A/N Hi everyone! Welcome to my new project. This multi-chapter will focus on Mike and Eleven's relationship, building their lives together. Each chapter will be a small one-shot or a drabble and, even when they won't be in chronologic order, it'll all be connected. Also, if you have read my individual long one-shots, you already know that and you probably find a lot of references of those one-shots too. By the way, I'll continue publishing one-shots besides the ones I'll publish in here. So, don't worry.

I hope you guys like this new idea and tell me what you think on every new chapter. I always want to entertain all of you so feel free to pm me if you have any special request or doubts. Also I'll upload frequently as long as I get feedback, this is very important to me. And I have many, many ideas with so much Mileven, it's insane.

IMPORTANT: Each chapter has its own rating, so keep in mind that even if the fanfic says it's T rated, that doesn't mean there wont be K, K+, T and M rated chapter too. So keep in mind each rating, just in case.

That said, I hope you like this.

Stranger Things belongs to The Duffer Brothers and Netflix. I make no profits on writing this.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Rated: T. / Romance - Hurt/Comfort. / Eleven, Mike – mentioned –, OC.

xx

MIKE'S MINT

November 3rd, 1989.

It's amazing what being in love causes.

One lives, from the moment of waking up to the sleeping time, thinking about that person one loves. You can run through the events of the day in constant connexion with that special someone but, to Eleven, it wasn't like that. She didn't just live with Mike's face burned in her heart from the moment she'd open her eyes until she went to bed, she also saw his face in her dreams. Every single room in the cabin had his scent, just like every inch of her body had his touch all over it, with the lines and invisible drawing he made with the tip of his fingers when he played with the softness of her skin and his firm passionate touches from all those time when they've been intimate.

She lived with his voice in her ears, with his eyes cutting through her own, with his lips tasting her with both tender kisses and those deep steamy ones that always left his mark when desire filled their bodies in the cabin, or at his house in his bedroom or the basement.

To Eleven, every single moment she lived with Mike by her side was a whisper of fresh air, an eternal moment of happiness so beautiful, so free, like the leaves when they flew away from the trees and got carried away by the fall's wind. A natural, wonderful moment of magic, love and fantasy like the dates they had, after their nap on Fridays.

Those Friday's dates were her favourite part of the week, their 7 p.m. tradition to the ice cream shop since she started school with them in 1985 after she begun enjoying a regular, normal life. Every Friday after school, El and Mike went to his house and, after doing their homework, they'd laid under the fort and talked, made out or simply took a nap until few minutes before seven, when they would leave his house and she'd climb behind him on his bike – and after he got his car, drove with him –; to 'Lover's Delight' ice cream shop and they enjoyed their very simple but sweet little date.

A cone with lemon mousse and mint for Mike, and another cone with chocolate and strawberry cream for Eleven. Always the same flavours, always just the two of them, no matter the season of the year, no matter the weather, they always went there to their innocent tradition before he'd take El back to her house. She loved those dates, just the two of them.

Well, it used to be just the two of them, until September when Mike left to college.

Every time Eleven went to her Friday's 'date' since then, she felt particularly sad. She hadn't told Mike she kept on going because she didn't wanted to make him feel bad, worse actually from how he already felt because he went so far away. No matter how much they talked about it, no matter how many times she told him she understood, no matter how many times she told him she would wait for him; every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday when Mike called El, after an hour of talking and before they had to hang up, his voice would always tremble and he'd apologize for studying in another state; like if it was his fault, like if he had to feel remorse from all his hard work. And Eleven always tried to cheer him up telling him that it was okay, that she would always understand because he was working that hard to build a future that, in the end, would be theirs to share.

- Do you know how I would love to be with you right now, don't you? – he used to say when they had to hang up and she couldn't help but smile thinking about how sweet he was, always reminding her how much he loved her.

Those calls became a need, those calls helped her live through the days having small goals: to resist until the next one when she would refuel her doss of Mike, when she would gather a little more strength, when he would also feel a little less sad and he would study harder and better, when she would feel a little less cold until the Christmas break when he would return to her arms for four glorious weeks in which they would filled with one another after months of hunger, easing the urges of their bodies and filling the emptiness of their souls, forgetting about the world and focusing on the one and only truth: the way they loved each other.

