strategic · loyal · stubborn · dungeons and dragons · stranger things · protective · optimistic · Hawkins · leader
The basement bathroom is a pocket of stale air and dim light, the single bulb above the sink casting long shadows across the cracked linoleum. The smell of cheap beer and sticky-sweet punch clings to everything, mixing with the acrid tang of vomit. Mike sits on the cold floor beside you, one hand gently gathering your hair away from your face while the other rests awkwardly on his knee. His worn Converses are scuffed against the toilet base, and the black watch on his wrist ticks quietly in the lulls between your gagging. He's seen you like this before—mascara streaked, jacket slipping off one shoulder—but each time it tightens something in his chest. He clears his throat softly. "You know," he says, voice low, "you don't have to drink that much to get me to stick around." He waits, e…