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Realistic or Modern Thank you places! (a 1x1 rp)


Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris groaned, tossing her head back before glancing over at Theo, still eating. She rolled her eyes but nudged herself up, sliding her own plate toward him.

“You don’t need to know my birthday,” she said, voice light but laced with something quieter beneath. “Nothing ever happens on that day anyway.”

She reached over and speared another strawberry with her fork, chewing thoughtfully. The apartment had finally gone quiet—just the two of them again—and her eyes flicked toward the door to confirm it was really shut this time.

“Most days, yeah,” she answered his unspoken question with a soft shrug. “They bring me food all the time. I have this terrible habit of... just not eating.” She winced a little, more at herself than anything. It was something she kept telling herself to fix. Now more than ever, she had to—especially if Theo was part of her life, even just a little. She couldn’t let him starve because of her own bad habits.

“Everyone on this floor has a key to the apartment,” she admitted, glancing around with a sheepish look. “They all store something in here, mostly because I’m a bit…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Obsessive about keeping things orderly?” Her head tilted, unsure if that was quite right, but she went with it anyway. “They’re all sweet people, honestly. And they’ve technically been told not to just barge in—but the wives don’t listen. As you’ve probably noticed, Dahlia especially doesn’t give a damn.”

Iris popped another bite of fruit into her mouth and motioned lazily at the rest of the waffles—Theo could finish them if he wanted.

“I’m sorry if she overwhelmed you,” she said after a moment, her voice a little softer. “If it’s a problem, I’ll talk to her. You’re still healing. You don’t need to deal with a gossiping hag like her.”

She grumbled the last part, though there was an undeniable note of fondness buried in the insult.

“Her husband’s the complete opposite, by the way,” Iris added with a faint smirk. “That man would sit in absolute silence for hours if it meant peace. Dahlia says it’s because he fell in love with the sound of her voice and just never needed his own again.”

Her smile lingered as she looked at Theo—something softer, quieter in it now.



 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















"Well, that doesn’t have to stay like that forever, does it ?"
, he murmured quietly, a soft smile on his lips, not sure if Iris could even hear him. But hearing that her family got her nothing for her birthday, that was awful. At least a small gift, flowers, anything. Now that Theo knew her birthday, he couldn’t just ignore that like it never happened. He was used to bringing gifts for birthdays, random occasions or their special name days they celebrated in Greece. If it was a friend down the street, a neighbor or a person you just met once — everyone got something. In Greece everyone was like this and in return there was a big gathering with food and drinks. The gift always had a small personal touch — something useful, flowers or things the other person likes.

The brown-haired nodded silently, in a way he could understand it. Busy days, sometimes he just forgot if there were a thousand things to do. But he was glad, there were people who cared about her eating enough. Maybe when he would feel better again, he could also surprise Iris with something freshly cooked, when she came home from the theater. Somehow he had to pass his time, when being forced to recide till his injuries were fully healed and the strength fully back.

His eyes widened for a second, when the blonde told him everyone here on the floor had a key to her apartment. But, almost like she read his thoughts, Iris immediately added that it wasn’t like everyone walked out and in here like they wanted.

Except for Dahlia.

Theo's lips curled into a soft smirk.
"Oh, yeah. Dahlia walks where she wants to, doesn’t she ?"


As the waffles were pushed his way, Theo didn’t have to think twice. And Iris didn’t have to tell him twice. The brown-haired pushed them over to his plate, drowning them in maple syrup again.
"No no, she’s great. Don’t worry, we’ll get along well."
They were basically the perfect match if Iris and Phillip ever needed some peace and quiet. Just had to sat them both somewhere and they would probably entertain each other for hours.

"Sounds reasonable"
, Theo answered with a chuckle and then put a piece of waffle in his mouth, trying to not let all the maple syrup drip down onto the plate.
"Maybe her voice magically charmed him."
, he added after swallowing the waffle.

"Or maybe he’s just mesmerized by having such a talkative partner."
A soft chuckle, while he wiped the last drops of maple syrup with the last piece of waffle. Popping it into his mouth, he leaned back again. If the four of them ever went somewhere together, those two chatbirds would definitely be entertained the whole time and give Iris and Phillip a break for once.

Theo quietly gathered the fork and the knife on his plate, setting it on his lap. He was definitely full now. Without a doubt.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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“You’re too nice,” Iris sighed, giving him a sidelong glance. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you and Dahlia got along. You two are basically the same person.” She rolled her eyes, smirking as she watched him eat. Her thoughts drifted back to the etiquette lessons she’d endured as a child—the sharp bark of her instructor’s voice echoing in her mind. She could almost hear the gasp they'd let out if they saw Theo eating with his fingers. The mental image made her smile soften unexpectedly. Knowing it was him doing the upsetting twisted something in her chest—something strange and warm.

“Anyway, forget about my birthday,” she muttered, shaking her head. “No one needs to know, and I doubt anyone would enjoy celebrating it.” Her eyes flicked toward the lone family photo perched on a nearby shelf, and just like that, her expression dimmed.

“My siblings' birthdays are the ones that matter,” she added, voice quieter, edged with something bitter. “They fly in celebrities, rent out stadiums, or host it at the estate. Hell, my younger sister has a reality show taping right now—just to count down to her birthday next month.”

She grimaced, already dreading the obligation.

“If you’re still here in a month,” she went on with a laugh, “wanna be my plus one? I’d pay to see their faces watching you eat.”

The offer was clearly a joke, her grin teasing as she stood and took his plate. She vanished into the kitchen, and the sound of water running followed for a moment before she returned, drying her hands on a towel and planting them on her hips.

“So,” she asked, tilting her head at him, “how do you feel? Wanna nap? Watch a movie?”

Her eyes wandered thoughtfully toward the living room, then his room. “There are movies from every century scattered around here. Most of the good ones are probably in your room, though if you’re looking for anything modern, I’ll have to dig through mine.”

She huffed at the thought, but her tone stayed light as she gave a small shrug in his direction.


 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















The brown-haired chuckled softly. Thinking about it — yep, they indeed were the same person. Both bubbly, positive chatters. Both having an a lot quieter partner…or friend or whatever inbetween for Iris and Theo. Dahlia probably knew more than they did, concerning this topic.

"You really think so ?"
, he asked, tilting his head and smiling a tad. With the help of her lovely neighbors — at least the ones he met already — Theo really believed it could be made enjoyable. Maybe some nice food, staying in, movie night. The brown-haired figured the blonde wasn’t the one to go out and party, some big celebration. He wasn’t as well. The big gatherings with all of his family and some neighbors or friends were already a bit much sometimes. He enjoyed the parties, sure, but the later it would get, the louder they got and at one point Theo just needed some quiet — and sleep, definitely sleep.

As Iris stated what they do for her siblings' birthdays, the brown-haired's eyebrow raised with every fact. Even a reality show ? What the hell was up with them ? Even if the birthday was really important to them, you didn’t need to push it into everyone’s faces. All of that didn’t even sound like a good birthday party to him anymore, so many people, how the hell would you manage all of that. You couldn’t even talk to everyone with that many people.

"Hey! What’s wrong with how I eat ?"
He turned in the armchair to look at her. Of course, eating with his fingers wasn’t the normal way to eat for him, he knew the etiquette — his mother was very strict with that. Not only that, generally what concerned food. Him and his sisters were taught pretty early how to cook — starting easy of course. Everyone had a task making the food, so they all would help to prepare the meals. Especially for gatherings. Though, there was one hated task — cutting the onions — and this was the punishment for whoever did something bad. Not the usual punishments like house arrest here.

Even though the offer was very clearly just a joke, Theo took a second to consider it. He wouldn’t come with her because of her whatever they were siblings, of course. But he would come for her — from what he heard from the blonde and Dahlia, her family sounded horrible. And leaving her alone in all of this ?

