Smut warning: This story contains it. Don't like, don't read.

How much? Don't know, this is the first time I've ever tried writing smut. How explicit? Not sure, see question one.

Mike Wheeler was in a foul mood. It was a Friday, at the end of July - peak summer vacation - and he was stuck in Hawkins by himself. Dustin was spending the summer as a camp counselor. Lucas was off at a training retreat with the football team. Will wasn't due to come visit for another few weeks; right now, he was spending time down in Indianapolis with his dad. While Mike was happy for Will, that Lonni decided to actually take more of an interest in his son's life after the disappearance, at the moment it was just one more person missing from his life.

The worst was El. This was the second summer now, since Joyce had moved her along with the rest of the Byers family and they had come to terms with the distance. It seemed to be the defining characteristic of their relationship, spending more time separated than together. This summer was supposed to be different, though. Right now, El was up in Chicago for a month at a creative writing summer class. They had both applied to the program, thinking it would mean a chance to be together, on their own, for a good chunk of the summer. Mike had been crushed when his application had been rejected, on the grounds that the selection committee felt he leaned to heavily on science fiction and fantasy, and were of the opinion that those genres have no place in modern literature. El had offered to give up her place in the program as well, but Mike had refused to let her pass up the opportunity. The fact that she had made it into the competitive program, when only a few years earlier her vocabulary had consisted of one-word phrases, was nothing short of incredible. While it had been yet another painful blow, she was coming to visit as soon as the program was done and he knew down to the hour when she would be back.

The only other member of the Party left in town was Max, but he hadn't reached out to her yet. Mike was sure she was probably just as bored as he was, but he still felt weird about trying to get together with her to hang out. Once El had been back in his life after her year in hiding, he had realized how stupid and unfair his grudge against Max had been, and promptly dropped it. He had accepted her willingly into the Party, agreeing that anyone who faced down a demogorgon was a member for life. Then, he blew their newfound truce all to pieces again, when they fought over what was too much to ask of El, and how his relationship with her should be handled. They had come to an understanding afterward, and she had been instrumental in helping patch things up with El, but things always felt tense. He was friendly with her when everyone else was around, but somehow his guilt over the way he had handled things left him awkward and tongue-tied when there was a moment just the two of them.

Mike looked up at the clock, and was surprised to realize how late it was already. It was only a few minutes before 7:00, and he knew El would be calling soon, as she had every night since she left. He headed up to his room and closed the door, locking it behind him for some privacy. Holly was playing down in the basement, and his parents were parked in front of the television down in the living room, so he had the whole upstairs to himself for now. Mike sat down on his bed to wait, knowing any second now he would feel her enter his mind as she reached out to him through the void.

"Mike?" she whispered, her voice ringing clearly in his head.

"El!" he smiled back. "I missed you."

Before she left for Chicago, they had talked about how best to keep in touch through the summer. The radios would reach alright, but they gave no privacy. Long-distance phone calls would have quickly eaten through what little birthday and holiday money they had saved up, and El liked to be able to see Mike when she talked to him. While it had taken months for her powers to finally return, there was a comforting familiarity in using them to contact Mike, and it made her feel just a little less homesick. While that benefit was one-sided, Mike still relished in the feeling of her presence, not as good as her actually being in the room with him, but a close second.

"How were classes today?" Mike asked, always loving how excited she would get describing the program and all the work she was doing.

She spent the next few minutes describing the day's lessons, and laying out her ideas for the short story she was assigned to write over the weekend. She had a good start, but was still looking at spending all of Saturday, and probably Sunday morning, getting a first draft together and then Sunday afternoon in the library typing it up at one of the word processors.

"How about you?" she asked, a touch of concern in her voice. "How are you doing?"

She knew the separation was always hardest over the summer, with no school to distract them. That was now compounded with the disappointment of not making it into the program, when he had been the one to find it and propose the idea in the first place. Given the fact that pretty much everyone else was gone too, she was feeling just a little guilty.

"It's alright," he said, quite unconvincingly. "I took Holly to the pool today. And I went for a run out to the quarry and back."

