She'll Be Right

Russ knew that he was shameless in the way he flirted, but shame didn’t get him anywhere in life. He had seen it so many times before. If for a moment a man asked Russ to change or not be his authentic self, friendly or romantically, he was done, out. It was difficult for Russ to come to terms with who he was as a person when he was in college, but once he was sure of himself, there was no turning back for him. However, as much as he knew he didn’t have to put himself away lock and key, Russ could also understand that some people just weren’t super flirty, and that was alright. Being as perceptive as he was with people, Russ took note of his discomfort and decided to turn down the flirting only slightly. “Yep, the one and only. She’s my sister. While I know I got the prettier genes, she’s a fantastic human,” Russ nodded and took a sip of his drink. If he had known that every person in Providence Peak was going to know Viv, he might have shown up a long time ago. Depending on their opinion of her, however, depended on just how warm he would ultimately be in turn. He could dog on his sister, but that right was reserved for Adler family only. “I get that, I’m originally from Boulder, but I don’t really know how long I’m staying,” Shrugging lightly, Russ sat up a little straighter when he heard who Theo happened to be friends with. “Why does that name sound so familiar?” Russ wondered aloud as he took another sip from his latte. 

-

“She is. I’ve only know her for a few weeks but she’s really nice, even took me on my first Target trip,” he admitted shyly, knowing he probably sounded weird for not having ever been to the store that so many people deemed amazing. The Australian went to tuck a piece of hair behind his ear, only to remember that his hair was short now, instead playing it off as fixing it. “Oh? Well...if it’s any consolation, coming from a guy who’s only known you two minutes, I think you should stay,” Theo said with a smile. Drinking his tea, he was curious as to why Russ was so interested. The blond was fiercely protective of his friend, had been since the moment they met, while he’d been hooking up the singer to an IV backstage. “He’s an artist. If you’ve heard of Cvrrent?” 

Cleo tried to gather her thoughts on their walk. Yes, it was a common fact about Miguel and anyone who came to her businesses or looked her up online, read any interviews or her Wiki would come across that. No, people generally did not think it was okay to just come up to her and actually assume that she’d be willing to talk about it. Especially when when the anniversary was so soon. Glancing back at the blond, she shook her head. “No, it’s… well, it’s not necessarily fine,” she admitted. “It’s just… you caught me off guard. People don’t usually come up to me and automatically start talking about… a-about Miguel with me right off the bat. Or about their own spouse.” She took a seat on one of her faux-leather couches before gesturing to the other one before her. “Sit. You don’t have to leave. We… We can talk about them.” Pressing her lips together, she poured herself some rum. She knew that she was going to need it. “The twentieth anniversary is soon,” she finally said, taking a sip. What use to be a burning sensation was smooth going down her throat, the woman unphased at the hard liquor. “May 3rd. 6:49 pm, nearly seven seconds before 6:50.” She memorized it. She couldn’t forget it- wouldn’t forget it. No matter how much it made her heart stung. She took another swig and a deep breath. “Miguel Antonio Riviera Arellano-Lopez Jr. He… H-He would’ve turned twenty two days after on May 5th. He was just a kid… We were just kids. Our little girl’s birthday was in August: Cordelia.” Dark eyes scanned his features as she whispered, “I’m sorry about your wife.”

-

Theo sat down, one hand finding his knee so he could stop it from jiggling, a nervous habit. He knows she’s right, and he’s sure he’s come off as a bloody jerk, just bringing it up so bluntly. “I’m sorry,” he offered again, biting his lip hard. “I just...” his voice dies. What is he supposed to say? I just haven’t talked to anyone about this except my sister and friend, and I really need someone? And I saw your info online and for some reason my stupid brain told me to come find you in the middle of your work day and spring this all on you? Swallowing, he looked at her again. “We don’t have too,” the blond tried lamely. As Cleo spoke, it was like looking in a mirror. He could hear the hurt and sadness, even now. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry that he died, and I’m sorry you had to go through that so young,” his voice was quiet. “And I’m sorry I brought all this up...this close to...I’m sure your daughter knows how much she’s loved...by both of you.” The paramedic cleared his throat, giving a tiny shrug. He understood why people said they were sorry, hell, he’d just said it himself to Cleo. But the words always sounded hollow, a few words to give when people knew they couldn’t really offer anything. “Her name was Eleanor. Eleanor Jameson. She passed away in August this past year. I can’t tell you the e-exact...” he felt his throat constrict a bit. Should he have known this? Why hadn’t he checked the time when it had happened? Absentmindedly, he touched the chain around his neck, their rings hanging underneath his jumper.

