thomas miller

“Nothing like winning over the older ladies like a heart on their drinks.” Owen grinned as he leaned against the counter some with his hip, once more checking to make sure he wasn’t holding up the line or anyone was waiting for him to move. Glad to see that they were in the clear and he could talk with Thomas for a bit. “I know how they can be, I once had a patient of mine, she was in her 90′s slip me her phone on her way out.” Owen let out a laugh as he did so, always amused when it came to stories with patients of his and customers of Thomas’. “You know, I haven’t gotten that far- deciding on what I want to do today. Figured I’d start it off with coffee and stopping by to see you. It’s been way too long I feel like.” 

thomas-miller:

Thomas winked, a grin spreading across his face before he jerked his chin in the direction of the tip jar that was perched on the counter. “A little charm pays off well,” he joked, a laugh escaping him before he span around, quickly finishing up Owen’s drink order and sliding it over to him. He then tugged the cloth off his shoulder and wiped his hands while the other spoke. The anecdote caused him to laugh loudly, shaking his head. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever had a phone number from anyone that old. I’m impressed,” he said with an amused smile, slinging the cloth back over his shoulder once more. Nodding, he looked out the window once more, before his gaze made it’s way back to Owen. “That’s not a bad idea. Coffee is always a must for the start of the day. I finish in about a half hour, if you wanted some company on your adventures,” he offered casually, shrugging. 

“Good. Maybe in the very distant future you can make those jokes when I’m either a) a mother or b) close to being a mother but right now? Ain’t gonna fly, my friend.” Mia said with a wag of her finger, although the smile on her face gave it away that she wasn’t truly upset over it. Her friendship with Thomas had been a random one, but he was beginning to become one of her favorites. She was still looking forward to planning a road trip with him, as she was long overdue for one. “Oh yeah, I definitely do. When you’re a friend or a member of my family, I’ll go all lengths for you. Not afraid to hide that about me. I’m a little rough around the edges sometimes with the whole honesty thing and always speaking my mind which can be a little off-putting to some, but I do care for people, especially those I love. And Buddy. Of course Buddy. I couldn’t ever forget about him.” The smile on her face grew as she thought about her dog and what he was currently doing. She would have brought him today but the sun was a little too warm for him to be out all day. “It’s a sauce. I’ll make my signature dish one day for you to try. I think you’ll like it. I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t, if I’m being honest. But please! Yes! We can swap foods. I love that.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas snorted with laughter, and rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine, I’ll save the mom jokes. They’re just going to be even better because I’ll have more time to think about them,” he joked, a grin on his face as he stretched his arms above his head for a brief moment before letting them flop back down to his sides. He nodded along as she spoke, being able to relate to everything she said about her own personality. “I get that. I don’t have much of a filter really, and that irks people sometimes, especially if they don’t like what I have to say about them, but I’ll always protect the people I care about,” he replied. At the mention of Buddy, he grinned widely. “Of course. How could anyone forget that sweet little face?” he said with fondness. Even though he hadn’t known Mia for long, his one brief encounter with her pet had gained a soft spot in his heart, just like any interaction with animals did. As well as that, his friendship with Mia had been so out of the blue, but he enjoyed spending time with her. They were similar in a lot of ways, which had resulted in them getting on so well instantaneously. “That’s a bold statement. We’ll have to see if you’re right,” he said with a chuckle, before nodding vigorously. “Awesome, let’s do it! I’ll teach you how to make ribollita too. It’s a bread soup, really nice in fall and winter.”

