𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕: Eddie x fem reader, he treats your daughter like his own.
𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 1070
[ 𝑹𝑬𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑺 𝑶𝑷𝑬𝑵 ]
-𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕-
It was high school when you got pregnant; the father was a friend...or he claimed to be. You'd known him so long that you'd assumed he'd never do that to you, never use you like an object...why would he ruin such a deep friendship? But he did... You got pregnant and became the talk of the town, the girl no one wanted to be around because she "couldn't keep her legs closed."
Eddie was always there for you; he'd always tell people to fuck off when they got too close or bitched about you breastfeeding at school, even though they couldn't see anything cause he'd covered up Ella with his jacket. Eddie was there for it all, the birth where you squeezed so hard he was afraid that you'd crush his hand into dust.
"Okay, Killer. Careful there, that's the hand I play with." He had said before, earning a groan of pain from you, and that shut him up because he quickly realized you had been in pain. Eddie stayed all night in the shitty chair beside your bedside to watch over you and your little girl.
The nurse had asked if he was the father, and before you could say anything, he signed his name on the birth certificate. Of course, this wasn't random or overstepping; you had spoken to him extensively about the fact you didn't want her birth father on the paper; he didn't deserve it. Eddie was more than willing.
The endless nights in the small "home" that you two share after she was born, where Ella would scream and cry at night, but he didn't wake you unless it was for feedings because you "needed the rest," no matter how much you insisted. Eddie would get up every day regardless of how tired he was and go to work without a single inch of a complaint. This wasn't something you discussed because he'd always act like it was so natural. Eddie taught you it's okay to want help, that you should demand it when it comes to the people that claim to "care" about you.
That was years ago though, and nothing has changed for the worse, but he's on tour now. You and Ella are at home because she has school, but without fail, no matter how late the night gets or how tired he is, without fail he calls you to check up on you both. "How's my beautiful girls?" "How's your day been, Baby?" "How'd her soccer game go?" "They won?! Oh my god, I knew they had it in them."
A few months on tour actually passed by quickly, thankfully, and he's now pulling into the drive as he blasts his music.
"Daddy! Daddy's home!" Ella screams with her eyes already watering at the thought of him. Eddie and Eddie had never put labels on any of your relationship, never told her not to call him Daddy, and you never corrected him when he had started calling you Babe or a brush of the hand against your back had become a kiss on the lips, making out or having sex when Ella was out.
Eddie scoops her up with one arm, his other hand dragging in a suitcase. This suitcase was not full of his own things. No, that one is still in his truck. This suitcase is all the things he's bought for you and Ella. A bear, bubbles, a yo-yo, a doll, and so many other little toys he's found in the shops while he's missing his girls. Ella, of course, jumps down from his arms and gets into the bag as she's done before.
"Daddy, what is this?" She holds up a little square box, and he stiffens a little; this is not how he wanted you to find out he had gotten you a ring or that he wants to marry you.
"I- Um...I guess now's as good as any time." He grabs the box from her and kneels in front of you; you're already in complete shock...not only is he home, but he's going to ask you to marry him. "Bear with me, the box is kinda a pain to open, Honey." He fiddles with it for a good few minutes, awkward but so very cute. "Ah okay, got it." He opens it, and it's a bat-shaped ring.
This is something you'd offhandedly mentioned when the TV had turned to those all-night infomercial types where they try to sell things to people. You had been wrapped up laying against his chest, one of the few nights that Ella slept in her own room since she sometimes psychs herself out and then she can't sleep.
"Look at that one, you want an old granny ring, Baby?" He had asked as a joke as he ran his hands through your hair, down your back, and down to your ass before going back up your body.
"No, God. I want something unique like a bat or something. Like most women get these big diamonds and shit, and I can only imagine how upset I'd be if I lost it."
"Hey? Earth's down here..." He waves a hand in your face, and you focus back on him. "Will you marry me or do you wanna wait until the state declares us married because we've lived together so long?" Eddie jokes with a nervous smile. Of course he's sure the answers yes but there's always the off chance you say no.
"Yes! Oh my god. Yes!" You kneel with him, kissing his face softly as he slips the ring on your hand.
"Mommy, I get to be flower girl?" Ella had been your friend's flower girl, and she had loved it so so much. Your friend had commented about how maybe Ella could be flower girl again once "Mommy gets married." And I guess that's now.
"Yes, of course." You reassure her. I guess forever with him is official, even if forever started ages ago when you sat next to the "weird" guy in high school who never has and never will judge you, the same way you won't judge him. DND campaigns, rock concerts, very odd yard decor, and everything else. He's been Ella's dad and your lover way before either of you fully knew what it meant. Forever would never be enough time with him, but it sure is a great place to start.
this could mayhaps be part 1 because i have so many stored in the mind files. enjoy!
⋆.𐙚 ̊
𑣲. he cried at the proposal, at the wedding, at the honeymoon, and he always started crying before you. everytime.
𑣲. he was bouncing on his toes at the altar because he was too excited to marry you.
𑣲. when you and him were dating, you always wore his hoodies. as he grew older, he started wearing more knitted sweaters. the habit stayed the same, though, because you're now constantly wearing his knitted sweaters.
𑣲. on the topic of sweaters, he makes you wear matching christmas cat sweaters every year during the Party's winter reunion
𑣲. on your guys' 3rd wedding anniversary, he surprised you with a tattoo on his shoulder blade; your name in script atop your favorite flower.
𑣲. you tried to scold him for the tattoo, in which he responded with, "god forbid you ever fall out of love with me, i'd still want to die with your name on my back." you couldn't argue with him then.
𑣲. once a month, he makes you both triple decker eggo extravaganzas to honor jane.
𑣲. he knows you figdet with your hands when you're anxious, so he made sure your engagement ring had diamonds circling the whole band, so it would be satisfying to twist around in tense situations.
𑣲. dustin's intellectual brain is constantly strained at work, so you love to treat him to head massages when he gets home. in which he starts to get smitten and tries to kiss you: "dustin, stop. let me do my work." you're always met with a whine.
𑣲. you return from your job about an hour before he does, so you've grown a routine of standing right by the door and pouncing on him when he gets home. you litter each other with kisses, and you usually cling to him all the way to your room.
𑣲. he CLINGS in his sleep. iron grip on you no matter how deep into his slumber he is. he's, on multiple occasions, begged you to just pee in bed because he'd prefer that over you leaving the room.
𑣲. whenever he wakes up before you, he slowly kisses whichever part of you is closest to him to wake you up. usually it's the side of ur neck.
𑣲. you both have intense nightmares, sometimes more frequently than others. you've grown to understand what helps eachother the most; midnight drives, cuddling while watching incredibly childish movies, crying and telling stories. you and him have lost a lot of sleep over the years, but you've made it a lot easier for one another.
