Within the blink of an eye, the wonderful two days spent at the quarry were suddenly nothing more than a memory as Joyce and Hopper readjusted to waking up early Monday for school. From the looks of everyone else that morning, they weren't the only ones dreading the return of socializing and learning.

As students filled the halls to switch classes after third period, Joyce slowly made her way to the stairwell, hoping to find her old spot beside the stairs empty so she could go through all of her recent photos to finish the last remaining pages of the yearbook.

The room they normally used was currently occupied by the drama club as they rehearsed scenes for an upcoming play, and the cafeteria was way too loud this time of day for her to be able to concentrate on anything. Had the weather not been poor with rain, she would have gladly chosen to sit under the bleachers where she could enjoy a smoke and some peace and quiet until Hopper found her for lunch.

Thankfully the spot was empty and she tossed her bag to the floor, plopping down to lean against the cold bricks with a sigh. She quickly settled her folder full of photos into her lap and scooted far enough back under part of the stairs to not get stepped on as people continued to walk by. As soon as the halls fell silent, she set to work on organizing the sports section near the back of the yearbook.

Forty five minutes, countless paper clips and discarded photos later, Joyce was putting the final touches on the layouts for five different pages just as the bell rang signally the end of class. Carefully moving the unused photos back into the folder and into her bag, she quickly switched around two quotes on the page in front of her and took a second to lean back, making sure everything was in order. For the first time in months she was ahead on all of her work and completing this gave her the break she needed to start filling out college applications.

"Your guard dog finally get tired of you trash princess?" A familiar voice asked from Joyce's right, causing her to look up from where she was still sitting on the floor. She was instantly met with the sight of Marissa and Chrissy walking by to ascend the stairs, a look of disgust on both of their faces. Choosing to ignore them, she started stacking her layouts and reached for her bag just as something cold and wet crashed into the side of her face. Orange liquid rushed down her back, the front of her shirt and splashed all over the wall, the floor, and of course her school work.

Letting out a startled gasp, Joyce quickly jumped to her feet, the paper cup once filled with soda rolling away as laughter from the two bitches standing on the stairs echoed around her. Several students passing by paused to take in the scene, whispers quickly spreading like wildfire throughout the hallway.

"Just because you bought new clothes and have new friends doesn't mean we've forgotten who you really are, you're still a loser." Chrissy said with a smirk, popping her gum before turning and walking up the stairs and out of sight.

Joyce swiped her now wet hair out of her face, taking in several deep breaths to keep herself calm as she shook off her soda covered hands and knelt down to try and salvage any of the papers still on the floor. It was pointless. The liquid had already warped the images and stained the white layout they were clipped to. Her pen marks were running, making everything unreadable as the paper turned see through with a hint of orange. Her clothes were wet and cold, her skin was sticky, and everything inside of her was screaming for her to run after Chrissy and beat the shit out of her like she'd done before. Had she not feared getting expelled and ruining her chances at getting into a good college, she would have gone after her the second that dumb ass smirk had appeared on her face.

"Joyce?"

A hand entering her vision caused Joyce to lift her eyes just as Lonnie crouched down in front of her, carefully removing the photo from her shaking hand.

"Are you okay? What happened?" He asked, his voice full of worry.

Joyce let him take the photo and flexed her fingers, sucking in a deep breath. There were too many emotions suddenly coursing through her and she had to fight back the urge to cry. The anger she was feeling toward Chrissy and the fact all of her work was ruined made her gut twist with anxiety.

"Fucking Chrissy!" She hissed and stood, kicking her soaked layouts into the wall. "I can't wait to get out of this school and away from all this bullshit."

Lonnie cringed as the soggy papers flopped around into a crumpled mess. "Joyce…" He started, taking a step closer to touch her shoulder, making her look at him. "It'll be alright, I'll help you fix all of this if you want. I have a free period after lunch and with the two of us we'll get it knocked out in no time."

Bringing her eyes to meet his, Joyce let out a huff and wrapped her hand around his wrist, squeezing it gently before she moved to start picking up her things. "I appreciate the offer, but I have to redevelop all the photos and basically redo a week's worth of work. Plus that's not fair to you. I'm sure you have better things you could be doing."

