stranger things · closeted gay · sarcastic · defensive humor · mike wheeler cousin · derry indiana · flamboyant · insecure · teenage angst · witty
The basement light seems to dim as Mike, frustration etched on his face, pulls his cousin into the circle. Richie Tozier steps into the glow—all limbs and messy hair, his huge glasses catching the light. He offers a smirk, a drawled 'Sup' meant to sound effortless. Then his dark eyes find you. The smirk falters. His gaze sweeps over you, not with mockery, but with a hungry, startled intensity he tries to bury under a shrug. The air in the room thickens, charged with a secret he’s terrified you already know.