A/N: Welcome back. Thank you for your patience in between these installments. This is an idea that came to me that I really hope you enjoy reading. Please remember to review!
UnoPeso22: Thank you. I am very glad you liked how it turned out! I hope you enjoy this one too.
OdoMango: I'm glad you liked it so much! And including Hopper was fun, so I had to do it again haha. I hope you like this one.
Shrike176: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really like doing these little one-shots, so I'm glad you like reading them.
Ejbeckmann: Haha, I'm glad you appreciated that part.
Disneyprincess315: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and I agree, Mike and El are perfect together.
Afanofstrangerthingsandstuff: Thank you!
Setting: February 1985, four and a half months before the events of season 3.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters.
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"Dad, I need your help," came Eleven's voice as she entered the living room from her bedroom wringing her hands.
Hopper sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew he needed to have patience; after all, she was a teenage girl and nearly everything was new to her. Hopper normally had no problem with this. Until Wheeler told her what Valentine's Day was earlier in the week.
"With what?" Hopper asked slowly, looking up at El from his place in his recliner.
"Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and I'm supposed to get him something," El said exasperated as if she had explained this to her dad multiple times for the past several days… because she had.
"El, for the last time, Wheeler isn't stupid. He knows your situation. I'm sure he's not expecting anything for Valentine's Day," Hopper said before muttering under his breath, "He better not be, anyway."
"Well, he got me something, so I want to get him something," El insisted.
Hopper sighed again. This would've been so much easier if Wheeler had kept his mouth shut about Valentine's Day and just shown up on the fourteenth with chocolates or whatever he got for her.
"You are a boy. What do boys even want for Valentine's Day?" El asked when Hopper did not speak.
He widened his eyes and cleared his throat, knowing exactly what teenage boys want for Valentine's Day. Hopper reminded himself that even though Mike was a moody teenager who was becoming mouthier by the minute, he was overall a good kid who did genuinely care about Eleven and wouldn't try to use this stupid holiday to cross any lines with her. When Hopper looked into El's big, pleading hazel eyes, he softened, knowing that she genuinely cared about Mike just as much.
"It's not necessarily about what boys want or what girls want. If you get someone something at all, it should be something that will be special to that person," Hopper relented.
El nodded, thinking over his words. Her eyebrows raised as she perked up.
"Will you take me shopping?" she asked, and Hopper felt sadness pooling in his chest because he would have to crush her excitement. El must have known what was coming because she rapidly continued, "I-I can put my hair up and wear a hat and sunglasses-"
"Kid," Hopper said softly. "You know I would love to be able to take you out."
Maybe not out shopping for Wheeler, but that's beside the point.
"But it's still not safe," he continued. "I made an exception for that school dance, and that was only two months ago. It's too soon, and I know you understand that."
El sighed, looking utterly defeated, and Hopper winced at the sting of her disappointment.
"Then what should I do?" she asked.
"You could make him something," Hopper suggested.
"Make him something?" El repeated.
"Yeah," Hopper nodded. "The most heartfelt things usually don't come from a store."
He stood and grabbed his hat from the coffee table. El watched as Hopper came closer to her and ruffled her hair as he passed her on his way to the front door.
"You'll think of something. Don't stress over it too much, kid. You know Wheeler will love whatever you give him," Hopper said, offering her a reassuring smile. "I'll be at the station and won't be home until later tonight."
After telling her dad goodbye and making sure the door was locked, El looked at the clock. 12:15. Mike would still be at school for another three hours, which meant El had just over three hours to get started.
She hurried back to her bedroom and pulled open the drawers of her dresser and nightstand. El rummaged through them, not knowing exactly what she was looking for, but hoping some amount of creativity would strike her. She sat on her knees in front of her nightstand and looked around her room, her eyes locking on her closet. El hurried over to her closet and looked at the shelf above her hanging clothes. There was mainly boxes of stuff that Hopper ran out of room to store in other locations in the cabin, but there was one plastic tote that El pulled down. It was the tote filled with stacks and stacks of colored construction paper. She lugged it over to her bedside and got back onto her knees to peek under the bed and pull out the craft box that she had put together with the help of Joyce and Will. It was full of crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, stencils, paint, and glitter. El had not put it to use much, as she knew she wasn't quite as artistically gifted as Will, but Joyce and Will had both ensured her that she would get better with time and that it doesn't matter how good she is at art as long as she has a fun way to express herself and create new things.
El pulled some paper out of the tote from her closet and looked at the supplies in front of her. She now had plenty of things to work with, but what could she make with it? El began absentmindedly doodling on a piece of paper, waiting for inspiration to strike, when it suddenly did.
