#⠀ ⠀ ♥︎ ⠀ ⠀ 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒕 ⠀ ⠀ ╱ ⠀ ⠀ queue.

[hiisheart]

@ourdyingwords said: 🤝  to  hold  my  muse's  hand. -carl

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ THE GESTURE WAS CERTAINLY A BIT OUT OF NOWHERE, at least that's how it felt to mike. the sudden squeeze to his left hand had him turning his head to look at carl, a look he couldn't discern in his blue eyes. his father had always been a bit ... INTENSE, for lack of a better word, but he could almost parse out an underlying sense of fear or unease in the squeeze he gave his hand.

he could almost hear rick's words drowned out by the sudden rush of emotion he felt towards the other, and he couldn't help himself from discreetly squeezing his hand back, the gesture LIGHT && GENTLE, full of nothing but comfort and encouragement.

YOUR AFFECTION .

[hiisheart]

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ WELL THAT WAS PRETTY SMART, FAKING a misremembering of where the supposed patient they were visiting was. the look on the receptionist's face, at least to mike, seemed to communicate brief confusion yet understanding, as if this was something common among people who visited hospitals. ( was it? he was briefly curious about it yet was unable to remember his own experiences since he hadn't been to a hospital in AGES. )

as they walk away from the hospital, hoping they were out of sight or earshot of any of the staff there, he feels a hot flush of embarrassment run through him at the other's compliment. he couldn't quite explain it, but there almost seemed to be something ... special about being complimented by eddie, the odd rush of joy comparable to the feeling of something blooming deep inside him.

❝ sooo ... what'cha gonna do with that? ❞ he questions, pointing to where eddie's hand was still stuffed inside his puffed-up pockets.

Stealing from the storeroom of the hospital wasn't anything new for the metalhead, he'd had plenty of experiences to know exactly how to orientate the tools to get it open. Before coming into view of the receptionist, Eddie had spat on his hands and began wiping them on his shirt as he came into her line of sight, pretending he was drying his hands on himself, visible moisture marks helping seal the deception.

"You find her?" He asked glancing between them both, the receptionist confirmed she couldn't locate Emily, so in response Eddie, playing the role of a confused guy fairly well, asked which hospital they were at.

"Ohhh...well that's embarrassing, guess toilet blindness made me go for the nearest one." He said to her with his best apologetic tone, "my bad, sorry we wasted your time miss," he gave her a smile before putting a hand on Mike's shoulder to start walking him out, "come on she's at the other hospital." As they reached the door he waved at her over his shoulder, apologising again before they went out and began heading towards the van.

"I think you handled that pretty well, good job Wheeler," he ruffled his hand on Mike's head.

[hiisheart]

@popularmxnster said: “That doesn’t even make sense.” (really take this in any context. accusing him of murder perhaps?? teaching him a game?? it all works)

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ ❝ IT COMPLETELY MAKES SENSE! ❞ or maybe not; he didn't take billy to be someone to believe in superstitions, and el's powers seemed to sound very elaborate and fantastical to the average person. even to those in hawkins, whose lab had secretly fostered a girl to develop psionic abilities, a girl that soon would grow to be his best friend. hell, he remembered how jonathan BARELY believed what had happened to will at first, and how hopper even seemed skeptical.

❝ el can move things with her mind. i don't really know how it works on, like, a psychological level, but i do know she has to be in a relaxed state and has to train to keep her emotions level to keep them under control, and to work in her favor. and i get it, it does sound crazy, but that's how she did it, defeating the demogorgon. her mind is literally connected to the upside down! ❞

RANDOM SENTENCE STARTERS .

[hiisheart]

@rebelliousfamily ( NANCY ) || CONT.

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ HE DIDN'T REALLY GET THAT MUCH AFFECTION FROM HIS SISTER VERY OFTEN, but he decided to revel in it during the times he did. he knew he was getting older , so she was probably less inclined to treat him with the same habits she had a few years back , but at the same time , he MISSED the connection they used to have. unable to hold them back , he decided to voice his thoughts. ❝ you don't really hug me a lot anymore ... why's that? ❞

[hiisheart]

@ourdyingwords said: "if you like it, I'll get you one." -carl

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ THANKFULLY THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MONEY ANYMORE. if they did, mike would for sure be saying no, refusing the offer flatly. somehow, if his theory was correct and the nearby bookstore did still have the newest published edition of the x-men comics, a series he loved and had loved since he was a child, he'd still figure that he'd owe carl some kind of DEBT until his dying breath. after all, he'd quite literally offered to risk his life for both of their enjoyment.

❝ why don't i come with you? you just told me what you wanted to get me, so it's not like it'd be a surprise. ❞

AFFECTIONATE AND AFFIRMING PROMPTS .

