still here? it seems we have a person of taste in our midst. read on, pilgrim.
Johnny allowed himself to be pulled forwards by the smaller man, allowing him to grip his hand as tightly as he wanted. Partly so that he could keep up with Carl's quick pace and partly because it was making his heart thrum comfortably in his stomach.
Soon, they arrived.
"Well, here she is." Carl gestured to a large crate that had been brought into his studio. He handed Johnny a crowbar.
"What do you expect me to do with this?" Johnny asked dumbly, holding the crowbar loosely.
"It's to open the crate, silly! You didn't expect me to do any of the dirty work myself, did you?" Carl laughed for a moment, smug and innocent as always. "That's what you're here for!" he continued, plopping himself down in a swivel chair at a desk and resting his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees, looking up at Johnny expectantly.
Reluctantly, Johnny gripped the crowbar and began to pry the crate open. What was he doing? Why was he doing everything Carl told him to? He just couldn't find it in himself to argue with the little guy for some reason. He wasn't angry but in fact slightly amused, and the work was easy as he made short work of the crate, nails popping and wood tearing. He felt Carl's gaze hot on his back, but didn't turn.
A thin mist rose from the crate, and there was a smell like freezer burn as the cold packs cracked open, revealing a thick fur. The rest of the crate simply fell apart until there lay before the two men an animal like nothing Johnny had ever seen before. Its wildness took Johnny's breath away, and there was a disconnect between it and his polished surroundings.
Carl leapt to his feet, donning a pair of rubber gloves with a snap.
"Excellent work, Johnnyboy!"
Johnny blinked and watched as Carl knelt by the wild thing, eyes sparkling like jewels.
"What an excellent specimen..." he murmured, inspecting its tail, ears, and eyes. "Just about perfect... oh, this will be fun!"
Without warning, he jumped up and grabbed Johnny's wrist, then forced him to kneel before the large cat in all its preserved rugged glory. He knew without looking down that his hands were shaking, and with horror realized that if Carl was holding his wrist he'd be able to feel it.
"Er, not so fast now, Carl," Johnny cautioned, then let out a breath as he felt Carl's other hand alight on his bicep. "Just what do you think you're doing, Chryniszzswics?"
Carl hushed him, and guided his hand to touch the thick fur of the fallen beast's shoulderblades. He opened his mouth to speak, but was hushed again.
The diamond-eyed young man moved his hand again, forcing him to pet the creature from its shoulders to middle back once, twice, then Johnny was doing it on his own. Carl did not move away but stayed attached to his shoulder.
After a moment, Johnny spoke.
"Carl... this is amazing, I've got to admit, but why are you showing it to me?" he asked, finally looking at Carl.
"Just thought you'd like it," Carl said with a strange half-smile that made Johnny wonder.
He rested on Johnny's shoulder for a moment longer, then stood and began to remove his gloves. He looked down at Johnny.
"Now that you've seen her, would you be interested in helping me finish the rest of this project? There will definitely be a lot more work to be done, and I'll, ah, make it worth your while." He finished, facing away from Johnny as he placed his rubber gloves back on the desk next to his tools. Then, he looked back at Johnny inquisitively.
"That is, if you don't have anything better to do..." He trailed off, leaving himself open for a response.
Johnny, despite himself, was enjoying the time he spent at Carl's place, and for some unknown reason he wanted- no, needed to spend more time with the beast that lay there soulless on the studio floor, even if that meant being around Carl more who was making his blood boil in a way he hadn't felt before.
"Well, if there's a reward involved, I don't see why not." Bravo examined his nails as he stood, regaining his higher ground.
Carl beamed.
"Well, if that's so then there's work to be done. Let's sort out scheduling first of all, then a supply list, then..." Carl continued, trailing off as he listed various parts of the plan that was coming together before Johnny's eyes. He walked towards the door, bidding Johnny to follow as they headed for the kitchens.
They walked together, Johnny trailing behind Carl as he continued to detail his vision, and finally they reached the kitchen where where Carl, already putting a kettle of water on, asked;
"Tea, Johnny?"