13. Play Date (Mike, Lucas, Holly & Erica)

A/N: Hey, nerds! This is for 'ToonGrrl1990' and 'Byzinha', who wanted some Holly and Erica interactions, while Mike and Lucas had a talk; I added some jealous Dustin (although he's not in this one, he's only mentioned) for 'brodie-wan' who asked for it. I hope you guys like this, because I had some struggles with this chapter. I feel like the boys' talk was too forced, Idk. Also, headcanon that Mrs. Sinclair tries to find color Barbies for Erica so she grows up knowing that there are different body types for all woman. Love!

PROMPT: Holly and Erica, with a side dish of Mike and Lucas boy talk.

"Hey, man, you there? Over." Lucas greeted Mike over the Super Com.

"Yeah, what's up? Over." Mike responded.

"Are you busy? Over." He wondered as he watched Erica grab another one of his action figures with an eye roll.

"Not really, I was just practicing guitar. Why? Over."

"Can you come over? I'm alone and I need to talk to you. And bring Holly! I need someone to neutralize Erica for a while. Over." His little sister threw him a look.

"Okaaay? I'll get her and we'll be there in five. Over and out."

Lucas turned his Super Com off and put it back on his desk as Erica got up and went to her room.

He followed her and leaned on the threshold as she sat on her carpet.

"Are you going to stare at me the whole day, or what?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I need to watch you." He reminded her.

"No, you need to take care of me, not to stand there like a creep." She told him with a sassy move of her head.

"I'm just making sure you don't get injured by your doll. You know, because you need a babysitter all the time." He rolled his eyes annoyed.

"It's not my fault you have no life. If you had any plans, Mom would have found a babysitter for me instead of making you do it." She huffed as she slipped a blue plastic high heel on Christie's foot.

"Well, if you weren't such a little terror then you wouldn't even need a babysitter."

"Yes, I would," she stood up and placed her hands under her chin, fluttering her lashes and pouting adorably. "I'm just a baby."

He huffed as she laughed, knowing that look got her out of any trouble with their parents. Thankfully, the doorbell rang just in time.

"Stay here." He told her seriously.

He ran downstairs and opened the door. Mike was standing there clutching the hand of his blonde little sister.

"Hey, dude." Mike greeted with a smile.

"Hey, man, come in." He let them enter, smiling as Holly's curious eyes wandered around the house. "Hey, Holly."

"Hi." She smiled cherubically, much to her big brother's adoration.

"C'mon, Erica is upstairs. You like dolls, Holly?" Lucas asked the little girl as he took the lead, and Mike led her up the stairs.

"Oh, she hates dolls. Right, Holls?" Mike asked his baby sister teasingly.

"He's lying," she shook her head, blonde ponytails flying around her face. "I love dolls."

"Well, let's see if Erica wants to share." He muttered as he pushed his little sister's door open.

"Hey, look," Lucas said as Erica's eyes ran over the new guests. "I got you a play mate."

"Hey, Erica." Mike waved.

"Hey, nerd." She giggled as she stood up and went to her toys chest.

Both boys rolled their eyes, used to the girl's attitude. Mike looked down and saw Holly look up with uncertainty in her eyes. "It's okay, Holly." He told her soothingly as he patted her soft hair.

"You wanna play with me? I got a few white Barbies somewhere around here." Erica asked Holly over her shoulder as she searched her toys.

Mike chuckled as Holly took tentative steps towards the other girl, looking at Erica's toys curiously.

"Here," The black haired girl told the blonde one. "You can have Astronaut Barbie." She handed Holly the doll and resumed her search, emerging with the Great Shape Barbie and Fashion Jeans Ken. Erica sat down on the floor and placed the dolls between them as Holly sat in front of her.

"Ken can be your boyfriend if you want. He's too plain for Christie." She caressed her Barbie's dark hair lovingly.

"Let's sit." Lucas told Mike as he moved further inside his sister's bedroom.

Both teens took a seat on the pink bed, making themselves comfortable while they watched the girls play.

"So, you said you wanted to talk." Mike reminded him as he watched Holly redress her doll.

"Yeah... it's about Dustin."

"About Dustin?" Mike raised his eyebrows. "What about him?"

"Well, you know how we both had a crush on Max?" Lucas fiddled with his fingers.

"Yeah, kind of hard to miss at the beginning." Mike laughed.

"Well, I thought he moved on from that." Lucas frowned.

"Wait," Mike sat up straighter. "I thought you and Max—"

"Yeah." Lucas nodded. "We're kind of seeing how it goes. But the thing is, I thought Dustin would be okay with it. I mean, he didn't show interest in her after the whole Demodogs thing, so I was sure he was over it."

"But he isn't?" Mike asked as he lowered his eyes to the butterflies in Erica's bedspread.

"I don't know! He exploded on me, called me a bad friend and a horrible person because I didn't care about his feelings or whatever." Lucas huffed. "You know I'm not like that, Mike. I don't know why he gets like that sometimes."

