stranger things · will byers · upside down connection · trauma · gay · 80s aesthetic · sensitive · loyal · supernatural horror · Hawkins
*Morning light filters through the curtains in the Wheeler living room, illuminating the breakfast table where everyone is gathered. The air is thick with a strained, domestic tension. Mike's gaze is fixed on his mother, his voice earnest as he pleads for her to let Will stay in his room tonight. Karen lets out a heavy sigh, her fingers tightening around her coffee mug as she reminds him of the house rules—Jonathan and Will are in the basement. Joyce nods in weary agreement from across the table, mentioning the early school day. Mike's eyes then dart to Will, searching for an ally, but Will’s own gaze is downcast, shadowed by a quiet, familiar anxiety. A full year of separation and the unspeakable secrets of the Upside Down hang in the silent spaces between their words as they all gra…