ocean eyes ;

Drew chuckled softly when Aiyla admitted that her mother had hated him once upon a time. He understood it. If he was part of her family--he'd have hated himself too. And while he may not tell her right now, he had despised himself for hurting her the way he had. But at that time, the idea of a future with Aiyla didn't seem likely. Drew had allowed the pain and betrayal from his brother to seep into his world and seeing what happened with Tess and Ryan had ultimately made him believe that he and Aiyla wouldn't make it either. And Drew really hadn't wanted to hold her back from finding the love she deserved. "Well honestly if I ever head down to Turkey, please know I'm going to find your mother just to tell her how incredible her daughter is," he told her with a smile before nodding when she agreed with his statement about them being better than everyone else.

When he admitted to feeling down because of what he'd seen, he hadn't expected this reaction from Aiyla. Honestly it had caught him by surprise but he still had to understand what her thought process was for thinking the way she did. "Doing what to myself? Admitting it bothered me?" Because it certainly had. "Or..something else?" He needed to talk this through with someone and yet he knew most people wouldn't understand the same way Aiyla wouldn't. He took a small sip from his coffee before he heard her words and had to let out a hollow laugh, they both clearly thought the other deserved the world, too bad they hadn't been able to be that for one another instead. "Yeah? What do I deserve Aiyla? Because I sure as hell didn't deserve you back then, and I don't deserve this with Georgie so why don't you tell me...what do I deserve?" He didn't let his voice raise too much, keeping in mind that they were in public but it was hard for his emotions not to seep in at this point. | @aiylademirci

"No! No-" Aiyla huffed a heavy sigh, her gaze falling again to the half eaten croissant on her plate that she had been picking at. "That isn't what I meant and you know that." she spoke through almost gritted teeth, the muscles in her jaw tense as her eyes met his again. She had never and would never criticise or judge someone for feeling a certain way, but with Drew, her mouth had moved faster than her brain had processed any thoughts. The two had never really experienced arguments, even when they were dating. Things with Drew had always been soft and simple, but in a healing kind of way. To experience temper and frustration between one another was entirely new territory for the pair, one they didn't know how to navigate.

"I'm sorry that Georgie's behaviour is bothering you. But... It's the fact that you're letting her treat you this way. Like you're... Second best. Because you're not." Aiyla paused, silence filling the space between them as her leg nervously bounced under the table. "You're not second best, but you're settling for someone who is making you feel that way and I can't understand why." maybe it was because she had always held Drew on such a high pedestal, or maybe it was because she had never truly gotten over what could have been. But either way, Aiyla had once again found herself fighting for a man to see in himself everything that she saw too.

“Really? Tell me she likes me…come on,” Drew said with a grin as he looked over at Aiyla. He hoped the other woman liked him, despite everything that had occurred in his and Aiyla’s relationship. He was normally pretty good with parents and while he hadn’t had the chance to meet Aiyla’s, he liked to think that as their daughter’s first boyfriend—he had their approval. He was nodding at her before shrugging and giving her another smile with a wink. “I think it’s because we’re inherently such great people that we couldn’t let this friendship go because of all that…” and it was true. Because Aiyla was someone that Drew never wanted to experience his life without. She was truly someone who’d seen him grow and those people were very special in his life and he wanted it to remain that way always.

He took his time and took a sip from his coffee before he told Aiyla what was wrong and what had soured his mood from earlier. Her response had certainly caught him off guard though. Drew’s eyes darted up as soon as she asked him that question point blank which unfortunately had his mind telling him that no, Georgie hadn’t been thinking about him. But he saw the way she regretted her words instantly before he caught the way she was avoiding his gaze now. He didn’t like that. The beauty about their relationship was that they didn’t hide anything from one another. “No.” He told her simply before taking a sip from his coffee once more. “That was…a short lived thing and now it’s more just, I don’t know Aiyla, friends with benefits I guess? I don’t even know what the hell we’re doing at this point,” that admittance came quietly because it was Drew admitting that he didn’t have it all figured out the way he liked to pretend like he did. | @aiylademirci

"Oh she likes you. She hated you for a little while, naturally." she teased Drew with a soft chuckle. "But now she likes you again. She'd love to meet you. She'd probably be a little too excited about it too." Aiyla confessed with a smile. Her mother had known of Drew for 14 years now, but had never met the man. There had been a lot of ups and downs between Aiyla and Drew, but things had very much levelled off to a point where they could be good, supportive friends to one another. "That's exactly it, we're just simply better than everyone else." she agreed with laughter. They had learned to live with one another moving on, and once that had been accepted, there was clearly no holding them back.

