today, el was on a mission.
a mission to put a clip in boo-boos fur to make him the prettiest.
boo-boo put her hands together to catch the marshmallow el handed her and el couldn't help but giggle at how beautiful boo-boo looked.
"let me take a picture!" el took a quick photo and spam sent it to everyone.
max, lucas, will, dustin, dante and of course, mike.
mike: dirty dumpster rat
el: DONT INSULT BOO-BOO
mike: can't help it
el: :(
el: u make me feel so sad sometimes
el: where are you? let's hang!!!!
mike: hang our necks?
el: ... don't die on me
el: i was nice and i asked you but i'll find you instead and tonight we will go on a ferris wheel bc the city view is so pretty and then you can see all the evils!!
mike: i'm busy
el: i will wait till u aren't busy!!! be there soon!!!
mike: you're crazy
el stood up, opened her arms and boo-boo jumped right into her arms without a thought.
"i love you, my little boo-boo," el gave him a kiss. "but i have to go. i am on another mission today! i have two more! my first, find mike and get him on a ferris wheel. we've always wanted to do so. my second mission, perish more evils! i'll visit you tomorrow or tonight, boo-boo. you'll wait for me, yes?"
boo-boo let out a whimper and hid his face into el's arm.
a frown instantly formed and el let out the saddest pout. "nono! don't be sad! i'm sorry!"
el gave her a few pets with a frown. "i'm sorry... i'll be back! i promise! i promise!" el placed boo-boo down and gently rubbed his tiny paws. "here are some marshmallows. do not share them with anyone! they're yours,"
boo-boo jumped up and down and el cupped his cheeks and gave him a kiss. "i love you so so much!" el pointed to his little shelter. "go on now. go sleep,"
boo-boo followed her instructions and watched as el left, her turning and blowing her huge kisses as she walked.
where was mike?
that was a simple question.
she found him in a simple hour.
she waited right outside for him and he wasn't even surprised to see her outside the building. "wow, looks like you found me. this isn't your fastest record though,"
her bottom lip quivered and she frowned. "not fastest? i'll be quicker next time! promise!"
his head shook and he placed a hand over her face. "shh, and don't make that frowny face,"
she tried to pull back but he grabbed onto her face. "i did good makeup today! go away!" her voice was highly muffled and that made him smile.
"did you now?"
she nodded and he allowed her to pull back. placing her hands under her chin, she smiled from ear to ear. "i did highlight and i did blush and i did pretty lashes. am i pretty?"
he hummed, holding back a smirk which made her gasp and slug his arm. "hey!"
he couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "you're okay,"
her nose scrunched and she swayed back and forth on her feet. "i'll take okay for now." she reached out and grabbed his hand but he didn't pull back. "tonight we go on the ferris wheel, 'kay?"
"it's not like i have a choice,"
she nodded in agreement. "that's right! now come along!" she dragged him with all her force and then she turned back to make sure he was following.
"el, i'm literally right here,"
"just making sure!"
he actually let out a smile and she couldn't help but flush pink at the smile of his. her eyes adverted down to the floor and she scrunched her nose before slapping herself on the cheek.
his eyes widened and she huffed. "go away feelings. go away!"
he let out a chuckle and took a step closer to her, leaning down to whisper. "which way are we headed?"
only her eyes looked up whilst her head remained down. pointing ahead, she murmured. "there. then we turn and we go to the carnival,"
he nodded softly, his voice soft. "lead the way then, little devil,"
eyes wide, she flushed redder and began to walk.
✿
"wah! wah! so pretty!" el jumped up and down as she pressed her forehead against the glass, looking down at the view. "mike... is so pretty... come see!"
"el, stop bouncing about and sit the fuck down. you will break this fucking cage,"
she turned back and pouted. "it's so pretty though!" she smiled widely and grabbed his hand to pull him up.
"the view is magnificent!" she looked around at the night view, smiling at the black and blue hue of their own ferris wheel.
he stood next to her and looked down. "i suppose,"
she nodded repeatedly, excitement bubbling and bubbling as her cheeks heated. "i'm happy you're here with me, mike," she turned to face him before taking a photo of the view to send to dante.
el: my view. how's yours? can you find me?
dante: one image.
dante: my view. i found you el, even if you're tiny.
el: tehe! i suppose you did
el put her phone and sat down on the bench, intertwining her fingers as her gaze roamed her surroundings.
sitting down next to her, he took in their surroundings too.
she turned, poking his cheek with a giggle. "do you remember anything yet?"
his head shook and he turned his head to face her properly, smiling at her brown doe eyes and freckled cheeks. "nothing yet. but i have a little feeling,"
she gasped loudly, straightening up happily. "really!? you do!? that's amazing!"
his smile faltered for a second before he looked off. "right,"
tilting her head, she blinked. "what are you think about there, little mike?"
he turned to her. "how did you know i was thinking about something?"
she smiled widely and cupped his face before squishing. "b'cuz i know you! i met you long long ago, mike!"
he tried to pull back from her hold but she held him tightly. "and you were my best best best best friend! we would do everything together!" her smile dropped and she then frowned. "but then you went away,"
"i apologise,"
she brightened up again. "thanks!" she squished him tightly. "you so adorable—"
"please don't fucking do that," he pulled back but she scrunched up her face. "so rude!" she turned away with crossed arms and a huff.
using his fingers, he hooked them under her chin and turned her face back to gave him, her breath hitching from his touch.
still as soft as she remembered....
she held his gaze, cheeks heating up as he grinned. "you're red, el,"
her eyes grew wider. "noimnot!" she exclaimed quickly, her words all jumbled together which made him laugh.
