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El had a natural sense of wonder.
To her, everything was exciting. Every new thing was an amazing experience and her optimism was contagious. Max appreciated it, as even she got tired of being a constant pessimist.
When she met El for the first time in their shared dorm room she found the other girl quite annoying. Her generally happy demeanor felt like she was putting on a show, and Max hated people who were fake.
But it turned out that Max was simply jealous that El could find the good in every scenario, and as they eventually became friends, she grew to love her open-eyed wonder.
Especially now, as they try to make their way towards the Rockefeller Centre, hands interlocked - purely so they don’t get separated, Max tells herself. The glowing fairy lights on every lamppost make El’s face glow, her eyes wide and jaw slack with awe.
Before them stands the largest Christmas tree Max thinks she’s ever seen, and judging by her face, El feels the same. It seems El can’t focus on one thing, her eyes flitting between the tree and the skyscrapers glowing in the evening darkness before landing on the ice rink full of skaters.
Max nudges her shoulder, “What do you say we have a go at ice skating, huh?”
“What, really? I’ve only ever seen people do that in movies.”
Max raises an eyebrow, “You’ve never skated before, like at all?”
The other girl shakes her head. “People used to skate on the lake at home, but my Dad always said it wasn’t safe enough. It was fun to watch though.”
Max splutters. “El, that is so sad! I lived in California for god’s sake and even I’ve ice skated! We are so going now.”
El opens her mouth but Max cuts her off, pulling two pieces of paper from her pocket. “And before you ask, yes I have tickets.”
They head down to the rental desk to pick up their skates and soon they’re stood at the edge of the rink, where El suddenly hesitates.
“What if I’m really bad and fall over. I’ll be like Bambino on ice.”
“Do you mean Bambi on ice?” Max would laugh, but El’s frown is deep as she nods her head, so she grabs her hand instead.
“Trust me, everyone falls their first time on the ice, I did too. And once when I was like thirteen I tried to do a pirouette and I totally face planted. In front of loads of people, too.”
El giggles, and the sound makes Max want to take the other girl into her arms and never lets go. “Thank you Max, I think I’m ready now?”
“...Max?”
The redhead suddenly snaps out of a dream-fantasy that definitely isn't about the girl in front of her, and her face begins to turn the same shade as her hair. “Oh, yes, let's go!”
El grabs Max’s other hand and never lets go until they both step back off the ice thirty minutes later, tired and giggly.
“I can’t believe you fell and then brought me down with you! I’m pretty sure there are about 100 tourists with photos of you using me as a pillow on the ground!”
El smiles and nudges Max’s shoulder, “At least you were a very comfy pillow.”
Max hopes El can’t see her burning red face.
She definitely can.
—
From what little El has opened up to Max about her childhood, she knows it was pretty sheltered and that she never got to experience many Christmas traditions, and Max is determined to correct this.
She tells her plan to Will on one of their regular movie nights. “And like, New York is the best place for this, because there’s cheesy Christmas stuff everywhere! I was thinking of maybe taking her to one of the Christmas markets next, what do you think?”
“I think El would be happy to do anything if you’re there. But it's very sweet of you to do this. The Max Mayfield of two months ago wouldn't have dreamed of doing something like this though, have you gone soft?”
Max chucks a pillow in Will’s direction. “Oh shut up, Byers. I just want to make sure she has a good Christmas. You know, she's my best friend.”
Will cocks an eyebrow, “Are you sure she’s just a best friend?”
“Oh not this again. If I don't bring up your weirdly gay friendship with Wheeler, you don’t talk about me and El, okay?”
“Okay…” But Will throws a handful of popcorn at her for good measure.
True to her word, the next week Max brings El along to Bryant Park to visit the Christmas Markets. As always, El’s face is lit up with joy and wonder, but somewhere in the middle of a crowd her energy suddenly dips. When Max notices, she tugs them over to a miraculously quiet park bench and sits them down.
“Hey, are you okay? You seem a little overwhelmed?”
She looks a little more settled but her breathing is still quite fast. “I just- there's so many people, and there's a lot to look at, and it's very loud and very bright and I just- Um, it's a lot. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, don’t apologise! I’m sorry for not telling you how crazy it’d be here. I mean New York being busy is a given but this is a whole other level, right?”
El manages a weak laugh but she’s still frowning.
Max suddenly forms a genius plan. “Uh, would you be okay if I ran over there for like two minutes? If you need me I’m only a few feet away, but if you’re okay, uh stay here?”
She nods, and Max runs off in the direction she hastily pointed in. El tries to remember some grounding techniques Hopper taught her when she used to get bad panic attacks. There was something about saying things you can see?
El starts muttering under her breath, “Okay, um, a robin on the ground, two boys holding hands, a coke can rolling about, Max carrying a funnel cake- wait. Max, why do you have a funnel cake?” She cocks her head to one side.
“Whenever I feel upset or anxious I find sugar helps. I’m pretty sure a doctor would say the opposite but I know how big your sweet tooth is.”
Max gingerly places the plate on the bench between them . It’s piled high with fried dough, whipped cream and enough chocolate sauce to fill a swimming pool.
“Woah… Thank you, Max.”
“Hey, any time. Wait, save some for me!”
After only a couple of minutes the plate was suddenly sparkling clean, the only trace of the dessert the chocolate sauce smudged on El’s cheek.
