I stay down with my demons

the fireman nodded along eagerly, because not enough people understood the science that was behind baking. "exactly. and you can't always follow a recipe. you have to really play with it, because everyone's oven is different and if the temp is too high, or not high enough, it messes with the whole thing. learned that the hard way. lots of times." mav nipped at the inside of his cheek. he liked her too, always had, and a part of him always would. "you should tell her yourself. she's the head chef down at the paloma. i know she'd like to her how right she is." she deserved it too. "plus, she might be able to offer you more tips to help win them over," he added, because if anyone was going to deliver culinary genius-level advice, it was her. there was admiration in the way that maverick eyed the other from across the table. not everyone would have stepped up the way noah had for his family and there was a lot of respect within it. "it's really cool what you're doing for them. i know they'll appreciate it when they're older."

he new what it was like to lose a parent. maybe it was a different kind of loss, but to a kid, loss was loss. "really. it'd be a good time. they could sit in for a family dinner too." it was the least he could offer his new friend and the children who needed everyone they could get in their corners. if he could offer a helping hand in that way, he would. mav huffed a small breath of amusement, his eyes going wider for a few beats. "oh yeah? i think i wanted to be an astronaut." he didn't remember a lot of his younger years after losing his mother and watching his father walk away, but he did remember glimpses of wants and being a kid that just wanted a normal life. "if she approves, i think i can make that happen." it was no longer in use, but they were always making exceptions.

in between bites, maverick groaned quietly in approval. "can you believe i went a whole fifteen years without trying them? i'm ashamed." ever since he'd had his first, he'd gone back for more, trying a new flavor each time for the sake of experiencing them all at least once. mav tracked the other's gaze and the curve on his mouth deepened. "delilah," he echoed, chin tipping upward. she was the blonde who was always kind and never seemed to judge him for his extra order of fries. "sounds like you might have a crush." he felt so juvenile suggesting such a thing, but he saw the way the other rubbed at his neck, how his eyes had fallen down to his plate. it was the kind of response he would've had if the roles were reversed. "nothing wrong with that. crazy idea, but... have you thought about asking to see her outside of the diner?" he watched the other closely, his gaze curious. "look, in all seriousness, you're doing a really good thing for those kids and for her too." the words of gratitude warmed him, but little did noah know, everything he did was because he needed a little bit too, and the other had never let him down. "let's just call it even, yeah?"

Noah nodded a little too enthusiastically at the baking talk since he had recently started to bake a lot and the kids loved it, "Exactly! Our oven runs hotter in the back, so I'm constantly rotating pans around like I'm directing traffic," He laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. The mention of Daniela being the head chef at Paloma caught him by surprise. "Oh... she's the head chef?" His eyebrows lifted, impressed. "Well, now I have to stop by. If anyone can teach me how to make cookies that melt in your mouth, it's probably her." Truthfully, Noah liked the idea of learning. The kids got excited whenever he tried something new, and Sara never complained about being the taste tester, either

When Maverick admitted he'd wanted to be an astronaut, Noah couldn't help but smile. "See, that's where we differ," He shook his head, "Space is beautiful... but absolutely not for me. The ocean, too. Both are just giant reminders that humans are a lot smaller than we'd like to think." He let out a quiet laugh, "I think I would've been happy fixing things. Cars, bridges... whatever. I always liked the idea that someone could use something every day and never have to think about the person who built it."

The conversation drifted back toward Rosie's, and Noah already knew where it was headed the second Maverick repeated Delilah's name. "A crush?" he echoed, almost too quickly. "No..." Taking a second, he later added, "...Okay." He smiled at his plate, "Maybe a little." It felt strangely nice just saying it out loud. "I don't know, Mav," He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Things are... good. The kids love coming there, she always makes them feel special, and..." He searched for the right words, "I haven't exactly done this in a long time." Eight years was a long time to forget how to ask someone out. "I guess I'm worried I'd make things awkward and lose one of my favorite places in town." Unfortunately, the risk was just too high in his eyes. He looked back up with an embarrassed smile. "Besides... I'm not even sure she's interested," Certainly not if she knew the truth about his past, Noah thought to himself. "So for now, I think I'll just keep ordering milkshakes and pretending I'm subtle." Even though he most certainly wasn't. When Maverick called them even, Noah smiled and lifted his can in a tiny toast, "Deal."

