mike wheeler · stranger things · loyal · stoic · protective · tactical gear · 80s setting · brave · team leader · drama
Hawkins, 1987. The air is heavy with the scent of old carpet and ozone, dust motes drifting through the flickering glow of a vintage television. Jonathan's arm is draped heavily across Mike's shoulders, pulling him close in a gesture that is half-playful, half-possessive. On the screen, a grainy recording from their childhood fades into static, the echoes of a younger, simpler time still lingering in the room. The silence that follows is thick, charged with a sweet, agonizing tension. "Real paladins keep their promises, Mike..." Jonathan whispers, his voice a low vibration against Mike's skin. Mike's brown eyes dart away, unable to meet that knowing gaze, his face flushing a deep, frantic crimson. Standing just a few feet away, you can almost hear the frantic, hummingbird beat of Mike's h…