#catch me making another open.. i think it'd be so funny. give him a lil fashion show.

[greedcartel]

your muses should drag crimson for (formal) clothes shopping and make him pay. 😌

[planetsam]

if you're still taking ST fanfic requests, could you maybe do one where El sneaks out to meet Mike, and they have a cute lil' time, but then he walks her back to the cabin & they have to deal with Hopper? just an idea but i think it'd be cute!

The tap tap tap on his window wakes him up.

Mike sleeps facing the window. He’s dreamed of waking up and seeing her there many times. It’s still a complete surprise. And not just because she’s hovering outside of his window. He knows she’s telekinetic, she’s pulled him back from falling off a literal cliff. But it’s still a shock to see her hovering there, knuckles poised over his window like she’s about to knock again. When their eyes lock a bright grin splits her face and she waves. He scrambles out of bed, yanking open the window.

“Hi, Mike,” she whispers, slipping underneath the edge and landing softly on the carpet. He immediately wraps his arms around her and she happily leans into him. He’s tall enough now that the top of her head is under his nose, he can smell the shampoo-conditioner-combo that he’s sure Hopper buys.

“You’re here,” he breathes and she nods, her hair tickling his nose, “I don’t understand—did Hopper let you out?” She shakes her head, “El?”

“Stake-out,” she says simply, moving away from him to start exploring his room.

“He’s on a stake-out?” He says.

“Yes,” she says, running her fingers over his dresser before going over to his bed and dropping onto it, “he’s staking, I’m visiting.”

Mike knows he should be concerned about that but the sight of her in her cuffed jeans and thick sweater, sprawled out on his bed, eliminates the other thoughts he has. Also if Hopper ever finds out Mike’s pretty sure he’ll kill him so he’s fully prepared to enjoy this as much as possible. He gets onto the bed with her, returning the bright smile she gives him.

“Ok?” She asks and he nods.

“Yeah, yeah this is okay,” he assures her, “I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” she says.

“When’d you learn to fly?” He asks and even in the foggy days when he dreamed about having a girlfriend, he can’t say the question is one he ever really thought he’d ask, “its awesome,” he says at her expression, “I didn’t know your powers had gotten stronger.”

“Practice,” she says, looking down, “I had time.”

He knows that Hopper was trying to keep her safe. He knows that. He also has to keep reminding himself of it because he is angrier every day at what’s been done. At the idea of her being locked up in a different house, by a different man, but having to run away all the same. Really he knows he’s scared that one day she’s going to feel that way about him, even though he vows always that he’ll never give her a reason to do it.

She reaches up and drags her fingers through his hair, studying it. Mike knows he needs a haircut, but he keeps silent as she inspects it. Her fingers skim across his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, along the curve of his jaw. He doesn’t have to shave yet but her nose wrinkles at the different feeling. She coasts down his neck, he fights to stay still but it’s hard when she hits the ticklish patch on his neck.

“Funny?” She asks.

“Ticklish,” he says, she frowns in confusion, “like this,” he says reaching out slowly and scratching the same spot on her. She looks at him blankly, “not everyone is—“ he trails off as his fingers hit the edges of a scar. Prepping himself up, he looks at the line that goes down the back of her neck. She curves forward, the crown of her head bumping his chest as she lets him look, “what happened?”

“I didn’t feel,” she explains, reaching up and pulling her hair. He sees another scar, a pair of marks at the base of her skull. He touches them lightly with his thumb, “hurt,” she says and grasps his wrist, moving it to the other scar, “didn’t hurt.”

“Were you awake?” He asks and she nods.

“Didn’t hurt,” she stresses but that doesn’t make it better. He hugs her to him so she won’t see the look on his face.

Her response is to sneak a hand up between them and try to tickle him again.

“I’m really glad you’re not there anymore,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re here,” he adds, stressing the last part.

“Me too,” she says looking up at him. She smiles brilliantly and he wonders how he made it a year without seeing her. How he made it these past few weeks—how he’s supposed to make it a year. El squirms forward and leveling the fact that they’re on the same height, she presses their mouths together. Surprise hits him before he presses back into the kiss, then he remembers that they’re on his bed and this is probably everything their parents are worried about, “what?” She asks when he pulls back.

“We, uh, we shouldn’t. Not with the door closed—“ he looks over as the handle turns and then back to her, “El!”

“Door’s not closed,” she points out.

