Step-Brothers

~Chapter Fourteen~

Jared wants to text him. Wants to ask him why he tells Connor this stuff and what else is he gonna tell him? How big Jared's dick is? How he can take in all of Evan's with ease?

"... Dude, chill, I can feel your irritation from here. He only called me cause he didn't want to stress you out about it." he shrugs.

"He said his mom almost saw it and he was panicking." Why won't Evan tell him stuff like this??? He wants Evan to feel like he can talk to Jared about anything. Not Connor. He continues to say nothing.

".... It's not that surprising, if you think about it. You acted like his friendship was a fuckin burden for years, Jared. I actively tried to friends with him. He's be telling me stuff like this for two years. He doesn't want to be a bother." Jared takes the blanket and pulls it further over his head. He doesn't want to hear this. He knows he was an asshole. He was scared of feelings and admiring them to Evan. He didn't mean to make their friendship seem..... not like a friendship.

"... He does still keep stuff from me. There's stuff he won't talk about. His arm, his dad. There was this week he dropped off the face of the earth and won't tell me why." Was it because of his arm? Jared knows that. Evan refuses to talk about his dad.

"It was like a million years ago. Freshman year I think?" Jared remembers it. It's all coming back to him. He knows why. Evan came to him after he came back.

"Do you uh... Do you know what happened?"

"............mhm.."

"... Are you willing to tell me?"

"Not really.. I don't want to say anything about him if he doesn't want anyone to know."

"Dude, it worries me. I wanna know what was up in case it happens again."

"Then ask him. I know how Evan feels about some things and how he doesn't want others to know."

"I have! He just clams up or changes the subject and it's terrible."

"Then he doesn't want you to know. I respect him."

Conner huffs. "I'll tell you anything you wanna know if you tell me this. If he hasn't told you he's gotta have told me." Jared really wants to know the stuff he told Connor...... but he can't.

"No thanks. He'll tell me when he's ready to"

"I dunno dude. Evan keeps a shit ton of stuff locked up for a LONG ass time."

"I know." He can't do it

"... Fine." Conner sends Evan another text.

"...I love him too. I just want to make sure he's okay. I just want him to be happy."

"I know..." he doesn't ever want Connor to say that again. That he loves Evan.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Evan's been head over heels for you as long as I've known him. I never had a chance." Don't mention it don't mention it.

"....... you did too." FUCKING WAY TO GO KLEINMAN. Connor snorts.

"When?"

"I think it started last year..."

"Seriously? Shit, did he - did he say he wanted me or something?"

"He didn't tell me anything. I saw the way he looked at you. Blushes and smiles when you talked to him....." Jared doesn't really want to talk about this.

"Holy fuck..."

"Yeah...." Jared stares at the wall next to him.

"A-and that's really why I told you to keep your hands off or stay away..."

"Cause... Does he still..?" Jared doesn't say anything. Laying still.

"... Oh my God..."

"Please don't tell him I told you that. You know he's not good with feelings like that."

"I won't, I... Jesus, I just... Wish I'd said something I guess." Jared stops breathing for a few seconds. What if he had said something. What if Connor got with Evan instead. What if Evan moved and Jared had no one else.

"I think..." he mumbles

"I could've taken care of him."

"Can we talk about something else" his voice cracks.

"... Yeah. Sorry, Jared."

"It's just..... I don't even want to think about losing him."

"... Don't worry dude. You've got the guy on lock. He was telling me earlier about plans to get an apartment himself so you don't have to worry about it. So you can move in together and get married and have kids and blah blah blah."

".......really?"

"Mhm." Jared smiles and closes his eyes. His eyes burn.

"He's very serious about being parents with you."

"I'm glad"

"I would be too."

"............I, uh, I'm sorry.. for being an asshole."

"It's fine. I get it. I've got Bipolar disorder, I'm an asshole too. I've got anger issues, I take em out on everyone. I shouldn't, but I do. Better to be an ass to me than to Evan, right?"

"Yeah. I'm not intentionally being an ass to him. Not on purpose."

"I get it. I'm the same way. I actively try NOT to be an ass to him."

"I've noticed that you only have two modes. Asshole and Flirty."

"And you're any different? I've only seen you be an asshole or be hopelessly in love. No in between."

"Dude, I literally came up to your porch, crying."

"Besides this. I meant normally."

"Well normally I go to Evan."

".....I'm an emotional guy"

"I meant to ask, what the fuck told you to come to the Murphys', especially since you got fucked up and kicked out for liking dudes. Larry doesn't exactly like things he doesn't understand, so in this house Zoe and I live in the closet."

"I really just came for Zoe to help me with my arm cause she already knew about my dad. But you guys were closest and in town."

"Mm. Makes sense I guess."

"........so I knew about you, but Zoe's in the closet too?"

"Yep. She likes her women like she likes her men."

"Huh. None of us are straight."

"Gays flock together."

"True that" They eventually fall asleep on much better terms with each other than expected.