Re: carriage house: matt/atticus
Good. Don't hide the laziness. Not a secret trait for someone to learn after spending copious time alone with me. [Atticus' grin here was easy. Was speaking the truth. Didn't hide who he was. Had done that as a child, but the tendency was far behind him now. Was just what he was. Take it. Leave it. Atticus was willing to put it out there and allow someone else the choice.
Atticus wasn't thinking very much about what they were doing or what they weren't doing. He reasoned that was why he was having such a hard time understanding PJ's emotional reactions to things. Had lived forty-plus years without much connection. Now, had some, and he wasn't really interested in examining any of it to death. Did what came to mind, when it came to mind. Didn't agonize over it. Wasn't young enough to have extreme emotional responses to things. Or maybe it wasn't age. Maybe it was just who he was. Old, tired of fighting, willing to just take what felt good and ignore the rest. Knew where PJ stood now. Was sorry she was hurt. Thought Matt was an idiot for handling it how he had. But, Atticus wasn't in high school. Didn't subscribe to the school of don't kiss people your friends like. Might be too old for this man to learn that particular lesson. Had never claimed to be a saint. Wasn't even a very good person most of the time. Knew that. Accepted it.
Kissing was the kind of immediate Atticus did well. No talking. No thinking. No repercussions. Was just a kiss. Matt made a sound like laughter before kissing back. Atticus was unaware of the dangers associated with this man specifically, but he wasn't stupid. Knew there were dark corners here. Just didn't fear dark corners. Was hard to fear anything when you'd spent your life seeing things that people had nightmares about. Matt asked if he wanted to talk, and now it was Atticus' turn to laugh. A smokers laugh, rough sandpaper, and Atticus moved his hand from Matt's cheek to his jaw, fingers sliding thigh beneath chin.] Quit talking. [So romantic. He moved closer, leveraged height and slanted his mouth over Matt's. The kiss was hard, dominant without being violent. Hand stayed put. Nothing more than the press of lips and pressure there.] Open. [Commanding, against the other man's mouth.]