"Like what? Sitting in the library studying alone? I really don't mind." He said with a smile, helping her ball up the wet papers to toss into the trash can a few feet away. He grabbed her bag last and flung it over his shoulder as she wiped her hands on the thighs of her soaked jeans. "Come on, I'll wait outside the bathroom while you get cleaned up." He offered, gesturing with his head for her to lead the way.

"Thanks." She whispered and looked up and down the still crowded halls before walking in the direction of the closest bathroom.

Lonnie gently stopped her as she reached for the handle on the door and set her bag by his feet, his hands coming up to unbutton the flannel he was wearing. "Not that I was staring, but you might want to change out of your shirt, or at least put this on over it. The orange stains aren't doing much to hide the black bra you're wearing." He admitted as he held out his flannel for her to take.

Joyce finally looked down at her clothes and started blushing. True to his words you could see right through the already thin material, leaving nothing at all to the imagination. Quickly taking the flannel from his hand, she clutched it close to her chest and looked around once more to make sure no one else had noticed the predicament she was in. "You're a life saver." She said before rushing into the bathroom to try and keep what little dignity she still had intact.

Thankfully the bathroom was empty, giving her plenty of space to lay Lonnie's flannel on the counter as she attempted to rinse the soda out of her hair in the sink. With a little bit of soap, the sticky strands started to come apart and soon any evidence of the orange drink disappeared down the drain. Wringing out the excess water from her hair, she reached into her pocket for a scrunchie and pulled her hair back into a high bun to keep anything from dripping onto her shoulders.

Next she scrubbed away the orange stains from her arms and dabbed fistfuls of paper towels against her damp jeans to hopefully soak up some of the moisture. When she realized there wasn't any way to save her shirt, a twinge of anger suddenly rose in her chest, causing the skin on her neck to burn. It was one of the shirts Hopper had picked out for her, and one of her favorites which only made the entire situation more frustrating. With a growl, she ripped the material over her head and slammed into the trash with more force than necessary, knowing that even Mary wouldn't be able to work her magic this time.

Once Lonnie's flannel was over her shoulders and buttoned with the sleeves rolled up her arms, she took a second to look in the mirror to make sure she wasn't a complete disaster. A small red mark across her cheek bone where the cup had come into contact with her face caught her attention and she let out an irritated groan. Leaning forward to lightly press her fingertips to the sensitive skin, she winced when the slight pressure started to hurt, a sure sign a bruise would more than likely appear over the next few days.

"Great." She huffed and moved away from the counter, not wanting to give herself a chance to find even more reasons to be upset.

"Want me to walk you to class?" Lonnie asked when she reappeared from the bathroom, still standing right where she'd left him.

Joyce shook her head and took her book bag from him. "You've already done enough, I don't need to make you late on top of everything."

Lonnie shrugged and leaned against the wall. "That's what friends are for. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Joyce smiled and pulled him into a quick hug, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Believe me, this is nothing. I'll be fine." Stepping back and readjusting the strap on her shoulder, she grabbed at the collar of his shirt she was wearing. "Thanks again for helping me. I'll give this back to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Don't worry about it, I have plenty of them just like it at home." He said with a grin and started walking with her, making small talk until they needed to go their separate ways.

00000

Somehow Joyce managed to make it to the cafeteria just as Benny and Karen were taking a seat at their usual table, Hopper sliding in beside her the second she pulled her lunch from her bag and spread it out in front of them.

"Hey honey." Hopper greeted with a smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to kiss her cheek, his mouth lingering to nip at her exposed neck. When the scent of something masculine and unfamiliar hit his nose he pulled back with his brows furrowed, finally noticing the flannel she's wearing. "Who's shirt is this?"

Joyce shoved a chip into her mouth and picked at the crust on her sandwich. "Lonnie's..." She mumbled.

"Lonnie?!" Hopper almost shouted, the admission making him clench his fist under the table. "Why the hell are you wearing Lonnie's shirt?"

