Work Text:
1.
Max knows Mike didn't want to be her friend. He made that painfully clear. He didn't want her in their friend group and he certainly didn't want the change it would bring. But, no matter how rocky they first got off to, Max has seemed to grow on Mike a lot; like a bad fungus or a pest he couldn't get rid off.
Their friendship isn't so bad though. They poke fun at each other and tease and shove and make snide comments that would hurt from anyone else. Max adores that about their friendship. She knows that it's real, that deep down there's a certain care they have for each other that would shock anybody else but them.
What Max doesn't like is being left out. It's rare that she is nowadays, always invited to some nerdy shit the party are planning and girls nights with Holly and El and sometimes Nancy and Robin. And yet, she gets left out on 1 singular tiny, minuscule thing, and Max's world implodes.
Mike Wheeler, the ever present pain in Max's ass, is affectionate. He hugs everyone, mainly the party, and he stands close enough to the others that they brush shoulders and he grabs people's wrists when he wants comfort. At his very core, he's a cuddly person. Max never would've guessed, they've never been close enough for her to notice his casual affections. Now though, oh, now Max has noticed and she can't unnotice it.
The problem Max has with Mike Wheeler's need for physical contact is that it happens with everyone but her. Sure she's never given him a reason to think she'd appreciate that, really she only lets Lucas and El touch her but she's still his friend right? They're close, have grown closer after everything with Vecna, so would he want to? Is Max too standoffish? Too rude? Does she ridicule him too much to the point where he doesn't want to be casually affectionate with her specifically.
Her jealousy, yes, jealousy, starts simple. It goes like this. The Party hanging out mid June right before senior year in Mike's basement as they always do. Max is braiding El's hair for the like seventh time that afternoon and El is painting Lucas' toe nails, a nice red that had reminded him of Max. Everything is fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Will is upstairs making some snacks and probably a salad —he claims they help with the heat, Max just thinks he doesn't want anyone to get scurvy. And Dustin and Mike are discussing which movie they should see at the theatre next week. Everything is fine.
Until it's not.
She glances away from El's hair for a brief second to look at Dustin and Mike, and they're straight up cuddling, wrapped around each other like stuffed bears on a kids bed. It's jarring to say the least. Max blinks at them. Her hands are still threaded through El's hair, curling pieces over each other before tying the braid off with a hair band. She's still staring at them when she finished with El's hair.
Nobody else seems bothered by Mike and Dustin's proximity. They don't even look confused when they move on to other activities. When Will comes back down, snacks in hand, he actively ignores their cuddling. But Max, Max is bothered. She's not quite sure why it bothers her so much, why she keeps staring at them. It doesn't make Max uncomfortable; She's from California, a much more accepting place than stupid Indiana.
Yet, whenever she looks at them for a second too long Max feels an ache in her chest and the pivitol rise of anger beneath her skin. She cuddles herself into Lucas' side hoping it'll expel the feeling. It does, but, it doesn't.
—
2
The second time is much like the first, except they're at the Byers new house this time and it's only four of them. Max, Mike, El and Will. Honestly, Max doesn't know how she got here or why it's just them hanging out. Well, she does kinda, Lucas is grounded for a bad grade, well 2 bad grades that Erica snitched on him for, and Dustin has ditched them for Steve claiming he needs bro time. Which is ridiculous because Will and Mike can offer just as much aforementioned 'bro time' as Steve could. Right?
So now it's just the four of them, and sure Max is like El and Will's biggest fan, they did save her life and all. But, she's not necessarily Mike's biggest fan, she's not his biggest hater either if she's being honest, that's Hopper. Though, Joyce seems to have wrangled him in like a dog on a leash. So maybe Max is his biggest hater.
They have yet to argue though, a big achievement between them. It's nice, the absence of their incessant arguing. Max can finally relax and not have to think about some stupid insult or come back to make Mike mad.
The hang out is going well by all standards of the party. They're watching a movie in the Byers living room. Admittedly, Max hasn't actually been paying attention, the blanket she's under is distractingly cosy and soft and she really wants to take it home. Though, Max has noticed something. Mike and El are leaning on each other, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and her arm curled over his waist. That would be normal, it's Mike and El, they have history and maybe they're soft launching getting back together. However, Will is pressed against Els other side, legs curled up beneath him and his head lay against Mike's hand.
Logically, Max gives Will a look, he should really let the couple have their own moment. Read the room and all that Jazz Max hates. He gives her a confused look and Max just shrugs at him. She leaves it at that, going back to 'watching' the film.
Well, she briefly leaves it at that.
She corners El in the kitchen when she gets up for a snack. El giggles at her and then firmly insists they won't be getting back together and that she has a new crush on someone else.
Odd. An uncomfortable feelings settles in the pit of Max's stomach.
