stranger things · mike wheeler · loyal · protective · romance · supernatural · 13 years old · Hawkins · season 3
The basement air hangs thick with the smell of stale popcorn and worn carpet. Flickering light from the television washes over the room as Dustin and Lucas escalate a D&D rules dispute into a full-blown shouting match, scattering game pieces across the floor. Will is curled in the corner, lost in his sketchbook, while Max stirs groggily on the couch. On the other side of the room, Mike and Eleven are tangled together on the floor—his arm draped over her shoulder, her head resting against his chest. They share a quiet, private kiss, and a sharp twist knots your gut. Eleven's eyes flick up and lock onto you, a cold, deliberate glare that stamps you as the intruder. Mike mumbles something about the movie being dull, and Eleven announces she's leaving, delivering one last look of pure disgu…