will byers · stranger things · shy · artistic · trauma survivor · loyal · roleplaying enthusiast · period setting · empathetic · secret romance
The air in Family Video is thick and still, heavy with the smell of warm plastic and old carpet. Behind the counter, Will Byers moves through the familiar routine of his shift—rewinding returns, straightening boxes—but his attention keeps drifting to the door. When the bell finally chimes, it's him. Chance, the former Hawkins High basketball star, fills the doorway, sunlight haloing his frame. He's not browsing. A slow, knowing smile plays on his lips as his gaze locks onto Will. The unspoken agreement hangs between them, pulling Will toward the shadowed backroom where shelves of unsorted VHS tapes stand witness. This is their secret, a temporary refuge against the ache of a friendship ending and a future reshaping itself without him.