you put your arms around me (and I'm home)

chapter 1

After the events at Starcourt, Max starts to hate horror films, and even action films, and refuses to watch them, but when Eleven finds herself interested in movies like Labyrinth, Max can't say no and takes her to the cinema to watch it.

Despite the apprehension and anxiety she is feeling, Max does her best to remain by El's side throughout the film, even buying her popcorn, candy and soda.

There's nothing special about the film, and the effects are... well... poor, for lack of a better word, but at one point, Max finds herself bolting from the room and hiding in the bathroom, with her head between her legs while trying to breathe.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real." she repeats while holding the sides of her head and closing her eyes, trying not to cry.

The next moment El enters the bathroom, softly calling for Max until she finds her in one of the stalls and slowly kneels in front of her, but without touching her.

"Max, I'm here." El says, softly and patiently.

She waits until Max lifts her head, and when their eyes meet, she offers a sympathetic smile. A smile that says more than any words she could say, if she were articulate enough.

They stay there for a few minutes, until Max calms down enough and then El asks "what happened?"

"Nothing, it was just something stupid." Max says, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

El takes her hands gently and places them on her knees, gently wiping away Max's tears.

"Joyce says it's okay if we don't want to talk, but it's better when we do." El says as she gently brushes Max's cheeks, wet and streaked with tears.

Max looks at her for a while, deciding what to do, but that's El, her best friend, the only person who understands her and doesn't judge her, and who has let her sleep in her room almost every night since that day.

El, who holds her at night when Max wakes up screaming from her nightmares and don’t ask about it because she knows Max won’t talk, El who strokes her hair and stays awake until she sleeps again, El who lost Hopper, and despite living with the Byers, who are good people, has once again been thrown into a place that is not her home.

Max takes a deep breath and looks at Eleven. "I- I can't watch these movies anymore, El, I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me-"

"I thought I could, and you wanted to see this movie so bad and we barely have any places left to go after-" Max shakes her head, new tears running down her face.

"Max." Eleven says firmly but gently. "Jonathan says we don't have to do anything that makes us un-" She frowns, trying to remember the word. "Uncomfortable. That's it."

"But you wanted to see the movie and I thought I could handle it, but I ended up ruining it, El. I'm sorry."

Eleven says nothing. She knows Max well enough now that words won't do any good, so she does the only thing that seems to calm Max these days; she hugs her.

She breathes a sigh of relief when Max doesn't resist, and leans against her, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head on her chest. El closes her eyes, fighting back her own tears as she runs her fingers through Max's hair.

They stay there until the noise of conversations and footsteps fills the place announcing the end of the film. El gets up and helps Max up. They wash their hands and faces, and El takes Max's hand as they leave the bathroom.

They walk out of the cinema and onto the main street, to the store where Joyce works. As they enter the store, El smiles at Joyce, and that woman seems to have an inexplicable sense of things, because the smile she gives El immediately says that she noticed that Max is not well, and Eleven is very grateful for that.

"Can Max sleep over today?"

"Of course, darling."

Eleven nods and waits for Joyce to get the car keys. They help Joyce close the store and stop by the grocery store before heading home.

They help Joyce prepare dinner and this seems to help improve Max's mood. Will is at Mike's house with the party playing another endless game of D&D and Jonathan is with Nancy, so El and Max sit with Joyce in the living room to watch one of those shows she likes.

When the episode ends, Joyce gets up and announces that she is going to sleep, but says that the girls can continue watching TV if they want. She strokes their hair as she passes, and El smiles, settling on the couch next to Max.

"Do you want to keep watching TV or would you rather do something else?" Eleven asks after a few minutes.

Max shrugs, feeling drained after what happened at the movie theater. She wants to stay up with El, watching TV, listening to music or reading magazines, but she feels like she doesn't have the energy for any of that right now.

She sighs gratefully when El just strokes her hair again and stands up, extending a hand to her and guiding them to her room.

Max feels her thoughts starting to wander again, down a path she doesn't like, but she can't help it.

Eleven is in the shower, and Max closes her eyes, trying to focus on the good memories she has; the winter ball, movies with the boys, shopping with El, eating ice cream with El, reading magazines to El...

She is brought out of her thoughts when the bedroom door opens and Eleven walks in, smiling. Max adjusts herself on the bed, making room for El.

"Thanks for today." Max says after they are lying down for a while.

Eleven nods and opens her arms for Max to settle against her, and she does so without saying anything, grateful that Eleven doesn't pressure her.

Max closes her eyes, feeling sleep and tiredness takes over her body, and the last thing she remembers before falling asleep is Eleven kissing the top of her head and murmuring "I'm here, Max."