(BEING EDITED) When Night Falls - Will Byers

chapter sixteen ~ i won't leave your side

~ Felix's POV ~

We finished getting the "bathtub" ready for El. I would be sitting beside the freezer, holding El's hand. Will insisted he never leave my side.

"I will be okay, Will. I promise." I smiled, taking El's hand. 

"Please be safe." It was the last thing I heard before I entered the void. El and I walked together. The void faded into what looked like a skatepark.

"It's a memory, I think..." I stared at the kids. I noticed one with red hair, who was probably Max.

El nodded. We walked towards a record player on top of a bridge. It was playing a distorted version of 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' by Ella Fitzgerald.

"He's trying to find her..." El sighed. "We have to hurry." The scene faded into the Snowball. 

I smiled. "This must be her happy memory. Not so happy anymore." I nodded towards the balloons that exploded with blood. I heard noise coming from behind some streamers. It was Vecna. I threw him away from Max, and we went to make sure she was okay.

"Oh my god, how are you guys here?" Max hugged us.

"I piggybacked from a pizza dough freezer." El smiled

"My body is sitting in a chair beside said freezer."

She was confused. "What?"

"Never mind. We're here to protect you." El said. I fell, and was being dragged. I was picked up into the air, and spun around. There he was. Vecna, in all his glory.

I struggled. "Long time, no see." I shoved him away, as I fell to the ground. He got up, as we fought with our powers, seeing who was stronger. Blood trickled from my nose, and I could taste it on my lips. My eyes brows furrowed, as I focused on everything that made me angry. Vecna flew back, into the wall. Once he got up, I was thrown into the wall, my head making contact. My eyes fluttered, on the brink of losing consciousness. I fought it, wincing as I felt more blood trickle from the gash in my head. 

Max ran over to me. "Oh man, are you okay?"

I sat up, groaning. "Mhm, yeah, I'm good..." Eleven was fighting Vecna now. I got a good look at him. He was ugly. I grimaced, staring at him. Max saw El struggling, so she grabbed a piece of wood that had broken off of the bleachers, and ran at Vecna, only to be thrown into the wall.

~ Will's POV ~

I was sitting on the ground, next to the chair Felix was sitting in.

"You think they're doing okay?" Mike asked.

"I'm okay..." Felix's voice rang out. I looked up at him, and his eyes were still shut. He reassured me, but his breathing suddenly increased rapidly. His chest rose and fell quickly, and I was worried. I rubbed my thumb across the top of his hand. His grip grew tighter.

"El, are you okay?!" Mike was shaking Eleven, as her breathing was slowing, as if she couldn't breathe. Felix soon shared the same problem. I got up, clutching his shoulder.

Tears pricked my eyes, as I held his face in my left hand. "Felix, I won't leave your side... I need you to fight... for me, please!"

~ Felix's POV ~

I was tied in the vines beside El, as the one around my neck slowly cut off my air supply.

"Peter... you aren't the bad guy... Papa was." I felt tears begin to fall.

"You're wrong, Four. We were both monsters. And, you and Eleven are, too. You killed Papa, didn't you? Think about everything else that happened. You hurt so many in the lab... Now, you both will watch as I kill Max..." Vecna turned to Max, who was against the wall, tied by the vines.

I grunted loudly as the vines cut off more of my air. Eleven's eyes slowly closed. 

My eyes shot open, as I heard Will's voice. "Felix, I won't leave your side... I need you to fight... for me, please!" Vecna began to hurt Max. Before he could kill her, I broke free, and so did El. My screams rang out, as I threw Vecna to the wall, keeping him there. As I fought, El ran over to Max.  

"This... is the... beginning of the... end..." Vecna's voice was strained, as he slowly faded to dust. The world around us also did, until it was El, me, Lucas, and Max there. Lucas held Max in his arms, sobbing, yelling for her to stay with us. I sobbed, watching my friend slip away from this world. El sobbed, too. She reached her hand towards Max, pressing her hand against her heart.

~~~~~~~~

As we awoke from the void, everyone stared at us. We caught our breath, taking in what had just happened. Will clung to me, kissing my face all over.

"I thought w-we almost lost you..." Will buried his face in my shoulder, pulling me impossibly closer.

"I'm here... I won't leave your side... ever..."

~ word count: 820

A/N

first off, thank you so, so much for over 500 reads! means so much. so, it's been a while since i last updated, and i apologize for that! season 4 is coming to a close, probably one more chapter, and an epilogue. let me know if you'd like to see another book about these characters sometime, maybe talking about felix's backstory! votes are appreciated, but not necessary. thanks for reading!!