i'll be your alibi tonight, i'll make everything all right (rp for onze)

[still_the_dm]

It was a little bit amazing when they got to the house and Mike got to take a look at El's treehouse apartment. It was an incredible piece of work, the kind of thing that the party had always dreamed of having except for the fact that Mike's dad couldn't be bothered and he was too old by the time Step-Chad came along, Dustin's and Lucas's yards didn't have any decent trees, and Johnathan was always working too much.

And according to El, she'd had this treehouse since she first showed up, and it had only gotten better. In the parent/grandparent lottery, she'd frickin' scored.

The only disappointment was that El would be sleeping out there his first night in town (she slept up there in cycles, according to the guy at dinner who was too damn young looking to be her grandpa), and he'd be in the guest room.

In the house. With her dad.

Alone.

Mike actually managed to not be terribly intimidated to the point of getting drowsy when the lock on the guest bedroom door quietly slid open, and El's big, dark eyes appeared around the edge of said door with a meek and questioning look that Mike remembered well.

All they did was talk, and not even about anything in particular. Sitting across from each other on the bed, cross legged and knees touching, Mike told her about everything from the course of Nancy and Johnathan's relationship to Dustin's first girlfriend, right down to every D&D campaign he'd run since she left. Somehow, they packed five years into one night, and at the end of it they were stretched out in bed, facing each other and still whispering in the dark.

Yet somehow, he was still surprised when he slowly came awake in the morning with a mop of dark hair shot through with rainbows shoved right in his face, filling his lungs with the smell of some kind of flowery, clean shampoo and the cotton of the pillowcase.

She was still there. Spooned back against his chest, his face in her hair...she'd even somehow managed to fling a leg backwards and hook her foot around his calf, meaning he couldn't move without waking her.

Once he slid a glance at the door and realized she must have TK-ed the lock back into place during the night, Mike contented himself with burrowing back in to sleep some more...and when he couldn't drift off again, instead ran his fingers through her hair, idly weaving the dyed underside of her hair into one tiny, brightly colored braid after another.

Comments

[onze]

Ellie was a light sleeper in general, and even then, things had to be Just So for her to rest easy. It couldn't be pitch black, for starters. She didn't do pitch black. She also couldn't do small bedrooms or feel like she had no way out.

It's why some nights she slept in her tree house. It was more open and the strings of small fairy lights were sufficient.

Mike's room didn't have that lighting, nor the open quality of her room, but it had Mike and talking until they drifted off and that was fine by her.

She didn't intend to fall asleep in there, just that she couldn't make herself leave. The more he told her about Hawkins and everyone there, the more she wanted to hear. And it was Mike. She still couldn't believe they'd found each other and worried that sleeping elsewhere meant he'd disappear in the night.

That didn't work for her, so imagine her relief when she woke up to him playing with her hair.

She waited until he was done a braid before she carefully rolled over, giving him a tired smile before tucking her head under his chin.

"Morning," she said sleepily, relaxing against him with a soft sigh.

[still_the_dm]

Mike heard her breathing change, and while he was a little surprised at being crowded when she rolled over, like she didn't want to ever get up...it was a really good kind of surprise.

Draping an arm across her waist, he shifted just enough so he could kiss her forehead before he let her tuck it back under his chin. It was a good place for it. Fit nice.

"Morning." he murmured through a yawn. "So...you stayed."

See all of the not complaining at all that he's doing?

[onze]

See all of the not complaining eleven is doing, too? So much of it in spades and wheelbarrows.

She smiles at the kiss on her forehead, letting out a happy sound at the contact.

"I did. I like it here." If she wasn't so content and comfortable, she'd fake getting out of bed just to see his reaction.

"Here has you." To be perfectly honest.

[still_the_dm]

When she said that, only then did it really occur to Mike that...well, he sort of had a girlfriend now, the first of the party (Dustin didn't count, not since his teeth came in and he suddenly exploded with abs overnight). The revelation left him momentarily breathless and grinning against the top of her head like a gigantic idiot.

When he was sure he could contain himself, he shifted to kiss her, pressing his forehead against hers so he could just look into her eyes.

"Here has you, too." he pointed out quietly, playfully. "So, y'know...I'm content to stay here as long as the lock on the door holds out."

