There's a defining moment in which they become one family.
It's as if it was inevitable, their fates intertwined. Of course they would blend eventually, Will thinks, with his Mom and Hoppers romantic ties becoming more and more obvious. It was just a matter of when their household would gain two more.
He just never thought that a death would be the final push.
When it clicks into place in 85, officially, their little broken family driving on the interstate in their seperate cars, Will registers it for the first time. Allows himself to process.
El joining their family seemed to be a no brainer. She needed to hide, of course, and they needed to move, and he was sure his Mom already saw her as a daughter from how he'd seen them interact. While he was gone, he's certian Hopper and his Mom had taken on a parental role for El, and aside from that, she had connected with Will himself near immediately while on the search. A blanket of safety in a dark, wet abyss.
Looking out at the landscape, he wonders. Wonders what her favourite colour is, if she might like anything he likes, what she enjoys doing, her favourite juice. Wonders how effective isolating her from her small support system after this tragedy is. He lets himself wonder, because the summer prior he hadn't really gotten a chance to get to know El.
Will hadn't gotten to know her at all, because --
He's met with a sharp pang in his chest, a feeling he shoves down as soon as it rears its ugly head, burying his face into his hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose.
He isn't about to do this. It isn't /her/ fault that Mike had stolen her away every opportunity, isn't her fault that he'd barely paid anyone else mind all summer. And she'd quite literally saved everyone's lives, over and over. An angel in every sense.
The feeling lingers still, like a snake in tall grass, ready to bite. He hates himself for it.
For the rest of the leg of the trip, he tries to drown out his thoughts by listening to whatever mix Jonathan's put in the radio and zoning out. It works, barely.
( ^-^)ノ∠※。.:*:・'°☆ ---------- (*・ｘ・)ノ~~~♪
They've been in 'Lenora' for a week.
One week, and the two had only talked a little, tripping over one another like fawn as they both filled the same role in the house. Will hated how awkward it felt. It should be easier, really, he'd talked to El no problem before. But 'before' was prior to them being in the same house 24/7.
It's night, and they both start at the new school tommorow. Will feels like he could throw up.
He tosses and turns, accepting that sleep won't grace him with its presence tonight. He checks the clock on his nightstand, 2:08am. Flopping back onto his back, he stares at the ceiling, debating with himself. He's tempted to just start the day now, even though he knows what he's like with no sleep.
Eventually he gives in to thirst, pushing himself up with his elbows and then out of bed. Will is incredibly careful noise wise, walking up the stairs from his room precision akin to a soldier wandering into no man's land. When he surfaces and goes to the kitchen, he's met with a sight that he was most definitely not expecting.
El is awake, too, sat at the table with apple juice (her favourite, he's learned) in a mug and a store bought pancake in her hand. She gives him a look that reads 'I've been caught'. He chuckles and goes to fetch his own cup of water, sitting opposite her after he's filled it up.
"Are you....nervous, too? About tommorow?" Will asks, and he sees her perk up a bit, a somewhat shy nod following as her mouth is full. He traces the rim of his cup to occupy his hands.
She swallows her food. "It... It will be my first real time in school." Her reply is uncertain, bordering a more scared tone. Suddenly, the mug she's got beside her seems more interesting than Will himself. "I do not know what to expect"
Sympathy floods him, the urge to reach over to comfort her strong, but he doesn't act on it. He doesn't really know her boundaries. He barely knows anything. They're on the cusp of acquaintances and friends, teetering on the line. He takes a breath.
"I think it'll- it'll probably be scary," He says, making El look up at him. "But it'll end up okay, in the end. How much worse could it be than real-life monsters?" He jokes, and it gets a giggle from her. Progress. Will is making progress.
She smiles at him, a small thing. "You think so?" She asks, and he nods, returning the smile. Suddenly she's up, stepping over to Will and wrapping her arms around him as a 'thank you'.
And in that moment, food and drink abandoned on their dingy kitchen table, he knows they'll be okay. They'll get to know eachother better with time, they'll get used to this brother-sister thing, even if it's not a straight shot.
There's a defining moment that Will and El become siblings, and it's shared over late night snacks and high school worries.