#the way mike loves his oversized sweaters & his flannel shirt

[mikewheelertmmoved]

          ⸻ endless edits of m.ike w.heeler ;; a glimpse into his clothing of choice.

[isthiscurrent]

falling in place

my first ever short story/fanfic so I’m sorry if it sucks, I did my best!! hope you enjoy!! 

falling in place (reddie) 

wc: 5.2K

The fall of 1984. October has brought on a series of chilly mornings and brisk winds which have called for sweaters and hot chocolate runs before classes start. The sky is always a crisp, bright blue without any clouds, apart from the usual rain that the state of Maine receives quite often. School is in session, and the losers club is just waking up for school at five thirty on a friday morning. Eddie Kaspbrak awakes from his sleep at the ever-so-annoying beep of his alarm clock, and hurries to prepare for the school day. He has laid out clothes, which include a Nirvana t-shirt paired with a slightly oversized red flannel and blue jeans. Eddie grabs his book bag from the kitchen table, kisses his mother on the cheek, and walks out of his house and begins his walk to school.

On the way there, he meets up with Bill Denbrough and Stanley Uris, other members of the losers club. Bill and Eddie have been good friends ever since their early childhood, and they eventually met Stan when they entered into the fourth grade. Bill is dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt, while Stan is wearing a checkered collared shirt and a pair of khakis. Of course, his shirt is neatly tucked into his pants. They begin to talk - or more complain - about their lack of motivation when it comes to completing their college applications. The losers club are seniors in high school, and they are attempting to submit all of their applications before the deadline.

“I don’t understand why we have to write essays for all of the colleges we apply to! Can’t I just submit the questionnaire and be done with it?” Eddie complained loudly, despite his fatigue from it being a Friday morning.

“Oh come on, they aren’t even difficult! I just think that someone has a bad case of senioritis,” Stan told Eddie with a slightly annoyed look on his face.

“Give him a break. Everyone is struggling with them even a little bit. Even you, Stan.” Bill added. He wasn’t completely sure that this was true, but he was trying to make Eddie feel a little better.

Stan only looked away, telling Bill that he was right. Bill smiled to himself a little, knowing very well that Stan doesn’t like to be proven wrong.

Also maybe a little bit because Bill thought that Stan was cute when he did that.

The three boys continued on their walk, quietly discussing their plans for after school. They had all planned on meeting at Bill’s house before the football game. Mike is on the varsity team, so the entire group went to as many games as they could to support him. They were really excited for the game tonight, since it was the big homecoming game. They planned on riding in Richie’s car, which he had saved up all his money for. Even though they are all 17, Richie and Bill are the only ones who have acquired their license. They still don’t drive to school though. They like to walk with their friends in the mornings (they don’t like to ride their bikes to school, Eddie thinks that someone might steal them).

They start to hear loud footsteps, as if someone is running. They all turn and see Richie sprinting down the street with a bag of McDonald’s in his hand. He was panting, clearly out of breath from his fast pace.

Eddie stopped in his tracks, waited for Richie to catch up with them and said, “Why the hell are you running? School doesn’t start for thirty minutes.”

“I… went to… grab some… breakfast for us! I was… running so it wouldn’t… get cold,” Richie struggled to say as he was still out of breath. “I knew that you… probably already left for school… and I wanted to catch up with you guys.”

Bill, sounding appreciative at the lengths Richie went to in order to get breakfast for them, said, “That was really thoughtful of you, Rich, but where did you get the money for that? We all know that you’re broke.”

Richie only smiled, and then spoke. “I swiped some from my folks. They never notice when I’m in the house, so I figured they wouldn’t notice if I took some money.”

Stan was obviously disapproving of his actions. He sighed heavily before he spoke. “I’m not sure that’s how it works. I know my parents would know if I took some of their money.”

“That’s because your parents actually pay attention to you, Stan the man. My parents couldn’t give a shit about me if they tried.”

Everyone, while they knew this fact, developed a saddened look of sympathy for their friend. Richie opened up the bag of McDonald’s, and handed Eddie, Stan and Bill one bacon egg and cheese biscuit, a hashbrown, and a small fry. Richie then brought food out of the bag for himself. They all ate their food on the way to school, where they would meet up with Beverly Marsh, Ben Hanscom and Mike Hanlon. Mike used to be homeschooled, but when he began high school, he made the transfer to public school (after extensive begging from Bill and Bev).

The school yard was nearly full by the time the four boys arrived, and they met up with the other members of the loser’s club. They were nearly late, as usual, so Bill quickly told them the plan for this afternoon, and they all went their separate ways, except for Richie and Eddie, who had first period together. Richie, being playful (only not in his mind), swung an arm around Eddie’s shoulders as they entered the hallway. Eddie shrugged him off, with a slight annoyed look on his face.

