#the hopper-byers family

[byler-makemewanttobelieveitsokay]

Chapter Two - fic

here's the second chapter to make up for the lack of drawings. I'll start the drawings again once I've found my bloody pencil!

The afternoon sun reflects off of the lake. Under the shade of a tree lie Will and Mike. As predicted, El and Max have pulled a disappearing act. They said hi, ate cookies and left. Since then, Will had maybe fallen asleep… he's awake now though and Mike takes this opportunity to attempt to make conversation.

"Where did Jane and Max go?" 

Will's eyes snap open.

"Oh uh…"

He doesn't really want to know what they're up to. Whatever it is, it's bound to be irresponsible.

"They're probably causing trouble somewhere." He replies, rolling his eyes.

On the other side of the park, El stands on the platform over the lake. Suspended in mid air is Max. El is hovering the red-headed girl dangerously close to the railing. One wrong move and Max will get an unplanned bath. But Max isn't worried. She can feel the breeze in her hair, this is probably the weirdest sensation on earth.

"This is sick!!!" She yells, flailing her arms and legs a bit.

El stares up at her with a grin of adoration. She isn't supposed to use her powers in public, but seeing Max in this state of exhilaration makes El forget all about rules. If she can make Max laugh then it's worth risking her secret.

"Do you think they have realised yet?" El asks as Max rolls over in the air.

"Mike and Will? Of course not." 

"But how can you forget your best friend?" Asks El, she could never forget Max, the feeling of being someone's best friend is so special.

"They were only kids El, then Will moved schools, and we never saw him again." Max reminds her. 

"But they were best friends!" El repeats. She just doesn't understand.

"They were also five years old, and the lab interfered with Will's memory." 

El supposes that's a valid reason. The lab did mess with them a lot. She's glad she and Will took care of it. El will be eternally grateful to Lucas Sinclair’s dedication to finding his missing friend. If it weren’t for Lucas, she and Will would still be 011 and 012. Abducted. Test subjects.

"The lab's full of mouth-breathers."

***

"So, what's your family like?" Mike asks Will, sitting cross-legged on the grass. "I know Jane a little bit, but like, who else is there?" 

Will sits up, this is a bit of a complex discussion. The Hopper/Byers family is far from normal, despite the appearance from the outside. Will takes a deep, calming breath, if he’s going to lie his way through this, he needs a clear mind.

"Well there's my mom, Joyce, she's getting married in a couple months." Will begins. He leaves out the part where his mom was a part of a top-secret government project.

"Then there's Lonnie. He's my…" Will pauses, despite what his birth certificate says, Lonnie isn't related to him really at all. Maybe you'd call him a stepfather? "He's Jonathan's dad." Will decides not to elaborate. Lonnie Byers doesn’t deserve elaboration. He was far from a nice person, he sold his legal kid to an evil government program and that’s only the tip of the iceberg!

Mike frowns, why do those names feel familiar? Lonnie? Joyce? 

"Then there's Jim Hopper, chief of police, he's… Jane's dad." Will decides this is an adequate description. He conveniently leaves out the part where Jim is also his father. Will Byers will just have to remain fatherless. That's probably okay, considering he’s had three different “fathers” and he’s not even fifteen yet.

"Jonathan's my half brother, technically, but he's the best big brother in the world. He's four years older than me." Will smiles as he tells Mike this. Man he really loves Jonathan. Will couldn’t ask for a better older brother.

Once again Mike's brow furrows. He knows this name too and he's the right age. Maybe… no, surely not. His childhood best friend was long gone.

"Jane's my… step sister…" He trails off. That's an outright lie. Jane Elle Hopper, known to few as 011 and fewer as simply El, is his twin sister. She's also a month older than him. Thanks Hawkins National Laboratory! Will's family tree looks more like a family plate of spaghetti.

"I thought you and Jane were twins!" Mike exclaims.

Shit.

"Um… no. Ha ha… it's just a weird coincidence." Will attempts to brush Mike off. That's enough about his family. It's too difficult to try not to accidentally leak top secret FBI information. He really doesn’t feel like dodging murder today. He’s had quite enough of that for one lifetime, thank you very much! 