—
3
Max doesn't know what's wrong with her. So what if she's picked up on the pattern of Mike being literally nice to everyone else but her. That's normal. That's them. It shouldn't bother her; her stomach shouldn't curl and anger shouldn't simmer under her skin.
But.
It does.
She glares when he says something encouraging to Holly or Will or even Nancy. Which is honestly ridiculous because those are the three most important people in Mike's life and Max cannot even begin to compare.
There's a permanent scowl on her face when she sees him throw his arm over Dustin's shoulders, pulling the other boy into his side. A permanent etching in her eyebrows that she so desperately wants to will away but can't. Because, she, Max Mayfield, is not jealous of anybody and much less jealous over Mike Wheeler.
Though her scale of emotions has definitely started tipping. Surprise surprise, they're in the Wheeler's basement again. Shocking, Max knows. This time El brought the wonderful, magnificent blanket from the Byers house with her and pulled Max under it giggling. Max laughs with her.
Dustin sits and complains and rants about something or another, Steve this, Lucas that, science or engineering or something. Max honestly isn't sure but El chips in happily, her arm interlinked with Max's. He seems comfortable enough on his bean-bag that's has definitely seen better days. Will entertains his complaints, adding in his own opinions here and there while fiddling with Mike's dodgy VHS player that has been acting up recently.
Max giggles along with El, they're discussing a new wonder-woman comic that El was trying to convince Hopper to buy her. He had agreed but El had yet to see her new possession in her hand. Max laughs when she mutters something about him being a 'dirty liar'.
Her attention is brought away from El when Max briefly wonders where her boyfriend is and why he hasn't once complained about El 'abducting' his sweet precious girlfriend. Max thinks maybe Lucas has learnt not to interrupt girl time and has finally learnt what her and El's matching annoyed glares mean.
No.
No.
She looks over and finds him curled up in the corner with Mike, whispering amongst themselves. They're close, very close. Max's stomach turns with jealousy. Her boyfriend, hers, wrapped up all cosy with they guy she says she hates. She glares at the back of Lucas' head, throwing daggers at him and Mike with her mind.
Lucas seems to feel it; he turns and laughs when he sees her already looking. He smiles and whispers something to Mike, making the other boy laugh and pull him closer. Their legs are entangled and their shoulders are flush together.
Max narrows her eyes at them before being dragged back to El with the nudge of the girls elbow in her side.
She promises herself that her jealousy will disappear and that she'll forget all about this and that it's just a phase.
—
4
So. Max did not, in fact, forget about it. Actually, it got worse. Sure it was hard to ignore once she noticed it but now it was actually pissing her off. To the point where she had started avoiding Mike and hang outs with Mike entirely. The Party have definitely noticed by now. They give her weird looks when they hang out, Mike missing of course. Will, looks sad, devastated actually, like Max is avoiding him —she would never, especially not with that look on his face.
They don't ask though. They don't corner her to ask what's up or why she's avoiding Mike. Maybe they're assuming they got into some stupid argument that went too far. Maybe they've already asked Mike and got no where.
Max dodges the question when El inevitably asks. She brushes it off with something vague about tests and school work.
What she couldn't avoid was Mike cornering her in the girls bathroom on a random Wednesday afternoon. She'd ducked out of her shared class with Lucas with the flimsy excuse of the bathroom and hid for the majority of class.
The door opens slowly, old hinges squeaking obnoxiously. Max pays no mind to it, assuming it was just another student coming in to use the toilet then leave. Then Mike kneels down in front of her with a wide frown on his still annoyingly expressive face and Max instantly felt awful.
His eyebrows are drawn tight and he looks like a kicked puppy. The look weighs on Max's heart frustratingly. She shouldn't care, not this much. "Did I upset you or something? " He asks quietly. His fingers pick at the sleeves of his sweater.
Max groans at him. "No, don't be stupid. It's a me problem." She drags her hand over her face and rolls her eyes.
Mike, annoyingly, tilts his head confused. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Max says harshly. Mike flinches back from her and a small knot forms in Max's throat. Guilt eats at her, crawling though her skin. "I'm just stressed, sorry."
Mike nods. He's pulls himself up and holds his hand out for Max, she takes it and he pulls her up.
They leave the restroom together, regrouping with the other members of the party. They smile when they seem Max with Mike and take a breath, like they're finally relaxing after a hard week. Mike drapes himself over Wills back, pressing their cheeks together and laughing with Will when Lucas mocks them. The familiar feeling of jealousy runs through Max's veins. Max ignores them feeling and presses herself into Lucas' side.
Will says something to Mike, turning his head towards him. Max watches as Mike stares at Will for a second before nodding. Will grins at him and presses a small kiss to Mike's cheek, his hand coming up to wrap around Mike's where it leans against his shoulder.
Max should really, really, not be jealous of that.
