Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Despite the fact that the “earthquake” happened in late March, there was military crawling all over the affected parts of town, and a handful of residents had been killed, the Mayor of Hawkins insisted that students would return to school the following week in a desperate attempt to make things feel normal again.

Most residents of Hawkins simply nodded their heads and did what they always did after a tragedy occurs. Try to move on or pretend it didn’t happen. It was a bit more difficult to do so this time considering downtown was now populated by the military trying to find a solution to the giant cracks that had spread throughout the land. But nonetheless, on the following Monday, the relief center was moved to a new building and everyone sent their kids off to the school telling them that everything would be fine.

Mike, Lucas, and Dustin had begged their parents to let them stay home and switch to homeschooling or literally any other type of education. They knew it was going to be absolute hell to return and listen to everyone call them “devil worshippers” for their ex-status of the previously formed Hellfire Club. The Sinclairs and Mrs. Henderson remained suspicious and nervous about Lucas and Dustin’s involvement, especially after being caught lying and running from the police. The Sinclairs had ultimately told Lucas that he had to go, but that they would discuss other options if the bullying became violent. Claudia Henderson told Dustin that he was to return as well, hoping that maybe if he got back into his studies and enjoyed school again that he would stop moping around the house. She was so confused with his behavior, having been even more distant than when his father abandoned the family just before Dustin started fourth grade.

Karen had nearly been convinced of homeschooling Mike when he got the news that Lucas and Dustin were being forced to return to school. Not wanting to leave them to handle it alone and stepping up to his role of leader of the Party, Mike had chosen to return to school as well. El had been a little disappointed about it, as she was looking forward to making up for lost time from the California move with her friends and boyfriend.

But El had been rather busy herself. With the effects made from Vecna’s Curse, the four Gates had now made it possible for what the Party called “The Draining” to begin. With each day, the Upside Down seemed to be trying to drain Hawkins of color and life, turning flowers to ash. El had spent every single evening using her powers to push The Draining back, which she was able to do successfully, but it took a lot of her energy and it always came back the next day. Hopper and Mike were always in the field with her, just in case something were to go wrong or if she ever passed out. The only thing she couldn’t stop was the small amount of ash that was falling from the sky, but aside from mild irritation caused by exposure it didn’t seem to be causing too much harm. She pushed herself every single day to try and stop what Vecna had started, motivated by the harsh guilt on her shoulders from blaming herself about how the Curse was successfully cast.

Just as the trio had predicted, the final months of freshman year at Hawkins High were absolutely miserable. Half the students were afraid of the Party and steered clear of them, some even offering to do their homework or give them lunch money if the three boys promised not to sacrifice them to the Devil. The other half of the students taunted them daily, poured trash over their heads, and destroyed their belongings. Despite all of this happening, Will stuck by his friends diligently, although he was far too anxious about “The Return of Zombie Boy” to tell anyone off.

It had taken less than a month before Mike was tossed into a dumpster while walking to his next class, getting covered in trash and injuring his back from landing on a piece of debris. Instead of crawling out of the dumpster and continuing to his next class, he just laid there, staring up at the sky begging time to go faster so he could run home to take a shower and then find comfort in El’s arms. After that, Dustin was ambushed in the cafeteria and mocked for his weight before getting his lunch dumped into his hat and having it placed back onto his head. That same day, Lucas was tripped down the hall into the janitor’s mop bucket, causing him to not only get soaked, but bruise his knee. But with each attack, the boys grew more and more numb to it. What else was there to do? If they fought back, the school wouldn’t take their side. Even their teachers gave them nervous or disgusted looks every time they sat down to attend class. There was nothing to do but simply try and survive to summer break.

Everything switched gears when the attacks got serious. Mike had been shoved into a locker just before school let out for the weekend, with his attackers intending to let him stay there until Monday. The janitor hadn’t heard Mike pounding on the door because of his Walkman, and he genuinely began fearing he’d be stuck in a locker for 3 days before Nancy and the Party came looking for him and busted him out. El had clung to him extra tight that night, and he hadn’t seen her so angry in weeks. Karen had marched straight up to the school on Monday after Nancy told her what happened, but her complaints fell on deaf ears. With no video evidence of the attack, Principal Higgins had simply supposed that Mike had accidentally closed himself into his own locker. Even with Karen’s angry shouting, the principal refused to treat what happened as an attack and simply urged Karen to tell her son to be more cautious in the future.

Not long after that, Dustin was punched in the stomach so hard it made him vomit, which was reported to his mother, but the final straw was when Lucas was attacked and given a black eye that was so swollen he had to be brought to the hospital. Fed up with the principal’s excuses and their sons getting hurt, Mrs. Sinclair, Mrs. Henderson, and Mrs. Wheeler had all gone up to the school board demanding that something be done. After much pressure and even threats of blackmail, the school board relented and gave protection to Dustin, Lucas, and Mike. Shortly after several bullies were reprimanded, the attacks stopped. High school wasn’t made perfect or anything, but at least it was manageable.

The Party including Steve watched Nancy, Robin, and Jonathan graduate Hawkins High in May, and after that, summer had officially begun. Everyone had done their best to enjoy the summer, but with Max in the hospital and El exhausted from attempting to stop The Draining, it was mostly a summer of video games, love, and future plans on how to find and fight Vecna.

…

To the Party’s relief, sophomore year began on a good note, with their protection still valid and the bullies moving on to the new batch of freshman. School nearly felt enjoyable again, and as August turned to September, Karen Wheeler watched as her son came home from school, breezed through his homework, and prepared to get back on his bike and visit his girlfriend like he did every single day.

“Michael, hang on a second.” She stood in front of the door.

After she had helped save him and his friends from the horrible bullying, Mike had tried to be nicer to his mother. He knew that she cared, but it was still difficult to talk to her. Maybe it was embarrassing, but he would rather speak with his mother than his judgemental father.

“I finished my homework and I promise I’ll be back in time for dinner this time.” She didn’t budge, so he gave a small sigh. “What did I do now?”

“Nothing,” Karen started, “But that’s the problem. All you do is go to school, do your homework, go visit Jane, and then come home and go to bed. You don’t hang out with your friends anymore…”

While it was true that the Party’s hangouts had been a bit more scarce, they usually met up at Hop’s cabin where Hopper and El resided. It had been hard enough convincing his mother that Jane had moved back to Hawkins with Joyce and her sons after Joyce claimed that she missed her hometown, but it was going to be even harder to explain that Hopper was actually alive and that everyone gathered there to come up with ideas to save the world.

