A/N: This chapter has explicit sexual content and mostly no plot. If this is not your sort of thing, you can skip the parts I've marked between the "-…-…-". Enjoy.

IV. NEVER BE THE SAME

Something must've gone wrong in my brain
Got your chemicals all in my veins
Feeling all the highs, feel all the pain
Let go of the wheel, it's the borderline
Now I'm seeing red, not thinking straight
Blurring all the lines, you intoxicate me

"Home?" he asked stupidly.

It would be an understatement to say that her words had taken him by surprise.

"Yeah," she said as if it was no big deal, "I don't want to go home yet."

"Uh, are you sure?"

Not giving him the chance to doubt it, Eleven looked at him and smiled.

"It's that way," Mike said slowly, pointing awkwardly to his left.

The twenty-minute walk seemed a lot shorter than it usually felt to him. Probably because, despite Mike's nervousness, there hadn't been a significant change in the air between them and the carefree, fun conversation remained.

When they reached the door, all the awkwardness Mike had felt back at the park returned with a vengeance. And this was not because he was expecting anything at all to happen but, nevertheless, he'd never been alone in such an intimate space with someone like El. Someone he liked nearly as much.

Heck. He was sure that he had never liked anyone quite as much as he liked the mysterious, carefree girl.

She took a moment to look around the room. Finding the place cozy and strangely endearing. The small details such as the carelessly arranged pillows on the sofa, the mugs of coffee on the table and the bag of chips made her suppress a small smile that had been tugging at the corners of her lips.

El made her way to the one-seat couch and threw herself there, her long slender legs sprawled over the armrest. The brunette sighed in contentment, not quite noticing the nervousness radiating off in waves from Mike.

The tall guy made his way to the small kitchen and asked whether she'd like a drink.

-…-…-

Not long after, both of them were drinking Sprite and talking about anything and everything. El, as it turned out, was very interested in superhero movies, despite never really seeing any and insisted that he tell her the plot of his favorite ones. Mike was a little coy about it at first, reluctant about doing all the talking and wondering whether it was rude for him to monopolize the conversation. El, however, seemed absorbed in the fantastic stories he began telling and, soon enough, Mike let go off his worries and self-consciousness and began focusing on the storytelling.

Mike's solemn face and enthralling words were making her picture everything about the amazing adventures he was describing. Somehow, she found herself sitting next to him on the big couch, with her head resting on his lap. She looked up and saw his eyes focused somewhere far away, probably off in a different dimension. One of Mike's hands was moving enthusiastically, as if he was trying to conjure with his movements the same amazing things he was conveying with his words.

She couldn't help but take his other hand, the one that had been resting on his side and next to her head. He didn't seem to notice her intentions until her smaller fingers were intertwined with his longer ones.

Mike finished his sentence and looked down at her.

El was oblivious to his gaze, still shocked by her own brazen actions.

It felt a foreign kind of good, the kind of good that mixes the warm feeling of relief and the happiness of trust. It wassomething she never recalled feeling with a stranger before. It was something she never recalled feeling with anyone at all, really… especially after a single, innocent touch.

It was oddly intimate.

He felt it too, she could tell as much.

Mike hesitantly ran the fingers of his free hand over one of her cheeks, reveling in the softness of her skin. The tickly touch made her shiver almost imperceptibly and she looked up, her light brown eyes meeting his darker ones.

What she found there in his gaze, along with the mirror image of her face and reflected with complete honesty, left her almost breathless.

It was too much.

El felt vulnerable.

It was too much.

Wasn't the point of tonight getting over this weird… vulnerability of hers? Getting him out of her system once and for all?

Trembling slightly, El placed her free hand on his neck. His black, unruly hair feeling surprisingly soft to her touch. She couldn't help but snake her hand higher to feel more of it, to grab its silkiness between her fingers. Almost without a second thought, she pulled his face down, down, down, towards hers.

Their noses were almost touching now.

Their faces only a breath away.

She could count all the funny freckles peppering his nose and cheeks, creating patterns that mystified her.

El lifted her head slightly trying to close, once again, the almost nonexistent gap between them. Mike, however, met her halfway this time. Pouring all of his passion for her and his frustration and his confusing feelings in that singe touch, moving their lips together and then biting her plump lower lip tenderly.

Mike used his long thumb to caress her cheek as they kissed. El sighed at the innocent movement and soon felt the kiss deepen. It felt amazing. She tangled both of her hands in his hair and pulled him even closer to her.

It was like what she'd felt holding hands but a thousand times better. More intense. Almost unbearable.

Suddenly, unexplainably, she found herself laying beneath him, her small face encased in both of his large hands, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. The kiss was tender, but she could feel his raw passion, she could feel how much he wanted this… her.

Probably as much as she wanted it, too.

She took a moment after breaking the kiss to look at his pretty freckled face. His tender fingers on her face were still drawing patterns on her skin and she could feel the emotions swarming inside of his deep dark eyes. Not wanting to think a whole lot about that, El pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately.

Mike began kissing her all over her face, so delicately it was as if every little kiss was thoroughly calculated. He began kissing lower until he reached a particular spot, that elusive bit of skin near her right ear that made her tingle all over when the right amount of pressure was applied. Unable to hold it, helpless to the feelings washing all over her body, El let out a low moan.

At first, this made Mike stop but she pulled his curly head to that spot again, making Mike kiss her even more enthusiastically.

There was warmth. So much warmth radiating off that part of her expanded all the way to her fingertips.

