[A/N: Hi guys, I know its been forever, I'll explain what happened later. I just wanted to tell you that, since season three comes in five days its obvious that the chapters yet to come and the rest of my other story TAKE MY HAND will be published after season three. Given that we might get info that can change a couple things, from now on the chapters in this WEIRD STUFF series and the upcoming chapters of TAKE MY HAND will happened all Post Season 2 and Pre Season 3. IF I can change something from the initial idea for the one-shot to adapt it on what we learn in s3, then that story will be published in a new multichapter, if not it'll still be published here. TAKE MY HAND takes place many years later so as long as there's Mileven it can be either be post or pre season 3, I don't know. But for the time being please enjoy this chapter, I worked really hard on it. Now, enjoy.]

Stranger Things belongs to The Duffer Brothers and Netflix. I own nothing.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Rated: K+. / Romance - Friendship. / (Eleven & Mike), Dustin, Will, Lucas, Max, Nancy.

xx

MINE

December 15th, 1984.

As the song faded away, Mike and Eleven knew that, even when it was ending, that sweet melody would last forever just like that moment.

A glimpse of eternity; a moment that had been stolen from them for almost a year and a kiss tickling their lips – and by which they couldn't stop smiling. A kiss like the one a scared, nervous kid gave her on a scary and tragic night, taking her by surprise as she didn't know what it was but when she did, she yearn for them to kiss again. The kiss they almost shared a month ago before Hopper interrupted them; a kiss that finally came, a kiss they shared because, this time, Eleven kissed him back.

How long have they been waiting for it? Mike called her for three hundred and fifty three days, holding against pain and fighting his every day reality he never wanted to accept. He called her every night to let her know he was there, to tell her about the feelings he couldn't dare to share with anybody else; feelings beyond friendship he wouldn't deny and those deep, pure wishes that had flourished as a celestial command because he needed her without thinking twice and adored her with no questions asked. He needed her, he missed her, he had promised a life with her only for it to be taken away but now she is back, now Eleven is there with him.

Michael Wheeler, President of Hawkins Middle AV Club, nerd for everyone who knows him, frog face for every moron in school and trouble boy for his parents since last year, he wasn't himself since she faded away but now he was finally awake from the nightmare he had been living every day and from which he escaped every night when he saw El in his dreams. Those dreams became what he craved for every single moment because in those dreams she came back to him. For almost a year every aspect in his everyday routine stabbed him in the back when he went down the basement only to find she wasn't there; when he lived his life, when he ate his breakfast or went to school wondering if Eleven had even eaten that day or if she had a bed to sleep in, or if she was even alive. Those dreams were his refugee, they had given him something to look for, a moment of temporary insanity where he saw himself in the basement and she was listening to him. Those dreams gave him hope as they whispered 'Come on, hang on just a little bit more because she's out there and she needs you' and Mike gathered his strength because he truly believed she'd be back one day and therefore he'd be back too. He would come back to his happy self, to laugh again, to eat again and this time he'd be holding her hand because she would also bring him back to life.

Mike could feel Eleven's blush and how she felt so shy she wouldn't even look at him. It didn't matter; everything was perfect because he was holding her waist and moving along with a melody still playing in their heads as the world around them came back to them.

Meanwhile, as Mike felt as happy as never before, Eleven felt like if she was in heaven.

Hopper kept telling her during the entire trip to the dance it will only be for two hours, that they were taking a huge risk. 'Hey kid, listen I'm serious. Just two hours and we have to get back' he said for the tenth time while she fixed her hair she never wore that way before and checking on those pretty colours Joyce put on her eyes and her lips. Her heart fluttering and beating as fast as it could while she jumped on her seat thinking about the beautiful boy she was going to see. The boy that had given everything to her, the boy who's name echoed in her ears; the boy who meant dreams come true, the stars in the sky and a bright, shiny future for them to share.

How would she explain to Hopper the gigantic smile on her face? Because she knew she wouldn't stop smiling, because her cheeks almost hurt from how happy she felt, how wonderful she felt. Her brand-new father told her she could only attend for two hours, that she had to understand and, for now, she must settled for a compromise and try to resist once again being half-way-happy. But no, she wasn't half-way-happy because having Mike with here resting his forehead against her own, having his hands on her waist while she wore a pretty dress as they danced on the Snowball he told her about last year; having his eyelashes caressing her skin and a song that burned its way through their hearts, all of that meant she was completely, stupidly, wonderfully, amazingly happy.

Happy from the root of every new hair on her head to the tip of her toes. Happy because during a scary and dreadful night after escaping from hell itself, three wonderful boys who were looking for a friend they loved found her by accident and she finally saw the light; a light coming not only from a flashlight but from a pair of brown chocolate eyes of a boy who turned into a beautiful teenager; the one who took off his jacket, place it on her shoulders and guided her to his bike giving her the salvation she had been pleading her entire life for.

Happy because during those endless and boring days watching soap operas that unwillingly became an addiction, she learned that that new and weird thing Mike did with his mouth was called 'kiss' and that… Uff, that meant so much more than she could have possibly imagined. Someway she found herself replaying that kiss in her head and wondering how it would be to re-live that moment and share with him kisses like the ones she saw on TV. She was happy because she finally had the chance to kiss him, like they just did.

How can Eleven explain the overwhelming need to laugh, jump and cry out of happiness all because she had Mike in her arms and a big grin on their lips?

Because Eleven doesn't know many words yet; because sometimes she needs to ask about what to say or how to say it and think hard to find a right way to express what she wants, but she does know that her feelings for Mike had only one word. A tiny word which turns her stomach and plays with the million butterflies living inside her because Mike and that tiny word, both have only four little letters and yet they mean so, so much more.

Love.

They could taste it in the back of their tongues as they played with the word in their minds, travelling from every single part of their brains, flying right through the heart and fit like a puzzle piece so they could finally feel complete.

None of them had even dared to put a name into their feelings during the time they weren't together because it would have only made those days harder. They dreamt about each other, they called and visit each other, they cried over each other; they even felt each other's presence when the need to hug, support, and see one another and never let go was so heavy it stabbed them in the heart along with their torturous reality. It was hard, it was unbelievable hard because they knew, because they saw what they did to one another from the moment their eyes locked. A feeling so powerful which seeded during that rainy night, a feeling so strong it sprouted during that adventurous week, a feeling so sweet it blossomed during a stolen first kiss and then that feeling simply flourished during those lonely days and horrible nights when tears brought back their gorgeous eyes and how they desperately needed to be together. But then, facing or even putting a name to what they felt during those dark, lonely days was beyond their own strength because saying that their friendship grew into something that deep was like crushing their hearts in the worst possible way.

But that was then; now they could finally say it. Now the single thought that those feelings were possible, something they could sense in the air, reach with their hands and hold in their arms, all of that gave both Mike and Eleven the necessary courage to face and yell to the entire world: Yes, here it is, this is love.

"El?"

