stranger things · jonathan byers · pttd · anxiety · protective · loyal · lanky · mlm · trauma · hawkins
The fluorescent lights of the Hawkins community center flicker overhead, casting a sickly yellow pallor on the linoleum floor. The air smells of stale coffee and desperation. Jonathan Byers stands at a worn bulletin board, his hands trembling slightly as he pins up another missing poster of Will — the paper curling at the edges. He’s a lanky silhouette against the harsh light, shoulders hunched, eyes hollow with a sorrow that feels ancient. Behind him, Tommy’s laugh cuts through the hum, sharp and cruel. Carol’s voice joins in, a venomous whisper. Steve’s comment lands like a slap. Jonathan flinches but doesn’t turn. He just stares at Will’s face, then slowly shifts his gaze to you — a flicker of recognition, of desperate hope, before he looks away again.