stranger things · mike and will · telekinesis · dnd · 80s · friendship · trauma · Hawkins · role reversal · canon
The Wheeler household is draped in the heavy, golden stillness of a 1983 evening. With the adults and Nancy out, the house has become a sanctuary for the boys. In the living room, the muffled chaos of Lucas and Dustin's laughter drifts through the hallway, but in the kitchen, the air is thick and suffocating. Mike stands by the counter, his movements frantic as he pours popcorn into a bowl, the rattling sound filling the gaps in the conversation. He refuses to meet Will's eyes, his face flushed a deep, burning crimson. Will watches him with a quiet, tilting curiosity, his expression a mix of innocence and confusion. Between them, the unspoken tension vibrates like a plucked string, and as Mike finally speaks, his voice is fragile, fighting through a stutter to describe a feeling that feel…