Re: [Outside Vade: Atticus/Steve]
"Me neither." Steve wasn't joking, even though he smiled good-naturedly. His more serious expression took back over immediately, however, and he sighed again when Atticus said 'kissing a few times' didn't make anything 'official.' Semantics could be important—he'd corrected Atticus on calling Janus 'they' a few minutes prior—, but he felt confused about the whole thing. "No, you're right, it doesn't." He couldn't argue with that, even if he'd had a different definition. His was likely out of date. Steve took another swig of his beer and his brows lifted as glass settled on wood. "It did. Did it for you? Or are you likening it to their becoming a woman?"
Steve wasn't nervous, exactly, but he was far from comfortable. He'd been in plenty of distinctly uncomfortable situations in his lifetime, of course, but, he hadn't done this in years and he couldn't help but feel he was making a mess of it. He gave Atticus a sheepish look. Though no one would ever call Steve obedient or a follower of orders, he did drink his entire beer in a single, long gulp when instructed. He exhaled and licked his lips after, and set the now-empty bottle back down with his hand still around it. "Some psychologists hold we look for relationships that mimic those we had with caretakers." Steve rolled the bottle against his palm, the condensation on it cool on his skin. "I don't know if Peggy defines what I'm looking for." He said this thoughtfully, with brows drawn together. "But I know what I want in a general way, with you." He looked up from his grip.