“Well…we see each other at school, and-”

“I know you do, but you can’t just run off to see your girlfriend every night, it’s not healthy. Friends are important too. Besides, I’m not ready to be a grandmother yet.”

Mike blushed red. “Mom! We don’t-” He shook his head, composing himself. “I spend every lunch period with Lucas, Dustin, and Will. Besides, isn’t Dad happy that we’re not always over here anymore?”

Karen rolled her eyes. “Don’t pay attention to him. Your friends are welcome here and they always have been. I noticed you haven’t played that game you always did with them in a while.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “Dungeons and Dragons?”

To Mike’s surprise, his mother was one of the few Hawkins residents who didn’t believe that Dungeons and Dragons was an evil game. She’d spent years watching her son and his best friends play it in her basement and knew there was no way it was a secret way to worship Satan. She also didn’t believe that the Hellfire Club caused the murders, but she did believe that Eddie Munson had committed them alone.

“Yes, that one. Why don’t you write up a new campaign and play it here? You know I’d be alright with it, I’ve seen you play that game so many times.”

Although their love for Dungeons and Dragons had certainly not faded, it was a bit soured. None of them had played since Eddie’s death and the news media portraying the game as creating devil worshippers. But if they were able to enjoy it again, play it in the basement like the old days…it would be a nice way to honor Eddie and have that whimsical fun they always had as kids.

“Maybe…I don’t know if they’d want to play anymore.”

“Well, then maybe you could join a school club. It would give you a little something extra to participate in instead of biking down to see Jane every day. Clubs look excellent on college resumes too, you know.”

Mike couldn’t help his chuckle. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to go to college?”

Karen smiled at her son, shaking her head slightly. “As much as I’d love to keep you here forever and take care of my little man, I know you want to go to college. So if you want to get into a good one, try a club. Knowing you’re in extracurriculars always looks good.”

Mike didn’t really want to join another club, especially after what had happened to Eddie. But his mom was right. Clubs looked good on college resumes. He’d just have to find one that was actually semi-interesting.

“Alright, Mom. I’ll look into it, okay? Can I go now?”

She nodded and finally stepped aside. “Just be home for dinner. I’m making meatloaf tonight.” As she watched her son toss his backpack over his shoulder and get on his bike, Karen waved at him and watched him pedal down the driveway as he’d done for many years. “I love you, Michael!”

“Love you too, Mom!” He waved back at her and then zoomed off, leaving Karen to give a small sigh and walk back inside. Her little boy was growing up much too fast for her liking.

…

The next morning at school, Mike scanned through the many flyers that were tacked to a bulletin board. There was Swim Club, Science Club, Robotics Club, Chemistry Club, AV Club, Journalism Club, but knowing that the rest of the Party wouldn’t be signing up for clubs this year in an effort to just keep a low profile, Mike decided to just pick for himself. There was one flyer near the corner that caught his eye. With a pale orange background and black print, it advertised the Creative Writing Club. Mike’s thoughts went back to what his mother had brought up the other day, how he hadn’t written a campaign in quite some time. When he’d asked the Party if they would consider playing Dungeons and Dragons again, Will had been enthusiastic, as had Lucas, and Dustin agreed if everyone else did. But he had gotten quite rusty with his writings…so maybe a refresher was in order.

That afternoon when school was over, he walked over to the English class that hosted the Creative Writing Club. After meeting the club leader Peter, who was welcoming from the beginning, Mike started on his work that same day. As he allowed his pencil to do the work and have that familiar feeling of creating return, a plan formed in his head. He would write a new campaign, one of his most impressive ones yet, and debut it next month during Thanksgiving break for the Party.

Mike worked hard every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to write the campaign. He listened to the lessons given by Peter, as well as doing the weekly prompts, and editing his work after each meeting. He’d decided to surprise the Party with it, and just managed to finish it before Thanksgiving break started. As he went to set everything up on their old tiny campaign table, his mother surprised him with a new and much bigger table. She had claimed it was because he was making good grades and she was proud of him, but he knew deep down that she just wanted him to be happy, to have his friends again.

It was a huge surprise when Mike invited everyone over the day before Thanksgiving. An even bigger surprise when he brought them to the basement.

A large table was set up in the middle of the room, complete with their old figurines, maps, and notebooks. The way they always set it up. Will’s eyes lit up immediately, Lucas pumped his fist, and Dustin even cracked a smile.

“Holy shit, Mike! Look at it!” Will ran over, excitedly taking in each detail of the setup. The sight made him feel like a little kid again, when things were safe and happy. A time before interdimensional monsters and constant nightmares. “This table is huge! We could expand the map with this!”

Mike watched his best friends admire what he’d put together, suddenly a bit nervous. They were so excited now, probably had high expectations. What if his new campaign wasn’t good enough…?

His anxieties were temporarily silenced as El took his hand and leaned against his shoulder, tired from her daily attempt to stop The Draining. He was quick to wrap his arm around her and rest his head against hers as the two whispered softly.

“It looks really nice, Mike. I don’t know much about the game, but I know they’ll love it.”

“I don’t know…what if it’s not good enough? It won’t be anywhere near as good as Eddie’s were…”

El nuzzled against his shoulder and squeezed his hand. “You’re always good enough, Mike. For me and for everyone else that loves you.”

Mike smiled at that, and leaned down to kiss her head gently. “I love y-”

“Hey, lovebirds! Are we going to do this, or what?” Dustin gave a smirk as Mike and El quickly separated.

Mike grabbed their classic pairs of dice as everyone else took the same seats they always did. A massive burst of nostalgia hit him as he sat down in his spot as Dungeon Master, a role he had not touched in over 2 years. It felt good. It felt right. As he watched Dustin, Lucas, and Will hurriedly scribble their character notes and skill points on their notebooks, El moved the leftover chair next to him and wrapped her hand in his under the table. She still hadn’t completely gotten the concept of Dungeons and Dragons, but it didn’t matter. She liked to watch, and more than anything she liked to see Mike happy.

