[ME] [SE] [o] It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life

NOAH

For all his quiet preparation outside — for all the moments spent rehearsing what to say, what not to say — the sight of Maea smiling at him so easily sent every word scattering. He had braced for hesitation, for some shadow of that last, terrible memory between them, but there was none. Just warmth. The letter between him and Liam, when he sent the first tound of gifts to his friends, should have been a foreshadowing of this moment, but nothing had truly prepared Noah for this.

The easy way she moved let something inside him unclench. She was smiling. And the relief that followed hit him like the deep exhale after surfacing from cold water. It could have brought tears to his eyes if he had a moment to sit in it. He was glad he didn't, as he was keenly aware of the presence of several strangers in the Greatwood home. He watched her delight as she uncovered the contents and it stirred something gentle in his chest. Her reaction sent a flicker of pride through him. Not for the gift itself, but for the simple fact that it meant something. That Halo, his frozen home, could be shared like this. He didn't say it, but the tea blends were the ones he shared with her all those years ago in the Grounds, in his makeshift home, as he welcomed her in.

Noah looked to Liam and gave him a bright, eye-wrinkling smile that this time was not rehearsed or forced. He was smiling in a genuinely deep way, not in the way that he was before when he hoped it would ground him. This smile was for his friends, not for himself. When Maea eached to embrace him, Noah hesitated only a heartbeat before accepting. 

“I am glad you like it all.” he murmured when they pulled apart. “Of course I'll stay.” Noah breathed, and pulled back to reach out and greet Liam with a handshake, then his eyes moved down to the plate the ex-dragoon had set down. He felt his stomach roll just slightly and he looked up and past the hosts to the spread laid out on the long table. "I'll grab a plate, yeah?"

I'll follow you down through the eye of the storm

Don't worry I'll keep you warm

Maea

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb

Stepping back from the hug with a warm smile, Maea gestured to the laden table. "Help yourself to whatever you want! It's nothing fancy, but there's a lot so eat up." 

Retrieving her own plate, she stole a mouthful of pie while peeling away to check on the dessert still baking in the oven. Finding the pie golden annd bubbling, she brought it out and set the dish out on the counter to cool. The scent of caramelised sugar and warm fruit layered into the rest of the scents, completing the picture she had been painting; of warmth, safety and abundance, just the kind of vibe she wished this home to embody.  

Finally done with the cooking, the ancient went back to her friends, to join them in this cozy celebration. She was hungry, and now that her chores were completed it was time to feast.

And I remember thinking — I want to be like them

NOAH

For the first time in a while, Noah felt like he’d stepped into more than a house, but that he’d stepped, tentatively, back into belonging.

Noah made his way to the long table, the smell of food pulling him forward more than hunger alone. It was clear that Maea had worked very hard on this spread. As she closed the distance to the kitchen to retreive the last of the desserts, he reached for a plate, and began to serve himself in quiet, deliberate motions, despite the way his hands still felt unsteady from the weight of the evening and the anticipation of coming to see his friends in the wake of what had happened.

He found a spot near the edge of the room, a quiet corner where he could still hear the easy flow of conversation. The food was better than he’d expected—tender, perfectly seasoned, made with the kind of care that spoke of years of experience in the kitchen. Each bite seemed to unwind something tight inside him. IT reminded him of Cordelia, of his mother, of traditions and times lost.

As the evening went on, the sounds of the hearth and gentle chatter filled the space around him. By the time his plate was empty, the heaviness he carried had eased. For the first time in what felt like ages, Noah allowed himself to simply sit, to breathe, to exist in a moment untouched by duty or ghosts.

Tonight, this warmth was enough.

[closing ME w/ guidance from chan]

FIN

I'll follow you down through the eye of the storm

Don't worry I'll keep you warm