Her eyes widened as she sat up straight, sifting through the stacks of paper to find colors that she knew Mike liked. She then looked through the stencils and pulled out any that could help with what she had in mind.
El glanced at the clock on her nightstand. 12:40. She now had less than three hours to work on it before Mike arrived and she would have to put it away and finish it tomorrow while he was at school.
She quickly dove in, cutting, drawing, tracing, and not paying any attention to the time on the clock. When she heard the special knock, El was startled and jumped to look at her clock and saw that it was 3:30. She looked down at her mess and her incomplete present for Mike, and El quickly shoved everything into the plastic tote and moved it back to the top shelf of her closet with her mind while she kicked her own craft box back underneath her bed.
After making sure she hadn't left anything laying out, El hurried through the living room and tilted her head to the side to unlock and open the door.
"Hi," Mike said with a big smile on his face.
El bounced onto her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug while Mike chuckled at her enthusiastic greeting. Of course, he hugged her back. El loved how tall Mike had gotten in just the last two months because now when she hugged him like this, her feet nearly left the floor, causing her to be nearly swept completely up by him.
"Hi," she replied, pulling back just enough to look up into his dark eyes. "How was school?"
"It was okay," Mike sighed. "Long, boring. I just wanted to see you."
"I wanted to see you, too. I miss you when you're not here," El said, and although they have been seeing each other every day, Mike felt the same way.
"I missed you, too," he smiled and leaned his forehead against hers.
El tilted her head up to connect her lips with his, and after a moment, she pulled back with a wide grin on her face that matched her boyfriend's.
"That definitely makes my day a lot better," Mike said.
El giggled and pulled him by the hand further into the living room. Since Hopper was at work, they were free to use the television to watch whatever they wanted.
"What do you want to do today?" El asked.
"It doesn't matter as long as I get to spend time with you," Mike replied with a shrug. "We can put on a movie and cuddle, I can make you Eggos, I can read you some more of those comic books I broke over."
El considered her options. The comic books were fun to look at, and she loved learning more about the things that Mike was interested in. Plus, she could listen to his voice when he read to her forever. But they could do that in her room when Hopper was overtaking the living room. She figured they should take advantage of their alone time while they had the chance.
"Cuddling on the couch with a movie sounds nice," she said. "And also Eggos."
Mike laughed at El's addition to her decision and walked to the kitchen to grab the Eggos out of the freezer. She watched as he popped two of the frozen waffles into the toaster and then turned to face her.
"Any toppings, or just plain?" he asked.
"Maple syrup, please," El asked sweetly.
"You got it," Mike said and pulled the syrup out of the cupboard.
He placed the two Eggos on a plate and drizzled maple syrup over them before handing El the plate and a fork. She then led him over to the couch and let him choose the movie. Mike chose Footloose. It was a movie he knew El enjoyed, and since it only came out last year, he wasn't sick of it yet.
Mike joined El on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closely to him. She finished eating her Eggos, even lifting her fork to share a couple bites with Mike, and placed her dish on the coffee table before cuddling closer into him.
They watched the movie, stealing a few maple syrup-flavored kisses throughout the length, and by the end of it, they had shifted to where Mike was laying on his side with his back against the back of the couch with El curled perfectly against his body while he spooned her. Neither of them cared enough to eject the movie and turn off the television, opting instead to let the credits roll and the static take over while they continued to enjoy each other's company.
El closed her eyes and let out a content sigh as Mike nuzzled softly into her hair. She pulled his arm tighter around herself and thought to herself that she would be perfectly happy just doing this all of Valentine's Day. Well, she would be perfectly happy doing this all of every day.
El wasn't sure how much time had actually passed, but it seemed like hardly any time had passed at all before Mike was gently shaking her awake. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep, but as El blinked her eyes into focus, she noticed the darkening cabin, now only partially illuminated by the beams from the setting sun outside.
"I have to go home," Mike whispered sleepily into her ear from behind her.
El sighed sadly. She hated when Mike had to leave, but she nodded and reluctantly sat up on the couch. Mike sat up to face her and smiled at the combination of sadness and sleepiness on his girlfriend's face. There was a pout on her lips and drowsiness in her eyes that made Mike want to say screw his curfew and just wrap El up in his arms and never leave her. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, turning her pout into a small smile.
"That's better," Mike said.
They walked hand-in-hand to the front door of the cabin, and Mike placed his hands on El's hips when he leaned down to kiss her.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said after pulling back.
"Tomorrow," El repeated, nodding.
"Good night, El," Mike smiled.
