Work Text:
A few years had gone and come around
We were sitting at our favorite spot in town
And you looked at me, got down on one knee
Mary’s Song - Taylor Swift
It’s been over a year since the final “ battle ”. They defeated Vecna for good and they can finally say that the threat of the Upside Down is gone . It has been a demanding year—to say the least—for their little family of five. But now, they’ve finally managed to settle into a somewhat peaceful and normal life.
They’ve been living in their new house for quite a few months now. It’s a two-story house, only a short walk away from the Wheelers. It’s much more spacious than any of them are used to.
The kitchen is huge; it even has an island—which Joyce really cherishes. There’s a cozy master bedroom, an ensuite attached to it, and a king-size bed. Each of the kids is blessed with their very own room—Jonathan has his own space even though he’s currently away for college in New York. The house has a porch both in the front and in the back, the one in the back leads to a nice, large yard, which they’re planning to use for hosting BBQs over the course of the summer.
It feels like home .
The summer break has finally kicked off, which means Jonathan arrived home a few days ago. Joyce is, of course , delighted that he gets to go to his dream college and figure out what he wants to do with his life; she just misses having her eldest kid home, instead of seeing him every few months. So, she’s very, very happy that he’s home—even if it’s just for a few months.
Both Joyce and Hopper are back to their old duties; he’s chief of police again, but now she’s the manager of Melvald’s. It’s boring to be back in her old uniform, stocking shelves and dealing with rude customers, but after everything that’s happened the past few years, the boring normalcy is what she treasures the most.
Will walked across the graduation stage a few months ago, receiving his diploma as his mom and Hopper sat in the audience and both shed a few tears.
The decision to keep El homeschooled for a bit longer was mutual. They’re sad that she can’t have a normal school life, of course , but they both absolutely cherish the extra moments they get with her.
After this summer it’s not just Jonathan that they’re sending off to college; Will is also going. The college that they’ll be sending Will off to is on the opposite end of the country from where Jonathan goes. It’s in sunny California .
So , in just a few months’ time, it will only be El left in their nest. She’s okay with that, though. Leaving the safety of her parents’ house is not something that she yearns for. Her only complaint is that she’ll now be missing both of her siblings.
Joyce is straight-up terrified of letting her youngest son fly from the nest. After everything that he’s been through since the fateful day in 1983, she just wishes he could stay under her wing for the rest of her life, a place where not a single danger in this world can even come remotely close to him. But she does her best to push down the crippling anxiety, putting on the biggest smile she can muster each time he rants about his upcoming art classes.
She’ll soak up every moment she has with all three kids under her roof until fall will inevitably come around.
Tonight , though, is a rare occasion; a night where she can focus entirely on the one romantic love in her life. Enzo’s has finally reopened after it collapsed when the gates split the town open over three years ago. So tonight, they’re finally going on their date—the long-awaited Enzo’s date.
Joyce is in the bathroom getting ready for their date. She curled her hair into big swooshes before putting it up into a loose up-do, a few loose strands pulled out of it, framing her delicate face. Her doe-like, chocolate-colored eyes are lined with a black liner, appearing even bigger than usual. There’s a rosy tint applied to her sharp cheekbones and a deep red lipstick on her lips. The dress she’s donning is maroon with a scoop neckline, showing a bit more cleavage than she normally wears. It hugs her curves perfectly, something she’s not used to as she normally throws on an oversized shirt and a flannel.
Despite her full awareness that Hopper likes her in anything (and nothing), getting dressed up for him is quite exciting.
Hopper is pacing in the living room, a nervous energy surrounding his aura. The kids are scattered around the house, Will and El seated on the couch with their backs to him, playing some game he doesn’t even bother beginning to understand.
He’s dressed in a new and plain dark red button-up—El’s idea as she did not like his patterned shirts—, a pair of fresh jeans, and a beige blazer on top. His hair is set nicely, and his moustache newly trimmed.
“Is tonight…?” Jonathan half-asks in a whisper, walking towards Hopper as he makes his way into the room. He glances at his siblings to make sure that they aren't paying attention to them with a knowing smile before looking back up at the older man.
Hopper gives a small nod and pulls the black velvet box out of his jeans pocket to show just him, his hands shaking as he puts the box back in the safety of his pocket.
He had only spoken to Jonathan about it, mostly because he was scared that the other kids would be too excited and wouldn’t be able to hide it from her.
He takes a deep breath, his shaking hands often flying up to run through his hair to do something with them.
He’s nervous .
He knows that the odds of her saying yes are very much in his favor, yet he’s sure that there’s still a way for him to somehow screw it up. What if, despite their talks over the years, she doesn’t want to get remarried? What if his mind completely blanks when he’s on one knee in front of her? He doesn’t have a good history with heart to hearts and this? Well, this is one of the most important moments in his life.
He hears El whisper something to Will in a teasing tone, the boy starts to giggle so he raises a brow at them, before his attention is pulled away by the older kid’s voice.
“ Don’t worry . She’ll say yes,” Jonathan whispers, a knowing grin on his face. Hopper takes a deep breath, shooting the kid a soft smile. “I sure hope so,” he chuckles.
He pushes the cuff on his blazer up his arm so he can see the time.
6:50 pm
They were supposed to leave five minutes ago. What’s taking her so long?
“You think your mom got lost in the bathroom or something?” Hopper mutters with a chuckle as he walks towards the stairs.
“Are you ready soon? Reservation’s in 10,” he says with a few light knocks on the bathroom door.
“ Just a sec ,” comes muffled through the door.
After a few beats, the lock turns, and she steps out. His jaw goes slack when he sees her.
His first instinct is to groan out something inappropriate, because damn —if their kids weren’t just down the stairs, he might have pulled her into their bedroom and postponed the date a few hours . But as he really takes her in, he’s filled with something else, gratitude ? He doesn’t have a word in his vocabulary to describe her beauty. He cannot believe his luck.
His mouth opens and closes again and again. He thinks he might resemble a fish, but he cannot get a single word with her looking at him, looking like that . A giggle escapes her as she beams up at him through her mascara-coated lashes and he swears his knees almost buckles.
