erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

Oliver Queen ladies and gentlemen  I  Season 7 trailer 

[erikxnystrom]

100 days of Oliver Queen - day 22

[erikxnystrom]

"Isn't oldtimer a nickname slapped upon your head when you got kids? So I'm pretty sure that in this room that only applies to you, bud." He teased, the two of them were more active than others their age but in different ways. Would Erik be able to run a heavy duty job like Ethan did? Probably, but he didn't want to. He wasn't made to be stuck in a building for hours at a time and especially not made to deal with bodily fluids like Ethan did on a daily basis. He was already reaching his limit after two hours of working on his laptop before he needed to go out and do something energetic, whether that was scaling a wall or running five or ten miles. "Oh yeah? Thinking about getting the big ol snip, huh? If you do, I'll hold your hand, promised. No man should suffer through that alone." Erik shuddered, one leg crossing the other absentmindedly. "Course, but at some point there's a limit. You need space, money. Pretty sure you two got plenty of love to give to twenty of those amazing kids you got, the material stuff? Unfortunately I haven't discovered a money tree yet." He could understand the struggle, even if he had never considered children of his own. "Dude, and she's a car mechanic for NASCAR. Amazing sense of humour, I met her when she was cussing out a film crew, ten out of ten that one." He smirked, resisting the urge to grab his phone and text her. "Bet I will. But tell one embarrassing story and I will give you the snip myself." @ethanxhoffmann

"Old timer, huh?" He echoed, raising a brow at Erik as he found his way back to his seat. "Bold words, coming from you." He teased, knowing that both men were in better shape than some people their age. Ethan remained on his feet not only for his job as a nurse but additionally, the children. "But, yeah, trying to see if that age old saying rings true when you get to be our age." Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Though thinkin' it might be time to make sure that can't happen again." In which he wouldn't have Makayla go through any surgery, but rather himself. "Not that I don't love the kids but," he laughed softly, trailing off like the start of his words said it all. As Erik spoke of meeting someone, his brow raised once more. "Oh, a great kisser, huh? Now that's pretty promising," he teased, only giving Erik a bit of gruff for not being the settle down type. He never envied the other, loving the life he lived, but he never thought Erik had the wrong line of thinking. Ethan was a firm believer of living the life that worked best for that person. "I guess we will know how things are going if you ever let me meet her," he flashed Erik a playful grin. @erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Dad's fine, just had a fit of anger at dinner apparently because ma had to feed him, doctor will come over today since they didn't expect a decline this fast. They're still both asleep, dad until noon I'm hoping, he's only been down for like an hour-ish." He explained, then shook his head. "If one of us gets a good night of sleep in, I'll take it." Erik told his sister, offering her nothing but a smile that would suffice as an answer that he in fact did not get any sleep. He would be fine, he had worked on less sleep before. "I guess I thought this would be a little easier, that it would be gradually rather than overnight, you know?" He sighed, running a hand over his head before he straightened up. "I'll write a note for ma that we're back in a bit and then we can walk over there. Ten minutes will have passed us by in no time." @annikanystrom

Annika quickly walked into her parent’s house and she saw her brother there. He looked exhausted and she hated that she didn’t come sooner. She walked over to him and shook her head. “Don’t apologize. How is he? How’s mom? You should’ve let me come sooner.” She told him and looked into his eyes. “Did you even sleep?” She asked curiously before shaking her head. “It wasn’t open yet, but it does in about ten minutes. I wanted to check on you first before I went.” @erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Right.. Fine, I'll concede. Before you start sending me threatening messages and stalk my home." Erik raised his hands in defeat, letting out a chuckle when she demanded how he'd deliver the apology. "I'll practice my water works and I'll let you know. Get ready to be amazed." He mused, flashing pearly whites as his smile widened. Even being called dumb wouldn't diminish that. He watched her when she pondered the idea, then followed as her finger flicked his nose. When she did however, he made a biting motion, meant more to startle her than to actually bite her, seeing as he just bit onto plain air. Mess around and find out. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Sounds like it'll be one hell of an opportunity." Talking about jobs, family, past defining moments, those were all subjects one would discuss during a date, even if he hadn't intended to have it turn so heavy the way it did. Reading into her body language and her using sarcasm to reflect, it was time to turn to more lighter of topics, or to at least get that smile to return, or if he was lucky, her laugh. So when she seemed to dive into the whole death by slapping idea, he was the one whose smile returned first. "Okay har-dee-har." He chuckled grabbing her hands mid air to instead pull them down to their laps. "You're such a dork." He spoke, eyes momentarily flickering down to her lips and back up to her eyes again. @tannerkohli

