Chapter Text
Chapter 1
It had been nearly 2 months since Will had returned safe but unfortunately not sound from the Upside Down. He was struggling with nightmares and flashbacks to his traumatic experience, and though Joyce hated seeing him like this, she was mostly extremely relieved and happy to have her son home. It was a wake up call, of sorts, having Will go missing, one that ensured Joyce did not take for granted any moment spent with her two beloved sons. In the past, she had often forgotten about spending quality time with Will and in particular Jonathan, in her struggle to make ends meet and provide for them.
She was back at work in Melvalds. Most days, Hopper would call in on her lunch break to have a chat, mostly about how Will was doing. However, on occasion, conversation would take a reminiscent turn in which the pair would end up reflecting fondly on days gone by.
On one day in particular, Joyce was stacking shelves in the shop. Not a soul had been in all morning, it was a cold Tuesday afternoon, the last day of the year, New Year’s Eve. Most residents of Hawkins had already secured their weekly groceries the day before, avoiding the last minute rush. The bell to signify a customer entering dinged loudly, and Joyce looked up as the tall, broad figure that was Jim Hopper strolled through the door, hat in one hand and shades in the other. “Hey Joyce” he said with a smile as he sauntered over to the counter and plopped himself on the stool opposite the main till. “I brought us some sandwiches from the deli”. “Oh Hop, there was no need!” said Joyce absentmindedly as she struggled to reach up and stick a price tag on a bag of muesli on the top shelf. “Let me get that” said Hopper, easing himself of the stool and walking over “You are a bit more vertically challenged that I, Horowitz”. Joyce rolled her eyes at the old nickname but grinned as she tried in vain one last time to stretch to the shelf, eventually giving up with a huff just as Hopper prised the pricing gun from her grasp gently and stuck the label on the bag with ease. “Now, can you take a break for a few minutes? Surely a lunch break is written somewhere in your contract with that old bastard Donald. “Shhh” hissed Joyce as she cast her eyes nervously around, as if Donald would stick his wrinkled old head out from on of the shelves. “Don’t worry, saw the old man leave in his new Cadillac ten minute ago” said Hopper, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, how are you?” “I’m fine, just as I was yesterday Hop, and the day before, and the day before that!” Joyce snapped with an air of impatience. She immediately looked abashed, as Hopper leaned away from her slightly and raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry Hop I’m sorry… I’m just a bit tired. Will isn’t doing so great. He had a bad night last night with the nightmares, y’know..” she cast her eyes downwards as Hopper stepped forward again and gently gripped her arms in his hands. She raised her head and looked at him. “It’s ok Joyce, really it’s ok. You’re dealing with this the best you can, I mean, it’s bad enough when your kid goes missing, but all this supernatural shit? I’m even having a hard time getting my head round it”. Joyce finally looked him directly in the eye. She saw soemthing in his eyes, something that wasn’t there before, or maybe had she just not noticed it? It was a curious look, a tenderness, maybe even more? She broke eye contact and patted him back on the arm.
“Thanks Hop, I mean, it really is great to have him home, it’s just hard, but thanks so much for being here and… well for bringing me lunch every other day. I need to return the favour, actually.. how about dinner some night? You and I both know I’m no cook but I hear Enzos are now doing takeaway and I know Will and Johnathan will be delighted to see you,and of course bring El, I love having her around,that is if you’re free, I know- “Joyce, I’d love to” said Hopper with a smile, and what looked suspiciously like a slight blush to his cheeks, cutting off Joyce’s nervous ramblings. “Oh ok, great, well, are you up to anything this evening?” asked Joyce, reassured by his positive response, and surprised by her own forwardness. “Sure, me and El haven’t made any plans for New Years, to be honest, I spent half the morning trying to explain to the poor child what New Years even is” he said with a sad smile. “But dinner sounds great. Will we come over around 7?” “Perfect” said Joyce.”Sounds like a plan,so”, said Hopper with a proper smile and what Joyce could only describe as a glint in his eye. “Ok,we’ll first things first, let’s eat these sandwiches before they get all cold and stale” she said with an air of admonishment. But as she made eye contact with the man, now leaning casually against the counter at her side, she returned his smile with a surge of affection and another strange and unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling, a feeling that promised only good things were to come.
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At 7pm there was a knock on the door. “Jonathan? Can you get that sweetie?” called Joyce as she and Will set the table. Jonathan opened the door and smiled shyly, nodding at hopper and ruffling El’s rapidly growing pixie cut fondly. Will rushed to greet El with a hug, as Hopper followed Jonathan into the kitchen. “Hey Joyce” said Hopper with a grin, saved the awkwardness of deciding whether to give her a half hug or a kiss on the cheek by El bounding towards Joyce and wrapping herself around her middle. “Heyyy honey”! Laughed Joyce, pressing a kiss to El’s head, hugging her back with a smile towards hopper. El stepped back, “Thank you for having us to dinner, Joyce” she said, with an air that suggested she and Hopper had practised this phrase in the blazer on the way over. Joyce swallowed another laugh as she smiled at the little girl. “Of course El, we love having you, don’t we guys?
“Yes! exclaimed Will, impatiently dragging El by the arm over to where his new Atari lay, desperate to show El how it worked, as he had promised the last time they saw her, the day Hopper told them who he was hiding in his cabin, when Joyce, he and Johnathan had called to the cabin with cookies and a board game and to talk to El. The next day, the rest of the gang had had a meeting at the Byers residence, with Hopper ferociously swearing the boys to utter secrecy over El’s new lodgings. Not that he thought they would be stupid enough to give her away, but by God did Hopper know they had big mouths when excited about something.
“Dinner will be ready in five minutes, kids!” said Joyce, while ushering Hopper into a chair. She pressed him into a set with one hand on his shoulder. As he sat he inclined his head at her, catching her eye a smiled gently- that soft, gentle look, so full of- dare she say love? No what was she thinking, he is just being a good friend, checking up on her and her family after a traumatic few weeks. She dropped his gaze and busied herself with plating up the takeaway.