Roommates

Chapter 17

A/N: Sorry it took me almost a month to update this story...with school now taking up a lot of my time, it's hard to keep up with all 6 of my in-progress multi-chapter fics. Anyway...

This chapter is kind of slow, but it's important to establish some backstory for both Jude and Connor, and set up for their next arc. And for those of you who also enjoy the Josh/Tyler storyline (all five of you lol), they should be back next update, but I felt that this chapter really needed to focus on Jonnor. Hope y'all enjoy! :)

"The last two days have been perfect," Connor thought, grinning from ear to ear as he walked hand in hand with Jude from lunch to his next class. Connor didn't have a class that afternoon, so he was in no hurry to be anywhere that he wasn't going to be with Jude. As they walked, Connor couldn't help but notice the weather; the sun was shining brightly, casting warmth across his face, and not a cloud was to be seen in the sky. It reminded Connor of how he felt. For the first time in a long time, everything was going right. The clouds hanging over him had dissipated and everything had fallen into place, and Jude, his adorable brown-haired roommate, had become his boyfriend.

Connor was still grinning like an idiot when he dropped Jude off at his class, placing a gentle kiss on his lips and whispering an "I love you" in his ear before reluctantly releasing his hand and watching Jude disappear inside. Connor meandered across campus, lazily making progress towards their room, enjoying the light breeze as he tried to soak up and memorize what he was feeling; the feeling of being so happy that it seemed his chest might burst and a smile that refused to be erased from his face.

"So this is what being in love feels like," Connor thought. Movie clichés didn't even come close to describing the joy that filled his entire body from knowing that Jude loved him and was his boyfriend. Connor was certain that he wanted to feel this way forever.

And then Connor spotted that unmistakable mane of dark curly hair standing directly in his path, and suddenly the gray clouds of his mood reversed their path, completely blocking out the sun and casting a dark shadow over Connor's indescribable happiness. He quickly ducked behind a tree, breathing heavily as he tried to process what—well who he'd seen.

"What is she doing here," Connor muttered, anxiously running hand through his hair. Connor knew she went here, but he assumed that he would never see her, given just how huge the campus was. At least, he had hoped he would never see her; she was the only person here with any connection to his past life (specifically to his dad). She was the only one who could say things that would send everything Connor had built so far fluttering down to the ground like a house of cards.

Connor waited a few minutes, battling the tightness in his chest as he tried to convince himself that it was okay. Finally he peeked out around the tree, exhaling loudly when she was nowhere to be seen. He wasted no time, hurrying back to the room before there was any chance of running into her again and curling up on the couch, trying to fight off the rising panic in his chest. Campus was huge—it was purely coincidence that they had crossed paths. He wasn't going to see her again, right? They couldn't cross paths again, or else Connor would be screwed. If she found out, it was almost a certainty that his dad would find out and then—Connor shuddered to think about what would happen then. These thoughts ran around in circles in his head, occupying his brain until he drifted off, falling asleep on the couch.

When Connor woke up, he had rolled over so that he was on his back, and Jude had come in while he was sleeping and had positioned himself so that he was lying on top of Connor, head resting on Connor's chest, snoring softly and sound asleep. Connor sighed contentedly, the panic of earlier forgotten as he snaked his arms around Jude, feeling Jude's completely relaxed body up against his. Connor smiled softly, running a hand through Jude's hair, wondering what he did to snag someone like Jude.