Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things or any of the characters in this story.
Chapter 5: This Time
There wasn't a whole lot that rattled Eleven, what with everything she had been through. Being used as a top-secret government experiment really puts things into perspective. Getting ready to go on a date with the cutest guy in the world, however, was a whole other ball of wax.
She jiggled her leg nervously as she sat in front of her mirror. Trying to put on her shimmery eye shadow was a nearly impossible task with all the shaking she was doing.
Max could sense that El was having some difficulties, and looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Want me to do that," she asked, glancing at the eye shadow.
El, ever the stubborn one, shook her head. "No thanks."
"You sure? You seem pretty nervous."
"I'm not nervous, Max," El persisted, raising her voice slightly. But at that precise moment, she happened to glance at one of the bottles of nail polish on her dresser. It didn't stand a chance against the intense emotion coursing through her and shattered at once, the red liquid pouring out.
"Shit," Max muttered, standing up. "I'm getting a towel. Stay there, and don't move," she warned El. "When I come back, I'm finishing your makeup. No arguments."
El nodded weakly. She didn't know what was wrong. Her time spent with Mike the other day went fine – great, even. After their kiss, they'd eaten dinner. When they weren't choking down the overcooked pasta and sharing grimaces, they were making heart eyes at each other. Mike also played her a song on his guitar before he left. El hadn't thought it possible, but she liked him even more after that.
Before he'd begun playing, Mike hemmed and hawed, suddenly shy. He didn't want to screw up, especially not in front of El. But El had calmly taken his hand and given it a gentle squeeze, an encouraging smile on her face.
Mike started out quiet, but grew louder and more confident as the song went on.
"Just give it to me straight from the heart. Tell me we can make another start. You know I'll never go, as long as I know it's comin' straight from the heart."
El practically melted into a pile of goo as he sang, his slightly raspy voice blending well with the tender lyrics. It took everything in her willpower not to attack him with kisses when he finished, as Hopper was also watching.
"El! Helloooo!"
El glanced up to see Max standing next to her, arms folded. "I asked if you could scoot over so I could do your makeup. Where were you?"
El frowned and slid over in her seat. "I was right here."
"I know that, space cadet," Max said with a snort. "Your body was here, but your head wasn't. What were you thinking about? Oh let me guess…a super tall guitarist with fluffy hair and freckles. Am I right?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"Not at all, just to anyone with eyes," Max quipped sarcastically. She took the eye shadow from El and began making swift passes of the light pink, shimmery powder over El's eyelids. "What do you have to be nervous about anyway? You like Mike, and he's crazy about you."
"But this is a DATE, Max," El whined. "This is a big deal."
"Only if you make it one," replied Max. "Half the battle is wondering whether or not the guy likes you, and you KNOW Mike does. Go have a great time!"
Max finished with El's eye shadow, and El got a good look at herself. The light color and shimmer was making her brown eyes pop. A shy smile crept across her face. "Pretty," she whispered.
Max smiled at her handiwork. "Hell yeah, it is. Mike will love it. Just a little blush, and you'll be done."
El slipped into her own little world again as Max finished up, but then…a familiar song. She let out a shriek as the opening chords to "Somebody" by Bryan Adams came on the radio. Mike had let El borrow his "Reckless" tape before he left the cabin that night, and "Somebody" was one of the best songs on it.
She jumped up and pulled Max with her, the both of them laughing as they twirled together. When the chorus came on, they couldn't resist belting out the lyrics.
"I need somebody, somebody like you! Everybody needs somebody. I need somebody. Hey, what about you!"
They were so engrossed in their mini karaoke session, that they didn't notice Hopper standing in the door, a bemused expression on his face. Their silly antics briefly made him forget that his baby girl was going on a date tonight. When he remembered, however, the gruff face returned.
The girls saw Hopper at this exact moment, and began laughing again. "Geez, chief," Max choked out, "Are we that bad at singing?"
"Well kid, now that you mention it, I don't foresee any Grammy's in your future," he quipped. "But as much as I hate to interrupt your little recording session here, it's time to drop El off."
The butterflies in El's stomach came back in full force, and she stopped dancing immediately. Max went over to El and slung her arm around her shoulders. "You've got this, space cadet. Just tell yourself to relax and have fun."
"Relax. Have fun," El said with a nod.
"Exactly," replied Max. "It'll be great, and I can't wait to hear about it!"
El could only hope she was right.
About 15 minutes later, Hopper pulled up in front of Enzo's. Much as he hated to show emotion, he was probably about as nervous as El. Mike had proven himself to be alright, but Hopper was still suspicious. This was still a teenage boy, going on a date with his teenage daughter. He didn't want El rushing into a relationship so quickly. He wanted her to stay a kid for a little while longer.
