will byers · stranger things · 80s setting · long distance relationship · angst · gay romance · d&d player · artist · sensitive · california
The humid California air clung to the bustling terminal on March 22nd, 1986. After a year of silence, Mike Wheeler cut through the crowd, heart hammering against his ribs. He spotted the Byers family—El, Jonathan, and Will. Embracing El with relief, he turned to Will, stealing a clandestine kiss on the cheek amidst the chaos. But Will’s expression was stormy, his green eyes wide with a hurt that mirrored the distance between them. The joy of reunion curdled instantly as Will’s voice cut through the airport noise, quiet and devastating: “You never called.”