“Would you stop that? You do that all the time! You know that I don’t like it…” Eddie told Richie, exasperated. Richie gave him the side eye, with a small smile on his face, that only Eddie could pick up on. Richie, even though they only had a minute to make it to class, suddenly pulled Eddie into the boys restroom. Richie checked to make sure that I was clear, and then pushed Eddie up against the wall and kissed him.

“I have been waiting all morning to do that. Everyone was always around, we never got a moment to ourselves…” Richie told Eddie in between kisses. Eddie only smiled widely at his secret boyfriend, and resumed the kiss.

“I have been waiting too. It’s hard to keep it from them when all I want to do is kiss you all the time,” Eddie said to Richie lovingly.

“I really think that we should tell them soon, Eds. It’s been 3 months. I’m actually surprised that we have kept it a secret for this long.”

“I know, me too. I want to tell them, but what if they don’t approve? I mean I’m sure that they would, and I have a feeling that Bev and Bill already know about us, but there is still that fear…” Eddie whispered quietly, scared.

“Oh please, they have been rooting for us from day one, and you know that too. Once we tell them, everything will be out in the open, and it will be good. Especially when I can hold your hand whenever I want, kiss you whenever I want, and do this whenever I want…” Richie began to lightly kiss Eddie’s neck, knowing all too well that made Eddie go crazy. Eddie took this time to imagine what it would be like to tell them, and how they would react. He suddenly pictured them shutting Richie and himself out, disapproving of their relationship. Eddie knew this was irrational, since he knew that they would all be thrilled that they were finally together, but the fear of being shut out still haunted them. Richie tries to tell this to Eddie everyday, but they still haven’t told the others.

No one knows but them.

“Maybe we should tell them tonight… it’s as good a time as any,” Richie suggested. “Nothing bad is going to happen Eds, I promise.”

Eddie only looked at him, skeptical, for a few moments. His face then broke into a nervous smile, and said, “Okay, we can tell them tonight.”

“Really, Eds? You’re sure? This is great! Everything is going to be fine.”

“No, I’m not sure, but the truth has to come out at some point.” Eddie admitted, and smiled again at his boyfriend.

Richie proceeds to kiss Eddie, and tell him, “I love you so much Eds… you know that, right?”

“Yes, I know,” Eddie said with a bright smile. “I love you too, you idiot. But come on, we have to get to class. People are going to get suspicious.”

“Eddie, we are already 5 minutes late. I think that everyone is suspicious by now.”

The two boys walked to class together, holding hands, and making sure that no one was in the hall to see them. They wanted to make sure that no rumors got spread around before they had the chance to tell the others.

Later that day

The last bell rang, dismissing them from school for the weekend. All of the losers met in the school yard, and then started their walk to Bill’s house. The game started at seven, so they figured they would hang out for a while, head over to the diner for something to eat, and then go to the game. They all loved seeing Mike play, even though none of them really knew much about football. Nevertheless, they always had fun at the games. When they got to Bill’s house, Richie led everyone to the basement, which is where they normally hung out. Mike reached for the TV remote, and turned on a rerun of “Cheers”. No one actually watched it, it was mainly there for background noise. A conversation arose, with no real purpose, just trying to pass the time.

Ben was currently talking about his art project, and he seemed really excited about it.

“I’m doing an up-close portrait of a girl smoking a cigarette. It isn’t focused on her face, but there is going to be some red hair flowing in from off the canvas.”

Mike rose an eyebrow at Ben, knowing that the real subject of his painting was Bev, and everyone knew it. Except for Bev. The entire group could sense that Ben was completely in love with her, but she couldn’t be more oblivious.

Richie spoke up and said, “Okay, well while you’re working on that, I have something to tell you all…”

Eddie heard this and immediately looked up at Richie, shaking his head subtly, but Richie could tell that it wasn’t the right time to tell them. Richie, covering his tracks, said, “I’m not failing Spanish any more! Senorita Gonzalez gave me a ninety-three on my speech, and she even said ‘Muy bien Richie! Veo estudiaste.’”

Bev, not having taken Spanish, asked Richie, “What does that mean?”

“Not a clue, but it must have been good!” Richie laughed, and he received an exaggerated eye roll from Stan. Richie looked over at Eddie, giving him an apologetic look. He wanted everything to be okay for Eddie. Richie didn’t think that Eddie knew the extent of the love that Richie had for him. Eddie was the first person that made him feel cared for, loved, alive. He would do anything to keep him happy. To keep him loving him.