As Mike looked out at the table, remembering all the years he sat in this spot and led his best friends into battle and adventure, he finally felt like the Leader of the Party again. The brave paladin who protected his friends no matter what, the Heart who kept them together. It nearly brought him to tears, but he just squeezed El’s hand instead. His mage. His precious mage who had always protected him just as he would always protect her. She was his everything, and even though she didn’t have a character in the game, Mike always pictured her by his side, sharing their victories.

And with that, Mike Wheeler grabbed his pen with his right hand and kept El’s hand in his left, donning his imaginary armor and allowing himself to enter yet another world he created.

“After a ferocious battle between our heroes and the undead Vecna, losses have been suffered. Eddie the Banished, the friend and mentor of the Party was slain by the dark wizard, and their dear comrade Max the Zoomer was kidnapped and taken to his lair. Our four warriors have donned their weapons and prepared to make the journey to avenge Eddie’s death and rescue Max. Mike the Paladin, Dustin the Bard, Will the Wise, and Lucas the Ranger have traveled for many moons now, and are approaching the lair of Vecna. To get to him, they must brave Vecna’s many minions, some poisonous flowers, and several dark spells. Can they complete their journey and rescue their friend?”

As Mike predicted, the game had made all five of them emotional at some point, with Dustin determined to avenge Eddie in the form of his character, Lucas stopping at nothing to reach Max, Will drowning in childhood nostalgia he desperately missed, and even El who quietly cheered for them to find and kill Vecna. The campaign took 12 hours, and Mike was now thankful that he had invited them over at 10 in the morning. They were now in the final battle against Vecna, and everyone was tense.

“Shit!” Dustin cried out as he lost more health to one of Vecna’s attacks. “One more hit and I’m screwed…”

Mike just nodded, focusing on the game. “Will the Wise, you’re up.”

Will prepared his dice, eyes narrowing at the little figurine of Vecna. Despite the fact that the game was fictional and that this wasn’t actually happening, it still felt personal. This was the asshole who had taken his childhood, put him through hell, and changed his life forever in a terrible way. Anger flooded inside him, and he grabbed the dice in a tight fist, shaking it furiously as memories played in his head. Memories of rolling a 7 and getting captured by the Demogorgon, of being possessed by the Mind Flayer, of having to suffer countless nightmares. As they all came back to this moment, he took a deep breath, and tossed the dice.

It rolled…and it rolled…and it rolled…until it came up with the number 20.

The basement erupted in cheers.

“Critical hit!!” Lucas cried out, Dustin joining the shouting and even El contributing as Will looked on with a very proud and satisfied look.

Mike beamed. “Direct hit! Vecna is mortally wounded as Will the Wise successfully vanishes him, ending his reign of terror and avenging Eddie’s death! With a dying screech, Vecna succumbs to his wounds and leaves this world, his remaining minions perishing with him as the land around them grows healthy again!”

He had to stop to laugh, as the others were dancing around the basement calling out in celebration and elation, taunting the death of Vecna.

“Tale that, you son of a bitch!” Dustin held on to Lucas, looking happier than he had in months before grabbing Will into a hug. “You did it, Byers!”

The only one still sitting with him was El, who had a massive grin on her face and leaned over to kiss Mike’s cheek as the others were distracted, urging him to continue.

“With Vecna defeated, his lair is now unguarded, leaving our four heroes to burst inside and find Max the Zoomer alive and unharmed, waking up from the spell that Vecna cast. She reunites with the Party, and the five warriors return home to a hero’s welcome, free to spend the rest of their lives in peace together. The end!”

The room finally quieted down, with everyone getting back in their chairs before Will slowly began to clap. Mike looked at him in confusion, only for Lucas and Dustin to join in, and then El. He opened his mouth to question the applause, but Will beat him to it.

“Mike…that was the best campaign ever.” He grinned tearfully at his best friend.

Lucas nodded in agreement. “It really was. That was…the adventure of a lifetime.”

Dustin looked just as happy. Even if it was a fantasy game, in a way he had been able to avenge Eddie’s death. And one day, he’d do it for real.

Mike blushed lightly at the praise, finally smiling. “I’m glad you guys liked it…I worked really hard on it. I wanted it to be something we’d really remember.”

“Oh, we will, Mike.” Dustin grinned at him. “We’ll remember this for a long time.”

Will’s excitement returned quickly. “Can we do this again? With a new story? I want to start playing with you guys again…”

A quick look around the table concluded that everyone agreed with Will, and Mike was more than happy to oblige. “Of course we can. I’ll write up a new campaign for Christmas break, alright?”

Before any more discussion could be made, the basement door opened to Karen Wheeler, who had been poking her head in and out to make sure everything was alright. She seemed very pleased that her son had his friends over once again, but this time her small smile was replaced by a slight stern look.

“Michael, I know you’re having fun but we have to get up early for Thanksgiving, your Nana is coming. Think you can shut it down for tonight?”

Mike was thankful they were already finished, and called up to his mom that everyone was going home. As his friends packed their things and thanked Mike once again for the game, he stood outside the basement and watched his friends pedal away on their bikes into the night, a very familiar sight that he hadn’t seen in a while. But it brought him so much joy. So much hope that things were going to get better and one day they would fight the battle of Vecna for real.

He was broken out of his trance by a soft hand on his shoulder.

A quick turn of his head locked his dark brown eyes with his girlfriend’s hazel ones. A sight that made him melt like butter.

“Hey…”

“Hey…” 

El took his hand and led him into the driveway where they sat under the stars. She smiled at him, that kind of smile that was laced with love. A smile he had seen every day since they got back to Hawkins. It was the first sight he saw every afternoon when he biked down to the cabin to see her right after her homeschool lessons with Hopper. It was a sight he knew he’d never get tired of.

“That was a really good story, Mike. I liked it a lot.” She leaned against him, content.

“Yeah? Well someday we’ll make it happen. We’ll end Vecna for good and save Max…and then we’ll all be happy together.” His arm wrapped around her, holding her close. He knew that he should probably be looking at the stars, but all the stars he wanted to see were in her eyes.

“You should write more, Mike. You’re good at it. I want to hear more of your stories…”

“Really? You want to?” He pondered the idea for a moment. “Another campaign shouldn’t take too long…I could probably write something else on the side. Peter has all these writing prompts and I usually just do them to get him off my back, but maybe…maybe I should use one.”

