"Hurting," the speech on the other line was quiet, panic in her voice.
"El? You're hurt?" Julie asked over the phone, her mind going everywhere what with the events from a week ago where they searched the facility for a monster.
"No. Hop."
Panic set in for a moment before Julie managed, "I'll be right over."
On her speedy drive she figured she should wait to call anybody until she assessed the damage. Should she call Joyce? Maybe not, especially since she'd turned down every offer to get together and discuss some things Joyce was foggy on. She wasn't ready to actually discuss her past, let alone show her…that was something else entirely.
Her mind went everywhere, knowing Jim was always one to turn down help. Did something monster-related happen? Or MKUltra?
It had felt like she blinked and was at the cabin, knocking on the door frantically.
"Jesus, hold on!" Jim's voice was muffled behind the door. She took a breath. When he opened he looked like Hell. "Jules?"
"You're hurt? What happened?"
"Hurt?" he seemed confused until Eleven pushed passed him and onto the porch. "Oh, God…" he stepped back inside and coughing was heard.
Julie sent El a questioning glance and the young girl invited her into the cabin. Jim had his head hung over the kitchen garbage can, bent at the waist, hands on his knees. His breathing came out ragged and he shot a glare toward El.
"Hurt," El repeated.
"Not hurt," Jim groaned, standing at full height again. "Sick," he corrected. "And you didn't need to call a babysitter for me."
"How long have you felt like this?" Julie interrupted.
"I'm fine," Jim snapped. Julie stepped close to him so she could reach up and feel his forehead. "Hey…"
Jim was burning up. "Did you eat anything today?"
"No," El tattled which earned a glare from Jim. With that, she took her leave back to her bedroom.
"How do you expect to kick this if you're not eating?" Julie turned on her heels and made her way back to the door. "I'll be back."
"What?"
"Do you want homemade soup or not?" she shot him a look. "In the meantime, down some water and eat some crackers."
The door closed and Hopper glared toward El who was peeking out of her doorway.
"Hurt. Really, El?" Hopper slapped his hands down on his thighs before turning to grab the zillionth tissue of the day to blow his raw nose and then cough heavily. Fuck.
•••
By the time Julie returned with the bags of groceries to make food for them Jim was sitting at the kitchen table, head leaned back against the wall.
He stood up to help her with the bags.
"No. Sit." The demanding tone she used on him would have put his mind toward other pressing matters had he not been sick. "Actually, you need to go lay down. Have you had anything to drink today?"
"Uhhhh…" he squinted.
Sighing, Julie set the bags on the counter then turned to reach in the fridge.
"Water. Drink it, now," she closed the fridge, set the bottle on the kitchen table. "I have Ginger Ale too for your stomach. Picked up more crackers just in case," she was unpacking the bags as she spoke. "I'm gonna make you homemade chicken noodle soup." A pause and she noticed that his eyes were closed. She smiled to herself. "Okay, ya big lug," she touched his shoulder and felt how warm he was even there. "Let's get you in bed."
Hopper didn't need the help or attention. He figured he'd bar himself inside the house for the next few days until things got better. Apparently El had other intentions for him. The last comment Julie made struck him and his eyes jolted open at the thought.
Julie blushed at that, looking away and trying to hide it.
"I'm up…I'm up," he groaned as he stood. He felt instantly lightheaded and kept his arm draped around Julie's shoulder for balance. "Fuck," he paused, pressing a hand to his head.
"You okay?" Julie asked gently, keeping one hand around his waist, the other gripping onto his wrist draped over her shoulders. "Just get to the couch." Having this oversized man leaning on her, Julie worried he would collapse before getting to his bed.
When he got to the couch she grabbed a Ginger Ale and his water and sat them on the coffee table. Jim was holding his head when she came back, eyes pinched closed.
"I need a fucking painkiller. Christ…" he pushed himself to get up but Julie pushed him back down.
"I'm here to help for now and if you don't like that, tough. Jim, you need to take care of yourself. Let me get this for you." She leveled her gaze on him and Hopper found himself feeling small yet sort of turned on? "Where are your pain meds?"
Jim replied, "Bathroom cabinet. Top left." When Julie went in the medicine cabinet she realized how many pills he had. Trying not to snoop, she grabbed the bottle of painkillers and closed the door. A blanket was draped over the back of the couch so on the way by, Julie grabbed it. She placed the pills in the palm of his hand. "Thanks."
"I strongly suggest eating something before you take pain pills, okay? Even a few crackers." Jim grumbled at this, openly frustrated, but started eating some crackers as Julie turned to walk back into the kitchen.
She started fumbling around drawers looking for things to get prepped for the soup. It only took her one more time of reminding him to lie down, but Jim did as he was told. A few times, he shot up because he was nauseous but when Julie brought the bathroom trashcan to him, she told him to stay put.
For Hop, he felt like a child having to just lie there while someone cooked for him and babied him. It wasn't often he got this treatment. Hell, he couldn't remember the last time. Diane surely hadn't done that for him in years. Their focus had solely been on their sick daughter and then there was nothing left for each other. That thought was a kick to the gut and he found himself getting misty-eyed, frustrated at himself and tired and sick.
