𝚒'𝚖 𝚊 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 //private// 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢

”Someone doesn’t need a house like this unless they have a family.” It was much too big for a single man and Roman had never considered himself a bachelor. There wasn’t a stream of women- or men, now that he glanced at Roman- streaming in and out of his front door and there were never any lavish parties with loud music and other substances. It was just his house. “But I love it here, aside from the constant loneliness.” The tv could only hold his attention for so long and often Atticus would resort to napping on the couch and waking up to his ball of fur kitten on his chest. It wasn’t all bad, though. Atticus could do as he pleased. If he felt like walking around completely naked, it was perfectly acceptable for him to do that without judgement. But what fun was that when he was alone? The thought caused his brown gaze to wander back down to Roman again. “The kitchen is pretty nice.” Not they be used it often. A kitchen that size was, again, meant for a family and Atticus was sure he hadn’t managed to use every spot in it yet.

Atticus looked around his room again before calling back out to Roman. “Youre right. It’s my favorite room in the house.” In the bathroom he had paused to look himself over in the mirror. The entirety of his body was unblemished save for that one light love bite just below his ear. A gift from Roman. Atticus smiled and touched it with a finger emigre heading into his closet. Now what to wear? Roman had dressed pretty causal and he decided to follow in his steps. Atticus took a pair of new jeans that still had the tags. They were stiff since they hadn’t been worn but they would do. They were beside a black poem of jeans he didn’t remember buying and he had almost taken them but didn’t want Roman to think he had tried to match. Even though that was cute. Atticus was conflicted on what shirt to get- casual dress was hard for him- and eventually he settled on dark olive colored short sleeve. It was tight in the chest and shoulders but flattering. Atticus drug all of them on then did just as Roman had done with his cologne and deodorant. There was no hope for the mass of curls on his head so he didn’t even bother. Finally, he took to brushing his teeth.

Atticus grabbed a black jacket from the hanger and was pulling it on when he came back. He turned to leave the bathroom but when he reached the doorway and said Roman knelt down, his chin propped on the bed, he stopped to watch him. Atticus could barley hear him but what he did manage to catch made him smile. On the bed, he watch Lucy lift her tiny head and flick an even tinier ear before slowly making her way towards the hand extended to her. Atticus watched her pink nose sniff then nudge Roman’s hands. The kittens whiskers twitched a few times before she picked her way over to where Roman had his head propped. Lucy was rumbling with a little that was too loud for her body when she nudged her wet nose right into Roman’s cheek.

Affection welled you inside of Atticus right then. Leaving the place in the doorway, he came home behind Roman and rested his hands on his shoulders while he stood. “I see she likes you”, he commented. Even from the heights that he stood, Atticus could hear that familiar purr. “Shes got good taste.” His hands began working, gently massaging Roman’s small shoulders and the base of his neck.

”I think she likes you, too.” Roman’s weight against his long legs made him smile and when he moved from the bed, the kitten let out a mewl. “I think she wants you back”, Atticus chuckled. Lucy was perched on the edge of the perch, a tiny paw reaching out. He could see the little things he called her pink toe beans on the bottom. She meowed, a pitiful but adorable sound and he couldn’t help but reach out and rub his finger along her head. Atticus large hand dwarfed her but it didn’t frighten Lucy. She purred, twisting her head into his palm and giving him a bite. He called those her love bites. The same hand scooped her up with ease and Atticus brought her up to his chest. “Did you miss Daddy?”, he cooed as if talking to child. Lucy purred and bumped her head into his chin. “Oh I know you did, sweet girl.” Despite her stealing his socks and nipping his toes throughout the night, he loved her dearly. Atticus day her back on the bed with a smile.

“Your shoulders are really tight, love.” Atticus worked his thumbs along the center of Roman’s shoulder, slowly pushing them back down and around until he was making his way back up his neck. There were a few knots he could find and he worked a few of them out. “Do you like that, baby?” Though it was a strain, Atticus bent over and kissed him on the head, quickly straightening up after. Roman’s shoulders were small, much like his hands, under the grip of his own. He carried on, working around Roman’s shoulders and neck until his fingers began to ache. Only then did he pull away and take a seat on the bed next to where Lucy was purring. Atticus patted the spot next to him with a smile and glanced at Roman. He didn’t want to linger in the house too long because he knew they would end up tangled together in the bed. Which wasn’t a bad idea itself but Atticus was looking forward to spending the day out with him, especially since it wasn’t raining.

