𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞; 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲

Warnings: mentions of addiction, mentions of misogyny, strong language

Song: Million Dollar Man by Lana Del Rey

Hopper bit his nails as he scanned the headlines of the several newspapers scattered across his office desk. He was anxious, to say the least about the recent string of murders popping up all around Hawkins. As he shuffled through solutions in his brain, he was on edge. Hopper simply couldn't know for sure that everything would work itself out. The fear that more harm would come to the town he served was overwhelming. That's what kept him awake at night, the possibility that he couldn't stop the evil occurrences that tormented Hawkins year after year.

Johanna, however, was confident that her father would solve the case as he had done with every other incident that had been occurring since she was a little girl. She knew how long this process would likely be, but she believed that it would be solved nonetheless.

Johanna stepped out of her father's office with an anxious knot in her stomach. She was now working with her father, a responsibility that she definitely didn't sign up for when she volunteered to help her father out at the station. And still, one thought remained in her head despite the new information that was unloaded on her.

Steve.

From across the room, she caught a glimpse of Steve as he talked to another officer, a shoulder leaning against the white walls of the police station. Johanna couldn't get the thought of him out of her head. She could imagine what it would be like to wake up to him in the morning, his large-tattooed arms wrapped around her frame as light peered through sheer white curtains on a Sunday morning. She could imagine herself tucked away in an oversized jacket, one that could very well be his, walking down the street with her small hand in his, shivering as the November air bit their noses and pink cheeks.

Shaking the pleasurable thoughts from her head, Johanna rushed back to the front desk to see Robin trying her very best to cooperate with a very angry woman screaming at her through the phone.

"M'am, you cannot file a report because children are playing on the sidewalk in front of your house! Have a nice day, miss." Robin angrily slammed the phone back onto the receiver and groaned, rubbing her temples to gain some relief from the irritating voice of the person on the phone.

"Why can't I have the normal complaints? Why do I have to deal with angry old ladies with nothing to do other than bother everyone else?" Robin laid her head on the desk, her short wavy brown hair falling into her face. Jo could help but laugh as she patted her tired friend on the back.

"Mrs. Stone? Yeah, she calls every week with some new complaints about the children in the neighborhood. She's a real hero." Jo laughed with Robin. The two girls usually never complained about the calls they'd receive, but sometimes there were special occasions.

"By the way, thanks for leaving me hanging, Robin! It was so awkward! I can never show my face in his presence again" Jo shuddered when she remembered how embarrassing their chat was. Robin shoved her gently. "God, you're so dramatic."

"Nothing I could have said would have changed how awkward you were, it's in your genetics or something! Plus, I know this guy, Jo." Robin watched Steve talk to the other officers. "He always has to work where I work, I don't understand it." She added with a laugh.

"So? Just because you knew him in high school, you won't help me talk to him?" Jo returned to the files she was sorting through before Steve whisked her away. Frankly, she'd rather spend her time under Steve's hot gaze, stuttering out words like she was just learning how to talk.

"Jo, I can promise he doesn't want me helping you talk to him. I have purposefully embarrassed him so many times in front of girls he liked." She laughed to herself. The thought of her best friend being close to her new interest made her feel warm inside. Robin usually disagreed with every love endeavor Jo had started.