Work Text:
'Hey before you leave, I have to talk to you about something...'
The other man stopped on his way and Trent started feeling ridiculous, even if it was natural that his heart would start to race and his stomach would get tangled with such proposition. He had been thinking about it for a while, every aspect of it and it was all only fair, yet... he was mostly afraid of scaring him out. He tried not to think of a more catastrophic route because Atticus simply wasn't that type of person, in the worst case scenario he would just say no and things would continue as normal. Him, there waiting for him to speak with that seemingly eternal patience he had, wouldn't leave him.
He decided to just bite the bullet.
'I was thinking.. We had been working together for so long right?'
'Yes?'
'I think we have to change things.'
He was a little nervous so a fuck up was to be expected, and he knew he did when he saw Atticus' eyes opening wider, maybe unnoticeably for another person, but Trent knew him.
'Att I'm not firing you.'
Atticus visibly relaxed, closing his eyes. Trent felt pity that he was now going to ruin that, but that was exactly their problem here, he shouldn't be over him, it didn't represent what he wanted them to be.
'What I mean is, I want you to be part of the band. Officially.'
Atticus opened his eyes, frowning. Opened his mouth a few times, undecided.
'..But I'm already in the band?' His volume was lower, it was less misunderstanding and more like disbelief.
'Yes but-' Trent pressed his lips 'I mean as an official member. Not a live band one, not just a programmer. You and me.'
'... Not just you? Me and you?'
'Yeah'
Atticus looked behind Trent, and the last one could see how his face went from confusion to a quiet fear, his eyes going down and his expression getting closer to panic. Trent hardly, if ever, had seen him that startled. He decided to pull him back down to earth.
'Hey, hey' He said while squishing his thin arms 'You don't have to say anything right now. It's just an idea. Say no and we forget all about it.'
'But why?'
He looked away for a moment, uncomfortable knowing he would have to tell him his reasons to convince him, but forced himself to look up, decided. How couldn't he see what did?
'Att we are all day working together. You're not just in Nine Inch Nails but we have scored two films together, we did a side band too for fuck's sake. I feel like I'm not giving you proper credit. You're great at this, there are so many things I wouldn't have been able to get done if it wasn't for you, many directions I wouldn't have gone if you weren't there. I want us to continue like this.'
Atticus pinched the bridge of his nose.
'Think about it?'