𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 | mileven au.

ELEVEN...

CHAPTER ELEVEN
"AFTERGLOW!"

a silence roamed throughout the murky basement, suffocating the two teenagers in the best possible way. it wasn't an awkward silence filled with trailing gazes and unspoken thoughts, but rather a comfortable silence as they appreciated the forgotten feeling of the shy and subtle caresses of skin as they basked in each other's presence. her hands remained tangled through his hair comfortably, soft sighs occasionally escaping her lips as she felt his grip on her tighten; almost as a way to reassure himself that this wasn't a dream, and that she was actually there.

and this time she is there for something that feels a bit like forever, and it has never felt so right.

"i'm sorry for ruining your shirt." mike apologized in a low voice laced with embarrassment, his cheeks a light shade of pink as he forced himself out of the comforting embrace. she chuckled lightly at the genuine apology, biting down on her lip as she glanced back up at him.

my god, how she missed that sight. the sight of his slightly disheveled and ruffled raven hair that matched his chocolate eyes that were littered with stardust. and oh, how she especially missed the view of his flushed cheeks, varying from a calm salmon tone to a crimson scarlet that made her heart beat so erratically she was almost positive everyone could hear it, no matter how badly she tried to keep it contained.

"it's okay, i have others," she shrugged awkwardly, watching how he nodded in response. this time, the silence between the two was more uncomfortable than the last. each struggled to find the words to explain themselves, both pairs of eyes darting around the room as their backs rested against the rickety stairs.

"mike?" the brunette eventually spoke, her voice that was typically laced with a sweet collected sound had transitioned to a meek manner that startled mike, causing him to gulp as he heard the words that threatened to break in her throat.

"yeah?" he responded just as softly, anxiously awaiting for what she had to say. however, would her explanation even matter to him? how could it when he was just so floored by her mere presence? feeling el's aura after being away from her for so long was like a breath of fresh flowery air; and mike couldn't seem to get enough of it.

she could spit the cruelest words known to mankind and break him down little by little. she could insult and belittle and ridicule him to the bone but it wouldn't matter because he was just so unexplainably relieved to have her back again.

words couldn't even begin to describe how calming it was to watch her lips curl up in small smiles, the pure movement somehow causing his heart rate to simultaneously spike rapidly while it also slowed down to the steadiest manner. seeing her eyelashes swoop upwards as she batted her eyes at him in the most innocent way made him feel like he was on the verge of death, but he didn't mind. he didn't mind because even if he had a gun pressed against his temple, he would die happily knowing that the last sight he would ever see would be eleanor hopper in all of her golden glory.

"i am so sorry you've had to deal with me." she whispered, tucking a strand of frizzy hair behind her ear as her stare flickered to his face. she tried desperately to dissect the expression drawn across his face, expecting an angered reaction that would result in him screaming at her. instead, she was surprised to find pure bewilderment growing on his face as his eyebrows furrowed.

"w-what do you mean? you're kind of the best thing thats happened to me in a really long time." he admitted bashfully, playing with his fingers as his head ducked downwards. el swallowed back a sob of relief at his forgiveness, pushing back the tears that were gathering in the corners of her eyes. she nodded slowly, unable to hold back the smile tugging on her lips.