Jopper OS

Nervous

Jopper ST4 (imagine)

━✯━

April, 1986

Fear. Regret. Guilt. Exhaustion. Frustration. Worry. Anxiety.

Or impatience ?

Joyce didn't know what she was feeling at that moment. She knew she was impatient, more than impatient, judging by her fingers trembling in El's hand.
She also knew that she felt affection for her daughter, who was clutching her hand so tightly, asking her boyfriend for the time every two minutes for almost half an hour.

If she had to choose one emotion for what she was feeling deep inside at that moment, she would choose nervousness. Yes, nervousness was a good word for this situation.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm herself, but there was nothing she could do, her fingers would not stop shaking, how could they? How could she stay calm while waiting for a man she thought was dead to return?

El watched her before repeating the same actions as Joyce, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh April air. The mother couldn't help but smile.

"What time is it?" El asked Mike.

"Uh, three minutes later than-"

"Mike. That's not funny."

"Okay, okay. It's 3:58", he said with a weak smile.

She let out a frustrated sigh before releasing their hands to rub her face with hers.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay", Mike replied, rubbing a reassuring hand down her back.

Joyce wasn't sure she had the strength to speak, so she took her daughter's hand back in hers and placed a kiss on her forehead instead. She should have told her that they would be here soon, that she would be able to see her father again after more than nine months... That Murray had called her before they took off to let them know when they would arrive in America. That he was fine, at least as fine as a man who had spent nine months in a Russian prison could be.

But how could she tell her that with that invisible ball as big as her fist stuck in her throat. How could she tell her that when she could hardly believe it herself. Of course, she'd been through enough strange things over the past few years that it didn't surprise her that Jim Hopper had managed to survive the explosion of a machine that opened up another dimension, only to find himself in Russia. Because if anyone could survive that, it was him, right? But just because he was the only one who could survive that kind of ordeal doesn't mean he had to. Because if she hadn't closed the portal? Jonathan, Nancy, Will, Mike, El and herself would not be here waiting impatiently for his plane to land.

Her sons had told her many times that they would all be dead if she hadn't turned those keys, but wasn't there another way for everyone to get out alive? Everyone including Hopper? It didn't matter to think about that anymore, because he was going home tonight.

And that's when they heard it, finally.

The plane landed on the ground, floating like a cloud.

Joyce swallowed her saliva to try to clear the bullet stuck in her throat that had kept her from uttering a single word for most of the week if she was honest.

Murray went out first, running down the stairs at the speed of light. He smiled at the small committee before giving a thumbs up when he met Joyce's eyes. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up, but it wasn't to smile; she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from dropping the tears that were burning the corners of her eyes.
Then it was Owens who came out of the plane, a pile of papers in his hands. He breathed a sigh of relief before going down the stairs.

And then he appeared. Eyes squinted, blinded by the sun. Hopper rubbed his face with his hands before looking around. Joyce wondered if she knew a more beautiful view than the one she had now.

Her daughter was gripping Joyce's hand so tightly that she thought her bones were close to breaking. And yet she didn't mind, it let her know she wasn't dreaming. That a skinny Jim Hopper was really heading their way.

El couldn't stand still, and as soon as her father stepped on American soil, she let go of her hand and ran toward him. Big tears rolled down her cheeks.
She threw herself into Hopper's arms and he let out a small cry of surprise before closing his own arms around her.

"I missed you so much", El said as she buried her face in his neck, squeezing him a little tighter. Much tighter than necessary.

"I missed you too, El. But you're keeping me from breathing", the smile could be heard in his voice.
His daughter released him immediately, her eyes wide.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hur-"

"I know, I know, I'm glad to see you too." He said, wiping her wet little cheekbones with his thumbs. He placed a kiss on her cheek before wiping his own wet eyes.

He sniffed with laughter, unable to take his eyes off the glowing face of his daughter, who had grown so, so much. Her hair was below her shoulders now, and he couldn't help but tuck a strand behind her ear.

"Your hair", she said, blinking several times.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"You have no hair."

"Oh. Oh yeah, they... It's been cut off", he said, making a face.

El smiled at him before taking his hand in hers, feeling compelled to keep in touch with him.

"Just like me a few years ago."

"Yeah..."

"It's bitchin."

Hopper let out a small laugh from his lips before taking her back into his arms, much to his surprise.

"I love you, El", he whispered against the top of her head.

"I know. I love you too."

He saw Mike move closer to them and released his daughter, smiling at the teenager who nodded.
Hopper gave him a friendly pat on the back.

"Hey, thanks for taking care of my daughter, Wheeler."

The teenager stood stunned, his eyes fixed on Hopper's. A few seconds passed before he regained the ability to speak.

"Uh, yeah, nice to see you again."

Hopper smiled again, it was the first time he had smiled so much in such a short time and his cheeks were seriously starting to hurt.

He met the tearful eyes of Joyce who was standing right there in front of him, a few steps away. He moved towards her and she met him halfway, she hadn't even realized she had moved. Joyce was biting her lower lip so hard that he thought blood would soon spurt out.

"Oh my God", she said in a voice so far away it barely even sounded like her. But that was all she'd managed to say before taking him in her arms. Hopper smiled against her hair before placing a kiss on her temple.

"Hey, Joyce..."

"I'm sorry, I promised myself I wouldn't cry and..."
She left her sentence hanging, he didn't have to look at her to know what she meant.

"Please don't cry or I'll start too", he replied with teary eyes. 

Joyce laughed as she stepped away from him to wipe her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry... for everything."

"You don't have to be sorry for anything."

"I thought you were gone", she said, choking back a sob.

"I thought I was, too."

Joyce let a sigh of relief escape her lips, closed her eyes and whispered :
"Let's go home, Jim."

All the feelings she had previously felt had just dissipated, she felt nothing but relief as she watched the blue eyes of the person smiling in front of her. He was back, they would be fine. Everything would be okay.