christmas

236 3 2
                                    


december 25, 1992

jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
now the jingle hop has began

the joyful christmas music chorused through mike's ears as he eagerly waited for his girlfriend to arrive. mike nervously paced back and forth, peering through the window, searching for the chief's car to pull up on the driveway.

mike insisted that he would be the one to pick up el, but hopper didn't want any funny business going on, especially on christmas day.

karen had been working hard in the kitchen for hours, trying to perfect her recipes. the turkey was nearly done, it just needed to be taken out of the oven. other than that, all was set for the guest's arrival.

jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
dancin' and prancin' in jingle bell square
in the frosty air

"hey." nancy called, leaning against the wall, her arms crossed, "you know, anxiously pacing around like that is only going to make you more nervous." nancy said, glancing at the pocket of his sweater.

mike rolled his eyes, "wouldn't you be nervous?"

"just be calm and act normal. everything's going to be fine." nancy assured, walking away.

suddenly, mike heard a car pull up through the snow and saw the lights. he peered through the window, seeing el and hopper get out of the car.

she was wearing a plain black blouse that was tucked into her red skirt. her hair was loosely curled, and she had a couple of necklaces hanging from her neck.

mike smiled. she looked beautiful.

"who is it?" nancy asked, heading towards mike.

"el." mike replied, his eyes never leaving her figure as she approached the door.

"they're here!" nancy yelled, walking to the kitchen. suddenly, a knock at the door startled mike. mike grinned, opening the door to reveal el and hopper, with hopper's arm resting on el's shoulder.

"mike!" el said, breaking free from her father's grasp, hugging mike tightly.

"merry christmas, babe." mike whispered, smiling into her shoulder.

mike spotted nancy, who was delicately leaning against the wall, smirking. mike blushed as nancy sent him a wink. this was going to be the best christmas ever.

———————————————————

the byers arrived shortly after, as did everyone else. karen began serving appetizers as soon as everyone sat down at the dinner table.

mike sat between el and will, with all of the other party members seated on the other side of the table. the table was filled to the brim with all kinds of various food items. everyone was very fond of karen's cooking, which she was flattered by.

the chatter arose in the room, with the smell of the fireplace fire lingering in the air, and everyone enjoyed hearing the christmas music fill their ears as they ate.

most of them were talkative, others were not. especially mike. he was dreading the next couple of hours, nervously looking down at his lap, fiddling with his pocket.

mike had a special surprise for el, but he was nervous to the core.

———————————————————

mike tried to put on a brave face for the rest of the night, but he couldn't contain himself. he was anxious.

they were just about to finish opening presents, each of them loving the gifts they had received.

"thank you, max, i love it." el said, embracing max in a hug. max had gifted el a beautiful pink dress, which she had previously wanted, after seeing it in the mall.

el shifted out from mike's grasp, turning her gaze to face him. "so, mike, what did you get me?"

mike felt a pang in his stomach. "oh um, that's actually what i wanted to talk about.." mike gulped, not looking el in the eyes.

el's face saddened, "did you forget? it's okay if you did, i just-"

"no! no! i didn't forget, i-i just um.. come with me" mike spoke, grabbing el's hand, leading her outside. everyone followed the pair, watching them from the window. they were excited for what was to come.

el shivered from the cold breeze, "mike, why are we-"

mike interrupted her, grabbing her hand, "el, ever since i met you, i knew you were special. since we've been together, you have made me feel more complete, more alive, and have shown me the meaning of love and happiness. you are the sweetest, funniest, most caring, and most gorgeous girl i've ever met. i can't imagine what my life would be like without you. and, that's why i want to spend the rest of my life with you."

mike dropped down to one knee, whipping out a small red velvet box. "el, will you marry me?" his comment caused el to gasp, covering her mouth with her hand.

el felt a tear slip down her cheek, "of course, of course! yes!"

mike jumped up excitedly, carefully slipping the ring on her finger.

"oh, mike." el whispered, before mike smashed his lips against hers. the two shared a long, passionate kiss, also feeling snow fall down above them. they could hear everyone inside cheering and shouting in the background.

they pulled away, letting their foreheads touch. they smiled at each other, gazing into each other's eyes.

"i love you so much." mike grinned, pecking el on the cheek.

el smiled brightly, "i love you too."

there was a moment of silence before mike finally spoke again. "so, did you like your christmas present?"

el chuckled at his comment, "very much so." mike laughed along as well, embracing his fiancé in a hug.

mike smiled into her shoulder, "mrs. wheeler, i like it."

———————————————————

i really don't know how i feel about this chapter... anyways, what do you guys think? remember to stay positive and thank you for reading!

~hannah <3

mileven one shotsWhere stories live. Discover now