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El sat shivering in Dustin's arms. It hadn't meant to end like this - Dustin comforting her. It wasn’t meant to happen at all. It was supposed to be a normal day for her. Going out with Max and Lucas, and then stopping by Wheelers’ house for some kissing session with her boyfriend.
Mike wasn’t supposed to break up with her.
Not now, not over the phone.
Why did this happen? She knew that their relationship lately was rather a delicate matter, but was she really that bad girlfriend? Was it her fault?
Another sob left her body, and she clung to Dustin’s chest even closer.
“Shh… Shh… I’m here with you. You’re not alone, El. I’m with you. You’re great and wonderful. Shh… Shh…” Dustin kept saying the same words over and over into her hair. He hasn't stopped since she suddenly entered his room and somehow ended up in his arms, sitting miserably on a floor. She didn’t even have the energy to explain to him what happened. So he didn’t know why she was crying, why she looked so miserable. But Dustin didn’t try to force her to say something, nor look at him with her wet eyes. He never stopped dragging his fingers through her hair, trying to give her some comfort.
He’s a great friend, and it hit El, that she was a bad friend for him, just using him, not even saying what happened.
Slowly, El moved her head away from its comfortable position on Dustin’s shoulder and placed a hand on Dustin's chest, splaying her fingers. She lifted her gaze to Henderson's eyes and opened her mouth to say that painful words finally.
“I-I-Im sorry, D,Dustin, I-I'm-m–” She couldn’t say that out loud. It hurt. And if she will say that out loud, their break-up will become real. And she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t. But Dustin deserves the truth. So she tried. She took a deep breath, clutching painfully a piece of Dustin's t-shirt in her hand. “Mike broke up with me-e. H,He called and b-broke up. Over p-phone. J-just like that and, and, and-” And she dissolved into shuddering sobs again, her whole body shaking with the force of them, and she could feel Dustin's arms around her form again. Holding her gently, rocking delicately, trying to comfort her with his presence.
After another few minutes, El could feel Dustin tensing up, just before she could hear his words, his tone clearly angry.
“What a son of a bitch. Piece of shit. Who the fuck breaks up through the phone!?” El understands him, she thinks, but now she doesn't want revenge or anything. She still loves Mike, and she doesn’t want to think about it now. But she would be lying saying Dustin’s words didn’t make her feel a little better. Making her feelings valid in a way she clearly needed.
And what he said was true, she knows that, but right now, El just wanted to be held by someone dear to her. Deep down, she knows that she just wants Dustin to hug her and gently shush her again. No matter how arrogant that may seem.
She just wants to feel important to someone.
And so, El hugged him tighter to herself, clinging to his chest, squeezing the t-shirt on his back, and wetting his clothes with her tears again.
Henderson quickly got the message and was again rubbing her back in comfort, although El could feel that he was putting a little more pressure on her body now. He’s annoyed, and it's clear, but his other hand on her hair still gently strokes it, and El realizes that she doesn't care. He’s angry but not at her, and weirdly, El feels safe in his arms. Safer than ever. And she knows him, she knows that he is able to be loud and often can't sit still for too long, but now is different. He wasn't fidgeting, he didn't see bored with her, his tone always gentle and quiet from the second she came into his room, trying to not disturb her, to not scare her. And if El wanted to be honest with herself, for a moment, she felt good, as if his arms were her righteous place, here on earth.
After some time (minutes? hours? El wasn’t sure.) of listening to Dustin’s steady heartbeat, she finally calmed down. She wasn't shivering anymore, there were no more tears in her eyes. Now, they were cuddling on the floor in silence, besides tiny sniffles and hitching sobs here and there from El. She wasn't ready to let him go. Not yet.
The room was quiet until Dustin's voice rang in her ears again.
“Do you want to lie down?” he asked softly, not looking at her, and only feeling, El nodding against his shoulder in answer. Just when he asked, El realized how tired she was. Running to Dustin's house, crying in his arms for so long... She was truly exhausted. The soft bed sounded wonderful and she would gladly use it, but not alone. She would gladly use a comfortable bed. But not alone.
But speaking was tiring, so she let Dustin know her question by not letting go of his form when she felt him standing up.
Dustin slowly got up off the floor with El still in his arms, and oh, El never realized how strong he truly was. Dustin gently placed her onto his bed, for a moment watching her adjust her position. El saw the moment his eyebrows raised, when he realized why she left so much room beside her form.
She also never let go of his hand.
“I'll be back in a moment, just need to make some little adjustments.” He promised, squeezing her hand once and only then El finally let him go with a deep sigh.
Dustin's quickly fading grin made her feel warm inside.
But she was tired, and didn't have energy to think too much about anything. Her head pulsing from sobbing, her legs numb from lying on the floor for so long, and her body aching for comforting presence.
El could've only heard Dustin shuffling around the room, drawing the curtains, and putting something on his night stand with her eyes already closeted, but refusing to fall asleep. Not alone.
The bed finally dips, and El can hear her own sigh of comfort when she feels Dustin pulling her to his chest. It wasn't normal for them to be this intimate with each other, but at that moment it was nice and welcoming.
She still felt broken and hurt, but she already cried enough for today, and at that moment she just wanted to rest her eyes for a moment. A minute. Maybe a little longer.
The last thing she remembers, before dozing off, are warm lips on her forehead.