"Ow shit!" Hopper exclaimed as he quickly pulled his hand away from the pan that was currently housing the main course of Mary and Greg's anniversary dinner.
"You got it under control there son?" Greg called from the kitchen table, where he was currently enjoying a crown and coke, while Mary sipped on a glass of red wine.
"Yeah dad, I got it, just caught me by surprise is all." Hopper glanced to his left as Joyce pulled fresh rolls out from the oven. Tonight was Greg and Mary's twenty third wedding anniversary and it was hard to imagine the two of them being married for that long when they both acted like they were in their twenties more than their forties most of the time. Not sure what to get them however, Joyce and Hopper had decided to give them the one gift they could, a night all by themselves in the house. No kids, plenty of alcohol, and a hot meal were all the elder Hoppers needed to have an amazing anniversary. Not to mention, it gave Jim and Joyce an excuse to sleep at the tree house for the first time in months.
Hopper placed his dad's medium well steak onto a plate followed by a baked potato before handing the plate off to Joyce where she spooned green beans onto it and tossed a roll on top. Together, the two of them placed the plates in front of their respectful owners and to finish the night off right, Joyce carefully sat three lit candles in the center of the table and moved to Hopper's side.
"Happy Anniversary!" Both Jim and Joyce crowed, happy that they could do a little something for the parental figures in both of their lives. They watched as Greg took Mary's hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
"And that's our queue to head out. Don't make me a big brother tonight okay?" Hopper laughed, barely ducking in time to miss the green bean that flew from Greg's fork as they made their way out of the kitchen.
"See you two sometime tomorrow!" Joyce called and grabbed her and Hopper's packed bags for the night. Opening the front door, the two dashed down the front porch and out into the gravel driveway. The trail leading to the tree house was slightly overgrown from disuse and Hopper stepped in front of Joyce, stomping down on any briars that could possibly scratch up her legs.
"Hop, it's not that big of a deal, it's just some briars." Joyce said as Hopper theatrically stomped ahead of her, crushing everything in his path.
"It's not nothing Joy, can't be having my woman's legs scratched up. I must defend thee from the imposing briars!" He laughed, stepping up and over a fallen tree limb. Holding out his hand, he helped her step over it and added cutting it down to his list of things to do once the weather turned nice.
Within a few steps, their tree house came into view and Hopper let out a sigh of relief to find the place was still standing in one piece. It had been a mild winter so far to say the least, but Hawkins usually got snow up until March, so there was still a chance for a blizzard.
"We need to bring the clippers out here and take those limbs down." Joyce commented as she put her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.
"You let me worry about that missy. I'm the man of the house, it's up to me to make sure it doesn't cave in on us." Hopper called from beneath her, playfully slapping her ass as she crawled through the hatch of the tree house, her exaggerated yelp and giggles causing him to chuckle. It was a sound that he never knew he needed to hear until he got the opportunity to experience it almost daily.
"Ugh, this place is a mess..." The groan that Joyce huffed out made Hopper do a quick scan around the small space once inside and roll his eyes.
"It's not even that bad Joyce." The only change the place had endured over the last few months was a thin layer of dust on the floor and shelves, and the sheets needed to be changed on the pull out. Other than that, the room looked no different from the years Joyce practically lived there, with the exception of her belongings and many books she used to keep piled on the small table beside the couch.
Hopper held his hand out to trade Joyce the lantern he was holding in exchange for the clean sheets and comforter, taking it upon himself to fix up the bed.
Joyce wouldn't admit it, but being back in the tree house spiked her anxiety, the smell alone made her feel weird. She'd grown accustomed to the warmth and safety of the farm, and while the tiny box twenty feet in the air she once called home had a lot of wonderful memories, it still held on to some of her worst.
"Hey." Hopper called, tossing a pillow at her when he noticed her staring at the hundreds of pictures they had taken over the years still littering the walls. Joyce startled when the sack of fluff hit her arm and turned her head in his direction to see him pointing at her hand.
Remembering the lantern, Joyce placed it on the table her books once resided and reached into her pocket to pull out the lighter she had stolen from Hopper earlier in the day, lighting the small wick inside and adjusting the flame to the perfect setting before placing the glass back around the top of it.
"Give it." Hopper held out his hand just as she was shoving the lighter back into her pocket and she shook her head, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"Don't make me start tickling you." Hopper threatened, kicking off his boots before rounding the end of the bed.
