Carlos put his chopsticks down into his bowl. He leaned into Hancock more, sort of cuddling up to him. “You do so much for me already, Hancock,” he said. “You basically let me live here rent free and you let me eat your food… you keep the nastier folks away from me because you know I can’t handle myself in a fight… Han, I get so much from you. Yeah, the holiday means something to me… but that was basically another life. I… I know the day doesn’t mean much to you, but I just wanted an excuse to repay you back at least some of the kindness you give me… you know?”
He could mention that he treated just about everyone that way, offering food and a safe place to sleep, but he did pay especially close attention to Carlos’ needs, he supposed. Still, in his mind, he wasn’t going above and beyond to make the other happy. “I….. I get it. I still feel guilty, heh, but I get it. I can learn to care about holidays and shit, it’s never really been somethin’ I’ve ever paid attention to, but I’m happy to celebrate with ya in the future, I just uh…. need to know when it is, heh.”
Carlos looked over at him and smiled. “Awe, but if you know when it is then how can I surprise you?” he asked, his voice taking on a cheerful and teasing tone. He gently nudged Hancock. “I’m just kidding,” he clarified. “Yeah, if you want me to I’ll mark ‘em on your calendar or something. Speaking of which, when’s your birthday?”
The Perfect Scientist 