“What, and you think I am?” Seneca burst out incredulously, huffing out a laugh before tucking his hair behind his ear. “Atticus… I’ve never done anything like this, remember? I’ve never - I’ve never had a serious relationship with a guy because of my mother, so we’re on the same level with commitment.”
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t entirely what Atticus had meant with that topic. While Seneca might have been too terrified to get too serious with a guy while under his mother’s roof, Seneca had the distinct impression that Atticus had never committed because he didn’t want to while Seneca did. Very much so. But if Atticus was willing to bring up commitment, if he said he wasn’t good with it instead of simply he didn’t do it, then maybe that meant there was a chance and Seneca was very good at clinging to threads.
“And soulmates? Come on, those don’t exactly come a baker’s dozen, how are we supposed to have any prior experience with those?” Soulmate was such a heavy word on his tongue suddenly when before it had always seemed so abstract, a beautiful concept that almost belonged to another time or place, something that didn’t exist for him and was granted only to a privileged few. Not everyone found their soulmate and even if they did, it wasn’t a guarantee of a happy ending, but something about sitting there listening as Atticus confessed to worries about being together instead of giving reasons why they couldn’t give things a try caused a faint stirring of hope in his heart.
Looking at Atticus was like a flower beholding the sun after a flood and Seneca gave a smile that was real as he rubbed at his wrist. “Just so you know, though? I’m never letting you live down the fact you dragged the ‘l’ word into this conversation first.”
Atticus nodded softly as he poured them both a drink, he held a glass out for Seneca to take before speaking “I do honestly, because I look at you and see someone deserving of romance, commitment, and I can tell you have good intentions, but what if the person you are paired with is a cynic who is undeserving of those things hmm? Because my dear Seneca Parrish, I think you deserve way more than I could ever offer.” He leaned back against the counter sipping his drink his eyes never leaving the smaller male standing in front of him “But I know you’re still an optimist when it comes to love even if we are on the same level, I can see it in your eyes, and granted I won’t deny being around you has seemed to have an effect on me, because I’m somewhat less cynical when you are near, but when you look at me, can you honestly say you see a future with me?”
Atticus wasn’t in any way, shape or form saying he didn’t want a future with Seneca, because that was far from the truth, but he wasn’t sure he deserved to have someone like Seneca in his life. Because Seneca deserved better than he was convinced he could ever give, but still the thought of Seneca with anyone else struck a chord with him. He felt a pang of jealousy at the mere thought of anyone else holding him, or calling him theirs, maybe feeling a little possessive of him, as much as Atticus wanted to believe he was deserving of Seneca’s love, he was still convinced he was not worthy.
“And I guess you’ve got me there, because they aren’t supposed to be something easily found, and some people die before even finding theirs, I feel very lucky to have found you I just....it’s a scary word with so much meaning poured into it, it’s intense. My whole life I’ve been a fly on your wall, I feel as though I know you, your day to day life invaded my dreams, and I have never felt at ease with anyone in the same manner that I do with you, so please don’t for one moment think I am ungrateful. I’m not trying to sound against being your soulmate, don’t see it as that that’s not my intention.”
Atticus took a long sip of his drink trying to shut himself up, he was rambling and probably needed to pause to actually give Seneca a chance to respond, probably was making a fool of himself. Atticus never got like this, but right now his stomach felt as if it were tied up in one thousand knots, he could feel his nerves bubbling upwards, Atticus Flinch was never this nervous, but for some reason having this discussion was making him a bundle of nerves, and he knew Seneca was the cause of this.
Atticus pressed his lips together trying to hide a smile, but it was useless, because his words made a smile spread across his face, he was sure his smile was on the verge of giddy, he let out a soft chuckle shaking his head a bit “Suppose it won’t be the worst thing to never let me forget, I knew a word that important wouldn’t go unnoticed.”