Cass let his hands play with her hair, listening carefully to everything she said. 'I don't know how, Pans,' he said softly. 'I've never been in any type of relationship, I never wanted to be.' Though the thought of Percy had still not let go of him completely.
'And maybe it wasn't fair, but then was it fair for him to lay everything on you? How could he expect you to handle so much?'
He hugged her, stroking her back, smiling into her hair. 'Of course you can ask me something - anything,' he said, though the question surprised him. His instinct told him to avoid anything to do with relationships, and yet...maybe it wasn't such a horrible thing? And why did this conversation bring up thoughts that he'd thought he'd got over weeks ago?
'I don't know, Pans,' he settled for eventually. 'I mean, people are happy in relationships, aren't they?' he said, almost as much to himself as to her. 'I guess it's a matter of finding something you can live with - something that won't smother you.' He sighed. 'I'm not sure it exist, but if you want it badly enough...is it not then worth a try?'
If it was one thing he'd never done, it was deny himself his urges and wants and desires.