"Have you hung out with Max at all?" she asked, already knowing the answer but trying to broach the subject. "She's just as bored with everyone gone."

Mike gave a puzzled 'are you serious?' look.

"I'm serious, Mike. With everyone else gone, you guys should hang out. Ask her to a movie or something."

"Isn't that kind of weird?" Mike asked. "Like, if it's only the two of us...I don't know...that feels like I'm cheating on you or something."

El sighed at how cute, thoughtful, and all around dumb her boyfriend could be sometimes.

"Mike," she teased. "It's not cheating if I know about it, especially if I'm the one telling you to do it. It's just to friends who are trying to not be alone for a few hours."

"I don't know, it still feels odd, somehow."

She could see on his face the real reason for his hesitation. It had only taken her a day after first meeting, to put aside her mistaken feelings about Max and accept her as the girl who had quickly become her best-friend. Mike, on the other hand, still carried around guilt about how he had treated her those first few days, and still hadn't figured out quite how to make amends for it. Then, a year later, the two of them had fought bitterly over how El and her powers should be treated. She forgave both of them right away, recognizing that they each wanted what was best for her. Again, things had been fine with Max right away, while Mike carried even more guilt.

"Mike, I understand. I do. Maybe this would be a chance for you guys to work things out. Without the rest of us there, you guys could actually talk things through. I would love it if my boyfriend and my best-friend were more comfortable around each other."

El stepped forward through the void and settled down next to Mike on his bed, putting an arm around him. He soaked up the feeling, one he could never fully describe. When she made contact with him through her mind, wherever she touched felt warm, soft, and almost electrically charged. He sighed and leaned into her, suddenly missing her in a more physical sense. The night before she went home, after visiting at Spring break, El had snuck over from Max's house to be with him. They had made love, slow and gentle - not their first time, but perhaps their most intense - and then held each other for hours before she had to sneak back. Remembering it now, he felt a familiar stiffening in his boxers, tenting out the loose shorts he was wearing.

"She could probably help you out with that, too." El offered, placing a hand on his growing shaft and feeling the heat across the distance, as Mike felt the sudden appearance of her touch.

"Okay, now I KNOW you're joking," Mike laughed. "How would that not be cheating on you?"

El had to admit to herself, not for the first time, that she probably had unusual opinions about relationships. She had already hit puberty before she was even aware of boys and girls and the complicated relationships that wove between them. She had formed the ideas that felt logical to herself, without the influence of a childhood full of preconceived notions.

"Because I don't think it would be." she offered gently, knowing he didn't yet see it from her perspective. "If it were just some random girl you met, or you were going around doing it in secret, then yes, that would be cheating. But she's your friend, and my best-friend. We've all been through a lot together. And I know, if something were to happen between the two of you, you're not going to suddenly fall in love with her; you're not going to leave me for her. And when the two of us are back together, it's not something that will keep happening. I'm horny all the time, so I know you are too. Taking care of your needs all by yourself can only do so much. Believe me, I know," she giggled. "But if two friends get lonely, and need to help each other out a bit, I really don't think it's a problem."

Mike looked up, stunned by both the offer his girlfriend was making, and the unbelievable amount of sense it made. He wasn't sure it was something he wanted - he'd never even really allowed himself to think about Max in that way, and she probably wouldn't be interested in him anyway - but he realized maybe it wasn't a terrible idea. Suddenly, another thought came to mind, and El could practically read the question on his face.

"No, Mike," she laughed. "I don't have a friend here or back home that I've been messing around with. Like I said, if it was some random stranger, someone you didn't know and trust, and especially if we hadn't discussed it first, that would definitely be cheating. I've been taking care of myself, just like I'm sure you have."

Mike blushed at the knowing accusation. Of course he had, sometimes twice a day, whenever they were apart. Like usual, he was probably going to masturbate as soon as she broke the connection for the night.

"Besides," she continued. "Most of the guys in the program are pretentious assholes who think they're about to write the next great American novel and change the face of literature. The stuff you write for a D&D campaign in an afternoon is better than most of the stuff they've been presenting here."

