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---{Mike's POV}----

Eleven and I decided to leave soon after I gave her the surprise so that we could get home on time. This date with her has been so fun, and I feel as if I have met a new side of El today, a vulnerable, but also a more confident side. She is starting to become her own person and flourishing into a beautiful teenage girl, my girl. Its a new side of her, a more mature team, and it makes me love her even more if that's even possible.

-

We run through the door seeing Joyce and Jonathan setting the table and Nancy lighting the candles placed in the center of the table.

"Ok good, you guys are back!", Joyce calls out from the table.

I see Jonathan look up, in the middle of placing a silver fork on the table, grinning at El and me.

"How was it", he asks, raising his eyebrows swiftly. I roll my eyes, sensing a light blush emerging on my face.

"It was great", El announces happily as she reaches for my hand.

"I'm gonna go freshen up before dinner", she says, turning towards me, and kissing me softly on the lips. She freezes as she pulls back, tensing, noticing that she had forgotten about everyone in the room.

Despite that, she seems to shake it off, giving me a final smile as she walks away towards her room.

"OOOOOhhhhhhLALA!" Jonathan whispers mockingly while Joyce and Nancy smile at each other mischievously.

I look down at the ground, trying to force my face to cool down.

"We are just messing with you, buddy", Joyce tells me laughingly. "Hey, could you do me a favor and check on Will, tell him dinner starts soon.

I smile at her in response, partly due to her breaking that uncomfortable moment.

I start down the hallway, Will's soon- to- be the room is only a few doors down from Els.

"Hey Will it's Mike", I vocalize, turning the doorknob and starting to push open the door.

Behind the door, is a bed, on which Will is sitting on, palms covering his face.

"Hey, Will you okay", I ask concerned by how I see him.

He looks up at me; his eyes red and puffy, tears streaming down both sides of his face.

My eyes go wide as I walk towards him, shutting the door behind me.

"Will what's wrong?" I begin, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"It- its", Will tries to speak but struggles to enunciate his words over the many tears. "It's me, w-what wrong with me, Mike?!"

"What are you talking about?" I question him, having no idea what he could mean by this.

He takes a tremulous breath in, trying to collect himself to be capable of answering. "A few days ago, I meet this guy named Andrew. "We've really hit it off and had a lot of fun together."

He breathes in chocking on his words. "B- but now Andrew dad doesnt want me to hang out with him", Will lays his head into his hands, his whole body shaking.

"Whys that", I ask.

"He... he thinks I'm gay".

"Who cares what that Jackass thinks about you! He doesnt know who you are", I blurt out angrily.

"Mike", he starts, shifting his glance back up to me. "I dont think I know who I am anymore..."His lip quivers as more tears build up behind his eyelids.

The room goes radio-silent for a second, due to me not knowing how to answer.

"Remeber when you told me that it wasn't your fault I didn't like girls ", he starts"

"Will you know I didn't mean that.", I mumble, guilt saturating my voice.

"I know", he says, cutting me off.

He sighs. "But what if you're right, what If ill never like girls."

"Are you saying...", I start studying him.

He shrugs his shoulder, tears starting to roll down once more. "What wrong with me, Mike."

Before he can say anymore, I enfold him in a tight hug, holding his shaking body.

"There is nothing wrong with you", I say calmingly as we disconnect from our hug. "You dont need to know who you are right now, and there's no need to put a label on anything."

He looks at me intently.

"Besides, liking a girl is super stressful", I say exasperatedly in efforts of lightening the mood. "I literally wrote an in-depth plan of how I wanted our date to play out because I was so nervous."

I see a small smirk grow on Will's face as a tear falls from his eyes due to him raising them.

"You mean loving a girl is stressful", he whispers playfully, there he was again, back in his element of making fun of El and I. But at this moment I couldn't have been happier with him mocking me. I haven't seen him this upset in a long time, and it was honestly starting to scare me. But now, I can tell, he's more stable.

"Well you know what they say", Will start giving me a cheeky side-eye. "Love makes you crazy."

"Yeah", I sigh laughingly. "It really does."

"But back to you", I start slowly. "Who is this great Andrew guy we are talking about?"

He rolls his eyes, and we both start to laugh, the mood getting lighter with every chuckle.

-

We walk out of his room and head toward the dining room, Nancy and Jonathan are sitting to each other on the right side of the table. Joyce is sitting at the head, and El sits to the left of her.

I sit down next to her, smiling as Will sits down next to me.

"All okay Boys?", Joyce asks. We both nod, looking at each other.

I feel a hand rest on my left thy, sending shivers throughout my body, making my leg jolt. I look to see its Els, dainty little hand. I place my hand on top of hers, intertwining our fingers. In front of me on the table, stand plates with hot steaming food. There is a strong mix of sweet and savory scents in the air, making me mouth start to water.