“ Jesus… ,” he breathes out. “Joyce,” he whispers with a curl of his lips, he places a hand on her waist to pull her closer. His other hand comes up to cup her delicate cheek, thumb gently stroking it.
Her grin is wide as she places a hand over his heart. He starts to lean down to kiss her, but she pushes his face away gently with her hand. She smacks her lips, mouthing “ lipstick ”.
He groans and kisses her cheek instead, his moustache tickling her sensitive skin before his mouth moves eagerly downwards to place sweet kisses to her neck and her freckled shoulder, while she giggles like a schoolgirl.
“ Hop ,” she nudges his face away from her neck by gently pulling his shoulder. Her giddy smile widens and with that comes the crinkle of her nose.
He straightens up to his full height and she really takes in his appearance. She tugs her lower lip between her teeth in a smug grin, meeting his baby blues with her warm doe eyes. “You look very handsome, Hop,” she says, letting her hands travel down from his chest to rest on his abdomen.
“Gotta look nice for the lady,” he murmurs with a chuckle as he places his other hand on her waist, both his thumbs now drawing small circles on her clothed skin.
“Didn’t you say we were late,” she says after a few beats of him just staring at her with an expression you can only describe as love-struck .
He looks down at his watch. 6:55 pm
“ Shoot , the reservation is in five,” he grits out. He places a hand on her lower back and ushers her down the hall, her heels clicking on the wooden floor.
All eyes in the room lands on them as they walk down the stairs, their hands laced together so he can catch her if she should fall in her heels.
Eleven smiles shyly as she moves over to her parents. “You look beautiful ,” the girl assures, a huge grin on her face upon taking in the look of Joyce’s dress-clad figure. Hopper proudly smiles down at his date, his hand running up and down her back in tender motions.
“She really does, doesn’t she,” his low voice is so soft and so filled with love , that she almost melts when she looks up at him.
Her boys rise from their places on the couch and walk over to them as well. Will doesn’t give more than a ‘wow’ whispered under his breath, while Jonathan smiles at her. “You really do look beautiful, mom,” he states as she grins up at him.
He couldn’t be happier to see his mom like this , in love and happy, after the traumatic couple of years they’ve had. While Will always whines about the couple's public displays of affection with his repeated ew’s , he’s content in knowing that her usual worries are far, far away—he does agree that he wishes they don’t have to see them all over each other all the time , though. He really thought that the touchy honeymoon phase would end after a few months, but now it’s been three years and they’re still just as disgustingly affectionate— if not even more— as they were in the very first week after they came back from Russia.
She pulls her oldest down to her height to place a wet kiss on his cheek, leaving a red smudge that she only smudges further with her thumb as she tries to wipe it away.
While they’re moving towards the door, she sees Jonathan mouthing something to Hopper out of her periphery. Based on the way Hopper looks first at her son then at her with wider eyes than normal, it’s clear it’s something he hopes she didn’t hear.
Huh? The hell’s that about?
After a few quick goodbyes, they walk out of the house. She slips her hand into his, squeezing gently while she looks up at him with a soft curl of her lips.
He opens the passenger door for her and helps her up and into the car. “Such a gentleman,” she teases.
It’s a side of him she hadn’t seen much of before they got together—the awfully soft side of him—, but since they reunited in Russia, it’s the most common side of him for her to see. The little touches throughout the day—his hand seeking hers out and tangling their fingers together when they walk through a crowd, a kiss pressed into the crown of her head when he walks by her in the house, his chest pressed to her back when she’s cooking dinner, and her favorite: his face nestled in her chest when he holds her tightly at night.
Those small touches that she always needs, but never knows how to ask for.
He always knows though.
When they pull out of the driveway, he sneaks his hand over to her side, finding her hand and threading his fingers through hers. He pulls their entwined hands up to his mouth to press a sweet kiss to the back of her hands before resting their hands on the middle console.
The drive is quiet; the only sound audible is the hum of the car and Hopper’s occasional mumble as he tries to navigate through the town, but it’s a comfortable silence.
They finally pull up outside of Enzo’s at 7:08 . They’re not too late.
He rushes out of the car to open the door for her, holding his hand out to help her step out. Her slender hand lands firmly in his much larger hand and with only a slight sway, she steps onto the asphalt— it’s been years since she last wore heels .
He senses that she’s a bit unsteady as they walk across the parking lot, so he lets go of her hand to interlock their arms instead. “ Don’t worry , I won't let you fall,” he grins down at her as she takes hold of his elbow. She smiles appreciatively up at him as he opens the restaurant door for her.
The atmosphere inside of the restaurant is warm. There’s low music playing and chatter across the room from other couples. A waiter dressed neatly in a white shirt and a black tie, comes towards them with an inviting smile. He guides them to their table—it's placed against the wall, a white cloth covering the table and a lit candle in the middle of the table, it’s almost cheesily romantic.
Hopper pulls her chair out and she responds with a shy smile in his direction, her cheeks growing just a tad more flushed. She murmurs a soft ‘ thank you ’ before sitting down, smoothing her dress down beneath her legs.
He sits down opposite of her, a wide grin plastered on his face. She places an elbow on the table, resting her chin on her knitted fist. Just behind the curve of her knuckles, the corners of her mouth twitches upwards.
“I can’t believe we’re finally here,” she breathes, hand moving to reveal some of her dazzling smile. Her eyes are big and shining as she takes in the sight of him sitting across from her.
“Me neither,” he sighs with a sweet curl on his lips, reaching across the table to place his hand on top of her free one.
“Only took us, what, four years?” she says with a light chuckle.
He’s about to snort something back, but another waiter comes and politely interrupts.
“Have you decided on what to drink, sir?” the man asks Hopper with a painfully obvious practiced smile.
There’s a moment between them—two knowing smirks on their faces, their eyes glinting when they meet each other— before Hopper answers.
“We’d like a bottle of chianti ,” he over pronounces the word and shoots a smile in Joyce’s direction. Her eyebrows raise, an impressed grin forming as she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. His palm is still warm on the back of her hand, his thumb gently caressing the soft skin between her thumb and index finger.
“A good choice, sir,” the waiter answers with a quick nod, scribbling their order down on his notepad.
“You said it right!” Joyce exclaims in a sweet chuckle once the waiter turns around and walks away.
