MIKE POV-

---- 7:34 PM ----

"Where is he?!" Max grumbled, her tone agitated as she paced back and forth, her heels clicking against the floor with each step. She continuously checked her phone, clearly frustrated, "Troy's not answering!"

Mike was in the studio, moving the studio light, stepping back to assess its placement; everyone else was busy, so the ravenette had to work solo. He wasn't thrilled about being alone with Max, but it came with the job. "Why not ask Lucas?" he mumbled, moving to the second light into its correct position.

The redhead groaned, rubbing her temples, "Lucas is babysitting his sister... and I need a male model!" Looking at Mike exasperated, "Can you call Troy? Tell him that if he doesn't come quick, you'll beat him to a pulp or something."

The ravenette shook his head, "No way! Then he'll get my number," he said flat, voice laced with annoyance, "The last thing I need is Troy blowing up my phone.""

Max groaned dramatically, flopping onto a nearby chair, "Great. Just great. Now what?"

"Why don't you just reschedule?"

"Reschedule?" the redhead scoffed, offended by the mere notion, "I have a very busy schedule! Why is it so hard to find reliable men these days?" she sighed, half dramatic,

"How very sad..." Mike mumbled; only half listening to her complaining, switching his task to the background, ensuring the set was neat and aligned.

Watching Mike, an idea suddenly popped into Max's head, sitting up in her chair with a smile lighting up her face, cheekily grinning as she stood up, rushing over to Mike, eyes gleaming with determination, "Mike... have you ever considered being a model?"

"Excuse me?" the ravenette flipped around on his heel, "No way, I don't wanna monetise my face."

"You'll earn more money..." The redhead smiled mischievously, tempting him, "And I'll buy you dinner. Whatever you want. I can take you to that new restaurant everyone's raving about... I know the owners."

The ravenette paused for a second, he wanted to take Will there one day, maybe he should agree, "Still, I don't want my face on the internet."

Before Mike could even finish his reasoning; Max replied, "You won't even need to do anything, I'll post the pictures headless- think of yourself as a glorified hanger!"

Mike hesitated for a moment, turning around to face her, "I'm so gonna regret this..." he grumbled under his breath, "Sure."

"So, is this a deal?" Max held out an arm,

"Deal." Mike shook her hand.

In an instant, Max took her hand back, grabbing multiple clothes off the rack, throwing them into the ravenette's arms, forcing him to take them all. The clothes consisted of widely different colours, all from Max's own brand; ones she manufactured and designed with her own team; she sure was successful. "Try these on! And smile!" she chuckled, pushing him toward the changing room.

Mike rolled his eyes, changing his clothes into the first outfit; it was a simple cozy sweater with a logo and some jeans, it looked like something his sister would make him wear. Walking out, he modelled a few poses as Max made comments and suggestions to help him look more natural. Outfit after outfit, Mike modelled, wearing variations of the same hoodies, jeans, sweaters and jackets.

Then the last outfit came- a loose jumper and bomber jacket with a silver chain. Mike looked at himself in the mirror, checking himself out, "Huh? Not bad,"

"Yeah, it's totally you," Max's eyes lit up, pushing Mike into the correct position, immediately giving him instructions. "Alright, now cross your arms," She mimicked poses, "No, like this! And look a little more, you know, brooding."

"No one is going to see my face!" Mike scrunched his brows.

"Yeah! But I have to! I'd rather you didn't look constipated!" Max argued.

Rolling his eyes, the ravenette furrowed his brows in an exaggerated manner, trying to listen to her, but feeling awkward, "Brooding? Like this?"

"Ew!" she burst into laughter, "Just try leaning against the wall, one leg up. Think 'mysterious biker'," seeing Mike attempt the position, still looking stiff and awkward no matter what he did. The redhead clicked her teeth, "You're overthinking it! Just tilt your head a little and put your hands in your pockets and give me a smirk." Max sighed but snapped a few pictures anyway.

"Are we done?" Mike grumbled,

"Nope..." Max stretched the word, holding the camera up to her eye, "Now look like you're about to steal a motorcycle,"

The ravenette paused, standing up straight, crossing his arms stiffly, "That's it," he deadpanned. "I'm done."