"I'd threaten them if they didn't agree, so I'm sure they'd be thrilled to tell you that I am the kindest person they've ever met," she countered back, hands splayed out in front of her. "I'll be watching the local news all week just waiting for that on air apology. And make sure it's good. No skimping on the heartfelt tears." One hand drummed against the counter a few times for emphasis, the banter flowing easier and easier as the night went on and the beer bottles got lighter. "You're fucking dumb," she laughed back, her head shaking as a smile crept reluctantly across her lips, now stuck there for the time being in place of her usual scowl. Unable to resist, she set her beer bottle down to reach over and flick his nose, a glint of a challenge now in her eyes as she raised one eyebrow in his direction.

The playful banter that was mixed in between the more serious topics of conversation softened the blow some. Tanner brushed a hand along her chin in thought before nodding. "It is. Of course it is. It's fucking badass to get the invite for an interview, for sure," she agreed. The initial excitement had, of course, been fully drained out of her after the accident and Ian's reaction to the news that she was considering making the move. That didn't take away from how big of a deal it was, but it made it harder to be excited by it. "Always time to get back out there on adventures later. Family...you don't fuck around with that. I respect it." She didn't bring up her mom, the battle with disease, the loss, but she understood the hardship it took to go through and could appreciate that he was there to do it for his dad. The shift in the conversation back away from the accident was welcome and there was a visible loosening in her posture when he allowed them to move past it for now. It took a lot for Tanner to open up and even the little bit she had so far with Erik felt like more than she'd shared about herself in years. "Ooh, all really solid choices, but if you really want to make a statement, it's got to be the last one for me. I can see the headlines now. Saucy slap fight leaves Meatball cooked." Her hands moved in the air in front of her as if displaying a headline on the television.

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Oh, of course, what was I thinking. Let me go back and ask the television crew on if they'd label you as too kind and I'll broadcast an official apology." Erik stated, hand upon his chest. Scouts honour. He kept the jokes coming, enjoying the sound of her laughter as it came and went, even if they were small laughs. "Hey, if it gets you going you can slap me twice and call me Sally. I don't mind public humiliation, as long as I get to pull that tail." Erik winked, taking a sip from his bottle. He couldn't help but to smile a little broader when she laughed once more, allowing a chuckle to slip in himself. "I'm on a roll, just flick my nose when I get too much.. See what happens."

Then their conversation turned more serious. Her admitting that her going to F1 had been talked about caused an eyebrow to quirk upwards. "Really? Well damn, that's exciting, is it not?" He wasn't aware of the logistics and the rules, but if she had been in talks to join that league, wasn't that a win on it's own? "I will take that as a compliment because I hate being idle." He snickered, his lips twitching into a smile as he was very close to make a dirty joke towards her choice of words. "I got to do what I love to do, so I'd say it's a sacrifice well made. But in the end, family is more important than skiing down a slope or climbing Everest. Those things will never go anywhere." Blue hues watched her as she confessed she was in constant pain. From the way she carried herself, it hadn't been an answer he expected, yet rather than looking at her with pity, there was admiration. "Well, fuck cars." He said eventually. "Passenger cars, that is." Erik added, offering her a cheeky smile. "Don't think anyone can top that drama, though I'll die trying. I can be dramatic, choke on in a chucky cheese restaurant, swan dive off a cliff." It was obvious she didn't want to talk about what had happened to her, so he took the social cue. "Getting slapped to death by a beautiful woman, I'm not picky." @tannerkohli

