𝐽𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑂𝑛𝑒𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑠

"This time, its gonna be different."

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Jim had envisioned seeing his daughter again almost every night in that prison, and now it was a reality. The pure relief and joy he witnessed from the young girl by simply still existing made his heart swell. And the smile that his young daughter paired with a wave when she saw Joyce made him feel warm (despite having spent over half a year in cold-ass Russia). His girls. Eleven ran from Hopper to Joyce. Hopper made eye contact with Will, who smiled and jogged over, hugging him tight. "Hey, buddy." Jim's smile widened as he placed a hand on the boy's back. "You've gotten so much taller." He noted the way Will's head came up higher than the last time he saw him.

"I missed you." Will spoke quietly, tearing up.

"I missed you, too. Did you take good care of your mom for me?" They separated, but Jim kept a hand on Will's shoulder.

"I tried." Will nodded.

"You've kept up those damn-good drawings of yours?" He cracked a smile.

"And painting. I have tons to show you." Despite the smile on Will's face, he felt like crying. Anytime he'd try to show his artwork to Lonnie, he would simply get called names and would be told to go outside and throw a football. Lonnie was embarrassed of Will's art. Hopper was proud.

"We're glad to have you back, chief." Johnathan appeared behind Will, displaying a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Johnathan." They shared a brief hug. "Ready for college?" Jim noticed Johnathan's mood shift.

"I-I don't know."

"What's the problem?" Hopper furrowed his eyebrows in worry, as if Johnathan's internal crisis about college was a larger matter than Jim's 8 months being tortured in a Russian prison.

"I don't really want to go. But I want to be with Nancy." He spoke quietly so no one else would overhear.

"You'll figure it out, Jon, just give it some more time."
(A/N I wrote this b/c why tf did we get to see Hopper reunite with Mike, but not Will? Mike is his daughters bf, but he and Will literally saved each others' lives. Not to mention how Jim went to Will's appointments, carried him, and was the only man who ever showed him concern besides Johnathan.)

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"Movie night!" Johnathan announced, grabbing bowls for popcorn from the cabinets.

"Do we have more M&M's?" Will asked from the living room.

"Uhhh, I don't know, let me look."

"What movie?" Jane looked over to Will from her spot on the longer couch.

"The lost boys, it's a new one." Will held up the VHS, moving to put it in.

"Hurry, Johnathan, it's starting soon." A third male voice rang through the house as Hopper called out to his oldest step-son. Joyce came back from the kitchen, carrying soda cans that she laid out on the coffee table. "Thank you, Joy." Jim smiled, watching as Joyce took a seat on the left side of him where he sat on the longer couch. She smiled back. Johnathan was the last to join, putting a big popcorn bowl and a stack of smaller bowls next to the soda cans on the coffee table. Then, he flopped onto the small couch next to his brother, just in time before the film began. Immediately, Jane threw her legs over the arm of the couch, her head going to her father's side. Jim placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to secure her there. She then looked over to the other side of the couch.

"Mom, can I have the blanket?" She asked, quietly to not talk over the movie. Joyce leaned over, handing it over. "Thanks."

"Of course, Honey." Joyce smiled softly. She was meant to be a boy mom, but she absolutely loved her daughter. Jane tossed the blanket over her legs and up to her chest, leaving her arms out. A few minutes went by of just watching the movie before Jim felt a small pressure at his arm. Joyce had leaned her head against his upper arm, since she didn't quite reach his shoulder, and she had slipped an arm between his own and his torso, as a sort of hug. He felt a warmth in his chest, bending his head to press a kiss to the top of hers. The peace he felt sitting with his favorite girls and in the same space as the young men he was proud to call his stepsons was something he never imagined feeling when he sat in that cold cell night after night for months on end. When he glanced back over at Jane, her eyes were fixed on the television, one of her hands occupied as she fiddled around with the blue band that she's worn ever since he gave it to her a few years ago.