Florence had had her walls up for far too long, she knew that, but that many years of pain took a long time to undo. She was happy now, she was in a good place but sometimes she felt like it was all about to tumble down around her, like she was living in a dream and someone was about to wake her up. Providence Peak was a new place and a new start, at least that’s what it had been six years ago, now it was home, which was a rather nice feeling. 

She smiled as he greeted her, appreciative of the fact that he’d reached out, Florence had a lot of casual friends but sometimes she felt like she had no real friends. “Long time no see,” she agreed with a smile. She nodded at his question, “I am ready to walk away from the many many stomach cramps I’ve had to deal with today,” she half complained. “Where are we going?” she asked, wondering if he’d picked somewhere, “I tend to either eat at home or the cafeteria,” she admitted.

-

“Yikes, sounds miserable. I can remember my days in the emergency department,” the Aussie recalled, scrunching his nose up. Though it had been kids, which in his mind were easier to deal with than adults, it had also meant a lot more childhood illnesses rather than injuries. The memories of getting vomited on were something he’d like to never have to relive. 

“I was thinking Basic Kneads, if you like pizza?” Moving with the brunette, he grabbed his keys out of his pocket. “It’s within walking distance I think, but I can always drive. Or you, if you feel more comfortable with that.” As someone who had grown up with no options for anything, Theo always liked to make sure he gave options to others. “There’s always other places too,” he commented, knowing pizza wasn’t everyones cup of tea. Coming to America, he’d been slightly disappointed to find that most pizza’s weren’t barbecue sauce based like back home, but the tomato sauce was growing on him. 

All she could hope was that her brand stuck out and so far, it seemed like she’d made quite the mark. It made wanting to stay in Providence Peak that much more exciting. “It’s crazy, but I’ve thought about a storefront for awhile now. It’s scary, but I think that if things keep going how they’re going, it might be possible.” If she could extend what her mother’s family had started in Detroit, it could’ve meant everything. The only issue was that she wasn’t quite sure was equipped to run that kind of a business. “I can’t say that I have, but mini cheesecakes could be a cute special.” It’d be hard to make enough to please her usual customer flow, but offering a limited time special? That was something she could get behind. “Would you maybe be interested in trying out a cheesecake from me if I tried it?”

-

“A storefront is a reasonable step up,” Theo offered in agreement. “It would be silly not to want that. And with what I’ve seen and heard, you definitely deserve it,” he added, watching the woman. Laughing, the Aussie nodded, giving her an incredulous look. “As if I would turn down cheesecake? Especially from a talented baker,” he shook his head. “Of course I would. I would try and offer you something in return, but uh, I don’t really..have that many skills, unless you need a bone set or are in a burning building.” It was true, growing up Theo had never really learned to bake. He could cook adequately enough to get him, his sister and mum fed when his mum was having a bad night or was working. But aside from that, he had no trade skills, having used his free time either reading or, as he grew older, studying for tests during med school. 

closed starter for @theofitz​

Franny saw the looks the others gave her as she walked down to the gym in the station. While she worked out regularly, she was basically in there the entire day if she was upset and it’s where she did a lot of snapping when someone tried talking to her. It was just a thing that happened and she knew those she worked with knew. She just rolled her eyes at them as she went in and grabbed the jump rope before she started going. Soon, she heard the door open and without looking to see who it was, she said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to bite today. Hard.” She joked and laughed a little as she kept jumping.

