Mike checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes and sighed impatiently. He was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he waited for his parents to leave for their date night.

In less than an hour he was meeting up with Max and valiantly trying to hold back the urge to stress-vomit about it. They hadn't seen much of each other the past few days, and he was pretty sure it was because she was avoiding him.

But he needed to tell her about Will's ultimatum, so on his way to the teacher's desk to ask a question about combustion reactions he already knew the answer to, he'd dropped her a note telling her to meet him at the park near her house.

Will had told him to end things or tell, but Mike honestly hadn't considered ending it at all, realizing he'd grown to like Max. A lot. He couldn't deny it any longer.

He wanted to give it a shot. He thought maybe… maybe they could be good together. Great, even.

And yeah, they still argued and annoyed each other sometimes, but he liked that too. She'd keep him on his toes, that was for sure.

He would probably take some heat from Dustin for insisting there wasn't anything between them, and from Lucas because of his unrequited feelings for Max, but they'd get over it eventually. It would be worth it.

God, Mike was really fucking nervous, already sweating through the undershirt he'd just put on. He'd never asked someone to be his girlfriend before. There was also no guarantee Max would even want to, his stupid, anxious brain reminded him.

She was so damn hard to read. Did she have any idea what she did to him? Did she feel it too, this… pull?

Mike groaned and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. He wished he knew what was going on in that baffling, enigmatic mind of hers—he kind of wanted to run around inside of it until he died there.

He thought of all the nights they'd spent together—the tenderness that was only allowed to exist when the sun was down. What would happen if they brought it into the light?

They were already apparently exclusive fuck buddies, he reminded himself. Surely it wasn't too far a leap from that to a relationship. It had started out as just sex, but it was more than that now, wasn't it? Or at least it had the potential to be.

Mike took a deep, calming breath as he sat up and wiped his clammy palms on his jeans. Maybe it wasn't completely ridiculous after all…

This is completely fucking ridiculous, Max thought as she tore her sweatshirt over her head and threw it on the floor, changing her outfit for what had to be the fifth time that night.

Why was she even putting so much effort into her appearance? It wasn't like Mike would take one look at her in a slightly tight-fitting top and change his mind about ending things.

Because that's what she was pretty sure was about to happen.

She had been quietly panicking ever since Will had walked in on them in the band room on Monday, avoiding Mike like the plague in an attempt to delay their reckoning. She'd even taken to carrying all her textbooks in her backpack because he kept trying to catch her at her locker. Every time she turned the corner he'd already be there, leaning against it like some stupid, sexy beanpole.

Then in chemistry that morning, even though she'd sat in the very first row next to Dorito Breath Alan, Mike had dropped a note on her desk directly in front of her and there was no way she could've pretended not to see it.

Forest Hills Park - 8 pm tonight, it had read in his slanted handwriting.

So here she was, preparing herself for the inevitable.

They got caught, and now it had to end. It was the sensible thing to do after all. End it and everything could just go back to how it was before. Simple. Easy.

Although, what Mike didn't know was that Will wasn't even the first one to find out. A couple weeks ago she'd been climbing onto the Wheelers' roof in the middle of the night at the same time that Steve Harrington had been leaving through Nancy's window.

His initial shock and bewilderment had morphed into an amused, knowing grin. In return, Max had shot him a look that let him know in no uncertain terms that he'd be in deep shit if he blabbed. He'd raised his hands in surrender and nodded before helping her up and going on his way.

Max had been fully intending to tell Mike about it; really, she had. But then she was standing in between his knees as he smiled softly up at her from his desk chair, his fingertips trailing up the backs of her thighs, and she knew there was no way he could find out.

There was too much of a chance he'd freak and preemptively end things, and she hadn't been ready for their bubble to burst. She still wasn't.

Max took a seat on the floor in front of her full-length mirror, braiding the front section of her hair over to the side like she did sometimes. But it didn't come out quite right and she tugged her fingers through it roughly to undo it, wincing.

