A/N: Hello everyone. I want to thank you for all the wonderful feedback I received on Her Worst Nightmare, as it was my return to writing, so I am glad that it went over well. I am currently writing another story on here called Tied Together With A Smile (which would be awesome if you went and checked that out), and I wasn't intending to post this until that story was complete. However, the urge to write this was driving me crazy, and I really wanted to write some happy fluffy Mileven content. So, to those who requested a happy follow-up, I hope this lives up to your expectations : )

Disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things or any of its original characters.

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Twenty-two-year-old Michael Wheeler stood in front of the full-length mirror and adjusted his black tie. His hands were shaky, and he knew he was anxiously fidgeting at this point by adjusting his tie, straightening his jacket, and touching his hair. He looked great, but he knew that no matter how good he looked, it would pale in comparison to the embodiment of perfection that was getting ready in a room in another wing of the building. There was a knock on the door before it opened and Will walked in wearing his own black suit and dusty rose colored tie.

"How you holding up?" Will asked, walking over and placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. Mike adjusted his tie again and ran his hand flat over its length.

"I'm freaking out, Will," he admitted.

"Come on, everything is going to be perfect," Will assured him. "You and El were made for each other."

"I know that, and I cannot wait to marry her," Mike said, and Will noticed that his friend couldn't contain the smile that naturally formed on his face when he said the words 'marry her.'

"Then there's nothing to freak out about. You look fantastic, I'm sure she does too. The place is beautiful. Everything is going so smoothly," Will said logically, and Mike nodded along. He knew Will was right, but he could not calm his nerves. Mike knew that in one short – or, as it was feeling, excruciatingly long – hour, he would be starting the next chapter of his life with his best friend.

"You know, El and I actually met ten years ago today," Mike reminded Will as he walked toward the couch in the room and took a seat.

"Oh, that's right," Will said casually, sitting next to Mike. Of course Will had known that. Mike had proposed to El only six months prior, and they had originally planned on having a year-long engagement. But when they saw that November 7, 1993, the ten-year anniversary of the day they met, fell on a weekend, the decision was made.

"When I saw her for the first time in the woods that night, I never would've imagined this is where we would be exactly ten years later," Mike said dreamily.

"Are you practicing your vows on me right now?" Will joked, causing Mike to chuckle.

"No, my family is here. You know they don't know anything about the first couple years of our relationship," Mike reminded him. When Mike had started writing his vows, his mind had been flooded with years of memories with El. The night they met, calling her every day for 353 days when he didn't know if she was alive, their reunion at the Byers' old house when Mike learned El had been alive that whole time; those were pivotal moments in their relationship that had spoken to how strong their love was, but Mike could not use any of them in his vows because of what it would expose to the people attending the wedding who didn't know the truth about El's past. He had been sad because he wanted his vows to El to be as personal and honest as possible. So Mike wrote two versions of his vows. The first one he wrote was what he really wanted to say to her, and the second was what he would actually be able to say at the wedding. He kept and memorized both copies. He had a plan.

There was another knock on the door, and Lucas walked in wearing a black suit and a dusty rose colored tie that matched Will's.

"People are starting to show up," Lucas said as he walked over to the mirror to admire his reflection and straighten his suit jacket.

"It doesn't start for another forty-five minutes," Will said, looking at his watch.

"Would you want to risk rushing in the door late to the police chief's daughter's wedding?" Lucas retorted. It was true; since Hopper had reappeared after being assumed dead, the town had a different type of fear and respect for him. That was due, of course, in part to how little information he had provided about where he had been and what he had been doing. While Hopper had not disclosed to anyone what he had been doing with the Russians, no one in Hawkins was blind to the bulk he had gained and the even tougher demeanor he had. "It's actually kind of funny that Mike was more afraid of Hopper back before everything with the Russians happened than he was afterward."

"I was never afraid of Hopper," Mike insisted. "Besides, we actually have a pretty good relationship right now."

"Not that he has a choice. You're about to be his son-in-law," Lucas pointed out.

