Work Text:
It didn’t take long for Hopper’s excellent day to be ruined, in fact only a few minutes after clocking in for his shift, does he receive an unwanted call from his deputies regarding a delicate situation they thought he should be aware of.
After confirming that the incident involved no death, injury, or missing person Hopper was baffled.
Actually, Hopper was infuriated that his officers were apparently so incompetent they needed his assistance with something, he assumes is, inconsequential as they refused to elaborate on the details over the radio.
He had been looking forward to putting his feet up on his desk in the warmth of his office for another uneventful shift, which had become the norm since they had defeated Vecna. Hopper had become accustomed to joyous days spent with Joyce interspersed with the peaceful shifts a small town typically brings.
He was not supposed to be trudging out to Benny’s long-since abandoned dinner in the freezing and frigid January frost, where Callahan and Powell were idling outside.
“Well,” Hopper grunts grumpily as he approaches “What was so serious you dragged me all the way out here?” he demands at the two men who exchange an apprehensive look with one another.
“Chief” Powell begins carefully considering his words “We received a call regarding a possible trespass at Benny’s dinner at 8:36 pm from a Mr Falmer. Officer Callahan and I arrived at approximately 8:54 and managed to apprehend one of the trespassers” Powell gestures his head to the building behind them “he’s detained inside.”
Hopper frowns “and this required my presence why?” thinking longingly about the comfort of his cozy office and the abandoned cup of coffee sitting on his desk.
Officer Powell grimaces “The trespasser… he’s- chief it’s your misses youngest- the one who went missing a few years back.”
Hopper straightened his shoulders, his attention now caught “Will?” fear immediately tightened in his stomach.
Will was a good kid, a well-behaved kid. The most well-behaved of the lot of them Hopper thinks with the teenage rebellion that has taken over his daughter recently. Will, wasn’t the type to trespass, not without good reason and that kid has had plenty of good reasons in the past.
“Why didn’t you haul him in? We could be doing this in the warm you know” the bitter cold nipped unpleasantly at his face as he rubbed his hands together to retain feeling in them.
Officer Powell and Callahan exchange another uneasy look, Hopper’s eyebrow twitched impatiently the longer they stalled “We thought it might be best to handle this sensitively” Powell eventually explains.
Hopper’s frown deepened “Not going to give him special treatment just cause he’s one of mine, are you?”
“No” Powell responds grimacing as his eye twitches nervously “It’s just- Mr Falmer didn’t just complain about trespassing- there was something else-”
“Chief” Callahan cuts Powell off with a twisted sneer on his lips “I’ll be straight with you, Falmer saw him kissing a man. He called up ranting about sinful deviants and perverts. The other one had run off by the time we got here.” Callahan elbowed Powell lightly in the side “His old man used to always say the kid was a queer-“
“What did you say?” Hopper spat venomously at Callahan making the man move back surprised as he advanced on him “That’s my kid you’re talking about.”
“We know Chief” Powell stepped between the men attempting to diffuse the situation “It’s why we called you. We both thought it would be best to handle this quietly, I can’t promise Mr Falmer will keep his mouth shut but-“ Powell shrugs. “He’s not talking about the other guy, won’t give us a name. He’s putting on a brave front but he’s terrified-“
“Right” Hopper swallows. It should be a relief it’s not anything serious. The upside-down hasn’t returned to ruin his family’s lives. Again. But-
This isn’t good either.
Not the- not the homosexual thing. Not exactly anyway. Hopper already kind of knew that was a thing. He’d been preparing for it, getting used to it, changing how he thought of it. It was just another part of Will, his son.
It was the first thing Joyce told him about Will in the first place. Not that Hopper hadn’t already heard. Lonnie never was quiet about what he thought of his youngest when he had had a few. The words that man used against Will could only be described as cruel.
Hopper might not understand it, but he doesn’t need to because he supports him. The thinly veiled threats directed his way from Jonathan were utterly unneeded but appreciated regardless.
So, the problem is not in the thing itself but in the reaction of every else to the thing. Hopper thought Will would have been more careful. The kid knows better than most what those kinds of rumors can do to you.
Hopper needs to contain this. His Deputies have his back or at least Powell has Callahan in line for now. Hopper will need to deal with Mr Falmer later, and make sure he keeps his mouth shut. If there’s one thing Hopper will do it is protecting his family.
First, he needs to engage the terrified and traumatized teenager inside the derelict building in a conversation Hopper feels woefully unqualified for.
“Okay, good” Hopper grunts in appreciation for their discretion “I can handle this if you- if you want to head off”
“Understood” Powell responds, grateful to escape this awkward situation. The two of them made their way to their vehicle.
Hopper waited until they started the car and slowly peeled out of the deserted parking lot his gaze following the vehicle until it disappeared around the corner. He took a deep breath before making his way into the building.
His eyes were instantly drawn to the hunched figure of his stepson standing rigid in the middle of the empty room. Will hasn’t acknowledged Hopper despite the ample amount of noise he made entering the rusted door.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on kid?” his gruff voice echoes off the walls.
“No” Will’s gaze was trained on the dusty floor as he scuffed his foot gently into it, shoulders hunched inward making himself even smaller before Hopper than usual.
Reminiscent of when Hopper had first moved in, and Will would cower when forced to be in his presence. Before Hopper proved he was no threat, back when Will would hide and avoid him, while Jonathan’s eyes tracked his every movement with suspicion.
“Look” Hopper ran his hand through his hair roughly “You don’t want to talk about it. I get that. I don’t want to talk about it either but- hey Will- I need to know, the other- the other… person, are they your age?”
