Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“How the hell did you get your hands on this?” Dustin asked, holding up the large clear bottle of mezcal. He examined it closely.

“Jeez, Mike, are you trying to kill us?” Will asked. “This stuff is 44%!”

The two friends looked at Mike and he shrugged in response.

“My dad got it on his trip to Mexico like three years ago and it’s just been collecting dust in the cabinet since then. I think he’s forgotten about it.”

“Well, it should make for a fun night at least,” Dustin commented, putting the heavy bottle in his backpack and zipping it up.

“C’mon, we should go meet the others. They’re probably waiting for us,” Will said. With that, the three boys hopped onto their bikes and rode off.

It was a late summer evening in 1987 and the party finally decided, after all they’ve been through, it was time to try alcohol.

Mike put himself in charge of bringing the bottle. The party then decided they would drink at the local playground (at night, when nobody else was around) and go to the Wheelers house after for a sleepover. It was a full proof plan and nothing could ruin their night of fun.

Right?

The bike ride to the park was silent. Apprehension and anticipation filled the air with electricity.

“Hey, guys! Finally!” Max greeted when the three boys arrived. She and El were seated on the swing set- Lucas pushed her and El pushed herself with her powers.

“Hi!” El greeted sweetly.

“Did you bring it?” Lucas asked, temporarily distracted from pushing his girlfriend and instead turning his attention to Dustin, who unzipped his backpack and pulled out the large clear bottle. The trio who hadn’t seen it before ogled at its clear contents. However, he quickly received a look from Max. As if he read her mind, Lucas happily obliged and began pushing her again.

“Yeah, Mike hooked us up with some mezcal that his dad got from Mexico. Sweet, right?” Dustin explained as he examined the bottle neck.

“Do you know how to open it?” Will asked.

“There’s a cork in the top, so that’s something,” Dustin responded, feeling it over with his thumb.

“Did you bring a corkscrew?” Max asked.

“Uhh...” Mike looked to Will, who looked to Dustin, who looked to Mike. All three of them shrugged and shook their heads.

“I got it!” El exclaimed, jumping off the swing from a probably dangerous height and grabbing the bottle. While she focused on the best way to go about opening the mezcal, everyone else found somewhere to sit.

Dustin sat on a spring rider shaped like a zebra, and Will sat next to him on one shaped like a frog. Mike was standing near El to provide moral support. Lucas sat on the stairs of the play set and Max sat on the stair below him, right between his legs. He played with her hair absentmindedly and one of her elbows rested on his thigh. They all watched El intensely as she fiddled with the bottle.

Eventually she gave up and popped the cork out with her powers.

“Good job, babe,” Mike congratulated, turning El around and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, Mike.”

The air was dense as the teens fell silent. Now the alcohol was open. The unspoken question hung heavily: who would be the first to drink?

“I’ll do it.”

The small voice of Will took everyone by surprise. He was usually the most hesitant of all to try something new. But tonight, he was feeling a little bit brave.

El handed him the full bottle before she and Mike sat down on the swing seats. Now, they were all situated in what was a large circle of sorts.

Will took a deep breath and brought the bottle to his lips. He took a large swing and swished it around in his mouth to get the flavor- which he immediately regretted. He coughed and sputtered as he spat the burning mouthful out. The rest of the party laughed along with him as he regained his bearings. Though, the aftertaste was sweet and rather enjoyable, he thought.

“My turn, my turn!” Max exclaimed as she got up, took the bottle from the ungrudging Will (who was glad to rid himself of the thing) and back to her seat in front of Lucas.

“C’mon, Max, you can do it!” El encouraged, watching her best friend with large eyes. The redhead tipped the bottle back and gulped down a mouthful of its contents. Everyone watched in awe as she took it like a pro, except for when Lucas saw the tears form in her eyes.

“Shit, that stuff burns!” Max exclaimed, leaning her head back and swallowing a couple of times to alleviate her throat. “But it’s good though... sweet, and smooth,” she mulled over the taste in her mouth.

“Good job, Max!” Dustin called out, sounding impressed.

“Who’s next?” The redhead asked. She turned and offered the bottle to Lucas, who shook his head.

“I’m good tasting it from your mouth, for now,” he responded cheekily, leaning down and pressing his mouth to his girlfriend’s. She was right- it was sweet, but tingled slightly. Tasting the alcohol from her tongue and lips proved to be satisfying enough for Lucas.

While the couple enjoyed swapping saliva in a heedless makeout session, Mike grew impatient and got up to take the bottle from Max. She didn’t even look as he snatched it from where she put it down next to her on the stairs.

“If she can do it, I can do it,” Mike announced, finding his seat on the swing set again. After a brave deep breath and a reassuring hand squeeze from El (who had interlocked their fingers almost immediately after he sat down),  he swallowed a very small mouthful. He coughed violently but the drink stayed down.

“Max is right, that burns like hell. It’s good though,” the lanky boy commended, coughing again.

“Hand it over!” Dustin called out from across the park. Mike got up and brought the bottle over to him.

“This shouldn’t be too hard, right?” Dustin said casually as he downed a decent gulp. After, he squeezed his eyes tight and let out a loud whoop, like guys did in movies.

“Who wants to try it next?”

All eyes darted between El and Lucas.

“I’ve already kinda tried it,” the dark-skinned boy commented with a sly glance at Max, “so you can have a turn before me.”

“A-Alright,” El stammered. Dustin climbed off his zebra and handed the bottle to the girl. She examined the contents- the bottle was still mostly full, and it burned her eyes when she sniffed the rim.

“Here goes nothing,” she whispered to herself.

At first, she took the smallest sip she possible could. The others watched intently as she mulled over the taste on her tongue. Then, she took another large mouthful, and swallowed it with no problem.

“That’s delicious!” She exclaimed unexpectedly. Her large brown doe-eyes glittering in excitement as she looked at Mike. All of the party watched her in shock as she took another sip before getting up and handing the bottle to Lucas.

“Shit, how am I supposed to follow that up?” He asked, swirling around the contents of the bottle.

“C’mon Stalker, stop stalling and just do it!” Max teased, turning to face her boyfriend. She grabbed his hand and flashed him a somehow equally reassuring and shit-eating grin, and he felt his heart swell with confidence.

“Let’s do this,” Lucas said as he raised the bottle to his lips. It was like his tongue and throat were on fire, and he could feel tears forming in his eyes. He was not about to let his girlfriend beat him, so he quickly blinked them away and swallowed his third gulp before settling the bottle down.

