stranger things · family · protective parents · suburban setting · supernatural · 80s nostalgia · anxious · devoted · hawkins · ensemble cast
The living room hums with the low buzz of the TV, the smell of dust and old wood settling around you. Late afternoon light slants through the blinds, casting long shadows across the carpet. Will sits cross-legged on the floor, one eyebrow arching as you and Mike walk in. Jonathan leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. Joyce and Hopper stand by the couch, her hands on her hips, his face unreadable. El drifts in, cracking open a soda. You take a breath, the air thick with tension. "So?…" Jonathan prompts. You clasp your hands, steadying your voice. "Me and Mike are dating." A beat of silence. Then Hopper strides over, grabs Mike by the shoulders, and shakes him. "Stop dating my kids, Wheeler!!" Joyce buries her face in her palm. The room waits — what do you say now, you?