April 25, 1958

Jim Hopper scans the dance floor, a lollipop stick poking between his lips to take place of a cigarette. The teacher eyes him warily, but when he pulls out the stick to indeed show her that it isn't a cigarette, she turns to survey the dance floor.

A couple of boys (who a more acquaintances than friends) try to discreetly pass their flask around, and when one of the boys tries to offer it to him, he shakes his head. He's more focused on trying to find someone, so he turns his eyes back to the dance floor. As the speakers crackle to play the next song, he heaves a sigh when the slow melody sways through the atmosphere.

All couples get together to sway to the music, and the singles leave either to sit at the tables or head to the refreshment table. Those who still want to dance stand aside but gently sway their bodies, talking to their friends or to perhaps wait for someone to sweep them to the floor to dance.

Loosening navy blue tie, he watches in mild interest when he sees a boy approach a girl swaying beside the floor with her two friends. He sees the girl get a little flustered, but together they head to the floor hand in hand.

The gymnasium door creaks open, and Jim looks just in time to see a sliver of blue that just manages to escape the closing doors. Some people look for a brief moment, but pay no interest as they continue on.

Jim - confused - looks back to the dance floor to see Charles dancing with a girl, who he quickly realizes isn't you.

Quickly putting the pieces together, he leaves his spot by the refreshment table and heads for the gymnasium doors, quietly escaping. He doesn't look far, because he sees you just a few feet away sitting on the steps, dress a little bunched and crinkled.

You over your shoulder before facing the parking lot, wiping your eyes quick. "Hey, Hopper."

His nose wrinkles in distaste. "My dad goes by Hopper. I feel old when I'm called that."

"Sorry, Hops."

He sits on the steps beside you, although leaving a gap of space between you.

"Shouldn't you be inside with your date?" You won't look at him as you wipe your eyes.

"Don't got a date." He reaches into his slacks, pulling out a small sliver can. Flicking it open, he pulls out a cigarette and holds it in offering.

Shaking your head, you silently decline.

He flicks the lollipop stick away, sticking the cigarette stick between his lips. "You okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Your tone is hard as stone, but your shoulders deflate a moment later with a sigh. "Sorry."

He shrugs, internally grumbling when he realizes that his lighter won't work. "It's alright."

It falls silent between the both of you. The only thing that fills it is the muffled music from inside the gymnasium.

With a shuddering breath, you fiddle with your dress. "Charles was dancing with another girl. He even kissed her."

He didn't see the kiss, just the dancing. It pisses him off. He wants to go inside and beat him to the pump. Jim says what's on his mind, calling Charles exactly what he is, which is related to human waste.

You snort. "No kidding." Exhaling a sigh, you say, "I didn't even want to go to this stupid dance, but my mom thought it would make feel better. She thought it would do me good, but it only made it worse. My friend just decided to stop being my friend, my brother just left for college, and my dog..." You place your face in your hands, body suddering.

Jim heard the story swirling around the school that your dog had passed of old age. He knows that your dog was your everything; you grew up with that dog since forever, so it was no rocket science that you just couldn't move on quickly from that.

You look up, and Jim sees that you're on the brink of falling apart. "And then Charles asked me to the dance, and I thought my mother was perhaps right, that I needed to have fun and just forget about everything. But she was wrong, Charles never even liked me." Hand on your eyes, your lip quivers and your voice wavers. "It never stops, it never stops."

Jim shifts a little and hesitantly reaches out, unsure if you wanted to be comforted physically. You lean into him, silently crying into his side. Wrapping an arm around you, he gently rubs your arm.

It takes a couple of minutes for you to calm and gather your senses. When you do, you pull away to wipe away the tears. "Sorry for crying."

"It's okay," Jim says. "You shouldn't apologize for crying." Taking the unlit cigarette between his lips, he shoves it back into his pockets. "Life sucks, but what you gotta understand is that at this moment, it probably feels like the world is ending, or maybe you're never gonna get out this hole." He sighs, and you wait patiently. "Sometimes we feel like we're in this cave that we can't get out of, and we wish desperately that we can go back in time to the times we were happier, without pain."

