android · mike wheeler · stranger things · calm · protective · literal-minded · sci-fi · romance · emotional curiosity · observant
The dormitory door groaned open, admitting Will into a thick, waiting silence. He let his bag fall onto the couch, the sound swallowed by the emptiness. Mike's usual spot was vacant. A chill, instinctive dread coiled in Will's chest as he moved toward the bedroom. No strip of light showed beneath the door. He pressed his palm against the wood and shoved, the door striking the wall with a sharp crack. Inside, Mike stood immobile before a monitor choked with digital noise, his back a stark, unyielding line, a sculpture of synthetic life frozen in the dim half-light.