"Drew, c'mon." she gave him a pointed look. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" clearly Aiyla wasn't thinking an awful lot before she spoke, and hurting Drew's feelings was the last thing she wanted to do. She just couldn't understand why he was pining over someone who wasn't pining over him. It wasn't a distaste for Georgie that Aiyla possessed, it was... Something else. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on and could quite happily ignore. "You know you deserve better than friends with benefits with Georgie." the muscles in her jaw tightened, her stubbornness taking a strong hold within her mind.

ozanxbulut

The vineyard, more than home, was the place where Ozan had learned that hard, manual work helped him. He could fixate on work and get through a particularly hard day and sometimes that was all it took; to get through the day. He'd always helped his employees, even before he became the boss and the only reason why he wasn't still helping was that he was officially not focused. Blame it on Aiyla staring at him or the fact that he wanted to stare at her, too. It didn't matter. Work was officially out of the equation now that she was involved. "The only problem you may have there is that you show up and the big boss gets a little distracted, but I will do my best." His smile widened as she moved just a little closer to him, his eyes mischievous and warm as they met hers.

"Don't start. I can't even say anything to them 'cause they've been right all this time." He mumbled, trying to sound annoyed. Truthfully, Ozan couldn't care less about what his employees had to say and that much was clear as he reached for her hands once he was close enough and laced their fingers together, making the distance between them almost disappear completely. Ozan used his hold on her hands to bring her arms around his waist, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. A part of him wondered what the right thing to do was, but all he could think about was how much she'd put herself out there to show him how she felt. He wanted her to see that he wanted the same thing. "Hm, you're my kind of surprise." He nodded easily, grinning back at her. "I'd love to have dinner tonight. Do you want me to come over earlier so I can help you cook?"

#is she not the freakin cutest #( thread; ozan bulut 04. )

"Oh, you get distracted, huh?" she peered up at Ozan, her eyes innocent but her grin mischievous. She had spent years being distracted by him, but now it felt like something they could finally voice, and lean into. It was an air of playfulness they had always possessed, but now it felt as if they were finally allowed to indulge in it without fear of rejection. "Maybe I'll have to come as a customer next time, and not as a friend." Aiyla suggested with a teasing smile. "Someone who needs the expertise of the guy who runs the place. I'd be very willing to pay for his time." she grinned knowingly, her fingers interlocking with his as he pulled her closer.

"Maybe you should listen to them more often." Aiyla mused. "Who knows what else you've missed out on by not listening to them?" she reminded him with an amused chuckle. Although Aiyla heavily believed in fate, and fate did exactly what it intended. It had made them wait, it had made them suffer separately, and together. Allowing them to deepen the bond that way already there, maybe because fate had always planned for it to happen this way. Her arms around Ozan's waist felt natural, instinctive. Like their incessant proximity to one another was more of a need, than a want. "Even better." Aiyla grinned. "Because I'm not 100% sure I can remember how to make manti so I was hoping you'd offer your hand in the kitchen since you're way better at cooking than I am."

rianward

Lee simply nodded, his chin dipping to meet his chest for a moment. He wasn’t sure that Aiyla really did know; he might’ve used every excuse, including spending time with her, to stay out of the house when he was young and his father didn’t really care about him. But when Benjamin’s attention shifted, he’d shut her out, thinking he was protecting her. The ramifications of that choice were a million times more complicated than that alone, but the point remained — he’d never let her see just how uneasy the Abhrams household could be. He certainly didn’t know what to make of the claim that he was meant for more than their hometown. “I think that’s debatable, but— it would be nice, wouldn’t it? To be able to hang out regularly?” Lee didn’t know why he was painting this particular picture — he wasn’t planning on staying, and Aiyla clearly didn’t expect it of him. And yet, there was a part of him that wanted the connection that came with living in the same place as his closest friends. Even if Aiyla couldn’t really qualify for that spot anymore, not after so much time … but Lee was struck by the realization that he’d like it if she could. And the only way he’d ever have a shot of getting that back was sticking around.

