12. 12: Long Nights

(An unnecessarily long) A/N:

Wow, it has been way too long since I've updated...sorry about that! But, I have a good reason! You guys, Season Two. Flippin' Season Two. I'm literally restraining myself from going on a rant about it right now, because I know once I've started I won't stop. BUT HOOOOOOLY CRAP IT CHANGED MY LIfE THAT'S NOT AN EXAGGERATION! If you need someone to scream about it with, I will gladly do so with you because AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREAKING INCREDIBLE! And also, I don't think I could possibly love Mike and Eleven more than I already do, they are my LIFE!

So that's that! Also, I'm running low on ideas for one-shots, so if you guys have any requests or ideas you'd like to see turned into a Mileven one-shot, please feel free to let me know!

"8:00, you hear me? I want you home when the clock reads eight-zero-zero exactly, okay?" "Okay Dad," El tells Hopper, starting to get impatient. "And call me or tell Mrs. Byers if you need anything, got it?" "Yes Dad, can I go?" Sighing, he ruffles his hand through her hair and she shoots him a toothy grin before climbing out of his police car. "See you at eight-zero-zero!" she calls as she walks up the sidewalk to the Byers' porch. As soon as she rings the doorbell, a whirlwind of shouting and thudding feet is suddenly heard from inside and it isn't long before the door is whipped open to reveal her very energetic friends rushing to the door to greet her. "Hey El! Ready to learn how to play one of the best games of all time?" Dustin exclaims excitedly as she steps into the house and he pulls her into a good-natured hug. "Wait, El, you've never played Monopoly?" she hears Max say, followed by Lucas quickly clearing his throat. "Right...sorry..."

"It's okay," she says, giving Max a tight-lipped smile. She's getting better-at the beginning, she refused to even talk to the girl. Now, she had come to realize that she was going to have to be friends with Max, whether she liked it or not. El wasn't the best at giving second chances, but her and a certain other person were working on it, little by little. Speaking of that special person...

Her eyes scan the room, and when they land on him, her insides flip and the room stands still, just like it does every time she meets his gaze. He's been waiting patiently on the side for that moment when he can have her all to his own. Her lips curl upward into a smile and the force that pulls them together is magnetic. They meet in the middle and she manages to give him a quick kiss on his cheek before she's in his arms and all is right with the world. She can hear her friends tip-toeing back to the living room and she's grateful they're respectful when it comes to moments like this.

"I missed you," Mike mumbles. "It's been two days," she replies with a smile and rests her head on his shoulder. "That's way too long," he quietly says as he presses his lips against her forehead. "What are we doing today?" she asks when they finally separate. "We've been wanting to do a Monopoly marathon for a while. Don't worry, we'll teach you how to play!" he explains, lacing their fingers together and leading her to Will's living room.

The youngest of their group had yet to fully recover from the events of early November 1984, so Mrs. Byers had requested they hang out someplace where she can keep tabs on her son without being overbearing, at least for the time being. She's running errands at the moment and is planning to stay out a little later, so the party can be as loud as they want, without worrying about disturbing her. A game board is laid on the coffee table in the middle of the room, where Dustin is frantically dividing paper money into six little piles as Max organizes the bank and Lucas and Will set out all the figurines. "El, who do you want to be: the thimble or the hat?" Will asks. She just stares back at him. What the heck is a thim-ble. And how could you BE a hat? "Oh, we've got a loooong ways to go..." Lucas mutters, earning him a death glare from Mike.

Two hours later, she's gotten the hang of it. She's always been a fast learner and the party had no trouble getting her to understand the ins and outs of this game. And turns out, she was really good at it. "El, I'll trade you $200 and Virginia Avenue for Pennsylvania Avenue," Dustin offers. They're well into the game at this point, but still, no one has managed to get a monopoly and the stakes are high. El glances at her properties, thinking it over. "$300 and Virginia," she finally says, trying her best to hide a smirk. Dustin's eyes light up. "Deal!" he cries and hands over her end of the bargain. She grins and places her newly won property next to the other two pinks she already owns. Dustin's face sinks and she giggles as he realizes what he had just done. "Wha...how...when did you get St. Charles?" he sputters. She shrugs. "While you and Lucas were arguing about robbing the bank," earning her a round of high-fives from her friends. "Well, crap! Will, how much would you give me your green for?" "No way are you getting that property!" Will responds, laughing.