“That’s a technicality,” he says. Her eyebrows draw together, “it’s a small detail,” he explains, “the door being open is so our parents know that we aren’t doing this.”

“Why not?” She asks.

“Because this can keep going and, um, we’re kids.”

He knows he’s fumbling for that explanation. Knows that it’s not a great one. He can feel his face growing red but it’s nothing compared to the nod that she gives.

“You mean sex,” she says.

“Yes?” He says and frowns, “how do you—“

“Papa checked,” she says, “looked for—“ she screws up her face as if trying to remember, “hormones,” she says triumphantly, “estrogen, testosterone, hormone levels.”

“We can’t have sex,” he blurts out.

“We’re not having sex,” she shoots back, “can we kiss?” She asks.

“Sometimes,” he says, “we should talk too. Not just kiss.”

She considers this and then nods before looking at him seriously.

“Kissing doesn’t make babies,” she informed him.

He can’t help the laugh this time and she claps a hand over his mouth, even as she starts to laugh too. But a part of him I laughing because it’s so unfair that this girl who can barely speak sometimes knows about sex. Was told about sex. And has all these scars even as she discovers whether or not her hair is curly. It’s such a contradiction is makes him want to cry. Despite all of that she’s here and curled up in his arms on his bed, laughing with him like this is the safest place in the world. Mike wants it to be but his own inability to protect her just keeps being reinforced.

“Don’t be sad,” she whispers, pushing his hair back, “its better now.”

“I know,” he says, hugging her close, “ it’ll keep getting better, okay?” She nods emphatically. Mike doesn’t know what he did for her to trust him so willingly but the weight of it settles on him. Grounds him, “did you leave a note for Hopper?”

She shakes her head.

“We gotta let him know,” he says, even if he really doesn’t want to. El seems to be thinking the same thing.

“Can we later?” She asks.

Mike rolls over to grab his alarm clock. The loss of one of his arms makes El whine her disappointment and scoot closer, when he rolls back he’s almost on top of her. She blinks up at him like she’s perfectly fine with the situation. Actually she uses it as an excuse to burrow even closer to him. He doesn’t recognize the surprised sound he makes, but he does recognize that he’s on the very edge of the bed. They’re about to go over and the only thing he has time to do is clutch her closer so that he takes the impact.

Which doesn’t come.

Because his girlfriend can keep them afloat.

El muffles a brilliant laugh in his shirt as he looks over to see they’re a good foot off the ground. They’re angled so that his head’s an inch off where it was, just enough to keep him from catching it on the nightstand. To keep from slipping off whatever invisible force is keeping him floating El has her feet hooked around his ankle. All of her is securely on him. She grins up at him.

“You’re my skateboard,” she pronounces before dropping her head back to his chest and frowning at the pace of his head, “Okay?” She questions.

“Yeah,” he assures her, “Okay. I’m just surprised, but it’s a good surprise. I thought we were going to fall,” he says. Eleven smiles and goes back to laying on his chest, “do you know when the stake out is supposed to end?” He asks.

“Will you sleep if I answer?” She asks and he’s momentarily surprised before he nods, “five oh, oh,” she says, “he said he wold be back.”

Mike sets his alarm for three thirty just to be safe. He has no idea if they can move or anything considering he’s floating off the ground, but he decides to trust El. Just to be safe though he wraps his arms tightly around her, so if anyone will wind up taking the brunt of the fall it’s him.

It feels like he just closes his eyes when he hears his alarm go off. He shuts it off and gently rouses El whose still happily asleep on his chest. She cracks open one eye, makes a noise of protest and burrows back in. Mike laughs and tries again, though the result this time is an invisible force that puts his hand back on her back and presses it there. Mike knows they have to get up but he doesn’t want to. He has a vague thought that this might be the best way to wake up. But he grabs the newfound responsibility that comes with the promise of this happening again and shakes her.

“Come on, we don’t want Hopper to find out.”

That gets her up. Or to move at the very least. She blinks up at him before yawning loudly. He can’t quite resist dragging his fingers through her sleep mussed curls. But when she tries to go back, he sits up with a low chuckle an a shake of his head.

“We can’t get caught,” he says.

“But it’s three four five,” she complains.

“We gotta be safe,” he says and she sticks her tongue out at him, but she gets up. She stretches her arms over her head and he sees her sweater ride up, the edges of the scar not at all detracting from the effect an inch of bare skin seems to have on him. In the dark he finds the warmest jackets he has and bundles her in one, “lets go,” he says.

