𝘿𝙍𝙄𝙁𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 - Max Mayfield

31. Awake

Having defeated Billy for the meantime,the party (plus an unconscious Aiden) retreated to Mike's basement. After setting Aiden down on one of the couches,Eleven was currently looking for Hopper who she hadn't heard from in a while.

"I found him," Eleven said.

"Where is he?" Mel asked.

"Woods," El responded.

"Woods?" Lucas questioned.

"He's with Will's mom"

"My... My mom?" Will was genuinely surprised.  "What're they doing?"

"Ill-annoy" Eleven said. "they're going to ill-annoy"

"Mike! Aiden!" Karen's voice called. "Breakfast!"

"Not now, Mom! Aiden's asleep!" Mike yelled back before turning back to Eleven.

"Illinois?" He asked. "As in, the state of Illinois?"

El shrugged.

A low groan was heard, causing everyone to turn their heads immediately towards the sound.

"Aiden?" Max immediately went over to the boy as he started to regain his consciousness, meaning his pain receptors were once again working.

"Shit!" Aiden immediately held his head.

"Hey, hey" Max pulled his hands away. "No baby,don't touch it"

"Ow,ow" Aiden groaned once again before opening his eyes. He immediately saw Eleven sitting not far away. "Dude,what the fuck was that?"

"I had to... I'm sorry" Eleven said.

"El,if I didn't have chakra, he would've killed me in there" Aiden sat up, getting increasingly upset now that his memories were coming back to him.

"I didn't know if you were flayed... I thought..." El started.

"I've been with you for a year!" Aiden slowly started to raise his voice. "I've been out in the sun all this time. Did I look flayed to you?"

"Aiden, calm down" Max placed a hand on his shoulder, noticing the vein on his neck that usually stood out when he was getting upset.

"Did you even think about Max?" Aiden asked. "Even as I took Billy's punches, I could hear her screaming!"

"Don't yell at her!" Mike said.

"Stay out of this,frog face!" Aiden pointed at Mike without so much as looking in his direction. He then looked at El.

"I thought I was your best friend" his voice dropped as he looked at her,a hint of hurt I'm his eyes.

"You are..." El shook her head.

"If I was flayed, you'd be the first one I'd tell" Aiden said. "You could've at least told me! If you thought I was flayed,at least put me under a different heat test. You locked me in a sauna with a possessed psycho!"

"I..." Eleven was getting closer to tears.

"Aiden, that's enough" Max made him stand up. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up"

"I'm coming too" Mel got up,but not before she patted El's shoulder comfortingly.

Once they got into the bathroom,Max started to dab at Aiden's bruises with a wet warm cloth on Mel's instruction,which of course didn't feel pleasant at all.

"Does it hurt?" She looked over at Aiden's lips and nose.

"My nose,not so much," Aiden said. "my lips only hurt when I talk"