El nodded against him, and then cupped his cheek, pulling him closer. Mike’s cheeks blushed pink as he pulled El even closer with his hands around her back, and the two pressed their lips together for the first time that day. They shared plenty of kisses daily, mainly in private and away from Hopper’s eyes, but this was their first kiss under the stars. It felt more special. More romantic. Mike could hear his heart pounding, and very familiar word vomit began to build up in his throat.

But when El finally pulled away, Mike subconsciously swallowed the word vomit and just kissed her head. “I love you, El…”

“I love you too, Mike…” She laced her fingers with his, their foreheads resting against each other before El let out a soft yawn.

Mike chuckled. “Alright you need to sleep, let’s get you home. Ready to go?”

El frowned in protest. “Can’t I just sleep in the basement? You could re-make my old fort…”

Mike grinned widely at the idea. To put her fort back together the way it was, serve her breakfast in the morning, maybe even sleep on the basement couch across from her so they could wake up together…but it was an impossibility.

“As much as I’d love that El, I think my mom and your dad would kill me. Together. But maybe during winter break I could host a sleepover here with you and the Party. I’ll re-make your fort and we’ll all watch movies and eat Eggos. Okay?”

El brightened at the image. “Okay. Take me home?”

Mike grabbed his bike and turned on the light in the front, approaching his girlfriend. “Your chariot awaits.”

El rolled her eyes playfully and got on the back of Mike’s bike, wrapping her arms around him tightly. “Nerd.”

It slipped out before Mike could stop it. “Beautiful.”

Although Mike couldn’t see it, El’s cheeks blushed dark pink and a massive smile spread on her lips as he began to pedal down the driveway towards Hop’s cabin, a route he knew by heart.

…

When they arrived at the cabin, Mike kissed El goodnight and watched her go inside to make sure she was safe before pedaling back home. Despite the amazing night that he had just had with his friends and girlfriend, he felt like kicking himself. There had been so much he wanted to say to El on the driveway. So much he’d wanted to tell her while they sat under the stars but he didn’t know what. It was something passionate, something important. But he’d never been able to get the words out. The only times he did was when it slipped out of his mouth while she was in another room, and then the time she almost died in front of him.

It angered him to no end. Why couldn’t he just say how he feels? He knows how he feels about El, how he always has, and she knows that he loves her. But it just felt like there was something else to be said, something he wanted her to know.

By the time he reached his house he swallowed his disappointment and went inside to get some sleep in preparation for a hectic Thanksgiving tomorrow. But as he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, determination flowed through Mike. Somehow, he was going to find a way to tell Eleven all the words that got caught in his throat. Somehow, he would share his entire heart with her instead of parts of it.

Chapter Text

When Thanksgiving break finally came to an end and everyone returned back to school, Mike was excited to go back to the Creative Writing Club. His new campaign had been such a hit with his friends, and after El telling him that she wanted to see more, he was more than happy to oblige. At first he sketched out new ideas for the Christmas campaign, but then set the project aside to experiment with his own writing.

He’d been using one of the weekly writing prompts “Write about a fictional animal”, when Peter walked by and noticed him writing in a notebook.

“Wow, that looks really good, Mike! Can I take a look?”

Mike hesitantly handed over the notebook to his club leader, who read over everything carefully. The story he’d been working on was about a faceless creature that stood nine feet tall with a gaping mouth. It was being hunted by a brave young girl who wanted to end its killing spree. Peter’s eyes lit up as he read about how the monster behaved and was so unique to any other animal. He was immediately impressed.

“This is some really good work, Mike. I’m actually impressed. You’ve got a solid base with a strong idea and an interesting character. Honestly if you outlined an actual story with this idea and published it someday, I’d absolutely read it.”

Mike blushed in slight embarrassment, not expecting the praise. “Uh…thanks, Peter. I appreciate it. I’m just using one of the prompts but…you think you’d like a story about this?”

“I think a lot of people would like this story, Mike. People love fantasy, they absolutely eat it up. It’s up to you of course and I definitely think you should have some more practice, but you’ve got some potential, kid.”

Mike took his notebook back, unable to stop his small smile as Peter gave him one last compliment and then walked off to check on other club members. His pencil went right back to work, only this time with much more gusto. Mike had found that he enjoyed writing, but if others enjoyed his writing besides his campaigns…maybe he had a future in actual storytelling. It wouldn’t exactly be a career that his father would approve of, or that would make a ton of money, but the idea of someday having a published story was very appealing to Mike. To have something for everyone to read instead of just presenting a campaign to the Party.

…

He was still thinking about it when he decided to call El and ask her on a lunch date that weekend. As he talked to her and they set up the time and place, Mike just stares at the calendar hanging up in the basement. It reads December 1st, which means he has exactly 2 weeks before it’s his and El’s 3rd year anniversary. Just thinking about it makes him dizzy. Wasn’t it just yesterday that they kissed at the Snowball Dance and became an official couple?

As Mike hangs up the phone and writes down the time and place just so he can’t possibly forget it, his mind races with the same anxiety he’s had for the past few weeks. He’s still not sure what to get El for an anniversary present. For their first anniversary he had gotten her the beloved gold promise ring that she never took off. It was a promise to her even though she had moved to California, he would always want to be with her. For their second anniversary, he had taken her to dinner at Enzo’s and spent quite a bit of money allowing her to get everything her heart desired. But this time…he didn’t want it to be jewelry or a fancy dinner. It needed to be something really special, something that she could cherish forever.

He only had two weeks and a very small amount of cash to figure it out.

Saturday afternoon rolled around and Mike got on his bike to pick up his girlfriend at Hopper’s cabin, unable to hide his smile as she walked out on the porch in a pretty blue dress with a cardigan most likely gifted by Nancy. Her light brown hair that she treasured was now just at her shoulders, tied back in a small ponytail with a scrunchie. He could see the light makeup on her face, as well as the dark blue nail polish on her fingernails that she must have asked Joyce to help her with. She was just as beautiful as always, but he must have been staring a bit too long because El began to giggle.

“Are we going to go eat or what?” She tugged at the small crossbody bag to make sure it was secure.

“Y-yep! Yep, let’s go.” Mike shook his head with dark pink cheeks, allowing El to hop on his bike like usual. They had only been cycling for about five minutes when Mike halted at a stop sign and looked back at his girlfriend with a racing heart.

