JANUARY 21 1985

Mike and Eleven were cuddling in her bed on a stormy Thursday night. Mike would have to leave in an hour but for now he had El in his arms as she refused to get her head out of his chest.

Hopper was also in the cabin, sitting in his recliner and eating chips while watching the news. He heard El giggling in the background and rolled his eyes. He knew Mike wasn't stupid enough to try anything too dirty with El with him present, at least he hoped…

"Eggos! Eggos! Eggos!" El shouted, feeling giddy with Mike holding her.

"That's a lot of Eggos, So. Are you sure?" Mike jokingly asked.

"Yes!"

Mike dived into her neck with his mouth and ferociously kissed and sucked her neck. El let out laughs of pleasure, making Hopper sigh in his recliner.

El grabbed Mike's face like it was her own play toy and attacked his lips with smooches. They rolled over, making El on top of Mike. They both blushed at how stupid they looked switching positions, then went back to kissing.

Mike felt an urge to cough during the make out session. He coughed right into El's mouth, making her break off the kiss and lean up as she had her hands on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" El asked, truly concerned for Mike.

Mike chuckled.

"Am I okay? After your mouth took that nasty cough I should be asking you that," Mike replied, amazed at how much El cared about him.

"I'm fine."

Mike put a finger under her chin and slowly tickled it, making her giggle once again.

Hopper had enough of the joy he was constantly hearing.

"ENOUGH LAUGHING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD," Hopper yelled, which made Mike and Eleven turn their heads at the door in panic mode before they looked back at one another and smirked.

"I'm so glad I listened to you and not Hopper," El whispered.

"Very, very, very rebellious of you, El Hopper," Mike teased with a deep voice.

"Rebellious?"

"It means you're being a really bad girl and not listening to authority. Authority in this situation is Hopper," Mike explained.

"Oh. Then I am rebellious," El smiled and quickly pecked Mike on the lips.

"Mike. How was school?" El wondered, wanting to know more of his life because he was her life.

"Uh, it was the usual. Can't complain really. Wasn't as bad as Tuesday or Wednesday. Pretty boring to be honest. The lunch table conversations get more and more annoying."

"Do they talk about me?" El asked.

"Sometimes. They're starting to pick up on the fact that I'm showing you a lot of attention."

El rubbed his shoulders to comfort Mike as he explained his school problems.

"Should you show me less attention?" El wondered.

"In my opinion, fuck no. I waited almost a year for you and I don't know about you but I have a lot of lost time to make up for. So if they have a problem with me seeing you, then they're just being assholes or don't understand what we've been through."

El nodded her head in reply, not knowing how to put it in her own words better than Mike.

"What about Trisha?" El suddenly brought up, making Mike's eyes widen.

He thought he was done with this conversation but El apparently wasn't. She was waiting for a reply but he seem stumped by the sudden topic change.

"Um, what about Trisha?"

"Did you tell her that you have a girlfriend?"

Mike forced out a chuckle.

"Uh, no, can't say I have."

"Why not?" El replied, having a little anger in her voice.

Mike huffed as he made wacky hand motions.

"Because I haven't even talked to her since all that stuff happened. I just find it incredibly awkward to say outright that I don't like her. I would hope she got the hint by me not calling her," Mike explained while playing with El's curly hair.

"And what if she doesn't get the hint?" El asked.

"Then I'll tell her straight up. You don't have to worry about her, El."

"Oh, I do have to worry. I'm not letting girls think they have a chance with you. You will tell them you have a girlfriend or I will hurt them," El replied from a place of anger.

Mike's eyes widened because of how serious she got.

"Come on, El. Violence isn't the answer, I've taught you better than that. Look, when we go to high school together like you keep saying, you'll get to hold my hand as we walk down the hallways, kiss me before you walk into class, and you'll be able to show me off to all the girls who like me. And just with a look, you can tell those girls 'Yep, Mike Wheeler is my man, bitch.' Until then, you just gotta control yourself."

El laughed out loud at Mike's imitation of how she would be in high school. It made it impossible for her not to kiss him passionately as he grabbed a handful of her curly hair. He was a little rough with her but she found it quite pleasing.

"So, Uh, El… I was thinking maybe tomorrow after me and the party go to the arcade, maybe we can pick you up around 5:00?"

"Pick me up to do what?" El wondered.

"I don't know. Just ride around the town till it gets super dark. Everyone misses you and they wanna see how you're doing," Mike explained as he showed a light hearted smile towards El.

El smiled back, nodding her head in approval.

"Is it safe? To ride around town?"

"Well yeah, I mean you'll be with the party, no one's gonna notice anything suspicious about you when there's 5 other kids helping you blend in. Hopper said as long as we don't stay in the MIDDLE of town for too long so people get a good look at ya. We'll be on our bikes, constantly moving. You wanna do that?" Mike explained and asked her once more.

El smirked and nodded her head as she leaned down to kiss Mike's forehead. Mike forced her head down again and kissed her nose.

"When can I play Pac-Man again, Mike?" El asked, eager to get better at the first arcade game she's ever played.

Mike felt sad about bringing her to the arcade, knowing he wasn't gonna be able to bring her again even though she already got attached to it.

"I don't know, El. Hopefully sometime soon. There are other games, too. Dig Dug, Dragons Lair; Pac-Man is like the starter pack of arcade games," Mike tried to explain the arcade game lore but El wasn't interested.

"OK. Still want Pac-Man," El replied, having a serious facial expression.

"Right."

Mike thought about how happy El would be if she could play Pac-Man while eating Eggos. It would probably make the entire world explode.

"El?"

"Yes, Mike?"

"You've been on top of me for a while now," Mike said with a smirk as he made El giggle.

"I'm sorry," El innocently replied, having regret in her voice.

"It's fine, El! I just… I'm not used to it."

They exchanged smiles as El leaned her entire body on top of him, resting her head over his shoulder.

"Just hold me, Mike."

Mike wrapped his arms around her and turned his head so he could kiss her cheek.

Hopper walked into the room and let out an extreme sigh of disappointment at the sight he saw.

"Jesus Christ, El. Get off of him, and Mike, please go away, back to the place you live," Hopper said, sounding like he was done with everything.