[hiisheart]

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ ❝ THERE? YOU MEAN, THE UPSIDE DOWN? ❞ mike genuinely didn't want to seem like he was prying; he knew it could be uncomfortable for will. the last thing he wanted was for will to associate his questioning with discomfort, even if it were understandable. but in all honesty, to mike, the thought of will still being connected to such a place, however much it made sense, genuinely SCARED him. it scared him to know that will could still feel vecna, was still connected to him. his greatest fear now was that one day he'd wake up and find will missing, because vecna had taken him. even more so frightening was the fact that neither of them knew why vecna would even want this connection in the first place, even if it could open him up to harm. likely because it guaranteed that he still had a connection to the living world.

❝ i mean, if you wanted to be sure ... maybe dustin and lucas could help us design an experiment. you know, like testing a hypothesis. ❞ it was just an idea, and he didn't want to cross any potential boundaries by suggesting it, but he couldn't help but be a little PREOCCUPIED with making sure will was safe. things had just started to feel stable in mike's life again, despite the upside down continuing to present a very real threat. but if he lost this sense of normality, the connection he had with will, or god forbid will himself ... it'd only be a matter of time before his version of hell would break loose.

Mike didn't sound fine. And that put Will on alert. He wasn't going to call Mike out on it though. Because he just had an opinion that Mike didn't sound fine. It didn't make it true. And he didn't know where a conversation like that would lead, so he'd let it rest for now. But he was giving Mike's hand a critical look to ensure that it was fine and there were no marks or anything from whatever it was that had happened when the two of them touched. From whatever it was that Will had done.

Perfect was a very large concept, and Will was far from it. While Mike saying it did make his cheeks redden a bit, that was it. Because Will didn't feel it. Something weird was going on with him.

Mike was right they didn't know anything, and that was what made this all worse it seemed. They didn't know anything. Well, Will did know one thing, "Its still connected to me," he said almost rushed, like he was ashamed to admit it. But it was true, Will just thought everyone else knew as well. After all he still felt the Mindflayer, Him. Will thought that was the next logical connection. "But I've only been able to do things with lights there." And that wasn't unique because everyone could communicate with lights there, granted when Dustin explained it to him, it sounded different from what he did, but he didn't think that meant anything at the time. Now though he was beginning to wonder.

[hiisheart]

@hauntedxwritings said: 💗  to  lean  against  my  muse. {From El}

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ HE FIGURED SHE WAS PROBABLY TIRED, still drained from using her powers. it was a big task, having to do what she did; mike had no idea what it was like, but he could see the physical effects that kind of EXERTION had on her, and he was happy she could finally catch a break and get some rest. it certainly didn't help that it was a bit chilly out here too.

❝ you okay? ❞ he asks her quietly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her nice and close. after EVERYTHING she'd been through, the last thing he'd want would be for her to continue to be uncomfortable and in pain. ❝ just rest. ❞

YOUR AFFECTION .

[hiisheart]

》》 @itsbitmxdinhere ( WILL ) || cont.

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤. ever since he could remember , his closest friend had had quite a 𝙷𝚄𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙾𝚄𝚂 reaction to being tickled , and he figured that the both of them could most certainly use the laughter , at least for now. it was a nice usage of time , for them all to 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 , and it almost served as a way for mike to check in on will.

and it seemed as though he was doing better than he expected , given how quickly he turned the tables on mike. he couldn't remember the last time will had fought back , so mike was 𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚁𝙸𝙱𝙻𝚈 𝚄𝙽𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙴𝙳 , having to rely on the tactics he would employ whenever nancy would attack him like this , but it was surprisingly not enough to hold up against will's counterattack. since when did will get so strong? uncontrollable 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 were forced from him , merciless fingers digging into his sides and ribs and sliding along his neck. oh god , his poor neck. he knew will would remember that!

as soon as the attack started it ended , leaving mike exhausted and panting underneath will , who had rather promptly rolled off of mike. of course , the brunet was too 𝙳𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝙳 by the tickling to pay attention to his surroundings , so he was surprised to find out how 𝘳𝘦𝘥 will's face was , even from all the laughter. ❝ hey , man ... you good? ❞ he asked , reaching out to give him a little nudge.

[hiisheart]

@ourdyingwords said: "being around you makes me a better person." -lydia

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ IT WASN'T A SENTIMENT HE WAS USED TO HEARING, the reasons for it being few and far between. the one that stuck in his head the most, though, was the memory of his father asking him in a fit of anger why he was such a screw-up after nearly losing his mother and holly. that moment had managed to worm its way to the depths of his brain, a moment he couldn't get rid of, one that would unfortunately come to DEFINE his post-apocalyptic behavior and personality.

so hearing lydia say that ... it managed to calm his nerves, but at the same time it was hard to believe. every time he had to go out and help someone, sometimes to even spend time with them, to involve himself in real conversations about how to move forward ... he had LITTLE FAITH in his confidence. but somehow, hearing what lydia thought of him ... for a moment, it actually managed to make him feel good, a feeling of strength and assuredness setting in his middle, almost as if it were attempting to repair the cracks others' words had made in him so long ago.