He shrugs, trying to play it cool, but a grin betrays him and cracks through the facade.
“What can I say? I practiced,” he says as she turns her hand around and entwines their fingers.
“I figured,” she says through a giggle, her nose wrinkling. He’s mesmerized by her—a huge lovesick smile on his face.
“You’re beautiful , Joyce,” his voice is low and as sincere as the look he gives her.
She tilts her head to the side almost sheepishly in response to his words, softly stroking the side of his hand with her thumb.
She’s happy. Truly, as she sits across from him on the date that they planned what feels like lifetimes ago. She thinks it might be the first time in her life that she’s able to admit such a thing. And for what she also thinks is the first time in her life, she’s truly and utterly in love.
No man has ever made her feel the way Hopper does; the butterflies that erupt in her stomach each time he steps into the room, and the warmth that spreads through her whole body each time he so much as brushes her is unlike something she’s ever experienced before.
This man has single handedly redefined the word love for her, and the weight of which she uses the word towards him has her regretting every single time that word has slipped to any man, but Jim , ever .
There’s this one silly word that she hasn’t heard since her teens— soulmate .
It’s dumb, but she’s almost sure he’s her soulmate.
The waiter arriving with the chianti brings her out of her thoughts. “It’s medium-bodied, with just a hint of cherry,” the waiter says as he pours them both a generous amount, before placing the bottle carefully down on the table.
“Thank you,” Joyce says, voice politely high pitched, before the waiter walks away.
She directs her gaze back to Hopper, a soft smile on her face and a glimmer in her eyes.
She picks up the delicate wineglass by the stem, lifting it up to toast with him. “To… uh- Enzo’s ,” Hopper says with a chuckle, raising his glass to meet hers.
“I was gonna say ‘ to us ’, but sure…,” she says with a giggle and clinks her glass against his. He snorts and they settle into yet another lovesick eye contact.
A minute or so later, the waiter comes back. “Have you decided on what you want to order?” He pulls out his notebook again and looks between the two, oblivious to the moment shared between them.
Hopper nods, a smile underneath his mustache, “a lasagna for me”.
“ Very good choice, sir. And for the Mrs .?”
Joyce is quickly flushed. She’s never been referred to as Hopper’s Mrs. before. She doesn’t correct him, though, and Hopper picks up on that. He feels his cheeks grow hot, and he can't help the grin that his lips curl into. He absentmindedly checks that the ring is still in its pocket, his smile widens a bit as he feels the shape of the box.
“I’ll take the same as him,” she says confidently and shoots Hopper a smirk. She’s quick to add, “and can we get a basket of breadsticks?” with a polite smile, handing him back their menus.
“Of course, ma’am,” the waiter nods as he takes the menus and walks towards the kitchen.
“If you told teenage Hopper he got to take you out, he would not believe you,” Hopper murmurs, a grin on his lips as he shakes his head.
“Oh, c’mon … you didn’t like me back then,” she says with a girly giggle.
He looks at her for a few beats before he sighs, a small but soft smile on his lips.
“I’ve always liked you, Joyce.”
She places her hand on top of his this time, pondering over his words.
She knows that there’s always been something there, something that wasn’t just platonic. He’s always been there—whether that meant there for her or just there . He’s always been the shoulder she knew she could lean on.
She can’t pinpoint the exact moment she fell in love with him, whether it be in her teenage years or within the last couple. All she knows is that she can’t be more enamored now.
“Hey…” he says with a concerned smile, bringing her out of her thoughts. “You okay?” his brow furrows, creating a crease in between them.
After a beat, she smiles softly. “Yeah,” she says, tone matching her grin, “I’m more than okay”. She lifts his hand to press a tender kiss to the back of it.
“You just disappeared on me for a moment,” his head tilts slightly to the side as he studies her face, trying to read her.
She shrugs with a soft smile. “Just thinking, that’s all”.
“Oh, that’s dangerous,” he says in a teasing tone, causing her to slap his arm lightly. He shakes his head before his eyes grow serious again.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asks curiously, stroking the side of her palm with his thumb as his other hand lifts the wineglass to his lips.
She sucks in a deep breath, pondering about what to answer as she picks up her wineglass. “Just thinking about us ,” she smiles at him, taking a sip of her wine before she adds, “about our history”. Her soft smile and the look in her dark eyes are both reminiscent as she gazes at him from across the table, carefully placing her glass down.
“We got a lot of that,” he chuckles, memories of their younger selves flashing before his eyes.
“We sure do,” she agrees with a lopsided smile, tilting her head slightly to the right.
She can see he’s trying to get some words out, his eyes set on her much smaller hand placed on top of his, his thumb still stroking her soft skin. “Remember when I drove us down to Lover’s Lake?” he asks after a few beats, his eyes lifting up to meet hers again, a soft smile splayed on his lips.
“The night you first kissed me?” She can’t help but smile as she remembers the many butterflies that had fluttered in her stomach that night.
“ Yeah ,” his voice is hoarse—he remembers it as clear as day. Back then her face was free of worry, not a wrinkle in sight, but her hair was almost identical to how it is now—except for the few gray strays that have begun to appear over the last couple of years, that she continues to complain about even though he finds them adorable . Her smile is still as beautiful and infectious as it was back then. Her eyes haven’t changed much either—still vastly expressive and able to get him to do anything when she just as much as levels her eyes on him.
“I do,” she nods with a smile.
“It feels like yesterday,” he mutters. He can still hear her laughter from that night—it was one of the things that kept him going in ‘Nam— and Russia.
“ Really ? To me, it feels like we’ve lived lifetimes since then,” the tone in her voice has a melancholy cling to it, the look in her eyes matching. He squeezes her hand, looking at her with a knowing smile—he always knows what’s going on inside her head, to the point it almost scares her.
They’ve both been through so much loss and pain, together and apart. She often finds herself wondering how two so broken people fit so perfectly together. Sometimes it feels like they share a bond that runs deeper than life itself.
“It does feel like that sometimes.”
They sit in silence for a while, both of them lost in their own thoughts, before Joyce breaks the silence. “Do you ever wonder what would've happened if we actually ran away to Mexico?” she voices, her tone so soft that it’s barely audible. She lifts her eyes up to meet his own, an emotional glint in both of their eyes.