El pushed him gently off her so she could sit up. She walked up to the couch by the door and turned her back to him. Slowly, she took off her dress and shoes and was left in only her underwear. Dread and excitement, equally invading her at the thought of the handsome tall boy behind her, waiting for her, watching her. She could feel his dark gaze on her.

She turned around slowly and approached him.

He was speechless, looking at her as if he couldn't quite believe the incredible turn of events that night.

Deciding against tenderness and – why not admit it? – a little fearful of the closeness and intimacy it represented, El sat beside him and began pulling on his shirt. Understanding what she wanted, Mike helped her take it off him.

Feeling dazed, he realized she was also helping him out of his pants. For a moment, he felt far too exposed. His body was too pale and lanky, not muscular like Lucas or healthily tanned as Dustin. Nevertheless, El ran her small hands over his chest and pulled him in for another passionate kiss. To say that his insecurities vanished to the very recesses of his mind was an understatement.

Feeling dazed, he realized she was also helping him out of his pants. For a moment, he felt far too exposed. His body was too pale and lanky, not muscular like Lucas or healthily tanned as Dustin. Nevertheless, El greedily ran her small hands over his chest and pulled him in for another passionate kiss.

To say that his insecurities vanished to the very recesses of his mind was an understatement.

Mike answered her kiss matching her passion and want. All of the pent up frustration over his shitty family life and the confusing feelings he had for this mysterious girl pouring into his actions. His hands began roaming around her back, wanting to get more of her but not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

He hesitated when he felt the soft material of her bra.

Without breaking the kiss, El reached to unclasp her bra and he had to break away.

He watched her, taking in every ingle detail of her slightly uneven breasts with its rosy, hardened nipples.

She was beautiful.

He must have said that aloud because El smiled at him and pushed him so she was hovering over him, causing their most sensitive parts to make contact. Immediately, she bit her lip as he let out a low moan.

She did it again.

Her curly brown waves falling around her pretty face made her look almost like an ethereal creature. Mike reached up to caress one of her breasts, which made her shiver in response and shift.

Just when the friction was getting to the point of being unbearable for him, Mike saw her getting rid of her panties. Unsure about what would happen next and a little self-conscious about his current state, Mike watched the most beautiful girl he'd ever met get completely naked in front of him.

Despite his unbearable arousal a single, worrying thought crossed his mind. This was too good to be true. It took a moment for Mike to realize that he was afraid the moment would soon end and she would disappear just as suddenly as she had shown up.

Before he could give in to his insecurities, however, El had somehow also ridden him off his underwear and was caressing him softly. She looked at him in the eye and positioned herself over him again.

He could feel her heat so close to his most sensitive part.

El watched his dark eyes clouded with desire and finally lowered herself on him, feeling him stretch her inside, her body adapting to his warmth and shape.

Soon enough, she was moving again, closing her eyes because looking at his expressive eyes while doing this felt too intimate, too much. And she wasn't ready for it. After all, wasn't she doing this just to rid herself off this pull he had over her?

She couldn't think any more about it and all the implications because Mike had grabbed her chest and began massaging the skin of her breasts. El felt her nipples incredibly hard and opened her eyes in desperation.

Somehow sensing what she craved, Mike guided his mouth to one of her milky white mounds and kissed it. He began kissing and sucking on them and everything about this was the best El had ever felt since, well, ever.

Just as he was circling his tongue around one of her hardened nipples, she couldn't bear the feeling cursing through her. El all but fell on top of him, feeling tired and unsatisfied and full of desire.

Once again, Mike seemed to know exactly how to respond to her, as he began pounding her and kissing her neck.

It's too much. It's too much. It's too much.

Finally, El felt herself take the final leap and throw herself into the abyss.

El moaned loudly as her legs stretched and her limbs quivered.

She could feel Mike still moving inside her and it only made her feel everything even more intensely.

Finally, Mike stopped, his face unsure about something.

At once, she knew what it was.

"I'm on the pill," she managed to whisper, still half caught in the bliss.

She could feel him get even bigger inside of her and then he went limp underneath her, their sweaty bodies tired and tingly.

Mike put his arms around her in an awkward sort of hug and she was too tired to protest. Anyway, it was harmless and it felt nice, she thought. None of the other boys she'd done this with had been so tender with her. Now, it was not as any of those times could hold a candle to this one in general either.

El could feel his heartbeat under her ear and closed her eyes.

-…-…-

Mike woke up feeling like he was about to fall.

They had fallen asleep on top of one another on the couch and, it seemed, that they had moved so that she was cozily resting between his body and the couch and he was just inches from falling onto the ground.

He stood up, feeling immediately cold without her body near him and looked around. He couldn't exactly tell how much time had passed. However, judging from the lack of people on the apartment, he guessed they'd been asleep for maybe half an hour.

Effortlessly, he picked her in his arms and placed her on his bed. As he went to retrieve their scattered clothes off the living room, her mysterious and somewhat closed off attitude when talking about herself came to mind. He debated about whether or not he should leave her have the bed for herself and sleep in the couch for the night.

When he entered his room, however, and saw her curled in his sheets, looking so peaceful, all he wanted to do was hold her.

So, hoping not to be stepping on some sort of boundary, he lay down next to her and put an arm around her small, slender body.

A/N: I'm sorry for the long absence, the only thing I have to say for it is that I've regretted abandoning my stories every single second of the time I was away. Unfortunately, life continues and sometimes you have no choice but to sacrifice doing the things you enjoy. The main reason I couldn't continue this as soon as I would have wanted to is because I forgot where I intended the story to go. However, I was luckily hit by inspiration during these neverending days and have a new plan for the story. As always, I'm open to any and all comments.