Rumors | Sebastian Stan

5.8

"You're stalling," Sebastian states from his place on the couch, watching her pour herself a glass of juice.

His statement isn't exactly untrue. Teigan knows she's stalling, but only because her nerves are getting the better of her again. She's already tried to put it off a bit longer by insisting on changing into something more relaxed and having to take her makeup off. Needing to get a drink is just another aversion tactic, one of many that she knows Sebastian picked up on as soon as she started trying to put off the conversation. But he's waiting her out; he's undone some of the buttons on his shirt and taken his shoes off but, other than that, he's just been watching, biding his time until she runs out of things to distract herself with, until she has no more excuses left to push the conversation away. They're both all too aware of what the other is doing.

"No, I'm thirsty," She corrects him, before showing him the juice carton. "Do you want some?"

He stares her down, "What I want is for you to sit down and talk to me like you seemed so desperate to do earlier but are now doing everything possible to avoid."

She turns away from his stare as she puts the juice away, letting out a shaky breath before nodding to herself.

She makes her way over to him, perching on the edge of the seat next to him and sipping her drink before just holding the glass with both hands in her lap, her eyes focused on it as she uses her thumb to wipe away the condensation that is appearing on the side of the glass.

She hears him sigh before she feels the couch cushions moving as he moves, his hands rubbing her arms as he presses gentle kisses to her clothed shoulder. It's his way of providing reassurance without crowding her or verbally prompting her.

"I don't know why I'm finding it so hard to talk about," She finally admits in a low murmur.

"I'm here," he whispers, squeezing her arms slightly.

She decides to just jump into the deep end. "We've talked about having kids together, and you have this whole plan about when you want them, but what if things didn't go to plan?"

He shifts, "What do you mean?"

She shrugs, "Just... what if nature decided that we were meant to have children before then?"

He lets out a breath that sounds like a sigh of relief to her ears. "So, you're saying, what if you got pregnant before then?" He waits for her nod before cupping her cheek to get her to turn and look at him, even going as far as to take her drink from her hands and placing it on the coffee table in front of them. "Then that's just what happens. I would never ask you to get rid of the child just because it 'doesn't fit our plans'."

"Even if it meant that you would be filming during, and probably even after, the pregnancy?" She sees the moment he hesitates, wanting to argue that point. "You wouldn't ask me to throw away the chance at a child, and I would never ask you to throw away the projects that would give you a chance at becoming a big-shot actor one day."

By the look in his eyes she can tell when he finally understands how complicated that situation is. He wants to be present but if she got pregnant then his agreed filming schedule would mean he can't be there, and she would never let him throw all that away because of her.

"I know how much it means to you about being there, to be a better father than yours was for you, but what would we do then?" She holds onto his wrists, leaning into his hands.

He's quiet for a while, really taking in and thinking about that situation. Eventually, he comes to some sort of decision. "Most directors are pretty understanding about taking time off to be a family when someone has a baby. I can be with you and still work; I wouldn't get to be there as much as I'd like to be but we'd manage, and once the projects I've already agreed to at that point are over then I'll be a bit more careful about what I agree to do for a while."