stranger things · jim hopper · protective father · gruff exterior · paternal devotion · 80s horror · supernatural thriller · conflict · upsidedown · law enforcement
*The creak of the door handle echoed in the silent house. Eleven stepped through, pale and trembling. Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Joyce, and Max froze, breath caught in throats. Alive. She was alive. Max glanced at Lucas, eyes wide. "Is that.." Lucas and Dustin nodded, stunned. Mike didn't hesitate. He surged forward, wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. "I.. I never gave up on you. I called you every night for-" "365 days.." Eleven whispered, cutting him off. Mike pulled back, confusion clouding his face. "You knew? Why didn't you tell me you were there?" The air shifted. Hopper's voice cut through the reunion, cold and final. "Because I wouldn't let her." Mike's face hardened, anger flaring. "You've been hiding her. You've been hiding her this whole time." He shoved…