“Jesus Lucas, that was impressive!” Max mused, her blue eyes wide. He gave her a pained smile.

“I do what I can,” he winked. The redhead reached up and planted a kiss on his lips. Although Lucas couldn’t fully enjoy her affectionate display past the numb-feeling that spanned his mouth, he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

“And I did it for you,” he whispered, inaudible to the rest of the party. Lucas’ arms wrapped around her waist and she giggled, kissing him again.

“Gross, get a room you two,” Dustin said loudly, watching them cycle through whispering, giggling, and kissing.

“You’re being worse than Mike and El!” Will commented playfully, glaring at Lucas and Max.

“Hey!” Mike and El chimed in unison. The entire party broke out in laughter.

“Pass the bottle back over, I wanna try again,” Will said to Lucas, who handed the bottle to Max to give to the shortest member of the party. He took a small swig and swallowed hard- he had gone through worse things before. It wasn’t too terrible. Especially with the rest of the party cheering him on.

They continued passing the bottle around, taking in mouthfuls that varied in sizes. It didn’t take long for them to start feeling the effects of the strong alcohol.

“There’s not... much left,” El slurred, once again examining the contents. It was now mostly empty. Only 3 or 4 sips remained. She took one. Her eyes were narrowed and her shoulders were slumped.

“Iwantmore Iwantmore!” Max called from across the playground. She waved her arms vigorously from atop the monkey bars to get her best friends attention, giggling all the while. Somehow she had managed to scale the ladder and climb on top of the metal structure, while Lucas, who had chosen to stay sober for the night (minus a few shots from before), watched in worry.

“Come get it.” El said slowly. She held out the bottle lazily in Max’s direction.

“Stay there,” Lucas instructed Max, who looked ready to jump off the 9 foot tall structure. The worst thing that could possibly happen right now was her falling and breaking something, he thought. “I’ll get it for you.”

“Well aren’t you juss the sweetest,” Max gushed. Her dangling legs swung as she waited patiently for her boyfriend to climb the ladder and hand her the nearly-empty bottle of mezcal. She took a swig that almost polished it off, but decided to leave some for one last person to have a sip. Leaning over, she gave Lucas a juicy and very sloppy kiss before he returned to his dutiful position below her (to break her fall in case she did).

“I’ll have it!” Dustin said.

“But whaaaaaaat if I want it?” Will pouted.

“You’ll have to fight me for it then!”

“Or... we could just shaaaare it?”

“Ugh, I guess that works too.” Dustin sounded reasonably put-together for being shitfaced drunk.

The two boys each took one last sip, first Dustin, then Will.

It was just the start of a very long night.

Chapter Text

Things were silent and a calmness clung to the thick summer air. Then Mike broke said pleasantness with actual words.

“What do we do... the do... to do with the bottle?” he asked, throwing his arm around El’s slumped shoulders.

“Something fun!” Max called from her seat atop the monkey bars. A choir of somewhat agreeable noises applauded her idea. “Lucas, I wanna get down,” she pouted, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows.

Her boyfriend sighed and held up his arms. She pushed herself off of the structure and his hands caught her hips, and gently he lowered her to the ground.

“My heeero,” Max giggled, smiling widely as she kissed Lucas.

“Speaking of kissing, what about spin the bottle?” Dustin suggested. He was greeted with nods and cheers and the party quickly arranged itself into a tight circle. They all sat on the mulch with the now-empty bottle on the ground in front of them.

“Who wants to go first?” Dustin asked.

For the second time that night, Will spoke up first. “I do,” he said simply, quietly.

He reached forward and spun the empty bottle. The party watched closely as it spun in a mesmerizing circle, around, and around, and around, and around... before it finally landed on Dustin.

“C’mere, Dusty Buns,” Will teased. The entire party loved using that nickname against him. The two boys leaned closer to each other before placing a chaste peck on one another’s lips.

“At least it’s gets to be my turn,” the curly-haired boy commented, spinning the bottle with expert technique. It landed on El.

El sighed and leaned over. Dustin met her halfway there and they exchanged a slightly-less brief kiss. Nothing to gawk at, though.

“Alright, we’ll see where this goes,” El muttered, eyeing Mike.

“Heyyyy, no cheating by using powers!” Max called her out, pointing with an obvious finger.

“Fine,” El rolled her eyes and spun the bottle normally. It landed on Lucas, who laughed.

“That’s what you get for calling her out,” Lucas poked at Max.

“Keep talking like that and you won’t be gettin’ any tonight,” The redhead responded with arms crossed. They could all tell she was trying to be serious, but she could barely contain her giggles.

Lucas rolled his eyes at her and touched his lips to El’s, who responded back with fierce intensity in the kiss. He snapped back in surprise while Mike looked on jealously.

“Where di- did that come form? From?” Mike stuttered. His eyes were wide.

“Don’t worry, the bottle doesn’t have to land on you for you to get that,” El said, then pressing her lips against her boyfriend’s.

“Ew, gross! Next!” Will called, encouraging Lucas to take his turn. His spin landed on a certain redhead.

“Ugh, bo-ring! I get to kiss you, liiiiike, allll the time,” Max crossed her arms again.

“Yeah, but not usually like this,” Lucas responded smoothly, bringing his lips to Max’s. It was a delicate kiss- soft and sweet. While he began gently nibbling her bottom lip he also ran his fingers through her soft coppery curls. She let out a quiet moan into his mouth.

“That was like, tooootally tubular,” Max giggled when he pulled away. Lucas laughed along with her. The others watched- entranced by the complexities of their dynamic. They would never fully understand.

“But now it’s my turn!” She exclaimed with a sing-song tone. The bottle spun wildly; the redhead could barely control her hand, let alone use it to spin a glass object. After a minute of circling around and around the neck of the bottle landed on Will. Dustin eyed him jealously.

“At least it’s a girl you get to kiss now,” the curly-haired kid reasoned with a shrug. Will nodded and gulped nervously. He had kissed girls before, but the way Max looked at him sent a shiver up his spine. The redhead crawled over to him so their bodies were close.

“I hope you enjoy this more than I do,” Max said quietly before wrapping one arm around the smaller boy’s head, her other hand cupping his cheek. The way her mouth moved against his was intense, but sweet- and Will was sure she could taste the alcohol on his breath as much as he could hers. His hands fell instinctively on her hips. When he did touch her, she leaned in closer.

