Well hello everyone! This is my first fanfic I've ever written/published. I just have so many feels after Season 2 that I needed to get this out there! I hope you enjoy!

This one-shot is inspired by Eric Whitacre's rendition of Enjoy the Silence, give it a listen for mood music! watch?v=HlzhYa9aG_k

When Michael Wheeler opened his eyes, he was greeted with silence.

It wasn't the tense, foreboding silence that had fallen upon the group hours ago, when the "demo-dogs" as Dustin had called them were approaching the Byer's house. Nor was it the silence he'd experienced over the past year whenever he'd awoken, too quiet against the chaotic mess of his mind.

It was a peaceful silent. One the marked the end of an era that began a year ago with the disappearance of his best friend Will Byers.

It took Mike a few moments to get used to this feeling, blinking blearily in the faint, watery sunlight that filtered through the drawn blinds. His eyes felt heavy, puffy from crying just before he'd fallen asleep, and his face was partially buried in a mess of brown curls.

Eleven.

It struck him that all that had happened last night wasn't some crazy dream. Eleven had returned to them, to him. Will was free from the Mind Flayer's grasp. They'd created a diversion in the underground tunnels to keep the demo-dogs away from El while she closed the gate. She was here, in his arms.

The thought of all that had conspired and what was happening now was nearly enough to bring tears to his tired eyes again, burying his face more into El's hair. He hadn't originally fallen asleep snuggled to close to her, but he supposed they'd just naturally gravitated towards each other in the night. On any other occasion, he'd feel overcome with embarrassment, but right now he couldn't find it in himself to care. He just wanted to be close to her.

After Steve had drove he, Lucas, Dustin, and Max back from the tunnels, they'd all been anxiously awaiting the return of the other two members of their party. He remembered how Dustin had tried to crack a few weak jokes to ease some of the tension in the room, but even he had a wide look to his eyes and a shakiness to his voice.

Lucas and Max had sat themselves down on the couch, talking to each other quietly while they gripped at each other's hands.

Mike could tell Lucas was probably filling in the red-head on more information she'd been left out of knowing, but he couldn't find it in himself to be bothered anymore by her. El was back, so there was no way she'd be able to take her place in the party. Not to mention how she'd stopped her asshole of a step-brother Billy from hurting them and drove them to the tunnels, proving herself worthy of a place in their party as their Zoomer, or whatever.

For Mike, he couldn't stand to sit still for more than a minute. His fretful pacing he'd started earlier resumed, and he'd clenched his hands into tight fists to hide how much they were shaking.

Even after the Byer's and Nancy had returned with an exhausted Will, he could only feel relief for a few minutes before Joyce had whisked her son off to tend to him, Jonathan close behind. It was so late now, and still without a word from Chief Hopper.

He remembered how a chaotic symphony of panicked thoughts filled his mind, pulling him into that dangerous downward spiral of "What ifs". What if their diversion failed? What if those demo-dogs brutally killed her like Bob? What if closing the gate was too much for her, and it drained her of her life?

These thoughts made him feel dizzy, made his ears ring and made him want to vomit. He wanted to scream at the heavens, scream that out this wasn't fair. She'd just returned to him after an agonizing year without her, only to be ripped away once more to risk her life and save them all.

El had been through so much, so much and she still had to go and put her life on the line to save a world she'd never gotten to be a part of. She had to go back to that horrible, disgusting lab that had been her prison and clean up the mess those equally disgusting "scientists" had made, and it was just not fair.

When the headlights of Hopper's car appeared in view, time seemed to slow down for Mike. He didn't hear the shouts of his friends at their return, nor did he feel himself running out the front door, sprinting as fast as he could towards the car. The only thing he could hear was his heartbeat pounding in his ears as Hopper hastily got out and opened the backseat door, pulling a limp and bloody-faced El into his arms.

"Is—Is she—" He'd barely recognized his own voice as he spoke to Hopper, trembling with the force of the fear he felt coursing through him.

The chief, looking weary and drained had shook his head, "She's fine, just wore herself out back there." He'd cradled her closer to himself as he pushed past Mike towards the house, and Mike saw his tearful eyes glowing with pride, "The damn kid did it. It's all over now."

All of that had happened several hours ago now, and yet the relief he'd felt in that moment still resonated inside of him. After a year full of agony and not knowing if she was even alive, she was finally safe and here to stay.

Mike swallowed back the lump building in his throat again, squeezing his eyes shut and once more savoring the feeling of complete peace and silence around him. Currently, it was just him and his friends, as well as Joyce and Jonathan in the house.

After Joyce had volunteered to clean El up and lay her down, Hopper had reluctantly left to go collect Dr. Owens from the lab, as well as return Billy (who'd still been passed out on the floor) back to his house.

Steve had been just as reluctant to depart from the group, but Nancy needed a ride home and he'd offered to give that to her. After all, one of them had to go home and explain where they'd been to their parents, and Nancy wasn't about to ask Mike to leave.

Mike was vaguely aware of the problems that had risen between his sister and her (ex?)boyfriend, and knew that Jonathan had something to do with this as well. But he wasn't really interested in his sister's relationship drama, and he figured she would take this opportunity to clear the air with Steve. Hopefully.

The rest of the group remaining in the house then began to drop like flies. Joyce, stricken with a confusing mix of relief for her son and grief for Bob had fallen asleep crammed in her bed, curled around a slumbering Will. Jonathan had squeezed in on the other side of Will after Nancy had left, holding tight to his broken little family like the glue he was.

Mike was sure Dustin, Lucas, and Max had passed out in the living room, considering how they'd raided the Byer's closets for every extra blanket they could find. He himself hadn't left El's side since she'd been lain down on Will's bed after Joyce had cleaned her up. After such a physically and emotionally draining day, all he could do was curl up next to her on the bed and cry himself to sleep with relief.

As Mike reminisced on the events of last night, the girl curled up into him moved, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He watched as El dazedly continued to stir, before she lifted her head and blinked her eyes open. And oh those eyes.

Mike didn't think he'd ever stop being mesmerized by those big, brown eyes of hers. They were the windows to her soul, conveying every emotion and word that she couldn't speak with her limited vocabulary.

Those sleepy brown eyes lit up like a warm summer's day as they met his, already brimming with tears. Mike felt his throat constrict with emotion as she reached over the small gap between them, her warm hand resting on his cheek.

"Mike." She whispered, voice tremoring with raw relief as well as the hoarseness of her throat.

She didn't need to say any more than that. Mike understood.

She was just as relieved to see him as he was.

Swallowing thickly and trying to fight back his own tears, the boy scooted closer to her to close the small distance between them, resting his forehead against hers. El's hands shot out and grasped tightly to Mike, as if afraid he'd disappear before her very eyes like he had so many times in the void.

The two of them held onto each other like the traumatized children they were, sniffling through silent tears and drawing in the comfort from their embrace. No longer did they have to wait or worry for each other. They'd done their 353 days of it.

And as dawn broke upon the sleepy town of Hawkins after a nightmarish night, so did the dawn break upon their lives.

It was a new day, and a new beginning.

Let me know if I should write more stories ^-^ Thanks!