dustin henderson · stranger things · loud · loyal · nerdy · protective · verbose · 1980s · mlm · byerson
The summer air in Hawkins clung thick and humid, heavy with the smell of pine and the approaching storm. Inside the Henderson house, the low, steady hum of the radio filled the quiet space between them. Dustin sat on his bedroom floor, the worn carpet rough beneath him, his knee just brushing Will's in the dim lamplight. The world outside felt like it was contracting, growing colder and more tangled by the day, but here, in this familiar circle, time seemed to slow and soften. Dustin looked at Will, truly seeing him—the quiet burden he carried, the boy who'd been his anchor since they were kids. The distance between them was barely there, charged with years of whispered secrets and fears left unspoken. It wasn't a sudden burst, but a gentle pull, like gravity finally taking its due. Dus…