He swallowed the pills dry.
The cushions underneath him felt like they molded to his body. He felt so heavy.
Hopper was fading in and out of sleep but one second he woke up to see El sitting in her room and the next she was in the kitchen stirring the pot while Julie cut up carrots.
Julie was thankful for the help in the kitchen, even though El didn't know much of what and where everything was. Not to mention Jim barely had kitchen utensils so she was improvising on some stuff.
When light snoring was heard, Julie couldn't help but glance over at him. He lay on his stomach on the couch, looking too big for the furniture, arms buried under the pillow under his head. She wiped her hands and quietly stepped toward the couch so she could drape the blanket over him. Grabbing the remote, she turned the volume down on the TV.
"I'm glad you called," she whispered to El as she returned to the kitchen. "Hopefully this will help him kick it faster."
"'Kick it'?" El questioned.
"Oh, uh…get rid of it. Like, fight it."
El seemed to understand that phrase better. "Tough."
"Yes, he is tough. But you'll learn when some people get sick they act like it's the end of the world."
•••
The timer beeped beside them in no time and Julie ran to go power off the buzzing thing before it woke Jim. Yet, she knew she had to wake the sleeping beast sometime. While El lifted a bowl for herself, Julie went to check on Jim.
She reached down to press a hand to his forehead to check if the fever was still there. Jim woke at that moment, a startled gasp leaving his lips as he grabbed Julie's wrist.
"Well, remind me not to wake you up like that again."
"I could think of a few other ways…" his groggy voice was laced with innuendo.
Julie blushed red again. "You ready for food?"
Hopper hesitated, sat up, pulled the blanket with him, hands under the blanket to cup his half-hard dick due to his deep sleep, his dream still flitting through his mind.
"Uhhh…yeah, gimme a minute," he managed to say.
"I'll bring it to you," she walked off to grab him a bowl and he breathed relieved for some of the distance. El took her food into her room – surprise, surprise…
His mind was all over the place with this fever and illness. A part of him craved the comfort he was given, wanted to lean into more. He vaguely remembered a part of a fever dream he'd had about her, no doubt something sexual with the way he was thinking at the moment. A part of him was maybe still left unsatisfied with the way things ended for them all that time ago. Was there still a question mark there? Would they ever try again? The sex had been great from what he remembered.
Jesus, these were fever thoughts…
Julie set the steaming bowl on the coffee table before him, setting her helping down as well.
The thoughts he'd been having were not helping his current uncomfortable situation below the belt so he opted to slip down onto the floor to eat at the coffee table. Julie joined him on the floor as well, but gave him space. He was glad the coffee table covered him more. As he ate, he couldn't help but let his eyes trail over the unbuttoned blouse that showed a little more cleavage than maybe she'd expected. Or maybe she'd planned it that way…
She'd put her hair up while she was cooking – while he was sleeping – and he couldn't stop thinking about tangling his fingers in her hair and pushing her head down to rest in his lap, let those full lips slide down over his…-
"Is it good?" Julie's voice cut through his daydream.
Hopper tensed, realizing he hadn't even taken a bite yet, too busy with this fantasy of his. He covered his lap with one arm and the blanket and lifted a spoonful of soup to his mouth with his free hand.
If he were honest, he'd had a lot of good eats. Maybe it was the hunger from not really eating all day, or maybe it was just that damn good, but he couldn't help the moan that left his lips once he swallowed a mouthful of the soup.
"Damn…" he groaned, lifting another spoonful to his lips.
"I'm glad you like it," she laughed softly. "Made a huge pot of it so I'm hoping it helps."
The steam from the warmth made his throat feel alright and his stomach felt instantly better just from having something to eat.
"Any homemade cooking is a help."
"I'm sorry I had to take over your kitchen."
"You can come cook for me anytime."
Julie leveled her gaze at him, holding his attention for a moment. "I'd like that."
•••
El was asleep by the time food was all cleaned up. Jim had perked up after two helpings of soup and another hour nap. Julie expected to leave once she was done putting leftovers in the fridge but Jim was awake again and looking more coherent than before. He'd convinced her to sit with him and watch some dumb low-budget horror movie.
Scary movies typically didn't faze her, not after what she'd been through. Yet there were ones that dealt with more realistic, human psychological torture and those she just couldn't stomach anymore. Maybe it was too close to home.
"God damn," Jim twisted his torso. Julie could make out a pained expression on his face in the lighting from the TV. "Think I need a new couch."
"Sore?" Julie's question left him nodding. She hesitated, wanting to help but not knowing how far to take it.
Some of Jim's thoughts on and off throughout the day were...less than appropriate. She figured it was just the fever. Before she realized what she was doing, she was pushing Jim forward, to which Jim looked dumbfounded. She pointed to the floor, urging him to sit.
"Yes ma'am," Jim's deep voice droned and he once again sat with his back to the couch, legs stretched out under the coffee table.