She’s found herself thinking about all the what-ifs a lot— especially in the eight months that she thought she had lost him.
If she hadn’t married Lonnie, she wouldn’t have her boys and she would never ever wish that hadn’t happened, but sometimes she can’t help but think how her life would have turned out if her and Hopper had gotten their shit together 20 years prior. What would’ve happened if they went through with their plans of running away to Mexico? Would the two of them have settled down together?
“Yeah… I do,” he sighs before continuing. “I’ve had a lot of time to think, y’know ,” he ends the sentence with a small chuckle—she does know.
She squeezes his hand, her smile has a sorrow edge to it as she gazes at him.
“Guess fate has a way of working itself out,” he says with an almost boyish grin, gazing into her chocolate-colored eyes with his icy blue ones—ones that are shining with nothing but pure love for her .
“Do you believe in fate?” she chuckles, eyebrows raising so far that they almost disappear under her bangs.
After a few seconds of him pondering, he finally responds. “ I mean …,” he voices with a shrug. “We’re sitting here despite everything ,” he lightly gestures around the restaurant with his hand.
“Yeah… we are,” she affirms, the typical Joyce smile that he loves on her lips—her sharp nose wrinkling and crows feet showing.
He lifts their hands to place a soft kiss on the back of her delicate hand, eliciting a sweet giggle from her that makes his grin widen.
The waiter comes and breaks them out of the love-struck bubble they’ve found themselves in. “Here’s the breadsticks and olive oil,” the waiter places the food down on the table, Hopper’s mouth watering at the sight of the breadsticks.
“Thank you,” Joyce says with a polite smile directed up at the waiter, unfolding the napkin and placing it across her lap.
She smiles playfully at Hopper when the waiter walks away. “I’m excited to try the breadsticks you dreamed about instead of me ,” she sniggers, reaching for a breadstick.
He sighs before answering. “You’re never living that one down, are you?” he murmurs with an arched brow.
She shakes her head with a smile, mouthing a ‘nope’ with a smack of her lips. She dips the breadstick in olive oil, twirling it around before she lifts it to her mouth and takes a bite. She moans as the salty taste hits her taste buds. Oh, they’re good .
He discreetly shifts in his seat, his cheeks quickly growing immensely warm, but he can’t stop staring at her. He suddenly has the urge to pull her out of the restaurant and straight home to their bed.
She has a droplet of olive oil slowly rolling down her chin so he reaches across the table to gently wipe it off with the pad of his thumb. Her cheeks flush under his tender touch. “ Thank you ,” she murmurs around a mouthful, a soft smile on her lips as she finishes the delicious breadstick.
He licks it off his finger before picking up his own breadstick. He dips it in the oil and takes a bite. God, they’re amazing .
Moments later, just as they savor the final bites of their breadsticks, the waiter appears, carrying two plates. He carefully places down the two steaming plates, each adorned with a slice of a multi-layered lasagna .
Hopper reaches for the bottle, topping both of their glasses as the waiter offers an ‘enjoy’ before he walks off.
They both cut into the delicious-looking lasagna and take a bite. “ Oh God , this is amazing,” Joyce mutters through a mouthful, a moan follows her words—Hopper shifts in his seat again .
For several minutes, the only exchange between them is a series of shy, fleeting smiles, as if it’s their very first date, rather than being one of many they’ve shared over the course of their three years together. Yet, both of them feel the warmth in their hearts and fluttering butterflies in their stomach, just like they did on their first date.
Joyce is the first to break the comfortable silence that they’ve fallen into. “ So… ,” she begins with a smirk, gently placing her cutlery down to take a sip of her wine. He hums for her to continue as she takes a sip of her wine.
“Is this living up to your dream?” she questions, resting her chin in her palm as she grins at him, eyes shining with a teasing spark in them.
“ The food ? Hell yeah,” he says, a playful smirk emerging on his face before he adds, “I had some other dreams too, so I’m not quite satisfied yet”. He slides his foot between hers under the table, his eyes never leaving hers, watching as a blush spreads across her cheeks.
After a few beats pass until Joyce sniggers back. “Well…,” the grin on her lips is seductive as she shrugs slightly.
“The night is still young”.
He grins at her from across the table, taking another bite of his lasagna. He can't wait to get her home—or in the car.
–––
Two pieces of lasagna and a couple glasses of wine later, they’re sitting across from each other—a matching wide grin on their faces and a nice reddish tint on their cheeks. Hopper knows it’s the moment. He’s nervous to say the least , his hands slowly starting to shake which she, of course , noticed.
“You okay?” her eyebrows furrow as she places her hand on top of his shaking one, thumb lovingly stroking the side of it.
“I’m okay,” he shoots her a smile along with a nod, hoping she believes him. He gently grabs her hand and lifts it to press a soft kiss to the back of it before placing it back down on the table and letting go of it.
“I- uhm…,” he reaches into his pocket, she lifts an eyebrow and eyes him with curiosity. “I got something for you,” he says with a shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he pulls out a black velvet box. She audibly gasps as she sees it, hand coming up to cover her gaping mouth. Her brows disappear beneath her bangs as her gaze flies back and forth between the box and his beaming face. He slips his free hand into hers, gently entwining their fingers as he melts at her surprised reaction.
He suddenly remembers that he should probably go down on one knee. “Maybe I should…,” he awkwardly scoots down onto one knee, his blue eyes staying locked on hers and her delicate hand still in his larger one. She chuckles—he’s adorable .
“ Listen , I’m not very good with this, uh… stuff , but I love you, Joyce,” he says as he lifts their laced fingers to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of her hand, eyes gazing into hers. More and more eyes turn to them as he continues. “In a way that I've ever loved anyone else before,” he whispers, an emotional tone coating his voice. He lets go of her hand to open the box with the ring placed neatly inside.
He forgets everything around them as the world narrows down to just the two of them. He finally voices the question he’s been wanting to ask her for decades , his voice thick with emotion.
“ Marry me? ”
She’s nodding repeatedly before he even finishes his question, her heartbeat picking up in speed in anticipation. One single joyful tear slips down her cheek.