"That doesn't mean anything. My grandparents hated my dad, and they were not afraid to voice it," Will said.

"Okay, well no one hates anyone here," Mike interjected. "Hopper and I had a rough start, but we sorted everything out that year when El was in the hospital. Plus, he clearly likes me enough to let me marry his daughter."

"What would you have done if he said no?" Will wondered. Mike shrugged his shoulders and thought back to that spring day seven months ago.

Mike was sitting in his car, his hands still gripping the steering wheel, staring at the cabin in front of him. Hopper was not expecting him this Saturday morning, and Mike knew he would be taking the police chief by surprise when he knocked on the door in a few minutes' time. He had considered calling Hopper ahead of time and inviting him out to lunch. Mike liked the idea of witnesses. But, he knew that Hopper would respect him more if this conversation was had privately, so here Mike sat, staring at the cabin and repeating over and over in his head the words he planned to say. Mike took a deep breath and exited his car, walking up to the cabin and knocking three times. He held his breath while he waited for an answer. After a moment, Mike heard the door unlock, and it opened to reveal Hopper standing before him, a confused look on his face and a cigarette dangling between his lips.

"Mike. This is a surprise," Hopper greeted. "Is El with you?"

"No, she's not. Do you mind if I come in?" Mike asked, and Hopper stepped to the side, allowing him to enter. Mike took a look around the cabin; nothing had changed since the last time he was here. The same pictures hung on the walls, the same blanket was draped over the couch, the same television show even happened to be playing. Mike had been here hundreds of times, but today was different.

"To what do I owe this surprise?" Hopper asked, putting his cigarette out in an ashtray on the counter.

"I was hoping that we could talk for a few minutes," Mike said, his heart in his throat and his stomach doing somersaults. Hopper walked into the living room and sat in his recliner, gesturing for Mike to have a seat on the couch.

"What's on your mind? Does El even know that you're here?" Hopper gave a questioning look.

"No, she doesn't," Mike replied. He had told El that he was going to Hawkins for the weekend to visit his family, knowing that El wouldn't have been able to join because she was meeting with a few of her classmates to work on a group project. "And I would prefer if you didn't tell her I was here, either."

"What is this about?" Hopper asked slowly, narrowing his eyes. Mike felt chills run down his spine, and he gulped down his nerves, wanting to speak as clearly and confidently as possible.

"Look, I know that you and I have had kind of a rocky past, but I like to think that we understand each other better now. You took in El and gave her a home and a life that she wouldn't have had otherwise, and your first priority was always to protect her. She loves you for that," Mike began. "I've known El for almost ten years now, and she is easily the best and most important thing in the world to me. She is the sweetest, most beautiful woman in the world, and I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Like you, my first priority has always been to protect her. I want you to know that I intend to spend the rest of my life doing just that, loving and protecting her every day. You are the most important man in El's life, so the reason I'm here today is to tell you that I want more than anything to marry your daughter, and I hope I have your blessing in doing so." When Mike finished, he maintained his eye contact with Hopper and awaited his response. He had been surprised that when he started talking, the feelings in his throat and stomach had disappeared, and all he felt was the love in his heart for El while he was spilling his feelings in front of Hopper. Now, as he sat there waiting for Hopper to speak, he started to feel his palms become sweaty in the silence. How long was Hopper going to make him wait? The police chief sat across from Mike in his chair, staring into Mike's eyes, no expression on his face. Hopper leaned slowly forward, reaching for a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. He took one out and lit it, taking in a long drag before leaning back in his recliner.

"You know, when you were teenagers, I made that three inch rule to protect her," Hopper said, tilting his head toward the closed door of El's bedroom. "I knew you liked her, but I also knew you were fourteen. Your hormones at that time… constantly making out." Mike felt his cheeks start to turn red, and he noticed one corner of Hopper's mouth tug upward in amusement at Mike's embarrassment.

