Live, Laugh, Adventure

“No? No rules? It’s do as you please? Take as much wine as you please? That must make for a fun event.”Ryder joked a bit. He was new and needed a little bit of knowledge on how these things went. It was foreign to him. He was also making fun of himself too. “I need your help then. What is the proper etiquette? Is there a dress code?“He asked. Ryder listened intently on what to do. That made a lot more sense. Rating them on how they taste and even liking enough to grab their wallets and credit cards. “Ah! That makes more sense. You want to try them all on their own separately. Well bottoms up.”he said drowning the small drink.

It wasn’t that Ryder was trying to be hard headed or act like he didn’t know, he was trying to understand what went into a wine tasting and even making a joke at the same time. It was how Ryders brain worked. It was who he was. He tried to make light of any situation especially when it came to things that he didn’t know or was unsure about. “I was kidding. Even though they are not rules posted I know we still need to listen and follow what you say. To be safe. And not drunk off our asses.”he smiled. “Oh I wasn’t going to drink that much. That seems over the top. Have you had people before sneak more than a couple of trays?”he asked. Ryder was curious. He nodded looking down and playing with the glass that was in his hand. “Alright, I will make sure to write some notes about whether I liked it or not. That one was really good. I can see why it’s your favorite. Mostly raspberry to be honest.”

Celebration!

Ben was that person that was okay with his people stopping by at his restaurant without letting him especially when they knew he was working late. He always welcomed them and he often always had a meal waiting for them since the male was often coming up with new food, testing recipes, refining the ones he had already made. Tonight Ben had been doing some inventory check, planning his next shipment and seeing what needs to be updated. Especially since he was going to close the whole restaurant for the next four days doing some deep clean and some maintenance on a few equipment. Giving his employees a break and a chance to relax also all of them getting paid for those days.

Everyone at the Neptune Oyster had seen Ryder come in more than once and even had seen him come in with Benny. So, they knew that when he came in that he didn’t need a reservation or even table. He could go right on back like he owned the place. Which is exactly what he did. Ryder knew that Benny would not mind that he showed up. He smiled at the few employees that were on their way out as he walked into the back. Ryder could hear Ben moving boxes around. That could only mean one thing. He was doing inventory and checking everything.

Ryder nodded in agreement. She had time. There was no rush. Just because the people around them were getting into relationships doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t happen in due time to them. The right person would come along when she least expected it. “Someday. It will happen. It is going to happen.That right person for you is around here.”he said with a smile on his face. He knew how discouraging it could be seeing everyone around becoming engaged, getting boyfriends and girlfriends, and you’re the only one single. It felt like you wouldn’t have anyone. He felt that before. He was one. But the good news was that she wasn’t giving up. She knew that someone was there for her. Ryder smiled at Remi. “It does. Minus the long hours I love it because I am doing what I’m meant to do. Helping those around me. I don’t do it for the recognition and having my picture on the news or in the paper.”he said honestly. “Why did you leave if you don’t mind me asking? What do you now? Oh yeah don’t want anyone to go that far down and hurt themselves. I hope he has insurance on that ring from what you’re telling it was gorgeous and expensive. What was your favorite part about working on the yachts?

Finding her person, much like a lot of things in Remi's life, felt like a distant dream for her. For someone that had been born with starry eyed hopes and dreams a universe wide, life had knocked her down enough to leave her with a resounding lack of faith in herself and her future. "I ah - yeah. I mean, I hope you're right," she nodded, mustering up whatever small bit of confidence in the idea she could. She loved hearing people talk about a job they were passionate about and in Ryder's case loved it even more as it felt so genuine to her. There weren't many people out there that she felt were truly good people, but in the short time she'd been talking to Ryder she had the sense that he belonged on that list. "That's like really cool, honestly. What got you into it? Did you always know it was what you wanted to do?" It was a common enough answer to hear kids say they wanted to be a firefighter when they grew up, though she doubted most ever truly meant it. "Ah - well, I got offered another job by one of the um...one of the charter guests. So, I stopped yachting and went to work in France as a tutor for a few years. And now uh, here I am back in Kismet. I work at the Cobblestone Cafe. I miss the yachting thing sometimes, it was...peaceful out there on the water. That was my favorite part, just...feeling so far away from everything else."

