Chapter Text
Hopper regretted having two superhero children. Not really, but he felt that way sometimes. Sometimes he would sit down in the recliner and within ten minutes shit would be flying everywhere and happy screeching and screams would be soon to follow. He’d turn up the tv, pretending to be listening to the news or whatever show was on. Eleven had a high pitched scream before laughing and Steve had the same exact one.
Steve Harrington. That was a shock. That one was more than a shock. The couple that adopted a kid when he was twelve years old and now he is suddenly running around the cabin as the parents essentially left him? What the hell? Kid was a sweetheart, loved the cook, and to be a honest a little terror. The Steve he met five years ago wasn’t even in the same ballpark as the kid who now fell asleep on the couch with his younger sister who Hopper would try to drag to his bed. The kid who, for some reason, would play with soccer balls and baseballs in the house. The kid who seemed content to sit and color on the floor with his sister. The kid who really liked caramel candies and butterscotch cookies.
“Incoming!” Was yelled by Eleven and Hopper covered his head on instinct. Speaking of soccer balls one currently hung in the air in front of him.
“What did we say?” Hopper watched as Steve came out and placed the ball on the floor.
“Balls have to stay on the floor unless I’m throwing it alone.”
“Okay, Steve understands it. Now what happened?”
“We were playing in my room. Sorry.” Eleven smile behind her brother.
“Promise we were.” Steve smiled.
“Aren’t you going out with Nancy tonight?”
“Yeah at like six.”
“It’s six.”
“Shit!”
“Don’t swear!”
“You do all the time!” Hopper rolled his eyes.
“I’m an adult!”
“So am I?”
“Well your forged birth certificate says otherwise. It says seventeen.”
“But you found out I’m eighteen.”
“You’re still seventeen. Come on, get ready for your date.”
“I go?” Eleven smiled at him as Steve rushed to his room.
“No, everyone knew Steve before. He can’t disappear.”
“Mike.”
“No Mike. We’re not stupid.”
“He leaves!”
“It’s snowing Ellie. I’ll be back early. I don’t even want to go.” Hopper had seen this trend with Steve. The kid wasn’t interested in leaving the cabin and the other kid desperately wanted to leave.
“Not fair.”
“Hey I’ll swing by the video store? Wanna watch a movie when I get back?”
“Shouldn’t you be doing that with your girlfriend?” Hopper raised his eyebrows.
“Shouldn’t you be hitting on the librarian?”
“You aren’t allowed to read my shit anymore.”
“She likes you back. And maybe don’t be so loud in your thoughts.”
“Time?” Eleven asked Steve so seriously.
“Probably by eight zero zero or eight three zero. I have my walkie in case.” The two bumped foreheads back and forth, giggling between the two. Their own special thing Hopper didn’t quite understand.
“Be safe. Call if you need.”
“Be back soon, see ya!” He opened the door and was rushing down the steps. He wanted to yell don’t get her pregnant, don’t be stupid, don’t fuck up, but the kid was gone in a moment.
“When can I see Mike?”
“Soon.” Hopper lied, hoping the kid who is here and the kid who ran out the door somehow can figure out to stay hidden.
Hopper stepped on something and yelped instinctively.
“Okay! Rules about the Barbie dolls!” He yelled to the kids who were currently doing god knows what.
“We’re still playing.” Eleven pouted as she emerged from her room.
“What could you possibly be playing? You’ve been at it all morning.”
“Vacation!”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“They’re going on vacation. Their house is a vacation house.” Steve explained from the floor of El’s room. He sighed looking back at the living room again. He could see it. El practically begged for a Barbie house and Hopper built one. The thing was always dragged all over the house, Steve had brought his own personal collection of too many damn Barbie Dolls when he moved in. Not to mention the clothes, Hopper hated those clothes and shoes.
“Well, when they’re vacation is over make sure it all gets back in the boxes!”
“Got it!” Steve yelled back. He was happy the kids were comfortable leaving a tornado in the cabin, it felt lived in now. He wondered how Steve could switch how he acted around people, but at the same times Hopper would take this Steve Harrington over the one he met any day. Eleven was something else, she didn’t seem socialized at all and Hopper questioned if Steve acted the way he did due to the same abuse. He sighed, sat down on the couch and looked at the living room. It was lived in alright.
“Why is Ken just sitting at the house?” Hopper asked as the kids ended up in the living room. Ken was usually left abandoned, much to Hopper’s amusement.
“He’s boring.” Steve replied, not paying attention to him really, more focused with El.
“Who do you have there?”
“Superstar Barbie.”
“Malibu Barbie.”
