The definition of Home

LOCATION | The mountains
DATE | April 5th 2022
TIME | 11 am
ATTIRE | Link
TOPIC FOR | @Eric
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There had been a lot and nothing at all at the same time. For a person like Noa there was always something and it was so easy for it to lure out from the cave and starting to try drag her into the darkness. But it had helped that things had been a bit more quiet for a while. Howie had moved back from London, him and Maya had settled in Aston, having made her talk to Eric just last month if they should maybe get a place together in Aston too. A nice apartment that was just their home. Theirs. Because she loved him so much. This morning hadn't been easy she had woken up after barely having been able to sleep, mostly just cuddled herself into him finding comfort in him sleeping. Letting her thoughts run wild whilst she still had felt safe being close to him. So, a walk had seemed like a good idea after they had gotten some breakfast. The weather was nice and the blue sky made you feel like you could almost take over the world. Her mood had completely shifted from just few hours ago. And she wanted for them to just enjoy having a moment or so where they could just be out here the two of them.

Eric Outfit

Things had been quite comfortable for a while. Not really staying in Southside, unless there was something urgent from a friend, and having been open to the thought of moving together with Noa, as long as they could find something they could afford. After all, Eric spent his money on his cigarettes, or at least, that was what he had spent them on. He was trying to stop himself from smoking, but it certainly wasn’t that easy, and he envied how Noa had stopped, even though he knew that for him it was more about years of non-stop smoking, and for her, this time, it had only been a small period where he sadly had dragged her into an old vice. He hadn’t been the happiest about going out for a morning trip, but he had budged and followed. Fresh air was quite nice after all. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to these walks,” he laughed a little out of breath. Not because it was that difficult to walk there but he thought it was hot out, and his lungs craved for a break and nicotine. “Could we- could we take a break?” he wondered and stopped, placing both of his hands on top of his knees.

Noa chuckled a little looking towards Eric looking more or less like someone tried to drag him out of hell. "Its all a part of the famous 'fake it till you make it' mantra that I'm manifesting," she couldn't help but let out a soft laughter as he asked if they could take a break, "of course," she didn't really do anything else but to simply sit down on the side of the path they were walking on, crossing her legs while looking at him. Clearly feeling so much more peaceful being in connected to the nature that her guards were completely down. Which was really a sight itself to see. How peaceful she could be, just as how chaotic she most of the times was. "For someone as fast as you are - your lunges are really weak," she shook her head a little and tilted her head to the side. Well she knew running and hiking were two very different things - even if she would say this was more like a walk than an actual hike.

Eric laughed shortly as she mentioned the fake it till you make it mantra. “Ain’t that only healthy for a shorter period?” he laughed a little before he looked up at her as she sat down. Slowly, he straightened up and walked towards her to sit down next to her. He didn’t sit upright for long since he laid down with a great exhale. He truly enjoyed just how relaxed things had been and how much he could see a difference in Noa. It was like they could breathe again. Or well, Eric just had to catch his breath right now. “Give me a break,” he exhaled laughing a little. “It gotta be because I’m trying to quit the smokes… I have never felt like this,” he sighed, dragging out his never. He pulled himself up again and looked towards her, “Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to sit with you and enjoy the view?” he said and pulled a wider smile.

It might have been some times since she had stopped smoking for real back then, but like everything else Noa had done and did that was bad for her - she remembered the process of cutting it off and trying too. So, she empathized with the fact that he was trying, didn't mean they couldn't get the best out of it. "Should be worth it in the end then, imagine how far you can walk without feeling like you are throwing your lunges out in the long run," she chuckled a little trying to keep him motivated. "Or yes, that is a valid excuse as well - and wouldn't surprise me if it was to be true," Noa turned her head towards him with a warmer smile. "It is a very good view," a softer little laugh escaped her. "I would kiss you but I'm afraid that I would just steal the last bits of your breath away," she whispered a little bit more teasing, leaning a bit closer to him but only just a little bit.

