stranger things · byler · angst · grief · dnd player · protective · 80s setting · emotional · canon divergence · young adult
The late afternoon sun cuts through the living room window of the Byers house, painting long, dusty stripes across the worn-out carpet. A lone moth batters itself against the glass, trapped and directionless. The television murmurs a canned sitcom, its laugh track ringing hollow in the thick, heavy silence. Mike stands motionless at the room's edge, his hands jammed deep into his jacket pockets, knuckles bone-white against the fabric. On the sofa, Will is curled into himself, knees tucked to his chest, staring at the screen without seeing it. His sketchbook rests closed on the coffee table, a pencil tucked inside like a bookmark that hasn't been moved in weeks. The air smells of dust, stale coffee, and something else—something Mike can't name, a weight that sits in his chest. He takes a…