He's silent for a moment, tugging at his alreadly loose tie. "Sometimes the thing that we forget is that we're not gonna be in this place forever. We move on eventually, and it can take some time." He turns his head to glance at you, but he looks down at your hands that are grasping your dress. "Your friend just stopped being friends with you, but you'll realize that you don't need them and that you're better off. Your brother moved away, and it hurts but you'll move forward. Charles just dumped you, but you realize he's a scum so you know you'll move on from him."

Your lips twitch a little at that.

"I am sorry about your dog." And the lump in your throat comes back. "Loosing someone or something sucks, it sucks." He thinks about his mother, but he quickly shakes the thoughts out. "I know it isn't easy to move on, but what you gotta realize is that where you're at now, you won't be in the future. Time heals all wounds. It might take a long time, but you'll find yourself out this cave and say, 'I made it, I made it out and I'm okay'." He looks up to see the tears brimming your eyes and falling, so he reaches out to wipe them away. "You'll make it through, you just gotta be patient and give yourself time to heal."

It falls silent yet again, and suddenly he thinks that maybe he's overstepped his boundaries. But you give him a wobbly smile and ask him, "How'd you get so wise?"

He smiles as you huff a small laugh. Just speaking from experience, he wants to say. He even forgets his own advice when he hits a rough patch, and it's easier to say things than to do them. He hopes that by speaking to you, that it'll help you at least to begin to heal. He knows it isn't easy to just move on, but what he does know is that does take time. Even if he forgets it himself sometimes.

"Okay." He stands from the steps, and you tilt your head at him in curiosity. "Let's get out of here, yeah?" He sees your hesitant expression. "Or I can take you home if you want."

You shake your head as you stand, brushing off your dress to not only straighten it, but to rid of dust as well. "Where would we go? Nothing is open at this time." You follow him as he steps into the parking lot.

"Honey, sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do." He manuvers through the cars to reach Charles' pickup truck. He reaches into his pocket and takes out his keys.

"What are you doing?" You watch him kneel beside the truck, moving to key the truck. "That's Charles."

"I know."

You don't stop him, a small part of you feeling satisfied that Charles is gonna be upset when he sees his car. You know it's wrong, but you're hurting too much in the inside to give the situation much thought. You do keep an eye out, just in case someone does decide to step out or go home.

After a few minutes, Jim stands and steps back to look at his handy work with a satisfied smile.

Candyass.

You snort at the name before tugging on Jim's sleeve. "Let's go before someone sees us." Following him to his truck, both of you get inside. Jim starts the ignition before pulling out of his parking space and out onto the street.

"What do you want to do?" Jim asks, turning down the street. "Wanna drive around or head back home?"

Sighing, you lean your head against the window. "I think I wanna head home. If it were any other night, I wouldn't have minded what we did. But I'm just really not feeling up to it." You glance over at Jim to see him keeping focus on the road.

"That's okay." Jim genuinely means it. "Your parents home?"

You shake your head. "They went to a party."

It falls silent, and Jim turns on the radio on a low volume as he drives.

By the time you find yourselves parked outside your house, you suddenly find yourself not wanting to leave the car. So to drag on time, you turn to face Jim. "Thank you for driving me home and for... everything else."

His lips quirk in a smile. "Of course. If you ever need anything - like putting Charles in his place - let me know."

Sharing a soft smile, you find yourself leaning forward just a little, and he does as well. You're startled when James Brown disrupts the intimate atmosphere when he begins to sing.

Try me, try me

Darlin' tell me

I need you,

Try me, try me

Gathering all the courge that seizes him, Jim turns on the radio just a little louder before his door creeeaks open. "Come on."

Confused, you slide across the seats and exit through the driver's door. "What..."

Gathering your hands in his, he says, "Look, I know tonight has been a mess. And honestly you don't deserve Charles or what he did to you. I know you wanna go home, and you are home, but you should at least have a dance tonight."

You smile, tears threatening to spill yet again as you whisper: "Okay."

You lean into him, resting your head on his chest. Together you sway beside the car, bodies warm and close. Unknowingly, James Brown sings your inner desires.

