A/N: First McPriceley fic and I am excited! Review and let me know what you think!
Kevin Price was on top of the world the morning he stepped off of the stale-aired plane and into the Disney themed terminal. He let his eyes slide over kiosk after kiosk selling small, overly-priced gifts to tourists and smelled the fattening foods that people always seemed more partial to after the extended stress of traveling. And he loved every detail of it. He was finally somewhere he felt he belonged. Every struggle he'd had since returning from Uganda disappeared instantly and he reverted back to Kevin Price, age nine, experiencing something incredible for the very first time.
Kevin clutched his carry-on close to his chest, feeling as though he was ready to explode with excitement, and he was forcibly holding himself together. Every moment, he was noticing something new, another reason to love this place even more. The beautiful mosaic designs of the airport flooring, the way the palm trees waved to him as the wind whistled through their leaves. He was by far the happiest person standing in line to retrieve his luggage. His smile didn't falter when the belt got stuck and it took extra time for his suitcases to reach him, or when he missed the first bus out of the airport and had to wait for another. He refused to let anything ruin this moment for him. He'd waited so long, and with everything he'd been just barely surviving recently, he thought he owed himself this much. The opportunity to change his life for the better was sitting right in his lap, he was damn sure going to seize it. Nothing could bring him down.
"Kevin? Kevin Price?"
Well... Except maybe that.
He willed himself to stay still, to not recoil from the familiar, bright voice calling out to him. He would stay calm. He could be mistaken. He had to be. There was no way that after all this time that it could actually be him.
But then a hand fell gently on to his shoulder, and he knew this was no mistake. This was chance or fate or Heavenly Father or whatever other forces that may or may not exist finding away to pull the rug out from under him once again.
But Kevin couldn't dwell on his current existential crisis for long, as there was still someone behind him, demanding his attention. So he plastered on his best mildly confused expression and turned around, careful to shy slightly away from the warm hand, praying that its owner got the message.
"Wow, it is you. I can't even believe it. Elder Price! How have you been?" Connor McKinley's smile stretched laterally across his face farther than anyone who hadn't met him could think possible. His shock of red hair added to the demeanor that could be mistaken for perpetually joyous to someone who didn't really know him.
But Kevin really knew him. And he could tell that Connor wasn't as exuberant as his behavior indicated. His blue eyes were hard around the edges, his forehead smooth. When he smiled, really smiled, he crinkled his nose up just the slightest bit, causing a ripple effect of wrinkles to shoot across the middle of his forehead. Kevin was suddenly struck motionless with a memory of a hot afternoon in Uganda they'd spent hiding indoors, trying to stay out of the scorching sun. The other elders had elected to sleep in late, so Connor and Kevin had made breakfast together, not worrying about hiding their "unholy" behavior from the other men. Kevin couldn't remember a moment of that morning where Connor's forehead hadn't been littered with wrinkles.
It was several moments past the window of time where one could reply to a comment without it being awkward when Kevin finally realized that staring blankly at the other man wasn't going to cut it. He was going to have to reply. Quickly.
"Uh...I uh-" was the solid start he came up with. He finally shook the bubbly feeling in that unreachable part of his chest, nestled just between his lungs in the perfect place to take his breath away. The memory had stirred up something in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. It was something like hope. Something like...faith.
And faith was dangerous. Kevin had learned that lesson the hard way.
Kevin forced a smile, hoping it was more convincing than the other man's. "Connor, it's great to see you." Kevin stuck out his hand in a gesture that wasn't typically seen between friends who hadn't seen each other over a year. But Kevin supposed they weren't exactly friends.
Connor grasped Kevin's hand quickly, understanding the unspoken words in the clinical contact between the two of them.
"Gosh, this is crazy! It's been what? A year?"
Kevin cleared his throat. "And a half."
"Right." Connor's exuberant exterior fell away for a moment. His thumbs found his way into the pockets of his jeans and his shoulders rolled forward slightly in clear discomfort. He maintained his position as he made another attempt at conversation.
"So, what brings you to Orlando?" Kevin knew Connor had no idea how loaded the question he had just asked was, but it still lit a hot flame of irritation in the pit of his stomach.
"Just…looking to start over." Kevin replied with a tone of finality. Connor seemed taken aback.
"You mean, you're staying here? For good?"
Kevin shrugged. "I'm hoping so. What about you? What are you doing here?"
"I live here. I was just visiting home for the weekend." Connor said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. Something about this motion caught Kevin's attention. Something small and gold that shined dimly on the fourth finger of the other man's left hand.
