hesitant. The curly haired boy clears his throat, "Here's to new friendships and a crazy new adventure!" he cries out and El can't help but smile at his neverending enthusiasm.
So, she reaches in with the others as they clank their cans together with a dull thud resounding, while the amber liquid drips down onto Mike's coffee table. They all then tip their heads back and drink. And El feels herself beginning to let go of some of her apprehension.
He doesn't know why he finds himself going along with his childish friends as he finishes off his second beer, tossing the empty can into the brown paper bag it came with. It makes a soft 'clink' noise at it hits his friends other cans within. His rational mind is pretty sure it's because the calmness that the first can offered totally obliterates his internal voice of reason, but his irrational mind finds that he likes the giddy feeling that washes over him as he started his second can.
But, the giddiness hits all of his friends and it's hard to not find it contagious. What's even more alluring is the fact that El has loosened up quite a bit too, and as she finished her first can awhile ago, still sipping on her second, Mike found that she was constantly touching him.
Not like that by any means. But thanks to the buzz from the alcohol, anytime someone said something funny, they would all laugh unceremoniously, and for some reason, El's hand found someplace to rest on his body. Whether it be his bicep, his shoulder, even his knee, the feeling was electric, and Mike was pretty sure it was clouding his judgement, he craved for the touch each and every time.
And the more El drank the closer she became to him as well. Her head teetering closer to his, her warm breath tickling his ear. He was sure it was only elevating his own intoxication.
"Hey" Max comments, her buzz causing her light skin to flush and highlighting her light freckles across her cheeks, her words causing everyone to simmer down from Lucas last joke and focus on her. "Let's play never have I ever and lets crack into the vodka" she grins.
Mike falters slightly, his bleary mind coming clear for a moment, he looks quickly over to El in worry, but she nods her head eagerly at the idea.
"That sounds fun, how do you play?" she asks curiously.
At this Dustin stands, slightly wobbly as he heads for Mike's kitchen. "We'll show you!" he shouts over his shoulder as Dustin opens one of Mike's cabinets and reaches inside withdrawing a stack of shot glasses said friend had gifted him for his twenty-first birthday. Mike had never touched the things as they collected dust in his cabinet.
Mike rolls his eyes, "So what, we're going to take a shot every time? I don't think we need to get that wasted" he alludes as he points to the fairly large bottle of vodka.
Dustin walks back into the living room and hands everyone a glass. "But that doesn't make it fun" he waves a hand at Mike as he grabs onto the bottle of vodka and begins to twist the top open.
"I think Mike's right" Will looks over to Mike, who gives him a smile of appreciation. "Why don't we keep track of it on our fingers, we put up five, and whomever puts all their fingers down has to take a shot, then they start over" he suggests.
The others look around and give each other short nods. "Sounds like a plan" Max grins as she grabs the bottle from Dustin's hands and pours herself out a shot, placing the glass in front of her and passing the bottle to Lucas who mimics her actions. When El takes the bottle she does the same, but then questions, "So, how does this game work?"
Max smirks at her as she tucks astray red hair behind her ear. "So, we go around in a circle and say 'never have I ever' and state what you've never done. If someone has done that thing, they put a finger down" she finishes as El nods her head in understanding.
"Sounds easy enough" El smirks as she passes the bottle to Mike, their hands touching slightly and a blush crosses both of their faces.
Max grins even brighter as everyone's glasses are filled, "Alright" she starts as she holds up her hand, the others following suit, "Never have I ever, fallen down the stairs" and at this she coyly looks between Mike and Dustin who both groan, while Lucas and Will chuckle.
"You know that was a total accident!" Dustin complains as he and Mike put down a finger.
"Not my fault you two had to race downstairs where, of course you fell" she cocks her head teasingly.
El giggles to the side, as she too puts down a finger, and at this Will points this out, "When did you fall down the stairs?" the others turn to look at El, who was trying to escape being asked a question.
She can feel her cheeks burning, especially when Mike quirks a teasing eye brow in her direction.
So, she sighs heavily and turns to look at Veda who is sitting perched on the back of the couch with Nam and Zelda. She gives her Anima a steely glare.
"What?" she asks innocently, which makes El tilt her head.
"Why don't you ask Veda what happened?" El says staley.
So, with all eyes on the fox, Veda sighs, "Fine. We were coming down the steel stairs at our old hideout and I was in front of El" she starts.
