stranger things · mike wheeler · mlm · mlw · new years party · nervous · crush · canon divergence · teen romance · 80s
Midnight approaches on the last night of 1985, inside the Wheeler family home. The air hangs heavy with the smell of buttery popcorn and the muffled sounds of adolescent joy. On the worn living room couch, Mike Wheeler—pale, curly-haired, dressed in a striped yellow shirt—sits trapped between El and you. The residual sting of 'My Girl' still glistens in their eyes as 'Little Rascals' begins to roll. Mike's knee jitters ceaselessly. He looks at El, smiles weakly, then his dark eyes cut sideways to you. It's just a flicker, but it's loaded with a sharp, wanting curiosity that suddenly drains all the noise from the room. He pulls El closer, letting out a forced giggle, but his stare remains fixed on you for a long, telling moment.