Mileven One-Shots

Heart to Heart

"Hop, it's important that no matter how they react, you stay calm. If you start ordering them around like a cop and yelling at them, they're going to rebel. That's what they do," Joyce said. Hop spun the rim of his hat around in his hands.

"Maybe uh...maybe you could do it for me," he said. Joyce snickered as she stuck a sale tag on another item.

"It has to come from you. But.....maybe I can help you find the right words," Joyce said. He followed her over to the front desk and she tore a sheet of paper out of a notebook.

"Why don't you come do it with me then? They'll listen to you. And it'll be less awkward for me," Hopper said. Joyce sighed and set her pen down.

"This is really bothering you isn't it?" She asked, almost teasing him.

"Yes it is! Joyce they are constantly kissing! They don't ever do anything except kiss and listen to love songs on the radio!" Hop shouted.

"It doesn't help that El can't go out anywhere. I'm sure they'd make out way less if El was able to leave the house and they could go out together and go to the movies or something," Joyce said and shrugged. Hopper sighed. Joyce was right. She looked down and let out a little groan.

"Yes, I will help you," she said. Hopper gave her a hug and headed off to work and she had to laugh at the whole situation. At least something normal was going on.

•••••

El pulled Mike into her room and shut the door until it was left open 3 inches. She giggled as she turned on the radio and climbed onto the bed next to Mike. Mike smiled at her, lovesick, and guided her hands up around his neck and then leaned in and kissed her as he put his hands on her waist. She kissed him back and they started making out, as usual.

Hopper and Joyce came in the front door and Joyce giggled at Hopper's frustration at seeing them making out in El's room, again.

"Hey, calm, remember? Stay calm," Joyce said. He knocked on the door and the volume of the radio went down a bit.

"Can I uh...can I talk to you guys for a minute?" Hop asked. The door creaked open slowly and Mike and El were sitting beside each other, breathing heavily; trying to act like they weren't just making out, like they usually do. Hop stepped into her room and Joyce stepped in behind him. It was already awkward. Hopper and Joyce pulled El's chairs-her desk chair and her lounge chair- in front of the bed and sat down.

"So guys uh...there's something I need to say to you..." Hop said. Mike looked at El and they both snickered.

"I think we're in trouble..." he said, making El giggle.

"No, no one's in trouble," Hopper said. He stared at them, still trying to find his words, and then looked at Joyce for help.

"Guys, Hopper just wanted to uh...talk to you about...well, all the kissing. We feel that the two of you need to uh...find other things to do. Other ways to spend your time together," Joyce said.

"But we like kissing. Besides, what else do you want us to do? Our definition of 'romantic' time together is this. You're both forgetting I still can't go out and do stuff. Mike and I can't go to the movies, or out for ice cream, or to the park, anything that every other couple can do. And we do take breaks from it! We watch a movie on TV, read books and comics...there isn't much else we can do..." El said. She didn't know why she was freaking out so much. But she wanted to be able to have a relationship with Mike that they wanted and were comfortable with, not what everyone else wanted. But she did also crave the concept of the two of them being able to go out and do stuff together.

"I know. But all of this making out...it isn't normal behavior. It's wrong," Hop said.

"What's normal to us may not be normal to you," El said.

"El we're just asking you guys to hear-" Joyce started.

"You're asking us to hear you out on what you think is wrong with our relationship. We aren't kids anymore. We know things...more than you think. If you want this to stop, let me out of the house. It's been more than enough time since I closed the gate for things to cool off anyway," El said, starting to raise her voice.

"Eleven!" Hop shouted.

"Stay calm no matter their reaction..." Joyce whispered in his ear.

"No! You don't get it! I have been trapped in here for two years, not getting to willingly leave to just...be a teenager! I want to leave this place for longer than ten minutes, and go further than the back yard. If you won't let me do that, so Mike and I can go and do normal couple things, then stop complaining about how we spend our time together," El said. She stormed out of the room, leaving Mike, Hopper, and Joyce staring at each other. Then Mike got up and went after her.

"Well, at least some feelings were shared...maybe not the desired ones..." Joyce said and rubbed her face.

"I don't understand why she got so upset so fast," Hopper said.

"She does have a point. I told you the same thing she did. You can't keep her locked up in here forever," Joyce said. Hop sighed and he and Joyce left the room to find Mike and El. El was standing on the front porch, staring at the forest, Mike beside her rubbing her back. She had her arms crossed and was crying. Hop stepped out onto the porch and they turned around and looked at him, Mike putting his hands on El's shoulders.

"You're right kid. And I'm sorry. It isn't right of me to keep you in this cabin all the time. I guess I'm just afraid. Of losing you; you growing up. It isn't fair, and I'm sorry," Hop said. Joyce gave him a thumbs up from the window.

"So am I allowed to leave? Go out and do stuff?" El asked. Hop sighed.

"Yes, you are," Hop said. El let a smile creep onto her face and she hugged Hopper.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome kid," he said. El turned around to Mike and he smiled at her.

"Sooo...can we go see a movie? I've always wanted to go to a movie theater," El said.

"I don't see why not," Mike said and kissed her forehead.

"YES! Okay okay okay I'll see you later," she said and hugged Hopper once again. She took Mike's hand and dragged him down the stairs before Hop could say anything to him and climbed on the back of his bike. He pedaled off down the road and El shouted with excitement.

"Good job," Joyce said. Hopper let out a sigh.

"That was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life," he said.

•••••

Mike parked his bike at the mall, where his friends were waiting for him for the movie they were going to see.

"You're late, agai-hey, El," Lucas said. They were all pretty shocked to see her.

"Hop gave me permission to start coming out and doing things with you guys!" She said with excitement. She followed them all into the mall, holding Mike's hand tight. When they went into Scoops, Mike rang the bell.

"Hey dingus, your children are here again," Robin said. Steve brought them through the back and snuck them through so they could get into the theater. He noticed El was there, but he didn't want to question it.

They sat down in the theater just as the previews were ending and El held Mike's hand tight.

"Welcome to what every other couple does," Mike teased and kissed her cheek. She giggled and slapped his arm, but she was super excited to finally get to join in the fun and be a normal teenager. Normal was something she had always wanted to be. And now, she could finally begin.