The hair on the back of Joyce's neck stood at attention at just the thought of one of his notorious tickle attacks and quickly retrieved the lighter back from inside her pocket, knowing it would end in her almost peeing her pants or laughing so hard she couldn't breathe, and neither of those sounded appealing.
Hopper grinned at the small victory and stashed the lighter, along with his pack of camels on the table beside the lantern, watching as Joyce slipped off her own shoes and started rummaging through her bag for something to change into. They had the rest of the night to themselves, something that didn't happen very often now that Joyce was living in his parents' home. That, and their strict set of rules basically left them with zero privacy and Hopper wasn't about to let this moment go to waste with her getting comfy and instantly falling asleep.
The feel of Hopper's hips pressing against Joyce's backside as she bent over made her drop the nightshirt she'd been holding and stand up straight, her right arm snaking around the back of his neck as she dropped her head to rest against his shoulder with her eyes closed. She hummed in contentment, the warmth of his chest radiating into her back bringing her a sense of comfort.
"Want me to read to you?" Hopper asked, placing a soft kiss to the side of her neck. Joyce sighed and turned in his hold to wrap her arms around his waist, her face smothered into his flannel as she inhaled his scent deeply.
A muffled sound met Hopper's ears and he laughed, pulling away from her slightly. "Was that a yes?" She gave him a wordless nod and he untangled himself from her to flop down onto the bed, waiting for her to grab whatever book he'd seen her toss into her bag before leaving the farm.
Being in a treehouse without electricity didn't give them many options for entertainment unfortunately. They could play cards, work on a puzzle, even relax and listen to music, but music would only tire Joyce quicker. Reading together meant Hopper could enjoy holding his girlfriend while making her laugh at the funny voices he'd use for the characters, and undoubtedly keep her awake and interested.
When Joyce finally joined him on the bed, now changed into more comfortable clothes with the new book she'd gotten from the library clutched in her grasp, Hopper pulled the comforter over their legs and let her settle against his side.
Around the third chapter, Hopper reached across Joyce's body for one of his cigarettes as he continued to read, surprising himself at how invested he already was in the story. Joyce was kind enough to light the unfiltered camel so he wouldn't have to put the book down and he quickly inhaled a lungful of smoke. Taking another drag, he passed the cigarette to her and scooted a little further down the bed to get comfortable before turning the page and starting chapter four.
A few paragraphs in and Joyce was sitting up to flick ashes into an old soda can on the floor beside the bed. "You know, I'm pretty sure I feel exactly like Charlie the moment he rips open that candy bar and sees he has the last golden ticket."
Hopper chuckled and took back the cigarette when she handed it to him. "Oh really?" He asked curiously, turning his head to exhale smoke from his lungs so it didn't get in her face.
"Really. I'm sure it's the same exact feeling I had when your parents handed me the custody papers. At first I was shocked, then happy, then I was conflicted. Just like Charlie when he thinks he should sell the ticket because his family needs the money, but he also wants to go to the factory with Joe."
God she was adorable. One of the many things Hopper loved about her was the way she always perceived things so differently than him. "I love you."
Joyce blushed and stubbed out the cigarette into the can before righting herself and giving him a kiss. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know."
At her words, he closed the book and set it aside, cupping her cheeks to bring her lips back to his, the taste of the camel they'd just shared still lingering on her tongue. Hopper's mind instantly flooded with memories of their first kiss, one they shared on this very couch many months ago, one very different from what they were sharing now. The shy, innocent girl he'd grown up with was long gone and all that remained was a strong confident woman that knew the exact angle to stroke her tongue against his to make him twitch and moan.
They stayed that way for a while, taking their time exploring each others mouths with gentle sucks and licks, only coming up for air when needed before connecting again, and Hopper couldn't get enough. Something about touching and being touched by Joyce brought him a high he couldn't explain. She was an unknown drug he needed to survive and after everything they had experienced with one another over the last few months it was a miracle he managed to make it this long without being able to touch her this way.
"I want you Hop..." Joyce's quiet voice suddenly breaks through the silence of the room causing Hopper to tense, unsure at first if he had heard her correctly.
Hopper swallowed before leaning back just enough to see her face and was met with her flushed expression. Her chest was rising and falling heavily, her lips slightly swollen, and the ring around her eyes was once again blown like it had been on New Years. He reached out to brush a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear, carefully studying the way she was watching him. "Are you sure?"
