Connor stood in the stall for a few minutes, looking at where Jude had left for as long as he possibly could before another man walked into the bathroom and shot Connor a worried glance. Connor quickly fled the room, and looked around the main section of DeAngelo's for Jude. He couldn't find him. Connor ran outside, hoping to catch a trace of the man he wanted more than anyone else, but the roads were empty and quiet. Jude was gone.
Connor walked back home, not bothering to say goodbye to Reggie. With every step Connor felt the weight of what had happened pile onto him more and more, and by the time he had reached the apartment tears were freely falling down his face. He couldn't believe that Jude had this much power over how Connor felt, but now that Connor was trapped in Jude's grip, he doubted he could ever get out of it.
So the next few days, Connor called Jude on his phone as many times as he possibly could. Jude never picked up. Connor debated with himself if he should go over to Jude's apartment to try to force the other man to talk to him, but that strategy seemed a bit too forceful for Connor to like. So he kept on calling Jude, hoping to hear anything but the automated voice message that informed him, once again, that he should leave a message and hang up.
The fourth day after the kiss, Connor found himself at baseball practice. Reggie had been talking to him about how Piper had invited him over to her place that night, but Connor didn't pay much attention to him. His bad attention span cost him at practice, however, when he consistently missed catching the pitches thrown at him. Coach Fletching had been unimpressed, and as a consequence, Connor found himself staying after practice to run laps for about half an hour before he was cleared to leave.
The locker room was completely empty, and Connor took his time as he went to the showers and put on his regular clothes. When he checked his phone before he left, he noticed that it had been an hour since practice had finished. Connor sighed, but knowing that it wasn't like he had any plans that night anyways, he didn't feel too bad.
He started to walk outside, and was putting his earphones in when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and internally sighed before looking at whoever had tapped him; it wasn't uncommon for a fan or two to hang out after practices for autographs, but Connor didn't feel like talking to anyone. He looked up.
Well, Connor didn't feel like talking to anyone but him.
"Jude," Connor spurted out, pulling his earphones out. "Jude." He mentally scolded himself for repeating the man's name, but Connor was so shocked at seeing him in the first place.
"Hey," Jude said softly.
"What are you doing here?" Connor asked, looking around as if Jude was there to see someone else that Connor hadn't noticed yet.
"I was actually wondering if I could talk to you," he replied, looking into Connor's eyes.
Connor swallowed. "Sure," he said, his voice tight. "Yeah, we can talk."
"Great," Jude said. "Should we go to my apartment?"
Connor nodded in agreement, and walked next to Jude as the two of them went to his apartment.
Connor wanted to break the silence during the walk, but he couldn't think of anything to say. He didn't want to mention the kiss, because he was afraid that he'd get radio silence from Jude for another few days. Connor didn't feel brave enough to reach out for Jude's hand, and Jude seemed focused on what was in front of him, so Connor couldn't bring himself to break Jude's concentration.
Jude made twists and turns down random streets, and Connor realized that he had never been to Jude's apartment before, he just knew the address thanks to Taylor. He put his trust in Jude as they walked through the shadier part of town, before coming to a small apartment building right next to a little grocery store. He followed Jude as he walked up two flights of stairs before unlocking a door, and before Connor had fully processed what was happening, he was in Jude's apartment.
The first thing that Connor noticed were the pictures on the wall in the living area they had walked into. It had been forever since Connor had seen anyone else in the Adams Foster family, and he was secretly delighted to catch glances of Jude's four siblings and two mothers, now looking older than he remembered them being. He turned to face Jude, who was closing the door, and he noticed the giant pride flag that was hung up on the back of the door.
"Nice flag," Connor said in the most genuine tone he could muster.
Jude looked at him for a moment before biting his lip and looking at the floor. "Thanks," he said, before looking back at Connor.
Connor gulped. There was no way Connor could ignore the way he felt whenever Jude was focused on him.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened at DeAngelo's," Jude said, his voice sounding smaller than usual. Connor felt his face redden, and he prepared himself for the criticism that he thought he deserved, when Jude surprised him with his words.
"I'm sorry," Jude whispered, and Connor had to blink before he processed what Jude had said. He was sorry? For what?
"I shouldn't have left you alone like that, I shouldn't have ignored all of your calls after I left you, and I'm so sorry, Connor."