Eddie gazed at Richie, slightly angry that he almost told their friends, but also thinking how much he loved him. Richie was the most perfect being that Eddie had ever seen. His ability to make Eddie laugh more than he ever has, and how he understands him. Richie never judged Eddie for his weird quirks, and for a reason unknown to Eddie, Richie loved him. Both of them wanted nothing more than to have the whole group know the truth about their relationship, but for some reason, Eddie was hesitant. Richie knew this, and tried to support him, but he struggled to hide their relationship when he felt so passionate about it, and he wanted it to be out in the open with their friends. He felt that it was ridiculous to hide it. Eddie knew this, but still… nothing.

“Well, we should probably get going, if we want to beat the crowd to the diner.” Stan stated, staring at his pristine fingernails, as if they needed to be filed again.

Bill agreed with him. “Yeah, we should probably go. I’m starving! The cafeteria food today was horrendous.”

“Isn’t it always?” Bev said with a chuckle to go along with it. With that, they turned off the TV and started to grab their coats. They all piled into Richie’s car, turned up the radio, and made their way to the diner.

When the gang arrived, they sat in their favorite booth. In the back, by the window. On one side sat Bill, Bev and Ben on the end. On the other, Richie, Eddie and Stan - Mike couldn’t go to the diner, he had to get to the school early to warm up before the game. Eddie and Richie liked sitting in booths. It gave them the opportunity to hold hands underneath the table without anyone noticing, or for Richie to put his hand on Eddie’s thigh. No one noticed, or so they thought. Bill had speculated with Bev that they might be a thing, but they never said anything. They didn’t want to call out their friends and basically force them to tell them before they were ready. Bill wanted them to do this in their own time.

They all began looking at their menus, and Eddie’s fingertips grazed Richie’s hand which rested on his leg under the table. Richie, not wanting to give anyone any ideas, continued to look at his menu but a small smile spread on his face. Under the table, he flipped his hand over, and laced his fingers with Eddie’s. Eddie’s heart skipped a beat, just like it always did when his skin came into contact with Richie’s.

“I don’t know which I want more… The cheeseburger or the chili dog. What do you guys think?” Ben asked the group. Eddie and Richie both said “chili dog” in unison, prompting an odd look from Bev, but she then agreed with them. Ben ended up getting the chili dog. They all ordered, and chatted as they waited for their food. Bill talked about how excited he was for the football game. Everyone in the group thinks that Bill secretly wishes that he was more social in high school, and he loves going to the football games since nearly their whole grade goes. Bill has always been outgoing, even through the bullying he received as a child because of his stutter. He grew out of it when he started high school, and Bill has always wanted to get involved in more things, and meet new people. The majority of the group was the same way. Although, some were better than others when it came to actually getting involved. Mike tried out for the football team his freshman year, and ended up making varsity. He is playing in the game tonight, and he is really excited that his friends are going (even though they usually go anyway). Bev got involved in theater, and she is really good at it. She auditions for all of the plays and musicals, and always ends up getting lead roles. Eddie had always secretly wanted to join theater too, but he was afraid of the ridicule he was sure to receive. Little did he know, Richie would have been so excited for Eddie to join theater. He would have been so supportive, and happy that the boy that he had loved for so long had found something that he loved. Richie, on the other hand, was in charge of the school announcements. He would go on every morning and afternoon and tell the students important information about clubs, sports and whatnot, while throwing some jokes in the mix. Richie loved it, and everyone loved him because of it. It had made Richie quite popular, same with Mike and Bev. Bill liked to write short stories for the school paper, even though hardly anyone ever read it. The group reads them religiously, and always raves about how good they are. They all tell him he should be a writer one day. The rest of the group was more closed off. Ben spent a lot of time in the library, reading nonfiction stories and helping the librarians shelve books. He didn’t mind this, he actually quite enjoyed it. Stan had always had a fascination for birds, but they didn’t have a club for that at the school, so he just goes to the park on his own with his binoculars and bird book. He enjoys the quiet time with no distractions, just him and his birds.

Their food arrived, and they all dug in. Richie had always been a little bit of a messy eater, and when he was taking a bite of his cheeseburger, he got ketchup all over his mouth. He didn’t make an effort to wipe it off, he just kept inhaling the thing. Eddie saw this, and thought to himself, “Why do I love this loser?”

Richie stole a glance at Eddie from the corner of his eye, and saw Eddie staring at him.

“Yes, Eds?”

“You have ketchup all over your face. Here,” Eddie handed him his napkin. “It looks like you need this more than I do.”

Richie took the napkin, smiling. “You always take such good care of me.”

It was comments like these, even though they came across as joking, that had a second meaning, which was only meant for Eddie. Eddie did take good care of Richie, and he was so appreciative of it. He could picture them, older, still sitting in this diner, Eddie handing him a napkin.

God, Richie was so in love.