Once again Eric laughed as she mentioned the feeling of puking up one’s lungs. It was literally the feeling he had when he wasn’t able to smoke, and it was weighing him down, even though his stamina was enhanced. “Sounds like a dream,” he mumbled, he appreciated that she said it was a valid excuse that he wanted to sit there with her. He hummed a little as she said it wouldn’t surprise her. Was he always that cheesy for her? Maybe. He liked to let her know that he loved to spend time with her.
She agreed that it was a good view which made him smile a little wider and he could feel her breath as she laughed. He gasped, as she was afraid it would take his breath away. “If my last breath is spent kissing you, I would die happy,” he said before he leaned in to kiss her. He even let a hand find her jaw, and the other hand support him as he turned more towards her. He broke the kiss, “It’s a miracle, I didn’t die,” he cheered calmly and kissed her again.

Noa didn't like they lived in the tides of anxiety where they knew something bad could happen, but she also had to not completely isolate herself from the good things in her life. And believe that Victoria's actions not long ago would come to bite them, so therefor the hikes to remember what it was like to breath outside the big house she lived in. The kiss brought her out of the spiral her thoughts had been headed towards, kissing him back, then laughing a little as he so well pointed out, he didn't die. Then kissed her again, Noa took in every little bit of affection she got, moving her hand towards his cheek, then breaking the kiss yet not moving that far away, "just checking," she teased a little bit in an almost whisper. Then giving him a kiss with her nose against his before pulling away again, moving her eyes towards the view a head of them. It was always something beautiful watching how the nature unfolded before their eyes as spring sat in for real. Making everything bloom. "Beautiful isn't it?" Noa mused a little looking around them.

He chuckled a little as she said that she was just checking, reciprocating the small kiss she gave him before she pulled away. He was a little slower about pulling away. Taking in every single detail. How small hairs flew in the wind, the curve of her cheeks and nose, the light color on her lips, her pale skin- Beautiful, isn’t it? “Very beautiful,” he said keeping his eyes on her, almost a little dreamy. It took a little moment, blinking a little before he cleared his throat and looked around, turning his torso a little so he could plant both hands in the ground behind him. “Spring is beautiful too,” he added with a little smug smile on his lips, taking in the area for a moment, before he glanced towards her with a small smug smile, hoping she didn’t think he was a toad for getting lost for a moment.

Spring is beautiful too, she turned her head towards him, shaking it a little bit, "has anyone ever told you that you are incredibly cheesy?" Noa giggled a little, not minding it one bit. She didn't mind a little cheesiness once in a while, and she did her fair share of it too, because sometimes you just got lost in the moment when you were so head over heels in love. "So Victoria really did split from Rafael huh?" She knew there would be a lot of drama there, but she also knew where Eric stood regarding it and well, Noa had only heard about Rafael from well Lucas, and then on how Eric saw him - which were of course two different versions of the werewolf. "Heard anything from her since then?" Knowing it was only three days ago and Victoria had a history of trying to do everything herself.

Eric chuckled a little as she told him the obvious. Sometimes, he just got so caught in the moment that it felt like the only right thing to say, even though it sounded way too cheesy. He furrowed his brows while looking at the view as she asked about Victoria. “Yeah, she did,” he said nodding a little. “I just hope that it won’t start a new cycle of whatever they usually did,” he said sighing a little, closing his eyes. “She’s been quite tired and confused. You know, the definition of her home is quite disturbed. She doesn’t really feel home anywhere,” he said with a small sigh. It was difficult to handle in general. “But she got new company, and… Well the company might not be the best, but… It’s better than being with Rafael,” he said, even though he was still debating himself about that. Was the Phoenix Brothers even good company?

Running scared not knowing where you belonged was a harsh one, she had been there. Hadn't anyone at some point in their life wandered lost around not knowing where to be or belong? Victoria's case was different. It was hard for Eric not to be affected by his sister's situation, she understood that. Noa however raised her brow when Eric mentioned that Victoria had new company, not perfect but at least better company. She nodded a bit, happy to hear it. A while after they got back up on their feet and returned to their hike leaving them hungry enough to order in a huge lunch buffet later.