For a moment, Kevin was completely stunned. There was no way that Connor could possibly be…
Then he took a moment to survey the red-head a little more closely. Connor was loaded down with luggage, way too much for one person to take on a weekend trip. On top of the suitcase balanced on the side of his left leg sat a small grey handbag. His disbelief was slowly turning to boiling anger as the edges of his vision became blurry and red.
Connor was curious about the horrified look that had suddenly crossed the younger man's face, but his ring became heavier and heavier on his finger the longer Kevin stared at it. He searched for a quick way to explain everything before Kevin's inevitably dramatic departure. He took too long though, as the other man was already backing away from him.
"After everything. Everything we went through together, and you can just… you just go back to turning it off?" Kevin's voice was surprisingly hushed, considering his certain knack for creating a scene. He felt as though his lungs had suddenly shrunk and he couldn't find the air to speak above a hoarse whisper.
"Kevin, I swear, it's not–"
"Don't," the brunette cut him off sharply. "Don't you dare lie to me, Connor McKinley."
"Connor?" a hesitant voice came from behind him. He jumped slightly, glancing over at the approaching woman and cursing the terrible timing of her arrival. His face must've been an open book of emotion, because she instantly began questioning him. "What happened? Is something wrong?" She laid what was supposed to be comforting hand on his shoulder, and Kevin let out a derisive snort.
Connor turned back, ready to plead for the other man to hear him out, just in time to see Kevin's head disappearing in a crowd of floral print t-shirt clad tourists. He ran a hand through his flaming hair, trying to decide what to do. He knew how stupid it would be to chase after Kevin, how mad he would be. He knew there was little chance of the other man listening to him, but he couldn't let it end like this. So he grabbed the handle of his rolling suitcase, hurriedly telling the woman wearing a ring matching his on her left hand that he would explain everything later. He took off, darting through the slow moving crowds as fast as his feet could carry him, leaving his wife shocked and confused in his wake.
Kevin stomped up the three steps leading into the bus, and moved all the way to the back of the empty rows of seats, putting his suitcases in the seat next to him as a clear sign that he wanted to be left alone. Despite his efforts to stay calm, traitor tears began welling up in the inner corners of his eyes. He wiped at them before they could fall, refusing to waste more tears on a man he owed nothing to. Any feelings he'd had for Connor he was determined to leave a year and a continent behind him. He had never expected to see him again, and the chance encounter had caught him by surprise, that was all. His appearance was just another reminder of everything that had gone wrong in Kevin's life since he had returned to the states, that was the only reason he was upset.
Or at least, that's what Kevin was doing his best to convince himself of. But he knew how to feign happiness until it almost felt real. It wouldn't be too hard, considering he was finally in Orlando again. Just the promise of all the magical things waiting for him was enough to fill his head with joyous thoughts, and banish any bad memories Connor's appearance had triggered to the back of his mind to be dealt with later.
"Excuse me, do you mind?" Came a timid voice from the aisle to Kevin's left. His head snapped up to see a young man, about nineteen, clutching a small suitcase to his chest, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. "Everywhere else is full."
"Not a problem," Kevin replied, pulling his bags into his lap to allow the boy to sit down. They sat in silence for a few moments before Kevin decided he could use the distraction of some interesting conversation. "So, what brings you to Orlando?"
Connor was only catching glimpses of Kevin as he moved through the airport. As he exited the doors into the taxi and bus pick up area, he thought he'd lost him for good. He searched the windows of the vehicles, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar, meticulously styled brown hair. Finally, he saw him. The last row of a bus who's LED sign reported that it was heading to Epcot Center and surrounding resorts. He hopped up the steps just as the driver was getting ready to close the door, ignoring her irritated cry of "this bus is full, how many times do I have to say it!"
Connor missed the driver's assurances that another bus would come soon that he could get on, as he was focused on finding the hurt and confused man he cared so deeply for.
Except, Kevin wasn't hurt.
Connor saw him smiling and laughing, talking jovially with the pretty dark-haired man sitting next to him. Connor felt a flame of jealously ignite in his belly, but did his best to shake it. He was in no position to be jealous. What Kevin did and who he talked to was none of Connor's business, not anymore.
He realized that he wasn't wanted or needed here. Kevin was fine, and he would have to be fine too. He backed down the stairs, tripping slightly over the curb on the street. He caught himself, and turned to walk back into the airport.
He was surprised at how dejected he felt. After all the time that had passed, he didn't expect to be so affected by seeing the man who had once held his heart. He had to admit, to himself at least, that he had hoped he and Kevin would cross paths again. As much as he tried to convince himself that his decision to move to Orlando had been about what was best for him, he knew deep down that he was ever-hopeful that Kevin Price would miraculously show up one day to sweep him off of his feet.
But now that he had seen him, he knew what an impossibility that was. It's time to move on, now. He told himself, wishing that it could be that simple.