The sound of El's throat clearing made Hopper snap back to reality. "You okay, Hopp?"
"Yeah, kid I just," he trailed off. Hopper had been about to tell her exactly what he'd been thinking, that El shouldn't throw herself into a relationship so quickly – that she was only 15 years old and there'd be plenty of time for boys in college. But he took one look at her in her blue dress and just crumbled. She looked so damn pretty, and he was proud to be her dad. "I just love you, you know that," he asked.
She smiled. "Yes. I love you, too."
Hopper never got tired of hearing that. "I'm glad. And I'm proud of you, and the young lady you've become. You're growing up so fast."
"Hopp," El whined quietly. Dad mushiness always made her feel a little embarrassed.
"I know, kid. I know. But I just wanted to tell you that. You look beautiful tonight, and Mike seems like an okay guy."
El nodded fervently. "He really is."
"Just in case he isn't, though," Hopper began, "I put some pepper spray in your purse. Don't be afraid to use it."
"Dad, NO," El protested.
Hopper had to admit that sometimes he enjoyed poking fun at El. It was his duty as a dad, after all. "I'm just saying…I was a teenage boy once upon a time, too. Just…please be careful, okay? Promise?"
"I promise."
"Good. Now if I know Mike, I bet he's already inside waiting for you," Hopper said with a smirk. "Why don't you head in before he hyperventilates."
El didn't have to be told twice. She eagerly hopped out of the car and strode inside, nearly missing Hopper's shouted reminder that she be ready to be picked up by 9PM. At first glance, Enzo's seemed cozy and inviting. The lights were dimmed, and each table had a candle on it. The couples seated at the tables were well-dressed, and looked so elegant with their glasses of wine. El knew she wasn't old enough to drink it, but she wondered what it would feel like to hold one of those glasses.
"Ahem."
A throat clearing caused El to look up. The maître d' was looking at her expectantly behind the front podium. "May I help you, young lady?"
El blushed, hoping that she hadn't been thought stupid for staring at everything. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I'm here to see someone. For dinner."
The maître d' glanced at his clipboard before nodding knowingly. "You're not by chance meeting a Mr. Michael Wheeler, are you?"
El's eyes brightened at the sound of his name. "Yes."
"Ah, he said we'd be expecting you. Right this way."
A pang of nervousness hit El again as she followed the man closer to Mike. She really hoped she wouldn't act stupid or spazzy. And she REALLY hoped he'd like her dress.
She didn't have to wait long. As soon as they walked around a sculpture, Mike came into view. And boy did he look good tonight. Not that he never looked good. But the tan suit jacket, red tie, and light blue button down he had on were really working in his favor.
El's outfit was having a similar effect on Mike. His mouth hung open and he sat frozen in his seat. The blue dress looked beautiful on her, and with her makeup, El's face looked like it was glowing.
Thankfully, Mike snapped out of his frozen stupor as El got closer, standing and pulling out a chair for her. He wouldn't be Karen Wheeler's son if he wasn't well-mannered. She taught him from an early age to be a gentleman in the presence of a lady.
"I believe I've found your date, sir," the maître d' said as they reached the table. "Why don't the two of you have a seat, and I'll make sure your waiter gets your drink orders."
"Thank you," Mike replied. Turning back to El, he took her hand, her shy smile widening as their eyes connected. "Hi," he whispered.
"Hi," El whispered back.
Mike narrowed his eyes playfully. "Why are you whispering?"
"Um," El stuttered with a giggle, "I don't know, but we're still whispering."
They laughed then, their faces turning red in embarrassment and excitement. "Sorry," Mike began, "I guess I was just nervous."
"Me too," El admitted.
Mike gestured at their table. "We should sit down. Can I help you with your chair," he asked.
"Sure." Sitting down on the chair in front of Mike, she felt him gently push her forward. El then began to peruse the menu as he sat down.
Her eyes landed on a picture of red wine in one of the nice glasses she saw earlier. "It's too bad I can't get one of these," she said, pointing at it. "It's so pretty."
Mike laughed. "The wine? Why, needing some liquid courage for tonight?"
"What, no," El protested, her face getting red again. "The glass just looks pretty. I saw people using them when I walked in."
"Ohhhh," Mike said. "I understand now. Yeah, they are pretty cool. My mom and dad have some nice wine glasses at home that they only bring out for special occasions. I think they got them for their wedding."
Just then, their waiter came up and asked what they'd like to drink. Mike nodded at El to go first. She bit her lip as she thought for a moment, inadvertently driving Mike crazy. He wanted nothing more than to kiss that lip of hers. He still couldn't believe his good fortune, that she'd want to go on a date with a nerd like him…
"Mike?"
El's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he met her curious gaze. "Sorry, what?"