God, she couldn't believe she was agonizing like this over a boy who wears a fucking calculator watch. She needed to chill out.

This arrangement had always been temporary, she reminded herself. There had been a deadline looming over them from the very beginning, condemning them to a comet's fate of burning fast and bright.

But maybe it doesn't have to end, an irritating, hopeful voice in her head interjected.

Max snorted and shook her head. What was the other option? Dating? She huffed out a laugh under her breath as she stood and tucked her waffle shirt into her jeans. Dating Mike Wheeler. Now that would be crazy.

Just because they were good at fucking didn't mean they were at all compatible as romantic partners. It would be a disaster for sure.

They would kill each other. They would… they would smother each other and get jealous and resentful and vindictive. One of them would say something mean and the other would get defensive and cross a line in retaliation and it would just… it would be catastrophic.

Not to mention there would be no saving their friendship, which was something that she had come to treasure as well.

But what if it doesn't go that way? the voice chimed in again. What if it works out? What if you could be happy together?

Max sat on the edge of her bed and dropped her face into her hands. Sure, it was true that Mike knew things about her now, things she'd never told anyone else, and all the messed up shit about her family didn't even seem to scare him that much.

And he was actually a great listener once she tired him out and he finally shut the fuck up for ten minutes.

It was once the rosy afterglow of their first morning together had worn off that she realized the gravity of the situation—how dangerously close she was to letting her guard down. In her mother's car on the way home she decided it could not happen again.

After winter break she'd resolved to keep him at a distance. No more of that soft, unhurried lovemaking; just efficient, emotionally distant fucking that got them both what they needed and nothing more. A good old hit-and-run. And for the first few days, she'd succeeded.

But then things at home kept getting worse, and it was as if there was an invisible string tugging her directly to his bedroom every time her emotions ran high and it felt like she needed an escape from the constant shouting.

So another concession was made. And Max told herself she could do it. She could tightrope walk that razor-thin line—take his comfort without opening up her heart. But it hadn't worked, and instead, she'd let herself fall fall fall into the safety net of Mike's open arms.

And he just had to go and be so fucking sweet and gentle about it all. Her stomach did a traitorous somersault as she thought of the protective way he held her in his bed, his fingers running through her hair and mapping out the lines of her body. Like she was something special; something to be cherished and revered.

But then what if all of that was just because of the sex?

Of course, it was easy to follow up physical intimacy with emotional intimacy when they'd taken to gazing into each other's eyes as they came. Who's to say it wasn't all just a trick of evolution like she'd learned in Biology? Oxytocin, dopamine—post-orgasm chemicals specifically released to encourage reproduction.

No, she thought as she left her room and made her way through the empty trailer, strengthening her resolve. Absolutely not. She refused to be led astray by bullshit teenage hormones.

It was over between them.

Max yanked open the front door, faltering when she found Billy sitting hunched over on the front steps. Damn it.

He must have remembered that their parents had gone down to Indianapolis for an appointment with Neil's pain specialist the next morning, at which he would greatly exaggerate his symptoms and walk away with signed disability papers and a refilled narcotics prescription.

Billy appeared to be smoking and working his way through his father's six-pack of Miller High Life. Great. Neil was going to be pissed beyond belief if he didn't replace those.

Max squeezed past him through the small amount of space he'd left on the stairs, careful not to make contact and hoping he'd just let her leave.

Of course, she wasn't so lucky.

"And just where do you think you're going, Maxine?" Billy asked in an ominously calm voice.

Max cringed but kept walking. "None of your business, dickbrain."

"Oh, I think it is my business when my baby sister is sneaking out to see the guy she's screwing."

She froze and turned around slowly. How could he know that? "I–I'm not… seeing anyone."

"Please, you think I don't know what a freshly fucked chick looks like? I can practically smell it on you when you're slinking back through the door at five in the morning."

He laughed at the look of revulsion on her face. "Who is it, huh? That black kid?" Max flinched at his unquestionably derogatory tone but Billy pressed on.