she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, an attempt at stifling the wide pull of the curve on her mouth. she liked talking about moose and through the last three years of her all the unknowns, he was the most consistent piece. "he's a mix of bernese and golden. which, explains the love for ball." she'd had her reservations about the bernese portion of his genetics, but truth be told, she'd done one meet and greet with him at the shelter and there had been no question of whether or not he was coming home with her.

her brows lifted and wave of surprise washed over her. she'd jumped to the worst conclusion and a faint blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks. maybe he wouldn't notice it? she hoped he wouldn't. "oh, well," she hummed, trying to find her bearings again. she couldn't imagine walking out on moose, let alone if she had a family of her own. then again, she'd turned her back on maeve. it wasn't the same. "hopefully he comes back soon, but in the mean time... rocky is very lucky to have you in his life." it wasn't just an empty compliment. she meant it and the way she smiled at the man and the genuine glimmer of her hope in her gaze was proof of such.

"they can. it manifests in different ways, but there's a lot of overlap in what we see in humans too." nodding, the vet stood, her eyes trailing back to the dog who was looking between her and noah. "that could help." another laugh rolled off her tongue, the sound catching her by surprise. when was the last she'd genuinely laughed at an owner's jokes? "sounds like a challenge to me. you should take him up on it," she teased, nodding her chin toward rocky who'd clearly taken an interest in the words treats and walks. "perfect. if you don't mind, i'll borrow him for the bloodwork and then i'll bring him back in once we're finished. results shouldn't take long to come back. once i get those, i'll know where we're going from there." it was the difference between one medication from another, or no medication at all. "it's no problem at all. i've been at this a long time," she started, blowing out an exhale of amusement. it really had been a long time, hadn't it? "and i'd rather see people like you come in being over-concerned than the people who couldn't care less about what's wrong with their pet. so thank you... for caring and for being patient with me too." some people can in demanding answers, others blamed her when she couldn't fix the issue as swiftly as they'd like. "i can take him now," she offered, holding out a hand for the other end of the leash. "promise i'll have him back in five minutes."

Noah hoped she was right about Simon. He wanted to believe his brother would walk through the front door one day with some half-baked explanation that somehow made everything okay. Sara wasn't nearly as optimistic, and lately Noah had found himself borrowing more of her realism than he'd like. Still, he smiled. "I'm the lucky one, honestly," His eyes drifted down to Rocky. "He's become my shadow. Everywhere I go, there he is. I'm thinking he's just making sure I don't get into trouble." It wasn't entirely a joke. The funny part was that Noah rarely got himself into trouble. He'd spent most of his life cleaning up everyone else's messes instead.

When Mallory reached for the leash, Noah passed it over without hesitation, though watching Rocky follow someone else made him realize just how attached he'd become in such a short amount of time. "Of course," He offered Rocky one last scratch behind the ears before looking back at Mallory. "And... thanks. Really." Her kindness had done almost as much for him as it had for Rocky. Then, as she reassured him about being patient, Noah couldn't help himself. "Believe me," he said with an easy smile, "I've got plenty of patience when it comes to a good pair of brown eyes..." It took him a second before correcting himself, "...Rocky's," he added a little too quickly, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish grin, "I'm sorry, I feel like I'm digging a hole here."