Max burst out laughing, lowering the camera. "Alright, alright, I'll stop torturing you. That's a wrap." In response, Mike let out a sigh of relief, heading toward the changing area when Max called out, "You can keep the outfit,"

"Huh?" the tall boy turned on his heel,

"Well, it's clear you like it," she said, eyeing him with a thoughtful expression, "You can keep it; free of charge as a thanks."

"I just did some modelling, it's not a big deal." The ravenette shrugged.

"Not that. Thanks for looking after Dustin today, he told me what happened, and same with El last week... I try to help them when I can but its never enough... so thank you for that; its glad to know someone is looking out for them." Max sighed, her tone softening, "And sorry for misjudging you." She whispered the last part,

"What was that?" Mike mocked,

"Don't test your luck, Wheeler." Max deadpanned, "Now, help me clean this all up."

The pair moved the lighting equipment to one side, carefully putting them away. Mike insisted on doing the heavy lifting by himself but Max wouldn't let him despite it being his job. He packed his old clothes in his school bag, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Together, they reached the door and Max turned to shut off the last of the lights, casting the room into shadows. Side by side, they stepped out, the redhead adjusting her jacket as she took out her keys.

"Anyway," Mike said immediately, "What's for dinner? You promised, remember?"

"Let me at least lock the door before you start making demands," the redhead rolled her eyes, shutting the door securely; careful about the sensitive equipment inside.

"Think about it- buying me food benefits you." Mike teased.

"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Max raised a brow,

"Simple!" Mike grinned, folding his arms, shifting his gaze past her, urging her to follow his line of sight. His eyes locked onto something behind her, under the streetlamp; his expression amused as he gave a small nod in that direction.

Curious, she turned to see what caught his attention, "What are you looki-" she stopped midsentence, seeing Will Byers a few meters away; woah. Her eyes widened; the artist she'd admired for so long was here; did Mike call him? She knew she said she wanted to meet him, but she thought she'd be given a heads-up!

The redhead didn't know what to do, she was jittery, a far cry from her usual confident demeanour. It was like meeting your favourite celebrity on the street. She fumbled with her keys, pushing the door open and running inside, not even bothering to switch on the light. "I'll be right back!" and before the door could even close shut, Max reappeared, a painting in hand,

"Wasn't that mounted on the wall?" the ravenette quipped, trying his best not to burst with laughter,

"Shut up Wheeler!" Max nudged his side, holding a hand up as Will walked closer. Embarrassment filled the redhead as she hid the painting, almost as if she had stolen it. "C'mon! let's go! I promised you a meal!" she said excited, holding the painting close to her chest, trying to process her next moves; she would get the painting autographed and then ask Will questions; she was ecstatic, leading the way with the two boys trailing behind.

Mike glanced at the brunette who had his usual cold demeanour on his face, seemingly distant to the situation. "I didn't think you'd show up." Mike said, half-teasing, but carrying a hint of honesty.

Will turned his head to Mike, his face softening to a smile, his dimples showing, "I promised you I would..." he mumbled, eyeing Mike up and down, "You look good..."

"Really? Thanks!" The ravenette looked down at his clothes, proud, "Max chose this out,"

"Oh... right..." Will muttered, casting eyes to the redhead,

In front of them, Max broke the whispers behind her, turning around, beaming, "I'll text my friend to get a table ready for us! One on the balcony; the view of the city is amazing!"

Will didn't respond, not even noticing her enthusiasm. His focus was merely fixed on Mike. He didn't make any attempt to engage with her, he didn't even know she was going to be with them today, he was only here because he thought it would be just him and Mike. To him, Max was merely a part of the background, he could easily ignore her by doing the bare minimum.

Mike noticed the lack of response from the brunette, he hadn't said a single word to her, so he kept the conversation going, "As long as you're paying, I'm in!" he joked.

The walk to the café was quiet, with only Mike and Max engaging in conversation while Will meekly followed, not uttering a word, a stone-cold expression on his face; nothing out of the ordinary.