They get down on some kind of invisible slide she makes and he takes her hand. It’s weird to be walking around, even if it’s still mostly dark out and there’s no one around. It’s a taste of how it will be, of what it will be. That makes him excited. The idea that they can do this one day. Be normal. She can wear his jacket and lean against him and they’ll just look normal. When she smiles up at him, he grins back at her. He’s distracted enough that they almost walk right into Hopper.

“How—“ He begins.

“I deal with criminals, give me some credit,” he says and looks at El, “well?” He demands.

“Look it—“

“Can it Wheeler,” he snaps and looks at her, “I’m waiting,” he says and El sighs loudly, “so I’m getting the silent treatment? Good. I guess we’re gonna be without tv for the week.”

“Worth it,” El says.

“And the radio!”

El rolls her eyes and goes to shrug off her jacket but he shakes his head.

“You can give it back to me next time,” he says as Hopper yanks open the door, pausing only long enough to give him the kind of glare that makes his stomach flip, “promise,” he adds to El.

“I’m calling your parents,” Hopper says.

“What are you gonna tell them? My girlfriend flew in the window?” He demands and finds himself face to face with the pissed off chief of police.

“You think I can’t make something up? I was a teenage boy once,” Hopper growls.

“Yeah but we have indoor plumbing now and women can vote,” Mike snaps back.

Hopper looks at him for a long, hard, endless second in which Mike’s torn between several stupid options. None of which are terribly appealing. So all he can do is stand there and stare down a man who is heavily armed, exhausted and could break him without much effort.

“You keep your hands to yourself?”

“I’m thirteen!” He shoots back, “Yes!”

“He did,” El chimes from the car, “no grandkids yet,” she adds, “not days of our lives.”

“And we know how crushing that is,” Hopper says before coming back to Mike, “you can get back in your room?” He asks. Mike rolls his eyes, “I need a yes, Wheeler,” he says.

“You sound like Steve,” he says instead and Hopper straightens up.

“We’re going home before I make you a widow,” he says to Eleven who opens her mouth, “Yeah, yeah we know whose side your on. Is he alive or not?”

She falls back against the seat and rolls her eyes. Hooper gets in and peels off. Mike waits a moment before the car comes back around, stopping next to him. Over Hoppers grumbling Eleven hauls partially out of the window and means to press her lips to his cheek, but he turns and their lips meet. It’s a quick, chaste kiss but they’re both grinning when she pulls back.

“Bye, Mike!”

“Go home Wheeler!”

He waves to both of them until the car turns the corner, and maybe a little bit afterwards since he knows El can see him.

Then he goes home, in case she reports back.

[punkscowardschampions]

Grace & Janis

Girl talk!

