"Would you calm down? It's just El." Wesley ranted on, looking over the desk at his panicking brother. They'd been driving to see the Byers for Christmas, their parents taking their anniversary trip and Mr Clarke agreeing to watch his nephews. Between the three of them, they kept it a secret that they weren't staying in Hawkins. Now, they stopped at the mall a few towns over. Christmas music played from the record player, the specific store they went into decorated for Christmas.

"Exactly. 'Just El' is difficult to decide what to shop for." Peter gave a knowing look, pulling at the scarf around his neck slightly to loosen it. "The walls are closing in on me."

"Jesus Christ." Wesley huffed as he circled the counter. "You're such a girl. You should know what girls like."

"I do know what girls like. But El isn't just a girl, okay? She's my girl." Peter gave a knowing look, a minor point of his finger. "I mean, I can just bring a box of eggos and she'd be happy, you know? But I gotta make it memorable, like, she can keep it with her."

Their eyes danced down at the glass, looking at all the jewelry. Wesley sighed when Peter started to talk. "She wouldn't like any of this."

"Oh my god, Peter." Wesley groaned as he walked through the store.

"You boys almost ready?" Mr.Clarke walked toward the pair, looking at his watch. "We should beat traffic if we leave soon."

"Peters being a baby." Wesley rolled his eyes, holding up his bags. "I've been ready. He's too busy having a heart attack to pick anything out."

"You're a heart attack." Peter argued with him with a minor glare. "Will, Jonathan, and Joyce are easy to get stuff for. El is El, she's wild."

"You didn't like any of the pretty bracelets?" Mr Clarke followed his nephew toward the candles. "Or the candles?"

"She could knock it over and set her house on fire." Peter pointed out, putting the candle away. "Maybe she'd like a scarf. Or some socks. Keep her feet warm, you know?"

"Okay, let's look at socks." Scott grinned, walking with him. Wesley huffed, adjusting the bags on his arms and following after he two.

"William!" Wesley grinned as the door opened. "I like the new hair!"

Will hugged him, the snow falling outside. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"I wanted to make it a surprise." Joyce grinned as she came to the door, smiling as Wesley greeted her with a hug. "Hi, sweetie. Where's your-"

She stopped, seeing Peter falling in the snow when he tripped over his suitcase. Wesley followed her gaze. "So, he kinda did something insane."

Will gave a worried look.

"Does he need help?" Joyce gave a worried look, seeing Peter struggling in the backseat now. Scott got his suitcase with his own bag, heading toward the Byers new house. "Scott, thanks so much for coming."

"Oh, it was a trip." the man smiled, accepting her hug as he looked to Will. "Look at you, Will. You've grown half a foot."

Will grinned. "Hey, Mr.Clarke."

"Wesley?" El asked, coming down the hallway as she looked at him. Joyce turned to her as she smiled. "Present?"

"Well, not me." Wesley pointed to himself, him and Mr Clarke moving out of the way to see Peter finally coming from the other side of the car.

"Oh, god." Joyce looked in disbelief at the hyper dog in Peters hands.

"I tried to tell him to get socks." Mr Clarke gave a tight lipped smiled.

El hurried between the four, running into the snow. "Peter!"

"El!" Peter grinned, turning slightly to catch her in one arm while holding the  dog in the other. They spun slightly, the youngest Clarke nearly loosing his balance between El and the dog, but staying up right. "I missed you so much."

"Miss you more." she smiled into his neck, squeezing. "Who's that?"

Peter pulled the dog in closer, praying to any god that would listen that he wouldn't drop El or the dog, because that would be totally uncool. "Well, I was shopping for you for an hour and kept putting stuff back. Wesley starting yelling at me, embarrassing my uncle, so then we had to go. On the way out, this nice lady only had one dog left so I had to get him."

El rubbed its head, leaning hers against Peters. "He's cute."

"Well, he's yours." Peter said as El jumped off him, grinning at the dog. "Wanna hold him?"

El took the white dog, with black spots. Peter rubbed his head as he licked El's face, making her laugh. Peter grinned at their interaction. "What are you gonna name him?"

El rose her eyebrows a second, looking at the dog then at Peter again. "Peter."

"Yeah?" he hummed, ready to answer the question.

"I'm gonna name him that." she corrected him with a shake of her head.