Bev, on some level, also understood that certain comments that Richie made to Eddie, and vice versa, meant something different. Something more meaningful. Bev had always been more intuitive when it came to stuff like that than the others. Bill came in a close second, but there were still some things that he didn’t catch. Bev looked over to Bill to see if he had picked up on the same thing that she did in the brief conversation between Richie and Eddie, but he didn’t, from what she could tell. He seemed to be too invested in seasoning his fries to be interested. Bev glanced back over to Richie, who had an odd look on his face. He kept sneaking looks at Eddie, and Eddie was doing the same to Richie.

There is definitely something more than a friendship going on there, Bev thought to herself. Ben then started talking about the history of football, and she let herself forget the thought of Richie and Eddie, and listen to Ben, no matter how boring the topic.

After they had all eaten dinner and split the bill six different ways, they all piled into Richie’s car again, and made their way to the Derry High School football field. They were a tad late, as usual, so they squeezed into the student section wherever they would fit. They sat down on the cold bleachers, and looked for Mike’s jersey number on the field. Their school, the Eagles, were up by a touchdown. They didn’t even have to ask who made the goal, they already knew it was Mike. He was the quarterback, and a really good one. In the current play, Mike was running with the ball into the endzone. Richie stood up on the bleacher and yelled, “GO MIKE! KICK THEIR ASS!” Eddie immediately hushed him, looking around anxiously to see if any administrators who were supervising the game had heard, yet no one did. In fact, even if they did, they probably wouldn’t care. Richie looked down at Eddie and laughed, Bev and Ben joining in. Bill was still watching Mike run down the field. He is about to get tackled, and Mike throws the ball to one of his teammates near the end zone. Then, the announcer says “Another touchdown for the Eagles”. The crowd cheers, and many of the students start to whoop. The group joins them, happy for their friend. Mike, from on the field, looks for his friends in the bleachers. He spots them easily, for Richie and Bev are now both standing on top of the bleacher, jumping up and down. Mike’s face lights up at the sight of his friends having fun at his game. He never told them before, but he really likes it when they come to the games. It shows they care.

“Man, I should have tried out for football. Look at all these people here to see Mike!” Richie said to the group.

“Rich, you’ve never played football a day in your life,” Eddie said in response. “How would you have made the team?”

“It doesn’t look that hard. All you have to do is throw that odd-shaped ball around.”

Stan just rolled his eyes at Richie.

The rest of the game finished out well. Mike made 2 more touchdowns, and the team ended up winning 36-18. They all piled out of the bleachers, and went to wait outside the locker room for Mike. The temperature had dropped a good 20 degrees, and they were all shivering. Stan kept complaining that he was cold, and Eddie was afraid that he was going to get hypothermia, to which Bill told him that it wasn’t exactly cold enough for that.

Richie thought this was the perfect time to tell the group about him and Eddie. He kept trying to signal to him, but he wasn’t picking up on them. Richie decided that Eddie had already told him that he wanted to tell them tonight, so he did.

“I’m in love with Eddie,” Richie blurted out, immediately catching Eddie’s attention.

Eddie looked horrified, and realized that there was no taking back what Richie had said. They all heard. Bev and Bill looked slightly shocked, but somewhat not, because they kind of already knew. Stan had a very confused look on his face, looking between Richie and Eddie. In fact, everyone was looking at Eddie, waiting for a response.

Eddie took a deep breath, and then said, “...and I love him too… I have for a long time…” Eddie was very unsure of his words. Not that he didn’t mean them, of course he did, but he felt like he was going to throw up because of how nervous he suddenly was. His voice was small and quiet, and shaking slightly.

Richie looked at his boyfriend, smiling, and then looked to the rest of the group. Bev also had a smile on her face, and Bill was smirking. Ben looked happy, but confused at the same time. Stan, for once, was grinning at Richie. That never happened.

“I think I knew. On some level at least. How long have you been together?” Bev asked the two boys.

“It’s been about 3 months,” Richie told her.

“Four in November,” Eddie added. Despite his nerves, he was glad that they were telling everyone. They had been keeping it a secret for so long, and it felt good to finally have it out in the open. It was hard for them to keep it a secret, and it was such a relief to not have to hide it anymore. They were free.

“Well, I’m glad you guys told us, but I’m sorry that you felt that you had to keep your relationship a secret. We would have been so happy, and we are now! What kept you from telling us?” Bill asked them.

Richie and Eddie shared a look, and Eddie realized that there was no point in lying, so they told them.

