So, let me clarify some things before we start.
If you'd rather read the story and ignore my rants, just skip all the part written in bold!
First of all: thank you to everyone that decided to spend those five minutes writing a review and giving such good advice.
Big up for phieillydinyia that noticed my shitty slip up: there wasn't a Hobbit film at the time. So so sorry. It just slips my mind sometimes, I'll correct that as soon as I can.
So there have been two suggestions: a 4th of July chapter in which my two birdies celebrate together and more action.
So far I can only tell you: wait another chapter, then the action is gonna come!
About the 4th of July chapter, it really isn't a bad idea and I've decided to open an instagram account on which I'll do surveys about what I should/shouldn't do with the suggestions I get from you guys and I'll keep you updated. (search for: percyandnico on Insta, I've got a Mileven pic in balck and white).
That being said, have a nice read! 3
"You sure you'll be okay?" Hopper asked for the tenth time just as she was about to get out of the car.
At that point, Eleven rolled her eyes at him "It's just Max, relax".
As she was stepping to the front door of Wheeler's house, Hopper grumbled "Relax".
"Sorry I'm late" she said, "I slept a lot".
"Slept well?" Mike smiled at her and led her inside, where everyone was already gathered. Max ran up to her, smiling excitedly as they ran over what she had brought to make sure she had everything.
"You brought all that stuff for just one night?" Lucas was staring at her stuffed grey bag, eyes wide. Eleven just shrugged "I brought what she told me to..."
"Wait, what is th-" as Max was taking her teddy bear out of the backpack, Eleven caught it in a swift movement, so fast no one actually saw what it was; it wasn't that she was ashamed of sleeping with it...she just didn't know if the others would've found it weird.
At that point, everyone gathered around her begging her to show what she had behind her back, like she could have a nuclear bomb or something like that.
Mike tried to reach out for her arm, but she built some kind of invisible wall between the two. He just raised an eyebrow "Really?"
Eleven nodded and, when the others were distracted by her creation, she dashed to the bed and stuffed the teddy bear inside; as she lost all concentration on that spot, the wall disappeared and the boys plus Max fell face forward.
As she turned around, she found Mike hovering over her shoulder with a sly smirk on his face "I saw it!"
She just glared at him and pushed him away, plopping down the bed next to her backpack and hugging it close. Mike was being so stupid about it all; why did she even had to show him if she didn't want to? Deep in the back of her head, she knew she was overreacting a little but she couldn't help but feel like he was making fun of her.
He, on the other hand, had just froze in place at her sudden bad mood. And, as oblivious as he was, he just blankly asked "Did I do something wrong?"
At that she huffed and left the room with her backpack on her shoulder, and Max said "Mike, what did you do now?"
While she was stomping down the stairs, she bumped into Nancy and the girl almost fell backwards down the stairs; El just extended her hand and pulled her back on her feet before she could collide with the ground, wiping the blood away from her nose just as soon as it came out.
"Thanks, El" Nancy stood there for a second, dumbfounded; she noticed the girl's grimace, which was very uncommon when she was with Mike, so she just frowned "Is everything alright?"
Eleven just shook her head, feeling grumpier than when she had to wait for Hopper extra late "Mike's just being stupid".
Nancy chuckled at that "Tell me something I don't already know. Wanna talk about it in front of something to eat?"
Eleven looked back at Mike's room, then back at Nancy and shrugged "Okay".
As they sat down to the kitchen table, the older girl slipped a plate with some cookies over to her, watching amused as Mike peered over the door trying to understand what was happening; Eleven just closed her eyes and grumbled, flicking her head on the right and making him stumble out of his hiding spot.
"Seriously, El? Again?" he said, exasperated letting his hands fall to his sides "What did I even do? Please talk to me?"
Nancy was watching with pure amusement until she said "Mike, just go back to your room. We're gonna talk for a while and then she'll come".
Eleven looked at her gratefully, and when they were alone, she said "I know I don't know a lot of things, but I don't like it when people make fun of me".
Nancy narrowed her eyes "Hey, it's not your fault if you don't know things. You're getting good, trust me, you just need your time. What did that knucklehead do?"
"I...I didn't want to show them my...my teddy bear. And he spied and he saw it and then laughed at me".
Nancy face palmed, shaking her head a little "Listen, El, boys can sometimes be stupid. But not stupid-stupid, just...feelings-stupid. Like they don't know how to handle feelings and do stupid things".
Eleven slowly nodded, still a little confused: she didn't think Mike was stupid, but sometimes he did do what Nancy was saying.
"Nancy, what's a boyfriend?" she blurted out.
"What?"
"A boy at the park asked me if I have a boyfriend, but I don't know what it is so I just said no"
Nancy sighed "It's...uhm. Okay take two people: they really, really like each other – we can say they love each other. At some point, they become boyfriend and girlfriend. So they hug and kiss and other things".
"But what's a kiss?"
"It's when you press your lips on someone else's lips".
At that, the youngest of the two narrowed her eyes: Mike had done that, two years ago, but he hadn't asked her to become boyfriend and girlfriend.
