AN:

So here we are at the end. Thanks for riding along with me, I hope you enjoyed it despite the emotional tRAUMA I put you all through. I really love these two kiddos with all my heart and I always want the best for them in the end.

Hope you guys don't mind one more surprise. ;)

Mike tugged at his white dress-shirt, trying to make sure the sleeves were rolled up high enough, and then picked at some lint on his steel-grey vest. He felt strangely anxious, like he might do something wrong and sighed again, turning away from the mirror. It wouldn't help to stare, it wouldn't make the time pass any more quickly.

There was a knock at the door and he looked over, wondering why Dustin was knocking when it was literally the Men's room for changing. His friends had left him to go and check on if things were running according to plan, figuring Mike might want a minute to process what was happening.

"Come in?" he asked, unsure.

Max's bright red hair spilled in as she cracked the door, only sticking her head in.

"Mike, she wants to see you. Like now," she said.

"Now? But we're starting in like twenty minutes…" he blinked.

"That's what I told her! But she keeps saying she wants to talk to you and honestly at this point I think it would be a good idea. She's nervous. Like real bad."

Mike was immediately worried, walking towards the door.

"Well, okay, um, I'll just cover my eyes or something," he said, putting his hands over his eyes and clearing his throat. "You can let her in."

"Alright, cool."

The door shut again and he felt his heart rate rising. He'd already been nervous, but finding out that she was nervous somehow made it worse. Keeping his eyes completely covered, he jiggled his leg up and down, inhaling sharply at the sound of the door opening.

"Mike?" Her voice still made him smile.

There was the sound of fabric swishing across the floor and then he felt small hands on his forearms. He could smell her lilac perfume, her skin soft on his.

"Why are you covering your eyes?"

"It's… bad luck to see you before, or something—"

"That's stupid," she was tugging his hands away, "I want to see your face. Please?"

He could never refuse her and he sighed, pulling his hands away and opening his eyes, blinking to adjust back to the sunlight that filled the room. She came into focus and he felt the air leave his lungs as he stared down at his bride.

Her dress was a satin slip that skimmed her body and fell to the ground, trailing out behind her, with thin pearly straps that accentuated her collarbones and china doll features. Her skin glowed, like it had been rubbed with fairy dust, and her hair, which had grown out, fell down her back in honey-brown waves. A simple crown of greenery interspersed with baby's breath and blush-pink tea roses rested on her head in place of veil and her lips and cheeks were a soft pink hue.

"Wow," he breathed, his eyes wide. "You look… wow."

Despite the worry that furrowed her brow, she found herself smiling softly at his reaction, reaching for his hands and holding them in her own.

"Thanks, Mike," her eye were genuine but there was tinge of worry behind them.

"You're stunning, El. Breathtaking. Perfection," he pulled her close to him, arms around her waist, looking down at her with a face-breaking smile. "Are you sure you want to marry me? I'm kind of a tall, awkward dork."

Her lips curled up into a smile and she laughed then, forgetting the worry.

"Are you backing out on me now, Mike Wheeler? After proposing to me every day for the past two years?" Her eyes were dancing.

"It wasn't every day…"

"Okay, every month."

"It wasn't—well it kind of was—" he looked sheepish, "I didn't start asking you until last year, okay? I'm not that crazy…"

"It's fine, Mike." She was smiling playfully. "I said yes eventually, didn't I?"

He leaned down and kissed her temple.

"Yes you did," he breathed her in for a second before pulling back. "So what were you worried about? Max said you were nervous and the wedding starts in like…" he glanced at the clock. "Seventeen minutes."

She pulled back a bit, biting her lip and he recognized the signs. There was something she was afraid of telling him and he sighed, grabbing her and leading her over to the cushioned bench that sat against the wall, sitting down and pulling her into his lap, making sure to not wrinkle her dress.

"What is it, El? You know you don't have to be afraid. Whatever it is… we'll figure it out," he gave her another gentle kiss and felt her relax against him.

