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I also want to thank 'AnnieRavenclaw707', my beta reader, for been so kind to me :)
Chapter 23: They're not kids anymore.
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The day had been very emotional. They had been narrating what had happened last night. Hopper had had to do most of the story because Joyce was still somewhat affected. Hearing it from another perspective it seemed as if it hadn't happened to her.
The man was avoiding almost everything that happened. It was a very sugar-coated version of the events. Better that way. He had barely gone into horrific details, but El almost panicked, knowing they had been in danger. The guilt for not being there for them haunted her, so she became Hopper's shadow, chasing him around the house wherever he went. The thought of losing him again terrified her. Hopper teased her, calling her the yellow duckling.
So it seemed very strange to Joyce to find her sitting on the sofa, next to Will, watching a movie. A western. In recent months, Joyce had discovered that the girl loved western movies. She couldn't understand how someone at her age could have such rare tastes. She assumed that living with Hopper for that long made you share strange tastes in things.
Sighing, Joyce sat next to them on the sofa. Thinking that she could finally have a moment of tranquility. How naive. Eleven shook her head, and the volume on the TV went up on its own.
"Hop is being odd," The girl stated without even taking her eyes off the television.
"No. He's just tired. We couldn't sleep today," Joyce replied. It was absurd to say he wasn't. She supposed the girl would know better about Hopper's mood swings.
"You are acting weird too." Will pointed out. Shit. They had conspired against her.
"Are you lying to us?" El asked without beating around the bush.
"Lie? Why would we lie?" Joyce answered, with a fake smile.
Eleven turned on the sofa to get a better look at her. "When Hop lies to me, he does it to protect me. Or so he thinks. I know he's lying now, and you're helping him. We aren't children anymore."
"Honey, I think you are exaggerating," Joyce replied, trying to defend herself.
"There were lots of police outside the house when we arrived this morning. They were watching. Why would they watch so much if it was nothing?" Will replied, raising his voice.
"Ok. Yes." Joyce admitted. The kids were clever. "It was something a little more dangerous."
Will panicked. "Could you have died?" He asked.
Joyce turned and stared at the movie. How she had come to that situation? Being asked that by her son, while a cowboy galloped in front of her. Those old movies always ended well, the boy and the girl ended up together and living happily ever after. Why did those things only happen in the movies?
Eleven crossed her arms. She didn't need to hear the answer. "I knew it. I knew it wasn't a good idea to leave you alone."
"No one knew this was going to happen. And, for heaven's sake, we are adults. You are the children, your job is to go out and enjoy life, without having to worry about us." Since how long had life become so bizarre to have to say that?
Eleven hesitated. "And if we had come back this morning and... I can't lose again ... I don't… no…" The girl didn't finish the sentence, she didn't want to express with words her greatest terror right now. To be alone again, and to lose the people she cared about.
Joyce hugged her. "Honey. We are here, safe and sound, okay? That is what matters now. Don't think about things that haven't happened."
"Yet," El added. "I don't want to lose you both. I already lost Hop once and it was horrible."
"I know, honey."
"I just want to have a family."
Joyce pulled away. "Hey. You already have one." She replied, offering her a tender smile.
Eleven looked at the woman, confused. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jersey and continued to stare at Joyce in silence before continuing. "You, Jonathan, and Will are one family." She said after a while.
"Yes, we are. But you are also part of it."
Eleven was still just as confused. "And Hop?"
Ouch. Joyce thought. This conversation was going much faster than she intended it. This time, it was Will who turned to look at his mother.
Hopper was examining the fridge. He would have to improvise with what little there was, to be able to offer a decent dinner. In those cases, when they were only him and El, he would have taken some Eggos as an emergency solution. But now, they were more, and to add a problem, Joyce still did not want to enter the kitchen. He didn't have a problem with that, but, to be honest, her cooking skills were better.
"Do you need help with that?" Jonathan asked behind him.
"Well, if you know how to do miracles, I need one right now," Hopper replied, dropping some ingredients on the kitchen table.
Jonathan looked annoyed at the poor box of eggs that the other man was unpacking. "Oh shit. Sorry. With everything that happened today, I didn't even remember that I had to go shopping."
Hop was surprised at that reaction. That boy seemed truly frustrated by that absurd detail. He had never thought about it, but Jonathan was the man of the Byers house. Despite being so young, he had had to mature faster than other boys his age to carry that responsibility. One more thing to reproach Loonie for, stealing his own son's childhood. Jerk.
Hopper sighed. "Hey. It's okay, kid. We can always put less on Will's plate." He replied wryly.
The boy smiled briefly, watching patiently as the other man put a pan on the fire.
"So?" Hopper asked curiously.
The boy scratched his head a little embarrassed. "Actually, I wanted to talk with you."
"I know. I don't think you're bored enough to come to see how I fry an egg."
"I, uh ... well ... I wanted to ask if ..." Jonathan was silent, and seeing how Hopper looked at him seriously, he felt quite stupid. But he just couldn't find the right words to ask what he wanted to know, politely. "Look, forget it." He declared defeated.
Hopper raised an eyebrow, surprised that the boy didn't dare speak to him. "If you go now, you are going to feel like an idiot during the whole dinner. What you have to ask, ask it." He advised him, "Also, what kind of journalist would you be if you don't?"
Jonathan snorted nervously. "Look. I don't want to screw everything up. But, I'm concerned. Okay? Also, it had been a long time since I saw my mother like that and… I want to know what happened."
