The last two weeks had gone very fast. 

Hopper had offered to take Joyce to a movie with him on Friday night as their children were all busy at someone else's house. 
They went to see Back to the Future following the teenagers’ recommendation.

It's true that the movie was pretty good. It was a good choice, Joyce seemed to love it.  
 
Hopper woke up on Saturday morning because a ray of sunshine had managed to make its way through the shutters. He turned his head to the left to look at the time on his alarm clock, but it wasn't there.

He squinted when he saw his shirt lying on a chair next to him.
He then remembered where he was and lowered his head, he saw Joyce's naked arm wrapped around his chest. He turned his head to the right to see Joyce's head turned towards him, she was sleeping peacefully with her mouth slightly ajar.  

He noticed the strange position of his arm under her head and slowly took it off and put her head back on the pillow. 

He stared at the ceiling with a smile on his face, remembering last night events when Joyce moved next to him.  
 
He had been watching her for a few moments, still smiling when a lock of her hair fell on her half-open mouth, so he put it back behind her ear with a wave of his hand without really thinking about it.

Joyce woke up a few seconds later, her eyes shining. She yawned and then moved her head and saw Hopper silently watching her. 

"Hello spy", she said, smiling.

"Hey pretty sleeper..." He smiled back. 

She removed her arm and ran her hand along his chest to rub her eyes with it.

"Have you been watching me for a long time?"

"Not really. Will you... pinch me?" He asked as he reached out his arm.

Joyce sat down, taking care to pull the blanket up over her when a shiver ran through her skin.

"Wh-what?"

"Pinch me, please", he repeated, pointing to his outstretched arm with a chin gesture as if it was perfectly normal to ask that.

"But why do you want me to... pinch you?" She asked, blinking several times, not wide awake yet.

"Because I think I’ve just spent a night with Joyce Byers and I want to make sure it wasn't a dream."

"Oh I can assure you I'm real!" She shouted and laughed before pinching him with all her might. 

As if she'd never heard that before... honestly, Hop.

"Ouch!" Hopper shouted, moving his arm away with a sudden gesture. "It was a joke, Joyce! You didn't really have to pinch me... You want to make a hole in my arm or something?"

She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Then she turned around, found and put on her trousers and blouse from the day before and got out of bed.

"Hurry up, Karen wants to come in before noon." She said, closing the last button on her blouse while Hopper was looking.

"What does she want?" He asked, putting on his own jeans.

"Uh, just... checking up on me, I guess."

"Oh well, it's too bad we have to hurry because I had something to offer you..."

Joyce turned suddenly towards him with frowning eyebrows.

"Seriously? You... bought me a present?"

Hopper shrugged and smiled.

"That looks like it. A little birdie told me you'd like it."

He got up to get the rectangular box from his coat pocket and handed it to Joyce with a smile.

She gave him a confused look before opening it, her mouth immediately forming an "o" when she recognized the necklace she had seen in August with El on their first outing together.

"You're crazy, Hop... Tell me, isn't your little birdie called El Hopper, by the strangest coincidence?" She asked, snickering.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to disclose my sources to anybody..."

He gently took the silver heart-shaped necklace out of the box and suggested Joyce to turn around so he could hang it on her.

"Oh, I am anybody now...?"

"I knew you'd be upset when I’d say that. You're too predictable Joyce Byers", he said, dropping a kiss on her left cheek.

She turned to face him and he wrapped his hands around her waist, Joyce's hands around his arms.

"You, on the other hand, are not predictable at all. I never knew Jim Hopper was so romantic."

"Only with you ma'am", he replied with a big smile.

"Thank you..." Joyce said before tiptoeing to reach his lips. 

—♡—♡—♡—♡—♡—

Karen knocked on the door a few minutes after Hopper went into the bathroom in his turn.

Joyce walked to the door and opened it with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, Karen!"

"Hi, Joyce! You look like you're in a good mood."

"I slept well." She replied with a wave of her hand to invite her in. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Um, a coffee, yeah. Thank you."

Joyce came back with two warm cups in her hands and sat down in front of Karen. 

"I made lasagna yesterday. I brought you a plate." Karen handed her a dish covered with foil. 

"Thank you. You didn't have to..."

Joyce heard the bathroom door opening at the same time and turned her head to see Hopper still wet, a simple towel around his waist. A black shirt in one hand and faded jeans with his belt in the other.
Joyce then turned her attention back to Karen who had her mouth wide open, her eyes pointing to where Hopper had been shortly before.

"What's the matter?"

"Was... Was it Hopper or was it a dream?"

"No, you're not dreaming..." Joyce replied with a laugh.

"But what was Hopper doing in your... bathroom?"

Joyce squinted when she saw Karen's expression.

"He was taking a shower."

"But what was he doing taking a shower... at your place?"

"Well, you know, he and I are... you know?"

"Uh, no", Karen replied, frowning.

"We are dating now", Joyce finally let go and let a smile form on her face.

"What! But since wh-when?"

"Um... two weeks." 

"Seriously, though? And you're just telling me now!"

Joyce giggled and shook her head. She had forgotten that Karen Wheeler had always been curious.