Chapter Text
Chapter 1- I believe you
Summary: “what’s wrong with you, what is wrong with you” Mike says. Tears beginning to fill his eyes. “Mike” is all she replies. “Mike don’t do this” Lucas yells, as Mike rides off on his bike. Lucas follows Mike who’s not that far ahead. Leaving Eleven and Dustin alone by the lake.
A single tear drops down from Eleven’s eye and rolls down her cheek. “Mike” she repeats. Why did Mike not believe me she thought, why is he treating me like this I only want to help find his friend. Dustin’s finger wipes away the tear on her cheek. “its going to be ok” he says to her softly. He wraps his arms around her and gives her a hug, at first Eleven feels uncontrollable. But she feels warm and safe in his arms. “Will was Mike’s best friend. He knows you were just trying to help. Seeing his best friend be pulled out of the river just hurt him. He didn’t mean what he said. There’s nothing wrong with you El” Dustin said. “Believe?” El asked simply.. “Yeah I believe you El, I really do” he said. That’s all she needed to hear for someone to just once believe her. They stopped hugging the tears gone from the girls eyes and a small grin on her lips.
Dustin grabs her hand and leads her to his bike. “Common El hop on, you can stay at my house tonight my mom works the night shift. You can stay there until Mike comes looking for you.” Dustin says with a smile. “Mike” El repeats once again, but this time with less sadness. She hops on the back of Dustin’s bike and puts her hands on his shoulders, as they take off through the dark streets of hawkins. They ride in silence, Dustin letting today’s events sink in. Dustin is in no hurry to Reach his destination since this might be the only time him and El ever get this close. She doesn’t wrap her arms around his waist like she would Mike when she rode on his bike, but he still enjoyed her being so close to her.
Dustin opens the door to his room. “Home, sweet home. He says. This is not her home she thinks, she wants to be back In Mike’s basement. To her that is her home the only space where she has felt safe. Dustin notices how uncomfortable she looks and the slight sadness in her eyes. He puts a hand on his shoulders “ hey I’m sure by tomorrow Mike come running trying to find you and you’ll be back in your fortress. But for now you can sleep here in the bed” he says as he slides the covers down for her to crawl into. Bed she thinks the only bed she has ever had was the one at Hawkins lab. A hard bed that felt no different than sleeping on the floor, with broken springs, and a thin itchy blanket that didn’t keep the her warm from the cold air that always blowing in the lab. “Bed” she repeated more like a question. “Of course. Guest always get the bed” he replied. If there’s one thing Dustin’s mom taught him is manners for his friends and guest.
He gently folded the covers over her, as he tucked her in. “Goodnight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” he said. “Bugs” she replied confused. “Never mind El. Goodnight” he said softly as he yawned. “Goodnight Dustin” she replied. His bed was the softest thing she ever felt. Mike’s basement was still her home, but she felt good sleeping in a soft bed. She shut hers eyes expecting to drift into sleep, but it never came. She laid there with her eyes shut for what felt like days. “Dustin” she called out to him. “yeah El” he replied from his bed on the floor, also unable to sleep.
He looked up at her she had a look in her eyes like she still felt uncomfortable. She gestured for him to come over to the bed. He looked at her confused and she patted down on the bed right next to her. He slowly crawls into the bed making sure to see if this is what she meant. He made sure to give her some space so she would be comfortable, but she scoots closer until there is no space between them and as she shuts her eyes. “Goodnight” she says to him again. “Goodnight El” he yawns as he shits his eyes. They both immediately fall I’m to a deep sleep. For the first time in Eleven’s life she feels truly safe, cuddled into Dustin’s warm body. For the first time she doesn’t have nightmares of papa or the monster from the upside down.
When Dustin wakes up he is cuddled Into Eleven with one arm around her. He stays there for a second enjoying being so close to his crush. With Huff he gets he takes his arm off of her and sits up his bed. He looks to her she’s still sound asleep, she looks like an angel he thinks to himself. He starts to make the only thing he knows how to cook for breakfast, eggs. He walks back to his room with a plate of eggs and some toast for Eleven. “do you guys copy” Dustin hears coming from the radio. “Do you guys copy we have to find Eleven” Mike repeats over the radio. Eleven wakes up to the sound of the radio. “See I told you he’d come looking for you” he said to her. “Dustin?” she says his name like a question. “Yeah what is it El?” He asks. “Pretty?” she asks pointing a finger to herself. “you’re the prettiest girl Ive ever seen”. Eleven looked shocked the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, no way. “Friends don’t lie” she says. “Im not lying” he replies back to her. “Promise?” she asks sticking her pinky out. He wraps his pinky around hers. “ pinky promise”