#dee's fics

He wasn't meant to be in that night.

Mingi was supposed to be meeting up with some old friends for a night out, Yunho had told you. Mingi was supposed to be sleeping over at one of said friends' houses, Yunho had told you. You would have the apartment to yourselves, Yunho had told you. Yet somehow, you were being absolutely fucking railed by your boyfriend while an intruder watched eagerly.

Wanna take a fuckin' guess who said intruder was?

Mingi had staggered in close to midnight, not expecting to find you bent over his kitchen island while Yunho essentially destroyed you from inside out. In his slightly hazy state (after passive smoking weed for a few hours) he simply stood there, mouth agape as he watched his best friend / roommate work his magic.

With his dancer's endurance, Yunho was a fucking beast, usually able to go for hours. Both his length and girth were pretty hefty too, so almost every time it felt as if you were being split open. He just had a way of fucking you with such a ferocity that had you clawing for something to grip like a rabid cat and shrieking like one too.

The sight enticed Mingi, so much so that he didn't even notice Yunho turn to look at him, purely focused on the way he was pistoning into your hole.

"You're back early."

Mingi looked Yunho in the eyes, a small smirk taking over his lips as he took his shoes off.

"You've improved since college."

It was only when his voice cut through the room that you actually registered Mingi's presence, too fucked out to even care at this point. Yunho tutted and lifted your chin, turning you to Mingi.

"Don't be rude, Y/N. Say hello."

"H-Hey, Ming- mmh!"

Yunho's hand had snaked down in between your thighs, not holding back despite you already being so sensitive.

"Don't they sound cute, Mingi?"

Mingi nodded eagerly as tears began to fall from your eyes, yet another orgasm barrelling towards you. Yunho had been nice to you tonight, he hadn't been denying you like he tended to do. In hindsight, he probably wanted you to already look a mess for when Mingi returned. The two seemed too calm for this to be a new concept and an unplanned event.

"Are you close, Y/N?"

The question threw you off guard. Not because of the contents of it, but the one asking. Mingi had approached you, his face inches from yours as Yunho continued his movements. Never would you have thought your boyfriend's roommate would be looking at you like prey to consume while your boyfriend fucked you senseless. Even more, you never would've thought you'd like it as much as you do.

"S-so close, M-Min! Please!"

Mingi redirected his gaze to Yunho, smiling smugly.

"They're begging, Yunho. Be nice."

"Do I give a fuck? They're enjoying this like a little whore. I bet they'd even let you fuck them."

Mingi chuckled and rested two fingers on your lips, watching in awe as you took them eagerly. Your tongue swirled around his long fingers, sucking desperately and moaning loudly. Your body shook as Mingi spoke in that deep, sultry voice of his.

"Well? Do you want me to fuck you, Y/N?"

You didn't know what to say in response. Is that what you wanted? Would Yunho like that? Do you care? Although you didn't verbally answer, you clenched around Yunho.

"The dirty bitch wants you, Mingi. I felt it, they want you to fuck them."

Mingi slipped his fingers from your mouth, fingers falling to your throbbing sensitive place. His touch was heavenly, but he was teasing with what he gave you, using your spit intently.

"I know, Yun. I want Y/N to say it though."

His free hand grasped your chin, pulling your drooped head up to face him. Your eyes were unfocused and blurry with tears of pleasure. His grasp tightened to help ground you.

"Say it."

"I w-want you to s-shhhit!- to f-fuck me!"

All these games had left you frustrated, and it was evident in your tone. Mingi seemed sympathetic however, his other hand leaving you aching to return to your mouth. He pushed his fingers in until both rested on the back of your throat, cooing at you with a smirk.

a/n: This chapter was a fun time, ie the memory of writing it is a blur, but I'm happy with the end result. Hope you enjoy :)

.

Read Chapter One here.

.

Chapter Eight

Wednesday March 22, 1989

Mike sat in the driver’s seat of his car with the engine off, his hands resting loosely on the steering wheel. Through the windshield, the water of Lover’s Lake stretched out past the tree line, the surface shining under the late afternoon sky. The sun had already begun its slow dip down from its peak, angling low enough that the light came in at a soft slant. It stretched across the surface of the lake, catching on the small ripples and turning the water into a shifting sheet of gold and pale silver.

The place was quiet in that empty school is in session kind of way. A light, warm spring breeze moved through the trees overhead, branches rustling softly and sending occasional shadows flickering across the hood of his car. When the wind shifted, it carried the faint smell of damp earth and lake water through the small crack in his window.

Mike shifted slightly in his seat, his sneaker tapping once against the floor of the car before going still again.

The dashboard clock read 3:15 PM. Almost an hour since school let out.

He stared out at the lake, watching the ripples move lazily across the surface, and wondered, not for the first time since pulling into the gravel lot, why the hell he was even there?

His knee bounced nervously as he leaned back in the seat. The dashboard clock ticked forward with quiet little clicks that seemed way louder than they should have been.

Because the truth was, Mike had no idea what he and Will were doing anymore.

They certainly weren’t dating. They weren’t even… friends, not the way they used to be. If Mike had to label it, the most accurate description was probably making out buddies, which sounded stupid the moment he thought it. But that was basically what they’d become.

And Mike had no idea how to act around Will Byers because of it.

Especially not when they hadn’t talked about it. Not really, not at all. The past week had felt like floating on some weird euphoric high where neither of them said anything out loud. They’d existed in this strange quiet orbit around each other, tense stolen glances across the cafeteria, shoulders brushing in the hallway, the occasional touch that lingered just a little longer than it needed to.

Touching had become… allowed. Not a big thing. Just something that had happened. And Mike didn’t hate it. Actually, he liked it way too much.

That was the problem.

Because once you said something out loud, once you put words to it, it stopped being this weird, safe bubble they’d been living in. It became real. Vulnerable. Dangerous.

And Mike had spent the last week deliberately not thinking about that. He’d turned his brain off. Which had been working pretty well.

Until today.

Mike groaned quietly and dragged a hand down his face.

Because of course Will had chosen today to change their dynamic, to throw off the carefully choreographed rhythm they’d fallen into. Practice, Hellfire, arguing over their damn senior project… and then making out in the parking lot by Mike’s car.

Mike thought about the little package of Reese’s Pieces that had sat on the passenger seat just the day before. The memory made his stomach twist.

It was Will’s birthday.

Mike had stood in the gas station, the one his father always told him never to go to because their gas was cheap and most certainly cut with something that would fuck up his car, for almost ten minutes staring at the candy aisle before grabbing them. It had felt stupidly small for a birthday gift, but it had also felt… right. Dumb and casual. Something Mike could give him without making things awkward.

Except the moment he’d handed them over, Mike had started second-guessing himself.

Had it been too small? Too much? Too weird? Too… pointed? Had they been a stupid reminder that Mike used to know Will, but clearly didn’t anymore? 

Now he was stuck in a parking spot by Lover’s Lake spiraling about it.

Because why the hell had Will wanted to meet here?

On his birthday, of all days.

Mike shifted in his seat and glanced at the empty road behind him again, like Will’s truck might magically appear if he checked enough times.

Will had given him absolutely zero clues. The memory replayed in Mike’s head again.

“Meet me at Lovers Lake tomorrow after school.”

After Mike had nodded immediately, trying to act casual even though his heart had kicked up.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Good,” Will had said. That alone had made Mike blink.

And before Mike could ask why, or what they’d be doing, Will had already opened the door.

“I’ll see you then, Mike.” he’d added, stepping out of the car.

And that was it.

No explanation.

Will had closed the door, walked across the parking lot, climbed into his truck, and driven away like inviting your sworn nemesis/make-out buddy to Lover’s Lake on your birthday was a completely normal, self-explanatory thing.

Mike huffed under his breath now, staring at the lake again.

The cynical part of his brain kept whispering the worst possibilities. Will was popular now. Not just a little popular, Hawkins High golden boy popular. The star runner. Teachers loved him. Half the school seemed to orbit around him the way people used to orbit around Steve Harrington.

And for the better part of two years after coming back to Hawkins, Will had hated Mike. And Mike had hated Will. Not quietly either.

So yeah, part of Mike’s brain kept suggesting the worst-case scenario…. Maybe this whole thing was some massive prank.

Some elaborate setup where Mike would show up at Lover’s Lake like an idiot and suddenly half the school would appear out of the woods laughing while Will stood there pretending none of it had meant anything.

Humiliate Mike Wheeler in one big spectacular moment. The thought made his stomach twist hard.

But even as the idea formed, Mike knew it didn’t actually make sense.

Will hated bullies.

More than anyone Mike knew. There was no way he’d become one himself. Actually, if anything, the opposite had happened. Since Will had come back to Hawkins, bullying had dropped off a cliff.

Seriously. Gone were the days when Mike and Dustin got cornered in the hallway and interrogated about their supposed involvement in satanic Hellfire Club rituals.

Will and Lucas had shut that kind of thing down fast, usually when it was aimed at Dustin.

Mike had seen it happen first during their junior year, right after the soccer team had brought home their championship banner and the school had been riding that high for weeks. The hallways had been packed with athletes in their jackets, teachers smiling a little too proudly, everyone acting like Hawkins High had just won the Super Bowl instead of a regional title.

Some sophomore from the soccer team had gotten a little too comfortable with the attention.

Mike had been standing by Dustin’s locker when the kid started mouthing off, loud enough for the nearby crowd to hear.

“You guys are still keeping up that freak cult thing? Munson really did a number on you two.” the kid had said with a look of contempt. “I can’t believe the teachers let you two recruit for that devil worship club.”

Dustin had rolled his eyes immediately, already gearing up to argue back, but he hadn’t gotten the chance. Will had been leaning against the lockers a few feet away, still wearing his new track jacket from practice. Mike remembered the way Will straightened slightly when he heard it.

Then Will looked at the kid. It wasn’t an angry look. If anything, it was almost too calm. His expression had gone still, his eyes steady in a way that made the hallway feel a little quieter all at once. Mostly, he just looked… disappointed.

“I’ve played DnD, Todd,” Will had said evenly. “It’s not satanic. It’s a fantasy game.”

That was it. Todd had flushed red almost immediately under the attention, muttered something under his breath, and backed off without another word.

So, maybe Will humiliating him in public didn’t track. Not really.

That didn’t mean everything between them had magically become civil.

Mike snorted softly.

If anything, the two of them had probably been the least civil people in Hawkins for a while there. They couldn’t even be in the same room without snapping at each other. It had mostly been words, though. Dirty looks. Passive-aggressive bullshit. Never anything physical or actually harmful. Which made what had happened this past week feel even stranger.

Mike’s fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel as the awareness pushed its way back into his head. The first time Will had kissed him hadn’t been planned. It definitely hadn’t been discussed. No conversation. No awkward follow-up.

A week later they were… this. Make out buddies, with Mike sitting alone in his car at Lover’s Lake, waiting for Will like it was the most normal thing in the world.

He exhaled slowly and leaned his head back against the seat.

At best, Mike figured tonight might lead to something more. Why else would Will invite him to Lover’s Lake?

People didn’t exactly come out here for casual conversation. And Will was definitely skipping a track meet to be here. Mike knew that for a fact, and Will never missed them. Which meant whatever this was probably wasn’t about hanging out with Mike because of Mike’s sparkling personality.

Maybe Will had heard the rumors that Mike had a big dick.

Mike huffed out a quiet laugh at that and rubbed the back of his neck, staring back out over the water.

His thoughts drifted somewhere he’d been trying very hard not to let them go.

Because it wouldn’t be his first time fooling around.

The thought settled in his chest in a strange, grounding way. If this really was what Mike thought it might be, if Will had brought him all the way out here for that, then at least Mike wouldn’t completely embarrass himself. He wouldn’t be clueless. He wouldn’t freeze up like some awkward idiot who had no idea what he was doing, like he had his first time.

Mike shifted in his seat again, the leather creaking softly under his weight.

His elbow bumped lightly against the center console, and his eyes flicked toward it for half a second. The small compartment was still closed, but he knew exactly what was inside. He’d checked before leaving the house, just in case.

The condoms he’d bought at the gas station, and that stupid little tub of Vaseline.

Just in case.

Mike quickly looked back out at the lake, rubbing the back of his neck as a faint warmth crept up the back of it. The whole thing felt ridiculous now that he was actually sitting here, waiting.

But then another thought pushed its way in.

The one he’d been trying to avoid entirely.

The one that had been lurking in the back of his brain every time he let himself think about what might happen tonight.

What about Will?

Mike frowned slightly, staring at the treeline across the lake.

Had Will done this before?

Mike could only assume he had.

He wasn’t stupid. Will was popular enough to score just about anyone he wanted. The guy was basically Hawkins High’s most eligible bachelor. Girls liked him. Guys too, probably.

There was no way Will Byers was a virgin.

Will was hot in that effortless way that didn’t seem fair. Tall, athletic from track, messy hair that somehow always looked good no matter what he did with it.

And his smile… Mike swallowed slightly. Will had a smile and lips that made a guy want to drop everything, grab his face, and kiss him stupid.

Mike knew that from experience.

Which meant there was no way Mike was the only one who had ever thought about it. No way he was the only one who had actually gotten the chance to… act on it.

But the thought of Will with someone else, some other guy, either here in Hawkins or back in Lenora, made something hot and unpleasant twist in Mike’s chest.

It pissed him off.

The irritation crept up fast, familiar and sharp.

Mike stared harder at the lake as the idea built in his head: Will laughing with some random guy, leaning against him the same way he sometimes leaned against Mike now. Maybe sneaking off somewhere quiet.

Maybe kissing them.

Maybe more.

And the worst part was the timing of it.

Because if Will had been doing that… it meant he’d been doing it during the time when Mike had been losing his mind wondering what the hell had happened between them.

Wondering why he hadn’t gotten a letter.

Wondering why he hadn’t gotten a call.

Mike’s jaw tightened.

That time had been miserable. And the idea that Will might’ve been off somewhere getting cozy with some random dude while Mike was stuck in Hawkins replaying every stupid conversation they’d ever had—

Yeah.

That didn’t sit right.

Mike shifted again, his hand tightening around the steering wheel as the irritation started building enough that he briefly considered just starting the car and leaving.

Before the thought could fully settle…

Knock-knock.

The sudden sound on the glass made Mike jump. He turned his head sharply.

Will stood outside the passenger side window, one hand resting lightly against the roof of the car. The late afternoon sun hung low behind him, outlining his hair in a faint gold glow.

Will was watching him through the glass, and there was the faintest tug at the corner of his lips, half smile, half confusion. He looked like he’d been standing there long enough to catch whatever ridiculous, overthinking expression Mike had just been making.

Mike’s chest thudded, and he realized he’d been holding his breath.