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I could never have an evil glare. Too kind," she countered again with a bit of a laugh this time. Laughter like this had been a rarity in her life in the last few months and there was almost a slight look of surprise as the laughter fell from her lips. Tanner certainly hadn't been expecting to enjoy herself like this when she'd come into the night. "I'd slap you right here right now if you want. Test it out, see how it feels. And in public too. Really getting into some kink territory there." Her eyes lit up with another bout of laughter at his meatballs comment, hands lifting to give a small, quiet round of applause. "Okay, you got me, that was fucking good. Two meatballs it is." There was a playfulness in her voice as she said it, matched with a flirtatious look as her eyes landed on Erik's. Tanner lifted her beer back to her lips as he asked about a possible career shift into F1, letting the beer sit at her lips for a moment. "It's...been talked about, yeah. It would be a huge challenge, but a good one. That - I mean, for anyone in the business, that's the dream spot to end up." A dream that had been a possibility right up until her accident and now felt like it was all hanging in limbo as a distant dream.

Firefighter she could have seen, but something about him had felt too unconventional to have that be his career. "I don't know, I think it suits you. You've got a whole...aura around you that just shouts that you could for sure never sit for a normal job," she shrugged. It wasn't meant in a bad way, it just made him more interesting. The job itself wasn't something she thought of as exciting, but the way he was able to use it to fit his lifestyle was what made it wholly understandable. "Wouldn't have pegged you for a creative, though, that's unexpected. But, hell yeah, if it lets you go live the life you want, can't beat that." Her smile faded as he relayed some of the struggles with his father, the small shreds of a heart she had left going out to him. "It'd be a little fucking rude of me to go bitch at a guy with Parkinson's, come on now. Good of you to come back for him, though. Not everyone would have." Tanner had flown right back home the day her mother's health had started to fail, a move that she had never once regretted. None of it was easy, being there was even harder, but it was something she'd always been glad she'd done. A longer sigh left her lips as he asked further about the accident, her head now tilted down towards her bottle as she let the beer swirl around in her hand. "Pain? Every day. All the time. Constant," she admitted, the itch to down the beer and replace it with a bottle of something stronger now coming on in waves. "Freak car accident." She paused then, the details already feeling like too much to share, too personal to open up about. Rather than getting too real, she reverted back to a sarcastic tone, letting her deflections push the real story aside. "Couldn't let it just be a boring one, had to make sure it was big drama, you know. Fire, broken bones, catastrophic injuries."

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Did you give him the evil glare and the poor sucker ran away?" He mused, supporting his head on his fist as he watched her, a knowing grin plastered across his face that let her know that he knew she was full of shit. But he played along, liking their little banter. "You should, you definitely should. And then I'll find someone who'll slap me across the face, see, we're getting somewhere here. No kinks are off limit." Erik raised his hands, portraying the easiness of the topic. "I can even get you two meatballs if you behave." Erik snickered, taking a swig from his drink. The mention of the other racing sport had him nodding, shifting in his seat. "You never wanted to work for that branch, though? From the sound of it and the comparison in vehicles it feels like more of a challenge?" Obviously he had no idea how hard it was to get into such a team and do the work, though he knew it would be high caliber. But from the way she was talking about her job, he assumed she was stellar at it.

