6- When You're Ready, Let Me Know
Summary: Joyce is still feeling guilty about Bob. Hopper finally gets it out of her and comforts her.
Requested by: Section8grl
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters. If I did, the Party would actually make sure Erica's ok after Starcourt.
Joyce sighed as the next episode of Cheers come on.
Munching on some egg rolls, Joyce thought back to the Chinese food date with Bob, dancing with him in a vampire costume.
Laughing with Bob, saving Hopper from the tunnels with Bob, and Bob... dying.
He was smiling when he was attacked.
Joyce was just standing there, screaming, until Hopper dragged her out of the lab.
Blood, there was so much blood.
The Cheers theme song played, snapping Joyce out of her thoughts.
She was shaking, her breath shallow.
Running her hands over her face, she got up to shower, hoping to scrub away the thoughts.
The next day at Melvald's Hopper came in.
"Hey," he said "How's it going?"
"Good," Joyce said, trying to sound convincing. "How 'bout you?"
"Eh, you know," Hopper responded, shrugging.
Joyce nodded, letting him wander into the store.
He came back with a pack of cigarettes and Eggos.
While checking the items out, Joyce realized that Hopper was studying her.
"You good?" Hopper asked. "You look tired."
"Hm?" Joyce hummed. "Yeah, just a long shift."
The truth was, that in the middle of the night, she had a nightmare about Bob, and couldn't go back to sleep.
Hopper didn't look convinced.
"Want to go to dinner Friday?" he asked.
"Nah, I have some stuff going on." Joyce said not looking at him.
"Hey," Hopper said grabbing her arm. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Joyce looked up to him with tears in her eyes.
"I miss Bob." she whispered.
Hopper stood there for a moment before enclosing her into a hug.
"I keep seeing him die." she said muffled by Hopper's shirt.
"I'm sorry." Hopper whispered.
Rubbing her back, Hopper started swaying, as if he was dancing.
"Are we dancing?" Joyce asked.
Hopper chuckled, "I guess we are."
Joyce pulled back.
"Thanks." she sniffled.
Hopper nodded, turning to go.
"Oh," he stopped at the doorway. "When you are ready for that dinner, let me know."
And then he was gone.
Joyce went back behind the cash register thinking.
Thinking about Bob.
How much she missed him.
But she also thought about Hopper.
How she actually kind of wanted to go to that dinner.
And who knows? She might say yes to that dinner in an underground Russian base.
AN: I hope you liked it Section8grl, sorry it took me a while to write! Requests are open!