"But then everything happened that Fourth of July, and I saw for the first time how seriously you took protecting my girl," Hopper continued in a softer tone. "And when she went into that coma… you spent an entire year of your life visiting her just so you could talk to her and hope that she heard you. She did, by the way, kid." Hopper felt the sting of tears in the corners of his eyes, so he leaned back and took another long drag from his cigarette.

"I'm not one who particularly enjoys talking about my feelings, but there is not a doubt in my mind that everything you just said to me is true," Hopper said. "Actually, the only thing that you may have been wrong about was saying that I'm the most important man in El's life. That's you, Mike. The hardest thing for a father to do is give his daughter's hand to another man, but there is no one I would rather see her live her life with than you. Of course you have my blessing." Mike sighed in relief and felt the sting of tears in his own eyes. He was so overwhelmed with emotion; he had assumed that Hopper would agree to offer Mike his blessing to marry El, but Mike had not expected Hopper to be so touching and heartfelt in his response.

"Thank you," Mike said, unsure of what else to say, and extended his hand for Hopper to shake. Hopper looked from Mike's hand up to the young man's face, and the sight of Mike's uncontrollable smile and glistening eyes warmed Hopper's heart. Hopper reached forward and grasped Mike's hand firmly, but then he pulled his future son-in-law forward and embraced him in a hug. Mike was stunned, knowing this was uncharacteristic, as he could count on one hand the number of times he and Hopper had hugged in the past ten years.

"Take care of her," Hopper said quietly, patting Mike's shoulder before pulling back from the embrace.

"Always," Mike replied simply. When Mike left the cabin that day, he drove straight to the jewelry store in town and bought the ring that he had been keeping an eye on. He hoped El would love it.

El could not take her eyes off the diamond on her left ring finger as she sat in the chair, her hired makeup artist brushing product over her cheekbones. She was wearing her wedding dress, a white towel draped over her chest to protect herself from any fallout from the makeup, and her hair was already done. Truthfully, she was becoming impatient waiting for her makeup to be complete; she just wanted it to be time to start. She wanted to see Mike, and she wanted to be able to call him her husband. El's lips formed a smile at the thought of it. In less than an hour, she would be walking down the aisle to join the love of her life in their next chapter together. She couldn't wait.

"It is a beautiful ring," the makeup artist, Sandra, said, noticing El's eyes admiring it. "How did he propose?"

Around the room, Joyce, Max, Nina, and Nancy all directed their attention to El's conversation, moving closer to hear the story. They had all heard it numerous times, but it never got old.

It was nearly six o'clock in the evening, and El was resting her head on the passenger window as Mike drove the two of them to the Italian restaurant he had made them reservations at for dinner. Earlier that day, Mike and El had graduated from college along with the rest of their friends. After the ceremony, they had all gone out for a celebratory lunch, including all of their parents, and then they had retreated to Lucas and Max's apartment where Lucas and Max were throwing themselves a joint graduation party. El spent a couple hours mingling at the party, conversing with friends she had made during her four years at the university. She was having a great time, but she was starting to get tired after the long celebratory day, and she knew she was waking up early the next morning to drive to Hawkins.

"We're going to head out," Mike said to Lucas, his arm around El's shoulders as the two of them prepared to bid their friends a good night.

"Okay, thanks for coming. Drive safe," Lucas said, offering hugs. El had thought she saw a silent communication between Lucas and Mike when the two guys looked at each other, but she couldn't place it and decided she was just tired. Mike took El's hand and led her down to his car which was parked on the street. He opened El's car door, and before she took her seat inside, she thanked him with a soft kiss on the lips. Even after nearly ten years together, Mike still showed his love for her in the smallest caring ways, and El was forever grateful for that.

"So, I was thinking earlier. Why don't we just go down to Hawkins tonight?" Mike suggested as he started his car.

"Why would you want to do that? It's going to start getting late," El pointed out.

"It's only four. We would be there by six," Mike said. "Plus then we could sleep in, not have to wake up early to drive, and we'd be getting out of town tonight before everyone else who's waiting until tomorrow, so the traffic will be better." El could not argue with that logic.

