✓ | 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝒶 𝓈𝓊𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓇 | 𝓫𝔂𝓵𝓮𝓻 (s3)

★ chapter 6: the sauna test ★

mike's pov:

i didn't respond to his scary statement, instead i just pulled will into a hug. i was afraid if i talked i'd say the wrong thing and i don't want to upset him any more than i already have.

he started sobbing into my arms.

i rubbed his back soothingly. "shh, shhh. it's okay, i'm here, mike's here."

he started pawing at my back, desperately trying to hold onto me.

"let's get you inside, don't want you catching a cold." i whispered to him.

"lucas, we're fine. you can go home." i said to lucas while walking will inside.

i brought him to his room and sat him down on his bed, where he hugged me tight.

"m-mike..."

"what is it byers?"

"don't go.." he pleaded

i didn't respond, instead kissed him.

what was i thinking?!

the kiss ended as quickly as it begun, because i pulled away out of nervousness.

he laughed through his tears. "you're a terrible kisser." he informed.

i rolled my eyes. "how about you teach me how to kiss then?"

"hmm, sure." he said nonchalantly and pressed his lips back to mine.

it was sweet and passionate, oddly specific, but he tasted like strawberry. it was an amazing experience.

will gently pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

"you should probably get home. curfew." will whispered.

"one more.." i whispered back

will gently grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me into another kiss. it became a little heated and he put a hand in my hair. i went to deepen the kiss but he gently pulled away.

i whined in response.

"it's okay. we can do this again..tomorrow, yeah?" he asked.

i nodded my head eagerly

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡

"i didn't think it was anything at first." will started.

it was now the next day, and the party, minus dustin, were a seated in my basement, listening to will's story on what he felt and if he thinks it's the mind flayer or something else, something worse, something more powerful.

"i guess i didn't really wanna believe it." he continued on "the first time i got it was at day of the dead."

"power went out that night too." i muttered.

"and then i felt it again at the field near the nelson farm. then yesterday outside castle byers."

"i felt it before. whenever he was close."

"when who was close?" max asked

"the mind flayer."

will proceeded to do a demonstration of the mind flayer on a piece of paper and crayons, something about the mind flayer being attached to will and still in this world, in hawkins.

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡

we went to the community pool..who's idea was this again? why were we even here?

"i dunno, he looks pretty normal to me." max said while putting her binoculars down.

for context, we were putting a plan we had formed into action. the sauna test. we were going to see if billy was a host for the mind flayer or not.

"normal? how many times have you seen him with a shirt on?" lucas asked sarcastically.

"i mean it's a little weird." she said.

"more than a little." i cut in "he was in a tub with ice, the mind flayer likes it cold." i said, irritated.

"the mind flayer, he likes to hide, he only uses you when he needs you. then you get 'activated'." will stated

"okay, so then we just wait till he gets activated." max said

i rolled my eyes "no. what if he hurts someone? or kills someone? we can't take that chance." i advised.

"we need to find out if he's the host." i said while leaning off the car and heading to the men's changing room.

"where are you going?" el asked

"i have an idea! boys only!" i yelled while running towards the changing room

"okay, so we wait until the pool closes, when everyone leaves." i say while walking through the halls

"then we somehow get him to come from here andd-" i swung the door open to the small gym, heading towards the sauna. i open the sauna door, seeing a bunch of naked, fat men in there.

gross!

i immediately slammed the door back shut, while lucas states how he thinks he just threw up in his mouth.

♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡︎♡

i was getting supplies for our sauna test, contemplating if i should go look for el or not. i decided to, because i wanted to apologize to her the right way. i'm not sure if i wanted to get back together with her though...

i found her in a supply closet, holding a punching dummy.

"hey, i found the breakers-" i informed

"woahh, that thing is super creepy! lemme see." i say while taking it from her

"yep, i think this will work! right buddy? 'right mike!'" i said in a high pitch voice.

i gave her a slight smile, but she clearly wasn't amused, she just took the dummy back in her hands and was about to continue walking off.

"hey- el." i announced

she just stared at me as if saying what?

"i just...wanted to say, y'know when i said nana was sick? she wasn't. i lied." i said apologetically, assuming she already knew.

"i know." she remarked

"right, right right right!" i said in a rush

"i just think it was important for you to know the context. hopper, he went all crazy on me, telling me i'm spending way too much time with you. he made me lie. i mean, you're one of the most important things to me in the world."

el cut me off. "one of them?!" she sounded angry

i tilted my head in confusion. "what?" i asked

"you said i was one of the most important things to you in the world. what's the other important thing?!" she demanded angrily.

my mind raced. "will." i blurted, immediately covering my mouth after.

she shook her head in disappointment. "what if he's right?"

"what?" i asked again

"hop."

i shook my head.

"but if i only see you, and i'm a different species than you, then i should be with my species more. and so should you."

"what are you talking about?"

she picked up the dummy from the ground and walked towards the door of the supply closet, then the realization hit me.

i let out a little gasp. "did you spy on me?! that's totally against the rules!" i huffed

she turned around to face me for a brief moment "i make my own rules!" she yelled and stomped out of the supply closet.