#waiting on that morning sun 💀 [v. until dawn]

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@actiongrrl is probably going to regret this.

"Hold on, I'll get the antiseptic. This might sting a bit."

ㅤ"Fuuuuuck." If he was being honest, Mike wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or be especially pissed about the fact that he’d survived actual monsters from some kind of nightmare in some of the creepiest places he’d ever been in, yet somehow some little asshole terrier had managed to ruin his day. It just seemed like the experiences and the points he’d taken in badassery should have prepared him to avoid little shits like that, but it really wasn’t like he’d expected trouble in the dog park in broad daylight. “I’ll live, could be worse,” he offered, putting on a smile like it was totally nothing despite them both knowing it was absolutely something.

ㅤWolfie was on the floor next to the dining room chair he was sat in, furry bulk pressed up against his leg despite laying down and at least pretending to look like he was chilling out - the pressure he was exerting against Mike's calf said otherwise, but he got it. The wolf dog had been incredibly well-behaved despite that little demon thing rushing him, yapping and growling and not on a leash. Wolfie had growled and raised his hackles in warning, but as soon as Mike had told him no, Wolfie had stepped back and Mike thought him stepping into the little dog's way would provide a physical barrier; it didn't, and instead he found himself ducking to catch the little dog in mid-leap - predominantly with his left hand because the angle was awkward, and then he'd gotten little teeth clamped down over the meat of his thumb and hand for his efforts. Wolfie had been extremely opposed to this development and the snarling at the threat that would attack Mike had been scarier than Mike would have liked, given how scary the dog already looked, but that little shit would have been a snack for Wolfie if he'd actually tried.

ㅤ"I really don't get how people don't know that their nasty small dogs are a problem off the leash when they're literally rushing other dogs and people," he complained, like that would cover up the problem that was incoming in the form of peeling bandages away from his ruined fingers to check on the still healing wounds. Everything else was doing well enough that most of the colors were gone from his bruises and the bandage jobs on the clawmarks had been slowly shrinking as the edge areas that weren't as deep didn't need to be covered, but his hand was the worst of it. They were bleeding again, because jamming them into a scrabbling little shitstorm of a body hadn't been his best idea. "You know you don't have to do this, I can get it. It's gross as fuck."

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@actiongrrl could do it, we believe in her.

"if i had a week i couldn't list all the reasons that wouldn't work."

ㅤ"Okay, first of all, don't cut yourself short because we both know you could list at least half of them in a single frustrated sentence right now if you tried," he pointed out, which was not helpful and he knew it even before it said it, but it was delivered with a soft, easy smile and tilt of his head, fond as all hell despite the fact that she was very adamantly telling him he was wrong and probably kind of dumb. "But, second, everyone's talking and showing up at a party isn't the worst way to spend a Friday night. It might kill some of the novelty factor about us if we're actually, you know, seen in public."

ㅤWas it possible that it would be a catastrophe? Sure. For as social as he'd been all his life, he'd been strangely opposed to being in groups of people he'd considered friends before, even if they weren't close. It was a weird mindset, watching them all be carefree and stupid, playing jokes and horsing around, getting drunk and getting laid - it was all shit that he'd done and enjoyed, thought he'd still enjoy, and yet something about it chafed. Maybe it was time to rip the bandage off and put on a good show of it, like his mother said. Be seen, maybe have some fun in the process. "What if I promise to leave right away with you, take you right home, if you're having a shit time? I'll play bodyguard, nobody gets to say anything you don't like, it'll be your own personal secret service. You might have fun with it."

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@actiongrrl continued from here because she's a terrible influence!

ㅤMike would have liked to have said that there had been some big plan in mind for Wolfie's name, that he'd thought it out and was making the 'joke' before anyone else could, but the fact of the matter was that he'd referred to the wolf as that in the moment and it had stuck. Better than 'big guy' and 'good boy' all the time, though those also fit, obviously. He had some interesting discussions ahead of him, but he was determined and it wasn't something he had to deal with that day. Night? He had no idea what time it was and given he was a few minutes out from another long nap, he didn't think it mattered.

ㅤ"Looks like I'm not the only one headed for some painkillers," he pointed out, watching her look over her hands and wishing he had the energy to be faux-mad about the 'redneck cousin vibes' she'd just dropped between them, but they were both fading, and the nurse seemed to have super senses about that kind of thing because she was there and ready to move them along. "Good, cause you know, Wolfie would miss you. And I need anything that's going to promote healing, at this rate."

ㅤHe gave her an attempt at the cocky smirk that he was so well known for at that, even a wink, but it was hindered by the bruising, black eye and split lip. Still, he offered up a wave of a bandaged hand almost like a little salute while the nurse approached to likely get Sam settled and then come back for him. "Yes to movie, you can even pick it."