"Okay. We'll just have to stop by our apartment so I can finish packing my bag," El agreed.

"I already took care of that. Everything's in the trunk," Mike smiled at her as he merged onto the highway. El felt pulled back slightly in her seat as Mike accelerated, the engine revving loudly.

"What's the rush?" she asked.

"We've got a reservation to make," Mike shrugged.

"Michael Wheeler, what are you up to?" El asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Mike briefly looked her way with an innocent expression on his face.

"What? Can't I take my girlfriend out for a nice dinner to celebrate graduating from college?" he asked. El narrowed her eyes, not buying his innocent act, but deciding not to push it. "You do look beautiful, by the way."

"Thanks," El smiled sweetly. She was wearing a simple black dress that ended mid-thigh. The top was a bit low-cut, and it was sleeveless. Their graduation gowns had been black, so it was the easiest solution to wear underneath, and El had not had time to change between each event of the day. Similarly, Mike was wearing black dress pants, a white dress shirt, and a black tie. With his skin tone and dark hair, El thought the classic black and white was a good look for him, and the way the sleeves of his dress shirt were currently rolled up to just below his elbows pulled the look together even better.

Mike and El arrived at the restaurant at six o'clock on the dot, and Mike took El's hand and led her to the hostess. They checked in and were promptly seated at a small table near the window. Moments later, Mike had ordered a bottle of Merlot for the two of them as they scanned the menu. After placing their dinner order, Mike reached across the table and took El's left hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. His eyes were drawn to the simple white gold bracelet with the singular diamond that she wore on her left wrist. It was the first piece of jewelry he had ever given her, and he had saved for months to buy it for her for their first real Christmas together. Since that year, Mike had bought El numerous other pieces of jewelry – earrings, necklaces, bracelets – all of which she wore interchangeably. But that first bracelet with 11/7/1983 engraved behind the diamond was the only thing that El consistently wore every day.

"I love that you still wear that every day," Mike said, and El followed his eyes to the piece of jewelry on her wrist.

"I always will. I love everything you do for me and everything you surprise me with, even though you know you never have to, but this will always be my favorite," El smiled and lovingly met her boyfriend's eyes.

"You know, I'm really proud of you," Mike said, switching gears.

"Why is that?" El asked.

"Just thinking of where you were ten years ago… You've overcome so much in your life, El, and I've watched you transform over the years into just the most incredible woman I could imagine," Mike explained. "You were so scared to start high school our junior year, but you did it, and now you've made it through college too. You're just so smart and so brave, and I am so proud of you every day."

"Mike, you're so sweet," El smiled and squeezed his hand. She felt the warmth in her heart when Mike had called her smart. During their teenage years, El's biggest insecurity had always been not understanding what her friends were talking about and knowing that she would understand if she had been a normal kid. Mike had never made her feel uncomfortable, and El knew that she could ask him about anything in the world, and he would explain it to her without judgement and without making her feel lesser than himself. She had been scared to join them in high school because she knew not all high school kids would be as kind as Mike was, but with his help, she adjusted well. By the time college had come around, El was thrilled to tackle the new adventure with Mike.

"I just want you to know how much you mean to me," Mike said gently, squeezing El's hand in return.

"I do. You tell me every day, sweetie," El remarked sweetly. "And I hope you know that you mean everything to me. Everything that you just said about me, none of it would have been possible without you." Mike was about to object and tell her that she was the one who worked hard and made things happen for herself, but the server arrived with their dinners, so instead Mike raised El's left hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss before releasing it.

The two of them enjoyed their dinner and wine, finishing the bottle easily. Under the table, Mike's right leg bounced anxiously, and he was very aware of the small box burning a hole in his pocket. He felt every inch of that box against his thigh, and now that dinner was over, his nerves were growing. Mike rubbed both of his sweaty palms on the napkin in his lap before casually folding it onto the table. He paid the bill, and he and El walked hand-in-hand from the restaurant back to his car.