"And then-",
"And then she just stops dead in her tracks and I tumbled over her!" El exclaims and the others try to bite back their laughter, most of them failing to do so.
Veda rolls her eyes, "You should have been watching where you were going".
"You shouldn't stop in the middle of the stairs when someone's right behind you!" El argues back. And at this everyone bursts out laughing, as El and Veda exchange glares, but with a hint of tease behind them.
And so, the game plays on. Each of them coming up with stupid statements. And not to Mike's surprise, Dustin is the first with all of his fingers down and he takes a shot.
The rest of the boys follow when El states, "Never have I ever, been a boy!" in which they all groan and reach for their shot glasses, Max leaning over and giving her a high five.
But, with Mike being next and both El and Max holding up one last finger he turns the tables, "Well, never have I ever been a girl!" he leans towards her tauntingly and she shoves her small hand into his face pushing him away giggling. And so, El and Max shoot back their shots. And when El grimaces, scrunching up her nose, it takes all of Mike's willpower to look away and not stare at her like some lovesick dope.
It continues like this, back and forth taunting. The statements getting sillier as more shots are thrown back. Mike can feel his head buzzing and his world spinning slightly. But the happiness and warmth that spreads through him stays.
Will passes out first, curled up on the couch with Elvie tucked into his side. And Dustin states that he has to go to the bathroom and heads towards Mike's room. Where eventually Max and Lucas are both struggling to keep their eyes open and eventually let sleep overtake them.
Mike eventually realizes that it's just him and El. They are both curled up on the couch. Each mimicking one another with El's right knee tucked up under her chin as she leans into it, her left leg swings dangling from the couch, and Mike does the same in reverse.
El's bright smile stays on her face as their 'Never have I ever' get more and more ridiculous that they both have to hold back from laughing too much so that they don't wake the others.
"Shhh, you're too loud" El holds up a drunken hand to her lip to shush him as Mike tries to swipe away her hand, but fails miserably, causing both of them to bend over laughing once again.
Mike shakes his head, "No, you're too loud" he counters back, his words slightly slurred.
After their next round of laughter, they both move closer towards one another and rest their heads in the palm of their hands, and then they're just staring at one another.
He can feel the dryness in his eyes from the alcohol and exhaustion that flits over them, and he can see that El's are glazed over just the same. A smile tugs at his lips, and she notices.
"What's so funny?" she whispers, he can feel her breath tickling his face.
He lets out a breath of air in laughter, "Nothing, you just...have really pretty eyes" he sighs, allowing the alcohol that courses through his veins to throw out all of his inhibitions.
El ducks her head in embarrassment at his words, but then raises her head one again to meet his gaze. He sees her eyes flicker across his face, and he startles when she suddenly brings her left hand up to gently cup his face. Mike melts at the contact.
"Pretty" she whispers as she brushes her thumb across his cheek.
"What?" he asks quietly.
"Your freckles" she smiles, "They're pretty".
And he knows his face erupts in flames at her words, as she continues to stroke his face, the sensation causing his eyes to flutter.
"Mike" El's voice draws him out of his daze.
"Yeah?" he asks gently.
She smiles pulling her hand away from his cheek, and he wants to chase it, to continue to feel her soft hand against him.
He watches as she holds up one finger, and she nods at him, and it takes him a moment, but he can see she wants him to do the same, so he does.
"One more?" she asks softly.
He nods, not really sure what else he could ask, but, he does have one question on his mind. One that's been sitting in the back of his mind for awhile, so he decides to ask, "Never have I ever, gone out with someone". They hadn't gone into deep personal questions in the time they've been together, he wasn't sure if maybe while out on the streets she had met someone. But then he sees the soft smile grace El's feature and she doesn't put a finger down, his heart rate increases.
She looks away from him briefly, but then catches his gaze, he can see that she's contemplating her words. But then she opens her mouth slowly.
"Never have I ever...been kissed" she whispers.
And all he can do is sit there, dumbfounded. He was pretty sure she knew this information from all of his pestering friends, and he had just found out that she had never dated anyone, so he was kind of assuming she had never kissed anyone before. But, he knew she was asking for a reason.
He keeps his one finger up as they stare at one another, both of their faces covered in a brilliant red.
She gives him a timid smile, "So, you haven't kissed anyone?"
Mike shakes his head as he lowers his hand, and she does the same. "No" he whispers and then lets out a slight chuckle, "I had a feeling you already knew that though" he admits.