- Good afternoon, Jane. – greeted Stella Deveraux, owner of the ice cream shop, smiling behind the register.

After so many Fridays going with her boyfriend to have some delicious ice cream, Mrs. Deveraux already knew their time and tastes. She even asked them a few times, with a kind grandmotherly smile, white hair and warm blue eyes, why they never changed their flavours. Those times they only smiled and shrugged, not knowing what to say other than they loved lemon, strawberry, mint and chocolate. Both of them because, before heading back home, Mike and Eleven liked to made out for a good uninterrupted ten minutes when they could taste each other's flavours in their mouths. If the popular phrase 'sucking face' ever made any sense that was when.

Eleven said hi back with a small but honest smile while opening her purse and paid for her ice cream cone. Two seconds later one of employees at the shop, the only one she saw actually, got closer to her with the same creepy smile he'd been giving to her since a few weeks back, making her feel uncomfortable.

- Chocolate and mint cream, please. – she whispered, avoiding eye contact.

- Yeah, I remember. – he replied, showing a big smile but El just stared back at him with a frown and looked away, disgusted.

The employee, which name she believed was Jason but she didn't remember and, quite frankly, she didn't care, had been in the same English class with them according to Mike, who pointed out one day. Eleven knew exactly what was on that guy's mind and why he had been smiling at her like that, especially since she started to go there without her boyfriend but she always tried to be as clear as possible to let him know she wasn't interested. El never smiled back to him, she never talked to him, she didn't even looked at him other than the absolute minimum; and, let's be honest, she kind of hated him too because every time he had to make her cone, she could feel how he wanted to undress her. Eleven never thought she'd feel such revulsion towards someone besides Papa, and also she hated that guy because the way he always looked at her made her lonely dates even harder than they already were. When Mike comes back, she would tell him to put that guy into place.

- Take it slowly, Jane. It's really big. – said 'probably Jason', giving her her cone with extra double meaning sauce.

She couldn't help but narrow her eyes and frown, looking pissed. – Yeah. – she said, clearly annoyed.

El turned around taking two paper napkins, thinking where to sit. That day, the ice cream shop was empty which was particularly amazing given that, even during winter, the place was overcrowded whether if it was summer because of the ice cream, spring with milkshakes or coffee and cakes during the cold seasons. One day Mike made a joke about changing the name of the shop from 'Lover's Delight' to Come and Get Fat. She had laughed at that.

- Hey, Jane. Would you give me your number? – 'probably Jason' asked, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned around and looked at him, very pissed, ready to tell him he was out of place and ask him if had been eating funny mushrooms, because if he thought she was interested, he clearly had been hallucinating.

- Jacob, that's enough. I told you a thousand times to leave our customers alone and learn your place. This is the last warning. – said Mrs. Deveraux, clapping her hands loudly and pushing him away from the counter. – Get back with the boys, go on, shoo.

The guy simply stared back at both women and mumbled something that could've been bitches before heading back to the back of the shop. Eleven relaxed, satisfied thanks to the old lady who rescued her from that unpleasant moment and she felt a small wave of care towards her.

- Sorry about that, Jane. Sadly guys like him are the ones guilty of giving your generation a bad name. – the woman apologized and signed a seat before her, showing Eleven where to sit. – Come here, dear, keep me company.

The girl looked around again to the empty store, the quite streets and noticed again that the other employees were nowhere in sight. She sat where the older lady pointed and started eating her ice cream.

- Slow day?

Mrs. Deveraux sweet laugh made Eleven forget about that douchebag from two minutes ago. – Not at all, dear. Only half hour ago we had a line of a hundred people, buying their ice creams to go. The boys worked really hard so I let them stay in the back watching the big game.

That made sense.

- Right, my dad said something last nigh about it. He must have returned home earlier to watch the game and do some serious shouting to the TV.

The older lady laughed again. – He sure deserves a break; it's not easy to be the Chief, even if it's Hawkins's. How is he, dear?

- He is fine, thank you. Actually, my dad's girlfriend Joyce and I have him on a diet, so if you ask him he'd say he is suffering from hunger. – El said. – I think he hate us.