-

It wasn’t a secret that Reyes tended to blow off steam in the gym, that much Theo had gathered in the past few months. He understood though- working out helped release tension and was good when you needed to get pent up anger or frustration out. So when he saw the woman as he walked in, he was sure she was going to be a little snippy, but the paramedic was pleasantly surprised when she started joking around. “You seem to be in a good mood...” he offered, heading over to the treadmill, needing to get some of his own energy out. “How was your trip?” Theo wasn’t sure if it would be an okay topic, but he knew if it wasn’t she would say as much- he definitely didn’t want to upset her or make her uncomfortable. 

He hadn’t ever expected Theo to reach out about snowboarding lessons. The man seemed to not have a care for the cold, where Derek didn’t seem to mind it as much. The lesson had gone better than he expected. Having never done a day of surfing in his life, the man couldn’t exactly say for sure if the two were going to be similar, but Theo was standing at the end of their lessons and didn’t seem entirely broken down by the whole thing. “Yeah,” he nodded his head, giving him a smile, “not a problem at all. Don’t want to invest a lot of money into something unless you know you like it, you know?” Derek understood that, “I grew up learning on my uncle’s snowboards until I saved enough to get my own.” He told him, “you did great out there today.” 

It was fun, and Theo was somewhat surprised that he hadn’t broken a bone. While surfing and snowboarding definitely had similarities, snowboarding needed a lot more control and body power to move. “Maybe next time I’ll actually be able to turn,” he joked softly, eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “Yeah? I bet it was fun, learning as a kid,” Theo commented, thinking about how his eight year old self would have thought it felt kind of like flying. “Thank you. And thank you for taking the time to show me. I’d love to learn more, if you’re up for it? And obviously I don’t expect to do this for free, you’re literally giving me snowboarding lessons.” It was something he’d always believed in- if someone gave you a service or helped you in a way that wasn’t just off-hand, they deserved some kind of payment, whether it was money or food or something else. 

Watching as the other sat down, Russ couldn’t help but do the mandatory marriage check. He looked for signs of a ring or a ring tan. To him, the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to him would be hitting on someone that was already spoken for. Fortunately, there had only been the one time, and that was a learning experience from hell. Deeming that Theo looked to not be married, Russ turned his phone to silent and settled in. “You’re in for a treat then, I give really good banter,” Russ smiled broadly and pulled a small piece of scone away and put it in his mouth. There was little to now seduction technique when it came to pastries. “Cute! We have just met and already you’re calling me one of your mates. Next thing you know you’re gonna be asking for my number or something,” throwing a hand to his chest, Russ smiled broadly and stuck his hand out for the other to shake. “I’m Russel Adler, but my mates call me Russ,” winking, Russ took the moment to take a sip of his matcha latte. “So what brings an Australian all the way to Providence Peak? Career, relationship, or something else?” Russ couldn’t help but be a little nosy, he was a journalist after all. If there was something to know about someone, he would get to the bottom of it. 

-

Theo couldn’t help the small laugh that came out as the other man spoke. It was different than most he’d run into so far, they were polite and kind, but this man seemed to be...funny and witty from the start? The next sentence made the paramedic pause, feeling like ice cold water had been dumped onto him. So no, not witty and funny. Flirty. This guy was flirting with him. Had it been eight years ago, he would have instantly flirted right back. He was handsome, his smile somewhat adorable. But it wasn’t eight years ago, it was now. And Ella...he’d lost her not even a year ago. He couldn’t flirt back so soon, he didn’t think. Swallowing, Theo tried to ignore the anxiety that had started to swell in his chest, deciding he wanted this day to be good. Trying not to blatantly ignore the number comment, the blonde instead laughed a bit and nodded his head once in acknowledgement. “Nice to meet you Russ,” he shook his hand. “Adler...like Vivienne Adler?” At the questions, Theo was vaguely reminded of Rita Skeeter from the Harry Potter books, the way it ended with an open ended question. At the mention of a relationship, he absentmindedly touched at the chain hidden around his neck, wedding rings laying underneath his shirt. “Oh uhm. No..I uh, I needed a change, is all. And I’m friends with Shepley Castillo, he mostly convinced me to move here.” 