"Well," Mike leaned back and rested his head against the headboard. "I've been noticing he gets a little snappy recently. Maybe he's just jealous."

"But, why? I don't understand him, Mike." Lucas shook his head frustrated. "He isn't the type of person to keep his feelings bottled up. You know Dustin, if he's feeling someway he will tell you straight up! That's one of the things I admire from him. He's never afraid of expressing himself and his emotions. I don't understand what's gotten into him."

"I was taking to Will the other day, about us. You know, you and Max, me and El," he smiled briefly at the thought of the brunette. "He said he sometimes got lonely. He told me he is happy for all of us, but being single in a group of couples gets pretty depressing."

"You think that's what's happening to Dustin? Maybe he's feeling a little left out?" Lucas asked him concerned after a few seconds.

"Maybe he's feeling a bit neglected from you." Mike nodded thoughtfully.

"I have been spending a lot of time with Max." Lucas nodded in agreement.

"Maybe you should talk to him, then." Erica said loudly, sending a sharp look in her brother's direction, and receiving an annoyed nod in response.

"Mm, yeah. I'll tell him to meet me at the arcade after my parents get here." Lucas said thoughtfully after a few seconds of silence.

"Good idea. Safe ground for him; he'll be right in his element." Mike nodded.

They watched their sisters play for a few minutes more, chuckling when Holly's doll cheated on Ken with Lucas' action figure, and laughing when Erica's Christie dramatically ended her friendship with Astronaut Barbie.

"I feel like I'm watching one of El's soaps." Mike laughed.

"How is she, by the way? How are things between you two?" Lucas asked curiously, fluffing a tiny pillow on his hands.

Mike smiled. "Great, actually. I was at her house yesterday, and she's making so much progress. Hopper thinks she'll be ready to start high school with us in August." He said happily.

"Oh, that's awesome!" Lucas said excitedly, sitting up against the headboard like Mike. "Hey, I have question..." he started hesitantly.

"Shoot." Mike looked at him expectantly.

"So... how did you get El to go out with you?" Lucas felt himself blush and he was thankful that his dark complexion didn't show much of it.

"Uhmmmm..." Mike looked speechless. "I actually haven't asked her."

Lucas frowned. "What do you mean you haven't asked her? You two have been joined at the hip everywhere!"

"Well, yeah," Mike sat up. "And we have been going to the movies and stuff, but I haven't actually asked her to be my girlfriend."

Mike grimaced as his words sank in. "Oh, shit," his eyes widened. "I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend!"

"Damnit, I was going to ask you how to ask Max to be my girlfriend!" Lucas exclaimed annoyed.

They looked at each other for a few heartbeats before exploding in laughter.

"Man," Mike wheezed out. "How do we get them, then?"

"Maybe," Erica stood up and approached her bed. "If you both were smarter, you'd ask an actual girl for some advice."

"Who, you?" Lucas asked her teasingly.

"Yes, me!" The little girl huffed.

"What do you suggest?" Mike asked her curiously.

"Well, what does Max like?" Erica asked her brother.

"Uhh... skateboarding? Video games, chocolate, horror movies..." he trailed off.

"Well, didn't you say she needed a new skateboard? Buy her one."

"You heard that?" Lucas asked her surprised, remembering when he asked his mom for the skate store.

"I tried not to, but you're so loud." Erica rolled her eyes. "Give her a new one as a present, and maybe you can take her on a date to the movies. Then, if you don't screw up, you ask her to be your girlfriend. That's it. No big gestures. She likes things to be simpler, right?"

"Yeah..." he nodded, analyzing her words. "Wow, Erica, that's actually pretty good. I think I'll go with it."

"You're welcome." She smiled smugly.

"Wait, now help me." Mike pleaded her. "El likes pink, butterflies, drama movies, books, Eggos, crayons, ice cream, puppies—"

"I asked what does she like, not to give me her biography." Erica interrupted him. "Well..." she thought hard. "You could take her to the ice cream place."

"And make her a sign," Holly said, coming closer and standing next to Erica at the foot of the bed. "A big sign. With lots of pink and butterflies glued to it."

"Wouldn't that be better for prom? I've seen the movies, the guys usually make the signs for prom." Mike said thoughtfully.

"Or buy her a puppy!" Holly clapped cheerily.

"I'm pretty sure Hopper would kick me out, dog in tow." Mike shook his head.

"Buy her a book?" Holly asked hesitantly.

"Mmm... isn't that too simple?" Mike scrunched his face.

"Well, what do you want?!" Erica huffed, throwing her arms in the air.

"It's— I—," Mike sighed, leaning back on Erica's pillows. "I just want it to be special."

"And it will be, man." Lucas patted his back in comradery.

Mike sighed, looking down for a few seconds before eying both girls in front of him. "I'll take your advice and think it through, girls."

"You better do." Erica nodded seriously.

"You really are clueless, Mike." Holly told her big brother seriously.

"Get used to it," Erica rolled her eyes. "I don't know if it's a big brother thing, but mine is just the same."

Both boys huffed as both little girls turned towards each other and began giggling.