Mike blushed at the complement, affirming that his exclusion from the program had been about politics and opinion rather than ability.

"But seriously, Mike. Think about it, really. I don't just mean the sex stuff, I mean even just hanging out. I think it would do you both a lot of good to get together and clear the air, and not just be moping around alone. Take her to a movie, or dinner, or just go for a walk or something. And if you guys somehow wind up fooling around, enjoy yourselves; get the relief you need."

"...and then you can tell me all about it when I get home," she added, her voice taking on a more suggestive tone.

El had to admit, she had only been making the offer to help Mike and Max not feel quite so alone and frustrated while everyone was gone. But as she laid out the idea, she had found herself somehow growing excited at the idea that she was pushing Mike, temporarily, into another girl's arms. A familiar tingling heat grew between her legs.

"Mike, are you alone right now?" El asked, unable to take in the surroundings beyond his bedroom.

"Yeah. I mean, my parents and Holly are home, but they're all downstairs. And even if they come up, my door is locked. Why?"

"I have something I want to try. I don't know if it will work, but will you find out with me?"

"Of course," Mike agreed, wondering just where she might be going with this sudden shift in the conversation.

"I'm going to go, just for a minute, and then I'll be back. Wait right here," she instructed.

Mike felt her presence fade out of his mind, leaving an empty hole in its wake. Normally, her departure left him feeling hollow, counting down the hours until she would visit again. This time, he sat in nervous anticipation, knowing she was coming right back. In less than a minute, he felt her there again, filling his head with warmth and light.

Unexpectedly, he felt the warm electric tingle of her lips on his, soft at first then increasing in intensity. She was right, it was something they had never tried before, but the feeling was indescribable.

"So far, so good," El breathed when they separated. "Now, I know you can't see me, and I'm sorry about that, but you need to know that I'm naked right now. Will you get naked with me?"

In reply, Mike immediately started pulling off his shirt.

"Whoa, slow down," El laughed, placing a gentle hand on Mike's shoulder. "Take your time."

Deciding he would have a little fun with this, Mike stood and then pointed back to his spot on the bed.

"Sit," he instructed, with no way of knowing if she actually did or not.

He then proceeded to give her a sexy little strip-tease, slowly lifting and discarding his shirt. His shorts came next, dropping them in as graceful a manner as he could, and suddenly wishing he had been wearing his tear-away track pants instead for dramatic effect, but it was way too hot for those. Finally, he turned his back to the bed, pushing at the waistband of his boxers and letting them fall to the floor. He waited a beat before turning back around, his cock hard and on full display.

El could feel a pulse between her legs as she took in the sight. Sure, she had seen it plenty of times before, but somehow it all felt new again watching him like this through the void.

She scooted to the side on the bed, though it wasn't completely necessary, and ordered him to take a seat again. She was going to have to talk him through this next part, and it would be easier if he was in one spot.

"Okay, now put your hand out," she instructed. "A little higher, palm toward the wall. Good. Now, move it forward slowly, until you feel me."

She waited, sitting very still, until his hand made contact. She knew how the touch felt to him - he had described it to her plenty - but to her, it felt nearly the same as if he were right there with her. Maybe it felt more natural to her, because all of this was happening inside her head. The feeling was electric when he made contact, and she felt a fluttering in her stomach.

"There you go," she said. "Your hand is on my chest. Feel a little to the left, and right, I think you'll find what your looking for."

Mike grinned, finally realizing where she was going with all this. He traced his fingers lightly one direction and the other, delicately feeling the contours of her breasts as he oriented himself with the familiar landscape. He had to move slow and carefully, or his hand would pass through where she was sitting, and he would loose the feeling of contact again. His light touch only drove El more wild as each gentle brush shot another tingle up and down her spine. Suddenly, familiar with where he was, Mike leaned forward and swirled his tongue, slow and deliberate around one nipple as he gently rolled the other between two fingers. Her sopping pussy gave a twinge as she moaned his name.

"Lay back," she ordered, moving things forward before she was too far gone.

