A PROMISE KEPT

A STRANGER THINGS fanfiction

Image cover by @ArashiMatoi (instagram)

DISCLAIMER: Stranger Things is a work of fiction created by Matt and Ross Duffer and broadcast by Netflix. The copyrights belong to the rightful copyright holders (The Duffer Brothers, Netflix, etc). Fanfiction written in 2016; edited and re-uploaded in 2019.

Take note that the story takes place 20 months after the end of season one. This is an alternate fan-made ending to the story of STRANGER THINGS.

PART III: THE PROMISE

Mike was standing outside of the bathroom while the shower was running with Eleven in it. Dustin had gone home. Mike insisted that he'd sleep over at his home, but the Henderson kid simply replied, "I think you and Eleven need some alone time together." On that, the best friends went their separate ways to see each other tomorrow.

Mike was happy that she was able to save Eleven. He couldn't wait to tell everyone else that she was back. But despite the happiness he had, he kept imagining the horror that she went through on her own. He wanted to know what had happened since then. But doing so might open some heavy wounds.

The door opened. "Mike?" Eleven said quietly.

He turned his head towards her. It left him breathless.

After a good shower and some fresh clothes, a short-sleeve white shirt and some marine-blue sweatpants, Eleven had regained her colors, from paleness to a soft and warm pink shade. Her dark hair had a slight auburn glow to the house lights. They were still wet from her shower, and it gave her a layer of newfound beauty. Mike found her pretty since the first day, but now he found her beautiful. He was mesmerized by it. Or perhaps it was due to the fact he hadn't seen her in almost two years. One or the other, he loved what he saw.

"I like your hair," Mike said.

Eleven touched her longer hair, "Pretty?"

"Beautiful," he smiled saying.

She smiled timidly as her left hand played with a lock of her hair. Mike would never get tired of this look; her smiling, blushing, but above all, her being at ease. No more she would need to fight monsters and go that extra mile for her friends' sake.

Mike never wanted her to sacrifice herself ever again.

He led her to his bedroom. She noticed the changes, but the one that caught her attention was the second bed paralleled to Mike's. She looked at him for confirmation; he smiled and nodded to her.

"It's your home now," he said. "No more sleeping in the basement."

"Thank you," she smiled back.

Mike sat on his bed with Eleven sitting next to him. They both shared the remaining half of the blueberry pie. Not much was said during the time; if not, nothing at all. The events of the night were still fresh in their minds. In moments as such, Mike thought silence would be the best company. But through that silence, they would glimpse at each other and smile, even blush. The quietness didn't need words to describe the atmosphere. Both of them had waited a long time to be in such ambiance.

One thing was missing and it annoyed Mike's mind. Those words; the ones he wanted to tell her.

He was here all alone with her. There wasn't going to be a better timing than now. But was it a good idea to bother her with such a thing? After everything she went through? Mike was pulled apart from his inner dilemma: speak now or hold his peace for another day.

"Mike?" Eleven called him.

He turned to her. "Yes?"

"What's a girlfriend?" she asked cluelessly.

The Wheeler teenager turned a new shade of red upon hearing the word.

"I heard Dustin saying it to you on the way home. What does it mean?"

This was his cue. There would never be a better opening than this moment. Again, Eleven saved him; this time on the emotional level.

He let down his empty plate and took a deep breath. All or nothing.

"Remember the last time, when I told about the Snow Ball?"

The vivid memory of her first kiss from Mike flashed in her eyes. Her face blushed remembering the sweet and lovely sensation it gave to her heart. "Yes?"

"Well," he scratched the side of his head, "what I wanted to say is, you go at the Snow Ball with someone that you don't only like... but that you also love, like a special one."

"A special one?"

"Yeah. I mean, I love my best friends, I love my mom and dad, my sisters. But a special one, it's someone you love the most above all. And..." he hesitated on the next word.

"Yes?" Eleven yearned to know the next words.

"The way I feel about you," he said, "it's like loving a special one."

"I'm your special one?"

Mike nodded. "What I'm truly trying to say is... Eleven... I love you."

She remembered her first kiss with Mike. For some reason, those three letters bloomed in her like a volcano of raw emotion. Her heartbeat pounded hard and loud, her breath accelerated, and her face was many shades of crimson. Happiness, joy, love; as powerful those words were, they didn't even begin to describe how Eleven felt at the moment.

But one thing was certain; she was whole.

"And," Mike continued, "I was wondering if you'd like... to be my girlfriend."

The moment was tense for Mike. She didn't know how she would answer to his confession. But he had a clue when looking at her warm face that shined like a Christmas tree. Yet he needed to hear it; hopefully a good answer would come out of her lovely person.

She approached him a little. "Mike?"

"Yeah?"

Eleven didn't say anything else. She looked passionately into his eyes. They were warm, sweet, strong and so caring. She adored him, more possibly than anything in this world. Mike Wheeler, the first one who was ever nice to her and treated her like a person. Tonight, he was the one who crossed dimensions to save her. And now, in this instant, he was her world.

It was her turn to take the leap.

She closed the gap between them. Swiftly and romantically, her lips joined his, giving him the answer that he desired for so long.

Eleven pulled apart, while Mike's face was the definition of a thousand lights of love sparkling.

"I love you too, Mike." She smiled adorably.

He was fourteen, but the smile and giggle he let out was as if he was four. It was embarrassing, but Mike didn't care, neither did Eleven. They were together; they couldn't care about anything else for the moment. She loved him, he loved her, and considering the dangers they both braved for the sake of each other, they would do it one more time if it had to be done again.

Eleven yawned loudly tiredly. Mike replicated the gesture, feeling himself drained as well from the exhausting evening. Rescuing by crossing dimensions wasn't a walk in the park after all.

"Let's go to sleep, ok?" Mike said. Eleven agreed.

She saw her bed waiting for her. Although it looked very comfortable, she didn't feel like going there just yet. After spending almost two years in the Upside Down, she felt uneasy to sleep alone. She squeezed Mike's sleeve as she met his eyes. He understood right away.

"Let's sleep together for tonight," Mike said.

She smiled. "Thank you."

The lamp was shut; a beautiful moonlight pierced through the curtain and loomed over the young couple. Eleven held onto Mike like her life depended on it. Her craving for human warmth was raw; no surprise coming from someone who survived the Upside Down for almost two years. She needed that. She wanted to feel that all of it was real; the feeling of home and safety, and most of all, love. Mike returned the squeezing affection. He would make sure she would never suffer again; whether it was to make her smile every single day or to defend her against a Demogorgon.

"Eleven?" Mike said.

"Yes?" She answered.

"I'll never ever let anything bad happen to you. I'll never lose you again."

She smiled reassuringly to his word. "Promise?"

"Promise."

THE END