Jopper : You make my heart skip a beat

Chapter 5

Hopper stood in the open doorway watching El and Joyce hug. "Hi, sweetheart" Joyce said lovingly and it made his heart beat louder than ever. They're so perfect together. Mother and daughter. 

His train of thought lingers for a bit when El leaves Joyce's side to go find Will in his room. He trained him eyes back onto her and saw a smile spreading across her face. God she's so beautiful. I just want to push her up against the wall and kiss her. No, no, no! I can't do that. She'd never forgive me. She's still grieving Bob and I can't basically tell her to hurry up! She needs time. And besides she probably doesn't even feel the same way.

His eyes are glued to her though and when she turns around at the couch she notices his stare. "Are you going to stand there all night?" He realised then that he has been staring at her since he arrived, he caught himself and stepped further into her home. 

After removing his hat and coat, he moved to sit beside her on the couch. Should I sit pressing up against her side or on the other side of the couch? In a moments haste to sit down, he ended up pressed against her.

She didn't seem to care so he stayed. He decided to break the silence by asking her a question he already knew the answer to. "Need any help with dinner?" She reached for the tv remote as she spoke, "No, I think we'll just order some pizza." She turned her head before adding, "If that's ok with you?" God she's so adorable. He couldn't help but smile

"Joyce, that's perfectly fine." He chuckled, deciding on teasing her. "What did you burn this time?" He was fully expecting to get a slap on the shoulder, but all she did was give him a death stare, and this only made him need to fight the urge to laugh. "A casserole." She said with a laugh and he couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. 

He tried to compose himself when he realised that, the kids can probably hear us. Do they care. Does El know about my feelings for Joyce?  If she does, does she like the idea of us being a family? A family. I want nothing more than to give El a proper family. She deserves the world after all she's gone through. She deserves a family, a home and a mother.

Joyce starts to move back beside him, her side pressing against him, while asking, "What do you want to watch?" He suggested that they should watch a movie, before trying and failing to focus all of his attention on the movie playing in front of him. Focus on the movie. He kept saying in his head.

He is startled and concerned when Joyce sudden stands up. "Are you ok?" Is she ok? Is she uncomfortable being so close to me? What if this is her way of saying 'I don't feel the same way about you'? He sighs inwardly in relief when she says, "Um...I was just going to order the pizza."

She moved to go to the phone before adding "Our kids are probably starving."

Did I hear that right?Our kids. The thought make his heart skip a beat. Be cool. She probably didn't mean to say it and is regretting it. Pretend you didn't hear it or that you did hear it, but it doesn't affect you. 

"Yeah they probably are. They eat like animals." She let out a laugh when she heard his comment and waited to calm before ordering.

"They said twenty minutes tops." She told him as she sat back down. In a stupid moment inside his head, he went to put his arm around her. He caught himself before he touched her and put it on the couch instead. Shit Hopper, be careful.

He couldn't stay focused on the movie at all, all he could think about was Joyce.

A knock on the door gave his thoughts a way out, so he went to stand up to answer the door. But Joyce was clearly thinking the same thing and they tripped and fell back onto the couch. Legs and arms everywhere. 

Joyce laughed so loud that he couldn't help it. He burst out laughing too. It was only when their laughter died down that they both realised the position they were in. 

Joyce is sitting in my lap. Her legs are wrapped around me. Loosely, but still around me. Shit. I have my hands on her back. She made his heart skip a beat for the millionth time and he heard her breath hitch.

He looked deep into the beautiful, chocolate brown eyes and searched. Is this ok? Are we going to kiss? 

They both moved in an inch and their lips were an inch apart. Kiss her you idiot. And he was just about to when he heard the creak of Will's bedroom door. They both jumped out of their compromising position and tried to compose themselves.

"Is the pizza here? We heard a knock at the door." Will asked his mother, clearly unaware of the situation the two adults were just in. El was with him, clearly unaware too. He turned to look at the closed door. Joyce answered calmly as though nothing had happened, "Yeah I think it is. I'll go answer."

Holy shit, I almost kissed Joyce Byers.

Hi, I'd love some feedback on what I've written so far. Good or bad is welcome. I can take constructive criticism. I hope you guys like the story so far and I'm sorry if there are any mistakes.