FireFly

Chapter Five

The boys went straight to the ice cream parlour after Evan's shift. Connor said he knew a place called A La Mode and that was how Evan wound up sitting in a slightly sticky booth, watching whilst Connor bought the two ice creams.

The whole car ride over Evan had insisted that the longer haired boy didn't have to pay for him but Connor wasn't hearing any of it and said that it was his way of saying sorry.

He still wasn't happy about the arrangement but his anxiety prevented him from arguing back too much.

Connor came over, placing two small tubs of their respective flavours on the table and taking a seat opposite Evan.

It was a small booth and Evan could feel Connor's long legs pressing against his own as they were squished under the table.

The lights were harsh and bright neon greens and pinks that made the anxious boys eyes strain, there was pictures of milkshakes on the walls that were stained with... actual milkshakes.

It smelt like doughnuts and oily french fries and there was little children running around the tables and screaming at the top of their lungs.

It was loud, bright and smelled odd but somehow Evan didn't really mind.

"I really am sorry, you know." Connor repeats after a bout of silence, licking the ice cream off one of those plastic spoons that break at the slightest bit of pressure.

"I know." Evan nodded, "I forgave you, you didn't h-have to do t-this." He gestured to the parlour around them both.

"But I did." He smirked.

"Of c-course you did." Evan replied, smiling slightly.

Connor looked down and nodded to the khaki clad boys ice cream, "Vanilla, eh? Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey!" He exclaimed, defensively, "I like vanilla!"

"Don't go 'round saying that too loudly, Hansen, there are children around."

"O-Oh... Oh my God, C-Connor."

Connor laughed, it was a deep and genuine sound. It was one of those things that could make someone feel all warm inside. That someone happened to be Evan Hansen.

"Your f-flavour isn't g-grown up either!" Evan blamed, finally noticing the other boys strawberry ice cream.

"'Grown up'?" Connor quoted, eyebrow raised.

Connor Murphy was one of those people who could raise their eyebrows, Evan noted mentally.

"S-Shut up." He blushed.

"And," Connor began, idly taking another lick of ice cream and stretching out on the seat opposite Evan, "It's exhausting being the 'bad boy' all the time, sometimes it's nice to have a kiddy flavour."

"Sometimes it's nice to be v-vanilla." Evan joked, smiling when Connor laughed.

"Wow." He deadpanned.

Evan looked down and frowned, swirling the ice cream around the bowl with his plastic spoon, did Connor really think of himself as 'bad'?

"Y-You're not... you're not a b-bad person, Connor." Evan said shyly, stutter prominent.

"Did I say I was?" Connor asked, eyebrow raised once again.

"Y-You said 'bad boy'." He pointed out.

"There's a difference." The long haired boy replied, shortly, all traces of laughter gone.