His voice pulled her out from her thoughts but not from what she felt. They weren't dancing anymore but she could feel their world swaying into a calming peace like if they were dancing on a cloud and billions of colours and all kinds of dreams brought her joy, love and safety all thanks to the boy with the prettiest freckles and sweetest lips.

"Hm?"

Closed eyes, foreheads touching, big smiles, their chests so close they could feel each other's hearts, Eleven playing with the hairs on Mike's nape as he rubbed his thumb on the belt around her waist, she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach because she knew what he wanted to say. She just knew.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Eleven smiled; she knew he was going to ask her that as if he needed her permission, as if she didn't spend every night thinking about kissing him for the rest of their lives.

She nodded but couldn't dare to look at him because the warmth on her cheeks was overwhelming and the knot of happiness inside her chest to big to even speak. She felt breathless and yet she still needed Mike's kiss more than she needed air.

Slowly and almost without moving from the way they were, Mike leaned down and tilted his head in which it seemed like an eternity and Eleven could appreciate how careful he was, as if he needed to be, as if she would move anyway that wasn't his lips. But she loved that, it gave her the chance to take note of their noses touching and how she instinctively tilted her head up to meet him as Mike spread his lips and Eleven noticed for the first or the tenth time that day how pink, soft and beautiful they were; and he knew exactly how to kiss her when their lips finally meet.

This time they stayed there; this time it lingered.

It was a chaste, tender kiss and their lips connected in a way it stopped the time, the entire world around them and every existing life on the planet. The only thing they could feel was the warmth they gave to each other; Eleven's arms pulling him down her level, hugging him tight and Mike clinging on her by the waist in a way that no one could deny that those kids had fallen deep and hard for each other. That second kiss of the night was also a first kiss and every single one they'd share would also be because Mike did not intend to stop kissing her if she allows him to and Eleven have no objection whatsoever; if Hopper told her she had only two hours then she'd spend every single minute on the lips of the boy she loves.

That moment they were sharing felt like a magical spot between hope and every dream becoming true; they sighed in their kiss feeling content and filled as they tried to deepen their kiss until they were abruptly interrupted by someone's loud scream.

"Oh my God, your first kiss!" Nancy's voice came to them so suddenly it forced them to break apart, stealing their special moment and the special touch they were enjoying so much. The seventeen year old girl walked towards them with a big blush and covering her mouth – a bit too late for that – as she came closer to the young teenagers embracing, behind her Dustin was grinning at them and Mike wanted to slap him before he could say anything.

But instead of slapping him, Mike smiled; he smiled because of Nancy's excitement, because of Dustin's dopey grin even if it meant hearing some inappropriate – and awesome – joke at his own expense and most of all because he knew that not only his friend but the entire party were aware of how much Mike had been waiting for the kiss him and Eleven shared; but then when El shifted and hid her face in the crook of his neck, probably feeling shy and cute as hell, Mike's smile did nothing but keep growing because he also felt her own beautiful smile as she breathed him in.

Happy, he was unrealistically happy.

"I can't believe it, Mike. I witnessed you first kiss!" said Nancy again now standing right in front of them and noticing how Eleven, that brave innocent girl hugged her younger brother, finding shelter on the crook of his neck. Nancy had already noticed that when El came to save their lives at the Byers house and when her brother and that girl saw and hugged each other that something was going on. It was so clear back in that moment and now adding that beautiful kiss, that her little bother who kept growing up and that tender, brave girl created a bond for all eternity.

That girl who was becoming a teenager and blushing so much that her ears were practically red, was hiding her own gaze from her and yet Nancy realized she had never seen the big picture until now; something so cute, so real.

The ease in which her younger brother hugged that girl overwhelmed Nancy. There he was, the little boy, the one with whom Nancy fights all the time but also loves no matter what, the same boy that when he was only one year old gave his sister his first word was so grown up that made Nancy go through every one of their childhood memories as reality fell upon her that her little brother wasn't a kid anymore. Somehow that little boy who once looked at her with big eyes from his cradle and called her name for the first time was now standing in there, looking so tall and handsome as he kept growing up to become a wonderful young man and it was then that Nancy noticed some sort of glow around her kid brother that she hadn't seen for a long time. She noticed that as if it was a revelation that Mike wasn't the same and then when Eleven came back and they had the chance to witness their encounter, that boy was eating properly again, laughing again and living as if every day was a new gift and all of that made Nancy realize that what she saw, that that kiss she just interrupted was simply the world getting back to normal. It was what it should be and nothing more.

The way in which Mike simply stood there, a hand in his pocket and another on Eleven's waist with no second thought; the way in which he was barely looking at his sister in the eye probably because he was terribly embarrassed – was also the cutest thing she had ever seen because at the same time Mike couldn't stop smiling in Eleven's arms. And she was also so sweet, Nancy thought, because that little girl who suffered some horrible things was becoming a gorgeous woman with a normal life ahead and that meant kissing Mike on school dances, hugging him for a very long time and placing on him her entire trust because she knew that in his arms she would always be safe. Because that's her personal home, the one with whom she belonged and Nancy saw that she had never seen people loving each other so deeply, so fiercely and so naturally like these two teenagers do.

Made for each other, meant to be. Her baby brother and the weird girl she barely knew who had been apart for almost a year after spending together an entire week, it all created this unbreakable bond that Nancy swore would always protect just like she did when Mike was born.

"Hi Eleven, you look really pretty." said the older teenager with a smile as she paid closer attention to that new relationship flourishing. Mike caressing her back and whispering something only the girl could hear, making Eleven look at Nancy and smile at her.

"Thank you, Nancy. You look really pretty too." said the girl in a low, shy voice and then, just like that, she hid her face on Mike's neck again and that simple action, the way she caressed Mike's shoulder and smiled against his skin showed Nancy that she wasn't hiding from her but actually she was breathing him in. She was filling with him right in front of her.

How deep and meaningful was their bond? She didn't know but it was so obvious that they took their new relationship seriously; she noticed they could show their love with simple, innocent touches and how they looked for each other as they hugged.

Was it love? Nancy believed it was.

She nodded. "Okay, kids, I must get back to my spot. Have fun." she waved at them and let that cute couple alone because that was their moment and she didn't want to impose.

Unfortunately not everyone is as subtle and polite as her and Dustin decided to stay right there, smiling at them in a very mischievous way and Mike chose to give his friend a smile instead of slapping him.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

"Come on, man, don't start." Mike pleaded.

Yet Eleven felt a lot more comfortable around Dustin and she smiled at him, not letting Mike's embrace of course.

"Hi Dustin." she waved with a cute smile showing her dimples. He smiled back.

"My lady." he bowed at her and took off an imaginary hat which made her giggle. "I see Hopper brought you after all."

Both Mike and Eleven opened their eyes in shock as Will and Lucas joined them and smiled at her when they noticed she was also there.

"Hey, she came!"

"Awesome, I knew the Chief would come around."

"Hey, whoa, wait a minute." said Mike to his friends. "You… You guys knew she was coming?" he didn't ask Eleven since she looked as surprised as himself.

The guys rolled their eyes and couldn't help but laugh.