“That wasn’t actually terrible. Keep it up,” Max giggled after they separated. She gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek before going back to nuzzle up in Lucas’ lap.

Will’s heart and mind raced. What a kiss that was. He could barely feel his shaking hands as he reached out to take his turn. The bottle neck pointed at Mike. His heart thumped wildly in his chest.

Mike eyed his best friend before tentatively getting up and placing himself down next to him. “Ready?” He assured.

Will could only nod before he gently kissed him. Mike’s hand gripped his upper arm, and naturally he responded by placing his hand on his friend’s cheek. Will’s heart warmed. But when the freckled boy leaned back, he felt empty, like a heavy stone was dropped in the pit of his stomach. Or maybe it was just the alcohol making itself known.

When the boys had recuperated, Mike took his turn. The result made Max groan.

“Whyyyyy meeeeeee,” she whined, pulling Lucas’ arms around her tighter. Mike was probably the last person she wanted to kiss, and the same was probably true vice versa. The two butted heads constantly and they bickered over the smallest things- too stubborn for their own good.

“Oh, just kiss me already, get it over with,” Mike sighed as he watched the drunk redhead peel herself from the cozy cocoon that was Lucas’ lap. Once she and Mike were close enough, Max fiercely pressed her lips to his, and they kissed with the anger of 3 years of constant fighting. The lanky boy parted his mouth softly as they kissed and she bit his upper lip, drawing a whimper from his throat. The redhead laughed and drew away.

“Not bad,” Max complemented, giving his chest a soft push to create some distance between them. She proudly licked her lips and made her way back to her favorite ‘seat,’ where her boyfriend accepted her with open arms.

“Lucas, your girlfriend is... a great kisser,” Mike  began, stammering slightly, “but mine is better.” His hand found El’s and he gripped tightly. She squeezed back.

“Nah, you’re just biased and drunk,” Lucas decided. He absentmindedly played with the redhead’s hair with one hand while the other was wrapped protectively around her waist. She practically purred as she leaned against his firm chest. “Mine is definitely better.”

“Shut up, this isn’t a competition!” Dustin called out, breaking up the bickering session. His heart prickled with jealously; he missed Suzie.

“But... it could be,” El muttered quietly. They all heard her but chose to ignore whatever she meant by that.

“It’s my turn anyways,” Max announced, giving El a wink before giving the bottle a gentle spin. It went around twice before it landed on the girl with mousy brown curls. They both giggled.

(El also wiped a small trail of blood from her nose, but nobody noticed.)

“C’mere, Max,” El called excitedly with her arms outstretched as her hands repeatedly grabbed at empty air. The redhead giggled and returned the embrace after she left Lucas’ lap once again.

The two kissed softly, sweetly. They seemed to be in perfect sync as they moved with each other. At first the kiss was gentle, but it quickly devolved into a passionate make-out session between the two girls. Max’s hands were firmly planted on her friend’s back while El’s fingers roamed her coppery curls.

The boys watched with wide eyes as the girls continued to devour each other with precise moments and the expertise they usually used on their respective boyfriends. When they finally separated, panting, it was silent for a long time before someone spoke up.

“W-Where did you... How d-did you... W-What just happened?” Mike stammered, gaping at El, who looked proud of herself. Max’s expression mirrored her best friend’s.

“Practice! How else do you think we get so good for you guys?” Max explained, giving the boys a wink.

“Wow, you guys are lucky...” Dustin muttered, picking at the mulch beneath him. Lucas and Mike only nodded softly in response and Will patted his curly-haired friend on the shoulder. Their shock make El and Max giggle wildly.

“It’s not an abnormal thing, Max says girls do it all the time,” El said. Max nodded.

“Did you guys liiike, not know that?”

“Nope,” all of the boys chimed in at once.

“Oh,” the girls responded in unison before succumbing to the giggles once again.

Once she had recovered, El took her turn. The bottle landed on Dustin, who smiled widely. Even though they had already kissed over the course of this game, it was more exciting now that he had just witnessed her locked in a scene with another girl.

The kiss was decent. Nothing too special, though.

“I’m tiiiiired of this game,” Max whined, leaning back dramatically on her boyfriend’s chest. There were a few murmurs of agreement.

“But wait, I still have one more turn left!” Dustin protested. The bottle opening pointed toward where Max was sitting in Lucas’ lap.

“Which one of you do I have to kiss? The bottle is technically pointing at both of you.”

“I’ve already gone a lot,” Max huffed, wanting the game to be over already.

“You don’t have to kiss me bro. In fact, please don’t,” Lucas laughed, tightening his grip around Max’s waist. She pressed up against him and hummed softly.

“Fine, the game can be over,” Dustin sighed, “it’s getting late anyways.”

“We should probably go back to my house or somethin,” Mike commented, his arm snaking around El’s waist. She nodded and pursed her lips.

“Yeah.”

“I think I need to take a walk first,” Will said quietly, staring at the ground. The others nodded.

“You’re not going alone though. That’s against party rules, remember?” Lucas reminded him.

“I’ll go with you. Cya guys back at the house,” Dustin said. Will nodded and the two parted from the group. The remaining couples watched as they slowly walked down the sidewalk.

“Now what?” Max asked. They were all standing, but she leaned heavily on Lucas.

“We’re going to head back to my house,” Mike said, glancing at El. She agreed.

“Alright, we’ll meet you there. I have something to show Max first. Don’t worry, we’ll catch up,” Lucas said, giving them a nod before guiding his girlfriend down the hiking trail. One of his arms lingered around her waist, and one of hers was on the small of his back.

“They’re definitely going to have some fun,” El teased, elbowing Mike in the ribs.

“With Max that drunk and Lucas that sober? No way,” Mike speculated. In one swift, practiced movement, he grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and they began walking in the very familiar direction back to the Wheeler’s house.

Though the party temporarily went their separate ways, they always knew at the end of the night, they would find each other again.

Chapter Text

Dustin and Will made their way slowly down the sidewalks. Their path was occasionally graced by comforting street lamps, but most of their quiet journey was made in darkness.

“What time do ya think it is?” Will‘s small voice broke the silence, gazing at the night sky. There were so many stars.

“I dunno, probably around midnight or something,” Dustin replied. They walked in silence for a few more minutes.

“Whatcha thinkin about?” Dustin asked. He noted the deeply pondering expression on his friend’s face.

