VALERIE.COM

When your parents told you that you were grounded, you were expecting a normal punishment that regular parents give. You know like, no TV for a month or no going out with friends for a week or being assigned more chores. But no, your parents wanted you to get a job during your last summer before moving to college.

See, the whole reason you were grounded was because of your boyfriend. About three weeks ago, you were caught sneaking back into your home at three in the morning from your boyfriend’s house. You severely underestimated your parents, however. You assumed they’d be asleep, which meant you could just use the front door instead of climbing through your bedroom window.

Oh, how wrong you were. Your parents were waiting in the living room for god knows how long when you got home. A whole argument ensued. They were outraged with you, telling you how dangerous it was for you to be out so late without anyone knowing where you were, how your boyfriend was a bad influence on you (they never liked him), and how irresponsible you were being.

And you can vividly remember your dad’s face when he noticed the small, red hickey on your neck that you completely forgot about. Your dad began furiously yelling as your mom harshly investigated the mark. You knew you were done for.

So, when your parents informed you that you were grounded after a twenty minute lecture, you weren’t surprised. But when they suggested getting a job to teach you responsibility, you choked on air.

Your family was well off financially. Your dad came from money and had one of the best jobs in town, and your mother owned her own business that was doing excellent. This allowed you to have a hefty monthly allowance and get away with not having a job. They were cutting you off. From money and your boyfriend.

So after an agonizing week of searching for the perfect job with your mom, you landed on being a lifeguard for the Hawkins Pool. Lucky for you, your best friend, Stacy, also worked there. She may have purposefully gotten one of her coworkers fired just so you could come work with her.

It didn’t take long for you to adjust to your new routine of waking up at eight am, staying in a swimsuit all day, and getting home at six just in time for dinner.

There was just one slight giant problem.

Mike Wheeler.

You’re assuming that he was being forced by his mother to take his little sister, Holly, to the pool. You never cared to ask though. Even if you did, it’s not like he would’ve told you. He would just give you a dirty look and a rude remark. See, that was the issue. He was a dick and didn’t even try to hide it. Whether he was a dick to everyone or just to you, you didn’t know. But, you knew that you hated him.

So, as you were sitting on the lifeguard post, talking to Stacy who stood beside the ladder, you almost scowled when you saw the mop of black curls enter the pool. Stacy turned her head to where you were looking.

“Hey, your stalker’s here,” she teased. You rolled your eyes at her.

“I wouldn’t doubt that he’s stalking me,” you joked, watching as he spreads a towel over a lawn chair while Holly joins her friends in the pool.

“I bet he has a shrine dedicated to you in his room,” Stacy cackled at the thought. “Oh, y/n, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow,” she mocked in a high pitched voice, placing her hands over her heart.

You laughed loudly which caused Mike to look over in annoyance. You squinted your eyes at him until he looked away. “God, what is his problem?” You scoffed.

Stacy shook her head. “He’s an asshole, that’s what,” she said, glancing at him one last time before looking at you. “I’m gonna go get a snack. You want anything?” She asked. You shook your head. “Alrighty then. Talk to you later,” she said before skipping toward the snack stand.

You knew she wasn’t hungry, it hasn’t even been an hour since the two of you had lunch. The snack guy was what she was interested in. He was a few years older, back from college for the summer. Stacy had been trying to win him over for the past two weeks, and all she’s gotten is a ride home and a kiss on the cheek. You could tell she was intrigued by the game he was playing.

A voice broke you from your thoughts.

“Your umbrellas suck,” you looked down to see Mike. You internally groaned.

“Excuse me?” You asked, pushing your sunglasses up to perch on your head.

“Your umbrellas. They don’t cover shit,” he repeated. You noticed him clutching his hand.

“So you came over here to complain about… our umbrellas?” You questioned, tilting your head.

“No, I came over here to inform you that I burnt myself on your chairs because your umbrellas suck,” he corrected.

You sighed and climbed down the ladder. “Let me see,” you roughly grab his hand. Sure enough, there was a burn, and a heat blister beginning to form. You dropped his hand and met his eyes. “Why’d you sit on a hot chair to begin with?”

His mouth was agape. “Where else was I supposed to sit?” He exclaimed, gesturing to the crowded chairs. You rolled your eyes.

