While Hopper was out on the balcony fixing the broken railing, Joyce took the opportunity to tidy up the inside of the tree house without being interrupted. With no one actually staying there the past few months, there really wasn't much to do other than dust off a few things and sweep up the debris they tracked in on their shoes. She also grabbed the old sheet off the pullout and tossed it into the corner to take back to the house.
After folding the bed back and readjusting the cushions, she slid the small table over and started sweeping behind it. Catching the sight of something poking out from under the couch, she laid the broom against the wall and reached down to grab what she quickly realized was a polaroid. A chill ran up her spine when she flipped it over and saw it was a picture that had somehow fallen out of the little black box that was once hidden back there.
"Finally finished." The sound of Hopper's voice caused her to startle, her mind focused on the picture currently clutched in her hand. She looked up over her shoulder just as he dropped the hammer on the table and started walking toward her.
"What's that?" He asked when he stopped at her side, his hand coming out to rest on her hip.
Joyce blinked and shook her head, holding up the picture for him to see. "Must have fallen out of the box when dad moved it."
Taking the picture from her, Hopper stared at it briefly before tossing it onto the couch and turning his attention back to her. His finger carefully touched under her chin to make her look at him. "You alright?"
Joyce stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. "He can't hurt me anymore."
"You're damn right he can't." Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her against his chest and kissed her again.
Joyce squeezed his bicep when he pulled away and dropped her hand to pat the pockets of her sweatpants. "Did you bring your lighter with you?"
"You mean you don't have it?" He teased and dug into his jeans to retrieve the requested item.
Joyce jokingly made a face at his comment and picked up the polaroid from the couch. With the lighter in one hand and the picture in the other, she flicked the flame to life and brought it to the bottom of the photo, the heat slowly melting away another haunting memory from her past. Just before the polaroid was completely ruined, she blew out the flame and shook off the remaining ash from the edges. Now that the bruises were no longer staring back at her, she walked over to the wall that was still covered in countless pictures and pinned it beside the last row of smiling faces.
Hopper stood there silently as he watched her, feeling a rush of pride swell in his chest when the image slowly faded away behind the flame. Little things like this were exactly what she needed to continue healing, and the fact she didn't seem phased at all by the forgotten photo meant she was doing just that and getting better.
"How's your thumb?" Joyce asked when she turned to face him, her hand instinctively reaching for his to inspect the damaged digit once more.
"Still hurts, but it's fine." He could no longer feel his heart beating through it, so that was a plus.
"Do you want a band aid or something?"
Hopper shrugged and pulled her to sit with him. "Not really sure what good it would do."
"Guess you're right." She said and flopped back into the cushions with a sigh.
Hopper leaned forward and slid his shirt over his head when the feel of sweat in the material started making him uncomfortable. He watched as Joyce's eyes raked down his bare chest and toward his crotch, his abs flexing when he laid the shirt over the back of the couch. "Like what you see?" He teased and kicked off his shoes.
Joyce bit her lip at being caught staring and pulled her knees up toward her chest to hide the pink flush in her cheeks. She knew she shouldn't be embarrassed, especially after what she learned about her medication and how it affected her, but Hopper didn't know that and she didn't want him thinking that's all she wanted.
"Why are you blushing?" He asked with a grin and scooted closer to her.
Joyce playfully pushed on his shoulders, her face growing redder. "I'm not."
"Bullshit." He laughed and grabbed her ankles, tugging on her legs so she couldn't keep hiding behind her knees. "Just admit it, you can't resist this." Puffing out his chest, he flexed his muscles and slid a hand across his stomach, stopping at his belt buckle.
Joyce giggled and rolled her eyes. "I might be able to if it wasn't for this stupid medicine I'm taking." Her fingers dug into his side when he leaned forward and placed his hand on the arm of the couch behind her back.
"What are you talking about?" He asked as he settled over top of her.
