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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, burying her face in her palms as she heard Theo shut the door after explaining himself. Right. Singing after shaving. Totally normal. Totally logical. But seriously—who hides a body like that under sweater vests and button-ups? Her mind raced, already knowing she was doomed to be haunted by that image far more than the old one she used to carry of him: glasses, sweaters, older-but-charming Theo. Maybe that was for the better. Things were getting weird anyway. Then again, dreaming of a guy half-naked, curled up next to you, was probably a pretty good sign something was already weird.

What the hell is wrong with me, she whimpered inwardly.

Her gaze dropped to her own stomach, peeking out from beneath the hem of her tank top. She squished at the soft skin, frowning. She wasn’t built like that. She didn’t work out. Her idea of exercise was lugging light fixtures up and down stairs. She was soft. Squishy. Thin only because she forgot to eat half the time. Still, since Theo had been around—always cooking, always feeding her—she had started to fill out just a little. Her limbs a bit less twig-like. Her cheeks a little fuller. Iris sighed and thunked her head back against the wall with a soft whimper.

Did he even care that I just checked him out like he was a damn library book? That nauseating swirl started again in her stomach—the same one she’d felt when he once casually joked he’d be surprised if she ever flirted with him. Iris rolled her eyes and puffed out her lips, sulking. Right. He didn’t care. And we don’t care that he doesn’t care, she scolded herself, curling her legs up to her chest, absentmindedly flicking at the hem of her pajama pants. The second he finds out Dad’s been trying to kick him out, he’ll leave—and he’ll blame me like everyone else. Better this way. No emotions. No crushes. No daydreaming about Greek gods taking showers in your bathroom, she grumbled internally. Finally, she forced herself to her feet, brushing off the embarrassing spiral.

She shifted to lean against the door, her eyes glued to the floor. “You can take your time,” she called through it, voice tight but polite. “No rush. I don’t, uh… I don’t need a shower or anything. I just woke up in a weird mood. Weird dream and junk.” She focused straight ahead, willing her brain to stay on safe topics. But her mind was betraying her so much, rattling with what she would say if she could tell him the truth.

Yeah, hi Theo. Totally normal dream, nothing crazy. Not like I dreamed of you cuddling me in bed, kissing me good morning until I laughed myself awake—only to find you weren’t there, and then felt a soul-crushing sadness I tried to fix by doom-scrolling on my phone… only to find new messages from my dad about how he wants you gone, and thinks that stupid understudy’s a "godsend." Also, pretty sure that idiot tampered with that table, and that’s why you’re stuck here. Oh, and now, thanks to barging in, I can add half-naked Theo to the list right next to dreamboat, glasses-wearing Theo. Bloody hell Theo, since when did you look like that? Iris squeezed her eyes shut and bit down on her bottom lip to suppress another groan.

Never telling the truth. Got it. She glanced back to the door listening to him shuffle as he got ready, the sound doing wonders to soothe that anxiety in her gut but it only replaced with the feeling of inadequacy.

“Um, I was also going to suggest maybe… going over some of your lines today?” she added quickly, clinging to work talk like a lifeline. “If you feel up to it. I don’t want you getting rusty while you’re out of commission.” Work. Work was safe. Work would make this awkwardness go away. She shivered slightly, hugging her arms tighter around her chest, pressing the thin tank top even closer to her body. One downside of following Theo into the bathroom? You found out real fast how cold the world was after stepping out of his steamy little oasis.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Staring at himself, while doing his hair, his mind always spiraled back to the moment Iris just stood there and looked at him — really took in every detail. Like he was some kind of old stage prop, you had to examine for any malfunctions before it was off to work with it on stage. Not that he was uncomfortable with that, he wore enough revealing things on stage but he somehow felt a little more shy around the blonde.
She saw everything, like literally!
The more he thought about that moment, the dark got the pink blush on his cheeks. He couldn’t even concentrate on doing his hair anymore. He felt all flustered, when he thought about these deep green eyes looking at him — he always would.

"I'm done, I'm done. Don’t worry."
His usual bathroom morning routine took about half an hour with everything, though at least fifteen minutes were just singing. Though if he didn’t have much time to get ready — for various reasons — Theo could also get done in five minutes.
"You can take all the time you need now."
The brown-haired grabbed his sleep clothes and crutches and hubbled his way over to the door.

"Private rehearsal, huh ? Sounds great to me."
A mischievous little smirk on his face as he opened the door. Luckily the door opened his way, so he just held his hand out incase Iris didn’t see the door opening coming.
"What scenes were you thinking of ?"
That was just to get mentally prepared what kind of act he had to put on after not rehearsing for a good week now.

"Gonna make some breakfast before we leave."
He looked at her, that one blonde strand creeping its way into her face immediately caught Theo's attention. With the gentlest fingers, the brown-haired brushed it out of her face.
"For the lady perhaps cereals ?"
, he asked with a smile. Ever since he himself couldn’t really forget to eat anymore, as he was always here, he started making sure they both ate enough — cooking a lot and trying out some new recipes. And most of them succeeded and tasted better than he thought.

His breakfast was always pretty sweet — chocolate cereals, slices of bread with nutella or vanilla yoghurt. And he somehow seemed to no put a bit of weight on. But Theo was happy to see Iris looking much healthier now. Not as fragile anymore but still delicate — hot really. But to be honest, as long as the blonde was healthy, no matter how she looked, the brown-haired would find her attractive.

Theo brought his sleep clothes in his room, just throwing them on his bed honestly and then made his way over to the kitchen. Today would be one of the chocolatier days again, it had to be quick so one or two slices of bread with nutella would do and for the way a chocolate milk.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris faltered when she felt the door shift behind her. It moved slow enough that she could step out of the way, flashing Theo an awkward smile and forcing her eyes to meet his—Another mistake. Today, she decided, she would be focusing on his nose and only his nose. Thank the stars for those old acting lessons; the trick to looking like you were making eye contact without actually doing it was about to save her life.

“Oh! I don’t know. I was going to let you choose, scene wise I mean” she replied quickly, her eyes flickering to a small dribble of blood on his cheek. Her brows furrowed. Had she distracted him enough to make him cut himself? Well... that would track. She was the root cause of most of his luck—or more accurately, his lack of it—if she thought about it. Nibbling at her bottom lip, Iris watched him hobble away from the bathroom and dashed inside, rummaging under the sink until she found the first aid kit. She pulled out a small healing balm and a handful of bandages, grimacing when she realized most of them were colorful. Cartoon puppy astronaut it was. Maybe he wouldn’t notice? Iris shook her head and quickly padded into the kitchen after him, wrinkling her nose as he mentioned food again.

“I don’t need breakfast,” she grumbled, popping up beside him. Without giving him a chance to protest, she reached up, tilting his chin toward her. In the same breath, she dabbed a fingertip of healing balm onto the cut, frowning as she worked. It didn’t look too bad—just a knick, really—but she still leaned in closer, checking for any others she might’ve missed.

"You have a cut," she muttered softly, fully focused now. "You need to put on cream and a bandage, otherwise you’ll get a scar," she whispered, her mind wandering—dangerously—to the old scar that lingered on his shoulder. Iris pressed her lips into a thin line and flicked her gaze downward, grabbing for the bandage. 'How does a sweet guy like him get a scar like that?' her mind was betraying her at every second today it would seem.

"Also," she added as she peeled open the bandage, subtly trying to hide the childish image from view, "I told you to change your shaving cream or lotion. You’re still dry. Just use mine." She pressed the bandage gently to his cheek, smoothing at the edges her touch still as tender as ever.

"Or the rose water spray," she tacked on in an afterthought, voice soft. "That can help after applying lotions or creams."


 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Oh, he could choose! A small spark showed in his eyes, a happy smile following. Well, he would take his text piece with him and then just decide on rehearsing whatever page he opened. It was probably still somewhere in his bags, hopefully not too far tucked away. Though Theo's mind already spiraled around the various scenes, some needed at least two people or even more — there wasn’t a scene with just him. But Theo had learned to just pretend there was someone else and act out the scene — or he could just use Iris as substitute.

The brown-haired was fully concentrated on spreading the nutella evenly, smoothing out all the edges and trying to make it perfect. And suddenly Iris was next to him, her soft fingers on his chin, moving it towards her with gentle pressure.
"Not even a strawberry ?"
Theo held it up, smiling innocently, originally he planned to put them on his bread in slices but they had more than enough to share. And strawberries also were a great breakfast, right ?

When the blonde touched his tiny cut with the healing balm, he quietly hissed. It burned a tad. But luckily just for some seconds.
"I know.."
, he mumbled as he licked the leftovers of the nutella off the knife. It hadn’t happened that often that he had cut himself — though often enough for him to not be surprised anymore — but he usually just left it like it was, maybe put on some balm.

After putting the knife down, Theo turned his head more to Iris, probably making it much easier for her to aid him. He watched her get the bandage, how concentrated she looked. Almost like a real doctor.