"please, they never test my patience." delilah said softly, meaning each and every word. maybe she was biased, and she just liked kids too much, but she also had the fondest memories of this place as a child — and maybe she wanted to pass that down to the next generation. besides, they were adorable. always showing her what they drew, telling them about their school day, their giggles and silliness filled the small diner. she never understood why people weren't patient enough with kids anymore, it was like the world was missing out on the innocence they still carried. she moved towards the counter, just to ring in his order, before returning with the warmest smile on her lips and the milkshake, neatly placing it in front of him ( with all the extra chocolate chips and springles.) "it's not impressive, it's sad." she exclaimed, laughing lightly. "the thing is, if I actually eat anything more than fries, then I just feel like I need to nap.." she explained, making a face. "and having your waitress napping behind the counter when you need a refill is just.. kinda rude." the blonde joked, shaking her head. "self control? yeah, no i've already lost that battle long ago."

her smile grew, "a sleepover? that's exciting." delilah added, only to laugh again. "i'm sure that's not it. but if you could choose between coming here, and unlimited ice cream and cartoons, i'm sure you would have chosen to have a sleepover." who wouldn't? god knows she could have used waking up late in the morning on a weekend. "besides, you're still cook uncle noah. here, i'll keep you company till your food's done." she grinned, sliding into the seat across him, "now, i won't pull your ear or color for you, i'm on the clock." delilah joked, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "they're fond of me because of the sugar rush i give them." the extra cookies helped, she liked to think, but if they genunly liked her? that made her happy. "you're all sweet. i'll blame the milkshake." she smiled though, because he always was. at least, more than most people and that meant something. not everyone came in the best moods, and when noah was around, it was always a good day. "oh god.. i think when i do have time for an actual break, i'll always go for a patty melt? but then, i've also got a soft spot for my granny's meatloaf and mashed potatoes.. i may be a little bit biased."

Then Delilah mentioned she'd keep him company; something about that made Noah's chest feel unexpectedly warm. He'd spent so much of the last eight years feeling like an outsider that simple things — like someone choosing to sit with him, asking about his day, remembering his order — still meant more than they probably should. "I appreciate that," And he meant it. When she joked about the kids only liking her because of the sugar, Noah shook his head, "I don't think that's it." The answer came almost too quickly, "I think they like you because..." He searched for the right words. "You're just... easy to be around," He laughed softly at himself. "Kind. Funny. You remember the little things. You make people feel like they've been coming here forever, even if they've only been here a few months," He realized he was talking about more than just Jamie and Jack. Thankfully, her mention of the meatloaf gave him an easy escape, "Oh, now you're speaking my language." His face brightened almost immediately. "My mom used to make meatloaf all the time when we were kids. My favorite part wasn't even dinner — it was the leftovers. She'd make these sandwiches the next day with thick slices of meatloaf, white bread, and a little mashed potato. Looking back, it sounds ridiculous..." He smiled across the table, "Your granny's recipe wouldn't happen to be a secret, would it?"

It had been a long time since Elliott felt like he couldn't control his own feelings in public. Sure, he'd learned how to share and contribute to the group meetings years ago, when he'd started going to his first one, in Denver. But the meeting that was just about to end sure took a toll on him, and he only needed to look at Noah once to realize it'd done the same for him. He wasn't sure if his friend was just about to explode as he was, but Elliott hoped he'd follow when he practically bolted out of his chair and into another one of the private rooms in the building. He had his back to the door now, hands pressing on the windowsill to try and ground himself. "Today sucked, huh?"

summer had slowed things down a little, and in all honesty, delilah was glad. the diner was usually packed, but they were still looking for extra hands, which meant she had to work longer hours with little rest. she didn't mind it, of course she didn't, after all, the business would pass down to her someday. still, it was nice to know she could also get a moment to enjoy her own drink behind the counter, without having to rush to every table for a refill. being in the business for at least two generations came with some perks, and there were always a few regulars that brighten her day, no matter how tough things got. whether it was an old friend, and old classmate, or people who recently moved in sedona, delilah went by the rule her family had always followed; be kind to them. maybe she was a little bit softer with certain people, giving a few cookies or milkshakes away for free, a few extra fries here and there, but how could she help herself?

she was sorting the clean cutlery behind the counter, when the small bell above the door went off. instinctively, she glanced up and an instant smile formed on her face when she realised it was noah, who walked in; making his way to the usual table. putting the clutery on the side, she grabbed a menu and slowly made her way towards him, "noah, hi." she said softly, placing the menu in front of him with the kind of ease that came from someone who's done this ever since she could herself. she wasn't surprised he knew exactly what he wanted; she knew his order by heart, though there was always the hope he might want to try something else. "yes - yes of course. i'll get that right away." delilah said with a small nod of her head, "please, who am i to judge? there's nothing like a chocolate milkshake after a long day. i'm already on my third." she exclaimed with a small laugh, "how are the little ones? you should have brought them. i'm in a desperate need of new drawnings."