Clumsy paws carried Lucy over the surface of the bed and she clawed her way into Atticus’s lap, her needle-tipped claws piercing his skin through his jeans. “I like having you here.” Roman hadn’t even seen half of the house but already it felt better. Atticus didn’t feel like something in the house was waiting to take him away. “I can show you the rest of the house tonight when we get back. We’ll have to swing by your place, unless you want to skip it. I doubt I have something that will fit you good but I do have things that are a bit too small for me.” That would knock out one stop but they would need to hit the store too.

“Theres somewhere I want to take you”, Atticus went on with a smile. It hadn’t occurred to him before but now that it had, he had to take Roman. “I think you’ll like it.” An itching in his eye reminded him of the contacts he had slept in the night before. Atticus left the bed after transferring Lucy to Roman’s lap to disappear into the bathroom again. When he came back, the contacts were out and he had slipped his glasses on just so Roman could see him. “So”, he said while leaning into the doorway. “You still love me after seeing me in these?”

p i n k toe beans uwu

“You carry a lot of stress in your shoulders...” Roman’s skin was soft under his fingers, well his neck was but he already knew what the rest felt like. He tugged his hand from under the jacket when Roman tipped his head back to look at him. “I’m glad you think so”, Atticus mumbled. The pad of his thumb brushed against Roman’s lips before the other moved to stand up. When Roman was settled beside him, Atticus slipped an arm around his waist. “Both of you are small enough to fit,” he laughed softly. One hand busied itself petting the kitten, rubbing her ear then going down the her spine. The tip of his finger was buried in her fluffy kitten fur until it came out along the base of her tail. Lucy’s rear lifted like hydraulics and Atticus almost giggled. He loved that. The hand around Roman curled around his side to hold him close.

Atticus wondered what sheer stroke of luck had led him to this. He certainly wasn’t that deserving, not in his own opinion. He wasn’t a bad man but he wasn’t the best. Atticus tried to account for what he did by doing good things and it was working but it never made him feel all that great. And what had led Roman to him? Atticus pressed a kiss to his temple before letting his gaze float back down to the kitten. Atticus was lucky and Roman deserved a helluva better man than him but he didn’t dare say it. If he had, it would have easily compared to telling water not to be wet. “I love you, Roman,” Atticus whispered at last. Thinking only worried him so it was best to clear his mind.

Atticus could guarantee that every shirt he had would swallow Roman. Come to think of it, it would actually look good and he already knew that Roman would look better in his clothes than he did. “Then we’ll do that,” he commented with a laugh. He felt Roman shift beside him and for a moment wondered if he was getting up but the kiss doused that. And there it went. That cool tingle traveling down the side of his neck. Atticus shivered. “I love it when you kiss me there.” Roman’s giggle pulled a very unmanly giggle from his own giggle. “I think of think I lot of... me is too big for you.” The arm around his slim waist gave Roman a tight squeeze before he pulled away.

“I can’t tell you either of those things. You’ll just have to wait.” Atticus smirked at him just before he stood. He went to rub the small area between the kittens ears before he had left. Before he had poked through the doorway, he could hear the soft noises Roman was making to Lucy and that made him smile. Atticus could really get used to that. The nerves in his stomach were acting up when Roman finally turned to look at him. Atticus was a grown man, he shouldn’t get nervous to wear his glasses. He wasn’t ten and he was half blind. This should have been a piece of cake but it just wasn’t. A deep sigh of relief left him. “You think so? I don’t look like... like a dork?” Atticus caught him around the waist while still leaning into the doorway. “The contacts get sort of dry and sticky after I sleep in them... I can’t wear them right now...” Which left him in his glasses for the time being.

”I can make that happen.” Lucy could easily be distracted by a sock or food in her bowl which, in turn, would leave Atticus free to give his full, undivided attention to Roman. “But only when you want too,” the man added in a softer tone. He could hear the meaning behind Roman’s words and while he wouldn’t bring the subject itself up, Atticus understood. Things had gotten heated that morning in the shower, at least for him, and taking Roman back to the bedroom had crossed his mind he wasn’t that type of guy. Roman had been hurt by guys like that and Atticus just couldn’t. He cared too much for the racer to run into something like that. He wanted Roman to see him as he was- a kind, loving man without the added pleasure of sex. Atticus pulled his hand away from the purring kitten long enough to let it wrap around Roman’s front. It was awkward, maybe a little uncomfortable but he managed to give him a quick hug just because.