Joyce's lower lip found its way between her teeth and she gave him a nod, a half smile curling at the edges of her mouth. The action instantly made Hopper's erection twitch against his jeans and he slid his fingers down the side of her face to touch her cheek, his thumb caressing against her skin lovingly. He wanted this more than anything, had wanted this since he was fifteen years old, but the thought of it actually happening suddenly made him nervous.
Movement across his back brought him out of his thoughts and he almost purred at Joyce's nails raking over his shoulders. "Do you not want to?" She asked, picking up on his hesitation.
Hopper smiled and thrust his hips between her legs to show her exactly how much he wanted her. "Joyce I've dreamt about this moment for years...I just want to make sure you're ready."
A shiver crawled up Joyce's body when his hard on brushed against her, the tips of her toes tingling at the contact. "I don't want to wait anymore."
When Joyce grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, Hopper went to do the same with hers and that's when she noticed his hand shaking and gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist. "We can go back to reading if you want."
"What?...No, shit Joyce, I want this, God do I want this." He admitted, a blush covering his face. Not wanting her to change her mind because he didn't have his shit together, he quickly continued what he'd been doing before she grabbed him and removed her shirt. "I just want this to be good for you."
Joyce smiled and sat up to give him a kiss. "I trust you."
"I don't think you understand…" Hopper huffed at himself, flexing his fingers to ease his nerves. How was she more calm about this than he was? The last time they messed around she practically curled in on herself to hide the moment she was fully exposed to him, now she was the one with all the confidence. How was he supposed to explain to her that he was terrified of hurting her? That he knew for a fact after having his fingers inside of her this wasn't going to be as enjoyable as she was probably hoping it would be? For the first time in his life, Hopper was wishing his dick was smaller and he's pretty sure no other man on earth had ever wished such a thing.
"Explain to me what's going on Hop, because I'm not really sure what's happening." The smile once on Joyce's lips was now replaced with a look of worry and Hopper cursed inwardly at himself for ruining this.
When Joyce turned to reach for her shirt from the floor, Hopper touched her shoulder to stop her and sighed. "I'm sorry I'm screwing this up, I just don't want to hurt you."
"You're not screwing this up, just calm down for a second." Joyce knew he needed to relax, she could feel how tense he was just from having her hand on the back of his neck. "Listen." She started, moving them so she was seated in his lap, her fingers lightly stroking through the back of his hair. "Just go slow okay?"
Hopper clenched his jaw, his palms sliding up her bare thighs. "Going slow doesn't change the fact that I'm not exactly a small guy Joyce, and you're tiny, it's going to hurt. Two of my fingers were uncomfortable for you."
Joyce sighed and dropped her forehead to his. "Remember what I said on New Years? We have all the time in the world to get this right, but if we don't start somewhere it's never going to happen. I'm not stupid Hop, I know how this works and I trust you. I know you'll stop if I tell you to, and I know you'll be careful."
Hopper brought a hand up to thread his fingers through her hair and brushed it behind her ear, knowing she was right. If he continued to think this way he'd end up being a virgin for the rest of his life. "Are you sure I didn't ruin the mood?" He asked with a pitiful smile.
"I'm sure." She grinned and shifted off of his lap to lay on the bed beside him, making quick work to slide her sleep shorts and panties down her legs. When Hopper took in the sight of her completely naked he bit his lip and stood to pull his wallet out of his back pocket, retrieving the condom his father had given him. Tossing it onto the bed beside her, he dropped his wallet along with the rest of his clothes to the floor and crawled over top of her, licking her lower lip before settling between her legs. He took his time kissing her as slow as possible, teasing her when she pressed against his mouth harder by pulling back slightly to watch her pout just so he could nip her lip.
"Hop." Joyce whined, desperately trying to slide her tongue into his mouth. The sweetest moan drifted up her throat when he finally allowed her tongue to stroke against his and he couldn't help it when his hips flexed, his erection slipping across her wet folds and over her clit. The contact made Joyce pull away from him with a sharp gasp and Hopper grabbed the back of her knee to bend her leg, pushing it forward so the underside of his cock slid through her wetness and over her clit again but at a different angle. He did this several times, watching as her eyes fell shut and her lip found its way between her teeth with each agonizingly slow pass.
When she started shaking, he leaned forward on an elbow and kissed her neck, letting go of her leg to grab her hip as she hooked her ankle over his waist and started moving in time with his thrusts. Before he knew what was happening, Joyce was gripping the back of his hair roughly and moaning his name, her hips jerking against him uncontrollably.