"What about your dad?" Mike will not be brushed off. He's determined to find out more about Will. He doesn't know why, but Mike seems to be drawn in by this odd, cute boy. And if his crazy hunch is correct, he knows more than he thinks…

Mike wonders if Will's anything like Jane. Although, judging by the fact he fell asleep in the middle of the park, at four o'clock in the afternoon, Mike would guess the step siblings' likeness ends at looks. Jane seems to be a ball of energy, always up to something. 

"Umm… I don't really know." Will mumbles. Is he aware that's a half assed excuse? Yes. Can he be bothered to do mental gymnastics to try and explain his existence? Absolutely not. He’s tired. Sue him.

Mike shrugs, whatever then, maybe it's a sensitive topic to Will. He decides to change the subject. Mike launches into describing his own family to Will.

"My parents are divorced. I spend the weekdays at my mom's house and the weekends and school holidays at my dad's." Mike begins. His mom is definitely his favourite, she’s distant, but at least she doesn’t sigh at every choice Mike makes, unlike his dad.

Will looks at him with interest, perhaps his own story isn't quite so unbelievable after all. If Mike's a child of divorce, surely he understands how many different kinds of families there are. Mike goes on to tell Will more about his mom's place.

"My mom's house is my favourite. Dad's place might be bigger, but it's colder, less welcoming. My Mom's house is close to Dustin’s. Dad's is next-door to Lucas's." 

Next door to Lucas's? Will knew he'd visited the house next-door to Lucas's as a child. It was one of the few things he remembered from before the lab. Mike continues to tell Will about his background.

"I have two sisters as well, Nancy and Holly. Nancy's a senior at Hawkins Grammar and Holly's starting at Hawkins elementary soon."

"Nancy?" Will mutters in thought, he definitely knew that name. Nancy was his friend's older sister, the same age as Jonathan. He screws up his face in an attempt to fill in the gaps of his fractured, tampered memories.

“Nancy’s a detective extraordinaire, she just started working at Hawkins Post! And Holly’s–” 

Will isn’t listening anymore. It’s not that he’s not interested in Mike’s sisters, Will’s sure he’d love to hear all about them, but he’s just had a major realisation. This is actually groundbreaking! If Will’s correct at least. 

"Mike, are you… is your last name Whe… Wheeler?"

Mike's face lights up! He looks relieved.

"Yes! And you've gotta be Will Byers!"

Mike stares at Will in anticipation. He hopes to God he's right! But Mike's sure he can't be wrong. The green eyes. Joyce, Lonnie and Jonathan. 

"Will Hopper in a couple months," Will begins, "but yes, technically Will Byers." 

Mike can barely contain the excitement! After ten long years, he's reconnecting with his first friend. Who knows, maybe after a decade of wondering and searching, he'll finally learn about the Vanishing of Will Byers!

Will can remember! He can actually remember something from before that year he spent with El and the other kids in the lab! He remembers a whole person even! Oh man, this is incredible! The most he’d ever been able to remember was fractions, half memories, pieces of his past. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack, trying to remember the first six years of his life. If he can remember who Mike is, maybe he’ll even be able to remember other things too. 

“Oh my– hi Will!” Mike giggles, as though they haven’t been sitting next to each other for the last half hour.

“Hi Mike.” Will chuckles back.

Links:

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[arickaandherfictionalothers]

Stranger things time travel AU

Chapter One: Awakening

(Aricka wakes up back in 1979- and promptly does something very, extremely, stupid.)

(Top to bottom: Aricka, Jane/El, Sara)

Aricka opens her eyes with a gasp, and when she realized where she was, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She looks down at her hands, touches her face. She was 12 again. She looks at the calendar. September 9th, 1979.

She got dressed and snuck out of the cabin, grabbing her bow and quiver of arrows- already missing her beloved bow she’d nicknamed Bowie- and began running through the forest to the lab. She strapped the quiver around her back, an arrow on the string as she walked into the destroyed lab. “Sara? SARA?! JANE-?!!” She yelled, not seeing any sign of life. “Sara, you answer me! Jane-!”

Coughing. Sneezing. “ARICKA! SISSY-!!!”

“ARICKA!” Another voice. Aricka ran toward the sound and almost cried in relief as she saw her sisters making their way to her. She unstrung the arrow from her bow, placing it back in her quiver, setting her bow down to open her arms to her sisters. The girls ran to her and hugged her as all three of them cried. She did her best to soothe her little sisters, brushing soot and dirt from their faces, wiping tears from their eyes.

