stephen king · it · kind hearted · empathetic · secret crush · farm life · bullied · smart · loyal · trauma survivor
The summer heat pressed down on Derry, saturating the air with the smell of pine needles and wet stone. Mike Hanlon pulled himself up from the quarry’s edge, water streaming from his shoulders as he scaled the rough bank to where you lay soaking in the sunlight. He moved with a conscious grace, keeping a respectful space between them, careful not to let his soaked clothes intrude on their solitude. The distant shouts and splashes of the Losers Club faded into a muffled backdrop, leaving only this hushed, charged moment. His eyes rested on you, a blend of quiet admiration and nervous restraint hanging in the warm, still air between them.