“We-I was afraid that you all wouldn’t accept it. I’ve been bullied and made fun of all my life, and I didn’t want that to carry over to you guys… So I made Richie keep it between us. Now, I realize that was stupid, and there was nothing to be afraid of. I’m sorry, especially to you, Rich. I was being paranoid, and we should have just told them in the first place,” Eddie confessed to the group. He couldn’t lie to himself, it felt amazing to finally get that all off of his chest. For so long, he had been afraid to be who he was. When he was growing up, he realized his feelings for Richie, and he thought something was wrong with him. But Richie told him that he was perfect the way he was. Richie saw him, understood him, better than anyone. If Eddie was bothered by something, Richie was the first to notice, and try to make it better. If Eddie was sad, Richie was the first to comfort him. Eddie wanted to keep this sacred relationship between them, for a couple reasons. One because he loved Richie, and didn’t want anything to wreck their relationship, but mostly because he was afraid of the ridicule both he and Richie would receive. Richie was strong enough to handle himself, but Eddie was still seen as the small weakling who has to get help from his stronger friends. When he was with Richie, he didn’t feel small, or at a disadvantage. He felt whole, like they were equals. Eddie wanted it to stay that way forever.

The sudden, abrasive hug that Eddie had received from Bev tore him from his thoughts, and back to the rest of the group. Bev had her arms wrapped around Eddie’s small frame, trying to show him that they would always accept Eddie, no matter what, Bev and the rest of the group didn’t care whether or not he was gay. They only wanted him to be happy, and if he found happiness with Richie, that was even better.

During this ordeal, Richie stood next to Eddie, taking it all in. He was overjoyed in this moment. Looking at the faces of his friends, whom he loved more than anything, seeing the looks of happiness and acceptance, he felt pure joy. He could not put into words how proud he was of his boyfriend. Eddie finally came clean to their friends, something he had been waiting for him to do for a long time. Eddie and Richie knew each other more than they knew themselves, so Richie knew what this confession meant for Eddie. His fear of not being accepted or loved by his friends took a toll on his life, and when they began to hide their relationship, a small light went out in Eddie, but one was also lit. When Eddie told Bill, Bev, Ben and Stan about their relationship and everyone showed him that nothing had changed in their feelings toward him, that light was relit.

The locker room door swung open, and Mike came out, holding his football gear in his hand.

“So, what did I miss?”

Six pairs of eyes landed on him, and they just started laughing.

Later that night

Richie and Eddie were laying on top of Eddie’s bed in his room. They were making sure to be extra quiet, since the time was currently 1:37 in the morning, and they didn’t want to accidentally wake his mom. She still didn’t know about their relationship, and they intended to keep it that way. They had laid awake talking for the past 3 hours, after they had left everyone for the night. They had all planned on staying the night in Bill’s basement, but they had wanted to spend some time alone. Considering the events that had taken place that night. The rest of the losers are still over at Bill’s house. Eddie’s head was currently on Richie’s chest, and while they were softly talking in the dark, they felt at peace. It was as if their friends knowing about their relationship was the missing piece to the puzzle. They felt complete.

Eddie was the first to speak after a couple minutes of silence: “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Eds. You can ask me anything,” Richie said to him in response.

Eddie looked at him apprehensively, and slowly began to speak. “Were you mad that I didn’t want to tell everyone right away? I understand if you were, I wouldn’t blame you. I know that you really wanted to tell them a long time ago.”

Richie looked at him, confused. He didn’t see how Eddie could ever think that he was mad at him in the slightest.

“Eddie, why would I have been mad at you? I knew how nervous you were, and I would never pressure you into something that you didn’t want to do. Eddie, I love you, and if waiting to tell our friends about our relationship was something that you felt more comfortable doing, I was more than happy to wait with you,” Richie said to him in a slight whisper with a small smile on his lips. Eddie instantly felt comforted. Richie had that kind of power over him.

Eddie stayed quiet for a little bit, not feeling the need to say anything. They both felt nothing but bliss. After a couple minutes, Eddie leaned up to kiss Richie. It started off soft, and gradually grew stronger. They hadn’t gone any further than kissing and the occasional touching, and they were both okay with that. Richie and Eddie were okay with where their relationship was at the moment, and they just wanted to stay there for a while. Of course, when the time came, they would want to take their relationship to the next level, but for now, they felt good. They were content.

For the rest of the night, they laid in each other’s arms, dreaming of their future together. Thinking of how much they loved one another. Knowing that they will be together forever.

“Rich, I know that I don’t say it as much as I should, but you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You always believe in me and accept me for who I am. I know that I am stubborn and difficult sometimes, but I always know that you will be there for me. I love you, more than words can say. Thank you, for being you,” Eddie said to him while making eye contact. Richie stared back, trying to find the right words to say, but he couldn’t come up with anything close to how he was feeling. He wanted to tell him that he wants to spend the rest of his life with Eddie, living happily ever after. He wants to wake up next to him everyday, and take care of him. He told him in the only way he knew that he could. He leaned down, and once again rested his lips against Eddie’s. This time, it was gentle, loving, and it spoke a thousand words. Eddie immediately knew what Richie was thinking, and kissed him back, showing him that he felt the same way. They fell asleep shortly after, and felt nothing but bliss.

