you're my safe place ~ MILEVEN ONE SHOTS~

What is the Snowball?

Hopper jumped at the sound of the insistent knocking on the cabin door as he made breakfast, sighing in annoyance.

"El, the Wheeler kid is here and I sure as hell don't think it's to spend time with me!"

"Let him in!" El yelled back and Hopper groaned, walking over to the front door and throwing it open.

Mike stood up straighter and held his chin high as he noticed who had surprisingly opened the door. Clearing his throat and waving awkwardly, he stepped inside the cozy cabin that he had been visiting for the past couple of weeks. His arms were full of activities for spending the day with his girlfriend, including his old school books, his Super-Com and comic books.

"El, if you don't hurry up, I'm going to give Mike the boyfriend talk!" Hopper yelled to her bedroom door and Mike visibly paled, swallowing harshly.

El opened the door immediately and titled her head in confusion. "What's the boyfriend talk?"

"Nothing!" Mike interrupted before smiling at her softly. "Hi El, I missed you."

Her face split into a bright grin, her shoulder length curls bouncing as she ran over to engulf Mike in a tight hug. She buried her face into his warm sweater and he rubbed her back in return, burying his face into her strawberry scented curls.

"Alright kids, back it up. I'm working until late so I'm expecting you to be on your best behaviour. Wheeler, do not disappoint me. I want her the same as when I left her when I come back and make sure she falls asleep instead of trying to wait up for me to come home. I might not be home until 11:30" Hopper puts his hat and jacket on, grabbing his car keys off the side of the wooden table.

"One, one, three, zero" El repeated slowly.

"And maybe try to teach her how to tell the time properly by the time I get back" Hopper sighed. "She never listens when I try."

"Bye, I love you, Dad."

Mike is sure he saw Hopper's eyes water, not that he would admit it.

"Love you too, kid. See you tomorrow" he grinned before slamming the door shut behind him.

•••
When Hopper softly shut the cabin door behind him at almost midnight, he heard voices still coming from El's room.

The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to make out El in bed, clutching Mike's hand and looking at him with sad wide eyes.

"But why didn't you go?" She asked Mike which made Hopper confused. What was she talking about?

Mike sighed and cupped her cheek softly. "I didn't want to go without you. I made a promise, remember?"

"But promises are something that you can't break. Ever" she recited making Mike smile widely, nodding his head proudly.

"Yeah that's right, El."

"So we will go to the Snowball together?" She questioned with hope filling her eyes and Hopper's eyebrows furrowed. Where had he heard that name before? What was the Snowball?

"I don't know, El.." Mike said quietly. "I don't know if it is a good idea, you know what Hopper said about you leaving the cabin."

Hopper relaxed slightly that Mike was at least tight on the important rules of her safety. He obviously cared about her a lot.

"But I want to go" El whimpered. "You promised."

"Hey, hey, hey...I'm not breaking a promise, El. I haven't even got a ticket. We can always go next year, when it is safer for us to go.." Mike tried to reassure her but she only felt more tears drip down her cheeks, her chin wobbling softly.