A/N: Welcome to the second installment of this collection. Remember, each chapter is its own story and they are not connected to one another. If I choose to do a multi-chapter arc at some point, I will let you know when it happens.

Jenicakrung: Aww thank you!

Guest: No, none of this is related to Tied Together With A Smile or any of my other stories. This is its own thing : )

39CluesStrangerThingsFan-Star: Thank you! I've liked Ed Sheeran much longer than I've watched Stranger Things, and I always thought "Perfect" was the perfect (no pun intended) wedding song. Then I watched Stranger Things, and I was like, NOPE, "Perfect" is THE Mileven song.

Phieillydinyia: Thank you!

Guest: Thank you so much. There will definitely be more of these. I don't have a set number of chapters in mind, so I'll just keep writing them as I think of them!

Song: "Can't Fight this Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. Y'all know I had to.

Setting: Between seasons 2 and 3. After the events of the Snow Ball.

Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters. I do not own "Can't Fight this Feeling" by REO Speedwagon.

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Mike lay wide awake staring up at the ceiling. He restlessly turned his head toward the clock on his nightstand. 11:27PM. He wasn't very sleepy, and it wasn't very late yet. During Christmas break, Mike's parents didn't really enforce a bedtime, so Mike could generally go to bed whenever he wanted. Tonight, he had laid down at 10PM, not because he was sleepy, but because his body was physically tired. His mind was wide awake, running a thousand miles a minute, making it impossible for slumber to overcome him. That's how it had been every day this week.

Every day since the Snow Ball.

El had looked absolutely stunning in that dress with her hair styled and makeup done. Mike would never forget the sparks that flew when he took her hand to lead her onto the dancefloor and how his heart had melted as they started swaying to the music and all the uncertainty had disappeared from El's face. She hadn't known how to dance; she knew that nobody at the school other than Mike and their friends knew who she was. But despite her insecurities, she still showed up. For him.

She always showed up for him. When Troy was about to pummel Mike to the ground after Mike had shoved him in the gym, El was there. When Troy made Mike jump off that cliff at the quarry, likely to his death, El was there. When he and the entire party, Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan were about to be killed by demodogs, El was there. Mike's admiration of El grew every day, and not even just because of her ability to save him with her powers.

As Mike lay there, unable to sleep, he thought about the cute look of confusion that would cross El's face when she heard a word or phrase she didn't know; the look of satisfaction when she mastered something new; the adorable dimples on her cheeks when she smiled at him or laughed at one of his jokes. He wanted to be the one to make her smile like that every day.

Why hadn't he told her how he felt at the dance? Sure, he kissed her, and she kissed him back. But Mike hadn't been able to find the courage to tell her how he felt about her. After all, he was some skinny, dorky kid in AV club who spent his time at the arcade or playing D&D with his friends. And El was beautiful. She could do way better than Mike, and he knew that… but did she want to?

Mike knew that El kissed him back, and he was pretty sure that she liked him as much as he liked her, but until he actually put himself out there, he had no way to know that he and El were really anything more than just good friends. He hadn't seen her in a whole week, hadn't heard her voice or felt her touch. What if she thought they were just friends? What if Mike keeps beating around the bush too long, and any feelings El may have for him go away? What if he keeps doubting himself and keeping his feelings inside, and he never actually gets to be with the only person he has ever wanted to be with?

He couldn't let that happen.

Mike tossed his blankets off and quickly pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants. He grabbed his jacket and snuck quietly downstairs, knowing his parents and sisters were sleeping in their rooms down the hall. He made it to the garage and hopped on his bike, heading out into the cold December night.

There was no traffic at this time of night. Mike was the only one on the road, and he was pedaling like his life depended on it. He made it across town in record time, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. But he had to see El.

When Mike reached the woods, it became a little trickier to bike through the sticks and mud. Luckily it hadn't snowed, but the terrain still slowed him down a bit. Soon, Hopper's cabin came into view. Mike saw the silhouette of the small house getting closer and closer with each gasp of cold air.

The house was dark. Its silhouette was only illuminated by the moon and stars in the sky. All the lights were out, except one. As Mike got closer, he saw one small square of light; it was a dim light, probably shielded by the curtains. Mike knew it was El's bedroom. He ignored the protesting pain in his chest and pedaled even harder, drawn to that window like a ship to shore. He knew she was in there. He could feel himself getting closer to her.