"Does he know about your daddy issues? I'm sure there's some great opportunities for role-play there. Or maybe you could be the lady of the house and he could be the sla–"

"You are seriously sick in the head, you know that?" she spat. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Billy shrugged and threw his cigarette butt on the ground. "Must be genetic. Although that doesn't explain you, does it?"

He wrenched the cap off a fresh bottle with his teeth and took a sip, looking her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl. "I wonder what Neil and Susan would say if they knew their precious little girl was degrading herself on a nightly basis."

"Fuck you, Billy," she scoffed in disdain as she turned and continued on her way.

"You really should have some more self-respect, Max!" he called after her.

She held up her middle finger, pretending the interaction hadn't rattled her, but all she could think about at that moment was how badly she wanted to see Mike so he could make her forget it ever happened.

Mike paced back and forth in front of his bed. He could still hear his mom and dad puttering around downstairs. Why the hell hadn't they left yet?

He stopped and looked himself over in the mirror above his dresser, fixing his hair and checking his teeth. Then he rolled his shoulders back and stood in what he hoped was a casual way.

"Max, I was wondering how you would feel about maybe being my uh, my girlfriend…?" he choked out, grimacing as soon as the words left his mouth. "Jesus, that's fucking lame."

He shook his limbs out and tried again, tilting up his chin. "Max, be my girl." Oh god no. "You are so uncool," he informed his reflection.

Too uncool for Max, that was for sure. Shit, what if she was too embarrassed of him to be with him officially? Sure, she hung out with The Party, but she could so easily be popular.

Truthfully, they'd all expected her to jump ship last year as soon as she made the softball team, and were shocked when she hadn't. Then again, Mike should have known she didn't care about any of that popularity bullshit.

Plus, she'd taken him to that jock party a few weeks ago, so she couldn't be that ashamed of being seen with him. Mike let out a long breath, feeling a little more confident about the whole thing. This was going to go well.

Finally, he heard the front door close as his parents left for their dinner reservation. He gave himself a nod in the mirror and his armpits a cursory sniff before making his way out into the hallway.

"Nance, I'm going out for a bit!" he called through her closed door where she was watching Holly while their parents were out.

She'd broken up with Steve earlier that week and had barely left her room since.

Privately, Mike thought Nancy should have ended things with Steve a long time ago. They were so clearly not right for each other long term. She should be with someone who had bigger dreams than taking over his father's business and driving around a minivan full of kids.

He stood in the entryway, putting his jacket on and mentally rehearsing what he was going to say when there was a harsh knock at the door. Assuming it was the pizza Nancy had ordered, he pulled it open, preparing to call her down to pay.

But instead of the requisite stoned teenager, Mike came face to face with a broad, flannel-clad chest, and his sister's name died on his tongue.

Chief Hopper looked down at him sternly. "Wheeler."

"Chief?"

"You're coming with me."

"What? I–I didn't do it, whatever it was!" Mike stuttered as he followed the chief to his truck. "I didn't do anything!"

Hopper opened the passenger side door and gestured for him to get inside. "Relax kid you're not in trouble."

"Then what–"

He held up a hand. "It's easier if I show you. Get in."

Mike was about to protest further but the chief gave him one of his scary, don't fuck with me looks and he had no choice but to obey. He glanced at his watch. Ten minutes until he was supposed to meet Max. Hopefully, this was over with quickly, whatever it was.

They didn't speak as they drove to the outskirts of town and then further, down a barely visible dirt road. There was a country song on the radio, a jaunty tune about an old flame burning or something.

The truck lurched as the road seemingly vanished, leaving them driving over rough forest terrain, high beams bouncing wildly ahead of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike glanced at Hopper, who was whistling merrily along to the music. This was completely bizarre.

After about five minutes they appeared to reach their destination because Hopper threw the vehicle in park and killed the engine before getting out without a word. Mike followed, a sense of unease washing over him as they crunched through ankle-deep snow.