Reaching up to thread her fingers into his hair, she pulled him closer. "Apparently the medicine I'm taking for my migraines heightens my sex drive. Which is why I'm always trying to get into your pants." She mumbled against his mouth, her tongue coming out to lick across the sensitive skin of his lower lip.
Hopper frowned when she avoided his attempt at a kiss, only getting a bite from her in return which caused him to whine, the sensation going directly between his legs. "So you wouldn't want me otherwise?" He asked with a pout.
Joyce smirked and sat up some to kiss at his neck, her lips brushing over the scratches that were starting to fade. "Hmm, I dunno…"
A growl rumbled in Hopper's chest at her teasing and he moved to stand, his hands going for the waist of her sweatpants. Before she had a chance to protest, he had them over her hips and down her legs with one quick pull. She just stared back at him wide eyed and pressed her thighs together. "What are you doing?"
"Making a point." He said with a grin and reached for her panties next, but she squeezed her legs together tighter to stop him.
"Honey I was just joking. Of course I want you, even without the medicine. You don't have to prove anything."
Hopper leaned forward to kiss her knee. "I want to taste you." He whispered, his voice making her shiver. "Plus I told you I'd return the favor after what you did for me in the truck, so spread em'." He demanded with a light tap to the outside of her thigh, the elastic of her panties still twisted in the fingers of his other hand.
Chewing on the inside of her cheek to suppress a moan, Joyce finally gave in and opened her legs, letting him remove her panties where they instantly joined her sweatpants somewhere over his shoulder. He grabbed a hold of her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the couch before dropping to his knees on the floor in front of her. He shoved the bottom of her shirt up to her sternum and dipped his head to kiss a trail across her stomach, flicking his eyes up to meet hers as he wasted no time in swiping his tongue through her already dripping folds.
"Hop…" She whimpered, unsure if it was out of pleasure or frustration when he noticed she kept trying to find somewhere to rest her feet. Wrapping his fingers around her ankles as he continued to lick her, he placed her feet on his shoulders and slowly slid his hands down her legs, his tongue swirling around her clit before carefully sucking it into his mouth.
The new placement gave her better leverage and she lifted her hips in search of something more, anything to help propel her building orgasm. Hopper gave her exactly what she wanted and slipped his tongue inside her, his teeth accidentally brushing across her clit in his haste.
When she cried out at the contact, he froze, thinking maybe he'd hurt her, until she curled her fingers into his hair and thrust against his face. "So close baby." She whined and started a steady rhythm with her hips in time with the circular motion he was creating with his tongue.
Hopper slid his hands under her and grabbed her ass to hold her against his mouth when he heard her breath hitch, knowing she was about to come. A second later she moaned his name and shook against him, her nails clawing into his scalp as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. He licked and sucked her through it, only stopping when she finally went limp and her legs dropped down his back.
Carefully placing a kiss to each of her thighs, he slipped his hands out from under her and readjusted his erection in his jeans before standing and joining her on the couch. "You alright?" He asked with a smile when her arm came up to cover her face.
"Perfect." She breathed and shifted when he pulled her against his chest, his hands roaming her back and sides to help calm her shaking.
"I'll never get over how sexy it is watching you come undone." He murmured into her ear.
The puff of air against her skin made the hair on her neck stand at attention as the trembles wracking throughout her body started to slow. "And I'll never understand how you're so good at that." She chuckled. "I love you."
Hopper cupped her cheek, bringing her lips to his. "I love you too."
When Joyce shifted in his embrace, he let her go and watched as she gathered her clothes from the floor and slipped on her panties. She groaned and scrunched her face when she bent over a second time to step into her sweatpants.
"I don't know why my body still hurts after that. It's like every ounce of stress I've felt for the past few months completely disappeared, but getting dressed is suddenly a challenge."
"I'm sorry honey, do you want me to rub your legs?" He offered and reached out for her, not at all surprised she was still sore. He knew he always felt like crap the next day after running a fever.