[onze]

Meanwhile, Ellie had questions. Of course she would. Her dating experiences were exactly non-existent. There hadn't really been anyone she was interested in and if anyone was interested in her? She didn't notice. Or it just flew over her head and she thought someone was being really fucking weird. The guys that managed to ask her dad for permission to date her somehow stopped talking to her after.

It was weird.


So this was all new.

But she's not sure how to ask what she wants to ask, so she focuses on something else. Like Mike. And...figuring out where her dad is, just so she had time to enjoy.

"Good to know," she manages, kissing him in return. "Gimme one second, though?"

And with that, she eases herself onto her other side, pulling Mike's arm around her waist and focusing her attention on the radio nearby. It turns on by itself, the sound some obnoxious morning show that she TK's the dial away from until the sound is just white noise. With a slow exhale, she focuses on her dad and soon enough, she's listening to his voice coming through the radio.

Whatever he's doing, he's talking to someone somewhere noisy. He sounds annoyed that something's going to take another hour and when she hears her car mentioned, (a 2012 nissan versa that had been kind of a problem from the start), she smiles a bit and hears her dad say he'll wait before dropping her connection and turning the radio off.

"He's at the mechanic. The mechanic is about an hour away." And look! No nosebleed.

[still_the_dm]

No nosebleed indeed! Unable to help himself, he reached out to gently swipe a fingertip beneath her nose, stroking the soft skin above her upper lip in amazement.

"So you just..can do that now?" he asked incredulously, a little smile of relief tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Your powers don't hurt you anymore?"

...and she could do that without a sensory deprivation tank? Specifically, with his arm around her? Did he do that for her?

[onze]

She has to think about how to phrase it, though yes. It had to do with him being there, his arm around her.

"I have been practicing. Very carefully. Knowing where my limits are and easing them further away, without overdoing it."

She kisses him briefly, happily. "You being close helped. It's...safety."

[still_the_dm]

Safety. She felt safe with him, even after all this time. It makes his chest tight in a really pleasant way, makes him smile without really knowing why.

"You're always safe with me." he assured her, nodding as he leaned in to rest his forehead against her shoulder for a second. "No matter what...promise."

Even as he said it, it felt less like a reassurance and more like a promise, to both her and to himself. If he could keep her safe, he could keep her this time, maybe. If he could keep his word, if he could slay the demagorgons for her...

"Promise."

[onze]

Ellie curls against him, kissing the top of his head with a happy grin on her face. She knew she was always safe with him. The amount of time he spent keeping her safe when they were children, so she believed him when he said she was always safe with him.

He didn't need to tack on the 'promise' but it made her happy just the same. Wrapping her arms around him and just holding him, she closed her eyes, set to doze off again.

But she still had too many questions about them so, a bit hesitantly (which shows Ellie's need to understand something), she finally asks.

"Mike? What are we? To each other, I mean." This is something more than friends, she just doesn't understand it.

[still_the_dm]

...hoo, boy.

He had to remind himself that he'd done this before, got through asking her to the Snow Ball and had, in fact, kissed a girl at eleven years old. Plus, Ellie was older now, she had a pretty normal life, she knew things.

"Well," he began slowly, "we like each other, and--we feel safe with each other...we like kissing, I know I definitely like kissing you...and your dad keeps looking at me like he wants to kill my face off...so I guess--I mean, if you want to be...that would make us boyfriend and girlfriend?..."

[onze]

She follows to a point. Rock explained romance and relationships to her and helped her through some of her big questions, but that's one kind of information. Experience is another and she had none, so of course she turned to Mike for answers, considering he seemed to be in this with her.

"I'd like that," she says after processing the information. "I'd like that a lot." Because she likes him a lot.

"New as this all is." She finally admits, face twitching into a small, sheepish smile.

[still_the_dm]

"Really?" He couldn't resist asking the question as he slouched down a little more in bed to get more comfortable. "I mean...it's been five years, and you're just--well, you're beautiful. Hot, yeah, but you're like...painting in a museum beautiful. Like camping near Mirkwood beautiful, far enough that the streetlights don't mess up your view of the stars."