He couldn't handle the silence anymore. "Sir, um, where are we–"

"Watch your step," the chief said shortly, shining his flashlight at the ground.

Mike squinted, realizing there was some kind of wire stretching in front of them about a foot off the ground. What the fuck was going on here? Hopper stepped over it carefully and Mike did the same.

They squeezed through some dense foliage. The chief held back a branch so that Mike could pass by him.

He stopped in his tracks. In front of him was some kind of dilapidated cabin. The lights were on, and smoke puffed out of the chimney.

Oh shit. Is this where he kills me? Mike wondered as they climbed up the rickety steps. It would be the perfect crime. No one would ever suspect the chief of police. He could get rid of all the evidence, steer the investigation in some other direction...

Mike glanced at the thick woods surrounding them. Maybe he should just sprint into the forest right now. He could probably outrun Hopper, he didn't exactly look to be in peak physical condition.

Instead, he watched the chief unlock the door and followed him through it, taking relief in the warmth that washed over him, unfreezing his chilled fingers and toes.

Hopper beelined for a closed door to the left, slowly turning the handle.

"Chief–"

"Shh." He held a finger to his lips as he peeked into the room before beckoning Mike over, his expression sombre. "I found her in the woods a few days ago. She was in rough shape, I think she might be traumatized. Won't speak a word to me other than to ask for you."

Mike's stomach turned to lead as the chief's words sank in. There was only one person he could be talking about but… that was impossible. Wasn't it?

Swallowing thickly, he stepped through the door and entered the small, sparse room. His eyes immediately went to the cot against the wall. There was someone under the covers, facing away. Someone with shoulder-length brown hair.

Mike's pulse raced, blood roaring in his ears as he neared the bed, the wood floor creaking with each step. The person shifted, turning over slowly to face him. His mouth went dry. It couldn't be. There was no way that it was–

"Mike?"

The world stopped turning, time coming to a standstill as he stared into the warm brown eyes of a ghost. She blinked and it felt like the ground shifted beneath his feet. He staggered sideways, grabbing onto a dresser to steady himself.

"Eleven."

At exactly one minute to eight Max sat herself down on a swing in the deserted playground. She turned herself in a circle, twisting the chains up and letting them unravel as she continued her obsessive overthinking.

It was obvious she'd let Mike in way too far. He probably thought she was a total basket case and just stayed around for the sex.

But his actions said otherwise, didn't they? He was gentle with her in a way that she didn't think anyone ever had been. And he somehow always knew what she needed, whether it was sex or listening to her talk or lightening the mood with one of his terrible jokes.

She knew she was supposed to reject his familiarity, but she wanted it. She wanted him to know her. It was a big deal for her, trusting someone like this; it was all terrifying, uncharted territory.

That was exactly why, apart from that first time, she didn't let herself stay until the morning—ensuring she slipped out while Mike was in a deep sleep. It was one thing to bare their souls in the darkness of his bedroom, but she knew that in the harsh light of day, she would be unable to hide her true feelings.

Sighing in frustration, Max looked down at her watch. Five past eight and he still wasn't there. That wasn't like him at all, he was such an obsessive weirdo about punctuality.

She dragged the toe of her sneaker through the gravel beneath her feet as she tried to figure out what to say when he showed up. That persistent little voice in her head that refused to shut the hell up kept urging her to re-examine the facts.

Fact one. The sex was out of this world. It was as if there was a constant wildfire blazing out of control between them, unlike anything she'd felt before.

Fact two. There was fire, yes, but also warmth. Also trust. Those were both good things.

This brought her to fact three, which was that it was impossible to ignore the tiny ball of light that was forming in her chest and expanding at the thought of holding hands in the hallways or leaning into him on the sofa when the party had movie nights… and what if he came to her games and painted her number on his cheek like the other girls' boyfriends did?

The word boyfriend made her heart jump into her throat.

