Jopper Oneshots (by Nikol Mistr)

Ciggarete

It was months after Joyce saved Hopper from that horrible place. They figured out that they were true soulmates for each other, and they started trully dating. Hopper was so in love with the fact that Joyce was his woman, that he sometimes really forgot the trauma he went through, and he enjoyed his life.
But sometimes, however, just a small hints kept making him nervous of everything.
Will once catched Hopper crying, because of memories. He didn't know what he should do, so he just kept watching him. Before Hopper releazed that Will was standing here, he hugged him softly.
Joyce needed to explain kids what happend to Hopper and where he was, so it wasn't a surprise for them that he acted strange. Will couldn't imagine what Hopper went through, but the idea of being locked in Jail somewhere away from people you loved made him feel bad.
Hopper felt embarassed for being hugged by a teenager boy, and mostly for fact that it did calmed him down.
"Better?", Will asked, patting Hopper on his shoulder. He just nodded and got up, helping Will, too.
"I uh, thanks", Hopper said, clearing his throat.
"No problem, dad", Will said, smiling.
Hopper smiled back.

The same day at night, Hopper was standing in front of their house, watching starts. He repeated his life choices for while, thinking of people he met and left that but still cared for. He wondered what is Dmitri and Murray doing at the moment.
He was so lost in thoughts, that he really didn't noticed Joyce who crawled behind him and hugged him softly. He startled a little but he was used on her touch, so he just smiled sadly.
"Hey Joy", he said, turning himself to her and hugging her back.
"Hop", she whispered softly into his shirt.
They stayed at this hug for while, before Joyce grabbed his face and looked him right into his blue damaged eyes.
"How was your day?", she asked softly, rubbing his back.
"It was nice", he said, smiling softly.
"Jim. You know you don't know how to lie to me"
He looked away and cleared his throat. "I may have overreacted by something,...stupid, in front of Will"
Joyce smiled sadly and hugged him more.
"He told me, silly"
"He did..?"
"He was glad that his hug helped you", she said, cuddling to his shirt.
Hopper smiled and chuckled.
"Yeah it did help"
"Then,...what are you doing out? May I ask"
"Just watching stars", he shrugged, pointing his finger up, "I haven't seen them in long time, and I never thoight they were that beautiful"
Joyce haven't said anything, she just stared where Hopper did, before her stare fell on him again.
She loved him with all of her heart, more than anything else in this world. She would swear that she never felt like this with Lonnie or Bob. Hopper made her feel,...well, different.
She smiled at him before she took a small box from her pocket, opening it and taking one cigarette.
Hopper watched her with weird glance, and as soon as Joyce had cigarette in her mouth, he looked away, putting his hands into his pockets.
The air between them suddenly became strange, stranger than before.
Joyce took out the cigarette, handing it to Hopper with smile, but he refused. He turned his back at her, and suddenly she felt horrible.
"Hop...?", she asked.
He slowly turned his head at her, worried about something.
"What is it..?", She sighed
"The....the cigarette"
"What's wrong with it?", Joyce asked carefuly.
"It just,....I...I don't smoke anymore, sorry", Hopper said coldly, turning his head away from her.
Joyce was shocked for a while.
'He...doesn't?', she thought.
She chuckled nervously, "You? The one who always smoke?"
He didn't said anything at it, he just stood there, looking away.
"Hop, honey...don't worry it's just a cigarette", she said, but she eventually pulled the cigarette down.
"Yeah u-uh, yeah you are right", he said weirdly, like if he tried to convinced himself.
"Why don't you smoke anymore?", she asked softly.
He was quiet for nearly minute.
"I thought it makes me look,...cool. Then I saw...things", he said, shivering. He tried hard enough not to think of the memories, but it felt nearly impossible.
"What...things..?", Joyce asked, slowly.
That was bad move, Hopper thought. He quickly let go of pushing the memories away.
He was there, again, seeing the people smoking, seeing how they tortured poor humans with putting the hot cigarettes in their throats, laughing at them, kicking at them.
Suddenly he saw himself sitting at that horrible chair, getting that mask on his face, breathing the smoke.
He gulped and stepped back, nearly falling on the ground. Joyce wanted to say something, but before she could, he cut her out.
"I don't feel l-like telling you", he said, walking away from Joyce, "y-you know, I think I need a walk"
Joyce blinked, watching Hopper walking away quickly.
She looked at her hand where she held her cigarette, and then at Hopper, and she sighed.
Her boyfriend was way more important than some stupid cigarettes.
She ran behind Hopper, hoping she would catch him. However, she froze at place when she heard him whimpering and crying. He leaned at the nearest forrest,falling down to his knees. He put his head on his hands, crying loudly.
She felt horrible, even if she had no idea what was going on. She wanted to help him, so she slowly crawled to him, her heart was breaking when she heard his cries.
She quickly leaned towards him, putting him into hard hug.
He couldn't do anything just cry.
"Oh Hop,...", she whispered, her own voice was trembling.
His grip became stronger, as his head fell on her shoulder, letting all this fear from previous months falling down.
They sat there for nearly 10 minutes, before Hopper calmed down.
"What....what happend....?", Joyce asked, trembling.
He didn't said anything.
"Hop...look I want to help you"
He sighed.
"They....tortured people by...putting fresh cigarettes into their mouths. T-They tortured me with this, this mask full of that,...that smoke", he said, his voice breaking again.
Joyce's eyes widened, but she didn't said anything. She just hugged him tieghtly, her right hand came to his hair. Hopper had sniffled a little, but he didn't trully cried.
"I...I'm so sorry Hop....", She said, her own voice was trembling.
'If I knew before,...'
"It's...it's fine...", Hopper murmured to her shoulder, still not letting go of her.
"Can we go...home? I am freezing here..", he suddenly said.
Joyce chuckled sadly and helped him up, "Yeah, sure"