Chapter Text
It was long after her divorce, after years of battling for any kind of money and the remnants of her life. It was years after finding a job that made it easier for her to provide for her family, for the two boys she loved more than anything. It was after years of saving any penny, climbing the ladder to become one of the best salesmen, that she could finally afford to buy a house.
It wasn’t easy at first, even after selling their previous house, all of the family’s valuables and working two jobs, it was harder than anything else. It was sudden when she spotted the house, picking Will up from his friends’. It was perfect for him, it meant he would live so much closer to all of his friends, even just across the street from one of them. Jonathan was supportive, knowing how much it meant for his mother to be able to give them this much. He started working in the afternoons, saving up some of the money to help out if needed.
They now lived in Hawkins’ quietest neighborhood. The white two story house didn’t stand out, in fact it was a little bit too ordinary for her liking, blending in. The front lawn was well maintained, Jonathan taking that upon himself, saying that’s his main chore as a man. The boys had separate rooms, a luxury their old house also provided, but this time they had the whole upstairs area to themselves. It was for the better, meaning they still had a spare bedroom upstairs and Joyce could have her privacy downstairs.
The house was perfect, exactly what they all needed. It was much closer to the town’s center, was slowly turning into the designated hang out spot and it just felt different. It wasn’t gloomy, it was the polar opposite of the previous house. But it wasn’t perfect for long.
Living far away, almost in the forest, has it’s perks. There were no neighbors.
The fact that the house was empty for a couple of months grew on him. He was almost ecstatic, loving that no one would live across the street from him, disturbing his peace and quiet. He definitely didn’t expect the Byers family to be the ones he would face everyday.
El was excited, of course she was. She finally had her best friend nearby, meaning none of their parents had to go out of the way and drive them to each other. Except, Joyce almost never did that anyway. She would either have Jonahtan do that or have Will bike home before the sun set. They never saw each other, not anymore.
Now they see each other almost every day, always leaving for work at exactly 8:43 am. They never looked each other in the eyes, almost ignoring the presence of the other person. She never goes to borrow a glass of sugar from him, he never offers to help with whatever repairs he can see her do herself, they just don’t talk.
_____
It was already after 10 pm, one of the lamps on the street was flickering, just like it always did. The soft summer wind was the reason of his porch swing’s creaking, the chain holding it up starting to turn auburn in more than one place. El was already up in her room, probably scribbling something in her diary, the one he had absolutely no access to, and Hopper was still downstairs.
He was seated in front of his TV, nursing a can of beer with his feet perched on the coffee table, paying no attention to whatever was on. The volume of the box was so quiet he could hear everything that was going on outside.
He could hear a car, the engine roaring and dying out on the street right in front of his house. At first the voices were quiet, interluded with a melodic laughter he never payed attention to.
Hopper finished the beverage he was holding, letting out a sigh as he rose from his armchair and put the empty container on the coffee table. The voices were growing louder, the laughter died out and he couldn’t keep his curiosity tamed. He strode to the window, taking only two steps before pulling the thick curtain aside.
She was standing there, a red dress hugging her slim figure in a way a second skin would. Her hair was curled in soft waves, pushed to one side of her neck, revealing the skin he’s never seen before. She was tense, he could see it even from across the street. And she wasn’t alone.
It seemed like she drove here with a man, the one that was casually leaning against the side of his car. The passenger’s door was open, his hand holding the frame of it, keeping Joyce from moving away and actually going into the house. She fumbled with her keys, clearly hinting at the man that she wanted to get inside, with or without him.
Hopper wasn’t dumb. Seeing from how the man acted, standing so relaxed and without a doubt feeling overly confident, he knew that he had one thing in mind. He also saw how Joyce avoided eye contact with him, trying to act nice about it and not knowing how to back away.
He didn’t bother to put on a t-shirt over his white sleeveless tank top, he didn’t even bother to put on his shoes, he just walked out to his front porch, turning on the front lawn lights. The light illuminating his house drew the attention of two people by the car.
“There you are!” Hopper exclaimed, a fake enthusiast evident in his voice as he walked down the few steps and the path to the street.
Joyce took it as her chance, diving underneath the man’s arm and escaping the prison of his arm and his car. She was by Hopper’s side in an instant, letting her body relax just a bit, it was still the neighbor she hated after all.
“Thanks for driving her home safely, appreciate it, man.” Jim waved at the man, letting him know it’s for the best if he just goes. He smiled down at the woman, earning himself a frown of both confusion and gratefulness.
He ghosted his hand over her lower back, urging her to walk up toward his home, as a sign of having finished the conversation with the other man. She complied, walking all the way to the porch swing before turning around and seeing the car disappear, illuminated by the flickering light.
“I should get going.” She didn’t look at him, she never did.
“Yeah, me too.” Before any of them could say anything else, the door closed behind him and she was already crossing the street.
He didn’t even know the color of her eyes. She couldn’t recall the tone of his voice just five minutes ago, she probably still won’t be able to tomorrow. But he just helped her, with the little communication between them, he knew what he had to do. And he didn’t question, neither did she.
