Chapter Text
Will let the paint glide down the canvas with ease. His final project was to create a piece of art that was meaningful to his life. Honestly, Will didn’t even know where to start. He thought back to his time in Hawkins. Sure, he was relentlessly tormented by monsters (human and otherwise), but it was also the place where he met his best friends. So, he painted. And what else could he possibly have painted other than a DnD campaign. He painted all of them as their characters. Lucas and Max as the knight and the zoomer, Dustin as the bard, Will the Wise, and finally, the storyteller. Mike the Brave. He added some hidden details as well. They told the story of someone the Party could never speak about to anyone. The Mage.
Will felt good about his project. It really showed who he was. He was nothing without his friends. Every brushstroke was careful and considerate. He wanted to make sure every detail was true to them, especially the tiny details hinting at El's presence.
Capturing the right moments were crucial to making the painting feel like home. That look in Max's eyes when Lucas says something stupid but it still makes her laugh. The hope (and fear) on Dustin's face when he rolls a dice that could change the fate of the campaign. The joy in his own eyes being surrounded by people who understand him. And the atmosphere Mike creates when he is truly enthralled in the story of his DnD campaign. Will has been the DM a few times, but he was never as good as Mike. It just comes so naturally to him, like he was born to create stories. Worlds that made you feel like you are somewhere else entirely. But in the painting, as in real life, Mike was still focused on something (someone) so out of reach. The boxes of Eggo waffles, the dice landing on 11, the lone roller skate tucked away in the corner. Mike was always thinking of her.
After handing in his project, Will stopped to grab some coffee. He has become what you would possibly describe as an “addict”. He didn’t really care. College was hard and he was more tired than ever.
It was a windy day, so it was a bit chilly. Too chilly for Will (he wasn't a fan of the cold). He clutched his coffee cup in his hands and tried to focus on the warmth radiating from his latte. He was ready to get back to his apartment and take a much-deserved nap.
While walking back to his apartment, Will felt the familiar feeling that he thought had been left in Hawkins in 1987. He would never forget the feeling of goosebumps crawling down his neck accompanied by the slight foreboding of something terrible happening. Filled with terror, Will did not go to his apartment. Instead, he turned down a different street and made a beeline for his brother’s place.
Jonathan had already graduated from NYU, but he was still trying to figure things out, so he never really left New York. Plus, part of the reason why Hopper and his mom had moved to Montauk was because it was so close to them. It was also why Will had chosen to go there too. They do have great art programs, but he also wanted to be as close to his brother as possible. And now he was grateful that Jonathan hadn’t left yet. It was times like this when he really needed his brother.