"Pff obviously! Why would you think we insist that you came too? It was all planned." revealed Lucas with pride since it was his plan, it was like when they present a great project that ends up winning on science fairs. "The Chief asked us to buy her ticket but he wasn't so convinced so we talked to him."

"Yeah, Hopper came the other day to my house to check on us and he asked me when the dance was since El mentioned it non-stop for almost a year." Will added and then looked at Eleven. "Right, El?"

The teenager felt the heat crawling to her cheeks so fast she couldn't hide it, specially since her first reaction was hiding on Mike's chest but it was also from him she wanted to hide, suddenly too conscious of her feelings for him; yet she couldn't deny what Will said. It was the truth; she had spent every single day telling Hopper about the dance they promised each other to go, about everything Mike planned for her and how much she wanted to share with him. Sometimes Hopper even asked her to stop talking about the boy or she'll cause him diabetes…whatever that is.

Nevertheless she felt too awkward and too shy to simply admit that entire but she also knew that friends don't lie so she chose to look down at her feet and bit his lip until Mike gave her a little squeeze on her waist and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes. Those sweet, understanding eyes and that beautiful smile; that sweet look from a boy who understood her, who would never think she is weird.

She nodded in response, and when his smile grew she could barely resist the urge to kiss him again.

"Wow, I'm so flattered." whispered Mike, his minty breath made her shiver.

Even if those too were extremely corny and the way they looked at each other made people feel a little uncomfortable, Will, Lucas and Dustin felt a weird sense of happiness and a bubbling feeling on their bellies when Mike and El smiled at each other. It wasn't just seeing the little girl who helped them now finally living like a normal kid or, in Will's case seeing the girl who rescued him without even knowing him; seeing them both that happy meant seeing Mike coming back to life.

For almost a year their friend, their best friend was so moody, so sad, so cranky and so 'not there'. He wasn't even the shadow of the happy boy who leads the party, who put lots of effort as the Dungeons Master, who joked with them all the time. He had been so lost, so different and so sad that they often felt like giving up on him but when Dustin came one day telling Lucas and Will that Mike called Eleven every single night as he put his hopes and his heart on the edge of sanity, holding to a miracle as he pleaded for her to be safe and alive; all three of them realized that their friend hadn't change, he simply vanished as well.

Mike became an empty shell shaped as the boy he once was. A hollow boy filled with broken pieces of himself that couldn't rebuild because both reason and love had crushed and hit him so hard when he met her but then, when she was taken away from him, all his dreams disappeared as well. But that was before; now not only Eleven was back but also Mike's authentic smile, his many jokes, his many games and the friend who always supported them. The love they felt for their friend was what helped them resist his bad mood, his terrible temper and it was also for him that they secretly plotted an encounter between those two; all because they loved him, all because they spent a year picking up the pieces of their best friend and now those pieces were finally healing thanks to the girl holding him, the girl he just kissed.

And it was just so sweet but they better cut off with all that sweetness or they will need an appointment with their dentist; luckily Max joined them bringing a cup of punch for her and Lucas.

"Hey stalker, here. I brought you some punch because I'm that nice." said the girl and just then she noticed the other girl standing on that blue dress. "Oh Eleven, hi. I didn't know you were coming!"

Even if Dustin and Lucas witnessed that night how rude El behaved with Max, it was the first time Mike and Will saw it with their own eyes.

Eleven not only didn't answer to Max's greeting but she also went suddenly so serious that the party wondered how a girl as cute as her could have such a scary stare. Her answer was reaching for Mike's hand and clinging on his arm with the other, as if she wanted to make herself clear that no one else but her had permission to touch him because he is hers; she had her eyes locked on Max's, she didn't even blinked once.

A clear message: If she ever wants to take him away from her, then she better be fucking ready to fight her.

Luckily for everyone and in order to keep Max alive, the boys decided to step up.

"Ok, uhm, I better get something to drink myself. Mike, come here." said Dustin, placing a friendly hand on Mike's shoulder and looking at the girl next to him. "Hey El, may I borrow your boyfriend for a second?"

Both Mike and El gasped at Dustin's words but Will step up too, taking the girl's hand and pulling her away from his friend.

"Come here El, dance with me." Will said. "Hey guys, bring us some punch, alright?"

Dustin nodded, taking Mike with him and gave Lucas a meaningful look. He understood and nodded, placing a hand on Max's waist.

"Why are you smiling, stalker?" asked Max when they were left alone. "I don't get why she hates me so much."

Lucas smiled at her. "Don't worry Madmax; Dustin and Will are about to take care of everything. Come on; let's go with Jonathan for a picture."

x

Everything was so nice, so upbeat.

When they were driving there, Eleven felt a mix of happiness, nerves and anxiety; happiness because she would see Mike again, nerves because they had waited so long for their dream date and anxiety because she didn't really know what to expect. When she stepped inside she was overwhelmed and scared for the crazy amount of people, the way all the other teenagers were looking at her only to ignore her which was actually a good thing since no one seemed to notice how different she was and then, when El found Mike, she forgot about everyone else.

Now, as Mike and Dustin went to have some punch – whatever that was – and she started dancing with Will, she could take a better look to where they were and how pretty it looked. The different clothes from the kids around them, the way those girls had their hair and the separate group of kids just having fun, completely unaware of the things she and her friends have done to keep that town and the world safe. But she shouldn't think about that; it was all behind them, for now she only needed to enjoy every minute and keep dancing with Will who was jumping, shaking and twirling her.

"Is this also dancing?" she asked in between giggles.

Will shook his head. "I don't know, is the first time we come but Jonathan told me to dance as I wish and feel comfortable."

"Is he a good dancer?"

"Pff, no." Will snorted and El laughed. "But I guess is all about having fun no matter what."

They kept moving at Cindy Lauper's rhythm as Eleven looked at the way the gym was decorated. Those shiny curtains and glittery snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and that light blue sign in the back. So different from the first time she was there.

"Hey El." said Will, pulling her out of her thoughts. "We are becoming friends, aren't we? I mean you and me."

El looked at him in the eye and nodded; even if she barely knew him, she also felt like they had a strong connection.

"Yes, we are friends."

Will nodded. "Cool, so if we are friend then, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Will."

The boy smiled, gave her a twirl and then another as they danced, getting her to laugh so he could get her on the best possible mood.

"Why you hate Max?" he blurted out of nowhere.

El stopped moving immediately, as if someone had punched her in the stomach and the air was sucked out of her lungs. She didn't want to answer; she looked down at her feet and bit her lip, a clear sign of how uncomfortable she felt and tried really hard not to look at him. Will insisted, squeezed her hands a bit so she would look at him. Warm green eyes, understanding eyes inviting her to trust. She loves Mike but she felt better that it was Will the one who asked that because if she had to tell Mike the truth she knew she would probably faint.

"El?"

Her response came as fast as a sneeze. "Because she wants to take Mike away from me."

Now it was Will who felt as if he just got punched.

"W-what?"