"Hah, most people would assume I do hard labour for a living, or even a firefighter, but I like being creative as well as do sports where it's you and the thrill of danger so it was a great way to combine both of them." He explained. "Pretty much just help design for branding, or even apps or websites. Digital visualisation. My latest job was this promotion gig for some computer game, I forgot the name. I can teach you everything about after effects and photoshop, lightroom, the likes. Just don't ask me to create an animated video, that's beyond my scope." He just made already existing material even better. And none of that AI shit. "It is what it is, really. His Parkinson got real bad as of late so ma just needs the help. Besides, I wouldn't like traveling the world knowing my dad is declining. So maybe I needed the reminder to come back home. So if you want someone to blame I ended up bothering you, you need to talk to my father." He mused, able to speak light of the situation now that he had the time to process it. Yet when the topic was shifted to Tanner, he listened quietly, the bottle left forgotten on the bar when she mentioned her accident. "Sounds rough. You're not in any pain now, are you?" he asked, and though concerned, his demeanour didn't change. "Feel free to kick me if I cross a line, but what happened?" @tannerkohli

"Oh, it totally happened once. Strangely, they never heard from the guy again. Just disappeared. Craziest thing," she recounted back a fake tale, the smirk rising in her lips as she spoke. Pausing, she let her head quirk to the side before letting out a soft laugh. "I'll take that under advisement, though, maybe I'll have to find someone to try it with." It was refreshing being around someone that was giving it back just as much as she was tossing things out there. All too often people got caught up in their sensitivities and Tanner had never been the right person for that. This was where she felt most at ease, talking shit back and forth with no worries that whatever was being said would be taken too seriously. "One Meatball for dinner and a bottle of vodka to top it off. Sounds like my kind of night. A real romantic adventure." Even if it was said jokingly, Tanner would never turn down the ask to help fix a car. It didn't matter if it was a high performance vehicle or an old clunker, the challenge of getting under the hood and ripping it apart to rebuild it was something that would never stop fascinating her. "As grossly sappy as it is to say, I love that shit so much, I'll fix anything. Any car, put me under the hood, I'm happy as can be. But, really, watch Formula 1. Way more exciting." It was said with a hint of bitterness to it, Tanner having struggled to watch anything related to NASCAR since she was let go from the team.

Tipping her beer back, Tanner let the liquid drown out some of the noise that was starting to ping about in her brain, focusing instead on Erik talking. "Yeah, I won't lie, I don't know what digital designer is, but it sounded lame as hell. You really saved it with all the adventure sports," she agreed with another easy laugh. Her words quieted as Erik started to speak again, giving him the space to talk about his family and everything that had brought him back to the area. Sick family was something she understood all too well, having been through that with her mother before she had passed. "That's shit. I'm sorry, I know that stuff sucks," she nodded, that being about as comforting as Tanner could get as an individual. She paused then, sipping at her beer quietly as she decided how much she wanted to open up about what had brought her to Kismet. "Ah, a loaded question. I grew up in New York, but did summers here with my best friend and his family. His aunt and uncle live here and they invited me to come stay with them for awhile. I got pretty fucked up in an accident and I'm still dealing with all of that. Don't have anyone back home, so here we are."

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"You say that as if I'm huge." Erik mused. "Though, I would let you know I was in the car before the highway, I have a feeling you're a horrible driver in the corners." At least she gave him vibes she would slip in an occasional drift if she could. "They're okay, Annika and I have been taking turns taking care of dad so ma can get proper sleep during the night, Ingrid said she postponed her coming here for an undetermined time so we're just trying to find our rhythm." And Magnus was still in L.A. last he heard. His responsibilities weren't that easily surrendered. "Well well, you too succumbed to the house fever?" He let out a laugh. "I think we might be. Maybe it's age catching up with us, don't you think?" @rubyelliot