𑣲. your experiences really set you apart from the other friends you've made in adulthood. you love the new friends, but everyone can tell your bond can't be intruded on. you will always go to eachother before anyone else.
𑣲. he bites you a lot. playfully. anytime you're trying to get things done around the house, you're attacked with nibbles on your shoulder.
𑣲. has a shirt that says "her property" on it.
𑣲. he loves when you walk around in barely any clothes. not because he views it sexually, but it makes him so warm and squishy realizing that your relationship really is that domestic now.
𑣲. he's just obsessed with you. he loves letting you choose. house decor, pets' names, vacations. he will die before you don't get everything you dream of.
𑣲. pets. so many pets. your house is a zoo.
𑣲. he calls you mrs. henderson all the time. and a whole bunch of "m'lady"s.
𑣲. at late night Party get togethers, he's always snuggled between your legs, head on your stomach while you all talk into the darkest hours.
𑣲. you boop him on the nose a lot, because you know it gets on his nerves ever since he had to deal with drugged steve.
𑣲. he really hasn't changed all that much. you still spend hours on end listening to his theories, facts, and ideas. and never once have you ever gotten bored. (ok, maybe once or twice. but loving him means you still listen anyway)
tw: mentions of violence, loss of autonomy, mental distress, manipulation, and violence, slightly suggestive behavior, talk of substances.
summary: while drunk with tommy hagan, billy feeds into tommy’s usual stupid shenanigans. tonight’s focus being some gimmicky thing he’d bought at a store out of town. one wish willow. maybe it’s the uncommon drunk vulnerability or his fear that she’d been growing apart from him but he makes a stupid wish. “ i wish name would be mine forever.” well, for once in billy hargrove's life he certainly gets what he wished for.
billy leaned back in the worn out seat of tommy's old nova, arms crossed and cigarette dangling from his lips. the early afternoon air was cold for june- typical indiana bullshit. tommy kept shifting this wooden stick around in his hold, a withered looking thing. had been going on about the damn thing all night.
" man" billy exhaled smoke through his nose, " you wasted ten bucks on that shit?"
tommy's grin only widens- that dumbass grin that meant he believed every word out of the vendors mouth.
" it works man! Swear."
billy scoffs shooting him that signature judging hargrove look, " its a stick hagan."
tommy frowns deep, shaking his head quick " it's real man. i wished my mom and carol would stop bitchin' at me like a week ago. and bam! overnight."
billy takes another slow drag, " or maybe they just got tired of wasting their breath.'' he gruffly mutters " looks like some shit munson would be into." he mutters with distaste in his tone. didn't believe in any of that made up bullshit.
tommy just huffs " whatever man".
leaves it be until billy starts up his camaro later to leave. only then does he lean against the window and drop it in his lap " let me know how it goes man" he grins. billy doesn't even snap back eager to be done with him for the night.
but once tommys inside and he leans into the worn leather of his seat his gaze finds a little bundled up piece of fabric splayed across the passenger side. tugs at it until it unravels, a thin blue sweater. something she must of left in his car again. his thumb brushes over the knitted fabric, soft in a way unusual for him and then he looks back down to the slight weight on his lap.
" fuck it." he mutters gruff, grabs it rough, enough where the wood creaks under his grip. he knows this is stupid. his dad would say real men didn't play into this crap, believe in wishes or anything like that.
hell he hadn't even made a wish on a candle since he was five. yet something tells him to. he breaks it in a quick easy snap, words leave his lips in a gruff mumble.
" i wish name would be mine forever."
the choice of words is unlike him rooted and clingy.
he stares at the broken glorified twig in his lap before cursing. he drops the rest down into the floorboard in frustration before making his way back home.
he pulls into the gravel driveway of his small shitty trailer, she's already there.
when he shifts the camaro into park he spots her. GTO he's helped her work on a million times over the summer parked in the grass. she's leaning against the bumper, hair catching the last rays of sun in the afternoon, skin bathing in its warmth.
she waves at him as soon as he pulls in, sweet little smile on full lips and all of a sudden his brain goes stupid.
billy killed the engine, but for a second just sat there- staring. at the way her top dipped low at her collarbones, embracing every curve of her body. and those shorts- unusual for her. real unusual, his favorite in fact, are shorter than he remembers.
it wasn't necessarily cold in hawkins- not really- but still chilly enough youd need a layer or two.. and here she was dressed light as summer.
something about it felt intentional.
his pulse spiked again as he shoved open the camaro door and stepped out onto the pavement, boots landing with a loud scuff under his weight.
when he stops just short of the GTO, his hands slip into the pockets of his jeans, hiding how suddenly sweaty they'd gotten despite the chill.
" hey" it leaves his lips gruff like always, maybe a product of slight nerves. her grin only brightens pretty and warm, she tilts her head up a little to fully meet his gaze " hi hargrove" she greets back with a small soft tease to it.
that aggravating twisting feeling in his gut just intensifies, the way she said his name- hargrove- like that, all playful and sweet, with that subtle lilt curling around the syllables? yeah. it did something to him.
his jaw flexed on its own, a tiny muscle twitching near his temple like it always did when he was trying real hard not to smile too big. ( because billy hargrove never grinned like some idiot.)
instead, he gave her a half smirk- the kind usually reserved for smooth-talking or flirting- and nudged her knee lightly with his knuckles where she sat perched on the cars back fender.
" didn't know you were coming' by." he said lowly, voice devoid of his usual aggravation.
she leans forward a bit against where her forearms rest on the cars lip " just wanted to see you. missed ya." it comes out so casual, all soft.
he goes quiet for a second in surprise, throat working silently before he managed to rasp out: " yeah?"
she just hums " course." and just stares at him, longer than usual, more observing like she's waiting for him to react. when he doesn't she huffs soft " can we go in? m'freezin." she half whines, already hopping down from the fender.
he nods stiff and quick, goes to start digging his keys out of his jean pocket when she reaches out and takes his free hand , twines there fingers without a word. waiting. he fumbles the keys for a second before those old basketball reflexes kick in. she leans her head against his arm while she waits for him to finally get the front door open. its unusually clingy of her, but the thought doesn't cross his mind to say a thing. rickety wood steps creak under his weight.
he shoves the door open with his shoulder, catching slightly on the frame. the trailers dark and messy like always, air thick with the smell of smoke, musk, and that permanent staleness that always lingers. his broad frame shuffles for the light, opens his mouth to ask if maybe she wants something to eat or something, but she beats him to it. already tugging him towards his room- gentle but insistent- surprisingly bold for her,'' cmon' brought my lost boys tape".
when they reached his room- a mess of band posters, empty beer cans, near full ash trays, unmade bed with black sheets ( because of course), and that small TV/VCR combo on the dresser. she gently pushes him to slump onto the bed before focusing in on the tape. setting it up, bending down in those short cutoffs in a way that makes him swallow thick. before straightening up with a small stretch then... instead of plopping down beside him like normal she settles right against him and tucks her feet under his legs.