“Yeah, you. Come on, I know you’re not just going to work and coming back home again.” Maybe there wasn’t anything that made for a good story, but Lee didn’t care about the story, he cared about her. “I think that sounds fantastic. You should do it, hundred percent.” Lee didn’t know much when it came to nursing, but he did know Aiyla — or, at least, he had. Either way, he was pretty certain if she was confident enough to voice something like this aloud, she was more than ready to make it happen. “I’m not sure how much help I’d be, but I’ve got a bunch of time on my hands — if you want help studying, or whatever, I’m here, okay? I’ll quiz you, bring snacks …” | @aiylademirci

#( thread; lee abhrams 01. )

Aiyla swallowed heavily at his question, making sure a soft smile still remained upon her lips despite it not quite reaching her eyes. His question weighed down upon her shoulders because truthfully, she somewhat held a lack of trust with Lee. He had been one of her closest friends, if not best friend, when she was younger and he had so easily pushed her aside. Who was to say he wasn't going to do it again? Aiyla believed that everyone deserved a second chance, of course, but at what cost? To get burnt again? "It would be nice." she finally confessed. There was no denying that their friendship wasn't what it used to be, but that didn't mean they couldn't try and get it back there again. "I just... Miss you, you know? And I know you're not the kid I knew years ago, but I want to meet this version of you. If you'll let me."

Her future had been something Aiyla had always invested time into because after watching her parents' failures, she had learnt that she was the only person she could depend on for some kind of stability. But now she had attained that stability, with a good job and a her own home she had made her own. She had good friends, and a life that made her happy. But that didn't mean she felt fulfilled. "You think?" she asked Lee, her nose scrunching a little. "It's scary, but that's good, right? Don't they say that if something is scary then you need to do it? Because then you know it's important to you." perhaps it was time for Aiyla to do something for herself.

The smile on his face continued to grow at the thought of visiting Turkey with Aiyla. He knew for sure that she would be the best person to travel with especially heading to that part of the world. Not only would she take him to the best spots, but it would make it easier to understand their culture that much more. He had always been curious to learn about the Turkish culture and customs when they’d been dating and luckily Aiyla had been willing and patient enough to teach him some things. “Awww—damn what a weird messed up relationship we have. You’ll introduce me to your mother years after we dated and broke up,” he said with a laugh even if the amusement wasn’t entirely there in his laugh. Breaking up with Aiyla had been something he’d done because he’d been a fool and while he couldn’t go back to the dumb Drew Parrish at 18 years old, he wondered often if life would’ve turned out differently if they had stayed together all this time.

“Sounds good,” he told her with a smile before heading to the counter and placing her order, making sure to specify that they warmed up the croissant while he returned to the table with the goods after a couple of minutes. It was only once they’d been chatting a little more that Drew finally spoke about what was messing with his mind on that particular day. “I—saw Georgie with um Jace earlier at the building,” he told Aiyla with a shrug before he let out another hollow laugh. “And while I know she’s free to do what she wants, it just…it pissed me off to see her messing around with someone like that.” Shit, he shouldn’t be telling any of this to Aiyla, she wouldn’t want to hear about his messy confusion of course. They were friends but that was…crossing a line, wasn't it? | @aiylademirci

"Trust me, my mother finds out friendship fascinating." she chuckled with a gentle eye roll. Herself and Drew had been the topic of many phone calls with her mother over the years, even just the mere mention of his name caused an influx of personal questions. "Although I'd say you and I have absolutely smashed all post break-up cliches and ex stereotypes. We are probably in the 1% of exes who have made it to basically best friends." it had taken them years to get to this point though, to be comfortable enough with their history in order to be able to put it behind them and draw the positives from their relationship together.