Ruby laughed, the sound bright and genuine as she shook her head. “I would love to catch you trying to hide in the trunk of my Bronco,” she teased, giving him a playful eye roll. “Though knowing you, you'd probably rig it so I didn’t find out 'til I was halfway down the highway.” Her tone had a fondness, the kind that only came with history. She tucked her hair behind her ear, eyes warm as she added, “Glad to hear you’re still up to your daredevil ways. Wouldn’t be you otherwise.” At his mention of helping his folks, she softened just a little more. “How are they doing? And Annika?” Ruby leaned lightly against the edge of the nearby table, her smile still lingering. “I’ve been good,” she said with a little nod." Spending time with my dad when I can. Just making the most of it, you know?” Her voice dipped for a second, a trace of something quieter, but she quickly pulled herself back with a breath and a brighter note. “Oh, and I bought a house,” she added with a grin, like she still couldn’t believe it herself. “So yeah, definitely settling in.” She gave him a knowing look, one brow lifting. “We’re both getting suspiciously domestic, Erik.” @erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Clearly you have never been slapped while having sex, and it shows." Erik boldly proclaimed, all while directing a pointed index finger her way. At this point, with the already consumed alcohol and the relaxed feeling of being able to say things around her he usually had to swallow down during a date refrained him from having any type of filter. If anyone, he was certain that Tanner was able to take it. "Also, we gotta change you calling me anything food related before I might get concerned I end up as your main course at some point." He joked, letting out a laugh at her suggestion. "Brilliant. Liquor stores always do bring out the romantic side in me." Now Erik had no trouble with alcoholic beverages, not having to depend on needing a drink to function, so he took their banter lightly. He could at least say he had never been that drunk he ended up shitfaced. Whether that was something to brag about however remained to be seen. "Guess I know who to turn to when my car starts having issues." An obvious joke, for it was more than clear that her skills went way beyond the fixing of a mediocre vehicle that was merely built for the daily transport. "That's mad impressive. I'll definitely look at NASCAR more often now, thanks very much." He had never been the type to really sit down and watch a match or a race. He couldn't sit too idle for very long. "I felt like I had to compensate a little. Just digital designer doesn't really have an impressive ring to it." He winked at her, taking a sip from the bottle that had been put in front of him. At her question, he shrugged. "Well, once upon a time my mom and dad decided this place was the place for them to settle down in. So I was born and raised here, believe it or not. Traveled around for the last decade, Vietnam, Hungary, Peru, you name it. But my old man got sick and ma needed help taking care of him and the household, so I came back. My sister Anni-- Annika, she came back too. The other two, Ingrid and Magnus, they'll return when they have tied up loose ends. Spend some quality time together, that kind of stuff.. And you? What got you to Kismet?" @tannerkohli

"Damn, Meatball, that's fucked up. Violence isn't kinky," she shot back immediately with another serious look in his direction before it morphed into a bright laugh. Tanner had certainly never been accused of being the most tactful and her sense of humor wasn't for everyone, but as long as they were both laughing, she wasn't going to hold back. "My thoughts exactly. Why waste time with a glass when the bottle is already designed to drink out of. Next time we go out, fuck the bar, we go right to the liquor store." A joke that was a little too real in her life at the present moment, but if she couldn't laugh about her pain and her fuck-ups, then she might as well just be miserable. Her head nodded gently, hectic being a complete understatement of what life was like on the road working with a team. "Mechanic, yeah. I can fix anything and I'd put money that I can build a better car than damn near anyone. If I had all the money in the world, at least." As talented as she was with just the actual act of fixing things that broke, she had a mind for how a car ran, the small things to optimize and make it better. After years of doing it, she was arguably one of the best, a fact that she had no problem bragging about. The bartender came back with their drinks then, Tanner lifting her lager to take a sip as her brows narrowed, trying to piece together what exactly a digital designer was. "Okay, big travel guy then. That's cool as hell. I've been a lot of places with work, but haven't really had a lot of time to travel for myself. Must be a hell of a life being able to just work from wherever. How the fuck did you end up here of all places if you can be literally anywhere in the world right now?"