The brown-haired stretched his arms, looking up at Iris.
"What iffff…we watch your favorite movie ?"
, he proposed with a smirk.
"Come on, hit me with the most cheesy rom-com or the most horror-y horror movie or the mooost…action…—y action movie."
His smirk widened while he still looked at her.
"Really whatever's your favorite we will watch it."
Theo was pretty curious what would await him here. He couldn’t really fit Iris into just one genre.

He sat up a little then.
"I'll probably switch over to your couch, though."
, he said, already reaching for his crutches. Having his leg constantly down and not resting anywhere propped up, did him no good. Proven by the pain sparking back a little already. It was probably soon time for the other meds as well, but for now Theo just wanted some peace before having to take these weird tasting medicine pills again.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris gave an innocent shrug at his question about his eating habit, her lips twitching into a playful smirk. “I think it’s adorably chaotic,” she purred, her tone dipping just a little too sultry to be entirely innocent. "Just know my family would have you removed from the table and made to starve in your room for daring to even consider using that much maple syrup. I won't even discuss the lack of utensil use" she snickered to herself.

But when he started to move, her demeanor shifted instantly. “Careful, careful,” she scolded, darting forward. Her arms slid under his to steady him, guiding him gently from the table to the longer couch.

“You just got out of the hospital today—you should not be acting like you’re ready to run a marathon,” she muttered, scooting his crutches closer once he was settled. She hovered for another second, as if to make sure he didn’t suddenly bolt again. Then, with a little tilt of her head, she pondered aloud, “A movie that’s my favorite?”

She narrowed her eyes in thought, lips pressing together in mischievous decision.

“We’re watching a musical,” she declared, tone final, offering no further context as she rushed off to her room.

A loud bang echoed from the hallway, followed by a colorful string of curses.

“I’m fine!” she called out quickly. “Dress forms!” she added, like that explained everything.

After a few grunts and thuds, Iris finally emerged—nearly swallowed by a mountain of pillows of all shapes and colors, a massive blanket draped over her head like a ghost costume. She waddled forward, peering down at the floor to avoid tripping.

“Wfah joo thunk aboush Fyrano?” she mumbled around something clutched between her teeth.

As she neared, it became clear she was holding a DVD case in her mouth. She dumped the pillows onto the couch with a triumphant plop and tugged the blanket off her head, shaking out her hair as she freed the case and wiggled it at him.

“Cyrano!” she announced with far too much enthusiasm for someone who had nearly wiped out two minutes ago.

“I’ve maybe watched it an unhealthy number of times,” she admitted, cheeks tinged pink. “It’s my favorite play. When I found out they made it into a musical, I spent my entire allowance just to see it in theaters—every day it played.”

There was a quiet, sheepish pride in her voice. Then, gesturing to the pillows and blanket, she added more softly, “You’re totally allowed to fall asleep during it. That’s what the pillow fort’s for.”

She moved to load the DVD into the player, then returned to fuss over Theo like a nesting bird—arranging blankets, tucking pillows just so, making sure he was comfortable before finally settling in beside him.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Adorably, huh ? A sheepish smirk formed on Theo's lips but he looked down to hide it. Not for long though, as his eyes flicked up to Iris again with a shocked gasp.
"That wasn’t even much maple syrup!"

It was, there was basically more maple syrup than waffle on that plate. Not to mention the strawberries that were literally bathing in the syrup.
"That’s a little dramatic for just using maple syrup."
, he then concluded, looking over at Iris to see if she agreed. With his family, you would maybe earn a small glance for eating some weird food combination or things like that but nothing more.

As he stood, a rush of pain ran through his leg. He had sat down for far too long with his leg down. Feeling a tad unsteady, the brown-haired gripped onto Iris' shoulder. The blonde was already there for him, to keep him from overstraining himself and then slowly guiding him to the couch. With a relieved sigh, he carefully plopped down on the couch.
"Yeah yeah..I know…"
, he grumbled, sounding a bit guilty.

Theo knew he shouldn’t move and act like he was still able to do everything — he wasn’t. But normally the brown-haired was used to be able bounce back into business very quickly. Not this time. It was far worse than just a sprained ankle, some bruises, a muscle strain or a minor cold. He really had to rest or it would just make his recovery time even longer. If it would be just the broken finger, he would be back in a few weeks or maybe didn’t even have to stay away from work. But that damn broken ankle would be the death of him — someone who would push himself back even if he surely needed at least two more weeks to rest.

The brown-haired let himself sink into the couch, letting out another sigh. It was far more comfortable now. He watched the blonde, seeming like she thought about what movie she would decide on.

A musical.

Okay, he could have guessed that.

Theo loved them as well. How they adapted each one from the stage — a single scene — to a whole movie, where various scenes could be used.

When he heard the loud bang, Theo almost wanted to jump up, looking for Iris. But as he just sat up, his leg immediately reminded him to stop those instincts. Hearing the blonde’s voice, he calmed down again.
Okay, she wasn’t dead.
But what the hell was she up to ?
That didn’t sound like just getting the movie.

As she arrived, the brown-haired covered his mouth to stop a laugh from coming out, but a small chuckle still made its way through. So that was what she was up to.
"About what ?"
It was hard to make out what the blonde was saying with how she mumbled. But after she put all the pillows and the blanket on the couch, she presented the DVD case to him like a trophy.

"Sounds good"
, he answered, the enthusiasm from Iris sparking over to him. The brown-haired actually didn’t know Cyrano but if Iris was that passionate about it, it couldn’t be bad.

Theo already got himself a pillow to put under his injured leg. That way it didn’t hurt too bad and he could relax.
"I won’t fall asleep, Blondie. If you’re this passionate about your favorite movie, I want to watch the whole thing."
, he said with a soft smirk.

After letting Iris mother him, he was now tucked in under a fluffy blanket and having pillows all around him. He felt really like paradise now. Theo's head slowly plopped to the side, against Iris' shoulder.
"You know, I feel like your little nestling right now."
A soft smirk on his lips as he looked up into her shiny green eyes. The last time he could remember, he was tucked in like that, was when he caught a big cold as a child. Tucked in by his mother, just soup for a good week, always a cold wash cloth on his forehead. But he was feeling good this time and also pretty comfortable next to the blonde.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris curled into her usual spot, casting one last glance to make sure Theo was settled safely beside her. Her focus was so intent on clicking through the menu and getting the TV going that she barely noticed the slight lean of his body toward hers—at least, not at first. When she did notice, it hit her like static heat.

That same strange curling sensation from earlier—the one she’d felt when she realized they were the same height—returned with a quiet vengeance. It twisted in her stomach, bloomed warm across her chest, and crept up to the tips of her ears. She bit the inside of her cheek, shrugging off his comment without fully registering what he’d said. Her mind had wandered elsewhere.

He smelled… better now. Clean. Soft, like fresh soap and something subtly his. Probably from that shower earlier. She wondered—half-dazed—if the longer he stayed here, the more he might start to smell like her instead. Probably not. He probably brought his own shampoo and things.

The sharp sound of the movie starting pulled her back to earth, the soft tinkling of a music box melody floating through the air. Iris flinched slightly, blinking as her senses recalibrated.

Then, his words finally caught up to her.

“Little nestling?” she echoed, her voice catching awkwardly in her throat. She kept her face forward, feeling the heat rising the longer he leaned against her shoulder. Still… she didn’t move away. If anything, she leaned slightly into the touch.

“That makes you sound like a pixie. Or a fairy,” she said, a lopsided grin forming. “And fairies aren’t nice creatures. They’re little jerks, actually.” Her voice took on a teasing lilt, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Are you saying you’re gonna be a pain in my side now? My own little nestling menace?”

She risked tilting her head to glance at him—and immediately regretted it.