Thinking of Roman wearing his clothes was exciting. There was nothing special when Atticus dressed himself and he didn’t look extravagant in anything, not even a suit or boxers. But imagining his things on Roman? Well that was just delightful. “We can go through it later”, he went on with a small smile. “I’m sure i’ve got some things you can keep, if you’d like.” Atticus was sure Roman would like that. It would have been cute if he’d had something of Roman’s but the size difference made that impossible. The racers socks probably wouldn’t fit him and just thinking of what he would look like if he were wearing the outfit Roman had on now almost made him laugh. Atticus would look at if he had purposely bought the clothes four sizes too small.

“No hints.” It wasn’t something amazing that would knock the white socks off of Roman’s feet but it was a special place to Atticus and he hadn’t shown anyone else. “You’ll like it. Don’t worry too much.”

Roman telling him he looked handsome felt good. “Thank you, love,” Atticus murmured. He clutched the shorter man to his chest when he was hugged and sighed in content. Typically, he wouldn’t have set foot outside of his front door with the frames on his face but the contacts were a no-go right now. If he popped them back in, they would be blurry and uncomfortable. Atticus had done it before. “Shall we head out?” Letting go of Roman, he walked across to where he’d left his wallet and phone and put them safely into his pocket. “I just need to feed Lucy and give her fresh water and we can go.” Atticus moved to leave the room, talking his hip and making a pspsps sound with his lips. Lucy clawed her way down from the tall bed and ran after him, her tail stuck up in the air.

”You can take what you want.” Atticus really didn’t mind. It was Roman. Even if the racer robbed him blind, there was a huge chance that Atticus would still love the man. There were a few things he knew right off the bat that were much too small for him though they’d got loosely on Roman. A few shirts, some jeans, too. Atticus had an impressive collection of coats, hoodies and jackets but he had usually just worn the jacket he’d given to Roman. Like any couple- or, almost couple- Atticus was expecting half of his jackets and sweaters to disappear. It would have been a surprise if they didn’t. “Wear one to a race? I’d love to see that.” Atticus smiled slightly and touched Roman’s leg. He would love to see Roman’s hop off of his bike after a successful race and run to him, kiss him on the cheek while wearing his own clothing. Something about that tickled Atticus.

“I think you’ll like it”, he called back over his shoulder. Atticus made his way down the hall and into the kitchen where Lucy’s bowls were. The food and water dish sat beside the back door. From the cabinet opposite the fridge, he pulled out her cat food and the measuring cup he used. He dumped a cups worth into the ceramic bowl and put the back bag before rinsing and filling the water dish. The litter box crossed his mind but that would be fine until they got back later. Lucy scrambled over his shoes and buried her little face into the bowl. Atticus could barely hear the crunches of her chewing the small pieces of food. He chuckled slightly and rubbed her head one more time. When he was done, he flipped the lights off and took his keys in his hand once more. “Come on”, he said when reached out for Roman’s hand. “We’ll head that way now, love[/b].” Atticus led him back through the hall to the front door where he opened it for Roman to pass through first.

The headlights on the vehicle flashed when Atticus unlocked it. “Go on, ill be there in a sec.” He nudged Roman in the direction and turned his back so he could lock the deadbolt once more. When it clicked into place, he jiggled the handle before making his way back across the driveway to where Roman waited in his vehicle. Unlike before, he didn’t need to run since the sky wasn’t pouring down on him. As soon as he climbed into the car, Atticus pulled his seatbelt on and started it. “The place isn’t very far from here. It isn’t anything fancy but... I think you’ll like it”, Atticus continued as he backed out and onto the road. There was a bit more traffic than usual but that was fine. There was no hurry, not when Roman sat in the passenger seat. He drove them through town, past the restaurant he had taken him too before and ten minutes further. There was a road ahead of them and Atticus veered off right. The asphalt turned to chalky gravel and he slowed. Trees began surrounding them and became thicker until Atticus couldn’t see through them. They were on the right track. He said nothing for a few more minutes before he came to a dead end with a road to the left. Atticus took that turn, too. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and finally pulled his vehicle off to the side, into the grass where he threw it in park and cut the engine.