_____
They occasionally saw each other after the night, but it was even less frequent than before. She conveniently left the house five minutes earlier in the morning, trying to avoid seeing him when she didn’t need to, and he didn’t pay much attention to it. The interaction between them buried deep in their memories, not ready to resurface until one of them brings it up.
It’s been almost two weeks since that night. Joyce only caught a sight of him once, standing at the kitchen counter and absentmindedly staring out the window. He looked tired, like he always did after work, carrying his groceries while El was laying on Will’s rug upstairs.
Tonight was no exception. Joyce wasn’t a great cook, she never knew what went together and what didn’t. She didn’t know when her food was undercooked or overcooked, and having two teenage boys that could eat anything, didn’t help her improve her skills. It was when El started to stay over for dinners, that Joyce started caring more.
It wasn’t often that the girl stayed over, maybe once a month, whenever her father had to work late. But she liked to help with the meals, actually selling Joyce tips she picked up watching television. The two of them worked together well, the older did all the work that involved cutting and using sharp objects, while the other supervised and mixed all the right flavors.
Tonight was the night when Jonathan didn’t eat with them. It was nothing new, getting a note from him that he’d be staying over at Nancy’s, not to worry and enjoy the night. It was also the night when Hopper was working late, meaning El would be eating with her and Will.
The kids were bound to set the table, letting Joyce put the finishing touch to the lasagne she and El pulled together from scratch, meaning she had a trip to town waiting for her. The food didn’t look like it was from a five star restaurant, she’s managed to do that once, when her ex parents in law were visiting a newborn Jonathan. Now she just needed to feed two maturing teenagers.
“Mom, we’re all set.” Will sat at his usual chair, claiming a seat facing an already seated El.
“Coming right up!” She’s cut the lasagne ahead, half of it still in the form and staying as leftovers for tomorrow.
She placed the plates before the teenagers, and by the time she was back with her own, they were both already eating. Well, El was eating, Will was devouring. She shared a look with the girl, both of them hiding their giggles as they watched Will. He shrugged his shoulders and Joyce joined them, sitting at the head of the table.
“It’s really good, mom.” Will said with his mouth full, earning a kick under the table from El.
“It’s good, dad would love it.” El smiled at the woman, taking another fork full of food into her mouth.
“He likes lasagne?” Joyce asked, lifting her head up from her plate.
“Yeah, he always makes it when I stay over.” Will shrugged his shoulders again, forgetting how much his mom didn’t like it when he did that.
“He cooks lasagne because he knows you like it.” The way El said it made Joyce stop eating and think. He cooked what her son liked, probably way better than she did, but he did it for him.
“That’s very considerate of him.” She went back to eating, trying not to think about it too much.
“He knows you do the same for me, Mrs Byers.” It was now El that shrugged and took a sip of the lemonade Will made.
“Well, it’s a good thing we still have plenty of lasagne left. I’ll pack it up for your dad to heat up.” El smiled at her gratefully as she finished her portion.
“I’m getting more, you guys want some?” The boy stood up, taking his plate to the kitchen when neither of the girls replied to him.
“You don’t have to do that, you know that.” The smile on El’s face was evident, not meaning to disappear.
“It’s fine. It’s the least I can do, and he’s overworking himself.” The woman blushed slightly, the intense glare of the younger girl’s eyes causing it to creep from the back of her neck, all the way to her cheeks.
“What’s got you blushing like that?” Will asked innocently, rejoining the women with his plate full of lasagne again.
“Nothing, leave the plates here and I’ll clean up later.” Joyce bolted up, suddenly feeling too hot and exposed to the kids. “I’ll have a Tupperware ready for when you leave.”
She sent a quick smile at the table and disappeared into the kitchen. Without any hesitation, the woman filled a glass with cold tap water and gulped it down in one go. It was all weird, why was she even bothered by that situation? She was just being friendly, paying off a debt that helped her out of an uncomfortable situation, and she was blushing like a fool.
The two of them never liked each other. It was a feud that went all the way back to their high school days, compromised by both sides. Their ways of being so different, their friends so against the others, making them the rivals the whole school knew about.
Now they lived across the street from each other, their kids were best friends and they didn’t even wave to the other person in a greeting. It was more complicated than any of them wanted to admit, both too stubborn to put the past behind and move on, even if it’s just for the sake of their children.
_____
Karen Wheeler was something else. Her and Joyce have been friends for ages, going all the way back to high school, just like they did with Hopper. The two of them differed though. Karen didn’t hold grudges, she had no reason to after all, neither did Joyce. She was on speaking terms with Jim, making a quick conversation while shopping or whenever he dropped off El to hang out with Mike.
It was no surprise he would be invited to celebrate with everyone else. It was Mike’s birthday, a big do in the Wheeler household, just like every other kid’s birthday. Karen made their birthdays her holiday, a reason to celebrate herself and her body that’s suffered three times.