“I really do. I actually wanted to borrow the shirt that you were wearing when you dropped by my apartment the other day but I still have two of your shirts with me that you should already have back by now.” Aiyla would have returned it a long time ago but if she was being honest, she didn’t want to. If he asked her to, however, she’d give it. Upon hearing his comment about not having to be subtle anymore, her cheeks flushed and a warm smile appeared on her face because it may not have been the first time that a guy showed her that kind of attention but it was the first time in a long time that said attention came from someone who she actually had feelings for. It felt really nice. “I don’t have a problem with that.”, she assured him. “You’re getting better at pronouncing the Turkish words I use.” Which was not surprising given the fact that at this point in their relationship, she has taught him quite a lot about her native language already. “It’s settled then! We’ll have one order of gozleme and an order of eggplant bulgur pilaf please.” The waiter left the two of them with their wine then, and she was quick to pick up her own glass and clink it against his. “To our first official date. Thank you for making it real.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas shrugged, and grinned at Aiyla across the table. “I’ll bring it over next time I come round. As for the others, you can keep them. They look better on you anyway,” he said with a small laugh. He had a habit of leaving his belongings strewn across the place, and since he spent so much time in Aiyla’s apartment nowadays, it wasn’t a surprise that his things had ended up finding a place there too. He noted the faint blush that appeared on her cheeks, and a smile crept across his face in response. He dipped his head in thanks, and gave her a wink. “Well I have a great teacher,” he teased, chuckling quietly. She then ordered, and he glanced over the menu to find the other dish on there that she mentioned, trying and failing to figure out what exactly it was. Regardless, he would eat it anyway. He wasn’t fussy and besides, the two of them shared very similar tastes when it came to food. The two clinked their glasses together lightly, and Thomas took a sip of the wine. “It definitely won’t be the last, but you’re welcome,” he said softly, a warm smile fixed on his face. He let out a small hum of approval then, looking at the wine in his glass. “This is good. It’s not too heavy. Some reds are a bit much but I like this one,” he commented thoughtfully, swirling the liquid around slowly. 

Feet pushing through the sand, David was determined to find some tiny little friends. His eyes were scanning the ground, on high alert to crouch down at any moment. At Thomas’ question, he shrugged and gave a small frown. “I’m not sure… I usually find something by now. But, we won’t give up! We are bound to find at least one, the beach is literally crawling with them!” He couldn’t help but snort at his own joke, covering his face shortly after out of embarrassment. David then smiled at his friend hopefully, though he started to slow down in pace in order to dig for some clams near the water. He had to pull his hands out of the hole he dug quickly when he heard Thomas shriek, and he moved over to him as quickly as his feet would take him. He was careful when he got closer, however, because he didn’t want to startle the crab. “Ohh, hold on, hold on!” he breathed, panting from running over. He leaned down then and scooped up the crab in a swift movement. It came from many times of practice. His expression was beaming with pride as he walked closer with the crab in his palms, showing Thomas. “You found your first little pincher! Congrats! Isn’t he cute? He has little white spots on his little white body!”

thomas-miller:

David’s joke elicited an almost manic giggle from Thomas. He was so invested in the hunt that his excitement levels were at an all time high. As he stayed by the hole he had begun to dig, he looked up as David quickly made his way over, fists clenching as he prayed that the little crab wouldn’t scuttle away before they could grab it. In one swift movement, David retrieved the creature from the sand and walked closer, a wide smile on his face that was mimicked on Thomas’ own. “He’s so cute,” he said, leaning in closer to inspect the small animal. Sure enough, there were little spots on it’s body, and Thomas’ smile spread so he was grinning from ear to ear. “What shall we name him? He needs a name, and it has to be a really cool one because he’s the first,” he asked, glancing up at David briefly before returning his attention to the crab. 

“What they don’t know won’t kill them. Hey, you can hire me to be a lifeguard too.” He shrugged with a grin. “Well, over the years I’ve been to some pretty cold places so…I think I’ve learned to tune the cold out.” Bellamy rambled. “Why did you want to take a swim again?”

thomas-miller:

Thomas smirked, nodding at the other man. “I’ll pay you in snacks. How does that sound?” he asked with a chuckle, reaching up to push his hair out of his face. “So have you travelled a lot? I have so many places I want to visit but I’ve just never gotten round to it,” he asked with interest. He’d always hated being tied down to one place, but money had always been the one thing standing in the way of him jetting off around the globe. Shrugging, he looked out at the ocean with a thoughtful expression. “I don’t know. It just reminds me of home, I guess. Of when I was a kid. We’d spend all day at the beach during the summer,” he explained with a fond smile as the memories danced behind his eyes. 