Benny and Karen both looked up from their food, neither of them knowing what to say as they watched the vein in Hopper's neck start throbbing.

Joyce bit her lip and flicked her eyes in Hopper's direction, her hand coming up to pull on the collar of the flannel. "It's not what you think."

"Then explain it to me, because there's a lot of shit going through my head right now that's about to piss me off." Hopper stated, trying his best to keep the anger he was feeling out of his voice.

"I…" Joyce stuttered, the tension surrounding them making her nervous. "I spilled something on my clothes so he gave me his shirt to wear since I didn't have anything to change into."

Hopper immediately picked up on her hesitation and shifted in his seat. "Why are you lying to-"

"Joyce, what happened to your face?" Karen gasped, interrupting their conversation to reach across the table for Joyce's cheek. The movement caused her to flinch, her own hand coming up to cover the red mark.

"Did that son of a bitch touch you?" Hopper asked, his fingers wrapping around her wrist gently to pull her hand away.

"No." Joyce hissed, jerking her arm from his grip. "Chrissy-"

"Chrissy?!" It was Karen who shouted this time, her hands already on the edge of the table to stand.

"Would everyone just calm down for a second? Christ." Joyce sighed, dropping her head into her hands to catch her breath.

"I thought I made myself pretty clear when I told that whore to leave you alone the first time." Karen said, relaxing slightly when Benny placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her seated.

"It's not a big deal alright? It was just a drink." Joyce really didn't want anyone getting into another fight because of her.

"How exactly did this drink turn into you having a bruise on your face?" Hopper asked, his jaw flexing.

Joyce sighed, knowing none of them were going to let her eat her lunch in peace unless she started talking. Taking a second to finish chewing, she set her sandwich down and wiped her hands off on her jeans.

"I was working on my final layouts for the yearbook under the stairs near the AV room and Marissa and Chrissy happened to walk by. They made a smart ass comment about me being alone and I guess since I ignored them, that pissed them off and the next thing I know a cup is hitting me in the face and I'm getting covered in freezing orange soda. Lonnie saw what happened and gave me his flannel so the whole school wouldn't know what color bra I was wearing." Joyce whispered, not wanting the rest of the cafeteria to hear their conversation.

Hopper scooted closer to her and touched the side of her jaw once more to inspect the mark on her face. "Guess I should thank Lonnie the next time I see him." He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"I just don't understand why they can't leave me alone. I haven't said a single word to either of them." Joyce frowned, the feeling of her still wet jeans chafing against her thighs only making the situation worse.

"Because they're both miserable bitches for one." Karen piped up as she ran her spoon around the edge of the stew she had chosen for lunch today. "Not to mention they both want what you have and it's eating them alive to know they'll never get it."

"You're damn right they never will." Hopper growled.

"How can they hate me so much when I've literally done nothing to them?"

"Well, not completely nothing. You did beat the shit out of Chrissy." Benny commented as he opened a pack of crackers for Karen who was currently scowling at him.

"That wasn't Joyce starting anything, it was self defense, and Joyce isn't the only girl in this school who's had a run in with those two twats. They think just because their families have a little money that their shit doesn't stink and I for one am tired of it." Karen was on her feet before Benny could stop her.

"Karen, it's not worth it." Joyce called from her seat as she nervously watched her best female friend walk across the cafeteria, a glint of murder in her eyes.

"Well, this should be interesting." Benny sighed, knowing there wasn't anything any of them could do now.

00000

"I thought I told you bitches to back off." Karen thundered as she approached the crowded table where Chrissy and Marissa were both sitting, surrounded by the rest of the cheer leading squad and their fuck buddies for the week.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Chrissy stated sweetly as she took a sip of the orange soda in front of her. "Marissa?"

"Hmm, nope can't recall anything." Marissa giggled, her hand moving to touch her boyfriend of six months, Zack Finnigan's hand.

Before anyone could process what was going on Karen picked up Chrissy soda and dumped the contents over her head, covering her pristine cheerleader uniform in sugary orange liquid. The collective gasp from their table was heard through the cafeteria, silencing the room immediately.

"You fucking bitch!" Chrissy exclaimed, attempting to rise to her feet.

