ᵖᵃʳᵗ ²¹ - ʟᴏᴠᴇ, sᴛᴀʀᴍᴀɴ
❛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪs sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ❜
Seven was sitting at the Byers table, his cheek pressed against his fist as he stared at the numbers on his paper.
Joyce and Hopper had convinced that Jonathan and Nancy tutor El and Ven--separately-- on basic skills like language and math, some science, and also just references and how to keep a conversation going--which Ven was good at in his opinion.
Jonathan had given him homework, that Ven barely understood, though he tried his hardest.
Will was at Mike's along with the rest of the party, to Ven's dismay, but Hopper wanted him to learn--though Seven was jealous of his sister who was able to hang out with the party since she was better at the homework.
"You got it?" Joyce asked, turning to look over her shoulder as she washed the dishes.
"I think?" Ven said though it was more of a question.
Joyce let out a laugh, "How about you take a break?"
"But Hop--"
"I'll talk to him." the woman brushed off.
The boy sent a tired smile towards the woman, closing his notebook and putting his pencil in the spiral wire.
Joyce dried her hands on the towel hanging from the oven handle, her hands placed on her hips when she saw Ven's lost expression.
"You okay? You want me to take you to Mike's?" she asked softly.
"Um...no." he sighed.
Joyce frowned, walking over to the table sitting on the seat next to him. "What's wrong?"
Ven's thoughts went back to his conversation with Will, his heart beginning to race.
"You could tell me anything...you know that, right?" Joyce whispered, her hand reaching out to run her fingers through his untamed curls.
The boy swallowed at the soft touch, unwillingly leaning into the motherly touch, his eyes beginning to water at the feeling heavy on his chest.
Fear.
He was scared, he wanted to tell the woman how he felt, what he was thinking.
The thoughts that haunted him the last few days, and when he walked home from Will's the day he told the bowl-cut boy.
He wanted so badly to be held by Joyce and tell her all his worries, and ask her why he felt this way, but he was afraid.
Afraid, she wouldn't accept him--not like Will said he would.
She wasn't gonna accept him when he told her about his feelings for both Max and Lucas; if he told her he felt this connection with them and he knew they could feel it two.
"Is this...about what you were talking about with Will...the other day?" Joyce rose a brow, leaning to connect eyes with the boy.
Ven's attention went to the woman, his hands becoming sweaty as they reached for something to hold, though found nothing.
Joyce noticed, grabbing the boy's hands in hers with a small exhale. "It's okay."
"It isn't normal!" the boy scoffed, a tear falling from his eye, wanting to laugh at how the woman thought it was okay.
"Not really...but I've seen the way you guys are...and it may not be something we're used to, but what you three have is special."
Special? How could it be special?
Yes the feeling he felt when he was with them made him feel like they were meant for each other.
Like they were all made for each other, the soft touches and smiles, the way there were no uncomfortable silences, the way his heart began to race at just the thought of them.
He's never seen anything like how he wanted them to be, and that made him rethink the whole relationship...but...
Special?
He let the words repeat in his head, a soft fluttering in his heart, looking up at Joyce with sparkling eyes. "How?"
His voice was small, breaking Joyce's heart at the look of innocence and hope in his eyes looking for acceptance, something Joyce will give him no matter what.
The woman stood, her hand slipping from the boys making him frown, sadness filling his chest but that soon subsided when he felt the warmth cover him.
Joyce stood between the boy's legs, her arms around his head, letting the boy wrap his arms around her waist and his head rest on her stomach.
"You guys have more love to give each other."
Seven let out a broken sob, cuddling the woman closer, Joyce running her fingers through his hair after setting a kiss on top of it, squeezing the boy tight.
Making sure the boy felt accepted and loved.
──
You guys have more love to give each other
The words repeated in his head more times than he could count.
You guys have more love to give each other
He's been trying to truly understand the meaning behind Joyce's words ever since he heard them weeks ago.
It was now the end of spring break, meaning Lucas and Max had to go back to school as well as the rest of the party, leaving El and Ven alone for the day to come.
