Title: I Will Be Around
Author: Arya Mory
Pairing: Connor Kennedy/Lenny Bartlett (Read it and Weep)
Rating: General
Summary: Connor knows when things are wrong with Lenny
Warnings: Disney Slash
Dedication: harlequingurl for being epic
Disclaimer: If I owned them, they'd be doing more than just kissing *nods*
Author Notes: Watched Read it and Weep today, fell into slash addictions. Omnomnom
Connor knew what had happened the second Lenny had given up his music. They had been chatting online all night, talking about everything from Jamie's latest blunder to the new song that Lenny was trying to get down. Conner had just been wishing him luck on finishing the song when Lenny typed, 'Jamie's yelling. Be back.' Connor waited for ten, fifteen…twenty-five minutes before Lenny came back. 'Gotta go.' he typed before logging off.
Connor automatically knew that something was wrong, but he didn't know exactly what it was. He waited for all of ten worry filled minutes before he began texting Lenny, asking what was wrong. No answers came from the boy, and Connor was instantly worried. He begged his brother for a ride to Jamie's house, knowing full well that it would come with more chores in the end, and his brother surprisingly agreed. He knew that Connor had a strange obsession with the Bartlett family, and he wasn't about to push it aside when he could clearly see the worry in Connor's eyes.
The drive was silent, and they didn't try to change that. Connor was anxiously tapping his fingers against his legs as he looked out the window, knowing that the house couldn't come soon enough. The darkened suburban streets gave way to Mellow Lane, and Connor saw the depressing cry of agony sitting, broken and defeated in the trash bin. "No," he whispered as he shook his head, trying to make sense of this.
The second he was out of the car, Connor went over to the trash can and dug the broken guitar out of it. He knew that his brother was probably wondering what he was doing as he drove away, but today Connor didn't care. Lenny had thrown away his guitar, and that was all that mattered to Connor. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it, waiting to be let in.
Mrs. Bartlett opened the door with a smile on her face. "Well hello Connor. It's nice to see you. Jamie's up in her room, so you can head up." Connor shook his head as he held the broken guitar in his arms.
"I'm actually here to see Lenny," he said as he bit down on his lip lightly. He automatically noticed the look of confusion on Mrs. Bartlett's face, but she said nothing about Connor's interest in her other child, nor did she mention the broken guitar in his arms.
"Well, Lenny's up in his room, so you can go on up." Connor smiled briefly as he stepped past the woman, heading up to Lenny's room before she could get another word in. He knocked on the door lightly and waited, hoping that Lenny would open the door so that he could talk to him. The silence he was met with told Connor that he wasn't going to be allowed to come in anytime soon. He didn't like this, and he was really worried about Lenny, so he knocked again, louder this time, and waited for the boy to answer.
Silence wafted from the room, and Connor was done waiting. He knocked a final time before he pushed the door open and bit his lip, looking at Lenny, who was lying on the bed. "Hey," he said quietly as he tried to get the boy's attention. Lenny opened his eyes and looked over at Connor, but his eyes were closed once more after he spotted the broken guitar in the boy's hands. "Lenny…" The boy turned away from Connor, causing him to bite down roughly on his lip as he thought of a way to fix this. "Lenny, don't give up your music."
"Go away Connor," Lenny said as he moved so that he was on his side, not having to see Connor at the moment. "It's not your concern."
"But it is," Connor said as he looked at the back of the boy in front of him. "I love your music Lenny. It's so amazing, so life changing. I don't know a single song that I've heard that's been as amazing as your very first song." He pointed to the wall were the lyrics to 'I Will Be Around' were hanging and Lenny's eyes opened as he scanned the lyrics again.
I will be around
When you think it's over
I won't let you down
If your luck runs out
And when it feels like life is holding you down
Whenever you need me
I will be around
"Lenny," Connor whispered as he set the guitar down on the bed. "Lenny, please don't give up on your music. It's amazing, beautiful even. It's the most beautiful thing about you."
Lenny turned to look at him, and right then, Connor knew that he had said something he couldn't take back. "What's that supposed to mean?" Lenny asked as he looked at him. "Most beautiful thing about me?" Connor bit down on his lip and he shook his head.
"Nothing," he mumbled. "I should probably just go." He turned to leave, but Lenny grabbed onto his wrist and pulled him back before he could leave.
"No," he said quietly. "Tell me what you meant by that." Connor bit his lip and he sighed, looking down at his hands as he blurted it out.
"I think you're amazing and I wish that you could see it but this is awkward and I'm just going to go before I mess anything up so yeah…" He pulled his wrist out of Lenny's grip and made a mad dash for the exit, but Lenny jumped off of the bed and grabbed onto Connor before he left. "Lenny, let go," he said as he tried to pull away.
Lenny turned him around and he looked at Connor. "No," he whispered. "I understand it now. There was a reason why you started getting really close to me." Connor looked away from Lenny, but the boy stopped him and lifted his head back up so that he could look at him. "Me too," he whispered as he looked at him. "That's why I let you in. I felt the same way."
"So you…" Connor didn't finish his statement before Lenny nodded.
"I do," he replied before he pulled Connor into a quiet kiss. Connor was lost the second that Lenny had pressed his lips to his, and he knew that although everything wasn't okay right now, it would be.