Based on the prompt I received from sanyumi: "Why do we keep running into each other when we live on opposite sides of the country?" cos connor makes business trips to oliver's country and even though they had a one night stand, when connor returns again like, half a year later, they run into each other in a coffee bar or something simple and still remember one another.
...
Connor runs a hand over his face as he shuts the door behind him with a loud, echoing slam.
He had just spent half an hour in Starbucks waiting in the seemingly never-ending queue only to eventually give up because the place was so packed that he probably wouldn't get his order taken for another twenty minutes.
He has only been to Philadelphia a handful of times so he doesn't really know where he's going but somehow he ends up on a quiet side-street and on the end of it there's a small sign sticking out of a building with a small coffee cup on it.
Connor praises whatever god exists because it's almost midday on a Saturday and if he doesn't have an espresso soon, he thinks he might implode...or fall asleep.
Connor breathes a sigh of relief when he opens the door to the quaint coffee shop and finds that it's only half filled with people.
He sneaks into the queue where only two people stand in front of him and he subtly looks around the coffee shop in curiosity while he waits.
It's quite big yet it has a sort of homely feel to it.
There are couches along the back wall where a group of elderly women are sitting, no doubt gossiping about their riveting lives. Connor spots a young blushing couple at the secluded table in the corner and two tables away from them, sitting in the window seat with a cup of coffee and a laptop on the table in front of him is a somewhat familiar face.
Connor does a double take when he sees him.
The man is about the same age as him except perhaps a few years older. He's wearing a maroon sweater and jeans and his face trained into a frown as he types rapidly on his laptop. He pauses his work to take a sip from his coffee and Connor has to snap his head forward so he isn't caught staring.
Connor wrings his hands and wills himself to calm down.
That guy probably doesn't even remember him. It was over a year ago, their drunken one night stand. Sure Connor stayed the night which was pretty rare for him but at the time he had blamed that on not wanting to return to his shitty hotel room that his boss had paid for and Oliver hadn't complained.
That was his name. Oliver.
Connor feels like he shouldn't remember the name of someone he slept with over a year ago when he forgets most of his one night stands names the following morning.
About a year and a half ago Connor's boss Annalise sent him to Philadelphia to try and find a witness for a case. She had packed him off for three days, booked him into the cheapest hotel she could find and that was that.
Connor had loathed but respected Annalise so he went along with it. He found the witness, got her to agree to come back to California with him and later that night he went out to the closest gay bar he could find to celebrate.
The memories were foggy but he remembers that face, he remembers a dorky laugh that Connor turned into loud, delirious moans in the darkness of an unfamiliar, tidy apartment. He remembers staying the night and waking up tangled in fresh sheets, pressing against a warm, lean, comfortable body next to his.
The morning was the most clear though, Oliver clearly wasn't as accustomed to having one-night stands as Connor, or maybe he was but he was just that nice to everyone. He made Connor breakfast, let him have the first shower and when Connor left, he simply smiled and didn't do that pathetic 'will I see you again' thing that made Connor cringe.
And now Connor's back in Philadelphia again.
Annalise has sent him away once more. Connor had rolled his eyes and protested but Annalise insisted that he was the only one capable enough for the job. Laurel and Michaela were wrapped up in another case, Asher couldn't be trusted to do the assignment correctly and Wes...well Annalise never asked Wes to do anything so that left Connor.
And in all honesty, Connor didn't mind returning to Philadelphia. The weather was a lot easier to cope with than California though he has grown used to it in the past few years at Stanford. But the last time he was here had been pretty nice so Connor agreed.
Connor will forever deny that his last trip here was so good because of that spectacular one night stand with the man currently sitting a few feet away from him.
Connor sneaks a peek from the corner of his eye and finds that Oliver is also wearing glasses. Cute, coke-bottle, thick-rimmed glasses that Connor definitely doesn't remember Oliver wearing the last time they met.
Adorable and nerdy certainly wasn't his type but Connor knew from experience just what Oliver looked like under all those layers. And it was certainly impressive.
"What can I get you Sir?"
Connor snaps to attention at the sound of the preppy teenager's voice behind the counter.
"Em, one espresso please." He requests shyly, embarrassed at getting caught daydreaming.
The girl just smiles at him, humming along to the background music as she gets his drink ready.
Connor doesn't know what to do.
It's highly doubtful that Oliver remembers him and even if he does, would Oliver even want to talk to him? Sure he might want to fuck him again and Connor definitely isn't against that idea but for some reason sleeping with Oliver only to leave again in a few days doesn't feel right.
The bubbly barista grins, slides him his drink and tells him the price, which is significantly cheaper than Starbucks so maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all and while Connor is fumbling with getting the money from his wallet, a voice startles him from behind,
"Don't worry, I'll get that."
Connor jumps and turns to find Oliver grinning at him with one raised eyebrow.
Oliver slips the money across the counter and waves away all of Connor's protests.
"Relax." Oliver assures "You're not exactly subtle you know? You need to improve your ability to gawp at people without them knowing."
Connor can feel his face warm and he knows that he's blushing hard.
"God I'm sorry I just...well I...we..."
"Connor."
Connor stops short at the sound of his name.
"You..."
Oliver snickers, "Yeah, I remember you."
Connor can't stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief. If it were anyone else then he would have just smiled his trademark smirk and replied, 'Well of course you do' but for some reason he is too tongue tied to get the words out.
Oliver nods his head to the cup of coffee still on the counter, "Want to get that and come sit with me? You don't have to," He adds when he spots Connor's eyes widen "There's no expectations or anything, I just-"
"I'd love to, Oliver."
Connor does smirk slightly when Oliver's shoulders drop with relief at the knowledge that Connor also remembers his name.
They make their way over to the window seat, Oliver has his laptop packed away and shoved under the table and when they sit across from one another, Connor suddenly has no idea what he wants to say.
"So em..." Oliver laughs nervously and Connor can't help but find it endearing, "It's strange how we ran into each other again after all this time. Where did you say you were studying again?"
Connor takes a sip of his drink and instantly feels better. The drink is refreshing and gives him the awakening jolt that he needs. Plus it tastes really, really good.
"I suppose it is strange" Connor sets the cup down "I'm in town again for my boss, same one as last year. Studying at Stanford but I'll be finished in a few months."
Oliver's eyebrows dart to his hairline, "Stanford? Wow, you must be pretty smart."
Connor smirks, "Well I don't like to brag but..."
Oliver folds his arms and his lips turn upwards, "From what I remember you're very talented at bragging."
Connor pauses to give Oliver a sultry once over, partly to prove a point and partly because damn those jeans really fit Oliver's body well.
"I hope that isn't the only thing you remember me being talented at."
Connor feels a rush of pride when a bright shade of pink makes its way up Oliver's neck to his cheeks.
"Eh...no you were." Oliver coughs slightly "You were good at many other things too."
Connor leans back in his seat and sips his coffee, "So were you."
Oliver pushes his glasses further up his nose and avoids his gaze.
"That's something else I remember." Connor adds and Oliver frowns
"What?"
Connor points to his eyes, "You didn't wear glasses on the night of our first encounter."
Connor doubts that it's possible for Oliver to blush harder and he absolutely loves it. Not that he likes embarrassing this man who's practically a stranger, but instead it's because the blush makes Oliver look even cuter than he already does.
"Yeah well I don't really wear glasses when I'm out at a bar. They're usually just for work." Oliver gives a gentle nudge against the bag under the table.
"Ah, so what do you work as then?" Connor asks, figuring that if Oliver knows about where he goes to college then he should at least get something in return. "Were you in the middle of writing a crime novel before the -ghost of one night stands past- came back to haunt you?"
Oliver snorts, "No...no I was just trying to break a code."
Connor raises an eyebrow "Wow so not writing about crime but actually committing a crime."
Oliver's eyes widen in alarm, "No, no! I'm...I work in I.T. for some stupid Advertising Agency. I'm not...I wasn't..."
Connor laughs and sets his cup down again, not so subtly putting his arm down on the table to brush against Oliver's.
"Relax." Connor says; his voice calm and teasing, "I was only joking."
Oliver briefly looks down at where their forearms are touching but looks away just as quickly.
Unfortunately for Oliver, Connor isn't the only one who's bad at subtly.
"Hacking would be much more fun than my job, trust me." Oliver rolls his eyes, "It's very uncool, tedious and boring. I'm sure you'd hate it to hear about it."
"What? No, I think I.T. is very cool"
Oliver tilts his head and raises an eyebrow disbelievingly.
"It is!" Connor counters "And anyway if you were a hacker then it would be rather unfortunate seeing as I'm a lawyer...or soon I will be anyway."
Oliver uses his arm that's not touching Connor's to take a sip from his coffee and Connor can't help but smile at that.
"Law school yeah? Must be stressful, do you like it?"
And the conversation continues from there. They discuss law school, I.T., where Oliver went to college, anything and everything really. After an hour, their cups are empty but neither of them seems to be in a hurry to move anywhere.
Oliver's right arm is still lying on the table beside Connor's right but somehow both of them have pulled back ever so slightly so their fingers graze against each other's every now and then.
This was a completely accidental action on both of their parts of course.
Another half hour passes; Connor rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and takes the plunge because he's not ready for this to end,
"You want me to order you another drink?"
The smile that was previously etched on Oliver's face slips and causes Connor's heart to drop to his stomach.
He knew this was a bad idea. He didn't even live in the same state as Oliver. He hardly knows anything about him. Well...that wasn't true anymore, in the past hour alone he has learned all about Oliver's music taste, favourite books and most importantly his drinking preferences (Maker's Manhattan, something Connor distantly remembers from their lost night but he doesn't mention that to Oliver).
Nevertheless, Connor likes Oliver. Probably more than he should. He only has a few more days here and if Oliver isn't looking for anything serious right now then maybe they can at least have another, very overdue go at round two.
Connor hopes his smirk will hide his fear as he leans in closer to the speechless Oliver,
"Or we could just head back to your place."
Oliver lets out that nervous laugh again and Connor is hit with something that lies between the lines of fondness and pain.
"I...I wish I could."
Dammit he has a boyfriend. That has to be it. Why else would Oliver deny him?
If Connor remembers correctly, Oliver more than enjoyed their first night together. It's difficult to see why he wouldn't want a repeat unless he was with someone new.
Connor tries to keep the disappointment from his face while he pulls back and lets both of his arms fall from the table.
The loss of contact causes a flash of hurt to spark in Oliver's eyes but Connor tries not to dwell on it.
"It's not that I don't want to-" Oliver continues
"You can't, I get it. It's fine." Connor replies, avoiding his gaze.
He knows that his voice is sharper and harsher than it needs to be but he can't help it. Connor doesn't even understand why he's so upset and pissed off about this. It was only two hours of conversation and a drunken one night stand over a year ago. This rejection shouldn't be hitting him as hard as it is.
Connor Walsh does not get attached for this very reason.
Especially not to someone who lives three thousand miles away for crying out loud, what on earth was he thinking?
"Connor." Oliver states and when a hand reaches across the table to cover his, Connor can't help but look up into those deep, chocolate brown eyes again,
"Connor I just...I like you. It's ridiculous but I like you quite a bit." The blush creeps back into Oliver's cheeks and Connor smiles genuinely. "But I don't...I don't see a point in us just sleeping together again only for you to fly back to California in a few days and for us never to run into each other again."
Connor opens his mouth but then closes it, trying to come up with something to say.
Part of him wants to just leave it there.
If this random I.T. worker doesn't want to sleep with him then fine, there are plenty of other people in Philadelphia who will.
But...those people probably won't wear those sexy and adorable glasses, they're not going to blush at his suggestive comments but also laugh and listen to his stories from law school. They certainly won't spend time brushing their thumb softly along the back of his hand like Oliver is doing right now.
It's been so long since Connor has been in an actual relationship that he had forgotten what it felt like for someone to do something so small and simple like that to him.
And it feels like shock waves running from his hand up through his body which leave him desperately wanting more.
He wants more of Oliver, however he can have him.
"I graduate in two months." Connor blurts out before he can stop it.
Oliver blinks before finally responding with a soft, "Oh."