Once inside, Max greeted her friends, the owners of the restaurant; two best friends, the girl had short hair and blue eyes while the boy had hair that was noticeable a mile away. Max led them to the balcony; the place was packed but it didn't feel crowded. Max placed the painting in her lap, careful not to damage it. Mike slid in the seat next to her, both watching Will's cold expression from across the table.

The table was in awkward silence as the waiter immediately came to their table, a wide grin on his face. He brought a cart loaded with food, drinks, and a few extras. "Alright, here we go! Here's your prawns, steak, chicken, vegetables," he continued, pointing to each of them. And here's your drinks." Steve placed them in front of the group, larger portion sizes than usual.

"Oh, we haven't ordered yet..." Mike furrowed his brows confused,

"Oh, right... I know all the best foods from here, so I ordered them on the way, I hope that's okay?" she asked, glancing between the boys.

Mike smiled politely, "Sure, sounds good." He nodded, turning to Will, "What do you think?"

Will shrugged, "If you agree, I'll agree."

The group smiled awkwardly as Steve filled the table, "Don't worry for dessert, Robin and I have stuff planned for you guys!" he winked.

"There's not much space left on the table," Mike joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Steve smirked, "Well when our 'little sister' comes to our restaurant, we have to treat her well." Giving an embarrassed Max a playful nudge, then glancing at Will who was staring down at his plate, avoiding eye contact. The funky boy wanted to say something, but changed his mind last minute, "Enjoy your desserts, folks!" he smiled, throwing his pen in the air, catching it in his pocket before returning back to the kitchen.

Mike looked at Will, trying to break the lingering tension with a joke, "Well, looks like being around Max has its perks—free food." Will chuckled, a little distant, as if he was trying to gauge the situation.

After he left, Max turned to Will, wanting to engage him in conversation, leaning closer, sticking out her hand for him to shake, "Hi! My name is Max Mayfield and I've been your fan for a long time."

Will stared at the offered hand for a moment, his arms still crossed, his expression unreadable. He barely acknowledged the gesture as the silence grew thick, but luckily, Max was used to uncomfortable situations given the nature of her job; she kept her hand out, determined.

The ravenette short the brunette a look, eyes gentle yet firm, "Will? She's a fan, respond."

Will nodded at the request, reluctantly uncrossing his arms as he lifted his hand to extend two fingers toward Max, half-heartedly shaking the tips of her fingers,

"Well, it's a start... I guess," The redhead giggled, pulling her hand back with a grin despite the awkwardness, "I love your art pieces,"

"Oh?" Will said, almost surprised but not letting it show on his face, "I've made lots of art."

"I've been your fan since like freshman year, it made me want to follow my passion too!" She pointed to the clothes Mike was wearing, "I have a clothing brand!"

Will merely nodded; he didn't like how Mike was wearing the clothes she gave him. The worst part was that Mike looked really good, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of him, like his whole brain was screaming to stare, but he didn't want to make his feelings too obvious. What if other people thought the same thing and snatched him up?

Mike shook his head, sighing, this was a disaster, "Will? Have you got anything to ask Max?" gesturing to her with his eyes.

Will didn't respond at first, instead casting a glance between them, "Are you both close?"

"I guess," Mike shrugged

"How close?" The brunette questioned

"I don't know..." Mike furrowed his brows, turning to the girl next to him, "Max how close would you say we are?"

"We're not that close!" Max smiled knowingly, seeing the look on Will's face, "We're just coworkers."

Will started to smile to himself but his cold expression returned as Mike started speaking, not satisfied with Max's answer, nudging her playfully, "Is that all?"

"Closer than us?" Will abruptly asked,

"'Closer'?" the ravenette did his best not to chuckle at the directness of the question, exchanging a quick glance with Max. He was unsure how to answer; he opened his mouth to reply when Max nudged his side, subtly gesturing him to see the look of worry on Will's face. Mike nodded replying, "Why would you ask that? Of course, I'm closest to you, Will."