Valerie liked to be remembered; it made things easier for her and the baking food truck she wanted to succeed with. If people remembered her, then maybe they’d remember her food too. “I’m glad,” she returned, smile easy on her lips. If he hadn’t of remembered her, maybe this would’ve been a little more awkward. “I’m happy to hear that. I like to be the exception for most people.” She couldn’t imagine not liking sweets, but then again, she’d grown up in her mother’s bakery. “I ended up running out of stuff, but I think I did my fair share of business.” It’d been a major week for her and truthfully, she could’ve gotten by off the tips alone. “You’ll have to stop back by the truck someday and try something else off the menu.”

-

At the mention of her running out, Theo grinned. “That’s great Valerie! That means a lot of people got to try your stuff and were exposed to your brand, it’ll stick out to them I’m sure, if everything else is like the cookies.” He really did mean it, he was glad to hear the woman’s business seemed to be doing well. “Yeah, I’d like that. Have you ever done cheesecake? I like that,” the paramedic admitted. He knew he probably came off as a food snob, saying he didn’t like sweets, but they had always made his stomach and teeth hurt. The most sweet thing he ate growing up was fairy bread. 

Who: @theofitz​ Where: Leaving the hospital

Florence had always been overly cautious with men, well not always, but ever since she’d met the man who she thought was the love of her life, and he’d turned out to be a monster. She knew it wasn’t right or fair but her walls were way up. She was doing what she could to over-ride her own feelings, but it was a slow process. Theo seemed like a good guy, he was a first responder, and Florence knew how incredibly hard they worked. He cared about his patients which was clear whenever he handed them over. He was also new in town, so it was almost her duty to extend a caring hand. 

When Theo had asked her out to lunch Florence was hesitant but she knew it was the right thing to say yes. He was kind and funny and it was likely that they both needed friends, given that he was new and she had just shut herself off from the world. Her shift finished and Florence changed out of her uniform, pulling on her jeans and top. She took down her hair from it’s ponytail before tying it back up in a bun. Once she looked semi-acceptable Florence headed towards the doors where she’d agreed to meet Theo, “hey,”

Theo had seen Florence around the hospital, had talked to her a few times after bringing in a victim, and she seemed nice- maybe a little guarded, but still nice, and, maybe in need of a friend. Having just moved recently to Providence Peak, the paramedic was in search of those too, hoping if he got his mind off of the deaths of Ella and his mum, maybe he could finally settle down. Colorado was definitely not where he ever envisioned himself ending up, not with the cold weather, snow, and no beaches. But Shep was there, and Ella had always wanted to visit, so here he was now. 

After finishing up his own shift at the firehouse, Theo had changed into his usual dark jeans, henley and jumper, then made his way out and to the hospital. Getting lunch with someone was easy, it made for relatively short small talk, and he doubted they would be getting deep. As the paramedic waited next to the doors to leave, he shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, deciding to people-watch. Seeing a small figure with brown hair getting closer, Theo smiled and gave a small wave. “Hey, nice to see you....again,” he joked quietly, voice not overly loud like others around the hospital. “You ready?”