He unlocked the car.

Will swung the door open and slid into the passenger seat. His hair was slightly damp, sticking just a little at the nape of his neck, and his jacket shifted as he settled in, the faint scent of soap and shampoo drifting toward Mike.

As if reading Mike’s expression, Will said, “I had to go to the home meet today. Coach wouldn’t let me skip it.” He gave a small shrug, like that explained everything. “but I managed to sneak out early, most of my races are usually in the first hour anyway. That’s why I’m late. Sorry.”

Mike glanced at the dashboard. Four o’clock. Almost two hours late.

“You waited?” Will said, raising an eyebrow, a playful note in his tone.

Mike shrugged, trying to act like it hadn’t mattered. “I… lost track of time.”

Will snorted. “Yeah, I noticed.” The teasing was soft, not harsh. It made Mike bite back a grin.

“So… what were you thinking about?” Will asked, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were sharp, curious, and that look made Mike’s stomach knot again.

Mike’s gaze flicked briefly to the center console, where the condoms and small jar of Vaseline were still tucked away. He swallowed. “Nothing important.”

Will hummed, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t press further.

Mike cleared his throat. “So… what’s the plan?”

Will leaned back, stretching his arms over the back of the seat. “You’ll see,” he said, a hint of mischief in his voice. “Come on. Follow me.”

Mike got out of the car, and Will led the way across the gravel lot to his truck. He moved with that effortless ease Mike had noticed he had since moving back from California: shoulders straight, hands relaxed, the faint sway in his step that made everything about him seem natural and confident.

Mike bit his lip as he followed. He couldn’t help it, Will looked good. Really good. That clean, freshly showered look combined with the low afternoon sun made him… dangerous to Mike’s sense of self-control.

“Hop in,” Will said, and Mike climbed into the passenger seat.

The cab smelled distinctly of Will. The familiar faint scent, soap, detergent, a trace of something musky from him, hit Mike like a wave. It reminded him of Will’s old bedroom, the way it had smelled growing up, safe and familiar. That memory tugged hard at Mike’s chest, a bittersweet mix of nostalgia and longing. He brushed it aside, chalking it up to his brain clinging to childhood memories.

Will started the truck. “I know a spot near the lake,” he said, “but it’s on the other side. It’s a bit of a drive, a few dirt roads. You can pick a cassette.”

Mike reached over, rifling through the small stack of tapes in the console, and grabbed one labeled Oldies.

Will’s grin widened. “Oh, you won’t like that one.”

Mike frowned. “Why not?”

Will laughed, the sound light. “It’s a tape I made a while ago. Full of old country songs my mom loves. She used to play them around the house whenever she cleaned.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “You like country?”

Will shrugged, cheeks pinking slightly. “Just play it. It’s not that bad, you’ll see.”

Mike smirked and popped the tape into the player, pressing play. He started fast-forwarding, trying to find the songs he recognized.

Hey Good Lookin’ by Hank Williams. Make the World Go Away by Mickey Gilley. Mike knew a few of these, they were old, slow, sentimental or cheesy in the way country always was, but a few, he didn’t recognize at all.

He fast forwarded again, stopping at the start of a song, Crazy by Willie Nelson, and Will suddenly stopped him.

“That one’s mom’s favorite,” Will said quickly, a soft grin forming. “She used to sing it all the time.”

Before Mike could respond, Will began singing along, a little over-the-top, dramatic.

I’m crazy, crazy for feeling so lonely.

I’m crazy, crazy for feeling so blue… 

I knew, you’d love me as long as you wanted, and then someday… 

Mike gave him a look, not exactly impressed, but he found himself smiling anyway. The absurdity of it. The voice, the ridiculousness of Will singing, the easy laughter that came from his performance.

It made the air between them feel light. Before Will could sing the next line, Mike skipped to the next track, one he didn’t recognize either.

It was upbeat, and the lyrics played:

You held me up, held me down Made me crazy then you brought me around

Were my darkness and my light You were my blindness and my sight

Were my shelter, and my storm 

Made me cold then you made me warm  

You were my fever and my cure 

Made me doubt and you made me sure

One step forward and two steps back This kind of dance can never last…

Mike leaned back in the seat as the song played, the lyrics curling around him in a slow, familiar rhythm. Will had stopped laughing halfway through, and now they just sat there, the truck quiet except for the soft hum of the cassette, the sounds coming from the old truck as it drove on the uneven road, and the occasional chirp of birds near the lake.

Mike glanced at Will, who was staring out the window for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Is this another one of your mom’s favorites?” he asked.

Will shook his head lightly. “No, actually… this one came out a couple years ago. ’87. Desert Rose Band. I like it.”

Mike snorted and pulled the cassette out. “Yeah… not sold. Guess I’m just not a country type of guy.”

Will raised an eyebrow, leaning back with that little teasing grin again. “Oh yeah? Then what are you into?”

Mike thought about it, and the memories of his own playlists, the music that had felt like his before high school swallowed him up, came back in a rush. The Clash. The Who. Billy Idol. Toto. Not that he’d really listened to much for himself. Mostly, he’d just listened to whatever Will had liked because, well… Will had liked it, and Mike had liked Will.

And then Eddie happened. He’d met Eddie freshman year, and suddenly there was a whole new world of music shoved at him: metal, hard rock, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Danzig. Loud, fast, messy.

Mike shrugged and glanced at Will. “Actually… I just got this album by a band called Living Colour. They’re a rockband. The first song is really good. Cult of Personality. Got the album after I heard that track.”

Will nodded, his eyebrows rising with interest. “Yeah?”

Mike hesitated for a moment, letting the thought hang. He didn’t tell Will the real reason he’d bought the album. The real hook had been the cover of Should I Stay or Should I Go… a track he knew Will would actually like. He hadn’t bought it for Cult of Personality, no, he’d bought it to hear that track. But, no way he was admitting that to Will, even if it meant lying by omission.

Instead, he let a small, casual smile spread across his face.

“You should listen to it. I can let you borrow it.”

Will’s grin widened ever so slightly, just enough to make Mike’s chest tighten a little.

The silence that followed was comfortable in a way that made Mike’s stomach flutter. He tried not to read too much into it, though, and instead focused on the road ahead as they pulled up to a little cabin tucked away at the end of a winding dirt road.

Mike jumped out of the passenger side, closing the truck door behind him, and his eyes swept over the surroundings. It was actually a nice spot. A wooden porch ran along the front of the cabin, with a barbecue and a table set up as if someone had been expecting company. A rope swing hung from a sturdy tree branch, swaying gently in the breeze, perfect for a running leap into the lake just beyond the treeline during the summer. And there was a small dock, a boat tethered neatly beside it. Mike found himself smiling.

Will swung the cabin door open, brushing a few specks of dust off the handle. “Come on in.”

The cabin was cozy, if a little musty. It smelled faintly of pine and old wood, with a kitchen tucked into one corner, a living area with matched furniture, and two small bedrooms at the back. It reminded Mike of the vacation homes his mom had been pestering his dad about, places that promised escape from the town.

“Cool place,” Mike said, his voice low. He was about to ask why they were here, exactly, when Will’s grin widened mischievously.

Then Will leaned in and kissed him.

Mike froze for a heartbeat… and then didn’t.

There was a sharp thrill, a quick jolt through him that left his heart racing. When Will pulled away, the corner of his mouth still curved up in that infuriatingly charming way, Mike found himself grinning too.

“I’m throwing a party here on Friday, and you’re going to help me.”

Mike blinked.

That was… unexpected, but at the same time… entirely expected. The contrast between them was glaring. Since his return, Will had grown into his newfound popularity, the kind of guy who could throw a party and have everyone show up without blinking. Mike felt a pang of inadequacy; maybe he’d been hoping for something quieter, more intimate with Will.

Before he could spiral into self-doubt, Will’s grin softened, and he added, “But tonight, I just invited the group over. They’ll be here around six. Dustin, Lucas, Max… you, me, it’ll be like the old days.”

Mike felt a little relief seep in, though it didn’t entirely erase the disappointment of not having Will to himself.

“Alright… what do you need me to do?”

For the better part of the next hour, they cleaned.

They scrubbed the kitchen counters, wiped away dust and spiderwebs, and aired out the two bedrooms in the back until the place started to feel less like an abandoned cabin and more like somewhere people actually lived. Will had brought half the supplies for the weekend in the bed of his truck: a keg, a few cases of beer, bags of chips, and a stack of board games Mike suspected were mostly meant for tonight.

They moved around each other in a steady rhythm: quiet and efficient. Busy enough that they didn’t have to talk much, but close enough that Mike kept getting distracted by Will being right there. Once or twice, when they passed each other in the narrow kitchen or near the hallway, Mike leaned in and stole a quick kiss. Will always smiled into it, quick and easy, before nudging him back to work.

It left Mike’s stomach in knots the whole time.

The last thing Will insisted they deal with was outside.

Just off the front porch, facing the lake, was a jacuzzi Mike hadn’t even noticed when they first arrived. It had been hidden beneath a wooden cover that blended almost perfectly with the porch flooring, like it was part of the deck itself.

Will had pried it open with a grunt and announced, very matter-of-factly, that they needed to prep it.

“For tonight and for Friday,” he’d said.

So Mike helped clean it out while Will hooked up the hose and checked the heater. By the time they finished, the jacuzzi was filling and hopefully warming up, the water faintly rippling beneath the soft glow of the string lights hanging overhead. The lights stretched from the porch railing to the nearby trees, casting warm reflections across the surface of the water.

Mike set a stack of towels nearby and folded a couple of blankets over the back of one of the porch chairs.

When they were done, he stepped back into the living room and looked around at everything they’d set up: the snacks on the table, the games stacked neatly, the cabin finally feeling alive.

It actually looked good.

Like a place people would want to stay.

Mike crossed his arms, quietly proud of the work they’d done.

The door creaked behind him.

“Jacuzzi’s ready,” Will said, stepping back inside. “Heater’s working. Shouldn’t be too cold if you feel like jumping in tonight.”

Mike nodded. “Cool… hey, I should probably get my car. Can you give me a ride back to bring it here?”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? The road’s kinda rough. Your tires…”

Mike waved it off. “Doesn’t matter.”

They climbed back into the truck, and this time, instead of playing one of Will’s tapes, Mike turned on the radio, tuning into the classic rock station Robin and Steve had been hosting since Mike’s junior year.

As they drove, Mike couldn’t resist asking, “How did you even find out about this place? How’d you get the key? Don’t tell me we just broke in.”

Will laughed, the sound easy and warm. “No, we’re not breaking and entering…” He paused, then went quiet for a moment before continuing. “Actually… it used to belong to my grandfather.”

Mike blinked, confused. “Your mom’s dad?” He knew about the estrangement between Joyce and Lonnie’s family. Growing up, Will was really only ever close to Joyce’s side of the family.

“No,” Will corrected gently. “Lonnie’s father. The house we live in now was his too. He passed three years ago and left everything to Jonathan and me. That’s why we moved back to Hawkins.”

Will broke the silence after a short pause. “Mom thought it’d be better to move out of my grandma’s and into a place of our own… or, Jonathan’s now, I guess. The cabin’s mine, technically.”

Mike digested this in silence. He hadn’t known Joyce, Will, and Jonathan had moved to California to live with her parents. He hadn’t known Lonnie’s dad had died. How much else had he missed while they weren’t talking?

Mike opened his mouth to ask something else, but they were pulling into the parking area before he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar looking jeep approaching from the road. Lucas and Max were waving the truck down, shouting something indistinct, laughing.

Will rolled down his window, and Lucas yelled, “Will, I forgot the way! Need directions again!”

“Just follow me,” Will called back as Mike stepped out.

Lucas’s eyes widened. “Mike!” he shouted. “You’re here! Hell yeah, dude!”

Max leaned over, smirking. “Can’t believe you’re actually here, Wheeler! Finally decided to pull that stick out of your ass and beg Will for forgiveness?”

Mike felt his jaw tighten the way it always did when Max spoke to him. He tolerated Max on the best of days. She had this way of calling him out for things she didn’t understand… like she had the whole situation figured out when she’d only ever seen pieces of it. Max loved to poke at people, loved acting like she could read everyone perfectly, and Mike was usually the one she decided needed knocking down a peg.

Dustin and Lucas thought it was funny.

Mike didn’t.

Max had no idea what had actually happened between him and Will. No idea how messy things had gotten, how long he’d spent replaying every conversation in his head. But she still tossed comments like that out like it was all simple. Like it was all Mike’s fault.

Mike flipped her off without even looking back and walked toward his car. Just as he reached it, the roar of another engine rolled up the road behind them. A second later the unmistakable sound of Metallica blasted through the trees, distorted guitar echoing across the lake.

Mike grinned immediately. He knew that car.

Dustin pulled up behind Lucas’s Jeep in his Mustang, easing it onto the gravel with a proud little rev of the engine. The car gleamed under the late afternoon light, the paint catching the sun in deep flashes of purple like a cheap gemstone.

Orchid Haze. Dustin had insisted on the name for weeks after the paint job.

He’d bought the Mustang for five hundred bucks off a guy who swore the engine was completely shot. According to the seller, the thing needed to be rebuilt from the ground up and wasn’t worth the trouble. Dustin had shown up at Mike’s house that day practically vibrating with excitement, announcing he’d gotten the deal of the century.

Turned out the guy had been right about the engine.

But that hadn’t stopped Dustin.

Dustin, Mike, Steven, and Eddie had spent the entire summer before senior year rebuilding it piece by piece. The three of them practically lived in Eddie’s garage. Grease-stained hands, tools scattered everywhere, classic rock blasting while Dustin shouted explanations about carburetors and pistons like he was already a professional mechanic.

By August the engine roared like it had just rolled off the factory line.

Then Dustin had spent another week painting the body that deep, ridiculous purple.

Dustin leaned out the driver’s side, wild curls already escaping from under his hat, a huge grin plastered across his face.

“Thank God I ran into you guys!” he shouted over the music. “I got lost!”

To Mike’s surprise, El leaned forward across the passenger seat, peering past the windshield the moment she spotted him.

“Mike!” she exclaimed excitedly, her whole face lighting up the instant their eyes met. Mike couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at his mouth. There was something unmistakable about the way El said his name, like it carried relief with it.

She leaned a little farther out the window.

And just as Mike expected, she asked, “Can I go with you? Dustin drives like a lunatic.”

“I do not!” Dustin shot back immediately from the driver’s seat, offended. He slapped the steering wheel like the accusation itself had personally insulted him. “I’m the best driver here.”

“Last week you almost hit a mailbox,” El said flatly.

“That mailbox was too close to the road,” Dustin defended.

Mike laughed under his breath, shaking his head as he reached for his car door.

