#(( we've established the cat; the house; the color of the tiles and the weird fishing net and they just *kissed* in the main text ))

[hochmvt]

“Look at you having done your research. Getting you that laptop surely was a good investment,” Isaiah laughed and looked over at his boyfriend, smiling happily and squeezing Zeev's thigh lightly. Gods,  was  he  in  love  with  him. Even in these mundane situations, the witcher still blew his mind and made Isaiah fall in love with him even more. It was such a pleasure to listen to him make plans and prepare for their vacation together — and how Zeev chose some things that he knew Isaiah would thoroughly enjoy. Watching the Sundawner blossom into the man he had become compared to the man he was when they met back in Sundawn (and where Isaiah had fallen in love with him) was as touching as it was inspiring. How he made friends and brought his inner self out into the open – how he shone and illuminated everything around him. Zeev had this magic about him, that Isaiah admired so much: To live life to the fullest, to be positive no matter what life throws at you, to keep fighting for what is right, to believe in the good of people, to reflect oneself, to be in touch with oneself, to  never  stop  believing  in  the  magic  of  the  world, to overcome each and every obstacle and still fall asleep with this smile on his lips. Lips Isaiah loved to kiss. How Zeev had found his place in the world, detached from his family and his past, was one of the many things Isaiah felt inspired by. Zeev was his own person, free and independent, with the ability to reinvent himself every day. The way Isaiah looked at him made him feel how proud he was of his boyfriend. And that he was allowed to be part of this big picture, of the microcosm in which he orbited Zeev and became a witness to his growth.

“I see you in everything I look at already,” he smiled softly and released his hand from Zeev's, stroking the Sundawner's cheek and glancing briefly at him, smiling warmer and returning his gaze to the road, his fingers interlocking with Zeev's once more. “That sounded like a challenge I'm very willing to accept,” he commented in amusement. “But a fireplace does sound nice. Just to snuggle up and get close, me reading to you, that'd be great,” he smiled, losing himself in the thought. Isaiah had never given much thought to settling down. He was also aware that he wouldn't be living in his car and traveling the States for the rest of his life, but right now it was exciting and nice to indulge in the uncertainty of the day without knowing where one would end up. But along with their relationship — and thus experiencing, what love could also feel like — came the desire to get home after a long day, where Zeev would be waiting for him. As sappy as the thought was, he would have liked to shout “Honey, I'm home” through the house, but at the same time he knew that Zeev would probably have already met him at the door and welcomed him home with a kiss. For the first time in his life, Isaiah felt loved for who he was with all the flaws and all the sensitivity that occupied his mind sometimes. Sensitivity he had inherited from his mother. Sensitivity that allowed him to experience every feeling to its fullest. In the end, he didn't care what their house would look like. Whether it was actually a house or more of an apartment, whether the walls would be wallpapered or painted, whether the bathroom tiles would be green, white, brown or pink. Zeev would make it a home. ㅤ  ⠀ ⠀ ⠀   ⠀ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ  ⠀ ⠀ ⠀   ⠀ Their home. Inspired by the thought and simultaneously embarrassed that he couldn't give an answer that would satisfy an interior designer, he settled on the first of the two options Zeev gave him. “A game. The game. My answer would only contain three letters and I think that ain't gonna suffice. And it ain't a cat, even though that'd be nice. So what did you always wanted to know about the most handsome guy in midwest?” 

  ⠀“You really should give yourself a little bit more credit,” Zeev said with a grin. “We could try someday, if you want to. I'm not against experiencing nature, surprise, but I wouldn't trust my gut instinct completely in foreign terrain. I'm sure there are specialised guides and easy routes. Could be fun.” At that moment, Zeev didn't realise what equipment was needed and that, the way he was, he would most likely be sent home again by any tour guide. “Didn’t you want to see the northern lights as well?” Plans with Isaiah were plans that required no further thought, let alone effort that resulted in frustration. Any plan with him seemed to Zeev like just another event to make the future worth experiencing. “I don't mind seeing Seattle first. I've read something about a native-american tribe, the Duwamish and Suquamish, if I remember correctly, who used to and still do live on these parts of the land. Would love to learn something about that. I believe there's a Museum and a Cultural Center. There is even a clothing, art and home goods brand. Did you know Seattle is actually named after the leader of the tribe? Seattle is one of the only big cities that has that connection. Doesn't change much about the colonisation, but it is great to know anyway. Also we need to see the Space Needle.” As he spoke, he pushed up Isaiah's sleeve of the arm that was holding his leg. The exposed skin received a loving treatment of caression by Zeev's fingertips. “Also, there’s a Haunted Tour at Pike Place Market, could be fun.” 

  ⠀At the sound of their shared home, Zeev fell into an involuntary silence for a moment, his gaze unbrokenly fixed on Isaiah as he looked intently at the road. Zeev's smile grew wider by the minute. We’ll have a house. Thinking about what he still wanted to achieve in life had been surprisingly difficult for him when he lived alone in the forests of Sundawn. It had always been his ambition to return to his family, even if the ways of achieving this had been questionable, but there had never been a concrete course of action. In an environment he was unfamiliar with, in a situation he could not assess, strategic thinking was immensely difficult for him. But that had never worried him. And then Isaiah had turned up in a remote village in Scotland. After he had entered his life, Zeev had lost every last bit of foresight and his ambitions had faltered. Isaiah had gone from unexpected anomaly to all-encompassing permanence and reality. Even when they were apart, even when they hadn't seen each other for weeks, he had become a wonderful constant. With him, the uncertainty of the future was not a hurdle, but a promise they made together. Together in one house. Some believed that if you said or did something too often, it would lose its meaning. Zeev had never been able to make much sense of this assertion, but it underlined the development that relationships sooner or later became less lively and loving. Zeev would never let it come to that. Especially not before he had got to know all the sides of the American that made up his versatility. He slipped his hand under Isaiah's and kissed the back of his hand, as he liked to do so often. 

  ⠀“I’m positive you still remember how I live,” he smiled and finally answered the question instead of marvelling at his boyfriend. “Nothing modern for me, that’s for sure. It needs edges and character. Personality. Lots of natural light-sources, space for all our stuff. Bookshelves almost everywhere, filled with crystals and trinkets, plants, pictures on the wall. No matter where I look, I want to see you and me.” Enveloped by his vivid imagination, he continued to stroke Isaiah's arm with his free hand. “A fireplace would be amazing, you can’t keep me warm in winter all the time, can you?” He smiled at him cheekily. “Is this the start of another game or am I allowed to ask you the same? What does your home need?”