Connor hated how he detected guilt in Jude's voice. He wanted to Jude to be happy, so he needed to say something.
"It's all right, Jude. I'm sorry that I can't be public with you."
Jude was silent for a few moments before he took a few steps closer to Connor. "Why not?" he asked.
Connor looked at the giant pride flag and gathered his courage. "Nobody on the baseball team knows that I'm gay," he admitted. "And I know that it's become more acceptable within society nowadays, but I'm terrified of what they could say if they knew, how they could treat me if they knew." Connor swallowed. "It's stupid, I know."
He couldn't meet Jude's eyes as he felt tears threaten to fall out of his own. To his surprise, Jude stepped even closer to Connor before reaching out to place a hand on Connor's shoulder.
"It's not stupid," he said softly. "I understand."
That was truly all that Connor could hope for. Someone to understand, someone who had been in his place before. Connor lifted one of his own hands up to lay over Jude's on Connor's shoulder, before sniffing and finally meeting Jude's eyes with his own.
Jude's eyes were dark with something that Connor couldn't detect. Jude swiped his tongue over his bottom lip quickly, and Connor gulped in response.
He wanted to tell Jude that he wanted to be with him. Connor felt the words catch in his throat, and he looked pleadingly at Jude, before only managing to say, "Jude."
Everything was clear with that one word. Jude understood what Connor meant, and Connor could tell. Jude's hand tightened on his shoulder, and he gave Connor the tiniest of all nods. Before Connor could over analyze every single thing about the situation, he moved a few more inches closer to Jude to meet his lips with his.
This kiss wasn't as needy as the one before had been. The passion was still in it, but it was slower and Connor felt Jude's hand move from his shoulder to cup his face. The kiss was nowhere near as long as the previous one, but it held just as much meaning.
Jude pulled away first, although his face didn't move very far from Connor's. His fingers still roamed Connor's face, although his eyes never strayed from Connor's eyes. Connor smiled lightly before moving to kiss Jude's cheek.
He felt Jude respond by smiling, and Connor felt pure bliss. This was what he wanted. Jude was who he wanted. Nothing had ever felt as right as that moment.
Eventually, the two of them found themselves out of each other's grasp, and Jude went to grab waters for the both of them as Connor explored the apartment. He discovered his own face on the wall of pictures that Jude had. He smiled as he looked at it; it was taken before they had begun dating, back when they were only best friends, that one time that Jude had convinced Connor that they should have a picnic in Jude's backyard. Callie had walked outside by pure coincidence and took a photograph of the two of them together, claiming that she was working on her photography skills. Connor smiled at the memory and reached out his hand to brush over his and Jude's much younger faces.
"What are you looking at?" Connor heard Jude ask as he came back with the waters.
"You have this?" Connor asked, turning his head to look at Jude, hand still on the picture.
Connor saw Jude blush a little bit. "I do have that," he responded, before handing Connor a water.
Connor thanked him and looked back at the picture. "I don't know why I wanted to hang out with such a nerd," he said, in a joking manner. Jude laughed and lightly punched his shoulder.
"I don't know why I wanted to hang out with such a dick," he said back, and Connor scrunched his eyebrows together and pulled his neck back slightly before sending Jude a look that made Jude laugh harder than before.
"Well okay then," Connor responded, before moving his gaze to the other photographs on the wall.
After a few moments, Jude spoke, his voice once again serious. "It's getting pretty late," he said, capturing Connor's attention.
Connor sighed. "Oh, right. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, or at least in a few days? If that's okay?"
Jude nodded, but then asked, "Unless you want to sleep over?"
Connor was lucky that he hadn't opened up his water, because if he had had anything in his mouth at that exact moment, he would have spit it out. "What?"
"Nevermind," Jude said, obviously embarrassed. "Forget I said anything."
Connor nodded. "Well, if you were ever to say anything," he replied, voice small yet a bit flirty, "then I hope you know that my answer would've been yes."
Connor kept his eyes on Jude as Jude began to get a small, mischievous smile on his face. "Well in that case," he replied, taking a few steps to get to Connor before tugging on his shirt and pulling in Connor close enough for a kiss.
The two of them kissed for awhile, eventually making their way onto Jude's couch. Jude had just playfully tickled Connor's sides while they were kissing when a ringtone started to sound off.
Connor groaned. It was his phone.
