dust in the wind

I changed Oliver’s FC & needed a bit of a re-introduction so I could delete my old one. pls enjoy <3

God only knew where the hell Nick was. Fei had stopped scanning the crowd for a sign of her wayward boyfriend ages ago, deciding that her new plus-one was now an entire bottle of champagne, one glass at a time. She didn’t want to get too tipsy and end up making a fool of herself in front of Nick’s fancy rich friends, but he probably deserved it for abandoning her in the first place. 

So she couldn’t help but smile a bit when her own thoughts were echoed by the man beside her. She blinked, surprised - and a little impressed - by how quickly his drink had disappeared. “What’d you get it on the rocks for if you’re just gonna take it as a shot?” she smirked. “I would’ve choked on an ice cube. You’re lucky, I’m a nurse, I can give you the Heimlich if it happens with the next one.”

The soft smell of the floral arrangements were a bit nauseating, he wasn’t going to lie about it. Although it was beautiful, he couldn’t help by be caught up aromas. The ice melted a bit at the bottom of his glass when he turned to the woman next to him, feeling himself start to grin at her own, shaking his head a little bit. “The whiskey opens up when it gets cold,” He swirled the glass around a bit, noticing that he had been focusing on it way too much to even try to pretend he seemed a bit awkward. “Gives it a bolder flavor, a little watered down.”

“I guess it takes a bit of practice,” He smirked a bit at the table in front of him, a little taken on if these were signs of flirting that he was completely misdirecting-- he wasn’t usually good at that kind of stuff. Not that he really wanted to be flirting with anyone-- sometimes it just felt nice to feel appreciated rather than to... well, practically beg for it. “I’m a doctor, and I think I may have learned the Heimlich, but I’m not entirely sure I remember how it goes, if I’m honest.”

Location: Alli & Sanem’s wedding 

@crescentstarters​

Landon didn’t understand how Lily was able to pull off such a gorgeous setting, but he would have to thank her at the end of the night. He had taken his own walk around the venue, taking test photos on his phone to make sure the natural lighting would suffice. And God, was it beautiful. “So these are the people we’re keeping out,” he murmured to the security team while reading over the list. “Do we need to go over descriptions again?” Instead, Landon whipped out his phone once more and e-mailed the hi-resolution photos to head security. “Make sure your team knows these faces, okay?” he stated with a smug grin before turning. “Aren’t you early?”

When a valet was involved, it was a little fancy. Growing up, this wasn’t what he was used to-- he’d never see anything like this back home in Vancouver, but looking around at the grounds, he really couldn’t imagine any way else to celebrate Sanem and Alli. Handing the keys to the valet driver, gift tucked into his pocket, he stepped towards the doors covered in flowers and ivy. Immediately, he recognized the suitor that sat out front, his phone and, what looked like sheets of paper in his hands. Feathers a bit ruffled, if he was being honest. “I think I’m on the list, under Jameson,” Oliver stated with a smirk, his tongue grazing his lip as he looked towards the security and the brunette, looking annoyingly way too good. Anyone looks good in a suit, he reminded himself. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be at your sister’s wedding?” They stood apart, Oliver had his hands in his pockets as he tried not to make his eyes noticeable as they searched over the man’s physique. “Like, with your sister.”

Even on her wedding day, Allison felt the pressure to impress her higher ups at the law firm, who just so happened to accept their invitations to her special day. She was waiting for a bartender to come back with one of the special edition champagne’s when she felt a shuffling beside her. The man’s raven hair gave him away almost instantly and she couldn’t help but give Oliver a curt push to the middle of his chest. “Are you getting sober for the fun of it all or sober to commiserate going stag, if you’re even stag tonight.” She raised an eyebrow, her eyes glancing in the general direction where Landon seemed to be making small talk with some of the out-of-town Reid’s. His hands looked like they were about to go into his pockets and she said, “Please tell me you know for a fact he’s not doing magic tonight?” 