“I noticed.” It made Aiyla wonder what else her bestfriend remembered about her. There were so many things that she shared with him, some of which she doesn’t even remember bringing up. Having someone she managed to trust that much was a miracle to her, and everytime she spent with Thomas, she felt herself become more grateful that miracles do happen. After all, if they didn’t, she wouldn’t be here with him today. “I will support you on that one but honestly, I don’t think you need a stylist. You do a pretty good job at picking clothes for yourself already.” It was an observation she’s made almost everytime that the two of them spend time shopping together. She would give him advice sometimes but he seemed more than fine without it. Looking up from the wine menu now, she realized that he was just watching her and that realization made her smile grow. “You’re doing that again.” Not that she had a problem with it. She actually found herself lucky to be on the receiving end of his full attention. “That will make this even more fun. We can try things without you knowing what it is.” She laughed. “I suggest the gozleme. It’s basically flat bread with spinach, cheese and minced lamb. It can be a little spicy though.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas let out a low chuckle, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t know about that, but thank you. I’m glad you appreciate the classic jeans and t-shirt combination as much as I do,” he joked, a grin on his face. He wasn’t particularly adventurous with his fashion choices. He valued comfort over anything else, but at least he was somehow managing to pull it off. As Aiyla finally noticed him watching her, his grin widened as he shrugged. “You’re just going to have to get used to it now that I don’t have to be subtle about it.” It wasn’t a new habit of his. It had been happening for a long time, really, but he had always made sure to look away before she could spot it rather than just openly staring at her. Thankfully she didn’t seem to find it uncomfortable, so his eyes never left her face. Humming quietly, he finally tore his gaze from her to pay attention to the menu, scanning it before finding the dish she was describing. “Gozleme,” he repeated, copying her pronunciation. “I can handle a little bit of spice. That sounds really good,” he said, eyes flitting across the other options before he put the menu down gently, having decided to go with Aiyla’s recommendation. The waiter appeared then with their wine, pouring them both a glass. He picked up his drink, and held it out. “To our first official date,” he said with a laugh, and a fond smile. 

“Thank you.” Owen signed before Thomas turned around, taking the time he was facing the other way to drop a rather nice tip into the jar for the other. It was the least that he could do for his friend. “I’ve been alright- We are beyond short staffed at the hospital so I haven’t had a day off in the week. Thankfully I only had a short shift this morning. And while I could spend it at home on the couch, part of me is itching to go out and do something.” Owen replied, as he leaned against the counter some, quickly making sure that no one was behind him, and that he wasn’t holding the line up with talking to Thomas. “How have you been? I hope work hasn’t been too crazy for you today?” 

thomas-miller:

Thomas nodded, giving Owen a warm smile. “I get that. It’s like you’re so used to being busy that it’s hard to relax and spend time doing nothing for a change,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders as he waited for the coffee to brew. “I’ve been good. It’s not been too bad this morning,” he replied, leaning against the counter. “We’ve mostly just had the old ladies come in today, so I’ve done a lot of cocoa powder hearts on cappuccino’s,” he joked, laughing quietly. He too glanced over Owen’s shoulder to make sure there was no other customers waiting, and to his relief there wasn’t, so he turned his full attention back to his friend. “What are you planning on doing today then? It’s nice weather, so you have plenty of options,” he asked with a smile as he glanced at the blue sky and sun shining outside the window. 

