1985 (Jim Hopper II)

Protective

I watched Hoppers eyes start to slowly flutter open, my face dangerously close to his face. I could smell his sweat and I wasn't even bothered, I was just happy to see him stirring.

"Joyce!" I shout a bit too loudly, my eyes welling up slightly.

I hear him grunt beneath me and I hold his face in my palms, my name sounding so sweet on his lips,

"H-hannah? How the hell-"

"Joyce and I dragged you into the house, I mean she did most of the work but-"

Hopper stands up, the sheets falling from his naked body.

Joyce yelps and shields her eyes after returning from El's room.

"Jesus..." Hopper growls, hand over face before tying a sheet around his waist to cover his... member.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Outside. To... dry? Come to think of it I should've hung them inside, it was pouring last night." I mention, facepalming and glancing over to Joyce.

"Can you give us a minute?" Jim asks her, smiling fondly over to her.

"Yeah. Of course." She smiles, stealing a smoke from his pack on the table and heading out the front door.

"You undressed me in front of Joyce?!" He shouts.

I bit my lip and nodded, "you would've gotten sick..."

Hopper winces, "did she ask questions?"

"She asked about us, yeah... about forever ago, the rumors."

Hopper lights up suddenly and grabs me by my arms, "and what did you say?"

I could tell he was worried, worried about what I said, what Joyce would think, how she would react. There was something else though, the tiniest bit of a smirk tugging the corners of his lips.

"I told her I didn't want to talk about it. Out of respect for you. It wasn't my place."

His shoulders drop, his slight smirk turning into a growingly infamous scowl.

"Right."

"You got beaten the shit out of!" I shout, smacking his chest.

"Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"

"Because! You got hurt and I wasn't there!" I smack him again.

"Stop it." He levels, holding onto my wrist.

"Hug me."

"Y-you're naked, Hopper."

"And?"

"Joyce?"

He shrugs.

My stomach fluttered full of butterflies. Despite his suddenly barely blooming relationship with Joyce, he still maybe loved me... and I didn't even think twice, I just wrapped my arms around his waist and lightly pinched his butt once back there. I hear him clear his throat and jump slightly, wrapping his arms around me too, so tightly that my face was engulfed into his skin.

"Your shirt is ridiculous."

"Well you were wearing that silly button up, I thought if you were going to look ridiculous well... we could look ridiculous together. Like the- like the disco."

I feel his belly laugh as he smiles and kisses the top of my head, his stubble scratching my scalp as he buries deeply into my hair.

"You're coming with me this time."

"This time? What about... what are we doing?" I ask, pulling away from him.

"You and Joyce are coming with me, the guy who beat the crap out of me, I saw him walking out of Mayor Klein's office the other day. We're getting answers. Since you're so in love and worried about me, you can come."

I smile and reach up to him, cupping his face in my hand and linking my lips to his,

"Softie. You're such softie." I mumble against his lips with a slight giggle.

"It's not funny. You hurt me so bad, Hannah. It makes no sense as to why I still cave for you."

I pull away and bite my lip, a pit fell into my stomach at the honesty and I felt horrible. I stared up into his eyes with determination. I wanted him to know how badly I mean it when I say, as my voice cracks,

"I know. I don't deserve it."

"No. You don't." He mentions, patting my butt before heading to his room and grabbing that infamous shirt, a pair of jeans and some nice brown boots.

"Let's grab Joyce."

I'd be a liar if I said it didn't hurt to hear that he agrees with me.

The ride to the mayors office was painfully silent. Joyce had opened her mouth a couple times but always went back to sitting with it shut. After the fourth time though, I finally grunt from the backseat,

"Actually what, Joyce?"

"I just, I wanted to know if you two are back together... not for my sake I just, I saw you guys... I never knew it was- you two, if it was true. I mean you moved away and I-"

I watch Hopper's knuckles turn white as he clenched the steering with enough force to tear a human being in half.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. Or watched." She shutters a bit in disgust.

"It's complicated, Joyce." I mumble in Hopper's silent defense.

"It's not all that complicated Hannah. We dated, I hurt her, she hurt me, we broke up, she came back and sure, I'm happy she's home."

Home.

I slink further into my seat and pucker my lips, completely unsure of what that last part meant. I wasn't moving back to Hawkins. I didn't want Hopper to get the impression that I was, either.

"We slept together. It's not off the table, but I think there's a lot more that we need to talk about before getting back together. There's just more important things going on. Please don't be upset, Joyce."

She just blows out a heavy exhale and suddenly claps her hands,

"Ha! So I was right! Somethings up!"

She seemed happier over the fact that Hopper was admitting to more weird shit in Hawkins than she was upset about losing her chances of a relationship with him.

"And I'm happy for you, Jim."

"Yeah, yes, Joyce. The magnet thing, the lab, getting beat up, you're right. You're always right. And... thank you." Hopper chuckles quietly.

"You know I'm totally in the back seat, right?" I question, raising a finger to them both.

"Yeah, and cross Jim again, I'll hunt you down." Joyce says, smiling back at me.

My face goes beat red and the pit in my stomach grew deeper.

But it was overwhelmed with immediate relief when I felt Hopper's hand reach back and rest on my knee, rubbing softly.

"She won't." He says with an even bigger smile than before, happy his friend was defending him, but his simple touch made me hope he was starting to trust me again.

"Between you and El threatening me, probably not."

It's funny. We were all a little protective of him, and I couldn't be happier that he had such good people in his life while I was gone.