[michael-hearteyes-wheeler]

Please do Mileven with #45!! PS I love your blog

Oops this got long! Thank you for the request !

45. “You look pretty hot in plaid.”

El had developed a bad habit.

She likes to steal people’s clothes. Well not steal, but borrow. She had worn other peoples clothes for so long out of necessity, that now it just made her feel safe. She would sneak into Hoppers drawers for an oversized t-shirt, or a warm flannel, she would wear one of Mikes jackets home and then just forget to give it back at the end of the night.

It became a pattern that her friends all caught on too right away when their wardrobes were suddenly picked over. So once every couple of weeks she would have to begrudgingly return everything. Dustin’s camp sweatshirt, lucas bandana, Max’s black high tops, Hoppers various t-shirts, and all of Mike’s jackets.

El liked holding onto these items because it made her feel like her friends were always close, even when they were at school all week. It made it easier when the nightmares got bad, or when her flashbacks haunted her while she was alone all day. At first it was sweet, and kind of cute; but now it was just part of the routine. No one questioned when their clothes went missing, and El always returned them eventually.

But now it was the coldest February in Hawkins in over 15 years, and Mikes warmest jackets were all mysteriously missing. He rolled his eyes looking over his nearly empty closet and pulled on a light sweater. It wasn’t nearly enough for the bike ride he was about to endure, but it would be worth it.

Mike and El always got to spend Sundays together, not every Sunday but almost. He had woken up extra early today, before the sun even rose because he was extra excited for this Sunday meetup in particular. Because today, Hopper wasn’t going to be there.

The police chief was a few towns over at some important law enforcement conference, it was a new year and that meant new regulations. The chief had reluctantly let Mike and El keep their date, and Mike was as giddy as a school girl to have entire day alone with El. Alone time did not happen very often, and he would make good use of every second of it.

The nearly 30 minute bike ride in the bitter cold made Mike feel like his fingers and ears were going to freeze off, but as he walked his bike up the path towards the secluded cabin, he couldn’t help but feel warm inside. The sun had just started to rise, casting a golden light over the snowy forest, and shining brightly through the plume of smoke rising out of the cabins chimney. He walked up to the door and knocked the secret knock, that familiar nervous feeling filling his stomach. He wondered if that feeling would ever go away, part of him hoped it never did.

A few minutes passed and the door remained closed, not a single sound coming from inside. He knocked again, slightly louder this time and the locks clicked open one by one. He pushed the door open but found the living room empty.

“El?” He called out, setting his backpack down and closing the door behind him. He heard a faint grubbly reply coming from her room and he chuckled. She was still asleep! “Can I come in?” He asked through the small crack in the door. Another mumbled reply that sounded somewhat like a yes came from behind and he pushed the door open.

El was curled up in bed under two quilts. Her face was smashed against her pillow so that only one foggy eye could look up at Mike. She sat up slowly, stretching and rubbing her tired eyes. Her messy curls stuck up in the back, and she had a smear of dried drool on her cheek. Mike couldn’t help but smile. Even like this she was beautiful.

“Its early.” She whined, pushing the comforters off of her.

“I know, i’m sorry I woke you up. I was just excited to see you.” Mike played with the hem of his shirt nervously. He hoped she wasn’t upset, he knew how cranky she could be without enough sleep.

“S’okay.” She mumbled, standing up and walking towards the boy. Mike could now see she was in fact not only wearing his warmest plaid flannel, but she was also wearing one of his t-shirts, and a pair of his sweatpants.

“Excited to see you too.” She smiled up at him blearily, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She jumped back, suddenly startled. “You are so cold!” Her eyes went wide.

“Well it’s freezing outside and I biked here. Plus you have my jackets.” He smiled wryly at her.

“I’m sorry, I will give them back today.” She pulled his hand and led him out to the small wood burning stove in the corner of the cabin. She forced him to sit down in Hoppers chair next to the fire and added a few logs to it. “Get warm, i’ll be right back.” She let go of his hand and made her way to the bathroom.

Mike listened to the sounds of her brushing her teeth, and he took the opportunity to toast his hands and try to get some feeling back in them. A few minutes later she walked out looking refreshed and radiant. Mike was still often shocked by how lovely she had become. She was no longer sickly thin, or pale, and her hair was getting longer every day, and her eyes seemed content whenever he looked in them.