"I knowww..I just—.."
But he quickly stopped himself from complaining.
"Wait, yours ? You’re sure ?"
He didn’t want to just take it like that, take more from her than he could give back. They could also easily get one today. But if she really let him use it, that was great. Once, when he just wanted to put his toothbrush down, he accidentally knocked her lotion over, nearly didn’t catch it. And just a small bit spilled on his hands. It smelled great, like paradise, like Iris.

Stopping his thoughts before they went into that spiral again, Theo's gaze went to Iris again. The green eyes looking concentrated at his cheek. The way she softly patted down the bandage on his cheek. A soft blush formed on his cheeks again. The advice with the rose water spray not even coming through as he seemed to get lost in those beautiful eyes.

"Mhmm.."
Didn’t even listen nor comprehend what she said but a Mhm was never a bad answer. As long as it wasn’t a question. She was never this close, he had never seen those green eyes in such detail. They looked absolutely angel-like. Genuine and loving and breathtaking. They suited her perfectly with her blonde hair and paler skin. If she had been an artwork at a museum, Theo would sit everyday by her side just to marvel at her, because a work of art the blonde was indeed.

As a child the brown-haired had always wished for a different eyecolor — not that boring brown. He always was jealous of his sisters and his mom, they had blue eyes, like the sea on a sunny day in Greece. And just some small brown dots in the blue. But eventually he started to like the brown, he realized it fitted him much better than every other color, made the innocent look perfect. And whenever the brown hit the sun right, they looked almost as interesting as those other colors. Like a mix of different chocolate tablets swirled together and poured right down.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris blinked down at the strawberry in Theo’s hand, her lips curving into a faint, reluctant smile just as her stomach growled in betrayal. "Fine," she muttered, dropping her hand from his face and tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her fingers brushing her burning cheek. She leaned in without thinking, her lips ghosting against his fingers as she plucked the strawberry from his grasp. The warmth of his skin lingered even as she popped the fruit into her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut at the tangy sweetness exploding across her tongue.

When she opened them again, Theo was still staring at her—Only now, there was something unmistakably different in his gaze. Iris felt her breath catch, her heart thudding loud enough she was certain he could hear it. Desperate to ground herself, she ducked under his arm and grabbed another piece of fruit, stuffing half into her mouth before lifting the other half to him. She laughed under her breath, nudging the fruit against his lips, trying to break the heavy tension pulling taut between them.

"Yes, you can use my lotion," she murmured, her voice softer, more tender than she meant it to be. But Theo wasn’t playing along. He was still looking at her, like she was something precious. Like he was memorizing her. Every time she caught that look—That look—It made hope bloom reckless and wild in her chest. Usually, she could count on Dahlia or Phillip crashing into the room, offering her the lifeline she needed to escape moments like this. Moments where her heart forgot how to beat properly. Moments where her walls felt paper-thin. Her gaze tangled with his, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe. His brown eyes reminded her of rich earth after rain—warm, grounding, impossible to pull away from. She could almost feel herself sinking, caught in him.

"I, um—" she choked out, her voice cracking embarrassingly. Her eyes flicked, helpless and traitorous, down to his mouth. By the time she dragged them back up to meet his eyes, the air between them had shifted—thicker, heavier. Panic—and something dangerously close to longing—flared inside her. Iris stumbled back a few steps, nearly knocking into the counter.
"Just... leave me a plate of fruit," she stammered, cheeks flaming. "Focus on eating. I’ll be out in a bit."

Without waiting for his response, she spun on her heel and all but fled to her room grabbing a random pile of clothing to wear and then retreated to the bathroom, slamming the bathroom door shut behind her. She pressed her back against the door, squeezing her eyes closed, willing her racing heart to calm. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not again.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo only flinched out of his admiring state as he heard Iris' voice. Soft and sweet, almost like the strawberries they just shared. His eyes went from her eyes to her lips, then to his hand in just a few seconds. Eventually they stopped by her hand, which was close to his lips, holding a fruit up. He hadn’t even realized, she ate the strawberry out of his fingers. And he certainly didn’t realize she now had been holding one up in return for him. He had been too caught up in her beauty.

The brown-haired opened his mouth unhurriedly, taking the fruit out of her fingers. He glanced up at her, meeting her eyes again, one of those handsome teasing smiles making its way onto his face. It almost seemed like the fruit tasted even better out of her grasp, sweeter, like she put all her sweet features right into that fruit.

Suddenly the room shifted, filling with something close to fear. Theo immediately backed out of the proximity between them, blinking a few times to realize what had even happened. They had been so close, feeding each other, it felt almost like a dream come true. Actually one of his dream come true, since staying here he had a lot of dreams about Iris — they always were close to each other, cuddling, kissing, just leaning against each other’s shoulder. The soft kind of love. Him hugging her from the back in the morning, arms wrapped around her stomach, sometimes going down to her waist.

As the blonde hurriedly left the kitchen, it left Theo puzzled.
"S..Sure.."
, he stammered after she vanished behind the bathroom door.

After spending the whole week here already, there had been enough time to talk to Dahlia and Phillip, realizing she wasn’t averse to being with him. Just scared. And he really tried to make her comfortable around him. Looking back, they already achieved a lot, opening up to each other a little more.

After cutting the strawberries into little slices and putting them on the nutella, he took a small plate out for Iris. A shiny forest green one, which would go great with her lighter green eyes. The brown-haired peeled a kiwi, cutting it into round slices, then some strawberries, just cutting the leaves off and last but not least banana, cutting it into smaller pieces. It was actually great exercise for his finger, the doctor told him to move it again — just a little bit — so the exercising wouldn’t be to hard.

With everything cut into pieces, Theo started decorating the plate. He put the chunks of banana on the plate, setting strawberry on top of each. With the roundish shape it made the little constructs look like mushrooms, fruity mushrooms. Kind of fairytale vibes. Then he placed the kiwi slices between the banana-strawberry-mushrooms, to resemble some grass. But something was missing, it still looked off to Theo.

His eyes scanned the kitchen.
What else could he use ?
Mango would be too much…
Apple ? Too simple.
Maybe blueberries ?
Or raspberries!

They immediately caught his attention and the brown-haired took out some, arranging them on the kiwi slices like small flowers.
Okay, now it was looking great. Wasn’t much but a good enough for a little breakfast.
With a satisfied smile, Theo settled on the chair, they had put into the kitchen especially for him. When he needed a little break from standing while cooking. Now he himself enjoyed his two nutella strawberry bread slices and just waited for the blonde. Meanwhile his mind still swirled around the moment they had, he had basically sunk into her eyes. Was mesmerized by her elegant charm.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris took her time getting ready, steadying her heart with every careful movement. She brushed her teeth in slow, methodical strokes, then ran the brush through her hair, focusing fully on the simple rituals of self-care. Each small action helped soothe the fluttering in her chest. Finally, she turned to makeup — a step she usually skipped, at least in any real depth, during a show’s run.

Normally, Iris wore just the basics: a little foundation, some concealer, a swipe of mascara. But today, she was deliberate. She lined her eyes with a steady hand, dabbed a soft tint on her lips, and even added bronzer and highlight to warm her complexion. By the time she was done, her eyes sparkled more brightly, her lips looked fuller, and the subtle imperfections of her face were smoothed away, leaving her feeling almost...new.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Iris looked completely refreshed — radiant, even. A sweet, lingering scent of vanilla and violets clung to her, trailing gently through the air. Her hair, left mostly natural except for a slight fluffing, looked shinier and more full of life after a simple pass with the brush. She hadn’t bothered with elaborate styling, allowing it to frame her face in soft waves.

Her outfit for the day struck a perfect balance between casual and cute — exactly what she needed to wrangle a group of energetic kids. She wore a black crop top, though her stomach was hidden beneath a pair of dark green overalls, the shade deepening the green in her eyes. Vintage gold rings adorned her fingers, delicate earrings peeked from her hair, and well-worn Converse completed the look. Iris stretched her arms above her head, feeling lighter, stronger, as if the act of caring for herself had peeled away layers of weariness she hadn't even realized were weighing her down.

Maybe hygiene really does fix everything, she thought, a small, private smile tugging at her lips.

She padded back into the kitchen — and paused. There, waiting for her, was a plate of food Theo had made. She blinked, taken off guard, and then something bloomed across her face — something rare and genuine, something few people ever got to see.

A brilliant, crinkling smile lit up her features, so wide it wrinkled the bridge of her nose and revealed a few hidden moles near her earlobes and neck. Dimples appeared in her cheeks, and for a heartbeat, her entire being seemed to glow with pure, unguarded joy. Her eyes shone with warmth as she looked at Theo, as if he were the very sun itself.

“What? This looks like a fairy’s breakfast,” she joked, her voice dancing with approval, the childlike wonder in her tone impossible to miss.

The sound of her laughter filled the kitchen, soft and musical, bouncing off the walls as she hurried to grab her phone. She bent over the plate, snapping photos of the whimsical little mushroom-shaped treats, utterly enchanted.