In seconds Julie was behind him, shifting to a comfortable position before she leaned forward and pressed her hands to his shoulders. Julie began working out the tension, starting toward his spine and spreading out to the width of his back.
When she did this thing with her fingers where she pinched down his spine he couldn't help but moan quietly.
Julie tensed behind him and she wondered if she had overstepped her bounds.
"This okay, Hop?" she asked tentatively, unsure of herself suddenly.
He scrunched up his nose. "Yeah," he voiced. "It's weird hearing you call me anything but 'Jim'."
"Sorry," she found herself holding her breath out of nerves. "But this is fine?" Her fingers still worked the tension out slowly, hesitating, waiting for him to answer.
"Yes," Hop seethed. "Don't you dare quit."
"I need you to lean forward so I can get your lower back."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry."
As he sat forward, he could feel a light touch of her breasts against his back and for some reason that thought drove him crazy. He was so close to just turning around, pulling that shirt lower, and…-
"Fuck..." the sigh left him as soon as he felt an unexpected sensation on his neck: her lips tracing his skin. Hopper gulped, shifting his arms over his lap once again as he felt himself start to grow hard over the night's turn of events.
Her fingers still worked wonders as her soft lips ghosted over the sensitive skin on his neck. Hands trailing down his biceps, she squeezed the muscles then ran her hands back up his arms.
Flits of his dream ran through his mind again, memories of that night at her family's cabin; being in bed with her, his fingers tangled in her hair while he pounded into her. These were dangerous waters to be treading and Hopper felt his dick pressing against the zip of his pants at the thoughts.
Julie read him and she knew that he knew. The thought of their history made her thighs clench. What was she doing? Here she was trying to get him to kick this cold and now her mouth was on his skin. At least he didn't have a fever anymore…
She pulled back, leaving her hands on his shoulders.
There was a beat of silence between them and then Julie whispered, "I'm sorry. Jim, I-"
"Don't stop," he interrupted, not a hope but a demand. Fuck, how badly he wanted her to just reach down between his thighs, get him off…
"I didn't think that…I mean, I…I didn't expect this to…" she stumbled over her words and Hopper found it pretty entertaining how frazzled she was. Coming from someone who could read minds, it was humorous.
"I know," he grumbled. "You have no idea how pissed I am that I'm sick right now or I'd want to…" he let that sentence trail off, not wanting to freak her out.
Julie bit her lip at that and he turned to look at her. Her bedroom eyes, the look of her chest rising and falling with every breath, that mouth…
It took two seconds for Hopper to hoist himself up, angling toward her, pressing his mouth to the exposed skin on her chest. His knees settled on either side of her thighs on the couch and he hovered over her, sure not to hurt her with his larger frame.
The little gasp that left her made Hopper smirk against her skin before he unclasped the last few buttons of her shirt. His fingers pulled down the strap of her bra, sliding part of her shirt sleeve down as well. He glanced at her expression to make sure she was alright with this new turn and then he traced open mouthed kisses down, down pulling her bra back so he could lap at a pert nipple. She shuddered beneath him.
"Jim…" she huffed out, gripping at his shoulders.
"Hm?" his voice rumbled out.
What had she wanted to say? Tell him to stop? She hadn't wanted that – hadn't wanted to irritate him, play with his head. Being touched again made her heart flutter. How long had it been since she let herself lean into pleasure? Since last time. Since him…
A loud creak of a floorboard startled the both of them and Jim huffed down beside her on the couch so quick her heart raced. It was like they were two high school students shacking up in mom's basement, worried about getting caught.
But it was El and, damn it, Julie didn't want to ruin this by making things awkward between the two of them. How would El handle it? Surely Jim wouldn't want her to know if something ever came of this…
These thoughts were too much for her.
El's door creaked open and Julie watched Jim casually slide a pillow over his lap while she clasped her unbuttoned shirt closed and pulled the sleeve up.
"You okay, kid?" he asked tentatively and Julie tried not to focus on the breathiness to his voice.
"Thirsty," the young girl said as she walked to the kitchen, oblivious to Jim's panting and erratic heartbeat.
She went back to her room and shut the door after grabbing a glass of water.
Hopper rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Julie who took a second before looking his way.
She huffed out an almost-laugh while buttoning her shirt back up. He sighed, resting his head against the back of the couch to look up at the ceiling. His cock was still hard and the tension reminded him how badly he wanted a release.
"I should go," she said.
"Yeah…"
She stood despite wanting to stay and continue, knowing it was the best idea to leave. Jim walked her to the door.
"Enjoy the soup," she said awkwardly, hesitating in the doorway slightly.
"Yeah, right…um, thanks…for this. It…" he scratched the back of his neck. "I wouldn't be feelin' better if you hadn't showed up."
Julie smiled softly. "Glad I could help. Goodnight, Jim, get some rest."
"Night," he hesitated, wondering if he should offer for her to stay.
She was out the door and on her way to the car when he finally made the decision that this was best.