"Okay", Joyce start as she stands up looking over us. "Here in the Byers household on thanksgiving, we all go around saying what we are thankful for."

"I'll start", she smiles encouragingly.

She takes a deep breath before starting. "I am so thankful, for this, us all being together. I'm so thankful that we are safe and able to live in this beautiful house. Thank you, Mike and Nancy, for making this Thanksgiving even more special. And of course, El, we are so happy and thankful to call you part of our family."

Tears start to form in her eyes as she continues."So for the people who we love that aren't here with us today, let them be in our hearts and enjoy this thanksgiving for them."

I see El push her chair back, reaching for Joyce and holding her tightly.

She sits back down a few seconds later, a few tears rolling down her face. I instantly take her hand, squeezing it tightly and using my other hand to wipe her tears. She smiles at me, embracing me in a short, but comforting hug.

"I'm very thankful to be here today, thank you again Ms.Byers", Nancy says gratefully.

Joyce nods compassionately in response.

"You guys are my family, and I love you so much", she looks down then looking over at Jonathan smiling. I can tell she's fighting back tears.

"I feel the same way", Jonathan starts. "I'm so thankful that we are all safe and healthy."

"Okay Will, your turn", Joyce tells Will.

"Okay, well I'm thankful for you guys, to have El as my sister, and I'm thankful to have such a great best friend. "I really dont want you guys to leave", he stutters over his words.

"Shit great that was so corny, and now I'm crying,", Will say swiftly swiping a tear off his face.

I smile at him. "Okay", I start looking up at everyone. "Well, obviously as everyone has already said, I'm so thankful for my family. However, this thanksgiving I'm extremely thankful to be sitting here."

"To be able to see you, El", I say softly facing her, her large brown eyes staring straight into mine, making me lose my focus, and I struggle to continue. "H- has been so amazing", I gulp, Jesus Mike. Not now. Dont cry now.

"And I never want to leave you."

But its no use all the pent up sadness from the last few minutes of everyone crying around me has broken me, and I can't control myself any longer.

I've been trying so hard to be happy and stay positive, accepting that this is the time I have to see El and Will, however, I can't help but be selfish. I want her, all to myself, I want to be able to hold her hand and kiss her soft lips every day. And now, I can't pretend anymore, and I miss her so much back in Hawkins. I feel like I'm the same Mike I was back in October of '84. Sad and lonely, seeing no reason to keep ongoing.

I haven't cried, about her leaving, maybe its part of me not wanting to accept or even believe it. It's all been building and building. But now, right here sitting at the dinner table, I break, right in half.

-

---{El's POV}---

Mikes hand starts to shake against my finger. I look up at his face, seeing his lips quiver, his eyes looking down at the ground.

"And I never want to leave you", he says shakily.

Moments later, he bursts into tears.

I pull him close to me, him sobbing into my shoulder. Every part of me wants to burst into tears, however, I know if I start crying with him, I won't be able to stop. I need to be strong for him right now.

I run my hand up and down his back slowly.

"Shhh, Hey it's okay Mike" shushing him. Joyce looks at me her eyes showing a shocked and saddened expression.

He continues to sob into my shoulder, burying his head in the crack of my neck.

"Hey", I mumble, pulling him off of my shoulder, cradling his head in my hands. I lean my head against his.

Our eyes meet, his lips are still quivering aggressively, his cheeks tear-stained.

My eyes start to water, due to seeing him so upset, about me.

"I love you", I say to him. "Do you hear me?" I tell him sternly, him still sniffing uncontrollably.

"I love you."

He takes a final shaky breath in nodding and smiling to me. I pull away from him, to see everyone watching us. However, them having nothing to say. I didn't care that they had just witnessed our moment. I wanted to tell the whole world that I love him. I'm not sure about a lot of things in life. I'm not sure how I feel about school yet and all these changes. But I know one thing for sure, I love him. And I don't care if people know that.

"Okay, it's my turn", I start, trying to shake off the melancholy of the mood.

"Jesus, where do I begin. Thank you for taking care of me, allowing me to be part of your family.", I start facing Joyce.

"And you two", I laugh looking over at Jonathan and Will. "You guys are the best brothers I could ever ask for."

"Nancy, thank you for always being so sweet to me and always helping me out", she nods a warm smile spreading on her face.

"And of course, my Mike", I whisper turning to him, he has calmed down and isn't crying anymore.

"Thank you for loving me, even when I had no hair and barely spoke, I love you more than I can explain", his eyes go soft, and he leans in towards me, connecting our lips passionately.

"Okay, okay, I still want to eat tonight", Will winces in disgust.

We part rolling our eyes laughingly.

"Okay, that was great", Joyce says calmly. "Now let us eat I'm starving!", everyone nods in agreement.

-

For the rest of the dinner, we all talked and laughed together, the sadness slipping away with every passing second. And the only feelings in the air were gratitude, gratefulness and of course, love.

-

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