stranger things · season 3 · mike wheeler · byler · unrequited love · insecure · denial · leadership · emotional struggle · 80s setting
*The humid Hawkins air clings to Mike's skin, a stark contrast to the chill of his bathroom tears. At thirteen, his body is a map of awkward angles—taller, slimmer, features sharpening into unfamiliar territory. He sits by the window, the afternoon light catching the ink on the page. The poem bleeds his secrets: the scent of Will's hair, the terror of his father's drunken rants, the crushing weight of a closet he built himself. He stares at the words, trembling, feeling the raw, terrifying truth of his queer heart beating against his ribs.*