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Kinky, I like it." Erik nodded, not being able to diminish the boyish grin on his face as truthfully his mind wandered. But that was hardly something to mention at a first date. Or was this technically their second, if their enjoying a smoothie counted as the first one? Surely that was going to be a future discussion, if he had to guess. And if he had to guess again, he was most likely going to admit defeat to whatever opinion she had on the matter. "That should be normalised. Those small tedious glasses just make the entire process all the more dragging." Dramatically rolling his eyes, he followed Tanner to the bar, taking a seat aside to her. He had been oblivious to the internal struggle going on in her head, for however short it lasted, for he already had the possibility to order two lagers with the waiting bartender before he turned his attention back to Tanner who revealed her line of work. "NASCAR? Damn. That's impressive. So like, as a driver? A mechanic? Feels like a hectic job." Being an extreme sports type of guy, he could respect the lifestyle that came with it. The having to perform on the spot and it having to be a hundred percent without failing. "Hah, well it depends." He mused. "I'm a digital designer, so nothing as fancy as NASCAR." He admitted, knowing that that wasn't the kind of job one would guess he had. "But I always traveled, straight out of college. Ski here, rock climbing there, all around the globe. So I just did the jobs wherever I ended up. All I need is a laptop after all. So sometimes I would be working an all nighter and sometimes it would be during the morning, but it was always on my schedule. I'm not built for a nine to five." @tannerkohli

"It's a classic for a reason. So, yeah, absolutely. You pull my pigtail, I punch you in the face, we both know where we stand, that's the way it goes," she agreed hands splaying out in front of her as if she were spelling out the most obvious thing in the world. As serious as she sounded, Tanner was absolutely full of shit, but Erik seemed to get that. Her demeanor was a difficult one, so the fact that he was matching her energy was refreshing in way that had her intrigued enough to say yes to seeing him again. "Unfortunately most people frown upon drinking straight out of the vodka bottle in public, so beers it is." He wasn't wrong, beers took a lot longer, but at least right now in the moment, the urge to get blindingly drunk wasn't there. A beer and a good conversation was the vibe she was at and as they walked in to find a spot at the bar, Tanner was perfectly content. Settling down into a seat, Tanner expression shifted, the question about her line of work throwing her off for a brief moment. It was still a sore spot for her, given everything, and it took her a beat before she gave a response. "Not wrong at all. I've been working with a NASCAR team for almost a decade. I do car stuff. You don't really strike me as a nine to five kind of guy either. What do you do?"

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"The good old, he's only picking on you because he likes you, hm?" Erik mused, throwing her a grin. "Does that mean I should pull your pigtails if I want to leave a hint?" He teased her, knowing that she would engage into the banter with full force. With how she had been with him so far, he knew that much. Which was likely why he'd taken a liking to her. He'd never really been drawn to the timid and shy. Someone who would jest him and yank his chain always did bring out the best in him. "Cocktails or hard liquor tends to be the best way to do that. Beers just take fucking forever." Letting out a laugh, he opened the door to the bar area for her to walk in. At least it was adults only, as the kids had their own soft drinks area. That was something. No shouting teens should they have a moment again. "I don't think I've asked, but what do you do for work?" Erik inquired, following her inside. "I'm sure you're the kind to get your hands dirty, am I wrong?" @tannerkohli

"Pretty sure insults and flirting are basically one in the same. Not to sound like an elementary school boy, but," she teased back with a half shrug of her shoulders. It was often how she showed her affection with people, openly talking shit at them and being somewhat a jerk. With Tanner, if she was being polite or ambivalent, it probably meant that she hated you. Her brow lifted at his answer, mulling it over for a moment before a laugh left her lips. "Can't argue that. If it gets you drunk, it's good enough for me." Hard liquors were usually her choice, a bottle of vodka at night to knock the edge of pain away long enough to drift to sleep. Though the drinking and pain pills had started to lessen as time went on, the hold it had on her still hadn't fully let go. Settling into a seat at the bar, Tanner kept her chair angled towards Erik, head tilted to the side with amusement. "I normally like trying whatever local beers they have, though. When I was traveling for work we always made a point to stop at local breweries when we had off time. Place like this, though, its probably all piss water." The small bar attached to the mini golf wasn't an outstanding option for drinks, but the company made it worth it. "Lager sounds great, though."

