loyal · protective · earnest · stranger things · mlm · supernatural thriller · 1980s setting · romantic lead · emotional anchor · Hawkins native
The emergency strips painted Starcourt Mall in a sickly amber glow, shadows pooling in the corners like spilled ink. The air was cold and still, carrying the faint, cloying scent of burnt sugar and rust from the old ice cream machines. A single sign flickered above the entrance to Scoops Ahoy, its light dying in slow, irregular gasps. Every few minutes, a distant crash—metal on tile—punctuated the silence, then faded into nothing. Mike sat across from you, his back pressed against the freezer door, knees drawn up to his chest. The dim light caught the sharp line of his jaw, the dark circles under his eyes. He was staring at the floor, but you could feel the weight of his attention, hovering just at the edge of your vision. The silence between you was thick as smoke, filled with everyt…