He makes a strangled noise; also kind of a laugh, also kind of horrified at suddenly contemplating that prospect, the pinprick stab of tension being released in the conversation as his shoulder shakes in a chuckle.
“No,” Stephen says, not too fast but not too slow, “I don’t. And I don’t even have your giant stack of complicated reasons about it. I just don’t think…”
I wouldn’t be good at it, I’m too selfish, I was never in the right sort of relationship for it, there’s always too much going on, and none of that has really changed—
“I don’t know, it’s never really been a priority. I value my independence. I always rather savoured the idea of being the fun cool rich uncle if any of my friends had children. I could give them presents and take them on outings but not have to do any of the hard work,” he adds, wry.
no subject
“No,” Stephen says, not too fast but not too slow, “I don’t. And I don’t even have your giant stack of complicated reasons about it. I just don’t think…”
I wouldn’t be good at it, I’m too selfish, I was never in the right sort of relationship for it, there’s always too much going on, and none of that has really changed—
“I don’t know, it’s never really been a priority. I value my independence. I always rather savoured the idea of being the fun cool rich uncle if any of my friends had children. I could give them presents and take them on outings but not have to do any of the hard work,” he adds, wry.