“Spin the bottle,” Will replied.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I guess it would be nice to talk it through.”

“Alright, then let’s find somewhere safe to sit and chat.” Dustin suggested, eyeing the ominous woods next to them. The two were all too familiar with what might be lurking there.

They wandered aimlessly for a while more until they came across a park bench in a dimly lit area. Silence was no longer; they were accompanied by the symphony of cicadas and grasshoppers. There was also the occasional hoot of an owl.

“So, what’s up?” Dustin prodded. He didn’t want to pry, but he knew Will was a relatively open person with his problems. For the most part.

“I don’t know, it’s just... after the game, during the game I was so conflicted. Am. Am so conflicted,” He explained. The boy wasn’t directly looking at his friend. Instead, he opted to put his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees to look at the pavement below.

“About?”

“The kiss.”

“Which one?”

“The one with Max! And then the one with Mike!” Will exclaimed in a sudden outburst.

“What about them?” Dustin asked carefully. His voice was gentle and soothing, and only slightly slurred.

“The kiss with Max... well, it was good. Great, actually. She’s a really good kisser,” he explained slowly. Dustin felt a pang of regret that he didn’t get a turn at kissing Max (because literally everyone else did), but he shooed away the thought. This wasn’t a time to be thinking about himself right now- and Max was dating Lucas, and he himself had a girlfriend, anyways! He shouldn’t be thinking about kissing the fiery redhead, who’s copper waves framed her face so wonderfully and who’s blue eyes lit up when she laughed and who’s freckles cheeks flushed when she was embarrassed... right?

Right?

Dustin shook his head.

It was Will’s turn to be conflicted, anyway. Back to him.

“The kiss with her was amazing. It felt right, and I was comfortable. It was nice to, y’know, touch someone like that. Someone you think is an objectively attractive person,” Will explained slowly. Was the alcohol making him smarter? Maybe. Probably.

“What’s the issue then? That sounds awesome,” Dustin sounded confused as well, and slightly jealous.

Will took a deep breath and continued.

“When I was kissing her, I was thinking, ‘Wow! If this is what real kissing feels like then this is great!’”

Dustin narrowed his eyes further. He still didn’t see what Will’s problem was.

“But then, I kissed Mike, or he kissed me or whatever, and it was magical,” Will explained.

“While Max was kissing me I was thinking about the kiss and how I felt during it. But when Mike was kissing me I just... I couldn’t think. Hell, I couldn’t think afterwards ether. I know it’s wrong and I know I shouldn’t but... I think I’m attracted to guys.”

Dustin took a moment to think.

“You think so?” He wanted to make sure he heard his friend right.

“Yeah. I’ve considered the thought for a while, and tonight just solidified those thoughts, I think.”

“That’s cool. I’m glad you told me,” Dustin said softly, throwing his arm around Will’s shoulder. The small boy looked up at him with an even smaller smile.

“Really? You’re not weirded out by me? Or scared of me?”

“Will, if there are a hundred reasons to be scared of you, most of them have to do with the fact that you have survived demons and monsters and possessions from another world, and none of them would have to do with the fact that you like guys.” Dustin teased, giving him a playful shove.

Will laughed. “Thanks, Dustin. I really appreciate that.”

“Anytime.”

They sat in a pleasant silence. Dustin left his arm around his friend’s shoulder; they both enjoyed the warmth of the other persons company.

“What do you think the others are up to right now?” Will asked, looking around the barren street.

“Well, my guess is Max and Lucas are off somewhere being adorable and shit, and Mike and El are touching each other in inappropriate places.”

“You don’t think Max and Lucas are doing that too?”

“No, there’s no way in hell Lucas would touch her or let her touch him when she’s this drunk and he’s that sober.”

Will nodded in understanding. His heart swelled to be twice the size it was at the start of this conversation. He was friends with some pretty goddamn great people.

“Do you wanna head back to Mike’s yet?”

“Sure, we can start walking.”

They both got up and began on their way back.

“Is there anything on your mind I could help you with?” Will asked casually, noticing Dustin’s expression that mirrored his own from earlier that night.

“It’s no big deal,” he replied in a murmur.

“Anything that bothers you is a deal at least worth talking abut.”

“Fine.” Dustin took a deep breath and began nervously. “You know how I have a girlfriend? Suzie?”

Will nodded.

“I just miss her so much. Obviously I can talk to her using Cerebro, but it’s so much work and there’s always so little time,” he explained. Sadness laced his slurred words. “Recently, I’ve had all of these pent-up feelings because I haven’t been able to see Suzie, and I think they’re falling onto Max. They’re not the same people at all, and I don’t like like Max, but it’s as if my brain thinks she’s the closest thing it can get until I can see my actual girlfriend again.”

Usually Will hated discussing these kinds of problems, but Dustin was just a perfect listener for him, and this was different from the usual girl problems Lucas and Mike had.

“So you don’t actually have romantic feelings for Max, though, right?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, that’s a start,” Will said slowly. He wanted to carefully plan all of his words. “I really wish I could help you, but I’m kind of clueless in situations like this. I think it would be best if you just talked to her about it. Honesty is the number one policy of the party, right?” Will suggested, shoving his hands into his pockets as they walked.

Dustin seemed open to the idea. “When did you get so smart?”

“They don’t call me Will the Wise for nothing.”

The two boys both laughed at that.

“Well, it looks like we’re here,” Dustin commented, admiring the Wheeler’s house in the dim street lighting.

“Looks like it,” Will echoed with a nod.

“And Dustin?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks again. I really appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Will. Anytime.”

Will really did manage to find the best friends in the whole world, and they were all right here in Hawkins, Indiana.

Chapter Text

The midnight air was lighter than it was during the day. It was still warm, but the humidity was gone and a slightly chilled breeze blew occasionally.

“It’s nice out. Like California,” Max commented quietly as the two walked along the tree-lined path. The redhead, as drunk and disoriented as she was, could not make out where they were going, and Lucas refused to tell her. But she didn’t mind. She trusted him.

“California, huh? I thought it would be warmer,” he replied casually, stroking her hand with his thumb. At that point she needed to lean on him slightly to stay upright and properly balanced, so they held hands and he braced his arm at a 90 degree angle so she could stabilize herself on it. He realized she got clingier and more affectionate the drunker she got, and he didn’t mind. It was kind of a welcome change, actually.

“Yeahhh, well, kinda. It’s like this mostly during the fall and spring. The temperatures there are more moderate than you would think,” she giggled, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked.