Atticus clicked his seatbelt off and looked to Roman with a smile. “You trust me, love?”, he asked. For a moment he wavered, watching Roman before finally leaving the vehicle. All around birds chirped and Atticus could hear the scuffle of squirrels running through wet leaves and fallen twigs. He came around the front of the vehicle and waited, his hand outstretched for Roman’s.

”I’ll tell you what. When we get home later, or back to my place I guess, you can go through my things and if you find something you want to wear, you’re more than welcome to take it.” Atticus didn’t have anything relatively close to what he had seen Roman wearing at the race but if he were to find something, Roman could always make it his own. There were scissors in the house and Atticus wouldn’t he supposed to buying something himself. Atticus checked Lucy once more before making his way to the door. That’s of course, was before he made his way into his vehicle.

Ou in the woods, Atticus was at peace. It was one of the only places he really felt safe besides his own home. And sometimes even then he would find himself peeking through the blinds. He had no doubt Roman would like where he was taking him as he took a firm grip on his hand. “Just stick close.” There was nothing out here that could hurt them, Atticus wouldn’t take Roman anywhere he would be in harms way but there were a lot of holes this way. Large ones and he didn’t want to he responsible for a twisted ankle. Atticus led him down a winding path that broke off the road he had parked his SUV on. He steered Roman away from every one he could, keeping a close eye on the ground as well as the grassy path ahead. The trees and undergrowth began to grow dense, thicker to the point it began blocking out the sunlight and casting them in a cool shade. Atticus pulled Roman closer. Here, the shrubs and spiky bushes grew out onto the path, curling this way and that with their vines.

A branch hung over the trail, moss dangling from it with tony pink flowers beginning to bloom. It blocked most of it. Atticus stepped ahead and pushed it up with one hand, holding it long enough for Roman to go under and himself to slip quickly through before carrying on. “Just up here”, he murmured as he dusted his hand on his jeans and took hold of Roman’s again. Atticus could tell he was a little nervous and rightfully so. A man he’d known for two days carrying well into the woods like this? Who wouldn’t be nervous? But Atticus gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. The trees thinned out ahead of them and Atticus could pick out the familiar sounds. They were here. Atticus let go of Roman’s hand and stepped behind him to cover his eyes. “Just keep walking, i’ve got you, love, he murmured. Atticus is wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Atticus guided Roman the rest of the way, stepping over rocks and small holes until they reached the slight break in the trees. Everything was thick but this was the one place they could squeeze through. He stopped walking soon after and removed his hands from Roman’s eyes. “Open your eyes and look...” Atticus stood behind him and admired where they were.

It was a small waterfall. What it had been before, Atticus would never know, but now it ran, water splashing down the eroded rocks into the slow moving river below. It wasn’t too loud, it didn’t splash too much but it was gorgeous. It ran down into a slow moving robber filled with an assortment of colored pebbles and sun-bleached rocks. The sun caught the silver shakes of the fish that swam below the surface. A few turtles sunbathed on the large rocks to the left of the falls and they laid the two men no attention. All around ferns and lilies grew, attracting butterflies, frogs and birds alike. They were chirping and croaking, jumping here and there. Moss and lichen grew up the rocks of the rocks and disappeared over the top. Where the river flowed was a mystery to him. To the right was a series of large rocks, boulders really, and Atticus tugged Roman over to take a seat. “It... It isn’t much but”, he paused to glance at Roman and wonder what he was thinking. “Its beautiful... Peaceful and I love it.”

”Don’t apologize.” Atticus wrapped an arm around Roman when he had taken a place next to him on the sun warmed rocks. “I couldn’t warn you without possibly giving away where or what I was taking you too.” He looked back out to the falls. The mist thrown from the eroded rocks of the falls had a shimmering rainbow in it, the lights from the sun flickering through through the countless droplets. Atticus’s dark gaze wandered to the turtles who on the rocks, their legs and necks outstretched in the warm morning sun. They looked content. Roman’s question made him look back down. “How did I find it?” Atticus repeated the question and looked around again. He looked back to the rock he sat on. There was a pebble beside his free hand. He snatched it up and tossed it, watching it skip once or twice before sinking down into the river. The day he had found this place had been the day his girlfriend and child had been taken from him. By sheer accident he had stumbled into his place and found some strange peace that cleared his head. Atticus had been periodically coming here ever since. How he had found this place wasn’t something he would lie about even if he wanted too.