If there was one way her day was going to do, it certainly hadn’t been this. With a man she never met walking through those doors and asking to see her only to mentioned that he lost his wife. True, Providence Peak has become her home base concerning the Cove. Having two headquarters locations in Los Angeles and Denver, along with a few more sprinkled around the world, there were plenty of times in which she was gone for awhile to be able to check on her other locations, have board meetings, attend fundraisers, and other special occasions. But she was in today, and she wasn’t prepared for this. The moment she saw him, her humor-filled smirk graced her lips and she was ready to start making any jokes. Then he mentioned his wife, and her face fell. Cleo stood there in silence for a moment. Once he became sheepish and apologized, she closed her eyes and took a sharp breath in. “No, no, you-… y-you don’t have to apologize. Um… Let’s take this to my office, yeah? Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink?” The gods know how much she desperately needs a drink now. It was no secret that she lost her husband; Miguel’s memory was dedicated in each and every single location of Amphitrite’s Cove around the globe. She especially held a huge spot to honor him in Minnow’s Sanctuary, the man having been working on his way to become an exotic wildlife veterinarian before he… Cleo’s throat closed up and she tried to ease herself. “I’m so sorry… a-about your wife.”

Watching as the woman stood silently, obviously surprised at the words, he knew he’d gone and messed up his whole plan. Theo had assumed because she was open about the man being a big part of her life and influencing her, she would be okay with talking about it. By the look in her eye though, the paramedic had crossed a line. As they walked to Cleo’s office, he started feeling like an absolute idiot. “No thank you,” he shook his head, blonde hair falling onto his forehead. “Look...this was a mistake. I’m sorry...I shouldn’t have just...sprung that on you, or even assumed you’d be okay with talking about things like this. You don’t even know my name, and you’re not a therapist,” the Aussie swallowed convulsively. “I’m sorry about your husband,” Theo offered back, biting at his thumb nail. “I should leave.I really am sorry...” He felt so stupid, and he knew that if Ella had been here, she would have probably been appalled that he’d just gone up to this poor woman only to drag up her past.If someone did it to him, Theo would probably punch them. What. An. Idiot. 

Russel Adler lived on coffee and baked goods when he was stressed. In normal situations, he was all about the green teas, the matcha, and the fruit parfaits. Moving with just two suitcases into his sister’s house while she worked through whatever the hell she was working through was causing him to need puff pastry and caffeine. Russ thanked his lucky stars that Providence Peak had a decent coffee shop. He didn’t like to think about what he would do if Espresso Yourself didn’t exist. Inhaling the latte in through his nose and then exhaling through his mouth, Russ opened his eyes and glanced around the shop. He was normally okay being alone in shops and diners, but today he felt needy. Just as he was about to text his previous Providence Peak cronies, a beautiful man walked into view. “Brekkie? Oh, you are not from here are you? Please, sit. Tell me stories of where you’re from and if you enjoy the occasional banter from an American,” Russ smiled broadly and sent a quick text to Viv about how happy he was to put in town. “Australian, right? Or no? Am I getting really, really bad about reading people now?”

-

At the invitation, Theo laughed quietly and did as he was told, smiling at the man. He was pretty, but in a boyish way, and handsome. “Well, I definitely don’t mind some American banter,” he assured, taking a sip of his tea and breaking off a bit of his scone to eat while the other texted. It was something normally he’d find rude, but didn’t mind much now, not when he himself was intruding on the mans table in the first place. “Yep, good ol’Straya. Definitely good at reading people, I’d say. I usually get England or the occasional Ireland, which always confuses me. I’m Theo, by the way...or Theodore, but...” he trailed off, scrunching his nose up, freckles creasing. Distantly, the man could practically hear his father calling him by his full name, distaste and disappointment laced throughout his tone. Taking a breath, the paramedic shook his head to clear it.  “My mates call me Theo, so you’re welcome to call me that.”  

Spencer had been twenty-three when he’d started working for the department following both his tenure at college and his stint in the fire academy and spending that much time in one department had the effect, quite quickly, of making him think of his coworkers at the station as a sort of family. He appreciated all of them deeply – had always been happy to help newer members of the team adjust to being there and being around Theo, in his mind, was always a delight. The Australian man was genuinely one of the kindest people Spencer had ever met and when he was assigned to work the ambo alongside Theo he considered those, quietly, to be his favorite shifts by far– though nothing ever beat being able to run into fire headlong and come back out in one piece. He smiled crookedly as he glanced at Theo over his shoulder in response to the older man’s comment, “You mean you’re not havin’ fun all by your lonesome?” He teased, turning around to face Theo properly before he leaned against the open ambulance door. “You know I’m always happy to help. Where d’you want me, boss?”