A smile plays at her lips as she realizes how happy she was to be sitting here, with all her friends, doing normal teenager things and just generally enjoying life. The atmosphere was alive and enthusiastic and it felt like nothing could ruin this night.

But of course, something did.

Just like that, something changed. Something was off. A terrible feeling twisted in her gut and goosebumps rose on the back of her neck.

Something was here. There was a presence she couldn't quite place. Something was lurking somewhere in the back of her mind, but it slid out of her grasp every time she tried to look directly at it. A quick glance at her friends' faces told her no one else sensed it-none of them, except...

Her heart froze and she shot up from her chair. The split second after she says, "Will!", the boy cries out, startling the rest of the party. His head drops into his hands and she's in front of him, forcing him to look at her. Tears are already forming in his eyes as he begins trembling and whimpering, clutching his head. "It's coming, it's here, it's here, it's coming!" he repeats over and over again.

"You have to fight it, Will," she says firmly, making sure to maintain eye contact with him and trying her best to remain calm, although, in reality, she's far from that. His gaze is wild and his hands are shaking, his breaths rapid. He's fighting a battle and she can feel it-she can feel the darkness, the shadow, the outstretching fingers. Their friends behind them are on their feet, offering encouragement of their own, but wisely keeping their distance.

"No, get out! Get OUT!" Will is almost screaming now and he shakes his head in a futile attempt to rid his mind of the demons that are closing in. El's arms prickle with goose bumps-not the kind she gets when she hears something beautiful or when Mike gently plays with her hair, but the kind that display her fear and despair at having to watch her friends suffer. "Don't let it get you!" she repeats, her hands now gripping his wrists.

"They're...they're watching!" he cries suddenly. "Who? Who's watching you?" El fires back, eyes darting around the room. "Them!" He's staring over her shoulder, and she turns around to find their friends still gathered around them, with the same confused look on their faces as she is sure is on hers. "Our...our friends?" she asks, turning back to him and he nods, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Why can't they watch?" He only shakes his head and squeezes his eyes shut, clearly having difficulty breathing.

She thinks fast and pulls him to his feet. If she were being plagued by an unseen evil, she wouldn't want those she cared about having to see it either. "Stay here," she commands to her friends and proceeds to half guide, half force Will to his room.

He falls onto his bed when they get there, his fingers curling in his hair as his tears continue to fall. She kneels beside him and, shutting her eyes, she reaches out her mind and she can suddenly clearly see the shadows that are waltzing around him, teasing his mind. His attempt to ward them off is diligent, but it's not enough. Praying this doesn't hurt him, she ever so slightly nudges at the darkness with her powers and it reacts, recoiling with a start. Will gasps sharply and his body jerks, which breaks her concentration. "Did that hurt?" she asks, the look on his face alarming her.

"A...a little..." he starts to say, but his words are cut off when his breathing increases and his gaze lands on something across the room, on what she can only guess is this unseen evil. "El, it's...it's coming back!" he manages to get out before his eyes glaze over and he begins to shake once more. "Okay...okay, hang on," she says shakily, trying not to panic. She grabs onto his wrists to steady him and shuts her eyes once more.

A rapid knock suddenly comes from the door, startling them both. "Hey El, Will? We're just making sure you guys are okay," they hear Dustin say from the hallway. It's become clear that this is a fight she's going to have to be the one to win and she's starting to realize she's too much of a mess right now to do it without support.

"Mike," she calls, making sure Will can hold his own for the time being. When nothing happens, she tries again, this time a little more frantic. "Mike!' Finally, she hears the door swing open and Mike immediately says, "El, what's going on?" She feels his hand on her shoulder and she leans against his legs. He understands her plea, and kneels down beside her, wrapping an arm fully around her shoulders. "Will, is it the Shadow Monster?" he asks quietly and the boy nods, still trembling under El's grip.