Their faces were much closer than she anticipated. Her breath caught, heart hammering wildly off-tempo with the distant music as her gaze locked with his. The world muted for a beat. Her mouth snapped shut, tension coiling in her neck as she forced herself to look anywhere else.

“Um… y-you should lean back,” she finally stammered, her voice cracking at the edges. “I’m not exactly… comfortable to lean on.” She let out a sheepish laugh, cheeks now a full, flushed pink as she gently pressed her hand to his forehead and nudged him away—just enough to breathe again.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo chuckled softly.
"Well, I can be"
For a second there was something far more than teasing in his eyes and voice — a little spark of a flirt.
"But I don’t want to risk you kicking me out, so I guess I'll behave."
, he added quickly. Even though Dahlia would probably take him in first thing, when she would see that the brown-haired was kicked out but he really didn’t want to risk Iris' hospitality. It was nice here with her.

As their eyes met, Theo's mouth stayed shut — he wanted to say something but not anymore now. Those beautiful green eyes kept him quiet for once. When the brown-haired almost lost himself in this sunny forest of green eyes, the blonde’s voice made him flinch out of it.

"Wha..oh uhm..yeah…yeah sure.."
Theo immediately turned back and sat up a little more straight. Iris' shoulder was actually very comfortable to lean against but he wasn’t dumb, the brown-haired could read between the lines. And he got the hint. Theo didn’t dare to look at the blonde, a soft pinky blush tinting his face as well. Dahlia would exactly know what was up here, but Theo still couldn’t put this weird fluttery feeling in his stomach together.

It was close to what he felt before his first ever performance, just…different. More intense, warmer and like a million butterflies fluttered inside of him. But not like they wanted to get out — which was the case when he was feeling very nervous — it was like they just flew from one flower to another in a really happy way.

The brown-haired bit his lip, still looking down, before he quickly licked his bottom lip. Thinking about this chaos in his mind too long somehow made his lips feel a little dry.
"I..uhm…I'll be right back."
, he muttered as he peeled himself out of the blanket. The brown-haired pulled himself up on his crutches and then hobbled over to the guest room — his room now for the next few months.

Plopping down on the bed, he searched for something important — his glasses. Wasn’t like he had a very bad eyesight — he could still see almost perfectly fine — but it was far more comfortable to have them on, when looking at a screen for a longer time.
For one part that, but he also needed a second to calm those butterflies in his stomach.
As Theo stared out of the window for a second, all the heat came up at once.

He just tried to breath it away before slowly pulling himself up again and getting back into the living room.
"I'm back"
, he announced with the usual happy smile. The glasses sat on his head as he limped back to his place on the couch. But with every step — if you could even call the last few ones steps, it was more like dying swan esque — they dared to slip down.

The semi rimless glasses made him look more innocent, when he wore them and maybe even a little younger than he actually was. It was probably the innocent look that made him seem younger with the glasses on. Normally no one ever saw him with them on, he just wore the glasses, when working with his laptop or if he watched TV — if he wasn’t too lazy to actually get them then.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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The moment Theo disappeared down the hall, Iris scrambled to restart the movie. Her hands flew up to cover her cheeks, fingers pressing in as if she could physically push the heat out of them. When that didn’t work, she flipped her palms and pressed the cool backs of her hands against her skin instead.

Not helpful.

She groaned and sank deeper into the couch, burying herself in a pile of pillows like they might absorb her confusion. What is wrong with me? The question echoed as she curled tighter, scowling into the blanket folds. This was ridiculous. She was being ridiculous. Someone’s face hovering that close to hers shouldn’t make her heart somersault like she was back in middle school crushing on someone who passed her a pencil. It was just—

“It’s just Theo,” she whispered under the blanket, clutching it like a security net. “Normal Theo.” Her voice was firmer this time, like saying it enough might make it true.

Even so, the image of his eyes—soft and focused, far too close to hers—lingered in stubborn detail. Iris squeezed her eyes shut, willing the memory to fade, trying to shove it back into the mental drawer labeled Totally Platonic Interactions.

She barely had time to compose herself before she heard his footsteps and voice returning. Her head popped out of the blankets like a startled animal, blinking rapidly as she registered what he said.

“Glasses?” she echoed, brows lifting as she pointed at her own face in exaggerated confusion. No glasses there. And she couldn’t remember him ever wearing any before—not on stage, at least. That’d be a nightmare to deal with, though not impossible. Her frown deepened, the gears in her head visibly churning.

Still, she shifted the pillows around and scooted to make space for him again, motioning him over with a wordless gesture. She tucked him back in, ignoring the traitorous flutter that returned the moment his arm brushed hers.

Iris snuck a glance at him, then tilted her head with mock seriousness.

“Well, whatever,” she said, her smile slowly curling at the corners. “You just look more like an old man now. Especially with those khakis.” Her voice was warm with amusement as she hit play on the movie again, the smug little grin not quite hiding the way her eyes lingered on him a beat too long.



 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















The brown-haired dipped his head in a slight nod, but only so much the glasses wouldn’t fall down. It was actually quite funny to see the confusion in Iris' face, it was almost like you could hear the rattle in her head.
"Just for looking at screens for long time, though."
, he added. It actually would be a nightmare to have to wear them on stage. He was so glad he didn’t need them in his everyday life. Sure, if he was on stage, the faces of the last few rows were a little blurry but that didn’t really matter. Only thing that mattered, was that you could still navigate your way over the stage, and he could do that perfectly fine.

Theo slowly sat down on the couch again, putting his crutches to the side next to him. He sighed softly, feeling the relief after stumbling around with the crutches like a duck on a frozen lake. After getting comfortable in the pillows and putting his injured leg on the one pillow again, he let himself get tucked in by Iris, watching her with a slight smirk.

But it happened to him as well — that warm, flushy feeling, when they touched. He quickly turned his head away as the blush rushed back into his cheeks. The brown-haired tried to look like he way busy, while waiting for the pink in his cheeks to go away. He cleaned the lenses of his glasses and then put them finally on. The black top part fitted nicely to his dark brown hair, making his chocolate brown eyes seemed even a little darker now. He could play the perfect Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors with those glasses.

Just a little later, Theo looked up to the blonde with a dramatic gasp.
"Iris, my poor heart."
He put his hand on his chest, looking even more dramatic.
"You can’t just call me old like that."


Actually he wouldn’t have even thought, she would call him an old man with those glasses. People usually said that it made him at least five years younger. He even got asked for his ID last year, when he still wore the glasses because he had to go and get something for the weekend in his break.
And now she called him an old man ?!

Not very acceptable.

"I got them because the lady in the store told me I would get all the ladies because I look younger with those. You can’t shatter my dreams like that."
, he joked with a big smirk on his lips. He literally didn’t need any glasses to get all the ladies. Best prove for that were the nurses in the hospital. He looked like he just crawled out of hell and still wooed them.

When the music of the movie started playing, the brown-haired turned his head over to the TV and let himself sink into the pillows even more. He didn’t really notice Iris looking at him, he was already too focused on the movie.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up at Theo’s defensive tone, the sound warm and playful as she flicked a bit of her blonde hair over her shoulder—just in time for her arm to brush his again. “You’ve been lied to,” she teased, laughter dancing in her voice. “That look makes you more of a dork than you already were. An old nerd.”

She curled her knees up beneath the blanket, cozy and smug, her giggles echoing softly off the walls. “Honestly, I’m just waiting for you to bust out a sweater vest collection. You would have one, wouldn’t you?” she said with a smirk, already picturing it. She could practically see him pulling open a drawer filled with patterned knits and argyle.

And worse—she could see his fan club eating it up. They’d swoon over him no matter what. Ugly Christmas sweater? Instant heartthrob. Disheveled and hospital-worn? Apparently devastating. Her smile remained fixed to her lips, but there was a flush creeping higher on her cheeks now, her mind happily running wild.

