Seth is a bastard. Like, a real one — that's not a fact that needs to be disputed, and he himself never rushed to vehemently deny that label. Not when she was on the other side, that's for sure.

Yes, he's rude. Seth doesn't know how to control his mouth — sometimes words flow faster than his neural connections can recognize that it wasn't what he meant. Well, or that what he meant was really worth keeping to himself.

Yes, he's inattentive. He doesn't notice her new nails because he doesn't understand the difference between two shades of the same color. His narrow-minded brain isn't specialized in reading minds and guessing her intentions when the line between “aw, you're my favorite bastard” and “what a bastard you are” is so thin.

He also forgets anniversaries. And he gets angry and too honest when he drinks, and doesn't know how to tell her she's beautiful without turning himself inside out for three words. But even the grumpiest dogs come around sooner or later to get their dose of head pats. Seth sighs, raising his hand just enough to make the movement seem nonchalant but inviting—a silent request to move closer, because his tongue feels too lazy to speak right now. He looks at the TV screen in front of him for the first time in the last hour: whatever is on there, they both forget about such a carefully made choice when they get to each other. The air from the window, opened in a pathetic attempt to get the cigarette smoke out of the room, blows against his bare chest, and he straightens his shoulders — his lower back cracks, and Seth sighs contentedly, like a cat in the sun. The dorm living room is warm, warm enough that he doesn't care about trying to put on anything more than his boxers.

“Hey,” he's not good with words, Seth doesn't take his words back, but now it seems like he might try. Maybe it's because the light falls on her hair as his finger slides through it, or maybe it's because he feels a little more honest after the last can of beer, he has no idea. “You know I love you, right?”

Yeah, he's a bastard, but he's her bastard.