#i rly should have left more uo to ur interpretation but im going with it manymanymany apologies

[screwconnormurphy]

@evhansen47389

"Dating?" Connor turned to Evan and nodded, "Dating..." He supposed this would be a thing now. Like, a dating thing. Of course, he guessed that's what it was, and that about now, Evan was his boyfriend whether he liked the title or not.

Jared's jaw dropped and he scoffed at Evan as he rolled his eyes.

"No way. No fucking way. You... and you? Et tu, Hansen? Ohhh-ho-oh, absolutely not. So you... like him? Back? Holy shit this isn't real, this isn't happening, this isn't real, where's the hidden camera? Come on, Evan, give it up!" Jared accused, slamming a palm on the table. Evan was getting antsy being there, but Connor could feel an explosive episode coming on from him if things went the same way.

"Seriously. Connor has been a douche since, like, way back middle school, there's no way you're 'dating him'. Like, what does that even mean, you make out with him imagining it's Zoe because he's the closest you can get to her?" Connor glanced Evan, pissed at Jared, but paranoid that maybe that was the truth. But Evan shook his head and strictly denied it. Meanwhile, Zoe deadpanned in Jared's direction, sharing an eye roll with Alana.

Jared turned to Connor with a lower volume and a still harsh, but more controlled tone, "You know Evan's the closest family... Friend... that I've got, right? He's just always been there, tagging along, and it's been pretty good for him, you know, socially and all. But you got him and turned him... weird. You know, and I know you know that I don't play like that."

" No, I didn't 'turn' him anything, and I know exactly what you mean by that. Sorry to uh, 'take your friend' or whatever, but hell, I'm trying to be cool if you'd stop being such a dick. We have history, and I'm used to it. I get that we're never gonna be 'best friends', and, uh... I'm sorry for that, on my part. But I'm not gonna apologize for this. You know, I don't even care if you're a dick to me, fuck me over time and time again, but not Evan. Please. It's damn clear you don't like it, and you don't have to, but he means a lot to me, so... Could we attempt make weak amends for a basic fucking compromise?"

Jared looked at Connor with disgust and false pity as he spoke so seriously, managing an approachable tone. A few seconds after Connor finished, he leaned to Evan with a hushed voice.

"You hear that, fairy? He says I can be a dick and fuck him over repeatedly. You do realize that's how he's gonna want you in the bedroom, don't you?" Jared quietly cackled behind his hands. He rolled his eyes as he got only disapproval from Evan for the dirty joke.

Connor sighed and asked the girls if they'd rather contribute, something helpful, please. He rested his face in his hands in frustration. He had said his piece and wished Jared would take this seriously. It was hard to be so open to him when he didn't even seem to want it. Zoe tugged on Jared's wrist, taking him into a hushed conversation only between the two of them. Since she was closest to Connor, he had to trust her more than he did Alana, initally, at least.

"Jared, this is real. Connor... you know how I know Connor, I've lived with him all my life, and he's a little bitch. We get it. But Connor and Evan... they're sweet. He makes Evan happy. They make each other really happy, I can tell. I was actually just telling Alana what happened this morning. I pissed Evan off saying they had sex, he ran out to the pick-up, so then Connor went after him and just, like, sat there talking to him, helping him out and stuff. And yeah, I guess... kissing him," she laughed softly, clearing her throat, "And it was really, really sweet. He's... This is the most serious I've seen him about anything, like, look at him," Zoe interrupted her sidebar with Jared to fling her head towards Connor, holding Evan's hand to ground him, "You've been an ass all the time we've been here. Actually, come to think of it, you haven't been very nice through this whole... sort of mercenary act. It makes sense you want to keep Evan from Connor, it really does, but consider this; maybe Connor doesn't have an ulterior motive."

"If he doesn't have an ulterior motive, once something goes wrong, something that was his own fault, he's gonna kill Evan like he tried to do me. Like the violent psycho he is! Shocker and surprise!" Jared didn't try as hard to shield his dialogue from the group as he exclaimed the last two points. Connor tried to block it out, biting a hole in his cheek. He wasn't sure if it hurt or pissed him off how Jared never knew subtlety, but now he was only barely putting up with it again.

"Connor wouldn't kill him." Alana added, the only other person close enough to hear. "It's pretty clear that even if Connor did get so mad at Evan as to retaliate with physical violence, he'd not let it go that far. Besides, from the way Zoe speaks, he's devoted. He wouldn't try to murder someone he actually loved that much, that's just not in sound human nature."

"Maybe that's true in most cases, but Connor's a special boy. I wasn't gay so he made it his goal to try and put me in a body cast and leave me paralyzed for life. Thank fuck I survived, yes? But Evan's my guy, my sweet little dude who doesn't need a faggot from the looney bin to fuck around with his head."

Zoe shook her head, pouting with a furrowed brow. Connor may not have been a good person, but those words felt like they pushed too far for her to hear about her brother. If this was how Jared acted 24/7, she could understand why Connor would want to beat him up.

"Connor's different because Evan's different than you are. Honestly, Connor's sounding more sane than you are. You got crushed on then beat up just a few times, years ago. Very bad, yeah, but you got Connor back, you said, got him back badly. And it's no secret you ruined his reputation. You drove him to crazy, so you can't judge him for what you did to him. And if he wants to bury the hatchet, why can't you? That's a shame, that's downright dirty!" Alana pitched in. Jared raised a brow in consideration, Alana's points easing him to the thought of apology and a fair relationship with Connor after several silent moments of thought. He shook his head with a sigh and threw up his hands, giving up.

"Not that I'm going easy, but Alana made an accurate point. So this is my sorry. I still don't trust you much, Connor, that's forever, but it's over. It's done. I won't fuck you up if you don't fuck Evan up. He's a friend and I kinda still need him for shit, that's my cut in this."

"We've got a deal, thanks. I'm sorry, and I aim to do good on him. No bullshit." Connor nodded curtly to Jared, offering his hand to shake. Jared accepted and tried to pull a fistbump, which Connor responded to like his sister did to his that morning; a punch to the arm. Jared groaned and swore loudly, earning him a sharp glance from both customers and management of A La Mode. He apologized shyly and rubbed his arm.

"Still pretty strong, huh?" Connor asked while Jared nodded in silence. Connor thanked the girls, thanked Evan, and thanked his lucky stars something had worked.

@screwconnormurphy

<< After multiple turns, two flights of stairs, and almost tripping over his shoelaces thrice, Evan gave up on trying to catch up with Connor. He stopped, hands on his knees, as he watched Connor disappear into his respective classroom. Evan wasn’t going to give up that easily though. He’d text him, make sure everything was okay. And maybe tell him about Zoe randomly coming up to him and asking him to the party.

Eh, on second thought, he’d better keep that one to himself. It might push Connor over the edge and then he’d lose all chance to see him again. Evan sighed and went to his own class (which he was late for and scowled at by his teacher) and spent the rest of the day in a melancholy sort of bubble. 

________________________________________________________________

At home, Evan finished his homework and then got out his phone to text Connor. After he opened his contact and began to type, he thought better and decided to call. Calling was always more personal than texting, and he really wanted to make sure Connor understood how important he was to Evan, not just someone to use for a while and then kick out the back door. He dialed his number and waited for him to pick up. 

��Come on come on come on…” he muttered under his breath. >>