Connor has a gay epiphany. Also, the cast signing happens before class even starts.
I write Connor with ADD bc that's what I know, and so he gets to think in circles a lot, which allows me to write freely without having to worry about my head making me repeat things 10 times over.
Hey! Skyler here, reminding you it's fall on this hemisphere and therefore I, unlike you lot, have recently started classes.
6. Ερώτηση
Words pile up at the top of his throat, kept at bay only briefly, by the panic that had seized him when Evan showed no signs of appearing, only Connor had finally realized that the omega had every reason not to approach the nest on his own, so he rushed out to find him, every step adding volume to that voice in his head that assured him that if Evan had actually come, he'd be long gone by now. But Evan had been there, siting under a tree, face morphing at the sight of Connor like he'd been waiting for him, and he had.
But here they are now, Connor's arms full of still human Tera, and Evan looking flustered after having to explain her way of thinking to Connor; and Connor realizes he has yet to ask him everything he wants to know, and now he's made asking some of them impossible, because Connor refuses to put Tera through the emotions those questions have the possibility of arising.
Still, he's been holding his tongue, and something has to slip before he blows up on all three of them; but he's surprised by what makes it out.
"How'd you break your arm?"
Evan blinks at him, and Connor doesn't blame him for his surprised look, he looks down to the pristine white cast for a moment before returning his gaze to where he had it until now - somewhere close enough to Connor's face not to be rude while still avoiding eye contact -.
"I- I fell off a tree"
If it hadn't been for yesterday Connor would've never known the difference, Hansen is the perfect liar; only that's not quite so, now that Connor knows he sees the signs, barely noticeable giveaways. Evan's eyes drop, his hands move for the seam of his polo, he shifts his weight into his talons while folding in on himself, none of which stands out from normal, but it does, to Connor it does.
"That sucks"
Evan makes a noncommittal shrug, and Connor doesn't push, but he does make another spur question.
"Do you want me to sign it?"
Evan's head whirls up towards him, and meets Connor's eyes for the second time since this started.
"I don't- don't have any- anything to write with"
There's an actual sound from Tera, as she starts struggling in Connor's grasp, Evan's eyes move to her.
"Oh… she says there's some here"
Connor blinks.
"She knows what a sharpie is"
Evan flounders.
"She might have used a more descriptive name for it"
Tera makes another sound like the first, and Connor gets the memo and puts her down, she transforms instantly and then takes off towards the taller parts of the nest. Connor makes to follow after her before he notices Evan isn't following, he remembers how he hadn't yesterday either, remaining at the edge of the nest, and he's about to brush it off when his eyes catch on the only other blue thing in the room.
Connor might not have the necessary instincts to know what Tera wants all the time, but he's pretty sure the fact that there's a pile pretty much made for Evan means the omega is completely welcomed by her; and though Connor still has his doubts, there's no way he's letting Tera find out about them. So he walks over to the blue pile, eyes fixed on it to avoid looking at the other boy in the room.
"You can step in you know"
"What?"
Connor bit his cheek to keep himself in check.
"Tera made you a pile"
"Oh"
Connor looks back to the omega and oh... Evan has gone red, blush covering not only his cheeks and nose, but also the tips of his ears, which is- unfairly cute.
Fuck.
The omega brushes a hand through his hair before tentatively stepping forward, slowly making his way to the pile, growing ever closer to Connor and stopping once they're a step from each other. He looks up, face still very much flustered.
Shit.
Connor moves away quickly, and clears his suddenly dry throat.
"I'll uh- go help look"
He turns around and rushes to the furthest pile he can find, feeling as though as he's finally able to breathe.
Damn it.
This is bad.
Connor focuses on finding anything that could work for writing on a cast, he doesn't know why it's so important, but it's easier to think about than whatever he had been feeling right then. About a minute later there's a loud victorious chirp, and Tera emerges from a pile with a bunch of markers on her maw, flying to where Evan has sat in the blue pile.
Connor watches as she puts them down in front of Evan, who's sitting crisscross on the blue pile, before twirling and jumping into the empty space between the omega's legs; Evan goes stiff first but seems to relax a few breaths later, and looks up to Connor, as if inviting him to join them. Connor manages to fight a lot of things as he approaches, first the impulse to rush towards them, the impulse to sit himself behind Evan and wrap himself around both of them; that last one has him having to fight the urge to blush as he finishes his normal pace approach and sits himself in front of the omega and the dragon pup.
Tera gives him an odd look that seems to make Evan blush, and Connor is both grateful and disappointed in spades when the omega forgoes a translation of whatever she's thinking; so he focuses on picking the only marker in the group that's an actual sharpie, and tests it on his thumb. It's a black marker, which is probably why it's unused, and when he looks back to Evan's cast he's really glad it is; the omega seems to notice his gaze because he shifts the casted arm closer, having to move so he doesn't squish the little one in his lap. Connor tries to help, key word being try because Evan winces in pain, and Connor almost drops his arm, but reasons that would only hurt him more, so he says a quick apology and proceeds.
There's something particularly possessive in the way his name takes up the entirety of the cast, but Connor couldn't help himself.
"Thanks"
"You don't have to lie Hansen"
"No, no, it's really ok, at least now my I have an escape when my mom eventually tries to talk me into getting people to sign it"
He moves his arm back, and Tera transforms as he's accommodating himself; and Connor shrugs at him, because fair enough. Then, as he watches Evan focus entirely on Tera, who looks all too comfortable in her spot, he realizes he has yet to solve their little problem.
"Do you have your phone?"
Evan looks up at him and blinks before he makes sense of what Connor is asking exactly, which, fair; the omega nods and wriggles in place to take the phone out of the hoodie he's wearing - the days have been getting progressively colder -, and hands it over with his good hand. Connor takes it like it's fragile, and in his hands it might as well be, and enters his number quickly before sending himself a text; then, after giving the phone back, he pulls his own from his own pocket, and saves the new contact.
It's just one less thing, and as the day progresses, and Evan relaxes enough to start playing with Tera; Connor decides that it'll be enough, even if school is looming on them, even if he has to remind himself to be weary, to not get his hopes up. It will have to be enough, and whatever Connor feels in regards to Evan will have to wait until after he proves his trustworthiness.
