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whyemma2171 · 1 year

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hello my baby, hello my honey

made this fic because someone said he wouldn't use pet names, and once that got the ball rolling with what he would or wouldn't say, i knew i had to write it all down. once again, posted from ao3 (WubADubDub)

Summary: In which Mike starts an unexpected habit of off-handedly calling El pet names.

The summer of 1985 started off good. Mike was visiting El every moment he was available. Sure, a lot of their time spent together was kissing (albeit too much for Hopper’s liking, as if they cared, though), but when they were feeling most vulnerable, they lied in Eleven’s bed and just spoke.

Most of the opening up came from El, detailing her experience of meeting her mom and aunt one night, and then, when she felt she was ready, sharing how she met Kali, someone who came from the lab, too. Mike was a wonderful listener, she learned. He didn’t ever interrupt her and the look in his eyes showed genuine concern, as if he couldn’t stand to even let her think he didn’t care.

There were moments where she had to pause in the middle of her words, feeling the weight of the past stuck in her throat, unable to croak it out. But Mike would just lay here by her, softly rubbing her arm or her back, squeezing her hand and pulling her close when the memories endlessly repeating in her mind became overwhelming.

He always knew how to make her feel safe and protected, and most importantly, his. There was never a doubt in her mind that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, that no one else’s name and presence could possibly carry the same weight. They were bound together by an invisible string that has tangled and frayed but never been torn, neither of them would let it happen.

So when he started to try to use pet names on her, it only made her see him as even more of a devoted lover boy than before.

The first time it happened was when they were deciding on a movie to watch. Hopper was out working late and even though Mike technically wasn’t supposed to be there, they knew there would be no harm in getting together. It was just a movie, after all.

El had gone to the kitchen to grab them drinks when Mike called for her.

“Hey, sweetheart!" He shouted, so she turned around slowly, giving him a quizzical look, but he wasn't staring at her, instead still surveying the options. "I was thinking of maybe picking The Breakfast Club if that sounds okay with you," he glanced up at her, a goofy smile on his face.

Her extended lack of response coupled with her expression clearly had Mike confused. His face dropped and he started to stand up as he said, "El? Is everything okay?"

El pursed her lips, looking elsewhere momentarily but then back to him. "Sweetheart?"

She had heard the term of endearment in several of the romance movies she had watched, but never did she think it would be directed at her. It made her insides feel like they were doing flips, although she didn't know if it was from how much she liked that or how it felt unnatural to her.

Mike seemed to inwardly curse at himself, tensing up. "Oh, uh, that. I dunno, I figured you might, um, like it," he explained feebly.

El walked over to him with the two cups in her hands, stopping right in front of him. She had a blank expression on her face with a tilted head as she examined him before her lips turned up and she leaned up to peck him on the mouth. While Mike stood frozen, she sat down on the couch and placed the drinks down.

“Maybe I do,” she quipped, and for the whole duration of the movie she could feel Mike’s heart racing.

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The next time was after Mike had spent the night. Technically he wasn't allowed to do this, but he snuck through Eleven's window after tapping on it for nearly five minutes while it poured. But how could he be mad? She thought it was just the rain.

Though he didn't visit her in a good mood, she knew that by being with her was enough to lighten his spirits. He vaguely spoke about why he came, and El never pushed him for more than he was capable of sharing. She knew he trusted her, but it was obvious he wasn't fond of seeming so weak and broken in front of her. Ranting about school and petty arguments with Nancy was one thing, but addressing struggles between his parents and within the party were oftentimes too touchy. She always understood.

When she woke up not many hours later, he greeted her with a "Goodmorning, pretty girl. How'd you sleep?"

It took her by surprise and she blushed, but was still able to retort, "Shouldn't I be asking you ? Did you even sleep?" She asked with a look of concern. Although she wanted to address the pet name, she resisted, knowing her priorities.

She watched as his face fell and he avoided eye contact. Instinctively, her hand went to his cheek, murmuring a “Mike” to get his attention back to her. She searched his eyes for answers and pressed their foreheads together when she found them.

“I have to go soon,” he muttered.

El nodded. “Hopper is going to be awake soon. If he finds you here he’ll be really mad,” she stated, and even though it was definitely serious, she still smiled. She was happy to see him let out an airy laugh.

They stayed like that for a moment, staring at each other and communicating nonverbally. I love you was on the tip of her tongue, but maybe now wasn’t the right time, and maybe she wanted him to say it first.

