↬ 14 ↫
After a long morning at work, Mike found himself quite literally rushing off to his car, his mind set on seeing one person and one person only.
God, he misses El so much.
Sure, she lives like five feet away from him, but their classes had unfortunately started up again and for the past few days, he hadn't seen her nearly as much as he'd liked to.
They were both suddenly busy, working different schedules and having classes at various times of the day, not leaving much time for them to spend together.
He knew this would happen though, it comes along with being a typical working college student. It's just that this was the worst possible time for it to happen.
Things between them were just getting started. After the sudden crush he'd developed only a few short weeks ago, he finally has her right where he wants her and now life and all it's responsibilities are in the way.
He just wants to be with her, even if they're doing nothing at all. Her presence alone makes him feel so happy and at ease, how could he not want to be with her all the time? And now that they're, well, whatever they are, those feelings he has are even stronger.
Speaking of the pending status of their relationship, Mike couldn't help but think back to that night at the ice cream shop. El hadn't denied being his girlfriend, but he hadn't exactly asked her yet, so it was a little confusing.
He really hoped that she didn't think they were already dating. Not that he would be opposed to the idea, because he wouldn't, at all. He just wants to ask her properly, especially since she's never had a boyfriend.
Luckily, they're both free for the rest of the day, Wednesday's being Mike's only day without classes and El's only completely free day, so it was the perfect time to ask her.
Who cares if they haven't really known each other long? He likes her and she likes him, why waste any more time?
Mike certainly wasn't going to waste it, his excitement only growing as he drove through town, now knowing what was to come during the evening he gets to spend with her.
First though, he had to make a few quick stops. If he was going to make her his girlfriend, he needed a couple of things to help make it happen.
•
El was lying on her couch, fully engaged in what was playing on the television screen when she heard a soft knock at her door.
She hopped up in an instant, waking the little dog resting at her feet as she did so. Coco jumped up at the sudden movement, quickly leaving the comfy spot and following El across the room.
As soon as El opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of Mike, looking incredibly thrilled to see her.
"Hey stranger." He grinned wider, leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek before he walked inside.
"Hi!" She smiled back at him, while shutting the door behind her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in so long, but really it's only been half a day."
"I know, it's like torture."
"What are you hiding back there?" El asked curiously, referring to the hand he had hidden behind his back. Coco was jumping at his feet, attempting to reach whatever it was, but had no luck.
"Just... these." Mike revealed the small bouquet of sunflowers he held in his hand and El swore she could literally feel her heart warming over the fact that he had gotten her favorite.
"Oh, Mike! Thank you! What are they for?"
Mike simply shrugged his shoulders, that breathtaking grin of his that she loves so much returning to his face. "I know how much you love them, so I figured they'd be perfect for when I ask you out on a date."
"Oh?" El breathed, a small smile gracing her face.
He took a step closer to her, while she graciously took the flowers from his hands.
"Would you like to go out on a date with me, El?"
As soon as the question escaped his lips, El felt her breathing quicken, the thought of going on a date with him already stirring up her excitement. She's been on dates before, but never ones that went well and especially not ones with a guy she liked this much.
"Of course! When?"
"Right now, actually. If that's okay with you? It's nothing fancy or anything, just a little something I wanted to do for you." Mike shrugged once more, the slight bit of nervousness in his tone making her giggle.
She didn't care if it was fancy or not, all she needed was to be with him. That was more than enough for her.
"That's perfect! I just need a few minutes to get ready." She told him, seeing as she was still in her pajamas and sporting some rather crazy bedhead. "Put these flowers in some water for me? I think there's a vase underneath the sink."
"I'm on it." Mike happily assured her, as he carefully took the bouquet from her hands.
God, he's so cute.
How is he so cute?
The thoughts rushing through her head instantly took over and she couldn't resist leaning up on her tip toes to kiss him. It was a short kiss, one he clearly wasn't expecting, but it was still just as amazing as the many others they'd shared.
Her lips lingered on his for a moment as she pulled away, his more than willing to dive back in, but before he got the chance to, she rushed off to get ready. It was their very first date, after all, and she intended on looking her best for him.
Soon enough, the two were strolling through the park, hand in hand. El's other hand was holding Coco's leash, the dog happily leading the way, while Mike's was carrying a small picnic basket. He also had the blanket they used during their days at the park tucked underneath his arm.
El was thrilled when Mike told her this was where they'd be going. It was one of her favorite places in the whole city, which he was very aware of, so the fact that he brought her here for their date made it even more special.
Once they'd found an open spot, El took Coco over to let her run free where she always does, while Mike got everything set up.
She walked the short distance back over to join him, her presence catching his attention as soon as she'd tossed Coco's leash to the ground.
"Okay, so I have a list in my head for all this. And first up, we eat!" Mike announced, as he plopped down on the blanket he had spread out over the grass.
"Ooh, did you cook something for me?" El gushed, while sitting down next to him. He was getting everything out of the picnic basket, but she wasn't exactly able to see what it was. It sure did smell good though.
"I would have cooked for you if I'd had the time." He sighed as he reached back into the basket and pulled out her food. "Instead, I got your favorite."
El's eyed widened at the sight, already knowing what was inside the familiar take out container. "Okay, don't get me wrong, I love your cooking, but this is like heaven. Gimme!"
Mike chuckled as she practically snatched her food from him, but she just couldn't help herself. Japanese food is one of her many weaknesses, minus sushi of course.
