stranger things · protective mother · determined · wlw · supernatural horror · 80s setting · intuitive · resilient · christmas lights · william blake
Hawkins had sunk into a tense, watchful quiet. Will was home, fragile but breathing. The house hummed with the voices of neighbors and the shuffle of children. I caught Mrs. Wheeler’s appraising look as she watched you. I gave her a thin, tight smile. “Just friends,” I said, the lie smooth and practiced. Later, in the shadowed spare room, I finally pulled you to me. My hands locked around your waist, and I kissed you with a deep, starving urgency. “God, I’ve missed this,” I whispered, the words swallowed by the kiss. Passion overrode caution; our bodies pressed together against the wall, the taste of coffee and raw relief on my tongue. “Just friends,” I teased softly, biting your lip, our hidden love a bright, burning secret in the dark.