“Sorry, sorry, I just…you are so beautiful. I mean, you’re always beautiful! You’re always so stunning and I love the way you look. But today you look…wow. You’re so pretty, El.”

El’s eyes lit up at his words, moving a hand to fuss with her hair. “Thanks, Mike…you’re pretty too.”

Mike had a hard time believing her, considering he was just in an old hoodie with jeans and his hair brushed out for once, but if El said it then it must be true. This girl just made him so unbelievably happy. How did he get so lucky?

El began to lean forward and Mike happily complied, moving to press his lips to hers. He had just about reached her cherry vanilla glossed lips when a car honked loudly behind him, taking them both out of the moment as Mike shrieked and quickly pedaled forward. El glared at the car as Mike sped off, lifting her middle finger to the mouth breather who ruined their moment.

When they reached the diner and ordered their drinks, Mike felt his mind wander, still wondering what to get El for their anniversary. It had to be perfect, it had to be meaningful, but it couldn’t be very expensive…he’d already bought everyone’s Christmas gifts including hers and the bill ended up being more than he thought. Maybe he could make something? Or just spend the day with her? But El deserved to be spoiled, to be treated like a princess…no, a queen!

Mike’s thoughts were interrupted as El reached over and held his hand. He must have been staring off into space again. Giving her a soft smile, he squeezed her hand as if to reassure her that he was still there. As he locked his gaze with hers, he could see the small dark circles around her eyes. She must have been up late with The Draining again…

“You okay…?”

“I could ask you the same. You look so tired, babe…”

“I’m okay. Just trying to keep The Draining under control…”

Mike’s smile turned into a sad frown. “You’re allowed to take a break, you know…”

El gave a small sigh. “Not really, Mike. I’m the only one who can stop this.”

“I-I know, but it’s been over a year, El. Are you just going to do this your whole life? That’s just not fair.”

El’s grip tightened around her boyfriend’s hand. “If it keeps everyone safe…yes, I will do this my whole life.”

He could see the slight fear collect in her eyes, that he would be unhappy with her answer. Mike couldn’t lie and say he was happy with her answer, but he carefully picked up her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it softly, still holding it tight.

“Then I’ll be there by your side the whole time.” He brushed his thumb against her ring, as if silently reminding her that the shiny jewelry on her finger was a promise for forever with her.

She leaned over the table to kiss him, which he happily obliged, receiving their moment that had been interrupted before. The taste of her lip gloss was sweet, but Mike’s focus remained on just how perfectly their faces pressed together. When she finally pulled away, he hadn’t let go of her hand and just kept his gaze on her lovingly. She truly was the most perfect girl in the world.

He debated going in for another kiss when the waitress returned with their sodas and took their orders for lunch. As they waited for their food, the happy couple was left to talk and enjoy themselves. They talked about plans for winter break, their eagerness to spend Christmas together, and how El had begun feeding a stray cat she was still deciding a name for. The mood dampened a bit as El turned her gaze out the window worriedly.

“I keep wondering when Vecna will show up again…when I’ll have to fight him. I’ve gotten stronger and I’ve kept his curse under control…but what if I’m still not ready when he arrives?” Her fingers anxiously tapped against the table, letting out a soft sigh.

Mike tried to form an answer in his head, wanting to reassure her but also not wanting to sound overconfident. This was still a scary situation…and as his eyes darted around the table thinking of something to say, they locked onto a fork and he found himself picking it up. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could think about it.

“Don’t worry, El. If Vecna does come back, me and my trusty fork have got it covered.” He raised the fork as if it were a sword.

El couldn’t stop her small smile and snorted. “A fork? Is that…your weapon of choice?”

Mike beamed at her smile, twisting the fork around in his hand. “Why yes, it is. Don’t you know forks have just as much power as a sword does? Maybe even more, a fork has four points and a sword only has one! Can you imagine the shock on Vecna’s face if I defeat him with the power of common silverware?” He twirled the fork around in his fingers to look cool, only to drop it on the table with a clang.

El could no longer contain her laughter, her muffled giggles against her hand turning into full laughs as she watched Mike try to look intimidating with a fork. If his goal had been to cheer her up or distract her then mission accomplished. She tried to quiet herself for the sake of being in a restaurant, but found that she didn’t want to hold back. She wanted him to see how happy he made her. Mike Wheeler was an absolute dork, but he was Eleven’s dork, and that was all that mattered.

Mike burst into his own set of giggles as El’s laughter got louder, replaying it in his head so he would never forget the sound of it. It was one of his favorite things to do, make her laugh. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it was more difficult, but he’d never stop until she smiled at least once. It’d been like that since they were kids and he planned to keep it that way for a long long time.

El’s laughter finally ceased as their food arrived, a cheeseburger for El and a chicken sandwich for Mike. El took a bite of her burger, feeling the sad nostalgia of the first time she had a cheeseburger. She’d been at Benny’s Burgers, terrified, starving, and thankful for a friendly face. Benny had been so kind to her…it was so horrible what happened to him. And his restaurant. But while that day had been so terrifying and awful, it had ended with her meeting Mike, Dustin, and Lucas. The night she met her soulmate. The burger in her hands wasn’t quite as good as Benny’s, but it was a nice dose of nostalgia either way. 

As they dug into their meal, their conversation turned casual again, with El remembering that her boyfriend had Creative Writing Club yesterday. “So how is the club going? I know you were excited when you finished the Thanksgiving campaign. Are you working on the Christmas one?”

Mike took a sip of his drink, thinking back to Peter’s compliments when he looked over his notebook. “Yeah, of course. I’m taking a small break from it to work on some writing prompts, but it’ll be done by Christmas for sure.”

El shook some salt on her fries. “Writing prompts? I remember you talking about those, are you writing new stories now?” There was slight excitement in her voice, a desire to hear more of his work.

“Y-yeah, actually. I started with one about a fictional animal and made it about a creature similar to the demogorgon.” He blushed, wondering what she would say about the next part. “And also a brave young girl who is hunting it down so it can’t hurt anyone else.”

She looked up from her plate to give him a small smile, before returning her gaze back to her food. “Sounds interesting. Will you write a full story on it?”

“Not sure yet actually. The club leader looked at what I had so far in my notebook and he said it was really good! That I’ve got potential to make published stories someday. But I just have so many ideas…I have no idea what to write. One minute I want to write about one story, the next I have a totally different idea. I don’t know if I’ll ever settle on one.”