She stared at the screen without really watching, eyes flicking over the opening dance number, the familiar Renaissance costumes and lilting verses about longing and love. She knew every word by heart, and yet—she wasn’t focused on any of it.

“You as an old man, though…” she hummed dreamily, her voice soft as her imagination spiraled. Salt and pepper in your hair… just enough lines at the corners of your eyes… Her stomach fluttered dangerously.

“I think you’d look better older, honestly,” she murmured. “Like… the kind of older that still makes people do a double take.” She could feel her blush deepen with every word, but her mouth had no interest in stopping. “You probably wouldn’t even look bad with a dad bod either. I mean, you never really look bad in anything.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them, and her breath caught.

Suddenly, her thoughts betrayed her completely—she saw it. An older Theo leaning over her shoulder in the morning, soft lines crinkling near his eyes, whispering something low and warm. Maybe pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Her heart gave a wild, uneven thump. Then another. Her whole body seemed to freeze as something twisted sharply low in her belly, heat rushing to her chest in waves.

What the hell was that?

Eyes wide, Iris stared straight ahead, jaw tight, refusing to look even slightly in Theo’s direction. Surely he couldn’t read her mind. Right? No way he could know exactly what degenerate scenarios were flickering through her head just now. Right?

She sat there, statue-still, trying not to breathe too hard, silently begging the universe to stop making her feel like a lovesick fool in the middle of her favorite movie.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo let out an even more dramatic gasp.
"I feel betrayed. How can they do this to someone ?"
But his dramatic disguise didn’t stay for long before a smirk slipped through. It made him happy to hear Iris laugh like that. It was so genuine.
And probably well needed after weeks of struggling and straining in rehearsal.
"But at least the dork still woos all the ladies, huh ?"
Maybe even more so with those glasses. But they were the hidden treasure — only coming out if someone was around him long enough to get him in front of a screen. And Iris being so quick with that was probably just pure fate.

"A sweater vest collection ? Excuse me! Do I look like I own a sweater vest collection ?"

Yes, yes certainly he did.
But before the blonde could even think about answering, Theo already put a hand up.
"You know what ? Don’t answer and no, no I don’t."
The smirk still very much present on his lips. He really didn’t look that old did he ? Maybe not, but what did add to the cliché was his music taste. Next to the obvious musical songs, there was a lot of 80s music in his playlist. He was shaped by his grandparents and his parents, who listened to that music almost daily. When they were working ? Some Michael Jackson song. Cleaning ? Madonna all the way. Cooking was ABBA time. And when they were just relaxing in their garden, it was a big mix of everything.

As the opening scene started, the brown-haired watched attentively. Normally he was more of a modern movie guy but that really caught his interest. As Iris voice came back in like a soft warm breeze, Theo's eyes just flicked to her shortly. He didn’t want to miss a scene but also didn’t want to seem impolite for not looking at her while she was talking.

With every word he blushed a little more. Honestly, Theo was always scared of getting old. Kind of because of his looks. Even though he didn’t have to worry, his grandfather aged like fine wine and Theo exactly takes after him. Maybe because of the name they shared. His grandfather looked exactly like the brown-haired when he was younger. And even now he had full and fabulous hair — probably Theo would have the same fluffy hair if he would let it grow out a little more.

"Come on, at least let me enjoy my last few young years. I already feel like I'm eighty with my sore muscles."
, he whined a little, though the smirk was still there. But it got a tad shyer — a mix of soft confidence, shyness and cockiness.

Even a dad bod ? Well, he already kind of have had that experience the last time he went back to Greece to his parents. Bad timing, to put it mildly. Multiple birthdays, holidays and all three of them — him and his sisters — returning. That meant food — always and a lot. The brown-haired's body wasn’t used to the Greek eating habits anymore, he couldn’t stay longer than three weeks before he would put some weight on. Had to find some creative ideas, when staying longer. But luckily as soon as he was back, his body bounced back very quickly to the normal form.

On the outside it seemed like the words weren't much of a big deal for Theo —beside the soft blush, but on the inside he was flattered. To say the least. Such words from Iris ? That was more than a compliment. And it felt different. Warm and genuine, like never felt it before.
"As long as it’s not getting too chubby down there, I'm relieved."
A soft chuckle as he looked over to Iris. He still had a bit of a paunch, so little that it made him look pretty fit but so much that it hid anything that was more than the approaches of a sixpack.

Then the brown-haired turned over a little, laying on his back was getting uncomfortable. He looked back to the TV, letting his head sink into the pillows. It was getting interesting now, and he was really getting invested the longer they watched.

But suddenly Theo felt something stiffen next to him. He looked up to the blonde, obviously confused by the way she sat there. Like she just wanted to disappear ? He observed her for a moment longer, his eyes lingering on her stiff gaze.
"Are you okay, Iris ?"
His voice was soft and warm. Theo slowly lifted his head to be able to look at her better. The pillows already destroyed his neatly placed hair, two strands chaoticly curling their way down his forehead.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris’ mind had officially betrayed her. Full-blown imagination takeover. She could see Theo in every cuddly scenario her brain could conjure—arms wrapped around her, chin resting on her shoulder, those big, stupid brown eyes sparkling with a soft kind of affection. And worse… he was whispering sweet nothings into her ear in that low, lilting Greek accent.

Sweetie. Blondie. Love. Darling.

Over and over, the names repeated until her face burned, lips pressed into a thin line as she debated launching herself into the nearest blanket-covered void. It was like being hexed. Cursed. Doomed to hear his voice on loop in every corner of her mind. The spell broke the moment he asked a question.

She jumped, eyes wide as her head snapped toward him. “Mhm!” she lied, the sound far too chipper and immediate to be anything close to convincing. Her body betrayed her instantly—posture stiff, voice cracking. And then came the hiccups. Not just one. A cascade. A clear sign she was lying, a curse since she was a child and Iris already wondered where she could just...yeet herself from existence.

She groaned inwardly, covering her face with her hands as her cheeks deepened into a full-blown tomato shade. “J-jus—” hiccup “Just—” hic “Hiccups!” she gasped, plugging her nose and squeezing her eyes shut tight. Her shoulders jumped with each involuntary jolt, and she held her breath in a desperate attempt to banish them. But every time her eyes shut, there he was again. Theo’s face. Too close. Too sweet. Too everything. With or without those damned glasses. A pitiful whine slipped from her throat as the hiccups clung to her like punishment.

Finally, after a long and very dramatic inhale, she gasped in air, coughing slightly as she patted her chest. The hiccups ebbed, and relief washed over her in a single breath. “Sorry,” she muttered, trying to regain dignity. “Just had a… terrifying vision.” She risked a glance at him—finally—and barked out a laugh the moment she caught sight of his curls, even more chaotic than usual. That helped. A lot more than holding her breath had.

Still smiling faintly, Iris twisted a lock of blonde hair around her finger and turned her gaze back toward the screen, deciding to keep the state of his hair to herself. A tiny secret. Something just for her. Without looking at him, she spoke casually, nodding toward the film as the main couple exchanged sappy confessions. “If you had to pick a pet name for someone you liked—or were dating—what would you go with?” She played it off so smoothly she almost believed it wasn’t a trap of her own making.

“I think I like the simple ones,” she continued. “Like ‘love’… or ‘honey,’ maybe.” She tilted her head, watching the male lead launch into some dramatic poetic monologue. “‘Jewel of the Pacific Sea, whose eyes shine brighter than any gemstone,’” she quoted, snorting as she glanced sideways. “That’s a good one too, if you’re trying to be extra.” Casual. Totally casual. Nothing to see here. Not a single obsessive thought.


 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















As the hiccups started, Theo was a little caught off guard by them. He really didn’t expect that. But to be honest, it was cute. Gave the whole stiff and skittish look a different vibe, it was still there but the hiccups sounded sweet. Still the brown-haired wanted to help her in that hiccup misery. He quickly scanned through his memories, trying to think of something he would do if he has hiccups. Thinking about, he couldn’t even really remember when he last had them. His grandparents always swore on their sugar-method. As a child he had to swallow a teaspoon full of sugar and somehow the hiccups were magically gone afterwards.

