Sofia's POV
I woke up feeling relieved, the memory of the snake and Eric's heroics still fresh in my mind. I turned to the other side of the mat, expecting to see Eric, but he was gone. I hurried to the kitchen, hoping to find him there. And there he was, expertly flipping pancakes and scrambling eggs.
I tiptoed up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Thanks for last night," I whispered, my cheek pressed against his back.
He tensed, his voice gruff. "Uhh, firstly, never hug me like that again. Secondly, get off me."
I rolled my eyes, detaching from him. Some things never changed.
"Is today your birthday?" I asked, eyeing the spread of food on the counter.
"No, why?" he replied, his tone softening.
"I was wondering, since there are so many dishes," I said, sliding onto a stool. Each plate didn't contain much but having different delicacies was quite amusing, especially in this era where we find it hard to feed most times.
"I was just in the mood to cook," he shrugged.
I nodded, my gaze drifting back to the food. "I never got to ask," he said suddenly.
"About what?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Who taught you how to cook?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with interest.
"My mom," I replied, a smile spreading across my face. "Did you like my cooking yesterday?"
He ignored my question, his expression turning wistful. "My mom taught me how to cook too."
I nodded, sensing a deeper connection between us. "So, you were close to your mom?"
He shook his head, his voice tinged with sadness. "No, I wasn't really close to any of my parents."
"Seems you love cooking," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Does it remind you of your mom?"
He nodded, his eyes clouding over. "Yes, most of the time."
"Okay, enough with the questions. Food is ready," he said abruptly, shrugging off my touch.
He dropped a plate of food in front of me, his expression brightening. "Thanks for the food," I said, taking a bite. The flavors exploded on my tongue. "Hmm, this food tastes nice."
He smiled, a faint smile. "Thank you."
"And that's how to make a befitting compliment," I teased, trying to keep the mood light.
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I woke up the next morning, eager to find Eric. After a 3-minute search, I couldn't find him anywhere. Worry started to creep in, but then I heard a faint noise coming from the laboratory. I rushed in to find Eric engrossed in his work.
"Good morning," I greeted him, trying to sound cheerful.
"Good morning," he replied, not looking up.
I walked closer to see what he was working on. "A cure?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"No," he replied, his eyes fixed on the test tubes.
"Then what are you up to?" I pressed on.
"Fertilizers" his expression plain. "Fertilizers? What for?" I asked.
. "Enough with the questions" He ordered
I moved closer, my hands leaning on the laboratory table. "Ok... how can I help you?"
"Move aside" He immediately ordered. I obeyed, not wanting to trigger any of his mood swings.
"Just go prepare breakfast. Once we're done eating, I have somewhere to take you," he said, his eyes still fixed on his work.
My heart skipped a beat. He wants to take me out? "Really? Where?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
He cut me off. "Just go prepare breakfast. You'll find out when we get there."
I excitedly went to prepare breakfast, my mind racing with possibilities. After breakfast, Eric went to freshen up, and we were ready to leave. I waited patiently in the living room, my heart racing with anticipation.
Few minutes later, Eric emerged, looking determined. "Before we go," he said, stopping me from hurrying towards the cave entrance.
"There are rules if you want to go with me," he added, his eyes serious.
"What rules?" I asked, my brow furrowed.
"First, try not to get yourself injured," he said, his voice firm.
I nodded, eager to agree to anything.
"Second, we're going to tiptoe throughout the journey, so I advise you not to wear shoes. In fact, shoes are highly prohibited."
I raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "No shoes? How do you expect me to survive without shoes?"
He replied, his expression unyielding. "Exactly. And how do you expect me to survive with your noisy shoes?" he asked, exasperated.
"Okay, I'll manage, but that wouldn't stop me from wearing my socks," I said, trying to reason with Eric.
"Suit yourself," he replied, his expression unyielding.
I sighed, feeling frustrated. "how the hell do you expect me to survive without shoes?" I muttered.
Eric stopped at the entrance of the cave opening. "Rule No3," he added, his voice firm.