"Mike, um, do you remember like, a few months ago when I got that skin thing and I had to take some anti-fungal med?"

She'd gotten a pretty common skin infection after forgetting her flip flops at home on a trip to the gym and taking a shower on the moldy floor with bare feet. Mike hadn't really thought about it, and he wondered why that was making her worried now. That had been almost two months ago.

"Um, yeah… why, did it come it back?"

"No," she snorted a laugh but then sobered, "that's not… no. Um, it's… a little more, um—"

"El," he was laughing, "What is it?"

"I think I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

The air left the room and Mike's eyes widened. El was biting her lip, trembling slightly and suddenly the air came back and he gasped.

"Wha—What?!"

Tears filled her eyes.

"I'm s-sorry the meds I took messed with my birth control and we—"

"Woah, wait, stop," he sat up a bit, scoot her out of his lap so he could look her in the eyes. "Why are you sorry? Did you—You don't think I'm mad, do you?"

She blinked her wide, wet eyes at him. "You're not?"

He stood up and pulled her up too, cupping her face in his hands, leaning down to kiss the tears from her eyes.

"How could I be mad? You just told me… we're going to have a baby?"

He was still in a state of shock, but the worry melted from her face and he felt her slump a bit, clearly relieved.

"I… I don't know for sure. But I realized like yesterday that my period hasn't reared it's ugly head lately and—"

"Can we get a test? Can we find out now?"

He was bouncing like a puppy and she blinked before laughing.

"Mike, we're supposed to get married. In like ten minutes…"

"There's a drugstore on the corner," he was beaming and staring at her, "did you tell Max? Can she run and buy us a test? They can wait a bit, right?"

"Well—If you really want… she doesn't know but we could tell her really quick, hang on."

They called in El's bridesmaid who shrieked at the news and immediately grabbed her wallet and sprinted from the building, reappearing no less than five minutes later, rather disheveled and sweaty. Sometimes having someone who could run a four minute mile came in handy.

"Tell me the second you know what it says, okay? I'll go get the boys and we'll tell everyone you're throwing up or something and we're gonna start a little late," she panted, her fancy wedding hair kind of ruined. She didn't seem to notice or car.

She left them alone and they quickly opened the little pink box, and El disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. Mike couldn't stop pacing outside, trying not to be weird, but definitely anxious. No… not anxious, excited. Anxiously excited. He sat down on the bench again and exhaled heavily, trying to calm his racing heart.

El, his Ell… pregnant? With a baby?

The last two years hadn't been perfect, but they'd been blissfully content nonetheless, creating a cozy life in Hawkins together. After they'd run from the gala everything had blurred. She and Max had been evicted from their skyline apartment and Dustin had helped them pack up and move their stuff, since Mike was all but banned from Indianapolis by that point. El had moved in with him, and eventually found a job, assisting Flo at the police station and under Chief Hopper's watchful gaze. Brenner had backed off after her threat to expose him and after the first year they stopped worrying about him. They'd made enough to rent out a small house and moved a few months later.

She still had bad nights, and eventually started seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma of her past. Mike had come with her at first, holding her hand while she let pain spill out again and making sure she was okay. Now she went by herself, once a week, and always came back her vibrant, playful self. His love never wavered and though she still had her fears and doubts, he always silenced them.

They were happy. And they were going to have a baby?

El came out of the bathroom and Mike jumped, almost tripping, eyes eager.

"So? Is it… positive?"

She blinked. "I don't know yet, it has to sit for fifteen minutes first. It took me like five minutes to pee, sorry. I think I'm dehydrated."

"Oh," he dimmed a bit, but pulled her to him to show he wasn't too disappointed. "Well… what do you want to do while we wait?"

They looked around the quiet room, where his groomsmen's belongings were scattered on counters and chairs. Outside the hallway led down to the sanctuary, where his family and their friends were waiting. It was mostly Mike's relatives friends, since El didn't have too many people in her life other than Max. But she'd insisted on sending an invitation to some women named Beth and a few other workers at the hotels she used to stay in.

