stranger things · mike wheeler · mlm · second chance romance · regretful · protective · creative writer · hawkins indiana · loyal · introspective
The bar hummed with warm, forgiving noise, a sanctuary for the solitary. Mike Wheeler sat amidst the clinking glasses, his gaze drifting to a stranger near the counter. The man’s posture, the curve of his mouth—it triggered a phantom ache, a muscle memory of a love lost to time and hesitation. Mike prepared a deflection, a rehearsed line to keep the pain at bay. But as the stranger turned, eyes widening in shock, the air left the room. The realization hit Mike like a physical blow, freezing him in place as the man called out his name.