"Not much fun when you're the one who's being bullied is it Chrissy? I told you two to leave Joyce alone. I'm done playing your little games."

"You just messed with the wrong girl!" Chrissy growled, moving to take a step toward Karen.

"Oh, I don't think I did. It's funny the things you hear when your parents talk after dinner. I had no idea that your father was so far into the red at the derbies that the Matheson brothers are going to break his legs. It's a shame really, the supposed wealthiest family in Hawkins is dirt poor."

"You shut your mouth, you-"

"Ladies do we have a problem here?" Principal Shepherd's voice came from behind them and Karen was the first to speak.

"No sir, not at all. In fact we were just discussing how dangerous and un-lady like it is for Marissa to be giving blow jobs to freshmen in the parking lot before school."

"You're doing what!?" Zack yelled from Marissa's side as he jerked his hand away. Marissa's eyes were as big as saucers as she fumbled to once again hold his hand.

"It's not what you think babe, I haven't done it in-"

"This is a conversation that needs to be held in my office." Principal Shepherd said above the cries of both Chrissy and Marissa. "You three, my office now!" He snapped, not breaking eye contact with the teens in front of him.

Karen looked across the cafeteria and gave her friends a grin, motioning for Benny to take her backpack as she quickly fell in step behind the principal and giggled at the trail of orange following in Chrissy's wake.

00000

When the final bell rang signaling the end of the day, Benny, Joyce and Hopper made their way out to the parking lot where they found Karen sitting on Benny's tailgate waiting for them. Joyce ran ahead of the boys and pulled her into her arms.

"Can't breathe…" Karen gasped, surprised at the strength the tiny woman had.

"Please tell me you didn't get suspended?" Joyce asked, already feeling guilty as she loosened the death grip on her friend.

Karen snorted and slid over some when Joyce hopped up onto the tailgate and Benny moved to stand between her legs. "Once the Chief showed up to talk to Marissa and her parents I think Principal Shepard forgot I was even there. She's in a shitload of trouble."

"They called my dad?" Hopper asked and wrapped his arm around Joyce when she leaned against him.

"Apparently one of the boys she messed with at the beginning of the year is only fourteen, and if his parents want to press charges it could be a lot worse than her being expelled. Speaking of your dad." Karen said with a nod as the Chief's blazer rolled to a stop beside them.

Greg cut the engine and made his way over to where the small group was gathered at the back of Benny's truck, a hand resting on his hip. "Joyce, I need you to come with me Darlin'."

Joyce frowned at being pulled away from her friends, but sat up and removed Hopper's arms from around her to do as she was told.

"What's going on?" Hopper asked, reluctantly letting her go when she jumped down to the asphalt and went to his father's side.

"Nothing you need to worry about son. We'll see you at home." Greg placed a hand on Joyce's shoulder and guided her over to the blazer, stopping just as he went to open the door when he noticed the red mark on her cheek. Carefully touching under her chin with his finger, he tilted her head to get a better look at the damage and Hopper didn't miss hearing him mutter something under his breath before letting Joyce go to climb inside the cab.

"He's not upset with her because of what I did is he?" Karen asked as they watched the blazer disappear out of the parking lot.

Hopper shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve his pack of cigarettes and shrugged. "Him and mom are a little overprotective with her after everything she's been through. I figure he just wants to make sure she's alright." Placing the stick in his mouth, he flicked his lighter and sucked in a deep lungful of smoke, hoping the nicotine would ease some of the stress he was feeling.

"Was it really that bad before?" Karen knew Joyce didn't talk about her past, and that Jim more than likely wouldn't say too much on the subject, but she couldn't help but worry.

Hopper exhaled and leaned his elbows against the side of Benny's truck. "Yeah it was bad, she almost died..."

Karen felt Benny tense between her legs and looked up to see him staring at Jim, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"Is that why she missed so much school after the fight with Chrissy?" Karen asked, squeezing Benny's hand that was resting on her thigh when she noticed how uneasy he had gotten.