El's hand trailed up his chest, resting on the back of his neck as she ran her fingers through his hair, her eyebrow raising. He recognized the look and smirked, shaking his head.

"Aren't we supposed to save that for the honeymoon?" he asked.

"That's not what you said two days ago," she countered.

They were giggling, like teenagers, and he ran over and locked the door before turning back around and picking her up by the waist and carrying her across the room, laying her down on the bench. She rolled over, sliding the straps of her dress off her shoulders and he reached for the zipper, tugging it down carefully.

He had a flashback, to their first night together when she'd turned her back to him and he'd unzipped her for the first time. She looked over and gave him the same smirk and he felt the same thrill he'd felt back then shiver through him.

She peeled the dress off carefully, getting up half-naked and carefully draping it over a chair. He did the same with his vest but didn't get the chance to unbutton his pants as she turned and pounced, grinning devilishly. He yelped as she pulled them down his legs and grabbed his dick in her hand, looking smug at how hard he was already.

"El," he yelped.

She gave him another grin before taking him into her mouth, expertly bobbing her head and making him groan. Fuck she was good at this. Her tongue swirled around him as she moved and he panted, trying not crush the flower crown in her hair. She pulled off of him after a minute and took him by the hands, pulling him back to the cushy bench and letting herself fall onto it.

He came down on top of her, his hand reaching around to unhook her white, strapless bra and letting it fall to the floor. Her panties were a soft periwinkle color and he laughed as he tugged them down her legs.

"Something blue?" he asked.

"The dress is technically borrowed, the shoes are new, and your mom gave me the pearl earrings… vintage," she explained. "Your mom is way too nice to me—ah!"

He definitely did not want to talk about his mother, interrupting her with a finger on her clit and a nibble on her collarbone. Her hips lifted up to meet his hand and let the finger slide in, pumping in out a few times as she squirmed. He added another, curling them and rubbing up against her inside, watching as her eyebrows went up.

"Mike!" she said through clenched teeth.

Now he was grinning, but he stopped teasing her, pulling his fingers out and then grabbing her legs throwing them over his shoulder so her hips were tilted up and he had easy access. He pushed in and they both let out matching moans as her tight heat surrounded him, never tiring of the feeling of being joined.

"We can't take too long," she panted as he kissed her sternum. "We have to get married, remember?"

"Are you telling me to hurry it up, Mrs. Wheeler?" he grinned cheekily and she stuck out her tongue.

"We're not officially—oh! Oh, fuck."

He didn't let her keep talking, heeding her advice instead and thrusting his hips roughly into her before pulling back slowly and then doing it again, watching as her chest heaved. He was starting to sweat under dress shirt, but her symphony of moans kept him from caring. She rested one hand on his cheek as he pounded into her, staring up into his eyes with a fierce, unspoken love.

By now he knew her body, every freckle and scar, what made her gasp and moan. It was the thing he worshipped willingly, treating it with the reverence it deserved while still giving her the greatest possible pleasure. And now she would be his wife, his lover for eternity, his best friend until the end of time.

He moved more quickly, angling the way he knew she liked and watching her eyes widen and her brows furrow until she was gasping, back arching against him, mouth gaping open as her climax flooded through her.

"Mike!"

She always said his name, every time, calling for him as he moved within her and sent her over the edge. He let himself get sloppy and finished with a grunt, feeling her flutter around him as he collapsed onto her, breathing in her florally scent as he gasped and tried to catch his breath. Pushing up onto his elbows he looked down at her. Her face was flushed, lips pink and swollen, and her pretty waves were tangled around her head in a honey-brown halo. She looked ethereal.

"You're an actual angel," he said, eyes wide.

She burst into laughter, sitting up and making him get off of her. He pouted.

"What? You are. Why is that funny?"

"It's just… I have never heard that one before. And you looked so… surprised," she gave him an apologetic kiss. "I'll accept the compliment if you help me get my dress back on."

