Theodore Quinn

Loïc: Not bad but still trying to get used to the lingo.

Loïc: I've been known to eat, so let's. You're the local, where are you taking me?

Theo: hmmm, yeah the lingo still gets me to this very day! don't worry about it

Theo: ah that is true. i usually don't pick the place so i'll have to think for a mo...

Loïc’s brows shot up in surprise. When Theo had talked about a bad break-up, he certainly hadn’t expected a proposal to be anywhere in the picture. That was an interesting discovery, very interesting. When the momentary shock evaporated, he nodded in some semblance of sympathy, “Well, you live and you learn. Isn’t that what they say?” He reached over, placing one hand on top of Theo’s. Probably not appropriate considering the topic of conversation or the fact that he’d completely vanished from the other man’s life for years, but well, he did it. Then he smiled, “I don’t think I ever heard you curse before but it suits you.”

He shook his head at Theo’s apology, “It’s fine, I just don’t want to bore you with all of that business-y stuff.” Okay, that was only half true. It was all pretty boring to him and his drive to take over mainly stemmed from a competitive streak, but also he didn’t particularly want to tell Theo all about his background. Strange, perhaps, considering how often he had used that to his advantage in the nightlife, but it was a whole lot different when it was someone he actually kind of liked. Annoying as hell, that part.

His hand finally left Theo’s and wrapped around the mug of tea again. “Emi and I are okay, but she is… you know she has her issues.” At least that part was completely true, and Theo had even witnessed them to some extent. Loïc just conveniently left out the part where he was in part responsible for some of them. “It’s hard to trust her with something that took generations to build. Nothing personal.”

The change of topic was extremely welcome, even if Theo’s question was met with a shrug. “I booked an airbnb for the weekend, so that was my plan,” he said, fingers tapping against the mug. “But I think I can stay over here if you’d like that.”

With Loïc’s hand on top Theo’s,  the other’s warmth seeped into his skin, comforting him. The gentle support was enough to make Theo’s eyes gloss but he kept his head down, looking at their positioning. ‘’Oh, yeah. Man of God over here.’’ He was aware that his growing devotion to Christianity would be comical to some. ‘’I tend to avoid it but hey, seems like I’ll be saying a Hail Mary tonight.’’ 

Theo began to revisit memories of Safe Haven as he listened. He thought of the porch, strokes of the cheek, sweet exchanges of smiles and a level of trust that he wanted to return again. It was funny how a simple touch could unlock a whole other section of his mind. Theo loved to touch him and wanted to again - never did he desire Loïc’s touch sexually, never anywhere other than his face, his hands, his strands of hair. It was painfully obvious when the touch was gone but Theo knew he had to swallow it, he could not be rekindling anything especially without a strong enough indicator that Loïc was wanting to reciprocate. 

It was admirable that Loïc’s family had something generational, that throughout the years his family had a clear line to follow without space for absenteeism. Although, the pressure that follows was not something that Theo envied. He thrived as a youth, having no expectations to meet. Something was refreshing about nobody having a desired route of progression for you and Theo always enjoyed nobody waiting for some grand achievement. Of course, as his skate career grew more and more serious, more demanding, the pressure took away his love for it. The mentors said that he could have competed for another year but after the, what was to be his last, big win he no longer wanted it. He wanted to stay loving the art rather than loathing his greatest ambition.

Loïc’s compliance with wanting to stay in his home was unexpected. Theo assumed that he would brush it off and play the I-don’t-want-to-be-any-bother card like most would. There was a stammer before Theo could let his mouth catch up with his brain. There were too many questions. ‘‘Wait, so how long are you here for? I mean if you’ve already paid for the weekend you could stay there and if you wanna hang ‘round a tad longer then my place is open.’‘ Theo hoped that his statement didn’t make it sound like he had changed his mind. ‘‘Honest, my door will always be open for you.’‘ It was sincere and enough of a confession to make Theo melt a little at his own realisation.