Unfortunately, he pulled away first. It was clearly reluctant, but it still made her heart sink nonetheless. They both sat up and shared a few quiet kisses, and Mike placed his head on her shoulder and breathed her in, squeezing her tightly as if it would hurt to let go. She knew what they had discussed was heavy and that leaving her meant he would have to go back to that side of reality. He could always lean on her, though, he was aware, because she wouldn’t let him forget that.

As Mike exited out of the window, Eleven couldn’t help but say, “See you later, pretty boy,” resulting in him almost falling on his face when he turned around to face her swiftly and lost balance from shock.

She gasped and checked on him, but upon seeing he was okay, laughed. Mike got up and brushed off the dirt (though this was a pathetic attempt as he was now covered in squicky mud formed during the night), his iconic surprised expression as clear as day as he tripped over his own goodbye. She watched him go with a grin, feeling satisfied with herself and making a mental note of potential future terms of endearment.

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The following pet name had caught her by complete surprise.

She wasn’t allowed anywhere outside of Hop’s cabin or Mike’s house (being permitted at the latter having been the result of a screaming match that nearly resulted in more broken windows, though thankfully all glass was unharmed), so usually times here followed a routine, but today's was a different situation.

Mike went upstairs to grab more water for her, but he was taking longer than she thought was necessary. Of course, maybe his parents needed something from him, which was always plausible. However, as she tried to focus on learning the science topic Mike was teaching her, a whimsical tune playing on repeat outside was immensely distracting.

It was itching her brain in all the wrong ways; too loud, too high-pitched, never ending. She couldn’t concentrate and was close to going outside just to see what that was so she could find some way to destroy the noise with her powers.

Somehow, perfectly timed, Mike came bounding down the stairs with an ice cream cone in one hand and a wrapped ice cream bar in the other, calling, “Hey, babe, the ice cream truck came by while I was upstairs, so I thought maybe I’d get you something since it’s kinda hot today, you know?” He rambled, as he typically did, but all the words past “babe” were barely reaching her.

The same scenario as when he had first called her something other than her name replayed. The staring, the concern and confusion, but this time, Mike caught onto what he said quickly.

“Ugh, shit, sorry, that totally just slipped out, I wasn’t even thinking at all. I-I mean, not that I wouldn’t call you that if you wanted me to but, like, you know, I totally get if that makes you feel weird cause I could pretend that never happened, actually—”

“Mike,” El finally interrupted, giving him her usual amused yet scolding stare, watching as he fumbled with the ice creams as he spoke, feeling fearful that the ice cream on the cone would fling right off with how he was gesturing.

He raised his eyebrows, more than likely ignoring the chocolate dripping down his hand, saying, "Uh… yeah?"

She couldn't help but widen her smile. Gosh, he was so cute. Although she wanted to reassure him in regards to what he called her (out of the few he had used, that one made her feel the most queasy, but in the best way possible), she settled for teasing him instead.

"I think your ice cream is melting," she pointed out, trying to look and sound innocent but unable to hold back a giggle.

His eyes widened and he glanced at his hand. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed before he started licking the droplets and consuming enough of it that it wouldn't happen again.

It took him a minute to gather himself, embarrassment radiating off of him, but when he did he held out the plastic-covered one to her. "I didn't really know what you'd like, but I thought maybe you would like the strawberry shortcake one. It's kinda sweet and you like sweet things so, um, yeah," he explained lamely.

El took it from him and unwrapped it, inspecting the popsicle before trying it and pleasantly humming at the taste. She nodded and softly smiled at her boyfriend.

"Thanks, Mike. I like it," she told him, though it was probably clear by her reaction. He was about to respond when she added, "and I liked what you called me, too."

Watching his brain short-circuit immediately would be something she's unable to help but remind him of for years to come.

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The first time he used a pet name in front of their friends was also the last time he ever did that.

The party was waiting outside of the library for Mike, who had made a meeting to help tutor another student. Despite that increasing their time apart, El loved his endless altruism and was easily able to wave away her yearning for him to let him be good willed.

Checking watches and mumbling complaints about having to hang out in the sweltering heat so Mike could assist someone, there were sighs of relief and a cheer from Dustin when the lanky boy walked through the double doors. He had a sheepish smile on his face as he waved, knowing that he had taken a few minutes longer than he anticipated. When he reached them, Mike wrapped his arm around El’s shoulder, calling her by an affectionate name only to immediately realize what he had done and regret it.