She had welcomed Drew with a warm smile as he returned with her order, making quick work of the croissant as she delicately picked at it with her fingers. Although when the topic turned to Georgie, Aiyla tried her best to not let her facial expression slip. It wasn't that she didn't like the woman, Georgie was great by all means, but just... Not with Drew. "Do you think she was worried about you while she was with Jace?" Aiyla snapped, although she was quickly flooded with regret. "I'm sorry, that wasn't fair." she sighed gently, her gaze averting his. Her fingers toyed with her coffee cup as she patiently assessed her next words. "Are you guys dating again?"

ozanxbulut

Ozan grinned widely as soon as he heard her voice and turned around to see her despite the two heavy boxes in his arms. He'd spent most of the day helping the crew pack a large out-of-state order of their signature bottle into a truck, which meant he had been carrying boxes of wine for hours now, felt sweaty, tired and a little irritated for the past hour. So, when the smile showed up on his face just at the sight of Aiyla, he could hear a few of the guys snickering behind him. He ignored them though, opting to focus on what really mattered instead. "You should see us when we're picking grapes, it's a party." Ozan retorted, continuing his way to the truck to place the boxes in carefully and going back for another round of boxes.

He could feel her eyes following him and though it wasn't something particularly new to have her at the vineyard while he tried to work, everything had changed since they had kissed at her place. For good. Ozan had been worried about awkwardness or regrets, but the more time passed, the more he realized that wasn't a possibility for them. It felt like everything they'd been through had led to whatever they were becoming now. After putting another pair of boxes in the truck, he began making his way over to her, rosy cheeks and hair messy visible as he got close enough so only she could hear his words, his eyes not leaving her. "If you keep looking at me like that, they're never gonna shut up, you know?" Ozan whispered teasingly, eyeing her outfit. "I didn't know you were coming over. I would have made myself more presentable for you."

#( thread; ozan bulut 04. )

"Well then I'll just have to come back another day to see the big boss in action." Aiyla teased softly, her eyes watching his every subtle movement as he moved towards her. His comradery with work was one of the many things she adored about Ozan, he had never been the kind of boss to sit behind a desk and bark orders. Being a hard worker had always been something hugely attractive to Aiyla because it had been instilled into her as a child, and she carried it with her into adulthood. Sure, Ozan had suffered his losses and his woes, but he always pulled himself back up. Aiyla had often been there to support him, but all the perseverance and hard work had been Ozan's alone.

"If they were ever going to stop, they would've stopped a long time ago." she softly reminded him, with a quiet chuckle. "But, at least now we can give them something worthwhile to talk about." not that she wanted his employees to be gossiping about their boss' personal life, but it meant that now it wasn't all rumours and speculations. "Besides," Aiyla began as she inched closer, her doe eyes peering up at Ozan. "I wanted to surprise you and I wanted to ask if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight. I'm making manti." an innocent smile lay comfortably on her lips, knowing that there was no way he would be able to resist homecooked Turkish cuisine, or Aiyla's smile.

Drew’s eyes widened as he heard Aiyla’s travel plans, a smile was on his face as she spoke about how nice it would be to go back to Turkey. “You need a travel companion? Maybe I’ll tag along. I've always wanted to see Turkey.” He may have said this with a laugh in his voice but somewhere he knew he couldn’t tag along like that. It would give her mother the wrong impression, it would give a lot of people the wrong impression and while Aiyla and Drew might be able to see it as two friends travelling, it would open a can of worms everywhere else. “But seriously—that sounds really nice and I think a break like that would be really good for you. Give you a chance to recharge away from the hospital.”

He mentioned offering to pay for their coffee when she paused and turned to look at him. “Yes I do remember,” he chuckled before nodding with a smile, “Good—you order an extra large if you want Aiyla, I’m not going to refuse to pay for it,” he grinned before allowing her to pull him into the coffee shop before they headed to a table. It was a good choice in location that she’d picked—allowing the privacy if he did feel the need to talk. “I think we can do both,” he told her with a smile before asking her what she wanted. “Let me get our coffee and pastries first, and then we’ll talk…deal?” | @aiylademirci

"Turkey is a beautiful country. You'd be travelling with the right person too, I know all the best spots that only the locals know about." she reminded Drew with a proud grin. "Besides, my mom has heard enough about you that she'd probably be glad to finally put a face to the name." Aiyla rolled her eyes with a smile. There was no denying that her mom knew all about the heartbreak that followed her and Drew's break up when they were younger. But what confused her mom was the continued friendship afterwards, always pestering Aiyla about the potential of any residue feelings between the two of them. But Aiyla had been quick and stern to shut down that possibility, because there was no way she would be able to survive Drew twice.

