Gus glided his hand over her side when she laid on the table. He scratched her softly and slowly, trying not to spook her. "Dedication is something I learned from my mother. Her being locked away in her room all the time taught me that if I'm going to get us by, I need to work hard for the right reasons. Hockey is important to me because I love it, and because I need the scholarships. If I don't get scholarships, I'm not going to college. Plain as day." He listened to Apollow when he said that Kiki liked Gus. "You think so?" Gus asked, glancing over at Apollow for half a second.

"Yeah I'd say she adores you" Apollow watched from his side of the small table. Content to see the two get along so well. "Even if the lessons are taught in a not so great way, they are still amazing things to know and learn, I know I've had moment where giving up on singing would have been easier, but I love it. And I'm passionate about bringing my words and feelings to others through song and making them feel how I do when I'm making music" he reached across the table to pet Kiki with Gus and accidentally brushed his hand along his, he jumped and blushed a little, "my bad"

Gus smiled at Apollow's answer. Animals were never really a big fan of him, but it was probably because of his attitude around his teammates. And Apollow was right. The lessons learned in life were always helpful, even if they hurt to learn. It's a common mistake that people make, thinking that some important lesson is just another rule they can bypass for the rest of life. Success comes from happiness of the heart, not just want. Gus looked up suddenly when Apollow's hand touched his and he pulled his own hand back, tapping his fingers on the table again. "You're alright! Sorry."

"Tell me more," he began as he watched Kiki get up and pester Gus again "why do you like hockey so much?" He was trying to get Gus's mind off of everything else, but he really didn't tknow him well enough. There had to be more than hockey that he enjoyed doing. You can enjoy doing things without doing them often or hardly at all. Apollow wanted to tell Gus that, but couldn't find the right words.

Gus began to pet Kiki again, more hesitantly this time as he thought deeply. "Surface level is that it's a good workout. Keeps me in shape and healthy, I guess," he said, looking across the table at Apollow. He looked back at the cat and thought a bit longer. "Hockey just really gives me an excuse to be aggressive without hurting anyone too much. The practices are good for training my brain too. The mind quits 100 times before the body does, so if I can train my brain not to quit, I can keep going for a lot longer. The training helps me a lot in tough family or school situations."

Apollow listened and watched Gus as he spoke "I understand that, and I see how it could be helpful." He was surprised he got Gus to open up this much, he didn't seem like the type. "Thanks for sharing with me, I didn't expect you to actually open up with me, it means a lot. Really" he smiled and made eye contact with Gus and he began to fidget with his hair and shirt. "Well, we have all night, what do you want to do?"

Gus's eyes widened when Apollow pointed out how much he was sharing. "Oh, yeah, sorry for talking so much." He immediately shut down, still there, but shoving everything back where it belonged in the boxes of his mind. He rested his hand on Kiki's back, her fur felt soft and light, like downy feathers. "I don't know what to do. I suppose you could decide. I don't have many preferences or anything that I would object to." His voice was just barely more sheltered as he rebuilt the walls of his mind.

Apollow heard the change in his voice and immediately regretting saying anything about it. "Well. There's not much to do here besides watch TV or draw, we could go out and do something? Do you skate?" He began thinking of things they could do, Apollow liked taking walks to the park and laying the field to see the stars. He also liked going on long skates to feel the cold almost sharp night air in his lungs. Kiki was calm and collected absorbing attention by the bucket loads, and purring softly.

Gus brought his face to Kiki's, touching the tip of his nose to hers. Then he drew himself back, looking at Apollow. "I don't really mind. Honestly. If there's something you want to do, I'll do it with you. I'm not super picky and I'm willing to try new things." The spot where Apollow had touched his hand was still buzzing with heat and electricity. It was a new feeling to Gus, something unknown.

He watched the absolutely adorable scene play out in front of him and but awed in pure joy. " I like going over to the park and watching the stars, but it's a little chilly, you might need a jacket. I can lend you one if you need, though it may be useless as i doubt it will fit," he tapped the underside of the table to call Kiki. Back without making it obvious, got up an returned to Infront of him, plopping down and showing her belly while swatting at his hands playfully.