❝ how so? ❞ he had to ask, that little nibble of insecurity digging straight into his gut, right where he was sure he could feel his confidence beginning to blossom.

AFFECTIONATE AND AFFIRMING PROMPTS .

[hiisheart]

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ HE FROWNS AT THE SUDDEN LINE of questioning; was he referring to just the dnd party, or his friend group as a whole? thinking of the case being the latter, his mind is brought back to el, someone who'd ask a lot of the same kinds of questions, yet she always proved to be not only a fantastic ally but a great friend to both mike and his other friends.

but he abandons the topic; it may be far too of an existential issue for him to help billy deal with, mainly because they weren't super FAMILIAR with each other yet. ❝ there's no reason why you can't learn. at the very least, you can sit in and observe our next session together, since that campaign has been going on for about a month or so now. we can always start a new one later if you're interested in joining. ❞

Billy listened in rapt attention, keeping a smile on his face, thinking all would be well. But Something tugged at his head, the memories that had been shoved in there the time a different mother claimed him, made a new world and gave him magic until he could hear the neighbors screaming in his head in pain and begging for help and he blinked that away and kept his face frozen. "Fascinating!"

He shrugged. "I mean, I could totally give that a go, haven't exactly been making friends around here. But are you, like, totally positive you want someone like me, in that group?"

[hiisheart]

@ourdyingwords said: [ SOOTHE ]  in the midst of a tense moment,  receiver turns away to conceal their emotions but sender wraps their arms around them and holds them from behind. -enid

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE'D EVER FORGIVE HIMSELF FOR WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. out on patrol in the dark with his mother and his sister — not a very smart idea considering the fact that the area was new to all of them — they had ended up in a small clearing with walls that made walkers falling on them very EASILY, as was the case with his mother. thankfully she hadn't been bit, and the three of them were fine, but if she had been —

he needed enid's arms around him from behind to finally ground him, to pull him out of the thoughts that would slowly but surely toss him down a tunnel of self-blame, fists having been balling at his sides as if he were ready to STRIKE a hole through the nearest wall. he'd done it at a cabin they'd stayed in in the woods outside of hawkins before — then again, the walls were less sturdy than those of these multi-million dollar, multiple-story homes.

he heaved a shaky breath, feeling the tension release through the top of his head, through his fingertips, the more enid tightened her grip around him. it was a gentle hug, firm but cautious, providing the SUPPORT he needed without it seeming like she was invading his space. his shoulders sagged, and with a small sigh he reaches to rest his arms over hers that were wrapped around his waist. he couldn't bring himself to find, let alone speak, any words; it was as if all his body and mind needed were this, the feeling of someone he cared about COMFORTING him, wrapping them up in their love in such a non-invasive way.

AFFECTIONATE AND AFFIRMING PROMPTS .

[hiisheart]

@ourdyingwords said: "you don't ever have to worry about me. I'll always be around." -Lydia has been neglected cause of wire <3

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ HE WAS ALMOST OFFENDED BY HER COMMENT, her words almost feeling like an empty promise to him. he had to wonder how many other people said the exact same thing to someone they cared about and ended up dying anyway. or getting LOST in some other way.

he knew what she was trying to say, he really did. he knew she was just trying to comfort him, while also subtly telling him that she was more than capable of taking care of herself, which she was; mike had seen it for himself. but he didn't want to hear this, not when it seemed like so many people around the compound kept dying or disappearing, never to be seen again by their families and loved ones. and mike CARED about lydia. he didn't know what he'd do with himself if he ever lost her.

swallowing the lump he could feel rising in his throat, he blinked up to meet her gaze. ❝ yeah ... i know. i wasn't trying to intrude, i just got ... worried. that something might ... happen to you, or something. ❞

UNPROMPTED ASKS . ( ALWAYS ACCEPTING ! )

[hiisheart]

@hawkinsjournalist said: [ LULLABY ]

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE THIS HAD HAPPENED. not mike sleeping in the basement; he spent most if not all of his free time down here rather than up in his room. it was a first, though, having nancy down here with him, at least the first in recent memory. when they were younger, before holly was born, they often had sleepovers together down here. but now that they were both getting older and more independent, shared spaces between the two of them were a much more COMMON occurrence than their childhood sleepovers.

as he was in the process of drifting off to sleep, aware of nancy still awake reading through her novel, he picked up on a gentle humming that grew more defined and focused the more she got into it. it took a moment for his ears to become attuned to the melody, but as soon as he recognized exactly what it was, a LULLABY their mom would sing to both of them, he couldn't help but join in gently. he was aware of the changes that had taken place in his voice relative to his sister's; last time they had done this they were able to match pitch. now he had DROPPED exactly one octave below her range, highlighting just how much his voice had changed in the past couple of years.

