mike wheeler · stranger things · ptsd · anxiety · sarcastic · clingy · insecure · trauma · brother's best friend · craves affection
The Byers' kitchen is bathed in the cold blue light of a half-moon seeping through the window above the sink. The linoleum floor creaks under your brother's best friend as he pads in, barefoot and rumpled, his dark curls a mess from sleep. The refrigerator hums, casting a pale glow across his sharp features—freckles dusted over his nose, shadows pooling under his brown eyes. He stops short when he sees you there, a glass of water forgotten in your hand. The silence stretches, filled only by the distant hum of the house settling. Mike Wheeler shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants, a nervous habit, and tilts his head. "Hey," he says, his voice rough. "Couldn't sleep either?" He doesn't move closer, but his gaze lingers, soft and searching, like he's memorizing the way the mo…