Nothing is ever lost

Friends into lovers

We arrive at Enzo's. Hopper takes my arm and we walk into the restaurant together. Someone walks us to our table. We sit down.

'So here we are.' Hopper says

'Yeah, after all these years.' I say. 'We should've done this way earlier'

'I know but I never had the guts to ask' Hopper says

' Well, me neither.' I say

Can't help falling in love starts playing

'What a coincidence.' I say with a smile

'Wow this goes way back haha' Hopper says laughing

'This was our song in high school'

'Oh my god, it was!' He says ' I remember dancing to this.'

'Schooldance 1958' I say

'Yess, our last year of high school.'

'When life was still a bit easy'

'Just before you ran off with Lonnie.'

I look at him a bit uncomfortable

'Hmm yeah, looking back on that, not the best life choice....'

'Hey that's okay, you couldn't know that everything that happened would happen.'

I smile

'We were so close, remind me, why didn't I go with you?'

'I went to Vietnam.'

'Oh yeah... right...' Joyce says regretting that she asked.

She looks down

'It's okay, I don't blame you.'

Joyce doesn't say anything back, she's thinking.

Hopper leaves her be and the waiter comes around. They both order. 

POV Hopper

Joyce looks nervous. Is it because of what I said? Oh I shouldn't have said anything. I hope I didn't ruin things this way. 

The food arrives

'This looks good!' I say

'Mhm, it does.' Joyce says a little distant.

'Are you okay Joyce?'

'Mhm? Oh yes, yes I am okay, sorry.'

I look at her, she looks worried

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, it's just- I feel not very comfortable here.'

'Would you rather go somewhere else?' I ask her

'Oh no.. we can't do that. The food just arrived.''

'If you don't feel comfortable, I am not staying any longer.'

She smiles at me. She's so beautiful.

'Let's eat and then leave.' She says

We finish our meals, I pay and then we leave. Joyce protested against me paying but I refused to let her pay for her meal.

'Can we go for a walk?' Joyce asks

'Sure! Where do you want to go?'

'Doesn't matter, I just need to get my mind off of things.' She says with a worried look on her face.

I take her hand and we start walking through hawkins.

'Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?'