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Shutting the door gently behind him, Johnny makes his way toward his bedroom. He collapses on his bed and begins to strip himself of his socks and shoes. Setting his jacket aside, Johnny pads over to his closet and grabs a change of clothes. On his way to the bathroom, he stops.
The unmistakable feeling of The Rider tugging at his consciousness. He sighs, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Johhny doesn't even flinch when he sees Zarathos staring back at him in the mirror instead of his reflection. Instead, he mumbles out a tired greeting and places the clothes he brought with him on the counter.
In the years they've been bound, they have grown closer, and their relationship has evolved into something much more loving. The rage Johnny used to feel toward The Rider had dissipated, now replaced with fondness.
Zarathos tilts its head curiously at Johnny, letting out a low mrrp. The man chuckles and shakes his head, "I'll come to bed after I shower, ok?" Johnny responds without The Rider ever speaking. Zarathos huffs, but its form dissipates from the mirror nonetheless. Reaching for a towel from the cabinet under the sink, he feels The Rider recede into his mind. He strips down and moves toward the shower, turning the handle and stepping under the cold spray.
Johnny hurries through his shower routine as best he can, occasionally feeling The Rider come forward to gently nudge him mentally as a reminder that it was waiting for him.
After drying himself off and changing into clean clothes, he returns to his bed and lets sleep take over.
His body surrenders to sleep, but his consciousness is still awake. He returns to the space in his mind that he shares with Zarathos. The demon was waiting for him, its flames providing light in the void around them. The shared space shifts, leaving a bed behind once it settles. Johnny shuffles toward it and collapses onto it. He hears the demon behind him huff out a short laugh and feels the bed dip next to him. Zarathos curls around him with its chest pressed against his back. The demon lets out content purring noises, and Johnny lets that low rumble carry his consciousness to sleep.