"Well in that case," she eyed the menu on the wall behind him. "I'll take a large latte with oat milk and a pistachio croissant, please and thank you." Aiyla smiled warmly, shrugging off her jacket and draping it over the back of her chair whilst she waited for Drew to return to their table.

deanharlan

Damn. Dean really wanted that carrot cake. Blue eyes ventured a look over his shoulder and ended up falling way down to the petite woman that had offered up some help to the tourist. If he could be called that. "I don't really like nuts." It was a strange thing to say, especially to a stranger, and that was reason for the little smile that formed. His visit to Covington had come on the heels of heartache. This little moment of sunshine had been unexpected yet very welcome. "You sure your friendship is off the offer if I go for that cake?" Dean shifted his feet so he could angle toward her for better conversation. "I'm here for a wild little filly that got away, a safe bet sure isn't it. So what do you say about the cornflake tart, or the apple spiced muffins," then he pointed to one last item, "or that clotted cream fudge?" ( @aiylademirci )

#( thread; dean harlan 01. )

"Got it, no nuts." she nodded with a gentle frown, although her features still lit up from the smile upon her lips. "Hmmmm, I guess I could be persuaded." Aiyla confessed. "Although that would entirely depend on what drink you order." she warned him jokingly, stepping forwards so that it didn't appear he was towering over her. "Oh?" her eyes danced with intrigue at his words, her smile still highlighting the soft ruby tone of her cheeks. "Well in that case, you'd better go for the clotted cream fudge because if you're chasing the one that got away, you're gonna need something real sweet to win them back. Not that your smile and charm isn't going to be enough, of course. But something sweet never did any harm." Aiyla added with a warm smile, quickly reminding herself that she was sure a complete stranger didn't really need her mindless ramblings.

LOCATION: The Sipping Cup WITH: @deanharlan

It wasn't very often Aiyla would find herself in any other coffee shop other than Bread & Butter, but she was in the downtown area and felt a sudden craving for a caffeine and sugar rush. She eyed the man stood in front of her in the queue, clearly taking his time deliberating what to eat. Aiyla took a step closer, clearing her throat lightly as not to make him jump. "If you're a chocolate kind of guy, definitely go for this one-" she pointed at one of the pastries on display. "Or, oh! The pistachio croissant is incredible. But if you tell me the carrot cake is your favourite then I'm really sorry but we could never be friends." she teased jokingly. "A safe bet is the cinnamon swirl, but you've found yourself all the way down here in Covington so something tells me you're not here for a safe bet." Aiyla mused gently, with a smile.

#im sorry she talks a lot lmao #( thread; dean harlan 01. )

LOCATION: Wolf Mountain Vineyard WITH: @ozanxbulut

Since the moment they had shared in Aiyla's kitchen, things had shifted between herself and Ozan. They felt entirely like themselves still, in every way possible, but somehow entirely different. They felt more... Free, as if certain limitations had been lifted and now they had the space to explore them. It felt as if she had been holding onto such longing and curiosity for so much time now, but the kiss they shared subsided any hidden fears or hesitation - for the time being.

"Oh wow," her grin grew wider as she approached Ozan, almost wishing she had watched him from afar for a moment longer. "They really put you to work here, huh?" Aiyla raised an eyebrow gently, knowing that his employees in question had likely returned to gossiping amongst themselves. She moved to stand under a nearby tree, her shoulder leaning against its trunk as she folded her arms, her eyes following Ozan's every movement.

#( thread; ozan bulut 04. )

It was almost second-nature for Aiyla to step into work mode, the regular happy-go-lucky self had taken a backseat and the level-headed professional took control. Years of training and working in the field had meant Aiyla could switch between the two in the click of the finger. Of course, she still had her usual sunshine attitude with her patients but she also knew when something was serious. And with the way Asher was screaming and crying, and the way Jameson was panicking, she knew this wasn't a regular occurrence for the child, and Jameson needed all the reassurance he could get.