“Who knew the pretty boy was so skilled?” she teased without thinking, her voice lifting into an unmistakably flirty lilt, though her eyes remained focused on getting the perfect picture. She was clearly impressed — and clearly delighted.

When it finally came time to eat, Iris placed her phone down and pouted dramatically, reluctant to ruin Theo’s charming creation.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















While waiting for Iris, already finished with his breakfast, he had decided to scroll through his phone — answer a few messages, check his socials. As he opened his messages, a dozen from his mom plopped up.
Shit, he had forgotten to answer her yesterday..
Since he had broken his leg, she wanted daily updates. How her boy felt, if he was getting better and how he was getting along with Iris. Speaking of the blonde, he had to explain his mother in great detail, who Iris was after she heard her on the phone. At first his mom thought, she was just a random girl that had helped him, maybe a cast member. But after a few minutes of explaining, she eventually seemed to understand that Iris was the stage manager. That she was managing the whole theater and therefore had a reason to accompany him to the hospital. Well, without her he would be much worse probably. At first Theo also didn’t want to tell his mother that he was staying at her place, not wanting to give her hope, where there might not be any. He had been sure himself back then. But, of course, his sisters had to snitch on him. And he tried to explain the whole thing as easy as he could.

The messages were filled with concern, he could basically imagine her running up and down in the living room, making his dad go crazy. Guilt started creeping its way into his chest.
The messages he accidentally ignored was just asking how he was doing. The ones following spamming his name — his full first name, which concerned him enough. Because as long as it was just Theo, everything was going great, the second she called him Theodore, he could be certain he was about to get grounded. Then she even wrote that he should immediately call her. Okay, bad timing now.

"Mia chará, Mama!" , he texted back to let her know he was fine, also adding that they could talk tonight because he was busy in the theater today.

As she texted him a thumbs up back, he was relieved, at least a bit. Either he was verbally getting his ass beaten on the phone or she really was not mad.

While he was still waiting, the brown-haired started scrolling through his social media, seeing a few pics of their production, the curtain calls being filmed.
What he would give to be there as well…
But to not get too depressed about that, he scrolled past the pictures. Though what sparked next into his mind was the junior theater group, he was about to help Iris with. Theo had to mentally prepare for that, even with multiple cousins, nieces and nephews, that was something else. He had never professionally worked with kids. Browsing through his mental logbook of school musicals, he tried to remember all the possibilities that could happen. The things he did remember were Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and Into the Woods. He himself also did Shrek in middle school and The Addams Family and Mamma Mia in high school. But the brown-haired didn’t even know how many kids they would deal with, so he probably just had to let himself be surprised.

Then, suddenly, a flowery vanilla scent came his way. Theo looked up from his phone, his eyes immediately finding the blonde. She looked…different. Not in a bad way! Just much more spruced up than usually at rehearsal. The first thing that caught his attention was the green overall. It just went perfectly with her eyes.

And there was it again, that admiring look on his face, just marveling at her. Getting lost in her eyes again. The makeup really stand the perfect green of her eyes stand out even more.

And that smile that seemed to light up her whole face. It made the blonde look really cute. He had seen her real joy before, when he allowed her to play dress up with him. But that, that was the purest joy he had ever seen. And it made a special warmth bloom in his chest. The brown-haired was a little proud to be able to make her feel that way, to say the least.

"Well, for the prettiest fairy of them all."
, he shot back in a teasing way. Though, no actually he was honest — she really was the prettiest. But he masked that flirt with a quip. A soft chuckle escaped his mouth as well. Watching her take pictures of his work of art made him even prouder. That advice from Phillip and Dahlia about fairies and fantasy was really helpful.

Another soft chuckle escaped again.
"Skilled and pretty, jackpot huh ?"
Making her happy with a small fruit plate like that was jackpot for him. From now on, she would always get a little artwork of fruit, whenever she asked for a fruit plate — that was certain. He could get creative, next time maybe a butterfly or a flower field or a dragon. There was a lot he could do.

Looking at Iris, when she was done with the photo shoot, the brown-haired tilted his head.
"It’s for eating, you know ? Edible artwork, not just to look at it. I can make one again whenever you want."
, he tried to convince her to eat it.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris rolled her eyes at Theo’s comment, the gesture sharp but playful. "I don’t know," she shot back, her voice laced with a touch of bitterness, "someone might be a little too surprised if I admitted they’re kind of a jackpot."

The words came out a little sharper than she intended, still lingering from the sting of his earlier remark — the one about whether if she would actually try to flirt with him. She knew she should let it go, should stop picking at the scab, but the resentment buzzed quietly under her skin. Just like she should probably stop being bitter over the fact that Theo looked perfectly fine — so fine, in fact, that she’d practically been drooling over him not ten minutes ago.

Maybe it’s because he has all those fans, she reasoned silently, eyes darting away from him. He’s probably used to girls looking at him like he’s some Greek god. Was it weird to think of him that way? Probably. And just like that, her thoughts spiraled into chaos. Iris blinked hard and forced her gaze down to the plate of fruit between them, a pout forming on her lips as she popped a makeshift mushroom-shaped bite into her mouth. The sweet taste was a small comfort against the swirl of insecurity and longing starting to creep up her spine.

"You can keep making these for me while you're here," she said after a moment, trying for nonchalance, though her voice wobbled at the edges. "It’s not like you’ll be here forever. Gotta appreciate the goodies while they last."

The reminder settled bitterly in her stomach. Theo would eventually go back to his own apartment, his own life. She couldn’t just — what? Rebreak his leg to make him stay? Ask him outright? The thought alone made her squirm. It would mean admitting there was something there, something she wasn’t ready to even think about out loud.

Her eyes flicked up, meeting his briefly — and that was a mistake. Heat bloomed across her cheeks, and she quickly dropped her gaze again, grabbing another piece of fruit with unnecessary force.
Nope. Never. Not in a million lifetimes.
Because there's nothing. It's just a little bit of attraction. You’re lonely, maybe touch-starved — well, definitely touch-starved — and you’re still reeling from seeing all that muscle up close. And then, without thinking, her word vomit started to begin.

"How the hell did you even get that ripped?" she grumbled, shoving another bite into her mouth to muffle the rest. "Not to mention the scar. What are you, some walking depiction of every girl’s wet dream? No wonder you hide in sweater vests and button-ups." The second the words were out, she froze, mortified. That...was supposed to stay in her head.

Iris groaned inwardly, panic flaring. She had two choices: play it cool, double down, or — the smarter option — shut up. Without hesitation, she crammed another piece of fruit into her mouth and chose silence, cheeks burning as she resolutely stared down at her plate.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















The brown-haired still remembered his embarrassing answer, though it found its place rather in the back of his mind, only creeping into full presence again when he was just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling before drifting off to sleep. Normally Theo never needed long to sleep in. But since staying in Iris' apartment all day, his vast quantities of energy couldn’t be used. Usually rehearsal, shows, walking to the theater, exercising — all that took enough of his energy that he could just fall into his sheets at night and was immediately off to the dreamlands. But now he had to get himself tired with watching trashy reality shows in the evening or endless scrolling on his phone. And that embarrassing remark didn’t help. Kept him awake at night.

"I will!"
Theo nodded with a big smile and seemed very excited that the blonde liked the fruit plate. But what came next, felt like a sharp knife pressed into his chest.

He had gotten so used to living here, living with her, that he actually couldn’t imagine going back to his own apartment, back to being alone there. The brown-haired enjoyed the mornings — getting ready before Iris, making breakfast while she was getting ready, caring for the plants.
And especially the evenings were great — making dinner together, actually waiting for someone to get back home and surprising them with some nice dinner.
Theo couldn’t imagine not talking to Dahlia and Phillip every day, his sweet little gossip sessions with the elderly lady about this and that.

The longer he thought about it, the more it hurt, making him nauseous. Maybe he could find a way to delay his recovery. But then again, his body wouldn’t thank him for a longer break than he needed. It would only make coming back into business harder.

Still in thoughts, the brown-haired turned the small knife, he had used to peel and cut the fruit, in his hand. His eyes lingering on the edge of the plate.
If you would mix the forest green of the plate with the light green of the kiwi, you would get the exact shade of Iris' eye color.
Even now his mind couldn’t escape thinking about her. The blonde was literally the subject of all of his dreams — at night and daydreams.

Theo didn’t really expect Iris to speak again and he certainly didn’t expect that to come out of her mouth. He was stunned, speechless for some seconds. His mouth slightly open. What..? Like was she for real ?! Theo didn’t know what to say.

He leisurely looked down at himself. Then his eyes went up again, that sweet innocent expression present in his face. He was literally just a golden retriever type of guy — a little dork — hiding the reincarnation of Hercules' body under all these costumes and comfy clothes. The casual garments basically hiding that his upper arm was almost bigger than some's thigh. That was probably what turned the ladies on.