"mike," she whispered, brows furrowing as her gaze softened. "sometimes you're very mean, but sometimes you're nice again." she smiled weakly as she continued. "i like you nice. you're like old mike," she murmured and he smiled as he inched closer.
she did too and she felt his hand move from her jaw, down her shoulder, down her arm and to her hands.
get him off! get him off! the evil is behind him! the evil is hovering!
el, he feels your weakness! get him off! NOW!
she snapped back, looking down at his hand wrapped around hers, his fingers grazing over her scars.
"GET AWAY!" she shouted, moving as back as she could as mike flinched from her sudden change in emotions.
she brought her knees up, hiding her face down as she covered her ears. "STOP! THERE ISN'T! WRONG!"
IT IS RIGHT THERE! GET HIM AWAY!
HE FEELS YOUR SCARS! HE FEELS YOUR INSECURITIES!
sobs escaped her as she tugged on her hair. "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! GO AWAY! YOU GO AWAY!"
you know i'll never go away.
i'm stuck with you.
she shut her eyes tightly as she cried. "i'll go too! I WILL—" she cried loudly as mike moved over, trying to remove her hands from her head as she cried bloody murder. "i need— I NEED— dante!" she sobbed as her vision darkened, evils consuming her view.
"i can't—" her head shook as mike tried to tip her head up. "el, i need you to breathe."
her breathing increasing, panic increasing too as she tried her best to suck in breaths. "i can't... i can't..." she couldn't see. she couldn't hear.
most of all, she couldn't think.
she could. but they weren't her thoughts.
he cupped her face as she gasped loudly, putting a hand on her chest. "go— go away— no— it—" she stumbled over her words as she let out another broken cry.
"el—"
she shoved against his chest, trying to curl up and put her arms over her head to stop the voices. "need dante.... real. real. he's real. this is— STOP!"
mike looked around, trying to find her phone before he spotted it by her pocket.
she didn't even notice him take it out and realise she had a password.
"el, i need your password," he told her as her head shook, grasping and pulling on her hair even more, tugging on the white bleached strands.
letting out a frustrated sigh, he turned on siri. "call dante?"
"i'm sorry, there is no dante. did you mean dantee cake?"
his eyes rolled this time. "yes,"
the phone began to dial and within seconds, he picked up. "el? is something—"
"it's mike. el is— i don't even know. can you talk to her? she called for you," he tried his best to remove el's hand from her hand and to replace it with the phone.
"el? el? you there?"
her breathing evened a little and her gaze softened. "dante," her voice cracked. "dante— i— its everywhere— i— i see it! the evil!" she sobbed, rubbing her eyes roughly.
"piccolo, it's not real. take a deep deep breath. do not believe—"
"it's right THERE! i need you," she sobbed, shaking her head. "i cant— its so— suffocating," her eyes stilled as she continued to call out to him.
"el, put your phone on speaker. listen to me, listen to my voice,"
her hand was shaking when she handed the phone to mike and he put it up to his ear before putting it on speaker.
"i'm on my way. you need to get her off this ferris wheel now. el, just calm down, close your eyes. it will be okay, i promise you. i am on my way, block everything out. they are not real,"
her bottom lip quivered. "o... okay..."
"good, good. you're doing so good, el. there's nothing to worry about." he whispered before pausing. "remember june third, two years ago? we went ice skating? i need you to remember. do you?"
she tried to think before she nodded. "yes... yes, i do,"
"and what happened?"
"we fell. i fell and you held me so we fell," her voice settled a little but the sadness and fear was still heard. "it was fun,"
he instantly agreed, "it was," he cleared his throat. "when is that thing ending? can you get her off within the next five minutes?"
this time, mike answered. "yeah, yeah, we should—"
"good," dante cut him off. "watch her for me, i should be arriving shortly."
mike nodded though dante couldn't see. "i will," he hugged el from the side and to his surprise, she bent her head down and nuzzled right into his chest.
soft cries escaped her, soaking his shirt wet as she trembled in his grasp.
he held her silently, watching as she clawed and clawed on as if he would drift away into the darkness if she didn't.
once they were off, dante told them where he was parked and mike guided her towards his location.
once her eyes gazed up and caught on dante who instantly walked to her, she ran.
she ran as fast as she can, him opening his arms to catch her as she cried into his shoulder, clawing on his arms for him to protect her.
she looked around at the darkness looming around her, whimpering. "they're here! the EVIL! it's right there!" she cried loudly and continued to look around in fear as mike did the same.
only, he saw large crowds and bright carnival lights.
her breath shuddered as her fear grew, grabbing onto dante. "i want to go home! i want to go! dante, it's— IT'S GOING TO GET HIM!"
"shh, shh," he gently held her but her head continued to shake. "it's right there... it's behind me now! it's—"
"el, calm down," he cupped her cheeks. "look at me."
her gaze remained elsewhere.
"eleanor," he said more seriously. "look at me. you know deep down what is real and what isn't. you're going to let those evils take over you? no,"
tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.
"i'm scared," she whispered and turned back to look at mike before pointing. "cant you see? it's right there," her hand was shaking to the point that he couldn't see where she was pointing.
"i want to go home,"
he nodded, opening the car door for her. "we will. we will go home now, don't worry."
she got in, hugging herself tightly as she struggled to breathe, dante shutting the door for her before walking over to mike.
"she had an episode," dante informed and mikes brows furrowed. "episode?"
"she'll text. i know she will," he muttered. "but don't bother her tonight," he turned around to walk back to the car and to get into the drivers seat.
"piccolo, rest your eyes," he whispered to her as she rubbed her eyes with her balled fists. "don't worry, you're safe,"
she managed to nod, covering her face with her palms with a frown. "resting,"
"good, good." he smiled gently and she moved against the seat to find a more comfortable spot, more hot tears streaming down her reddened cheeks.