El was quick to get her first bite in just as Mike was digging into his own. Usually, she would be a little embarrassed to eat so impolitely in front of a guy, or anyone really. She wasn't with Mike though, whether it be because of how comfortable she was around him now or because her love for the local restaurant had worn off on him, meaning he was stuffing his face right then too.
Either way, she had no shame over completely indulging in her food.
"So what did you do today?" He asked her in between bites, his soft gaze resting on her as she chewed up her food.
She wiped at her mouth with her napkin then tossed it down beside her and finally answered his question. "I worked on some assignments, then Coco and I binge watched a couple of shows."
"Sounds fun." He smiled, an amused look crossing his face. "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."
"No way, she was an angel." El assured him, eyeing him a bit skeptically as he started to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You didn't get all the sauce off your face." He told her, grabbing her napkin and gently wiping the rest of it away for her.
El's cheeks flushed the slightest bit, thinking about how idiotic she probably looked with food on her face.
It clearly wasn't hard for Mike to read the look on her face, because he soon tilted her chin up to get her to look at him. He then delicately bopped her nose with his finger. "Oh don't be embarrassed, it was cute."
She playfully rolled her eyes at him, giving him a soft shove in the arm. They laughed off the moment before getting lost in conversation about each of their days, Mike's filled with random things that had happened while at work, including Dustin's second run in with the weird girl from before.
Eventually they had both finished eating and El was suddenly reminded that there was more to come on this date of theirs.
"Well that was delicious! What's next on that list of yours?" She asked, her excitement evident as she looked to him for an answer.
Mike didn't say a word at first, silently taking her empty container and placing it away in the basket, doing the same with his, then he laid down on his back. "Next, we cloud watch."
"Oh my God, I love it. Maybe this time you'll find something up there." She teased, while laying down next to him.
"Okay, last time we were here, I was very creative with what I saw!"
"That's true, you were." El agreed, laughing softly as she thought back to the last time they were here and how much fun she'd had with him.
She scooted over to lay her head on his chest, Mike's arm instantly wrapping about her, bringing her even closer.
"Oh look there! It's a duck, with a little baby duck right behind it." She pointed out, soon feeling his chest move from his quiet laughter.
"I don't see a duck at all. I do see like a giant open book though. What are the odds of that?"
"I see that one too! It's right next to the ducks!"
After Mike insisting that there were no ducks up there, they continued finding things amongst the clouds, each one more questionable as the time passed. He was definitely using his imagination today and El was loving every minute of it.
She soon felt Mike's fingers slip through her hair, immediately giving her a sense of comfort that she knew only he could give her.
She decided right then that she wanted nothing more than to stay in this moment with him forever. It was perfect, almost like a dream. The way he managed to make her feel, like she could explode at any moment due to the overwhelming happiness inside of her.
She never knew it was possible to feel this way, but now that she does, she never wants those feelings to go away.
"Okay, over there! It looks like a giant rabbit with headphones on." Mike's deep voice shouted, eventually snatching her right out of her thoughts.
"Why would a rabbit be wearing headphones?" She laughed, her eyes searching the clouds for what he claimed to see.
"Hey, I'm being creative here, you should be proud!"
"Oh I know and I'm so very proud." El teased, leaning up to kiss his cheek, her gloss coated lips leaving a mark behind.
She swiped her thumb across his porcelain skin, wiping it away before falling back against his chest.
"Okay, last one. I feel like you could find this one too, so take a good look." Mike insisted, while his hand reclaimed its place within the locks of her hair.
El's eyes scanned the blue sky above her again, the peaceful silence surrounding them as she searched the clouds for shapes, animals, whatever she could find. She couldn't seem to find much though, only seeing the same thing over and over, until she finally made out a very distinct image amongst the fluff.
"Oh I see something! I'm pretty sure it's what you found too!"
"Okay, we say it at the same time?" Mike asked, to which she nodded instantly. "1...2...3!"
"A dog on a skateboard!"
Both their mouths fell open in surprise, not expecting to actually say the same thing. Mike raised his hand for a high five, a high five she so enthusiastically returned.
"We're good." Mike smugly remarked, making her giggle against his chest.
"So you said that's the last of the cloud watching... What else is on this list of yours?"
"There's actually one more thing left."
"Oh? What might that thing be huh? Did you get me a gift to go along with this cute little date?" She curiously asked, suddenly making the move to sit up.
Mike followed in doing the same, his eyes darting up to meet hers.
"This one's not really a thing, it's uh..." He trailed off, a bit of concern coming over her as he struggled to find the words. He seemed to snap out of it though, subtly clearing his throat and taking her hands in his. "Do you wanna be my girlfriend, El?"
His question instantly took her breath away.
She'd never been asked that before and oh, how she wanted so very badly to be asked that question. Of course, she didn't just want any random person to be the one to ask her. It was always the perfect guy her imagination had conjured up for her. She was never given a chance to see what this perfect guy looked like, only ever coming out of her daydreams with the feeling his imaginary words had left behind.
Judging by the way she's feeling right now though, she knew she had finally found that guy.
El couldn't help but spring forward, so overcome with her emotions that she had to kiss him.
"I would love that, so much."
"Yeah?" The smile on Mike's face grew, the sight making her foolishly grin right along with him.
"Yes!" She happily told him, before nearly pouncing on him, pushing him back down on his back, as she went down right along with him. Her lips instantly found his, not caring at all that they weren't exactly alone.
How could she possibly care about all the people around them when the boy she was so eagerly delivering kisses to had just become her boyfriend? Her boyfriend!