"Uh..I guess just a bit exercising."
, he answered quietly, looking at the blonde, calm, like she didn’t just call him the wet dream of every girl. He tried to play that cool, really. Though the brown-haired seemed shy, blushing softly. But on the inside, Theo was basically screaming. She just called him that ?! Well, that had to be a compliment, right ?! It was basically just exercising and genes, every male on his father’s side just needed a bit exercising to look beefy pretty easily. And most relatives from his mother’s side had a pretty fast metabolism, which resulted in him being able to get some more sweet treats than others without immediately gaining weight. He just got the best of both sides.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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"Just a bit... of exercising?" Iris echoed, finishing off her plate and casually licking the stickiness of the fruit from her fingertips.

She leveled Theo with a suspicious, almost accusatory stare as she leaned her weight against the counter, resting her upper waist there with a long, dramatic exhale.

"Theo," she said, glaring harder, "you're fucking hot." She rolled her eyes, exasperated — mostly with herself. How could he look so bashful when she was handing him compliments like candy? It was probably one of the reasons he had so many fans drooling over him. That unintentional humility was lethal. And he — infuriatingly — didn't even seem fazed that she was practically worshipping him out loud. With a grumble, Iris grabbed her plate, deftly plucked the knife from his hands, and brushed past him toward the sink.

"Seriously, Theo," she added with a wistful sigh as she started washing up. "How you’re single when you look like that is beyond me."

I could flirt with him right now, she mused, scrubbing at the dishes a little too aggressively. And he probably wouldn't even notice. He already thinks I'm not serious.
After all, when she’d caught herself shamelessly checking him out earlier, he’d only smiled — that warm, casual, friendzone smile that made her want to scream into a pillow. Or at least she assumed it to be a friendzone smile. Iris hadn't exactly noticed how his smile was always softer towards her, always so different when he looked at her compared to anyone else. Her mind started spinning faster, temptation wrapping around her like a mischievous devil.

"You know, Theo..." she started, tossing a glance over her shoulder, "if you ever get tired of acting, you could make a damn good living just standing around shirtless. You could even charge admission." The second the words left her mouth, regret prickled across her skin — but screw it. If he wasn’t going to take her seriously, she might as well have some fun, right? A little playful teasing wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like he’d actually react. He’d made it pretty clear she could probably kiss him and he’d still just pat her on the head like a good puppy.

Feeling reckless, Iris rinsed the last plate, grabbed a rag (stupid, festive thing covered in a worn-out Santa print) and dried her hands.

"Pretty sure touching your abs could be considered a religious experience, while we're at it," she added, tossing the rag aside with a grin. The boldness of her own words sent a spark of adrenaline through her. She turned, finally daring to meet his gaze fully — and there she finally noticed : a flush rising across his cheeks, the pink hue creeping up past the edges of the tacky little band-aid stuck to his skin. That tiny, undeniable reaction made her heart flutter like wild wings in her chest, even if she wasn't aware of what he was reacting to exactly, banishing the earlier waves of jealousy, regret, and doubt. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't trapped in her own bitterness. She was actually having fun.

"What do you say, Mister Skordilis?" she teased, voice sweet and mischievous. "Would you rather provide me with a religious experience... or should I just leave a few bucks on the counter?" Iris snorted at her own terrible line, laughter bubbling up naturally this time. And somehow, standing there with him — reckless, flirty, and blissfully alive — the heavy loneliness she'd been carrying around all week finally started to lift.
 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















"Well..,"
He took a second to consider his training plan.
"Yeah, every now and then hitting the gym and going for a jog at the weekend."
Not for the next weeks though, as going for a run with a brace around his foot didn’t sound like something he should do. Just these two things for exercising sounded actually too little to actually achieve such a body, but somehow it still worked. When being in the gym, he always had his routine, so nothing would get neglected the few times he actually went there. For jogging he had a great route. Here, it was right through the park, passing by the river — avoiding the center of the city as good as possible. In Greece — where he usually went every morning before it got too hot — Theo could actually just take the route through his grandparents' big orchard.

Looking at Iris, her words hit him right in the face, making him literally want to scream into a pillow. She called him hot! Fucking hot! All of the sudden the room seemed to get really warm, his cheeks felt like they were burning. He was too stunned to speak. Just following her with his eyes as she took the knife and brought it to the sink. Suddenly his hands felt so empty, he couldn’t cling to the handle of the knife anymore. They felt so fluttery, like his heart, that seemed like it wanted to jump right out off him.

With every flirt the blonde added, Theo's face felt like it burned even harder, he could compete with a flamingo. And his blush would probably make his cheeks pinker than them. His mind felt like it was spinning, he couldn’t even comprehend everything that was happening right now. It was all way too quick. The brown-haired even got a little dizzy and had to lean against the counter to support himself.
Iris was literally flirting with him now! That was serious! No jokes here! She sounded genuine.
And it made Theo all flustered.

Standing around shirtless ?! Well, the only one he wanted to stand in front of shirtless was her. All these fangirls may sound nice but became way too much after short time. Some were really nice but most didn’t know boundaries and just wanting their cute pics with him. Iris, he would never compare her with those fans, was just perfect. Not only looking perfect but also the way she acted around him — teasing, cute, but still herself.

As their eyes met, the brown-haired finally snapped out of his internal fangirling. He was sure, that his cheeks were a deep pink now. He probably looked even more like a dork than ever before. Theo was just completely thrown off by Iris flirting with him so casually but seriously.

"I'd do it for free for you."
, he answered, his voice suddenly laced with as much Flirtatiousness as hers. But it still carried how flustered he was, like really was. He wasn’t used to someone seriously flirting with him like that.

With a few steps without the crutches, Theo wobbled over to the counterside the blonde was standing at. Suddenly they were all close to each other again. He looked at her with a very fond expression.
"I'd do it for you whenever you want. No money needed."
Still a tad careful, his hand brushed hers. Feeling her soft skin, it shot him right back into his fond longing.
"You know, just forget the thing about being surprised,"
His gaze dropped to her lips and then, after taking in their soft and plushy look, back to her eyes.
"That was just idiotic."


There was a clear smile around his eyes, though the rest of his face seemed a little tense, nervous if you took a closer look.
"But you know what isn’t idiotic..?"
Gradually Theo got closer to her, a fond little smile showing on his face now.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris felt the heat crawl up her cheeks, spreading like wildfire. Theo... wait. What? Was he flirting back? That was a genuine flirty tone right? Her head tilted slightly as he stood up, brows knitting together. Instinctively, she almost reached out to steady him — old habits and all. He never seemed to grasp the meaning of "take it easy," no matter how many times she nagged him about it. The chair in the kitchen had been a hard-won compromise after way too much bickering, and honestly, she was still amazed Theo had figured out how to talk her down when she got all grumpy and demanding.

But before she could move, before she could even think about helping, he was already closing the distance between them — and Iris felt her throat tighten. Her feet scrambled backwards, bumping right into the unforgiving edge of the kitchen counter. No escape, she thought, blinking up at him, heart hammering harder with every teasing comeback he added, effortlessly building on her flirtations like it was second nature. Every time he leaned in a little closer, the primal urge to bolt skittered up her spine.

This wasn’t smart.
This wasn’t wise.
They were just playing around, right?
Surely he was just playing back.

But then their eyes met — and Iris faltered. Theo’s words blurred into the background as her attention wavered, drawn in by the warmth of him, the faint, distracting mix of coconut, chocolate, and strawberries that clung to the air between them. No. No. Don’t look at his mouth, she scolded herself, snapping her eyes back to his. It worked — until they betrayed her again, trailing down his cheek and catching on the ridiculous cartoon band-aid stubbornly stuck there. A soft snicker escaped her before she could stop it.

"Is it how Astronaut Ruffington is doing his job?" she teased, lifting a hand to gently poke at his cheek. Laughter, light and breathless, fluttered between them like a trapped butterfly. "Looks like he's doing a pretty heroic job healing that cut. Very selfless. Not idiotic at all." Her hand fell back to grip the counter, fingers curling tightly over the edge as if anchoring herself there. The tension sparking between them was impossible to ignore. Her nerves were a livewire under her skin, threatening to short-circuit her completely.

This. This is exactly why I don't flirt, she thought miserably. Sure, Theo was blushing — and gods, that should’ve made this easier — but it didn’t. Not even a little. And it would definitely help if he was wearing something dorkier. Something safe. Something that didn’t make her want to curl up and scream at the same time. Iris swallowed, clearing her throat as she tried — and failed — to look anywhere but at him.

His fan club was going to skin her alive. That was certain. They’d probably slice her into neat little pieces, serve her up to their shrine of Theo Banishment, and use her remains as warpaint for the next battle against some poor, stupid girl who dared flirt with him. Get a grip, she told herself, squeezing her eyes shut for a half-second. This would all be easier if he had, like, horrible bedhead or something. No... no, don’t start noticing—Too late. Her gaze flicked up — and sure enough, his hair was a little curlier, messier, softer-looking than usual. More giggles slipped out before she could smother them, and Iris quickly pressed her lips together, willing herself to stay quiet.