“Of course , Hop,” she whispers, her voice trembling with laughter and tears.
His hands shake as he fumbles a bit to place the ring on her finger, tears starting to blur his vision.
When the ring is placed neatly on her left ring finger, he lifts her hand to his mouth, tenderly kissing her soft skin right above the ring as he tearfully grins up at her. The restaurant begins to cheer loudly for them— the newly engaged couple —but neither of them really registers it, caught in their own little bubble of happiness .
She throws herself at him the second he lets her hand go. Her arms come around his neck, holding him as tight as she can as she buries her face in his neck, a teary laugh escaping her throat.
“ I love you, Jim ,” she whispers against his neck, her voice small and fragile as she can barely get any words through the tightness in her throat from the overwhelming emotion she feels surging through her body.
There’s a depth to those three such simple words, one she’s never felt before; it’s like they carry the weight of every moment they’ve shared throughout the years—every cigarette passed between them throughout the last couple of decades, every eye-contact that lasted a moment too long to be considered just platonic, all the shared trauma, laughs and embraces.
He tightens his arms around her small figure, pulling her impossibly closer, as if he’s afraid of letting go of the moment. His lips brush against her temple, pressing a lingering soft kiss to her warm skin before he buries his grin in her hair.
A few beats later, she pulls away, tears trailing down her face but the grin on her face is wider than he’s ever seen before. He instinctively lifts a hand to cup her delicate cheek, wiping the tears on her cheeks away with the gentle touch of his thumb. She curls her fingers around his chin, slowly guiding his mouth to hers in a tender kiss. She hums against his lips, a smile tugging at the corners of hers as he draws her body flush with his with a hand sprawled on the small of her back.
They pull apart after a moment, resting their foreheads against each other as they both try to catch their breaths. He huffs out a soft chuckle, slowly opening his eyes to look at her. “I can’t believe you agreed to marry my sorry ass, Joyce,” he breathes with a grin, her face glowing when his words draw a laugh from her, her eyes still closed and lashes resting against her cheek.
He pulls back far enough so he can see her face properly. Her eyes glisten with love when they open to meet his, her crows feet showing and nose adorably wrinkling—the sight makes his heart flutter.
“Oh, shut up ,” she tries to put on an annoyed face, but the corners of her lips fail her, her grin only widening further. She lightly shakes her head at him before her eyes slip down to his lips again. She moves forward again to press her lips against his again, a hand caressing the stubble on his face as the other arm comes around his neck.
After a moment, he pulls slightly back. “ Wanna get outta here? ” his voice is barely above a whisper, a smirk playing on his lips as his breath mingles with hers. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her dark eyes locked on his, the same love-struck expression on both their faces—a soft smile and a glint in their eyes.
“ Please .”
She slowly stands up, her hand gripping his shoulder tight for support as she’s still not very steady in her heels. She slips her hand into his to help him up, his eyes locked on hers as he slowly stands up with a grunt—his knees aren't what they once were.
When he’s back to his full height, he places a hand on her waist to pull her closer, the other hand reaching up to tuck a brown lock behind her ear. His fingers slip down to her chin to tip it upwards, bending down to kiss her softly.
The hand on her face slips down to her waist, thumbs stroking her skin when he pulls away, a soft beam tugging at the corners of his lips. “Go outside and light a cigarette, I’ll get the bill,” he mutters, squeezing her waist gently as he leans down to place a kiss to the crown of her head. “ ‘Kay ,” she grins up at him, grabbing her bag from the table and slinging it over her shoulder.
As she walks through the restaurant, she can feel all eyes in the restaurant turn to follow her. She opens the door with her elbow and digs through her bag until she finally finds what she’s looking for. She leans against the brickwall of the restaurant, shielding the cigarette dangling from her lips from the cool July breeze. The cigarette finally catches fire, and she takes a puff off the cigarette with a smile on her lips.
She watches with a smile when Hopper steps out the door after a few drags. He walks towards her with a soft grin, making her heart flutter—his smile has the exact same effect on her today as it had thirty years ago .
He lifts an arm up to offer her his blazer. “Thought you might be cold,” he murmurs with a soft smile, and she absolutely melts under his gaze. Right after the words escape his lips, she shivers— he knows her too damn well . “Thank you,” she whispers softly, her eyes peering up at him.
She turns around when he gestures for her to do so, he holds up the jacket so she can slip her arms into its sleeves. When the jacket is placed on her shoulder, he bends down and presses a kiss to the top of her head as he gently squeezes her shoulder.
She’s absolutely drowning in it, the jacket at least twice the size of her usual coat, the sight alone makes his heart flutter and warms something inside of him.
She hands him the cigarette after taking a long drag, a smudged stain of her red lipstick on the tip of it, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he notices.
“Wanna go for a little walk with me?” he questions with a bright grin, holding his arm out for her to take as he passes her the cigarette with his other hand.
“Doesn’t hurt to burn off some of the calories,” she chuckles with a small nod of her head, taking hold of his elbow with her hand.
The silence between them is a comfortable one, passing the cigarette back and forth as they walk across the parking lot towards a bundle of trees that’s placed between Enzo’s and Lover’s Lake. Her hold on his arm tightens when she stumbles a bit in her heels— damn , she’s really out of practice.
“Did you really not figure out I was gonna propose tonight?” he asks with amusement in his voice, a hint of curiosity in his eyes as he gazes down at her with a brow raised and a charming smile on his face.
She thinks for a few beats, mulling over his words. “I mean… ,” she shoots him a smile, taking a drag of the cigarette before passing it to him. “I had a small suspicion,” she lifts her hand up, holding her thumb and index finger close to emphasize her point. “First of all… you seemed a lot more nervous than you would be for a normal date,” she smirks up at him, watching him blush as he bows his head with a smile.
“ Plus… I saw Jonathan whisper something to you when we left, that you clearly didn’t want me to hear based on the stern look you shot in his direction.”
He shakes his head with a grin, the cigarette placed between two fingers as he holds it out for her to take.
They turn left, stepping onto a short trail that leads down to the shore of Lover’s Lake. The sun is beginning to set, casting a warm, golden hue over the landscape they know like the back of their hands. The wildflowers' bright colors are blooming in the tall grass along the edges of the path. The birds' lively chirping blending with the leaves’ gentle rustling stirred by the quiet breeze—it’s peaceful .