“Glad you’re over it.” He genuinely meant that, although he wasn’t entirely positive that he believed Theo. Maybe he was misjudging the other man, quite a possibility considering their time apart and… well, did they even know each other that well in the first place? Either way, Loïc didn’t exactly think of Theo as someone who just got over things. Case in point that nervous stutter that had returned. “You don’t have to talk about it but who was he?” he took a sip from his tea and gave a light shrug, “I’m curious, sue me.”

As much as he wanted to know about Theo’s life, he wasn’t particularly keen on all the questions flying back at him. Hell, he wasn’t even sure how much Theo knew about his life in Belgium. Emmanuelle and he had agreed not to overshare but it occurred to him that he wasn’t sure how much Theo and Em had spoken in the last three years. “I wouldn’t mind it, actually I was studying business so I can stay on top of it. I can admit that I mostly want to keep her from running it into the ground… but I don’t want to bring you into all that drama. It’s not very interesting anyway, trust me.”

How ‘over-it’ Theo was truly depended on the day. Theo no longer had feelings for his previous partner but the events did upset him from time to time. “Um, well, his name is Blake.” Theo's lips pursed at the name. “I was going to propose to him but I guess we had different intentions with our lives.” He was bitter but no longer upset. “I guess I wasn't brainy enough for him and he wasn't secure enough for me. Excuse my language Lou but, it was a bit shit. To better word it I'm over him now but I'm still a bit annoyed that I spent so much energy on someone who, in the end, didn't really ever get me.” His hands clasped together, as he let his fingers squeeze. Theo hadn't ever said anything on it before. Perhaps he said too much but he wanted Loïc to know and then this way he wouldn't have to say it again. Theo hated being bitter. Theo quickly tried to recover and moved on, listening intently to Loîc, letting his face relax. “I bet you it is interesting. Everything about you is interesting.” He shuffled forward on his chair to mean on his elbows. “So, are things not going well with you and Emi? I haven't spoken to her since she left Safe Haven.” The longer Loïc sat across from him, the more strikingly obvious it became how little Theo knew about him. He had invited a handsome stranger into his home. “I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable at all, I wouldn't want to do that to you especially seeing as you're my guest...” He trailed off, letting his gaze drift to the window to listen to Beau's playful barks. “How long are you here for? If you ever need to stay here you can.” Again, a handsome stranger, c'mon Theo.

He shrugged at the New York comment, his eyes following as Theo switched the radio on. Loïc was genuinely surprised not to hear show tunes, but he wasn’t going to comment on that and risk actually being subjected to them. “Well, it’s fine,” he replied, hand flailing to signal his indifference, “But you know, I did college for a couple of years and it got boring. I actually liked it better in Louisiana, can you believe it?” Hard to do, even for himself. He still didn’t like to say the name of the place out loud. It sounded so pathetic.

“You really uprooted it all then, huh?” he asked, almost incredulous but mostly impressed. Safe Haven Theo had seemed far from strong enough to do something like that. “I was going to say I’m sorry about the break-up but…” he paused to take a sip of his tea and add that dramatic flair, “I’m not.”

“Ah, I don’t know. I’m still supposed to finish college here and figured out a career but…” He cocked his head to the side and gave it a little shake. “Maybe I will, but I think eventually I’m going back to look after the business. Emi is, well, not cut out for it.”

'’You went to college?! That’s amazing Lou.’’ His smile was wider than any he had given so far, face oozing with pure joy for him. ‘’And you prefer the quiet life? You seem a changed man, or maybe I never knew you at all.’’ It was true that maybe Theo’s excitement might have upset Loïc seeing as he dropped out but Theo had no intentions behind it other than sharing his pride that Loïc got to Uni.

‘‘Yeah, I got all my stuff together, moved there, trained, won a competition, fell in love, had my heart broken, adopted Beau then bought a gorgeous cottage.’‘ Theo gripped his mug, biting his lip, proud of both of their achievements, looking deeply into his mug of tea but then suddenly being ripped from that moment to another. He spluttered at Loïc‘s comment about his breakup, highly amused yet taken aback. ‘‘L-Luckily I’m over it or else me a few month ago would have been crying..’‘ He forced out a laugh, falling into a pit of what-if’s wondering the meaning behind his statement other than maybe being insensitive. 

