You Matter To Me (Fanfiction)
Pairings: platonic Jopper, implied Lonnie/Joyce
Tags: Pre S1, Implied Joyce/Lonnie, Songfic, Pregnancy, Anxiety, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Insomnia, Stress Relief, Oneshot
A pregnant Joyce calls Hopper in tears. He helps her in more ways than one.
Lonnie is useless and Hopper is a good friend.
Jim Hopper was busying himself with paperwork when another officer tapped him on the shoulder. “Joyce Byers is on the phone. She’s asking for you.”
Puzzled, he closed the manilla folder he was so heavily focused on and rose from his seat. He picked up the phone, raising it to his ear almost hesitantly. “Hey Joyce, it’s Jim. What’s up?” he tried to sound like this was just the usual for them.
“Jim, Lonnie’s at work and nobody over there is answering me…it’s the baby, I haven’t felt him move all day--” She cut off with a sob, and Jim’s stomach lurched. “I’m sorry, Jonathan’s with me and I don’t know who else to call.”
“I’m coming over. Try to stay calm, alright?”
Her sniffling was the only response.
Joyce was already pacing on the front porch by the time Hop pulled into the drive. Her movements were desparate, frantic. Her eyes were swollen, her face reddened from where she was wiping her own tears, and her entire body was shaking nervously.
“Hop,” she stumbled over to him, a single hand on her belly, “I haven’t felt him move all day. It’s…it’s not normal. I know you must think I’m crazy but I know something’s wrong,” she took his hand and placed it on her rounded belly, her eyes searching his for any sign of relief. He paused, waiting to feel the usual kick or movement which he’d experienced recently with his own wife. For a moment he thought he felt something, then all hope disappeared as he came to terms with the fact that he was imagining it. “He’s not moving, Hop. I can’t feel him.”
“Hey,” her gaze had drifted, and he held her chin in his hand for a moment before wiping away her tears. Jim let his hand brush her cheek, wanting nothing more than to reassure her in that moment.
She laid her head against his chest and let out another sob. “Hopper, I don’t know what I’m going to do if something happens to him. I don’t know what to do.”
“Let’s get you to the hospital so you can get help, and then we’ll know,” she looked up at him again, and fear was written across her features. “The sooner the better. I’ll start the car, and you go get Jonathan.”
She nodded and disappeared into the house. Moments later, Jonathan was in tow, his eyes wide. He looked terrified. “Hey, it’s alright Little Man. I’m gonna drive Mommy over to the doctor so she can get a checkup. Then maybe I’ll see if we can’t find you a lollipop, okay?”
Jonathan nodded, smiling now. Joyce helped him into his carseat and fastened him in, all while fretting over his hat and shoes.
The ride to Hawkins Memorial was tense. Jim placed a hand in Joyce’s lap and she took it, holding onto him like a lifeline. When they got there, Jim helped her check in and sat in the waiting room with Jonathan, who was very excited when the secretary brought him a red lollipop.
Another stress-filled hour later, a nurse came to speak to Hop. He told her that he was a friend and had driven Joyce over when she called about the baby. Then the doctor stepped out with Joyce beside him, looking only a little better than before.
“Are you the father?” the doctor asked.
“Um…family friend, Officer Jim Hopper.”
“I see. Everything is quite alright, Joyce is just very stressed. She admitted she hasn’t been sleeping well and I suggested we keep her overnight for observation, but she wants to wait until her husband is home. I told her that she can go home to wait for him if she pleases, but she needs to stay in the ward overnight so we can keep an eye on her. For now, I recommend you get her home and keep her as comfortable and relaxed as possible until he returns.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Only then did Jim allow himself a sigh of relief. He coaxed Joyce forward and Jonathan started chattering away to his Mom, clearly very happy to see her again.
“Are you gonna be okay, Mom?” he asked, staring up at her with worry in his big brown eyes.
“Oh, I’ll be just fine, sweetheart. I might have to stay in bed until your little brother is born so that we can keep him good and healthy,” she explained.
Minutes later, Hopper helped Joyce out of the car and walked her and Jonathan to the door. She sent the little boy inside and stood in the waning light at Hopper’s side, her eyes threatening to well with tears. “I’m sorry, Jim. I didn’t mean to disturb your work, but Karen is away and I really didn’t know who to call. And I…I really thought he was dead,” her voice broke, and he hugged her, holding him gently against him as if he could absorb all her fear. “I’ve just been really anxious, and I haven’t slept, and I let my mind get the better of me. I should’ve known. I’ve been through this before. All my anxiety is putting him at risk, and I can’t seem to control it.”
“It’s not your fault, Joyce. You’re not crazy. Even if it had been a false alarm, it still matters. He matters. You matter to me.”
For the first time in a long time, Joyce let herself calm in his embrace. For the first time in a very long time, she believed him and knew that he meant what he said. She held him close, tears wetting his shirt, and felt cared for. Safe. Loved.
He rubbed circles into her back. One hand drifted down to her belly and she breathed deeply, wishing only that the little one inside could feel and understand how much she loved him. She never wanted him to feel unimportant. Unloved. “I love you.”
She pulled away, jolting herself out of the moment. “Thank you, Hop,” was all she dared to say. They both belonged to someone else, and there was enough love and loyalty there for them to ever think of betraying that.
But Joyce would never let herself forget how Jim made her feel in that moment. Anytime she felt scared, lost, or lonely, she knew her mind would drift back to those words, “You matter to me.”
