Mike is 16, El is 15
Recently, Mike's panick attacks have been getting worse; whether they be school related, or just his body mentally breaks down for no reason. He doesn't know why they happen, they just do.
He is currently struggling with one of his episodes for a reoccurring issue: his parents had argued.
Although Ted and Karen don't often do so, when they do, it's pretty aggressive: shouting, banging of tables, mentions of divorce.
In mike's current situation, they were arguing, right as we speak. Downstairs and in the kitchen. Mike was in his room, door closed and eyes squeezed shut.
Here's a background story of what happened approximately 8 minutes ago:
They were at the dinner table, the entire family of 5: Karen, Ted, Nancy, Mike and Holly, enjoying their food.
Karen mentions something about Ted not being useful enough around the house, and he fires back with the mention of 'That's a woman's job, isn't it?', which obviously set Karen off her rockers completely.
Hearing Karen's tone of voice, Mike's eyes widened slightly, as he exchanged nervous glances with Nancy.
Nancy nodded her head to the side, suggesting they should leave. Mike nods back, a thin layer of white covering his skin.
So as their parents were fighting, Nancy quickly picked Holly up out of her chair and ran upstairs, Mike following close behind. Holly had started crying at the slight raising of voices, feeling intimidated, being the young 5 year old girl she is.
So here Mike was, bawling his eyes out in his bed, trying to take his mind mind off things.
Nancy had come in to check on him. As soon as she heard heavy breathing, she could only assume this had triggered another panick attack of his.
"Oh god.." Nancy whispers to herself.
Mike's scattered breathing and soft whimpers made Nancy go into his room, and sit right beside him.
"Hey, Mike. Is everything okay?" She asked.
Mike couldn't even respond, he was shaking too much to give any sort of acknowledgement.
Tears spilled from his eyes as Nancy look at him, thinking of what she could do to help.
She got an idea.
She wouldn't be the one needed to help him, but a certain someone she knew might just be the person to at least calm him down slightly. Nancy at this point had no other choice.
She got up, and Mike didn't even flinch at the creak of his bedfame, which was pretty loud.
Nancy ran into the hallway, where the phone was on the wall.
She dialled the number, waiting for her to pick up.
"Hello?" The soft voice of El called on the other side of the phone.
"Hey El, it's me Nancy."
El knew something was wrong by her tone of voice, also because.. Nancy never calls her, unless Mike isn't able to for whatever reason, like now.
"Oh no.. is everything okay?!" El asks, slight panick in her voice.
"Ye- well no." She says, squeezing her eyes shut at her brother struggling in his room.
El's eyes widened.
"It's Mike isn't it? Is that why you called?" She questions, nervous for the answer.
"Uh- yeah uhm.. could you get over here if possible? Mike is really having a hard time. I've tried to calm him down, but he just won't. He always seems happy to be around you, so I thought maybe you could be the one to help. Please, he needs you." Nancy begs.
"I'll be over as quickly as I can." She says, quite a determined tone to her voice.
"Thank you." Nancy replies, before putting the phone down and going back over to Holly, who had taken her mind of things by playing with her dollies.
"Is Mikey okay?" Her blue eyes glistened, worried about her older brother.
"Sort of, El's coming over to sort things out." She replies, sighing as she hears another loud sob escape Mike's mouth.
~~
El got there as quickly as her little legs could carry her. She didn't yet have bike to ride places with, not Hopper home to drop her off with his truck. So, she had to run over.
Nancy had ran downstairs to the basement, which is a more secretive way to get El into the house without their parents knowing.
El tapped gently on the door, making Nancy open it quickly, a frown pulled up on her face.
"Hi, uh- is Mike i-"
"He's in his room. Do your best to help him, please. He's upset, I can't stand seeing him like this." She pinches her temple, trying not to cry as a loud shout was heard from the floor above them.
"O-oh okay. I'll try my best." El says quietly, not wanting to ask Nancy what's going on.
Nancy helps El sneak upstairs, not making eye contact with her parents as they continue yelling at each other.
El's eyes widen as she heard Mike's cries from his room.
"Shit.. another panick attack." She assumed.
She walked to his door knocking gently at the wood, and opens it, walking in. She's met with the sight of Mike on his bed, legs swung over the edge of it. They uncontrollably bounced up and down as his heavy breathing crowded the room.