“Hey now, you better watch yourself with that mom comment.” Mia warned, her voice stern. However, this didn’t last long as she soon broke out in laughter, unable to keep the serious attitude. “Kidding, kidding, although I’m not sure how motherly I am. I never pegged myself as a type, but maybe it’s in there…deep, deep down.” Not as deep as she thought, as she often showed a very gentle and caring side to those in need and to those she loved. While she was often sarcastic and spoke her mind, the gears switched whenever someone needed her to be there. “My signature dish? It’s probably one of the first things my grandmother taught me how to make - grilled pork tenderloin with chorizo chimichurri. I don’t limit myself to it, but it is something I enjoy making and I do make quite well if I do say so myself. I should make it for you sometime. I’m sure you’d enjoy it…or if you have any requests, feel free to shout ‘em at me and I can make it for you one evening.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas smirked at Mia, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. “No more mom comments,” he joked, a grin spreading across his features. “I think everyone has a softer side. You’re definitely caring, I can already tell that for sure,” he added on a more serious note, giving her a smile before looking back out across the water, the sound of the waves being the only sound for a few moments. His eyebrow raised slightly, and he hummed. “Chimichurri? What’s that?” he asked curiously. It wasn’t something he’d ever heard of, but he wasn’t a fussy eater, so it already sounded good to him. “That would be awesome! I can make you some Italian food sometime too,” he suggested, an excited smile on his face. 

Eagerly gaining a pep in his step, David began to skip along the shore when they began their search for some new crab friends. “Yes, exactly! Something that looks like a little creature made it and buried themselves. You will start doing this every time you visit the beach, you will see! It’s so much fun, and they’re so cute!” He truly adored all tiny creatures, which made sense because he was always picking up tiny bugs and loving on animals like rats that others wouldn’t necessarily care for. He started to pay attention to the sand below his feet, seeking out little hilly mounds where little crustaceans might hide. He leaned forward when he saw one, lightly patting it with his fingers and seeing no one in there. He sighed heavily and then giggled. “No one here! Hmm… we’ll keep going!” He would do this every few steps when he saw a mound. “Sometimes they crabs just scatter around so keep an eye out for them!”

thomas-miller:

Thomas followed David with enthusiasm, eyes raking the ground for any small sign of a creature burrowed beneath the surface. He watched closely as David tapped the ground, eagerly awaiting any hint of movement, but witnessing none. With a small huff, they continued on, stopping every couple of steps to both crouch down and hunt. “Are they usually this elusive?” he asked as, yet again, he found no clams hidden. At David’s comment, he gave a firm nod. “Got it,” he said with a grin. A few more minutes of searching passed before Thomas found another small mound. Bending down, he gave it a little tap before letting out a small cry of excitement, standing up to turn to his friend. “Here! I think I found one,” he shouted, a little too loudly considering David was a mere couple of steps away from him, but Thomas was the kind of person to get overly excited at anything that he got invested in. He then began to run back to the spot, before spinning around once again. “Wait, what do I do? How do I get it?” he cried, urgency in his voice. 

It wasn’t until she was in front of the other that she realized she was interrupting something, instantly feeling bad for it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disrupt your reading. I have a bad habit of inserting myself into situations without much thought,” she somewhat explained, offering a smile. With his invitation though, she continued to join him, getting settled in the seat beside him. “Please, call me Dani. Danielle is too long and formal, not quite myself,” she insisted, a small laugh at the end of her words. “See, this is why I say running is dangerous. My brother insists though and here I am, giving it the benefit of the doubt. My heart is thumping, see I studied medicine and I know this should be normal considering the physical activity but it also doesn’t feel normal, you know?” she shared, making absolutely no sense with her words but not really caring at the moment. At his question, she smiled and nodded, it was nice knowing she was noticed and hopefully in the best ways. She always tried treating everyone with kindness. “I’ve lived here for ten years now. I work at the hospital so I owe the coffee shop a whole lot of my success for keeping my awake. What about you? If you don’t mind my asking.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas shook his head quickly, flashing her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I’ve been reading the same two lines for the past ten minutes but they just aren’t sinking in,” he said with a chuckle. His focus wasn’t great at the best of times, but today his head just didn’t want to settle down. “Dani it is,” he said with a chuckle, bobbing his head lightly. “Oh, I know exactly what you mean. You know it’s fine but also it feels like you’re about to have a cardiac arrest, right?” he said with a grin. He had the same issue - his stamina was poor so running and him just didn’t make a good match. “That’s a long time. Where are you from originally?” he asked curiously, head tilting slightly. He had always been a little nosy, but never in a bad way. He just loved to learn about new people and their backgrounds. Not to mention his lack of a filter - things just came out of his mouth without him even having the time to think about whether he was prying or not. “I’ve lived here for about two years now,” he replied with a smile. 