“Yeah, El,” he called back, gesturing toward his car. “Come on.”

Mike was just pulling his car door open when he heard the passenger door of Dustin’s Mustang swing wide.

The music dipped for a second as the door opened, Metallica’s guitar riff spilling out louder into the open air. A moment later it slammed shut again with a solid thunk.

Gravel crunched quickly behind him.

Mike didn’t even have to turn around to know she was running. The rhythm of her footsteps was light but fast.

“Wait!”

He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see her jog the last few steps toward him, ponytail bouncing slightly behind her as she crossed the parking lot. She slowed when she reached him, a little breathless but smiling like she’d just escaped something.

Behind her, Dustin leaned halfway out his window, arguing with Lucas and Max.

“I am not a bad driver!” he shouted, gesturing wildly with one hand while the other stayed on the wheel. “You guys are just overly sensitive to speed!”

Lucas laughed. Max said something Mike couldn’t quite hear, but it made Dustin groan loudly in protest.

El ignored all of it.

She came to a stop beside Mike’s car and looked up at him, clearly pleased with herself for making the switch.

Mike shook his head with a quiet laugh and moved to pull the passenger door open for her.

“C’mon,” he said. “Before Dustin decides to prove his point.”

El smiled at him, the kind that crinkled her eyes a little, and before climbing in she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

It was quick. Casual. Familiar. Still, Mike blinked in surprise for half a second.

Then she slid into the passenger seat, pulling her legs inside as she settled in.

Mike pushed the door closed for her and walked around the front of the car toward the driver’s side. Gravel crunched under his shoes as he circled the hood.

When he glanced up, he caught sight of Will in the driver’s seat of his truck.

Will was looking straight at him. Not laughing with Dustin, Lucas, and Max. Not saying anything. Just watching. His expression was unreadable again, somewhere between neutral and distant, like Mike had caught him mid-thought.

Mike frowned faintly, but the moment passed quickly. Dustin started revving his engine again behind Lucas’s Jeep, and Lucas leaned halfway out the window to shout something back at him.

Mike decided that he wouldn’t think too much about it.

He opened the driver’s side door and slid into his seat, starting the car as the engines around them rumbled to life.

A/N: cut it short here because, well, I ended up realizing that I was over 5000 words in, and was getting tired lol. I work on a computer all day and staring at a screen all day suuuuuuucks ngl.

That being said, I will definitely try to have the rest of this day, ie the next chapter, up before Will's birthday :) hehehe

THANK YOU to everyone who’s sent love via comments and kudos/like and reposts! Ya'll are the reason I write.

.

Read newest chapters first on AO3 (subscribe, comment, and kudos!! Pls, it inspires me so much!!!)

or

read the next chapter HERE

You love Mingi's nose.

You love to kiss it when he's concentrating, eyebrows furrowed and headphones blasting.

You love the way he crinkled it when he was happy, and held it when he smelled something he hated.

You love to stroke it as he sleeps soundly, tracing the curves of it and the rest of his face.

You also love the way it nudged your clit when you rode his face, and the way you could sit on it if you pleased.

"Sh-shit Min... s'good baby... more..."

This Friday night was being spent as you two usually did, and you wouldn't change a damn thing. There was nothing better than watching Mingi squirm beneath you, nails digging into your thighs as he unashamedly moaned into your pussy. He was the definition of a munch, willing and eager to fall to his knees any time you deemed necessary.

Currently you were on your bed, the netflix show the two of you had meant to watch playing unnoticed in the background as Mingi practically pinned you to his face. While initially you'd been in control of your movements, Mingi wanted you flush against him, forcing you down despite your protests that you were too heavy. He simply murmured that he didn't care before running his tongue between your folds, nose bumping your sensitive bundle of nerves.

Lewd slurping sounds left your boyfriend as you exhaled in relief, the pleasure intoxicating. He wasn't going too fast, you knew he preferred to savour the moment and let you build slowly to climax. Nevertheless, his whimpers and whines beneath you were making your mind fog, your body shake.

"So... good.."

You fidgeted when his words vibrated up your spine, a high-pitched whine leaving you. Being with Mingi like this was the sweetest torture, so much so that it hooked you in until you continually craved for these moments. You would happily spend an entire weekend on his face if he so pleased, letting Mingi have his way with you.

The reverie that had taken ahold of you soon faded away when Mingi began to rub your clit with his fingers, tongue dipping in and out of your hole before lapping around it. Your arousal gushed out onto him, and he eagerly tasted it. This new combination of movements however brought you closer and closer to the edge.

"F-fuck!- Close, Min.. Shit, I'm so fuckin' close."

Mingi whined pathetically into you, face still pressed into you as he begged, his tears now beginning to mix with your slick as his nails dug into the plush flesh of your thighs.

"Oh fuck... please, baby.. pretty please.. cum all over my face, my pretty baby... please-"

His unapologetic cries paired with the stimulation they caused quickly tipped you over the edge, grabbing Mingi's hair and pushing him further into you until he couldn't breath. Your thighs shook around his head as his ears rang from the pressure of you gripping it, sending him into a state of pure bliss. He dutifully lapped at your dripping cunt until you began to relax after your high, letting go of his hair and hissing a little with sensitivity.

Moving up, you hooked a leg over and collapsed next to mingi on the bed, sighing in relief and wrapping an arm around him as he laid still, in some sort of daze. When you kissed his cheek softly and ruffled his hair, he gave you a soft smile to show he was okay.

"You did so well, Min. Such a good boy for me. My good boy."

Not responding to your praise, Mingi simply turned his head to face you, eyes distant as he looked at you.

"I came in my pants."

You froze for a second in disbelief at his confession, mouth agape as you tried to rationalise what you heard. But it had been clear, albeit in a weak tone of voice.

"You... in your pants?"

Mingi just nodded at you, and you couldn't help but chuckle at his lost expression. Cupping his cheek, you pressed a flurry of kisses to his nose, making him break out in a smile.

"I've gotta say, I'm flattered. You like my pussy that much?"

Looking you dead in the eyes, there wasn't a hint of humor in his expression as he spoke.

"I would die between your thighs a happy man."

No sex in the dorms.

That's what Yunho had said last night when he'd walked in on Cumatron 8000 (San) and his newly-acquainted lady friend going at it like rabbits in heat. He had quickly left the room, and while seething with anger, typed that message into the 99z group chat. Those five fateful fucking words, that were currently the bane of his existence.

If he had been in a more sane state of mind, he probably would've said 'no sex in the public areas of the dorm' or 'no more sex in the dorms for san', but it hadn't occurred to him that he needed to specify.

Of course, it was Wooyoung that was being a pain in the arse at 7am about it. Who else?

"If we can't bone, you can't either! You've forced me to become a nun, but you shall wear the habit too, good sir!"

"No one's forcing you to become a nun, Wooyoung."

San snickered as Yunho sighed in exasperation, adding his own two cents with a smirk.

"You'd burn the moment you set foot in a church."

Wooyoung was quick to turn to the elder, screaming like a banshee as usual.

"Shut the fuck up, San! Its your incessant need to empty your balls that landed us in this mess in the first place!"

The two fell into a heated argument, bickering like children as Yunho took a long sip of his coffee. Yeosang was the next to emerge, rubbing his eyes and waving at Yunho before grabbing a juice carton from the fridge. The two squabbling birds didn't stop their nitpicking, so Yeosang gestured to them with his thumb. Yunho just shook his head, and Yeosang quickly retreated back to safety. Just as Yunho was about to follow suit, a voice stopped him.

"Why can't Yunho just lift the ban?"

He turned to see Mingi standing just behind San and Wooyoung, who had finally stopped arguing out of interest. His hand dug into the box of lucky charms, grabbing a handful and depositing it in his mouth. The men seemed more stunned at the fact Mingi was being the most logical in the room, rather than him spreading his cooties all over the shared lucky charms box.

"I mean, he made it, right? And if we all wanna bone, why can't we lift the ban?"

They all turned expectantly to Yunho, who's ears had gone a little red from embarrassment. He was caught in a dilemma: on one hand, he definitely didn't wanna have to practice abstinence just to prove a point, but he also didn't wanna back down.

To add to this drama, he knew you were coming round today after not seeing each other for almost a month - you drop off the face of the earth and become a hermit during exam season. With you living with your parents and you both being broke college students, Yunho's was the only place you two could 'get up to no good' (your words not his).

Unfortunately for you, his pride outweighed his blue balls, so he shook his head as he stood up, glass in hand.

"I said what I meant, there's gonna be a sex ban for a month until you lot learn the importance of time and place. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tidy my room."

Just as he was about to leave, Wooyoung quickly got in his way, eyebrows narrowed.

"Keep your door unlocked, big guy."

"I could snap you in half if I wanted to."

"...Understood, carry on."

The dorm had a weird atmosphere from the moment you stepped through the door. While usually you were greeted with smiles and warm hellos, most of the boys were in their rooms, and Wooyoung was staring at you, suspicion evident in his expression.

Before you could question Wooyoung on his creepy behaviour, Yunho quickly grabbed your hand and pulled you to his room, slamming the door behind him. You raised an eyebrow as you put your bag down, turning to Yunho for an explanation. Before he could offer one, someone knocked loudly on the door, agitation evident in the intensity of the hits.

"I cut up all your condoms, so no funny business! You really put the dick in dictator, Yunho!"

Yunho simply put his head in his hands as your jaw dropped, quickly stifling a giggle as Wooyoung walked away, muttering quite loudly about changing Yunho's contact to Shitler. As soon as more pressing matters came to mind, you wrapped your arms around your boyfriend, pulling him close. His hands fell from his face as his cheeks flushed, strong arms wrapping around you. You took in a deep breath, relishing in the scent of him, filling up your senses and intoxicating you.

"I missed you so much, Yun."

"Me too, love."

His body relaxed in your hold, and an easygoing smile lightened his expression. Yunho tightened his grasp, eventually pulling away and holding your chin between his fingers. The doting look in his eye made you swoon, eagerly reciprocating the kiss he placed on your lips. It was deep, passionate with longing and relief. But it was all over too soon, your boyfriend sighing in frustration and turning his head away.

What's wrong, baby?"

Sheepish, Yunho gave you an awkward grin before walking over to his bed, placing a pillow in his lap.

Oh.

"I'm sorry, I just missed you a lot."

Chuckling, you gave Yunho a smile before walking to his closet, opening the doors and rifling through.

"Not enough to lift the sex ban though."

Finally finding a suitable t-shirt, you turned to him with a smirk.

"How unfortunate."

Yunho kept his eyes trained on you as you began to strip off your outside clothes, being a tad more expressive with your movements to ensure he focused on your boobs. His gaze was intense as he watched you pull at your lacy bra, the trim matching the panties before both were quickly hidden by his large t-shirt. You then made your way to the bed, chucked off the pillow and straddled Yunho's lap, already feeling his cock straining against his joggers.

Yunho's hands fell to your hips, squeezing your plump flesh while biting his lip, desperation evident in his gaze. Trailing his hands down your sides, he let then rest on your thighs, watching the way his shirt rode up slightly, exposing your panties. Knowing his patience was wearing thin, you grabbed him by the chin and pouted, the other hand playing with the little curls of baby hair.

"You can't even break it for little ol' me?"

He snapped.

Yunho dropped you into the pillows so quickly that the air was knocked out of your lungs, his hands already snaking under his t-shirt. The desperation as he crashed his lips onto yours was palpable, and you couldn't help but open your mouth, easily submitting to him. In all honesty, not only did you feel bad for cockblocking him for a month only to tease him, you needed to be dicked down real good. Almost as soon as you had put the t-shirt on, it was already decorating his bedroom floor.

Just as his fingers were toying with your panties, about to pull them down, you put a hand on his chest. Yunho instantly pulled back, concern evident on his face.

“Woo said he cut up all your condoms…”

Chuckling, Yunho picked his wallet up from the floor and pulled one out from behind his driver’s license, holding it up triumphantly.

“As they say in the scouts, always be prepared.”

Snorting at him, you wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer.

“You were never a scout.”

“Humour me and I’ll do the thing.”

You were quick to shut your mouth and kiss him, lifting your hips so he could quickly strip you of your underwear, still kissing you feverishly. His face dipped between your thighs, pressing a kiss to your aching pussy before latching his lips on your clit. As he suckled, hard, you couldn’t help but squeeze his head, thighs shaking as you moaned quietly.

All too soon Yunho pulled away and put a finger to his lips just as you sat up, about to cry out from frustration. He gestured to the door and you threw yourself down with a frustrated huff. Chuckling quietly, Yunho held your hands, kissing from knuckle to knuckle. You held your breath as you felt his chapped lips worship you, gulping at the intensity of Yunho’s gaze. He then brought them to your mouth, covering it with them while he leant into your ear, kissing the skin just shy of your lobe.

“Be a good girl for me, yeah?”

You nearly nutted on the spot.

Not expecting an answer in your state, Yunho spread your thighs wide open, almost salivating at the sight of your shining pussy glinting in the light. He was regretting having a taste of you; now he just wanted to smother himself with your cunt. Biting his lip, Yunho put two fingers in his mouth, wetting them before letting them go with a pop. Your hands remained on your mouth, but goosebumps rose on your skin in anticipation.

“So wet, baby..”

The pads of his middle and ring finger swiped from your hole to your clit, collecting some of your wetness before circling it. His gaze fixated on the sight before him, relishing in the way your thighs shook from his torturously slow pace. You could feel your stomach churning - the unsatisfactory feeling just before pleasure aggravating you. Clenching around nothing, you tried to convince Yunho with your eyes to do more, but he was to focused on your pussy. Slowly removing your hands from your face, your voice was hushed as you spoke.

“Yun, pleas-“

His hand was quick to replace yours, clamping down as his gaze hardened, staring directly at you. His fingers had stopped their ministrations, instead pressing uncomfortably into your clit. Your boyfriend merely watched as you squirmed uncomfortably, brows furrowed with frustration as you tried to rotate your hips and gain some sort of friction.

“What the fuck did I tell you?”

Your movements very quickly halted, eyes widening as you looked up at Yunho. His expression was clouded with some sort of anger, and it sent a shiver up your spine. He loosened his grip slightly when your expression seemed to fall.

“I’m sorry, baby. You just need to be quiet or Woo’s gonna tear me a new arsehole.”

Yunho relaxed when he felt you chuckle against his hand, nodding from underneath him. Your expression relaxed once more when his fingers slid down before slowly entering you, the wetness from his teasing helping them glide in. The stretch was minimal, but you needed such foreplay to even consider taking Yunho. The male was extremely well-endowed.

Both of you were too eager to let this go on for long, so Yunho carefully yet hastily began scissoring you, anxious to widen you as much as possible. When your thighs threatened to close around his hand, Yunho pushed one leg up until you could hold it, grip admittedly shaky at best.