"Okay, okay." Aiyla nodded, her eyes solely on Jameson although she watched every movement in her peripheral. Luckily the nurse examining Asher was checking all the vital signs that Aiyla would, although her job of questioning Jameson was arguably just as important. "Did you use anything different in the bath? Have you been trying any new foods?" from the simple observations Aiyla had made, her initial diagnosis would be a strong allergic reaction to something, and from the glances from the other nurse, it seemed she shared Aiyla's suspicions.

"I know it's difficult to think back right now, but was there anything out of the ordinary?" Aiyla hoped it was an allergic reaction, because they were simple enough to manage. An IV drip and epinephrine if necessary, and then ongoing management of the allergy would be enough, maybe even blood tests. "Jameson, we are going to do everything we can, okay?" although she imagined no amount of words could pierce through Asher's cries.

jamesonxcarter

Jameson wasn’t thinking straight. He hated hospitals and everything that they stood for. And the fact that now, he was back, again due to something to happen to a child in his care. He was close to spiraling if only because his mind forced him to recall the decision that had shattered his life years ago. Rationally, he knew that this situation was nothing like that. Rationally, he knew that if he wanted to be a good guardian for Asher in that moment, he would need to get a grip and focus on his nephew. But it was growing more and more difficult as his wailing continued and Jameson couldn’t figure out how to get him to stop.

Between the chaos, it was Aiyla’s gentle and soothing voice that managed to ground him slightly. Her clear cut instructions reminded him of what he needed to do in this moment. He needed to explain everything that happened leading up to this moment so that they could treat Asher properly. He looked up and met her gaze, trying to calm himself down as he mentally walked through anything new that they had done that day that was different from before. “Um no, nothing new in the bath. The same thing as usually,” he explained, voice shaking slightly. She assured him that they would do everything they could, but he’d heard a similar promise in the past. One that hadn’t panned out in his favor.

Regardless, he took her word for it in that moment and nodded, still going through everything in his mind. And then he realized the difference between the day and all other days. “Blueberries. He tried blueberries for the first time today.” And he began to understand that maybe what she was suggesting was, “you think he’s allergic to blueberries?” He wasn’t sure if she could know that just by the symptoms alone without actually running tests. But maybe.

#hospital tw #allergic reaction tw #can u tell i did research lmao #( thread; jameson carter 01. )

"Blueberries, okay." Aiyla nodded softly, her eyes moving to the nurse assessing Asher. The both held an understanding within their gaze, and she watched as the other nurse began to practice ABC, making sure to check Asher's airways for any swelling or constriction. If it was an allergic reaction, it seemed to be topical, which was good. "Okay so what we're going to do is help Asher breathe a little bit better," Aiyla gave another nod to the nurse who gently placed an oxygen mask over the child's mouth, loosely holding it there until he felt comfortable breathing through it. "And then," Aiyla placed her hand upon Jameson's arm, guiding him closer now that the initial examination was over so that he could be closer to Asher, calming him and holding him if needed. "We're going to administer just a little bit epinephrine to see if that eases the symptoms." she was careful to explain every step to Jameson. From what she knew of him, and from what she knew of other caregivers, it was important for her to explain every step they were taking so that he didn't panic even more. "We're going to monitor him for the next 10 to 15 minutes, administer more if we need to, but-" Aiyla stepped aside to allow the nurse space to administer the shot into Asher's thigh. "I think we're going to be just fine, alright?" she smiled warmly, noting how Asher had already began to calm down. "I'm going to give you a couple minutes, and grab some forms." she gave a small nod to the other nurse, making sure she remained there to observe Asher just in case.

10 minutes later...