“You could always buy an inflatable kiddy pool. Stick it in your living room,” he laughed and shook his head as he pictured it. “Kinda used to it by now,” Bellamy responded with a shrug. Between growing up reckless and his time in the military, plus his job now, Bellamy had more than enough time to deal with the cold Chicago waters. “Or maybe I just have super powers.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas let out a snort of laughter, and nodded. “Sounds like a good plan, honestly. But I can’t imagine my landlord being too happy with me making my living room into a tropical paradise,” he replied with a wide grin. He was half joking, but honestly the other half of him was silently wondering if he could actually pull something like that off. Smirking slightly, he nodded at Bellamy. “Superpowers, definitely. I grew up in a cold place and I still can’t hack it,” he said with a quiet laugh. 

David nodded happily, visibly lighting up whenever he spoke about plants and animals. He cared so deeply about nature, so any chance to interact with it he would take. Even in a hobby as simple as searching for tiny creatures on the beach. “Yeah! I just dig for them anywhere, yeah! You can find the little clams in the wet sand, like where the waves come up I’ll sit there and dig. The crabs can be anywhere, though. I just walk along and the sand and look. Sometimes I’m lucky and spot them. Wanna dig with me?” he giggled. He went ahead and put his own Hollister tee back on before leading Thomas along on his little crustacean hunt.

thomas-miller:

Thomas grinned as David explained the process. He’d always been curious and eager to learn new things, no matter what the subject matter may be, so he hung on David’s every word. As soon as the question was thrown out, he nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely,” he replied jovially, pushing himself up and onto his feet, grabbing his towel and throwing it over one shoulder as he followed David along the sand. “So is there a specific tell when it comes to the clams? Like, a little lump or anything like that?” he asked with a small frown of concentration as his eyes scanned the ground beneath his feet.

Brody was able to pick up on the curiosity Thomas showed towards his career. Most people questioned him about it until they realized that it could be very, very boring at times. They expected to hear some sort of crazy murder, but that wasn’t always the case. “You know, I’m curious - if I wouldn’t have told you what I do, what job do you think I’d have?” It was a random question, but he couldn’t help but wonder. Did he fit the profile? Probably not. “There’s a minimum amount of hours that needs to be completed in training, and then more hours on top of that in the field. You can do it in about a year or so. Of course, you need some sort of four year degree that relates to it before that starts. It’s actually pretty interesting. Big in physics. But cool, if you’re into that stuff.”

thomas-miller:

Humming quietly, Thomas studied Brody for a moment before smiling. “I’d say a lawyer or a teacher, something along those lines. You’re clearly really smart and you seem like you’d be good at getting along with anybody,” he replied as he leant forward a little when Brody began to explain how he got into his particular field of work. “That’s a lot,” he said with a small laugh. “But it’s impressive. I don’t think I’d be able to last that long, honestly.” He’d never been great in school - he was intelligent, and he always ended up getting good grades, but he had never been too fond of structure when it came to learning. He knew what he was interested in, and anything else was just a distraction from the good stuff in his eyes. “It sounds interesting. I bet it’s worth all the work in the end though,” he said with a warm smile.

