Dancing. [Tag Eric]

Belle tugged at her sleeve as she walked through the distantly familiar mansion. The place was foreign to her since she'd left, but still familiar enough that she could remember where things were with some effort. Of course, Marina hadn't moved in back then... Things were different, that was for sure. She hooked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and sighed, glancing around the living room for her goal. Oh course John kept his bar in the same place. Though, it was new. Right. He'd smashed the other one, hadn't he? She twitched at the memory.

Walking over to it, she picked up three bottles of rum and two glasses, ignoring John's hues on her back. "Aren't you going to ask for those?" He mused, arching a brow as she turned to look at him, holding her gatherings in her arms and staring at him with bored golden hues. "...Nope," she smiled sweetly and sashayed past him, her bare feet soft on the ground as she made her way back to her and Eric's room.

"Lookie what I got~!" She chimed as she bumped the door shut behind her with her rear. She grinned at him, trying to divert his attention from his spell books. "Up for a drink?" She giggled, setting the bottles down on the coffee table by the couch. "I could just drink this all myself, but..." she shrugged her shoulders and smiled childishly.

While John Ass Rolfe didn't require his services, Eric lost all of his time with his nose stuck on the spell books. He found some very interesting books at the library, and since then he was focused on studying them. That helped him a lot at downtime, and also to not go straight to Nicolas' mansion and take his future bride with him.

He looked up to Belle as she walked inside, and raised his eyebrow seeing what she had on her hands. He shook his head and shut the book down, he was always up for a drink, speacilly when he didn't have to affort for it. ''Sure'', he grinned and walked towards her, opening one bottle and taking from it. ''You're too young to drink this much... Here, let me save the other one for me'', he grinned wider and hide the other bottle on his back. ''So... Any news from Rider junior?'', he asked nonlachantly before swinging his bottle again.

Belle gasped playfully as he hid the bottle from her and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'm too young? I'll have you know today is my birthday! That makes me twenty-two," she said proudly and tapped him on the nose. "Old, huh?" she scrunched up her nose before grinning. However, her smile quickly fell as he mentioned Flynn. She tried to hide her frown by putting on another smile as quickly as she could. "Flynn...? No... As far as I know, he hasn't been here..." She shrugged before sitting onto the couch and opening her own bottle to take a long sip. "I don't even think he's realized I'm gone," she mumbled, smiling sadly down to the bottle.

''Today is your birthday?!?'', Eric exclamed with a wide grinn. ''Well, we need to celebrate it!!'', he hummed and brought her into a suffocating hug. He kissed her forehead and sat her on the bed, rubbing her arm gently. ''He's going to show up someday...'', he said with a smooth voice and grinned, ''My birthday is closer to... And I'm going to turn twenty-three... Still older than you!'', he chuckled and stuck his tongue out to her.

Belle squeaked as she was pulled into the tight hug, the air leaving her before she laughed breathlessly. "Sheesh!" She shook her head, grinning at him, her past sadness being swept from her easily, as it always was around Eric. "Ew. Old man," she said, making a face. She glared at his tongue and leaned over, nipping it playfully before smirking and taking a long drink from her bottle.

He leaned back quickly, with an amused expression on his face... ''That's not how you treats your future brother, remember?'', he chastised playfully and looked around, trying to see if he could give her any gift. As soon he saw the flowers on the vase, he got an idea and took her by the had, taking her closer to the coffee desk. he rested his bottle on it, and looked at Belle briefly before he focused at the flowers.

The flowers on the vase were Carnations, Belle's favorite if he wasn't mistaken. They were withering, and there was a spell Eric could try, before he would get too drunk for it. He mumbled the right words and felt the energy around them. He smiled proudly to himself as they watched the flowers chaging, like the clock reversed, and their look now was like if they had just picked from the garden. ''If I did the spell right they can even smell like they're fresh''

Belle watched with curious eyes, following Eric's gaze to the flowers. She smiled childishly, watching as he refreshed the flowers. "You've gotten really good at the whole witch thing, huh?" She mused, walking over and softly touching the petals. "They're beautiful," She said softly, smiling.

''I have the best teacher'', he tilted his head and winked at her. It was true he had improved his skills with all the witchcraft stuff, he felt like he could make the diference if he had power upon it. ''This is my birthday gift to you...'', he smirked and drank from his bottle... ''Have a swing... I haven't Ruffied them!'', he teased, knowing that would be exactly what Veggie boy would think. ''Cheers!'', he raised his bottle up.

Belle smiled brightly and nodded, walking over and picking up her bottle and holding it up. She clinked her bottle to his and then took a long drink from her bottle. She twirled around, her brown curls bouncing around her.

Eric leaned over the table and watched while she twirled around, she seemed happy, and he was happy too. ''I hope Rolfe doesn't call for me, because I'm planning on getting drunk tonight....'', he grinned, and to emphasize it he took a long shot from his bottle.