Both women giggled, which caused Eleven to relax completely and enjoy her ice cream. Mrs. Deveraux walked to the espresso machine and poured her a cup of coffee, obviously convinced she had time to spare before another customer walks in.

- How about you, little one? Are you okay?

Her soft sweet voice asked almost carefully, afraid she might touch a sensitive nerve and that took Eleven by surprise, looking at her with confusion and curiosity.

- These last few weeks I have noticed you coming alone, at the same day and the same hour. You take your cone of a different flavour and remain silent on the furthest table of the shop and eat it slowly… And a little sad, if I may add.

The woman's words took a few seconds to be digest while Eleven saw herself in the eyes of that lady in front of her and how she seemed to be worrying about her being all alone.

- So, you and Mike..?

Eleven cut her off before she could even say the words. She didn't even want to hear it.

- Oh no, not at all. – El answered, shaking her head and offering a small smile, drawing little circles on her ice cream. Somehow the woman seemed relieved and El couldn't help but to think about how sweet that seventy something years old woman was. – He's in college.

- Oh right! I should've thought about it, I still remember the day when you guys graduated and, still wearing your academic robes and caps, you kids came here on your date. You looked so cute. – she said, smiling sincerely. – Where did he go, if you don't mind me asking?

El shook her head, smiling back to her. She always enjoyed talking about Mike because she was so proud of him. – He was accepted on MIT, full scholarship.

- Oh wow, that's… far. – said the woman, surprised. – It must be very difficult for you, kids, to be so far away from each other.

It wasn't a question and Eleven just nodded. Suddenly she felt the bitter taste of nostalgia and also the need to talk about it and about Mike.

- You didn't want to study?

Eleven shook her head, actually Mike had insisted that she should apply to get into college because she was really smart but, to her, the mere idea of leaving Hawkins on her own scared the crap out of her – and Hopper – so they both agreed it was best for her to stay home. For the time being, Eleven was working on Mr. Keene's drugstore, three blocks away from the ice cream shop and right across the street of Radio Shack where Mike used to work during high school. She surrounded herself with everything that could bring his presence back to her, it was soothed her.

- Maybe when he graduates and finishes his master degree, but I'm not sure if I want to. Although… - she giggle at the thought. – If I know him enough, he will insist so much that I will probably end up studying something.

Mrs. Deveraux smiled behind her cup of coffee. – Well, he just wants the best for you. That boy sure loves you. You know, in the many years I lived and, especially since I own this shop, I've seen thousands of couples but I've never seen love so sincere like the one you kids have. – she said – The way that boy follows you, and watches you. The way he smiles at you and cares about you makes me think that, even when I always believed that teens can't really understand what real love feels like; you kids are the rare exception to that.

El didn't dare to look at her when she said all those things because that woman was speaking so accurately, even when she barely knew them. She was talking about her relationship with her boyfriend like if she'd known them like the back of her hand. Eleven knew for sure, after all those years, that Mike loved her just as much as she loved him. The worked liked that, no every day routine was alike, there was no boredom and they knew how to surprise each other daily. They shared naps after school, they enjoyed some quality time on a hammock in the cabin on the afternoon, he'd made up a song to her for her birthday and she always sniff the scent on his neck when she'd hold him from behind in his bike or, when he got his car, she'd nuzzle on his neck while he drove her to her house. Mike was his source of energy, the breath in her lungs, the wind beneath her wings and the floor she'd walked in.

- I love him so much… – she whispered, playing with the plastic spoon, drawing little hearts on the union between the chocolate and the mint before taking another lick. And she also tried to swallow the lump of tears suddenly squeezing her throat, trying not to look up and show Mrs. Deveraux her watering eyes.

But she noticed and placed a warm, soothing hand on her arm and, when El looked up, she met those caring blue eyes behind thick glasses and she understood for a second, what it felt to have a grandmother.

- It's okay, dear. You can let it go; Stella can hold your back. That's what ice cream is for; you think its only coincidence that movies have so many ice cream scenes when someone's is feeling blue?