ㅤAs expected, he was gone to the world right after he got the painkillers, but at least it was sweet relief, and so began a cycle of sleep, company and dealing with nurses and doctors that thankfully didn't last more than a few days. There was a surprisingly helpful cop (agent) from the day of their rescue who made friends enough with Wolfie to help with walking him until Mike could get his ass up consistently, and then very likely pulled some strings that Mike wasn't asking about to help with getting Wolfie on a plane with Mike and Sam back to California. From what he'd heard, he was the last one ready to leave and it was mostly his fingers that they were really focusing on at that point. Well, that and the head injuries before he got on a plane - seemed like a good idea.

ㅤGetting through security had seemed like a task, but compared to what he was headed home to, he was okay if it was a circus for a little while. Naturally, his parents had been in touch because he wasn't underage anymore, but he was still a college student living out of the dorms and very clearly not going back to school right away. That meant that he was headed home, and his mother was not going to be happy with the look of him - or his new dog. He almost tried to hitch a ride with Sam and her dad when they met up with the man at the airport, but he pulled a smile and apologized for not shaking hands with a show of bandages (and Wolfie's leash in the least damaged one) and hoped he didn't look as utterly wrecked as he still felt. Then, his own dad was coming out of the crowd waiting by the arrivals area and he leaned in for a quick, gentle hug on Sam and promised he'd talk to her soon.

ㅤSoon didn't come quite fast enough, but he finally made his escape down the street on foot under the pretense of walking Wolfie and just made for an extended trip when he showed up at Sam's house two days after the plane, pulling his sunglasses off to grin at her at the door. "Hey. I was in the neighborhood."

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@secondhandmckie caught him making an escape.

"If you prefer one of them I can always flag 'em down for you--" Molly nodded her head toward the door, tapping ash from the end of her cigarette. "Otherwise you're stuck with me out here for a little bit."

ㅤFinding hidey holes at fancy parties his mother dragged him to had never really been a huge thing for Mike. After all, it was just a party, just a few hours of obnoxious, fake people, and Mike was good at rubbing elbows. People liked him and even if he didn't like or really care about any of the older partygoers, it was still tolerable and his mother was always happy with a good night of schmoozing. It was easy, until it wasn't, and then it really wasn't.

ㅤHe was at the point that he didn't really feel like he did much of anything right for his mom's preferences and her position in society. She was campaigning and her perfect son was a mess despite all of his pretending otherwise, and he honestly wasn't sure he could keep up the charade forever. He felt like he was fraying at the edges, or maybe way past the edges and he was just desperately trying to keep any of these awful people from noticing. The balcony seemed like the best route to attempt catching a moment to brace himself for the next round, so he was understandably a little surprised to find someone out there already when the party was in full swing inside. It was less surprising when it struck him that he was interrupting some poor server's much-needed smoke break like some kind of asshole, but Molly pushed back into full surprise.

ㅤ"If you flag someone down from in there, I'm taking my chances with maybe breaking a leg going over this railing, don't test me," he quipped like it was the most natural thing, making the decision right then to step up to the little half-wall in question. If she'd wanted him to go away, he figured she wouldn't have said he was stuck with her, so he'd take it. He was close enough that the cigarette smoke would likely cling to his clothes, but he didn't exactly care right then as he took in the quiet outside of the party and picked idly at the corner of the bandage on his hand. The way it was turned up a little, he'd clearly been doing it all night with the remaining fingers on that hand, but this was the first time he had full access to it with his other hand. He tilted to look down, considering. "I think I could make it, what do you think?"

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@secondhandmckie sent Jack out of the party.

"Did you want to be alone?" Jack can tell it's not been a very kind evening to him, but he's also not sure if immediately running off the second Mike appears is the best way to handle it, either.

ㅤThe party wasn't a disaster because Mike's mother, the charming and impressive Senator Michelle Munroe, wouldn't accept such a result during such an important and delicate time frame - she was campaigning and her only son was only just making his first few debuts in proper society since the tragedies on Blackwood Mountain, and there was a very fine line to tread between victim and hero that didn't leave room for any kind of acting out. Mike was on his best behavior and he somehow felt like he was suffocating while entirely alone for miles, disconnected from anyone in the room yet on display for the world to see.

ㅤThe questions were expected, just like the whispers and glances and even outright stares he was getting; his mother had specifically coached him on keeping his left hand pocketed or angled in a way that it wasn't incredibly visible if they weren't actively discussing anything that would benefit from having it on display, and he was supposed to stay mindful of when he should flash the injury. The same went for the bandages visible from beneath his collar, which were still required because the claw marks were still uglier beneath the clean white gauze than the gauze itself was with the suit, but he was instructed to keep his left side to the cameras to avoid that view wherever possible. It was constant awareness of his surroundings and movements, and granted, he was already too aware after everything that had happened, but this was something else entirely.