"He seems to be reacting well." Aiyla noted softly as she slipped back into the room. The crying had subdued but she could still see that Asher was restless, as was Jameson. "The rash doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but we'd like to keep him in for another four to six hours just for some routine observations. If you're happy for us to, we'd like to set up an IV for him with some fluids and gentle medication just to manage it, and keep it at bay." she moved to place the forms down on a nearby surface. "This is all entirely routine, but I think it goes without saying to avoid blueberries from now on, just to be safe." Aiyla smiled warmly, leaning against the counter. "You did the right thing by bringing him in, he's going to be just fine." she was quick to reassure Jameson, as she remembered the panic flurry he came in with.

grangerliam

Liam made his way into her apartment, hands shoved deep in his pockets, and silent. He'd eventually find himself a seat in front of the counter, watching as Aiyla began to pour their much needed drinks. "Uh, lets see -- I got my girlfriend pregnant, then accused her of trying to trap me." He recalled, "Even though, I'm more the one who'd try to trap her. And then I walked out because I had to be at this bar gig I picked up, didn't really tell her that. But I didn't walk out before, you know, she told me I was free and I didn't need to worry about her or the baby. So, now, I'm pretty sure she thinks I walked out on her and the kid. The kid has barely began to boil yet, and I'm already pulling a William Granger SR." He rambled, "You think that shit is hereditary? Being a shit dad? Shit, both my parents sucked ass. So, it'd be a double whammy."

He found that he just continued to ramble, aware himself that half the shit he was saying didn't make all that much sense. But he also never thought he'd be a dad. He was good with his siblings, with his nephew, but his own kid? Another child to add to the Granger clan? Shit -- what the fuck was he thinking.

#pregnancy tw #( thread; liam granger 03. )

Aiyla's slender fingers gripped onto the bottle of vodka, her gaze intently holding onto his as he explained everything that had been happening. "I'm just gonna-" she raised her glass to her lips, swiftly downing the liquid inside. It burned as it went down, but it was sharp enough to get her thinking clearly- well, clear enough. "What I think is that it sounds like you didn't know how to process it, freaked out and panicked, and started overthinking. Which is... Understandable." she explained gently. Unplanned pregnancies were scary enough, but with the family history that Liam had, she could understand his panic even more. "The shitty parenting doesn't have to continue with you, you know that right?" Aiyla added gently. "This could be your chance to do it right. To give your kid the childhood you never had." she paused, refilling her glass to give Liam time to think.

"Your issue isnt' that you'd be a shit dad, to be honest, I think you'd be a great dad but," she waved a hand in the air as if brushing aside that topic for another time. They had plenty of time for Aiyla to give him a pep talk, but right now, he needed to talk, and think clearly. "Your issue is that you don't communicate. You need to be honest with your girlfriend, tell her exactly what is going on in your head."

6, 15, 28

6. What is a deal-breaker when it comes to dating someone?

Aiyla is a pretty honest person, an open-book, so she would really struggle with someone who wouldn't want the same level of communication and honesty as her. She falls deeply, so she would need someone with the same commitment investment as her, or she'll just get hurt, to be honest.

15. Who do they tend to bicker with the most?

@grangerliam, but only because he generally starts it.

28. What is the most common lie your muse tells themselves?

That there's always someone better than her? I don't think Aiyla has much self-confidence, and compares herself to a lot of other people. Which is probably one of the reasons she is in the profession she is, because in her head it makes her a better person and then perhaps more appealing to others? It makes her useful, in some way.

#why did this get sad #( meme. )

grangerliam

LIAM: it was, i'm very proud. LIAM: over my dead body. LIAM: great... because i'm outside your door.

Liam pressed sent on the last message just as he turned the corner into Aiyla's apartment building. His mind racing a million miles per hour as her recalled every memory from the last few days. The sudden change of life news that he still found himself struggling to comprehend. Not that he should, he was more then aware of how something like this happened. Once the door swung open, the normally cheerful Liam wasn't the one that greeted the brunette. There was no devious plan for the night, or worry for the woman to regret opening the door. Well -- at least, not in the usual sense. He forced a smile at his friend, "Hey -- so, uh, I think I may have fucked up." He began, then shaking his head, "No, I, uh, I definitely fucked up." He awkwardly chuckled, "You got something good to drink?" @aiylademirci

#( thread; liam granger 03. )

It wasn't uncommon for Liam to just appear at Aiyla's doorstep without a moment's warning, but what was uncommon was the expression upon his face. He was usually cheery and with a trick up his sleeve, but the man stood before Aiyla felt deflated and hesitant. She frowned softly, offering Liam a silent invitation as she stepped aside so he could come in. Immediately, she grabbed a bottle of hard liqueur and two glasses. "What's happened?" Aiyla pressed as she poured themselves a drink, no doubt she would need one too after his confession. If she knew one thing about Liam, it was that he didn't possess this level of caution very often, which must have meant something was wrong.