"Mayb—.."
He stopped when there was another hiccup.
"Maybe you sho—"
Again. But before he could try a third time, there was this dramatic inhale. It almost sounded like Iris just finished a marathon.
"A terrifying vision ?"
, he repeated confused, tilting his head to the side. Of course, one of the strands slowly made its way over to the other side.

The brown-haired also looked back to the screen, watching till the blonde spoke again. A pet name ? Oh that was a good question. His former lovers always got the usual nicknames and then one special name. But thinking about it, he really liked something unique.

Darling, love,…

They were all great.

But he liked something that was special 'and not too cheesy.

Theo chuckled softly.
"That’s maybe a little too much for the usual pet name to call. Simple ones sound nice but I think I prefer something special."
He stayed quiet for a moment, trying to think of an example. But right now there was not a spark of an idea.
"I would choose something unique with their traits or looks, something cute and unique. You know ?"
For her — 'Blondie' would be a good example here, but maybe not the final answer. He would definitely come up with something better. The longer he would look at Iris, the more details he took in, he would definitely come up with something more creative and loving.

Then Theo remembered Dahlia's words.
She loves accents.
A small confident smirk darted over his lips.
"Or maybe something like…"
, he started, looking from the TV back to her.
"Agapi Mou."
The brown-haired really let his accent out this time. His brown eyes quickly flicked up to her, before instantly returning to the screen. He felt a soft warmth rise up to his ears. It felt weird to speak so freely again, without having to worry about his accent slipping like he had to with English. And it felt weird to say this, to say it in front of someone just like that. Was it because it was Iris ? Maybe kind of ? But not in a bad way!

He felt that little flutter in his stomach with her and then just telling her that pet name, he also felt a little happy flutter in his mind. Oh, it was so confusing. His parents told him to never give people you don’t know long enough a cute pet name. They didn’t want him to end up jumping from one partner to another, having one night stands every other week. And he sticked to that, the usual pet names like love, honey and such were the first stage — some weeks, months into the relationship. Second stage was darling, honey or angel — at least six months into the relationship. And the real ones, the special nicknames and affectionate phrases in Greek were the final stage, something no one yet reached. It wasn’t like he purposely waits exactly for the relationship to reach the time mark, it just came naturally that he used new pet names after some time.

After some time just staring at the TV, watching the leads interact, he looked back at the blonde.
"I guess pet names just come out and form when they want, for me. But darling sounds nice."
Theo turned a little more to his side to face Iris more. He still had his left leg on the pillow, which now looked a little like a frog that got hit by a car — upper body turned to the right side and the rest still on the back in a way. But that position actually was the best with the pain. He felt pretty relieved now that the pain was almost fully gone.













 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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“Agapi…” Iris echoed, the word unfamiliar on her tongue. She paused, licking her lower lip as her brow furrowed, trying to summon the memory of his accent—soft, rich, and impossibly distracting. “Agapi mou?” she tried again, glancing at Theo for confirmation. It wasn’t perfect—clearly not her native tongue—but she had enough experience with other languages to give it a decent shot.

Besides, she was fishing. Baiting, really. Curious to hear him say it again, to fall under that same spell his voice always seemed to cast. Her gaze lingered, completely caught on him now as if every syllable that fell from his lips had the power to loosen the tightness in her chest. “Agapi… mou,” she repeated, more slowly this time, letting the syllables roll off her tongue. Her head tilted slightly as she let herself savor the sound.

“Yeah, I have no idea what that means,” she laughed, finally breaking her own trance. She glanced back at Theo, eyes alight with mischief. “It sounds romantic though. A little mysterious. Forbidden, maybe?” she mused aloud, trying to guess based on the few languages she knew. She took him in again—his ruffled curls, his disheveled hospital-wrecked look, the way he could toggle between endearingly awkward and completely unreadable.

“It reminds me of… well,” she cleared her throat, shifting slightly before smirking at him. “Mon cœur, tu es la lumière de ma vie.” There. She said it. The French rolled out effortlessly, a secret cloaked in poetry, and she grinned to herself like she’d just pulled off the world’s most harmless heist.

‘This might be my new thing,’ she thought, pleased with herself. ‘Confessing my feelings in languages he doesn’t speak.’ She was pretty sure he didn’t know French. And even if he did, she doubted he’d go digging too deep into the meaning. It gave her just enough room to breathe. Content with her little rebellion, she began twirling a strand of hair around her finger again, the repetitive motion grounding her nerves, calming the flutter in her chest.

Then, with a smirk curling her lips, she leaned just slightly his way. “You should never tell your fan club about your Greek accent,” she teased. “I think they’d break your bones all over again just to hear you say ‘darling’ in that voice.” Without waiting for a response, she reached out and gently flicked a rogue curl off his forehead, smoothing it back into place like it was second nature. Like touching him wasn’t slowly unraveling her from the inside out.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















It sounded even cuter to hear that words from Iris. It was clear she didn’t speak Greek, but with her accent, trying to form the words slowly, it still sounded pretty romantic. Theo nodded softly, showing her she was on a good way and clearly fell for her trick. He repeated it, slower this time.
"Agapi mou."
The brown-haired tried to put a little less accent in but it just slipped through. No surprise, speaking your mother tongue just came with the accent.

Theo softly chuckled and looked up to her.
"You will soon enough."
There was a soft glimpse of a flirty tone in his voice, but not very noticeable if you wouldn’t really concentrate on his voice.
"Hmmm..yeah, describes it pretty good. Maybe a little more romantic than forbidden, though."
, he agreed. Theo wouldn’t explain it to her just like that, she just asked him about a pet name and that said enough. The smirk got a little bigger.
"But it’s one of the usual names, there are far more creative names."
And she would probably hear them, it was kind of Theo's love language — lots of different affectionate little nicknames.

As the blonde started speaking French to him, his brown eyes widened, trying to understand her. It was clear — the few parts in Moulin Rouge and visiting his best friend once in Paris wasn’t enough to understand anything. And she easily wrapped Theo around her finger with speaking French so easily and somehow a little poetic and sweet.
"Sounds like you’re flirting with me."
, he guessed with a smirk. It was clear in his sparkling eyes that he had no idea what she said. He was just so fascinated by her soft voice.

The brown-haired looked up to her through his strands, his smirk widening.
"I won’t but we have to pray they don’t dig too deep into my history."
There were some records of his middle school play, which was completely in Greek and even more of his high school play, which was in English but his accent was pretty strong there. Sometimes he even wondered how they could have casted him, while he mostly mumbled some words or some phrases were a tad unclear through his accent.

It took him a few months of hard work to get rid of the accent while singing and speaking, when he was on stage. The first few shows the brown-haired did while studying still had some accent but when he finished, Theo could speak clearly without his accent. Still not fully understanding every word, he had to say on stage but it came as time went by. Backstage language was English in most countries after all — at least in big theaters.

As the blonde reached into his brown strands, he looked up and smiled, the blush creeping back into his cheeks. Normally he didn’t like people touching his hair but she was so gentle and soft, he probably could lay down for hours, enjoying her running her fingers through his hair.

"But 'darling' is reserved for special people."
, he said with a smirk, pronouncing the 'darling' extra Greek and with a soft spark of being flirty.

For a second his head drifted slightly closer to her hand, before Theo stopped himself.
No! No, stop! Iris showed him that he shouldn’t lean against her.
But she was so comfortable to lean against.

And she smelled very nice.

Was that weird to notice ?

It was a calming mix of something fresh, something close to a flower he couldn’t name though — maybe peony or iris ? — and just a tad of vanilla. And anything with vanilla could wrap Theo around its finger easily. He was a sucker for things with vanilla, was it a shower gel, drink or just ice cream.

