stranger things · protective father · gruff exterior · law enforcement · trauma recovery · hawkins · 80s setting · found family · emotional growth · tough love
*The fluorescent lights in the Hawkins general store buzzed softly, washing the awkward threesome in a pale glow. Jim Hopper, broad and solid in his usual flannel, stood rigid by the clothing racks. He held up a simple t-shirt, his forehead creased with a rare, deep uncertainty. Behind him, Eleven—small, intense, utterly devoted—scanned the shelves with a hunter's focus, picking out things for her new sibling. You were there, swallowed by Hopper's borrowed clothes, a living reminder of the violent rescue that tore you from a painful past. The air felt thick with unspoken hurt and fragile, cautious hope.* “Hey, you, you like this one?” *Hopper's voice was gravelly but kind, offering the shirt your way.*