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🅴︎🅿︎🅸︎🆂︎🅾︎🅳︎🅴︎ 🅾︎🅽︎🅴︎
KALI GRIFFIN PEELED BACK HER meal with a cringe. None of the kids were used to cooked food, nor were they used to proper meal settings. Cole and Kali spent the majority of their lives eating vegetables and washing them down with pills, then the last four years stealing scraps from the streets. Eleven did have a favourite food, though — she had Eggos with absolutely every meal.
They'd been living with Hopper for a year now, and they were comfortable with him in a way none of the kids had ever been comfortable with a man before. Growing up with the torture and abuse by their own father, it left a mark in their hearts, and seeing older males triggered that fear factor for all three of them. One man destroyed their entire perspective of the world, but Jim was working extremely hard of helping them open up — he found it especially hard with Cole; the girls were a lot easier.
"What's up?" he asked, seeing the younger boy push his food around on the plate. "You don't like it?"
"He doesn't like flavours," Kali told him, leaning over to help Cole scrape away the gravy. "He can only eat plain foods."
"Oh." Hopper nodded. He went to stand up to help out, but Kali already had it covered. When it came to Cole, she always did. Jim understood why she was like that, but it was really hard to bond with him when he always leaned onto her for everything.
Meanwhile, Eleven, who was slowly growing into her teen years, ate her entire meal with a glare towards her found father. She was mad that she still wasn't allowed to see Mike, and Hopper was always home late — Eleven was obsessed with time and lies.
Being alone and trapped in a small space, the kids often grew bored easily. They spent most days playing board games together or watching television, which was always hard considering the three had completely different tastes; Kali liked her thrillers and true crime, Eleven liked her cute rom-coms and Cole loved his cartoons. Most days, they sat in their beds and waited for Hopper to return. Sometimes, Eleven would compare it to living with Papa. Kali would never agree, and Cole stayed silent as he always did.
But they were comfortable with each other, and for three kids and a man with a lot of trauma, that was enough to ease the bordem and anger. Comfort was everything in their lives.
"What did we talk about?" asked Jim, turning to Eleven, seeing that she'd already ate her Eggos. "Dinner first, then dessert. Always. That's a rule. Yeah?"
Kali always appreciated how Hopper tried to keep his tone soft whenever addressing the younger ones. Naturally, she was very protective over them both, especially Cole, and loud voices and anger were the biggest triggers known to him and Eleven. As Jim got to know the kids — his kids —, he learned that. He never wanted to upset or trigger them; they'd already been through enough.
The girl nodded. "Yes."
After dinner, it was bedtime. For the first time since being in the lab, Cole had his own room. At first, he hated it. He couldn't sleep without other people. It was hard to shut his eyes at night without the security of Kali or Eleven — he knew they'd always keep him safe. Cole always relied on others to protect him, especially his big sisters.
However, eventually, he got used to it. Hopper said he was getting too old to sleep in with other people, although Cole was sure that Dustin still slept with his mom sometimes, when he got scared, and he was the same age as El! — Cole was still only ten. But he did get used to it.
Every night, for Kali, was the same. She and Eleven did share a room, and they had a set of twin beds on either side. She'd wait for El to fall asleep, which didn't take long at all, then check the living room to see if Jim had passed out on the couch yet — he usually didn't go to his bedroom until four —, then she'd simply leave.
Every night, she walked through the woods. Every night, she travelled to the same place. Every night, she checked on Nancy.
Every night, she watched Nancy leave with him. Steve ʼthe manʼ Harrington; King Steve; The Guy — whatever you wanted to call him.
Every night, it was the same.
On the first night, Kali went to knock on the door. She went to risk it. Back then, she would've risked everything to see Nancy again.
But then his car pulled up, and Nancy left the house to jump in. Then, they'd drive off to wherever they were going.
Kali always waited outside the Wheeler house. She always waited to make sure Nancy got home safe.
And, only once she was a hundred percent sure Nancy was safe, Kali would leave.
Then, she'd repeat the same routine the next day. Breakfast, Hopper leaving, entertain the kids, lunch, boredom, dinner, Nancy, bed. Every. Single. Day. For an entire year.
Sometimes, Kali wished Nancy would see her. But Nancy thought she was gone. Nancy thought they'd never see each other again.
That was good. Without Kali, she was safe. Without Kali, nobody would come for her. Kali put her in danger. She put everyone in danger. Hopper, Nancy, the kids, even strangers — if they were around Kali, they'd never be safe again. Something would come for them. Whether it was the lab or the government or the police, something was always going to come. That was just the way it was.
So, Kali could never go up to that door. Kali could never knock. Kali could never find Nancyʼs eyes on hers. Kali could never speak to her. Kali could never be with her.
At least Nancy had Steve.
Sometimes, Kali wished she was Steve.
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A/N: the family is starting now and they've already captured my entire heart...
missing nali rn ngl
but cole is cute ig
also, here's a few things to clear up ages and things in the show, incase anyone is confused:
