"Jesus, it's pouring out there." Jared pressed his face against the window of the car. "I dunno if we're gonna be able to make it."
Connor frowned from behind the wheel, squinting his eyes to try and see through the downpour of rain. "Looks like we might have to stop for the night, call Evan and tell him we're gonna try and find a place to pull over."
Jared pulled out his phone, dialing Evan's number. A loud crack of thunder rang through the air, followed by lightning. The lightning gave Jared enough light to see how flooded the roads were.
Evan picked up, "Hey Jared."
"Hey Ev." Jared replied.
"When are you guys getting here?"
"Yeah, about that." Jared glanced out at the rain. "The roads are so flooded, we need to stop for the night, it's getting dangerous."
"Oh! No problem." Evan's voice was choppy over the phone. "Just make sure you guys are safe."
"Will do." With that, Jared hung up the phone. It was Evan's idea that Jared and Connor drive together to his place, since they both went to same college. However, Jared hardly even knew Connor. Sure, they went to same high school, but their only connection had ever really been Evan.
"There's a motel at the next exit." Connor said, tapping his fingers on the wheel. Jared merely nodded.
The music Connor had put on at the start of the drive was still playing, it was some kind of rock that Jared had never heard of. Jared noticed that as he drove, Connor tapped his fingers to the beat.
It was unusual seeing Connor so... docile. It had always seemed to Jared that Connor had been a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any minute, but that wasn't what Jared experienced on the drive. If anything it just seemed like Connor was just not the type to make small talk.
"Well at least we'll still make it for the party tomorrow." Jared smiled at Connor.
"Yeah." Connor shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Not a big partier?" Jared asked.
"Not really." Connor said. "In fact, I was surprised Evan was having such a big party for his birthday."
"Well, honestly I think it's more Zoe's friends than his." Jared joked.
"Yeah, well, I prefer to do my drinking with just a few close people." Connor told him. Jared wondered who Connor considered his close friends.
Connor pulled the car into a dingy looking motel. The large neon sign in the front had most of the letters missing from "Wayside Motel", but the sign below it said that they still had vacancy.
Jared quickly sprinted from the car to the front desk, trying not to get completely soaked. He failed, of course, because the rain was coming at him in all directions. Connor followed closely behind him.
As the entered the motel, the motel clerk was sprawled out across her chair, feet up on the desk. She frowned as she noticed them walk in.
"How can I help you?" She sighed.
"Can we get a room for the night with two beds please." Connor asked, digging into his pocket for his wallet. Jared stayed silent, maybe he wouldn't have to pay if he just didn't say anything...
"We only have one room left." The clerk rolled her eyes. "It has one bed." Jared noticed Connor seemed to freeze.
"You don't have anything else?" Connor began to worry at his lip.
"Nope." The clerk informed him. "Do you want it or not?"
Connor hesitated, "Yes."
"That'll be $85 for the night then."
Jared was relieved when Connor handed over his credit card without asking him to split it.
Score, Jared could buy more booze with the extra money.
After Connor paid, the two boys made their way over to their room. As they walked in, Jared coughed, it smelled of mildew and something else Jared couldn't quite place but also didn't want to.
Jared left a puddle wherever he walked. The rain had completely soaked through his clothes. Connor was wet too.
When Connor locked the door behind them, Jared began to disrobe.
"Woah, what are you doing?" Connor's eyes went wide as Jared removed his shirt.
"These clothes are wet, I'm gonna get fucking pneumonia if I keep them on." Jared simply replied, taking off his pants as well.
Connor's face seemed to go red. Jared didn't understand what the issue was, it wasn't like he could just keep sopping wet clothes on.
"Well, do you have a change of clothes?" Connor demanded, crossing his arms. Jared noticed that he too seemed cold.
"Nah, usually I just wear Evan's clothes whenever I go to visit him." Jared replied, throwing his wet clothes on the table to dry. He kept his underwear on, at least those were semi dry.
"That's fucking weird, Kleinman." Connor snorted, shaking his head. "I'm going to grab my luggage from the car."
