"We're going, we're going," Jude softly laughed, doing one last final look around the apartment before opening his front door and telling Alexa to turn off the lights, smiling at his little robot emerging from his office to clean the rest of the flat.
Nyx stuck near Jude, bouncing excitedly on his heels. "Let's go!" He said again, impatient and wanting to get to the zoo.
(Idk how active I'll be tonight)
"We're going," Jude smiled, locking the door behind them and moving down the hallway to the elevators. Macy sauntered idly by a potted plant further away, pawing at the drooping leaves. "I don't want you gettin' overwhelmed or anything, it might get a little hectic."
Nyx wrinkled his nose. "I won't. And if I do, I'll just do a restart and I'll be fine." He replied easily, kissing Jude's cheek.
"I know," Jude sighed, shyly looking down and studying the scratchy carpet of the elevator. "I just worry," He said, shrugging lightly as the elevator moved down to the ground level, humming lightly as it neared the little 'bump' that shook it a little.
Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "There's nothing to worry about, Jude." he replied with another little smile, bouncing on his heels a little, impatient to get moving.
"I know…" Jude muttered, tracing an imaginary circle with his foot, trying to sound nonchalant, "I just worry…'bout you," more than I want to admit. The elevator finally stopped, the doors sliding open with a dull chime, welcoming them into the front lobby, still as depressing as it'd always been.
Nyx kissed his cheek reassuringly. "Alright. But…if you're going to be worried about anything, worry about me blending in with actual people." He let out a faint laugh.
"You'll blend in fine," Jude said knowingly, slipping his hand into Nyx's as they made their way through the lobby, heading for the back parking lot. "…And you don't need to 'blend in,' You belong here, around people."
Nyx shrugged his shoulders, but held onto Jude's hand. "I don't know…" He replied slowly. "I don't think i do, sometimes." He ran his free hand through his hair.
Jude nodded slowly, jingling his keys in his other hand as they walked through the parking lot, a swirl of warm wind welcoming them outside. "I can see why you'd think that…" He said, "But you just have to remind yourself, yeah. You need to know this, and try to bite back that doubt."
He studied Jude for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I…okay. Thank you." He said softly, slowly, leaning over to kiss Jude's cheek.
"'Don't need to thank me," Jude smiled, reluctantly letting go of Nyx's hand so he could get into the driver's seat, "I'm just telling the truth." God knows that that hasn't always turned out well, He thought, quietly wincing at the memory of him coming out to his parents
(gtg in fifteen minutes sorry)
Nyx smiled a little, and nodded. "Alright." He replied softly. He sat down in his seat, running his hands through his hair again.
Jude started the car, sighing at its familiar roar to life and clicking in his seatbelt after. The radio buzzed, erupting music from the small space between them. "Bronx Zoo," He hummed to himself, smiling.
Nyx buckled, then waited as the car lurched into motion, chewing on his lower lip. He was excited for the zoo, excited to see all the animals.
"So…what do you know about animals?" Jude asked curiously, looking behind them as they backed out, turning onto the main road, still busy.
"Hmm. They aren't people? And they don't really have a consciousness and a lot of them have fur, and if they bite you you'll get rabies and probably die. Oh and the bigger ones can kill you." Nyx rattled off.
"That's pretty accurate," Jude nodded, maneuvering his way through traffic. He let out a little laugh at a childhood memory, "–That reminds me of this one time I was almost snatched up by a crocodile when I was a kid. God, scared the shit outta me."
Nyx blinked a little bit, thinking. "Crocodile…oh! The big water lizard things! With all the teeth!" He shivered. "That sounds scary."
"Mhm," Jude nodded, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, "Florida's full of 'em. I was only, like, ten, and just playing behind the house next to my grandparents' which kinda led out into a little swamp. I ran like the wind."
He nodded a little. "Hm. Alright." He replied slowly. "Sounds scary, though." He shrugged his shoulders.
"It was," Jude sighed, softly chuckling at the memory of his fear in that moment, his eyes widening at a rough log moving through the reeds, a pair of glistening eyes peeking above the water. "Some people say there are crocodiles in New York's sewers."
Nyx shivered at that idea. "Why would there be crocodiles living in the sewers?" he asked, demanded, looking at Jude with wide blue eyes.
Jude smiled, his gaze flickering from the road to Nyx, "It's an urban legend– so, not exactly true but…kind of." He chuckled, "I think it started with one– they spotted one on the banks of the Bronx River in the early thirties. And then…three years later, two teenagers shovelling snow in East Harlem came across one nosing its way out of a manhole."