#cheerleader

cheerleading activities

putting my ocs in every AU i want part. 34791

Pairing: Mike wheeler x fem!cheerleader!harrington!reader

Summary: where you meet Mike’s parents

Warnings: none (I think)

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You’d been in some nerve-wracking situations before — championship tryouts, the time you accidentally kicked a megaphone into Coach Woods’ shins, that whole period where Steve wouldn’t stop hovering because your first boyfriend wore too much leather and looked like he’d mug a priest.

But this? Meeting your boyfriend’s parents must be the most terrifying thing you’ve ever done. You were never great with parents, your own were never around much always on a work trip or another anniversary vacation (how many anniversary’s can one couple celebrate be serious? They’d go on holiday for the ‘first time we sneezed at the same time’ if they could)

So growing up, you’d never had much practice with the whole “parental approval” thing. It wasn’t that there wasn’t any — there was. Just… not for you. Steve got all of it: the “your grades are bad” speeches, the “we’re going to send you to boarding school” threats, the endless nagging about chores, curfews, and God forbid he ever got a B instead of an A.

You, on the other hand, were your parents’ perfect little angel. Mostly because they never actually had to do anything with you. Your grades were good. You never got into trouble. You didn’t demand attention. You just… existed in the background. Left behind with a fridge full of untouched casserole and a note that said Behave! with a smiley face. When you knocked on the door and Karen wheeler opened it she looked at you like you were an alien. Which would’ve made you nervous if you weren’t already at the brink of being nervous. She blinked, then blinked again “oh my…you must be y/n!”

“Yes! It’s so nice to meet you Mrs wheeler!” You said as she shook your hand

Karen shook my hand, her smile growing strangely warm. “Oh, sweetheart, call me Karen. Please. Come in. Come in.”

“Mike! Y/n is here!” Within five seconds footsteps thundered down the stairs

He practically flies down the stairs, taking the last two steps in one jump, hair tousled, shirt slightly wrinkled like he got ready too quickly.

His eyes land on me and soften instantly.

“Hey,” he breathes out, smiling.

That stupid little smile he gets — the one that makes him look like he’s trying not to grin too hard — yeah, that one.

“Hey,” I say back, trying not to mirror it but failing completely. He slipped his hand into mine and guided me to the living room where his father sat in his lazy chair “sweetheart” Karen spoke up “this is Mike’s girlfriend y/n”

It took a second for ted to look away from the tv and towards me “huh” he then said “you sure?”

“Dad” Mike groaned

Ted turned to me “You can still run” i chuckled akwardly and Mike groaned again “oh my god”

“Ted don’t” Karen scolded, she turned to look at Mike “where are your sisters?” Mike shrugged “i don’t know, holly’s in her room i think”

“Well call them’ I’m sure they’d love to meet your girlfriend!”

“Mom let’s not make this a whole thing—“

Karen rolled her eyes “Micheal, go get your sisters” he looked to you for a quick second and you nodded your head to upstairs making him scoff and walk upstairs, when you were left alone in the kitchen with Mike’s mother she started asking all kind of questions “how did you and Mike meet?” To which you answered that you’d been struggling with algebra and he had been your assigned tutor

Karen’s eyes widen as if this is the cutest thing she’s ever heard.

“Oh that is just precious,” she says, practically swooning. “Mike never told us! I didn’t even know he tutored.”

“He’s really good at it,” I say, smiling at the memory. “He was patient. He didn’t make me feel stupid.” Karen smiled fondly at that

Within five seconds of that sentence leaving my mouth, Mike rushes back down the stairs like he teleported, Holly riding his shoulders and Nancy trailing behind him with an amused smirk.

“Hey,” he says to me first — always to me first — before snapping toward his mother with a frown. “What did you say to her? Did you embarrass me?”

Karen scoffs so hard she physically flicks a dish towel at him. “No, Micheal. I was simply asking a question.”

Mike whirls back to me immediately. “She didn’t, right? She didn’t embarrass me?”

I blink. “…Mike, no. She did not.”

He narrows his eyes like he’s not entirely convinced. “Right, but are you saying that because you feel like you have to? Or because she actually didn’t?”