El thought for a moment, trying to come up with an idea of her own. When nothing came to mind, she had only one suggestion for him. “ Well…write about what you love.”

Mike knew that his girlfriend probably meant Dungeons and Dungeons, fantasy, science fiction, but the first thought that came to mind was none of those things.

His mouth once again moved faster than his mind. “So I should write about you?”

His face went red, as did El’s. It was very sudden, but not unwelcome. Another smile spread on El’s face as she let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah…if you want.”

Mike gave her a goofy grin before going back to his sandwich. After that, they focused on their meals, enjoying their quality time together. The gears in Mike’s head just kept turning, and he could practically hear his heartbeat in his ears as he thought about all the possibilities of what he could write about. He could write about El’s adventures, under a different name and slightly altered circumstances. He could write about their love story…or he could write about how she clawed her way out of hell over and over again.

He continued to think about it after paying the check and biking her back home. As they reached Hopper’s cabin, Mike found himself hugging El close, not wanting their date to be over already.

“Maybe we could walk around or keep biking or something?”

El gave him a sad smile, nuzzling her face against his. “I’d love to, but Joyce has a family night planned for everyone. She likes to have us all play games or watch a movie once a week.”

“Alright…but I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Yep!”

Mike leaned down and kissed her forehead, and then her nose. “I love you...” He gave her a soft but loving kiss on the lips, El’s hands cupping his face and his arms wrapped around her back.

“I love you too…” She gave him a few more kisses before reluctantly pulling away to get inside before Hopper saw them all lovey-dovey in his yard.

Mike waved at her as she disappeared into the house, looking at the cabin for a few more moments before pedaling back home. His ideas from the diner were still occupying his head, and he wanted to get to his desk in the basement and start writing immediately. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to write about, but he did know who he was going to write about.

Eleven. His strong, wonderful, loving El.

…

Mike groaned in frustration as he once again crumpled up a page of his notebook and tossed it in the wastebasket next to his desk. At this point, his entire notebook would be in the trash by the end of the night. Why was this so difficult? He had started out with writing about El’s story, how he found her and how she fought evil, before fearing that he was just copying the story he’d already lived with her. This had to be something special…but it seemed he was just unable to stick to one idea. The eraser on his pencil had nearly worn out, and as he took notice of the overflowing wads of paper in his wastebasket, it was time for a new tactic.

When Monday afternoon finally came and Mike sat down at his desk in the Creative Writing Club, Peter could tell almost immediately that he was troubled.

‘Everything alright, Wheeler?” He sat at the desk next to Mike.

“Not really. I can’t decide what to write. I get an idea and start on it, but then a new idea comes along and then I end up erasing my entire page or just ripping it out of my notebook which puts me back at square one.” The frazzled teen slumped in his seat, tapping his pencil against the blank page in front of him.

Peter let out a soft chuckle. “That’s what it is, huh? Well having more ideas than you can handle is never a bad thing, some writers can’t form any ideas and really struggle. Just write down all your ideas and sort them out the way you want. As for your problem with continuously starting over, I want you to try something. Stop using a pencil. Use a pen. That way you can’t backtrack or second guess yourself. It’ll be just your creativity and your true talent at work. Challenge yourself not to rip out any pages of paper too. I want to see what you can write when you’re not allowed to stress over it 50 times.” He pulled a shiny black pen out of his pocket, setting it on Mike’s desk. “Just give it a shot.”

As Mike picked up the pen and examined it, his anxiety slightly increased. Not being able to erase or start over? Just having to keep pushing on even if he convinced himself it wasn’t good? Somehow that was scary. But if Peter suggested it…it was worth a try.

When Mike sat down at his desk in the basement again, he twirled the pen in his hands a few times and smoothed out the notebook in front of him. He wanted to write about El. So that’s what he did. He started to write about El’s story, what she had gone through, who she was as a person, what she loved, what he loved about her, and before Mike knew it he was about four pages deep in just how special Eleven was. Looking at his own words caused Mike’s anxiety to bubble up and want to rip out the pages again, but he refrained as he just admired his work.

His eyes darted to the calendar on the wall again. December 3rd. His anniversary with El was in 12 days. An idea came to his mind, an idea that equally terrified and excited him. He had struggled for so long with the words stuck in his throat…but it seemed that he might have finally found a way around it. If he could get past that…it’d be beautiful. She’d been so disappointed with his letters while she lived in California, yet she still kept every single one. Maybe he could write her one more letter. The kind of letter that she’d wanted for so long.

Mike turned his notebook page and set his pen to the paper, taking a deep breath and allowing his words to come straight from the heart. It started with his desire to tell her all the words he was never able to get out of his throat. To tell her everything without having it spill out of his mouth awkwardly. His heart thumped loudly against his chest, memories playing in his head of when they first met, their first kiss, and when she walked back into his life. There was so much to be thankful for, so much to cherish. She was everything to him and he wanted her to know it. As his pen continued its work, writing about the time he spent after he lost her, Mike wanted to open up to her as well. He always portrayed himself as strong and unbreakable so he could hold her up, but she wanted her to know that he had fears and insecurities too. As his passion and deepest fears were revealed, his words began to turn into something else yet again. His vision of their future, the dreams he had, what he wanted with her…and he was unable to stop. The words just kept coming, his hand just kept writing, and by the time he finally got to a stopping point he genuinely wondered if his pen was about to run out of ink. There were multiple pages of writing and while Mike was still afraid of just how vulnerable he’d allowed himself to be with this, he was so excited to show El. He bared his soul in this letter, and he knew just when he would give it to her too. Picking up the pen once more to sign his name, Mike carefully folded the letter and set it in his drawer before resting on the couch, emotionally drained.

…

Once the letter was done, Mike returned to writing the campaign for Christmas, trying out something new and original. El had asked if she could join them this time, if Mike could teach her, and he was more than excited to do so. She’d already designed her Mage character with the help of Will, and somehow that put even more pressure on him to make a great campaign. It would be his girlfriend’s first adventure with the Party. He worked on it every day he had club, and then spent time with El and the others afterwards. With each day he ripped a page off the calendar, the closer his anniversary with El came. He hadn’t looked at the letter since he wrote it, afraid that if he looked at it too much he’d want to start again.