"Pft. He knows what we're doing. He asked if I was going to ask for the alcohol and I just rolled my eyes at him," she smirked proudly. She giggled and took a long drink from her own bottle before stumbling slightly and laughing as she bumped into the wall, dizzy from her twirling.

''That's my girl!'', he nodded proudly and rested the bottle on the table and smiled while he watched her twirling around the room. ''Hey, lightened head'', he chuckled and walked after her as she bumped into the wall, ''If you're going to bump somehwere, it's better if it's my chest'', he teased and took her by the hand again, twirling her while he walked around the room.

Belle laughed, smiling brightly as she held his hand and twirled. She bumped into his chest and giggled, lacing her arms around his neck and leaning against him, her golden eyes lightened and obviously happy. "Hi there," she mumbled, leaning up and kissing the tip of his nose.

''Hey...'', he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. He wrinkled his nose as she kissed him, and kissed her forehead... ''You can't hadle with... half of a bottle, can you?'', he teased, and changed his stance. ''Would you give me the pleasure of this dance?'', he said with a politely tone, that failed when he bowed clumsly and leaned up with a childish grin on his lips.

Belle arched a brow, giggling childishly as she saw how he bowed clumsily. "Oh, how can I say no to a smile like that?" She pouted, then bit down on her bottom lip and grinned. "It would be my pleasure," she mumbled, tugging him back to her and placing one hand upon his shoulder, the other remaining in her hand. She started to hum a soft, angelic tune and moved her feet gracefully, leading him.

Eric placed one hand softly at her back and held her safely with the other. He laughed and looked up at the ceiling noting she was the one leading the dance, ''Please, you underestimate me'', he mumbled amused and started leading her into a waltz. ''See... I know how to dance''

Belle tilted her head, her brown locks of hair brushing her the white sleeve of her dress as she felt him take the lead. She giggled, but continued to hum the song softly, moving easily with him. She slid her hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck and gently brushed the hair there, her golden eyes memorizing the details on his face. She smiled to herself and laid her head onto his chest.

He looked down to her with gentle eyes as they danced, and once he had her head upon his chest he stoped dancing around. Their feet didn't leave the floor, and he just stood there, holding her softly into his arms while he rocked their bodies according to the music Belle was humming. ''I wished we could be celebrating at the cabin...'', he mumbled quietly and nuzzled his nose on her silk hair.

Belle nodded a bit, sliding both of her arms around his neck now as she held onto him, moving her hips gently with his hands as they swayed. "I'm glad I'm just here with you," she whispered before gently continuing her soft humming. She moved her head so that she could nuzzle her nose to the nape of his neck, inhaling his scent that she could only name as being his.

Eric smirked and kissed the top of her head while his hands gently slid down to her waist. ''I'm glad you are here with me, safe... But I would be happier if we had Kida too... And even your boring boyfriend'', he teased and chuckled lowly before twirling her around and resting her against his chest softly again.

"Kida's fine..." Belle mumbled, her tone reassuring. She smiled softly as she was twirled, only making her hold tighter to him. "Flynn's... not all that boring... We went swimming -- he threw both of us in the water, then splashed me and swam off like a little boy..." she smiled to herself before her smile faltered. "Why hasn't he come to find me yet? I-I know he went out on a trip, but he should be back by now," She mumbled, gripping onto his shirt slightly as she held onto him.

Eric smiled softly as she talked to him about Flynn. At least he has been nice to her, he didn't care if he was an ass to him as long Rider kept Belle happy, and he was doing his job so far. But as Belle showed her concern, Eric's smile failed for a moment before he tried to smile assuring to her, ''Sometimes things happen Belle. Maybe an unforeseen happened... If something bad had happened I'm sure you've known by now'', he said assuring.

Belle whimpered, clinging closer to him as the worst possible scenarios popped into her head. She hid her face into the crook of his neck and took in a shaky breath. "I-I'm sure... I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he found a girl who's not as screwed up as I am," she said, making a face. "I mean... my scars have healed more, but... I'm no Kida," she said with a sigh.

Eric sighed and lift her chin up to look into her eyes, so she could tell he wasn't lying about it, ''You mean if he had found a girl more amazing than you? It's impossible...'', he whispered lovingly and kissed her nose. ''You and Kida are different, but you're both amazing, on your different ways'', he whispered and held her closer to him.

Belle searched his eyes for any hint that he was lying and sighed, looking away. She leaned her head onto his chest and pursed her lips. "Right..." she muttered, closing her eyes. "Kida's... She's always been better than me. She was when were little, too. Prettier, smarter... I've always had a better sense of humor than she does, but..." She shrugged and bit her lip. "I mean... I was just the little girl who got..." she shivered at the memory and shied closer to him for that sense of safety that came along with him. "She's always been perfect. Guess that's why she got you."