But the second Theo finished whatever sentence he was struggling to say? Oh, she was going to destroy him with a few careful flirts meant to poke fun at his curls.
 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















At the mention of his cartoon band-aid, Theo slightly tilted his head, a gullible look on his face. With those eyes, he almost looked like that little sweet puppy on his cheek.
"What do you mean ?"
A little slow with his thoughts.
"Wait, you put one of these colorful cartoony band-aids on my cheek ?"
Till now, Theo had thought he got one of those boring brown or white ones. He still mourned the day, when the doctor gave him such a band-aid instead of one out of the kids-box for his vaccination. Whatever it was, to be honest, Theo would wear it with pride. No one had to know his dumbass cut himself with the razor, he could tell the kids it was from a fight, that he is a really tough guy.

Following her eyes, the brown-haired immediately noticed her gaze was up in his hair. Oh, for god’s sake, if that one strand acted up again today he would lose his mind. Each of these last days, it stayed down just fine — well he just let his hair do whatever it wanted the last few days — but of course today, when he was out again, it had to act all stubbornly again.
Okay, enough fuss over nothing. No strand was acting up, it was just that his natural air dried hair was always fluffier, the curls a little messier than if he blow dried it.

Theo just wanted to make another comment, about how she could also touch his hair for free. He even gradually moved his hand closer and closer to hers, almost intertwining them.

But, of course, in the exact moment, he actually wanted to lean in, a loud 'ring interrupted their moment. Hurriedly the brown-haired pull back, before there could be any assumptions made about what could’ve happened.
Oh, that was bad…really bad..
Or was it the right thing to do, just not the right moment ?
He wasn’t sure…

Looking around the kitchen to find the source of what had to ruin the moment, he came to the conclusion that it was one of their phones — not his though. But looking at the little clock on his phone, his eyes widened. They wanted to be out fifteen minutes ago and at the theater ten minutes ago. Oh, shit!

The brown-haired immediately took his crutches into both hands and hobbled of to the guest room to get the things he needed. He still couldn’t really call it 'his room. It was, technically, but only temporarily. Passing his little olive tree, sunbathing right in the perfect spot, he noticed that little knitted hat and had to smile. That was definitely Iris' idea, no doubt, and Dahlia did it for her — he noticed that in the way it was made. For moment, it made him swoon over the blonde even more. There were basically little hearts plopping up in his eyes. She was so cute. And somehow, after seeing the tree staying that whole week here, it looked much better than before — greener, bigger, just healthier.

But then his mind dropped back into hurry. They had to get there as quickly as possible. Theo plopped down onto his bed, it was better to grab everything with both hands, and started searching for his text parts. Eventually he found them, almost buried under a few t-shirts. With quick movements, the brown-haired pushed them into a little bag, along with his half-full water bottle right on his nightstand and the medicine he had to take, while they were in the theater. Theo assumed they would stay there till afternoon, so he just took everything he had to take from noon till afternoon. Which luckily wasn’t as much as last week.

Putting the bag over his shoulder and pushing himself up with the crutches again, he was ready for takeoff. Though, the brown-haired shot one last glance into the mirror in the room and took a closer look at the band-aid on his cheek. It honestly looked cute. The light blue suited him.
Great choice, Iris!
But the blue had probably made him like a complete idiot, when he was blushing in that deep pink.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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"Of course I put a cartoon band-aid on you," she snickered, her lips curling into a tender, mischievous smile. Her toes shifted upward as her body leaned instinctively toward Theo, enchanted by the way his gaze seemed to pull her along without a second thought. "If you think I'm the type to keep a boring stash of band-aids—or plasters, whatever you call them—lying around, then clearly, sir, you don't know me at all," she teased, her voice dripping with far more confidence than she actually felt.

Then—annoyingly, or maybe mercifully—she heard the familiar chime.
Waterloo— I was defeated, you won the war.
Waterloo— Promise to love you forever more.
Waterloo— Couldn't escape if I wanted to...
Iris groaned inwardly. ABBA was going to be the death of her. That ringtone only ever meant one thing: the theater was calling. And that definitely meant something was wrong—or she was late.

She flicked her head toward the buzzing phone in the corner, only then realizing just how close Theo had gotten. When he finally stepped away, her heart stuttered awkwardly, like it had been thrown out of sync. The skin of her hand tingled where his had lingered. Wait… was he about to…? Her cheeks burned crimson as she patted awkwardly at her sides, chasing away the thought. No. No. No way. Clearing her throat, Iris forced her feet to move and strode toward the phone. The screen was lit up with a flood of messages—more from her father, even more from the director, and a pile from a very panicked assistant stage manager, Katie.

Rolling her eyes, Iris quickly dialed back, already feeling the irritation creep into her voice. "Yeah, no—" she cut off the worried babbling, ducking down to grab her bag, still hanging by the door, always packed and ready. "Relax," she sighed. "The kids aren't supposed to show up for another forty minutes. I have people come in this early for a reason. Even to cover my occasional tardiness." The concerned voice on the other end launched into another whirlwind of fretting. Iris muted the call, slipping the phone into the front pocket of her overalls. The stagehand's panicked mutterings were still faintly audible, a fluttering of disaster scenarios spiraling out of control.

She crossed the room, searching for Theo. "Medicine? Water?" she offered making sure he had packed the essentials, her cheeks bloomed red again the moment she laid eyes on him. Her heart flipped traitorously in her chest, the memory of just how close they'd been rushing back with full force. Meanwhile, the voice from her pocket—Katie—continued to rattle on:

"What if there was a fire? Or what if you got stolen?! Can you even get stolen? Do you know self-defense? Theo’s hurt, he wouldn’t be able to help—well, no, maybe you would steal his crutches to bash someone in—"

Iris shook her head, picking up the phone and holding it up to her ear once more. "Hurry," she whispered, unmuting the call and grabbing her keys.

"Katie, you're watching those true crime documentaries before bed again, aren’t you?" Iris grumbled, while Katie whimpered out another dramatic list of worst-case scenarios.

Iris muted the call again and turned to Theo with a sigh. "You know, for an assistant stage manager, you'd think she'd be a little more helpful," she muttered, flushing deeper as Katie’s voice, now unfiltered, blurted out a new worry—this time about Theo being the one at risk.

"Wait—what if Iris is the danger?!" Katie squeaked. "Is Theo there? Why haven't I heard him? Theo?! Is she taking advantage of you? You can tell me—blink twice if you need help! Or, well scream help!" Iris shot the phone one of her most impressive death glares—the kind she usually reserved for wardrobe disasters and last-minute script changes.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















As she confirmed it, Theo's lips curled into a smile. Of course she did. Why did he even ask ? Thinking about longer, yes, she didn’t look like the type that kept the boring ones around. Though he also didn’t expect astronaut puppies to be the go to. More like something more girly. Hello kitty maybe. Matching to her pajama pants. Or with little ribbons printed on. They were cute!

While Iris was still busy trying to calm her assistant stage manager, Theo eventually made his way out of the guest room, after making sure his every strand of his hair — even the curlier ones — were in their place. The brown-haired nodded quickly to confirm he had everything in his bag. He looked at her, but avoided direct eye contact. The thought of earlier still present in his mind. Did she notice what he was going to do ? Was that maybe a bad decision ? Would she make fun of that ?
"Everything packed in here."
The bag dangled from his shoulder, when he came to a stop in the hallway, rounding his look off with a nice jacket. Even if the sun was shining today, he knew how cold it could still be. And was comfortable with snuggling into his jacket than freezing to death.
Though it was a little muffled, the panicked voice of the assistant stage manager was still pretty clear. Theo hid a small smirk. She really was even more dramatic than him. Sheesh, how shuddering. Sure, you could never be too careful, but that, that was just creative in the most horrible way.

The brown-haired struggled a tad to put on his jacket, while holding himself up with the crutches.
"But knowing all the worst-case scenarios she could imagine you in sounds also pretty interesting. May helps you to avoid them."
, he tried to light up the stressy situation.
"Maybe she just has her strengths in other areas."


As Katie started to include him in her ramble of worry and the brown-haired finally dared to look up and into the blonde's eyes again, a soft chuckle escaped his mouth.
"I'm good, really, everything is fine!"
, he chimed in, when the phone was unmuted again.
"And even if Iris would be the danger, I think I can handle her."
Looking back at the blonde again, there was a glimpse of a flirty expression in his face. But just for a second, as Theo quickly turned back to fiddle his second arm into the jacket.

His jacket had the same sweet chocolate brown color as his eyes and hair, though his hair was actually just a nuance dark. If some light shone on it, it was actually chocolate brown. Otherwise it just looked like a darker brown.
"We’re gonna be there in just a few minutes!"
, he then added before turning back to Iris fully. A bright smile on his lips — he was ready to go.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Katie didn’t sound the least bit convinced as she kept muttering more horrible things Iris could be doing. Iris hung up. When more buzzing followed. Iris promptly muted her phone.

