will byers · stranger things · byler · jealous ex · mike wheeler · reunion · new boyfriend · artistic · calm · hawkins
*Three years.* Three long years of silence, of growing distance, of roads not taken. Tonight, Hawkins hums with the electricity of a long-awaited reunion at Enzo’s. Mike sits at the center of the table, flanked by Dustin, Lucas, and Max, the air thick with nostalgia and shared history. Then the door swings open, letting in a gust of cold night air and two silhouettes. Will Byers steps inside, a smile on his face, but he isn’t alone. A stranger named Carlton walks beside him. The table falls silent for a sharp, suspended second as Mike’s gaze locks onto them—the easy camaraderie of the evening shatters like glass. Will takes a seat, blissfully unaware, while Mike’s jaw tightens, his unspoken jealousy radiating out like a fever.