By the time Mike and El met their friends in the lobby the next morning, El was once again feeling like herself and ready to take on the next phase of their adventure. Her lingering fears and worries that had been awakened by Mike's unscheduled near-death experience had been washed away by Mike. They had spent the night alternating between sleeping and full-on, all-out lovemaking and now she was feeling quite loved and happy.
"Are we ready to do this?" Will asked excitedly as Mike and El approached. The rest of the Party had gotten to the lobby a few minutes earlier.
"Yes!" El told him, her smile wide and her spirits high.
The group exited the lodge and walked east to the beginning of the loop they were going to hike and camp on for the next two days. It wasn't far.
Max was walking next to El, she had them hang back a few steps.
"So are you feeling better? You certainly look happy this morning." Max raised an eyebrow at El.
El blushed. "I'm feeling so much better now."
"Aww, did Mike kiss it and make it all better?" Max asked jokingly.
"Among other things," El smirked back. "He was very reassuring. I'll just say that."
"You two are going to keep all of us up all night," Max laughed.
"I don't know. Mike said he has something planned. Maybe you won't hear us at all. But we'll try to keep you in mind." El winked at Max.
A few minutes later they had reached the trailhead. They hiked single file along the trail, stopping occasionally to take a picture.
"Sand people always ride single file to hide their numbers," Dustin snickered, prompting the entire group to laugh.
Occasionally they would stop so that El could snap a few pictures of the entire Party, using her timer so she could be in the shots as well. She had lots of candid shots of her friends hiking the trail. After hiking for a few hours, not wasting energy by going too quickly, Mike noticed the blaze that signaled the trail that branched off the main one and led to a waterfall. Everyone followed. Dustin pointed out different species of trees and flowers. About a mile from the main trail they could faintly hear the sounds of water crashing. It got louder the longer they hiked.
The trail opened up, revealing a medium sized pool that was fed by a waterfall. Since there had been rain recently the falls gushed over the cliff above them but at a much gentler rate than they had experienced in the river. The waterfall itself was about five or so feet wide and they could see it splashing off the rocks. The overhead sunlight refracting off the water droplets caused a rainbow effect, adding to the appeal.
"Wow, this is breathtaking!" Max said in awe.
"We should find somewhere close by to set up camp and then we can come back and go swimming," Mike said, not having taken his eyes off of El, who was watching the falling water with a look of wonder.
About a five minute walk away from the pool and waterfall they found the perfect campsite. It was flat enough and large enough to accommodate three tents while still seeming secluded, with a windbreaker of boulders at the back and a few smaller boulders spread around but not too far apart from one another. Mike looked at his watch. It was a little after 3:00.
"Okay, well, this will be awesome. Why don't Lucas and I start on the tents and Will and Dustin can build a fire pit. If you build it there in the middle of those little boulders we can use the rocks as seats around the fire." Mike pointed to a broken log that was at the edge of the campsite. "If there aren't a million bugs on that log we can use that to finish our seating."
"We'll go find some firewood," El offered as she and Max started their task.
When Max and El were out of earshot of the boys, El asked Max how she felt about their sleeping arrangements.
"So you're sharing a tent with Lucas again. Have you guys done anything?" El asked.
"Not really. I mean, we've done some stuff but I'm not totally sure I want to do everything with him. I like him and I like being friends with him but I don't know if it'll ever be like what you have with Mike. I want something like that. I'm keeping an open mind about it though. I'm not saying I'm definitely never like, going all the way with him. I'm just saying that right now I don't have the certainty I was hoping I'd have."
"That's totally okay. It's not something you should rush. Mike and I are just lucky. I know I'll never love anyone as much as I love him or in the same way like I know that my hair is brown or that trees are plants. It's just fact. And I think he feels the same way."
"You think? El, that boy would walk through fire for you. He is completely smitten." Max picked up some firewood as she spoke.
"So am I," El said quietly. They had amassed a nice pile of wood and El was using her powers to help them bring it all back to the camp. Surprisingly, they hadn't seen anyone else on the trail, not even at the waterfall. It felt nice to be alone, just them and the woods.
When the girls got back to camp two of the tents were already up and Mike was working on his own tent. El noticed that he had chosen to set it up across from the others and she giggled to herself.
As though that will make us seem quieter.
"Need any help?" El asked. Mike was struggling with a tent pole.
"I've almost got it. You can spread the sleeping bags out in a minute when I'm finished if you want." Mike smiled and winked at El.
