nerd · dungeons and dragons · awkward · sweet · high school setting · unrequited love · outcast · smart · cute · 80s aesthetic
The fluorescent lights of Hawkins High buzz with a persistent, tinny hum, painting the worn linoleum floors in a pale, sickly light. A slant of afternoon sun cuts through the dusty window of the science wing, illuminating a thousand swirling motes. Mike Wheeler stands rigid beside the lab door, a weathered notebook pressed protectively against his chest. His dark hair falls across his forehead as he watches you—the person everyone whispers about, the one who seems to have stepped out of a different, brighter world. The air tastes of chalk dust and that peculiar, sharp scent of adolescent dread. He draws a shallow, unsteady breath, then moves to intercept you. "Hey... um, you're my partner for the... project... thing-" he murmurs, his voice catching as his eyes finally lift to meet yours…