"Your drink. What would you like? I got a Coke."
"Okay, yeah a Coke," Mike replied, still trying to play catch up. "That sounds good."
"Very good, sir," said the waiter, turning away. Before he could completely walk away though, Mike thought of something and called him back.
"Excuse me, could we get those in wine glasses, please?"
"Sorry, sir? Wine glasses?" The waiter looked at Mike as though he had two heads.
"Yeah. It's just that my date was admiring them earlier. I know we're not old enough to drink wine out of them, but could we drink the Coke out of them instead?"
This wasn't something they normally did at Enzo's. But the waiter looked at the sincere, hopeful expressions on the kids' faces, and couldn't help but oblige. They just seemed so sweet. And anyway, this reeked of a first date. If this boy was trying to impress his young lady, he didn't want to stand in the way of that.
"Of course you may. I'll be right back."
As he walked away from the table, he heard an excited squeal come from that direction. He knew he'd made the right decision, and that made him smile.
"Now don't forget," Mike trilled in his fake British accent, "Whenever you drink from the wine glaaahhhhsssss, you must stick out your pinkie fingerrrrr."
Ever since they got their pop in the fancy glasses, they'd been taking full advantage of the situation. After all, pop in a wine glass was nothing if not enjoyed whilst sticking your pinkie finger out.
El giggled like mad and copied Mike best as she could. She and Mike were on their second glasses, and the sugar content was making these already excited teenagers positively giddy.
"Like 'zis," she asked.
Mike laughed and nodded. "Yes! Very good. With even more practice, I'd say you'd be the next lady-in-waiting for the Queen of England."
El snorted and shook her head, taking a careful sip. "Mike, can I ask you something."
"Anything."
"When did you start doing the accent?"
He shrugged. "I can't even remember. I must have been really little. Maybe it was a show or movie I saw on TV. I do remember talking in a British accent so much one time, that my mom actually told me to stop. She said that I wasn't British, so I shouldn't talk British."
"But you were excited," said El with a frown. "Who says you're NOT?"
"I knew I liked you for a reason," Mike admitted, then clapped his hand over his mouth. I mean, it had been pretty obvious, but Mike wasn't used to being so forward.
El blushed and looked down. "I like you, too. I think you're the cutest boy I've ever seen."
It was Mike's turn to blush. "Really? I'm not too freckly? My hair isn't too crazy?"
"No. You're just right," El said honestly.
"How do you do that," Mike asked softly, a dreamy look in his eyes.
El tipped her head to the side in confusion. "Do what," she asked.
"Know what to say. You're so forward and open. I really like that."
El was suddenly self-conscious. "I know. I'm still learning."
That's not what Mike had meant. Yes, it was true that El's straightforwardness might have a little something to do with her upbringing and lack of opportunity to test social skills. But Mike also thought that was just El. He appreciated that about her.
Mike shook his head. "No. YOU'RE just right."
The two of them sat grinning at each other for a moment, interrupted only by the waiter placing their dishes in front of them. El thought she'd never smelled anything better than the spaghetti in front of her. Mike had ordered lasagna, and was eagerly placing his napkin on his lap.
Before they started eating, the waiter came back with a handheld cheese grater filled with parmesan cheese. "Would you like some extra cheese," he asked El.
Would she?! Was that a trick question? El LOVED cheese, and nodded eagerly for him to start grating. When he began, however, a wicked idea popped into El's head. A quick glance around showed that no one was looking in their direction. El then discreetly focused on the cheese grater, narrowing her eyes slowly until…
POOF!
All the cheese that was in the grater fell out onto El's plate. There was so much of it, that a small pile lay on top of her pasta.
"Oh my g-g-g-goodness," the waiter stuttered, dumbfounded, "I'm terribly sorry, young lady. I have no idea what happened."
El discreetly wiped her nose and looked innocently at him. "It's okay."
"Is there anything I can do to help you? I can get you another plate of spaghetti."
"No thank you," El said demurely. "I'll be alright."
As the waiter walked away, a satisfied smile appeared on El's face. She spread out the cheese across her whole plate and dug in, letting out a satisfied groan at the taste. "Mmm, this is so much better than Hopper's," she admitted, her cheeks full of pasta.
Meanwhile, Mike was studying El with a mix of disbelief and awe. He hadn't initially realized that she'd used her powers until he saw her wiping her nose. Then she'd handled herself so calmly. It was…impressive.
After a few more bites, El noticed Mike staring at her. She was suddenly self-conscious. "What is it," she asked. Her face fell then. "That was bad what I did…wasn't it?"
"No! No, no, no," Mike answered, jolting out of his reverie. "I'm sorry for just sitting here all frozen. I guess I just…" he trailed off, struggling to find the words. "You 're just…you're amazing," he finished simply. "Are you alright? I mean, with your nose and everything?"