Mike complied, completely at her mercy since he couldn't see her. For a moment, he felt nothing, then, the tingling warmth wrapped around his straining cock. He had no idea how any of this was even possible, but he didn't really care. Though she could touch, but not really interact with him, she had to be more careful and precise in her movements. All the same, Mike could distinctly feel her lips wrapping his shaft, slowly raising and lowering along the length, and the warm contact of her tongue as she swirled it around the head. He leaned back and closed his eyes, reveling in the warm, tingling feeling she was inducing; it was different, to say the least, but felt amazing none the less.

She stopped for just a moment, and he could feel her making contact across his body as she shifted around. She came to rest laying on top of him, an unknown part now settled just beyond his mouth. He felt around gently, trying to orient himself, as the sensations from her lips started again, working over his cock with a renewed enthusiasm.

Realizing now how they were situated, Mike carefully pressed his tongue forward, letting the warm feeling of contact guide him through a familiar landscape, He began to lap with long, slow strokes, around her delicate folds, and then probed deeper, hitting her most sensitive spot. He felt her moan around his cock, more audible than usual since her mouth wasn't actually full.

El began to get lost in the feeling, her mind passing back and forth between three places at once. One moment, she was right there with Mike, aware more of his room than the void. Next she would be in the void, Mike temporarily gone, as she knelt with the warm waves lapping around her knees. Her pussy was on fire, yearning for release and it was all she could do to keep her mind focused. Once or twice, she tumbled back into her own dorm, kneeling on the soft sheets on her bed. With each drop, she would quickly pull her mind all the way back to Mike, the sensations resuming.

Her breath was coming rapid and shallow, Mike's picking up speed as well. Despite not being able to see her, Mike kept his practiced tongue working her over in just the right places. His hips flexed with a mind of their own, his peak drawing near.

"El, I'm about to cum," Mike warned out of habit, though he realized it didn't much matter doing it this way.

"Mmmm," El moaned, gathering her breath to try again. "Me too."

A few more swirls of her tongue, and Mike couldn't hold back any longer.

"Mmm. El." he moaned as he came hard, firing off three thick ropes of cum, as she continued to work her lips over the shaft.

Her body stiffened and her breath caught as her own orgasm hit, pushed over by the erotic sight of bringing Mike over the edge.

"Mike," she whimpered, trying desperately to hold her hips still so his tongue could work its magic. As badly as she wanted to grind her pussy down against his eager mouth, she knew that would break the connection he had. Her breath came in quick gasps as things began to subside, feeling the warm juices running down her thighs.

"El, that was. Wow." Mike finally said, at a loss for words at the nearly spiritual twist she had put on their intimacy.

"Mmm hmm," El agreed, still trying to find her voice.

She turned around again and settled on her side next to Mike, making as much contact as she could manage. The feeling had been incredible, and brought some much needed relief, better than taking care of herself. But at the same time, she found herself missing Mike even more. As much as she loved the thousand little ways they had discovered to pleasure each other, it was the way he would hold her afterwards that she sometimes needed the most. Wrapped up in Mike's arms left her feeling warm and safe in a way nothing else could, and it was a feeling she still needed after all this time free from the lab, to drive away the fear of ever winding up back there.

Still, she reminded herself, she was already at the halfway point in the program, and she would be back with him in two more weeks. They had survived for years, mostly apart; she could make it fourteen more days.

"I should go," she finally whispered. "I still want to get a few pages written before bed, tonight."

"Okay," Mike agreed reluctantly. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she said, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Think about what I said, about Max I mean."

"I will. Goodnight El. I love you."

"I love you too, Mike."

She pressed her lips to his and held on a few seconds longer, before letting the connection fade as her mind tumbled back to her dorm. She looked down at her sheets, a tangled disarray, and decided she didn't feel like straightening them out. Instead, she laid her head back on her pillow, a calm and satisfied smile on her face. It wasn't the same as in person, but she was certain they would be doing it again before she was home. Maybe even after, on nights she couldn't sneak out from Max's to see him. And certainly once she was back home with the Byers.