"Thank you for dinner. I am glad we came down to Hawkins tonight," El said, leaning her back against the car and wrapping her arms around Mike's neck to pull him close to her. She raised up on her tiptoes to close the gap between their lips, and Mike placed his hands on her hips, feeling the entire length of her body pressed against his own. The thought of El feeling the small box in his pocket suddenly entered Mike's mind, and he shifted so that part of him was no longer touching her.

"What's wrong?" El asked, concerned by her boyfriend's sudden movement.

"Nothing," Mike replied quickly. He opened El's car door for her. "There's one more place I want to go before we turn in for the night." El did not ask where they were headed, but she watched out the window as the familiar scenery passed by. After a short drive, she looked straight ahead out the windshield and recognized the quarry. Specifically, the cliff that Mike had jumped from nearly ten years ago. Mike got out of the car and opened El's door, grasping her hand and leading her slowly toward the rocks looking over the water. He did not take her too close to the edge, especially since she was wearing heels. The sun was setting, which cast a pink and blue haze through the clouds over the water. Mike stepped behind El and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, leaning forward to place a kiss on her cheek as they watched the sunset before them.

"You know, if it wasn't for you, I would just remember this as a place I was bullied as a kid," Mike said quietly, and El felt a pang of sadness in her heart so she pulled Mike's arms tighter around her waist. "But you made this place special to me. This was the first place where you came back to me when I didn't know where you went. And not only did you come back to me, you saved my life." El leaned her head back against Mike's chest as she remembered that day when they were only twelve years old. She had run away because of how angry Mike had gotten with her, but when she heard that he was in trouble, El had immediately returned. Saving him from that fall had drained so much of her energy, but El had known even then that she would've used every last bit of her powers to protect Mike. And when Mike had embraced her afterward, she had known that his were the only arms she ever wanted to feel around her. Standing there almost ten years later with Mike's arms around her as they watched the sunset, El felt more love in her heart than she had ever thought possible.

"Do you remember when you lived with the Byers and you came here over our first real Christmas together?" Mike continued softly, and El nodded in his arms. "And do you remember when we spent the whole day together, just the two of us?"

"Of course," El replied gently. "We ate at the diner and then we came here and just spent the afternoon together. That night we went to dinner and then you took me to see Christmas lights for the first time. It was beautiful."

"And you've asked me to take you to see the lights every year since then," Mike laughed, though he knew he would take her every year even if she didn't ask. "Now I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" El repeated. Mike stepped back from her, which made El instantly feel colder because of his lack of touch. He took both of El's hands in his and stepped a few paces to their left, as if he were leading them to a certain spot on the ground.

"I know we still have quite a few months until Christmas, so in the meantime, I thought you might like your own private display," Mike said. Just then, the woods next to them illuminated the night sky which had fallen dark since the sun had set. El almost shielded her eyes from the brightness, and she stared in awe at the trees that were covered by a curtain of lights. She had no idea how Mike did this, and she didn't care.

"Mike, it's beautiful," El gasped.

"You're beautiful," Mike responded. El turned and saw that while she was staring at the lovely display before them, he had been staring only at her, feeling his heart flutter at the look on El's face.

"El, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are the sweetest, funniest, bravest, most caring person in the world. I love how sentimental you are; how even the smallest things I do for you make you happy for days. I love how you find so much joy in the simple things in life like Christmas lights. I love how I feel when we're together, or when you look at me, or even when I think of you. After all these years, I still get butterflies when you smile at me," Mike divulged, still holding both of El's soft hands in his as he gazed into her big brown eyes.

"I love you so much, and I know I'll never be able to put it into words how much you truly mean to me, so I want to spend the rest of my life showing you instead," Mike took a deep breath and felt a lump rise in his throat at the sight of El's eyes brimming with tears.

"There's one more thing that was special about that day that we went to the diner, the quarry, and the lights display," Mike continued. "If you remember, that was the first time I ever referenced spending the rest of our lives together. I told you that someday, we would be together all the time. I told you that you were stuck with me for the long haul." El chuckled at the memory, her small laugh choking through the tears that were now streaming down her cheeks.