“Shh… it’s alright. We’re going home now. Which of you want a piggyback ride for the first half of the walk?” Sara raises her hand and Aricka bends down so she can jump onto her back. Jane clasps Aricka’s hand, and they make their way out of the lab, Jane holding Aricka’s bow, her quiver now securing Sara to her back.

They walk in silence, listening for sounds of being followed, but nothing happened. Jane was a trooper, walking with bare feet over rocks and twigs and things in the forest. Halfway through, like Aricka said she would; she set Sara down and scooped Jane up; preparing to carry Jane home, Sara gripping her hand.

Waiting for them on the steps to the cabin was their dad and- “MOM-!” All three girls yelled, Aricka setting Jane down so they could run to embrace their parents, Will and Jonathan with them.

“You didn’t leave a note , you didn’t tell anyone where you went…” Joyce grabbed Aricka in a hug. “You… I don’t even know where to begin with the punishment.. you’re an adult in a child’s body.. oh come here.”

That made Aricka begin crying in earnest as Joyce embraced her- her eldest daughter, who she never got to see grow up the first time. “Mama…” she cried. “I couldn’t just… leave them there… they’re my sisters…”

That broke all of Joyce’s resolve as she began soothing her. “I know baby.. you’re just like your father… I’m not mad at you… I was worried. I woke up back here with those memories and ran here to see you and your father but you weren’t here…”

Aricka looks at Jonny and reaches for him; her twin smiling wetly and reaching back for her, and they hugged each other tightly. “Oh Jonny!” She exclaimed. Her Jonny, her twin. The missing half of her self. The part she wouldn’t ever be but the part she needed to be whole.

“Ri-Ri,” he says. The nicknames made further tears fall as they hugged, knowing that before the upsidedown madness they would’ve never hugged this much. Aricka savored it; snuggling into his arms. “I missed you. Even though it wasn’t that long.”

“Oh Jonny; I missed you too, I felt it-hurt so badly not knowing- I’m so glad you’re okay..”

A soft cough catches Aricka’s attention and she turns to see- “WILL-!” And she drops to her knees as her little brother slams into her chest, crying and shaking enough to be his own earthquake. “Shh…. Shhh… I’m okay little brother…. I’m okay. So are Sara and Jane!”

“We- we didn’t know where you were-!” He cried. “I couldn’t feel anything but-!”

Aricka hugged him tighter than ever. “Shhh…” She ran her hand over his hair. “I’ll always come home little brother.”

He burrows into her embrace, and she soaked in the feeling. She couldn’t remember the Before- back when he was little enough for her to hold like this the first time. But Will fit there like he belonged, sat in her lap; head tucked under her chin, arms around her waist and hers around his, one of her hands securing him to her shoulder.

“Don’t-don’t do that again,” the once-again seven year old whimpered. “It - it was scary-!”

“Okay Will, I won’t, I promise.” She kisses his forehead. “I promise.”

********************

Back in the cabin, Aricka and the others listened as their parents made plans:

Jim would ask Joyce on a “date” the next day, and after a few weeks of a whirlwind romance, would propose. Joyce asked Aricka to be her maid of honor; and dubbed Jane and Sara co-flower girls. Will would be the ring bearer and Jonathan would be the best man.

Aricka and Jonathan would go to a sleepover at Steve’s house the next day- with all her friends who would become the “teen”’group. They would make their own plans as they had before, but they know also had adult backup.

Jane; Sara and Will would go to a sleepover at Mike’s and talk things over on their end.

Will was sat firmly in Aricka’s lap, seeming to think she’d up and disappear again if he didn’t. Aricka didn’t mind, cuddling her little brother close as Jonathan cuddled his sisters close.

The kids ate a late supper, and then all went to Aricka’s room for a sleepover. They would move into a bigger house after the wedding- they would combine the savings Jim and Joyce had and find a house big enough for the seven of them.

Aricka fell asleep, her sisters curled up on either side of her, Jonathan’s hand in hers, Will sprawled on top of herself and Jonathan, feeling the safest she had in a long, long time.

