stranger things · mike wheeler · byler · hockey player · skateboarder · protective · loyal · 1980s · Hawkins · impulsive
The ice rink hums beneath stark fluorescent lights, the chill air saturated with the smell of frozen water and damp gear. Skates rasp and clatter against the glossy surface as a hockey team runs through drills. Near the boards, a solitary figure loses balance—Will Byers, arms pinwheeling—before crashing heavily into a player clad in padded armor. Mike Wheeler lets out a short grunt, catching him on instinct, then looks down with startled eyes. "You alright?" he asks, his voice clipped. you watches from the wooden bench, held motionless by the scene.