"Good night, Mike," El replied.
She closed and locked the door behind him. El finally felt fully awake, which was a good thing because she still had quite a way to go on Mike's Valentine's Day present. She hurried back to her bedroom and within seconds she was surrounded by her crafting supplies again.
El worked on Mike's gift well into the night. She didn't know what time it was when she put the finishing touches on it, but as she leaned back against her nightstand to admire her hard work, her body finally succumbed to her sleepiness, and her room peacefully slipped away from her.
An hour later, Hopper quietly turned the key in the lock of the front door, careful not to make too much noise because El should be asleep by now. He stepped into the living room and grunted when he saw that her bedroom light was still on. He closed and locked the door, grumbling something about obeying bedtimes, and walked across the living room to her bedroom, ready to tell her to go to bed. But when he pushed the cracked door all the way open, he chuckled at what he saw.
El was sound asleep, curled up on the floor in front of her nightstand. The floor around her was covered in craft supplies and scraps, and her hand was clutching what appeared to be a homemade book.
Hopper walked quietly into her bedroom and squatted down next to El. He worked one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, and he lifted her from the floor onto her bed. El began to stir at the movement, and Hopper thought she was about to wake up, but El simply rolled over and her eyelids stopped fluttering. He chuckled and pulled El's bedspread up to cover her body. As Hopper was about to leave, he glanced down at the floor and saw what El's hand had been holding when he came in.
He picked it up and flipped through it, not even noticing as a smile crept across his face. She took his idea of making something for Valentine's Day, and Hopper knew he was right and that Wheeler would love this. He laid the present on El's nightstand before piling her craft supplies back into their boxes and walking to her bedroom door.
"Night, kid," Hopper whispered as he turned off the light and went to prepare himself for bed.
The next morning, Hopper awoke El with a special Valentine's Day triple decker Eggo extravaganza. The whipped cream was in the shape of a heart, and the sprinkles were red and pink hearts. He left for the station after breakfast, reminding El that he would be home around dinner time.
El spent the day trying to distract herself by watching her favorite soaps on the television. When that didn't work, she put Return of the Jedi into the VCR. It was her favorite of the Star Wars movies, but not even the cute little ewoks could keep her attention. Her eyes kept glancing toward the clock, watching as it slowly crept closer to 3pm.
Finally, she heard the knock, and El sat up on her knees on the couch, facing the door, and used her powers to unlock and open the door. Mike was a little confused that El wasn't right at the door, but he came inside and walked over the couch, immediately planting a kiss on her lips.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he said softly when he pulled back, and El smiled brightly. Mike's eyes drifted to the VHS box on the coffee table, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "You were watching Star Wars without me?!"
"I was here by myself all day, and I was bored. I thought it would help since it's such a long movie," El teased.
"A long movie that you insist on watching once a week," Mike quipped back.
"I like the ewoks," El shrugged. "But I'm glad you're finally here. I missed you."
"I missed you, too," Mike said and leaned down to kiss her once more.
When he pulled back, Mike glanced around the cabin in search of Hopper. Hopper's blazer had not been parked outside, but Mike couldn't take any chances.
"He's at work," El said, answering Mike's unasked question. "He won't be home until dinnertime."
"Good, because I want to give you your Valentine's Day present," Mike said.
He walked over to the counter where he had placed his backpack when he entered, and El watched him with an excited expression. Mike unzipped his backpack and pulled out a red gift bag which he carried with him back to the couch.
"This is for you," he said, placing the bag on El's lap.
El looked from Mike down to the gift bag, her smile uncontainable, and she tossed the tissue paper away. She reached into the bag and pulled out a white teddy bear. El immediately wanted to hug the bear, but she was stopped by what it was holding. Between the bear's paws rested a polaroid of Mike from a few months ago, wearing the Ghostbusters costume she had seen him wearing in the void one day. She giggled as she pulled the photo away from the teddy bear and inspected it closer.
"It's kind of an embarrassing picture, but I thought you would like it," Mike explained. "Especially now that you've seen the movie and can appreciate that costume."
"It's not embarrassing. It's cute. I love it," El smiled and hugged the teddy bear tightly with her other arm. "And I love the bear, too."
"Really?" Mike asked. "I'm glad you like it. There's also a card in the bag that you can read later. I wish I could've gotten you more, but-"
"Mike," El interrupted gently. "I love it. Really. Thank you."
Mike let out a sigh of relief. He knew El would've appreciated anything, but that didn't stop him from wanting to give her the world, even though he couldn't currently afford to.
"You're welcome," he said. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Mike kissed her forehead and leaned back against the couch, draping his arm around her shoulders.
