A Life Worth Living «tree bros»

22. would you be so kind?

"Wanna go to the park together?" Evan asked Connor, a small smile ghosted on his face.

"Yeah, definitely," Connor replied, smiling slightly. "We both gotta get changed into pants."

Evan chuckled and nodded, grabbing his jeans from the other night that were littered on the bed spread. They changed in front of eachother because they were extremely comfortable around eachother. It was bond that didn't need anyone saying no homo--but ironically they do the most homo things, like hold hands and kiss eachother on the nose. That's a pretty homo thing to do, but they both saw it as a platonic way to show affection.

They quickly shimmied into pants and grabbed their phones and Evan grabbed his earbuds, untangling them on the way out of the room.

"Wanna listen to music on the way?" Evan asked sheepishly. He didn't know if Connor liked indie artists and soft music, but it was worth a shot. Plus, Evan would totally listen to Nirvana with Connor again. He would even listen to Three Days Grace, and that was saying something because before they met he didn't like angry music.

"Yeah! Totally yeah what do you have?" Connor muttered out, a little distracted and a little lost in thought. He usually was. There weren't many days Connor was fully alert.

"Dodie, Passenger, Birdy, the Strumbellas," Evan mumbled, listing off some of his favorite artist on his fingers. "Uh, some Jon Cozart. A little Grace Vanderwaal."

"Just put it on shuffle," Connor smiled.

Evan handed one earbud to Connor and popped the other in his own ear, plugged it in and did as he was told. He pressed shuffle, Dodie Clarks soft ukulele and quiet voice filling the silence in his ears. He smiled widely as he hummed along, because it was standing as one of his favorite songs.

I have a question...

God he loved that song.

It might seem strange.

"Zoe loves this song," Connor chuckled. "She plays it so often that I know some of the lyrics."

"I know this song by heart," Evan eagerly chuckled and nodded.

Connor and Evan softly sang, "Would you be so kind as to fall in love with me?" Connor's voice caught Evan by surprise. It was a little hoarse, but it was gentle and soft, and it didn't sound like it was Connor. Evan's voice also caught Connor by surprise as they both mumbled the lyrics softly. Evan did learn to sing, mostly self taught because he really didn't want to be around many people. He learned a lot of it from listening and watching different people sing, and he was an alto because he didn't have a strong or deep voice. In fact, he did sound feminine, and he was set to be in theatre if he didn't have the petrifying fear of being judged, crowds, and people watching him.

"Real--real talk, Connor," Evan stammered after the song ended, going to the Strumbellas. "Do--do you like me?"

"Yeah," Connor said immediately, jumping to his reply.

"A--are we, like, ah, uh, good friends?" Evan stuttered out nervously.

He didn't know what words he wanted but those really weren't the ones.

"Yeah," Connor replied back.

"Will we work out?" Evan pushed the question. "If--if you want to--I mean, if you want to go further than--than uh, if you want to go further than friends."

"Are you asking me out?" Connor asked, blinking slowly, processing everything for a moment.

"I guess?" Evan choked out, stammer still present even in the simplest sentences.

"I--god Evan, I just, I don't know if I can," Connor sighed, hand moving through his hair, tugging carefully through the knots and kinks. "I--I'm not sure if I told you--or anything, but Larry, my father?"

There was a large pause. They both fell silent, pausing the music and stopping their feet.

"My father is incredibly unaccepting. He said if I'm gay I'm not his son," Connor exhaled, shoulders slumping, head lurching forward just to look at the ground. "I don't want to deal with him anymore about my sexuality so I kept assuring him I was straight. Hell, I even have a fake girlfriend!"

((Oops: its alana because she's a great friend and I love her))

"Then don't be his son," Evan chuckled out sadly, tears pricking his eyes as his hand gently cupped Connor's jaw. "We can run away together! I have some money laying around, a mother that's not there anyway, and we can go and run. Run away from this town. We can be happy. We can run and run and never look back at this shitty place! We could run away, start a new life and possibly a new family if that's what you want!"

"I'm--" Connor paused, speech failing him. "Evan, that's not, well, a good thing. Amber alerts, police? Your mother cares about you. Sure, she isn't around but from what I saw living with you, she cares so much."

"Then come live with me again!" Evan almost shouted, voice trembling. "I still have a draw filled with your old clothes, I still have a draw of whatever drugs you do because I'm quite sure that's laced, by the way. I even have spare sketchbooks somewhere, and my mom loves you! You can have a good family, she'll accept you if your own family won't!"

"Let's just," Connor hesitated, "get back to walking. I need to sit on all of this, but could I call you my boyfriend?"

"Definitely!" Evan exclaimed without a moment hesitation.

"Can I kiss you?" Connor asked with a small pause, looking at his beat ip sneakers.

"Definitely," Evan said, voice more tame than last response.

So, they did.

Connor had to lean down, Evan stood on his toes, and they kissed. It was gentle, only a soft rest of their lips together, slightly opened mouthed because Connor was a little impatient. It tasted like Evan's sweet mint chapstick an Connor's tinge of blood that lay on his lips from biting it so hard during that morning. Even thought it was the best kiss--

It was heaven to them.

When they broke off, their faces were bright red, both blaming the cold weather, turning back up the music that filled their ears, mumbled along to Birdy and walking slowly down the path in the park.

---
I'm being nice and giving you guys a nice relationship and fluff so you can pretend that they're fully happy and live long lives together and have bbs

Sorry it's so short

And yes, Alana will be in here again. I know it's late for her to appear but she's a friend of Connor's that he doesn't really apperciate as much as he should and she's his fake girlfriend because Zoe begged her because she hated seeing Connor destroy himself over his own sexuality ok I love Alana she my wife

Anyway hope you enjoyed a slightly angsty but mostly fluffy chapter!!