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Things were easy with Princess Carolyn, really. Being his agent she had more leniency compared to other girlfriends who would have dropped Bojack by now. She stuck around long enough to know him and then some, which was astounding on its own. He never had to be someone he wasn’t, which was great for him but unfortunate for her. There were times when it felt like they were really happy, like for a second maybe they’d be able to work it out. It never lasted.
Bojack went on a trip with Princess Carolyn purely so that work wouldn’t be a topic to argue about, what else could they get into conflict about? apparently a lot. It seems they couldn’t agree on much for long, but she would always find a compromise, she was smart like that. Sometimes, Bojack liked to watch the corners of her mouth twitch while she slept, probably dreaming of a nicer place than his bed. He would slip his hand under the covers and hold hers. He wanted to ask her what she was dreaming of but decided against it, pressing his aching head into her arms.
He never did that with anyone after her, it became their thing only he knew about.
Herb was easy too, in a different way. He was thoughtful and witty and a pillar of support Bojack had never had in his life and never would again. They agreed on most topics and often talked about how terrible other shows were, or discussed poorly written jokes they knew they could make a lot better. Herb made him laugh, in the way that made your stomach hurt. Herb made his heart do flips unexpectedly. Herb gave him an identity crisis sometimes.
Herb comforted him and made him feel like the most important person in the world when frankly, he didn’t deserve it. Bojack never said thank you enough either. He would meet Herb’s eye across the set and suddenly no words had to be exchanged, they both knew. And Sarah Lynn, but that was because she always considered them her two dads.
They shared a bed once, well, couch. When they were working late one night and Herb said he was too tired to drive home and Bojack could barely move from being sprawled out on the couch in his dressing room. Bojack had said not to bother and next thing he knew, Herb was lying on top of him fast asleep. He’d never forget the way that warmth enveloped his entire body, or the way that Herb’s mouth curled into a smile at the offer.
Bojack would never admit it, but sometimes there was a little more to his joke flirts, to his halfhearted ‘hey baby’ when Herb opened his eyes. Nobody had ever looked at Bojack the way Herb did when he did that. Bojack laughed it off, ushering the smaller man off him so they could get ready for filming, but that look lingered through the whole day.
Mr Peanutbutter was anything but easy, he jumped around and ran like a child despite being nearly Bojack’s age. He excitedly assumed they were best friends without any proof or recognition on Bojack’s part. Perhaps he’d become more mellow as time had past because he was different when picking Bojack up from prison. It was like he was trying to impress him still, or at least keep his attention.
That’s all PB had ever wanted from him, attention. Perhaps he was really that lonely, maybe he was desperate for friends, Bojack wasn’t sure.
The museum was interesting to say the least. Bojack expected PB to run around a bit and finish it in under ten minutes, but instead he got hung up on the set of his old tv show. Bojack humoured him with his unofficial crossover episode and made the dog sob in front of everyone. Still, he never wished to erase that big goofy grin from his memory.
It was locked away with the other smiles that he saved for rainy days.