With a little smile, he runs a hand back through her hair, sweeping it off her forehead...and taking care not to undo any of the braids he can feel catching at his fingertips near the end.

"It's hard to believe someone as pretty as you hasn't...y'know..."

[onze]

"Really. I've never wanted to look," Ellie explains softly, tilting her head into his hand and closing her eyes as he played with her hair. It was relaxing and something she would never get enough of, now that she had hair to run fingers through.

"There's also...not a lot of people know the truth about me or how I got here. It's not something I really want more people knowing. You know. You accept it."

Hey keeps her safe from it. She doesn't really trust many to do that.

[still_the_dm]

"Of course I do." he assured her, tugging at one of the little braids to put the brilliantly blue dyed hair beneath the surface into view. "Even with the rainbows on your head."

Melting into a grin, he started undoing the braid so he could rub the silky strands between his fingertips, then when he was done fussing with that he picked a new lock of hair on the surface to start braiding.

"I like it, actually. It's fun." he mused, his smile growing. "And not surprising...Dustin showed me some videos of your dad. He dyed his hair pink once? For real?"

[onze]

"It's been all manner of colors," she grins, giggling some. The first time she saw his red hair, she was a bit confused. It took a few years for her to want to try it, herself.

Watching him braid her hair, smiling still, she could stay like this all day. But her stomach growls slightly.

"How about we get breakfast and then go hang out in the tree house and watch movies?"

[still_the_dm]

Mike smiles a little when her stomach growls, and obliges her with a kiss before he shifts to slither out of bed.

"Food sounds like a great idea." he agrees, stretching with a groan. He was still in his pajamas: basketball shorts and a t-shirt (thank God, because Things might have happened if he hadn't worn a shirt to bed), and felt decent enough to just head for the kitchen.

Present or not, the spectre of her father still made him nervous.

"Do you cook? 'Cause I can a little, if you don't." he explains with a grin. "And I'm talking more than Eggos: if you're my girlfriend now, I have to keep you well fed."

[onze]

And Ellie pretty much always slept in pajama pants and a tank top, so they were okay there. Easing herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, she stretched with a small yawn, pulling the hair tie off her wrist and tying her hair back in a loose ponytail as she followed Mike down the hall.

"I don't cook very well. At all. People have tried to teach me, it's just not clicking." She once set water on fire. Don't ask. She doesn't know how she did it.


"We do have sausage and eggs in the fridge. I can make toast. That's it."

[still_the_dm]

Mike turns to watch her sit on the edge of the bed, and wonders when tank tops got so sexy because holy fucking shit.

"I'll make eggs." he replies with a nod, proud of himself for the fact that his voice only cracks a tiny bit as he thinks hard about baseball and super unsexy things. "Let you handle the toast. I, uh...Nancy showed me how to make this thing, a French omelette. It's good, you'll like it."

[onze]

"Okay," EL replies, stretching slightly as she walks into the large kitchen and heads right for the espresso machine on the counter. She points out where things are in the fridge, busying herself with grabbing what she needs for her traditional morning beverage.

She even has a cup with a cartoon drawing of Pinks Stacherton and herself at age thirteen on it, something a fan made and mailed to her.

And El knows how to make this drink by heart, so she's looking over at Mike as she measures out espresso and caramel and chocolate.



"So, hey uh...the first episode of season two of my show films while you're here. I was wondering if you wanted to be in it?"

[still_the_dm]

Mike's head popped out from inside the fridge, arms laded with a carton of eggs and a container of sour cream as he lit up with a smile.

"Really? I mean--I'm not great around cameras, but Dustin will shit a brick so yeah! I'd love to!" he beamed, moving to the counter to set the food down and lean his hip against the cabinets, standing right in front of her.

"You really wanna have me there? I mean...I don't wanna get in the way or anything if it'll throw you off..."

[onze]

"I definitely want you there, yeah. We're doing guest stars this season so I thought it'd be great to open with someone very important to me."

She turns to look at him as the milk for her latte steams, a soft smile on her face. El leans in to kiss him softly, pulling away just a bit to look him in the eyes.

"Plus, if you can keep me hidden from the Bad Men for almost a week, you'll be great at keeping me away from Freddy Fasbear and his friends."

