Look Back @matthew-petracca - Tumblr Blog

james-holbrook-deactivated20260

Who: @matthew-petracca Where: level up

There were some people that came into Elliot's life that he knew would be incredibly important to him and from the moment he had met Matt, he knew the other man fell right into that category. The two of them had hit it off almost right away and it felt like only in a matter of months he had became one of Elliot's best friends. One of the rare people that could pull out the more chaotic and goofy side of him, a side Elliot felt like he didn't get to show off a lot of the time. Feeling like he always needed to be more serious, needed to prove himself.

He had no idea how it had happened but him and Matt had both ended up with time away from work on the same day. And one thing he had been working on since becoming a dad was balancing being a parent while also still being himself. Knowing how important it was to not lose a sense of who he was just because he was now raising a baby. Thankfully he had so many people in his corner, so many helping hands, and with Sawyer in good hands for the evening, he had made plans to meet Matt at Level Up. He pulled the door open, stepping into the warmth from the cold. Letting his eyes scan over the small crowd of people, finally landing on Matt. Making his way over, Elliot clasped a hand on his shoulder in greeting, a wide grin on his face.

matthew-petracca

Matt felt like he had done nothing but work the last few weeks. His hospital shifts were long and draining, and he felt like he really only had time to sleep during his time off. Matt, being the extrovert he was, hated times like these. He needed to get out and socialize. He needed to talk to people that weren’t overworked nurses and stressed out parents of patients. He needed to dick around and let loose. So when he discovered that he and Elliot were going to have a rare shared night off together, he knew the pair had to do something.

Matt met Elliot and immediately made a connection with him. Despite working in separate departments, they crossed paths more than enough, and quickly developed a strong bond, even though it was often just Matt complaining in sign language across a hallway. Matt felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Elliot. “Where’s the kid? You know I only want to hang out with you if Sawyer is around,” he signed jokingly. “Whatever, at least I can get you wasted tonight.”

#elliot

blotchedpaper

𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: skyline lofts, unit 903. 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: monday, 10th of feb. 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿: @matthew-petracca

Santiago stood outside unit 903, his breath even, his patience less so. His attention was fixed on the deepening shade of crimson seeping through the kitchen towel wrapped around his finger. It had started as a slow bloom, petal-thin and harmless, but now it bled through in angry swirls, warm and insistent against his skin.

He exhaled sharply, tilting his head forward to rest against the doorframe. This was what happened when you tried to slice a cucumber with sleep-deprived hands and a mind too tangled to focus. The blade had been sharp - Japanese steel, a gift from some well-meaning investor. It had met his skin with such cruel efficiency that for a second, he hadn't even felt it, just saw the clean line open up before the pain came rushing in, hot and pulsing.

The emergency room had been an option. It still was. But the idea of sitting beneath flickering fluorescent lights, surrounded by the sick and the suffering, waiting hours for a doctor who didn’t give a damn about a hotelier with a non-life-threating knife wound? He wasn’t that desperate. Not yet.

Instead, he'd ended up here - Matt’s place.

Sure, Matt dealt with kids, but a stitch was a stitch, right? Santiago had no illusions about his own charm - it was a business tool, honed and effective when used with the right people - but he wasn’t above looking a little pathetic if it meant skipping a four-hour wait. Lifting his uninjured hand, he knocked, three firm raps against the door. Then, a pause. The kind that stretched just long enough for self-doubt to creep in. Maybe this was a bad idea.

matthew-petracca

Matt finally had a night to catch up with himself. The last week at work completely wiped him out, leaving his home life a mess. When he would come home from his shifts, his dirty clothes ended up on the floor, dishes would get thrown in the sink, he’d take a quick shower, and then he’d stumble into bed with his cat. Now that it was his weekend, he was left staring at the shambles he created the last five days. Thankfully it wasn’t dirty, just a mess. He was a mess, but that was just his life right now. And he finally had some time to get himself together, so he put on some generic pop music and started with the dishes.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been exactly, but he found his groove, and cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom, and had moved on to clearing out the laundry strewn across the floor. He was pulled out of his trance by a knock on his door, causing him to jump, and stumble over a pair of shoes he had yet to pick up. “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself, regathering himself, and kicking the shoes out of the way. He wondered if his downstairs neighbors could hear the amount of times he tripped. Maybe he’d get a letter from the landlord one day that someone complained about random loud thudding followed by strings of expletives.

As Matt made his way to the door, his cat began walking figure eights between his legs, meowing and nestling up to him. Not wanting to trip again Matt picked up the cat and finished the short walk to his door. “Now who could this be?” He asked the cat in a baby voice, and opened the door.

He was met with Santiago, standing there with a blood soaked kitchen towel around his finger. “Bro, what the fuck happened to you?” He asked incredulously. Before Santiago could respond, Matt moved out of the doorway, inviting him in. He contemplated making a joke about borrowing a cup of sugar, but figured that wouldn’t be appreciated in this moment. “Go sit on the couch, I’ll get my first aid kit,” he said, turning on his heels and heading for the linen closet. “Sorry about the mess, I’ve been a lazy shit this week.”