you're my safe place ~ MILEVEN ONE SHOTS~

Blank Makes You Crazy

(Just wanna start this off by thanking every single one of you - every single comment and read means everything to me and your support just means the world! You are all truly stars in my sky and I hope you all enjoy this!<3)

Twenty seven days. Six hundred and forty eight hours, thirty eight thousand eight hundred and eighty minutes. Twenty seven days. It almost felt like those days blurred into one, his body teetering on the edge as if patiently waiting for something - talking himself out of ripping the calendar off his wall. For the first week he used a red pen to cross off the days, circling the date over and over again until the ink in the felt-tip pen faded. The remaining members of the Party that resided in Hawkins would tease him, shooting each other knowing looks whilst Mike rambled about simply being excited about the holiday itself. Thanksgiving could not have been more perfect, with Mike being shown around their cozy new house as El held his hand, the pair sending each other giddy smiles. They were quiet and reserved - almost fidgety around their families, finally feeling like they could breathe again when they were left alone for a few moments. Their hands interlinked, palms sharing the same pulse as if the universe was sending them another sign that whatever lay between them, whatever strange and new feeling swam through their veins - it was meant to be. 

"You love Christmas, right?" Mike asked, eyes shining bright with excitement. "Mrs Byers told me that you have already been counting down the days!"

She nodded but it was weak. "It's fun."

Mike's eyes softened slightly, squeezing her hand. "Hey...it isn't that long this time, okay? I'm going to miss you too, more than anything...but it will be here before you know it. I'm sure you can't wait to continue counting down the days until presents!"

El shook her head, eyes sad. "I was counting down to see you."

His face fell. "Twenty seven days, El."

Their foreheads touched for a moment, soft strands of hair mixing in the most beautiful combination of dark chocolate and brown crunchy leaves. She could feel his eyelashes fluttering gently against her cheek, his own lashes slightly damp with tears that threatened to spill - tears that he would always hold in until he was alone. El wiped them gently, giving him a pleading look to stay for another day, just another hour - just another few seconds. But they both knew that Nancy was waiting in the car with tears in her own blurry eyes as she waved goodbye to Jonathon, and El reluctantly gave his hands one last squeeze. 

"T-Twenty seven days" she whispered shakily. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the feeling that hit, a feeling that settled itself deep within his heart as soon as she stepped out of the car. Her hair was longer than it was at Thanksgiving and he frowned slightly, starting to notice little details about how she had changed in such a short period of time. He was worried that every time he met her, she would be less of the person that he once knew and more of the new person that she was bound to become with time - he was afraid that she would slowly start to slip away from him. But her caramel eyes were filled with the same golden light, the same sweet softness that oozed like honey out of the orbs when she smiled at him. Her hair was still the same shade of soft brown that reminded him of the leaves in fall, still curled at the edges and brushing just underneath her collarbone. Although it was longer, it looked just as soft and although her teeth seemed straighter, they were still nibbling on her bottom lip while she grinned up at him. The sunlight still brushed over the top of her head like an angelic halo and the slight flushed color on her cheeks made his heart race just like it used to. Mike was frozen, knowing that an asteroid could have killed him within an instant and he would still be stuck in the same position - smiling like an idiot.