#sebffilo

Nick feels excitement stirring within him. Since he had met Noah, he'd been sure there was something different about him. Every time they met, he'd felt some kind of magic emanating from him and now, he feels that same magic. A warm, peaceful energy that puts his mind at ease. Nick wasn't sure what he was. He'd gone through a few possibilities in his mind, and now, he was leaning towards some kind of nature witch or fae.

As he wanders closer to the cottage, Nick starts to feel uncomfortably warm. He'd left his home bundled up in a thick jacket, scarf and gloves, but they were useless here. He pauses to take them off. He moves carefully because in his hands, he's holding a small gift for Noah - a glass container holding cookies that he had baked just that morning. He puts his jacket over his arm and starts walking up the path again.

Nick had been so busy admiring the nature magic of the clearing that he had missed something watching him from the trees. Something that had been watching him ever since he got close to the cottage. Something that braces itself as Nick gets closer and when the witch is about to get to the porch, that something flies down and his only warning is the quick flapping of wings.

A very large owl perches on the railing and hisses at Nick, fluffing up its brown feathers and glaring at him with bright amber eyes.

Nick's nerves rise again, but he also feels his excitement grow. Could this be Noah's familiar? He can definitely feel some kind of magic coming off of the creature. Something old and powerful. Even stronger than the nature magic of the clearing. It must be powerful enough to cloak its energy from him.

"Uh...hey." Nick chuckles timidly.

The owl hisses again, its pupils constricting even more.

Nick swallows hard and kneels down, trying to make himself smaller. He presents the small container of cookies. "See? Look, this is what I'm going to give him. I'm not gonna hurt him, don't worry. Just gonna bring him a little treat."

The owl doesn't seem convinced. It lunges forward and Nick jerks back, nearly dropping the cookies.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Nick quickly grabs one of the cookies and eats a bit of it to show that it's safe.

The owl's eyes narrow and for a second, Nick assumes he's going to get attacked anyways, but then the bird's feathers relax and it sits up straighter. It flies back to the porch railing and watches Nick.

The witch stands up slowly. The owl lets him. Then he takes a step towards the porch and the owl, although still watching him, lets him go. The witch can feel the owl's eyes on him as he knocks on Noah's door.

At first, there's no response from Noah and Nick hesitantly looks back toward the owl. The creature is still giving him a death glare, and even though it's relaxed, its brow makes it appear even more intimidating.

Then he hears movement inside and then Noah's soft, muffled voice announcing that he's coming, causing Nick's nerves to skyrocket again. His heart pounds, thinking over what he'd planned to say to Noah. When Noah opens the door, Nick is still nervous but he's fully prepared to present the cookies to the librarian. Until he lays eyes on him and his smile falters.

The last time they had met, Noah had looked so cheerful and bright. He'd almost looked like he was glowing. Now, his skin is tinted gray and he has dark circles under his eyes. He's wearing a dark bathrobe and he looks like he's shivering slightly. The librarian's face brightens when he sees that it's Nick at his door.

"Oh, hi, Nick. It's so lovely to see you. Sorry I couldn't come into town today." He steps out onto the porch.

"Hey, Noah. It's alright. We've got everything handled at the library." He momentarily forgets about the cookies. "Are you okay, though?"

"Oh yes. It's just a little cold. Nothing too serious." Noah chuckles, but at the same time, he's hugging himself and seems to be trying to stop himself from shivering, despite how warm the place is. Nick can even feel warm air coming in from inside the cottage as if a fire is lit and still, Noah seems cold. "So, what brings you here today?"

Nick nods and presents the cookies to him. "Uh, I made you a little something. Thought you could use something sweet."

Noah takes the container and opens it. He smiles a bit wider when he sees. He takes out one of the cookies and sniffs it. Then he takes a little bite and hums pleasantly. They were chocolate chip with nuts mixed in, something he knew Noah liked.

"How lovely. Thank you." Noah says, smiling. He finishes one of the cookies and then seals up the container. "I believe I'll have these with coffee." He turns to head inside and then pauses, glancing back at Nick. "Would you like to stay for a cup?"

The question makes Nick's heart flutter, but he hesitates.

"Uh..." He glances back at the owl, who is still watching carefully. More relaxed, but still intently. "Not sure this guy will like that."

Noah laughs. "Oh, Joakim...he's harmless. To you, at least. He just gets a bit overprotective. If he had sensed any bad intentions, you'd never have made it past the treeline. Come in, come in."