At first glance, Oliver wasn’t really prepared to see Alli standing next to him. He wasn’t entirely sure how these things worked, but he could have sworn the wedding party wasn’t seen until the ceremony. “You look incredible,” He smirked, dodging the question, before turning away from her. He wanted to turn away so that Alli wouldn’t necessarily see him pull the collar of his shirt from his neck as he thought about the rest of the evening. Oliver and Landon didn’t come to the wedding together, nor did he think that they would interact. He was hopeful, of course, knowing that they had spent more time together recently. Time was supposed to heal all wounds, right? “I’m single tonight, yes,” He sipped on the refill this time, wanting the drink to stay so that he’d have even more reason to ignore Alli. He hadn’t set eyes on the other man yet, but as he followed Alli’s gaze, he found him in the crowd, as dazzling as ever, the smile undeniably on his lips as he tried to push it away. He raised his eyebrows slightly at Alli before turning towards the bar again, “I, unfortunately, don’t know what he’s doing tonight. I do know that he’s most likely going to perform a card trick during the speeches,” He pinched his inner cheek between his teeth. “He’s been practicing.” Oliver turned towards the blonde again, a hint of a smile on his lips, “Don’t you have somewhere to be other than asking me about your new brother-in-law?”

As part of the wedding party, it had been a long day of events and getting things ready and helping make sure that things went off as smoothly as possible. Eventually, to Riley’s delight, the responsibilities had died down and she was left free to wander and mingle with the rest of the partygoers. Most of them were familiar faces and it took her quite some time to finally make it to the bar for a drink, but when she did she was glad to spot another very familiar face awaiting her. Coming up next to Oliver, Riley wrapped an arm around him from the side, pulling him into a hug. “You just asked the most important question of the night and I have an answer for you, there isn’t a point at all,” Riley grinned, making a face in his direction before placing her own order in for a vodka sour. “Fortunately there’s an open bar and an entire night to take full advantage of it. How are you doing, I haven’t seen you in awhile. It’s been…hectic on my end, so I’m sorry for that.”

At the touch on his arm, Oliver wasn’t entirely sure of the connection until he turned and noticed the blonde next to him. “I think you’re totally fight. Anyone to tell you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about,” Riley always looked beautiful, and it was nice to see a smile on her face as she ordered her drink, wondering... about a lot. He knew her relationship with Landon, a bit of their past, and wondered if anything had changed since the men had split. But it wasn’t about that at the moment, the conversation was light and Oliver wasn’t going to deny that. “An open bar usually leads to a great wedding. Liquored up, hopeful-in-love people usually have a good time,” He bit his lip at her question, wondering how to fully answer it without sounding like a sap. “I’m actually doing alright, figuring a lot of stuff out, you know,” Oliver turned towards her as she picked up her drink, “No, don’t be sorry, I know we don’t really talk a lot but a sparkly event in the Harbor seems to bring everyone together, doesn’t it? How about you, what’s been going on?’ He held his drink up a slight bit, “Cheers to getting drunk and watching love work out, I guess.”

The Mrs., 

First & foremost, congratulations! This is a super big day for you two. You guys have meant a lot to me since I’ve been here in CH, for many reasons. (Dealing with an idiot with a deck of cards & a rabbit, to name one.)

Anyways... instead of buying traditional Bed, Bath, & Beyond curtains for the manor, which I’m not totally convinced you wanted, anyways, I know how important time is. To me, marriage is all about life and enjoying each other, together. I’m giving you guys keys to my cabin in Vancouver whenever you want a special getaway. Seriously-- whenever you want. Take the pups, bring the liquor, listen to the ocean, be together. It’s on me! 

Love you guys. Wishing you happiness.

- Oliver 

Knowing that he didn’t officially have a date wasn’t what bothered him the most. It was the fact that he didn’t know when the reception would happen, when the ceremony would start, when would be an appropriate time to bother a few people. Weddings were kind of weird, there was a lot of things going on around you, but a lot of it seemed like a surprise to guests. It made the whole experience a little confusing. The hors d’Oeuvres that were being passed around looked like artwork, something Oliver never really understood. Why eat something that looked too beautiful? Instead, he popped at the bar, looking for anything that would be strong enough to keep him occupied for the evening. However long that may be. “Double Maker’s on the rocks with a twist,” He cash tipped the bartender before downing the glass, subtly speaking to the person to his left, “What’s the point of being at a wedding sober?” He unbuttoned his jacket as he leaned against the counter a bit, eyeing the bartender for a second round.