"Okie dokie." Jared said, choosing to ignore the insult. As Connor left to grab his clothes, Jared looked over at the bed.
It was awfully small, clearly intended for one occupant. Jared didn't mind though, he had shared so many beds before. Him and Evan had been sharing beds during sleepovers since childhood, and surely Connor had done the same.
Connor walked back in even wetter than before, droplets of water fell off his hair and ran down his face as he set his suitcase on the floor, digging through it.
Connor looked up at Jared, "Here, take this." He mumbled, throwing something at him.
Jared caught it, lifting it up to see that it was a large band shirt of some sort.
"What's this for?"
"So you're not fucking naked." Connor replied, going into the bathroom to get changed. Jared merely shrugged, throwing the shirt on. It was loose on him, the collar was huge and revealed his shoulder on one side.
Jared simply climbed into bed, ready to fall asleep. It had been a long day in the car. He buried his face in the pillow.
Eventually he heard Connor come out of the bathroom. Jared expected Connor to get into the bed, but instead he just heard Connor walking around, moving stuff. Jared picked up his head to see Connor setting up a makeshift bed on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Jared asked.
"Er-" Connor looked surprised. "Getting a place to sleep."
"That's stupid, get in the bed."
Connor blinked at him, "I don't want invade your privacy-"
"Have you met me?" Jared snorted. "I have no privacy, get up here."
Connor seemed to not want to.
"Haven't you shared a bed with someone before?" Jared asked.
Connor didn't look at Jared.
Jared raised his eyebrows, "Not even at sleepovers or anything?"
"I've never been to sleepover before." Connor said.
Oh.
Jared didn't know how to reply to that.
"Well- this'll be your first sleepover." Jared told him. "Get over here, let's do sleepover shit."
Connor looked bewildered, "Sleepover shit?"
"Yeah, we'll gossip and all that garbage."
Connor laughed. It was the first time Jared had ever seen him do that. It was strange coming from what was usually a very serious person.
"What do you have to gossip about, Kleinman?" Connor said, moving over to the bed. He still didn't sit on it, but Jared took it as a step closer.
"Well, did you hear Alana's been seeing someone?"
"Alana- she's that girl that was valedictorian, right?"
"Yeah her, she's gonna be at Evan's party too." Jared said. "Well I hear that the guy she's seeing is super rich, like owns a yacht rich."
"Will he be at the party too?" Connor asked, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
"No clue, but I hope so." Jared said. "I'm gonna tell him that I'm dying so that he might give me some cash."
Connor rolled his eyes, smiling. "That would never work, you gotta say something like that you're taking care of your mom that has an illness."
"Hmm, yeah, that might be better." Jared agreed. It was weird seeing Connor open up, but it was kind of nice, Connor was kind of cool?
Connor bit his lip, "I have some gossip as well then, if that's what we're doing."
"Go for it." Jared said, sitting up to listen to what Connor had to gossip about.
"Evan and Zoe haven't even had sex yet." Connor told him. "Apparently Evan's saving it for something special, but Zoe doesn't know what that even means."
Jared laughed, he could just imagine Evan saying that. "That sounds like Ev to me."
Connor smiled, watching Jared laugh, "So... what else do you do at sleepovers?
Jared thought for a moment, "Well, usually you also end up spilling your guts out at some point." He said. "Though usually I prefer to be a little drunker."
"Spilling your guts out?" Connor questioned.
"Yeah, like, saying something that you've never told anyone else before." Jared said. "Which is usually hard for me at least, I'm a bit of a blabber mouth."
"Something I've never told anyone else?" Connor echoed, scrunching his face up.
"Yeah, here, I'll go first." Jared said. "Last week my roommate pissed me off, right? Then later that day my roommate asked me to go get him a glass a milk. As I was pouring it I noticed the milk was rotten, but because I was pissed I didn't tell him and let him drink the spoilt milk."
Connor raised an eyebrow, "Kind of psychopathic, Kleinman." He said playfully.
