Trauma - Hopper Fan fiction

25. Apologies

"Can Steve take me home?", Jamie asked as she got out the car and slung her bookbag on her back.

"You are still grounded, you remember that right?", Hopper replied with a straight face.

Jamie sighed and shut the door. Hopper reached into his pocket and handed her $10 through the window.

"Don't forget there's a half day today. We get out at 12:15", Jamie said quietly.

Hopper slightly nodded his head before putting the car in drive while watching Jamie walk in the building. She found Steve at his locker with Tommy and Carol and immediately groaned under her breath.

"Hey", she said with a slight smile.

Steve looked at Jamie with bags under his eyes. Jamie looked at him with shock as Tommy and Carol stood staring at her. Steve could sense that Jamie felt uncomfortable and shut his locker.

"I'll catch you in first period", he mumbled to them as he grabbed Jamie's hand and walked down the hall.

"Did you not get any sleep last night?", Jamie asked once she was able to take a good look at his face.

Steve shook his head and sighed.

"Jamie, I haven't been able to sleep ever since I watched your dad..... oh shit", he stopped himself once he realized that Jamie didn't know.

"Watched my dad do what?", Jamie asked innocently.

Steve sighed in relief as the bell rang causing chaos in the hallway. Steve clenched his bookbag as he headed off towards his first period class.

"I'll catch you after school!", he shouted. "Take you home?"

"Cant. Still grounded", she shouted back as she sighed and headed in the classroom.

Hopper pulled up to Joyce's house and sighed in relief when he saw her car outside. He walked to the front door and reached in his pocket for his keys. He jumped slightly when Joyce opened the door in her robe and stood in the doorway with her arms folded.

Hopper immediately grabbed her cheeks with his palms and kissed her. Instead of resisting, Joyce kept her arms folded and allowed him to kiss her as she stood there. Hopper moved inside with their lips still intact and kicked the door closed with his foot. After Joyce realized that he wasn't giving up that easy, she loosened up, closed her eyes, and kissed him back.

Hopper pulled his head away to finally look at her, but she pulled his face back with her soft hands on his cheeks. Hopper wrapped his arms around her waist as both their tears piled on the top of each others lips. Joyce was the first to pull away as she wiped her face with the side of her hand.

"Can we please talk. Forreal.", Hopper pleaded and emphasized to remind Joyce that their "talk" yesterday was basically him getting yelled at.

"We talked yesterday, remember?", she said reaching past him to lock the door and folding her arms once again.

"No,", Hopper looked up and pretended to think. "I remember you yelling at me and then kicking my ass in the grocery store parking lot", he reminded her as he looked at her with a smart look on his face.

"Well, you deserved it", she replied as she walked to the couch, sat down, and muted the tv.

"Im listening", she continued.

"Look... I know what I did came with repercussions, alright. But, I know damn well that nothing from that day should trace back to me or Steve."

Joyce sat there looking unconvinced and blinked slowly as she shook her head.