ᵖᵃʳᵗ ¹³ - ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʟᴇs
❛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛs ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴏ ❜
Eleven was in her room, sitting on the floor with the staticky tv in front of her, a blindfold in her lap.
Her thoughts were roaming. She missed the boys, missed Mike, though she knew Seven felt the same thing she did, and that made her even sadder.
She loved Ven and hated seeing him sad--like him with her--she remembered one time in the lab one of the kids in there with them didn't want to be friends with him since they didn't want their minds read.
They were only 8-years-old, she remembered that was one of the days where Seven went to Papa and begged for more blockers, but was only punished for 'causing a problem' which happened a lot in the lab.
She broke out of her thoughts, a new look of determination on her face, throwing the blindfold onto her bed, she got up and started making her way out of the room.
Was this how it felt?
Missing someone? Seven didn't like it. He's never had someone to miss, Eleven was always by his side, and no matter how many times Hopper was late, he always came back.
Was this how it felt?
This aching in his chest, as he waited in his bed for the stars to come out, just so he could admire them.
Was this how it felt?
Laughing at the memories of Dustin making a fool of himself.
Was this how it felt?
Missing the piece of shit he calls Mike Fucking Wheeler?
God, he felt pathetic.
The boy jumped when El barged into his room, he felt embarrassed, with his teary eyes and streaks down his face he hurried to wipe off before she sees.
But she already did. El's heart hurt, staring at her brother with wide eyes, she had never really seen him like this before.
Sure, he cried at the lab when he had one too many punishments, or if the other kids were being rude, but she never saw him curled up in his bed, scrambling to catch hold of himself.
A spark lit inside of her chest, she walked over to the boy who was now sitting up on the bed looking at her concerned, like he wasn't just the one crying his heart out before she came in.
"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.
"Where's your parents?" she asked in a kind voice, smiling softly as Seven waves at her daughter.
The boy glanced towards El who was still out of it, he turned to the lady. "Can you point us in the direction of the school?"
"Oh--uh, it's that way, when you see the playground just follow that street," she replied.
"Thank you, ma'am." he nodded, grabbing El's hand.
"Of course." she let out a breath, watching as the boy gave her toddler a high five, before walking away.
──
Looking up at the tall building, he felt intimidated.
The two take a deep breath before finally opening the entrance, walking into the halls, they both shuddered at the memories of these walls.
"You find Lucas. I find Mike." Eleven stated before walking away.
Seven looked down the empty halls, beginning to walk a familiar path, his eyes peering into classrooms.
Though something captured his attention, his heart beginning to beat wildly in his chest, his eyes going to a familiar wall.
He could see they fixed the wall, the one where the monster came through, the one he and El came home with.
The boy's fingers grazed the wall where it was discolored, his head snapping to the side when he heard two voices.
Panicking the boy ran into the closest classroom, hiding behind the door as he heard footsteps coming closer.
"You like her don't you?"
Ven furrowed his brows, peering around the door, to see the backs of Dustin and...Lucas.
His heart began aching as he stared at them, his heart wanting to reach out and hug both of them but his brain saying they can't see him.
This was too dangerous, he thought.
"Yeah...I do." Lucas' voice echoed through the halls though he spoke quietly, looking around the halls for something, Ven didn't know.
"Is this about Ven?" Dustin questioned, looking at his friend as they walked through the halls looking for Dart.
Lucas glanced at Dustin with fear in his eyes, "What?"
"I know you like him," Dustin smirked.
Lucas scanned the boy's face, finding no trace of malice or judgment, awkwardly looking away. "Maybe it is about him."
Seven swallowed, watching them turn the corner, stepping out slowly to follow them to hear the rest of the conversation.
"He would want you happy. If Max makes you happy go for it."
"You like her too though."
"But you're my friend, and if she chooses you then, it's okay."
Ven stopped, a pit in his stomach, the boy turned around and walked in the way he came from, crossing El, who looked angry and sad, knowing he probably expressed the sad.
Her eyes were teary and red as she stated. "Let's go,"
"Are you okay?"
"Are you?" she countered back.
"No."
"Then no."
By the time they got to the cabin, it was dark, Seven wanted to turn around and run when he saw the outline of Hopper standing on the porch, smoking a cigarette, Ven saw, by the orange hue in between the man's two fingers.