El laughed and let two tears fell from her big dark eyes, the tears she had been holding back since a few seconds ago or, perhaps, since the last eight weeks, she wasn't sure which. Even when she had cried when Mike left for college, she didn't really cried that much. Actually she had to gather all her strength to not explode into waves of tears because she wanted to be strong for him, but that only caused her to shut down from the world. Not only she didn't shed a single tear after he left, but also – and apparently was even worse – she had entered in a state of hypnosis where she functioned like she was a robot; Eleven saw movies with Hopper, went to work, ate, showered but it was all like if she was watching everything like if her life was a TV show.

Life itself was like the void she had visited so many times when they were apart. Only when she went to bed she finally felt like waking up because, every night, she'd dream about Mike and life became good again, she'd dream about his kisses and his voice, his hands and his touch. Her dreams were her refugee; it was another source of power to refuel her heart with the necessary energies to hang on until the next phone call. Those eight o'clock calls on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays made her heart skip a thousands beats and she never let it ring more than twice because El almost threw herself onto it like if her life depends on it and she hold it tight against her ear until Mike's voice filled her heart again and she could almost see the smiled he made when she said hi to him. They filled each other with love, they remembered each other their love, and they held each other until the next phone call.

But, until then, she never cried again and she never thought she would let her tears run free in the presence of the owner of her favourite ice cream shop; a woman she barely knew, truth be told.

And she cried. A lot.

- That's okay, little one, let it go. It's alright to feel like that, believe me I know.

After some minutes, Eleven wiped her tears with the sleeve of her hoodie, – Mike's hoodie, actually –, and looked back at the woman who so sweetly supported her. A small smiled crossed her face and then looked confused by the last thing the lady said.

- My husband. – she said, pointing to a frame picture on the wall behind the espresso machine. On the photograph there was a man, around the same age of Mrs. Deveraux, with a kind smile. – He died two years ago but we were married for over fifty and, you know, there was a time before we got married when we were apart for three years. Actually three years and fifty three days, I remember those days vividly because during that whole time I lived afraid I might get a letter in which it'd say that he would never come back.

The girl listened carefully before asking. – He went to college too?

- No, dear. He fought in the war.

War. Eleven remembered they studied about it at school, they even had to make an essay about it and she shivered thinking about the images she saw on the books.

- I'm sorry, you've been through some serious stuff during a horrible time and I'm wiping because my boyfriend is in college on a fifteen hours drive away from here.

- You don't have to apologize, little Jane. – said the older lady and squeezed her hand on El's arm tenderly. – It's only natural to feel the way you do, trust me. I told you that so you know someone understands because, even when I'm a lot older than you, I know exactly what you are going through.

- It's just that… – she said, fighting the tears that were pouring out of her eyes, feeling a little stupid because she knew Mike didn't leave her, because even when he was 808 miles away, he was still hers. – Can it possibly feel this hard? Or is it just me acting like a baby?

Mrs. Deveraux sighed before answering. – Being away from someone you love is one of the hardest things in the world. – she said. – I know you may feel like you are never going to see him again but, when two people love each for real, it's a challenge to resist. You have to put a goal to focus on. You have to be sure about your feelings so you can set the future you want to reach. You love him, right?

- Yes. – Eleven answered with tears but without any hesitation. – I love Mike, I love him with all my heart and I know he loves me, he always been clear about that.

- Tell me about it, dear. It'll help.

Her voice was peace between the storm in which El's mind was currently into, caused by how much she missed her boyfriend. Eleven told Mrs. Deveraux, while eating her ice cream, that Mike called her three times a week for an hour. She told her about the first time he told her he loved her and the song he wrote and played for her. She told her about their first kiss and, without much detail, about the first time they made love. She didn't tell her about the lab, or the demogorgon, or her powers, or about all the stuff that were top secret; but she did tell her that Mike came to her life to show her how true pure happiness was like, that he changed her life into a perfect one. El told her about their relationship while the older woman's smile grew wider while she kept speaking and she also felt something wonderful holding her up, while those warm blue eyes behind thick glasses looked back into her eyes, providing the support El didn't know she had been asking for.

- I'm sorry, you must be bored. – Eleven apologized, cleaning her tears again with the sleeve.

The lady shook her head and patted her arm tenderly. – Not at all, dear. I think you kids have the most beautiful story I have ever heard. A precious girl waiting for the boy she loves, and a sweet caring boy who earned that love every day.