El looked around them, making sure nor Mike or any of their friends were anywhere near. She stepped forward, getting closer to Will and since the fast song ended and a slow song begun, it allowed them to speak softly and yet make sure he would listen.

"Mike. I know she wants him." El said as serious as a heart attack. "I… I like Mike, you know? I like Mike as in more than a friend, in the kissing way." she whispered, unable to hold his gaze and blushing deep red.

She practiced that confession for so long in front of the mirror that it felt good to be able to say it out loud, even if it wasn't to Mike himself. She wanted to, she was just really really nervous.

"Well, I think we noticed." Will said and laughed almost immediately which shocked El.

How did they know?

"I…Uhm…"

"I saw you guys before, right before Nancy interrupted, you know? We saw you guys kissing and I don't know why but something tells me you guys kissed before, right?"

His eyes sparkled and he beamed, as if he knew a lot more and it made her feel confident, like she could share anything with him. As if he was…family.

El smiled. "It was our third kiss."

Will was very surprised, in a good way. "Wait, really? Ha, look at Mike!"

"Where?" El gasped, looking for Mike and a bit scared he might have heard about her insecurities. Will caught her attention again.

"No no, it's just a figure of speech, never mind." said the boy between giggles, sometimes he forgets she is still learning how to communicate. "So three kisses, huh? Well, if you ever wondered if Mike feels the same way about you, I believe you just found your answer." he said and pushed the buttons a bit more, he wanted to know a little bit more. "I'm sorry El but if you and Mike like each other the way you do, I just don't understand what Max has to do with everything. Why do you think she wants to steal him away?"

Despite of feeling comfortable with Will the fact that the other's girls name came back to their conversation bothered her. She felt so insecure, so angry; it annoyed her so much that she could spent so many hours with the boys as a member of the party, that she could go to school with them and see them everyday when she could only see them once since she closed the gate. She hated that Hopper didn't let them go visit her and all she could do was write letters to Mike and give them to Hopper so he could give those to Joyce and she could give them to Will who delivered them to Mike and vice versa. But Max? She never need to do all that; she had it easy and she only needed to reach for him if she wanted to touch him, whirling her beautiful long hair and showing off her skills on that flat board with wheels.

But saying what she saw went she broke Hopper's rules meant admitting she used her powers against her and, even if she knew she had to confess it someday, she didn't wanted to ruin the evening just yet.

Luckily Will noticed there was something more, he didn't know exactly what was it but he chose not to pressure Eleven anymore so he tried a different solution; he spotted Max and Lucas only a couple feet away from them dancing really close and looking into each other's eyes with tenderness.

"El, believe me you have nothing to be afraid of and, if you don't believe me then turn around and see for yourself."

And so she did, immediately noticing how Lucas and that girl looked at each other with so much love that she realized it was the same look she and Mike gave to each other. If she needed any other proof than those heart eyes she could trust on the kiss they shared.

"Oh…"

"I know!" Will laughed and put an arm on El's shoulder, walking back to their table. "Those two are even worst than you guys. Look, I don't know why you were jealous of Max but if you can give her a chance you'll find she is actually quite nice. I mean sure, she has some rude manners but we all do, Mike didn't like her at first, he is beginning to know her and accept her as a part of the group mainly because he knows how Lucas feels about her."

El nodded, pondering about what Will said and taking seriously the evidence in front of her. Maybe she overreacted, it wouldn't be the first time; poor Hopper he knew that better than anyone, well him and his windows.

"Take your time, El. You don't need to talk to Max tonight, all you need to know is that you have nothing to be worried about. Even if Max wanted to steal Mike, which she doesn't, you still need to understand that Mike knows where his heart is and trust me, you are the only girl for him."

Will's words came as calming as a morning breeze and lifted the weight on her shoulders caused only by her own insecurities. It was true, Mike also has a saying in all of this and as soon as she looked at their table she noticed Mike and Dustin already there with two cups of punch in each hand. His smile so sincere, his eyes sparkling and their connection so real, so infinite that Eleven knew, she just knew that there was no one else; Mike is hers, completely hers.

x

Even if it was normal for two friends to go and pick something to drink, Mike wasn't born yesterday and didn't even need to look at Dustin to be sure he was grinning at him the same way he did when he caught them kissing.

"Come on, man. Stop it."

Unfortunately Dustin had other things in mind; his grin only grew wider. "I sure don't know what you mean, buddy."

He sighed for what it must have been the tenth time and rolled his eyes at his friend, half sick half amused by him, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Okay okay, stop and say what you have to say already." Mike complained as they took a plastic cup and got on the line, waiting for their turn.

"No, you stop." Dustin mocked. "Do you actually think that neither me, Lucas or Will, even Max for that matter, haven't noticed you are totally in love with El? To be honest, we never thought you'd have the guts to go and kiss her and something tells me this wasn't your first kiss."

Mike didn't answer but the smile on his lips was all Dustin needed.

"I knew it! Last year, right?" said the boy waving his hands in the air. "Damn, Lucas owes me a dollar, remind me to tell him on Monday; I don't think he has eyes or head for anyone other than…"

They both fell silent for a moment.

"Yeah, I could tell." Mike whispered, he knew his friends liked the same girl and he also knew Lucas won Max's heart already. "How you feel?"

Dustin made a gesture as if it didn't matter. "Nah, it's okay." he said and even if he didn't mean it, he knew it'll pass eventually. Besides, making fun of his friend was a lot more fun at the moment. "What matters now is how you feel? I mean if that love struck grin isn't clear enough."

"Shut up you idiot! Someone can hear you!"

"Are you serious?" huffed Dustin. "You may as well get on stage, proclaim your love for her on the microphone and no one would be surprised. You are so in love with her that I can even see the little hearts floating around you two."

"Hi there." greeted Nancy, taking the boy's cups.

Dustin winked at her and kept talking to Mike. "So, what's the plan?"

Mike couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks.

"What plan?" he asked, pretending he had no idea what he was talking about and trying his best not to look at his sister or Dustin's eyes.

"Well." Dustin begun. "I don't know much about romance but something tells me that if you like a girl and she likes you back and oh I forgot, if you kissed already then the most reasonable thing to do would be, I don't know, asking her to be your girlfriend? But again, what do I know? Let's ask someone with experience on this issue, shall we?" he offered, putting a hand on Mike's shoulder and pointing at Nancy.

"Nance, what do you think?"

"Dude, I don't need help."

"Yeah, you do." said Nancy. "What are you waiting for?"

Damn it, he really didn't want to have this talk with his older sister. "Because… Because I don't know what she'll say, okay?"

They fell silent for a moment until Dustin and Nancy started laughing outright and Mike felt so angry at them and himself for the blush on his cheeks.

"This is not funny!"

"Yes, yes it is." said the older teenager.

"My God, Mike, in which world do you live? I don't think there is a single dimension in which El could turn you down. Hell, if there's someone even more obvious than you, its her." stated Dustin, making fun but also helping his friend. "I mean come on, aside from the kissing, do you really think that a kiss was the only sign we had? Mike, when we went to visit her two weeks ago she actually threw herself onto you when she opened the door and clung on you the entire visit. A part of me thought that she'd ask you to leave your arm on the cabin so she could keep hugging it."