He was going to ignore it and continue to kiss Jude when he felt Jude push him off of him. "Go get it," Jude insisted, and although Connor shot him a sour look, he listened. Connor was determined not to ever be on Jude's bad side ever again.
Connor glanced at the caller ID, and became instantly confused when he saw that it was Reggie.
"Hello?" Connor asked, answering. Jude sat up on the couch and looked over at Connor.
"Connor the catcher," he heard Reggie respond. Something was off. "Quite the catch, aren't you, little Connie."
Connor rubbed his temple. "Are you drunk, Reggie?"
"Did you know that Piper just kicked me out? Like out. She kicked me out."
Connor decided he didn't need a verbal answer to his question, as he could tell that Reggie had been drinking. "Look, Reggie, I'm very sorry about that but I don't know what I can do for you." In all honesty, with Jude looking at him from the couch like that, he desperately wanted to go back to what he was doing only a few minutes ago.
"I can't walk down the streets at night, Connor," Reggie belted out through the phone. "I'm just a boy, Connor."
Connor groaned. "Reggie, I can't come get you." Jude sent him a curious look and stood up, walking over to Connor. So much for getting back to the couch.
"Bro, I'm right by your apartment, I swear."
"I'm not at my apartment."
"I'm on, like, Second Street."
Connor frowned. "Reggie, my apartment isn't even near a Second Street."
To his surprise, Jude cut in. "Maybe not yours, but mine is."
Connor cupped his hand over the speaker of the phone to talk to Jude, as Reggie attempted to form coherent sentences about exactly where he was. "Are you saying I should go get him?"
"Is he okay?"
"He's drunk and his girlfriend kicked him out."
"Yeah, I think you should go get him."
Connor frowned, deeply disappointed that he couldn't stay in the apartment with Jude. "I don't want to leave you," he said, looking at the floor.
Jude was silent for a second, before saying, "What if I come to?"
Connor's eyebrows raised. "For real?"
Jude nodded. Connor removed his hand from the speaker, and asked Reggie, "All right, where are you right now?"
-!-!-!-!-!-
Reggie was completely wasted, leaning on both Jude and Connor as they walked him back to his apartment.
"You know what?" Reggie slurred. "You know what?"
"What," Connor said, turning for a split second to look at his teammate before looking back in front of him.
"Girls suck," Reggie muttered, and Connor smiled as he heard Jude laugh softly.
"Connor," Reggie belted out, practically making Connor jump out of his skin at the volume.
"Yeah?"
"Never date a girl," he said. Connor bit his lip in order to keep from smiling too big.
"Reggie, I promise you that I will never date a girl," he said, making Jude laugh even louder. Reggie noticed this.
"Man, what are you on, being so happy and shit?"
"High on life," Jude replied, laughing even harder. "I'm just high on life."
Reggie ranted for the entire walk to his apartment, and when they finally got him to their doorstep, he stopped Connor and looked him deep into the eye.
"How do you avoid the deceptive charms of women," he asked, completely serious. His eyes were wild, and although Connor wanted to do nothing else but laugh again (like Jude was doing), he kept a straight face, focusing his attention on Jude.
"I've got someone in my life already," he admitted, feeling safe because Jude was near him. "I'm not looking for anyone else."
Jude caught his eye and smiled, and Connor swallowed hard before smiling back. Reggie, completely oblivious to what was happening, put a toothy grin on his face before patting Connor hard on the back.
"Good for you, man," he said loudly. "Good for you."
Connor shook his head at his friend. "Good night, Reggie."
Reggie took the hint and walked into his apartment. "Good night, Connor. Good night, high on life guy."
"Jude," Jude replied. "It's Jude."
"Of course it is," Reggie replied. "Saint of hopeless causes, right? Makes sense because you're hanging out with Connor."
"Hey!" Connor exclaimed in fake hurt as Jude laughed. "Reggie, how could you?"
Reggie shrugged his shoulders before saying his final goodbye. Connor looked at Jude, who was already looking right at him.
"Back to my apartment?" Jude asked.
Connor smiled. "Back to your apartment."
They started to walk back, and less than a minute into the walk, Connor didn't hesitate at all as he reached out for Jude's hand.
Author's Note: longest chapter so far, and I hope you all enjoyed it! Comments make my day, so feel free to leave some! Thank you to everyone who has supported this story, I really do appreciate it. The next chapter should be up soon!