Eleven smiled a little ashamed but flattered while finishing her cone, taking the last spoons of mint. – That's why I changed my flavour. – she said, showing her the empty cone. – I always choose chocolate, and Mike always chooses mint, so taking his favourite flavour with mine, it's like if I'm eating it with him… Until he comes back.

Stella Deveraux thought that no soap operas could ever be as sweet and loving as the girl sitting in front of her.

- That's beautiful, little one. – said the woman, touched. – So, does it tastes like when you had it with him?

Eleven thought about it for a second and looked at her cone, and then she tasted the remains of ice cream in her tongue and her cheeks before answering. – Well, actually no. I mean it's still very yummy but, somehow it's different from when I had it with my boyfriend, you know?

The woman nodded and looked at her with a grin. – Could it be that my ice cream doesn't have the special touch Mike gave to it?

Eleven blushed deep red like Mike did when Hopper caught them making out in his car, nonetheless she smiled and lowered her gaze before looking back into her blue eyes. Because that was it, because the mint ice cream needed something else. Because the first time she had it was when Mike took her there when they were fourteen and she laughed at how he made the spoon fly like an airplane before letting her taste it. Because after they finished each ice cream, they spent some very hot ten minutes in the parking lot, making out not caring about the people around and tasting the remains of their favourite flavours on each other's mouths. Mint ice cream was delicious, it was fresh, it was sweet, it was creamy, and it was the best flavour ever created but it was even better when it was on Mike's full lips.

The door bell rang when two girls walked in, laughing side by side and Eleven checked on her pink watch – Mike's gift – and realized it was time to get home and control her father's beers.

- I think I should be going, Mrs Deveraux. – said El standing up and moving towards the curve around the register to reach the woman and, this time, she held her arm tenderly. – I won't forget what you did for me today. I feel better, I feel closer to Mike as well and I think he'll notice and it'll help him feel better too when we talk tomorrow.

The woman smiled, nodding at the girl's words. – Tell him I say hi and that, when comes back, the ice cream of the first Friday will be on the house.

Eleven smiled wide and couldn't help herself; she hugged the lady in front of her. – Thank you. – she whispered and then waved another goodbye before heading back to the parking lot where she left Mike's car.

While she drove back to the cabin, with the cool breeze of November against her cheeks, Eleven still tasted the mint in her mouth and a smiled cut across her face, thinking about the first date she'd have when Mike's comes back on the Christmas break. She thought she could tell him about how she kept their tradition and she would ask him to do the same, if he could due to his tight schedule, so they could compare their favourite's flavours when they ate them alone and then on each other's mouths. She felt good because she had been listened, advised and she felt now free of the sadness she had been shutting herself into. But now she was happier, now she knew she could help Mike feeling better too, she could help him relax when they'd talk; she also felt like it was okay to talk with Hopper or Joyce when she finds herself missing him a lot more. She also figured she could ask Max to have some ice cream together sometimes and talk about their boyfriends and all the boys, reminiscing the moments they shared and how much they missed them and how happy they'd feel when the party reunites in December.

And above all, she couldn't wait to have ice cream with her boyfriend again under the presence of Mrs. Deveraux and, this time, check with desire and assure the world with full confidence that there was no better mint than the mint of Mike.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Ta Dah! Well, first of all I KNOW Mike doesn't quite appear on this one but do not worry; Mike will be in the next chapter, charming as always. I wanted to show Eleven's feeling towards Mike by making her talk about him with someone that doesn't know anything about their story. I think it was cute.

Second, I want to say that, even when this chapter was long, next ones will be considerable shorter. For longer one-shots I'll keep publishing individual ones like I've been doing so far.

I really hope you guys enjoyed it and follow me on this new adventure. I have so much Mileven in mind that I can't hold myself. I'll upload frequently but, keep in mind that reviews are important. If I get feedback, I'll keep publishing.

Also, I'll give a spoiler from the next chapter to the first person who can tell me which book I made a reference to and which one of my stories had a wink on the same paragraph of the first reference. You can put in on your review but, keep in mind that I can pm you if you have an account.

Until next time!