Okay, Mike sort of knew these feelings went both ways but he was also afraid. He was perfectly aware that those fears were completely irrational since they were all caused by his dumb insecurities which had nothing to back on. There were no doubts that El felt the same way; he smiled behind his cup, remembering that day Dustin mentioned – the day when El and Will officially met – and how she looked at him during the entire visit.

It had been like a couple minutes before, she was clinging on him as in making sure he was real and wouldn't go anywhere. She touched his face without any other reason, she rubbed her cheek on her shoulder, she even hid her nose on the crook of his neck breathing him in literally in front of everyone and his heart kept beating hard against his ribcage he felt he was going to pass out. It was wonderful.

"I'm nervous." he finally whispered and took another sip of his punch. It was sweet and he couldn't help to think of Eleven's chap stick; it tasted like cherries, he could still taste it on his own lips.

"Mike." called Nancy, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Relax, bring her some punch and take a sit with her. Tell her how you feel."

The boy nodded but then he hesitated again. "Wait, she may not even know what dating means, how can I explain what a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship means? We haven't talked about these things since she came back and we never mentioned it on our letters."

Mike's questions were perfectly understandable but Dustin knew what to say.

"Buddy, even if she doesn't know what a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship stands for, she does know how she feels about you. Yes, she might need help with understanding the whole dating thing but believe me, if it's with you she'll know exactly what it means."

Mike fell silent again, pondering on what his friend and his sister told him, as if he was solving some calculus test and every result was correct. A new sense of confidence fell onto him and expanded like when he lean to kiss her for the first time that night and knowing she kissed him back.

"Here." Nancy gave him a cup of punch for her. "Good luck."

x

Mike was really nervous, he never thought he would live to ask a girl to be his girlfriend. Okay, yes, he may have figure that one day he'd grow up and meet someone but it wasn't something he wished for. He used to see romantic relationships as a burden, a joke. He saw his classmates engaging 'deep' relationships from sixth grade, 'relationships' that would last a week at its best. That week would be obscenely public and too open for everyone to see, to pry into and then, just like on TV, those relationships performed some scandalous break ups as public and embarrassing as when it started. Naturally all those things only made relationships anything but appealing to Mike; he wasn't excited at the very least.

How could he? He lives with his parents, the least romantic couple in history and Nancy, he loved his sister and all but he knew and couldn't understand why she spent a year dating a boy she didn't love. He loves his sister and he liked Jonathan, sure, but Steve had proven himself to be really cool and it kinda bothers Mike what she did to him; so after all of that, after witnessing his schoolmates and his family behaviour when it came to romance, he hoped he would never fall in love.

Until he met her.

There, as she walked towards him next to Will – Mike felt really happy they were becoming friends –, he could appreciate once more all those things his grandma told him about. She used to say that he wasn't interested in romance only because he hasn't feel it but, someday, love would come, knock on his door and hit him so hard he wouldn't be able to escape from it.

'It's like being caught by a bolt of lightning, darling or being hit by a truck.' Theresa used to say. She was right, even if those analogies could most likely kill him he realized his grandmother didn't exaggerate; because when Eleven came to him and, with not a single word wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her nose on the crook of his neck, Mike knew that every analogy his grandma used were true because he knew he would die for Eleven anytime, anywhere.

All that rejection he felt towards the kind of romance his schoolmates shared were well-funded; he rejected them all because those relationships were in no way what he was looking for. What Mike wanted was true love, a real and everlasting relationship and not a meaningless affair. He wanted El's hugs, kisses, smiles and all the butterflies in his stomach every time she smiled against his skin as he holds two cups filled with punch.

He wanted the same thing that for almost a year he was terrified to say ot out loud: that he had fallen in love for real and that love may never come back. He was terrified that he had found the one person he was meant to be only to live his entire life knowing he lost her but now, now he could finally say it. He could finally admit that his feelings had gown more than he ever could have think of, higher than any building, higher than clouds and deeper than any ocean. He knew his love for her could reach the furthest star in the universe and then get back to him to put a sincere smile on his lips.

The lightning that caught him, the truck running over him and every beat of his heart now belonged to one girl. It was her, Eleven, the one who gave him the honour of taking the name he gave and not only his first, but his second and third kiss and – holly shit – she started kissing his jaw repeatedly while she hugged him.

Where the fuck did she learn to do that? Damn it, that tickling, that electricity made his knees tremble and at the same time gave him as much energy that if he touched an electric socket he knew he could provide electricity to the entire planet.

"Let me help you." said Dustin, taking the cups and placing them on the table so he could hug El properly.

His face hurt, he couldn't stop smiling by how confident she felt all of the sudden, so open to show him her love and give him as many kisses as possible while placing her hands on his nape, holding him still as she made a trail of kisses from his jaw to his chin. Mike had to remind himself to keep breathing.

When Dustin gestured he and Will would leave them alone, Mike winked at him and mouthed a 'thank you' to both of them as he rubbed her back gently, enjoying every single one of those little cute kisses.

"I saw that on TV once and wanted to do it." whispered Eleven when she pulled apart, still she remained as close as possible to look at him in the eye and brush her lips on his. "I uhm, I saw a lot of things on TV."

Sure Mike knew Eleven was talking about kissing under the rain or against a wall but a little yet very adolescent part of him thought about what else she might have seen; he shook that thought away, it would do no good to think about stuff they were too young to even consider. He didn't need for his teenage mind to think about stuff that could embarrass him easily, besides he was barely learning how to deal with those things.

But her gesture was beautiful, perfect. He wanted more kisses, more of that new fondness and warmth she was so willing to give him and Mike wondered if it was a good idea teaching her about social boundaries when he was getting used to those cuddles and hugs and closeness and how she straightforwardly shows her love for him.

"I really liked it." replied Mike, his minty breath brushing against her lips as he closed his arms around her waist, the sound of his voice a joy to her ears. He could feel her trembling under his touch when he ran the tip of his fingers against the bare skin of the arm on his shoulder.

Suddenly Nancy's words and everything she felt fell onto Mike as pouring rain. In that moment Mike noticed he was growing up, evolving as he walked on the path that would inevitably turn him into a man. Now he was teenager and a girl, the most beautiful and amazing girl was hugging and kissing him in a way it gave him goose bumps. Sure they were way too young to do anything else than kissing but having Eleven there, showering him with kisses and touches on a school dance in front of everyone who could see that they were a lot more than just friends, all that overwhelmed Mike. It was true, they weren't just friends; there was no way they could ever be only good friends but he knew he had to establish their relationship for her own sake so she could join the world without any doubts, so she could talk about him to anyone who asks without having to explain much; just a word, a label, but it means so much because Mike never wanted for her to doubt about what he is. Even if he kind of knew already which Eleven's answer would be, he still needed to pack up some courage and be a man and ask her the question that, in ten years, would become a marriage proposal.

"El, will you be my girlf…?"

