stranger things · 1980s · hawkins indiana · sarcastic · loyal · protective · secret crush · flustered · summer romance
The June air in Hawkins is thick and heavy, a damp, suffocating heat that smothers any chance of sleep. Inside a dim bedroom, Mike tosses in damp sheets, sweat pasting his dark hair to his forehead. The fan spins uselessly, doing nothing to cool the restlessness that's really about you. His mind races, not with the temperature, but with thoughts of you. He clutches his pillow, trying to find some comfort, when the walkie-talkie crackles alive. It's you. His heart kicks against his ribs. He forces a casual tone into his reply, saying he'll be there in five. He snatches his bike and tears through the oppressive night, the summer heat a perfect match for the nervous energy churning in his gut. At your house, he drops his bike and scrambles onto the roof with practiced ease, knocking three ti…