Work Text:
''. . . And then, the door opens only to reveal . . .''
The party watched Mike with hitched breaths, Lucas, Dustin and Will all clenching their fists, waiting to either celebrate or yell in frustration.
Mike looked over his friends, waiting, building up the tension. He slammed his hands on the table, standing up dramatically. ''Another door, an old, wise wizard standing in front of you, ready to ask you a riddle!''
The three groaned. Dustin slammed his fist on the table. ''Come on! How many riddles did you put in this campaign? Let us fight!''
Will looked at him. ''You're a Bard, Dustin.''
''And? Whatever! What's the riddle?!''
As Mike got ready to read out the riddle he'd come up with when he was writing the campaign, the door of the basement opened. All four looked up, Mike's grin immediately widening. ''Y/n! You're here early.''
Y/n chuckled as she made her way down the stairs, standing behind Mike, putting her hands on his shoulders. ''Hey, guys! Yeah, Max, El and I finished at the mall earlier, so I decided to come directly here. Hope that's okay?''
''Of course!'' Mike said, craning his neck back to look at her properly, ignoring the way his three friends rolled their eyes, sharing grins. ''We still have some of the campaign to go through, though.''
Y/n shook her head, squeezing his shoulders. ''That's okay, you should finish it, don't let me disturb you. Your mother asked me to help with dinner anyway, so I'll go hang out with her until you finish.''
Mike raised a hand over hers, lacing their fingers and placing a kiss on the back of her hand. ''Alright. Call me if you need anything?''
''Sure.'' Y/n looked over the other three boys. ''Have fun! Hope you guys win!''
Once Y/n was back upstairs and out of earshot, the boys forgot about the campaign for a moment. ''You're still so whipped, Mike,'' Lucas said with a chuckle, playing with the dice in his hand.
Mike scoffed. ''You're one to talk. You perk up just by the mention of Max's name.'' Lucas did exactly what Mike had said, seemingly realized, and cleared his throat. ''Just proved my point!''
''Have you seen yourself around Y/n? It's like your whole face lights up, as if she just defeated Venger or something.''
''How can I not? Have you seen her?'' Mike reached out to fix some of his papers. ''We've been together for six years now, and there's a reason for that. I wouldn't be with someone without looking at them as if they'd just defeated Venger.''
''That was insanely cheesy,'' Will commented with a laugh.
''Yeah, yeah. Whatever,'' Mike said, putting the papers down. ''You wanna get to the fight or what? You still have a riddle to get through.'' Three groans filled the room.
As his friends pondered over what the answer to the riddle could be, he leaned back in his chair, his mind wandering upstairs to Y/n, most likely helping his mother with dinner. The guys were making fun of him to being so into Y/n, but how could he not? They've been together since they were twelve. Now, both of them almost eighteen and finishing high school, he couldn't imagine spending his life with anyone.
''Why're you smiling like that?'' Lucas asked, snapping Mike out of his thoughts. Lucas groaned. ''Stop thinking about Y/n and focus! We got the answer!''
''Right, sorry.'' He didn't even try to deny it.
After a while more of playing, the door to the basement opened again. ''Boys! Dinner!''
Mike turned around, yelling. ''Coming, Mom!''
Turning back to his friends, he saw them eyeing each other. ''We are so finishing this after dinner.''
Mike shifted in his seat. He knew Y/n was upstairs and waiting, but they were so close to being done. When they made it upstairs, his friends went to their usual seats on the already set table, while Mike's eyes fell on Y/n getting ready to pull something out of the oven.
He walked over, snatching the oven gloves from her hands, making her head snap to him. ''Mike, what—''
''Let me.'' Mike took the big tray from oven, bringing over and placing it on the table. Chicken and potatoes.
''Thanks, Mikey,'' Y/n said as she closed the oven when he returned by her side. She leaned on the counter, fiddling with her fingers. ''You don't mind if I stay over tonight, do you?''
''Of course not,'' Mike answered without even thinking, taking one of her hands in his. ''Your parents aren't home again?''
Y/n smiled and shook her head. ''No, they'll be gone for, like, a week. But it's okay, I'm not staying the whole week, don't worry. I don't want to be a bother.''
Her parents were away for work alone, and her older siblings had moved out long ago, so she was often left alone at home. She hated being home alone, especially since the Demogorgons and Vecna made an appearance and then were essentially dealth with, so she spent a lot of time at Mike's, rather full, house. But he didn't mind, neither did anyone else. Y/n was family, has been since they were children, and Mike wouldn't have it any other way.
''You say this every time, but you know you could never be a bother, especially to me,'' Mike said, making Y/n chuckle. ''You know you could literally move in here and everyone would welcome you in.''
''I know, but I just . . . I still feel the need to ask.''
''Well, don't. You're staying the whole week,'' Mike said and leaned in to kiss her forehead, momentarily forgetting that everyone was still behind them. To be fair, he also didn't care all that much, they were used to it. ''By the way, we're still not done with the campaign and the guys want to finish it after dinner. But I can totally kick them out and we can finish it another time, I don't mind.''
Y/n scoffed. ''No, don't worry about it. You guys do your thing. Holly asked me to paint her nails, anyway. And I suspect she wants to talk about that kid she's crushing on.''
Mike furrowed his brows. ''What was his name again? Josh?''
''Yeah! I'm curious to hear what she'll say,'' Y/n said, then grabbed both his hands and pulled him towards the table. ''Come on, let's eat, I'm starving!''
It was late by the time they finished the campaign and Mike waved everyone off from the front door. The house was quiet, the only sound coming from the TV, his dad having fallen asleep in front of it.
He made his way upstairs and his mother's light was off, so was Holly's. He made it to his room, slowly opening the door and peeking in.
His bedside lamp illuminated his room. In the middle of his bed laid Y/n, wrapped snugly in his blue bedding, breathing slowly. He smiled to himself, moving quietly around his room, getting ready for bed.
He was careful to lay on the bed once he was done, sneaking an arm around her, trying not to wake her, which was to no avail as she stirred immediately.
''Hm . . . Mike?''
''Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up,'' Mike said, though he didn't retract his arm.
Y/n turned around, lifting the blanket and letting him sneak in. ''That's okay. I'm about to fall right back asleep, anyway.''
''I see. Are you tired?'' Mike laid his arm out so she can lay on it as she did every time she slept over, snuggling into him. ''I'm sorry the campaign took so long.''
Y/n shook her head. ''That's okay. I had fun with Holly.''
''Oh? Did she spill anything about Josh?''
Y/n chuckled, her eyes closed as her forehead rested on his chest. ''That's secret girl talk. I'm not telling.''
''Hey, no fair! She's my sister!''
''And she didn't tell you! Ask her yourself if you wanna know so bad, my lips are sealed.'' Y/n yawned after that, wrapping an arm around him, too. ''I'm tired.''
''Sorry for keeping you up. Go to sleep.'' He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
''Okay.'' There was a moment of silence, then a quiet, soft sentence came out of her mouth, one making Mike's whole body warm up every time he hears it. ''I love you, Mike.''
For a moment, Mike thought back to his parents. His father downstairs, asleep in front of the TV, his mother alone in their room. How he never hears them tell each other these three words. Hell, they barely even talk to each other if it wasn't about something to do with them.
He hugged Y/n closed to himself, burrying his nose in her hair. ''I love you, too.''
He vowed to himself that they wouldn't become his parents. Else, Vecna can come back and just take him out for good.