Disclaimer: I do not own ABC Family's The Fosters or any flashbacks mentioned.
Connor
"You're what?" Mr. Stevens asked.
"I-I-I'm…gay?" Connor's voice became taciturn as his father's stern eyes landed on him. He gulped. "I'm gay."
"Please tell me you are just saying you're happy, please," his father begged. "You cannot be one of those fags. I raised you right-no Barbie dolls, or pink or purple clothes, and definitely no dresses and thoughts about this!"
"How I was raised had nothing to do with it!" Connor argued. His heart thundered in his chest and he heard the monitor as it beeped rapidly to keep up with his heart's erratic pace.
"I did everything right to make sure you would be the perfect son. You're a star athlete, decent student, and you were supposed to marry a lovely girl like the other ninety percent of the population!" He emphasized the word 'girl' to watch the blood drain from his son's face.
The doctor chose then to enter the room and stride to Connor's bedside.
"It's a pleasant surprise to see you wide eyed and bushy tailed, Connor," the doctor grinned.
"It's good to be awake," Connor replied quietly.
"Mr. Stevens, may I speak with you for a second?" the doctor waved Connor's father to the far side of the room where he spoke in a soothing, tacit, quick voice. His face twisted from understanding to livid anger in all of .02 seconds.
"He what?" Mr. Stevens exclaimed.
"Your son, because of the bullet wound he suffered, has some tissue damage which will make him unable to play baseball. I'm sorry, sir, but there's nothing we can do."
"Nothing you can do?! He has a game in two weeks-the finals before the championship! You're tell me he can't hit a ball anymore because a thirty millimeter piece of copper got shoved into my son's skin-involuntarily might I add?"
"We can't fix the damage without possibly causing more damage to the nerves and tissues in that area." The doctor strode suavely over to Connor's bedside. He turned his attention to the fourteen year old. "And how have you been feeling in your few hours of wakefulness?" he asked.
"Okay I guess," Connor shrugged.
"Well, according to your charts you had quite the bit of anxiety an hour ago. I heavily recommend you stay as far away from stressful situations as possible."
"You're absolutely right," Mr. Stevens cut in. "That is why, Connor, you will be unable to see Jude for the time being. He causes too much stress in your life and you can't have that when you need to heal."
"I'll just give you your round of medicine and be on my way then." The doctor busied himself to dosing him with pain medicine that made him drowsy, but all he could focus on was his father's words echoing around his head.
"You will be unable to see Jude. Unable to see Jude. Unable to see Jude."
It didn't seem fair. Jude relieved his stress; the only person he created stress for was Connor's father who had his mind set on having a straight son. Was liking boys that bad that Connor would be forbidden to even hang out with his friend?
"He's not even my….my boyfriend. We're just friends. Why can't we hang out?" Connor asked dazedly.
"Because, Connor, you are going to marry a pretty girl once you are through with this fun and games Jude has you wrapped up in. That boy may joke around and choose to be gay, but you will not—"
"It's not like I had a choice!"
"Watch it! You can't have too much stress so I suggest you settle down. There's a slim chance you could still play at the end of the season."
"I can't settle down when you expect me to sit here and have you order my life! Too much stress is you wrapping a collar around my neck and leading me around like a dog to places I'm supposed to go! Too much stress is trying to have a girlfriend so I can hang out with my friend who hasn't even defined his sexuality and then having to focus on sports as well as school in general! Can't I just figure myself out?"
The room was silent, and Mr. Stevens crossed his arms. He pointed a gnarled, sun burnt finger at his son.
"I've had enough of your mouth. Gimme your phone." Mr. Stevens rifled through Connor's book bag that rested on the chair beside his bed. He retrieved a phone and pocketed it. "You can have this back when you have calmed down and gotten over your little gay meltdown and realized that you like girls."
Well fuck you too, Connor thought as he slumped back against the pillows of his bed. The medication finally kicked in and he gave into drowsiness happily this time.
"So…what's going on with you and Daria?" Jude asked as he jotted down an answer to his homework. "Are you, like, still hanging out…with her?"
"I mean, yeah. My dad lets us—"
"Because you have a girlfriend," Jude nodded.
Connor rubbed his foot against Jude's. Jude rubbed their ankles together as well. It felt nice, better than holding Daria's hand, or even just kissing her. Their feet or their fingers or even just 'accidentally' brushing up against one another made the nerves inside Connor's body ignite. He wanted to keep doing this- sitting across from Jude, their ankles brushing, and smiling at one another.
"We all have fun together, right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Jude replied.
"Get outta here! I have to study!"
"That's what we're doing," Jude argued. "We'll be quiet."
"I can hear you breathing!" Jesus argued.
Grumbling, Jude and Connor rose from their seats and trudged out the door and down the stairs. Connor wanted to talk to Jude about their kiss last weekend, so, so bad. He wanted to tell Jude that he wanted to do more of that, but his dad only allows for him to be away from Daria for so much time. Daria. She was so nice and it seemed unfair that she was being used like this. He wanted to tell her the truth, but it was one of those things where he never could tell how she'd take it.
The two settled down at the dining room table. Just as they opened their books, Lena came in with dishes and napkins.
"Sorry you two, but I gotta set the table. Monte's comping for dinner."
"The principal's coming for dinner?" Jude clarified.
"Yeah, Connor, you're welcome to stay if you'd like."
"No thank you," Connor declined politely. Lena laughed.
"Okay."
Jude and Connor left to sit in the living room, where Stef and Lena were talking with Callie. The turned on their heels and made their way to the backyard…and Mariana was making out with her boyfriend. Finally, Connor excused himself to get home. Jude walked him out.
"Connor? Connor?" Daria's voice broke through.
Connor blinked and nodded.
"Are you awake?"
"No, I'm flying an airplane," he replied groggily.
Daria had tears in her eyes. "Please tell me it isn't true."
"Tell you what isn't true?" Connor asked.
"Is it true that you told your father you're gay?" she asked quietly.
AN: There's chapter 4! Thank you all for reading and reviewing (I do love it when people give me their opinions on my work) and I am still accepting suggestions if you have any please incorporate them into a review! I post all chapters onto my tumblr theasexualbookworm and onto my website as well! Thank you and remember to R & R.