Eyes glanced at the cup in his hand, automatically knowing it was some sort of fruit or vegetable concoction meant to detox and brighten the skin. Landon didn’t think Oliver would’ve shown up, but that was just how the universe worked. Wasn’t it? The constant magnetic force that was pulling them together at the most undesired times. The last thing Landon needed was Oliver seeing him being soft over the man, alone in public.

“I also thought roses were a bit much,” he agreed, chuckling lightly to himself. Roses were serious. They were for 50th wedding anniversaries and funerals. Not for being in some sort of relationship limbo with an ex. Landon stepped away for a moment to tell the florist what he wanted– baby’s breath, white tulips, and marigolds. “I was going to drop these by the office but…,” Landon handed the man the fresh bouquet, looking down at his shoes. “Were you off to anywhere important? Maybe we can take a walk together?”

The man was essentially just buying him flowers. Out of all the actions in the world for Landon to prove his affection, he chose flowers. Oliver had received gifts from the man before-- beautifully thoughtful gifts, at that. Flowers were just different. Boyfriends did that, not exes that were stuck in the middle of a weird, toxic relationship that seemed hard to get out of, but incredibly warm to be in. He didn’t know if Landon had ever been in a florist before, but if he hadn’t, he hoped it wouldn’t be the last time, either. 

He watched the man approach the counter, doing exactly as Oliver had asked. The feeling tightened his pants, but just enough for him to move to a more comfortable position under his gym shorts. The softness that alluded from the man in front of him was enough to send him over the edge. “That’s sweet of you. I’ll take them there tomorrow morning, actually,” Holding the flowers in his hands, he felt a little... odd. It wasn’t entirely normal, but maybe their normal hadn’t been working in their favor for so long. “I’ll drop these off in my car, we can walk around if you want.” 

Dropping the bouquet off, Oliver attended back to the man in front of the store, his eyes dropping towards Landon’s own, his smirk biting at the straw of his drink. “You have my attention for the rest of the night, if you want it.” 

Dr. Oliver Jameson had joined the ranks of her overall healthcare team months ago. It was necessary to have a local team no matter where she landed, but one of the downsides of having interchangeable medical professionals coming in and out were the questions they’d have to ask, questions she knew were vital to getting her onto the best path. With Oliver though, Cass had learned slightly to try to let things go, as he’d made it clear that any awkward or stagnant energy just wasn’t in his MO. But it was a hard habit to unlearn, especially when she was trying not to lie to her doctors as of lately. She offered him a small smile before she replied, “I did a brief stint in Miami and then Fashion Week was a blur,” 

All of the outfits, the atmosphere, the blinding and flashing lights that begged her to look every which way so they could get every single angle of her features, it was the dream she’d always wanted coming into fruition, but it came with consequences still. “I actually got you a pocket square from Milan, I’ll grab it after the exam though.” She said with a small chuckle. 

To keep herself from rambling any further, she clasped her hands together, her finger tips gently pressing on the tender knuckles, one that had clutched onto the cool ridges of toilet bowls from her lapse. “They’re a little tender,” She said truthfully, “I wasn’t great to my body a little after Thanksgiving and it kind of…spiraled from there.” There it was, like ripping off a band aid. “I got in touch with my nutritionist who put me on a plan that should fit my macros, but…I’m not sure if I’m actually intolerant to some of the choices or my mind is just telling me I am.” 

Stick to the talk about your skincare, Cassandra. She looked at the doctor apologetically, taking in his statement about sun spots. It had been especially sunny in Capri, and she had no idea if she had remembered to apply the appropriate amount of sunscreen on, it never felt like she was out for as long as she meshing underneath a certain silhouette. “It’s been about 90 days now since the last lapse,” She continued. “Can the actions attribute this physically after so long?” 

