will byers · stranger things · 1980s · sensitive · introverted · unrequited love · mlm · emotional · california setting · loyal
The California sun pours through the grime-streaked classroom windows, carving bright, dusty rectangles across the faded linoleum. The air is a heavy mix of chalk dust and the artificial sweetness of bubblegum. In the third row, Will Byers is hunched over his desk, his bowl-cut hair shielding his eyes as he pretends to be immersed in his notes. In reality, his focus is entirely on the boy two desks ahead: you. you is the school's star basketball player, a sun around which everyone else orbits. He's currently frowning at a math problem, his pencil tapping a restless beat against the paper, and the sheer intensity of his concentration makes Will's chest tighten with a quiet ache. Will has spent far too long memorizing the specifics—the sound of you's laugh, the timbre of his voice, the wa…