[still_the_dm]

Mike kisses her with a smile, but that smile disappears when she tips the content of the episode.

"Freddy Fazbear? You're doing Five Nights At Freddy's?" he asked, looping an arm loosely around her waist without thinking to keep her comfortably close. "That puts you stuck in an office the whole time, trying to avoid people that are coming for you. It's a game, I know, but..."

He trails off, open worry on his features as he reaches up to run his fingers through her hair, messing with it so the hidden rainbow appears as it falls through his fingers.

"...won't that...actually scare you? You shouldn't have to do that."

[onze]

El watches his face as he speaks, finding the concern endearing and something to love about him. Five years have come and gone and he's still doing what he can to keep her safe. It makes her smile, arms going around do his shoulders as she thinks about his questions and then shakes her head.

"Not really, no. That's kinda the point of the whole show. It's really, really hard to scare me."

It may have something to do with tearing a demogorgon to shreds and being stuck in the Upside Down.

[still_the_dm]

"No, it's not."

It's not mocking or accusing, it's just simple truth, quiet and concerned. Because he remembers the tears and relief on her face after spending a short few minutes in a dark closet, remembers the way she balked at a simple closed door...he's still haunted by the way she whimpered his name as the Bad Man held her, promising to make her well, sensing the arrival of the demogorgon...

He knows what scares her. It's been five years, but some things never go away.

Maybe she thinks she'll be okay, but Mike isn't taking any chances. Huffing, he pulls her in and kisses the top of her head.

"Well, now I'm definitely gonna be on the show. No way I'm letting you do it alone..."

[onze]

And there, right there, was another reason El loved Mike Wheeler. He knew her well enough to know when she was full of shit. There are a lot of things that scare her still. Tight places. Perfectly dark rooms. The demogorgon still woken her up at night, screaming in a panic until her dad came to her and reassured her everything was fine. Strange men staring for too long or following her down a street for too long still made her anxious. So,there were stipulations in her contract to keep them from crossing the line between being scared and being emotionally and psychologically tortured. Her dad made sure of it. This was also one of the moments where El didn't have the words for something, specifically how Mike made her feel, so she looked up at him in silence, the faintest of smiles on her face. "We won't be sitting in the office for long. There will be us avoiding the animatronics things as we move from room to room." Just to reassure him of that much.

[still_the_dm]

...yeah, that wasn't reassuring. Being chased by shadowy figures? Just as bad, in his opinion.

"We will move from room to room." he reiterated, looking her dead in the eye. "'Cause you're not leaving my side during this thing. Promise?"

He doesn't care if it's a game, he's not watching her walk away from him again, and he's not going to let her relive that moment: facing something scary to protect him.

[onze]

Ellie's remembering the same thing he is, that terrifying moment where she had the monster pinned to the blackboard and could feel herself dying as she dragged it out of the safer world and into the Upside Down. She could feel that pain in her chest when she turned and said 'Goodbye, Mike' just before she and the demogorgon vanished.

So she feels his panic, knows that's what he's trying to do, to keep her safe from that. Even if it is just a show. She can accept that this is what he's doing. It's what he's always done, from the first day to what they thought was their last.

Her hands reach up to run through his hair, fingers tangling in the dark strands as she stands on tiptoe to touch her forehead to his, eyes closed and nose brushing his slightly as she nods.

"Promise."

That may as well be an 'i love you' in this situation.

[still_the_dm]

That word from her meant a lot, and the way she said it...it made his chest all tight and his head kinda spinny, and it was a really great way to feel, weirdly. Especially with the way she ran her fingers through his hair like he couldn't get close enough...

Leaning in, he kisses her, and just for a second, for one brief second, he doesn't worry and he holds her tight. Wraps her up in his arms, clings to her, because she's his and it's the one place it's okay for her to be trapped or stuck...because she's safe here.

He only does it for a second, though, before he relaxes his grip and presses her against the edge of the counter lightly, hands resting on her waist instead of holding tight, always giving her that means to slip away if she needs to or wants to--but still letting him kiss her.

Like, a lot. Hey, as long as her dad isn't there...