"You've already done enough. I just want to relax and listen to some music, maybe paint my toenails." When she moved back toward the couch she spotted the bulge behind his jeans and paused in front of him. "Unless you want me to take care of that for you?" She raised her brow suggestively and gestured with her hand toward his obvious erection.
The offer was tempting, but this wasn't about him. He hadn't done it with the intention of receiving anything in return. "I'd rather watch you paint those cute little toes of yours." He laughed and twirled the string of her sweatpants around his finger, his other hand coming to rest on her hip. "Do you even have any nail polish?"
"Mom gave me some a while ago, should still be over here..." Taking a step to her left, Joyce stretched out to dig behind a few books on one of the many shelves in the room while Hopper continued to play with the string on her pants. He eyed her curiously when she pulled down a bottle of dark purple nail polish.
"When did she give it to you?" He asked and finally unraveled his finger to allow her to sit beside him.
Pulling off her socks, Joyce propped a foot up on the edge of the couch and shook the purple liquid around in the bottle a few times before unscrewing the cap. "Right after I came home from the hospital. She figured it would give me something to do when I got bored, but I never got around to using it. The book you gave me from the library that first week kept me busy and I honestly forgot I had it until now." She said with a shrug and leaned forward.
Hopper focused on her hand as she wiped the brush on the side of the bottle, then steadily painted a line down the middle of her big toenail. The amount of precision she used to make sure to not mark her skin surprised him. He couldn't recall ever seeing her with her nails painted in the past, but the way she effortlessly flowed through each nail without a problem meant she'd obviously done this before.
When she finished with the first foot, she set the bottle down on the table beside the couch and lightly blew on the wet paint coating her nails. "What do you think?" She asked, holding her leg out for him to get a better look as she leaned back against the arm of the couch.
Hopper carefully grabbed her ankle, making sure to not let the paint touch anything as he placed her foot in his lap to inspect her work. "You did a really good job." He admitted, a blush rising in his cheeks when he looked up to find her staring at him with a grin on her face. "What?"
Joyce just shook her head, not wanting to embarrass him by saying how adorable he was. Reaching behind her, she grabbed the bottle and held it out for him. "Give it a try." She offered and removed the foot already in his lap to replace it with her unpainted one.
"You saw how well I handled a hammer earlier, I'll just end up making a mess."
"I don't care, please?" She begged and gave him a look she knew he couldn't resist. He deflated almost instantly and took the polish from her with a sigh.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
Carefully unscrewing the cap, Hopper mimicked what he'd seen her do and wiped the excess paint off the brush onto the side of the bottle before bringing it down to her nail. His first stroke across the middle was perfect, but when he got closer to the edge and smeared purple onto her skin, he froze and flicked his eyes up to see her smiling at him.
"Honey, it's okay." She promised, the look on his face making her chuckle. Reaching over the edge of the couch to grab her discarded sock, she brought it to her foot and quickly wiped away the paint from her skin. "See? Nothing to it. Just go slow and take your time."
When Joyce leaned back again, Hopper's demeanor completely changed. His tongue poked out slightly between his teeth and he leaned forward with a look of determination. His fingers clutched the brush delicately as he went back to slowly painting her nails, only using the sock a few more times when he grew nervous and lost his concentration. Joyce made sure to encourage him when she felt him tense, wanting him to have fun with the experience instead of getting stressed over the littlest mistake.
Hopper felt relief wash over him when he screwed the lid back onto the little bottle, his head dipping slightly to blow air onto her still wet nails. He shifted to lean back when she removed her foot from his lap to admire his handy work.
"You did a lot better than I did the first time I tried painting my nails. I remember Travis getting mad because I got a little bit of the polish on the porch." She stated, finally looking up from her purple toes to meet his gaze.
"I don't understand why he would have been mad about that, that was already a piece of shit. Then again, I don't really understand why he did a lot of things." He offered, tossing the sock he'd be holding to the floor with her other one.
