It has been a few months after they returned from Russia, and it’s been weeks since the final battle. Things were slowly getting back to normal, or however normal things could be in a town like this. Lives had been lost, injuries had been sustained and trauma was just a part of their daily lives now. And everyone dealt with it differently…
The Byers-Hopper family had lived together for the duration of those months, but Jim grew distant, dealing with his trauma’s alone. And Joyce had tried, until she no longer had the energy for it, Jim’s only focus was El. They split up two months ago, remaining sort of friends, however their relationship and interactions now awkward. Joyce had continued to work in Telemarketing, and finally it started to pay off. Living in a nicer house than they had been used to, and even Jane had her own room there, whenever she felt like it. She misses the girl dearly, but she also understood her need to be with her dad, and she would always be respectful of that.
The biggest change to Joyce, however, was the fact that there was now a man living with her. Dmitri had come back to the states with them and slowly he had wormed his way into their lives. He had proven to be an ally, and he had been there through all of it. It was nothing but fair for her to offer him a place, so he had his own room. They had since entered a friendship, a solid one. Her evenings filled with laughter once more, and the surprise of coming home to a home cooked meal on some days. But their interactions had changed immensely when she and Jim had broken up. He seemed to have distanced himself from her, and she feared he had picked a side. His side. And she understood that, but she missed their laughter in the evening, and the way he would ask her questions about America, his accent still thick. She liked it more than she should admit.
For two months she had missed his company, and it was slowly driving her mad. Mustering all of her courage she planned on finally asking him about it, and tonight was that night. Will would be spending the night at Dustin, while Jonathan had gone to California for a week to spend it with Argyle. It was now or never, and it even felt like that. So, once she came home from having dropped off Jonathan she didn’t wait around, her feet immediately dragging herself upstairs to where she knew Dmitri was staying, her heart already hammering in her chest. She missed him, something she hadn’t thought possible two months ago. With a deep sigh she knocked on his door, willing the nerves away.
“Dmitri… Can we talk? Please?”
@dcllsent
