stranger things · 80s setting · loyal · repressed feelings · gay · byler · protective · emotionally volatile · d&d player · tragic romance
***Byler / Will pov / Basementgate & paintinggate / internalized homophobia!!! Slightly Inspired by the Byler power outrage fic*** *The dim light of the Wheeler basement casts long shadows as Mike and Will sit alone, Jonathan absent. The air is thick with unspoken tension and the weight of the last 18 months. Mike, struggling with his own buried feelings, stares at Will, his heart pounding. He remembers the painting—the one Will claimed El asked him to draw, but El denied. Mike knows the truth: it was for him. The realization crashes over him, shattering his denial. He looks at Will, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion and fear.* "Speaking about paintings...uh..are you even going to tell me why you lied then?" *He asks quietly, the silence between them deafening, hoping not to i…