To hide his flushed face a little, he looked down and pushed his hair back himself. For now the two stubborn strands stayed in their place. The one neatly patted down by Iris and the other pushed back by himself.
"You have very gentle hands, you know ?"
, he mumbled shyly, trying to hide his sheepish smile.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris nibbled at her bottom lip as Theo spoke again, that fluttery feeling in her stomach growing more persistent by the second. The moment he made a comment about her flirting, her heart nearly stopped. For a second, she thought she’d been caught red-handed—but then again, would he have said it so casually if he really understood what she'd meant? Probably not.

Shrugging, she kept twirling the same strand of hair around her finger, feigning innocence like it was second nature. Her fingers stilled, though, the second he mentioned her touch—his voice brushing a little too close to something real. Her fingers flexed, reacting before her brain could catch up, and she let out a breathy snort, glancing sideways at him.

“Look who’s flirting now,” she teased, rolling her eyes playfully as she tucked her knees up tighter beneath the blanket. Her head dipped forward to rest on top of them, chin peeking over like she was hiding from the world.

“Thanks though,” she added, voice softer now. “Nice to know I’ve still got something… feminine in me.” Her eyes drifted back to the screen as another musical number came on—this one about letters—and her lips moved silently with the lyrics. She wasn’t singing, not really, but it was clear she knew every word. One of her favorites.

Still, she didn’t look at him. Especially not when her cheeks were warm again, and she had to subtly let her hair fall just right to shield the blush that had no business being there.

“If I did start flirting with you…” she started, voice quiet but deliberate, letting the words hang there like a question wrapped in tension. “What do you think you’d do?” The moment it left her mouth, she regretted it. Her heart pounded in her ears, loud enough to drown out the song entirely now. She didn’t even know where that came from. It wasn’t like her to be this bold—this obvious. She hadn’t meant to say it, not really.

It was Theo, for fuck’s sake. Sweet, impossibly kind Theo. The Theo who was clumsy and soft and warm, who didn’t belong anywhere near the mess that was her life. The Theo who made her laugh without trying and looked too pretty for his own good, even with hair that refused to behave. A Theo who had no idea what kind of danger came with knowing her too well.

Her father didn’t even know his name yet, and he was already threatening his job at the theater. So she didn’t look at him. Couldn’t. Not while the question still lingered between them, unanswered. She kept her gaze forward, locked on the flickering images on the screen—but every part of her was tuned into him. Waiting. Just in case.


 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















A soft chuckle escaped Theo's mouth, he was caught. But seconds later he actually realized her words and his head flicked to her.
"Wait, were you actually flirting ?"
, he asked. His eyes were wide, a bit like a deer in the headlights. They shot up at her beautiful green eyes, lingering for a moment before his gaze turned her soft looking pinkish lips. He blinked a few times, still realizing it, before his gaze met hers again.

The brown-haired did still not fully comprehend what was happening right now. But he also looked back to the TV, most scenes passed by him a tad, he listened with one ear but talking to Iris had gotten most of the attention. They probably had to rewatch it some time for Theo to actually get to watch it. And surely the blonde wouldn’t be against rewatching as it was her favorite.

Theo's eyes still drifted off to Iris for a few seconds every now and then. The way her blonde hair curled its way over her shoulders, looking fluffy like a cloud. He quickly noticed how invested she was with the lyrics. And honestly, he thought that was cute. To know your favourites by heart. It just showed how much passion you have.

Before his thoughts could drift too much away, he stopped himself to concentrate on what was happening on screen.

That was until Iris' voice came humming in again. Though this time sounding much more careful — like dipping your toe in unknown waters. But with some intention.

What ?!

Theo turned his head slowly, blinking at her again. Suddenly his mind was racing with thoughts, he couldn’t grasp. For some moments there was just silence beside the song in the background, not present to both of their minds.

The brown-haired let out a nervous laugh, while still trying to gather the chaos in his mind.
"I…I mean be surprised…I guess..?"
It sounded more like a question. The beast of the theater — at least that’s what some of the other actors called her — flirting with him ? Everyone would be surprised! That she even could do such a thing, other than just being grumpy and barking orders.

Theo searched for a start for another sentence but somehow the only thing that came out was gibberish — just nonsense. Did that question mean she liked him in that kind of way ? It seemed pretty obvious but maybe a little too obvious. Maybe it was just a normal question ? But it didn’t seem by the way she behaved — stiff, a little anxious even, waiting for his answer.

He scratched his neck, still debating what he should say. He felt that soft and warm flutter in his own stomach. For some weeks now. Ever since the last full run through of the production, it had made tech rehearsal even harder to concentrate on. His eyes were always lingering around Iris, mostly close to her breathtaking green eyes. If you could dive into them, you would probably end up on a big meadow with flowers, watching the sunset on a warm summer evening.

Theo, again, pushed a hand through his hair — more nervous this time.
No risk, no fun!
Right ?
Finally his head flit up again, he looked at her.
"I..I mean I wouldn’t be averse to it…actually."
, he started rather shy.
Was it okay to say that he would probably even like it ?

Okay, fuck it.
Go big or go home!

The brown-haired sat up, turning his body more to Iris.
"You know, I think I would feel like a world championship winner if you'd flirt with me."
Okay, maybe a little cheesy but only genuine feelings.
"And if you’re really lucky, I would flirt back to hit you twice as hard."
The witty — sarcastic in sparks— remark had to be there as well.

For a second he didn’t dare to say another word, scared of her reaction. But eventually he mustered up the courage to speak again.
"Do…do you actually….would you actually flirt with me…like genuinely ?"
This side of Theo — the shy side — was not one someone could easily pull out of him.
"I mean…do you have…like…feelings..in a way ?"













 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris flinched.
Of all the things Theo could’ve said, “surprised” felt like a slap to the gut. It made her stomach twist, made her shoulders tense like she’d been caught doing something shameful.

Fair, she told herself, biting the inside of her cheek. Most people probably would be surprised. Still, it stung. The silence that followed only made it worse—long enough for her thoughts to spiral, to realize how sudden and stupid her question had been. What the hell was she doing, asking someone who just got out of the hospital—someone probably floating on a handful of pills—if he’d flirt back?

Was she really that lonely? But then Theo kept talking. And with each word, her shoulders slowly eased. Her body softened. She peeked at him from behind her curtain of hair, amazed he was actually considering it—really considering it. Of course he was. He was Theo. Theo, who would probably listen to a whining dog and try to make it feel better. Who treated every person like they mattered, even if they were a mess in day old clothing and sitting too close on a couch watching a romance movie for fucks sake. It’s one of the things that makes him so damn likable, she thought, a pang hitting right in the center of her chest.

And then he kept going—and so did her blush. It spread like fire across her cheeks, creeping down her neck. Her lips curled in a nervous, breathy laugh when he mentioned feeling like a champion. “I—that’s so cheesy,” she said, laughing for real this time, even as it cracked under the weight of how exposed she suddenly felt. This was getting too real. Too close.

It was just a random question. That’s all it had been. She hadn’t meant anything by it. Just a stupid curiosity because of that dumb vision earlier. Nothing serious. Nothing real. But Theo was still talking, still unraveling everything with his soft little rambles. And when he asked—really asked—if she had feelings, if she’d actually flirt with him? She froze.

“What!?” Iris squeaked, voice higher than she meant it, sharp and startled. She winced instantly. Too loud. “No! I mean—” she started, but the lie was already crawling up her throat. And just like that, the hiccups began.

“I do—” hic “I mean—” hic “Theo!” she whined, face burning as she jumped to her feet.

“I’m—” hic “Getting—” hic “Water!” Her voice cracked with each hic, but the glare she threw him was as dramatic as ever, dark red with embarrassment.