"As for the kids, they're at a sleepover this weekend," Noah shook his head with a chuckle, "Guess they're too cool to spend a weekend with Uncle Noah now." He leaned forward onto the counter, resting an elbow against it, "But don't worry. I'll let them know you've officially put in a request for more artwork. Though I should warn you, they're already pretty fond of you." Noah couldn't help the warmth that settled in his chest at the thought. Jamie and Jack always seemed excited whenever Rosie's was mentioned, and truthfully, he understood why. He tilted his head and let his smile soften, "Honestly... I can't even blame them." After all, he was pretty smitten with her, too. "So… what do you eat when you're not convincing everyone else to order pie and milkshakes?"

a quiet laugh rolled off his tongue and the curve on his mouth was genuine, even if the thoughts circling his mind threatened to bring him down. "see, i think pancakes are closer to baking than cooking. and yes, there's a big difference. just ask my," he paused, realizing that he wasn't sure what to call her. it wasn't like they'd ever put a label on it, but calling her nothing more than a friend seemed like a foul too, "daniela. she's a chef. she'll tell you that baking is a science and that you should be proud." it wasn't a label, but it wasn't the lack of one either.

he saw a lot of himself in the other man, the desire to help and take on responsibilities that weren't inherently theirs to shoulder. "aren't they always? i bet they like having you around. even more now that you can handle the greatness of blueberry pancakes." he knew what it was like to lose a parent, knew that it wasn't easy, no matter a child's age. he also knew what it was like to have someone step up and fill a role like noah was. "trust me, they'll remember everything you've done for them." the sentiment was spoken quietly, but the soft edges around his voice gave away a twinge of emotion that rested on his tongue.

thankfully, noah cut the tension with another dose of humor. "things have been quiet at the station lately." he knocked at the wooden table, just to be safe. "you should bring the kids by sometime. i bet they'd like sitting in the truck and trying on some of the gear." it'd swallow them whole, but it'd be a good distraction all of them. "seriously, you let me know if you wanna bring them by."

mav remembered what it was like trying to fit into sedona fifteen years ago, before all those developers set their eyes on it. "that's a start. you've had a milkshake from there, right? they're legendary. only took me fifteen years to get one. rookie mistake," he chuckled. "this waitress... she have a name?" he wiggled his brows teasingly. when noah continued on, the firefighter nodded along, his smile growing a little wider at the mention of library cards for the kids. "i'd say you're slightly closer to suburban uncle." another breath of amusement was exhaled and he caught the other man's eyes again. "you've got time to get used to it. i think you're doing a good job. adjusting isn't easy, and you know if you ever need anything, all you have to do is ask."

At the mention of baking, Noah practically lit up, "Okay, thank you!" he laughed. "I keep telling people baking is way harder than cooking. One little thing is off, and suddenly you've got hockey pucks instead of pancakes — because she's right, it is a science," He shook his head with an amused smile. "So now I feel validated. Tell Daniela that I like her already." The conversation drifting back to Jamie and Jack softened his expression without him even realizing it. "I think they're starting to like me... the blueberry pancakes definitely helped though." Maybe it wasn't the pancakes. Maybe it was just time. Showing up every morning, reading bedtime stories, helping with homework, and being there, "I just hope they always know they can count on me."

When Mav mentioned bringing the kids by the fire station, Noah's eyes widened. "Really?" A laugh escaped him almost immediately, "They'd absolutely lose it. Jack's gonna think that's the coolest thing he's ever done." Then another thought hit him. "You know..." He smiled, almost a little sheepishly. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a firefighter." It made sense, looking back. Noah had always wanted to help people. "I'll check with Sara first, but..." He laughed. "I also think eight-year-old me deserves a chance to slide down a fire pole."