[onze]

El will admit to very few that there are some phobias and fears she's just not over. Being trapped, feeling like she can't get free of something, that's one of them. But when Mike holds her close, arms wrapped around her as tight as they were, El relaxes into them. Into him and the way he kisses her.

That was just a show of how much she trusted Mike. There was no panic or need to get out of the hold. Quite the opposite. She wanted to stay in his arms, exactly how he held her so when his arms relaxed, it was a few seconds before she pulled his arms around her again, still kissing him just as much as he was kissing her.

[still_the_dm]

When El reached out to settle his arms securely around her wait again, something in Mike sort of broke and melted, gleeful and awed at the same time as he obliged her, pulling her close...but backing away a little from the counter at the same time.

He wasn't going to push his luck, or her comfort boundaries.

If she didn't mind him holding her, though--that was fine. He liked holding her, tight, too...loved holding her, loved kissing her--shit, how could she kiss like this if she'd never kissed anyone else before? It boggled his mind...it made him wonder if it was just him that brought this out in her.

And that made him feel like doing something ridiculous, like howling at the moon.

"Dad's...gone...an hour, huh?" he got out between kisses, backing up until he felt the kitchen table against the back of his legs. It seemed sturdy enough, so he shifted to sit on the edge, pulling El to stand between his knees so he could hitch her close and kiss her again.

[onze]

it probably was just him that brought all of this out of her. She had no experience with any of this and was going on pure instinct, following his lead. Letting herself just react to what Mike was doing and enjoying every second of this. She walked with him when he backed up, smirking and wrapping her arms around his shoulders again, kissing him and running her fingers through his hair.

She doesn't answer his question right away, still lost in kissing him before finally managing a reply.

"Uh huh. An...hour or s...so." All between kisses.

[still_the_dm]

That got a smile out of Mike, mouth curling against hers...but he knew he had to be careful, maybe even stop, because this was Eleven. There were things--a lot of things--she didn't know, and asking what they were just a little while ago was proof of that.

Groaning at himself in his own head, Mike gave himself five more seconds to just enjoy kissing her, then broke away just enough to rest his forehead against hers, staying close but giving himself enough room to breathe, to think.

"You know," he began, still kind of breathless, "if we're boyfriend and girlfriend? There are...other things. We can do--besides kissing, I mean. But only if you want to. So..."

This was not a conversation he could have. Not right now, he wasn't sure ever. In the past, he just showed her and that was okay, but...that was just a kiss.

"I can show you. Sometimes." he finished, tugging her a little closer. "Just--if I do something you don't want, or you feel weird about? Punch me in the shoulder as hard as you can. So I get the message. Guys can get kind of stupid when there's kissing and...other stuff involved. Okay?"

[onze]

El didn't want to stop kissing him, but she was also glad for the chance to breathe. Kissing her boyfriend was fantastic and everything she could imagine, but her heart was thudding in her ears and she knew she should probably slow herself down some, try to ignore that buzzing under her skin that wanted more of his touch. So at his offer to show her more, she has to stop and think. Really, really think. Eyes closed, nose brushing his.

She almost smiles at what he suggests, a faint huff of amusement at the whole punch him in the shoulder thing. She trusts him. Completely and irrevocably. And she wants a bit more. Just a bit.

"Uh..." Brain, work. Please. For once. Just work. "Take it slow? I'll stop you if it gets to be too much." She promises.

[still_the_dm]

That unspoken promise is one he can hear, and it makes him smile as he tugs her a little closer. He hesitates for a second, thinking about what that means, what he could do, what he should do...and finally leans in to kiss her again. Jesus, kissing her is awesome, every time it's like he's kissing her for the first time but better.

He leaves his hands on her hips, but after a couple of moments he settles on letting one slide up and around, under her shirt to spread his fingers against her bare back...and it's nice, it's really nice. Her skin is warm and soft, and his thumb brushes back and forth at the place in the middle of her back where skin dips against her spine, drawn by that silky little valley his fingers can't resist.

No higher, no lower. He just...touches.

And waits to see how she reacts.

[onze]

Her reaction is positive and not quite as subtle as it could be. It's an arched back and that same soft noise she made that prompted him to kiss her the first time, a soft, quick sigh against his lips before she's kissing him more. His skin is a bit rough, but the touch is gentle and cautious. It's how he's always been with her and even if she isn't that small, terrified child anymore, she still appreciates his behavior.