“Don’t give up. I know right now it seems like it’s a far away dream and that it won’t happen, but don’t give up. Keep your heart and eyes open. It will happen when you least expect it. Trust me. It happened for me.”he said. “I wanted to give up. I wanted to say that I would be single for my entire life.” He said honestly. “My one and only was in front of my face and my best friend all along. It took years for us to finally bring our feelings to the surface but we got there. So, don’t give up.”Ryder smiled at Remi. He wanted her to know that it was going to happen. She would find that guy/girl who took her breath away and swept her off her feet. Ryder could even talk about being a firefighter and his work all day. He never got tired of it. There were stories that he could tell that were heartfelt and even tugged at the heart too. He smiled. “I knew that I wanted something daredevilish. I was a daredevil and rebellious as a child. I gave my dad hell probably raised my moms blood pressure a few times too. Haha. So, I looked at being a stunt man or skydiving. But, before I graduated local companies and organizations stopped by to talk to us about job opportunities. I was intrigued about the fire academy and signed up. I fell in love with it. And even more so when I experienced my first call.”he said. Ryder listened to Remi talk about her job on the yachts and in France. “Oui oui, bonjour, my little French I know. But that is cool that you worked in France as a tutor.” “Next time I’m at the cafe I will be sure to find you. I can only imagine. Just relaxing out there. The sounds of waves. New adventures too.”

He didnt know what to do today, but he was ushered out of the bar to get himself a day off. Not in a mean way, just his staff wanted him to be away from the bar to have a real day off. He understood that even on his days off, he would hang around the bar and his apartment for most of the day.

After the past 24 hours being on shift, Ryder got up and decided to be productive. He could be lazy and lay around his apartment doing nothing. But, Ryder decided he could do that later. After he exercised and even brought groceries for cooking dinner tonight for Ben, he would relax and enjoy his night. Right now, he promised Lucy a walk around the docks. She enjoyed the water and since the boats were getting ready to go out, it would be a perfect time to watch them and even it wouldn’t be too packed.

Even when Ryder couldn’t see Ben because of his work schedule, he still made time to text, call, and even FaceTime while on shift. He didn’t want to miss out on hearing Ben’s voice and even seeing him. It wasn’t the same as in person, but it was something that got him through the long shifts. It also let him know that Benny was thinking about him too. Ryder wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck and kissed him softly and sweetly. He played with the back of his neck and hair as he stayed in his arms listening to Ben. He also didn’t want to move yet. He was quite comfortable and content right here.

Ben did not doubt nor question that Ryder was his. The male had his heart and he knew that he had Ryder's heart for sure. They had been official for basically almost half a year and Ben sometimes felt like this was all a dream. He never thought that he would still be this happy and he was glad to have Ryder by his side and support him. "Am thinking Driftwood Dinner. Feeling like having breakfast for lunch," he answered chuckling.

Ryder knew with all of his heart and soul that Benny was his. This man is the love of his life and the man that he pictured forever with. He would be standing at the alter and across from him would be Benjamin. They would say I do and be married forever and always. That wasn’t one doubt he had. Ben had Ryders heart and Ryder had Ben’s. They always would. Ryder couldn’t believe that they were coming up on their one year anniversary. He was happy. Beyond happy. “Mmmm that sounds great. Pancakes and bacon.”

“It’s not? Did I miss a sign anywhere that I was supposed to read before? I thought I was just to take the wine of my choosing or two, pour it in, add ice if need be, then drink? I guess not.”Ryder arched an eyebrow. This was his first time at a fancy wine tasting and he didn’t know what the rules were or anything. It’s why he usually stuck with some drinks during dinner not fancy events like this. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Ryder chuckled and set the glass down. “Wine enthusiast, please help?”he smiled. “It might taste good for all I know.”he chuckled.