“You couldn’t handle me at all,” she huffed, puffing out her cheek. “I know your weak points, sunshine. You’d be a melted puddle before you even got your hands on me—if I ever dared to try anything like that.” She reached out, already helping him into his jacket. Her voice still lingering in that flirtatious tone as if it had never left. Iris knew however she was talking a big game for someone who’d just been all but cornered by… whatever Theo had been about to do. Still, she had gotten to him a little—his blush had been obvious, and his skin was warm where it brushed against hers. He just cheated, a little, with those eyes and that scent.

Mental note: flirt next time when he’s stinkier. Then again… was she sick enough to find even his musk attractive? Iris didn't consider that thought longer and focused her attention to his jacket. She started to feel her lips curl into a smile as she adjusted the collar of his jacket. Her fingers lingered just a little too long against his chest, brushing off invisible dust and flicking the lapel a few too many times. Her eyes lifted to his hair, and she pouted—full-on pouted—when she noticed he’d fixed his unruly curls.

“You fixed them,” she muttered. Without thinking, she reached up and tugged a few back out of place. The smile that followed could have fooled anyone into thinking they were already dating. “I like when they’re a little chaotic. Gives me an excuse to tease you,” she whispered, finally letting her hands fall away.

She waited for Theo to hobble out first, then locked the door behind them. Stepping outside seemed to break the spell she’d been under. Her cheeks warmed as she realized just how much she’d been flirting—again—and how often she’d found a reason to touch him.

Seriously, what is wrong with me today? she thought, brow furrowed as she adjusted her pace to match his toward the elevator.

Work will fix me. It always does. Work fixes whatever insane mood I get myself into. She clung to that thought. After all, it was junior troupe day. The kids were always a breath of fresh air—so different from the usual chaos. Iris had grown deeply attached to the regulars. Around them, she wasn’t some intimidating figure; they called her things like a princess in hiding or, her personal favorite, a spy when she was in full tech gear. She got to share her love for the theater—especially the magic of backstage. Some of them fell in love with the technical side too. Watching their confidence grow? It made her heart soar. It was the closest she imagined she’d get to knowing her nieces and nephews—if her siblings would ever let her near them.

Right… Today should just be general acting exercises, she reminded herself. Theo will be adored. I can catch up on admin stuff, and maybe shake off this ridiculous fluttering. They reached the elevator. Iris made sure to hold the door for Theo, her smile still soft, still tender.
 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo really had to hold in his laughter, Katie basically acted like Iris was a serial killer in person, like she had just disguised herself to lure Theo — the poor victim — in her chambers to play with him. The ideas she had were crazy. As if the blonde would do that do him! Really! To his sweet face!

A competitive smirk popped up on his face.
"Oh, really ? I couldn’t handle you ?"
A teasing undertone that reflected the competitiveness of his smirk very well. The flirtatiousness creeping its way into his voice pretty clearly.
Oh, but she got him with 'sunshine'. Suddenly he was all frozen, the deep pink blush quickly finding its way back into his cheeks. He was literally swooning. Just like that. Over the sweet little nickname. Iris would definitely have an easy game, when she already got him with that. His eyes were literally heart-shaped as he just looked at her. He had to cling to his crutches a little tighter to not lose his footing completely.
Okay, yep, she won. He was infact a melted puddle already.

As the brown-haired's mind seemed to clear moment by moment, he gradually looked down at his chest, already feeling her soft and warm fingers fiddle around there. As another wave of warmth hit his face, a fond smile fought its way to curl up the corners of his lips. The feeling of her soft fingers just touching his chest, he wished for the fabric inbetween to disappear. The blonde was so gentle and Theo felt really comfortable with her touch. Honestly, he already could imagine them just cuddling in bed, her snuggled up to him and her fingers gently brushing over his chest. That would be the perfect thing to sleep in with. Or waking up to her, cuddling with him and he could just turn over, hug her and nap another few minutes.

Only that thought made him wobble a tad again, but he still clinged to his crutches. His mind went all crazy with his daydreams about Iris. His dreams were even crazier. It was clear, he was longing. Not just for some love and affection, no, actually he was longing for her — with love and affection. But he couldn’t just admit that, she would probably laugh at him like the dork he was.

Theo's eyes went up.
"Uh…yeah.."
He just let her do it, observing her hands with a smirk.
"Well, if you say so ? Then chaotic hair it is and will be."
, he announced with a smile that was really close to her’s. Gave Theo an excuse to let her tease him. Because she always looked so happy and sweet, when she did.

Sluggishly the brown-haired limped his way out of her apartment and over to the elevator. It wasn’t the pain that made him that slow but after now days of not exercising or doing as much as he normally did, his muscles seemed to get a little weaker. And the way to the elevator had felt much shorter, when Iris wheeled him from there to her apartment a week ago.

But eventually they arrived and after both of them got in, Theo leaned against the wall with a relieved sigh. As soon as he could go back to exercising, arm day it was. It felt almost embarrassing that he couldn’t carry himself on those crutches for too long.

For a moment it was just quiet as the elevator rattled down to the lobby, but Theo couldn’t bare the silence.
"The little hat on the olive tree. It was your idea, right ?"
, he asked. The smile that was on his face, when he had seen the hat, was now back on his face. "It’s actually really cute." , he added with a shy chuckle.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris flinched as she tapped the elevator button, waiting for it to shudder into motion. Her eyes widened at Theo’s question, and she offered him a shy, sheepish smile. Leaning back against the elevator wall, she lifted a hand to fiddle with the ends of her hair and shrugged.

“He looked cold,” she muttered, suddenly feeling like their roles had flipped. She had been the confident one just moments ago—teasing, playful—but now she shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, refusing to meet his gaze. It wasn’t like she had been hiding the hat. How could she? It was impossible to miss. Iris had always loved plants. Hell, the room that Theo was staying in was half garden at this point, how he didn't mind it was beyond her understanding. When Iris had seen the sorry state of that poor tree when it arrived had nearly earned Theo a scolding. He’d been far too lenient with it, in her opinion. It didn't matter if he couldn't tend to it for a day or two while with her, she still gave him a sharp glare and got to work on babying the tree as if it had always been with her. She had practically adopted the thing on sight, cooing at it and speaking to it every chance she got, curious to see if it would bloom while Theo was around.

“You’re too soft on my stepchild,” she huffed, the corners of her mouth twitching up into a grin. “Poor thing was basically on death’s door when you brought him in.” Only Theo brought out this version of her—the one who could be soft and playful without fear of judgment. She bit her bottom lip, trying not to look as awkward as she felt. But hearing him call something she did cute? That was enough to make her lips curl into a smile so wide it hurt. No one ever used cute to describe anything she did. Terrifying? Constantly. Intimidating? Absolutely. Stern? All the damn time. She could already hear Theo’s castmates calling him insane for even using the word “cute” anywhere near her name.

“I might have to take you to court over him,” she teased, her voice light, though her cheeks now held what felt like a permanent pink hue. “I don’t think I’ll sleep easy when he has to go back home. Dual custody might be the only solution, sunshine.” Still, she kept her gaze down, avoiding his eyes. Not while they were trapped in this little elevator. Not when her gut insisted Theo was about to do something that would make her heart soar… and her mind crash later.

As the elevator groaned between floors, Iris risked a glance at him—quick, fleeting. She caught the edge of his profile, the soft slope of his nose, the subtle tension in his jaw. Her fingers twitched at her side, itching to reach out and fix the collar of his shirt, maybe just graze her knuckle across his shoulder for no reason other than to feel the warmth there. Instead, she cleared her throat quietly and looked away again, as if staring at the floor might anchor her better than the magnetic pull he seemed to carry without trying.

'Hells this is awkward' she thought wondering if she could find something else to talk about. "Your mom?" she blurted out suddenly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is she doing okay? I don't think I've heard you update her on things recently, she seemed like the type to be a little worried" she giggled at the memory of hearing the woman for the first time, the flustered reaction and the few times she had overheard Theo speak with her on the phone was a new type of hell for her. If only because of that damn accent. "You've got to teach me how to say hi to her sometime, I don't want her thinking like Katie that I'm some evil demon keeping her precious son trapped in a hell hole" she joked the laugh squeaking awkwardly against her throat.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















He looked cold ? The shy smile on Theo's lips got only wider, his eyes showing a fond expression. That was actually even more than cute. Just the thought of Iris' cooing at the little olive tree — yep, he had overheard that, when he was already in bed — made his heart flutter more. It was dear to him, made him fall in love with the blonde even more. He had admitted to himself that he was in love a few days ago. But he didn’t dare to actually admit it to her, fearing her reaction. But the plants made it a little easier to express at least some glimpses of love, Iris cared for his olive tree and Theo cared for the literal jungle in the guest room he was staying at.

He didn’t mind, not at all. With so many plants it wasn’t as boring as just having some white walls. He had a task to do here — water them, care for them, maybe also talk to them. When waking up to the sunshine already creeping its way into the room, it always felt like waking up in a jungle oasis. Only thing that was missing was the silence, just some birds chirping. Well, the birds were chirping. But that peaceful noise got almost drowned by the traffic chaos.