“It sounds beautiful there.”

“It is. Well, was.”

The longing in her slurred words struck a chord in his heart. Max had been stuck here for so long and Neil hadn’t let her visit her real dad back in California yet. She probably missed it- him- so much. Lucas promised himself he would take her there some day soon.

They walked along in silence for a few more minutes, Max occasionally stumbling and her boyfriend tightening his grip on her. She never fell.

“Will you tell me where we’re going?” The redhead complained, using her free hand to tug at the hem of his jacket.

“Don’t worry, you’ll know soon,” Lucas promised. He leaned over, gave her a kiss on the top of her head (god, she really did smell like strawberries and coconut all the time), and led her through a few more twisty turns and they were there.

“Oh,” Max said in awe. They were at the quarry, but at a different angle than one she had ever been to before. There was a large patch of soft-looking grass that perched over a steep light gray drop-off. The deep blue water glistened in the moonlight below and reflected the shimmering stars on its calm surface. This brought her attention up to the sky, which, when unpolluted by the town lights, was expansive and absolutely full of stars. Max was sure she could see every star in the universe from Hawkins, Indiana. Or maybe she was just drunk. “It’s beautiful.”

“That’s why I wanted to bring you here. C’mon,” Lucas urged, leading her out to the grass and laying down. His arm opened as an invitation. She happily obliged and laid down next to him, his arm tucked around her shoulders and her head nestled comfortably in the crook of his neck.

Max’s view was perfect. Well, as perfect as it could be when your vision is spinning slightly from the many shots of alcohol taken over the course of the night. The massive sky made her feel small, but being cuddled up against Lucas made her feel safe. And that’s what mattered. She hummed softly as she watched the stars.

While she looked up, he looked over. He decided his view was better. Her light blue eyes reflected the pale luminescence of the sky, making them into two perfect moons, while the freckles scattered across her cheeks sparkled like stars. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy from the alcohol, and she radiated a comforting heat. Plus, Lucas could still smell her strawberry coconut shampoo. He couldn’t get enough of it.

“Hey, Madmax,” Lucas started nervously, still looking in her direction.

She met his warm chocolate-brown gaze almost immediately through narrowed eyes. “Yeah, Stalker?”

“I love you,” he murmured affectionately, and her expression softened. Max hummed and planted a sweet kiss on his lips as he waited expectantly.

“You know I love you too, you just like to hear me say it,” she teased, looking back up at the stars.

“So what if I do? It’s nice to know sometimes that you haven’t changed your mind,” he responded, also returning his gaze to the glimmering night sky.

“Haven’t changed my mind? What are we, 9? I can’t change loving you much more than I change the fact that I need to breathe oxygen,” Max said in a brief moment of sobriety, fixing her pale blue gaze on him with such intensity that Lucas felt like he would melt but with a gentleness that made his chest swell.

How could he respond to that?

He couldn’t.

So he didn’t.

They let her ardent words hang in the air as Max watched the starry night sky drunkenly swirl around, and as Lucas watched Max, both gazing at their subjects so adoringly.

Max had told him years ago that she loves the night sky because no matter what, the stars are always the same. Sure, they might shift occasionally, and you can see some constellations you couldn’t see the night before, but the effect never got old, because there were always new stars to look at. The wide open space made her feel free. Small and insignificant at times, but free. It was especially nice when Neil was having a rough night. She could just look up at the sky and have a sparkling reminder that she was not alone, and that she would be free from him one day.

Lucas loved the stars for different reasons. He loved examining their positions, their formations, their arrivals and their departures.  He was fascinated that if you watched a star die from Earth, the actual light probably died many, many years ago. He loved that you could not only see stars, but multicolored planets and satellites in orbit, if you knew where to look. There was so much he knew about space but there was still so much mystery shrouding the many unanswered questions he had.

Sure, he loved the night sky for very different reasons than Max did, but they loved it the same nonetheless.

“Hey,” the redhead uttered, suddenly turning to face her boyfriend.

“What’s up?” He responded, his eyes glittering with concern.

“Kiss me.”

“How could I say no?”

And so, lounging comfortably on the soft dry grass overlooking the quarry and an expansive night sky, their lips met gently. The gesture was filled with so much love both parties temporarily believed their chests would burst. It was as if they were trading secrets through kissing only.

But the kiss got hungrier and greedier as they traded more secrets. Lucas rolled over to top the redhead, using his elbows to prop himself up and his knees planted firmly on either side of her hips. He moaned softly into her mouth as she curled her fingers through his hair.

“Your breath still tastes like alcohol,” Lucas commented breathily as Max also gasped for air. She giggled and he chuckled softly.

“Bad?”

“No, good. I like it.”

“Good. Have some more.”

Max leaned up and fiercely pressed her mouth to his once again. Her lips parted slightly and his tongue entered her mouth. Their tongues, lips, and mouths worked together in perfect unison as they devoured each other, taking turns as who got to be in control. Usually it was Max, but for tonight at least, it seemed she didn’t mind her boyfriend taking charge.

Except for the fact that he didn’t do anything.

“No,” Lucas murmured against her mouth as she reached down to unbutton his shorts. Max stared at him in wide-eyed confusion as he pushed her hands away and crawled off of her.

“But... why not?” She asked, sounding hurt.

“I love you, Max, and I’m not going to let myself take advantage of you while you’re drunk,” he explained. The boy reached out and gently tucked a stray piece of her hair back behind her ear, and she smiled bashfully.

“I love y-“ She began, but heaved halfway through.

“Uh oh,” Lucas murmured to himself as he instinctively reached for her hair, holding it back as she bent over and vomited. Thankfully, they were both already kneeling, so there wasn’t any splash or anything, but it was still gross. And slightly worrisome.

“Thanks, Stalker,” she muttered, spitting out the extra-acidic saliva that remained in her mouth.

“Anytime,” Lucas responded playfully. “Now, how about we get you back to Mike’s? I’ll get you some hot green tea, a big glass of water, a fluffy blanket, and a boyfriend to cuddle with.”

“A boyfriend to cuddle with? Where are you going to find one of those at this hour?” Max  joked weakly as she took his offer to help her stand. The redhead’s stomach felt uneasy still, but she was pretty sure she wouldn’t throw up again.

“I have connections,” he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. The two began walking back.

“You’re not going to tell anyone about that, right?” Max worried. The rest of the party would never let her hear the end of it if she couldn’t hold her alcohol.

