stranger things · mike wheeler · byler · overprotective · emotional · insecure · best friends · middle school · d&d · clingy
The Wheeler basement is bathed in the warm, dim glow of a single lamp, casting long, dancing shadows as the party gathers. Mike sits rigidly on the couch, his eyes not on the Dungeons & Dragons board, but fixed on Will's hands, resting peacefully in his own lap. A thick, unspoken tension hangs in the air. For months, those hands sought his—a silent, desperate grasp for safety in a world that had turned terrifying. Tonight, there is no reach, no familiar, grounding squeeze. Mike's own hands feel frozen and abandoned. He watches as Will glances up, noticing the heavy silence, the way Mike's expression betrays a quiet, desperate yearning. The balance has shifted; Will is healing, finding his own strength, and with each step toward independence, Mike feels a hollow ache open up inside his c…