“Good girl, Y/N. Nearly done, so keep it open for me, yeah?”

When you frantically nodded, Yunho smirked and pushed the last centimetres of his fingers in, now knuckle-deep in your pussy. Your back arched off the bed at such a filling feeling, eyes tightly screwed shut as Yunho once again began thrusting his fingers, now just shy of your sweet spot. Wetting his lips, he couldn’t help but dip his head to your stomach, pressing soft kisses to your skin.

“My pretty baby…”

The anticipation had finally gotten to him, and as soon as you felt just wide enough to take him, Yunho pulled his fingers out. You barely got the chance to react before he had hastily tugged his boxers down, still one handed to keep you quiet. He hissed quietly when he grabbed his cock, already painfully erect. His tip had a few pearls of precum dribbling down his shaft, and a prominent vein seemed etched into his skin. A month without pussy seemed to be the most effective form of viagra.

Anxious to have him inside you, you ripped open the condom and blew into it. When it was finally ready, you guided it onto the tip of his cock, pushing it down until your hand met his. A shiver ran up Yunho’s body, your hand felt entirely different to his after all, and he bit his lip to suppress a moan.

“Shit…”

Your smile was sultry as you let go, letting yourself fall back into the pillows. It wasn't long, however, before Yunho had flipped you, hoisting you up by the waist while his other hand guided his cock to your hole. Teasingly, the male traced around, watching with bated breath as you tried to push back onto him, whines suppressed. Fortunately for you, Yunho didn't need much convincing to balls deep inside you.

Despite all the prep, it still stung when he finally pushed inside. Your jaw dropped, mouth agape at the almost-agonising stretch, hands gripping the sheets for dear life. If you had known it would feel like this to give up regular sex with Yunho, being a hermit wouldn't have been your preferred method of studying. With the way his hands now gripped your waist, fingers digging into your skin, you could tell he soon wouldn't be able to hold back. Nevertheless, you appreciated the fact he let you adjust, waiting for your go ahead.

"Go o-on, Yun."

Honestly? it felt like you were being jackhammered.

Such a prolonged period of pent-up frustration had sent your boyfriend into a frenzy, jaw clenched as he fucked mercilessly into you. Had it not been for his iron grip on your waist, you wouldn't have been surprised if he had sent you flying off the bed. Even with his support, you still struggled to stay upright. Your arms shook from trying to withhold any and all noise, the wet squelch of your pussy embarrassingly loud in the quiet room.

The demonic pace Yunho was setting at least gave you partial reasoning for the excess now building a white ring around his base, your body shaking intensely. Even trying to steady your breathing meant small moans slipped out of you; just the slightest parting of your lips was enough for a torrent to spill.

"Shit- move your hips for me."

Obliging, the way your ass collided with his pelvis had you clenching hard, pulling the first noticably loud moan from Yunho. Leaning forwards, he messily kissed along your back in an attempt to quieten himself, murmuring sweet nothings onto your skin.

"Best pussy in the world, baby. So glad this pussy is mine."

His more shallow thrusts gave you room to breathe, Yunho's fingers now rubbing soothing circles into the nail marks his death grip had left on you. The roughness of his lips sloppily dragging over your skin had you tense up, pulling a hiss from the giant and prompting more vicious thrusting. Pulling back, Yunho grabbed a handful of your ass and moulded it in his grasp before speaking.

"One day you gonna let me pump-"

"Yunho? Y/N?"

Your boyfriend was quick to shove your face in the pillows, slowing his pace so he could at least sound semi-believable.

"What is it, Min?"

"Wooyoung told me to come and check if you're fucking. Are you?"

The bluntness of Mingi's question would've had you chortling if your face wasn't pressed into the pillows while your insides were rearranged. Similarly taken aback by the question, Yunho hesitated before answering.

"Uh... no?"

"... Are you lying?"

"Are you gonna tell if I am? On a completely unrelated note, I was thinking of ordering your favourite snacks. this weekend."

Your eyes widened at Yunho's lack of defense, as if he was trying to get you caught. The three of you stayed in an awkward silence before Mingi thankfully broke it.

"Deal. So, uh... enjoy?"

You heard the quick footfall of Mingi legging it to his room, face almost certainly flushed. This image was quick to dissipate however when Yunho's thrusts quickly regained their relentless pace. You had began to moan quietly into his pillow, so the male resorted to pushing you closer, restricting your airflow with his hand on the back of your neck. The dizzying pleasure that encapsulated your mind, sending you reeling with unbridled lust, had you scrabbling for something more solid than the sheets to grip.

It took everything in Yunho to keep his bed rocking, the headboard close to hitting his shared wall with Mingi.

When your clenching became uncontrollable, Yunho pressed slightly harder until your brain felt fuzzy, arousal building insanely quick at the feeling. Before you could even warn him, you had came hard, practically convulsing as he fucked you through your high. Naively, you thought he would ease up a little due to your orgasm, but now Yunho merely seemed more determined to cum.

Even with the pillow, your whines filled the room as his thrusts became sloppy and shallow. Just as it began to feel all too much, Yunho stilled and filled the condom, sighing in relief as his body relaxed. He let himself catch his breath for a second before pulling out, tying the condom and tossing it in the bin. Then, he flipped you over and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, thumbs drying tear trails you hadn't even realsied you'd made.

"You did so well, baby."

Noticing how your body shook slightly, Yunho leaned down and picked his (your) t-shirt from the ground, helping you into it carefully. It was almost comical how gently he treated you after fucking you like a slut, handling you like a fragile porcelain doll. His grip was tight as he pulled you back against his chest, pressing kisses to your shoulder through the material and inhaling your scent before kissing and nibbling sweetly at the skin of your neck. Smiling, you drowsily interlocked fingers with the hand around your waist, giving your boyfriend a squeeze before speaking.

"Feeling better?"

"So much better."

Smiling softly, you brought his hand to your lips and gave them a sweet peck, one that was quickly reciprocated on your temple. After a few minutes of cuddling, Yunho reached around you and dove his hand in the tiny gap between the mattress and the bedframe. Your eyes widened when he produced yet another condom, and you tensed up when you felt his hard on poke your back.

"Ready to go again?"

⚝ - TAGLIST !!

@vampzity @dotchannie @jjoongstar @yyaurii @yuyubeans

Yunho had first attracted you due to his kind manner and unrestrained happiness. He was a sun to your cloudy sky, always able to lift the mood when needed. Every date he would shower you with affection and would help you with everything, not wanting you to lift a finger. So you had believed him to be a gentleman through and through.

Oh how wrong you were.

He was rough with you, murmuring into your ear while you whined quietly. Despite the length of your dress already being a tad risqué, your ripped panties were shoved in your mouth, keeping you quieter than normal. There was something about Yunho that made you into a screamer, but you weren't exactly complaining.

"My pretty girl, all for me."

You nodded as he snapped his hips harder, your love handles already beginning to bruise from his harsh grip. You liked it when Yunho treated you like a slut, god it drove you crazy. He had a way of reducing you to absolute ruin.

When his fingers slipped down to your clit, you cried out as he let his tongue drag the length of your neck before humming with delight in your ear, nibbling the lobe.

"Gonna cum, baby? Your parents are waiting."

All you could do is whimper in response as he rubbed furious circles onto you, thrusts becoming more sloppy by the second. Just the thought of being caught had you clenching around him. Here you were, watching yourself get fucked in the bathroom mirror, chest covered in love bites just shy of where your neck was exposed.

Your lover's reflection was intense as he ruthlessly used you, hair beginning to stick and cheeks flushed. Groaning, Yunho bit softly onto your shoulder, just out of sight as he pulled you impossibly close to him, emptying into you before you had even reached your high. Disappointed, you spat the panties out when Yunho pulled out of you, turning around with an indignant expression.

"Don't be a dick Yu-"

Upon turning, you found yourself met with the beautiful image of Yunho on his knees, staring up at you with a smug smirk.

"No evidence."

A second later, his face was buried in your pussy, voraciously eating his own cum out of you. Your legs shook as you reached for the panties. He chuckled into you before quickly snatching them, causing you to whisper shout at him.

"Yun!-"

Simply smirking and pocketing them, Yunho pulled you down harder onto his face, sending vibrations coursing through you.

🔌🍃: got some good stuff for today

🔌🍃: you in?

Y/N: fs fs

🔌🍃: the spot, 11pm

Y/N: how much

🔌🍃: 20

🔌🍃: or wear that cute lil dress I like

You smiled to yourself and stood up from your sofa, your roommate looking over at you in vague interest, tv remote in hand.

"Going somewhere?"

"Just out."

She rolled her eyes and continued to scroll Netflix, turning back to the screen as she spoke.

"Tell your lil' boyfriend he should be working on a day like this, not messing about with you."

Sighing, you walked over to her and ruffled her hair, smirking when she glared at you.

"I'm sure he's just saving the best for last. And he's not my lil boyfriend, he's just a friend."

Looking at you knowingly as you now began fussing with your hair, your roommate simply laid back and finally chose a show, her tone smug.

"Friends don't carry you home after screwing your brains out."

In all honesty, you had no reply to that.

"Whatever. I need to have an everything shower, got anywhere to be?"

She shook her head and pressed play, magically producing a bag of popcorn from the abyss.

"Bathroom's all yours. Don't forget that paper due Monday."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get to it... eventually."

Ironically, it took a lot of effort to make yourself look effortlessly beautiful. It was clear that your work had paid off, however, because you were dressed to kill. Your dress accentuated your curves, and your heels had given you a boost of confidence as you strided over to your plug. His gaze slowly trailed over your body, and his hands fell to your hips when you were close enough, rubbing circles onto them.

"Shit, I should pay you for looking this fine."

Chuckling, you pressed a kiss to his neck, leaving lipstick on him. He didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed to like it more than he intended to let on.

Unfortunately for Mingi, you could read him like a book. His ears were tinted as he lead you inside an abandoned carpark; the spot.

The spot was illuminated by a few candles, simple citrus ones to ward away insects. A couch that had been dumped nearby had been dragged in and brought back to life, a comfy blanket on top courtesy of yours truly. You liked to cuddle up when you get high, and Mingi happily obliges.

Mingi's skin took on a more golden look in this lighting, shadows accentuating his sharp features. He was dressed simply, black joggers and a thick jumper, something easy to blend in with both the night and large groups of people. The tip of a tattoo poked out of his crewneck, the jagged lines snaking up from his elbow. You liked his tattoos.

With a smile, you pulled him to the couch and pushed him on it, sitting next to him and putting your legs in his lap. His hands almost instantly fell to your thighs, pushing up the fabric of your dress a little and giving them a squeeze.

Tone chastising, you moved your leg a little and gave him a teasing look.

"Let's get in the mood first, hm?"

"I'm always in the mood for you."

Rolling your eyes, you were glad the lighting was so dim as you sat up, cheeks heated. Mingi merely watched as you rifled through his pockets, finding a pre-rolled blunt and his weird old-timey lighter. You thumbed the engraving (love is cursed by monogamy, very romantic) before flipping it open, igniting it, placing the blunt between his lips and lighting it. Mingi inhaled deeply and breathed out a large cloud, passing the blunt with a contented sigh.

The two of you continued in such a manner for a while, the fuzzy feeling comforting you. It was like your brain had melted out your ear, leaving you with only tranquility. Mingi, however, was eyeing you eagerly, waiting for the go ahead. Taking the blunt from him, you gestured with your finger, and he practically pounced on you.

Your next inhale was slightly more shaky as Mingi's hand fell to the small of your back, pushing you into an arch. He oogled at the way your breasts were pushed out, head dipping to lick at your perked nipples through the flimsy material of your dress. Breathing heavy, your free hand held the back of his head, pushing him closer as he grunted, his entire face now pressed into your chest.

"You're gonna have to work for this pussy, Min."

Groaning quietly, Mingi hooked a finger in your dress and pulled the front down, freeing your tits and kissing up the bare expanse. You stifled a moan with yet another drag, tilting your head down so the smoke would envelop Mingi as you exhaled. Just as you expected, he breathed in with almost a whimper.

He tongued your breasts a little more before sitting up slightly and taking a hit, passing the blunt back to you as he blew out over your tits. You fidgeted at the weird sensation, covering your mouth to stifle a cry when Mingi latched onto your nipple. His suckles were hard, setting your nervous system on fire. The weed only helped exacerbate every lick, every suck, every nibble.

You were high off both Mingi and the weed, completely engulfed in pleasure.

"Shit, got room for another?"

Both you and Mingi looked up in a daze, searching for the person speaking. To your surprise, it was one of your classmates, Yunho. To be fair, he was in a frat, so him smoking wasn't exactly a shock horror scenario. It was a coincidence however that he knew Mingi. Quite well, since he let go of your breast with a pop and dapped up the elder.

"We can rotate. Anything else is up to her."

You were suddenly very aware of your chest hanging out, crossing your arms over it with a blush.

"Fancy seeing you here, Yun."

"Right back at you. You always seemed to have a stick up your arse at college."

Smiling softly, you took another hit, breathing out as Mingi moved your arm away and continued assaulting your chest.

"I have my ways of relaxing."

Yunho smirked at the shadowy figure of Mingi nestled against your chest.

"Clearly. I'm gonna be so real, I'm already high as fuck and you're fucking hot. Can I share you with my best bud?"

Moving closer towards you two, Yunho plucked the blunt out of your grip and took a hint, his eyes already red.

"I'll make it worth your time."

Honestly, that sounded like pretty sound reasoning when you were also high as fuck. Plus, Mingi had been putting in the work on your chest, and definitely deserved a reward. Patting his cheek, Mingi obediently pulled away, eyes glossy as he stared expectantly.

"Want head?"

Mingi almost darted up from the couch, already unbuckling as you changed your positioning. Now laying flat on the couch, you hitched up your dress until your panties were showing. Yunho could already feel his mouth watering as he watched this scene unfold, passing the blunt to Mingi when you beckoned him over. The fact that the armrest of one side had broken off was pretty useful now, the giant between your legs having to kneel on the concrete. If you had been more lucid, you would've felt bad for him, but you were all too numbed to care.

Precum coated your lips when Mingi tapped his dick on them, letting out a cloud of smoke before smiling down at you.

"Open your mouth, pretty."

Without hesitation, you opened, letting your jaw slack as much as possible. You could feel Yunho's hands on your thighs, painfully cold on your heated body. Squeezing the supple flesh, Yunho watched as Mingi slowly pushed into your mouth, immediately stopping when you tapped his thigh. He then pulled out slightly and pushed in again, sighing in relief. You tried to keep your head as still as possible so he could fuck your face, tongue diligently licking the underside of his cock.