“Remember when I told you about... I mentioned a girl and a kid I had, Jessica may have said something, but... The day I lost them, I lost a part of myself. I was drunk, I don’t a hundred percent remember how I really got here.” It was a miracle to this day that he hadn’t been splattered all over the side of the interstate. “I sobered up and found myself here.” Atticus waved an arm to emphasize the area again. “It gave me the peace I couldn’t find and I come here from time to time to get away. I’ve never shown anyone else.” Who or what it belonged too, Atticus didn’t know, he didn’t really care. He didn’t mess with anything so there wasn’t cause for concern. “But I wanted to bring you.” Atticus cleared his throat and rested his head against the racer’s. “I know it may not be worth the drive, it may not be much to you- I won’t be offended - but it’s special to me and I wanted you to see it.” This was a special place and Roman certainly fit the roll of special person. Atticus turned to give Roman a small, somewhat sad smile. “Im sure this place isn’t really... your style but I love it.”

Atticus loved nature. He loved the grass and trees, the bugs and animals. Really, he would have loved a house to be right here where they were sitting but it just wasn’t possible. The city was where he needed to be right now. The man went quiet again, lost in thought as he looked back out of the river. Somewhere, the splash of a fish sounded but it didn’t catch his attention like it usually would have. Atticus subconsciously pulled away enough to life and lay Roman’s arm over his own shoulder. A soft sigh left him when he leaned into the younger man’s side.

”Getting away from the city is nice sometimes, Roman,” Atticus went on quietly. “Sometimes I wish I could wake up to the sound of birds and this river every morning instead of sirens and cars flying by my house.” That just wasn’t an option right now. The touch on his back was comforting and it did bring him a small amount of peace. Atticus could tell this wasn’t Roman’s place but did appreciate the fact that he stayed out instead of getting up and asking to leave. “I think... If you come here more, you’ll find your own way to appreciate it.” It hit Atticus then that he and Roman really came from two very different worlds. Two worlds that didn’t coincide with one another. Roman was from the streets and Atticus could find the beauty in the petal of a flower, aside from what he did himself. That was troubling for him but it was best not to say so. Atticus could tell he had put a damper on their day and it wasn’t even noon. I should have kept my damn mouth shut and took him somewhere else. He knew he only had himself to blame at that point.

Atticus stayed against Roman, closing his eyes as his mind fought back and forth with the reasoning behind his telling Roman what he had. All he came up with was that he shouldn’t have said anything. A few minutes passed and Atticus finally pulled away and stood, kicking at the rocks as he did. He understood that most people wouldn’t appreciate something like this the way did and it couldn’t upset him. “Lets head back to town...,” Atticus finally said and extended his hand down to where Roman sat. “I’m thirsty and... I’d like to take you to do something you want to do.” Whatever that may have been. His mood had changed. Part of a new relationship was adapting to what the other liked, Atticus knew that, so he tried his best to smile just as he had before. “Why don’t you show me your bike? You said you built it yourself, right?” Roman loved racing, he loved his bike. That was something Atticus needed to learn, right? When his hand was taken, he helped Roman up and turned his back on the waterfall scene he had come to love. blocking it from view made him feel a little better.

Atticus loved Roman, he did, but he was troubled and didn’t say much on the way back to his SUV. Every now and then he would glance at Roman and smiled to keep questions down and if asked, he would dismiss it and say he was simply enjoying Roman and the trees. When they reached the vehicle, Atticus pulled the door open for the racer just as he would have before and waited until he was in before closing it once more. As he rounded the car, Atticus ran his hand across the back of his neck, wondering again why he couldn’t have just kept his mouth shut and bottle things up like he usually did.

”I can come here anytime.” Not the best excusive defense but it did the job. Of course Atticus wanted to stay when. When he made the ride out here he at least spent half an hour admiring the scene or watching the fish jump. Whatever kept his attention but he got the feeling that just wasn’t Roman’s... style, was the word he was looking for. “Its not nothing.” Atticus glanced at him. While he had gotten the sense that this was was nothing for Roman, that wasn’t the case with him. “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. Besides, I haven’t seen it up close, only from a distance and i’d like to see what you built from the ground up.” Atticus hadn’t cared much at first but he was curious now. As much as he wanted to take a look back at the falls and plants around his special place, Atticus didn’t, choosing instead to keep his eyes forward just he would feel a little better. Some things just weren’t for some people, Atticus told himself. And other things were best kept private.