‘‘Well, what is it you want to do most in the world? Do you want to be in that business?’‘ He enquired, still thinking about what he previously said, ‘‘What were you studying? Sorry, I’m throwing lots of questions at you.’‘

Loïc took the mug, examining the design with great amusement, “Ouch.” He chuckled at it, though. Probably deserved it anyway, although he felt like he had been relatively restrained with Theo, all things considered. Maybe that was why he couldn’t quite let go of it all.

“New York’s alright, but I’m kind of… over it,” he admitted, voluntarily handing over his actual feelings about the place and not the usual speech about how great it all was. He was over that one, too. “It is weird here, yes. It’s like Haven, but then it’s not.” He took a sip from his mug, blissfully unaware of how vaguely pretentious that statement had sounded. More than ready to change the topic away from himself. “How did you end up here? I was wondering if you had gone back to England, but I did not imagine this place.”

That cheeky grin coerced an amused smile from himself. Theo had forgotten what a character Loïc actually was and remembered exactly what enchanted him to begin with. He was cocky in a way that didn’t annoy you, only made you want to hear more from his ego. Theo could never be like Loïc but he hoped that one day he would have at least an eighth of his confidence. 

Theo placed his mug down on the corner of the dining table before pulling out two chairs, one for himself and the other for his guest, ‘’Please sit. If there’s anything else you want, just say.’’ He moved to the back door, pulling the handle to leave it ajar for whenever Beau wanted back in. Theo chose to ignore his reaction to the mug as he switched on the radio, twisting the tuner to the local vintage station, putting it on low. ‘’Over New York? That’s one thing I have never heard.’’ Theo laughed, he was just too good for one of the most iconic cities in the world and he was not even surprised that was so. ‘’I much prefer the quieter life, at least at the moment.’’ It was honest. 

Moving back over, Theo sat opposite Loïc’s space, taking his first sip of tea. ‘’Oh, no. I’d never go back to England, I kind of hate it there.’’ He scowled before lightening his expression, ‘’After leaving Louisiana, I moved to California and then quickly wanted to move back south- and by quickly I mean after two years. I got into a messy break-up so I was like, ‘See ya’ then retired from skating after I won my last competition.’’  After his rambling he sighed, eager to then go back to Loïc. They were almost taking turns. ‘’What do you do now? I’m a full-time community gardener.’’

“Your house is cute,” he remarked, almost pushing past Theo to get inside the house. He still had his manners down in theory but they didn’t seem particularly important to uphold at that particular moment. Had to balance out that shy passiveness, as charming as he found it. And he wanted to get a good look at the new life that Theo was carving out for himself.

It certainly appeared a lot more structured than his own, at least from the outside. The little house actually looked like a home, not some temporary nest. In a way he envied that. More strongly, however, it made him want to dig deeper into Theo’s suddenly so peaceful-looking existence. In South Carolina of all places. That was a choice.

“Do you live here by yourself?” he asked, glancing around the place for anything that didn’t feel Theo. Although they’d talked before agreeing to meet up for old times’ sake, Loïc was not confident he actually knew everything that had happened in the other man’s life. Call it projection; he certainly hadn’t given Theo the full recap of The Loïc Show. “I mean, apart from the rainforest in here, I suppose that basically counts as a housemate.”

Theo’s home was more of cottage in it’s quaint decorations- grey gingham, light woods and more hanging plants than head space. The bungalow only one door for the bathroom, all other rooms separated by curtains in the door ways. The whole space was open and airy. There was no TV, only a radio and record player. He didn’t even have neighbours. Theo was completely, and happily, secluded. It made him happy that Loïc enjoyed his space, he had never gained a second opinion on it as he was the first to ever enter since he moved in a year ago. His home was his true joy. ‘’Ah, no I don’t actually. I have a pup who’s out the back right now.’’ Theo smiled, cocking his head to the side as he walked past Loïc to silently guide him into following his steps into the kitchen. ‘’Don’t hit your head on my hanging plants, you’re taller than me.’’