Seven slowly followed Eleven, who rushed past Hopper into the cabin completely ignoring the man.
"Friends don't lie, isn't that your bullshit saying?" Hopper grumbled, slamming the door once they all made it in, Ven flinching at the loud sound.
Eleven didn't stop walking, about to enter her room when Hopper shouted.
"Don't you walk away from me!"
Eleven stopped, moving over to hold Seven's trembling hand.
"Where'd you go on your little field trip, huh? Did you go see Mike...Lucas?" Hopper's voice was low as he looked between the kids.
"They didn't see us," Eleven stated, like it would somehow calm down the angry man.
"Well you sure made an impression on that mother and her daughter, they called the cops."
"Why? We didn't--" Ven tried to speak but Hopper interrupted.
"Now did anyone else see you two? Anyone at all."
The siblings shared a look before not saying anything.
"Come on I need you to think!" Hopper yelled, Ven closing his eyes to keep his tears in as he felt fear creep upon him.
"Nobody saw us!" Eleven exclaimed, glaring at the man.
"You guys put us in danger...you know that right?" Hopper explained.
Seven opened his eyes, scoffing.
"What?" Hopper looked at the boy with a raised brow.
"You...You always promise that we could go! But we never leave! Nothing ever freaking happens!" He shouted at Hopper, feeling his anger bubble over from the number of emotions in the room.
Hopper was stunned that he had yelled since Seven was always so put together, but the man quickly composed himself. "Yeah nothing happens and you stay safe!"
"You lie!" Eleven squinted at the man.
"I don't lie. I protect, I feed, and I teach! And all I ask of you is that you follow three simple rules. And look you can't even do that!"
Seven put his head down, tears beginning to fall unwillingly as Hopper and Eleven argued.
"You gotta understand there are consequences for your actions," Hopper stated after saying they were grounded.
Ven wiped his tears at those words, a shudder going through his body as he remembered those exact words coming from Papa every time he had a punishment.
"You are like Papa!" Eleven pointed at the man with hate.
"Really? I'm like that psychotic son of a bitch?" Hopper let out a bitter laugh, "Wow! All right. You wanna go back to the lab? One phone call. I can make that happen."
Eleven raised her brows, tears streaming from her eyes. "I hate you."
Hopper glared at her. "Yeah well, I'm not so crazy about you two either."
At those words Seven ran into his room, locking it or so he thought in his state of panic. He curled in his bed, tears falling down like waterfalls.
He closed his eyes when the shouting continued before a slam of El's door shook the boy's wall beside his bed.
The boy put his hands over his ears when El's ear-piercing scream was heard, he winced when he felt the glass of his window shatter.
His arms moved to protect himself, letting out a cry when he felt a piece of glass sliced his cheek, underneath his eye.
Suddenly it went quiet, the boy slowly unwrapped himself, getting off his bed carefully, looking at it now full of glass.
He sighed, touching his cheek, his fingers coated in blood before he starts swiping up the glass from the bed and window frame, just throwing the glass on the floor.
When he was done he stood on the bed before sitting on the window seal, leaning his head on the side after making sure a shard wasn't poking out.
He looked up at the stars, his arm stretching out to feel the wind in between his fingers. The boy let out a sad sigh, only seeing Lucas' eyes as he stared at the twinkling sky.
But as he looked at the stars, he felt sadness instead of safety as he remembered the discussion earlier.
You like her...
Lucas liked someone, someone that wasn't him. He knew he liked Lucas, he was okay with it, he never saw the problem in it. Though he saw a problem when he felt his heartache.
He would want you happy... Dustin's voice rang in his head.
With him...not with...someone else. Though Seven didn't know if he would ever see Lucas again so maybe he should just accept it.
He would want you happy...
"Yeah, I do..." he whispered, looking at the stars, imagining they were Lucas' eyes.
The boy sat in the window, talking to the moon, wishing he could see Lucas one more time, but eventually the boy fell asleep on the window sill.
A few minutes after he fell asleep, a guilty Hopper walked in, the man's heart-breaking when he saw the boy in the window, tear streaks down his face, a cut on his cheek, and a small smile on his lips.
The man quietly walked in, making sure no glass was on the bed, before picking up the boy and placing him softly on the bed, before tucking him in with a sigh and a forehead kiss.
"I'm sorry, kid."
──