Jared shrugged, "It's part of who I am. Anyway, it's your turn."
Connor looked down at the bed, as if contemplating what he was going to say. Jared was genuinely curious of what Connor had to say, what sort of secrets does a guy like him hold?
"Well, I've never told anyone this before but..." he hesitated. "I-"
A loud crack of thunder rang through the air and the lights went out in the room.
"What the fuck?" Connor was still only a foot away from Jared, but now Jared couldn't see him.
"Well, I guess no more power." Jared sighed. "Let's just lay down and ride out the night, in the morning we'll be able to get out of here."
"Alright." Connor sighed, climbing into the bed. Jared could feel his heat, he was only about an inch away from him. Connor turned the other way, Jared could hear him getting comfortable.
Jared suddenly remembered the conversation they had been having. "Oh, what were you gonna say, Connor?"
Connor was silent. At first Jared thought that the boy hadn't heard him at all. But after a minute Connor piped up.
"I'm gay."
Connors voice was soft and low, something Jared hadn't heard from him before. It made Jared's heart beat loudly in his chest.
"Well, I'll tell you another secret of mine." Jared said softly in the darkness. "I'm pansexual."
There was silence between the two boys, a small moment of understanding. Wordlessly, Jared felt that he had somehow grown closer to Connor.
Jared felt Connor turn around in the bed to face him. Jared did the same. Even though it was too dark to see anything, Jared felt as if Connor was studying him.
Jared felt Connor's hand slide across the bed, moving to his torso and winding his way up to Jared's cheek. Connor's hand was cold to the touch as he brushed his thumb across Jared's lips.
Jared shut his eyes, his breath quickening as he felt Connor lean in and press his lips to Jared's.
The kiss was gentle and hesitant at first, as if Connor was afraid that Jared would pull away. But Jared didn't, instead embracing it, taking Connor's lip into his mouth and biting at it. Connor moaned quietly, wrapping his arms around Jared's waist and pulling him closer.
Jared found his own hands tangled in Connor's hair, deepening his kiss with Connor.
After a minute the two stopped for breath, both boys panting heavily. Connor didn't say a word, and frankly Jared had no clue what to say either. Which was a surprise for someone who didn't know how to shut the fuck up.
Connor pressed his forehead to Jared's. Jared wished there was light so he could see exactly how Connor's eyes looked at that moment.
"I've been wanting to do that since junior year of high school." Connor whispered.
"You have?" Jared replied.
Connor nodded, tugging Jared tighter into a hug. Jared rested his head on Connor's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Jared didn't know when, but eventually he fell asleep.
Jared woke the next morning to a loud thud. All the memories from the previous night immediately flooded back to him. Connor kissing him. Falling asleep in Connor's arms.
Except the bed was cold now and Connor wasn't there. Sitting up in bed, Jared saw Connor at the front door, holding a bag of McDonalds.
"I, uh, got up before you and I figured you'd be hungry so I went and got us some food." Connor said, scratching the back of his neck with one hand.
Jared grinned, "Aw sweet, thank you."
"I didn't know what you liked, so I just got you a cheeseburger meal." Connor said, plopping the bag on the table.
Jared got out of bed. He looked down, remembering he still was wearing Connor's tee shirt. "Uh, do you want this back?"
"You can keep it for now." Connor told him.
Jared shrugged, grabbing his now dry jeans and throwing them on. He sat down in a chair, reaching in the bag to grab his meal.
"So, about last night." Jared said, taking a bite of the cheeseburger.
Connor blushed, looking down at his food.
"I was just wondering-"
"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" Connor said suddenly. His face grew even redder and he dared to make eye contact with Jared.
Jared... wasn't expecting that. The interruption made Jared's mind hesitate.
"I mean, uh, I-" Jared's hesitation seemed to make Connor freeze. Jared quickly tried to fix it. "Yes! Yes I do."
Connor seemed shocked, but he quickly regained his composure. He grinned, "Really?"
"Really." Jared smiled back, finishing his cheeseburger.
"Then... are you ready to head off?"
Jared was.