he stiffens for only a second before he tugs her socked feet up onto his lap instead, yanking her a little closer. always got greedy with even the littlest touch. she doesn't flush or half-heartedly gripe just leans against him calm as the opening theme starts to play.
odd.
then billy notices. not immediatly- first he got distracted by the cheesy opening scene, the familiar synth and that dramatic bike chase- but then nothing.
none of her regular commentary or small soft snickers. no giggling at how ridiculous their hair is or comparing it to his unruly mullet. no pointing out little details people only knew when they watched something way too many times.
instead?
when he glanced down- just once, subtly through those perfect lashes- he caught her staring at him. not glancing at him, not accidental contact. not immediately looking away when their eyes met either.
just.. watching him with this quiet intensity that makes his skin prickle under it.
her lashes fluttered slightly like she was embarrassed for being caught but didn't look away fast enough to pretend otherwise.
it's not the usual way he looks at him, doe eyes soft and dopey sweet, crinkled at the edges. it's all consuming even a little off.
he's used to people staring at him, much less girls but it doesn't feel adoring or hungry, it's something else.
he doesn't question it.
not for a second.
most guys would've- why is she looking at me like that? what's wrong?- but he wasn't most guys. and with her curled up close, practically sprawled on him, eyes full of something he couldn't name but knew he liked, all he felt was contentment, maybe a small bead of pride.
he shifted just slightly- not to pull away or break the moment- but to adjust so she could settle more comfortably against him. his thumb brushes absentmindedly over the curve of her shoulder where his arm rested.
the movie played on in a loud buzz: bikes roaring, shouting, music blaring- the light of it painting over their faces and shoulders in the dim light of his room.
forgotten.
after a while he's broken out of his silent contentment by her voice, she meets his gaze unyielding and her voice is an attempt at her usual tone. nips her lip mid mutter, nervous. "billy..?".
the way she said his name- billy....- soft and careful, like it was something fragile made his stomach drop.
her voice was hers. that warm slight lilt he loved. but everything else? the small lip-bite, the direct eye contact, the way she held her breath right after saying his name?
she doesn't deflect or trail off like she normally would before asking something serious. doesn't brush off whatever this moment might be leading toward.
his palms feel heavy and warm where he rests them against her feet grip tightening just a bit. voice comes out too rough " yeah?".
" do you think I'm pretty?" it forms almost soft, a mimic of her usual shyness. Something else behind it. she's not asking generally, she's asking him specifically.
he doesn't move for a second, registering it.
then without hesitation- without even thinking his words over twice- he answered: " yeah." One word, rough but immediate.
then quieter: " fuck, yeah. course' i do."
because christ was she pretty? she always had been- but today? with those shorts and that top and her hair loose and messy like that?
she gives him a low content hum at that small pleased smile on her lips. leaning closer subtly and letting her head drop against his shoulder and knuckles ghost his chest right where his saint pendant lays. she pauses again fingers stilling for a second, " do you like me bills?" it comes out like a taunt, nickname rare from her.
his chest tightens where her knuckles brushed against it, tracing idle patterns through his thin tank.
then the weight of the question truly hit:
" do you like me?"
not as friends obviously- he knew that tone wasn't friendly curiosity.
then with a gruff, blunt nod that's just like him he answers. a silent confirmation. because right now, he thinks if he speaks it might come out in a broken rasp. he wasn't good at this-the mushy, emotional talk stuff. but she was being brave, rare for her. always lets him lead. then after a moment of her silent gaze he takes a breath- deep and forced, meets her gaze steady.
" i really like you, alright?" it still has the slight jagged edge most of his words do, voice even rougher than usual from the unfamiliar nerves bubbling in his chest.
then added: " more than i probably should."
she pauses for a second, absorbing his words. soft curve of her nose twitching for a moment and lips parted in the moment.
and then she's beaming, fingers abandoning his chest to shift up and wrap her arms around his neck, practically bounding onto him and his lap.
he barely has time to react before instinct kicks in: one arm wrapped tight around her waist, pulling her closer mindlessly; the other slip up to cradle the back of her head gently, fingers tangling in soft messy strands.
after a moment he feels her shift cheek pressing against his just barely in a soft nuzzle" like you too. so so much" it comes out breathy, almost a coo.
his breath came out slow and warm against her skin where their cheeks touched. his hold on her tightened just slightly- not possessive, but protective. reverent even.
he turned his head- his lips brushing accidentally at the corner of hers when he shifted to press a kiss right below her ear: feather-light.
and then she shift nose brushing his in a small nuzzle before she presses her forehead against his, then closes the gap. lips soft and plush against his. it knocks the breath out of his chest harder than any fight ever has.
its messy, desperate, needy- and holy shit its everything.
one second their foreheads touched-soft and close- and the next she was kissing him. not hesitant or nervous. full-on claiming his mouth with hers.
climbing onto his lap without breaking contact, her knees sinking into the mattress on either side of him as she straddled him properly now.
his brain short-circuits. thinks maybe he'd come home and drunk him self dead and must of been dreaming this.
hands flying to her hips on instinct- calloused fingers gripping gently but firmly- as he kissed her back even harder: lips consuming hers in a clumsy rush of years worth of pent-up want finally peeling over. he's selfish, all but ravishing her mouth, too rough without thinking.
hands wander greedily, one on the lower curve of her hip and the other on her thighs to shift her closer to him. bullies his fat tongue through the kiss.
then in just a blink she completely stills against him lips halting. the shift is immediate.
one second- heat, hunger, their mouths crashing together- and the next?
she's froze.
a tiny yelp- high pitched and panicked- escapes before she flinches back. eyes going wide and dazed, flickering with something he can't recognize.
and then she scrambled off his lap so fast it startled him too.
she hit the floor hard on her knees but barely seemed to notice, immediately scampering backward until her back thuds against his dresser painfully hard- the movie still buzzing on uselessly in the background.
he's frozen on the bed. a loud what the fuck repeating in his head. heart pounding for a completely reason then it was seconds ago.
one second he'd been kissing her and the next she looked like she didn't even know where she was. face paling under its usual hue those soft eyes wide in panic.
something was wrong. this wasn't just shyness or second thoughts- this was genuine fright. like whatever just happened scared her straight to her bones.
he goes to grasp her instinctively- " name?"- but stops himself with a stiff halt halfway when he sees how far shed gone off.
she blinks slow at the sound of his voice, and it's like she immediacy shifts. she frown soft and swallows tight before crawling back towards the bed and shifting back up beside him, " I-im sorry.. I didn't- I don't know why I did that", she starts rambling soft.
his chest feels like it's gonna tear itself apart.
he moves quick, reaching out but giving her space to draw away, his hand palm-up between them. " it's alright, hey, you're fine. you hear me?" he mutters it firm like if he says it solid enough they'll both believe it. the tension floods out of her and she drops her cheek to rest against his offered palm.
