Jopper oneshots <3

Ringing Chains.

A/N: I decide to re write this chapter because I didn't quite like the way I wrote Hoppers episode in the last one, and I put more detail in Joyce helping Hopper get out of it. <3

-Morgan.

It had been a day since Hopper was taken in by Joyce, She had asked the kids for some time with him alone, they protested at first but eventually gave in to the request. She knew Hopper wasn't the same man he was before she lost him eight months ago.

Hopper was sat down on her couch, his eyes weary as if he was waiting for something to happen, or for something to jump out at him. Joyce felt her heart sink, Hopper had been scarred from all of those months of torture and misery, she couldn't imagine what they had put him through and that was agonising to her, and yet he was still putting on a brave face and acting like everything's fine around her.

She has gotten a hold of most of his new characteristics, the man was now more strong it almost made him seem like he had seen everything this world had to offer, his body type had changed, Hopper was no longer the dad bod chief of police that she used to love arguing so much, despite all of it, he now had lost some weight with clear muscles on his arms and loose weight around his stomach part.

Hopper was broken. There was no denying it, the way his eyes shun much darker than before, his once ocean blue eyes that she loved to sink in turned into storm filled one's.

She whised she had been there for him.

Despite all of his though guy act, Hopper seemed to let some of his walls down around her, letting himself relax slightly as they sat in silence on the couch mere moments before she stood up to go grab a glass of water.

Now, she stood there near the couch, watching Hopper with all of his walls down, breaking down.

Hopper looked down at his lap, his eyes running over every single detail of his jeans already have memorised it minutes ago, but he couldn't bring himself to look up.

He knew he was safe here, he knew, but fear ached in his heart, afraid that if he ever made a wrong move everything would crash back upon him, sending him back to that cold, sickening place.

He shuddered at the thought closing his eyes for a brief moment, when a sudden noise snapped him out of it quickly.

Jingles, followed by a metallic thump, loudly reminding his head of the chains that would sit tightly across his two feet and the metal clang of pickaxes against the metal railing.

When he opened his eyes again he could picture himself back there, he could feel his feet restrained as he tried to quick them away, each movement hurting his ankles more and more, as he fell down on his knees, now staring at the pickaxe in his hands, his eyes welled up with tears as he looked between the white sickening snow across the damp grass, his mind bagging with thoughts as he heard the screaming in Russian so faintly in his ears as everything around him muffled.

He shut his eyes tightly silently praying that this wasn't real, that he'd would be taken back next to Joyce whenever he opened his eyes, he would be sitting on her couch facing the TV, but unfortunately for him it didn't happen as he opened his eyes, he was now it the cell on his knees in the hard concrete floor as he cried out againt the bars.

He shut them again, no. No! This was a illusion, he's next to Joyce..

"nonononono.." Joyce heard a mutter from the couch, she quickly picked up what she dropped and ran over to Hopper.

The sight destroyed her, he had his hands over his head as he feel down to the floor with a thump, landing on his knees as tears stream down his face.

"Hopper? Hopper!" She kneeled down next to him grabbing a hold of his hands squeezing them trying to encourage him to open his eyes.

She quickly realised this as what doctor Owen's had talked about with them when they took Will to the hospital after the whole mind flayer situation, he was having traumatic flashbacks followed by a panic attack.

"Hopper, Jim, listen to me, I'm here, you are here in my house, wherever you are, you are not there." She took his hands who we're now on his lap. "See? Can you feel my hands? I'm here, I'm real, im holding you okay? You're safe."

They stayed there in silence as Hoppers breathing kept on being erratic as he cried to calm it down.

"Yes, that's good, here listen to my voice okay? Whenever I squeeze your hand your gonna breathe in, and when I let go you breathe out okay?" She squeezed his hands slightly, smiling softly as she realised he was trying, he was listening.

His breathing came to a calm as he breathed in sync with her in silence, broken by occasional words of affirmation from Joyce.

"joyce..?" He muttered reaching out his arms to hold her face in his hands.

"It's me Hopper, I'm here." She sighed, tears welling up in her own eyes. She placed her forhead on his breathing out a big breath. Hopper separated their faces wiping her tears away with his thumb, making her smile and chuckled slightly.

"Oh, Hop.." She smiled, trying to bring up the motive for his episode. "What happened..?" He let go of her, now laying sideways and opening his legs slightly, Joyce climbed on top of him and layer there, listening to his heart beat slow down. He sighs, upset a himself for letting such sensitive emotions show to her, he didn't want her to worry about him.

"I really... don't wanna talk.." he sobbed out to her through shaky breaths

"Oh god Hopper, I'm so sorry." She sobbed into his chest, his hand came to the back of her head rubbing it softly.

"'s okay Joyce.." He takes his other arm and wraps it around her.

"I- I just.. I cant help but think of..of what they did to you." She sobs more into his chest. He coos lifting her head up from his chest and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Joyce's sobs stopped as she looked into his eyes, they weren't the hard and empty eyes she'd meet with before he was taken away, his eyes now were full of emotion.

Sorrow, anger, sadness, tiredness and anxiety, but the one he choose to reveal to her was love.

She smiled even more bracing herself up carefully on his chest and catching his lips with hers.

Hoppers eyes widened as he sat them both up, she now sat between his legs.

His hands cupped at her cheeks and hers flung around his shoulders and neck, his lips didn't taste the same as she remembered back in highschool, they used to taste of cigarettes and alcohol.

Joyce couldn't quite put her finger on how they tasted now, but she knew they tasted amazing her mind going blank as he uncupped one of her cheeks to rub her back.

She felt comfortable and happy in his arms, her mind coming back to her senses making her feel like happiest person in the world, she almost swore she could hear orchestras and fireworks going on in her head as he kissed him.

She loved every bit of the kiss, how his rough and scarred lips felt against her mildly soft ones, she had her own small scars, but nothing compared to Hopper.

She loved how his hands would touch her as if she were going to break beneath his touch, how his hand rubbed her back in a soft way as their lips entwined.

Hopper pulled away the emotion shown in his eyes was nothing more than love and pure bliss.

She chuckled and laid her head down on his chest, humming against him.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned back on the couch again, placing her carefully on his lap sideways kissing her temple softly.

Joyce sighed in relief, she was finally here, being held protectively by him, he was holding onto her as if she could fade away any second and she liked it.

"Let me get you a bath running, then if you feel like it we can talk about it better, how does that sound?" Hopper nodded as she sat up, offering him her hand then pulling him into a hug.

She felt safe in his arms, and could only hope she provided the same kind of comfort to him.