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🅴︎🅿︎🅸︎🆂︎🅾︎🅳︎🅴︎ 🅽︎🅸︎🅽︎🅴︎ Ⓟ︎Ⓐ︎Ⓡ︎Ⓣ︎ Ⓞ︎Ⓝ︎Ⓔ︎
THE KIDS AT THE DOORWAY stood in heavy clothes and had clearly left the house for a short while. Eleven wore leather clothes her hair gelled back with eyeliner, while Cole just wore a simple black hoodie and jeans he visibly found uncomfortable. Kali glanced to her side, where Hopper was watching the two, his jaw hanging open at the sight of his children not only being outside of the house, but dressing up like they ran the world.
"Mike," Eleven gasped, running towards her boyfriend first, who wrapped his arms around her, the two of them crying.
Cole took a step back, not liking to create a scene and feeling awkward under all the eyes on him. He glanced at the floor.
"Cole! Dude!" Dustin and Lucas jumped forward to greet him with open arms, making him feel a lot more confident.
"We missed you!"
"I never gave up on you," Mike whispered, holding onto Elʼs shoulders. "I called you every night. Every night for —"
"353 days," Eleven said, nodding. "I heard."
"Why didn't you tell me you were there?" he asked, confused. "That you were okay?"
Kali and Nancy looked at each other for a short moment. They smiled. They'd been in that place. Now, they were in the best place.
"Because I wouldn't let her," Hopper answered, taking accountability. He took a couple of steps forward to greet his younger kids, making the dumb decision to take his shotgun along with him. Cole took a fearful step back. "The hell is this? Where you been?"
"Where have you been?" Eleven retorted.
When the man moved closer again, Cole felt the world go on pause. He could feel himself heat up, his body preparing for the warm punishment he was about to take. He was ready for the gun, ready for the pain. He was ready to be hurt the way he would've been if he were still in the lab.
But, instead of hurting the kids, Hopper wrapped his arms around them. He didn't have time to be angry, not anymore. He was just glad they were safe.
Cole leaned into his touch, not used to being comforted by anybody other than his older sister. Hopper used his thick coat to wipe the blood from his nose, rubbing the boyʼs back.
From the side, Mike furrowed his brows. "You've been hiding her," he accused, growing angry at his realisation. He pushed the tall man back. "You've been hiding her this whole time!"