Connor nods, looking down at Oliver's hand on his before turning his own palm over so he's holding Oliver's hand in his gently.
"I don't...I haven't planned where I'm going to work but..." Connor takes a deep breath "I did see some advertisements for summer internships at law firms around here over the past few days. And to be honest I'm kind of sick of California and it's ridiculously hot weather and high standards so...maybe if you gave me your number we could...keep in contact and then...who knows?"
"Are you...are you saying you want to try long distance?" Oliver questions slowly
Connor feels his defence system fight against him but the words fall from his mouth anyway,
"Well I mean...if you want to. It would just be for a few months."
Oliver swallows hard, causing his Adam's apple to bob in his throat and that shouldn't make Connor feel hot all over but it does, "I want to but...why would you want to?"
Connor's eyebrows draw together, "What do you mean?"
Oliver shrugs, "Well I mean...look at me and then look at you."
Connor's dumbfounded expression doesn't change, "I don't understand."
Oliver sighs, "I'm just a boring IT worker who you had a drunken one night stand with almost two years ago. You're a drop dead gorgeous aspiring lawyer who has his whole life ahead of him. Somehow I don't think you're the type to be tied down to a long distance relationship with someone you hardly know."
Connor tries to resist, he really does but he just can't help himself.
He licks his lips and raises an eyebrow, "You think I'm drop dead gorgeous?"
Oliver rolls his eyes, "Shut up, you know you are."
Connor grins and lets out a resigned sigh, "You're right, I suppose I'm not that person. I'm really not that person actually but...I like you too. You're cute and funny and from what I remember you're brilliant in bed." Okay maybe he said that bit to make Oliver blush but it works and it's true so he has no regrets "So I say we spend my last few days together and if you're not sick of me by then, we can try this long distance...thing."
"Are you serious?" Oliver asks lightly, as if he is genuinely struggling to believe that Connor is being honest.
Connor nods, "Absolutely."
Oliver thinks for a moment before thankfully giving in,
"Okay but...if we do this then...we're exclusive. I mean I know long distance would be hard but if it's only two months and if you're really sincere about this then...there can't be anybody else."
Connor shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He can't remember a time when he'd last been exclusive to someone.
It involves work and effort and if he's going to be away from Oliver for the next few months then he imagines it will be a lot of time without sex.
But there's something in the way Oliver is looking at him that makes those doubts disappear.
Something in the red tinge in his cheeks, the way his brown eyes light up with curiosity and interest when Connor talks and in the way their hands fit together perfectly like something out of a cheesy YA novel that makes him want this.
Connor licks his lips and nods, "We can work with that. I've heard Skype sex is really hot anyway." He throws the last bit in as a joke but Oliver doesn't laugh.
Instead Oliver's eyes dart to Connor's lips and in the blink of an eye he is standing up and swinging his laptop bag over his shoulder.
Connor pushes his chair back and jumps up, opening his mouth to right whatever wrong he's just done.
Oliver cuts him off by taking his hand again and squeezing,
"You still want to head back to my place?"
Connor gulps and wonders if this I.T. worker Oliver Hampton will actually be the death of him but he smiles nonetheless,
"Fuck, yes."
Oliver grins and before Connor knows what's happening Oliver has a death grip on his jacket and is pulling him closer into an intoxicating kiss.
It's gentle but the kiss quickly turns passionate. Oliver's hand flies to Connor's hair while Connor tries to steady himself by clutching onto Oliver's waist.
Their tongues battle for dominance right there in the middle of the cute little coffee shop and Connor doesn't care one bit when he loses.
Oliver tastes like cinnamon and cream. He tastes like something new and familiar all at once. He tastes a thousand times better than that delicious espresso and he tastes even better than he did that night so long ago with alcohol and lust running through their veins.
After what seems like forever, they pull apart both gasping heavily as they lean against one another.
"Your place" Connor rasps out "Now."
Oliver smirks which makes Connor's knees buckle but thankfully Oliver keeps a hold of his hand as he tugs them out of the coffee shop and down the street.
As they run through the crowds to get to Oliver's apartment, Connor accepts that maybe Annalise forcing him on trips to Philadelphia every once in a while isn't the worst thing in the world.
...