“We just got the camping Barbie and Ken set. They’re going camping next.” Steve added.
“Okay, well you two have fun.”
“Are you going to work?” El asked him.
“No, it’s my day off, just wasn’t sure what was happening down here.”
“I did my homework last night.” Steve informed him, Hopper knew that, he watched him do it. But he always seemed to say it after the fact, it was always quick and sure like if he didn’t he would be in trouble.
“Okay, I know. What are we thinking for dinner?”
“Pizza.”
“Yeah pizza works.”
“You two already had this discussion didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” El smiled up at him.
“Are you going to make me feel weird if I try to resist?”
“Eh, not worth my energy.” Steve replied.
“Please?” El smiled again.
“Yeah, what the hell, why not.”
“Can I ask you something?” Steve looked anxious and Hopper sighed.
“If you got the Wheeler girl pregnant I want plausible deniability please.” Hopper responded.
“Oh god. No. I wouldn’t have come to you for that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Well now it’s stupid compared to what you just said.”
“I’m sure it’s not.”
“Pretty sure it is.”
“Steve? It’s ten o’clock on a Tuesday for the love of god, spit it out.”
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“No promises. Where the hell is your sister?”
“In her room. She didn’t help me when I asked her.” Hopper sighed, great he asked Eleven first.
“Okay…”
“Nancy invited me over to paint eggs. I can’t paint worth shit. I have no idea what this is.” Hopper looked at him quizzically before laughing.
“You’re seriously worried you don’t know how to dye eggs?”
“I’m not dyeing them. They don’t have hair. We’re painting them.”
“It’s an Easter thing. You know? Here comes Peter cottontail?” Steve shook his head.
“No.”
“Oh, right.” Hopper sobered up thinking of the lab.
“Who is Peter Cottontail?”
“El! Get out here I know you’re listening.”
“Mike said it last night too.” El said as she popped out of her room.
“You gotta stop spying on Mike.” Steve muttered.
“He is my friend.”
“He’s a total nerd.”
“He is not!”
“I spend time with him.”
“Because he does not let me!”
“Okay. Okay you two. I’m teaching.” Both looked to him.
“About what?”
“Easter. It’s Sunday. But people do a whole bunch of stuff leading up to it.”
“Like paint eggs?”
“Yeah Steve, like coloring eggs. So there’s this story about a magic rabbit who hides eggs and candy and stuff for kids on Easter.”
“Rabbits do not have room for nor lay eggs.” Steve said in a serious tone.
“Well hence it’s magical.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It’s a big thing. You hard boil eggs and put them in dye, hence coloring eggs.”
“Why did she just not say that?”
“Because it’s big for kids. I’ll rent the movie tomorrow.”
“It’s a movie?” El asked then.
“Yeah… like remember the Rudolph movie?”
“Yes.” Both kids answered at once.
“Like that. It’s a thing like Christmas.”
“But he is not Santa?” El asked, both kids looking at him.
“No he’s not. He’s another mythical thing.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Yeah, it can be. How about we get eggs too so you can learn how?” Both kids nodded, looking at each other. Great he has to do Easter now too.
Hopper came home to see both kids passed out on the couch, curled into each other somehow. He turns off the tv, a cartoon replaying in the background of their nap.
“Hey Hop.” Steve’s voice was quiet, still tucked in his sister.
“Hey kiddo. Did swimming end early?”
“No, I don’t feel good.”
“Was coach mad?”
“Nah, smoothed that over.” Hopper rolled his eyes.
“Can I get you something?”
“I gotta go back to my house. I need soup.”
“I can make soup, Harrington.”
“I want my Nana’s soup. I don’t remember the recipe.”
“Okay new rule.”
“What?”
“We don’t drive sick. Let me go get stuff for soup.”
“I need tissues and stuff.” Hopper felt his forehead, he was burning up.
“Kid, only thing you need to go back to sleep.” He wasn’t sure what Steve was grumbling under his breath, but he turned, taking El with him. Hopper ran his hand in his hair a few times, Steve making noises that resembled a cat. “I got it. Just go back to sleep.” He didn’t have it, he had no idea. He was scared for the lightbulbs in the house though, last time El had a cold she blew up more than one lightbulb. He watched Steve lift his arm as paper towels went towards him. “I’ll never get used to that.” Hopper whispered.
“Me either.” Steve responded, making Hopper jump a bit.
“Okay. Go back to sleep. I’ll be right back.” Hopper said with a sigh, going back to the truck before dealing with the fact everyone was about to be sick. He wanted kids, he asked for this. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment.
“Three… two… one. Go!” Was shouted and is what makes Hopper open his eyes in time to hear his kids slam into the door, laughing.
