Jasper’s brows flexed a bit at being called brave, especially by his old man. It wasn’t really a word he associated with himself. He wasn’t brave, he was just getting by. Shit, two scary little kids had spooked him into bawling like a fucking baby ... though Jasper knew in a way he couldn’t really explain that they had been more than that. More Evil, like Gavin said. He wasn’t sure he entirely believed the reassurance, but Jasper nodded a little anyway. His leg started bouncing under the table, that antsy feeling still gnawing at him. He nibbled at his bottom lip for a moment, then pushed back abruptly and stood up. “I’m gonna get my smokes,” he muttered. He turned to shuffle out of the kitchen and back to his dad’s bedroom where he’d dropped his jacket.
Gavin's anxiety reared up like an angry dog at that, barking and biting at his insides. "Wait," he said before he could stop himself. "Don't go out there." He didn't know why it was a bad idea, there was fog but it was still the middle of the day and people were out there doing things even if he and Jasper weren't. There was something though, a creepy feeling that if Jasper went out there something horrible would happen to him. "I've got enough cigarettes to last the week, you can smoke mine." There was no downplaying his initial reaction and he felt a little sheepish, busying himself by reaching under the table to pet Max.
Jasper stopped and looked around, the sharp worry in Gavin’s tone catching his attention. On another day he probably would’ve scoffed and rolled his eyes and gone and done what he wanted to do anyway, but this was today, and everything felt off. Maybe the shitty foreboding feeling he had meant he shouldn’t go outside. Not until the fucking fog cleared, anyway. He hesitated in the doorway, brow furrowed as he glanced from Gavin’s face down to Max under the table and back. Jasper hesitated another moment, then came back to the table and sat down again. He gave another wary look toward the window. “You ... wanna play cards or somethin’?” he asked, a bit of dry amusement in his tone. With no power, he wasn’t sure what else they could do.
Gavin glanced up again and gave him a somewhat pained smile. He couldn't remember the last time he played actual cards but he did have some boardgames Amelia liked that weren't too bad for a grownup either. "We could play Carcassonne," he said with a little shrug. "But you know you don't have to keep me company if you don't want to, if you want to read or something..." Just don't go out there. It was on the tip of his tongue but it looked like he'd already gotten through to Jasper on that front so... No need to hammer it home.