Kevin froze, "What does he want?"

"I don't know," Connor said, "I could tell him that you're not here?"

Kevin shook his head minutely as he cleaned up his hands.

Arnold looked at Kevin worriedly, and then at Connor, pleading for him to do something. Connor just shrugged, what could he do? It was all up to Kevin.

They followed Kevin into the living room, and watched as Kevin inhale deeply and picked up the phone.

"What do you want?"

A long pause.

"Oh don't worry, dad, I got your letter," Kevin sneered, "I just didn't want to get on that plane is all."

Another pause.

"Stop saying that!"

It was agonising to only be able to hear one side of the conversation. Connor had no idea what Mr Price was saying. Arnold clutched onto Connor's sleeve when Kevin started yelling again.

"Arnold and Connor aren't making me do anything! You're starting to sound like a crazy person, you know that?"

Kevin scrubbed at his face in frustration, "Why is it so hard for you to understand that I just don't want to be a Mormon anymore? So what, if I'm not Mormon, I'm no longer a part of the family? Faith isn't a hereditary trait, dad!"

"Oh right, I forgot. What would people think?"

Kevin's face crumpled, "You don't mean that."

Connor put a hand on Kevin's shoulder when he let out a strangled sob, "Tell me you don't actually mean that."

What was Mr Price saying?

Kevin looked up at Connor with tear-filled eyes and whispered, "I've already made up my mind, dad."

—

Arnold took Kevin's place in the kitchen, after Kevin asked to be left alone in his room following the phone call with his father. Kevin never did tell them what his father said, but from the looks of it, Connor knew it was something really hurtful.

"I hate it when Kev is sad," Arnold sighed as he kneaded the dough gloomily, "He deserves better."

Connor agreed wholeheartedly. He just wished that the universe would give Kevin a break.

They heard the front door open, and then shut.

"Was that Kev?" Arnold craned his neck for a look but whoever it was, they were already gone.

"He's probably gone out for a walk," Connor tried to focus on making dinner, so that he wouldn't go crazy with worry, "Are you done with the dough?"

—

Connor was just about finished with frying the last of the dough when the front door opened and the chatter of the other Elders floated into the hut.

"Smells good, Elder McKinley," Elder Davis was the first to enter the kitchen, "Whatcha guys cooking?"

"Fried dough and yam mash," Arnold droned.

"Again?" Elder Davis' face fell, but he gave a strained smile, "Oh no, what I meant was thanks for the dinner, Elder McKinley. I'm going to go shower."

"I don't even remember what actual food tastes like anymore," Arnold lamented and left the kitchen, conveniently leaving all the washing up for Connor to do.

Everyone was getting tired of the simple fare, but their dwindling funds could only afford so much. Connor allowed them to have fresh meat once a week, and everyone understood why: Meat was expensive, and therefore a luxury. But that didn't mean that they liked it, and it certainly didn't stop them from complaining every now and again.

It felt as if he had let everyone down.

Connor threw the dirty utensils into the sink, and hung his head over it. He felt overwhelmed. What was he supposed to do?

The rumbling of distant thunder made Connor's head snap up. Kevin was still outside.

"I'm starving," Elder Church marched into the kitchen, "Hey, you okay?"

Connor murmured, "Thunderstorm's coming."

"Yeah, it was already drizzling when we were walking back," Elder Church scooped himself a bowl of yam.

Connor was starting to get worried, "I'm going to go find Kevin."

"Whoa, what?" Elder Church asked, "Where is he?"

Connor realised that he had no clue where Kevin went, and his fear skyrocketed, "I don't know. I've got to find him before the storm starts."

"What happened?" Elder Church frowned when Connor didn't answer, "Hey, do you need help? I'll come with you."

Connor nodded tightly, it would be foolish to turn down help, even though Connor knew that Elder Church would be throwing snide comments left and right while they searched.

Elder Church put down his bowl, "Let me get my poncho."

—

As they were about to leave the hut, the door swung open and in came a slightly drenched Kevin Price.

"Found him," Elder Church laughed.

"Where the heck have you been?!" Connor shouted at the top of his lungs.

Both Kevin and Church flinched at Connor's sudden outburst.

"Dude."

"I just- I just went out for a walk."

Connor deflated at the twin expressions of shock, and went forward to engulf Kevin in a hug, "I'm sorry for yelling."

"Ooookay? And that's my cue to leave," Elder Church stepped away from the pair.

Connor made a mental note to thank Elder Church later. But now, he just needed to hold on to Kevin, even if he was making Connor's shirt damp with rainwater.

"I was so worried," Connor spoke into Kevin's neck, "Are you okay?"

Kevin nodded, "I think so. I'm gonna go change, see you at dinner."

—

The loud pitter-patter of heavy rain hitting their roof made any conversation at the dinner table difficult. The Elders ate quietly, most of them exhausted after a whole day of manual labor. Elder Neely was falling asleep at the table, only jolting awake every few minutes to take a bite of his dinner. Sitting beside him, Elder Davis and Elder Michaels took turns to steal spoonfuls of yam from Elder Neely's bowl as he dozed off.

Connor was contemplating whether he should tell the other Elders about him and Kevin. Kevin didn't seem like he cared either way, but Connor did. All of the Elders had been brought up by strict, religious families after all, and they were taught that homosexual behaviours are unacceptable.

He didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable around them, but at the same time, Connor felt that he deserved the same rights to love, just like everyone else.

He started going through a list of possible outcomes in his mind. Poptarts and Arnold wouldn't mind it at all. Probably Elder Michaels too, since he mentioned that his sister had a girlfriend. That leaves Elder Davis, Neely and Church. Connor was certain that Elder Church knew what was going on. He kept sneaking glances at both Connor and Kevin throughout dinner. But he couldn't decipher what Elder Church actually thought of them.

"Here, finish my food," Kevin nudged Connor in the arm and pushed his bowl over to Connor.

Connor raised a questioning eyebrow at the amount of leftover food in Kevin's bowl.

"I'm not hungry," Kevin shrugged.

"Maybe you caught a cold again," Connor frowned.

"It was the flu, but no, I'm not sick. I'm just not hungry."

"Hey, if Elder McKinley doesn't want it, I'll take it," Arnold said while he chewed.

Connor gestured, "Have at it, Elder Cunningham."

When he looked back at Elder Church across the table, the boy immediately deflected his gaze. Maybe Connor could start with Elder Church.

—

The Elders retired to their bedrooms after dinner, with the exception of Arnold, Kevin, and Connor, who were lounging around in the living room.

"What if Elder Church doesn't approve of us?" Connor pondered aloud.

"I don't give a fuck what anyone thinks," Kevin remarked offhandedly, lying across the couch with his head on Connor's legs.

"But we live together, Kevin. I don't want things to become weird."

"He already hates me, what difference does it make?"

Arnold scratched his head, "I think Elder Church hates everybody."

"No he doesn't," Connor defended, "He just has the bad habit of not thinking before he speaks." Connor hadn't forgotten how Elder Church offered to help him look for Kevin in the rain without a second thought.

"There you go," Kevin pointed out, "If he had any objections, we would have heard it by now."

"And Elder Neely and Elder Davis respect you too much to hate you," Arnold added.

Connor was still unsettled, he needed to know for sure. Being forthcoming with one another was important, especially when they only had each other to count on in a land far away from home.