“No? No rules? It’s do as you please? Take as much wine as you please? That must make for a fun event.”Ryder joked a bit. He was new and needed a little bit of knowledge on how these things went. It was foreign to him. He was also making fun of himself too. “I need your help then. What is the proper etiquette? Is there a dress code?“He asked. Ryder listened intently on what to do. That made a lot more sense. Rating them on how they taste and even liking enough to grab their wallets and credit cards. “Ah! That makes more sense. You want to try them all on their own separately. Well bottoms up.”he said drowning the small drink.

Ryder smiled and let out a soft chuckle. He wasn’t trying to push her to be flirty in anyway. If she wanted to she would, or if she didn’t it was entirely up to her. Some people naturally had the flirty side to them and others kept quiet. Nothing wrong with either one. “I bet some guys or girls would find it adorable that you just melt into a puddle around them.”he said with a smile. Ryder nodded with a smile on his face. Remi was right. They had formed a bond and grew close to one another through their shared love of rescuing people, helping one another, and even running into burning buildings. There was other things that they shared a love and bonded over too. It wasn’t just firefighting work. “It is. We know when we run into a burning building or on calls we have each others backs. We’re not going to let any of us run head first into danger.”Ryder and the team had seen a lot of things in their line of work. Some good, some not so good. But they got through it all together. “Yachts? The big fancy boats? You work on them? That’s cool. I’m jealous now. Wow, okay first how rude. The guy must have gone through alot of stress to pick out the right ring and one that she would like. Two, did anyone go in after it?”he chuckled.

A short laugh left her lips, shoulders arching up gently. "I mean, I hope so. I have not yet met that person, but uh, I mean. I'm still young, so it's like, you know. Someday," she chattered on, almost giving herself a pep talk more than anything else. With all of her siblings finding their people in life, settling down, happy, it was hard sometimes to not get a bit discouraged that her own love life had been as abysmal as it had been. Logically she knew she was still young enough that it wasn't as big of a deal, but sometimes it still gnawed at her. An impressed look lifted in her eyes when Ryder talked about his job. Remi had never been that brave to consider a job that was as dangerous as being a firefighter and she held a lot of respect for anyone that could. "That's kind of incredible, honestly. Takes a special kind of people," she mused. Anyone willing to throw themselves into danger to protect others had to have something special about them. "Yeah, very big fancy ones. I don't work on them anymore, but I did for a few years over in the Med. It was fun," she explained. The job had been an escape for awhile, a chance to be somewhere with no expectations on her other than to just do her job. "But, oh, yeah. I mean, we couldn't send any of our people it was way too deep, but we had a company called in to try and find it. No luck, but I guess he probably had insurance on it. Hopefully."

Ryder nodded in agreement. She had time. There was no rush. Just because the people around them were getting into relationships doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t happen in due time to them. The right person would come along when she least expected it. “Someday. It will happen. It is going to happen.That right person for you is around here.”he said with a smile on his face. He knew how discouraging it could be seeing everyone around becoming engaged, getting boyfriends and girlfriends, and you’re the only one single. It felt like you wouldn’t have anyone. He felt that before. He was one. But the good news was that she wasn’t giving up. She knew that someone was there for her. Ryder smiled at Remi. “It does. Minus the long hours I love it because I am doing what I’m meant to do. Helping those around me. I don’t do it for the recognition and having my picture on the news or in the paper.”he said honestly. “Why did you leave if you don’t mind me asking? What do you now? Oh yeah don’t want anyone to go that far down and hurt themselves. I hope he has insurance on that ring from what you’re telling it was gorgeous and expensive. What was your favorite part about working on the yachts?

