The Kids Are Alright - Jim Hopper

Chapter One

Moving back into their old house where Eva spent most of her childhood in felt melancholic and at the same time, peculiar. The tables were uncovered and instead, were protected with a layer of dust, their rooms were left like how it was back then, nothing was moved out of its place, everything was undisturbed. 

"I know I haven't been here long as you, but it feels nostalgic." Scarlett's words tore Eva out of her thoughts as she slightly jolted in her place. 

"Hey kid, tell me about it." Eva whispered with a disbelieving chuckle as she started to roam the house. 

The two of them glanced at their own rooms that they used to occupy years back, Scarlett chuckled as she looked at her pink room that carried a crib in the middle of the room, "I don't think I can fit in that anymore, it'll definitely be tight today. Not to mention uncomfortable." 

Eva snorted before redirecting her sister into her old bedroom that held many posters on the walls of attractive men, "I think you can have my room, besides, I'm taking the master bedroom. Do with it as you like, alright?"

"Cool!" 

The night was immediately spent cleaning up their once again, home. The four walls revealed memories that were stashed in boxes that Eva completely forgot about, like Eva's baby pictures and Scarlett's. Scarlett found Eva's diary in her drawer teasing her eldest sister and running all over the house so Eva wouldn't catch her. 

"Scar! Come back here!"

The house, being quiet for many years, was now filled with laughter, speech and finally music.

Rough knocking on the door jolted Eva out of her sleep but seemed to have no impact on her sister who was also sprawled out on the other side of the couch.

On the other side of the door, Jim Hopper waited with his hands in his pockets feeling as if his fingers were going to pop off because of how cold they were. 

"Hopper! Please, come in." Eva widened the door for the larger man to come, his eyes trailed all over the house- a cop habit. 

The house was surprisingly clean and in the corner of the living room, stood a lonesome broom. His eyes traveled from the broom to Eva's sister who was slightly snoring on the sofa and only then did he figure out that the two females spent their night cleaning instead of relaxing. 

Eva led the chief into the kitchen as to not disturb her exhausted sister and he immediately pulled the stool to sit down while the woman searched the cupboards and fridge for anything edible. 

"Sorry Hopper, if there was anything you could drink I would've offered them to you." 

"That's alright-" Hopper waved his hand, dismissing the hospitality, "I'm actually here about your car, we toed it to the garage it'll take about a week to get fixed."

"Oh thanks Hop, you're a life saver!" 

The sudden nickname and words of the woman sent shivers down his spine as he faced the smile of the woman's face. 

Then, a thought came to his mind, "hey, would you like to grab some breakfast? We can pack your fridge with some food and when Scarlett wakes up I'm pretty sure she's gonna be hungry." 

"That...that sounds great, just let me freshen up." 

After brushing her teeth and washing her face- wearing her maroon coat, Eva wrote a note and sticked it gently on Scarlett's forehead. 

Hopper watched the woman in front of him devour her pancakes with amusement etched on the corner of his lips.

"Aren't you on shift?" The sudden question startled the man as the woman took in his uniform.

"well, uh, I'm on break." The man forced a smile on his face but it just appeared to be a tight smile on his face while Eva raised a brow. 

"So..." Eva decided that the silence between them was uncomfortable and she wanted to break that, "I told you most thing about myself yesterday in the blazer. What about you? Married?"

Hopper chuckled, suddenly nervous at the question, "Well, I...uh..no, I'm not." Hopper sighed loudly, "well, I was.." 

"Oh," Eva said after swallowing her pancake, "I knew a handsome man like you would never be single, at least before." Eva chuckled before shoving another piece of pancake in her mouth. 

The compliment boosted Jim's ego as the man straightened up more and a smirk was plastered on his face. 

"So, no car chases or any exciting police work here, right?" 

"Told ya, Hawkins is pretty dull."