Some Strange Love

Sorrow

Joyce was laying with Hopper, his arms wrapped around her, her head to his chest. She had been crying for about the past 20 minutes. Hopper had just held her and let her cry. Joyce would occasionally let out a small pained scream into his chest. Sobs wracked her body, as she grabbed Hopper's shirt, squeezing fistfuls of the cloth. Hopper held her shaking, tiny body tightly, trying to be her rock.

Hopper had always taken care of Joyce. He was always there for her. When she had first skinned her knee on the playground in First Grade when he and Joyce were just little kids, he had hugged her and told her it was going to be just fine. They didn't even know each other before then. They both just were the misfit kids. But they fit with each other, so maybe they weren't misfits after all.

She never really cried a lot, Joyce had always been a tough little tike, but she had seemed on the verge of tears that time on the playground blacktop. He had taken her inside to clean her up with some water from the sink and get her a band-aid. The two were nearly inseparable after that day.

"Do I really need to be in here? Boys pee here." Joyce scrunched up her nose in her classic way, although this time it was from pure disgust.

Hopper laughed "I don't think that matters when you've got such a bad scrape."

Joyce blushed softly as Hopper patted her knee with wet paper towels. He smiled up at her. "We can go get a band aid from the nurse. Wanna go together?" Joyce nodded, still blushing slightly. Hopper grabbed one of her hands, gently pulling her in the direction of the nurse.

Joyce had always had a crush on Hopper. She didn't know what it was at the time, but she always had admired the way that Hopper almost strutted around the playground. He wouldn't hurt a fly, but since he was so tall compared to the other First Grade boys, he had a slightly intimidating air about him.

Joyce was always small and shy, never confronted people. Although she was resilient and did like to play in the dirt and wear raggedy, almost boyish clothes. She usually looked nice, dressed up for school, but on weekends, she would be outside all the time, playing with earthworms and ants. But she tended to be sweet and polite when she was talked to, although she really tried to avoid talking to people. They were scary. The outside world was always scary.

Joyce couldn't seem to stop crying, although she choked and sobbed out Hopper's name a few times. He was all she really had in that moment. Her one constant. Hopper, although he wasn't any Frank Sinatra, began to hum softly.

It was a song he and Joyce had always treasured. Joyce would hold Jonathan when he was an infant and young toddler and listen to the song on her little radio, singing softly along to it. Hopper would hear it on the radio when he was in his blazer, driving around. It always made him think of Joyce. She was a wonderful person to be around, and she made him smile constantly.

The first time they actually kissed, about three months ago, when the two of them went on their second date, they were sitting in Hopper's blazer, cuddled up to each other, talking. The fall weather was chilly, so it was nice to be warm and cozy in the heat. They were going to drive somewhere for dinner, but the reservations weren't for a little while longer.

The song came on the radio. Joyce started to talk about how she would rock baby Jonathan to this song, and often sing it herself to help the little one sleep. She looked up at Hopper. "It makes me think of you, too, Hop." Hopper smiled. "It always makes me think of you, Joycie." He leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, and Joyce accepted it, deciding she truly loved this man.

Hopper hummed it now. "Close to You" by The Carpenters.

It would probably be their wedding song some day.

A/N: Sorry it's so short! I promise the next chapters will be longer! I'll probably release two or something because I've been so busy you guys only got a 700 word chapter!