The next morning, Connor and Evan met at the park, and walked to school, holding hands until they were within sight of the school building. They reluctantly let each other go, though each felt the absence of the other. They had almost reached the front steps of the school when they encountered Jared.
"Jared, please..." Evan began, his voice trembling a little.
Jared held a hand up. "It's cool, Murphsen. You two make a LOVELY couple." He almost sounded sincere, but his signature douchebag smirk remained. "Your secret is safe with me. What are family friends for?" With that, he walked away.
"Murphsen?" Connor asked, quirking a brow at Evan. Evan shrugged, still worried. He'd known Jared a long time, and he was a jerk, for sure. But he'd never been downright cruel. Maybe he meant what he said. Maybe, like Evan's stuttering and Connor's steely-eyed glare, maybe Jared's sarcasm and douche jokes were just a front for something more. Maybe he really did consider Evan a friend, and wouldn't say anything to anyone.
~*~*~
After everything they had been through recently, Evan felt a stronger pull towards Connor. He was still worried about people finding out about them, but he was more worried about Connor's emotional well being, especially after last night and everything Connor had confided in him.
So, that day at lunch, he sat down across from Connor. Connor startled and looked up. His eyes widened. He slowly lowered his book, a question in his eyes. Evan just nodded at him. Connor smiled, picking his book back up as Evan settled in.
No one really bothered them that first day, or the second, or even the third. But people had noticed that they were talking more in the halls the last few days, and eating lunch together.
Connor ignored the whispering. He was used to people whispering about him, but he was worried about Evan. Evan was used to being invisible, and Connor could tell it was getting to the poor boy.
On the fourth day, Connor told Evan to meet him at his locker at lunch and they could skip the rest of the day, if he felt too overwhelmed. Evan agreed, and the two went their separate ways for classes.
But Evan didn't make it that long. While getting books from his locker in between third and fourth period, things went bad.
"Hey, Hansen, spending a lot of time with school shooter boy, eh?"
Evan cringed, trying to make himself smaller, trying to grab his books faster. He ignored, didn't engage.
"Hey, loser, I'm talkin' to you."
His books were shoved out of his hand, and he was slammed forward. His lip caught the frame of the locker, and a warm flow of blood filled his mouth. Someone spun him around and shoved him again. He winced as his head connected with the cold metal.
"Got yourself a boyfriend, huh? Who would have thought the loser and the drug addict would end up together? Well, how adorable." Sarcasm dripped from the boy's voice - a jock Evan didn't even know, had never spoken to.
Evan tried to speak, tried to beg the boy to leave him alone. But his stutter was so bad, he couldn't even get out one word. He stared hard at the floor, trying to avoid eye contact.
A fist connected with his stomach. He doubled over, gasping for breath, and then found himself on the floor. Then a foot connected with his gut. He yelped, curling into a ball to protect himself. Everyone was laughing. He vaguely heard someone shout for a teacher. A voice screamed his name, another voice yelled that the assistant principal was stalking towards them.
The boys scattered, leaving Evan alone, eyes squeezed shut in fear and pain. He could feel the presence of a lot of people, could hear them whispering, but no one approached him.
Until...
"Evan!"
A hand touched his cheek, and he flinched at first, throwing his fist out and swinging wildly in self-defense.
"Whoa, whoa," the voice said, grabbing his hand and squeezing. "It's me, it's me!"
"C-Connor...?"
"Yeah, Ev, I'm here."
Evan's split lip trembled painfully as tears began to gush from his eyes. Everything hurt, but he managed to get up to his knees and throw his arms around Connor, sobbing into his jacket.
Connor rubbed his back, shushing him and kissing his cheek. He could hear the people around them whispering and talking, a collective intake of breath, but he didn't care.
Jared and Alana were there. Alana was frozen, watching them, but Jared was shoving people away, snapping at them to fuck off.
Then the assistant principal and some teachers were there, demanding to know what had happened, getting phones out to call for an ambulance, as Connor gently tugged Evan to his feet.
"Mr. Murphy, where do you think you're going?" demanded the assistant principle.
"His mom's a nurse, I'm taking him to her, try to stop me," he snarled, glaring his steely-eyed glare at the older man. He looked ready to protest, but shut his mouth.