When Ryder first started cooking, he wasn’t that good. His extent of cooking was buying ready-to-go meals, driving through the drive-thru, taking food home from work, watching cooking shows, and eating Benny’s cooking. Now that he got some pointers and even help from Ben, he was much better. Which is how he was here, giving some pointers to Alex and even talking about boys and girls who she found attractive. “I mean with or without the glasses you got something there. Hey, you know what reach out and say send me a pic without your glasses. Or let’s go hunting on his socials to see if he has any pictures with his glasses off.”he said. Ryder chuckled and smiled. “Thank you. What happens between us stays between us.”he said handing her phone back over. “Are you in need of one? Or are you good?”he smirked. “Someone may surprise you one of these days. They will take all of your sides.” “Now about that you’re definitely going to have to ask Benny. He’s very protective of our relationship.”he said knowing that she was teasing him. Ryder looked in the pot and saw that it was semi boiling but not quite there yet. “Yes, turn it up to medium high heat. We want the water to be a rolling boil. You don’t have to. I can touch the raw meat for you. You can open the sauce jars for us.”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ryder was here to support and encourage Alex in her relationship endeavors. If she found someone that she liked, he would be honest about what he thought of them. That was their friendship. They were honest with each other but at the same time teasing too. It’s what made their friendship so much fun. Ryder grabbed a bowl for the meatballs and some extra supplies when he heard her say she found it. “You took my advice? Did a deep dive into his social media? Did they give you his instagram?”he smirked taking her phone. He looked up from the phone to Alex with a smile on his face. “Whattt?? Me? I would never do such a thing.”he chuckled scrolling through the guys photos. “Okay, handsome either way. With and without glasses. I can see what you mean though without the glasses though.”he handed her phone back before his finger accidentally slipped and liked the photos for her. “Hey Barbie! Let’s go party! Barbie and gay Ken here”he said looking at her and shaking her head. “Barbie, you know how I felt about love before. I thought it wasn’t in the cards for me at all. I thought hell I’m going to die alone. But, it happened. It happened out of the blue. To my best friend.”he smiled looking at Alex. “Don’t shut yourself off is all I’m saying. I know you don’t think right now or at all but you never know, can you do that for me.”Ryder asked with the best adorable eyes around. Not the ones he gave Ben. Those were special. “You’re welcome. You know I gotcha.”he said forming the meat into little balls. They would be cooked first before dropping into the sauce. “Coming up on a year this Christmas. Hey you did it!”

✦ open starter for anyone (0/1) ✦ based on: 🍷 | where Kinsellas is hosting a wine tasting

“It’s not? Did I miss a sign anywhere that I was supposed to read before? I thought I was just to take the wine of my choosing or two, pour it in, add ice if need be, then drink? I guess not.”Ryder arched an eyebrow. This was his first time at a fancy wine tasting and he didn’t know what the rules were or anything. It’s why he usually stuck with some drinks during dinner not fancy events like this. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Ryder chuckled and set the glass down. “Wine enthusiast, please help?”he smiled. “It might taste good for all I know.”he chuckled.

By the reaction that was written on Remis face, it wasn’t something that she would do. He didn’t blame her. It took alot of courage to get out of the comfort zone and do something that was scary. Like flirt with someone they didn’t know. Or just start randomly talking to anyone. “I can understand that. It can be nerve wracking to step out and talk to someone new. I’m sure that you have some flirting skills. A little hair flip? Cute eyes? Flirty look?”he smiled. Ryder nodded. That was true. They had a bond that was just like blood family. “You’re right it is. Cause we are there for each other just like a normal family and we would do anything for each other.”Ryder led them over to the table. He sat down looking out the window before focusing his attention back on her. “Well as a firefighter we see some crazy calls that even stump us how they did this. But, people watching its not too crazy but it would have to be someone singing as loud as they can, music full volume, and almost walked into a pole because they weren’t paying attention. They were feeling the music and dancing and singing their hearts out. How about you?”