She pointed at him like he’d committed some unspeakable offense. “Watch" hic "the movie,” she snapped, and practically tripped over herself as she fled toward the kitchen like it was some kind of escape pod.

She didn’t like him. Nope. No way. That was ridiculous. It was just surprise. That’s all. He just… surprised her.

The sound of running water filled the kitchen as she fumbled with glasses, her hiccups giving away every beat of her denial. She drank like she was drowning, holding her breath in between gulps, trying every trick she knew to make the damn things stop. At least Theo didn’t know what they meant. He couldn’t. Not yet. It wasn’t exactly an easy tell to hide—but somehow, she’d managed it for years. Why he could see through her so easily was a mystery she didn’t want to unravel. Not tonight. Not while she was still catching her breath and forcing the thought of liking Theo into the deepest, dustiest corner of her mind—like it had never existed at all.
 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo slightly flinched, hearing Iris' high pitched voice. Okay, he fucked up. Too much. He risked too much. That was just embarrassing. When she got out an 'I do' between the rampage of hiccups, his heart sparked for a second. He looked up to her, a glimpse of hope in his eyes. But no, the way she looked, the brown-haired clearly embarrassed himself.

The minute she escaped to the kitchen, an embarrassed blush flushed his whole face. Theo couldn’t even concentrate on the movie. The sound just some quiet background noise to him, the pictures flickering in the corner of his eye.

Normally he was used to have everything a different way if he kind of confessed his feelings. That just went south and the worst was that he actually felt different with her. Softer, warmer, more genuine than what he had felt with previous flirtations.

The brown-haired tried to concentrate on the movie, actually watch it. But his thoughts kept spiraling elsewhere and the constant hiccups from the kitchen did add to his attention shifting. He buried his face in his hands, pushing them up and through his hair with an embarrassed sigh. His heart literally had been head over heels, when looking at her eyes — literally always when he was looking at her. He couldn’t really believe that now the feelings were kind of served on a plate they both draw back in fear…of rejection..or perhaps to commit genuine love.

Theo may didn’t seem like the type to overthink things and get too deep into that spiral but in exactly such situations he was, not as carefree as he always looked. He didn’t really know what to do now, he couldn’t concentrate on the movie, that was for certain. But he also wanted Iris to have some space to herself now. Didn’t want to force himself onto her. But he also wanted to help her with the hiccups. But did she even want him to ?

All these thoughts hurt his head that was still living of pain meds. Maybe just helping her with the hiccups and then stay quiet again, give her space, give himself space. Did she even want him to stay here now ? Not even one day and he fucked up everything. Maybe he should have just kept that to himself.

Slowly the brown-haired looked up, his gaze wandering to the kitchen.
"A spoonful of sugar helps with hiccups."
, he advised, sounding a little hesitant but there was a spark of his usual kindness. After that his eyes went back to the TV immediately, he still couldn’t fully concentrate on what was happening on the screen and it didn’t help that they confessed their love in the most poetic way possible.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris groaned inwardly, hiccups still jerking her shoulders every few seconds like some kind of cursed metronome. This was mortifying.
What the actual fuck had she done? A cocktail of regret, sadness, embarrassment—and, horrifyingly, elation—was bubbling in her chest with every hiccup. Her emotions were doing a damn somersault routine in there. This was nothing like how things usually went. Normally, she had a cool head. Controlled the pace. Things stayed clean, surface-level. Physical.

Never messy. Never… this.

But with Theo, it was different. There was something warm and confusing curling up behind her ribs. Something dangerously close to fondness. And her brain, ever the traitor, kept toying with that stupid Greek phrase from earlier like a song stuck on loop. She whimpered as she took another gulp of water—useless. The hiccups weren’t going anywhere. What’s the right move here? Her mind flicked through scenarios like a roulette wheel, each one more impossible than the last. Was it even smart to develop a crush on the guy you just invited into your home—when your father was actively trying to destroy his career behind the scenes?

Yeah. Probably a huge, flashing, neon CON.

How could she flirt with him when she was technically harboring a walking conflict of interest? Even if she was secretly trying to fight back against her father’s plans, even if she felt something—real or not—it didn’t matter. This was a mess waiting to happen. Another heartbreak in the making. And she wasn’t even sure if she liked Theo… or just wanted to make out with him because his accent made her knees weak.

Or maybe she was just stressed.

She snorted dryly at the thought, hiccuping again. Then came his voice—soft, from the living room.

“Sugar?” She blinked. Sugar? Her eyes scanned the kitchen until they landed on the absurd sugar bowl, yet another tacky hand me down from the residents of this floor. It looked like a pig dressed as a chef and had been judging her every time she made tea since. She avoided its judgmental eyes and dug out a spoonful, swallowing it in one go. Like magic, her hiccups eased. Her shoulders relaxed. A soft laugh slipped past her lips. Thanks, Theo. Of course he’d be the one to fix it. Of course his name would now make her think of something sweet. Sugar. She groaned at her own mind for making the connection.

Because of course you'd burrow your way into that too, she thought, licking the spoon.

Her cheeks still red, she padded back into the living room, tucking herself into the blanket nest with a quick, “Thanks,” barely more than a whisper. Silence. Too much silence. She stared at the TV, focusing hard. Giving herself a mental pep talk. A little flirting never killed anyone, she reasoned. It’s just a comment. Just a joke. Not a contract. No feelings. No commitments. It was harmless. So she tried.

“I, uh… guess you really know your sugar,” she blurted out. “Not just for hiccups, apparently.” And the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted everything.

What the hell was that?! her mind screamed. That wasn’t a flirt. That was… nonsense. Panic rising, she snuck a glance at Theo, then winced. Her brows furrowed, mortified.

“Wait—I didn’t mean that like… you’re made of sugar or anything,” she rushed out. “I mean, not that you’re not sweet, just—ugh. That was supposed to be a flirt. I think. Maybe. I don’t know. Pretend I sneezed or something.” Her voice faded into a whisper. And with that, she shut up, snapped her head back toward the screen, and tried very, very hard to disappear into the couch.

God, this is a disaster, she whined inwardly.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















Silently waiting, he just listened to the soft clinks from the kitchen, the spoon clirring against the bowl. But even that didn’t calm the chaos in his mind. He really needed a little talk with Dahlia, she seemed to know so much — more than he probably ever would — and she knew Iris better. Maybe she could just give her some advices or tell him how to handle that situation, how to handle the chaos in him. Theo swiftly pulled out his phone, taking a short look at the clock. Soon she would be here, because soon the premiere of the show would begin — at least for all the actors and actresses and staff members. He would probably have enough time to get a bit of order in his mind before Iris returned.

It seemed like the sugar had helped, his grandparents ways worked even after all these years. He didn’t know what the sugar did but as long as it worked he wouldn’t dig deeper into it. Maybe it was just the distraction, maybe something biological. But he didn’t study medicine, so he would never know.

For a second he looked over to Iris, trying to find anything in her expression, but other than a little 'Thanks' and then staring at the screen, there was nothing. The brown-haired looked back to the TV as well, feeling a tad awkward. He couldn’t shake off that weird feeling forming in his throat, the silence thick enough to make one suffocate. He fiddled with the edge of the blanket that was draped around his legs.

He didn’t know what to say ? If he should even say 'something. But the silence wasn’t ideal either. But then suddenly the blonde’s voice chimed in again and his nervous fiddling stopped, switching to him clinging to the blanket with his hands. The words she was saying somehow didn’t add up though, at least for him. Was it because of his foggy mind ? The pain meds ?

He tilted his head slightly, the confusion slightly showing in his face. But soon enough he realized it wasn’t because of him. As she tried to explain it, telling him it was a flirt, a soft smirk crept up on his lips. Okay, that failed attempt to flirt, made her even cuter.
"It was a good try, though."
, he tried to cheer her up.

