“There’s slow… and then there’s you,” Colm remarked, smirk tugging at his mouth as his gaze flicked sidelong. “Next time, I’m getting you a pair of Heelys. That way at least I can give you a little push. Or a big one, if it’s downhill.” His tone was light, but the grin he wore said he’d enjoy the image far too much.
He let the joke hang for a moment before rolling his shoulders, expression shifting just slightly. “Slowing down’s not exactly my strong suit,” he admitted. As a healer, his days rarely allowed it. People didn’t wait politely to get injured, and emergencies never arrived at convenient hours. He lived in the rhythm of urgency: quick decisions, quick movements, no luxury of pause. Even now, when there wasn’t any urgency pressing down, he still carried that restless energy like a second skin.
"So when I do get the chance to slow down, I never really know how. Feels unnatural... like I’m just waiting for the next call, the next knock at the door.” His smirk returned, though this one was smaller, tinged with honesty. “Guess that’s why I keep pushing forward. Easier than sitting still.”
"Heelys," he echoed as though trying to place the name to an image. "Are those the shoes with the wheels in them? Man– that would be a nightmare to be barreling down a hill in those. People surely had to have ended up in the hospital when they were popular, right?" Damien let out a vague chuckle at the mental image Colm had painted for him.
"All the more reason for you to try and enjoy yourself here and now," he told him with a levity to it after hearing the honest undertones in Colm's response. It was because he had such a high demanding and tense job that it was important for him to find ways to unwind. He deserved to let himself relax after such highly intense workdays. "I understand that, I really do," he empathized, "but hopefully you can still find enjoyment in this hike with your old loser of a best friend," he added lightheartedly, giving Colm a nudge when he'd caught up to him again.
