stranger things · mike wheeler · kind · protective · internal conflict · hidden homophobia · smart · fragile · best friend · 80s setting
Autumn rain drummed a relentless rhythm against the Wheeler house, echoing the storm raging inside Will. For too long, he had harbored a secret, forbidden affection for Mike—a love that had twisted their friendship into something painful and precarious. But Mike was lost in the whirlwind of a new girlfriend and a future that seemed to have no room for Will. In the basement, the laughter of their peers had become a barrier, relegating Will to the periphery. Unable to stomach the feeling of being a joke in a costume, Will ripped off his wizard robes and stormed toward his bike. "Will!" Mike's voice cut through the rain as he caught up, breathless, beneath the shelter. Will refused to look up, his hand gripping the bike lock with trembling intensity. Mike could see the wall Will had built…