Being a certain kind of medical professional meant that Oliver had to be careful with what he said. Of course, most of the patients knew that the information they shared would be shared with other doctors in treatment teams to be able to further recognize treatment options. He’d been working with Cassie for as long as he’d been in Crescent Harbor, really one of his longest clients. Because of her work, he found that he didn’t see her as often as he’d like to, but keeping her body overall healthy was his number one goal-- just like any other patient. However, their relationship spanned a little longer than that. He’d hoped that her trust in him had grown over the years. “Fashion Week? That’s pretty exciting, I assume. I don’t really know much about all of that, but I’d assume that’s a pretty big honor for you.” One of the secrets he’d learned from other medical professionals was to make sure to validate the clients feelings, whatever they were. It helped create, and build, the trust. 

“Milan,” Oliver smirked a bit, “I thought you said you were in Miami? Must be hard to wake up on place and fall asleep in another, and vice versa,” By the way that Cassandra had been holding her hands, it was small notes that he’d write about in her chart. The way she sat, the way she may or may not have made eye contact, what she said... it all went in there. 

Oliver could tell that there may have been some false truths in her words, maybe a bit of manipulation of what she really meant. That’s how the disorders got ahold of you-- it was a different mindset, and he was trying his best not to argue with that. He grabbed the pen from his coat pocket, writing down a few notes as she spoke, “I assume all of the traveling hasn’t helped this at all,” His eyes looked back up at her, lips pressing together. “Did you spend Thanksgiving at home with family?” A bit of a sad smirk crossed his face at the woman’s remark, nodding gently. “I promise your nutritionist is a great doctor in their own sense, and they’re making the right choices for you.” 

If he was being honest, he’d have to let her know that symptoms would last... well, forever, if they had been severe enough. But from looking at Cassie’s chart, knowing her for as long as he had, he figured that there had to be some transparency. “I-- yes, in a lot of cases, the actions of your disordered eating can affect you physically for the rest of your life, potentially,” He swallowed, “I’m not an expert, nor am I saying that it will last forever. But your skin absorbs everything, right, it’s an organ. It can heal itself, but the damage to it and the rest of your organs can have, unfortunately, pretty bad consequences.”

Location: Coming Up Roses

@crescentstarters​

Ever since Landon allowed his guard to be dropped with Oliver (again), he felt years younger. Of course it helped that the men had slowly begun sleeping over each other’s places once more, but as far as Landon was aware, there was no label. His standard scowl was still plastered on his face as he entered the florist, but his heart skipped. Was it too soon to drop flowers off at his job? Fuck. 

As long as nobody in his close circle caught him here, he’d be fine. Though, he could always make an excuse, couldn’t he? He could say that he just wanted flowers for his apartment, or that he was going to do a photoshoot with Jonesy. He took out his phone and scrolled to a photo of Oliver, attempting to create a bouquet that would match his eyes. “What sort of flowers would you believe this man would be appreciative of?” he asked the person next to him.

It wasn’t weird. Well, it didn’t have to be weird. The Jeep sat out front looked awfully familiar as Oliver walked past the flower shop on his pressed juice run. His eyes perched into the window, noticing the man that stood directly in front of the roses. If he hadn’t been so nosy-- which he knew that Landon would have done the same thing-- maybe he’d have just walked by, celery juice in hand, he’d go on with his day. Instead, he decided to stand outside the shop for a moment, wondering why the man would have been in a florist in the first place. Maybe he was meeting Sanem or Alli, knowing that the wedding was soon. 