There was silence amongst the group momentarily as they traded looks of disbelief and amusement before their friends burst into laughter. El’s face heated up slightly, but she found it more entertaining than embarrassing. Mike, on the other hand, looked as if he wanted to both tackle the other boys to shut them up and to hide himself away. His only grounding was El’s hand on his chest and head on his shoulder.

It took several minutes before their friends would catch their breath (after trying numerous times and failing), wiping tears from their eyes and face-splitting grins beaming at the couple. Mike grumbled but El couldn’t help but giggle. Admittedly, even though she was completely charmed by him, his efforts to be romantic could be comical.

Much to Mike’s dismay, even though weeks, months, even a couple years would pass on by, the boys would never let him forget it.

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For once, Eleven decided to catch Mike by surprise with a pet name of her own.

It was a double date at the Wheeler's house, her and Mike and Nancy and Jonathan, which Hopper only allowed because they wouldn't be alone and he happened to trust those two. Their parents went out with Holly and her friends, so the two pairs had planned to have dinner and potentially watch a movie together.

Jonathan spent this time teaching El how to make a basic lemon chicken dish with asparagus and biscuits as the sides while the brother and sister set up the dining ware. She had expressed several times to Hopper, who must have spoken to Joyce, that she wanted to learn more about taking care of herself and what “normal” (he told her not to use that word) people did.

Once everything was ready, they all sat down at the kitchen table, starting off with some small talk, but there wasn’t much that was small about El’s life to discuss. Clearly feeling bad, Nancy tried to ask something that wouldn't make her feel as left out.

"So, El, what have you been doing in your free time? You know, when you're not learning school stuff." She raised an eyebrow at her, and she was visibly interested, which was nice.

However, all El could do is shrug. "I don't really do that much besides watch what's on the TV. There isn't a lot for me to do at the cabin and I don't know what people do."

It felt pathetic to say, but this was why she wanted Hopper to teach her more about the outside world. How could she fit in if she had no idea about anything? She would stick out like a sore thumb, more than she already had.

Nancy looked a little sad hearing this, but she placed a hand on El's shoulder and offered a smile. "Well that'll have to change. I can come over and teach you about," she glanced at the boys before obnoxiously whispering, " girl stuff."

Mike rolled his eyes and muttered something while Jonathan chuckled. El could feel Nancy kick her brother under the table, resulting in an " Ow!" from him.

"You wanna say that again, Mike?" Her tone and face were almost threatening, and it wasn't a shock that Mike had admitted before he felt intimidated by his older sister.

He sighed, knowing she wouldn't take no for an answer. "I just said that it better not interrupt our time together," he replied with annoyance laced in his voice, though got quieter near the end.

El couldn't help but to giggle, placing a hand over his one holding the fork and smiling. She had been waiting for the perfect moment to pop up, so she took the leap.

"Mikey Wikey, could you pass me the salt please?" She asked, her tone as saccharine as could be.

Her boyfriend practically scowled in response, but was obviously doing so out of embarrassment rather than disgust. He more than likely expected some sort of comforting words, not that.

But he threw it right back at her, something she probably should've seen coming, and yet, didn't.

As he traded the salt off to her, he gave her an adoring smile, replying, "Of course, schmoopsie."

Now it was her turn to make a face, but after three seconds they both started laughing.

The older couple looked at each other, but seemed to come to a mutual conclusion that that was how the two joked, and joined in on the laughter, appearing rather amused at their romantic display.

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The next time he came up with a new pet name was after she had lost her powers.

Everything felt hollow and difficult, even if things between her and her friends didn’t change, her whole upbringing now felt worthless. Who was she if she couldn’t protect her close ones with her abilities? She didn’t have any identity anymore, she didn’t know how to be a person without them.

She was waiting for Mike to arrive at the Byer’s house so they could have a picnic in the flower field. Joyce helped her prepare the food and pack it away into a cute wooden basket with a foldable picnic blanket wrapped around it. It was supposed to be a nice date, but all she could think about was how she shouldn’t even earn nice things like this.

El clutched the handle tightly, doing her best to not let her emotions get the best of her. The last thing Mike needed was to see her crying right before the enjoyable day he planned. Then she would really have messed this up, and he didn’t deserve that.

She heard him before seeing him, staring up to where he stopped his bike and smiled and waved at her, one foot on the ground. She gave a pathetic wave back, only managing to turn her lips up a little bit.