El shrugs, "Your friends kind of alluded to it, but...it's always better from the source".
Then Mike bites down on the corner of his lower lip, debating his next words, but of course the liquid courage he drank earlier causes him to speak, "Why...why did you want to know?" he asks.
El's eyes light up beneath the glaze that's there because of the alcohol, "Because, I...I just...wanted to".
And it confirms it right there and then for him, he can feel it. The same connection he's been feeling since the moment she literally fell into his life. She can sense that there's something between them, just as he can.
So, he moves closer to her as he reaches out a delicate hand to cup her cheek, he hears her breath hitch in her throat, they're so incredibly close right now, it sends a shiver down his own spine.
"El" he whispers, and he bends in, his lips just ghosting hers, he can tell she's holding her breath just as he is. But, then the small sliver of reality sets in, and instead of finishing his task at hand he rests his forehead gently against hers.
"I'm sorry" he chokes out, closing his eyes tightly.
He feels like a complete idiot. And he's not sure if it's all the emotions swirling through him in that moment or the damn alcohol, but the warm tears that cascade down his cheeks are real, and there's no stopping them.
And he's pretty sure El sees him just the same. Afraid, weak, noncommittal.
All of his fears and worries course through him like a dark nightmare, all his insecurities coming to the surface.
He wants to cry out, but stops when a gentle hand rests against his, where he is still holding El's face.
Slowly, he pulls back just enough to see meet her eyes, and he can see the sympathy that crosses her face.
"Mike" she whispers ever so gently.
"It's okay, it really is" she squeezes his hand in hers.
Mike can't believe how forgiving she is, so he shakes his head, "No...no, it's not fair to you" he growls to himself.
El then moves herself away further, as her hand takes his and removes it from her face, she then raises her other hand to tightly grip his one.
She's looking him dead in the eyes, "Mike, we've been drinking. I asked a stupid question, and...I shouldn't have pushed you like that" her eyes drift down away from his.
Mike swallows hard, he can't believe what he's hearing, 'She thinks she's pushing me!" the thought races through his mind as his eyes widen.
And then, he's gripping both of her hands with his, the pressure causes her to look up.
"You're not pressuring me El, I'm...I'm just…" he drops his shoulders, "Afraid" he states honestly, a ton of weights seems to lift off of him at his declaration.
She gives him a questioning look, and it's then that he feels like he needs to be completely honest with her.
"El, ever since I watched my parents go through an awful relationship, I promised myself I would never be like them. That I would search till the end of the earth until I found my one person" he starts, and El searches his eyes.
"I've never been with anyone because I'm so afraid that I'll never find my other half, that I'll fall in love with someone and they won't be the one", he closes his eyes tightly, afraid to see her reaction.
"And...I know it's stupid because-" and at this he raises his head to meet her soft brown eyes, he sighs, "Because I feel something for you and I'm terrified" he finally admits.
He watches as El straightens her back and her eyes dilate.
"I'm terrified that I'll screw it up, that I'm going to be so worried about myself that I won't even think of your own feelings, and I never want to hurt you" he finishes with a huff of breath.
He allows El to take in everything he's said, her eyes search his face, and then flicker away slightly, but then she meets his gaze, "So...you do like me then?" her face flushes.
Mike drops his shoulders and gives her a brilliant smile, "What's there not to like about you. Ever since you crashed into my life, you've changed everything for me".
He watches as El's eyes begin to water as a couple stray tears trickle down her cheeks, she gives him a wet smile.
"I just...I just need time" he raises and lowers his shoulders knowing how lame that sounds. Honestly, it's completely stupid in his mind. He should be ecstatic that this beautiful and amazing woman feels the same way he does, which of course he is happy about, but that damn fear still sits there, taunting him.
But El just continues to smile at him. "Mike" she says lowering her head, but still looking at him.
"I can wait. I'm a patient person, I care too much about you to just walk away" she says quietly.
Mike breathes a sigh of relief, incredibly baffled as to how he got so lucky.
'She understands', his voice of reason sighs happily too.
"And, besides, we have been drinking. I think it's better if we're of sober mind to be making important decisions" she says coyly, which causes Mike to grin.
"Thank you El" he squeezes her hands tightly.
She shakes her head, "You don't have to thank me, you've done so much and have been so patient with me".