" must of been a panic. attack or something? yknow?.. used to get those remember?" she rambles on soft like she's trying to convince him the whole thing was okay.
it didn't sit right with him.
his jaw tightened slightly- not because he was mad or put off- but because something felt very wrong. the whole night had been strange.
she can see the way his jaw tenses thick brows furrow like he's gonna say something.
she shifts to tuck herself against him knees drawn up tight " m'sorry, bills really. don't be mad." she pleads soft. frantic look in her eyes.
It’d be such a cool idea to have reader be Chrissy’s older sister (same age as Steve) who dated Steve freshman and sophomore year but he ended it bc ya know young in love and scared, now they are reunited when Chrissy dies and he basically begs for her back during/after the season 4 events 🥰
okay wait this is really good, I love it!!! I’m thinking maybe reader gets roped into it when she goes searching for Eddie (because she’s PISSED he killed her sister) and finds him at skull rock, yada yada, the party shows up and steve has to calm her down before she can strangle eddie, they explain everythig, the big fight happens, and reader goes with robin, Dustin, and steve to the school for the donation thing and gets paired with steve for the clothes and the rekindle there…..
how does that sound???? someone please let me know if they would read this!! Cause if so I could start writing it today and have it out tomorrow maybe
cw: mike n reader are aged up, obviously, smut (oral, fem recieving), fingering, fingersucking.. not proofread! thats it. lowercase intended :)
authors note: i got forced to post this just for money. i only made an alt account for this, HAHA take that mizuki. the design sucks and I HATEHATEHATE this but
mike's finger slipped in your underwear from behind, hovering over your clit. "shit, are you always this wet?" he asked, a smirk tugging on the sides of his cheeks before rubbing it teasingly. you could literally hear the lewd sounds of your wet pussy with his fingers, you could just cum alone at the sound of it.
suddenly, mike pushed in two fingers without a warning— "mike!" your hips buckled up, holding on to his arms while he worked his fingers in, curling it. It felt better and longer than your fingers. you looked down and the sight almost made you drool, his veins flexed as he played with your cunt. his long digits thrusted into you faster, and rougher, you just kept moaning louder nd louder after every pump. he leaned in to swallow your moans with a kiss, his nose bumping on to your cheek. his tongue delved deep into your mouth.
his fingers went through an inconsistent pace, and it was killing you. It felt so good, who knew michael wheeler, a "loser" in school could make you feel this good? does he read dirty magazines?? you've never seen him with a girl at all, excluding max, they've always been at eachothers throats.
back to his fingers, they were so long, you could just ride it allall nightt.
and you felt that familiar coiling in your stomach, you're close— and mike could feel it. your walls clenched tightly on to his fingers as he sped up, he swears he almost moaned at the squeeze.
you pulled away from his lips, "im cumming, mike.." he nodded, "i know." He muttered, then continued pumping his fingers in and out of you, you could feel his knuckles bumping on to your clit.
and finally, your orgasm washes over you. you threw your head back while mike's fingers did a scissoring motion, "where did you learn all of this?" you choked out. your breath hitched and you moaned softly, tears trickled down your cheeks. "just..let it all out." he mumbled, working his fingers faster. you finally finished,,
then, he pulled his fingers out. you whined at the emptiness, he smiled and kissed your tears gently. your cheeks flushed, "hellooo,pretty." he said.
you turned to him, "what?sofucking random.." you mumbled,, he chuckled, "what? its true anyways." he laid you down to his bed and brushed his thumb against the corner of your lip, "open.." you obediently and willingly followed his orders. he shoved his fingers deep into your mouth, you could taste your own cum.
and at that moment, mike couldnt help but subtly grind against your thighs. you sucked on to his fingers while looking at him.
♡ SYNOPSIS when summer's coming to an end and the ren faire comes to town, the party can't think of a better way to spend the last weeks of freedom before their final year of uni than to dress up as their d&d characters and attend! but when you notice your friends pushing you and your long-time crush together, you can't help but wonder if maybe this was all just a set up from the start...
♡ what's included? slowish burn?, friends to lovers, non canon timeline (el is referred to as jane!), tried to keep it in the 80s but the time period is meant to be ambiguous aside from the mention of a polaroid camera, i also have never played d&d so i'm trying my best lol!
♡ content warnings: minor swearing, slightly ooc (for all characterss, potential unrealisitic portrayals of d&d and ren faires, maybe a suggestive joke
word count: 6.36 k <3
The end of summer neared.
Melting popsicles, sticky skin, far too many mosquitoes, and local stores running low on their stocks of back-to-school supplies.
There were just weeks left before you and your friends were to part ways for your last year of university, cars mostly packed with the items you needed and suitcase maybe a quarter of the way filled. It was bittersweet, really- having to leave them but knowing you’d see each other again soon in the weird limbo of returning to your hometown post-graduation and trying to figure out what to do with your life.
When Dustin proposed the idea of attending the Ren Faire that had come to town as a one last get-together, of course the party would agree in excitement. They wasted no time planning out their outfits before even properly buying tickets, far too excited to go dressed as their D&D characters they spent so long developing for their campaign. Classic…Will was ready to bust out his old purple robe to bring the perfect vibes to the faire.
When the day finally arrived, Mike had offered for the Wheeler house to be the meeting spot beforehand. The girls could get dressed in Nancy’s room while the boys could get dressed (more so, playfight) in Mike’s room. Nancy’s room was the perfect size for you, Max, and Jane to get ready in without the fear of bumping into each other every two seconds.
You had first joined the party’s D&D campaign back in middle school, when you moved to Hawkins around the same time as Max. You became quick friends during the first few weeks at your new school and after she befriended Dustin and Lucas during a particularly rough arcade game, Max managed to drag you along to their meetings. It was nice, having a group of friends so quickly after moving, and a relief to Jane that she’d no longer be the only girl in the group. In classic 13 year-old style, you picked to be a princess when starting to create your character.
“A princess isn’t a class,” young Mike had scolded you, sliding over a sheet of paper with the different character classes on it. To your dismay, ‘princess’ was in fact not listed.
“But I want to be a princess,” you pouted as you slid the sheet back over to him.
“You can be a princess as your backstory. But you have to pick something else! Just…be a warlock or a druid or something!”
And that was that. You were determined to be a princess, but you let him pick your class for you.
You were far too attached to your princess character after nearly 10 years, choosing to honour her as you put your costume together. And sure having your character be a princess was fun and all, but the pain of having to get into the complicated layers of clothing was insane. There was far too much lace and tulle to be considered comfortable for any if not all of the activities you’d be partaking in that day. Thankfully, today wasn’t the hottest day of the summer, but you just knew you'd be sweating your ass off the whole time at the faire as you tried to enjoy yourself.
