A/N: It's a repost of a fanfic published on Ao3 on November 25th, 2017.

It's a teeth-rotting fluff. You have been warned!

And the moment finally came :D

I've been torn between which setting to choose, but I've eventully decided on the one you'll about to see ;)

Heavily inspired by Ed Sheeran's Perfect (since it's so much Mileven song).

And, yeah, strongly implied Jopper (I couldn't help myself) ahead!

(Plus, references to Every Breath You Take and Labyrinth ;) )


Part 2: I Love You, Too


Hawkins, July 1986

The last year had been even more eventful than the previous one, even though Mike had hardly believed that could be possible. But if there was anything he had learnt since that fateful week of November 1983, it was that trying to predict the future—in the end—was utterly senseless. Therefore, he had to admit that nothing had been really surprising him anymore.

Actually, he had trouble recalling how their lives had looked before Christmas of 1985, when that big peculiar group of people, who had bonded with one another while fighting monsters from another dimension, had finally felt almost like a real family, mostly because of the huge Christmas Party at the Byers'. Mike still had no idea how so many people could have fit into such a small house for it still not to feel too crowded. Counting the number of people who had showed up had come out to be a very difficult task, and he had quickly gave up.

Somehow, with a few more tables and a majority of furniture moved away from the living room, all of the guest had sit together, eating, chatting, and exchanging gifts. It had been a really pleasant evening, and, as it had turned out, it had held quite a few surprises, one of them being an official shift in Mrs. Byers and Chief's relationship. It hadn't been unexpected (truthfully, it'd been longed-for), but everyone had still been amazed by the two of them so openly showing each other affection.

Besides, it had proved to bring many groundbreaking changes to their lives. Hopper and El had practically been living with the Byers for the last few months (or at least spending the vast majority of time there), and with Jonathan leaving for NYU in the fall, their moving in there was certainly happening sooner than later. El herself was thrilled at the perspective of having siblings—brothers, nonetheless—and very glad to see Hopper so happy.

For her, though, that merge of their families into one hadn't been the only great shift, as the beginning of a new year had marked a start of school for her. She had been very enthusiastic, even if a little worried, and enjoyed every second of it. Despite not fitting in that well with other kids from the town, the group of her closest friends had been enough for her not to feel like an outcast. Mike knew that she relished the feeling of normalcy that accompanied going to school.

On top of that, they could finally spend more time together. Attending a majority of the same classes (Mike had suspected that Chief had had something to do with that), they had become almost inseparable at school, spending breaks with the rest of the party or just by themselves. Of course, everyone had been wondering who the new mysterious girl had been and why she had been hanging out only with the losers (well, maybe except Dustin, who was getting increasingly more popular), but Mike hardly thought about it.

Right now, however, that the summer had started, Mike and El could meet anywhere they wanted to, away from prying eyes. That one particular afternoon, they sat on the cabin's porch, talking, laughing, and listening to one of the mixtapes, which El had gotten from Jonathan, on her new radio. He had been very happy to introduce her to the "real music", as he called it, but Mike could swear he had heard a few more Nancy-like choices on it as well. And the incredible joy on El's face when she had ripped away the wrapping paper was hard to forget (the only moment of the Christmas Party he cherished more was the exchange of gifts between just the two of them).

It was the very beginning of July and every member of the party was very excited about the summer break, especially El, since those were her first holidays ever. She was still a bit confused what all the fuss was about, but she slowly started to understand the joy of not having to go to school everyday. Furthermore, she had already told Mike about some of her summer plans, including taking him to the theater to see Labyrinth, which she was eagerly looking forward to.

Mike smiled at the thought. Last year, it had been beyond their imagination for her to just casually hang out in town with her friends. In spite of her gradually widening freedom, there had been many things she couldn't do, and her life had still been far from normal. Now, however, she was going where she wanted to (most of the time after getting Hopper's approval, but… not always) and doing whatever she wished for.

Watching her enjoying that nearly unlimited freedom was one of the most fascinating things Mike had ever done. Hadn't he known better, he would've had hard time recognising the girl sitting next to him. With her expression serene and a cheerful smile on her rosy lips, she looked just like a normal fifteen-year-old, as if she had never experienced any of the nightmares that constantly haunted her.