She exhales and closes her eyes, ready as she'll ever be. The evil is still looming in the corners of his mind and it seems to shrink back when it realizes she's watching them. She takes a moment to examine it, contemplating the best way to make it go away. It doesn't seem to be latched onto his brain anywhere, so theoretically, she should just be able to push it away from him...right?

Her powers encircle this entity as a whole, feeling every edge and boundary of it. It's getting nervous and she's surprised it hasn't put up a fight yet. But she goes for it anyway, giving the darkness a mental shove. As soon as she does, Will is violently jerked backward and lets out a yelp of pain, her hold on his wrists being the only thing stopping him from falling back onto the bed. She opens her eyes in confusion and Mike pulls her closer. "Will...what...?" she trails off, giving her friend time to find his voice. "It's attached," he finally whispers and her stomach drops. She shuts her eyes and sees that the shadows have resumed their original position, threatening to engulf Will's mind entirely. This time, her examination is thorough and she finally finds the thread snaking from the back of his brain up into the darkness, taunting her.

"Will, I'm sorry," she whispers and he stiffens. With one jerk of her head, she snaps the thread right in two. The creature screeches and Will cries out, but she holds fast to his wrists. Wasting no time, she grabs onto the shadows and throws them toward the window. The sudden gasp from Mike is an indicator that it's visible to him, meaning...

Meaning it's out of Will's head. She did it. The monster's gone, at least for now. She opens her eyes and lets herself fall against Mike, who runs his fingers up and down her arm gently, while repeating, "Good job, you did it, it's gone," over and over. "Thank you, El," she hears Will whisper and she glances up at him. He doesn't look too great, but he's free of the darkness for the time being and that's all that matters. "You're welcome," she replies. "How long had that been there?" "Um...will..." Will starts, biting his lip. His eyes dart from Mike to her, then back to Mike. "Is it okay if...um...I talk to Mike...um..." "Alone?" she finishes for him and he nods. She sighs and Mike squeezes her shoulders. "I'll wait for you," she whispers to him and he replies with a grateful "Thank you".

Her other friends had left a while ago and El is beginning to doze off as she leans against the wall opposite Will's room, when Mike finally reemerges. The first thing she notices about him is his eyes-they're faded and weary and missing the light they usually held. He silently shuts the door, whispering "He's asleep," and she didn't fail to recognize the worn-out edge to his voice. His posture is limp, his face a mask of fatigue.

She wastes no time closing the distance between them, pushing off the wall and wrapping her arms around him. He sighs and hugs her back, resting his cheek against her hair as she closes her eyes. They stay like that for a while, soaking in the feeling of each other's presence. He eventually speaks, his voice a whisper meant only for her to hear.

"I...I pretend I'm strong when I'm with him. I pretend that I have all the answers and everything's going to be alright, but..." His sentence trails off as his words begin to waver and she tightens her grip, nodding her head against his shoulder. Because she feels the exact same way. They both know deep down they're really powerless when it comes to the evil that will not leave their friend alone, and the feeling of helplessness that surrounds the two of them in this moment is real. All they can do is be there for him and stay strong for a couple hours because that's what he needs. But it's taking a toll on them, and one of the only things that helps in the endless love they have for one another. They fall back on each other every single time completely drained, emotionally, and physically, in El's case.

They hold each other for a good while, standing in the Byers hallway and she lets him silently cry and he lets her bury her face in the crook of his neck. They're dreading the moment they have to separate, because this is where they feel the most secure.

He's calmed down a little by the time the phone rings, startling the two. She really, really doesn't want to let him go and she's thankful that he keeps an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as they go to answer it.

"Hello?" she says into the receiver. "Kid?" Her eyes widen and she glances at the clock. 10:58. She was supposed to be home three hours ago. Her stomach drops and she nervously bites her lip as she timidly responds, 'Hi Dad..." She hears his sigh of relief, before he very forcefully asks, "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick about you!" "I know, 'be home at eight-zero-zero'. But Dad, Will had an...episode. We needed to stay with him." Hopper pauses. "Is he okay?" he asks finally. "Yes. He's asleep now," she replies.