You slipped into your final piece for your costume, a corset, and had asked your friends to help you put it on correctly. Jane had adjusted it to what would be a comfortable position and Max was able to get it mostly laced, but trying to pull it together was proving to be difficult for her. She eyes Jane, beckoning the third girl over to try and attempt to get it tightened. They exchanged glances with a small smirk on each of their faces before Max sighed, informing you of her decision to get one of the boys to help before leaving you and Jane alone in the room.
Max stepped down the hallway and approached Mike’s bedroom door, knocking aggressively on the wood.
"Dipshits!” Max called out, knuckles leaving the door as it was opened by her loving boyfriend. “We need help. Can one of you help lace up a corset?"
Lucas matched his smirk to hers, turning his head over his shoulder to look at the other boys in the room. Dustin and Will side eyed each other, seemingly catching onto the plan before Lucas quickly spoke up. “Mike, you should go.”
“I’m still putting on my own costume!” the tallest of the group argued back.
“Yeah, but you’re almost done compared to the rest of us,” Will piped up as he tried to pull his hair out of his hat.
Mike rolled his eyes, sheathing his sword into his belt. “Okay, sure…”
He followed Max to Nancy’s room, eyes widening slightly as he stepped into the room. Shit, he had to tie up your corset? To save him from embarrassment, he had hoped it would have been Max or Jane that wore the corset. It would have been less embarrassing! But if it were Max, he knew Lucas wouldn’t have passed up the chance to help lace her up…
It’s not like you were any more pleased with the situation than he was. You felt your heart stop beating as Mike’s clanking armor entered the room. Max…oh, she was so evil for this.
Your fingers curled around the metal frame of Nancy’s footboard, bracing yourself. Was it to stabilize yourself as you were tightened into the corset? Or was it because your long-time crush was the one doing it? Your mind felt fuzzy as you heard his heavy footsteps approach, warm touch ghosting over your waist as he picked up the ribbons into his palms.
"Let me know if anything hurts or if you can't breathe," Mike spoke with a slow tug of the ribbon, just strong enough to create enough pressure in the corset for you to feel it around you. You nodded with a small ‘okay’ before taking a deep breath as the boy behind you began to tug harder on the ribbons.
You felt the corset beginning to feel snug around your body, slightly releasing the breath you’ve been holding to accommodate the new feeling.
“Shit, too tight?” Mike stopped his motions quickly, fearing he caused you pain.
“No, it’s fine,” you shook your head. “You can do it a bit more.”
Mike obliged, wrapping the ribbon around his hands once more before pulling.
Your grip on the footboard loosened. Finally, it would be over soon. Mike wouldn’t have to stand so close behind you with his hands basically all over your body.
“I tie it up in the middle, right?”
“Huh?” you snapped out of your thoughts, turning your head over your shoulder to peer at him. “Sorry, what was that?”
He cracked a smile. “I need to tie it. In the middle, right?”
You nodded. Shit, you hadn’t meant to space out like that.
“There we go…” he mumbled under his breath as he tied off the ribbons. Mike took a step back and no, he totally wasn’t ogling you. He was admiring his work!
“Thank you…” you sighed softly, turning to look at the lace work in the mirror. Perfect. You looked around the room, noticing the lack of two figures who had been there just moments before. “Did…Jane and Max leave?”
Mike blinked, his gaze also scanning the room. What the hell, guys! “Huh, guess so…I didn’t hear them leave.”
It was a set up. You were convinced it was.
You knew it was a mistake telling anyone about your feelings for the boy.
It had started when you confided in Will shortly after you all graduated high school, figuring it made sense since Mike was his gay awakening after all. Will had picked up on it long before you ever confessed to him about it, recognizing nearly the same signs of liking Mike Wheeler in you as he had in himself. Will had then accidentally told Jane some time later under the assumption she already knew, who then told Max in excitement the next day, and then reached the ears of Dustin after overhearing Max spill the gossip to Lucas.
Everyone seemed to know.
Everyone but the one person who mattered.
Max dropped hints to you several times that you were being obvious, Jane snickering each time you sat down next to him at a hang out.
But no, somehow he still was yet to know. Maybe that was for the better, really. Long distance would have been hard since your respective universities were hours away and you knew life would get too chaotic to maintain a relationship after graduation.
You had to keep your feelings at bay for now.
You’ve done it for several years already- what's a few more?
Pushing down your years-long dilemma, you stepped up to the vanity mirror with a smile on your face. You looked cute, felt cute, and looked so princess. You placed the last touch of your costume on your head; the cutest cone hat that Max and Jane helped you decorate. Tying the ribbon into a bow under your chin, you moved to dig around in your large bag that you disposed of your everyday clothes in, searching for your polaroid camera before motioning over Mike to the vanity mirror with your hand. “Since you’re here, come and take a picture with me.”
“I’m not good with cameras, you should really ask Will or something,” Mike put his hands up in defense as he took a step closer.
“No, Mike. With me. Not of me.”
“Oh! S-Sure.”
He stood behind you as you turned the camera on, positioning it right below your chest in hopes it would capture the both of you in the mirror. Mike looked a little dork with his bright smile and thumbs up beside your shoulder, but you tilted your head to the side and hit the shutter button anyway. You stuck your hand out for the film to slip onto as it came out the slot, watching as Mike’s hands snaked around you to pluck it out of your palm with his long fingers.
The same fingers you imagined on countless sleepless nights, carding through the strands of your hair while watching a movie or laced through yours during a cute walk around the city.
You tried to shake the images from your mind. Those fantasies were to be thought of when you were alone, not standing right next to him.
You peered over at the developed film in Mike’s hand curiously, a smile spreading wide across your face as you got a glimpse of the two of you framed in the white square. “Awe, we look cute.”
“We always look cute.”
Oh? What strange words to come out from the lips of a boy of such stature.
“That…is correct, yes,” you giggle, slipping the camera and the picture back into your bag as the two girls who left you alone in a room with your crush came bounding back in through the doorway as they laughed about something one of the boys had said.
Mike wished he could have looked at the polaroid a little longer, commit the image into his memory. But alas, you plucked it from his boney fingers before he could give it a glance over for the third time.
“So I’m just…gonna go back to my room. Finish getting ready…” Mike mumbled awkwardly and moved out the room as you gave him a nod to acknowledge his words. The second he was out of earshot, you closed the door and glared at your friends. “You two are actually evil for what you did!”
“Admit it, it was a good plan,” snickered Max. “It was Jane’s idea.”
“Don’t be shy, we both know you liked having Mike’s hands on you,” Jane was quick to defend herself, adding on a little bit of more lipstick in the mirror.