Atticus made slow work of bringing himself into the vehicle. He kicked a rock and glanced around as he closed the short steps between the headlights and the driver side door. Eventually he did climb inside and put the key into the ignition before even buckling himself in, an odd thing for him to do. The car started up and Atticus then grabbed the belt and drug it around him. “Don’t apologize for anything,” Atticus said as he pushed the gearshift into reverse and began the quick process of turning his SUV around on the small grassy road. It didn’t take long and he was careful not to jostle himself or Roman around too much. Soon, he was turned around and headed back down the way they had come. Atticus held the wheel and stared through his glasses ahead. He tried to comprehend what he was feeling and only confused himself more. This was his special place and he had wanted Roman to be apart of it, too. Maybe Roman just wasn’t a mature guy, he didn’t know. Or maybe you said something you shouldn’t have when you opened your mouth. Coming here hadn’t been his best idea, that was for sure. Telling what had brought him here had been an even worse idea. Atticus but the inside of his cheek. He wasn’t even sure what he was upset about.

Atticus could feel Roman’s gaze on him and he didn’t answer right away. What was he supposed to say, exactly? He had reached the original road they turned off of and he pulled back onto the asphalt road to make his way back to the main road that would take them back to town. “You didn’t do anything, love,” he finally sighed. “I’m just... I’m just a stupid man.” That sounded about right, right? Atticus pulled a hand from the wheel and reached across to lay it on Roman’s thigh. He gave it a slight squeeze and paused, glancing both ways before shooting across to the right side of the double laned highway that would take them back to the city. “I only had us leave because I could tell it wasn’t really... you, I guess,” he shrugged to himself. “Its not a big deal, Roman, love, i’m not upset. Don’t worry.” Now that they were on the road, he spared Roman a small smile. Maybe he was just thinking too much into it, he didn’t know.

”Of course it’s important but I can go there anytime I want.” Atticus kept a careful eye on the road ahead. There wasn’t much traffic but he had more than just his own body in the car this time. “I didn’t have expect you to have any sort of special connection to it,” he went and resisted the urge to shrug. Atticus felt like, maybe it could have become special since it would associate he and Roman both with the place, but maybe not. “I just wanted to show something that was special to me. I don’t know how to explain it, i’m sorry.” Atticus shouldn’t have up and left the way he had but it was done.

“You haven’t met many people, have you...” He tried to joke but it fell short when Atticus felt Roman tensing under his touch. It happened often and usually he wouldn’t pull away because Roman knew he wouldn’t hurt him. This time he pulled his hand away and put it back on the wheel opposite his other. “I suppose I shouldn’t have said anything about them.” The air had been fine until Atticus had revealed how he had stumbled onto the place. Maybe it would have been better if something had splattered him across the road that night but that was something Atticus would always keep to himself. “I know I shouldn’t have and i’m sorry I did.” He listened, shifting his hands along the leather of the wheel ever so often as Roman spoke. Atticus could understand to a point. Taking Roman somewhere that had so much meaning to him- but not the racer- should have been saved for when they were closed and he shouldn’t have revealed something so personal to someone he really didn’t know that much about. That was no ones fault but Atticus.

Roman had made him feel as if he didn’t want to be there but Atticus didn’t have the heart to further upset him by saying so. “You weren’t intruding on anything important, Roman,” he went on after a short pause. “I chose to take you there. Maybe I should have asked first, I don’t know, but I don’t want you to feel like that. I wanted to show you that place. You mean the world to me, don’t you know that? And I want to show you everything that is apart of me so it can be apart of you, too.” It sounded cheesy but he didn’t have any other way of explaining himself. Roman had made him feel like he didn’t care, especially when he didn’t say anything but again, Atticus just didn’t have it in him to say so. “I’m not upset with you, Roman...” He was upset with the way it had gone but that couldn’t be changed. They pulled back into the outskirts of town quicker than Atticus thought they would. The familiar buildings were coming into sight before he spoke again. “But listen, this isn’t a day for us to be like this... You know what I mean? I want to enjoy it with you. Please, don’t worry about what happened back there.”