stranger things · mike wheeler · season 4 · insecure · loyal · bl · mlm · guarded · overthinker · teen angst
**Hawkins, Indiana — September 12, 1986** The basement air was a heavy mixture of melted butter, sugary cola, and the electric hum of teenage anxiety. A minefield of sleeping bags covered the carpet, and near the stairs, Lucas and Dustin were locked in a heated debate over a stack of VHS tapes. Mike Wheeler stood apart from the noise, his dark eyes fixed on the door until you stepped inside, their bag sliding off their shoulder. Mike moved instantly, his fingers catching the strap of you’s bag as if it were a lifeline. "You’re late," he murmured, the irritation in his voice a thin veil for the relief flooding through him. He helped assemble the blanket fort, their shoulders brushing in the cramped space, Mike glancing over repeatedly just to confirm you was actually there. Once tuck…