mileven oneshots [completed]

how to save a christmas

a christmas! oneshot (it's may, i know. calm down)

"you took the turkey out, right?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~

mike kinda felt like a dork standing by the door. he was leaning against the door, occasionally peering through the peephole, searching through the snow to see if the chief's car pulled up.

today was the wheeler's christmas eve dinner, a precedent to el's first christmas.

his mom had been cooking in the kitchen for hours, trying to perfect her recipes. the turkey was nearly done, it just had to be taken out. other than that, all was set for the guest's arrival.

"hey," nancy called, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, "you don't need to stand there. she knows how to ring a doorbell,"

mike rolled his eyes, "i'm just trying to be a good boyfr- i mean, friend,"

nancy chuckled her eyes, "you can admit that you're excited to see her,"

"never. not to you, anyways,"

suddenly, mike heard a car pull up through the snow and saw the lights. he peered through the peephole and saw el and hopper getting out of the car, hopper muttering something funny, seeing as el giggled.

she was wearing a red and white knitted christmas sweater and a grey skirt, her legs being shielded by the cold with white leggings and black slip-on shoes. she had her hair in their curls, hanging loose.

mike smiled. she looked beautiful.

"is that el or the buyers?" nancy asked.

"el," mike responded, his eyes never leaving el's small figure approaching his doorstep.

nancy smirked, "is she pretty?"

"what? no!- i mean. i wasn't really thinking about it-" mike said nervously, pulling away from the door.

"they're here!" nancy yelled, as she uncrossed her arms and headed back to the kitchen. suddenly, a knock at the door startled mike. mike smiled and bit his lip as he opened the door to reveal el and hopper, with hopper's hand on her shoulder.

"mike!" el said, as she broke from her fathers grasp to embrace mike loosely.

mike blushed and smiled into her shoulder, saying, "hey,"

mike spotted nancy, who was again leaning against the wall subtly, smirking. and even though mike was blushing rose pink, he didn't care who saw him with his arms around a girl he waited 353 days for. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

the buyers came about twenty minutes later, and his mom began serving the appetizers as soon as everybody sat down. ted had joined them shortly after the food was served. ted wasn't a very social man. he wasn't an interesting man either. nor a nice one. 

mike had always wondered what had compelled them to get together; they had nothing in common, they fought all the time; mike promised himself he would never be like that. 

at the dinner, he sat between el and will. nancy had her hand in jonathan's, and hopper seemed to be scooting his chair a little too close to joyce's. meanwhile, ted and karen were on opposite sides of the table. 

mike remembered smelling smoke. it wasn't prominent at first. so he didn't say anything. 

but two minutes later, karen's eyes went wide, and she said across the table, getting her husband's attention, "ted,"