Chapter 21: Change is a Strange Thing

Evan POV.

Connor showed Evan around his house, Zoe following closely behind but no too closely. Close enough that she was obviously following them around, though.

He was reasonably surprised at how... rich his family seemed to be. They had a lot of things, and it looked like a lot of it was just throwaway money. Vases, fake plants, real plants, paintings, books, things like that. And they were basically just scattered around the house, like no one really had a sense of organization. It wasn't in a messy way, though, more like... "where do I put this?"

"Zoe," Connor said abruptly. "If you don't stop following us around I swear to god-"

"Hey, I'm not following you, dickhead. We just happen to be in the same room for the same consecutive amount of time." She tilted her head and grinned at him.

Connor looked like he was about to start arguing with her, when he got this smug look on his face and smirked, crossing his arms. "I don't blame you, honestly, I would do the same thing if it was you and Alana."

The grin on Zoe's face quickly faded and her cheeks turned bright red. "S-shut up, douchebag!" She clenched her fists at her side but she didn't seem like she was really going to lash out or anything.

Evan was just observing. So this was what it was like to have a sibling, huh? Didn't quite seem like the thing for him. But maybe it was usually different.

Zoe stormed away after a bit of angrily staring at Connor.

Connor laughed. "Well, now I know her weak point, I guess," he said. He turned to Evan and just randomly leaned forward and kissed him.

"What was that for?" Evan said when he pulled away.

"I just felt like it." He grinned. "Now, on with the tour!" he said with joking extravagance. He took Evan's hand and pulled him along.

Evan felt that Connor was changing. In a good way, definitely. It was easier for him to smile, to laugh, to joke, and it was much easier to be around him in general. While before they got together, it was a bit uncomfortable to be in the same room alone with him.

Perhaps it was Evan who had changed him in this way, for the better.

Connor was the whole reason Evan hadn't killed himself, or tried since he met him in that park. Connor was the whole reason Evan hadn't picked up that razor he kept in a locked box under his bed.

While Evan was at Connor's place, his mother had called him to say that she wasn't going to be home when he got back and she was leaving the keys under the mat. Which meant that Connor could come over, and it seemed that going to Evan's house was much better than staying at his own.

This time, though, Evan was comfortable with letting him come upstairs and lay down in his bed, instead of the couch. It was strange that they had never actually slept in a bed together, but keep in mind, this was still a new thing for both of them.

Evan regretted not letting Connor sleep upstairs with him for so long. It was so much more comfortable than the couch, and they weren't nearly as squished together, though they still cuddled.

Evan was relieved that he could be so comfortable with Connor there, his hand slung around his waist and his faint breaths against the back of his neck.

He thought that he was never going to get used to having someone with him so often, not being so alone anymore.

How wrong he was.

Word count: 634

A/N

My, my, what a following this story has gotten! I wasn't expecting it to get this many! I know it's not much many people, but I'm still proud of it nonetheless.

Please leave a review if you have the time! I hate to be one of those people begging for reviews and such, but I would really appreciate a few!