“Again!”
“Why? so you can lose again?”
“I won that one!”
“Did not!” He heard something hit the wall.
“Ugh, guys! Guys, don’t throw shit please.”
“Sorry.” Was said in unison before he heard them running again.
“How about no running in the house?”
“Where can I run?” Hopper sighed then, deeply.
“Just, you’re going to get hurt.”
“Outside?” El asked, eyebrows raised.
“No.”
“Think that’s what you meant Hopper.”
“No, it wasn’t. Stop helping Harrington.”
“Please?”
“No.”
“It’s Sunday. We could go to the Harrington lake house.” Hopper paused, looking at him.
“What?”
“Claire and Richard, they have a lake house.”
“They do?”
“Yeah, middle of nowhere. We even have a dock, no one is around.”
“How far out?”
“About an hour.”
“Do you go up there?”
“Yeah, I used to. I can throw things as far as I can there.”
“You’re positive.”
“Yeah I used to disorient fish.”
“Why?”
“It’s a joke my grandpa used to say.”
“So if we go up there, it’s totally safe?” He watched how El was bouncing.
“Yes.”
“And you’re positive?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t drown your brother!” Hopper is running towards the water, El holding Steve underwater.
“Tell him to say sorry.” Steve came up for a second.
“Never!” Was shouted as Steve sputtered water.
“Drown!” She shouted shoved him under again.
“No! No! We don’t drown each other.” Hopper is a couple feet in, not sure if he’s watching a premeditated murder or a justified homicide. Steve grabbing at her and dragging her in a weird way.
“Seven!” Is screeched as they laugh together and Hopper wishes he could pause this. Hold it forever. Always revisit it. He hadn’t seen them like this since they saw each other after Christmas. The laughter ringing loudly around the trees as they play.
“Can you swim?” Hopper called out, going against better judgment and getting in further.
“No.” El said.
“She wants to learn.”
“Stop reading me!” Was screeched.
“Stop thinking so loud!”
“You can’t even read minds!”
“I can read emotions and yours are excited to learn to swim.”
“Okay, okay. Enough. El do you want to learn to swim?” Hopper sighed to her.
“Yes!”
“Care to help?” He looked at Harrington.
“You got this Hop.” He watched as Steve swam away.
“Okay, come here.” She did and smiled big.
“How do I learn?”
“Can you float?” She physically recoiled and looked around, Steve had come back.
“No.” She pulled away from Hopper and looked ready to scream for Steve.
“I got you.” The two stood together in the water, clinging to each other.
“I’m sorry, I forgot.”
“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” Steve reassured him, he hugged both kids at the same time.
“How about next time we come out we bring floaties?”
“Yeah.” Steve agreed.
“Next time?” El looked up excitedly.
“Yeah, if it’s safe enough to see Harrington throw around stuff with his mind, it must be safe.” He huffed. It was worth it to see El’s excited smile.
“Do we need to go back to school shopping?” Steve pulled a face as Hopper said it.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Back to school shopping?” El cocked her head.
“It’s when parents drag kids back for new clothes and supplies.”
“Why?”
“Probably to show that they give a shit.” Steve seemed surly to the idea.
“Did the Harrington’s take you this year?” Hopper asked, still mixing the batter for pancakes.
“Nah, they usually don’t. They send shit to make sure they look good.”
“We should go.”
“No thanks.”
“Why not? We could get out, just the boys.”
“What type of after school specials are you watching Hopper?”
“I’m just offering! We could have fun.” Steve snorted at him.
“Okay, sure. Let’s go back to school shopping so other parents see you and me together. Won’t that raise questions?”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I’m fine Hopper. You should pick up stuff for El though. She broke our last red crayon.”
“Books?” El perked up.
“Yeah we could get more books. I’ll also be going to the library again! New books every week.” She smiles up at Steve as he spoke.
“I should get some back to school stuff. You guys said you needed new crayons?” Hopper forced a smile.
“Yes!” El smiles widely.
“I’ll stop this week. Grab some stuff.” Steve bumped into him as he grabbed more coffee.
“Stop being sad. At least it’s the last year you’re stuck with me.” Hopper didn’t feel like he was stuck with Steve or El. Were they headaches? Yes. They almost stitched something inside him though, especially when they were loud and happy. They were non apologetic the longer they were here. He thought of the day he wouldn’t find Barbie dolls, or puzzles, or stuffed animals, or crayons strewn about the cabin. What age did they stop playing with toys? What if he never fell over another soccer ball Steve left out? Accidentally break crayons because El left them out? He wasn’t ready.