"Me neither. Just have to do our best to forget it, ya know?" She said, watching as he suddenly grabbed the bottle again and got to his knees on the couch beside her. "What are you doing?"
Hopper carefully removed the top of the polish once more, choosing not to wipe away the extra paint this time. With slightly shaky hands, he placed the tip of the brush to the wall behind the couch, first drawing a horizontal line and eventually turning it into a capital J. Joyce continued to watch in silence as he drew out letters onto the wall beside the window until he recapped the polish and sat back on his heels. Painted a few inches above the worn out couch were two initials separated by a small heart. J.H. 3 J.H.
"Oh my God Hop, that's adorable!" Joyce squealed.
"And just think, when we get married your initials aren't going to change. It will always be J.H." The expression on her face caused him to start grinning like an idiot.
"You really want to marry me someday?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Honey, I've wanted to marry you since the fifth grade." He wasn't sure how to make it any more clear this was it for him, that no other woman would ever capture his heart the way she had. Moving off his knees to sit, he carefully leaned into the arm of the couch, pulling her with him to where she settled between his legs with her chest against his. "I love you more than anything Joy, never forget that."
Joyce closed her eyes and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck when he kissed the side of her head. "I love you too Hop. I don't understand how I got so lucky."
Hopper snorted and stroked his fingers through her hair. "I'm the lucky one. I know people say perfect doesn't exist, but they obviously haven't met you."
00000
Greg slowly made his way into the kitchen, conscious to slightly duck as he entered to not hit his head on the archway. Warmth instantly spread through his chest at the sight of Mary standing in front of the sink, pretending to scrub non existent stains off of the porcelain. Unfortunately for her, Greg knew exactly what she was really doing.
"The kids aren't home yet I guess?" He whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling slightly when she jumped at his touch.
"Not yet, I figured Jim needed some space, and you know Joyce will follow him anywhere. They should be coming in soon though, it's almost dark." Mary leaned back into her husband's embrace and rested her head on his chest, thankful once again that she had this man in her life.
"Has he said anything to you?" Greg questioned and placed a delicate kiss to the back of her neck, knowing good and damn well what it did to her. She was already squirming against him.
"He apologized this morning. Said that he was just stressed and worried Joyce wasn't going to remember him. I get it, I do, but the things he said really hurt. I told him I needed time, but what I really needed was to finish my coffee, deep clean house, and take a nap. All of which I've done."
"So you forgive him then?"
Mary turned around to face Greg, her hands coming up to play with the hair at the back of his neck. "Of course I do. He may be a young man now, but he will always be my baby. The one who was afraid of thunderstorms until he was fourteen. My little boy who always brought me dandelions because weeds could be pretty too. Nothing will ever change my love for him."
Greg leaned in, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Good, because they're coming up the driveway now."
00000
Joyce lightly squeezed Hopper's hand when she felt how anxious he'd become the closer they got to the farm. He was usually good at hiding his emotions, but when it came to her, she just knew without having to ask.
"Everything will be fine Honey. She's your mother, she'll forgive you."
"I know, but she shouldn't have to."
Taking the front steps two at a time, Hopper quickly stomped his feet like he had a million times, getting off all the mud from his worn out boots that he could before leaning down and quickly uniting them. Joyce followed his lead for the most part, choosing to smack the soles of her shoes together rather than stomping around. Hopper, ever the gentleman, opened the front door and allowed her to enter first, the smell of chicken pie immediately assaulting them.
Hopper followed Joyce into the kitchen where she made a beeline for the sink to wash up before dinner. His father was sitting in his usual seat at the head of the table, a file from the precinct in front of him. Hopper gazed around the kitchen until the sight of his mother coming out of the pantry caught his attention. It took less than four steps for him to cross the small space and pull her into his arms, her slight intake of breath telling him he'd caught her by surprise.
