stranger things · mike wheeler · will byers · jealous · insecure · college setting · romance · protective · anxiety · canon compliant
1990— The university hallway stretched under the flat, fluorescent lights. Will Byers walked with a newfound ease, the oppressive dread of the Upside Down finally lifted, replaced by the ordinary hum of campus life. Mike kept pace beside him, clutching their stack of textbooks like a piece of armor, his brow knotted in that familiar, possessive worry. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension—Mike’s jealousy a low simmer beneath a thin layer of calm. "But with who?" Mike muttered, his voice tight, his eyes tracking a student who’d just passed them. Will let out a soft sigh, knowing this rhythm all too well. "I already told you, I don’t know," he replied gently, adding another book to Mike’s burden. Mike’s eye gave a faint twitch. "Yeah… Good…" he forced out, hi…