So Jude and Connor started hanging out at Connor's house more. Adam was barely home, and even when he was, he tended to ignore the two of them, which meant they got to make out in peace with zero interruptions. Or so they thought.
It was a Thursday afternoon, and the two of them were in Connor's room, enjoying their relatively short summer vacation together. Jude was a little disappointed; for once he was actually looking forward to having a long, two-month break only to find out that Anchor Beach didn't do it that way. But anyway, at least they still had time together, just the two of them.
It was an incredibly hot day, approaching 100°F (A/N: that's 38°C for everyone who doesn't understand fahrenheit) outside. Jude and Connor had originally planned to go to the beach, but instead they were both perched next to the air conditioning vent, soaking up the cool air. Connor let out a loud, long breath, and Jude turned, looking at him curiously.
"What was that?" Jude asked.
"Oh nothing," Connor sighed.
"Don't bullshit me, I can see you've got you're adorable thinking face on," Jude chided. "You're thinking about something."
"Adorable thinking face?" Connor inquired, quirking his eyebrows up.
"Yeah, you stick your tongue out a little bit, and you scrunch up your eyes and get these really cute crinkles in your forehead," Jude shrugged. "I love it."
"Well I was just thinking um," Connor paused, biting his lip as his cheeks started to flush. "I-I was just thinking that I was disappointed that we uh, weren't going to the beach so I could see you s-shirtless."
"Ha, yeah right," Jude scoffed.
"What, I'm being serious," Connor countered. Jude gaped at him. No one was going to blame Jude for wanting to see Connor shirtless. Connor was ripped, with bulging arms, puffy pectorals and chiseled abs. And that was without mentioning Connor's nicely bronzed skin, or the way all those aforementioned muscles rippled every time he moved. Jude knew his boyfriend was ridiculously hot.
But Jude was well…if you asked Jude, he would say he just wasn't much to look at. For starters, he was really bothered by the long scar seared into his skin starting on the top of his shoulder and down his back, thanks to one of his many abusive foster fathers. People stared at it anytime he was without a shirt and he hated it. Even with that aside, Jude was pale, scrawny—basically the exact opposite of Connor. If Connor was smoking hot, that meant Jude was anything but.
"Why would you want to see that? I wouldn't want to blind you with my pasty skin," Jude joked nervously, trying his best to hide his insecurity from Connor.
"J-Jude, is there something wrong? First when we went to the beach with Callie and AJ you kept your shirt on the whole time and now you're trying to pretend that me wanting to see you shirtless doesn't bother you," Connor said timidly.
Damn Connor for calling me out Jude thought. Even though Jude knew he would. Connor knew him better than anyone else; he would've picked up on how Jude was uncomfortable and pieced that together with what happened the other day at the beach, when he had vehemently refused to take his shirt off.
"I-it's nothing really," Jude stuttered. "I just don't like showing off my body I guess. I mean, someone like me has no reason to."
"Someone like you?" Connor wondered, looking at Jude like he had grown a second head. "If you ask me, someone like you always has every reason to show off their body."
"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better Con, but you can cut the crap. Someone like you, well you should be shirtless at every opportunity. Me? I'm just not hot enough for that," Jude admitted. Now Connor was looking at him like he had a second head and a third eye.
"Not hot enough? What are you talking about Jude?"
"You've seen how literally every girl in our grade just ogles over you. Like Connor, you are really, really hot. Do I ever get anything like that from them? No, not even a little. It's just—sometimes I wonder why you like me when you could have someone way more attractive than me," Jude murmured, looking down at his hands. All of Jude's insecurities about their relationship always stemmed from the fact that he could never physically compare to his boyfriend, which always made him question whether Connor really liked him. Connor actually laughed out loud at his last question, which startled Jude.
"First of all, someone more attractive than you wouldn't have your personality," Connor chuckled. "And secondly, and more importantly, there isn't someone more attractive than you."
"Stop lying to make me feel better!" Jude yelled, standing up and making his way towards the door. There was nothing Jude hated more than someone lying to him, and he didn't want to hang around if that's what Connor was going to do.
"Jude!" Connor called, leaping up and grabbing Jude's arm. "Jude, look at me. I'm not lying to make you feel better."
"Why Connor? Why would you like someone who looks like me?" Jude asked, eyes starting to look misty.