Taking the bouquet in her hand, Aiyla took a look at what flowers he chose to give and immediately upon seeing the peach roses. “You remembered.”, she spoke, referring to the fact that peach roses are her favorite. He never failed to remember even the little things. “Thank you.” She returned his smile then shifted her attention from the bouquet to what he was wearing again. “Whoever gave you the advice got it right. You are pulling it off.” Nodding at his question, she walked towards the door of the restaurant and wasn’t surprised that he beat her to it so he can open it for her. She wasn’t surprised that he pulled her chair for her either. He was always the biggest gentleman in her eyes, and the things he has done so far tonight has proved that. “Hmm.”, she mumbled while looking over the wine that the restaurant had available. “I always liked the taste of Merlot wine. If you’d like something delicate and sweet, I recommend that.”

thomas-miller:

Thomas smiled warmly at Aiyla and gave a slow nod. “I have a good memory when it comes to little stuff like that,” he said nonchalantly. What he really meant was he had a good memory when it came to things that Aiyla told him. “You’re welcome,” he said with a grin, before letting out a laugh. “Good. I’ll have to hire them as my personal stylist from now on,” he joked, as they made their way to the table. As she pondered the wine menu, he leant forward on his elbows, watching her closely. He was hoping that tonight would go well. Even if it didn’t, he knew that things between them wouldn’t change anyway, but it was important to him that she had a good night, and that it would be something they could look back on fondly in the future. “Merlot it is,” he announced with a grin, glancing around before waving over a waiter and ordering it. After he’d scuttled off, Thomas picked up the food menu. “So, I know what a few of these dishes are from you, obviously, but half of them are a mystery,” he mused, a smirk on his face. “What are you going to go for?”

“Oh, quit being a baby. You’ll be just fine.” Mia teased, knowing that if she had to show concern for her friend that she would. After his quick dip he seemed fine and she didn’t have to worry. “Wait, what? No, no we didn’t. I’m glad I didn’t attend your school. Sounds miserable.” Seeing him drape his t-shirt across his legs, she stood up and handed him her own towel that she had been using to lay out on. “Here. You look like you might need this.” She smiled. Although the two had met just a few months ago, she considered Thomas a good friend. He was nice to be around. “I can see how it can be. That’s how I feel whenever I’m cooking. It’s therapeutic to me to be in the kitchen. Weird, right?”

thomas-miller:

Thomas snorted quietly as he glanced over at Mia. “You’re right. I’m a big boy now, I’ll survive,” he replied back, a teasing note to his voice. His eyebrows raised in surprise, before he frowned. “Seriously?” he asked with a shake of his head. “That sucks. It was horrible! Maybe they just wanted to torture us,” he said with a sigh, the frown disappearing quickly as Mia stood and handed him her towel. He took it with a grateful smile, swapping it out for his t-shirt which he then tugged on. “Thanks mom,” he said with a wink, another laugh following. He hummed, before shaking his head. “No, it’s not that weird. My mom is the same, she loves to cook. You can always tell when she’s been stressed out because there’ll be loads of freshly baked stuff lying around the kitchen,” he said with a shrug. “What’s your signature dish?”

“Oh no, don’t do that.” James laughed. “I’m the last person you should listen to about anything.” He shook his head with an amused expression- not trusting himself enough for anyone to really listen to what he said. “Trust me, I’m pretty sure that despite how cold that water is, if there wasn’t a chance I’d sink right to the bottom, I would have been in there with you.” Though he wasn’t quite for sure if he even remembered how to swim. “Perfect- you can spend hours in the water and I’ll watch from the shore, throw you a snack every once in a while.” He laughed, sticking his toes into the sand some, glad for a relaxing day out with Thomas. 

thomas-miller:

Thomas grinned and shook his head too. “I’m gonna do it. You seem a lot wiser than me, that’s for sure,” he replied with an amused smirk on his face as he leant back on his elbows and closed his eyes for a moment, soaking in the warm sun. “Do you not know how to swim or do you just not like it?” he asked curiously, cracking open one eye and peering at James. He chuckled, and nodded. “That sounds like a good deal to me. Snacks make everything better,” he mused, a smile on his face.