She was still wearing his old red and black flannel, but she had changed into one of Nancy’s handed down dresses. It was light grey with shiny black buttons pinning it together from the bottom to the top. It had a thin red belt at the waist that El had tied in a bow. Her carmel curls were long enough for her to tuck behind her ears with the help of a few white hair clips, and she had washed the drool from her face leaving her skin looking refreshed and glowing. Mike marveled at how… normal she looked. Nancy and Joyce had helped her a lot with getting her clothes she actually liked, and with teaching her how to put together an outfit she felt pretty in. Mike thought she had done a damn good job.

El made her way into the kitchen and pulled out a box of Eggos from the freezer. She popped them in the toaster and clicked the gas oven on. “Are you hungry?” She asked Mike with a smile.

“Uh, yeah actually I am a little bit, but you don’t have to make me anything!” He stood up to join her in the kitchen.

“I want to! Hopper showed me how to cook eggs.” She grinned, turning a shade of pink, feeling strangely embarrassed. She got the carton of eggs from the fridge and cracked two into a cast iron pan. Mike was impressed as she scrambled them without incident. Eggs weren’t very hard, but it was still impressive to see her cook anything besides eggos and microwave dinners.

She plated up the waffles and eggs and Mike poured them both glasses of orange juice. They sat the table eating in silence for awhile before Mike finally spoke.

“So what do you want to do today?” He asked with a bit more enthusiasm then he had intended. He winced at how much a dork he sounded like. El just shrugged, seemingly unphased.

“Well… I brought over some of my D&D stuff, I thought I could finally teach you how to play!” He waited for her to turn down his offer but instead her eyes went wide.

“Yes!” She beamed, finishing off her last eggo.

“Really!? Cause we don’t have to…”

She stood up and grabbed his hand again, pulling him back into the living room. She sat expectantly on the couch, knees pulled up and smile wide. Mike couldn’t believe it. How lucky could he be? To have a beautiful girl who was actually interested in learning about nerdy board games? He fished around in his backpack, pulling out various photocopied manuals and a few hardcover books about medieval history and lore he had gotten for christmas.

They spent the next few hours going over the fantastical Dungeons and Dragons universe. Mike was more excited to share this world with her than he had realized. He went off on several dramatic tangents and reenactments. El hung onto his every word, even the ones she didn’t understand. Mike was a, what was the word max always used? A dork. And a big one. But she loved every moment of it. She liked being able to be a part of something that made him happy, and the game sounded fun, if not a little overwhelming.

Somewhere over the course of his explanation El had scooted closer to him to have a better look at the books. At this point she was leaning against his shoulder, he had one arm wrapped around her and was holding the large binder over their laps, gesturing to it with his free hand. Mike was just starting to explain to El what a mage was, and he went over the character sheet he had made for her in the year she was missing. El felt incredibly special to have been thought of as this though, brave, and heroic spellcaster that Mike had written her to be. She sighed, letting her worries flow out of her with her breath and sinking further into his embrace. She felt so safe when she was close to him, it was a feeling she never wanted to go away.

“So… what do you think?” Mike concluded, turning the last page over and closing the binder.

“It’s amazing.” She breathed. And honestly, it was. El felt her head swim with all of the new information, how anyone could remember all of it was astounding. The picture that Mike had painted seemed amazing, like a fairy tale. It was full of princesses, and fairies, and magic, and monsters too but they were not nearly as scary as the monsters they had faced together in real life.

“I’m glad you think so! I can’t wait for you to get to play with us! The campaign we are working on right now takes place in a desolate snowy tundra, and I think I know the perfect way to work you into the story.” Mike was practically jumping out of his skin.

“Tundra?” El echoed not understanding the word.

“Yeah it’s a really cold place where everything is covered in ice and snow. And there are basically no trees or plants or anything because it too cold for anything to grow.” Mike explained, flipping through his campaign notes and showing her a photocopied image of antarctica. “It’s full of snow monsters and evil ice wizards. The guys got stuck in a blizzard last time we played, but Will found some enchanted snow resistant armor in a cave and saved them. It was awesome.” Mike was excitedly rambling again.

“It sounds… awesome.” El rolled the new word around on her tongue. She had heard the boys use it before but she had never used it herself. It felt fun to say.

“I wish I had that armor now.” Mike said motioning to the window. It was snowing outside again and the sky looked chilly and blue.

El frowned, realizing that it was getting late, and that Mike would have to leave soon. Not only that, but he would have to endure the bitter cold all the way home. She shifted out of his arms and stood up, walking in her room.

She came back a few minutes later with a massive pile of laundry in her arms. It had to be at least a dozen jackets, sweaters, and shirts. She dropped them in a heap on the end of the couch and smiled shyly.

“Sorry I kept all of your clothes.” She blushed, and reached up to pull of his flannel that she was still wearing.