“I mean, yeah, yes I did! But come on, you two! I’m going to sweat through my costume before we even get to the fair. His hands were so gentle and he smelled so good and-” you stopped your rambles as you watched them side-eye each other, smirks growing on their lips. “DON’T LOOK AT EACH OTHER LIKE THAT!”
“Oh honey, I fear you might just be a little hopeless…” If you could easily dispose of Max’s body, you absolutely would have in that exact moment.
“It doesn't matter! At all. It’s just a stupid crush!” you gathered your things into your bag to keep you occupied. They were being weird -silly, even- and had no need to continue to entertain their delusions.
“Stupid, yeah-” You quickly cut Jane off with a glare before stomping into the hallway with a frustrated pout on your face. You had to get over him!
But it didn’t help that you watched Mike come into the hallway as well, closing his bedroom door as Lucas, Dustin, and Will’s loud laughs filtered through the narrow space as they headed down the staircase. You jogged up to him, as fast as you could in your outfit and shoes, wrapping your hand around his arm.
A princess and her paladin. How cute…
“The girls help you into the last parts? Or are the three of you all ready?” You craned your neck up to look at the boy as he spoke, nodding in reply as he led you down the steps. “Okay, cool.”
With the other members of the party slowly crowding in the Wheeler home doorway, snickers and giggles became more prominent as you stepped down from the stairs.
Dustin spoke up first, unable to keep himself from letting out a low whistle at the sight. "Damn Mike, you got yourself a whole princess."
Lucas smirked, eager to pipe on the teasing. "Looks like someone's upgraded from peasant to royalty."
“Oh please…” you rolled your eyes as you fixed the hem off your dress. “As if he could ever handle me.”
“Don’t worry, he can barely even handle himself,” Max snorted, helping Jane put on her shoes.
Mike knew he had to defend himself. He shook his head with a disappointed sigh. “You guys are acting as if you could handle her better. Besides, I'm doing alright so far."
You wanted to give your own two cents about how Max and Jane would absolutely be able to handle you, but the brave red-head did so far quicker than you were able to speak. "Please, we all know Mike would go absolutely feral as a knight to a princess. He'd be ready to defend her honour with his life. Without hesitation."
Dustin nodded with a smile on his face. "That's super true. Mike would probably go all 'I'll defend you with my life, m'lady!' on her, as seen per D&D sessions."
"Dude, he'd probably get down on one knee right now and vow eternal loyalty if he could,"
Lucas snickered.
Mike felt his face start to turn a faint shade of red, heat rising in his cheeks. Was he really that easy to read? He was getting pretty desperate for them to steer this conversation in another direction. Any other direction.
Will had enough of their bullshit, fixing his cape as he spoke. “Can we just go?
The others nodded in agreement. Thank god, you thought you’d have to go through an even longer embarrassment ritual.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
The smell of turkey legs and baked goods wafted through the air of the faire, the scent so strong you could easily pick up on it from the parking lot alone. People of all ages buzzed in excitement as they moved from stall to stall, buying knickknacks and watching performances like their lives depended on it.
Because in a way, it did.
Soft moments shared between loved ones filled with joy and laughter overlooked by a beautiful sunny day.
Will and Jane immediately darted off to go look at vendor stalls, eagerly discussing what they wanted to buy. You knew Will wanted to buy himself a new leather-bound sketchbook, as he already filled up the one you got him for his birthday just months before rather quickly. Jane on the other hand would not shut up about buying herself any new piece of jewellery she could get her hands on.
Dustin departed with Lucas and Max, all three of them eager to terrorize as many game booths as they could. Max was good at axe throwing and couldn’t wait to show up the two boys!
You and Mike were left alone, as you were so many times this summer.
Of fucking course.
It’s like every time it happened, Jane and Max deliberately planned it down to the littlest detail. You didn’t want to make it awkward, turning your head up to look at him. “Do you want food?”
“Oh, a turkey leg sounds so good right now. Yes, please,” Mike nodded, immediately leading you over to the food stalls. He hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning, nerves too jittery in his stomach to even want anything in his mouth.
“Cool. Go find us a place to sit, yeah? I’ll get you a turkey leg.”
Mike didn’t even have time to step in and say he’d pay before you wandered off. The boy sighed, his armour clanking as he found an empty wooden picnic table with benches under a shady tree, somehow the only one without groups of people trying to crowd too many sweaty bodies onto each of the benches. It was one of the better spots in the area- not too many kids running around. Perfect!
You bought him the biggest turkey leg option the booth had and a cinnamon roll for yourself, turning to the seating area to see Mike waving you down with his hand. After cutting through the sea of people, you sat on the bench across from him and set the food down.
“This turkey leg has been calling my name all morning!” he quickly reached out for his item, bringing it to his lips and savouring a big bite. “I could have paid for us, you know.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” you shook your head, taking a bite out of your own piece of food. The cinnamon bun was warm, the dough perfectly moist and the frosting deliciously sweet. “Think of it as a thank you for lacing this shitty corset. I gave you an unprompted arm workout.”
Mike glanced over as you took a bite of the cinnamon roll, the sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar making his stomach growl again despite not even having a chance to finish his turkey leg. He took another big bite before speaking.
"Damn, that looks good too," he said between chews. "You gonna share any? Or is that a solo snack?"
“Want a piece…?” You didn’t hesitate to tear off a large piece from the bun in an area you didn’t yet bite, holding it out for him to take. Mike leaned in, taking the pastry into his mouth straight from your fingers. His gaze flickered to your face, noticing the small smile that played at the corner of your mouth as you fed him like some dog. “That's even better than the turkey leg, actually."
“Maybe, yeah…” you nodded as you finished the remainder of the cinnamon bun. It was a little pricey, but for the size and taste? Totally worth it. You grabbed a napkin to gently dab around your mouth so as to not make a mess of the lipstick you spent ages applying.
As Mike continued to eat, you let your eyes wander around the neighbouring activities. The rest of your friend group was out of sight, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t do something fun to entertain yourself in the meantime. Your eyes landed on a booth a decent distance away, but still close enough for you to read the signs and see what was happening inside.
“Look, there's a girl doing portraits…” Lifting a finger, you pointed over to the booth. “We should totally get our's done.”
Mike followed your gaze to the portrait booth, spotting where a woman was sketching an elaborate Renaissance-styled drawing of a couple dressed as knights. How cute!
"Yeah, that'd be cool," he nodded excitedly. The idea of having a proper portrait done with you in costume? Oh, that sounded just amazing! He stood up from his seat on the bench and rounded the table to you before offering you his hand. "Wanna go now? I’m done eating."
You nodded, taking him by the hand before rising from your seat as well.
The two of you approached the portrait booth, admiring the beautiful drawings the artist had pinned up on the wall as examples. The woman at the booth smiled at the two of you, taking in your costumes.
