Let Down- pt. 2 ✩˖ ࣪‧₊˚໒꒱⋆✩
college!mike wheeler au x fem reader
word count: 2.5k
pt. 1
Summary: Mike is a noble knight in shining armor
warnings: angst? // intoxication // non really tbh
"Strictly professional", what the hell was he thinking, Mike had never been professional in his life. He'd said it as an assurance, the moment he'd walked in that room and seen y/n for the first time since he'd seen her at graduation, he knew something was different. Her eyes met his with a ferocity that mades his insides turn to jelly. She seemed so pissed he was late, but there was also the sense that she was nervous, maybe just as nervous as he'd been. It was that one look that brought back all the shameful feelings he'd harbored for the girl. He didn't trust himself. He just had to meet with her twice a week, help her pass computer science, kiss up to his professor, and avoid at all costs making a fool out of himself over whatever feelings he couldn't seem to control.
That night as Mike laid in bed he thought about the way y/n had seemly matured in the short time they'd been apart.
She still had the same vicious look of determination on her face, but she seemed to have grown into herself more. He'd always seen her in her Hawkins cheer uniform, her little green and yellow skirt, white tube socks, and a cardigan she always had pulled over her shoulders. She seemed like a perfectly manicured puzzle piece fitting right in with the more popular crowd, never a hair out of place.
Now, she opted for a pair of worn in jeans, and a brash sweater with a soft white turtle neck layered underneath. Her hair was in its natural state which is something Mike noted he'd never really seen. She'd always worn it perfectly blown out, soft and huge and perfectly curled. Now it was left alone, untamed curls framed her face, the mess of it surrounding her like a halo. It wasn't a drastic change, but it felt like her, like she grown up a little and stopped trying to be the perfect puzzle piece.
Sometimes he'd wished he could go back in to time to that first day they ever met and get a redo. Maybe they could've been friends. Not that Mike was especially keen to girls being apart of his party, but he thought maybe, just maybe, if y/n and him had a do over she wouldn't be an incessant source of competition and instead maybe she could've been something else.
He admired her drive to be the best, but he hated the way she seemed to give in to the system, the same system that relentlessly bullied him his whole life. Maybe if she hadn't Mike wouldn't have found her all that bad.
She would've been a whole lot more than just not that bad. There had been several times where a look from y/n y/l/n had made his chest tighten up, and his heart race.
He'd stared at the back of her head for an entire year in english, when he was a junior, and without fail, every time she'd turn her head around to scowl at him he'd feel the same symptoms of heart failure.
He'd love to make her mad, she'd respond to him every time in class discussions. English and history class became a bickering war disguised as intellectual discussion. He did it to get that look from her, the annoyed twisted pout, it was his favorite look. Her perfect lips would turn downwards, pressing against one another. He would find himself wondering what they would feel like pressed against his. What she would taste like, whether or not she would keep up her poised act if it was just the two of them, or if he could push her past the point where she let out the part of her he felt like she was hiding. It made him want to push every button she had, and maybe even the ones she didn't know she had to be pushed.
Mike let out a groan grabbing his pillow from behind his head, and rolling over. He had to stop, nothing good ever came from thinking about y/n and if he kept it up this would be the longest hellish semester of his life.
The second time they met an early Friday afternoon, Mike wasn't late. the pair worked surprisingly well together for three hours. Mike was a good teacher, and y/n was eager to learn. They went over every question she had missed, and he he taught her exactly the things that helped him master the topic. By the end of it, y/n had a smile plastered on her face.
"Y'know Wheeler, you're a pretty great teacher when you're not being an ass." Y/n teased.
"Ya and you pick things up pretty fast when you stop fighting me on everything," Mike quipped back, a smile mirroring y/n's.
They began packing up the mess of papers scattered on the desk, when Mike paused and looked up at y/n. Her hair was haphazardly tucked behind her ear, her gaze fixed on the mass of papers she was trying to shove in her back pack. He felt his chest tighten.
"Why is it that you hate me?" it came out softer than he meant it, almost as if he was scared to break the silence.
She looked up from her what she was doing, "Hate you? I've never hated you?"
"It's just that you've fought me on everything since we were little, and your friends aren't exactly my biggest fans. I just assumed—" before he could finish she stopped him.
"I've never hated you. I could never hate you. You're the only person I feel like is worth competition, if anything I admire you Wheeler." Her expression was soft, unlike what Mike imagined it would be after his accusation.
Mike now had a crooked grin on his face, "Admire me?"
"Don't push it, but- yes I admire your knack for learning, and how you don't let what other people say about you push you away from your passions. I do still think you're snarky, and a know-it-all. But I would be an idiot to not notice that you have a brain, if it weren't for you I'd be done for in Dr. Mueller's class." Y/n replied intensely.
"Well i'm glad we can agree we can finally agree on something." he replied handing her the rest of her papers.
With a roll of her eyes y/n finished cleaning up their work. She brush off her skirt and stood up. "I'll see you Tuesday, unless I see you out this weekend, which is doubtful given that i've never seen you at anything, and I think fun may be the one word you don't know."
"I know fun, trust me, maybe you've never seen me because you don't care to look." He replied.
"Oh i'm sure, Mike Wheeler, party fanatic." She waved him off as she walked out the door.
Mike was not a party fanatic, in fact he rarely found himself out at parties, the only times he had gone was because Lucas had begged him to join him and he tagged along. But, y/n's words lit the need to prove her wrong inside of him. Mike could have fun.
He dialed his friend's number, which was practically muscle memory "Lucas do you copy? It's urgent."
"I'm listening," Lucas answered dryly.
"I know I always say no when you ask, but do you think I could come out to whatever party I'm sure you and your friends are planning on going to?" Mike said cradling the phone against his ear as his paced his room.
