Johnny smiles when he sees the decorations on their building. Looks like someone's getting into the spirit of the holiday, at least. Christmas has never been much of a big deal for Johnny - all his LA Christmases were generally crass affairs - but he imagines Gabe probably has some interesting baggage about the whole thing.
He steps into his apartment just to drop off his stuff and pick up Yarrow before heading up to Gabe's place. He enters without knocking, as usual, and at first thinks Gabe is alone on the couch before he spots the... giant hat sitting next to him.
"Oh." He stops, and a very pale, creepy-eyed face peeks up at him from under the comically huge brim. There's something you don't see every day. "Sorry, I didn't know we were having guests."
Which is a dumb thing to say. It's not like they had specific plans. It's not even like he lives here in this apartment. But he enjoys saying it anyway, that sort of domestic kick of we, like of course, why wouldn't they be privy to each other's plans?
"You're very loud," says the boy, his eyes even wider than before.
"Uh." He frowns. No, he's pretty sure he was talking at an entirely normal volume. "Sorry?"
"In your head," says the boy, and he gets up, half-clambering over the sofa to come closer to Johnny. "It's full of noise. A bad song from a bad place. It hurt you. But he helps." He looks back at Gabe, then at Johnny. "He keeps you floating, flying just above all the dark and hurt. Oh, sorry. You want me to stop. Sorry." He dips his head back down, hiding his face under the hat. "I'm Cole."
Johnny maintains a dry stare at the kid for several moments before finally looking at Gabe. "Cool friend you got," he says.
"I like your rabbit," Cole offers.
"You wanna hold him?" Yarrow is generally pretty chill around new people, and Cole seems... harmless, in spite of that largely unwelcome dive he just took in Johnny's head. At least he had some nice things to say. Could have been worse.
"Yes," Cole says excitedly, and opens his hands to accept the little rabbit. Yarrow cuddles right up to him, and Cole holds him like he's a precious object. Okay, that's pretty cute. Johnny smirks and proceeds over to the couch. "I like your decorations," he says, dropping down next to Gabe and leaning over to give him a kiss.
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He steps into his apartment just to drop off his stuff and pick up Yarrow before heading up to Gabe's place. He enters without knocking, as usual, and at first thinks Gabe is alone on the couch before he spots the... giant hat sitting next to him.
"Oh." He stops, and a very pale, creepy-eyed face peeks up at him from under the comically huge brim. There's something you don't see every day. "Sorry, I didn't know we were having guests."
Which is a dumb thing to say. It's not like they had specific plans. It's not even like he lives here in this apartment. But he enjoys saying it anyway, that sort of domestic kick of we, like of course, why wouldn't they be privy to each other's plans?
"You're very loud," says the boy, his eyes even wider than before.
"Uh." He frowns. No, he's pretty sure he was talking at an entirely normal volume. "Sorry?"
"In your head," says the boy, and he gets up, half-clambering over the sofa to come closer to Johnny. "It's full of noise. A bad song from a bad place. It hurt you. But he helps." He looks back at Gabe, then at Johnny. "He keeps you floating, flying just above all the dark and hurt. Oh, sorry. You want me to stop. Sorry." He dips his head back down, hiding his face under the hat. "I'm Cole."
Johnny maintains a dry stare at the kid for several moments before finally looking at Gabe. "Cool friend you got," he says.
"I like your rabbit," Cole offers.
"You wanna hold him?" Yarrow is generally pretty chill around new people, and Cole seems... harmless, in spite of that largely unwelcome dive he just took in Johnny's head. At least he had some nice things to say. Could have been worse.
"Yes," Cole says excitedly, and opens his hands to accept the little rabbit. Yarrow cuddles right up to him, and Cole holds him like he's a precious object. Okay, that's pretty cute. Johnny smirks and proceeds over to the couch. "I like your decorations," he says, dropping down next to Gabe and leaning over to give him a kiss.