“Fine. Just give me a second,” you ushered over to Stacy and asked her to take over the post for you while you aided Mike. She agreed and you both walked back over to the boy.

Stacy had to stifle a laugh as she climbed up the ladder. Mike gave her an accusing look before he realized you were walking away.

“Follow me,” you said over your shoulder. He begrudgingly trailed behind. You could feel him staring at your ass. Perv.

Once you reached the storage room door, you reached into your fanny pack to grab the keys. When you walked inside, you switched on the light which lit up the room poorly. You led him over to the small sink, the door automatically closing behind him.

You grabbed his hand with the burn and put it under the faucet, running cold water on it. He hissed.

“That hurts. Do you know what you're doing?” He complained through gritted teeth.

“I had to take multiple training courses for this job, so, yes, I do,” you replied, grabbing some soap and spreading it across the wound. He groaned. “Stop being so dramatic,” you remark, carefully cleaning the blister.

“I am not,” he defended. You dryly chuckled (which earned you a glare). You turned the water off before grabbing a paper towel and gently patting it.

You looked around the shelves before finding a bandage. You returned with it and began wrapping the burn. You cut the excess off with scissors.

“Voila,” you said. “When you get home take some antibiotics to ease the pain,” you added.

Mike nodded, examining his newly wrapped hand. A beat of silence followed.

“You know, a thanks would be nice,” you scoffed. He furrowed his brow.

“I mean, this is your job. You’re meant to do this stuff, I shouldn’t have to thank you for that,” he argued.

You cackled. “You are unbelievable, Wheeler!” You exclaimed.

He pouted. “Aw, is y/n hurt that I don’t like her,” he mocked.

You smirked. “I don’t think that’s true,” you countered, tilting your head slightly.

His eyebrows shot up. “What?” He muttered, his voice an octave higher.

You stepped closer to him. “You think I haven’t noticed you looking at my ass or watching me when I take a swim?” You questioned, cornering him against a shelf.

He inhaled deeply. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he whispered.

A smile spreads across your features. You rub your hands up his bare torso, sending a shiver down his spine. “Subtlety was never your thing,” you tease. “I’m flattered, honestly,” your hands combing through his hair. “I love attention.”

His eyes fluttered closed as you leaned close to his ear. “You know, I think you’re only mean to me because you like me,” you gently nibble his earlobe, “and you don’t want to,” you whispered.

You pulled away and grabbed his chin making his eyes open and stare directly into yours. “But being mean to the girl you like is not nice, now, is it?” You cooed.

He shook his head, his eyes boring into you like a puppy’s. You let go of his chin and patted his cheek.

“Then, I think I need to teach you a lesson, yeah?” You bit your lip.

His breath hitched as you began to kneel down in front of him. Your hands slid under his shorts and wrapped around his thighs. “Can I touch you?” You asked. He nodded hurriedly. You slapped his thigh. “Use your words,” you demanded.

“Fuck, yes, please,” he spoke. “Please touch me,” he begged.

“Good boy,” you hummed.

You seductively held eye contact with him as you teasingly pulled down his swim trunks. You squeezed your thighs together at how helpless he looked.

His cock sprung out and hit just below his stomach. Your mouth salivated at the sight. He inhaled sharply at the sudden air hitting his member.

You spit in your hand and began to gradually stroke him. He bit his lip and threw his head back. His hips thrusted into your hand. You smirked, amused.

“Tell me, Michael, is this the first time a woman has touched you?” You asked, still stroking him.

You noticed his cheeks turning pink, but when you picked up the pace of your hand, he moaned distractedly.

“Yes,” he mumbled, nodding pathetically.

You greedily smiled. “So, I’ll be the first? Cute,” you said, looking back to his dick which was leaking precum now.

Before he could reply, you licked his tip causing his brain to short circuit. He groaned loudly. You pulled away and shushed him.

“Don’t want us getting caught, do you?” You tsked.

He whined, but nodded. You stared into his dazed eyes while you licked from his base to his tip. His eyebrows pinched together and he let out a sigh.

You couldn’t wait any longer, so you slowly took his cock in your mouth. His knees almost gave out when he hit the back of your throat.

“Oh, f-fuck,” he stuttered, his head falling backwards.

You hallowed your cheeks as you pulled it out of your mouth before taking it back all the way to the base. He let out a low moan.

“Just like that,” he muttered, his hand resting on the back of your head.