Sometimes Ven would hang out with Joyce at the small shop she works at, talking to her, telling her about the things he's been learning--the woman even helping him with his homework here and there.
Right now though, the boy was in the treehouse, reading away at the comic in his hand.
It was Wonder Woman, the one Max suggested.
The boy stared at the paper, his eyes running over the words over and over again, though his mind didn't process what was on it, his mind somewhere else.
His eyes would sometimes glance at the clock on the wall --that he made Hopper put up-- his finger tapping against the edge of the comic when he saw it was 3:30.
He stared at the entrance expectedly before frowning and turning on the boombox, listening to the music from the radio before returning to the comic.
The boy so caught up in his thoughts didn't notice the figure coming up the ladder until they clear their throat.
"Hey, Sev..."
Ven snapped his head up to see Lucas standing there with a smile, throwing the comic down, he lunged at the boy. Lucas caught Ven with a chuckle, holding the boy close to him as they hugged each other.
The two hadn't seen each other for almost a week, Lucas too busy with school and Ven too busy trying to learn so he could maybe attend school with them.
"Is Max coming?" the boy eagerly asked, staring at Lucas, now eye level with him--thankful for the inches he grew.
Lucas smiled sadly, shaking his head. "She can't come, her mom needed her for something."
Ven frowned for a moment, pulling back from the embrace and grinning as he heard the song playing on the radio.
The boy ran to the boombox and turned it up, before going back to Lucas, pulling the amused boy to dance.
There's a starman waiting in the sky
Lucas watched the boy in front of him dance, before hesitantly following along, the two jumping around to the song.
He'd like to come and meet us but he thinks he'd blow our minds
Their hearts were racing as they laughed together when Ven almost tripped, Lucas, grabbing Ven's arm to keep him up.
There's a starman waiting in the sky
Ven breathed heavily as he stopped dancing, watching Lucas dance with his eyes closed, Ven picturing the stars behind the lids.
He's told us not to blow it 'cause he knows it's all worthwhile
Lucas opened his eyes, stopping when he saw Ven still just watching him with a look Lucas couldn't place.
And he told me:
The boys got lost in the eyes of each other, the music loud around them, though it faded when they felt like they were in their own little bubble.
Let the children lose it
Ven blinked, his eyes going to Lucas' hand at his side. Ven slowly reached out, his hand grazing Lucas'.
Let the children use it
Lucas inhaled shakily, his brows furrowing as he looked down at their intertwining hands before his eyes connected with Ven's.
Let all the children boogie
"Can I...try something?" Ven mumbled, his voice soft like he was scared to break their world around them.
Lucas' heart dropped, his eyes scanning the boy's face wishing at that moment he had Ven's power to read minds. "Sure."
Ven exhaled before pulling Lucas closer, his heart pounding against his chest.
Their faces grew closer, Lucas glancing at Ven's lips though he tried to keep his eyes off.
Ven wanted to pull away from the space, his head filling with doubt and panic.
Just as the boy was going to pull back, Lucas saw what he was doing. Pulling the boy closer, Lucas grabbed the back of Ven's head and crashed their lips together.
Ven and Lucas pulled back from the kiss, Lucas resting his forehead against Ven's the two sharing a breathy laugh as they both felt a sense of happiness that left their bodies to feel like their vibrating.
"Woah. That was the most tension I've ever seen."
The two boys jumped apart, their heads snapping towards the entrance, their eyes widening when they saw Max.
Max looked between the two with a smirk, her arms crossing when she saw Ven's blush and Lucas' panicked face. "What?"
"N-nothing." Lucas bit his lip, pulling away from Ven though he kept their hands intertwined.
Ven looked between the two awkwardly, rocking on the balls of his feet. "Is this weird for you as much as it is for me?"
Lucas rose a brow at the boy, shaking his head.
Max grabbed Ven's empty hand, smiling sarcastically. "No, Ven. Don't make it weird," she said pulling the boys to dance again.
"Sorry."
──