————————-

@astralshipper @rosieshipper @hyperionshipping @purifierkisser @callsign-revenge @yeehawselfshipping @letsgofoletsgo

[queen-of-hawkins-why-ler]

It’s that Byers family rizz. That kind of quirky, offbeat, maybe a little out there charm??? That underdog and low-key-kind-of-a-loser vibe??? The niche taste in music, thrifted clothes, shaggy haircut, and having to convince others that they’re not crazy energy??? Absolutely irresistible. It’s so funny that the Byers are canonically a weird and bullied, socially outcast family but that they all canonically have rizz 😭😭 Bc why is Jonathan pulling Nancy Wheeler??? Why does every girl who looks at Will want to kiss him??? Why is someone always talking Joyce on a date??? When you’re in a rizz competition and your opponent is the Byers family.

[bylerblogger]

Will Byers is going to beat up someone in season 5 btw.

[foreverautumn89]

Jonathan's mix tape for Will S1

When you watch the scene from S1 when Will is in the hospital and just came back from the upside down and Jonathan already has a new mix tape already made for Will and you ask yourself how he made that so fast when he just spent a large portion of time thinking Will was dead.

And you realize that Jonathan was still making mix tapes for Will to listen to after he thought Will was dead and never coming back.

Realizing that Jonathan would have just listened to that alone in his room crying and thinking of Will who'd he never see again.

[spirit-meets-the-b0ne]

God I love Dustin Henderson so much man, I know Will is in love with Mike because only a deeply down bad homosexual would be able to say Mike “is the heart” when Dustin is alive and in the party. Dustin is the one constantly mediating in S1 between Mike and Lucas, he’s even insecure of his own newness to the group when he conciliates. Because even though the party are all HIS best friends he is able to rationalize why they might have a hierarchy based on seniority. Mike makes it clear that isn’t the case. It’s partly why Dustin is quicker to accept Eleven and partly why he’s so open to including Max “as the new kid” because that was him once. Dustin’s iconic “she’s our friend and she’s crazy!” Dustin and Lucas having parallel deviations from their code of honor in ST2 and Dustin being (so dramatic ik) literally ready to fall on the sword for his misdoings. Dustin basically involving Steve out of necessity but then cultivating that relationship to make Steve a good friend, Steve who had the shittiest friends in high school and attention for all the wrong reasons. Steve never had a true friend in his life and then some 12 year old basically gave him a crash course. In ST3 when Dustin earnestly challenges Steve’s socially conditioned need to be seen as cool only for Steve to become bffs with a band geek. A band geek who is also a lesbian that Steve would rather be seen as a rizzless hack of a womanizer than out her to anybody, even Dustin. All of Dustin and Steve. Dustin going from calling Steve a douchebag, to Eddie saying the kid worships him and thinks he’s a total badass. Dustin who in ST4 is once again demolishing social norms of high school vs middle school because FUCK, his friend is in middle school! His friend Erica, his comrade Lady Applejack, is a black girl in junior high and he dgaf what anyone thinks about it. ALL OF DUSTIN AND ERICA. Dustin teaching Erica to embrace her inner nerd, to Erica staunchly declaring “I’ve bled with him!” When asked if she knows Dustin. Dustin who is the FIRST person that Max goes to when shit hits the fan in ST4 because god damn dude Dustin is the heart. Dustin’s unwavering support of Eddie even when the evidence is stacked against him, Dustin always believed in Eddie Munson. Dustin is the only one who truly offers Wayne condolences. He is the friend of all friends. Dustin is constantly carrying the party through crisis and discomfort, he’s dedicated, he’s unabashedly caring, and he’s the character that is able to socially move across the board in every direction. I fuckin love this little curly haired drama king because these geeks would be LOST without him!!! If Dustin isn’t the heart; he’s the Central Nervous System, he’s the nucleus, he’s fucking vital to not only the party but every other tertiary character of importance. He’s constantly inspiring and providing direction. He’s a goofball, he’s wise beyond his years, he’s a lover and he’s a fighter, he always has a plan and he always has a bad idea, he’s the voice of reason and the resounding falsetto alarm of things gone wrong, he’s never done anything wrong ever in his life, one time something ate his cat but besides that. He’s my heart of the show damn it!

[imfinereallyy]

“Dad is going to be very angry,” El says with wide eyes taking in the scene before them.

“You think Hop will kill him?” Steve says as he leans against the doorway, eating a Twizzler.