His deputies said man. Please say it’s not a man. Hopper doesn’t need a murder charge tonight.
Will blanches, his face screwing up in disgust “Of course, he is” immediately slams his mouth shut when it registers what pronoun he used. His hands tightened into fists clenched at his side.
“Okay, good” Hopper sighs deeply in relief before delicately attempting to broach the next part “So it was- Mr Falmer told my officers he caught you with- that you were trespassing here with a… boy?”
Hopper’s heart dropped at the full-bodied flinch Will did in response to his words. Hopper was not cut out for this, he wasn’t soft enough, couldn’t be soft enough. He needed Joyce right now, she would know the right words, and how to traverse this carefully.
The boy in front of him, his son, is the spit of that woman. So much warmth and care and love. Not a trace of Lonnie in him, in either of Joyce’s kids, they are hers alone. Hopper will not be another Lonnie. Not to any of them. Not to his family.
Hopper approached carefully clearly telegraphing his movements to him “Can you tell me who you were with?”
Hopper needs to know if there is someone else he needs to keep quiet.
“No” Will lifts his chin finally looking at Hopper steel in his eyes.
A look so reminiscent of his mother Hopper falters, “Kid I need to know if he’s going to talk-“
“He won’t” Will crosses his arms against his chest self-consciously “He won’t- no one knows- he won’t” Will repeats emphatically.
“Well, a couple of people do know now-“
Will’s expression fills with fear once more before he interrupts Hopper “Can we just get this over with?” he pleads “Arrest me for trespassing or- or sodomy-“
“Sodomy?” Hopper repeats dumbfounded.
Please, no.
Not yet. He can’t. Will’s the same age as El and he can’t. They can’t. They are far too young.
“You- you sodomy?” Hopper’s voice cracks “Kissing? It was supposed to be just kissing-“
“It was-“ Will assures him “Not sodomy then but whatever it’s illegal”
“It’s not illegal for two boys to kiss” Hopper frowns “As long as you are both boys, not a man-“
Will glares at him “It was a boy- he’s just tall”
“Okay, okay” Hopper held up his hands placatingly “I have to make sure you’re safe Will.”
“Fine” Will crosses his arms “Are you arresting me for trespassing then?”
“No”
Will snorts “Thought you didn’t believe in special treatment”
Hopper sighs loudly “This is a bit of a unique situation don’t you think.”
Will appears to get even more frustrated with Hopper’s attitude “What are you doing? Why aren’t you screaming at me? Why aren’t you-“ he shakes his head violently “I don’t understand.”
“Will,” Hopper starts not sure where he’s going but knowing he needs to get this right, “I’m not mad all right. I mean I’m not thrilled that you’ve broken into private property but the- the boy thing- I’m not mad, I’m just worried. It wouldn’t be good if other people found out. I need to keep you safe, I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?” Will breathes out hesitantly eye-wide in disbelief.
“I’m not” Hopper repeats truthfully.
He’s terrified of what this will mean for Will. How it will affect his entire life and how everyone will see him. How Hopper will never have certainty in his safety because of evil people who would hurt him for this.
But Hopper is not mad. Not at Will. Only at the world.
“You’re not going to kick me out?” Will whispers,
Making Hopper jerk like he has been slapped “Kick you out? You can’t think your mom would ever let that happen.”
“Aren’t you going to tell her?”
“Not if you don’t want me to” Hopper reassures him “I’ll make sure Mr Falmer and my officers keep quiet too. No one has to know about this. Not until you want to tell them. For what it’s worth your mom won’t care at all, she loves you.”
“You think?” Will asks tears, he had valiantly been fighting, fill his eyes.
“I know” Hopper awkwardly extended his arms offering a hug, thankful when Will immediately crashed into him burrowing his sobbing face into his chest. Hopper murmured encouragement muffled in his hair “You’re okay kid. It’s going to be okay”
It feels like an age before Will extracts himself from Hoppers’ arms, his sobs slowly having become quiet whimpers, wiping the tears from his face.
Hopper takes his time to examine the rapidly growing boy before him. A young man at this point. They have all grown so much over the past few years. It’s insane to think that Will had been so much smaller not too long ago. Suddenly shooting up and broadening. He still carried himself like he was much smaller, pulling the sleeves of a far-too-long sweater over his hands.
A sweater that looks suspiciously familiar to Hopper.
If he’s putting the pieces correctly then it’s definitely not a man, he has to worry about.
The truth isn't much better but that’s a problem for another day.
“Thanks, Hop” Will smiles softly at him and Hopper can see the fear has finally left him.
“You’re my son Will” Hopper clenches Will’s shoulder tightly “I’m always here for you. Now, what do you say we get on going home and away from this god-awful cold.”
Hopper was keen to not only finish this awkward but necessary conversation. Soft and mushy was still not his most proficient area despite improving over the years. Escaping the unheated building was not far behind on his list of reasons.
The warmth and love of the home he and Joyce had created was calling to him. The fact that he had successfully maneuvered this situation meant he deserved to call out for the rest of his shift. Hopper had learned how to reward himself when he deserved it.
He deserves the rest of the night off.
Callahan can cover after what he said about his son earlier.
It’s only as they are leaving the abandoned building does Hopper’s restraint fail him “Oh by the way 3 inches” he directs over his shoulder at Will “When Wheeler is over, the door stays open 3 inches”
He chuckles as Will misses his next step stumbling his face dropping in shock “What?” he squeaks cheeks blooming red.
Hopper stares him down unimpressed at the faux indignation “3 inches” he repeats a final time before striding away to his car leaving Will spluttering behind him.