"Yeah man, of course if you're being serious and not fucking with me. Sig Chi is throwing a house show tonight for some student band who does like Talking Heads covers, I think me and some of the guys from rec basketball are going."
A Sig Chi house show is exactly where Mike imagined y/n would be on a Friday night. He agreed to meet Lucas at his at around 9.
Y/n could hardly feel her legs beneath her as she swayed to the music way too loud to hear any of her friends over. Her head felt wonderfully light as she finished her drink before glancing around the room. She hated the cliche of it all, but she loved a good party, mainly for the music. It was the only way she really felt like she could blow off steam.
She didn't go for the guys or really anything other than a few drinks and a band that played obnoxiously loud. It was euphoric.
She'd almost forgotten about the Mike Wheeler situation she'd found herself in until, like an apparition of her desires, he appeared. Leaning against a wall tossing a drink back while laughing with Lucas Sinclair. God, did he really always look like that?
She wasn't sure if it was the various number of drinks she'd had that night or the black sweater he'd decided to wear that made him look even more alluring than he usually was. It was something about Mike in dark colors. Or if she was being honest with herself, Mike at all, that made her feel like she was looking at the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Without even really thinking or realizing what she was doing, y/n made her way over to him.
"You're here," was all she managed to get out, it coming out a little breathy. She leaned against the door frame in front of him to stop herself from toppling over.
"And you look like you're having fun," he said pulling away from his conversation with Lucas and drawing towards her, tilting is head to look down at her.
She looked up at him, "More fun now that you're here," like liquid courage had taken over and she no longer had control of the words that were coming out of her mouth. "I wanted to thank you again for everything you're doing for me Micheal. Its very noble and sweet and I would like you to know I appreciate it. Very much, the most even." Every ounce of poise gone, her words starting to mush together a little.
Mike stifled a laugh, his dark eyes reflecting the purples and blues bouncing off the walls around him. "Noble?"
Before she could respond, a large beefy blonde came up behind her slinging his arm around her shoulders. "Y/n!! I've been looking everywhere for you, we're having a little after party later, I'll take you."
Mike watched the way her face twisted up, not that way it did for him, this looked like she'd just smelt something awful and was trying not to hurl.
"Thats ok Chris—uh I think Mike said he'd take me home. I'm really not up for anything else tonight." She said, trying to pull away from his caging grasp.
He'd held firmer, his large arm tight around her upper body "C'mon, don't be like that, let's just go."
Something about the meathead made Mike wish he had a large blunt object to beat him over the head with. Simmering anger starting to surface as he watched y/n struggle to pull away from him.
"Look she really doesn't feel great—stomach bug maybe, honestly you don't want her there man, it'd be a mess. I've had nothing really to drink, I'll make sure she doesn't puke on anyone on the way out." Mike said stepping closer to the two, taller than the stocky blonde, hoping what he'd said would deter him from pushing further.
The man scoffed, dropping his hold on y/n, "Whatever freak." And he sauntered off.
Y/n really couldn't feel her legs now, the adrenaline of the moment throwing her further off her balance. She reached out for Mike's arm, to which he quickly took hold of her waist.
"I really think you should be getting home, are any of your friends around that are ok to drive." He asked concern now etched on his pale face.
She shook her head. "-not really sure any of them are even here any more. 'm so sorry do you think I could get a ride with you."
"Yeah- Yeah, let me just let Lucas know just sit tight." Mike said as he guided her to sit on the arm chair tucked in the corner of the room.
When he'd came back from letting Lucas know what was going on, y/n was slumped against the arm of the chair. Mike shook her awake softly,
She looked up at him her eyes glazed and a lazy smile plastered on her face. She took Mike's arm, leaning her weight into him as he guided her to his old hatchback.
He watched as she struggled to buckle her seat, growing frustrated she gave up with a loud groan. He leaned over and grabbed the belt from across the seat, clicking it it. Pausing as he finished, his hand still near the button. "Y/n" he said softly.
"Yes" she breathed out, her eyes locked with his dark amber ones. He was so close she could see each of his dark eyelashes as they fluttered against his pale freckled cheeks. The air between them was suffocating. Y/n could hardly feel a single one of her body parts at this point.
"I need to know where you live," Mike said as his hand let go out the clasp, leaning back from the girl.
"Right, of course, it's the Maple street right after the turn next to the uh car wash." She said her face flushing a deep pink after having him so close.
He nodded his head and put the car into drive.
The soft music of Mike's mix tapes lulled y/n into a hazy sleep, her soft snores letting him know she was in fact passed out next to him.
Mike tried to shake her awake several times, to no avail. He felt like a creep but he wasn't sure what else to do, so he found her house key in her purse, scooped her up and carried her inside. As he walked through the house he felt her stir in his arms.
"M'mike, told you you're so noble." She lulled as her head rested on his shoulder.
All he could do was continue his search for her room, the compliments she kept giving him were starting to make him feel a little dizzy.
He found the only room upstairs with its door open and nobody inside, assuming it was hers. He laid her down under the covers, helping her pry off her shoes. Y/n buried herself into the blanket, as he went to turn off the light he felt her hand grab his arm.
"You could stay y'know" it came out barley above a whisper.
He looked down at her from the edge of her bed, "You and I both know I can't do that y/n, you don't really know what you're saying" he said gently, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
She leaned into his touch "hm- still wish that you would"
The words stung, not because they were hurtful, but because he didn't think she really meant them. And oh—how Mike wished she meant them.
"I'll see you Tuesday, get some sleep." He said turning off her light and closing her door.
pt. 3
a/n: ty for reading!! i hope to get pt.3 out a lot sooner than I did with this.. oops
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