El found the sleeping bags and started zipping them together so she could set up the inside of the tent once Mike was finished. The others were busy putting their own bags in their tents. Lucas had already put wood in the fire pit but they were going to wait until they got back from swimming to actually start the fire. Finally Mike had the tent set up so El crawled in and arranged their sleeping bag.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm going swimming," Dustin announced. He disappeared into his tent and emerged a couple of minutes later wearing his trunks and his hiking boots.
"Ooh, I'm next!" Will called, doing the same as Dustin.
Lucas waited like a gentleman outside the tent while Max changed into her swimsuit. When she was finished he quickly put on his trunks.
Mike and El changed together.
"Swimsuit and hiking boots, you wouldn't think that would be a hot combination but you are making it work." Mike pulled El across the tent and kissed her, causing her to break into a fit of giggles.
"Oh, no, not this time. I want to go swimming so that's what we're doing," El said, a sly smile spreading across her face.
"Do we just do what you want to do?" Mike asked amusedly.
"It's been working for us so far," El grinned.
"God, I love you." Mike kissed her once more.
"I know. Let's go." El was out of the tent before Mike could get off his knees. She waited for him and they made their way down to the waterfall to find their friends.
They could hear the voices of the Party before they could see the water. They rounded the bend and saw that it was still only the six of them. They had the entire area to themselves.
"How deep is it? Think I could jump off the waterfall?" Lucas was asking.
"I don't know, man. Let me dive down and see how far I can go." Dustin disappeared under the water. After a few seconds his head popped back up. "Nope, it's nowhere near deep enough. You'd totally break something and end up like Mike in the summer after fourth grade."
"What is he talking about?" El asked Mike.
"I broke my ankle once. Dustin tells the story better. He can tell it when we get back to camp," Mike replied, thinking to himself that Dustin had unwittingly set up something very important for him. He reminded himself to hug him later.
The boys were taking turns jumping into the water from a rock on the side of the pool. Dustin had deemed the water deep enough for that. Max watched them, knowing all the while that she could best them if she joined the contest. El swam back to the waterfall, letting the falling water wet her hair like a shower. She had noticed the closer she got to the water that there was a space behind the falling water. If one wanted to, one could easily stand behind it and still have room without being hit by water. She filed the information away in her mind.
Mike couldn't look away from El, seeing how the sun hit her upturned face. Her eyes were closed as she relaxed against a rock that was just under the edge of the falls. Mike was swimming toward her before he even realized it, unconsciously drawn to her.
El heard him approaching but continued to sunbathe. She could see him in her mind so she knew exactly where he was. Without opening her eyes she reached for his hand, threading her fingers into his effortlessly.
"Having fun?" Mike asked.
"Mm-hmm. It's so nice here. I can't believe it's just us," El said, finally opening her eyes to look at him.
"I was thinking maybe later tonight we could come back here? Just you and me?" Mike asked.
"What did you have in mind?" El was coy, she had her ideas. She slid off her rock, her arms moving around Mike's neck. Mike could easily touch the bottom of the pool but El couldn't so he held her up.
"I actually have something for you and I wanted to give it to you. I don't want to do it in front of the guys, not that it's embarrassing, because it isn't, but I wanted to give it to you alone. It's kind of special."
"A present? What is it?" El was more excited now. Mike laughed.
"No way, I'm not telling you now. I have a whole story to go along with it. I'll bring you back here when it's dark and we'll see where the night takes us." They were nose to nose, only their heads above water.
The whole Party played in the water for a couple of hours before Dustin and Will complained that they were both hungry. The mention of food made the others realize they were hungry as well so they all headed back to camp. Lucas started the fire while everyone changed into dry clothes and then went to change himself, having Will watch the fire and feed it more firewood until it was blazing.
Mike's parents had gifted him a new set of camping cookware that stowed away into itself and took up very little pack space while still being large enough to cook for five to six people. They had also bought him a folding grate to set over a campfire so that he could cook. He set the grate on the fire, making sure it was level, and then took the largest pot and filled it with water. Once the water was boiling he poured in enough dried pasta for everyone. While it boiled he used the skillet his set had come with to heat the marinara. The jar of sauce had been a luxury and was a little heavier than he'd normally like to carry but he'd wanted everyone to have a nice time so the added ounces of weight weren't a big deal. El had carrot sticks in her pack that everyone munched on while the real dinner was cooking.
