Re: [Bar down the street: Atticus/Steve]
"Bothered me. Felt excluded," he said honestly. Didn't see the point in being anything but honest after coming this far. "How do we make things better for you? The connecting thing?" he asked. Had never felt connected to anyone. Had never been an option, not when the haunts killed anyone who got close. Thought that disconnected was his default, but understood that wasn't the case for Steve.
Assumed Steve knew what he was going to say. Knew that, eventually, they'd get here, where they needed to have this conversation. Had come close in the past, but had always felt Steve pull his punches in the end. Assumed this was it. No pulling punches. He wanted Steve to have what Steve wanted, even if he suspected it was going to feel like shit for himself. Had lost Janus the same way, once upon a time. Looked at the other man's face for a few long and drawn out seconds, patted his pocket, where his smokes were. "Told you once, this same thing ended things with Janus. You're the one that rekindled it," he said plainly. "Understand. What you're saying. Hate it, but understand."
He pulled the pack from his pocket. "Going to smoke." Pushed his chair back, the legs scratching wood. "Welcome to come if you want. Understand if you don't want to."