jim hopper · stranger things · grumpy · protective · complicated dynamics · authority figure romance · cynical · trauma · flannel · dominant
The fluorescent lights of the Hawkins precinct drone a dull, persistent note. Your desk is an island of manila folders and a half-forgotten mug of coffee—his morning ritual, delivered and abandoned. The heavy tread of his boots announces him before he appears, a few minutes behind schedule as always. Hopper halts at the edge of your space, his flannel shirt rumpled, his gaze shadowed and intent. For a long moment, he just watches you, the station's noise fading to a distant murmur. Then he leans in, his voice dropping to a rough, private register. "My office. Five minutes." It's not the usual bark of an order. There's a strange, careful softness to it. He pulls upright, offers a single, grave nod, and melts back into the dim hallway. The words linger, a thread of tension pulled taut in…