“You told the kids about it?” she wonders, her lips curling into a soft smile as she gazes up at him through her lashes.
“Only Jonathan,” his thumb is drawing circles on the side of her palm as they stroll down the path, the trickling water slowly coming into sight. “I was too scared that Will and El would be too excited and not able to keep it a secret,” he adds after a beat with a light chuckle.
There’s a warm and fuzzy feeling blooming inside of her at the thought of him asking her son about this beforehand. The way he loves her boys like they were his own means more than everything to her. Each time she sees him act like a father to them, she swears she falls even deeper in love with this man than she already was.
“Jonathan said it was ‘ about time ’,” he chuckles, letting go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side as he presses a kiss to the crown of her head. She leans into him, peering up at him with a soft smile, wrapping her arm around his lower back.
Her thumb is drawing tender circles on top of his shirt, her hand gripping his side extra tight as the trail fades into sand. She takes a few steps until she realizes it’s impossible to walk on the ground in those heels. So, she slips off her heels, taking them in hand as she smiles up at him. When she straightens up, she wraps her arm back around him, her shoes dangling from her hand as she places a kiss to his shirt.
They walk slowly along the shore, a silence between them. He can tell she’s wondering about something as she takes a long drag of the cigarette, her doe eyes set on the horizon. She slowly blows out the smoke then breaks the silence.
“Did you ever think we’d end up getting married?”
It wasn’t the question he was expecting so he takes a while to answer, mulling over her words before he shakes his head. “I’d always hoped that the world would work out in my favor, but I never actually expected us to get to this point,” he says with a sad lopsided smile, taking the cigarette from her fingers and inhaling the smoke.
She peers up at him with a soft smile on her lips. She couldn’t be happier that their lives turned out this way— sure it’d be nice without all the trauma and night-terrors, but it has added another layer of trust to their relationship, one that she’s grateful for having. She’s always felt safe with him, but after he saw her at her lowest and stayed by her side, she knew that whatever was between them was special .
“I don’t know if we were meant to end up together, but there’s no one else I'd rather grow old and gray with,” she says with a sincere smile, looking up at him as she pauses in her step. He follows her movement, turning his body towards hers as he gazes down at her, a soft smile splayed on his lips. He drops the cigarette and stubs it out with his shoe against the cooling sand.
They’re standing on the shore of the lake, only a few feet away from where the tiny waves glide up the sand. The lake reflects the sky’s colors, painting the clear water in a warm purple-pink hue. The water glistens from the waves stirred by the warm summer breeze as the stars begin to spark through the disappearing daylight.
She places her hands on his chest, one right above his steady-beating heart as she smiles up at him, crow’s feet wrinkling and all. One of his hands lands on the curve of her waist, the other coming up to brush a dark lock of hair away from her eyes before coming to rest tenderly on her cheek.
“I can’t wait to grow old and gray with you, Maldonado ,” he says her old maiden name with a chuckle and a glint in his eyes. She can’t help but shake her head at him with a sweet laugh. She hasn’t been called that since the ‘60s .
She lifts herself up on her tiptoes while pulling him down to her height with her hands grabbing the collar of his shirt tightly. The kiss their lips meet in is soft at first, but there quickly gets turned up for the intensity, his hand slipping from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her shorter body flush with his. He hums against her lips, opening his mouth to her exploring and insistent tongue, his other hand slipping up and tangling in her hair.
She pulls back after a few beats, panting as her lips curl upwards into an infectious smile. Her heels land firmly on the ground again, back to her normal height at least a whole foot shorter than him. She slips her hands down to her rest on his broad chest as she peers up at him through her long lashes, the diamond on her finger catches the light of the sun's descending, making it glow in the dimming light. The ring is nothing short of perfect . She’s not normally a person who wears any jewelry really, but something about this ring screams her name.
“I really love the ring, Hop,” she beams up at him, her face looking almost angelic in the golden gleam. “It’s really beautiful,” she adds in a murmur, studying the ring further. The white diamond is elegant, petite and round-cut, cradled by the delicate golden band, securing it in place.
A proud grin is splayed on his lips as he gazes down at her—he knew it was the ring the second he saw it, the ring practically calling his name.
“The second I saw this… I just knew it was the perfect ring,” he says with a grin, admiring the way her eyes still haven't moved away from the ring. He slips his hand over her left one, lifting it up gently to kiss the knuckle right below where the ring is neatly placed on her finger. His baby blues are locked on her dark, umber eyes—she completely melts under his gaze, he’s so soft with her that she could cry .
Her gaze flies from one of his eyes to the other, as if she’s not able to choose which one to lose herself in. She can feel the tears starting to coat her eyes from the overwhelming love coursing through her veins as she looks up at this giant teddybear-like man. “ I love you, Jim ,” her voice is barely above a whisper, the intensity of her emotions making her throat almost too tight to even get a single word out. Her free hand comes up to tenderly cup his cheek, the other remaining intertwined with his.
A glistening tear escapes her left eye, beginning to slip down her cheek, leaving a wet trail behind it that shines in the light. He tenderly wipes it away with the rough but somehow soft pad of his thumb. His hand slips down to her chin, tilting it up as he bends down to her height. “I love you too,” he whispers against her lips before pressing his chapped lips to hers in a soft kiss.
“Wanna go home and break the news to the kids?” he asks, his voice hoarse as he pulls back to lock their gazes together, brown meeting blue. He’s met with a beaming smile, one that really reaches her eyes and makes them glow .
"In a minute," she replies softly, beaming up at Hopper's silly, lovestruck expression.
After a few beats, he wraps an arm around her shoulders, hers coming around his waist as she tucks herself into his side. She rests her temple against his side, humming quietly in contentment as she looks out over the lake.
She’s never gonna tire of having the privilege of wrapping her arms around him, holding him close. The sound of his beating heart and the feeling of his chest rising and falling with each breath—it’s something she doesn’t take for granted after everything .
He drops a kiss to the top of her head, finding her hand on his stomach to tangle their fingers loosely together. His smile widening as he looks down at their entwined hands, his hand almost comically dwarfing hers.
