like i can \/ nancy wheeler

extra. reconciling

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

COLBY MARTIN sits in his dad's living room, his hands awkwardly resting on his knees as he stares blankly at Chief Hopper.

"We need to clear the air," says Hopper truthfully, sighing and running a hand over the top of his shaved head. "Obviously... things ended on a bad note."

"I got your letter." Colby tells him abruptly, before wincing apologetically. "Sorry. Sorry. Uh... I just... a lot of what you said in it was right. I didn't mean anything I said."

"Neither did I." sighs Hopper, squeezing his eyes shut uncomfortably. "I, uh... I did want to invite you back, though. I guess technically I did."

"You've got a new house." Colby looks around, motioning to the wooden walls, floors, and ceilings of Hopper's new cabin.

The conversation is almost tense, and definitely awkward. Colby's leg is bouncing up and down anxiously, fighting the urge to bite his nails. Laurie would often scold him for it with a sharp slap across the face. He knows Hopper won't do it, yet in the face of a parental figure, he can't help but act like he would with Laurie.

"I do, yeah." laughs Hopper, smiling gently at Colby. "With a spare bedroom. I figured El's was... well, El's was El's. Uh... not that I ever prioritized her over you, you're my son-"

"And El is your daughter." Colby interjects, glancing over his shoulder. Through the three-inch gap in El's doorway, he can see her peering out, before disappearing from view. "And I don't mind if she got first pick, don't worry."

There's silence between the two Hopper relatives. A son and a father, neither of which have been able to keep a conversation going for as long as they have. They're maintaining it well.

"I'm, uh," Colby clears his throat, looking down at the floor, "I'm glad you're home. And," he adds with a smug grin, "you've got a new girlfriend."

"Oh, so it took you a total of five minutes to bring that up, huh?" Hopper grins, running a hand over his face. "Yeah. Joyce. It's been a long time in the making."

"Well, I'm glad-"

"And you've got a girlfriend!" Hopper accuses, pointing a finger at his son. "Nancy Wheeler? The entire goddamn Wheeler family is infiltrating my house."

"Well, Holly is keeping her distance." grins Colby, shaking his head. "Unless, of course, you and Joyce plan on having another..."

Hopper grimaces, laughing a little. He instinctively puts his hand on the top of his head before retracting it. He's done that a lot— he keeps forgetting that he doesn't have his hair anymore.

"I might be getting too old for that." Hopper has suddenly grown quiet, meeting Colby's eyes once more. "And, uh... it didn't really work in my favor last time."

Colby winces, remembering their last argument. It was all his fault when it occurred, and he regrets nothing more than that. He almost lost his dad because of a stupid, pointless argument.

"I'm sorry." Colby breathes out, burying his head in his hands. "I... I shouldn't have been mad at you for something like that. It wasn't your fault. It's just..." Colby shook his head. "I thought... I thought it should've been me."

"What?" Hopper's brows furrow together. He leans towards his son before flinching backwards, as if afraid of stinging Colby.

"I got lucky." Colby mutters begrudgingly. "I was... I was normal. Well..." he glances up; can he even say anything? What happens if he says something? What happens if Hopper doesn't agree? "As-As normal as a teen can be, right?"

"Yeah." Hopper nods suspiciously. "But... But you can't... blame yourself for what happened to Sara. Especially by saying that it should've been you. Because it shouldn't have been."

"I know," says Colby quietly, raising his head a little. "I know. I miss her... a lot."

Hopper lets go of a baited breath, his jaw clenching and then releasing as he tries to find the words to respond. "Me too, kid. I miss her a lot."

"I see El has her hair tie. The one you refused to get rid of."

Hopper grimaces, looking apologetically at Colby. "Are you... mad about it?"

"No." Colby lets out a small laugh, easing Hopper's worries. "No, I'm sure Sara would've really liked El."

"I'm glad you're home." Hopper voices weakly, standing up and immediately bringing Colby into a tight, and unexpected hug, "Because I really needed someone to lay down the law when it comes to that Wheeler kid and my daughter."

Colby smiles into his dad's chest, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent the tears that so desperately want to sting his eyes. "I'm glad I'm home too, Dad."

jack
a short extra chapter, but i feel like it gives a little insight into how hopper and colby tried to move past their issues in the past

let me know if you have any requests for extra chapters that you want me to do!!

(8/12/22)