You swatted it away. “Did I say you could touch me?” You growled. He shook his head furiously, whimpering at the loss of contact. “No touch, understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured.

You went back to sucking his dick, finding a steady rhythm. Mike couldn’t contain himself. Praises and moans spilled from his lips. Tears pricked your eyes from his tip continuously hitting the back of your throat.

“Shit, y/n,” he moaned. You allowed him to roll his hips into your mouth. “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop,” he whined, watching your pretty, plump lips wrap around his dick.

You pulled away to catch your breath, returning to stroking him. “You like having your cock sucked by me?” You stare up at him through your eyelids.

“Yes, ma’am. Feels amazing,” he breathed, his chest rapidly rising and moving.

You giggled before taking him back in your mouth. You swirled your tongue around his tip making him gasp. When you returned to the rhythm, you started to gently massage his balls. He moaned.

“I’m close, keep going,” he murmured. His hips began to sputter. You picked up the pace, hallowing your cheeks every time you pulled it out of your mouth. “Yes! Feels so good, fuck!” He moaned. “I’m about to cum,” he whimpered, his eyes squeezing shut.

When you heard that, you stopped all your movements and pulled away. Mike whined and stared at you with wide eyes.

“What are you doing? I was about to finish!” He exclaimed, his chest heaving.

You got back on your feet. “Well, it wouldn’t exactly be a lesson if I let you do that, now would it?” You teasingly smile, crossing your arms.

“But-“ he watched as you began to walk towards the door. “You can’t just leave me here!” He complained.

You turned back around. “Watch me,” you winked. When you reached the door, you turned around once more. “Make sure to lock the door behind you when you’re finished,” you added.

You blew him a kiss, then walked outside, leaving Mike alone in the storage room to register what the fuck just happened.

part two??

Being back in Hawkins felt like a fever dream to Mike. Especially in the heart of the holiday season when the whole town was bustling with last minute Christmas shoppers like himself. He had just returned home from Boston the day before Christmas Eve, and was informed by Lucas that Dustin took it upon himself to invite you to the Christmas Eve hangout.

Of course, he wasn’t surprised by the information, seeing as you’ve all been friends since middle school. But when you and him broke up, you took a step back from the group and allowed Mike to have them for emotional support. So, hearing that you agreed to come gave Mike a sliver of hope.

Now on the snowy 24th, Mike had dragged Lucas and Max to town square to find a gift for you. Though, after visiting a few stores, he began to worry that any gift he got wouldn’t be perfect enough. Then, he paused in front of a jewelry store — the sudden stop making Lucas collide into him — and when Max was done laughing at her boyfriend, they walked inside.

The three stomped their shoes on the floor mat to rid of the snow as the bell above the door dinged throughout the store.

“Welcome in,” a teenager lazily greeted behind the counter, flipping a page in a magazine she was reading.

Mike immediately began to look through the glass cases.

“You still haven’t explained why we needed to come with you, Wheeler,” Max piped up, her gloved hands pushing the hood of her coat off her head. Lucas wandered to the other side of the store.

“You know y/n best and Lucas has good advice,” Mike muttered, examining an assortment of rings. Too marriage-y.

He moved on to a display of bracelets. Max snickered. “Lucas is giving out good advice and I’m just not around to hear it?” She joked, turning her nose up at a flashy pair of earrings.

He let out a chuckle and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Remember when y/n and I got into that huge argument junior year and she was wanting to break up?” He asked, turning to face Max, leaning against the case. She nodded. “I called Lucas to rant about it and he basically convinced me to stop being so stubborn and apologize,” He explained further.

Max gazed lovingly across the store at her boyfriend’s back. He was trying to get the cashier’s attention, but the teen had just slipped on her headphones and was nodding along to the music. She looked back to the boy in front of her and frowned. “And then you dumped her.”

Mike’s eyebrows shot up. “I did not dump her!” He quickly defended. “We mutually agreed to separate,” He corrected, turning back to the case of bracelets.

Max shrugged. “Same thing,” She quipped. Before Mike could make a comeback, Lucas was rushing over with a rectangular box.

“Mike, I’ve found it!” He exclaimed, holding the box out. He opened it to reveal a gold necklace with a heart charm delicately laying on a velvet cushion, the light catching it perfectly. Mike observed it.