"But we saved him!"
The brown-haired could still remember the death glare he got for only telling her that late about the olive tree, felt the guilt as he saw the small branches drooping. Theo thought that maybe the tree could live a few days without him. But clearly not, it was already too used to being mothered daily. And he already noticed how much it had changed. Looking much stronger already. Much greener. And like it would bloom very soon.

A melodramatic gasp escaped Theo's mouth and he looked at Iris with a theatrical emotional expression in his face.
"You can’t take my child away."
Then as she called him sunshine again — which made his heart flutter enough already and the pinkish tint in his cheeks return — a tiny thought sparked in his mind.
"Well, unless you'll take the dad in as well..."
His voice got really quiet, more muttered to himself but probably loud enough against the constant rattling of the elevator. A sheepish undertone. Theo didn’t dare to look up, just stare at the ground.

The thought of staying with the blonde — and not just temporarily — brought a gentle warmth to his chest. Made his heart do little happy jumps. He felt much happier with her than staying alone in his apartment.
But did Iris even want him here any longer ?

The brown-haired's eyes stayed glued to the ground, he fiddled with the crutches in his right hand. Just imagining that waking up here — maybe some time even next to her — could become normality, sounded basically like paradise. The pink tint of his cheeks only got darker, the longer he clinged to the thought. The more detailed his imagination grew, showing a clear picture of them cuddling in bed.

Hearing the blonde's voice again, Theo immediately flinched out of his thoughts, looking a little startled. Oh, he felt crazy. Crazy in love. His mind basically just kept spinning around her. Iris consumed all of his thoughts.
"Huh ? Oh yeah, she’s alright. I texted her the last few days. Some little updates."
The brown-haired slowly dared to look up again, his face now blushing in a rather red tint.
"I'll talk to her tonight. She could be a little mad, though. I forgot to answer her yesterday."
What a shame for his mother's little golden boy. And he couldn’t blame her for probably lecturing in that call. A mother was always worried, even more so when her child didn’t answer her messages. And the worst, when he was hurt on top of all of that.

A soft chuckle escaped Theo's mouth.
"I will, I will. It’s pretty easy, you know. I could teach you tonight and if she isn’t that furious you can say hello."
And Theo would love to teach her even more than just a simple 'hello'. As soon as you knew the letters, learning the basics was pretty easy.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg

Laughter spilled from Iris before she could stop it, light and melodic, as Theo made yet another ridiculous comment about the olive tree. Her eyes shimmered with unguarded affection as she looked at him, laughter softening into something more tender.

“You are such a dork,” she said between giggles, the insult lacking any real bite. If anything, it sounded like the most affectionate thing in the world when it came from her lips. Even calling him adorable felt like it fell short of capturing the warmth that was blooming in her chest—radiant, slow, and completely unexpected. It was strange, having someone who didn’t just tolerate her sarcasm and oddities, but met them with his own brand of endearing weirdness. The more time she spent around him, the clearer it became how everyone around Theo so easily fell under his spell. He really was like a ball of sunshine—bright, playful, comforting. And she? She felt like a half-dead tree leaning toward his light, craving every ounce of warmth he offered while foolishly pretending she didn’t need it. She imagined a breeze stirring her branches, letting little pieces of him through. It was foolishly poetic, but she couldn’t help the thought.

Her daydream fractured when Theo casually mentioned taking the dad in as well. Iris blinked, her brain catching up a beat too slow. Then she scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes, dimples flashing with the grin that tugged at her lips.

“What? Daddy wants to stay with Mommy?” she teased, voice dripping with mock scandal. Her eyes glittered with something darker—infatuation edged in hesitation—before she tamped it down. He was joking. He had to be. There was no way Theo wanted to stay longer in her place. It was a chaotic mess of forgotten dreams, hand-me-down mugs, and furniture that didn’t even technically belong to her.

“Your place is a million times better anyway. A little too colorful for my taste,” she added, voice light, “but I miss that couch. That couch is like…the ultimate make out and sleep couch.” She let out a low whistle and looked anywhere but at him. “Seriously, how are you still single?” As the elevator clicked to the final floor, Iris stepped forward and pressed a few buttons to prep the door. It slid open with a soft chime, and she held it there for Theo, flashing him a half-smile as he stepped through.

Humming softly to herself, her mind wandered to thoughts of Theo’s mother, and a mischievous gleam lit her features. “Actually… I’ve been looking up a few words on my own. I could have been lied to,” she murmured, tapping her lips with mock suspicion as she followed him into the hallway. She waved to Derek in passing, cheerful. “Kalimera!” she said with a dramatic raspberry of effort, then winced toward Theo. The pronunciation was rough—but the intent was sincere.

“That means ‘good morning,’ right?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. That glimmer of mischief hadn’t left her eyes, even as she waited until they were out of earshot of Derek before leaning just a little closer to him.

“Thélo… n-na eímai mazí… sou…?” she tried, dragging the syllables out in hesitant Greek. It was clumsy. Her pronunciation was dreadful. But she flicked her eyes upward anyway, feigning the most innocent expression she could muster.

“I don’t really understand that one,” she added with a tilt of her head, lashes fluttering. “I think it means I want to go somewhere with you? But online people kept saying it was more… romantic? Is it?” She held his gaze, barely suppressing a grin. Her acting skills, thankfully, were holding steady—because otherwise she would’ve burst into snickers by now. Iris was fairly certain she’d just said she wanted to be with him. And really? She kind of did. But it was also a test. A playful prod to see how he’d react. And maybe… just maybe… to hear him speak Greek again. Damn him and that accent.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Just as Iris called him a dork, his heart fluttered again, seemed fo skip a beat. From her that was nothing bad at all, it rather sounded like the most affectionate nick name. And really, he liked how sweet the word slipped out of her mouth. How happy she said it, always going hand in hand with her laugh. That sparked pure happiness in his own heart, made him the happiest he ever felt. Thinking about it, the last week was actually the best that happened to him in the last few months. He was just genuinely happy around her, the blonde literally felt like a safe space for him. They could have just some casual banter, but also have a more serious conversation. They had cooked, sang and cleaned up together — and always had fun with whatever task it was. Honestly, the brown-haired couldn’t even remember the last time he had been 'this happy. Especially around someone else. They understood each other’s sarcasm and jokes like they were a couple for decades now. And from the outside most people would probably guess they were infact a couple. Sometimes it really felt like it, but then again came their flustered moments, stopping before even thinking about committing those feelings to the other.

Theo's head shot up, his brown eyes widened. She had heard him! Okay, okay, stay calm! Suddenly he got all jittery, almost stumbling over his own words, the pink tint back in his cheeks.
"Well..uh..I..uhm…yes…yeah, actually I would.."
, he stammered out a literal chaos of words, but his answer was clear.
Yes, he indeed wanted to stay here.
More than anything else actually. Going back to living alone, living without Iris being around would be hell on earth for him.
"Only if you’re fine with that, of course…"


"What ? No!"
He wouldn’t say his apartment was better, not at all. Maybe a little bit friendlier looking with all these colors and maybe things fitting better together. But after staying here the whole week, Theo felt more like this was where he wanted to stay — where he wanted to get up in the morning, where he wanted to drift to sleep at night and where he wanted to spend his daydreams coming true with the blonde.
"Your apartment is great! With all these antiquities and different collectives, it almost looks a little ancient. But it’s very homey here, very much like you."
From Theo, that was a big compliment. Usually he was a little averse of staying at other’s places, even hotels were sometimes a problem. But here, he felt like it was heaven, like he belonged here. He just got so comfortable after only that one week.

Oh, but the couch. Yeah, he missed the couch also a little. Thinking about it, maybe they could…
"Well, isn’t like we could get it over here. I'm sure there is some space still waiting for it."
It was half serious and half joke. But if Iris wanted to have it here, of course they would bring it over to her place. If she thought it was perfect for sleeping and making out, why not get that perfect thing in here.

Hobbling out of the elevator, he flashed Iris one of her special soft smiles, while gently whispering to the blonde.
"Maybe because there wasn’t someone like you here before you."
A small but risky flirt, though now they already had talked about the topic of staying with her in her apartment, he could get a little more risky.

As Theo heard, that Iris had already practiced some Greek expressions herself, his eyes lit up with anticipation. He was already so excited to hear her try to pronounce the words. It was hard to speak without having the rolling 'r's, he knew, but it would surely sound even cuter when Iris still tried to get the words out.

From the brown-haired Derek got a friendly greeting smile, together with a small nod. They hadn’t seen each other for almost the whole week now. It was good to see that literal ray of sunshine again.

Oh, hells! That sounded so much sweeter than he had expected. And it was almost perfectly pronounced for someone who didn’t speak the language! Theo nodded eagerly.
"Yess, one-hundred points for you."
That already caught him off guard, made him swoon again. But he was able to still stay on his feet.

The thing that came next, was what made him swoon even more. So much, he had to take a break and steady himself with a hand reaching to the wall. Even if it wasn’t perfectly pronounced, the brown-haired got what she wanted to tell him. And that was the ultimate victory.