"Wow... I'm so jealous! I'm less close to Mike than you Will." Max feigned exclamation, seeing the brunette's expression soften, a smile on his lips, satisfied with the answer. "So can you sign this for me?" she pulled the painting out her lap, holding it out to him.

Will stared at the painting, grabbing the canvas with both hands, face falling, his gaze relaxing, somewhat sad, deep in thought. "This... is mine?" he asked, more to himself than Max.

The redhead nodded eagerly, "I brought it from a gallery El suggested in our freshman year; It's one of my favourites. I wondered who the artist was and then I started hearing about you... and I saw more of your works, and I just knew it was yours."

Will blinked, processing the information, "I thought I sold this... I didn't think anyone would keep it, though.'

"Are you kidding?" Max chuckled, "I hang it on the wall of my studio!"

"Told ya! She's a superfan!" Mike added,

Will's fingers tightened slightly as he clutched the canvas, his eyes fixed, "You really kept it this long?" he mumbled,

"Of course, I did... so will you sign it?" the redhead asked hopeful.

"Oh... um, yeah, of course," the brunette shook out of his thoughts, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that she held onto one of his paintings for so long; slowly, he took the pen she handed him, scrawling a small signature in the corner.

Max's eyes lit up as she watched the boy writing his signature, "So, something that's been on my mind forever is, what is the meaning behind this painting? Because I came up with my own meanings, but I want the artist's interpretation,"

The brunette furrowed his brows for a second before shrugging casually, "I think I was just hungry when I made it." Mike nearly spit out his drink, choking on laughter as Max's smile wavered into an awkward grin as Will continued talking, "They don't all have concrete meanings, but the one I'm making right now is about... something deeper." He whispered the last word.

"Deeper?" The redhead tilted her head, "In what sense?"

"Longing." The brunette replied with only one word, but his voice wasn't as cold as it was previously, as he glanced at the ravenette for a brief moment before looking away.

Max raised a brow, noticing that subtle glance, intrigued, "Longing, huh? That's pretty romantic!" casting looks between them, Will had a smile on his face, a small redness tinting his cheeks, but Mike didn't seem to notice. "I can't wait to see how it turns out!" she added, taking back her painting, placing it carefully in her lap once more. "C'mon, lets eat, before the food gets cold,"

---- 11:12 PM ----

Mike and Will walked home together in the quiet streets, their footsteps echoing on the pavement. Max had already left, leaving just the two of them,

"Was it Troy you kissed?" Will guessed, pestering Mike, trying to find out who exactly the ravenette had graced his lips upon.

"No."

"Dustin?" The brunette attempted a second try.

"No."

"Jake?" Will made his third guess.

"I told you; you aren't getting any details about the kiss. It's in the past." Mike replied, a tad harsh despite not meaning to; that kiss was childish of him, he proved his point, but at what cost?

Will looked down, his hands in his pockets, clicking his teeth. He kicked a small rock off the sidewalk, clearly annoyed. "First you don't tell me that and then you don't tell me about dinner."

"What was wrong with dinner?" the ravenette asked, brows furrowing.

"I just thought the dinner was supposed to be... you know, just the two of us."

"Will..." Mike stopped in place, turning to face him, "You need to make more friends than just me; to build social skills!" Keeping in mind his sub-mission to make Will a friend.

Will hesitated for a second, then finally asking, "If I agree to be more social, can you do one thing for me?"

The ravenette's brows raised, agreeing without a second thought, "Yeah, of course."

The brunette's face lit up, reaching into his pocket, pulling out two tickets, "I wanted to tell you at dinner, but I got these from the Art Showcase," he explained, holding them out for Mike to read, "It's near the sea... and, um, I know you like the ocean... so I thought maybe you'd wanna go with me?"

"'Upside-down Theme-park'..." Mike repeated, smiling bright at first but then realising the location... he knew this park... it held unhappy memories for him in the real world, but he quickly masked his expression, not wanting to ruin the mood,

"Sounds fun," Mike forced a smile, "Yeah we can go..."

------

3069 Words

Sorry this chap took so long, i kept rewriting cuz i wasnt happy with the result. im still not 100% happy with it but its like that sometimes :)

Stay Safe <3