Before long, it was December 14th, and Mike stayed up late making sure all his preparations were in order. He felt nervous, but so excited. In the morning, double-checking it was indeed December 15th, he raced to the phone to dial Hopper’s cabin. El picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Happy Anniversary, El.”

He could practically hear her smile through the phone. “Happy Anniversary, Mike.”

Despite begging his mother to let him stay home today, Karen had said no. He had a test today, and while an anniversary was important, it could wait until after school.

“I’ve got to get ready for school but there’s no club today so the second that the bell rings I’m coming over to pick you up, alright?”

“Okay, I can’t wait to see you…I love you.”

Mike smiled widely. “Love you too, El. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

In addition to his usual morning routine before school, Mike packed a second outfit into his bag. Nothing too fancy, but it was a bit nicer than just the jacket and pants he was wearing for class. He made sure everything was in place in the house for what he had planned and took one last glance at his letter before hopping on his bike to get to school.

Thankfully, the school day went by quickly and Mike was handed back his test with a big blue A at the top. As the bell rang for school to be over, he stopped by the bathroom to change into his second outfit. Instead of an old hoodie and blue jeans, he now had on a soft dark purple sweater with a small black design on the front, black jeans, and a bright yellow scarf wrapped around his neck with little feathery tassels at the end. He looked at himself in the mirror satisfied, having picked this outfit weeks ago with his mom even though she had given him a strange look.

Pedaling as fast as he could, Mike reached Hopper’s cabin in record time, taking a moment to breathe. El was waiting for him on the porch, and quickly walked over once his bike had come to a stop. She smiled at him excitedly, playing with her hair as he took in her outfit made up of his favorite colors. She was wearing a fluffy blue sweater with brass buttons paired with a vomit green skirt that went just past her knees and matched her nail polish. Her hair was down this time, but around her neck was a white scarf matching her white shoes. Mike thought she looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Hey, beautiful. Are you ready?”

“Mmhm. You look pretty too.”

With that, the two biked off to the Wheeler home, with Mike holding El’s hand the second they got to the driveway and off the bike. Walking over to the basement door on the side of the house, he unlocked the door and opened it up for her, holding the door. She gave him a little giggle as she walked inside, before coming to a halt and releasing a loud gasp as her hands clapped to her mouth.

Mike followed her inside and smiled as El just stared in shock at the sight in front of her. He had rebuilt her first home, her beloved fort. They had discussed him doing it for winter break but she hadn’t imagined this . It was a perfect replica. In the exact same spot, the exact same blankets and pillows. Memories washed over her as she remembered this cozy place she called home for a week, how safe she felt. She immediately wanted to bury herself in the blankets again, and come back home. She was already tearing up, she was so happy.

“Oh, Mike…”

“Do you like it? I tried to make it the exact same way it was.”

“I love it…”

El walked over to it slowly, brushing her hand against the fabric carefully. It felt like such a sacred location, something so special that was meant for her and Mike’s eyes only. She hesitated for only a moment before getting down and sitting in it, giggling like a child as she lightly kicked her feet. Mike joined her, his hand intertwining with hers.

They ate Eggos and watched a movie together, clinging to each other’s hand and enjoying an evening of just the two of them. Mike’s heart kept beating faster as the movie neared an end, knowing that soon it would be time to present her with the letter. He wanted her to see it…but he had a feeling that it would truly change everything. There would be no holding back, no more words stuck in this throat, it would be his heart plastered on a notebook page.

When the movie came to an end, El nuzzled into his side, content and happy. “Happy Anniversary, Mike.”

He kissed her head and held her close, still processing that he’d spent three years dating this amazing girl. “Happy Anniversary, El…” He bit his lip nervously, but he didn’t want to put it off any longer. “I have something for you.”

El looked up at him, already excited. “I have something for you too. You go first though.”

Mike nodded, feeling himself start to sweat, and not just because of the thick sweater he was wearing. He carefully got out of the fort, feeling his hands slightly tremble as he approached his desk and opened the drawer containing the letter. His fingers picked up the folded piece of paper, taking a deep breath and returning to the fort. He gave El a nervous smile, and outstretched his hand holding the letter.

She carefully took it from him curiously, unfolding it slowly as not to damage it. She quickly recognized Mike’s handwriting, although this time it was in pen and not pencil. She gave him a small smile as she began to silently read.

“My dear El,

I know you’ve received a lot of letters from me in the past, but I wanted this one to be different. You told me at the diner that I should write about what I love and my first thought was you. I wanted to write about you and how I feel about you and what you mean to me. The only time you get to hear me spill my guts is when you’re in danger or I just can’t contain myself anymore and I’m tired of that. I want you to hear it from me, exactly what’s in my heart, and I can do that best by writing to you.”

El looked up at her boyfriend, who was blushing red and trembling slightly. She gave him a loving look before returning her gaze to the letter.

“I’ve loved you since the night we met. I knew I loved you the moment I found you in the woods with the others. You’ve been the light of my life ever since. I’ve never met someone more special in my life before. You’re so strong, one of the strongest I know. I can’t believe how lucky I am to love and be loved by someone so amazing. But you’re not just amazing because of your powers, El. That’s a very small part of how incredible you are. You have such a big heart, you’re so selfless, kind, and brave. You’re so determined to do what’s right and to fight for what you believe in. You tell me sometimes that you worry about being “bad” but you are the definition of a good person and I’ll always admire you for that. You’re beautiful, inside and out. I love the way you look, your pretty smile and dark hair no matter what length it is. But your eyes…I could stare into them forever. You’re nothing but incredible, El. With or without your powers. You mean absolutely everything to me and have my entire heart. I’m so thankful every single day that I met you.”

El’s eyes now brimmed with tears, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the paper.

 “I replay the memories of that first week in my head all the time. We were so young, and it was an adventure I’d never forget. That night in the cafeteria, when I got the courage to kiss you, was the moment I knew you’d be in my heart forever. I was so excited for the future, to grow up with you. But before I could hold on to that future, you vanished into a cloud of ash in front of my eyes. I know we don’t talk about that day very often, but…it destroyed me, El. When I lost you that day, I lost a piece of me. I shut down, stopped talking to others. I grew bitter and withdrawn, so full of rage that you were taken from me because of those god awful scientists. I missed you more than anything and I refused to give up on you. I know you heard me during the majority of those 353 days when I tried to reach you but I was hanging on by a thread the entire time. There were some days that I honestly thought I wasn’t going to make it. The pain of losing you made me feel like I was dying and I will never forget that feeling, nor all the nightmares that I had. That’s my greatest fear, El. Losing you. There is nothing in this world that terrifies me more, I just can’t lose you again. The thought of it makes me want to cry until I have no tears left. You’re the love of my life and I’ve known that since I was 12. I would rather die than have to go through the pain of losing you again. I could live without you if I absolutely had to, but I don’t want to. I want it to be you and me, Mike and El, together forever.”