Rosie's, on the other hand, was a much easier subject. "Oh, the milkshakes?" Noah shook his head, "Life-changing." He didn't even have to think about it. "I've probably had enough of them in six months to keep that place in business." Then came Delilah. Noah couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. "Yeah... her name's Delilah," He looked down at his plate for a second, almost laughing at himself. "She's really sweet. Pretty, too," He admitted it a little quieter than he'd intended, "And she's always sneaking the kids extra waffles." As if that somehow made it less obvious. "I don't know..." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, "Turns out I'm kind of a sucker for people who are nice to kids." Maybe that wasn't the whole reason, but it certainly didn't hurt. "I'll take suburban uncle," he decided with a grin. "Honestly... I kind of like the sound of it." His smile lingered for a moment before he looked back at Mav. "And thanks, man," It wasn't just dinner — it was the hikes, the conversations, having someone who made Sedona feel a little less unfamiliar, "I really mean it." And he genuinely did.

With a small nod of her head, Summer turned back toward the driver's side door before glancing back at the brunette over her shoulder. "Me too. I'll see you around, yeah? Next time, maybe it'll be on purpose."

after a few clicks and taps at the keys, she gloved up and turned back toward the friendly dog and the man who'd been nothing but helpful, despite his worries of being too much. "don't worry, rocky. i won't be taking away any treats. i like to give them." as promised, she grabbed an empty beef flavored pill pocket and offered it to the pittie. "sorry, i left all the treats for owners in my office," she joked lamely, a faint flush of color rushing to paint her cheeks. rather than overthink it, she turned her focus back toward the dog, even as noah talked. she was careful as she pulled up the dog's lips, inspecting every tooth to ensure there were no chips or injuries that could've been causing discomfort. the vet laughed at the weighted blanket joke and she thought about moose. "i have one of those. i think he'd let anyone into the house if their price was right." usually, that meant anything that he could eat and even the things he wasn't supposed to. with rafael, all it'd taken was a little bit of affection and he'd let the man in without a single bark.

"anytime," she hummed, this time meeting his gaze before she shifted back to inspect rocky's ears. "it's okay to hover. honestly, you've been really helpful so far. with these guys, it's hard sometimes. they can't exactly use their words to tell us when something is wrong, but there are signs. you've done a good job reading those for him." after checking one ear, she went to the next, and both were fine. there it was. the woman offered a sad smile and more head scratches. "i'm sorry for both of your losses." her hands never left rocky, but her gaze wandered to noah. one of them had lost an owner, the other had lost a brother. that was something she could relate to. "i'd like to run some bloodwork just to be safe, but i think what we're seeing here is a form of separation anxiety. it's like in humans when we suffer a loss and we can't figure out how to cope. it would explain the lack of an appetite, the decrease in his drinking. why he doesn't want to play." she chuckled softly and nodded, her smile still warm and directed toward the other. "i can handle a little pressure," she added, the lightheaded counter meant to ease some of the emotional tension she'd felt pulled taut.

At Mallory's comment about being out of owner treats, Noah let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "That's okay," he said, glancing between her and Rocky. "But for next time, I'm just gonna let you know sweets are my weakness." He gave her a bashful smile. Twenty minutes ago, Noah had been convinced something was seriously wrong, but watching Mallory take such gentle care of Rocky made the worry feel a little less overwhelming. "Looks like our weighted blankets are gonna have to have a playdate one of these days. Although I should warn you, Rocky is pretty convinced he's the star of every room he walks into." He scratched behind the pitbull's ear before looking back at her, "What kind of dog do you have?" The question was genuine, but he couldn't deny there was something nice about learning more about her beyond just her job — after all, he already knew she was kind, helpful, and dare he say pretty.

When Mallory continued reassuring him, Noah's expression softened. She had a way of making him feel like he wasn't being too much, and after years of feeling like he had to keep everything bottled up, that meant more than he wanted to admit. "That's alright," he said with a small shrug, "My brother has always kind of had a habit of disappearing when things get hard. So maybe when he comes back, this will just be something we can laugh about." He said it with the same optimism he always seemed to carry, even when the situation probably deserved a little more frustration.

