el had stayed the night at mike's house
again.
both families were used to it, if their kid didn't come home they'd know exactly here they'd be. it would usually be eleven staying at mike's for the simple reason of nostalgia, of when she didn't officially exist and when she was experiencing life for the first time before it was cruelly snatched away again. it was also the first time she met mike, and damn. it was fuckin' worth every second in the upside down to be with him.
el and mike lay on his bed, her head on his chest looking up at the ceiling. her hand was holding his, a smile playing on her lips. they didn't speak, they just lay with each other and enjoyed the others presence.
"el?' mikes soft voice cut through the silence like a knife, shaking her from her thoughts. "yeah?" she answered softly, her eyes fluttering shut. he looked down at her, unable to keep a smile off his face because she was his girlfriend. "I, um got you something for your fifteenth but I never gave it to you.." he trailed off, nervously as he stood up. eleven looked up at him with curious eyes. "what is it?" she asked softly, furrowing her eyebrows. mike got a small box off his bedside table, before getting down on one knee in front of her. el was confused, until he opened it.
inside was a silver ring, shaped like a tiara. el and her friends had been saying about the specific ring and how pretty it was a few months ago, she couldn't believe he'd bought it for her..
"eleven jane byers, you're the only person I ever want to be with. when I found you, I was so confused with everything going on. then the night you left and we kissed, we were only twelve but I just felt that it was always you. it broke my heart when you were gone. I looked for you every night, the boys thought i lost it. but you came back. you came back to me. el, I want to be with you until we're old. I want you to be my wife one day, maybe. I mean.." mike was cut off by his girlfriend's lips on his, her hand gently cupping his cheek. "I love you too, dork." she whispered, before being pushed onto her back on the bed playfully.
mike carefully slid the ring onto her ring finger, smiling as it fit perfectly. he came back up from his position on the ground, sitting back on the bed as el moved into her lap. it was how they normally sat, el liking the closeness of her ear on his chest listening to his fast heartbeat. mike would wrap his arms around her, making her feel the most safe she ever could.
the two teens were only fifteen, but they had the knowledge of adults. it could be blamed on the terrifying ordeals they both went through, but they had those ordeals to thank fro them both being together. mike knew she was too good for him, most definitely. she was beautiful, kind, smart and a giant pain in the ass but she was worth it. he dreamed to marry her, to make her eleven jane wheeler. one day they'd leave hawkins together, maybe for college as el wanted to be a psychologist for children and mike wanted to become a chemist. he'd always hated hawkins, knowing nothing stayed a secret for long as there were so little people in the small town. el was always gawked at by adults, as was will as he 'came back to life' when he was twelve. in school, will stayed a nobody but because nobody knew el she had a new life she could choose what she wanted to do. she wasn't limited to the lab anymore, she was able to be a real person and have ambitions and freedom.
she couldn't fuckin wait to become eleven jane wheeler.