“Do they have it in silver?” He asked after a beat of silence. Lucas’ grin slowly dropped.

“What does it matter? It’s just a necklace,” Lucas shook his head, not understanding what was wrong with it being gold.

“She only wears silver,” He answered. Mike slipped past his friend and walked toward the display of necklaces.

Lucas watched Mike in defeat, and closed the box. Max slapped his chest with the back of her hand. “Just a necklace?” She mocked, before catching up with Wheeler.

Lucas’ eyes widened and went after her. “Wait, baby, that’s not what I meant!”

Mike’s eyes scanned the endless rows of necklaces. They were either gold, too simple, or too much. And then, right when he was about to give up and return to the bracelets, a necklace glistened under the fluorescent lights. It was paired nicely with a butterfly charm. You loved butterflies.

“It’s perfect,” he muttered to himself.

The three returned to the freezing streets, yet now Mike was holding a bag that contained your present and an overwhelming sense of anticipation.

𓏲ּ𝄢

That evening, Wheeler's house was astir. Ms. Byers and Mrs. Wheeler were busy in the kitchen, drinking wine and catching up on everything that’s happened since Joyce moved to Montauk. Nancy, Steve, Robin, and Jonathon were chatting in the lounge. Steve had brought the lady he’s been seeing for the past few months — Steve says she’s the one and this time Dustin believes him. Hopper, Mr. Wheeler, and Holly sat quietly in the living room watching Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

Mike was up in his room unpacking the last of his things, picking at the skin on his lip absentmindedly. The brown bag with your gift in it kept glaring at him from atop his dresser. He tried not to worry too much about the awkwardness of giving your ex a gift (seeing as he got all his friends presents and didn’t want you to feel left out), but he was more focused on your reaction. He hasn’t seen or spoken to you since July. What if you did wear gold now? What if you hated butterflies? What if you didn’t like it?

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the doorbell rang. “I got it!” Steve announced. 

Mike placed his suitcase on the top shelf in his closet and closed the doors. 

“Henderson! How are ya, buddy?” Mike heard Steve exclaim. He took a deep breath, preparing to see you after all this time. He left his room with the presents and hustled down the stairs, his heart thrumming in his ears.

But when he reached the landing, only Dustin, Lucas, and Max stood at the door. Steve gave Max a hug before returning to the lounge. Lucas sheds his jacket off and hangs it on the overflowing coat rack. Mike’s smile falters.

“Where’s y/n?” He blurts before he can stop himself. “... and Jane and Will?” He attempts to recover.

Dustin looks at Max while Lucas takes off her jacket for her. “Wow, you don’t see the guy for months and he suddenly acts like you don’t exist,” He teases, shaking his head.

Mike cringes at himself. “Sorry,” he mumbles. Dustin waves him off.

“They went to pick up some,” Dustin looked to make sure no one was looking, “specialties,” he enunciated, pretending to shoot back a drink. Mike’s eyebrows raised and his mouth formed into an ‘O’ shape.

“Can we go down to the basement now or should I drop the presents I graciously bought you all on the floor?” Max piped up. 

Mike rolled his eyes before leading the three to their well-loved abode. Max immediately dropped the wrapped presents beside the stairs before plopping down on the worn couch. Lucas followed after her, throwing a blanket over their laps then wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

Mike slipped into the chair opposite of them. Dustin reached the bottom of the steps and held his arms out to his sides while taking a deep breath.

“Still smells the same,” He grinned, placing his bag of presents next to Max and Lucas’. He sat down in the chair beside Mike and looked around. “Looks the same, too,” He made eye contact with a few of Holly’s My Little Pony’s. “Well, for the most part,” He chuckled.

“When’d you get those, Wheeler?” Lucas teased.

Mike smirked. “I think your mom gave those to Holly after she cleaned out your room,” He joked. Dustin laughed. Lucas playfully kicked Mike in the shin.

The four settled into an easy conversation, updating each other on their lives recently. The basement door suddenly swung open making everyone stop talking.

“Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler!” Mike’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing your voice.

You, Will, and Jane trampled down the stairs. You were holding a brown paper bag in one arm and a present stuffed under your other arm. Will and Jane carried the other presents.

“Sorry we’re late everyone. Someone almost got us caught,” You explained, glaring at Will beside you.