❝ did you just remember that or did you want to sing that to me, or something? ❞ he murmured, voice heavy with tiredness. he was too sleepy to feel embarrassed by it, but remembering this moment in the morning might nevertheless ENCOURAGE those feelings.

PROMPTS FOR SIBLINGS .

[hiisheart]

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ♥︎ . *. ⋆ SO HE WAS MORE LIKE EL than he'd thought. but he had to be honest with himself, his request didn't make much sense. how had hopper not known about sam's powers, when el had been very open about them from the start? probably because compared to now, the stakes at the time had been very high. also, wasn't it ENOUGH to know about one person with mysterious powers? wouldn't it put the both of them in more danger than they already are, especially since they lived together?

after a few moments of deliberation, he gives a small nod in sam's direction. ❝ ... yeah, sure. it'll be our little secret. ❞ he'd been able to keep el's, so he wasn't sure why he was so uneasy about all of this. probably because the stakes had gotten so much higher now, knowing now that he was burdened with holding not just one, but TWO peoples' secrets. it was only by chance, though. nobody really was to blame. ❝ so, like ... your blood is healing? like an antidote, or something? ❞

Sam continued to hold and stroke the jackalope, doing his best to soothe her as she came down from the pain, treating her like a baby, which she was just, not a human one. "Hm?" It took Samuel a few moments to realise what Mike was asking, what he'd done.

"Oh..." he tensed up, averting his eyes from the other boy, "I don't know...when I was little my gramps told me about our blood and...it's part of that I guess..." he looked sheepishly at Mike, "don't tell Mr Hopper I did that, please, he'll be angry, or Eleven," he was more worried about upsetting El than he was Hopper, she'd made him promise not to use his abilities in front of anyone, or in the cabin, especially after he'd told her about the fire that he'd been brainwashed into believing he'd started.

[hiisheart]

@findablog said: hc + 👪 for a family-themed headcanon hc + 🧡 for a friendship-themed headcanon hc + 💌 for a romance-themed headcanon

👪 A FAMILY-THEMED HEADCANON. every summer since holly was born, mike and his family would take a week-long trip up to stay on the coast of lake michigan. it became a family tradition that his father coined as one that celebrated 'the completion of the family' and hoped to do for as many summers as possible, at least until nancy went away to college. however, since the main events of the series began in hawkins, the family has missed out on their opportunities to go on their trip for a couple summers in a row.

🧡 A FRIENDSHIP-THEMED HEADCANON. when mike and his friends started middle school, mike's house became the go-to place not only for d&d and hangouts but also for holiday parties, such as those celebrating christmas, new years, and the 4th of july. by the time mike entered high school, his new years parties in particular with his friends became dubbed 'the underdog party' in comparison to the parties that the more popular kids would hold at their houses. many of these new years parties also morphed into sleepovers, but mike's parents would never let max or el stay over with the boys. so the two would operate under the guise of el staying over at max's house, but they would sneak around to mike's garage where the boys would let them back in to sleep over and promptly let them out the next morning before his parents could come downstairs and bust them.

💌 A ROMANCE-THEMED HEADCANON. as it's hinted in the series, mike has tragically failed on the court of romance for many years in succession, despite it being hinted that he is beginning to become interested in girls (and guys, at least in the way i write him). genuine crushes tend to happen later, after he gets to know someone at least on a platonic level. it's rare for him to develop deep romantic feelings or desires towards someone without getting to know them personally. it's much easier for him to 'catch' these feelings for someone if he's had a chance to bond with them non-romantically.

THEMATIC HEADCANONS .

[hiisheart]

@retrologists (NANCY) || CONT.

┊ ┊ ┊ ��� ♥︎ . *. ⋆ ❝ NOPE, not stupid, ❞ he retorts, not even bothering to look up and meet her gaze as he drags the sleeping bag across the floor. he briefly leaves her to collect an ARMFUL of blankets from his room and his favorite pillow from his bed.

❝ you've already been protecting me for years, nance. it's what big sisters do, and i understand that. but don't you want to give me an opportunity to return the favor? ❞ it was kind of a STUPID argument, but he hoped she would at least understand where it was he was coming from.

but he nods at her, sensing apprehension in her tone as she continues. ❝ of course. a team of two is better than someone by themselves. ❞ he swallows, AVERTING his gaze briefly before looking back up at her. ❝ i mean ... i guess i'm also scared. of losing you ... ? now that i know what you've been through. ❞