They were all sitting around the fire on the log that Will and Dustin had carried over from the edge of camp and the small boulders they had built the fire in the center of. Mike marveled at how well the setup had worked out. They were almost sitting in a perfect circle. When the pasta was finished they took turns making their plates and then sat together talking and laughing.
"What were you saying about Lucas ending up like Mike, Dustin?" El asked.
"What? When?" Dustin had forgotten.
"When Lucas wanted to know if the water was deep enough to jump into. You said he'd end up like Mike in the summer after fourth grade," El reminded him.
"Oh yeah! Mike, should I tell your lady the story?" Dustin asked.
"You tell it best, like the bard that you are."
Dustin smiled. "Okay, so the summer after fourth grade we all played together every day, obviously, and one day we decided to build a ramp for our bikes. Will had the flu so he wasn't there. We built the ramp in Lucas' garage and it was pretty sweet. When we ramped off we could get our wheels like almost two feet in the air."
"Ooh, you daredevils!" Max chided.
"You hush, we were ten. It felt to us like twenty feet. Anyway, we were having so much fun and we were catching air and trying to do tricks. But the fifth or sixth time Mike went off the ramp he tried to turn his handlebars and be all fancy and when he landed he crashed and slid across the pavement, his bike landing on top of his leg. He was screaming in agony. Lucas and I were like oh, shit! and then Lucas kicked in his speed and ran to Mike's to tell his mom. We were basically right in front of their houses on Maple Street. Karen ran out a minute later to see and then she yelled at me to call an ambulance, which I did. Mike was white as a ghost. Lucas and I lifted the bike off of him and we heard the sirens a minute or so later. Karen rode in the ambulance with him, telling us to go tell Nancy where she was and to watch the baby. When we saw Mike again three days later he was in a cast."
"Does it still hurt?" El asked, looking at Mike with worry and love.
"They fixed me all up. It took a surgery with six screws and a plate but by the next summer I was as good as new. It doesn't ever hurt." Mike kissed her hand, which had found its way into his own as Dustin told the story.
"Do you still have metal in your leg?" El asked, thinking of how much that might hurt.
"They removed it. Since I was a kid and hadn't really hit my growth spurt yet they took everything out when I healed so that my bones wouldn't have anything in their way. If I'd been grown already they probably would have left everything in place. I got to keep the screws and the plate though," Mike told her. He watched the relief wash over her face.
"You would think that's cool," Max said.
"It is!" The boys all said at the same time. Everyone burst into laughter.
They finished their meal and cleaned everything up. They sat around the fire talking for a long time. The sun had set an hour before and it was dark in the forest except for their fire.
"Where is everyone hoping to go to school next year?" Will asked, poking the fire with a stick. "I'm going to try to get into NYU like Jonathan. I think that would be a good fit for me."
"I'd like to live in a bigger city," Max said. "New York could be cool. Or Boston. I could go back to California but I feel like a different person now than the girl who came from there. I don't really know yet. What about you, El?"
El looked at Mike. "Um, well I haven't applied anywhere yet but I always thought maybe Harvard. But really I want to be where Mike is, even if it isn't the same school. I want it to be the same city."
"I'll go wherever you'll be, El. I can apply to Harvard, or Boston College, or MIT, or Boston University. We can be together." Mike smiled.
"Hey, I was going to apply to MIT," Lucas said. "Wouldn't that be awesome if we all lived in the same town?"
"It would be," Dustin said. "I've actually been thinking of going to Boston College since I went there for a biology camp one summer. My grandma paid for it. It's at the very end of the trolley line and isn't as busy as downtown. It's so pretty, and they have a great biology department. It would be so cool if we all lived there!"
"I guess we should get on board then, huh, Will?" Max said. Will laughed.
"It can't hurt to look into it," he said, yawning.
Everyone was getting sleepy. Hiking all day and then swimming had tired them out. Dustin offered to watch the fire for a while until it died down enough to not be a threat to the surrounding forest. Max and Lucas went to their tent and Will climbed into his.
"I need to get something and then do you want to go for a walk?" Mike asked El. She nodded. Mike went into the tent and came out with a flashlight.
"Don't wait up. We'll find our way back. We're not going far," Mike told Dustin, who gave them both a knowing grin.
Mike and El walked hand in hand and soon found themselves back at the pool with the waterfall. Mike led her to a ledge overhanging the pool, the falls at their side. Moonlight was spilling into the water, its light reflected and illuminating the falling water, creating quite a romantic setting. They sat on the ledge and let their legs dangle off the edge.