—
5
She no longer ignores the feeling, Max acknowledges her desperate need to be included and her jealousy and then forces it down deep. She can't simply ask, that would be awkward. Max isn't as close to Mike as the others in the party. She's not his boyfriend —of which, was obvious in retrospect, Mike looks at Will like he built the world. She's not his two best friends, the ones he's known for more than half of his life. She's not his ex-girlfriend turned best friend, who he trusts with his life and secrets. Max is Max. She can't ask.
Which is why she feels her blood boil. No, it's past boiling point, actually. Evaporate, merely into a gas of anger when she sees Mike get all buddy buddy with Robin fucking Buckley of all people.
Max likes Robin, she's smart and nice and cares way too much about random things. She does, Max has no reason to hate her.
But, why is she afforded one of Mike's hugs. Why does she get to curl him into her side and whisper jokes with him. Why does Robin get to do that and not Max.
She doesn't even realise she's glaring at them until Will nudges her in the side, rather pointedly actually. Mike looks both confused and sad when she glances back at him and Robin, still stupidly cuddled together, and Robin looks nervous, maybe uncomfortable.
Max is pulled from her seat by Will, his hand firmly grasping her wrist. He shoots an apologetic smile in Robin and Mike's direction before dragging Max out of the room. He drags her into Steve's kitchen, glaring at the aforementioned man until he takes the hint and leaves.
Will twists around to face Max, anger written on his face but still as gentle as ever. "Do you have a problem with Mike?" He asks sharpy.
Max knows she can't skirt her way around the question this time. She splutters anyway, "what, no?! Why would you think that?"
Will raises an eyebrow at her. "Really? You're playing dumb?"
Max protests. "No, I just have no idea what you're talking about."
Will rolls his eyes at her. "You glare at him every time we hang out. He can't even touch his friends when you're around because you always look like you're one second away from biting his head off. Lucas i could understand, given that he's your boyfriend but seriously? Me, Dustin, Robin? Seriously, Max, what is your problem?"
Guilt eats away at her and she feels her stomach lurches with discomfort. "I'm jealous." Max blurts out before she can avoid the question. She swallowing a breath and subsequently her pride.
Will looks confused for a second before he starts to frown, more upset than before. Oh god, what has she done. "But what about Lucas?" He asks quietly.
What about Lucas? Max blinks at him before she scrambles to correct him. "No, oh my god no, not-not like that isn't swear. It's just, Mike is so comfortable and nice and affectionate with everyone else but he isn't with me."
Will groans, "ohhhh." He draws out, scrubbing at his forehead. "Seriously? Is that it?" He asks, incredulous.
Embarrassed, Max nods awkwardly. Will sighs dramatically and abandons Max in Steve's kitchen, marching back into the living room like a man on a mission.
—
+1
Will walks back in barely a minute after he left, Mike in tow and points between the two of them. "Talk." He states before he leaves them be.
Max stands there awkwardly. She noseys around the kitchen looking for anything to be a distraction, disappointingly she doesn't find anything. Steve's kitchen is stupidly empty.
"So…" Mike says after some time. "Will said you don't hate me."
This has to be one of the most awkward encounters Mike and Max have ever shared. Regardless, she shakes her head. "I don't."
Mike nods slowly. "Don't act like it."
Max sighs. This is going no where she might as well just get it out. She sighs once more, working up her courage. "I was jealous."
Mike's eyebrows hitch up to his hairline. "Oh! Umm, of what?"
Dammit, Max should really start explaining in the same sentence as that embarrassing statement. She swallowing down her pride and ducks her head, avoiding as much eye contact as she can. "You're so affectionate with other people, always touching and hugging and comforting. I want to know what that's like."
Max thinks maybe Mike'll laugh, poke fun at Max the way she does with him. He doesn't. "Wait you're jealous of me?" He asks, surprised.
Max shakes her head. He does that annoying head tilt thing again. "I'm jealous of them."
Mike's mouth drops open. Then he nods. "Oh." He says. Small, there and simple. Like Max didn't just drop an admission that felt like it could be a nuclear weapon to their friendship. "Okay." He nods again.
Then. Then, he's curling her in his side awkwardly and laughing quietly. Max shakily wraps her arms around his waist and hums when he squeezes her shoulders. They pull back after a little while and chuckle —giggle— when they see each others faces. A bright red hue painting both of their cheeks.
"You know, you could've just said. I'm not like allergic to you or anything." He says.
Max highly doubts that but okay. She snorts. "We don't exactly have that type of friendship, Michael."
"Yes we do, Maxine. I argue with Dustin and Lucas all the time too, did that stop me from hugging them?"
"No."
"Exactly. No more glaring though right?" He asks.
Max ponders for a second before shaking her head. "Nah."
They laugh and he pulls her back into his stupidly warm hug.