After dinner, the boys got ready for bed. It was Friday and there was no school tomorrow, but they were both exhausted.
Mrs Murphy set up the guest room for Evan again but he was nervous. The weather was raging outside, pounding loudly against the house. Even from the room, Evan could hear the rain beating against the roof. He was nervous it might begin to thunder. He hated thunder. It always came out of nowhere, first a bolt of lightning that lit up the entire room, casting creepy shadows on the walls, then a loud crash. He hated when it stormed. He usually stayed awake all night when it was like this.
He was very tired, so he ended up falling into a fitful sleep, only to wake up screaming when a loud clap of thunder shook the house.
The door opened and someone appeared, their shadow illuminated by a flash of lightning. Evan screamed again and thrashed around the bed, trying to find a way to get out.
"Evan, Evan, calm down, please." The person soothed, calmly walking to the bedside with his hands outstretched.
Evan opened his eyes to see Connor, not a monster or a bad guy come to abduct him. He relaxed instantly, still breathing hard.
Connor looked at the bed questioningly before Evan held the covers up so Connor could hop in.
Connor laid down next to Evan, just being near him but not touching him. He wasn't sure what Evan wanted in this situation.
After a few minutes he started drifting back to sleep when he heard whimpering from the other side of the bed after another crash of thunder.
"Ev, it's okay, I promise." Evan wiggled so he was pressed against Connors side. Connor smiled and put his arm around him, holding him close. Evan relaxed at his touch and moved so he could lay his head on Connors chest. He sighed contentedly and almost instantly fell asleep.
Connor wished he could do the same.
After a couple hours of watching over Evan, the rain slowed, the thunder moved on, and he sighed.
"Evan, I wish there was something I could do, some way that I could take back what I said, because I would. I'd think of a way to make it work, even with Ferb's threats." He looked down at the peaceful boy, drooling happily on his shirt, a small smile on his lips. Connor bent down and kissed his hair. "I'm still going to protect you, no matter what, my precious Tree Boy." Connor got comfortable and closed his eyes, finally falling asleep.
***
The next morning, Connor woke up to the light in his eyes. His bedroom had dark curtains over the window so he didn't see the sun, but the guest room didn't have that. He groaned and sat up, taking Evan, who was still sleeping on his chest, with him.
"Huh?" Evan fell to the side but caught himself, sitting up and blinking blearily. "What's g-going on?" He rubbed his eyes before focusing on Connor. "Good morning." he said sheepishly.
"'Morning, Ev." Connor smiled back. Evan leaned back to stretch, yawning before covering his mouth. Connor laughed. "Sleep well?"
Evan nodded.
"Best I've ever slept during a storm." He admitted.
"Good."
"So...I think we're overdue for that talk." Evan said. He adjusted the blankets around them and looked at Connor expectantly.
"Okay, but I don't know how well you're going to react..."
"Why? What happened?"
"Well, it's about Ferb, and you and me."
"Okay..." He wasn't getting it.
"I just want to preface this story with the fact that I really care about you, and I'd do anything for you, okay?"
Evan gave him a look.
"Con, what did you do?"
Connor lifted his shirt and Evan gasped. He reached out to touch the swelling bruises and traced his fingers over the bandages.
"Did I hurt you last night, I think I was lying on you."
Connor smiled.
"You're so sweet, Evvy, but no, you didn't hurt me. You did drool on me though."
"What?! I did not,"
"Yeah, you did." Connor took Evan's hand and brought it to the little wet spot on his shirt, right over his heart. Their eyes met and Connor leaned in. Evan gave him a little kiss before pulling away.
"Now I really need to know what's going on."
Connor explained all about Ferb and what he blackmailed him into doing. He told him about all the beatings Ferb and his friends gave Connor every day and he briefly glossed over the couple times it went a little further. Connor never wanted to be in Ferb's car again.
"But Evan, I only did it to keep you safe. I...I love you."
Connor looked at him for the first time and saw silent tears streaming down Evan's cheeks. He had his hand over his mouth, trying to hold back the sobs. Connor gently took Evan's hand and squeezed it. Evan couldn't hold it in any more, and broke down, hardly able to pull a breath in. Connor scooted over so he could take Evan in his arms, but Evan pushed him away.
"I can't believe you'd do this for me!" he cried, but all Connor heard was ragged breathing and a bit of gagging.
"Ev, what can I do for you?" Connor whispered. "I want to help you."
Evan shook his head, wiping his tears on his sweatshirt sleeve.
