define pretty

i'm literally embarrassed with how this turned out lol try to enjoy

Song: What A Feeling by One Direction

✈︎

After Mike and Sofia had their.. conversation, El walked out of her room a few minutes later, rubbing the sleep off of her eyes. She walked into the living room where Mike and Sofia were sitting on the couch watching TV.

Mike noticed her walk in first, and smiled at her, "You're finally awake! It's been 10 years!" He exclaimed making her roll her eyes and flick her middle finger up at him. "Yeah well, I noticed you left so I had to come see where you went off to."

"Hey you two, it's getting kind of late, so if you want to get something to eat I suggest leaving now before everything gets too crowded." Sofia mentioned. "Yeah, that's true. Wanna go find a place to eat?" El asked Mike.

He nodded and stood up, "Wanna come with, Sofia?" He asked, looking back down at the blond. She shook her head, "No, don't want to be the third wheel."

El chuckled, "Okay, suit yourself. We could bring something home if you'd like?"

"If you have any leftovers I will take them." Sofia said with a shrug. "Cool. See you later, Sof."

"Arrivederci, Bebè"

Mike and El quickly put their shoes on and headed out of the door. El latched onto Mike's hand and they walked out of the small apartment complex and onto the streets of Florence.

"So, where are we going?" Mike asked, looking out at all of the buildings and the dim lighting from the street lamps. El shrugged, "I don't really know.. wanna just walk around until we see something that looks somewhat interesting?"

"Everything is interesting here." Mike snorted, making El roll her eyes. "Yeah, no shit. But something really cool looking. How about that?"

Mike shook his head with a chuckle, everything was so full of life, and color, everything was "cool looking" so what the hell did she mean by that?"Yeah, okay."

"Are you nervous to start classes?" Mike asked after a while. El shook her head, "No, I'm excited. I can't wait to see what we're going to do."

"You're going to be amazing."

El smiled. "I guess I am a little nervous about all of the other people that will be taking the class with me, and Sofia and I will probably get lost."

"why are you nervous about all the other people?" Mike asked. "Well, you know.. They might be better than me, or.. I don't know. Last second nerves, you know?"

Mike nodded. "I'm sure everything will be fine, and if it isn't you can just come home." Mike teased, making El hit his shoulder playfully. "Shut up!"

"Fine.. fine."

They walked for a little longer until they spotted a few restaurants and walked into a random one, that looked "interesting".

It was small inside, tables packed closely together, the dim lighting that seemed to be everywhere in Italy, but nonetheless it still smelled amazing inside. They waited up front ot be seated and a waitress took them to a table in the corner.

They sat down at a table, both facing each other as they looked at the menu.

"El," Mike said. "Hm?"

"I can't read any of this." He mentioned, pointing at the menu that was all in Italian. El chuckled softly and walked over to his side of the table and kneeled beside him. She pointed to each thing and read it, explaining what each thing was. They both ended up getting the same thing, which was a pasta with a few different types of meat in it.

After they ordered they were back in their original seats, staring at each other. "why do you look so different to me?" Mike asked, "It's only been a week and you look incredibly different."

El shrugged, "Well what's different?"

"You're more tan, and you're starting to get freckles," He said casually, taking a sip of his water. "You're hair looks a lot lighter too." What he wanted to say was that she looked so much prettier than normal, she always had that natural beauty that always stood out to him. But she just looked amazing right now, and he didn't know why.

"Um, I don't know. You just look different. Pretty." He admitted shyly. El smiled and lowered her head to hide her blushing cheeks.

Before she knew what she was even saying, she blurted out: "Define pretty."

Mike looked at her with shocked eyes. How was he supposed to do that when there were a billion other words he could use to describe her? "Um.. well," He paused to think, "You're so much more than pretty.. but um, you have this natural beauty. You don't need makeup, like ever. Even when you just wake up and you're all drowsy. You shine all by yourself. And I don't know.. it's not so much how you look, it's more of your personality. You are loving, charismatic.. a bunch of things. But like, pretty isn't even a good word to describe you, and I could use a million other words, but you asked for pretty, so yeah."

Before El could respond the waiter came over to their table and set their food down. Of course it had to be right then and there, not like he said anything important at all.

They started eating and barely said a word while they ate. Though neither of them forgot what Mike said, he was nervous because well, what was she supposed to think after he said all that?

Though El didn't really mind what he said. It was nice, and she knew he meant every word of it. But he normally said stuff like that, so what was so different now?

They finished eating and Mike paid, and soon enough they were walking out on the streets again. "There are so many places I still have to see here." El said as she looked at all of the buildings. "Maybe when I come next month we can go see all of it." Mike suggested.

"Okay, sure. But a whole month, wow. I don't know how well manage." El mumbled, already miserable thinking about it.

"Yeah I wish I could come up here more often." He sighed.

"We somewhat managed a week though."

"No, we didn't."

El chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

They walked around the city for a few more hours until it was almost midnight, and everything was closed.

"We should probably head back now." Mike said, "Yeah, probably." They turned and started walking into the direction of El's apartment. They were in no rush to get back, they took their time walking and talking. Mostly catching up on everything, El wanted to know what was going on in Hawkins and Mike wanted to know what was happening here, in Italy.

Eventually, they did arrive back at El's apartment and walked inside quietly, not knowing if Sofia was asleep or not. She wasn't in the living room, and the door to her room was closed so they assumed she was asleep.

Before they went anywhere else, El pulled Mike out to the balcony that overlooked Florence. El stood against the railing and looked out at the city. "I just love it here, isn't it great?" El asked with a content sigh. Mike nodded, "Yeah, it's cool I guess."

"You guess?"

"well it is the city that took my best friend away from me, so.." Mike mumbled. "You are so selfish oh my god."

Mike shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just happy I'm here now," he said, leaning on the railing next to her. "Yeah, I'm happy you're here too. I don't think I could even handle another day away." El chuckled softly, glancing over at him.

"I miss watching sunsets on your roof," Mike says after a few moments of silence. "Me too.. but at least we have the stars here."

"You sound so poetic," Mike laughed. El shrugged and stayed silent. Then, she turned to Mike and hugged him. It was completely out of nowhere, but she felt like she needed to it. Hugging Mike was another thing that made her feel at home.

Mike hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.

"Thank you," She said quietly. "For what?"

"For saying all that stuff about me.. earlier at dinner."

"Oh. Yeah.. just the truth." He replied shyly. "What other words would you use to describe me?" El asked with a yawn.

"Oh, uh," Hm, what to say? What could he say that doesn't make him sound like he's not in love with her?

"Beautiful."

Too bad she didn't hear him.

Author's Note:

yo wtf is this

i have no idea why this was so hard for me to write, and sorry it's super short. the wheels in my brain were NOT turning at all. very disappointed in this but whateva

got the rest of this book planned out though, 12-13 chapters at the most are left :))

hope you enjoyed this garbage and go check out my new fic Personal Nirvana!!! pls lol I think you'll like it