Grace joined the chat 112 minutes ago Grace: OMG BABE WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!! Grace: AND WHY DON'T YOU PICK UP YOUR PHONE I'VE BEEN RINGING LOADS!?? 😂😂 Grace: HOPELESS! WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT ON THE BRAIN SO NO BLAME HUN 💕 Janis: Wanted to save you the coronary, like. But its obvs like ya said, hopeless. 😂😂 Janis: What you want, a kiss and tell-all? Grace: Lolz 😂 Grace: Of course! I was only pretending to read your mind when we were tiny! Janis: Yeah, that became apparent quite fast, Gracie 😏 Janis: He started talking to me a while back, when I went in to get a coffee after my runs and things just went from there, you know how it is. Grace: He's a right chatterbox isn't he! 💋 And that accent Grace: I'm well jell babez Grace: That ginger from your chem class is gunning for you but don't worry me and the girls sorted it 😘 Janis: Gotta earn them tips, hasn't he? The old dears love him too Janis: Bless you 😘 Janis: What did the mascara mafia do, kneecap 'er? Grace: If he wants to treat you right he does! Not having my sister going down Nandos. Ew Grace: You're so welcome! 💗 Grace: 😊 Don't be silly Jan-Jan but she has learned her lesson Janis: I know it ain't dad-level cuisine but if you'd have something other than lemon & herb maybe 😂 Janis: What lessons that then? Sure the poor bitch was just trying to learn chemistry tbh Grace: Oh god no 🤒 Grace: Girl code, silly Grace: Just a refresher course like Grace: So where IS he taking you then? Janis: You ain't white, tell ya tastebuds. Janis: Right, 'cos you lot would NEVER break the sacred law of, yeah? 😏 Come on, isn't that why you fall out every other weekend Janis: You'd have to ask him yourself. Think we're a bit past all that dating shit, aren't we? It ain't 1st year, or the 1940s. We're just chilling, like. Grace: Rude! You know I have a sensitive stomach thank you Grace: No way! Don't be ridiculous I could never fall out with my girlies Grace: Oh I will when I next pop in for a fix. Can't have him taking advantage of my lil sis, can I? Aww you two are sooo cute Grace: 💝💒💍💑💌 Janis: Right, don't want you shitting yourself in the shopping centre. Janis: My mistake, must be another bunch of hysterical, crying, screaming girls descending on the gaff. I'll ask one of the other sibs if they know who tf they are, like. 🤔 Janis: Maybe Dieg is making porn now, they look a bit like casting couch rejects, better tell the 'rents Janis: Speaking of older sibling duties, I've got six elders before you, don't burden yourself with the task. Sure Rio or Edie even Pablo will be happy to be a cliche and tell him to mind how he goes with me. Janis: Funny 😏 Grace: JANIS OMG AND TO THINK YOU KISS JAMES WITH THAT MOUTH 🙈🙉 Grace: What does he see in you hmmm? Grace: Oh bless you can relax I'm only playing he doesn't need to be scared of me Janis: 'Part from my drop dead looks, banging bod and incredible personality, who could ever say? Janis: Not me. Janis: Obvs, he can't be in breech of 'girl code' Janis: You aren't pissed off with me then? I know you liked him. Grace: 😂😂😂😂 Grace: He's a cutie! I'm soooo happy for you babe Grace: Not as cute as the boy I've got my eye on atm obvs but Janis: Good, I'm so glad you've kept your options open Janis: Do I know them? Can't be any other lad from our school like 😂 Grace: He's not a high school boy thank god! 🙏🙌 He's graduated already and just started working at the new juice place in between gigs Grace: So no I don't think you know him yet. Maybe soon tho! 💘 Grace: OMG WE COULD DO A DOUBLE DATE HOW ADORBS! Janis: Just your type, a boy with beverages, nice Janis: Yeah, that'd be a scream. Keep us posted! Grace: Lolz! Yeah it'd be sooo fun Grace: In the meanwhile you will be bringing the boy to dinner though, obvs Grace: Exciting stuff! Janis: Maybe for you, I doubt he'd be buzzin' about being thrown in the deep end like that 😂 Grace: Dad's cooking will swing it if your charms can't 😂 Grace: And I'll be there Grace: He's bound to miss me now I've switched to juices Janis: Naturally Janis: You'll have to get Tammy over too so she can say her farewells Janis: Or maybe that'd be awks 🙊 Grace: Don't even she's devastated I can't 💔 So sad Grace: At least you know he's a good kisser Grace: before you tried it yourself I mean Janis: I've heard she's consoled herself with a fair few baristas since then...maybe there'll be a juice boy no.2 for her Janis: Yeah, saving us all a let down, one hook-up at a time, cheers Tam 👌 Grace: Ugh yeah she's with that Priestly boy. I have no idea why. He's beyond cringey Grace: Exactly anything less than perfect is such a let down 💋 Janis: Don't worry, you'll only have to deal for about another week or so, if he's really rocking her world 🎆 Janis: Speaking from bitter experience there babe? 😟💔 Grace: Honestly! She's such a mess rn and won't let me help 😡 Grace: Isn't it sad? Boys are such 🐸 but I have my eye on a 🤴 now so Grace: yay! Grace: And I get to have girl talk with you about yours. I never thought I'd see the day Jan-Jan 😁 Janis: Some people just don't know what's good for them, or don't WANNA know, you get me? Pity. 😔 Janis: Just watch he doesn't turn into one, your kiss might have the opposite effect, like. We all know Disney lied to us, so. Janis: Who'd'a thunk it Grace: Anyway you should let me give you a makeover tonite Grace: Really wow the lad 😏💣 Grace: You can thank me when he gets a look at it Janis: I ain't got the time, gotta hit the gym before I see him Janis: Speaking of, I should get a wriggle on Janis: Thanks for the offer tho! Grace: Soon then 😘 We'll make time Janis: Yeah Janis: Laters Grace: Catch you later babes xxx