Her cute curly hair were significantly longer, reaching past her shoulders and jumping freely every time she was laughing. She was wearing a pretty floral dress— her own, bought specifically for her—with short sleeves and a full bottom. Nancy had told him that when El had stepped out of the dressing room that day, she had looked as brightly as though she'd been about to buy a diamond ring, not just a simple dress. Max mocked her a bit about how girly she looked, even if it was all light-hearted. In return, El didn't hesitate to point out that embracing her girly side made her feel good and Max should try it one day (a conversation usually ended up with the red head sticking out her tongue or rolling her eyes, but with a wide grin brightening her face up).

"Mike." El's voice brought him back to reality. Apparently, he was staring at her longer than he thought. She eyed him questioningly, and for a moment he felt like he was missing something very important. "It's our song," she declared seriously, although he could see a glint of excitement in her eyes.

And, true to her words, the first chords of Every Breath You Take by The Police filled the air around them. El was promptly on her feet, reaching a hand in his direction with a playful smile. Soon, Mike found himself being pulled into the middle of a small clearing just before the cabin, and he should have seen that coming. El was a fast learner, and it didn't apply only to reading or skating, so it hadn't taken her long to master a wide variety of dance moves alongside Dustin (they had been stealing every party they'd been to since then). Her enthusiasm for dancing, as contagious as it was, had affected him a little, but his abilities were a far cry from being in any way impressive. Despite that, he could do everything just to see her smile, and that included making a fool of himself in front of her and their friends.

Now, however, that no one was watching them, he felt more at ease, swinging slowly to the rhythm of the song. His arms wrapped around El's waist, and he brought her closer, her breath ghosting over his face. Moments such like this one were those he treasured the most—when he was so close to her, sinking in those beautiful chocolate eyes, with no one else who could interrupt them. In those moments it felt like she was his whole world. And, well, she truly was.

"I used to hate that song," Mike confessed casually when the first refrain began.

El tilted her head to the side, looking at him curiously, with her brows a bit furrowed. He guessed that he had caught her off guard with that statement.

"I mean, if you listen closely to the lyrics, it's… creepy," he explained cautiously, trying to find proper words.

"I know," she admitted lightly, a small smirk adorning her lips. "But now it is your favourite," she said a bit mockingly, with a knowing look, her tone playful.

"One of my favourites," he corrected her pointedly, even though part of him knew all too well that she was essentially right. Not that he would ever admit it to the rest of the party, of course.

El just smiled broadly in response, obviously not taken in by his denial, and went back to swaying to the music, her arms thrown around his neck. Her fingers played with a few strands of his hair, but he didn't mind (it was actually really soothing if he was to be honest with himself). With her eyes almost closed and a relaxed smile, she looked like an angel. Mike couldn't believe that such a wonderful creature would ever love a loser like him. She was perfect, and in spite of it she had chosen him of all great people around them.

He had no idea what had gotten into him, but words left his throat before any doubting thoughts could stop them. "I love you, El." His voice was so quiet, that wasn't she so close she wouldn't have heard him at all.

But she had. Her face immediately brightened up, and Mike could swear he had never seen anyone looking at someone else with as much affection as she did. He was overwhelmed both by her reaction and by his own words. Although he thought he was about to panic, somehow what he actually felt was complete calmness, filling his heart. As if he had finally understood something, all doubts that he had ever had now forgotten.

Mike couldn't stop a vibrant smile from spreading on his lips, his eyes stinging slightly, as tears of pure joy slowly started to gather in their corners. "I love you, too," he repeated, louder this time, completely mesmerised by her eyes.

El chuckled warm-heartedly, her cheeks reddening slightly, but she hold his gaze. "I know," she reaffirmed, smiling knowingly.

It couldn't be more than a few seconds, even if they felt like hours, before she leaned in and kissed him sweetly. He was quick to return the kiss, still amazed by what had just happened. It had been one of many intimate moments they had shared over the last year and a half, so what had made him say that now?

Even though that question bugged him, he couldn't care less about the answer at the moment. Having that incredible girl in his arms, he felt like everything was falling into place. With his heart racing, but so amazingly light, he didn't want to waste even a split second to overthink it.