"Wait a minute, 'we' needed to stay with him? Who is 'we'? "Um...Mike and I. We stayed with Will," she answers and beside her, Mike stiffens. "Is Mike still there?" "Yes." "Can I speak to him? Please?" She finds the request a little odd, but hands Mike the phone anyways. However, before she does, she covers the receiver with her hand and whispers, "I don't want to leave you tonight." "Me neither," he mouths, taking the phone from her. "Hey Hopper," he says, his voice shaking slightly. She leans against him as he listens to what just sounds like a jumble of muffled words to her. "Mm-hm...yeah...no...yeah, I know..." His eyebrows raise. "Are you sure?...okay...yes sir, I understand...I'll see you then...bye." He hangs up the phone and smiles at her. "He thinks it's too late for you to go home at this point. He asked me to take you home with me. Don't worry, he's not mad that you were late-he knows it's not your fault," he explains.

She sighs and melts against him, and he folds her in his arms once again. "You need sleep," she mumbles against his chest, feeling the exhaustion radiating from him. "So do you," he replies, rubbing her back. She honestly would've fallen asleep right there if he hadn't taken her by the hand and led her to the front door. After making sure they lock up the house, Mike climbs onto his bike and once she' stable on the back, he sets out into the night, with El firmly gripping his jacket.

It's been a couple months since her return, and she's ridden on his bike a handful of times since then, but she gets the same thrill this time as she does every time. Because she missed the feeling of trusting him to get her somewhere and being this close to him so dang much.

She remembers the first time Mike offered her the backseat on his bike-she had been timid and cautious, opting to place her hands on his shoulders to steady herself as they rode to who knows where. But now, she was more than happy to let her head rest in between his shoulder blades and wrap her arms around his stomach as the night air swirled around them. Sleep was threatening to overtake her, but she shook herself awake when one of Mike's hands covered her own that was clutching his jacket. "We're almost there, okay?" she hears him say, and she nods against his back.

Still, she's dozed off by the time they reach the Wheeler house and Mike has to wake her, before helping her off his bike. They're both exhausted and weary by the time they trudge through the front door and they kick off their shoes in a heavy silence, noting that the clock says it's almost midnight. She feels like she'll collapse any minute, but she still refuses to leave his side tonight. There's no way in heck she's going to willingly be left alone in the dark, with nothing but her thoughts and the images and anxiety dealing with Will had come with. And besides, the basement is freezing without him.

He starts to head for the stairs, but her hand snakes around his forearm and gently tugs him towards the basement steps. He gives her a confused look, but follows agreeably, knowing full well that a tired El is a stubborn El. Not that he minds what she's doing in the least. She never releases her hold on him as she leads him down the basement stairs, making sure to shut the door behind them. When they reach the bottom, he slips his hand into hers, understanding physical contact is important to her right now, and goes to switch off the lights. The sudden darkness is welcoming to their tired eyes and they make their way over to El's infamous blanket fort, which is still standing, and always will be, if Mike has anything to say about it.

He goes in first, crawling into the structure that was the first real home El ever knew. Her eyes are starting to adjust, at least enough for her to make out Mike's hand that's reaching for her, blindly trying to find his girl in the darkness. Using his arm as a guide, she settles herself among the blankets and pillow so that she's facing him. Her heart leaps when he shifts closer to her and wraps his arms around her shoulders, pulling her as close to him as possible. Her legs entangle themselves with his and she puts her arms around his waist, clinging to his clothes and burying her face in his chest as she snuggles in closer. She feels him leave a kiss on top of her head and she sighs, shutting her eyes.

A feeling of security and comfort has overcome both of them. They've longed for this since they first had to watch their friend go through an intense amount of pain earlier that day and they're just so thankful that they can finally rest. At least for tonight, they can finally rest in the safety of each other's arms. Because that's where they belong.