A NEW AND IMPROVED VERSION
Ryan Fordman has lived next door to Steve Harrington her entire life. Her entire life, he'd always been a window away, occasionally shouting across the space between their houses. They were inseparable... at least, they we...
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*November 6, 1983: The Disappearance of Will Byers*
Ryan woke up Monday morning, her feet propped up on Aaron, tangled in a mess of blankets and pillows on Hopper's couch. They had a room at the small house, fit with a single sized bed and bunk beds on opposite sides of the room, yet they always managed to crash in the living room.
She slowly sat up from the couch, looking at the clock on the wall. She still had plenty of time to shower and change, even have breakfast which is where she assumed Peter had gone to pick up as his car was not parked outside. Taking a blanket with her, she walked out to the back porch where Hopper was having a morning smoke.
The November air hit her face, making her grateful that she remembered to bring a blanket with her. Everything seemed calm, almost entirely still, like a perfect morning. It was almost like the calm before a huge thunderstorm that rattled windows and shook houses.
"Hey kid," Hopper greeted as Ryan leaned over the railing of the porch, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. "How'd you sleep?"
"Pretty great," She yawned, looking out at the trees in the distance. "Considering Aaron's elbow was jammed into my side."
Hopper laughed quietly, "I wanted to move you, but Peter said you haven't been sleeping so great recently. What's up with that?"
Ryan shrugged, "I don't know." She truly didn't. She hadn't done anything different in the past few weeks. She had just gone about her days as usual, school, work, friends, kids, nothing had changed. Yet, when night rolled around, she either couldn't sleep or when she did, she couldn't sleep through the night. It was frustrating. "I just feel... restless, I guess?"
"Well," Hopper threw his burnt out cigarette on the ground. "At least you got some sleep last night. That's good."
She nodded, "Can I use your shower? I have school in a couple hours, I should start getting ready."
"Yeah, it's all yours."
Ryan shuffled over, Hopper pulling her in for a close hug. From the time she was twelve, before that even, the man had been like a second father to her and her brothers. Her own parents had died in a hit and run accident, Peter having only just turned twenty-one suddenly saddled with the responsibility of juggling his job as a new deputy and raising his almost thirteen year old sister and seventeen year old brother. Hopper had stepped in to help.
Their mother had worked as a detective on the force, their father an investigative reporter, so Hopper had always been around. With their parents gone, he felt as if he owed it to Shay and Richard to make sure their kids were taken care of. He'd even lived with them for a year until Peter had settled into the swing of things. Now, he had three fully grown kids walking in and out of his house and office day in and day out.
Ryan thought of him as her father, something the boys did as well. Hopper thought of them as his kids.
"Don't waste all the hot water," He called as she started back to the door. "You know Aaron likes taking showers too, young lady."
