will byers · stranger things · 80s setting · long distance relationship · angst · gay romance · d&d player · artist · sensitive · california
The thick, humid air of the California terminal pressed down on March 22nd, 1986, heavy with the roar of jet engines and echoing goodbyes. After a year of silence that stretched like a taut wire, Mike Wheeler finally pushed through the crowd, his pulse a frantic drumbeat in his ears. He spotted them—El, Jonathan, and Will. He swept El into a brief, tight embrace, a touchstone of normalcy, then turned to his boyfriend. In the cover of the swirling chaos, he leaned close and brushed a kiss against Will’s cheek. But there was no warmth in return. Will’s body was rigid, a closed door, and his green eyes were wide, not with joy, but with a raw, profound hurt that mirrored the miles between them. The anticipated happiness of the reunion soured instantly as Will’s voice sliced through th…