"Another rule!" I exclaimed, throwing up my hands in exasperation. "Calm down, it's not that hard," he said.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. " No heavy breathing like you just did," he continued, his voice serious.
I felt a surge of irritation. "Did I?" I asked, unsure.
"Yes, you did," he replied, his expression unyielding. "And no yawning loudly in fact no noise."
I rolled my eyes, feeling frustrated. "That's not that hard, like you've ever seen me breathing heavily," I said, trying to defend myself.
Eric raised an eyebrow. "You just did a while ago," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. "Can we go now?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes," Eric replied, leading me out of the cave.
As we climbed higher, the air grew sweeter, filled with the fragrance of wildflowers. The sky transformed into a brilliant blue, with only a few wispy clouds scattered across it. We finally reached the mountain top, and I gasped in wonder. Before us lay a breathtaking sight - a tapestry of colors, with flowers of every hue swaying gently in the breeze.
The ground was covered with a soft, emerald-green grass that felt like silk beneath my feet but some part of the mountain was Rocky. Wildflowers of every color - red, yellow, pink, purple, and white - danced in the wind, creating a mesmerizing display of nature's beauty. The air was filled with their sweet fragrance, and the gentle hum of bees as they flitted from flower to flower.
To our left side beneath the mountain, a small pond glimmered like a diamond, its surface reflecting the vibrant colors of the flowers. A few birds flitted about, their songs filling the air with a joyful melody. The atmosphere was serene, peaceful, and utterly enchanting.
I felt as though I had entered a paradise, a hidden world that few people ever got to experience. Eric sat down on a rocky outcropping, his eyes fixed on the sky, while I wandered about, taking in the beauty of our surroundings. I felt grateful to be here, to experience this wonderland with him.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the landscape, I returned to Eric's side. He covered my mouth with his hand, reminding me to keep quiet, and I nodded, not wanting to break the spell of this magical place but I was only going to say 'Thank you'.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape, Eric stood up, signaling that it was time to leave. I felt a pang of disappointment, not wanting to leave this enchanting place behind. But I knew we had to return to the cave before nightfall.
"Let's go," Eric said, his voice low and gentle, as if he didn't want to break the spell of the moment either.
I nodded, taking one last look at the breathtaking view. The flowers seemed to glow in the fading light, and the pond's surface reflected the vibrant colors of the sky. I felt as though I was leaving a part of myself behind.
As we began our descent, Eric reminded me to be quiet, and I nodded, not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere. We walked in silence, our footsteps quiet on the soft grass.
As we entered, I exclaimed, "That was awesome! When can we go back?"
Eric replied, " I don't think there will be a next time."
"But why?" I said a bit emotional
"You almost put us into deep sh*t, remember?" He reminded
" But I didn't do such at least, ok I promise the next time we will be going back there I'll be absolutely quiet " i promised
" Then you might as well go alone and get killed " He said nonchalant
I felt hurt by his words. "Just admit you're heartless."
He retorted, "You asked for it."
"When did I ever ask for that?" I asked, feeling a bit defensive.
"When you broke one of the rules," Eric replied, his expression stern. He walks in further.
I sighed, feeling a pang of regret. "Okay, I'm sorry for breaking one of the rules. I promise that next time I won't do such a thing."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "If there will be a next time," he said, his voice laced with skepticism.
I felt a surge of frustration. "But I said I'm sorry!"
Eric shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe next time we go there, we'll be killed by the monsters because of you."
I felt a chill run down my spine at his words. After all my pleading, he still seemed unconvinced.
"But I promised," I added, trying to reassure him.
Eric nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, I'll think about it."
I threw up my hands in exasperation. "There's nothing to think about!"
Eric changed the subject, his tone lightening. "Let's just go get something to eat."
He left me to the kitchen, and I called out after him. "So what should we eat?"
I had no choice but to play along, as I was hungry too. "Just cook pasta," Eric replied, before heading towards the room.
I asked, "And where do you think you're going?"
"To the room," he replied, not looking back.
I retorted, "I can see you're not hungry!"
Eric understood my sarcasm and returned to the kitchen to assist me.