I'm sitting on the front steps of my house while I wait for Hopper to drop El off. After what seems like forever I hear his car pull up. El climbs out and I feel my heart warm as I make eye contact with her, a smile arriving at the same second. She walks over to me and takes my hands, practically yanking me into a hug. I wrap my arms around her and let all the tension leave my body as I inhale her familiar scent, "I missed you lovey."
El lets go and peeks over my shoulder, giving my a kiss on the cheek after she checks to make sure we're safe. "I missed you too carrots," she says with a smile.
I grab my basket and motion towards the road, "Ready?"
El nods and spins around, turning a red color when she realizes Hopper is still there. I smirk at her expression and wave to him. He waves back, his face colored with amusement as he starts to drive away. El lightly hits my shoulder, "Why wouldn't you tell me he's there?"
I shrug, "He'll see us kiss at our wedding anyways."
El rolls her eyes but the corners of her lips are still turned up, "That's not for years, we're still teenagers."
I raise my eyebrows playfully, "Unless I propose on a whim. Think about it, at any moment I could get down on one knee." I lower myself down onto one knee, giving El a confused look when she stares at me with her mouth hanging open. "Is something wrong? My shoe came untied," I say as I swiftly undo the knot and motion towards it.
El lets out a frustrated sigh as she begins to walk away, "I hate you."
I tie my shoelace back up and hurry after her, slipping my free hand into hers, "I love you too."
El and I walk for a while before we get to our favorite spot in the woods. Along the way she gathers handfuls of wildflowers and offers them to me, leaving me to put them in my basket as she wanders off to find more. I smile as she comes back with yet another bunch, "If you bring me anymore we'll have to eat our lunch right here to make room."
El gives me a half nod as she watches a bluebird fly across the perfect blue sky. I take her hand so she doesn't walk into a tree by mistake, picking up my pace so I can ease the hungers pangs in my stomach sooner rather than later.
After what seems like forever we arrive at the picnic spot and set up our date. I bought a red and white checkered picnic blanket so I could give El the whole experience. I could have brought a blanket but I'm too...chivalrous for that.
Once we get settled, El, sitting down criss-cross applesauce style, looks at me expectantly. I ignore her for a second and then bring my eyes to her annoyed yet amused expression, "Oh, did you want something? I brought food for me but I figured you wouldn't be hungry." El reaches out and slides the basket towards her, wrinkling the picnic mat in the process. I smooth out the fabric and nab the basket before she can open it, "Nah ah ah, I'll be serving you this fine evening."
El rolls her eyes, "It's the afternoon. Are you going to starve me or no?"
I pretend to consider that for a second and then smile, "No, I love you too much. Plus if you weren't here who'd scratch my back?"
El peeks into the basket and her face lights up, "Well if your back-scratcher gets fed like this I'll take it."
I may have gone slightly overboard with the food I brought but I couldn't care less. I brought a whole loaf of bread that I got from a bakery this morning. Not the shitty store kind, like hard crust make you moan bread. I was originally planning to get cheese and grapes but guy at the store persuaded me to do otherwise. He told me to get some meatballs, shredded cheese, and tomato sauce, cut the loaf in half and hollow it out so I could put all that inside. I did that at home and heated it up in the oven so that the cheese would melt. Obviously I didn't waste the inside of the loaf, that was my breakfast. That guy's suggestion was random but by the look in El's eyes I think I did the right thing.
The meal ended up being wonderful. Along with those meatball things I brought strawberries and a chocolate dip for desert. The thing that seemed to delight El the most was a sparkling grape juice. It was nonalcoholic but I stole a couple wine glasses from one of my kitchen cabinets. I taught El how to clink her glass and say cheers. She insisted on making a toast, having seen someone do that on TV at one point. But I'll keep what she said to myself, mostly because the person writing this doesn't have enough motivation to make a rousing speech at this hour. What an asshole. Anyways, our bellies are happy and El and I are happier.
After our meal El and I lay splayed out on the picnic blanket, slowly falling into food comas. I started humming Put Your Head on My Shoulder by Paul Anka as I began to drift off a sleep. As I finished humming the song I hear a whisper in my ear, "Baby?"
I groan but a smile creeps onto my face, "You don't have to tease me. It was just a song."
I open my eyes to see El's smirk, "Really? Paul Anka?"
I prop myself up defensively, "I'll have you know that song is very romantic."
El rolls her eyes, "Okay Romeo."
"Well since you awoke me from my slumber entertain me," I demand.
El points to a heap of flowers she poured out onto the picnic blanket, "That's why I awoke you from your slumber."
I make a face, "What does your flower collection have to do with it?"
El reaches out and runs her fingers through my hair, making goosebumps appear on my neck. I take a sharp breath in, my flustered state interrupted by El's sing-songy voice, "Can I braid your hair? I wanted to put the flowers in it."
All I can manage to do is mumble a yes, still entranced by her fingers playing with my hair.
El settles down behind me and starts braiding, humming the same song I was earlier. I exhale deeply and wait, enjoying the feeling of her gentle touch. Eventually El leans over my shoulder and kisses my cheek, "Done."
Since I don't have a mirror all I can do is peek at the ends, and from what I can see El did a good job. Her braiding is always careful and neat, I don't doubt that she's arranged the flowers intentionally either.
El and I go back to laying down, cuddled up together. Me trying not to smoosh my braid as I hold her in my arms. We stay there until the sun starts to set, going home hand in hand with smiles on our faces.