Mike was too good at reading her, he knew she was upset. That’s why she wasn’t shocked that he both used a loving term whilst making it funny for her to laugh at.

He put the kickstand down and walked up to her, arm snaking around her shoulders as he said, “Hello my gorgeous strong beautiful independent girl, are you ready for our picnic date?”

She giggled, looking down in slight shame from even letting herself be readable like that. But he pressed a kiss to her temple, and she sighed and leaned into him.

“Where’d you get that one from?” She asked, peering up at him.

Mike stared right back at her, unable to help kissing her before answering. “Just felt appropriate. It’s what you are, you know. You’re gorgeous, you’re strong, you’re beautiful and you’re independent. Put it all together, it sounds pretty good, right?” He raised his eyebrows, his grin widening.

El laughed again, chest feeling like it could burst from love. How he always knew what to say, she didn’t know, but she gave him another kiss and nodded.

He looked visibly triumphant, taking it another level and doing his best, though it took a second of shuffling due to the basket, to lift her up and carry her to his bicycle for the date, her squealing and tittering music to his ears.

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The pet name he chose next time was coupled with a pickup line, though it didn’t go as planned.

Their friends Lucas and Max had been in the midst of one of their breakups, so Mike had clearly been spending a lot of time helping his best friend out this time to find a solution that he hadn’t used before.

For tonight, El made the decision that she wanted Mike to show her a little about DnD. Truly, she wasn't very engrossed in the game, but she knew it was one of his passions and seeing him light up and excitedly explain the gameplay was all she wanted to see.

Though he offered to play other board games if she felt inundated with all the information, she merely chose to half-process his description of the game instead so that she could keep seeing him smile. She had her priorities in line.

At one point, El cut him off to go grab more water for herself and a snack, scolding him that he should drink some himself due to all the talking he was doing. She crossed paths with Karen, who though had been nice, still intimidated her. His mom offered some of that night's dinner, steak and vegetables, but she declined, really only wanting to fetch a bag of chips for the two of them.

After feeling like she just managed that encounter, she went back downstairs but Mike wasn't anywhere to be found. Strange, since she didn't hear or see him come upstairs and the bathroom door was open, so he couldn't have been in there.

"Mike?" She called out hesitantly, placing her glass and the chips on the table. Where could he have gone?

Well aware he could be playing a prank, she was bracing herself, but a part of her was unable to ignore the growing fear that something took him where she was no longer able to access. Even though she closed the gate, that never stopped the nightmares.

She said his name again, this time unable to help her voice wavering. This wasn't going to be so funny the longer he drew it out.

Arms came around her sides and another body pressed against her back, making her jump and instantly grab onto his arms, probably a little too tightly based on how he twitched.

Mike pressed a kiss to her cheek, and she turned to face him with an irked expression, ready to reprimand him, but he spoke first.

"Hey, did it hurt when you fell from angel—wait, shit," his eyes cast away as he appeared to have an inner contemplation. El, on the other hand, no longer felt any lingering anger, but simply confusion.

Mike scratched the back of his head with a hand. "That wasn't supposed to come out like that," he mumbled timidly. Based on the red beginning to highlight his face, he was embarrassed, which was actually very cute to El.

She put her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him, trying to meet his eyes to no avail. "So, what was it supposed to come out like?" She asked coyly.

Her boyfriend sighed and shifted his eyes to look into hers. He shrugged, but said, "Well, I was supposed to ask if you fell from heaven, and then say 'cause you're my angel and, like, you know… that'd be me calling you another name maybe."

Oh, of course. Now she was blushing.

Eleven smiled, giving him a kiss. "If I'm an angel, then what does that make you?"

He sputtered, probably not expecting her boldness, even though she was never too shy to tease him. She silenced him with another peck, bringing him back to the game so she could be entranced once more with his knowledge and mannerisms.

When confronted about it afterwards, Mike admitted it was something Lucas thought of saying to Max, and he tried to steal it to seem suave. Reminding him of how it actually turned out, El cheerfully laughed while Mike pleaded for her to stop.

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The second time El used a pet name, it was with advice from Max.

In hindsight, she probably should’ve known better. Whether that be from how she would still refer to Lucas as “stalker” or that she simply wasn’t fond of Mike, it was El’s fault, really, for believing this was something actually affectionate. To make it worse, Max had even pushed her to do it in front of all their friends.

This group hangout found everyone waiting for Mike to leave his house. It was typical that he was the last member to arrive, and despite always wearing a watch, he didn’t exactly use it. At least, that’s what the boys would ridicule him for.