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"Pretty sure it is but that you have no idea if someone is flirting with you or insulting you, more like." Erik dared, giving her an amused glance; Though internally restraining himself grabbing her by the face and claim her lips this time, rather than the other way around, especially when she snuck one in real fast. "Little old me? Serve me anything and I'll most likely drink it, cocktail with an umbrella? beer with a lemon? Sure thing." He boldly stated, never having cared much about how it would look for him to drink a 'girly' cocktail. Surprisingly, it had always had it's effect with the ladies, so he never complained either. "But I'll settle for a plain corona tonight. Or a lager." He eventually settled. "What of yourself?" @tannerkohli

The distracted tone to Erik's voice brought another wry smile out of Tanner who took the moment to lean back in and kiss him quickly against for good measure before breezing past to start walking towards the drinks. "I've definitely been told that I'm something," she mused, head quirked to the side momentarily before shaking it. "But, I'm not sure that it's usually meant in a good way." Something Tanner herself would be hard pressed to argue with. She knew that she could be a handful, to put it nicely, and she always expected that she wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. That just made it more meaningful when people did stick around, despite it all. "So, guy like you, what do you drink?" she asked as she pulled open the door to the bar area, posing the question as if it were going to bring about some deep insight into who Erik was as a person.

[erikxnystrom]

Erik blinked before a lopsided grin grew on his face, the kind that always made him look like he was either about to confess to something or invite trouble. "Damn. And here I thought I was being subtle. Guess I'll have to go old school next time, like hiding in your trunk." He held up both hands as if to say it was not entirely off the table. "I've been trying not to climb the water tower just to see if I still can. So, you know, the usual." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Getting used to staying still. Helping out my folks." He shrugged. He'd been doing more, spending time with people, but it didn't need to be said. "What of you? Settling down nicely?" He asked. "How're your folks?" @rubyelliot

Ruby hadn’t planned on stopping; she was in a steady jog, earbuds in, an old Bowie song pushing her stride along. The breeze was light, and the sun filtered perfectly through the trees overhead, making her almost forget she wasn’t on one of her usual early morning runs along the coast. But when she nearly collided with someone standing off near the picnic tables, she slowed just in time to dodge, pulling out an earbud with a breathless laugh. “Nah.” she grinned, recognizing Erik immediately. “I already found the tracking device you planted on my car. You’ll have to get more creative next time.” There was a teasing glint in her eyes as she tucked a loose strand of hair back under her cap. Absentmindedly, her fingers moved to the wedding ring now resting comfortably on her hand, spinning it once as if it had been there forever. The motion was casual, unthinking, something she hadn’t quite gotten used to yet, though it made her smile every time she caught herself doing it. She looked at him more directly now, her breath evening out. “But seriously, how’ve you been?” she asked, sincere beneath the playful tone. @erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

Erik gasped dramatically at the mention of the thimble maybe being in her storage. "You mean you stole my ma's thimble? The nerve." All in a good jest, for as close at the Nyström and the Weatherford family was, it would have been to no surprise to anyone that their belongings at some point would be mixed up. He was certain that his mother still had a box somewhere with their things. He would have to check next time he'd have a few minutes to check the attic or the shed. "Pretty sure she didn't want to step on your old man's toes. For I'm sure she was stressing about it." He chuckled, then shook his head at her comment. "I'd still look pretty in a sundress. For the record." @teaganweatherford

"Neither of those but that thimble may be somewhere in my storage, remind me to check." she stated, the smile on her face widening at the thought. Her and the Nystrom siblings went way back; some of her favorite memories involved them and the chaos the children used to ensue. It was hearing Erik's description of her hair being an 'abomination' that made her exhale, though she followed it with a laugh of her own. "Honestly, I can't believe your mom let me walk around like that. It was one thing for my dad but, I like to think your mom cared as much about my appearance as she did her own kids." she stated, looking at the photo again before she glanced up at Erik. Eyes only focused on the photo once he mentioned the outfit. "I mean, I wasn't going to say anything but your dad did try to influence you a lot." she laughed. "I think it's a cute outfit, but it doesn't go together at all." a shake of her head. "To bad you weren't a girl; you'd have looked pretty cute in a little sundress." she winked. @erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