“It was not my fault!” He defended, handing Jane the presents in his arms after she set down the ones she was holding.

“Oh, really? Because he believed our fakes until you said “for real?” when he started scanning the beers,” You gave him a teasing look. You both began to argue, but everything became muffled when Mike laid his eyes on you.

He couldn’t accept the fact that you were here standing in his basement. And you looked good. You always did, but there was something different about you now. A new found confidence in yourself. He could see it in the way you carried yourself, the twinkle in your eye as you continued to tease Will, and how you were comfortable in your skin. He admired it.

His attention was brought back to the room when you started passing out beers. “Mike, I love your mother, but, God, is she nosy,” You smiled. He almost choked on his own spit when you said his name. The first time you’ve spoken directly to him in months.

“I think she knew what was in that bag,” Jane giggled, sitting down beside Max.

“She definitely did, but was too drunk to notice,” Will chuckled. “My mom was hammered, too. Haven’t seen her that drunk in years,” He said, cracking open his can after claiming his spot next to Jane.

“Someone needs to lock the wine up,” Dustin joked, thanking you for the beer with a nod.

You pulled out the last beer and discarded the bag. “Oh, it’s Christmas Eve, let them have their fun,” You wave him off. You settle onto the arm of Dustin’s chair.

The group fell back into conversation, but Mike was noticeably quiet this time. His eyes would keep moving over to you like he was drawn to you. Sometimes you would catch him staring, give him a small smile, then go back to laughing at something Dustin said. Nerves bubbled in his stomach.

He’s appalled at how easy this is. You don’t seem bothered by his presence at all and it was eating him up. He felt he made a grave mistake buying that necklace for you. He felt stupid for still wanting you. He drummed his fingers against his knee and took a sip of his beer.

After a while, Jane clapped her hands together, snapping everyone’s attention to her. “I think we’re ready to open presents!” She sang, a grin on her face.

Max sat up. “Let me use the bathroom first,” She stood, rushing to the restroom in the basement.

“Hurry up or we’ll start without you!” Dustin playfully threatened.

“I need a breather. This basement is too stuffy,” You chuckled, standing up and grabbing your coat and scarf off the stair railing. You left through the door that led to the backyard.

Mike ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply. His heart was about to lurch out of his chest. Dustin cleared his throat and Mike looked over. The boy nodded over to the door you just closed. Mike’s eyes widened and he shook his head. Dustin gave him an ‘are you serious?’ look.

“This is your chance, dude,” Lucas interjected.

Mike snapped his head to him. “No, no way,” He looked down to his lap and pushed his glasses closer to his face.

“You both have been eyeing each other since we got here,” Will piped up. “If you don’t go out there right now, I’m going to barf from all the tension,” He added. Dustin snickered.

Mike ignored them. There was no chance that you were even slightly still interested in him.

“She still asks about you, you know?” Jane softly said. He perked up. “Always asking how you are and what you’ve been up to,” she continues. He sat up straighter now. “She still cares,” she stated.

Mike took a deep breath and gave a firm nod. “Alright, fine,” he sat his beer on the coffee table and stood up.

“Let's go, Wheeler,” Lucas cheered.

Mike grabbed the bag and walked towards the door. “If it’s weird after, this is all your guy’s fault,” He said.

“Yeah, yeah. Now go get your girl,” Dustin shooed him.

Mike inhaled deeply as he grabbed the door knob. The cold air immediately hit him when he stepped outside. Goosebumps covered his body and he regretted not grabbing his coat beforehand. 

You stood next to the door. One hand was in your coat pocket and the other was holding a cigarette between your lips. You looked over to him when the door closed.

“Hey,” You muttered after exhaling the smoke.

“Hey,” Mike pathetically whispered, his voice suddenly gone.

The buzz of the Christmas lights that his house was decorated with was the only sound that filled the awkward silence that grew between you two. You both took intense interest in the snow falling. You took another drag of your cigarette.

“When’d you start smoking?” He blurted. He cursed at himself in his head.

You flicked it and exhaled. “When I got a F on my first college paper,” you chuckled.

“But you said smoking was gross and severely unhealthy,” he pointed out. 

When you were thirteen and were oblivious to your guy’s crushes on each other, you went into a full blown lecture on smoking to him after your parents found your older sister’s secret stash of cigarettes.

“Do you remember everything?” You teased, turning towards him.

