“Why does this always happen?”

The way Mike looked at you at first was infuriating. Like he had absolutely no idea what you were talking about, like he had no clue where you two were instead of where you were supposed to be tonight. Like you didn’t have reservations at Callie’s for 7 tonight, like the two of you weren’t supposed to be in your mom’s beat up Oldsmobile right now, you driving the two of you to the diner on the edge of town. The two of you dressed all nice, pretending to be something you’re not, and sitting over overpriced food, making fun of how the dishes were set up all artistically and the waitresses and waiters had pens sticking out from behind their ears.

“Why does what always happen?” Mike asked, leaning forward a bit as he peered through the binoculars, watching all of the soldiers on the base level. Waiting for them to clear out for Hopper. “The crawls?”

You sigh heavily, absently fidgeting with the signal wire of his walkie, listening to the quiet chatter of the party making sure everything was in order. “No. I mean…” You knew it was childish. Wishing you could be out having dinner instead of helping the party prepare to defeat a power otherworldly and much larger than life. But you couldn’t keep anything from Mike. So, a little less confident than just fifteen seconds ago, you kept talking. “Dinner. We’re supposed to be having dinner right now.”

You could feel Mike’s gaze before you even looked at him. A mildly playful, incredulous look— playful so that you didn’t immediately clam up, like Mike knew you would’ve if he looked at you straight on like you were crazy. “We can get dinner after this,” Mike suggested, nudging you gently with his shoulder. But that wasn’t the point.

You didn’t want to drive him up to the nearest Shell and pick some cheap hot food out of their display case next to the gas prices. You wanted to sit down. Play footsie with him under the table while you waited, rub his knuckles with your thumb and watch the way he looked at you, like he was trying not to make it too known that he was completely and utterly obsessed with you.