El's heart dropped at the sight of this. She hates seeing Mike struggle. His anxiety has really been getting the best of him recently and his panick attacks are getting worse and worse each time they happen.
She almost silently walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He was shaking all over, unsure of what was going on around him.
"Mike?" El crouches down in front of him, taking his shaking hands into hers.
He didn't reply, just continued to tremble and whimper as he heard another loud bang from downstairs.
He closes his eyes and bows his head down, scared of everything around him.
"Mike, Honey, look at me." She lets go of one of his hands and places it under his chin, lifting it. He opens his eyes and they meet hers.
Mike wasn't even entirely sure who was in front of him at first. He couldn't really focus on his surroundings, only the noises and raised voices coming from below them. However, after her soft voice had said something, it made something click after the second time.
"E-El?" He questions, eyes wide and watery.
"Yes. It's me, El." She replies, trailing her hand down his chin gently, trying to soothe him in some way. She took a hold of his other hand again, a gentle grip trying to reassure him.
Mike's words were interrupted with sharp intakes of breath:
"E-El. I'm s-scared."
"Is it because of earlier?" She questions.
He whimpers, nodding his head.
"Can you please tell me what happened?" She whispers, a gentle tone to her voice, as she grazed her thumbs over his knuckles. "Can you do that for me?"
Mike tries to take a deep breath before nodding slowly.
"M-My Mom and D-Dad a-are arguing ag-again." He says between desperate sobs.
"Shh Mike. It's okay. I'm here for you." El tries to reassure.
"My Mom mentioned d-di." Mike couldn't finish his word, all he was left with was his body shaking more and more along with his scattered breathing.
"Mike, calm down." El says softly . "Do me a favour?"
"Y-yes?"
"You need to breathe, okay? In and out, slowly." El looks him dead in the eye, however, unharshly.
Mike's eyes, which were locked with hers, closed for a moment.
El's grip on his hands tighten slightly as she inhales and exhales deeply, showing Mike what to do.
Mike follows her actions.
"That's it. Nice and slowly." She says, watching his chest heave up and down as he attempts to settle himself.
Mike's hiccuped sobs became soft whimpers instead.
"There you go.." she whispers.
She then stands up, letting go of his hands. She sits beside him looking at him as he slowly opens his eyes.
"Here, come lay down with me. It might help." She says, and Mike nods, another little whimper escaping his lips.
El lays down on his pillow and on her side, patting her chest. Mike gets the gist and goes over to her, laying down and squishing his cheek up against her.
He lets out a little sigh and wraps his arms around her torso, hugging her tightly.
He jumps at another loud noise coming from downstairs, which made the tears falling from his eyes gush out faster.
"No no.. it's okay.. shhh." She coos, her hand rubbing up and down his back.
Mike tried to take his mind off his surroundings, and focus on the small repetitive beating of El's heart. The small pulse settles him after a short while, his whimpers becoming soft and gentle.
He got so lost in the little rhythm, that he didn't even notice his eyelids closing on him. El was pressing ever so gentle kisses to his head, as she watched him sink into her.
Mike's eyes fluttered closed as he fell asleep listening to only El's comforting whispers and her steady heartbeat.
El noticed this and buries her nose into his hair, kissing his head.
"I'm so sorry baby." She mutters.
El hears a gentle knock at the door, and watches as Nancy pushes it open.
Her eyes instantly land on the two on Mike's bed, Mike snuggled up to El's chest, and El's arms around him.
Nancy smiled and nodded, whispering a gentle, "Thank you so much."
"It's nothing really." El replies, looking at the boy sleeping peacefully in her arms.
He must have fallen asleep due to being so mentally drained. Poor thing.
"I'll leave you to it." Nancy smiles, walking out and closing the door behind her.
El sighs happily, smiling against his hair.
"I love you Mike. Don't ever forget that."
Mike's lips twist into a tiny smile in his sleep. His reply was his head snuggling closer to her, a sign of affection without words.
El just giggles.
God, how she loves him.
xox
~~
Hehe there you gooo. Fancied writing something with Mike being a big softie, bless his lil soul.
Credits, once again, to random_shipper2006 . One of your many amazing ideas you have me at school lmao.
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