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They both hear the creeping footsteps just as the clock hits five; it’s much too early for anyone to be awake, especially on a Saturday, and Joyce nudges Hopper just as their bedroom door slips open.
“Daddy,” comes the whisper, and Joyce hides her groan in Hopper’s shoulder.
“Your kid before 5 am,” she murmurs, nudging him again.
“C’mere Jessie J,” Hopper mutters, pulling the covers up on his side so the little girl can climb in, snuggling into his side, cold toes pressing into his thighs. “It’s too early for little girls to be up, you know.”
“But Daddy- you said we could go to the market,” Jessie pokes at his face, her blue eyes wide and lips pulled into a pout. And Hopper does vaguely remember promising his daughter they could go to the farmer’s market that weekend- but that certainly didn’t require a five am wakeup call.
“Daddy did say that, huh? Well how about this- you and me and Mommy sleep for another two hours, and then we can go and see what the market has,” Hopper suggests, and Jessie gives an overly dramatic sigh that has Joyce snickering into Hopper’s shoulder blades, her hand slung over her husband’s hipbone.
“But that’s so looooong Daddy,” the five year old complains, and Hopper presses a kiss to her head.
“Start countin’ sheep, girlie. Won’t feel that long, I promise,” Hopper replies, and Jessie curls in close, resting her head on her father’s chest as Joyce snuggles in against his back, the three of them curled up together in a warm tangle.
The Saturday alarm- set for eight- awakens them, and Joyce and Hopper are in considerably better moods upon rising, Jessie jumping around their feet, chanting about the market.
“Alright Missy Miss- if you want to go to the market you have to go get some warm clothes on. And no princess costume, Mama has to wash it!” Joyce calls out after Jessie as the brunette hurricane charges out of the room, down the hall towards her bedroom to change. “So much energy for such a little girl.”
“She stole all of El’s energy, I swear that girl could sleep until dinner if we let her,” Hopper remarks, and Joyce flicks his shoulder.
“She’s a teenager- let her be,” Joyce says, pulling on a pair of jeans and rifling through the closet in only her bra. “And quit starin’ at me, Jim Hopper. Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“And I like it every time,” Hopper replies, pressing a kiss to Joyce’s shoulder as he grabs a flannel; after a moment of pondering, Joyce grabs one of his as well, tying it at the waist so it doesn't totally swamp her. “It’s sexy when you do that.”
Joyce blows him a kiss; Hopper pretends to catch it, putting it in his pocket to save for later as Jessie barrels back into their room.
“Ready!” she cries: she has managed to dress herself in a crimson corduroy dress, white knit tights, and blue rain boots. The rainbow turtleneck underneath may be a bit much, but Joyce lets her have it, adjusting the neck so it’s folded properly and pulling the tights up enough so they aren’t bunched. “How do I look, Mama?”
“Wonderful, sweetie,” Joyce tells her, kissing her head. “Do you want piggys or bunnies today?”
“Bunnies!” she says immediately- her current favorite hairstyle. She sits obediently by the sink in the bathroom and waits for Joyce to brush her hair, doing the little buns on the sides of her head before admiring her mother’s handiwork. “Perfect, Mama.”
“Thank you, baby,” Joyce says, kissing Jessie again. “Are your siblings awake to join us, or are they still sleeping?”
“They’re sleeping, Mama. It’s our adventure today!” Jessie takes first Joyce’s hand and then Hopper’s, swinging them lightly. “All to myself.”
Joyce meets Hopper’s gaze over Jessie’s head, their smiles mirroring, and blows him a kiss. He catches it, pressing it to his cheek, and Joyce’s nose wrinkles in affection as their daughter tugs them towards the front door.
“Hold your horses there, little girl. Breakfast first, then we can go, okay? I know you’re excited,” Hopper says, scooping Jessie up and swinging her onto his shoulder, causing the little girl to erupt into giggles. “We have cereal or PB toast.”
“PB toast!” she cries, and Hopper deposits her in a chair, nodding.
“Coming right up,” he says, and begins to work on breakfast as Joyce makes coffee to go for them. “Alright, baby. Eat up, then it’s market time.”
Jessie gives him a thumbs up, mouth full of peanut butter, and Joyce wipes at her mouth with a damp paper towel, smiling fondly.
“She gets her manners from you,” Joyce teases; when Jessie is involved with putting her coat on, Hopper flips his wife off, causing her to giggle. “I mock because I love.”
“Daddy, I can’t do the buttons,” Jessie gets their attention once more, struggling to do up the buttons to her coat- Hopper kneels before her, undoing the uneven ones she’s done and righting them.
“All set, baby girl,” he says, kissing her head. “Alright, I think we’re all set.”
“Market time!” Jessie yells, and Joyce shushes her gently, nudging her out the door.
“Your siblings are sleeping, silly. Let’s keep quiet ‘til we’re in the truck,” she says as they shut the door behind them.
Eventually they’re all buckled into the car, Jessie happily drumming her feet against her car seat.
“You get to pick the tunes, baby girl. Tell me when to stop,” Hopper says, turning on the radio- when Jessie yelled STOP at the top of her lungs, they paused on a rock station.
“Just like her father,” Joyce murmured, amused, and slid her fingers into Hopper’s as he drove.
“Spittin’ image of her mother,” Hopper murmurs back, kissing the top of her head. “Perfect little mix of us, that one is.”
Joyce hums, settling in against him as the early morning fog begins to burn away as the sun rises in the sky before them.