At first glance, he noticed Landon looking at his phone, his body slowly moving towards the door as she pulled it open. As he approached him, he stayed back, a bit quiet as he knew that the man wouldn’t have noticed. It seemed he had been too preoccupied looking at the phone, Oliver’s picture present. His eyes glanced at him, his eyes making contact as the smile placed on his face had grown a few size. “I think a nice bouquet of baby breath, white tulips, and some marigolds would look lovely, if you were trying to impress him.” Oliver shrugged as he turned his head away, hoping to hide the bit of pink that may have been displaying on his cheeks. “I think you may be impressing him already, though.”

date: somewhere between april 5-10 idk location: applewood farm + coming up roses spring flower festival time: afternoon status: open (0/4) @crescentstarters​

She isn’t hiding. Nor is she entertaining the idea that she wants to be chased. Crescent Harbour was a place where nothing happened, and that was exactly what the blonde wanted for herself after a whirlwind winter: nothing. She wanted the nothingness of quiet, the nothingness of having not else to distract her from her work and how she felt. Still, bitterness sits at the back of her mind and makes her nauseous like bile at the back of her tongue if she thinks too long on the topic. But there’s beauty in distractions, and today’s distraction was a quiet, simple sort of beauty in front of her. 

She’d been building a bouquet in her arms, looking between the different containers to decide between different sprays of flora and greenery. What she lacked so far, though, was the focus of the bouquet. Roses, maybe? Peonies? Lilies? Her fingers trail over each of them gently, undecided as she looks towards the other, pointing towards the flowers: “I can’t choose. Pick one for me?”

He had to admit, the fresh scent of flowers in spring was most likely the best smell. It hinted that the winter had ceased, time had started to go by, and preparing for summer always put everyone in a better mood. After a quick walk through of the market, Oliver couldn’t help but notice that the colors had started to change with the season. It felt more uplifting, more signaling that change was present everywhere he went. Soccer practice had ended relatively early, enough that he had time to wander around on his Saturday afternoon.

The air felt warm on his skin, his fingers brushing over a few different stems. The floral section had been particularly stunning this weekend, mostly because of the weather that they’d had. Maybe in another life, a flower garden would be essential for his own mental standing. A life where he didn’t have to wake up every morning to check people’s skin. “I think the tulips are the better option, personally,” A hint of a shrug flew off of his shoulders, he licked his lips as he noticed they had dried a bit. “Tulips stand out in a bouquet. They have that odd flower shape that is more recognizable, you know?” Oliver picked up a purple and a bright pink one. “Not to mention they also smell incredible.” With a small shake of his head, he let out a dry chuckle. “I’m sorry, I think the gay just jumped out of me and all over the conversation.”

💍  :    our  muses  are  mistaken  for  a  couple  by  someone  else .

The after practice dinners always hit the hardest, especially when Oliver had spent the beginning of the day at work. Exercise was a release for him, and knowingly so, he always felt like he had to in order to relieve any of the stress. It hadn’t occurred to him that it may seem a bit strange for the duo to continue to go out on their own after practices, but they were friends, maybe a bit more than that at some points, but it wasn’t weird. It didn’t feel like anything more than friends going out to eat. 

The rest of the team had gone their separate ways, but something about Mickey was inviting and interesting to Oliver. A lot of the mystery came from the unintentional-- or intentional, he wasn’t entirely sure-- flirting that exhibited from both of them. Even when they had fizzled out a bit here and there, both of them still managed to introduce certain elements of flirtation that would inhibit others to question it. They may have both been in different worlds, but the game was always fun to play. As the waitress brought the check to the table, after they had both almost finished their respective meals, it occurred to Oliver that they probably should have asked for separate checks. 

“Who should I give the check to?” The woman’s intention obviously good, but definitely one that would assume they were there together. Oliver looked up at the waitress as he set his napkin on the table, a small smirk appearing on his lips as she took it from her, watching her walk away as he turned back. “Looks like I’m paying for you now,” The hint of rasp in his voice directed him to clear his throat before his eyes searched back up at the man in front of him. 

“Don’t worry, babe, you can pay next time.” 

@mickeyvillegas

It was a day she was partially dreading, but she knew it was necessary. With her health history and especially after her most recent relapse, Cass wanted to be sure she saw as many doctors as she could to get herself on the right track. She’d purposefully been canceling her in session appointments with her estheticians, and though she thought it was a minor derailment, a part of her knew just how badly it could effect her entire system. It didn’t matter how long she’d been in recovery, especially since there were still some underlying physical effects that reminded her about her brief stint of weakness. Even now as she sat in the plush chair, she willed herself not to look into the mirror, fearing what she’d see staring back at her. The sunken in divots had vanished, or so Marcella had chimed in to assure her, but she was sure Oliver would be the final judge for that. 