"You've already done so much, much more than you should have. Why wouldn't you tell me what was going on, Connor? Especially since it concerned me."
Connor just shook his head.
"Ferb told me not to tell anyone, and he said if I let him do whatever he wanted to me, he'd leave you alone. At the time it seemed like a really good deal." Connor looked at the boy in front of him. "Going back now, I'd do it all over again. I mean it, Ev. I love you. I'd do anything to protect you."
Evan lunged forward and pressed his lips against Connors. It was the neediest, most passionate kiss they'd ever shared, and it was probably Connor's favorite so far. He was hoping there'd be many more in the future. Many, many more.
"What was that for?"
"I love you, too." Evan said, smiling.
Connor beamed. Evan loved him? He wasn't expecting the feelings to be returned, especially after how he'd treated Evan.
"But I'm still mad at you." Evan frowned. "I can't believe you didn't tell anyone. Surely if you'd told a grownup or the principal or your parents they could have done something! You wouldn't have had to go through all this, and I still would have, as you like to put it, 'been safe'. Why didn't you?"
Connor looked down.
"Well...I don't really have a very high opinion of myself. I guess, especially after breaking up with you, I felt terrible. It hurt me just as much as it hurt you, and I felt like a complete and utter douche. I didn't know what to do, and when Ferb made me his punching bag, I kind of felt like it was my punishment for hurting you, and I deserved it." Connor whispered, squeezing his eyes tight.
"Oh, Connor," Evan pulled him in for a hug. "No one deserves that, especially not you. Did you listen to anything you just told me? You were willing to do anything in order to protect me. Doesn't that tell you anything about yourself? You're kind, loyal, and fiercely protective of those you love. Bad people, they aren't like that. But you are. You're not a bad person." Seeing the look of protest on his face, Evan kept talking. "You might make mistakes, sure, everyone does. But that doesn't make you a horrible person. When I first knew you, everyone told me you were just the worst. Seriously. Everyone told me that trying to be your friend would be awful, since you were so terrible."
"Wow, how comforting, Ev. You sure know how to make a guy feel great about himself."
"Shut up, I have a point. And my point is," Evan continued, "That you've put up so many walls to protect yourself from being hurt by others that in order to see the person you truly are, they would have had to get past those walls. And most people are too obsessed with themselves to try to look at other people past the surface." Evan grabbed Connor's hand and pressed a kiss to it. "But I'm really glad I did. Look who I found behind all those walls?"
A single tear slipped down Connor's face and Evan brushed it away.
"So we're okay?" Connor asked.
Evan nodded.
"We're better than okay."
The boys stayed in bed a little while longer, cuddling and talking now that the air was finally clear between them.
"Con, I think you should tell your mom about what's going on."
"What?" He sat straight up. "No way, she'd hate me."
"No, she wouldn't Connor. She loves you, and she'd want to do anything to protect you, too, just like you want to do to me."
Connor thought about that.
"No. I can't let her get involved."
"What about your dad?"
"No."
"Okay, not your family. How about the principal? This sort of thing should not happen at school."
Connor shook his head.
"Ferb's made sure not to do anything to me on school ground. Usually he'd take me to a park or back to his place....or in his car." Connor shuddered and Evan rubbed his arms.
"I just really think you should tell your mom. She'd be a great help."
"No, Evan, please just drop it? I'm strong, I can handle it myself."
"Even the strongest people need a break, Con. You can't keep going like this by yourself."
"That's why I have you, Ev. You make me want to keep moving on. Every time I felt like giving up, every time I believed what Ferb told me about being worthless, I thought about you. It made me keep going." Connor touched the bandages on his wrist. "You give me reason to live."
Evan smiled sadly.
"I wish there was something I could do."
Connor's phone buzzed from the night table. He brought it with him the night before. The text was from Ferb saying he needed to meet him at the park near his house.
"There is. You can just be normal around me. Act like nothing's wrong, and just cheer me up by being your wonderful, beautiful self." Connor kissed his nose.
Evan blushed.
"All right, fine. I guess I can do that." But a plan was already forming in his mind.
"Good. Now let's get breakfast before I have to leave."
***
Hello, lovelies. Glad to announce our favorite boys are finally friends again 😊 I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
I didn't have much time to write this week, my family is moving and we've been packing our entire house, so it's been really busy. We move out tomorrow 😬 and I'm going camping with my aunt and cousins for a couple days so my summer is just packed. Hope you all are having a good summer!
~hamilfan123987