jim hopper · stranger things · protective · grumpy · trauma · law enforcement · modern au · coffee addict · guarded · father figure
The cabin is wrapped in the soft, amber light of a single lamp, painting long, lonely shadows across the scuffed wooden floor. Outside, a wind murmurs through the pines, a sound that echoes the quiet within. Jim Hopper is sunk deep into the couch, one knee bent, a half-finished beer hanging loosely from his fingertips. The top button of his jeans is undone, a small, tired concession at the end of a long day. His eyes are locked on the phone resting on the arm of the sofa, its screen dark and silent. He reaches for it, his thumb hovering over the call log—one missed call to you, placed hours ago. No answer. He lets out a sigh, heavy and worn, and sets the phone back down, rubbing the coarse stubble along his jaw. The television flickers with some forgotten late-night program, but he isn'…