Page 58 of Pistols and Plush Toys

“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 with Xander.

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.

The one time Elliot had asked about it, Mattia had gestured to his TV, to the dozen streaming services he already paid for, and asked Elliot why he’d ever need to keep dusty clutter?

If Elliot thought about it now, it had all been about getting rid of all of Elliot’s things. Leaving him with nothing except for what Mattia provided.

He sifted idly through the movies. He’d liked owning things once. Books and movies and CDs. The physicality of them. Though… he supposed he had money now. He could buy things for himself again.

He was surprised to find a copy of Lone Winter Trail on the shelves and he paused, staring down at it. It was his favorite movie, but he hadn’t watched it in years and years. It was so tempting to buy it. To take it back to Nikolai's place.

Would Nikolai watch it with him?

His eyes flickered up, back to where Xander and Gerard were. Gerard had a pair of headphones on and Elliot could just hear Xander talking a mile a minute about song composition. His hands were fiddling with his necklace, which drew Gerard’s eyes.

“We match,” Gerard said, and turned his head, pulling one of the headphone muffs off his ear. Elliot couldn’t see from where he was, but he gestured at his ear.

“Oh hey, is that from your collection?” Xander asked excitedly. “Elliot was telling me about your stores.”

“Yeah,” Gerard said with a smile. “It’s actually my collection.” He gestured to his ear again. “And I picked out all the diamonds personally.”

Elliot couldn’t see Xander’s face from this angle, but he could see his entire body perk up in excitement.

“Oh, really! Wow, that’s so cool. Man, I even went into one of your stores to look at the necklaces a few years ago! Wait—” Xander gasped. “Do you mean you picked the diamonds on all of those pieces?”

“Yeah,” Gerard said, smile warm and pleased. “I’m a gemologist.”

“Well that’s about the coolest thing I’ve heard today,” Xander said, bouncing up on his toes. “Did you design the jewelry yourself too?”

Elliot would leave them to it.

His eyes tracked further through the store, to the cashier who was seated behind the counter clicking idly on his phone. Xander had paid for lunch, but maybe Elliot could pay for something else instead…

He took his copy of Lone Winter Trail and went up to the cashier.

It was a quick exchange to get Xander’s preorder and pay for both items with his brand-new credit card.

They both went into the same bag, and Elliot felt a rush of pride at having bought something all on his own.

Technically some of the things he’d bought with Meredith were bought with his own money, but this was the first time he’d gotten to actually use his own card. It felt good. Really good.

Bag in hand, Elliot wandered back over to his two… friends.

“Hey Elliot!” Xander said, turning to him excitedly. “Did you know it was Gerard’s collection, that music necklace I’d been interested in a few years ago?”

“Oh really?” Elliot asked with a smile.

“I mean, like I said, Rina Farve made everything,” Gerard said, “I, selfishly, just wanted some music themed jewelry and couldn’t find any I liked. So why not make it with the business I already own?”

“I haven’t been able to find anything as high-quality but simple since,” Xander sighed. Then he shook his head. “Not that I could afford it anyway. I’m on a strict no-buy. Except, of course, for a new record.” He grinned at them both. “I get one a month if the tips have been good at work.”

“I’m guessing the tips have been good?” Gerard asked.

“Yeah!” Xander beamed at him. “Actually, let me go get–”

“Already done,” Elliot said just as Xander went to turn for the counter. He offered the bag.

“What?” But Xander was already peering into the bag and pulling out the record, then looking back up at Elliot, face writ with scandalized affection. “Elliot!”

“Since you got lunch I wanted to get your record for you,” Elliot said, grinning.

“Wow, you really, really didn’t have to do that but thank you! Wow.” Xander glanced at the record in his hands again, then back to Elliot. “Okay so, can I hug you? Do you do hugging? You totally don’t have to do hugging.”

Just a few weeks ago the answer to that would’ve been a no, but now Elliot nodded. Xander handed the record to Gerard and then wrapped his arms around him.

“Thank you, I mean it,” Xander said, giving Elliot a good squeeze.

Elliot hugged him back and was surprised at how nice it was. How much he’d missed friends and—and casual affection. “You’re welcome.”

When they pulled back, Gerard was assessing the record. “Pink Kiss Lovers? Are they indie?”

“Yeah, it’s their EP,” Xander explained. “They’re like FOX meets Dream Train Crush. You said you like a beat, right? You’d love this.”

Gerard looked the record over with new interest. “Oh yeah? I’ll have to look them up.”

“Okay, but you have to make sure that you don’t listen to the remix version first,” Xander said.

“It’s the more popular one online, but the original is by far better.

Here, actually,” and then Xander was pulling his phone out.

“I can text you the listening order. It’s important—there’s this whole story element that they’re doing. ”

“Oh yeah?” Gerard asked, amused as he pulled his own phone out. “Then I guess you’d better text me so I don’t mess it up.”

They exchanged numbers and then Xander shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Okay, I made Gerard listen to some stuff, but don’t think you escaped my clutches,” he said, nudging Elliot playfully. “I know you’re not a music guy, but I think you’d totally like Blue Symphony. Come on!”

Then Xander was pulling him down another row. Elliot caught the smile on Gerard’s face as he followed, and couldn’t help thinking yeah , listening to a dozen records of Xander’s choosing was way, way better than the quiet, cold mausoleum that had been Mattia’s house, Mattia’s life.

And Elliot would never, ever go back.