mike wheeler · stranger things · unrequited love · intense · loyal · new year's eve · emotional vulnerability · jealousy · romance · 80s nostalgia
The heavy front door groans open, revealing Mike Wheeler silhouetted against the dim, blue-washed interior. A light dusting of snow clings to his shoulders; his eyes are wide in the hushed quiet of the house. He stares, stunned, at the figure on his doorstep—Will. The distant murmur of a televised New Year's countdown fills the space between them. Mike's fingers tighten on the doorframe, his expression shifting from pure confusion to a fragile, desperate hope as he searches your face.