El looks at Steve momentarily, sticking her hand out for some candy. Steve hands her one without hesitation. El rips a piece off before speaking. “Oh yes. He might ask you to help hide the body.”

Steve nods solemnly, “I’ll do what needs to be done. Mikes’s my least favorite child anyway.”

“Hey!” Mike yells, gaining the duo's attention. It brings them back to the scene they walked in on. Mike and Will, with the door closed (no three inches in sight) on top of each other, making out.

Steve doesn't think he’ll ever get that image out of his brain.

“Chill, Wheeler, I'm joking,” Steve says pointedly before turning to El and mouthing no, I'm not.

El giggles, and Steve can't help but feel like he won a prize at the sound.

“I'm sorry, El.” Will blushes with shame, like he is betraying his sister somehow.

El just shrugs, “I do not care. But Dad might. He hates Mike.”

Steve snorts, “That's the understatement of the century. I don't think Hop has ever hated someone’s partner like he has Mike. Honestly, I was surprised he liked Eddie. I mean like is a strong word. But he tolerates him.”

Will pipes up, “I think he does mostly because he knows you'll move out, and he only just got you to agree to stay here.”

Steve shrugs, “I’ll take what I can get. At least he doesn't walk on me having sex.”

“We weren't having sex!” Mike practically screams. Hands up exasperated. “And don't talk about you and Eddie; it's gross.”

Will blushes deeply with head in his hands, “Oh, God.” El pats him on the shoulder in sympathy.

“Also, this wouldn't have happened if you weren't an idiot and just knocked!” Mike stomps. Jesus, this kid is 15 acting 6.

“I was the one who walked in, Mike. I wanted to know if Will wanted to watch a movie.” El says coldly, getting defensive of her brother.

Mike clams up, Steve can't help but feel smug.

“Who’s having sex?!?” A distinct Hopper-like voice echoes through the house.

Will and Mike share a panicked look while Steve and El take more Twizzlers from the bag.

“Oh no. Mike! What are we going to do?”

Mike sputters, “He doesn't have to know it was us! And we weren't having sex!”

Will looks at him like Mike is the biggest moron he's ever met. Steve loves the kid (despite early protest) but has to agree. “Oh gee Mike, I wonder who he will think it was about. Steve? Who is dating a man who isn't here and keep in mind, it's Steve. Who is our brother, and five years older than us? And in a relationship? And let's not forget..is Steve?!”

“This is fair.” Steve agrees. If anyone but Baby Byers had attempted to say that, Steve would have been pissed. But it's Will, so it's coming from a good place.

“Also! Also! The other person here is El! Who is my sister! Not to mention your ex—”

“—well it could have been—”

“Micheal Steven Wheeler, if the next words out of your mouth are it could have been you and El, I will never be kissing you again.” Will uses a deathly tone. Steve isn't convinced he didn't get from El.

“Your middle name is Steven?” Steve fills giddy.

“Shut up Steve!”

Will pinches his brows, “And you idiot, if it were you and El, you would still he toast.”

Steve whistles, “Shit, Will. Next time I need to win an argument against Eddie. I'm coming to you.”

“How long does it take for dad to get upstairs?” El interrupts.

All of them look down the hall. “Huh, maybe we are in the clear,” Mike whispers.

“I said who is having sex?!?” Hopper comes thundering up the stairs.

“I think this is what Max calls a jinx.” El looks at Mike unphased.

Steve can't help but feel a little bad for Will. He looks panicked around the room, probably looking for a hiding place. Steve knows that it isn't that same fear Will once had of Lenny, Hop wouldn't hurt them ever, but he can't help but feel a little protective of him. Steve knows all too well how the fears of biological fathers can sneak up on you, even if you know you're safe. “Don’t worry, Will. I'll make sure Hop takes it easy.”

Will relaxes, “Thanks Steve.”

“What about me?” Mike asks, eyes wide.

El shares a look with Steve. Spending as much time as they have lately has allowed them to talk without speaking most of the time. It freaks everyone but Robin out (she gets it). Seconds go by before they both nod in agreement.

Steve and El both wip their heads towards Mike, and Steve says, “You were grossed out by my relationship and called me stupid. Suffer.”

Mike's outcry is in synch with Hop breaking through screaming, “There better be three inches!”