"Fuck baby did you just come?" Hopper groaned in disbelief, his fingers digging into the skin at her hip to keep her still when he felt himself getting close.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She panted, attempting to catch her breath as shocks from her orgasm still shot through every nerve ending in her body.
"Don't you dare apologize. You have no idea how sexy that was." Hopper said, watching as she rubbed a hand over her face and bent her knees when her legs kept shaking. Shifting lower to avoid accidentally rubbing his erection against her, he remained between her legs and placed his elbows on the bed at her ribs, carefully lowering himself to her chest so he could hold her without crushing her under his weight.
Joyce instantly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the top of his head as she tried to will her body to calm down.
Spending a few minutes rubbing his hand up and down her leg, along with placing soft kisses across her collarbone and neck, Hopper was finally able to help soothe her shaking and she let out a content sigh before blindly reaching out over the bed.
Hopper laughed and grabbed the condom that she'd been trying to find, laying it on her stomach. "It usually helps if you open your eyes."
Joyce giggled, resting her hand over the foil packet. "Just give me a minute to feel my toes again and I will."
Little details like Joyce's breath hitching right before she came, her uncontrollable shaking after, and the fact that her toes apparently went numb as a result of her orgasms, were all things Hopper found himself absolutely adoring about her. They were things that he knew he wouldn't have been able to experience with anyone else, because they were individual things that made up the amazing woman lying beneath him, the woman that had allowed him into her life fourteen years ago and still consumed every bit of his existence.
Joyce threading her fingers through his hair pulled him from his thoughts and he smiled down at the hooded brown eyes silently asking him what was going on inside his head. Knowing they couldn't lay like that forever or Joyce would most definitely start falling asleep, Hopper gave her a quick kiss to reassure her that everything was fine before drifting a hand down her body to brush against her clit, trying to gauge how sensitive she was.
She jumped at the touch and gripped his left bicep when he started running a finger through her folds, spreading her wetness around before slowly sliding the digit inside her. He took a few minutes to work in a second finger and saw her wince like she had the first time he'd done this. "Move against me when you're ready." He whispered, keeping his hand still as he kissed down her neck to help her relax.
With careful movements, Joyce started lifting her hips, allowing his fingers to slide in and out of her until the dull ache started to subside. "I just want you inside me Hop, please." She begged and held out the condom for him to take.
Hopper took the condom, but didn't give in to her pleas. All it took was one scissor of his fingers for her to tense up, starting the process of trying to stretch her as painless as possible all over again.
"Not yet." Watching her come just from having his dick rub against her had definitely eased some of the stress he'd been feeling about hurting her, but he was still having an inner battle with his conscious the longer he watched her features strain between little bouts of pleasure and mostly pain every time he angled his fingers differently.
When he started rubbing her clit with his thumb, Joyce reached down to grab his wrist and made him stop with a heavy pant. That familiar ache was growing in her gut and she didn't want to come again unless he was inside her. "Stop teasing me." She demanded with a pout, sneaking her free hand out to wrap her fingers around his erection.
Hopper jerked his hips slightly at the contact and gasped, being hard for so long made the slightest touch almost hurt. "Joyce, wait…" Sliding his fingers out of her, he finally ripped open the condom and carefully removed her hand from around him with a sigh.
"What's wrong?" She asked, watching him as he stroked himself a few times before rolling the condom down his length.
"Nothing." He said with a smile, leaning forward to give her a quick kiss as he settled between her legs. "It was just a little sensitive." Picking up on her worry, he gripped the base of his cock and rubbed the tip against her slick entrance. "Ready?"
Joyce shivered at the contact and silently nodded, her fingers threading through his hair when he kissed her chin, across her jaw and down her neck. "Tell me if it hurts or if you need to stop." Hopper murmured into her ear as he thrust forward just a tiny bit and was instantly met with the resistance of her tight walls. Continuing to kiss over her shoulder, he inched into her further and froze when she whimpered softly against his throat. A sound of pain, not pleasure.
Lifting his body enough to see her face, he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. He barely even had the head of his dick inside her and she was already hurting. "Do you want me to stop?"
Joyce stubbornly shook her head and slid a hand from his hair to rest on his arm.
When he attempted to go deeper she dug her nails into his skin and gasped, her thighs pressing hard enough against his hips that he could feel her shaking. "Joyce..." He whispered, watching as she closed her eyes and bit her lip, the hand that had been resting on the back of his neck was now balled into a fist in the sheet beneath them.
"It's ok Hop." She said after catching her breath, her eyes still closed.