Then, Yunho gave you a chaste kiss through your underwear.

Your throat tightened at the feeling, a whine drawing out as Mingi's head fell forward. His pace was slow, sensual and relaxed with you. He didn't know his own strength sometimes, so he always tried to be as gentle as possible with you.

Yunho on the other hand, for lack of better description, made out with your pussy, groaning as he pushed his face against your underwear. His nose nudged your clit and you bucked, the vibration of a moan from you making Mingi shake as he took another hit.

His hand snaked behind your head, entangled in your hair to keep himself steady. Similarly, Yunho hooked your legs over his shoulders, panting like a madman and tonguing the seat of your panties as you shut your thighs around his head.

"M' close, Y/N. Fuck - soso close.."

When Yunho began to suckle on your clit, you went crazy. Moans shamelessly vibrated around Mingi's dick, your body shaking with ecstasy. Your finger interlocked as you put them behind Yunho's head, pushing him that impossible inch closer. The sensation was overwhelming, and it felt like your brain was gonna explode.

Mingi was in a similar predicament.

Unable to hold back anymore, Mingi held your head in place and ruthlessly fucked your mouth, abusing the back of your throat. The way he used you like a fleshlight while Yunho nipped and sucked without mercy pushed you over the edge, a cry smothered by Mingi's thrusts leaving you as you came.

Tears streamed down your cheeks as you tried not to gag, his length unrelenting until he finally stilled and emptied his seed in your mouth. You swallowed as much as you could, a fair amount dribbling out of your mouth as Mingi pulled out.

Sadly, there was no rest for the wicked.

Yunho had relented and kissed your thighs lightly through your ordeal, but now that you were catching your breath, he was back in action. Hooking a finger in the side of your panties, he took a long, languid lick up your pussy, humming at the taste of your cum. He then gave your throbbing clit a kiss, pulling a whine from you. Mingi had thrown himself in a nearby chair, a contented sigh falling from his lips.

"You need a break, pretty?"

Shaking your head, you sat up (much to Yunho's dismay) and wiped the trails of cum on your cheeks, pushing the excess back into your mouth. Both men watched eagerly at such a lewd action, like predators watching an unsuspected prey. Yunho joined you on the couch.

You patted at your forehead with your arm, drying some sweat before you stripped yourself of your dress. The thin material hadn't much use bunched up around your waist, so you happily rid yourself of it, dropping it next to the couch. Your cunt had began to drip onto the leathery cushions of the couch, and you looked expectantly at Mingi.

Smirking, he (albeit slowly) made his way over to you, dropping to his knees and passing Yunho the blunt. He seemed slightly annoyed that Mingi was taking his place, but didn't comment. You lazily draped your legs over Mingi's shoulders as Yunho took a long drag, offering it to you before exhaling.

Taking it graciously, you took a hit and turned to Yunho, grabbing him by the back of the neck and crashing your lips onto his. A buzz settled over his mind when you exhaled in your mouth, thighs squeezing Mingi's head as he dutifully licked, cleaning you up.

Pulling away, your gaze was hazy as you looked at Yunho.

"You need some help?"

Fingers trailing over his lap, you chuckled as he shivered under your touch, just shy of his raging hard on. Your hand then rested on his inner thigh, squeezing gently. Before you could tease him any more, Yunho grabbed your wrist and pulled it to his crotch. Your eyes widened at the fucking python in his pants.

Sensing your distraction, Mingi pulled away and rested his head on your thigh, pouting like a dog that had its bone taken away. Turning to him, you passed the blunt down to him and he took an extended drag before passing it back up, nestling between your thighs once again.

The male then pressed in closer and exhaled, suffocating himself with both pussy and weed, and leaving your thighs squeezing his head at the sensation. You threw your head back onto the couch, taking a drag and exhaling upwards, a fountain of smoke shooting up. Yunho took the blunt from you and stroked your thigh, just wanting to feel your addictive touch once again.

“C’mon, Baby. Need you so bad.”

You lazily turned to Yunho as Mingi continued to eat like a starved man, anxious to keep you squeezing him - the pressure made the high only that more amazing. The tips of your fingers grazed his cheek, cooing at him with a smile before your hand fell to his joggers, dipping in and quickly pulling his dick out. Yunho moaned from the mere feeling of your hand on him, gripping the sofa cushion like a crazed man when you began to stroke.

“S-Shit, Y/N. Faster, p-please.”

His moans were almost melodic, filling the air just like the hazy clouds you were all exhaling. Not one to play around, you forgoed easing him into it and worked at a high pace, twisting your hand and tightening your grip every once in a while like a true pro. Yunho was like putty in your hands, hand shaking as he brought the blunt to his lips.

“You like that, Yun?”

Dazed with pleasure and his high, Yunho looked at you and gave you a lazy smile, nodding slowly. He winced when you tightened your grip again, biting his lip to quieten himself. A smirk took over your features, slowing to a stop and watching intently as he whined in frustration.

“C’mon big boy, tell me how much you like it.”

He felt emasculated. As someone who had his choice of women any time he wanted, this was like torture. He was the 6’1 man handcrafted by the gods, the talk of the college, the one everyone wanted. In short, he was that guy. But this guy was trying to hold in his tears as you painfully gripped him, cock leaking pitifully.

“S-so much, Y/N-N. Fuck, you're so g-good.”

Smiling victoriously, you leaned over and kitten-licked his tip, still keeping the same pressure as you continued getting him off. The way his thighs shook as beads of precum painted your lips and snaked down his aching shaft were enough proof that Yunho was close. Wanting to taste him, your lips engulfed the head of his cock, sucking sharply.

Yunho came, and he came hard. He came in buckets even. He was quick to load your mouth with cum, excess dribbling back down his dick. You couldn't swallow in time and began to choke, pulling off Yunho’s dick and coughing as he patted your back. When your breathing steadied, you looked up at him with watering, red eyes.

He couldn't take this anymore.

He crashed his lips onto yours, engulfing the moans still falling from your lips before you pulled away, looking for the blunt. When you spotted it, your jaw dropped.

Yunho. Had dropped it. On the floor.

Following your gaze, Yunho rubbed his head and began an attempt to mumble an apology, face red with embarrassment. Tapping Mingi’s head, the younger begrudgingly unlatched from your pussy, impatient as you looked down at him. When he saw how rigid you were, however, the emotion seeped from his face until only concern was left.

“He dropped the blunt.”

As you pointed at the remains of your high, in pieces on the floor, Mingi resisted the urge to leap up and mourn the carcass. He turned to Yunho with a glare, using your knees to push himself off the floor.

“Not cool, man.”

When Mingi turned back to you however, he was surprised to see you smirking, that playful look in your eye that he adored. You had a plan up your sleeve.

“Go sit on that chair.”

Nodding solemnly, Yunho moved to the couch chair isolated from the sofa, tucking his cock away back into his joggers. You looked him up and down before turning to Mingi, hand trailing over his arms before you gave him a squeeze.

“Strip.”

Yunho's eyes widened with realisation, watching intently as you laid back on the couch, Mingi soon joining you, kneeling between your thighs. His cock was angrily red and erect, eager to proceed. As you pulled the man on top of you, you turned to look at Yunho, smirking once again.

“Sit there like a good boy. Okay, Yun?”

He nodded, gaze piercing as Mingi tapped his head on your clit. Unashamed, you moaned at the feeling, still swollen from both the males’ assault. When you nodded, he slowly pushed into you, giving you each inch slowly so it wouldn't be too painful. The remains of your high still had you numbed slightly, so you were quick to signal him to move.

It was torturous watching Mingi push into you, and the way your eyes instantly rolled back. The jealousy was eating away at Yunho as he watched the two of you. Your bodies meshed together in some sort of unspoken harmony, gasping and grabbing at each other. There was an inexplicable intimacy in watching the two of you, leaving the male feeling like he was intruding yet also that he needed to watch, he needed to be punished. When your nails raked down Mingi’s back, calling his name, Yunho shuddered with pleasure.

Your breathing was heavy and your body was covered in sweat, glistening in the candlelight. Back arching, your eyes closed with overwhelming pleasure. His nails were digging into your sides, an attempt to anchor himself as he grunted quietly. Leaning down, Mingi pressed his face into your chest, suckling and licking at the sides of your breasts hungrily. His lips traveled up to your neck, sucking dark marks onto your skin as he moaned into your ear. Fingers lacing in his hair, you tugged Mingi to your lips, smothering his yelp of pleasure with a kiss.

As the two of you messily made out, Yunho squirmed in his seat, cock painfully hard. His hands grasped the sides of the chair, jaw gritted as he watched. The lewd sounds echoed around the empty space, and he gulped back the weird feeling in his throat.

“You like that, pretty? Huh? You f-fucking like that?”

Yunho groaned when you nodded frantically, clinging to Mingi for dear life. The urge to tug his dick out and go crazy was intense, but he wasn't looking to find out your reaction. Maybe another day, but currently he just wanted to do as you please - he didn’t wanna risk angering you.

It felt as if Mingi had you on the edge of oblivion, pistoning into you like there’s no tomorrow. The weed had your mind spinning, body jolting with each ram into your abused pussy. You’d like to say nothing had ever felt as good as this, but that would be a disservice to all the other times Mingi has dicked you down. Perhaps it was the presence of Yunho, but you were so close, you could almost touch it. Mingi’s name was no longer rolling off your tongue, replaced by jumbled moans and pants. He was splitting you open real good. You began to clench uncontrollably, causing mingi to lean down closer, the cool metal of his chain just shy of your nipples.

“You gon’- fuck - cum for me, baby? You wanna cum?”

Knowing he wouldn’t let you off the hook with just a nod, you opened your mouth, tears trailing mascara down your cheeks.

“Yes Min, oh fuck- yes! Please!”

“M’gonna fuck this pretty pussy full, and you’re gonna keep it all in like a good girl.”

He didn’t need a verbal response, the way you clenched around him was enough. Before you knew it, your pussy began to spasm uncontrollably around him, tensing up as you let out an unintelligible cry of pleasure. Mingi soon followed, stilling in you as his cum shot into your pussy. A warmth filled you at the feeling, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him down until you were skin to skin.

The two of you stayed like that for a minute, holding each other close as you caught your breath. His skin was warm and damp as he placed little kisses on your nape, desperate to show you affection. You rubbed his back up and down, soothing him as he hummed in delight. When you were both ready, Mingi pulled away and slowly pulled out, watching his cum seep out, despite your clenching. You then closed your legs, smirked up at him and turned to Yunho. The male seemed to be frozen, awe-stricken and jealous at the same time.

“You seemed to enjoy yourself.”

Yunho looked away bashfully, the damp spot on his joggers embarrassingly dark. He mumbled something to himself as his ears darkened to a deep shade of red. He didn’t see the way you smirked at this, wiping some of the sweat from your forehead.

“I’m fine.”

Chuckling, you leant up on an elbow, nodding your head at Mingi. He retreated further into the dark and lit a cigarette, leaving the two of you semi-alone.

“Oh, you’re fine? That’s good, I just thought I could help you with your problem.”

It didn’t take long for Yunho to be by your side, cock already straining against the fabric. You could tell from this alone that you were in for quite the ride.

⚝ - TAGLIST !!

@vampzity @dotchannie @jjoongstar @lalalasexyguyshehehehe @huncherneer

a/n: uhhh I forgot to post this. It's been up on AO3 for a while... still, I'm sorry to everyone who's reading here exclusively! I thought I'd do it later, and then suddenly later was right now and right now is a week later... I'm bad with time RIP.

Anywhoooo, hope you enjoy :)

.

Read Chapter One here.

.

Chapter Eleven

Friday March 24, 1989

By the time Mike pushed into the crowd, the noise had already started to unravel.

What had seemed, from a distance, like a single solid wall of sound broke apart as he moved deeper into the party. Music, of course, was loud enough that the bass thudded through the cabin floor and into the soles of his shoes when he stepped onto the bottom porch stair. Underneath it, voices emerged in layers, overlapping and colliding without rhythm.

Laughter cut sharper up close. Someone shouted, the words stretching toward him before dissolving into the low, constant hum of conversation.

He slowed a little as he climbed the steps, not enough that it would look like hesitation if anyone happened to be watching, but enough that he could take in what he was about to walk into.

The front door was propped open, a wedge of light cutting out onto the porch. People moved in and out without really thinking about it, brushing past each other, shoulders bumping, drinks sloshing dangerously close to the rims of plastic cups. No one was checking who came in. No one was paying that much attention.

That should’ve made it easier. It didn’t, exactly.

Mike hovered just to the side of the doorway for half a second longer than necessary, his hand brushing briefly against the frame before he stepped inside.

The shift hit immediately. Warmer, thicker air, like the whole place had been sealed up and filled past capacity, which it very clearly was.

The smell of alcohol was stronger in here, mixed with something sugary and something faintly burnt that he couldn’t quite place. The light was brighter than outside, too, and yet harder to see somehow, lamps turned on in corners, shadows cutting across the room in uneven patches.

It took a second for his eyes to adjust, for the movement in the room to stop feeling like one shifting blur and start resolving into people. Faces. Groups.

His gaze moved automatically, scanning in a way he didn’t have to think about, passing over clusters of people until it snagged, just briefly, on anyone who might be…

No. He wasn’t here.

There were too many people crammed into the cabin, shrinking the space into something tighter than he remembered. Bodies shifted constantly, sightlines breaking whenever someone leaned the wrong way or bumped into him.

An unease settled as his chest tightened, small but noticeable. He pushed it down just as quickly.

Mike threaded through the crowd in the direction of the kitchen. It was the logical choice. Lucas was probably there, Max too, hanging around the drinks like they usually did at parties like this, and Dustin… well, Dustin just went wherever things were actually fun.

He angled that way, moving more carefully than usual. The floor was already sticky, his shoes catching against the wood, forcing him to lift each step clean. Someone brushed past his shoulder without apologizing, without even glancing at him long enough to recognize who he was.

That indifference, for some reason, felt worse, like an unpleasant reminder.

He reached the kitchen. It was crowded, but less busy than the main room. People were more stationary here, gathered around the counters, leaning into each other to talk, drinks set down wherever there was space. Bottles lined up in uneven rows, a few already tipped on their sides. Someone had spilled something near the sink and made no attempt to clean it up..

El was easy to spot. Max beside her, both of them bent slightly over the counter, shoulders pressed together in a way that suggested they were either sharing a joke or about to. Lucas stood just off to the side, not removed, but not fully pulled into it either, his attention split between them and everything else happening around them.

Relief came quicker than Mike expected. He moved toward them, slipping into the edge of their group.

Lucas noticed him first. His gaze flicked up, something unreadable flashing across his face before it settled.

He gave a small nod. “Mike.”