"Dogs get separation anxiety just like us?" he asked, genuinely surprised as he added, "I didn't know that." A small, faint smile crossed his face at the realization, "Now I feel like I owe this guy some quality time. Maybe a few extra walks. Definitely some extra treats." He paused, glancing toward Mallory, "Not too many, though. I already know what happens when I give in. He starts looking at me like I'm the one who needs training." His smile faded into something a little more thoughtful as he looked back at Rocky, "But yeah... if you think the bloodwork is the right call, let's do it." Noah nodded, giving Rocky another gentle scratch behind the ears. "I'd rather know for sure than sit around guessing." He looked back up at Mallory with a small, appreciative smile, "Thanks for making this a little less scary, by the way. I know I probably walked in here acting like he was my actual child."

mav waited until noah finished making his plate to follow suit and do the same. "i'm proud of you, man. seriously, it took me a month to figure out how to add blueberries to the mix without burning them." dani had been patient with him, despite his multiple attempts and early mornings of waving oven mitts around the kitchen to make the fire alarm go silent. "it's easier than it looks, i swear by it. don't worry, i'll send you everything. how's she doing?" he looked over toward noah after dipping out a healthy serving of vegetables onto his plate.

"same old," he assured, watching the other as he moved to take a seat. he pulled in a long breath as he thought about life, but there wasn't much to report on. "working a lot mostly. hate to break it to you, but my life isn't all that exciting." he was a simple guy and when his older brother wasn't stirring up trouble, there wasn't much going on for him outside of the station. "what about you? still settling in nicely?"

"Thanks, man. You have no idea how many times I actually burned the blueberries before I got it right." He laughed softly, "But I figured eventually I had to stop fighting the pancakes and just let them win." Truthfully, Noah had always been pretty good at being patient. It was one of the few things life hadn't managed to take from him.

"She's doing really well," he answered, his expression softening at the mention of Sara, whom he was eternally grateful for. "Working a lot, and the kids are..." He paused with an amused smile, "A handful. But they're good kids. Keeps things interesting." He glanced down at his plate before adding, "We're surviving. And now we're doing it with non-burned blueberry pancakes, so honestly, I'd call that a win."

Listening as Mav talked about his life, Noah shook his head slightly. "I don't know, man. You're a firefighter. That's literally the thing every kid says they want to be when they grow up, myself included." He smiled, "Feels pretty exciting to me."

When the question came back to him, Noah shrugged, though the smile on his face gave away how much he actually meant it. "Yeah, still working on becoming a local." He leaned back slightly, thinking about it. "So far, I've made it to regular status at Rosie's Diner. The waitress knows my name and my order, which I feel like is a pretty big milestone," He said it with complete seriousness, as if it were an actual accomplishment. "And I got Jamie and Jack library cards, so..." He nodded proudly. "I think that officially puts me somewhere between new guy in town and suburban uncle." A quiet laugh escaped him as he continued, "It's actually been really nice. Weird sometimes, but nice. I think I forgot what it felt like to just have normal things to look forward to."

It was nice to hear such compliments, especially from someone who had only just met her. Noah hadn't been around long enough to have witnessed their journey, and yet even he could see the impact it had made. "Yeah?" Summer smiled, his offer as sweet as it was surprising. There were few people in life that she could count on to show up for her, and it would always be a blessing to add another to the list. "I'd like that. It sounds like we might both be in need of an emergency soundboard every now and then. Or even just a friend." The woman's cheeks flushed a subtle shade of pink as she reached into her pocket to withdraw her phone, pulling up a new contact page before handing it over so that he could input his information.

