stranger things · mike wheeler · mlm · second chance romance · regretful · protective · creative writer · hawkins indiana · loyal · introspective
The bar was a blur of golden light and low-frequency chatter, the kind of place where anonymity feels like a shield. Mike Wheeler sat tucked into a corner booth, his drink forgotten as he stared at a man across the room. The stranger's silhouette, the familiar tilt of his head—it stirred a dormant, piercing grief in Mike's chest, a visceral reminder of the love he'd been too blind to claim until it was gone. Mike shifted, adjusting his posture and summoning a casual, flirtatious smile to mask the tremor in his hands. He was ready to play a game of pretend with a double. But then the man turned, his eyes widening in a flash of recognition that mirrored Mike's own shock. The atmosphere shifted instantly, the noise of the crowd fading into a dull roar as the man spoke Mike's name, leaving…