STARRY EYES | mileven

six

"aw, i missed you, too, baby." el cooed her cat close to her chest, giggling when she rubbed her head affectionately against her and purred contently. "mhm, mama's back."

she gently caressed the top of lu's head, placing little kisses right after.

the best part of being back in her apartment in atlanta was reuniting with lu again — the worst part was that she now missed the pool of joyce's mansion.

which might be a little stupid but she got used to the early morning pool sessions, it helped to entirely wake up and live the day fuller.

she also enjoyed spending time with mike there, a part of her is so happy that he didn't turn out to be an asshole but that he's just like she'd always imagined him to be.

well, sort of.

she likes getting to know the real version of mike wheeler though and honestly, she really feels like they built up a genuine friendship.

the thought of him made her smile a little, the week they spent together was really fun.

sometimes they'd share a coffee in the morning by the pool, sometimes they'd keep asking each other "unlimited questions" during dinner and two times they went to the breakfast burrito with disguises.

he was right, the wonders of a simple baseball hat and sunglasses were incredible.

she obsessively looked at the internet whether someone had recognized them somehow — but they haven't which is a big relief.

suddenly lu wiggled her way out of el's hold, hopping down to the floor and running towards the door, scratching the surface lightly with her nails, as if to get her attention there.

not even a second later, the bell started ringing and el's eyebrows shot up, chuckling. "you feel it when people come by now? my supernatural kitten."

she slightly guided her cat to the side before her tightening the fluffy belt of her rope to keep it secure over her pajamas. it's a sunday evening, she wasn't expecting for anyone to ring the bell at such an hour.

a silent huff parted her lips, she opened the door wide enough to hide her rope and pajamas, only peeking her head through the slit.

"hi, sorry for disturbing, i—" the person stopped, he stopped.

and so did she. "mike?"

her voice was laced in utter disbelief, she automatically opened the door further, looking at him like he's a goddamn alien.

"el?" he asked dumbfounded, mirroring her exact expression on his own face. "what are you doing here?"

her eyebrows creased deeply. "you're at my doorstep, what are you doing here?"

"at your..." he trailed off, blinking, unable to stop the laughter that crawled out of his throat. "fuck, no way — you're joking."

she looked at him as if he's crazy, seriously, what is he doing here and why is he acting so surprised? shit, it almost feels like she conjured him here by replaying the memories of the chemistry vacation in her head.

or is she simply starting to see things? no, no, if she was, he probably wouldn't look this shocked.

his laughter started to dim. "i moved into the apartment above today, i've been looking for places to rent while we're busy filming for a while and this was the closest option to the set." he couldn't help but laugh again, "and since i moved in today, i have nothing home — and i mean nothing. so i figured, why not asking my neighbor if they can lent me a fork for the hypothetical food i'll eat."