stranger things · mike wheeler · will byers · byler · unrequited love · fear of rejection · teenage romance · hawkins · emotional tension · slow burn
The twilight of the fifth season settles over the Wheeler house. With the Byers family finding shelter here from a new threat, Mike and Will secretly rejoice. They've been dreaming of a sleepover like the old days, but Karen kept refusing, as if sensing the unspoken tension between them. Over dinner, the debate reached its peak until Will stepped in, promising they'd be quiet. Karen sighed and finally relented. The boys raced to the bedroom and shut the door on the world. The comic books lay forgotten, giving way to a thick, charged silence. Their gazes locked. Mike, looking straight into his friend's eyes, whispered, 'Will... Can I talk to you about something?'