Hopper nodded and took another drag from his unfiltered camel. "Everyone just assumed she had been expelled, or got sent away for losing her shit, but no one knew the truth. No one knew that her piece of shit father beat her so bad that day she almost died in my arms on my front porch."

"Fuck Jim...I'm so sorry." Benny said, taking a step back from Karen to run a hand through his hair. "Why would she...how can she stand to be around me after…" He paused, having to swallow down the lump of guilt in his throat.

Karen silently stared at Benny when he pulled away from her, trying to gauge his sudden change in behavior. His history of bullying Joyce hadn't been a secret, she'd even witnessed him apologize to her about it in person, but the way he was acting had her wondering if she was missing something.

Hopper sighed and flicked his cigarette to the ground, stubbing out the butt under his boot. "Because that's just who she is, Benny. Even after all the bullshit she's been through, she still tries to see the good in people. It's one of the many things I love about her." Reaching over the side of the truck to grab his bag out of the bed, he adjusted the strap over his shoulder and dug his keys out of his pocket. "Just do me a favor alright? Don't start acting weird around her now that you know this. Nothing has changed. She's still the same person she was fifteen minutes ago."

00000

Heading down the road, Greg adjusted in his seat, one hand on the wheel, the other fidgeting with the stubble on his chin. "Honey, can you tell me what happened today?" He questioned, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Letting out a quick sigh, Joyce told him everything about the stairwell, Lonnie, and what transpired in the cafeteria. "Karen told them when they cornered me in the locker room that she wasn't going to stand for them bullying me anymore and that if she heard or saw them doing it, they were going to regret it."

"Wait. They cornered you in the locker room? When?"

Joyce pulled her knees to her chest, her feet resting on the seat with her arms wrapped around her shins. "Not long after I came back to school. Chrissy and Marissa were messing with me in gym class and when I tried to get away from them, they followed me into the locker room. I started to panic and couldn't get my shirt on, they saw my scars and started accusing Jim of beating on me…Eventually they figured out what really happened and that's when Karen told them to leave me alone."

Greg frowned and took his eyes off the road briefly to look in her direction, watching as she dropped her chin to rest on her knees. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Joyce shrugged. "What difference would it have made? The only time in the last six years someone noticed me was when I finally lost it and beat up Chrissy. No one cared when I was getting tripped in the hallways and pushed around. Or when everyone was calling me trash and acting like I was a walking disease. I figured since I've dealt with it this long, why not a few more months?"

School definitely hadn't been easy for Joyce and Greg knew this, Jim had told him more than once about kids picking on her, he just hadn't been aware of how bad it was or the fact it had been going on for this long without a teacher or someone making an effort to stop it. "I understand why you felt like you couldn't go to anyone at school for help, but I wish you had come to me. I could have taken care of this a long time ago, and after everything you've been through with Travis...Honey I'm so sorry. No one deserves to be treated that way." Flipping on his turn signal, Greg gently hit the brakes and turned onto the gravel driveway leading to the farm. "I promise you those girls aren't going to get away with what they've done to you. Not this time."

Joyce lifted her head to stare out the window, her arms still wrapped securely around her legs. "I just can't help but wonder...What if they were lashing out at me because things weren't going so well for them at home? Karen said something about her dad having to loan money to Chrissy's because of the derbies. She may be suffering too and bullying me might be her only escape."

"That still didn't make it right Joyce. No matter what someone else is going through, that doesn't give them the right to take it out on others." Greg slowly came to a stop in front of the house and leaned back in his seat. "I don't know what's going to happen to Marissa or Chrissy, but whatever comes of it, just know none of it is your fault okay?"

Joyce stayed quiet and picked at her shoe string, trying to shake the feeling that she was still somehow responsible for Karen's actions and everything that had happened today.

"Now, I have to head back into town, we have a meeting about paving some of the back roads to make it easier on farmers. Can you tell your mama that I'm ready to go whenever she is?"

Finally lowering her feet to the floor, Joyce hesitated when she reached for the door handle. Before she could change her mind, she leaned across the seat and wrapped her arms around Greg's neck.

"Thank you." She whispered, knowing she wouldn't be able to say the words any louder without crying. Greg gingerly brought a hand to her shoulder, hugging her back the best he could.

