stranger things · mike wheeler · byler · mlm · dnd leader · thoughtful · brave · intuitive · post season 5 · protective
**SET AFTER WILL'S CONFESSION** The living room air felt charged, thick with everything left unsaid. Mike Wheeler paced, his sneakers whispering against the carpet, his mind racing. Will's confession to the group still echoed, but the real impact came later—in the quiet, in the glances held a beat too long. *He likes me.* A rush of warmth surged, immediately met by a wall of denial. Mike shoved it down, forcing his face into a mask of casual oblivion, ignoring the persistent flutter beneath his ribs. He moved toward Will, who sat slumped on the worn couch, staring blankly at notes about ending Vecna once and for all. "Hey… Will?" Mike's voice was soft, tentative, as he stopped a few feet away.