“They won’t know unless you throw up again at Mike’s,” Lucas promised, “so get it all out on the way there.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m fine. It was just once,” Max shook her head. Her boyfriend noticed she wasn’t leaning on his arm nearly as much, and she could put one foot in front of the other decently well all by herself.

“You’re feeling better, I take it?”

“Yeah. I’m all good.” Well, maybe not all good. But it was the thought that counted.

“Just don’t vomit on me. Please?”

“No promises,” she teased.

They chatted and walked along the familiar path that led them back to the Wheeler’s residence. The familiar house that they love so much; the place that held many memories that would serve as a setting for many more memories for years to come.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever. Thanks for staying sober,” she commented casually as they approached the door.

“Thanks for being you,” he replied, giving her cheek a kiss.

Although he hated that she still smelled faintly of alcohol and vomit, Lucas had to admit: the smell of her strawberry shampoo never ceased to make him smile.

Chapter Text

The night was pleasantly quiet, El decided as she gripped her boyfriend’s hand tighter. Their walk home was made in complete silence; to them, the destination was way more important than the journey. The quicker they could get back to Mike’s house the happier they would both be.

Once they arrived El’s face flashed with excitement.

“Hold on, wait right here for one minute,” She instructed, placing her index finger gently on Mike’s lips before rushing inside before him. His brows furrowed in confusion.

Glancing at his watch occasionally Mike waited the minute she instructed and cautiously opened the front door.

“Hi Honey, welcome home!” El greeted cheerily. She was wearing his mom’s apron and was standing at the oven pretending to cook something on the stovetop.

The sight was endearing and so wonderfully domestic Mike felt his heart melt. Although it was odd to see El doing something adult (that didn’t include fighting inter-dimensional monsters), he knew she must have gotten it from one of her soap operas, so he decided to play along.

“Thanks,” Mike approached her and kissed her cheek. His arms wrapped around her waist from behind. “It smells good in here, whatcha makin’?”

“Eggo’s.” She responded. The girl took advantage of this opportunity and pressed up against him slightly. His breath hitched in his throat.

“S-Sounds good, babe,” He stammered, sounding nervous as he rubbed up against her. El spun around in his grasp to finally face him and giggled when she saw her boyfriend’s flushed cheeks.

“You’re so cute when you’re hot and bothered,” she teased, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before abandoning him in favor of the basement.

“Hey, at least take the apron off so my mom doesn’t miss it!” Mike called after her. She begrudgingly crawled back up the stairs where he untied the bow in the back. It fell loose and he hung it back up in its place.

“Now can we go to the basement?”

“Y-Yeah.”

So, the two made their way down, fingers intertwined, until they plopped down on the couch.

“Movie?” Mike suggested simply as she curled up next to him. Although, she was basically sitting in his lap with how close they were.

“How long do we have before everyone else gets here?” El answered his question with another, leaning her head on Mike’s chest and looking up at him with her large, innocent doe eyes. The ones she knew he couldn’t resist.

“Uh... probably like 40 minutes?”

“Four zero? That’s a long time, right?”

“Well, it’s not a long long time, but it’s more than a little.”

She let out a quiet noise before planting a less than-innocent kiss on his lips, and he smiled.

“You wanna...?”

“Sure.”

Soon the two were locked in a tight embrace. El straddled his waist and had her fingers tangled in his slightly greasy dark brown curls as she sucked his upper lip, to which he moaned softly.

But she didn’t stop.

No, the two had their fun, and thankfully, were finished up right before Dustin and Will gently knocked on the front door.

When El answered the door, her hair was horribly disheveled- like she had been through a wind tunnel.

“Woah, what happened to you?” Dustin teased as he stumbled through the front door, Will close behind him.

“You most certainly already know the answer to that,” The smaller boy commented as El led them down the stairs.

“Yeah,” El replied quietly, sheepishly. She felt her cheeks flush from the wandering minds of the teenage boys.

“So Max and Lucas aren’t back, I take it?” Dustin prompted, sensing her discomfort and changing the subject.

“Nope, they’re probably off screwing somewhere else,” Mike commented from the downstairs sofa. They all laughed. “So, how was your walk?”

Will looked nervously to Dustin, who flashed him a reassuring smile.

“It was good. Quiet, and the air was cooler than during the day. It’s too bad there’s no nightlife in Hawkins during the summer because it really is nice outside,” Dustin rambled. But Mike and El seemed to accept it, so he gave Will a nod and they all moved on.

“Sounds nice,” El commented. She eyed her boyfriend who’s face reflected her disbelieving expression. But the two decided not to press the issue.

“Did you guys choose the movies for tonight?” Will interrupted their silent conversation.

“Yeah, I voted E.T., and El wanted The Goonies, and since we were the two people actually here when movies were decided, we got dibs on picking,” Mike explained rather pointedly.

“Fine by me,” Dustin shrugged. “Do you have anything to eat?”

“Eggo’s,” El referenced earlier that evening, and Mike blushed. She giggled.

“Should I make some popcorn?” Will suggested.

“You can’t, Holly and her friends made the last bag at her sleepover last week.” Mike explained. Dustin groaned.

“How are we supposed to have movie night without the essential movie snack?” The curly haired boy questioned.

“I have doritos and some random candy upstairs.”

“I’ll be right back,” Dustin replied, running up the stairs in a hurry. While he was upstairs, the remaining kids downstairs heard knocking on the front door.

“That must be Max and Lucas,” El commented. However, neither she nor Mike bothered untangling themselves to answer the door. They figured Dustin or Will would get it.

“Seriously guys? You’re the worst,” Will commented with a glare at the lazy couple, groaning as he got up from the couch and went up the stairs.

He saw Dustin roaming around the kitchen in search of additional snacks when he went up the stairs. “Find anything else good?”

“No, not really.”

“That’s too bad,” Will said as he opened the front door to see, well, an interesting sight.

“Hey,” Lucas greeted awkwardly, almost pretending as if he wasn’t currently holding Max’s hair back while she gagged, leaning off Wheeler’s front porch- thankfully, nothing came out. Will’s eyes widened.

“How’s it goin’?” He teased, noting the tired look on his friend’s face. The redhead straightened her posture (as much as she comfortably could) and leaned on her boyfriend, clearly miserable. Lucas let go of her hair and rubbed her back slightly, and guided her inside.

