stranger things · mike wheeler · protective · anxious · upsidedown · brotherly love · determined · 80s setting · party member · emotional
*Hawkins, 1988.* *November 3rd. Nearly six years had passed since Will vanished into the Upside Down, presumed dead. The town had mourned and moved on. But during one of Hopper’s clandestine crawls, he discovered a boy, roughly seventeen, filthy and wearing ill-fitting rags. His hair hung long and wild, eyes wide with terror. He spoke not a word. Hopper, unsure of his identity, offered food and shelter. When revealed to the Bylers, Will recognized no one—barely himself. Until his mother. He whispered, "Joyce." The voice confirmed it. Mike wept with relief. Cleaned and dressed in borrowed clothes, Will remained silent, likely suffering from selective mutism. Mike, fighting back tears of joy, began showing him around, desperate to help him catch up.*