"Of course Darlin'. Just promise me something alright? If anyone ever puts their hands on you again, you let me know. I mean it. I don't care why it happened or who did it, you come to me first. I'm sick and tired of seeing you get hurt."

Joyce gave him a nod and swallowed, forcing back the emotions currently making her chest ache. "I promise."

00000

The smell of Hopper's soap quickly filled the bathroom as Joyce scrubbed her still sticky skin almost raw, trying her best to ignore the slight orange tint circling the drain at her feet. She was going to have a hard time getting all the tiny sugar covered knots out of her hair that she'd missed removing at school, and just the thought of spending more than a few pain filled minutes working at them made her groan in irritation.

"What are you doing in there young lady?" A deep familiar baritone suddenly called out, causing her to startle.

"Jesus Christ Hop!" She screeched as the shower curtain pulled back, revealing a bare chest staring back at her.

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad looking." Hopper teased and reached out to test the temperature of the water. "Mind if I join you?"

"Depends. Are you going to scare me again?" She challenged, still trying to calm her racing heart.

"I promise nothing." He grinned and stepped over the edge of the tub, immediately adjusting the height of the shower head.

"I said you could join me, I didn't say you could steal all of my water!"

"Oh hush, you know as well as I do that you're still getting plenty on you. Besides, I figure this way if you get cold you'll more than likely snuggle up to me."

"Who says I want to snuggle up to you?"

"Well if you don't want me in here..." Hopper turned to leave, feeling her small hand attempt to grab onto his upper arm.

"Okay! Okay! I'm kidding, don't leave!" She pleaded, quickly pulling the curtain from his grip to close it back.

Hopper chuckled when she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against him. "Just can't get enough of me can you?"

"Nope, and I never will."

"Good, because you're stuck with me." He grinned and shut his eyes, letting the warmth of the water ease some of the tension in his shoulders.

Joyce smiled and kissed the middle of his chest, knowing they couldn't stand there much longer or the water would get cold before they could finish. Reluctantly letting him go, she shifted to rinse the remaining soap from her body and carefully stepped out onto the bath mat to dry off while Hopper shampooed his hair.

Reaching for the closest towel on the rack, Joyce wrapped the fluffy material around her body and padded over to the sink, wiping the fog from the mirror just as Hopper came up behind her. His lips found their way to the crook of her neck, sucking gently at the sensitive skin.

"Here, let me do it." He murmured, sliding a hand down her arm to wrap his fingers around the handle of her brush. Joyce let it go without a fight and shut her eyes as he began to rid her hair of the small knots he knew she was dreading dealing with.

"You don't know how good that feels." She hummed, enjoying the way his fingers were messaging against her scalp.

"You keep moaning like that and it's going to make a part of me feel good too." He joked, carefully working a knot out of her hair.

"Oh really?" She whispered, opening her eyes to catch his in the reflection of the mirror staring back at her.

"Mmm." Hopper grabbed onto her waist and pulled her flush against him, her ass settling directly into the front of his hips.

Joyce shut her eyes and whined when his mouth claimed the skin at her shoulder, his teeth nipping delicately up to her ear before turning her body to face him, his thumb gently running across the scratch on her cheek. He placed a sweet kiss where his thumb had just been, then kissed his way down her jaw, eventually sliding his tongue over the plump flesh of her lips.

"I want you." Joyce moaned, bringing an arm up behind him to thread her fingers into his hair.

The admission made Hopper tremble, a growl rumbling low in his throat. His parents would be gone for another hour at least and their time alone in the house was so rare he wasn't about to let the opportunity go to waste. His excitement at them being as loud as they wanted made his ever-growing erection twitch against her.

"Please Jim, after the day I've had... I just need you." Joyce whispered, bringing her lips to meet his. What Hopper thought was going to be a kiss, was actually her sucking on his bottom lip and he hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until he felt her hand on his chest gently pushing him away. He watched in awe as the towel that had been snugly wrapped around her tiny frame fell to the floor at her feet, leaving him with a view of her naked ass disappearing out the door and down the hallway.

