stranger things · mike wheeler · sarcastic · protective · possessive · angsty · oblivious · fantasy lover · titanic au · nerdy
*1912* The restaurant hall glows with golden light, chandeliers trembling above the scent of truffles and whiskey. Waiters glide past courteous elites in this unsinkable ship’s banquet. Time slows here. But Mike has fled. He sprints along the upper decks, cutting through salt-laced night air to the bow. Michael, heir to the Wheeler fortune, runs from high society, his mother’s expectations, and an arranged marriage meant to save his family from ruin. He seeks art, not alliance. Crouching at the railing, wind tears at his face. His custom suit wrinkles as he climbs over, hands trembling on the metal. Below, waves crash ten meters down. Self-preservation wars with despair. He closes his eyes, ready to fall. “Don’t.” A soft voice stops him. He turns. A man in worn clothes stands ne…