Hopper stayed frozen, gently cupping her cheek and stroking her jaw with his thumb. "Joyce look at me." He knew she wouldn't admit she was in pain, she never did. Always hiding behind the face of a strong woman not willing to admit defeat.
"I don't want to hurt you. Not ever." He said when she finally opened her eyes.
Joyce turned her head to kiss his hand that was touching her face. "I don't think there's really any way around that Hop. Doesn't help that you're so goddamn big either." She said with a wince, unconsciously having moved her hips.
With a sigh, Hopper pulled out of her, not missing the look of confusion on her face. "What are you doing?" She asked, bringing a hand out to grab his shoulder so he wouldn't leave. Hopper gripped her side and moved to lay on his back, pulling her on top of him where she straddled his thighs.
"This way you can be in control." He suggested, placing his hands on her hips where he rubbed the skin there lovingly.
Joyce wrapped her fingers around his length, stroking him a few times before shifting and placing him back at her entrance. He could tell she was nervous taking charge, never having been in control of anything in her life really.
Joyce took a deep breath and started to slowly sink down on him, stopping once she reached the point where they had stopped before. Hopper squeezed her thighs, sitting up so his back was against the couch cushions and placed a kiss on her collarbone. "Just go slow." He whispered, groaning unintentionally when she sank down on him farther, the sensation taking him by surprise.
Instead of trying to take more, she shifted back up and down again a few times, slowly going deeper with each thrust.
Hopper had his arms wrapped around her back and his face buried in the crook of her neck. His fingers digging into her skin every time his dick would disappear inside her little by little. "Fuck…" He breathed, lifting his head to kiss her hard as he thrust into her slightly.
Joyce cried into his mouth and tensed at the sudden movement, it feeling like he was going to tear her in half. "Hop!" Her thighs instantly locked against him, her entire body shaking as she tried to focus on anything but the pain between her legs.
"Shit, honey I'm sorry… are you okay?" With a pant he pressed his forehead to hers and rubbed his free hand over her back, feeling guilty for moving.
Without a word, Joyce sucked her lower lip between her teeth and finally took all of him. Hopper had to bend his knees to keep from thrusting into her again and let out a groan, dropping his head back against the couch with his eyes closed. She was so tightly snug around him in that moment he had to fight to not come and the fact he could feel her practically breathing through his dick made that extremely difficult.
Joyce spent a few seconds trying to adjust to being stretched to her limit, then leaned forward to kiss his exposed neck as she started riding him at a slow pace. When her lips left his skin, he opened his eyes to see her face.
Her features still showed discomfort and he already felt himself getting close the longer she moved up and down the length of him. Pushing on her hips to make her lean back some and give him access to touch her, he reached down to rub against her clit with his thumb, but froze immediately at the sight of blood coating the condom. "Stop, stop…Joyce, wait." He pleaded, trying to get enough air in his lungs to think straight.
Joyce stilled, catching the look of horror on his face and started to worry. "Oh God, what?" She asked, looking around frantically.
"You're bleeding…"
Joyce looked down between them, her eyes growing wide at the sight. "Isn't that supposed to happen?"
"Fuck, I don't know! I've never done this before." He said in a panic. "I'm sorry...Jesus, why didn't you say anything?"
"Because…" She lifted her hips, testing to see if moving still hurt. "It wasn't so bad anymore."
Hopper grabbed her thigh to stop her. "Joyce-"
Quickly crushing her lips against his, she successfully shut him up and slammed her hips down onto him. Hopper lost all train thought then, sitting up more to wrap an arm around her shoulders while placing a hand on her ass.
Hopper watched as she leaned her head back and moaned for the first time since they started, the exposure of her neck making him remove his hand from her ass to rest against the side of her throat. His thumb rubbed over the hollow of it, finding it extremely sexy as she rode him a little faster. He pressed down carefully with his thumb, hearing the moment her breath hitched due to the slight cut off of air and groaned loudly when she clamped around him at the same time.
"Jim…" She gasped, clawing her nails into his back.
"No…Joyce…" Hopper whimpered and pulled her against his chest, meeting her thrust for thrust for a second before spilling into the condom helplessly with a growl that spread goosebumps throughout Joyce's body. The moment his name fell from her lips he knew it was game over. He didn't even have a chance to focus on bringing her some kind of pleasure before he was collapsing against the back of the couch, rubbing his hands over his eyes trying to catch his breath. "Sweetheart..." He grunted, wrapping his arms back around her. "You have to stop saying my name like that...I can't handle it."
