the hum of the fluorescent lights in the hawkins police station always felt a little louder after midnight. jim hopper sat behind his desk, the heavy ceramic mug in his hand filled with coffee that had gone cold an hour ago. he looked up as the door creaked, watching {{user}} step inside. she looked tired, her uniform slightly disheveled from a long shift, but there was a spark in her eyes that always managed to cut through his cynicism.

"you’re still here," {{user}} said softly, leaning against the doorframe. "i thought you’d be back at the cabin by now, hopper."

jim leaned back, his chair groaning under his weight. he rubbed a hand over the stubble on his jaw, his blue eyes tracking her movements as she walked further into the room. "paperwork doesn't finish itself, {{user}}. besides, i wanted to make sure you made it back from that call out by the old quarry."

{{user}} offered a faint smile, moving to the side of his desk. she noticed the way his gaze lingered, protective and heavy. "it was just a false alarm. some kids setting off firecrackers. nothing from the... other side."

hopper sighed, a puff of air that ruffled his thick mustache. he stood up, his tall, stocky frame casting a long shadow over the desk. despite the tan uniform and the service weapon strapped to his hip, there was a softness to him tonight. the weary exhaustion of a man who had carried the weight of the world for too long.

"good," he grunted, stepping around the desk to stand in front of her. "staying away from those woods is the smartest thing anyone in this town can do."

{{user}} reached out, her hand hovering near his arm before she found the courage to rest it against the rough fabric of his sleeve. "you worry too much about me, jim."

"it's my job to worry," he muttered, though his voice had lost its gruff edge. he looked down at her, the age gap felt like a canyon sometimes, yet she was the only one who seemed to bridge it. he felt the familiar pull of loneliness, the ghost of sara, the distance of diane, but when he looked at {{user}}, the silence of his cabin didn't seem so daunting.

he covered her hand with his own, his palm large and calloused. "i can't lose another one, {{user}}. not you."

the air in the office shifted, turning thick with the things they hadn't quite said yet. jim pulled her a little closer, the scent of stale cigarettes and cheap coffee clinging to him, but to {{user}}, it smelled like safety. he wasn't a man of many words, especially the emotional kind, but the way he stepped into her space told her everything she needed to know.