Today they were going to the arcade, one of the few things that still remained at this time after Starcourt Mall had been destroyed. Though that wouldn’t be for long, seeing as the whole town’s economy was going down, resulting in many businesses suffering. It was set to close right before the school year began, so the party wanted to get together there as much as they could, if possible.

El felt her whole body come alive when she saw her boyfriend walk from the backyard with his bike. Even though he was dressed casually, as usual, the way his whole demeanor would change after seeing her only had her falling harder every time. She wondered if everyone else felt like this with their partners, too, or if she was just that much of a romantic.

They greeted each other with a hug and a kiss, after he dropped his bike, as if they had been spending time apart, but Mike was just at the Byer’s house yesterday. Their friends all made noises of disgust, once again, as usual, but El never minded, and Mike always threw up the middle finger their way.

She glanced up at him and smiled. “Hi, beanpole,” she called him lovingly. However, the look on Mike’s face didn’t seem to be appreciative. Still, she thought that maybe he was simply shy from the public display of affection, and awaited for an eventual grin.

But that didn’t come. Instead, what did come was the sound of Max bursting out laughing, followed by the rest of the group. El looked at her best friend, confused, though still remaining optimistic as she glanced back at Mike.

Her boyfriend, on the other hand, pointed a finger at Max and glared. “You,” he sneered.

Max smirked, still letting out giggles. “What, what about me, hm?” She teased.

Mike placed his hand back on Eleven’s waist and gripped it, still staring down his declared enemy. “You told her to say that, didn’t you?”

Feigning shock, Max put a hand on her chest and gasped. “What? Me? I would never do that, Wheeler. I can’t believe you would even suggest that,” she crossed her arms, looking as if she was genuinely offended, but the slight upward tilt of her lips told otherwise.

Scoffing loudly, Mike let out a venom-laced “fuck you” and tugged El over to his bike, more than content to start heading off to the arcade while the others still hunched over in laughter.

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The moment Mike stepped out of the airplane when he visited for Thanksgiving, the pet name he used gave her butterflies she hadn’t felt before.

El sat by the gate with the Byers, eagerly waiting for him to come into her sight so she could call for him. She wondered how his flight was and what it was like, she would be going on her first one next month for the winter holiday. She hoped he wouldn’t hate it here, since it was so different from Hawkins.

She picked him out in the rather lethargic crowd (no surprise given how early in the morning the flight took off), his height and baby blue shorts making it hard to miss him. She was a little worried he was underdressed for the cooling temperatures of the Sunshine State, but Hawkins was by far colder than here, so she trusted he’d be fine.

When she called his name, she grinned wide at seeing him make eye contact and match her expression. Not missing a beat, she got up and ran towards him, opening her arms to hold him when they made contact.

“Hey, princess!” He shouted with a wave, letting go of his suitcase so he could wrap his arms around her for a big kiss. Maybe it was a little too long and public, but they had spent months apart, after all, the only consolation being love letters and staticky voices.

After pulling away, El rested her hands on his face, entirely smitten with him, fireworks going off in her heart with the endearing term. “Princess?” She asked, biting her bottom lip.

Mike raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, you know. That’s how I see you," he explained simply, as if it shouldn't have been a question.

She giggled, feeling a little bashful, but more than anything overcome with the basic fact that he always had her at the forefront of his mind with all types of things; caring for her, teaching her, making her laugh or feel like the only girl in the world. He really did make her feel like a princess, and he would never stop being her prince.

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The one of very few times Mike was able to get ahold of El through the phone after she moved to California, his father had overheard this time’s term.

They were discussing basic things like school and the next visit. Luckily, they both had their spring break at the same time, which meant it would be perfect for them to get together. Since El had come to the Wheeler’s for Christmas, this time it was his turn to go see her in California again. She didn’t have any precise itinerary at the moment, but wanted his input for things he wanted to do since last time it was a little cool for the beach or other sunny activities.

Even though her boyfriend was the one who did most of the talking, this time El held the reins, going over different options as to what they could do. She was asking him question after question about things she had mentioned before that he didn’t know anything about or wanted to see, like Hollywood and the Golden Gate Bridge which they’d have to travel a bit for but she knew it’d be worth it.

She didn’t want to doubt if he was paying attention, but his humming and lack of expansive responses had her pouting as she crossed her feet, lying flat on her stomach on top of her bed.

