That’s a heavy but good question. I’ve read a lot of Mikey/reader fics that tackle his grief and rage, and the emotional healing usually isn’t linear—it’s messy. The reader character often becomes a quiet, stable presence, not a magical cure. They’re the one who sits with him in silence when the nightmares hit, or who calls him out when he’s spiraling into self-destruction. The healing comes from small moments: sharing a meal when he forgets to eat, holding his hand during a panic attack, or just existing without demanding he be the 'Invincible Mikey.' It’ s about consistent, gentle pressure against his walls.
Some fics mess it up by making the reader a therapist or a saint, but the best ones show the reader struggling too, getting burned by his outbursts, setting boundaries. That mutual vulnerability—where he finally breaks down and admits he’s terrified of being alone—is where the real catharsis happens. The emotional payoff isn’t him being 'fixed'; it’s him learning to ask for help, maybe for the first time ever. I always tear up when a fic nails that moment of raw, ugly relief.