"You know that bracelet I gave you for Christmas?" Mike asked.
"Of course I do. I love that bracelet. If my house was on fire I'd grab that before I ran outside." El leaned her head on Mike's arm, not being tall enough to reach his shoulder.
"Good. I had a lot of fun making that. I realized that I enjoy making things like that for you. So I made you something else." Mike dug in his pocket and pulled out a small box but didn't open it. "It's funny that Dustin brought up me breaking my ankle because this wouldn't exist if I hadn't. I got Mr. Clarke to help me. He knows a guy who is a metallurgist and he put me in contact with him and together we made this."
Mike opened the box. Even in only moonlight El could tell that it was a ring. What surprised her most was that there seemed to be a big, but not ridiculously big, green emerald set into it.
"So there's a story that goes along with this. We made the ring out of the screws and plate that were used when I broke my ankle. It's like, they helped me heal like you help me heal. It also kind of complements the bracelet I made for you. You'll always have something that was part of me. The emerald has a story too. My grandma, my dad's mom, wasn't really into jewelry but my granddad always bought her fancy things like that. She always let Nancy go through her jewelry box and pretend she was a princess when we would visit. She had this one ring though, this one emerald ring that I always played with. I'd run around wearing it, pretending I was the Green Lantern. My grandma remembered and when she died she left me the ring. This is the emerald from that ring. Emeralds are also considered water gemstones and it makes me think of the waterfall that started everything for us." Mike took the ring out of the box.
"You made that for me?" El was shaking slightly. The idea of how much effort Mike had put into it, the amount of thought, giving her his heirloom from his grandmother, made her head feel swimmy.
"Do you like it?"
"It's perfect." El looked into Mike's eyes, her own starting to tear.
"You can wear it on whichever hand you'd prefer. I know we're young and this isn't like, an engagement ring or anything but I do expect to still be with you ten years from now, or twenty years, or forty. Maybe we can call it your inaugural ring." Mike smiled.
"You've set the bar pretty high, Mike. I do wonder what any future rings you might give me could possibly look like or represent," El whispered, holding out her left hand to him. He slipped it onto her finger. He thought it looked like it was never meant to be anywhere else.
"Challenge accepted." Mike leaned forward, catching her lips in his.
"Do you want to go swimming?" El asked as their kiss became more heated.
"We don't have our suits," Mike said.
El smiled. "I don't think we'll really want them."
They climbed down from the ledge and walked to the side of the pool nearer to the waterfall, leaving their clothes on a set of dry rocks. El got in the water first and Mike's heart stopped in his throat as she dove down, the moonlight bouncing off her bare ass as she did. He followed her, making his way to the center of the pool.
When El surfaced she was much closer to the waterfall. Mike swam to her, having lost her while she was under water.
"Hi," El said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Mike felt her legs move around his waist.
"Hi. You look really pretty here in the moonlight." His face was so close to hers, he was whispering. He resumed kissing her.
"Can I show you something? You might have to help me a little," El said between kisses.
Mike nodded. El pulled him toward the side of the falls and then behind them. It was darker with the moonlight being obscured by the water but Mike could tell what he was seeing. He lifted her from the water, gently setting her on the ledge behind the falls, before climbing out himself. Once he stood back up, El was in front of him immediately. Her wet skin looked inviting and Mike couldn't resist running his hands over her breasts, pinching her nipples and making her moan.
He spun her around so that her back was against his, slowly, teasingly, trailing his long fingers down her abdomen, then her hip, and finally cupping her thigh, his fingertips playfully grazing high up on the inner part of her leg so close to where she wanted them to be. He was kissing her neck. She pressed herself backwards into him, feeling how hard he was.
Mike let his hand move higher, giving her what she wanted. His palm covered her. He could feel how warm she was, how wet. He let his finger slide into her the slightest bit. Being outside, the water crashing down, knowing they could be caught, turned them both on even more.
"Mike," El panted, "please."
Mike whispered into her ear. "I don't know which is wetter, you or the waterfall." He gently licked her earlobe, causing her to whimper.
"If I bend over right now, what will you do?" El pushed herself into him again.
"Why don't you find out." Mike turned them both so that they were facing the side of the cliff before pushing her down. She bent at the waist, holding on to the cliff.
El felt him teasing her from behind. He was slapping her ass with his cock, then he'd run it through her folds, not giving in to her. She was squirming, moving closer to the cliff every time she felt his pelvis against her buttocks.
