Deaf Will Byers - Tumblr Posts
Deaf!Will HC:
Will loses his hearing as an unfortunate side-effect of his Vecna Connection (Vecna wanted to make sure Will always remembered their connection, so he took what Will loved most—his music). Will struggles to accept his new reality and withdraws from the world, grappling with his altered body.
Time goes on and Will slowly comes around, taking small steps to reenter society. His friends and family learn ASL and agree to “Voice Off” hangouts, so Will feels included. They rent subtitled movies, buy him a TTY machine (captioned phone), and Hopper even shaves his face to make lip reading easier. Their support keeps Will afloat and he eventually accepts and embraces his identity as a Deaf Man.
Nights prove the hardest—Will wakes up screaming at 3 am, feeling the sound reverberate in his chest, unable to decipher between reality and flashback. Mike tries everything to calm him, from deep pressure to night lights, but nothing grounds him. Mike’s voice always calmed his traumatized mind, and Vecna cruelly ripped away Will’s ability to hear it. Mike finds himself at a loss after months of sleepless nights and Will begins to fear bedtime, terrified of his own mind.
Once again, Will wakes up screaming and frantically signing that Vecna is back and everyone is going to die. Mike knows it’s a flashback, but Will is too overwhelmed to comprehend Mike’s words. He stares at Will, desperately wanting to help, and then it hits him. Will’s hand is on his chest, feeling his breaths and cries through vibrations. Mike gently coaxes Will to lie down, pulls him to chest, and starts to sing. Low and quiet, just loud enough to create strong vibrations through his chest cavity. Will latches on like a sponge, pressing himself tightly against Mike’s body. He takes a deep, soothing breath and finally relaxes, falling limp against his boyfriend. Mike smiles to himself, relief washing over him. He wonders if Will can feel what song he’s singing, if he knows the rhythm to “Boys Don’t Cry,” the song that saved him from Vecna. Tears soak Mike’s shirt as Will realizes, after six agonizing months, he never lost Mike’s voice at all.