Looking at the younger man, Theo couldn’t help but shake his head and give a small laugh. “You know I’m not your boss, that’s the Chief,” he pointed out. Just because he was more skilled in medicine definitely didn’t give him a higher rank, aside from being able to actually administer IV lines and crike people when needed. “Honestly I’ve only done three of the drawers, so wherever you want to start is fine with me,” the blonde looked back to his paper before setting it where both men could see. He liked working along side Spencer, it was nice getting to be with someone close in age who knew a lot. Even if Theo had more years in actual medicine thanks to his previous job and schooling, he was always amazed to see how much the other man knew- he would readily admit he’d learned a lot working with him in the past few months that even med school hadn’t taught him. “How’re you doing? Also tell me to piss off if my talking is messing up your counting.” 

No amount of poise would have been able to stop Vivienne from making a face at the man’s confession. “You’ve never been to Target?” Her eyebrows rose in amusement at the statement, knowing that it was just simply because he wasn’t from the United States. However, the amusement didn’t stop. “Oh we’re going to Target,” she began with a smile, closing the menu and setting it on the table before her. “Whenever you’re ready for a life changing store, just let me know.” Things seemed easier whenever she was sitting across from the likes of someone like Theo. Sure, he had no idea what kind of awful things Vivienne had been the culprit of in the last four years, but that didn’t matter. She was still a good person, worthy of positive interactions and having people in her corner… right? “Uh yeah. I um- I lived here for a solid couple of years, but just had to…” Vivienne’s words floated away, instantly leaving her mind blanked. Her entire absence from Providence Peak had been for the crappiest of reasons – it had just taken being back for her to realize. “All that matters is I’m back and I’m not going anywhere.” A small smile graced her lips at the thought, wondering if her presence in town was just going to become a hassle if Sage never wanted anything to do with her. Regardless, she was staying. “So, are you wanting to stay in the realm of a bigger dog, or are you hunting for one of those smaller, hamster looking things?” She was definitely not an animal person, but Viv could try her hardest for a friend.

-

The way Viv was asking him, he’d have thought he’d just said he’d never had water before. Furrowing his brow, Theo shook his head nervously. He was aware target was popular and a well liked store, but he’d always been nervous, if he was honest, not sure of what to expect. “Okay...I suppose whenever you’re free, unless you want to go today,” he shrugged, knowing it might be easier than to try and find a free day for the both of them, especially since it was apparently so life changing. As the woman tried to explain himself, Theo had to stop himself from grabbing her hand. That would be inappropriate and awkward. The woman in front of him wasn’t his wife or sister, both of which she was reminding him of. “Vivienne...you don’t owe me anything. All I care about is that you’re here now. If you ever want to talk to me about it, you’re more than welcome to do so. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. It’s your life, and you get to talk about it on your terms, whether that means in minutes, days, weeks, or never.” It was something he promised not only her, but himself too, something his therapist from back home had drilled into him. “Good, I don’t want you to,” he added with a smile. Snorting, trying not to full out laugh, Theo shook his head. “Honestly? Not sure. I don’t want anything huge, but I don’t want a chihuahua or something,” he said thoughtfully. 

location: deja brew

character: @theofitz​

For first time taste testers, Valerie always liked to know what they thought of her items. If they didn’t like them, all she wanted was a way to improve and push forward so that the next time tried the item, it was better. With Theo, she hadn’t gotten the chance to ask how things were, but seeing him awaiting his order at Deja Brew made her curious. “Hey you,” she called out, ticket in hand as she stepped closer to wait for her own order. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I was just wondering how you liked your stuff from the festival? I didn’t see you around again. Feel free to keep it honest. If you didn’t like it, it’s okay.”

