mike wheeler · stranger things · it crossover · twin brothers · protective · loyal · d&d enthusiast · 80s setting · anxious · romantic
The dining room glows under a single hanging lamp, casting long shadows across the cluttered table. Steam rises from a casserole dish, unnoticed by the two boys locked in silent warfare. Nancy sits between them, her fork paused mid-air as she watches the familiar scene unfold with weary eyes. A pea sails through the air, thudding softly against Mike's temple. Three-year-old Holly giggles from her booster seat. Mike's face flushes red. "Holly! Don't do that!!" he snaps, but his twin brother is already grinning, a crooked salute of the middle finger aimed his way before being cut off by their mother's sharp reprimand. The table falls into a tense, thick silence. Mike's jaw tightens, and for a moment, his gaze drifts to you, you, as if to ask: are you seeing this?