The pinklette sighed as she put her small suitcase down and slid it underneath her seat. It may have been a bit to early in the morning for her liking, but with a few hour train ride ahead of her, Serah figured it may be a good idea to get on early. She did want to maximize the day spent at her destination anyways, even though she was spending about a week there depending on if she got home sick at all.
She leaned herself up against the window so that she could look out and watch the scenery go by once the train started to move, though also by doing so the boarding passengers hopefully wouldn't be trying to strike up a conversation with her. Unlike her normal self... she just hadn't been in the mood for conversing with strangers or anyone for that matter that wasn't her trusted sister.
Things had sure changed after she'd awoken in this new world. Everyone she knew was just... different, but, the same at the same time. She supposed that was what 500 years of life would do to a person and she could see it in all of the friends that had had to experience it first hand. Her sister luckily was the least of all even though she had had her troubles. This difference however had started driving Snow and Serah apart. On top of him living for over 500 years without her, she two had lived a few without him before the loss of her life for all this time. In those few years, she had done some major growing up. The last time they had really been together was before her own journey. Before Serah had really grown into her own woman that could handle herself, and make her own sacrifice as she proved that she could in the end. They still enjoyed eachother's company, there was no mistake in that. Living as an effective couple though was turning out to be a bit of an issue. Serah didn't need the big strong hero to protect her and shield her from everything anymore and that was one thing their relationship had really been based off of. It was a hard decision, one of the hardest she'd ever made, but they decided to just see how things would go with other people. For a while at least.
So Serah stayed at home, staying with her sister as she tried so desperately to get her life back into order with everything being so brand new and thrown into her face. She picked up going to college again, though a community, so she could still stay home and be with Lightning just as they had before everything really happened in the first place.
Now however was spring break, and Lightning was off doing some extra things for work so she wasn't going to be around all that much.
Serah didn't really want to be alone the entire week of her break and her sister urged her to maybe get away so she could clear her head of everything. Take a vacation of sorts. So, with a phone call or two, she made the arrangement to go visit a friend for the week. The change of atmosphere would be good thing for her... and maybe things would just sort themselves out when she returned. Or so she hoped.
The train started to move down the tracks, and Serah pulled her jacket an little tighter around her small frame. She couldn't help herself in being cold, she almost always was. The fact that it was so early for her also wasn't helping. If she had it her way she'd still be asleep under all of her covers. Instead, her eyes glanced out the window, seeing the tall buildings of the city slowly start to become more scattered and smaller, until there was really nothing but large fields of grass or crops that weren't the most interesting things to look at. At some point along the way, Serah had lost any will power that she had had, and dozed off leaning her face up against the glass.
It wouldn't be for another few hours when she had felt the train come to a halt, and movement around of people exiting the train woke her. Serah looked up groggily, her eyes meeting the outside world through the window once again. She rubbed them for a moment before a surge of panic had gone through her. She quickly sat up, trying to figure out what stop this even was. There had been a few on the way before hers, but she had expected to have been awake to count them. She looked out the window again, trying to see if it had said anything in what she could see of the station, before looking up and realizing that the train itself said in a glowing sign above the doors to the other cars.
Oh no! Serah's eyes lit up seeing the name of the station she was supposed to be getting off at and quickly pulled her bag out from under the seat. Taking a quick look back that she hadn't dropped anything important in her slumber she bolted for the door. Everyone by now had filed off so it was very likely it was going to close on her.
"Please stay open Please stay open!" she mumbled to herself. Just as she had reached it, they started to close. Her small frame and bag managed to slip right through before the doors shut tight, and the train took off again.
Serah let out a huge sigh of relief and basically fell to her knees. What a way to start a vacation.
A light chuckle could be heard from across the platform, where a familiar young man was seated on a bench. He stood up once he'd seen her and started to walk towards the pinklette. "You know, I was starting to wonder where you were. What happened? You fall asleep on the train?" He teased, offering the woman a hand to help her to her feet again.
Serah looked up, knowing the voice that was making fun of her and looked at him a little shyly. "I may have... You realize how early I had to get up to get here?" Serah pouted at him, but took his hand anyways.
"I know, poor baby." He smirked.
"You're so mean to me." Serah pouted more, before her arms reached out and give the young hunter a tight hug. "But even so I've really missed you Noel."
His smile softened as he wrapped his arms around her for a moment as well. "I've missed you too Serah... very much." He sighed and squeezed the girl tighter. Noel hadn't actually had that much time to spend with her before everyone went their separate ways. They'd of course kept in touch, but as for visits they were kept to a minimum while they were both busy and so far apart. "But I don't think this is the best place to catch up. Come on." He smirked a bit, and grabbed the girls wrist to lead her. Just as he had many times on their journey. Serah picked up her bag and happily followed. The familiarity was nice, even down to telling Noel to slow down because his legs were so much longer then hers.
From the train station, it didn't take the two of them long to get to Noel and yeul's cozy two bedroom house. It was still a little ways outside of the nearest city so there was some amount of nature around. Noel was now comfortable in both the city and the wilderness due to the last five hundred years, but in those five hundred years, he had come to miss seeing a natural landscape. So this area for him was the perfect mix of convenience for the new life style, and somewhere he actually felt comfortable.