Joyce chose to wear a summer dress, one of the few reasons she could actually wear something nice, that ended just above her knee. She tied her hair in an updo with a hairclip, letting her bangs fall freely down her face and hiding some of her freckles, present because of the sun. The flat sandals she chose were worn on multiple occasions, looking more torn than they did when she hid them in the closet when winter came around.
They were all seated at Karen’s back terrace, circling a round table in the middle of it. Ted was by the grill, joined by Charles Sinclair, both holding cans of beer while supervising the burgers. She was sitting next to Karen, facing Sue Sinclair and Claudia Henderson as the two of them shared tips on how to sew the boys' Halloween costumes this year.
He walked in as if he owned this place. The khaki uniform long forgotten, replaced by a white polo shirt and dark brown shorts. His hair was put in place for once, slightly falling down his eyes as it grew out longer than he usually let it. He glanced at the table full of women from above his sunglasses, a cigarette hanging between his lips as he carried six packs of beer in both of his hands.
“Afternoon, ladies.” He said it so casually, getting on Joyce’s nerves already. He put the bottles of beer on the table, took his cigarette in his fingers and went in for a quick greeting hug with Karen.
“I told you you would make it!” The blonde woman smiled, rising on her toes to match his height better.
Just as quickly he appeared he disappeared to stand with the men. They all shook hands, now doing the job of grilling all together. It was an unwritten rule of all barbecues, the men had to stand by the grill and pretend like they knew what they were doing.
“Oh my, he looks good in his uniform, but this is another level good.” Claudia made the observation, letting her eyes follow him before looking back at her friends.
“I’ve heard he’s single, settled down a bit after adopting Jane. You should ask him out!” The sun was starting to set, sending a glow that made it obvious that Sue was a few beers too deep already.
Joyce just listened, nursing her beer as she watched him laugh with his friends, smoke a cigarette, that was coming to an end, and casually steal glances at the table. She was sitting with her legs crossed, one foot moving involuntarily and her sunglasses were about to drop off her nose. She turned her face to Karen, feeling her eyes burn a whole at the side of her head, and immediately blushed at being caught staring.
“What?” She half whispered to her, leaving the two other women out of the conversation.
“Nothing.” The playful smirk was saying otherwise. Karen lazily turned her face towards the grill, watching Joyce do the same but faster, and then turned back to the brunette. “You’re staring.”
“No, I’m not.” Joyce dropped her gaze to the beer she was holding and took a long sip from it. “I need a smoke, do you have any?” Karen’s face took a concerned grimace and she shook her head.
“Didn’t you quit smoking last year?” She turned her head to the men, seeing that only Hopper was having a cigarette, a new one already.
“I need a smoke.”
Joyce repeated herself, getting the allusion of Karen tilting her head towards the grill. She sighed, lifting herself up on the arms of her chair, and smoothed her dress down with her hands. She took a few hesitant steps, gaining confidence as she walked ahead, and joined the men in the middle of their Army conversation.
“You don’t happen to have cigarettes, do you?” She asked sheepishly, her cheeks flushing as she sounded like a teenage girl.
“I have some more in my truck.” Hopper was the only one to speak, showing Joyce an empty pack that he hid in his pocket. “Come with me.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll manage without.” She was backing out, like she always was, too afraid to act now.
“Come with me.” His voice got more stern, confident in his way. He took a puff of his cigarette, keeping it in his fingers and started walking.
He made sure she was with him, slowing down his steps, knowing it would make it easier for her to keep up. They walked in silence, rounding the house and walking up to the front of it. She was surprised he took his car here. They lived just down the street, making it a nice walk. But he never let El walk alone here, her thought of him probably being an overprotective father disappearing when she realized he didn’t walk here either.
“Thank you for the food the other night.” He started a conversation just as they reached his car. He opened the driver’s door, and settled into the seat.
“You helped me the other night, it was the least I could’ve done.” Joyce shrugged her shoulders, watching him rummage through his car. It was the sound of the engine starting that caught her attention. “What are you doing?”
“Get in, we’re gonna go buy some.” He was casual about it, like he didn’t even care. He was casual the whole day, being a different Hopper that she knew and was used to.
“It’s fine, I’ll manage a few hours without.” She was about to turn around, just walk away and not pay him any more attention the rest of the day, but he had other plans.
Hopper got out of the car, leaving his door open and walking over to where she was. He opened the passenger door, making a grand gesture with his hand, showing her to get in. He was towering over her, his eyes protected by the sunglasses and some more hair fell down his forehead. Joyce sighed, grabbed a door handle at the inside of the door, and hauled herself up into the car.
He hummed appreciatively, puffed another smoke of his cigarette and threw it down onto the ground. He closed the door for her as she buckled up, rounded the car and took his place as the driver again. They rolled out onto the street, him focused on the road and her staring out of the window on her right side.
They were consumed by silence, both of them too stubborn to say anything. He was doing her another favor, deciding it would be best if he went with her. It was an impulse, seeing him smoke made her want a cigarette as well, but knowing herself she will not smoke once she gets the pack. But now she was stuck with him, he was stuck with her. The confines of his car containing them and the lingering smell of the cigarettes he smoked inside.