"Hey Mike, you are not gonna believe what Mr. Clarke just asked!" said Lucas coming from literally nowhere and making them jump on their feet. "I was taking a picture with Max and he asked me if you were making out with your cousin!" he gasped and started laughing hysterically holding his stomach.

Okay, maybe it was funny and he would have laugh if the moment was different but, unfortunately, Lucas cut the moment not only Mike but also Eleven had been waiting for. Luckily Max was there and she noticed immediately the frustrated look on the young couple so, in order to protect the boy she liked from their rage she went to get Dustin and Will.

"Hey you pieces of shit, do something." Max asked as she grabbed her friends and shoved them to Lucas direction so they could prevent his death and also to win a little bit of Eleven's good side and wash up her faults, whatever they'd be.

"Oh wow, that's really funny." said Dustin as he grabbed Lucas arm and Will did the same with the other.

"Don't listen to him, guys. I think Troy put something on the punch, who knows." Will added and they took the boy away from the annoyed couple.

Mike tilted his head backwards, looking at the ceiling and sighed; if there was a perfect moment when all his courage and strength hit the boiling point it was five seconds ago and now, he was too much aware of his own insecurities. He swallowed and tried not to curse.

"Mike?"

Eleven's heavenly voice brought him back to reality. She placed her hands on his nape playing with his hair; her thumb drawing circles under his ear and he lean down finding her gorgeous eyes, her perfect smile.

His courage came back; her huge honey eyes, those soft velvet lips and the girl glowing for him guided him back to where his mind should be. Yes, he could do it.

He smiled. "El, come here, lets take a seat I… I need to talk to you."

Mike realized he had special abilities too and those were a) packing up the courage to ask what he almost asked, b) not killing Lucas, c) pull apart when she leaned for a kiss.

"Is everything okay?" asked Eleven as they went to the furthest table they could find. Anxiety washed over her, had she crossed the line? Were her kisses, the ones she practiced on her hand for two weeks, a little too much? El knew she still had a lot to learn, not only how to speak properly but also how she is supposed to behave in public. Were her cuddles and kisses something she is supposed to do only in private? Did she caused discomfort to the boy she adored? El couldn't stop thinking about what Lucas said; last year when the boys snuck her into the school they bumped into their teacher and the boys said she was Mike's cousin; but now that teacher saw him kissing said cousin so, will this bring him trouble? She hoped not, she really hoped Mike wouldn't have problems because of her since he only brought happiness into her life. He gave her life, dreams, everything she could ever wish for.

"Did I do something?" asked Eleven as she noticed him struggling whether to do something or say something or a mix of both.

Mike was there, sitting next to her, both facing one of the decorated walls; those metallic curtains with blue, white and silver stripes hanging beautifully as he holds her hand looking at everything except her eyes until she asked that last thing.

"No, no of course not." he assured her and Eleven felt relief at the confidence sensed in his words. He wandered his eyes again to the roof and his feet then licked his own lips as if trying to find a way to say something he couldn't figure out how to say.

Except she knew; the butterflies in her tummy and the tickling she felt right before Lucas interrupted them came back again with full force, fluttering incessantly. She could almost hear them.

"You know, uhm, you know El, I kinda needed to ask you something but I don't know how to do it." Mike started. "I mean, I do know but I'm not sure you'll get what I mean when I say what I want to say and I don't know if I have to explain what I want to ask before asking you…"

Shit, he wanted to make it easy for her and he ended up doing the exact opposite. Mike felt as if he just talked for a whole hour and said absolutely nothing.

However for El, who was looking at him with endless love as Mike's blush grew from his cheeks to his ears, she couldn't stop smiling at how wonderfully sweet he is. How splendidly caring, considerate and gorgeous he is.

What did she do to deserve him?

Which superior force decided that a boy like him, a boy who was turning into a handsome young man, should like her the way she liked him? Because she knew she was quite obvious; she knew she couldn't hide it even if she tries although when the party went to visit her she thought she did. She thought she had been cautious into not showing too much but Dustin grinned at her every time she stared at Mike and well, it shouldn't surprise her that everyone else knew too since she barely let Mike alone during the entire visit. How could she not cling on his arms and touch his face and stare at him if, for almost a year, she visited him on the void but never touched him? How could she not take the opportunity to feel him when for almost a year he became white smoke only by trying to kiss him? How many times did they cry together in the void, how many times she heard him confessing his love? How many times she got mad at Hopper for keeping them apart with the promise that 'soon' would come?

El could spend the entire night wondering all sort of things except what he was for her. She knew it. She knew what he means to her; she knew it when she made those mistakes so far away from Hawkins and his memory came to her, making her return and walk away from that group of people who only wanted to take advantage of her, but it wasn't time to think about that. El smiled, focusing on what Mike was trying to say and how she knew exactly what he was trying to ask her; he was there, rambling between an ocean of metaphors and so many things as he struggled with the question lying on the tip of his tongue.

His eyes so warm and caring wandered from hers as he explained what he tried to say only to feel shy and scared and look down at their feet again.

"You know El, sometimes two people who really like each other and feel in a certain way about each other that they don't feel about anyone else, decide to get into a relationship." Mike kept saying. "I mean, they get into a relationship with each other and no one else. But not as prisoners I mean, they still have friends and families and well, you know…"

He is so cute.

He is rambling, nervous; he even panics a little and doesn't know how to say what he wants to say because what Mike is trying to do is explain what a relationship is. El knew it wasn't because he thinks she is dumb, no; what Mike was trying to do as his caring and considerate heart considered was the right thing to do was explain what a relationship is so she could take her decision completely free. Because that's how sweet he is, because he wants her free to decide about her own life and the people with whom she wants to be with, because he wants her to do, feel and say whatever she feels like with any regrets so she can experience life and enjoy every second of it knowing she is no longer a prisoner of any kind.

Mike doesn't want her decision to be taken lightly; he would never use her or tell her to do something by making her think is the right thing – like Kali did – no; Mike wants her to know what everything means so she can use her free will as it is meant to be used. That's the reason why El adores Mike because he is so, so much more.

Eleven appreciated how careful and nervous he was because it provided her more time too, but not to think about her answer because she knew what her answer would be; she just spent that extra time he gave her to really enjoy how much he changed from the boy he was. She admired his long eyelashes and how they looked exquisite with those deep chocolate eyes, his lips red pouty lips she loved more than waffles; she took in those infinite brown dots on his nose and cheekbones and she thought that if Mike was like the star that glows and guides a lost person to home, then he who actually gave her her first home when she was lost and scared, he is her world and those little brown dots are a sky filled with stars so, if she ever feels lost or scared El knows that whenever she needs help he'll be right there to make her feel safe again.

He means the world to her and no less.

"Sometimes when a person likes another person but as in more than a friend…" Mike kept saying, looking into her eyes, her feet and so on. "Well, there's a person who likes this other person so they decide this because they both want to become more than friends, you know? As if, of course they are friends but they also show the rest of the people that there are things only a special friend does to another special friend like holding hands and, uhm, k-kissing."

