moral of the story ✔ mileven

fourteen ➳

after their detour, they're finally back on the road. el's eyes eyes are swollen and she's wrapped in one of mike's jackets. he had it slung on the backseat and for once, he was thankful that he didn't pick up his messy ass car. it's no longer the afternoon and it's obvious that their detour took some time. she couldn't stop crying and blabbering about her mom. she thought it was blabber. but mike couldn't help but listen to her with ears wide open.

mike cracked jokes about el listening to sad songs when she was sad had the exact same energy as washing your car when it was raining out. she'd laugh, but she knew that it was true. and right now, it really was. she was holding her phone in her hand, listening to one of harry styles' many heartbreaking songs and he knew that he had to do something.

they were already in the outskirts of hawkins and he knew that if hopper saw that his only daughter was crying, mike would be a dead man. so, he reached for her phone and decided to change it up. she didn't complain though. she was too tired and too sad to even utter a word.

one eye on the road and another on the library, until his speakers are blasting with an awful cover of god's plan. that instantly catches el's hear. one, they were obviously kids. two, mike wheeler didn't like drake. three, he absolutely hated this song. she remembers when lucas and dustin would play this every single day; and he'd roll his eyes.

"mike, what are we listening to?"

"kids bop."

"why?"

"because... i like them." he forces through his teeth and el shakes her head. she doesn't want to laugh but it's so funny. it's obvious that he hates every single thing about this.

"mike rock lover... likes kids bop?"

"yes. i like them. sometimes i'm getting ready for class and i listen to them." he says and he sounds so monotone that it makes her laugh. mike's such an idiot. an idiot that she's absolutely in love with. she's quiet for a second but then mike breaks the silence again. "i'm sorry but this sounds worse than dustin's singing. do you remember when he was obsessed with that never ending story song?"

"oh my god." el laughs, "he wasn't that bad. come on."

he throws her a look and she's giggle. they're eventually listen to more songs and they're even clowning the singers. mike mocks their high notes and el can't help but laugh a little too hard at his antics. her eyelashes are still wet and she still can hear her mom in the back of her head, but it's nice to be distracted.

"these are children, eleanor. we're bullies." mike comments and that earns an obvious reaction from el. her mouth is covered in a gasp and her brown eyes are wide. eleanor was wonky in her studies and was currently studying basic classes since she had no idea what to study. but she did lean towards being a care taker for younger children.

"oh my god. i forgot about that."

"what a great future caretaker we have here!" mike tsks and she nudges him gently. she can start seeing the familiar sights of hawkins. the sights that she'd run with her friends and the sights she'd see with mike clasped by her side. she loved this little town. she really did.

"you were making fun of them too." she puffs.

"i'm going to be a writer. i can clown children. haven't you heard of stephen king? i'm pretty sure he hates the kids from derry." mike says and he's such a loser. she remembers when he was obsessed with the movies and read the books way too many times in the weekend.

"oh god, please shut up. we're not going through this phase again."

he laughs, but doesn't let it go. "do you remember when it came out and people said that i looked like richie?"

"yes, i was one of those people."

he hums. "wonder what he looks like now."

"richie's alone and eddie's dead." she reminds him and he laughs at her words.

"i meant the actor!" mike laughs loudly.

"oh."

before they know it, they're infront of the byers-hoppers residence. the house isn't much difference than when she left but she can see the small patches of joyce in it. she can see some flowers infront of her home and she knows that hopper mentioned about joyce trying out gardening as a hobby. he also mentioned stepping on her flowers and buying new ones.

she's staring at the house where dreams were made of and she takes a small breath. she's opening the door to the street and mike's scattering to help with her suitcase. she hasn't been in her home for a long while and she feels like there's so many feelings in the pit of her stomach.

"thanks for the ride." she says when she finally gathers her thoughts and stands on the street. she's giving him a gentle smile and it's genuine. she's exhausted. there's been so many emotions awoken in her the past few weeks that it feels like tonight was the day that she was going to unwind all of them.

"it's no problem."

she doesn't know why, but she's wrapping her arms around him. it's a simple hug but it seems to comfort the tears that want to spill out. it's her thanking him for keeping her together and he wraps his arms around her waist. there's no need for words. none at all.

she pulls back from the hug and she's caught staring at him. she wants to kiss him. and she almost does. he's leaning down and she's on her tip toes, but soon they're interrupted.

"eleanor, i know you're not kissing anybody on my street are you?" her dad shouts, making the two of them pull apart and instead of an annoyed expression. there's a smile on her face. if there was anything she was excited about, it was seeing her dad again.

"papa." she whispers, turning to face him and she's rushing to meet her dad. el didn't really grow much compared to mike. she was still the overexcited girl that liked eggos and watching movies when it was too late at night. she's wrapping her arms around him and she's hugging the hell out of him.

he's planting a kiss on her head and mike can see joyce in the background. she has a smile on her face and she can also see will, who has a smile on his face as well.

"you're late, wheeler." will teases and mike rolls his eyes. of course he'd say something like that.

she doesn't cry, but she's close to tears. she's smiling once again and she's hugging her stepmom tightly too. hopper reaches for the pink suitcase in michael's hands.

"thanks for bringing her home, wheeler. now, go. you won't see her for a few days."

"papa." el says, laughing.

"i didn't lie. you're all ours now. i missed my kid."

there's a few jokes exchanged, el shoots him a wave,

and mike leaves.

minutes later, el throws him a text.

"thank you, mike. i promise i'll see you soon."