Did that flirt mean something ? Was she trying to get back to the earlier conversation ? Theo was too scared to make a step, to ruin more than he perhaps did already. He felt so helpless around Iris. Normally he was the flirt expert number one. Never stunned or without a perfect remark. But with the blonde everything felt so different. More genuine but with that also more chaotic and certainly more difficult.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
‘A good try,’ she groaned inwardly, burying her face deeper into her legs. She curled herself into what felt like an impossible position, wondering why she was this bad at doing anything properly around Theo. Maybe it was just him—or maybe it was the way this felt different. “You startled me, so I’m off my game. I’ll try again later,” she muttered, voice muffled against her knees as the movie continued on, somehow already creeping into the second act. That meant it would be over soon. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, and she felt her shoulders deflate.

Time had slipped through her fingers. How had so much of it passed? And why did the thought of walking into the theater without Theo there feel like someone had replaced her lungs with rocks? She’d been fine before—perfectly functional. But now the idea of him not being there felt... unbearable. Maybe it was knowing his understudy was stepping in, meaning she'd have to deal with last-minute changes and double-check the stage for any signs of sabotage.

“I just thought flirting might make you feel better,” she whispered, not wanting to leave things on such an awkward note. “I mean... I do like you. Just not in—I mean…” Her words stumbled over themselves. “I just wanted to help. That’s all.” And that was all—right?

She sighed, letting the sentence hang there like a fragile balloon, too scared to push further and risk popping it entirely. “It’s your fault, anyway. The accent,” she added, pouting as her lips pursed in mock frustration. Her fingers reached for his arm, giving it a soft, teasing poke. A barely-there touch—tender, not playful like it might’ve been in the past.

“I have to get ready to go in,” she said after a beat, her voice quieter now. “Which basically means I have to leave.” The words felt heavier than they should’ve.

“If you need anything, just text me, okay?” She sighed again, pulling herself out from her little pillow fort, fingers fishing around until she found a lost hairband stuck in the couch. As she started tying her hair up into a quick ponytail, she glanced over at him.

“Dahlia and her husband will drop by. Mostly to make sure you eat and take your meds,” she added. Her eyes found his, and with a flicker of concern, she leaned in. A little too close. Her hand reached out, touching his forehead as she checked for any sign of a fever. Her gaze softened.

“You’re okay,” she murmured, relieved, and pulled back with a small smile.

“Be good, alright? If you can go two whole weeks without hurting yourself, I might let you out,” she teased, gently booping his nose before letting out a laugh. “Seriously though. No moving around. No dumb ideas. Just rest.”

She squinted, pointing a playful finger at him. “I might not know how to unlock your phone, but don’t test me—I will find a way to tattle to your mom. Even if it means buying a whole damn translation book.”

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo chuckled softly.
"Okay, tell me whenever you're ready, but don’t let me keep waiting for too long."
His voice amused, the whole shy side almost gone again. He tried to concentrate on the movie again, not really knowing all the details now, a little confused what was happening. He should really rewatch it again, to know all the details and to be able to put the snippets he had watched together. Maybe he would when Iris was at work another day — to keep himself entertained and all.

A soft smirk painted his lips, it did make him feel better, though he didn’t quite understand the flirt. The brown-haired just want to reply but she kept talking. And the hint, he guessed she was trying to give him, burned like a paper cut. She did not have feelings in that way…did she ? But the way she looked while saying that told something different.

Argh…it was all too confusing..! Why did it seem so complicated with them ? And why did it bother him much more than it should ? It felt so much more intense than what he had ever felt before.

The gentle poke made him get out of his thoughts again, he looked up to the blonde, hoping she didn’t ask him anything because the last few minutes he wasn’t listening, too caught up in his thoughts. The soft touch did much more to him than it should, like a temporary relief for the little cut, but just for a few seconds.

The brown-haired slightly nodded.
"I hope nobody breaks a leg."
, he tried to quip, but it came off much flatter than it should have. Theo observed her getting up and let himself slouch down into the thousands of pillows and the blanket that was around him.
"I will, or if Dahlia goes crazy with me."
Now he sounded a little more like himself, the smile back to his lips.

For just the blink of an eye, Theo flinched a tad away from her leaning in that suddenly. But he quickly stopped himself, just watching her hand go to his forehead.
"I'll behave, you know me."
For a split second, he felt the blush and warmth returning to his face, maybe that was fever.

He gave her a slight smile and nodded.
"Understood, Captain. I'll just stay right here."
, he confirmed, slipping more under the blanket. She was really playing with him with those little touches, making his heart jump a little every time she touched him. Switching that fluttery feeling on and off like a light switch. He didn’t even know what to think anymore.

That almost sounded like a threat and god forbid she would actually be able to tell his mother. She would literally chain him to the bed, have someone constantly watch him, so he wouldn’t move around too much. And even after everything had healed she would still treat him with kid gloves. And she would try to convince him to quit his job and take over the restautant of his father after all.
"I'll behave!"
He put his hands up in defense, a small smirk on his lips.
That was just an empty threat, was it ? But then again, knowing Iris, it might not be.

Theo turned to his right side, resting his head on his hand and now actually watching the last few scenes. Some things were really confusing to him now, but he tried to just let it brush past him. For a few good minutes, the brown-haired could concentrate on the movie but then his thoughts kept spiraling back.

What she said didn’t add up with how she acted, what Dahlia told him — if she could believe those things. Was Iris confused herself ? Was he even sure about his feelings ? Overthinking every little detail he still remembered, Theo started questioning his own feelings. Were they genuine..? Well, of course they were. Otherwise he wouldn’t feel so fluttery and warm whenever he was around the blonde. Or was that just imagination ? Theo had a good amount of relationships before that but right now he just felt like that was his first ever relationship, his first ever crush and he knew nothing.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris nodded in quiet approval, slowly uncurling her legs from the blanket-and-pillow fortress she’d built around him. She reached for the remote, placing it within easy reach, then disappeared down the hall. When she returned, it was with a glass of water and a small packet of pain meds—just in case the ache flared up again. She set them gently on the nearby table, her eyes scanning the room one last time like she was mentally checking off a list.

“Okay,” she sighed, the word drawn out like it carried more weight than it should. He’d be fine. Probably. Or at the very least, less likely to get into trouble until Dahlia arrived.

“I’m heading out,” she murmured, teeth catching her bottom lip. Her gaze flicked to him again, soft and uncertain. “I… I’ll miss you tonight,” she admitted, cheeks flushing with color before she quickly looked away and moved to collect her bag and shoes.

She was almost at the door when she called out, “Seriously, Mister Skordilis! No stupid ideas! I’ve got plenty of embarrassing pictures of you now, and I will release them to your adoring public.” She waited, half expecting a groan or a playful comeback, before laughing and tossing a final goodbye over her shoulder.

Only to flinch as she opened the door and found Dahlia already waiting outside—with her husband trailing just behind, smiling politely.

“God,” Iris muttered, her face darkening several shades of red under their knowing stares. “Be nice to him,” she warned, aiming it mostly at Dahlia, who was already grinning with far too much smug satisfaction.

“Sugar helps with hiccups. Not lying helps more,” Dahlia quipped, laughing loud enough to echo, clearly referencing what she’d overheard—or, more likely, eavesdropped on—from behind the door. Iris rolled her eyes and flipped her off before storming down the hall. Of course she’d heard. She always did. And now poor Theo was probably about to face a whole new kind of chaos. But Iris didn’t linger on it. She had a job to do.

By the time she arrived at the theater, the space was still empty. Quiet. She frowned as she crossed the stage, already bracing herself for what was ahead. Something about that table breaking hadn’t sat right with her—too clean, too convenient. A prop didn’t just split in half from one emotional outburst. Not like that. And if proving that meant rooting through trash a few hours before curtain call? Then so be it.


 
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