“Only when it comes to you,” he admitted softly before he could stop himself. You looked down to your shoes to hide your smile.

You gaze back up at him. “When’d you start wearing these?” You asked, nudging his glasses up his nose.

Mike’s breath caught in his throat. He hoped you thought the pink on his cheeks was from the cold and not from your sudden physical affection.

“Um, September,” his voice cracked and he swore he could’ve strangled himself on the spot. “I think,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head with his almost numb fingers.

You nodded. “They suit you,” you smiled before taking a drag.

God, his face was on fire.

Another silence settled over you two, less awkward this time. Mike suddenly remembered the bag that he was holding.

“Oh, uh,” he held the gift out to you, “here I got this for you.”

You gasped. “Aw, Michael, for me?” You teasingly cooed, your fingers slightly grazing his hand as you took the bag.

He swore he saw God when you touched him. In that moment you could’ve told him to fuck off and he would’ve happily done so just to make you happy. He knew he was gone.

You took the box out and he took the bag so you could open it. You slowly lifted the top and covered your mouth when you saw the necklace.

“It’s beautiful,” you whisper, running your fingers along the diamond incrusted butterfly.

Mike let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “You like it?” He asked meekly.

You looked up at him with wide, beautiful eyes. “Like it?” You scoff. “I love it! It’s gorgeous,” you wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. Before he could even register your warmth, you pulled away. “Thank you, Mike,” you mumbled, still marveling at the necklace.

He took your distractedness as a chance to admire your face. The necklace’s beauty couldn’t even compare to you. He’s never seen someone as perfect as you were.

“I could help put it on you, if you want?” He said. 

You smiled. “Why, thank you, kind sir,” you joke. You discard your cigarette.

He takes the box from your hands while you take off your scarf. He grabs the necklace, and places the box in the bag then sets that on the ground. You turn around and hold your hair up. Mike swallowed thickly as he draped the chain around your neck. Your perfume overwhelmed his senses and he would give anything to stay in this moment with you forever. He closed the clasp and you let go of your hair, admiring it around your neck.

When you turned around, Mike’s breath hitched when he noticed the close proximity between you two. He couldn’t help it, his eyes would not stop flicking to your lips. He swore you kept looking at his, too. You inhaled deeply.

“Can I ask you something?” You ask, your voice weak. Mike nods quickly, not trusting his voice. “Why’d we ever break up?”

Your question slapped Mike across the face. He stared into your eyes, which were gazing so patiently up to him with a hint of hurt, and he felt like a complete idiot. Who in their right mind would even think about leaving you. You grabbed at his sweater, bringing him back to reality.

“Mike?” You whispered.

He swallowed thickly. “I don’t know,” he looked down at your hand holding his sweater, “I guess I was…” He trailed off.

Being vulnerable with someone or expressing his feelings was never his forte. Maybe he was nervous they would judge him or they wouldn’t understand, he didn’t really know. He just knows that when he’s put into these positions, the words die in his throat, his hands become clammy, and he would become embarrassed to the point of irritation. His brain would rather pick an argument than ever say how he’s feeling.

However, standing there in the freezing cold in front of you — the girl he’s liked since he was eleven years old, the girl who’s never judged him, the girl who’s honest and isn’t afraid to call him out on his bullshit, the girl who took the time to understand him — he pushes those feelings down, no matter how hard it was.

“Scared,” he finished, his throat as dry as a desert.

You tilted your head. “Scared?” You repeated quietly.

He nodded slowly, looking at the necklace. “I thought you would go to college and find someone better,” he confessed. He let out a humorless chuckle. “I guess I wanted to get the heartbreak over with.”

“Oh, Mike,” you breathed, cupping his cheek. His eyes met yours. “I would never find anyone better than you,” you whispered.

Mike’s heart swelled. He looked to your lips once more and felt his body leaning in. And, if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, you were leaning in, too. Your noses touched.

“Can I?” He whispered.

“Absolutely,” you muttered.

The distance closed between you. Your soft lips felt warm against his freezing ones. You both kissed like you never spent time apart, it was comfortable, it was familiar. Your hand on his cheek pulled him closer, and the other tangled itself into his hair at the nape of his neck. Mike’s hands hovered over your hips, not knowing if that’s a line he can cross. His doubts silenced when you grabbed his hands and guided them to settle on your hips before wrapping your arms around his neck.