ㅤWhen he hit his limit and slipped away from the crowd for a quiet moment to gather his bearings and talk himself out of calling a taxi to get out of there, or maybe just walking somewhere, he wasn't really expecting anyone to find his quiet corner around the side of the house and the garden. When he jerked his head up at the voice, tense for no good reason before he seemed to 'relax' on purpose, he figured he shouldn't have honestly been surprised - of course Jack Kelley would know the quiet places at these things, maybe better than Mike ever would. Mike couldn't fault him for it, either, though maybe he should start asking for pointers.

ㅤ"Oh, hey man, no, it's cool," he offered, tone much more easy than the initial reaction to sound had been. It was like that split second had never happened, and he offered a little smile that was less like the camera one, or the polite-conversation-while-internally-dying smile he'd been pulling out most of the night, but a little more real, maybe. He released a long breath, leaning back against the wall in the expensive suit he was hating once more and glanced out over the dark for a second before back at Jack. "Am I in your spot? I can go, I just needed a minute."

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@dollhidden left Jess in the mines.

❝get away from me.❞

ㅤIt was colder than Mike had thought he'd ever been and he'd rushed out of the cabin so fast that grabbing the lantern and the gun had been impressive - the coat had been a lost cause. It was for the best because he really couldn't spare the seconds as he jumped over fallen trees, slid under huge branches and busted his ass taking the fast way down slippery rocks and into a ravine that fed into...the mines? Yes, it was the mines. Whatever psychopath had grabbed Jess had dragged her to the mines, and though Mike could still hear her screams, he couldn't see her anymore. He pushed a little harder, his breath coming out in thick puffs of steam against the frigid air and snow falling around him, and dive into the even darker cover. He could hear her still.

ㅤ"JESS?? JESS!" he shouted, breathless, and nearly ate shit slipping on metal stairs, but caught himself on his forearm and ribs and half-slid down the rickety railing to avoid landing on his face or his ass again. He hit the bottom, kept going, and saw her fall. She screamed, so he knew she was at least still alive, but he shouted after her, sprinting to what looked like an ancient elevator. "Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck, Jess? Jess, babe, relax it's just me, fuck, you're not okay," he rambled as he skidded to a halt beside her, glancing up and catching movement. He got the feeling that he'd interrupted, and he didn't know why he thought that, considering the situation, but it was this nagging sense that it could have been so much goddamn worse, and still could be if they waited around.

ㅤ"Honey, we can't stay here, you gotta get up, can you get up?" He'd carry her if he had to, but the way that thing (thing? it was a person, it had to be a person so why did he think 'thing'?) moved had him nervous, like running away just made them targets. Easy pickings. Like that primal, prey feeling when they'd been chased by the bear. Had it even been a bear?

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@humanchewtoy has a point but he's not listening.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤdo you really wanna die here?

ㅤ"Wasn't planning on it," he remarked quietly, tone far too casual for the way Stiles was hissing at him, but it wasn't like Mike advertised the fact that he had a massively traumatic monster experience in his back pocket. It wasn't really a benefit most of the time, but when it came to life or death monster situations, Mike Munroe was a surprisingly good guy to have around. "Listen, I got the gun, I'll go that way. They'll probably see me so when you hear that, you take off, got it?"

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@sleepcrhiit has a lot of nerve being a critic!

ㅤShe really could have had a little shame about how she laughed in his face like that, but he put on a good show of being just a little offended while not actually caring all that much. It wasn't like she had any room to give him a hard time. "Okay, first off, if I told you to 'calm down', you'd get pissed and probably tell me to go suck an egg or something," he told her, pointed look making clear that yes, he knew about that weird ass turn of phrase she'd used because Chris couldn't keep anything quiet. He surveyed the pool deck and specifically, the utter failure of the umbrella that had crashed to the deck and into the pool itself because someone apparently couldn't handle it or wait for help. "Second, I'm not getting that. You dropped it, it's your problem and it can't stay there."

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

@wheelxr doesn't have the time for it all...

"You're a mess. How did you even get into this situation?"

ㅤ"It's a long story but there's a psycho up here with us somewhere and he killed Jess. Also, bonus, bear traps," he offered with an almost casual little wave of his wrapped hand, a little breathless as he glanced around for both doors and potential threats. He was already one explosion into the night and down two fingers, so he wasn't walking into the next one unaware if he could help it. Nancy didn't look bad off, so he was hoping she'd had an okay time so far. "Are you okay? Where's everyone else and what are you doing down here?"

[jesvshotsaucechristmascake]

tag dump!

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