Peter pulled an odd look. "What?"

El laughed. "You have the same eyes."

Peter snorted. "You can't name him Peter."

"Peter two." El nodded, letting the dog lick her again. "See, he likes it."

"Peter squared." the Clarke boy pointed out. "I passed my algebra test and think i'm a math genius now."

"Better then last time." El pointed out, leaning into his side as Peter put an arm around her. They headed up to the house together, stepping through the snow. "Did you join the play?"

"Got too nervous." he said, El gave him a knowing look. "I know, but everyone makes fun of guys in theater."

"But you really wanted to." she pointed out, remembering him coming home from school on Wednesday talking about auditions on Friday for Noises Off.

"I'll do the fall play instead." Peter pulled his scarf off as they entered the house. El smiled, leaning over and kissing him quickly. "Aw."

"Wesley and Will passed out in the living room." El came into her room, hearing Joyce and Scott talking from the kitchen, which is why they were fine with them in her room. El held out the extra mug. "Taste."

Peter rose the hot liquid to his lips, taking a sip. El's lovely idea of making hot chocolate was not so good, a bit too milky without enough chocolate. Peter smiled. "That's fantastic."

She grinned, setting hers down and crawling in the bed. Peter Squared was curls at his feet, moving up some when El laid down. She gazed at him as Peter gave a minor laugh at her. "What?"

"Missed you." she frowned slightly, her finger pressing into his wrist. "Hate not going to school together."

Peter leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Maybe it's a good thing we're not. You'd probably just distract me with all her prettiness and then i'd fail all my classes."

El flushed as she scooted closer. "Then no more soccer team."

"Then no more soccer team." Peter nodded in agreement, rubbing Peter Squareds head. "I wish you were there though. Non of the guys on my team believe me when I say i've got a super cute girlfriend that moved away."

"When your game here?" El grinned, grasping his fingers in her hand.

"Spring Break." Peter smiled, lacing his hand with hers, gazing over her face. "Wesley and I will ride on the bus here, because it's an away game my parents won't come either. It'll be so much fun, they're even talking about staying the full week since it's the only game we've ever had on a holiday."

"Whole week?" her face lit up. "I can't wait to watch you."

"The high school guys are crazy good. Like, entire new level of good. It's so cool getting to watch them." Peter gave a dazzling look as he spoke about the older team. "One of them accidentally kicked me in the head with a ball though."

El touched his head, yanking on his neck to kiss his forehead. Peter grinned, laying his head down instead of resting on his elbow. El mimicked his actions, their eyes staying locked the entire time. He placed a hand on her cheek, taking up nearly her entire face. "How's everything here?"

"It's good." El nodded her head with a small clear of her throat. "Have a lot of friends."

Peter smiled. "I knew you would."

El gave a little one in return, looking away. "I wish you could stay forever."

Peter nodded. "I'd move to your school if I could."

"You'll come back when?" she blinked, touching the strand of brown hair, that had grown out a bit more, that was across his forehead.

"Valentine's day?" Peter asked with a cheesy smirk. "We can go to a drive in movie, I'll get you a bear, you can get me chocolate, we get matching necklaces, look so cute."

El laughed at his way of mimicking a girl voice, nodding her head. "Perfect."

Peter smiled. "Perfect."

El rolled over, making Peter squared move over some as he rested his chin across Peters leg. El walked toward her closet, Peter watch her. As she pulled it open, he had to grin at the jersey he'd sent her when they first came in. An 11 on the back, Clarke right above it. He liked that she had it, but wished he had a chance to see her wear it. His eyes went toward the small bookshelf she had, the many cassette tapes he'd sent her weekly stacked on them.

"Soft, thought you'd like it." El came from her closet, unrolling the red blanket that had ice cream cones all on it. "See, rocky road."

Peter grinned, sitting up. "I love it."

El crawled back in her bed with him after hitting the tv button, a christmas movie her and Will didn't get a chance to finish playing. Peter wrapped the blanket around the both of them, curling up against El's back as his arms snugged in tightly around her waist. Their dog drifting off at their feet, the cold air outside non existent from the warmth radiating in the room.

•

kylie speaks

merry christmas babies!
i wanted to come back for
a little bonus chapter to
give y'all the present you
all deserve!!