"Deal!"

They redressed, trying to smooth out the wrinkles and tame the wild hair. It was such a hassle they almost forgot the—

"Oh!" El turned and ran to the bathroom, disappearing inside.

When she came back out she was holding the pregnancy test in her hand, face utterly blank.

"What? What's it say?" he asked, feeling worried.

"It's… it says…" she looked him the eye. "I'm pregnant, Mike."

The world shifted beneath his feet and then he was holding her, picking her up by the waist and spinning her in circles. She was looking down at him and a slow smile crept across her face as she saw the sheer joy radiating from him. He'd always said he wanted to be a dad, but they hadn't discussed kids yet, figuring getting married first was a good place to start.

Mike finally set her down and then staggered, dizzy. He didn't let her go, looking down at her with those warms eyes she'd fallen in love with from the beginning.

"El… I didn't think it was possible to love you even more but now I…" there were tears of joy leaking from the corners of his eyes and she smiled.

"You're sure you're… ready for a baby?" she asked.

"Our baby, El."

Then he saw it, the shadow of doubt in her eyes, the fear there. Of course she was afraid, growing up without a mother and monster for a father… what chance did she have of being a good mother for this child?

He pulled her to him and she tucked her face into his chest, holding onto him like she was drowning and he was the only lifeline.

"Mike, I'm scared. What if… what if I make it hate me o-or I'm a terrible mom and—"

"Hey, now. Back up. You're letting your fear take over," he used the rhetoric the therapist had taught him, "remember that? Worrying now won't help. And besides…" he cupped her face in his hands. "If you love him or her anywhere near as much as you love me… there's no way you'll be a terrible mom."

She sniffed. "Will… will you help me?"

He almost scoffed.

"Of course. I love you, El." He nuzzled his face into her hair. "You're my everything."

Her body slumped against his as she clung to him.

"I love you, Mike," she breathed against him. "I love you."

They stood there in their wedding clothes with a new life pressed them between in her belly, feeling the glow of love fill the room. After so much pain and struggle, they'd still managed to make it here. A random encounter in a bar turning into the meeting of soulmates, destined for the greatest possible human love. An impossibility made possible. Mike didn't question it, simply thanked the universe and it's infinite forces for allowing him to find her.

He kissed the top of her head. "Hey, so… do you want to get married?"

"Hmmm… I think we've made them wait long enough," her playfulness was back and his heart swelled.

"I'd make them wait a thousand years if it meant I could stand here and look at you," his hand drifted down and pressed against her belly. "Both of you."

They kissed again, breaking every wedding rule for the thousandth time.

"How about we you do that afterwards? Before your mom knocks on the door and tells us to get moving?"

He shuddered at that thought. "Good point."

They walked towards the door and as Mike put his hand on the knob, she paused, pulling him back and wrapping her arms around him, holding him tightly and taking one more breath, making sure he was real for the zillionth time. He squeezed her back, knowing she was just checking to make sure she wasn't dreaming. A bizarre but endearing habit.

"Okay, now I'm ready," she said, pulling back. "I love you Mike."

Staring down into her eyes, he saw the future. His wife, the mother of his child, his soulmate. If hearts could overflow, his was, and he smiled once again.

"I love you too, El."

AN:

For those asking, I do have one more one-shot planned, that was a request. I do take requests, they often inspire me and that's what gets me going. Maybe someday I'll write something that isn't smutty haha.

So please, leave a review if you're happy. If you have a request, or an idea, I'll listen. My PMs are also open and I love talking to people so feel free to shoot me something there too.

School starts Monday for me and after that I won't have as much time to write, so this was kind of me desperately trying to finish this story before then. Glad I made the deadline.

And finally, a giant THANK YOU to every single on of you who has left me a nice review or a sweet compliment. I love you all.

Special shout out to Jenna for annoying me so much and making me post chapters even when I was lazy. You're the best.

~Wyn