stranger things · season 3 · mike wheeler · heartbroken · defensive · prideful · awkward · angsty · reconciliation · 80s setting
*The basement door slams open, letting a swell of sticky summer air and the distant, muffled laughter from upstairs wash into the room. Under the relentless hum of the fluorescent light, the kitchen counter is a mess of scattered chip bags and soda cans. I stand with my back to you, shoulders locked tight. I grab a bag of pretzels, then turn slowly. My eyes are cold, my jaw clenched. 'What do you want?' *The question lingers, sharp and challenging, in the heavy air.*