The sound of his voice broke through her racing thoughts and with Oliver’s familiar face coming into vision, Cass offered a gentle wave before she sheepishly looked down at her hands. “Nice to see you Doctor Jame-” She stopped herself. They were far past professional pleasantries, “Oliver,” She corrected. A routine check was safe, though as she bit down on her bottom lip she slowly nodded before she said, “I’ve been noticing an uptick of hyperpigmentation on my cheeks and these odd calluses on my knuckles?” Her stomach flipped slightly, openly admitting the telltale signs of her last relapse coming to light was still hard, no matter how she tried to push past it. “Is there anything that can be done?” 

The doctor wasn’t a dietician, nor was he anywhere near a general practitioner that would be able to assess the woman’s specific needs. But with consultation of Cassie’s team, her management, her regular doctors, sometimes it was easier to hear it from someone else. With her past medical history, the waves definitely fluctuated, Oliver saw it a lot more than he had assumed once he left medical school, and it wasn’t something that he had studied a lot on-- but he had made it a point to. 

Cassie looked nervous, maybe a little bit out of place. It wasn’t easy to consult with doctors about issues that made you anxious, he could understand that. Oliver always wanted his patients to feel at ease, like they weren’t necessarily talking to their medical professional, but a friend. It made treatment options easier, it made the nerves lessen greatly-- for both parties involved. “It’s nice to see you, Cassie, how has everything been?” The small talk conversation for Oliver had always been the easiest part of the job. “Last time I saw you, you may have been getting ready for a performance somewhere. Can’t remember exactly, and I’m sure you’ve done a few hundred since then.” Oliver sat in the chair opposite to the woman, clicking his pen and writing a few notes that she had given, hoping to not miss anything. Reading the body language of the person was part of the job, he had to read the way she mentioned certain issues that bothered her. 

“Have you noticed any pain or tenderness in those areas?” His eyes glanced over the woman’s skin, taking sight of what she was talking about; her cheeks, her fingers, her knuckles, even some slight coloring on her arms as well. It may have just been a few sun spots, but nothing more. “How about your diet?” His eyes made their way back to her own, he quickly reiterated with: “I know that can be a difficult subject. But any type of intolerance or allergy can occur too, and we just want to rule those out.”

How fucking annoying was it that his stomach curdled at the sight of Landon’s smirk, the soft smile that settled on his lips because of their conversation? In this world, the only thing that was going to settle his stomach would be to kiss him again. It was like routine for them to fight and forgive, and it may even begin to be their new normal. Oliver wasn’t entirely sure how much each of them would be able to handle anymore, but something told him that the love that held them together didn’t seem to fade. 

The man’s finger tips were swirling around in Oliver’s palms, dancing gently as his wrist turned to join them together. For the first time in a while, they resembled adults rather than messy teenagers that couldn’t control their tempers. “You’re telling me that I’m not sleeping on the floor tonight?” The tiniest dimple shown on Oliver’s tanned skin, the crater deepening as he turned away from the man. It was almost like instantly electric between them, he couldn’t keep the heat off. “It’s been a while, you know,” The idea of being under Landon’s 1600 thread count sheets was enough to convince to come back, he didn’t have to be told to. “Since I’ve watched you put your retainer in. I kind of miss it.” 

A content sigh released from Oliver’s lips, recognizing that the man continued to have some sense after he was gone. Maybe that was the main point of all of it-- he at least got him to use products that weren’t going to cause micro-tears in his skin. Landon’s skin was so pure and had such beautiful olive tones-- “Thank god you kept the stuff in there then,” He shook his head a bit, finding his eyes drag to the ground as he felt the heat rising up his neck. Playing with Landon made the situation free, it made the room feel lighter than it had about an hour prior-- the dark cloud had risen. “With all that stuff on the counter, how could you ever not think of me?”