“Hey no, it’s okay!” Mike stood up and pushed the flannel back onto her shoulders. “I like that you take my clothes, it’s kind of cute.” He grinned at her, his eyes full of warm adoration. El felt her own heart twist, he always looked so pretty when he was embarrassed.

“Plus… You look pretty hot in plaid.” Mike added a few moments later. Then, realising what he had just said, his eye shot open wide and he looked down at his feet.

El knew what Mike looked like when he was embarrassed, but she wasn’t quite sure what he had meant by his statement. “Hot?” She questioned. His flannel did keep her warm, but that wasn’t really why she took it, and she wasn’t sure how someone could look warm.

“Uhh… yeah. Hot.” Mike shuffled awkwardly, taking a few paces backwards, his face beet red. “It’s like another word for pretty, but its… different. I shouldn’t have said it.” He cleared his throat in the tension.

Els face fell. She shifted from feeling confused to feeling hurt. Mike called her pretty all the time, and he had taught her that gorgeous, beautiful, and cute were all different words for pretty as well, so why was this word different? And why was it wrong?

“Why not?” She asked, eyebrows knitted together in concern.

“Because… because it’s not a very nice way to say pretty. It’s rude.” He played with his fingers, still looking at the ground.

“Not pretty?” El felt her gut stir. She could understand what he was trying to say.

“No! You are so pretty, El! You know that I think you are so beautiful.” He stepped forward and grabbed her by both of her shoulders so he could look into her eyes. “And I think you’re… hot too if i’m being honest. It’s just not a very nice thing to call a girl. Even if it’s true.” The blush returned to his face, he couldn’t lie to her even if it was uncomfortable to admit.

“Why is it not nice?” She felt reassured at flustered grin, but she still didn’t understand.

“Ughh…” He sighed, sitting back on the couch and pulled El down with him. Their knees touched as they faced each other. “It just is. It’s like really REALLY pretty, but in an… aggressive way, I guess.” he couldn’t figure out how else to explain it, and her certainly didn’t want to have to explain its more romantic implications.

El bit her lip. So he thought she was really pretty, but it was also aggressive? It clearly made him nervous, and something about the look in his eyes made her chest tighten. Sometimes she thought Mike was so pretty it made her feel almost unsettled too, maybe even ‘aggressive’.

“Okay. Hot.” She felt herself giggle at saying the word in this context, and she could read the underlying tension in it.

“Yeah…” Mike blushed deeper and bounced his knee the way he so often did when he was nervous.

“Mike?” El asked putting a hand on his leg to steady it. “You are… hot too.” She tried to sound confident but her stomach felt like it was full of bumblebees.

Mike chuckled, obviously startled by what she had said and he grabbed her hand in his own. “Thanks, El. but I can’t believe that you think im hot.”

“I think you are beautiful, Mike.” She said sternly, inching closer to his on the couch. “And smart, and funny, and kind. You make me happy and keep me safe.” She looked deeply into his eyes, her face completely serious.

Mikes heart soared. How had he gotten so lucky? Before El no girl would look twice at him, and the ones that did just called him names. But now he was inches away from an absolutely amazing, badass, gorgeous, and hot, superhero of a girl. And she liked him the same. He leaned forward into her and pulled her into a tender kiss. Every kiss with her felt like magic, and it always left him feeling completely breathless and giddy. He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. Their faces were matching in a warm flushed pink.

“You are the best person I have ever met El. I am so lucky that I get to spend time with you, and be your friend and, kiss you.” He whispered to her, looking into her eyes so closely that they were blurry.

“No, Mike. I am the lucky one.” Her face was serious again, but Mike could see the pain buried deep within them, and the adoration pulling at the corner of her lips.

Mike pulled her into a warm hug. He knew that he would have to leave in a few minutes to be home in time for dinner, but for right now he only wanted to think about El. About the smell of her vanilla shampoo, and the sound of her breath as he hugged her tightly.

“El? Why don’t you keep this jacket.” He tugged at the hem of it after breaking the hug. “It looks better on you anyway.”

“Hot?” She asked with a faint smile, cracking a silly pose.

He laughed hard, her sense of humor always caught him by surprise, she was actually really funny when she wanted to be. “Yes hot.”

After a few more minutes of precious alone time, and a couple more small innocent kisses, Mike finally had to pack up his D&D stuff (and all of his jackets) and set out into the cold winter night. He braced himself for the cold, but his stomach felt content and warm. It had been a good day, and the entire bike ride home went by in a blur because his thought were racing as he replayed it over and over again.

‘I love her so much.’

He thought to himself as he pulled into his driveway. It was a thought that surprised even himself, but he knew it was true. He loved her. More than anything else. And one day he was going to tell her that, but for now he was just trying to get over the fact that he had called her hot, and that she had returned the compliment.