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⎯⎯hold her close!
Morgan felt like she couldn't breathe.
She blinked, mouth dry as she tried to comprehend what was happening in front of her, at who was in front of her. The girl was dressed in cuffed jeans with her t-shirt tucked in them, a trail of blood kissing down her upper lip. Dark eyes locked on blue ones, lips parting ever so slightly. Morgan's eyes roamed over her scuffed appearance, over the dark eye shadow and gelled back hair before settling on the leather jacket the girl wore.
Morgan licked her chapped lips. "...Is that my jacket?" she asked, barely realizing that she had spoken at all.
Beautifully, impossibly Eleven smiled. "Morgan."
Morgan's knees buckled and Eleven lunged forward, warm hands catching her before she could hit the floor. Morgan trembled, bringing shaking arms up to curl under Eleven's and numb fingers gripped onto the familiar leather jacket that she had watched Eleven disappear in all those nights ago.
"Are you real?" Morgan rasped out.
Eleven tucked her closer, head ducking down to bury her face in Morgan's messy dark hair. "I'm real," she reassured, one arm wrapped around Morgan's torso to keep her up straight while the other reached up, hand pressing against the back of Morgan's head gently. "I'm real."
"Promise?" Morgan asked, voice strangled and choked, as if on the verge of a sob but not quite there.
"Promise," Eleven swore.
And Eleven always kept her word, had always taken a promise like an oath on her life and Morgan's breath hitched as she pressed closer. "I-- I don't," Morgan stammered. "I just— where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you!"
"I know," Eleven said simply.
"You— what?" Morgan pulled away, looking up into dark eyes that gazed back warmly. "You— you know?" At Eleven's nod, she frowned. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
Hurt pooled through her mark, making Eleven frown at her soulmate, tugging her closer as Morgan caught her footing under her.
"Because I wouldn't let her," Hopper suddenly spoke up, stepping forward and Morgan blinked in shock, moving back, watching as he approached Eleven. "The hell is this? Where have you been?"
"Where have you been?" Eleven shot back, but didn't protest to the sudden hug that Hopper drew her into.
Morgan watched the scene blankly before it all clicked. "You've been hiding her," she said softly, a chill erupting across the air, making everyone tense up at the odd feeling.
Hopper turned away from Eleven and looked down at her, Eleven watching cautiously, eyes darting between Hopper and Morgan. "Let's go talk. Alone," he ordered and stalked off, Morgan stomping after him before leading her into Joyce's room, shutting the door behind them.
