"Mm," John agreed thoughtfully, taking a drag from his cigarette like maybe it was a way to buy himself a little time. He wasn't great at this either, had forever ago learned the art of distractions. Maybe that's what this was too. Although, really, he didn't think so.
"Not a metaphor," he said finally. "Had a rough time as a kid, you know?" She did. They might not have talked about it directly, but they'd both eluded to it. "So I took my innocent and vulnerability and I put them in this box. Practically forgot about it, you know? Who needs those things, anyway? But here it is. What you suppose happens if we open it?"