"Please, please, Mike," El begged.
"Okay, I was just teasing you. I won't make you beg." Mike leaned forward so he could whisper in her ear. "But know how insanely hot it is when you do."
El felt him push himself in. Even after having him so many times it still took her breath away. The sensation was always so amazingly good, making her want more of it.
"Ooh, fuck me, Mike! Your dick is so good!" She had realized that she didn't have to be quiet because of their location behind the waterfall.
"You're always so tight! You were made to fuck me, El." Mike continued to slam into her. His thrusts caused her to scoot forward, her face almost on the side of the cliff. She braced herself with her arm. After a few minutes of intense fucking Mike pulled out and spun her back around to face him. El felt him lift her up by her thighs so she wrapped her legs around him. Her face crashed against his, desperately needing to kiss him. She was still kissing him fervently when she felt him slide back into her, dropping her slightly onto him.
El let herself sink all the way down, knowing that Mike wouldn't let her fall. They worked together, Mike lifting her and El slamming herself back down on him, every pass rubbing her clit, heightening the sensation.
"Do you like my cock, El?" Mike asked. El was currently rolling her hips, trying to get him even deeper.
"I love your cock. I love how it makes me feel." She continued to ride him. They had fallen into the most magnificent rhythm.
"Good, because it belongs to you. I'll only ever want it to be inside you," Mike moaned.
The combination of feeling Mike buried deep inside her along with what he was saying was bringing El ever closer to her peak. She could feel it building.
"I...I love you." El looked into his eyes as she felt the dam break. "Oh, fuck! Oh, oooh! Don't stop! Don't ever stop, Mike!" She continued to roll herself into him.
Mike could feel her spasming around him, pulling him into her even more. The look on her face as she came was enough to do it for him.
"El, you're making me come," Mike said, his voice steady. "I'm going to come so hard in you."
El looked at him, moving her face closer to his. "Do it."
Mike never closed his eyes as he felt the rush, unloading into her, watching her face and her eyes as he did. He felt so close to her then. Before he set her back down he kissed her, so softly, thanking her for being who she was.
They swam back to where their clothes were, climbing out. Mike held El while the water dried from their bodies enough so that their clothes wouldn't be completely soaked when they got dressed. They sat there looking out at the water.
"Want to know a secret?" Mike asked.
"Always."
"I've wanted to do that since we were at the first waterfall. I liked you so much. I was kind of happy we got lost. Only good things have come from it. I only thought about it though. I never imagined you'd feel the same way." Mike squeezed her tighter.
"But I do feel the same way."
"Sometimes I still can't believe that I met you. You're so smart, and so beautiful. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met and you're funny. To top it all off you're a badass superhero. I don't know what I did to deserve you." El, sitting in Mike's lap, rested her head on his shoulder as she listened to him. "I love you more than my imagination will allow. I can't even fathom how far it goes."
"You're so good with words, Mike, but more than that, you make me feel loved. Thank you." El kissed his cheek.
"Do you really like the ring?" Mike asked.
El sat up to look him in the eyes. "Mike, I love this. You're who you are today partly because of the metal in this ring. I love it that you used to pretend with this emerald. I love it that you're so thoughtful and so creative. I love it because you gave it to me and I love you. This ring is so special to me, like you are." She kissed him for real, slowly savoring it, letting her lips linger.
"Are you getting sleepy?" Mike asked when their kiss ended. "I think we're dry enough to get dressed."
"Yes, let's go back."
They put their clothes back on and Mike led the way back to camp. Everyone was asleep and the fire was out. El crawled into the tent first, followed by Mike. Once out of their shoes they snuggled together closely. According to Mike's watch it was 11:00.
"Hey, Mike?" El asked quietly as they lay together in the dark.
"Yes?"
"If you wake up in the night, wake me up too." He felt her face bury into his chest.
"And why is that?"
"Because tent sex with you is sort of on my list of favorite things. 'Night, Mike."
A/N: I absolutely love coming up with gifts that Mike and El can give each other. I think the next chapter will pick up in the middle of this same night. Of course Mike will wake up, he can't deny her anything. I appreciate my readers so much. I hope you're enjoying the story. If it isn't obvious, my favorite Party members to write (besides Mike and El, obviously) are Max and Dustin. They just come easier to me but I'm trying to not leave Lucas and Will out. Thanks again for reading.
