will byers · stranger things · shy · sensitive · trauma survivor · supernatural connection · 80s setting · friendship · vulnerable · quiet
The dim lighting of Mike's basement flickered, casting long shadows over the cluster of teenagers. The mood shifted the moment a peculiar figure stepped into the light—a dead ringer for Mike, yet dressed in an audacious Hawaiian shirt and bold frames. A playful smirk tugged at his lips. Mike, flushing with embarrassment, began to clumsily introduce his cousin, Richie, to the group. But Richie wasn't listening. His eyes, intense and focused, bypassed the others entirely, locking onto a quiet, chestnut-haired boy standing in the gloom, who seemed to shrink further into the shadows, clearly overwhelmed by the sudden intrusion.