The sun has disappeared behind the woods, only the last traces of sunlight left to light up the lake. There’s a soothing sound of the tiny waves hitting the shore mingling with the birds’ lullabies. They’re standing at the top of Lover’s Lake, right at the point where the two curves meet and create a small valley.
It was at this lake that they shared their first kiss—and only kiss as teenagers. It’s a memory that’s followed both of them into adulthood, both of them longing to get that feeling back as they lived separate lives—the feeling where it’s like the rest of the world goes quiet, and the only sound is their hearts beating in harmony. It’s not a feeling either of them felt again until they kissed back in Russia, where their lips finally connected again—it felt like coming home .
This small town on the edge of Indiana still feels like home to them, despite everything that’s happened there. Yes , it’s in this place they’ve both gone through pain that no one should ever experience. But this is also the place that they both grew up, where they each took their very first steps. The place that they know like the back of their hand.
It’s in this town that they’re gonna grow gray and wrinkly, together .
–––
A while later, they drive home, hands entwined on the middle console as Hopper sings along to some cheesy lovesong on the radio, shooting lovesick smiles in her direction every once in a while, making her heart flutter as warmth spreads through her body. She can’t help but giggle at his sappy displays of affection—he’s an idiot, but he’s hers .
A couple of romantic songs later, they arrive in front of their house, the living room lights are the only ones that's still on.
He parks the car, turns the motor off, but doesn’t open the door. He turns to look at her instead, a goofy lopsided grin on his lips.
He lifts their intertwined hands, bringing them to his lips to press a sweet kiss to each one of her knuckles. She melts at the overwhelming love in his ocean blue eyes for the hundredth time tonight as his eyes meet hers.
She rests her head back against the headrest on the seat as she peers up at him with a beaming smile.
“Wanna break the news to the kids?” he asks, placing one last kiss on the back of her hand before gently pulling her towards him.
“Yeah,” her voice is raspy, leaning across the middle console to crash their lips together, both moaning into the kiss.
She attempts to move over the middle to straddle his lap, but the dress’ tight skirt stops her. She lets out an irritated groan, the sound getting muffled by his lips. Her brows pull together in an annoyed expression as she pulls away.
After a few seconds, she begins to chuckle. “What?” His voice is breathless, his smile widening at the sight of her nose wrinkling and crow’s feet showing.
“Look at us. Making out in the front seat of your car like a couple of horny teenagers,” she cackles and leans back in her seat, covering her burning face with her hands, the ring a cool contrast to her hot cheeks.
He chuckles, leaning back to admire her, his lips curling upwards at the beautiful sound of her laugh.
“C’mon,” he taps her thigh after a moment, grabbing the door handle with his other hand. “Let’s go tell the kids,” he beams at her as he opens the door, stepping out of the truck.
He quickly rounds the car and opens her door, holding out a helping hand for her.
The moment she’s out of the car, she pulls him down for one last kiss. She moans into his mouth, her hands coming up to hold his face tight.
A few seconds later, he reluctantly pulls away with a chuckle, easing her hands away from his face, lacing their fingers together instead.
“ Easy… don’t wanna give the neighbors a show,” he teases, beginning to lead them towards their house by gently pulling her hand. She playfully slaps his shoulder, but she can’t help the giggle that escapes her as she catches up with his long steps.
When they’re standing on the porch, she pulls him towards her and down to her height, gently wiping the smudged red lipstick on and around his lips away with her thumb.
“Did the color not fit me?” he grins before bending down to place a kiss on her forehead. “ Hmm… I can’t decide. Guess you’ll have to try it again soon,” she says with a soft smile, her hand caressing his cheek. A blush tints his cheeks, as he unlocks the door with his free hand, guiding her inside the house with a hand on her lower back.
“Hey, guys!” her voice is cheerful, smiling at their kids sprawled in the living room as she slips her heels off.
“Hey,” Jonathan calls from the armchair, looking up at them curiously. Will and El each says their hi’s from the couch, too caught up in the movie to pay much attention to their parents.
Joyce peers up at Hopper as he places a hand on the small of her back, smiling down at her adoringly.
Joyce clears her throat, facing their kids again.
“We got some news for you, guys,” her tone is light and happy as she grins at her kids. That catches their youngest kids’ attention. They press pause on the movie and look up at them.
Hopper gives her an encouraging nod as she glances up at him, his hand gently stroking up and down her back. She looks back at the kids, lifting her left hand up, wriggling her fingers to show off her diamond ring.
“We’re getting married!”
Jonathan’s smile widens, Will’s jaw dropping while El shrieks happily, jumping up from the couch to run to her parents. She throws her arms around Joyce first, squeezing her tight. Joyce presses a kiss to the side of the girl’s head before she lets go of her.
Will is the next one in line, he wraps his arms around her shoulders, bending slightly down as he’s gotten so tall. ”I’m happy for you, mom,” he whispers into her shoulder. She holds on tight and places a wet smooch on his cheek. “Thank you, baby,” she murmurs, suddenly close to tears as she holds on just a little tighter and longer.
When he finally slips away from her grasp after several ‘I can’t breathe’, he walks towards Hopper with a shy smile. He wraps his arms around the taller man's waist, catching Hopper by surprise. Though, it doesn’t take him long before he wraps his arms around the boy, securing him in a warm embrace.
“You’re stuck with me now, kid,” Hopper chuckles, when Will pulls away, grinning up at him. He ruffles the boy’s hair before completely letting him go.
Jonathan is the last in line for Joyce’s embrace. “It’s good to see you happy, mom,” he whispers as she wraps her arms around him. She can’t help thinking about how he’s all grown up now. She feels her throat clog up and tears spring to her eyes, holding him extra tight.
“I love you, baby,” she whispers when he pulls away, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes—she’s so glad his eyes are like hers and not Lonnie’s.
“I love you too, mom,” he grins down at her before turning to Hopper. He locks eyes with the older man, a soft smile shared between them. Joyce observes the interaction with a teary smile on her face.
She was scared that Jonathan wouldn’t like having Hopper around after everything with Lonnie, so watching them look like father and son heals something in her heart—the part that cracked watching Jonathan fall victim to what was supposed to be his paternal figure.
