"I can't believe you talked me into this," Kendrick says, rubbing his gloved hands together briskly. England is overcast, cold, the exact opposite of how Brian prefers to spend his holidays after years living in Florida or California.
"It seemed the time," Jack Gallagher tells him, rocking back and forth on his heel as they wait for the trolley to come around. "You're not doing any wrestling events this month, and it has been much too long since I've been home."
Kendrick hums. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbles. "Next time we'll have to come in the summer though, so I won't be chilled and miserable the entire time."
Jack clucks under his tongue. "Are you truly that miserable, Mr. Kendrick?" he asks, mocking ever so slightly. "I suppose we should do something about that, hm?" But then finally the trolley pulls up so Jack stops himself, the two of them quietly shuffling on-board and finding two seats next to each other. They spend the journey staring out at the various Christmas decorations flockecd over the neighborhoods they pass by, Brian smiling a little when Jack reaches over and wraps his hand around Brian's as best as he can through their gloves.
When the trolley stops, they get off and begin to trudge up the slight hill to the place Jack had rented for the month. "This is so swindled from The Holiday," Brian grumbles, once more shivering in the cold and trying valiantly to protect his fingers.
"Oh, that insipid movie," Jack says, a few steps ahead of Brian and seemingly unbothered by the cold as he walks briskly along. "As if I would model any aspect of my life on such a thing."
"Oh please," Kendrick scoffs once they finally make it to level ground again and he can breathe again, waiting with his hands in his pockets as he waits for Jack to unlock the door. "You love that movie, it's why we have to watch it every year."
"I just tolerate it because it makes you happy," Jack says, ignoring the look on Brian's face as he finally gets the door unlocked and ushers Brian in. "Go, sit, I will figure out a way to warm you up." He shoos at him until Brian grumbles and makes his way on frozen feet into the living room, sinking down on the couch with a sigh.
He snuggles into the warm fabrics and listens to Jack hum and murmur to himself in the kitchen until finally joining him, two steaming mugs in hand. "Hot cocoa?" he asks, sitting up a little.
"Hot cocoa for you, tea for me," Jack says, adjusting a couple of pillows to sit up comfortably.
Brian hums, sips from his mug, then turns to look at Jack. "Thanks," he murmurs. "For always looking after me."
Jack chuckles a little, then inclines his head. "My pleasure, Brian. So should we get your annual The Holiday rewatch out of the way now, or actually watch something decent?"
"I think you know the answer to that," Brian chuckles into his mug, watching with smiling eyes as Gallagher huffs and gets up, crossing over to the collection of DVDs they'd brought with them.