He chuckled nervously.
"Well, almost. It is definitely romantic."
The blush on his lips got a deeper shade of pink by the second, he had to find his words in the chaos swirling in his mind. The way she looked at him, so innocent, seeming like she lacked the knowledge of the actual translation. Another nervous chuckle, along with brushing his hair back.
Okay, now she had him.
Even more than a melted puddle.
If that was even possible.

"You know.."
The chuckle became flustered.
"It’s more in a romantic way than you think."
His eyes slowly crept up to meet hers, they looked so sincere, so much in love right now.
"It’s more like…I want to be with you…than to go somewhere.."
Suddenly his cheeks got even more pink, flustered in the best possible way.

After he had caught himself again — at least a tiny bit — he wanted to add something to the clear flirt.
"But..but you know what would sound even better out of your mouth ?"
Theo cleared his throat, a smirk on his lips.
"Thélo na íme mazí sou gia pánta, flogéra mou."
She didn’t understand unless he would explain it to her, so he could go all in with this flirt. It was basically, what she told him, just much much stronger.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg

Iris was going to have to sit down and dissect what exactly Theo meant by saying he enjoyed staying with her so much. Was it the medication talking? Some weird side effect that made him overly affectionate? Or maybe he was just enjoying the company, the feeling of not being alone. No… that couldn’t be it. Her place was pure chaos. If it wasn’t her clutter, it was the neighbors barging in with odd little trinkets or strange antiques. And while she adored every one of them—like living in the middle of an ever-spinning curiosity cabinet—surely it had to be exhausting for someone like Theo to constantly smile and play nice. Right?

She blinked, noticing a sudden flush in his cheeks. He looked like he was overheating. A spike of concern made her reach out instinctively, fingers brushing his arm to steady him. Was he wobbling? Or had she said something far worse than she’d realized? She couldn’t exactly trust Google translations, after all. What if she’d called him a pig? Or asked to—what, swap skins? Was that even a thing? She was certain she had gotten the right translation, maybe she had been wrong?

“Oh shit,” she muttered under her breath, watching his face turn an even deeper shade of red—one she didn’t think humanly possible. “So it is romantic?” she laughed, lifting a curious brow. Her voice softened with amusement, but her heart thudded in her chest. Theo was......this was...he was...flirting? That had to be what this was. A clever, quiet sort of flirting—sneaky, even—when he slipped into that velvet-smooth Greek. Her blush crept higher, spreading up her neck as she puffed her lips out thoughtfully.

Cheeky. Definitely cheeky. Was he always like this? Was this his thing? A charming little tomcat who knew exactly what to say to make someone feel like the sun had singled them out?

But then, doubt crept in—slow and familiar, curling like smoke in her gut. Theo was constantly surrounded by people. If it had been someone else who’d gone to the hospital with him… someone else who offered to care for him… would he be saying the same things to them? Was she just another warm body in the lineup of kindness?

Kindness gets your heart broken, Iris.

Her father’s voice, cold and sharp, echoed in her skull. She opened her mouth, unsure if she wanted to parrot what Theo had said or bury it. Was this all some elaborate trick? Another man, another angle—using her family’s name, her softness, to gain ground in life? What if… no. No. Dahlia would have warned her. The old woman had practically snarled at Jackson. But she adored Theo. And Phillip? He wouldn’t shut up about how much Theo reminded him of himself back in the day. Now that she’d seen Theo shirtless, well... she could see what Phillip meant.

Focus, Iris, she scolded herself, shaking her head like she could rattle the intrusive thoughts loose.

“Thélo na…” she paused, licking her lower lip, brows furrowed as she tried to mimic his pronunciation. “Íme mazí sou gia pánta, flogéra mou?” she said at last, turning to meet his gaze, her voice both hesitant and daring.

“What does that mean?” she asked, laughing—though it was more flustered than amused. “And what do you mean by that would be better to hear?” Her eyes gleamed as she narrowed them playfully. “What exactly are you making me say, Sir Skordilis?” Her tone was syrupy with flirtation, rich and teasing, like she couldn’t help herself anymore. Still grinning, she nudged him forward, urging him along the path. “Come on,” she added, voice light but coaxing. “Katie’s gonna come drag us by the ears if we take any longer.”



 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















To be honest, Theo didn’t mind that so-called chaos at all, he probably even adored it as much as Iris. Growing up, the brown-haired was used to having a lot of people around, walking in and out. His family has a pretty huge estate in Greece, his parents and both sides of his grandparents living there — a three-sided yard. Big orchard to the right side, big garden behind the main part of his parents. There were always at least nine people around, more if his aunts or uncles came over.
Sure, there was much more space than here in the blonde's apartment but Theo loved always having someone around — to talk, which he always did, when they brought in some new part for Iris' treasure chest. And honestly, that sweet smile of his came just naturally.

"It is.."
, he repeated with a smirk, one that was a mix of being flustered and looking mischievous. Listening to her say it, the smirk got wider and a lot more excited. He nodded eagerly. That was good! Great even! The pronunciation maybe not exactly on point, but who cares. She did great for not speaking Greek at all.

Maybe he did look like he was just trying to charm her — like those other macho men did — but the way his pupils dilated when he looked at Iris, the way his smile got softer didn’t mistake the obvious fact that he was in love. Theo did not care about her famous last name, he was here for her and just her. And it wasn’t just Iris' pure luck that she had been the one to accompany him to the hospital, even the nurses guessed they were a couple, actually Theo found her pretty cute since the first rehearsal. And even if they maybe thought it wasn’t that serious, Theo had never mentioned someone in a call with his mother so often like he had Iris. Though they agreed on not using her name all the time to not make her nervous if she overheard her name in a conversation in a language she didn’t speak.

It was clear to all of his family members that overheard him talking about Iris, or even talking to her, while he had his family on the phone call, that he was in love. Theo always seemed so excited and happy, when he mentioned her. His laugh sounded more genuine. He had never acted that way with his previous relationships.

"Well..,"
, he chuckled softly, looking at her. He was still swooning over the sweet sound of the blonde’s voice, trying to stammer out what he just said.
"It means I want to stay with you forever,.."
, he blurted out, still looking at her, basically admiring her smile, the way she was laughing, he soft little dimples showing.
"..my flame."
The brown-haired said that part of the translation in a soothing, almost more than flirty, way.

The way the blonde said it made Theo swoon over and over again, when he thought he had just steadied his footing. The blush was ever present, ever showing how much he adored Iris. Though the soft nudge finally seemed to work to bring him back into reality.
"Yeah, yeah, let’s not test that out."
, he agreed with a chuckle, stumbling forward before he seemed to get steadier again and fall back into the usual hobble. Trying even to be a little faster, so they would get to the theater a little quicker and not let Katie worry for much longer.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg

“My flame?” Iris echoed, eyes widening as Theo strode ahead. She pressed a hand to her wrist, trying to calm the erratic flutter of her pulse. It was racing—wild and unpredictable, like she’d just finished a marathon. A marathon named Theo. Honestly, how did he always win these flirting matches? He played dirty. Iris groaned inwardly and followed in silence, her cheeks glowing crimson, her gaze glued stubbornly to the pavement beneath her feet.

By the time they reached the theater, Katie was hunched over the front door, trying to break in with nothing but a stick and a leaf. The mousey woman grumbled to herself, muttering about not getting paid enough to be the building’s part-time locksmith. Iris folded her arms and crept up behind her, leaning in with a whisper laced in playful venom. “Katie.” The poor woman yelped, flinging her leaf and stick in opposite directions as she spun around, already stammering out frantic apologies.

“Relax, Katie—geez.” Iris let out a soft laugh, a sound so rare it gave Katie pause. The warmth in her voice wasn’t something people around the theater were used to hearing. Usually, Iris would’ve drawn out the scolding, maybe thrown in a dramatic sigh or barked a few crisp orders. But today, all her usual bite had simmered into something softer. Gentler. She pointed behind her toward Theo, who was still making his way toward the door.

“Can you help Theo up?” she asked, voice lower now, more composed. “I’ll get the lights on, and then you can go do whatever it is you need to do. We’ll stay on the main stage.” Without waiting for a reply, Iris slipped through the door and disappeared inside. Magic sparked to life behind her, or rather Iris could find the light switches even in the pitch darkness, bathing the lobby in soft, glowing light. Her fingers still trembled faintly as she fiddled with the switches, the thrum of her heartbeat refusing to calm.

Katie, still blinking like she was seeing double, straightened up and made a beeline for Theo.

“Hey, Theo,” she greeted, her usual friendly grin returning as she reached out to offer him a hand. “You sure you didn’t, like… cast some kind of spell on her? The demon of the theater is actually being nice today.”

She laughed, clearly teasing. “Pretty sure this is the third time in a row Iris hasn’t stomped in here acting like the building offended her.” The theater lights flickered fully to life then, chasing away the shadows. Inside, Iris was already moving toward the stage, a quiet figure surrounded by warmth, laughter—and maybe something that looked suspiciously like affection.

 
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