-

Hearing a kind voice directed at him, Theo shook his thoughts about what he needed to do next shift away, looking up to see the woman from a week back, the one with the baked goods. “Hey! Of course I remember you,” the paramedic assured. It was true, Valerie had seemed truly passionate and genuine when he’d talked to her, and it wasn’t something he’d be forgetting soon. “No, I actually really enjoyed the cookies,” Theo promised, fiddling with his watch, looking at the brunette. “Like I said before, I’m not a sweets person, but I guess your cookies are an exception,” he joked lightly, grabbing his caramel machiato when his name was called. “I hope you continued to do well with business once I left.” 

who: shepley & @theofitz​

where: Theo’s House in Melbourne

when: about two years ago ish

The paramedic that had saved Shepley’s life almost a year ago when Shep was doing an Australia and New Zealand micro-tour had become someone Shepley wanted to keep in his life. When Shep didn’t hear for days from his friend - one who he FaceTimed all the time - and that time turned into weeks, only for Theo to resurface with the worst news imaginable, it was second nature for Shep to book a flight and come down. It didn’t matter what Theo said or the mild protests, Shep was there with a small duffle bag on his doorstep. He had taken over his place - getting Theo on his own diet which he wasn’t actually able to keep track of. Officially, Shep was here for two weeks. Then he started a Europe tour. “Here, try this. I’m not telling you what’s in it.” Australia was a bit of a mind-fuck, there were things in the grocery store that Shep didn’t understand. He handed him a smoothie and sat down next to him. “You know, I’m still a little mad about the lack of kangaroos. Think they’ll let me take home a wallaby, though? That’s like the same, right? Just smaller?”

The weeks leading up to Shepley’s arrival in Oz had been the worst weeks of Theo’s life. After Eleanor had passed away, everything seemed to have stopped. He’d spent hours in his own work place, looking like a wreck with bloodshot eyes, having come in to the regular A&E instead of peds, yelling at the paramedics to help the woman he loved, even though they all knew she was already gone. Days passed and turned into weeks- weeks of living alone in his and Ella’s house, trying desperately to sink into the couch and ignore the world outside. But then, after a ridiculous number of texts and missed face-times, Theo talked to the man he’d been talking to for almost a year, Shepley. The musician had wormed his way into the doctors world, and honestly, the blonde found him fun to talk to and refreshing from the usual people he interacted with. So, struggling to talk, Theo managed to explain what had happened, and then as if he had just blinked his eyes, Shep had been there at his doorstep, ready to help. Now, looking at the smoothie in front of him, he eyed it carefully. “No strawberries right?” He asked, even though he knew 100 percent it didn’t have any. “Roos aren’t that far away, I can take you out to the bush if you want, though if you actually came across one you’d probably piss yourself. Bloody awful.” Shaking his head, Theo took a small sip and was pleasantly surprised that it tasted good. He knew he’d been losing weight, and he was sure this was Sheps way of telling him to consume more. “Yeah...they’re about a fourth of the size of a full grown roo. I think you’d like numbats most.” Taking another sip, he looked at Shepley, suddenly beyond grateful for his friend. He didn’t deserve this, he just needed to suck it up and deal with the pain, and yet, the other man was treating him kindly and being patient with him. He blinked, feeling tears once again burn his eyes. “Thank you...for coming. And for the smoothie.” 

After having met Derek at The Jagged Yard, Theo had taken a liking to the man. He was nice and seemed to enjoy his company as much as Theo had. The Aussie isn’t exactly sure how asking for a beer recommendation turned into this, but he almost didn’t mind, as he pulled on a thick dark navy jumper over his long sleeve shirt. Snowboarding. He’d never been, and hadn’t even seen snow until three months ago. Grabbing his PPFD beanie, the dark blonde grabbed his jacket and boots and hoped that snowboarding and surfing were close enough he wouldn’t be on his ass the whole time. Half an hour later, Theo was standing next to Derek on a snowy area, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, shivering. “Thanks for bringing an extra board. Once I know I’m not going to be bloody awful at this, I’ll actually get one myself.”