“Oh, shut it, Byers,” Max groaned, sounding thankfully more sober than she had the last time Will saw her. Lucas flashed the smaller boy and apologetic smile.

“Don’t worry about it,” Will mouthed silently when only his sober friend was watching. Lucas gave him an appreciative nod.

After hearing all of the talk at the front door, Dustin perked his head up and watched as Max dragged herself down the stairs, miserable and slow, while Lucas followed closely behind her. His hand was ghosting gently on her back.

Will hung back slightly when Dustin shot him a confused look.

“Apparently can’t hold her alcohol,” Will explained quietly, sounding amused. Now loaded with a few more snacks, the two boys made their way downstairs.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mike prompted. The redhead looked surprisingly exhausted and definitely drained.

“Nothing, she’s-“ Lucas began to explain, but Dustin cut him off as he jumped down the stairs.

“She almost yakked on your front porch is what’s wrong- Little Maxine can’t hold her mezcal like the rest of us!” He laughed.

Max looked like she wanted to be angry, but instead just collapsed on the couch opposite of Mike and El. She could tell they were attempting to hold in their laughs and teasing words. Lucas made up for her lack of response with a death glare that would certainly kill if it were tangible. It certainly shut down any quirky remarks, that’s for sure.

“Dustin, stop,” El said softly, though the couldn’t keep the mild amusement from her slightly slurred words.

Dustin just laughed and sat down on the floor, content with his bag of doritos.

Max, meanwhile, nestled pathetically against her boyfriend when he sat down next to her. She wasn’t usually one for PDA but this was a special case. All she wanted to do in that moment was curl up and let the acid in her stomach dissolve her insides.

“Will you drink some water, please?” Lucas asked her, his voice lower than a whisper. She shook her head. “Please? For me if not for your head tomorrow morning?”

The redhead nodded and her boyfriend handed her a small glass of water that was sitting on the side table. Max sipped slowly. The liquid felt good- refreshing and smooth down her throat. Once Lucas was content, he took the glass from her and set it back down. Then he wrapped himself protectively (albeit gently) around Max. She sighed and relaxed against him.

“Gross. Can we start the movie yet?” Dustin complained, rolling his eyes.

“E.T. or The Goonies first?” El asked to everyone.

They all replied E.T. and she groaned. Apparently she was the only one that preferred cool action-packed adventure with traps and pirates and mystery to an ugly little alien, but whatever- majority ruled.

“E.T. it is.”

El pressed play and most of them were asleep before the movie was even halfway over. She turned off the television and turned on all the lights, much to everyone else’s obvious distaste.

“Why’d you have to go and do that?” Will questioned, sounding irate.

“We need to get situated in at least somewhat proper beds,” she explained, starting to organize piles of pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags.

“Dibs on the couch,” Max muttered from her place tucked under her boyfriend.

“It’s my house, I should get the best bed!” Mike protested.

“I think I should get it,” Lucas said, “I was the one that stayed sober all night with you guys: I think I deserve it.”

Dustin and Will seemed to agree, as did Max.

“I take it back, I don’t want the couch anymore. Stalker here should get it,” Max decided, and gave Lucas a pat on the shoulder.

“That’s no fair, if he gets it, you get it too!” Mike claimed, exasperated.

“It sounds fair enough to me,” El nodded. She gave the redhead a wink.

So, they all situated themselves: Lucas hugged Max close to his chest on the couch, Dustin had a sleeping bag over near the staircase, and Will had one set up next to he couch. Originally Mike and El shared the fort, but then went upstairs to Mike’s room after complaining it was too cramped down there. They all knew the real reason why though.

So, in the quiet of the mostly empty Wheeler house, the Party slept. They slept rather soundly- apparently alcohol has that effect on people (except for Lucas, who didn’t need the alcohol. He always slept well when cuddling with Max).

They had no idea what was in store for them the next morning.

Chapter Text

Max was the first to wake the next morning. And she instantly regretted it the moment she did. Her head was pounding and she felt hot (probably attributable to Lucas’ arms wrapped around her) and she was nauseous. Not too terribly, though.

“Stalker,” she muttered, turning in his arms to face him, not to remove herself entirely. She watched as his eyes fluttered open.

“Morning, babe,” Lucas responded with a sleepy voice and gave a her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

“I feel like death,” Max told him bluntly. Her eyes were squinted from the sunlight streaming in through the window and Dustin’s snoring from across the room sounded like a factory machine operating right next to her.

“Try and go back to sleep,” he suggested, pulling her closer to him (he knows she usually likes it when he does that). But this time, she put his hand on his chest and gently pushed him away.

“You’re making me hot,” the redhead murmured.

“Alright, princess,” her boyfriend teased softly, propping himself up on one elbow, “do you want me to get you anything?”

“I’ll take a healthy dose of eternal sleep,” she groaned quietly, “but painkillers and water might be a good start.”

“You got it,” Lucas gave the top of her head a loving kiss before he got up and carefully climbed around his sleeping friends, who were all about to be just as miserable as his girlfriend.

With quiet movements he crept up the stairs, made four glasses of water, and shoved a bottle of aspirin in his pocket. He knew they would all be needing it when they woke up.

When he went back downstairs it appeared that Max managed to fall back asleep, but Will was not as lucky. He sat up in his sleeping back and watched as Lucas set the waters on the coffee table. The dark-skinned boy then pulled a bottle of pills out of his pocket to put it on the table next to the drinks.

“Hey, Lucas,” he greeted, rubbing his eyes.

“Oh, hey Will,” the ranger responded as he sat on the couch by his girlfriend’s head. The smaller boy watched as he gently stroked Max’s hair. It was a rare display of affection from these two- but it was nice to see the loving look in Lucas’ eyes as he gazed down at the redhead.

What softies his friends have turned into.

“Are these for us?” Will croaked, motioning toward the pill bottle next to the waters on the coffee table.

Lucas nodded. “I figured you all would be needing them,” he stated with a shrug.

The pale boy scrambled out of his sleeping bag (as quietly as possible) and popped open the bottle, took 3 aspirin, and greedily gulped down a glass of water.

Will instantly regretted it.

“Oh, my stomach. I shouldn’t have done that,” he groaned. The cool liquid sloshed uncomfortably inside of him and he knew he was going to vomit. “Shit,” he murmured. Lucas watched with great concern as his friend got up, cupping his mouth as he ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him (which, consequently, woke up Dustin).