“Mike, are you even listening to me?” She asked, unable to help herself.

The noise that came from the other line sounded full of disbelief, as if what she asked was criminal.

“El, of course I’m listening to you, I just don’t wanna speak over you,” he meekly explained, some fumbling of papers in the background. Of course, he was probably doing schoolwork while on the phone, ever the scholar he was.

She sighed. “Mike, if you’re busy studying I can let you go,” she offered, though her tone conveyed despondency.

If she could see him, she was sure he was shaking his head fervently when he responded, “What? No. No, no, no. I hear you, I swear, I’m really just answering some basic homework questions.”

It was hard to not ask him what it was she said, but she didn’t want to start an argument. She instead settled for, “So do you care about what I have us do?” It didn’t have any bite to it, if anything, she sounded rather somber.

“Absolutely I care. But, really, it’s whatever you want to do, sweetie pie,” he responded instantly, and El blushed from his words. She was seriously too easy to please sometimes.

As she was going to ask him about the new pet name, she could vaguely hear Ted talking to Mike in the background. It was muffled, but based on Mike’s boorish tone and choice of words, he was clearly being ragged on from what he said. It made her giggle, which Mike heard, and he was groaning and proceeded to tell his dad to “shut up” which earned a loud “Don’t you talk to me like that, Michael.”

After an apology to his father, her boyfriend huffed, which only made her laugh again. “El, come on, not funny,” he complained. The scowl on his face was so apparent, she would kiss it if she was there.

Eleven hummed. “Sweetie pie, huh?”

Another groan echoed through the line as El unabashedly snickered.

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The next pet name he decided to use might be called trite by some, but El was more than happy to let it slide given the atmosphere.

It was post the destruction of Hawkins, and while the whole group was together trying to plan and prepare for what was to come, the stress of what happened was an immensely heavy weight for El to carry. When there came a night where they all agreed to try and get some sleep to reset their brains, Mike took El back to Hop’s cabin, helping her off his bike and wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her close.

The sight that greeted her when she unlocked and opened the door was unexpected, but completely welcome.

A few candles were the only things that lit up the open house, the table that was usually up against the wall by the counter in the middle of the room, empty dining ware and a vase of flowers laid atop it, couches pushed off to the side or on their sides, leaving plenty of gaping space for something that would quickly be revealed by her boyfriend. She didn’t notice how he had shut the door and slipped away until Every Breath You Take began playing, and she sucked in a breath and looked at him.

Mike had an abashed smile on his face, but he reached his arm out to her, palm turned up. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his, and he led her further into the room. Their hands found the same places as they did back at the Snow Ball, and they swayed back and forth like before. The only difference this time was it was just completely them, literally and metaphorically. No one else around, but no fancy getup or pretty background to make them look picture perfect.

Neither of them spoke until the halfway mark of the song, when El decided to speak up.

“What is this, Mike?” She questioned quietly, though it was full of fondness, her heart pumping an intense feeling of love throughout her whole body.

He rested his forehead against hers, even though he had to crane his neck a bit to do so, looking deep into her eyes. “I wanted to get your mind off everything. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard, you need a break, El,” he explained, almost chastising, but she knew it was because of how much he cared. “And,” he glanced away, “I still wanted to make up for my dumbass mistakes,” he tacked on, eyeing her again but with a more serious expression.

El’s smile turned somber, and she shook her head. “Mike—”

“No, I mean it. I love you, El,” he said, such conviction in his voice it would be impossible to doubt him.

Like when she had first heard the words, she became overwhelmed. The scenarios were oh so different, but she still felt tears welling up in her eyes. She cupped his cheek and knew she looked lovestruck but she didn’t care, she was.

“I love you, too, Mike.”

They shared a long kiss right as the song was reaching its end, and when they pulled away, Mike removed one of his hands to hold it out to her again. “Why don’t we go enjoy some dinner, my love?”

El was smiling, but she pursed her lips from the term of endearment. Cheesy, sickeningly so, but she was too in love to care. She took his hand again as he led her to the table and pulled back her chair. He didn’t sit down, instead taking the glasses to fill up with water and heating up the cooked pasta with sauce in the pot for them to eat.

She fiddled with the promise ring as she waited, and as she shut her eyes, she replayed all of the moments he didn’t use her name and opted for something sweeter. Their lives weren’t normal in the slightest, but every time Mike called her by an affectionate name, it made her feel like she was worthy of the love she longed for, and that was enough.

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