Playing House - [Jopper] ✓

You Make It Look So Easy

"I was thinking maybe you could catch up on some sleep and I'll take the kids down to the park?" Hopper suggested as they both scrubbed over piled dishes.

"Hop, you don't have to stay. I appreciate everything you're doing but you don't have to do this." Joyce said sympathetically as she looked up at the taller man.

"Joyce, I'm your friend. Friends help friends. You need a break every once in a while." Hop said as he met her eyes.

"I know Hop but I feel like I'm asking too much." Joyce sighed as she looked down at the plate she was scrubbing.

"Answer me one thing, when's the last time you had a good night's sleep before last night." He asked honestly as he continued scrubbing the soapy plate.

Joyce sighed. She couldn't even remember. It had to be before Jonathan was even a thought. Life had just moved so quickly, there was no time for sleep.

"One week Joyce. Just one week. Let me help you with this. I need to make sure you're alright so I can sleep at night." Hopper pleaded with puppy eyes.

Joyce was far too exhausted to argue about it, especially knowing she would give in by the end. "Alright, thank you. I mean it, not many friends would do this." Joyce replied.

"No need to thank me, Joyce. It takes a village to raise a baby but I think you and I can figure this out." He said with a smile.

--

Hopper was pushing Jonathan on the swing at the park while also trying to keep Will covered from the sun.

"Higher! Higher!" Jonathan cheered with laughter as Hopper laughed with him.

"I don't want you to fly off into space, kid!" Hopper joked as he pushed Jonathan's swing higher.

"Chief!" Powell called as he and Callahan walked across the park towards him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hopper asked as he kept pushing the swing.

"Where the fuck have you been, Chief?" Callahan asked, rather too loudly.

"Hey! Watch your mouth. Can't you see I have a six-year-old next to me?" Hopper said with an angry glare.

"Is that... Byers?" Powell asked as he eyed the kid.

"Jonathan. His name is Jonathan. I'm helping Joyce out while she gets some rest." Hopper said as he peaked into Will's stroller.

"You could've at least called in and said you weren't showing up!" Powell retorted as he threw his hands up.

"I meant to call Flo this morning. I was up with the baby last night." Hopper replied. Callahan snorted under his breath which earned him a glare from Jim that could throw daggers.

"Look, you're big boys. You can handle a few days without me. I'm needed elsewhere right now." Hopper said as he went back to pushing the swing.

--

Dinner was the first time that Hopper had really noticed Joyce was present. She had been mentally absent from exhaustion, but as dinner went on she seemed to perk up.

"How about we go grocery shopping tomorrow? I've noticed you're running out of eggs and milk." Hopper said with a smile as he looked next to him.

"Yeah, I've gotta get some more coffee too. I haven't been able to go since Will was born. I have a whole list of things I need." Joyce groaned.

Hopper noticed Joyce was begging to look distressed again. "Hey, hey it's alright. It's no biggie, we'll grab the essentials and get you all fixed up." He said as he patted her back gently.

"I know." She said with a deep breath. "It's just... stressful." She added.

"I know, but I'm here to help take some of that stress away." Jim smiled as he moved a strand of her hair out of her face.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile as she looked up at him.

--

Hopper and Joyce had been watching 'The Aristocats' with Jonathan when Joyce had fallen asleep with baby Will on her chest.

After waking up around 8:30, she made her way into Jonathan's room. She could hear Hopper's voice faintly as she walked down the hall.

When Joyce walked into Jonathan's room she saw Hopper sitting in a chair with her eldest son. Jonathan was curled up on his lap, holding onto his blankie as Hopper read to him. The two of them both looked exhausted but Joyce knew how much Jonathan would fight to stay awake during bedtime reading.

"'Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting' said Peter Pan." Hopper read from the book. Jonathan watched him turn the page with sleepy eyes.

Joyce could see the small smile that Hopper flashed her as he saw her in the doorway.

"Ready for bed, Sport?" He asked as Jonathan nodded tiredly. Hop picked the boy up out of his lap gently and laid him down into bed.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Joyce said as she walked in, leaning over to tuck him in.

"Goodnight Mommy, goodnight Uncle Jim." The six-year-old said tiredly before rolling over.

Hopper turned the light out and walked out side by side with Joyce.
Shutting the door quietly, he saw Joyce smile at him.

"I can't ever repay you for this." Joyce said quietly as she rubbed a tear out of her eye.

"I'm not asking you to." Hopper smiled back while he gently wiped the next tear from her cheek.