When Summer handed him her phone, Noah couldn't help the small burst of giddiness that came with it. It reminded him of being a kid on the playground, finding out another kid liked the same Pokémon cards and immediately deciding you were friends now. It was simple. Easy. And after everything, he had missed that. He typed in his information before saving the contact as Noah K — the car guy. Handing the phone back, he smiled. "Now it's official." A faint blush crept across his face, and he cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed by how much a simple exchange of numbers meant to him. "Alright, I'll let you go," he said, stepping back with an easy grin. "I'm sure you're probably eager to get home and pretend you weren't emotionally invested in my terrible reality TV commentary." He paused, then added with a small smile, "But seriously... thanks. I'm glad we ran into each other."

she smiled politely as the vet tech rattled off the intake details. there were so many things that it sounded like, but she thanked the younger woman and made her way toward the exam room. "nice to meet you, noah." she made a note that he wasn't rocky's owner, but they'd only need permission to treat if there was something there that needed treating at all. "and you," she added, smiling down at the pittie that stared up at her with big curious eyes.when the man started speaking again, mal's focus shifted back to him. "have you noticed him licking his mouth a lot? how is his water intake?" upon first glance, there was nothing concerning about the physical state of the dog, but that was the thing about pets. their problems weren't always presented on the outside.

"well, noah, i think it's good that you brought him in. for both of our sakes, i'll do my best to make sure there's no grudges." she reached for the glove dispenser and slipped into a set of mediums. "how does he feel about his ears being touched? and his mouth?" she asked every owner before she went in, because even the best behaved pets had their no-go areas.

"He's great with his ears and his mouth. Honestly, he'll let you do just about anything." Noah laughed quietly. "The only time he ever complains is if you try to confiscate a treat." He glanced down at the pitbull, "Which, to be fair... same." His eyes drifted back to Mallory, lingering for just a bit longer than before. Catching himself, he continued on, "My brother always wanted him to be this big, intimidating guard dog." A smile tugged at Noah's lips. "Turns out he's mostly just a seventy-pound weighted blanket with abandonment issues." The joke softened as quickly as it came as he noticed her name tag, then his smile warmed. "Thanks, Mallory." His voice was quieter now, more sincere. "I know I'm probably hovering a little. I've become one of those people who notice if the dog sighs differently." He glanced down at Rocky again, knowing he might have been overly worried for nothing. "My brother's been gone for a few months now, and that's about when all this started. So... maybe it's nothing. I just figured if I was going to worry, I might as well worry with someone who actually knows what they're doing." His crooked smile returned before he added, "...No pressure or anything."

"thanks for coming over, dude. the one time i decide to cook for myself and i make enough to feed the whole building." that was always his problem and the biggest reason he avoided making food for himself. the spread was out on the kitchen island — roasted veggies, baked chicken, and a caesar salad with house made dressing that he'd picked up from his unofficial ex. "cold beer in the fridge if you want, or water. i think might have some cold sodas too," he offered as he placed a plate and silverware on the counter near the food for the other to make himself a plate of whatever he wanted.

"chicken has a boatload of seasonings on it. so do the veggies. uh, caesar dressing is house made like the stuff you get at the paloma. all made by yours truly," he explained, turning to catch the other's gaze. "if you like it, i'll even send you the recipe on how to make it all yourself." when they weren't checking out new spots to hike, this was how they spent their time around one another. "go ahead, big guy. make yourself at home."

Opening the fridge, Noah found himself debating between a beer and a Coke before inevitably reaching for the Coke instead. His sweet tooth was getting a little out of hand, but at least he was consistent. He popped the tab and took a long sip before turning his attention to the spread laid out across the counter. "You sure nobody's trying to put a ring on your finger?" he asked with an easy laugh. "Because this spread would've done it for me." Grabbing a plate, he helped himself to a generous serving of chicken before shaking his head with an amused smile. "You know, I made pancakes this morning—with blueberries—and they didn't burn." He sounded almost proud of himself. "I was feeling pretty accomplished... but now I'm looking at all this and getting humbled real quick." He took another glance over the food before looking back at Mav. "I'll gladly take the recipes. Sara's definitely gonna want to recreate all of this, and I'd like to be able to pretend I helped." He smiled, taking another bite, and he gestured lightly with his fork. "So..." he asked, "What's new with you? Besides, apparently becoming a five-star chef while I wasn't looking?"