Short chapters as we slowly approach the end.
Quick thing: While I base all characters on what the fandom has told me, my opinion on Jared was built on what little I do know about the play. His approach to things and his reactions with Evan remind me of a toxic relationship I had a while ago, and I admit this causes most of my contempt towards him, but it's also because I heavily resent the fact that fics make it seem like Evan was the only one in the wrong and that Jared doesn't need to change anything.
My portrayal of him here is a very exaggerated take on what he comes across like, combined with my best attempts at writing a believable version of him that fit what I needed for the story. Because while I hate the character, I would hate to make him just 'evil', because that's not how it works, there has to be substance, damn it!
Ok, rant over, back to your scheduled dragons.
37. Εκλογές
Connor is… happy. Still worried that the wrong person will catch wind of Tera, or that Kleinman will spill about Evan, or that he'll lose either of them, or both; but, you know, happier.
Is it cheesy to say it's because of Evan? Does Connor care anymore? No, no he does not. Actually, he thinks he's allowed to be cheesy about his very first romantic relationship.
They've been together for a week now, a time spent mostly talking things through, and playing trial and error with their boundaries, because both of them are clueless to what they like and don't like in a relationship like this one; you know, on the count that neither has ever had one before. They are both contact starved, but sometimes contact is equally overwhelming for both; they are both terrible at receiving compliments, but can't seem to stop themselves from complimenting the other; they both need almost constant confirmation that the other likes them for real, but one is always too stuck in their head to be able to give it.
It's complicated, and kind of really hard, but they're working on it, and on being open with each other; they already trust each other more than anyone else, but it's still a process. That doesn't stop them from being affectionate now that they know the other likes them back.
And there's also Tera, Tera who doesn't quite understand the way they like each other yet, but seems happy about it regardless; Tera who they both adore way more than they probably should be considering they know about her family now. Well, they think they know; Connor wants to believe Alexei, he really does, but he doesn't know them that well.
Both Alexei and Trevor have started hanging out with them, it's kind of odd, and very awkward at first, but Evan seems to like Alexei, and Connor gets along surprisingly well with Trevor. It's confusing, but good, or at least Connor wants to believe it is; Connor wants to believe he'll get to stay happy.
When Tera calls him through Evan's phone and he has to console her terrified form, when Evan comes back smelling like anger both his own and Kleinman's; he fears that his hopes are too high, but Evan reassures him wordlessly, and Connor makes a silent promise to himself that he won't let Kleinman ruin this.
It's been a long time since Connor's had anything good in his life, he thinks he's allowed to be defensive of it. Particularly when the moment they are all inside the house, Evan pulls him to the couch, where he and Tera curl around Connor like he's their safety.
.- .- ... / - ... .- - / -. - - -.. ..-..
Jared was reeling a bit.
First there was the girl, the girl who carried that accursed scent of ash Jared had imprinted on his memory, but unlike with Connor and Evan, it did not wave around her as a strong aftertaste; no, it was dominant, clear, and tinged with the recognizable hint of alpha. The girl wasn't affected by the ash; she was the source.
And then there was Evan, Evan who irradiated concern like a fire around him; kneeling in front of her, talking softly, giving her his phone.
It was jarring how similar they were, despite the clear differences; but Jared knew those brown locks and sharp eyes as well, and he slowly made sense of the revelation they provided. But the girl was big, too old for the story Jared knew, but Jared figured lying to protect a pup wasn't beyond Evan.
Jared made sense of a few things: firstly, the girl was obviously a full dragon, the prominent scent was proof enough; secondly, the girl had an uncanny resemblance to both Evan and Connor; thirdly the girl was most likely about two years old; and finally, the orchard had been hiding a nest. So basically, Evan had lied about how Connor and him had first met, had hidden a child in an abandoned orchard for two years from the entire world, and by attitude alone, Jared guessed Connor had only known about her this year.
Now that Evan had gone away, after verbally slapping Jared for his angry outburst, and correcting Jared on what his relationship with the little girl was; Jared was reeling. Not because of the rollercoaster of emotions he just went through - though those didn't help matters any - but because none of it made sense.
If the dragon child was Evan's sister, why was Connor the one covered in ash the longest? Why was her nest in the orchard? None of it made sense. Jared was missing information, but for the first time in his life, he didn't know where to get it.
There was no asking Heidi about it, not after what he just did; he doubted Zoe would know anything, much less the two people who had started hanging out with Evan and Connor - and those two raised a pile of questions of their own -; Jared didn't know what to do.
He felt shaken to the core by the way Evan had looked angry, and then by his words. They were true, Jared had never made his feelings clear until after there was someone else after Evan, until Evan proved to be desirable to someone.
There was no outer force, no evil plot, just Connor Murphy making Evan Hansen feel the way Jared should've made him feel from the start, the way the omega deserved to feel. It was no wonder Evan liked the alpha, even if it hurt Jared.
He lost without even getting a chance to fight; and Evan had no intention of giving him one now. Not when Jared was a threat, not when he had ruined the one chance he did get. Back when they had presented, or maybe even further back; if Jared had been truthful about his interest from the start then maybe…
Maybe he would be the one that Evan actually wanted to show his real animal to, the one covered in the ash scent of a little sister surrounded by mystery, the one to know the name and story behind that sister; the one Evan clung to in the hallways, hidden smiles meant only for two, and looks that spoke volumes to the new nature of their relationship. Or maybe this would've still happened, only Jared would be a part of it, still having to watch Evan be heads over heels for someone else, but at least be someone to turn to for help.
But he had made his choice, had given up on his part of the narrative; and now, the story had no place for him. He could ask himself every an all the what ifs he wasted, it wouldn't change things.
