An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 3 is up!
Chapters: 3/11 Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Will Byers & Dustin Henderson & Lucas Sinclair & Mike Wheeler, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson Characters: Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Dustin Henderson, Will Byers, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley, Steve Harrington, Karen Wheeler, Holly Wheeler, Ted Wheeler (Stranger Things), Terry Ives, Becky Ives, Ellen Stinson, Jonathan Byers, Original Characters, Eleven | Jane Hopper, Sam Owens (Stranger Things), Ray Carroll, Murray Bauman Additional Tags: POV Third Person Omniscient, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Angst, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide Attempt, accidental suicide attempt, Depersonalization, Disassociation, High School Graduation, College Life, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Gratuitous 80s references, 80s Music, Karen Wheeler loves her son, minor original characters, Project INDIGO, MK Ultra, Stephen King References, Pennhurst Mental Hospital, Mental Health Issues, D&D references, Mike Wheeler is a Mess, Mike Wheeler Needs a Hug, Mike Wheeler Needs Therapy, Mike writes Summary:
El can move mountains. She can fly. She can defeat Vecna. This is why Mike will never think of El in the past tense. Because maybe she’s not dead. Maybe she’s in another dimension none of them know about. Maybe she’s trying to get back to him right now. It’s the smallest sliver of hope, but Mike holds it tightly anyway. He’ll never let go.
This is an exploration of the 18 months between El’s “death” and the Party’s high school graduation, followed by their college years. Through it all Mike Wheeler wraps his guilt around himself like a quilt. He buries himself in delusions. He writes. And he waits. Mike is good at waiting.