It's why she's so happy to just keep kissing him and learning what is okay for them to do.

She follows his lead, one hand very, very tentatively slipping under his shirt and resting on his side.

Well! She sure can see why he likes this. His skin is warm, muscles underneath solid. Her arm slides around his back, not quite doing the same thing he's doing, just enjoying the skin-to-skin contact and having him as close as she could.

[still_the_dm]

Mike couldn't stop the sound he made when El's hand slid under his shirt to find bare skin, something between a quiet little groan and a growl against her mouth. Her fingers were small and soft, but strangely powerful as they pressed into his side and his back...and it felt great.

The way she just sort of burrowed in closer rather than pushing any further, though, was another reminder that he had to be careful, take his time...and yet the hand that wasn't under her shirt started creeping a little lower, staying above clothes and just getting ready to smooth over her ass--

Right as her cell phone started ringing, her father's ringtone only just audible from the kitchen.

[onze]

The hand sliding down her back caused her to tense up some, just briefly. It wasn't that she didn't want the hand to move and explore, it was just a bit startling. She didn't mind it, really. So she kept kissing, shifting some to keep the contact between her and him. She could not get enough of the feeling.

She wasn't going to discourage him from what he was doing. he hadn't hit anything that made her uncomfortable.

However, the phone ringing started her because it was her dads voice, floating down the hall from her room. So she pulls away with an apologetic and reluctant look, hurrying down the hall to her room and picking up the phone.

"Epicenter of your universe, Onze speaking."

...yes, that is how she answers the phone when t's her dad calling. What of it?

As she speaks, she heads back to where Mike is, still looking a combination of alarmed and apologetic and boy is her face red, like they'd been walked in on.

[still_the_dm]

Mike lets her go, and tries to collect himself--as well as the heart that leaped out of his chest at some point--while Rocky cheerfully addresses El on the phone.

"Hey, cub! Just got done at the mechanic...I muscled those grease monkeys into picking up the pace, they were slow walking me." he singsonged cheerfully. "Just wanted to know if you want me to pick up anything for breakfast on the way home."

There's a beat, then just as cheerfully...

"Like a shotgun for anyone that might be putting their hands on my daughter?..."

Meanwhile, Mike just moves over to El and wraps his arms around her from behind, resting his chin atop her head as he tucks her securely back against his chest while she talks to her dad.

And prays he doesn't have the kind of father superpowers that let him know Mike is holding her, even when they're just on the phone.

[onze]

The arms around her waist are welcome, her hand going over his as she laced their fingers together. She was very happy in those arms and wanted to stay in them, but considering how the conversation with her dad was going, it wasn't plausible.

He was due home soon.

"Did they actually fix the car this time? Because the last mechanic wasn't trustworthy and I'm really hoping I can take Fiona at her word that the guys we took my car to this time actually know what they're doing."

She turns slightly to smile at Mike. He's within kissing distance, but her dad is on the phone, so that'd be a no go at this station. Still, he was gorgeous and he was hers and she was probably falling for him, so she could smile at him just like this and be happy.

But then the look on her face shifts to one that says 'jesus on toast why' and she replies to his next comment with "Dad. No."

Dads. Jesus.

"We're going to Still Waters and then I'm showing him around town. We're good for breakfast. Thank you, though. We do need dish soap. And coffee. Just in general, though."

[still_the_dm]

"You sure? The shotgun's an easy thing..." Rocky assured her, a deliberately wistful note in his voice while Mike just watched El's face and couldn't quite stifle a laugh as he pressed his nose against her temple.

It was a snort of laughter Rocky heard, making him scowl in a manner that bled into his voice.

"Is that him? Is he...doing stuff I can kill him for?"

Oh, it is not a pleasant place in Rock Devereaux's brain right now...

[onze]

"He laughed, dad. He was laughing about something completely innocent. It's perfectly fine. Is my car shiny and really for real fixed this time?"

This is the cars third trip to the mechanic. Second mechanic. This whole Is It Isn't It routine with her car is getting so old.