"Oh my, what lovely attire you're both wearing today. Would you two like to get a portrait done?" she asked, leaning over the trashbin and shaving off the ends of her pencil with a small knife.
Mike nodded eagerly, still holding onto your hand. "Yeah, that'd be amazing. How much does it cost?"
You didn’t even care about pricing as you pulled your hand from his, digging around in your purse for some loose cash.
“20 dollars per person, but 30 if you wish to be drawn together.”
Okay, a reasonable price. You handed the woman the needed cash as she motioned to her set up. “How would you like to be posed for your portrait? Standing, seated, or lying on our provided couch? I can also assist with posing if either of you are a bit rusty with your modeling skills."
“The couch, maybe? Considering we’ll be posed for quite a bit…” Mike looked over to you, watching as you took off your purse. “If that’s alright with you.”
You nodded. His logic made sense, after all. Plus, that couch looked so comfy. You sat down on it first, leaning back against the plush material before leaning your right arm against the plush armrest. Mike followed you, standing stiffly as he eyed the couch to figure out a pose.
The woman sighed at his frustration, offering a soft smile as she stepped closer. “May I give a recommendation? You could sit on the floor, if your armour permits for you to do so, and you can lean your arm against her leg and look up at her.”
He nodded, the tips of his ears pink as Mike sat down on the weirdly carpeted floor with a soft ‘oof’. He adjusted his pose to sit similarly to the way you were, but leaning his arm against your legs instead. Mike peered up at you, puppy eyes on full display to make sure you were as comfortable as possible. “This okay?”
You were about to get on your knees and thank every deity that ever existed in that moment. But you kept your composure, nodding at his question. You received a lazy smile before he turned back to the artist. She stepped forward, using gentle hands to tilt Mike’s head up to look at you before moving over to you to fix any last minute adjustments.
It felt all too romantic, especially for two friends who claimed there was nothing more between them. Best friends, even! You felt the sweat pooling on the back of your neck, trying your best not to make eye contact with the paladin draped dramatically at your feet- so close yet so so far.
The scratch of the artist’s pencil against the stained parchment was timed with the beat of your heart, both sounds pulsating through your ears as you tried your best to not look down. Unfortunately not much could have been done when you felt Mike shift slightly.
“You look really pretty right now.”
Right now? Boys were such simple creatures. You scoffed slightly, cheeks tinged with more pink than you had applied in the mirror just hours before. “I always look pretty.”
“I mean, duh, obviously!” He laughed awkwardly, shifting just a bit once more. Mike could feel his cheeks burning, but really hoped you couldn’t see his face blooming in red. “But like, extra pretty.”
“Thank you…I really tried today.”
“Yeah, I can tell…”
You wanted to bang your head against the wall.
The sound of the pencil against the paper rang in your ears as you tried to distract yourself. It had to be over soon!! You were begging, at this point! The artist stepped back with a satisfied smile on her face and you knew it was over. Even though the little modelling session couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes, you felt like you sat there for hours. If it weren’t the proximity to Mike, it really wouldn’t have been that bad!
The woman took the paper off the drawing board and turned it for the two of you to see, pencil lead etched into the parchment capturing the perfect moment.
“Oh, it’s so pretty!” An excited squeal left your lips as you flung yourself off the couch to look at the sketch closer. “Look at us, Mike! We look so royal!”
Mike’s armour clanked loudly as he pushed himself to his feet, waddling over to look at the sketch as well. He studied the picture, taking more time to admire it than he did with the earlier polaroid, eyeing the way your costumes and expressions had been marked on the page. Damn, they really did look good together…the fake version of you, he meant! Totally!
"We do," he agreed, trying to keep his emotions at bay. "We look like... some regal power couple or something."
“Yeah…” you nodded in agreement as you watch the artist pack up the drawing in a protective tube. A regal couple…a power couple at that…oh gosh.
Mike tipped the artist a few extra bucks before sliding the tube under his arm. “So, do you think we should go and find the others now? They’re probably wondering where we wandered off to.”
“Yeah, we probably should at this point. It’s been a hot minute.”
He looked into the fair grounds, staring at the hundreds of faces passing by. “Now where on earth could they be…”
“Max and Lucas are probably off sucking face somewhere, but I'm sure Dustin, Will and Jane will be easier to find. They could have all already met up and we’re just the strays,” you searched the crowd as well; far too many people to be able to find your friends from a glance alone.
"Yeah, probably. Doesn’t help that Lucas and Max are definitely making out behind a food stall somewhere. Those two have zero chill."
“Do you blame them?” You shook your head in disbelief. “ If I had a bombshell like Max, I'd be even worse than Lucas-
Mike cut you off with a loud snort. “Dude. Oh my god. I mean... yeah? You're not wrong. Max is ridiculously hot and Lucas knows it. No one worships her like he does."
With a cheeky grin on his face, he looked down at you. "After you said that, it makes me wonder who you’d be making out with behind a stall if given the chance..."
“Jeez, no one!” You spat back in disbelief. You didn’t do things like that, let alone let the thoughts fully form in your brain. Well, maybe…but he didn’t need to know that!
“Liar-” using his elbow, Mike nudged you in the side as you began to walk away from the booth. “There has to be at least one person you think is cute. It’s statistically impossible if you don’t.”
“Michael, oh my god-!” you shoved him with a groan. You absolutely were not in the mood to talk to him of all people about someone you found cute.
He shut his mouth, opting to not tease you any further. Mike let you loop your hand through his arm once more as you began to scout out your friends in the crowd. In the distance was a Lumax spotting; Lucas tearing off pieces of a soft pretzel for Max as she ranted about something to him. Dustin, Will, and Jane were on the next bench over from them, showcasing their shopping spree items to each other.
Will perked up as the two of you approached, locking eyes as he glanced up from Jane’s ramblings for just a second. “Where the hell have you two been?”
“We were getting our portrait done!” You wasted no time in pulling the tube out of Mike’s arms and opening it up to show everyone. “Look, look!”
The Party crowded around you to look at the portrait, a chorus of ‘ooh!’s and ‘aaah!’s being heard in reaction. Jane rested her chin on your shoulder as she giggled at the drawn figures.
Lucas elbowed Mike in the ribs with a smirk on his face. “Dude, you two look good together…”
You couldn’t hear the boy’s words from where you stood, but you could see Mike reaching up an arm to shove Lucas out of the corner of your vision.
Will, wanting to stir the pot a little more, decided it would be time to comment as well. “The artist nailed your expressions. You two look so in love or something."
Max and Jane exchanged glances, giggling behind their hands.
Wow, everyone was really out for you today.