“Hey,” Mike returned, the word coming out quieter than he meant it to, like he hadn’t fully adjusted to the volume in the room yet.

Still, El turned at the sound of it, a fraction slower than she usually would’ve, and then her face lit up in a way that was immediate and completely unfiltered.

“Mike!”

She closed the distance between them without hesitation, arms wrapping around him tightly, her momentum enough that he had to shift his footing slightly to keep them both balanced.

“Hi,” he said, a small laugh slipping out as he brought his arms up around her in return.

She pulled back just enough to press a quick kiss to his cheek before hugging him again, like she hadn’t quite decided she was done yet.

Mike smiled despite himself, something in him easing in a way that felt almost automatic. “Okay, yeah, hi--”

El finally leaned back, still holding onto his arms, her expression bright and just a little unfocused.

He took her in for a second, the looseness in the way she held herself, the slight delay in her reactions, the way she was smiling like everything was just… good.

“You’re-” he started, then huffed out a quiet breath through his nose. “You’ve had a few.”

“I am having fun,” she said, like that answered everything.

“Yeah,” Mike said, nodding a little. “I can see that.”

She was definitely more gone than she’d been Wednesday night, swaying, looser than usual, but she looked okay.

His gaze drifted past her to Lucas and Max.

Max, who’d been half-turned away, leaned back against the counter and squinted at him, like she was only just now registering that he was there at all.

“Well, look who finally showed up,” she said, her tone already edged with something sharp enough to catch.

Mike exhaled, a small brace settling into his shoulders before he could stop it. “Yeah, I-”

“You bailed,” Max cut in, straightening as she pointed at him with the small plastic cup in her hand. The liquid inside sloshed dangerously close to the rim. “You were supposed to help set up. I can’t believe it, Wheeler. The one time we--Will--actually asks you for something, and you completely bail.”

A few heads nearby shifted, not fully paying attention, but close enough that Mike felt it anyway.

Beside her, El let out a small, uncertain laugh, the sound thin and misplaced, like she wasn’t sure if this was a joke or not but wanted it to be.

“I didn’t bail,” Mike said quickly, the words coming out sharper than he meant them to. Defensive, immediate. “I had to be home for--”

“You disappointed him again, you know,” Max slurred, cutting across him as she took a sip from her cup, her eyes fixed on him over the rim.

The words hit harder than they should have. Mike felt the instinct to push back rise up just as fast: tight, immediate, almost automatic.

That wasn’t fair. Max didn’t know. She didn’t know anything about what had happened, about what he’d been dealing with, about why he couldn’t just show up when he wanted to. The accusation sat wrong, built on something incomplete, something she didn’t have the full picture of.

And still… something in his chest dipped anyway.

Because he had wanted to be there. On time. He’d meant to be. He’d pictured it, even, being alone with Will before everyone arrived, helping out once they did, having fun after. The defensiveness didn’t go away, but it tangled with something else now, something more insistent and harder to ignore. Guilt.

Lucas reached over and nudged Max’s arm down, gentle but firm. “Alright,” he said under his breath, “that’s enough.”

Max rolled her eyes but didn’t push it further, already turning back toward the counter and whatever they’d been doing before.

Lucas looked back at Mike and gave a small shrug, one shoulder lifting like he didn’t have anything better to offer. Mike let out a slow breath, trying not to let that settle too deep.

“Where’s Dustin?” he asked, because it was easier to move past it than sit in it. “And,”

He didn’t finish the second name, but he didn’t need to. Lucas understood anyway.

“We lost track of both of them a while ago,” Lucas said.

Mike frowned slightly. “Both?”

“Yeah.” Lucas shifted his weight, glancing toward the door. “Last I saw, Will was outside. With Scotty and Chance.”

That sat strangely with him, something he didn’t have time to unpack.

“And Dustin ran into Steve and Robin right off the bat,” Lucas added. “He trailed after them before we could stop him. They might still be around here.”

Mike huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

For a second, the noise of the room pressed back in around him, the brief pocket of familiarity already starting to thin.

Lucas tipped his head slightly toward the exit. “You should check outside. Cabin’s packed, but they’re not here. I would’ve seen them. Will locked the bedroom doors,” Lucas went on. “So nobody’s in there. Everyone’s basically spread out outside.”

Mike nodded, already half-turning, his mind moving ahead of him now. Outside. More space. Easier to find someone without having to push through the crowd every two seconds.

El reached out and caught his sleeve before he could step away, her hazel-downcast eyes looking up at him with a worried softness that made his heart soften.

“Don’t look so sad, Mike” she said, her voice slower now, barely loud enough that he could hear over the music, “You’ll find him. I am sure you will.”

Mike glanced down at her, something in his chest tightening again, though not in the same way as before.

“Don’t worry about me, El. You have fun, okay?” Mike said, just as softly, giving her a small nod and a faint, fond smile, before pressing a kiss on to her forehead.

El’s fingers lingered on his sleeve for a moment, and her worried hazel eyes softened slightly, a tiny, reluctant smile tugging at her lips. She didn’t say anything, but the way she squeezed his arm made him feel like she understood.

He turned, glancing over at Max and Lucas, both of them watching a little too closely, their eyes narrowed in that way that made it clear they’d been tracking the whole exchange.

“Take care of her, yeah?” he added.

Max let out a exasperated huff into her cup, not quite looking at him. It could’ve meant yeah, or obviously, or don’t tell me what to do. With Max, it was likely all three.

Still, she didn’t argue, and that, Mike figured, was about as close to agreement as he was going to get from Max.

Mike turned to Lucas who gave him a quick nod. He squeezed El’s hand once before letting go, and turned back toward the door.

Mike let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he stepped outside, the muffled bass of the music immediately swallowed by the open night air. It was cooler out by the lake, the kind of damp, early spring air that clung to his skin, and for a second he just stood there, adjusting, taking in the scene in front of him.

Then he heard it, chanting, loud and rhythmic, carrying over the water.

He frowned slightly, drawn toward the noise, and followed it down toward the dock where a crowd had gathered in a loose, uneven circle. The string lights strung between trees cast a faint golden glow over everything, mixing with the pale wash of moonlight, making it just bright enough to see shapes, movement, flashes of faces.

At the center of it all, someone tilted their head back, arm raised, chugging from a massive can while people shouted encouragement.

Mike squinted, stepping a little closer, and then his stomach dropped in a way that felt sudden and irrational as recognition hit.

Will.

He stood there, at a considerable distance, for a moment longer than he meant to, watching as Will finished the beer to a roar of approval, people shouting his name like it meant something, like it carried weight.

Chance was right there beside him, half-laughing, half-yelling in cheer, one arm slung carelessly, comfortably, around Will’s shoulders like it belonged there.

Chris and Scotty flanked them, close enough to lean in, to clap Will on the back, to be part of it.

Will looked… good.

Not just good, right. Like he fit into the moment so naturally it didn’t make sense with the old version of him Mike still had in his head. He was smiling wide, flushed from alcohol and attention, letting himself be pulled and jostled as the group surged around him.

Like he belonged there.

Mike shifted his weight, something tight settling in his chest as he took it in. It wasn’t even that Will was at the center of it; that part he could rationalize. Maybe it was everything around it. The ease. The way people gravitated toward him. The way he didn’t look out of place for even a second.

Will had always been… quieter, before. Selective. The kind of person who stuck close to what he knew. That wasn’t true anymore. The scene before him made that much clear.

Mike exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his hair as he watched Chance say something that made Will laugh, the two of them leaning into each other like it was nothing, like that kind of closeness was natural and expected.

Mike’s eyes lingered on it longer than they should have, catching on the casual way Chance’s hand squeezed Will’s shoulder, the way Will didn’t pull away. Didn’t even seem to notice. Or maybe he did. Maybe he even liked it.

The thought came uninvited, sharp and unwelcome, and Mike felt his jaw tighten before he could stop it.

He forced himself to look away.

It didn’t matter. It wasn’t his business. Will could do whatever he wanted, with whoever he wanted, and Mike had no claim over that, no reason to feel…

A burst of laughter pulled his attention back despite himself.

A group of girls had gathered around Will now, crowding in close, talking over each other, all smiles and bright eyes.

Will turned toward them easily, still riding whatever high the moment had given him, and smiled in return, something softer this time, something almost… affectionate.

Mike felt something twist low in his stomach. He shook it off immediately, sharp and deliberate, like he could physically dislodge the feeling before it took root.

No.

He wasn’t doing this. He wasn’t going to stand here and overanalyze every little thing, wasn’t going to spiral over something that didn’t even…

He turned on his heel before he could finish the thought, heading back toward the cabin with more purpose than he actually felt.

The porch was crowded, people sitting along the railing, some crowding the hot tub, a couple more leaning against the wall, passing a cigarette between them that smelled faintly of vanilla. The conversation dipped slightly when Mike stepped up, just enough for him to notice, just enough to make him aware of himself.

He recognized a few of them from calculus: familiar faces, not familiar people.

He hesitated for half a second, then pushed through it.

“Hey,” he said, a little too abrupt, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Have any of you seen Dustin--Henderson?”

There was a beat of silence that stretched just a little too long.

A couple of them exchanged looks, subtle but not subtle enough, like they were trying to place him, or maybe trying to figure out why he was there at all. Mike felt heat creep up the back of his neck, irritation following close behind it.

Right. Of course.

He almost repeated himself, sharper this time, when Amanda, he was pretty sure her name was Amanda, shifted forward slightly, saving him from it.

“I think I saw him,” she said, glancing toward the side of the cabin. “He went out back, to the fire? He was with a girl and Harrington… and Munson.”

Mike blinked, the name catching his attention immediately.

Eddie was here. 

Something in him loosened just a fraction.

“Okay. Thanks,” he said quickly, already turning before the conversation could stall again.

He didn’t wait for a response, just moved, cutting around the side of the cabin and onto the narrow path that led toward the trees. The noise of the main party dulled as he walked, replaced by something quieter, more contained, low voices, occasional laughter, the crackle of fire.

The clearing opened up in front of him, the fire pit at its center casting flickering orange light over a scattered group of people sitting in mismatched chairs or on logs lying on the ground.

It didn’t take him long to find them.

Dustin was easy to spot, animated even while sitting down, gesturing wildly as he talked. Steve was slouched back in his chair, looking both engaged and completely lost at the same time, while Robin leaned toward Dustin, adding onto whatever conspiracy he was currently spiraling into.

And Eddie… Eddie caught sight of him first.

It was immediate, the shift in his expression, like a switch had flipped the second he caught sight of Mike standing at the edge of the clearing. His mouth curled into that familiar, crooked grin, sharp and amused and a little too knowing, like he’d been expecting him all along.

Mike felt something in his chest ease at the sight of it, something automatic and unguarded.

He found himself smiling back before he even reached them, something instinctive and easy settling over him in a way that hadn’t been there out by the dock.

Eddie leaned back in his chair as Mike approached, dragging a blunt between his fingers with lazy familiarity before lifting his chin in greeting.

“Well, well, well,” he called out, loud enough to cut through whatever nonsense Dustin and Robin were currently feeding Steve. “Look who’s actually here.”

Dustin’s head snapped up immediately.

“Mike!” he said, like it was both a greeting and an accusation.

Robin followed with a bright, “Hey, little Wheeler!” while Steve gave him a slightly delayed "Hey, man." and a nod, his expression hovering somewhere between recognition and confusion.

Mike dropped into the empty chair beside Eddie, the metal creaking faintly under his weight. Up close, he could see it clearly now: Dustin’s glassy eyes, Robin’s unfocused enthusiasm, Steve’s slow reactions. They were all completely wasted.

Eddie, on the other hand, just looked relaxed. Loose. Like he’d settled into the high instead of letting it take him under.

Mike glanced at him briefly, then away, trying not to linger on the way the firelight caught in his eyes, the sharp angle of his grin.

It didn’t work.

Eddie nudged Mike’s shoulder with his own. “Showing up late to a party like this. I’m impressed.”

Mike huffed quietly, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, well,” he muttered, leaning back in his chair, “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

Eddie’s grin widened. “Oh?” he said, interest sharpening his tone. “What, Mom and Dad drag you to the country club? Make you shake hands, kiss babies, all that good stuff?”

Mike snorted despite himself and shoved him lightly. “Shut up.”

Eddie laughed, the sound low and warm, and for a second it felt like it always did around Eddie, like slipping into something familiar, something uncomplicated.

He held the blunt out without looking, offering it to Mike like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Mike hesitated for a fraction of a second, then took it.

The smoke burned a little on the inhale, harsher than he expected, but he held it anyway, exhaling slowly as the feeling started to settle in, not all at once, but enough to take the edge off the tightness that had followed him from the dock.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Eddie watching him. Not subtly, either.

Mike glanced over, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

Eddie just smirked, tipping his head back slightly, but maintaining eye contact nonetheless. “Nothing,” he said, clearly meaning the opposite. “Just weird seeing you not act like a total buzzkill about something involving baby Byers for once.”

Mike looked away. “I’m not a… whatever.”

“Mm,” Eddie hummed, unconvinced, but he let it drop.

The warmth spread a little more, slow and steady, loosening something in Mike’s shoulders. The fire crackled in front of them, Dustin launched into something about the Russians sending coded transmissions, and Robin immediately jumped in to support him while Steve tried, and clearly failed, to follow along.

It was easy. It had always been easy, like this.

Mike leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he listened, half-engaged, half-drifting. His thoughts started to blur at the edges, the high smoothing them out, making everything feel a little lighter, a little less immediate.

Eddie bumped his shoulder again, softer this time, like he was checking in.

Mike leaned back into it without thinking.

That was the thing about Eddie, there was never any question of where he stood. No guessing, no second-guessing, no--

A sudden roar of voices cut through the moment, louder than before, carrying all the way from the dock.

“BYERS! BYERS! BYERS!”

Mike’s body went still before he could stop it. The smile slipped off his face like it had never been there to begin with. He didn’t want to look. He looked anyway.

From where they sat, he could just barely see through the trees, glimpses of movement, flashes of light, but he didn’t need a clear view to know exactly what was happening.

They were still chanting his name. Will was still out there, still at the center of it, still…

Mike exhaled slowly, dragging his gaze away.

Beside him, Eddie went quiet, though not completely. Dustin and the others kept talking, and every so often Eddie would hum in halfhearted agreement when Dustin insisted his theories weren’t crazy. But he’d pulled back in a way that felt intentional, like he’d picked up on the shift immediately and chosen not to draw attention to it.

After a beat, Eddie followed Mike’s line of sight toward the dock, then looked back at him.

“You know,” he said casually, like it hadn’t just become the most obvious thing in the world, “I didn’t actually think you’d show.”

Mike let out a short breath, more of a huff than anything. He reached for the blunt again, taking another hit just to give himself something to do.