Suddenly, Zoe was there, on the other side of Evan, grabbing him gently and helping Connor get him outside and to her car. Evan collapsed in the back seat, sprawled out with his head on Connor's lap. Connor gently stroked his hair, while Zoe drove as fast as she could to the hospital.
"No hospital," Evan groaned.
"Ev, you have to go, you could have a concussion or broken ribs or-"
"No," Evan pleaded, reaching for Connor's hand. "Mom... Too many questions..."
Zoe glanced at her brother in the rearview mirror, a question in her eyes.
"Please," Evan begged, squeezing Connor's hand, shaking like a leaf.
"I'm sorry Ev, but you have to go to the hospital," Connor said firmly. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Evan because he caved and didn't take him to the hospital to be examined.
When they got to the hospital, the siblings helped Evan from the car, moving him inside as quickly as possible. Everything was a blur for him, as he vaguely heard Connor and Zoe talking to the receptionist and asking for Evan's mom. He was taken in to a room quickly. Connor followed, but Zoe waited outside. Only a few minutes had passed when Heidi came running into the room.
"Evan! Oh my god!"
Evan was lying on the hospital bed. He was in pain, but still managing to at least sit up on his own, back against the pillows, which his foggy brain took as a good sign. He glanced up at the sound of his mother's voice. She ran to his side and grabbed him in a fierce but gentle hug. "What happened?!?" She looked from Evan to the tall, long-haired boy who stood to the side, confusion written all over her face. The boy looked vaguely familiar...
Connor clenched his jaw, glancing from Evan to Heidi, no idea what to say. Evan started to shake with nerves. This wasn't how he'd wanted this to happen. This wasn't how he'd imagined introducing Connor to his mom.
"Evan, talk to me! What happened?!?"
Evan opened and closed his mouth, trying to form words, just as a nurse came in.
"Heidi, please," the nurse scolded her. "I know you're upset, but you know how this works. You can't go upsetting my patient."
"Your patient?" Heidi cried, glaring daggers at her coworker. "He's my son!"
The nurse nodded patiently, her voice gentle but firm when she spoke again. "Yes, which means right now, you're not his nurse, you're his mother. And that means I'm in charge in this room, not you. I need you to lower your voice and try to calm down."
Heidi opened her mouth to argue, snapped it shut, and nodded.
"And I need you," she said to Connor, turning to point at him, "to leave, since you aren't family."
Evan let out a choked sob, shaking his head and reaching his hand out towards Connor. "N-No! P-Please, don't make him leave!"
Heidi's mouth fell open at her son's protest, looking from him to the other boy. Connor's eyes were wide with shock, but he moved quickly to Evan's side, grabbing his hand. Evan held tight to Connor, pulling him closer.
"P-please d-don't... d-don't leave me," Evan begged.
Connor nodded, kissing the top of his head. "I'm not going anywhere."
Heidi's eyes darted back and forth between Evan and this other boy, the truth dawning on her.
~*~*~
After some tests, Evan and Connor were left alone while Heidi and Evan's nurse went to discuss some things, and speak with the doctor assigned to Evan's case.
Connor had climbed into the bed alongside Evan, at Evan's request. At first, Connor had hesitated. "What about your mom?" he'd asked, but Evan had shook the question off and begged Connor to join him. He was in pain and he was scared, not to mention the fact that he'd basically just outed himself to his mom. He was craving the comfort of Connor's touch.
So, Connor had complied, snuggling in gently, trying hard not to jostle or hurt Evan. He was holding Evan's hand, planting gentle kisses on his head, when Heidi came back in an hour later.
"Okay, good news! Nothing-" she paused upon seeing the position Evan and the other boy were in.
Startled, Connor went to pull away and stand, but Evan held tight to his hand, not letting him. Connor stared at Evan with wide eyes, shocked that this was the same boy who had been so scared of everyone finding out their secret just a few months ago.
Heidi cleared her throat. "Nothing's broken and they don't think you have a concussion, so I can take you home," she finally said.
Evan nodded, looking from his mom to Connor, then down at his lap, crushing Connor's hand in his.
"You, uh..." Heidi began, turning her attention to Connor.
"Connor," he said quickly. "Connor Murphy."
"Oh," Heidi replied quietly, the last puzzle piece clicking into place. "Um, you can ride home with us, if you'd like. If... if it's okay with your parents."
