Work Text:
2004
'Yeah, I dont th-'
Before he realized, he felt his eyes water.
Oh god. He felt so stupid.
Atticus looked at him. He was quiet, but it seemed that he sensed the shift of the mood in the room. Trent ducked his head down, started fidgeting with the equipment.
He didn't want to know his reaction, whether it was pity or reject or if he actually didn't notice at all. He clenched his teeth, breathed in. He tried to focus.
'I just dont think.. it is good enough'
'It is'
Trent licked his lips, playing with an amplifier. With a sigh he stood up.
'Look I know it sounds like shit. Let's just- let's just move on to another song. Or give me a day and maybe I will think of something'
He walked away towards the door, hoping that it looked like it was in frustration.
'..if you want'
He stopped, his hand on the door handle. He was too bothered, in many senses, to be sure if he heard that.
'If you want' louder now 'I can try something with it. I-it's my job after all'
Trent still stared at the door, or maybe the floor. He couldn't turn around. He tried to take a moment to think about it, but found himself unable to, so he decided to just give in.
'Okay'
He wasn't sure why he was still there. To his luck, he was alone.
Most of the time everyone took a chance here to take a break with a smoke, or pot, or just anything and everything. He hoped to clear his head so he could keep working, but maybe that wasn't a choice for people who were clean. Or maybe just for him.
His fingers were tangled through the wire fence, his head laying on it. He looked up and stared at the sea.
Trent went back in the end. He wasn't even sure if Atticus would still be there, but at least he would say goodbye.
But he was, and as promised he was working. He played the song again and it was.. different. But good.
'Did I butcher it too much?'
'No...' A lie '...well, yes. But I like it.'
'Will you keep working on it?'
Trent swallowed. He was so sure about throwing this one out but now, surprisingly, he couldn't deny his enthusiasm for the song was being born again.
'Yes'
Atticus smiled at him, a rare sight, and Trent found himself smirking a little, a little warm appearing on his chest. At least someone here was having a good time.
He decided to call it a night for real this time and stood up, Atticus accompanying him. On the way he laid his hand on his shoulder, surprising him.
'I told you it was good song' he squeezed it, gently.
Trent stared at him, he felt his heart clenching again. He didn't know if it was for being understood or just from being seen, but somehow it broke him, and he couldn't look at him in the face anymore.
He started to walk away, but Atticus pulled him. He embraced him close, the warm engulfed him.
Trent let himself close his eyes, finally he wept quietly. The studio was empty except the two of them, alone.
2016
'Yeah, I'm just not sure if it's... good'
'It's great Trent...' he turned up his head from the page, looked at him in the eyes 'It's great'.
Trent looked back at him, a smile growing in his face. He stood up and went to retrieve the luminist garden.
The studio was empty except for the two of them, together.