Page 125 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“What?” Elliot asked as Xander bent over the receipt to scribble his tip. “What shovel talk?”

“Alright!” Xander put the pen down and slid his card back into his wallet. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but–” Elliot started, but Xander was up and out of the chair, striding straight for Gerard. Elliot followed quickly, catching Gerard’s brows going up in surprise as he finished signing his own check and looked up to see Xander standing right in front of him.

“Hi, I’m Xander. But you probably already knew that,” Xander held his hand out.

The edge of Gerard’s mouth quirked before he offered his own. “Gerard.”

They shook.

“Figured it would look less suspicious if you just went with us to the next place instead of shadowing us,” Xander said. “Because I don’t know about you, but if I saw some random guy-especially a guy who looks like you–following someone down the street, I’d bevery concerned.”

“Xander,” Elliot hissed, feeling his cheeks flush.

“Someone who looks like me?” Gerard asked with a bigger smile, like all of this was very amusing.

Xander had a hand on his hip, “Uh yeah, you’re enormous,” He gestured with the other hand, “Did you not notice? I couldclimbyou.”

Gerard was still seated, Xander technically standing over him, but it was very clear to anyone looking how big Gerard was.

“Could you now?” Gerard asked, voice lowering.

“Only if you asked nicely,” Xander said cheerfully. “Anyway, we’re going to the record store to hang out, so I guess you’re coming too.”

“Alright,” Gerard said easily and got up out of his chair. Elliot was standing beside Xander and caught his eyes going wider as Gerard stood. “After you,” Gerard said with a polite gesture.

The three of them left the diner.

“So Elliot’s not huge on music, but what about you?” Xander asked Gerard as they started walking.

“I used to be pretty into the club scene in my twenties,” Gerard said. He seemed perfectly fine with being drawn into conversation, which Elliot was glad for. “I like a little bit of everything, but especially anything with a beat.”

Elliot could see out of his peripheral Xander turn his head to assess Gerard anew. “Yeah, I can see it. One of the punk kids in the mosh pits?”

Gerard chuckled. “I’ve done my time. Helps to keep the peace when you’re this size. I did a lot of making sure no one got trampled.”

“And we thank you,” Xander said solemnly. “I keep waiting for a punk revival. The pit isn’t the same as it used to be.”

“Used to be? You’re too young to know what it ‘used to be’,” Gerard said.

“What? I am not,” Xander squawked. “Okay, sure, I wasn’t there for the heyday of punk, but you’re not that much older than us.”

“Old enough to bring earplugs to concerts now to preserve the rest of my hearing,” Gerard said.

“I mean that’s just good practice,” Xander said approvingly. “What’s the last concert you went to?”

“Darby Corner in February.”

Elliot had no idea who that was, but Xander did. His excitement was palpable as he started to pepper Gerard with questions about how the show was. They were just to the record store now, Elliot reaching the door first since Xander had fallen further back to talk to Gerard.

Which was… nice actually. Really nice. He’d missed this, going out with friends. He’d been cocooned up inside Mattia’s penthouse for so long, he’d forgotten what it felt like just to be out.Elliot didn’t love music the same way that Xander did, but Elliot going to a record store with him just meant time withXander.It was world’s better than being locked up in Mattia’s house.

And Elliot didn’t think Gerard minded either, being included. He was smiling, amused instead of annoyed by Xander’s antics and energy.

“Okay wait, have you heard the new album though?” Xander was saying as they walked into the store. He reached out and took hold of the cuff of Gerard’s leather jacket, tugging him in the direction of one of the aisles. “You have to hear it, the sound is so different. Be right back Elliot!”

Elliot left them to it, instead moving toward the movie section. Once upon a time he’d had a small collection of movies, but after moving in with Mattia, they’d gone missing.

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