Before I can answer, Nancy groans under her breath, “Jesus Christ, Mike.”

Then her face brightens when she looks at me. “Hey, N/N.”

The nickname makes me smile instantly. “Good to see you again, Nance.”

Karen pauses mid-step, brows furrowing.

“Wait — you two know each other?”

Nancy and I glance at each other, both a little surprised she doesn’t remember. “Yea, i dated her brother a couple years back. Don’t you remember? Steve?” Nancy asks

Then—

“Oh! Oh!” Her eyes light up. “Of course! You’re Steve’s sister! I completely forgot he had a younger— well, not forgot, I just— oh my goodness, you’ve grown up!” You suppose you couldn’t blame her really you had grown up

The last time Karen Wheeler saw you, you were, what? Twelve? And still firmly in your awkward phase — braces, awful bangs Steve insisted were “totally fine,” and a habit of tripping over nothing. Now you were… well, not that

Holly looked towards me “you have great hair, can you do mine like that?”

You nodded “yea sure i’ll have get into Steve’s hairspray stash though cause I’ve ran out”

Nancy picked a muffin from the tray in front off her “how did that cheerleading thing go anyway, did you make captain?” Nancy said changing the subject

You shake your head. “No. Coach said I was too young and gave me the whole ‘maybe next year’ speech.”

Nancy nods sympathetically as you add, a bit brighter, “But I did make flyer this year.”

Nancy’s eyes widen proudly. “Seriously? That’s great! Congrats.”

Before you can thank her, Mike snaps his head toward you like you just revealed you were secretly royalty.

“You didn’t tell me that,” he says, eyebrows high. “That’s… good? Right?”

He looks almost worried he might be responding wrong, like cheerleading has secret rankings he doesn’t know.

You bite back a laugh. “Yes, Mike. It’s good.”

His shoulders relax instantly. “Okay. Good. Great. I mean— you’re— that’s amazing.”

Nancy snorts into her muffin. “Smooth, Mike.”

“Mike didn’t tell us you’re a cheerleader! I used to be a cheerleader myself y’know” Karen says, mike scoffs “and this is exactly why i didn’t tell you”

Nancy leans toward you with a conspiratorial smirk. “Mom still has her old cheer uniform somewhere. She’s gonna try to show it to you.”

Karen perks up. “Oh! I do! That’s a wonderful idea—”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” Mike cuts in, voice breaking slightly at the end.

Holly giggles. “Mikey’s embarrassed.”

“Can you blame me!?” Mike snapped looking towards his youngest sister, he then tugged on your arm guiding you up the stairs “let’s go to my room”

“Micheal—“ Mrs wheeler tried “door open Mike!”

“Mom!” Mike groaned and you chuckled

Nancy calls after you, voice dripping with amusement, “Have fun, but not too much fun!”

Mike almost trips on the last step.

You’re still laughing when he shoots back, “shut up Nancy!” When you enter his room it exactly what you expected it to be

A mess. A very Mike mess.

Posters everywhere — sci-fi movies, Star Wars, a couple of bands There’s a half-finished D&D campaign spread all over his desk, dice scattered like he got distracted mid-battle. His bed isn’t made. His sneakers are kicked off in two completely different directions. His walkie-talkie sits on the nightstand like it’s as essential as breathing.

And there’s that smell — not bad, not gross. Just… Mike. Warm fabric, pencil shavings, a little cologne he pretends not to wear. Mike kicks a stray sock under his bed instantly. “I was gonna clean.”

“You were not.”

He points at you accusingly. “You don’t know that.” You chuckle and walk over to him wrapping your arms around his waist “your family’s sweet”

Mike scoffed “they’re a nightmare, my dad didn’t even talk to you and my mom wouldn’t shut up”

“Just don’t think I’m weird because they are okay?”

You chuckle softly, tilting your head to look up at him, the warmth in your eyes making him pause. “Mike,” you say gently, “you are weird.” He scoffed “thanks”

“You know i like you because you’re weird, not despite off it”

“I like the way you care, the way you panic over tiny things, the way you talk a mile a minute when you’re excited. You’re… you, and I like that.”

Mike swallows, his usual confident bravado giving way to a soft vulnerability. “I just… I don’t want to mess this up.”