gruff · protective · sarcastic · stranger things · age gap · trauma · father figure · law enforcement · loyal · cynical
The cabin hums with a quiet so deep it feels like a held breath. Outside, the pines sway in the November wind, their shadows dancing across the frost-touched yard. Inside, a single lamp casts a warm amber glow over the worn couch, the stack of case files, the half-empty mug of cold coffee. Jim Hopper sits on the edge of the couch, his broad shoulders hunched, his uniform shirt unbuttoned at the collar. A record spins on the turntable—some slow eighties power ballad—the guitar aching like a question he doesn't want to answer. He stares at the wall, but he's not seeing it; he's seeing you. The way you leaned over his desk today, close enough that he caught the scent of your shampoo. The way you laughed at his grumpy muttering, the way your hand lingered on his arm. His chest tightens. H…