“Uh, you got a little something…” Max gestures to her cheek.
El wipes her face but manages to miss. “Okay?”
Max feels like she might regret it, but she leans forward towards her friend and gently wipes off the chocolate, savouring the soft touch.
“Uh, I think that’s it.”
“Thank you Max.” El’s face glows the prettiest shade of pink Max has ever seen.
—
“Are you going home for the holidays?”
El’s question is the first thing Max hears when she wakes up. It takes her a minute to take in the situation, and even longer to understand why El is looking at her inquisitively.
“Um.. No. It’s a long way back to Cali, and honestly, I’d rather stay here. But, uh why are you asking.” Max glances at the clock and winces. “Actually, why are you asking at five AM?”
She points to her desk, where her phone sits. “Hop called me and asked if I was coming home. But if you’re not going I wanna stay with you!”
Max sits up, suddenly a lot more awake. “El, don’t give up your Christmas at home for me. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine here, uh, by myself.”
Her bed dips and she turns to find the brunette sitting very close to her. El grabs Max’s face in her hands. “Nope. Not gonna happen, you are not spending the holidays alone if I can do anything about it! Think about all the fun we’ll have!”
Max tries to speak but it's rather difficult when El is squishing her face, so she grabs the brunette's hands and interlocks them in her lap. “I mean, if you’re sure you wanna spend the holidays with me?”
“Um, of course. Max, you’re my very best friend, you know that right?”
Best friend. Is that all Max was to her? Now wasn’t the time to delve into her deep feelings for El, but they still made themselves known anytime she was around - which was most of the time. And now they’d be spending the winter break together too.
“Yeah, of course I do. Now, what Christmas activity do you wanna do first?”
They decide on building a gingerbread house, and of course El wanted to do it properly, making everything from scratch. Which is how they end up in their cramped kitchen both the room and themselves cake in icing sugar from head to toe.
“I told you to mix in the sugar before turning on the mixer. Now it looks like it's snowed!”
El just giggles and breathes in deeply. “At least this snow tastes nice! Normal snow looks like it would but it's not.”
“Hey, you know, I’ve never actually seen snow before.”
El drops the whisk she was holding, takes Max by the shoulders and looks into her eyes so seriously Max almost laughs. “Max Mayfield. You’ve never seen snow? Like ever? Like ever ever?”
“El Hopper. Like ever ever ever. I mean it's not like Cali is a very snowy place. I was really looking forward to winter in New York but the forecast says it'll just be rainy all December. But anyway, enough about me, this activity is about you! I think the icing is mixed enough, do you wanna start some construction?”
“Hmm, I think we should start decorating.”
Max raises an eyebrow. “But how are supposed to decorate if it isn’t even built-”
El grabs a handful of icing and smears it over Max’s face.
She giggles. “I never said I wanted to decorate the gingerbread..”
Max grabs some icing herself and narrows her eyes. “Oh Hopper, it's so on.”
By the end of their icing fight the kitchen floor is mostly covered and their faces are nicely decorated from when El decided to bring sprinkles into the equation.
Max steps forward and taps El’s cheek. “Hey, I think you’ve got something on your face…”
El leans forward, looking into Max’s eyes. “You’ve got a little something here, too.” She taps Max’s lips and leans in.
Max’s heart is racing, and just as their lips brush, a disgruntled Mike Wheeler interrupts.
“And I was like, so annoyed because - uh, what's going on in here. And what the hell did you do to my kitchen?”
Max is too stunned to speak, head still spinning from what almost happened, so El pipes up instead with a cheery smile.
“We’re baking!”
—
El wakes up on Christmas morning very excited. It's one of her favourite days of the year, and this time she gets to spend it with her favourite person too. Their room is bathed in a soft glow from fairy lights, and a small pile of neatly warped presents sit under their mini christmas tree.
She tiptoes out of bed and peeks through the blinds out the window. She has to cover her mouth so her gasp doesn’t wake Max because it's just like she’d hoped and prayed. Thank God for christmas magic.
She quickly devises a plan, then quietly makes her way over to Max’s side of the room and nudges her awake.
“Merry Christmas, Max!”
“Uh, Merry Christmas, El! Why are you holding my coat?”
El smirks. “Just trust me, close your eyes.”
After slowly making their way down the stairs with one of them blindfolded, the crisp winter air hits them as they walk outside.
“Okay, Max, you can open your eyes now.”
The redhead slowly opens her eyes, letting herself adjust to the brightness of outside. As she takes in her surroundings, she can only gasp, and look at El.
“Is this- is it really snowing?”
El is surprised to see Max’s face so full of wonder as she glances up at the gently falling snowflakes, but it's a beautiful sight, and she wishes she could stay in this moment forever.
“Yeah, it is. Merry Christmas!”
Max is still staring at the snow, slack jawed, so El grabs her by the hand and pulls them more into the open so they get the full force of the weather.
“It’s so pretty.”
“Yeah, it is.” El agrees, but she's not looking at the snow.
Max's cheeks are a gorgeous shade of pink, and she takes one of El’s hands and steps a little closer. Before either of them can say a word El leans in and closes the gap, finally letting their lips meet.
The kiss is nothing like she’s ever experienced, but nothing ever is with El. When they stop to breathe she leans their foreheads together.
“I’m so glad you stayed for the holidays.”