A/N: It's proposal time! I hope so bad we get to see a proposal in season 5 if there's a time jump. Who wants to manifest with me?
1990
El's heart had been fluttering all morning. Maybe it was the special eggo breakfast laid out for her, drizzled in maple syrup. Or maybe it was the bright, sunny sky lighting up her room despite it being the middle of winter. Maybe it was the cute, new dress Joyce had gotten her for special occasions. It seemed appropriate to wear today because maybe, just maybe, El's racing heart had to do with the fact that today was November 7th, the anniversary of the day she and Mike had met, seven years ago in the rain, a special occasion if ever El knew one.
The note she found after waking up certainly didn't hurt either.
El,
I have a surprise for you.
Meet me at Heraty Bridge at 5:00.
Love, Mike
El was trying hard not to be presumptuous, but she had a really good feeling about today.
As often happens with the pair, not everything went, well, perfectly. When El arrived at their meeting spot, instead of her boyfriend waiting for her, Dustin was there, informing her-rather vaguely-that things hadn't quite gone to plan, and she was to meet Mike at the Black Bear Diner, the place they had their first official date, instead.
Upon arriving at the new location, she found that again, instead of her boyfriend, replacements had been sent, this time in the form of Lucas and Will, motioning for her and Dustin to join them at their booth. While the friends enjoyed a delicious meal and plenty of laughs while waiting for the missing boyfriend, El had to chuckle that while this wasn't exactly the anniversary date she had in mind, she was having a blast. About 45 minutes in, Mike finally showed up, looking out of breath and extremely bashful.
Naturally, his friends gave him a hard time, teasing him about being the worst date planner in the world, then they excused themselves, leaving the lovebirds alone.
El raised an eyebrow at him.
Mike put his hands up defensively. "I swear, I can explain!"
"Go on," she smirked, grabbing a forkful of her waffle.
"I am so so sorry. I had this plan of how I wanted all of this to go. In my head everything was perfect but of course I am a total idiot and have the worst luck. I mean, the roses I tried to buy you ended up being on backorder, the tux I rented was sent to the wrong person, and then when I finally got it sorted out, the candles that I had set out for us burned my suit jacket! And even that pales in comparison to the intense discussion I had to endure with Hopper, I mean, I know he's always been intimidating but damn."
At this El had to laugh. "Wow, you really do have bad luck!"
Mike laughed then looked at her sheepishly. "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay," she reassured. "I don't need a fancy anniversary celebration with roses and tuxes and candles. I just need you."
At that, Mike's grin grows impish, and he says, "Well then, lucky for you, the night isn't over yet." He grabs her hand and the two leave the restaurant without another word.
Upon arriving at the familiar spot in the woods, El gasps at what she sees. Her ridiculously sweet boyfriend had set up an entire ensemble, with a blanket laid out, candles glowing, lights flickering, and a basket full of her favorite treats. She tears up, thinking about how this was a romantic gesture straight from one of her favorite movies.
"Oh Mike," she gushes. "It's beautiful!"
"I'm glad you like it," he grins. "Despite the setbacks."
"Despite the setbacks," she confirms.
The two lounge on the blanket, basking in each other's company. El is content to lie next to him forever, but before long, Mike is sitting up and looking at El with the sweetest and most nervous expression on his face.
"I was trying to think of the perfect place to do this," he says, holding her hand in his. "Something that really held a lot of meaning for us. I thought about the old blanket fort in my basement; when I put that thing together I never would have guessed it would hold so much meaning. Not only is it where you slept that week, where you showed me your tattoo and I gave you your nickname, but it's also where I sat to call you those 353 days we were apart. Sitting in the fort always gave me hope that you were out there, that even though I was so scared I had lost you, I could always feel a connection to you; I could sense that you were still there."
El smiles, remembering that first night in Mike's basement. How scared she was and yet she felt so secure in that fort, with the boy who kept the door open and gave her a new name.
"After that I thought about the middle school, where we had our first kiss. I'll never forget you asking if I'd be like your brother, and almost having a heart attack trying to negate that one. It was probably so forward of me to kiss you, when we barely knew each other and you didn't even know what kissing was! But I wouldn't take it back-it was the best moment of my life up to that point.
It's also where you sacrificed yourself to stop the demogorgon. At that moment I knew you were the bravest person I'd ever met. I'll never forget watching you dissolve into thin air, and my heart actually breaking. The fact that in that same school a year later we would go to the Snowball together-you looking so beautiful and just being there-it turned one of the most tragic memories into one of the most beautiful ones."
Hearing this, El leans her forehead against Mike's, remembering how she did the same thing the night of the snowball, one of the happiest days of her life.
"If not there, we could have gone to the Byers' old house, if they still lived there. We have so many memories from that house, but the most important to me is when you walked through that door and back into my life. It's also the place where you first told me you loved me, and I really thought my brain had left my body, I was so shocked to hear those words from you! I'm still in shock every time I hear you say it because I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, that someone like you would even want me around, let alone love me!"
El smiles bashfully, not wanting to interrupt him, but squeezing his hand in reassurance.
"I guess we could have gone to the quarry where you saved my life from those asshole bullies, or the cabin, where we had a million moments together, or Hawkins High where we danced at 's so many places, El, that tell our love story. But I decided to bring you here, because if any day holds the most significance of our relationship, it's this spot, here in the woods, where I fell in love with you, the day we first met. I know I didn't even know you yet, and I had so many questions, and we were all desperate to find Will and bring him home. But something changed for me that day, El, because suddenly you were in my life, and I knew I didn't want that to ever change."
El feels like her heart is going to burst, the tears in her eyes starting to escape.
"Now here we are, seven years later, and all I want is to keep you in my life. I know our relationship has never been perfect, and you deserve the world, El. But I promise that I will love you with every ounce of my being, today and everyday you allow me to, because El, I never want to lose you again."
With these words, Mike reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out an elegant, velvet box. Inside is the most beautiful ring El has ever seen. Mike holds her face in his hand, looking deep into her eyes, her soul, and it's like she can see their entire future reflected back in his gaze.
"Eleven Jane Hopper, will you marry me?"
"Yes," she promises, and she's never been more sure of anything.
1993
Three years later when the couple finally says "I do", El feels confident that this is the start of her happily ever after.
Sorry for the extra cheesiness of this one (and the whole story, let's be honest), but when I get consumed with my mileven feels, it's either fluff or angst for me, and fluff won over hardcore this time. I'm still not totally recovered from volume two, probably won't be until season 5 comes out, yet knowing it's the end I'm not trying to rush the next season.
Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear your thoughts.