"Yes," said El, reaching over and grasping his hand. "It's like Hopp said, it always happens after I do something like that. But I'm fine, I promise."
"I'm glad you are. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, El."
"I know. Like I said, I promise I'm fine. I wouldn't do something that I thought would hurt myself."
"Okay," Mike said with a nod. Suddenly, he started chuckling. "You must have really wanted that cheese, then."
"Oh yes," said El seriously. "You can never have enough cheese." Then, pushing her plate slightly towards him, she added, "Want some?"
Mike cocked his eyebrow. "Really? I thought you just said you can never have enough cheese."
El shrugged. "Yeah, but I like you."
"Ah, I see," Mike said playfully. Taking a forkful of cheese from her plate, he popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened as he chewed. "Jesus, I'm glad you do."
The rest of their dinner went in a similar fashion – playful banter and delicious food. Mike let El try some of his lasagna, and she almost regretted ordering spaghetti it was so good. For dessert, they shared a cup of chocolate mousse. All the while, they kept sharing shy but flirtatious glances.
Before they knew it, dinner was over. Ever the gentleman, Mike paid for El's meal. As he stood up and helped her with her chair, he asked, "What time is Hopper coming to pick you up?"
"9:00. What time is it now?"
"8:30," answered Mike. "We still have 30 minutes. Is there anything you'd like to do?"
If El was being honest with herself, she really wanted to kiss Mike's face. She'd been staring at him all evening. Her face grew hot at the thought.
Mike noticed her blushing. "What is it? You can tell me you know."
Seeing as how they were now outside, El decided to just show him.
Her hand tangled in that wonderfully thick hair of his, and she stretched up on her tip toes to press her lips against his. Mike's eyes widened in shock for a second, then closed as he grew used to the feeling of her sweet little kisses. As this was still new to the both of them, their kisses were a tad bit out of sync. But after a few moments, they seemed to be getting the hang of things.
El began to shiver a bit, as the sun had gone down a while ago. Depending on the day, summer nights in Hawkins could get on the cool side.
Mike pulled back a bit, his and El's labored breathing punctuating the air. "Are you okay," he whispered.
"I'm a little chilly," El admitted.
Mike couldn't believe his lack of foresight, but he'd been otherwise distracted…
"I'm so sorry! Let me give you my jacket." He quickly shrugged it off and draped it around El's shoulders. Considering how much taller he was than her, the jacket looked almost like a second dress. But El looked adorable in it.
"Thank you," she said quietly, her face plastered with a giddy smile. Maybe she'd get lucky, and Mike would forget about the jacket. She could go on smelling his scent forever. Well, at least for the foreseeable future.
"You're welcome," replied Mike. The way he was looking at El, you'd think she'd hung the moon. He was in awe of her abilities, her strength, her forwardness, and how pretty she was. But…he was also a teenager. He'd be lying if he said he didn't want to kiss her again tonight.
Slowly, he brought his hand up to caress her cheek, reveling in how soft it was and that it grew pink under his touch. El leaned into him, closing her eyes. She never wanted this night to end.
The both reached out at the same time, pulling each other close for another round of kisses. Mike wrapped his arms tightly around El, making her feel safe and protected. The night was quiet, save for the sound of their lips meeting and retreating. Occasionally, El would let out a breathy sigh, and it would make Mike shiver in delight.
But unfortunately for the distracted pair, their time was about to end for the night. You see, all that kissing had made them lose track of time, and a loud honk of a horn made them look up in shock.
"WHEELER," came an angry shout from the car, "Extract yourself from my daughter and say goodnight!"
"Oh shit," Mike whispered. "I gotta go."
El's face dropped. "I don't want you to."
"I know, neither do I. But I'll call you tomorrow, okay? First thing."
"Tomorrow," El agreed, the smile reappearing on her face.
Mike gave her hand a final squeeze, then grabbed his bike from the nearby rack. He waited until El was safely in the car before biking off, the grin on his face a mile wide.
Several miles away, a storm was brewing. Not a storm of the weather variety, but one that would affect Hawkins just the same.
Later that night, electricity around the town went out for a short period of time, the ground trembled, and a lone figure stepped from out of the woods into a clearing.
Safely inside and tucked into bed, El sat bolt upright and screamed.
I'm baaaaack! My vacation last month was AMAZING! I was in London, and it was an absolute dream. Long story short, I want to go back. Hopefully soon. But because of that, it took me an extra long time to get back to writing. Sorry for the wait, but I hope it was worth it.
So what did you think of the Mike and El date?! I just love these lil cuties. But something's coming…what can it be? Please leave me a review. Thank you for reading!
