Just As Planned ~ McPriceley

3-Kevin Price isn't Ready for Adulthood

"Are you okay?" Connor had asked once again when they stepped into the nostalgic confines of Kevin's childhood bedroom.

And to be perfectly candid, it was starting to get annoying. Not Connor. Kevin couldn't be annoyed at Connor. Just at the question, because frankly, at this point, it may as well be added to the growing list of things everybody except Kevin Price seems to know the answer to. Right behind things like, 'Why is the sky blue?' and 'Why is everything suddenly falling apart?'

"Just tired." Kevin went to grab a box, but Connor stepped in front of it to block him, arms crossed and stance widened to make him appear bigger than Kevin.

"You were 'just tired' on the plane earlier."

Walking around his friend, Kevin smoothly snatched the box he was previously going for. "And I'm just tired now. It was a long flight."

There was no response to that, and Kevin feared he sounded too harsh. He didn't intend to sound mean at all, it's just that he cared for Connor too much to see him worrying about him like that. After all, it was just Kevin. He doubted he deserved the concern, really.

Connor sighed, defeated. "Just please, let me know when anything at all is bothering you. We're not supposed to turn things off anymore."

Kevin nodded noncommittally.

That was something Connor's been extremely adamant about since he came out. He grew up in an environment where he was told to 'turn it off' or else he was a disappointment to God, so, at the time, he thought that was the solution to all unfavorable feelings. No need to deal with the negative if you just pretend it doesn't exist.

The guilt Connor felt for encouraging others to do this was something that very clearly still plagued him years later.

Soon, the two got to work at the matter at hand, Kevin instructing to Connor what should be put where, what should be tossed out and never seen again, and what actually belonged to one of his other siblings that Jack probably stole and put in Kevin's room half a decade ago to try and get him in trouble (seriously, it's like his brother dedicated his entire existence to getting back at Kevin for that stupid donut thing).

Until they got to an old, beat up cork board, with various wrinkled papers, tickets, and photographs pinned up haphazardly, and the redhead gasped.

"Oh my gosh, you were in the marching band?" He said, looking to be holding back a laugh.

Kevin shot over to the board and snatched away—nearly tore—the picture of his pimply, teenage self, where he was proudly holding a clarinet and wearing a way too baggy band uniform. "No, uh—That's nothing."

Grabbing it back, Connor giggled. "Aw, you were so cute."

Truth be told, Kevin had almost forgotten about the activities he was apart of in high school, but now all the memories of those three years he spent enduring sweltering band camps and being forced to sit through uneventful Friday night football games were suddenly rushing back to him.

Still, he can't say he didn't enjoy it just a little bit.

Connor's face softened, but still held an amused grin. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. I just never expected the great, beloved Elder Price to be a band geek, that's all."