Mike melts into her words, and he feels the exhaustion of the day finally hitting him, his eyelids fluttering lightly as a yawn escapes him. El giggles as she mimics his yawn, causing both of them to laugh.
"I think it's time for bed" Mike notes pointing at her.
El rolls her eyes, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea".
And so they both move away from each other, Mike standing first and offering a hand to El to help her stand. Both of them are a bit wobbly as they hang onto one another for balance.
They flash each other smiles as they move to the other side of the couch, and walk hand in hand to his bedroom.
"Goodnight" Mike whispers.
"Goodnight" El smiles, and before Mike can pull away she tugs him down to her height and wraps him in a tight hug, which he eagerly returns, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.
And as he begins to pull away, El stops him one more time as she places a soft kiss on his cheek, her lips lingering for a couple of seconds before she pulls away. If he thought touching El was electrifying, her lips on his skin was like a sin. Something that he would always crave and want. And as she pulls away a shy smile sneaks onto her face.
"Night Mike" she flashes him a smile and slowly moves away from him.
He gives her a slow wave, frozen in his spot from her kiss. She gives him one last shy look as she moves towards her room and a sigh escapes Mike's lips as the shit eating grin spreads across his face.
He turns towards his bedroom door and opens it, however, he is greeted with a loud snore. Mike can see in the dim light from the living room that pours into his bedroom that Dustin is spread eagle, dead to the world, on his bed.
Mike lets out a low groan as he leans against his doorframe.
"Mike?" a soft voice startles him.
He turns to find El shifting on her feet, "Hey, I thought you went to bed?" he asks.
El shrugs, "I forgot to tell you I ran out of toothpaste this morning".
Mike nods, "Oh, yeah, I can get you some more, hold on" and with that, Mike ventures into his room, and heads straight for his bathroom. He pulls open one of his drawers and retrieves a new box of toothpaste.
He pads back out to where El stands in the middle of his bedroom doorway an adorable smile crossing her features as she stares at Dustin, shaking his head.
"What a rude house guest" El jokes as Mike hands her the toothpaste.
Mike sighs as he looks back to his friend, "Yeah, very rude" he agrees with a huff.
"Guess I'll be sleeping on the couch" he mutters.
Of course, the only one available is the loveseat he and El vacated just minutes ago. It's small unlike the long four seater couch that Lucas, Max and Will are curled up on. With his lanky frame he knows it will be a night of discomfort.
El seems to follow his gaze and frowns. "You can't sleep on that couch, you'll sleep like shit" she states matter of factly.
Mike can't help the chuckle that escapes his mouth, "Yeah, tell me about it" he looks back down at El who seems to be debating something.
She turns to look at him, "I'll sleep on the couch, you take the spare bed".
Mike shakes his head at her, "No, no that's your bed"
El giggles at him, "Last time I checked this was your house, not mine".
Mike rolls his eyes playfully at her, "Yes but that bedroom is practically yours now".
El smiles at his words, but then she ducks her head and pulls a finger up to her mouth and bites onto it. She then quirks an eyebrow up at him as if contemplating something.
He frowns at the look, not sure what she's thinking.
But then she says, "Uhm...what if we both slept in the bed?" she asks unable to meet his eyes.
Mike opens his mouth flabbergasted. Last night was different, she was scared, he was there to comfort her. Even though he can't help but remember her warmth as they snuggled up to one another throughout the night.
"I know last night was different" she says almost reading his mind, "But...I don't mind you there either" her eyes glisten up at him.
And he knows he can't say no, especially when he really doesn't want to.
"Are...are you sure?" he asks, his throat dry.
El nods shyly at him.
Mike softens, "Okay, let me get changed and I'll meet you over there".
El grins broadly at him, "Okay" she states eagerly and then turns and almost bounds to her room, Mike watching her every step of the way.
He has no idea what he's gotten himself into.
Yeah, I know that took me forever to get out, work has been INCREDIBLY busy and on top of seeing client's I've had a mountain of paperwork to get done too. Also, I was going to leave the last part about them drinking and such out of this chapter and start it off with the next one, but I just had to fit it in here.
I hope you are all still enjoying this fanfiction. I've realized that my idea has kind of waivered slightly. Incorporating interactions with the Anima's is proving more difficult than I thought especially since I really just love writing Mileven moments. But, I promise they do play a bigger part as the story goes on.
Thank you all again for your patience and dedication to this story, it truly means a lot!
And as always PLEASE REVIEW! We authors live for them!
