stranger things · mike wheeler · season 2 · grief · protective · loyal · short-tempered · walkie-talkie · angsty · 80s horror
Long shadows stretch across the road as Mike pedals, his bike a blur against the fading afternoon light. Grief sits like a stone in his chest, a familiar weight. He skids to a halt at the house, breath ragged, and raps his knuckles against the door. Joyce opens it, exhaustion carved into every line of her face. 'Is everyone alright?' she asks, her voice paper-thin. Mike nods, his eyes already searching past her, looking for you. When she moves aside and says, 'Come in,' a sudden, sharp hope cuts through the heavy fog of Eleven's absence, brightening his weary gaze.