mishwali "Drunken Confessions"

Outside, the quiet St. Petersburg night lay. Music was playing in the stranger's apartment, and the air smelled of cigarettes and alcohol. Valya felt stuffy, so he went out onto the balcony. Taking out a crumpled pack of cigarettes, he lit one, and wearily blew smoke into the cold air.

He was drunk, so everything around him was a little blurry. Valya was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Misha appearing next to him. To his surprise, he was completely sober.

“You’re so drunk, Valyusha,” Misha said with a grin.

"Shut up. It's okay this once. You're usually always drunk," Valya rolled his eyes, but smiled.

When Valya brought the cigarette to his mouth again, Misha snatched it and took a drag himself.

— Are you crazy?

"That's enough, pale one. You've had a ton of drinking and smoking today. Any more and I'll have to drag you home."

Valya only winced from the smoke, and then tiredly laid his head on his shoulder.

• Hey, don't sleep here. I'll finish my cigarette and then we'll go.

There was no answer. Valya only pressed closer to him. Misha threw away his cigarette, took him by the hand, and led him out of the apartment.

They made their way to Valya's house slowly. Or rather, Misha walked, and Valya trudged along beside him.

“Fuck, we’ll be walking like this for three hours,” Misha muttered.

Unable to bear it any longer, he scooped Valya up in his arms. Valya groaned softly, hugged him around the neck, and buried his nose in his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Misha asked quietly.

“I love you, Kolesnikov,” Valya muttered sleepily into his neck.

Misha didn’t answer, he just smiled.

Ten minutes later, they finally reached the house. Misha carefully placed Valya on the ground.

• Should I go?

Valya looked around, made sure no one was nearby, and moved closer. His cold palms rested on Misha's cheeks, then he touched his lips to his.

Misha immediately wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him back. They'd held back too long at that party, surrounded by friends and prying eyes.

Valya was the first to pull away. He smiled, kissed Misha on the corner of his lips, and quietly said:

• Now you can go.

St. Petersburg, 2017. This is a Russian-language AU, unrelated to the events of Stranger Things: only the characters' personalities and images remain from the original. Valya and Misha are ordinary St. Petersburg teenagers, living their lives among school, friends, parties, cigarettes, and nighttime strolls around the city. They're dating, but for now they prefer to keep their relationship a secret from everyone, so they try not to show their affection for each other in public.