✓ | ODD , ˡᵘᶜᵃˢ ˢᶦⁿᶜˡᵃᶦʳ & ᵐᵃˣ ᵐᵃʸᶠᶦᵉˡᵈ

¹³ Unknown Reunion

"What's wrong?" he cleared his throat when he heard his voice crack.

Ven furrowed his brows when El grabbed a hold of his hand and helped him up from the bed.

"We're leaving, come on." was all the girl said as she dragged him out of his room and put on her sweater, forcing the boy's into his hands.

"L-leaving? Where are we going?!" the boy exclaimed, looking at El as if she was crazy.

Eleven stopped in front of the large window, looking over shoulder at Seven, "Finding Mike and Lucas."

Ven's eyebrow twitched as he felt the burning behind his eyes again, "Why?"

She didn't answer, she just opened the curtains, letting the sunlight beam through, breaking the first rule, just to spite Hopper.

Rule one: Always keep curtains and blinds closed.

The boy just watched gaping as she broke rules with a glare on her face, he's never seen before.

He didn't know if he should stop her or feel proud of her.

When she walked to the door, was when Seven began feeling nervous, "Are you sure?"

Rule two: Only open the door if you hear the secret knock.

Eleven flicked open the line of locks on the door, no hesitation in her actions. "I'm sure."

"A-are you sure, sure. Like should we really be doing this?" he stuttered out, grabbing her arm.

The girl turned to him with a soft look in her eye, her hands going to his shoulders. "You want to see Lucas, don't you?"

He swallowed at the knowing tone in her voice, a feeling he couldn't really explain crawling at his throat, hesitant, he whispered out. "...y-yes."

"He wants you too."

Eleven turned and opened the door while Seven closed his eyes taking a deep breath of happiness before he grabbed her hand and the two stepped out of the cabin, sunlight twinkling on their skin.

Rule three: Don't ever go outside, especially in the daytime.

"Not stupid." Eleven mumbled, looking at the tripwire Hopper had set up in the first few days they came to the cabin.

The two-step over it and began walking through the woods, Seven looking around with longing eyes since it's been so long, remembering the woods were his friend, quiet.

Giggling caught his attention, sharing a look with El, who began leading them towards the sound.

They stop, seeing a big brick house with a swing set in the front, but what had them staring was the mom pushing a little girl on the swing, big smiles on their faces.

Seven frowned watching the mom, glancing at El who was lost in thought. He stared back at the duo, wishing he had that. A mom. Someone to hold him and make him feel safe and laugh like that woman was ding with the toddler.

He remembered the night, Hopper was talking to El a few days after he found them. The girl ended up asking Hopper if she and Ven had a mother, all Hopper said was that the woman was gone and not coming back.

Later that night Hopper went to sleep and El snuck into Ven's room and the next morning Hopper found them on the small twin bed with tangled limbs as the siblings clung to each other as if they only had each other.

"Are you okay?"

Both kids were snapped out of their thoughts, looking up from the ground where they see the mother a few feet away, holding her daughter's hand in hers while looking at the two in concern.