you're my safe place ~ MILEVEN ONE SHOTS~

Christmas Special (Part 1)

CHRISTMAS DECORATING - PART ONE

"Has Hopper explained to you about Christmas?" Mike asked El one day when Hopper was at work. He was looking around their cabin and noticed that they didn't have any decorations up to signal that they were going to celebrate the holiday. "It's next week."

"Yes" El nodded with a smile, "he said that you spend the day with people that you love. Does that mean I'll be spending it with you?"

Mike's face turned to a deep cherry red and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know, El...I guess you'll be spending it with Hopper."

Her face fell slightly. "But I thought-"

"Christmas is mainly to spend time with your family" Mike tried to explain, "my family all comes round and we have a party."

El felt herself sadden automatically, his Christmas sounded fun. Mike noticed her sad expression that she was trying to hide by looking at the floor and grabbed her hand gently.

"Hey, El?" he asked and her face popped up to meet his excitedly, "has Hopper played you any Christmas songs?"

A bright smile took over her face and she nodded enthusiastically, dragging Mike over to the vinyl record section in the cabin. Mike noticed some of the classics with a small grin and put one of his favorites on, listening to the cracks of the record as it span on the player before the happy tune kicked in.

"I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus..."

El giggled and began to dance around happily like Max had taught her before with a Cyndi Lauper song, shaking her hips and twirling herself around. Mike watched her with a soft smile, loving to see her so carefree and happy as she span around her small living area, trying not to bump into the couch. His eyes widened and he backed away when El looked at him, trying to grab his hands so that he could join her.

"El-El...no! I'm no good at dancing! Please don't-" Mike tried to squeeze but El was too busy pulling on his hands and trying to make him move around with her instead of just standing awkwardly. Mike glared playfully at her as she giggled, pouting slightly at him.

"Please" she whined, "dance with me, Mike!"

Mike let out a grumble under his breath but joined in with her, moving around crazily with his dark hair getting caught in his eyes. El giggled as he moved his long limbs around, his tall body always crashing into hers and making sure that she didn't topple over.

"Underneath the mistletoe last night..."

El's eyes furrowed as she heard that sentence and she tilted her head at Mike, shouting over the music, "Mike, what is mistletoe?"

Mike coughed awkwardly and went to turn down the music so that he could explain to her in the simplest way. "It's uh-a plant."

He hoped that El would have given up as he guided her to look through more Christmas songs and pick out her favorite, but she was still confused. She tugged on his arm impatiently and frowned in confusion.

"Why would you kiss underneath a plant?" she asked innocently and Mike turned bright red again which made her even more confused.

"It's um...a tradition" Mike mumbled weakly, scratching his arm nervously and busying himself by tampering with the record player. "Mistletoe is a special plant at Christmas, if you and someone else are caught standing under it, then you have to kiss."

El nodded gently, "Where is mistletoe? Where do you find it?"

"People put it in houses to decorate for Christmas. Has Hopper said about decorating for Christmas?" Mike asked with a small frown, sad that she was missing out on the festivities of Christmas, he loved decorating with his family every year, despite Nancy and his parents constantly annoying him. Holly was always so sweet around Christmas, always smiling and she was a quiet little girl which gave Mike a break from his annoying family.