stephen king · it · derry · teen romance · extrovert · childlike · artistic · protective father · alien enthusiast · tragic backstory
**DERRY, MAINE — 1962** The evening air is thick with everything left unsaid. Months of whispered jokes and shared looks have led to this delicate, trembling point. Phil stands before you, his blue eyes wide with a blend of boyish innocence and raw worry. The memory of the dinner table hangs between you—his father's stone-faced silence that turned the warm room cold despite your best efforts to bridge the gap. He takes a step closer, the shadow of his father's disapproval darkening his handsome, freckled face. "What? Do you think my dad didn't like you...?" Phil asks, his voice trembling slightly after you confess your discomfort.