you're my safe place ~ MILEVEN ONE SHOTS~

Wrap Me In Your Arms

(I've had a pretty bad week so am cheering you all and myself up with some fluff! No angst queen today everyone<3 also, how adorable is that picture???)

It had been a week since the Snowball, and although El was grateful to Hopper for letting her leave and take such a big risk, it only made her want to leave the cabin even more. She expected it to satisfy her need to have a normal life, and to see Mike, but it only made everything worse. El didn't watch soaps all week, constantly staring out of the window and drawing shapes on the clouded windows as she watched the rain fall down. She had been daydreaming non stop about his freckled cheeks, his adorable blush and the smile that made her stomach feel funny. She didn't know what she was feeling, but she just needed him there. 

"El?" Hopper's voice brought her out of her daydream. 

Her head snapped up. "Huh?"

Hopper passed her a plate of eggos, watching her sit down, her usual cheery smile nowhere to be found. All week she had seemed out of sorts, like something was playing on her mind and he didn't know what was wrong. "Kid, are you okay?"

"Yeah" she mumbled tiredly, picking at her eggos. "I just miss someone..."

Hopper sighed, going quiet for a while before letting out a deep breath. He looked at her small pout and sad eyes, his eyes falling on the television chord leading to her room again. He thought that she would have stopped visiting Mike now that he knew she was okay, but if anything, she had been using her powers more to see him. 

"Mike?" he guessed quietly. 

After receiving a hesitant nod in return, Hopper rattled his brain to think of the right thing to say. He felt terrible for keeping El locked up in the cabin, and he felt even more terrible having to keep her away from something that made her happy. As much as he wanted her to be safe, he couldn't imagine what it must have been like for her to spend all of her time watching the television and staring out of the window. He tried to think of anything he could do, anything that would just make her feel less alone. 

He cleared his throat. "How about if he comes here? You know, if I bring him here while I'm at work to keep you company? Not all of the time...just-"

The smile on her face made his harsh expression melt. "Thank you."

Hopper grinned  back at her. "It's okay, kid."

El could not sleep that night, so excited to see Mike again and to feel his arms around her. She wanted nothing more than to feel normal, but he made her feel the opposite of normal. He made her feel like she was more than just normal, like she was worth more than anything else in the entire world. Little did she know, that on the other side of town, Mike couldn't sleep either after the phone call from the chief. He had been up every night thinking about the dance and all of the other places he wanted to take her, all of the things that he wanted to teach her. She made him feel like he was worth more than the moon and the stars, and it was such a change from bullies at school or his family making him feel so useless. 

El waved Hopper goodbye, looking in the mirror to check her appearance one last time. She tried to fix her springy curls and tired eyes, picking at her overalls and wishing that she looked as pretty as she did when she was at the Snowball. As soon as she heard the knock on the door, all of the panic rushed out of her brain and was replaced by pure excitement as she rushed to open the door for Mike.

His knees were bouncing up and down with excitement and nerves, his lanky body rocking on his heels as he looked up at her with a wide smile. His dark hair was slightly messy from rushing over from the car and his cheeks were flushed red between the freckles sprinkled over his cheeks like candy. Mike was wearing a sweater in the cold December air, knowing that Christmas was only a short week away and the snow was in a hurry to arrive. The material looked so soft that El immediately pulled him into a hug before saying anything, feeling his chest rumble slightly with laughter as she latched onto him. She sighed contently, feeling a pleasant warmth buzz through her bones, humming happily when Mike squeezed her close into his embrace and rested his head on top of hers. She wished that she was taller like him but part of her loved his height, how he towered over her, somehow making his hugs even better than they were when she first met him. 

"I missed you" she mumbled sweetly into his sweater, Mike almost not hearing her. 

He smiled when he heard it, rested his cheek against her forehead. He frowned when he felt her hair tickling him, his eyes widening once he saw it, completely wild and loose unlike the Snowball where she had it arranged neatly. The caramel curls were so soft and springy, making her button nose and small pout look even prettier. 

He stuttered slightly. "Uh-y-your hair...it's curly.."

"Yeah..." El mumbled sadly, pulling out of his hold to try and fix it. He caught her hands, forcing them down by her sides as he reassured her with a gentle smile. 

"Hey, don't do that" he scolded gently, his eyes soft, "it's really pretty."

She smiled back at him, feeling warmth flood into her heart, a kind of warmth that only he could give her. The pair settled down for the afternoon, El switching on the soaps and immediately cuddling into Mike's warmth. His eyes went wide at her boldness before he returned the hug, pulling her closer with his head rested on top of hers. For a while there was only the sound of the television, Mike smiling when El giggled or answering her questions when she got confused. Mike didn't care what they spent their time doing, as long as they were together. 

When they got tired of soaps, Mike volunteered to read to El, hoping to help prepare her for school as soon as she was ready. He grabbed a book from the shelf, dusting it off lightly before sitting back down across from her, looking down at the pages of the book. El frowned at the distance between them, feeling colder without the warmth of his sweater between her fingertips. He started reading but she couldn't concentrate, wanting nothing more than to be back in his embrace again. 

El tugged on his sleep lightly. 

"You okay?" he frowned slightly, seeing her pout. 

El looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I'm cold, Mike."

Mike's eyes widened, "Oh, I'm sorry...here, there is a blanket right there.." he took a while placing it around her shoulders, trying to tuck her in further while she sighed impatiently, still not feeling warm enough. 

"No.." she pouted, Mike's eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I'm warmth without you.."

While Mike searched her eyes, trying to figure out what she wanted, she scooted closer, forcing him to put the book down. She curled herself up next to him, burying her nose in his shoulder before letting out a content small sigh. Mike's eyes widened in realization and he grinned, pulling her closer to him and holding up the book once more in front of them. He continued to read to her, unaware that she was falling asleep in his hold instead of paying attention to the story itself, feeling too safe and warm in his arms. 

Later that night, Hopper knocked on the door to hear no reply, sighing and retrieving his own key for the door. He looked around and his heart swelled slightly at the sight before him. Mike and El were curled up on the sofa, a book in Mike's lap as if they had fallen asleep in the middle of reading, their heads resting on top of each other and their fingers interlocked. Small breaths left both of their parted lips, Hopper smiling softly at the sight. 

He located the blanket on the other side of the sofa, ruffling both of their heads affectionately before placing the blanket over them gently, letting it cover both of their sleeping bodies, deciding that he would let them off this time. 

xxx

So fluffy and cute for me, I am so proud! I know it is such a comment theme but I adore these one shots of Mike and El at the cabin cuddling or reading together, it is way too adorable. Also, sneaky snippets of Hopper as per usual, you can't have one of my one shots without Hopper in it being a cute parent :)

If anyone does have any ideas/requests that you would like to see, leave a comment here and I will get through them all! <3

~Jodie