"By the way, I don't think Yeul is home at the moment." Noel commented once the house was in sight. He figured it was probably something he should mention to her.
"Oh? You mean you actually let her out of your sight?" Serah teased, gently bumping his arm in a playful manner.
Noel just laughed a bit and bumped her back. "Sometimes I do. She's made a few friends and I think it's a fine idea for her to actually hang out with some other girls instead of me all the time."
Serah giggled back at him and continued walking, dragging her suitcase behind her. "Aw, well I'm glad she's adjusting to life here as well. It is probably good for her to have some female friends after being stuck with you and Caius."
"Yeah... I do still worry about her though. Not like that'll ever change. But I'm trying to be less overbearing then your sister, huh?" He smirked.
Serah nodded and looked around at the houses that they were passing as they walked down the street. "You're a good big brother figure to her I bet."
"I try..." Noel rubbed the back of his head a little shyly. "Well, this is it. It's not super impressive, but it get the both of us by." Noel shrugged and walked up the driveway, taking his keys out of his pocket and swung them around his finger.
Serah stood back and looked at the outside for a moment. It wasn't actually that bad. Sure, the house looked small, but it was still probably even bigger then the single apartment she shared with her sister at the moment. Serah realized she might be being left behind and ran up to Noel before he got the door opened.
Once stepping inside, the decor was a little different then she had expected from him. Things actually looked relatively nice. There was only a touch of the more rustic and wild theme that she'd at least expected from Noel. She did like it though.
Noel let her look around for a moment, before giving her more instruction. "There isn't really enough for a tour, but My room is the door at the end of the hall there, Yeul's is the left, bathroom's the right." He said before moving to flop himself down on the rather large leather couch in the living room. "As we kind of discussed on the phone, you can probably fit here, or room with Yeul or I if you really want to."
Serah smiled and followed his example, placing her bags down at the side of the couch before sitting down with her legs curled up under her to still face towards Noel. "I think I'll be fine out here, as long as you both don't mind me sort of stealing your living room space.
"Its no trouble Serah. Make yourself comfortable." Noel sighed and sat back up again. He wanted to get something out of the way to just sort of clear the air between them that still might be a little awkward, considering the reason for Serah's extended visit in the first place. Noel scooted himself over to her, and wrapped his arms around the woman tightly. "I'm sorry everything has come to this though Serah. You know if you want to talk to me, you can right? I know some things may not be as comfortable to talk to your sister about, so if you ever just want to get something off your chest I'm here to help. You got that?"
Serah sighed at first just allowing Noel to hug her, and listening to his words before returning it herself. Her thin arms held tightly onto his back for a moment as she sighed and rested her face against his chest. "Thank you Noel, and I know." She squeezed her a little extra tight before looking up. "That's why I'd rather come here for my break then anywhere else. I've really missed you, and I know you're here for me." She smiled up at him. "Hugs are also nice."
Noel smiled back at her and ruffled up her hair since he had her in his grasp. "Alright. I'm not going to bring it up again unless you want. I just wanted to say somthing at least. Otherwise it'd get awkward."
Serah pouted at him for messing up her hair and undid her hair tie to fix it. "I know. It isn't a fresh wound anymore, but it still does hurt a little, so I appreciate it."
They continued their small talk for a little while, just catching up further on each others lives more so then they had time to do in their occasional phone calls. It was nice to just be able to sit together and actually just be friends for once. No pressure to save the world pushing them forward. No worries about what the future would hold... It was nice.
It was still however way to early in the morning for poor Serah, even after being awake for a while, she still felt as if she desperately needed sleep. After yawning for about the twelfth time she leaned her head against the back of the couch, and spoke up about it.
"Noel? I know we've probably got stuff to do... but would you mind if I took a nap? I'm so tired from getting up super early to catch the train."
Noel smiled softly, and simply nodded his head. "Sure thing Serah. I can do some cleaning around my room and the kitchen while you nap if you want. Afterwards we can run to the grocery store and get some things you like to eat and drink. That was really all I thought to do today though aside from just hang out. You want a blanket or pillow or something?" He asked before standing up and stretching.
"Alright, sounds good to me. Maybe I can make something fun for dessert tonight as a thank you to the both of you for letting me stay so long. Serah sat up and leaned over to unzip one of her bags. "I brought a small pillow and blanket, so I should be fine for just a nap. I may want more tonight though, depending on how cold it gets around here." She yanked out a fluffy micro fleece blanket that she'd brought with her that was covered in a pink and white cat pink and a small pillow that she frequently used back home.
"Don't feel like you have to be especially quiet for me either Noel... I'm going to but my headphones on like I do at home to drown out any noises."
Noel just nodded to her and walked back to his room as she made herself comfortable on the couch.
Not even twenty minutes later, he returned to take a few bowls and cups to the kitchen. He peeked over the couch to check on her, and Serah seemed to be out again. He hadn't intended to, but for a few minutes he just stood there and watched her as she lay asleep. He'd always though Serah looked adorable while she slept, even back during the few times they allowed themselves to rest on their journey together. She looked so innocent.
Noel shook his head keeping his thoughts of her from going further. He needed to get back to work, and she needed rest. There was no danger here to protect her from, so no need to just stand there like kind of a creep.