hawkins, indiana ► wheeler

nine

[ shoutout to  sabrinacarpenter2104  because she is always supportive of my books and is just a total sweeetheart. ❤️ btw, you're wearing short overalls and a yellow long sleeve top in this chapter ]

Mike's POV - Monday, 4:08 pm

"Son of a bitch." Lucas groaned and pulled his hand away from the puck. I just laughed and pulled out another quarter. Dustin clapped my back and shook his head.

"How many times do we have to tell you, man? No one beats Mike at air hockey."

"Yeah, it's the one thing he's good at." Will smiled, brushing the bangs out of his face.

"Hey I'll take what I can get." I told them with a smirk. I glanced at my wristwatch and frowned. "Where's y/n? Shouldn't she be here by now?" I asked, looking around the corner and in the direction of the double doors of the arcade. I invited her to come hang out with the guys and I earlier. The arcade is really pretty this time of night; with all of the neon lights and signs. Plus, Monday nights aren't usually very crowded, even if you are on winter break. Hopefully she was still planning on coming.

---

Your POV - Monday, 4:24 pm

Where the hell?

You wandered around the side of a run down looking building right off of the road. Will had invited you to hang out with the guys at an arcade. He also told you that if you kept walking down the road the connects the diner to the the convenience store, you'd end up at an arcade, but so far all you could see was an empty parking lot. You turned around the corner of the building to find a florescent yellow light that read 'arcade!'

well it's about damn time

You pushed through the doors and stepped into the arcade, looking around for the boys. You stopped to play a quick game of pac-man before walking into the larger game room. You spotted Mike's fluffy dark mop of hair. You ran up to him and jumped onto his back. He shouted and looked back at you with raised eyebrows.

"Don't, don't do that.." he sighed, catching his breath. "You freaked me out."

"Sorry." You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hopped off of his back.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Lucas asked, putting a quarter in the donkey king machine.

"Well first of all, Will's directions sucked ass," you glared at him and he put his hands up. "I also got a little distracted and stopped to play a quick game of pac-man."

"Well, wanna play some air hockey?" Mike asked with a quarter in his hands and a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Lucas turned away from his game and put his hands up.

"No! You do not want to play Mike at air hockey." Will nodded and tossed another piece of popcorn in his mouth.

"What? Why-"

"He beats everyone. And I mean everyone." Dustin told you and fixed his hat.

"Well he hasn't played against me yet." You told them, grinning. He put his arm around your shoulder and turned the corner between his nimble fingers.

"Hate to brag, sweetheart, but you won't get one puck in the goal, playing me." He told you, resting his head in yours. You pulled away and looked up at him with crossed arms.

"Wanna bet?" You said, leaning on your side of the hockey table. He chuckled and slipped his quarter into the token slot.

"10 bucks."

---

"Give it up." You demanded, probably for the fifth time, looking smugly at Mike from across the booth. You and the guys decided to celebrate your victory by stopping for some milkshakes. 

"Come on, she won fair n square." Dustin said, nudging him.

He sat back into the pastel pink cushion in defeat. He pulled a ten dollar bill out of the breast pocket of his jacket and slid it across the table. Lucas chuckled and ruffled Mikes hair, making it more of a mess than it already was.

"You're so lucky you're cute, because I would be such a sore loser right now, if you weren't so damn adorable." You giggled and laid your head on wills shoulder.

"And this isn't being a sore loser, right now?" You asked him sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and grinned.

"You have a thing for the feisty ones don't you?" Dustin teased Mike and took a sip of his milkshake. You raised your eyebrows and tilted your head to the side.

"I wouldn't say feisty; more like strong-willed." You decided, still smiling. Dustin turned to Mike.

"So what you're telling me is that strong-willed girls are what get you all hot and bothered?" He said trying not to laugh. Mike closed his eyes and let out a soft laugh.

"No, Dustin. Only you get me hot and bothered." He said in fake sincerity. Will groaned.

"And I'm the gay one." Will said scoffing. Lucas looked at him with confusion.

"But you literally are the gay one." You nodded and Will waved his hand dismissively.

"That's beside the point." He said with a little giggle. You punched his shoulder lightly and drank the last of your milkshake.

"Hey, Mike and y/n." You both turned to Will and he held up his camera. Mike threw his arm around you and you smiled up at him. The flash of Will's, well, Johnathons camera went off brightly.

"Wait, I wasn't ready!" You told him. And attempted to fix your hair, regardless of whether or not the picture had already been taken.

Will shrugged and grabbed the picture out of the slot. "It'll come out good."

(Lmao who's seen the boneless chicken biscuit video bc if you have favagsjfkdklsl "ita come out good")

Mike looked at you fondly and tucked a stray hair behind your ear. "We should get going." He said, not breaking eye contact with you. Dustin and Lucas got up hastily, almost knocking over the empty milkshake glasses, and raced to the car. The three of you followed them to Dustin's truck and hopped in the backseat. Lucas reached over and turned on the radio, which was playing Melt With You by Modern English. You crawled over to Mike's lap, like you always did when you needed to sit in top of the truck.

"Y/n I swear to god if you step on the seats one more time, i am never letting you ride in my dads truck again." You chuckled and pushed yourself up through the roof window.

"I'll try my best." You laughed and closed your eyes, letting the evening air blow through your hair. You felt a pair of arms wrap around your torso.

♪ I'll stop the world and melt with you ♪

You opened your eyes and could make out the profile of Mikes face. Especially his nose. Which, he hated, but you found adorable.

♪ you've seen the difference, but it's getting better all the time ♪

"Good job."

"For what?"

"Getting up here all by yourself."

"So, so lucky that you're cute." He teased you. You giggled and nuzzled your head against his collarbone.

♪ there's nothing you and I won't do ♪

"I love you." You whispered with your eyes still closed and your head resting in the crook of his neck." It felt surreal, sitting there on top of that truck; wind whirring in your ears and mike pressed up against you. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion. It didn't feel real when he kissed you, or when he told you he loved you back, or when a car came slamming into the side of the truck at an alarming rate, throwing both of you off of the roof, and crashing into the pavement.

word count - 1307