you're my safe place ~ MILEVEN ONE SHOTS~

I Don't Want To Go

Mike picked up his backpack, gathering up the books that he had been using to help El study. Hopper allowed Mike to come over every week and teach El some school work so that she could get used to the idea of learning before thinking about going to school. Mike was the first option due to his good grades and his attachment to Hopper's daughter, Hopper knew he could trust him to help El get to where she needed to be. 

Mike glanced at Hopper nervously as he picked up his bag, El watching him with a confused expression. Mike cleared his throat when he got close to the chief who was reading a newspaper at the table. 

"Yes?" Hopper grunted, not looking up from his newspaper. 

Mike stumbled over his words and nervously played with his fingers, "Um..my friends and I have this tradition every year on the weekend before Halloween, to watch scary movies and to hang out. I was wondering if we were super careful-"

"No."

"Hop!" El whined, "please...I never get to see anybody."

"You see Mike all the time" Hopper continued to flip the pages of his newspaper but El snatched it out of his hands with a glare. 

"Once a week" she raised her eyebrows. "Please, I really want to go."

"My parents won't be home, it will just be Nancy and Johnathon is usually round...so nobody will see El other than the party! We will be super careful and I'll take care of her and make sure she is-"

Hopper cut off a rambling Mike with a sigh. "Fine. But I drop her off and pick her up. She can stay until 10:30 and then I come and pick her up. No funny business and no movies that will give he nightmares, alright?"

"Thank you! Thank you!" El squealed, throwing her arms around her dad's neck and kissing his cheek sweetly. "You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah" Hopper waved her away with a hand, "I know. But don't think this means that I am always going to agree to these things. This is a risk and it won't happen again for a while, okay?"

"Okay" El nodded and smiled at Mike, grabbing his hand and squeezing it excitedly. Mike grinned back at her and kissed her cheek before leaving the cabin, practically skipping back to his bike in excitement. 

...

"Okay, I'll be back at 10:30 and don't eat too much candy. Be sensible and stay close to Mike" Hopper instructed, tapping the steering wheel as he watched her unbuckle her seat belt. 

"Got it" El smiled and opened the car door to get out. 

"But not too close to Mike!" Hopper called after her and El giggled, giving him a thumbs up before ringing the doorbell to the familiar Wheeler home.

 It was strange to come back here knowing that this was her first home, although now she has a new one. As Mike opened the door and gave her a hug, El took notice of some of the changes around the house, sweet memories of Mike showing her around and introducing her into his home so long ago. 

"Hey, El!" the party chorused as El arrived, settling down on the couch next to Mike where he was busy preparing the movies. 

He started off with The Fog, handing around the popcorn and candy. Mike had always enjoyed scary movies but he was found an entirely new reason to love them, a smile coming onto his face whenever El got scared and cuddled closer to him, her head buried into his shoulder, her curls tickling his neck. 

El quickly ate tons of candy and popcorn, feeling way too excited to do anything else. But after a short amount of time, she immediately grimaced at the stomach ache she had developed, letting out a small whimper into Mike's chest.