Even just the idea of trying to be cute and flirty brought an embarrassed laugh out of Remi who shook her head quickly in dissent. "I uh - no, you know. I don't think I have like any skills. At all. It's actually rather pathetic how quickly I turn into just...a dumb puddle," she admitted with a light shrug of her shoulders. It had been one aspect in life that Remi had just never grown into. As much as she loved the idea of going out there and having the confidence to flirt, when it came time to try and talk to a pretty girl, it was all over. "That's like really cool, though. Found family is a pretty great thing. And with all the stuff you guys do and the danger, I mean, it's got to be pretty special." She could only imagine the type of things they saw on a regular basis and had to go through together. Even if they weren't blood family, they were about as close to it as they could get. Chuckling as he talked about his funniest people watching memory, Remi let her head tilt to the side for a moment in thought. "Oh, man, mine probably...oh, I've seen some pretty wild stuff on the yachts I worked. Got to watch a proposal happen and the girl got so pissed because it wasn't the exact ring she wanted. She threw it off the boat. It was a very expensive ring, so that was like. Total chaos."

Ryder smiled and let out a soft chuckle. He wasn’t trying to push her to be flirty in anyway. If she wanted to she would, or if she didn’t it was entirely up to her. Some people naturally had the flirty side to them and others kept quiet. Nothing wrong with either one. “I bet some guys or girls would find it adorable that you just melt into a puddle around them.”he said with a smile. Ryder nodded with a smile on his face. Remi was right. They had formed a bond and grew close to one another through their shared love of rescuing people, helping one another, and even running into burning buildings. There was other things that they shared a love and bonded over too. It wasn’t just firefighting work. “It is. We know when we run into a burning building or on calls we have each others backs. We’re not going to let any of us run head first into danger.”Ryder and the team had seen a lot of things in their line of work. Some good, some not so good. But they got through it all together. “Yachts? The big fancy boats? You work on them? That’s cool. I’m jealous now. Wow, okay first how rude. The guy must have gone through alot of stress to pick out the right ring and one that she would like. Two, did anyone go in after it?”he chuckled.

It was sad now of days that people who saw big dogs running towards them, got scared that they would jump, bark, or bite. It was a big misconception. It all depended on the owners and how well they trained their dog. Big dogs were such sweethearts and Seymour was proof of that. Ryder could tell that Seymour wanted to jump and lick him to death but he fought against it and just quick walked around his feet. “He’s a very friendly boy. I can see how people would be afraid of him. But, not me. He’s just a big baby who wants love and affection.”he smiled. Ryder looked down and saw that Lucy and Seymour were sniffing each other and even being playful too. “It seems like they are hitting it off. Which is good cause Lucy hasn’t been around too many dogs before.”he smiled.

Courtney chuckled at that, "oh he really is. He's a mush and sometimes I wonder how we got so lucky with him. Like Cohen found him on a job site and we got the most amazing dog." She looked over at Seymour and couldn't help but laugh, the gray goofball had his tongue hanging out and his tail wagging a mile a minute. "And he's good with the baby, I was never nervous about him around her honestly. Our cat though is another story," she rolled her eyes and shook her head, "the little orange cat is a nut job but we love him." Seeing Seymour and Lucy, Courtney smiled, "they do. And that's good. Seymour is a saint so I'm sure he'd put up with a lot if Lucy needed help learning how to be around dogs." @ryderthornton

“That’s all that dogs want. They want to be petted, loved on, and given belly rubs too. Don’t you boy. You want some belly rubs.”Ryder chuckled and patted his butt as Seymour was just a bundle of energy and even cuteness right now wagging his tail and playing with Lucy. “Was he just hanging out there? Or did he walk on and Cohen caught him so he didn’t hurt himself?”Ryder asked. Ryder was a sucker for a good adoption story and even dogs and animals finding their forever home. He was an animal lover. He chuckled softly as Seymour was just whacking that tail around. The baby was giggling too. “Oh I love cats too but they can be little shitheads. They got some attitude to them.”he said. “It seems that Lucy wouldn’t mind that one bit. Would you girl.”he said as Lucy was wagging her tail too. “Let’s walk to my car, I’ll get your stroller wheel all fixed and you’ll be on your way.”Ryder said with a smile.

starter for @ryderthornton

Ryder loved loved loved his job. It was what he was meant to do. He wouldn’t change it for anything. Do not get it wrong. However, when it came to the 24 and even 48 hour shifts, not being able to see Ben, sleep next to him, kiss him, and even fall asleep in his arms, he didn’t like the feeling. Thank goodness he was almost done with his 24 hour shift and he could see Ben. Ryder was finishing changing when he heard his phone. He smiled at the text message asking if he was free for lunch. He quickly texted back that he was and would see him soon.

