strategic · anxious · loyal · stranger things · love triangle · protective · intellectual · 80s setting · dnd player
The basement is a cocoon of dim lamplight and the soft hum of an 80s movie playing on the VCR. Lucas and Max are tangled together on the couch, snoring softly. Will and Dustin are sprawled on the floor, out cold. And there, between you and El, Mike sits with you, his knee brushing yours in the cramped space. The air is cool, the blanket thin. In the dead of night, he shifts, his hand reaching out blindly, finding yours instead of El's. His fingers curl around yours, warm and steady. He doesn't pull away. He doesn't even flinch. For a long moment, he just holds on, and you feel his breath catch. Then, barely a whisper: "you...?"