Hopper moved the pan, almost relieved that that was the question. The boy was so nervous that he feared the worst. "I've already told you before,"
"No." Jonathan shook his head. "My mother wanted to prepare something. She told me to take the kids to the movies and then to the Thompsons' house to ... surprise you. She wanted to cheer you up. I don't know if… did that happen?"
The man turned to face him. Now he was looking at him with his best police face. Jonathan gulped. Hopper had always instilled in him respect, he was the most authoritative figure he knew. And although in recent years he had become someone closer, he couldn't help but see him like that, like the kind of people you don't have to screw with. But if his mother was involved, he was not going to be intimidated, not even by someone like Hopper.
"What are you implying, kid?"
"Is there something between you and my mother?" He dared to say, without further ado.
"Excuse me?" He asked, trying to make the boy develop his true question.
Jonathan pointed at his face. "I have eyes. I can see how you look at each other, and I'm not a child."
Hopper took his time to respond, as he took the food out of the pan to plate it.
"You are right, you are not a child so I won't treat you as such." He replied, fixing his gaze on the boy. "I understand that you are concerned about your mother. It's normal. About your question… well, I think there might be something." His eyes were locked on the boy's, he needed to see his reaction. Jonathan blinked but still said nothing, concern was evident on his face.
Hopper approached him. "If you have any objections, I guess is your right."
"My mother has suffered a lot."
"I know."
"Look what I mean is that... I, I'm glad you're well and all that. And I appreciate all you have done for us these past few years. But, my mother has very bad luck with men and, in the end, she always ends up suffering. And the one who has to collect the pieces is me, you know?"
"Ok. I'm not an exemplary man. Apparently, everyone at Hawkins knows that." He remarked sarcastically, Joyce's reproaches were still fresh in his mind. "But if there is something that I am very clear about, it's that I care about your mother, and the last thing I want, in this damn world, is to hurt her."
"Swear it to me."
Hopper was confused by that request but did not hesitate. "I swear."
Jonathan nodded, and Hopper looked at him confused. "Is that enough? Do you trust me?"
The boy smiled at him. "I know you're a man of his word. You swore you would find Will, and you did. Yes, for me it's enough. And to be honest, If my mother has decided that you are good for her, I couldn't make her change her mind even in a million years. She is very stubborn."
Dinner had been very unusual. Despite the various jokes about how sad it was to eat fried eggs, and that it was because of Hopper's poor skills in the kitchen, the rest of the dinner had been very tranquil. Too much considering that three young people were sitting in it.
Hopper finished washing the dishes and walked yawning to his room. Everyone had already gone to sleep. Thank God. He turned off the television just as the credit titles were showing the name of John Wayne. That produced a stupid smile on his face. He felt more and more at home, so he begged the heavens not to spoil it again.
He groped his way into his room and was surprised to see Joyce, in his bed.
"Joyce?" He muttered in surprise. "What are you doing?" He continued, closing the door, and silently praying that indeed the children were in their respective rooms.
"Waiting for you. What do you think?"
"The children are out there, you know?" He responded, pointing to the closed door.
"Stop being such an idiot and come here."
"We don't even fit in the same bed." He said, with doubts.
"I think we can work on it," Joyce stated as she turned to an edge, offering him her back.
Hopper raised an eyebrow. "You're incredible, Joyce."
"I know." She replied.
"No. I mean, this is not credible at all."
"Oh, came on,"
Hopper lay down on the bed, and he spooned her, draping his arm across her waist. It was incredible that despite the difference in size, both bodies fit together perfectly.
He whispered in her ear, "Is this okay?" Nodding, she wriggled back against him.
Hopper sighed. "What if they come in all of a sudden?"
Joyce was smiling incredulously. "They won't."
"Hey, the yellow duckling doesn't quite understand the thing about how to knock before entering. I speak from experience."
Joyce couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe that three children manage to terrify Jim Hopper. Seriously, you should look at yourself in a mirror."
"Jonathan knows it. And the other two have been very quiet at dinner." Hopper told concerned. "Do you think they know it too?"
"I'm afraid so."
Hopper gave an unexpected bolt that Joyce managed to stop it by grabbing his shoulder. "Hey, hey. It's ok."
"What am I supposed to say to El?" His voice has a hint of urgency. "I hadn't thought about it!"
"It's like they keep saying, they're not kids anymore, Hop. Also, I think they're just ok about it."
Hopper sighed and dropped his head back onto the pillow. They looked at each other for a moment, as if they were two teenagers again.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I will never be able to sleep," Hopper whispered.
Joyce smiled. "I can help you with a good night kiss."
"Hmm... That could help."
Without hesitation, her lips searched for his. His lips were gentle at first, but soon they entrapped hers with fiery heat that created strange and wonderful sensations inside her. Joyce's hand came to rest on his hip, slipping under his pajamas, she needed to feel the touch of his skin. To be sure that this was not a mirage.
His fingers caressed the back of her neck as he held her very close, pressing his long body against her, and said huskily against the skin of her neck. "Joyce…" He lifted his mouth to her ear. "Hawkins?"
She pulled away. "Hey. Don't go so fast, cowboy."
Hopper exhaled tiredly. "Ok then. Jimmy the cowboy is going to sleep now, but... he will ask again tomorrow."
For the moment she settled on his chest, relaxing with his breathing. "You're such a child..."
To be continued.
Thank you for keep reading it. I appreciate all your comments and reviews :) Next Chapter... Hawkins?