Connor glanced at Evan, who gave him wide, pleading eyes, and Connor nodded, feeling incredibly uncomfortable under the watchful eye of Heidi Hansen. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent his mom a quick text:
At hospital with Evan. Long story. Taking him home now. His mom is driving.
He pocketed his phone, not waiting for an answer. "All good."
~*~*~
Thirty minutes later, Connor was helping Evan change into pajamas and climb into bed. He forced Evan to drink some water and take some ibuprofen, then settled in beside him. Evan curled up to Connor, and Connor held him as tightly as he could without hurting him. He showered Evan in kisses until Evan fell into an uneasy sleep.
Connor knew he and Evan would have to face Heidi sooner or later, and he figured Evan didn't need the stress of it. So, when he was sure Evan was asleep, he slipped off the bed and padded downstairs, where Heidi sat in the kitchen. She gestured for him to join her, pouring him a cup of hot chocolate.
He nodded gratefully, before slumping forward onto the table, his head in his hands. Heidi didn't speak. She waited, giving Connor the time he needed to compose himself. Finally, he looked up at her, fighting back tears.
"Some homophobic jocks beat Evan up at school..."
Heidi looked ready to murder someone. Connor trembled before her fierce mama bear glare.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hansen. I understand if you never want me near Evan again."
"What?" Heidi asked, startled.
Connor hesitated before meeting her eyes. "This is all my fault. Evan never would have been-"
"Stop that," Heidi said sharply. Connor fell silent. She grabbed his hand. "This is NOT your fault, Connor. Never, ever think this is your fault. Those boys did this, not you."
"But if I-"
"No," Heidi said firmly. "Don't even think it. This is NOT your fault."
The words felt foreign to him. Everything was always his fault. Being told otherwise was... weird.
They were silent for a few minutes after that, sipping their hot chocolate and avoiding looking at each other.
"So," Heidi finally said, breaking the silence. Connor glanced up at her. "You and my son..."
Connor looked away again, nodding once.
"How long?"
Connor took a big sip of hot chocolate before answering. "We started hanging out at the beginning of the school year... We officially started d-dating... um... I guess in November?"
Heidi nodded, though Connor was still staring at his hot chocolate and couldn't see this.
"I, uh..." Heidi paused, choosing her words carefully. "I thought he seemed happier lately.. I guess now I know why."
When Connor looked up, startled by her response, she was smiling softly at him.
~*~*~
Connor and Heidi spoke for a long time, giving Evan time to sleep. When Connor finally went back upstairs to check on him, Evan was sitting up in bed, wincing, his whole body aching. Connor stepped into the room and sat beside him.
"Your mom is... Really cool," Connor said quickly.
Evan looked immensely relieved, his shoulders sagging. "She knows everything?"
"Basically," Connor said with a shrug.
Evan nodded, staring into the distance for a minute as his brain remembered something from earlier... "Zoe knows?"
Connor hesitated. He didn't want to upset Evan, but he didn't want to lie. So, he nodded.
"How long?"
"A couple weeks," Connor admitted.
Evan nodded his head, wincing with the movement. He leaned back against his pillow, touching his swollen, cut lip.
"I'm sorry, Ev. She saw us that day at the diner, and she confronted me. But she hasn't told anyone."
"It's... fine," Evan said hesitantly, surprising himself with the admission. He actually didn't mind that Zoe knew, especially since his mom knew now, too.
"How are you feeling?" Connor asked, his voice filled with sorrow.
"I'll be fine," Evan replied, trying to keep his voice light, though inside, his anxiety was spiking. "Maybe this is for the best. Maybe now that it's out there, they'll all leave us alone. And now we don't have to hide at school."
Oh, everyone WOULD leave Evan alone from now on. Connor would make sure of that. He had this weird feeling Jared would, too. The other boy had been trying to help during the fight. For all his faults, he DID care, even if he didn't want to admit it.
"Yeah, maybe," was all Connor said out loud, though. He didn't want to upset Evan by saying anything else. "Ev, I don't wanna leave you, but I should probably get going soon. I'm sure my mom and Zoe are wondering what's going on, and I don't know what they told my dad to keep him from going ballistic..."
Evan didn't want him to go, but he also didn't want Connor to get in any trouble. He leaned in for a kiss, which Connor delivered as gently as possible.
"Make sure you text me a lot tonight, so I know you're okay, okay?" Connor begged. Only after Evan had reassured him he would did Connor finally leave, his mind weary after the long day.