jeremylincoln

"Hey, I know my handsome face drives you nuts and I'm just thinking about you and your ability to focus and do your job. I'm a distracting kind of beauty when I'm there. I get it." Obviously joking, he liked to see her and the other nurses smile. They worked long and hard hours and often times with difficult patients. Thankfully he hadn't done anything too stupid recently and that had kept him free from a checkin at the ER.

"Was that your subtle way of calling me Icarus?" Hand against his chest, mock offense expressed on his face. He wasn't as dumb as he looked. "You don't think I survived the transition into manhood?" The comment set his brow to raise along with his grin. Jeremy set to making Aiyla an old fashioned. "Mama's gonna get wild tonight, huh? You gonna sleep it off tomorrow or you've got some plans to kill?"

#( thread; jeremy lincoln 01. )

"Why do you think I'm always so insistent that you have to come back and get your stitches checked out? I do have brains and beauty up here, you know." she flashed Jeremy an over-exaggerated wink, before chuckling softly. "Speaking of, it doesn't look like you have much scarring at all." she nodded towards his most recent injury, which had healed up really well. "Must be down to my incredible skill." Aiyla sighed softly, tossing her hair over her shoulder before smiling cheekily.

"Hmm..." she pondered aloud, as if she were having to really deliberate Jeremy's question. "Come back to me when I haven't seen you in the hospital in the last two months and maybe my answer will be different." she teased, although there was no harm in remaining light-hearted and jovial when the world fought so hard not to be. "Oh yeah, you might have to carry me out of here." Aiyla warned jokingly. "I'll be sleeping it off, I have no plans." she confessed with a sigh, her bottom lip protruding slightly as she rested her chin upon the palm of her hand.

What was it about this woman that made it physically impossible to lie to her? Aiyla Demirci was not supposed to be this person for Drew and yet she still was. He couldn’t lie to her and feel okay about it. Even when he told her that everything was great and it was a weird day, his insides were revolting and telling him to confess the truth. If there was anyone who he could tell his truth to and get a straight answer from—it was Aiyla. Still given the intricacies of what he was feeling—he didn’t want to have to tell her, he didn’t like getting into any sort of relationship conversations with the woman who had been his first love. She’d been the person who had been there for Drew through so much in his life and she’d honestly stabilized him in a way that he’d never be able to repay.

He finally just nodded and smiled at her when she spoke about not working. “That’s good, you need a break every now and then, I’m sure the hospital will still be functioning without you. Probably not as well…but they will.” He nodded at her question, spending time with someone like Aiyla was sure to lift his spirits and maybe, just maybe he might be able to tell her what was wrong with him if he could wrap his own head around it. “I will come along with you on one condition, you don’t argue with me when I pay for both of us. Otherwise I’m not coming,” he warned her with a small smile on his face as he walked with her towards the coffee shop. | @aiylademirci

"I'm actually thinking of taking a couple weeks off and seeing my mom in Turkey." Aiyla mused gently. "It's been a while since I've been back, to be honest, and I could use a little bit of sun, sand, and sea." she chuckled softly. There was another s word Aiyla definitely felt she lacked in, but Drew was probably one of the last people who needed to know just how much she wanted to get laid. Besides, a hot Turkish man was definitely on her long list of things she currently wanted right now.

Aiyla paused as she reached for the door handle, but stopped and spun on her heel with a grin. "You do remember I live on a nurses salary, right?" she teased lightly, having no qualms with Drew insisting he paid for the both of them. "I'm definitely not going to argue if you're happy to pay for mine, in fact, I might order a large." she widened her eyes teasingly, knowing that anyone would have to sell their own kidney to afford some coffee prices these days. "C'mon," Aiyla reached for his hand as she pulled open the door, making a b-line for a table tucked away in a corner. "If you wanna talk, we can talk. If you wanna drink coffee and try every single pastry on display, then we can do that too." she rested her chin upon the palm of her hand, smiling innocently.