"You coming?" She called over her shoulder.

00000

When Hopper entered the bedroom, Joyce was standing at her side of the bed with her back to him, her damp hair falling down across the pale skin of her shoulders, giving him a perfect view of her backside. Quickly shutting the door behind him, Hopper wasted no time in going to her, his fingers digging into her left hip as his right hand slid around her body and between her legs. The feel of her wet and needy had him biting back a moan.

"Christ baby." He breathed into her ear, making her shake. "Lay down, I want to taste you."

A shiver ran through her at his words, and as badly as she wanted to feel his mouth against her aching clit, she shook her head. Instead of replying with words, she took a hold of his hand and moved it up to cup her breast, showing him what she wanted. Hopper none to gently rolled her nipple between his thumb and pointer finger while she shifted her hips back against him, the friction making him groan. Seconds later, Joyce pulled him away from her and crawled onto the bed, her stomach resting on the cool fabric of their blanket with her ass in the air.

Hopper's eyes went wide at her gesture and he had to bite his lip to keep from embarrassing himself with a pathetic whine when he settled over top of her. One of his hands was threaded with hers, flat against the bed near her pillow and the other was grasping her hip. His erection lay on her inner thigh, only inches away from the wetness he could see between her legs reflecting with the sunlight coming through the window.

"Please…" Joyce whimpered and lifted her ass.

Hopper swallowed and carefully untangled his fingers from hers. His hand moved to grip his cock and gently rubbed the tip through her folds, coating himself with her arousal. Joyce pushed herself up on her hands, looking over her shoulder and Hopper could barely contain himself at the sight of her blown pupils.

"Hop I'm begging you. Please, I just need-"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, both of his hands were on her hips, pulling her completely against him. She sighed when he didn't immediately fill her. His dick only sliding through her folds once more.

"Patience baby." Hopper ordered, his nails digging into her skin to keep her from moving when he leaned over and opened the bedside drawer to retrieve a condom. "You're so fucking sexy." He said before tearing open the foil packet and dipping his head to kiss the middle of her back.

Joyce made a sound in her throat and dropped to her elbows when she felt him move away from her to slip on the condom. The absence of his touch had her reaching out to rub her fingers against her clit, trying to ease the tension in her belly at being so aroused.

Hopper swatted her hand away when the rubber ring settled at the base of his cock and positioned himself at her entrance. They had never done it this way before and the urge to sink inside of her with one swift flick of his hips was overwhelming. He sucked in a deep breath to calm down his excitement and slowly pressed into her, listening when her breath hitched as she adjusted to the slightly painful stretch.

When he finally bottomed out, Joyce dropped her upper half to the bed and let out a sound that made his toes curl. His hand rubbed between her shoulder blades and down her back, giving her a second to catch her breath before moving again. Two thrust later and Hopper was halted again when she cried out in a way that had him thinking he'd hurt her.

"Are you ok?" He asked in a hasty whisper. His instincts telling him to pull out and make her look at him, but he was worried that even breathing wrong would somehow make it worse if she actually was in pain.

Joyce reached to touch his thigh when he stilled, her nails biting into his skin as she turned to him with a flushed expression, her eyes hooded and glazed over. "Don't stop." She demanded, her voice thick with desire.

Hopper furrowed his brows in confusion and placed his hand on her shoulder, keeping eye contact as he pulled back and sank into her again slowly. He watched as pleasure crept into her features and her mouth fell open in a silent gasp.

"More." Joyce whimpered, the plea causing him to whine in response. Once he knew he wasn't actually hurting her, he set a steady pace that had them both rapidly reaching the point of no return.

Joyce found herself struggling to form a coherent thought. The new position making her feel things she couldn't explain. It was like every time Hopper bottomed out she'd get a brief second of pleasure that resembled an orgasm and her body didn't know how to react when she never actually slipped over the edge. She wanted to scream, to cry, to do anything to prolong what she was feeling, but all she managed to do was flail around helplessly while Hopper held onto her and she babbled into the pillow.