El had to stop reading to wipe at her eyes, getting tears on her sweater sleeve. She didn’t even care, she would much rather get them on her outfit than the letter itself. Once her eyesight had somewhat returned, she pulled the paper closer once more.

“That’s why I gave you the promise ring when you had to move to California. I wanted to prove that me and you are the real deal, that no matter how far apart we were forced to be, I would always want to be your forever. Just as I want you to be mine. I’ll never break that promise, El. I want my future to have you in it. I’ve thought about it a lot over the years. I’d like to go to college and I don’t mind where we live but someday I want to marry you. Whether it be at 18 or 28, I want to give you the wedding of your dreams and make you my wife and carry you home. I want to have a family with you, a home filled with love and laughter that neither of us had growing up. I want to spend every day giving you the life you deserve. As long as I’m by your side, I’ll be happy. I know we’ll struggle. I know we’ll have good days and bad days and have issues that normal couples don’t have because of the things we’ve gone through but I will love you through it all and my life will always be perfect for the fact that I have you. I love you, El. I love you more than life itself. I always have and I always will.

Love, Mike”

El was practically sobbing at this point, but the smile had never left her face. As she wiped her eyes once more and set the paper carefully to the side, she stood up and launched herself into Mike’s arms.

Mike had begun crying at this point too, just holding her as close as he possibly could to his chest. He loved this girl. He loved this girl so much and now she finally had at least an idea of just how deep his love for her was and had been for quite a long time. There was so much relief, knowing that all those words that had gotten stuck were now out in the open, on paper, where she could read them over and over again.

El’s lips pressed to his and she just kissed him over and over again, gripping his head to keep him still. She was so overwhelmed right now, so happy, so excited. She knew Mike loved her, he told her all the time, but this was different. This was something special. El had realized that this truly wasn’t a letter at all. It was a declaration of true love.

El smiled and laughed through her tears before finally pulling back to look at her boyfriend. “I love you, Mike. I love you so so much that I can hardly stand it. I can’t even imagine a life without you because it’s a life that I don’t want. I just want you. I want to be with you and be happy and never let you go…”

Mike laughed through his tears as well, pressing his forehead to hers. “And I never want you to let go…I’ll hold on to you until my final breath, El. I love you…”

They refused to let go of each other, just wrapped up tightly in an embrace of two soulmates who knew that their love would never fade. They were meant to be, and nothing could change that.

When they finally separated, El wiped her eyes one last time and kissed Mike’s cheek before giving him an excited smile. “Ready for your gift now?”

Mike nodded at her, although in his eyes he’d already gotten his gift. They sat down in the fort together, surrounded by the comfort of the blankets and pillows. He watched her reach into her skirt pocket and pull out a tiny velvet box, setting it in his hand. He just stared at it for a moment, before carefully lifting it closer and opening it. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of a small silver ring nestled into the center.

Mike’s heart beat faster as he noticed the small red gem at the top, identical to El’s gold ring. He gently took it out of the box, admiring every detail.

“It’s beautiful, El…” He managed to slip it on his left index finger, wanting it on the hand opposite of his watch just as El’s ring was on the opposite of her hair tie.

El played with her hair as a deep blush came to her cheeks. “You promised me forever…so I wanted to promise you forever.”

Mike’s own face turned red at that, but he just happily admired the silver ring on his finger that matched his girlfriend’s. It felt so right, so comfortable. He already knew he would never take it off. Setting the box aside, he scooped his lover back into his arms.

“Then forever it is…”

El smiled at him lovingly, cupping his cheek. “Forever it is…”

As El nuzzled into her soulmate, she thought about his love declaration. She would be re-reading it over and over tonight, and probably many days after that. While she frequently replayed the memory of the first time he verbally expressed his love to her in her mind, this was something physical that she could hold onto and revisit whenever she liked. It would be one of her prized possessions, a reminder of just how much she’s loved.

…

The day before Christmas break, Mike had been ready to leave the Creative Writing Club and head to Hopper’s cabin when Peter stopped him at the door.

“Mike, wait!” He rushed up to catch him. “Merry Christmas, kid.”

Mike blinked in surprise as Peter handed him a wrapped box. Tearing off the wrapping paper, he found himself holding a box of ink pens and a new notebook.

“I want you to keep writing. You’re really good at it. Enjoy your holiday break, but when you get back I want to see more of your work, alright?”

Mike smiled widely, already excited to get to work. “Yeah! Thanks, Peter…”

Christmas came and went, and Mike’s campaign was yet another hit, this time being even more special with the addition of El’s mage character. It was more fun than the Party had had in a long time, and the campaign hadn’t even ended before Will was begging him to write another one. Whenever he had the opportunity, Mike’s left hand was under the table, tightly holding El’s right hand. The feeling of their rings against each other was such a comforting feeling, a reminder of their promise to each other.

When school finally started up again, Mike had about ten pages worth of a story he was developing, which Peter noticed immediately.

“Whoa! Glad to see you got some writing in! Mind telling me about your story?”

Mike nodded, already so eager to share. “So, it’s about this girl named Eleanor. She was born in a lab and raised by scientists because she has the power to move things with her mind. When she ends up escaping she meets this boy named Mitch and his friends. His name is Mitchell but he goes by Mitch. Anyways, Mitch immediately forms a connection with Eleanor, who gives her the nickname Ella…”

He didn’t stop talking for the longest time, recounting his story along with El’s but with altered circumstances. The story had different monsters and different events, but it ended the same as the real one. Mitch and Ella fell in love.

Peter leaned back in his chair, thoroughly impressed. “Holy shit Mike, that was amazing. Is this a passion project or something?”

Mike glanced at the silver ring on his finger, cracking a small smile and twirling his pen slightly. “Yeah. You could say that.”