“Yeah?” he said, voice flat.

Eddie shrugged one shoulder. “Dustin said you and baby Byers were… what, good now?” he said, the words edged with skepticism. “Didn’t buy it.”

Mike shook his head slightly, exhaling smoke. “It’s not…” he started, then stopped, not entirely sure how to finish that sentence. “I’ve told you before, it’s just a lot of bullshit history,” he settled on finally. “Wouldn’t even be here if Clarke hadn’t…” He cut himself off, waving a hand like it didn’t matter.

Eddie watched him for a second longer than necessary, something more thoughtful flickering behind the usual amusement, then nodded once.

“Fair enough.”

There was a brief pause, not uncomfortable, but not entirely easy either.

“So,” Eddie went on, lighter now, nudging him again, “you two getting along, then?”

Mike let out a quiet, humorless laugh, the memory of their constant back-and-forth leaving a edge behind.

“For now.”

Eddie’s mouth curved. “Yeah,” he said knowingly. “Sounds about right. Baby Byers always did have a way of getting under your skin.”

Mike rolled his eyes, though there was no real bite to it. “He makes it easy,” he muttered. “And he’s just as bad.”

“Mmm.”

Eddie leaned in then, closer than before, his voice dropping just enough that it didn’t carry past Mike.

“Oh, I know,” he said, amusement threading through the words. “Honestly, it’s kind of hard to believe you two were ever friends. With the way he acts with you, you’d think…” he paused, just long enough to make Mike glance at him, “you’d think he was a woman scorned.”

Mike felt the heat hit him all at once. Part of it was the high. Part of it was how close Eddie suddenly was. And part of it, annoyingly, was the fact that Eddie was looking at him like that, like he knew something Mike didn’t want him to know.

Mike swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

Eddie didn’t move away. If anything, he leaned in a fraction closer, eyes flicking between Mike’s.

“So,” he murmured, quieter now, teasing sharpened into something more pointed, “is he?”

Mike blinked. “What?”

Eddie’s grin widened, slow and deliberate. “I’ve always been curious,” he said. “And now seems like my only shot to ask. Is Will Byers your woman scorned, Mikey?”

Mike’s face flushed at the nickname, and he shoved Eddie, not hard, just enough to shatter the moment.

“You’re full of shit,” he muttered, though the words lacked any real bite.

Eddie laughed, leaning back in his chair with the easy confidence of someone who’d already won.

Mike shook his head, trying to push down the lingering warmth in his chest, the way his pulse still thumped a little too fast. He didn’t get the chance.

“Will!” Dustin’s voice cut through everything, loud and immediate.

Mike’s head snapped up before he could stop it.

And there he was.

Will was walking toward them now, alone, a grin still stretched across his face, bright and a little unfocused. Even from a distance, Mike could see it, the slight sway in his step, the glassy shine in his eyes.

Drunk. Very drunk.

Mike’s gaze locked onto him, stuck there in a way that felt almost involuntary. He was vaguely aware of Eddie beside him, of the way his attention had shifted again, sharper now, more observant.

Dustin was already pulling up a chair, waving Will over like he’d been waiting for him.

Will dropped into the seat easily, right across from Mike.

Their eyes met, and Will’s smile slipped, just a fraction, like recognition had dulled it.

Mike felt his chest tighten, the sensation sharp enough to make him hyperaware of himself and, at the same time, strangely detached from everything else. Because Will’s smile, when it was real, had always had a way of pulling someone in, of making everything else fall away.

And watching it fade at the sight of him stung. More than it should have. The hurt settled quick, turning over into something sharper, more familiar. Annoyance

Will’s hair clung slightly to his damp forehead, and the loose, unguarded laugh he let slip at Robin’s too-loud greeting carried across the firelight. Mike hated that it made something in his chest ache.

Dustin immediately started asking questions, his voice high and excitable. “So, what was all that noise earlier?”

Will leaned back, his smile widening at the memory. “Keg stands,” he admitted. “Chance and some of the track guys got too into it.”

His eyes flicked to Mike for just a second, and something in it, the slight dip of his smile, the flicker of something unreadable behind it, made Mike’s stomach twist.

Mike tried to focus on Dustin, but his attention was drawn to Will.

The differences between them were glaring now more than ever.

Will could step into a crowd, command it, revel in it, and Mike… Mike had felt invisible half the night, like he didn’t belong among the people milling around the cabin, fumbling for social footing. Will thrived here. He lived in this kind of energy. And he had done it effortlessly.

Mike turned back toward Eddie, whose hand bumped his shoulder lightly, grounding him. The familiar warmth was a tether, a reminder that some things were easy in a way nothing with Will had been for a long time.

Eddie leaned in, voice low in Mike’s ear, “Want to get out of here, Mikey?”

Mike smirked, happy for the distraction. He leaned just enough to match Eddie’s closeness. “And do what exactly?”

Eddie’s grin was slow, teasing, and he whispered, “We can do whatever you want.”

The words slid through the tension that had wrapped around Mike’s chest all night, and for a moment he considered it seriously. Being with Eddie was simple, thrilling, predictable, yet unpredictable, in a way that felt strangely comforting.

Mike leaned in slightly to respond, about to let himself be swayed by the familiar warm pull, when a light tap on his shoulder stopped him. He froze, heart skipping.

Will.

He looked down at Mike with that unreadable expression, and suddenly the world seemed to shrink to just the two of them.

Mike’s words died in his throat.

Eddie, sensing the shift immediately, raised an eyebrow. “Can I help you?” he asked casually, though there was a subtle challenge tangled with faint amusement in his tone.

Will ignored him.

Will turned fully to Mike. “When did you get here?”

Mike opened his mouth, but Eddie beat him to it, slapping his knee and chuckling. “Mikey! Right under our noses, huh?”

Mike let out a laugh, shaking his head at Eddie’s antics, and Eddie responded by draping an arm casually across Mike’s shoulders, pressing close in that way that made his pulse stutter.

Will frowned slightly, voice sharp with curiosity now. “No, really. When did you get here, and why didn’t you come find me?”

Eddie’s grip on his shoulder tightened teasingly. “Yeah, Mikey” he said, smirk deepening. “Why didn’t you go look for Hawkin’s golden boy, huh?”

Mike tried to keep his tone light, shrugging off Eddie.

“I got here not long ago. I saw you out by the dock, but you looked… busy. So I went looking for Dustin, and I just settled here with Eddie.”

He gestured toward Eddie, a small introduction slipping out before he could stop himself. “You know Eddie, right?”

“We’ve met,” Will answered icily, eyes narrowing slightly, taking in Eddie with a casual, almost appraising gaze. Eddie smirked through the introduction, unaffected.

Then Eddie interjected, leaning back in his chair with a grin. “Actually, we were just getting ready to head out.”

Mike caught a flicker in Will’s eyes, a flash of sharp indignation, barely masked, like a silent protest that needed no words.

“Where are you going?” Will asked, but there was an edge to it, a tension Mike could feel in the air between them.

Eddie’s smirk only widened, playful and infuriating all at once. He winked, the kind of sly gesture that felt like a challenge. “That’s a secret.”

Will’s gaze slid to Mike, carrying a look Mike hadn’t seen in years but instantly recognized; the same look Will had perfected back when they were kids. One Mike hadn’t witnessed since they were eleven, before Will found more confidence in his words.

The tilt of his head just so, the wide, slightly watery eyes that somehow pleaded and accused all at once. It was the look that could make Mike cave, make him give in without a fight.

“That’s disappointing,” Will added, his voice low but deliberate, hanging between them like a quiet weight. “I was hoping to hangout with you tonight, Mike.”

Then Will pouted slightly, a small, almost childlike gesture that Mike couldn’t stop himself from noticing.

Mike’s thoughts scrambled, his brain short-circuiting under the unexpected pressure.

Before he could even think it through, before his mind caught up with his mouth, he found himself saying the words he hadn’t planned to say.

“Yeah, I can stay.”

Will’s face lit up instantly. The grin, wide and unguarded, made Mike’s chest ache in a way that was confusing. For a moment, nothing else existed, just the way Will looked right then, satisfied and radiant.

Eddie burst into laughter behind him, clapping Mike on the back. “That,” he said, barely able to keep it together, “was a good show.”

Mike’s face flushed hot with embarrassment and disbelief at the realization of what just happened.

He caved to Will Byers, and in front of Eddie, of all people.

Eddie leaned in close one more time, voice low in Mike’s ear. “Shame. Maybe next time. Enjoy your night with baby Byers, Mikey.”

He patted Mike’s shoulder and stepped back.

The fire crackled, casting long shadows across the trees. Eddie stretched, before announcing, “I’m heading out. Who’s coming with?”

Dustin jumped up, brushing off his hands. “I’ll go!”

“You sure?” Eddie asked, leaning back slightly.

“Yeah,” Dustin said, looking around. “…we should get ice cream on the way.”

Steve groaned, throwing his hands up. “Dustin, it’s… what… midnight? No one’s selling ice cream now. We can’t just go get ice cream.”

Robin smirked “Who says we can’t?”

Steve squinted at her.

“I still have the key to Scoops Ahoy,” Robin said, shrugging. “Technically, we could still get in.”

Steve’s eyes went wide, a grin spreading across his face. Dustin clapped his hands together. “Hell yeah! Okay, Eddie, we have to go. Ice cream first!”

Eddie laughed, letting Dustin grab his arm and pull him along. “Alright, fine. Lead the way.”

Before they disappeared down the path toward the road, Eddie paused, glancing back just long enough to catch Mike’s eye. He gave him a quick, knowing wink.

He didn’t move right away, just sat there, watching as they shuffled off through the dark, their voices fading into the trees. Dustin was still talking, Steve cutting in, Robin laughing at something Mike didn’t quite catch. The sound blurred together, distant and unreal, while the meaning behind Eddie's look lingered, low and unwelcome.

After a moment, Mike forced himself to turn back.

Will was already looking at him, his expression smoothed over into something quieter, harder to read. Whatever pleasant expression that had been there before was gone, tucked out of reach.

Mike cleared his throat and gestured to the chair Eddie had left behind, giving it a light tap. “You can take that.”

Will didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward and dropped into the seat.

The fire crackled near them. The crowd around the pit had thinned; most people had drifted back toward the front of the cabin, drawn by the shouts and the new keg.

Mike leaned back in his chair, letting out a slow breath. The space around the firepit felt bigger now, emptier. Quieter, even with the noise still bleeding in from the cabin.

Mike leaned his head back, staring up past the glow of the firelight into the dark stretch of sky above.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected from tonight. It hadn’t been this.

Maybe Mike had come to the party hoping he’d get some time alone with Will. That part had just worked out, hadn’t it?

So why did it feel like this? Complicated. Messy in a way he couldn’t sort through, no matter how hard he tried to pin it down.

He hated it. Hated the way sitting next to Will, something that used to be so easy it barely registered, now most times came with this tight, restless feeling in his chest. Like there was too much to say and no clear way to say any of it. Like whatever he chose would be the wrong thing.

He thought about what he’d told Eddie earlier. There was too much history. Too much that had happened separately, in parallel, out of view.

Will had a life here. Mike saw it every time he looked at him, heard it in the names, the stories, the easy way he stood next to people Mike had never cared to properly know. Chance. Scotty. The track team. Parties like this. Will fit into it in a way that felt too natural.

And Mike hated how much that realization stuck with him. How it came back, again and again. He didn’t know all of Will. The thought sat heavy in his chest. But it wasn’t fair. Mike knew that. It went both ways.

Those years Will had been in California, the years they spent not talking, Mike had changed, too. His life hadn’t just paused, waiting. The time had altered him, in ways he couldn’t undo even if he wanted to. He’d been shaped by the people closest to him.

El, Dustin, Steve and Robin, and Eddie...

Eddie. Will didn’t seem to like him.

That made two people. El and Eddie. Two people who mattered to Mike, who were tangled up in his life in ways he wouldn’t separate out, and Will didn’t seem to like either of them.

Mike pressed his lips together, staring out at nothing in particular.

He hated this. The not knowing. The feeling of standing in the middle of something he didn’t understand, with no clear way out of it.

He could ask.

The thought came sharp and immediate. He could just ask Will what his deal was, about El, about Eddie, about any of it.

But asking meant getting an answer. And getting an answer meant dealing with whatever came with it. Reacting. Saying something back. Letting it change things.

Mike exhaled slowly.

He wasn’t ready for that.  Not when everything already felt like it was balancing on something thin and fragile.

The truth sat there anyway, uncomfortable and unavoidable.

He was being selfish. He knew it. He’d gotten a taste of this, of Will, of whatever this was between them now, and he didn’t want to let it go. Not yet. Maybe not at all.

Call it what it was. He didn’t care.

If Will kept looking at him with those smiles, kept letting things happen the way they had in stolen moment’s together, Mike wasn’t going to be the one to stop it.

He looked up to find Will already watching him, his gaze steady, searching, like he was trying to piece something together from Mike’s face alone. It lingered a second too long, drifting just enough to make Mike aware of it, of himself.

Mike opened his mouth to speak, something half-formed already there,

But Will leaned forward slightly, closing the space between them, and said, quiet but deliberate, like he’d already made up his mind.

 “Mike, we should talk.”

A/N:

I hope yall are doing better than I am RIP. Pray for me friends bc I am going through it. Thank you to everyone who has commented and sent kudos/likes 🥺🫶

.

Read newest chapters first on AO3 (subscribe, comment, and kudos!! Pls, it inspires me so much!!!)

or

read the next chapter HERE (whenever I remember to post/link it).

a/n: I have no words for this chapter. All I can say is, I hope you like it hehehehehehe >:)

.

Read Chapter One here.

.

Chapter Seven

Wednesday, March 21, 1989

If someone had told Mike Wheeler that one day he’d be making out with Will Byers of all people, his reaction would have depended entirely on how old he was at the time.

At seven, Mike probably would’ve been horrified by the idea of kissing anyone. But if it had to be someone, at least it was Will. Will could make even the grossest thing in the world feel a little less gross.

At twelve, Mike would’ve turned bright red and denied it immediately, vehemently, stubbornly… because why on earth would Will ever want to kiss him?

At fifteen, Mike probably would’ve tried to rip someone’s head off for even mentioning the youngest Byers. Back then, Will had been a sore subject, tied up in too many thoughts and feelings Mike didn’t know how to process.

At seventeen… well, that was where things got a little more complicated. A freshly seventeen-year-old Mike would’ve definitely ripped someone’s head off for uttering bullshit like that.

The seventeen, almost eighteen, year-old Mike now? The one at this very second? Well…

That Mike was currently kissing Will Byers, so he guessed he’d have to believe it. And damn if Will’s mouth wasn’t heavenly.