"And girlfriend and girlfriend? Or boyfriend and boyfriend?"
"No, El – I mean yes. It can also happen, yes" she sighed again, feeling as if conversations with the kid were always gonna be like that.
The girl nodded slowly taking it all in, frowning and looking lost in thought "I'm going upstairs".
As soon as she entered the room, everyone fell quiet.
Mike got near her, stopping a few feet away.
She just looked at him blankly before sighing and grabbing his hand "Knucklehead".
The tension immediately went away and everyone started to gather everything to move into the basement, where El quickly found her comfort spot in the familiar fort.
Mike looked at her funny, feeling a little weirded out by her swinging mood.
Eleven fidgeted with his walkie talkie for a little before picking up a comic book and reading – well, if you can consider looking at the pictures reading – it in silence. Max let her be for a little while, then sat next to her pulling the blanket down so they could have a little privacy "What's up?"
El sighed, her eyes almost watery "I don't know. I just feel so grumpy right now!"
Max laughed softly "It can happen, El. There's bad days, it's just that, you need to relax a little. We're gonna have fun tonight".
It was hard for her, Max could understand that: she had always been like that too. Just vomiting her feelings out, not being able to tone them down when she was around her classmates cause she had never really had friends so she didn't know how it would feel. But then again, El's situation was even worse, as she had never had any kind of human contact for so long.
"Yeah" the girl whispered, letting her head fall on the wall behind her "and it's like Mike doesn't even get it! I want...I want..."
"To taken care of. It's called cuddling, by the way".
"Cudd-cuddling?"
"Yes, to cuddle; you do it all the time with Mike, like when you two snuggle up together, or when he gives you those little rubs on the head. It's when you get touchy and close".
"Oh. I get it".
"So you just want to feel like he actually cares and does something, while he just stands there without doing anything".
"Yes!" the other one exclaimed "You understand me".
"That's because I'm a girl, I know it can be hard sometimes...to feel so down suddenly without anyone to comfort you. But when boys get stupid, there's always friends".
"Friends" El smiled at her, feeling a little bit of nervousness slipping away.
Will had always been good at listening to her, she had fun with him and it still felt different than with the others, but Max was a girl, she was right, she understood perfectly.
"Can...can you read this to me?" Eleven said, smiling a little "Hopper is teaching me, but I still can't".
"Of course" Max smiled the brightest of smiles, adjusting and then taking the comic from her hands and starting to read it.
"Guys, I don't even know what I did" Mike was feeling overwhelmed.
"I don't know buddy, don't ask me" Dustin shurgged "but your girl sure makes a good impression of Spiderman, Lucas".
"You should just talk to her," Will said, like it was obvious "if you don't know, just talk".
"Can we at least finish this campaign?" Lucas asked, irritated. Girls.
When Mike lifted the blanket to talk to Eleven, Max was already halfway through the third comic book.
"Oh you finally made it, congratulations!" Max retorted ironically, pushing him away so she could exit the fort. Mike took her place and everyone outside decided to go upstairs and eat something – more than likely give the two space.
"I'm sorry" he said suddenly, taking her hands in his "whatever I did to make you upset, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to".
Eleven watched him from underneath her eyelashes, "I'm sorry, too. I...I got too mad, but...but..."
"Eleven" Mike squeezed her hands, "don't be shy, just spit it out".
"Why should I spit?"
"It means just say it".
"Oh" she was quiet for a second, then she spoke "I just thought you were making fun of me because I sleep with my teddy bear, and I'm also very grumpy today and that's it".
It was the first time Mike saw her like that: what she was doing, was literally whining. She was throwing him ha tantrum over being grumpy. But even so, he couldn't be mad at her. He sighed and pulled her to him, hugging her close "I'm sorry, you're right El. I should've understood".
"You're a knucklehead, it's okay".
"When did you learn that anyway?"
"Nancy explained".
"Should we stay home or go outside?"
"Stay!"
"Go!"
"Both!"
Everyone was talking and it felt like the room was about to explode, while Mike Will and El waited for them to decide. El just sighed and tugged at Mike's hand, saying in almost a whisper "Mike, I want to cuddle".
As she said that, the room fell quiet until Lucas' laughter filled the room, followed by everyone else. Even Will was laughing uncontrollably "I'm sorry Mike, it's just so funny to look at your flustered face!"
Eleven blushed "Did I say something wrong?"
"No, El, it's okay" Mike sighed and laughed softly at her innocence. She was so pure he almost thought he didn't deserve her at all.
As soon as he was settled on the couch, she snuggled into him and rested her face in the crook of his neck, finally sighing in content. There were lots of things that went through her mind.
"El, we're gonna go buy ice-cream" Max said "do you want me to buy some so we can eat it tonight?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed "And we're gonna eat Eggos, too?"
"Already got 'em" the redhead smiled wickedly at her before leaving the room with Lucas, Dustin and Will.
Mike had started drawing circles on her arm, making her shudder from time to time.
At some point, she nuzzled his neck with her nose, "Mike?"
"Yeah?"
She looked up and noticed he was already looking down at her, and she got a little lost in his eyes. She liked them: they were comforting and they reflected so much emotion.