"I didn't say the words back then, but even at fourteen years old, I knew we would be here someday," Mike took another deep breath and reached deep into the pocket of his pants to pull out the small box that had been rubbing against him all evening. El watched in amazement as Mike knelt on one knee before her and opened the box in his hands. "El, will you marry me?"

El hung on to each syllable as Mike asked the question she had been wanting to hear him ask her for so long. Her eyes were drawn to the sparkling ring in Mike's hand, but she soon directed her gaze back to the sight that was even more beautiful than the contents of that box or the display of lights in those trees. El's eyes met Mike's and everything faded away except for the love that they shared for each other and the words that hung between them, still awaiting an answer.

"Yes," El whispered excitedly through her tears, and Mike stood immediately, pulling El against his body and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as their lips passionately connected. El's arms were wrapped around Mike's neck as their kiss deepened. After a moment, their lips gently separated from one another's and they stood in each other's arms, their foreheads touching, lost in complete bliss. Mike pulled back, realizing he was still holding the ring, and opened the box again to take it out and put it on El's finger. She watched with wide eyes as Mike slid it over her knuckle and to its resting place. It was a white gold band with the largest diamond El had seen in person. She would later find out it was a full carat. El stared lovingly at the ring, falling in love with the simplicity of the band with the single diamond. She couldn't help but realize how similar of a concept it was to the bracelet Mike had bought her all those years ago that he knew she loved so much; the ring was just on a much larger scale than the bracelet.

"Do you like it?" Mike asked timidly, noticing that El had been staring at the ring but had not made any comments.

"I love it," El replied, beaming up at him. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby. I can't wait to marry you," Mike said and wrapped his arms tightly around her again. She was the love of his life, and now she was one step closer to becoming his wife.

"What a beautiful story," Sandra said as El finished her recollection of the best day of her life so far. "But I must ask, how did the Christmas lights portion of it work?"

"He had gotten together with Jonathan, his brother-in-law, and told him what he wanted to do. Mike bought a bunch of lights, and he and Jonathan went to the quarry one day without me knowing, and Mike explained to him what he wanted done," El explained. "He and Jonathan put the lights up the weekend before Mike proposed, and that night, Jonathan was hidden in the trees waiting to light them up when Mike got me to the right spot. Jonathan was also able to get some great pictures of Mike proposing."

"That is so wonderful," Sandra said, placing a hand over her heart. She stood back and removed the towel from El's chest. "And you, my dear, are all set." El stood and walked to the center of the three-way mirror in the room. She could not believe the woman staring back at her in the glass was herself.

"You look absolutely stunning," Joyce said, appearing next to El with a look of pride on her face.

"So beautiful," Max agreed.

"Mike is going to lose his breath when he sees you," Nancy confirmed.

El's eyes remained locked with her own eyes in her reflection. She was standing in a strapless dress with a fitted bodice and a full ballgown-style skirt. It donned an amount of jewels on the bodice, causing El to sparkle in the light. Her hair was pulled into a half-up half-down style with the hair remaining on her back and shoulders twisted into large curls. El thought she had never looked this pretty, and she could not wait to be standing face-to-face with Mike rather than her own reflection. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and when Joyce opened it, El heard Hopper's voice on the other side. El turned around to face the doorway as her father entered the room, and a large smile crossed her face when she saw Hopper stop in his tracks and his mouth drop open.

"You look breathtaking," Hopper said.

"Thank you," El smiled.

"Are you ready? It's time," Hopper extended his arm to his daughter, and El took it. She took one last look at herself in the mirror before turning to walk out of the room, each step bringing her closer to the man of her dreams who was waiting for her, just like he had proven time and time again that he always would.

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A/N: This story is going to have 2 chapters. Obviously in this one, you got to see Mike getting Hopper's permission and Mike proposing to El. In the second half of the story, you will see the entire wedding. It will likely be longer than this first half, and I am not sure when it will be ready, but I will post it as soon as I can. I hope you are enjoying it so far. Please leave a review and let me know!