She feels tears pricking her eyes as she watches her perfect little blended family. Hopper notices her watery eyes and beckons her over with his hand. She curls into his side, pressing a kiss to his shirt.
She peers up at him through her long lashes, only to find him already beaming down at her, the look in his eyes so full of love as they meet hers.
They move in tandem like there’s something pulling them towards each other. She lifts herself up on the tips of her toes, meeting his lips in a soft peck, her left hand stroking his skin in tender circles. His lips curl into a soft grin as he feels the gold band of her ring, cool to the touch as it rests against his cheek.
–––
An hour later, the kids have all retreated to their rooms. Joyce and Hopper are standing next to each other at the sink as they brush their teeth—this has become routine on nights where Hopper doesn’t have a late night at the station, the two of them sharing the smallest sweet domestic moments to make up for the time they’ve lost.
Joyce begins to sway at the sink, the hand holding the toothbrush pausing its movements as her eyes slowly slips shut, her eyelashes resting against the soft skin of her cheek.
He can’t help but smile at her in the mirror for a moment, she’s beautiful —even with a trail of toothpaste running down her chin and her hair an adorable mess.
“ Joyce ,” he whispers softly, a hand coming to rest on her shoulder, stroking her skin through the too big shirt she's donning. She’s wearing his old ‘Hawkins PD’ shirt that's been washed a few too many times as the lettering in the front is starting to fall off.
“What?” she mumbles sleepily, opening her eyes slowly to look up at him with tired eyes. He can’t help the small chuckle that escapes his lips at the look on her face—a tad of mascara lining her eyes, that she missed when she wiped her makeup off and the white droplet of toothpaste on her chin.
He affectionately bumps her shoulder with his elbow, because she’s too damn short for him to reach her with his shoulder.
“You’re falling asleep with the toothbrush in your mouth, honey,” he says with a chuckle, gently wiping the toothpaste away from her chin with the pad of his thumb.
She can’t help but blush at the nickname. They mostly just call each other by their actual names, but sometimes a sweet little affectionate nickname—like ‘honey’— slips out.
She shakes her head and spits out the toothpaste, placing her toothbrush back in the holder before washing her mouth. He follows her as she watches him with a soft smile in the mirror.
He straightens up then slowly slips his arms around her waist. She tips her head back to look at him, placing her hands on his chest, thumbs absentmindedly stroking his shirt-covered skin.
“I can’t wait to be able to tell everyone that you’re my wife ,” he puts emphasis on the word ‘ wife ’ with a contagious grin on his face, gently swaying them from side to side. The way he sounds proud to be able to call her his wife, warms her body from the inside and out, butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
She giggles, gently patting his chest as she peers up at him with a sweet, lopsided grin.
“ C’mon ,” she slides a hand down his chest, lacing their fingers together as she begins to pull him towards their bed, walking backwards into their bedroom so she can keep her eyes locked on his. He bends down to press a kiss to her soft lips before he lets her hands go to lift the covers of their bed.
She slips into the warm bed as he holds the covers up for her before he slides in behind her. He lies down on his back as she moves to rest her head in the crook of his neck, her left hand on his chest, right above his heart .
They won’t be doing anything tonight—not with all three kids under their roof—but neither of them minds that. They’re both more than content to just be able to enjoy these sweet, peaceful moments of holding each other close, basking in the warm glow of being in love and being loved.
He wraps his arms tight around her soft body, his hand gently caressing her arm, the other lacing his fingers with hers on his chest.
There’s something about the way he holds her that makes her believe that nothing bad can reach her in his hold. There’s no kind of safety that compares to the one she feels here in his embrace. It feels like home .
He lifts their intertwined hands to place a lingering kiss on the center of her palm before he pulls it back slightly, smiling at the ring placed on her finger.
She grins softly, gazing at their hands loosely clasped together, gently squeezing his hand.
He slowly places their hands down on his chest as he turns his head to lovingly peck her bangs-covered forehead. She hides the beam that her lips curl into in his neck, her lips brushing his soft skin.
After a few beats of comfortable silence, she gently lifts herself up to kiss his lips, a warmth spreading in her chest at the thought of sharing these sweet moments with him every day for decades to come.
She can’t wait to meet him at the end of the aisle, securing the ring on his finger after saying the most important ‘ I do ’ in her life.
She can’t wait to change her name to Joyce Hopper —just the thought of it brings a smile to her lips and a flush to the apple of her cheeks.
She can’t wait to meet their grandkids for the first time, holding them in her arms as their little hand wraps around her much bigger finger.
She can’t wait to spend the rest of her life sharing the small and bigger moments with him .
She can’t wait to spend forever with him.
With a content sigh, she buries her face in his shoulder again, pressing a kiss to the soft skin covering his shoulder blade, a soft curl on her lips as her arms wrap around his much bigger body.
“ G’night, Hop ,” she murmurs against his skin, her warm breath hitting his sensitive skin as her eyes slowly slip shut.
“Night, Joyce,” he whispers into the crown of her head, his soft voice muffled by her wild hair.
The last thing she hears before she falls into dreamland is the sweet voice of her soon-to-be husband.
“ I love you .”
–––
That night, the night-terrors don't find her; she dreams of their future instead of the darkest moments of her past that usually haunt her at night.
Even in her sleep, her lips curl upwards and a warm flutter erupts in her heart.
Their grandkids run around in the yard of their house, the sound of children laughing fills the air. Side by side, they sit on a wooden bench placed in front of the porch, their gazes following the joyful chaos in front of them.
Her head is resting on his shoulder, and back and forth they pass a cigarette, just like they did in the old days. His arm is around her, holding her close just like he’s done so many times throughout the years.
So much has changed, but one thing that hasn’t—and never will—is the timeless love between them.
They’re both silver-haired now, wrinkles lining their eyes, forehead, and mouth. They don’t look like they did when they first met in school or when they kissed at the altar—but the way that they look at each other, the way their eyes go soft when their gazes lock, hasn’t changed at all.
–––
After all this time, you and I
And I'll be eighty-seven, you'll be eighty-nine
I'll still look at you like the stars that shine
In the sky, oh, my, my, my