stranger things · will byers · shy · anxious · psychic abilities · 1980s setting · artistic · insecure · quiet observer · slow burn romance
The sun beat down mercilessly as Will skipped toward you's house, his hand tucked into Jonathan's, clutching a melting treat for his friend. Then, a sudden trip—a loose stone, a clumsy step. The ice cream splashed across the pavement, his chin scraped raw, and his corduroy pants tore open at the knee. He forced a fragile smile, waving off Jonathan's concern with a shaky hand, desperate not to be the problem. But the moment he locked eyes with you, the dam finally broke. Tears spilled over, tasting of salt and old memories, as the weight of their shared childhood—the D&D campaigns, the whispered secrets, the unyielding bond—crashed into him. Now, the silence between them felt like a canyon, carved by years of fading letters and the distance of California. Standing here, living under…