"I'm so sorry mom." He whispered, hugging her tighter than he had in a long time.
Mary wrapped her arms around his middle and held him close, feeling the stress of the day slowly start to fade. "I'm sorry too honey. Never again okay?"
Hopper, at a loss for words only nodded and loosened his hold on her. She took his hand and led him to the kitchen table where Greg had packed up his folder, and Joyce was waiting patiently for him to take the seat beside her.
"Alright everyone," Mary stated. "Let's eat."
00000
Weeks later...
"Hop, cut it out." Joyce whined at him kissing on her neck in the crowded hallway. When he nipped her instead of stopping, she tossed her book into her locker with a growl and reached down to squeeze him through his jeans, causing his breath to hitch.
"Alright, alright." He whispered and swallowed when she released him.
Slamming her locker shut, she turned around and stood on her tiptoes, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You know what that does to me."
Hopper smiled and pressed his lips to hers, gently backing her against the wall. "I can't help it." She knew he couldn't resist her neck, and the fact she had her hair pulled back exposing the smooth skin was just asking for trouble.
"You do realize the entire school can see you right?" A familiar feminine voice said, causing Joyce peeked around Hopper to see Karen and Benny slowly approaching them.
"So what." Hopper chuckled and sucked Joyce's lower lip into his mouth with a soft bite before letting her go.
"Did you ever talk to your dad about camping?" Benny asked as they walked through the hallway and headed toward the parking lot.
Hopper held the door open for everyone, then took Joyce's hand in his where she happily threaded their fingers together. "He's supposed to discuss it with my mom, but I don't think it'll be a problem."
"Spring Break is in two weeks Jim, might want to get it figured out soon. That way we can plan to do something else if they don't want us down there." Benny said, stopping at his truck to unlock the passenger door for Karen.
"I know." Hopper sighed, not wanting to mention that his mother was worried about Benny in particular and not that they would be at the quarry for two days unsupervised. "I'll ask them again tonight and call you tomorrow."
"What about alcohol?" Karen questioned, moving to sit inside the truck.
Hopper reached into his pocket and pulled out his cigarettes, handing one to Joyce since she still had his lighter. "Should be fine, we've had it out there before, I just don't know where we would get any."
"Didn't the Chief get it for us last time?" Benny asked as he tossed his book bag into the bed of his truck.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to push my luck when he's hesitant about us going out there in the first place."
"Guys relax, I only asked because there's plenty at my house we can take. I just wanted to make sure your dad wouldn't mind." Karen said, watching as everyone turned to stare at her. "Did you both forget that I throw a party every year when school gets out? My parents don't give a shit."
"Right." Hopper added, taking the cigarette from Joyce when she started coughing.
"Will you please get a pack with filters next time? Jesus." Joyce questioned, spitting a stray piece of tobacco from her mouth as she tried not to cough again.
Hopper held back a laugh as he took a drag from the cigarette and exhaled the smoke with ease. "I was hoping this would get you to quit, then you wouldn't have a reason to keep stealing all my damn lighters." He teased.
Joyce responded by sticking out her tongue, a smile quickly forming on her face when he pulled her against him and tried to suck her tongue into his mouth.
"I think that's our queue to leave babe." Benny said with a chuckle, moving to shut Karen's door. "Don't forget to call me tomorrow Jim."
"I won't." Hopper said, sending Karen a wave goodbye as Benny climbed into his side of the truck and headed toward the exit of the parking lot.
"Good job Hop, you scared away our friends." Joyce laughed and watched as he stubbed out his cigarette under his boot.
"If you weren't so damn cute this wouldn't happen." Joyce squealed when he lifted her into his arms and started walking over to his truck a few feet away, his lips already attacking her neck as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He stopped briefly with her pressed against his driver side door to kiss her properly, taking his time to make her moan into his mouth before setting her feet on the ground.
"Come on, we'll finish this later." He said with a grin and reached around her to unlock the door.