"Oh God Hop." She cried, her lip finding its way between her teeth. "Baby please..." She begged even though she didn't really know what she was begging for. Tears pricked at her eyes when she felt him thrust harder, his hand snaking around her hips to find her swollen clit as he continued to pound into her, his own breathing becoming labored with the effort.

Moments later Joyce tensed and practically screamed into her pillow as wave after wave of pleasure rocked through her. She felt Hopper sink his teeth into the muscle of her shoulder and she hissed, the sting intensifying her orgasm and making her entire body tremble.

When Joyce's inner walls tightened and started pulsing around him, Hopper growled against her skin and came hard, his hips jerking erratically with the force of his release to the point he almost lost his balance and had to catch himself on the headboard. Letting out a sigh when he stilled, he placed a soft kiss to the angry red mark he'd left on her shoulder and slowly slid out of her.

"I love you." He murmured, dropping his forehead to the back of her neck. "I love you so fucking much it hurts to breathe sometimes Joy. You complete me in every way imaginable."

A sob suddenly wracked through Joyce's body and Hopper tensed, shifting to lay on the bed beside her. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked when she looked at him and saw tears sliding down her cheeks.

Joyce just sniffed and shook her head, wiping her hands across her eyes to dry them. She didn't know how to explain with words exactly what she was feeling. It was like her body wasn't capable of processing the pleasure it had experienced and the only outlet it could find was through crying. "I'm fine. It was just really good." She choked out with the hint of a laugh.

Hopper couldn't help but chuckle at her mixed emotions and quickly stood to slip off the condom, tossing it into the small trash can by their bed before returning and pulling her against him. Lifting his hand, he lightly brushed a few damp strands of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. It still amazed him every day that this amazing woman was his, that she had fought all of these years to finally have the life she always deserved, and he'd be forever grateful that she had chosen him to share that life with.

00000

The sun was starting to set over the farm, casting a warm orange glow onto the front porch where Hopper and Joyce were currently sitting in the swing. Hopper's long legs and bare feet moved them back and forth with ease, something Joyce was thankful for since the tips of her toes could barely reach the floor.

"Do you think mom and dad will be home soon? Or should we cook something for dinner?" Joyce questioned, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Nah, they'll more than likely pick something up on the way home. It's already almost eight." He said as he glanced at the watch on his wrist.

"Speak of the devils." Joyce laughed at the sight of Greg's blazer making its way up the driveway and pulling into his designated spot to the right of the house. Greg hopped down to the ground after putting the blazer in park and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for Mary. Even after all of their years of marriage, the small act still caused her to smile at him fondly.

"Hey kiddos! We brought dinner!" Mary called from across the yard, her arms loaded down with familiar take out trays and what appeared to be that day's mail. Joyce gave Hopper's hand a slight squeeze before she slid down from the swing and hurried to help with whatever she could. Hopper stood and held the door open, following his family inside, the smell of fried chicken making his mouth water.

Greg stopped at the counter to sort through the mail as Joyce and Mary set the table, the kitchen feeling slightly crowded with everyone moving around trying to get settled.

"Jim, you got a letter here son." Greg stated, handing him the envelope in passing when he moved to take his seat beside Mary.

"Probably just from one of the colleges I wanted information on saying they can't accept me for whatever reason." Hopper joked and reached into his pocket for his knife. Flicking the small blade open, he easily cut along the seal of the starch white envelope before closing it back and returning it to his jeans.

"You can read that after dinner, let's eat." Mary commented, already putting food on her plate before passing the container onto Joyce. Hopper didn't say anything back to his mother. In fact, he acted as if he hadn't heard a word she said. When Joyce attempted to hand him the mashed potatoes after he finally joined them, he still never took his eyes off the paper firmly grasped between his fingers.

"Jim, what's wrong?" Greg asked when he looked up from his meal and saw all the color had drained from his son's face.

With a shaky intake of breath, Hopper held out his hand and dropped the letter onto the table.

Joyce leaned forward and felt her gut drop when she managed to catch sight of the first two lines on the paper before Greg moved it away. She didn't have to finish reading it to know what 'Selective Service System. Order To Report For Induction.' meant.