The soft touch of his hand when he said that last word sent a tickle to every bone in her body. It was like electricity flowing through they fingers as Mike drew circles on her palm and wet his lips again, trying to pack up some courage.

Maybe she should stop him and tell him to calm down; maybe she should tell him what she feels but, how? How can Eleven describe what she feels if she doesn't have enough words yet? Because saying that she likes him isn't enough, it doesn't explain the whole enormity of what he means to her and even if she had the words, would they fill the entire concept so he could understand just how much she actually loves him? Because Mike is more, so much more than saying 'I like you'; he is night after night of unceasing crying when they were apart, he is what she craved the most for over three hundred and fifty three torturous days. It was more than wanting him close, she truly needs him.

Mike is the feeling that she knows him since thousands of years, something that grows, spreads and consumes her because is so hard to believe just how suddenly he came into her life; unbelievable because it only took the touch of his hands for her to feel whole. Eleven knew she can forget about anything and lost her mind in those chocolate eyes, she knew that she could be anywhere but as long as he is with her she would always feel at home because she is his and he is hers too. Every second, every single moment Mike breaths, smiles or blinks he gives a reason to everything that could have been and everything yet to come because every love story she heard of must have found its muse on the kisses he gave her, on his long wait and how faithful he was calling for her every single night while he fought against his own pain. That, the way he hold on the hope she'd return made him so unreal and yet so true, a dream or a wish she could touch because he waited for her. He is this crazy feeling, something so big that distance couldn't break them apart but instead, it brought them closer, stronger to realize their feelings for each other were unfathomable.

She knew that every moment of her life, even the years she was locked up were worth it because that was the plan; he was meant to find her, to rescue her, he was meant to become the boy who would show her the life she had been dreaming about and Eleven knows that living without him is no life at all.

As for Mike, who was starting to sweat like a false witness and whose nerves had reached the boiling point had lost again the courage to speak and messed up his own words.

"Then these two people that were friends and are still friends but a new kind of friends that became something called boyfriend and girlfriend that interacts… Uhm, in a way that… Oh God, they kiss and…"

"Mike." Eleven stopped him between amused and moved by the beauty he brings with his caring way of expressing his love, for the love itself he gives. She also stooped him because she was also afraid he might faint too and because she wanted to tell him he never needed to explain what a boyfriend and girlfriend relationship was. She knew, after all she spends the entire day watching every soap opera on TV and aside from the drama and the people falling down the stairs, the main topic on most of these is romance.

"Uh yeah?" he asked, blinking a couple times as she pulled him out from his monologue about dating which, honestly, was a bit useless.

El smiled and held his hands firmly. "Yes."

"Y-yes… Yes for, w-what?" he practically squeaked in shock, panic and the most amazing kind of love.

El couldn't contain her joy. "Yes to what you are trying to ask me. You don't need to explain what dating means, Mike. TV showed me that, I know what it means and I want it."

The fire inside the boy's chest grew so fast he could almost hear his cheeks blushing so unbelievably pink as El started to lean closer to him.

He brushed his finger trough his hair. "I'm sorry El I, I probably worry too much." Mike admitted, a smile on his lips as he begun to chill.

"You do." El said and stroked his cheek with her fingers. "That's why."

He swallowed hard, his smiled rapidly growing as his courage jumped and he felt brave and powerful all thanks to the honesty and warmth her honey eyes provided. He could finally do it, the words coming out loud and clear.

He cupped her cheek as he caressed a cute dimple with his thumb. So beautiful it hurts, so magical it astonishes him, so perfect it fills him.

"El, will you be my girlfriend?"

The happiness Eleven felt had no comparison and it couldn't be measured; she became a whole mess of joy, tears and words tangled with the lump in her throat.

"Yes Mike, a million times yes." she cried out as her arms clung on his shoulders and they shared a tight hug which became a new kiss and another and another and another one until Dustin threw a dirty napkin on their heads and told them to knock it off and join the dance.

xx

"Five… more… minutes." asked Mike in between kisses.

El giggled at every kiss. She said goodbye to her friends fifteen minutes ago when Mike's clock warned them her curfew would soon begun. After they became girlfriend and boyfriend officially they spend the rest of their night dancing and joking around with the party, which was fun even when their friends kept mocking them on their new relationship and making kisses noises. Lucas had to pay Dustin a dollar and he had to pay Will said dollar, and then they went to Jonathan for a picture and another with the party all together, even Max.

El enjoyed every second of it; the beginning of a new life, a real life filled with friends that assured they'll go visit soon and even harass Hopper until he allows them to. A new life that in only a couple months she would enjoy as a free human being, ready to walk around the town and see everything the couldn't at the moment but it was there, waiting for her and she was ready for it. She was so ready to explore and see places and run around and laugh and go to the movies and experience all of that with her boyfriend holding her hand.

Yeah, her boyfriend, the one she would kiss in every chance she gets from now on, as she was doing at the moment.

"I want to but Hopper said if I take more time then no eggo's for a week." El said although she didn't even try to let go of Mike's mouth. Unfortunately she didn't know when her new father would let her see him again but she would insist non-stop and drive him crazy if she must until he lets Mike go to the cabin because those kisses became more important than breathing.

"I'll bring you ten boxes." Mike said and they smiled in their kiss which lingered even when they heard a group of kids whistling and cheering near them, but they couldn't care less.

"Mmhh…" El suddenly winces when someone opened the gymnasium door and a cold December breeze hit her pretty but no-very-warm dress.

Mike, as always, noticed. "Oh shit, you need your coat. Where is it?" he asked as she shivered in her arms and when the door went opened again he rubbed his hands on her arms, trying to warm her up.

El bit her lip. "I left it in the car."

Another student opened the gymnasium door and another new breeze hit both of them. Mike was concerned.

"You'll get sick if you get out like this, El, even if it's only to the car." he said, rubbing his hands on her bare arms, trying keep his girlfriend warm. He couldn't help but smile, it felt so good to know that she was now his girlfriend, maybe he'd celebrate by jumping on the bed later.

"Hopper said he'll be nearby."

But then El shivered once more when another kid left and Mike noticed a bit of snow in the wind.

"Wait, I know!" said the boy and just like that he took off his jacket and then the sweater underneath it. "Here, I won't have my girl getting sick if I can do something about it."

For a moment Eleven's brain shut down and a butterfly's bomb exploded in her stomach as an intense tingle spread to every inch of her body. There, it could be silly to anyone else but Mike, who didn't take a moment to think what his gesture would mean to her and with no hesitation whatsoever, only prompted by the eternal sweetness of being a boy who gives his sweater to his girlfriend to keep her from getting a cold; all of that rocked Eleven to her very core.

She couldn't even say a single word.

"…" no, she couldn't. She just looked back into Mike's eyes, her boyfriend's eyes and still couldn't believe how this wonderful boy is her boyfriend. El could do nothing more than to accept his sweater.