"Jude, it's not all about looks you know. Because you are smart, compassionate, strong, witty, thoughtful, caring, I mean I could list adjectives for ages and ages, but they would all still fall short of explaining why I like you. Jude you are just the most incredible person I've ever met," Connor said softly, drawing Jude into his arms and hugging him tightly, stroking his hair as he spoke.
"I'm sure you can find all of those things in someone much cuter than me though," Jude protested weakly.
"Except there isn't anyone cuter than you," Connor argued.
"Stop it!" Jude growled. "I'm not hot, I'm not cute, I'm not anything except stupidly unattractive Jude! And Connor, I'm really okay with that, I just don't want you to lie about it."
"Jude, look at me please," Connor pleaded. So Jude did, staring into those big, hazel eyes. Jude always thought it was dumb, the saying that "eyes are a window into the soul" or heart or whatever the fuck that saying was, but in this moment, it actually felt like he was gazing right into Connor's heart. "Jude, I really mean it when I tell you that I think you're hot, or cute, or whatever it is that I say. Every time I see you, my stomach does backflips and I feel breathless. I've seen a lot of cute guys Jude, but none of them could ever hold a candle to you. None of them make me feel like you do."
As Jude looked into those eyes, all he saw was truth. Connor was being completely honest with him. Jude didn't understand how Connor could say that, but then again, there were many things he really didn't understand about Connor. Connor was far more complex than what you might think from a first glance or first conversation; it was something Jude absolutely loved about Connor.
"O-okay, I believe you," Jude whispered.
"So um, can I see?" Connor asked cautiously, delicately playing with the hem of Jude's shirt.
"I-I guess," Jude stammered.
"You're sure?"
"Y-yeah."
Jude squeezed his eyes shut as Connor hooked the hem of Jude's shirt with his thumbs, gently pulling the shirt over Jude's head. Jude heard Connor's breath audibly catch in his throat.
"W-w-wow," Connor faltered.
"I know I look—" Jude started, but then he was quickly shut up by a pair of lips pushing up against his. Connor pressed up against him, the fabric of his shirt gently rubbing against Jude's bare chest. The kiss only lasted a few seconds before Connor pulled away slightly.
"Amazing? Incredible? Hot? All of the above?" Connor listed. He paused and glanced down for a moment. "Yeah, all of the above," he answered himself, smirking at Jude. In that moment, had Jude been strong enough, he would've ripped Connor's shirt right off him. But instead he settled for shoving his hands underneath the piece of clothing, jerking his arms upward as he tried to force the shirt off. Connor grinned at him and helped take it all the way off. Jude then pushed Connor back towards his bed, shoving him down onto the mattress. Connor quickly adjusted himself so that he was lying down in the center.
Jude climbed on top of him, lying flat on Connor's chest and messily crashing their lips together again. It was strange, the feeling of bare skin on bare skin, but it was a good kind of strange. Jude felt like every place Connor was touching him was burning, on fire and yet he needed more of Connor's touch. His hands were tangled in Connor's hair, tongue roaming his mouth as Connor's hands slid up and down his back. Jude was just completely overwhelmed by all the new sensations, as was Connor, so neither of them noticed the slamming of the front door.
Adam came up the stairs, looking into Connor's room and finding a sight for which he was not prepared. Jude and Connor were on Connor's bed, Connor on his back and Jude on top of him. They didn't have tops on and they were very passionately—well Adam couldn't think of another way to describe it except making out, or maybe face sucking. He was getting used to Connor dating Jude, and he felt like he'd been making a lot of progress, because he was actually quite comfortable with the idea now, but this—he just wasn't ready for this. It was going to be a while before he felt comfortable with the physical part of their relationship. Adam took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
"Ahem," Adam coughed. Jude jumped, and Adam swore if it hadn't been for the fact that Connor had his arms around Jude, he would've rolled right off the bed.
"D-d-d-d-dad," Connor stammered as the two of them scrambled off the bed, eyes desperately sweeping the floor for their shirts, snatching them up and quickly tossing them on.
"I think it's time for me to take Jude home," Adam said flatly, carefully controlling his voice tone and volume. Lena had told him a while back that just because he was uncomfortable with something didn't give him the right to get angry at Connor or Jude for doing it. He didn't know what he would say to Connor when he got back, but he was going to try and get Lena to help him out. Adam watched as Jude nodded curtly, leaning over and pecking Connor on the cheek before resignedly heading out of the house to Adam's car.
So much for Connor's house being a better place to make out.