He pulled you flush against him, enjoying the warmth you brought him. Mike believed he died and this was heaven. The kiss started out slow and steady before turning hungry. His tongue swiped against your bottom lip. You opened your mouth to let him in. Your tongues danced together, battling for dominance, which he won (surprisingly). Eventually, you both pulled away for air.

Mike kept his eyes closed, basking in the kiss. It was just as good as he remembered, if not better. You giggled causing him to open his eyes. You were staring at his lips, biting your lip to hold back a laugh. You swiped your thumb across his lips. He noticed the absence of lip gloss on your lips.

“Leave it,” he smiled.

You laughed as he pulled you closer. He leaned his forehead against yours.

“I’ve missed you,” he hummed.

“I’ve missed you, too,” you muttered.

He leaned back to scan your face. “So,” he trailed, “are we back together?” He asked.

You pretended to think, tapping your chin. “How about you take me on a date first and we can go from there,” you suggested.

Mike nodded. “Enzo’s?” He assumed.

“I already can’t wait,” you grinned. You ran your hand through his hair. “You should head inside before you get hypothermia,” you joked.

His head fell onto your shoulder. “But you’re keeping me warm,” he mumbled.

“Mike, you are freezing cold,” you warned. “I’ll be inside in a second. Go get warm,” you kissed the side of his head.

He pulled away. “Fine.” He would do anything you wanted him to. “Just one last kiss,” he muttered.

He tilted your chin up and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. When he withdrew, he let out a content sigh. He grabbed the bag off the ground and returned to his friends. They were all staring at him when he walked in.

“You were out there for a while,” Will smirked.

“I’m guessing everything went well?” Dustin questioned, a playful grin on his face when he noticed the shimmer on the boy’s lips.

Mike had a dreamy smile on his face. “It went better than I imagined,” he revealed.

His friends cheered, Dustin and Lucas clapping him on the back as he returned to his chair.

Once his friends settled down, Dustin spoke up,

“Now, who said Christmas Eve?” He pointed to the group. “Oh, right, it was me,” he smirked. 

The other four rolled their eyes and began digging into their pockets. They held out dollar bills to him.

“Thank you, thank you,” he sang as he collected the money one by one.

Mike stared at his friends confusedly. “You bet on our love life?” He exclaimed.

“Of course,” Dustin stated like it was obvious. He began counting the money.

“I said New Years,” Lucas piped up.

“I said Christmas,” Max grumbled, crossing her arms.

“You can imagine how pissed I was when you didn’t come home for Thanksgiving,” Jane playfully glared at Mike.

“And I thought you guys wouldn’t see each other until summer,” Will complained.

Before anyone could say anything else, you returned to the warm basement. You were creeped out by the silence as you placed your coat and scarf on the stair railing. You turned to your friends.

“What happened?” You asked, placing your hands on your hips.

“These bastards bet on us!” Mike explained, grumpily staring at Dustin.

You scoffed. “Typical,” you mumbled. As you walked past Dustin to get to Mike, you stole two ten dollar bills from his lap.

“Hey!” Dustin yelled.

You laughed as you sat on the ground in between Mike’s legs. “You invested in us. Gotta share the profit, man,” you shrugged, passing Mike one of the dollar bills. Dustin stuck his tongue out at you.

The group settled into conversation, just like the old times. The playful teasing, the jokes at each other’s expense, the reminders of embarrassing memories. It was all familiar. Mike’s hands rested on your shoulders, occasionally massaging them. Every now and then, he would kiss your head when the group was cracking up over Lucas or Dustin’s jokes.

He just felt so ecstatic to have you here with him. Grateful, even, to be deserving enough for a second chance with you. His heart was full that night. He looked around to his friends who felt like family, the basement where he and his friends can go to escape life’s hardships, and his dream girl back in his life for hopefully forever. This was the best Christmas he could’ve asked for, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

hope you enjoyed!! any interactions are appreciated!!

stranger things:

steve harrington

mike wheeler

lucas sinclair

IT (2017):

aged up! richie tozier

harry potter :

theodore nott

george weasley

hermione granger

community:

abed nadir

troy barnes

annie edison

outer banks:

jj maybank

pope hayward

euphoria:

maddy perez

celebrities:

joe keery

finn wolfhard