And damn if Mike wasn’t desperate for it.

The realization had hit him hard after that first kiss, or really, second kiss, in the parking lot. The one that had lasted far longer than either of them probably meant it to. Lasted until Mike and Will were pressed back against Mike’s car, both of them a little breathless. It had only broken when a car drove by on the road beside the parking lot, too far to see them, but close enough that the sudden sound pulled them apart long enough for Mike to think.

And when he did… well, he decided that, for once, he really shouldn’t think.

Because if he did, his reasonable side would start making a list of all the reasons why he shouldn’t. And Mike couldn’t have that, not when, for so long, he’d kept this locked down tight: every desire, every feeling, every memory where he’d wanted this and forced himself to believe it could never happen again.

Back then, it had been easier that way. Safer. If he never reached for it, he’d never have to face what it meant.

But that night, Will had kissed him again.

And whenever Mike thought about the kiss, it felt like a floodgate cracking open inside him, drowning the rational part of his brain.

He didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want to over think or second-guess himself or think about all the reasons he probably should stop.

For once, he wanted to live fully, without holding anything back. If his chances were limited, if he never got the chance to press his lips to Will’s again, then Mike wanted to remember every second he could.

He wanted to sear every moment Will gave him into memory, to keep it forever. To remember it even if it never happened again. To know, years from now, that at least once, he had let himself have it.

Well, he did.

More than once.

Every night since that first, actually.

And that’s how Mike found himself here… in the parking lot again.

The night had started like it usually did: Mike walked with Dustin to the track after Hellfire, dodging his friend’s relentless curiosity about how things were going between Mike and Will.

“I can sense it, man. You two are cool again, right? Say yes. El and I want to do something fun for spring break, and we want Will there too. He can come, right?”

Mike ignored him, offered a quick hey and good night to Lucas, and walked back to the field with Will. The tension was palpable from the very start. One look at Will, and Mike already knew where they’d end up by the end of the night.

At first, it was normal. Will jogged the track while Mike stretched. He’d learned this was necessary if he didn’t want to hurt the next day. They shouted back and forth across the field, debating what to do next for their project. Eventually, Mike joined Will on the track, running while Will ran backwards, both of them complaining about Mr. Clarke.

But each glance lingered a little too long. Will smirked in that way Mike hadn’t realized he could, but soon recognized as flirting. The small accidental touches, the teasing remarks, the tense rhythm between them… it had been building all evening.

By the time they left the field, a quiet current ran between them, low and steady, something neither had said aloud, but both felt. The air seemed to hum with it as they walked toward the parking lot, steps slowing without either noticing.

This time, it had been Mike who started it. With a deliberate push, he pressed Will against the car, letting the momentum of the tension take over.

He brushed his teeth lightly against Will’s bottom lip in a tentative, testing nip, catching more of his lips between his own.

Will’s reaction was immediate. His fingers tightened around the curls at the nape of Mike’s neck, tugging at them and pulling Mike closer, and the way his mouth moved against Mike’s made Mike’s thoughts blur into a warm, dizzy haze.

It was messy in that way Mike learned kisses with Will were. Tongue, teeth, wet. Will kept chasing Mike’s lips every time Mike shifted, and the enthusiasm of it made Mike grin wickedly against his mouth.

Because Will matched him without hesitation. That was the thing Mike noticed the more the two snuck around like this: how responsive Will was.

Every time Mike shifted or pressed closer, Will parted his lips and let Mike deepened the kiss. Every time Mike licked his tongue against Will’s, Will chased Mike’s in return. Every time Mike bit Will’s bottom lip, Will whined softly and pulled back just enough to make Mike chase so he could do it all over again.

God, it was good.

Because Will kissed like he meant it. Like every second without Mike was a another second without air.

Mike pulled back just enough to take in Will’s state. Even under the dim parking lot lights, Mike could see Will’s flushed face, his half-lidded eyes and furrowed brows, like he couldn’t understand why Mike would even consider stopping.

Will let out a quiet huff of protest, pushing back against him. And who was Mike to deny him?

Mike grinned into the kiss, and Will’s lips parted. Mike took the opportunity instantly, pressing his tongue against Will’s less sloppily than before, going for something new instead. Maybe he’d try that one circular motion he’d practiced once with…

No.

A part of Mike’s mind swatted the thought away before it could fully form. He let it slip away because it didn’t matter, not when Will’s pliant tongue followed every movement like he already knew the rhythm of Mike.

Kissing Will was a dance, pre-choreographed long before Mike even knew it was what he’d been destined for.

Mike pulled back half an inch, Will chased the space, brushing his mouth over Mike’s again before licking softly along his lower lip like he was asking permission.

Mike let him.

Actually, he more than let him. He leaned into it, hand sliding to the back of Will’s neck, keeping him close.

The world beyond them barely existed until a sudden clatter echoed somewhere across the lot. Maybe it was a racoon. Maybe a stray can in the wind. Maybe that damn car that cut the first kiss short.

Mike’s brain flickered briefly back to reality.

They were outside. A public place. A parking lot. Sure, it was late… far later than anyone sane would hang around. But still… if someone was here, they could see. See them like this. The thought should have killed the moment.

It didn’t.

Without breaking the kiss, Mike fumbled one hand along the car until his fingers found the back door handle. He tugged it open blindly, praying that he’d been stupid enough to leave it unlocked. The door creaked and swung outward.

Will made a small, confused sound against his mouth, something caught halfway between a questioning hum and another soft note of protest.

“Hang on,” Mike muttered, barely separating their lips for a second.

Then he nudged Will toward the open door, guiding him back a step at a time until the backs of Will’s legs bumped the seat. Will stumbled slightly and dropped down onto the back seat with a quiet thump, landing on his back.

Mike followed immediately, climbing into the car after him and pulling the door shut behind them. The space inside the car felt warmer and darker, the faint scent of old leather and dust hanging in the air. Mike made a mental note to clean it before the next time.

Will had shifted, no longer fully lying down, propped on his elbows across the back seat. Mike climbed over him, one knee pressing into the cushion beside Will’s leg and his arm braced against the door, holding himself just above Will.

Mike barely registered any of it before he dipped down and found Will’s mouth again, kissing him like he hadn’t wanted to stop in the first place.

Because he hadn’t.

Will leaned into him immediately, hands sliding up to Mike’s shoulders. Their mouths met harder this time, like the brief interruption had only made them hungrier for it.

And God, did Mike mention how responsive Will was?

Every little thing he did got an answer. When he tilted his head, Will adjusted with him. When he bit lightly at Will’s lip again, Will inhaled sharply and pressed closer. And when Will dragged his tongue along Mike’s lip again, slower this time, Mike felt like he could live in this moment forever.

“Will,” Mike breathed against his mouth, though he was already kissing him again a second later.

Will’s fingers slid into the front of Mike’s jacket, gripping the fabric like he needed something to hold onto. Mike shifted instinctively, one hand landing on the seat beside Will’s hip while the other, the one holding his weight, returned to the back of his neck.

Their mouths moved together in messy, eager rhythm.

Mike bit his lip again just because he liked the reaction. Will’s shoulders tensed slightly every time, breath catching before he pushed back into the kiss.

And Will kept doing that thing with his tongue. That slow swipe along Mike’s lip that made Mike want to pull him even closer even though they were already basically pressed together in the cramped back seat.

For a while there was nothing but the sound of breathing and the soft shift of fabric and the quiet, wet rhythm of kissing.

Then Will’s hand came up between them.

He pressed it flat against Mike’s chest. Not hard. Just firm enough to stop him.

Mike blinked, still leaning in when Will gently pushed him back a few inches.

Mike cursed at the sudden space between them.

They both lay there breathing hard, a string of saliva still stretching between their lips despite the separation. Mike wanted to chase it, let it guide him back to where he belonged.

It broke right before he could.

A shame, really, but who was he to actually let that stop him? Mike tried to kiss Will again, but he cheekily dodged it, turning his grinning face to the side. In that moment, Mike had the sudden realization that, no, he was not above begging.

“Will, please?”

But the Byers were nothing if not stubborn.

A damn shame, Mike thought again, but If Will wouldn’t let him kiss his lips, Mike settled for the next best thing, pressing kisses along Will’s face, still flushed in the dim light coming through the window. He trailed down from his temple, pressing soft kisses down his nose, his cheek, his jaw, to his neck.

“I have practice tomorrow morning,” Will said, though he made no real move to stop him.

“Okay… and?”

“Mike.”

The sound was divine, caught somewhere between protest and happiness.

And some part of Mike’s brain (the part that had been conditioned since the age of five to do one thing better than anything else: make Will happy) lit up, flooding his head with that warm, dizzy rush that made him feel almost euphoric.

He could die happy today if it meant hearing Will say his name like that one more time.

So he didn’t stop. He pressed sloppy, wet, teasing kisses along Will’s neck, up and down. Nothing that would leave a mark, but at the thought of it, Mike bit down a little too hard.

“Mike.”

This “Mike” wasn’t like the first. It wasn’t soft and easy anymore; it carried the weight of a boundary. The tone reminded Mike of the fights over the past two years, when his name had stopped sounding like a gentle call and started sounding like a warning.

And just like that, a switch flipped in Mike. Irritation surged back.

This was how these sessions usually ended: the cold blink back to reality that always made Mike wonder why he was even doing this in the first place.

It was a constant back-and-forth, wanting to kiss Will so badly it hurt, then remembering every fight, every reason to be mad at him. It was exhausting. It was a personal hell, funny in a not-so-funny way. Mike couldn’t stop himself from overthinking, from cycling between desire and anger, over and over, trapped in a loop he couldn’t escape.

Mike wanted to push it all aside, pretend it didn’t exist, just enjoy the moment. But he couldn’t forget everything they’d been through. Just last week, he’d thought he’d never be able to kiss Will again. Just last week, he hated Will’s guts. Maybe he still did.

And since then… they’d been sneaking around almost every day. Confusing. So fucking confusing.

Part of Mike wanted to figure it all out, to answer the questions swirling in his head. The other part wanted nothing more than to enjoy it while he could. And whenever he listened to that part, well… he usually ended up kissing Will.

So, he did what anyone would do in his place. He pushed the irritation aside with a, “I’m sorry.”

Will sat up, back pressed against the door, shoulders tense like he was bracing for something. Mike mirrored him, the small movements synchronized in a way that felt almost accidental, almost intimate. Will bit his lip, slow and deliberate, like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how, or maybe didn’t want to. Mike’s stomach flipped. And then, memory hit him, sharp and clear.

“Wait.”

The word cut through the quiet, too sudden, and Mike felt the flicker of surprise cross Will’s face. His pulse kicked up a notch. Without thinking, Mike leaned over the center console, reaching toward the passenger seat. His fingers found a package of Reese’s Pieces, the bright orange and yellow dots mocking him with their familiarity.

And immediately, his brain spiraled.

Why did I even get this? What if he doesn’t even like them anymore? But then another thought struck, undeniable and heavy: He’s been letting me—letting me… That’s enough reason to give him a damn birthday gift. Even if he’s my sworn enemy.

It didn’t have to be complicated. It could be simple. Yeah, because it was the least Mike could do for the guy who’d been letting him stick his tongue down his throat.

Mike returned to his seat, hands shaking slightly as he fiddled with the package before finally sliding it across to Will. He couldn’t meet his eyes, not right away. Will was watching him, all quiet intensity, and Mike felt like he could hear his own heartbeat thumping in the car.

“Happy early birthday.”

He said it casual, almost like he wasn’t saying anything at all. But Will didn’t crack a smile. Didn’t look away. That unreadable expression, something Mike had spent too much time trying to figure out since Will came back, made the air between them dense, almost impossible to breathe through.

“You didn’t have to,” Will murmured, eyes fixed on the candy like it was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

Mike swallowed. “Yeah, I know. But… it's your birthday tomorrow, and these are your favorite... And I had a pack.”

He didn’t mention that he’d had to hit two different gas stations just to find them. The first one had sold out, and he’d cursed under his breath the whole way. No, he left that part out. He wanted to keep it light.

But even as the words left his mouth, the silence that followed felt heavy, almost tangible, like it was pressing down on the car from all sides. Mike’s eyes drifted to the window, trying to make out the moon through the fogged-up glass.

What time was it? Nine? Maybe nine-thirty? 

God… had he just made everything weird?

Will finally lifted his gaze. Hazel eyes caught the dim glow of the parking lot lights, wide and... There was something in the way he looked at Mike that made Mike’s brain short-circuit.

“Thanks, Mike.”

The simplicity of Will’s words hit him harder than he expected. It wasn’t sarcastic or standoffish. It wasn’t loaded with some hidden, barbed meaning he was used to parsing from Will. Instead, it came off straightforward. Honest. Earnest, maybe. Mike couldn’t quite read him.

“Cool. Glad you like it.”

A quiet settled over the car. The night had that soft, sticky tension, the kind where seconds stretch out so long you can feel each one pressing against your skin. Mike shifted, instinctively preparing to slide out of the backseat and signal that it was time to leave, like he always did when their sessions ended: awkward, silent goodbyes.

And sure… maybe he caught that familiar, unspoken promise in Will’s gaze, the one he’d learned said this wouldn’t be the last time, but it wasn’t going to be the same now. Not after he’d gone and made it weird with a stupid pack of Reese’s Pieces.

His chest tightened at the thought, his nerves buzzing with embarrassment.

Then, suddenly, Will’s hand shot out. Firm. Gripping Mike’s wrist before he could even react. The next second, Mike found himself pulled forward, caught off guard, lips colliding in a quick, warm kiss that left his mind blank.

Mike froze. Heart hammering. Chest thrumming. Every nerve on fire. He couldn’t think, couldn’t move, couldn’t even remember how to breathe properly.

When the kiss broke, all he could do was stare, his voice rougher than he intended.

“What… what was that for?” Confusion tangled with a spark of something he didn’t have words for.

Will didn’t answer immediately. He just held Mike’s gaze, intense, unreadable, as if he were measuring something enormous in Mike’s expression: the weight of his words, his hesitation, the pull that lingered between them.

Mike’s chest tightened even more. He wanted to speak, to ask something, to clarify everything, but the words wouldn’t come. He could only stand there, frozen, caught in the mix of absurdity and tension.

Finally, Will spoke, voice low, almost casual.

“Meet me at Lovers Lake tomorrow after school.”

And the words sent a jolt straight through him.

A/N: whoops...

THANK YOU to everyone who’s sent love via comments and kudos/like and reposts! I love you all so much, TYSM!!! This chapter is dedicated to all of you!

.

Read newest chapters first on AO3 (subscribe, comment, and kudos!! Pls, it inspires me so much!!!)

or

read the next chapter HERE