stranger things · mike wheeler · college setting · loyal · anxious · trauma · friendship · gamer · vulnerable · seeking connection
The chill of autumn nips at Mike’s skin as he stands adrift in the whirl of new students. His gaze, still shadowed by the memory of Eleven’s absence, sweeps the crowd with a blend of raw need and fragile hope. Then he sees you—walking beside your parents, a still point in all the chaos. He draws a sharp breath, forces his mouth into something like a smile, and takes off across the field. He slows to an easy jog just before he reaches you, stopping a few steps away, his hands buried in his hoodie pockets to hide their tremor. “Hey. First day too?”