God, she hated feeling like this—the mushy, fluttery sensation in her stomach, the racing pulse, the sweaty palms that came with having a crush. Just the word made Max want to roll her eyes. At that moment she was certain there was nothing more embarrassing in the world than having a crush.

The first and last time she'd felt this way over a boy was in fourth grade. His name was Charlie and he'd had sandy blond hair and perpetual stitches on his chin from repeatedly falling off his BMX bike.

One day at recess she'd told him she liked him and he pushed her into the dirt and called her 'carrot head' before running away.

Max scoffed. Apparently her propensity for mean little boys had started early.

She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. She'd made her decision. She would wait and see what Mike had to say, feel out the situation, and if it seemed like there was a chance he felt the same way, Max was just going to dive in headfirst. No more running.

Hopefully, he let her come home with him so she could avoid Billy. And this time she could stay the whole night, and they could go to school together in the morning.

Her heart gave a cautious, hopeful flip. In less than twelve hours they could be walking through the halls as a full-blown couple.

Chewing on her thumbnail, equal parts anxious and giddy, she kept her eye on the parking lot entrance where the headlights of the station wagon would be appearing. Any minute now.

Mike had barely gotten any sleep last night, but he felt like he was walking on air as he crossed the student parking lot. It was strange to just be going to school in the morning as if his whole world hadn't been turned completely on its head.

He couldn't stop replaying it over and over in his mind…

"Eleven."

She sat up in the bed as he approached her slowly, certain his knees were about to give out. He lowered himself gingerly down onto the edge of the mattress, just looking at her.

Mike didn't know how to act. It had been so long, and this was all so unbelievable he could barely breathe. But then she inhaled sharply and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him without any reservations.

Pure, unbridled joy exploded inside his chest, racing under his skin and stinging at the backs of his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her.

She felt fragile—her shoulder blades protruding like wings, the knobs of her spine sharp beneath his palms. But it felt so right being this close to her again; like a missing piece of him had been returned.

"Where were you?" he breathed, his hands trailing from her shoulders to her elbows as he pulled back. El held her hand out, palm up, and then flipped it over. "The Upside Down? You were trapped there?"

She nodded.

Hopper cleared his throat from the doorway. "I'm gonna give you two some privacy. But uh, keep it family friendly. I'm just out here on the couch." He pulled the door closed, pointedly leaving it open a few inches.

Mike hadn't taken his eyes off El, his gaze travelling all over her, unable to stay in one place. Her face was a little thinner with age, her cheekbones more pronounced, and her hair was longer, but it was her.

He laughed in amazement. "I can't believe this. Is this real?"

She gave him a small smile and nodded. Then she frowned as she reached towards him, pinching the ends of his hair between her fingers before ghosting them over his cheek. Mike fought the urge to lean into her touch.

"Different," she murmured, her voice slightly hoarse.

He smiled. "Yeah, it's been a long time."

Her brow furrowed. "How long?"

"More than two years."

"No…" she breathed, her confusion morphing into shock.

"Yeah, it– it's 1986…" Mike explained, wary of her visible dismay. He glanced around, his gaze falling to a newspaper from a few days ago on the bedside table. "Here." He held it up and pointed at the date. "February 3, 1986. Will went missing in 1983."

Eleven shook her head, eyes flitting back and forth as she stared at the blanket covering her legs, her breathing getting faster. "It can't…"

"Look how long your hair is, El," he said gently. "And you're taller. You've changed too."

She absently reached up to touch her hair, running her fingers along its length. "It… did not feel like years…"

"Maybe time moves differently in the Upside Down," Mike suggested, a sci-fi novel he'd read once coming to mind, where a minute on one planet was five years back on Earth. "Maybe what was years here only felt like months to you."

He reached out timidly and placed his hand on top of hers, stomach flipping when she didn't pull away. "A lot has happened since you've been gone, El."

She looked at him with those shining brown eyes he'd spent so many nights dreaming about. "Tell me."

Mike had spent the whole night fighting the urge to pinch himself every few minutes just to make sure it hadn't all been a dream.

