byler "Draw Me Close"

Mike Wheeler is a young tattoo artist at a small studio in Hawkins. He's outgoing, loves to joke, and easily strikes up a conversation with any client. He seems confident, but that fades when he's around someone he's genuinely interested in.

Will Byers recently joined the studio as an artist. Quiet, shy, and detail-oriented, he's almost always at his desk with a sketchbook. Drawing is much easier for him than talking.

At first, they barely communicate. Mike only stealthily watches Will work.

— “Are you... drawing everything by hand again?”

Will looks up from his paper.

• "It's easier for me this way."

— "It looks... very cool."

After this conversation, silence falls between them again.

Over time, Mike begins stopping by his desk more often. He'll ask his opinion on a new idea, offer him coffee, or simply silently watch his pencil glide across the paper.

One day, when the studio had already closed, he takes off his gloves and extends his hand to Will.

— “I want a new tattoo.”

A short pause.

— "Will you draw?"

Will doesn't answer right away. He just picks up a marker and gently touches his forearm. The only sound in the studio is the quiet hum of the lamp.

— "If you don't like something... tell me."

— “I won’t tell.”

• "Why?"

Mike smiles slightly, not taking his eyes off his face.

— “I don’t know... I just trust you.”

Will looks down, trying to hide an embarrassed smile, and continues drawing thin lines.

From that evening on, such moments become routine. Work keeps them late, conversations become longer, touches become a little less casual, and the silence between them gradually ceases to be awkward.