"You definitely did a great job here." Erik agreed with his best friend, watching as Ethan resurfaced on the back patio where he still sat with his own can of beer. He'd done a quick check through his phone when Ethan had gone to put his daughter down into bed, making sure his parents were okay and checking if he'd already received a notification about the work that he'd sent in. Some kind of approval or request to change something, but nothing yet. "Well yeah, we're definitely not getting any younger." He said laughing. At this point, Erik couldn't picture himself with children anymore. He'd passed that point a long time ago. Besides, after Victoria he'd never bothered a proper relationship anyway. "They do say that kids keep you young. Eager to see if that proves itself right in your situation too, oldtimer." He snickered, raising his can as a cheers before he let out a laugh. "I aint going nowhere. But settling down with someone?" He pondered, then shrugged. "We'll see. I did meet this great gal. She's cool. Great kisser, so we'll see how that goes." @ethanxhoffmann

starter for @erikxnystrom

location: the hoffmann residence

"She's cute, huh?" Ethan questioned, a grin touching his lips as he returned to the back patio where he had momentarily left Erik. It had been time for Anna's nap and she had been easy to go down after the extra doting on from her uncle Erik. "Though it sure as hell isn't as easy as it was a few year ago," he joked, cracking open a beer as the evening peeked out from behind some clouds. "It's been just long enough that I swear my body aches ten times more and the lack of sleep is," he shook his head as the words were lost on him, "but I still wouldn't change it for the world." Ethan looked over at Erik once more, "You thinking of settling down anytime soon or should I be worried you're going to jet set out of town?" He joked, but there was a warmth lacing his words that he held only for people closest to him.

[erikxnystrom]

Dating and relationships had never really been Erik's thing. After he broke things off with Victoria, his 'love life' had existed out of one night stands and booty calls, and that had worked for him. Traveling never really gave much of an option for actual relationships. But he would be lying if he said Tanner hadn't intrigued him from the moment he saw her cuss out a news team. She was for sure a spitfire and he was all there for it. On top of that, 'great kisser' was also one of the boxes he could check off. He hadn't even noticed the jeers of nearby children. Not with his hands having hugged her curves, supporting her as she stood on the tip of her toes, his tongue teasing at her bottom lip until she suddenly moved away. "Drinks, right." He spoke, still processing the taste of her on his lips, letting his hands slip from her waist when she stepped back. "This way then." Erik said clearing his throat, looking over his shoulder to shoot daggers at the kids that interrupted the moment before ahead of them again. "You're really something, you know that?" @tannerkohli

Since her life had been upended with the accident and losing her job, Tanner had been as closed off as she ever had been. It was already difficult for her to let people in, but even more so in recent months. She didn't know what it was that had her willingly there on a date with Erik, now entangled with him as they kissed, but a small part of her kind of didn't hate it. Deciding not to think about it, Tanner leaned into the kiss, arms wrapping around Erik to keep them close together. It wasn't until the jeers of the children golfing behind them began that she pulled back, shooting a bird at the group of kids with a shake of her head. "I guess we better go get those drinks before they kick us out for public indecency," she teased, letting her heels shift back to the ground as she took a small step back.

@erikxnystrom

[erikxnystrom]

Erik had joined his parents and sister for an afternoon at the park when he had opted to remain behind at the table when his father suggested going for a round around the small pond. He'd received an e-mail for a job that he could work on that he wanted to do a little digging on and didn't want to bother them by being on his phone when directly around them. He'd been reading a second article when he looked up to stretch his back when he noticed Ruby. "Should I look at my belonging to make sure you didn't put a tracker in them or something?" He snickered, a brow raised. "I spent my childhood in this park and yet, it looks so different now that I'm back again." He told her, looking around to take in the sights. "Or is that just me?" @rubyelliot