They'd talked for hours—well, he'd mostly talked and she'd listened since her voice was still weak.

He caught her up on what the boys had been up to the past few years—how Dustin had a girlfriend who lived in another state, how Lucas had made the basketball team and Will had gotten really into band.

She'd asked about the Snow Ball and Mike explained that they had different dances now in high school. Her face had fallen and he'd quickly assured her they could still go to those too. The smile she'd given him in return made him feel like he could flip a car with his bare hands.

All too soon his curfew was upon them, and El had barely been keeping her eyes open as it was. When he'd told her he had to leave she'd clung to his arm with despair in her eyes, but he promised he'd be right back there after school.

They'd never be apart again if he had anything to say about it. He wasn't letting her disappear on him. Not again.

He dashed into the school just as the first bell rang, faltering when he rounded the corner to find Max leaning against his locker. Her arms were folded high over her chest and her eyes were boring into him. She looked pissed as hell.

Shit. Mike had completely forgotten about their plans last night; as if they had evaporated from his mind the moment he'd stepped foot into Hopper's cabin.

She would understand though, he had a good reason after all.

"Max," he breathed as he came to a stop in front of her. "I am so sorry I didn't show, but I promise I have a good reason!"

She blew a bubble with her gum, her eyebrow raised unamusedly as it popped. "You'd better."

"Here, I'll tell you with the rest of the guys." He grabbed her elbow and tugged her down the hall before she could protest. "Come on."

They found the boys in the next hallway over, by Dustin's locker. Mike strode up to them, cutting off whatever Lucas had been saying.

"Auditorium, now."

"What?" Dustin frowned. "We have class right now, dude."

"This is worth skipping for," Mike insisted. "Trust me."

A minute later, they were gathered on stage in the empty auditorium, standing around the long table the Hellfire Club normally used for their games. His friends all looked at him expectantly.

Mike took a deep breath. "Okay. This is going to sound completely crazy, but… Eleven is back."

"What?!" Lucas, Dustin and Will exclaimed simultaneously.

He nodded. "Hopper picked me up last night. Apparently, he found her in the woods a week ago and brought her to his cabin."

"I thought you said she died," Max commented in a barely audible voice from where she was standing at the back of the room, arms crossed.

"That's what we assumed," Mike replied as he leaned his hands on the tabletop, "but she didn't die, she was just stuck in the Upside Down. For two years.

"When she killed the Demogorgon she somehow sealed herself in there and her powers were weakened. She spent all this time creating a new gate, and I guess last Friday she succeeded."

A silence descended over the group as they took in this new information.

Mike shook his head as he thought of everything she'd been through. He was so in awe of her—surviving in that place for years, fighting for her life, never giving up.

Although, she'd kept track of her days there and they'd figured out that it had only felt like roughly six months had passed for her, but still. She was incredible.

"I felt it…" Will suddenly said. They all turned to look at him. He was staring at the stage curtains with a far-off look in his eyes. "When she broke through. I felt it."

His gaze snapped to Mike. "A week ago when I was brushing my teeth before bed this… chill ran down my spine and all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I hadn't felt anything like that since I was… gone."

Mike huffed out a laugh. This was all too much. He didn't know how the hell he was going to make it through his classes today. Nothing else seemed even remotely important.

El was back.

As the boys bombarded Mike with questions and began theorizing animatedly about time dilation mechanics, Max stood at the back of the stage, pressing herself to the wall and trying to hide the fact that it felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest.

She could only watch, helpless, as something that had felt so tangible just last night was now slipping through her fingers like sand.

Because the way Mike had looked at her when she'd spoken just now had been completely unfamiliar. It wasn't annoyance or desire or gentle affection…

It was as if he'd looked right through her.

Author's note: Guys. I'm not gonna lie to you, we're going to hate Mike for a little bit

I can't believe we're more than halfway through this fic!! Things are only going to get crazier from here on out, so buckle up!