Finally, Mike reached the cabin. He road right up to El's window and gently laid his bike down underneath it. Mike was sweating despite the cold air, and he wiped his forehead before placing his hands on his knees for a moment and gasping for air. After he was able to sort of compose himself, Mike reached forward and softly tapped on El's window. He waited. Nothing happened. He reached forward to tap again, slightly harder. This time, he saw El's unmistakable form appear and walk cautiously toward the window. She pulled the curtain away, and Mike held his breath at how beautiful she looked, even so late at night. El was wearing flannel pajama pants and a Hawkins PD t-shirt that hung below her thighs. Her hair was messily hanging above her shoulders as she lifted the window up.

"M-Mike?" she asked.

"Hi," Mike breathed. He stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of the girl he had gone a whole week without.

"What are you doing here?" El asked slowly. "It is so late."

Mike glanced at his watch and saw that it was midnight. He saw El shiver from the cold air that was freely spilling into her room, and she wrapped her arms around the front of her body.

"I needed to see you," Mike replied. "C-can I come in?"

El glanced cautiously behind her at the closed bedroom door. Mike knew that El wanted to respect Hopper's rules and wishes, but he hoped she would let him come inside. She turned back to face him with a small smile on her face and nodded. Mike hoisted himself up on the windowsill, and El helped pull him through the opening into her bedroom. When she turned to face him after closing the window, El noticed how hard he was still breathing.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stepping toward him in concern. Mike nodded.

"Yeah, I just… need to catch my breath," he said. "I g-got here… as fast as I could."

"You should sit," El reached up to touch his flushed cheek and quickly pulled her hand back, surprised that his skin was as cold as ice. "Mike, you're freezing."

"I know," he breathed. Mike finally had control of his breathing again and his heart rate was returning to normal as the heat from the room started to thaw his body.

"Mike, why did you come here so late?" El asked again.

She was a mere inches away from him. Her big brown eyes were staring up at him filled with both concern and adoration. Her soft pink lips were slightly parted, and without a second thought, Mike took one step to close the gap between their bodies, and his lips were crashing into hers. He placed his hands on El's waist while she moved hers up into his hair, and Mike felt all the warmth return to his body as he kissed her.

"I missed you, El," Mike murmured when he had pulled back, his forehead pressed against hers.

"I missed you too," El replied, snaking her arms between his t-shirt and unzipped jacket and hugging him tightly. Mike lifted El's chin and softly kissed her again.

"El, do you know what it means when I do that?" he asked.

"When you k-kiss me?" El asked, and Mike nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

"Before you kissed me the first time… in the cafeteria… before the 353 days," El started softly. "You told me that you l-liked me as… more than a friend. Mike, what is m-more than a friend?"

"It means I don't think of you the same way I think of Will or Lucas or Dustin or Max," Mike explained. "It's like, you have this special place in my… in my heart. And I just want to see you and talk to you and be with you, like all the time."

El smiled shyly and blushed a bit as she looked down. Mike used one hand to raise her chin back up so his eyes met hers once again before continuing.

"And the reason I want to be with you all the time is because you're so beautiful, El, and you're so smart and brave and bitchin'." El giggled, and Mike tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with a soft smile before continuing. "It's just… I don't always think that highly of myself. But when I'm with you, it's like all those insecurities – the bad thoughts – they don't matter. You just make me feel like I've never felt before. And I can't keep it inside any longer. I wanted you to know exactly how I feel about you, because I never, ever want to lose you."

"You won't," El whispered. She raised a hand to cup the side of Mike's face. "I have in-se-cur-i-ties… bad thoughts… too. But with you I feel… safe. I want to be with you all the time too, Mike."

Mike met her lips again with his and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms tightly around her frame, not wanting to ever let go.

"Stay with me tonight?" El asked timidly against his chest.

"Uh, wouldn't you be afraid of Hopper catching us?" Mike asked. El tilted her head, and Mike heard the bedroom door's lock click. She looked up at him, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the smirk on her face.

"Okay, but I'll still have to leave really early so he doesn't suspect anything," Mike relented. El nodded and took his hand, leading him to her bed. He took of his jacket and shoes and crawled into bed next to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as she rested her head on his chest. "El, can I turn off the light?"

"Um," El blushed. "I usually sleep with the light on… Don't like the dark."

Mike nodded his understanding, his heart aching for her because he knew this fear was a result of her upbringing in that place.

"That's okay," Mike said, kissing the top of her head. "I can sleep with the light on, as long as you feel safe and comfortable."

He slipped his hands under the hem of El's shirt and rested his hands on her back, just craving the feel of her soft, warm skin on his. El snuggled even closer into him, and after a moment, Mike felt El lightly jerk her head against his chest, and the bedroom light turned off. They both fell into their first peaceful sleep all week, cuddled into each other, just the way they were meant to be.

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A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you have any requests for a one-shot, feel free to mention it in the reviews or send me a PM. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!