Winter ➳ Byler ♡

January

"Checkmate!" Mike smiled proudly making Will groan in frustration.

"How are you so good at chess"

"What can I say I'm a natural-

Mike cut him self off when he noticed Will nodding his head up to someone above them causing his head to tilt up slightly eyes locking with his ex girlfriend. His heart nearly stopped in his chest.

"H-hey Mike....can we talk?" El chewed on her bottom lip.

"I- s-sure of course". The dark haired boy stood up from his seat following Eleven out of the quiet library.

Will sighed watching them leave. Rarely did Will get to play chess with Mike during school hours and Eleven just came along to bite into his time with Mike. "Pfft I don't care, he can hang with her...." he shook his head but deep down he knew he was very much jealous of the two.

"Ok so....let me just get to the point"."Mike....I really.....miss you." El spoke slowly burning a glare through the boys dark brown eyes.

"You missed me?" Mike smiled a bit and grabbed the girls small hands in his and squeezed it. "I miss you too. More then I realized actually, but now that you're here in front of me...."

"I tried to keep you off my mind all this time, I really did. But I just couldn't stop thinking about you." Eleven cupped Mikes pale face breaking another smile onto his lips. The boy leaned in and softly kissed her lips.

Before El could respond the bell had rung.

"We can talk more after school." Mike assured her letting go of her hands.

"Meet me at the bleachers". She smiled watching him leave.

••••

"You ready for me to destroy you in dragons lair." Max smirked walking besides Will down the halls of school.

"Ha! In your dreams I'm the one who's gonna do the destroying".

They both turned a corner running into Mike on the way to exiting the school

"Hey Mike you joining us for some games at the arcade?" Max asked stopping in front of him gripping her skateboard in her hands

"Hm I would love to but I can't, I'm meeting......El after school." The taller boy scratched the back of his neck with beet red cheeks.

Will felt his heart crumbling. This is exactly how he felt the day he found out him and Eleven got together.

"You guys are dating.....again?" Max knitted her brows together looking at Will from her side eye seeing the distress in the poor boy. She scooted towards him and rubbed his back to calm him a bit. It helped.

"Well no not exactly, its complicated. I'll catch you guys later" Mike spoke quickly and tossed his book bag on his back and pushed the metal doors open leaving the school.

"Will are you-"

"I'm fine let's just go find Dustin and Lucas then we can have fun at the arcade." Will spoke with almost no emotion.

"O-okay yeah let's go...." Max walked besides the small boy never feeling this confused in her whole life.

And so the three, Dustin Max and Lucas watched as Will played the most intense game of dragon lair full of anger beating every single one of their scores even Max.

"Shouldn't we stop him, before he explodes....him and the game?" Lucas turned towards the two who had their eyes glued on Will.

"No leave him, he needs to get his anger out some how....this is the way. Max shrugged and finally turned away from the flustered boy to look at Lucas.

Ultimately after another hour will was done killing the game he stepped away closing his red eyes from staring so hard at the screen calluses grown on his finger tips. There was only Max and Will left in the arcade.

"W-Will....you okay."

"I was so stupid to think he would run after me when all he wants his Eleven".

Max didn't respond to him. She didn't exactly know what to say so she just wrapped her arms around the boy and hugged him tightly.That's all it took to have him break down in her arms, this wasn't the first time Max was comforting Will.

"It's midnight kids one minute till closing." A guy in a janitors suit swung a pair of keys around his finger.

"Sorry sir we'll only be a minute." Max nodded

The older man sighed and left them.

"M-my heart hurts Max"

"Listen Will....everything's gonna be okay don't stress." Max pulled from the hug and looked into Will's brown teary eyes giving him a sad smile. "You are so amazing and if Mike can't see that forget him." The red head brought her fingers to his eyes wiping the pouring tears from the boys eyes then pressing a kiss to his cheek which caused Will to give her a small smile.

"Come on I'll walk you home." She put an arm around his shoulders the two walking out into the night.

"T-thank you, for always being there for me."

"Anytime Byers....anytime."

~

Poor Will :(