Benny knew that Ryder loved his job and he could see the passion that his boyfriend had for what they did and he was very much glad about that. Ben knew that Ryder worked long hours and did not get to see the male sometimes that often but he always enjoyed moments where he could text him, when they could see each other and hang out for sure. Moments like this too. He chuckled smiling wildly as he moved closer to the other and placed a kiss on their lips.

Even when Ryder couldn’t see Ben because of his work schedule, he still made time to text, call, and even FaceTime while on shift. He didn’t want to miss out on hearing Ben’s voice and even seeing him. It wasn’t the same as in person, but it was something that got him through the long shifts. It also let him know that Benny was thinking about him too. Ryder wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck and kissed him softly and sweetly. He played with the back of his neck and hair as he stayed in his arms listening to Ben. He also didn’t want to move yet. He was quite comfortable and content right here.

A slight blush crept along Remi's throat, pretty sure that she had never once in her life just walked into somewhere and felt the confidence to just talk to someone. The idea of just going out and meeting someone was great in theory, but in practice she had the sinking feeling that it wasn't likely to happen for her. "Maybe, yeah. It uh - I don't really talk to like...a lot of strangers, I guess. Flirting is like...so not my strong suit," she admitted with a sheepish laugh, shoulders lifting up. Her eyes brightened a bit when Ryder talked about his found family at the fire station. Even if he didn't have siblings of his own, there was a bond there that could be just as strong. "That totally counts, I think. Maybe not blood siblings, but found family is just as important," she mused. Even with as many siblings as she had, she still was always open to taking people into her life in that role any time she met someone worthwhile. Nodding eagerly when Ryder pointed out the spot by the window, she followed him over there and took a seat, nestling into the chair as she set her ice cream on the table in front of her. "This is perfect. I love people watching. There's always something to see. What's the craziest thing you've seen happen while people watching?"

By the reaction that was written on Remis face, it wasn’t something that she would do. He didn’t blame her. It took alot of courage to get out of the comfort zone and do something that was scary. Like flirt with someone they didn’t know. Or just start randomly talking to anyone. “I can understand that. It can be nerve wracking to step out and talk to someone new. I’m sure that you have some flirting skills. A little hair flip? Cute eyes? Flirty look?”he smiled. Ryder nodded. That was true. They had a bond that was just like blood family. “You’re right it is. Cause we are there for each other just like a normal family and we would do anything for each other.”Ryder led them over to the table. He sat down looking out the window before focusing his attention back on her. “Well as a firefighter we see some crazy calls that even stump us how they did this. But, people watching its not too crazy but it would have to be someone singing as loud as they can, music full volume, and almost walked into a pole because they weren’t paying attention. They were feeling the music and dancing and singing their hearts out. How about you?”

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

When Ryder first started cooking, he wasn’t that good. His extent of cooking was buying ready-to-go meals, driving through the drive-thru, taking food home from work, watching cooking shows, and eating Benny’s cooking. Now that he got some pointers and even help from Ben, he was much better. Which is how he was here, giving some pointers to Alex and even talking about boys and girls who she found attractive. “I mean with or without the glasses you got something there. Hey, you know what reach out and say send me a pic without your glasses. Or let’s go hunting on his socials to see if he has any pictures with his glasses off.”he said. Ryder chuckled and smiled. “Thank you. What happens between us stays between us.”he said handing her phone back over. “Are you in need of one? Or are you good?”he smirked. “Someone may surprise you one of these days. They will take all of your sides.” “Now about that you’re definitely going to have to ask Benny. He’s very protective of our relationship.”he said knowing that she was teasing him. Ryder looked in the pot and saw that it was semi boiling but not quite there yet. “Yes, turn it up to medium high heat. We want the water to be a rolling boil. You don’t have to. I can touch the raw meat for you. You can open the sauce jars for us.”