Theo placed his hand on the kettle, it was still warm. ‘’If you look out the window you can see him out there, probably jumping at birds or something silly.’’ He shook his head fondly, as he opened the cupboard to retrieve two mugs. Outside a pale, disproportionate cocker-spaniel was rolling around in Theo’s beloved flowers. Theo’s garden was well kept yet not landscaped. There were many bird feeders and insect homes scattered around the place as well as inviting garden furniture. ‘’His name is Beau.’’ Theo dropped two tea bags into the mugs before moving to fridge to get some milk. ‘’It feels surreal that you’re here, you know? I can’t believe you came all this way.’’ He grinned, shaking his head in disbelief as a warm glow began to surrounded the corner of his mouth, colouring his apples. ‘’How are things in New York? It must be weird coming here.’’ Theo mixed the two drinks before handing Loïc a Grease mug. ‘’Thought you’d like this one.’’

ENFP PERSONALITY (“THE CAMPAIGNER”)

'’I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool – for love – for your dreams – for the adventure of being alive. ‘’ - Oriah Mountain Dreamer

81% Extraverted - 19% Introverted

63% Intuitive - 37% Observant

15% Thinking - 85% Feeling

49% Judging - 51% Prospecting

26% Assertive - 74% Turbulent

After two weeks of missing the other, the day for them to see one another was exciting yet nerve wrecking all at once. Especially as Blake was to be coming to Theo's apartment for the first time. The free day he had beforehand was definitely a cleaning day to try make the place as nice as possible for the other, although he was unable to tackle the clutter residing at his front door and desk- that was one chore too big to tackle. His place was clean and mostly well organised until it did come to those two corners which were filled with unopened letters, opened letters and post it notes about missed phone calls and emails which were well overdue.

The spent sitting on his sofa, waiting for Blake seemed like forever even though it was no time at all. Impatience, impatience, impatience was the whole scenario but as the doorbell rang, Theo lept to his feet to hurry to the door.

@blakereeves22

“It’s okay, don’t worry” he nodded, as he leaned down to kiss the other. “I’m sure that one day, I’ll get a lot better I’m sure of it”. “I’ve got an idea, just for a few moments so I can catch my breath I’ll lean against one of the barriers and I can just watch you skate”.

‘‘Alright if you’re sure.’’ Theo smiled, letting go of the other and taking a few glides back before beginning the skate around the rink doing two laps, picking up speed before being able to help himself and jumping into a triple axel. Theo wasn’t trying to show off it was just immediate and almost natural. That one jumped soon streamed into a whole movement of spins, Theo didn’t even need music. He was definitely enjoying himself and as the moments moved on with Theo skating he realised that he had left the other alone possibly too long before coming back close to the other and holding onto the barrier next to him. ‘’Sorry, I get carried away sometimes.’’

“These are my favorite type of friendship, dear. Always an excuse to cook.” Greta declared happily, with a nod. “Portuguese sounding.” She corrected with a laughter and then nodded. “But yes, that’s the goal.” Greta fished for her business card and handed it to him. “Here, if you need to call me. What’s your number?” Taking out her phone, she smiled at him.

Pocketing her card, Theo smiled as he put his number into her phone. ‘’Well then, Greta- let the games begin.’’ He nodded, exiting the store and dashing off to the neighbouring shop with no shame, wanting to win- soon becoming frustrated with the lack of speed in the automatic doors.

JC patted his back “Get out, you were on Disney on  ice ? Wow that’s so cool, what character were you?” He smiled and shook his head “It’s okay dude, no problem it went much better than I expected, actually all the pieces were sold, so that’s pretty big, I wasn’t really expecting that at all.” 

‘‘Funny enough I was Prince Charming, y’know from Cinderella? It was really funny but also a dream.’‘ Theo laughed, pulling out his phone and opening his Instagram to show the brief video of his skate. ‘’It was at Westwick too about two weeks ago.’’ Theo nodded as the video played before putting it away to celebrate his friend's successes. ‘’Oh my god, that’s great? We should celebrate. Are you free tonight- we could go to the pub?’’