And just like that, she leaned in and pressed their lips together. Mike stiffened, surprised, but then relaxed and leaned in too, his lips brushing against hers soon after they parted starting another long kiss.
It seriously felt like there was electricity between the two of them sizzling in the air, as they both felt their stomach turn and butterflies explode.
"E-El" he stuttered, not knowing what to say.
"I think you're my s-soul mate, Mike".
And then, without giving him the chance to reply, she grabbed him by his neck and pulled him down again in a more decisive way. He cupped her cheek and lost his breath when she tangled her hands into his hair, pulling him closer.
"Woah there, El" he laughed, breathless "slow down a little, okay?"
"You don't like it?" she asked, eyes wide.
"No! No...it's not that. It's just – take it easy, okay?"
She nodded in response and he pecked her on the lips once again, loving the feeling of her soft lips on his.
For a while they just sat there, hugging each other and giggling from time to time, until the others returned and eyed them funny: one minute they weren't talking to each other and the other they're laughing and hugging.
As they came back, El eyed the box in Max's hands shouting "Ice cream!" and everyone laughed uncontrollably as she caught it in her hands with just a flip of her wrist.
As they reached Max's house, the girl wasted no time in greeting her parents: she just threw them an 'hi' and ran upstairs closely followed by Eleven.
It was entertaining, to say the least: as soon as they had become friends, Max had taken to her in a particularly fond way. So the two bonded quite quickly in those few weeks they spent together; Max listened to El's story of her past and she had immediately understood what the girl wanted more than anything (well, except Mike): she wanted to live like a normal teenager, feeling love, going to school and all that jazz.
El had learned a lot about the redhead, too: she had told her about how she hated her family, about Billy, practically about everything. And El soon found out that when her friend started talking, it was fast so she had to focus to keep up.
"So" Max said while they were changing – and yes, she had told her, we can change in front of each other we are girls – "did he kiss you?"
"I kissed him" El answered with half a smile and a dreamy expression.
"Great! So now you two are together!"
"I don't know...he hasn't asked me, you know. To be his girlfriend"
"El" Max sighed, plopping down on her bed "I think you worry too much. The boy looks at you like you're the only thing in the world".
"Will says so too"
"Because" she stood up and grabbed the box of ice cream "Will is very good at understanding feelings. And if I'm correct, he doesn't like girls".
"What? No?" Eleven asked, thrilled.
"No, just think about this..."
"Mike, man, you got yourself a girlfriend!" Lucas was howling like a madman, as Dustin shook his head.
"At least it's El, so she's not some boring pretty face" he shrugged, then smiled widely "I'll be waiting for the perfect one to show her this pearls. Grrr"
"And here I thought you'd never grow a pair" Will sighed, leaning against the closet, mimicking his dreamy eyes "oh I love El, but I'm so stupid I cannot bring myself to tell her!"
"Shut up, guys" Mike was glaring at them but he had this big smile on his face he couldn't wipe off; he had waited for so long.
"And anyways, I wasn't the one that started the kiss. She did" he admitted, still not believing what had happened just a few hours before.
"What?" Dustin looked astonished, while Will snickered "I imagined".
"Wait, what? Why?" Mike frowned, offended my Will's remark.
The smaller just rolled his eyes "You haven't kissed her since the Snow Ball, I figured she'd get tired of you pissing your pants. She's a tough one".
"Thanks for your trust, Will, but I had planned to ask her out tomorrow. I...I invited her to the lake so we could spend the day together, just the two of us".
"Oooh" the boys echoed all together, laughing at his flustered expression.
"You better get used to this" Will whispered to him, watching Dustin and Lucas amused "I don't think they're gonna let go quite easily"
Eleven ate her third Eggo with a spoonful of ice-cream listening to Max's story of how she and Lucas ended up in trouble for sneaking around during school.
"My dad said that if I want, I can go to school" Eleven chewed on her lip, "but I will need extra lessons and I'd have to work really hard".
"I think you'd like school" Max smiled at her excitedly "and we could help you with everything, I could even get you started at reading this summer!"
"Really?"
"Really! It's easy, you just need to get the hang of it, then it's almost automatic".
Eleven nodded, smiling.
There were so many questions she had for her friend, she didn't even know where to start.
"Uhm, so...now that I kissed Mike, does this mean we're girlfriend and boyfriend?"
"Yes, it should. Usually the boy or the girl asks, but hey" Max shrugged "sometimes it's just obvious. Like, I would've considered you and Mike already together if I didn't know about your situation. You should've seen the way he looked when I first met him..."
"How?"
"I guess the boys could tell you more about this, but when I met everyone he was seriously depressed. He had this sad eyes, this way of walking and talking that just gave away what his true feelings were" Max sighed, "and that time that you made me slip from my skateboard? Yes El, don't give me that look, he told me and I'm not mad at you. He panicked. He went running outside the gym screaming your name".
"I know" El whispered, eyes full of tears "I wish I had found a way to come back earlier".
"It doesn't matter: you're here now, and you saved us again. We're never letting you go now, El".