“What’s going on?” Dustin grumbled and rubbed his temple. The redhead stirred on the couch next to Lucas as well.

“Will isn’t feeling well, and I assume you aren’t either. Take the aspirin on the table and drink a little water,” the dark-skinned instructed. His voice was pleasantly quiet.

Dustin nodded and got up, slowly but surely making his way to the coffee table and sitting on the floor across from the couch. Lucas watched as he took the medicine with a few sips of water and thanked the heavens Max didn’t wake up. The longer she slept, the better she would feel.

The two heard the toilet flush in the bathroom and the faucet turn on.

“Maybe I should go check on Mike and El, too,” Lucas muttered, mostly to himself, but Dustin nodded in agreement.

“They’d appreciate it,” his friend agreed.

“Make sure Will is quiet when he comes back. I don’t want her waking up before she has to,” Lucas added, gently touching his Max’s soft coppery waves.

“Sure. I’ll be on girlfriend watch,” Dustin scoffed playfully. When they first met the redhead, the two males had competed with each other for her affection- and in the end, Lucas won. Ever since then he and Dustin liked to tease each other about their feelings for the same girl (even as the feelings of the curly-haired boy faded).

“My girlfriend, not yours,” Lucas added, giving Max a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“Ew. Shut up and go check on the rest of our friends while we rot down here,” Dustin sighed and laid back down in his sleeping bag. He watched as Lucas gave his girlfriend one last concerned glance before he went upstairs with a glass of water in one hand and a fist full of painkillers in the other.

Suddenly the bathroom door opened and Will came out, looking drained and paler than usual.

“Remind me never to touch alcohol again,” he joked pathetically. Dustin let out a small laugh and looked at his friend.

“Sure thing, buddy.” The curly-haired boy rolled his eyes. “But be quiet because Lucas is paranoid about Max waking up. He’s worried about her and it’s gross.”

“Stop shitting on their relationship dude, you’re just jealous because your girlfriend lives half a country away,” Will laughed lightly and sat down in an armchair. Dustin grumbled.

“Sorry, sorry, you’re right,” he nodded.

“What is this about jealousy and shitting I hear?” Max asked sleepily. She rolled over to face them. Her blue eyes were squinty.

“Nothing, Dustin is just being dumb,” Will explained, shooting the curly-haired boy a glare. Dustin nodded.

“Yeah, what’s new. How are you feeling?” He asked, trying to change the subject.

“Like death. My head is actually trying to kill me,” Max groaned and covered her face with one of the couch cushions.

“That makes sense. You’re probably more dehydrated than the rest of us, since you threw up so much last night,” Will reasoned. “Dehydration is the main cause of the headaches and a lot of the other symptoms, and you definitely lost a lot of fluids.”

Max winced at the mention her temporary lack of willpower, but said nothing.

“My head hurts too, but it’s more my stomach that’s the issue,” Dustin complained.

“Because technically your body absorbed all of the alcohol since you didn’t throw it up, your stomach acid is more, well, acidic than usual. I’m the same way and I assume Mike and El are, too, since none of us vomited last night,” Will continued explaining.

“Jeez, you really are Will the Wise. How do you know so much stuff?” Max asked, her voice muffled by the pillow covering her face.

“I was nervous before we started drinking last night so I did some research. Figured it would come in handy,” the small boy shrugged.

“Then how to we fix it?” Dustin asked, sounding irate.

“Time is the only thing that’ll heal everything. But until then, painkillers, sleep, water, and plain foods like toast and crackers are going to be out best friends.” Max said, finally emerging from under the pillow. It surprised the other two boys.

“Where did you learn that?” Will prompted.

“I, uh, I’ve seen what my mom does for Neil when he’s hungover,” she stammered. The redhead hated talking about her at-home life, especially since Billy died.

Will and Dustin nodded silently.

Just then, Lucas returned down the stairs with Mike behind him, who was tugging El along by the hand.

“Hey, everyone is awake now!” Lucas exclaimed, and everyone groaned.

“Way too loud,” El whined, using her free hand to cover one of her ears. The rest of the Party muttered in agreement.

“Sorry,” he replied much quieter this time. “Wait, did you wake Max up?” he asked Dustin and Will.

“No, dude, she woke up by herself. Chill out,” Dustin grumbled.

“They totally woke me up. It’s whatever though, I don’t care,” Max told her boyfriend. She reached out to him with grabby hands and Lucas made his way over to her, sitting down near her chest. He smiled softly as her arms wrapped around his waist and her face buried in his side. “You make a much better light shield than a pillow. Smells better,” she murmured into the fabric of his shirt.

“Thanks, I guess?” he laughed and rubbed her shoulder with his thumb.

“Hey, Maxie, can you get up so everyone can share the couch?” El asked sweetly. The rest of the Party knew that El was the only one allowed to call Max ‘Maxie,’ and they stopped being surprised by it a while ago.

“Do I have to?” The redhead responded. She reluctantly (and very slowly) adjusted herself to sit up.

Her boyfriend sat down next to her, so close he was practically squishing her into the corner of the couch, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Come here,” Lucas told her. Max smiled and shifted so she sat with her head on his chest- soon his arm was wrapped protectively around her shoulders. He pulled her close and used his other hand to caress her head. The girl closed her eyes and took it all in: the silence, his smell, the feeling of his fingers brushing through her hair, and it almost distracted her from her pounding migraine.

Meanwhile, El and Mike also sat down on the couch next to them. Mike sat on the other end of the couch, his girlfriend in his lap. They lazily dozed off when the lanky boy enveloped her in an embrace with his arms around her stomach and her head laid back on his shoulder.

Dustin and Will eventually joined the two couples on the couch. If they all squeezed the entire Party could fit, especially since El was on top of Mike and Max was practically merging with Lucas.

“Hey guys?” The dark-skinned boy said randomly.

“Hmm?” Max hummed. He also got a couple of curious glances in response.

“Next time we do this, I call not being the sober one,” Lucas decided.

“I’ll do it,” El murmured sleepily.

“Me too,” Mike chimed.

“I’ll be designated driver,” Dustin added.

“If I don’t have to feel like this the next morning then I wanna be the sober one too,” Max droned.

“I agree,” Will nodded.

“So... everyone is going to be the sober one but me?” Lucas questioned.

“Sounds like it,” his girlfriend teased.

“Maybe it’s not worth it then,” he said.

“Oh, trust us, it’s definitely not,” Mike promised, and they all laughed.