“It’s not like that you guys, come on…”
"Yeah, right. You two can't honestly deny that you look super cute together in that portrait," Max folded her arms over her chest as she spoke with a slight smirk. You were going to give her a piece of your mind later…
“I mean, yeah, sure, but-”
"Okay okay... maybe it looks a little romantic but..." Mike's cheeks turned pink as Max called them out. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not sure how to respond to the group’s teasing.
“That’s how the artist posed us, okay? Maybe she thought we were a couple or something,” you laughed loudly to ease the awkwardness and to calm the beating of your heart.
“Oh, so that means you’re not? I could have sworn-”
You were determined.
You had to kill Max.
If you hadn’t told Will about your pathetic crush, then Jane wouldn’t have known. And then Max wouldn’t have known. Or Lucas and Dustin, for that matter.
You lunged at the red head, arms tight around her as you yelled. “MAXINE, I SWEAR TO GOD-”
Lucas was quick to step in, not wanting to watch the inevitable death of his beloved girlfriend as he pulled you off of her. “Woah, woah, woah! Calm yourself!”
Dustin howled in laughter as Will watched with a smirk. Oh, how entertaining this was!
“They’re just joking around,” Mike sighed loudly as he wrapped an arm around you to pull into his side.
“Jokes are funny. This isn’t,” you huffed.
“You think dating me would be a joke?”
New target acquired.
“Michael-”
“Ouch, full name!” Dustin snorted.
Mike’s laughter filled your ears as you tried to pull yourself out of his arms. He let go, allowing you to easily slip out.
This was supposed to be a fun day with your friends. To blow off some steam before school started up again and you were stuck in the library running on stale pastries from the campus coffee shop. But instead, you were being relentlessly teased about your crush to the point where your crush had even joined in!
How stupid.
How truly, terribly stupid.
“Would I be that bad of a boyfriend?” Mike leaned down slightly to be more on your level, trying his best to avoid being stabbed in the eye by the point of your cone hat.
“I don’t know,” you shook your head. What an embarrassing question! You could feel the eyes of the party boring into your skin as you tried to avoid looking at any of them, including Mike. “Would you?”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” he shrugged.
“Come to me when you have a good answer, then.”
“Why not now, hm? You could see for yourself,” Mike rolled up the portrait back into its cylindrical shape to slip into the tube. No way was he going to let it get ruined!
Was he flirting with you? He had to be flirting with you. But then again, you’ve never seen Mike Wheeler flirt with anyone before. He had to be playing into the teasing…right?
“Are you trying to ask me out, Wheeler?” You snorted out the question in disbelief, fingers reaching up to retie the ribbon under your chin from your cone hat to make sure it didn’t fall off. You felt it loosen, and in no way did you want to spend your time that evening washing off all the mud and dirt if it had fallen to the ground.
“I’ve been trying since high school, but thanks for finally noticing.”
Your jaw dropped so fast in shock that you could have sworn it wouldn’t have gone back to its original position of being closed.
“Mike…what?”
You turned to look at the others for some sort of confirmation. Surely they must have known, or at the least be in on the joke. This had to be an elaborate scheme much like Max and Jane’s plan from this morning that could have been avoided if you just chose not to wear that damn corset.
But from looking at their reactions, you could tell they were as equally shocked as you were.
“I’ve been trying to ask you out since high school. Is that hard to understand? Do I need to reword it? Would ‘I like you, please go out with me’ work better for your feeble mind?” He folded his arms over his chest to protect himself from the potential rejection.
“No. I-I understand what you’re trying to say…” regrettably, you did. You wanted to bash your head against the wall.
“Cool. Let me know when you think of an answer.”
Mike motioned for Lucas, Dustin and Will to sit down with him at the wooden picnic table, leaving you standing there in disbelief and Max and Jane pulled you to a table far enough away the boys wouldn’t have been able to hear you chat.
“Holy shit. Holy shit. Did you two know about this? I’m going to flip out.”
“Shhh, calm down…” Jane pushed you down by the shoulders for you to sit on the bench, using her hand to gently fan you.
“Uh-oh, the damsel is in distress. Should we call her little paladin for rescue?” You shot a glare at Max for her words.
“I was told by Will that Mike liked you, but I did not know anything more,” Jane admitted, taking the seat next to you. “He told me weeks ago.”
Oh dear.
“In all honesty, it was obvious as hell,” Max sat down across from you, leaning her back against the other picnic table with her arms across her chest.
Was it really? You in no way picked up on it. Ever.
“Horribly obvious. Seeing the two of you dance around each other for years was painful. I knew long before Will informed me about your feelings for each other, but I had my speculations previously,” Jane sighed.
“But think about it! Isn’t it so romantic? Mutual pining but it’s two idiots who can’t even notice their feelings for each other…it’s classic!” leaning forward with her hands on her knees, Max focused her eyes on you. “Bards would be writing ballads about it.”
“But it’s complicated, we go to universities hours away!” You tried everything to not believe it. It was a messed up prank and you were the unfortunate victim.
“So…?”
“My own best friends seem to be of no help,” with a huff, you grabbed the fabric of your dress and stood up to storm over to the group of boys. You waited too long for any sort of progress and refused to let the moment slip through your fingers.
If it were a joke? You were going to be far away from everyone for the next few months anyway. You’d meet someone new and get over it, forever forgetting about the stupid boy.
Yeah. That was a good plan.
You grabbed Mike’s wrist without hesitation, pulling him to his feet and dragging him away from the group despite his pleas for you to slow down. You pulled him to a more secluded area of the benches, right by the trash bins.
Ah, love was in the air. It totally wasn’t the smell of wrappers and decomposing food trapped in an overheating plastic bag.
“Why, I think the princess has an answer for me, does she now?” You wanted to wipe that stupid smirk right off of his face.
“Are…you being serious? About the whole date thing,” the amount of butterflies in your stomach was embarrassing. Not cool at all.
“Super serious. Mega serious. Like, I’d give up my kidney serious-” of course Mike was rambling.
“Mike.”
“Right, ahem, sorry-” he cleared his throat, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Yes, I’m serious.”
“Uhm, and what if I were to take you up on that offer?” please don’t back out of this now, please don’t back out of this now!
Mike’s eyes lit up. Just slightly, but you’ve known him long enough to know that the look was sincere. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. I’m free all day Wednesday. And then Thursday afternoon.”
“Cool! Yeah, cool, cool cool,” Mike nodded in excitement. “Wait, no, shit. Not cool. I didn’t plan anything! I didn’t think I’d ever get this far-”
You took his hand into your’s to calm him, both palms overly sweaty at the moment you both stopped being blind idiots. “Chill, we’ll think of something. There’s time.”
“Right. Yes, think of something. We’ll figure it out!”
Weird, bubbling emotions suddenly felt less scary with his hand in your’s, years of in-class daydreams and late night thoughts finally coming to a stop. And finally, after all this time, maybe you’d finally be able to call him your’s.