Joyce lifted her hips, allowing him to slide out of her with a sigh. Every part of her body suddenly aching. "I couldn't help it." She admitted with a tired smile and placed a quick kiss to his forehead before moving to lay on the bed.
Hopper stood to remove the condom and tossed it in the little trash can in the corner of the tree house, the amount of blood covering the latex reminding him she might be hurt. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice as he grabbed the dirty sheet from the floor to wipe his hands with before bringing it over to where she was laying.
"Just a little sore." Thankfully nothing had gotten on the bed, but Joyce's thighs and the top of his own were covered in red smears and blotches. As soon as the soft cotton touched her skin, she blushed and took the sheet from him to clean the mess up herself. Not wanting her to get even more embarrassed, Hopper found his discarded boxers and pulled them up his legs and over his hips before laying down beside her. His fingertips drifted across her collarbone and up her neck to hook under her chin, making her look at him when she dropped the now stained sheet to the floor.
"Do you want me to look and make sure I didn't do something wrong?" He asked hesitantly, watching the current blush on her face turn darker. His intentions weren't to make her uncomfortable and he frowned slightly, legitimately afraid he had really hurt her.
"Hop, it's ok. I'm not bleeding anymore and everything I feel im sure is completely normal, please don't worry." Joyce rolled away from him to stand on shaky legs as she retrieved her underwear and T-shirt, wincing when she had to bend her knees to get dressed. "And nothing you did was wrong." She offered as she crawled under the covers and snuggled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. "I love you."
Hopper still wasn't convinced, but knew how pointless it was to try and argue with her if she said everything was fine. "I love you too Joy."
With a yawn, Joyce kissed his shoulder and shut her eyes, feeling completely exhausted. With her safely against him, it didn't take long for Hopper's worry to ease as he focused on her even breathing and allowed himself to fall asleep.
00000
The walk back to the farm the next morning was interesting to say the least. For one, Hopper had to somehow wash their dirty laundry without his parents seeing or there would most definitely be questions if they noticed blood all over the sheet, and two, the way Joyce was moving was a dead give away something had happened. They would probably assume she was hurt at first, then instantly know the truth the moment they both started blushing and Hopper really didn't want to deal with his father's teasing.
"Joyce is there anything I can do? Because mom and dad are going to know something is up the second they see you walk into the house." Hopper adjusted the strap on Joyce's bag that was slung over his shoulder when the farm came into sight.
Joyce winced and tried to step differently in hopes it would ease the discomfort between her legs. "It's not like I can help it, Hop." She said with a sigh, not understanding why everything was hurting more now.
"I know that honey, I just feel bad." Hopper had just reached the steps leading onto the porch when he felt Joyce grab his hand, making him turn around to face her.
"Well stop. I'm fine, ok? I just need to take a hot bath or something and relax for a little bit."
Hopper reached down to touch her jaw, giving her a quick kiss before resting his forehead against hers. "Promise you're alright?"
"I promise, now help me up the steps." She demanded playfully, holding onto his arm as they made their way inside.
Upon entering the house, Hopper noticed the temperature in the foyer was just as cold as it had been outside. The hallway and kitchen were darker than normal as well. Kicking off his shoes and dropping their bags beside the stairs, he poked his head into the kitchen looking for his mother who was usually sitting at the table enjoying a cup of coffee this time of morning. He knew his father was gone since his blazer was missing from the driveway.
"Mom?" He called out, making his way down the hallway where he saw a light flickering from the sitting room.
"In here honey." Mary's voice sounded as he came around the corner and saw her sitting on the couch under a blanket reading, a rarely lit fire burning in the fireplace.
"The powers out?" He asked, testing the light switch on the wall before stepping into the middle of the room, the heat of the fire warming his face almost instantly. Joyce joined the two of them, choosing to lean against the back of a chair to not alert Mary to the way she was moving.
Mary sat up with a sigh, placing her book face down in her lap. "It's been going in and out since last night. Your father left a few hours ago to look into it. Apparently a new company bought the old Hawkins Lab a few weeks ago and they've been overloading the power grid."
Hopper walked over to the fireplace to roll a log and brought the flames back to life as he listened to his mother. He had heard rumors at school about a company coming to Hawkins to test medical equipment, but didn't think it was serious enough to cut power to the entire town.
"Need me to grab some more wood from outside?" He offered, noticing there were only two more logs laying on the bricks. Even with a fire going it was still chilly in the house, but he didn't want to risk anyone getting sick.