[hopelessromanfic]

i noticed something today…

in all the byers siblings bedrooms there’s this little box on the wall:

wills:

els:

jonathans:

and i thought hmm, wtf are those and then i found these on google:

so they all have little intercoms in their rooms??

imagine them just making stupid little announcements throughout the day/night whereas joyce just uses it to tell everyone dinner is ready/goodnight/good mornings

the possibilities are endless

[brionysea]

you guys don't get it. no one's giving mike a shovel talk once he starts dating will. no one. not even hopper

can you imagine mike wheeler, a queer boy in the 80s, knowing the byers family since he was like five or six years old and getting along with them fine, until he starts dating will and then suddenly they're saying they'll kill him if he fucks up? right after he's trusted them with the life threatening knowledge that he's in a relationship with another boy?

this being the same kid who almost died for standing up to homophobia (which was about will but directed at mike) when he was 12?

no. never ever happening.

not a single person in this family is that clueless. joyce would've ripped hopper a new one if he admitted to so much as yelling at mike. jonathan understands will's queerness and the necessity of keeping some things secret. hopper saw the possibility of will's disappearance being a hate crime and didn't stop pursuing the case. el saved mike's life like a billion times

no, they're not giving the queer kid who's just come out to them in the middle of the aids pandemic a shovel talk. they're just not.

[yourelosingains]

#still not over how good the casting was for the byers family

[hawkwidows]

are we sure they’re not blood related? 🤔

[chopinrefound]

Found Party✨

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So... I lied about getting a full fix-it to This → Part 1. Y'all get parts focusing on different characters for now as Hop traverses his guilt trip. I won't say it gets worse before it gets better but... kinda in places? I promise it's a happy ending though!!

What do you want from me I'm stressed and depressed and I like making my blorbos suffer (a.k.a projecting my trauma instead of doing the healthy shit my shrink tells me to)

You've been warned... But I do hope you like it.

So here we have Part 2 (Pride and Prejudices: Joyce Edition)

He goes to Joyce about it first. Thinks about her gentle herding of the trio that has become the Hopper-Byers brood. Thinks about how she put everything he was feeling about Mike and El and their giggling and the fucking door into words that kept him from looking like an imbecile (if he'd have ever used them instead of fucking it up 'winging it'). Thinks about the way her voice stays soft and kind of quiet even when she's spitting in his face about listening to her (and every time she's been right) and how that's translated to talking down government goons and wrangling the army of children that seems to get bigger each time they have to fight interdimensional terrors. So he goes to Joyce about what Murray said, the noise Steve made with That Look in his eyes and his bandages peeking out from under a shirt that looks like one of the Henleys he's been missing since coming 'back from the dead' and they dug out his clothes from storage. (El wouldn't let her throw anything out, not until she was ready to say goodbye. Thank whatever god[s] there may be she never needed to)

He doesn't expect Joyce to make a face like he suggested inviting Owens to family dinner. He doesn't expect the scoff and eye roll as her shoulders tense and her hands flex at her sides like she's about to let loose her (honestly really attractive) righteous fury. About the Harrington kid.

Maybe he should have asked when the kids weren't home. Before El quietly told them the bullying wasn't as bad as it was in California but some people still made fun of how she spoke and how all of her friends were boys (and just as quietly asked they not do anything. Asked that they let her and The Party handle it until they couldn't). Before Will came home sulking about something idiotic Mike said or did or something the kid missed (though lately the latest Wheeler mistake is followed by bashful mention of the Emerson kid doing something specifically to make Will feel better in the moment). Before Jonathan came home from 'job hunting' or 'volunteering at the school's relief center' reeking of weed and his long-haired friend in tow (less than usual but still enough to make Joyce feel guilty for missing it for so long, for making the boy grow up so fast that he spends his days out of his mind instead of the weekend bender like when they were kids). Before The Party had come by with what homework the school was still giving out and talking over each other about all the latest small-town gossip a teenager can get their hands on (Eddie's name has been cleared but he's still laid up at the hospital. Susan Mayfield has been noticeably absent according to every nosy housewife in Hawkins considering her daughter is in a coma. The Hagans, Carvers, Perkins and a handful of other 'well to do' families have skipped town taking most of the sports population with them. Steve has been letting people displaced by the damage crash at the Harrington mansion. Steve has kept up hours at Family Video somehow and is a regular volunteer at the various relief centers in town. Steve has been giving all of them rides and may have told Dustin he's thinking of trading in the Beemer for a bigger vehicle for all the kids and people he chauffeurs about. Steve keeps a room empty and waiting for when Max wakes up before her mother makes an appearance. Steve. Steve. Steve.)