The memory of a twelve year old boy who took off his jacket under the pouring rain to put it on her shoulders with no questions asked; the memory of a sweet boy picking up clothes from a basket of clean laundry and offering it to her because it was the right thing to do, it all fell on Eleven as she took in again how amazed she felt. It was thanks to a kid who kept her safe and warm because his heart, as pure as it is, couldn't take any other option than to protect someone in need.

Was that a sign? Eleven believed it was as she felt his smile in his voice when he helped her putting on the sweater so she wouldn't mess up her hairdo or the pretty make up she was wearing. Maybe that night when Mike gave her his own clothes was a presage or a clue of what this night would become; the first step that'd lead to the kisses they shared, the songs they danced, the softness of their hands or the warmth from Mike's dark eyes. Those eyes, those dark pools that shook her to her very roots and made her feel so incredibly, endlessly, stupidly happy that when she looked up again she knew the comfort and balmy joy surrounding her could either come from her boyfriend's sweater or the love bubbling from within.

El suddenly couldn't hold his gaze. Mike held her in her arms as her shy smile grew thanks to his presence and she tried to figure out what to say or how to proceed or talk to him so she can explain how much happiness he brought into her life from the moment she realized he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. He was so sweet trying to explain her what it was before even asking her, as if she didn't know; as if Eleven hadn't spent a year watching five soap operas a day, as if she didn't practiced kissing in her hand when Hopper explained what a kiss was and those kisses are something people usually shared when they are together and in love.

Yes, she still had a lot to learn, like when she told her new father that Mike kissed her already and she couldn't understand why his cheeks turned all shades of pink. Maybe she still need to develop her social abilities and get used to formalities that seemed so alien but, if there was something Eleven was completely sure about was that Mike in any scenario, in every way, in a year or an eternity would always be the one she belongs with. The right answer, the destination, the one made for her.

Only for being himself, only for being Mike, because he offered his clothes on a rainy night, because he built her a home with sheets, pillows and a sleeping bag. Because he called her for three hundred and fifty three days and since she came back he sends her letters in ever chance he has. It was all thanks to him why Eleven dreamed day and night with building a life with him so the future they have ahead of them could always find them together so El could offer Mike her heart just like he trusted his to her.

"There, all set. Sorry, it's little too big for you but…"

"Is perfect." El interrupted, touching the edge of the wooden blue sweater and then sniffing its collar and finding a mixture of detergent, soap, perfume and Mike's unmistakeable scent. That night she would wear that sweater in bed as if he was there holding her while she sleeps. "You are perfect."

And now it was Mike's turn to be speechless.

She thinks he is perfect? He was he one who should tell her she is the perfect one, that no matter what may happen he knew his feeling could only grow bigger and wider and motivate him to become a great man. She is perfect because that's exactly how Mike dreamed her; the key that opened every existing door, the honey eyes he adores, the future crystal clear as he felt so wonderfully blessed to be able to walk into that future holding her hand. Eleven is perfect because he wouldn't change a single hair in her head.

But he was overjoyed, maybe too overwhelmed to talk and all he could do was hug her as tight as he could, smile when she nuzzled her nose on his neck as the swayed like if they were dancing again.

Mike couldn't believe his luck. He watched spellbound as Eleven sniffed his sweater and his heart forgot it had to keep beating, his mouth forgot how to speak, music around them forgot it was supposed to be listened and the world forgot it should keep spinning. She stopped his world and the world entire wouldn't dare to function until Mike's brain cells starts connecting again. No, he wasn't perfect, he was simply the luckiest of them both because, when Eleven looked into his eyes again, Mike knew he wasn't supposed to speak because he had to use his lips to kiss her once more. An explosion of colours, shades and sparks in every dimension of a world stopped by two kids who spent nights and days missing each other, calling each other; two kids who with every brush from their joined lips became teenagers. Because they were growing together, because they were together. Because they fit perfectly like pieces of a complete puzzle.

The way she looks at him made Mike feel invincible, as if he was a treasure. Eleven made him feel incredible, incomparable, irreplaceable and so powerful he knew he could do everything as long as she is there.

Mike would do anything for her.

"I don't want to go, I'll miss you." whispered Eleven on his lips; their foreheads touching, their eyelashes caressing each other's skin.

Mike smiled. "I'll go even if Hopper doesn't let me. Screw his rules, I can be invisible if I have to but I'll visit you. We'll all go, I promise."

El smiled again; a comforting and trusting promise that she could go to sleep that night because she knew it was true, because Mike said 'promise' and she knew she has nothing to worry about.

"Come on, I'll walk you to Hopper's car." said Mike and gave her another peck as he held her hand and went to the door. The Chief should be on the parking lot waiting for her and probably a little pissed since it was past nine but he'd take the responsibility.

But El didn't move and Mike looked at her, still glued to the floor.

"El, are you okay?"

The girl simply looked around her, the kids dancing; the colours decorating the gym, the smells she couldn't describe and their friends dancing somewhere near their table. A new life giving her its welcome, opportunities waiting, a beautiful boy holding her hand and looking at her with those big heart eyes.

She touched the sweater again, a smile on her lips, a question on the tip of her tongue.

"Mine?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, sure, you can keep it. It looks way cuter in you anyway."

"No." murmured El, taking a hand to Mike's chest where she could feel his heartbeat and then up to his chin, caressing his bottom lip with her thumb. "You, are you mine now?"

Eleven's dreamy smile made him tremble and he didn't care how mad the Chief would get; Mike would wake up early, buy every box of Eggo's he can afford and go to share breakfast with her because her smile didn't give him any choice, he didn't even want another choice.

His friends were right, maybe people can see hearts coming out of them like in cartoons. He hoped everyone could see it.

Mike smiled, choking on his own words, cupping her cheeks before kissing her again.

"Yes El. I'm yours, forever."

oOoOoOoOoOo

Hi again!

So, the reason why I couldn't publish sooner and why the translation took me a lot longer than expected is a mixture of things. I mentioned before I was starting a course after work which would take some of my time. Also, and this is something I didn't know if I should share or not, I had many health issues. I am not the healthiest person, I'm very delicate and sometimes these problems come for a while to kick me in the butt, suck on all my strength. I'm recovering and well, I'm so sorry for this many months delay.

Please guys leave a comment and play attention to the first author note above so there won't be any doubts about where the upcoming stories will be set. Here down you can vote what is the next chapter you want for this one, which would come after ch2 of TAKE MY HAND, coming real soon since its almost done on the Spanish version.

Here's the list to vote:

: DANCE WITH ME - 2007

: LEMONADE - 1988

: WHY ME? - 1998

: EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR - 1989

: PROMISE - 1993

: MY GIRL - 1993

: PRIORITIES - 1990

: THE ONLY ONE - 2008

: YOU - 1984

: A LITTLE FREEDOM – 1984

: MOONLIGHT MAGIC - 2008

Remember English isn't my first language so I apologize for the mistakes. If you want to ask me stuff, scold me if I take too long or anything, my instagram is celes_genesis and, like always please if you enjoyed the chapter PLEASE leave here a nice big review. It only takes a sec.

Love you all, happy season 3 to everyone and lets make the kids feel loved and appreciated too :)