I want you to stop my heart from crying

Walk with me

Talk with me

And your love stops my heart from dying

Oh I need you

●○●○

"If you keep pacing, you'll end up making a hole in the floor."

A grunt is all you recieve as an answer.

Sighing, you stand up from the couch to stop Jim from wearing thin the poor wooden floor. It's already old as it is. "Hops, you pace anymore and I'm gonna have to restrain you with your handcuffs."

Hopper heaves a sigh as he stops, rubbing his face with anxiousness. "I'm just worried."

You smile, rubbing his shoulders. "Being a dad isn't easy, hm?" With a sigh, your smile drops when all that Jim does is merely blink in response. "Hey, El will be okay. She's only out for one night with her friends. She's been through a lot, she deserves this."

You could only imagine the things that Eleven had to endure when she was experimented at the lab. You took care of her as if she were your own - she was your kid, yours and Hoppers.

The last few months have been intense, with you and Jim butting heads over Eleven's happiness and safety. You understood that he wanted her home to keep her safe, but you fought him for her happiness. Being cooped up inside the cabin wasn't easy when there was only so much you could do. You wanted Eleven to be happy.

"She deserves to at least go outside! I wouldn't let anything happen to her, you know that!"

"I do, but I'm trying to protect the both of you!"

You and Hopper had never fought so much before, and it upset you because you loved him so much that it hurt to even look at him sometimes. Marriage was never easy, but with your situation thrown into the mix, it only made it even harder.

"I know she deserves this." Jim sighs, moving around you to switch on the radio on the bookshelf. Soft music crackles from the speakers, and he hopes it distracts him until the time he picks up Eleven. "I'm just worried is all, I can't help it. It's my job."

You move to hug him from behind, and he stays in his spot to let you. "I get worried too, but she has Mike and her friends."

Groaning aloud up to the ceiling, Hopper turns in your embrace. "Don't even bring up-" And suddenly his words are muffled when you lean up to kiss him.

Grasping his scruffy cheeks, you smooch him. He holds you firmly in his arms, and suddenly you're melting, enrapt in all that is Jim Hopper.

"You taste like coffee," he murmurs against your lips, noses bumping as he places a soft kiss against your lips.

You hum in amusement. "I know how much you love your coffee."

"Lucky me."

Try me, try me

Darlin' tell me

I need you

You lean back, and together you sway with the melody. "Remember that night at prom?"

"Of course." Jim smiles. "How can I ever forget the night I fell in love with you." He laughs when you gently punch his bicep, eyes crinkling with age and laughter lines.

"You ol' sap." You can't help but smile at him. "You were right, you know."

He knows what you mean, but he decides to steer the conversation in a lighter direction. "I'm always right." He places a gentle kiss to your forehead.

You scoff. "That's debatable." All the fights that you've had together flash within moments like a Polaroid camera.

It's silent, save for James Brown who fills the silence with his voice.

Hold me, hold me

I want you right here by my side

Hold me, hold me

And your love we won't hide

Oh I need you

Leaning his cheek against the top of your head, Jim says, "Look, I know that the past few months have been hard. I know you want to take El outside and go on walks and stuff, but you gotta understand that I love you both, and I'm trying to protect you."

"I know," you sigh, listening to his heartbeat. "I want her to be safe as well. But she deserves to get out of the house once in awhile. You freak when she's near the trap wire." You move away just enough to look at him. "You just gotta let her breath once in awhile. She'll be okay, I promise."

He hums in thought. "You're right."

"Aren't I always?"

This time he laughs, and you can't help but join him. Fondly shaking his head, he holds you just a fraction tighter. "What am I gonna do with you."

"Love and cherish me," you say, gently squeezing his biceps. "Buy me and El all the waffles and junk food we desire."

He shakes his head, body rumbling with a chuckle as he leans down to kiss you. Together you sway, sharing soft kisses and secret smiles. You bask in his presence as he does yours. Eyes twinkling with nothing but warmth and love, you two are suddenly two teenagers again, dancing in the middle of the street. Your blue dress gleaming in the moonlight, and his blue tie loosened against his button up shirt.

I want you to stop my heart from crying

Walk with me

Talk with me

And your love stops my heart from dying

Oh I need you