He doesn't expect the way she spits his name like she's talking about Dick and Margaret under the bleachers over a smoke before the yard teacher catches them. The rant about bullies and broken cameras and trashed kitchens and dead monsters in her fridge. The crack in her voice when she crosses her arms to stop their shaking as she lays sin upon sin at this boy's feet.

And maybe before that would have been enough.

He doesn't expect the stone in his stomach or the burning in his chest as he looks the woman he loves in the eye and says "So I guess we should tell Nancy to break up with Jonathan before he pulls a Lonnie, huh?" It's a low blow. He knows from the hurt anger on her face and on the purse of her lips. He knows that's why he said it. "That kid is lucky to be alive let alone walking and have we ever even thanked him for keeping the fucking kids alive each time they pull their dumb shit when the world goes to hell? Does that sound like anything his folks would have ever done for us? Hell for their own fucking kid they practically signed over to ME of all people?"

He's shaking now too and Joyce has her hands fluttering between them like she wants to reach out. To touch, comfort. Pull him close and tell him to take a breath.

"He called me 'His Hop', Joyce" He barely has enough breath on him to squeeze the words past his tight throat. "Called me His Hop and watched Ellie and the kids when I just couldn't and you were at work. I don't think I've seen his folks in town since the mall was opened and all the donors had that big party. Don't think I've spoken to them since '83 and they made me the kid's guardian when they aren't around cause they didn't want to fly down for a government sized concussion."

By now he knows El and Will are peeking around the corner, their eyes wide and worried. Jonathan has his door cracked and Angus (is that the hippie's name? He can't remember) is whispering something about heavy auras. Joyce is staring somewhere off in the distance, wringing her hands and biting her lips like she's facing an interdimensional portal shaped problem.

"The kids are planning to have one of their games in a few days." Her voice is brittle in a way he's not used to anymore. Not since she pulled her youngest out of hell and faced down a demon clawing through her walls. "He always drives them over and- and disappears until they need to head home. I can make sure he stays for dinner. Like the rest of the kids. I know Claudia has been having him over so I- I can get some recipes from her that he likes."

Something in his shoulders shakes loose and he reaches out to pull her practically shaking from into his chest.

"I don't know what to say to him Hop. He's not Mike and he's not like either of my boys. In my head he's just always been..."

"Dick and Margaret's brat." He sighs out and rests his cheek on the top of her head as she nods and presses herself in closer.

He's aware of eyes on them. Confused and worried and judgemental and he'll pay that piper next. These kids taught him how to be a dad again once, they can do it again, right?

Part 3

Part 4.1

@thelittleclare @jackiemonroe5512 @0body0disphoria0 @strangersteddierthings @lingeringmirth

Part 4.2

Part 5

If I missed you in the tag list I'm sorry I tried 🙃🫡 Tell me what you think? 🫣🥲

[jonathanbyersphd]

Hopper-Byers Siblings + Reflections

[kittykat940]

Why would you do this to me 😭 I need more sibling moments between them in s5 please duffer brothers 🙏

[foreverautumn89]

Karen and Jonathan need more scenes together

Karen's dynamic with Jonathan is so cute. Their scenes together are so rare but its clear she adores Jonathan. Words cant describe how much I appreciate this woman for always being so kind to Jonathan when the rest of the town isn't [I mean Hawkins townspeople not main characters].

Karen coming to visit Joyce and check in on her in S1E3: How is Jonathan holding up? She is one of the rare few concerned about his well being at that time and asking about him wanting to make sure hes ok.

s1e8

KAREN: Hey, boys.

- Hey, Mrs. Wheeler.

Hey, wish your mom a merry Christmas for me, okay?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, thank you. Uh, merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

S2E3

Jonathan?

Mrs. Wheeler.

-What a pleasant surprise. [So cute how shes so happy to see Jonathan there]

---

- Bye! It's good to see you.

She loves Jonathan so much. It's so adorable. I love her mother son dynamic with him and we need a lot more scenes of it.