"So what do you want to do today?" he asked.
El didn't answer right away, and he looked down to see a light blush starting to color her cheeks.
"I have something for you, too," El said softly.
Mike raised his eyebrows in surprise. She got him something for Valentine's Day? When did she do that? How did she do that? Did Hopper really let her leave the cabin to get him a Valentine's Day present? Did she sneak off to do it while Hopper was at work? But where would she have gotten the money? Oh god, did she have Hopper buy him something for Valentine's Day?
While Mike's mind was racing with questions, El walked to her bedroom and came back holding what looked like a homemade book made of construction paper. She shyly handed it to him before taking a seat on the couch and holding the bear tightly to her chest, nuzzling her nose into the top of its head while she watched Mike study what she had handed him.
Mike looked down at what El had given him and noticed immediately that, yes, it was a homemade book. But also, there was an unmistakable drawing of him and El on the front of it. He opened the book and flipped through each page. Every page was covered in a detailed drawing. Some images were drawn with straight edges as if traced from a stencil, while others were freehanded. It didn't take long for Mike to realize that this book was their story.
The first page showed a dark, gloomy scene of a thunderstorm in a woods. Then a boy with a raincoat shining a flashlight on a soaking wet little girl with a big yellow t-shirt and a buzzcut. The next page showed the girl wearing the boy's coat and walking next to him in the storm while he walked his bike. As Mike continued to flip through it, he saw pages of the little girl in gray sweatpants and a navy blue sweatshirt, the boy and girl crouched under a blanket fort with the boy pointing toward a tattoo on the girl's forearm that read 011, the boy and girl laughing together as the girl laid back in a recliner.
Mike swallowed down the lump that was forming in his throat as he flipped through some more pages. He saw the girl wearing a pink dress and blonde wig. There was a page dedicated to the boy floating next to a cliff, and the next page was the boy and girl hugging on that cliff. A few pages later, Mike let out a chuckle at the drawing of the boy kissing the girl at a round table that he knew was in the middle school cafeteria.
The next several pages made Mike's heart ache. He flipped through the girl standing between the boy and a tall, black creature, her arm outstretched. There was a page that showed the girl sitting and wearing a blindfold and the boy sitting in the blanket fort with a walkie, and the number 353 colored across the top of the page.
Mike flipped through some more pages until reaching one with the girl dressed in black clothes standing in a doorway, face-to-face with the boy. The next page showed the girl dressed all in black hugging the boy tightly.
Mike let out a shaky breath and blinked back tears that began to form at the thought of that reunion that had taken place only a couple months before. The final page showed the boy dressed up in black pants and a tan jacket and the girl wearing a gray dress with pink polka dots and a pink ribbon, their arms around each other as if they were dancing, sharing another kiss.
He closed the book, completely stunned by what he had just looked through. His mouth was hanging open in shock, and he could feel El's eyes still watching him, waiting for any type of response.
"Do you like it?" El asked timidly. "I know it's not much…"
"Not much?" Mike repeated, astonished. "El, it's… it's perfect."
"Promise?" she asked.
"Of course I promise," Mike assured her. "El, this is our story… Did you draw all of that by yourself?"
"Yes," El nodded. "I know books are supposed to have words, but… I am not very good at writing yet."
She looked down, her cheeks red, as if she were embarrassed by this.
"It doesn't need words," Mike said quickly. "I can read this story perfectly with these drawings."
"You can?" El asked.
"Yeah!" Mike assured her. "I'm a storyteller, right? That's my job when I play D&D."
El laughed and set the teddy bear aside, feeling happy that Mike liked the present so much. She leaned toward him and connected their lips, weaving her fingers into his soft dark hair.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mike," she said softly when they pulled back.
"Happy Valentine's Day, El," Mike replied gently.
El glanced down at the book she had made that was resting in Mike's lap. She bit her bottom lip, thinking about how Mike had said he could read this story with just the drawings and make up his own words.
"What is it?" Mike asked softly, and El looked up to meet his eyes.
"Will you read it to me?" she asked.
Mike smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Of course," he said.
El grabbed her new teddy bear and held it tightly against her chest while she snuggled into Mike's side. Mike wrapped one arm around El's shoulders and used his other hand to turn through each page. El immediately found herself captivated by Mike's retelling of the story that they both knew so well. The story that started with fear and uncertainty and was filled with friendship and promises.
Their story.
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A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this one. I have two more that I'm going to be posting within the next couple of days, so be on the lookout for those. Let me know what you thought by leaving a review, and as always, thank you for reading!